Thank you, Janie McCauley of the Associated Press, for keeping Steve Kerr at the podium for just one more question last night: “…that third quarter stretch when (Moses) Moody came off after a basket at a timeout by the Pelicans, you seemed really excited about just the way guys were being unselfish and moving the ball. That sequence, that whole stretch there in the third seemed to be pretty significant,” she said.
“I love my job,” Kerr responded.
I know the feeling, Steve. As a coach. One time, it must’ve been around 2005-07 or so, my “Dream League All-Stars” Asian-American squad won a tournament championship at the Potrero Hill Recreation Center. I was the coach (and the GM).
I played nine guys that game, in which a “rec league” game really only elapses in one hour of real-time. Four quarters of just nine minutes each, semi-stop time. We did things more NBA-style for fun in “Dream League”, normally rec leagues were two halves of 20 minutes each (weak!).
If you’ve ever played any rec ball that takes about an hour of any given evening, you know that the ideal number of players is seven, maybe eight. But anyways, our defense was on-point that day. I had guys like Ross Lim (who’s like a skinny perimeter-ish version of Draymond Green, trust me!) and Jameel Uddeen as my wings. Al Yee was my power forward who could hit a three or two (idk, maybe Rasheed Wallace-like?). Dan Gusner was probably our 5, iirc a strong lefty post player (I’m sure there’s an NBA comp out there). And his little brother Karl “KG” Gusner was our scorer. He scored in multiples of three; his release is very much like Buddy Hield’s. I kid you not. Texted KG last night about that.
The rest of the crew, I can’t remember exactly, but I’m gonna guess it was Jimmy Luu as the backup point (because Uddeen was like Andre Iguodala, he could play-make and therefore I could start a “big” lineup without a true point), another ball-handler pg in Barry Lee — who probably holds the record for most career threes in Dream League a la Jason Kidd — and BJ Kang as the backup big. I know these names are meaningless to 99.9% of readers of this, but I’ll get to my punch line soon.
So my 9th guy was Ryan Susanto. The crazy thing is, even though everyone got to play some meaningful minutes, it still wasn’t enough for him. And he ended up probably the most skilled player out of the whole group in terms of having a bag (you know, of moves).
Maybe a decade later, Susanto — we literally never called him “Ryan”, idk why — would play with a very mature iteration of a local league squad with Lee and his big bro Torrent Lee on it and his team once committed zero (!) turnovers in a game in one my league games over at Gateway High School, maybe five years ago. Talk about teamwork and ball movement! It was a beautiful thing, really, to scorekeep that game.
Flashing back to that tournament ‘chip at Potrero, Susanto told me after the game that he didn’t want to be the ninth man anymore. But my roster was already stacked and it would be difficult for me to cut Luu or Kang because they were good friends with KG, Ross, and Dan.
Susanto was young, but also I learned to deal with the innate basketball ego, the competitiveness, which helps drive a lot of young men to become better. So I get how Jonathan Kuminga felt when two reporters asked him before the game started, about being “benched” (nice tweet, ESPN lol!).
I also learned something. I was rather a newbie coach at the time, and from that point on, I tried to avoid bringing more than eight to any tournament or league game, unless the 9th guy was willing to have a super-limited role. Again, Susanto would blossom into a “superstar” of local men’s rec leagues. This guy could score from all angles, could shoot, and was deceptively quick and conniving. So, what happened between us just happened. It’s all good; we are friends to this day.
So I know how Kerr feels, having a team that clicked perfectly — I know the dark underbelly of that, too. But having a team that fully clicks with, like, balanced scoring and ball distribution, that really made me love the game more, too. But it was just one game, for me. There were other games too, but it’s hard to find awesome chemistry.
And I never had the benefit of talking to all my guys one-on-one like Steve does, ensuring they’re all cool with their roles, talking about big picture and just re-appreciating the game, nurturing egos versus teamwork.
