Coach Taylor Jenkins Press Conference | Grizzlies vs. Raptors

Coach Taylor Jenkins Press Conference | Grizzlies vs. Raptors

Uh coach what would you like about the performance tonight uh we found a way I mean I thought uh both teams competed hard it was it was uh it was a struggle I think both teams you know uh turned it over quite a bit um you know missed a

Lot of bunnies both ways um but our guys was stood some runs especially when we took a lead um you know this was a great overall effort a lot of different guys Ste up um you know it was great to see Luke Catch Fire there you know JJ with

Another great night I think we had everyone on our roster had an assist tonight you know we continue to stress that um our offense is going to be you know wonky at times it’s going to look beautiful at times but I felt like coming out of the first half and the

Second half you know we get a 32o third quarter because we emphasized the spacing a little bit better and our just kind of next action mentality and um it was good to take that lead in the fourth quarter then you got to give the Raptors credit their full CT pressure denying

Things blowing up actions we had some wasted possessions some shots under a duress uh but we found just enough uh possessions there in that fourth quarter with stand you know possibly a really good late run by them how good does it feel to get a win two when you know

You’ve got so many uh guys injured right now to overcome that how is that yeah I mean it’s great I mean these guys have been battling um you know outside of the Chicago game on this road trip you know Minnesota they they caught fire in that fourth quarter and and we lost some

Steam um but you know middle of a a road trip for us to start off 0 and2 and still find a win against a team that’s you know playing extremely hard guys individually been playing well I thought guys did a really good job on quickly he really hurt us in in the

First game but you know give credit to Barnes and Barrett Barrett especially he had a heck of a night tonight um but you know impressive by our guys to keep just battling especially after a really tough one against Chicago just two days ago and um fact that we go out there and

Continue to try to just clamp down defensively make that the priority and then offensively share the Rock 30 assists um that’s what it’s going to give our our S A best chance over 48 minutes just quickly on jiren that first quarter six steals what you make of that

Effort yeah he was phenomenal I mean just his activity being smart whether it was on the ball off the ball I thought he did a really good job in shift help um in particular uh obviously you know he’s known so much for you know blocking shots but only one block shot and six

Steals will take that defensive activity those stocks as they call them but I thought he was great on both sides of the floor obviously allowed us to build a nice lead in that first quarter they made a run um but I think he end up playing almost the entire first quarter

Or or the entire first quarter uh but his defensive presence was definitely impactful um everyone always tells young guys to kind just be ready for their moment right and their opportunity um given all the challenges this year and all the injuries how proud are you of

What Vince has been able to do and kind of not just establishing himself as an NBA player right now but earning a place in the future yeah I mean I I’m very proud of Vince um you know it’s something that we’ve tried to make as a focal point in our program dating back

To my you know first year is you know guys whether it’s uh you know guys on Grizzly’s you know standard contracts or they’re with the hustle you know John conar is a great example of a guy that’s spend time with the hustle and got rewarded for it obviously recently now

With um Vince getting that opportunity it’s a product of their work and their understanding of you know how they’re going to impact winning basketball it’s easy for me to say that but behind closed doors what we talked to these guys about the work ethic the pro habits

The the discipline that it takes to develop that routine your first second year in the league um and it leads to your work rate you know what are the things you’re working on for the role that you’re going to play for us when your numers called is it through

G-league opportunities is it through play group opportunities is it even in in the game situations you know where the games out of hand um are you going to go out there and have the right mentality and obviously he’s doing a phenomenal job defensively assignments

He gets better one game at a time and he does all the intangible things blocks steals uh assist rebounds and then catch and shoot on offense make simple plays um really impressed and he’s only going to get better because we’re going to continue to challenge him and I know he

Got his opportunity this year because of a lot of obviously the injuries in front of him but all that stuff you were talking about were you seeing all of that kind of behind the scenes like we didn’t get to see that obviously because he wasn’t playing in NBA games but were

You already seeing all that stuff yeah and it was kind of one of those things just you know whenn that opportunity was going a pop you know you know you look at the schedule and there’s maybe opportunities but you know we’ve had kind of an avalanche of injuries which

Definitely opened that up but he been he’s been someone we’ve talked about dating back to the start of last off season you know on a two-way contract you know we’re going to need to make a decision there and hopefully he’s going to put in the work he did it all

Throughout I thought he played great in summer league so we got to see that um in the practices and in the games and obviously how he was playing in uh preseason especially just in the practices but as I said youall don’t get to see the play groups um you know and

Just his mentality we would challenge him hey even though this is a play group and you’re playing maybe with some video guys and and other guys out of rotation I need you to execute this coverage I need you to play this way on offense it’s not about you scoring 20 points in

A play group and he went out there and did it and then when his number was called he hasn’t looked back he’s just daily just gotten better and when he’s made a mistake or had a tough go here he just continues to pour into the work and

Find ways how am I going to establish myself defensively and be an impact player on the offensive side whatever is asked of me lastly on Vince just uh is there anything that he’s done so far in NBA action that has surprised you that maybe you didn’t even see whether it was

In the play groups or behind the scenes yeah I mean I wouldn’t say surprise but when you just kind of you you know he has an edge to him which you love um you know he may be a quiet personality but when he gets competitive you know you

See it come out of him you see him kind of you know not back down from guys one of the first games was you know luuka donic you know luuka was having a heck of a game but he didn’t back down he was picking up 94 feet you know they were

Jaw back and forth and all that stuff um seeing him carry that game in and game out just being locked in on a guy just trying to crawl up under their skin um and still execute you know Wise uh defense um you know that that’s been the thing that’s probably like really kind

Of stood out to me update on Santi yeah just some KNE soreness I think there was like a bang bang play um you know in front of our bench and you know after evaluation they just said hey let’s just give him the rest of the game and we’ll evalue him more

Tomorrow Santi um he’s having a bigger role this season just because of the injuries obviously what are kind of like the expectations for him for the uh rest of the season for me it’s you know continu to show versatility on both sides of the floor you know he he’s got

To continue to grow on the defensive side we continue to challenge him you know the physicality on ball you know we want to be a team that can switch more actions um so his presence on the perimeter you know being a guy that you know we can lean on whether you’re

Getting the rebound or not to you know grow into more physicality that’s something that we challenged him in you know at the beginning of the last off season I thought I saw him take some strides with that the national team and then obviously you know this season we’re going to continue pressing upon

That physical nature on the defensive side and then offensively a guy that can shoot it really well he’s got you know versatility with his playmaking drive just really making quick decisions we got a lot of guys kind of playing different roles right now and he’s got a really high IQ especially on the

Offensive side I would just want him to have an aggressive tone make quick decisions um and create advantages for us but also when that time comes the knock down shots keep repping them out um and shooting at a pretty high level which I know he’s capable

Of you guys we 500 on the road is there anything you can kind of sink your teeth into with with that uh I don’t know I mean we’re we’re we’re playing uh competitively you know on the road obviously the home record’s been a all season long uh we got to bottle

Something up here on the road and take it back home but you know our guys I think they relish opportunities you know the the extra Competitive Edge you probably got to have you know on the road that you know Road mentality as we talk about uh but that’s impressive CU

Last year it was a it was a 180 we were the best home team in the league and we were probably one of the worst Road teams so every season’s different but especially with all the challenges we’re facing guys are just really relishing going on the road hunkering down uh now

We just got to continue building on that home great thanks everybody appreciate

Taylor Jenkins meets with the media following a win over the Toronto Raptors. #nba

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