1-11-24 Phoenix Suns Postgame Media: Frank Vogel, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal

1-11-24 Phoenix Suns Postgame Media: Frank Vogel, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal

Coach when you look at this game and the way you guys started Booker being the aggressive how big was that to get you guys going yeah book was great in the first half but I mean I think the first six minutes all three of those guys were Ultra aggressive in particular shooting

The three ball um you know we have been a reluctant three-point shooting team with great Shooters and that’s something we’re trying to uh just remind remind our guys how good a Shooters they are and be aggressive in that that uh from that standpoint and I thought that was a

The whole game was a positive step in you know the direction of how we want to play offensively with those three guys being aggressive but book definitely set the tone in the first half do you have to reinforce that daily on shoot more threes I mean I know you’ve been

Preaching it but is this a constant reminder constant reminder and you know just showing them on film all the ones that they’re catching and red driving cuz they’re they’re Elite going to the basket and and Elite mid-range pull-up Shooters but you know we’re had too many games where

Team shot 40 to 53s and we shot in the mid 20s and um you know it’s just it’s tough to keep up in the modern NBA and we have the shooters to do it so it’s pretty obvious how we want to play and um I’m going to keep winding them up

Curious with with the defense on on Davis I know you wanted to throw multiple bodies Without You Bank how do you feel like they fared against him tonight yeah well I like to start defensively by talking about KD’s effort you know taking the matchup of of

Guarding LeBron for 48 you know in the past last week sort of uh held that to a late game and um you know he did a great job from uh from the opening tip you know just battling Bron he’s you know obviously LeBron James and um you know

Scouting Report starts with him so I want to credit KD there and then I want to start with uh or go on to nerk nerk battled uh Anthony you know Drew EU banks are backup center was out uh do came in and helped a little bit but for

The most part nerk nerk match stayed these minutes and batted him the best he could one-on-one and um and then the team defense you know just flooding the paint as much as we can and giving him support lastly Bradley Bill best offensive night what stood out to I shot 10

Threes I made eight of them that’s good right uh that’s that’s a good percentage uh I know he’s capable of taking 10 threes in a game now and uh I’m going to hold him to that and I’ve already told him that um but he’s uh he can score in

A bunch bunch of different ways and you know I talked to one of you guys in the earlier about you know Brad getting more and more comfortable he had the the long stretch where he was out early and you know usually takes guys a couple weeks

To really get your legs under you and get get into a rhythm especially with a new team and um you know it’s continuing to grow can continuing to get more more comfortable and this was his best night Frank you said getting more comfortable it’s not a surprise the more

These three guys play together the more they know each other but in what way are you seeing them come together that maybe you didn’t expect just notic I just see them talking to each other on the floor you know I mean they spend a lot of time

Together off off the floor but uh in practice um yesterday we we had a lot of um you know just situations non live you know against coaches def defending where you know they’re just uh just talking through the the types of actions that we want to put them in um when they’re all

Three out there together when there’s only two of them out there and what combinations and all those types of things so you know we know it’s going to take take time one win doesn’t mean we’re there but it was a definitely a positive step in the right direction

Frank with what your time about with book with his increased uh playmaking role how have you seen him kind of blend that with his scoring as far as determining when to do which yeah he’s uh he’s striking a balance and um I think he’s doing a great job with it not

Not just you know finding a balance of when to look to score and when to try to facilitate but um but running the team too you know he’s uh he’s not playing as a as a wing ball handler you know he’s playing as a point guard you know for

Much of the game and um within that he knows to you know where to to find his spots to be aggressive and he knows when the double team comes he’s going to be willing uh willing passer in those situations and set up teammates I I know you mention how the

People how the guys talk with each other can you talk about how unselfish all three of them are because like even today like you can see with the ball movement and they they’re really good at sharing the ball with each other and not being selfish cuz I know a lot of people

Assume that they’re going to have be ball dominant players but I feel like they’re a lot more unselfish than people think too as well there’s no doubt they they’re they’re all three very selfless basketball players and in particular when help is early and when double teams

Come you know they do not try to force um but they’re going to be aggressive looking to score and and put pressure on defenses to uh to be early to help or to to create double teams like we saw with book in the first half and we’re at in

The second half and then they get off of it they know they have uh a great deal of Trust on the guys that are out there with them and um it look good tonight coach with the way the game went tonight I mean the other night against the C how

