Active players who could make tough move to bench

Eric Snow (left), shown here with Daniel Gibson, describes coaching as being "not just about helping teams win; it's about helping young men mature into better basketball players and better people." Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

MAILBAG Submit a comment or question for Paul. Your name: Your e-mail address: Your home town: Enter your question:

Maybe it's the nature of coaching, the need to "think about your team and your players constantly," as former Rockets and Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy puts it. But for those who travel the road from being a player to getting into coaching, the path often becomes clear after those around them see it.

Teammates hear the possibility in the locker room and on the court, when a singular voice cuts through the din of fans and play calls. Coaches see it in a player's ability to grasp the game like they do, for the managing of egos and time commitments and strategy that it is. And front offices take notice of the respect with which a player is treated by those he plays with each night.

But for those whose understanding of the game and human nature lead them to pursue the hottest seat in the NBA, the decision often takes shape with a move out of the lineup.

"Sitting the bench really got me thinking about coaching," veteran Knicks forward Malik Rose said. "The only way I was having an effect on the games was by talking to people. I'd talk to teammates about things and they would go out and have success. Then I started thinking I can help people get better, then they started calling me the 'coach' and I started thinking about it."

Of the NBA's current bench bosses, 22 made the transition from player to coach. But it isn't an easy one.

"Players have to have an understanding of what the time commitment is to be a head coach," said TNT analyst Mike Fratello, a former coach of the Grizzlies, Cavaliers and Hawks. "Players put X number of hours into practice or playing the game; the rest of their time they put in the physical training, conditioning, etc.

"Coaches coach the practices and the games. Coaches have to spend their time preparing for the next opponent, preparing the next practice, watching video, etc. Then, obviously, they need the analytical mind to understand game situations, game management, clock management and then make the decisions during games about timeouts, substitutions and more. And they need to understand the planning that goes into the trips and practices, the meetings with the staff and all the other responsibilities that go along with being the head coach. Finally, they need to be able to teach. In practice and in games, can they help teams get better?"

Clearly, the decision to cross the locker-room divide into the coach's office isn't one that should be made without purpose, without commitment. For those veterans who have been in the game long enough to seriously consider the move, it isn't.

"More than anything, coaching is about the love and passion for the game, to be significant in people's lives," said Cavs point guard Eric Snow, who admits he's studied the management side of the game while picking the brains of coaches he's played for and some he hasn't, such as Dallas' Avery Johnson and Phoenix's Mike D'Antoni. "It's not just about helping teams win; it's about helping young men mature into better basketball players and better people."

But, according to current and former NBA coaches and executives, desire is only part of the equation for a player looking to make the transition. Among the other essentials:

A sense of struggle

"Except for the stars of stars, most guys have gone through a struggle at some point in their NBA careers -- to get drafted, to find your way into a rotation, to win, to stay in the league as you get older," said Van Gundy, an analyst for ESPN and ABC. And that doesn't even take into account shooting slumps, variations in playing time or being traded. Understanding the ups and downs of the NBA life most players experience is essential to maintaining their attention.

Know your role

Rare is the successful coach who hasn't spent more time as a role player than go-to guy.

"Generally, stars have not been successful as head coaches," Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace said. "Part of it is that it's hard for them to sit there and watch players who are greatly inferior to them play knowing they can't come anywhere near the level that they've achieved. Also, the stars make so much money during their careers that they have other alternatives. Most of the guys who have been good coaches -- in whatever sport -- at one point in time probably needed the money; they had to hustle and produce to keep moving up the financial totem pole."

1 of 3