Today, Warriors head coach Cole accepted an interview with reporters after the team's training. Xiaoba compiled part of the content.
Reporter: You mentioned before the game against the Trail Blazers that you wanted to see how the team would perform against a lineup that is taller and has longer arms. The Rockets and Timberwolves also pose similar challenges in the playoffs. Just like "style determines victory or defeat" in boxing, what details do you need to implement to be able to fight against a team with a size advantage?
Cole: Spacing is very important. Because teams with such height and long arms will use their physical conditions to compress space. If we can open up the offensive space, cut in and execute at the right time, and maintain a sufficient sense of space and strength, we can offset part of their impact.
Reporter: When it comes to the sense of space, would you refer to teams like the Thunder and Pacers? They have been very successful in building a space-based offense.
Cole: Yes, we have been observing trends in the league. I think the makeup of our team is more like the Pacers than the Thunder. We do refer to things from other teams, maybe a certain tactic, a certain formation, or a philosophy or a style. This is how the entire alliance works, it is a "mutual learning" alliance. Each team will take inspiration from other teams and form new trends. And you must always pay attention to the dynamics of the alliance, otherwise you will be left behind.
Reporter: You have always been an advocate of "rhythm basketball". So how do you balance this with this current lineup? Because you have some older players who may not need a too fast pace - how do you judge when to speed up and when to slow down?
Cole: I think Butler's arrival has solved a lot of problems - just having him put on our jersey, it's different. You know, he plays at his own pace. Not only does our team have to adapt, but so do our opponents. He controls the tempo of the game.
Even though we always want to play transition offense, advance quickly, run to the corner, and space the defense - all of this actually happens naturally. For example, when Kuminga is on the court, our tempo may be faster; and when Butler is on the court, we will give him the ball more and let him create opportunities, cause fouls, and make free throws, and the tempo of the game will naturally slow down.
This is not something we need to deliberately "stipulate", but it is something we will specifically point out in the video. When we see the ideal game situation, we will cut out clips and show it to the players - so that everyone can understand: "Okay, this is the identity of our team, this is the way we should play."
Reporter: There has been a lot of discussion about those four veterans, experienced players, but how important is it to let other non-veteran, remaining players in the lineup fill some key gaps?
A: Yeah, I mean, we really like the depth of the team and we think a lot of players are going to play important roles this year. Take TJD as an example - some games he may not play, some games he may start. Because he is the only big man of that type in our lineup, the kind of rim-rushing, shot-blocking, and down-the-post big man. Other players, such as Post, prefer the "pick-and-roll and then bounce" type. Chai Meng is a hybrid, pure basketball player. So TJD is a perfect example of how our depth plays out. When you look at Kuminga, the physicality and athleticism he brings to the table is obvious. And little Peyton, who has been a huge influence on us over the years. He played a fair amount of minutes for us last year as well. So if you look at it one by one, I think these players can all help the team. It's just that they will be required to assume different roles at different stages of the season.
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