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NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: THUNDER v WARRIORS

May 21, 2016

Steve Kerr

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Practice Day

Q. [No Microphone] What was the whole guiding philosophy?
STEVE KERR: We're just trying to give as much help as we can, from wherever we find suitable. Every lineup is different. But you have to offer help. You can't guard [Russell] Westbrook and [Kevin] Durant with one man. So we're just trying to shade as much as we can, make things difficult for them. But sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, and we'll see what happens in Game 3.

Q. How do you think you've done with that so far?
STEVE KERR: I think we've done a good job defensively. Their shooting percentage is not great, so if we can keep their percentage where it is, that would be fantastic. I doubt we'll do that given that they're home now and they'll have the crowd behind them and probably come out with a lot of force tomorrow.

But I think we've done pretty well. The key is that you have to secure the rebound if you do get the stop. Game 1 we didn't do a very good job of that. Game 2, we did.

Q. Draymond [Green] sort of shading away and helping the way he is. Draymond seems to be a perfect guy for that kind of strategy?
STEVE KERR: Yeah, Draymond is a good center fielder, so is Andre [Iguodala]. We feel like we have a lot of smart defenders, [Andrew] Bogut. Like I said, every opponent presents a different challenge for the defense. I mean, the Portland series was very similar in terms of trying to somehow help on [CJ] McCollum and [Damian] Lillard because they're so good.

So you just assess every team and how can you best slow them down knowing you're going to give some other things up, and you have to be willing to live with some of the results either way if you're going to play that way.

Q. Ron Adams is a guy when he was here in '08 he instilled the defensive mentality in this organization, and I know he's kind of done sort of the same thing with you. What is it about him that makes him so good at that specifically?
STEVE KERR: Ron's been in the league for 30 years. He's seen everything. He's got a great feel for teaching defense, and that was really the reason I wanted him on our staff when we took over last year. So he's been great. He's a huge part of what we do every day, and I know he's beloved here in Oklahoma City. Kevin and Serge [Ibaka] always come by and say hello to Ron before each game.

Q. Has he been particularly important knowing what he does know about Durant, Westbrook and things?
STEVE KERR: I don't think that his knowledge of those guys makes any difference. Everybody knows everybody in this league. If you haven't worked with somebody firsthand, then you just call somebody who did who is a friend of yours. On top of that, you play each other over and over again. Over the course of a few years, you've seen every team in your conference 10 times.

So you get to know teams. You get to know personnel. The whole staff is really involved in kind of building a game plan just like theirs is for us.

Q. I guess the cameras caught Draymond maybe making a face in the huddle. Did you see that? Or is that just normal kind of Draymond?
STEVE KERR: That's normal, that's normal. It's all part of it. I've said over and over Draymond gives us our edge and it manifests itself in a lot of different ways. He wears his heart on his sleeve. I wouldn't trade him for anybody. I know he loves playing here, and it's a good mix.

Q. During The Finals a lot was made about LeBron's heavy minutes total. Durant's carrying somewhat of a similar load. Your guys are playing a lot of minutes, too, but is that somewhat of an emphasis? Like if he's going to have to play 45 minutes, that's going to take a toll on him?
STEVE KERR: Well, we hope so. It's hard to play a whole game in the NBA, especially a playoff game when every play is so intense. So I'm sure Billy [Donovan] is like I am. We both would like to get enough rest for our stars so they can be fresh down the stretch. Sometimes it's possible, sometimes it's not. Game 1 we played our guys, our starters, pretty heavy minutes, and I thought we were tired a little bit down the stretch.

Game 2, obviously the game broke free, so we didn't have to play big minutes. But we looked fresh and we played more people in the first half. So if you can get rest for your guys, you get it where you can.

Q. Just being back in this arena, that was a pretty memorable night for a lot of reasons. Whether it was Draymond coming back, Steph's shot, do you guys talk at all or think back to that?
STEVE KERR: No, nobody's said a word about that. It doesn't have anything to do with what's going on now.

Q. A lot of your players were reacting to a story on [Warriors director of team operations] Eric Housen. Did you happen to catch it?
STEVE KERR: Yeah, I saw it. It was great. It's fantastic.

Q. What's he mean to what you guys do?
STEVE KERR: Well, it was just well-deserved recognition. He does everything for us, and his attention to detail is second to none. It's incredible the job Eric does. So I was thrilled to see him get the notoriety that normally would never come his way or any equipment manager's way. So it was cool to see the piece.

Q. There's some chatter about a four-point line. What do you think?
STEVE KERR. Please, no. A four-point line? No, I would not be a proponent of that. It sounds like a circus -- you win a stuffed animal if you make a four-pointer. Let's not put that in.

Q. Do you think it would [Indiscernible]?
STEVE KERR: No, I don't think so. I think that sounds insane, honestly.

Q. The story pointed out when the three-point line was introduced, a lot of people thought that was insane.
STEVE KERR: I don't know. What would you have to make, a 40-footer for a four-point line? I don't know. I don't really know what to say. It just seems stupid to me.

Q. Reggie Miller's response was there's only one guy who would make it.
STEVE KERR: Right now, that's probably true. No, we'd be all for it as a team and an organization (laughing).

Q. But not you personally?
STEVE KERR: Not me personally.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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