The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - Mike D'Antoni On Getting Prepared For Return To Play

Episode Date: July 15, 2020

Mike D'Antoni On Getting Prepared For Return To Play

is the Matt Thomas show. 101 on Sports Talk 790. It is our extreme pleasure to have the resumption of our weekly segments with Mike Dan Tony back after it has been a very, very, very long time. And coach joins us from the bubble where the rockets are going to have three exhibition games. And then on the 31st, we'll resume the NBA season against the Dallas Mavericks. Coach, it's Matt, long time, no talk friend. How are you and how's life in the bubble right now?

Who's this again? Oh, that's not nice. You're already starting. Oh, man. Oh, hey, Matt, what's up? You tell me you're the one is active in doing things. I'm just doing my radio show. I'm just in the bubble of the bubble.

I mean, it's good. We're doing a heck of a job of trying to keep everybody, you know, safe. And that's the most important thing. And I think they're doing a good job so far, so good. I'll have to ask you, did you have any preconceived notions about it and then you land and you get over there? Or did you think about what it was going to be or is everything still kind of still a little bit of an adventure right now? Well, you know, no, I kind of kind of imagine what it's going to be like I was hoping they were going to be pretty strict and keeping, you know, people. And, you know, guys are following the guy lines and everybody wants to get the job done.

done and you know days will get long then all you're doing is practicing it's almost like being in playoffs sometimes where all you do is practice go home rest watch film eat come back do it again and I think guys are kind of used that as a little bit longer than normal but so as we get by these first three weeks and then we start playing games and then end the playoffs it's going to be great well everything we've seen on video and we're just seeing a little bit here and there it looks like the guys are, you know, relatively speaking in really good shape. They're aggressive. You've been bragging a lot on a lot of the guys, especially Eric. Just what was it like grabbing the guys for the first time on this past Saturday and having a

work on it? And what have they been been like just since those last couple of days? Well, we've been going out methodically a lot of data from the trainers and doctors is that we had to be fairly know it was about about five months and they haven't paid and really worked out a whole lot. They tried to stay in shape, but it's hard to do that. So our biggest fear was,

you know, some soft tissue injuries or stuff that would sideline them from a week or two. So we're just trying to gradually build up and still might be injuries. You try to avoid them as much you can, but the attitude is what is impressive. It's great.

They're here on a mission, and I think most of them, are, but practice has been good. And first year and four days, they're a little rusty and a lot, but they kind of got back, you know, into pretty quick and

pretty happy about where we are right now. You know, we've got to get James back in there tomorrow or so, and then Russell will be coming down and bin Bahamute and I've got to work them in somehow, but big challenge, but good

it's fun. It's fun. It's fun to fun to do you guys. Mike Dan Tony with us here on the Matt Thomas show on Sports Talk 7.9. So coach, you add Luke, you made the massive trades before all this started. It feels like to me this could be one of your deepest rosters in your entire coach of NBA coaching career. Are these eight games going to really, really try to help you a little bit trying to figure out who can play where at what point? I mean, tell me what this is. I mean, I'm not on the same embarrassment.

of riches because every team's going to have some positives and negatives, but it feels like with Luke coming back in and some other guys and Robert, you know, kind of getting more comfortable. You do realize. Yeah, to a certain extent, you do realize. I haven't seen Luke for two years. Yeah.

It's not like, oh, yeah, come and play in playoffs. You know, by the way, you haven't played in two years. And, you know, we'll see how that goes. I don't want to put the expectation up to have to Luke. He's great. If he can contribute, great, if not, he's going to be good in the locker room and his voice is very smart.

And so there'll be another son of eyes. So we'll see how that goes. And then, you know, you're going to play eight, nine, ten guys back when you get to the playoffs. It'll help if there's injuries for sure. But, you know, James and Russ and PJ and Robert Cainton and Eric are going to take up a lot of minutes. So there's only so many. And if you play, you know, you're eight, got 20 minutes. or you'd play your eighth and ninth guy, 10 each.

I don't know if that's beneficial, not be honest. If the 8th guy is really good. So you've got to make some decisions, but there are constants that will work from. Are you implementing a lot of new stuff, or is it just kind of keeping the guys refresh of what you were trying to accomplish before we all stopped this thing? Well, we have some wrinkles that we want to try offensively, whether they stick or not, we'll see,

and the exhibition games in the last regular season games. We'll look at the concepts and see if you like them. The biggest thing is we're really getting, you know, play a mini training camp and get back to basics and go over the defensive principles and make sure that we drill it. We have time to drill it and time to hopefully

it'll sink in and keep them going. So, you know, as most things, nice refresher course, But we will use the time to add some concepts. Does the feel right now to you like a big AAU camp where there are hundreds of teams in a small area, y'all are fighting for practice time and court time, and do you run into other teams as you go in and out of practice? Is that how it kind of feels to you right now? Well, you know, I've never played AAU.

