1 00:00:01,200 --> 00:00:08,520 Speaker 1: The volume Hoops Tonight is presented by FanDuel. The NBA 2 00:00:08,680 --> 00:00:11,000 Speaker 1: is back, and there's no better place to get in 3 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:13,600 Speaker 1: on the action than with fandel This is my favorite 4 00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:16,400 Speaker 1: sports betting app that is out there. It is safe 5 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:18,880 Speaker 1: and easy to use, easy to get your money in 6 00:00:19,079 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 1: and out. I love that cash out feature, So if 7 00:00:21,840 --> 00:00:23,439 Speaker 1: you're in good shape with one of your bets and 8 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:25,840 Speaker 1: you don't want to risk garbage time, you can get 9 00:00:25,840 --> 00:00:29,080 Speaker 1: your money out quickly. Use promo code Jason T and 10 00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:32,680 Speaker 1: download the FanDuel app today to make every moment more 11 00:00:33,040 --> 00:00:40,000 Speaker 1: This NBA Season twenty one plus in president Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Indiana, Louisiana. 12 00:00:40,400 --> 00:00:44,519 Speaker 1: Permitted parishes only, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee, Virginia 13 00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:48,120 Speaker 1: or West Virginia. First online real money wager only. Refund 14 00:00:48,159 --> 00:00:52,160 Speaker 1: issued as non withdrawable site credit that expires in fourteen days. 15 00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:56,360 Speaker 1: Restrictions apply. See terms at sports book dot FanDuel dot com. 16 00:00:56,400 --> 00:00:59,920 Speaker 1: Gambling problem called one eight hundred, next step or tech 17 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:04,480 Speaker 1: next step to five three three four two in Arizona 18 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:08,480 Speaker 1: one eight eight eight seven eight nine seven seven seven 19 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:13,560 Speaker 1: seven or visit CCPG dot org slash chat in Connecticut 20 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:17,000 Speaker 1: one eight hundred Gambler or visit FanDuel dot com slash 21 00:01:17,319 --> 00:01:21,920 Speaker 1: RG in Colorado, Indiana, New Jersey, In Virginia one eight 22 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:26,640 Speaker 1: seven seven seven seven zero stop in Louisiana one eight 23 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:30,920 Speaker 1: hundred to seven zero seven one one seven for confidential 24 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:35,559 Speaker 1: help in Michigan one eight seven seven eight hope and why, 25 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:39,520 Speaker 1: or text hope and Why to four six seven three 26 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:43,119 Speaker 1: six nine in New York. In tennessee redline dial one 27 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:47,440 Speaker 1: eight hundred eight eight nine nine seven eight nine in Tennessee, 28 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 1: visit www one dot one eight hundred gambler dot net 29 00:01:51,760 --> 00:02:14,120 Speaker 1: in West Virginia. All right, welcome to Hoops tonight for 30 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:18,280 Speaker 1: sented by Fan Duel here at the Volume live on AMP. 31 00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:20,880 Speaker 1: Happy Tuesday, everybody. I hope all of you guys are 32 00:02:20,880 --> 00:02:22,840 Speaker 1: having a great week so far. Don't forget if you're 33 00:02:22,919 --> 00:02:25,480 Speaker 1: checking this out on YouTube or on our podcast feed 34 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:27,600 Speaker 1: that AMP is the very first place you guys can 35 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:30,760 Speaker 1: get our postgame analysis. So today we're gonna be breaking 36 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:34,200 Speaker 1: down the Warriors getting their butt kicked in Milwaukee despite 37 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:38,960 Speaker 1: going twenty for fifty from three. That's gotta be really upsetting. 38 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:40,920 Speaker 1: And then we're gonna touch on a couple of games 39 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:43,840 Speaker 1: from last night, the Brooklyn Nets winning eight out of 40 00:02:43,919 --> 00:02:46,720 Speaker 1: nine by going on the road into Washington and controlling 41 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:49,239 Speaker 1: that game, and then the Los Angeles Clippers kind of 42 00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:52,239 Speaker 1: sent a message to the Boston Celtics, Paul George and 43 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:57,240 Speaker 1: Kauai soundly out playing Jayson Tatum and Jalen Brown. So 44 00:02:57,280 --> 00:02:59,360 Speaker 1: those are the three games we're gonna get to tonight, 45 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:03,040 Speaker 1: uh Lakers Celtics which is later tonight, and Kings Sixers. 46 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:04,720 Speaker 1: Those are two games that I have I have my 47 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:07,359 Speaker 1: eye on from tonight's s late. We're gonna touch those 48 00:03:07,720 --> 00:03:13,000 Speaker 1: during tomorrow's show. So this was pretty damn dominant from Milwaukee, 49 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:19,760 Speaker 1: absolutely physically pulverized Golden State. They outrebounded them fifty five 50 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:24,359 Speaker 1: to thirty seven, They outscored him in the paint to thirty, 51 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:28,080 Speaker 1: and they outscored him on the fast break sixteen to seven. 52 00:03:28,520 --> 00:03:31,360 Speaker 1: And again, if you would tell me going into this 53 00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:34,600 Speaker 1: game that the Warriors are gonna make twenty three's and 54 00:03:34,600 --> 00:03:38,080 Speaker 1: that they're gonna shoot from the three point line, you 55 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:40,240 Speaker 1: like your chances in a game like that. But they 56 00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:43,880 Speaker 1: got so soundly dominated in all of these other areas 57 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:46,360 Speaker 1: of the game that they didn't really even have a chance. 58 00:03:46,400 --> 00:03:49,400 Speaker 1: I never really felt like Milwaukee was threatened, even when 59 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:51,680 Speaker 1: they went on that little run there late second quarter. 60 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:54,920 Speaker 1: You get back within six and you don't get back 61 00:03:54,920 --> 00:03:56,920 Speaker 1: in transition three times in a row. Next thing, you know, 62 00:03:56,960 --> 00:04:00,120 Speaker 1: it's twelve point lead going into halftime. But you know 63 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:02,080 Speaker 1: my rule, we're gonna talk about the Bucks first. We 64 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:04,680 Speaker 1: will get to the Warriors in their second half as 65 00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:07,280 Speaker 1: their excuse me, the road struggles here in just a 66 00:04:07,320 --> 00:04:09,040 Speaker 1: few minutes. So y honest kind of had a tough 67 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:11,760 Speaker 1: shooting night, but I thought Joanna's completely dominated this game, 68 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:14,840 Speaker 1: all with rim pressure. In transition, he struggled in the 69 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:17,160 Speaker 1: half court because he was kind of trying stuff, taking 70 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:18,760 Speaker 1: a lot of jump shots in this game, but he 71 00:04:18,800 --> 00:04:23,000 Speaker 1: was just missing them. Um. But in transition, Gold and 72 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:25,240 Speaker 1: say you couldn't do anything with them. And it's funny 73 00:04:25,279 --> 00:04:27,880 Speaker 1: because I always used to say that the two guys 74 00:04:28,080 --> 00:04:31,240 Speaker 1: that I would construct in a lab to defend the 75 00:04:31,320 --> 00:04:34,320 Speaker 1: Honest that are in this league are Draymond Green and 76 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:40,000 Speaker 1: Lebron James. That unique combination of quickness with other worldly 77 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:44,600 Speaker 1: strength and the instincts, the defensive instincts required to beat 78 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:47,359 Speaker 1: the Honest two spots and make those types of reads 79 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:49,560 Speaker 1: and things along those lines. And so this particular matchup, 80 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:52,279 Speaker 1: because I actually really like Kevan Looney as a potential 81 00:04:52,480 --> 00:04:55,840 Speaker 1: nice matchup in certain situations, but they just didn't bring 82 00:04:55,839 --> 00:04:57,960 Speaker 1: the requisite effort tonight. When they walled him up in 83 00:04:58,000 --> 00:05:00,479 Speaker 1: the half court, they did a pretty nice job, but 84 00:05:00,560 --> 00:05:02,599 Speaker 1: when he got out in transition, they were they just 85 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:05,200 Speaker 1: didn't bring that same type of effort they did against Boston. 86 00:05:05,320 --> 00:05:08,840 Speaker 1: Like against Boston they had the like a a chaotic 87 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:13,000 Speaker 1: effort just just forcing their way back in transition defense 88 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:15,360 Speaker 1: to contain Boston, and then they just didn't bring that tonight, 89 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:17,360 Speaker 1: which has been an issue. And again that's kind of 90 00:05:17,400 --> 00:05:20,960 Speaker 1: the Janice thing too, Like Joannice just keeps coming at 91 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:23,920 Speaker 1: you in waves. I noticed this um to a great 92 00:05:23,920 --> 00:05:26,640 Speaker 1: extent in that Boston Celtics series last year. It's like, yeah, 93 00:05:26,640 --> 00:05:29,440 Speaker 1: Grant Williams can stay in front of Jana's a couple 94 00:05:29,440 --> 00:05:31,640 Speaker 1: of times, and so can Al Horford maybe for even 95 00:05:31,640 --> 00:05:34,960 Speaker 1: a couple of games. But eventually, the better athlete that 96 00:05:35,040 --> 00:05:37,840 Speaker 1: is more well conditioned, that has that advantage is going 97 00:05:37,839 --> 00:05:40,680 Speaker 1: to continue to break on that shore until he eventually 98 00:05:41,120 --> 00:05:42,960 Speaker 1: overcomes them. And and that's kind of the way it 99 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:45,279 Speaker 1: was tonight. You could they they did a nice job 100 00:05:45,279 --> 00:05:47,320 Speaker 1: in half court, but they couldn't get in front of 101 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:49,520 Speaker 1: him enough times in transition. And then when they did 102 00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:51,200 Speaker 1: get in front of him in transition, he was beating 103 00:05:51,240 --> 00:05:54,760 Speaker 1: you with the pass. It was just an onslaught that 104 00:05:54,760 --> 00:05:57,360 Speaker 1: that never stopped, and Golden State couldn't do anything with him. 105 00:05:57,400 --> 00:05:59,240 Speaker 1: And it's funny because that's part of why I think 106 00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:01,520 Speaker 1: he's so clearly the best player in the league. That 107 00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:05,560 Speaker 1: that type of physical onslaught is proven to succeed in 108 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:09,839 Speaker 1: the NBA playoffs because a lot of the shot making stuff, 109 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:12,440 Speaker 1: you know, it's it doesn't go away entirely, but the 110 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:16,599 Speaker 1: percentages dip way down, and the bigger physical teams tend 111 00:06:16,640 --> 00:06:20,440 Speaker 1: to control that setting in the n b A and 112 00:06:20,560 --> 00:06:23,440 Speaker 1: Janice is the guy that you can count on to 113 00:06:23,680 --> 00:06:26,080 Speaker 1: thrive in those environments and ways that a lot of 114 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:28,000 Speaker 1: teams can't. And I mean Golden State again, I thought 115 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:30,760 Speaker 1: a lot of effort related issues tonight, but they also 116 00:06:30,880 --> 00:06:35,159 Speaker 1: got physically manhandled in this game. They're very, very physical ball. 117 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:37,560 Speaker 1: You know, we talked about drop coverage being a problem 118 00:06:37,760 --> 00:06:41,000 Speaker 1: for for and State when we were talking in and 119 00:06:41,279 --> 00:06:43,880 Speaker 1: Milwaukee was running in a just as much of a 120 00:06:43,960 --> 00:06:46,200 Speaker 1: drop coverage. Like we were joking about how Blake Griffin 121 00:06:46,279 --> 00:06:48,760 Speaker 1: was too far back, and usually names and Al Horford 122 00:06:48,800 --> 00:06:50,800 Speaker 1: are back, but they're not that far back, you know, 123 00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:53,479 Speaker 1: like Brook Lobez and a lot of these drop coverages 124 00:06:53,560 --> 00:06:56,799 Speaker 1: was sitting, you know, twenty feet behind the screen. Janice 125 00:06:56,800 --> 00:06:59,159 Speaker 1: was doing a better job getting up, but Brooke was 126 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:02,640 Speaker 1: pretty far back. And they were just so physical on 127 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:04,640 Speaker 1: the ball, and then also on off ball with all 128 00:07:04,640 --> 00:07:07,480 Speaker 1: of Golden States screening interchanges and they're cutting and stuff 129 00:07:07,480 --> 00:07:11,640 Speaker 1: like that, they really wore down Golden State. And and 130 00:07:11,680 --> 00:07:14,680 Speaker 1: that's kind of the Janice effects to He's the personification 131 00:07:14,760 --> 00:07:18,080 Speaker 1: of that effect within one basketball player, just wearing you 132 00:07:18,120 --> 00:07:20,440 Speaker 1: down on both ends of the floor until eventually you 133 00:07:20,520 --> 00:07:23,400 Speaker 1: break and then once again Jannice is passing continues to 134 00:07:23,440 --> 00:07:27,120 Speaker 1: be really impressive. Um, you had a really nice no 135 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:29,680 Speaker 1: look fee to Wesley Matthews in one of his transition 136 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:33,600 Speaker 1: sequences when he passes out of the post or out 137 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:35,600 Speaker 1: of isolation or out of pick and roll. This year, 138 00:07:35,640 --> 00:07:37,520 Speaker 1: the Bucks have scored a hundred and twenty one point 139 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:40,960 Speaker 1: on a hundred and seventeen possessions, which is really really good. 140 00:07:41,400 --> 00:07:43,200 Speaker 1: It's just a statement type of game from him. I 141 00:07:43,240 --> 00:07:45,560 Speaker 1: still think Steph has had a little bit better regular 142 00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:47,960 Speaker 1: season this year. And you guys know my rule. I'm 143 00:07:47,960 --> 00:07:50,800 Speaker 1: not gonna switch any rankings when it comes to you 144 00:07:50,840 --> 00:07:53,320 Speaker 1: know how I really perceived these players in the grand 145 00:07:53,320 --> 00:07:55,480 Speaker 1: scheme of things until we get to the offseason. But 146 00:07:55,640 --> 00:07:57,400 Speaker 1: this kind of felt like a statement type of game 147 00:07:57,440 --> 00:08:00,320 Speaker 1: from Janna. It's like, don't forget that he is best 148 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:02,480 Speaker 1: player in the world. And then Bobby Portis was also 149 00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:05,480 Speaker 1: really good tonight. Did a great job abusing the smaller 150 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:08,280 Speaker 1: Warriors perimeter players, which is gonna be an issue when 151 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:10,640 Speaker 1: Andrew Wiggins is out of the lineup. Um. I talked 152 00:08:10,680 --> 00:08:12,720 Speaker 1: to my guy who's pretty well connected with the Warriors, 153 00:08:12,720 --> 00:08:15,200 Speaker 1: and he said that they expect Andrew Wiggins back within 154 00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:17,360 Speaker 1: the next week and that it's not anything serious. They're 155 00:08:17,360 --> 00:08:19,840 Speaker 1: just kind of taking their time with him. But Bobby 156 00:08:19,920 --> 00:08:22,320 Speaker 1: port Is, you know, yet, still isn't shooting great from 157 00:08:22,320 --> 00:08:24,200 Speaker 1: the perimeter. That's the biggest thing, the big thing that 158 00:08:24,240 --> 00:08:26,400 Speaker 1: they need to get going at the level he had 159 00:08:26,440 --> 00:08:29,920 Speaker 1: in the previous seasons. But a really nice scoring job 160 00:08:29,960 --> 00:08:31,640 Speaker 1: from him, and he's just in this last like half 161 00:08:31,680 --> 00:08:33,600 Speaker 1: dozen games or so, is starting to look more like 162 00:08:33,640 --> 00:08:37,600 Speaker 1: the Bobby port Is from last year. Um the Warriors. 163 00:08:37,640 --> 00:08:41,760 Speaker 1: Though the Warriors are twelve and two at home, and 164 00:08:41,800 --> 00:08:45,280 Speaker 1: they are two and twelve on the road coming into tonight, 165 00:08:45,280 --> 00:08:48,080 Speaker 1: because the data hasn't updated when the Warriors are on 166 00:08:48,120 --> 00:08:49,959 Speaker 1: the road, Compared to all the other teams in the 167 00:08:50,040 --> 00:08:52,400 Speaker 1: league on the road, they are twenty ninth and defense 168 00:08:52,760 --> 00:08:56,480 Speaker 1: and twenty five and rebounding. So what happened to them tonight? 169 00:08:56,559 --> 00:08:59,480 Speaker 1: It's not necessarily a matchup thing. I mean, hell, we 170 00:08:59,480 --> 00:09:03,000 Speaker 1: saw them hold up physically extremely well against Boston, and 171 00:09:03,040 --> 00:09:05,480 Speaker 1: though they don't have the singular player that Janice is, 172 00:09:05,760 --> 00:09:08,120 Speaker 1: but down the roster, they come at you physically in 173 00:09:08,200 --> 00:09:11,920 Speaker 1: a similar manner. They're extremely physical on the defensive end 174 00:09:11,920 --> 00:09:15,040 Speaker 1: of the floor, and they constantly relentlessly drive the basketball 175 00:09:15,080 --> 00:09:17,520 Speaker 1: to the rim, just with a ton of players as 176 00:09:17,559 --> 00:09:20,840 Speaker 1: opposed to just the honest type of impact. So what 177 00:09:20,920 --> 00:09:23,880 Speaker 1: has been happening to them tonight? What happened to them 178 00:09:23,880 --> 00:09:26,120 Speaker 1: tonight is something that's been happening to them all season 179 00:09:26,200 --> 00:09:28,920 Speaker 1: on the road. Why is that, Well, I think it's 180 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:31,400 Speaker 1: a couple of reasons. First, it's you have a younger roster. 181 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:35,920 Speaker 1: Young players typically don't have really good habits. So we 182 00:09:35,920 --> 00:09:37,559 Speaker 1: we talk We I talked about this a lot. Like, 183 00:09:38,000 --> 00:09:40,560 Speaker 1: you know, when you're a basketball player, every time you 184 00:09:40,600 --> 00:09:45,720 Speaker 1: have success, you try to figure out what specifically caused 185 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:48,600 Speaker 1: you to have that success you can replicate it. And 186 00:09:48,640 --> 00:09:51,440 Speaker 1: then when you have a bad game, you try to 187 00:09:52,080 --> 00:09:54,160 Speaker 1: pay attention to what specifically caused you to have a 188 00:09:54,160 --> 00:09:56,320 Speaker 1: bad game so you can avoid doing that in the future. 189 00:09:56,840 --> 00:09:59,559 Speaker 1: So by the time you become a veteran player, uh, 190 00:09:59,640 --> 00:10:02,240 Speaker 1: you know, you're playing basketball in your thirties, like you 191 00:10:02,280 --> 00:10:04,000 Speaker 1: just have a really good feel for how to have 192 00:10:04,080 --> 00:10:06,760 Speaker 1: good games and how to avoid the bad games. But 193 00:10:06,800 --> 00:10:09,240 Speaker 1: when you're a young player, those habits aren't really sharp yet. 194 00:10:09,640 --> 00:10:13,120 Speaker 1: And then also young players typically feed on emotion, you know, 195 00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:14,760 Speaker 1: like it's not even just a crowd thing, it's just 196 00:10:14,800 --> 00:10:17,160 Speaker 1: a basketball thing. For instance, you you got all you 197 00:10:17,160 --> 00:10:19,560 Speaker 1: guys who played basketball a lot. You see the guy 198 00:10:19,640 --> 00:10:22,600 Speaker 1: that goes in dunks on someone and then loses his 199 00:10:22,679 --> 00:10:26,360 Speaker 1: damn mind, probably hasn't done that very many times in 200 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:28,439 Speaker 1: his life, and it's kind of a cool emotional moment 201 00:10:28,480 --> 00:10:30,680 Speaker 1: for him, so he gets swept up in it. But 202 00:10:30,800 --> 00:10:34,400 Speaker 1: like when you've dunked on a lot of people playing basketball. 203 00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:37,439 Speaker 1: It's kind of just another play and you run back 204 00:10:37,480 --> 00:10:40,400 Speaker 1: on defense. You expect that from yourself, right, And the 205 00:10:40,440 --> 00:10:43,200 Speaker 1: same thing goes with feeding off of the crowd, you know, 206 00:10:43,280 --> 00:10:46,960 Speaker 1: like you I've ventured to guess I I joke about 207 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:48,440 Speaker 1: this with my wife sometimes, Like, can you imagine what 208 00:10:48,440 --> 00:10:50,800 Speaker 1: it must feel like for Lebron to run out into 209 00:10:50,840 --> 00:10:54,080 Speaker 1: an arena of twenty people like he He probably doesn't 210 00:10:54,080 --> 00:10:56,880 Speaker 1: feel much at all anymore, you know, compared to the 211 00:10:56,880 --> 00:10:59,280 Speaker 1: way a young player would react when he hits a 212 00:10:59,400 --> 00:11:02,720 Speaker 1: three out of the corner in front of twenty home fans. 213 00:11:03,640 --> 00:11:05,240 Speaker 1: And so what does that really translate to? That means 214 00:11:05,280 --> 00:11:07,920 Speaker 1: young players are more willing to play hard and smart 215 00:11:07,960 --> 00:11:09,520 Speaker 1: when they're at home than they are on the road. 216 00:11:09,720 --> 00:11:12,199 Speaker 1: They're more likely to hang their head and kind of 217 00:11:12,280 --> 00:11:14,040 Speaker 1: let go of the rope when things go poorly on 218 00:11:14,040 --> 00:11:15,440 Speaker 1: the road. So I think that's part of it for 219 00:11:15,480 --> 00:11:17,400 Speaker 1: Golden State. And then the second thing is the veterans, 220 00:11:17,960 --> 00:11:21,880 Speaker 1: like gold Golden State starters got rolled again tonight. And look, 221 00:11:21,920 --> 00:11:24,800 Speaker 1: they're the defending champs. They're not nearly as motivated as 222 00:11:24,800 --> 00:11:27,839 Speaker 1: they were last year. That's just a fact. That's same again, 223 00:11:27,880 --> 00:11:31,760 Speaker 1: that same ferocious transition defense that they had against Boston 224 00:11:31,960 --> 00:11:34,920 Speaker 1: on Saturday night. We saw the other end of that 225 00:11:34,960 --> 00:11:37,680 Speaker 1: coin today. They were really slow getting back, which is 226 00:11:37,720 --> 00:11:39,960 Speaker 1: something you just can't afford to do against the honest 227 00:11:40,280 --> 00:11:41,839 Speaker 1: So what do we make of that as we kind 228 00:11:41,840 --> 00:11:44,960 Speaker 1: of zoom out of from it. It's textbook championship malays. 