When he starts talking about it, it sounds a lot like his football conversations.
That's why Canales has been incorporating basketball highlights into their meetings, and the message is getting through.
"Just seeing how the importance and like the little details matter in those games," rookie running back Trevor Etienne said of the film study. "The turnover margin, controlling what you can control, giving the effort, finishing the game, just taking little things that we can go out here and work on ourselves and add it to our game."
And make no mistake, these games have been classics already, which is why Canales called it "such a gift" to be able to learn a lesson in a new way.
Quarterback Bryce Young, who picked the Thunder to win the Finals before they started, said Thursday he's sticking with that prediction despite their 2-1 disadvantage.
Canales deferred on a prediction, saying, "I just want teams to play up to their full potential," which is a lot like saying he hopes both teams have fun.
But mostly, he wants to keep teaching in a way that gets his guy's attention.
"I don't like it when I see a team; you know what they can do, and they're just not achieving it," Canales said. "That's my goal for us. That's what I want to see. I want to see both teams playing at their best."