Indiana Pacers Postgame Media Availability vs. Boston Celtics (Game 4) | May 27, 2024

Rick Carlisle, Obi Toppin, Andrew Nembhard, Myles Turner, Ben Sheppard, Pascal Siakam, T.J. McConnell and Aaron Nesmith speak with the media following the Pacers 105-102 loss to the Celtics in Game 4.

0:00 – Rick Carlisle
11:47 – Obi Toppin & Andrew Nembhard
19:35 – Myles Turner & Ben Sheppard
28:43 – Pascal Siakam
38:25 – T.J. McConnell & Aaron Nesmith

I don’t really know where to start but first want to just tell you that uh we thank we thanked our players a few moments ago for a you know for an amazing season a magical season um know the level the level of fight was just tremendous all the way through this um circumstance never never phased them one way or the other they were they were they were in this to win every possession that they could and any any game that they could and so uh a lot of respect to um our players and just how they conducted themselves in this series um so you know it it’s um there were a lot of things accomplished this year um and certainly uh expectations will be raising for next year which is good which is good so there there are challenges to meet over the summer for our guys to all get better um all of us involved need to get better and um you know there’s some exciting things you know Tyrese is going to be on the Olympic team that’s a great honor represent your country um Dre neart I believe is going to be with Team Canada that’s going to be a great honor for him and I think uh I think Ben Ben Maan will not be cleared to play for Team Canada but but he will be with the team and so he’ll be a part of that so that will be another great experience for um those two young Canadian players you know miles miles got hit in the back early in the game um had to go back to the locker room a couple times to get worked on you know he stayed in there kept fighting but he was it was very difficult for him throughout the game and so he gave it everything he had he was he was tremendous this year amazing cakam was great I don’t know what what more we can say about Pascal you know just tremendous um and really all the guys just you know the the everything the fight the the character the integrity um the competitive Spirit you know really really exceptional so I’m really proud of all the guys in uh our group and and and our staff too I think our coaching staff who done an amazing job this year as well guess just to continue going on that I mean you you’ve talked so much throughout the last couple years about just putting these guys in competitive scenarios and learning from those scenarios obviously you got a lot uh that that you can take from this I me what what do you see some of the most important lessons most important sort of experiences that you’ve got over just the last you know month and a half or two months or whatever it’s been since these playoffs started well when you get into um the third round of the playoffs you know the level of competition Rises each each round you know um and um you know the demands are very very high and one of the things our guys Learned was that the individual expectations you have on a particular night you got to throw that stuff away you know and you just got to play the game as it comes to it as it comes to you um there there are things you can do to you know man manifest your involvement but they’re they’re effort type things it’s not you know it can’t be my turn it can’t be getting itchy about catches and shots and stuff like that otherwise you lose it’s just you just flat out lose and so there’s a lot of growth there you know our guys just got better and better with all that stuff as uh as the as the as the games went along so and that’s you know that’s one of the one of the things that’s that’s that’s hard hard to understand um but it’s really it’s really an us against them or everyone thing you know that’s that’s just how it is and our guys embraced it they embraced it you know and you grow up a lot playing this level of competition Rick how do you evaluate a series like this where in so many games are so close and right there late but can’t quite get over the hump in any of them well you know I I just I look at the process and the level of fight our situation with Personnel all that kind of stuff I there’s no excuses I mean these guys you know Boston has a great team you know they led the league from wire to wire and really ran away with it um and look their opportunist they don’t want this thing to go on any any longer um give them credit for the stuff they pulled off at the end of the last two games um they simply made more plays you know they blocked shots they got offensive rebounds they made they made key shots um we we were unable um I love the fact that you know our guys never wavered competitively one one inch or millimeter or anything like that um you know we we played at a at a great level and we um you know we we made our share of mistakes like tonight you know we we gambled probably five times in the second half that led to at least 10 points for them and those are those are discipline type things that you have to you have to learn in this kind of environment you know and you know I just you you swing and miss and they get a three you swing and Miss they get a layup and it’s just and then if you’re unable to match at the other end I mean it’s it makes it very very difficult and then momentum ships and so you know th those are some of the lessons those are