NBA A to Z: How Steve Clifford revived the Bobcats

• New Charlotte Bobcats coach Steve Clifford talked to Tom Thibodeau%2C Stan Van Gundy about bad defense
• Clifford says he took job because he didn%27t want to wait for next offer but is very happy in Charlotte
• Also in NBA A to Z%2C draft expert analyzes Joel Embiid%2C Marcus Smart%2C others entering NCAA tournament

Changing the culture of an institution, or in this instance a pro basketball team, isn't easy. It's downright difficult, if not impossible in some situations. So many fluid factors go into it, from management to employees to finances.

In their nine seasons before this one, the Charlotte Bobcats were 250-426 — a winning percentage of .369 — with one playoff appearance, one season better than .500 and five coaches. In the past two seasons, the Bobcats went 28-120.

First-year Bobcats coach Steve Clifford has changed the culture on the floor in short time. The Bobcats are 31-34 this season, a top-10 defensive team and in position to make the playoffs for the first time since 2010.

A coach of the year candidate, Clifford, 52, turned the Bobcats into a respectable team with a promising future led by Al Jefferson and Kemba Walker on the court.

"I feel good about the important things that have been established in terms of the way we work, our style of play — balanced play, defensive rebounding first. I believe we have very good guys who are committed to winning. Everything starts with culture. In that way, I feel good about where we are."

Earlier in the season, Clifford missed a game after undergoing a heart procedure which required two stents.

"I'm good. I was fortunate. My heart, there's no damage, and I was lucky that way," Clifford said. "I'm taking better care of myself but I have no restrictions. I just have to go to my check-ups and be more careful."

Hours before the Bobcats beat the Washington Wizards on Wednesday, Clifford sat down with USA TODAY Sports.

Q: Regardless of record, where are you right now in terms of developing this team and building this team in relation to where you want to be?

A: I feel good about the important things that have been established in terms of the way we work, our style of play — balanced play, defensive rebounding first. I believe we have very good guys who are committed to winning. Everything starts with culture. In that way, I feel good about where we are.

Q: Coaches come in and want to change a culture. Sometimes, it's easier said than done. How have you been able to accomplish that, by and large, with a lot of the same guys who have been there the past couple of seasons?

A: A lot of what we're trying to do is similar to what I learned from working for Jeff and Stan (Van Gundy). We're a culture of the right amount of work, where there's a definitive style of play which will lead to being able to win big in this league and then a level of accountability both from coaches to players and players to coaches and players to players.

All of that can only happen and work out well if you have the right kind of guys. So much of coaching, particularly at this level, is dictated by the character and competitiveness of your roster.

Q: What players are willing to do?

A: Exactly right and how important it is for them to win or how willing they are to win or how willing they are to work toward winning? How much are they willing to put into it? We have good guys.

If they're the same players and they had that willingness, how have you been able to get it out of them?

Listen, obviously the biggest reason we're playing better and with more consistency is Al. Basketball is a game that starts at the top of your roster. By having him as one of our best players, it's allowed other guys to step back one rung and they have a better chance to play better more consistently every night. That's the first thing.

The second part of it is Kemba's development. He's worked hard. He's a much better player at both ends of the floor.

The third part of it, and the people in Charlotte understand or if you don't see us much, is having Josh McRoberts for the whole year. He's really had a terrific year.

Al has also brought a lot more to the team than just scoring. He's a good teammate. He's taken the responsibility of us playing consistently very seriously. He's worked hard and he's delivered. His numbers aren't at all misleading. Because he's playing meaningful and not only is he putting up big numbers, if you look at fourth-quarter efficiency he's been terrific.

Q: You mentioned the right amount of work. How do you establish that? What is the right amount of work?

A: For every roster it would be different. With an older team, it's going to be different than with a younger team. But you have to establish a work expectation in practice, a work expectation in shootaround and an overall expectation that whatever we're doing for the day — it may be just film — but whatever we're trying to do, we should use the opportunity to get better.