Much did Pride kick in tonight with the grp yeah I think I I think that was a piece of it you know uh guys were not happy with uh not getting that Clippers game um not just the fourth quarter but you know we were we were down 10 most of

The game and uh you know we didn’t we didn’t guard well enough one-on-one in particular you know and you know obviously offensively you know being more aggressive going to shoot the ball over the top you know to adjustments that we took from that game to this game and it paid

Off thanks coach okay most of the time when people are finishing up a six day stay in Los Angeles by the end LA or Miami it gets pretty pretty lackluster effort you guys were the opposite tonight what kind of purpose did you come out with um just a response you

Know from our last two games and you know not trying to be too worried about who we’re playing against you know working on ourselves and you know we have a lot to work on but I think tonight was a good step forward you came out aggressive early

What was the mindset going out in the game today uh to be aggressive but in terms of just I mean was it the initial you felt like you had to start that way for the group or did that just come just through the floor of the game um you

Know really just doing what my teammates asking me um KD came to me before the game I want you aggressive um don’t worry about getting me involved I’ll get myself involved so you know having you know a mate like that out there with you to give you that

Much confidence and you know let you rock out this this important and then obviously you carried the offense in the first half and then Bradley carried in the second how pleased were you to see him be him in that second half yeah um I mean I’ve seen it plenty of times before

So none of it surprises me but you know finding the spacing around it you know letting them get easier looks and letting him get in his bag without you know people in help defense so you know we we figured some things out spacing tonight that we’ve been working on the

Past couple days that you know we can carry forward with now I miss the the beginning of your first answer but how much did Pride kick in tonight from from the previous game you think uh I think Pride always kicks in you know with us um you know we’re we’re true competitors

And you know we get bothered by losses um we’re emotional and you know I think everybody in this league is to some degree um you know so about how you respond hey B uh you guys did a pretty good job limiting LeBron and AD tonight obviously it’s you know hard to stop

Those guys part of but what were you what do you think you guys did effectively to to help limit those guys um just you know making sure they see bodies um guys like that you can you can never stop um you just want to make it

Tough on them and limit their touches uh make them work for touches and when they get the ball you know crowd in and you know make make the other guys do it but in a way way that’s not disrespectful to the other guys because they have a lot

Of other talented players over there um you know so the good balance of making the other guys do it but you know not wide open shots okay go ahead go Ahad um now um I’ve been talking to a lot of top high school prospects they bring your name up

Every time with the efficiency but you know I wanted to ask you like the way you score I mean being able to score in small spaces and and being able to score in a box how important is that for kids and then also not being able to need a

Screen to score CU a lot of times that brings a double team to you what can you say to them in terms of those bringing those aspects to the game I just learn them and work on them you know no matter what no matter what situation you’re in

You know you continue have to develop your game and it might not be for the situation that you’re in right now with the team that you’re on but you know at some point if you’re a true student of the game and you know you have your

Idols that you follow and you watch you know take take bits in pieces um and learn you know that’s what I do I I had a lot of favorite players and I still do and you know the game is steady evolving there’s people are doing Moves In These

Past two years that I haven’t seen the rest of my career so just trying to learn those and you know kind of adapt to the evolution of the game what do you feel about scoring in a small space because like you had like you get separation in the small spaces even went

Having the best defender on you what can you say about that cuz I see in your workouts you don’t ever just take a million dribbles and go do a Runway somewhere like I mean you can use a runaway but it’s in a tight space m yeah I mean people always say they’re tough

Shots but I just you know remember my dad just telling me just pointing to the ground like pick a spot and raise um and that’s what I try to do so it’s usually a move trying to get to a point and if somebody cuts me off there then that’s

When you go to the next one but if they’re not there just raise over them um I had a tendency of pump faking a lot too my dad just tell me if they block it they block it like just rise up over them hey Devin how do you see Brad try

To tackle the early challenge of you know just getting through his injuries and trying to hit the ground running in the games that he was able to be available with you guys I mean Brad and you know you you I knew it a little bit

When I was in his teammate but he is a lot of Personality man more that you know people people don’t but people don’t know that about him IID say it’s not that known so you know he he’s always good Vibes like high energy talking um funny and you know to remain

That and keep that in the midst of missing 15 20 games and then getting hurt in your first game back we went on the road and came back and he’s still high-spirited so you know that takes a lot you know that’s that’s I can’t do it

