“It’s About Our Defense.” | Chris Finch Postgame Sound | 03.22.24

“It’s About Our Defense.” | Chris Finch Postgame Sound | 03.22.24

Hey coach just the energy coming out in that second half what do you feel like changed and how the guys stepped up Kyle especially in some different difference makers yeah I think uh just way way more aggressive um kind of into him a little bit more thought we were very separated

From him in the first half um and you know I thought also like offensively we were really fighting a game in the first half we were you know that they had a you know particular scheme and we were kind of playing right into the teeth of

It and um you know once we we got that corrected we were able to find some more kind of fluidity to our offense some easier shots um but yeah as ever with us it’s about our defense there’s so many different uh players you could talk about but I mean Mike Conley

Specifically what did you notice from him and how he was leading by example tonight well he was aggressive you know I mean they were sending him um you know certain directions and he just went you know and he really did a good job of just hitting the hole like a running

Back and getting downhill um being a aggressive um and uh you know I thought he you he’s we this is the how he’s been playing you know um in the last handful of games and this how we need him to keep playing and we had one two six guys

In doubles tonight uh everybody had a you know a bunch of assists too um which I thought was you know a sign of good good offense out there and we shot the ball well from the three-point line as a result so just like what everybody confidence

Level is at right now it just seemed like there was no hesitancy really from anybody when it was time their time to pull the trigger yeah I think that’s exactly it I mean you know the ball’s really moving everyone’s knowing that they’re going to get it I think they can

Anticipate when they’re going to get it um thought did a good real good job you know kind of getting off of it in a crowd they were wanting us to play into a crowd and we only did it a few times early um but your guys are shot ready

And they’re letting it go so after last year there times where you didn’t have like any Point cards what’s it like having the option to play three at once now yeah and plus nille you know if you count him and uh it’s great you know um J Mack is playing otherworldly right now

I mean he’s just come in and changed the games for us and just shooting was so much confidence and making all the normal jmch plays you know getting 50-50 balls competing for the ball in the air just flying around getting his hands on stuff uh you know and um I really love

Monte’s defense right now too um you know is really good um so you know we’re spoiled for choice right there um and I love the fact that they all like to play together and they all can play together so Chris seemed like uh Rudy got re acclimated after a

Handful of possessions that at the the beginning of the game how did his reintegration kind of go tonight um yeah I thought it was you know really active defensively particularly as the game went on and on and on um and you know defensively it was I mean sorry offens L

For him um you know they his rolling was key uh even though he was they were covering him up and you know really kind of taking a piece out of him every time he ruled he kept doing it he kept the ball alive on the offensive glass he had

Six offensive rebounds but he probably had another three or four where he kept alive other people got that was really big for us particularly in a game like this where um you know you’re struggling to at times find easy points so then you started uh Nas at the four to start the

Game Kyle to at the four in for the third quarter was that a matchups thing or uh no it was literally um you know I didn’t want to put Nas in position to get a cheap fourth foul where he like couldn’t then develop any rhythm in the

Game uh cuz he would have had to sit um and it was also kind of allowing us to maybe manipulate the matchup so um we could get like a spacing big out there against some of their fives um at some point in the game you know just kind of

Staggering those minutes so you mentioned that the point guards like to play together the first thing would be to think that they you know passing really helps but it seems like what they also do is vacate the Zone create space and create Pace yes I mean it it does seem like

When you have at least two of them out there everybody in the offense knows a little bit more what what’s going on and and they create those spaces yeah for sure I mean the the ball and body movement is uh a little bit better um they’re all shooting the ball really

Well too off of each other so I think that’s really um kind of a benefit for him um and you know they’re getting to the heart of the defense multiple guys that can put the ball down and get to the heart of the defense whether um you

Know whether it’s off the ball or on the ball so even when Naz got accidentally whacked by a teammate he just kept shooting the threes and making yeah yeah exactly yeah I mean um it was a really good pass by ant we thought if he went

Race downhill that might be there um he did a really good job and you know Nas was again shot ready so so it was good to see that one go in because he had missed some really good good looks earlier but uh you know stayed right in

The game mentally the fans like to to chant his name yeah I mean listen I mean he’s just an incredible he’s been an incredible story here uh the way he’s from day one changed his body kept growing his game plays with so much confidence and energy just you know

Whether he starts or whether he comes off the bench you know teammates love him um he’s got so much skill his defense has gone from strength to strength is rebounding it’s just fun to watch him get better all the time it really is late in the first quarter with

That smaller lineup um you had McDaniels guarding Garland and then Anderson on the fives um and you were able to switch those ball screens can you talk about that tandem together and what that gives you defensively yeah I mean I think uh there are certainly units where we’re

Able to do that um and with Kyle out there at the five those are those are the ones that we can do it the easiest you know um we can employ Kyle and so many different ways and pick and roll defense um and still maintain a good

Amount of length uh which is important so um both both those guys uh n and and and um and Jaden were outstanding on Garland uh made it tough for him all night he didn’t make a three uh and eight for 21 and the ball was in his

Hand a lot and um and everything that he he shot was you know kind of right where we wanted him to shoot it so Chris we we’ve asked you about Jordan mcclaflin when he’s come in out of the rotation over the last few years and your answer

Is always you know kind of you are expecting Jordan when he gets the opportunity to to deliver is what he’s doing I mean tonight and recently exceeding expectations in in any sort of way I would I mean I would say yes in that he’s you know just keep stringing

Him together um I mean he’s had his shooting is is his lights out um right now and they’re all within the flow with a ton of confidence um but you know he’s we we even when he’s been outside the rotation it’s not like he’s not a rotational player you

Know we at times we’ll have 11 guys here that can all play Rotation minutes and have played rotation minutes for us so um he just stays always stays ready whenever he comes in he’s he’s figured out a way to impact the game whether he hasn’t played for two days or two games

Or you know two quarters and um that’s what we love about him you mentioned the depth there some teams probably have guys you know 10 11 guys who can play but like it seems like a year 10-11 like they all are capable of looking like the best player on the

Court from your many stretches like what is that like just to have really anybody who can actually step up and change the game I think it’s U again it’s a tribute to the way that the guys are really sharing the ball and moving for each other on the floor because that allows

The opportunity for that to happen um and you know there’s a lot of really experienced and skilled guys on this roster um you know we’re not you know every like everybody we have you know things we’re lacking but these guys the the the collective is is is better than

All the individual parts and um that’s what any team should be and we have great experience you know it’s f it like Mike right now you know is rising the occasion you can see himself getting ready for what he knows is coming down the road which is playoff basketball

Where he knows he needs to be aggressive so thanks guys

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