Pat Riley Player Quotations

You have to defeat a great players aura more than his game.

That was the first time I ever called an open isolation against a 2-3 zone. He's a remarkable player and I'm glad to have him on my team.

When you're casting your ballots for Defensive Player of the Year or All-Defensive Team, there's no doubt. I think people forget about what he's done. He's second in the league in blocks and he only plays 16 or 18 minutes per game. He's really a factor for us. I thought he was the difference tonight.

We are very fortunate to have been able to acquire a player of Gary Payton 's stature. He is a proven veteran and will be a big addition to this team.

We are very fortunate to have been able to acquire a player of Gary Payton's stature, ... He is a proven veteran and will be a big addition to this team.

After a real slow start, we played very well offensively. When your best player goes 4-for-14 and you still win, then you've got to feel good about it.

We feel very fortunate that we were able to acquire the services of a multifaceted player in Derek Anderson , whom we had interest in this summer before he signed with Houston. We feel that he will be able to play three positions for us, giving us added versatility.

We got a break tonight. Bobby Simmons is a great player - Mo Williams - those two guys would have created a lot of problems for us. The thing about a speed team, if you can see them walking up and down the court, you've done something.

He's incredible. That's what we have learned about him, that he's a big-game player, a big-time player at the end. He has no fear at the end and he simply wants to be put in that position. He has a way of making plays.

We measure areas of performance that are often ignored: jumping in pursuit of every rebound even if you don't get it, swatting at every pass, diving for loose balls, letting someone smash into you in order to draw the foul. These 'effort' statistics are also stored on computer. Effort is what ultimately separates journeyman players from impact players. Knowing how well a player executes all these little things is the key to unlocking career-best performances.

When a gifted team dedicates itself to unselfish trust and combines instinct with boldness and effort, its ready to climb.

Am I a control freak? No. Do I believe in organization? You bet. In discipline? In being on time and making sure everything at the hotel is ready and right? Definitely. I don't control players. I try to control the environment around the players so they can flourish.

Great players and great teams want to be driven. They want to be pushed to the edge. They don't want to be cheated. Ordinary players and average teams want it to be easy

He's the greatest clutch player I've ever seen. The hell with Jerry West!

Great players crave instruction on their weaknesses.