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In Tennessee redline dial 26 00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:42,039 Speaker 1: one eight hundred eight eight nine nine seven eight nine 27 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:46,400 Speaker 1: in Tennessee. Visit www one dot one eight hundred gambler 28 00:01:46,440 --> 00:02:03,440 Speaker 1: dot net in West Virginia. All right, welcome to Hoops Tonight, 29 00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:06,120 Speaker 1: presented by Fandel Here at the volume. I am Jason 30 00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:08,840 Speaker 1: Tim Pappy Wednesday, everybody. I hope you are all having 31 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:13,799 Speaker 1: a great start to your week. A loaded NBA slate tonight. 32 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:16,280 Speaker 1: And yes, we had a lot of stars missed the 33 00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:19,120 Speaker 1: games for various reasons, but I still feel like we 34 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:21,960 Speaker 1: learned a lot. We're gonna get into a bunch of games. 35 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:25,200 Speaker 1: We're gonna get into Lakers sixers here at the start, 36 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:28,520 Speaker 1: and then we're gonna get into that game, that huge 37 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:33,280 Speaker 1: matchup between Katie and the Nets and the Grant in Memphis. 38 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:37,240 Speaker 1: After that, we're gonna get into the Jazz absolutely just 39 00:02:37,400 --> 00:02:39,960 Speaker 1: folding in Boston against the Celtics. And then for those 40 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:41,880 Speaker 1: of you guys who stick around for the end, we 41 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:45,040 Speaker 1: are going to talk about the Phoenix Suns, a big 42 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 1: road win on in Minnesota. We're gonna get to all 43 00:02:48,919 --> 00:02:51,280 Speaker 1: of it. We're gonna start with the Lakers though, So 44 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:56,200 Speaker 1: obviously I was really looking forward to this game tonight 45 00:02:56,520 --> 00:02:59,920 Speaker 1: because you know, obviously the Lakers are starting to build 46 00:02:59,919 --> 00:03:02,720 Speaker 1: some positive momentum, right, you know, we get this big 47 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:06,480 Speaker 1: win on the road in Toronto, then yeah, you have 48 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:10,079 Speaker 1: this really disappointing loss in Washington, but they're in control 49 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:12,800 Speaker 1: for the vast majority of that game, and then they 50 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:15,320 Speaker 1: go win in Cleveland and look better than they have 51 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:19,360 Speaker 1: all season, even with Anthony Davis for large stretches, because 52 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:22,200 Speaker 1: they just have a kind of an identity figured out, right, 53 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:24,760 Speaker 1: Like they're they've kind of leaned into this five out 54 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:28,080 Speaker 1: identity for a few months now, but the effort was 55 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:31,120 Speaker 1: super inconsistent, and they didn't really have the offense figured 56 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:33,360 Speaker 1: out because they were playing all of these nonshooters. Well 57 00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:35,720 Speaker 1: now they're playing all their young players, they're playing all 58 00:03:35,720 --> 00:03:39,040 Speaker 1: their athletes, so they've got the five out identity, mixed 59 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:42,480 Speaker 1: with their best personnel, mixed with some effort in some belief, 60 00:03:42,640 --> 00:03:45,600 Speaker 1: and as a result, we've been getting some good outcomes. Right, 61 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:48,200 Speaker 1: And so here we go to Philly at home on 62 00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:51,520 Speaker 1: a Wednesday night in the Crypto dot Com arena. I 63 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:54,200 Speaker 1: thought it was a really good opportunity for the Lakers 64 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:57,720 Speaker 1: to get a big win, especially since Philly has some 65 00:03:57,960 --> 00:04:00,960 Speaker 1: very specific weaknesses. They're a better are basketball team in 66 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:04,240 Speaker 1: the Lakers, but they have a weakness with their transition defense, 67 00:04:04,240 --> 00:04:06,360 Speaker 1: which we'll talk about in a minute. And they have 68 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:08,960 Speaker 1: a low foot speed which will typically cause them to 69 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:12,119 Speaker 1: have issues against five out teams that really spread them out. 70 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:15,760 Speaker 1: And unfortunately, Lebron had to sit, and we're gonna get 71 00:04:15,760 --> 00:04:18,240 Speaker 1: to that in a second because I'm gonna go positive 72 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:20,960 Speaker 1: on the whole Lebron sitting thing. But what you saw, 73 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:24,440 Speaker 1: which was really interesting is all of the things minus Lebron, 74 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:27,120 Speaker 1: everything that I just talked about, all of those things 75 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:31,280 Speaker 1: minus Lebron materialized tonight and as a result, you had 76 00:04:31,279 --> 00:04:35,120 Speaker 1: a very competitive showing against that Philadelphia seventy sixers team. 77 00:04:35,160 --> 00:04:37,839 Speaker 1: The Lakers played super fast up and down the floor. 78 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:41,120 Speaker 1: They played incredibly hard when they got into the half court. 79 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:43,200 Speaker 1: It was a lot of driving, kick five out basketball 80 00:04:43,200 --> 00:04:46,120 Speaker 1: and attacking matchups with Carmelo and with Russ and with Malik. 81 00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:50,279 Speaker 1: That is the best way for this team to maximize 82 00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:53,360 Speaker 1: it's set of talent, and as a result, you saw 83 00:04:53,440 --> 00:04:56,480 Speaker 1: a competitive game. Obviously, they just didn't have the horses 84 00:04:56,800 --> 00:05:00,159 Speaker 1: to win a game like that, especially without Lebron. With 85 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:03,360 Speaker 1: this team already struggling on the size front, that was 86 00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:05,920 Speaker 1: gonna be an issue. Obviously, the Lakers have to sharpen 87 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:08,039 Speaker 1: up a lot of things as well. We'll get a 88 00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:10,320 Speaker 1: little bit deeper into some Laker stuff in a minute, 89 00:05:10,320 --> 00:05:12,880 Speaker 1: but I did want to talk about the Sixers because 90 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:17,640 Speaker 1: something seems a little bit off with them, because, like 91 00:05:17,720 --> 00:05:21,080 Speaker 1: we talked about in our power rankings just recently, they're 92 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:23,800 Speaker 1: starting to trend downward and some things are starting to 93 00:05:23,839 --> 00:05:26,280 Speaker 1: not look right. James Harden is not looking anywhere near 94 00:05:26,320 --> 00:05:28,679 Speaker 1: as good as he did in that first couple of games. 95 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:31,760 Speaker 1: And what you're seeing is those weaknesses that I described 96 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:34,760 Speaker 1: start to be start to show up in a in 97 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:38,760 Speaker 1: a rather ugly manner. Teams know how to attack this team. So, 98 00:05:38,839 --> 00:05:40,839 Speaker 1: for instance, if you've got James Harden, who was actually 99 00:05:40,839 --> 00:05:43,240 Speaker 1: a pretty good athlete, but he's lazy, right, Like, he's 100 00:05:43,240 --> 00:05:46,600 Speaker 1: not dedicated to sprinting up and down the floor. In transition. 101 00:05:46,880 --> 00:05:49,200 Speaker 1: You've got Joe lm Bead who's a very very good 102 00:05:49,279 --> 00:05:52,000 Speaker 1: player and definitely cares about that kind of stuff, but 103 00:05:52,240 --> 00:05:56,560 Speaker 1: he operates around the basket on offense, and he's slow 104 00:05:56,640 --> 00:05:59,120 Speaker 1: footed in a straight line speed, so he can struggle 105 00:05:59,160 --> 00:06:01,599 Speaker 1: in transition even you look further down the roster, like 106 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:04,920 Speaker 1: Danny Green. Danny Green is a great spot up shooter. 