TNT’s analysts Steve Kerr and Reggie Miller did a conference call earlier this week previewing the West finals. Here are some of the highlights.
Miller on Oklahoma City Thunder Sixth Man of the Year James Harden: “People underestimate his size, his ability to get to the rim and finish plays…once he gets to the lane off the pick-and-roll, he explodes like how [former NBA player] Detlef Schrempf used to. He’s so strong with the ball and entices you to try to strip him [of the ball] and that gets him the ‘and-one’ [foul shots]…You can definitely see his growth throughout his early NBA career.”
Kerr on James Harden: “He’s really their best passer, by far, and that’s why he’s such a great complement to [Russell] Westbrook and [Kevin] Durant. Those guys are thinking first and foremost about scoring and they’re really good at it. [Harden is] a terrific passer and gives the defense a different look with his skill set. Even though he’s coming off the bench, he’s one of the best two guards in the league.”
Kerr on San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich: “It’s pretty amazing. Very few coaches have the ability to adapt and change from what they once were. Pop is ahead of the curve and has seen the league evolve and he’s evolved with it.”
Kerr on the Spurs offense: “Offensively, this is their best team ever, by far. They’re explosive, they shoot the lights out and they move the ball better than any team in the league. They are totally unselfish and they don’t turn the ball over. They execute every possession and over the course of the game, that’s very difficult. They just wear you out.”
Albert on the Spurs: “Watching San Antonio…we were talking about comparing the Spurs to the Knicks of the early ’70s in terms of San Antonio’s ball movement and intelligent play. Gregg Popovich and [GM] R.C. Buford have assembled a team that is so deep. The match-ups in this [WCF] series are going to be really intriguing.”
Kerr on his interest in taking another front office job: “I’m really happy doing what I’m doing now. I’ll never rule it out and I’ll keep the door open for the future. I have no intention to go anywhere at this point in my life. I haven’t heard from the Magic, anyway, but it’s not something I would pursue.”
Kerr on Oklahoma City EVP & GM Sam Presti incorporating the Spurs model in OKC: “There’s no question the influence from San Antonio is huge. Sam started out as an intern there and really learned everything from the Spurs. And, let’s face it, it’s probably the best model you can pattern your own franchise after. It’s an amazing story and he’s done a great job. He’s established the way the organization is going to go about its business. Sam deserves a ton of credit.”
Kerr on his first reaction when you think about playing for ‘Pop’ [Gregg Popovich]: “The reason he is so successful is the way he manages his players. He’s really, really, fun and funny and outgoing but there is also a part of you that is a little bit afraid of him.”
Miller on his first reaction: “My one word would be ‘wish.’ I wish I could’ve played for him. It’s wish. I wish I could’ve played for a coach like that.”
Kerr on how he sees San Antonio dealing with Russell Westbrook and the type of series he expects from Westbrook: “It’s a totally different match-up. The Spurs had two-and-a-half guys on [Clippers] Chris Paul the whole series. They could funnel him right into their help. Now, the spacing changes. When the game goes small, and Durant is at the ‘four,’ things change health-wise. The Spurs will have to change their coverage completely and there will be much more room for Russell Westbrook to work with.”
Miller on how he sees San Antonio dealing with Russell Westbrook and type of series he expects from Westbrook: “That will likely be the featured match-up of the series – the two point guards. Tony Parker has improved defensively but I think he’s really going to attack Russell Westbrook offensively. From an offensive standpoint, Tony Parker is in his prime. The one thing he’s going to want to do in this series is put Russell Westbrook in a defensive stance moving back.”
Miller on the Southwest Division becoming the power division in the NBA: “You look at all the teams that are in that division, absolutely. Three years ago this team [OKC] started out 3-30 and that’s with Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, Nick Collison. Fast forward to today…they very well could’ve had the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. You look at the Southwest Division on a nightly basis and you’ve got to bring it. When you go against the Western Conference, you’re going against a very high-caliber team.”
Kerr on the Southwest Division becoming the power division in the NBA: “You have two of the strongest organization in basketball with Dallas and San Antonio in that same division. I think it’s more coincidence than anything. Things usually run in waves. In this particular instance you have two special players in Tim [Duncan] and Dirk [Nowitzki] who reside in the same division and grew up in strong organizations that really knew how to sustain their success. You throw that in with the emergence of Memphis, Houston…the Southwest has been a pretty good division.”
Kerr on Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich seemingly not getting nationwide respect: “He doesn’t want the accolades. Most of that is just the fact that San Antonio is a small market and the team, there’s never a whole lot of drama. They are a machine and that’s the way Pop likes it. He actually enjoys not being out in the spotlight all the time.”
Miller on the issue of raising the NBA entry age limit: “I’m torn on this. We see tennis players start at 17, 18 years old. Golf prodigies start early. If any of these guys were geniuses where they could work for Apple or Facebook at 17, 18 you can’t tell me that none of those [companies] wouldn’t hire those people [17, 18 year olds] for a certain amount of money. On that standpoint, people should have an opportunity to make a living. As a broadcaster watching the NBA, some of these guys aren’t ready from a mental standpoint. From a basketball standpoint, 80 percent of the guys aren’t ready, really to become men.”
Kerr on the relationship between Popovich and Duncan helping to make the Spurs successful: “Pop is great because he’s constantly saying publicly that none of this [the way the Spurs play] would be possible without Tim. Their personalities blend very well. Pop is a genuinely good person who cares about his players, who cares about their families…the two of them are really the perfect fit. The reason the whole thing worked [the Spurs success] is because of their ability to accept it [constructive criticism from Popovich].”
Miller on going against OKC’s Westbrook, Harden and Durant: “The one thing about the Thunder, they are a jump-shooting team. When they have their jump shot going, they’re pretty much an unbeatable team. The key is to keep them out of the paint and contest those jump shots.”
Kerr on preparing as players to get to the Conference Finals: “To win the NBA Championship you have to win four rounds of playoffs. There is a lot of stress involved. By the time you’ve advanced to the Western Conference Finals you’ve been through it for about one month so you’re either really stressed out or you’re used to the routine. These teams are both pretty experienced.”
Miller on preparing as players to get to the Conference Finals: “Stress is good. When you get down to the [Conference Finals], that series is the hardest to win…you can see that light at the end of the tunnel, you can see tape at the finish line and you’re almost there…to me that’s the toughest part when you get to the Conference Finals.”
Kerr on comparing this year’s WCF to other year’s WCF: “It’s really two contrasting styles. In terms of a match-up…it reminds me of the Dallas/Miami series of a year ago.”
It’s a dark and bleak day in Chicago. And I’m not talking about the dreary weather outside.
