Bane and Suggs dissect crucial defensive lapses and costly fouls. They detail offensive struggles and lessons learned before heading into their All-Star break reset.
On the reasons the team came up short tonight (Desmond Bane):
"Give them credit. Cam Thomas came in, played a hell of a game off the bench. Made some tough shots. A lot of the shots that we felt good about and wanted to live with, but they did a good job packing the paint on their end, really making it tough for us to get to the paint. Offensive rebounds, couldn't quite finish enough possessions and then I had a dumb foul. They're in the bonus guys getting to the free throw line. Just a couple bonehead plays like that."
On takeaways from facing the Bucks the second time in three days (Jalen Suggs):
"Man, I think for the most part we did pretty solid. We got a lot of good looks. I thought for the most part the ball's popping. There's a couple defensive lapses in the moment one guy has possession here, another guy has possession there. I have one here and it may not be a ton but just kind of accumulate and especially in the fourth quarter you want to get rid of those and keep those out of the game. I thought they were a bit of a factor tonight down the stretch just giving them a couple free baskets and sent them to the line a couple times but I think for the most part everybody's pretty dialed moving the ball process was right. They made a lot of shots Dieng was hooping. Cam Thomas was hooping Kuz got going early to kind of keep him in the game and then those other guys down the stretch really helped uplift him. You do have to give him a lot of credit. It's hard to beat a team twice in a row. They came out and did enough."
On getting his shot going early, making big shots late, and finding comfort with the group (Desmond Bane):
"I think having a full lineup there's so many weapons out there, so many guys that can touch the paint and dynamic really opens up a lot of opportunities for me to get catch and shoot shots. Jay Suggs 10 assist again tonight. He been passing the heck out of the ball. As the season goes on we're just continuing to find ways to help each other and play to each other's strengths."
On where the team stands at the All-Star break and what to get out of the week off (Jalen Suggs):
"Reset the mind, bro. Take care of the body, reset the mind, reground, and get ready for another two months of basketball. That's it. Literally, I think we're fine. We know what went down early in the season. We went through our ups and downs and adversities as every team does. And this where we are. 28-25 not even a horrible spot to be. You see a lot of the best teams and a lot of the best runs, you get hot down the stretch of the season and you carry that momentum into the off. Like I told everybody today in the locker room, go reset, go crown, don't think about this for a couple days, just be when it's time to get back and we all get back together, there's no excuses. We got to get our work done and we got to become sharper and hopefully that leads to good things down the stretch, but I think we fine, man. Not to overreact or nothing. We know what's ahead of us and we just got to go accomplish the task at hand."
On his growth as a facilitator this season with 10+ assists in three of the last four games (Jalen Suggs):
"I just give him the ball. That's free assist, shooting the ball. But no, I ain't going to lie. I think there's a lot of it has come from a lot of film, a lot of reps, a lot of conversations. Me and Dez have great talks. Me and Stones have had a lot of great talks. Especially in terms of getting guys to rock in positions to score. Jevon Carter coming in has been great early on and we've had a lot of good discourse. Me, AB, Franz, all of us. We all have very good conversations and this guy's got me overtime. As I've gotten back and just refound my way in the game. It's easy part and an easy way for me to find rhythm. Don't got to be too many shots. On the nights I get them, knock them down. On the nights I don't, it's cool cuz I'm creating opportunities. I'm creating buckets. And I can find some peace in that. So I really just trying to get guys the ball in positions to score so they can maximize their talents whether it's hey beat Dez, P, Franz, Dell Trist, Mo, like our lineup is so crazy I don't got to go get it which is a blessing. So keep finding guys keep creating problems and I think good things will come with that."
On the challenge of working Franz Wagner back into the rotation off the bench with minutes restrictions (Desmond Bane):
"I think it always takes a little bit of time both for the player and for the team just to insert an all-star back into the lineup and have him come off the bench is something that he's never done and we've never done this season. There's going to be a learning curve. But I'm sure he's going to get his work in over the break, keep attacking the break, and come back and be able to play a little bit more minutes going into the second half of the season. It's just good to be healthy. Like Jay said, we got our group and we got a good opportunity ahead of us to keep going and build towards the postseason."
On looking back at the first half of the season and optimism for the second half (Desmond Bane):
"No doubt about it. Our best basketball is definitely in front of us and that's super exciting knowing that we're not the team that we want to be and we have a lot of room to grow. Like Jay said, I just think sometimes just getting away from it and thinking about a little bit of the first half of the season or not thinking about basketball at all is good for your group and then come back together with a refresh mind, refresh spirit and go and hit the second half of the season running."