I've been seeing a different side basically all year long. His demeanor is totally different from being an assistant coach and the Maurice Cheeks that I got to know throughout the years of him being here. I expect it because he has a different role now.

You could see it in his demeanor that he wasn't used to this, ... He wasn't the same coach. A couple of times I had to ask him if he was having fun. He said, 'Mike, losing is never fun.'

I think he had a great camp. I think it's the first year John's playing relaxed and you can tell by what he's doing out there on the basketball court.

Let the assistant coach come up to me and say, 'Gerry McNamara is overrated.' I'd like to see one of those guys come up to me and say that. He's been double-teamed all year, and the coaches voted him first team all-conference. The head coaches, they don't know (expletive), I guess.

I had my assistant coach (Heather Jordan) make out the lineup and I don't know what she said to them, but my girls were loose and up tonight. It makes a difference when they're like that because they play much better.

You never know. It's a totally new system. When (former coach) Terry Porter was here the first year, we jelled right away. It could happen again. If we have everybody healthy, it shouldn't take too long.