WEBVTT - Sam Merrill and Johnnie Bryant 1-on-1 Interviews 0:00:00.320 --> 0:00:04.560 This crowd rises to uspeing what Carl slammed it? Oh 0:00:04.680 --> 0:00:10.840 Carle left wing free ball perfectly? Podn helllipt block the 0:00:11.000 --> 0:00:11.840 shot at the rim? 0:00:12.080 --> 0:00:14.680 How with the left hand head of fowl. 0:00:15.160 --> 0:00:18.160 Hello and welcome to the Chase Down Podcast. The Chase 0:00:18.200 --> 0:00:20.919 Down is presented by Fubo, the official streaming partner of 0:00:20.960 --> 0:00:23.400 the Calves. Watch over three hundred and fifty channels of 0:00:23.440 --> 0:00:26.599 live sports and TV, including FanDuel Sports Network without cable. 0:00:26.840 --> 0:00:29.720 There's no cost, there is no commitment. Try for free 0:00:29.720 --> 0:00:33.559 at FuboTV dot com Slash Calves. We got a special 0:00:33.600 --> 0:00:37.680 episode for you guys. No justin here today. It is 0:00:37.720 --> 0:00:41.160 a playoff preview podcast dropping on a Friday. 0:00:41.800 --> 0:00:42.560 How about that. 0:00:42.600 --> 0:00:44.839 We never post on Fridays, but we had to for 0:00:44.880 --> 0:00:47.960 a very special reason. I was able to sit down 0:00:48.320 --> 0:00:53.159 with both Sam Merril and Johnny Bryant, Caves assistant Johnny Bryant, 0:00:53.479 --> 0:00:56.880 Calves guard Sam Merril to kind of preview the playoffs, 0:00:56.920 --> 0:00:59.760 talk about the season that was, and it was just 0:00:59.800 --> 0:01:01.480 a it was a blast. We had about ten to 0:01:01.520 --> 0:01:04.040 fifteen minutes with each of the guys, so figured we'd 0:01:04.080 --> 0:01:06.600 drop a little surprise episode in your feed. So without 0:01:06.600 --> 0:01:10.160 further ado enjoy. Sam Merrill. All right, I am joined 0:01:10.200 --> 0:01:14.479 by Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill as we head into the postseason. Sam, 0:01:14.520 --> 0:01:15.320 how you doing man? 0:01:15.800 --> 0:01:16.440 I'm doing great. 0:01:16.440 --> 0:01:18.680 How are you not too bad? Thank you for coming 0:01:18.720 --> 0:01:20.839 back on. You're officially a friend of the Pod, which 0:01:20.840 --> 0:01:24.240 I'm sure is quite the honor for you, probably going 0:01:24.319 --> 0:01:25.200 right up on the mantle. 0:01:25.319 --> 0:01:26.400 We'll send you a plaque. 0:01:27.200 --> 0:01:29.800 But you know, first off, thank you and congrats on 0:01:30.120 --> 0:01:32.840 an amazing season. I want to start with the really 0:01:32.880 --> 0:01:38.760 important gritty stuff, which is all the practice shenanigans you 0:01:38.800 --> 0:01:42.400 guys have had this year playing football, playing soccer. We 0:01:42.440 --> 0:01:44.760 had Dean on earlier in the year and I asked, like, 0:01:45.240 --> 0:01:48.800 who stands out and he mentioned your name as a 0:01:49.480 --> 0:01:54.200 standout performer. Are you willing to say you're the best 0:01:54.320 --> 0:01:57.760 multi sport athlete on the team. 0:01:57.880 --> 0:02:02.120 Yeah, I don't think it's debatable. I mean I played 0:02:02.120 --> 0:02:03.680 three sports in high school. I don't know how many 0:02:03.680 --> 0:02:09.040 guys played even too. I know Max played baseball. I 0:02:09.040 --> 0:02:13.560 will say a sneaky good because there's like there's athleticism 0:02:13.600 --> 0:02:16.920 like jumping running, which obviously on NBA level is not 0:02:17.040 --> 0:02:21.080 quite my strong shuit. And then there's athleticism of you know, 0:02:21.120 --> 0:02:23.120 being able to pick up things and player the sports 0:02:23.120 --> 0:02:26.320 and stuff. But it's a sneaky good athlete on our 0:02:26.320 --> 0:02:31.760 team is Craig. He could pick up things pretty quickly 0:02:31.800 --> 0:02:34.040 and he does a pretty good job as well. But yeah, 0:02:34.160 --> 0:02:40.400 me Max Craig being a little bits. It's crazy. You 0:02:40.440 --> 0:02:42.240 see some of these guys who are the best athletes 0:02:42.280 --> 0:02:45.160 in the world try and play pick a ball or 0:02:45.680 --> 0:02:48.240 swing a baseball bat or something like that, and it's 0:02:48.600 --> 0:02:50.880 it's not pretty well. 0:02:51.840 --> 0:02:55.280 Shouts to Craig, Shouts to you. Moving on. 0:02:55.840 --> 0:02:59.480 Ty Jerome was just recently on doing a little bit 0:02:59.520 --> 0:03:01.560 of an interview and he got asked you who the 0:03:01.560 --> 0:03:04.280 biggest trash talker on the team was, and he threw 0:03:04.280 --> 0:03:08.000 out your name as a sneaky like everyone thinks Sam 0:03:08.120 --> 0:03:10.160 is this nice guy, but he's got he's got an 0:03:10.240 --> 0:03:12.639 edge to him. Do you have any response to Tye 0:03:12.720 --> 0:03:13.920 throwing you under the bus like that. 0:03:14.840 --> 0:03:17.000 No, I appreciate him noticing. 0:03:18.520 --> 0:03:20.919 I'm not a trash talk You'll never see me say 0:03:20.919 --> 0:03:24.760 anything like sue another player on another team during a game. 0:03:25.320 --> 0:03:28.160 But yeah, I can see where he's coming from. 0:03:28.200 --> 0:03:32.520 I'll say some things on the bench to my teammates 0:03:32.560 --> 0:03:36.600 about other players, or make jokes in practice or whatnot, 0:03:36.720 --> 0:03:38.640 or in the locker room. 0:03:38.680 --> 0:03:41.560 So I do appreciate that he notices that I do 0:03:41.640 --> 0:03:42.600 have a little edge to me. 0:03:43.080 --> 0:03:46.160 Yeah, you know, we're all nice when we want to be. 0:03:46.720 --> 0:03:49.400 But you know, when the competitive juices get blown, you 0:03:49.440 --> 0:03:51.640 can't you can't help it deep down, even if you're 0:03:51.640 --> 0:03:55.040 not externalizing it too much. I want to pivot to, 0:03:55.320 --> 0:03:59.880 you know, the macro season. Obviously it's been an unbelievable year. 0:04:00.560 --> 0:04:03.280 How much was the fact that this was basically a 0:04:03.400 --> 0:04:07.240 roster runback? You know, obviously adding tie to the rotation 0:04:07.600 --> 0:04:10.920 was a big change, and obviously DeAndre came in at 0:04:10.920 --> 0:04:13.400 the deadline, but you know, for the most part, like 0:04:13.800 --> 0:04:17.240 geames that like teams don't normally run back their top 0:04:17.400 --> 0:04:21.280 eleven twelve guys in the rotation. How much did that 0:04:21.320 --> 0:04:25.960 mean to this, to this roster coming in and and 0:04:25.960 --> 0:04:29.400 and how much did that kind of precipitate this banana 0:04:29.520 --> 0:04:31.000 season that you guys just had. 0:04:31.680 --> 0:04:33.440 Yeah, I do think it's really important. 0:04:33.839 --> 0:04:36.480 It obviously speaks to the belief that the front office 0:04:37.279 --> 0:04:41.520 and the new coaching staff had in this roster and 0:04:41.560 --> 0:04:43.479 what the roster has been able to do up to 0:04:43.560 --> 0:04:46.680 this point, Like you said, you know, Tie coming in 0:04:46.720 --> 0:04:47.719 and having a great year. 0:04:49.240 --> 0:04:52.840 Has been big for us. But then like it's we 0:04:52.880 --> 0:04:54.280 live in such a you. 0:04:54.240 --> 0:04:58.039 Know, a twenty four hour news cycle world where everyone 0:04:58.200 --> 0:05:00.320 wants to change something if it doesn't work right. But 0:05:00.360 --> 0:05:02.080 like look at you look at the seasons that Darius 0:05:02.080 --> 0:05:05.520 and Evan had, the improvements that they made. Darius, you know, 0:05:05.560 --> 0:05:08.160 coming back from everything that he had to go through 0:05:08.240 --> 0:05:10.200 last season, then Evan just getting better and better, Like 0:05:10.240 --> 0:05:13.400 those are are big things. And then you know all 0:05:13.400 --> 0:05:16.680 of us roll guys finding ways to get better and 0:05:16.720 --> 0:05:20.800 finding ways to to help the team along with you know, 0:05:20.880 --> 0:05:22.279 everything that the new staff brought. 