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What has clicked for the Utah Jazz since the All-Star break?
Dante Exum: Joe, you can take this one.
Joe Ingles: (laughing) You’re such a loser.
I don’t think anything special. I mean, we haven’t done anything different or anything like that. I think it’s more of just the group getting to know each other and playing more, having more time together, having more time with the coach and new system. And obviously there’s a few new pieces from last year’s team, including the coach, so things just take time, and I think we’ve got better over the season slowly.
Despite having won six straight games, have you guys given up hope on making the playoffs?
Exum: You know, I wouldn’t say given up hope. You know, anything can happen in the NBA, and I think we just gotta focus on ourselves at the moment and you know, improving every game and if it happens to be that we get in that picture, then you know, so be it. But you know, we’re not changing anything. We’re obviously still gonna try and win. Joe, your turn.
Ingles: Like Dante said, it’s not gonna change anything we do. We’re still gonna go out and play the same way and obviously win as many games as we can with getting better at the same time. And you know, I think everyone can, kinda realizes that this is a long-term thing for us.
If we make it this year, then great. But the future’s obviously pretty bright for this team. So yeah, we’ll just, we’ll keep working, and like Dante said, if we’re there at the end, then, and we got a chance, then we’ll go for it.
Dante, Gordon Hayward was asked about your play and he said you seem a little passive but that’s normal for a rookie. How fair do you think those comments were and what have you done to be more aggressive offensively since you became a starter?
Ingles: That’s a very fair comment.
Exum: Yes — shut up — for one, Gordon knows nothing. And, no, so, no, so, it’s a fair comment, I’d say. But you know, it’s just game by game getting more confident in, you know, my abilities and more comfortable with my team…
It’s just about, you know, building that confidence and I think he–getting that starting role has helped me go against some of the better, the best players from the start, and you know, made me more aggressive, and you know, trying to, you know, kinda outplay them in a way, so.
Dante, what role has Quin Snyder had on your development from when you were drafted to now?
Yeah, you know, coach is, like everyone is, obviously trying to build more and more confidence in me.
And, but you know, one of the, you know, more surprising things that, you know, I’ve found is he’s been on the court whenever he can with me, and you know, even if it’s just five minutes, just to teach me s–a little footwork drill. You know, he’s on the court and it just shows he’s, you know, committed to the job and you know, at helping me develop in this role.
Is it an advantage for the Australian national team to have so many players playing in the NBA right now rather than around the world?
Exum: You know, like, you get the, kind of the experience of playing against the best players, like, night in, night out. So you know, I know definitely I’ve developed so much more from Spain [2014 FIBA World Cup] to now just being in the NBA and around NBA players. So you know, I can only imagine what some of the other guys are, have developed.
And you know, being around Joe as well, and seeing how he’s developed. (both start laughing) But yeah, no, I think definitely it’s better for us, and you know, everyone will have a bit more confidence.
Media: Thanks very much.
Ingles: No worries. (both start laughing)
Do you sometimes look at Matthew Dellavedova and feel jealous he gets to play with three superstars and in big games?
Ingles: Hell no. No. Not one bit. I mean, hell, I mean, you, obviously it’d be nice to play with whoever you want to play with, but you know, I think the team we’ve got is pretty special in itself. I think you’ll be talking about this team in the next few years, saying that, I bet people want to play for this team.
And we’re obviously in a different stage to what they’re in, but…being the second youngest team in the league, I, the future’s pretty bright with even our main guy, Gordon’s only 24 years old and Derrick Favors [is] 23 and obviously Dante is 12.
It’s super exciting for the future, so I think you’ll be asking that same question to other players about this team not too far away.
Exum: …Joe.
Ingles: Giving you a shoutout, mate. Make you feel better about yourself.
Having had experience with international coaches, how tough is it for players to adjust to different coaching philosophies?
Ingles: You go, Ex.*
Exum: Sorry, what was the question?
Media: [repeats the question]
Exum: I think Joe can answer that better, just being, having that European experience and the NBA experience. But you know, some of the stuff that I’ve seen Quin do, you know, Joe says to me that a lot of Europeans do it. And you know, I think it just gives a bit of an advantage having that prior knowledge of the Europe scene.
Ingles: Yeah, just, I mean, for me it’s, you know, I’ve played, this is my ninth year, and they’ve nearly all been in different countries and different leagues. I’ve had a number of different coaches in different situations that all coach super differently.
I mean, Quin is very, he had a lot of time in Europe with a high-level team, so it’s, we definitely do some different things to our, than other NBA teams. But at the end of the day, I mean, a lot of the stuff is the same. It’s basketball and it’s pretty worldwide.
* Almost 100 percent certain Joe passed this question to Dante because it came from a guy from NBA India and he couldn’t understand the question.
Going back, what ignited your love for basketball?
Exum: You know, my dad played at, well, pretty much all his life, and you know, I just developed it from a, the love, from a lon–a young age. And you know, my brother played when I was younger, and you know, just sparked a bit of competition between us, so.
Ingles: My parents didn’t play sports, so I didn’t get it from them. But my dad also didn’t play with [Michael] Jordan…I grew up playing a l–a bunch of different sports, and it kinda got time to choose one when all the practice and the games and all that started clashing with each other, and I mean, the main reason for basketball for me originally was the, I had more friends playing that than the other sports that I wanted to play with them.
Dante, you didn’t shy away from the hype before the draft. Were you comfortable with that, and has that been OK for you and your development?
Exum: Um, you know —
Ingles: He loves being at the center of attention.
Exum: — you know, I think those, you know, I was kind of that mystery man in the draft, and you know, those kind of gave me an opportunity to, you know, show who I am… and get people to, you know, fans, to start kinda wondering who I was and start looking at me.
Ingles vs. Exum, one-on-one. Who wins?
Exum: Are you saying me versus Joe?
Ingles: I would stand…and shoot threes.
Exum: Once Joe fin–corrects his slingshot of a shot, maybe we can talk…I’m too quick for Joe…He’s not strong. So you know, he can’t even post me up, so.
Ingles: He’s hit a couple of shots the last couple games. He’s feeling confident.
Joe, Dante is currently taking part in the GQ Style Wars. What do you think of Dante’s style?
Ingles: (starts laughing while the question is still being asked) Did you see the one —
Exum: Joe. Joe. Joe. Joe. Be nice. Be nice. This is going to be published. Be nice.
Ingles: Yeah, so, honestly, I thought he did really well up to — now, I think he’s done three or four now. Wha–how many have you done? Four?
Exum: Four.
Ingles: Yeah, so, the first three were gr–were good. Good, cool shoes. Whatever he had, some cool whatever. Then he posted a picture yesterday or the day before of him in a white T-shirt in his apartment, and him being 19 and not realizing what he’s got. He’s got his Xbox turned on in the background. He’s got a whole mess of stuff in the background, and he’s holding these two silly ties that you can’t really see anyway because of all the background color.
And so, one, two, three were very good. Four was terrible. But I mean, he’s definitely picked it up. I remember when he first came to the Boomers and all he used to wear was, like, Nike and Adidas gear. And now he comes to games in his suave little jackets and jeans, and skinny jeans, and button-up shirts. And so, he’s definitely picked his style up a little bit.
Exum: Thank you, Joe.
From mini @ Jazzfanatical
