Tweedia Day

Andy Fahey

Q: Is there ever a problem of having too many scorers in terms of keeping a balance or is that always a good problem to have?
A: You’d rather have too much then too little and then figure out a way to work around it or figure out ways to continue to build, trust one another and just have confidence in everyone on your team.

Q: What do you do to set goals and what do you do to achieve them?
A: Just setting short term goals to get me to the long term goal or when I do set long terms goals, I just break it down.  Thinking how I can achieve each part of it and putting yourself in the mode that anything is possible and going after it.

Q: How are you enjoying the Bay?
A: I’m enjoying the area a lot. Everyone is pretty cool and relaxed and there’s a lot of support for the team. I’m really enjoying the area actually. I didn’t expect I was going to enjoy it this much so it’s been really good.

Q: Do you give guys any advice in dealing with trade rumors since you’ve been through that before?
A: You try to, but it’s hard to give advice to someone. They have to go through the situation and go through the process. But I let guys know to see the bright side of it. You’re playing basketball, doing something you love and hopefully you have the longest career as possible.

Q: Do you feel like it’s hard for fans to see what you really do out there and what your impact is? Because a lot of it is off the ball and a lot of it is defense.
A: Not really, not anymore. Like I said, this is my 11th season so that’s kind of been the story of my career as far as you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. Hopefully that won’t be the case here but we have a really strong fan base, they understand the game so I think that they see it. It’s just me continuing to stay true to myself and playing basketball at a higher level.

Q: When you talk to Steve about the offense he wants to run, what goes through your mind in terms of what you visualize for this team this season?
A: I think for me personally my job is just to buy in. That’s the number one thing for a guy for a new coach coming in. You’ve really got to buy into the system and believe it’s going to work because if you don’t it’s going to cause conflict and you’re not always going to be on the same page as the other guys on the team or with the coach. I’ve watched a lot of tape of what some of the Bulls teams did and I’m a student of the game, so I feel comfortable in any setting. It’s kind of about moving off the ball, making the game easier for yourself, making the right reads, and that’s what I feel like what my game is strong.

Q: Was watching the Bulls tape something you do proactively or was that something your coaches encourage?
A: I always just watch the games in general. Whether it was for this offense or two to three years ago when it had nothing to do with my team, I’ve just been a fan of that era of basketball.

Q: What do you think makes for a good perimeter defender as one of the best ones in the league?
A: Having a defensive awareness, knowing your scouting a report, knowing your players. I think you have to have a high offensive awareness too. Certain sets are looking for certain actions, so when you’re defending that it makes it a little easier.  You can create shortcuts within it without putting too much pressure on yourself, without gambling too much. All of that plays a part.

Q: Did you get a chance to interact with coach during the offseason?
A: We got a chance to interact a lot. I was here pretty much every day so whenever he was here we would speak a little bit. Then we have the Arizona connection too.

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Media Day Q&A: Andre Iguodala

Q: How does it feel to be with the Warriors?
A: There’s a lot of excitement, a lot of buzz and I’m looking forward to it. Manage expectations it’s a lot on paper right now, but myself I’m looking forward to getting out there with the team more importantly and developing that chemistry.

Q: You’re a smart guy who’s been around in the league; can you from the sidelines pick up everything that Coach Kerr’s going to be implementing?
A: Yes, I think I can to an extent. But again, just getting that game repetition, that practice repetition, you can’t really simulate that.

Q: You’ve played against the Warriors in your NBA career. What are your general impressions of the team?
A: Impressive. They’re a team on the rise. A lot of young talent mixed with some savvy veterans.  They have a great group of guys here, chemistry as well. I’m looking forward to it.

Q: Was that the main thing that drew you to sign with the Warriors?
A: With all of my options on the table, this was the team that I think fit my style of play and the team that I think is in the best position to compete for a championship. It’s my 11th year in the league, not everyone gets to compete for a championship and this is an opportunity.

