Jeff Gundy Trying Quotations

(McGrady) played super hard today. He just doesn't make (shots) at home like he makes on the road. I can't explain it. We don't have an inside presence right now (without Yao) to throw the ball into to keep the defense honest. He's trying to make a lot of tough shots while playing big minutes.

We're obviously trying to build around Tracy and Yao, and just as important as getting those two guys has been to get guys we feel best complement their strengths and compensate for their non-strengths, ... We still have a long way to go to get the roster we need to take us where we want to be taken. By no stretch do we feel we're there yet.

You know what? It's about winning in this league. It's not about trying - that should be a given.

(Yao) did all right, but it's not about individual performance in this league. It's team play and playing collectively. He's still trying to get back in game mode, and we know it will take a while before he's back at full strength. I thought overall, though, he did some good things, but he's still not at 100 percent.

(With their) team speed, in general, they cause us some problems. When they play both point guards ( Chris Paul and Speedy Claxton ) together it makes it doubly difficult to try and keep them out of the lane, because you've got two guys who are trying to catch-and-go or pick-and-roll, multiple pick-and-rolls.

The starters did a good job to start the game. The bench, inexplicably, is bereft of energy and intensity, and we have all young guys who are trying to carve out a career. I don't get it.

Trying to judge a big guy too early is a mistake. If he wants to be an NBA player, he has to stick with it. You never know ? he may get an opportunity here.

He played well. He hasn't been shooting the ball well, so it was timely he made shots. I think he's consistently gotten better in trying to keep us organized offensively.

The league needs to step in and take away any perceived incentive to lose. But also, I don't think you do yourself any good trying to pick who you'll play. Sometimes, you try to set yourself up for something that may not work out. But I think that just the idea that you could be better served to lose rather than win probably needs to be taken care of.