0:05:22.320 --> 0:05:24.720 I think I think that all played a part in it. 0:05:25.560 --> 0:05:27.840 Yeah, well, you know, I do want to dig a 0:05:27.880 --> 0:05:30.039 little further on that because we also have seen the 0:05:30.080 --> 0:05:32.400 other side of the coin. In NBA history, we've had 0:05:32.440 --> 0:05:35.080 a team where hey, we're gonna run it back one 0:05:35.080 --> 0:05:37.360 more year, and the vibes are just wrong, you know, 0:05:37.600 --> 0:05:40.400 like things did not you know, you could tell that 0:05:41.440 --> 0:05:43.560 a team had run its course, you know, after two 0:05:43.640 --> 0:05:46.320 three years together. Why wasn't that the case here? 0:05:48.200 --> 0:05:51.440 Uh, we just we don't have any bad nudes on 0:05:51.480 --> 0:05:56.040 our team, and that's seems pretty simple. But like there's 0:05:56.640 --> 0:06:01.840 when your stars have no ego, but obviously listen, they're superstars, 0:06:01.880 --> 0:06:04.560 like they got some alpha to them, right, But like 0:06:04.680 --> 0:06:08.080 Donovan is a great leader, Darius has been a great 0:06:08.160 --> 0:06:12.680 leader this year. You got Jay who's the most low 0:06:12.720 --> 0:06:16.120 maintenance guy in the league probably, and then you got 0:06:16.160 --> 0:06:19.160 Devin who's you know, trying to find his way obviously 0:06:19.240 --> 0:06:23.479 as like as like a star, but he's also super 0:06:23.520 --> 0:06:27.560 low key, super low maintenance, really quiet, Like that type 0:06:27.600 --> 0:06:31.559 of stuff isn't as common as I think people would 0:06:31.640 --> 0:06:34.880 would like. So I think that was a huge reason 0:06:34.880 --> 0:06:37.680 why we were able to run it back and have 0:06:37.800 --> 0:06:39.320 the success that we've had at this point. 0:06:39.600 --> 0:06:43.479 Yeah, it's a it's another another like feather in the 0:06:43.520 --> 0:06:45.760 cap for the front office, right that you know they've 0:06:45.760 --> 0:06:49.320 built a team of genuinely pretty good dudes, and you know, 0:06:49.400 --> 0:06:52.359 even from a very far away seat, it's pretty clear, 0:06:52.440 --> 0:06:55.200 you know, uh, and to your point, like everyone's going 0:06:55.279 --> 0:06:57.719 to have ego, like it's an occupational hazard, Like you 0:06:57.760 --> 0:06:59.760 probably need some of it if you're going if you're 0:06:59.760 --> 0:07:00.919 gonna make it in this league. 0:07:00.960 --> 0:07:02.120 But being. 0:07:03.440 --> 0:07:07.760 Genuinely kind and and friendly goes a long long way 0:07:08.080 --> 0:07:10.400 going from you know, the the mintal side to the 0:07:10.440 --> 0:07:14.520 physical side. And I'm furiously knocking on wood all over 0:07:14.640 --> 0:07:18.680 my office right now. The group's pretty darn healthy coming 0:07:18.720 --> 0:07:22.200 into the playoffs. How much does that mean in terms of, 0:07:22.640 --> 0:07:25.360 you know, not just the ability to play well in 0:07:25.480 --> 0:07:28.360 round one, but you know, the ability to kind of 0:07:28.760 --> 0:07:31.680 extend across the grind of a postseason, Like you know, 0:07:31.720 --> 0:07:34.320 you've you've been all the way to the end, you know, 0:07:34.520 --> 0:07:39.360 and and won a title with Milwaukee, Like how important 0:07:39.400 --> 0:07:42.760 is it to have that starting point? B we're pretty healthy, 0:07:43.040 --> 0:07:46.400 knowing that some physical battles are to come. 0:07:46.920 --> 0:07:48.960 Yeah, it's it's it's so important. 