Kerr recounts two Warriors workouts with Anthony Edwards
[+G7-off-day videos/transcripts]
Below the paywall at the bottom are quotes from Steve Kerr on Anthony Edwards and the Warriors’ two pre-Draft workouts with him back in 2020. “It’s a funny story,” Kerr said.
My thoughts on Game 7 in Houston heading into Game 1… First of all, aside from the game itself, it was a movie, with all the ancillary fun stuff:
From a pure basketball standpoint, I don’t know that I’ve seen better game plan execution from our squad since, well, Game 1 at Houston, actually.
They finally beat the Rockets’ inverted zone with pure Xs & Os. I thought the timing of it was perfect, as well. I’d have to rewatch the tape and, looking at my notes from the Comments of the livestream, early on it was largely defense and getting loose balls that kept the Rockets at bay in the first half.
Draymond Green and Brandin Podziemski came out of the gate hot. Of course, Buddy Hield was hitting shots and the “Big Mo” at the Q1 buzzer was an energy boost, but fast forward roughly 24 minutes of game clock and 12-point halftime lead, a Jabari Smith reload triple made it a 66-63 game with under three minutes to go in Q3.
And that’s when we saw the inverted screen (against what I like to call the “inverted zone”, ironically). One Wardell Stephen Curry set a pick for Draymond who then got the ball back at the rim from Jimmy Butler, then it was another catch on the roll from a Jimmy-Dray pick-and-roll, with Green getting a push shot in the paint to fall, and the Warriors took a 70-62 lead into the 4th.
I’m not sure if it was per normal rotations for Houston, but Ime Udoka kept his younger crew in there to start the 4th and without the double-big lineup that is more used to blitzing Steph, the Chef burned Smith off the dribble, then sidestepped Amen Thompson for a dagger. Suddenly it was 75-62 and Udoka immediately subbed Steven Adams, Dillon Brooks and Fred Van Vleet in.
From there, the Dubs basically held serve. The versatility of the new Golden State identity yielded diverse scores: Dray found Steph inside for a reverse layup past Van Vleet, a blitz of Curry found Green at the nail who dished to Hield for another triple, Steph turned the corner at the left hashmark with Adams blitzing and weaved through traffic for another layup, and after several great defensive sequences, Jimmy got another inverted screen from Steph which led to a spinning and fading jumper to keep the cushion at 88-74 approaching three minutes to go til the final buzzer.
Adams had been taken out after Curry had turned the corner on him earlier, and the TV broadcast showed him reacting to a coach on the Houston bench. Maybe he blitzed Steph on that one too late? In any case, Amen returned and Udoka stuck with Jalen Green for the remainder, as the Rockets needed to make up a double-digit deficit.
All in all, a satisfying defeat of the Rockets’ double-big with inverted zone strategy, one of my requirements for a deserving Game 7 victory. The other one? Turnovers, or lack thereof.
And it’s crazy that Curry literally said on the podium that his sole focus going into the game was to have no more than, well, one turnover. Had I been at the game, I would’ve asked him in passing (and facetiously) about the fact that he ended with double that and how happy his mom Sonya was with that result, as she used to fine him for excessive turnovers. So yes, he officially had two turnovers in Game 7.
Anyways, I fell out of my seat — figuratively — during the livestream postgame when Steph said his goal was only one giveaway. [Transcripts below the paywall will be unlocked when I post the next article, per usual.]
See? When the guys really commit to the game plan, we win. It’s as simple as that. My co-host from Game 6, Bruce Maro, has continually said all season long that we need to take XYZ opponent seriously. It begs the question: Why don’t they play like this all the time?
I don’t think it works that way, though. Basketball players’ habits always come up, good or bad. And a lot of the bad ones that Steph, Draymond and — let’s just go ahead and throw him under the bus this one time — Gary Payton II have, quite frankly their turnovers, techs and defensive assignment brain farts are all part of the package of “fun” that these guys have playing the game.
You simply don’t get the daggers, the stops in the paint versus seven-footers, and the amazing steals without a few wild sequences thrown in.
But in the playoffs, there’s this thing called urgency. Or “backs against the wall.” Things like that and “appropriate fear” will scale back the wildness.
So my big curiosity going into Game 1 at Minnesota is if there will be momentum with that proper attention to detail after surgically executing the game plan in Game 7. Will Curry and Green and the gang lean towards hitting two-pointers before launching hero shots? Will there be fewer risky sling and lead passes? We shall see.
Another big observation is, how many minutes will the Big Three play? I asked the audience in a YouTube poll during the Watch Party and they all felt that all three guys would easily cross the 32-minute mark. Why 32? That’s the magic number Kerr always brings up for Steph, but more so with the 82-game grind of the regular season.
IMO, Game 1 would be a good time to “experiment” with more youngsters in the rotation. Go heavy on the Strength In Numbers mantra for the opening salvo. Incidentally, the youngsters collectively were bad in Game 7. Aside from the early buckets by Podz, his block of Van Vleet at the halftime buzzer and then later his stellar defense as he took a charge on the massive Alperen Sengun, BP couldn’t buy a bucket and Moses Moody (he bricked every shot attempt, like, mine of them were close to going in) and Quinten Post looked like deer in the headlights.
Jonathan Kuminga had a rough go as well, as he got downhill one time, but got disrupted at the rim, then threw the ball to the other team and, finally, got engulfed by Adams on a box-out, which led to that aforementioned Jabari reload. Game 7 jitters or rustiness? Who knows.
These kids need some burn, quick, to shake off all those subpar Game 7 stints. After all, for the vets there will be a game every other night, travel back and forth halfway across our continent be damned, all the way through Game 5. Yep, ten straight days of games, every other day.
Interestingly, there’s four days in between Games 5 and 6. Did Adam Silver throw Joe Lacob a bone? I looked at the other series:
Denver vs. OKC is pretty much every other day with the exception of about 2.5 days — I say this instead of three full days because it involves a Sunday game which are usually matinees — in between Games 6 and 7 (if necessary).
Indiana vs. Cleveland is also pretty much every other day except three days between Games 2 and 3, then 2.5 days between Games 6 and 7.
For New York vs. Boston, pretty much the same as Indiana vs. Cleveland.
The paywall below starts with the excerpt from Steve on the Ant-Man and the story from 2020. The videos embedded are from postgame Game 7 in Houston, plus the Monday off-day Zoom call with Steve. Keep in mind, I included Game 7 pregame in the previous article.
Oddly, only a few beatwriters were on the Zoom call. Anthony Slater, Tim Kawakami and Danny Emerman were not. Maybe they were on a plane heading out to Minneapolis. As such, we didn’t get much info in terms of probing into said rotations and minutes concerns for the vets. Maybe we’ll get more clues at morning shootaround, although coaches are not required to speak during shootarounds. Kerr has, however, made exceptions to this in the past, depending. We’ll see.
Transcripts are after the paywall which will be removed at the next article (probably).
