Pregame Warriors-Jazz: turnovers/transition, Utah gets no credit due to lack of transcendent superstar
Also a funny Kevin Willis anecdote
Here are notes & quotes from Warriors-Jazz pregame with Steve Kerr then Quin Snyder. In case you gloss over it in the Utah-centric Snyder notes, Snyder revealed that California has an extra COVID test that NBA teams have to take.
Please keep a look out for videos on our YouTube channel; the pregame one is at the top of this post and clickable. Some segments will be used or combined later (for example, we have a couple Andrew Wiggins discussions that are awaiting more Wiggs talk to attach to).
KERR:
- Snyder good team? “Organized at both ends…the continuity really matters…they’ve been building to this point.”
- Draymond testing criticism: “guys are coming in sometimes at 8 in the morning then driving home…last night we had to test between 10 and 11…not a whole lot of fun.”
- feeling it with PDT? “It’s amazing how that hour makes you feel, in either direction, it sort of feels to early to be playing a basketball game (laughs).”
- sense: “we had two good days of practice…great to get an All-Star Break (but) one day of practice and a blow out loss.”
- Utah: “they get a lot of transition…multiple players who can shoot and pass, they’re very balanced.”
- favorite fan interaction moment, what we’re missing this year: “late in my career I was playing with Kevin Willis (41 years old)…had a great sense of humor…a fan from five or six rows…’Hey Willis are you single, my grandma kinda likes you!’”
- Steph birthday, favorite moment: “That was not my particular favorite moment. I don’t even know how you pick, it reminds me a little bit of playing with Michael Jordan…so many brilliant moments…too many to choose from.”
- Utah no credit: “people will always question teams that may not have the traditional look of a championship team…no transcendent superstar…who’s gonna take over a playoff game down the stretch, they’re a really balanced team…top three in both (offense and defense)…until you see it if you’re an NBA observer then you’re gonna question it…I probably felt that way about our team in ‘15…(Steph) wasn’t in the space he was now in terms of superstar status…I played on a Cleveland team that was really good…Brad Daugherty, Mark Price…plenty of teams historically…for Utah they’re kinda where we were five years ago.”
- Q1 avalanche: “it starts in transition, you can’t turn the ball over or lose your man in transition…in the halfcourt we’ve gotta do a better job in not letting them pick us apart. We’ve got a game plan.
- Dell Demps GM to coach: “advantage to do both…you already have a great sense of how the interaction has to play out…how important those relationships are.”
- Nico: “he’s tough, he’s a competitor, he’s a very good young player, does a lot of things very well…he’s twenty years old today so you have to remind yourself how young he is…help them grow…from one week to the next.”
SNYDER:
- using analytics in play calling? “We do, there are certain situations where I feel even more confident…condense what we do, specifically side out of bounds, out of FT…under-out was a concern of mind…analytically it can give you an idea of where to look…the best plays are the ones that are bad that players make shots…maybe it’s just Jordan Clarkson making a tough shot.”
- road trip establishing a trend: “this season there’s three phases…we’re entering second phase…everyone entering playoffs is zero-zero…look at where you can improve…not measure yourself…do that game by game…we didn’t feel like we played well…we stopped executing…sustain focus and effort…be honest with ourselves.”
- PDT? “This next week or so, schedules are even more difficult. Steve mentioned there’s a California test as well…doesn’t allow you time in the gym…the toll of the protocols, the fatigue of a mask…standards are even greater but it’s something everybody’s going through…stay safe and healthy…as Steve said, this is another level.”
- favorite fan interaction: “I have a favorite media interaction, Mark, and you’re my favorite…I would have to think about it (for fans)…when the Lakers turn the lights down, it’s walking into the Garden…when we’re at home.”
/end
SoCal has been a lot more open for life in general. It’s a 5 county thing that’s been the hardest grind. I’d imagine if the vaccine rollout is successful, and things open up more the Bay Area will have the largest uptrend in sports performance just in time for a playoff run.