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NBA FINALS: CAVALIERS v WARRIORSJune 9, 2016Iman ShumpertCleveland, Ohio: Practice Day Q. What have you guys been able to do to slow down Steph and Klay? IMAN SHUMPERT: You've just got to pay attention to detail. They never stop moving, which is probably the most challenging thing about guarding them. They're constantly moving. Any little bit of space, they can get a three off, and they shoot it at a high clip. So you've just got to be conscious of where they are on the court at all times and make sure you keep contact with them. Q. What details are you talking about? We hear you guys say that over and over. IMAN SHUMPERT: Details with coverages, how we're guarding certain things. You've got to know their whole playbook. You've got to know when they're in certain spots what they're looking to get accomplished. That just comes down to studying. Q. What about the other intangibles defensively against them like committing to communication and physicality? IMAN SHUMPERT: You have to do something to slow them up. You can't just let them run free. Like I said, they shoot at such a high clip. Being able to run free and do whatever they want, they'll have their way with you. So you've just got to impose your will and communication, like you said, emergency switches. Sometimes you get caught on a screen and you can't get there and you've got to yell to your big man to get out there and get a nice contest. We did an incredible job of that in Game 3. Q. We've seen a lot of teams try to be physical with that. It doesn't always work because they're good passers as well. They do a lot of system things that are good. What are you guys doing a little bit better than other teams? IMAN SHUMPERT: I think you just have to convert when you do get those stops. You're not always going to get those stops with a team like that. Like you said, they're very unselfish. They don't mind giving the ball up. They're not going to force, force, force. They definitely give the ball up and they let other guys play. When you get those opportunities where you do get a deflection or any sort of loose ball, defensive rebounds where you can get quick run-outs, you have to capitalize. We did a great job of that last game. Q. Those guys eventually do hit shots. When they go on a little bit of a flurry, how do you respond? IMAN SHUMPERT: Just keep playing. It's an unwritten rule you've got to take the shot to make the shot, and they're going to take the shots. You've got to expect them to make a couple and sometimes you've got to expect them to string them together and make a big run. What you have to do throughout the game is play the same way and keep your foot on the gas the same way. Just know that you can wear them down. Q. With Steph and Klay, when you ask them, and I'm sure you can relate as a shooter, you feel they're getting opportunities, they're just not converting. How much of it is that or does that undersell what you guys have done defensively? IMAN SHUMPERT: I don't care what the reason is, we've just got to continue to make them miss shots. If the shots that we're there on, we're contesting, is causing them to miss shots, then we're rolling with it. If they're missing on their own, they're missing on their own. We've just got to make sure we capitalize when they miss. Q. The bench didn't score until the fourth quarter. What kind of things would you improve personally from the bench point of view in the next game? IMAN SHUMPERT: We were winning by a pretty good margin, so I'd say we just continue to stay aggressive. Shots will come. You've just got to step up and knock down your shots. When we get in transition, try to push the tempo and get easy baskets. Q. I know this is very off topic, but some Chinese fans noticed that you changed your hairstyle a little bit. Is it because of superstitions? IMAN SHUMPERT: No, just usually I pick it out for games, and it won't stay up. I've tried. I've tried numerous things as of late to try to get it to stay up into my high top, but it's too long. I just tied it up to keep it out of my face. Q. During the Toronto series you said LeBron's calling out a lot of these adjustments before the teams even make them. Is he doing the same thing in this series? I know last year in Game 4 they made that switch putting David Lee in and changed the way they were playing. Are you guys maybe one step ahead this year of where you were last year? IMAN SHUMPERT: I think so. Not only are we there with communication and, like you said, anticipating their next move, but we're stronger this year down the line. I think we can make whatever adjustment they want to make. I think we've got all our pieces this time around, and we can match up well with anything they throw at us. Q. At any point did you sense doubt in the Warriors in Game 3? IMAN SHUMPERT: I wouldn't really -- they're not a lay-down team. They're going to compete. We know they're going to come out and compete. Even though we won Game 3, we know Game 4 will be even harder. There's not a doubt in our mind that they're going to come out and compete. We just have to continue to do the things we do well. We have an advantage in this building. We know that. We love the fact that we have that, and we're looking to lean on it. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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