Porzingis “pretty good at jumping right back in”, Horford: “we’ll see the real KP”

[BOS-GSW videos/interviews/transcripts]

The very charismatic, smiling and confident-sounding Kristaps Porzingis told reporters last night, after a 17-minute stint in which he tallied 12 points, “It’s always weird coming back after a while, but I’ve had my ups and downs in my career and I’ve been out for a bit and I’m kind of pretty good at jumping right back in, you know?“

Noa Dalzell of CLNS and CelticsBlog told us pregame on-air that Porzingis doesn’t hold back and is very honest, so assuming physical health being what it is, looks like KP’s mind is in the right place.

Al Horford ended his podium stint by saying that Porzingis will “continue to progress and get his legs more underneath him and be able to play some more. And then we’ll see the real KP.”

Everything on the up and up. One game out of the remaining 27 post-All-Star-Break down, with one Wardell Stephen Curry out for at least five of those, as was announced pregame with the re-evaluation happening on March 1st.

The other major topic out of the postgame interviews was the team’s “swagger”, a term suggested by Ron Kroichick of the SF Chronicle, in the absence of Curry. I’ll cover those remarks maybe when I post the recap of the game on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube in podcast form.

It’s not all that bad, as most recaps go. The Warriors continue to have some ugly stretches, but they just need to play four consecutive quarters of solid basketball. In lieu of the lack of athleticism and average height, Kristaps can be that “unicorn” type that helps bridge that gap, even if it’s only fifteen to twenty minutes per night.

The 16-2 run that caused the first leak in the tank was largely due to the debut of Porzingis and all the rustiness and awkwardness around that brand new lineup.

What’s interesting to me going into the next game will be if Gary Payton II gets more burn. He was one of Golden State’s best players, if not the best, last night and he is by far the Warriors’ most athletic player now, with ironically a fellow 6’2” player in De’Anthony Melton ranking a distant second in athleticism, imo.

I’m not sure if more minutes for Payton means less minutes for someone at power forward or guard, though.

All postgame interviews and transcripts below…

00:00 STEVE KERR, POSTGAME BOS-GSW: ...looked good. It’s never easy just going to a new team and having one practice and, and playing, but you can see his talent, his feel for the game, his ability to space the floor, protect the rim, so it’s good to have him on our team, that’s for sure.

00:20 How do you look at this game in its entirety from, obviously, the very slow start to a — ?

00:25 I thought Boston was incredible. They’re having an amazing season and they’re a machine right now. They’ve done such a good job of — their staff has done a hell of a job with Joe (Mazzulla) and the group and they’ve got the continuity, but given the departures and the injuries, remarkable what they’ve done. And they just put on a clinic those first three quarters. We were slow to get moving. I never liked the first game out of the Break and it never feels great to have all that time off, so I felt like we were kind of slow to get moving. It was good to see the fight and the rhythm we found late to at least make it respectable find some momentum and rhythm for the next game, which is important.

01:14 It looked like it took Kristaps, a little bit of time to get used to the offense and everything. What was encouraging about what you saw from him on that end of the floor?

01:22 Just the talent is so obvious and the feel for the game. And you saw him post up a couple times and get buckets and space the floor and shoot threes and the game really flows when he’s out there.

01:36 I think Porzingis played first four minutes with Draymond, eight with Al, and then the last five as a lone big. I’m sure there’s a lot more experimenting to come, but did you learn anything from any of those alignments tonight?

01:49 Well, what we already know is that it’s harder for us to play two bigs without Steph. Steph defies all rules of spacing and without him it’s just trickier to play two bigs but Draymond and Kristaps and Al are all really important players for us and so we’ve gotta figure that out. And because we can’t — we’re not gonna just keep them separate from each other. They’re three of our best players and we’re gonna have to find better rhythm when two of them are out there together, for sure.

02:24 Steve, did you feel like Kristaps kind of found his rhythm a little bit more defensively there in that fourth quarter, second half? If so, what was the kind of difference between that first half and second half on that end of the floor?

