This is a content dump of everything since the loss to the Clippers, excluding pregame Pelicans. Speaking of which, I am surprised by Jonathan Kuminga coming off the bench tonight against the Pelicans, but i do think the rotation needs to be balanced and he could very well finish the game and end up the leading scorer. As you might know on the livestreams, I’m pretty high long-term on JK.
It might’ve been a tougher start against Brandon Ingram, who is 6’8”, and maybe the two inches Kuminga’s got over Moses Moody isn’t enough to make a huge difference. And, you never know, maybe the coaching staff saw something on film or in practice. That being said, I don’t think Steve Kerr can go away from Draymond Green at the 4, because he needs to defend and basically match minutes versus Zion Williamson.
The following have all been reported on our Discord server (and then some, just don’t have extra time to repost on here) which is still in beta mode as there’s a snafu with the subscription process, especially as it relates to this Substack. More info coming soon, it is a high priority for me. Thanks for your patience. Also, this behind-the-scenes compilation from the Clippers game has a lot of “Easter eggs” in it, check the Description/Timestamps:
00:00 STEVE KERR: All right. You want the update? Get your tweets ready. Steph and Melt will both be out the next two games and then, they’ll both be reevaluated on Friday. Wiggins is questionable, lower back strain, tomorrow.
00:22 All things considered with Steph’s diagnosis, just what was the reaction internally and how (inaudible) did you feel about just getting through these next — ?
00:29 Yeah, the MRI was positive, or negative or whatever. But it was good, whatever. So that’s the main thing. It’s not significant damage. So like I said, he’ll miss the next couple games and we’ll see where we are.
00:50 You guys have been so high on your depth, so far through the season. How important is it having that depth right now with Steph, De’Anthony, and possibly Wiggins?
01:02 Yep. Yep. So if we’re without all three, then we’ve got three guys ready to go. So like I said, I think it’s the strength of this roster. But now we’ve gotta go back it up. And I’m excited to give these guys on the bench more opportunity.
01:21 Was there anything that happened with Andrew that night? Anything that injured the back?
01:26 Andrew? Yeah. No, just, tightened up on him.
01:31 Can this also be an opportunity to — you used so many different starting lineups through the preseason, just again, tease with those different combinations and — ?
01:42 Yeah, I mean, we’re — it’s the early part of the season and so we’re still learning our team and so we’ll see some different combinations out there, but that was part of the idea in preseason was to get a look at as many combinations as we could. And so I don’t even know who I’m going to start tomorrow, right now. I’ve gotta — I just found out the news from Rick (Celebrini) on the injuries. So we gotta figure that out over the next 24 hours or so.
02:15 Without Steph and Melt, what does this mean for BP, the opportunity that he could have?
02:20 It means more playing time, for sure. And for other guys as well. So I’m excited to give those guys more chances.
02:30 How do you think BP has been doing with that mask on? It looks like it might be affecting his shot a little bit, but he would never want to give that excuse. But have you seen the way that he has to look at the floor and distribute, or even with his own shot, do you think it’s bothering him?
02:44 I don’t know. You’d have to ask him that. But he’s playing. He’s playing well, the shot hasn’t gone in, but he’s playing well. And he’s a tough-minded guy. So he’s like you said, he’s not going to use it as an excuse. That’s for sure.
02:59 Steve, you — with obviously with Steph out and Melt out, what does your point guard rotation even look like right now? You don’t know who you’re gonna start, but what does it even look like? What are your options there?
03:08 Yeah, I mean, obviously BP will handle the ball quite a bit. Kyle Anderson can play point-forward. Draymond can play point-forward. We have a lot of guys who can handle the ball. So, yeah. Pat — we’ll most likely activate Pat tomorrow for an additional ball-handler and we’ll go from there.
03:32 You didn’t mention Draymond, so I’m assuming Draymond’s okay.
03:35 I’m sorry?
03:36 Draymond. Is he okay?
03:37 Yeah, he’s —
03:37 Icing in the knee. How big does his role, maybe leadership-wise step up when a guy like Steph is out? How much do you rely on Draymond to kind of — ?
03:45 Yeah, Draymond is — I’ve always called him our heartbeat, barometer, whatever you want to — however you want to phrase it. Draymond’s approach and his energy is all crucial to our success.
04:00 What do you think of these baseball series, the back-to-back against the Pelicans. What is your take on playing a team two times in a row like this?