like you know strategic things and and and discipline and and and um you know stuff like that so but yeah I mean I just I’m just super proud of the guys no one you know no one wants to get beat four games in a row um but but there was there was Zero quit in any of our guys at any at any point in time and they represented themselves they represented the city you know the organization in a in a very high manner TI for the last two games of this series but those 15 playoff games getting to see bigger more complex problems for for him to try to solve just what Ty Ty just what think that can mean for him moving forward what getting playing these last two games no not play missing like the entire postseason getting 15 postseason games he’s he’s played enough to get it okay yeah so not sure your question what do you feel like he can he can learn from that and take into a postseason to work on you know new things and grow his game even further I I have really zero concerns about his game you know um Tyrese is a is a great young player um had some had some bad luck with with injuries and so you know this summer he’s going to devote a lot of it to um number one getting healthy number two continuing to get stronger um build up his strength you know you don’t realize that the toll it takes taking it playing an extra 14 or 15 games in the postseason and playing virtually every other day against the highest level competition so you know that’s something that that he can take away and all of our guys can you know and and as they as they make preparations this summer for next year you know conditioning is a is a is a very very important part of it strength and conditioning is very important Rick um NIMH har had the ball in his hands a lot these last two games and put up big numbers is that all we saw or did we see something is he becoming something have we seen it kind of merge here nimart has done this before um you know when when Tyrese is out of the lineup you know he he just he just understands that he needs to carry more of a load um you know there’s been a lot of talk about him really throughout the playoffs he had had great series um against New York and and in Milwaukee as well and not only that he’s defending at a high level you know so [Music] um you’re seeing a you’re seeing a a young player that’s tough-minded resourceful um and highly competitive that is uh that is fearless and that is you know has embraced these challenges and so um it’s not any accident that team Canada has been trying to get him on board for the last two sum Rick you talked about you know miles and what he went through to play tonight just throughout his career here in Indiana what does he meant as a connector and just bridging that gap between the new or the old and the new with this team Miles Turner is a special guy special character person uh special abilities you know guys that can make 30 foot shots and protect the rim and run and finish and you know do other things or very very unique so you know I I recognize his special attributes both as a player and as a person and so you know there’s been a lot of ups and downs over the years here for him um he’s you know he he’s he stayed stayed the Course St stayed Above The Fray and and continued to work um continue to work on his game continue to adjust his game continue to work on his body you know this year you know big congrat congratulations him he missed very few games this year that was a huge part of our season I mean getting to the six spot and and not having to go through the play in you know a lot of that is the work that Miles put in starting a year ago today you know um during the summer building his body up building his durability up addressing you know little little things that he’s had over the years you know and uh and our Medical you know manages the health of our team extremely well so know Josh and Carl and Patrick and aami they I mean they’re they’re they’re they’re they’re phenomenal and so you know and we work closely with them so um yeah m mil’s a special guy I’m I’m sorry that he got banged up tonight you know I you know it was you could tell he was he was having trouble bending over he hit those first two threes in the second half that was you know that was terrific that gave us momentum um but he just he just wasn’t the same tonight and that’s you know that’s too bad too bad this is a this is the kind of game where you want a guy like that to be absolutely at full strength you know to to experience everything that’s going on um I mean they a good team uh I felt like we fought and we played uh kind of how we wanted to play um they they’re a really good team team congrats to them but but yeah I just I feel like we we did what we wanted to do uh this series level as high as can get on the defensive end how tough is it for you guys to play your game for 48 minutes when they just you’re taking the ball out of the net so much with their style um like I said they got they got gifted scores on their team um uh JT JB they make a lot of shots they go back and forth playing one-onone against everybody but um yeah like only way we could have won that game is getting stops but they did they job so Drew what did you feel like you did well just kind of build off of game three you know obviously had tough ending to that one but 32 points in that one what do you feel like you just did to kind of continue to roll and score the way that you you were um I think I just wanted to be aggressive getting downhill making the rim of focus um play out and transition um but keep pacing the game and and and try to initiate offense in that way but I think we did a good job offensively I think we moved it I think we we got what we wanted in the paint U I think down the stretch maybe struggled a couple plays but it’s how it go sometimes Andrew how much does this experience uh these big playoff games and the way you played especially the last two games help you going into next year and just kind of having this under your under your belt now um I think I think I mean I think for a young team like Gus this this experience in the playoffs the second to n it was a lot of our first times you know there’s a lot of little little things we maybe wanted to do better and I think we’ve learned how these games go and how how how was like what what being in a series feels like I’ve never I’ve never played a team seven times or six times in a row so um it’s an interesting feel and it’s it’s it was a fun experience and a lot of things you could kind of reflect on and take to the next season for sure Andrew and Obie um when you look at what miles has been to this franchise you all joining in recently to this team how has he kind of connected you know what was and what is now and kind of changed uh you know the future here um I think Miles has done an amazing job being a vet ever since I’ve gotten here he’s been super welcoming he’s allowed us to all grow and um he’s kind of pushed us on and off the floor to be closer and I just think he has a he has a good vibe about him every day he’s always in there working early staying late getting his stuff done I’m just just a true Pro and um done a great job for us with a young team look at this playoff experience mean to you your first time in a postseason setting to have a signature shot in the last series three Podium games this series what did that all kind of mean to you um I mean these are the type of games you dream of playing when you’re younger so I had an amazing time playing in the playoffs this this is the most competitive stage um and we have a fun competitive group so it’s enjoyable to play with these guys um in terms of what I did I think I didn’t really think about it too much I just tried to come in and make an impact when I touch the ball and help the team win and I F and I kind of fell into those spots um Andrew after the last series Rick had kind of talked about how he thought your guys a SE changed once you guys got out of Christmas and made the change of the starting lineup and then obviously Pascal gets at it as well just what did you like about that starting lineup and kind of what you guys were able to do and and maybe how your defensive identity changed a little bit in that moment as well um tough question say can you can you say it again yeah essentially just how much confidence do you have in this starting lineup that you guys kind of found as the season went on I mean I I think uh in terms of the starting lineup I think I mean I’m not sure what the lineup’s going to be next year I don’t know I think we just got better as as we got more connectivity as the season went on um we I think I think second half of the Season we not necessarily changed what we were doing on that side of the floor but I think we just had a better togetherness and a higher compete level that really just drove us to have better defensive games um I think what we need to do next year is have that compete level night night night in night out Great Dan appreciate that Andrew you said you’re referencing being a young team and the learning experiences you you get in something like this kind of piggybacking on an earlier question too there were three games that y’all sort of had your hands on and were able to close it out is is there anything about the last three or four minutes of a playoff game in a series like this that you guys have learned is it more intense I mean in other words what what do you think kind of happened that you maybe weren’t ready to capitalize on in some of these games yeah I don’t think we sort of had I think we definitely had our hands on a few few of these games I think we I think it gives us confidence to see what we can do next year um in terms of the exes and those and the adjustments we could have made sh at this point not really too I’m not really thinking about it yeah we got to get better as a team next year and I think learning from some of these experience may help us to to to do better in this position next year the timing right after that game but you’re a free agent this summer have you thought all about your summer and what that’s going to look like from that perspective no not at all I was focused on these games and now that it’s over I’m just going to be chilling right uh that was actually Gonna Be Mine sorry Obie um but I I did want to ask overall man what do you feel like the most important thing you you guys learned about yourself over the course of these playoffs I mean that you know that you didn’t know already what do you feel like just the experiences the comp comp compete level taught you guys about yourself um I I mean we all young on this team uh we have a lot more years in this league hopefully but um like this whole year uh like we grew as teammates we grew as like a whole culture um felt like everybody poured in everything they could for this organization um every single day uh like obviously season didn’t end the way we wanted to but like there’s a lot of good that came out of this season um and we don’t want to overlook that um obviously inseason tournament um like different accolades for different players like it was a big big year for for the Pacers in in this whole organization so um like I said we don’t want to overlook that and just give us give us props for that Obie you uh you know had a chance to face your old team in the previous round uh Aaron nman had a chance to do that in this round what is it like to see someone else go through kind of what you went through we like maybe your role was different on a different team but you see him kind of grow up right before your eyes um I don’t know how to answer that question I mean wasn’t really thinking about that we was just thinking about getting a win um it wasn’t no yo Obie you played for the Knicks you got to be a dog for them or yo Aaron you played for Boston you got to dog them like just going out there playing our basketball the more you think the more mess ups happen all all that so wasn’t trying to think about all that extra stuff we was just trying to go out there and who do our job so yeah I mean we played what 100 games this year um you know this the healthiest uh season I’ve had ever I think I played 95 of those 100 games and it’s just unfortunate like the very last game of the season you know you putting all the work in your body it just kind of turns on you a bit you know started a bit last game you know just had a little couple back SPS here and there was able to get it worked out and it was just never really thing I I had a lot of trouble kind of like bending and trying to guard and just move around the floor and um I wasn’t going to sit out you know I think I I mean I told everybody that you know give everything I had and then you know if it wasn’t enough then sub me out but you know I Tred to do everything I could and um you know it’s unfortunate like you said it’s a close out game and I just wasn’t 100% but there’s no excuses in this league you know nobody feels sores for us you know so you just got to keep hoving breach be start with you miles to this year to have you know rooll stability be on a team that made it as far as any Pacers team you’ve been on had what did this all mean to you this year um you know it’s I was really I was actually just telling him man this is been Incredible Journey for me this is the first time I’ve been out the first round of my entire life you know I mean history is all there you go I go back to high school when I was us Trinity you know I didn’t get out the first round and there um everybody here obviously knows when I was in Texas we lost to Butler in the first round and you know my first few years of my career you know couple game sevens couple sweeps so you know it took me 28 years my life to you know finally get to this point and I couldn’t be more proud of just the progression but I just know that I have a long way to go so I waited a long time just to get to this point and um you know just want to keep building Ben for you going back even one year ago could you have imagined being in a rotation for a playoff team and as a rookie and have the year that you had I can’t um it’s been a lot of learning growing uh staying ready um I think my rookie year has been a lot um going from not playing to starting in the Eastern Conference Finals but uh yeah so been a great year a lot to be proud of and excited for the future so he gonna be modest to he a legend man a No rookie starting in in the Eastern Conference Finals that’s Allard of look at that Miles I guess just for you um just what was it like kind of watching Tai work through this postseason obviously he missed the last two games but you know those first 15 games kind of seeing those new experiences and new problems and trying to solve them um Tai never got rattled man um he’s someone who he cares about the game so much and you can see it on his face whether it’s a good game or a bad game you know what I mean and I think that whatever teams do at him he found a way you know it’s just credit to him and his team you know he found a way to continue uh you know to keep making different reads get get us open and keep himself involved and still making big shots so I was very proud of his progression you know he he also played through injury as well you know that first Milwaukee series he could have bar said all my back hurts and you know didn’t play but he fought through that and you know as leadership right there man it’s uh uh I think it’s incredible that um you know that your star player you know can see every single defense and still find a way to be effective you know it doesn’t really rattle them um they’re obviously a very experienced team been through these games and you guys haven’t does that explain maybe what happened in three of these games that you kind of had your hands on them and it didn’t work out is that just an experience thing or can you put your finger on anything else um you know you mean that’s what the playoff is about right you know it’s it’s a possession game um you know I think we did sure show our lack of maturity at times um but you know it’s I don’t have just a straight answer for you you know what I mean it’s still very fresh for all of us you know very frustrating you know to have all these games you know kind of in your grass and be able to you know kind of um just let it slip through you know at the end so you it’s tough I said very very fresh emotion so I can’t really give you just a straight answer you know miles obviously this wasn’t the outcome you wanted but um to be going into year 10 here what do it meaning you to be the constant through all the change through all the trade rumors and then to end up you know e SC finals with the chance to obviously build on that um I can go on and on with that question um but just to keep it concise um you know I just kind of remember coming in in Chef’s shoes kind of you know just coming in and just not knowing what to expect and just knowing that I was laid get all out there just whatever happens happens and um it’s a rarity that you know one player you know is with the organization as long as I’ve been so I definitely don’t take it for granted you know I have a lot of love for the city I try to express it you know as much as I can um to be frank I have had a lot of since I’ve been here honestly it’s been I mean just battling sometimes with non-believers um having to deal with all the trade rumors you know having you know another big man sign right in front of my eyes like you can name it I’ve been through a lot of stuff here but it never deterred my professionalism in my path because I was brought here for a reason and no matter what was throne in front of me you know I’m going continue to be the conate professional in the man that I am you know it’s it’s very easily to be like know this happened so I’mma give up or they gave up on me so I’m going give up on them it’s not my Mo you know this is It’s a job at the end of the day and um it’s a doggy dog world too so you know I just I show up and I do my job and you know I just get better and better and better and better every year and you know definitely I I don’t give myself a lot of credit a lot of credit but I’m definitely proud of myself for that it’s just a progression you know just I’ve got my body where it needs to be I got my diet where it needs to be I gotten my circle where it needs to be just in my personal life you know and um I just rededicated myself to my craft and you know shown over the past couple of seasons and uh it’s only onward and upwards from here miles what’s the biggest thing a young team can take away from a a series like this and and a playoff run like this and take that momentum into next season um it’s not going to get any easier you know U we introduced a style of play this year that um people haven’t seen in the in a long time and you a lot of people wanted to try to to mimic but you know the way this front office put this team together and orchestrated everything that we have here it was obviously masterful and um you know now we have to see how we get better you know we have one of the best offenses in history now we have to go do it again you know so um things are very fresh like I said emotion wise so I don’t want to get into and delv into everything there but um you know guys like him are going to have a big summer you know I mean he has to continue to build off of this and continue to carve his Niche out next year you got guys like jarus Walker you know who was able to kind of sit back and watch your jayen Smith your Isaiah Jackson’s guys that stayed ready you know obviously Andrew nard had an incredible you know postseason as well so all your young guys just have to like stay ready and um have an incredible summer you know going into next year you know as well as evets and in general rookies or players picked in the year where you weren’t expected to contribute all the time right away was there a moment that you can recall during the season you’re like yeah I can do this or like yeah I can easily help this team in this way or that way um I’m not sure there’s a moment but um I’d just say when I get caught off the bench um for a few minutes to guard a star player in the NBA um just building that confidence on that defensive end just made me realize I can really guard and I can really uh play in this league so uh it’s not a specific moment but a lot of moments throughout the year I saw it early man I saw it in pickup you know when we first got here just watching the way he moved way he was able to navigate screens just knock down shooter man you know he was ready he’s very ready you guys obviously the big reason why you wanted to get into this playoffs was just to to learn to see all the experiences basically that a lot of these guys haven’t had I mean just what do you feel like are the most important things this group learned just over the last you know month and a half two months in the playoffs just you know considering all the tough battles you were in um a multitud of things I think that the playoffs everybody thinks is so physically daunting this is that yes it is but it’s also mentally daunting it’s daunting on your spirit like mentally physically and spiritually it’s uh you have to be prepared for these moments you know you’re you’re the only show on TV you know um everybody is constant going to have something to say about your performance um one little mistake in the first quarter can cost you to game in the fourth you know it’s a possession game um that next man up mentality like I said Isaiah Jackson hadn’t really played much at all this season it was thrown right into the fire and excelled you know um and then just how important a great coaching staff is man like these guys worked tirelessly tirelessly through this off season you know I know these guys didn’t sleep just to give us the best looks or give us the best chances to win and operate you know I look you know someone like Jenny herself she really committed herself to the defense this year you bringing um JB you know Jim boand he was able to help us a lot you know on the defensive end as well you see where we started this year at defensively and how we end ended it and you know it’s just it’s just a huge credit to them and um I really think that they um they were our exactor a lot this year everybody’s going to look at the Players but just the little ins and outs and your trends of the games man our coaches have dedicated themselves to you know to us this year in the show um yeah I mean just um a lot a lot of Fight You Know in the team and um just to see the growth and and just you know how as the year I mean obviously I came in the middle of the year but as the year was going on just um getting better as a team um every single day um and and and during this postseason you know just continue to fight and and scratch every single day and um yeah just just kind of unfortunate to you know obviously that ended this way but um yeah proud of the fight and and how um we just continuously like got better and and also just kept fighting you know even even though we had the downs but just just continue to fight through everything Pascal just over four months now what have you made of your time here with the Pacers so far um I think um yeah for me um obviously it’s been it’s been a crazy year you know um just uh I came from um a place where you know I thought I was going to spend the rest of my career you know there and um and and you know ended up living there and and yeah it’s been hard um obviously I’m I’m a pretty positive person and and um I have a lot of support obviously for my family um but yeah it’s been it’s been tough just just going through everything and and um you know I’m leaving the middle of the season and just going through it a lot you know mentally and physically and and um just from from everything but and then Landing here um the support from from the first day uh it’s been incredible like I I couldn’t really ask for um anything better um just in terms of support from the first day I got here you know um I can name literally everyone you know from KP Chad um the coaches Rick LP the players Tai Drew miles the whole staff I mean just so much love and support um and I think just coming from where I came from and I’ve sacrificed so much you know in a place and and and I think that you know after you have that kind of breakup and and and it’s it’s hard it’s tough and then you coming to here um and I think without that support like I I don’t know how I would have a to do it you know and um I’m so grateful and and happy that you know I came in a place where um you just feel so supported and and um you feel like you need it you feel like um you matter and um and as a player that’s really all you can ask for and um yeah like I yeah I’m I’m blessed to you know to be able to to be here and and have the season that we had and and coming into a group of guys that um you know really it matter for them to to be able to compete and um and I’m just happy to be a part of it and and for me as a player like that’s all I really asked for like um I give everything to to to the places where I am and um and and and for me to to be here and to come here and just to see you know um how like the support has been so incredible it it just it warms my heart and um yeah I’m I’m I’m blessed just Pascal three of these four games you guys LED late had had a chance to close it out um just how do you what do you how do you come away from a series like that uh and just what can what kind of learning experience can this be for a young team yeah it’s hard um because I think you know when you look at all those games um yeah we right there um and um feels like it just kind of goes away from us you know uh certain points of the game and and yeah it sucks it’s tough and and you know it’s easy to just be like oh yeah like we’re going to learn from it but you know this things like it’s it’s hard just because I know how hard we worked and and how close we were in all these games um and and and I know how hard it is to come back to this position you know so um you know I could tell you like yeah we’re going to learn from it and it’s going to you know like uh it’s going to happen but like it’s not guaranteed and um and and I know how hard it is to get to this point so it’s it’s unfortunate and and um obviously you want to give credit to the other team cuz you know they took advantage of every mistake that we made and um you know they did well but but also for us just it’s it’s been it’s been hard like heartbreaking losses after the heartbreaking losses and and yeah you’re going to be encouraged by by it and and you hope to put the the right amount of work to to continue to get better um because we need to be to be a lot better you know um if you want to compete you know with with those teams and and understand that you know it doesn’t matter how good we played like you know we didn’t get it done back here Pascal I’ve got two for you the first you sort of mentioned right there about Indianapolis and just being here and what that transition was like a lot of moving Parts this offseason but is this a place that you would be okay and want to potentially come back next year um I think you know obviously like I’m not going to talk about like you know like like all that but all I can say is that like it’s yeah it’s been a blessing um and um