663 notes from 447 press conferences. Pick a day, then a game.
Miami's Trae Young on anyone who forgot he can score: "maybe I just have to continue to be more aggressive and be more myself. And that's all I'm gonna do this year." He involves teammates early so they attack late; age has made him better at "knowing when to pick my spots."
No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa rolled his ankle during preseason, Wizards guard Trae Young said, giving no status or timeline. Young raised it as a setback: "we fell short of that, obviously, with the number one pick AJ coming down, rolling his ankle."
Kel'el Ware says he can play power forward for the Bucks if needed alongside Myles Turner, who spaces the floor and contests shots, letting Ware sprint out in transition: "I'm able to be agile a little bit more." He calls Taylor Jenkins's system "pretty much the same" as Miami's.
Nate Ament went through everything in the Bucks' Oct. 19 contact practice, and Taylor Jenkins will see how he responds on Oct. 20. The G League hasn't even come up: "right now I want him thinking about carving out a rotational spot for us." Everyone else was available.
Kyle Kuzma has made progress recently in the Bucks' offense and on defense, Taylor Jenkins said, calling it "a big year for him." Asked if Kuzma, who started much of the preseason, starts opening night, Jenkins didn't commit: "We're still working through our starting lineup."
Ryan Rollins says his role with the Bucks is much bigger this season: "Controlling the offense, playing with pace, being the initial thrust on both ends of the court." He also said opponents' scouting reports are "more aware of me than they were last year."
"I'm not going to be playing 38 minutes per night," Portland's Damian Lillard, 36, says. He felt fine at 20 to 25 minutes in preseason and the guard depth means less load. He plans to play back-to-backs but may sit one somewhere, to stay fresh for the postseason.