NBA FINALS: CELTICS VS. WARRIORS

June 7, 2022

Steve Kerr

Golden State Warriors

Practice Day

Q. What's the latest on Andre? Has the swelling in his knee gone down?

STEVE KERR: Questionable for tomorrow.

Q. You have won at least one away game in 26 consecutive playoff series. What is it that you're able to do on your opponent's floor and have that success?

STEVE KERR: It doesn't have anything to do with strategy. It just has to do with having a lot of talent, guys who are really competitive. So that's the combination it takes to win on the road in the playoffs.

Q. You guys have been good at taking the very first road game this postseason. Is there anything in particular to that approach?

STEVE KERR: I think just our playoff experience, our guys understand the importance of making sure you don't let your guard down in that first playoff game.

I would expect tomorrow to be really competitive right from the start. We know they're going to bring a level of physicality that we brought last game. We got to be prepared for that.

I think it should be a great game.

Q. I think Klay is 10- for-32. What has the film told you about the shots he's taken? Which ones do you like and which don't you like?

STEVE KERR: Yeah, I think he's just pressing a little bit. He just wants so badly to do well that he's taking some bad ones.

I'm not particularly concerned about it because this isn't the first time it's happened. Klay has a way of responding to mini slumps or whatever you want to call them.

The point of emphasis will be let's make sure we get good rhythm shots early. If we do that individually and as a team, then it puts everybody in a better position.

Q. Draymond called Wiggins the best wing defender on your team. He proved it going against Jayson Tatum in this series. When you look at what he's been able to bring throughout the playoffs, guarding some of the best perimeter players, for you, are you surprised, are you impressed?

STEVE KERR: I'm impressed. I'm not surprised. Wiggs has shown since we've had him the last couple years that he can be an excellent defender. He got great size, length, athleticism.

I think over the last couple years, he's just gotten more and more attentive, gotten more on edge, ready for what's coming next.

I think part of it is just playing with Draymond and Steph and Klay, playing with guys who have been around championship basketball, and them really imploring him to be that guy for us because we desperately needed that.

When Wiggs recognized that was the role that was needed, he really locked in and got better and better.

Q. Have you seen Jordan Poole kind of click into something? He's been working through a lot, especially in the Finals. Have you seen something click for him at this Finals level in the last game?

STEVE KERR: Well, he made some shots last game. I think the biggest thing with Jordan is he just has great confidence and belief in himself which allows him to respond to a bad game or a tough shooting stretch, whatever it is. We've seen him have monster games in the playoffs, we've seen him have some tough ones.

But he's never afraid. He never shies away. I think that's one of his best qualities.

Q. We've been talking to you for a very long time about Draymond and his passion, what it does for the group. I wonder coming off Game 2 as far as that idea of him pushing the envelope, is it one of those situations where you talk to him going into Game 3 where you want the edge to be or just let him be him?

STEVE KERR: No, just let him be him. He's at his best when he's passionate and emotional. I thought he played a great game the other night. He got the early tech, but he left the officials alone all night.

The play is always going to be physical in the playoffs. Being physical is part of it. So the main thing is you have to leave the officials alone, and Draymond did a good job of that.

Q. Do you believe Steph Curry is underrated on the defensive side of the ball and why?

STEVE KERR: Very underrated. He's more physical than people give him credit for. He's really competitive. He sticks with the game plan. He's not afraid to stick his nose in there and be really aggressive.

But he does it in a way that shows his experience. He understands where to draw the line. There have been times over the years where he's gotten himself into foul trouble. I think he's gotten better and better in terms of not reaching, yet staying in front of his man and stopping penetration.

Q. When did you really see Steph transition from being a solid, decent defender to consistently good?

STEVE KERR: I think it's really developed over the last three or four years. During that stretch when we played Houston and Cleveland in the Playoffs, both teams would go at him constantly. He was already a pretty good defender at the time.

I think he felt what teams were going to do, and that in turn informed his off-season regimen. He got stronger. I think you can see the change in his body now compared to six, seven years ago.

He's just upped his level of conditioning to the point where he can guard 50 screen and rolls a game and run 50 screen and rolls a game. Not many people can do that.

Q. Otto gets a lot of credit for his shot-making, spacing, his rebounding. Is there something that to you maybe goes under the radar being able to fit into different lineup configurations?

STEVE KERR: He's always in the right place at both ends. He understands spacing on offense. He understands ball movement. Then defensively he's just a really good team defender with his rotations, boxing out. He's an excellent rebounder.

He's just a really good basketball player. With his versatility, his size and ability to switch across positions, he's just a hugely valuable player for us.