Keon Ellis, Harrison Barnes & Coach Brown | Postgame Pressers 3.20.24

Keon Ellis, Harrison Barnes & Coach Brown | Postgame Pressers 3.20.24

IC games throughout the season just to start off this road trip and given the tough stretch you guys are on from a scheduling standpoint how nice is it to to have a blowout where a lot of your key guys can can get a few minutes and

WR for um I think it’s big uh obviously you know is you want to get the the guys as much rest as you can so for us to come in and get a big lead like that and to where guys can rest I think that’s huge you know we play another game

Tomorrow so it’s another challenge for us so um definitely good for us to to to be able to uh restr our starters early and Mike talked to the media Monday about um Second Chance points and uh think points off turnovers against Memphis you guys obviously turn the tables with those numbers tonight just

How much of an emphasis was was that and how much did that help to um it’s it’s always a big emphasis for us you know those are extra points that that you know we can extra rebounds that we can turn into points so you know if if guys

Are crashing cuz teams aren’t boxing out you know you want to take advantage of that so that way it doesn’t put a lot of pressure on our offense to score um more and then on our defense to get more stops if we aren’t scoring so um you know that’s that’s always been something

Big and you know tonight we were able to come up with them so um you know that made things easier for us yeah what do you seeing from you guys defensively the last 10 or so just what are you noticing out there on the floor energy and the

Body language or whatever it may be um I think more communication uh you know guys being being in their spots um and then I think we with us knowing that us playing better defense leads to to easier points I think you know we’ve locked in more on the defensive end just

So that way you know if you get a stop you create a turnover now it’s kind of like I said earlier you just create easier points for the for the team so that way we’re not always in the half court and and trying to create and

Putting a lot of pressure on you know Fox and domas to kind of create for us so um I definitely think you know it’s talking helping each other out and US everybody being on the same page can you talk to us about the tradition of the crown and how much

Youall have fun with that how do you got tonight uh yeah I mean I think it’s it’s I think it’s a fun thing to to add to the game um you know I kind of look forward to to trying to get it but uh

Yeah I mean just just kind of give it to to the player who had the the best defensive impact and you know you kind of r on to reward guys for for that you know I think everyone looks at games nowadays and just sees that oh this guy

Had 30 points or whatever it is is and you kind of just want to reward the guys for for their defensive efforts you know you can’t win without playing defense so um kind of Shining Light on that side of the floor more for you is the team moved

To 7 and0 with you and the starting lineup what does that mean to you uh just in the few games that you had at um it’s good uh obviously want to try to keep that going but I mean I I just kind of go out there and do my job um try to

Be in the right spots right places and and just help the team win um and not try to over complicate anything you know if the shots there I’ll take it you know going on the defensive end and be in the right spots get stops and you know kind

Of get the ball to to where it needs to be so um yeah just just kind of going out there and and playing because I know the guys have faith in me when I’m out there so you know not second guessing anything just trying to play the right

Way what’s what’s the key for you in getting deflections and blocks blocks and Steals and all that like is there anything specific that that you do in preparation or that you think about um you know that that allows you to to get your hands on so um I think it’s there’s

A little bit of skill in it um and and sometimes I think I think of when I’m on defense I think about it like what would I do if I were on offense and I kind of just read the floor knowing like what situations we’re in like I know if

There’s a ball screen um you know the what reads or or what would be the open pass and kind of knowing what guys are trying to look for so anticipating what they’re trying to do you know what’s already open so that way I can jump it

And take it away um and kind of just reading like if you know if somebody’s getting blown by knowing that I’m the one to be in help I can it’s another opportunity for me to you know make a play or something so um that and just

You know just watching a lot of film and knowing what guys want to do which Which Way guys want to drive and uh I think that is that’s for the most part what uh goes through my mind at least when I’m out there thanks everyone bigger goals

But uh back toback years achieving 40 wins uh for the first time in 18 Seasons I want to say can you just talk about what that reflects in terms of the progress yall have made I think it just speaks to everyone’s commitment to want to win I think from a front office standpoint

From a coaching standpoint from a team standpoint I mean this is the most consistency I think I’ve seen on all three fronts uh back toback years since I’ve been in sack so um I think it’s been great to have uh you know some some regular

Season success um in a in a way and try to build that towards postseason and on that note you’ve talked a lot about consistency on the defensive end take it to the next step what have you seen of late that gives you hope for what is possible with this group going forward

On I think for us it’s just learning to win in different ways I think some of these games have been a little bit slower um you know haven’t necessarily been the pace that we you know like to play but we understand that you know coming playoff time it’s going to be

More physical we need to be valuing The Possession at at a at a higher level of attention and and that’s that’s what it’s going to come down to last one here from me is uh you posted about Keon’s impact as a starter recently and then he had another uh strong performance

