Ja Morant, Desmond Bane x Coach Taylor Jenkins React To Grizzlies GM3 vs Lakers | April 22, 2023

Taylor just what was your takeaway of how the first quarter unfolded? Yeah, I mean pretty bad You can't go down 26. I thought we missed a ton of shots open shots fueled their offense their transition defense They came out and played great. We didn't play great in that first quarter So can't you can't dig yourself that kind of hole love the fight that our guys showed for quarters two three and four But being down 26 makes it extremely tough, especially in the playoffs Taylor what did you think about the play that got Dylan Brooks ejected and how concerned are you given his history and what we've seen The league do recently about potentially his availability Monday night. Yeah officials made a call We spent a good deal of time yesterday talking about having to back up, you know talk or whatever the case Do you think your guys I don't want to say did they back it up? But did did the moment get too big for some of them tonight? Yeah, maybe a lot of guys struggle tonight You know, as I said first quarter, you know, I thought we were playing hard You know our offense significantly impacted our defensive ability But the way our guys fought for its quarters two three and four showed a lot of great resiliency We got to learn to get better from this adversity is gonna get the best out of us Hey Taylor, how can you explain that first court? And is that one of the worst quarters you've seen since you know, you've been coaching here. Yeah, it's pretty bad Taylor all three series over the past two years The first game on the road the team has gotten down deep obviously came back and won the game against, Minnesota But is that pattern suggestive of anything in terms of the youth of the team in terms of dealing with? The road environment for the first time in a series. I mean we got to learn from this I mean definitely, you know two years in a row for sure where we go down big And we figured it out in Minnesota in game three Obviously we fought we try to give ourselves a chance. So we dug ourselves too big of a hole Hopefully our guys are learning from this. I mean, there's no excuses When you come in here on the road, we know we were walking into we just got to play better That's what it came down to I thought we executed our coverage as well defensively But when you're missing shots and we had turnovers and they're just thriving in transition and you're missing at that rate I mean, I think we shot 12% or something like that in the first quarter that puts you have behind the eight ball So I hope the moment wasn't too big for us. Hopefully our guys respond in game four You got to win on the road to win in the playoffs Taylor Joss seemed to come up limp there at the end on his last bucket any sort of update on how he's feeling and then just General thoughts on how he played in this coming back. Yeah, just cramp. I think he just kind of landed funny I'm just got a little cramping in his calf. He was feeling fine after the game. So no worries there I thought he was great. He was aggressive, you know, like the rest of the team. I think he struggled in the first quarter I think he hit a bucket right before I subbed him out and then obviously he got going as the game went on I mean 40 45 points being aggressive getting downhill obviously the way he shot the ball he shot it without any hesitation got to the free-throw line still had I think 1213 assists the way he was moving the ball and he was playing just with force and speed on the offensive side I thought he was really good in that department Go back and watch the film and see how we all got to collectively get better You know both sides of the floor though two good games and then the one game where you limited him in game two What do you need to do to do a better job on him in game three just better awareness? I thought he hurt us in transition, you know some dump-offs there. I think pick and rolls earlier We made some adjustments as the game went on and did a better job Controlling, you know Russell and him and Reeves They were really hurting us in the first half with their double-sided pick and roll and I thought he really thrived on that Obviously we made him take some tough shots in the post You know when we didn't as I said the last two games and we don't execute our coverage on him one-on-one And we have missteps there then he makes us pay So I thought I was kind of losing sight of him in a couple of different situations But obviously he played well tonight in game three or specifically with Dylan. What would you attribute to his shots not falling? I mean, I think all of us were missing shots. I mean, we got great looks. We're all putting in the work in He's been putting the work and he made him last game and then tonight they just didn't fall for him Great. Thanks everybody Hey job by getting off to such a bad first quarter Do you look at this as a missed opportunity considering how well you played over the next three quarters? 