THE MODERATOR: We're going to get started with Landry. Thanks for joining us.
Q. Landry, these are such unusual circumstances that I've seen a lot of players discussing about the mental challenge, and Doc talked about that, playing potentially three months in an isolated area. Considering this has never really been done before, how have you gone about preparing for what it could be like to be out there for such a long stretch?
LANDRY SHAMET: I think the biggest thing is just coming to terms with like the reality of it. Like it is what it is. I can't do anything to change that. It's not in my control. Obviously the only choice I would have is to not go, and I don't want to do that. I want to go play. It's just a matter of just coming to terms with that's what's going on, and just going down there with the right mindset of, okay, this is a boot camp, and just go and make the best of it. Be locked in, be in the right head space and just go make the best of it. I think that's the best way to approach it.
Q. Landry, I've got a couple questions for you. What can you take away from the regular season and apply to this restart? I know it's an odd situation, but what can you take away from the regular season? And then how have you guys maintained chemistry as a team, like before things shut down in March you guys were kind of coming together and played a few games as a complete team. How did you maintain the chemistry throughout this quarantine or shutdown?
LANDRY SHAMET: The first question was about what we take away from the regular season into the restart, so that would be just we've had a lot of time just to sit and kind of think, and I know me personally, I've just thought a lot about, okay, what did I like that I was doing, what did I not like, what can I do better, what can I utilize more. A few stretches of games where I felt like I felt really good and a couple stretches where I was not so much. So I think we've just had time to think and break down our own games, watch film of other people. That's what I've been doing, trying to watch teams in the past who have had championship expectations and tried to see where I fit in in those teams and how those guys were utilized and what they did to be effective.
But I mean, the biggest thing, you've just got a lot of downtime to watch film, study yourself, study each other, and try to take the pieces that you want to bring with you to the restart.
And then the second question was our chemistry. We've been great. We text all the time in our group chat, always talking, very open. Nothing has really changed there. If anything it's increased more. We've talked more, more active in our group chat, group text, Zoom calls, group FaceTimes, whatever it is. It's been great. We've stayed in touch.
Q. What's your level of concern about traveling to Florida at a time and in an area where the number of virus cases are rising?
LANDRY SHAMET: Obviously it's something to think about, something that you should have knowledge. But I mean, if there's a scenario where you feel more comfortable, it would be being in a bubble that's as controlled as any environment can be. So I think that's one positive that I've been thinking about.
Obviously risk is -- Adam Silver said it the other day: There's no option with no risk at this point. You can go get it going to get gas today down the street. I don't know, I kind of just -- it's obviously a concern, but I think we're in the best possible situation and scenario to combat that.
Q. You sort of talked about the concerns and sort of the perspective on COVID in Florida, but do you have any concerns or do you have any thoughts about what it means to play basketball now in sort of this important time in America socially, and whether you have any positive about playing or whether you see it as an opportunity to kind of encourage education and acknowledgment?
LANDRY SHAMET: Yeah, obviously that's been a hot topic, definitely something we've talked about. I think it's interesting because there's multiple perspectives, and everyone has their own pros and cons with them. You know, I think me personally, I think the more cameras we have on us, the more opportunity we have to get our messages out and say what we feel like we want to say, what we need to say that can help.
So I think it's a positive that will be kind of a focal point in a way and be able to still control the narrative a little bit and talk about what we want to talk about in regards to what's going on socially in America right now and still be able to influence and effect hopeful change. That's kind of my perspective on it.
Q. I'm curious, kind of in talking about players and speaking up get racism and police brutality and things like that, you entered a league that was kind of already pretty active in speaking out. I'm curious if there were any moments that really stick with you, whether it's the Miami Heat Trayvon Martin post or the ESPYs speech. Are there any moments that really kind of let you know that in this league you can say what you want to say and not fear ramifications necessarily for it professionally?
LANDRY SHAMET: Yeah, I mean, I think the first one that comes to mind is obviously the ESPYs speech, however long ago that was with LeBron and Melo and Dwyane Wade and all those guys on the stage talking.
But it's kind of known. It's very well known. I feel like we're seen as the league that has the best rapport with our owners and people in the league, in the league office, and they kind of allow us to be us, with ourselves and empower us to talk about the things we want to talk about and be active in the community. That's something that's known. I don't think there was anything that really needed to happen to be -- for me at least in my time in the league, for me to fully realize that. I think it's been known, and that's something that the league has done a really good job of.