Steve on the Warriors’ two workouts with Ant in 2020:
It's a funny story. I mean, I didn't really think much of it at the time. I didn't think I was doing anything special. It was just — we were working him out. I think it was in Atlanta. It was during COVID, so nobody there. I think it's Joe Lacob, Bob Myers and me, and then Ant goes out to work out with his trainer. We're the only five people in the whole gym and after 15 minutes of just watching him lazily shoot 15 footers, I thought, when's the workout gonna start? And it turned out that was the workout and so I just went down there and I said, "Hey, can we see something more?" And I think he was kind of surprised and so they picked it up. They picked up the pace a little bit and more than anything, it was just a reminder of how young Ant was. I don't think he really knew what a hard workout was at that point. He was just getting started with his career and then we had dinner that night and Bob and I both talked about Steph and Kevin Durant and Klay and how hard they work and what it takes to be great and he was genuinely captivated by hearing stories about those guys, but didn't think anything of it. We went back and worked him out two weeks later and the workout was way better. He really went hard and at that point we were sure. We weren't sure after the first one and then after the second one, we were sure and you could see he was just exploding with talent and charisma. And so that was basically the pre-Draft story. And then, obviously, Minnesota took him before, our turn, but a year later he's telling that story about — that that inspired him and it kind of caught me off-guard. I didn't really realize that it was that big of a deal, but that was pretty cool that he said that. And I think it shows that he's a young guy who wants to learn, wants to be great.
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00:00 STEVE KERR, POSTGAME G7-GSW-HOU: First of all, I want to congratulate Houston. What a series that was, had a great season, a lot of good things ahead for that team. Ime did an amazing job and really the whole rebuild over the last couple years has been so impressive and we were lucky to get out of this series, but much respect to the Rockets and their staff and their organization. They have a great team and they had a great season. Couldn't be more proud of our guys. That was an incredibly impressive display of resolve, discipline, defense was fantastic. The ball security, kind of game plan discipline followed to a T and then multiple guys stepping up, Buddy Hield. I don't know what to say. I mean, that was really incredible watching him light it up and that first half, especially, and then down the stretch as well, but I can't say enough about our guys and what they were able to do in this series and to pull this thing out on the road in Game 7, pretty impressive.
01:17 Steve, they cut a 15-point lead down to like three. Jimmy gets that corner three out of a double team and then he finds Draymond twice and then it looks like maybe in the huddle between the third and fourth, you guys make an adjustment that gets Steph attacking the rim a little bit and you got him free. What did you guys do there?
01:36 Well, it's always matchup-based and so if you can find an advantage with the personnel they have on the floor then you try to get Steph in pick-and-roll with a particular player or two and I think it just kind of played out that way, the way the game was going. They've done a great job of taking away the Steph-Draymond pick-and-roll all series by putting Fred Van Vleet on Draymond and putting their center on one of our wings. And so that was really a great strategic move for them and I think in the fourth quarter, because of the matchups, we were able to get Draymond back in the pick-and-roll with Steph a couple times. I thought Steph was brilliant tonight. I know he got off to a slow start shooting the ball, but the whole key to the game was taking care of the ball and he managed the game beautifully. And it's just a matter of time before his shot goes in, but the reason we had the 11-point lead at half or whatever it was, 12, was because of the way Steph took care of the ball, got us into our offense and settled the game down.
02:49 Steve, you've been through so much with Steph and Draymond. This was your sixth Game 7 together. What can you say about the tone that Draymond set on Sengun and obviously the way that Steph was able to close it out?
02:58 Draymond set the tone last night at the team meeting. Basically, he owned up to losing his poise in Game 6 and I agreed with him. I thought the flagrant foul four minutes into the games was a tone setter and he knew it and so he talked to the group last night and said, I gotta be poised and I have to be better and we're gonna come in here tomorrow and get it done. And I think his emotional stability tonight, just his poise from the start, I thought it set a great tone.
03:44 Steve, you said last night that you were considering all options for the lineup. How close — I mean, Buddy didn't play that great the last two games. How close were you to not starting him and what about tonight's game? Did he get more space than he is gotten or — ?
03:57 I was — I never wavered on starting Buddy. The lineup that we started tonight has been by far our best five-man unit in this series and so I knew I was gonna stay with Buddy and I like the way that group looks. We knew they were gonna play a lot of zone. We finally got better spacing against the zone and we were able to get some good looks and, of course, Buddy getting hot, changed the whole game in the first half.
04:34 Steve, is this the kind of team that does unusual amount of introspection between games, especially going into a tough game like this and more talking among themselves? Is this a kind of — ?
04:43 Yeah, yeah, for sure. I mean, as I said, Draymond, really, he's our leader and when he's right, like he was tonight, he's an incredible player, to watch the defense, just kind of owning the court on that side of things and then just being patient and not turning it over and being in the right spots offensively. So I think the guys understood after Game 6, we were scattered, we were outta sorts. I didn't do a good job getting them ready. I think we let our guard down, frankly, in Game 6 and so tonight was as good as it gets in terms of focus and the players executing the game plan and just showing resolve for 48 minutes.
05:38 You mentioned a few times that this was like a difficult series for Draymond offensively because of what they're doing, how much is that mental for him too, when your strategy at that point has to be him to kind of get away from the action, how much — do you think that is tough for him to just kind of be out of the fray?
05:56 Yeah, I mean, like I said, Ime did a great job and his staff of trying to take Draymond out of things, with matchups, with the way they were playing with zone and he was definitely flustered quite a bit throughout this series and I just thought today at shootaround last night at the meeting, you could see Draymond, you could see a change in his approach, basically admitting like, I've lost my poise and it's cost us and I'll be there to do my job tonight and I thought he was incredible.
06:42 Steve, you were able to hold the Rockets to just 18 three-point attempts and only got, I think, six shot attempts from distance. What was the — was there any sort of adjustment when it came to making sure the Rockets didn't go off from three or, well, the biggest thing we did was we battled for every 50-50 ball. It seemed like they got all of 'em at last game and there were so many kickout threes after loose balls, long rebounds and, even though they got 14 offensive boards tonight, we were in the fight, every single loose ball, long rebound. And then after they got the rebound, we were sprinting out to three-point shooters, which we didn't do in Game 6, so I thought that was a crucial part of the game today.
07:22 Was it just a byproduct of playing in a Game 7 and having your season on the line?
07:27 No question. Game 7 on the road, if you don't bring it, you're going home and our guys brought it.
07:36 Just how would you, big picture, contextualize this series for Steph, what he navigated, the arc of the series and then the way he was able to finish? The main thing is, I'm just blown away by Steph's competitive fight at 37, been doing this forever at four rings, gold medal, everything he could possibly want in his life, he’s got. He has nothing to prove and yet he's gonna come in and try to prove something every single night. It's amazing. Draymond, too, Jimmy too. And that's the common theme. The common denominator with all these guys is their competitive force, how much they love to play and compete and win and the process of going through it and putting themselves on the line. The fact that these guys continue to put themselves on the line, year after year after year. It just blows me away, the competitive spirit and energy and love for the game. It's beautiful to watch.
