Sixers Press Releases

Tony DiLeo Conference Call – April 21, 2009

Press Conference Transcript

Tony DiLeo:
On the current playoff series...
Well we are very happy with the first win, after getting down 18 points, and I told Jim (Lynam) that this is typical of our team that we never give up. We never gave up fighting and that’s what we did, and we also know that we didn’t play a perfect game. At the end of the day, we feel that there are a lot of adjustments that we need to make on the offensive end and on defense to improve our chances for this next game. I am sure that Orlando will also make some adjustments for our next game as well.

Tony DiLeo:
On if he thinks Orlando will have to adjust with the 76ers guarding Howard 1-on-1…
Well I think that it is both sides; we have to make some adjustments so that we don’t get caught in a situation where we are down 18 points again. I am sure that they will make adjustments, but we have a couple different schemes that we can go to and we didn’t use everything that we have. If there is a situation where it is not going the way we want, whether they are hitting too many three’s or getting too many points in the paint, we will try some different schemes to offset some of their adjustments.

Tony DiLeo:
On Lou Williams and what he is giving the 76ers off the bench…
Lou has been playing at a really great strength and I think it started on our second west coast trip. He has been playing at a high level since then and a couple of games after that he wasn’t at that same level, but down the stretch he has been playing good. He gives us a really big boost off the bench. He can really score, he can really get to the free throw line, and that’s what we have been trying to do offensively is get to the free throw line. He is also making his shot, and I think he was 3-3 last game. When he is hitting his outside shot, and getting into the teeth of the defense he can create for himself and for others. When he is doing that he can be really tough to stop and it also opens things up for others.

Tony DiLeo:
On if the team will have to guard against complacency after winning game 1…
I don’t think we will have to guard against complacency. We know tomorrow that they are going to come out full blast with everything they have right from the beginning. We just have to be ready for it. We are not a team that can get complacent. We are a team that needs to play with an edge and full of energy. We are going to come out ready and in the right frame of mind. Complacency will not be a question of our mindset.

Tony DiLeo:
On how hard it is going to be to find minutes for Speights and Marshall…
It may be a little difficult because they don’t play with your typical power forward and center. They have a power forward in Rashard Lewis that is more of an outside player, and sometimes that is a tough guard for a guy like Marreese Speights. We are going to try to get those guys in and out, depending on what line-ups are out there and the game situation just like we did with Donyell. If we get a team that is clicking together and working well, then we will stick with that team that is out there.

Tony DiLeo:
On how much Lou Williams has learned from Andre Miller…
I think he has learned a lot from him, especially running the team, calling plays out there and making sure that guys are in the right position. He sees what Andre does. Lou tries to learn from it. Lou watches the game from the bench when he is not in there, and we break down film with Lou also to try and correct some of the things he can do better. Just watching Andre out on the floor, what plays he is running and certain situations is definitely helping him. Andre Miller’s basketball IQ is off the charts; he just sees things that are one to two seconds ahead of everyone else. I think that Lou is seeing that and starting to see the game at a different level.

Tony DiLeo:
On how this season reminds him of last year’s season end and beginning of playoffs…
I think it is a different team and different situations. I think coming down the stretch this year with the injury to Thaddeus, it really made a difference. We lost our rhythm when we lost Thaddeus. I think we compensated in the first couple of games, but I think players were playing different positions and different minutes. I think with Thaddeus back we are back to where we were before that slide into the end of the season. It’s the same core team that it is this year. Winning the first game in Detroit and then not winning the series; I think it is a lesson learned. I think our mental makeup and my mental makeup is different from what it was last year going into game two. I think we will be more prepared going into game two this year.

Tony DiLeo:
On how the team is doing physically with Andre’s hand and Sammy’s shoulder…
Sam is doing well, he went through the whole practice today, and he is doing well. It obviously bothered him a little bit, but not enough that it will keep him out of any games or any minutes; he will be ready to play. Andre got hit on the hand during the game, and it kind of stung him for a while and he lost a little feeling in it for the first two or three minutes after it happened. Now his hand is back to normal, so it should no longer be a factor.

Tony DiLeo:
On keeping it 1-on-1 with guarding Howard down the stretch with Theo and Sammy…
It depends on the game situation. I think both of them are shot blockers and athletic defenders and will be able to bother him a little bit. They also both have different ways of defending him which can maybe keep him a little off balance. The good thing about it is we have two guys like that, and then we have Reggie who is more of a physical type of defender that can go after him. Then we have another body in Marreese Speights that can put him on Howard and try to guard him. I think we have plenty of people that we can put out there and try to guard him, and he is a guy that we have to pay major attention to. He is one of the up and coming best players in the league. I think we have enough people and enough good people that we can throw at him.

Tony DiLeo:
On the job that Theo did on guarding Howard in the fourth quarter…
It was so important that we have a guy that can guard these centers straight up and we don’t have to help out with double teams, which allows us to stay home on the shooters. Whether it is Sam or Theo, we have done it in the past with guarding Yao, and Tim Duncan, and if we can play those players 1-on-1 straight up we don’t have to help as much, it really helps our defense. I think even though he scored 31 points, they both did a good job guarding Howard making him take tough shots and he made his free throws. We are happy that we have at least Sam and Theo and then we can throw another couple of guys at him.

Tony DiLeo:
On keeping Orlando’s outside shooting down because of the ability to guard Howard 1-on-1…
That was one of the keys, and we did a pretty good job in transition defense which is where they get a lot of their three’s. I thought we got back and picked up their shooters pretty good and most of their schemes are coming off of pick and rolls. They have good schemes and they have good plays, I think in the first game for the most part we did a pretty good job trying to defend their plays.

Tony DiLeo:
On not falling in love with the “3” and still get to the paint and free throw line…
In the playoffs, it is a little more difficult and we know that first of all we want to get out on the fast break as much as possible. In the playoffs, it slows down a little bit and the game is more physical so there is not as many fouls called getting to the line. That is our game and we are still going to try to attack the basket. We are still going to try to get out on the break, but I thought we did a good job of executing in our half court offense.

Tony DiLeo:
On the magnitude and confidence the last shot gave Andre Iguodala…
Whether he makes that shot or misses that shot, he almost has a triple-double in the playoffs, so I thought he played at a very high level. That shot just caped off the game. Miss or make that shot, he still played a great game and I think he has been our leader and our go-to guy down the stretch and in this game he really came thorough big.