229 00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:47,480 Speaker 1: We've seen this before, but at the same time, we've 230 00:11:47,480 --> 00:11:49,959 Speaker 1: seen what the ceiling is still like Boston. Like that 231 00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:54,559 Speaker 1: Boston team was killing everybody, including on the road going 232 00:11:54,600 --> 00:11:57,400 Speaker 1: into that Golden State game, and then they just completely 233 00:11:57,880 --> 00:12:01,400 Speaker 1: manhandled them. Golden State sent a clear message to Boston 234 00:12:01,400 --> 00:12:03,720 Speaker 1: that they are still better than them, you know. And 235 00:12:03,720 --> 00:12:06,400 Speaker 1: so when we look at that, we know the ceiling 236 00:12:06,480 --> 00:12:10,320 Speaker 1: is still there, and for for whatever reason, they're just 237 00:12:10,360 --> 00:12:13,760 Speaker 1: not getting to their frequently enough. Usually championship teams are deep, 238 00:12:13,760 --> 00:12:15,840 Speaker 1: and this is kind of the problem with what Bob 239 00:12:15,880 --> 00:12:17,679 Speaker 1: Meyers did and with Joe Laco did this summer when 240 00:12:17,679 --> 00:12:20,160 Speaker 1: they let go of Gary Payton a second outo Porter Jr. 241 00:12:20,559 --> 00:12:24,520 Speaker 1: You know, you had death and you had young players, 242 00:12:25,480 --> 00:12:27,840 Speaker 1: but you let your depth go for financial reasons and 243 00:12:27,880 --> 00:12:30,120 Speaker 1: also the clear way in the rotation for your young 244 00:12:30,160 --> 00:12:33,560 Speaker 1: players to play. And so now that margin for error 245 00:12:33,640 --> 00:12:35,640 Speaker 1: for what allows you to win in the NBA on 246 00:12:35,679 --> 00:12:39,160 Speaker 1: a daily basis is smaller than what it was last year. 247 00:12:39,200 --> 00:12:42,720 Speaker 1: And so as a result, when the Warrior starters are 248 00:12:42,760 --> 00:12:46,240 Speaker 1: bringing a little bit of you know, inconsistent effort, particularly 249 00:12:46,240 --> 00:12:49,280 Speaker 1: on the road, there it's not enough for them to 250 00:12:49,480 --> 00:12:52,360 Speaker 1: float during the regular season. So what does it really 251 00:12:52,360 --> 00:12:55,720 Speaker 1: translate to is a balancing act as it pertains to 252 00:12:55,760 --> 00:12:57,560 Speaker 1: the standings, because like when you're looking at it for 253 00:12:57,559 --> 00:13:00,600 Speaker 1: playoff matchups, like I always think about, you know, the 254 00:13:00,679 --> 00:13:04,600 Speaker 1: Lakers in one, they kept telling themselves, who cares, just 255 00:13:04,640 --> 00:13:06,880 Speaker 1: get to the play in We've been hurt all year. 256 00:13:07,320 --> 00:13:09,400 Speaker 1: When push comes to show, we've got Lebron James and 257 00:13:09,400 --> 00:13:12,200 Speaker 1: Anthony Davis, we can beat anybody. And you know they 258 00:13:12,200 --> 00:13:14,840 Speaker 1: weren't wrong. They were up two games to one on Phoenix, 259 00:13:14,880 --> 00:13:17,840 Speaker 1: but then what happened. Anthony Davis broke down and obviously 260 00:13:17,840 --> 00:13:19,280 Speaker 1: he had been dealing with a bunch of issues. But 261 00:13:19,480 --> 00:13:21,640 Speaker 1: it's just a lot to ask for that route, Like 262 00:13:21,800 --> 00:13:24,160 Speaker 1: what does that route look like? Because if the Warriors 263 00:13:24,200 --> 00:13:26,800 Speaker 1: continue to play like this, they will be around five 264 00:13:26,880 --> 00:13:29,360 Speaker 1: hundred this year. And it's not it's not that they 265 00:13:29,360 --> 00:13:31,680 Speaker 1: are five hundred basketball team in in in a vacuum. 266 00:13:31,720 --> 00:13:34,520 Speaker 1: It's just the reality of how deep the Western conferences 267 00:13:34,600 --> 00:13:37,120 Speaker 1: this year. That like, if you play the level of 268 00:13:37,120 --> 00:13:39,640 Speaker 1: basketball Golden States playing, you're gonna lose half your games, 269 00:13:39,840 --> 00:13:42,440 Speaker 1: you know. And so if you end up around five 270 00:13:42,480 --> 00:13:44,960 Speaker 1: hundred and this deep Western Conference, you're gonna be in 271 00:13:44,960 --> 00:13:46,920 Speaker 1: the play in game. So what does that look like 272 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:49,720 Speaker 1: for you? Now, I've got to win a high stakes game, 273 00:13:49,880 --> 00:13:52,480 Speaker 1: potentially on the road, potentially two games, depending on where 274 00:13:52,480 --> 00:13:54,160 Speaker 1: I end up in the standings, just to get out 275 00:13:54,160 --> 00:13:56,400 Speaker 1: of the plan. My reward for getting out of the 276 00:13:56,440 --> 00:13:58,720 Speaker 1: plan is I have to now beat the top seed 277 00:13:58,760 --> 00:14:01,840 Speaker 1: without home court advantage of the second seed. Okay, let's 278 00:14:01,840 --> 00:14:03,480 Speaker 1: say we get through that. So we've got through high 279 00:14:03,520 --> 00:14:05,920 Speaker 1: stakes playing game and we just beat the top seed. 280 00:14:06,360 --> 00:14:08,720 Speaker 1: Our reward for that is now we have to play 281 00:14:08,760 --> 00:14:12,160 Speaker 1: a middle seed in the Western Conference, also on the road, 282 00:14:12,800 --> 00:14:14,840 Speaker 1: and that's in the Western Conference this year. That could 283 00:14:14,840 --> 00:14:17,240 Speaker 1: be anybody. That could be the Clippers, that could be 284 00:14:17,280 --> 00:14:19,680 Speaker 1: the Denver Nuggets, that could be the Phoenix Suns, that 285 00:14:19,680 --> 00:14:21,440 Speaker 1: could be the New Orleans Pelicans, like who who the 286 00:14:21,480 --> 00:14:23,040 Speaker 1: hell knows how this is all gonna shake up, But 287 00:14:23,080 --> 00:14:25,760 Speaker 1: it's probably gonna be somebody tough again. And then if 288 00:14:25,760 --> 00:14:28,120 Speaker 1: you happen to get through that, your reward is you 289 00:14:28,160 --> 00:14:30,920 Speaker 1: get to play the other top seed also on the road. 290 00:14:31,440 --> 00:14:33,800 Speaker 1: Oh and guess who's coming out of the Eastern Conference. 291 00:14:33,840 --> 00:14:36,760 Speaker 1: It's the Boston Celtics or the Milwaukee Bucks. It's just 292 00:14:36,800 --> 00:14:39,080 Speaker 1: a lot to ask for a team that, as we've 293 00:14:39,120 --> 00:14:41,880 Speaker 1: been saying, is not very deep and has some older 294 00:14:41,960 --> 00:14:46,400 Speaker 1: veteran players, you know, so you know I I think 295 00:14:46,400 --> 00:14:49,880 Speaker 1: it's very important for Golden State to recapture some of 296 00:14:49,920 --> 00:14:52,120 Speaker 1: that urgency and go on a run. And we know 297 00:14:52,160 --> 00:14:55,200 Speaker 1: they're capable of it if they play good basketball. They're 298 00:14:55,280 --> 00:14:57,280 Speaker 1: good enough with how good they're starting lineup is to 299 00:14:57,520 --> 00:14:59,920 Speaker 1: rip off a dominant twenty game stretch where they got 300 00:14:59,920 --> 00:15:02,360 Speaker 1: like fifteen and five, And if they do that, with 301 00:15:02,400 --> 00:15:05,640 Speaker 1: how wide open the Western Conferences, that might be enough 302 00:15:05,680 --> 00:15:08,200 Speaker 1: to get you into of one through four seed. Now 303 00:15:08,200 --> 00:15:11,520 Speaker 1: you have home court, you know, for potentially two rounds. 304 00:15:11,720 --> 00:15:13,800 Speaker 1: There's a lot, there's a lot of benefits that come 305 00:15:13,840 --> 00:15:17,040 Speaker 1: with that, right. The problem is is that they have 306 00:15:17,120 --> 00:15:19,960 Speaker 1: to dramatically increase their effort to get to that point, 307 00:15:19,960 --> 00:15:22,440 Speaker 1: which brings me back to the trade market. Like, the 308 00:15:22,480 --> 00:15:24,240 Speaker 1: other thing you can do is you can trade a 309 00:15:24,280 --> 00:15:27,240 Speaker 1: couple of these young players. Wouldn't touch Jonathan Cominga, but 310 00:15:27,280 --> 00:15:30,680 Speaker 1: I think Wiseman and Moody. I would flip those two 311 00:15:30,680 --> 00:15:33,840 Speaker 1: guys for a quality veteran role player in this league 312 00:15:34,080 --> 00:15:36,960 Speaker 1: that brings you some of that depth that increases your 313 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:40,440 Speaker 1: margin for error, so that you have a better chance 314 00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:43,040 Speaker 1: of floating during a regular season where your starters are 315 00:15:43,080 --> 00:15:46,880 Speaker 1: not really concerned with giving daily effort the way that 316 00:15:46,920 --> 00:15:49,600 Speaker 1: they have been in the past, which is completely normal. 