That’s what I say I definitely can’t do it um but that’s important you know he keeps the morale of the team high def on the threes um coach just said that he encouraging you guys take more threes take more threes is that easier said than done for you all because obvious

You can score mid-range Kevin can score mid range is that a is going to have to be a forced thing to take more threes uh I think it should be forced um especially early in games um we have such good Shooters on the team that I

Think even shooting a make or miss you know it slowly just loosens up those mid-range shots you know cuz people know there’s threats out there at at Deep spacing that will shoot it um and it opens up the gaps for you so I mean we

Have a lot of Shooters is worth the most points and you know I think it’s a good shot for a lot of us thanks yeah Kevin um dein said that you came to him before the game and said don’t worry about me go go get yours and I’ll figure out mine

How big do you feel like that was to get him in his mod because he said that that was big yeah I mean I I feel like um that’s been my Approach since I’ve been in the league like I figure it out I can f for myself you know you don’t got to

Force feed me the ball or put me in my spots I only need a point guard to set me up like I can go get I can find out how to get be aggressive and make an impact on the offensive side so as much as everybody can be aggressive without

Having to focus on trying to get me the ball or our best scores the ball if we aggressive and just make the right play the ball is going to find us so that’s usually the approach we all have but sometimes it’s good to reiterate that to

Your teammates um so they can go out there have a free mind so as much as I can I try to you know put that in the ear of my guys you know more more threes and is that easier said than done or does that

Have to be a forc thing for this team um it’s easier said than done but I feel like a you know coach has a good grasp on who we are as a team and I feel like we turn down a lot of Threes too trying

To drive and make the extra pass to find a more open three so sometimes we can shoot over guys and I think that’s what we did more tonight EG got up nine of them I felt like all of them look good leaving his hands you know and then Brad

Just got it going as well so we uh we spread the floor and stretched the floor out with our three-point shot I think it’ll open up everything else inside the three-point line Kevin Frank was also prison how you handled the Simon challenge with LeBron obviously done

This a lot but what was your approach to them I’m just playing as hard as I can just try to get into the ball as much as I can braon is a a guy that can attack from every angle of the floor so you got to be on on your

Toes at all times you know and he’s just so um clever when it comes to his attacks and his approaches to the offensive side of the ball so I just try to play hard but also my teammates were there for me to help and be inside the

Paint and help contest as well being passing Lanes to make the make life tougher for their best players so ad and BR uh top scoring a starting lineup was 13 points I mean that’s we could live with that Kevin it’s it’s obvious is that once you guys are

Actually out on the court together all three of you that you’re going to get more comfortable with each other you’re going to know each other better what in particular though in what ways has that shown up the most to you um just I mean we had games where you know

It’s clicking for us on the on the offensive side of the ball but I think defensively when we talking to each other and understanding where we all need to be on the defensive side of the ball then the offense have become easier um you know so I just feel like we got

To be on the string more and have a little bit more togetherness on the defensive side of the ball and that’ll feed into our offense okay I got to give you a lot of credit every time I see you it’s high efficiency every single time every year it’s high efficiency but I’ve been

Talking to a lot of high school players and they bring your name up in terms of someone that they look up to what can you tell them in terms of you know playing in small space being able to get separation and then also not being able

To need a screen every time being able to score and not bring the double team to you yeah it’s all about fundamental fundamentals um you know learning how to get to your spots is always about fundamentals especially when the clock is going down when you got a you know

Tight paint it’s about getting to your your spots and knocking down those shots and getting to your favorite shots and so I’ll tell young guys just to work on the fundamentals shooting ball handling passing just that simple and the game start to open up and become um easier

You know when you feel like you can attack from every angle of the floor you know you don’t feel limited out there so and the fundamentals help you get to that point with the fundamentals the fundaments they see you do the spins and Stu like that

That’s in terms of that what can you tell people see do the trickery figure that out yeah I mean it’s just uh working on my balance mentally a lot you know being able to you know keep myself centered when I’m making moves and you

Know and and when I get to a off balance shot um you know I can lean on you know one legs and you know shooting off my right leg or fading away because I work on it but to the core of it I’m working on my jump shot you know I’m shooting no

Spin shots but at the end I’m still following through on my shot shooting closer to the rim not always coming in there and just shooting threes you know so if any I mean that’s more of an advanced way of warming up because I’ve been in the league so long but it start