Q: Do you feel more comfortable defending the ball or off the ball?
A: It depends on who the player is. I think off the ball I can kind of see things coming a little bit. Either way is a challenge. There’s a lot of defense off the ball where it’s just being in the right position. Being on the court you can really negate your athletic ability by just being in the right position. When you look at older teams in the finals, Miami and San Antonio, they’re not really the most explosive or athletic team but they’re always in the right position defensively.

Q: You guys oddly have two one-week trips during the preseason. How much does being on the road help foster new relationships with your new teammates?
A: Definitely. Being on the road, getting a chance to know guys, learning their personalities, getting to a comfort zone with all of them whether it’s on the bus, on the plane, in the locker room, going out on the court, being on the bench seeing what I see and being able to hopefully  translate to some of the guys. But it’s never really the same effect as being on the court, in the war with the guys.

Q: You were one of the best post-up players in the league last year statistically, how did that develop in your game and would you like to continue to be a part of that on the Warriors?
A: Being 6’7” as a point guard and playing with Sam Cassell and Cuttino Mobley on the Clippers really helped refine my post game and play with my back to the basket. I worked at it over the years, and with my knee injury affecting my athleticism, I had to kind of slow it down and that was the way to do that.

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Media Day Q&A: Shaun Livingston

Q: Do you think you can fulfill the role of a “stretch four”?
A: One of the things I’ve really been doing all summer is working on my jump shot. I think a lot of the time people misconstrue what a stretch four is. A lot of people think it’s just spotting up and shooting threes, and it’s not necessarily all a stretch four does. If that’s all you can do, that’s what you got to do, but it’s sometimes catching and driving to close out and driving to create for other people. I’m really looking forward to that and seeing how I can do it.

Q: What are your thoughts of the Livingston and Barbosa additions in the backcourt?
A: I think both of those guys are established and have done good things in this league. They bring two completely different games. Barbosa really can score the ball and is really fast, getting the tempo going. Shaun can score the ball but he’s more so looking to get other guys involved, bringing great length to the floor, a very good defender and overall a good basketball player. He’s really gotten his athleticism back. Last year some of the things that he did, he went on a team where he played with an all-star point guard and really took over and it says a lot about him and about his game.

Q: How much does having Bogut back change the way you guys play on both sides when he’s in there?
A: It changes a lot; obviously defensively he’s one of the best rim protectors in the game. And offensively, when you have a big guy that can pass the ball like he can that always helps out.  Obviously he can go get lobs and he can do all of those things. I think one of the things I’ve seen from him early on is getting the ball more in the post.

Q: Why does it seem like everybody really likes Klay?
A: He’s just a great guy, low maintenance, doesn’t worry about much. All Klay wants to do is laugh and have fun so it’s great to be around guys like that. Sometimes you run into guys who are completely different, but he doesn’t cause problems with anything or anybody. He’s just one of those guys who everybody loves being around and he’s a great teammate.

Q: What was your regimen this offseason?
A: Just trying to continue to eat well and working to come to training camp in shape. I think I’m in pretty good shape now, obviously want to continue to get in better shape but that’ll continue throughout training camp and through the course of preseason. Really just focusing and honing in on diet and putting in a lot of work.

Q: What kind of goals do you set for yourself?
A: I set goals to just come in and be the best player I can possibly be. The things I’ve worked on all summer, trying to showcase those things and obviously continue to do what got me to this point. But if you work on something and try to get better at that, and you feel like you’ve gotten better at that, then you try to showcase that as well. But come in and bring whatever I can bring to this team to help us win and that’s always my number one goal. That’ll never change.

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Media Day Q&A: Draymond Green

Q: When you got hurt in the second game of the 2012-13 season, you looked like you were just about to take that next step in your career’s progression. How devastating was that at the time and where are you now?
A: It was very devastating – going out the second game of the season and not even being able to try to get into some type of flow during that season. It was the perfect situation for me, I was the sixth man off the bench and able to play 20-30 minutes a game, so yeah it was definitely devastating. But right now, I’m in a good mindset, feeling healthy, playing healthy. I’m going into training camp full speed with no limitations or anything like that, so just trying to keep going from there.

