PRACTICE SOUND: COACH MOSE, FRANZ WAGNER & WENDELL CARTER JR.

PRACTICE SOUND: COACH MOSE, FRANZ WAGNER & WENDELL CARTER JR.

Not going to happen not going to happen probably not coach how first off how was your break awesome the break was great the break was great to be get to spend quality time uh away from it for a little bit just to recharge get refresh

And get ready for the back end of the season did you get a chance to watch any of Pao and you know regardless how proud and excited were you like more than anything it was just being proud and excited and happy for him um you talk

About each each one of these guys um individual and unique Journey and that’s something that he’s going to have for you know for the rest of his life to be able to say what he was able to do the locker room that he was in the conversations that he had with you know

His peers and I you you would constantly talk about it when your peers give you that credit and they talk about how great you can become that means a ton and so it was just happy for him for that experience and to be able to do that how is this break different than

Last year knowing that a playoff spot is up for grab that you’re in that that you’re in that cluster in the east well I I think it’s great for this our group to understand what we’re capable of doing knowing you’re in that hunt knowing you’re in that fight and being

Able to recognize that you control a lot of that um how you play on a consistent basis um and we will continue to treat it the same in the regards of one game at a time uh and break it down if we’re doing the right thing by our standard uh

Win or loss we want to make sure that we’re playing our best basketball and we’ve said this from the beginning we’re playing our best basketball the last two months of the Season how much in that sense is being able to like take a step back kind of refresh how how important

Is that you know knowing the season’s so long but to get to this final you know 27 games spr however you want to just describe it how important is it to it’s so important for us to be able to to look back and reflect um I think of

Little small instances of you think of the Brooklyn in season tournament um what one game meant uh and now you can reflect back on that moving forward what do what does a one game mean uh in the in in the big grand scheme of things and I think our guys are understanding that

Registering that and willing to and wanting to put in the work to you know to have a level of success is there a sense of excitement to to to get back going knowing what’s what’s in font of you guys absolutely I I think being away

From it you know you you have a a higher level of appreciation for how much joy this team has for one another how much how much they like being around each other the work that they love love to put in for one another I think you get

To you get to reflect and look back and then say okay I love being in the gym with these guys another road trip coming up starting on Thursday you know what what are you hoping to get out of this one especially you know you guys playing all Eastern Conference teams and

Beginning with a tough opponent in Cleveland I think it’s great I I think it’s a great you know ability to see and test where you are uh what it looks like coming out of the break knowing that you’re going to look back and reflect again on you know what we’re able to do

What we’re capable of doing and taking each game one game at a time and just knowing exactly how we need to play in order to give ourself a chance at each and every single night and Pa obviously had a busy allar weekend but aola was well represented M winning the dunk

Contest trevel and G Le up next MVP just what what does it say about this organization the fact that they’re able to get it done on both ends you can’t say enough about the organization and the way in which you know Jeff and his group have done the the the research the

Studying the the the the due diligence to make sure that you bring in not just the talented guys that are capable of doing things on the court but the character guys that they have here guys that want to do it the right way and

They want to do it for the guys next to them I think that’s that’s from top to bottom um how how this group has you know carried itself Jamal what are some of the is you’ve earmarked for improvement from now until the end of the regular season

Well our group you know continuing to communicate at a high level both offensively and defensively uh making sure we continue to rebound the basketball defensively uh offensively making sure we’re hitting the glass and just you know diving back into our strength of what we’ve been good at through this entire time and that’s

Hanging our head on the defensive end but then the responsibility of when you have the ball in your hands offensively making sure that you know we have have everyone involved uh everybody is is touching it and that ball moves side to side and and that we get the best shot

And best look possible as a group how did 200 points look to you in the in the All-Star game as as a defensive minded coach I struggle with that one I I definitely struggle with that one but again it goes back to those guys had a great experience I mean how

Do you how do you take that and you know just build into the the the camaraderie that they had as being you know some first time all Stars some six and seven years Allstars some 12 and 15 year allars I mean that’s it’s awesome I I think that’s just a great experience for

These guys to continue to have with one another how does it feel to know obviously you had a first- Time Allstar this year in Paulo but knowing there could be more in the future with with Bron and you know more players in these allar as well I think we have that and

