Coach Malone Full Post Game Press Conference vs. Memphis Grizzlies 🎙

Coach Malone Full Post Game Press Conference vs. Memphis Grizzlies 🎙

Coach you guys got out to a big lead early and it stayed that way just what’ you like about the way that the team started the game well I think the right approach you know especially when you consider uh our our travel day home yesterday from Portland was a nightmare

And so you know it’s a long day of traveling uh did not have shoot around let the guys try to get some rest but uh that’s the way you want to start off a five-game home stand very business-like approach very mature approach and uh you know we got contributions across the

Board tonight and uh that was really fun to watch some guys that you know with you know with Jamal and Aaron and Zeke all out some guys got a lot of minutes that they hadn’t gotten in a while and I thought they all you know made the most

Of those minutes so um that team right now Memphis they’re dealing with so many injuries so U you know we we know who they are what they’re about and you know tonight we caught a break with them having so many guys out but we took advantage of it you know we didn’t mess

Around with the game and I wish that coming out of halftime we were a little bit more um serious with our approach maybe but uh you know we’re able to kind of get back to playing the way we needed to and uh and get a nice win Christian Brown’s

Making the most of every minute right now I assume that that’s what you were hoping for when you gave him the spot start yeah I mean he’s he’s been doing it man I mean he’s just been you know in every area I mean the energy the effort

But now that’s also being you know 17 points five rebounds two assists um shooting the ball with confidence you know I thought earlier in the year he if he missed a couple he was hesitating he wasn’t shooting the open shot which was kind of there’s a ripple effect to the

Rest of our offense when you don’t shoot the open shot that kind of you know messes everybody else up but yeah I I think Christian Brown on both ends of the floor uh was just incredible tonight uh nicoa just made everybody out there better like he always does but I thought

Reggie was outstanding tonight I mean that you know when Jamal was out 14 games early in the year Reggie that’s how Reggie played every night you know for him to go out there and get 15 points eight assists to two turnovers a 4 to one ratio is outstanding but then

Off the Bench you know Payton Watson 10 and 10 three blocks and somebody asked before the game you know what does pton Watson have to do that’s what he needs to do and uh and and not even the 10 points we’ll take that but the rebounding and the block shots if he

Does that every night I mean he he he can really help this team uh I thought Julian staler I know I’m going down the list here but you know for a guy who was in the rotation for the first 30 five games roughly hasn’t played in a while I

Was so happy for Julian tonight and uh really impressive because he went out there and looked like he had not missed a beat I ran a couple atos for him and he he just knocked down the shot uh Justin holiday uh DeAndre it was uh really everybody that played tonight

Contributed in a very very positive manner what’s Nico’s mindset for to play in games like this in terms of a lot of guys might take the night off given he was questionable coming in he plays so often in these kind of spots what does that speak to about him I’ll be honest

Man I think Nico gets excited for a night like this and the reason I say that is all right no no Jamal Murray no Aaron Gordon um you know I wasn’t sure if Michael Porter was going to play so knowing that hey Colin’s going to play knowing that Julian’s going to play um

Like I think Nicole loves to help those guys I really do like saw it in the game in Portland right out of the break and Nicole was out there and Colin played great and Nicole just empowers those guys and and he’s communicating he’s talking to him in the huddles on the

Court but I I think his mindset is he’s going to play his game but he’s also going to really enjoy trying to um help some of these other guys that maybe don’t get regular minutes and to make sure that we’re getting the most out of everybody’s minutes and uh he makes

Everyone better once again that’s why he’s truly a great player is he ever going to get that shooting foul from more than half court I thought tonight was egregious I mean it was clearly in the act and I asked Shawn and I give Shawn Wright a

Lot of credit because you know we had a really good dialogue about it and I said I’m telling you you’re not giving him the free throws because of where he is and he says you know what you’re probably right I go because if if you’re

Looking at it from the letter of the law it’s free throws because he’s he he’s not playing checkers man he’s playing chess and he knows it’s about to happen and he sees that and he’s already in the SHO shooting motion when the foul happens but you know I get it I mean

Most people are not pulling up from three qu to court for a pull up three so I understand where the referees are coming and uh but I hope he gets it one day I hope he gets it and we can celebrate you mentioned Julian looking

Like he didn’t miss a beat what do you attribute his ability to do that to oh I think going down to the G like it’s funny man like young players especially they look at the g-league as punishment I got to go to Grand Rapids yeah go play We’re really good team man

Not a lot we don’t have minutes for everybody and so if you can go play real minutes in in a controlled basketball game in Grand Rapids Michigan uh we hopefully trying to do a lot of the same things offensively and defensively going make the most of that opportunity and I

Think you know he’s gone down there uh done his job and then just you know the continuous workouts and putting the time in and you know I challenge all young players when you’re not playing don’t be looking in the stands watch the game learn something watch great players on your team but

Also the opponents who you may not see every night try to pick something up every night so I think Julian’s matured he’s grown up he’s learned a lot and I I think knowing I told him this morning I said you’re playing tonight like just be

Ready to go and play your game and he went out there and did that so uh you know again very very happy uh uh for juliia on that point What’s the difference though between watching observing and actually playing to develop what’s yeah well well I I think

You know the experience is the best teacher you can do every drill in the world you can watch the best players in the world but ultimately you have to be able to go out there and do it and be given the chance to do it and most

Importantly for me in in relates uh in relation to Player Development being allowed to play through your mistakes and early in the year for the first 35 games Julian had a chance to do that he was a rotational player it’s pretty incredible we sit first place in the

West and this year we were developing Christian Brown second year player Julian ster a rookie pton Watson in essence rookie uh Zeke naagi a third fourth year player who’s not played a ton of basketball due to injuries and uh so I think Julian you know he’s he’s

Gotten enough games under his belt where he’s not going out there wide-eyed no he’s he’s been out there he’s gotten some real game minutes and he looked like he looked like that way tonight to me what do you see what do you see from her Tyson I know he’s in the same boat

Yeah he’s icing his elb up right now because you know he he shot the ball every time he touched it um but I love that I mean I’m joking about it but uh you want to talk about a hard worker man you know we talked about the G League

Hunter Tyson the last stint down there he he was shooting like 45 from three on 10 attempts he rebounds he fights he competes tough Kid hard worker um and you know like the first play we ran he caught it let it go and it went in so I

I like the aggression I like the confidence because for every shot he’s taking in a game he’s got thousands of reps and practice and off dayses and optional days uh because of his work ethic so uh it was good to see once again I mean hunter Jaylen Braxton Jay

And everybody else that played everybody go in there and have a chance to make a positive contribution and a and a good home win

Head Coach Michael Malone speaks to the media after our win over the Memphis Grizzlies at home.

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Coach Malone Full Post Game Press Conference vs. Memphis Grizzlies 🎙