08:37 You talk about that competitive spirit with them. What about a guy like Buddy who's known more for his sort of personality in the locker room and keeping things light and all the joking, but obviously to produce the way he did in this setting?
08:49 Yeah, there has to be some of that in him, too. I thought his defense was tremendous tonight too. One of the keys to the game was, Fred Van Vleet only got two free throws. Fred has just destroyed us the last three games. He's had an amazing series. He completely flipped things with his play last game. We fouled him several times on his mid-range stuff, pullups, and I thought Buddy did a great job on him and on Green, so this was not just a lights-out shooting performance from Buddy. It was also a — it was a two-way performance. I thought his defense was fantastic also.
09:24 How have you seen just how he bounces that personality in the locker room with the competitive tv?
09:31 Yeah, I mean, there's a reason everybody loves Buddy. He's just fun loving. He's hilarious. He can laugh at himself, but he loves to play basketball and he loves to work at the game and he is one of the best three-point shooters in the league and he is had a really successful career, but this is really his first real playoff run and I think he is relishing it and the guys, they see how much he loves it and how much he wants to contribute and what a night for him.
10:03 Steve looking ahead to second round, what are your thoughts on just the match with Minnesota and especially Anthony Edwards?
10:09 I'm not talking about Minnesota right now. We'll talk about them tomorrow, so we're just gonna enjoy the win tonight and spend the night and we'll get ready for Minnesota tomorrow, but we're excited. We're thrilled. I mean, when I think back to the trade deadline where we were as a team. I'm so proud of these guys for what they've accomplished to put us in a position, as Steph says, to play meaningful basketball and to give ourselves a chance. And this is all you want every year. Do you have a chance? And we've got a chance with this group and they're an amazing group of men to coach and to be with and to collaborate with and couldn't be more proud. Thank you.
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00:00 Buddy, Draymond said that when you walked in, you were walking with a little pep in your step, like you were walking a little bit different today. Was there something just about this day that you felt like, okay, you had it, you're gonna get it going?
00:12 BUDDY HIELD, POSTGAME G7-GSW-HOU: Told Draymond I'm playing a big game tonight. No, but I was just locked in, just trying to find my joy and no, I never been in a situation before and just trying to seize the moment and relish the moment and just be in the moment at the same time and enjoy the moment. And it was fun. A lot of nerves at first, though, so I gotta be myself. If I'm not acting normal locker room, everybody — it's not normal, so just trying to be myself, but today, tonight was fun. All glory to God.
00:47 How did you get rid of those nerves? Is that just that first shot going in? That do it or — ?
00:52 I was talking to Loon earlier and I was like, "Man, like I'm so glad I'm starting tonight because I don't know how would I be coming off the bench." 'Cause coming off the bench for a Game 7 is gonna be really hard, you know? So just starting to get all the jitters out. It's a childhood dream. We all talk about Game 7s. We all wanna play in Game 7s, but actually playing in Game 7 and getting prepared for it is one of the hardest things ever. And I'm just — thank God for my mom and everybody that prepared me, put me in a situation that I can be prepared for being mentally and spiritually prepared for this and my teammates, of course. Jimmy and Steph and Dray, there's vets that been in the fire before and they know what it's like and just follow their lead.
01:34 Steph and Klay over the years have talked about what it's like to be in the zone where it feels like the basket's enormous and everything's going in. What does it feel like for you tonight when you get hot like that and what did Jimmy say to you after the game?
01:50 It was — being in the zone is very spiritual, just you and that rim and the ball and you just figuring it out and sometimes you put anything up and it just goes in, but just being at peace with the game. And, no, Jimmy didn't say nothing to me yet. I'm not gonna get on Jimmy yet. I'm gonna keep it calm. But today I had to fill this role in for them in the first half. He was slacking, but we all weathered the storm and it was a great team win, collectively. Everybody did everything in spurts and we finally figured out the zone.
02:21 You talked about being in the zone. When you made that 40 footer, (inaudible)?
02:25 You know, when I shot it, I knew it had a chance and I didn't know it was going in. I know I had a chance and it was, like I say, I always wanna give it a chance. And I felt that when that opened up, when that went in, that just helped me become more relaxed and I didn't celebrate too much 'cause I know we had three more quarters ago.
02:45 You mentioned this is your first time through it with this team. What was Draymond's speech like last night? What did that mean, just hearing that and knowing about this team, knowing about him and having him talk about his own accountability? Talk about what this means to him and to everybody.
02:59 That just showed his true leadership. That's what it's meant. That's what leadership's about. He let us know that in Game 6 he wasn't being himself and I'm sure y'all talked to him, what he said, but just him just letting us know what we had to do to the complete this mission tonight. And it was fun listening to him and just like I say, I wanted to play right then 'cause it gave me so much chills. It was very emotional. And guys was nodding the head and when a guy that speaks, who's won four championships, who's ben in the Finals six times, he know what it takes to win and just having that confidence and follow his lead. He's just a true professional, true leader and true example.
03:37 Buddy, zone defense turned out to be a big part of this series, tonight, on both ends of the floor. What can you say about how you guys defended them and how y'all attacked their zone.
03:46 Yeah, we finally cracked the — we made shots against the zone and they stopped playing the zone. That was the deal, but we couldn't figure it out. After that, I think tonight, we used Steph different and we didn't keep him on the ball and we was able to adjust to a lot of things and, like I said, for you to beat a zone, you gotta make shots. And we made shots and we took them out of it and we forced them to guard our players like Steph and Jimmy. And we know that they're all-world in that categories. We just tried to make them go one-on-one against our best players.
04:18 Alright, we're ready for Jimmy. Thank you.
04:20 There we go. Thank you.
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NO TRANSCRIPTS FOR KEVON LOONEY AND BRANDIN PODZIEMSKI INTERVIEWS FROM MORNING SHOOTAROUND DUE TO TIME CONSTRAINTS
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00:00 BUDDY HIELD, POSTGAME G7-GSW-HOU: Jimmy Butler, everybody.
00:02 JIMMY BUTLER: Buddy!
00:03 Jimmy Butler.
00:05 Get off the stage.
00:10 Jim-my Butler! Tell him he's not Robin no more. Tell him he's not Robin no more.
00:15 Buddy! Buddy! Buddy! Oh my Lord!
00:17 He's Alfred. 'Cause his name is Butler.
00:19 Can you please?
00:22 Well, I guess, what can you say about Buddy's performance tonight?
00:26 Yeah, Jimmy!
00:29 Buddy gets paid a lot of money to play at a high level. Buddy was Buddy tonight. Good for you, Buddy. Buddy, good for you. No, Buddy — buddy was huge, but we know the type of basketball player that he is and he's a tough cover, for sure, whenever he's making shots, but he made so many right plays on the defensive side of the ball, getting the ball where it needed to go. Buddy was really, really, really, big for us tonight.
01:02 And what did you see from Draymond today? Draymond talked about how he took accountability for, I guess, how he was in Game 6 and he made a speech at pre-game dinner. I was wondering, what did you see?