Q. Paul George had mentioned this time off was great for his shoulders, that he's been able to fully rehab. You had your own injuries at the start of the season. Has this time off kind of helped you with any of that?
LANDRY SHAMET: I mean, that really wasn't anything on my mind. I felt pretty good once I came back and was playing. I felt like I kind of hit my stride there once we got out of the shutdown. But I took it for what it's worth. You don't get that much time off very often, so the first couple weeks of this quarantine I really made it a point to enjoy it, enjoy the time off and just take it for what it was. You've got to take advantage of moments like that where you get to rest for a little bit.
Q. Two-part question for you: As a shooter, obviously you rely a lot on rhythm, so were you able to access a hoop at all? I know only a few guys were able to. And if not, how do you feel about -- I know you guys have been able to get individual workouts the last couple weeks, but how has that been having all this time off as a shooter and someone who relies a lot on rhythm and reps and practicing?
LANDRY SHAMET: Yeah, I think it's been a weird time for everybody, but that rhythm will come from this next month in Orlando when we get rolling a little bit with practices and whatnot, and even even the last month or so since we've had the facility open I've really been able to ramp things up, and I've started to try to relocate that game rhythm.
It's not a huge concern of mine. You're exactly right, it really is about rhythm and feel. It's just a matter of time before I find it and I'm immersed in it.
Q. This is a bit of a two-parter for you. As a competitor, where do you stand on the whole asterisk talk with the championship because these are unprecedented times and anything can happen in Orlando, and the second part is how important is mental toughness in this because there's no crowd so as a rhythm shooter, you miss a couple shots, trash talk might be coming your way and you can't sort of tune that out. How important is mental toughness in this return?
LANDRY SHAMET: I don't think -- yeah, mental toughness is everything, regardless if there's fans or not. I mean, some of the most competitive basketball has just been pickup, just show up to a gym, pick up, everybody is talking to each other. There's environments like that that still foster really, really competitive play, and this is the NBA, so it's the best athletes in the world playing against each other, and just because there's not going to be a few fans is no reason to believe that it's not going to be competitive basketball.
You know, it'll still be competitive. It'll still be a lot of fun, and yeah, mental toughness is always huge and key in any sport, any high-level sport, so it'll be just as key and important.
Q. Kind of a follow-up to that, Doc was talking about how instead of an asterisk whoever wins this should get a gold star because of the challenge of being in that bubble for potentially 100 days. For you specifically being away from family and routine and in that bubble, what do you see as the greatest challenge emotionally, mentally in that time on the assumption you guys can get to the NBA Finals?
LANDRY SHAMET: I think the biggest thing is going to be finding things to do to keep your mind occupied. We're going to be in the same environment, not traveling, we're going to have the same hotel rooms, same scenery for a long time. I think it's going to be important to find -- I've even debated, I talked to Doc today about I might get some golf clubs and hit him up, see if he can give me some lessons or something so I can figure my golf swing out, just pick up more hobbies. I want to read more while I'm down there. I think that's the biggest thing. I'm going to miss my people. I just got a puppy; I'm going to miss my dog. I'm not going to get to see him for three months, my girlfriend, my mom, my family who I would normally be able to spend my off-season with.
So it's going to be tough for sure, but again, I go back to what I said at the start of all this, it's just acknowledging it. That's the reality of it, that's what it is, so just accepting it and making the best of the next three and a half, four months.
Q. I know you're a great student of the game, and as far as from a film perspective, what have you done during this time to watch film to see where you can actually maximize the amount of space moving to different areas on the court as well as utilizing your other players in Paul George and Kawhi Leonard to find those specific spots where you can be more effective going into Orlando?
LANDRY SHAMET: Yeah, I think I've had some conversations with a couple teammates. Me and Lou have been talking a lot this week about -- me and Lou, me and Pat about just how to pick spots, and that's one thing that's been -- obviously like with a new team and the group of guys, as good as we are, everybody has this perception that it just gets easy, but it's not the case; it gets harder really, to try to pick my spots of where I want to try to get more involved, get active and triggering an action. That doesn't mean I've got to get the ball and get a shot but finding ways to move more. I've been watching a lot of like Klay and Steph and those guys a few years ago when they were really like -- really rolling, figuring out what they would do against the types of defenses that I'm starting to see in order how to be effective, how to get involved, not only to score but how to trigger actions for other guys. So I've been really diving into that, really thinking a lot, watching myself, watching other people, just trying to figure out what I can do to kind of take my game to the next level with this little break we've been on.
