John Hale and Todd Graff in any coach. I'm sitting here looking at the lower
bowl and an annoyed Zion Williamson is taking shots right now from the free
throw line. Given how you played in the fourth versus the intensity you brought
for the first three quarters. How frustrating is this one for your guys?
I'll let our guys comment on that. I'll stick to the I'll stick to the facts,
you know, got were usually a good rebounding team. We got absolutely
destroyed on the boards. Um, we gave up 64 points in the paint. Um,
you know, I mean, we missed 12 free throws,
so we didn't. And we were six for 22 from three. We didn't give ourselves
much of a chance. And so you all watch the game. I'm gonna let you comment on
it. I'm not gonna sit here and rant and rave and, you know, have you guys all
right? My comments about what I said about how we played and everything else
We got beat 1 28 1 24. We played one good quarter and we didn't bring enough
in the other areas. It's all right there on the statute, and you all saw
it. How do you evaluate what Jackson Hayes did when he came in for you? In
that final period? Great effort. I was happy with Jackson. I thought he gave
us a great effort. Great energy. Um, probably should have played him earlier.
Uh, the way things were going and it might have made a difference had I done
that. Um, but it was good to see him come off after not having played in a
long time and bringing that kind of energy to the game.
Coach, were you surprised how easily they were able to get to the rim
tonight? I mean, you mentioned 64 points in the paint, especially in the
third quarter, with all those backdoor cuts.
The cuts were something we made a big point of in the scouting report. And
yeah, again. I saw him, too, and obviously not good. And, uh, I'll let
our players talk about what went into all that.
Is it frustrating for you just to know the potential of the team? And they're
just not living up to it on a night in and night out basis.
You know my thing with them
tonight. Todd was When we talk about consistency we're not talking about,
you know, you're gonna go three for seven from three every night and have a
consistent shooting night and, you know, score points every night or even make
free throws every night. You know, we're talking about how you get to be
consistent as a team is in your approach. It's in your effort and
intensity, and it's in your focus onto what's going on. And so we made so many
game plan mistakes in the first quarter. And then in the third quarter, we're
giving up back cuts like Not only was our energy and pace and effort not good,
our focus wasn't good. So why? I don't know. You'll have to ask them,
uh, stand Christian Clark here with with Stephen. I mean, is there is there
any concern that the ankle or bumps and bruises in general still affecting
tonight? Just just not a good before. You know what? I don't know if he's got
something going on physically, you know, they tell me he's ready to play. He
says he's ready to play. Um, so I I don't I can't comment on that I don't
know. I don't have knowledge.
Mhm. And, uh, can you just walk us through the decision of leaving that
group in in the fourth quarter? Obviously, they had it going, but also,
you know, you don't have lonzo and be out there. How hard is it to stick with
that group? Knowing you don't have to of your better guys out there, I guess.
How do you know filter through that decision late in the game?
Um, we had the only, uh, stretching the entire game, that we played well, and
we stayed with the group that was playing Well, I mean, you know, um,
sometimes the decisions hard when a groups got it going tonight, it really
It really was not a hard decision, to be quite honest. Well, I mean, you know,
people can create. I mean, you're free to criticize me for, but I'm just
telling you, from my standpoint, it wasn't a hard decision, you know, I
don't know how many times I would end the game having those guys on the bench.
Um, but tonight we finally got some life with that unit. And, you know, our
our starters had been absolutely dominated all night. For whatever
reason, I wasn't going back
to. And it's Andrew from from ESPN. Uh,
mhm. Walk me through. Going going to Jack's was what was the decision of
going with Jackson? Was it just trying to find somebody with energy at that
point to try and kick start some things, some energy? And I thought somebody
might, you know, somebody who might be a little more active in pick and rolls
and in defense in general, he did a good job, blocked some shots protected
to paint, uh, brought a little bit more quickness to it, got down the floor.
Our energy level picked up. Like I said, Um, I think it was a mistake on my part
the way that game went for three quarters, Um, that I didn't get him in
there earlier. So in terms of playing rotation, you know, we can talk about
the fourth. You guys can talk about the fourth quarter all you want, the one
that sort of gets me as I probably should have gone to him earlier.
And what is it? I mean, the game Assad. What does it say when your your
superstar is out here taking shots after the game because he's
disappointed with the performance. What do you think about him doing something
like, Yeah, I like the accountability, but I will say this right And our
players know. So I'm not saying anything behind their back. I've said
this to them.
One of our problems is, and again having the accountability to go out and
understand how important his free throws were in that game. I give him
all the credit in the world. Um, but one of our problems is our guys will
beat themselves up about missing shots, missing free throws, all of that. But
the defensive stuff just doesn't get to them in the same way. You know, it
doesn't bother them that we gave up 128 points tonight. You know, it's not the
same thing. So I'm not sure that we're holding ourselves that individual
players are holding themselves accountable for the right things. Like
shots will come and go. Yes, I am has been working on his free throw shooting.
You guys watched. He's been shooting him Great. He had a really tough time
at the line. He wants to correct it. Obviously I applaud that okay. And with
all of our guys, our guys will come in and work. Now, I would like to see us
as a group, right? Hold ourselves accountable individually and as a team
for the defensive end of the floor. And I'm not sure we've gotten there yet.
Man, This is that something you've, you know, brought up a couple of times,
like, Are there any guys on the roster where you do You feel like, you know,
it eats at them when they don't or you guys don't defend, like, are are there
any of those guys?
I mean, I think we've got a couple, but overall, I think guys a lot harder on
themselves about the offense point I've tried to make. And I believe this. My
entire career is when your focus is on defense, on execution, offensively, on
doing the right things, on playing with energy, it takes the pressure off of
the shooting. When your mind's on your shooting and everything, I think it
makes it harder to shoot and you're not doing the other things. I go out and
focus on on playing hard on running the offense with pace on moving the ball on
moving your body and live with what? What happens in terms of shooting the
ball. And so, you know, I I just think I think some of our guys are way too
hard on themselves. That's the other point with the shooting and stuff, like
shootings like this. A lot of times, you're gonna have bad nights. Okay,
let's move on. Let's do the other things. Let's give ourselves a chance
to win and doesn't have to be your night every night.
Yeah, And speaking of the taking the defensive side of things personal is
that something you can learn over time is that's a matter of you. Gotta go get
guys who take it personally the way you want them to.
Well, maybe a little of both. I don't know. I mean, that's my focus is on the
guys we have here. I love our guys. I like our team. I think we should be
better. I think to get better, we have to have a much more consistent approach
on the defensive end of the floor and in terms of energy and things
throughout games and from game to game. And I think that's within our control
and we can do that and we need to do that and my focus is on the guys we
have. I'll let Griffin tray Asian worry about you know what we need to add or
anything else. That's not my focus. Our team is good enough. Our team is good
enough to win. We have enough talent to win. I love the guys we have on our
team. I just want them to bring more on a more consistent basis.
Thanks Coach were also.