02:37 Well, I mean, again, first game with a new team, it’s always tricky. You don’t really know your teammates. You don’t really have a feel for what’s happening, but I thought just from the first half to the second half, he just looked more comfortable and settled in.

02:57 Steve, you mentioned Steph’s impact on lineups, right, played two bigs? Six games now without him and at least four more, maybe more without him going forward, what have you sort of learned about what this group can and needs to do without all the various impacts he has?

03:14 Well, we know we have to play fast. We know we have to take care of the ball and crash, get second opportunities and we actually did all those things tonight. We didn’t get a lot of easy points in transition, but you play a game where you have 30 assists and eight turnovers and eight offensive boards, like, we did a lot of good things. But as I said, that’s a hell of a team and they played an amazing game and it didn’t feel like we really found our grit and our competitiveness until second half, till it was too late. So what we know is we have to compete like crazy for 48. And we got Denver coming in on Sunday. We’ve got a, obviously, a great — another great team coming in. We gotta be better from the outset.

04:10 If I could ask a follow up, is there also just sort of a missing swagger, I guess, is that the right word?

04:15 Sure.

04:15 Without Steph, I mean, how would you sort describe that?

04:17 Yeah, I mean this league is built on star players and playing through stars and a big part of that is just the confidence that those guys bring. And so we’ve gotta learn to play without Jimmy and Steph, both, and that means bringing the juice, bringing the energy, finding a little bit of swagger without those guys and it’s not easy, but we have to do it. We have to find a way. Thank you.

—

04:54 Hey Will, how was it kind of seeing Porzingis on the floor for the first time in playing with him?

04:58 WILL RICHARD: It was really good. Of course, we’ve been seeing him in practice, working out and stuff like that. Yesterday, we got to scrimmage with him a little bit, but it was good seeing him out there finally being able to play and he does a lot for us. He’s a mismatch problem, so it’s definitely great playing with a guy like that.

05:12 Will, could you feel a little bit of that rookie wall going into the All-Star Break? And was the Break good for you?

05:16 For sure. I probably felt it a month before the Break, but they said that’s normal. You gotta find ways to push through it and just try to bring it every day, but I definitely felt it. It was good to get a little break in, get back rejuvenated.

05:29 Rejuvenated, that’s the word. I mean, you scored 11 points in that first quarter. Could you just feel kind of your legs back under you getting that juice again?

05:35 Mm-hmm. For sure. I definitely felt my legs back in just try to go out there with the mindset of keeping it simple, taking whatever they were giving me and just bringing that energy off the bench.

05:44 To follow on Kristaps for a second, what have you learned so far just about his game, where he likes the ball on the floor, just spots that he excels at?

05:50 Yeah, he’s really good in that mid-post area. I know he likes to go left, so giving him that space to go left and get it to his mid range. And defensive end, he’s tall, can defend multiple positions, can guard the rim and stuff like that, so it’s good being able to have a big out there that’s able to do that and brings something to both sides of the floor.

06:09 Steve talked a little bit in the lead up to this game about how different the spacing is around Porzingis, how different really is, like, the approach with him on the court?

06:16 It’s kind of similar to what we were trying to do with Jimmy in terms of spacing giving him that mid-post and everybody’s spacing and cutting off of that, but I would just say Kristaps, I mean he’s 7’2, 7’3, so definitely a mismatch problem with him and being able to shoot more of that mid-range and stuff like that.

06:34 How would you describe just how difficult it was to defend Boston in the half court, just with how they put you guys in rotation?

06:42 Yeah, they were definitely a good team. We’re trying to keep them weak and going to their left hand, but it’s hard to guard guys when they’re getting that many paint touches and being able to spray out and keep us in rotation like that, so it definitely gave us some problems, but it’s something that we can learn from.

06:57 Will, what does the rookie wall feel like? Like, where do you feel that?

07:02 Everywhere, to be honest. I mean, it’s a long season and I feel like right before that Break, I mean, I already played 10 more games than I played in college, so it was, it is definitely a lot, but I mean, that’s what everybody has to go through. All my vets told me that’s normal and you just gotta find ways to figure it out and just try to bring as much as you can every day, so it was a learning experience, for sure.