0:07:48.960 --> 0:07:51.960 I remember at some point during the season because I'm 0:07:51.960 --> 0:07:53.760 Won's sorry abou Kenny and the staff have done such 0:07:53.800 --> 0:07:56.080 a good job of managing minutes and managing lows and 0:07:56.120 --> 0:07:58.920 whatnot and trying to get to this point healthy. And 0:08:00.000 --> 0:08:02.360 you know, Kenny, I think it might have been our 0:08:02.360 --> 0:08:05.160 first game back after all Star break, was like was 0:08:05.200 --> 0:08:12.280 asking us what's the biggest reason why teams don't win titles? 0:08:12.640 --> 0:08:14.840 And we were trying to say all all different types 0:08:14.880 --> 0:08:18.160 of things, and he just goes health like that's the 0:08:18.240 --> 0:08:19.880 number one thing you have to have. You have to 0:08:19.880 --> 0:08:23.040 be healthy. Like, if one of your best players gets hurt, 0:08:23.200 --> 0:08:25.200 are in real trouble. But if a couple of your 0:08:25.240 --> 0:08:26.960 rotation guys get hurt, you're in trouble. 0:08:27.040 --> 0:08:29.120 So, you know, I. 0:08:29.040 --> 0:08:32.679 Think the fact that we're healthy right now is like 0:08:32.720 --> 0:08:35.120 you said, it's a huge thing for us, and hopefully, 0:08:37.320 --> 0:08:39.560 you know, starting with this first round, which is obviously 0:08:39.559 --> 0:08:42.480 all we're worried about right now, we can continue to stay. 0:08:42.320 --> 0:08:47.280 Healthy moving into that minut's discussion. You know how important 0:08:47.360 --> 0:08:50.000 and like just kind of nice is it for you 0:08:50.400 --> 0:08:52.959 as a role player to have a coach that is 0:08:53.720 --> 0:08:58.800 so you know, I wouldn't say rigid, but like really 0:08:58.840 --> 0:09:02.440 does believe in his rot in his rotational philosophy. Like 0:09:02.800 --> 0:09:04.960 at one point early in the season, my coast like 0:09:05.120 --> 0:09:07.840 was looking at the check in time for certain guys 0:09:07.840 --> 0:09:10.480 in the first quarter and it's like six minute time out, 0:09:10.480 --> 0:09:12.959 these guys are gonna come in. Like how nice is 0:09:13.000 --> 0:09:15.360 it for you, especially as a shooter, to like know 0:09:15.840 --> 0:09:18.520 the routine even all the way into the end of 0:09:18.559 --> 0:09:20.760 the game rotationally. 0:09:20.880 --> 0:09:24.600 Yeah, it's it's really nice. You generally have a pretty 0:09:24.600 --> 0:09:26.200 good idea of like you said, when you're gonna go 0:09:26.240 --> 0:09:31.640 in so I can start to get my leg's moving 0:09:31.679 --> 0:09:33.480 a little bit a couple of minutes before that, do 0:09:33.559 --> 0:09:35.600 whatever you need to do, Like that's really important. Obviously, 0:09:36.280 --> 0:09:39.800 playoffs all bits are off, like who knows how it's 0:09:39.800 --> 0:09:44.920 gonna go or and whatnot. But you know, Kenny has 0:09:45.120 --> 0:09:47.360 has a belief in this, in this whole roster. He's 0:09:47.520 --> 0:09:49.160 he said it all year and he's backed it up 0:09:49.200 --> 0:09:52.400 with the opportunities that he's given us. So and it's 0:09:52.960 --> 0:09:55.360 he keeps saying like it's it's for moments like this. 0:09:55.480 --> 0:09:57.920 You never know when you're gonna need someone uh to 0:09:57.960 --> 0:10:00.920 step up and knocked out a shot or get a 0:10:00.920 --> 0:10:02.199 rebound or make a player or whatever. 0:10:02.800 --> 0:10:05.920 How do you how do you kind of balance the 0:10:06.280 --> 0:10:10.240 playoff mentality? Obviously this team won you know, mid sixties 0:10:10.360 --> 0:10:14.319 games and we're really really great playing exactly the way 0:10:14.360 --> 0:10:18.280 you played. How do you balance maintaining your identity as 0:10:18.320 --> 0:10:22.320 a team versus the little tweaks that you do have 0:10:22.400 --> 0:10:25.000 to make in a seven game series when teams are 0:10:25.000 --> 0:10:28.840 scouting you a lot more thoroughly, they're making more active adjustments, 0:10:28.840 --> 0:10:31.000 Like how do you tell that line as a player 0:10:31.040 --> 0:10:35.280 and as a team and as an organization between here's 0:10:35.320 --> 0:10:37.960 who we are and here's the things we are willing 0:10:38.240 --> 0:10:40.800 to kind of adjust and change over the course of 0:10:40.840 --> 0:10:41.880 a series or a playoffs. 