Rowan Kavner
This weekly series from Clippers.com features a Q&A with Clippers players, coaches, alumni or those tied somehow to the Clippers’ organization. The next edition features guard Austin Rivers.
The Clippers are 5-1 since altering their bench, trading for Austin Rivers and adding Dahntay Jones.
That’s included five straight wins for the Clippers, who were finally able to get practice time last week with their newcomers.
Rivers talked about what he needs to provide, the adjustments playing for the Clippers, learning from his teammates and how crucial it was to get practice time last week.
What do you feel you need to bring to the Clippers?
AR: “One of the things I can bring to the table is just pressuring the ball and just trying to run seconds off the shot clock. That way, when they get in their offense, they’re already kind of messed up…What I’m known for is a scorer and just to attack. I can always get by any defender and get to the basket. When I’m there, depends on who I play if I just kick out or score. That’s my first and foremost thing, still.”
You talked about how playing defense can buy you more time. Does that take pressure off you offensively as well?
AR: “With this team, just go out there and play hard, regardless. You make shots that night, you make them. If you miss them, you miss them. That’s kind of the attitude here. You can look at guys on this team that I know, just because I used to watch them, guys who were in shooting slumps and, ‘Bam,’ they have a 20-something point game and they’re hot. That just happens. Basketball is basketball. You’re going to have your ups and downs. Definitely defense helps, and that’s effort…I’m definitely going to bring that every game.
“Past couple years I was in a situation where if I made a mistake, you were out. It’s hard to play like that. It’s tough. It’s no excuse, but it was just a tough situation. Now I’m in a situation where there’s a lot more freedom and if guys make mistakes, they keep playing. It’s nice to play like that.”
How else is this role different for you?
AR: “On this team, I’ve got 15 to 20 minutes, I’m playing behind the best point guard in the NBA. That’s different. I’ve never done that before. I’ve never played behind a guard like this. My role in New Orleans was just to come in and kind of do the same thing as the other guard, just be aggressive, score when I can and just play defense. Here it’s the same thing, but the window’s 15-20 minutes because I’m playing behind Chris Paul.”
How much pride do you take defensively?
AR: “Defense is something I’ve added on to my game because of my sophomore year in New Orleans, when we signed a couple big players. I had to figure out a way to get on the floor. That was the way I could. Sometimes you learn stuff you didn’t know you could do. Now that’s another part of my game that I’m proud I can say I’m able to defend.”
You mentioned Jamal Crawford helping you out. How does he do that?
AR: “He’s like, ‘I just try to be into the game when I’m on the bench as if I’m in the game. I’m talking, I’m looking, seeing what’s going on.’ That way, when I check in the game, I’m already in a rhythm. Even if I miss a shot, I’m already in the game, I’m in a rhythm. Little tips like that I picked up on. Every game I’m up, I’m clapping, I’m giving energy, yelling at the guys in positive ways. Then I already feel like I’m in the game. Once I’m in the game, I’m ready to go. There’s no excuse. I’m 22 years old.”
How vital was it to finally get a practice in?
AR: “I went from knowing two sets to now I know like 10. It was tough those first couple games because I didn’t know anything…I was out there free-styling. It’s hard to play like that. It was such a help to be in here to kind of just get something I could hold onto, just get my rhythm back. We went up and down at practice a lot just to get everything going again, learning sets going against guys, so it was really helpful.”