Klay: “Jordan (Poole) is gonna be such a huge piece to this run we’re about to make”
[Warriors-Jazz postgame notes/quotes/video]
Steve Kerr, Gary Payton II, Jordan Poole and Klay Thompson did postgame interviews yesterday after the Golden State Warriors defeated the Utah Jazz.
You gotta love the confidence of Thompson especially predicting a winning streak to end the season this upcoming week and making a playoff run. It’s part of what makes him great. I wish more fans understood that the hunting of shots is no different than him saying, “I’m not sacrificing sh_t,” when Kevin Durant chose the Warriors as his first free agent landing spot. It’s that stubbornness.
There’s no reason to be mad about something that is part of Klay’s DNA, but then again people have trouble with Draymond Green tiptoeing the line with referees (more this late, as well), or some of Stephen Curry’s bad turnovers early in games, so it’s just the next level of enlightenment for the erudite observer. It’s actually more fulfilling to embrace things like this than complain about them.
Here’s the transcript for Klay, who had yet another super-entertaining ride at the podium, capped off with a paper airplane toss we’ve not seen since 2016 (I was actually there for that one, more on this later).
The video for all four guys is below the transcript👇
KLAY
0:55 • Feeling of the fourth quarter after a couple of games ago: “It was night and day…I did not help myself. Bad foul at the end. 1-for-10 from three. I just know I can flip a switch like that 🚨 and I knew this year would have its ups and downs. I just told myself yesterday it’s one game, that I’ll move on. I told Kenny Atkinson I feel like I was gonna have a big night tonight and it came to fruition so I’m happy it did.”
• Rudy Gobert drop coverage: “That’s not very smart. I’m not gonna say I’m not explosive to the rim but I just need to chop my feet and rise up when I have that much space. I did not let missed shots discourage me tonight.”
0:48 • Were you surprised they stayed in that drop coverage? “I’m not surprised but I’m grateful (smiles, then thinks that’s the last question, then pounds table when he realizes it’s not).”
1:01 • How much do these nights help you in the grand scheme of things? “So much. I take pride in my shooting, my shot-making so when I have big nights (starts to fold boxscore paper into airplane), I think about all the days in the dungeon, in the weight room, me and KB, Kyle Barbour, and the rest of the training staff just staying with it for so long, at times not knowing what the future held. I just kept with it and when I have nights like this, for me, it’s incredibly inspiring that I will get to the level I want to get to again. I know I’m not there yet but it’s in sight so I take these nights and I appreciate them much more than I did in 2010, I’ll tell you that much.”
0:36 • Are you able to enjoy those moments while they’re happening or does it come with reflection later on? “That definitely comes with reflection. I’m not satisfied when I have 25, 35, I wanna score as much as I can. I shoot as proficiently as I can — or efficiently — and when you’re in those moments you don’t think about hitting a certain scoring mark, you just think about getting great shots and staying aggressive and being present.”
0:55 • How do you see Poole with you and Steph on the floor? “We’d be so incredibly hard to guard and Jordan is gonna be such a huge piece to this run we’re about to make. 🚨 To see how much he’s grown since his rookie year, I mean, wow. That guy is — what a great player JP’s become and Jess only gonna continue getting better and as his vet, as the 26th pick (sic) in the Draft, I mean, wow. Already exceeding expectations and will continue to do so because he is one of the best with the ball in his hands (that) I’ve seen in a long time.”
1:34, 2 • Gary was talking about how much DubNation has believed in you. What was that energy like tonight? “I appreciate pot fans so much. Even when I come out to warm up for pregame shooting, to get the cheers from the crowd, i I don’t take that for granted. We were in Washington, DC and I was telling Damion Lee, like, wow, there’s so many Warriors fans here. This is incredible to see how much the fan base has grown especially since my rookie year and to see people wearing Curry jerseys or Thompson jerseys, Green, Jordan Poole, Wiggs. It’s so cool. It’s something that we don’t take for granted. It’s really special and I think people just gravitate towards our style of play. It just gets me really excited for the playoffs. I’ve missed them the last two years and I’m really excited to have a great week and get there.”
• Do the younger guys fully comprehend that? “Ha! I think it’s hard for them to get because they were, like, twelve years old when I was a rookie. I tell them, though. It’s like guys, it wasn’t always like this. Bay fans — is probably huge in the Bay. I know how loyal Oakland folks are. They were Oakland’s team for forty years and now to be the Bay’s team and to be kind of a world recognized franchise, it’s just incredible.”
0:48, 2 • Does this team have its legs back under it? “Yeah. I mean, I can’t wait till Steph comes back. That’ll be a sight for sore eyes. I’m sure for everybody. We just gotta — we should win these next three games. If we play with that energy we did tonight, a very winnable stretch to feel good about ourselves come season’s end.”
• Do you care about seeding? “I would like to have home court at least once, preferably. So, I do care. Yeah. (Ray ends it by saying great, thank you.) Ray, if this clears the camera, I never have to do a media session ever again. (Throws paper airplane, which missed badly.) God!”
👍👍💛💙