GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS MEDIA CONFERENCE

November 19, 2020

Bob Myers

Media Conference

THE MODERATOR: Bob, can you address Klay Thompson's injury situation and your thoughts and where we are as a team regarding that?

BOB MYERS: I want to apologize to the Wiseman family and representatives and also the Mannions, that we have to do this today regarding Klay -- this is their day. I'm happy we're splitting it up and having Klay questions now.

So like Bob mentioned, if you have the Klay stuff let's do that now because after this segment, it should be about them. It's a huge day and an exciting day for these young men and let's celebrate that.

In regards to Klay, I don't know what to say. Everybody knows now, but there's a lot on my mind. I've spoken to him. Spoke to him yesterday. Spoken to some of our other players. Got the news sitting next to our owner Joe Lacob and Steve Kerr is four, five feet away. When you get those phone calls -- and I'm not comparing this to what a lot of people are going through right now. I don't want to make that comparison because there's people that are suffering and illnesses that can't be cured that are going on out in the world, especially now.

But in our job, in my job, these are those phone calls where you're faced -- the color drains from your face. And got a text message from his agent, said, hey, Klay might have hurt himself, call me.

And what I do, it's not that we can't deal with these things. We do and we will and we have. But speaking for myself and our owner and our coach and all the people I work with and our players, what hurts the most -- and speaking on behalf of Klay, we will move on and we will be okay. And he will be okay. But what hurts the most is the time we put into our jobs, the sacrifices we make to do what we do and to do what he does.

And for him to have to now not be able to play basketball, that's the pain. That's the pain we feel, the pain we feel for him, being here from day one, since Klay showed up nine years ago or however many years ago it was, watching his journey and growth.

Nobody deserves this. Like I said, nobody deserves anything like this that befalls them. But this is a guy that loves basketball, bleeds basketball. We talked today and I told him, Klay, feel like basketball is for you air and water, you have to have it.

And he just told me, I've never not played basketball -- since 2000 or since whatever, however many years ago, he's always played basketball. And it's very hard for an athlete. Sometimes you get to stop playing on your own time and on your own terms.

And Klay's going to keep playing, but when it gets disrupted like this for an athlete of his caliber, it hurts. And it hurts us that care about him. I'm sure our fans that follow us feel the same way we do.

And so, I don't know, I can't sit here and say I feel good. I have confidence in our players. I have confidence in our coaches. I have confidence in our ownership. We're going to keep moving. We're never going to stop. But to be truthful, it hurts. It hurts me and I know it hurts our organization.

Q. Is there anything, without betraying any confidences, that you can share regarding his injury and the prognosis to fully recover and be Klay Thompson himself again?

BOB MYERS: I spoke to, actually Steve was there in LA today. He's obviously here back here now. Flew out last night. Our trainer was there. To be fully transparent, I haven't had a lot of time.

We got a lot -- my job, our job, time's not going to wait for the Warriors, but -- I think people feel bad for us, but the league doesn't stop for us. We need to try to do what we can to get ready for next season. It's an Achilles tear. Prognosis for full recovery is good. I'm sure I'll talk to the doctor who saw him and at some point talk to our trainer.

I don't want to share the ins and outs. I don't know enough to know. But it's an Achilles tear and we all kind of know what those mean. As far as degree and recovery time, please give us a second to answer that question. Likely not playing this year. That's all I can say. I don't think anybody's saying he's coming back. I don't think anybody does in that timeframe. That's probably what I can say.

Q. The other thing, too, is just where he fits in the friendship level of the team. The one thing with the Warriors that's so different from a lot of different professional teams there's a bond and friendship through tough times and success and we've all been together for such a long period of time that you almost hurt as much on a personal level as professionally because of who he is.

BOB MYERS: For those who are brand new, the Mannion family, the Jessup and the Wiseman group, you will hopefully get to experience what makes us unique in my opinion. Hopefully in your journey and time with us you'll find out who we are. And you have an idea of who we are. Maybe you've seen us play and win, but you don't know me, you don't know our coach, you don't know our owner. But in time you will, but that takes time. And it takes pain and it takes joy and it takes all of it.

And so when you talk about Klay, we've been through that with Klay. We've been through a rookie that couldn't make a shot, that people laughed at, called him Klay-up because he couldn't make a layup. Quiet guy for those in the media who have followed us and fans this was a man of few words. I've watched him grow into a man.

