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OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER MEDIA CONFERENCE

June 1, 2016

Andre Roberson

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Q. What was the last couple months like for you, just this playoff run, kind of your first? I know as a rookie you guys were in the Playoffs, but as a major contributor.
ANDRE ROBERSON: You said how was it?

Q. Yeah.
ANDRE ROBERSON: I thought it was great, despite how we ended. I don't think anybody liked that. But overall it was great. You know, got a chance to give me a lot of confidence going into next season and kind of build off during the off-season. You know, just showed me all the guys believed in the system that Billy laid out for us, and we all committed to it, and the growth has -- growth for the team, chemistry on and off the floor grew tremendously all throughout the season, and I just thought it was a great run. It just kind of ended earlier than expected.

Q. How Billy used you late in the Spurs series, through the Warriors series, was it unique to that series, or do you think you can really be utilized offensively like that?
ANDRE ROBERSON: I thought it was great on his part, the adjustment he made, to kind of play me all around 2 through 4, 5 at times, and I definitely feel like I can be utilized in different areas like that next season. I've just got to continue to grow as a player, work on my game, and take advantage of the off-season. You know, just continue to grow as a player.

Q. Especially as you mentioned like playing that 5 where you're screening and rolling, what are some of the things that you do want to improve on that can make you even more of a threat in those situations?
ANDRE ROBERSON: Just getting better with reading, reading the defense better, first and foremost, as well as continuing to gain confidence in my game. Obviously working on my shot, every aspect of the game, handles. I mean, there's a lot of ways I can improve to help this team out in any way I can, so I'll do it.

Q. What does that do for you when the Warriors scheme against you and they don't guard you but Billy still finds ways to get you involved and make you a part of the team, not just for you but Enes, as well, when he was schemed off the floor? What does that do for your confidence?
ANDRE ROBERSON: I mean, it didn't really do anything to my confidence, I just took advantage of what they gave me. I've still got to go out there and be a basketball player. They leave me wide open, I've got to try to find the wide open areas. I think they kind of threw it in there more because Kevin and Russell are such a big threat getting downhill that one guy can't stop them, so they've got to throw two guys on them, and kind of junked it up in there. But coach Donovan made a great key adjustment for me and Enes to take advantage of it and help the team out in any way we could.

But I mean, that's kind of where the game is heading in terms of the small ball. You know, I think we did a great job of taking advantage of it.

Q. Last year you said you could be the best defender in the league if you worked toward it. How do you think you made progress toward becoming a defender?
ANDRE ROBERSON: I feel like I made a lot of progress. Like I said, continuing to grow with my preparation, scouting the players, and this year I learned it's not just one person anymore, it's multiple guys that you've got to scout and know their tendencies. That will be the next preparation, especially guarding multiple positions, and knowing everybody's game. I'll definitely be doing better with that.

Q. What do you think you showed in the way that you defended Kawhi Leonard and Klay Thompson this postseason?
ANDRE ROBERSON: What do I think I showed?

Q. Yeah.
ANDRE ROBERSON: They're obviously two of the greatest offensive players in this league. It shows a lot. You know, it shows it's a testament of how hard I worked, guarding those guys and making it hard for them to score buckets. It's just a testament to all the hard work I put in and continue to put in to become the best defender I can be for this team. Yeah. That's about it.

Q. Confidence-wise you guys hit a stretch where the Clippers were chasing you late in the season, you got away from them, secured the third spot in the Western Conference, then you got to the Western Conference Finals, you went through the Dallas series, you had to answer all the energy and questions about the Spurs, you got past them. What is that like to get to where you are right now, the 18 playoff games? No one expected you would get that far, and yet here you are and you had a chance. What did you learn from all that? Where does that take you for next year all season?
ANDRE ROBERSON: I liked it, personally. I always kind of grew up the underdog and I felt like we were the underdog this year, not being talked about a lot, especially coming off the season we had with injuries and stuff. It's rightfully so, but we went in there, new coach, new system. It was hard in the beginning to adjust to the changes from Scott's to Billy's system, but I think throughout the season we gained a lot of trust in it and started to see how it worked, and we just stuck together. On and off the court chemistry is a big part with any team, and I feel like we grew tremendously throughout the season, and it kind of showed towards the end, taking out the Spurs and then having the Warriors on their heels 3-1. We're only going to get better. We are going to continue to grow. I think we all see what we need to do in order to become the best in this league. Definitely got a taste of it playing those two top-tier teams.

Q. Will you be nervous over the next two months following Kevin's free agency?
ANDRE ROBERSON: I wouldn't say nervous, because I have the utmost confidence that he'll make the right decision for himself. But you know, we would love to have him back here. He's a great teammate, one of the best teammates I've ever had, just a great guy to have around. But I know he's going to do whatever he can for his future, so it's up to him.

Q. This might be a dumb question, but when teams leave you wide open, is it almost harder to shoot when you're wide open, like mentally?
ANDRE ROBERSON: Yeah, it is at times, depending on the game situation, because you kind of put so much pressure on that one shot instead of, you know, you kind of tense up, and you don't shoot your normal shot. At times you don't know how to deal with that mental aspect. In my opinion it is tougher than a contested shot. It is what it is. I've got to get better with that in the off-season. I will continue to get better with that and try to become the best shooter I can.

Q. How do you kind of deal with that when it almost seems disrespectful the way some teams defend you, and obviously last series you made it a point to be effective offensively, but how do you deal with that mentally? Does it weigh on you?
ANDRE ROBERSON: No, not at all. I just take it how it is, man. If you're not guarding me I'm going to shoot it or find the right pocket to get into and put the ball in the hole or find a teammate. I felt like I did a great job of adjusting to what the Warriors threw out there and what teams threw out there at times and just making them pay. I felt like we did a great job of taking advantage of it and kind of got out of it the last couple games. Yeah, just got to make them pay.

Q. Do you have any long-term goals defensively, like all defensive team?
ANDRE ROBERSON: Definitely. Definitely making the all defensive team, continuing to make my mark in this league as a defender, top defender, and you know, I'm just trying to continue to work hard, both ends of the floor, and become the best teammate I can.

Q. Nick mentioned you'd become kind of a role man and played the 5 spot a little bit. Is there a player that you feel like you could maybe watch how he runs the pick-and-roll that you might want to try to mimic and see how he catches and drives and kicks?
ANDRE ROBERSON: I mean, I would say a great person just I learned from playing against was Draymond. He kind of does that in similar ways, just taking advantage of the shooters he has. Everybody focuses on Klay and Curry, just like in my situation everybody focuses on Russell and Kevin. Taking advantage of finding that wide open guy or pushing it in transition kind of takes the pressure off of them and helping out with their game. I definitely watched a lot more tape on him and a lot of guys who kind of play that position.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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