That goes back to your roster. If you have the right kind of guys, they're going to buy into that. If not, they won't.

Q: How did you dictate that's how it would be?

A: The one thing that I learned from Jeff and Stan — that I felt was important — is that practice is a big deal. Shootaround is a big deal. Film session is a big deal. We talked about that.

But bigger than that, I'll give you two stories.

You're allowed to have optional workouts in September in the NBA. When we get to Summer League practice in July and I didn't even know him, Kemba called and said, 'I want to come down and watch and do practices with you.' He came down and did practices for Summer League. Obviously, he didn't play in games but volunteered to do practices.

He then asked about September and I told him what we were allowed to do. It's totally optional, and he said, 'No, no, no, I'll reach out and get guys there.' He recruited everyone to come back in September.

We signed Al. Al lives in Santa Barbara in the summer and he was planning on staying there until camp opened. I called him in early August and said, 'We've got a lot of guys coming in September, and I think it would help if you came.'

He said, 'When do you want me there?'

'Right after Labor Day.'

'No problem.'

To me, that's as big a part of anything. When you have your best players and they're there all the time and they're the leaders and recruiters in getting everybody else there, you have the chance to have the right kind of work team.

Q: You mentioned style of play and how it starts with defense and defensive rebounding.

A: At the end, obviously this is a work in progress, but if you look at the teams who win, they're balanced. I believe that in the last 15 years, 11 of those of years, the team that won the championship was top 10 in offensive and defensive efficiency.

There have been some teams who won it or got of the Finals who weren't. In three of those four years, three of them were offensively might have been outside the top 10. I think only once has a team that won it been outside the top 10 defensively.

You have to find a way to play balanced. Now, our defense for a majority of the year has been top-10. Our offense in the last 25 games has been around 15th. We've moved up a lot but we're still in the 20s for the season. We're far ahead defensively to where we are offensively.

Q: Let's hit the defensive end. What makes it work?

A: We play right out of an NBA base defense. I'd like to say we do all these different things but to be honest. I talked to Stan. He came to our training camp, stayed for three days and gave us notes and we sat and talked a lot. I went to Chicago for a day in September and talked to Tom Thibodeau. They both said the same thing: Establish your base defense and let that be the heart of it the first year and build from there.

We have very good perimeter defenders so we don't have to double team. Josh, Cody and Anthony Tolliver, when he plays the four, naturally make multiple efforts, which is critical for a four-man. They can go from pick-and-roll to help and back which is huge in our league.

Al's a lot better defender than people give him credit for. So as much as anything, it's a base defense, but we have a talented defensive team.

Q: What's the hardest part about defending in today's NBA?

A: The two hardest things to guard are the great players. The hardest thing to guard is something involving LeBron James or Kevin Durant or Chris Paul — guys like that where the greatness of their play and their competitiveness that you have to be ready.

The second hardest thing is the pick-and-roll game which is different angles. Like Washington, they do a great job with pick-and-roll schemes for John Wall — all angles, all spacing. He knows what he's doing. They know their looks. Sometimes, they have three three-point shooters out there with (Marcin) Gortat.

Those to me are the two hardest things to defend.

Other than having a player you can't guard with one guy, the pick-and-roll is so good offensively because it creates space simply said. When you run the pick-and-roll, you're bringing two defenders together and you're opening up room. If you flare, you're doing one thing. If you're roll, you're doing another. You know you can force help.

Q: How has the pick-and-roll evolved?

A: The biggest difference in the pick-and-roll game has become the stretch four. When I first got in the league, the four-man was pretty conventional. Everybody played two bigs. Your pick-and-roll coverages could be more consistent game to game because you knew basically everybody played three out, two in.

