T-Wolves’ Thibodeau learns ropes of dual role from Van Gundy
Minneapolis — Before he started this season with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Tom Thibodeau did a tour around the NBA to get a sense of how other teams do things.
One of his first stops was with Pistons coach and team president Stan Van Gundy — and he left impressed. The two know each other pretty well and have a mutual professional admiration. When Thibodeau also got the dual role with the Timberwolves as team president and head coach, he had more to glean from Van Gundy.
“Because of the job that he does (both roles), I wanted to see what some of the challenges would be and the things he’s gone through,” Thibodeau said Friday. “It was great for me and Stan has been a terrific coach for a long time in this league and a great basketball guy.”
Van Gundy is in his third season of wearing both hats for the Pistons and helped end the playoff drought last season. As Van Gundy has added more talent and turned over the roster, he’s becoming a shining example for those occupying and juggling both roles, on the bench and in the front office.
That’s what stuck with Thibodeau, in balancing all the workload. But it wasn’t just about having all the power. One of the biggest takeaways was surrounding himself with a knowledgeable staff and getting them to separate out some of the work to make it easier to focus just on the coaching aspect once the season began.
“It was everything: the organization and how he delegates. (general manager) Jeff Bower and (assistant GM) Jeff Nix I’ve known a long time so I spent time with them,” Thibodeau said. “The synergy of it and how you make it all work together. We talked about managing the size of a large staff. Everyone’s staff has grown, but it stood out.
“They were mapping out the season and it was very well organized and he was talking about the things that he wanted to do. It was very interesting to see where they are right now defensively because his plan was well executed. At that time, they weren’t where they are today.”
Van Gundy also said that building a trustworthy and competent staff were keys to his success and imparted that same wisdom to Thibodeau, who had previously had success coaching the Chicago Bulls before taking a year off.
In Thibodeau’s case, it was hiring Scott Layden as general manager and constructing a staff to get many of the smaller details done.
“The thing he did is go out and make sure the guy you get is really good. We got Jeff and he got Scott (Layden) and you let those guys do their work,” Van Gundy said. “That’s the most important thing, especially when you hit the season, you can devote your energy to coaching.
“We’ve both been blessed in the people we have working with us.”