Jeff Van Gundy emphasized defensive fundamentals when he addressed the media prior to the Clippers’ game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday.
“The most important thing is not to beat yourself,” Van Gundy said, adding that transition defense, making reckless mistakes and leaving the wrong guys open behind the three are common pitfalls. “The focus is always on those four areas… I would also add defensive rebounding.”
On his working relationship with head coach Tyronn Lue, Van Gundy praised Lue’s approach. “He is one of the most loved people, both as a player and as a coach, that you could ever meet. He wants happiness and success for everyone.”
Van Gundy discussed Kawhi Leonard’s defensive role. “You never want to take the bat out of his hands… he’s as capable as he is defensively. It would be a bad choice if we didn’t keep the bat in his hand.”
He also thought about the evolution of exercise routines. “The interesting thing about the NBA today is you rarely practice five-on-five… it’s just different. Bad. Bad. But that’s what I get. That’s what I learned from Ty.”
Van Gundy addressed the Clippers’ frontcourt, highlighting Brook Lopez and Yanic Konan Niederhauser. “Zu [Ivica Zubac] was a big part of our success… Brook has many of those same qualities… now Yanic is learning and growing. He has to rely on his feet, he does well higher up in pick-and-roll coverage.
Van Gundy acknowledged the team’s defensive progress this season. “We’re faster now…Kris Dunn playing longer minutes helps your tenacity and anticipation. We’re not very good defensively at preventing goals, so we have to force turnovers.”
On his unofficial role as defensive coordinator, he added, “I try to help where I can… when you’re old like me, you’ve seen a lot of change, but you also recognize that so many things stay the same. What wins and what loses.”
He emphasized the importance of mental balance for players. “They don’t give themselves any mercy for misses… averages are average for a reason. You’re going to miss 62 out of 100 threes. The overreaction to misses hurts players… we’re trying to help them get through the tough parts more evenly.”
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