duncan228
04-22-2010, 01:45 AM
Richard Jefferson: ‘There Was a Concerted Effort to Get Me Going’ (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=tsn-richardjeffersonther)
SportingNews
Richard Jefferson was a splashy offseason addition for the Spurs, but he averaged 12.3 points — his lowest average since his rookie season — and had a poor Game 1 against the Mavs, scoring four points. In Game 2, Jefferson was a catalyst in the Spurs’ 102-88 win, scoring 19 points and shooting 7-of-12 from the field. After the game, he talked with Sporting News correspondent Chris Cyrek and other reporters about the big win.
Q: How do you feel about your play this game?
Richard Jefferson: I think overall, for the team, that was a positive performance. You have to give them credit, they did a great job of fighting back. They got a lot of spirit over there. But we did the things we needed to down the stretch. Tim (Duncan) was Tim, and we were able to get the win.
Q: Did you come out intentionally trying to be more aggressive?
RJ: Yeah, a little bit, but there’s no secret to my game. When my teammates set me up, I’m typically a pretty good finisher, and my teammates were looking for me on the break, throw aheads. They were coming off of pick-and-rolls and tossing it back, allowing me to try and close out. That’s something my game has pretty much been predicated on the last nine years. When I’m in that position, I’m kind of in my comfort zone. I think, after I struggled last game, there was a concerted effort to kind of get me going, get me rolling. And I appreciate that. I appreciate them letting me help out.
Q: Tim said you were a big part of the win.
RJ: Again, I have to give the credit to my teammates. I’ve played with great teammates throughout my career, All-Stars. Vince Carter, Jason Kidd, a lot of talented players. I typically feed off them. The better understanding we have of each other, the stronger the team is.
Q: It’s no secret, you’ve been criticized a lot this year. In between games, do you get to a point where you get frustrated, you get vocal about what you need to do in order to be successful?
RJ: No, you know, maybe when I was younger. I’m pushing 30, I’ll be 30 this summer, and you start to understand everything. You can’t get too high, you can’t too low, we got a lot of work to do. I’m not sitting here thinking that this series is over. I have a lot of work to do. This season, it’s been a humbling season, just trying to find my way and to get into a groove so I can contribute in the way that I would like. That’s something that has taken some time.
Q: When Duncan was out due to the foul trouble early, did you kind of take it upon yourself to keep things going?
RJ: No, you know, that’s not really me. We don’t call a lot of plays for me here, it’s a matter of me feeding off of my teammates. That’s something that I’ve done, and it’s a matter of everyone understanding how to get each other going. Matt Bonner is one of the best 3-point shooters in the league, but he needs somebody to throw it back to him so he can knock it down. I’m one of the best slashers, but I’m typically a better slasher when I get it off of a closeout, that’s when I’m at my best. Just understanding your teammates and understanding how to get them the ball where they’re most effective makes the team stronger.
Q: How big is this win to even the series?
RJ: It’s huge. They came out with a lot of emotion and a lot of momentum at the end of the first game. They beat us right there at the end of the regular season — even if we’re resting Tim or Manu (Ginobili), it’s a confidence thing for them. To get this win, after a disappointing loss, I feel like we played a good 48 minutes. They made some runs, they had some stretches, but we controlled the game from beginning to finish, and that was encouraging.
Q: What did Coach (Gregg) Popovich say to you after Game 1?
RJ: He didn’t say anything to me, in particular. There wasn’t anything that he said to individuals. I didn’t have an individual conversation. It was more of, us as a team needed to pick up, we had a sloppy game and we needed to be sharper.
SportingNews
Richard Jefferson was a splashy offseason addition for the Spurs, but he averaged 12.3 points — his lowest average since his rookie season — and had a poor Game 1 against the Mavs, scoring four points. In Game 2, Jefferson was a catalyst in the Spurs’ 102-88 win, scoring 19 points and shooting 7-of-12 from the field. After the game, he talked with Sporting News correspondent Chris Cyrek and other reporters about the big win.
Q: How do you feel about your play this game?
Richard Jefferson: I think overall, for the team, that was a positive performance. You have to give them credit, they did a great job of fighting back. They got a lot of spirit over there. But we did the things we needed to down the stretch. Tim (Duncan) was Tim, and we were able to get the win.
Q: Did you come out intentionally trying to be more aggressive?
RJ: Yeah, a little bit, but there’s no secret to my game. When my teammates set me up, I’m typically a pretty good finisher, and my teammates were looking for me on the break, throw aheads. They were coming off of pick-and-rolls and tossing it back, allowing me to try and close out. That’s something my game has pretty much been predicated on the last nine years. When I’m in that position, I’m kind of in my comfort zone. I think, after I struggled last game, there was a concerted effort to kind of get me going, get me rolling. And I appreciate that. I appreciate them letting me help out.
Q: Tim said you were a big part of the win.
RJ: Again, I have to give the credit to my teammates. I’ve played with great teammates throughout my career, All-Stars. Vince Carter, Jason Kidd, a lot of talented players. I typically feed off them. The better understanding we have of each other, the stronger the team is.
Q: It’s no secret, you’ve been criticized a lot this year. In between games, do you get to a point where you get frustrated, you get vocal about what you need to do in order to be successful?
RJ: No, you know, maybe when I was younger. I’m pushing 30, I’ll be 30 this summer, and you start to understand everything. You can’t get too high, you can’t too low, we got a lot of work to do. I’m not sitting here thinking that this series is over. I have a lot of work to do. This season, it’s been a humbling season, just trying to find my way and to get into a groove so I can contribute in the way that I would like. That’s something that has taken some time.
Q: When Duncan was out due to the foul trouble early, did you kind of take it upon yourself to keep things going?
RJ: No, you know, that’s not really me. We don’t call a lot of plays for me here, it’s a matter of me feeding off of my teammates. That’s something that I’ve done, and it’s a matter of everyone understanding how to get each other going. Matt Bonner is one of the best 3-point shooters in the league, but he needs somebody to throw it back to him so he can knock it down. I’m one of the best slashers, but I’m typically a better slasher when I get it off of a closeout, that’s when I’m at my best. Just understanding your teammates and understanding how to get them the ball where they’re most effective makes the team stronger.
Q: How big is this win to even the series?
RJ: It’s huge. They came out with a lot of emotion and a lot of momentum at the end of the first game. They beat us right there at the end of the regular season — even if we’re resting Tim or Manu (Ginobili), it’s a confidence thing for them. To get this win, after a disappointing loss, I feel like we played a good 48 minutes. They made some runs, they had some stretches, but we controlled the game from beginning to finish, and that was encouraging.
Q: What did Coach (Gregg) Popovich say to you after Game 1?
RJ: He didn’t say anything to me, in particular. There wasn’t anything that he said to individuals. I didn’t have an individual conversation. It was more of, us as a team needed to pick up, we had a sloppy game and we needed to be sharper.