317 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:53,080 Speaker 1: They are defend defending champs and they're old. That's it's 318 00:15:53,120 --> 00:15:56,320 Speaker 1: just a part of the human experience. But yeah, this 319 00:15:56,520 --> 00:16:00,440 Speaker 1: the dichotomy between um, the Warriors on the road and 320 00:16:00,560 --> 00:16:04,320 Speaker 1: at home is pretty jarring at this point. All right, 321 00:16:04,360 --> 00:16:07,160 Speaker 1: moving onto the nets in the Wizard. So the Wizards 322 00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:08,720 Speaker 1: actually had a five point lead in the second quarter 323 00:16:08,760 --> 00:16:10,400 Speaker 1: of this game, and we got kind of a vintage 324 00:16:10,760 --> 00:16:13,600 Speaker 1: Kyrie Irving run. He hit a really tough three off 325 00:16:13,600 --> 00:16:15,120 Speaker 1: of a dribble handoff on the right wing, and then 326 00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:18,480 Speaker 1: he hit like this ridiculous like five or six dribble 327 00:16:18,560 --> 00:16:21,920 Speaker 1: combination pull up two at the left elbow, and then 328 00:16:21,960 --> 00:16:23,560 Speaker 1: he had a driving layup. But the one you guys 329 00:16:23,560 --> 00:16:26,240 Speaker 1: probably already saw all over social media where he went 330 00:16:26,320 --> 00:16:28,560 Speaker 1: up with his right hand, switched to his left hand 331 00:16:28,560 --> 00:16:31,880 Speaker 1: and scooped it in on his way down. Vintage Kyrie, 332 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:33,920 Speaker 1: the kind of thing that you grow to expect from 333 00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:35,920 Speaker 1: him over the years. But he also made some nice 334 00:16:35,960 --> 00:16:37,920 Speaker 1: defensive place too. He had back to back steels. He 335 00:16:37,920 --> 00:16:40,880 Speaker 1: had a an isolation against Cris Apps Porzingis at the 336 00:16:40,880 --> 00:16:44,200 Speaker 1: top of the key um where he did what you're 337 00:16:44,200 --> 00:16:45,840 Speaker 1: supposed to do there, which is like, hey, if you 338 00:16:45,880 --> 00:16:48,960 Speaker 1: play positional defense against Porzingis, he's just gonna shoot over 339 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:50,920 Speaker 1: the top of you. And he attacked the basketball, just 340 00:16:50,960 --> 00:16:53,480 Speaker 1: was really aggressive to try to attack his handle and 341 00:16:53,560 --> 00:16:55,720 Speaker 1: he forced to turn over. And then similar play on 342 00:16:55,760 --> 00:16:58,320 Speaker 1: the next possession down where Kyle Kuzman came off of 343 00:16:58,320 --> 00:17:00,480 Speaker 1: a dribble handoff, Kyrie switched on him and was just 344 00:17:00,480 --> 00:17:03,160 Speaker 1: aggressive at his shooting pocket and knocked the ball free. 345 00:17:03,280 --> 00:17:06,399 Speaker 1: Kyrie's got quick hands, and he's got quick feet, and 346 00:17:06,400 --> 00:17:08,919 Speaker 1: he's got good instincts. So when he's actually engaged on 347 00:17:08,960 --> 00:17:10,760 Speaker 1: the defensive end, which he has been a lot over 348 00:17:10,760 --> 00:17:12,800 Speaker 1: the course of the last couple of weeks, he's capable 349 00:17:12,840 --> 00:17:15,520 Speaker 1: of making some impact defensive play. So Kyrie went on 350 00:17:15,560 --> 00:17:18,119 Speaker 1: a run, got the Nets back in the lead. K 351 00:17:18,280 --> 00:17:19,880 Speaker 1: D came back in and the end of the second 352 00:17:19,920 --> 00:17:21,760 Speaker 1: quarter played well. Then he had like ten and two. 353 00:17:21,800 --> 00:17:23,560 Speaker 1: In the third quarter they went up by seventeen, and 354 00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:26,120 Speaker 1: then it was a classic, you know, stiff arm type 355 00:17:26,119 --> 00:17:27,960 Speaker 1: of game where they kind of hovered around at ten 356 00:17:27,960 --> 00:17:30,640 Speaker 1: point lead. They ended up winning by twelve. The Nets 357 00:17:30,640 --> 00:17:34,960 Speaker 1: are good. We did this with the Lakers last week, Like, yeah, 358 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:38,200 Speaker 1: the Lakers started to inten but their fourth and winning 359 00:17:38,240 --> 00:17:41,520 Speaker 1: percentage since November thirte and they have some quality wins, 360 00:17:41,520 --> 00:17:45,000 Speaker 1: including that big road win uh in Milwaukee. So we 361 00:17:45,080 --> 00:17:48,199 Speaker 1: need to recalibrate how we look at the Lakers. And 362 00:17:48,400 --> 00:17:51,000 Speaker 1: obviously they're even further away than the Nets were, but 363 00:17:51,520 --> 00:17:54,199 Speaker 1: we have to acknowledge the difference in the way they 364 00:17:54,240 --> 00:17:56,920 Speaker 1: played there versus at the beginning of the season, and 365 00:17:56,960 --> 00:17:58,720 Speaker 1: the Nets are in a similar spot. They started two 366 00:17:58,720 --> 00:18:02,399 Speaker 1: and six, but since November four their fifteen and six. 367 00:18:04,200 --> 00:18:06,600 Speaker 1: That's the third best winning percentage in the league during 368 00:18:06,600 --> 00:18:10,200 Speaker 1: that span. In fact, for the whole season now, even 369 00:18:10,240 --> 00:18:12,240 Speaker 1: counting their bad start, the Nets now have the eighth 370 00:18:12,240 --> 00:18:14,680 Speaker 1: best record in the league, and they're up to eleventh 371 00:18:14,680 --> 00:18:18,760 Speaker 1: and offense and defense. So if you guys remember coming 372 00:18:18,760 --> 00:18:21,920 Speaker 1: into the season, I had all these tears for our 373 00:18:21,920 --> 00:18:24,200 Speaker 1: power rankings, and at the top I had the core 374 00:18:24,280 --> 00:18:27,600 Speaker 1: four teams like Clippers, Celtics, Bucks, and Warriors right, and 375 00:18:27,640 --> 00:18:30,760 Speaker 1: then we had our if things go right contenders. Then 376 00:18:30,760 --> 00:18:34,800 Speaker 1: we had our puncher's chance contenders. And I had in 377 00:18:34,840 --> 00:18:37,080 Speaker 1: that five and six spot, I had two teams that 378 00:18:37,160 --> 00:18:39,800 Speaker 1: have had pretty uneven starts to the season, but we've 379 00:18:39,840 --> 00:18:41,560 Speaker 1: seen their ceiling, and that was the Sixers. I had 380 00:18:41,600 --> 00:18:43,760 Speaker 1: at five, and I had the Brooklyn Nets at six. 381 00:18:44,440 --> 00:18:47,800 Speaker 1: So even after everything that happened last summer, even after 382 00:18:47,840 --> 00:18:50,240 Speaker 1: everything that's happened with Kyrie Irving, even after everything that 383 00:18:50,280 --> 00:18:52,800 Speaker 1: happened with Ben Simmons, I thought the Nets had the 384 00:18:52,880 --> 00:18:55,119 Speaker 1: sixth best chance to win the title. And the reason 385 00:18:55,160 --> 00:18:59,840 Speaker 1: why is they are pretty damn good on paper. That 386 00:19:00,040 --> 00:19:02,480 Speaker 1: why I didn't like what Katie said in those interviews. 387 00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:05,000 Speaker 1: I think it was about a month ago where he 388 00:19:05,080 --> 00:19:07,879 Speaker 1: was talking about, you know, the guys on the roster, because, 389 00:19:07,920 --> 00:19:10,560 Speaker 1: like I understand, he was frustrated with the guys that 390 00:19:10,640 --> 00:19:14,080 Speaker 1: were available at that point, but help was on the way, 391 00:19:14,160 --> 00:19:17,800 Speaker 1: and I didn't understand the hand grenade, the proverbial a 392 00:19:17,840 --> 00:19:20,200 Speaker 1: grenade that he threw just kind of on the supporting cast, 393 00:19:20,400 --> 00:19:23,080 Speaker 1: understanding that help was on the way. And the reality 394 00:19:23,160 --> 00:19:24,720 Speaker 1: is that they do have a lot of talent when 395 00:19:24,720 --> 00:19:26,919 Speaker 1: you really take a step back and you look at it, 396 00:19:26,960 --> 00:19:29,320 Speaker 1: like Kyrie is a pretty damn legit number two. He's 397 00:19:29,400 --> 00:19:32,359 Speaker 1: won a championship as a number two in the past, 398 00:19:32,400 --> 00:19:35,800 Speaker 1: albeit alongside the second greatest player of all time. But 399 00:19:35,800 --> 00:19:37,760 Speaker 1: they have a ton of shooting, like with Joe Harris 400 00:19:37,760 --> 00:19:40,080 Speaker 1: and Seth Curry You don't Want Nabbies turned into like 401 00:19:40,080 --> 00:19:42,359 Speaker 1: a really interesting three and D player for them, and 402 00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:45,520 Speaker 1: Markive Morris is shooting really well, even Royce O'Neil shooting 403 00:19:46,440 --> 00:19:48,679 Speaker 1: from three this year. Then they have like a bunch 404 00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:52,680 Speaker 1: of long, athletic defensive players with Kevin Durant, Nick Claxston 405 00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:54,720 Speaker 1: and Ben Simmons and even you you don want Navies 406 00:19:54,760 --> 00:19:56,720 Speaker 1: showing a lot of flashes of defense. He had a 407 00:19:56,720 --> 00:19:59,520 Speaker 1: really nice play in isolation against Will Barton in that 408 00:19:59,560 --> 00:20:01,960 Speaker 1: game where Will Barton like really got down into his 409 00:20:02,040 --> 00:20:04,680 Speaker 1: chest and he just held his ground, didn't foul, waited 410 00:20:04,720 --> 00:20:07,040 Speaker 1: for Will Barton to go up, and then he extended 411 00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:10,760 Speaker 1: with his left arm and blocked the shot. They're clearly 412 00:20:10,800 --> 00:20:13,560 Speaker 1: not as talented as Boston or Milwaukee. That goes without saying. 