Steph Curry keeps NBA coaches “on edge” which is why the Warriors are all-in on SplashBrothers “avalanche”

I know, I know. You want trade talk now, Masai Ujiri trade scenarios (cue old Paul Pierce Microsoft PowerPoint clip art of office worker banging on desk), not quotes/transcripts/videos. So the Raptors finally came out of the den and made a deal, sending OG Anunoby to the Knicks. I get it, you want Pascal Siakam discussion. “Microwave society,” as Erik Spoelstra said on the podium at Chase Center the other night.

Trust me, I’ve got a doozy lined up from Dean “of Positivity” Chambers, although it’s bent on Lauri Markannen being officially available per reports about 1-2 weeks ago (again, just Google “hoopshype [player name]” to catch up on the latest). We’ll talk about Siakam on tonight’s livechat, for sure, which can be found here:

But this trade market stuff, especially in the context of Spoelstra and #HeatCulture is just so, so important in understanding the mindset of the Warriors’ front office. Idk, I always picture Kirk Lacob sitting in front of me, actually, not Mike Dunleavy, Jr., just because I can picture myself in a convo with Kirk more so than MDJ — and Steve Kerr, of course. They’re all bought in, together, along with Stephen Curry. “It’s a collaboration,” as Kerr recently said multiple times in Q&As.

You need to have that mindset as your foundation. Everything revolves around the trinity of Wardell, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. That engine. That ecosystem. Maintaining that, increasing its output, even pruning it, is the prime directive (Ooh! Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Trek references in one DubNation sentence 🔥).

Relevant quotes:

There’s things that you have to try to focus on… One, that’s your identity and two, that you can control because there’s so many things that are just so unique about playing this team, with all the movement, Curry and Thompson, still just flying off of screens. You just typically don’t play that kind of style, against that kind of style, night in, night out. So you have to focus on the things that you can do really well. And those are areas that we pride ourselves on. The loose balls, the rebounding. Just the overall physicality, and disposition to the game… we had some better concentration, but this is a tough team to guard. — Spoelstra

See, NBA coaches are deathly afraid of The Splash Brothers popping off. And while we got Spo in the room, yeah, sure, he’s the “best coach in the NBA”, but the best coach in the NBA isn’t gonna be able to win more than two games in the NBA Finals if he doesn’t have an MVP-caliber player. But Spo is the guy who can coach a bunch of nobodies past some Hall-of-Famers in a regular season game. Really, only he can pull that off. 🌺

…when you’re sitting in the seat I’m sitting in, or I guess standing on the sideline that I’m standing on, you’re always on edge. They could go on an avalanche really quickly. When you throw on any one of their games, they’re as explosive as any team in this league offensively. Particularly what they’ve done in the last two weeks. — Spoelstra

Actually, I should say, NBA players are equally scared shitless by said avalanches. Keep in mind, this is just one example. I have written many times before where opponents share their fear of the #SplashBrothers, such as here:

And so here’s HeatCulture torch-bearer Bam Adebayo:

No, you can’t say that (the Warriors weren’t playing with intensity) because at any point in time 30 can get hot and also Klay. Best thing for us to do is just, like I said, sustain, force him into difficult shots and we won the game.”

This belief was only reinforced in my brain after practice yesterday (more on this below), and then today when Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area tweeted, “Hmm. I know of a team that has coveted Siakam — to varying degrees — for a couple years.”

Well, I hate to leave you on a cliffhanger, but despite “leading” the Raptors to only a paltry 12-18 record and the same middling result last season, Siakam is growing on me — more on that coming soon but definitely on our DAL-GSW ManningCast tonight (YASP aka “yet another shameless plug”).

So let’s go to yesterday’s practice:

(Getting Steph better looks has) been an issue lately. What makes Steph who he is, is how good he is off the ball as well as on the ball. So you can always put Steph in high pick-and-roll, which we done a lot of, but if you do, and he gets the ball out of his hands, what happens next is what makes Steph unique. He runs off the ball. All of a sudden he’s coming off pin down or a dribble-handoff. And those are the actions that historically have given teams fits. Maybe it’s throwing the ball into the post and getting to a split. Maybe it’s him running to the weak side coming off a pin down. We aren’t getting those plays lately. And those are the plays that we have to get. And a lot of them happen organically. So it’s really the way to get to them is with spacing and ball movement and we play. We watched the tape as a staff for seven minutes. I don’t think we had a single ‘one-more’ possession. You always say, ‘one more’, ‘good to great.’ We got good shots. We got fine shots. We didn’t get great shots. We didn’t make the defense work. We didn’t take advantage of Steph’s power, his gravity, whatever you want to call it. And so through seven minutes of the game, he’s got two shots. Neither one was a particularly good one; that’s on us. We have to execute better. — Kerr

And here’s Dario Saric, also from practice yesterday:

We had the kind of conversation sometimes like we should have find, we should have helped Steph to have an easier game, kind of like make play for him easier to get him open, obviously if Draymond was here, Draymond kind of understand that kind of role a little bit better than the rest of us who are like here for one year right now, kind of like to get to know each other to how to play. So, yeah. Obviously, I think we could have helped him to get better shots, to be more easier for him to score. We’re all of the players offensively, defensively, too, so I think maybe in next game we should really focus on Steph to get him easier looks and Klay, too… But I think that was one of points, emphasizes, to get Steph kind of easier look, make him best shooter in history; sometimes we play all the game, but sometimes you need to. Steph is next guy to you, you better go there and make a DHO. Sometimes games give us some looks, and the nature is for a player to make plays, but I think we need to be aware we have one of the best shooters in history and try to make him a little bit more open, more like DHOs, more extra passes, more screens and that kind of stuff for him, to make his life easy. And after that, maybe he scored a couple of times, when he scored, points is going to be easier for us (to get open looks as well).

And so I’ve calmed down a bit from, “Dammit, can we just run Jonathan Kuminga in the pick-and-roll?!” which I have said many times in the past two livestreams, especially as it produced enormous flashes in Q3 (Q2 maybe it was?) for Kuminga in Denver and on national TV.

Btw isn’t it crazy how after telling The Athletic in the locker after the Christmas Game — we covered that here…

…that the basketball gods basically shook their heads, said nah, and made JK commit six turnovers in the first half against Miami? 🤯

I mean, I still want that and tbh the game film supports this, but again I’m all about information, not entertainment. And if I’m getting signals that the Warriors are all-in on Steph and Klay (with Draymond as the distributor/DHO guy), then I’d rather embody what a successful basketball organization has deemed Priority Number One.

I embrace the GSW franchise because, quite simply, I’ve gone down other not-so-green-pastures-or-business-plans as it pertains to my amateur traveling basketball tournament teams (and, well, business ventures) in the past. So yeah, I’m all-in, too, Kirk! Wow, can you imagine the Captain Kirk memes when he eventually takes over the franchise? This is “gross speculation” by me and not based on any sources.

But I’ll talk way more about this on the live chats. Again, you cannot partake in any trade talk without the built-in knowledge of Steph-Klay-Dray. And most of it all on the Interwebs is just entertainment. If you want information, you must understand the basic foundation laid by the organization.

Meanwhile, here is the official catch-up on all videos, interviews and transcripts since the start of the Denver game. I still gotta do a better job of documenting this all in a more timely manner. Maybe that’ll be my New Year’s resolution? I’m not the type of guy to have one, though (reverse chronological order, mostly):

WARRIORS PRACTICE, DAY B4 DAL-GSW

Yesterday was one of your guys’ tougher losses, it felt like. How is the mood after a loss like that? And how do you feel, in the context of the way the season has gone?

DARIO SARIC AFTER PRACTICE, DAY BEFORE DAL-GSW: “It doesn’t feel right. Obviously, Miami they just came out there. They punch us, they play really hard, more like a team and they were more executing plays defensively, offensively. We were like kind of slow in every possession; we didn’t do the small things, which is basketball requiring, to be tough in every position to play aggressive even on our level. And of course, taste is a little bit bad in the mouth, after a performance yesterday. But of course, we have a video meeting. We try to talk how to fix our mistakes and try to make sure that things don’t happen again. I will say, I think this team can do it. Of course, we missed some shots, but of course that’s gonna happen in basketball. I think we need the other end, defensively be every night there; sometimes it’s hard, it’s just too many games or everybody think we should be like every night on point defensively, our aggression We’re going to make mistakes by our body language and our defensive presence needs to be there.”