I've watched him win championships. I've watched him lose. I've watched him hurt himself in the NBA Finals. I've watched him rehab. Watch him rehab again.

Q. Watch him score 37 points in one quarter.

BOB MYERS: Watched him break the NBA record for 3-pointers in a game. That's how you get to know somebody. So, yeah, it hurts. It hurts the longer you get to experience life with people, the more pain you have. That's why you get invested in these relationships. That's why it's special.

That's why over here maybe there will be a statue of that guy. But I lean on our owner. I lean on our coach. I lean on our players. We called Steph Curry and Draymond Green. It's pain. But these are the same guys you hug when you get the trophies, too.

You've got to know somebody. You've got to go through the battles with them to really feel what we feel right now as an organization.

Q. Just wondering what Klay's mood was, like, when you talked to him this morning.

BOB MYERS: I don't know, probably what you'd -- Klay has a strength of will but right now it's a tough day for him. It hurts. He'll get to a place, I think, where he's on the road. But right now, like you or I or anybody, this is a tough day for him to hear that news. It's hard. It's tough.

Q. Seeing all the young guys contribute this past season, when you were without Steph, when you were without Klay and Draymond, how much does that experience for so many young players that they got help you going into this, missing Klay again? It's devastating, but these guys showed their energy and what they could do thrown into the mix.

BOB MYERS: In regards to how we responded last year, obviously our record was bad. That hurts. That hurts if you're a competitor. Hurt all our players. Nobody wants to lose. I admire -- you learn a lot about an organization in adversity. We got some more now. Life isn't -- look, we've had our highs. We'll have our lows. It doesn't pick and choose. It just is.

And today and last night and yesterday it's one of those hard ones. And as you mentioned, I admire the character, and Steve could speak more about -- our team doesn't break. I was talking to the general manager of another team the other day. They have their own issues. I said the challenge in these times is staying together, when your fabric is tested. And our fabric was tested last year.

And people don't know it. And our record was 15-50, but we didn't break as an organization. We didn't falter. We didn't start blaming people. And that's hard to do in this day and age. There's a lot of pressure -- internal, external. Proud of our young players, proud of our veterans, proud of our coaching staff, proud of our front office. Hardest thing to do in sports is keep your team connected. Winning or losing, that's the number one thing.

Q. If you can, to what extent tell us what the conversations are like when you broke the news to Steph and Draymond.

BOB MYERS: You know, I've learned in life sometimes words don't do it. It's not news you want to break on the phone. But that's how it was done. And a lot of silence. I was with Joe and Steve and Kirk and probably what you're hearing right now, nothing. What are you going to say?

Those guys have been in it more than I have with Klay. There's no better bond than players with players. So I can't experience it from their standpoint. I know it hurts.

Q. Kind of looking -- unfortunately you have to look forward as well and next man up. There's been talk about Kelly Oubre agreeing to a deal. You have the $17 million trade exception. Anything you can share about where you guys go from here in terms of trying to fix the hole, the big hole that Klay left?

BOB MYERS: Yes. We got this news and we found ourselves with a hole at a position that we can't find many better guys to fill than a Klay Thompson. We read our board up and under the two guard position we have a blank space. After processing that, like you mentioned, the league's not waiting for us; we've got to do what we have to do. We're exploring a lot of things.

I'm not saying this because the guy is 15 feet away from me. I'm so lucky to have an owner and ownership group like I have. I don't know if the fans know how lucky they are, but my boss wants to win. My boss has never said, you can't do this, you can't do that. And I'd like to thank him for giving myself and our front office the opportunity to be aggressive, because he he wants to win.

I could say he's doing it for the fans -- he does it for them, too -- but he wants to win. Our coaching staff wants to win and our players, our whole organization. But it's a business too and sometimes you've got to look at that part. But in all fairness, I've been here 10 years. It's been about winning.

So, we'll keep looking at what we can do to fill that position and get the best player we can. Nothing is done as far as what you suggested or anything yet, but we've got to look hard and look fast. And probably shouldn't even be up here -- I should not even be doing this right now, but I've got some great guys I work with that are working right now on what we can do.

And so we've got to fill that position and give our fans and our organization and all the people that support us the best chance to win next year that we can.

Q. Is there a way you could put into words what Klay means to your team and your fabric?

BOB MYERS: No, but I will try. Klay is -- I've never met anybody that doesn't like Klay. I talked to somebody today, opposing coach just called me -- who I really admire and respect and called and said I'm very sorry about Klay. And I said I think there's two players in the NBA that everybody likes and respects.

