00:00Do you have in your mind, like, are you settled on a starting lineup,
00:03or is that something that's going to materialize throughout camp, you think?
00:05Yeah, no, it will materialize throughout camp.
00:08I think it's too early to go in and say, hey, this is what's going to happen.
00:14The roster, you know, Leon and his group did a fantastic job
00:18putting together a talented, deep roster,
00:21and so you have to be methodical with your approach
00:24when it comes to declaring, okay, hey, these guys are going to start.
00:28Do you have a team identity that you're solving for
00:32as you're looking for that starting lineup,
00:34or is that something that will emerge as you make those decisions?
00:38Yeah, that will emerge as we make the decisions,
00:41but the one thing that we want to make sure we do offensively,
00:44we want to play fast with the floor spaced,
00:47and not just in the full court, but in the half court too
00:51with a certain cadence, though, in the half court.
00:53And then defensively, we want to be physical.
00:57We want people to fill us, and we want to do so without fouling.
01:02And so those are two things at the forefront
01:03of what I'd like to get accomplished early on with this team.
01:09Mike, they've used Jalen off the ball a number of different ways
01:13over the years as a screener at times,
01:16running around hand downs, player screens, that kind of stuff.
01:18What have you seen from Jalen's off-ball work that you like?
01:22What are the people in terms of action?
01:24What kind of stuff do you want to put on there?
01:30You know, he seems like he's a versatile player,
01:34and the biggest thing that I want to do for him
01:37is try to get him, as well as everybody else, easy shots.
01:42And one of the easiest shots in the game of basketball
01:46is a spray three.
01:48I'm a big proponent of touching the paint
01:51and spraying that basketball for a catch-and-shoot three.
01:55And so within what we do,
01:58we're going to try to get him a lot of those situations.
02:03On top of that, you know, if you do touch the paint,
02:05whether it's on the dribble drive or on a cut,
02:07if it's on the dribble drive and when you touch the paint
02:10and you get off of it, we want you to keep moving.
02:15And again, the little bit that we've seen so far in Jalen
02:21during these optional workouts,
02:23he seems like he's embraced it
02:25because you have to be in great condition
02:29in order to play this way.
02:30But he seems like he's embraced it,
02:32and I'm looking forward to seeing if we can continue
02:34to try to find ways, especially when we start playing games,
02:37but we try to find ways to get him some easy catch-and-shoot looks
02:41because the ball will be in his hands,
02:43especially down the stretch.
02:45And so to make the game easier throughout the course of the game
02:48is going to be a big thing.
02:49You were obviously very outspoken about tips.
02:52What was your reaction to the coaching change
02:54and anything about being here?
02:55Yeah, I think obviously it's sad to see a man I've known
03:01for a long time part ways with this organization,
03:05but he's meant a lot to me.
03:09I've expressed that to him publicly and personally.
03:14But yeah, he's meant a lot to my career up to this point.
03:18The second year in a row, you guys had a really good season
03:20and then made a decision that can change
03:22last year in the trade and then now in the coaching.
03:25What's it like for you when you say,
03:27okay, I think we were doing pretty well what we had
03:29and then you've got to adjust to something that's quite different?
03:33Yeah, well, for me, it's my job to go out there
03:35and just find a way to help this team win.
03:39There's different people in this organization
03:41with different jobs and different things they have to do
03:43to be able to make this team better.
03:46And that's their point of view.
03:47So for me, I have to just come in and do my job
03:50as best as my abilities.
03:51What are your takeaways on his philosophy
03:53and how you see him changing?
03:56Yeah, I mean, I'm excited.
03:57I think it's going to be fun.
04:01It's a new year.
04:02Everything's going to be new.
04:03So everything's going to be exciting in the beginning.
04:08Just really excited to get this season started.
04:10I think I can probably answer some of these questions better
04:13once I figure out, once we actually start practicing
04:17and getting to know each other a little better.
04:19How big of a change are you expecting
04:21from what the team looked like on the court last year
04:24to what it could potentially look like this summer?
04:26Are you expecting it to be similar
04:28or are you expecting it to be completely different
04:29with the correct location?
04:31What do you mean?
04:31Like, as in?
04:32As in, like, schemes and schematics
04:34and just what you guys expect to see on the team?
