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NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: HEAT v PACERSMay 18, 2014Erik SpoelstraINDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA: Game One Q. When you have guys that allegedly don't like each other, how do you make sure that it comes up in good, positive ways, and doesn't squirt out in not so positive ways? COACH SPOELSTRA: It won't. I think probably we can expect a tightly officiated game to establish that early on. I don't think that's even necessary. Both teams understand that it's decided in between the lines. I really don't anticipate anything. It will be hotly contested. It will be extremely physical. Nobody's going to give anything up, but everybody understands the consequences and understands the big picture with it. Stability in a series like this is critical. Q. Erik, before you turn in your card in in 45 minutes, can you give us an indication here of your starters? COACH SPOELSTRA: No. If you're going to force me to be stubborn, I'll be stubborn. I've proven to probably everybody in the Heat organization how stubborn I am. Q. I know you go about a play one game at a time mentality, but did you all think about the mindset before the playoffs started to get through each series and quickly so you can get some rest? COACH SPOELSTRA: No, that's not‑‑ that can't be your mentality when you go into it. That's actually the exact opposite of what you want to be concentrating on. If you're going into a series trying to say we're going to end this quickly, bad things will happen, and you're focusing on the wrong thing. We have to focus on just the immediate challenge, and for us right now, that's game 1 on the road. It's the first time we've had to do this in this playoff run. We understand we're going into a place that's tough to win. Our guys embrace that type of challenge, but it's different. In the series before, it just happened to end quickly. We're grateful for that. The last series was highly, highly competitive. That was deceptive, the five games. But now this is a new challenge. Q. Same basic course here now three years in a row. Is this a different team to prepare for in any way? Are there nuances, or you just basically go in with the same points? COACH SPOELSTRA: No, it always changes, and I'm sure we're different to prepare for as well. I mean, they're dramatically different than they were two years ago. So you could probably draw more comparisons to last year, but there's new personnel as well. The rotation is a little bit different. Players are different. The additions that they've made have made it a little bit different from last year. But the key tenets of who we are, that won't change. That's critical for us and our success in this series. You have two different styles of basketball, who can get to who longer. Q. Erik, Lance Stephenson said before the series that he wanted to get Wade moving so he could make his knee swell. How much of a concern is that, and is that a concern? COACH SPOELSTRA: No. You're asking definitely the wrong guy. We don't get into that. It will be decided between the four lines. Q. Frank said he thinks you guys are using James Jones in the Mike Miller role. Do you see any similarities? COACH SPOELSTRA: Well, similarities in shooting, but we don't have the, quote, unquote‑‑ I think that's one of the things from early on in the year that we didn't have that specific role. It kind of fits into what we talked about about our team. It's a different year, different journey. We can't try to compare things to the year before. Everything's different, and I think all the things that we've experienced to get to this point where we've embraced it finally. It took a little bit of time to finally embrace that it was a different challenge and to get away from all the excuses and all the things that could distract us just to focus on the task at hand and the opportunity that we have. Even this series. And everybody wants to compare how similar has it been? It is different. We're starting out on the road. The teams are different. But J.J. gives us something that we trust, the spacing, the motor that he plays with. He knows our defensive system and does all the intangibles that we expect, that we don't take for granted. It's not that same role, but it is a role. You know, we may have to go 10, 11 deep in this series, and that's another reason why this team is different than in years past. Q. Erik, now that you guys are the two‑time defending champs going into this series, how has the mindset changed? What have you done as a coach to approach this situation now that you're a two‑time defending champ? COACH SPOELSTRA: Kind of just what I was talking about, throw that all out the window now. That doesn't matter. That doesn't win you the game. Our resume certainly doesn't win us a game. It's different. We talked about that from the very first meeting before training camp that this year will be different and it's proven to be. Q. How healthy is Dwyane Wade? What is the status of his knees? Do you have to be careful with him, limiting minutes and so forth? COACH SPOELSTRA: No restrictions with him. You'll find out. Q. I'm curious, hockey's going through its playoffs right now, and they have a tradition of a hockey goaltender that could change everything. Is there anything in this sport where you have the equivalent of a hot goaltender? You have to be mindful of it? You expect it? Something that pops up on the other team, the hot hand on a shooter? COACH SPOELSTRA: Yeah, it always happens in a series, that unexpected momentum, possession‑changing things can affect a game, and it might just be one possession. It might be three minutes in a quarter when we feel we're one of those type of teams that can play in those spurts and bursts. You have to be ready for the unexpected, and it always happens, things that you can't plan for. Both teams probably feel that they're ready and the plans are set, but it's until you get knocked back that the thing really starts. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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