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We've had many long 30 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:08,519 Speaker 1: months of hypothetical basketball, theoretical basketball, historical basketball, everything other 31 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:11,280 Speaker 1: than meaningful basketball to talk about on the show. And 32 00:02:11,280 --> 00:02:13,440 Speaker 1: I'm very, very excited to break down a real life 33 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:16,840 Speaker 1: NBA game today. The Denver Nuggets on Ring Night put 34 00:02:16,880 --> 00:02:19,840 Speaker 1: forward the championship effort to beat the Los Angeles Lakers. 35 00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:21,840 Speaker 1: Are gonna be breaking that game down from the perspective 36 00:02:21,880 --> 00:02:24,239 Speaker 1: of both teams. And then later tonight we're gonna have 37 00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:27,119 Speaker 1: a separate video breaking down Sun's Warriors, So come back 38 00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:29,959 Speaker 1: to the feed later on tonight to get a breakdown 39 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:31,440 Speaker 1: of that game as well. You guys are the joke 40 00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:34,480 Speaker 1: before we get started. We launched a brand new YouTube 41 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:36,720 Speaker 1: channel this year. Hoops Tonight is now on its own 42 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:38,519 Speaker 1: YouTube channel. It mean a lot to me if you 43 00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:40,760 Speaker 1: guys would take a second to just scroll down and 44 00:02:40,840 --> 00:02:43,800 Speaker 1: hit that subscribe button. Don't forget about our social media 45 00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:47,160 Speaker 1: feeds as well, wherever you get like TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, 46 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:49,000 Speaker 1: That's where I'm doing like video content over the course 47 00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:51,080 Speaker 1: of the year, show announcements things like that, and then 48 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:53,280 Speaker 1: our podcast feed wherever you get your podcast under Hoops Tonight. 49 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:55,680 Speaker 1: And we're doing mailbags throughout the year at the end 50 00:02:55,760 --> 00:02:58,680 Speaker 1: of shows this year, so drop mailbag questions in the 51 00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:01,680 Speaker 1: YouTube comments. Right, let's talks some basketball. So you know 52 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 1: a lot of people going into this game tonight, we're 53 00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:08,079 Speaker 1: hoping for essentially the birth of a rivalry between the 54 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:11,560 Speaker 1: Nuggets and the Lakers, and there is you know, the 55 00:03:11,760 --> 00:03:15,119 Speaker 1: ingredients are there, right, Like You've got big names, superstars 56 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:17,679 Speaker 1: on both ends, all time great players and guys like 57 00:03:17,760 --> 00:03:20,480 Speaker 1: Lebron James and NICOLEA Jokic, You have like a win 58 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:23,600 Speaker 1: where the Lakers beat the Nuggets in the Conference finals 59 00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 1: convincingly four games to one, or it's the same course 60 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:30,480 Speaker 1: Lebron and ad versus Jokic, Murray Michael Porter Junior, but 61 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:33,600 Speaker 1: they're not quite in their primes yet and it's different 62 00:03:33,639 --> 00:03:36,120 Speaker 1: groups of role players. Fast forward to twenty twenty three, 63 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:38,800 Speaker 1: the Nuggets sweep the Lakers, but like Lebron's a little 64 00:03:38,800 --> 00:03:41,360 Speaker 1: out of his prime and they've swapped out the role players. 65 00:03:41,520 --> 00:03:43,560 Speaker 1: So like in theory, you look at it, it's like 66 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:45,640 Speaker 1: kind of the same cores one to one. There might 67 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:48,280 Speaker 1: be something here that could be a rivalry, but in 68 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:50,400 Speaker 1: order for it to be a rivalry, the Lakers have 69 00:03:50,480 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 1: to get up to the Nuggets level, and right now 70 00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:55,720 Speaker 1: they are just not. I look at the Nuggets more 71 00:03:55,760 --> 00:03:58,680 Speaker 1: as like a measuring stick right now than a rival. 72 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 1: It's a a status as a basketball team for the 73 00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:04,119 Speaker 1: Lakers to aspire to. And I mean you could kind 74 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:06,200 Speaker 1: of feel it coming off the screen in this particular 75 00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:08,839 Speaker 1: game that the Lakers, even though they had a core 76 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:12,080 Speaker 1: identity in last year's postseason, they're still kind of figuring 77 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:15,280 Speaker 1: stuff out with this new group, especially with some specific 78 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:17,919 Speaker 1: role players that they've brought in. In addition to that, 79 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:21,159 Speaker 1: just the kind of convoluted nature of their ball handling, 80 00:04:21,160 --> 00:04:23,360 Speaker 1: and they've got so many different guys on the court 81 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:26,200 Speaker 1: that could kind of run the show, and like it's like, 82 00:04:26,320 --> 00:04:29,120 Speaker 1: who's gonna actually grab the reins here and run this thing. 83 00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:31,880 Speaker 1: It's like, okay, Austin's running two or three actions in 84 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:34,080 Speaker 1: a row. Now de Lo's running the few actions that 85 00:04:34,080 --> 00:04:37,479 Speaker 1: are okay. Now we're attacking with Lebron out of switches 86 00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:39,560 Speaker 1: at the high post in a face up game. Anthony 87 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:42,040 Speaker 1: Davis is taking over for long stretches, and like kind 88 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:44,520 Speaker 1: of everybody's kind of figuring out where they fit in 89 00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:46,560 Speaker 1: in the offense. That's not the case with the Nuggets. 90 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:48,760 Speaker 1: The Nuggets know exactly what they are. They are the 91 00:04:49,120 --> 00:04:53,240 Speaker 1: quintessential basketball team. Jokic is the offensive full crumb. He's 92 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:57,040 Speaker 1: running everything. Jamal Murray is the primary ball handler. He's 93 00:04:57,120 --> 00:05:00,440 Speaker 1: initiating the action as the perimeter player every single time 94 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:03,159 Speaker 1: down the floor. Knavious call of Pope is the second 95 00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:05,560 Speaker 1: side shot creator. If Jamal Murray runs an action and 96 00:05:05,839 --> 00:05:07,720 Speaker 1: he doesn't get a good look, he's gonna swing it 97 00:05:07,760 --> 00:05:09,040 Speaker 1: over to the other side, and then they're gonna run the 98 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:11,279 Speaker 1: same damn thing or some other form of dribble handoff 99 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:14,480 Speaker 1: with Kntavious Calbo Pope to get something going. Michael Porter 100 00:05:14,560 --> 00:05:18,120 Speaker 1: Junior not running anything like he had occasionally a transition 101 00:05:18,160 --> 00:05:19,920 Speaker 1: push where I get an offensive rebound put back. He 102 00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:21,760 Speaker 1: had a handful of plays where he looked to be aggressive, 103 00:05:21,760 --> 00:05:23,839 Speaker 1: but for the most part he's just spotting up at 104 00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:26,560 Speaker 1: Aaron Gordon's just doing dirty work on the back line, 105 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:29,480 Speaker 1: like cutting along the baseline, attacking on the offensive glass. 