You mentioned defensive presence. Just what do you make of your guys’ defense, the past little stretch?

“I think in the shell defense, we weren’t tight, we didn’t back each other, like if somebody makes a mistake, another guy makes another play, I think we were just kind of slow, and that’s not our identity. I think we can do so much better and we show we can be better and I think this is just one of those games, maybe. Obviously, we are 30 games in, so we should already have some identity defensively … that’s the most important, obviously, especially in situation where we are. Every game matters. We need to play every game is like a final, and that kind of stuff, so I think that’s going to help us, to find identity, and it’s going to help us offensively, too. So there’s gonna be more faster players, more fast breaks and that kind of stuff. So defense will need to be there for each other.”

Dario, when Steph is having an off-night like he did yesterday, is there a thin line for you and the rest of your team? You obviously want to pick him up, but is there a thin line for you guys not to … try to do too much?

“Yeah, I agree. We had the kind of conversation sometimes like we should have find, we should have helped Steph to have an easier game, kind of like make play for him easier to get him open, obviously if Draymond was here, Draymond kind of understand that kind of role a little bit better than the rest of us who are like here for one year right now, kind of like to get to know each other to how to play. So, yeah. Obviously, I think we could have helped him to get better shots, to be more easier for him to score. We’re all of the players offensively, defensively, too, so I think maybe in next game we should really focus on Steph to get him easier looks and Klay, too.”

How much of a focus was that, the last part you just said about getting Steph easier looks, how much of a focus was that today in practice of it all?

“Yeah, we have a focus on that. Of course, it was more talking and walk through than actually practice. But I think that was one of points, emphasizes, to get Steph kind of easier look, make him best shooter in history; sometimes we play all the game, but sometimes you need to. Steph is next guy to you, you better go there and make a DHO. Sometimes games give us some looks, and the nature is for a player to make plays, but I think we need to be aware we have one of the best shooters in history and try to make him a little bit more open, more like DHOs, more extra passes, more screens and that kind of stuff for him, to make his life easy. And after that, maybe he scored a couple of times, when he scored, points is going to be easier for us, to get open looks.”

Is GP2 available?

STEVE KERR AFTER PRACTICE, DAY BEFORE DAL-GSW: “GP2 is available tomorrow. Yes.”

How much do you hope that just having him back out will help?

“Yeah, our defense has not been great lately. We’ve got a lot of issues in terms of just staying in our shell. Too many holes in the shell on the weak side, back cuts, things like that. So Gary is a great defender; it’d be good to have him back and we’ll see how we fit him in and who’s available.”

Any restrictions for him?

“Yeah, I mean, he has only had a little bit of court time, so he’s not gonna play a ton, but I don’t know. We don’t have a number right now.”

You mentioned yesterday and a couple other times in the year that you were outcoached. I guess my question on that is, at what point or when you look at the struggles of the year, how much are you seeing the coaching aspect contributing to it? How much of it is execution?

“It’s the same thing. When I say I got out-coached, it’s because our team didn’t execute as well as the other team. And so, during the course of 82 games, you generally have games where you execute better. You have games where the other team executes better. But if you’re a good consistent team, you’re gonna win the majority of those battles. You’re gonna execute better for a longer stretch of the 48 minutes than the other team is. And I thought last night, it was that Miami out-executed us for a big majority of the 48. So that’s coaching. As I say, it’s always a collaboration. Everything that we do is about the coaches and the players collaborating and trying to come up with the best plan and how to execute well and how to attack a team, all that stuff. It all factors in. So we didn’t do a good job of that last night.”

Steve, when one guy is struggling on the court, it’s natural for the other guys to want to pick him up. When it’s Steph, is there more pressure on guys and you gotta make sure that they’re not putting so much pressure on them to overdo it and try to really make up because of what Steph brings?

“Yeah, one of the themes for us this year is when we don’t make shots, can we keep our energy and focus? And it feels like we get a little down on ourselves if we’re not making shots. And if Steph’s not making shots, obviously, it puts some pressure on us. But if we execute, we should be able to play through that. And that’s the whole point of execution is you still get good shots, even when you’re not making them. If you’re not executing and you kind of drop your head because you’re missing shots and the execution suffers, now you go a few possessions without getting a good shot. Now everything’s, ‘Yeah, it’s spiraling downward.’ So execution is most important when you’re not making shots. And that’s where we really struggled last night. Our spacing wasn’t good and we did have some open looks that we missed and that’s fine. It’s going to be different every game. Some days they go in, some days they don’t. But if your execution is consistent, your spacing is consistent, then you can make through those spells.”

Dario mentioned that something that you focused on a little today was how to get Steph better looks, especially earlier. Is that something that you feel like was an issue today and has been an issue, maybe last year?

“Definitely an issue last night. Sorry, I didn’t mean to cut you off… I think that’s been an issue lately. What makes Steph who he is, is how good he is off the ball as well as on the ball. So you can always put Steph in high pick-and-roll, which we done a lot of, but if you do, and he gets the ball out of his hands, what happens next is what makes Steph unique. He runs off the ball. All of a sudden he’s coming off pin down or a dribble-handoff. And those are the actions that historically have given teams fits. Maybe it’s throwing the ball into the post and getting to a split. Maybe it’s him running to the weak side coming off a pin down. We aren’t getting those plays lately. And those are the plays that we have to get. And a lot of them happen organically. So it’s really the way to get to them is with spacing and ball movement and we play. We watched the tape as a staff for seven minutes. I don’t think we had a single ‘one-more’ possession. You always say, ‘one more’, ‘good to great.’ We got good shots. We got fine shots. We didn’t get great shots. We didn’t make the defense work. We didn’t take advantage of Steph’s power, his gravity, whatever you want to call it. And so through seven minutes of the game, he’s got two shots. Neither one was a particularly good one; that’s on us. We have to execute better.”

 POSTGAME MIA-GSW, LOCKER ROOM

Spo this morning, you talked about a physicality that you wanted and a disposition of competitiveness. I assume a good portion of the game, that’s exactly what you saw, particularly on the defensive end.

ERIK SPOELSTRA, POSTGAME MIA-GSW: “Yeah, there’s things that you have to try to focus on… One, that’s your identity and two, that you can control because there’s so many things that are just so unique about playing this team, with all the movement, Curry and Thompson, still just flying off of screens. You just typically don’t play that kind of style, against that kind of style, night in, night out. So you have to focus on the things that you can do really well. And those are areas that we pride ourselves on. The loose balls, the rebounding. Just the overall physicality, and disposition to the game. And we also understand that we’re going to be on the road for a while, playing the gauntlet on the West Coast. So you want to set the tone, right from the get go and for the most part, I thought our guys brought that kind of effort, energy, the toughness and physicality and then some of those other things that we had some some better concentration, but this is a tough team to guard.”

Just your view of what you liked from Niko and Jamal’s minutes.

“Yeah, the big thing, we’ve had a lot of moving parts and this has provided our team with having a lot of different guys step up, and that’s why we’ve looked at it. You want guys to feel involved, feel like they can contribute to winning, feel like they can impact winning, learn how they can impact winning, and I’ve said this now for a few weeks, as you’re trying to figure things out, a great talent to learn in this league as a team is just learn how to win, and then you figure out the rest of the stuff. You figure out the continuity. But the three young guys in particular, RJ, Cain, and Niko. It’s not easy. They go oftentimes weeks without playing. But they have to stay ready as UD always says, to be ready. And then they also have to improve. So they can’t just be the same players they are because they’re trying to prove themselves and really establish themselves in this league. But without those three guys and their contributions tonight, we’re not winning this game. And they all gave us impactful moments throughout the course of the game and Cain has been progressively getting better. He’s really embraced a role as a defender and fill in the gaps offensively. We never ever run a play for him, but he finds a way to space before cut or offensive rebound. He just fills in a lot of those gaps, those energy gaps. And then Niko also has been getting a lot better behind the scenes. And we live in a microwave society right now. And particularly in pro sports. He’s 20 years old. His head coach has seen progress. If he’s not playing, that doesn’t mean that he is not making progress or that we’ve given up on him. We’re developing him. And some of these moments in the G League I think are really important. Sometimes it’s important when you lose and then you get angry about it and you figure out how you can impact winning, the next time. And so he’s had great moments in the G League and he’s also had tough moments. And I think all of that is part of player development. He’s been preparing and all of these experiences have been really good for him. And then when we needed him, in that second quarter, and then also in the fourth quarter, he was prepared and gave us really good minutes.”