Off catch and shoot and mid-range and work my way out and then try to you know work on my game from every area of the floor Kevin you look at just the way BR play T’s I know took 10 and made that’s the stat number but as far as he actually

Played what what stood out to be the most yeah I mean he got to whatever he wanted he was a screener got to to play in the pocket was able to knock down catching shoots off the dribble um in the mid-range off the off the dribble

From the three catch and shoot three I mean so he had his whole bag open tonight and um when he’s unpredictable in his attack it just makes the game easier for everybody else when you finish a game like this do you you go back in the locker room belie like this

Is sustainable this is who we are we can do this like um yeah I mean when you put some good stuff on film you try to the the the hardest part about doing that in NBA is being consistent as a basketball player so yeah yeah we see that stuff on film

And we want to you know try to try to emulate that as much as possible but it’s easier said than done but it’s good to put that stuff on film so we can understand what’s our best and what it looks like last Oh Hey Kevin uh think

Speaking of uh Brad’s bag of tricks uh he was uh that In-N-Out Tribble I think he had four straight Lefty In-N-Outs I saw you in particular when pretty nuts on the bench what was it about that move that excited you so much well yeah Austin danc and he had Austin laying

Back a little bit off balance and you know that’s always exciting um you know is is Brad one of the best players in the world so you know to get an opportunity to see it from that close up and see a guy work every day and see who he truly is as a

Player and then you come out there and get moments like that is always fun you know I enjoy seeing my teammates cook like that and um we going to need more of that from him cuz they nice to bench they nice to crowd even if we on a road

And you seen people excited about that move so it’s only going it’s only good for us when he’s aggressive like that congrats on the win Kevin uh your pregame warmup or pregame routine has gone viral a couple times at what point in your career did you understand the

Importance of not skipping any steps during your pregame warm-up or routine when I was about 8 years old um every rep has always been important or my trainers and coaches Godfathers parents they always you know pumped in my brain that each rep is important and

Every time you step out there give it as much as you can and I just that just stuck with me that was one of those foundational you know the foundational advice that I’ve been I got since I’m from 8 until I got into the league you

Know so I try to lean on that just follow up yeah just follow up on that one what’s your favorite uh workout routine and training routine uh during like away games like you on tie schedule I like seeing the ball go through the net man so just shooting regardless of

What it is man just shooting the basketball obviously when you look at your game uh tonight not only a season High uh but 10 threes are you uh you good with taking that many threes first praise God uh I’m getting I’m I’m becoming good with it um it’s uh it’s been something

Our staff has been preaching all year it’s been something that I’ve been trying to get myself to do the last probably five years in my career to shoot at least eight to 10 threes a game and just really working on it I worked with I got

My trainer Drew back in town we worked for a few days and got it back feeling right and tonight I was just confident in it just didn’t think it think about it if it hit my hands I was letting it flow one of the things Kevin just said it said you

Had Austin Reef dancing on your In-N-Out in andout in and out dribble take me through that play for you and and what led to you going to that uh I mean I’ve done that before I’ve done where I hit like five in and out moves until like you going to bite for one

Like you got you got go you got to go for one of them uh but no Austin is a good player he’s a good Defender um he caught me on a closeout situation so I just I got to take advantage of what I’m giving and and what I’m looking at and

He just kept retreating and I was able to pull up on on the dot so it was just a good feel good flow tonight it’s definitely more encouraging like to hear Kay like go at him like keep going and book the same thing like you know so it

Kind of kind of challeng me and back into a little killer mentality a little bit is this a you know obviously this is one game but is this an example what you guys can be with you three out there for sure you know it’s like it’s a

Another small sample size of it you know granted we we play really well things were more or less kind of everything went our way tonight but uh we still got to be a little bit better in fourth closing not on defense and things like that of that nature but 100% like we can

Build off of this in a lot of positive ways um just the way the ball is moving the energy in it and then just our our Collective efforts on defense being being able to talk making it difficult for Braun and AD to get going and uh you know those are just the individ

Individual matchups that we take personally first and then you know everybody else not leaving that man on the island so it was it was a good Collective night tonight we hopefully just keep building on it Brad to that point uh Katie’s had so many different matchups with LeBron over the years but