413 00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:15,600 Speaker 1: I mean, they've won eight out of nine. Guess who 414 00:20:15,600 --> 00:20:18,120 Speaker 1: their loss was. It was the loss against the Boston Celtics, 415 00:20:18,440 --> 00:20:20,080 Speaker 1: where it looks pretty much just like it did in 416 00:20:20,080 --> 00:20:22,560 Speaker 1: the first round last year. Katie couldn't like really struggle 417 00:20:22,600 --> 00:20:24,880 Speaker 1: handling the basketball. You know, the guys hit a bunch 418 00:20:24,880 --> 00:20:27,400 Speaker 1: of pull up jump shots, but they never really competitively 419 00:20:27,520 --> 00:20:30,639 Speaker 1: in that game. So, yeah, they're not Milwaukee or Boston, 420 00:20:31,240 --> 00:20:33,879 Speaker 1: but they are very talented. And this is not a 421 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:36,080 Speaker 1: roster issue like it is for the Lakers where you're 422 00:20:36,160 --> 00:20:39,560 Speaker 1: asking Lebron James and Anthony Davis to be superheroes every 423 00:20:39,640 --> 00:20:42,000 Speaker 1: night for them to uh, for them to have a 424 00:20:42,080 --> 00:20:44,480 Speaker 1: chance to win. But you know, in that tier that's 425 00:20:44,560 --> 00:20:47,680 Speaker 1: right below those top four teams, the Nets are very 426 00:20:47,760 --> 00:20:50,480 Speaker 1: much in that mix, and so like, yeah, they need 427 00:20:50,520 --> 00:20:52,280 Speaker 1: a lot to break their way in order to win 428 00:20:52,320 --> 00:20:54,600 Speaker 1: the title. But that's the same for a lot of 429 00:20:54,640 --> 00:20:57,120 Speaker 1: teams around this league, and you can never completely write 430 00:20:57,119 --> 00:20:59,679 Speaker 1: them off. With Kevin Durant and like we've seen this 431 00:20:59,760 --> 00:21:02,080 Speaker 1: too many times in NBA history where things do break 432 00:21:02,160 --> 00:21:04,159 Speaker 1: right for teams, you know, kind of like Milwaukee in 433 00:21:04,920 --> 00:21:07,280 Speaker 1: One Like. It might be a Phoenix Suns that gets 434 00:21:07,280 --> 00:21:09,919 Speaker 1: out of the Western Conference, a flawed team because the 435 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:13,359 Speaker 1: injuries and matchups and a random upset here and next thing, 436 00:21:13,400 --> 00:21:15,719 Speaker 1: you know, you have a chance to win the title 437 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:19,119 Speaker 1: with the relatively easy schedule, like the Milwaukee Bucks did 438 00:21:19,160 --> 00:21:21,720 Speaker 1: in one Like. That's kind of the way it can break, 439 00:21:22,200 --> 00:21:23,960 Speaker 1: which is why you keep your foot on the gas 440 00:21:24,040 --> 00:21:26,720 Speaker 1: and you stay in the race even when you're not 441 00:21:26,760 --> 00:21:28,600 Speaker 1: necessarily as good as some of the best teams in 442 00:21:28,640 --> 00:21:31,240 Speaker 1: the league. All right, let's move on to the Clippers 443 00:21:31,280 --> 00:21:34,000 Speaker 1: in the Celtics. So Clippers completely dominated this game. They 444 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:36,120 Speaker 1: won one thirteen to ninety three. They led by double 445 00:21:36,160 --> 00:21:38,640 Speaker 1: digits for more than half the game. Kawai and Paul 446 00:21:38,640 --> 00:21:42,040 Speaker 1: George soundly outplayed Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown. They combined 447 00:21:42,080 --> 00:21:44,479 Speaker 1: for fifty one points on eighteen for thirty four shooting, 448 00:21:44,480 --> 00:21:47,280 Speaker 1: with nine assists and four turnovers. Tatum and Brown combined 449 00:21:47,320 --> 00:21:51,000 Speaker 1: forty one on sixteen for thirty five with six assists 450 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:54,920 Speaker 1: and five turnovers. Jayson Tatum was below fifty in the 451 00:21:54,920 --> 00:21:57,720 Speaker 1: paint again, he was five for eleven. Remember Rim finishing 452 00:21:57,800 --> 00:22:00,600 Speaker 1: was one of his big weaknesses last year, and then 453 00:22:00,640 --> 00:22:02,320 Speaker 1: he had kind of seemed to remedy that. There was 454 00:22:02,480 --> 00:22:05,040 Speaker 1: talk about this fancy rim contact drill that he was 455 00:22:05,040 --> 00:22:06,680 Speaker 1: doing a lot over the summer, which I've been trying 456 00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:09,240 Speaker 1: to track down because I want to hear about it, um, 457 00:22:09,280 --> 00:22:11,440 Speaker 1: But like there was some drill that he's been doing. 458 00:22:11,440 --> 00:22:13,800 Speaker 1: He's been working on it. He had been playing really 459 00:22:13,800 --> 00:22:15,760 Speaker 1: well in the restricted area and in the paint coming 460 00:22:15,760 --> 00:22:18,959 Speaker 1: into this season. Coming into that Golden State game, he 461 00:22:19,040 --> 00:22:22,800 Speaker 1: was six in the paint in the restricted area in 462 00:22:22,840 --> 00:22:24,919 Speaker 1: the Golden State game. In the Clippers game, he's thirty 463 00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:29,920 Speaker 1: nine in the in the paint in the restricted area. 464 00:22:29,960 --> 00:22:31,359 Speaker 1: And you know, the big part that stands out to 465 00:22:31,359 --> 00:22:34,359 Speaker 1: me on tape is shot selection. He just continually is 466 00:22:34,440 --> 00:22:38,880 Speaker 1: forcing tough layups over rim congestion. There's a play where 467 00:22:38,880 --> 00:22:41,800 Speaker 1: he challenged Zoo bok at the rim last night where 468 00:22:41,800 --> 00:22:44,760 Speaker 1: it's like he was downhill, he had already beat multiple defenders, 469 00:22:44,760 --> 00:22:47,879 Speaker 1: he was in a congested paint, and he tried like 470 00:22:47,920 --> 00:22:50,960 Speaker 1: a damn near impossible left handed finished over Zoo Boch 471 00:22:51,040 --> 00:22:54,439 Speaker 1: instead of just driving and kicking the basketball. You know, 472 00:22:54,520 --> 00:22:57,800 Speaker 1: it's so important for him to understand that they know 473 00:22:57,840 --> 00:23:00,159 Speaker 1: what they want him to be, a play finisher, but 474 00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:02,200 Speaker 1: it might be the play finisher after two or three 475 00:23:02,240 --> 00:23:04,560 Speaker 1: actions and not necessarily in that first action. And this 476 00:23:04,640 --> 00:23:06,760 Speaker 1: is that ugly side of Boston that we keep talking about. 477 00:23:06,800 --> 00:23:09,480 Speaker 1: It's the you drive and get into zoo box and 478 00:23:09,480 --> 00:23:12,600 Speaker 1: you kick to the corner, and then you relocate, and 479 00:23:12,640 --> 00:23:14,760 Speaker 1: then that guy drives and kicks and kicks to you. 480 00:23:15,119 --> 00:23:17,480 Speaker 1: Now you attack that close out and Zoobach got out 481 00:23:17,480 --> 00:23:20,320 Speaker 1: to the perimeter because he was containing, and now you've 482 00:23:20,320 --> 00:23:22,760 Speaker 1: got to lay up. You know, there's there's always that 483 00:23:22,840 --> 00:23:27,240 Speaker 1: opportunity to eventually be aggressive once the defense is in 484 00:23:27,359 --> 00:23:30,440 Speaker 1: rotation and they make a mistake. But when Boston drives 485 00:23:30,440 --> 00:23:32,280 Speaker 1: into the teeth of the defense and tries to shoot 486 00:23:32,320 --> 00:23:34,440 Speaker 1: over the top of the rim protection, that's where they 487 00:23:34,440 --> 00:23:36,600 Speaker 1: have problems. And I've been talking about that for years 488 00:23:36,600 --> 00:23:38,880 Speaker 1: and Joe Missoul has been calling it rim reads, which 489 00:23:38,920 --> 00:23:40,720 Speaker 1: is another interesting way to refer to it. But that's 490 00:23:40,760 --> 00:23:43,359 Speaker 1: the idea. When you get into the rim, do you 491 00:23:43,400 --> 00:23:45,280 Speaker 1: have a chance for a high percentage shot in the 492 00:23:45,320 --> 00:23:48,679 Speaker 1: restricted area? Cool? If not, keep it moving, you know, 493 00:23:48,880 --> 00:23:50,600 Speaker 1: because at the end of the day, you're just gonna 494 00:23:50,600 --> 00:23:53,479 Speaker 1: get better shots when you get the defense moving more frequently. 