107 00:06:05,200 --> 00:06:09,240 Speaker 1: He's great at defending bigger wings because he's got good 108 00:06:09,279 --> 00:06:12,960 Speaker 1: size and strengthen. He's a great positional defender, but he's 109 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:15,640 Speaker 1: not a great sprinter, Like he's not gonna sprint up 110 00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:17,599 Speaker 1: and down the floor and hang with teams that play 111 00:06:17,640 --> 00:06:19,960 Speaker 1: with a ton of pace. Georgia Sneeing another one of 112 00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:24,200 Speaker 1: those guys, great shooter shoot from three, got good size, 113 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:26,520 Speaker 1: he rebounds well, but if you get him in a 114 00:06:26,600 --> 00:06:29,000 Speaker 1: track meet, he's gonna be probably one of the two 115 00:06:29,080 --> 00:06:31,520 Speaker 1: or three slowest guys on the floor. And so what 116 00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:34,680 Speaker 1: you're seeing is, you know, five five out basketball is 117 00:06:34,720 --> 00:06:37,080 Speaker 1: like the half court version of transition. You have to 118 00:06:37,120 --> 00:06:40,159 Speaker 1: cover the most space, and then transition is literally a 119 00:06:40,200 --> 00:06:42,320 Speaker 1: foot race. So if you can get Philly in a 120 00:06:42,360 --> 00:06:45,160 Speaker 1: position or they have to cover a ton of ground, 121 00:06:45,520 --> 00:06:48,159 Speaker 1: they're going to struggle because they're just not a very 122 00:06:48,279 --> 00:06:51,279 Speaker 1: fast team. And then in the half court, so for instance, 123 00:06:51,279 --> 00:06:53,919 Speaker 1: if I got Joel Embiid and my defense is constructed 124 00:06:53,960 --> 00:06:57,560 Speaker 1: around having Joel Embiid at the basket defending everything that 125 00:06:57,600 --> 00:07:00,400 Speaker 1: comes my way, but I'm running a five out sist him. Now, 126 00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:02,760 Speaker 1: Obviously when Dwight Howard's on the floor doesn't work this way. 127 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:05,080 Speaker 1: But when when they're playing without Dwight Howard and they're 128 00:07:05,080 --> 00:07:06,960 Speaker 1: playing five out with Lebron's at the five, or when 129 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:09,039 Speaker 1: you and Gabriel's at the five, or Carmelos at the five. 130 00:07:09,440 --> 00:07:12,880 Speaker 1: Now Joel Embiid has to be in help side by 131 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:15,640 Speaker 1: leaving a shooter open on the perimeter so he can 132 00:07:15,640 --> 00:07:18,520 Speaker 1: still protect the rim. But all it takes is one 133 00:07:18,640 --> 00:07:22,440 Speaker 1: or two rotations before Joel Embiid has to close out 134 00:07:22,440 --> 00:07:24,800 Speaker 1: to the perimeter. And when he has to close out 135 00:07:24,800 --> 00:07:27,320 Speaker 1: to the perimeter, now there's nobody on the back side 136 00:07:27,360 --> 00:07:30,840 Speaker 1: that has that same rim protecting presence that Joel Embiad has. 137 00:07:30,920 --> 00:07:34,600 Speaker 1: This is the issue with one dimensional teams. When you 138 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:37,000 Speaker 1: play a certain style. When you can keep the game 139 00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:39,720 Speaker 1: in your style, when you can play really slow, keep 140 00:07:39,800 --> 00:07:41,680 Speaker 1: things in the half court, they're gonna be really tough 141 00:07:41,720 --> 00:07:43,840 Speaker 1: to beat. Joel Embiad and James Harden draw a ton 142 00:07:43,840 --> 00:07:47,160 Speaker 1: of fouls. All of the shortcomings that James Harden has 143 00:07:47,200 --> 00:07:50,360 Speaker 1: as a postseason player, Joel Embiid counters a lot of that. 144 00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:52,120 Speaker 1: They have a good amount of shooting, and then on 145 00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:54,040 Speaker 1: the defensive end of the floor, and they have their 146 00:07:54,080 --> 00:07:56,880 Speaker 1: defense set. They are very big and long and athletic 147 00:07:56,960 --> 00:07:58,920 Speaker 1: right or they are a lot of they're not super athletic, 148 00:07:58,920 --> 00:08:01,120 Speaker 1: but they're very long and all. So they can do 149 00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:03,280 Speaker 1: a lot defensively in the half court. But if you 150 00:08:03,320 --> 00:08:07,720 Speaker 1: can force them to change styles, that is where they 151 00:08:07,880 --> 00:08:10,280 Speaker 1: can start to fall apart. If you make them play 152 00:08:10,320 --> 00:08:13,160 Speaker 1: your style, fast track, meet up and down the floor, 153 00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:16,480 Speaker 1: five out basketball, it plays directly into their weaknesses and 154 00:08:16,520 --> 00:08:18,880 Speaker 1: they start to have issues. And we've seen a ton 155 00:08:18,920 --> 00:08:21,000 Speaker 1: of that as of late, and it's something to keep 156 00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:22,960 Speaker 1: an eye on. One of their Note on the Sixers. 157 00:08:23,760 --> 00:08:25,640 Speaker 1: You know this thing and I've been talking about this 158 00:08:25,720 --> 00:08:29,320 Speaker 1: for weeks with them, they are the most appalling team 159 00:08:29,320 --> 00:08:32,320 Speaker 1: in the NBA to watch because it's not basketball a 160 00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:34,240 Speaker 1: lot of the time. You know, when I say what 161 00:08:34,240 --> 00:08:37,040 Speaker 1: what is basketball? I mean like playing the game the 162 00:08:37,080 --> 00:08:39,160 Speaker 1: way that we all did from the time we were 163 00:08:39,240 --> 00:08:41,080 Speaker 1: kids to the time that you're playing in your men's 164 00:08:41,160 --> 00:08:42,920 Speaker 1: league or women's league or whatever it is you're doing now, 165 00:08:42,920 --> 00:08:44,640 Speaker 1: whether you played in high school or college or not. 166 00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:47,960 Speaker 1: Basketball is about putting the ball in the basket, within 167 00:08:48,040 --> 00:08:51,720 Speaker 1: a within a five on five concept basketball. You would 168 00:08:51,720 --> 00:08:54,480 Speaker 1: never see a guy at the gym, you know, do 169 00:08:54,600 --> 00:08:57,440 Speaker 1: the kdie rip through to try to draw two free throws. 170 00:08:57,440 --> 00:09:00,199 Speaker 1: That's not basketball, right, And what you saw what you 171 00:09:00,240 --> 00:09:03,040 Speaker 1: see so often with this team, and it actually hurts 172 00:09:03,080 --> 00:09:05,679 Speaker 1: them on a lot of occasions, especially since the refs, 173 00:09:05,720 --> 00:09:08,800 Speaker 1: you know, are allegedly supposed to be paying closer attention 174 00:09:08,800 --> 00:09:11,120 Speaker 1: to this sort of thing. But they go, they deviate 175 00:09:11,600 --> 00:09:14,679 Speaker 1: from playing basketball, and they start to do their gimmick 176 00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:17,120 Speaker 1: key bullshit, and it starts to hurt the team. There 177 00:09:17,160 --> 00:09:19,640 Speaker 1: was a pivotal possession late I think it was early 178 00:09:19,679 --> 00:09:23,680 Speaker 1: fourth quarter or James Harden's running transition and he's got 179 00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:26,040 Speaker 1: Danny Green on his left side and Malik Monk's kind 180 00:09:26,040 --> 00:09:28,440 Speaker 1: of closing out to James Harden at the top of 181 00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:31,480 Speaker 1: the key. And when you Gabriel's back in transition defense, 182 00:09:31,480 --> 00:09:33,160 Speaker 1: he did his job. He sprinted back to the rim 183 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:35,080 Speaker 1: because that's what he does, and he's super fast, great 184 00:09:35,080 --> 00:09:38,280 Speaker 1: transition big. So when you Gabriels waiting under the basket, 185 00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:41,760 Speaker 1: Malik monks on James Harden, Danny Green is standing completely 186 00:09:41,880 --> 00:09:44,920 Speaker 1: unguarded right to his left on the wing. James Harden, 187 00:09:44,960 --> 00:09:47,840 Speaker 1: if he's playing basketball, will just make a swing pass 188 00:09:47,880 --> 00:09:49,920 Speaker 1: to Danny Green, who is one of the all time 189 00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:52,920 Speaker 1: great three points. You're especially in transition, used to kill 190 00:09:53,040 --> 00:09:54,880 Speaker 1: with that when he was with the Spurs. He did 191 00:09:54,880 --> 00:09:56,560 Speaker 1: a lot with the Lakers as well, running to the 192 00:09:56,600 --> 00:10:00,800 Speaker 1: corner great shooter instead of playing basketball and king that read. 193 00:10:00,960 --> 00:10:04,480 Speaker 1: He drove into Malik tried to hook his arms when 194 00:10:04,520 --> 00:10:07,920 Speaker 1: you and Gabriel's right there and help. He piles into 195 00:10:08,080 --> 00:10:10,240 Speaker 1: when you in Gabriel's chest and just throws his arms 196 00:10:10,559 --> 00:10:12,320 Speaker 1: arms up in the air and turns the ball over 197 00:10:12,480 --> 00:10:14,760 Speaker 1: and in the process. I don't know, we don't know 198 00:10:14,800 --> 00:10:16,400 Speaker 1: what it is yet. It's either a need a knee 199 00:10:16,480 --> 00:10:18,920 Speaker 1: kind of deal, like like kneecap bruise, or like a 200 00:10:19,960 --> 00:10:21,840 Speaker 1: bruise in his thigh. He's fine. He came back to 201 00:10:21,840 --> 00:10:24,080 Speaker 1: playing the game, but he heard himself doing it. So 202 00:10:24,160 --> 00:10:26,240 Speaker 1: not only did he turn the ball over, not only 203 00:10:26,280 --> 00:10:28,240 Speaker 1: did he miss his wide open teammate, but he got 204 00:10:28,280 --> 00:10:32,600 Speaker 1: himself hurt just by doing gimmicky bullshit instead of playing basketball. 