From Steve Kerr and Erik Spoelstra pregame before Golden State Warriors at Miami Heat, where Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Otto Porter are set for rest. Heavy praise was heaped onto Jordan Poole. Bam Adebayo was also compared to Draymond.
STEVE
• Guys resting: “…making sure (guys who have been injured) are getting the care they need…not subjecting them to risk. These decisions are based on process, not on the results of the previous night’s game…playoffs…just making the wise decision.”
• Did you already plan for the rest? “In general Otto and Klay are not gonna play back to backs. I always reserve the right to play them because what if one of them gets ejected five minutes into the game?…we’re had a game in Milwaukee this year where we were down 38 at half and Andre and Otto were both scheduled to take the next night off in Chicago. They had each played about seven minutes so I went to them and said what do you think about playing tomorrow?…talked to the training staff…Otto fine his injury history the last two years…Draymond just coming back from his own injury…they’re more vulnerable playing a back to back…”
• Balance that with urgency? “There’s no balance to be made. You make that decision based on health.”
• Jordan Poole: “He’s just got a lot of confidence…figuring out the speed and the angles, understanding what’s happening before the play unfolds. All the things that come with experience…he really works for his confidence. He’s one of our most diligent workers at the gym…he has earned the right to be playing the ways he’s playing…”
• Draymond and Adebayo’s defense: “…that’s what separates to me the best defenders in the league, the versatility to guard multiple positions, multiple actions, to roam and protect teammates, he does all of that, he can guard one through five…it was really fun coaching him in the Olympics…the tandem of Draymond and Bam was really something to watch…not just defensively, they’re pretty special in terms of their ability to push the ball…point center role…”
• World Cup coming up: “Remember back in the day when college would hire the father of Danny Manning?…That’s the only reason I hired Spo, I just want him to bring Bam…he brings no value other than that…apologies to Ed Manning…”
• Defense: “The last 18 games we’re 6-12, we’re 27th in the league in defense…it’s a combination of breakdowns in multiple areas. Our transition defense has been bad, we aren’t guarding the ball well, we’re getting beat one on one…rotating and getting beat at the three point line…just not the same team that we were the first two months…belief in Draymond that those numbers are gonna change but it requires all of us to bring back a mentality…”
• More defense: “Our philosophy is to take away the paint and then to recover out to shooters and challenge shooters from there but you gotta be able to do one…the first two months of the season we were the best in the league at protecting the rim. We were the best in the league in field goal percentage against us…Draymond and Loon…”
• Draymond and Klay’s health: “…coming along well and Klay is doing great, his minutes are no problem now, his conditioning, his wind. The rhythm comes and goes but that’s to be expected after two and a half years of absence. Just have to keep going and keep working and things are gonna get better.”
SPOELSTRA ON POOLE: “I enjoy seeing those kinds of stories…it just shows you that really good players can take a lot of different paths to get to this point.”
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