I look back now, if Kerr had coached the Warriors back then, I might’ve fallen too in love with coaching, specifically, because there’s little nuances I notice about him and his program, and I certainly would’ve volunteered a ton of time trying to implement split-action and pass-oriented ball movement into our offense, among other things.
People always talk about how on Wardell Stephen Curry changed the game, but Kerr deserves credit, too. And all the behind-the-scenes stuff that I can’t really describe to naysayers except, “Dude, you just have to somehow go to a practice at Oracle Performance Center or take a time machine back to the Oakland facility atop the Marriott, and you feel what it means to be in the Steve Kerr ecosystem.”
And oh, Steve, I love my job, too! Not the old coaching one, this one, the one where I get to talk about you and reminisce and go on YouTube livestreams for four hours every other night.
Full video transcripts from Pelicans-Warriors pregame to postgame below, in reverse chronological order:
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Lindy Waters III, Hield and Brandin Podziemski
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Kerr postgame (the end of it, of course, is when Janie asked Steve the question above)
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Kerr pregame when he wouldn’t reveal that Kuminga was coming off the bench
00:00 You’ve obviously been waiting for an opportunity to make an impact. How gratifying is it to perform the way that you did tonight?
00:15 LINDY WATERS III: It always feels good. I come in and do the work every single day and just no matter if my number’s called or not, I’m the same person. But it feels good to go out there and get a win, especially how we started out. We were down 20 or something, but just kept our eyes off the scoreboard, just focused possession by possession.
00:38 Steve said that you’ve been one of the team’s best players since training camp started. How tough is it to know that, while also start the season out of the rotation?
00:48 I just ground myself. I’m grateful for what I have, so I can’t be greedy and have a bad attitude coming in whether I get playing time or not. Like I said, I’m gonna be the same person every day. I’m always have a smile on my face and encourage my teammates. And whatever my role is that day I’ll accept it. And I just want the team to win.
01:09 Did pregame you’d be part of the rotation?
01:12 I assumed so. We’ve got a couple of guys out, so just always stay ready. That’s my mentality.
01:20 How good, I mean, how tough is it to keep your shot feeling as good as it’s looked, despite I mean, inactivity in some ways?
01:29 I don’t know. I got a strap on me. So I just wake up and I can shoot it no matter if I’m playing or not.
01:40 Just how would you describe the groove that you guys found in that from the second quarter on? I mean, the ball was moving, getting great shots. How do you describe that rhythm you guys found?
01:48 Very contagious, exciting, exhilarating. We started getting stops, started playing more physical on the defensive end. And we started rebounding and running. Next thing , we start flowing on offense and guys start having fun, shots going in. So, very contagious.
02:07 Speaking of rebounds, you got a career-high 9 rebounds today. How much of that is that a part of your game? And how do you think the rebounding can really get you guys flowing?
02:16 It starts with everyone else, to getting stops and doing their roles on defense. But whether it’s me or anybody else, we just, I need that ball. So I gotta get it off the rim and push it on offense and get to where we want to get to.
02:32 Buddy, you go 1-of-8 —
02:35 BUDDY HIELD: sorry.
02:35 Oh no, you go 1-of-9 in the first half and still finish with 28 points. What’s the headspace coming out of halftime and when you’re knocking down those shots as you were, down the stretch, what’s the emotion then?
02:50 Just trying to find yourself. Sorry. Sorry. I gotta take my mouthguard out or I can’t talk. It’s finding yourself, thank God. I had — just blocking everything out of your mind. And just trusting when you go back in, you can just figure it out. And just to be within the game, trying to figure it out. Because every time you play, you always want to do good. But then you have rough spurts, like the first half. But guys like Lindy and Moses had it going, so you gotta ride that wave. And Steve did a good job of handling that and balancing the guys out. And when you got a hot hand like Lindy, who was deserving of a chance for just all training camp, he’s been doing really well. And Steve was like, I’m going to go with Lindy. And he ride that wave. And it worked out. And then it was my time to come in. It worked out so that’s being a head coach, knowing your players and knowing when the guy got the hot hand and ride it and need that spark because we need a spark in the guys like Draymond and BP and Trayce and everybody that played a part. Kyle went 0-for-9, but he still had a big imprint on this game, guarding Zion, making the right plays, making the right reads, defensive plays, all that. So there’s trust in it and just trusting the teammates and my teammates have my back from start to finish.