0:10:42.760 --> 0:10:45.840 Yeah, like you said, obviously, scout reports are much more 0:10:45.880 --> 0:10:48.480 in depth, and you know, the good teams will take 0:10:48.559 --> 0:10:50.679 certain things away and you're gonna have to adjust to that. 0:10:50.760 --> 0:10:54.040 And the game does slow down to an extent, but 0:10:55.480 --> 0:10:58.920 I think it's you know, the teams that get themselves 0:10:58.960 --> 0:11:02.760 in trouble are the teams that try and play just 0:11:02.880 --> 0:11:05.720 playoff basketball right and walk the ball up the floor 0:11:05.760 --> 0:11:10.199 the whole time, and just try and mismatch hunt the 0:11:10.200 --> 0:11:10.760 whole game. 0:11:10.920 --> 0:11:15.720 Like there are only a few guys in the. 0:11:15.720 --> 0:11:17.720 League that can really really do that for an entire 0:11:17.800 --> 0:11:20.679 game and and get the right shots for their team. 0:11:21.559 --> 0:11:23.360 So like you look at I mean, the Warriors have 0:11:23.400 --> 0:11:24.319 done it for years. 0:11:24.360 --> 0:11:27.600 Like the game slows down a little bit, but they 0:11:27.600 --> 0:11:29.680 can still play with their pace and they're cutting and 0:11:29.720 --> 0:11:32.800 their screening. And we watched Indiana do it last year, 0:11:32.840 --> 0:11:36.480 Like they didn't slow down. They kept going, kept playing fast, 0:11:36.640 --> 0:11:39.080 kept playing with pace. So like you said, there's a 0:11:39.120 --> 0:11:42.120 line of you know, laying games. You got to make 0:11:42.120 --> 0:11:43.880 sure you're getting the right shots and getting the ball 0:11:43.920 --> 0:11:47.640 to the right people and maybe going after certain people. 0:11:47.679 --> 0:11:50.920 But at the same time, like, there's a reason we've 0:11:50.920 --> 0:11:55.240 been so good, so let's play that way. Let's keep 0:11:55.240 --> 0:11:58.600 sharing the ball, let's keep cutting, let's keep moving. I 0:11:58.600 --> 0:12:00.960 think if you do that, and if you do that 0:12:01.000 --> 0:12:03.760 with with pace obviously upping the level of physicality and 0:12:03.800 --> 0:12:05.920 pace and whatnot, you're going to still get the shots 0:12:05.920 --> 0:12:06.360 that you want. 0:12:06.960 --> 0:12:12.360 All right, last question, how is the team handling goal 0:12:12.440 --> 0:12:16.160 setting heading into this? You know, is it a is 0:12:16.160 --> 0:12:18.160 it a one game at a time kind of philosophy? 0:12:18.200 --> 0:12:20.280 Are you guys saying we, you know, let's go win 0:12:20.280 --> 0:12:20.600 a ring. 0:12:22.320 --> 0:12:26.000 It has to be a little of both, Like, sure, 0:12:26.040 --> 0:12:28.680 we know exactly where we want to go, if that's 0:12:28.720 --> 0:12:31.680 no secret, we believe we're capable of that, But you 0:12:31.679 --> 0:12:34.200 can't get there if you don't win game one. We 0:12:34.200 --> 0:12:35.920 don't even know who we're playing at this point, so 0:12:37.040 --> 0:12:41.840 this this week's mostly just been about macro playoff ideas 0:12:41.880 --> 0:12:44.520 and adjustments and just you know, practicing and competing and 0:12:44.559 --> 0:12:47.320 getting after it. So, uh, you know, once we know 0:12:47.360 --> 0:12:52.440 who we're playing, we'll scout them accordingly and try and 0:12:52.440 --> 0:12:54.120 go win game one and then hopefully try and go 0:12:54.160 --> 0:12:58.040 in Game two, but obviously with the idea that we 0:12:58.080 --> 0:13:00.320 want to do something special awesome. 