Oct
05
The new offensive and defensive systems are developing nicely.
Head Coach Terry Stotts on offense: “Right now it’s transition, it’s flow, it’s ball movement, player movement. We don’t, I don’t have a set in yet for LaMarcus, so that’s obviously going to come in soon, but right now it’s about establishing a style of play with running, ball movement, cutting, we put in some pick and rolls, but we still have a long way to go. Mostly what we’ve put in now is very much team oriented rather than specifically tailored for individuals.”
Stotts on how the fellas are picking up the defense: “Very well. Their activity is high, their aggressiveness, their energy is high, their willingness to do what we’re trying to put in is high, so it’s been very productive.”
Nicolas Batum on playing the two during camp: “I’ve played a lot of shooting guard the last two, three days. Wes and I go at each other a lot since two, three days now. I play a lot with Ronnie, Ronnie Price. I knew him, but not like that [well.] He’s a great pickup for us, great. He bring something different, he got that energy like Wes has too, that’s good for our group.”
Nicolas Batum is bringing a new attitude.
You guys are going to LOVE the new side of Nico. It’s a great edge.
Nicolas Batum on a change you can expect to see: “I’m gonna show more fire this year. The real me. I was so quiet, I didn’t was myself with the first four years. I think I was quiet for the first four years cause I didn’t know, I was shy.”
Batum on what triggered his change in mentality: “Maybe what happened this summer.”
The talons are out, literally.
On a fun, or not so fun, note, depending on how you look at it, the competition is getting so intense during practice that guys are scratching each other. Yikes. Also, Jared Jeffries is a character so read the next quote as if he’s joking, because he totally is.
Jeffries laughing off who scratched his neck: “I don’t know who did it, man. It was either LaMarcus or Joel, I would say Joel did that. Like a tiger, a British tiger. I’m gonna start doing that too [growing out his fingernails] to get everybody who scratched me today.”
Vets are teaching.
Jeffries’ wisdom for the rookies: “Whatever you’re doing now has to be repetition over and over and over and over. Because if you don’t drill this, if you don’t get good at these things, it’ll end up losing you a game. the coaches know what they’re doing, they been through this and the guys have to understand that it’s so important to drill these things constantly. Don’t ever take anything for granted because what they’re telling you wins basketball games.”
Jeffries on how he teaches and the other vets who are teaching: “I try to, just basic stuff to help guys be in the right position, recognize things. Once you get in the game it happens so fast, that’s why you have to drill because then it becomes instinctive. If you don’t drill, you don’t do it over and over so it’s second nature when you get in the game you’ll make mistakes.
“I think that the way Ronnie plays, how hard he plays makes guys reach his level and be energetic like him. He makes guys play so hard. LaMarcus does a really good job of talking to guys, what he wants. I think that’s important for him, he has to be a leader for this team and tell guys where to be because he is gonna be the leader on our team.”
Ronnie Price on how he’s teaching teammates: “My job is to try to get Dame prepared, get Nolan prepared, Wes and some of these other guys prepared for the season. If I guard them hard and maybe get away with some fouls then they’ll be used to me defending them in practice so when they get in the regular season those guys won’t be as tough.”