04:16 Buddy, that third quarter when things got rolling and you guys chipped away, Brandin hit some big shots and the ball seemed to really start flowing and guys were being unselfish, making one extra pass. Is that pretty fun to get involved in when it starts clicking like that?
04:31 Sure. Yeah. And like I said, like I said earlier, like when Steve finds a group that is playing really well, he’s going to ride that wave. And as he should, because — and that gives everybody energy from the bench and that trickles down. This is a secondhand effect, start from Draymond Steph, all those guys preaching, and we did that all training camp and he found a continuity that works, a group that worked together well And we were able to take the lead and we were able to go up from there.
04:58 And how special is the depth of this group? I mean you’re down two starters and two guys with back injuries and to be able to use so many guys who contributed big moments tonight.
05:11 That’s hats off to the GM, putting the right guys. This is a group that loves each other. I love playing basketball with each other and just being around each other every day. We’re around each other more than our family. So we gotta like each other. We gotta figure it out. And it’s coming together for the greater good and just trying to win basketball games. No matter who scored the most points, just getting stops and winning.
05:30 Buddy, you’ve preached the great vibes with this team, everyone putting their egos to the side. From a teammate’s perspective, how great is it to see someone like Lindy get that opportunity and really catch fire like he did tonight?
05:41 It’s so happy in the locker room. Everybody’s happy with Lindy. Like I said, he deserves a chance. Just like guys that can do the same thing as him. But he shows the NBA what he can do on a national stage, TNT game. I’m just so happy for him. There’s more to his game, . He’s just not a — He can get to the cup. He’s a great cutter, great defender. He’s a great teammate, and he’s just, like he said, often when he comes, he answers the door.
06:07 Buddy, what would you consider really the turning point of the game? ‘Cause you’re down 17 after one. It looked fairly bleak, but where did you see the tide start to turn and know you guys can make this run?
06:17 Lindy Waters! He’s making plays. He got us going. He’s the one that like, take the lead off the run for us him making cuts, getting layups. And Draymond being Draymond, being a leader, and yeah.
06:34 What’s the challenge of playing this team less than 24 hours from now, the same team again?
06:38 Coming up with the same thing we did from the end of the second quarter. Same intensity, same mindset, playing together. Playing for each other and playing Warriors basketball.
06:48 Brandin, you’ve talked about, with the mask, it’s been a little bit tough getting your getting your shot going. How good did it feel to get three of those three pointers falling?
06:55 BRANDIN PODZIEMSKI: Yeah, I don’t think it was — it’s more so my shot that it affects. I think it’s decisions around the rim that affects just because when I look up just with my eyes, I see the mask. But if I look my head up, I can see clearly. So I think that’s the biggest part. But I’m just letting it fly. Obviously, Steph’s not here, and he shoots a lot of threes. So making up for that. Just wanted to be aggressive coming out the gates and I think I did pretty good with that.
07:19 And obviously your guys’ depth has been talked about this entire season. To see someone like Lindy Waters get an opportunity and answer the call tonight, what’d that mean to you?
07:26 Yeah. I mean, I see the work he puts in on the daily, even after Steve kind of told him that he wouldn’t be in a rotation to start the year. He’s still the same Lindy, both on and off the floor. And so he’s been working for it. He’s been in the G League. He’s been with OKC, obviously, with the big team. He just knows what it means to be a pro, and you guys just saw what he’s put into the game tonight.
07:51 When you have lineups that have you or Lindy and Buddy with just so much shooting, how tough is that for a defense to contend with?
08:02 It’s tough for them. It makes it easy for me, Draymond, Kyle, just makes it easier for us to play out there. But it’s hard. I mean, you got a lot of guys running around, so it creates space. So I think it’s — it was a good combination Steve put out there and I think we’ll probably see more of it tomorrow.