0:13:00.360 --> 0:13:03.960 Well, thank you so much. Congratulations on my personal favorite 0:13:04.200 --> 0:13:07.880 Cavs season as a fan. It was just an absolute 0:13:08.160 --> 0:13:10.839 honor and joy to watch you. And you know, I 0:13:10.880 --> 0:13:15.840 always say that this is our hobby, you know, and 0:13:16.760 --> 0:13:20.080 you made our hobby super duper fun all year. So 0:13:20.160 --> 0:13:24.040 thank you very much personally and from Cavs fans everywhere. 0:13:24.720 --> 0:13:25.160 Appreciate it. 0:13:25.200 --> 0:13:25.360 Man. 0:13:25.360 --> 0:13:27.400 Hopefully we can make it fun for a couple more 0:13:27.440 --> 0:13:28.000 months here. 0:13:29.160 --> 0:13:29.600 All right. 0:13:29.679 --> 0:13:33.720 That was Cleveland Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill doing his best work, 0:13:33.760 --> 0:13:36.000 and only you can do your best work. Zoom aia 0:13:36.120 --> 0:13:38.800 Companion can help you do the rest, like automatically taking notes, 0:13:38.840 --> 0:13:41.600 answering meeting questions, and helping you respond to your coworker. 0:13:41.880 --> 0:13:45.400 Available at no additional cost with eligible paid plans. We're 0:13:45.480 --> 0:13:50.720 happy with zoom ai Companion. That's not all, folks, sind 0:13:50.800 --> 0:13:53.200 thank you so much to Sam. But the party doesn't 0:13:53.240 --> 0:13:57.760 stop here. We've got Calves assistant Johnny Bryant talking about 0:13:57.880 --> 0:14:01.240 how his expectations changed over the course of the season, 0:14:01.320 --> 0:14:05.000 his relationship with Donovan Mitchell, and much more without further ado. 0:14:05.160 --> 0:14:05.920 Johnny Bryant. 0:14:06.120 --> 0:14:09.360 Hello everyone, I am joined by Cavs assistant coach Johnny Bryant. 0:14:09.360 --> 0:14:11.920 How you doing, Johnny, I'm doing well. How about you? 0:14:12.200 --> 0:14:13.199 Not too bad? I am. 0:14:13.480 --> 0:14:17.000 I'm Jonson. The playoffser here. It's like, it's my favorite 0:14:17.040 --> 0:14:19.080 time of year. I'm just I'm just going to be 0:14:19.360 --> 0:14:23.040 an absolute fiend watching hoops for the next several months 0:14:23.080 --> 0:14:25.040 and there's nothing better in the world. 0:14:26.400 --> 0:14:29.520 Yeah, this is you know, which you do prepare for 0:14:29.600 --> 0:14:31.720 in the summer during the season to get opportunity to 0:14:31.720 --> 0:14:35.640 play postseason basketball, right, and you know, I've had experience 0:14:36.120 --> 0:14:40.000 being here in the playoffs previously, and now to have 0:14:40.080 --> 0:14:43.080 these fans rooting for us, I can't wait too experience it. 0:14:43.600 --> 0:14:46.720 So, you know, it's your first year with the Cavs, obviously, 0:14:47.080 --> 0:14:49.320 I mean this is like kind of an obvious question, 0:14:49.360 --> 0:14:52.360 but like, just how far did this season exceed your 0:14:52.400 --> 0:14:53.600 expectations coming in? 0:14:55.400 --> 0:14:58.080 You know, as the staff, we joke about it collectively 0:14:58.720 --> 0:15:01.880 a lot. Right then the preseason we go on for 0:15:03.120 --> 0:15:05.840 we're in Chicago and you know, we're trying to get 0:15:05.840 --> 0:15:08.240 everybody acclimated and we're like, okay, let's you know, we 0:15:08.280 --> 0:15:09.200 want to win the game. 0:15:09.040 --> 0:15:11.080 So we try to win the game. 0:15:11.160 --> 0:15:13.520 We didn't do that and go to overtime, we lose, 0:15:13.560 --> 0:15:16.120 and it was like okay, And then you start the 0:15:16.160 --> 0:15:20.640 season win five, then you nine in a row. Now 0:15:20.720 --> 0:15:23.680 Golden State comes to town, they're playing well, win ten 0:15:25.080 --> 0:15:27.800 and you know, get to fifteen, lose the Boston. Then 0:15:27.800 --> 0:15:30.160 you you know, you start putting these stretches together, double 0:15:30.200 --> 0:15:33.480 figure wins, and now you're like you're sitting on the 0:15:33.480 --> 0:15:35.800 bench and after games you're like, okay, are we really 0:15:35.840 --> 0:15:38.160 that good? And then now you look up it's thirty 0:15:38.160 --> 0:15:41.320 five games in and you know you're stealing single digits 0:15:41.320 --> 0:15:43.520 as far as losses, and you know, you just continue 0:15:43.520 --> 0:15:46.640 to ride the wave and you know, it's been a 0:15:46.760 --> 0:15:49.760 year that I didn't expect. It's been great, it's been fun, 0:15:49.800 --> 0:15:52.400 and you know that part of the season is over. 0:15:52.480 --> 0:15:54.000 Now we're looking forward to the playoffs. 