106 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:33,160 Speaker 1: Uh with the occasional switch posting up. They know exactly 107 00:05:33,200 --> 00:05:35,200 Speaker 1: where they who they are, They know exactly where they 108 00:05:35,279 --> 00:05:37,760 Speaker 1: fit in in terms of the overall roles of the team. 109 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:42,279 Speaker 1: They are the quintessential perfect fitting basketball team. It's one 110 00:05:42,320 --> 00:05:44,520 Speaker 1: of my favorite things about the game of basketball. The 111 00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:47,320 Speaker 1: Nuggets are a very talented team, but they are not 112 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:50,640 Speaker 1: as talented as some of the more talented teams at 113 00:05:50,640 --> 00:05:52,800 Speaker 1: the top of the league. But you are more than 114 00:05:52,839 --> 00:05:56,000 Speaker 1: the sum of your parts when you fit naturally as 115 00:05:56,040 --> 00:05:58,919 Speaker 1: a basketball team, and it goes beyond even just the players. 116 00:05:58,960 --> 00:06:01,440 Speaker 1: I think Mike Bloone doesn't amazing job getting them to 117 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:05,360 Speaker 1: commit to his defensive scheme. Their defensive rotations were sharp tonight. 118 00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:07,560 Speaker 1: They were super physical at the point of attack. They 119 00:06:07,560 --> 00:06:10,840 Speaker 1: were frustrating guys like Daniel Russell and Austin Reeves. It 120 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:13,440 Speaker 1: was a very very impressive performance on that end. On 121 00:06:13,480 --> 00:06:16,080 Speaker 1: the other end of the floor, their sets are sophisticated. 122 00:06:16,080 --> 00:06:19,599 Speaker 1: It's multiple screening actions flowing into their two man game, 123 00:06:19,640 --> 00:06:22,240 Speaker 1: which makes it so that Jamal Murray always has the 124 00:06:22,279 --> 00:06:25,400 Speaker 1: player trailing several feet behind him, which gets him into 125 00:06:25,440 --> 00:06:27,839 Speaker 1: a position where he can either take and make easy 126 00:06:27,839 --> 00:06:31,039 Speaker 1: pull up jump shots or draw multiple defenders to open 127 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:35,120 Speaker 1: up things for Nikola Jokics. The Denver Nuggets are already 128 00:06:35,560 --> 00:06:38,880 Speaker 1: a finished product in so many different ways. They are 129 00:06:39,400 --> 00:06:42,279 Speaker 1: the bar that the Lakers need to get to, and 130 00:06:42,360 --> 00:06:44,320 Speaker 1: the Lakers, on the other hand, they have some very 131 00:06:44,440 --> 00:06:46,600 Speaker 1: very clear weaknesses that they have to work out. Their 132 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:49,200 Speaker 1: transition defense is an issue. They still have issues with 133 00:06:49,279 --> 00:06:54,279 Speaker 1: perimeter size and getting long contested rebounds. They have these 134 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:57,200 Speaker 1: clear flaws that they have to work out. The hierarchy 135 00:06:57,200 --> 00:06:59,880 Speaker 1: of their offense is still kind of convoluted over the 136 00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:02,279 Speaker 1: top shot making. We're gonna talk about it in a minute, 137 00:07:02,400 --> 00:07:05,120 Speaker 1: but like again, I'm impressed by the Lakers fight. They 138 00:07:05,160 --> 00:07:07,880 Speaker 1: fought and weathered some runs, and I mean they I 139 00:07:07,920 --> 00:07:10,280 Speaker 1: think they had it within three in the fourth quarter, right, 140 00:07:10,320 --> 00:07:12,760 Speaker 1: But like, here's the deal was, were all the games 141 00:07:12,760 --> 00:07:15,920 Speaker 1: close in the Western Conference Finals? Yes? They were, But 142 00:07:15,960 --> 00:07:18,440 Speaker 1: the Nuggets won all four of them because when things 143 00:07:18,480 --> 00:07:21,240 Speaker 1: slow down, they can out execute the Lakers at a 144 00:07:21,320 --> 00:07:24,920 Speaker 1: much higher level in those specific situations, and the Lakers 145 00:07:24,920 --> 00:07:27,040 Speaker 1: have a long way to go to catch up. We'll 146 00:07:27,080 --> 00:07:30,000 Speaker 1: talk more about the Lakers in a little bit. I 147 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:32,080 Speaker 1: wanted to again, I was really impressed with the the 148 00:07:32,160 --> 00:07:35,080 