Sounds like the issue tonight with Andrew Wiggins will be pain management. Check out Dr. Nirav Pandya’s Twitter video (can’t embed tweets in Substack articles anymore) and, below, what Gary Payton II and Kevon Looney said today at morning shootaround.
The behind-the-scenes video from Game 5 of the LA Lakers vs Golden State Warriors will also show that Wiggins didn’t appear to be in any pain at the on-court postgame radio spot, walking through the hallway talking to the NBA’s social media guy, and then finally on the podium, which he ended cracking his trademark smile (and, off-topic, resembled a Vulcan, of all things). Well, he’ll have to pull off his best Dr. Spock imitation tonight — yes, definitely the weirdest Warriors hot take I have ever said!
Below is all the relevant content in reverse chronological order…
PICTURE GALLERY SINCE PREGAME G5
NOTES FROM MORNING SHOOTAROUND
• Warriors say Wiggins participated in shootaround — just wasn’t on court when the media was allowed in at the end. He went to the back for treatment once the team split for individual work. (Tim Kawakami, Anthony Slater)
• Answering a question about how to adjust in the event Wiggins doesn’t play in game six, GP2 replied at shootaround, “I hope to see Andrew when that clock hits zero and we’ve got to jump the tip…He’s working on it… We didn’t go over that. So hopefully that means, you know, Wiggs is ready to go so hopefully we don’t got to worry about that,” says Andrew Wiggins is doing everything he can to play tonight. (John Dickinson, Kerith Burke, Dalton Johnson)
• At shootaround Kevon Looney discussed a rib injury he had during the 2019 Finals that’s similar to what Wiggins has now. “I didn’t know he was hurt until he told me. He’s a tough guy, he never wears his injuries or anything on his face, he just goes out there like everything is normal. I know how painful it is but looking at him you wouldn’t be able to tell,” Looney said about Wiggins. Looney said it was painful and had an impact on his mobility, but he didn’t have to shoot the ball. Clearly, Wiggins does. Looney had similar injury to Wiggins’ injury during 2019 Finals vs. Toronto. He tried to downplay the pain but acknowledged it was probably 7 or 8 on a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being the worst). (Kendra Andrews, Kerith Burke, Ron Kroichick)
• Warriors G League head coach Seth Cooper is wearing a “Poole Party” shirt at shootaround ahead of Game 6. (Dalton Johnson)
• Wiggins participated in the walkthrough portion of shootaround, before heading to the back to get more treatment. He will attempt to go through a pregame warmup later on before a final decision is made, sources tell ESPN. (Kendra Andrews)
• 30 minutes after end of shootaround: At this hour, the belief is that Andrew Wiggins will try and play in Game 6 tonight, sources tell ESPN. As Kendra Andrews reports, he’ll go through his pregame routine and see how his costal cartilage fracture/ribs feel prior to tip. Regardless, shooting will be a challenge. (Adrian Wojnarowski)
0:00 Steph Curry, Klay, Poole + more
2:20 Jonathan Kuminga
3:16 Ty Jerome chats with Steve Kerr
3:46 Gary Payton II says during the walkthrough they didn’t go over anything that didn’t include Wiggins in it
4:07 Looney on what it’s like to play with a costal rib cartilage fracture
• Gary Payton II at morning shootaround before Game 6, on Wiggins playing tonight: “I’m sure he’ll find some way, deep down… I’m sure this is not the worst he’s been through…”
• On if his approach to starting is different than coming off the bench: “Absolutely not.”
• On what changes in his routine when he starts: “I just gotta go to work earlier than later… get on the bike a little bit earlier…”
• On if his dad has talked to him yet about this series: “No, Gary’s been actually quiet. I’m sure you can see his face… Gary doesn’t do to much talking to me.”
• On his mom: “Win, lose or draw, she loves it… she just enjoys watching the game.”
