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NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: TRAIL BLAZERS VS. WARRIORSMay 15, 2019CJ McCollumOakland, California - Practice Day Q. Talk about the coverages, what are you and Damian going to try to do to get going? CJ McCOLLUM: We need to be better. We need to be more efficient taking care of the ball, take more advantage of our opportunities when we get them. But yeah, I think people are making a big deal out of Steph getting some open threes. But if you don't score, you're not going to win against the Warriors, and if you don't defend and take care of the ball, you're not going to win, so we've got to tighten up those things, as well. Q. How much of that offensive burden do you and Damian take on your own shoulders? CJ McCOLLUM: I mean, we have to be better. We're the leaders of this team, the guys who offensively produce a lot for this team, so we have to be better. Q. It's hard for you guys to have back-to-back games where your shots are both off, and it's rare for you to see the ball turned over that many times. Is it a thought for Game 2 that that's not going to happen again? CJ McCOLLUM: We just need to take care of the ball, be better on offense as a team, limit their easy opportunities. I think they scored 31 points off turnovers, so they're going to score, they're going to hit tough shots. You've just got to make it difficult. They can't get run-out dunks and transition threes. Q. How have you seen Terry kind of handle situations like this, because it seems like a lot of attention is on him right now after Game 1? CJ McCOLLUM: It'll be fine. We lost one game, so -- and they've got to blame somebody, they're going to point the finger at somebody. He answered the question the way he wanted to answer the question, and some people will make a big deal of it, some people won't. But for us it's stick to the game plan, understand what we need to change, how we need to adapt and then go put on a better performance in Game 2. Q. Has that been something that is consistent with him, of like, hey, we're going to stay true to our principles, stay true to what we do? CJ McCOLLUM: Yeah, I think he's not going to tell you guys the game plan before it happens. I think that's not very smart for anybody to do. I don't think Steve Kerr would do that. I don't think Pop [Gregg Popovich] would do that. For us, it's just trusting what he has in place, trusting what we see on film and how we can adjust, and then moving forward. Coach's job is to coach. He can't play. He's not turning the ball over. He ain't missing shots, know what I mean? So he can only do so much. Q. Did you feel like you got the shots you wanted, the kind of shots? CJ McCOLLUM: I think I had some good looks. We've got to work on spacing and tighten some things up, and we will, but I had some good looks. I had some tough shots, and that's every night. Every night there's going to be some good looks you've got to make, and then some tough shots you've got to make. Q. How good are they defensively? They get so much attention for their offense. CJ McCOLLUM: They're good. They're smart. They're experienced in terms of having played a lot of games in the Playoffs, having guarded a lot of different guys. They know how to load up. They know to help. And I think that's what makes them really good, because they know their roles and they're very good at it. Q. Does a lot of that come from Draymond Green? He's very vocal out there telling teammates where to go. CJ McCOLLUM: He's the vocal leader. He's the guy that helps, kind of roams around, puts pressure on guys when they drive, and he's done a good job. Q. Can you imagine playing a game like Enes Kanter has without eating and drinking and fasting and all that? CJ McCOLLUM: No, I love my water and I love to eat, so that would be very hard for me, especially when you're exerting so much energy. But that's a credit to him and his dedication. Q. Has he sort of earned a level of respect just for powering through that? CJ McCOLLUM: I mean, I respected him whether he fasted or not. I know him as a person, spent some time with him in the city these last few summers. I have a respect for him regardless of his religious beliefs, yeah. Q. How much would you like to have a game where the other team defended you in the pick-and-roll, the way you guys defended Stephen Curry in the pick-and-roll? CJ McCOLLUM: You're a funny man (laughing). I can't answer that. Q. You're not going to bite on that one? CJ McCOLLUM: No. Q. One of the things Damian Lillard talked about was the Warriors switching up the way they guarded him. In the film sessions have you seen that, and what kind of opportunities does that open up for you? CJ McCOLLUM: I mean, they're doing a good job. They're smart. Defensively they load up. They show bodies. They rotate well. They close out well. I mean, that's what defensive teams do. They make it difficult for you. We've just got to tighten some things up and make some adjustments for Game 2. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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