100% You know, I think we won by I think double digits in the last three quarters So obviously, you know that first quarter, you know pretty much hurt us felt like we kind of got some open look shots that fall but I feel like you know, we allowed that to you know, Let them get out in transition and You know, they started scoring a lot of points Which we can't let happen. We got to play, you know how we played those last three quarters, you know They go on a run go on the run of our own Yeah Hey Josh just talking about first of all how you felt out there man And what was your mentality in their fourth quarter when you just got it going? It's like you tried your best to will your team to win, but just couldn't get it done. Um Feel pretty good, man Obviously, you know some stuff you just gotta you know, play through and tolerate Me, you know, I love being out there, you know for my team, you know any chance I get especially you know when we're You know going to battle, you know, I don't want to you know Just leave them out there, you know by themselves not being able to be out there with them. So Felt pretty good And in that fourth quarter, you know, I was just trying to you know Like you said win the game. I got it going pretty good It's making shots. Just you know, couldn't pretty much get over the hump Child what specifically improved with you or what? What was the level of improvement from? Game two not being able to give it a go at the last minute and then tonight being able to go ahead and push through and go No, I feel like you know, that's what I kind of like, you know about you know The playoffs when you you know, you're playing one team so, you know after game one, I pretty much seen you know How did was guard me? You know that game so I'm just doing my film study from that game I obviously allowed me to you know, know my spots on the floor. They was pretty much going under so You know me knocking down, you know, three ball allowed me to you know, pretty much getting downhill To let you move forward and play I felt like pain would be the answer to that Where's you know, I was gonna ask you what was this process like for you the last time we talked to you You were pretty down and obviously you you played pretty well when they unchanged nothing Yeah, just just in terms like the process like how was it difficult to like? What was it like for you sitting out like that and just all the different things you probably had to do to get ready to play in this one, you know, like I said and question earlier, you know, it's Tough, you know not to be able to be out there. So obviously, you know that played a you know a part You know, I was I was trying it's not like I just you know decided to on my own I actually Tried to come back, you know at the end of game one obviously couldn't move it So, you know that was cut off and then you know all the way up to game two, you know Just trying to you know, do things to see if I can go out there, which you know, I pretty much couldn't so Having you know from game one to the night, you know those days, you know allow me to Recover enough to you know, be able to go out and play tonight Also, you know credits are you know our staff with you know, the treatment process we went through To you know be able to come up just about how much confidence did you gain? Over the course of this game in in playing through whatever you're you know, sort of the limitations were I never lacked the confidence You know once it was a go, you know, I'm I'm always confident Hey job What did you think of the Dylan play and and then also with what happened this week with Draymond? similar Set of circumstances. Are are you concerned that he'll be suspended for game four? With how you know, they you know treat Dylan, you know, I honestly wouldn't be surprised, you know If he is I felt like you know, he was ejected because of past Ejections, you know that was made in games before I mean if you look at the play He was actually, you know reaching for the ball on the crossover bronze just went behind the back Obviously Got hit somewhere, you know, it's tough for a man, but Flagrant one, you know, okay, but ejection, you know, I Agree with it at all, but it's pretty much, you know out of my hands Hopefully, you know we have them for game four, you know Do you have to pick him up at all? Is he in good spirits Dylan? That is and I guess you know, what's the message now going to game four? I don't feel like you ever have to pick Dylan up. You know his mind said he's a you know, big-time competitor Always, you know gift is all I feel like no People misjudge him by you know, how he you know taught How I was raised, you know, I feel like, you know, everybody, you know put their shoes on the same way you do And my pops always told me, you know, there's no friends inside those, you know four lines. So Always, you know bet on yourself and you know have that confidence and he doesn't lack any confidence at all And you can see that and you know people You know try to bash him he get booed, you know, pretty much everywhere we go But you know, that's just that mentality he has It's not that you know, he lacked respect, you know for anybody People don't hear what you know the things he say on the court Yes, you know somebody score sometimes he's like, oh, yeah a good bucket, but all they hear is you know what he say here. So Yeah, I don't feel like you know, we got to pick him up at all but no hopefully we have him for you know game four Obviously was what Dylan had to say after The last game that the fans are waiting on him Do you think that the booing kind of the the venom had any impact on on him at all today? No, not at all. He get he was getting booed all season. So I Don't think that bothered him at all. He actually, you know embraces that and loved that You know, it gives him, you know a fuel pretty much, you know, it boosts him up you go out and play harder and That's just you know Dylan. Like I said, he's a big-time competitor and you know somebody somebody, you know A lot of these teams as much as they don't like them they would love to have him on his team with you know, the energy he break and you know, what he Brings to the table and what he embraced judges With the hand at what at what point did you feel like I can play in? Game three and just from now, you know, I'm sure