0:15:54.400 --> 0:15:58.200 When did you know that, like, oh we might be 0:15:58.320 --> 0:16:01.360 something like a different kind of special then like maybe 0:16:01.440 --> 0:16:02.280 I've been. 0:16:02.160 --> 0:16:02.800 A part of. 0:16:05.400 --> 0:16:09.440 I wouldn't say it was a particular game, but you 0:16:09.520 --> 0:16:12.360 we you know, collectively, like I said, as a staff, we'll. 0:16:12.160 --> 0:16:14.320 Be on the bench like are we really that good? 0:16:14.440 --> 0:16:15.920 Or you know, it was a couple of. 0:16:15.920 --> 0:16:18.360 Games we were down and we come back and win 0:16:18.400 --> 0:16:21.040 the game, and you like, the ball just bounces our way, 0:16:21.360 --> 0:16:24.520 a shot goes in or you know will come out. 0:16:24.520 --> 0:16:26.000 It's supposed to be a big game, and then we 0:16:26.080 --> 0:16:30.920 have a crazy blowout win. So you start putting those 0:16:30.920 --> 0:16:33.160 things together and you're like, wow, Like there was one 0:16:33.200 --> 0:16:36.600 stretch we didn't lose for five weeks, Like that's unheard of, right, 0:16:36.680 --> 0:16:41.680 So when you're putting together those type of stretches throughout 0:16:41.680 --> 0:16:44.200 the season, you look up and it's like, Okay, I 0:16:44.240 --> 0:16:45.280 guess we are really good. 0:16:46.200 --> 0:16:49.440 Did anything, you know, going all the way back to Sarasota, 0:16:49.520 --> 0:16:51.920 did anything like really jump out at you, even at 0:16:51.960 --> 0:16:53.880 the camp level where you were like, oh, I wasn't 0:16:53.920 --> 0:16:55.720 expecting that to work the way it did, or I 0:16:55.840 --> 0:16:59.120 wasn't expecting this guy to be as good as he was, Like, 0:16:59.440 --> 0:17:02.320 did anything like really buck your expectations? 0:17:02.360 --> 0:17:03.920 Like at an individual level. 0:17:05.200 --> 0:17:08.119 You know, I was pretty familiar with the with the roster, 0:17:08.840 --> 0:17:10.840 but when you when you look at a team, you know, 0:17:11.000 --> 0:17:15.400 three four times a year, it's hard to really gauge 0:17:16.480 --> 0:17:19.359 who can do what right, And we had different things 0:17:19.359 --> 0:17:22.119 that we want to do from from previous years, and 0:17:22.760 --> 0:17:25.840 you know Tid Jerome, you know, obviously he stood out. 0:17:26.800 --> 0:17:29.720 I knew Darius was comfortable with Darius just watching on film, 0:17:29.760 --> 0:17:33.680 but to realize how fast he is, right you know, Evan, 0:17:33.760 --> 0:17:37.440 how talented he is, and you know how great Jaa 0:17:37.680 --> 0:17:40.160 is on the defense end. So it's when you see 0:17:40.160 --> 0:17:42.720 it every day, you're like, okay, this is different. So 0:17:44.080 --> 0:17:47.440 I wouldn't say Sarasota was was was glaring and was like, hey, 0:17:47.680 --> 0:17:49.760 you know, I got all that information, but it was 0:17:49.800 --> 0:17:51.680 just day in and day out. You start seeing things, 0:17:51.720 --> 0:17:54.479 and you start seeing things during the game, and it's like, okay, 0:17:54.800 --> 0:17:57.359 this is a different group than I expected. 