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NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: WARRIORS VS SPURS

May 18, 2017

Danny Green

Oakland, California - Practice Day

Q. Everyone talks about their offense, but their defense is really coming to bear this series, especially with Patty. How effective have they been defensively?
DANNY GREEN: They've been good. They've been throwing different things at us, throwing different things at LaMarcus. Obviously, thinking a little bit. It's a lot easier to do that when we don't have everybody that we need to make plays so they can trap a little more on those guys. But offensively, I think it's a combination of them playing good defense and also us not finding our chemistry, not finding our rhythm, and not knowing where to be with two of our main playmakers not there.

Q. Danny, you were pretty upset, obviously, after Game 2. Does the time off in between games just allow for physical recovery but some sort of emotional recovery also?
DANNY GREEN: Yes.

Q. It seems like you're still angry?
DANNY GREEN: Well, I mean, that time of year, certain things, everybody is kind of on edge. But after a loss like that, why wouldn't anybody be feeling a certain way until the next game? Obviously we have a couple days to recoup physically, mentally, emotionally. So we'll take it a day at a time, but we all need to come out with that type of edge and type of focus and attitude in order to play with these guys.

Q. I know Kawhi was in the building today. Have you chatted with him, any sense on how he's progressing and if he could possibly play on Saturday?
DANNY GREEN: He looked good. Didn't talk about it that much. I saw Tony as well. He was in the building today. He looked good too. Just asked him how life was and how things are going, and he said he's strengthening, working on things. Taking it a day at a time, each one of those guys.

Q. How much of that frustration lingers because you all pretty much had that first game?
DANNY GREEN: Each game is different. We don't think about the first game. We think about the last game. That was the most important one at hand. That's the most recent one, and that's the one where we felt like we didn't compete the way we did or the way we should have regardless who was on the floor, we didn't play our type of basketball and we got embarrassed. So we've got to be able to come out and play regardless who is on the floor. Can't worry about Game 1. But I think the lingering is from Game 2, not so much Game 1.

Q. After Game 2, Pop kind of called LaMarcus Aldridge out. What do you think of coaches calling guys out through the media? Do you think that can be a motivation or do you not like that?
DANNY GREEN: You have to ask Pop. He's good at what he does. He's been doing it for years and he knows how to get the best out of his players. So certain things, certain tactics help guys, I guess, get angry, play harder. We hope it does.

Either way, I know how LaMarcus is, he's a competitor. He wants to win. He's going to come out angry and with a different face. I think that's for everybody to come out differently. So hopefully that helps him know that we need from him and help him refocus.

Q. Has that happened to you? Did that make you respond?
DANNY GREEN: Yeah, he does different tactics with me. Not so much in the media. But I've been here for a couple of years, and I've been decently successful, so I think it's due to his motivational tactics.

Q. This last season and game Jonathon Simmons really shined and stepped up to the plate. Are you all practicing ways to incorporate him a little bit more into your system and playmaking?
DANNY GREEN: I think last game wwe did kind of incorporate him into the system. It's not much different. I think we're trying to change up different things, different looks to get more action, more movement, so it's not predictable so they can't just trap LaMarcus or play those guys on the ball. So you get other action, and it will keep them honest.

Q. All-NBA teams come out today, Kawhi's obviously going to be first team. Is it amazing what he's done? Just a great season that he had and the development that he had.
DANNY GREEN: I've been here since he's been drafted so I've been able to watch him grow. It's been pretty amazing to watch each year how he's come back better and better. The potential that he has still with what he's done. He's a big difference maker on this team. You see how much he carried us throughout the season and in Game 1. See how much of a big difference he makes. He makes the game easier for us.

I'm sure he's going to be on all the NBA teams, first team, offensive and defensive teams. So it's good to have a guy like that on our team. We hopefully can get him back healthy.

Q. What about the defense has really made it tough on Patty?
DANNY GREEN: They're doing some different things. Trapping him, obviously they're long, athletic. He's a little smaller, so they're using their hands and being active. But we've got to find different ways to get him more open, get him being more aggressive and back to himself. I think he's going to come in the same way. LaMarcus knows he has to be more aggressive for us. Look for shots, come off screens more. Do other things to get himself involved and also help us win. It's going to take a group effort, whether Kawhi plays or doesn't, it's going to take us all to step up and be more aggressive offensively and defensively.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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