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NBA FINALS: HEAT v THUNDERJune 11, 2012Erik SpoelstraOKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA: Practice Day COACH SPOELSTRA: Okay, quick turnaround, and that's the way it should be in the Playoffs. We had a good day of rest, a good day of work today, and let's get after it tomorrow. Q. Not that I expect this, but have you determined‑‑ COACH SPOELSTRA: I'll give you the lineup tomorrow night. Q. And what is your thought process regarding Chris, and did his good play the other day and his extended minutes perhaps swing you to the fact that he can play starter's minutes now? COACH SPOELSTRA: I'll consider everything by tomorrow night. I think he can handle more minutes. We'll have to see. He was able to handle the 31 minutes. He had to come out a couple times because of wind, but I think each game we'll get better. Q. Considering all the minutes you're playing LeBron, are you comfortable if he has to guard Durant for 35 or so minutes a game? COACH SPOELSTRA: I think that's part of the versatility we have with our roster, that we have some proven wing defenders, and we were tested with that in the last two series. But yeah, he did the bulk of the work on Granger or Pierce, but Shane and Dwyane and even UH and Chris were able to help out for some possessions. I anticipate that a lot in this series. Q. You played small a lot in the last two series partially because you've been forced to. How much of a judgment is that on this series where they have so much big man rotation? COACH SPOELSTRA: We don't look at ourselves as small when we go to that lineup, and I said that right when Chris went out, that maybe you could make a case at the five position against teams that were undersized, but every other position we think we match up. Our two guys, whether Shane starts or not, but when he's on the court with LeBron, we look at them as forwards. Neither one of them is the power forward, neither one is a small forward. They're just two basketball forwards out there. And in terms of size and length, we think we match up. There's also a dynamic where you have to flip it, and the other team has to look at what benefits we have from that offensively. Q. Scott Brooks, what do you think of the job he's done? And do you view where you're both at in your careers as pretty similar? COACH SPOELSTRA: He's done a terrific job. The franchise has really been committed to their vision. Everybody has been on the same page about it. You can tell that they have a philosophy, a definitive philosophy and a culture that everybody has bought into, and it's not a coincidence that they've been able to build this thing up quickly. Obviously you have to have some luck with the draft, but they've made solid moves, and some of them have gone under the radar. But Scott has been a big part of that in terms of the culture and the philosophy of how hard they play and the things that they do. They're well‑coached. Q. Compare and contrast the challenges Westbrook presents as opposed to Rondo, and also have you guys have had pretty good success against him the last two years? COACH SPOELSTRA: You know, I think in the Playoffs, it's a different animal. It's a different level, especially the way he's playing right now. He's end‑to‑end as explosive as anybody in this league. He's more of a scoring offensive‑minded threat than Rondo, so he'll be coming at you on the offensive attack every single possession, making you defend him, making you defend hum with multiple guys, making you do it with great technique so you're not living at the free‑throw line or letting them live at the free‑throw line. He plays with incredible force. We've seen what a dynamic point guard can do. I think the difference is how offensive minded he is. Q. With Chris' situation, LeBron had said that he liked the look of Chris coming off the bench, it was a different thing. Is that something you consider‑‑ COACH SPOELSTRA: Oh, I consider everything, yeah. But look, we've had to make a lot of adjustments. When Chris went out, we had to make some adjustments, when he came back in, and that's all part of it. It's survival in the Playoffs. There's no excuses. We've had to reinvent ourselves in the process of that we think we've improved during that reinvention. Q. How much can the difficult way the season ended last year increase the motivation coming into‑‑ COACH SPOELSTRA: I don't think we need more motivation. Last year is behind us. This is a different journey. We went through the pain, we went through the evaluation, we went through the recommitment at the beginning of the year. We survived all these rounds. We have a very motivated group because of the opportunity and what we can accomplish collectively. You get to this point, you expect to play the best, and that's the way we view them, and I'm sure they view us the same way. We're looking forward to it. Q. This is obviously very simple, but obviously it's something you don't want to go through again. COACH SPOELSTRA: (Smiling). Q. You know what I mean? You know what I'm getting at there? It's very obvious and simple‑‑ COACH SPOELSTRA: Pain can be a great motivator, but right now, we're looking at it the other way. Look what we can accomplish. This is a heck of an opportunity. Our guys are excited. Q. How does this trip to The Finals this year compare to last year at this stage when you made it? COACH SPOELSTRA: I think quicker. I had to look, but it seemed like maybe because we finished in five games last year, I think we had an extra day. I feel more comfortable like this, a day of rest, a day of work, and let's get going and let's play. I have to take a look. I was trying to remember, as a staff, I think this is‑‑ we felt this should have been our fourth trip to The Finals as a staff. The one in '05, we were up by seven with five minutes to go, so sometimes they kind of blend together. Q. How does this team compare to Dallas last year? Are they better, do you think? COACH SPOELSTRA: Totally different, just in terms of force and will and explosiveness. Dallas really did it with a veteran poise and experience. This team is very similar to us just in terms of how forceful they can play on both ends of the court. Q. Growing up was there a Finals match‑up where there was Magic and somebody or Jordan that stood out to you that you remembered? COACH SPOELSTRA: Of course, man, Clyde Drexler and Michael Jordan. I was a big Portland Trail Blazer fan in those days. Q. What do you remember about that? COACH SPOELSTRA: I remember Portland lost. That was tough being a Blazer fan. Q. And is it kind of inevitable with fans that while this is a team game, they're going to gravitate like that to, say, a LeBron and Durant? COACH SPOELSTRA: I'm sure that there are a myriad of great story lines out there for the fans. You know, ideally this is what it should be. We think we're the best team in the East, they think they're the best team in the West, and the two best teams should meet each other in a best of seven series. We're not caught up in the story lines right now. I know there are a lot of sexy story lines out there. It's about what our ultimate goal is, and there's a very talented team in our way right now. Q. What do you think your team learned from the Dallas series last year? COACH SPOELSTRA: We went through a lot of lessons last year, and experience can be probably the most powerful teacher. But we've put that behind us. We went through a lot of that at the beginning of the year, and we changed our dynamic as a team. We continued to reinvent ourselves. This is a different journey. We've built up some character and toughness. We've been tested really in all three rounds. The New York round even tested us. They were playing their best basketball of the season, and then obviously the last two series we've been playing from behind with our backs against the wall. I think that's toughened us. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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