After first practice, P.J. Carlesimo gets raves from Deron Williams, Joe Johnson

P. J. Carlesimo has always had a fiery personality, from Seton Hall through head coaching stints with the Trail Blazers, Warriors and Sonics/Thunder. Sometimes, it works. Sometimes, it doesn't. Kevin Durant said he appreciated it. Latrell Sprewell not so much.

After four games and one practice, between the Spurs and Thunder games, the Nets, particularly his star players, seem to have adjusted to his "game."

As Stefan Bondy writes on Sulia,quoting Deron Williams...

He did a great job of coaching tonight, of picking his spots, talking to me. He’s definitely passionate, and Avery (Johnson) was too. Avery was more reserved, wanted to be more even-keeled on the bench, he didn’t want, I don’t want to say, people see him sweat. PJ is just one those guys who is just fiery. If he’s feeling a certain way, he’s going to tell you.

Joe Johnson was even more direct about his new coach's directness, telling Rod Boone...

He's pretty forward, man. He just kind of tells you like it is. If you ain't playing worth a ----, he'll tell you, you ain't playing worth a ----. As players, some of us may respond a little different to it, but for me, I can appreciate it. He tries to do everything he can and everything in his power to put us in position to where we can be successful.

And Kris Humphries certainly knows about his coach's directness. Carlesimo took three steps out on to the court near the end of the game to call him out on sloppiness while handling an in-bounds play.