Without a doubt. And I'm going to say the other guy's name. I don't think I'm going to get in trouble I don't think I'll get in trouble but I'll say the other guy's name. I think it's Klay Thompson and Derrick Rose. Those two guys, I think, are universally beloved.

And how your peers feel about you in life I think says more than anything else. And I really believe that. And I think that he is admired within. He's admired without. And you can't put in words what he means to our team. What he means to our fans, our coaching staff, his teammates.

Like Bob mentioned, the memories -- by the way, there's more to come. There's more Klay memories to come. And more great moments. But no, I can't do it justice. I'd rather have Steph or Steve or Draymond or people that have been in it with him tell you what he means.

But for me -- you guys know Klay a little bit. He's a unique one but a wonderful man and a wonderful basketball player.

Q. I wanted to ask about the designated player exception you can maybe get with Klay. How is that process going? Do you have to apply for it? Where are you at on that?

BOB MYERS: I've got our trustee David Kelly over here, not working, by the way, just standing with his hands in his pockets. He's in charge of that. And we've actually had those conversations. We had to await kind of what the severity of the injury was to go down that road. But we should have that answer soon and see what optionality that provides.

Nobody ever -- a disabled player exception roughly means you lost a player for a year. You never want it for any player, certainly not for a Klay Thompson. Potentially it's another vehicle to look at.

And we're kind of doing this on the fly, too. But it's a fair question, and it's something we've looked into.

THE MODERATOR: I think Bob addressed the Klay injury and we have free agency and other transactions, and Bob will be working after today after he gets off this.

Our next step if I can ask you to move over to that other chair, I will vacate this chair. And we will bring in two of our draft picks.

Justinian Jessup is playing professionally in Australia. The 51st pick, we spoke with him today. But he's in Australia professionally.

The second pick in the draft from University of Memphis is James Wiseman. And the 48th pick in the draft from the University of Arizona is Nico Mannion. So the two newest Warriors are here.

(Applause).

Kind of a culmination of a lifelong dream for both of them. We want to welcome the Wiseman family to our Warrior family. It's great to have you here and also James' representation, and the same thing with the Mannion family and also the representation for Nico as well.

This is kind of amazing. Pace Mannion was a Warrior draft pick, 43rd. We have another Mannion coming.

James, let's start with you, I've never met anyone that just took Mandarin for fun in high school. That wants to be a business magnate, philanthropy, phenomenal basketball player and very well rounded. But address the emotion from last night. I think the one cool thing about the draft is we saw guys with their families and what that moment meant and certainly being a Warrior meant something to you. Why don't you share that with us a little bit.

JAMES WISEMAN: Just me going through adversity this past year, me not able to play in college really brought me down because I text my teammates every day. So really just that focal point really just kind of kind of settled in a little bit. But just knowing my mental toughness how far I came just putting in the work this past year really has brought me down to that emotional breakdown. But I just found myself and just was an exciting moment and this is a phenomenal moment for me. I'm just blessed to be in this position.

Q. Nico, as you're watching the draft, we have to tackle Steve ker one of the Arizona guys come up on the board. So that was really kind of a happy accident. And Steve had seen you play a collegiate game here at Chase Center. You've already played in this building. What was the draft night like for you and your family?

NICO MANNION: It was pretty much the same as James would say. I didn't go through the adversity he went through, not being able to play last year, but I think this eight months for everyone in the draft was a long period of time to go through this draft process and ups and downs with the virus, not being able to scrimmage and play games.

So I think it was just a rough time for everybody and I think that kind of built up over time and kind of just brought a lot of emotions out last night.

Q. Bob, what was it like in terms of a Zoom conversation with James and then the league allowed you to go see him in person? And just I don't think anyone's everyone been scrutinized for seven months before they were drafted. It's been such a unique year. Give us an idea of your thoughts on James Wiseman and why he was the Warriors selection.

BOB MYERS: Myself and Mike Dunleavy -- Larry Harris got to see James Wiseman the last time he played basketball, which was up in Oregon. We yelled at him: Shut it down, James; stop playing; we'll take you.

I'm kidding, I had no idea we were going to be as bad as we were at that point or that that would be his last game.

But no, I mean, I don't know James very well. I'm going to get to know him. I don't know Nico very well either. That takes a lot of time. But in regards to James, myself and Steve Kerr and our owner, Joe Lacob, and Rick, celebrating, went out and saw him.