the recovery is still going on there Just how close are you to to being I guess? As close to a hundred percent as you can be with the hand. Um a Little bit after shoot around, you know, I went through some little processes to you know, test it out I'm obviously gonna shoot around, you know, I got a Couple shots up, you know, try catching the ball. We dribbled a little bit Still hesitant, you know around that time and then, you know after a while With that process, you know, I went through, you know, I started, you know gaining a little more, you know Confidence that I could play and then I know once you know, I'm out there my adrenaline, you know gets going so that takes some of the pain away, so Yeah, and then me being a hundred percent No, bro From your performance, it didn't seem like the glove or the padding was was bothering you But but did you feel like that limited you any at all? Are you gonna stick with that more than you did the mask? I Feel like the limiting part was in the statute. I Don't think it was a problem. I went through a lot of No different ways to you know, protect my hand and you know, that was the one I liked the best. So Till my hands stop hurting. It's pretty much that There's a just your thoughts on what happened with dealing there, you know the contact Did you think it warranted, you know, what was called and just his status going forward? We saw the league, you know, basically say dream on was given it You know the one game suspension because of history, you know last season Dylan Brooks got the one game suspension I mean, is there any concern on that in you know, I haven't had a chance to to see the play yet But you know for what I could see it looked like it was incidental contact, you know, Dylan's a physical defender You know it almost looked like well from live action that LeBron had made a crossover move and Dylan took a stab at the ball and you know, I actually caught him You know in the wrong position and his spirits are high. He was remorseful. You know, he was he's competing. He's into the game I didn't think it was anything malicious you know James Harden did something similar and Didn't get any type of suspension or anything like that. So I think that all DB should should be able to play next game for sure There's I'm pretty sure you glad how y'all finish the game what was going on in that first quarter man You all just couldn't hit shots and just seemed like I just couldn't get anything going. What was going on? Yeah, I mean, you know this basketball, you know, I felt like we we were getting good looks, you know I've we had some uncharacteristic turnovers. I had two of them You know, I mean, but you just trust it, you know, we put the work in and you know, we struggled in that first quarter But you know once we were able to get some stops and get out and run, you know things opened up pretty well for us Hey Dez and first half you and Jaron only played nine and ten minutes respectfully How can you guys be as physical without getting the fouls, you know going forward? Yeah. I mean I've been struggling all series You know with fouls and taking myself off the floor and not a rhythm and stuff like that so I definitely got to be better, you know, I think just just presence earlier being in the right spot sooner so I don't necessarily got a Gamble or take a stab at the ball from being out of position So, you know, that's something that I definitely got a got to be better at I gotta be on the floor Hey Desmond, um, do you guys think you were ready to match the Lakers force early on in the game? It seemed like a D those guys were really taking the game to you guys and sort of had you on your heels Were you ready for that or were you ready to meet that physicality? Yeah, I mean I thought so I mean they Obviously first game at home, you know gonna come out with with some swagger Play with some force and we anticipated that I really just felt like our offense hurt our defense You know, you're not making shots and you're turn the ball over and they get a you know transition opportunities you know, that's where they thrive and You know, I thought that was kind of story that first quarter You guys struggled on the road this season. What gives you confidence? You can win game four. I Mean, it's it's a one. It's a it's a playoff series. You know, I'm saying it's we're on to the next game you know, I believe in everybody on this team and This group and you know, I think one thing that we've done a great job of this year is responding You know, whether it's the guys going down losing a game bad performances You know, we always come back and come back hungrier that next game We've gone over that the first quarter didn't go well, you know Do you think you guys were caught up in? Having to have Dylan's back because of what he said the other day and just a Massive amount of talk and sort of extra energy that seemed to be around all that. Um, I didn't You know think that played too much of a role on it personally, you know I don't try to get into too much of that stuff that goes on off the court and you know obviously the crowd was into it and You know, I thought DB handled it. Well, he had some some open looks You know early on and just just missed him you know as part of the game, but You know, I I'm sure he's hungry and ready to come out and respond on Monday Hey There's what was said to you by the ref on why you got the technical while you was walking back with Reeves it was a something me and Reeves were talking and then D low started chirping and I said something back to him and you know, they always catch the second guy That can't say that over there Yeah, I need to keep that money in my pocket