Speaker 1: Nuggets defense. They were bringing Jokic up high and pick 149 00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:38,640 Speaker 1: and roll on the specifically on the D'Angelo Russell pick 150 00:07:38,640 --> 00:07:40,520 Speaker 1: and rolls, but often on the Austin Reeves pick and 151 00:07:40,600 --> 00:07:43,040 Speaker 1: rolls as well. They were rotating really sound on the 152 00:07:43,080 --> 00:07:45,760 Speaker 1: back end. They were being physical with D'Angelo Russell and 153 00:07:45,800 --> 00:07:47,880 Speaker 1: talking shit to him. That's kind of the strategy they 154 00:07:47,920 --> 00:07:50,120 Speaker 1: use in the Western Conference Finals, and what do you know, 155 00:07:50,160 --> 00:07:52,040 Speaker 1: he ended up struggling. We'll end up talking a little 156 00:07:52,040 --> 00:07:55,920 Speaker 1: bit more about D'Angelo Russell in a minute. Nikole Jokicic 157 00:07:56,040 --> 00:07:59,920 Speaker 1: just dominated Anthony Davis. He just physically cannot guard him 158 00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:02,400 Speaker 1: one on one, which is the wildest thing in the world. 159 00:08:02,400 --> 00:08:04,240 Speaker 1: I'm not sure that there is a player in the 160 00:08:04,320 --> 00:08:07,120 Speaker 1: NBA that can even make Jokic really work all that 161 00:08:07,160 --> 00:08:09,720 Speaker 1: hard one on one I was I had somebody throw 162 00:08:09,800 --> 00:08:12,840 Speaker 1: the name Joel Embiid out there, and like, it's hard 163 00:08:12,880 --> 00:08:14,560 Speaker 1: because you don't you only see him play twice a 164 00:08:14,640 --> 00:08:17,840 Speaker 1: year and yok and b does kind of have the 165 00:08:17,880 --> 00:08:20,880 Speaker 1: size to kind of absorb some of those drop steps 166 00:08:20,880 --> 00:08:23,679 Speaker 1: from Jokic. But even then, it's like if Joel Embiid 167 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:26,000 Speaker 1: was the magic elicksur for Jokic, He's just not even 168 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:28,120 Speaker 1: in the same stratosphere as a defensive players some of 169 00:08:28,120 --> 00:08:29,520 Speaker 1: the guys at the top of the league, and so 170 00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:32,480 Speaker 1: like Jokis just puts you in a real predicament in 171 00:08:32,520 --> 00:08:35,280 Speaker 1: the sense that you physically cannot match up to him 172 00:08:35,480 --> 00:08:38,560 Speaker 1: with any individual defender. And then when you combine that 173 00:08:39,040 --> 00:08:41,280 Speaker 1: in a true two man game with a guy like 174 00:08:41,360 --> 00:08:44,880 Speaker 1: Jamal Murray who is as a legitimate weapon and pull 175 00:08:44,960 --> 00:08:47,480 Speaker 1: up jump shooting situations, you can make you pay if 176 00:08:47,520 --> 00:08:49,600 Speaker 1: you duck under picks by knocking down pull up threes, 177 00:08:49,640 --> 00:08:51,960 Speaker 1: can make you pay if you trail picks by knocking 178 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:53,880 Speaker 1: down pull up jump shots, and floaters can make you 179 00:08:53,880 --> 00:08:56,160 Speaker 1: pay with the pass if you bring multiple defenders over, 180 00:08:56,400 --> 00:08:58,000 Speaker 1: can make you pay on the switch if you put 181 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:00,280 Speaker 1: a small defender on him. Like he just had the 182 00:09:00,320 --> 00:09:04,600 Speaker 1: perfect complimentary game to what Nikola Jokic brings to the table. 183 00:09:04,600 --> 00:09:07,280 Speaker 1: I thought Jamal Murray looked like an All Star this year. 184 00:09:07,320 --> 00:09:10,560 Speaker 1: That's the whole kind of storyline surrounding Jamal Murray this 185 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:12,920 Speaker 1: year is can he be the regular season impactful player 186 00:09:12,920 --> 00:09:15,880 Speaker 1: that he was in the playoffs. I've been saying all summer, Hell, 187 00:09:15,960 --> 00:09:19,160 Speaker 1: yeah he can. The dude got hurt and last year 188 00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:20,680 Speaker 1: he was coming back from an injury. The year before 189 00:09:20,679 --> 00:09:22,160 Speaker 1: that he was out with an injury. Year before that, 190 00:09:22,360 --> 00:09:24,760 Speaker 1: he literally was coming off of an incredibly short layoff 191 00:09:24,760 --> 00:09:28,160 Speaker 1: out of the playoffs in the bubble, which directly led 192 00:09:28,200 --> 00:09:30,120 Speaker 1: to some of the physical issues that he had that season. 