When Mike D'Antoni went to Phoenix and Seattle did it with Rashard Lewis when he was younger and the spread pick-and-roll changed everything. Within a game, you may play a team that plays more conventionally at times. Like tonight, when they play Trevor Booker, he's going to do some things that are more conventional four-man. When they came in with Al Harrington, he's going to spread the floor more. So within your pick-and-roll coverages, you need different ways to handle each of those spacings.

Q: What's the key to pick-and-roll defense?

A: The toughest ones to guard when you have a guy who's really good with the ball who can score and pass and then a guy who can either roll or flare back who can score.

Then I would say, the better the two guys involved in the initial coverage, the less the other three guys have to help. If you end up helping more with one of the other three guys, that's where falls apart. That's why it changes game to game, coverage to coverage, possession to possession. That's where the reads come in. That's where the better defensive teams separate themselves.

Q: Offensively, you said it's in the right direction the past 25 games. What are you looking for?

A: Within the offense, you need balance. For us, our post-up game is the best part of our offense. Not just Al scoring, but us being able to score on cuts and things off him, which is good because he'll make the right play.

The second-best part of our offense is Kemba's pick-and-roll game, which he's done a really good job at. He's still scoring but his assist-to-turnover numbers are way up over the last month or so.

Then, you have to have as many ways to score as possible — screening, five-man basketball — because when you play the best defensive teams, if you're just doing the same thing over and over again, they will take it away.

Q: What's next in the development of your offense?

A: Earlier in the year, we were really struggling with our three-point shooting. That's gotten a lot better. That will help us moving forward.

We're best when we don't turn the ball over. We've been first or second all year in that — taking care of the ball. Like any time, we're best when we play inside-out, regardless of pick-and-rolls.

Q: Are you surprised by how fast you've been able to turn it around?

A: I don't know if any us on our staff understanding how good we could be. We knew we had attitudes. You could tell in the summer getting to know guys that they would work hard. We knew Al would help. I certainly don't think anyone realized that he would play at this level. At the end of the day in this league, there's trouble around every corner.

We've given ourselves a chance to play in some meaningful games, which is great. But we'll see. We'll see if we can keep getting better, if we maintain a good approach whether things go good or bad and we'll see where it leads us.

Q: How important is making the playoffs this season for the growth of the team moving forward?

A: One, I believe these games, the last 18 games, will be a great experience for us. If we get the opportunity to play in the playoffs, it would be good for the city, good for the players and great for the organization to go through that.

For the players, the playoffs are a different level of execution and detail.

Q: What did you like about Charlotte when you were looking at the situation?

A: I'll be honest. I interviewed with three teams, and look, with my background where I didn't play in the league, the first team that offered me a job I was going to take it. That's just being honest.

But the thing I liked about my visit and the time I spent, I felt comfortable when I sat down with Rod Higgins and Rich Cho that we all had a similar idea philosophically how to build it — balanced play, size, skill. That's what we talked about. When I left there, I felt good about the meeting with them.

The other thing, the film work that I did. Last year, we lost in the first round of the playoffs with the Lakers, so I had time to study the team, and the thing I liked was the competitiveness of the younger players. Those were really the two things.

Q: Not being a player in the league, and I apologize if you don't like this word, but guys who are grinders as assistant coaches and work their way up and wonder if you'll ever get a shot, do you feel a kinship with other guys in similar positions, such as Thibodeau?

A: You know what, we're all built differently, but I never worried about being a head coach in this league, not one day. I wanted to. In the last couple of years, I had become more confident that I would be able to do it. I love this league. I love the NBA game. I love the challenge of working with NBA players.

I loved being an assistant. I loved being the Lakers last season. If I were back there this year, I would've enjoyed it. I loved working for Mike.

I've never had a bad year. I've never felt frustrated or didn't enjoy it.

My plan was that if I got to 55, 56, I would've gone back to college because I wanted to be a head coach one more time. But it wasn't the end all. I didn't lose any sleep over it. I'm very appreciative of the opportunity. But I've had a good life, too.

Q: Could you see yourself coaching at any level?