Q: In your last full year here, you looked like the best two-way player this team had. It looked like you took as much pride in your defense as you did in your offense. Where did that come from?
A: Coaches love defense, they love the guys that can play multiple positions and defend multiple positions. So yeah, defense is really important.

Q: People watched the Spurs in the playoffs last season and fell in love with the way they play. Can you explain what the Spurs do and why it’s so unique?
A: I can’t even really tell you what they do – they just have guys that know how to play basketball. They make the right play, make the right pass, shoot the right shots, and they say their coach is kind of crazy.

Q: They say Coach Kerr wants to bring some of that type of motion and passing to this team, what do you think?
A: Yeah, I think that would be perfect because there are guys on this team that can shoot just like the guys on the Spurs. We’ve got down-low presence with Bogut and D Lee like the Spurs have, so I think bringing on that type of system would be ideal for us.

Q: What are your specific goals for training camp?
A: My specific goals are to be able to play everything and just try to earn some minutes that way.

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Media Day Q&A: Brandon Rush

Q: How did your game evolve from the Team USA experience?
A: Playing against the competition we had at training camp and just practicing against each other, I just felt like I got better and more confidence knowing if I can compete against the guys on Team USA, I can do it against anybody in the league. It was a fun experience every day; when we played five-on-five you couldn’t rest out there because there were nine other guys who were world class players on the court.

Q: We keep hearing that there’s more pressure on you this year, but it seems that you don’t care about any of that stuff.
A: Yeah, you’re right. If you’re in the NBA, there’s pressure on you wherever you go. And I mean, if there’s pressure on me I’ll embrace it and that’s what makes playing this game fun is the heightened stakes and intensity. I think there’s pressure on all of us, not only me, just because we’ve had success in the last two years as far as a taste of the playoffs and whatnot. We want to give this fan base more and give Oakland something to watch here in June. And like I said before, there’s pressure every time you step on this court and it’s just how you handle it. If you embrace it and you play as hard as you can, everything will take care of itself, that’s what I believe at least.

Q: Do you ever read any [media] about yourself?
A: I look at Twitter at night, and we’ve got good fans at Golden State. You know, in whatever you’re doing life is going to have harsh critics, but I try to look at the positive and try and look at our fans who give us support and watch every single game. We’ve got some of the best in the world, not just the NBA, in the world and you want to play for them. I really try to not read a lot though about myself just because the way I look at it, nothing really great can come from it. You either get too big-headed or too low on yourself, and it’s hard to stay level headed when you read a lot about yourself.

Q: Did playing for Team USA change the way you want to develop as a player? Is there anything you learned, saying “I want to be able to do that a couple years from now or be able to do that this season”?
A: Definitely, just the way I prepared for every game. With Team USA, it was such a great experience and it was different because we only played 10 games, but I played as hard as I could and I would never get tired because we only played 20-25 minutes max. What I’m taking away from Team USA is not even really much about basketball, it’s just what I learned from Coach K and the rest of the coaching staff on how to be a better team.  And, you know, how to develop chemistry amongst each other and be a man who will look you in the eye and tell the truth, and I really learned about that the most from being on Team USA.

Q: What did it do for your confidence level?
A: I feel great, I feel like I’m in great shape. It was so nice playing games and not having to work out on your own, playing against some of the best competition in the world every day. And it was fun to see another part of the world. I have all-time high confidence right now just because if I can do it with Team USA and be a key factor on a team with some of the best players in the world, I know I can be one of the go-to guys on this team if I just keep working.

