NBA PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT: PELICANS vs CLIPPERS

April 15, 2022

Willie Green

New Orleans Pelicans

Pregame Press Conference

Q. This is your second straight one-and-done game. Obviously this one on the road, but how key is it for your first-time postseason guys that they've been able to experience a little bit of the tempo and the speed and the energy that they're going to see tonight?

WILLIE GREEN: It's been really key for us. Even before we got to the play-in game against San Antonio, playing maybe the last five or six games of the regular season, it was all games to position yourself to be in to have these opportunities, so they felt it, and then the San Antonio play-in game was another level.

We look forward to tonight. It'll be another big challenge for our guys, and we'll be ready.

Q. You were in this building 12 days ago and the Clippers made 21 threes. Now, whoever is playing for them or not, they still have a lot of firepower, and they also had 16 made threes against Minnesota. How is your perimeter defense going to have to change tonight to be more successful?

WILLIE GREEN: Yeah, something that they do really well is they move you around. They can shoot the threes off the dribble, catch and shoot, and we just have to do a better job of getting to those guys, getting to their feet, contesting, and going from there.

Q. Willie, how would you describe what the season has been like for you personally?

WILLIE GREEN: It's been fun. Some difficulties involved in it, of course, but it's a joy going to work every day with our group, with our players, our coaching staff, our medical team, performance team, strength, management team. It's been fun. That's the beauty in it for us is that even through the ups and downs, we just have so many high-character people, we love getting in the gym and going to work, and it's good to have these results and have this opportunity.

Q. With this being such a big game, is there anybody you've spoken with before this game?

WILLIE GREEN: Yeah, I've spoken with Monty, I've spoken with Steve Kerr, Randy Ayers, who was my first coach in Philly, but he and I was together in Phoenix and in New Orleans. I've touched base with a number of people and kind of picked their brains.

Q. Play-in or playoff, how valuable is it having a big like J.B. who can score and do what he's doing?

WILLIE GREEN: It's extremely important to have a guy that you can throw the ball to. Even if he doesn't score, he draws a ton of attention, and we can get open looks by posting the ball up. We know that the Clippers are a team that reds 1 through 5, switch 1 through 5, so we'll most likely see some of those looks tonight.

Q. That San Antonio game you guys won the battle in the paint, won the rebounding battle. What did you like about what you did on the interior?

WILLIE GREEN: It was great, especially starting with our defense. I thought our guys were locked in, we were focused, and when we guard like that, we can rebound the ball and get out and play to our best, which is in the open floor.

We did that against San Antonio. It was really good to see, and now we've got to turn around and do it again.

Q. You talked about some of the coaches that you talked to for counsel, I know you and Ty talk quite often, right? Normally would you talk to him before --

WILLIE GREEN: I would. I would. But Ty knows how I feel about him. He's like a brother, really good friend, and he's done an amazing job this season having his two top guys out for a good part of the season and getting these guys playing hard, competing, playing together. It's really difficult to do, and he's one of the better coaches in the league.

Q. Have you communicated with him at all?

WILLIE GREEN: He texted me right after me won, and I texted him right back, and we had a few exchanges and laughs.

Q. Obviously the Clippers have done a lot of things (indiscernible) among that group is there a guy that you see as really dangerous?

WILLIE GREEN: They have a ton of guys that are dangerous, and they've all had moments throughout the course of the season where they step up and they play big in big moments. I think you mentioned it, whomever is on the floor for them, they're more than capable, and that's our mindset coming into tonight's game is that we have ready for the challenge. They're on their home floor coming off an emotional loss, and they're going to play extremely well. That's what we expect.

Q. I know you had to prepare for the Spurs, but did you get to take in any of Tuesday night's game in Minnesota, and what were your impressions of how that played out?

WILLIE GREEN: I did. That was a really exciting game to watch. Number one, it was competitive. It was back and forth. It just came down to the last few minutes, which team can execute at the highest level.

I thought it was good just in general; being a fan of basketball it was fun to watch.