04:07 Yeah, it’s, I mean, it’s a relatively new concept in the last five or six years, I guess. And it makes sense travel-wise. I don’t think it’s great for the fans, but I know why they incorporated it. It seems like we rarely get these on the road. But we’ve had a few at home and we just play whenever they tell us to play, basically.
04:35 Steve, obviously, you’d love to blow out everybody like you did in the first two games, but did last night give you a chance to glean anything about your depth and your rotation, when you have a tighter game and maybe certain scenarios that you obviously didn’t?
04:49 Not so much rotation, as execution. We knew the Clippers were going to be excellent defensively. And they were, and they put a lot of pressure on us. And the film was not pretty. The number of poor decisions and bad passes. And so that’s on all of us, coaches included, because we’ve gotta get through this, to the point where we can execute against elite defenses and be confident, be fluid and we’re still in the early stages of the season. So I thought it was a great game for us to have to play because it forces us now to learn how to execute better and to understand the importance of it.
05:35 You kind of answered big picture there, but just in the non-Steph minutes last night, how would you evaluate those? And in the fourth quarter, I mean, kept it pretty close and competitive.
05:44 Yeah, the, last night to me was not at all about the non-Steph minutes. It was just about kind of getting hit in the mouth and not responding well, emotionally or execution-wise. And even with that, we cut it to one late. We had every chance to win. But when you watch the film and you see literally 10 or 12 possessions where you just give the ball away, you’re not going to win that game. So that’s the lesson.
06:18 I know the ankles were a big issue for Steph early in his career. Do how much of that is like a daily concern for him? Is he doing exercises with those still?
06:27 He does. Yeah, he works every day in the training room on strength and he wears his ankle braces every day. This is part of his entire career. So he’s used to this.
06:41 Steve, what do you think about Steph’s ability to self-diagnose? You said right away he’s either, like, it’s either mild or moderate, but his ability to sort of know in an instant, the scale.
06:50 I mean, he’s got a — unfortunately, he’s got a lot of experience with ankle sprains and dealing with his ankles. So he knows his body better than anybody, for sure. Thank you.
07:04 What were your first thoughts when you saw Steph exit a second time after rolling his ankle?
07:10 BRANDIN PODZIEMSKI: I was on the other side of the court. I didn’t see what happened. I didn’t see the replay until after the game. But obviously when your best player goes down, you definitely feels some type of way for sure. But we gotta step up in his absence.
07:23 This is a pretty obvious question, but I like to hear a player’s perspective. What do you notice, what happens to the offense when Steph is unavailable, the spacing on the floor.
07:31 I mean, from a defensive perspective for the other team, it definitely gets tighter in there, but I think we’ve done a good job reiterating, especially today, what that spacing is supposed to look like and what it should have looked like last night. And I think the one thing I’m proud of most is our defense. It was really good last night and it gave us a chance to win the game. And we were down one with three minutes to go. So we clawed our way back and offensively, we’re gonna figure it out. But I think most importantly our defense was picking it up.
08:02 I guess to that point to follow on that, what kind of confidence to that stretch that you guys had, that closing stretch, give you to pull within one, without Steph, that you can apply moving forward?
08:11 Yeah. I mean, that’s why we have 12 guys that can play. Who’s ever in the lineup and whoever’s not, everybody can play and everybody knows our principles and what we’re trying to get to out there. But just to see the fight and the resilience to get back in the game when we didn’t have energy to start the game, it’s a good sign.
08:31 What has your experience been like so far wearing the mask during games?
08:35 Oh, I hate it. As a point guard, as a guy that’s not that athletic, you use your your eyes and your vision and your smarts to control the game and sometimes I can’t see out of it. Sometimes I can. So I just try to make do with it and make it work. Hopefully just a couple more weeks in it. But like I said, I think I impact the game more than just scoring the ball, fortunately. So I think the other things, especially defensively, have been good for me.
08:59 When you say you can’t see out of it, is it condensation? Is it the sweat?
09:02 Yeah, so when I put it on like this, over time it starts to go like this and now my eyes are up here. And so I can still see you, but it’s fuzzier. So, that’s just how it is in peripheral. It’s kind of the same way
09:21 (inaudible)
09:25 You guys have been really high on your depth through training camp and the preseason. So I guess, how important is that now to have that with definitely to possibly three guys out, but also without Steph, without Melton, your guard depth in particular has taken a hit. What type of responsibility does that put on your shoulders?
