12-30-23 Phoenix Suns practice media availability: Frank Vogel, Kevin Durant, and Eric Gordon

12-30-23 Phoenix Suns practice media availability: Frank Vogel, Kevin Durant, and Eric Gordon

Injury uph do anything to uh no we just had walk through stuff for those guys um you know so Josh is going to be listed his probable you know we expect him to be able to play and Nas is going to be listed his out said doubtful probable for Josh and out for

This year yep um obviously he had that in the Dallas game with the knee and he played against Houston thought played well was auring yeah it’s just uh you know when he has an off day it starts to feel better but uh you know the day after he

Plays he has um you know just a tend and ice type thing really just extreme soreness and you know something they just want to let calm down for a few games where had the BR come out of yesterday’s practice game good feeling great yes curious with even I was asking

Kevin about the hard close outs that team that trying to make you the three are out there how much is it inant that only do you have guys that can shoot at the score but make a play off of that and make the def yeah I mean that’s

That’s what we love about our our roster you know and the combination of those three guys is they all can do it all you know um you have to run at them uh because they’re Elite catch and shoot players and um they’re Elite putting the

Ball on the floor as well you know where a lot of role players you know are just uh onetick Pony so to speak where they can only catch and shoot and are limited off the bounce you know all those guys and I would say even Grayson and Eric

Are are really good attacking off the bouns as well U but just not the level of uh OB KD book and Brad one the things you said last night was you know taking the collection of players and kind to make them an elite elite team um the pro

The process in doing that though is not got to be harder to do than to be said so what what are steps now from this point yeah well I mean there’s a big evaluation step you know which is delayed when they’re not all out there but you know when you evaluate you you

Learn uh you learn more about how the coach can tweak the system you know to fit their their strengths and weaknesses the right way whether it’s you know offensively with things we’re doing um you know or defensively you know because we’re we’re not a great containment containment team so you know being

Stronger in our gaps and you know having more of a a tight shell even than than you know normal uh teams I think it’s just part part of uh you know learning about our group and you know making making subtle coaching adjustments along the way um and so hopefully we’ll continue to do

That coach I was curious what you were seeing from both okia and Sav to lead to the rotation opportunity and the type of lift you’ve seen that uh give the team the last couple of games yeah well you know you see the pickup games that we

Have uh for the low minute guys and you know we keep an eye on how they’re they’re playing and how they’re uh progressing in our system and um you know when you’re struggling you look at ways that you know maybe you can uh you know give give a spark to your group and

Uh you know those guys have uh have earned a right to get an opportunity and both of them in in the two games that they played this week have have played really well you know and have given us a lift so you know it’s just part of uh

Using your whole roster and making sure guys are are being rewarded for their hard work um you know making sure there’s no stone unturned you know to get the team playing at the highest level that you can and U it’s good to see those guys take advantage of the

Opportunity I know Kevin is a weak side protector is based on specifically like where he is on the floor the coverage of guys it’s not an every possession thing but how do you try and maximize like a skill set like that that not a lot of

Teams have having him at the four with protect with his arms yeah I mean we have you know sort of rules uh within our defensive system to try to keep him low as much as possible you know when he’s off off the ball and um you know

There’s times where we want guys chased in their own man and we went times where we want our big wings not just Kevin but you know Mesi kayada B uh big Wing rules where we try to pass pass off guys that are going to the top of the floor and

Just try to take advantage of our size in the pain as much as possible were there any concerns coming out of last night about the the three-point defense or how did you kind of assess how you guys did there yeah we looked at all of

Them um you know I think three of them maybe four of them were from you know being strong in our gaps okay and not getting back close enough but uh you know overall you credit the Hornets and you know they made some really tough shots they a lot of Terry

Terry shots were either at four-point range or you know uh step back threes on their own man which Jaylen green hit a few of uh the other night as well you live with some of those uh and then you just try to focus on the controllable

Ones you know the ones of transition uh we had a few short Closeouts on guys we consider lasers and uh we went under you know some guys that we consider lasers as well um you know and then the switch exchange you know the switch exchange

You know in this modern NBA which is a switching world you know there a lot of guys will just shoot over there over the swits and you know there’s coverages there’s execution pieces that can could have been better as well but you know I think overall getting our team to uh you

Know have have an opponent uh only score 34 points in the paint is a huge win for us course looking at Orlando they got the talent the young guys what you look at those two in particular what yeah I mean I think as as a group their positional defensive size it was

Very very impressive this is a big long team and um they make it very difficult to get to the paint so you know having the the type of spacing that we had um against the Hornets will be pivotal in terms of beating beating the magic um

But those two guys France and and and Paulo they’re they’re lead offensive players even though they’re young players um you know it’s not a situation where they got to wait on those guys you know they’re doing it right now they both came out of the gates scoring the

Ball at a super high rate in a in a variety of different ways and the versatility is very impressive statistically coach um or I’m sorry uh Kevin and and chimi have been really good you know net rating and all that stuff being on the court together you notice anything when they’re on the

Floor that’s kind of standing out to you yeah I mean it could be misleading because Mesi plays some four and and some five so you know whether it’s Mesi KD and a center is a totally different lineup than just you know Messi at the

Five and KD at the four so you know you know I just uh look at those those metrics a little bit differently but you know they uh Messi’s been playing good basketball for us you know I I think that most of the positive numbers when

He’s at the five he’s shown us a you know that he can be a dynamic roller you know and is is really showing his athleticism as a roller and um you know having those two guys with the size they have defens helps us as well coach Kevin

At the five to end the game I assume that’s something you would have turned to a lot more if you guys were more healthy now that you’re healthier it’s easier to do yeah and um you know it’s not it’s not perfect because of you know

The the size that we don’t have at the forward position you know ideally if he’s going to play five it’s it’s with two or three other um you know um Power Forward types but you know the way we uh you know sometimes you just got to get

Your best players on the four and and ask them to figure it out even if you know you’re a little bit small you know that’s a a lineup that you know really going to be difficult to guard you know what I mean and then they

Just got to work to compete and uh be connected on the defensive side like watching guys you know get run try to stay out engag when there noise in the gym man it’s always a great feeling no matter where you at you know ra no matter if it’s kids or grownups in

The gy yeah it’s always good to see people running up and down the floor curious with the game last night with Brad coming back I like the spacing particular in that first quarter oh it was amazing I mean I think we all moved the ball pretty well we touch the ball

Make quick decisions and um 34 assist is what we want to kind of hang our hats on the offensive side I mean we made shots last night don’t get me wrong I tell you it’s a make for Miss League everything looks better when you making shots but

We generated good shots so it wasn’t anything for us it wasn’t a lot of shooting over two or three people you know I think he mov the ball well curious you had some penetration early and how much of that was a product that you drawing the defense but then the

Spacing allowing you to be able to yeah I think it’s starts from me just looking to be aggressive to score the ball um and then you know making a quick decision when somebody helps up you know and trusting that you know Nur could be there to finish those plays or or Drew

Or do or Mesi The Bigs down down there can finish those plays so about making quick decisions but putting pressure on the defense to be a threat you know I always try to be a threat as much as I can other than that’s was opening up the passing talking about being more than

Just a score which I think but you had 11 assists one turnover maybe how did you just feel about that Flor game I mean it’s I mean that’s what I’m supposed to do like uh I know I feel even more excited about this game because I had I mean

That’s just what I’m supposed to do is read the game understand how the game is being played and make decisions I mean I’ve been in leag for too long um for me to get surprised at games like that it was a 25 assists between you B and Brad

Do you feel like that’s kind of a preview of what’s to come with uh yeah you can say that but I think for our whole team we all moving the ball and it might be a five assist night for Grayson one night or seven assist night for EG you know or Sabin

You know who knows nerk you know so we make it unpredictable when it comes to moving the ball and who’s initiating the offense which play I think we’ll be an unpredictable team to stop and that’s really what all great offenses in this league do they they just they switch

Attack so many times so we try to be that type of Team you mention that because that’s something you were saying early in the year trying to be unpredictable when you don’t have a full compliment of players it can become predictable because you’re expecting maybe you but do you feel like now with

Everybody clst regardless who on the floor basketball is an unpredictable sport I mean you playing for instincts you don’t think too much on the offensive side you make the quick play then that’s just basketball in general regardless of the Personnel um and that type of basketball can translate to any

Personnel when you’re playing together making an extra pass kicking it ahead getting stops together on defense running out and transition no matter who’s on the floor that that stuff is translate into a good basketball curious with Orlando they’ got obviously the Paulo and F and the young team that’s

Making video what do you see when you look at that long athletic team that can cause so many problems for an offense the second best defense the first best defense in the league uh using that length of getting out getting turnover so we got to protect the ball we got our

Work cutout for us tomorrow um and just on offens on the offensive side of the ball just uh understanding you know that this team can get in the passing Lanes they good at contestant shots so we got to make the correct plays I think it was under 25 points in the pain for

Charlotte 7even minute Mark of the first quarter would you like about the way you guys defended on the interior yeah I mean we know it’s a three-point league but a lot of that three-point stuff stems from the paint and if you touch the paint first and kick out that’s

Always a good for formula for any team so if you try to eliminate how many times teams get into the paint those threes sometimes are tougher you seen it last night Rosier was hitting fade ways uh and so if you got to rely on those shots you know that’s a that’s a tough

Diet to live on right there so but it all starts from uh it all starts from the paint if we we can plug that up as much as we can and still get out to the shooters and contest you know we’re in good shape I know positionally you’re

Not in that weak side room protector role every possession but how have you been feeling that out over the course of the season because I know based on the coverage of changes for when you go in and when you don’t yeah yeah I mean it’s