08:20 And then with you just being aggressive, but also taking care of the ball, you had 33 minutes, no turnovers. What’s the key to that?
08:28 Yeah, I think knowing that we didn’t have Steph and De’Anthony, two other ball-handlers. I pride myself on being a good solid point guard and not turning the ball over. And so that was another thing, was come out aggressive, but be aggressive where I’m not turning the ball over. And zero turnovers, that’s a good, good start. And hopefully we can do it tomorrow.
08:47 Expanding on that a little bit more. You guys had 2 assists in the first quarter, 34 over the next three and just 8 turnovers in the entire game. But I mean, what was the difference, especially when it just comes to sharing the ball and getting that offensive flow between the first quarter and then the rest of the game?
09:03 I think we were just, in the first quarter, we were just trying to take the first kind of semi-good shot. That’s partially on me. I got to the paint quite a bit in the first quarter, but took some tough shots. But then once I kind of seen that, talked to Terry (Stotts) on the bench and he’s just like, ‘You’re really good at getting to the paint. Now let’s make the right play.’ And I think for the most part did that. And that kind of just trickled down, the domino effect, and we just continued on.
09:32 When you’re playing alongside Steph and Klay and you hear so many guys talk about when a teammate gets on a heater when you’re shooting, it’s just like there’s nothing like it. Watching Buddy tonight, especially in that second half in that fourth quarter, what is it like to watch him get going like that?
09:49 Yeah, I mean, you want to be amazed, but you see what he puts into the game. Obviously, you guys have seen that from Steph quite a bit, in the recent years. But it’s just impact he brings off the floor and the work he puts in, the games just reward him. Even last night we were here together, 11 o’clock, shooting, me and Buddy. So he’s a guy that loves the game and does it because he loves the game. And now it’s just the game kind of giving back to him and rewarding him.
00:00 What do you feel like the biggest key was turning things around at the top of that second quarter there?
00:06 STEVE KERR: I just think playing without two starters and another guy in Melt, who’s one of our first guys off the bench, it’s an adjustment. So, first quarter we were just trying to get a feel and obviously struggled to make shots, but I just liked the fact that we kept poised and everybody who came off the bench played well and made a big impact. And that’s all we talked about in the first quarter that a couple timeouts just it’s a long game. We’ll get there, but we took care of the ball. Eight turnovers for the whole game, which always is going to give us a chance to win. And then our defense kicked in and, obviously, Lindy Waters came in and lit it up and changed the game.
00:50 Spotlight’s obviously on Jonathan, entering his fourth season. You moved him to the bench tonight. He plays a season-high in minutes. I’m just curious on your perspective on where he’s at rotationally with you. I guess, why the move to the bench and what — ?
01:05 Without Steph and Wiggs, I didn’t want to start Trayce, Draymond and JK. I wanted a little more spacing and I knew it would be a JK game. I knew he would play a lot because he’s played well against this team. The matchups are good for him and, as I told him before the game, you’re gonna play a lot. It’s just, this is just about combinations and getting a little more spacing on the floor to start. So all it is is just shuffling the lineup to try to get the right five-man grouping on there. But without Steph and Wiggs, to me, it didn’t make sense to start the three bigs without those guards.
01:50 You’ve mentioned how much you want to play Lindy and he’s kind of been buried because of a numbers game. Obviously he — it opens up for him tonight because of the injuries. But how hard is he gonna make it for you to get him off the floor?
02:04 Well, we’ve decided we’re going to have a 13-man rotation. Now we’re going to go from 12 to 13. I’ve said it since Day One of camp. This guy’s a ball-player. The game flows when he’s out there. It’s not just because he’s a good shooter. He’s a good basketball player. It’s the shots that he doesn’t take because of his patience. It’s the cuts that he makes to the basket. It’s getting into the fight defensively. From Day One of camp, this guy has been one of our best players, frankly, but couldn’t get him out there till tonight. And he’s gonna make his case for more playing time. So I don’t know. I’m just happy to have this kind of depth for nights like tonight where we’re missing three guys and it’ll pay off big time for us over the course of the 82.