09:48 I’m excited. We did it a bunch last year with Steph and Chris (Paul) being out some games, Klay and Chris being out some games. I trained myself in the off-season to be ready to play 35 to 40 minutes. So I’m ready for that. I know Buddy’s the same way. He’s fast, energetic, and in shape too. So I know Steve can rely on me and Buddy to be out there as much as he needs us. But guys like Lindy, guys like maybe Pat Spencer, Gui, are going to get minutes. and they’re ready for it.
10:20 How much of an advantage is it now also to have guys like Kyle, guys like Draymond who aren’t guards but people view them as ball-handlers and as facilitators?
10:30 Makes it easy. Obviously, as a guard, if you’re fighting pressure all night playing 40 minutes, it does get tiring, bringing the ball up all the time. So to have that, those two guys kind of will probably split minutes. It makes it easier for for us, even when we’re fully healthy.
10:48 When Steph’s hurt, he’s obviously very engaged. What can he provide from a teammate, coaching perspective when he isn’t on the floor?
10:55 Yeah, I think even when I sat out against LA with my my broken hose, you see the game in a different lens when you’re not playing and you’re sitting on the sidelines. So I know he does the same and he helps everybody with what he sees and he sees the game in a different way than everybody else sees it and so — especially last year when he wasn’t playing, I was playing. I got a lot of minutes during that time, so he was able to kind of see what I was doing. And so I always ask him kind of what he sees when I come off the floor. And he’s always willing to give some advice.
11:28 And what are your thoughts on the baseball series playing a team back-to-back like this?
11:34 I think it’s cool. It obviously benefits them with travel purposes, playing two in Portland and now two here. I think Minnesota did that last year with us as well. So I wish we could get some of those, but we don’t, unfortunately. But it’s cool and I think it’s just kind of better for the NBA in general.
11:54 You got called for a block early last night and had a pretty lengthy talk with the ref. Did you glean anything from that or clarity on that?
12:00 It wasn’t so much with the ref. It was more with Jacob (Rubin), our guy who kind of makes the yes or no call with the video. And I feel like when I’m pretty adamant about a call, I think I got it right. And the refs came to me at halftime and told me it was a charge, that they got it wrong. So it was just more of a conversation with him about it. And I think I know what I’m doing when it comes to taking a charge.
12:23 Brandin, you mentioned how your mask kind of slides up and down your face, but what does that affect most? Is it you’re shooting or what? Because I’m just kind of curious as to what it affects most.
12:36 I would say maybe my depth perception. I would say I don’t know if necessarily it’s my shooting. I’m shooting the mid-range pretty well. I think maybe just my depth perception and my peripheral.
12:48 So that impacts the three maybe, because you’re out there?
12:51 I don’t think so. I don’t like to give an excuse for why I’m missing or making shots. But you can say it’s the mask or it’s not. At the end of the day, I gotta wear it and I gotta fight through it. So I’m gonna figure it out.
13:04 How’s the experience been playing with Buddy off the bench and the instant offense he’s provided with the second unit?
13:09 Yeah, it’s been fun. I think that group with me, Steph, Buddy, Gary and Loon have been really good this year, or at least for the first three games. It’s fun playing with them, especially Buddy. He’s kind of just like Steph, where he runs around and we just kind of find him. But just the presence he’s bringing off the court, which people have said, how he kind of rallies everybody together and his energy constantly has been the best part about him.
13:33 Looney, we just got some of the injury updates. What do you think about a test of this team’s depth heading into only game four of the season?
13:41 KEVON LOONEY: I think it should be good for us. We talked about how deep our team is and we get to see early. You hope to have your guys out there and we’re still trying to build our good habits and build our chemistry. But I feel like we’re good enough to go out there and get some wins without our main guys. And hopefully we can do that.
14:04 What kind of groove did you guys find down the stretch there? What was working the last part of that fourth quarter last night?
14:10 I think we just upped our intensity Steve talked about us matching their physicality at halftime. And I feel like down the stretch, we were able to get a couple stops and run out, kind of play with our flow and our pace that we wanted to. I feel like that earlier in the game, I feel like we was playing kind of at their pace. James (Harden) kind of controlled the flow of the game. I think that second half we were able to, or down the stretch, was able to kind of play fast and play a little bit more free.
14:37 I guess just kind of drawing from experience playing without Steph before, what are the biggest keys to ensuring everything clicks when he’s not out there?
