3-19-24 Phoenix Suns Practice Media Availability: Frank Vogel and Bradley Beal

3-19-24 Phoenix Suns Practice Media Availability: Frank Vogel and Bradley Beal

Saying congrats to Gerald Bor Bor congrats man got married tied not huh you app way to go did happy for you man best of luck with everything it’s going to be great you got any advice for him advice uh do whatever she tells you to do and it’ll be just fine happy wife

Happy life obviously looking at Philly Maxi is a guy that that gets to the rim that’s three layer score that chall face yeah he’s as Dynamic of a guard as any in the league uh his speed is uh you know very few few players out here out

There that have his type of speed but but can also shoot with the range that he shoots shoots it with so um he’s become one hell of a player and uh you know we got to do a great job tomorrow curious with uh with um Isaiah is he

Going to be with you guys tomorrow yeah we’re not formally signing him till tomorrow he he did come into town uh you know today and um you know he was uh here but not participating in practice and we form an assignment tomorrow we expect to have them available tomorrow

What are you initially hoping to get I know you said depth for him but in a person world what would you like to get out of yeah we just uh you know get a chance to see where where he’s at uh you know with his his phase of his career

He’s trying to still uh compete for an opportunity so you know we’ll be watching his uh you know if he’s able to play in some of the pickup games that we have our off day bumps uh and whatnot see how he fits around our our group as

A personality he’s a guy that everybody loves you know what I mean like he’s he’s a very well-liked uh respected guy in this in this league in this uh NBA player fraternity um but we’re going to see where his game is at and um you know

Again I don’t know how much uh he’ll play for us uh he’s really here for from a depth standpoint because sa Le only has four games left coach you mentioned his character he was just known as a big loer room guy to in Boston if he is able

To continue and stay with the Suns how do you see him fitting in with this group and making the guys better as being a leader yeah well I think somebody that uh you know has been the best player on his team you know still uh transitioning to a different part of

His career you know where he’s trying to make the team and uh battle through the injuries that he’s faced through throughout his career I think those those experiences can be invaluable and you obviously he’s a winner you know so um you know when you have a a High

Character guy that’s a winner that’s well liked you he can be have a strong impact in the locker room coach what did you see on tape from Isaiah I just know his game you know to me it was just a matter of seeing that that

He’s healthy by seeing him play a few g- League games um you know and I had him a couple years ago we we looked at him when I was with LA on a 10day and um you know I just know he can play and you know we just we just needed somebody to

That we trusted that could give us some some minutes if we encounter some injuries you know during this stretch while he’s going to be here so um but watching him play you know in recent games in the G League it showed us that he’s you know functional and healthy

Coach when you look at Theo defense against teams that are really good at that like theel the Bucks I know Protec has been a emphasis for you guys where did it feel like there were the break was it overing or yeah awareness a lot of overh helping

A lot of short Closeouts um you know the spread five coverages uh you know gave us problems um we didn’t execute them well enough we have protections built in you know to keep our centers on the but uh we didn’t execute them very well um but but anything when you have a you

Know a three-point barrage like we saw in those two games they’re all shapes and sizes you know but uh the general urgency I thought we played uh really hard especially when we got down and you know battled to fight back in the game but you know the one area that we we

Didn’t play hard enough was urgency to to threo line when you you mentioned the sense of emergency when you look at the standings Lo can drop you from yeah we’re in the playoffs before the playoffs right uh all of us want to get into the top six uh we are confident

That if we are in a playing game we will win uh but there’s too many variables you know with a one game situation like that you know somebody can get the Blu somebody get a rolling ankle you know there’s just uh you’ve seen it in in some of these playing games where key

Guys are out and um you know we want to stay away from those uh those types of situations and um you know hopefully go on a run starting tomorrow do you sense that urgency from the guys to avoid the play as much as possible yeah not because we’re scared of it but just

Because everything I just said you know you want to finish in the top six and uh secure yourself coach I know you talked about match ups with f when to use not to use it in a small ball situation be someone that you’re thinking could be

The five Kevin at the four or or is that been part of the process and trying to figure out where he can and yeah I mean he’s really depth be behind our centers if we don’t have drew or nerk and um you know right now the the small lineups of

Of just putting Eric or Roy in there um with KD at the five has been a better formula but you know again F here for depth while we’re while we’re healthy you know he’s probably not going to play in those situations but if we have

Injuries to to some of our you know Roy Eric small ball options or to one of our centers you know then he becomes an extremely valuable uh piece of this puzzle so uh he’s someone that we uh we really trust you know in terms of his

Game and his abilities um but we have those those other looks first coach how can Isaiah help impact your perimeter defense obviously there was the barrage of three against Boston and also against Milwaukee so the offense is there with Isa but what do you see that he can

Bring to the table with proving that yeah well obviously because of his size he’s always been someone that you have to have to protect you know in terms of per isos and guys trying to post them up and things like that um you know but we have Protections in