495 00:23:53,560 --> 00:23:57,199 Speaker 1: Kawhile Leonard looked great in this game. He's slowly but 496 00:23:57,240 --> 00:23:59,720 Speaker 1: surely starting to look like his legs are getting stronger, 497 00:23:59,720 --> 00:24:01,320 Speaker 1: and then he's getting his rhythm back. He got to 498 00:24:01,359 --> 00:24:02,919 Speaker 1: the rim a bunch in this game, a bunch of 499 00:24:02,960 --> 00:24:05,840 Speaker 1: driving layups um even against you know, there was a 500 00:24:05,880 --> 00:24:08,480 Speaker 1: lot of him attacking Marcus Smart and uh In Malcolm 501 00:24:08,520 --> 00:24:10,320 Speaker 1: Brogden in this game, which is what you expect, and 502 00:24:10,520 --> 00:24:12,000 Speaker 1: that's what you gotta do. If you're the Celtics, if 503 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:13,560 Speaker 1: you're going against the Celtics, if you're going against the 504 00:24:13,560 --> 00:24:16,840 Speaker 1: Celtics and you are a team that's got big scoring wings, 505 00:24:17,320 --> 00:24:19,800 Speaker 1: you need to try your hardest to target Marcus smart 506 00:24:19,880 --> 00:24:22,160 Speaker 1: and and Malcolm Brogden. They're gonna be more difficult. They're 507 00:24:22,160 --> 00:24:24,480 Speaker 1: gonna target your handle, they're gonna ball pressure you more. 508 00:24:24,720 --> 00:24:26,800 Speaker 1: But you have a puncher's chance in the sense that 509 00:24:26,840 --> 00:24:29,120 Speaker 1: you can you can get clean looks over the top 510 00:24:29,119 --> 00:24:31,760 Speaker 1: of them because of your size advantage. But there were 511 00:24:31,800 --> 00:24:33,840 Speaker 1: even some places where he was just looking eye to 512 00:24:33,880 --> 00:24:36,800 Speaker 1: eye with Jalen Brown and just dropping his shoulder, hitting 513 00:24:36,840 --> 00:24:38,440 Speaker 1: the gap and getting all the way to the rim, 514 00:24:38,440 --> 00:24:41,359 Speaker 1: and I wanted to take this as an opportunity to 515 00:24:41,400 --> 00:24:44,040 Speaker 1: talk about the importance of strength when it comes to 516 00:24:44,080 --> 00:24:47,080 Speaker 1: ball handling, because the dirty little secret is is that 517 00:24:47,119 --> 00:24:50,320 Speaker 1: the NBA is super physical. Don't let the old guys 518 00:24:50,359 --> 00:24:52,520 Speaker 1: fool you. Don't listen to the stuff about hand checking 519 00:24:52,880 --> 00:24:55,680 Speaker 1: the dirt. Like like, literally, in the nineteen eighties, teams 520 00:24:55,680 --> 00:24:58,280 Speaker 1: were scoring a million points. Okay, like that, It's just 521 00:24:58,960 --> 00:25:02,320 Speaker 1: it's it's co copletely factually inaccurate. They were scoring a 522 00:25:02,320 --> 00:25:06,320 Speaker 1: million points despite never shooting threes. Okay, So the NBA 523 00:25:06,440 --> 00:25:08,680 Speaker 1: is every bit as physical now as it ever has been, 524 00:25:08,680 --> 00:25:10,800 Speaker 1: with exception of a little phase there in the late 525 00:25:10,880 --> 00:25:13,600 Speaker 1: nineties where it became kind of ridiculous and then they 526 00:25:13,640 --> 00:25:15,560 Speaker 1: had to loosen it up a little bit. But the 527 00:25:15,640 --> 00:25:19,040 Speaker 1: NBA is physical. It's not about your necessarily your ability 528 00:25:19,080 --> 00:25:21,400 Speaker 1: to dribble the basketball. There are a lot of guys 529 00:25:21,440 --> 00:25:23,920 Speaker 1: that can dribble through cones at an extremely high level. 530 00:25:24,160 --> 00:25:27,199 Speaker 1: It's about dribbling when you're getting hit and guys are 531 00:25:27,200 --> 00:25:29,119 Speaker 1: swiping at the ball and they're hitting your arm like 532 00:25:29,400 --> 00:25:32,040 Speaker 1: you can practice that crossover dribble a hundred times, but 533 00:25:32,080 --> 00:25:34,800 Speaker 1: that depends on the muscle memory of the ball ending 534 00:25:34,840 --> 00:25:36,959 Speaker 1: up in the same spot every single time. And if 535 00:25:36,960 --> 00:25:39,960 Speaker 1: I'm getting into you and I'm I'm disrupting you with physicality, 536 00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:42,320 Speaker 1: I don't care how hand how good your hand eye 537 00:25:42,359 --> 00:25:44,959 Speaker 1: coordination is, or how sharp you are with your ball handling. 538 00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:48,240 Speaker 1: You better be able to protect the ball with your body. 539 00:25:48,840 --> 00:25:50,680 Speaker 1: And you know, like, say what you want about Kawhi Leonard. 540 00:25:51,280 --> 00:25:54,080 Speaker 1: At his peak, he was a better athlete and hopefully 541 00:25:54,080 --> 00:25:57,359 Speaker 1: he gets back there, but he's probably the strongest wing 542 00:25:57,400 --> 00:26:00,639 Speaker 1: in the league not named Lebron. When you hit him, 543 00:26:00,640 --> 00:26:02,480 Speaker 1: it doesn't have the same effect that it does on 544 00:26:02,520 --> 00:26:04,959 Speaker 1: other players, and he it's so funny because you see him. 545 00:26:05,119 --> 00:26:07,119 Speaker 1: There was the drive against Jalen Brown, the one that 546 00:26:07,160 --> 00:26:09,600 Speaker 1: I'm referring to. You know, he's on the right wing 547 00:26:09,680 --> 00:26:12,040 Speaker 1: and he kind of just does like a crossover dribble 548 00:26:12,040 --> 00:26:13,880 Speaker 1: and then hits the gap. There's not a gap there. 549 00:26:13,880 --> 00:26:16,320 Speaker 1: There's not a lot of space, and Jalen Brown's kind 550 00:26:16,320 --> 00:26:19,639 Speaker 1: of riding with him. But like like I said, it's 551 00:26:19,640 --> 00:26:22,800 Speaker 1: that you have a tiny opening and you force your 552 00:26:22,840 --> 00:26:25,080 Speaker 1: way through it with physicality, and if you're the bigger, 553 00:26:25,119 --> 00:26:28,200 Speaker 1: stronger player, you're gonna get all the way to the rim, 554 00:26:28,240 --> 00:26:31,000 Speaker 1: and he on this particular play, just blew up Jalen's 555 00:26:31,080 --> 00:26:32,720 Speaker 1: right shoulder, went right through him and went all the 556 00:26:32,720 --> 00:26:34,320 Speaker 1: way to the rim and finished with his left hands 557 00:26:34,960 --> 00:26:37,200 Speaker 1: with his left hand. But that's how he gets to 558 00:26:37,320 --> 00:26:39,880 Speaker 1: his spots, and that's what helps him get the lift 559 00:26:39,960 --> 00:26:41,560 Speaker 1: that he needs to rise up and knock the shots 560 00:26:41,760 --> 00:26:44,240 Speaker 1: shots down. That's what how helps him protect the basketball, 561 00:26:44,760 --> 00:26:47,240 Speaker 1: and that's how he was killing Boston. Um. He also 562 00:26:47,280 --> 00:26:48,960 Speaker 1: had a couple of tough threes. Remember I was a 563 00:26:48,960 --> 00:26:50,680 Speaker 1: big thing I always look at with Kwai Leonard. When 564 00:26:50,680 --> 00:26:52,920 Speaker 1: he's really in a rhythm, he can hit his pull 565 00:26:53,000 --> 00:26:55,520 Speaker 1: up three point shot. And he had a transition three 566 00:26:55,880 --> 00:26:57,879 Speaker 1: where he dribbled up the floor and just elevated and 567 00:26:57,960 --> 00:26:59,280 Speaker 1: rose up and knocked it down. And then there was 568 00:26:59,320 --> 00:27:01,760 Speaker 1: a late one in the fourth quarter where Grant Williams 569 00:27:01,760 --> 00:27:04,159 Speaker 1: closed out on him and he kind of just baited 570 00:27:04,240 --> 00:27:06,120 Speaker 1: him into closing out and sitting down in his stance 571 00:27:06,160 --> 00:27:08,280 Speaker 1: and then just elevated and rose up and knocked it down. 572 00:27:08,720 --> 00:27:10,960 Speaker 1: Um still just thirteen for thirty six on pull up 573 00:27:11,040 --> 00:27:12,639 Speaker 1: jumpers for this year, so he's got a ways to 574 00:27:12,640 --> 00:27:14,240 Speaker 1: go to get to like his peak. But he is 575 00:27:14,280 --> 00:27:17,080 Speaker 1: getting um, getting into a nice groove, and then he's 576 00:27:17,080 --> 00:27:19,159 Speaker 1: passing the ball really, really well this year at six 577 00:27:19,200 --> 00:27:21,679 Speaker 1: assists last night, six assists in the previous game. That 578 00:27:21,800 --> 00:27:24,040 Speaker 1: used to be his biggest weakness, and he's really improved. 579 00:27:24,040 --> 00:27:26,600 Speaker 1: When when Kawhi Leonard has passed out of pick and 580 00:27:26,680 --> 00:27:29,520 Speaker 1: rolls this year, the Clippers have scored one point four 581 00:27:29,600 --> 00:27:33,359 Speaker 1: eight points per possession, which is in percentile. When he 582 00:27:33,400 --> 00:27:35,800 Speaker 1: has passed at ISO this year, the Clippers have scored 583 00:27:35,840 --> 00:27:39,280 Speaker 1: one point three nine points possession, which is percentile. So 584 00:27:39,520 --> 00:27:42,480 Speaker 1: quality as big as weakness floor vision, he's turned it 585 00:27:42,520 --> 00:27:44,360 Speaker 1: into his strength at this phase in his career, which 586 00:27:44,400 --> 00:27:47,000 Speaker 1: is very important as it pertains to his physical decline. 