Notes from TNT’s NBA Conference Finals Media Conference Call
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
TNT’s NBA Playoffs coverage continues Wednesday, May 21, with the exclusive presentation of the Oklahoma City Thunder at San Antonio Spurs Game 2 at 9 p.m. ET
Participants: Greg Anthony and Reggie Miller
Greg Anthony on the Thunder adjusting to playing without injured Serge Ibaka in the lineup: “They went through this last year when Russell Westbrook went down but, ultimately, they made the adjustments. They are better equipped [this year] with Russell and [Kevin] Durant to have a chance in this series. Even though they didn’t look great in that first game, they have a sense of how they need to play in order to have some success in this series.”
Reggie Miller: “The challenge for OKC is that they haven’t practiced or played many games without Serge Ibaka. So when [an injury] happens during the playoffs, it can be challenging…they are professionals and if you’re [Russell] Westbrook and Kevin Durant, you’ve got to rally the troops, put on a front and go out there and perform.”
Miller on Oklahoma City’s Nick Collison replacing Ibaka in the lineup: “There are things that Nick Collison can’t do because he’s not Serge Ibaka but he’s still very capable and he’s seen a number of situations [in his career]. He’s not as athletic as Serge Ibaka but he’s a better passer and he does other things better than Serge.”
Miller on who can fill the role of an injured Ibaka on the offensive end: “You would assume it would be Reggie Jackson. He’s had his way with the San Antonio Spurs during the regular season so he would be a viable option, but if the Thunder are going to start [power forward] Nick Collison, [center] Kendrick Perkins and [guard] Thabo Sefolosha, those guys can’t have five points combined in the starting lineup. It’s like playing two against [the Spurs] five. It’s got to be by committee…whoever that third scorer is going to be. You can’t rely on Durant and Westbrook.”
Anthony on whether he would pick San Antonio’s Tony Parker or Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook to lead his team at the point guard position: “You can win with either and you can win championships with either…that’s the beauty of the game. I love the fire and passion of Russell Westbrook and I think he’s going to have to play at an extremely high level for Oklahoma City to be able to overcome the loss of Ibaka and content with the greatness of the Spurs. Tony is a phenomenon in terms of what he’s been able to do. Remember, the beginning of his career was heavily criticized and it was even thought that San Antonio was going in a different direction, but he continued to persevere and has obviously become one of the best point guards in the game. Both are very unorthodox, neither are a prototype for how the position is thought to be played. Both prove that you don’t have to be the prototype to be successful; you just have to be given the opportunity and have tremendous ability.”
Anthony on the Spurs being difficult to defend against: “The Spurs are the most difficult team to guard in the NBA because the ball always finds the right guy on every possession. You don’t know where the shot is going to come from when you play San Antonio because their ball movement is so flawless and their spacing is terrific.”
Miller on the criticism of Thunder head coach Scott Brooks: “Everyone wants to knock Scott Brook. Last time I checked, the Thunder were in three out of the four last Western Conference Finals. I think that’s a pretty good job. Granted, he’s got two of the top 10 players in the league [in Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant], but it says something to be able to rally these guys every year to make the Conference Finals. He’s done a phenomenal job.”
Miller on what makes Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich one of the best in the league: “He plays zero favorites. If you’ve been watching any of [his games] over the last 15 years, you know he will dig into Tony Parker and Tim Duncan the same way he will get onto Boris Diaw and Matt Bonner. He plays to win, and the players respect that about him. A guy will take less money to play for him because, at the end of the day, it’s all about team goals and team championships as opposed to individual goals.”
Miller on Spurs veteran Tim Duncan: “I love that it’s always been about fundamentals throughout his career. He wasn’t like [NBA Hall of Famers] Charles Barkley or Karl Malone that had great athleticism and brute strength; he played a thinking man’s game. It shows you if you have great footwork and fundamentals and you can think the game, you can play at a very high level for a very long time. That’s probably why he stayed at such a high level…he never really had to rely on a lot of athleticism. This has been more of a chess game for him, while a lot of guys have been playing checkers throughout their basketball careers.”
Miller on whether Thunder point guard Derek Fisher is ready to retire and move on to coaching: “The way he shot the ball last night, I’m not quite sure he’s ready to retire. He looks like he has a little bit left in the tank. It will come down to if he’s ready to take the next step and go to the next level as a professional head coach.”
Miller on how the Spurs have taken advantage of the NBA becoming a “global game:” “It’s a global game and obviously the Spurs were one of the first franchises to tap into that. With Aron Baynes, Patty Mills, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and Boris Diaw, they recognize the talent that is overseas. Let’s give credit to the Spurs scouting department as well because it’s not that easy. We tend to fall in love with American players but to go global and find players that can potentially fit your system. That’s what Gregg Popovich and the scouting department have done. They’ve gone out and signed guys that can play within their system. A lot of their guys aren’t the quickest or jump the highest or are the most athletic but they fit the ‘Popovich Way’ and the ‘Spurs Way’ and that’s been the most remarkable thing.”
Anthony on how the Spurs’ system evolved: “This system evolved out of necessity. They weren’t this type of team when Tim Duncan first got there. They were a defensive-oriented team that didn’t score a lot. They didn’t have a lot of offensive weapons. Once Tony Parker and Manu [Ginobili] developed into the great players that they are, that’s when the [current] system started to evolve. Very few coaches have the ability to adapt their style to their personnel. Popovich and Pat Riley are two of the few coaches who developed a system to fit their personnel…ultimately, it all begins and ends with a generation-defining player in Tim Duncan that’s allowed you to go through this evolution without falling off the map.”
Anthony on the Miami Heat: “Miami, while still capable, is probably not as complete as their teams that have won it in the past. The supporting cast is not nearly as supportive. Very few teams have won back to back championships, very less three in a row. They’re going to have their place in history regardless of this outcome.”
Miller on LeBron James pushing the Heat into an extra gear: “We’re all waiting for the Heat to go into that extra gear. We haven’t seen that extra gear yet. It’s not a light switch that you can turn off and on. At the end of the day, they have a guy by the name of LeBron James on their team. When their backs are against the wall in the Brooklyn [second round] series, he went on the road and came out with 49 [points].”
Miller on the Pacers targeting the Heat all season: “Even though they won’t admit it, all they’ve talked about since training camp is Miami, Miami, Miami. Well now they have Miami. They overlooked Atlanta and had to go seven [games]. They overlooked Washington and had to go six [games]. Now they have Miami and they were built for this so you’re going to get their best games.”
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