I don't think you can chase anything. Anytime you chase something, you never end up catching it. So it if comes, it comes. |
I got to know him when he was a player and he had season tickets right next to our bench. I didn't know him just as a season-ticket holder but as a friend. It's a great loss to the sports world and Minnesota. He always had a smile on his face and cared about kids. He always took time to sign autographs and talk to kids and try to help them. |
I guess, what can you do if you hold grudges for that? |
I have been impressed with him from Day One. He always seems to be pretty effective for us. He has a chance to be an impact player in this league. He's still young and he's still learning, but he plays with a lot of aggressiveness. |
I have only been here three months, and I took offense to it. I just don't think that's right ... especially in our league right now. Commissioner David Stern has made a statement that he wants this league to be classy and to clean things up. To do something like that was uncalled for. |
I have to thank Charles (Barkley) for giving a great halftime talk when he said the game was over. I thought we were playing too perfect, but in the second half we played exceptionally well. When our four guys (four All-Stars from Detroit) were in we started to run some plays, and I think that helped us. |
I haven't thought over the last week we've been very sharp. We've let teams hang around. That's why I've said, whether guys are tired or whatever, we're not playing with the zip and the sense of urgency. |
I just don't think there was a lot out there. It's that scenario where teams want to make a deal, but they don't want to give anything up…We all want to get something for nothing. To do that, you really have to take a step back or almost be in a panic-type situation. |
I just told the guys, we have to get dirty. We have to do what we do best, and that is putting our nose to the grindstone and going after them. |
I knew he would play. He's a competitor. That's why he's going to run away with the rookie of the year this year. |
I knew it was time then to get him out. All of them. |
I like these games. I don't want us to lose what our personality is. |
I look at their team, and we are mirror images from the standpoint of we both have some exciting players, but because both teams are so unselfish and there's not a lot of controversy, they don't get a lot of individual notoriety. Bottom line is, both teams are about winning, and about doing whatever it takes to win. |
I look back at the All-Star break, and he kind of shut it down for six days, and it took him awhile (to get started again). Now, the last two weeks, he's been in a great rhythm. |
I looked back at that. What always seems to happen is, the guys will play well, and they'll have one stinker game that week. They'll have one game where Chauncey might have 11 points, six assists. Or Ben might get nine rebounds instead of 18. Rip might have 13 points instead of 23. And in this league so much, it goes down to statistics. |