And AU that exists while I was playing. Well, I didn't want to say that, but I was just trying to be polite, coach. Well, thank you. I appreciate it. Don't know what that feels like. It feels a little bit like USA basketball, actually. And if you were, you know, in USA basketball, we didn't live in the village, but we all, we spent some time over there.

So if you were in the village, you run across other athletes and things. So a little bit like that, a little bit where, you know, you have kind of locked in of what you're doing. But, you know, the practice courts are great. We have good times, you know, good practice times. and just trying to, you know, it's like living in a foreign country a little bit without going to explore. He's just kind of staying close to your hotel and hang it out. That's what we're going to be doing for the next couple months.

Mike Danone, with us, a few more minutes here on the Matt Thomas show. So there was a lot of people asking me, and I'm like, I don't know the answer to this, about James and his arrival, and he was shooting some video, and next thing you know, he's arriving at your facility. Was this a surprise, or did you kind of have a feel? this was going to be this time of the week and this time of the calendar that he was going to be able to get to Orlando? Well, you never know.

I mean, certain protocols you have to go through. When you hit the protocols, then you can come in. And we just never know. We were hoping it would be like this and maybe even a little bit earlier. But this thing will run its course, and we follow what the NBA guidelines are. Then when the rest of the guys get here and they get here, and I'm hoping. And that is real soon. But we'll deal with whenever.

And I know that Russell will be 100% ready when he comes in here. And those two guys and James are the least of our problems. When the ball goes up, whenever we start those regular season games and playoffs, they'll be ready to go. What do you want to accomplish in those three scrimmages? I know they'll be against opponents you won't see probably, hopefully, be finals, but what's the goal of those things? To, you know, look at the roster and look at how far we want to go deep at it. Try to get, make sure the biggest thing, make sure everybody is in game shape.

So we'll use the time to explain the minutes will go up and down. It'll vary depending on what the training staff tells me. But make sure that guys are ready to play in the second hits. And to be honest, you know, Matt, it's – we need those eight games also. There's not an advantage, and there's not a big thing in seeding. Because to get to the finals, you've got to play the three best teams or three best teams part of you. And so we will probably win every one of them. But we'd like to get out a long vote.

But it's more important to protect the players and make sure that they individually are ready to go after we get through with the eight start to playoff. So that'll be our number one goal. It's a goal that would be the, you know, as much as you can, if you move up, great. If you don't, like I said, it's going to change it. Still got those teams ahead of you, and you've got to beat them. Yeah.

Before I let you run, besides Laurel, what do you miss right now? Well, that's a big of the thing. Just missing, you know, this home life. But nothing else. Nothing else. Nothing else. It's fine. Just a lot of long time.

It's a lot of reflection going on. We'll see how it goes when the game started. It might be a little tougher just being here, too tough, and going crazy. But, you know, I'm kind of used to just a little bit. All that time we spent together and having a meal room and set around talking. It's a little bit like that experience. It's good. Now, they're letting you hang on the lobby, aren't?

Are they letting you do that at this point? I know you love your hotel lobbies. We don't have a lobby, man. Oh, no. In our hotel. No, our hotel is kind of. It's divided. So they have guests, I guess, you know, Disney World opened up Tuesday, Saturday.

And on the other side, the blue fence is the main lobby. And that's where the normal gas are. So we're kind of over on a portion of the property. And, you know, it's huge. I mean, it's nice, and they take care of us. But, no, there's no hanging out. Everybody, you know, everybody's got a mask on, everybody's walking around. you walk over to the millroom, which is outdoors, then you go back into it.

So we're like in, I don't know, there's probably 30 rooms in a building. There's like nine buildings that the six or seven teams or six teams are here. And, yeah, you pass them on the way over the middle room and all the middle rooms are, you know, side by side. And it's pretty cool. All right, well, selfishly, I hope you're there for a very long time. I think you guys are mentally and physically prepared for that. Thank you for resuming these conversations with us. And obviously, it'll be fluid based on y'all's schedule.

But it's good to hear your voice. I'm glad you and the family are doing well. And we'll do that. All right. We'll talk to you next week. Stay safe. Stay safe. You got it.

We will for sure. Mike Dan Tony with us here on the Sports Talk 7. I appreciate him spending a few minutes with us here. And he'll join us again next week. And it'll all depend on what the schedule is. They've got three exhibition games, warmups, tuneups, whatever you want to call. and then the NBA regular season starts resumes on July the 31st.

And then you want to get to with coach, anything he had to say. And again, James Hart, if you do not know already, it's made his way to the facility in Orlando and is currently in quarantine. Hopefully we'll join his teammates later this week. 713212-5-790. 7-1-3-212-5-790. And on Twitter at SportsMT at Brendan Riley underscore. also at Joe George Radio. Right now, a message for what's happening over in Hoops Basketball Goals and Sporting Equipment.

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