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NBA FINALS: PISTONS v LAKERS

June 13, 2004

Larry Brown

DETROIT, MICHIGAN: Game Four

Q. You can't say enough about good coaching and how much it means to the success of the team, but as a coach, how do you know when to back off and let the leaders in the dressing room take over, because ultimately, aren't these guys simply playing for the guy sitting next to them in the dressing room?
COACH LARRY BROWN: I've never been asked that. I don't know if I do a good job of backing off, but I think if you don't respect your players on this level or any level, I don't know how you can coach. The hardest thing is getting to them to know the difference between coaching and criticism. I'm not in this to criticize. I think we are all in this to try and make our players better. But you don't have a chance as a coach if you don't have great leadership in your locker room. We wouldn't be here without the players we have in our locker room and the feeling they have for one another. And I think, and certainly it's what motivates our players every time we step out on the floor. It's like you said, it's the person that they are sitting next to.
Q. I wonder with Kobe Bryant, he didn't get an awful lot of shots in Game 3. Was that a product of your offense or defense and do you get concerned he might just get off on a game on you?
COACH LARRY BROWN: No. We foul. We fouled him before he shot the ball. (Laughter) If you're allowed to slap arms and put bodies on people, I mean, how are you going to get shots? No. They took 27 3s, I think in, Game 3. They only took 74 shots. I think they were playing from behind a lot of that game, so a lot of their offense was trying to get back in the ballgame, and I think we've been able to control tempo. I think, you know, we've rebounded the ball effectively. We've had pretty good offense in terms of moving the ball from side to side and taking good shots, which maybe kept them out of the break in an open-court situation, where I don't think you can guard a player like Kobe.
And we've been able to let them play against a set defense. And then the last thing: If you have to play a high-possession game against a great offensive team like that, you're going to be in a lot of trouble, and I don't think there's any way to stop a player like Kobe.
So first two games, you know, first game he didn't make shots. Second game, you know, he made shots and was phenomenal. I think the last game was not a typical Laker game.
Q. Do you have Plan B or Plan C in terms of preparation, if the opponent makes lineup changes at the last moment?
COACH LARRY BROWN: Well, sometimes they don't tell me. No, again, you know me well enough. I can't really worry about what other people do.
Our thing is about our team and what we need to do. My biggest challenge, I think and our whole staff's challenge, is to make sure we understand why we won the last game and not lose sight of them; why we were able to have a chance to win the first two games. I think that's our biggest challenge, and not to be concerned about, you know, who they decide to play, because they have got some pretty good players.
Q. What is it about Lindsey Hunter that has enabled him to be so effective offensively?
COACH LARRY BROWN: Well, you know, I think when you look around our league, there's a lot of older guys that are really professional guys that respect the game, respect their teammates and will do anything they can to make a contribution. A lot of times they understand it themselves and a lot of times as a staff, you ask them to do it and they make sacrifices.
He's a great on-ball defender. He's got unbelievable toughness. Allen told me earlier in his career that Lindsey was the best on-ball defender, other than maybe Eric every day, and that's a tremendous compliment.
But Elden Campbell, Corliss, Lindsey, people like that, give you a chance to be successful, whether they play ten minutes or not. It's never an issue.
Q. Are you viewing Rasheed's performance in this series thus far, based on where you are standing in the series, as sort of an unplayed hold card because you know he's going to snap out of it at some point or are you wondering when he's going to snap out of it?
COACH LARRY BROWN: Well, when we talk about fouls, he hasn't been able to play a lot. I don't think anybody else in this series has been impacted by fouls, even though he's not very physically big and opposing. So with that in mind, I think he has been great, to be honest with you.
And you all have stated it, we've won because of our defense and our rebounding, and I think he's been a huge part of that. I've heard Kobe talk about it numerous times. You know, our length and our size in terms of being able to block shots and come over to help, it's been a huge factor, and Rasheed has been that way.
Even if he doesn't score, the threat of him as a scorer has really helped guys like Tayshaun and Chauncey and Rip, who their offensive output has been huge for us.
Q. But a 20-point game would be nice; right?
COACH LARRY BROWN: Yeah, if they are good shots, but I don't think it matters to him. If you watch him on the bench, and I've said this to you guys before, five minutes, 6:19, it doesn't matter. He's for us. And everybody on our bench and on our staff knows that we need him in the game if we are going to win, especially down the stretch.
Q. I asked Coach Jackson before what he thought could turn this series around for the Lakers, and he was talking about rebounding. Now, your spacing is very, very difficult for them to rebound well. The only guy is Shaq on Ben Wallace and when it seems he starts missing, it seems you come in with Campbell so he has to step out. Is this your way of neutralizing and taking advantage or is this the way you've been playing all year long?
COACH LARRY BROWN: I think we're a good rebounding team, to be honest, and one of the big things -- I don't think they have a lot of guys in the triangle that dribble-drive. The triangle is mostly a post-up/jump-shooting offense. When we are going to have trouble is when they get out and run and penetrate. That's when you have trouble rebounding the ball. But if we are in the half court on defense and we can keep people in front of us, I think that's when we are effective, rebounding on the defensive end.
On the offensive end, the reason we are effective is we're getting a lot out of screen-and-rolls, which most of my guys have been around all year. We haven't been as successful doing that and we've gotten better. The fact that we might have people scrambling around, we're able to dribble-penetrate, we get people to help and we've been effective on the offensive boards.
So when you talk about keys tonight, I'm sure that they will try to push the tempo and without question, I'm sure they will try to keep us from making dribble-penetration, which will enable them to rebound effectively. And if we get in that kind of game with them, we'll be talking about how bad we are and how dysfunctional my team is, and how great they are. (Laughter).
Q. Are you surprised by the statistic of how big the difference your team's rebounding against their rebounding?
COACH LARRY BROWN: Yeah, but we've always been a pretty good rebounding team. And especially when you have the depth and size that we've been able to use, and then our guards -- I'm not real comfortable with our 2-guard being a lead offensive rebounder in the series, but we're fortunate that Tayshaun's smart enough to understand that. But, I am, yeah, because watching Shaq throughout these playoffs in all three rounds, is great as he was on offense. He was the most dominant player in any series on the defensive end. And I still know we've got games to play and I'm convinced that could be a factor, as well.
Q. If you guys are doing better on pick-and-roll, is it because you are making shots or they are not guarding it very well or something else?
COACH LARRY BROWN: No, I think our execution is a lot better. I think we've been more inclined to do it. We've changed up ways to get into it a little bit. Chauncey has been phenomenal, been much more patient. Rip has been doing it. And then getting Rasheed, you know, he's great at that, even though he has not been the recipient a lot, just the fact that he is such a threat has opened the court up a lot and that's helped us.

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