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C.J. Miles thinks the Toronto Raptors can be special. On a plane, it should not be in the least surprising: they won a franchise record of 59 games last season, then were exchanged for the best player that the franchise has ever used. The Raptors were already one of the deepest and most balanced teams in the league; Kawhi Leonard's presence also means that they can travel to any Eastern Conference playoff series believing they have the most talented player on the pitch.
Of course, it is far from the first time that it is said that Raptors are different and have a chance to be special. I personally wrote several of them and then watched LeBron James crush them in the playoffs. In Toronto, it is understood that beyond the changes made to the list and any other experiences tested by coach Nick Nurse on 82 games, this team must do everything in their power to succeed the series.
"It's our mental side," Miles said over the phone at CBS Sports. "It's nothing physical – it's not the real skills – it's about staying stuck and understanding that it's a marathon, not a race."
Miles was thrilled by the athletics and interchangeable parts of the Raptors, their mix of youth and experience, the growth that he observed among newcomers who make up their group. He also summarized their best attribute rather succinctly: "We have a lot of guys, man."
On an individual basis, Miles made it clear that he was ready to bounce back after a tough first season in Toronto and that he was not just saying that it would be more efficient. Although this is part of the plan – he wants to "make sure the other team has to pay for any space they give me and any deviation on the defensive" – he would like to remind people that a shooter is not going to pay for it. elite, it is not only an elite shooter. Miles spent his summer working on his strength and conditioning so that he could play the kind of defense that would prevent Nurse from keeping him off the pitch.
"It was one of the most frustrating things for me: not being able to move and being in places where I should be able to be," Miles said. "Especially when you know where you are supposed to be and you can not do it. It was hard. "
This conversation has been condensed and modified for clarity and fluidity.
CBS Sports: Since trading this summer, whenever people talked about the team, they added the following warning: "If Kawhi is healthy, if Kawhi is back in his place." From what you've seen, is Kawhi basically the same guy that he was before the injury?
C.J Miles: Yeah. He was great. Obviously, he had to play basketball, sneak into the sea because he was injured, that he really returned to the daily task, the trip, the two days and everything you did during the day . training camp. But if you've seen some pre-season games, I know it's just pre-season, but it's still his pace. He has been able to do more than just quotes in the media: "people" have been saying it all summer – journalists or statisticians, whatever their names, any numbers.
CBS: What's it like playing with him and being fair to him? I saw Danny Green say that he was a lot more vocal now, and I was like, "Kawhi, vocal?"
CM: Yes, he's calm. Everybody knows it. But he speaks in caucus, he was vocal when practicing, he makes jokes like all the other guys when he is with the team. It is difficult for people to see this from the outside because, when they see him sitting somewhere, he is concerned about his business. I think the story can be changed in one way or another, but it has been extremely vocal, you can say that it is ready to compete. His fire is on. He's trying to win games.
CBS: Obviously, you know Nick, he's not new to you, but it's new that he's the manager – what makes him unique as a coach ?
CM: The biggest thing is to be creative, I think. It's been a pleasure since my return, a few weeks before my camp. He's not afraid to try some things on both sides of the table – different rotations, different types of people, trying to figure out what can make us click so we can be ready to deal with all of them the situations. There will be times when there will be injuries, there will be fouls, there will be quarrels that other teams will throw us. We have so many interchangeable parts. he's not afraid to test the waters a bit.
CBS: In the playoffs, it seemed that all teams had to be able to play big or small, fast or slow, moving or ISO. Do you think this attitude will help you guys?
CM: You must have many facets. There is no way to win without it. Even the Warriors, with their way of playing from top to bottom, when the game is reduced to the last three, four or five minutes, they find how to perform sets. They find how to get the guys to their place. They are able to defend themselves. They are able to do what allows them to win games and win championships. I think that's because they've learned to play in all ways and that they can create different queues.
CBS: Nick wants to force more turnovers, run more, be super aggressive. It sounds more fun, but maybe also more work. You like this?
CM: Yeah. Especially when you have a team as deep as ours, it allows you to do it. If he wishes, we can compete against the 12 players and you are allowed to play at this pace. Basically, you can play hockey, you can change the whole shift. But also, more and more, you can get to the point where the guys are just playing basketball, they do not even need to throw sets, you allow guys to get creative and you allow them to guys to play, it makes everything harder for the other team because nothing is predictable. This is open. It's almost to the point where, if you stop, if you go out and run, it's an organized pickup now. So guys have the right to play basketball. Now, when the game gets to a point where you have to play games, no one is ready to use them because you did not have to run the same 10 sets in every game.