Were you able to sense the Warriors lack of intensity after that first quarter? And was the message to the team during the break to try to take advantage of that?

“No, I did not sense that. No, when you’re sitting in the seat I’m sitting in, or I guess standing on the sideline that I’m standing on, you’re always on edge. They could go on an avalanche really quickly. When you throw on any one of their games, they’re as explosive as any team in this league offensively. Particularly what they’ve done in the last two weeks. No, that was not our message. It was more about what we were trying to do.”

Those three guys you mentioned, I know you went to their game in Orlando at the showcase. I think you and Tyler went where they were playing for Sioux Falls.

“Oh, the whole staff. We brought in a full bus of people to that game. It was horrible. I was going to say, things didn’t really go well for them, on the court that game.”

What changed for them between then and now for them to produce like this?

“No, nothing changed. Like I said, all of that’s important. And this is the part that nobody really wants to hear. Player development is not just getting shots after practice with a player development coach. It is learning how to impact winning, learning how to embrace a role, dealing with losing. And then almost the shame — we saw them the next day and they walked into our team meeting and they felt so ashamed, because we played poorly, and they wanted to play better. Well, I think that’s part of player development. You get angry, you start to figure out collectively how you can find some solutions to get over the top and play better and to win. And I think when there’s a score, all of it is good. You celebrate the times that you play well, and then you figure out when you’re not playing well, how, what we need to do better. But, yeah, that was a tough night, but we’ve had some good nights as a staff, we’ve done a ton of watch parties while we’re on the road and they’re playing and we’ve seen some really good basketball. Most of it has been when we’ve been watching on the TV and a few pizzas and beers, but that one we happened to see live. It all worked out, but I thought it was a really important day, especially how they approached it, the next few days to make sure that wouldn’t happen again. But it’s competition. You can’t always control that. Same thing with Orlando Robinson. He was down there tonight, contributed to a win, he’s got a double-double, 20-and-10, but he goes in with a mindset every time we send him on assignment, he wants to have an undefeated record, and I think that’s great for player development.”

Coach, what should not be lost, other than the shiny object of Tyler’s scoring and the role that he’s been on since he’s gotten back from injury?

“It’s still the decision making, and he’s going to have the ball in his hands. He has a gift for scoring. He has a knack for it, just a feel for angles and how to put the ball in the basket. He has great touch. You can do it from all three levels. But then now it’s the decision-making because he’s being schemed against. And sometimes, you get off the ball early. Sometimes you’re making plays against traps. Sometimes it’s different coverages. Sometimes it’s a zone. We saw basically everything tonight. And he’s reading the game, sometimes letting the game come to him, sometimes being assertive. And I think all of those things you just learn, over the course of time and with experience, and really feeling the responsibility of when the ball is in your hands. It’s a team responsibility that you have. And he’s just been getting a lot better with that.”

So just your view of how you impacted things coming in off the bench and just being so involved in doing so many different things on both ends of the floor to help get this win.

NIKOLA JOVIC: “We were missing some guys, so us young guys need to step up a little bit. Opportunity came, I feel like Coach believed in me and my team is believing in me and that’s it. I feel like, as long as we won, I did the part of my job.”

On a night where you have so many guys out, I know you already know, first of all, you’re going to get the opportunity. But it’s needed from what you and Jamal provided on both ends, particularly the score.

“Yeah, scoring, it was the main guys like Tyler, Bam and Duncan who making triggers for us, it was just there, the right spot at the right moment, spacing was great and we just hit shots. That’s it. That’s it. That’s what it’s all about. We’re there to help them and they actually helped us a lot.”

When you’re also in the development process as you are right now, to be able to have these moments where you’re like, ‘Okay, I can see it, I can feel it, where I’m headed. It’s got to be now.’

“Yeah, I mean, it’s great. It’s great. It’s what it’s all about to be on the court and play. And it felt amazing. I’m really — it’s a long process. It’s going to be, I just need to believe the course and to believe the coaches and everybody, how do you say it? Everybody on the top. The whole front, yeah, the front office and everyone and that’s it. Thank you.”

Bam, what did you like most about how you guys were able to pull out this one? Was it the defense in those middle quarters or the guys who maybe don’t always know exactly what they’re going to do coming in and contributing?

BAM ADEBAYO: “I would say we sustained for 48 minutes. We held the lead. They made their run, but all in all, we still sustained and doing that with guys down.”

How much of what you guys were preparing for, because it’s hard to think of a night where Steph has that much of a challenge, the threes he’s going to have, but the twos you guys got to take some credit for from a defensive standpoint, keeping him in a really tough night from a shooting percentage standpoint.

“Yeah. I mean. You try to, guys like that. You try to make them make as many tough shots as possible. And I felt like we did that night. We forced them into difficult shots, getting them out of their scheme. We were really locked in on the defensive end.”

You guys have won four straight on the road for straight overall with stacking up wins as you guys talk about all the time. How important is it to start the trip that way?

“I mean, everybody food won’t taste good tonight. But you always want to start off on the road trip with a W, and that feels like it’s a spark for us. So we just feed off this energy and just keep it rolling.”

Did you maybe notice, maybe the second quarter, maybe start the third quarter, that they just didn’t have the intensity to match you guys throughout the whole game tonight? … Did you notice at any point where they just weren’t matching the intensity that you guys were putting out there tonight?

“No, you can’t say that because at any point in time 30 can get hot and also Klay. Best thing for us to do is just, like I said, sustain, force him into difficult shots and we won the game.”

Tell me what’s most gratifying about a win like this when you have so many frontline guys that are out you have to get guys involved who may not usually have those opportunities.

TYLER HERRO: “Yeah, I mean, this is a testament to our gratitude to the guys, you know next-man up mentality. Just coming in here and being able to fulfill guys that are out and be able to fulfill those spots. Cain, Niko, RJ, just being able to step up and help us to this road win on the first game of a long trip.”

How do you view this next layer of responsibility you have? Of course, you can get anywhere you want on the floor and get any shot you want, but making sure that it’s a part of the team dynamic, getting other guys involved, the stuff you got to do on defense. Now you’re carrying the whole basket now.

“Just trying to be a leader and lead this team. It’s all about stacking W’s and getting wins. That’s all that we play for here and just trying to do my best job at that is just being able to impact winning on both sides and make my teammates better.”

I know you guys are serious about wanting to win every time you touch the floor, but how nice is it to do it on a road trip?

“Yes, it’s to win, Golden State is never easy … stack wins after tonight, so fly to Utah tomorrow and we’ll try to get another one there before we head to LA.”

What did you like most about the way you guys defended an offense that usually is putting up 117-120, whatever, pull ups?

“I thought we did a good job of forcing them into inside the three point line and making them shoot twos, a lot of tough twos. And that’s just not an easy way to beat us, by shooting twos. You gotta be able to outscore us and shoot threes. So that’s when their offense is at its best, when they’re flying around making threes, for Klay and Steph. So, I thought we did a good job with that.”

Tyler, it’s been a while since you dealt with injuries. Now you’re back 100% … is it good playing at the level you’re playing?

“Yes. Blessings and play the sport I love…”

POSTGAME MIA-GSW (BILL KING ROOM)

What did you just kind of think was the main problem tonight?

BRANDIN PODZIEMSKI POSTGAME MIA-GSW: “Yeah, I think it’s, a lot falls on my plate. I’m the guy that’s supposed to bring the energy and hustle plays and effort plays. I didn’t do that tonight. I can usually gauge that by how many steals, deflections, rebounds I get, and tonight was probably my worst performance of the year in that case. So I think it starts with me. Coach can say that it’s his fault, he didn’t get us prepared and whatnot, but I’m in that starting group for that reason, and I just don’t think I bring that energy and effort tonight like I usually do.”