14:44 It’s gonna start with our defense. If we’re able to get stops, we’ll be able to run, we’ll be able to play the style that we want. Then we can’t turn the ball over. We can’t have those type of mistakes that he might — if he’s out there, he might be able to overcome. But without him, we gotta be able to make sure we execute our offense, make sure we’re not as random and we’re getting into our, sets.
15:10 What have you noticed about Draymond and Trayce playing alongside each other? How’s that pairing working? I think it’s been good. I think they’ve been setting the tone for us defensively, especially when I rebounded and, us getting stops me on it, get out and run Draymond is one of the best defenders in our league that we’ve ever seen.
15:28 And he always plays well when he has another big with him out there. And I think he’s been showing that for us on defense. We’re going to figure it out offensively, we always do. We want to get our sets that we want to run with that group. But that group defensively can be something special. And I think our defense has been pretty good these first few games.
15:50 How do you see Draymond step up anytime Steph’s out and Draymond’s healthy to play? What kind of role does he play for you guys in this kind of situation?
15:59 In the past, he’s always just being more vocal, being a bit more of a point guard. Steph kind of does a lot for us, getting us in our offense and be able to kind of just play off of him. But when he’s not out there, we gotta get more organized. And Draymond kind of leads the charge in that. He makes sure we get in our sets. He knows who to get the ball. When a guy’s got it rolling, how to find them and get them in their spot. So he kind of takes over more of that load, when Steph’s not out there.
16:26 What are your thoughts on the baseball series, the back-to-back against the same team?
16:34 I feel like it’s fun. It’s cool, especially for us to be at home and doing it. So it’s always been a little bit more competitive that way. Kind of feel, not like the playoffs, but it’s kind of that same type of feel when you play a team back-to-back like that. Things get a little chippy, so it’s a little bit more fun.
16:49 When you have like three guys that are out, meaning Steph and Melt and Wiggins is now questionable, how does that change — you guys have had this great vibe all along these past few weeks. How’s that change today’s practice session knowing that you’re going to be a man or two, or at least a man or two now?
17:08 I don’t think it changes the vibe of the team or the practice. These guys are still there. They’re still bringing that same energy. They’re still there with us. So it doesn’t change the vibe, but it just kind of changes each guy’s responsibilities. Everybody’s going to play a little bit more. Lineups might be a little bit different. You might be playing with a group that you haven’t played with before. So just coming in with a different level of focus and knowing that it’s going to — the game’s going to flow a little bit different. Be prepared for whatever happens. But the energy and the vibe still been good. Even coming off a loss, it was a little down, but we was focused and more pissed off.
17:43 Yeah. And now the entire world knows how much Steph means to you guys on offense, defense, but can you articulate what his absence does to your offensive system?
17:51 Yeah, kind of changes everything that we do. We kind of — the attention that he gets from the defense, the other team kind of sets up our offense and the way that we play all the slips and all the movement. And sometimes we just kind of play random and play kind of chaotic because that’s the way — that’s where he thrives in and be able to just, if we just swing the ball, swing the ball, he’s going to find a seam and get open. Or we just play off him. I’m going to be open and I’m going to hit somebody on the backside for a three or something like that. So without him, all that kind of random stuff won’t be there. So we gotta make sure we execute our stuff and we’re calling our sets and we just kind of make sure we just execute.
18:31 How important is your screening? How important does that become when you’re without to your top ball handlers?
18:37 I think it’s really important just to get our guys open, get them good looks. Terry (Stotts)’s been on us about that, about our screens, being physical with our screens. The better your screen is, probably the more open you’re gonna be. Without Steph and our top ball-handlers, guy’s gonna probably pressure us a little bit more, trying to hound us. So we gotta get our guards free and, go from there.
19:00 How much do you guys value Dr. Rick Celebrini?
19:03 We value Rick a lot, He’s been a guy here that, for the last few years, to make sure that we stay healthy that we stay on the court. For me, he’s been invaluable. I haven’t missed a game in a long time, based off stuff that he’s been helping me with, stuff getting us ready for the game, preparing our body, preparing our minds for the long season, long outcome. So he’s been huge for our team. And he’s been helped a lot of guys for their careers, getting back on track and staying healthy. And we know that we have the best performance staff out there and he’s the head of that. So when guys get hurt, we don’t never get worried. We know that they’re going to be back soon and they’re ready to play.
