First of all, is there anything that gets the bench more excited than a Jared W three?

Enough does.

Man.

He does so much for a team, and we're so happy to have him here.

Um, you know, obviously don't get much playing time during the regular season, but when he get in way, always met with, uh, he plays the game the right way.

And so when you have a guy who plays the right way and, you know, make Schott's so much fun and, you know, he got all the celebrations and, you know, we love to see him go out there and make threes horse okay, Yeah, We could tell, uh, just physically.

How did you feel?

We all know the length or lack thereof of the season for you guys.

How to feel your first name.

I felt great.

Honestly, um, you know, coming in, I thought was gonna be a little windy.

You know, you can try to get in shape all you want, but it's nothing like basketball shape, you know, in game shape.

So, um, that was kind of hesitant about that, but I felt fine.

E could have played more probably claim or Friday, but I felt physically fine.

Some new personnel for you guys in that first half when you went on the defensive run basically after they went up 22 7.

What did you see from Mark From Dennis and how the defense is still effective, but a little different from last year?

Yeah, they said we added some great pieces.

Mark.

Former DP Oh, I got Dennis, who's a pest on the ball.

Picking up 94 ft west was a bulldog.

Eso we just tryingto figure things out defensively.

Still, we're still learning.

Still learn each other.

Uh, you know, the new guys still learning rotations and things like that.

But we picked it up our bench actually came in at the end of the first and picked it up for us, and way just kind of carried over in the second quarter.

But, you know, guys are started for each other out on both ends of the floor.

And, you know, coach doesn't take it lightly when we mess up on defense and we take pride in ourselves defensively, um, actually gonna sing last year.

Nothing changed about this year, and we're gonna continue to figure it out and only continue better.

Okay, Eddie, how do you view Kyle Kuzma as 1/4 year player 25 years old in this game, uh, fitting in or contributing to your guys overall success of this year?

Yeah, he's figuring it out.

I mean, you know when?

When Brian came two years ago, uh, you know, obviously brought get all the attention and cool tryingto figure out how to work with that.

And then we come in last year, Uh, they tried to figure that out, and I think he's done a great job off finding his role on this team.

We want him to come in and be aggressive.

He's making the right place.

He's reading.

The defense is a lot better, even from last year.

Uh, some place in his game where he made the great pass.

Um, so he's continued toe, learn the game, continue to figure out his role with our team, and, you know, he developed his shot tremendously from last year to this year.

Um, just in the summertime grinding.

So he's been playing well this this preseason, and he's only going to continue to get better, So All right, there's gonna be a big year for, uh, we're gonna play a bigger role for us this year, and we need to continue to Do you know what?

Who's done?

Alright, we'll take three more questions.

Uh, child a d um, with this road trip, obviously it's different from other trips you've done.

Um, what kind of stands out as what's what's different from the normal road trip so far?

And what can the team due to kind of build back the chemistry that you guys valued so much last year?

Um, I mean, obviously, that every time we're on the road, a Western Conference team were therefore a minimum of 43 nights.

So that's a little different planet taking back to back way with the Clippers at home and that their fingers playing game Friday.

So there's gonna be a little different kind of get it.

It's like a little playoff trade.

You wanna come show the world what you got on Z?

Don't worry a instagram, but I think that's the only That's the only weird part about it.

You know, instead of playing the team you know in the city and then leave and go to another team.

They certainly back later on the receiving end.

Planning again.

Um, so it's a little different, obviously, because of Kobe, but we're still trying to keep our chemistry the way it's been.

We're not trying to change anything.

Guys are still, you know, hanging out with each other.

You know, playing cards you want toe the MBA approved restaurants and things like that.

But I still, you know, following the safety boat also.

I mean, as you see, you follow me Trendiness QC on instagram That is already there, that that came from already their best with each other.

And it's all pure natural.

We all kind of clicked from day one, to be honest, damn it, if you get excited for a Jared Dudley three way too You see Jared Dudley dunk, right?

I don't think I don't think does and dunked in his career.

I haven't seen it.

Uh, the frank said that he wants his team to kind of keep that sort of play harder than everybody else mentality its three preseason games.

But you know, you guys have come back, and I think two of them, um have you seen seeds of that Still there.

I mean, that's not typical for teams trying to repeat.

Yeah.

I mean, you know, you're gonna have a target on your back when you're champions.

No.

And we got to continue to play harder than other team.

You know you can't control, you know, Mrs and makes and things like that.

But you can't control harder than the other team.

And if we continue toe fight and be the hardest playing team, then we give ourselves a chance every night.

And, um, that's all Coach asks for this.

All we That's all we you know ask for from ourselves is to go out there and play hard.

And, you know, make sure that when we leave the floor, win or lose that we were the more physical team with a team that played hard last question.

Bill, Hey, D.

I just want to go back to what you're saying about who's a little bit because you talked about the work he put in the off season, and there just really wasn't hardly much of an off season.

I think the expectation was that most guys, we're gonna just try to get, you know, catch their breath a little bit.

I mean, do you feel like he used the time differently than than some people or what?

To your knowledge, what was he doing during that time?

And, you know, relative toe what you could do in that time, I'm not a hard percent sure where he was doing that time, But, I mean, you could tell the difference either.

He was putting in work, um, and came to camp ready and better than it was last year.

Or he held back on his last year and just kind of, you know, opened his game up.

You know, more of this year, so I'm not 100% sure, But the way he's playing right now, um, you know, the game is slowing down for you.

And when you get in that fourth year, the game kind of slows down.

You read.

Defense is better.

You know, your shot selection.

You know where you're getting your shots.

Um, and he understands that, and you know, he's playing a lot better.

He's better on the defensive.

When he got to Kauai the other game, you know, he got a Booker tonight started on Booker.

So he's getting that defensive defense defensive reps as well.

So he's like I said, he's gonna be a big piece for us this year and he's only gonna get better.

I mean, it's his fourth year.

Um, you know, he's playing extremely well.

The guys like he's finding his grows, finding his neck with this team.

And, um, if you continue pretty the right way, then you have a great off season for sure.

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