02:56 Hey Coach, in the first half when the team wasn’t shooting great, you guys kept it close with things like steals and offensive rebounds and then the second half, the shots started falling, and you guys sort of pulled away with it. So how important are the little things like the steals and the offensive rebounds when the shots aren’t falling?
03:11 Yeah, I mean, that’s kind of the name of the game, is can you win when you’re not shooting well? And how do you do that? You defend, you rebound, you keep your poise. Everybody who comes off the bench continues to bring energy. And that’s what I liked most about this game tonight was, we saw all of those things happen and that allowed us to turn it around.
03:35 Buddy, only 3 points in that first half, I think, and then 25 — I’m really bad at math — 25 through the rest of it. I know with shooters, you guys always just keep shooting and one of them will eventually go in. What did you see from him and his game through the second half of tonight?
03:52 I saw the same thing I’ve seen from Buddy Hield for eight years or however long he’s been in the league. This is kind of what he’s about. He’s one of those guys who has a short memory. Missed shots don’t bother him and all it takes is one. And I just thought he was fantastic with his confidence and his rhythm and just letting the game happen and not worrying about the misses early on.
04:22 Beyond his role or coming off the bench, what did JK do better than he had in his first three games? I mean, you said pregame, obviously, it’s a small sample size, but he clearly seemed more engaged on defense, more under control on offense. And what was your view of how he played?
04:36 I saw the same thing. I thought JK was great. And we’re going to need him, obviously. I mean, he’s one of our most, he is our most athletic player. He’s got great size and there’s games like tonight where we have to have him and other games where maybe things aren’t going his way. And that’s okay. It’s like, this is about winning. And this is a deep team. The thing I’ve asked all these guys to do is just commit and every night’s going to be different. And just because the first three games didn’t really go his way, I mean, there’s — we got 78 more now, so like, I think it’s okay for guys to have a slow start or a couple of tough nights, but I’m very confident JK is going to make a huge impact for us.
05:29 Steve, Zion and Brandon combined for 61 of their points. What are the quick adjustments you want to see in 24 hours time?
05:36 I’d like to see us not foul as often, 24 free throws. We probably got ourselves into positions to foul too often tonight, but Zion’s a handful. I mean, he’s so quick and so powerful. I thought Draymond did a great job on him and Loon too when Loon was on him, but he’s going to get his points. So Ingram got going early, tough to stop him once he starts rolling. He’s a great player. So look, well, we just played them, so we know what we have to do, but we gotta do a little better job in those areas.
06:14 I was gonna ask about that, too, actually. But just like, is that a concerted effort to kind of like, ‘Hey, you guys can can get yours. We’ll make everyone else beat us,’ like nobody else had double-digit scoring on them?
06:25 Well, I mean, the focus when you when you play these guys is, Brandon and CJ, and then you kind of know, no matter what you do, Zion’s gonna get his points. So you just try to make it as hard as possible. But I think the biggest thing we did tonight was disrupt them and force turnovers. I think they had 24 of them. So that allowed us to score some easy points. I mean, that’s the name of the — or the story of the game: 34 points off turnovers for us and only 5 for them. So that’s the game right there. We just have to continue to try to be disruptive.
07:04 To that point. what do you think of BP’s floor game? I mean–
07:07 It’s great. Yeah, BP was fantastic. Obviously got some threes to go down, which I know felt good for him, but no turnovers, 5 assists, got us into our offense. The game flows well when he’s out there and he knows how to move and cut. Same with Lindy, right? When the — when those guys are moving and cutting, it activates Draymond, it gets Draymond more involved. And when the ball moves and Draymond is part of the action, he gets better at the defensive end. And that’s what happened tonight. It’s just the — after that first quarter, the ball really started to hum and we strung together a lot of good possessions. Thanks.