• On what it takes to be facing uncertainty: “have selflessness, play for one another… continue to hit first… second… third… get out and run and be dangerous in transition.”
• On keys to Game 6: “Be physical and have force. Wiggs came out the other day and had tremendous force… come out hitting first.”
• On elimination games: “We don’t wanna go home… we’re leaving it all out there every night… gotta do what we gotta do.”
• On if being selfless was talked about with the team: “No… we know what we did last game… hit for 48 minutes… take away what they like to do here.”
• On throwing up in Game 4: “It’s just a school experience for me… Oregon State… can take you a lot of places… got caught up in beer fest… took me back there.”
• On his best beer fest game: “All of them… flip cup, beer pong, we do it all… I miss all my guys out there… the vibe…Do at least one at school… campus life.”
• Steve Kerr media availability at team hotel, day before Game 6, on his message to the team: “highlighting the things that we did well… locking in on our keys… strategy within all that changes game to game… still comes down to the same stuff, gotta defend without fouling… we know that they’re gonna bring a ton of force… we understand the position that we’re in… got a little momentum…”
• On making yet more adjustments: “I would say by Game 6 the adjustments have already been made… Sacramento against us in Game 6 made a pretty bold move… went small… usually by this point everybody has seen everything from both sides.”
• On the season-long road woes: “…the regular season and the playoffs are two different entities… Wiggs… Gary… what you saw three months ago is nothing like what you’re seeing now… Game 4… controlled the game at Staples… we just didn’t close the game, so now we’ve gotta make sure we close it right too.”
• On having to outscored the Lakers with threes: “We didn’t play particularly well in the second half but we had really pushed the pace in the first half… 71 points… got a lot of points in the paint… Draymond’s aggressiveness… some nights they go in and sometimes they don’t… (if you rebound and defend without fouling, you) can still win even if you’re not making a ton of threes.”
• On Jordan Poole: “First shot attempt was a really nice pump fake, step in… looked more like himself… excited about what he can do tomorrow.”
• On Wiggins: “Andrew is at his best when he’s aggressive and attacking the rim… three-point play… spun and drew the foul… back maybe three or four weeks… everything has come together… conditioning and endurance… now his rhythm and his shot… comfortable with his movement.”
• On any Warrior ever having a signature spin move like Wiggins: “Uh, I don’t really remember… He’s so quick getting by people… that’s one of his counters…”
• On the flopping striking a nerve: “You guys are for sure asking them about it too… the end of Game 4, the dive that Walker took to get the illegal screen was fresh in my mind… disappointed… I brought it up… frustration… I have a genuine interest in the NBA eliminating that stuff. It’s league-wide, it’s rampant… FIBA… giving the refs the power… right at a decisive moment of the game.”
0:00 Steph arena entrance: “Just need to win one”
0:13 rare Anthony Lamb pregame clip
0:30 Donte DiVincenzo pregame
0:50 Curry logo shots
1:18 Klay pregame
1:39 Draymond pregame
1:56 tunnel run
2:14 Baron Davis rings the bell
2:47 super-fan Christian Gamboa added to Jumbotron segment 😱
3:09 Warriors intros, close-up of Steph
3:33 Jordan Poole ritual (pivots & spins)
4:03 LeBron x Tristan Thompson pre-tipoff handshake
5:20 Draymond and AD exchange words, GP2 and ref Zach Zarba intervene
5:58 Curry first half buzzer-beater
6:32 halftime tunnel walk
6:40 David Garibaldi halftime show
7:36 LeBron lands awkwardly on left foot
8:58 Wiggins doesn’t appear to be in pain at postgame radio spot
9:13 Tom Izzo x Matthew McConaughey
9:39 Moses Moody signs jersey for mom
9:40 Warriors fans chant, “Beat LA!” outside Thrive City studio
9:59 Draymond x GP2 postgame podium
10:11 no wheelchair needed for AD’s arena exit
10:16 why does Wiggs look like a Vulcan? 😂
0:00 Zarba, James Williams, GP (Greek guy) are the refs: Meh!