07:23 Will, Steve talked — this is six games now you’ve played without Steph and Steve talked about the impact on the lineups, but beyond that he also talked about sort of the swagger confidence or bravado you guys have when Steph’s on the court.

07:36 Mm-hmm.

07:36 I mean, you have one of the greatest players ever, shooters ever. How different does it feel for you without him and how difficult is it to sort of duplicate that swagger?

07:47 For sure. I mean, everyone knows what Steph brings to our team, but it is hard. I feel like without him out there, we have to implement more, like, ball movement and stuff like that, playing together or running out in transition, trying to get things in the transition rather than in half court offense because with Steph out there, he can pretty much do it on his own sometimes and just make up for everything that we do. So it’s definitely hard, but it’s something that we’re learning. Gotta get used to with him being out for decent amount of games, so.

00:00 What was it like for you playing against your old team, and what was it like for you to see be out there with KP playing against your old team?

00:07 AL.HORFORD, POSTGAME BOS-GSW: Yes. It’s definitely a weird feeling going through that and then it was nice to see a lot of the guys, like I talked before, and getting — see the coaches and the staff and that part, but then, yeah, once the game got going it was all business and trying to do our best there.

00:32 Steve was kind of saying that it’s harder for you guys to play with two big men without Steph. What sort of changes for you guys as big men when you don’t have Steph?

00:41 yeah, I mean, I think the key with that is that defensively we have to be able to figure it out and be better and I feel like we are capable of playing with two bigs, but we have to figure it out. I feel like we have some of these games now to do that and obviously we hope that Steph is back soon, but in the meantime, we have to find a way to figure it out because we have really good bigs.

01:20 Al, sort of playing off that, beyond the strategic impact, beyond the lineups or the offense you miss without Steph, how would you sort of convey the bravado that how it — how does it feel different without him on the floor versus with him? I mean, he’s obviously a very unique player in both his production and his sort of aura, I guess.

01:42 Well, I mean, it’s a big difference. We can’t lie to ourselves. It’s — you try to do things and figure things out, but he just does so much that goes. We see the scoring. We see the amazing plays, but then also the way that your offense runs and the things that he doesn’t get credit for. And whether it’s assist, whether it’s layups, a lot of things that open up for the rest of us, so it’s a huge gap. It’s night and day completely, how we are with and without him.

02:23 What makes guarding Boston so tough?

02:27 I just think that the way that Mazzulla has everybody. And with that offense, they really do a good job of spreading you out and, really, they pack it up with with shooters all around in the perimeter. And it seems like they get consistent good looks and, when you get good looks like that and you get the defense moving, it just puts a lot of pressure. Not only do they attack, but also they do a good job moving the ball and they did that tonight. They they got to the paint and then kicked it out and got us in rotation and all the guys were ready to shoot a lot of the time there.

03:13 You’ve played with Kristaps when he was going pretty good there. What, tonight, what did you see from him in terms of, obviously, he’s rusty, hadn’t been on the court for a while. What’d you see from him?

03:23 Yeah, I was encouraged with him about him getting to his spots, being aggressive when he could. That’s — he can score the ball. We know that. And I think, to your point, he’ll continue to progress and get his legs more underneath him and be able to play some more. And then we’ll see the real KP, but I think for our first game after being out for so long, I think he did a really good job.

03:56 Cool. That it? Alright.

03:59 Thank you.

—

04:01 KRISTAPS PORZINGIS: Getting some energy back, feeling good.

04:03 You kinda got a longer run there end of the third into the fourth. Did you feel like you were picking up the rhythm there? You definitely looked like you were a little bouncier, a little more in the flow there.

04:13 Yeah. Yeah, I think as the game went on, it just felt better and better. And I think this is a good, like, first step to keep building. Obviously, lower minutes, had some opportunities, couple turnovers, this — like, I think it’s just a matter of time to get in a better rhythm from this point on, but a good first game.

