NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: CELTICS VS. HEAT

September 19, 2020

Erik Spoelstra

Miami Heat

Game 3: Pregame

Q. I was wondering what the biggest challenge is for the players to learn so many defensive schemes and to execute them all in the same game oftentimes, and how do you guys try to overcome that challenge?

ERIK SPOELSTRA: I think if you get to the Conference Finals in either conference, ideally you're talking about the best four teams that have really talented players, and also high IQ players that can compete and also do things with great detail and thought, and both these teams in the East, I think you could describe both teams that way.

Q. Can you talk about how Goran goes about the business of staying in such good physical condition?

ERIK SPOELSTRA: Goran is super diligent. I think this year, he looked super spry. The only -- when he was dealing with his knee two years ago, that was the only thing that temporarily slowed him down. Otherwise, each year, he's just super diligent, disciplined. Spends a lot of time dedicated behind the scenes in the training room, in the weight room, conditioning, eating right. There's really not a secret to it. Father Time will get you at some point, but you can stave it off for a while if you are really disciplined, and Goran is an absolute pro.

Q. Andre Iguodala missed the second half Thursday with a back spasms. Where does he stand for today?

ERIK SPOELSTRA: I don't have an update for him right now. He's on the training table. I know Andre well enough right now, no matter what [Heat trainer] Jay [Sabol] says or me, he's going to try to go, but we'll see.

Q. When you moved to the zone, it was I don't want to say it was invented for Derrick Jones, but he has such an impact on it. Does that alter when you turn to the bench in defensive moments when you know you're going zone, might you lean more to a guy like him who has played well with it really from the outset?

ERIK SPOELSTRA: I think that oversimplifies Derrick's impact. He's had as much impact in our man-to-man defense over the last three seasons. That's where we really liked him when we first signed him. We saw a potential for him to be able to guard multiple positions.

Q. You mentioned several times since you got down there, you appreciate Meyers' ability to stay ready. What does it say about his personality, on top of the fact that he's struggling to find minutes at the moment, he's still the first guy off the bench and he's still supporting everybody and being vocal the way he is?

ERIK SPOELSTRA: Meyers is one of the most special people I've ever had the opportunity to coach and to be around. He is just an incredible human being and teammate. He has all of our hearts. We will do anything for him because he is so pure. He is everything as advertised when we did our research on him before the trade and 100X more. And that's why he's been he's been on a lot of winning teams and a lot of winning locker rooms. Chemistry is a hard thing to put an analytic to, but he's been a big part of that with his Portland teams and certainly with our team, and it's not easy. It not easy, being in this kind of situation, going through the injury he went through and having the hiatus where he didn't get the full opportunity to rehab it. But he's making the most of it, and if he gets his opportunity, he will be ready because of that.