1:00 on laying off Jordan Poole please!
25:00 tipoff, Geminaidis Petraitis already calling non-G7 calls on Dray
11m20 Q1 Dray backpack 3 straight, via Wiggs and GP oreb
10m35 Wiggs 3 line drive
10m10 DLo picks Dray
10m00 Dray tov 2
9m20 LeBron 5-sec rare call
9m10 Dray and-1 force vs Vando, at the FT AD exchanges words (I think that’s bad news for AD)
8m40 GP2 splash 3 corner via Dray
8m15 Klay Wiggs Dray quickly
35:00 we have 3 tov and we’re up 12, the pace is great
7m00 Steph tov, complains about deflection
6m45 Wiggs and Dray vs LBJ bully-ball
6m30 Wiggs over DLo
5m25 JP in for GP, hits the pull-up J
4m58 LBJ shooting foul when it’s JP’s floor foul (Dray did foul him)
3m50 Moody 3 saves the day
2m57 AD runs floor past Loon
1m55 Moody another 3
1m40 JP good PoA vs AD
1m30 Loon steal vs DS
0m08 JP push shot good
10m30 Q2 Loon blocks DLo, Steph scores after foul not called by DS
9m30 Loon jump ball vs Rui
8m40 Steph scoop
7m50 Wiggs and-1
7m30 Steph downhill pass to Dray
7m15 Dray draws screen foul on AD
7m10 Wiggs and-1 inside via Dray, GP love tap!
6m50 LeBron fingered Wiggs in the face (?) no call, DLo holds Klay
5m45 GP2 dunk via Wiggs
5m22 Steph layup downhill vs AR should’ve been and-1 again
4m35 LeBron clearly fouls Wiggs no call
4m10 AD charge Dray even after being moving screened on by AR
1:17:30 send the tape until here to anybody saying to get rid of Dray
3m25 JP 3 via Wiggs after AD over the back not called
3m00 JP no charge stayed in front of Rui
2m45 Wiggs 3 over LBJ
2m30 Wiggs vs AD great jump (Loon gets the reb)
1:21:00 on LeBron calling out D.Ham’s play “hammer” at the end of G4
0m35 Loon SAC reb to Klay 3
0m20 Loon picks AD!
0m07 Steph 3 buzzer-beater
1:28:00 hopefully the halftime VIPs will be there courtside lower bowl for the start of Q3
1:32:00 on not being overwhelmed past this immediate Game 5
1:35:00 what I like so far: the dedication to defense and without fouling which is not easy to do vs the Lakers
11m45 Steph with a Boston G4 scoop via PNR
11m25 GP 94 feet, Steph steal of LBJ
10m40 Dray vs AD (absorbed AD’s elbow)
9m45 Klay funnels AR to Dray
9m15 Wiggs dunk putback after Dray miss push one handed! Up 18
8m55 LBJ stared down Dray good no-call
8m15 Lakers flop again on the screen
7m15 Wiggs sidestep Vandy on the roll catch
6m30 Steph nearly takes a charge on LBJ
6m18 Dray tells Klay something as DLo shoots FT
6m05 Dray reads Vandy off-balance
5m34 Izzo looking like Gandalf
5m10 Dennis hooks Steph, no call (physical game?)
4m50 Steph layup past DS
4m10 timeout, Kerr chats to Steph about rest (?)
