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NBA FINALS: CAVALIERS v WARRIORS

June 12, 2016

Steve Kerr

Oakland, California: Practice Day

Q. Coach, I'm not sure how early in practice you learned about Draymond Green's suspension, but how are you guys approaching that going forward to Game 5?
COACH KERR: I found out right near the end of practice. So we'll meet as a staff after practice and discuss what our starting lineup and rotation will look like.

Q. How did you break the news to Draymond about his suspension?
COACH KERR: Bob Myers called me after practice had started and he told me, and so I pulled Draymond aside late in practice and told him, and then we told the team.

Q. Was he upset?
COACH KERR: He's disappointed.

Q. How disappointed are you in this result? Were you expecting this to come out otherwise?
COACH KERR: I had no idea what to expect, and it's irrelevant, anyway, whatever any of us feel. We accept the ruling, and we move on to Game 5.

Q. How about the time, would you have liked to heard back the news before practice started or earlier today or even last night?
COACH KERR: Sure, but it didn't happen, so whatever. Again, they made their decision, and we've got to get ready for Game 5, and that's what we'll do today.

Q. I know you're not going to say, because you probably don't know who you're going to start, but in the past you have tended to stay smaller. Would that generally be maybe where you're going? Is Brandon Rush a possibility for this start?
COACH KERR: Well, one thing to note is that Draymond has to be on the active list for tomorrow. So we can't put him on the inactive list. So we're going to have to take one of our available players and make him inactive, so that will be the biggest discussion because we use everybody. We've used every single guy during the Playoffs. They've all been important, and that's going to be a really difficult decision who is inactive.

Then as far as the game itself, we're going to play a lot of people and we'll give a lot of different looks and we'll compete like crazy, and I think we'll give ourselves a great chance to win.

Q. Continuing on that thread, I know it's next man up, but what is the trickle-down effect with Draymond out as far as tasks on the court, especially in that small ball unit, if you continue to stay that way?
COACH KERR: Well, he brings a lot to the table -- defensive versatility, rebounding, ball handling and passing. So we've got to figure out a way to still be effective at both ends without him. So we do have, as I mentioned, a lot of players who have helped us all year long, big and small and in between. So probably a lot of different people will get a chance tomorrow.

Q. Barbosa didn't play last game. With Draymond out, of course you're going to rotate taller players in his position. That can be more minutes for Barbosa?
COACH KERR: I would guess that he would play. I didn't expect to not play him last game, but it's just the way the game went and the way it unfolded. So with Draymond out, there is definitely a trickle-down effect, and I would expect Barbosa to play.

Q. Maybe last year the obvious answer would be this affects you more defensively than offensively. With the way Draymond's game has developed over the last year, is it more of a balance and you have to sort of change things a little bit more or as much offensively as you do defensively?
COACH KERR: I don't think we need to change things offensively. We'll still play our game. We want to move the ball. We want to get up-and-down. So that doesn't change. Obviously, we'll miss his production, but other people can fill that void.

Q. How had the series changed for Draymond when LeBron switched on to him? Either his role or his impact, or what was most important for him?
COACH KERR: Well, the first two games they left him wide open on purpose. They were focusing their efforts elsewhere, and obviously Game 2 he got hot. Without Love out there in Game 3, they changed their matchups, so that put LeBron in more screen and rolls and all that.

So I think it's all fairly obvious stuff. You guys watch the games. So when the matchups change, things change for everybody a little bit. So he just hasn't had as many open perimeter looks more than anything.

Q. I have a general question and then a specific. Generally, do you think it was a fair decision today from the NBA? Specifically, it seems like you'll lose the ability for some post defense with Draymond in the smaller lineup. Can you assess James Michael McAdoo's abilities on post defense?
COACH KERR: First part of the question, it's irrelevant what any of us think, we just have to accept the decision and move on. So I'm not going to comment on that.

Secondly, I thought McAdoo played really well during his seven or eight minutes the other night. I would expect him to play some tomorrow as well. Like I said, you'll probably see everybody on the roster tomorrow. But that's all right. We like playing that way, we believe in our guys, and I think every one of them can contribute.

Q. During the Playoffs you used to mention Draymond to watch out his words and also his actions. Did you feel disappointed at him especially in the last game with what happened in the last game?
COACH KERR: That's just something that stays within the team. It's not anything I'm going to comment on. I'm disappointed for him that he can't play in a big game. But the ruling has been made, and we've got to move on.

Q. Sports throughout history, there have been many stories of teams that have overcome the loss of a critical player in a critical game in the postseason. Just curious from your experience as a player or as a coach if you can cite one particular example that's stayed with you.
COACH KERR: Not as a player or as a coach, but as a Laker fan growing up, Kareem did not play in Game 6 in 1980, and Magic had 42 points, 19 [15] rebounds, and 15 [7] assists.

Q. On the road, I might add.
COACH KERR: On the road. I may have gotten those numbers wrong, but if I got them right, I want a gold star.

Q. Pretty close.
COACH KERR: All right, thanks.

Q. When you told the team that Draymond was down, what is their response?
COACH KERR: Again, that's just kind of our internal business, so we have all supported one another all season long. We have a deep team and guys who care for each other, and we're going to come out and play extremely hard tomorrow, and we're confident we can win.

Q. Not that you need any more motivation, but can this have a psychological effect, a chip on the shoulder kind of thing or even more bonding or something?
COACH KERR: Well, I just think that it's the NBA Finals. We're at home. We have a chance to close things out. I don't think we need any more of an edge, any more psychological advantage, anything like that.

The game gives us all the motivation we need, and the biggest thing for us is to just tweak things a little bit here and there to try to get the right rotations on the floor at the right time. And because of our versatility, I feel like we'll be able to do that.

Q. Flip Saunders and a lot of people, I'm sure, have said that somebody's greatest strength can also be their greatest weakness. How much do you guys rely on Draymond's emotional approach to the game and do you accept the fact that it can be a liability?
COACH KERR: Yeah, we thrive off of Draymond's competitiveness and his edge, and it's been very important for us this year, and maybe that same quality has led him to this point, just his competitiveness and his passion. And that's all part of it.

So, again, we're not thinking in those terms. I know you guys have to write the story today that deals with all of that, but we have to go get ready to play, and that's our only focus.

Q. From just a sheer competition standpoint, how do you feel about the cumulative point system where behavior against one opponent can affect the series against another?
COACH KERR: I do think it's curious that somebody who gets knocked out in the first round and who's been on vacation for seven weeks is under the same penalty system as somebody who is still playing in The Finals now. I'm not sure why that is the case. It seems like a strange rule. It's not anything we're going to bring up with the league. Maybe it's something to talk about in the off-season. It does seem a little strange.

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