He's back. He's healthy. He's in better condition. He's hungry and wants the ball. He wants his team to be better.

I want the ball in my hands. I want to make plays for the guys. I got in that matrix [in the third quarter]. I felt like I couldn't miss.

It's not about not wanting to go there because of the team. It's because of tickets and because of a lot of things [people whisper] in your ear. But what better time for me to get back on track, playing well there in the playoffs?

No team works out teamwork.

Of course, from the team we had, I wasn't automatically thrilled, ... I was wondering what went wrong. But you think about the business of the N.B.A. and what we're here to do and you say, 'Jason will be great to run with, Jason will be a great point guard for us.' You move on from what you don't have.

I'm a playmaker, and I'm going to score. At the end of the day, my job is to put the ball in the basket.