4m00 Klay brain fart travel and hero 3 miss
3m20 Loon great catch from Klay
2m55 Steph poke on AD
2m40 Loon box out, Steph hesi drive
2:06:00 we’re so hard to beat if Dray is a force: “Draymond Green up to 18 points. Warriors are 26-2 the last 28 games that he’s scored at least 18 points. They are 3-0 in these playoffs when he scores in double figures.” – Anthony Slater
2:06:45 Dean: everybody playing together, first to 50-50 balls
2m28 Steph to the locker room
2m00 JP should’ve set a pick to Wiggs, then shotclock violation
1m35 JP thinking too much, should’ve shot when he had the step
1m00 Loon putback, Wiggs presence
0m40 Donte steal, Wiggs 2-for-1 with Klay in the corner
2:110:00 if this were G7, Wiggs needs to let Klay get a touch because he’s stuck in the corner, Steph at 30 mins played
10m40 Steph shotclock buzzer-beater
10m20 Wiggs and Donte POA
9m50 Dennis flops, gets the call
9m35 Dray hit the rim on the block of AD
9m10 Donte PNR d, Wiggs helps on AD
9m00 Wiggs attacks paint again
7m40 GP and-1 after AD takes a hit in the face
7m00 Steph’s defense incredible, stays in front of DLo
6m40 DS drives on Steph, another good POA
5m45 Klay bad D help on DLo
5m30 AR pull-up hashmark 3, Steph and Wiggs got confused, Dray not happy
5m10 Steph clutch 2
5m00 Klay lets DLo get a board, Klay gets a block, Steph dagger 3, Dean: night night
4m20 DLo 3 vs Wiggs, don’t give them body language
4m00 Steph fade 2 vs AR
3m35 Klay loses LBJ
2m55 Wiggs and-1 jump hook, Dray found him
2:39:15 timeout Ham with 2m47, wave the white flag
2m24 timeout Kerr to bring out starters, Steph 9/13 on 2s
2m15 JP rhythm 2
1m50 JK hitting jumper, it all matters per Kerr
1m10 JK laser 3, J-Mike happy for JK
0m15 JK dribbles it out, I’ve been told by a trainer that he has a BAG! Dean: we shall see it in due time
2:54:00 being down 3-2 on the road? That’s what you gotta do. I’d ask for that in any beginning of any season, gotta win on the road and gotta show greatness and champ DNA on more than one occasion
2:56:00 one other speculation of AD eye poke: I’ve been 80% blinded from an eye poke before, so that could also explain the wheelchair other than a possible concussion, but this is all speculation
2:57:00 me on not being dependent or addicted to he-said-she-said, Chuck, Kendrick, Stephen A., Skip — who cares? Go on Instagram, do a location-based search and get different content that way
3:01:45 on cheering for G6 Klay: he’s had three straight bad games, so we keep rooting for him, he’s due
3:05:00 Dray actually had 5 tov, Steph only 2
[stopped taking notes due to extreme problems with postgame technical difficulties]
4:44:00 Dean and I talk astrophysics
4:54:00 Dean on loving this team
5:00:00 Dean and I on how special it is to oversee this channel every game and the audience and the interaction and the Warriors having each other’s back
5:08:00 Dean: Michael Jordan is the greatest showman who never acknowledged the fourth wall, Steph is all fourth-wall
5:11:00 Dean: we have a high bar but also a low bar in our comments
5:16:00 establishing a very in-team channel
5:20:00 Blasian brings up free throws and Don Nelson (and we talked about my Maui trip) and we talk about how hard free throws are and Wiggsin improving
5:24:00 Dean suggests maybe Wiggs on AD might work
5:30:00 we’re asked about our personal defensive abilities playing basketball and we answer it, then talk about how Tyler Herro and Poole get paid while Draymond as the 35th pick doesn’t, but it is what it is
5:41:00 Dean adds that Steph didn’t have as much pressure from a contract standpoint as Steph did
5:43:00 Mystic: “One thing I was happy to see tonight about JP was that he didn’t go after the refs, he just played his game.”
5:52:00 Dean: be fearless and composed for G6 (no being frustrated like G3, no being scared at the hoop like in G4, play your heart out, still a point of pride)
5:55:00 Entire Draymond video along with me typing in the comments who is asking each question
• Andrew Wiggins postgame Game 5, on him and Draymond and GP2: “It’s a focus. You lock in… give yourself a great chance… take control… make it hard for them.”