193 00:09:30,160 --> 00:09:33,400 Speaker 1: This is his first healthy, normal season as the player 194 00:09:33,400 --> 00:09:35,880 Speaker 1: that he was in the playoffs last year. I expect 195 00:09:35,920 --> 00:09:39,040 Speaker 1: him to produce like this all year long. Aaron Gordon 196 00:09:39,080 --> 00:09:42,959 Speaker 1: looked fantastic. He was beaten guys in post up mismatches, 197 00:09:43,640 --> 00:09:45,360 Speaker 1: just like he did in the NBA Finals. You just 198 00:09:45,400 --> 00:09:48,200 Speaker 1: can't switch a smaller guard onto him. He can work 199 00:09:48,240 --> 00:09:50,160 Speaker 1: his way inside in the post and score on him, 200 00:09:50,280 --> 00:09:54,360 Speaker 1: beating him on the offensive glass cutting along the back line. 201 00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:56,760 Speaker 1: In transition, he had a bunch of big plays. Aaron 202 00:09:56,760 --> 00:10:00,440 Speaker 1: Gordon was just awesome. The Denver Nuggets are a well 203 00:10:00,480 --> 00:10:03,439 Speaker 1: oiled machine. Their bench had some issues in the second half, 204 00:10:03,559 --> 00:10:05,920 Speaker 1: but their bench had issues all year last year, and it 205 00:10:06,040 --> 00:10:08,280 Speaker 1: ended up just not mattering and so like again, like 206 00:10:08,320 --> 00:10:11,679 Speaker 1: we can talk about the hypothetical ceiling that dam and 207 00:10:11,760 --> 00:10:14,000 Speaker 1: Yamis can reach, and we can talk about the hypothetical 208 00:10:14,040 --> 00:10:16,760 Speaker 1: ceiling that Drew Holliday and Christops Porzingis can lift the 209 00:10:16,800 --> 00:10:19,160 Speaker 1: Boston Celtics too, And we can talk about the hypothetical 210 00:10:19,200 --> 00:10:22,439 Speaker 1: ceiling that Bradley Beal can lift the Phoenix Suns to, 211 00:10:23,080 --> 00:10:25,199 Speaker 1: or what the Lakers might be able to accomplish over 212 00:10:25,240 --> 00:10:26,839 Speaker 1: the course of the season. But at the end of 213 00:10:26,840 --> 00:10:30,640 Speaker 1: the day, the Denver Nuggets are right now one of 214 00:10:30,640 --> 00:10:33,120 Speaker 1: the best teams of the last decade and they are 215 00:10:33,160 --> 00:10:35,640 Speaker 1: currently clicking at that level. They are going to click 216 00:10:35,679 --> 00:10:37,600 Speaker 1: at that level all season long, and as long as 217 00:10:37,640 --> 00:10:40,439 Speaker 1: they are healthy when they get to April, they're gonna 218 00:10:40,440 --> 00:10:43,000 Speaker 1: just be a royal pain in the ass for anybody 219 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:44,960 Speaker 1: to beat. And That's why I picked them as my 220 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:49,040 Speaker 1: championship favorite, even among the super talented teams that we 221 00:10:49,120 --> 00:10:50,920 Speaker 1: have at the top of the league. Let's talk some 222 00:10:51,040 --> 00:10:53,920 Speaker 1: Lakers for a few minutes. This matchup is tough for them. 223 00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:56,800 Speaker 1: They struggle with perimeter size, right, Like you got Austin 224 00:10:56,840 --> 00:10:59,760 Speaker 1: Reeves and D'Angelo Russell as guys that are, you know, decent, 225 00:11:00,280 --> 00:11:02,680 Speaker 1: like they're six four sixty five, but they're both not 226 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:05,960 Speaker 1: fantastic athletes, right, Like Contavio's called what Pope's a better athlete, 227 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:09,520 Speaker 1: Jamal Murray's better athlete. Michael Porter Junior has size on 228 00:11:09,600 --> 00:11:12,520 Speaker 1: either of them in any specific help defense situation. Right, 229 00:11:13,120 --> 00:11:17,280 Speaker 1: Torrian Prince has some of the length, but he's kind 230 00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:19,760 Speaker 1: of thin, right and ECTU Torrian Prince had some impressive 231 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:22,120 Speaker 1: perimeter defense possessions on Jamal Murray today. I thought that 232 00:11:22,160 --> 00:11:24,600 Speaker 1: was encouraging. Torrian Prince was one of the bright spots 233 00:11:25,120 --> 00:11:27,000 Speaker 1: for the Lakers in this particular game. But you could 234 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:29,720 Speaker 1: tell the Nuggets have a mental advantage as well. They're 235 00:11:29,760 --> 00:11:32,800 Speaker 1: talking shit, they're getting guys out of rhythm, they're being physical, 236 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:35,640 