NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: PISTONS v HEAT

June 4, 2005

Larry Brown

COACH LARRY BROWN: Well, going inside, you can do it off the pick-and-roll, you can post Tayshaun up, you can post Chauncey up. You can get Rasheed touches. I think you flatten the defense out and generally have to make more than one pass. I think the big thing with us is sometimes we don't move the ball enough or move the defense, and with Shaq, you've got to get the defense to move a little bit.

COACH LARRY BROWN: I think a big key is we've got kids with length. Our big guys are mobile and athletic, so I know they can cover and make up a lot of ground, they are shot blockers. We have the Defensive Player of the Year. Tayshaun has gotten better and better, and Rasheed is an underrated defender and I think both of our guards are. But the game is in so many ways, you know, there's so much pick-and-roll going on, so if your big people are mobile and athletic, that generally helps you a lot. Dribble-drive is a big factor, so if a guy gets beat, you need somebody behind you that maybe you can direct a shot or challenge a shot or change a shot. Usually athleticism is one thing. And then priorities, I think all of our guys take pride in trying to guard. But I think you can look over the team we're playing, it's a lot like that. They take a lot of pride in that part of their game. I look at San Antonio, they are in the Finals, obviously they are as good a defensive team as there is in the league.

COACH LARRY BROWN: Well, we have four (Draft) prospects in yesterday, too. I mean, I'll tell you about 11:30, unless the fourth quarter is an hour. I think there was so many things on the film that you could almost put on a clinic. You know, we watched film yesterday because, you know, I don't think anybody got to their house until four in the morning. So we wanted them to be in bed a little bit, but we didn't want them to stay in bed all day. We watched film and then we had a shoot-around today and watched a little film again. I think there are a lot of things that were painfully obvious in the film that we need to do better that they took away from us that they do better. So I'm hopeful.

COACH LARRY BROWN: Yeah, Coach Smith always told me, when you've got a key injury for one game, you don't want that kid to miss a game. You know, teams have a way of bouncing back. I look at them, they were 8-0 in the playoffs and Shaq has missed a lot of games, was less than 100%. They are a very resilient team, so, you know, we fully expect Dwayne to play. He's a competitor, great kid and I'm glad he is playing.

COACH LARRY BROWN: No. I don't get caught up. I heard Bill Walton say, what Detroit team is going to show up and what coach is going to show up the other day and I just, you know, that blew me away, but I don't get caught up too much. He is what he is. That's his schtick. Every possession, a different team is going to win. So he changes with the wind. I just hope that we get to see him again. I mean, we'll probably be in the Finals, I mean, I can't wait to see him again. I'm just hoping; I'm that fond of him. (Laughter).