• On if he felt he could’ve been more aggressive in Game 4: “For sure, I felt at times I could’ve been more aggressive… especially get downhill.”
• On pick and roll, setting screens when AD is on him: “It’s the playoffs. Every game is gonna be different… we have a bunch of versatile players…”
• On GP2: “He’s a game-changer for sure… right reads… his defense speaks for himself… he locks in… always gonna make the right play… around the rim, he’ll dunk, he’ll finish.”
• On Steph saying it was good he got 18 shots: “We have a talented team… score the ball… I was just asserting myself… making my presence known.”
• On defending LeBron, pushing him full court, tiring him out: “Just be aggressive… pick up. It’s a long game… I trust my teammates behind my back… you never really know. You can think he’s tired but the next play he gets a putback dunk. You just never know (if he’s tired).”
• On what stood out to Steph and Draymond: “How confident they are… making everyone believe that we can do this… fighting chance.”
• On mindset coming in: “I was locked in… do or die now, so we have nothing to lose…”
• On if he remembers being the screener so much: “In the Boston series I was screening a lot too… another way to get involved in the play…”
• On Kerr saying this is probably the best game he’s played since he came back: “For sure… all-around… doing things, push forward…”
• On playing every other day after being out for awhile: “Everyone at this point of the season is banged up and bruised… not fresh but good enough to compete…”
• Gary Payton II postgame Game 5 recap: “gotta rally… I was fine…”
• On being aggressive and how much energy it takes: “It probably takes quite a bit out of us but with the adrenaline and we know what type of game this is, we gotta go… magically we find energy at the other end… communicate… try to make us a unit so we don’t have to use so much energy.”
• On throwing up being like at school: “No, Game 4 was just a bad lunch… back at school we had beer Olympics… so you gotta rally… reminded me of Oregon State, go Beavs.”
• Steph Curry postgame Game 5, on winning this game in other ways: “Our defensive mindfulness was there. Draymond was extremely aggressive, Wiggs was amazing, GP plus-25, get contributions from everybody and shots you feel like you can make… a lot of confidence in them… control the game from the jump, handle that run… close out… can we take it on the road…”
• On if he felt like it was a lighter role: “Still got 24, so… great vibe [boradcast cuts out]”
• On pushing the pace: “Mostly me, Draymond, JP when he’s out there… they’re at times a big team… trying to keep them off the foul line… you want to get stops but even if they do score, that is our advantage on the series is our speed… guys running the lane in transition spacing the floor. It’s hard to do but it helps us counter what they do.”
• On what they have to take down to LA: “…the mental preparation… we’ve played well enough down there… make the necessary adjustments to have a good start… effort… competitiveness… same fire… get lost in the game down there because it’s gonna be a fun atmosphere.”
• On having more fun with pick and roll: “more the narrative of how hard it is… always that game to game adjustment that you live for the most, no matter what the answer is… I like it all, tbh…”
• On feeling what needs to happen per Kerr: “The body of work that you can tap into… situations that you’ve been in… tap into that confidence that I can do whatever the game requires. I just be this stage so much and not afraid of anything that’s gonna happen… versatility… confidence that I’ve been able to do it a long time and the trust that I have in my teammates… blessed to be able to keep doing this.”
• On if there’s over-corrections on AD and if tonight’s different: “great defensive player… system that tries to funnel everything to the paint… after Game 1 you just had to feel it… totally different than the Sacramento series… there’s counters to it… you still get kinda lulled into it… gonna be options. When we’re locked in like that… last few minutes of Game 4 we kinda abandoned it…”
• On if they found something vs AD: “Nah… you have to make him work… when you’re organized, good things happen.”
• On Draymond being aggressive: “It just keeps everything balanced… counter what teams to do to take away our threes… I told him, every play he made tonight I love that aggression… first three was big to get everybody’s morale up… assertive… getting to the rim… timely baskets. You have to keep the defense honest.”