Coach I’m also wondering final fours this week you’re obviously a Kentucky fan you spoke about them swear by them what were your final four picks I have not even looked at the bracka yet if if I’m being completely honest I saw that the Wisconsin Badgers are in it my

Daughter’s a badger and you know we’re rooting for Coach guard and uh all them guys up there in Madison getting ready I want I want a nice a nice fun tournament run for my daughter’s college experience so go go Badgers uh if they do get matched up with

Kentucky then you know then we have a you know we’ll have to figure that that out uh you know figure that out but we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it cat though too what were some of the biggest points emph and practice guard a three-point

Line by a mile our top emphasis um with our film session and uh did a lot of drill work you know just to double down on the urgency that’s expected of me uh with regard to getting better better defending the three and then offensive organization one of the things Grayson

Said after the game was that once they started hitting a couple he’s got to run them off the line but with the challenge and running out there knowing that they go by you and help comes and it’s kicking it to somebody else yeah I mean

You got to first of all you got to you got to continue and never stop rotating okay second of all you do have to get uh get to the three-point Shooters not only after they’ve made a few but to start the game don’t let them get going

And um you know a lot of times just fly by helps just just lead to another backside three you know with three drivve so um you know you got to you got to hopefully run them off uh to me we talk about arriving on a catch be in

Your gaps you know show a presence but know close out with urgency to arrive on the catch and contain your man that’s the best close out is when you get there you take away the three and you don’t get beat off the BS you look at Max obviously he’s Allstar you know he’s

A dynamic guard in our league now and uh just his ability he’s a three LEL Explorer his ability to get in the paint um and finish at The Rim High layups floaters uh decent touch at mid-range They Don’t Shoot Many but uh he can uh if needed and obviously he’s a

Three-point guy you know so great handles he’s he’s a force to be reckoned with you know we got to make sure that we’re uh attentive to everything um pressure for 48 minutes and making them making them make some tough ones down L like that been walking this

Before that much in the first half how much maybe bothersome or frustrating know that oh yeah for sure you know uh it’s definitely frustrating uh you know we mean it’s over now we we move on to to the next game uh but for sure you know we we

Definitely can’t lay eggs like that you know we we got to come out with a lot of better focus and a lot more sense of urgency than what we’ve been having uh that’s been way way unacceptable and we all know that so you know we got to be

Better these last 14 really lock in and it starts with uh with us three in our attention to detail and our focus and when we’re good and we’re focused and locked in the rest of the team can follow when it’s not easy when a guy suffers an injury or retires to get back

To this level back into the game what does it say about isaah Thomas that he’s been able to step away then get back to this level speaks volumes man because I’m I’m a huge it fan from competing against him for so many years when he

Was in Boston and uh you know being his teammate in DC as well like i’ I’ve got a chance to see him every single day put the work in and and uh you know the challenges that he went through as a player U you know overcoming some

Injuries too but you know to be able to come back now like you said it’s very unheard of uh but I commend him man I salute him he’s always been a worker uh he believes in the process he trusts his work and you know that’s just the

Evolution of today’s game and just the evolution of who he is you know he’s he’s always going to be a Hooper you know there’s nothing that can stop him or set him back um from accomplishing his goals and dreams and and he’s one that lives it out man so he’s a great

Prime example I feel like to kids and to a lot of people you know of just going out and just keep pushing you know no matter if people tell you no no matter if people shut you down uh he’s heard at all you know and to see him back is I

Love it and I’m excited for with the experience you had with him as a teamate what can he provide to lock room you guys right now uh one we all know he’s a good offensive player for sure but I think just his leadership his ability to

Be able to uh lead lead a lock room um encourage guys you know give his his his IQ of the game um which is which is super high I think he’ll definitely help me out a lot with running a point and just giving me some uh different

Viewpoints and ways that I could attack can attack that I may have not have seen before you know so uh and then just when we plug him in like he’s he’s going to be dynamic for us he’s going to be a score he’s going

To be able to help us so you know we need that that shooting his shooting ability uh because we need more threes you mentioned his work ethic just what impresses you the most about it and just his commitment to get better and continue to evolve as a player I feel

Like you just said everything think but he’s all of those things you know um you know working think is something that you have to have you can’t necessarily give it to somebody you know um and he was born with it uh from when he was in high school you

Know everybody called him small everybody called him too small everybody said he couldn’t make it and he’s he’s checked every box and accomplished every goal that and roll off every nay here there is and I think that’s what continues to push him and motivate him and then he I know he has three

Beautiful kids that that he raises and and that look up to him so I know that pushes him and motivates him as well um but it’s just exemple I think when you just have that love and passion for it man you’ll do anything to get back to it

In film sessions like going over Milwaukee and the three specifically how important is accountability in those settings and watching those back oh huge and we had it today um one through 15 everybody needs to be better with guarding a three-point line have more of a sense of urgency of guarding our guys

And getting out to Shooters um especially when teams you know have uh stretch FES who can shoot I think that’s kind of what’s been kicking our butt a little bit uh as of late so we got to be a lot better with that um understanding personnel and just big sense of urgency