CBS: You said camp was more chippy than last year. Why do you think that's it?
CM: I mean, just the competitive nature of guys coming back with a little bad taste in their mouths. Young people come back and are better. Everyone pushes themselves and just tries to compete. Improve each day. This is another benefit of having 10, 11, 12 players able to play in the rotation: every scrum, every exercise is competitive because everyone can play. We have guys in the rotation who want to win minutes, who want to play and who fight every day.
CBS: Is this the year when people from outside Toronto discover how good Pascal Siakam is?
CM: I hope well I mean, even before I got here, he improved all through the season, and then, being with him last year, being part of the crowd of bench with him, seeing all the talent he had and all the things that he could bring to the basketball court, with just the energy alone, he changes the game. So, if you add to the panoply of skills that he brought to his game this summer, I think a lot of people will be caught off guard and discover things we already know here.
CBS: Some people thought that Kyle Lowry would be angry because of the trade and let that affect his game. It does not seem like it happened at all. What should people expect from him this season?
CM: For that it's Kyle. For that he is an All-Star leader and that he does his job. He goes out, he competes every night. This is something for which you will never have to worry again. He was competitive right after that, trying to find a way to put the guys in the right places, to find the new pieces. He's going to be Kyle. That's pretty much the only way I know how to say it.
CBS: Last year, so much happened: you become a father, but in the field, you call it a frustrating season individually. There is a knee injury, complications of dental surgery, an illness. How do you put all this in perspective?
CM: The calm waters do not make skillful sailors. That's about how I look at it. It was just difficult. It was the biggest material I've ever had – it's not even including Have a child, which is a blessing, and I will never complain, but it makes it difficult for basketball in this situation. In trying to help your wife, trying to help a newborn, everyone knows that you do not sleep much. And then I had dental surgery and all that and I think my body just broke down on me a little bit.
CBS: How did it affect your summer?
CM: It just created an even bigger focus. I was in a position where, all that I had, when we got to the playoffs, play as hard as we could, give everything I had wasn'ta good enough . It's a terrible feeling, at least in my mind. Some people say, "I gave everything and I can feel good." But no. I mean, obviously, there is a sense of accomplishment, you leave everything on the ground, it is a little easier to live with sometimes, but for me last year, it does not get me wrong. did not accompany well. At all. When I got home the following week in San Antonio, I was back to work. I needed to be ready. I felt that the biggest problem was not being able to give everything I thought I could give.
CBS: You missed games here and there, but in general you were mostly on the ground. Did you try to keep it down and pass it?
CM: Yes, I just played through it. But also, it's my job. I'm supposed to do that. If there is a way out and try to help my team, if I can reach that floor, I will be there. If I was outside, it was because I had be. That's how I am with that. It's like that that I've learned. I walked in with Jerry Sloan, a safety helmet trainer. It is the habit that has been taught me from the beginning.
CBS: You have the reputation of being a good interview, which partly explains why we are talking now. So, are there any advantages and disadvantages to that? Do you ever want to be just a fool for us?
CM: I could not be a fool. Obviously, after a few games, during certain periods, you do not want to talk about things – or, if you know you're about to ask a question about something you do not want to talk about, some days like, man. But my favorite part is that you treat people the way you want. And I know you have a job to do, just like me. So, in order for you to do your job, you must be able to ask these questions, you must be able to obtain information. And if I have information, it is selfish for me to keep them, knowing that you need them for your work. It would be as if my coach knew if a player wanted to leave each time and he did not tell me. And I am also just grateful to have the opportunity to be where I am and to be in this situation. Everyone knows that I am not shy, I like to talk. I think when I'm done, I'll probably do something with that. But that's how I see things, man: I can not be mad at you for doing your job, forever.
CBS: Does this mean that you want to be a broadcaster or a media?
CM: Maybe on the radio. I do not know, especially when I'm done, when that happens, I do not want to travel when I finish. I want to take a little time to live. I want to check my mailbox every day. I want to mow my own lawn, things like that. I want to live a normal life. So, if I can find a type of concert that allows me to not have to do so much back and forth, then I will probably jump on it. We will see.
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