Kings Summer League HC Dipesh Mistry on Raynaud’s stellar start, Clifford shines late in debut
I will stand up about that one. Just the togetherness, you know, there’s a lot of hands that helped out in that game all across the bench. You know, TK came in changed the game was energy. I thought like everybody across the board, including the bench, even the guys that didn’t play, we just felt very connected in that first game and that was what my goal was in this short training camp. How how much was that maybe a pleasant sight being that it was the first one? Yeah. No, it was definitely pleasant sight game the first one, but you know, the winning is a byproduct of all the processes that they went through in the last four days, you know, and I’m just happy that they got the right outcome that they won and um the guys played hard. Played hard. What do you uh what are your thoughts on Max? Um he really seemed to be a connector out there for the guys and obviously kind of won a little run of his own right there at the beginning. Yeah, I know Max plays so hard but he’s so smart, you know, and he can play everywhere on the floor. So there’s just like he he’s kind of like limitless in his u in his potential, you know, and um he’s going to he can affect the game in so many ways with his energy and effort, but then also his skill. And I really enjoyed watching him today and saw it today. How much did he just kind of get you guys going early, Max? Yeah. No, he he really helped us early, you know, just getting like some offensive rebounds, you know, even some sprays and doing all the little things like Max. Yeah, we look at the points, but the intangibles that he was doing was incredible in that first uh first half. You have a lot of different guys playing point guard at times, but obviously Devin gets that start in that role. Uh just what did you make of what you guys were able to do with that? Yeah, I know. I thought Devin did a great job. You know, he’s communicating with me, the play calls, he’s getting the guys in the right positions, you know, and we’re playing with different not many point guards, it’s just different ball handlers because we’re trying to play so fast. You know, if we slow down just trying to find a point guard, we won’t play too slow, you know. I want to defend and I want to run and then when we have a set play, Dem’s gonna orchestrate it and he did a great job too. I know you haven’t looked at film, but what’s going to stand out in your mind when you go back and look at what to work on? Um or what to work on? Yeah. Yeah. I I just think like we stay away from the ISO ball, you know? I think we had a little little u possession where we were sharing the ball and stuff and then it got a little iso based. Um probably that and then defensively I just in the half court I want to touch man touch ball, you know, and that’s why it got a little loose a little bit. It’s like we got to get up into their bodies. And you wanted a defensive orientation coming in. Just how do you feel like you guys did setting that toe in game one? It it started with 94 feet pressure. You know, they picked up and I challenged them. Um every single day in training camp, they increased their percentage of picking up every single day, every single practice. And today I said, “Okay, you last scrimmage in our dress rehearsal yesterday was about 60%. I challenged them to do it 80% of the time.” And we chart that. We have a coach at the back, Marty Wilson, charting it. And so they went 82% today of picking up and that affects the game. It makes it a little difficult to get to your spots. All the catches are out and then it makes it harder to run your offense. How does it mean what’s it mean for you to get to coach and get a win in your first summer like I think it’s it I’m absolutely grateful for all the people that have helped me get to where I am starting back in Toronto at Ryerson University. Canada basketball that foundation that laid me very layered for me to get to the NBA with through Jana and then going through Lloyd Pierce and Nate McMillan Snder Mike Brown and all those great coaches in between and assistant coaches that I haven’t mentioned as well who’ve helped me come here and then Doug just and Scott just believing in me and giving me the opportunity. Um I just can’t thank them enough. What’ you think of uh the game Nick had today doing a little bit of everything out there? Yeah, I mean he’s a Swiss Army knife. He going to rebound, he going to push. challenged him to I just kept saying like you get the ball you got to go you know he’s trying to run a play it’s kind of slow but he finally got it and then he started attacking the basket and you can kind of see his force at the rim and that’s what we talked about play with force and Nick played with a lot of force today and how valuable is it to have both him both the rookies Nick and uh Max guys that are willing passers and and very capable in that way yeah and I I just appreciate and they’re older rookies that they play the right way and that’s going to be huge when they transfer into the big team just keep playing the right way the right play whether the shot goes in or not, the right play is is always the one to make. Going back to that question earlier, because it was your first one, too. Were there jitters on your end? Um, a little bit. Uh, that’s why I had the dress rehearsal. You know, I had more jitters in the dress rehearsal than I did today to be honest with you. Um, I felt comfortable out there and I just have a great bench, you know, and a lot of them have a lot of experience with Will and Jimmy and Dane. And then behind the bench, I mean, even G. And then behind the bench, I got my guest coaches who have immense experience with Jason Maxio and Patrick Tatum who does a lot of national team camps and Wil and Marty Wilson. So just having that there just really helps me and gives me the confidence. Coach, you said uh you were sending a message throughout the game to Ne. Um was that message received like at halftime and do you think it responded well to what you were telling? Sorry, what message Neggressive and play stuff? Was that Did that happen like at halftime? Yeah, I told him at halftime I just thought he was bringing up the ball and trying to get into a set and I said, “Hey, you get the rebound, just go push it until they stop you and then make the right play.” And I thought he did that in the second half and some they didn’t even stop him sometimes and he got to the free throw line.
Sacramento Kings Summer League head coach Dipesh Mistry spoke with reporters Thursday afternoon following their 2025 debut game.
He discussed the stellar start from Maxime Raynaud, Nique Clifford coming alive in the second half, their defensive focus, and more.
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2 Comments
Let's try Batcho.
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