What do you attribute it to, what was lacking?

“I don’t know. I felt good coming into the game. if I knew, I would have fixed it. But you could just feel it just, it wasn’t no momentum to the point where like the crowd could get into it or anything like that. We were just kind of flat all around. And I take that on my plate for sure.”

Did this kind of performance surprise you guys? Two days off, starting what feels like an important homestand.

“I think so. I come in every game expecting to win. But like I said, we didn’t bring it; it’s my fault. But yeah, I was very surprised, just on our all around performance collectively, both on offense and defense. Their best players were out tonight and other guys are going to come in and step up as part of their culture. And they did that.”

Brandin, how well do you know Jaime Jaquez, Jr.? There was a lot of talk before the game. You guys were taken, respectively, one spot in front of each other and both having really good rookie seasons. How well do you know him? What do you think of what he’s done so far?

“Yeah, first of all, great player. He fits their culture, fits their system Through the pre-Draft process a lot of our workouts were together, a lot of flights together, staying at the same hotels. So just getting to know him over a two month period in April and May was great. I know he fits. I knew he fits their identity and what they’re about. He’s having a great season, and I think besides Wemby and Chet, I think me and him are right up there with the best rookies. So, shout out to him. He played well tonight and helped them win.”

Two in a row now you guys have lost, different loss, obviously a tough place to play. Tough game tonight, though. What do you think?

TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS POSTGAME MIA-GSW: “Things kind of fell apart. I think that, in the first half, they punched us in the mouth, and we responded going into halftime and then the second half, they did the same thing, and then we just didn’t respond very well. And they got that lead and then sat on it. And we tried to push back, but it was a little too late.”

Everybody says every game is difficult, but it’s human nature when they don’t have Butler and they don’t have Lowry and the like, that you could let down a little bit. Was that at all a factor?

“That’s what Coach told us before the game. He said that, the Miami Heat, they represent Heat Culture and it’s always next man up and next guy’s opportunity. And so, that’s what they did tonight and their guys that don’t usually play. They stepped up and made plays and they played good games. They played hard. And that’s something that Coach was preaching before the game, saying that they’re going to come out even harder than they would if they had their starters.”

You mentioned that they came out in the second quarter and then third quarter and kind of ‘punched you in the mouth’ a little bit. What happens in the timeouts? What kind of communication is happening to re-encourage you guys, reinvigorate you guys in terms of playing well?

“Everybody is just clapping, cheering, not, ‘Hey, hey,’ but like more of a sense of, ‘Come on, energy,’ like more of an energy standpoint, bringing energy, trying to get guys going and stuff of that nature. And that’s what I try to do for my teammates. And then, just responding, listening to what Coach is talking about and ways that we can stop and help ourselves, especially on the defensive end of the floor. Offensively, just listen to what Coach is saying and then just playing.”

It seemed like you really held your own against Bam in the post, defensively. How would you evaluate how you performed in that matchup?

“Bam is a unique player. It’s kind of similar to me where he’s relied a little bit on athleticism, but he still has that jump shot and he was playing In the mid-post area, and I was just trying to body him up. He had some tough shots, but overall he’s a great player.”

Missing about, what, four of your main guys, what is the plan for the rest of you to step up and kind of make up for those guys being out?

“It’s just kind of next-man up opportunity with Dray, GP2 and those guys, they’re still cheering for us. They’re still there for us. but it’s next-man up and that’s what we gotta do until they get back. And so, we just got to play hard and play together.”

Klay, what do you think happened in that second quarter that kind of turned this game?

KLAY THOMPSON POSTGAME MIA-GSW: “In the second quarter, I think maybe our offense got a little too stagnant and our resistance at the rim was lacking. And those two things combined together is not good. They hit some, they played good defense, so just not the best night for the team.”

I think this was the first night this season you guys didn’t even make 10 threes. How much of the game was just you guys not hitting those type of shots?

“A lot of it’s on us and I think when they zoned us, our offense was too stagnant rather than trying to cut more off the ball and drive and kick. I think, including myself, we were just too content standing around the perimeter instead of playing with more force, getting into the paint, getting your teammate open and taking great shots.”

Obviously everybody in the NBA is a good player, but there are guys who are Jimmy Butlers for a reason and Kyle Lowrys for a reason. I would think it would be human nature. You try to say, ‘Hey, we’re going to play as hard as we can.’ But when the other team doesn’t have its main guys, human nature would be, ‘Hey, this game is going to be easier than we thought.’ How do you combat that human nature?

“Well, you realize that those other players on the opposing team have also played in NBA Finals, not just Jimmy and Kyle, and you gotta be pretty dang good to get there. So just an unfortunate opportunity slip for us, and I wasn’t particularly good tonight. Minus-26 is pretty reflective of that, so I think I’ll have a better opportunity Saturday to try to right the ship on this homestand.”

Podziemski just came in here and kind of blamed himself for the loss.

“Jeez. Ah, dramatic rookie.”

Basically that he didn’t bring the energy and he’s supposed to be kind of the energy guy. Beyond just him, did it just feel like that the energy collectively wasn’t there?

“Yeah, it wasn’t great tonight and I don’t know. I don’t have a great answer for you. Can’t blame BP; it’s hard to bring the energy he does 82 nights a year, but he does it to the best of his ability. But just not the best performance tonight from anybody.”

PREGAME & POSTGAME MIA-GSW

Coach, I got two for you. First on, your time with Spo. How well did you know him before you guys started spending time together with Team USA? And how well do you know him after?

STEVE KERR PREGAME MIA-GSW: “We didn’t know each other that well before. There was always just a conversation after the games when we would play. I’ve always just had great respect for him. We knew each other a little bit, before I started coaching because I did a lot of Heat games, working television. So I just always thought he was a great coach and so it was kind of automatic when I got that job to call him and he said yes immediately. And so we know each other pretty well now and he’s just an incredible person and coach and loved every second of that experience with him.”

Second question for you is about the Draft. I know you guys selected Brandin at 19. Jaime was there at 18. Your familiarity with him, was there a chance that you guys could take him there? And then what is your take on him and how he’s developed over the season?

“It was funny because you brought up Spo. We texted each other on Draft night and we both said the same thing: ‘I love the guy you got. We love the guy that we got, but we also love your guy,’ so they really liked Brandin. We really liked Jaime. It shows our front offices are doing something right, I guess. Those guys have both turned out to be really good players. But, yeah, it’s impressive watching Jaime play. He’s strong and physical and very skilled and obviously comes in with a ton of experience. So he’s made a huge impact so far this year.”

You guys rank first in rebounding, first in offensive rebounding too, before the season. Looking at the personnel, did you expect that? And do you think it’s sustainable?

“We thought we could be a good offensive rebounding team, something we worked on hard in training camp and we’ve rebounded at both ends pretty well. So that’s a place of improvement for us. There’s other areas where we haven’t done as well that we’re trying to clean up that everybody comes into camp with. It’s an idea of something they’d like to improve on, and that was a big one for us, so it’s good to see that our guys are coming through.

I was just going to ask about Podziemski, and it looks like you installed him into the starting lineup. What do you like about him, what you’re seeing in terms of his growth?

“He’s just a baller. He just knows how to play at both ends. He’s become one of our best defensive players. He just has a knack. He’s always in the right place at the right time. He’s relentless. Every shot that goes up, he’s the first guy on the screen. Like, if you freeze frame, you stop the play when the shot goes up, and then it goes slow motion, he’s always the first guy moving. So he’s beating everybody to the ball, whether it’s a loose ball, offensive rebound, defensive rebound. And that kind of anticipation manifests itself in a lot of different ways. He recognizes the cut, he understands the action that we’re trying to get to, so he’s in the right place. It’s really kind of remarkable too, because he doesn’t have a lot of college experience. He redshirted — or didn’t redshirt? I think he just didn’t play much at Illinois and then had the one really big season here in Santa Clara. But, for a young guy, he just has an innate feel and toughness and he’s earned the spot. That’s it.”