Tonight and started lineup you just talk about the impact he’s having yeah I mean I I remember you know one of the very first days that Keon uh was with us um in Camp you know as a two-way and I saw him play a little bit and I was like you

Know he’s he’s going to be NBA player hopefully is here uh but he’s definitely going to be NBA player and I think uh you know he’s been preparing waiting for this moment um just to be able to show on a consistent basis what he can do and

Uh there’s some things he does out there some of the steals he makes the blocks he makes you know it’s it’s the only things that he can do so it’s just it’s been great to see him continue to to do that and show that consistently what do

You think it is about him his mindset his his skill set that does allow him to make so many deflections and Steals and blocks and this one I think it’s his mentality you know I think he’s he’s willing and determined to defend at a high level but two there’s just some

Things that are just uniquely him right I mean a lot of guys you know they get steals you know a certain way Keon’s running around like he’s you know a wide receiver going out and catching some of these passes we just like how did you

Even see that so um I think it’s it’s great that he’s in our rotation it’s great that he’s able to give us that kind of that lift and just something defensively different um than we’ve had previously earlier in the season you guys had to answer a lot of questions

About your free throw shooting lately that hasn’t been an issue is I mean is it just as simple as the shots are going in now or or what do you make of your guys improved free throw shooting this month yeah I think it’s just we’re making we’re making free throws I think

A lot of it is you know when when you make them it’s not really a thing right when you when you miss them especially when you start losing I think that’s when you know the magnifying glass gets a little bit more put on it and we’re

Saying you know what is it about free throws why can we not get over the hump it becomes a talking point in postgame pregame practice you know it just becomes a big thing where you obsessed about it but I think right now you know our focus is just how can we put

Together 48 minutes and I think that’s kind of allowed everyone to just play basketball you run out of things to say about the kind of consistency you’ve seen from demontis turning in these double double performances going over the half century mark tonight with the triple double yeah I never get tired of talking

About it cuz it’s it’s hard to do I mean if I think uh if everyone could do it everyone would that’s what Russ always said so and I think that what domas does for us every single night um it’s impressive I mean to be able to uh be a force for us

On the glass facilitate the way he does score the way he does with the type of attention that defense has put towards him um it’s something that I think you always have to bring attention to because a lot of people can just write that off as oh it’s just another triple

Double it’s just another double double um and unfortunately you know him and fox didn’t make the All-Star Game this year but I think that you know his continued strong play know was definitely all NBA worthy I felt we came in here and we handle our business the right way uh it

Was evident for us defensively uh that’s where the game turned we were up 14 late in the second we had four stops to end the second quarter three stops to start the third quarter and it basically went from 14 to close to 30 if not 30

And our guys understand that uh when we get stopped we’re going to give ourselves a chance to win because we can score the basketball talk about Fox sabonis they played 27 28 minutes and we still reached 123 points so uh great night for us especially defensively and doing the

Little things you know we pushed the push the pace with 30 fast break points we hit the offensive glass some that we’ve emphasized throughout our time here but especially since the All-Star break with with a 20 plus Second Chance points and then like I said just to top

It off you know for us to be able to hold them to 30 something points in the paint was a good night for us defensively what what do you make of Keon’s ability to to have so many deflections and Steals and block shots and what is it about his mindset and or

His skill for the last I I was talking to one of my coaches a couple of days ago and I was trying to figure out who he reminds me of defensively and I don’t I’m not sure yet he his his skill set is unique he’s his

Arms are a lot longer than what you think his anticipation in this feel for a young guy never been around it not not for a seconde guy that played in the G League his whole first year and got limited minutes so far I I I I’ve I’ve been in a league 30

Something years and I I can’t fully grasp grasp it because he’s so young but he plays like an old soul and his feel is like an old soul but he’s probably a little bit quicker than you think a little bit more athletic than you think arms are a little longer than you think

And his feel anticipation hands it’s early but they might be second to nobody I you know I’m not sure so it’s going to take some time for me to really figure figure him out but he’s doing he’s doing a hell of a job for us with

All that being said not to look too far into the future but um obviously that those things can be extremely valuable in a playoff series just where where are you at in terms of evaluating okay this this works right now in the regular season and how much of it is

Translatable to what could potentially happen in a playoff series where you at I I I think everything we’re doing right now we’re taking this thing one game at a time we had to get ton night you know it’s going to be tough on a back to back

Getting into Washington late we got to get tomorrow we have to win games and um he’s going to keep getting an opportunity so he’s going to keep growing and getting experience and everything he’s doing right now he’s not doing anything out of the box or extraordinary I think he’s just being

Him and he has the right mindset for it and so I think no matter what he’s doing right now or what we’re doing right now it all translates because our guys are dealing with the pressure and the expectations of winning basketball games now to put us in position to go into the

Playoffs speaking of okay mine’s unrelated to the game so if you want yeah speaking of the deflections I believe you said that uh tonight was a season high can you just talk about what that does for this team defensively and how it builds off the principles you’ve