Oftentimes, we try to get to know somebody. And my favorite part of James was we went to a very socially distant outdoor, safe meal with him. And he showed up by himself.

And I liked that. I think these guys are going to -- they're young, both of them. But they're in a man's world now. And they're going to have to grow up. And I feel like now -- I'm a parent of three daughters. The best thing can you do is let your kids -- they've got to be on their own sometimes.

And he handled himself well. We got up from that dinner, we said, what a pleasant young man. And Steve Kerr went to Arizona and Nico did. I'm sure Nico is a wonderful guy, too.

But I sit here and what I see of them -- and, again, I don't know them as well as many of you do -- I see a seriousness, a seriousness and maturity about the game. They're coming to go to work. We're going to need them. And it's going to be fun. I'm excited to watch them grow and embrace them into our family and our culture. I think we're lucky to have them and they're lucky to have us.

Q. James, your path is interesting in that to have Penny Hardaway be your high school and collegiate coach. And then during this pandemic time to be working with Dwyane Wade and LeBron's trainer in Miami. There was a serious approach to improving your body and your game and kind of the way you embraced working at becoming a better basketball player even only being 19 years of age. Clearly this is the goal and lifelong dream. And I'm thinking how weird it has to be to go a Steph Curry youth camp and now be a teammate of Steph Curry's.

JAMES WISEMAN: Going to the camp and learning lots of intangibles that he taught me, different moves and giving me basic information --

Q. Steph taught you how to dunk?

JAMES WISEMAN: No, he taught me a lot of guard skills, skills like that. Just taught me, gave me advice, gave all the campers advice, stay dedicated to the game, don't take it for granted.

I learned a lot from him just from that camp. But this past year just me going through, just trying to process the predraft process has been great. I've been working on my body and my mind and just trying to be the best version of myself.

Q. Nico, you've had an interesting road yourself being born in Italy. You played internationally as a 17-year-old for Italy, the national team. Having that international flavor as well as coming to go the United States, you also have attended a Steph Curry youth basketball camp and now you're his teammate. To me the world's kind of coming together and your dad having played in the league. You've seen a lot as a very young man basketball-wise.

NICO MANNION: Yes, sir, I have. I was lucky enough to go over to Italy and play U-16s and play with their men's team the year after. And those experiences were great for me. I learned a whole lot. And it's a different style of basketball over there in Europe.

I kind of tried to just learn that style and incorporate it and bring it back to the U.S., just to have more in my game. Those are great experiences and my pops was drafted here, so when I heard the news I was coming here it was super emotional because that was in the back of my mind as well.

Q. The perfunctory draft question for any young player is: Who did you grow up watching, James, model your game after, like their style of play or maybe something you see similarities in what you would like to become as a player?

JAMES WISEMAN: I'll say Kevin Garnett, just his versatility, him being able to to use agility for his size and space the floor out. Just being able to run, rebound and block shots, and watching his tenacity for the game really improved my mental and made me work harder to get to that point or to that pinnacle.

Q. They always talk about jumpers for big guys. Like, dunks are still really cool too. Don't get rid of that part of the game?

JAMES WISEMAN: Not at all.

Q. Works really good when you're 7'1".

Q. Nico, someone you emulated or enjoyed looked up to basketball wise besides your dad?

NICO MANNION: Of course my pops. I got to see some of his clips. But the player I looked up the most, watched the most film on and studied the most is probably Steve Nash just because of his IQ, the way he sees the game and plus the kind of person he is off the court. So I'd say Steve Nash alongside my pops.

BOB MYERS: I want to hear him say something in Mandarin to maybe, we have a multicultural fan base. I'd love to hear some Mandarin, if you could say, like, I'm excited to be here. Nico, got any Italian? Maybe I'm excited to be here Mandarin and Italian.

Q. You should know, outside of mainland China one of the largest populations of Chinese-Americans are in San Francisco. They're going to check your Mandarin, so if you haven't been studying, don't say something crazy that doesn't work out.

JAMES WISEMAN: (Speaking Mandarin)

BOB MYERS: I think he said Bob Myers is a great GM. (Laughter).

Q. Nico Italian, please.

NICO MANNION: (Speaking Italian).

BOB MYERS: How great is that? I can't speak any language.

THE MODERATOR: The nice thing is, if you need to argue with an official, do it in Mandarin or Italian and you will not get technical fouls. You discovered a unique skill that will work out for everybody.

Q. I imagine the last 24 hours has been whirlwind. And James when you were on the plane on the way here what were you thinking about as as far as a dream recognized that you'll be an NBA player right now?

JAMES WISEMAN: It's great for me and my family. It was a whirlwind as soon as I got drafted. I had a two-hour media session and after that I was celebrating with my family.

Just coming out here and just witnessing the great atmosphere and the great environment. I fell in love with it as soon as I walked in the door. So, I can't wait to play, I can't wait to work and I can't wait to have fun with my teammates.

NICO MANNION: Same thing as James, just really the past 24 hours has been super emotional, I'd say, and I don't think it's really set in what's really happened yet. Everything happened so fast. As soon as we got drafted, figuring out when we're going to get out here to San Francisco and get started. Everything's happened so fast but it's starting to settle in finally. And it's a great feeling.

Q. James, he mentioned your jumper earlier, where do you think your jumper is at? Do you feel comfortable taking NBA 3s? And where do you want it to be as you move forward in your career?

JAMES WISEMAN: I feel very comfortable and confident in my jump shot. I've been working on my jump shot since college, since high school. I've been using my strengths a lot because that's what you're supposed to do as a basketball player.

But I'd say my jump shot has most definitely gotten better. It's gotten way more consistent and I feel very confident about it.

Q. James, it's been, I believe, over a year maybe since you played in a game. What will it mean for you to be back on the court even in this crazy COVID environment? And for both of you, what kind of -- how much stuff do you guys have to do to get ready for practice? It's just days away now.

JAMES WISEMAN: I mean, it's a great feeling just to be able to go out there just work hard with my teammates and just uplift each other and make each other better every day.

I've been through this pre-draft process. I've played a lot of pick-up games with pros, so I've gained a little bit of experience. But I feel the predraft process has been great for me, but I just can't wait to get to the Bay Area, work on my game and just uplift my teammates and be a high character guy every day.

Q. James, given the news over the last 24 hours did it change at all your expectations of what you expect to contribute this season?

JAMES WISEMAN: Not at all. Really just to go in, just learn and just grow and adapt. I feel that just me coming to my first year it's going to be a lot. But I'm ready for it. And I'm ready for everything and I'm just willing to come in and work and prepare and just be the best version of myself and learn as much as possible and grow my game.

NICO MANNION: I'd say the same thing for me, coming in and learning, especially as a point guard, coming here and playing for Coach Kerr and playing with Steph Curry. I think there's just a whole lot. It's another world. I'll be able to learn a lot. And that's just really what I'm looking forward to the most.

Q. James, I think it was Draymond who tweeted or put on Instagram a picture of you in a Warriors jersey as a kid. How cool was that? And have you talked to Steph or Dray or anybody on the team?

JAMES WISEMAN: As soon as I got drafted, Draymond said, hey, look, as soon as you get drafted -- ain't not nobody not going to notice you got drafted the next day. So be ready to work. And Steph actually texted me, gave me words of encouragement. I just can't wait to just put in the work, have fun with my teammates, work out, and just uplift each other.

Q. Have you had anybody coach you at the volume Draymond Green might be assisting your in defensive evolution? He's been known at the 4 to put his center tag-team partner in certain situations. I think you would be enjoying that. I know Penny Hardaway was loud, but Draymond Green might have a few things to teach you defensively?

JAMES WISEMAN: Most definitely. Coach P put me in a lot of challenges in practice in terms of the defensive end, just be ready for the challenge and grow, get better.

BOB MYERS: James, you've got to understand when he yells at you or Nico, he still loves you. He wants to win so bad. Don't take it personally. He's yelled at me. I don't think he's yelled at Joe. He's yelled at Steve for sure. He's yelled at all our teammates. Yelled at Steph. May have yelled at the media. That's just who he is. But he wins. So if you want to learn anything from that guy, he's a winner.

THE MODERATOR: Also Defensive Player of the Year. So he's usually yelling very smart things.

Q. Wondering, I know, you're all about the work. The world is different for everyone, looking at the press conference and the restrictions. Anything you're looking forward to doing or seeing now that you're going to be in the Bay Area?

JAMES WISEMAN: I'm a food person. So probably try to venture out to a lot of restaurants out here. But my main focus is just to get better, stay in the gym. That's what I do all the time anyways, but that's all.