01:14 I just saw Dray being Dray, staying poised, not let all the nonsense get to him, expecting what's gonna happen. I think that was the biggest thing for him, not letting any of that get him outta character. Compete, stay in the game and be the anchor force on the defensive side of the floor and then make some big shots, start us off the right way and control the offensive side as well.
01:41 Jimmy, Buddy had said that team meeting was, he called it emotional, but he credited your leadership, Steph and Draymond, really getting him to lock in and everybody else. What did you say and what was it like going through your first Game 7 with Draymond and Steph?
01:56 I mean, it was — it's a pleasure to be able to compete in a Game 7 on the road with those two Hall of Famers and, I mean, my message to my guys was, I wasn't being who I was in a sense of pumping confidence into my guys. I think that's a part of my leadership that I've learned and gained throughout my years of playing this game at a high level. And I wasn't doing that for the first six games, so I wanted to make sure to let them know that I was gonna let you know everything was gonna be fine. We're right where we wanted to be and I think I got back to being who I'm supposed to be.
02:36 How much did you guys need — it seemed like the last couple games showed you really needed a secondary shooter, someone besides you and Steph to be making those shots the way Buddy did tonight from beyond your entertaining byplay with him. Strategically, how much did you need that and what allowed that? Was there more space for him tonight or — ?
02:55 No, I think we actually rebounded the ball better. We got to the loose balls. It's easier to score whenever you get the opportunity to shoot the ball at that side of the floor. We didn't turn the ball over. All of that plays a role in Buddy having a game that he did and guys being able to make shots at the clip that we did, so as long as we get the ball, secure the rebound, play in transition, it gets easier for everybody.
03:21 Jimmy, Fred Van Vleet had been an issue for y'all the last few games. what was it about tonight or how did y'all defend him differently tonight? Draymond was in here talking about him earlier, but how much of a focus was he for y'all and what were y'all able to do against him tonight?
03:35 I mean, Fred's a tough cover, along with a lot of guys on that roster, but I think it's just making everything difficult, contesting every shot, not losing him in transition or in the half court, and then rebounding the basketball. Whenever you don't rebound and then they're kicking it out and you're walking into open threes, the basket gets bigger for anybody in this league, so I think we did a good job of controlling that.
04:01 This is your first time through with these guys. You mentioned, obviously, draymond and Steph and put Kerr in there, too. He's been through some of these and I think Draymond said that after Game 6, Kerr put it on himself, that he didn't have you guys prepared. What's it just been like to go through it with that kind of accountability from those three guys?
04:19 I think that's what real leaders do. They always try to take all the burden, but that's not the case. Steve can't control if we're not getting to loose balls. He can tell us, but we're the ones that have to go out there and do it. He can draw up all the plays that he wants, but we're the ones that have to go out there and execute and play hard, but the fact that he's willing to take that for the guys is huge. Same with Draymond, same with Steph, same with myself, actually. There's so many guys on this roster, so we just talked about controlling what we can control, go out there and compete and we know if we do that, we would win a game.
04:56 Jimmy, obviously Steph only had three points in the first half, but he still was leading in defensive rebounds, assists, steals, blocks. How do you explain his impact when his shots aren't falling, also knowing that he could go off at any time?
05:09 Yeah. I think that's a true definition of, like, I don't even know what you call it. The best player, one of the greatest is that they impact the game in more than just scoring or shooting, so to be able to guard, to be able to rebound, to find guys when they're open, it's a hard job for him 'cause he always got three people that's on him and he's always making the right play over and over and over again, but we needed it and then when it was time for him to make some shots, we needed it and he came through.
05:41 I know you haven't had time to stop thinking about this game, but you've got you going back to Minnesota, 2nd round series, just what comes to your mind about this series, about this challenge? Obviously, quick turnaround for Game 1.
05:54 Yeah, honestly I got til midnight to enjoy this win, so that's what I'm gonna do and then I'll focus on Minnesota come after midnight, but worrying about how I'm gonna get my coffee machine to Minnesota and how I'm gonna get my kids there.
06:11 Jimmy, Draymond was in here earlier. He said that this series actually made him a better player. Just curious, is there anything that you're gonna take into the next series that you might've picked up from playing this team?
06:22 I'm gonna take how resilient we are as a group, coming from where they were, post-trade before I got here and the way that everybody locked in and made me feel welcome. And we took off this way and we never wavered. The confidence never went anywhere. Really good group of hoopers. Really good group of people, so that's what I'm gonna take into this next round is we got some guys that can play at an extremely high level and on any given night, it could be anybody's night.
06:55 So much of the series was about you and Draymond battling their double-center lineup. You've been with Draymond now a few months, 6'5, 6'6 maybe. What more appreciation do you have for what he physically has done over the last decade as, basically, a center?
07:14 A lot, but he's been doing that since he came into the league. What I respect more than anything is the way that he can talk to anybody and everybody and it's so on point and it's quick. Like, the fact that you tell me, "Hey, that's two loose balls, you didn't get no more." And I'm like, "You right." Or you talk to Steph and you can talk to BP and Q, whoever it is, and it's, like, you don't gotta repeat it. I got it. That's — I didn't know. And I respect it so much now that he'll talk to anybody and everybody quick to the point because it's all about winning, so all the battles that he goes through, it's his leadership quality of getting to the point of moving on that I respect the most.
07:54 How would you qualify how physical this series was for you and him down there?
07:59 Very physical, more so for him 'cause he gotta switch. He got a battle both of the bigs. I onlh gotta battle the big a couple times and I get to move out there to the guards, but all of that physicality ended with four wins for us, so we're happy.
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00:00 What can you say about what Buddy did tonight for you guys?
00:06 DRAYMOND GREEN, POSTGAME G7-GSW-HOU: He was huge. The 33 points were great. Nine threes, incredible, but what he did on the defensive end was even more impressive. He took on every matchup that he had, whether it was Jalen, Fred, all over the ball and the ball handler. He ended up with Sengun on the post, made him force the miss, knocked the ball out. We was able to come up with the loose ball. He made winning plays all night. Huge game for him. 37 minutes. I'm not sure he's played that amount of minutes all year, but stayed the course when we needed him most. He delivered. And if I didn't throw him a grenade, he would've been 9-for-10 from three, but I threw him a grenade, so I'll take that one.
00:49 Draymond, Coach — before you came in — he said that your emotions played a big part in this. What were you — what was that conversation with the team before you guys came out tonight?
01:01 I thought my — people I trust in most, we had some heart-to-hearts after last game. My wife, one of my closest friends, Travis, my barber is one of my closest friends, Coach Izzo. And I just, I pouted way too much last game, so I spent the last two days embarrassed, just at what I gave to the game, what I gave to the world. I was embarrassed. And so I've been dying since the last game, needed to get out on the floor and prove who I am. One thing about this league, you're never done proving who you are until you're done, completely finished. And so I wanted to come out and prove again just who I am. With poise, but with the same fire, same tenacity, but poise. And I think I delivered that and gave our guys something to follow. What I gave them last game to follow, they followed it and that's why we got bullied, but I think I gave them something different to follow today. And that was the message. That was the goal. We got it done.