I’m really appreciative of of everything you know um I’ve yeah I think coming from where I come from like it’s yeah it means a lot and and um and the support that I’ve I’ve received here like is it’s something that um yeah like I I was I was kind of missing and and having you know all that and and and seeing how a city just breathes basketball and and and just like how much support they give to to the team like just being here like the home games I mean it’s incredible um I like how how would you not be a part of that you know so I think for me like I’m just really blessed and and happy for you know how this has been and um and and I think that you know like in terms of future you know whatever whatever happens is going to happen second one having experienced the top of the league winning it how close is this team I I I think you know I want to be very careful just because you know like like I said like I think it’s easy you know after a season like that to be like oh man we’re going to be we go so close and we’re going to get back to it but it’s it’s it’s not guaranteed and and I’ve known that you know like firsthand um I I I feel encouraged but but I think it’s it’s a lot of work we got to get better um as a team as an organization um and and if you want to get to that level like you know it takes a lot and um obviously you feel encouraged but but there there’s a long way to go pasc right here um miles has been here the longest of anybody how did he help you kind of transition to Indiana and how did he make you feel just playing while on the court and off off the court as well maybe with just how to live in Indiana yeah no it’s been it’s been awesome like all the guys been aw awesome and and and M’s one of them like just talking to him um you know he’s like they they’ve been so welcoming and I think like when you have a player like me coming into a team you know it can be you know like sometime intimidating you know for a lot of people but just like those guys been like so awesome like their character as people um you know the way they they welcome me like with open arms and and from the first day you know got texts from everyone um mil was one of them and and and just like showing the support and and wanting to make it work and and those guys want to win you know and I think that for me what I’ve tried to bring is just like you know that that that winning kind of culture and and and continue to build on that and and um understanding that you know we are young but you know like we got to continue to be professional and continue to to work at a center level you know to be able to achieve the things that we want to achieve and and I want to be you know like the Catalyst of of that just because of my experience and everything and and and Miles that’s been here for a while like he’s um he’s been so great and and welcoming for me and and um and and you know I appreciate that that’s how you kind of touched on this a little bit already but I mean what do you think is the most what what are the important things most important things you think this team has learned about itself over this playoff run and when you say this team has to get better you know how what’s the most important ways this team has to get better um I think which we all know that like getting better like experience is part of that um and and and that’s why you know like these moments is like oh man like you know the experience and we get on that belt and and and we young and we’re going to get better um that’s part of it but but also just in terms of just just everything like defensively um um offensively uh understanding you know like how great our pace is and and um finding ways how to you know like be control within what we do like playing for you know 48 minutes like um being you know stronger um rebounding um like it’s just I mean I can sit a lot of things you know but but I think that like overall we just got to continue to get better um to be able to get to to that to that level and um and it’s it’s just details you know and and if you look at most of those games like it you know it comes down to details and and and and like I said when you play against good teams like you you those mistakes like they they cash in on those and um I think that’s something that we we can we can learn from as a team I mean it was fun um it was a great ride and um you know I know I don’t just speak for myself but um you know kind of getting this franchise back into the playoffs and and making a run um to the Eastern Conference Finals when not a single person had us going there um it was it was really fun just to play alongside the group and um you know in games like that it’s a great feeling I don’t know if you think this was your best season ever but among them certainly to to have a peak or near Peak at your age what did that take and what did this season mean to you in that way um I don’t know I I I try not to focus on stuff like that um just the the team success really just getting back to the playoffs that was the goal for us and um just tried to contribute it in any way that I could andon I know this is obviously fresh but you know obviously they’ll go through three playoff series when you youve been guarding just some of the best players in the world in that stretch I mean what what do you feel like and you’ve been doing that but what it’s been like to learn through those experiences over those last couple weeks and what do you feel like you’re taking in um