Mike Muscala | Brooklyn Nets | Jan. 13, 2021
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00:00Mike, recently Mark has talked about just developing that skill of being able to really deliver punches, not just kind of weather those storms. What do you think about the punches that you guys were really able to deliver tonight.
00:14Um, yeah, I mean, I think tonight, when we started the game well, but, um, you know, I think, honestly, in the third quarter, being able to weather their run there.
00:26And they got down to eight points.
00:28Um, you know, when we had been shooting the ball pretty well and playing pretty well, um, to just keep, keep at it, you know, I think, um, that was the key for the game tonight.
00:39You mentioned shooting season highs for you all as a team from three point line from the field.
00:44Any causes that you saw and how those shots were being generated.
00:50I think Mark was calling some good plays.
00:52Um, and, you know, guys are just confident.
00:55And, um, I think, you know, Josh, Lou, Shay, obviously, you know, you know, shooting but also finding guys, Ty being ready to shoot bays.
01:06There's the ball is moving, and guys are shooting with confidence and when you're on the floor, you know, it's fun to play like that.
01:15Did you feel kind of any carrier versus the past two games, the offensive execution has been, you know, pretty good for you guys.
01:20You feel like carry over from those two games into tonight and what you guys have been able to build on those?
01:25Yeah, I think so.
01:26Um, you know, we had our offense was really good against the Wizards.
01:33We just give a lot of points to them.
01:35They played well.
01:36So, um, you know, I think our offense has been pretty good.
01:40It's been getting better, you know, the last several games.
01:43But, uh, you know, defensively, I think, you know, we gave a few too many offensive rebounds, especially in the first half tonight.
01:50But I feel like we were pretty dolled in, you know, talking out there and having each other's backs.
01:57Like they were pretty undermanned and undermanned tonight and you guys have been in that situation a lot this year.
02:05How did it feel to sort of be on the other side of that?
02:07And as a veteran, like, were you proud to see you guys sort of like take care of business when in that situation?
02:13Yeah, for sure.
02:14Yeah, it's kind of what I was talking about the third quarter there where it's like, um, like you said, a lot of their guys are out tonight.
02:19So, you know, things are going well for us in the first half.
02:22We're making shots and whatnot.
02:25And then, you know, to be able to, you know, they started playing well there in the third quarter and made a run.
02:31And, you know, we didn't we didn't hesitate or flinch on it.
02:35We just kept playing through it.
02:36And I think that was really important for us.
02:38And that should be a good learning lesson going forward.
02:41Could you talk about, you know, a couple guys sitting out.
02:46It's okay.
02:47We could get off to a good start like you guys did in that game.
02:50Yeah, for sure.
02:51I mean, that's something we've talked about regardless of who we're playing.
02:55We haven't been so good in the first quarter this season coming off to a good start.
02:59So I think we did that tonight.
03:01And then, you know, I even think the beginning of the third quarter coming out of halftime, we were also pretty good.
03:06It's just towards the end there in the third.
03:08But, yeah, we definitely talked about that.
03:10Just trying to try to be the aggressor tonight and look at that punch.
03:15Mike, you were perfect from three tonight.
03:18Just what did you like about the looks that you were able to get out there tonight?
03:22Yeah, I mean, Shea, you know, found me out there in the first half.
03:26He obviously commanded so much attention all over the floor.
03:31So, you know, he found me and trusted me there with some of those passes when I was in the quad up there.
03:38And, yeah, I felt good to make a few.
03:40Mike, Darius has been really good these last couple of weeks off the bench.
03:44Is it just a role change or what do you see in him that's sort of like this?
03:48Yeah, I mean, I think him playing at the five position,
03:52he can really utilize his skill set and athleticism really well,
03:59especially in today's NBA where a lot of teams are playing smaller.
04:03We can switch one through five.
04:05You know, it's hard playing a team that can switch one through five.
04:08And then you got a guy like Baze who, you know,
04:11I've been talking with him throughout the year where he's a really great ISO player.
04:17Like he can he's got good moves.
04:19He can score the ball.
04:20But when he gets into those actions, whether it's pick and roll, pick and pop,
04:23and then he gets to those moves after that, you know,
04:27even talking to him about Paul Millsap, who was playing tonight with the Nets,
04:30I played with him in Atlanta and how Paul was so good at that, you know,
04:34throughout his career, just getting in those actions and then using his skill set from that.
04:38So I think at the five, there's a lot more necessity for, you know,
04:43the five man to kind of set screens for the offense.
04:47And so him doing that, I think opens up, you know,
04:49his skill set so well and gets guys involved.
04:51It's been good for us.
04:52So, so that like, you know,
04:54hard dribble kind of rip through move that he does,
04:57is that more effective when he's on the move?
04:59Is that kind of what you're saying?
05:01Like when he's rolling or when he's diving to the rim,
05:03when he does that gather dribble and some of those moves,
05:06are they more effective that way?
05:08I wouldn't say necessarily,
05:09I don't know like the stats of it are more effective or not.
05:11I just think that like when he's, you know,
05:14he's a tough matchup and you got him out there doing that.
05:16Not many five men can do that, you know?
05:18And so like, whether it's a four or five,
05:21whatever you want to call it,
05:22just like being the one who's setting those screens because anyone can do that.
05:25I mean,
05:26a point guard could be setting the screen and slipping out or whatever rolling.
05:28But when he's doing that, you know,
05:30he's catching the ball at the elbow and then making those moves.
05:32And then, yeah, like you said, he's kind of on the move.
05:35Guys are getting into action.
05:36It's really tough to guard that.
05:39Thanks Mike.
05:40Yeah.
05:41Thanks Mike.
05:43Thanks Mike.