Royce O’Neale and David Roddy Phoenix Suns Introductory Media Availability

Royce O’Neale and David Roddy Phoenix Suns Introductory Media Availability

Uh yeah I mean uh I was actually at home playing Call of Duty um uh but uh you know I was excited you know um you know hear about it you know as the days lead up and time leads up and then you know when it kind of happens it’s like a

Surreal feeling but uh you know just opportunity and you know excitement and you know playing you know with guys I used to play with and you know new guys and I’m excited to be here as a playoff tested veteran when you look at this team where do you feel like you can

Contribute and what you feel like you can br uh I mean you know little things all the intangibles you know be the dirty you know Dirty Work player uh knock down open shots you know try to make my teammates better any way I can and you

Know learn from them every way I mean take us as far as we can you’re reuniting with Kevin Durant and obviously get to play with Deon Booker and Bradley Beal just your impressions of being able to fit in with those guys ah I mean real well I mean playing with

KD last year um played with Grayson in Utah and then you know taking a challenger Garden book and and you know Brad you know playing against them but uh you know just to learn from those guys every day um you know try to get myself better uh pick up you know all

The little things I can from them and then just grow every day Roy Kell also nice to meet you welcome to the valley with your experience in Utah and Brooklyn how much does that help you for a role like this where you don’t know how many shots you’re going to take but

You’re going to maximize your role uh I mean it prepared me a lot I mean you know from first moment I played in Utah I mean not getting any shots to you know uh shooting 10 threes 12 threes this year uh I mean you know just expanding my game um you know being

Unselfish and then you know just being a great team player how much is passing a part of your game uh I like I mean I rather get an assist than a bucket to be honest so uh I mean got got a lot of guys in this team that can score so I

Mean scoring myself but then you know just being a playmaker you know whenever I’m needed you know getting these guys involved and winning many games we again did you see the game last night oh yeah I watched it so you saw that ball moving

You were like oh for sure I said I said I’m going to fit right in so I’m not worried about it dir Dirty Work ofense oh yeah for sure uh I mean that’s where I started my career playing defense um and then just every year taking the challenge of guarding the

Best player on all the other team um learning and then you know I like playing defense and I thrive out that so Roy you use the off a lot can you just talk about that and how that kind of affects defenses and stuff uh for sure I

Mean uh that’s my little special talent uh you know it gives me a lot of open threes and you know drives you know for my teammates but uh I mean just you know learning every day you know taking skills from guys that I can incorporate into my game so I’m Dana Scott and

Welcome to the valley again it’s wondering grew up in Texas obviously Kevin went there for it’s one and done here what’s it like uh I know you just talked about playing with him in Brooklyn but what’s it like growing up seeing a guy that you finally playing

With again here in Phoenix yeah I mean a lot I mean just follow his whole career you know from high school and college uh I mean I grew up in cleen which is right by Austin so um you know then going to camps you know close by I mean you know

Just the opportunity and you know luxury to play with him again you know he told me we was going to be teammates again after he left so here we are rce what were just your biggest impressions of this Suns team from afar at the start of

The season and now being able to join knowing that you’re going to be able to make an impact uh I mean I think you know the character guys they got um the way they play you know it’s a different style um guys you know guarding different positions um playing the right

Way so I think you know I fit right into that and you know I’m just excited to be that extra piece that we got talking about guarding different positions looking at your defensive film you have a tendency to be able to Stonewall guys when they’re trying to drive on you how

Much pride do you take in being able to play up a position and guard guys bigger than you normal I take a lot of pride in I mean just taking the challenge every night uh you know guarding one through five whever I got to uh it doesn’t

Matter to me you know I’m going just do me you got those quick hands as well on some of those swipes when did you kind of develop that as part of defensive game u i probably say like just throughout the years um knowing guys Tendencies um you know trying to beat

Them to spots react quicker than them so I think I’d use that to my advantage and then try to get as many steals and blocks I canang against a lot of the Western Conference guys for while Utah what’s your evaluation of what the West looks like and

Take I mean it’s talented all around I mean you see the you know standings that you know is going on right now games you know really close uh teams you know right there next to each other so I think you know night in and night out just bringing it and you know playing

The right way getting Le kind of you kind of oh yeah for sure I mean I mean who wouldn’t I mean it’s the NBA why would why wouldn’t you love embracing it so you making your debut tomorrow uh I mean I think that’s the plan you know

It’s first day so you know whatever I got to do play tomorrow if I played today you know if I could have got here yesterday I would have played but uh you know just you know whenever I’m called step up and be ready how much to kind of

Playing International ball and having to earn your contract in the summer league shape how you play on the floor today uh I mean it meant a lot I mean it was like you know one of the set in Stones um um you know bringing that overseas International game you know here uh

Learning you know more team Concepts and different rules and incorporate to that the game that I have now yeah you played with a prominent RI protector at Rudy over in Utah then you went over to Brooklyn you’re playing with a guy like Nick who’s kind of more fits a small

Ball type of style with his versatility so even though he’s a seven-footer but you come here the the guys that kind of has more of a small ball field do you feel like that fits for your style of play or does you know you adapt more to

Maybe something where you have a guy like Rudy or other big that’s like that in the middle uh I mean I think i’ just adapt either way I mean any lineup small ball tall you know um I think that’s just the versatility you know I’m able

To bring and you know that the team also has so from from your experience how tough a guard are uh Deon Booker and Bradley be and what’s it going to be like to be teammates with them now I mean I’m just glad I ain’t got to guard

Them no more but uh I mean just you know seeing the way that game evolved over the years um and then now be able to learn from them I mean uh you know being cool with them you know throughout the time in the NBA then now be able to

Teammates and learn more about them speaking of book when you were in Utah you guys had your favor sh battles there’s a lot of chirping both ways just that’s the type of competitive fire you want out of a teammate right oh yeah for sure I mean uh you know that means he’s

Going to go to B for you you going to back go to B for him uh I mean you know being one of the leaders on the team you know want to step up for for him and you know be there have his back Grayson’s

Had a great year here how have you seen him grow as a player since Utah to now a lot I mean uh you know just maturing and you know the way his game is taken off I mean he’s what number one and three-point n in the NBA right now so I

Mean that explains a lot and you know just just being proud of the way his journey is taking him what are some of the early conversations what have they been like with the players here uh I mean just normal we ain’t got too much into it

So I know you you talked about how you’re playing Call of Duty andle Kevin Durant like to play some so how much you looking right yeah we played a couple times uh before so uh I mean it be it’s going to be a lot of fun so who’s best on

Theck uh I mean I heard book was really good I haven’t really played with him yet so um you know we’re going to see uh play with KD and uh Brad a little bit so another off question I have the watch out he’s I know right I know see

Something I know another off the court question I have is what exactly is the life adjustment like for you coming all the way from Brooklyn you know to Phoenix obviously you just came within the past two years from Utah so what’s that like for you and your family uh I

Mean luckily I’m you know by myself got my dog I think he you know he was more in Texas I think he’s going to be uh back to with me um but uh I mean just an adjustment you know uh um I mean I’m not really you know worried about it I mean

I kind of been you know traveling and you know being going from overse to the NBA so it’s not really big adjustment for me either way I’m going fit in were were you surprised at the trade were expecting it or was something that came out of the booth I mean I was definitely

Surprised I mean you hear about it but you know you know you don’t never know what’s going to happen and then um you know as a time you know got closer and closer started realizing it’s going to be be more real and then it happen so

How’ you find out uh my agent called me and then you know tweets so any conversations you have with Frank and how you uh yeah I mean uh he called me right after you know the trade happened um talked a little bit you know

He told me I’m to fit in really well um you know one of the pieces that you know is missing on this team and he’s excited to you know coach me and I’m excited to be here was saying he’s excited not just to have you as a teammate again but as a

Human being so what’s one thing you would like Suns fans to know about Roy uh I mean Royce oil he’s going to bring it every day with his own swag and you know coolest guy y’all might meet thank you welcome to Valley just wanted to get your thoughts where were you when you

Heard about the trade and what were kind of your initial reactions yeah uh I was at home um you know we had a you know Grizzly had a Chicago Bulls game that night um and I received a call from uh Zach and he just said um you know hey

We’re just going to do this deal with Phoenix and um you know it’s something that kind of just came up and we’re going to you know seiz the opportunity so um I respected it I really appreciate my time in Memphis and uh for them drafting me so uh nothing but respect

And love over there and I’m just excited for this new Journey you look at this Suns team and what they are from far where you feel like you can slot in and what you can take yeah uh I mean man they’re they’re a great team uh you know

Loaded with star power so um whatever I can do to help uh you know guard defend rebound uh just make the right plays and and make their job easier uh it’s something that you know I plan to do um and I think it’s something that can be

Special here and I’m very excited to get to work James mentioned your physicality I know you like to drive quite a bit how do you feel about that kind of this yeah uh I think it’ll it’ll slot in seamless I would say um you know again

Uh I’m a physical player and uh you know I love to compete too so both offensively and defensively so um you know I think that’s something that’s really going to kind of show here and I’m just excited to to learn more and and really just get out on the court

David and Kell olon nice to meet you welcome to the valley where do you feel like you’ve grown as a player the most since the draft in the last year and a half man I’ve grown in so many ways you know on and off the court so uh you know