Been preaching it it’s it’s huge because first of all it it kind of breaks the rhythm of our opponent’s offense you know you get a deflection here even if you don’t come up with it they got to go get the ball sometimes they pick it up

Too early because they had to go get it because it got deflected uh obviously a deflection can lead to turnover which could lead to easy baskets and transition uh but we’re getting deflections the right way we’re not necessarily putting ourselves out of position by gambling for deflections

We’re just playing big we always say hey play Big play Big play big and our guys are doing that and um so it also shows our activity and how much we’re into it mentally on the defense end of the floor and um you know we need it um

We could be a pretty good defensive team can we be top five like we have been the last four or five games I I don’t know uh for sure we can be middle of the pack and I’ve felt this way since the beginning of the year and our

Guys I believe are starting to believe that they can too and it’s shown in our last few games so the sky is a limit for us on that end of the floor as long as we’re into it mly and we’re active while playing big defensively improve free throw shooting

And also because from your standpoint you you obviously having guys shoot more free throws at practice um how how much how nice is it from your standpoint to not have to emphasize that on a regular basis well we we really didn’t emphasize it a ton you know

Because we didn’t want it to turn into a mental thing you know we just say let’s be more efficient and with that we’re going to increase the amount of free throws that we shoot in practice even trying to add some different pressure type of free throws for the

Guys in practice and and the guy the guys are all capable Shooters we have a good shooting team and they just put their minds into it they’re locked in during practice which translates to the game from the free throw line unrelated to the game today but I’m sure you know

There’s been a lot of hand ring around the league about you know the state of NBA offense and how out of control it is and whatever but the last couple years a three-point attempt rate has actually slowly come down and and even overall efficiency is actually starting to Plateau year-over-year so I was

Wondering your perspective on the idea that maybe the game can actually like balance and take care of itself versus the league or officials needing to step in and do something about the state of offense to slow where are you on that do you think it can take care of itself or

Do you think something needs to be done per se uh the game you know I’ve been fortunate blessed lucky all the above to be a part of the NBA for as long as I have been and at the end of the day the game just seems to take care of itself

Uh Adam Silva is a smart guy and everything he’s done has just enhanced the game on the floor and even off the floor so I don’t see any difference with it with the trajectory of the offenses right now the one thing you like that you’re seeing is it you know

It’s a grown-up game and there’s some physicality that you have to be prepared for in order to play and that’s the direction they’re going now I think that’s how they call it in the playoffs so let’s be consistent with it if you’re going to call it during the most

Important games then the regular season games are just as important to coaches to players and the fans so call it the same way and I feel that the consistency level is starting to to get there um with as skilled as everybody is working on the three emphasizing spacing emphasizing

Paint touch is and spraying it guys are just trying to convince their players to guard the basketball better play the pick and roll two on two instead of bringing more help and let’s try to take away the three let’s not give it up to opponents because for some guys it’s

Like a layup you know and then for me I know this year and we were really bad at it prior to the all-star break we’re trending in the right direction when it comes to contesting threes but I’ve never just like I’ve never had a team shoot more free throws and practice than

This team now I’ve broken down Closeouts to to what we call Hot normal players more so than any other time in my coaching career I mean we’re we’re trying to fine-tune it to the nth degree in terms of technique and it’s paying off J Jordy

Fernandz done a heck of a job as well as as the rest of the coaches but it all starts and ends with our players and and they’re doing a heck of a job trending in the right direction to try to take away the three mention foron what do you make what he

Was able to achieve in in those 27 minut and and it’s a shame but that’s who he is he he’s a walking triple double machine and I say it’s a shame because it should be celebrated a ton but that’s what he does and when he doesn’t get a triple double you

Expect a double double so he’s getting one of the two and that’s why he should be in the conversation for MVP that’s why he should be he should have been an Allstar uh especially with us being a top six team and being the only top six Team without an NBA Allstar but he’s

Going to keep doing what he’s doing and hopefully one day he’ll get some recognition uh yeah my question is about about Sasa bov obviously he’s he’s injured now but what are what are the next steps that he has to take to to get more more minutes in the

Rotation uh you know we’re playing pretty good right now and so it’s it’s you I’m not one just to pull a guy out to put another guy in so he’s going to have to work his tail off on both ends of the floor and and when he gets an

Opportunity he’s going to have to take advantage of it just like Keon did back in the day you know we threw him in for a few minutes here and there and every time we threw him in he bust his behind on both sides of the ball and now he’s

Now he’s stared for us

Keon Ellis, Harrison Barnes & Coach Brown speak to the media following a 123-89 win over the Toronto Raptors in the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on March 20, 2024.

0:00 – 4:24 Keon Ellis
4:24 – 8:34 Harrison Barnes
8:34 – 19:07 Coach Brown

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