The San Antonio Spurs' freshly-minted starting point guard, Tre Jones, spoke to the media about his new role and his team's streak-breaking loss to the Chicago Bulls.
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00:00 It's hard to feel good after a loss,
00:02 given the guys you guys had out.
00:04 What's your feeling after this?
00:06 Yeah, it was-- we fought the entire night.
00:11 We went down 16 or whatever it was there.
00:15 And the bench group came up big for us, tied and took the lead.
00:20 They're playing great defense and led to offense.
00:24 But yeah, we continue to fight.
00:26 We were hitting shots.
00:28 They hit tough shots.
00:29 It was a back and forth game.
00:31 Just didn't hit enough down the stretch, and they did.
00:34 But yeah, like you said, with the guys
00:37 we had out tonight, it was a good showing for us
00:40 to battle the way we did, especially a team like them
00:44 that's been playing well recently and got Zach
00:46 Levine back as well.
00:46 What do you think of Blake Westgate's energy today?
00:49 You know, doing that dunk and the one
00:51 that really was key in that second half.
00:53 Yeah, that's Blake for you.
00:55 He's always bringing that energy whenever
00:57 he gets his name and number called.
01:00 He comes in ready to play.
01:02 No matter if it's 20 minutes or two minutes,
01:04 he's going to bring that energy.
01:06 He's going to be a spark for us whenever he's out there.
01:10 He's a pest defensively.
01:12 Offensively, he slashes in there.
01:14 He's making big time plays like he did tonight.
01:17 And that's just-- that's who Blake is.
01:19 Does he lead on you for any advice?
01:22 Practicing in his free time?
01:24 Yeah, for sure.
01:25 He's in a kind of difficult position with the roster
01:31 that we have right now and not knowing how much he'll play
01:34 or if he'll even play.
01:35 And just trying to tell him to stay ready and be patient.
01:41 And he's doing a great job.
01:42 He's a professional.
01:43 He comes in every day ready to work.
01:46 He's getting the extra work in.
01:47 He's working on all the things that he needs to work on
01:50 and continuing to work on the things
01:51 that he's already good at.
01:53 But yeah, just trying to help him out as much as I can.
01:56 Trying to just keep him positive and keep his spirits up
02:00 in this time that he could be getting more minutes,
02:04 but he might not necessarily be getting those right now.
02:07 But when he gets his name called, he's been ready
02:10 and gives us a huge spark.
02:12 What got into you tonight, 30 points?
02:15 What opened up for you, especially in the first half?
02:18 Yeah, it was just--
02:20 shots were open, and I took them and made them.
02:23 It wasn't anything specific.
02:26 They were playing off of me a lot,
02:28 and obviously know that I like to pass and get
02:31 my teammates involved.
02:32 So I was trying to take my shot when it was there,
02:35 make them respect it, and play out of that.
02:38 Shot was feeling good and going in,
02:40 so that's always a good feeling.
02:42 But I think as a team, we play really well,
02:47 and it sucks not to get that win.
02:49 Do you happen to know your brother's career high
02:51 off the top of your head?
02:53 I'm sure he'll tell you.
02:54 I don't know.
02:55 What is it?
02:55 I don't know either.
02:56 I don't.
02:56 I'm going to have to text him after.
02:58 I'm sure he'll tell you.
03:00 Do you feel like you're settling back into that starting point
03:02 guard role, even though Venter wasn't here tonight?
03:04 It was kind of more the same?
03:06 Yeah, just trying to do whatever the team asked me to do,
03:10 honestly.
03:13 With Malachi being out for the game or two that he was out,
03:16 my name got called to be the starter.
03:19 Just trying to do whatever we need.
03:21 And that's setting up our offense,
03:23 trying to set the tone defensively as well.
03:27 And do what I always do when I'm out there,
03:29 whether it's starting or coming off the bench.
03:32 It's never changed whether I'm starting or coming off
03:36 the bench.
03:37 I'm going to try to be a leader for us on the court
03:39 at all times, and try to get our offense set up,
03:42 try to set the tone defensively, and go from there.
03:45 I know you say the approach doesn't change when you start
03:49 coming off the bench.
03:50 People are also competitive.
03:51 Everyone's competitive.
03:52 Everyone has pride.
03:53 Was there a part of you during the other part of the season
03:55 that was like, hey, I've done this before.
03:58 Coaches, I did the 65 times last year.
04:02 Give me a shot.
04:02 It's my turn.
04:03 Is there any part of you inside that was going to take that?
04:07 No, not at all.
04:08 I feel like everyone needs to settle into their role.
04:10 And that's what we're trying to figure out.
04:12 We're still trying to figure that out.
04:15 We're really young.
04:16 We got a ways to go until we can crack into the playoffs
04:21 and start to win a lot more.
04:23 So we're all trying to figure this thing out every single day.
04:28 I'm trying to prove myself, whether starting or coming
04:31 off the bench.
04:33 This association is a real cutthroat.
04:36 And so every chance you're on the court,
04:38 you've got to try to prove yourself as best as you can.
04:42 You've got to bust your ass every day,
04:44 whether it's in practice or if it's 1-0,
04:48 you're just working out.
04:49 You've got to just always be getting better
04:51 and trying to improve yourself and prove yourself
04:54 to everybody and yourself.
04:55 So not necessarily trying to be competitive in the fact
05:00 that I'm trying to show the coaches up or anything
05:03 like that at all.
05:03 It's just any opportunity I get, I'm
05:06 trying to make the most of it.
05:08 Different subject, but you guys go from here to Atlanta
05:10 where De'Shaun takes place.
05:13 What were your memories of him here?
05:15 What did you learn from him as a rookie and that sort of thing?
05:18 Right, yeah.
05:19 Yeah, De'Shaun is kind of like a big brother to me.
05:23 Came in here, it was COVID.
05:25 It was tough times.
05:26 It was away from family and everything.
05:27 And he was someone I was able to lean on a lot.
05:31 Obviously, he was the point guard here.
05:32 And he had gone through the system already.
05:35 And he knew what it was like coming in here and not
05:38 playing right away.
05:39 And so just being able to lean on him at all times,
05:41 going down to the G League.
05:43 He was the first to talk to me about it
05:44 and tell me just work on your game and be aggressive
05:47 and control what you can control.
05:49 And then as I started to get more opportunities,
05:53 he would always tell me to be ready and just make sure
05:55 I'm ready to make an impact when I come in the game.
05:58 And he's just someone that I've continued
06:00 to keep in touch with, even when now he's in Atlanta.
06:05 And he's just a real stand-up guy.
06:09 And I just appreciate all the time I have with him.
06:12 Do you remember where you were or what
06:13 you thought when you found out you had been traded?
06:15 And it was kind of a job opening here for the first one.
06:18 Right.
06:19 It was crazy.
06:19 I was at a doctor's appointment with my daughter.
06:22 And obviously, just sitting in the doctor's office
06:24 and the phone starts blowing up.
06:26 I had to look at it.
06:29 It was just a weird feeling because the relationship
06:32 that we had and had built over those couple of years.
06:36 And obviously, he just wasn't here anymore.
06:38 So it was definitely a weird feeling.
06:42 And I definitely didn't want that because of the friendship
06:47 that we built and the relationship that we built.
06:49 But he's made the most of it.
06:50 And he'll continue to make the most of it.
06:52 In Minnesota, at that appointment,
06:53 where was it?
06:54 I was down here in San Antonio in the 100-degree weather.
06:59 Tyus Jones, career high, 28.
07:01 No way.
07:02 I got to text him.
07:03 [LAUGHTER]