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NBA quotes of the week: What NBA players and coaches are saying

Newly acquired forward Luol Deng talks to reporters after his first practice with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
(Mark Duncan / Associated Press)
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Nice to see you too

Detroit Pistons forward Greg Monroe, to the media gathering around his locker after a loss to the Toronto Raptors: “You guys are gonna aggravate me tonight, huh?”

Parental guidance

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Cleveland Cavaliers forward Luol Deng, on the difficulties caused by the trade that forced him to leave the Chicago Bulls, the only NBA team he had known: “My mom doesn’t really understand being traded. To me, that was one of the hardest things I had to do, explain to her that the organization that I’ve been with for nine years no longer wanted me there. She couldn’t understand why. She feels like I’m a nice guy, I get along with everybody. . . . She was asking me, ‘Are you not playing well? What’s going on?’”

Letting it go

Clippers Coach Doc Rivers, on dealing with problem players: “I just let them explode and then move on. There’s not much you’ve got to do. I had Rasheed [Wallace]. He probably was the test market for any emotional player. Rasheed was a great teammate, he was a great guy, but when he lost it, he lost it, and listen, better coaches than me coached Rasheed. . . . I came to the conclusion that if they couldn’t stop it I’m not going to try.”

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Making it count

Indiana Coach Frank Vogel, on his team’s mind-set: “We really feel like every night we’re playing for a championship. A lot of teams can’t say that about their regular-season nights. There’s a lot of ‘just another nights’ in the NBA. But not with our team.”

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