yeah it was also fun like that competition daily knowing that I’m going have the same matchup that I had the night before two nights before um just trying to switch up little things and think little like details that make their lives harder it was a lot of funj I know we’ve talked in the past about what Tyrese meant to the you know when he got traded here what has miles been meant to dis franchise as like the one constant through all the years of change and obviously seeing it break through this year um I mean I think the respect that he has from every guy one through 15 is I mean it couldn’t be higher um you know he’s kind of been one of those guys that you know he’s he he’s been here he’s been through you know trade rumors he’s been through rebuilds he’s been through it all um but the professionalism that he’s shown throughout um there aren’t many like him um on and off the court he’s just a true professional on the court and he’s a great human being off the court so um to have a guy like that here um among the other guys it’s and showing the young guys the way um he it’s he’s unbelievable just for either or or both of you guys what do you feel like are the most important things you guys have learned just as a team over the last really about who you guys are over the last you know three series here and how do you need to get better uh I think we all learn that we belong here like I think we had a great season um we’re a great team we know we could play at this level and you know we know there stuff we can learn and get better at and we’ll do that this summer and I think we all expect to you know make another Deep Run next year uh TJ just what was it like for you to watch a a fellow point guard en tie kind of work through you know the more complex difficult problems that postseason defenses can can kind of pose for a point guard yeah I mean it can be really grueling and extremely physical and the way he handled it um I mean he’s just he’s the franchise guy for a reason um the way he was able to adapt and find ways to be more effective um it’s really it’s really hard to do for people that don’t know and um the level he played at um extremely high and obviously we missed him these last these last two games and um you know it’s an unfortunate ending but uh we wouldn’t even be remotely close to where we’re at without him last year at times you kind of described it as your rookie or this year saying a lot of your playoff experiences felt like your first time doing it because you’re playing more can you kind of describe that combination of team and personal success and the Fulfillment you got from it uh yeah I would say this is this has been my funnest year in my four years in the NBA just everybody we have in the locker room you know the journey that we’ve had um the amount of people that didn’t believe in us to make it this far with this group has just been you know extremely fun and I know in years in the future I’ll be looking back on this year is one of those years that I really appreciated just being a part of the ride TJ Andrew had another you know backto back really good performances I know it goes down as another loss in the in the books but what do you think he can take away from this experience doing that on on back-to-back nights the way he did um I mean I think it’s quite obvious that he could be a starter um on any team in this league and he he’s proven that night in and night out and what he’s done in the playoffs is truly remarkable um you know where defenses are game planning even more from you for you you and he just Rose to the challenge every night um you know I said it last game there isn’t a bigger fan of his game than me and it’s the truth um you know he came in from Gonzaga and just hit the ground running and never really acted like a rookie and um was so big for us last year and then you know he was our backup and then the two and then the one when Tyrese got hurt um you know his ability to just adapt and and play whatever we need him to um is it’s unbelievable and um very happy for him and proud of him for sure kind of backing off that a little bit what uh how much value you just see in just all the experiences that guys like Aaron guys like Andrew guys like Tai you know that that had not had a lot of playoff playoff experience or had zero playoff experience before this how much do you just value you think they get out of this the last these last three series particularly the kind of environments you guys were in and the kind of situations you guys were in yeah I mean I think it’s really valuable um I mean you have to you have to really credit our front office um bring in guys like Tyrese here bringing guys like Aaron here drafting Andrew um you know trading for p um I mean the list goes on but you know the first three that I named it’s it’s it’s incredible um and they’ve helped us even without experience in the playoffs um you know valuable game experience they came in and and really acted like professionals and and were big reasons for why we were able to you know go as far as we did Aaron big picture-wise what was it like to see yourself sort of just grow up throughout the trade getting here playoff games things like that and maybe just I guess reaffirming all the work you put into the game to finally see a payoff um yeah it’s been a ride um no it’s been great to been able to Showcase what I could do um on this stage and with these guys um but you know there still a lot of work ahead to do so