• On Wiggins: “best version of who he is… great defense on Bron… rebounds… him getting up 18 shots is huge… it’s on us as a team to feature him, too… gotta feed it to him and let him do what he does.”
• On if it’s getting chippy: “I’ve seen it way worse but the more you play a team the more it comes out. The power of this microphone… there’s respect but there’s competition…”
• On if he thinks AD will play: “I have no idea what happened or what his situation is.”
• Draymond Green postgame Game 5, on winning one game changing the tenor, having deep belief: “We have a coach who’s one of the greatest winners in the history of the NBA… calmness… Steph’s calmness… lean back on what you know that works… getting back to the basics but most importantly competing… win one, we did that… they’re gonna give us the best shot… everyone plays better at home… same mindset… we didn’t close well at all in Game 4… their coach is a champion
• On approaching Game 5: “Jacob Rubin… I still haven’t felt your presence… verbally so everyone hears you on the floor. I felt a little disrespected when he said it… season’s on the line…”
• On how to bottle this for LA: “…aggressive on both sides of the floor, attacking… backs against the wall, we gotta come out fighting.”
• On looking for his shot: “how teams are keying on Steph and Klay… selling out to those guys… we get paid a lot of money to do this, so you can’t just sit back and watch… and Andrew Wiggins as well, Wiggs was aggressive as hell… have to take the show on the road.”
• On striking the balance of pick and roll: “We just lean on Coach. His game plan has never failed us… we trust his adjustments. He’s one of the best ever at making playoff adjustments… taking what the defense gives you… until they’re able to stop it.”
• On Steph’s 22 assists the last two games: “He’s been an incredible passer forever… that kinda just goes by the wayside… he’s been finding guys. If he gets past one defender, they’re sending four… he’s just been controlling the pace…”
• On Wiggins: “…super-aggressive… sometimes our second scorer and sometimes our third scorer, depending on the night… defensive side… he met force with force… two-way Wiggs, when he plays like that, we’re tough to beat.”
• On the OKC comeback from 3-1: “You always try to draw from those experiences… that OKC game didn’t go our way… we were down like fifteen points at halftime and Klay went apeshit… game tends to flip your way… we’re gonna be expecting their best… impose our will on the game.”
• On Wiggs picking up LeBron super-high: “Just not backing down from the challenge… build a wall behind him… when you’re guarding LeBron up there, he’s bumping you… takes a lot of energy… as a teammate you have to be ready to go behind him…”
• On GP2 starting: “Athleticism… incredible defense… force on the ball… dives to the rim… me and Loon always call GP ‘Small Five’… incredible finishing around the rim… opened the floor up some…”
• On Izzo being in the building: “That’s my guy… love that I have for Coach Izzo… takes time out of his schedule to come see me… Max (Christie) should know that Coach Izzo is here because I’m playing and not him (jokes)… (Izzo has) a million things going on… appreciation with effort…”
• On Klay being due and any pressure: “We’re champions so there’s pressure anytime we step on the floor… people ready to crush you, people immediately forget what we’ve done in the past… one of the greatest shooters ever… but defensively he was all over the place… his presence… you’re gonna guard him like he’s making shots… the spacing… I hope they start helping off him… still on all of us.”
• Draymond Green with Kerith Burke (no video) on being a scoring threat: “You’re not going to necessarily game plan for me to score… when it is needed I try to take it upon myself… Steph… positions to score.”
• On Kerr talking to him about being careful: “Zach Zarba’s gonna give you a tech… I’m locked in… I can’t dial myself back… gotta keep going.”
• On coming out aggressive: “…we can score so it’s tough to come back at times.”
• On Game 6: “same mentality as Game 4… let that slip away… defensive mindset… ready to counter… take that punch and deliver one back.”
