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NBA ALL-STAR WEEKENDFebruary 15, 2008Byron ScottNEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA Q. (Indiscernible). BYRON SCOTT: We don't make moves predicated on what other teams do around us. You know, talking to Kobe, and how happy he is with the Lakers' move and then you talk to the people in Phoenix about Shaq, you know, Dallas trying to acquire Jason Kidd. It doesn't make us nervous that we have to go out and try to do something right away to try to keep up with everybody. We just feel if the right deal comes along where we feel we can better ourselves as a basketball team, then we'll take advantage of it. If it does not, with the chemistry and the type of guys we have on our team, then we'll stay status quo and keep playing basketball. Q. As far as Peja's impact, how long before you bought in? BYRON SCOTT: I bought in ten years ago when I first met Peja. So I knew the type of player that he could be for us. Like I said, last year when he got hurt, I knew coming into this season if he was healthy and he had his legs under him and got his confidence back, felt comfortable in the system that we were playing, that he would be a big-time contributor. I think he's shown the last four, five weeks that he's on a roll. He's feeling really good about the way he's playing, he's got a lot of confidence, and the players got a lot of confidence in him. So if he can continue to play this way the second half of the season, we're going to be in good shape. Q. Byron, how do you feel about the talent on the West squad this year? How do you like your chances? BYRON SCOTT: I love our chances. We've got a bunch of great basketball players. So does the East. Obviously, we'll be missing a little bit if Kobe doesn't play. I'm hoping he does, because again, I think he's the best in the league and our relationship goes back a long ways. It would also give me an opportunity to coach somebody I truly love being around. Q. If he doesn't play, is this an opportunity to give Chris the start? BYRON SCOTT: Obviously, it's an opportunity. To be honest with you, I don't know yet. You're also looking at Steve Nash, two-time MVP, just out of sheer respect, I would probably ask Steve if it's okay, does he mind if I started Chris or something like that. Obviously, tomorrow, when we have a little more time together on the basketball court, we'll discuss some things. Q. This would be a tenth time that a coach of an All-Star team plays on his home court. Do you feel any pressure to get a win because of that? BYRON SCOTT: No, not necessarily. I love the fact that I'm making my second All-Star appearance as a coach. Being here in New Orleans, and again putting the spotlight on the city. So no pressure. This is fun. This is going to be a lot of fun just to be able to coach all these great players, where I can just kind of sit down and watch them play. So there's no pressure in the All-Star Game. You want to go out there and hopefully everybody enjoys them. Q. As a former Laker, would you accede to any clandestine requests that might come in from Mitch that you not play Kobe, just throw him out there for a minute because of the finger? BYRON SCOTT: That's going to be up to Kobe's discretion if he wants to play or not, how much he wants to play and things like that. I know with Kobe, the guy that I know, this is a big deal to him, but his team is a bigger deal. So if this is something that's going to be detrimental to his health as far as an All-Star weekend is over playing with the Lakers, then that's something that I wouldn't want to see as well for him, to go out there and hurt himself and have the injury get worse. So, again, it's just going to be strictly up to him. . Q. The fact that the All-Star weekend is in New Orleans, getting a lot of attention around the world, do you think it will linger past this weekend? BYRON SCOTT: I hope so. I really do. I think that this city, I wouldn't say we've been forgotten after a couple of years. I wouldn't say we've been forgotten after a couple of years post-Katrina. But I think it's kind of simmered down now that the city's getting back on its feet, which we are. But we're still in dire need of support. And we still need a lot of help. We still need the attention to let everybody know that this city is not where it should be at this particular time. But us who are here, we understand it is a process that's going to take some time. It's not going to happen overnight. But we still need the spotlight of everybody understanding we have a long way to go. End of FastScripts |
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