He bides his time knowing that the relationships must evolve naturally, even though every cell in his body is in a hurry to belong.
Players think they are giving all they can.
The last voice he hears before releasing the ball is the young head coach reminding him to shoot them like he did back in high school. Prior to a crucial game, an elite scorer is shown video of his indifferent defense against the same team last year. He yanks down 16 rebounds. Another player not known for his defense starts reading and hearing that the young head coach thinks he is an excellent defender. His defense improves.