02:22 Draymond, Steve said that you set the tone last night at the team dinner with that speech. What goes into deciding to give that speech and what was the reception from the rest of your teammates?
02:34 Well, I think what goes into it is really decide who's gonna give a speech. Obviously, I always try to defer to Steph, defer to Jimmy, and they wanted me to speak, but I had a lot to say. And like I said, most importantly was calling myself out. You can't go into a Game 7 expecting guys to rally off the game we had before and not address it. And so I wanted to address that, No. 1. But then secondly, tell everybody else what we needed, which was a togetherness like no other and our huddles together, trusting in each other and believing, and so I thought it was much needed, but as much as I think this team needed it, I feel like I needed it for myself even more 'cause you gotta be accountable. You can't be a leader and not be accountable and you call other guys out when their shit stinks, then you better say when yours does too. And that's what I tried to make a point in doing.
03:40 After 13 years in six Game 7s together with Steph, what does it mean to you to walk off the court after a game like that?
03:46 Oh, it means a lot, especially losing a 3-1 lead, having to come on the road and win it, means a ton to continue playing at this level, having the opportunity to compete at this level. And it's a little more special that we've done in here before, so it's a familiar feeling.
04:06 Draymond, couldn't help notice, you and Steve having a talk shootaround, mostly Steve talking, you listening. Just what was kind of the mood of that one?
04:18 Just really setting a tone for what he needed from me today, which is poise, leadership, but he had some great words. He told me, he gave me a story, a few different stories. They were great, but I think the gist of it was just, you've done so much. Whether we win or lose this game, when it's all said and done at the end of your career, nobody will remember, so go out, have fun with poise, give your guys something to follow. He told me you are one of the most competitive people I've ever been around and one of the greatest leaders I've been around, so it's my job to let you know what your leadership should be tonight, how you need to lead, what that needs to look like for tonight. It's my job to prepare you for that, my job to get you ready emotionally to play and it's one of the better conversations we've ever had and we've had some great ones, but that one I'll remember for the rest of my life.
05:25 You talked about the huddles. I noticed there was a — you had a huddle right before the start, before tip off, maybe in a different kind of way. It definitely sounded or felt like it was a little more emotional. Was that a big moment for you?
05:35 It was definitely a big moment for us, for me, for us. The emotions into Game 7 run high and we just wanted to make sure we were on the right side of that, not tightening up 'cause you gotta be loose, but understanding what every possession means, understanding that we weren't giving our energy to anything outside of ourselves and I think it's setting set that tone. Everybody — we did that.
06:02 How would you contextualize this series for Steph with just the way they defended him, the way he performed, and then finishing with 14 fourth quarter points night?
06:09 That was huge. That's why he is who he is. He just made the simple play tonight, had three points for a lot of the game and then he bust out, but he made the right play. He just moved the ball on and allowed — trusted other guys to make the play because of how they was guarding him and it's a beautiful game to see him close it out. He knew once, like, "All right, now it's time for me to take over and take this thing home." It was beautiful, man, but I wanna give a lot of credit to that team down there. Ime, the way he had those guys fighting, I gained a lot of respect for that team throughout the series. One of the tougher series I've played in, personally, but that's a young team to be reckoned with. And I told myself I was gonna talk crazy 'cause they have been talking crazy all series and on the internet, but I gained so much respect for those guys. Sengun is an incredible player. The way Fred Van Vleet and Steven Adams led those guys, they had no experience and they led them, took us to the brink. That team's gonna be a force to be reckoned with and I hope they understand that things can change fast in this league. You're only on the up until you're not, but they got something promising that they can continue to build on. Jabari Smith, incredible. He played like a vet this whole series, getting to his spots, knocking big shots down. A lot of respect for those guys.
07:34 Steve talked about meaningful basketball and being able to play at this time of year. When you go back to the trade deadline and all, what's proceeded since then, are these the kind of games you were thinking about playing, when the trade happened and just in this moment?
07:49 Absolutely. This is exactly what the trade was for, to get back to this level, play meaningful basketball as Steph has been saying all year. And Jimmy, just what he's been to this group, has allowed us to be in this position to continue our season and possibly do something special.
08:09 Dray, you talked about winning the championship right after — shortly after the trade on All-Star Weekend, but now that you have gone — you still have to go through the war. Now that you've gone through a seven-game battle, what do you feel this group is capable of doing, moving forwards into the next round?
08:25 I think this group is capable of exactly what we set out to do, which is win a championship. We know the things that we need to improve on and continue to get better at, but I got the utmost confidence in this group. Didn't want to go seven games, but it — and it won't hurt us with that experience that our young guys got the opportunity to get, but I think we're right where we need to be. We're right where we want to be with an opportunity to continue to extend this thing and we believe.
08:55 (Inaudible)
08:58 Yeah. I mean, that was never rattled, but with every win, I think that grows.
09:03 When you talk about feeling embarrassed the past couple days leading into tonight, how do you use that as fuel and how do you — in what ways do you channel that feeling onto the court?
09:13 Well, I had to channel it in a different way because that could lead you to, "Ah, come on, and, ah, I want it so bad." I actually went the opposite way. I listened to all slow music the last couple days, just kind of calmed myself down, went to the spa, meditate. Because I knew, like, I know I can ratchet my intensity up. I know I'm gonna meet the intensity level, but I felt like I was going too far. I listened to "Checkout Time" on the way to the game the other day and that was the exact mindset I had going into that game, so wanted to change it up a little bit today. Some Brent Faiyaz, Sza, 90s R&B, just kind of changed it. Completely changed it up, so it was good for me.
10:02 Jalen came into the series as their leading scorer. Y'all had different guys on him throughout the series and I think just one game he was able to get off. How were y'all able to corral him, kind of keep him in check throughout the series?
10:13 I think doing your work early. We did a good job on him to start the series and I think that kind of rattled his confidence a little bit. This isn't something he's been a part of before. He's a good young player. He'll learn from his mistakes, but you gotta give the guys credit that was guarding him, Buddy, Steph, BP, GP, JK, anybody who was on them. He was a focal point in our — in trying to take him outta this series. We know what they're capable of when he's scoring and so we really wanted to take him outta the series and I think we did a good job of it, but like I said, he's a good young player. He'll grow, he'll continue to learn from this. Tough first experience for him, but he's not the first young up-and-coming star to have a tough experience in the playoffs. Won't be the last. I think he'll continue to grow from it. He got a great coach to lead him. Fred, great leader to lead him and I think he'll grow from it, but I gotta give our guys a lot of credit and our coaching staff a lot of credit with the game plan on him.
11:09 How would you describe sort of the vibe when Buddy gets in that zone and, related to that, any interaction with him and Jimmy? Him and Jimmy have gone back and forth. And what was tonight like? I mean, did Jimmy say anything afterward or what was that?
