October 14, 2002

Opening statement: Obviously, we're looking to be healthy, that's the No. 1 thing with us. If we can have health, with Grant Hill, Tracy McGrady and Mike Miller, who missed 20 games in his own right last year, I think we're a much improved basketball team. That's No. 1., No 2 following that, we just need improved play on the defensive end and on the rebounding end.

Q: How is Shawn Kemp coming along with his conditioning?
Rivers: He's just working at it. Where he is at: He's not ready yet. He's improved each practice, each game. One of the things I'm not really looking at is his weight. I think we make such a big deal about that. Obviously, he's not the slim guy we used to see back when he was with Seattle. I'm more concerned with if he can function. So we're trying to get him in shape, and what he weighs is what he weighs. If he can function and play at whatever weight when he gets in shape, then that's OK with me. Right now after about 10 or 15 minutes, that's a lot for him to play at the pace we want to play at. But you can see that if we can get him in the right condition, he can really help us.

Q: Is it a Catch-22 in that he needs to be in shape to play, but he has to play to get in shape?
Rivers: That's a good question, and that's the right answer. We are fortunately in the conditioning season. My worry becomes when we start the season on Oct. 29. If I deem him not ready but believe he will be ready [down the road], then what do we do? That's going to be the tough dilemma for us.

Q: How has Grant Hill looked in preseason, and how hard did he have to work to come back healthy for this season?
Rivers: I'll start with the work. I've been around this game a long time now. I think this is my 20th or 21st year around the NBA, and I tell you, he's put in more work than any guy I've ever seen. He's been at the gym every day, he's been in the swimming pool, he's been running drills, been playing, he's been doing two-a-days for most of the summer. So he's put in the time. How has he looked? He's looked great. The thing you can see this year that you couldn't see last year, I'd say two things stand out to me. One, he's explosive again, his first step is back, and two, he's confident. You can tell by the way he runs and plays that Hill feels he's OK. Where he's struggling right now is more timing issues. He bobbles the ball when usually that would be a layup. In ballhandling speed drills, taking it to the basket, losing the ball. That's going to take time. I don't think you sit out for two years and just walk back with great timing. I guess if you needed a reference, you could look at [Michael] Jordan in the playoffs against the Magic years ago, he bobbled the ball and Nick Anderson came from behind and stole it. That's how Grant looks at times. You can see that he's an athlete again, but what you can't see is his timing and being in sync, and the rhythm. That's what he has to get to next.

Q: Who's going to be playing the 4 and the 5 for you when the game starts, and then as the game progresses?
Rivers: Honestly, I have no idea. I'm making light of it, but it's almost the truth. Right now, Pat Garrity and Horace Grant, who were our starters last year, might return in that spot. But we have a lot of guys vying for that position. I think Pat Burke is a guy who's been playing terrific. I doubt if he'll start, but he's playing well. Shawn Kemp has a chance to vie for that position also. We want to make sure that Horace can play the right amount of starter minutes before we commit him to starting. Or we'll use Horace off the bench and use one of the other bigs as a starter. Pat Garrity is a guy who, as many problems he gives us as far as rebounding, he causes as many on the other end. So we're still trying to figure that out. I think it's a work in progress, and we're going to just keep giving everyone looks.