07:49 Steve, along those lines, that third quarter stretch when Moody came off after a basket at a timeout by the Pelicans, you seemed really excited about just the way guys were being unselfish and moving the ball. That sequence, that whole stretch there in the third seemed to be pretty significant.
08:08 I love my job.
08:10 Okay.
08:10 It’s awesome. It’s so fun. I mean, watching these guys play the way they did tonight, I still get excited. The only thing that I have to deal with is Raymond Ridder, that part of the job. I try to just take it one day at a time. But watching these guys play brings me a lot of joy. And that counteracts Raymond’s impact. So, thanks.
00:00 You got a starting lineup tonight?
00:05 STEVE KERR: We’ll have one. You’ll find out when Raymond announces it in about an hour or so. Something like that.
00:13 (RAYMOND RIDDER): Mullin, Hardaway…
00:15 Coach.
00:15 Hi, Marc (Spears).
00:16 How you doing, Coach? It seemed like four years ago, the players certainly were much more vocal about — maybe because we were in a bubble — about the election and voting and whatnot. And while Steph has spoken and you and Pop and Doc have, it appears to be a little bit quieter from the players. I’m wondering if you think there’s any rhyme or reason for that or any thoughts on maybe why you — there’s not so much push from players, NBA players, as perhaps we heard four years ago.
00:58 I think there’s — these things kind of go in in spurts and waves through most of my playing career. Athletes didn’t really speak out much politically at all. Four years ago was a very heated time in the country with COVID, with the George Floyd murder. So there’s — I think circumstances dictate a lot of that sort of activity, whether it’s athletes or young people and that’s kind of the history of our country, Vietnam. It went way up and that was coming on the heels of the civil rights movement with Kareem and Muhammad Ali and Jim Brown. And there’s a big lull. And so I think it’s like everything else. It just — it kind of comes and goes. I also think there’s some fatigue involved. I think at some point people kind of just want to get on with their lives and live their lives. And that’s — I think there’s a lot of fluctuations because of that.
02:08 On the injury front. Oh, I know Wiggins is out. Is that concern beyond today? I mean, I know it’s a lower back issue.
02:14 With Wiggs?
02:15 Yeah.
02:17 No, we’re confident that this won’t be longterm.
02:21 You don’t know on a status tomorrow yet though?
02:23 Questionable for tomorrow. And then he’s got a chance.
02:26 Yeah. On the Melton front though, obviously he dealt with a back issue pretty much all last season. How much of this is maintenance right now and how much of this is a concern that it’s related to — ?
02:37 I mean, obviously it’s a concern given that he came to us with the injury. But we are really making sure that we’re being careful with it. And, this is all in Rick (Celebrini)’s hands and the training staff. So it’s important early in the season, especially to help him get off on the right foot from an injury standpoint, from a health standpoint. So I don’t — I can’t really tell you anything long term, like, how concerning it is. But we just know that it’s serious enough to give him the next couple of days and then regroup from there.
03:17 Hi, Coach. What do you think about Jonathan coming out of the last three games performance, especially the offensive part? And do you think he can find something like he could add in the warrior system? Do I think he can find something that he can (be) good at, especially for this Warrior system?
03:38 Yeah, I mean, it’s — three games is nothing. I don’t ever worry about a small sample size like that. JK had a really good preseason. He’ll come around. We’re going to need his force, his athleticism. And tonight could be a big night for him in that regard, depending on how the play goes, game plays out. We have obviously played 12 people each game, which means it’s going to be a little harder for guys individually to find their rhythm because they’re not playing as much. So I’m not worried about JK at all. He’ll come around.
04:14 Thank you.
04:14 Is JK one of those guys who are going to be in the starting lineup?
04:21 Possibly. Yeah, he’s being — he’s under consideration for sure.
04:27 When you have a game like this with no Steph and no Wiggins and no Melton, what is the message to the guys in terms of stepping up into larger roles than they normally might?