I asked Trayce yesterday about the fouling. I know you’ve said a few times that you want that to be a lot less than you’ve seen. And I asked him if he thought it was a schematic breakdown or what he felt like was the reason that you guys can’t kind of fix that? What do you think that is? And what are your hopes tonight when it comes to the foul count?

“You’re talking about Trayce in particular, our whole team? Yeah, yeah. We’ve harped on it. It’s been an issue for us for the last few years. We’re a pretty aggressive team. And at times we just reach too much and we’ve really tried to hammer it home and we’ve actually gotten better over the last couple of weeks. The Denver game was an outlier in terms of the last 8-10 games. So we are making some improvement. Our thing is, it’s the silly ones, it’s the reaches. And you have to learn how to defend in this league because of the way the game is called. You just can’t ever get your arm bar in, defend an offensive player like you can in college. You gotta show your hands and so we’re trying and we’re getting a little bit better, but it has been an issue for sure.”

Steve, there’s an old saying in sports that it’s better to beat your friends than your enemies because you see your friends more often. Now with your relationship with Erik, do you subscribe to that theory?

“Yeah, we just want to win no matter who it is against. It doesn’t matter. I know that we all pull for each other after our experience this summer. That’s a really unique experience to coach together in USA Basketball. You’re overseas, you’re together, day in and day out for six straight weeks, and you’re trying to accomplish something that’s really difficult. So you naturally just grow really close. So it doesn’t mean you don’t want to beat the hell out of each other when you play one another, but I definitely pull for Spo and for Mark Few and for Ty Lue, every game that they’re playing, unless it’s against us.”

I know Gary practiced yesterday. Could he return as early as Saturday?

“I don’t know what’s the (looks at Raymond Ridder) — day to day.”

Steve, considering all the injuries and the suspension that’s gone on so far these first couple months, do you feel fortunate to be at the .500 mark right now or no?

“Not really. I think we should be better. We’ve lost, by my count, four or five games that we should have won, and I’d say maybe one or two that we shouldn’t have. So I think we’re below where we should be. I think we have a good team. I think we should be better than .500. I think we will be, when all is said and done. But we’ve got to keep working, keep getting better.”

Steve, you guys are back at home now. What do you want to try and accomplish with this relatively long homestand with the team?

“The continued growth. I mean, we’ve been on a pretty good stretch here. I think six of eight we’ve won if I’m not mistaken. We are playing better overall. We’ve got a lot of guys playing well, we’re continuing to look at different combinations, we’re still, frankly, trying to sort out what our best lineups are. So it’d be nice to win some games and have a little more clarity by the end of it.”

Most of the guys talk about how this year the team is, the chemistry is much better than it was last year. Do you sense that? Do you feel that? And is that something you can see both at home and on the road? Or is that mostly a road thing?

“No, the chemistry is great. These guys are really supportive of one another. They pull for each other and that’s really important every year, but this year, especially because we have so many guys who should be playing, but every night there’s going to be two or three who aren’t, just based on the numbers. And so you have to rely on the quality of the people. And we’ve got high-quality players, high-character guys. So it makes it easier for sure.”

I guess just a general question, Steve, what happened in the second and third quarters that you guys could not keep this game in, in, in close at all?

POSTGAME MIA-GSW: “Yeah. They scored 69 points in those two quarters. so they took control of the game. I thought that run, beginning of the second quarter, I think we were up six or something, or five and they made a really good run and had control of the game from there. So one of those nights. We’ve been in every game, seems like all year. Every game has been close. We’ve been competitive and tough and tonight we kind of lost that competitiveness and it felt like we got demoralized, shots weren’t going in and they just took it to us. We know what’s coming when three or four guys are out of the lineup. This is a common theme in the NBA and especially when you play Miami because you know they’re going to be tough and they’re not going to give anything away and you look at the box score. They had seven turnovers, 26 assists. They controlled the game, so we got out-coached, outworked, outplayed.”

What do you think was the biggest offensive issue?

“Just never got into any flow, and we weren’t getting stops, so we couldn’t get out in transition. We missed some shots that we normally make, but, I give them credit. I just think they outworked us.”

Steph went 3-of-15. He’s kind of had a chunk of games here that the shooting numbers have been down. Do you just view it as just a kind of random slump? Are you seeing fatigue in him?

“No, it wasn’t his night. I mean, this is all part of an 82-game season where guys are gonna have some tough nights and tough stretches and I’m not worried about Steph, that’s for sure. But it was just a night where we just couldn’t get anything going. And again, I thought that second quarter stretch where we went from up five to like down 10 in about six minutes, that shifted the game, shifted the momentum and we never got it back. But again, I give them credit. Spo always has his guys ready and you know what you’re facing when you face Miami, they’re not going to give you anything. And it seemed like they beat us to loose balls, beat us to rebounds, and they had some guys step up. I thought Cain was fantastic. Obviously Tyler Herro was their main guy offensively. But Cain stepped in and played a great game. And he was a huge factor in the win.”

Steve, even when you guys were winning games, you were still looking for better defense. What do you think your defense is at right now?

“Well, it wasn’t good tonight. 114 points. They shot 48 percent and we just didn’t turn them over, until the end when we put some pressure on. But at that point it was too late. So I don’t think they felt us at all tonight. I think everything was pretty easy for them.”

You obviously want combinations that you see work. You’ve talked about trying to figure out what the rotation is, what you can rely on. Maybe a game like this or some other situations are showing you combinations you don’t want at some point?

“No, tonight wasn’t really about combinations. It was just about being outplayed. And as I said, outcoached and they controlled the whole game, who we had out there, no matter what combination was out there. So those are things that we think about and look at all the time. But, I don’t think that was the issue tonight.”

GAME NOTES FROM MIA-GSW

Trying out a new font (Substack heading — but the process of doing this is very cumbersome so idk if this will be the last time trying this), just to try to save some space, and because I really do think the play-by-play notes and other stuff are important:

0:00 on possibly going after Markannen, Wiggins being on the chopping block maybe? Meshing on-court with Kuminga despite bad plus-minus
17:30 Loon lost tip to Bam

11m45 Q1 Loon missed JK post up
11m10 Q1 JK tov, should’ve gone strong, never leave your feet 9m45 Q1 Klay around two curls 3, BP assist
9m35 Q1 Herro burns BP, Klay heat check, BP oreb
9m05 Q1 Herro burns BP again
8m45 Q1 Loon oreb, he’s good at that vs “slower” guys like Bam
8m21 Q1 Looney fouls Bam on his dreb sigh
6m25 Q1 JK easy post spin vs Jaquez but missed it, should run back asap instead of complaining to ref
5m55 Q1 Klay good finish after Steph steal on reach-in

27:45 I agree with Tacticz that Wiggs seems to be going through something mental this year
28:15 Bruce says Ainge would fleece anybody for Markannen, I believe those days are over
29:00 Bruce: “Markkanen is spotty on defense and Dynamic athletic players would abuse him. He would be great on offense but his defense is not ideal. Knowing Kerr, TJD would barely play”

5m12 Q1 Saric is a liability on moving his feet on D but that was ticky-tack
4m51 Q1 Wiggs loses the ball on the sideline
3m40 Q1 TJD keeps up with Herro, blocks him, gets two via Saric later (4 fouls already, CP had reach-in prior to this)
3m27 Q1 TJD bad 3ball foul vs Love
3m12 Q1 TJD fouled vs 1-3-1 zone
3m00 Q1 BP causes brick by Jamie
1m57 Q1 TJD blocks Duncan Robinson

38:30 Tim Kawakami is bringing up trades, and he’s right that we’re approaching January when you ABSOLUTELY need to look at the market, what’s available, esp if you are at .500. It’s why Kerr/MDJ might try Wiggs and JK together, as talked about on the podium by Steve yesterday:

0m55 Q1 good ball movement initiated by sacrifice of TJD posting Duncan
0m08 Q1 Wiggs misses a bunny (again)

43:15 @Bruce Maro (I believe TJD should start) @Samantha Rhodes (can we run plays Podz and JK?) Guys, this is the SPLASHBROTHERS team (and Dray). It just is. Steve alluded to it when he said he was teaching JK how to get the ball to Steph/Klay. WE ARE ALL IN ON VETS.

