Locker Room Access: What it's like to play for 'maniacal' Stan Van Gundy

Maybe it's the effortless way he pulled off a flat-brimmed cap and sweatsuit bicycle gear, or his brutally honest midgame interviews.

Perhaps it was the way he nonchalantly sipped his Diet Pepsi, Kermit-style, while tensions in Orlando were coming to a boil, or how he once instructed his team to "form a f---ing wall."

Or maybe it was all those things that earned Stan Van Gundy a reputation among rival coaches as a "bad motherf-----."

Whatever the case, the veteran coach has become a fan favorite for both his animated sideline demeanor and his ability to maximize the talent around him. Here's what it's like to play for Van Gundy, as described by a couple of his current Detroit Pistons players before Wednesday's season-opening loss in Toronto.

Van Gundy has abundant sideline energy

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: "Sometimes we can feed off his energy. He's always very high energy, and he's a great coach to be around because of it."

Reggie Jackson: "He's demanding. He wants the best out of you. He's not afraid to let you know what that is and push players' limits. He tries to push me to limits that even I thought I might not be able to push."

He understands when to lay into players and when to lay off

Caldwell-Pope: "He knows when and when not to. He's been coaching for a long time so he knows how to talk to players and when to get their feedback."

Jackson: "You've got to find a balance, know who you're dealing with, and know the overall character of your team. I think we have some tough-minded individuals who can deal with his coaching."

He has unparalleled passion for the game

Jackson: "I've always admired how dedicated he is. He's probably the first coach I've met who's as maniacal about the game as I am - who really spends almost every waking hour thinking about it, conversing about it, and trying to dissect and find a way to be the best that he can. Not only for himself, but for those on the journey with him - his 15 players, his coaching staff, and the whole organization.

"I know he spends every waking hour thinking about how to be the best, as do I. At times, guys are gonna bump heads. You're not always going to see the same way, but you can take constructive criticism from him and use it to better yourself and the team because there's not too much he's missing. He's constantly watching film and trying to gain knowledge of the game."

Do his passion and intensity ever become comical?

Caldwell-Pope: "Not really. He's pretty much focused and serious most of the time."

Jackson: "I wish I could've been here for 'build an effing wall' (Jackson was traded from OKC to Detroit a month later). That would've been amazing. I know the team joked about it. We had shirts, and I was traded here in time to get one of those shirts. I think everyone's seen the lack of us shaking hands when I came out of the game. I think that was probably due to his intensity and focus on the game. That might be my funny story right now, but hopefully we have a lot of years together and I get to experience some more of those."

The infamous "wall" huddle wasn't funny at the time

Caldwell-Pope (laughing): "Nah, that's what he actually wanted us to do. That was the game plan. At that point, it was the last minute of the game and we needed that stop, so we weren't laughing about it."