04:34 Kristaps, how’d you feel about — you’ve got to play a little bit of time, a little bit with Al, a little bit with Draymond in different stretches. How do you feel like you fit next to them?

04:46 I don’t know. It’s hard to say. I mean, obviously, I know Al from the Celtics. And he knows me really well, so that’s gonna be easy, but I think with how vocal and how experienced Draymond is, also just a matter of time to find a good rhythm for him to see how I play and, like, catch up. He already knows my tendencies from just playing against each other, you know? But yeah, to get that rhythm you need obviously a little bit of time on the court and we’ll find it, but I think, also, I’m a player that I can find that rhythm pretty quickly. It’s just a matter of getting a better feel for each other and then we’ll be fine.

05:28 Kristaps, what stood out to you being on the floor with them, about that Celtics team and how they’ve stayed at such a high level this season with new personnel?

05:37 What’s the question, sorry?

05:39 What stood out to you about the Celtics and how they’ve stayed at a high level with new players?

05:42 Yeah, I think you have to give credit to Joe and the coaching staff, for sure. Joe’s a great coach, great leader for them and to have this team, to maintain that same, like, culture and probably be even hungrier with less talent, it’s — you have to give credit to that, for sure. And JB’s playing at a super-high level, leading them and they were a good team. They were a good team even without JT and some of us that were there. They’re still a good team and they have young guys that are playing super-hard. They crash the boards hard and they have a strong, like, culture there already so it’s, yeah, like I knew even without them having their full roster and all this, I knew they were gonna be good. And this is probably a little bit better than I expected, so hats off to them.

06:38 How quickly are you hoping to build your minutes up and some of that?

06:43 I mean, I honestly, as quickly as possible. Like, even tonight, I would like to go even a little bit longer. Even if I’m, like, exhausted out there, I wanna still push myself, but I know I have to take it step by step. It’s a long-term vision and just take it one game at a time, add a couple minutes next game, hopefully, and keep building from that point on.

07:13 Kristaps, I saw before you came in the game in the second quarter there, in the first quarter, you took took the — you went to the floor a couple times, ran across the floor, back and forth, bounced around a little bit. That just to get warm and get ready before you go in the game?

07:23 Yeah, that was just to keep moving, keep the blood moving and then, and so I’m not — yeah, just to keep, stay warm.

07:32 And when you came in, what were the things you liked about what you gained tonight and what didn’t you like about your game tonight? I mean, I know you criticize yourself sometimes.

07:41 No, no. I always stay like critical of myself. Obviously, like, I want to get in, like, perfect shape where I can go — I can not be a half-step late and just be on time, be quick and be quick on my feet. And yeah, honestly, I don’t — I mean, shot wasn’t perfect. Couple shots, like, were a bit flat and, like, these are things that’s just gonna be a little bit to catch a good rhythm and that’s it. And then, yeah, just again seeing like different coverages. Now, they know me super-well, so they were doubling from the beginning and putting a smaller guy, making us kind of slow down, post-up. It took us a little bit out of our rhythm, smart. I had a couple turnovers there, so just doing a better job in all these small things, making the right read, not turning it over, just building from this.

08:39 After a little bit of time off, did it feel like different or strange coming back or, I guess, how are you kind of feeling physically right now?

08:50 No, honestly, yeah, I mean, it’s always weird coming back after a while, but I’ve had my ups and downs in my career and I’ve been out for a bit and I’m kind of pretty good at jumping right back in, you know? And today, again, was the same kind of scenario that I’ve been in already in my career. And yeah, it felt all right. Felt all right for the first game back. Felt all right and just wanna keep building on top of this.

09:21 How determined were you to hold on that ball after the jump ball?

09:26 No, no, I was mad. Like, I was not gonna let go of that ball. We were down big, so I was already not in the best mood. So, but nah, it was just a cool moment with my old teammates and that’s it, just playful

09:42 That wasn’t like a scrimmage thing where you guys had practiced each other and had tussled with the ball before or anything like that?

09:48 Nah. No, no, no, no. I was just free-styling.

09:51 Cool. Alright. Thank you. Appreciate that.

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