Speaker 1: they are feeling themselves because they know they have the 237 00:11:35,760 --> 00:11:38,160 Speaker 1: Lakers number. It kind of reminds me again this is 238 00:11:38,200 --> 00:11:40,040 Speaker 1: not a direct cump because the Nuggets are the defending 239 00:11:40,080 --> 00:11:42,200 Speaker 1: champions and the Clippers have never won anything. But the 240 00:11:42,200 --> 00:11:44,320 Speaker 1: Clippers in twenty twenty kind of had a similar mental 241 00:11:44,320 --> 00:11:46,760 Speaker 1: advantage over the Lakers, where he can tell they just 242 00:11:46,920 --> 00:11:49,800 Speaker 1: feel like they're better, and that manifests on the floor 243 00:11:50,080 --> 00:11:52,040 Speaker 1: in a lot of different ways. Confident. I mean, I 244 00:11:52,520 --> 00:11:54,480 Speaker 1: know all the analytics guys like to pretend like there's 245 00:11:54,520 --> 00:11:56,880 Speaker 1: no such thing as the hot hand or confidence or 246 00:11:56,880 --> 00:11:59,280 Speaker 1: anything along those lines. That stuff is real, in my opinion, 247 00:11:59,320 --> 00:12:02,120 Speaker 1: and like the psych cology of basketball really does matter, 248 00:12:02,520 --> 00:12:05,600 Speaker 1: and I think the Nuggets have a psychological advantage here. 249 00:12:05,640 --> 00:12:10,120 Speaker 1: They can attack mismatches in size all over the floor, 250 00:12:10,120 --> 00:12:12,200 Speaker 1: whether it's Jamal Murray didn't do too much post up 251 00:12:12,200 --> 00:12:15,240 Speaker 1: attacking in this game, but Aaron Gordon can beat them, 252 00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:18,000 Speaker 1: even the Michael Porter junior transition basket. It's just because 253 00:12:18,040 --> 00:12:22,200 Speaker 1: he's bigger than everybody, right. And then Nikola Jokic has 254 00:12:22,280 --> 00:12:24,160 Speaker 1: the number of the very best defender in the world 255 00:12:24,200 --> 00:12:26,240 Speaker 1: and the best defender on the Lakers and Anthony Davis, 256 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:28,679 Speaker 1: so they're put into a tough spot. You saw their 257 00:12:28,679 --> 00:12:31,520 Speaker 1: point of attack defense be a problem in this game. Again, 258 00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:33,680 Speaker 1: point of attack defense is the ability to contain ball 259 00:12:33,679 --> 00:12:36,400 Speaker 1: handlers on the perimeter and the ability to navigate ball 260 00:12:36,400 --> 00:12:40,839 Speaker 1: screens to funnel players into your rim protection. Right, And 261 00:12:40,880 --> 00:12:42,840 Speaker 1: like you saw, you know again, when Torrian Prince was 262 00:12:42,840 --> 00:12:44,800 Speaker 1: on the floor. It looked okay, but you saw it 263 00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:47,120 Speaker 1: like when Gay Vincent was guarding him, when Dangela Russell 264 00:12:47,160 --> 00:12:50,400 Speaker 1: was guarding him. Jamal Murray's consistently drawing fouls and consistently 265 00:12:50,440 --> 00:12:53,679 Speaker 1: getting separation. And that's an issue that's gonna manifest over 266 00:12:53,720 --> 00:12:55,240 Speaker 1: the course of not only the season, but in the 267 00:12:55,240 --> 00:12:58,520 Speaker 1: postseason if the Lakers don't either get Jared Vanderbilt both 268 00:12:58,559 --> 00:13:01,760 Speaker 1: healthy and capable of being a threat offensively or make 269 00:13:01,840 --> 00:13:04,480 Speaker 1: some sort of deal around the deadline to improve their 270 00:13:04,520 --> 00:13:07,160 Speaker 1: perimeter defense, because when they it's not just teams like 271 00:13:07,160 --> 00:13:09,800 Speaker 1: the Nuggets. Any team that has high level guard play 272 00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:12,760 Speaker 1: and good screeners is going to put the Lakers in 273 00:13:12,840 --> 00:13:15,640 Speaker 1: rotation a lot. And when they're in rotation, Anthony Davis 274 00:13:15,679 --> 00:13:17,920 Speaker 1: can't protect the rim. And when Anthony Davis can't protect 275 00:13:17,960 --> 00:13:21,160 Speaker 1: the rim, they have a pretty big steep drop off 276 00:13:21,480 --> 00:13:23,520 Speaker 1: with their defense. And so again that's gonna be something 277 00:13:23,520 --> 00:13:25,720 Speaker 1: to watch with the Lakers all year long, but specifically 278 00:13:25,720 --> 00:13:28,160 Speaker 1: in this matchup their ability to defend at the point 279 00:13:28,160 --> 00:13:30,400 Speaker 1: of attack and then over the top shot making. Again, 280 00:13:30,520 --> 00:13:34,439 Speaker 1: like Lebron hit