NBA FINALS: PISTONS v LAKERS

June 5, 2004

Phil Jackson

COACH PHIL JACKSON: Good. (Laughter).

COACH PHIL JACKSON: Yes.

COACH PHIL JACKSON: I took Shaquille off the court a couple of times.

COACH PHIL JACKSON: Oh, some minor things.

COACH PHIL JACKSON: I don't know about that.

COACH PHIL JACKSON: I didn't see any limitations at all. I thought everybody played aggressively, athletically. It was a good practice.

COACH PHIL JACKSON: Well, I think their defense generates some points. We'll probably have to be the most concerned about how we get into our offense, how we get the ball in the best position on the court to execute what we want to do, how we manage the clock, 24-second clock. There's going to be a lot of 24-second violations with teams that go up against it.

COACH PHIL JACKSON: Neither. I have no opinion on that at all. I anticipate that's what Larry would do. He was in a series with us a couple of years ago back in Philadelphia, and he did not try and foul for profit in a situation that would get the ball back for the team.

COACH PHIL JACKSON: I anticipate that that's something we'll always have to face as a team that has a player the size of Shaquille in the post, deep, buried. And a lot of times, maybe taking a shot under duress that he's always going to be used as a weapon to try and see if he can't get it back on time and see what teams can do before he gets back on the defensive retreat.

COACH PHIL JACKSON: You know, I think it says something about a person when they respond to adversity. I think Kobe has responded extremely well to the adversity around that situation. You know, we all sympathize with both sides of that. As a parent, you know, I certainly do with both families in the situation, but for Kobe's standpoint, he has a job and a profession and something that he has to attend to and we really rely on him and the responsible role that he has to perform. He's done a wonderful job holding up under that pressure.

COACH PHIL JACKSON: Nobody anticipated he couldn't.

COACH PHIL JACKSON: Yes, I try to impress upon the ballplayers this week that the first two series that he played in versus New Jersey, obviously, and the first series against Milwaukee, he actually was a featured player in some sense and shot the ball well, consistently. You know, we have to respect him for what he's gained as an offensive player.

COACH PHIL JACKSON: No. I have consistently come up with a theme. We've talked about it, as our last chance, so to speak, to perform as a group. For a lot of these players, you know, there's not a whole lot of security that's beyond this year. We have talked about it in those terms. But we haven't, you know, specifically focused on that as an emotional appeal.

COACH PHIL JACKSON: I think it's present with us all the time.

COACH PHIL JACKSON: You missed that question already but I'll defer to that; that I anticipated he would do that. He had been in the playoffs before and not tried to use that to gain an advantage, because I think just because of the distraction and because of the fact it's not a very sporting act, I think in the end result in some ways. You know, it's kind of befitting with his stature towards the game.

COACH PHIL JACKSON: Well, you know, demonstrative, emotional, stand-up guy, straightforward. You know, he plays the game at full throttle almost the moment he steps on court until the time you take him off. That part of it, I think, is a driving force for our team. You know, we've played behind Kobe's intensity over the years, but Karl brings a different kind of direction and intensity to our game. His ability to motivate our team has been noticeable for me, as a coach and I appreciate it.

COACH PHIL JACKSON: Yes, he's done a fine job for them in the playoffs. We made a big transition over the last two year, coming from Washington to Detroit and becoming a featured player. He's a terrific off-the-ball player, reminiscent of players of past, but of course very similar to a player that Larry Brown had in Indiana, Reggie Miller, fit very well into the system that Larry likes to use as a coach. He likes players that play without the ball; that are willing to move to get the ball. Hamilton is a tireless worker and is capable of being a one-man wrecking crew out there, because he gets picks and in return, he wears down the ballplayers that have to guard it. We'll have to watch Kobe's stamina during the course of the game, defending against him. We'll have to put him under some pressure ourselves as a defensive player.

COACH PHIL JACKSON: I think it's not unsimilar to the role he had. I think Rasheed was not only a post-up player, part of the team, obviously he brushed cheeks with Larry Brown in Philadelphia and incorporated a lot of the system Larry uses -- in Portland, but also uses him in screen control situations where he can fan out and be a spot-up shooter from three-point range. He is perhaps not as attuned or predictable to move out to that three point line, but he's still a very dangerous out there and we'll have to be conscious of where he's at on the court.

COACH PHIL JACKSON: We don't anticipate, I don't think anybody in the NBA in this day and age does anticipate that you're going to have a 12-man squad come back and play. I think the last time that happened was in '97 -- '96-'97, the Chicago Bulls kept the 12 men on the roster and allowed their first round Draft pick to go ahead and come to the L.A. lakers in a trade and compensation situation. That's the extreme. Today we are now exchanging six, seven, five, six players every year it seems like, and the mode of operation that goes on. Our team is no different this year. We anticipate the players are here for an opportunity, and we're trying to make the best of that as a team.