Jacque Vaughn on the Nets’ 112-85 loss in New Orleans

Jacque Vaughn on the Nets’ 112-85 loss in New Orleans

MEDIA. ENCHES YOU CALLED THIS ONE THE ULTIMATE TEST AND IT WAS GOING TO BE AN ULTIMATE CHALLENGE. WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST CONCERN HERE TONIGHT? >> YEAH, I THINK WE TRIED TO WARN OUR GUYS THAT THIS TEAM HAS A TENDENCY TO PLAY WITH LEADS, AND START OUT REALLY WELL TO BEGIN A GAME.

SO WE WARNED OUR GUYS ABOUT THAT. SO DISAPPOINTED THAT WE DIDN’T MATCH THEIR INTENSITY AND PHYSICALITY FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE GAME. IT WAS LITERALLY THE FIRST PLAY OF THE GAME. SO OUR INTENSITY AND PHYSICALITY, UM, YOU GIVE THE CREDIT TO PELICANS FOR BRINGING THE FIGHT TO US. ENCHES YOU MENTIONED JUST THE

WAY THAT THIS PELICAN TEAM SET THE TONE. AFTER THAT TONE WAS SET, WHAT DID YOU SEE FROM YOUR GUYS AND THEIR INABILITY TO MATCH IT LIKE YOU MENTION? >> YEAH, FOR ME, MEGHAN, DID I TELL THE GROUP, BUT FOR ME IT IS HOW WE RESPONDED. I WAS, UM, VERY CONCERNED HOW WE RESPONDED.

WE’VE BEEN A TEAM TO BE ABLE TO STEP UP TO CHALLENGES, AND WE DIDN’T DO A LOT OF THINGS WELL TONIGHT. WE DIDN’T SHOOT THE BASKETBALL WELL. WE DIDN’T REBOUND THE BASKETBALL WELL. WE HAD NO PHYSICALITY TONIGHT. AND SO WHEN YOU HAVE A LIST OF ITEMS LIKE THAT YOU’RE NOT

GOING TO WIN A BALLGAME. >> I MEAN, SHOOTING IN THE NBA, THOUGH, COMES AND GOES. SOMETIMES PASSES CAN BE A LITTLE SLOPPY. BUT WHEN THERE’S A LACK OF A RESPONSE, WHEN THEY’VE BEEN WARNED ABOUT SOMETHING BEFOREHAND, I’M SURE AD NAUSEAM, AND THEY DON’T REALLY RESPOND AT ALL DURING THE

GAME, A, HOW CONCERNING IS THAT, AND B, WHY DO YOU THINK THAT MESSAGE JUST WASN’T GETTING THROUGH? >> UM, IT REALLY IS LIKE A BOXING MATCH. WHEN YOU GET HIT, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO RESPOND? AND SO WE CAN’T THINK THAT MAKING SHOTS IS THE RESPONSE. THAT’S THE FIRST PIECE OF IT.

AND SO THE DEFLECTIONS COME FROM THEIR ACTIVITY LEVEL, THEIR ABILITY TO CLIMB INTO US AND REALLY PUT US ON OUR HEELS. TONS OF BALLS THAT WERE DEFLECTED, TONS OF BALLS THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO GET TO FASTER THAN US. NOW, THEY’RE LONGER, THEY’RE STRONGER, AND SO THERE LIES

THE WILL TO GET IT DONE, AND THE WILL TO DO YOUR PART AND GET OUTSIDE OF YOURSELF, AND IF YOU ARE REALLY DESPERATE ABOUT WINNING THEN YOU DIVE ON THE FLOOR, YOU’LL DO IT ALL. YOU’LL GET CUTS AND BRUISES AND YOU’LL GO HOME SORE. WE’RE NOT THERE YET. IT’S JUST SIMPLE AS THAT.

>> YOU MENTIONED OBVIOUSLY THREE-POINT SHOOTING THE LOFTON R LAST FEW GAMES FROM OPPOSING TEAMS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM THIS TEAM HIT 10 IN THE FIRST HALF. WAS THAT MORE, OF ALL THINGS, WAS THAO A CONCERN BECAUSE IT’S LETTING A TEAM THAT THIS ISN’T THEIR STRENGTH MAKE THAT A STRENGTH TONIGHT?

>> IT’S INTERESTING, THEIR ABILITY TO CLOG THE PAINT FIRST OF ALL GAVE US OPPORTUNITIES TO SHOOT THREES. BUT I THINK YOU CAN TAKE FOUR GUYS AND COMBINE THEM AND THEY WERE 1 FOR 29. WHETHER THAT IS CT, ROYCE, SPENCER, AND DO. I DON’T THINK THEY’RE GOING TO DO THAT EVERY NIGHT.