• Moses Moody postgame Game 5 (no video) with Kerith Burke, on coming into the game: “Draymond gave us another one of those talks… the magnitude… the whole narrative can change after one game… making them have to go defend home court… now the pressure is on them.”
• On Draymond: “I didn’t know he had 20-and-10… leadership, the energy. He has a way of controlling the energy and winning the mental battle as well…”
Everybody gotta step in and do their part… second year, I’m starting to get a groove.
• On going back to LA: “That’s what the playoffs is about… it’s all about one game…”
• Steve Kerr postgame Game 5 on Draymond on offense: “there’s a stat… when he scores a certain number of points we usually win… loved his approach… aggressive… picked up a foul on the first play… made no bones about it…”
• On GP2: “Gary’s a game-changer. We knew that last year. We don’t win the championship without Gary… ability to get into their guards… who can get underneath their ball-handlers and at least make them have to work… his speed and his ability to finish around the rim. We’re a different team now that we have him.”
• On Wiggins: “best game Wiggs has played since he’s been back over three weeks now… adds another dimension to our attack… in LA, we didn’t get to the line a ton… set the tone…”
• On Steph’s 22 assists: “Steph at this point in his career, he really feels what needs to happen, what’s required of him… Sacramento he knew he had to score, took 30 shots… move the ball around (vs Lakers)… assist-to-turnover ratio…”
• On Draymond saying they only have to win one game, on always having a belief: “There’s always a belief…”
• On Wiggs and Dray’s defense: “…in any playoff series he’s gonna end up on the opponent’s wing (Wiggs is)… stay in front of people… picked up LeBron really high…”
• On Klay: “The thing with Klay is he’s an incredible two-way basketball player… that’s what wins… shooting comes and goes… the great thing is, we know Klay is due… his defense is gonna impact the game.”
• On AD and having 50 points in the paint, being aggressive at the rim: “try to move him around… they started switching more on pick and rolls… can’t shy away from it… if you have an angle to attack, you gotta take it… make a jump stop and swing the ball…”
• On balancing motion vs heavier pick and roll: “That’s sort of the game… we traditionally play a lot more pick and roll in the playoffs… didn’t go as heavy as we did in Game 4… a lot of what we do is after the pick and roll… moving the defense around… a jumper… you’re still just trying to get a reaction and draw two defenders.”
• On anticipating Draymond bouncing back: “You just expect it… facing elimination… Draymond is one of the great competitors… he doesn’t need any pep talks from me.”
• On bottling up the energy to LA, pulling Draymond aside: “That’s what coaching is about… communication… whatever I feel a player needs to hear… Draymond and I have known each other nine years… we see the game in a similar manner… we talk all the time… this is a collaboration… players will speak up and we’ll make a decision based on how they feel.”
• On Poole: “…what Jordan knows is our guys support him… everybody loves being around him… they’re there for him… he was much more aggressive and under control… no turnovers… like himself…”
Andrew Wiggins + Steph Curry 💦 pregame workouts before Game 5 Golden State Warriors vs LA Lakers
• Darvin Ham pregame Game 5, on the chess match being about AD being close to the rim, and what they do with Steph: “Having a variety of options… having to do it during real live action… best possible position where they can help us succeed… they’re putting guys on the ball more… kill zones… where they score the most… all of our players and coaches are truly locked in…”
• On Davis defensively on film: “…giving their suggestions… A is always trying to go to another higher level… telling me, ‘I can do more’… gleeful when it comes to that side of the ball… enjoys playing defense, that’s something that’s rare…”
• On them flopping: “I just control what I can control… don’t go down the rabbit hole of pointing fingers, blaming refs… never done it as a player…”
• On AD not being All-Defense: “I mean, it is what it is. Those things are voted on. You ask him… letting the world see how you play defense. He doesn’t care. The only thing he wants to do is win.”
