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NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: RAPTORS v CAVALIERSMay 21, 2016Tyronn LueToronto, Ontario: Game Three Pregame Interview Q. Ty, I know how this sounds, you only made 14 threes in two games, but do you feel like the Raptors have taken away that shot for you guys to a degree? TYRONN LUE: Yes, they've done a great job of just closing out and running us off the three-point line, and also just stunting and staying at home. That's giving Kyrie [Irving] and LeBron [James] a chance to get downhill and score points in the paint. Q. LeBron has only taken five jumpers in the series, but that continues a trend basically from the whole season where he's shot less from the outside, more in the paint. How do you look at that? Is that a good thing for the team? Do you feel like he's going to have to make some jumpers at some point on this run? Is it just what the defense is giving him or does he have a different mentality this year than in the past? TYRONN LUE: Well, a combination of all three things, but I think he's doing a great job of attacking the basket, and when he's attacking the basket, that opens up everything else for our three-point shooters, for Tristan [Thompson] getting dunks, Kevin [Love] getting put-backs and layups. He's just taking what the defense gives him. In this series, they're opening up the paint because they're staying at home with our shooters, so he's able to get downhill and get to the paint a lot more. Q. Does having more talent around him make him need the jumper less, give him less need to shoot jumpers himself? TYRONN LUE: Well, I think it's just a matter of what the defense gives him. If the defense is slacking off or they're going under, he can step back and take his shot. But I think just posting him a lot in this series has been great for us and also just attacking and going downhill in the pick-and-roll situation. He's just mixing it up. I think if they give him jump shots, he'll be ready to step up and make it. Q. Matthew Dellavedova going tonight? TYRONN LUE: Not sure. Warming up as we speak, trying to see how he feels. Q. How was he at shootaround? TYRONN LUE: He was a lot better than he was the day before, Steve [Spiro] said, so hopefully tonight, he'll be ready to go, but if not, someone else has to step up and be ready to play. Q. You project an air of confidence, both on the court and off the court. Can you explain where that confidence has developed and how you've come by it? TYRONN LUE: Confidence in myself? No, just being poised. I think just being poised, and when you're on the sideline and you're coaching and you're poised, I think that carries over to your team. You don't want to be panicked and frantic on the sideline because that causes a lot of confusion for the players. You just can't coach -- well, you can, but I don't believe in coaching like that. Q. In the season so far, in the postseason, you guys have allowed 63 percent at the rim, allowed the lowest number of shots in the playoffs per game. I was wondering about perimeter defense; how does that keep those guys out of the paint and what are you going to try and limit the number of shots at the rim? TYRONN LUE: Well, our main objective is to try to run guys off the three-point line and make them take in-between twos, contested twos, and when they get to the basket, Tristan and Kevin, Channing [Frye], they have to be there to protect. I thought we've done a good job of just taking away the teams that we're playing, taking away their best thing that they do offensively, and then we have to live with the results of everything else. Q. J.R. Smith said until he came to Cleveland, being a primary defender was not even in his thought process. It took him a while to get used to that. When along the way did you see him evolve into that, and how critical has he been in this entire thing for you guys as somebody who can be a stopper? TYRONN LUE: I think last month last year, the last month of the season, he really stepped up and locked into the defensive principles. It was a different foundation from what he's used to when he was in New York, so he finally caught on. In the last part of the season, he was great. I think this year, with [Iman] Shumpert being out the first 20, 25 games of the season, he really stepped up and took the challenge every night of guarding the best player. He's done a great job and phenomenal job of it, so now he likes that role. Q. With Kyrie being the leading scorer in the playoffs, do you think LeBron gets the same satisfaction from being the Mr. All-Around Guy? Seems like his role has morphed into something else. TYRONN LUE: I just think LeBron gets the satisfaction from just winning. We're winning, playing good basketball. Doesn't matter who the leading scorer is. It's all about wins. Q. We saw the video of the players pouring the drink on you after the last game. Do you think this team has the greatest team atmosphere at this moment? TYRONN LUE: Well, I thought the other night after the game it was a great feeling to be recognized by the team for the accomplishment [of winning his first 10 playoff games as a coach], but right after that we understood that we had a bigger goal and task, and we had to get ready and prepare for the next game versus Toronto. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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