12m00 Q2 Wiggs strong inside yay! (save your job_)
11m24 Q2 Klay lets Cain cut for an easy two
11m12 Q2 TJD guards the wrong guy, Bam scores on Wiggs
10m11 Q2 CP entry pass to the other team

48:45 the whole vets being a gift and a curse, I do blame them for being .500

9m48 Q2 JK steps on the line, do we do that the most in the NBA?
9m00 Q2 Wiggs good help on Duncan vs Klay floater
8m42 Q2 CP bad pass to Klay (vets 5 to 3 on mistakes)
8m05 Q2 too bunched up right side, JK throws the ball on entry to Jovic
7m47 Q2 Wiggs good feet vs Jovic but called for ghost foul
7m34 Q2 Wiggs miss corner 3 open, good pass by Klay, JK oreb fouled
7m15 Q2 JK tov inside vs Cain
6m58 Q2 Klay good entry to Saric reverse good
6m41 Q2 Steph good D vs Duncan cut, JK throws the ball away again (5 tov)
6m06 Q2 dunk JK vs zone
5m40 Q2 BP great screen, fouled as Klay corner 3 good, but again stepped outta bounds

1:00:15 I’m not ok with Loon not starting but I’m ok with TJD closing
1:01:15 on Siakam, Toronto still mired out of playoffs so he’s not impact enough

4m55 Q2 JK travels inside, if you gotta sell the foul
4m31 Q2 TJD finishes again
4m25 Q2 Wiggs more good D vs Herro
2m40 Q2 Wiggs inside score attack after BP missed TJD alley
2m21 Q2 Klay out, Mo in
2m12 Q2 Mo blocks Herro J
1m45 Q2 CP good dreb long, finagles foul by Jaquez, FTs

1:13:45 JK basketball gods after saying “no one can guard me”

1m07 Q2 TJD good D vs Bam, Mo blocks Herro again
1m00 Q2 Steph is ignored, then sets screen for CP, fouled
0m36 Q2 trade the towel boy as Mo slips on Bam’s old wet spot 2 possessions

1:19:15 Steph and Klay who hogged in Denver look like they’re deferring
1:20:15 I think Moody came in for Klay just as an X-factor, nothing personal, as MIA was in zone with 0 tov, mucking the game
1:21:15 some blame needs to go to Steve and staff for Spoelstra sticking with zone for so long
1:22:45 we don’t have solid rotations because we don’t, we’ve had the solid rotation stemming from JK and BP starting lately, so “we don’t have solid rotations” from that perspective doesn’t hold water

1:25:30 the reviews are “ridiculous” in that they take too long, just have a replay center that’s better and faster

1:27:00 the vets making middle school turnovers (CP’s scud missile for example) is baffling, idk whom to blame

1:28:30 I don’t think our defense has been “mid”, I think Spo has game planned us to muck up the game and he’s playing chess to our checkers, Steve should’ve known something was coming without Jimmy and Kyle

11m00 Q3 BP good help off Hampton

10m50 Q3 Steph sneaks in a heat check

10m27 Q3 Steph miss J

9m50 Q3 Jaquez over JK wow

9m30 Q3 Steph and BP great D on Herro?

8m45 Q3 Klay blocking foul, “not bad” isn’t gonna win you the game tonight

8m25 Q3 no call vs obv foul by Highsmith

1:42:00 analyzing the last play

8m09 Q3 Klay crazy reload

7m36 Q3 JK misses dunk, but having fun as Loon oreb and-1, good to see JK put pressure on the rim again

6m45 Q3 Klay too soft vs Jaquez base J? JK touchdown via Steph

6m30 Q3 Jaquez scores again past 3 old guys, Klay soft

6m00 Q3 CP mad that Loon didn’t talk on the 3 by Herro

5m39 Q3 Cain 94 feet wow ugly transition D, down 12 no timeout

5m24 Q3 JK CP P&R scores

4m35 Q3 Klay misses J after Steph walks it up, Loon pushes Bam again

4m15 Q3 Steph misses again after Wiggs nice D on Herro

3m37 Q3 Wiggs jump hook short

3m05 Q3 slow O, BP creates

2m52 Q3 Cain vs Trayce wow

2m32 Q3 Wiggs miss open J baseline

1m05 Q3 CP gets hot 2 in a row

0m45 Q3 TJD helped too far, didn’t get back

0m32 Q3 CP 2-for-1 3 brick

0m12 Q3 Spo with the 1-1-2-1 zone for the last shot, genius!

1:58:45 too add to the bad news of that quarter: Maramreddy Madhavi: “we were in the bonus for 5 mins”

1:59:45 That second unit has been good, if you recall they subbed in for the starters at the 4+ min mark which means we relied on the starters for a bit, no dice. So you make the final adj in Q4, when I’m asked why Mo didn’t play

11m37 Q4 Steph hero ball 3

11m28 Q4 Jaquez power move, rewarded, CP hacked (again, 4th pf)

11m14 Q4 Steph a little late on the lob to Dario

11m11 Q4 nice BLOB CP to Dario after Klay

10m55 Q4 Klay knocks ball away from Jaquez

2:03:15 gonna need 2+ runs, can’t really go 17-0 vs MIA

10m14 Q4 CP good pressure on Cain late, stepped on line

10m02 Q4 CP another bad pass, Jaquez, but Dario races back

9m52 Q4 Steph hero ball in and out

9m39 Q4 Klay hacks on Jovic’s travel (should’ve let him go)

9m30 Q4 Klay hero ball 3 no good

9m10 Q4 Bam 1v1 Dario, clinic by Spo

8m48 Q4 Steph worst shot in bball another hero shot no good

8m25 Q4 CP misses an early 3

8m05 Q4 Dario good D vs Bam despite the slow pace

8m00 Q4 Steph and-1 vs Jovic moving slightly, Spo challenges

2:08:15 @Cid Kagenou: “Steve take notes” — I mean “Steve take notes”, it’s hard man. Spo is that good. Not a knock on Kerr either.

2:10:00 incredibly the challenge is successful, THAT’S WHY WE DO THE POLL! And we predicted bad reffing.

7m45 Q4 we go zone with Mo up top after the challenge

7m07 Q4 Wiggs nice drive and finish

6m41 Q4 Wiggs 3 over the backboard

5m56 Q4 Steph vs Jovic bad runner

5m40 Q4 Mo downhill, Spo timeout

2:16:00 on “should’ve brought Moody in” — @Queensofnoize I mean in Q3. Because we didn’t know it would be this bad in the first half and you go in with a script of a rotation for first half. All NBA teams do that.

5m30 Q4 Mo and BP cause 8 sec, Spo mad

5m00 Q4 Mo bails himself out vs Cain good D

4m32 Q4 good job by Wiggs to get downhill and sell job

3m24 Q4 two straight hero orebs by Bam

3m19 Q4 Kerr timeout, won’t get a chance to see if SplashBrothers could’ve had a plus on the plus-minus closing

2:28:15 Steph and Klay 2/8 and 2/6 seems like at least 25% less 3s we shoot than usual, Spo cut off the two heads of the snake

2:29:15 Bloomer says this is a wakeup call — yeah I would personally love to see more CP JK P&R

0m42 Q4 Robinson blocked by Robinson!

2:31:15 Nicole Diaz: “we need to change the system” — BUT Draymond is coming back

2:32:15 Percy: “Can Kerr adjust?” — CAN STEPH KLAY DRAY ADJUST?

2:33:45 @Percy Bedford When Dray got suspended remember he hadn’t played a full game for like 11 games (ejectinos, suspensions), this will require buy-in from HOFers (I’m the only guy saying this), group effort

2:39:45 DEAN CHAMBERS TAKES THE FLOOR AND WILL CLOSE OUT THE LIVE

2:41:00 first time we’ve been blown out

2:41:30 this one I’m willing to flush, and it’s Spo

2:45:00 can’t take this too seriously

2:45:30 complete lack of hustle

2:51:30 HOT TAKE: I think “no one” had the best game

2:54:00 Moody probably was best player if we’re being serious

2:56:00 we are definitely still all in on SplashBrothers

2:58:00 our offense is the problem

LOONEY/TJD PRACTICE B4 MIA-GSW

Kevon, your usage has been lower these past stretches, especially considering the past two seasons. Just how have you felt your game has been and assess the first quarter of your personal season?