0:17:57.760 --> 0:18:00.000 Absolutely, And you know, the one guy that you didn't 0:18:00.040 --> 0:18:02.000 mentioned there because this guy you probably know the best 0:18:02.720 --> 0:18:06.639 is Donovan, and your relationship with Donovan is like super 0:18:06.680 --> 0:18:09.320 well reported that, Like you guys have just been like this, 0:18:09.480 --> 0:18:14.119 you know, from from back in Utah. And did you 0:18:14.160 --> 0:18:17.439 ever expect to coach him again after you at that 0:18:17.600 --> 0:18:20.040 time together. I know it's a small world, but did 0:18:20.119 --> 0:18:21.480 you ever expect to coach him again? 0:18:21.960 --> 0:18:22.080 Uh? 0:18:22.200 --> 0:18:25.600 No, you know, but our relationship, you know, I never 0:18:25.680 --> 0:18:27.879 really stopped coaching him, to be honest, you know, I 0:18:28.240 --> 0:18:29.960 just wasn't with him, you know, day to day. But 0:18:30.600 --> 0:18:34.439 you know, we we built a great relationship as you 0:18:34.480 --> 0:18:37.040 mentioned as well document it, and you know, if he 0:18:37.119 --> 0:18:42.400 had any questions throughout our time away, I mean, some 0:18:42.480 --> 0:18:44.719 things are bigger than basketball, right, So saying hey, like 0:18:44.760 --> 0:18:46.640 what do you think here, he'll ask me and I'll 0:18:46.680 --> 0:18:49.359 kind of tell him. So I wasn't with him day 0:18:49.400 --> 0:18:53.399 to day, but you know, it was an opportunity where again, 0:18:53.480 --> 0:18:57.119 it's not like I'm with New York and he's with 0:18:57.200 --> 0:19:02.119 Cleveland and we can't talk like who's who's unity exactly exactly. So, 0:19:03.200 --> 0:19:07.639 but to come back around and coach him again is 0:19:08.040 --> 0:19:11.879 something special. And for us to put together a historic 0:19:11.960 --> 0:19:14.439 year together, that's something that you know, at the end 0:19:14.480 --> 0:19:16.000 of the day that we'll talk about for the rest 0:19:16.040 --> 0:19:18.360 of our lives, not just this moment in time now, 0:19:18.480 --> 0:19:22.040 but when he's retired, when I'm you know, later in 0:19:22.040 --> 0:19:24.399 my coaching career, and we'll sit back and be like, 0:19:24.400 --> 0:19:26.560 you know, we're able to accomplish some great things together. 0:19:26.720 --> 0:19:29.679 And that's ultimately what it's about, is is creating those memories, 0:19:29.720 --> 0:19:32.720 creating those bonds through the game of basketball. 0:19:33.480 --> 0:19:37.200 Was there anything you know, obviously you mentioned you never stopped, 0:19:37.320 --> 0:19:39.520 you know, being in contact with them, talking to them, 0:19:39.680 --> 0:19:42.680 talking through things. But getting back into the day to day. 0:19:43.000 --> 0:19:45.400 Was there anything that jumped out at you, ors like, oh, 0:19:45.480 --> 0:19:49.399 that this is different about him, whether it's approach the game, 0:19:49.800 --> 0:19:53.000 the way he understood the game, leadership, maturity, whatever it is, 0:19:53.119 --> 0:19:55.880 anything jump out at you. 0:19:55.880 --> 0:20:00.240 You know that this is being as transparent as possible. Well, 0:20:00.440 --> 0:20:03.760 I told him probably a month and I was like, 0:20:03.800 --> 0:20:07.320 I forgot how frustrating it is the coaching, you know, 0:20:07.520 --> 0:20:10.080 and and I'm hard on him and he. 0:20:10.119 --> 0:20:13.000 Knows that and he likes to be pushed that way. 0:20:13.840 --> 0:20:17.480 But it's sometimes like Donovan Night, you okay, this guy 0:20:17.840 --> 0:20:20.560 is trapping you, Like why were you trying to split this? 0:20:20.720 --> 0:20:20.919 You know? 0:20:21.040 --> 0:20:24.560 So, but it's it's more and in fun, right, But 0:20:26.040 --> 0:20:28.600 you know, just his growth, his his leadership, how vocal 0:20:28.680 --> 0:20:32.679 he is. Clearly I seen it in Utah as he 0:20:33.720 --> 0:20:36.960 continued to progress, he was very vocal with the group 0:20:37.000 --> 0:20:39.800 and he found himself. He's very comfortable in who he is. 0:20:40.240 --> 0:20:44.400