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NBA FINALS: CAVALIERS v WARRIORS

June 15, 2016

Tyronn Lue

Cleveland, Ohio: Practice Day

Q. Given all the discussion about isolation basketball and sustainability, given all the motion and pick sets that go in before a guy like Kyrie or LeBron takes it to the hole, is it fair to chronicle all isolation plays together?
TYRONN LUE: I don't think so, but people they have different versions of isolation basketball. When you post a basketball or nowadays guys are posting 15 or 16 feet and in, you call it a post-up or some people call it an isolation. Anytime you're playing below the free-throw line, I think 15 feet and in, I consider it a post-up.

We post LeBron against matchups or mismatches, which I think is good for us. But then also I think the way they play of switching one through five, you're going to have to play some iso and one-on-one basketball. But you've got to be able to attack and attack early. I thought LeBron and Kyrie really did that in Game 5.

Q. Will it be a priority to get Kevin going? Is it important to have him more involved offensively or are we beyond that and he just has to handle that for himself?
TYRONN LUE: I mean, Kevin was great. I mean, defensively he did a lot of good things. Offensively we have two guys that did something that hasn't been done in NBA history: Two guys score 40 points in a single game. So there wasn't a lot of room or a lot of shots for a lot of other guys because they had a special moment.

So it's hard enough to win a game in a regular season and then to win a game in the NBA Finals and guys are focused on Kevin not scoring the basketball. He did a lot of great things. Our rebounding was down because he's on the perimeter. He's guarding perimeter guys. They play five smalls, so he's not going to be able to rebound the ball as well as if he's playing inside against a bigger guy.

So Kevin was great defensively, and Kyrie and LeBron carried us offensively because they had two very special nights.

Q. With this series it feels like almost every game there's been different personnel missing games, whether it's injury or starting-lineup change, suspension, and now another injury changing the starting lineup. So just how difficult is that for you to kind of adjust throughout the series and almost every game you have to make a different game plan based on the personnel?
TYRONN LUE: Well, it's not really difficult because they play small a lot. We know that's their money lineup, when they play small with Draymond at the five. It's not really a big difference of preparing for that.

Q. Given this Finals format outside of games 3 and 4 there's been two days off between every game. What are the advantages of that situation, and are there any drawbacks to that?
TYRONN LUE: Well, the advantage is guys get the proper amount of rest. I think also flying coast to coast it's easier on the guys' body. I thought last year, you flew back and you had one day and you had to play again. So now with these long trips you're able to spend the night after the game and then fly back, so guys can get the proper rest and let their body recover.

Q. Any drawbacks at all in terms of maybe wanting to play again after a victory instead of two days off?
TYRONN LUE: I don't think so. I think with the long flight it just makes it a lot easier, especially on your body. By the time you get back, we have this day today and then we play tomorrow, so I think it's good.

Q. Before Game 5 the NBA Entertainment cameras caught you speaking to the team and you quoted Mark Twain in your pregame speech. I was curious where you got the motivation for that quote, a person or you read it somewhere? And when do you choose to add a little gravitas to your pre-game speech to go to the matchups and things of that nature?
TYRONN LUE: Sometimes it's needed. I don't like to talk a lot, but sometimes it's needed. We just had a couple good things that I wanted to say before the game. I don't know where I got it from. I mean, I've known about it throughout the course of my life, but as soon as I quoted it, Kevin Love, he said "Mark Twain", so he knew.

Q. Obviously you played with great players with Shaq and Kobe and you saw how they were scrutinized, but obviously it's different now with social media. How has your relationship changed with LeBron since you've taken over as head coach? And have you suggested how he take the scrutiny or do you let him handle that as obviously the games get bigger and the scrutiny gets more?
TYRONN LUE: I let him handle that. I don't think our relationship has changed. I've always been the same guy, upfront, telling the truth. Our relationship hasn't changed any. But I let him handle it as far as the scrutiny and all that. I let him handle that.