KEVON LOONEY AFTER PRACTICE, DAY BEFORE MIA-GSW: “It’s been up and down, been a lot of adjusting because I know a lot of changes, people in and out. So it’s been a little bit of adjustment, but just trying to figure out where to pick my spots so I can be more effective in the game, and help our team win. So we’ve been on a pretty good run over the last six or seven (games), so I’m just trying to find a way to help make an impact.”

Kevon, you’ve been through this lineup shuffle a lot over the years. Do you find yourself being a voice for the younger players who are kind of going through this, maybe for the first or second time, on how to deal with this, how to be prepared for this?

“Definitely. something that I had to deal with my whole career, so I can relate to it. Some of the younger guys I’m dealing with still now, so we all can relate, just talking through and just try to stay ready for when the opportunities come, because it’s going to come; Steve gives everybody a chance to go out there and make a difference. So when the opportunity comes, take full advantage of it. I think the young guys and even the older guys have been doing a great job of that.”

What have you seen from Trayce, the last handful of games?

“He’s been great. You see his development from since preseason to now, his ability to make reads in the pocket, be able to finish in traffic, but even more on the defensive side as a rookie, it’s kind of tough to be able to call out all the sets and block shots and do different things like that. It’s tough for a rookie. He’s been doing that at a high level the last six or five, six games. And we need him to play like that for us to be a great, a good team. And he’s been stepping up.”

What’s been some of the biggest differences between what’s been going on the past week or so with this winning streak up until Christmas versus when you guys were struggling a bit more?

“I think guys are just playing better. We’ve played a little bit better on offense. We’re stepping up to the challenge on the defensive side, Coach has really been challenging us in practice and showing us a lot of film. And at some point we know we got to, can’t just keep talking about how good we think we can be. We gotta go out there and do it. And I think we took it as a group to go out there, try to win in the margins and do all the small things and stop beating ourselves. I think early in the season, we kind of beat ourselves a lot with the fouls and turnovers and we’ve been trying to do a better job of that.”

Obviously you’ve had some great teams, you’ve been on some great teams, with superstars. But I don’t remember this much where there was like, not sure who all was playing, in that second team, all that kind of thing. You think this is the deepest roster you’ve had that you’ve been on?

“It’s one of them. It’s probably the deepest we’ve been in a few years. When I first got here, the whole ‘Strength In Numbers’ thing was a real thing. You had Barbosa and Shaun and Andre. That’s kind of tough to say we’re deeper than them. but I think this team is just as deep as anybody in there right now. We just gotta put this together and figure out how to close games a little bit better. And I think we are on the right path for that.”

When you say Coach was challenging you, by showing you a bunch of film, what type of film is that? Is that you guys making mistakes? Is it sometimes tough to watch? What’s that like?

“It’s a lot of different things. It shows like, a couple games we weren’t getting back in transition. When we start fouling, it shows all our fouls. Maybe like a week ago, I watched all my fouls for a moment with CD (assistant coach Chris DeMarco). It’s kind of long to watch. So different things like that, just the small things, the turnovers, the fouls and transition defense. That’s probably the biggest thing we watch a lot of film on. And then the spacing on offense. When we get good space, it’s tough to stop, but sometimes we get jumbled up and we’re kind of playing without a purpose. So we watch a lot of clips on that, just so we can improve.”

Obviously the fouls are something that Steve Kerr has talked about a lot this season and so have the guys. Is it a breakdown in defensive scheme? Is it a breakdown in just standing in front? What is it that’s causing the foul trouble to become what it is?

“It’s a little bit of both, but a lot of it is just silly reaches, different things like that sometimes. Fouls are gonna happen in the game. Somebody’s going to get to the basket. You’re going to be in a tough spot. We can live with those. It’s just the silly ones, just reaching for no reason. We play great defense and then at the last minute we swipe down, and different things like that. That’s probably Steve’s, one of his biggest pet peeves. He’d be about that for years. And I think we’ve been better over the last five games. And that’s why, been a big part of the reason that we’ve been winning. But we gotta continue to do better at that and it’s something we gotta carry on for the rest of the season.”

Collectively, you guys lead the league in rebounding. What would you say is the biggest reason for that or how you guys have been so effective on the glass this season?

“That’s something that in training camp we really focused on. It’s being a great rebounding team and crashing glass as much as possible. We’ve got the athletes and the rebounders to do that. JK, Wiggs, Moses, Trayce, myself, Dario. Then even BP, he’s been great on the offensive glass this year. And I think we’ve got such great shooters and getting them extra possessions is going to make us that much more dangerous. We had some success with that in the playoffs. We wanted to carry that over to the regular season. I think we’ve been doing a good job of that. It’s been winning us some games.”

So you guys have been the best rebounding team in the league this season. What do you think is the reason for that? And how do you think you’ve contributed to your success in the class?

TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS: “I think the biggest thing for us is honestly our coach just continues to tell us constantly to crash. It’s either crash or get back and he doesn’t not allow guards to, guards can crash; you see BP in there all the time getting rebounds and our guards crashing is actually huge for us, as well And so I think when you have guards and bigs that are all crashing the glass, one guy back, it really puts pressure on the defense in getting rebounds.”

I know a lot of it has been coming on crashing the glass and even guards chipping in but you guys are not the biggest team in NBA. Does it feel like you’re the No. 1 rebounding team?

“Honestly, the game goes by so fast. And there’s a lot of possessions. But, just the second and third opportunities are huge for us and huge for our team and then limiting them. And that’s another huge thing that Coach preaches is boxing out and boxing out is huge for us. And so just limiting teams to one possession and us getting two to three possessions helps us being a smaller team.”

Was it a surprise to you at No. 57 in the Draft that you’ve been able to have the presence that you’ve had or did you expect this?

“It’s a little bit of both. I think for myself, being from where I played in college, playing four years, having the experience from that, being the main guy on that team and always having the defense playing around me, playing against me, it wasn’t necessarily that I didn’t think I could do it. Obviously with such great talent on our team, it’s waiting your turn and waiting and then guys get hurt and stuff of that nature. And so it’s just a ‘next-man’ opportunity. And then you have your teammates like Steph and CP3 giving you confidence. And the sky’s the limit after that. And so just playing hard every time I’m out on the floor.”

Coach Kerr has compared you to a big man like Andrew Bogut in the past for your playmaking and rim protection and what you can do as a lob threat…?

“Absolutely. I think that obviously we’re different players. He’s a true 7-footer. but his passing was excellent. I think he’s a little bit of a better passer than I am, but defensively, I think the main key is helping, like mucking everything up, stuff of that nature. And the basketball IQ is a huge part that he has as well. And I think that we’re similar in that aspect. But other centers, like even Draymond, I think his defensive presence and being around him and being able to learn certain things from him has helped me a lot. And so, I just kind of nitpick little things and pieces from their games and try to add it to mine.”

What could GP2’s return mean for this team and for you, in the rotation?

“Gary is huge. Gary is huge for us. He had a lot of energy today, had a great practice and we need him out there. Obviously our guard is a little shallow right now and just having another defensive two-way guard on the floor is going to help us a lot. And then for me, I’m just going to do whatever Coach asks me to do, whether I play five minutes, fifteen minutes, doesn’t matter. I’m just going to play hard every time I’m out on the floor.”

KERR/SPO, PRACTICES DAY B4 MIA-GSW

Yeah, we didn’t see Draymond or Gary downstairs at practice. Do you have anything to share about either of their statuses?

STEVE KERR, DAY BEFORE MIA-GSW: “Gary practiced today. I don’t know what his status is for tomorrow’s game, but he’s making strides and we didn’t scrimmage, but we did have some live half-court stuff and he went through everything. So I don’t have any updates beyond that. And the Draymond stuff, everything is just private; that’s behind the scenes and I really don’t have anything to comment on on that front.”

We know obviously there’s a lot of players to get into the rotation already, and then when GP2 is back, when Draymond is back, it’s still up in the air, but you know you do have two more players coming back in. Do you have to start making some real solid decisions there, or are you thinking about that, Realizing you’ve got even two more coming? What’s kind of the mindset with all these things kind of floating around with the rotation?

