Finals Q&A: Matt Janning

by Matthew Brennan, NBA D-League.com

Rio Grande Valley Vipers guard Matt Janning has had an eventful first season as a pro basketball player. The former Northeastern star surprised many with his performances in the Las Vegas Summer League with the Phoenix Suns, and he then went on to make the final roster out of training camp with Phoenix. Let go by the Suns in November, Janning made his way to the NBA D-League, first playing for Maine before getting traded to Rio Grande Valley in January. The 6-4 Janning has proven to be a key member of the Vipers' rotation, averaging 13.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in seven playoff games. After practice on Thursday, Janning spoke to NBA D-League.com about his rookie experience and his time as a member of the Vipers.

Matt, talk about your experiences during your rookie season in both the NBA and the NBA D-League.

Janning: "It's been pretty crazy. A lot of moving. It's been a real learning experience for me, especially with guys like Steve (Nash) and Grant (Hill) and J-Rich down in Phoenix. I wasn't there too long, but I tried to take every day as a learning experience. Now in the NBA D-League, I got to play a bit more and try to show what I learned from those guys. It's not the position you want to be in coming from an NBA roster, but you have to take advantage of getting the opportunity to play."

What were your thoughts on being traded from the Maine Red Claws to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers?

Janning: "I didn't have too many ties up in Maine, it was close to where I went to school so some of my buddies would come to games. Obviously I liked the trade, it feels good to be playing for a championship here. From my coaches to my teammates, it's been a great experience with the Vipers."

What it is like to play for Chris Finch and his staff?

Janning: "They know their stuff. If you mess up, they are going to let you know about it because they want you to get better and continue to learn and work hard everyday. They don't want you to settle for anything. I think it's a great coaching staff to have for guys like us who are coming up and trying to learn the pro game. They do a good job with everybody."

What went right for your team in Game Two's win?

Janning: "We just wanted to come out and play physical. We wanted to impose our will on defense and I think we did that. On the boards we really beat them up on the rebounds, we had about 20 offensive rebounds. That and being able to get out in transition were big keys for us. Coach Jai always talks about sticking to the gameplan and we stuck to that the entire game."

What is like to play with a talent like Jerel McNeal? Does he make it easier for you to get open looks on offense?

Janning: "When you play with a guy like that who can score in multiple ways, it makes it easier on the rest of us. A lot of defenses are built around stopping him, so it makes it easier for guys like myself to get open looks. Jerel is good at finding us too, he's not just a scorer. We have a bunch of guys that like to play together and find open guys. It's a fun group of guys, we all get along, and it makes for a good season.

Looking ahead to the offseason, what are some of the aspects of your game you want to improve?

Janning: "For me it's a strength thing. I want to continue on quickness and ball-handling because I'm going to be playing the one or the two my entire pro career. It's going to be key to have that versatility. Other than that I just want to keep shooting and getting better, so it's going to be a big summer ahead."