a three, Anthony Davis, you know, I 281 00:13:34,480 --> 00:13:36,199 Speaker 1: think he hit one three in this game. I'd have 282 00:13:36,240 --> 00:13:38,160 Speaker 1: to look at the box score. But like, there wasn't 283 00:13:38,200 --> 00:13:40,360 Speaker 1: a ton of like high level over the top shot 284 00:13:40,400 --> 00:13:42,120 Speaker 1: making from the Lakers in this game, just like you 285 00:13:42,120 --> 00:13:44,240 Speaker 1: would expect after what we saw from them last year. 286 00:13:44,440 --> 00:13:46,880 Speaker 1: But time and time again, when the Lakers would make 287 00:13:46,880 --> 00:13:50,040 Speaker 1: a run and get the game back to five, seven, 288 00:13:50,120 --> 00:13:53,000 Speaker 1: four points, whatever it was, it'd be another Jamal Murray 289 00:13:53,040 --> 00:13:56,080 Speaker 1: pull up jump shot, another Contavious call Well Pope curling 290 00:13:56,200 --> 00:13:58,720 Speaker 1: jump shot coming off of a screen, another Nicola jok 291 00:13:58,760 --> 00:14:00,760 Speaker 1: It's popping jump shot at top of the key. They 292 00:14:00,760 --> 00:14:05,120 Speaker 1: are just an incredibly skilled basketball team, and when things 293 00:14:05,200 --> 00:14:09,040 Speaker 1: really slow down and they execute their skill manifests in 294 00:14:09,120 --> 00:14:13,120 Speaker 1: those half court possessions. So like again, the Lakers are 295 00:14:13,200 --> 00:14:16,959 Speaker 1: clearly a level below the Nuggets, and that is something 296 00:14:17,080 --> 00:14:19,080 Speaker 1: they're gonna have to resolve over the course of the season. 297 00:14:19,280 --> 00:14:21,440 Speaker 1: We're gonna be monitoring that closely. We're gonna look at 298 00:14:21,440 --> 00:14:23,560 Speaker 1: all the different things that kind of take shape over 299 00:14:23,560 --> 00:14:26,080 Speaker 1: the year, what deals they might have to make, rotational changes, 300 00:14:26,080 --> 00:14:28,800 Speaker 1: different lineup structures and things like that. But at the 301 00:14:28,880 --> 00:14:30,240 Speaker 1: end of the day, the Nuggets are just better and 302 00:14:30,240 --> 00:14:32,000 Speaker 1: it's gonna take a little while for the Lakers to 303 00:14:32,040 --> 00:14:35,440 Speaker 1: get to that point. That doesn't mean doom for the Lakers. 304 00:14:35,480 --> 00:14:38,160 Speaker 1: They play eighty two games, they're gonna be more talented 305 00:14:38,160 --> 00:14:40,120 Speaker 1: than at least twenty five of the thirty teams that 306 00:14:40,160 --> 00:14:42,520 Speaker 1: they play over the course of the season. Right, they're 307 00:14:42,560 --> 00:14:46,160 Speaker 1: going to have opportunities to get through this season and 308 00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:48,840 Speaker 1: be in a position to attack this Denver team over 309 00:14:48,880 --> 00:14:52,120 Speaker 1: two weeks as opposed to one game. And there were positives. Right, 310 00:14:52,160 --> 00:14:55,320 Speaker 1: Anthony Davis looks great. That's the crazy part, and that's 311 00:14:55,320 --> 00:14:59,160 Speaker 1: how good Nikol Jokicic's ad was really damn good in 312 00:14:59,200 --> 00:15:02,160 Speaker 1: this game, and Jokic was just better than him because 313 00:15:02,200 --> 00:15:03,800 Speaker 1: he is just better than him. But at the end 314 00:15:03,840 --> 00:15:06,360 Speaker 1: of the day, that's a positive. Anthony Davis looks great. 315 00:15:06,400 --> 00:15:08,960 Speaker 1: I thought Lebron looked great. They limited his minutes. I 316 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:11,160 Speaker 1: think that's a good thing. There's no reason for him 317 00:15:11,200 --> 00:15:13,440 Speaker 1: to play too much with the amount of talent that's 318 00:15:13,440 --> 00:15:15,800 Speaker 1: on this team. It allows Lebron to be I noticed 319 00:15:15,840 --> 00:15:18,400 Speaker 1: it in particular, like Lebron has a tendency to float 320 00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:20,840 Speaker 1: through games. He'll play thirty six, thirty seven minutes, but 321 00:15:20,920 --> 00:15:23,480 Speaker 1: he'll take these long stretches where he's kind of disengaged. 322 00:15:23,720 --> 00:15:27,080 Speaker 1: Lebron was more engaged in his minutes because he was 323 00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:29,840 Speaker 1: playing shorter shifts, and like the Lakers were a big 324 00:15:29,880 --> 00:15:32,280 Speaker 1: positive when Lebron was on the floor in this game. 325 00:15:32,320 --> 00:15:35,160 Speaker 1: I think that's encouraging, right. And you saw him be 326 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:37,520 Speaker 1: able to attack from the high post, attack and transition 327 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:42,760 Speaker 1: as a just a downhill threat, right, like making solid 328 00:15:42,800 --> 00:15:45,720 Speaker 1: reads when the Nuggets would offer nail help kicking the shooters. 