(On Derrick Rose’s season-ending surgery…)
“It’s hard to even imagine what he’s feeling right now. He’s great for the league. Obviously, his importance to Chicago is pretty obvious also. It just makes you sick when something like that goes down. Back to back years, I don’t know anybody who has done that ever. I tried to think of somebody today and it was just beyond comprehension. I feel terrible for the kid.”
(On Boris Diaw’s availability…)
“He’s ready to go.”
(On Monty Williams’ recent success with the New Orleans franchise…)
“Good organizations have patience. They understand there is going to be some missteps here and there. We all make them in every organization. It is how you react to them that really provesif you have the long view to understand what it really takes to put a culture together. Monty (Williams) and Dell (Demps) have been great in establishing that. They’ve got a group that is understanding what it takes and they come out and play hard every night. They’re just going to be better and better each year, so I’m really happy for them.”
(On Tiago Splitter’s defensive play this season…)
“He’s always in great position. He doesn’t make any mistakes. He’s where he needs to be. He doesn’t foul inordinately. He understands spatial relationships and how to do his work early to be in a position to help us. He’s always at a top level energy-wise. He’s never letting up. If he lets up at all, it will be on offense, if he’s going to take a blow here and there. But on defense, he is always ready to go.
(On Splitter’s offseason work to improve as a post defender…)
When he came to us, he was already a very good, very solid player. What he’s done is learned individual players pretty well. Whoever it might be that particular evening, he’s put in work to understand how he might individually limit them or what their strengths are and how to take them away. He’s been a good student of the people he plays against.”