A it’s kind of a read where in a pick and roll in R you want to sometimes you can overh help and and and you know when the guys that’s playing in two and two pick and roll uh third guy can overh help sometimes when they got it covered and

They can spray out for some threes so you got to know when to you know stab at the ball and get back and close out back to your man and show presentation but still not give up a three so that’s the that’s the part of the NBA that’s tough

You know cuz guys can make those passes quick they can get in the lane and make shots shoot the floaters and they got guys that can shoot the threes so you got to you got to make second and third efforts against every team in the league

Now so uh but playing that bottom side pick and roll is almost like a a read that each play might be different do you remember the coach who started emphasizing that role to you given the type of shot blocker that you are uh I feel like I always been a shot blocker

Since I was a kid always had a knack of B around the basketball on both ends of the floor so um but when I got to the Warriors it was coach coaches gave us a lot of freedom to kind of roam on defense the way we like to roam Andre Draymond

Myself with that length and we can roam on defense and I just you know over time you just learn a little bit more about positions and the H would not to you know so just coaches giving you that freedom to go out there and and and and

You know be a anchor on the defensive side of the ball is only help me how big it be for you guys to take advantage of close because they were they were rushing try to get out yeah yeah I mean that’s that’s basketball I mean you want

To put teams in in a in a tough situation where they got a Sprint from the three from the paint to the three-point line to cover us and we got guys that can catch a shoot catch drive that’s always going to be a tough thing

For the defense so as much as we can get on the ball and make those quick passes on the other side um we’ll be in close out situations only thing I had was why you we looking at Grace Get Fit with you three and what is it about him that a

Good fit when he’s out there with you yeah I mean he’s not just being a stand still shooter like he’s handling the ball he’s making plays in the paint he’s making plays off the bounce uh in the pick and roll um so he’s he’s expanding his he he already did this already but

From watching him in my in Milwaukee and the stops he were before it was hard to see this type of stuff in this game because of the road he was playing so uh you know I didn’t know he he had all this stuff off the dribble he had the

The the incredible footwork and the paint he can make smart plays driving so I think he gives us that advantage of somebody else that can attack the paint just may speak to that a little bit the ball out and guys getting shots to make yeah yeah well we’re finally

Figuring it out uh heading in the right direction and uh like I said I came here to win and I believe a lot in this team and uh we got a lot and we got a lot to to go for and when I said those those

Amount of points like you know I’ve been on a lot of good teams but this team scoring wise we we should be able to just walk in games and out score teams and uh and we’ll figure out on the defensive end and uh but we got to have

Some kind of stability uh somewhere but we’re figuring it out you said figur some things out defensively what are a couple things that even after last night you feel like can be better well I’m not going to lie they they hit some tough shots yesterday I mean I would have

Never thought a team like that will that I mean they hit so many threes off the dribble and all that so you got to give them some credit also but uh you know we we’ve had times where we were throughout the season where it’s been up and down

But um I just think as long as we have that positive mind mindset where we’re scoring and then I think on the defensive end we we’ll get to that point where we’re where we’re getting stops and uh we’re slowly get getting Gathering it together coach said that uh

We didn’t want you to change your mindset at all coming off the bench when you hear that from the coach I mean I know you probably heard that your career like okay just be who you are but how how did that feel to know that hey this

Keep being you shoo the yeah cuz he knows I play the right way and you know um like with me I’m I don’t really feel like I take bad shots you know I’m uh I like to play Within the F of the game and I know if I’m knocking down

Shots that’s just going to open up the door for other people like when me and Grayson are knocking down shots and and anybody else um it it opens the door for those for our Playmakers and you know book Brad and and Katie so uh like I

Said I I I said a high bar for this team so we shouldn’t offensively we should never slow slow down Eric as a veteran does a week and a half straight at home help you with not only just recuperation but getting rhy them as well no question

We need to be better at home and uh we got to take care of home as much as possible so um cuz on the road you know the game is different so we just need to continue taking care of home and and win as many games as we can so I like to

Where we’re where where we’re at right now as one of the leaders of this team what’s kind of impressed you most just about how the guys are kind of responding and coming together these last coule games yeah that’re we’re responding to you know uh you know

Playing the right way and and you know vibing together so I’m I’m just glad that we uh fli that switch so quickly where everybody’s enjoying and having fun uh with one another you mentioned obviously the spacing I was wanting to get with you on that should that be the norm the spacing

That you guys got in no question no question uh you know like I said if I’m hitting a three early on or Grayson hits a three early on or whoever I mean teams have to respect that and um like I said with the type of talent we have on the

Floor uh no matter who’s on the floor with this kind of team we should never be slowed down you know we we should be creating good opportunities uh down the uh every time down the floor every every every night every game night and night

Night in and night out so we just got to continue it does that need do that need to literally be said to guys or should guys know that you would think guys should know that you know but uh cuz that’s just how the game should be but

Uh you know like I said I I uh how we’ve been playing these last few games it’s been very fun I’m not going to lie mean it’s been really fun

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