But here is an important point:
Foyle was asked how Van Gundy's hard-charging act was playing with him and his teammates. "If we weren't winning," he chuckled, "he'd be a pain in the butt."
Foyle said that usually after a Van Gundy tirade the coach "calms down and explains what he's trying to do, and that makes us understand him better. If he didn't do that, we'd wonder if we were just horrible players."
I think SVG actually prolonged the Magic slump by continuing to berate the team viciously and publicly when nothing was working for them.
His comments were repeated by the sports "commentators" and probably had a lot to do with the "lack of respect" this team has received. I recall a time when he abruptly became restrained in his post game comments, saying something like he needed to control his emotions. I'm pretty sure he'd been spoken to by the management.
Calling out Dwight publicly for being lazy on defense, when he was lazy and speaking to him privately hadn't worked, is a good move as long as it seldom happens. Saying things like, "This team can't guard anyone," and "Anyone can have a career night against the Magic," when the team is struggling, humiliates the team and encourages the opposition. Confidence is so important in this game.
No surprise here.
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