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OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER MEDIA CONFERENCE

June 1, 2016

Dion Waiters

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Q. Dion, talk about the playoff experience, all three rounds. Talk about the first time experiencing what you did, going that far.
DION WAITERS: Man, it was a hell of a ride, honestly. It's everything I ever dreamed of and more. Just being in that moment, especially with a great group of guys like this, man, it was just, like I said, it was a hell of a ride, man. I enjoyed every moment, every single game I cherish, and it's always going to be with me, for it to be my first time.

Q. You played that way, too, especially showed it defensively. Do you feel like that's one of the things that for you personally kind of came out of these Playoffs is to show how physical of a defender you can be?
DION WAITERS: I would think so. I just wanted to just impact the game, even if it's in different ways, not just scoring. Defensively, being able to handle the ball, get my teammates the ball, just show different aspects to my game. I think the coach just did a tremendous job of just believing in me and having faith in me and letting me go out there and play. He just let me go out there and play. He never tried to control me or anything like that, he just told me to go out there and have fun. I think once you get a guy like that behind you, that makes everything easier.

Q. You've got the contract negotiation coming up. You told us the other night you wanted to stay. Is it a little bit of a risk, being a restricted free agent setup? It worked out for Enes, he wanted to stay, but you went ahead and signed the offer sheet. Is that something you've just got to weigh in your mind?
DION WAITERS: No, man, honestly, I'm not even really thinking about that right now. I'm still in this Golden State series right now. I don't want to think about no contract right now. Those things are going to take care of themselves when the time comes. Certain things you can't control. I can't control that right now until July comes, and of course when the time do come and me and my agent sit down and go over what we need to go over in that situation, then yeah. But I'm not really worrying about that right now.

Q. But you do want to stay?
DION WAITERS: Yeah. I would like to stay. Of course. Like I said before, I've never been connected to a group of guys like this in my four years in the NBA. I didn't have this much fun. Just being around them guys, it don't even have nothing to do with basketball, just the brotherhood we have in the locker room, on the road, just that connectedness that we have within each other. It was really like something special to me. You know, why not?

Q. Does the idea of being a sixth man on a winning playoff team appeal to you in the long-term?
DION WAITERS: I don't know, to be honest with you. But on this team, I'd do whatever. If it's going to get us back to where we was at, I'd do whatever. You know, that's what it is.

Q. How did you see Billy progress throughout the year as a coach? What was he like day one versus at the end?
DION WAITERS: When I first met him, he's always been a guy that kept it real. He always listened to you, always -- his door always was open if you needed to talk to him or you felt a certain way or things like that. He was easy to approach. He was a guy that you always can talk to or tell him what's going on or how you feel. I just think throughout the year he did a tremendous job of adapting, adapting because, you know, you never know, especially in the NBA. Things happen so fast. It's an 82-game season. Each game is different. I think he just did a great job of just staying with it and keeping the guys together through the tough times, too. Just facing that adversity, we all had to face it, and I just think he did a tremendous job of just keeping his cool and just having faith in himself. I think he did a tremendous job, a tremendous job. He did a hell of a job this year, and it's only going to get better.

Q. Had you been asked to kind of run point guard as much as you had here this year anywhere else, and if not, what did you kind of learn about your ability to do that when it came down to handling the ball, initiating offense, and that kind of thing?
DION WAITERS: I handled the ball my first two years in Cleveland. Me and Kyrie used to split it. But I just think Coach always knew what I could do as far as creating for others, penetrating, a lot of things he saw in practice that a lot of people didn't see that I think he just came to me and just said, this is what we're going to do. Go out there with the team and have fun doing it. It was an easy transition for me because it's basketball at the end of the day, and all you're doing is getting downhill and creating. Just playing basketball. That's all it is. It's really nothing else.

Q. That progression you took from taking those long twos, those step-backs to going downhill, what was key in making that change for you?
DION WAITERS: Nothing. I just knew when to took it. I just knew when to took the shot and when not to. Nothing haven't changed. That's one of my favorite moves and I'm going to continue to do it no matter what. Just knowing when and when not to. I think that was the difference in the Playoffs, just taking the right shot at the right time. I'm not going to stop doing it because people say, oh, he takes step-back twos. They didn't say it when I was making it, so I'm not going to stop now.

Q. Was there a time when there was a change and you knew you were going to make that change and start going more downhill?
DION WAITERS: I mean, sometimes you go afield with how guys are playing you. Sometimes certain players, they wait and sit on the step-back, so I knew that I can get downhill, or some guys who back up, or if I make a move and he's still there, I do the step back to create that space to get the shot off.

Q. I know you haven't thought about it in full, but is free agency something you kind of -- it's your first time; is it something you're excited for, like a thing you've been looking forward to?
DION WAITERS: Yeah, I'm excited because I never really did it for this, even with my college. I was committed in eighth grade, so I didn't even have a chance to explore different colleges at the time or have like different options. Of course I'm looking forward to it, but it's nothing that I'm thinking about right now.

Q. Kevin has a big decision to make. Do you have a sense of what decision he'll make?
DION WAITERS: I think Kevin will make the right decision. I'm going to stick with him no matter what, what his decision is. That's my big brother, and I believe in him. I have all the faith in the world that he'll make the right decision. Nobody in the world knows what he's going to do but him.

Q. Will your decision kind of be dictated off him? Do you want to see what he decides before you try to explore?
DION WAITERS: No, not really, because I'm an old man at the end of the day, and I've got to do what's best for myself and my family, too. But of course I'm going to talk to him and pick his brain a little bit. But that's the most I can do.

Q. There was a question earlier about whether or not you want to explore possibly free agency or starting with a team or whatever, but it seems like you've made that adjustment coming off the bench scoring. I thought you changed the series in round 1, in Games 3 and 4 coming off the bench, and coming off the bench in Game 5 in San Antonio. It seems like you've made that adjustment. Is it difficult having to come in and score like that? It seems like you've gotten comfortable with that.
DION WAITERS: You know, honestly, man, like I just said, on this team I'm willing to do whatever. As long as we're winning, I couldn't care less. I couldn't care about starting or coming off the bench on this team. If it's somewhere else, I don't know. But here, we're so good, we're so deep, and it makes everything easier for us, especially when you've got a guy like Kev and Russ who's going to get all the attention. Their job is to come in there -- it's easier because it's really one-on-one with you and your guy, and I feel like I can get by my guy and just try to make something happen.

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