• On Reaves’ growth and any lack of continuity: “Shout out to LeBron, man… he should be on the First Team… shout out to LJ at this point of his career… us being whole… the communication once again speeds up the process… different nuances… multiple play-makers… second-side, third-side play-makers… we’re able to play LeBron off the ball… it’s been great to just watch them talk it through… everyone is not just assuming… active dialogue…”
• On not thinking there’s three chances to win one: “…Ready to take care of the business directly in front of you…”
• On the 2-10 start and 13th at the trade deadline, seeing the potential somewhere during the season: “From Day One we’ve always said we need those three elements… competitiveness, togetherness and accountability…”
• Steve Kerr pregame Game 5 on Steph All-NBA nod: “Happens every year, he deserves it every year. He’s Steph Curry. Just another — what day is it? — Wednesday…”
• On G5: “Just being in the present, bringing our best effort… winning a home game… then you worry about what’s next after that… you don’t look ahead…”
• On Draymond, where he is with any concussions/epilepsy history, how close they have to watch him: “That’s all stuff that our training staff deals with. They’re all comfortable with everything… Draymond’s good to go.”
• On what he can do to instill confidence in the young guys: “…every player has to go through, not just young players. There’s plenty of vet players… hardest part of the job… spotlight is really on you… and you have a rough patch… if you have it in the regular season, nobody sees it and nobody cares… our job… give them perspective… ways to get through this…”
• Jokingly on if he showed film of him and Michael Jordan: “I did show that, I think every day this week.”
• On if he’s talked to his team: “Yeah, nothing that I would share here because that’s internal stuff. Our guys are ready… a lot of players on this team who have been in this situation… down 2-0 to Sacramento just two weeks ago…”
• On if he knew that they’ve been a thrown-against-the-wall type team: “…started to really deal with during Wiggins’ absence… opened the door for JK to play quite a bit… Gary… only the last seven games… those are the driving forces behind this dynamic that you’re talking about… we knew coming back this year that this team was gonna be different… Otto (Porter), in particular… turnover… part of the challenge… we have a group now that’s mostly intact from last year.”
• On Anthony Davis switching to Wiggins: “Yeah we definitely could’ve gone that route… part of the thinking is Steph and Draymond are our bread and butter… we could’ve gone to that more. It just changes the dynamics… those are things we look at… watch the tape a million times.”
• On media saying there’s division in the locker room: “First of all I love all the former players who are analysts… I was one… I was always right… never wrong… that’s part the deal especially today with the attention on these guys… everything is gonna be picked apart, so we don’t worry too much about what other people are saying… Just Us… it is just us… guys who are committed to each other and trying to get a win tonight and that’s the only thing that matters.”
• On Steph and Klay having confidence and moving on to the next play: “Who they are as players… they’ve never shown one ounce of fear or doubt… it does lead to some bad shots. Part of being that confident is you’re gonna be super-aggressive… give our guys some freedom… the balance is that you don’t wanna overdo that… that’s the balance both guys have to walk… let it fly but let’s get some good shots.”
• On Poole seeing one go in: “Even LeBron said in Game 3… what got me going is free throws… age-old theory… see the ball go through the hoop…”
• On LeBron: “…incredibly smart player… figuring out what’s coming… great mind. You have to account for that… try to put him in the best positions where you can still attack and get something good.”
• On Kenny Atkinson interviewing with Milwaukee and how he has grown: “I guess you’d have to ask Kenny but I just love having him here… great sense of analytics… connecting the analytics with the tape… strategy… I wanted to improve that part of our operation… started his coaching career working players out so he loves to be on the court… great eye for development… his team played with great energy and chemistry… a lot of passion for the game and he works like crazy… happy for him that he’s getting some interviews out there…”
• On playing games every other day: “I watched (Succession) the other night. I’m all caught up… we always talk to the team about filling up the cup… watched film and didn’t have practice… went home and went their separate ways… gotta find a way to get away, you can’t be thinking about this stuff all day long… go to a movie… your kid… the writers who are on strike they might spoil it.
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