Speaker 1: You know a lot of folks have asked Ross on
the post game show last night about Reed Shepherd about
the way he kept you out in the fourth quarter,
did not play in the overtime. It felt like to
me when you were answered in the post game, was
that there were some defensive things that were a part
of the entire package. Would that be the best one
to explain why you went with say, jabbarring Tari in
the extra time?
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean we have some coverage things that we
wanted to do with Embead and and different guys and
Maxi of course, and you know part of the game
they were really hurting us with their pick and roll downhill,
you know, not being one of our better defenders. But
it's a balance. You have to figure out what you
need to do, whether you want to try to get
stops or try to outscore somebody. And went with a
bigger lineup with the more sizes out there.
Speaker 1: You know, look, you and Joel are very tight, and
he had a triple double yesterday. I know he's been
battling injuries the last couple of years. Is it little
not necessarily bizarre and you look, you've got friends are
on the league. But for his guy that you developed
a relationship with. You want to personally have success, you
just don't wanted to have it at the expense of
the team that you're coaching.
Speaker 2: Yeah, you're happy to see him back out there and
being able to start playing through through some of the
things he's gone through. But at the same time, you
know ways to try to mitigate some of his success,
and I don't think we did that for the most
part last night, you know, reaching and fouling much too much.
He's averaged nine three throws game. I think we reached
him four times to give him eight, and then just
not taking up enough of the space some of what
we did to whom and Yama. You want to take
up the space, be aggressive there and make him put
it on the floor, and I think we gave him
too many comfortable shots multiple times.
Speaker 1: But it has been nice and I think every team
dreams of this eBay, that you have a guy that
has can be that microwave like Vinnie Johnson was back
in the day in terms of coming off the bench
and providing points. And it has been a second straight
game that reached jump shot has certainly helped you guys
get back into ball games.
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, definitely, he's becoming more consistent across the board.
We understand what he does when he's when he's scoring
at that clip and how it elevates our team. I
think it gives us a totally different look from my
men and Kevin and some of those guys that pick
and roll and s great to see him continue to
grow as far as that. Trying to help him be
more well rounded in general, but love the progress that
he's showing.
Speaker 3: Rocket Ted coach Imi Adoka was here on a Sports
Talk seven ninety and just kind of earlier to the
read thing in the lineups that you choose. What is
that like for you as a coach as far as
the process of you know, guys can be cold all game,
but then in clutch time they can start hitting shots
and vice versa. What are the things that you're looking
for when it comes to clutch time lineups and then
overtime lineups.
Speaker 2: Regardless of any point of the game. It's really consistency.
You know, we understand what certain guys are going to
give up good of us, their strengths and weaknesses, and
try to help them develop as far as their weaknesses
and so across the board, We want guys to be
well rounded, understanding other guys. Some guys have more of
a skill flip than others, but we want other guys
in those areas as well, and so got a good
deep team, a lot of versatility as far as that,
and when one guy is not making shots or not
defending at the level we feel we can know, its
multiple different lineups. Once we get Tari, Dorian and those
guys off of a minute restrictions, will be a little
bit easier to not have to miss mix and maths much.
But I think that will bode well for us going
forward with all the different people we can get out
there and play.
Speaker 3: Obviously, free throws were part of the issue last night
as well as I mean, what if anything can be
done throughout the season or long term, And we've seen
him in Thompson make a big leap in his free
throw shooting, and we've seen some guys just be up
and down.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean this really comes down to confidence and repetition.
You know, it feels like early in the season we
were shooting them very well. Lately haven't been as well,
but you have to stick with their routine. And you know,
we signed Tacks with guys to get up a certain
number per day and we have to stick with that.
And I think you've seen direct results from that throughout
training camp and early in the season with the numbers
we were shooting the percentages that we were shooting it.
So for us, it's it's continue with your reps, you know,
and then stay confident through that. If you're a guy
that handles the ball or gets a bunch of touches,
you're going to get the free throw line more and
got to knock those down and convert at a higher level.
Speaker 1: Could you help me out with what happened last night?
Obviously the ball with the Durant block and then there
was a loose possession. I thought if you grabbed it
you called the time out, there was going to be
time for you to have a shot. Did you any
clarity about why the clock was at point one before
the game ultimately went to overtime.
Speaker 2: I think they said Tari didn't have full possession of it,
which I saw him dribbling up, so tried to call
a time out and you know, get us the last
shot there. But I guess they went back and looked
or you know, consulted with each other and said, he
didn't have full possession, like he was still in the
process of grabbing it. So that's a that's the definition
I got.
Speaker 1: And you're not satisfied with that, are you.
Speaker 2: He'd like to get the last set and you know,
give yourself a chance there. But still a great defensive
play and we had our chances in overtime as well.
Speaker 1: Yeah, for sure, I made Doka with us for a
few more minutes here on the program. Kevin last night
thirty six points, seven rebounds, and like a true pro.
The one number that he looked at when he was
talking to the media after the game last night and
felt off he was the turnover numbers. Kevin's never been
a low turnover guy, but when he's so fluid on
the offensive side, it's just part of the game. Have
you noticed that he does spend a little bit of
time talking about the negatives when he was just such
a huge part of the team's offense last night.
Speaker 2: I think dinsis his mindset and mentality is trying to
be perfect out there, and you're scoring that much in
like I said, you give up twenty one points off
a ton overs in a tight game like that, you're
going to look at yourself and see that eight is
too many. And so whether it's just being not predetermining
what you want to do or being strong with the
ball understanding use the focal point. Teams are going to
go after him and he has to be stronger with it.
But the other guys have to sprint for spacing and
get their outlets as well. And so I always say
we should have might double teams and have those numbers
and pick it apart. And the first part is getting
the pass out of there, and then let's give them
such chance to do that.
Speaker 3: Big matchup just from record wise and measuring stick wise
with the Detroit Pisson snide and going into the game,
you know that it's going to be physical. You know
that these two teams have you know, had some tension
before in the in the season. Is that anything any
special messages like everybody keep their cool out there or
I know, we know you like this type of knockdown,
drag out game that it could be tonight.
Speaker 2: No, just be who you are, and you know we
both I think both teams welcome that. But you know,
you understand what their strengths are. They have a really
good player in Cunningham, and they are tecting an offense
rebound behind us, So since it's gonna be a battle
as far as that, you know, one of our guys
being down with Steve and other guys have to step
up and make up that difference. And yeah, we two
physical teams enjoy that side of the ball, and so yeah,
you always say keep you cool or whatever, but I
think beat you are and two teams will be ready
to battle it out.
Speaker 1: As far as that last thing for you may, we
just passed the forty two game marks, so we're a
little bit past the halfway point of the season. What
did you love in the first forty one and what
do you want to see differently in the next forty one?
Speaker 2: You know, overall, you know, when you look at the
standings and you know we're in fourth place in the
West right now and haven't played our best basketball buydings
any means lately. That's that's a good sign for us
because we know we could take it to another level.
Numbers overall being a fourth defense, our third in defense
and the fifth in offense, you're hitting some of those
bench marks, and then I think we're third and overall
net rating, So numbers don't always coincide with our closing
of games. I think that's the biggest thing with us.
We've been really good at times, and even games we
haven't shot that well or played that well defensively, we're
still in those games. It's just a matter of closing now,
and we're gonna have to zero in on that second
half of the season and to really get to where
we want to be.