19:44 What is his communication style and like for a player who’s injured? How much does he take into min, what the player wants? How much does he say, ‘This is my medical opinion.’ Like, how much of a two-way street is there as he tries to help guys get back on the floor?
19:58 It’s real. He’s gonna give you his opinion, but he’s also always open for dialogue. He’s not just one-way or highway. He’s willing to work with guys. We got — Everybody in the NBA has been through a lot. They’ve been on a lot of different teams. They have a lot of different experiences. And we know how our body works. And he’s willing to work with us and hear our input and kind of build around that. And he’s been great with communicating. He’s also very honest and blunt. He’ll tell you, you need to do this and you haven’t been doing what you’re supposed to do. So this is why it would happen. So when you got that honesty and that trust, you kind of can go back and forth with each other and that comes with the best result.
20:39 Everybody talks about how much depth you guys have added. But how much does Stotts and Stackhouse add to you guys? You guys have had some great assistance over the years, but what in particular about those two guys have you liked?
20:50 I like the communication style, the way that they coach. They’re very direct, they held everybody accountable from top to bottom. They’re believers in what they bring to the table and they convey it in a way that makes you believe and buy in. So they’ve been great additions to our team and from a day-to-day basis, it’s been fun just getting coached by those guys and the intensity and the energy they bring every practice has been fun.
00:00 Hi Coach, I know you spent a lot of time this summer with Tyronn Lue. What makes him a special, brilliant defensive mind in your words?
00:10 STEVE KERR (PREGAME): I’ve never, never met anybody like Ty who can decipher what just happened in real-time. Most of us coaches, we have an idea of what happened, but to see what all five guys are doing, you gotta look at the film and maybe it reinforces a hunch, or maybe it shows you that you were wrong. Ty’s got a photographic memory, and it’s really amazing to be with him and just experience his observations during games and immediately he’s like, ‘Yeah, so and so got back cut because this happened or that happened. It’s like, ‘Man, he is brilliant and also an amazing guy and he’s become a good friend and we had an absolute blast coaching together.
01:03 Steve, are you going with the same starting group?
01:05 I’m sorry?
01:05 Are you with the same starting group?
01:07 Yeah.
01:09 What do they need to do? What does everyone need to do to kind of get them to get off to a better offensive start? And is that a concern that it’s been a slower scoring start?
01:17 A little bit, a little bit. But the idea is to establish the defense and the running and use the force and athleticism that’s out there. So if we get stops, I’m confident it’ll translate. The second half the other night, we made shots right away in that group. I think they went on a 13-3 run. Sometimes it’s as simple as the ball going in, you know? But in general, I think the idea is to get stops and go with that group to establish our defense right away.
01:47 Steve, were you able to check in with Steph after the game? How is he?
01:57 STEVE KERR (POSTGAME): He’s doing okay. He said it was — I think he used the word mild or moderate. He’s obviously sprained that ankle many times before, so he doesn’t think it’s too bad. But obviously it’s a concern. He’s gonna get an MRI tonight.
02:17 What were the conversations between you and Steph and you and the training staff between the first time that he tweaked it and then before sending him back out?
02:25 I didn’t have any conversations. When the training staff needs to tell me something, they come and tell me something. So I didn’t talk to them.
02:41 What’d you think of, I guess, how you guys climbed back and then what went wrong late?
02:47 Yeah, I loved our fight. I love — I thought Loon came in and just lit a fire under us. I thought that was first time the whole night that we really competed at both ends. I thought Clippers came in and I give them a lot of credit. They were great defensively, forced a lot of turnovers, really got into us. And we didn’t handle the pressure very well, turned it over way too many times. So we’ve gotta understand it’s — most games are like this, they’re going to come down to a handful of possessions. And if you give 10 possessions away, it’s going to be really hard to win. And I thought we gave 10 possessions away.
03:34 Steve, what did you think of your closing five, Podz, Buddy, Looney, JK, Wiggins, and their fight at the end?
03:40 Yeah, they did a great job of — I think we got it to within one, if I’m not mistaken. We had our chances. They hit a couple of big shots and they deserve to win that game. If we had been able to come back and win, it would have been fantastic, but the right team won, the way they competed, and especially coming off a back-to-back being in Denver yesterday, the Clippers were fantastic, and we were not.
04:09 Can I check if I missed something? Did Draymond have a tweak? He wasn’t part of your closing five.
04:13 No, no, we just went with a group that was playing well.
04:20 Steve, if Steph isn’t able to go, who do you turn to offensively?
04:27 I don’t know. We’ll see. I mean, Wiggs is off to a great start and had a big night tonight. He’s an obvious candidate to get the ball to more. And — but we’ ve got a deep team. We’ve talked about it. So we’ve got a lot of guys who can play. We’ll be ready.
04:45 Steve, you guys had some trouble inside with Zubac. I mean, is this size and just what are the ways you can kind of combat that?
04:52 Zubac is a hell of a player. He’s gotten better and better, 23-and-17 tonight. Every time they needed a bucket, they seemed to get one from him. So, yeah, I mean, there’s ways you can try to combat it. You can double-team, you can try to deny him. But a lot of the stuff he got was loose balls, playing off of Harden and Powell and just finishing. He did a great job.
05:27 Steve, obviously things change from game to game. What’s your level of commitment to the 12-man thing? Is that more just a short-term kind of experiment?
05:34 Well, tonight it was 11, really, because I only went to Kyle for four minutes. And he was amazing. The second half on the bench, leading everybody, talking to guys. That’s what you have to have if, if you’re going to do this and play a lot of people. Everyone’s gotta be on board and I couldn’t have been more impressed by Kyle’s professionalism and — but every game is going to be a little different and like I said the other night, when we win, I think somebody texted me. It’s like, ‘Hey, 12 guys, it’s a real democracy.’ and I said, ‘As soon as we lose, it’s going to be communism.’ So that’s the truth. It’s just the results dictate the judgment and that’s the business we’re in. So I’ve gotta do what I think is best for our team. And generally speaking, that changes throughout the year in an 82-game season. So we have to be ready to adapt. But I like the commitment that the guys have made.
06:42 Steve, you brought up the turnovers. I think it was 21 turnovers, 19 assists. What got in the way after the ball movement really humming the first two games?
06:48 Well, number one, their defense, Clippers were great defensively. But we got really loose with the ball and we made some careless plays and they’re a very athletic team, very well-coached. And so they’re — they were in spots to bother us. And — but like I said, I thought there were about 10 possessions of unforced turnovers and that’s on all of us, me too, me and myself included to make sure we’re executing and getting our work in to be able to execute under duress.
07:27 It was pretty clear that Buddy was in bold face on the scouting report. I mean, they were all over him and he didn’t really get a break until Steph came in and joined him. Is that something you anticipated that maybe when that happens, putting him with Steph kind of breaks up the opposing defense a little bit?
07:42 Yeah. I mean, they’re going to be a great combination. Buddy, this was his first tough shooting night. Buddy has had, even in the preseason, I think he was lights out. So there’s going to be nights where the ball doesn’t go in, but he’s going to finish a lot of games for us. And obviously Steph will finish any close game. So they’ll be together quite a bit.
08:03 A lot of Kuminga shots right now are kind of threes or mid-range. What do you need from him, or what do you guys need to do to kind of unlock, particularly some of his downhill stuff, at the rim stuff?
08:15 Yeah, I mean, it’s — last year, we obviously played smaller with JK at the 4 and Draymond at the 5. And so he had a lot more space. And this year we’re obviously trying to play bigger, which puts him at the 3. But it’s not a great spacing lineup. So we’ve gotta, again, we’ve gotta execute better in the half court, especially against a great defense like the Clippers have. And that’s on us to put in the work and as we do that I’m sure he’ll come around. His shot will come around. He shot it great in the preseason and we know he’s very capable.
08:54 Coach, you went to the 12 in the first half, you didn’t play Kyle in the second half. Do you think that’s a pattern that might emerge as the first close game, obviously, that you’ve had to where you might play 12 in the first and then kind of see what’s working and narrow it down?
09:06 It’s definitely easier to play 12 in the first and see where the game is. So maybe that happens, but maybe we play like we did in Utah and Portland and all 12 play. Who knows?
09:20 Steve, how much do you like Andrew Wiggins aggressive? He attacked the rim (inaudible).
09:26 Yeah, he was great. Wiggs had a big night. Loved his confidence, his aggressiveness. He’s feeling good about his game, really prepared himself well this summer and, he’s gonna have a big year. Thanks.
09:57 Hey Gary, what was your perspective of Steph and rolling his ankle and just your thoughts of that play and what his loss could mean for you guys?