205 00:10:32,920 --> 00:10:35,000 Speaker 1: And that's gonna always be my biggest pet peeve with 206 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:37,880 Speaker 1: that team. There's a huge difference between guys who draw 207 00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:41,040 Speaker 1: fouls because they play basketball so well that teams have 208 00:10:41,240 --> 00:10:44,600 Speaker 1: to foul them and guys that do gimmicky stuff to 209 00:10:44,679 --> 00:10:46,760 Speaker 1: try to draw fouls. That's the that's the huge difference. 210 00:10:46,840 --> 00:10:49,600 Speaker 1: Jannis Antenna Coopo draws a ton of fouls because he's 211 00:10:49,640 --> 00:10:51,920 Speaker 1: just ripping through and going to the basket like he's 212 00:10:51,960 --> 00:10:54,600 Speaker 1: not looking for the whistle. He's just going to the basket, 213 00:10:54,640 --> 00:10:56,520 Speaker 1: and people are hitting him because they can't keep him 214 00:10:56,520 --> 00:10:59,040 Speaker 1: in front. Katie, it's the same thing. Katie's just doing 215 00:10:59,080 --> 00:11:02,400 Speaker 1: his thing, operating with this dribble, get into his spots, 216 00:11:02,440 --> 00:11:04,400 Speaker 1: and guys get out of position and they have to 217 00:11:04,440 --> 00:11:06,959 Speaker 1: hack or Katie's gonna rise up and make shots. That's 218 00:11:06,960 --> 00:11:10,840 Speaker 1: a completely different type of foul drawing. What Kateie? What what? 219 00:11:10,920 --> 00:11:14,320 Speaker 1: Joe Empiad and James Harden do is fake basketball. It 220 00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:17,600 Speaker 1: disrupts the flow of their offense. It literally is. It 221 00:11:17,640 --> 00:11:21,439 Speaker 1: goes against making normal basketball reads. And as we know, 222 00:11:21,640 --> 00:11:24,680 Speaker 1: even though they can get foul calls in bunches during 223 00:11:24,720 --> 00:11:27,559 Speaker 1: the regular season, we know that stuff just doesn't work 224 00:11:27,800 --> 00:11:30,000 Speaker 1: in the playoffs. And so if they don't get over 225 00:11:30,080 --> 00:11:32,400 Speaker 1: that and start to play real basketball, that's gonna be 226 00:11:32,440 --> 00:11:34,840 Speaker 1: an issue, especially you know, so much of this now 227 00:11:35,840 --> 00:11:39,080 Speaker 1: is gonna come down on their defense and James Harden 228 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:41,560 Speaker 1: controlling the basketball, because, like I said, they have to 229 00:11:41,640 --> 00:11:44,040 Speaker 1: set the tone. They have to control the pace, and 230 00:11:44,040 --> 00:11:45,480 Speaker 1: in order for them to do that, they have to 231 00:11:45,520 --> 00:11:48,560 Speaker 1: get a ton of stops to keep to keep their 232 00:11:48,600 --> 00:11:52,120 Speaker 1: defense set. And then on offense, they need James Harden 233 00:11:52,160 --> 00:11:54,680 Speaker 1: to play slow and keep the ball in the half court. 234 00:11:54,679 --> 00:11:57,720 Speaker 1: They have a formula. Their formula still works, and that formula, 235 00:11:57,840 --> 00:11:59,880 Speaker 1: in conjunction with their talent, will give them a punch 236 00:11:59,920 --> 00:12:02,280 Speaker 1: or chance to beat anybody. But if you ask me 237 00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:04,840 Speaker 1: what's the most likely outcome, I think the most likely 238 00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:07,000 Speaker 1: outcome is they run into some team that directly attacks 239 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:09,440 Speaker 1: their weaknesses, runs them off the floor with their foot speed, 240 00:12:09,679 --> 00:12:12,160 Speaker 1: and James Harden and Joel Embiid go down doing their 241 00:12:12,200 --> 00:12:15,480 Speaker 1: bs that they always do. So moving on to the Lakers, 242 00:12:16,440 --> 00:12:18,720 Speaker 1: first of all, shout out to the Lakers for actually trying. 243 00:12:18,760 --> 00:12:20,800 Speaker 1: This is the fourth game in a row where for 244 00:12:20,880 --> 00:12:23,160 Speaker 1: the vast majority of the game they gave a really 245 00:12:23,160 --> 00:12:27,520 Speaker 1: good effort, which obviously makes that Washington Wizards game so 246 00:12:27,640 --> 00:12:31,000 Speaker 1: much more frustrating because what a blown opportunity that was. 247 00:12:31,080 --> 00:12:34,120 Speaker 1: Like the Sixers game tonight, if Lebron plays Philly, probably 248 00:12:34,120 --> 00:12:35,959 Speaker 1: comes a little bit more intense, and that game is 249 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:38,280 Speaker 1: still close. It's still is a tough one for them 250 00:12:38,320 --> 00:12:41,120 Speaker 1: to win without Anthony Davis, but you damn well should 251 00:12:41,120 --> 00:12:43,360 Speaker 1: have won that game at Washington. That was a huge 252 00:12:43,800 --> 00:12:46,679 Speaker 1: missed opportunity. But overall, this team is trending in the 253 00:12:46,760 --> 00:12:49,040 Speaker 1: right direction in a lot of different ways. There's a 254 00:12:49,120 --> 00:12:52,680 Speaker 1: belief there, there's a scheme that makes sense. They have 255 00:12:52,760 --> 00:12:55,480 Speaker 1: settled on, for the most part, what their rotation is 256 00:12:55,480 --> 00:12:57,600 Speaker 1: going to be in terms of the gout, the primary 257 00:12:57,640 --> 00:13:00,280 Speaker 1: guys that are gonna play alongside Lebron, A d and 258 00:13:00,360 --> 00:13:03,000 Speaker 1: Russ in various shifts at various moments of the game. 259 00:13:03,040 --> 00:13:06,280 Speaker 1: They're starting to kind of round into form in so 260 00:13:06,320 --> 00:13:08,680 Speaker 1: many different ways. So I get why it can be 261 00:13:08,720 --> 00:13:12,040 Speaker 1: frustrating to have Lebron and a Dan Street clothes. I 262 00:13:12,120 --> 00:13:16,320 Speaker 1: get that, but I'm gonna go positive here. So obviously, 263 00:13:16,360 --> 00:13:20,439 Speaker 1: the Lakers haven't played since Monday, so Lebron spent the 264 00:13:20,520 --> 00:13:22,160 Speaker 1: night in Cleveland on Monday, so he didn't have to 265 00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:26,000 Speaker 1: do rest on an airplane right that night. So he 266 00:13:26,040 --> 00:13:29,400 Speaker 1: gets Tuesday completely off, he gets Wednesday completely off. The 267 00:13:29,440 --> 00:13:32,360 Speaker 1: Lakers don't play Thursday, the Lakers don't play Friday, the 268 00:13:32,400 --> 00:13:36,000 Speaker 1: Lakers don't play Saturday. So he gets this full week 269 00:13:36,040 --> 00:13:39,079 Speaker 1: basically to rest that knee for what's gonna be an 270 00:13:39,120 --> 00:13:42,280 Speaker 1: incredibly difficult playoff run if they have the juice to 271 00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:44,000 Speaker 1: do it, if they if they have, if they get 272 00:13:44,000 --> 00:13:46,160 Speaker 1: past Phoenix and make a run at this, it's gonna 273 00:13:46,160 --> 00:13:49,280 Speaker 1: be incredibly grueling. They're gonna have to probably win a 274 00:13:49,400 --> 00:13:52,800 Speaker 1: road playoff game single game elimination in New Orleans if 275 00:13:52,800 --> 00:13:54,439 Speaker 1: they're very lucky that I'll be at home, but that's 276 00:13:54,440 --> 00:13:56,800 Speaker 1: still a tough matchup, right then they're gonna have to 277 00:13:56,840 --> 00:14:00,199 Speaker 1: go play whoever wins that other playing game to then 278 00:14:00,280 --> 00:14:03,040 Speaker 1: have to play the Phoenix Suns. That's a grueling stretch 279 00:14:03,600 --> 00:14:07,240 Speaker 1: of high level single elimination. And then and then uh, 280 00:14:07,640 --> 00:14:10,640 Speaker 1: playoff basketball, So it's gonna be grueling. Giving Lebron some 281 00:14:10,720 --> 00:14:14,520 Speaker 1: time off is smart in my opinion. Now, Anthony Davis. 282 00:14:14,559 --> 00:14:18,320 Speaker 1: Today was exactly five weeks to the day since Anthony 283 00:14:18,400 --> 00:14:21,520 Speaker 1: Davis got hurt, and we've heard all kinds of reports 284 00:14:21,520 --> 00:14:24,040 Speaker 1: that he's doing a ton of on court work. He 285 00:14:24,080 --> 00:14:28,080 Speaker 1: actually looks pretty good when I've seen him. So the 286 00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:31,760 Speaker 1: way I look at this, Anthony Davis is probably coming 287 00:14:31,800 --> 00:14:35,040 Speaker 1: back in the next two or three games. Lebron is 288 00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:38,560 Speaker 1: getting six days off. The identity of the team is 289 00:14:38,640 --> 00:14:42,320 Speaker 1: coming into form. The rotation is starting to get narrowed 290 00:14:42,320 --> 00:14:46,120 Speaker 1: down to the right guys. Russ is playing better basketball 291 00:14:46,160 --> 00:14:49,080 Speaker 1: than he has all season. He shot poor, like really 292 00:14:49,120 --> 00:14:52,000 Speaker 1: poorly from the perimeter tonight, which I predicted. He shot 293 00:14:52,040 --> 00:14:55,200 Speaker 1: like on jump shots in the previous three games. It 294 00:14:55,280 --> 00:14:57,160 Speaker 1: was inevitable that that was gonna come down. He went 295 00:14:57,200 --> 00:15:00,920 Speaker 1: two for ten tonight outside on jump shots. But outside 296 00:15:00,960 --> 00:15:03,600 Speaker 1: of that specific thing, he finished around the rim great tonight. 297 00:15:03,760 --> 00:15:07,200 Speaker 1: He applied a ton of rim pressure, still classic Russ stuff. 298 00:15:07,200 --> 00:15:09,480 Speaker 1: He was really bad defensively in the fourth quarter or whatever. 299 00:15:09,520 --> 00:15:11,960 Speaker 1: We can get into that another time. But Russ is 300 00:15:11,960 --> 00:15:16,320 Speaker 1: playing better now then he has this entire season. So 301 00:15:16,480 --> 00:15:20,640 Speaker 1: with all of that coming together, the scheme, the players, 302 00:15:20,760 --> 00:15:25,760 Speaker 1: the stars, you can actually start to see a like 303 00:15:25,800 --> 00:15:28,520 Speaker 1: an actual functional route that the Lakers can take. There's 304 00:15:28,560 --> 00:15:31,320 Speaker 1: a path taking shape. It's a narrow path, it's gonna 305 00:15:31,320 --> 00:15:34,480 Speaker 1: be a very difficult path, but there's a path taking shape. 306 00:15:34,600 --> 00:15:37,200 Speaker 1: And that's very exciting. And that's why I wasn't too 307 00:15:37,200 --> 00:15:39,440 Speaker 1: concerned about Lebron taking the night off tonight, even though 308 00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:41,400 Speaker 1: I wanted to see him play. I think he's gonna 309 00:15:41,680 --> 00:15:44,240 Speaker 1: I think Anthony Davis will be back soon. Lebron looks 310 00:15:44,320 --> 00:15:48,360 Speaker 1: great physically, whatever this knee injury was. Obviously there's issues 311 00:15:48,400 --> 00:15:51,200 Speaker 1: with swelling and fluid that come with the knee, but 312 00:15:51,280 --> 00:15:54,480 Speaker 1: as you guys have noticed watching the game, uh these 313 00:15:54,520 --> 00:15:56,800 Speaker 1: games over the course of the last couple of weeks, 314 00:15:57,720 --> 00:16:01,400 Speaker 1: it looks like he's regaining a lot of his explosiveness. 315 00:16:01,440 --> 00:16:04,760 Speaker 1: So whatever was going on with the knee, I and 316 00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:07,640 Speaker 1: obviously we will probably learn a lot more about this 317 00:16:07,680 --> 00:16:10,760 Speaker 1: knee issue when we get to the off season, just 318 00:16:10,800 --> 00:16:12,400 Speaker 1: like he did with his ankle and with his groin, 319 00:16:13,080 --> 00:16:17,160 Speaker 1: But he at least looks as explosive as he needs 320 00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:20,280 Speaker 1: to in order to legitimately do what he needs to 321 00:16:20,280 --> 00:16:23,600 Speaker 1: do to be, you know, playoff Lebron and to do 322 00:16:23,680 --> 00:16:27,120 Speaker 1: everything that like because, like I said from from the 323 00:16:27,120 --> 00:16:29,480 Speaker 1: All Star break, from the trade deadline, when they didn't 324 00:16:29,480 --> 00:16:33,160 Speaker 1: make a deal, the only way this works now because 325 00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:35,880 Speaker 1: they their margin for air massively shrunk when they screwed 326 00:16:35,960 --> 00:16:38,920 Speaker 1: up the off season and butchered all their signings. The 327 00:16:38,960 --> 00:16:41,800 Speaker 1: only way this works now is if Lebron and Anthony 328 00:16:41,880 --> 00:16:44,560 Speaker 1: Davis go on a playoff run for the Ages. They 329 00:16:45,120 --> 00:16:47,440 Speaker 1: need to look like the first and second best players 330 00:16:47,480 --> 00:16:50,280 Speaker 1: in the world in order for this to work. But 331 00:16:50,360 --> 00:16:54,400 Speaker 1: Lebron very much looks like that guy right now. And 332 00:16:54,520 --> 00:16:59,280 Speaker 1: Anthony Davis literally was destroying everybody he was playing in 333 00:16:59,320 --> 00:17:01,640 Speaker 1: the handful of games before he hurt his foot, because 334 00:17:01,640 --> 00:17:04,640 Speaker 1: he looked lighter. He just looked he looked more confident, 335 00:17:04,960 --> 00:17:08,440 Speaker 1: he was more mobile. Is his lift was better if 336 00:17:08,440 --> 00:17:10,600 Speaker 1: he has that still when he comes back from this 337 00:17:10,680 --> 00:17:14,000 Speaker 1: foot injury, and Lebron is still that guy, and Russ 338 00:17:14,119 --> 00:17:16,560 Speaker 1: is a a slight net positive instead of a big 339 00:17:16,600 --> 00:17:19,880 Speaker 1: net negative and they're playing their best players. Now we're 340 00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:22,440 Speaker 1: talking about a team that legitimately has a chance. It's 341 00:17:22,440 --> 00:17:26,120 Speaker 1: gonna be extremely difficult. They have the hardest path because 342 00:17:26,119 --> 00:17:28,000 Speaker 1: they have to go through Phoenix in the plan, but 343 00:17:28,119 --> 00:17:32,119 Speaker 1: it's a realistic path. 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But you know, 380 00:19:46,400 --> 00:19:52,080 Speaker 1: there's this interesting phenomenon that happens in the NBA, and 381 00:19:52,160 --> 00:19:53,639 Speaker 1: I think you saw it a little bit in that 382 00:19:53,680 --> 00:19:56,480 Speaker 1: Minnesota Timberwolves Sons game in the early stretches of the game, 383 00:19:56,480 --> 00:20:00,119 Speaker 1: when Minnesota was in control. When you have really the 384 00:20:00,320 --> 00:20:04,120 Speaker 1: young teams that have a lot of athleticism and size, 385 00:20:05,040 --> 00:20:09,359 Speaker 1: that are at home and that are motivated for whatever reason, 386 00:20:10,160 --> 00:20:13,199 Speaker 1: they can be like a buzz saw that you're running into. 387 00:20:14,240 --> 00:20:18,200 Speaker 1: You see this a lot in the NBA playoffs. Better 388 00:20:18,280 --> 00:20:21,359 Speaker 1: team at home goes up two games to nothing. They're 389 00:20:21,359 --> 00:20:23,200 Speaker 1: the better team, they're usually the older team, they're the 390 00:20:23,240 --> 00:20:25,960 Speaker 1: higher seed, they have the veterans. Then they go on 391 00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:28,480 Speaker 1: the road. It's like the Calves when they go on 392 00:20:28,520 --> 00:20:30,399 Speaker 1: the road when they go on the road to Indie, 393 00:20:30,440 --> 00:20:32,320 Speaker 1: or the Miami Heat with Lebron when they go on 394 00:20:32,359 --> 00:20:34,919 Speaker 1: the road to Indie, uh and play Game three when 395 00:20:34,920 --> 00:20:39,240 Speaker 1: they're up two games to none. That raucous environment, super 396 00:20:39,720 --> 00:20:44,600 Speaker 1: motivated team, young athletic feeding on the energy of the crowd. 397 00:20:45,040 --> 00:20:48,720 Speaker 1: It is literally a buzz saw. And I remember seeing 398 00:20:48,720 --> 00:20:51,800 Speaker 1: once upon a time a stat from Vega as somebody 399 00:20:52,119 --> 00:20:54,160 Speaker 1: was looking at Vegas results of this kind of thing. 400 00:20:54,720 --> 00:20:57,560 Speaker 1: Underdogs game three down two oh at home. I think 401 00:20:57,560 --> 00:20:59,879 Speaker 1: they win, like they covered the spread like six of 402 00:20:59,920 --> 00:21:02,600 Speaker 1: the time. It's it's it's a there's data that backs 403 00:21:02,640 --> 00:21:03,919 Speaker 1: this kind of thing up. Don't quote me on that 404 00:21:03,920 --> 00:21:06,359 Speaker 1: specific number, but there is data that backs that kind 405 00:21:06,359 --> 00:21:07,879 Speaker 1: of thing up. I think that's what happened at the 406 00:21:07,880 --> 00:21:11,840 Speaker 1: Brooklyn Nets tonight. You have John Morant out, you had 407 00:21:11,920 --> 00:21:13,240 Speaker 1: like all you have to do is look at the 408 00:21:13,520 --> 00:21:16,119 Speaker 1: Memphis Grizzlies fans and the way they were acting on 409 00:21:16,160 --> 00:21:18,879 Speaker 1: Twitter all day. They were so excited for this game. 410 00:21:19,560 --> 00:21:23,320 Speaker 1: The the the arena was electric. They like we talked 411 00:21:23,320 --> 00:21:25,359 Speaker 1: about in the show on Monday night, when you sub 412 00:21:25,440 --> 00:21:28,359 Speaker 1: John Morant out, who is not a good defensive player, 413 00:21:28,400 --> 00:21:30,840 Speaker 1: even though he's very important to that team, he's not 414 00:21:30,920 --> 00:21:33,760 Speaker 1: a good defensive player, you put another athlete on the floor. Obviously, 415 00:21:33,800 --> 00:21:35,760 Speaker 1: when Tyas Jones was out there, it's not great either. 416 00:21:35,960 --> 00:21:37,920 Speaker 1: But when Thyas Jones was off the floor and they're playing, 417 00:21:37,960 --> 00:21:40,000 Speaker 1: you know, they're basically letting Dylan Brooks are on the point. 418 00:21:40,200 --> 00:21:44,000 Speaker 1: They are super super athletic. Now that even further makes 419 00:21:44,080 --> 00:21:47,080 Speaker 1: that concept that I'm talking about more complicated, and you 420 00:21:47,119 --> 00:21:50,080 Speaker 1: saw the basically the Nets run into the buzz saw, 421 00:21:50,800 --> 00:21:54,040 Speaker 1: fall way behind. They gave up a million points in training. 422 00:21:54,040 --> 00:21:55,879 Speaker 1: I think they had twenty two fast break points that 423 00:21:55,880 --> 00:21:57,640 Speaker 1: they gave up in the first half, and like eleven 424 00:21:57,640 --> 00:22:01,560 Speaker 1: offensive rebounds, those are two stats that are irrevocably attached 425 00:22:01,600 --> 00:22:05,240 Speaker 1: to effort and athleticism. If you're a bigger, stronger, faster 426 00:22:05,320 --> 00:22:07,680 Speaker 1: team that's playing harder, they're gonna get a ship ton 427 00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:09,480 Speaker 1: offensive rebounds and you're gonna run up and down the 428 00:22:09,480 --> 00:22:11,119 Speaker 1: floor and get dunks. And that's what they did in 429 00:22:11,119 --> 00:22:13,639 Speaker 1: that first half. Then the Nets settled down in the 430 00:22:13,680 --> 00:22:15,600 Speaker 1: second half and got to what they were doing. Through 431 00:22:15,600 --> 00:22:19,240 Speaker 1: the entire game, Katie and Kyrie were getting whatever shot 432 00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:23,240 Speaker 1: they wanted, even without Seth Curry as a spacing threat, 433 00:22:23,480 --> 00:22:25,840 Speaker 1: even playing a lot of minutes of Andre Drummond and 434 00:22:25,920 --> 00:22:27,879 Speaker 1: Bruce Brown in the front court, which we're gonna get 435 00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:30,400 Speaker 1: to in a minute, but they were just getting whatever 436 00:22:30,440 --> 00:22:32,880 Speaker 1: they wanted. So I knew as soon as they kind 437 00:22:32,880 --> 00:22:34,760 Speaker 1: of tightened up some of those details, as soon as 438 00:22:34,760 --> 00:22:36,760 Speaker 1: they started getting back in transition, as soon as they 439 00:22:36,800 --> 00:22:39,160 Speaker 1: started boxing out, they go on a run. And they 440 00:22:39,200 --> 00:22:40,800 Speaker 1: did and the Nets. Actually, I think they went up 441 00:22:40,800 --> 00:22:42,440 Speaker 1: one oh four, one of one. They kind of had 442 00:22:42,440 --> 00:22:45,320 Speaker 1: control there for a minute, and then that buzz saw 443 00:22:45,400 --> 00:22:48,960 Speaker 1: came back and their defense locked in. They got a 444 00:22:48,960 --> 00:22:50,679 Speaker 1: bunch of stops and Desmond Bane made a bunch of 445 00:22:50,680 --> 00:22:52,600 Speaker 1: threes to Anthony Melton made one. They made a bunch 446 00:22:52,600 --> 00:22:55,639 Speaker 1: of threes in that fourth quarter run, and it was 447 00:22:55,680 --> 00:22:57,399 Speaker 1: just too much for the Nets. I don't read too 448 00:22:57,480 --> 00:22:59,560 Speaker 1: much into that. I'm still a huge believer in what 449 00:22:59,600 --> 00:23:02,160 Speaker 1: they do. For a couple of specific reasons I wanted 450 00:23:02,200 --> 00:23:03,880 Speaker 1: to dive in. First of all, we got the word 451 00:23:03,920 --> 00:23:06,679 Speaker 1: today that basically for the rest of the season, Kyrie 452 00:23:06,680 --> 00:23:09,680 Speaker 1: Irving's gonna play in every home game. So I told 453 00:23:09,680 --> 00:23:13,040 Speaker 1: you guys that while I was worried about that, it 454 00:23:13,119 --> 00:23:15,280 Speaker 1: didn't count them out. For me. I still believed in 455 00:23:15,320 --> 00:23:17,760 Speaker 1: them as a threat. So that even that takes it 456 00:23:17,800 --> 00:23:20,879 Speaker 1: to another level. With Kyrie's availability, He's playing some of 457 00:23:20,920 --> 00:23:23,040 Speaker 1: the best basketball of his careers. Had over a hundred 458 00:23:23,119 --> 00:23:27,760 Speaker 1: points in his last two games. Kyrie is clicking right now, 459 00:23:27,840 --> 00:23:31,600 Speaker 1: so having him for every game is a huge asset. 460 00:23:32,200 --> 00:23:35,840 Speaker 1: But what is so what is so fascinating to me 461 00:23:35,880 --> 00:23:38,159 Speaker 1: about this team is the way they can get away 462 00:23:38,200 --> 00:23:41,119 Speaker 1: with poor spacing. So we learned a lot about this 463 00:23:41,200 --> 00:23:42,879 Speaker 1: over the course of the last few years with the Lakers. 464 00:23:42,960 --> 00:23:45,639 Speaker 1: Right when you have guys like Dennis Schroeder or Russell 465 00:23:45,680 --> 00:23:49,840 Speaker 1: Westbrook or Lebron James or Anthony Davis basket attackers, guys 466 00:23:49,880 --> 00:23:52,480 Speaker 1: that their bread and butter is putting their head down 467 00:23:52,480 --> 00:23:54,399 Speaker 1: and going to the rim. Maybe Anthony Davis doesn't deserve 468 00:23:54,400 --> 00:23:56,960 Speaker 1: that credit, that's another conversation. But for those other guys 469 00:23:56,960 --> 00:23:58,560 Speaker 1: they get and put their head down to the rim. 470 00:23:58,600 --> 00:24:02,440 Speaker 1: Spacing is via totally important for those guys because spacing 471 00:24:02,480 --> 00:24:05,760 Speaker 1: means driving lanes. Spacing means I just have to beat 472 00:24:05,840 --> 00:24:09,000 Speaker 1: my guy off the dribble and maybe one help defender 473 00:24:09,040 --> 00:24:13,680 Speaker 1: instead of driving into a thicket of bodies. But Kyrie 474 00:24:13,760 --> 00:24:18,680 Speaker 1: Irving and Kevin Durant are uniquely equipped to handle tight 475 00:24:18,760 --> 00:24:22,800 Speaker 1: space environments because of their polish in their ability to 476 00:24:22,840 --> 00:24:25,600 Speaker 1: create shots off the dribble. So, for instance, if I 477 00:24:25,720 --> 00:24:30,359 Speaker 1: made any slasher play basketball with Andre Drummond and Bruce 478 00:24:30,400 --> 00:24:34,000 Speaker 1: Brown on the floor, they would have absolutely no luck 479 00:24:34,040 --> 00:24:37,160 Speaker 1: getting to the basket. They would struggle with that throughout 480 00:24:37,200 --> 00:24:39,840 Speaker 1: the game. It would be a problem for them, you know, 481 00:24:40,680 --> 00:24:43,280 Speaker 1: especially like early Lebron before he became a jump shooter, 482 00:24:43,320 --> 00:24:45,399 Speaker 1: he would have really struggled with something like that. But 483 00:24:46,119 --> 00:24:49,720 Speaker 1: Katie and Kyrie, because they are at their most comfort 484 00:24:50,119 --> 00:24:53,520 Speaker 1: beating one defender in a one on one situation to 485 00:24:53,600 --> 00:24:56,640 Speaker 1: get to a ten to fifteen foot jump shot, they 486 00:24:56,640 --> 00:24:59,200 Speaker 1: don't care how many bodies are under the basket. They 487 00:24:59,240 --> 00:25:03,160 Speaker 1: will they go to the basket as a counter, they'll 488 00:25:03,240 --> 00:25:05,159 Speaker 1: drive to the raim and try to finish a layup 489 00:25:05,200 --> 00:25:08,320 Speaker 1: here and then as a counter to their bread and butter, 490 00:25:08,640 --> 00:25:11,480 Speaker 1: which is operating in that mid range space. A great 491 00:25:11,520 --> 00:25:15,200 Speaker 1: example of this was Kobe Bryant in the late two thousands. 492 00:25:15,520 --> 00:25:18,280 Speaker 1: You know, with with Paugasol and Andrew buying him. You know, 493 00:25:18,920 --> 00:25:21,840 Speaker 1: the Paugasol and Andrew buying him, they clogged things up 494 00:25:21,840 --> 00:25:25,159 Speaker 1: in there, which is so good for the defensive end 495 00:25:25,240 --> 00:25:27,960 Speaker 1: and for their offensive rebounding, their ability to control the paint. 496 00:25:28,400 --> 00:25:32,480 Speaker 1: But Kobe's ability to functionally operate in that mid range 497 00:25:32,480 --> 00:25:35,480 Speaker 1: space when there was no space to operate under the 498 00:25:35,560 --> 00:25:40,800 Speaker 1: basket is why he was the perfect star for that team, 499 00:25:40,840 --> 00:25:43,080 Speaker 1: and it's why that team was the best team in 500 00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:46,760 Speaker 1: the league over that stretch. It's a very interesting concept 501 00:25:46,960 --> 00:25:49,760 Speaker 1: that I've had to feel like because I've been concerned 502 00:25:49,760 --> 00:25:52,679 Speaker 1: about that Andre Drummond Bruce Bound fit for a while. 503 00:25:52,720 --> 00:25:54,640 Speaker 1: Whether or not that would become an issue now will 504 00:25:54,680 --> 00:25:57,240 Speaker 1: be We'll see over time, because maybe when they get 505 00:25:57,280 --> 00:25:59,480 Speaker 1: James Johnson in there, some of these other guys, let's 506 00:25:59,480 --> 00:26:01,879 Speaker 1: say seth or he does get hurt. It'll be interesting 507 00:26:01,920 --> 00:26:04,720 Speaker 1: to see if a better defensive team that's got a 508 00:26:04,760 --> 00:26:07,040 Speaker 1: little bit more length and athleticism, if like a like 509 00:26:07,080 --> 00:26:09,680 Speaker 1: a Milwaukee Bucks or a Miami Heat, if a team 510 00:26:09,720 --> 00:26:12,080 Speaker 1: like that can find a way to make them pay more. 511 00:26:12,640 --> 00:26:16,200 Speaker 1: But it's the ability, the luxury of keeping Bruce Brown 512 00:26:16,240 --> 00:26:20,199 Speaker 1: and Andre Drummond on the floor. That's defense guys, that's rebounding, 513 00:26:20,400 --> 00:26:24,240 Speaker 1: that's physicality that raises the physical profile of those lineups. 514 00:26:24,240 --> 00:26:27,200 Speaker 1: That that makes it so that Katie and Kyrie don't 515 00:26:27,200 --> 00:26:29,920 Speaker 1: have to carry as much of a load. I'm a big, 516 00:26:29,960 --> 00:26:33,440 Speaker 1: big believer in what they've got going on. I I 517 00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:36,760 Speaker 1: don't care that they lost tonight in Memphis. I still 518 00:26:36,800 --> 00:26:40,840 Speaker 1: think their top tier contender absolutely very well could be 519 00:26:40,880 --> 00:26:43,000 Speaker 1: the team holding the title. They're not my number one pick. 520 00:26:43,040 --> 00:26:46,399 Speaker 1: I'm probably gonna go with Phoenix still, but Brooklyn I 521 00:26:46,400 --> 00:26:50,000 Speaker 1: have them right there with Boston, like right underneath Phoenix. 522 00:26:50,040 --> 00:26:52,600 Speaker 1: Really a couple quick notes on the Grizzlies. No, they're 523 00:26:52,600 --> 00:26:54,920 Speaker 1: not better without John Morant. We went over this last night. 524 00:26:54,960 --> 00:26:57,040 Speaker 1: It's great that they keep winning these games of fifteen 525 00:26:57,040 --> 00:26:59,639 Speaker 1: and two now without John Rant. It's week schedule up 526 00:26:59,680 --> 00:27:03,160 Speaker 1: until tonight. Tons of size and athleticism defense that will 527 00:27:03,200 --> 00:27:05,879 Speaker 1: manufacture wins in the regular season. But the Nets are 528 00:27:05,920 --> 00:27:07,880 Speaker 1: not a great defensive team. They actually had a really 529 00:27:07,920 --> 00:27:11,080 Speaker 1: bad defensive night, even though they've been pretty good defensively overall. 530 00:27:11,480 --> 00:27:14,200 Speaker 1: Against a really good defensive team, a team like Boston, 531 00:27:14,400 --> 00:27:15,919 Speaker 1: if you don't have a guy like John Morant, they 532 00:27:15,920 --> 00:27:17,680 Speaker 1: can break the team down off the dribble at the 533 00:27:17,680 --> 00:27:20,680 Speaker 1: start of possessions. Their offense is going to completely fault 534 00:27:20,720 --> 00:27:24,240 Speaker 1: to pieces. So I I I like Memphis. It's their 535 00:27:24,320 --> 00:27:27,560 Speaker 1: cool story. They need John Morant in order to have 536 00:27:27,680 --> 00:27:31,160 Speaker 1: any chance, and I still have them like they're they're 537 00:27:31,200 --> 00:27:34,760 Speaker 1: they're on level below the Boston's and the Brooklyn's and 538 00:27:34,760 --> 00:27:37,080 Speaker 1: the teams that have like a real chance to win 539 00:27:37,119 --> 00:27:39,840 Speaker 1: the title. Alright, moving on to the Jazz Celtics, so 540 00:27:40,760 --> 00:27:43,560 Speaker 1: really quickly on this one. So the Celtics continue to 541 00:27:43,600 --> 00:27:45,960 Speaker 1: just completely beat the ship out of everybody they're playing, 542 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:48,600 Speaker 1: including good teams they wanted to Denver and demolished. On 543 00:27:48,680 --> 00:27:51,600 Speaker 1: the other night, they demolished the Jazz Tonight, I said. 544 00:27:51,600 --> 00:27:54,159 Speaker 1: I mentioned a while back that when we did our 545 00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:56,640 Speaker 1: first power rankings, I think it was like a month ago, 546 00:27:57,080 --> 00:27:59,119 Speaker 1: and I talked about how the Celtics were playing so 547 00:27:59,200 --> 00:28:02,280 Speaker 1: incredibly well, but that Jayson Tatum and Jalen Brown weren't 548 00:28:02,280 --> 00:28:04,920 Speaker 1: making threes. They were both shooting like thirty from three 549 00:28:05,000 --> 00:28:07,679 Speaker 1: over that span when they were doing so well, and 550 00:28:07,720 --> 00:28:10,080 Speaker 1: so I was like, wait till they start making shots 551 00:28:10,080 --> 00:28:13,560 Speaker 1: like this could get even crazier. Well, Tatum in the 552 00:28:13,640 --> 00:28:17,199 Speaker 1: last three weeks of shooting damn near from three, and 553 00:28:17,200 --> 00:28:19,800 Speaker 1: then tonight Jalen Brown was making them. Tatum and Brown 554 00:28:19,840 --> 00:28:22,080 Speaker 1: tonight went eight for four from three. They lit the 555 00:28:22,160 --> 00:28:25,280 Speaker 1: Jazz on fire. There was nothing they could do with them. 556 00:28:25,320 --> 00:28:28,679 Speaker 1: But the most interesting subplot about that entire game to 557 00:28:28,760 --> 00:28:31,720 Speaker 1: me was not only are the Celtics really good, but 558 00:28:31,840 --> 00:28:36,720 Speaker 1: there their identity, their specific style of play, switching everything 559 00:28:36,800 --> 00:28:40,960 Speaker 1: five out basketball directly attacks what the Jazz do well. 560 00:28:41,760 --> 00:28:44,280 Speaker 1: Like we talked about earlier with Joel embiid Oh, I'm 561 00:28:44,280 --> 00:28:46,680 Speaker 1: not gonna get into it again. In five out basketball, 562 00:28:46,720 --> 00:28:49,360 Speaker 1: when you're driving and kicking, you can get a guy 563 00:28:49,400 --> 00:28:51,800 Speaker 1: like Rudy Gobert out of the paint on a rotation 564 00:28:51,880 --> 00:28:54,120 Speaker 1: or two, which generates space to get to the rim. 565 00:28:54,160 --> 00:28:56,760 Speaker 1: That's the advantage of having Al Horford in the corner 566 00:28:57,040 --> 00:28:59,640 Speaker 1: and Robert Williams setting the high ball screen. There's nobody 567 00:28:59,720 --> 00:29:03,040 Speaker 1: under basket and that just opens things opens things up 568 00:29:03,080 --> 00:29:06,440 Speaker 1: and makes Rudy Gobert cover in space. But most importantly, 569 00:29:07,280 --> 00:29:11,480 Speaker 1: the Utah Jazz are a screen and roll offense. Almost 570 00:29:11,600 --> 00:29:15,200 Speaker 1: everything they do offensively involves a high screen with Rudy 571 00:29:15,240 --> 00:29:18,080 Speaker 1: Gobert and Mike Conley and Donovan Mitchell trying to create 572 00:29:18,080 --> 00:29:20,080 Speaker 1: stuff off of that. The only guy they have that does, 573 00:29:20,280 --> 00:29:23,080 Speaker 1: the only guys they have that do isolation are Jordan 574 00:29:23,160 --> 00:29:27,440 Speaker 1: Clarkson and bog Boyan Bogdanovich, and they're just not very great. 575 00:29:27,480 --> 00:29:29,920 Speaker 1: They're not very good basketball players. They're gonna play isolation 576 00:29:29,920 --> 00:29:33,400 Speaker 1: basketball against really good scores. They're gonna lose those matchups 577 00:29:33,400 --> 00:29:37,200 Speaker 1: on most nights. So when you switch these high ball 578 00:29:37,320 --> 00:29:43,160 Speaker 1: screens that involved Conley and and Donovan Mitchell, it disrupts 579 00:29:43,160 --> 00:29:45,400 Speaker 1: everything that they do. Offensively, and it kind of turns 580 00:29:45,400 --> 00:29:48,320 Speaker 1: them into a It kind of turns them into a 581 00:29:48,400 --> 00:29:52,360 Speaker 1: jump shooting team. You know, Donovan Mitchell's taking like eleven 582 00:29:52,440 --> 00:29:56,320 Speaker 1: threes a game over this last couple of months. That's 583 00:29:57,240 --> 00:30:00,479 Speaker 1: for for for their best score are you believe their 584 00:30:00,520 --> 00:30:03,560 Speaker 1: best athlete, the guy that's supposed to be living at 585 00:30:03,560 --> 00:30:06,600 Speaker 1: the rim, that's really dependent on jump shooting. Which kind 586 00:30:06,600 --> 00:30:09,400 Speaker 1: of takes me to one kind of larger topic that 587 00:30:09,440 --> 00:30:11,680 Speaker 1: I wanted to hit on that I think is relative 588 00:30:11,720 --> 00:30:13,160 Speaker 1: to all of these teams and a lot of the 589 00:30:13,160 --> 00:30:15,960 Speaker 1: things we've been talking about lately, because we have, you know, 590 00:30:16,040 --> 00:30:18,200 Speaker 1: this up and coming class of centers, right, like we 591 00:30:18,240 --> 00:30:21,160 Speaker 1: have Joel Embiid and we have Nicola Yoki's, two players 592 00:30:21,200 --> 00:30:23,520 Speaker 1: that many folks think there are the best players in 593 00:30:23,560 --> 00:30:27,000 Speaker 1: the league, this this revival of the centers. And then 594 00:30:27,040 --> 00:30:30,040 Speaker 1: we have these really good guards, right We've got John Murray, 595 00:30:30,120 --> 00:30:32,400 Speaker 1: We've got Donovan Mitchell. You know, we've got these up 596 00:30:32,400 --> 00:30:35,560 Speaker 1: and coming guards in the league. But then we've got 597 00:30:35,600 --> 00:30:39,920 Speaker 1: our wings. We've got our Janice Lebron and Kevin Durant, 598 00:30:40,040 --> 00:30:43,719 Speaker 1: who have seemingly followed by the wayside in these conversations 599 00:30:43,760 --> 00:30:46,040 Speaker 1: about who the best players in the league are. And 600 00:30:46,080 --> 00:30:49,000 Speaker 1: what blows me away that people keep glancing over with 601 00:30:49,040 --> 00:30:52,440 Speaker 1: this kind of thing is those guys, those big guys, 602 00:30:52,560 --> 00:30:56,320 Speaker 1: those are those wings. They don't have weaknesses that you 603 00:30:56,360 --> 00:31:00,960 Speaker 1: can directly attack. I can run on Oil Embiide and 604 00:31:01,080 --> 00:31:04,600 Speaker 1: Nicola Yokich all day long. They're way too slow. I 605 00:31:04,680 --> 00:31:07,600 Speaker 1: can put them in a five out system and make 606 00:31:07,640 --> 00:31:11,160 Speaker 1: them rotate on the perimeter and massively limit their defensive effect. 607 00:31:11,760 --> 00:31:14,680 Speaker 1: You're not gonna getting a track meet to beat Lebron, 608 00:31:14,800 --> 00:31:17,800 Speaker 1: Kevin Durant and Joannice. They're gonna win the track meet. 609 00:31:18,680 --> 00:31:21,840 Speaker 1: You're not gonna make Lebron, Janice and and k D 610 00:31:22,480 --> 00:31:25,080 Speaker 1: guard too much on the perimeter. They're gonna lock people 611 00:31:25,160 --> 00:31:28,760 Speaker 1: up out there going to the guards. This is the 612 00:31:28,840 --> 00:31:30,400 Speaker 1: This is the key. This has been one of my 613 00:31:30,400 --> 00:31:32,360 Speaker 1: biggest issues with Steph, and I got in trouble saying 614 00:31:32,360 --> 00:31:34,400 Speaker 1: this years ago. We won't get into it, but the 615 00:31:34,400 --> 00:31:37,200 Speaker 1: thing with Steph is when you're a smaller guard, you 616 00:31:37,240 --> 00:31:40,560 Speaker 1: can't rely on your physicality to create shots. So when 617 00:31:40,560 --> 00:31:43,840 Speaker 1: you're switching defenses right and those screen and roll actions 618 00:31:43,840 --> 00:31:45,840 Speaker 1: don't work, all of a sudden, you're looking at a 619 00:31:45,880 --> 00:31:47,640 Speaker 1: guy eye to eye and you have to score. Now, 620 00:31:47,760 --> 00:31:50,400 Speaker 1: what made Steph Curry so great is he could also 621 00:31:50,680 --> 00:31:53,160 Speaker 1: do that to a certain extent, right, But all these 622 00:31:53,160 --> 00:31:56,000 Speaker 1: other small guards like Donovan Mitchell and and you know, 623 00:31:56,080 --> 00:31:58,880 Speaker 1: Jordan Clarkson and Mike Conley, like, if they're in an 624 00:31:58,920 --> 00:32:02,560 Speaker 1: isolation situation against the set elite defense with all the 625 00:32:02,640 --> 00:32:05,440 Speaker 1: wings and help and everything, they're gonna struggle to create 626 00:32:05,480 --> 00:32:09,400 Speaker 1: their own shot because they're small. Whereas if I'm Lebron 627 00:32:09,920 --> 00:32:12,400 Speaker 1: and it's the pivotal possession of the game and the 628 00:32:12,440 --> 00:32:16,560 Speaker 1: crowd's going crazy and it's with three minutes left and 629 00:32:16,560 --> 00:32:19,160 Speaker 1: there's eight seconds left on the shot clock, I'm fighting 630 00:32:19,160 --> 00:32:21,880 Speaker 1: for a position at fifteen feet. I'm leaning on you 631 00:32:21,920 --> 00:32:24,920 Speaker 1: with my two seventy pound frame. I'm catching the ball 632 00:32:24,920 --> 00:32:27,160 Speaker 1: and I'm fading over either shoulder, and I know I'm 633 00:32:27,160 --> 00:32:31,160 Speaker 1: getting that shot off. That's the advantage of that. These wings, 634 00:32:31,200 --> 00:32:35,160 Speaker 1: these hyper versatile Swiss army knife wings that we have 635 00:32:35,280 --> 00:32:38,880 Speaker 1: Kevin Durant, Janie and Lebron, they are the best players 636 00:32:38,880 --> 00:32:42,200 Speaker 1: in the league. That archetype will always be the most 637 00:32:42,280 --> 00:32:46,080 Speaker 1: functional archetype to succeed in any basketball environment. We got 638 00:32:46,080 --> 00:32:48,479 Speaker 1: way too ahead of ourselves with these big guys, and 639 00:32:48,520 --> 00:32:51,120 Speaker 1: we always get way to us ahead of ourselves with 640 00:32:51,160 --> 00:32:53,760 Speaker 1: these little guards. Don't forget that the Wings are the 641 00:32:53,760 --> 00:32:56,320 Speaker 1: guys that run the league. All right, Before we get 642 00:32:56,320 --> 00:32:57,680 Speaker 1: out of here, I wanted to talk about the Sons 643 00:32:57,680 --> 00:33:01,880 Speaker 1: and the Wolves. So another team that the Timberwolves played 644 00:33:01,920 --> 00:33:04,960 Speaker 1: that was a uh, you know, top to your team, right, 645 00:33:05,040 --> 00:33:07,400 Speaker 1: or whatever you wanna called playoff team. And like we 646 00:33:07,440 --> 00:33:09,280 Speaker 1: talked about, every time they've played one of these teams, 647 00:33:09,280 --> 00:33:13,479 Speaker 1: there's been a star missing, and once again tonight they 648 00:33:13,520 --> 00:33:15,080 Speaker 1: get to play one of them without a star Chris 649 00:33:15,120 --> 00:33:19,040 Speaker 1: Paul at home, and they lost. And they lost for 650 00:33:19,160 --> 00:33:21,120 Speaker 1: a lot of the reasons that I have been hammering 651 00:33:21,120 --> 00:33:23,560 Speaker 1: home about these two teams in particular, Like I told 652 00:33:23,560 --> 00:33:26,240 Speaker 1: you guys, one of my biggest fears with Minnesota, I 653 00:33:26,360 --> 00:33:29,360 Speaker 1: like Carl Anthony Towns is a huge matchup problem, even 654 00:33:29,400 --> 00:33:31,920 Speaker 1: though he's not a great defensive player. They have so 655 00:33:32,040 --> 00:33:35,440 Speaker 1: much athleticism on the wings with uh, they have so 656 00:33:35,520 --> 00:33:37,760 Speaker 1: much athleticism on the wings now that it kind of 657 00:33:37,800 --> 00:33:40,160 Speaker 1: covers for that. Everything in the front court for the 658 00:33:40,160 --> 00:33:43,680 Speaker 1: Timberwolves I like a lot, but they have two volatile 659 00:33:43,720 --> 00:33:46,680 Speaker 1: guards in the back court. They've got D'Angelo Russell, and 660 00:33:46,720 --> 00:33:49,360 Speaker 1: they've got Anthony Edwards, who's young. The two of those 661 00:33:49,360 --> 00:33:53,640 Speaker 1: guys tonight combined for twenty five points, seven rebounds, and 662 00:33:53,760 --> 00:33:58,000 Speaker 1: eleven assists combined, and they went ten for twenty six 663 00:33:58,040 --> 00:34:02,200 Speaker 1: from the field and three for thirteen from three. Those 664 00:34:02,200 --> 00:34:05,600 Speaker 1: are the guys determining the outcome of most of these 665 00:34:05,600 --> 00:34:09,120 Speaker 1: possessions for the Timberwolves. And I really like Anthony Edwards. 666 00:34:09,120 --> 00:34:11,000 Speaker 1: I think he's gonna be a great player one day, 667 00:34:11,120 --> 00:34:13,879 Speaker 1: but he's young. Young guards. Decision making is the number 668 00:34:13,920 --> 00:34:16,480 Speaker 1: one thing young guards struggle with. They don't see the 669 00:34:16,480 --> 00:34:19,640 Speaker 1: floor well enough yet. Anthony Edwards is way too reliant 670 00:34:19,840 --> 00:34:21,719 Speaker 1: on his jump shot at this point in his career. 671 00:34:21,760 --> 00:34:24,560 Speaker 1: That's something he's gonna learn as he gets older. And 672 00:34:24,560 --> 00:34:28,640 Speaker 1: then D'Angel Russell, He's fine. D'Angel Russell's fine. He's just 673 00:34:29,239 --> 00:34:31,400 Speaker 1: he's a what what what will we call him? A 674 00:34:31,480 --> 00:34:36,279 Speaker 1: league average starting guard? Right? Like? He's fine. Like he's 675 00:34:36,280 --> 00:34:38,200 Speaker 1: not gonna be the guy that's going to go toe 676 00:34:38,200 --> 00:34:42,280 Speaker 1: to toe with Devin Booker. Hell no, certainly not Chris Paul. 677 00:34:42,960 --> 00:34:45,040 Speaker 1: He's not gonna go toe to toe with Steph Curry. 678 00:34:45,360 --> 00:34:47,080 Speaker 1: He's not gonna go toe to toe with John Moran. 679 00:34:47,600 --> 00:34:50,680 Speaker 1: That backcourt is gonna be what inevitably spells the doom 680 00:34:50,719 --> 00:34:52,560 Speaker 1: of this Minnesota Timberwolves team. And that's the part that 681 00:34:52,600 --> 00:34:54,040 Speaker 1: they got to figure out. I don't know who they 682 00:34:54,040 --> 00:34:56,040 Speaker 1: can go for, but that's gonna be the piece that 683 00:34:56,080 --> 00:34:58,040 Speaker 1: they have to build out. Love the front court, love 684 00:34:58,080 --> 00:35:01,640 Speaker 1: all the athleticism, love car Anthony Towns. They got to 685 00:35:01,680 --> 00:35:03,720 Speaker 1: figure out the back court. And then with the sons. 686 00:35:04,600 --> 00:35:07,400 Speaker 1: I keep telling you, guys, DeAndre Ayton and Mikhail Bridges 687 00:35:07,640 --> 00:35:10,439 Speaker 1: are the future stars of this team. Well, DeAndre Ayton 688 00:35:10,480 --> 00:35:15,240 Speaker 1: tonight thirty five and fourteen, he's averaging one point zero 689 00:35:15,400 --> 00:35:18,480 Speaker 1: six points per possession on post ups, which is the 690 00:35:18,520 --> 00:35:21,040 Speaker 1: same as Lebron this year. That's how good of a 691 00:35:21,080 --> 00:35:26,160 Speaker 1: post player DeAndre Ayton has been in a small role. Well, 692 00:35:26,200 --> 00:35:28,879 Speaker 1: he's not getting touches to build rhythm, and all he's 693 00:35:28,880 --> 00:35:31,120 Speaker 1: allowed to do is should jump books, which has been awesome. 694 00:35:31,760 --> 00:35:35,000 Speaker 1: That that like power dribble, little turning right hand jump book. 695 00:35:35,120 --> 00:35:37,439 Speaker 1: He can make it out to like ten feet now too, 696 00:35:37,480 --> 00:35:41,040 Speaker 1: It's crazy. He like there was this whole conversation earlier 697 00:35:41,080 --> 00:35:43,839 Speaker 1: this season about whether or not Robert Sarvers should pay 698 00:35:43,880 --> 00:35:47,520 Speaker 1: him the max. If they let him go, that is 699 00:35:47,560 --> 00:35:52,000 Speaker 1: a catastrophic mistake. The future of this team is Devin Booker, 700 00:35:52,520 --> 00:35:55,680 Speaker 1: Nicle Bridges, and DeAndre at you get rid of Chris 701 00:35:55,719 --> 00:35:59,600 Speaker 1: Paul before you get rid of DeAndre Campaign was awesome 702 00:35:59,640 --> 00:36:02,840 Speaker 1: again to night. Campaign is always awesome. Campaign is a 703 00:36:02,920 --> 00:36:06,640 Speaker 1: really good backup guard to have to get dribble penetration 704 00:36:06,640 --> 00:36:08,880 Speaker 1: and stuff. We talked about this a lot in previous podcast. 