(on Yao’s injury) “It happens. He’ll do the best he can to get healthy and get back. Our thoughts are not going to be on the injuries; they’re going to be on Toronto and I want them on Toronto.” (on Mutombo’s situation) “They told me he is going to be out for the next two, and then he is going to go back and see the doctor.” (on what the lineup looks like now with two centers injured) “Well, we got nine, so you could deduce that we are going to play most of them. They’ll play and we have more than enough to win with.” (on what Lonny Baxter can bring to the game) “I don’t know, we’ll see. He was good in summer league, so you know, we’ll see.” (on how hard it is to prepare with this many guys out) “It’s not hard at all, it’s not hard. It’s not hard at all. It’s not about ‘woe is us.’ We have more than enough to win with.” (on whether it makes it hard to practice) “It will be different, but you can still get something done. Like I said, my focus is not on the road trip or the injuries; my focus is looking forward on who we have and how well we play tomorrow and who we play tomorrow.” (on expectations for Stromile) “Your expectations don’t rise or fall on what happens to other people.” (on the road trip) “I was disappointed we didn’t win the Clipper game; I think that is the predominate thought. We had it down four going into the fourth, and our guards got posted four straight times, and we had four straight pick-and-roll coverage mistakes. The other five games I thought were good and solid. I thought the guys did a great job for the most part. The trip was unusual because of how long we had in between games. I thought we handled that well, which is difficult. I thought our leadership in the Laker game was tremendous. I thought Juwan Howard was magnificent in that game from an energy and effort standpoint, especially for an older player. I thought Mutombo was great in that game. I thought Luther played better in that game than he has in a long time. I thought he had regressed a little bit, and I thought he played better in that game.” (on Moochie Norris) “I think that a lot of guys as their careers start getting on the other side of the hill, they are probably more appreciative to be in the NBA one and get an opportunity to play. I think Moochie has become much more serious and professional, much more prepared. In the Golden State game, (he) hasn’t played for awhile, doesn’t play the first 42 minutes of that game and comes in the last six minutes of the game and has a positive impact. We’re down six, he strips a rebounder, he reverses it to Wesley for the three to cut it to three. I think he has played well every opportunity he has gotten, and I think it’s due to preparation because he’s not as quick as he was, certainly. But he is a much more prepared professional player, and I think he should be very proud of that transformation, very proud of himself. He did that on his own, certainly, and he had a big transformation to make because at one point he wanted to be more known as a character than a player of character.” (on convincing the team they can win with a depleted roster) “I truly do believe this. If you have Tracy McGrady and he plays at a high level, and he hasn’t played at a particularly high level the last six quarters and we still won one of those games. And the second half of the Clippers we were right there even though he didn’t play well. But if you have Tracy McGrady playing at a high level, and you have guys play really hard around him and really smart around him and do what you do whatever that is, that you bring to the court, you can be in any game you play, anywhere you play. And if you can be in any game you play then you can win that game. So this isn’t about how we do over x amount of time that Yao is out. It’s not about that, it’s about can we win one home game tomorrow. Can we have a good shootaround and can we play well enough to win the game?” (on whether he can relieve the offensive burden that will be on McGrady) “I can’t, no. Great players don’t want you to relieve the burden. The burden is why you’re there, it’s why you are who you are. There is no relieving that burden or responsibility. He has a responsibility to be the player who both unites and inspires us. His play and his demeanor and we can win even if he doesn’t play great, if he plays all out, he plays emotional, and he unites his team. To me, that was never more indicative than it was in the L.A. game" Link here
Man I love JVG....he doesn't let the media rattle him or get away with the stupid questions they like to ask. He always speaks truthful and from the heart....and that my friends is why the players love to play for him.
I love this quote on Moochie: Well, there are still cynics who think Moochie is working for just one more contract. I'm one of them.
I didn't see the quote above but I heard it on 610 and saw it on the news last night where he was talking about "day to day" on the injury report. He said it is funny how someone can be day to day for 2 months (like Rafer). He said I guess it just means you're not out for the season. It was pretty funny if you hear it coming from him.
No kidding. I could seriously read his quotes all day long. He never gives cliched answers. And yeah, if I were a player, I would LOVE to play for him. You know when he says something good about you (like what he said about Mooch) you've EARNED it because he doesn't throw compliments around like most other coaches. When he does, you can put trust in the fact that he actually MEANS it.
The secret message is his expectation for Swift doesnt rise or fall because of Yao's injury. It's a calm way to look at things.
Jeff is very interesting to hear interviewed. Contrast that with Rudy T who spoke almost exclusively in optimistic cliches. (on what Lonny Baxter can bring to the game) “I don’t know, we’ll see. He was good in summer league, so you know, we’ll see.” Let's be sure that all of the players we bring to this team can do well in an environment with so little positive reinforement. So far, Rudy T two championships; JVG none.
I figure he means that his expectations of what Swift should bring is based on what Swift is capable of and not what we need in order to win. In other words, he expects no less if Swift plays two minutes nor any more if he plays 48. He should try hard and play smart regardless.
He knows what the fans want to hear. He knows when to make excuses, and when not to. He's pretty smart at playing the media, fans. It's hard to tell what he actually MEANS. He may not like Phyllis, but he knows how to play games like him.
I thought Juwan Howard was magnificent in that game from an energy and effort standpoint, especially for an older player. Calling tinman and almu: How do you reconcile JVG loving Juwan Howard?
