Warriors-Lakers postgame w/ Kerr, Nico, Poole, Steph: lost spirit/pride/ego
Curry’s “longevity award” as franchise assists leader
Here are notes & quotes from Warriors-Lakers postgame with Steve Kerr, Nico Mannion, Jordan Poole (only one question lol) and Stephen Curry. We’ll have more visuals on our YouTube channel later tonight, but above is the
KERR:
- recap: “I saw a lot of plays in the first half that were disappointing.”
- recap: “they’re a great defensive team…you have to go in with the idea that you’re attacking, to move the ball on…we didn’t go in with the intent (on passing)…we lost our competitiveness (in Q2)…we just lost our spirit and that can’t happen.”
- recap: “we didn’t compete very well.”
- Nico: “knocked down a couple shots…he’s always gonna compete.”
- Wiseman: “so many lessons to learn…so many pictures that you have to see and recognize…it’ll be a good tape to watch, losing vision, losing connection…but it was a team effort…our defensive wasn’t good at all from any position.”
- takeaways from three games: “last two days (is our identity)…who are we?…we’re 20-20 for a reason…we’re too up and down…we’ve got an important road trip…we need to step it up.”
- Wiseman goal tending: “he’s gotta be a half step quicker to the ball…probably in a month, he just has to keep playing and keep his head up…game happens so quickly…get the reps and feel it.”
- rotation: “we’re gonna stick with this rotation but the Number One thing…targeted gotta be a competitive spirit…we have to find and then we’ll worry about schemes and play calls.”
- Steph and Dray handling rotational change: “I talked to Steph and Draymond before I made this change…we’re a team that’s up and down but we’ve been up and down…we’re looking for a spark.”
Dumas - unavoidable growing pains? “We’re not giving them huge minutes. They’re coming in for stretches of the game. This is how players develop. They gotta play.”
NICO:
- recap: “energy (back to back)…I partly take the blame (as the point guard).”
- recap: “step late with everything…we’re good enough to do it…something we just have to lock in on.”
- improve? “Chemistry…the more we play together the better we’ll get”
- guarding LeBron: “Try not to let the moment be too big…you can’t be a fan when you’re on the court…one of the best players ever.”
- playing with Steph: “storybook…I found out about three years ago…dad played pro basketball and mom played volleyball just like my parents…one of the best if not the best point guards to play.”
Kerith - taking the blame: “I was told to come here…I don’t have any problem is saying I made a mistake…I could do better.”
POOLE:
- improvements? “Just getting a rhythm…third game after the break…more experience, more reps.”
STEPH:
- recap: “youre not gonna out-talent or outscore them so we have to do better.”
- franchise assists leader: “Kind of a longevity award…top of the list foe a franchise is pretty special, wish it were under different circumstances but I can take a second and appreciate that…obviously I love to score…assists only count if they make a basket.”
- recap: “they have enough shooting that they can space you out…LeBron…Montrezl was amazing tonight putting pressure…secondary rotation was late…exact opposite of last night where you have to protect the three point line against Utah…have to protect the paint (vs Lakers).”
- getting past average: “trying to say something different that I haven’t said all year…identity that has to show up every night…our expectations go through the roof…drop the ball tonight…winning is hard in this league…momentum is not gonna carry just because you played well before…we talked about the margins…you can’t have any cracks in the armor…put up a decent fight tonight in the first quarter then the wheels fell off…we gotta get sick of getting blown out because that’s embarrassing.”
- young guys: “it’s tough…expectation because we are a championship winning team…level of respect of what the Warriors mean now…me and Draymond have been there, Klay…coming from different franchises, young guys coming from college…a lot of noise but we have to stay consistent…hold each other accountable…high of what we can do and the lows…have a sense of pride about playing hard, playing physical, competing, just being dead ass exhausted when you come off the floor.”
- passing evolution: “had the ball a lot more in my hands than I did earlier in my career…I still try crazy stuff…I feel like I can make them and thankfully I got a little longer leash…reading the defense comes with experience.”
- positives? “Absolutely nothing…we got a game on Wednesday, there you go.”
- Nico: “it’s dope…means I’m getting older…can mentor…now they’re professional basketball players at this level…fifteen or so in the rest of the league.”
- how to encourage after a loss like this: “it’s about our pride, our ego as a team how we respond…blown out twice by them…admit that there’s a lot of pressure on us to take care of business on this road trip…you can’t look at records…these are games we should win if we’re playing our best basketball…I absolutely need to play better. It’s good to have a little pressure and sense or urgency.”
- LeBron respect: “always there…you get to see up close and personal greatness and I think he would say the same thing…a lot of pettiness…trash talk…during those runs.”
- Cameron Brink said he helped her be patient: “time in high school when she was trying to develop her jumper…even with her skill set and her physical presence…now to see her in college…I don’t even have to tell her much now…tournament coming up, big moment as a freshman.”
- toughness: “Her mom and her daddy.”
/end