Like it’s go time what is the mid game adjustment like as a Defender when you have certain guys that you’re okay with shooting but once they knock down up you and making the adjustment there yeah that’s tough I mean we have to avoid those things like obviously you’re going

To make adjustments guys are Pros you know they’re they they lace them up just like we do uh but at the same time we can we can control a lot of the threes that that they’re attempting you know just not even getting looks up I think

That helps us with uh when guys are getting shots up and and you know getting good looks and balls Ro rotating and popping and they’re getting a good feel like it’s it’s it’s going to be tough to beat them that night so um I think once we do a better job of

Starting the game and taking those initial actions away we’ll be a lot better suited throughout the game mentioned the sense of urgency what does that kind of look like after a couple of game stretched like that is it conversations is it just kind of a collective acknowledgement like we need

To come out with more fire like what is that kind of that was a little bit of both like obviously we talk about it you know we we point out where we need to be better how we can be better uh but the biggest thing is is is just your

Commitment to it as an individual obviously you got to look yourself in the mirror and you know decide how you can help benefit the team and how you can just give a little bit more I think because that’s what we all got to do we

Just all have to give a little bit more than what we’re giv you know and I think that that’ll put us where we need to be but you know we got to we got to be honest with ourselves and and have like you said that accountability and once we

Have that I think that propels us to be a better team and better better fit team than what we we’ve been struggling with later lately this week marks of course marks Madness beginning on Thursday Florida Gators are in it you seen the bracket your top picks that’s tough man

Uh a lot of great great tournament games there was a lot of great conference games um a lot of upsets lot of teams you know clicking right now before returning uh I love Yukon I love coach Hurley and what he does I’ve always I’ve always been a

Fan of him so you’re still the Champs until you’re beating again so I think think you obviously have to keep them uh obviously my Gators but they’re in a tough little tougher region uh at Houston at the top think we could play Marquette in second round which is tough

For me because Shaker recruited me at Florida so that’s a little that’s going to be a tough one for me that’s going to be a tough one uh but I hope Shaka I hope Shaka does well I am I am pulling for him because he’s everywhere he goes he has success and

And he rallies his troops um you know so I’ll have a tough tough tough Marquette coming out of it’s that South Region Midwest is another tough one um Purdue Texas Tennessee I think but I think I’m going I think I went Purdue in that round I

Like Zach Zach’s a 74 monster we have the same agent too so that’s it works uh uh and my boy SE love at Arizona I hope I hope Caleb sees North Carolina in the sweet6 16 or leay whatever Elite eight knocks them off and finishes business like he should

Your one year you guys went to Le yeah lead eight my last game was here yeah and uh at footprint yeah the first question I was asked is are you going to the NBA right after the game it’s the craziest time ever I was like yeah

Goly can’t even sit through the pound or the loss like just what you doing now you ready to go right yeah was Louisville Louisville y y who was on that team oh that was Peyton SE Russ Smith shanee bahanan Gorgie D um who else Wayne black year yeah Russ

Was awesome those years Russ kicked our ass no Kentucky wonis ad ad D lamb yeah Cal told me to come join that team too I just I told him nah i’ rather play against you and I lost three damn times lost three straight to Kentucky

That year and we were up 20 at half in both in both home and away games and lost the games to say that Shaka is pretty much there was George Mason before then who went to the 2006 final four uh but he was pretty much one of the first to have

The mid Majors enter the final fourway took right after he recruited you yeah so Shaka actually left before I got to Florida so I still have that little I’m still mad at him for that you know he did all that hard ass work and you

Know you leave me once you know and then you go have success somewhere else uh him and baby patino Rick patino little little patino was like there too he left and and he went to Minnesota and had his success too so I was like you know you guys just left me out the

Dry uh but I I always roof for I’m always happy for those guys man those young coaches uh they’re super energetic and you you know they just they relate to the the kids a lot um in today’s game and you can see that they get good

Results out of them so I definitely I always I always pull for those guys sure my last question was about the fact that you mentoring Jay before he got the Boston and the Duke of course but what about Larry Hughes being the St Louis legend that he is with the bilans in

That great year they had in 98 under Charlie scon hour Schoonmaker spoon hour spon yeah yeah sorry uh no spoon is a great coach but Larry Larry’s an unbelievable Talent um I didn’t get to interact with Larry a lot growing up uh some I wish I I did

Have that relationship with him a little bit uh he was actually related to Jason and his and Larry and Jason’s dad played on the same high school team so they have that affiliation uh but Larry was was the prototype for everybody growing up like he and Larry I mean he and D

Miles and uh David Lee like the SE guys like paved the way for all of us to you know you know come in and and and make a name for ourselves and kind of see how it is to be a pro and what the Journey’s like you know so you know always salute

Uh Larry and commend him you know for being a Pioneer in that regard and and just kind of just showing us the way and showing us how to be Pros sure

Head Coach Frank Vogel and Bradley Beal speak to the media following Phoenix Suns practice on March 19, 2024.

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