Q. Landry, because the playoff seedings are unlikely to change in eight games, do you feel that the team will ease into the new season or go full throttle from the start considering you face the Lakers right off the bat?
LANDRY SHAMET: I mean, we want to win games, put ourselves in the best situation possible. I don't think there's going to be any lack of urgency whatsoever. We only have eight games to ramp up to the Playoffs. So there's not going to be any sort of -- the standings will change if we lose eight games in a row, I can tell you that. There's no easing into anything. The easing-in part has been this month and then this upcoming month with camp in Orlando before the games, and then once the games are here, hopefully we're in a spot where there's no easing left to do, we can just get right into it.
Q. My question is whether -- seeing everything that's happening in the world around us, I'm wondering if you felt inclined to get involved in any kind of peaceful demonstrations or marches or otherwise push forward the cause of social justice.
LANDRY SHAMET: Yeah, no, I haven't been to any protests or marches, just for the sake of my health with all this stuff coming up. I don't want to put me or anybody who's been in my house in a bad spot, so I'm kind of trying to still stay as socially distant as I can. But I have been looking into a few organizations back home in Kansas City, doing my research, groundwork on who I could potentially want to work with moving forward and moving the bar in the right direction. So I've been more kind of tuned in in that sense rather than -- I haven't been out in the street protesting and marching, but I've been really thinking about what I can do and how I can make an impact and hopefully influence some change.
Q. I have a question regarding the fact that we've seen soccer leagues in Europe coming back after two, three months, and there were quite a bit of injuries after not playing for three, four months. What do you think you can do to prevent to be prepared for a tournament like this?
LANDRY SHAMET: What I've been doing, I've been approaching, is trying to replicate my workouts, whether it's on the court or in the weight room, replicate them as closely as possible to like actual in-game movements, the tempo at which I will be moving in a game. And there's been a gradual ramping up that we've gone with the last month and a half or so.
I mean, I feel like I'm in a good place. I've done my job, done my due diligence. I've done everything I can to keep myself in good shape, keep my body in a good spot. So I feel like I'm in a good place.
Q. Playing in different arenas than -- you guys normally play in front of huge crowds; does it change a shooter's perspective? Can it help you as a shooter to be in this place or it's not going to play like that?
LANDRY SHAMET: (Indiscernible.) The ball is the same. Yeah, nothing changes.
Q. I'm just curious, there was a lot of talk about how some players felt like their voices weren't being heard in terms of like the voting to restart the season. I'm curious what that process was like with you on the Clippers with your player representative.
LANDRY SHAMET: Like their voices weren't being heard?
Q. Yeah, like they felt like they couldn't express their concerns about the league restarting.
LANDRY SHAMET: Yeah, I mean, I can't speak for other teams. I know with us, though, we have been very open with each other and encourage one another to -- whatever concerns you have, let's get them out here on the table, let's talk about them, what do we like, what do we not like, what would we like to try to change. I think us as a team, we've done everything very collectively. I can't speak for other teams. I don't know who you're referring to. But I don't think there would be anybody on our team who would -- we've all been very open and communicated with each other regarding all this restart and the bubble and everything, social justice, all that.
Q. Landry, I think we all know who handled the quarantine best on your team. Which one of your teammates would you say didn't handle it so well?
LANDRY SHAMET: Who do you think handled it the best?
Q. Well, I think Kawhi probably handled it best. I think he said as much. But who on your team would you say didn't handle it so well?
LANDRY SHAMET: I don't know. I mean, I can't speak for everybody. I would say that anybody you think handled it really well probably went through a period where they didn't handle it very well. I know I didn't. You know, I felt like I'm in a really good spot, handled it really well, but there was probably a month stretch there, almost a month, where it was just really kind of draining, your energy was sapped or whatever. So I think everybody went through their phase. I don't think anybody was perfect. But I think you'd be surprised if you saw the real picture of a lot of people in their quarantines for sure.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you so much, Landry, for taking the time, and we appreciate everybody joining us from the media. We really appreciate it. Thank you so much. We'll talk to you again soon.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports