Deflection had become Marcin Gortat’s primary action. He would say he had to go, if there was even an opportunity to ask him to chat, for various reasons. From the middle of the season on, the gregarious center was in a self-imposed lockdown with the media. If he answered questions, his explanations were short and of the get-this-over variety. Most times he just slipped out a back door on the practice court or past a crowd talking to someone else in the locker room.
The change in Gortat’s public demeanor coincided with a change in his play and personal life.