Summer Quandaries: Interviews I Wish We Would Hear

http://celticsgreen.blogspot.com/2014/09/sq14-47-interviews-i-wish-we-would-hear.html








“Yeah, coach got on me about my defense.  But, you know, I’m the one that has to get on me about my defense.  I don’t want just to be the guy that can fill it up from outside.  I’m not going to be outworked, not by anybody.  Until now being tall and shooting well has been enough.  Well not any more.  Everybody is just as tall, just as fast, and a lot stronger.

“I need to get stronger, a lot stronger if I am to finish drives after contact.  I need to work on driving right so the defense can’t sit on my left hand.  I need to be strong enough to jump stop and go up in balance and get a good shot off even if they hit me.  I need to be able to finish better from the right side of the basket.

I’m tall enough to be a good rebounder but right now I’m too puny to battle these NBA athletes.  That’s gotta change, and it is changing but it is going to take time and a lot of work--work I’ve already started.  

“Even if I spend some time up in Maine, I’m coming back stronger and better, and hungry, real hungry.  Whatever coach wants, I’m ready.  Actually the Red Claws are so close that I may be both places--the more the better.  I’ve never had to work too hard but I’ve already started and I love it.  It’s the best kind of tired.  I’m tired, and hungry, and coming after you.

“I don’t just want defend better, I want to become the defender that coach puts on their best scoring wing.  The things that you guys are writing about as my weaknesses, I want to turn into strengths.  I come in early to work with coach.  I stay late try to get a wing to go 1-on-1 with me.  I want to shut down Avery, or Marcus, or Evan.  Then I hit the weight room.

“Right now most of these guys are stronger, and often faster; but, not for long.  I want to be that guy that has them saying, ‘Damn, I never thought he’d be doing that this year.’  I may be younger and have a lot to work on, but I’m going to get it done.  And soon, not in a couple of years, not next year, but next week or next month.  Those guys better beat up on me now because the clock is ticking and I’m gonna want some payback.

“Sorry, gotta go, Bryan Doo is waiting for me.”

Shoot I just gave myself chills.  Just 17 more days until training camp!





bob
MY NOTE:  A nice idea for an article, but hearing James Young (I presume that is who he is referring to) say this stuff is not as high on my list as hearing Rondo say that he now feels liberated by not having to run a slowdown offense because his teammates are on the back 9.  It is not as high on my list as hearing Jeff Green say "I am blessed to still be able to play basketball, I could have died, and so I'm going to approach each and every game as if it is my last".  It's not as high on my list as hearing Sully say "Last year I had to dance the Tyrannosaurus Tango every night against bigger and stronger players and had to bomb away from outside to get away from them but now that we have legit centers on the team, I'm looking forward into turning a bunch of power forwards into NBA strawberry jam underneath".  There are a number of interviews I'd like to hear but James Young, as a bubble player who may or may not ever be a real NBA player, doesn't grab me.

What interviews would you like to hear?



.

True, an interview from Young just doesn't hold the same weight. But I do value his enthusiasm and willingness to challenge himself in pushing his limits further.

I, too, would like a Rondo interview about liking the team's chances to become competitive.



KJ

I'd like to hear Bill Russell say, "I think I'll make a comeback.  Who has my rights?"

Sam