11:23 I didn't catch any of their banter tonight, but Buddy was huge and, ironically. I could see just the way he was walking this morning, the way he was talking, he was so engaged and he delivered on the biggest stage. Gotta give him his credit. It was huge for us. Sure was big for his confidence. We gonna need that Buddy to continue on and it won't be nine threes every night, but just the intensity and focus level that he had to get on, excuse me, in these playoffs becomes more and more important.
11:58 You mentioned kind of your mindset shift from Game 6 to Game 7, the need for kind of a calmer version of yourself. You're about to go to Minnesota, quick turnaround, Gobert, the size of Minnesota. What do you need to do in that series and, I guess, how do you have to keep that similar type?
12:15 Yeah, I have to keep it similar for my guys — forget anybody else, but for my guys, I need to stay that way, so I'll be locked in. It'll be good, but finding that balance, finding that line, not crossing it, is important for me and this team. And I gave them my word. I'll continue to get on my word.
12:37 Hey, Draymond. Steve said he didn't have you guys ready for last game. Apparently, you were ready this game. What did he do to help that process?
12:45 No. 1 was coming into the locker room right after Game 6 and saying, "That's on me. I ain't had y'all ready to play," so the accountability and leadership, No. 1. But No. 2, just the belief. I would tell y'all, Steve's so calm in these situations. Everybody get rattled, he be just like this, so when you have a coach that walks in like that, it settles everybody down and, obviously, he's the best in the business when it comes to game plans this time of year.
13:15 There were some pretty jubilant scenes with you and Steph late in the game. There's been some hostility with the Houston crowd. Do you guys enjoy playing in this arena and winning in this city?
13:23 It's always fun winning in this city and winning in this arena. So Fred had made a comment earlier in the series, said this ain't that team, that organization, though. And we like coming to this city and playing in these situations. It's been good to us and also I think what you saw from us is, this stuff is hard, man. He told me the other day, he said, "I got a question." And they were saying like, "Yo, this is tougher than it used to be." It's like, "Man, no it ain't. It's always been hard and we know how hard it is. It just looked easy, but it's always been hard." And so just to get over that hump, first hump, know you feel good about it, enjoy it, appreciate it tonight and move on from it tomorrow.
14:12 Draymond, there was a lot of back-and-forth physicality throughout this entire series between you and the other teams — I mean, I'm sorry, you and some of the other players. But at the end of the day, all of them gave you respect and said that you're a very good player. Fred just got through talking about how good of a person you are, good of a player you are. What does that mean to you, knowing that all of the negative things you hear about yourself, but knowing that the players respect you like that?
14:37 It's always about players, having respect from your peers. Fans will feel how they feel. The public will feel how they feel. It's okay. I'm really not here to appease to them, but when you got respect amongst your peers, that's the most important thing. And like I said, they earned my respect. Always got a lot of love for Fred. We've had our battles, but Fred is a standup guy. The way he led those guys this year, coming in last year, is tough. Continued to lead, believe, carried this team to a 2-seed with probably an average age of 24. So special, but Fred is a special leader. I told y'all the other day, he's the reason we lost to Toronto. Everybody tried to make it like, "Oh, he is not giving Kawhi respect." No, it's not that. Fred was that X-Factor. We had no matchup for him. We couldn't get matched up with him and he beat us, big shot after big shot, but like I said, I got a lot of respect for those guys. Man, they took us to the brink. They never backed down from anything. They got a bright future. If they can continue to work and put it together, really bright future 'cause that's a tough, tough team. Athletic dogs didn't back down at all, so I got a lot of love and respect for those guys. They made me better this series. I had to get better in order for us to win this series and that was because of what they did.
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00:00 As much as you can or would like to, could you just describe the team meeting last night, what Draymond said, just kind of the setting of it and how influential you felt it was?
00:17 STEPH CURRY, POSTGAME G7-GSW-HOU: It was just a level of awareness that matters at this stage of our careers and this stage in a playoff series that was going our way, then got away from us and comes down to a Game 7 where it's all about just what can you control, going into a Game 7, that'll give yourself the best chance to win a game on the road and educating a lot of guys that haven't been in this situation before on what to expect and what wins in this environment. And he started, Draymond started with himself just talking about having a level of poise and composure. I talked about some of the stuff we can control, that don't necessarily show up on the stat sheet, like taking care of, well, that does, taking care of the ball, but like not missing box outs, not getting blown by, mental drive, stuff like that, game plan discipline. And Jimmy talked about just breathe confidence in everybody, so it's just a matter of getting everybody on the same page going into a hostile environment.
01:29 Steph, now that the series is over, is there anything that you could tell Jalen to help him going into the off season, coming out of his first playoff series like this?
01:41 Every opportunity at this stage is a learning experience. I don't know what goes on in their locker room or what he is asked to do or how they talk, so I stay in my lane on that, but there's always a chance to come back stronger, better, use the off season to be honest with yourself on what you need to do to get better. We all go through that journey in your career. Losing sometimes can make you better, so you just don't let it knock your confidence.
02:11 Steph, he was their leading score coming into series. How were y'all able to slow him, slow him down, and make things difficult for him?
02:19 For who?
02:20 For Jalen. He was their leading scorer. How were y'all able to slow him down and make things difficult for him?
02:27 I think it was just game plan discipline. They have a lot of threats out there and, again, they were the 2-seed for a reason 'cause they had a certain style that their defense fed on, fed into their offense a lot, but for him specifically it wasn't anything outta the ordinary, just he demands attention, so you want to try to send bodies at him as much as possible. Fred got hot those two games. That really got them kind of settled and he was a legit scorer for them. Obviously, Sengun's gonna do what he, what he does, but if you don't let them have easy baskets, then you try to kind of feast on a little bit of inexperience. But you never know how it's gonna go.
03:24 Steph, y'all played the Rockets 12 times this year between the regular season and the postseason and probably every time you've been asked about their defense, but now that this season is over with, can you speak to the uniqueness of the challenge that they face and the adjustments you had to make from game to game, going against them?
03:41 Every game was so different, all 12 of them. I mean, from the rotations to the score, it was low scoring for a majority of 'em. Then it became a shooting fest and this game was kind of like back to that pattern of a low scoring, just defensive, physical, tough grinding out type of game. So it was — I can only speak for myself in the way that that was one of the toughest defenses I think I've ever faced in the sense of the physicality that was allowed early in the series and then their commitment to just trying to take away all the patterns that we usually thrive off of and guard me at half court at times. It was wild, but just staying patient, but still being aggressive was the difference tonight. I only had three points in the first half and like five shots, but eventually I'm trying to make the right play and soften 'em up and eventually you can make your presence felt, scoring-wise, but everything else was about just trying to make winning plays.
04:54 I have two questions for you. First one, how difficult was it to kind of play that floor game? Last time you were in a Game 7, you just took 30 shots. You were going for it, but this one, it seems like you were pretty patient. Was that difficult to pull off?
