From rebounding woes to the sting of Franz Wagner’s absence, Orlando’s star guard details the missed opportunities and hard lessons learned following a heartbreaking Game 7 collapse.
On the momentum shift after being up 3-1:
"The rebounding. In the games that we won, we controlled the glass. In the ones we lost, we didn't. Detroit also turned up their defensive pressure as an adjustment throughout the series. Obviously, missing Franz Wagner was a big piece of what we do on both sides of the ball, but we still had our chances to close this thing out."
On balancing Franz Wagner’s absence and the "what if" factor:
"That doesn't necessarily make it feel any better; this is reality and that's a 'what if.' Franz has been a warrior. He’s been fighting to get back from his ankle and his knee all season and came back early just to try and build chemistry with us. I never doubt where his heart's at—he wants what's best for the team. Injuries happen and it’s unfortunate, but he shouldn’t feel like this is on him or feel any weight. Some things you just can’t control."
On Detroit pulling away at the end of the second quarter:
"That’s on me. I got in foul trouble and wasn’t on the floor over that stretch. They were able to make shots and get out in transition off a couple of our bad shots and turnovers. Good teams make you pay for stuff like that."
On the takeaway from his first season in Orlando:
"I think we just got to grow as people first and grow our games. We’ve got a lot of young dudes in the locker room with a lot of potential to get better, including myself. You have to take this time in the offseason to be real with yourself and know that what we did this year wasn't good enough. We have to come back next year with a better attitude, better mindset, and a better game."
On Jalen Suggs’ shooting struggles and his emotional importance:
"Jay does so many things that impact winning. Whether his shot is falling or not, he can’t bear the weight of that. His activity on defense and his spirit and energy are really contagious for our group. It’s an opportunity for all of us to get back in the gym and come back better players to push this thing where it needs to go."
On the emotion of the season ending in a Game 7 loss:
"It’s terrible. We were a game away from moving on to the next round. After all we’ve been through with injuries and adversity, we felt like we were right there to rewrite the story, and we didn't. It’s a terrible feeling. I don’t want my season to end, and I know the guys in the locker room weren't finished either."
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