Q: How about the changes to the back court, Barbosa and Livingston, what will they bring to the team? How does the team change?
A: I played against Leandro about a month ago now, and he looked as explosive as ever. He was tough to guard, running around, coming off screens, and he had some buckets on me. I endorsed him after playing against him, I was like “man, we should get this guy.” He’s going to be very explosive for us off the bench”. Same with Shaun, I can’t wait to play with him. He’s a two-way player, he’s a great post player and he’s a great facilitator. Any time you have a 6’7” long point guard who can do what he does, it’s a great asset. And to have B-Rush back, you know, he was so good for us my rookie year. He shot 46% from three, and we have another burner in the back court so that’s great. All of those guys will help us so much.

Q: This being your biggest offseason to date as a pro, is fatigue going to be a factor? Maybe not during the beginning of the season, but past the All-Star break and as the season goes on through the playoffs?
A: I don’t think so because over these last few years I’ve really learned not only how to pace yourself but how to take care of yourself. It’s more about preparing for the mental drive than the physical, and I’m only 24 years old so I’ll be good. During the season, we’re practicing six days a week and travelling a lot. It gets kind of routine and mundane, but you have to keep your mind fresh and of course keep your body healthy. You’ve got to prepare like you’re going to play at the gym, and that’s what I’m doing.

Q: It seems like you’re doing a good job with that pin-down pass off the screen, has that been a focus?
A: Yeah, I’m not worried about that because that’s my best pass. That pin-down, pocket-pass is one I’ve had since my rookie year. The pass that I’m going to have to make is like the one Steph’s so good at, drawing his defender away from the pick so well. That’ll come with my ballhandling and my passing off the pick-and-roll, but my pocket-pass has been there for me. My pick-and-roll game is what’s next.

Q: How do you set your individual goals?
A: I try to keep it simple, and that’s just play hard and be efficient. I feel like my efficiency was better last year, but I could have so much more room to grow. So, individually for me, it’s just to play both ends of the floor and play as hard as I can. If I can do that and have that mindset, I can be successful and I know I will be.

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Media Day Q&A: Klay Thompson

Q:What did it mean to you to have Coach Kerr visit you in Australia this past summer?
A: It was a great gesture. I think to come out and make a fourteen hour journey to spend 72 hours in my hometown was great. I ended up having dinner with him on Friday night and lunch on Saturday, and then he caught up with his teammates and flew straight back. It was a cool thing to do.

Q: What do you think of being more of a focal point in the team’s offensive schemes?
A: I’m excited. I can utilize my main skill which is being a playmaker and passing the basketball. We have a lot of weapons that can shoot the ball, high basketball IQ guys and guys that can move the ball well. It’s no secret that ball movement will improve our offense dramatically.

Q: You’ve been here a few years, what do you have to contribute to expand your role on the team?
A: Just being a better player, it sounds cliché but just make shots and be more aggressive. That’s what I can contribute; being a starter or coming off the bench, whatever it is, just doing my part.

Q: Ideally how many minutes would you like to play in a game?
A: It’s up to coach. I don’t think my injuries are a minute restriction thing. I could get a high impact injury in minute one of the game or the 45th minute of the game. Whether I play one minute of the game or 40, I’m still going to come off the rim. I don’t like to put a number of minutes, that’s totally up to coach. Would I like to play more, yes, but that’s not my decision.

Q: What parts of your game did you focus on after you got healthy?
A: Just staying in shape. It was more just mentally getting over the last couple of years with what I’ve dealt with injury wise. It was more about mentally recharging, getting away from the game and then coming back fresh for preseason.

Q:What do you think of the team’s offseason acquisitions of Shaun Livingston, Leandro Barbosa and Brandon Rush?
A: : I think it was a quiet but effective offseason for us. We didn’t have any draft picks or anything like that, but I like the guys that we brought in. I’ve played with Shaun before in Milwaukee. We’ve brought in guys with high basketball IQ’s who know how to play the game, that have been around the league on different teams. To still come in with three players is pretty good.

Q: Has your approach to a season changed as you get older?  Going into training camp, how are you viewing that?
A:It does a little bit. You’ve got to be much smarter. It’s about managing your body and being smart and then mentally getting away from it too. A lot of it is mental as well. You’ve got to recharge your batteries, come back refreshed, and then start again.

