NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: HAWKS VS. BUCKS

June 29, 2021

Nate McMillan

Atlanta Hawks

Game 4: Pregame

Q. Do you know if Trae will be available yet and any kind of update on how he's doing today?

NATE McMILLAN: He's going to be a game-time decision.

Q. Did he shoot around today?

NATE McMILLAN: He was at shootaround today.

Q. Did he do it?

NATE McMILLAN: He was there, so yeah, he did it, participated.

Q. On the Olympic side of things, what is it about that environment where you just put those stars together and that can be conducive to having super teams emerge from that experience?

NATE McMILLAN: Become a super team?

Q. Where guys go to the Olympics, they pair up, they become friends and then they wind up basically forming super teams in the NBA?

NATE McMILLAN: Oh, I mean, that -- when I joined the U.S. Olympic team, really they were trying to change how they put that team together. We had lost in 2004, and we felt like Mr. [Jerry] Colangelo and Coach K [Mike Krzyzewski] and the Olympic committee felt that we were just putting a bunch of All-Stars together, and that wasn't good enough, just having a lot of talent that really didn't have chemistry, wasn't working at that time.

What they wanted to try to do was build a team. You had to commit three years to the Olympic team. They started to kind of change how they -- what type of talent they brought in, so they brought in talent that would be able to form that chemistry right away because at that time Argentina, Spain, those teams, they had success, and they had teams. Those guys had been together for a number of years, and they were having success.

USA Basketball wanted to take that approach, and they have done that.

As far as those guys being together and communicating during that time, I mean, I think they do it during the offseason, whether they are in the Olympics or not. It's every four years, so -- these guys are close. They know each other. Free agency allows them to pick and choose where they want to go.

Q. Can you talk about Lou Williams’ preparedness if he needs to play more than a complementary role today, and what other options you have?

NATE McMILLAN: Well, again, those situations I'll address when I find out who's playing tonight. But we've been in this situation where we've had guys out. Trae has missed a game or two, and it's really been next man up for us. Guys have stepped in really all season long, and they have taken advantage of opportunities like this.

We've had a lot of injuries this season. A lot of guys had to step in or fill in to play when that happens, and our guys should be ready to go when called upon.

Q. Along those lines, do you ever go to guys individually and talk to them about the need to not necessarily do too much but that they might need to step up in some regard? Does this help how you can use Cam [Reddish] tonight?

NATE McMILLAN: Yeah, I mean, Cam is available, and yeah, you do talk to guys when they are put in a new situation, whether that is going from coming off the bench to a starting role or just being in rotation. You talk to them about why you're putting them in that position and things we want them to try to accomplish when they're out there.

So absolutely, you have that conversation with players.

We don't want those guys to come out and try to be the person -- they can't be the person that they're replacing. They have to be themselves and do their job as they would any other time.

But yes, we do have those conversations.

Q. How does your defensive approach against Khris Middleton maybe change tonight?

NATE McMILLAN: I mean, guys, I've seen that a number of times, where guys get hot, and they just feel that any shot they put up is going to go in. Middleton was in that zone.

There were times where we were trying to get two on the ball, but before you could get to him, he had released it.

When you have a hot hand like that, you want the ball, and your teammates are looking for you. He did a good job of really taking and knocking down some big shots in that fourth quarter. Again, I thought we had good coverage on a few of those shots. There was some breakdown on a few of them where he was able to get to the rim, but a guy like that when he's in that type of zone or just that type of player, the best defense is you don't allow him to catch it. That's the first -- do your work early and try to deny his catch or force that catch out.

Then if he gets hot, you need to send help to him.

Q. What do you expect from your team's offense, especially if Trae isn't able to play tonight?

NATE McMILLAN: Well, whether Trae is playing or not, we've got to bring the energy, the urgency to the floor. We've got to put together a 48-minute game with that energy, urgency and execution. That's the game plan. We've talked about that this morning.

As far as who will be in uniform, it really doesn't matter. We have to bring that -- be the aggressors tonight, have better execution and put together a 48-minute game.

Q. To many, the Hawks' success in the playoffs has amounted to a city celebration. What does this run say to Atlanta and about Atlanta?

NATE McMILLAN: Well, we want to continue that celebration. The city has really been excited about what these guys have done. It's been really fun and exciting to advance in these first two rounds.

But for us as a team, our work is not done. This series is not over. We feel that we have a chance to tie it up again tonight, and that's where our focus is at. We're not -- the one thing that these guys have done a great job of is not getting too high when they have won games and won series and not getting too low when they have dropped a game or two.

The focus is we know we need to be better tonight at home and try to take care of business tonight at home.

Q. You guys don't have troubleshooting, but defensively you seem to be weaker in the paint. What's the dialogue you've had with your players about closing in on that gap and fighting hard for every last rebound so those missed opportunities don't get converted on the boards towards the Bucks' direction?

NATE McMILLAN: That's been the message. You just said it. You've got to fight. You've got to keep that ball in front of you, square your shoulders, keep the ball out of the paint. You've got to be in your shift to give help. And then it's a fight. This team came in, we came into this series knowing that they are a really good offensive rebounding team, and we've lost that battle.

We have to start, fight, we have to hit, box out, and win 50/50, the rebounding game. That is a strength, that has always been a strength of Milwaukee, and they are winning that fight basically playing in our paint as well as second opportunities.