And it feels good to have those group of guys not just because of what they’re able to accomplish on the court and we say it as a group all the time we have unbelievable High character guys that you know they want to do it for the right reasons um obviously it’s a goal

That a lot of them have for one another for themselves but it’s more it’s always more about the team than anything and I think it’s so amazing that they can that that’s part of their Journey like you have to you have to love that that that this is something that they can mark

Down forever that they were able to experience that and be in that situation what have you made of France’s play since he returned from that ankle injury obviously he had I think handful of 30 point game plus point games um just how important is he is is

Is him staying healthy in the final stretch of the season and what have you seen from this since he returned I I think what what has turned into one is just making sure he’s healthy on the back end of the season but just the maturity that he continues to possess

And show uh night in and night out and that’s part of the communication what we’ve talked about you know because I think as coaches our job is to put these guys in the best position to be successful and a big portion of that is their communication and feedback with us

Uh and so I think he’s done a great job of doing that communicating what he sees uh what’s on happening on the court real time he and Paulo and our guys do a great job of making sure they communicate exactly what’s happening in the game so now it makes their lives

Easier and it makes us more efficient you know when marel was missing 27 games throughout that stretch when we would ask about what he was able to do how he was doing you kept bringing up the fact that you know you’re trying to save him

Not just the Long Haul but the end of the season as well do you feel confident about his availability in the final 27 games I think that’s one of the things we’ll continue to look at right it’s it’s always going to be the nature of how these guys pull up after games uh

And we’re going to be smart about how we continue to do it you know you’re not going to break it in one game just to make sure that you know they feel good in that moment but you want to make sure that we’re doing the right thing for our

Team as as well as as as the young men that are out there every single night what do you like about that closing lineup with Jonathan Isaac out there well I think it gives us it’s versatile um you you have the ability to switch multiple pick and rolles you have Rim

Protection you have guys you know Jonathan does does a great job cutting to the basket uh as well as being able to knock down shots at you know late in that corner uh but again it’s it’s it’s highle defense uh it’s our ability to make the right play uh and these guys

Really do trust each other when it comes down to it take what were you able to do with your time off yeah just completely took the time off uh get my mind right get my body right um you know for this uh push towards the end of the season and uh

Yeah was able to get away tell my phone off for a little bit and just just live a little yeah did you get to tune in and see p at all in any of the events I saw a little bit I I’ll be honest though I

Didn’t uh I checked checked the app a little bit to to see what’s going on but um didn’t watch the whole game yeah I’ll be honest does the does the break feel any different knowing that you have a playoff push ahead of you you know these

27 games these final 27 games are going to have a lot of a lot of mean a lot of meaning maybe than they did for the last two years yeah um I mean I think last year I think we you know somewhat similar situation we’re still fighting for a play in spot

But obviously this year a lot more urgency um but for me that also meant it’s it’s very urgent to get away for a little bit cuz it’s going to be really intense and require a lot a lot of energy and focus and um I want to be

Ready for that so um and it’s always good to like unplug a little bit and um you know now I’m back in the question knowing that it’s majority of the same group and whatnot how do the last year’s experience help you entering this final stretch I think it just helps just

Playing playing a lot a lot of games together being in this in this spot again and um obviously it requires a lot of communication especially after the break but um I think we got a great group great chemistry and I think we just want to take advantage of of that

Of the vibe that we have and hopefully have a good good stretch towards the end of the year what was practice like today first one back after yeah not not too uh heavy um know just walk through some cont Concepts and uh some more basic stuff I would say

Just kind of get our legs back and um most important thing I think it’s good to to see everybody and um everybody to to come back together what did you take away most from that that three- game home s you guys had before the break

Obviously a lot of I know it it might feel like it’s been longer than than it was but you know some big games obviously the national television game win against the Knicks you know teams that obviously you know are in the playoff Mi as well I thought I thought

It was solid um obviously the the Thunder game I thought they played really well um I honestly didn’t think we played a bad game but I thought we saw um you know they they do a lot of things really well and um there are still areas

That we need to improve and um obviously that that’s what we’re trying to do here so um but I thought overall it’s not easy to play those games before the break um and I thought I thought we came in all of those three games we had really good Focus good effort um and

Good communication and um they over all we finish finish off the the stretch before the break pretty well is there anything individually that you’re really hoping to hone in on in this final stretch uh no I’m just more of the same I just want to have a positive impact on

On the team on on the game um on my teammates around me and um obviously it’s going to be ups and downs uh even from here on out but um yeah just want to take advantage of like I said the opportunity that we that I have that we

Have as a group and uh hopefully you know get a playoff spot you mentioned how difficult it can heading into the break coming out of the break it can be tough too is it an advantage to have a road trip and have to know you have to

Lock in or even playing a team like Cleveland that’s playing very you know playing very well entering the break and is pretty high in standings is that does that help you guys kind of lock in get back back in staus as as you we’ll see

Uh we’ll see I mean all we can do is you know control every day um you know that that we’re in the moment and uh do our best when the game starts and uh I think we’re prepared um we should be ready to go but at the end of the day uh that’s

What what makes it fun right that we don’t know what’s going to happen and um I know that we’re we’re going to enjoy it and and stay together as a group how cool is it that you guys have the chance to really accomplish something from now

Until the end of the regular season yeah super cool I think it’s uh Testament to to our work all year um even the last couple years and um I think we put us in a in a pretty good spot and um yeah but obviously we got 27 really important

Games coming up and we need everybody to to be really locked in and um yeah be be in a good spot mentally and physically yeah you said playoff spot a little bit ago the fact that you pushing for a play in spot last year you’re now pushing for

A play is that is that the goal to get that sixc potentially uh yeah I think if we look at the standings obviously it’s uh not going to be easy and um there’s a lot of teams competing for for those uh for those spots um but I think we everybody

Here believes in the group that we have and um um like I said I think we just want to take advantage of of that opportunity um I think we um didn’t have an easy season not everything went great and I think we’re in a pretty pretty

Good spot so we want to like I said take advantage of that yeah you’ve been here long enough to remember what it was like to practice in the arena yeah how much nicer if at all is this place compared to that oh I mean the Kia center now

Obviously uh uh it’s great but um I think there’s just a way different feeling um probably the best facility in the league and um I think everybody that’s working here every day uh feels the same and knows to appreciate that as well I think we’re uh it’s it’s always

Great when you come into work and um you know you’re happy to be there and um don’t just try to get out of there right away I think that’s always always a cool cool feeling and I think just adds to a good VI that we have here have you got a

Favorite feature of this place favorite feature I would probably say I would just say honestly the the communal kind of feeling um you know the lobby area we uh we’re not just around players or around coaches that we see every day but we get to meet and see

Some of the other people that work here and and have an impact on the organization which I think uh is really cool I know you said you followed you know bits and pieces of Po all weend but just how how amazing is it and how proud

Of you of him you know just to see that he got that really Qui toes te it’s awesome man uh he works so hard and deserves all of that and it’s just uh I’m sure it’s it’s uh it’s really cool for him um it’s really cool

For for us as teammates and for the whole organization I think to to you know have him be a part of that and represent us represent us there and be around all those all those great players um know I’m sure it means a lot to him

And um super happy to see him happy like that I know it was a really cool cool moment for all of us do you have Ambitions of joining him next year in San Francisco uh I mean I think everybody would love to be a part

Of that um but if it happens happens um yeah I’m I’m more worried about about the season and then team success other I would say does it help you get back in the swing of things to have a media availability right after your first prce

Yeah I’m I think it did yeah I think uh Good Start Good Start yeah good to see you guys you step toe how was the break D it was good much needed good reset ready to knock out these next 27 games all good did you

Have a chance to watch pal at all or uh yeah for sure I uh I checked into the All-Star Game a little bit it was kind of hard to watch it wasn’t wasn’t that competitive but uh any time he was in the game I was definitely locked in for

Him yeah how different is this final stretch of the Season compared to last year’s um if at all how you know the fact that you’re going for the playoff spot as suppos to go play in uh yeah it’s it’s it’s just a lot more attention to detail each game um not

That it wasn’t before but I mean us being human like of course like every game we making every game matter every game counts no matter who we’re playing against and uh just trying to give us ourselves gives our give ourselves the best shot going into the

Playoffs being a really good seed so um you know anywhere that that five six seven range I feel like it’s very achievable for us so um yeah that’s that’s kind of what we’re shoting for right now how how important was it then to get a little bit of a break to kind

Of reset and and locking the season season’s long obviously it’s the same every year but but the season the season is long how important is it how important do you feel it was to kind of get a little bit of a break before you get these high intensity games to finish

The season I think um you know with this being my sixth year in the league and then last year was a little bit of uh us uh chasing a playing game like you look at these breaks now I look back at H those breaks when I even when I was a

Little younger and I didn’t really uh understand the significance of the break you know now that I’m in my six year 24 going on 25 like the breaks are very much necessary you know you you it’s it’s very important for you to like really let your body relax and be be

Prepared for you know those last 27 and then going into the playoffs you want to be fresh relatively fresh so uh you know I definitely look at the break as a I got a whole new perspective of the break than I did when I was a rookie for examp

So it’s definitely uh something I take a lot of pride in now for sure at this point how do you feel physically like how does your hand do you have any problems with that anymore or where do you everything feel pretty good you know

From my knee to my to my hand to my hand uh yeah I really don’t have any any issues right now you know uh knock on wood so um yeah about it you guys know what you’re capable of doing when you’re when you’re healthy you know you guys

Got a little little taste of that before the break for for this group how important was it to like you said kind of rela you know get get some time off your feet you know get some time away from from your games and get everyone

Back you know as close to 100% as you can be for the stru yeah like we we were pretty banged up um throughout the year so that’s another another aspect of it of letting everybody be able to kind of let their bodies recover then it’s the

Mental aspect of it you know uh uh this isn’t necessarily a halfway point so we played know 50 plus games already so uh right how many games have you played 55 yeah so uh it’s uh it’s important to kind of let your mind kind of relax get

Away from basketball for a little minute cuz I feel like you know too much of something isn’t always good so I think but just to kind of Disconnect from everything just disconnect from what the norm was you know practice every day game every other day just kind of be on

A relax enjoy your family if that’s what it is or enjoy your friends whatever the case may have been so now you can come in with a with a firstes mindset with your game individually what do you really are there any specific aspects that you really trying to Hon in

On in the second half of the season um I think getting back to the basics for myself um you know kind of what got me into this league and that was just being that hardworking guy you know on both ends of the Court you know crashing the

Old boys every time um being relentless on the defensive boards um second gr screens getting other other guys open and then taking my shots when they there you know I think that’s that’s what what was so special about me coming to this league is that you know I just played my

Game I played as hard as I can no matter what my role was on the team so I think just me getting back to that and not um doing anything outside of the norm know just keeping being really efficient in what I’m good at and just going from

There you guys jump right back in with a three- game Road Trip you’re going to Cleveland a team that’s you know ahead of you in the standing does that do you see that as a as a positive like to be able to jump right back in because I

Know you know going into and coming out of the all store break can be a little bit can be a little bit of a challenge for a lot of teams as teams kind of get themselves back into it does does that heighten the focus knowing that you

Youve got a a road trip com coming up here no absolutely you know um I see as as a blessing honestly that uh you know we got to lock in a lot quicker you know uh the first game we going against Cleveland like you said know one of the

One of the better teams in the NBA so uh you know just once again give us a a taste of where we need to be at in terms of as a team and um you know give us a look at you know teams that above us you know how they’re playing because

Honestly before and after bre breaks you know teams play a lot differently you know depending on where they are in the standing so know they’re they’re a team that’s I’m sure trying to get higher in the rank in the standing so they’re going to come out give us their best

Punch and know we’re trying to climb up the standards also so I think it’s a great opportunity for us to just kind of see where we at as a team and what we can continue to work on going on sixth season in the league for you obviously

Uh I know you haven’t been in the playoffs I know that’s something you’ve always really been vocal about and wanting to be there just for you personally what would the playoff appearance this season mean for you well I mean it would be amazing um

This to get you know my feet wet in it I mean I uh I’ve been used to winning all my life and then once I got to the league I just never made it to the playoffs so um just to get that taste of winning again and

Kind of just where we at right now above 500 um I don’t take that for granted like I I really see it as a as a beautiful thing that you know I never really had a chance to be a part of so you know I give a lot of credit to my

Teammates my coaches uh of us just being able to lock in on what what was important which was winning this year so if we can make it to the playoffs man I know the job’s not finished but I would definitely it’ll definitely be an eye opener for me for sure

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