Q. Is your relationship big brother, little brother, with you being the big brother since you're older obviously? How would you paraphrase your relationship?
TYRONN LUE: Just being a coach, just like with everyone else. I just think the guys take a liking to me because I can relate to them. I've been in every situation you can possibly be in. I've been a starter. I've been off the bench. I've not played. I've been injured for a whole season. I've been in The Finals. I've been on the worst team in the NBA. So every aspect of the game I've pretty much been through it. So I can relate to these guys when guys are not playing or they're struggling with their shot, or when a guy gets injured.

So, I mean, it's the same relationship I've had with all the guys in the locker room. Nothing's different.

Q. You were just talking about LeBron and Kyrie obviously having a special night the other night and we know that they're special players. I just wondered how much you can bank on that happening? I know every game is do or die at this point. But do you worry about leaning on that too much? How do you balance, you need contributions from everybody, but trying to get special nights from those guys?
TYRONN LUE: Well, they're special players and they're capable of having special nights. We know that. We've seen it before. If they didn't have it going, then we'd run other things and get other guys involved. But with those two guys having a great, special night, then we rode those guys a lot and they came through for us.

Q. You mentioned before Game 5 you felt like that was a time that you needed to say something, and then you guys come out and win the way that you did. Do you feel like your guys now are comfortable and calm in this moment and that there's nothing else that needs to be said, they know what needs to be done?
TYRONN LUE: They know what needs to be done. I think they've seen the blueprint of just being physical, being aggressive and attacking the basket. You can't, like I always said, you don't play Golden State; you attack them. So we've got to attack. I thought the games we won, we really attacked. Last game having 28 points in transition on their floor meant a lot. But I just think defensively we really were locking in.

We gave up a lot of threes because Steph and Klay will shoot it from anywhere. We can't be surprised if they shoot it four or five feet behind the line. But defensively hold them to 42%, 40%, and 36% is great for us. We've just got to limit their three-point makes and I think we'll be fine.

Q. When you get into the situation that you were in and are still in, how much of it is about believing you can win the series versus believing you can just win the next game?
TYRONN LUE: We have confidence we can win the series. I mean, that's why we're playing. We know we're down 3-2. We were down 3-1, so we won it on their home floor, a hostile environment. We're coming back to our place where we know we play great, and we're going into it to win the series. But you've got to take it game by game, one game at a time. But our mindset and our focus is winning the series.

Q. I've got two questions for you: As far as LeBron James, what do you think the biggest misperception is about him amidst all the chatter? And the second question about Kevin Love, when you talk about a guy coming back from a concussion, how are you able to gauge whether his timing, rhythm, equilibrium, everything is there where they're not the effects of the concussion lingering? Is it?
TYRONN LUE: Well, with Kevin, you just have to continue to talk to him. I know in Game 4 he got tired pretty quick. Last game, he seemed to be good condition-wise, and just continue to keep talking to him. He said he feels great. Offensively he wasn't really involved in the offense because Kyrie and LeBron had a very special night. But he said he's feeling good, so that's a good sign for us.

As far as LeBron, I mean, what was your question again?

Q. Amidst all the chatter about LeBron, the biggest misperception in your mind of what people may think about him, what would you think that would be?
TYRONN LUE: I don't know.

Q. There are a lot of questions about whether or not he has killer instinct. How would you address that?
TYRONN LUE: I don't know (laughing). I'm sorry. Yeah, I don't know.

Q. At the risk of having you to be politically incorrect, with Draymond Green and the situation that he's in returning to the game, if there is an opportunity for your team to test his patience, do you encourage them to do that?
TYRONN LUE: No, I think you just play the game, and I think you play hard, you give it everything you've got. You compete for 48 minutes, and whatever happens happens. We're not going to go in trying to make him pick up a technical foul or flagrant foul. You've just got to play the game the way it's supposed to be played.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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