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NBA FINALS: CAVALIERS v WARRIORS

June 5, 2016

Steve Kerr

Oakland, California: Game Two

Q. Coach, Steph and Klay have a pretty good history of bounce-back games. What do you expect out of your backcourt tonight?
COACH KERR: Well, they're great players. I imagine they'll come out and be aggressive and probably shoot a lot better than they did in Game 1. But you never know. You never know what's going to happen from one game to the next. So for our team, it's all about defending and taking care of the ball. Everything else is going to happen one way or the other. Those are the things we can control, and that's our goal.

Q. In baseball, Steve, there are umpires with high strike zones, low strike zones. I'm wondering in the NBA how attentive are you and your staff, your team to tendencies of an officiating crew? Are there certain things that even within the rules or whatever you expect a certain kind of game from certain referees?
COACH KERR: Not in terms of the rules or interpretations or anything like that. I think the main thing is just understanding temperaments. Some guys may be a little more accepting of some arguing. Other guys are going to have a quicker trigger in terms of calling a technical foul.

I think it's a good idea, regardless, in the Playoffs to just keep playing. I mean, both teams are going to get bad calls. The officials have a tough job. If you just lock in on the game itself and keep playing, next play, next play, next play, that's what it's about.

Q. What do you make of the volume of conversation that seems to dwell on officiating either leading into or coming off of a game?
COACH KERR: I think it's probably natural given the attention that is paid to the games, because there's just as much, probably more conversation about how individual players are playing, how coaches are coaching, strategy, everything else. So everybody on the floor is under a microscope, and it's just the way it is. But I know I would not want to have their job. That would stink.

Q. I know these things are dictated by opponent, circumstance and whatnot. It seems like the last three games playing much better defensively after a stretch of some games where you got lit up a little bit. Do you know how and why that's been better? And does it have anything to do with maybe shortening your rotation with Steph being able to be back in the fold more?
COACH KERR: No, I don't think it has anything to do with the rotation. I think we got out of sorts in Oklahoma City in Games 3 and 4, we got a little too cute. Games 1 and 2 we did some things that worked for us that we stayed with and we probably stayed with them too long, and then the last several games of that series we kind of got back to basics and I thought we did a much better job, and that carried over into Game 1.

Q. Did you like the shots that Steph and Klay got in Game 1? Would you take them over again? I know you go back and forth on what was a tough shot or not a good shot, but did you like those shots and would you take those exact same shots in this one?
COACH KERR: Those guys are allowed to take any shots they want. That's the rule. Steph and Klay are, nobody else is. I trust their judgment. But the minute I start complaining about bad shots, all I have to do is: Oh, yeah, in Oklahoma City, Game 6, Klay took five bad shots that helped us win.

So bad shots for those guys, it's a different definition from everybody else. I was fine with the shots that they took in Game 1. They'll be in a better rhythm, I'm sure, tonight, and I'd be surprised if they didn't get going.

Q. Do you tend to get more mad over offensive stuff than defensive stuff? It seems to me maybe you react more to things you see offensively than defensively, just on the court during the game?
COACH KERR: Probably turnovers. What makes me the most angry is careless play. So it goes both ways, offense and defense. Careless turnovers drive me nuts. Losing vision on a backdoor cutter and giving up a lay-up drives me nuts. So I don't know if it's weighted any differently, but when we lose focus, that's what gets me upset.

Q. How important has versatility in personnel become in this league? Is it more important in the Playoff series than in the regular season in regard to game planning and adjusting to have a versatile set of players?
COACH KERR: Yeah, I mean, versatility has become a huge factor in the league. Guys who used to be dismissed as tweeners are now celebrated as positionless players. And I think the rule changes defensively from whenever it was, 10, 12 years ago, allowing strong side zones and more liberal switching and that kind of stuff has really helped those so-called in-between guys.

Yeah, it does help in the Playoffs. In the regular season you don't mind too much if you see a mismatch that's not going to go your way. You just kind of see what happens. If you want to make a change, you make a change. But in the Playoffs, it's a much bigger deal. There's much more at stake, so you need to have that versatility and options.

Q. How much did Bogut, the way he came out of the gates the other night, really kind of help set the tone for the game?
COACH KERR: Yeah, I thought Boges was great. We need him diving and looking to be aggressive. A lot of teams are getting out on the perimeter and switching or trapping Steph and Klay, so there are a lot of openings to the rim, and I like that he was aggressive and got some early hoops. That was great.

Q. In Game 1 LeBron had 21 field goal attempts, one less than Kyrie Irving and four more than Kevin Love. Do you expect him to be more aggressive to the hoop in Game 2, and are you anticipating that?
COACH KERR: He's always aggressive. He's always going to be near a triple-double because the strength of his game is his all-around play. I mean, he does everything. He really is a point forward. He's trying to distribute the ball.

So I have no idea of how many shots he's going to take compared to the other guys, nor do I care. It's really about how we defend them. We just want to make their field goal attempts as difficult as possible, regardless of who's taking them. But I would say, yes, he's going to be very aggressive tonight.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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