No, definitely exciting.
You know, the city's excited,
the organization's excited,
we're excited and we're looking
forward to the match up tomorro.
I know it's part of it, but yea,
I'd rather just play. But that's
I enjoyed talking to you guys.
For a guy who loves practice as
much as you do, you wish you had
a second week to prepare of exta
practice before this game. I
love pride. Practice is fun to ,
training camps fun to me.
But it's not about me.
Your players wouldn't agree.
No, not none of
them. None of them would.
Like rotationally,
what are you looking at?
Are you looking at an 8 man rotation,
10 man rotation, How does that?
How do you approach
that? Definitely not eight man rotation.
We're not built that way.
We'll go 9 to possibly 10 guys.d
how do you balance that?
There's been different rotations
coming out the stretch of the season.
Is it based off the feel or how
do you kind of approach that?
Yeah, you know,
I I have a little minute sheet .
Helps me prepare the different rotations
and how they're going to go, you know,
by the 2nd throughout the game.
And so I'll mess around with the
minute sheet and figure out who
goes in where and the different
combinations they're going
to be together on the floor.
I know it's not idle time in this moment,
but do you learn anything about
your guys as they prepare for
their first playoff matchup?
Is there anything that kind of sticks
out to you in this week of preparation?
You know, you try to get
a field if they're genuine,
if they genuinely believe
and and confident and locked
in and all that other stuff.
And we've had a good week of
practice or a good, you know,
3-4 days of practice and the gus
feel good about where they are d
the direction that we're headin.
And, you know, it's obviously is
different once the lights come ,
but I like where we are as a gr.
On the question of the the rotan
and and what you do with the bi,
how much of what you do with the backup
spots at the four of the five wl
be determined or dictated by hog
or small the Warriors are playi.
Most times I don't chase lineup,
I don't like the chase, chase lineups.
And so you know,
we'll always give different combinations
a chance if we feel that it's r.
Especially if we have players tt
are playing well and and if not
we'll definitely make a change.
I, you know, I wouldn't hesitato
make a change whether it's in the 1st
3 minutes or the last three min.
You
were part of that staff when you guys
were were playing some some othr
big guys off the floor at times.
Is it is that a concern of yours that they
might be able to do that to you. I mean
they're championship team.
I mean they they want it and.
They beat different types
of teams along their way,
not just last year but in previous years.
And so they're capable of of definitely not
just playing certain bigs off the floor,
but playing your whole team off
the floor if you're not into it.
So I don't look at it as just
because that guy's a big he's te
only one that has a disadvantag.
We all got lock in to play the right way.
Or else, you know,
being the championship level
team like they are,
they could take it to you, walk
around Delco at all and see
the excitement that's going on.
I haven't seen the stuff.
I went out a couple days ago.
It's Stels Bakery,
man. They got some good food over there.
They got this, Got this little vanilla,
little vanilla like cake thing
with little cream on it.
Ooh, that's really good.
So I've gone over there to get t
and the sandwich once this week.
What's the messaging from your family to you?
I know you're big on messaging,
but what is like your partner or your kids?
What are they telling you this
week? Well, they're they're
excited. They they keep congratulating
me for winning Coach of the yea.
They like, they can't believe i.
And you know,
you know at first you know wheny
congratulate you're like, oh co.
But after like the eighth time you're
like Dang, is that a good thinga
bad thing is like because you're like,
I we just can't believe it.
OK, I respect that.
So. So I'm not sure if
I'm loved or if it's what's going on,
but that's all they're talking about right
now. Get a bike ride in before the game.
No, not yet. It's the weather's
getting close. I almost
thought about riding it
down to practice. But close
tomorrow? Is it going to be
extra butterflies at all?
OK, so so my man Castra is is
Castra owns a mobile car wash.
She's coming to my house to wash my car.
So at 8:00 o'clock,
I got to make sure I give him
the keys to one of my cars and
then I got my son bringing his.
Car up to my house and so his cr
goes 2nd and then my partner's r
go third and then I have a buddy
flying in the town that we got
to get from the airport and we'l
grab lunch and then I'll come d.
So I I got a normal day.
I will my car will be because right now
my my windshield is really really bad.
Yeah. Yeah.
Yes.
Speaking of love, just getting
in your kids but also from your
former team and the Warriors is
what does that mean to you just.
Coach saying he voted for you fr
coach of the Year and just the
guys just loving on you 100% ofe
time. It's a setup.
They want to kick my*. Trust
me, I've been around him enough.
It's a setup, Don't fall for it.
And I'm not falling for it eith.
Screw you guys and till
this is over, Mike, the deli
deli obviously is, is is out.
But how valuable just overall fr
the season has his presence bee,
particularly given that you kno,
you tapped him to talk to the
team and that dinner earlier ths
week. Yeah, his his presence has
been remarkable for us because.
We're extremely young and experienced when
it comes to a playoffs and you know beyond.
And so to have him around with l
the experiences that he's gone ,
I mean you got to think about h.
And he's played in one at a high
level in an international city .
So he's not only helped our pla,
but he's come to us and helped .
He even came to myself and Jord.
And gave us some ideas that they did and
you know 2015 against the Warriors and
help and and and help with their preparation.
And so I play so hard.
He's always prepared.
Guys respect them because of th.
But his mind is,
is off the charts.
The guys were talking about howr
messaging has stayed the same fm
the training camp for the regulr
season now in the postseason.
How important is that to you to
to not change things up just
because it is the playoffs.
That's extremely important because you want
to have a foundation that you can build on,
not just for two weeks for the
first two months and then change
it up to try to start a new aga.
You want to be able to build on something
longterm to sustain that culture that
you hope is at a winning high l.
What's that? How do you think the guys are
responding to what you're implementing?
I feel like everybody's locked in you know
and and it's been a good week like I said.
So I'm looking forward to seeing us go
out there and try to execute against the
former champions or the current champions
because nobody has dethroned them yet
like this is being billed as go
ahead.
No it's no she means a time.
They both do they I mean.
It seems like you've been
listening to them forever,
you know when it comes to high
level basketball and so you just
appreciate them being around and
then but it shows they they they
do their homework and is they dt
just show up and call a game,
but they're very,
very in tune to what's going on.
They do their homework and thats
why they're special announcers.
People can rally outside today
and the excitement is really bi.
What does that mean to you
in this group that feel that
excitement for the series? I tel
people it's all the time.
I meant that, the excitement.
Turn around here and 2nd to nond
to be a part of it while we're g
through this is is an amazing feeling
and you you just feel good for the fans.
Like I said the organization and
and and the players and teams sf
too but especially for the fansd
you hope to always give them moe
just because of how passionate y
are and then you know they ther.
It's an intelligent fan base now don't,
don't. Think that they're just ringing
cowbells and and cheering and hooting and
holler and they know their basketball.
They know the game.
And so to be able to give them
more than just making the playos
is something we're striving for
is the battle in Northern California.
How much fun is that kind of aspect of this
being such a regional matchup? It's great.
I I love it. You know,
in in the playoffs obviously in
situation like this. You know,
we could be playing the Timberws
or we could be playing New Orleans and
you talk about a bear of travel, man.
So I'd rather do the Freeway Exs
Series on Northern California,
however you want to call, and I'm all for it.
Are
you
ready to call
your first time out during
this time of the year?
You know, hopefully we,
we know what we're doing and so
I'm going to let them have a li.
Breathe a little bit and see eae
into the game and see what happ.
How essential is the model?
Sibonis pick and roll coverage
with the shooters that they had.
What's your message to him so
he can stay out of trouble?
Well, it's all our bigs,
all our bigs and everybody knows we're
up to the level of the pick and roll,
especially with those guys havig
the shooters that they have and.
We have to be ready to help
contest if somebody gets cracked
in the screen and roll situatio.
So our message has been the same
as what it's been all year.
Whenever we played a team
that has a bunch of shooters.
I mean even going into a game like the
with the Portland Trailblazer ye
playing a guy like Dame Lillard.
You're up the floor or up the
touch and and you're there to be
ready to help in case that on
ball defender gets cracked.
So it's it's nothing different.
Coach one last question.
How has Keegan Murray embraced
his role all season one?
What does getting playoff
experience this early in his car
could impact his development?
Anytime you could play extra ga,
especially at the level
that we're about to play,
is huge for for everybody.
Not just Keegan is rookie,
but for everybody else.
And you know, he's a guy that ha
chance to be really good for a ,
long time in this league.
And he's a guy that has embraced
his role and he's listened to.
Everything that I've said and everybody
else has said and you see it,
you see it along as he's gone a,
got to put it, and he's improved daily.
For him to get that record has n
unbelievable because you know,
you talk about Spider,
that's a great player right there and
you think that a record like ths
going to take some years before it's broken.
But Keegan came in and and basically,
in my opinion, smashed it.
So had all hats off to him.