05:12 No, because I kind of, to the last question, I knew how they were gonna guard me and if I try to play hero ball too early and shots didn't fall, then it could kill our rhythm. Honestly, my whole goal was to only have one turnover, literally. That was all I was thinking about because I knew that meant I wouldn't get rushed or get into traps. We usually are gonna have an open shot somewhere or somebody diving into the basket based on the gravity that that was out there and it kind of played off that way. I missed a couple, maybe two, easy ones in the first half and then you start thinking about your shot a little bit, but you look up at the score and we're doing what we're supposed to do. So it was definitely kind of reinforce, keep playing that way. And eventually I'll find some open looks, but we were scoring fine and then just get stops and play defense.
06:15 Secondarily, you've won five series now in Houston. What you think your reputation is in the city?
06:23 I'm a winner.
06:24 Steph, all that you've been through with Draymond in your 13 years, it looked like at the end of the game you walked up to him and pointed into maybe the stands or up at the scoreboard, What can you share what you said to him? And then also when you guys were walking off, I think Draymond was screaming, "Surprise, surprise!"
06:44 We were just talking about — it was back to the score. We wanted to keep them under 90. We had done it a couple times and we won and if we felt like — we felt very confident that if we could do that again, we'd be able to score enough to create some separation and that's kind of how it played out.
07:01 So much of what Draymond was talking about was about how he lost his poise in Game 6. How important will it be for him to kind of straddle that line against the Wolves, who have Gobert, who have Ant, who likes to talk, who have a bunch of guys who will play physically?
07:17 No better lesson than tonight. Make it about basketball. We don't — he doesn't need to be a mute and not talk and be demonstrative. We want that type of Draymond, but conserve the energy towards us, our huddles. Even when he had that kind of mix up with Van Vleet, he didn't react. Go talk to the ref, try to plead his case. It didn't go his way. It was an unfortunate call, but he kept it about basketball and we're gonna have to continue to do that, knowing the minutes we're playing and the tough test that Minnesota is gonna present and the way that they've been playing.
07:56 Steph, you've been through a number of Game 7s. When you think back to your first one, what's the biggest difference between you then and you now? Is it a concentration, being able to sustain concentration for 48 minutes, keeping your nerves down? What's the maturation process like now?
08:14 Yeah, it's just reps and experience and knowhow. That first one against the Clippers, back in '14, we were up at the half and we were feeling good about ourselves and then we kind of got walked down by just physical, kind of hard-nosed basketball. And that was kind of the nature of that whole series. It was very similar to this one. and just fully committing to every possession, that was something we did tonight, that we needed every 50-50 ball. We needed it. And to keep them off the offensive glass, keep our turnovers down. We only had three turnovers in the first half. It was just simple things that you can control. Obviously, Buddy had an amazing first half and took advantage of the space and knocked down shots. but everything else that we could control, we did and checked off the boxes and that allows you to withstand runs in a hostile environment, on the road.
09:13 (Inaudible)
09:16 Say what?
09:19 (Inaudible)
09:20 Yeah. Talent, skill. It's something that either it comes naturally or you go through reps and you start to figure it out how you can manage a game mentally, emotionally, and physically. That's all a part of the game of basketball. It's the stuff that you see in between the lines and for two games, we didn't have it, like, the clearest day, that first possession of fourth quarter in Game 6. That was a lack of awareness and focus and then tonight was the exact opposite, so we took advantage of another opportunity.
10:05 Steph, we kind of joked about it before the series started, but now that the series is over and you went to war against him for seven games, how much more respect does the camp coach have for his former camper in Amen Thompson?
10:20 I talked to him right after the game. You kind of saw him develop in front of everybody's eyes. I know people who watched the Rockets play night in, night out for the last two years have seen the potential, seen the raw athleticism, the hunger, and he's a dog and he showed all seven games. And he's gonna be a problem for sure. He's gonna try to develop his game, especially offensively, but defensively he's a freak athlete and I think he loves the challenge and loves to be in the fight, so yeah, he was tough all series and it's kind of crazy that the old man got it done, though.
11:03 Steph, Draymond had the talk last night. You had a memorable speech before the Sacramento Game 7. This is not the first time you've won a Game 7 here. How familiar does this feel? Is it what you guys do? You guys are able to pull it together maybe in different ways, in moments like this, in familiar ways.
11:24 Yeah, we're thankful to be able to say that 'cause we've had a — the way we came into it is, this is another opportunity that we should be thankful for, considering all the things that we've gone through our entire — this entire run and that we're still trying to do it. So you can tell that — there's such a care factor for every guy on this team and it starts with me, Draymond, Looney, who's been here with us and now, obviously, with Jimmy and his playoff experience. And so we're gonna have to rely on that as long as this ride continues and the familiar part is figuring out the chess board in between a series and sticking with it, not letting go of the rope and being able to turn the page from one game to the next and meet the moment. It's so much fun out there. I think that's what we talked about to our guys the most, was just there's no more fun that you can experience in basketball than a playoff series, especially if it goes the distance, so embrace it.
12:26 Steph, as a shooter who knows that zone, what was it like to see Buddy get into that, especially given his sort of unique personality on this team? And did it bring back any flashbacks of, I don't know, Game 6 Klay or when you've seen Klay take over playoff games like that, to shoot the way he did with no dribbling, right? Just catch and shoot.
12:46 Yeah, I mean, that's what the game called for. He answered it. To be able to turn the page from again, 0-for-4 last game, been up and down all series. I probably — he'd probably tell you, this is the first time he played well in this building, so it was great and timely to be able to have that, that shooter's confidence that if a game says shoot, you let it fly and we're gonna live with it. And I'm happy for him because he worked so hard all year, getting to know him this whole season, you see how much basketball means to him and this is only his second playoff run. And for him to have a game like that in Game 7 and tied a record for most threes, it's pretty, pretty special, so I'm happy for him. Now we gotta keep it going.
13:35 What do you expect from Anthony Edwards in facing Minnesota?
13:43 I mean, we watched a little bit of their first round series. He's playing with all supreme confidence. We know they had their run last year and they're a new look with Randle, but same Ant, who's trying to take strides with every opportunity he gets and it's gonna be a tough challenge. We know we're gonna have to send multiple bodies at him and figure out a game plan to go at him, but yeah, they're hot right now. They've been playing some great basketball the last couple months and we're excited that we have an opportunity to have some more basketball to play, too.
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00:00 Hey Steve, it's Ann (Killion). Can you just discuss the aftermath, the feeling this morning, the trip here and what you're facing with Minnesota?
00:15 STEVE KERR, OFF DAY BEFORE G1-GSW-MIN: Yeah, I mean, it's a great day to just think about what we have ahead to advance and have another shot to win a playoff series against a great team. And so I'm excited about what we just accomplished and excited about what's ahead, so it's a good day today.
00:42 And do you have any particular insight into Anthony Edwards from your time in Paris? I mean, did you learn the key in Paris of what he doesn't like and how to stop him?
00:53 The main insight I have is that he's really damn good, so I don't know how that helps us prepare, but yeah, Ant is an amazing player and I love his energy, I love his infectious enthusiasm for the game. He was amazing to coach and there's a reason the Wolves are where they are now. It's directly — they've done a great job organizationally and put together a really good roster. Chris (Finch) has done a fantastic job as coach, but this is — they are where they are because Ant is a superstar and you have to have a guy like that to build a great team and he's the reason they are where they are.
01:51 Thank you.
01:54 Steve, it's Sam (Gordon). Looking ahead to Minnesota, obviously another big team just like Houston. Does facing the Rockets and that kind of size and physicality help prepare you for Houston at all?
02:07 I think it —
02:07 For Minnesota?
02:08 Yeah, for Minnesota. I think it does, Sam. I think one of the things that was so obvious in that Houston series was that if we didn't scrap for every loose ball and every rebound, we were in some trouble and the same concept is going to apply here. Minnesota's a big athletic team, a lot bigger than us and they're gonna be all over the offensive glass and we have to fight and claw for every rebound, every loose ball. And if that's our mentality, then I like our chances.
02:49 How much can you draw from the first four matchups, considering that you guys were a completely different team at that time?
02:55 Yeah, it was interesting watching some of those games on the flight up, seeing the matchup, seeing just the roster it was. It was an entirely different team, so the main points, I think, from watching those games was it was more individual matchups, what it looked like depending on who guarded Ant, for example. or who guarded Randle. And so they're valuable tapes to watch based on personnel, but we are an entirely different team now, so there's only so much you can take from them.
03:36 Thank you.
03:37 Mm-hmm.
03:38 Steve, it's Monte (Poole). You look very comfortable.
03:41 I am comfortable, Monte. Thank you.
03:46 Some of us probably know about your story that goes back with Ant sort of crediting you for pushing his development. What do you recall about what you told him, the piece of advice you told him a number of years ago?
03:58 It's a funny story. I mean, I didn't really think much of it at the time. I didn't think I was doing anything special. It was just — we were working him out. I think it was in Atlanta. It was during COVID, so nobody there. I think it's Joe Lacob, Bob Myers and me, and then Ant goes out to work out with his trainer. We're the only five people in the whole gym and after 15 minutes of just watching him lazily shoot 15 footers, I thought, when's the workout gonna start? And it turned out that was the workout and so I just went down there and I said, "Hey, can we see something more?" And I think he was kind of surprised and so they picked it up. They picked up the pace a little bit and more than anything, it was just a reminder of how young Ant was. I don't think he really knew what a hard workout was at that point. He was just getting started with his career and then we had dinner that night and Bob and I both talked about Steph and Kevin Durant and Klay and how hard they work and what it takes to be great and he was genuinely captivated by hearing stories about those guys, but didn't think anything of it. We went back and worked him out two weeks later and the workout was way better. He really went hard and at that point we were sure. We weren't sure after the first one and then after the second one, we were sure and you could see he was just exploding with talent and charisma. And so that was basically the pre-Draft story. And then, obviously, Minnesota took him before, our turn, but a year later he's telling that story about — that that inspired him and it kind of caught me off-guard. I didn't really realize that it was that big of a deal, but that was pretty cool that he said that. And I think it shows that he's a young guy who wants to learn, wants to be great.
06:11 Are you — knowing what you know about Ant, are you surprised at all that he's kind of putting targets on some of the establishment guys? Last year, KD. This year, LeBron. Now we got Steph coming. I mean, are you surprised at all that he's kind of looking at these guys going, "I'm coming for you guys"?
06:26 No, not at all. I mean, that's the kind of confidence he has, the charisma. I watched him in Paris every day after practice. He and and Kevin would go at it and LeBron and Steph, and they'd have these shooting contests and he's right in the middle of it, talking all kinds of trash and it's such a big part of who he is. His love for the game, his love for competition, but it's all in a really good-spirited way. He's — there's never anything malicious about the trash talk. He loves what he does and he loves to compete and the guys around him really enjoy that, the banter, too, because it's always in a humorous fashion.
07:14 Appreciate it. Thanks.
07:15 Yeah.
07:16 Hi Steve.
07:18 Hi, Janie (McCauley).
07:21 Brandin, we all know Brandin's had the courage to step in there and take charges for a while, but I mean, he's doing it against still some really big dudes and just continues to do it on the playoff stage. And what did you see in the seven-game series from this guy, who just continues to grow and find — it seems like he's taking the shot at the right time, dishing at the right time and just maybe continuing to make strides now with the whole world watching.
07:48 Yeah, he's — first of all, he's got great feel for the game and I think that's what stands out, especially in today's NBA. Some of these guys are so young and they come in and they're not quite sure what they're doing and he just has an innate sense of the game. He's also incredibly tough, to take all those charges, to stand in there against those big guys. That's not easy, but he relishes it. As far as the series, I think it's a great learning experience for him. He had some huge games. He had a couple tough games, but I think it was all part of his growth and his development, that every game's gonna be a little different, but there's ways you can impact the game regardless of whether the shot's going in or not. But he really does a great job for us connecting the game and making it easier for Steph and Jimmy and that's an important part of being on this team.
08:50 And is Gary recovered enough to get his strength back that you feel he'll be — ?
08:56 Yeah, we'll see.
08:57 Okay.
08:58 Yeah, he was on the flight, but he wore a mask, sat in the back, away from the rest of the players and I don't know yet about his status for tomorrow.
09:07 Okay.
09:08 Mm-hmm.
09:08 Thank you.
09:09 Mm-hmm.
09:18 Anybody else?
09:20 Anything else?
09:20 Jerry (Zgoda), did you have a question from the Minneapolis side?
09:24 Yeah, just a quick question. Just what has Jimmy brought to you and can he be any more Jimmy when he's playing against a former team of his?
09:36 Jimmy has brought incredible confidence and stability to our team. He is a perfect fit because he never turns it over and we have been a high-turnover team in the past, but we've always thrived when we've had guys next to Steph and Draymond who can stabilize the game, whether it was Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, David West, those type of players. And Jimmy gives us that, so when the game needs to be settled down, he settles it down. He's got incredible confidence that, I think, fuels the rest of the guys. They believe in him, but they also feel his belief in them and that's really important. He's a great player. He's one of the best iso players in the league, so in a playoff game, when all else fails, you throw him the ball and he gets you a good shot. So all of those things, the competitiveness, the confidence, the IQ, the physical strength, he turned us around completely. We were below .500 when we got him and we've been one of the best teams in the league ever since, so he's a superstar and I don't know anything about what it's gonna be like for him to play against Minnesota. The only experience we had — we played a game in Miami this year — did not go very well for us, but I don't think that applies here. I just think Jimmy's a gamer. He loves to compete and I know he's excited for the series.
11:08 Can he get any more fired up than he usually is?
11:12 He's — what I'm most impressed with Jimmy is his poise. He's so competitive, but he never seems out of sorts and that's one of the reasons he's so good taking care of the ball and settling us down, but yeah, I'm sure he'll be ready to go tomorrow.
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