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NBA FINALS: CAVALIERS v WARRIORSJune 6, 2015James JonesOAKLAND, CALIFORNIA: Practice Day Q. James, you guys were underdogs coming into this series, and now you have Kyrie Irving, your starting point guard. Many people not giving you a chance to perhaps win another game in this series. What is the mindset of this team heading now into Game 2 without your starting point guard, without Kevin Love, without Anderson Varejao? JAMES JONES: It's good they feel that way. That's their thought, their mentality. We've never bought into what anyone else has said anyway. If you listen to the outsiders, we shouldn't be here. We wouldn't be here. We were supposed to lose against Chicago. We were supposed to lose against Atlanta. It's always impossible if you pay attention to the outsiders. So we're not focused on that. We're focused on the next game. We have to come out, play better, execute better down the stretch and continue to compete. Q. How would you describe what you felt when you heard Kyrie would be missing for the Western series? JAMES JONES: Disheartened. Kyrie is our brother. He's a teammate. More importantly, he's a brother of ours. On a personal level, it's always hard to lose someone to an injury. But we know he'll come back better, bigger, and stronger than he was before. So we know he's in good hands. So we moved past that and now we're focused on playing these games and doing whatever we can do to make up for his loss. Q. What did LeBron say for you guys as a team after learning about Kyrie? JAMES JONES: Nothing, really. We talked about it collectively and just decided to be there for him during this tough time. But there is a game tomorrow. We're professionals. We come here to play. We're paid to play the game of basketball at a high level, and that's what we'll do. Q. Does the offense change now obviously with Kyrie being out and most likely Matthew Dellavedova starting? JAMES JONES: We'll see tomorrow. Q. You've been in this situation before in previous playoff experiences. You guys were able to step up. On the contrary to the previous game, while it didn't work out as well, what kind of things went very well during those games? JAMES JONES: I think we controlled the tempo. I think we limited our mistakes offensively and defensively. We didn't turn the ball over, which is key to keeping this team out of transition. So I think we did a good job of that. I think we'll do a better job moving the basketball. We'll make shots and get their defense moving. In late‑game situations, we'll execute better, and that's all it's about. These are the two best teams in the league competing. So from game to game you'll make adjustments. But the one thing that will have to be consistent is the effort. Q. Is tomorrow a must‑win for you guys? JAMES JONES: Tomorrow is a game we need to play, and we need to play well. I think every game in the playoffs is a must‑win because you're trying to be the first to four wins. But it's Game 2 of the NBA Finals. We're on the road, and we expect to come out and play well. Q. Did an interview with Donnie Walsh maybe back in 2004, and we got to talking about you. His quote to me was James Jones is going to play 12 years in the NBA, not only because he's a talented player but he's an even better person. How much did that mean to you early in your career that a guy like Donnie had such faith in you from the beginning? Did that sort of set a foundation for you for the career you've had? JAMES JONES: It did. That team in Indy as a whole, that was an environment that nurtured me and helped grow me. But to have Donnie think so highly of me, he's a guy that's known basketball. He's one of the greatest to ever do it in that capacity. If he can see that in me, then I knew there must have been something there. So I really resigned myself to listening and trying to absorb as much as I could from him, from Larry, from Rick, from Reggie, from Jermaine, all my veterans and teammates, because that was a goal of mine was to come in as a second‑round pick and have a very long, successful career. I think thanks to him and the organization giving me a chance, I've been able to do that. Q. Have you kept up with Donnie on a personal level? JAMES JONES: I always follow him. Every time I see him and try to reach out to him. I always keep tabs on him from afar. It's one of those things when you're eternally grateful for someone or grateful to some of the things that they've done for you, you can't forget it. You always remember, and that's what I do. Q. You can't take back what happened, of course, in Game 1. But does that serve as motivation for what you guys can do in Game 2 to hopefully take control of the net again? JAMES JONES: I'm always floored by the fact that people just don't recognize that when you get to this part of the season you have the game's best players, the world's best players competing, and we compete at the highest level. So it may be a foregone conclusion for other people, and it will always be that way because you're either for us or against us. But we expect to come out and play well and be extremely competitive. Q. As a three‑point shooter, why are the Golden State Warriors so difficult to defend on three‑point shooting with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson's shooting ability? JAMES JONES: They're good shooters. More importantly, they take a lot of them. They take a lot of tough ones. That's their system. Their system is to give up as many three‑pointers as possible. So sometimes they're good shots. Sometimes they're tough bad shots, but they make tough shots, which makes them dangerous. So you just have to be conscious of that and try not to give them the easy ones, which are the ones they thrive on. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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