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NBA FINALS: CAVALIERS v WARRIORSJune 5, 2015Klay ThompsonOAKLAND, CALIFORNIA: Practice Day Q. How did you come through physically your first post‑concussion game, and how are you feeling today? KLAY THOMPSON: I felt great. Having a week off really helped. And today, obviously a little sore. I mean, that's going to happen in your 100th‑whatever game. We've got a few days rest to get back at it, but honestly, I felt great out there. Q. Klay, you got switched on LeBron a lot in the game. He tried to take you down in the post a lot of those times. What are you trying to do when he takes you in the post? Are you trying to get him to a certain hand or trying to steer him to a guy? What are you trying to do there? KLAY THOMPSON: You just try to take his air space away. He's going to shoot over you. He's 6'8", and he's got long arms. You've just got to contest it at the peak. Hope he misses and box him out. He's really physical down there, so you've got to match his physicality and just play tough, honestly. If you make him take a tough contested shot, you've got to live with it. Q. What is your contribution to your team and your motivation, how is it so far? KLAY THOMPSON: My motivation is obviously to bring this trophy back to the Bay. It hasn't been here in 40 years, and that's the only motivation you really need. So for us, you've just got to take it one game at a time. You can't look too far ahead and get ahead of yourself. For me, I just try to play hard on both ends of the floor, be aggressive on offense, play make for my teammates, and try to play tough on the perimeter on defense as far as being able to switch on multiple guys and just make them try and do what they're uncomfortable doing. Q. Did your team play LeBron the way you wanted to? And is it tough to say when he scores 40‑plus points? KLAY THOMPSON: Yeah, when you look at the box score you might say we didn't play him as well as we wanted to, but he did make a lot of great plays. He was in a lot of isolation situations and we did make him take some tough shots, but we'll make some adjustments. I mean, this is his fifth Finals for a reason. He's going to make plays. He's going to make shots. I was just happy how we held down their bench scoring and kind of got their other guys not in the same rhythm he was. And if we do that, we'll be in good shape because it will be hard for two or three guys to beat us. They've got to do it collectively. Q. We know that you and Steph can both make shots from anywhere. But it's pretty amazing that Steph right now I think he's like 13 and 14 from the left corner three spot. Do shooters‑‑ speaking as a shooter, do you get those hot spots from time to time, and do they fluctuate? Or is that just his spot? KLAY THOMPSON: That's his spot of the postseason. Ever since he made that shot in New Orleans. He practiced it too. His footwork in that corner is pretty amazing. So that doesn't‑‑ I mean it does surprise me he's 13 for 14, that's pretty unbelievable. But at the same time, it really doesn't. He's such a great shooter off the bounce, off the catch. We've all seen it. But there are hot spots, you know, shooters generally like. For us, hopefully that's every spot. Q. With Kyrie's injury, does that affect how you guys attack him if he does play in Game 2? How does that change your offensive game plan against him? KLAY THOMPSON: Well, even if Kyrie was fully healthy, we want to make him work as much as possible on the defensive end, just because he gives them so much offense that you've got to make him work both ends. You've got to anticipate like he's fully healthy, because he's still one of the best guards in the league playing on one leg. Like you do have to attack him just like you have to attack any point guard you're playing. Just try to tire him out. Same thing with LeBron, try to make him work on the defensive end as well. But whether he was fully healthy or at 50 percent, you've got to attack him the same way. Q. I wanted to ask you what was it like when you were growing up in Oregon and being friends with Kevin Love and just how awkward was it for you just this summer when your name was mentioned in trading with somebody you've pretty much known your whole life? KLAY THOMPSON: Yeah, it was pretty cool, actually. That's how I looked at it just because I never would have thought me and Kevin would be in rumors together when we were 12, 13 years old. So to see how far we've come is pretty special. I mean, I wish he was playing just because it would be a great moment for both of us, and I know how bad he wants to be out there. He's a competitor. But, yeah, it's pretty interesting of all people to be in trade rumors with a guy that I grew up down the street from. Q. When you look at Steph and you see that baby face, you might think he's not as tough as some of the guys that are playing out there on the court. You've played with him a while, you know him. Explain his toughness and what it is that makes him tougher than he looks. KLAY THOMPSON: Well, he's one of the mentally toughest players I've been around. Just I've never really seen Steph get rattled. I've never seen him get down on himself. He always holds himself up to a certain swagger and confidence that only the greats have. That's why he's able to do what he does and shoot the shots that he does. Only guys with outwardly confidence can shoot the shots that he does. Like I said before, his mental toughness is really special, and he's our leader, and he leads by example. He doesn't have to say much. We just follow because he works so hard. Q. And I know you guys often refer to Draymond as the heart and soul of the team. When you say that, what exactly do you mean by that? KLAY THOMPSON: Just because Draymond, he'll be there at any moment. Whether we're winning by 20 or down by 20, he's always there to chime in about something and just be a positive for us. He'll get on us when we are slacking and we're not playing hard. He'll get behind us and tell us. He won't shy away from anything. You just see how much passion he plays with out there. He plays with so much emotion. He plays hard every night. You can't rebound and defend the way he does without playing with that kind of heart. Q. The Golden State Warriors is an incredibly deep team. As a teammate, what do you see from other players how they prepare to get ready every day and be disciplined and be prepared? KLAY THOMPSON: Well, everyone on this team works hard. Like I said, it starts with our best player and it trickles down. Everyone's hungry. We realize how special of a group we have just because to have this kind of depth in this league is really rare. We've got two All‑Stars coming off the bench in David Lee and Andre Iguodala. That's such a blessing to us. Any given night someone from our bench is going to make a huge impact. Our second unit has been bringing us back the whole year. Just like last night, our first unit a little sluggish, second unit comes in and gives us new spark. Our depth is really special. Like the slogan strength in numbers, it's not just a slogan. We really believe in that, and we really have a deep team to go all the way. Q. Just to piggyback off that a little bit. Do you guys even regard them as a second unit at this point? I think you've been down double digits five times in the playoffs and won all five of those games. How much of a credit do those guys get for that? KLAY THOMPSON: They deserve a ton. They deserve a ton. We've got so many talented guys coming off the bench that would start for so many other teams in this league. But they're true professionals, they accept the role they do, and they do it to the best of their ability. That's why we've won 67 games and that's why we're in the position right now, because guys are humble. We have one goal, and that is to win. Guys are sacrificing individual numbers and whatnot just to get that glory of winning that a lot of us haven't experienced. So it's a beautiful thing to see. It's just awesome to play with 15 guys who are really unselfish. Q. Do you think that wears them down, your opponent, especially a team like Cleveland that does not have a deep bench? KLAY THOMPSON: Yeah, it's been wearing teams down all year. Especially in the playoffs the rotations get a little tighter. But for us, we go 10, 11 deep. But you saw last night, Mo hadn't played in a few weeks. He just comes in there ready and does what he does. Same with Andre. So it was beautiful to see, and it's going to be pivotal the whole series, is how our bench comes out and plays. Q. As precise of a shooter as you are, I'm curious when you're out there practicing, do you have certain superstitions and routines, not just having to make a shot but having to make it a certain way or having the same person rebound or even using the same kind of ball, worn in or not worn in, things like that? KLAY THOMPSON: Yeah, you try to stick to a routine every day in practice, post practice as far as your shooting. I've got little things I do after every practice. And before the game. The great ones do it. I saw Steph when I first came here, he had a great routine, so I just try to follow his lead and I feel like if you get in a good routine, you're going to develop a great rhythm, and that's what I've done this whole year. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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