A: The one thing that I will say that I found out right away: In my first year, I was scouting for the NBA. I don't want to tell you the school but it was a good job at a mid-major school. I hadn't been on the bench, and I wasn't around the team all that much. The school got permission to speak with me, and Jeff called and said, 'They have a strong interest in you.'

I remember I thought about it that night called back the next day and said, 'I am enjoy college basketball but I love the NBA.' I liked it from day one, from the first training camp. I like the game. I like the execution part of the game. College basketball is great, too, but I just like the older players, the whole thing about it. From then on, I was hoping it would work out so I could stay.

Q: People fall in love with a month of college basketball. The colors their vision of hoops compared the NBA. What is the difference between the college game and NBA?

A: I don't want to say it's the quality of coaching. It's the experience level and the greatness of the players. You're talking about the same guys who played in college after working on their games and playing against the other greatest players in the world for four, five years.

Again, college has the greatest players, but they just don't have them as long and they have them at a younger age. Think about the NBA Finals last year and look at the talent on the floor and then the level of execution.

Hey, some people like high school better. I was a high school coach. I enjoyed that, too. It's not that one is better than the other. It's just what you enjoy.

NBA DRAFT: Tournament could have big effect

NBA executives and scouts are at arenas around the country watching college conference tournament games this weekend and will be at arenas when the NCAA Tournament begins next week.

While age and experience has its value during the next few weeks, it's lining up to be another year where underclassmen rule the top of the NBA Draft.

"It's been like that ever since I've been doing this," DraftExpress.com President Jonathan Givony said. "I haven't seen a major change on that front."

In scan of mock drafts, 11 of the 14 projected lottery picks are underclassmen, not including international 18-year-old Dante Exum and 19-year-old Dario Saric. The only senior or junior projected as a lottery pick right now? Creighton's Doug McDermott.

Last year, three upperclassmen — Victor Oladipo, C.J. McCollum and Kelly Olynyk — were selected in the top 10. The year before, there also were three: Thomas Robinson, Damian Lillard and John Henson. In 2011, four lottery picks were upperclassmen: Kemba Walker, Jimmer Fredette, Klay Thompson, Markieff Morris and Marcus Morris.

In the past nine drafts, Victor Oladipo, Thomas Robinson, Evan Turner, Hasheem Thabeet, Al Horford, Jeff Green, Adam Morrison, Shelden Williams, Deron Williams and Raymond Felton were the only juniors or seniors taken in the top five.

The last draft where upperclassmen ruled at the top was in 2004 when Emeka Okafor, Ben Gordon, Devin Harris and Josh Childress were four of the top six picks.

By mostly, the draft — especially at the top — is a young man's game.

There's a reason for that, too. The best players with the highest potential usually, but not always, leave college after their freshmen or sophomore seasons.

"We're trying to predict future improvement and evaluate potential, age is one of the biggest indicators we have," Givony said. "It's been proven again and again in any study you look at, the younger players in the draft have a higher chance of developing into that star potential."

Givony said he does not think Oklahoma State guard Marcus Smart made a bad decision by coming back for his sophomore season. The sophomore is No. 6 on Givony's mock draft. Had Smart left after his freshman season, he was a projected top-five pick.

"I would never fault a player for saying he's not ready," Givony said. "He decided he wasn't ready to be in the NBA and was enjoying his time at Oklahoma State and had unfinished business with his teammates. More power to him. Everyone respects him. And it really hasn't hurt him. He's still going to be a high draft pick and will still sign a really large contract. I don't think it's backfired on him at all."

Givony also said he's not making any definitive conclusions on Kansas center Joel Embiid, who is out with a back injury.

"We really don't know what the full extent of the back injury is," Givony said. "The physical will play a huge role in how he is evaluated. Obviously, it's a concern. I'm not a doctor and neither are NBA scouts. That's where the medical examination comes into play. The doctors are going to say, 'This will be a long-term issue' or 'This won't be a long-term issue' and 'This is how much concern there should be.' I look mainly at the basketball side of thing. It's hard to say

Right now, Embiid is the projected No. 2 pick in Givony's mock draft, behind fellow Kansas freshman Andrew Wiggins.