Q:What will your post-playing career will be like? Will you continue to work within the game when your playing days are complete?
A: I have a lot of options. I’ve already gotten involved in things back home in Australia and over here. I love the game a lot and I want to be involved, but who knows I might get that itch a couple years after, but I have a lot of options.

Q: What are some of the normal things you do to get away from basketball?
A: : I always do normal things, I don’t do anything crazy. I just catch up with friends and family back home. Lay at the beach, enjoy the water and view, relax and not have any stresses for a while.

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Media Day Q&A: Andrew Bogut

Q: What do you do in the offseason? Do you get out to play basketball five days a week?
A: I’m usually on the court every day and I lift five times a week, so that’s usually the regimen.

Q: You talked about working on your body a lot this summer, what exactly did you mean by that?
A: Just wanting to get in better shape and getting stronger, making sure my body is durable for the season. Last year I didn’t feel like I was in the peak shape I wanted to be in, especially to do what I needed to do. So doing that and cleaning up my diet, making sure I have enough energy for games. It sounds like something that should be very basic, but it’s something I had to focus on this summer.

Q: Do you think the ball movement style that Coach Kerr is going to implement will help your game?
A: That’s the plan. You’ve got to just be productive, do what you need to do on the court whether its ball movement, isolation, whatever type of system you’re in, and do the best that you can do.

Q: How do you like the new black alternate uniforms?
A: Slate is actually what they’re called, and they’re great. I like the t-shirt uniforms in general, so being able to rock one that’s a little more neutral color, not as bright yellow, it’s cool.

Q: Coach talked about building relationships with you guys during the off season. What have your interactions been like and what are your impressions of him?
A: Coach Kerr is cool, I got a chance to spend a lot of time with him and talk to him not only about basketball, but adjusting to the Bay Area as well as his experiences and my experiences. I feel like he’s definitely established a relationship with me and with everybody else as well.

Q: Kerr keeps talking about there being openness in the starting lineup and you being one of the guys, is that important to you? Going into training camp, how are you viewing that?
A: Honestly, I just want to hoop. Last year was a difficult year so I’m just trying to keep going in the right direction.

Q: The additions of Livingston and Barbosa in the back court, does that make the back court better?
A: Yeah for sure, I keep telling Shaun all the time that he’s 6’9”, I don’t know why they keep dissing him at 6’6” or 6’7”. He’s a very good guard, he can pass the ball well and he can defend. You look at our team and one thing we’ve been able to do in the past is being able switch, so having him on the perimeter helps a lot. Having Barbosa there, an experienced guard, kind of helps us and gives us that depth that we need. Both of those guys are great additions.

Q: You guys have a preseason game in Iowa this year, what does that mean to you?
A: It means a lot. That was my first real basketball success, winning the state championship in that building so to be able to go back there and play as an NBA player is a big deal.

Q: What was your focus during the offseason?
A: Working on everything. Primarily I worked on my shot a lot with Coach Adams and refining that. Working a lot on my body and body composition and making sure I’m in better shape, getting ready for the season. Those are the main things.

Q: How do you set goals and how do you attain those goals?
A: Pretty much start by writing down a goal, starting with the top and want you want the result to be. Then what steps you need to take to get there. So it’s very meticulous and obviously you have that big goal, but you have a lot of small ones along the way.

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Media Day Q&A: Harrison Barnes

Q: How frustrating was it to undergo another surgery this offseason?
A: It was very minor, so recovery wasn’t an issue. Not being able to play in the U.S. tournament with Steph and Klay was a frustrating thing, but you have to roll with the punches. That was a negative, but the positive is I was able to put the time in on my jump shot and figuring out how I want the season to go.

Q: Have you made mechanical changes to your jumpshot?
A: Yeah, I’ve done some different things mechanically. I’m not going to sit here and brag that I’m Chris Mullin now, but I’ve worked on it and made some improvements. I’m excited to get back to taking and making that shot this year and it’s something that’s going to be important.

Q: Coach Kerr talked a lot about building relationships with the players, did you get a chance to talk to him and interact with him much this summer?
A: I did, I spoke with him several times over the phone, met up with him twice for lunch. And then I got a chance to hang with him here this summer with the whole staff. I know Luke and Jarron from playing against them and Gentry from when they recruited me in Phoenix in my contract year. So I know the majority of the staff and I’m excited about seeing what their ideas are and what changes they want to make and what things they want to keep the same. It’s always an adjustment, but we have a team that’s at least used to playing with one another, so I think that’s just going to be putting us in some new situations that we can be more successful in.

Q: Kerr talked about getting you and Andrew involved more in the offense and having more motion and stuff. When you hear things like that, about big guys getting more involved, how intriguing is that?
A: I think one of the advantages of our team is that we have, assuming it’s the same starting lineup from last year, five guys that have great ball skills and can think the game. When you have player movement, ball movement, and everybody involved, it’s going to make it easier for everyone on the floor.

Q: When you get to the stage in your career when you’re a veteran and you get that three in front of your age instead of a two, what kind of changes or adjustments do you consciously think about?
A: That’s a good question. When I first got in the league I was all about trying to time up a good tip-dunk when I got on the court, now it’s really thinking the game more, being as efficient as possible. I’m making a much bigger conscious effort on staying healthy, doing the right things, eating right, getting the work in in the weight room, stretching, things like that are things when you’re a younger guy you can just roll out on the court. Even a guy like Steph who’s in his fifth or sixth year now, looks at me and is like “man, we never used to stretch like this a couple years ago, we got to get this stretch in.” It’s something that as you go on in your career you make little changes and little adjustments and that’s part of the fun of being in the league and figuring out what your strengths and weaknesses are and trying to be as efficient as possible.

Q: You had a very low profile, quiet summer. How much of that was to get your body right, or to get your mind right? Or was it both?
A: It was both. I made it very clear, I wanted to play better last year at times and all of the stuff that happened this summer with trade rumors and things like that, which you’re not looking at every day because you’re not in the gym every day, but it’s something you’re aware of. And really, after all of that kind of blew over, I was just really excited about getting back here, being excited for the season and to have the best year of my career. I think that’s very possible with what we have coming back and with the position I’ll be put in, and I just prepared myself for that and just tried to look to the positive things and what we have coming up, and I was able to do that so I’m really excited.

Q: Klay is going to have higher expectations this year and a little more pressure, but he never feels those things, does he?
A: Don’t tell him that because I don’t even think he knows that. He just goes out – he does an unbelievable job of going out and doing what he does best, that’s when he catches the ball and puts it up. He does an unbelievable job of that. He made a great adjustment I thought, something nobody has talked about, of coming off the bench for Team USA. The couple games that I watched, he came in like “Okay you want me to come off the bench? Perfect” and he came in firing like he was coming out of the starting line-up. So he’s a great player and has gotten better each season, and I think he’s going to be a huge part of what we do this season and we need him at his best along with everybody else, and I think he will be.

Q: Really besides a couple pieces, (Livingston, Rush) the team is pretty much the same. Do you think the continuity part of it is kind of underrated in terms of next season?
A: I think it’s huge, yeah. I think first of all it’s a sign of things getting better. If you’re winning 25-30 games there’s going to be constant change. We’ve finally been very consistent these last couple years in winning games and I think that’s how players stick around and how teams stick around. I think using San Antonio as a model, when you have those core guys together year in and year out, I think the familiarity can really help, especially in pressure situations and close games. We’re going to have a lot of those pieces back this year and I think we made great additions in the pieces spoken about, and I think that’s going to be a really helpful thing. Although we have new coaching staff and some new system stuff to learn, with the basketball IQ of this team that won’t be difficult.