On tonight’s scrimmage against the Nuggets:“I thought we started the game the right way. We watched them the other night, and they played such a huge lineup. They played a zone the whole game, so we were not going to change the way we play. We just thought that we would try to attack the zone. We thought we would try to help each other defensively. I thought we did a real good job in both of those areas, and then I was real proud of the young guys. Most of our veteran guys only played the first quarter. They ended up playing 12-14 minutes or so, and so the young guys played the rest of the way. I thought Nickeil (Alexander-Walker) was really good. I thought Frank (Jackson) did a good job. I thought Sindarius (Thornwell) really did a good job because he’s just real solid. Zylan (Cheatham) came in and played well. We just had a lot of guys that stepped up and did a really good job. I was most proud of the way we rebounded the ball, even though we gave up some offensive rebounds. For the most part, they had big, big guys out there. A lot of times, we had JJ (Redick) guarding Bol Bol, so in those situations, we have to come down help. I thought we did a really good job in those areas.”
On Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s play through two scrimmages:“Well, I think he’s playing well. I still think that he’s a young player, he’s still learning, but you can see that he’s capable of making plays, capable of making shots. I thought defensively he really tried hard tonight, so maybe it’s a step in the right direction of him just taking his game and moving it to the next level. He just has to keep playing. Just trying to get better every time out and in every game and every practice, and I think that’s what he’s doing.”
On his comfort level after two scrimmages:“I feel like I’m where I need to be as far as taking it day by day, focusing on what I can. Trying to just stay in the moment and enjoy the moment. Tonight was a good night and I was just having fun out there, Ilet the plays come to me. It’s good to have vets by my side to talk to me when I need it, so right now, I think I’m in a good spot.”
On the team’s approach to Denver’s big lineup:“Just try to move the ball. We knew they weren’t going to be able to keep us out of the paint from a one-on-one standpoint, so try to get them in one-on-one situations. Get the ball moving fast and attack gaps. Not try to play a shell offense, but more so [move the basketball] in and out.”
On Jrue Holiday defending bigger players:“What he does is amazing. As far as guys who are able to guard one through five, I think Jrue is the example of that. When you talk about defense and you talk around the NBA you have to look at players like Jrue. He’s made a name for himself guarding the best players and holding his own, and I think it says something when you’re giving up height, and no matter what, if Jrue’s guarding him, we’re good, we’re not worried, we’ll almost live with any shot they take.”
On his comfort level after these two scrimmages:“I feel a lot more confident from where I was earlier in the year, just working a ton during quarantine, working on my handle, bringing it up, just making those types of passes and plays, so I feel a lot more confident in myself.”
On the intensity of the 5-on-5 games at practice vs. the scrimmages:“Our 5-on-5 scrimmages at practice are way more intense, probably way more than any game we’ll ever play in. There’s people yelling at each other, calling each other out, going at each other, so I don’t really think you can get much more intense than that.”
On the important of the minutes for the younger players (himself, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Zylan Cheatham):“They’re really important, at least to me, and to most of the other guys, just because we’re just getting back into that rhythm of playing because we’ve been out for so long, and we know not all of us get to play every day, so these minutes right now mean a lot, getting more comfortable, and just playing.”