Brian Hill Quotations | Page 2

When you sing alone, it is kind of boring. But then, when you sing with the band, for people, it is just awesome.

The only breaks we get are the injury kind.

We'll see how we do against them. That's the nice thing about having games down the stretch -- you might as well test yourself against the best. This will be the first time we've played Detroit since we've made the changes in our team. We'll see how far we've come.

We began looking at our emergency plans on Monday and started early Tuesday.

We want to be as cautious as possible. And that's the reason why we may just follow up with a personal examination.

We want to be as cautious as possible.

We'll just have to make that up with trying to get the ball to our key people that we think have the best opportunity to score. It has to be a collective effort.

We weren't able to execute down the stretch. We had every chance to win the game, but we made a couple of defensive mistakes at the end in transition and they got a couple of easy baskets.

We wouldn't stop searching for them if we thought they were still alive. It's tragic but most people would realize that we do have to be realistic.

With big guys, sometimes it take a a little bit longer. Not everybody comes in a Shaquille O'Neal and dominates the league right away.

With all the mistakes we made, if you can be encouraged in a loss, I am extremely encouraged with how these guys are playing. They could easily have quit.

The one thing we did feel was that he was the right type of player to play alongside of Dwight.

This was a much needed win and I was very happy with the effort that the guys gave tonight. We just came out and played very hard from the beginning of the game.

When you get down 20 points to a team like Houston, it is difficult because of the way they can control the tempo of the game.

We've just got to get everybody on the same page here. It's a disappointing first half to the All-Star break.

We need to get a road win now. We need to take this on the road and play with the same energy and confidence and a get a road win.

We had a tie game a gave up two consecutive offensive rebounds to Harrison. That set the tone for the end of the game. Harrison and Granger were the difference and we didn't have an answer for them.

We'll have to see how it is (today).

This was a big step for us. I think we're becoming a basketball team rather than a collection of individuals. To me it's very rewarding to see how, at this stage of the season, how hard these guys are playing.

This was a bad loss for us. We have to get out of this habit of taking two steps forward and one step back before we can start moving forward again.

We got an incredible contribution from Bo. He was just everywhere defensively and on the boards in that fourth quarter.

We got a little dejected at that point and we fought back, but we can't allow those things to be unsettling,

We gave ourselves more than a chance, and I was disappointed that the game wasn't decided by the players, that it was decided by the officials.

You have to play with the people you have, ... We can't use injuries, whether it's injuries to Grant or anybody else, as an excuse. We still have players here that are going to play hard and play within our system and play together as a team.

What was discouraging to me was our turnovers in the second half. We felt like all we had to do was take care of the ball and keep moving the basketball and we'd be all right, but we got a little impatient.

We lost all our offensive organization. We can't continue to turn the ball over like this. When they made a run, we let down defensively, and that was the difference.

We have to explore it. Whether it's the D-League or doing something trade-wise, we have to explore everything to try to improve the team.

We don't win the game tonight without him out there. He made all the big shots when we were struggling a little bit offensively.

We are still playing with confidence and we aren't being rattled by it.

Dwight was sensational. As I've said all year, he's continued to grow and grow and grow and has gotten better in every phase of the game. But to get 26 rebounds. That's a monster effort for anybody and you don't see that too often in today's game.

Dwight and Tony got every rebound. They didn't get second and third shots like they were getting in the first half. Because they had everybody going for the offensive rebounds, we were able to get out and run. That's what the third quarter was all about. Good defense, hold them to one shot and get out and run.

Even after the first practice with us you could tell that he just has such a great feel for the game. It's those types of plays where he sees how the defense is reacting and he's thinking one play ahead. He knows what the play is going to be even before the ball gets to him. That's priceless.

There sure are a lot of people getting nosebleeds up at this height ... Investors may be pulling back from the table.

There's not much to say. I thought Toronto played great, I thought we were totally out-played and out-coached and I give credit to the Raptors for an outstanding performance.

I've said all along that the key thing is that we finish up this season on a positive note so that these guys feel good about themselves and feel good about what we can accomplish next year. That's the biggest impetus and with the way we're finishing up, I think everybody feels the same way, that this team has a chance to be a real nice basketball team if we continue to work at it.

It was an embarrassing performance. We didn't come out, we didn't play hard, we didn't give this team any respect and we got our butts kicked in the process. You can't play one half of basketball and expect to win a basketball game.

It was a little bit of a mismatch. We had smaller guys and we couldn't keep them off the glass.

The team we put out there tonight didn't want to play. We absolutely have to play better.

The thing that's separating him from years past is his attacking the basket. He's putting the ball on the floor and really looking to get to the basket.

The thing I liked most was that when Dwight was matched up with Duncan, he took the ball right at him. That's what we've been trying to get him to do all season. We want him to take it right at the defender rather than the finesse stuff. Maybe as he continues to get confidence from the foul line, he'll do that.

Sometimes the light goes on a little bit later. Maybe this is one of those situations where we just realize if we play together and share the basketball and play good defense and force some turnovers and get out and run, we can be pretty good.

Sometimes big guys just take longer to progress. Not everybody comes in as Shaquille O'Neal and dominates the league right away. Sometimes big guys don't develop until the third, fourth or fifth year. And you certainly don't develop in this league without an opportunity to play.

Personally I derived a lot of satisfaction from the way we finished up, but still it's disappointing to not make the playoffs. Of course, I didn't realize that we'd have to change our team in the middle of the season. What would make this year more satisfying is if we pick up where we left off next year.

Against this caliber of team, you just can't do that.

The moves we have made during the last few days are geared to grow and improve our team. Trevor is a young, athletic small forward, who will fit in defensively with what we are trying to accomplish. I genuinely like Steve as a person and wish him nothing but the best.

After going through so much frustration early in the season, to have this success now just makes me so happy for this group of guys. They never gave up.

That's who they are. They are one of the best, if not the best, backcourt in the league.

That's just our nemesis with this team. We can't seem to keep them off the offensive boards.

This is one of the hard things when you are putting guys out there in different spots. Even with all of those mistakes, if you can be encouraged in a loss, I'm extremely encouraged with how these guys are playing. They could have easily quit. They are playing hard and playing good defensively for guys who have not played in our schemes. I like the way this team is competing right now.

This is the fifth year they've been a 50-plus win team. They're a veteran team that just understands how to win, and they're extremely unselfish and playing together very well.

This gives us the opportunity to acquire a 7-footer with a high skill level. We feel that he will be a nice complement playing alongside (forward) Dwight Howard.

This gives us an opportunity to acquire a big player with a high skill level. We only have three healthy big men, so he will immediately add depth to our rotation.

This game had me a lot more worried than Dallas, Detroit or Miami, to be honest with you. Against those teams, you know your guys are going to play at the top of their game . . . in the beginning of the game, it was very similar to our past games (against the Hawks) -- too much dribble penetration and too many offensive rebounds.

A lot of teams with our record a month ago would have packed it in and just played their way through the remaining games.

AMA sanctions races in only one place at a time.

They (Miami) had a tough game last night in Washington and we had to try and take advantage of that. We did a good job in the second half, particularly in the fourth quarter shutting down the paint.

They're all involved in economic development, ... just having that tie fits.

It's a setback for us, but I feel bad for Grant with everything he's gone through the past five years. He had a very productive summer and he felt great coming out of it, and he had a great training camp. For our team, it's just a situation where we have to step up. Collectively, we have to step up and make up for the loss. But the games still go on.

It was certainly a relief to get this win. It was one that we sorely needed. I really can't say enough about our second unit. I thought they just came in and id a phenomenal job. They changed the whole tempo of the game.

It was a tough trip. We went 0-4 on the trip but we'll just have to regroup. We're going to be on the road a lot this month. We just have to stay together as a team, work hard, and hopefully go home and get a win for confidence sake.

It's a big win for us for sure. We haven't done that great on the road this year. This was a big win for us here.

It might have been our best half of basketball defensively all year long.

It's a real shame we couldn't win our last home game and keep our streaks going. Chicago showed why they are going to the playoffs. I feel I didn't do a good job coaching. It was a disappointing game.

It's all going to be decided in Game 82. Those six, seven and eight spots are going to be decided on the last day of the year.

I told the team the season is not over until after game 82. The eighth (playoff) spot to me is still anybody's and still up for grabs. Chicago doesn't think they are out of it, and we don't think we are out of it, either. We are just going to continue to play hard.

Forget about 81 points. To be able to get up that many shots and still play defense at the other end of the floor, that's a pretty incredible physical accomplishment.

It's one thing to be good and talented and deep. It's another to be good and talented and deep and injury free. If you look at the history of our league, that's paramount.

That's part of his learning curve, when he's going against guys like that inside. I thought there were a few where he could have tried to power himself to the basket a little bit more.

That's the fewest minutes he's going to see all season.

Everyone is secured from everyone else. There's no danger of any animal taking advantage.

It's been the strangest thing I've ever seen. Let's hope we can stay with that trend and run off a few wins in a row here.

It's hard for me to talk about next year. All I really want to do is make sure we finish up this season on the right note and that's our game Wednesday night against Indiana.

It was like picking our poison. (Tuesday) night, Shaq had his way inside when we tried to guard him with one man. Tonight, we made the decision to double him, and they made their three's.

None of our guards are doing a good job of setting and using screens on the pick and roll and overall, we're just not paying attention to detail and executing.

It tells you clearly the fans are voting purely on entertainment value and obviously the home turnout in certain cities. Yao Ming was voted an All-Star starter. How many games did he miss? But there's a lot of people voting in China.

They deserved to win. They played hard, they made big shots when they needed them and it probably wasn't one of our better offensive efforts from the standpoint of getting real good ball movement and taking care of the basketball.

It was just obvious for whatever reason that he wasn't playing at the level that he's used to or the level that I was expecting him to play. But I genuinely hope that it works out for him in New York.

It's really sad for somebody that young and so early in his professional career. It's obviously devastating for his wife, his family and the Hawks organization.

Anytime we can get road wins, it's huge. It's a tough league to get road wins. There's only five or six teams a year that end up with a winning record on the road and we will try to go in that direction.

That might have been the best half of defense that we've played all season.

I'm embarrassed by our performance. I hope our players are because they should be. The way we played proved we didn't respect the game or the team. We just went through the motions.

I'm sure we'll be able to move forward.

I'm sure the guys would have liked to have gotten more rest. But if you're thinking that way, you come out and get the job done early and we didn't get the job done early tonight.

I'm sure it's discouraging for him. He looked to me that he was having some pain and I didn't want to take any chances. I saw him wincing out there and holding his midsection. It didn't make sense for him to continue. I know he's down.

I'm sure sometime (today), we'll engage in discussions about that,

I'm sure our guys were disappointed about not being in the playoffs, but I don't think it reflected in our play. They gave an honest effort, but just didn't play as well as we've been playing. But let's give Chicago some credit because they made some big shots.

I like Steve as a person, I like him a great deal. I miss sitting down having meals and discussions with him, but it was a matter that had to be handled the way it was handled. I'm sure we can get it resolved as we move down the road.

I had no problem with Steve; I genuinely like the guy. We just felt for us to grow, for us to get better -- and it may not be today; it may be the end of the season -- this gives us a little bit more flexibility to move forward.

I really don't have anymore comment about it.

I look at it that since we put this group of guys together in the third week of February, how are we playing and what are we capable of becoming? I know the players would hate to hear this, but I'd love to go to training camp with this group right now and start the season all over again.

I really can't say enough about our second unit. I thought they came in and did a phenomenal job. They changed the whole tempo of the game. We shot an incredible percentage in that second quarter, but that was because we were out in transition most of the quarter.

I think our core group of players is here right now.

I think (Nelson) just settles our team down a little bit, gives them some real good direction out there and he's very difficult to guard in pick and roll situations.

Before the game we talked about just getting a total team effort tonight. From everybody - from both units, our starters and our second unit. I thought we really got that tonight. We didn't come out sluggish like we did last night.

Before the game we talked about a total team effort -- getting something from both the starters and reserves -- and I thought we really got that tonight. We had 41 field goals and 24 assists, which is a great percentage and when you're shooting 58 percent, it helps a great deal.

He's progressed steadily through the season from the standpoint of running the basketball team, keeping the team organized offensively, making sure that we don't get into a helter-skelter type of game, especially when we're in transition. Obviously he's playing with more confidence with the success he's having, attacking the basket and putting pressure on the defense. He's a very willing passer and always willing to make the extra pass when a teammate is open.

He's one of those guys who any night can explode for 40 or 50 or -- you certainly hope not -- 60 points against you. He's so tough because he's constantly attacking and he never really gives your defense a chance to relax. And pound for pound he's probably the toughest guy in the league.

I don't know if I'm amazed by this team or not. But it's certainly a lot more fun. These guys deserve the credit because they enjoy playing with one another. If a guy makes a mistake, we pick each other (up) and move on because they're playing unselfishly and hard.

I didn't think he was working that hard defensively in the first half, to be honest with you. At halftime, he really turned it around.

Certainly this was a much needed win, especially with both of us coming off four-game losing streaks.