Post Game Press 10/27 vs Thunder - Max Christie

as far as

>> Yeah, it was defense for us. 14 points

in the fourth quarter for them. Um

that's what got us back in the game. We

were holding them to one shot for the

most part. They were taking some tough

shots. Um we were able to rebound and

run and for us were able to knock down

some threes to get back into the game.

Um but I think what really what really

hurt us was definitely that third

quarter. They had 40 points or 39

points. So um we just got to be better

in the third. I think offensively we got

to be a little bit better as well. But

uh that fourth quarter comeback started

with our defense for sure.

>> And you missed your first two threes,

but you stayed confident. You made your

next two. Is that something that coach K

talked to you about staying kind of

confident before the game?

>> Yeah, I mean all the coaches empower me

to shoot when I'm open for sure and not

pass up any threes. Um I'm very

confident in myself always to be able to

shoot the ball and feel like I'm

confident in the work that I put in. And

so um although I missed my first three

threes, I think I just kept shooting. I

know that, you know, for our team, and

they coaching staff has talked about

this as well, we need to shoot more

threes and um I want to be a spark for

that. So, for me, just not passing up

any open ones, knowing that if I do

that, it hurts the team. So, regardless

if I'm 0 for three or 0 for five or 0

for six or three for three, I'm just

going to keep keep shooting. I'm open.

So,

>> what it's been what's it been like for

you to have such a green light? Jason

talks about all the time. They want you

to shoot shoot. What has that been like

for you?

>> Oh, it's great. I mean, confidence wise,

it feels great.

And then two is just knowing that, you

know, they want me to shoot more and

knowing that that helps the team, that

helps our team win. Um, when I'm able to

shoot threes, when able to to be

aggressive and knock them down, helps

our team. So, um, it's definitely

confident for me, confidence booster for

me. Um, and yeah, I mean, yeah, I keep I

work on it every day. So, um, confidence

was there already. And then you add to

that with, you know, the coaching staff

telling me to shoot more. So, it feels

great. To go along with that question,

like you said, one thing that coach kid

has preached to us multiple times is how

they're wanting you to shoot the ball

more. And what is what how would you

describe the coaching staff's vision for

you with your confidence more compared

from last season to this season?

>> Um, I mean, I think yeah, we want to

shoot more threes, but I think for me,

the way I look at it is just finding

ways to impact the game, impact our

team. Um, three-point shooting is great,

but um, I know tonight I had a great

challenge of guarding the MVP and NBA

champion in Shay. So, um, that was what

was mostly required for us to try and

win this game. It was to guard him, pick

him up 94 and try to make him, you know,

feel my presence. Um, so for me, it's

different on a night night in night out

basis. I'm not going into every night

thinking I got to score points to win

the game. It's, you know, whether it's

shoot threes, whether it's guard the

best player, you know, bring energy

every That's kind of what it is for me.

It's more of a selfless approach knowing

that my role can change on a nightly

basis.

>> What did you notice about him ever since

he kind of took that shot in the first

play?

>> I mean, it happens. He's 18 again

playing against the defending champs and

obviously defensively they're

phenomenal. And um you got someone like

Luke Dordano who's first team all

defense and kind of hounding him the

entire game and so it's going to happen.

Um, I think we as his teammates got to

do a better job of getting him open and

lowering the stress level for him. So,

we got to set better screens. We got to

get him more open. Um, we got to make

him feel a lot more comfortable than I

think he feels right now. And that's not

that's not all on him. I think that's on

us as a team knowing that teams are

keying in on him for sure. And he is

young. He's inexperienced obviously. And

so, he's got so much ability and so much

potential. We've all seen it. And so, we

got to do a better job as teammates

making it easier for him. Just making

his his life easier really. So, we got

to do a better job as a team.

>> Max, I remember last year at the end of

the season, you said you wanted to take

a step forward as a shooter. You put in

the work all summer. You obviously did

that. Now, you're starting, the results

are there. How good does that feel just

to see that hard work pay off?

>> Yeah, it feels great. I mean, anytime

that you can, you know, see the the

fruits of your labor is definitely a

good feeling. Um, but I think again for

me, I'm always focused on the team more

than I am myself. So, feels great to be

shooting well, great to be, you know, on

a good start if you want to talk about

shooting splits or whatever. But, um, I

think it's important. We are one and

three right now. So, we need to address

that. It's the main concern, main focus

for me. Um, so I got to find ways to

impact the game a little bit more as

well. Find ways to um, help our team win

a little bit more. Um, I think we also

as a collective need to do a better job

of just um, finding ways to to help us

win. I think um comes from film, comes

from practice, comes from time as well.

So, it's we're only four games of 82.

So, um there's not worry, but there is a

sense of urgency.

>> Turnovers were down for the offense

today, but shooting efficiency was a

struggle. Just what were some of your

takeaways from the team's offense?

>> Yeah, we were just a little

discombobulated. I think we weren't

necessarily super organized. Um looking

at it here, we didn't score over 30

points in a single quarter. So, um I

think offensively I I don't think our

defense was the problem today for the

most part other than the third quarter,

but yeah, we're just a little

disorganized. I don't think all of us

are on the same page right now, and

that's okay. Comes with time. Again, uh

we're learning a new system and um

there's going to be growing pains with

that. So, again, it's a long season.

We're keeping it in mind, but we also

have a sense of urgency. watching film

um individually and as a team trying to

find ways to um gel together, find ways

to make lives easier for ourselves. I

think we're we're playing with a lot of

stress right now. I feel like if you

watch the tape, if you're out there,

feels like we're playing with a lot of

stress when we're out there and so we

need to find a way to relieve that a

little bit, get ourselves some easier

looks. Um and I think that'll that'll

lead to success. Max, what's the what's

the biggest difference for you

specifically in this offensive system

compared to last year?

>> Um, I think there's a lot more movement,

a lot more cutting. Jay has a philosophy

of sacrifice, and I think it's a great

philosophy that we all need to embody

for sure. Your cut is to sacrifice for a

teammate. Uh, you're cutting to open up

a lane, a driving lane, and that driving

lane can create for your teammate. It

could create for yourself. But I think

there's just a lot more movement. Um, I

think there's just there's just a lot

more bodies moving around and I think

that's what makes it difficult a little

bit as well as a new system for us.

We're finding ways to cut. We're finding

ways to not cut, you know, when when

certain situations are there and so

we're just learning and we're just

figuring it out. Um and it's early and

so we're we're continuing to watch film.

We're continuing to be diligent with our

work to continue to try and gel together

more in this offensive system which has

shown that is very very very capable,

very powerful when we do it right. So we

just got to continue to do it better.

So, we've kind of pointed things out

that we obviously would like for you all

to work on, but what are some things

that you feel like you guys do well

already as a team?

>> Um, I mean, I think our transition has

been solid at times. Um, and I think

defensively we have had flashes. I think

on both sides of the ball, we've had

great flashes for sure. Um, again, we're

we're we're not perfect right now. Like

you said, we've got a lot of things to

address, but um I really think on both

sides of the ball, defensively and

offensively, we have shown great things.

And so, we just got to be able to be

consistent with it. I think it's that

simple for us. Um it's not like we don't

um understand what's going on at all.

It's just the ability to be consistent

with it when we're doing it right, when

we're doing it well. So, um, for us it's

just consistency and we know it and

we've seen it on tape and we believe in

each other to be able to know that, um,

in order to win games in this league,

which is very difficult on a night

innight out basis, you got to be

consistent and you got to be disciplined

and you got to do boring things over and

over and so we just got to do a better

job of that.

>> Cool. Thanks. Appreciate it.