Darius Bazley | Minnesota Timberwolves | Mar. 09, 2022
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00:00 Darius, obviously you guys are under man
00:02 playing on the second night of a back to back,
00:04 but the defense hasn't been as strong as it was,
00:08 especially in the last few weeks
00:10 or even at the beginning of the year.
00:11 Have you noticed any theme there
00:13 or stuff you'd like to see you guys do better
00:15 on the defensive end?
00:17 Um, yeah, I think we just got to execute better.
00:23 Um, you know, we coaches put together
00:27 a game plan scheme,
00:30 and I think we just have to do, like us players,
00:32 have to do a better job of just executing it.
00:35 Um, this isn't our first time seeing these guys,
00:38 um, you know, and the same for a lot of other teams,
00:43 um, that we've recently played.
00:45 So, like, the fact that we're not getting it done,
00:49 you know, and teams are putting up,
00:51 you know, numbers that they are and just how easily they are,
00:55 you know, it's not really the style of play that we--
00:58 like you said, that we've shown, you know,
01:00 early on in the year, in the middle, whatever.
01:03 Um, but I think it's just, like, execution, um,
01:07 on our side, you know, mixed with a little bit of,
01:10 you know, grit and effort.
01:12 Like, it's not the easiest thing to do,
01:14 you know, to just go out and hold teams
01:17 to X amount of points, you know, whatever.
01:19 But, like, um, if, I mean, if you execute it
01:22 and you give the right effort,
01:25 then we'll have different outcomes.
01:29 I know you don't want to make an excuse,
01:31 but you guys are missing eight guys,
01:33 including, you know, good defensive players
01:35 like Blue and Ken Rich.
01:37 How much are you feeling that?
01:38 A lot, man.
01:40 We're down a lot of guys.
01:41 Um, I don't really think that's an excuse.
01:45 I mean, it's just like the reality of it, you know,
01:48 like we're missing a lot of really, you know,
01:50 key guys, a lot of, like, core guys,
01:54 um, you know, and it hurts us,
01:56 I think, on both ends of the floor.
01:58 But, um, even the guys, I mean, we have now,
02:01 like, that's where I say the no excuse comes in
02:04 because everyone's capable, you know what I mean,
02:05 or else they wouldn't be here.
02:07 Um, but, yeah, we're missing some guys,
02:10 and we miss them, but, uh, I still think
02:14 with the people that is on the floor,
02:15 the people that's in the rotation,
02:17 we can still get it done within the group
02:19 we have right now.
02:22 Darius, wanted to ask you about Aaron's night.
02:24 He had 25 points.
02:25 He had five threes as well.
02:27 We've seen this offense from Aaron throughout the season,
02:30 but what do you see from him that we don't see maybe,
02:33 you know, in practice or off the floor as well
02:36 that allows him to come out and play like he did tonight?
02:39 Um, nothing different.
02:42 I mean, he's pretty consistent, like, with his work ethic,
02:46 um, you know, and he just takes, like,
02:51 even like a night like tonight, you know,
02:52 just was really aggressive, plays good defense,
02:57 you know, was knocking down open looks.
02:59 Like I said, was aggressive, putting pressure on the room.
03:03 You know, that's stuff that we should do.
03:06 Like I said, we've seen it before.
03:08 This isn't the first time.
03:11 You know, and it's not really a surprise.
03:13 Like, he's got game, you know.
03:16 I just think, you know, when opportunity presents itself,
03:19 you know, and guys got to step up, you know,
03:21 he was one of the ones that did it.
03:23 So not really anything different.
03:26 And then just one last thing for me.
03:28 Obviously, Minnesota's been on a tear,
03:30 really, in scoring a lot of points.
03:32 Just what did you feel out there that allowed them
03:34 to find the rhythm that I guess they did offensively
03:36 and be so effective throughout the night?
03:40 I think that we like let them just get comfortable.
03:43 Like, you know, just, I don't know.
03:47 It's like we just kind of just, you know,
03:50 just let them get into the groove,
03:52 get into the, you know, game, do what they wanted to do.
03:58 And that hurts you, you know, especially like you got
04:02 a really good team playing at home,
04:06 and they're, you know, like on a good stretch right now.
04:10 And then you come out and you let them just get comfortable
04:13 and stuff like that.
04:15 You can tell, like, the difference between a team
04:17 when there's, like, confidence there
04:18 and they got a rhythm going,
04:20 and then you can tell the difference with a team
04:22 where it's like, oh, snap, like, we got to fight.
04:25 You know, I don't think it was like the second one.
04:28 Like, we didn't make them do that.
04:30 So I think that's why they had the groove they did,
04:33 you know, given all the other stuff I said,
04:35 like coming into the matchup.
04:36 But, yeah.
04:40 -Mm. -Thank you, Gary.
04:43 -Mm. -Thank you, Gary.
04:44 -Yep.
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