I LIKE SOME OF THE LOOKS THAT WE GOT. BUT OVERALL, THAT’S WHERE THE ABILITY TO BE MENTALLY STRONG TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT POSSESSION AND NOT LET THE MISSED SHOT AFFECT YOUR ABILITY TO GET BACK IN TRANSITION DEFENSE. AND THERE’S TOO MANY POSSESSIONS WHERE THAT IS HAPPENING. WHERE THE PRIORITY ISN’T THE

DEFENSIVE END OF THE FLOOR, IT IS WHAT’S HAPPENING ON THE OFFENSIVE END OF THE FLOOR. AND SO WHEN YOU DON’T FIND SUCCESS OFFENSIVELY, THEN YOU GET SHAKEN A LITTLE BIT, AND THAT CAN’T BE WHAT DRIVES US AS A TEAM. BECAUSE YOU’RE GOING TO MISS AND MAKE SHOTS, JUST LIKE YOU SAID.

>> I GUESS JUST TO BE CLEAR, WHAT I WAS ASKING WAS THE PELICANS MAKING THREES I GUESS AND JUST WAS IT CONCERNING THAT A TEAM THAT DOESN’T MAKE A LOT OF THREES MADE AS MANY, JUST TO FURTHER COMPOUND THINGS I GOLDEN STATE? >> I THINK FOR US IT’S ALWAYS

GOING TO BE WHO’S MAKING THE THREES. SO GOING INTO THIS GAME, IF DANIELS AND NANCE, FOR EXAMPLE, ARE MAKING THREES, AND SHOOTING THREES, THAT’S TO OUR BENEFIT BECAUSE WE’RE TAKING A RISK OF HELPING OFF OF INGRAM AND C.J. McCOLLUM. BUT THE START THAT McCOLLUM HAD AND LOOKS THAT HE HAD FROM

THE BEGINNING OF THE GAME MEANS WE WEREN’T FOCUSED AND CONCENTRATED ON THE GUYS THAT CAN HURT US FROM THREE. >> DO YOU BELIEVE IN MOMENTUM IN TERMS OF SHOOTING? IS IT SOMETHING THAT CARRIES OVER? I MEAN BECAUSE NOW, YOU GUYS LIVE AND DIE BY THE THREE, BUT I MEAN THE LAST FOUR GAMES,

THIS HAS BEEN A RONNY GOING THING — AN ONGOING THING. >> WELL, DIE BELIEVE IN MOMENTUM THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE YEAR, THE COURSE OF THE GAME, END OF QUARTERS, YEAH. I AM A BELIEVER IN MOMENTUM, BRIAN. BUT ALSO, I’M A BELIEVER IN, YOU KNOW, HISTORICALLY WHAT GUYS HAVE DONE, AND SO MAYBE

WE SHOT OVER OUR HEAD AT BEGINNING OF THE YEAR AND WE ARE REGRESSING TO THE MEAN A LITTLE BIT. THE REGRESSION IS MORE THAN I LIKE TO SEE. BUT WE ARE REGRESSING TO THE MEAN, WE WERE SHOOTING ABOVE OUR HEADS. NOW, THEREIN LIES NOW THE TOTAL CHALLENGE, WHEN THAT

BALL DOESN’T GO IN, THAT YOU GOTTA PLAY BOTH SIDES, NOT FOOTBALL. YOU DON’T HAVE AN OFFENSE AND A DEFENSE OUT THERE, SO YOU GOTTA PLAY BOTH SIDES. SO THAT’S THE CHALLENGE FOR US. AND RIGHT NOW PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY WE’RE NOT STEPPING UP TO THAT CHALLENGE. >> Meghan: JACQUE, YOU SKEET

GUYS’ FACES WALKING OFF THE COURT, HOW FRUSTRATED THEY ARE WITH THIS ONE. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE FROM THE GUYS AS YOU GUYS NOW HAVE TO TURN THE PAGE AND PLAY THE ROCKETS TOMORROW? JUST HOW DO YOU KIND OF BUILD OFF OF THIS, TAKE THIS FROM AND TRY TO IMPROVE TOMORROW NIGHT?

>> YEAH, THAT WAS THE CHALLENGE TO THE GROUP. I DO WANT TO SEE WHO RESPONDS. I THOUGHT WE HAD SOME PHYSICALITY TONIGHT WITH DAY’RON AND DENNIS THEY BROUGHT US SOME JUICE TONIGHT THAT WE NEED TOO. AND AS WE GET GOING, WE’LL GET IN A POSITION WHERE WE’LL KEEP REWARDING THAT.

THE ABILITY TO PLAY HARD AND ABILITY TO PLAY WITH PHYSICALITY. >> Meghan: DISENS HAD TO GET SOME WORK DONE IS HE OKAY? >> YEAH, I DID SEE HIM GETTING A LITTLE WORK DONE ON THE SIDE. AURA

Jacque Vaughn analyzes the Nets’ performance against the Pelicans. Subscribe for daily sports videos!

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