Specifically tonight how did you see him take on that defensive assignment it’s so funny man like like I asked K I think it was out of one time I said he who you who you want to guard right here he said whoever has the ball like he’s like I want to guard who

Has the ball I said okay like so he’s taking that like like that matchup personally takes all matchups seriously and he wants to challenge himself on the defensive end and that helps us that challenged us all to do the same i h if Kevin’s getting in the

Stands and garden we damn sure better do the same thing you know so uh that’s that’s a good leader that’s a good Testament to him and what he’s able to do and for him to go out and and uh and say that and then showcasing guard Brun

That’s not an easy task you know Braun’s a high IQ player man can dominate the game can really take things away from you and can Implement games that are hard to stop like so for K to be locked in and make his downhill attacks tough

For him like that was that was Elite it was Elite um I think what really stuck out I mean just you know just a minute ago you talked about the in and out saying that you know Austin’s going to go for one of them but you know a lot of

Kids out there who want to be the guy you know you’ve been in that situation you are in that situation what can you tell them in terms of not needing to screen to score cuz with you guys you guys have you guys if you guys use a

Screen the double team or Blitz is going to come right how could you tell them in terms of the importance of being able to score the basketball without you know needing the screen and playing in small spaces and being able to get your shot off in small spaces the biggest thing is

Obviously as you get older somebody tell my a you kids is you know you got to be able to score in two dribbles in a league you’re not getting more than than that you know you got big Elite Defenders you got helps side ad waiting

To block your shot like you got to be able to get a shot off you know within like you said in a small space small time frame and and with some quickness and it takes time man it wasn’t something I had right right when I got

In the league it wasn’t something I had the second year third like it it took time to develop and and Reps at it too you know and also opportunity you know it’s also a matter of you know the opportunities coaches give you and positions they put you into to succeed

Too uh but 100% man it’s it’s you got to be able to find a knack in the game and and wonder two dribble pull-ups they may seem boring but that’s that’s the NBA like that’s those are going to be good shots for you those are going to be able

To get your rhythm going and keeps you in the Wheelhouse it keeps you with a job you know so um just continue to as a young kid out there you know keep finding ways to be able to score and Max three dribbles I’ll give you three I’ll give you an extra one

You look at just even even you know Eric taking that many thre didn’t make them but how big is it just for him just to fire him man fire him right and he he think he’s missed the last couple games anyway so get back in Rhythm fire him

You know like we love it we’re going to keep sharing the ball keep throwing the ball same with Grayson like fire him up man like that’s what we need like in order to compete and even be in games today like you have to be able to shoot

The three just keep teams on our toes and we have a lot of really good Shooters and we got to take advantage of it you brought up uh Drew hen just wanted to you know bring him up you wanted the ogs with with Drew and now

Like you know he’s on fire and then you you just talked about just recently in the middle of the Season putting work in and putting that extra work in you know um what does that mean to you and then you know just your relationship with

Drew too as well oh Drew is awesome man he’s I’ve been working with Drew since I was 14 uh it’s crazy to see both of our careers take off the way it has and we Credit One Another wholeheartedly for our successes and uh like you said we’re

Both OG’s in it and he’s like I said still to this day helps me and encourages Me shows me feel me does a lot of things other trainers don’t which is why I love him you know and uh on top of that hell I’m not the only one that’s

Having success there’s so many other guys that he trains and works with that are MVPs in the league you know so uh it’s just just a volume and testament to his humility but his hard work and work at I too man salute Drew for all he does

My man congrats on the win Brad uh you saw your boy John Wall at the end here courts side uh he’s currently a free agent what do you think he could bring for an NBA franchise right now John man John is always electric man it’s always

One it’s always good seeing him you know it’s my brother um from day one and we’ll continue to grow together and continue to be brothers man it’s it’s always fun to see him John’s John’s Electric Man John is a fierce competitor I think think just his his ability to be

Able to one take defensive pride in all of his matchups um and then his ability to be able to facilitate as a point guard he’s always had that he’s he never loses that and he’s always a he’s a worker man like John is a worker and at the end of the

Day he wants to win you know so I hope he gets the opportunity he deserves um and just continue to work man continue to keep keep pushing keep working until till his name is called and I’m sure and pray hopefully it does happen again for him because

He he’s a he’s a special talent man he’s a special talent he really is no problem

Head Coach Frank Vogel, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal speak to the media postgame January 11th, 2024 following the Phoenix Suns win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

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