NICO MANNION: Like he said, I'm excited to get to know my teammates, get closer with the staff, the coaches, everybody here and just kind of get into this family environment. You can tell it's super friendly and family, like many of you, walk in -- I'm excited to be part of this. Excited to understand or get to know my guys and playing with them and being on the floor with them.

Q. Bob, have you had a situation where you talked to Steve in terms of normally it's a draft, summer league, free agency, then training camp, and then this is all happening within like a week to 10 days and here's your draft picks that are going to be in camp December 1 and preseason December 12, 13th and a season starting up? It's going to be the most unusual year we've seen coming off the previous most unusual year.

BOB MYERS: Well, Steve, Joe and I have been safely out and about visiting some players. So Joe, Steve and I, we better like each other. We spend a lot of time together.

But I like both of them. Lucky to work with both of them. But this is a brand new environment for us, the pace of it is frenetic. Steph Curry just called me. I blew him off for the press conference because this is their guys' moment. It's too fast, Bob, but I get to work in basketball. These guys get to play. Steve gets to coach. That's not so bad.

But it's time where we all adapt and move forward and I love who I work with. Steve, my favorite guy. So whenever we get to hang out talk basketball, that's pretty fun for me. And Joe loves it, too. So it's one of my favorite parts is just talking about free agency, the draft, all of it, with those guys.

Q. James, I spoke with Penny a couple of weeks ago. He was saying when he first started coaching you back in your early high school days that you really didn't really want to show a lot of effort to play hard defense and get physical. He said but over time you became more physical and more vocal. Just talk about your progression from when you were 14, 15 to where you are now in terms of getting more physical and vocal.

JAMES WISEMAN: Being young, I had to adapt and learn ways how to develop my game and just grow my game as a player. So throughout the years I studied a lot of film on previous players that was leaders in the NBA. And also just studying myself and just trying to venture and just explore inside myself and see how I can get to the next level.

So just by doing, work on myself, made me really become that player.

Q. Bob, a lot of rumors about what was going to happen with the draft, but when James was available at 2, how excited were you, because we all had speculation maybe a trade or didn't know if they would go one? So your excitement when you got him at number 2?

BOB MYERS: We were very excited. We had him as our number one player on our board. And you can't get any more excited than getting the guy that's -- rarely do you get to pick this high or draft the player that you like the most. We're also excited for Nico, too, we were thrilled that he was there.

Obviously we got to know James a little bit more than we've gotten to know Nico. So excited about his game. Excited about the person. It really becomes a family. And I see both these guys and excited to get to know them. But really seemed like great people. It was a testament to their families; they don't get here alone. So thank you for handing them -- they're still yours, but we might get to see them a little more than you do now. But you're part of it, too. So thank you for getting them to this point.

If you ever need anything you can ask Joe Lacob, I'll be busy. (Laughter). But we appreciate you, too, because you raised these young men and they're going to succeed or fail more on what you've done so far than what we'll do from here on out. So we're thrilled. We're excited that James was there. We're excited that Nico was there and now we get to go to work.

Q. James, you mentioned facing some NBA guys during this layoff, playing pickup ball, I assume. Which players?

JAMES WISEMAN: John Wall, Michael Beasley, Okafor and D' Angelo Russell.

Q. Did you ever get out on the guards, have to guard them during any of that?

JAMES WISEMAN: We did a lot of switches. I was guarding. I feel very comfortable guarding the guards. I did a lot of that stuff, yes.

Q. How important do you think it is to your progression in the league being in the modern NBA, being able to get out guard guys like John Wall out there?

JAMES WISEMAN: It's super important because in today's generation, bigs, you have to do that. I'm really on my defensive end -- in terms of the offensive end, more the defensive end, improve my game on that end because it's going to make me a better player like that.

BOB MYERS: Nico, could you do some defensive lateral slides right here and we can answer this question right now. And you can put up some jump shots.

Anthony is asking the right questions. I think they both want to work. But it's like anybody, it all takes time. But those are all the questions everybody's asking. It's questions we ask. But we have confidence in these guys.

Q. James, I guess how are you approaching the challenge of competing in a very competitive Western Conference and potentially being relied on to slow down the likes of Anthony Davis and some of the other bigs you might face?

JAMES WISEMAN: Just come in, play my role. I feel if I just play my role, focus on the team concept, just come in focus on the coach's game plan, then everything else will take care of itself, because I'm a high character team player. That's the only thing I care about is my team.