10:06 GARY PAYTON II: Shaked my head. Hate to have it. Especially have it with him, but we’ll be alright. We’ll figure out. We’ll adjust. It’s early, so hopefully he doesn’t miss too many. But we gotta figure it out. Figure it out, find out a way to pick up on these slow starts.
10:23 Have you gotten a chance to talk to him at all since the play?
10:25 I have not.
10:29 What do you think went wrong tonight?
10:33 I think they just played harder than us. Came out, they were running back-to-back. They didn’t look like they were on a back end of a back-to-back. We did, so we just gotta come out and punch first instead of getting punched.
10:45 What about their defense was so difficult to execute against? I know you guys had a lot of turnovers.
10:52 Yeah, we just — careless passes, not being available. Gotta just get available for Steph and them and make it easier. But yeah, we had an uncharacteristic turnover night.
11:08 Hey Gary. are you seeing a difference in Wiggins’ demeanor in play with practice, or is this just something that’s kind of been there the whole time for him?
11:16 No, yeah, he’s just at being Wiggs, you know. Went through a lot last year and he’s starting to clear up everything and have a clear mind. So, that’s Andrew Wiggins for you.
11:27 The 11-and 12-man rotation that Kerr has been going with so far in the first three games, what do you think of that and does that change kind of the mood and style of the team?
11:38 I kind of like it. Keeps everybody fresh. Somebody’s not going, we got another guy to come in and get going. If somebody’s hot Steve would probably rock with him or rock with that unit. But just, we just didn’t hit shots tonight. Then we had too many turnovers.
11:53 Does it keep guys on their toes more, with kinda churn like that?
11:58 I don’t think so. It’s just, you gotta stay ready. You never know what direction he might go in. We got 12 guys, so it could be anybody. Danny, Danny, Danny.
12:12 Just to follow up on that, on Scott’s question, staying on your toes, I mean, the way Steve has been playing it, it’s like 12 guys play early in the first half, and then he goes from there. Does that add pressure on you to perform, knowing that, ‘Hey, like, maybe if I mess up in the first half, I might not play as much in the second half’?
12:30 Absolutely not. Thanks guys
12:40 Moses, what made their defense so tough tonight, just with the turnovers?
12:46 MOSES MOODY: A lot of them was careless mistakes on our part, just having to slow down, make the right play and just put effort into the details of small things.
12:56 Gary said that they out-hustled you, they had more energy than you guys. Do you agree with that?
13:02 It was times in the game where we definitely felt dead out there and they did have energy. So that could be, I could have had something to do with it.
13:15 What did you make of what Wiggins did tonight? And what have you seen from him behind the scenes?
13:21 That’s the player Wiggs is. I’ve been seeing him since I got here. He can knock those shots down. He can get to his spot. He can score the basketball and play both ways. So I was happy to see him do what he does. That’s what he’d be doing in the ones, so…
13:36 Hey Moses, what was your perspective on the plays where Steph was kind of dealing with his ankle? And, I mean, what’s going through your head as you see that that guy going on?
13:46 He didn’t look like he was like a time where something serious going on. He walked on it. He didn’t go in the back for a while and he stayed on the bench and doing his ankle stuff. So I was confident in him.
13:58 What did — who has to kind of step up and score if he does have to miss time? Like how do you guys, I mean, he’s Steph Curry, right? How do you make up for that?
14:11 I mean, you don’t replace Steph Curry, but we do have a deep team. So that’s what the numbers are for, just having to be able to put on everybody to take on a little bit of what he does. And hopefully we can amount to close to it.
14:29 You gotta close a little bit tonight. You came in, I think, with a minute or two left. How much does it mean to you to know that the coaching staff trusts you to play in a spot like that?
14:41 It’s good to be on the floor when decision time, for sure. So just being able to have the opportunity to be out there and play at that time definitely is a good thing.
15:02 After the Hawaii game, both you and Steph just kind of reflected on Instagram of this being Year 16 and all the battles that you guys have had, just what comes to mind when you think back on the ’09 class and all the battles that you and Steph have had?
15:12 JAMES HARDEN: It happened fast. It happened fast, but I think just the prime of that Rockets situation, going up against that dynasty was just, like, it was real, something to really look back on and I haven’t sat back and really thought about it, just because of I’m still trying to accomplish things, but I had to really go up against a real dynasty, you know what I mean? And it’s just — it’s special and I’m overly excited and proud of what he’s accomplished in his career and it’s just going to be — it’s one of those things or stories we can talk about when you get older and retire.
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