ROOKIE PRESSURE: New show focuses on making it

At one point in Summer Dreams, Michael Carter-Williams' mom, Mandy Carter-Zegarowski, watches her son's shot during a NBA Summer League game and says, "He needs his elbow out, not up here. It needs to be here."

Later in Summer Dreams, a behind-the-scenes show which airs Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on CBS, Carter-Zegarowski, who coached high school basketball, walks into his hotel room at the NBA's Orlando Summer League and asks what's wrong with his shot.

"I do think there are some things you need to fix," she said.

Carter-Williams had a shaky Summer League, and Summer Dreams captured that moment in time for the program, which also follows five others as they chase their NBA dreams: Shane Larkin, Romero Osby, Dwayne Davis, Lauren Holtkamp and Joel Abelson.

Carter-Williams, Larkin, Osby and Davis are players of varying talent trying to make it in the NBA. Holtkamp is a referee, and Adelson is a young coach in the D-League. The program focuses on their Summer League experience.

"We felt like the NBA Summer League is a somewhat underexposed property that saw a great deal of drama and fascinating, compelling stories unfolding every summer under the radar," Summer Dreams executive producer Mike Tollin said. "From a programming perspective, it's a great way to tell fresh stories with great emotional content that hits that very desirable young, male audience."

CBS hasn't televised NBA games since the 1989-90 season but the CBS Sports Network televised D-League games this season. But the NBA "really became out partners in this project, and it couldn't have happened any other way," Tollin said.

Tollin contacted Daniel Meiseles, the president and executive producer of content at the NBA.

"We sat down with Danny and Adam Silver, and Adam really liked the idea of potentially raising the profile of Summer League," Tollin said. "We shook hands and said, 'Let's go for it.' … We shared production resources. They helped with access, clearance and publicity.

"It was a joint project, and we're very excited about the potential of creating a franchise with the show. It's up in the air right now, but the testing has shown audiences have really responded. … We're hoping it will lead to a series or a perennial documentary."

Tollin is partial to Davis' story. Davis played for four colleges in five seasons and ended up graduating from Southern Mississippi.

"He's probably the most obscure character we focused on. Maybe the most heartwarming," Tollin said. "He truly comes from the mean streets of north Philadelphia. His mother passed away. His godparents and godbrother took him in. There were times he was living in a car raising and trying to feed his siblings. Basketball really became his salvation."

Davis didn't get an NBA deal but signed with Murcia in Spain's ACB league and is averaging 10.9 points. He will get another look from NBA teams in the summer. He has scored 18, 19 and 23 points in his past three games in the competitive Spanish league.

As for Carter-Williams, his mom is still offering advice.

"I'm still getting some tips from my mom," he said. "She thinks she knows more than me, but at this point, I beg to differ a little bit. But it's always good to have her input because she has been coach for a long time."

TEAM IN NEED: BayHawks lose Knicks partnership

With the New York Knicks now in control of their own D-League team that will play just outside the city in White Plains, the Erie BayHawks are in need of an NBA affiliate.

Right now, BayHawks management prefers a single-affiliation hybrid model where the NBA team runs and finances the basketball operations side and local ownership handles sponsorship, marketing and ticket sales.

The BayHawks also enjoyed the regional relationship it had with the Knicks and want — in a best-case scenario — another regional relationship.

The Indiana Pacers are one somewhat regional team that wants to run a D-League team, but the best option might be the Toronto Raptors who want to increase their visibility and prominence in the league under the direction of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment president and CEO Tim Leiweke.

NBA A to Z is USA TODAY Sports' weekly column looking around the league, written by NBA insiders Jeff Zillgitt and Sam Amick. Follow them on Twitter at @JeffZillgitt and @sam_amick.