04:36You know, I don't know, truthfully, yet, but...
04:38That's all right.
04:39I know I'm a lights-out shooter, but damn.
04:42You had the finger surgery and the knee surgery.
04:46Is that a procedure?
04:47Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
04:49Don't put no words out there.
04:50No, I did not.
04:51I did not get no finger surgery nor knee surgery.
04:54Huh?
04:54You had a knee procedure.
04:55No, I did not have a knee.
04:56Where are you hearing this?
04:58You came on media day to come and put that out here?
05:01I swear to God, man, what's up?
05:02Who?
05:03I thought ESPN reported it.
05:05Who did that?
05:05Centell?
05:06No, no.
05:08S***.
05:09It wasn't me.
05:11I mean, I think last year showed us that, you know, we could do anything possible with
05:15our minds, and we've made the sacrifices, and we've shown the world that we're willing
05:19to sacrifice for the betterment of the team.
05:20So I expect nothing less than that this year.
05:24I feel our team is going to be even more unified.
05:26It's going to have more continuity.
05:27A whole year together with our offseason, obviously, is going to give us a better understanding
05:33of each other.
05:34And we understand the opportunity that's in front of us.
05:37So we just got to go out there every single day, find ways to get better every single night,
05:41and give our best version to our fans every single night.
05:43Do you have a preference, center or power forward?
05:45My preference is winning.
05:47It's the only preference I've got.
05:48Where do you see yourself winning for this season?
05:50Do you feel like you're a starter in the team?
05:51Yeah, I mean, if I don't start, I'll probably ask for a trade and go somewhere else.
05:59But no, I mean, you know, I had the best year of my career last year, but that's in the past.
06:07I think I'm a starter in the league.
06:09I think I deserve to be a starter in the league, but at the end of the day, it's, you know,
06:14what's best for the team.
06:16And, you know, last year I talked about sacrifice the whole time and kind of being, you know,
06:21that servant mentality and being a good steward of my gifts and those kind of things.
06:26So I think it would be extremely selfish for me to go out there and demand a start and all that kind of thing.
06:31So, you know, whatever Mike wants to do or doesn't want to do, you know, I'm cool with.
06:39And, you know, time will tell what that is.
06:41But, you know, I'm going to figure it out how I have to figure it out.
06:46You got a finger procedure over the summer.
06:48Was that a major setback for you?
06:50Were you out sideline for a lot of this?
06:53Yeah.
06:56I was out for a little while and some other stuff.
07:02So I'm just trying to get used to it and, you know, get through the season with it.
07:08Do you want to explain some of the other stuff, Dave?
07:11No, I mean, it's just don't want to go into too much detail.
07:19But, yeah, obviously, you know, got a procedure on it, you know, and then kind of re-aggravated it, you know, somewhat recently.
07:28So I'll probably just rock out with a splint this season and, you know, try to fix it again next summer.
07:37And your extension for the little lessons, Max, how much was that a conscious thing, like, to help the team provide flexibility?
07:44Yeah, for sure.
07:45The biggest thing, I think, you know, if I came here and preached how much I want to win and try to take every dollar and make it difficult for, you know, the organization,
07:57then I was just seeing like a fraud.
07:59And that's not who I am.
08:01You know, I want to win bad and whatever it takes.
08:04And like I said, I love all the guys here.
08:06So why wouldn't I want the next man up that needs some money?
08:11Why would I not give them an opportunity to get paid as well?
08:14So I think I got a good amount of money.
08:18I think a couple of more M's will change my life.
08:22So I think it would be better to help everybody else out.
08:24I mean, because I love it here.
08:27Love it here.
08:28Love the fans.
08:29Love the culture.
08:29Love, you know, the staff and everybody, the front office, everything, teammates.
08:36So it's probably the biggest thing, honestly.
08:39You know, throughout last year, I know last year was tough throughout the season and playoffs helped a little bit.
08:44But I don't know, man, I think I just, I can appreciate the fans and everybody like that.
08:50I think a lot of people thought I might be upset because maybe they were getting on me a little too hard.
08:55But I think I was more mad at myself in this situation because everything they want is what I want.
09:01So it's not like a, why y'all getting on me?
09:04You know, some things would be a little too crazy, but that's just life how it is.
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