Clippers 121, Wizards 96
Q. How did you feel out there, and what did it take for you to come back from the injury?
JORDAN POOLE: I felt all right. Felt good enough to play. It took a little bit to find a rhythm. I think this is the first time I've ever missed multiple games and then come back. I missed multiple games at the end of the season last year, but I don't think -- like the season, how it ended.
New situation. First time. But I feel all right. I've got a couple days to feel a little bit better, get some rehab. Game in a couple days.
Q. You guys have had some trouble getting your offense going in recent weeks. How can you turn things around on that end of the floor?
JORDAN POOLE: I don't know. I've got to go talk to Coach. We've got to figure it out. We're trying, though. It's a learning process. A lot of moving pieces. Guys are in and out. Work in progress.
Q. What have you seen from Bilal in the last few games offensively?
JORDAN POOLE: Similar. Guys are in and out. Bilal is really versatile, and I think what's good about him is he can figure out how to play in different positions and make an impact on different parts of the game. He's still learning, but I think what's really good for him is he's able to learn in real time. He's able to learn on the court. He's guarding the best player night in and night out. Sometimes he's playing the 1, sometimes he's playing the 2, sometimes he's playing the 3, sometimes he's playing the 4.
So through all of this, he's learning so much, and he's figuring out so much. I think people forget that he's only in his second year. He's such a mature player and he does so much for our team. You'll have nights where you learn more than others, and he's extremely determined and motivated. It's good for him to see these things and no doubt he'll continue to learn and be a hell of a player.
Q. A couple games on the sidelines, did the different perspective teach you something new about this team?
JORDAN POOLE: A bunch.
Q. Anything in particular?
JORDAN POOLE: It's a lot of stuff. Just different coverages, how people are guarding us. Some of our pace. Looking at how connected we are on defense, how unconnected we are, just reading guys, personalities, how they are on the court, seeing how we can get guys good looks or seeing how we can get guys in good positions and what's some things that work in terms of rotations, some play calls that maybe we can add or some things that we can change or maybe a little bit more efficient. It definitely was a completely new perspective. Definitely a learned a lot from it actually.
Q. Your three rookies probably haven't experienced a losing streak of this length in their whole, even youth league careers. How do you and the veterans in the locker room ensure that they don't -- that this doesn't weigh on them so much that it hurts their growth?
JORDAN POOLE: Yeah, I think some of that, I told them today was like -- it's really, really hard to win, and it's also hard to lose. Either way, it's going to be hard. That's what happens when you're at the highest level. The only way you'll get past it is if you go through it. You've got to experience it. You're going to continue to learn a lot.
All it takes is one moment. All it takes is one thing to bring everything together. But moments like this really show who loves the game, who wants to continue to work, who wants to find ways to get better, who wants to be in the lab, who wants to watch film. It definitely tests your character.
But we've got really good guys in that locker room. Speaking from existence, I think losing early in your career sets a different perspective for you. My first year in the league we were trash. We might have been the worst team if not the second worst team in the league. So to see that and then see the other side when you're competing night in and night out and you're trying to be a play-in team and then being a championship caliber team, all the way through, it's just what comes with the league. That's the fun part. That's the cool part about the sport.
Q. What's your read on how the locker room is doing at a time when obviously no one likes to lose?
JORDAN POOLE: Yeah, you said it; no one likes to lose. We've got definitely competitive guys in there. But what's just cool to see is we've got guys who you can lean on. You can go lose a game, but you've got guys who you can come talk to, chop it up with. They'll give you positive reinforcement but they'll also keep it honest. It's not negative energy, it's not bad energy, it's not people butting heads. It's just the urge and the want to try to figure out things, figure out ways to be positive, make a positive impact, and in a situation like this, that's all you can really ask for.
Q. I believe that's eight out of the last 10 games the team has failed to score 110 points. What do you think specifically has caused the offense to go a bit stagnant?
JORDAN POOLE: I definitely don't have an answer for you right now. I've got to go watch some film. Good question.
Q. Coach Keefe said after the game that a lot of times good changes can come out of really difficult times. When you hear that, what do you think of? What can change? What will change? And what needs to change?
JORDAN POOLE: Obviously not a lot of things I would say need to change. It's just a matter of figuring things out. Good things take time. I like to use an example like -- I don't know. You can use the Warriors for a while before they went on the Finals streak over and over and over. People weren't regarding the Warriors as a great team. A very long time ago people were like, they're one of the worst teams in the league.
You've got to go through it. Every organization has to go through tough times in order to figure out what the good times are like, if that makes sense. You've got to figure it out. You're building a foundation, you're laying pieces, and it's not supposed to be easy. It's not supposed to be easy at all, and I think that's the fun part because it really tests your character and just shows how much you love the game. If you love the game enough, you'll find ways to go through it and figure it out.
Like I said, we've got really good guys, really good character. Credit to our coaching staff because they're coming in locked in and prepared. Obviously they want to win games.
It's no panicking in there. It's nobody losing their minds, no bad negative energy.
It's just, all right, we've got another one in a couple days. Let's get back in the lab. Let's keep working. We've got a lot of young guys. We've got guys that are new pieces. We've got guys that are out, we've got guys who are in. So there's a lot of moving stuff, but we love this game. That's why we play it for so long and that's why we go so hard. We're going to keep trying until we figure it out definitely.
Q. How well equipped do you think Brian Keefe is specifically to lead that change?
JORDAN POOLE: He's the guy. I only have positive things to say. He's coming in and he's delivering the right messages. I mean, personally I don't know who would sign up to be a head coach. Holy shit, not me.
But credit to him. He's strong-minded, and he has a plan, and he's determined. He's honest. He works hard. He really just pushes us, not only us but the coaching staff, as well. I don't think there's a day in the gym where we don't feel like we get better. That's all you can ask for.
Q. 24 percent from three as a team; what is your mentality as a shooter when the shots are not falling?
JORDAN POOLE: I'm going to keep shooting. But we're getting good looks. We've got some guys getting great looks.
But it's a long season. It's a long season. It takes one, maybe two to really get a crazy rhythm going. I just tell our snipers, keep going. Kyshawn, keep shooting; Corey, keep shooting; Malcolm, keep shooting; Bilal, keep shooting; Bub, keep shooting; Alex, keep shooting. We're figuring it out.
The blessing in disguise is that you're learning in real time. You're not having to wait. You're not really having to sit on the bench and miss entire games and have to go back in film and watching in practice. These guys are out there, they're seeing it. They're seeing what they can fix. If shots are going left, shots are going right -- we're not going to shoot 24 percent every game. Shit, maybe we are, but next year maybe you'll find a way to get better. 10 games you'll find a way to get better. It all comes with it.
I think there was a stat I saw not too long ago, you can fact check me on it, but I think it was in the middle of James Harden's prime, he had like a mean streak where he was like 1 for 17, 1 for 20 or something like that from three. No one talks about it. No one thinks about that. He'll go out there and have a great night how he did tonight. We just keep pushing, get in that lab, and everything will work itself out.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports