It's really difficult when you don't see much of a team and you're not familiar with how they play.
I was familiar with the Heat and their culture because I played with Dexter Pittman and he was here early in his career.
Unlike what people assume, it is more challenging when you work with people whom you are comfortable with, because they know what you are coming up with, and hence, they expect you to deliver something new or different.
Maybe sometimes it can take a player a bit longer to get comfortable and to get to know everyone and exactly what he needs to do.
I like to work with the same people when I can, and you want to get people with the same interests that you have, and the same aesthetic.
The players who have been with the national team for a long time are used to international competitions, used to playing against the best in the world.
You play a team for the second time, you definitely have some familiarity. I think it's beneficial for your players that they have some tape to look at of the opponent and can focus on the individual matchups that they have some current history to draw from.
I do bring an intimate knowledge of the South African team. I know the little idiosyncrasies of each of them.
Because it is my second season with the team, no time has been wasted in getting to know the people I'm working with. I am aware of what the team is capable of and how the organisation works, and they are familiar with what makes me tick.
When you are new, it is difficult to get momentum and get to know your team-mates when you are not regularly in the team.
