JORDAN POOLE: Very well connected unit, and he knows that he has a lot of shoulders to lean on and ears that are there for him to listen. Just probably ask that we give him space, let him do his thing. But he knows he has a lot of people to rely on if need be.
Q. Jordan, you passed 200 threes this game. Have you felt like especially hot from deep this year, or is it more just your role and more business as usual for you?
JORDAN POOLE: Probably the latter of the two. A lot of work goes into the off-season. I think I also knew what to expect after talking to BK coming in for the summer, knowing how to prepare for it, knowing how to work, knowing what type of shots I'll get. But I think it's a big part of my game.
I had a good season from the arcs for sure.
Q. When you look at A.J. Johnson, Vukcevic and a lot of young players, how excited are you with the young depth of this team?
JORDAN POOLE: Extremely, because I know how pivotal and how important it is to be able to get live reps so early in your career. It gives you motivation. It gives you a sense of confidence to know what you're capable of, what you need to work on if you're going to stick with the league, if you want to become an elite player. I'm just really happy for how they approach the game, how they come to work, how they come prepared. I think we've built a really good culture of finding ways to continue to get better, and they're taking advantage of the opportunities, the minutes and the reps that they're getting. Credit to them for sure.
Q. What stands out about A.J.'s ability to attack off the dribble?
JORDAN POOLE: I think he trusts his handle. He's confident with his handle. He's sizey, he's lengthy. So a smaller defender, he can use his size to get to the basket, and whenever he's switched on a bigger defender with slower feet, he knows how to create enough space to get to what he's comfortable with, and I think we've been seeing that with the opportunities he's been getting the last couple games.
Obviously, want him to continue that, continue to keep finding his style of play, his rhythm, and just keep showing what he's capable of.
Q. What have you seen from Alex's progression as a screener, and how he's been willing to (indiscernible)?
JORDAN POOLE: I think Alex is really good at being able to mix it up. Something that I'm really impressed by is how fast and how quick of a learner he is. Being able to talk to him in game and allow him to make in-game adjustments, whether it's a flip screen, whether it's a dive, whether it's a pop, whether it's a pop to a DHL roll, being able to read that in real time is big, especially for a rookie big.
But he's also really good at spacing the floor, stretching the floor, bringing the defense out. He's just learning when to do what, what time of the game, when to pop, when to roll, when to be aggressive, when to shoot, when to get to the cup.
But overall, I've been extremely just impressed with the way he's been playing, how he's continuing to get better over the course of the season, and I think our two-man game when me and him are in there, is pretty dynamic being able to mix it up, and that goes back to us working over the summer. Yeah, man, just really happy for him, how he's been playing this year.
Q. He's found some success using the go screen. What have you seen with that?
JORDAN POOLE: Yeah, I was going to say, with me, the go screen normally helps because they double or they send two and they bring their big up. So it's given them enough time to pop to the top of the key. He's a really good play maker too, so he's able pass out of that. But with somebody as talented as he is and as dynamic as he is, it's good for him just to switch it up. Sometimes hit the short roll, sometimes hit the pocket, sometimes be a lob threat, sometimes pop off with a three.
And as he's getting these reps as we're going down later on in the season, I think we're seeing him get more comfortable with reading the game, and it just comes to time, comes to reps.
Q. Big Boi is on right now; what you know about that?
JORDAN POOLE: They said something about Flo-Rida was out there. I don't know nothing about bro, either. I'm going to go ahead and get on this plane and turn my own music on. No, I like how they do the concerts after the game for the fan. I think that's pretty dope for the community, for the city. Maybe I've got to do some homework.
Q. I saw you wearing some shades to warm up. Was that something different or --
JORDAN POOLE: Swag.
Q. Just swag?
JORDAN POOLE: Yeah. That's cool? All right.
Q. I saw you talking some trash with Paolo. What went into that? Looked like you bodied him a little bit after a tough bucket.
JORDAN POOLE: No, me and Paolo worked out a couple summers ago leading into him getting drafted. Just competitive, mix it up sometimes, have some fun. I know a lot of guys on that team over there. It's basically Michigan University if you look at where all these guys went to school. It's just a little bit of banter.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports