Trini from Kens five time.
Hey Patty. So you guys beat
The Mavericks behind 24 points
from Lamarcus Aldridge.
A lot has changed in a year.
Where do you evaluate?
How do you evaluate where this
team has gone since then and
the shutdown in the bubble?
And now this
season, I think we've grown
tremendously as a team.
When you think about what we've
been through in this past year.
All the adversity or the challenges.
All the mental toughness.
Things that we've had to go
through with the Covid stuff.
With the injuries with the
bubble and how much we've grown.
In that sense it it's been quite the year.
Obviously an we've got,
you know, young guys who have
experience because of all of it,
so you know,
we're forced to kind of grow up
quickly there for us to grow quickly
in this kind of environment.
So when you look at the.
Whole year is a big picture
and we've come a long way.
Young guys obviously killed him and
his development through all this.
Obviously injuries and being
able to be healthy again helps.
And then the new pieces that we
we've we've added this year too,
so it's always the big picture
with with us and an especially
with pop and you know how we
can keep moving forward.
Next time let's go to different Donaldson.
Next question is Jeff Hey
Patty Pop before the game,
let us know that the you guys are kind of
proceed without Lamarcus going forward,
just sort of the team's reaction to that,
and you know where you guys surprised.
Surprised at that news
or how you guys taken up.
Teams reaction it.
It's one of those tough things obviously,
but I think you know from a team standpoint,
it's one of those things that
we just gotta roll with.
Obviously who we have and we can't have.
You know, let any other distractions
kind of come into play in in that sense
and and just go out there and an execute
and compete with with who we got.
And I think everyone respects
that Anne's full of Marcus here,
but it's one of those things.
I think he might be the longest
teammate that that I've had in my
career throughout the NBA in Portland.
An end in San Antonio, so you know,
he's obviously well respected
with this group,
and particularly an every team that has
played for so you know you as a teammate,
you just wish the best for him and
hope that the next chapter of his
journey you know works out for him.
He's a hell of a player hell of a pro.
He's shown his ability to be able to be,
you know,
multi year All-Star with which he is.
And again,
you know that's the opportunity
that that he has.
So for us as a team,
it's one of those decisions that that
happened and we just gotta focus on
ourselves and what we can do to be
able to move forward together as
a team and and make a make a good
hard crack here for the playoffs
when he signed here six years
ago was a pretty big deal.
I mean, the Spurs don't normally
sign free agents of that caliber.
Can you just speak to what he's?
Meant to this team, this locker
room in the in the five and a
half six years that he's been here.
Yeah, he's obviously respected
throughout the whole organization.
Not only this group here but,
but all the groups that we've had over the
years down to the to the Hall of Famer Zinin,
Tim, Tony and Ann Minors.
So for him to have that
opportunity to come here,
you know, for me personally,
you know, never take for granted.
Have loved every opportunity you
know that we've had with him in the
locker room and and on the floor.
But he's well respected.
I think that's one of the.
The biggest thing of biggest compliments
I think as a as a player is to gain
that respect from from your teammates.
You know one on certain teams and
he definitely had that throughout
his whole time.
Here in San Antonio.
And for him moving on,
I'm sure that would be the same thing
that matter no matter where he goes.
Alright, thank you Sir. Our
efforts go to Tom was born from
the Express News, Tom.
Patio pop. You know,
noting another great effort by DeMar
called him to glue the glue of the team.
Do you see him that way and just
you know how well he's can you
come in on how well he's been
playing since returning.
Yeah, definitely.
It's a good point for us to know that
you know when he gets into that frame
of mind where you know he believes that
no one can guard him and he can go and
get a bucket at any point in time.
It's obviously good for him.
It's good for the team and we just
need to find ways to be able to
compliment him in those situations.
But you know, he's been playing
at incredibly high level.
Anan, continuing to do,
and I'm at the the different defenses
that are thrown out at him so you
know a professional in that sense
to about being crafty and finding
a way to adjust to to that.
So again, you know this was we probably
didn't play for the entire 48 minutes,
and he helped us out of the
hole there at times the mark,
but we just gotta, you know,
keep keep grinding.
I think that there's a lot of good
things that we can take out of that loss,
and some things that we need to clean up,
obviously.
But but tomorrow is definitely a
massive piece and will continue to
be if we you know if you want to
be successful in the postseason
or to the postseason.
Well, finally what? What's
that going to mean to you guys?
To be in front of fans on Friday night? Oh
yeah, this is going to be.
Really exciting out of something that I've
looked forward to for for for a long time.
Obviously being here tonight on the road
you get a sense of what it could be like,
but just really forward to letting
our fans have an impact on the game,
which is what we've missed
for for a long time now.
You know, I've set up before about that.
That energy in the air that that our
fans are able to create, you know?
And it's guys like you know, killed him.
You know everyone on this team that are able
to feed off that energy and really put it on.
Before so you know we missed our fans
for a very long time and we definitely
can't wait to have him back and and
be all in the trenches together to,
you know, pull out some good wins at home.
Thanks buddy, we appreciate you. Thank you.