“Rob’s A 1 Who Is A Bucket.” | Tim Connelly Post Draft Media Availability | 06.26.24

“Rob’s A 1 Who Is A Bucket.” | Tim Connelly Post Draft Media Availability | 06.26.24

any questions I not go with the free handles just I guess that was kind of how the de will can together you see that as a real option no we had I think three or four guys we thought um could be uh long-term foundational pieces and we didn’t have much you know to go off of we didn’t want to touch our um our our rotation guys coming off the season so we were uh you know we were trying to find creative ways to fin get there we think the DM’s explosiveness and his playmaking I think he’s a you know he’s a heck playmaker and his ability to play both on and off the box to talk to this year was it’s hard to replicate that skill set we’re looking for guys to could break the paint but to play a little bit faster and create for themselves and others and throughout the process our eyes kept getting drawn to robbed um and you know we were calling all around see we get something done we didn’t weren’t too optimistic with the nice stuff started and we’re lucky enough to to obtain a pick and we get get a kid that we think can really help us card I pray like that Jim some make for for no um no but you know what it’s San San Antonio and and those guys are you know really really bright so sometimes you want to spread the picks out you don’t want to have too many picks at once so I think it’s a it’s a win-win trade and um again we we were trying to address certain things this offseason certainly bench scory ability create for themselves and others uh the think do all the time breaking the paint breaking the paint playing the paint playing a bit more pace and all those attributes are really um Hallmarks said Rob yeah for sure now I don’t think you make a move as aggressive as this and and sit on him I think finchy was he he’s the best and you know I haven’t thought you guys so exended for his extension but um finching I watched him two days ago in his office for a long time know he was as excited as as we were so he’s a guy that from from day one’s going to have a role responsibility certainly it’s going to be hard for him but I don’t think you you’re that aggressive in the top 10 with a guy he don’t think s well prising the he like what do that do to the L up with all yeah I think what was really need watching tuck heally him and um him and Reed Shepard and I believe the roommates it was cool to watch those guys effectively off each other and Kentucky was scoring like an N it in second half is shoes um you know I think sometimes you look at a guy his size he’s dimin and um the think he’s just a bucking get you know he passes more than truth to pick the rooll I think he’s on SOL per 36 assists are very impressive so um and his energy is uh infectious he’s going to play fast you got to play fast with him at 19 65 lbs how much you going to have to protect him or basically do something with him on defense so we’re not going to protect him we’re going to challenge him you know we’re not we’re not here to hold his hand I he’s a very competitive guy there’s been putting examples of guys that are slight that are are plus Defenders certainly it’s it’s not easy when when you lack a Le positional side but he’s unbelievably competitive guy everybody we talk through from from high school to people grew up with him to Kentucky to OT to D competiveness is one of Hallmark so we’re we’re going to challenge them we’re not going to protect him right I the theik what H doing good then yeah I think we’re there you know you know obviously this be extremely challenging but we’re returning seven of our core guys we’re hopeful to bring you know hope bring um other core guys back you know fre is going to start soon but um we felt we’re there either way but we challenged ourselves this off season you how do we get more athletic how do we have more shot creation and the new Burly we didn’t think we can achieve those things and draft sit in 27 and the way the night broke and the the way the calls kind of developed um we were unbelievably excited to get a guy that you know we think is as talented win this draft yeah he’s another downhill guy nine nine free throws a game I think he’s a three position Defender the offs in the the off quar ration is Sterling we talked to the coaches at Texas Tech talk to the coaches at Illinois they they don’t say good things they say amazing things um obviously he was um on the wrong end of of reing force the situation and his ability to to play through that play winning basketball for you know a great coach of Brad Underwood um we just think he brings toughness I think he’s a unbelievably competitive guy he’s got size he’s another downhill guy another guy that’s going to play with Pace um you know you don’t you don’t take those two guys think how they’re going to match up together but our challenge was to try to play a little bit faster over the second unit and I think they got two of their fastest Mo athletic and aggressive guys in the draft we did yeah we did the time and it was I think it’s a I think it’s a shame that it’s even a PR note I think it’s a shame that say wizard Co quitted and I think it’s it’s you really dig it’s it’s a really unfortunate thing for a kid by all accounts and then relationship to great kid though uh often times you know we’re the minute your CU is it sounds guilty um thankfully went the legal process he he chose to go to F he did nothing wrong and um I just think it’s kind of it’s a shame he went through that and I think the Testament his Who as a kid and his ability to kind of just um play through obvious really C distracting what those testing they get get get that maybe like a perceived lack of ammo that might be required to get St yeah I mean we’re approaching a different Financial reality and we really want to put our together is and we want to so we want to bring back their own the so um then because of the LI trade we’re not we’re not Shock full of uh this so um we we were not optimistic at all again I think um I think it’s going to be a win-win trade for San Antonio they draft a great player in Castle obviously with wanyan they can kind of spread out their pick inventory uh so um we found a a part of that maybe both timeline the line and um but if you’d ask me at 6:00 can we get Rob Dylan and MC well faithful do you think that this um move can get your offense going by scoring in transition mostly I mean that’s the easiest way to bump up a 174 18 pic D yeah I think the ability to spread the floor again play in the paint and I think he is a really really unselfish player and he’s a very he was able to play both on and off the ball last year a lot of these guys kind of with his profile have struggle without the ball he didn’t struggle without the ball and he’s like competitiveness is something that is a Hallmark at this so any any anytime you can add a shot maker that that’s quick and he doesn’t play like he’s a buck 68 you know he’s he’s Fearless of the rim so I I do think the playmaking will probably surprise a lot of people when you look at him when flash he plays fast and is it pull-up free point here I think the playmaking is is underrated I think it’s something that BCI will really help develop and and we’re so fortunate to have him learn on our M conic you know and you throw him into the deep end and never be like the point guard or the second yeah now he’s going to play yeah I think he’s he’s he’s going to play he’s again we were pretty aggressive and we gave up a a pretty valuable asset he’s he’s a guy that’s from day one’s going to G the opportunity obviously it won’t be it’s got to earn to keep that opportunity but we traded for him to to play right away yeah ownership was fantastic you know certainly anytime you’re aggressive there Financial realities and know you think we have a chance we’re at the the big table so there’s no no time to get scared now about they about but you Le the second fin reality is come I mean really over that bit op the things that how much the D intact did he have maybe not just one guy but yeah a it’s a great question you know I don’t know how we can add this level of talent via trades which when I get off Court guys I don’t know how and we don’t have a take next Shadow you figures cross we’re not going to be um in 2026 the team they selecting top 10 so yeah I think we’re still learning and we don’t know exactly what it looks like um it’s weird right now that we don’t have second round second round right now it’s kind of bizarre but I just don’t I can’t think U of anytime dur um you get that high without losing poor pece and certainly it’s a real asset we gave up it can inhibit dealmaking moving forward but knowing the Restriction that you start to enter when when guys rly be paid um we just looked at it and we think how can you get a guy that be with the back we have TR deal what did I mean to get that done and why is it valuable for you that yeah I mean I’m there’s no value to be honest with you it’s just very happy super excited about the SE just uh you we’re in this unique time right now we have everyone involved is great ownership throughout the whole the whole crew has been unbelievable supportive and aggressive but um you he just trying to ensure that we keep this thing going and build off rooms last year was the super fun B well one defense he’s a one I mean’s he’s a a one who’s a bucket but but again coach C does such a great job last year he played with Reed Shepard played with Wagner played with Reeves and I think what jumped out at us is sometimes again the guys who looked like him at first glance tend to play southest basketball or we’re dribble on make quick decision he’s a quick decision maker and he I think his IQ is is Elite and the playmaking not just watching high but really digging in the analytics it’s we we were kind of really impressed by a guy that can balance that 15 wins a game in 21 minutes six assists per 36 um and pick and roll he more app to pass and shoot um the more we dug the more in cust us say what about they going take thought like what kind of w symbol isation behind why maybe Stand Out furthering a day to S ball and yeah I think organizationally we strive for continuity and this organization