“I think about it every day. That is my job, of course. But it’s really hard because, I think I’ve told you guys this, but some years it’s just really obvious who your top nine are. And you just roll with those guys. And the guys 10 through 14 understand roles and you work with them. You try to fit them in to keep them going. But this year is very different in that regard. I think we could play 13 guys in the rotation; any one of them is and every one of them is qualified to be out there and could make the case that they should be out there. But you can only play nine or 10. So, very difficult decisions I had to make the other night. And Moses only played the two-minute stretch in the second. And Moses has played well for us this year. And that was difficult. I talked to him before the game to let him know that was happening. But to your point, we get Gary back. We get Draymond back; those questions get louder and we have to figure that out as a staff.”

He’s kind of in the same vein – when you made a change to go to Brandin instead of Wiggins, you said, ‘Hopefully, sometimes guys need a jolt.’ How has Wiggins seemed like he’s responding kind of the way you wanted him to? What’s been your evaluation of how he’s played?

These last, I think, five or six weeks have been great, looks like a different guy. He’s attacking the rim. He’s getting fouled. He looks more fluid, shooting the ball. He’s really responded well and was maybe our best player in Denver. And so I’m really thrilled with the way he’s responded and the way he’s playing and hopefully that continues.”

You like him having him anchor that second unit? Because the whole second unit has been playing well for you all year, but having him kind of be that one main guy out there, is that a good role for him? Or do you want to see him keep pushing and try to work his way back into the start?

“Again, we could have this conversation about so many guys on our team. But I think Wiggs has been a nice addition. The way I look at it, Chris and Dario kind of anchor that second group. They’re the constants and we’ve tried different people around them. But those two guys, in every lineup combination, fare really well. So that the unit is really based around them. But Wiggs has really given that group another. He’s a great attacker and a post up guy you saw in Denver. He scored three or four hoops right at the rim. and that’s what we need from Wiggs. But he could do that with the starting group, too. So if he keeps playing well, then he very well could end up back in the starting lineup. But we’re just kind of taking it day by day.”

You probably saw that Kuminga wasn’t – I don’t think he was complaining – but he was on the borderline of that, about how much game he has that he can show, and then sometimes he’s right back on the bench. He’d like to play more, I’m sure. How much communication do you have with him? Just about that, I’m sure it’s continuous, but I’m sure you want all your players to want to play more, but sometimes you do see in him that he does different stuff. How much is it on your mind? Like, I really have to make sure he plays. But then you’ve got obviously the roster crunch, too.

“Yeah, yeah. I mean, we talk every day. We watched a bunch of film today together, so I’m thrilled with JK’s development. I think what he’s doing a better job of right now is just getting the ball out of his hands quickly. When it comes to him. So I’d say it’s a quick swing-swing when we have an advantage. I’ve seen him at five or six assists over the last three games where he’s caught it and immediately swung it to Steph or Klay for an open shot. And those plays early in the season. He wasn’t seeing, he was catching and holding and our offense was getting stopped. And so plays like that, he’s starting to improve upon. There’s still a lot that goes into winning. I don’t mind those comments at all. Every guy wants to play and JK Is a really talented guy but every game I have to read the game and Wiggs was our best player. He’s playing in that position. We decided to go with Wiggs down the stretch. And those were easy decisions for me. So, yeah. The game before, I think JK finished and he was playing great and it’s like it’s just going to vary from game to game for everybody, and that’s just where our team is right now, where JK is, too.”

One thing that he said in that story is that sometimes he comes out of the game not knowing what he did wrong. How much teaching has to happen in those moments for him in particular compared to maybe someone else?

“Yeah, more with the young players for sure. And so, a day like today; we had yesterday off. So a day like today I show him those reasons. I show him the plays that we need him to improve upon and do something different. And so he’s still a young player with very little experience, foundationally. And so there’s a lot of plays that you just have to show them where the cut is, where the box out is, where the right position to be in is, because all these things matter when it comes down to a one-possession game like most of our games are. And so you show them, show them on film and he’s going to move on to the next day, and he’s done a great job of really embracing coaching and we’re going to continue to coach him and help him be in the right spots and make the right plays.”

Actually asked this before, I don’t know if we get a different answer this time, but can you play Kuminga and Wiggins together more? Or is that just the equation, it doesn’t work with those two on the floor?

“I think it’s something we’ll try, with maybe some new people around them. Their numbers are not good together. Frankly, they’re very redundant. So the tape and the numbers haven’t been great. But we recognize that we have a level that we need to get to, to really compete at the highest level. And if those two guys can coexist on the floor, it does give us an elevated athleticism, and elevated potential. But we have to find the right combination of people around those two.”

ERIK SPOELSTRA, DAY BEFORE MIA-GSW, ON TEAMS IN THE NBA STRUGGLING LIKE THE HEAT AND THE WARRIORS: “…It’s evident. I think the whole league is trying to figure this out right now. And that’s why you just can’t pay attention to what everybody’s saying on the outside. It’s not like there are a bunch of teams that have been playing consistent basketball. There are a handful. And then basically everybody else is trying to figure it out. And Golden State, like us, has had some really good moments where they’ve looked like a little bit of who they’ve been and they’ve had some moments where they’re trying to figure it out. We feel like we’re in a similar area. They still play an incredibly unique style with Curry and Thompson and all the movement. It’s different than your typical spread pick-and-roll basketball, so you have to be totally locked in and focused. And then, that’s just a great environment to play there. I think it’s a good way to kick off this road trip. because you’re going to have to play good, consistent basketball all the way through.”

On coaching under Steve Kerr for Team USA:

“From a life experience and basketball experience, it was incredible. Everything that I had hoped for. Obviously, we wanted to come back with a gold. But competition is tough. It’s tough in the NBA and it’s tough in FIBA. And I think that helps you grow. You get humbled. You have to figure out how to do better and look forward to the summer and have that continuity with the staff. I really enjoyed my time with Steve. I’ve gotten to know him over the years, particularly when he’s doing TV and head coach’s meetings. I really admire him.”

TYLER HERRO ON STEPH CURRY: “He’s a great player. Obviously one of the best shooters of all time, if not the best. So, he presents a lot of problems. And I think the work we negotiate on our defensive end is trying to stop him and their offense. So, they worked through what they’re doing today. And, I’m going tomorrow morning to shoot around and I’m going to try to prepare for that.”

BAM ADEBAYO ON UDONIS HASLEM’S COMMENTS ABOUT BILL RUSSELL’S JERSEY NUMBER BEING RETIRED BY THE MIAMI HEAT: “Listen, I knew this was going to happen, but I had to share that story. Just because we know how passionate UD (Udonis Haslem) is. All of us who’ve been around him, who really talk to UD, he’s really passionate about us, he’s really passionate about UD, he’s passionate about who talks about us, how they talk about us. He’s one of those guys that we don’t listen to the noise, but he’ll articulate it to us, in his own way, so you know how that goes, but it’s one of those things where we’re just gonna be upset, but I feel like it was a great story to share just because it’s just him at his utmost, like, motivating, but slash, like, just him being himself and just explaining it. We all respect what he’s done for us, as players, and as, like, all the stuff he had to go through, just to clear that air. Besides talking about that, we all know we respect that man.”

Bam, some players have New Year’s resolutions, some don’t. where do you sort of lie in that, and is there something you specifically want, you want to see out of yourself and the team going into 2024?

“My resolution is just keep trying to be consistent. It’s the hardest thing to do in life. It’s the hardest thing to do as a basketball player, baseball player, no matter what your profession is or what your occupation is. The hardest thing to do is be consistent, getting up every day, wanting to write a story, finding a story, having to go through all that. So, for me, it’s being consistent.”

Caleb, obviously as we end 2023 pretty soon, is there any new year’s resolutions that you might have, not just for yourself, but maybe for the team as a whole, what you’re looking for?

“I don’t know. I mean, we always get better at it, a lot of things. I don’t have anything specific, but, just like I said, just paying attention to detail and just try to take advantage of every game and it’s just another year getting to do what we love, you know what I mean? So just gonna take advantage of that and continue to count blessings.”

KERR/30/WIGGS/BP POSTGAME GSW-DEN