705 00:36:09,280 --> 00:36:12,719 Speaker 1: You find any other option before you get rid of 706 00:36:12,719 --> 00:36:16,120 Speaker 1: DeAndre Ayton, he and he gives you the best option 707 00:36:16,200 --> 00:36:19,360 Speaker 1: to hang with the big he's especially with the Yokiches 708 00:36:19,360 --> 00:36:21,359 Speaker 1: and the Embides out there and the honest is out there, 709 00:36:21,600 --> 00:36:24,719 Speaker 1: you need to have somebody like that that can hang 710 00:36:24,760 --> 00:36:27,120 Speaker 1: with these bigger bodies. I think it would be absolutely 711 00:36:27,160 --> 00:36:29,480 Speaker 1: insane if they let Deandreton go. I think he's a 712 00:36:29,480 --> 00:36:33,839 Speaker 1: star in the making. He's he's so good that it's 713 00:36:33,960 --> 00:36:38,520 Speaker 1: not that stupid that the Sons didn't take Luca instead. 714 00:36:38,719 --> 00:36:41,560 Speaker 1: That's how good Deandreton has been. He's averaging over twenty 715 00:36:41,560 --> 00:36:43,919 Speaker 1: points since the Chris I think he's averaging right around 716 00:36:43,960 --> 00:36:46,080 Speaker 1: twenty points since the Chris Paul injury on like sixty 717 00:36:46,440 --> 00:36:49,880 Speaker 1: percent shooting. That's just outrageous numbers alongside all of the 718 00:36:49,920 --> 00:36:52,720 Speaker 1: talent that's on that roster. The Phoenix Suns top the bottom, 719 00:36:53,280 --> 00:36:55,279 Speaker 1: are by far the most talented team in the league. 720 00:36:55,920 --> 00:36:57,880 Speaker 1: And they have a guy who can create shots for 721 00:36:57,960 --> 00:36:59,760 Speaker 1: the shots first teammates and a guy who create shots 722 00:36:59,760 --> 00:37:02,120 Speaker 1: firms self. That's why I think they're the favorites right now. 723 00:37:02,200 --> 00:37:03,799 Speaker 1: One last note before we get out of here on 724 00:37:03,840 --> 00:37:06,840 Speaker 1: Devin Booker, and just kind of applies to John Morant 725 00:37:06,840 --> 00:37:11,680 Speaker 1: as well. But once again, we had a statement. I gosh, 726 00:37:11,719 --> 00:37:14,520 Speaker 1: I think it was Isaiah Thomas. I think it was 727 00:37:14,520 --> 00:37:17,600 Speaker 1: Isaiah Thomas, can't remember. Somebody, somebody famous, some NBA player 728 00:37:17,880 --> 00:37:21,279 Speaker 1: said something about how Devin Booker should be in the 729 00:37:21,400 --> 00:37:24,719 Speaker 1: m v P conversation. And then Devin Booker quoted the 730 00:37:24,760 --> 00:37:28,640 Speaker 1: tweet and said, like, yeah, but they changed the criteria 731 00:37:28,760 --> 00:37:32,640 Speaker 1: for based on your name, and I wanted to talk 732 00:37:32,680 --> 00:37:34,319 Speaker 1: about that, but just a minute, because it's something that 733 00:37:34,360 --> 00:37:38,000 Speaker 1: bothers me. You know, everybody's got different criteria for m 734 00:37:38,040 --> 00:37:42,360 Speaker 1: v P, that's clear. But there are a couple of 735 00:37:42,400 --> 00:37:44,480 Speaker 1: things that we've all kind of agreed on, you know, 736 00:37:44,520 --> 00:37:47,360 Speaker 1: like one, we care about team record. We want to 737 00:37:47,400 --> 00:37:51,000 Speaker 1: have the best player on the best team in the league, right, 738 00:37:51,680 --> 00:37:54,120 Speaker 1: and then two, we want, you know, the guy who's 739 00:37:54,160 --> 00:37:56,680 Speaker 1: the most valuable. What happens when that guys off the floor? 740 00:37:56,719 --> 00:37:59,360 Speaker 1: How does it impact how reliant is the team on 741 00:37:59,440 --> 00:38:02,160 Speaker 1: that guy. That's part of it. But the last part, 742 00:38:02,880 --> 00:38:05,360 Speaker 1: and it's always been something that I thought is important, 743 00:38:06,200 --> 00:38:08,120 Speaker 1: is the guy's gotta be one of the best players 744 00:38:08,120 --> 00:38:11,400 Speaker 1: in the league. Like the guy's gotta be in the 745 00:38:11,480 --> 00:38:14,960 Speaker 1: conversation for best player in the league. Those are the 746 00:38:15,000 --> 00:38:18,160 Speaker 1: criteria for the m v P in my opinion, And 747 00:38:18,480 --> 00:38:22,000 Speaker 1: Devin Booker and John Moran are having unbelievable seasons. I 748 00:38:22,040 --> 00:38:25,279 Speaker 1: do not want to undercut that to any extent. You 749 00:38:25,280 --> 00:38:27,640 Speaker 1: guys have heard me say I think John Moran is 750 00:38:27,680 --> 00:38:30,440 Speaker 1: better than Russell Westbrook ever was. That's how high I 751 00:38:30,520 --> 00:38:33,400 Speaker 1: revere that guy. I think John Moran is better than 752 00:38:33,400 --> 00:38:37,160 Speaker 1: Derrick Rose, uh, John Wall, Russell Westbrook, any of those guys. 753 00:38:37,200 --> 00:38:41,520 Speaker 1: He's the evolutionary next step in that in that type 754 00:38:41,520 --> 00:38:44,680 Speaker 1: of archetype of hyper athletic point guard. I love John Moran. 755 00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:48,479 Speaker 1: He's not a top tier superstar. I really like Devin 756 00:38:48,520 --> 00:38:51,319 Speaker 1: and Booker one of the most polished scorers we have 757 00:38:51,360 --> 00:38:54,319 Speaker 1: in the league. I've said on the show, he was 758 00:38:54,960 --> 00:38:59,440 Speaker 1: one of the few bright spots ins when Chris Paul 759 00:38:59,480 --> 00:39:02,200 Speaker 1: was fading, when DeAndre Aton was struggling with foul trouble, 760 00:39:02,320 --> 00:39:04,520 Speaker 1: when they were getting run rough shot over by by 761 00:39:04,600 --> 00:39:07,520 Speaker 1: by Johannis Antenna Coopo, when all that was crumbling around 762 00:39:07,560 --> 00:39:10,560 Speaker 1: them in the four losses, there was this guy on Phoenix, 763 00:39:11,120 --> 00:39:16,760 Speaker 1: Devin Booker, who's showing some flashes of all time great 764 00:39:16,840 --> 00:39:21,399 Speaker 1: scoring over an unbelievable defensive player and Drew Holiday. That's 765 00:39:21,400 --> 00:39:25,400 Speaker 1: how much I revere those guys. But they're closer to 766 00:39:25,440 --> 00:39:27,400 Speaker 1: the tenth player in the league, tenth best player in 767 00:39:27,400 --> 00:39:28,759 Speaker 1: the league, than they are to the first best player 768 00:39:28,800 --> 00:39:31,520 Speaker 1: in the league, which to me automatically disqualifies them from 769 00:39:31,600 --> 00:39:34,200 Speaker 1: m v P guys. Let's be honest, why are the 770 00:39:34,200 --> 00:39:36,840 Speaker 1: Phoenix Suns in the Memphis Grizzly so good? Is it 771 00:39:36,880 --> 00:39:39,960 Speaker 1: because Devin Booker and John Moran are m vps or 772 00:39:40,000 --> 00:39:42,839 Speaker 1: is it because those two teams are incredibly talented. It's 773 00:39:42,840 --> 00:39:48,640 Speaker 1: because they're incredibly talented. The Memphis Grizzlies are unbelievably athletic 774 00:39:48,680 --> 00:39:52,120 Speaker 1: and big job. Jaren Jackson Jr. Literally looks like the 775 00:39:52,160 --> 00:39:55,160 Speaker 1: next version of Anthony Davis on some nights, you know, 776 00:39:55,440 --> 00:39:58,880 Speaker 1: Desmond Bains having kind of like a weird Clay Thompson 777 00:39:59,320 --> 00:40:04,440 Speaker 1: mixed with Shawn Marion slashing defending type of season. He's awesome, 778 00:40:05,160 --> 00:40:07,160 Speaker 1: you know. And then Phoenix, I literally just said, is 779 00:40:07,200 --> 00:40:11,759 Speaker 1: the most talented team in the entire NBA. So it's 780 00:40:11,760 --> 00:40:14,120 Speaker 1: awesome that John Rand Devin Book are playing well. But 781 00:40:14,280 --> 00:40:16,960 Speaker 1: those teams are not winning because those guys are m vps. 782 00:40:17,400 --> 00:40:20,399 Speaker 1: Those teams are winning because they're incredibly talented. There are 783 00:40:20,719 --> 00:40:23,279 Speaker 1: much much better m VP candidates out there who are 784 00:40:23,440 --> 00:40:26,640 Speaker 1: on teams with really good records, who are also immensely 785 00:40:26,760 --> 00:40:28,759 Speaker 1: valuable to the product that the team is putting on 786 00:40:28,800 --> 00:40:31,480 Speaker 1: the floor, and are comfortably in the conversation for best 787 00:40:31,480 --> 00:40:33,200 Speaker 1: player in the world. Those are the guys that should 788 00:40:33,239 --> 00:40:35,800 Speaker 1: be considered at this point. I love Devin Book or 789 00:40:35,840 --> 00:40:38,640 Speaker 1: John Morant, just this ain't your year, guys, and that's 790 00:40:39,080 --> 00:40:41,600 Speaker 1: it's okay. Maybe one day, if you get better, maybe 791 00:40:41,640 --> 00:40:44,040 Speaker 1: one day on a on a in a different situation, 792 00:40:44,080 --> 00:40:46,560 Speaker 1: you can have that consideration. But I I'm not gonna 793 00:40:46,560 --> 00:40:49,000 Speaker 1: lose any sleep over those two guys not being in 794 00:40:49,000 --> 00:40:51,920 Speaker 1: the m v P conversation. Alright, guys, that is all 795 00:40:51,960 --> 00:40:54,879 Speaker 1: I have for tonight. I sincerely appreciate you guys taking 796 00:40:54,920 --> 00:40:57,040 Speaker 1: the time to come hang out. We have a few 797 00:40:57,120 --> 00:41:00,640 Speaker 1: nights off here. We will be back on Sunday. As always, 798 00:41:00,719 --> 00:41:02,680 Speaker 1: I appreciate your support and I'll see you in a 799 00:41:02,680 --> 00:41:21,880 Speaker 1: few days. The volume