I think really just learning how to be a professional um and and how to stay consistent uh you know the cliche is stay ready so you don’t have to get ready but uh that’s there’s a true Testament to that uh part of this you know NBA life so I’ve really just

Started to learn that and you know can figure out a routine for myself and you know and just try to get better every day it’s been a challenging year for you guys in Memphis but with that said you were able to get consistent minutes now for the last couple of weeks how much

Did that help you kind of settle in this year not only this year but just in the NBA in general yeah yeah it really helped me um you know kind of gain confidence uh within those minutes uh you’re in a lot of game situations end of game situations that you know most of

The starters you know on a normal team would would be in and I would be watching uh I’m in I’m in the heat of battle so uh for that it’s it’s really it’s really um you know helping my you know growth in my experience so hopefully I can take this to this team

Your skill set in college certainly show interior you can shoot from the right how you uh I think it’s really just experience and just kind of being taught that and coached that when I was younger um always playing the right way making the right play is always going to be

Better than trying to force something up so um for me it’s it’s definitely um something that I you know rely heavily on and that’s just kind of how I play basketball how I fell in love with the game David for you personally what does the process look like kind of navigating

Fitting in with your new team getting here and building that chemistry yeah it’s it’s really just meeting the guys and and really just kind of talking and just getting to know each other and um you know I’ve watched a lot of film of them and I’ve competed against them for

Two years now a year and a half now so um really just try to help them as much as as possible and they can help me as much as possible uh getting accustomed to this new team and this new city David I’m Dana Scott you know welcome again

Obviously you come from Memphis where there’s a young superstar in job understand playing with him and now you’re coming to a team with three veterans Superstars and beeld Durant in the books so what’s that do to you for inspiration to prove yourself on this team yeah it just gives more opportunity

To learn um you know again those those three guys are are you know elite players and some of the best in the world so um you know for me to you know come in and really just try to learn from them as much as possible and and

Really just try to help them uh make their job easier David I’m Lena Washington with 12 news I’m just curious what you knew about the Phoenix Market this organization from the outside before landing here yeah um I actually did pre-draft here so uh I spent spent

About two months here uh before I got drafted and then um some parts of the offseason you know I have uh some trainers here and and friends here so um I’ve I’m very familiar with Phoenix um was uh just excited to be back in the city back in the warmth um you know

Before it gets too hot in the summer uh but um just excited just around just the history and the fans um they’re very very excited about this team and very excited about this organization so I’m just blessed to be here and what were the conversations like with both James

And Frank in this transition so far yeah it’s just uh they’re very excited for me you know to be here and um you know just again just excited to get get going and get to work when you go from a situation like obviously Memphis injuries really

Logged you guys down and come here to a team that has Championship aspirations as a younger value does that make you feel to know that a team like that had you on their radar and wanted you yeah it means a lot uh you know it means a

Lot uh you know just for me to you know be wanted in that in that light um and just again very very excited to you know try to see what you know kind of shakes out of this but I’m very very excited just to get to work it’s a big

Versatility driven League you screened a lot in Memphis and then you switched a lot in Memphis how much has that kind of catered to your game as opposed to like more the Trad structure of the college game yeah I think um the versatility part is something that’s um more

Consistent in the league um and I think that winning teams you know have to switch one through five sometimes and um I think that’s something that is very important and uh also having physicality as well on the defensive end can um you know and everyone can pass dribble shoot

I think that’s something that’s a key aspect to the playoffs was wondering about Colorado State coming from there and now they’re ping the the ranks this season so what’s that like coming from a team that was still trying to basically establish themselves as one of the best

In the country and now they are MH man it’s been it’s been amazing uh that that manifestation of you know from when I when I got there uh with our group and to see where they are now it’s just been it’s just been amazing uh trying to

Watch all their games and um you know trying to keep up with them texting all those guys um you know there’s not too many guys uh from when I was there but um I always try to stay connected with the coaching staff uh they’re all there

So um just try to stay as connected as I can I was reading sowh maybe I’m off it but I with the understanding that your mother’s pretty animated in a big part of your life can you just describe what she means to you and what should we look

For when she gets here yeah yeah um what to look for is just high energy um she has a glow to her so uh she’s from uh Northeast Minneapolis so you’re going to you’re going to hear her for sure um so uh yeah U you know I’m very close with

My mom and uh she’ll be on a flight later today but uh just very excited to to have her here as well she loves Phoenix as well so um you know she’s very excited David what were some of your impressions of the sun just having

Played them in the past yeah um like I said just start studed power uh you know with those those three guys um as well as just uh they play Fast um they play fast and want to get out and transition want to get stops and and and move the

Ball um and then let those three guys work uh I mean they have a lot of length as well um you know with nerk inside um you know offensive rebounding power too so uh very physical team and and a team that can make a deep run thank you appreciate it awesome

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