04:36 The message is, this is why we have a deep team. This is the point to be able to withstand injuries and absences. And obviously tonight is pretty extreme to have two starters out and a guy who comes off the bench quickly. That’s pretty rare, but we are — we feel like we’re built for it, but we’ve got to go prove that.
05:01 Hi, Steve. Specifically, Steph and Wiggins out, have obviously been effective from three, and you talk a lot about spacing as you figure — as you contemplate your lineups. How much does that complicate the spacing challenge with your the best three-point shooter of all-time and a guy who’s been shooting well, both out?
05:20 It’s a major, major factor, for sure. So that’s why we’re really emphasizing playing fast, being great defensively so we can get out in transition. The more we get stuck in the half court, like most teams, the harder it is to score, but especially without Steph. So we’ve got to be really good defensively in order to make up for that, for the spacing issues. And then we’ve got to find the right combinations, the right lineups.
05:52 Steve, what are some of the advantages and maybe disadvantages of playing the same team on a back to back like you guys are like this?
06:02 I don’t know that there’s really a major advantage or a disadvantage. I think the advantage for them is our injuries. Sometimes you catch a team back-to-back where guys are missing, and that can be an advantage. But that stuff tends to play itself out over the course of the year. But the scout tomorrow night, we may tweak a couple things based on what happens tonight, and I’m sure they’re going to do the same thing. Other than that, I don’t think either team has a major edge.
06:36 Hi Steve. Steph’s generally very engaged when he’s not playing or he’s hurt or whatever it may be. What do you guys gain, or what do his teammates gain as far as just him visually helping and maybe coaching them up? What do they gain when Steph’s on the bench?
06:49 He talks to guys on the sidelines, gives them good advice. He’s also highly energetic. He has a great way about him, just getting the fans involved, getting the team up. That’s part of what makes him great, Steph special is his — the joy he takes in other’s success. And so when he’s sitting out, you feel that and that matters.
07:09 Hi, Coach. One more question. And on the Sunday night’s game, I noticed that Stephen Curry, he made his first three-pointer. After that, he hold his finger, his hand. Is the team keeping an eye on that issue?
07:26 So he jammed his finger at the end of training camp and missed our final exhibition game as a result. And he’s basically been getting treatment on and playing through it. But this absence is because of the ankle, but it’ll help his finger heal as well.
07:49 I know Curry, Steph’s going to miss the next two games. I guess he’s going to reevaluate after.
07:55 Yeah. Yeah. So after tomorrow night’s game, we have Thursday off, practice Friday, we’ll re-evaluate then.
08:05 There was obviously even off-season talk of wanting Podziemski to score more, up his scoring — not averaging a ton right now through three games — I mean, where are you at on it? I know you love everything else he does, but do you need him to score more?
08:19 Those threes are — they’re gonna go in. I mean, he shot the ball really well all summer, put in a ton of work. He’s talked about it publicly, wanting to shoot more threes. Sometimes this happens, the first few games you get off to a tough start. It happened to Klay several times during this last decade where you get off to a slow start and it kind of snowballs a little bit and then, at some point, you kind of go, ‘All right, there’s 75 games left. Let me just relax and play and shoot.’ And I think that’s gonna happen with BP. I mean, he’ll settle in. He’s too good of a shooter to not shoot the ball well ,eventually. So it’ll happen. And our team is also finding its identity, finding itself. And, as as we go, guys will get more and more comfortable. And that’s when they tend to shoot the ball better. ,
09:11 Steve, defensively, what makes the Pelicans such a tough cover, as far as their offensive scheme and you guys trying to slow them down or stop them?
09:18 Well, they got some great players with Zion and BI and McCollum. And they’re also good defensively. So if they’re getting steals — they force a lot of turnovers. If they get steals and they’re out in transition, you can’t stop that. So we’ve gotta make sure we take care of the ball. And keep them out of transition, try to keep them in the half-court and then you game plan for their tendencies and you try to play to guy’s weaknesses. But, like I said, they’ve got some great players. That’s easier said than done. Thanks.
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