strug word that forever you know we have a good thing it’s keep it going T the staff have done the wonderful job and he has get a bunch of guys of be head coaches hopefully someone’s up to hire mic soon so I’m a big b in continuity and and our ownership is very is very much a big believer in rewarding a job World gun so yeah have a core group that’s committed it’s logged up they have a great coach great coaching sta you can you sure those things are in place you you can’t Ure wins and losses but you Ure that set the people that you have working together and they we’re all kind of Tethered to the same goal it’s kind of no ener with the success that he’ve had and each year we gotten better and better frch is is not just a great coach he great ey uh and you want to reward all those actually year and been continuity this this thinkig of my faces call seen the five in F faces for several years in a row and I think it was an accident on accessory that last is the stum degree because like that with the rocker it has a good environment for to Young B coming to this fight Beed you help the the war we’ve talked again we were there was a handful of guys were really aggressive within his drafts um specifically behind mik and I think all of them were envious not just of playing with ant but the Learned behind much now Mike’s um know he’s starting point guard and he’s such a giver you know a lot of vets um are in struggle with being a mentor Mike loves it so I I couldn’t think of a more conduc environment to growth than where we are right now with fish staffs behind Mike next to ant was just getting better and better um so I I think um we’re lucky but I think Rob luy and you do I look we were trying to create more easy opportunity we F to play a bit faster we have elad athleticism Anthony and Jade mnaz and at times um and and those guys have to take the challenge so at times we play them hit too slow those now Finch is a huge a huge going in space and Pace get out early getting out off and finding easy opportunities and I think you’re also trying to find often times of lers and skill up between hardest to me freen Fri so um you know we be want our second unit to be the best defensive that in the Le we’re not going to that going take shortcuts or protect guys but we do think we could get a little more athletic and create easier opportunities where the pressure to score wasn’t you know wasn’t so do B and that thought it was what I don’t know man this is like weird I don’t know um we had Derek FAL um hang with us tonight we talked about several days draft we had quy here yesterday we like tell us about these multi-day drafts um yeah we don’t know I mean we’re excited about 37 um yeah we’re excited the flexility potentially allow us there’s you got a handful of guys at first round grades that are still on the board but kind of Uncharted usually this is 2 hours later and we’re all exhausted and we’re working on two ways as the 10 so not really sure no value in that so yeah fans are still like so is like your longterm view like I’m here and is there a situation where ownership don’t know no I mean here I mean I should have opted out so I me speaks I’m very happy here um it’s become home love the guys we work with there’s Dereck right now um so it was just you know there is a a situation right now there’s a bit of unknown and a sign anything kind of extend the flection ability with a bit of unnown stoping blse um but it’s certainly not and E static to be year and I think we’re going to have of the year we have this year didn’t much better next year no I mean we just we still like to retain our guys that’s our goal we want to retain our guys now the market will impact that but hope again I’m I’m a Believer if you have a good thing you keep a good thing so you’d like to we’d like to come back largers looking the same maybe a little a little variance in the roster with these new draft faces but we really like you have and you like what we’re dilding so I the more guys we some back the better that simple you that guy in the past guys have C by the F and S heard that too like honestly with the house Mone my be saving kind of get that way one around on I mean all you’re doing optimally and it’s rare to achieve anything optimal is like we have this we don’t have that so what we we have you have a lot of good things the success in the playoffs the reg but we lack probably a guy besides that one just going get it um so how do you get that it’s free agency Li option free agency uh trades you know the guys that have value League wide we don’t want to trade them thirs and then you’re trying to get creative we thought he was the best shot Creator in the GRS so you it GS a focus on a couple other guys that really lik and thought we get one one of these three guys you know the give is is could be um aggressive and it could be a lot I don’t know how we can achieve that next two three years via fcy we don’t want to trade a CORI so um you thr it pretty simplistic thing you know and it I think we checked the major box that WEA last year right thanks I thanks

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