Nick Saban knows the challenges Alabama football is up against in preseason camp. He doesn’t know his starting quarterback yet, the wideouts are dropping some passes and the Crimson Tide still have some mental errors.

But it’s not all bad, and as Saban pointed out, if the Tide didn’t have things to work on, why have all those preseason practices? After the team’s first scrimmage at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday, he had points of praise as well, from good throws and catches to younger players coming along.

As camp continues, Saban is hoping his team takes lessons from former NBA coach and player Doc Rivers, who spoke to the Tide Friday evening.

“Do you want to win?” Saban recounted Rivers asking Alabama’s assembled players, who responded affirmatively. “…But do you really want to win?”

Rivers then told the team that if they were really committed to winning, they’d get out of their comfort zones and eliminate negative actions from their lives that would get in the way of achieving the team’s goals. Saban hoped the team would take Rivers’ words to heart, thinking of winning as a total commitment.

According to Saban, winning will require sacrifices, whether a more dedicated sleep and nutrition schedule or avoiding drinking and smoking in a quest to practice better.

“You want to win but you’re not really committed to winning,” Saban said. “You’re just committed to staying comfortable and doing what you want to do so, you know, some of those things bite you in the butt when the time comes and I think that’s something that players really need to think about.”

It was a hard day for practice in Tuscaloosa. The heat index sat at 108 degrees at one point during the scrimmage.

Afterward, Saban’s message centered around doing what it takes to win, regardless of adversity.

“I think it’s always important for players to self-assess and say, ‘OK, I played this many plays today. I would play this many plays if we had a game. I’m not in good enough condition to be able to sustain the level of effort, toughness, ability to stay focused and do my job for this many plays and yet I know I’m gonna play more later on,’” he said. “So every practice, every opportunity you get is not something that you want to endure in the practice, but you want to push yourself so you could get to the next level of where you need to be.”

Alabama continues preseason camp through Aug. 26. The Crimson Tide open the season Sept. 2 against Middle Tennessee State.