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OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER MEDIA CONFERENCE

June 1, 2016

Kyle Singler

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Q. What was the playoff vibe? I know it was your first postseason run. What was it like from your perspective?
KYLE SINGLER: It was special. It's a type of environment that you would expect an NCAA Tournament being like but at another level, at a higher level. It definitely gives better teams chances to advance and to play for an NBA championship, but it was special playing against San Antonio and Golden State because those teams are examples of championship-level teams and teams that have won NBA championships.

Q. What was the difference behind the scenes from what you're used to in the regular season where game, game, game, to you're focused on one team and everyone is locked in?
KYLE SINGLER: What's the background?

Q. Just what's the difference as far as preparation and just the vibe of the team I guess during those runs?
KYLE SINGLER: You know, you definitely get a feel for how guys prepare a little bit more. You know, to really put your focus in on one team kind of allows guys to go about their scouting and their preparation in kind of their own way, so to get a view of how guys go about that is a teaching tool for yourself.

Q. What was the season like for you, up and down, got hurt, didn't shoot the ball I'm sure as you would have liked to?
KYLE SINGLER: It was a special year for me because I learned a ton, got to experience something I had never experienced before, to get into the Playoffs. Personally I think there's always that feeling of wanting to do better, to perform better, so I definitely have that, but to go through a full year with the team was amazing. I don't want to be anywhere else. I don't want to play for another team. This team is the best team that I've ever played for. Don't take any -- I don't take anything back, and I really gained some experience and some knowledge going through this year.

Q. Are you healthy now? You had the back injury in the midst of the season, and before you had that back injury you were performing really well. It seemed like it threw you off for a couple weeks, but how do you feel physically?
KYLE SINGLER: Yeah, I'm good. Yeah. It's a weird thing going through a back injury and being out a few days and then all of a sudden feeling good again.

Q. How frustrating was that for you because right before that you seemed like you really started to find your rhythm, hitting corner threes, and then you hurt your back and you were kind of out again and had to work back into that rhythm?
KYLE SINGLER: Any injury is tough. It kind of -- you know, it puts you out of what you do, out of what you love to do. Kind of how I viewed it was just as a test. It's a test to see how resilient you are. As a team, too, I thought we kind of held up as a group. But individually I just had a couple times where I wasn't able to play. It's a tough thing to go through, but you've got to figure out why you're going through it and to learn from it.

Q. Your career shooting numbers in Detroit, near 40 percent, really dipped this season. Why do you think your shooting numbers dipped?
KYLE SINGLER: Well, I haven't made as many shots. (Laughter).

Q. Is there a reason, more consistent playing time in Detroit, anything like that?
KYLE SINGLER: They're all factors. Everything is a factor. But bottom line is just got to shoot the ball better at the end of the day.

Q. As you went through the Playoffs and you said you learned a ton, was one of those things just sort of like a guy with your size, length, profile, ability to impact the game on both ends of the floor, is that the type of player that is necessary in the Playoffs? You see the Thunder has a lot of those guys, Golden State had a lot of those guys, San Antonio had a lot of those guys.
KYLE SINGLER: Yeah, but then you also throw other guys in the mix, too, like Russell, Kevin, Serge, those guys are special, Steven Adams, Andre had a great series for us. Guys off our bench, dudes that can really contribute to our team, kind of all bring something unique and different to the team.

For me we have everything that we need to win an NBA championship. We were right there. But the things that you learn and you pick up are why didn't you do it, why didn't you get it done, and I think those lessons in those aspects of getting into playoff games are what is valuable at the end of the day.

Q. What's your off-season going to consist of in terms of training? Are you going to be permanently here or are you going to go back to Oregon?
KYLE SINGLER: Yeah, I'll be here. I'll take a couple trips just to kind of get away, but my training and my summer is going to be in Oklahoma.

Q. Are there any guys on the team specifically you work with?
KYLE SINGLER: Staff-wise?

Q. Or players.
KYLE SINGLER: Yeah, I'm sure there's going to be a ton of guys that stick around. They'll come and go. But yeah, I mean, guys will spend most of their time here, as well, and we'll work out together, maybe play one-on-one, two-on-two. Depending how many guys are here, maybe leading up to Summer League there will be some five-on-five and I think I'll get into some of that, as well.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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