587 00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:49,119 Speaker 1: The same thing I've said about Lebron, Like one of 588 00:27:49,160 --> 00:27:51,200 Speaker 1: the biggest reasons that Lebron has been able to stay 589 00:27:51,200 --> 00:27:53,000 Speaker 1: relevant at this phase in his career is he's such 590 00:27:53,040 --> 00:27:56,080 Speaker 1: a good passer and he's turned himself into a viable 591 00:27:56,080 --> 00:27:58,760 Speaker 1: pull up jump shooter that you know, he's still had 592 00:27:58,920 --> 00:28:00,400 Speaker 1: a lot a great deal of impact in the tail 593 00:28:00,480 --> 00:28:03,160 Speaker 1: end of his career. Like, as you've phase out physically, 594 00:28:03,200 --> 00:28:05,800 Speaker 1: you've got to replace that physical decline with skill, and 595 00:28:05,840 --> 00:28:09,399 Speaker 1: that's what Kauai has done with his passing ability. For 596 00:28:09,440 --> 00:28:11,240 Speaker 1: the Clippers as we're looking at them, as you know, 597 00:28:11,280 --> 00:28:14,119 Speaker 1: one of those top four teams, everything comes down to 598 00:28:14,160 --> 00:28:17,399 Speaker 1: Kawhi Leonard and Paul George being great, not good, but great. 599 00:28:17,720 --> 00:28:19,119 Speaker 1: Kind of similar to what we were talking about with 600 00:28:19,200 --> 00:28:22,040 Speaker 1: Lebron James and Anthony Davis. Like the Clippers are even 601 00:28:22,080 --> 00:28:26,040 Speaker 1: after last night offense this year, but if you look 602 00:28:26,080 --> 00:28:28,920 Speaker 1: at it like they're they're scoring a hundred and nine 603 00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:32,119 Speaker 1: points per one hundred possessions. Boston is best in the 604 00:28:32,160 --> 00:28:35,360 Speaker 1: league get a hundred and eighteen points per one possessions. 605 00:28:35,400 --> 00:28:38,560 Speaker 1: There's not huge chasms between these teams, but that the 606 00:28:38,640 --> 00:28:44,200 Speaker 1: difference is shot making and what stars do to squeeze 607 00:28:44,240 --> 00:28:48,240 Speaker 1: those little extra bits of offense out over the course 608 00:28:48,280 --> 00:28:50,240 Speaker 1: of a game where you might have a hundred possessions, 609 00:28:50,600 --> 00:28:53,480 Speaker 1: whether it's Paul George hitting a tough contest at three 610 00:28:53,560 --> 00:28:56,560 Speaker 1: late clock, Kawhi Leonard hitting a post up fade away, 611 00:28:56,680 --> 00:28:59,680 Speaker 1: or then warping the defense to create higher quality spot 612 00:28:59,720 --> 00:29:03,080 Speaker 1: up opportunities. That's the difference between a hundred and eight 613 00:29:03,120 --> 00:29:06,920 Speaker 1: points per hundred nine points per one hundred possessions in eighteen. 614 00:29:07,680 --> 00:29:10,480 Speaker 1: They need Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to be great. 615 00:29:12,240 --> 00:29:14,400 Speaker 1: It's the exact same thing that was happening with the 616 00:29:14,480 --> 00:29:16,640 Speaker 1: With the Lakers, they were the worst offense in the 617 00:29:16,720 --> 00:29:19,200 Speaker 1: league to start the year, but Lebron and a D 618 00:29:19,360 --> 00:29:22,200 Speaker 1: weren't playing well. Neither of them was hitting any shots 619 00:29:22,240 --> 00:29:24,600 Speaker 1: over the top of the defense. Lebron wasn't doing nearly 620 00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:27,320 Speaker 1: good enough job getting downhill, and Anthony Davis wasn't dominating 621 00:29:27,320 --> 00:29:29,320 Speaker 1: the paint that he has been the way that he 622 00:29:29,360 --> 00:29:33,960 Speaker 1: has been. But since November, that's when a D started 623 00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:39,320 Speaker 1: his run, the Lakers are fifth in offense and Lebron 624 00:29:39,360 --> 00:29:42,080 Speaker 1: has also been much much better. So the worst offense 625 00:29:42,120 --> 00:29:46,000 Speaker 1: in the league turned into the top five offense over 626 00:29:46,040 --> 00:29:49,320 Speaker 1: the course of a month of basketball because their two 627 00:29:49,360 --> 00:29:52,840 Speaker 1: stars finally started playing like the superstars that they are. 628 00:29:53,640 --> 00:29:55,880 Speaker 1: That there's not you know, when I'm looking at the 629 00:29:55,880 --> 00:29:58,000 Speaker 1: difference between the bad offenses in the league and the 630 00:29:58,000 --> 00:30:00,800 Speaker 1: good offense of the good offenses in the league, most 631 00:30:00,840 --> 00:30:03,160 Speaker 1: of it comes down to superstar production. There is role 632 00:30:03,200 --> 00:30:06,240 Speaker 1: players stuff, you know, Obviously, spot up shooting is important, 633 00:30:06,760 --> 00:30:11,280 Speaker 1: but having superstars that are producing in a high level offensively, well, 634 00:30:11,480 --> 00:30:14,480 Speaker 1: it just goes a long way again, it's it's it's 635 00:30:14,520 --> 00:30:18,000 Speaker 1: the shot making, it's rescuing possessions, it's attacking mismatches, and 636 00:30:18,040 --> 00:30:22,000 Speaker 1: then most importantly, it's advantage creation. When we look at 637 00:30:22,040 --> 00:30:25,760 Speaker 1: the Clippers roster, there's a lot of really intriguing players there. 638 00:30:26,240 --> 00:30:29,240 Speaker 1: Mark Marcus Morris is a good basketball player. Luke Kennard 639 00:30:29,560 --> 00:30:33,400 Speaker 1: good basketball players. Zoo Bach, really good player, Reggie Jackson, 640 00:30:33,520 --> 00:30:36,240 Speaker 1: you know Nick Patum and his lightning quick release, like 641 00:30:36,280 --> 00:30:38,560 Speaker 1: the They have a lot of really good offensive players 642 00:30:38,600 --> 00:30:40,959 Speaker 1: in the offense. And a big part of that is, like, 643 00:30:41,320 --> 00:30:44,600 Speaker 1: when you ask that caliber of player to stare eye 644 00:30:44,640 --> 00:30:47,120 Speaker 1: to eye with a defensive player in a set defense 645 00:30:47,160 --> 00:30:50,200 Speaker 1: and a half court environment, they're gonna struggle because NBA 646 00:30:50,280 --> 00:30:54,520 Speaker 1: athletes are too good at defense. But if Kawhi Leonard 647 00:30:54,600 --> 00:30:57,640 Speaker 1: is getting downhill and passing the way that he has been, 648 00:30:57,640 --> 00:31:00,160 Speaker 1: if Paul George is getting downhill and passing the way 649 00:31:00,160 --> 00:31:02,480 Speaker 1: that he has been, or hell, when Paul George is 650 00:31:02,480 --> 00:31:04,360 Speaker 1: shooting the way he is coming off of screens and 651 00:31:04,400 --> 00:31:07,480 Speaker 1: he's drawing multiple defenders on on wide pin downs and 652 00:31:07,480 --> 00:31:10,680 Speaker 1: stuff like that, that creates all of a sudden, wide 653 00:31:10,680 --> 00:31:13,840 Speaker 1: open opportunities for the likes of Luke Kennard and Nick 654 00:31:13,880 --> 00:31:16,640 Speaker 1: Patumee and Marcus Morris, which they can convert at a 655 00:31:16,720 --> 00:31:18,840 Speaker 1: much higher level because they're more skilled than most of 656 00:31:18,840 --> 00:31:21,800 Speaker 1: the role players in the league. So everything comes down 657 00:31:21,800 --> 00:31:25,680 Speaker 1: to Klin Paul George and their ability to play like superstars. 658 00:31:26,160 --> 00:31:28,800 Speaker 1: That's what gives them such a such an exciting ceiling, 659 00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:30,240 Speaker 1: which is why I had them as one of the 660 00:31:30,280 --> 00:31:32,680 Speaker 1: top four teams in the league. They can look Jayson 661 00:31:32,680 --> 00:31:35,120 Speaker 1: Tatum and Jalen Brown, the best duo in the league, 662 00:31:35,360 --> 00:31:38,360 Speaker 1: in the face and they can out play them, and 663 00:31:38,360 --> 00:31:41,719 Speaker 1: and that that just changes the math of all of this. Obviously, 664 00:31:41,800 --> 00:31:43,440 Speaker 1: they have a long way to go to prove that 665 00:31:43,480 --> 00:31:45,040 Speaker 1: they can do it, but I thought that that was 666 00:31:45,080 --> 00:31:49,240 Speaker 1: a really big step for them in a big statement game. Alright, guys, 667 00:31:49,280 --> 00:31:50,760 Speaker 1: that is all I have for tonight. Like I said, 668 00:31:50,760 --> 00:31:55,200 Speaker 1: we're gonna be covering Kings, Sixers and Lakers Celtics tomorrow. 669 00:31:55,240 --> 00:31:57,560 Speaker 1: As always, I sincerely appreciate your sport. Now see you 670 00:31:57,600 --> 00:32:07,600 Speaker 1: guys next time. The volume