The General remaining "very patient"

You’d think the recent downturn would elicit one of those paint-peeling-butt-to-the-fire speeches that Avery Johnson is quite capable of delivering. Not so much.

“He’s been very understanding,” Devean George said, choosing his words carefully this morning. “Very patient. Very patient. Just understanding we’ve got some new guys.

“Funks happen throughout the season. It happens. We have one good one going on right now where we’re not communicating a lot and we’re just at a bad point in the season right now.”

It’s still only a week into December. It’s not as if Johnson doesn’t care about losing games now. He does. But he also preaches the virtues of accountability and internal leadership.

That’s where the fire should be coming from. Johnson appears to be leaving it up to the players for now. Maybe they’re getting the message.