329 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:48,560 Speaker 1: I thought Lebron looked great in this game. I think 330 00:15:48,600 --> 00:15:52,160 Speaker 1: that's a positive, right. I did think it was interesting 331 00:15:52,160 --> 00:15:53,800 Speaker 1: that the Lakers kind of took off in the second 332 00:15:53,840 --> 00:15:56,600 Speaker 1: half when Lebron started being more aggressive offensively. It's something 333 00:15:56,600 --> 00:15:59,040 Speaker 1: to keep in mind. We were talking about the hierarchy 334 00:15:59,120 --> 00:16:01,240 Speaker 1: of the ball handling for the Nuggets and how clear 335 00:16:01,280 --> 00:16:03,560 Speaker 1: it is. I'd like the Lakers to do the same thing, 336 00:16:03,880 --> 00:16:06,960 Speaker 1: to simplify their ball handling structure and lean more on 337 00:16:06,960 --> 00:16:09,160 Speaker 1: one guy. Try to get one of Austin or DL 338 00:16:09,360 --> 00:16:12,640 Speaker 1: to operate primarily as an off ball player and just 339 00:16:12,720 --> 00:16:16,280 Speaker 1: kind of simplify that decision making process. Right, So, Dangela 340 00:16:16,360 --> 00:16:19,640 Speaker 1: Russell looked fantastic all preseason and then looked pretty bad 341 00:16:19,680 --> 00:16:21,960 Speaker 1: in this particular game. Right, had some spot up. Three 342 00:16:22,040 --> 00:16:23,680 Speaker 1: is that he knocked down he made some plays, but 343 00:16:23,920 --> 00:16:26,560 Speaker 1: definitely wasn't as impactful as he was in the preseason. 344 00:16:26,760 --> 00:16:29,800 Speaker 1: Why is that time and time again, when the intensity 345 00:16:29,880 --> 00:16:33,040 Speaker 1: ratchets up and the physicality ratches up, that's when D'Angelo 346 00:16:33,120 --> 00:16:35,320 Speaker 1: Russell struggles to finish around the ram, struggles to get 347 00:16:35,360 --> 00:16:37,880 Speaker 1: separation and pick and roll, struggles to make passes out 348 00:16:37,920 --> 00:16:40,480 Speaker 1: of pick and roll. And again, there's value in D'angela 349 00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:42,480 Speaker 1: Russell kind of reminds you of me of James Harden. 350 00:16:42,520 --> 00:16:45,680 Speaker 1: He can eat regular season innings and he can provide 351 00:16:45,720 --> 00:16:49,400 Speaker 1: basically a mediocre offensive fulcrum when you need it, right, 352 00:16:49,800 --> 00:16:52,200 Speaker 1: but in intense games, and again, this is season opener, 353 00:16:52,280 --> 00:16:53,840 Speaker 1: This is not the same as a game in February. 354 00:16:53,880 --> 00:16:55,920 Speaker 1: This game had a playoff feel in terms of the 355 00:16:55,920 --> 00:16:58,880 Speaker 1: overall physicality in those environments. He's going to go down 356 00:16:58,880 --> 00:17:01,040 Speaker 1: a level and that's something keep an eye on over 357 00:17:01,040 --> 00:17:02,880 Speaker 1: the course of the season because the Lakers do have 358 00:17:02,960 --> 00:17:06,040 Speaker 1: the ability to slot Gabe Vincent and Austin Reeves in 359 00:17:06,040 --> 00:17:08,760 Speaker 1: the backcourt. They have three forwards they can afford to 360 00:17:08,760 --> 00:17:10,560 Speaker 1: get rid of one. Right, You saw ruy Hot Chamura 361 00:17:10,640 --> 00:17:12,600 Speaker 1: look kind of like the odd man out tonight, right, So, 362 00:17:12,680 --> 00:17:14,560 Speaker 1: like you could see a scenario. And again I'm not 363 00:17:14,560 --> 00:17:17,320 Speaker 1: saying you do this now, but if fifty games from now, 364 00:17:17,359 --> 00:17:19,760 Speaker 1: if you're in February and Dilo is still kind of 365 00:17:19,800 --> 00:17:22,200 Speaker 1: struggling in the big games and ruy Ha Chamura is 366 00:17:22,240 --> 00:17:24,240 Speaker 1: still struggling to find his role off the bench, that's 367 00:17:24,280 --> 00:17:26,640 Speaker 1: two pieces you can package together with two first round 368 00:17:26,720 --> 00:17:28,879 Speaker 1: draft picks, and you can bring back a thirty million 369 00:17:28,920 --> 00:17:32,000 Speaker 1: dollar player, a good thirty million dollar player, and that 370 00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:34,960 Speaker 1: could give that could potentially be a ceiling razer for 371 00:17:35,040 --> 00:17:36,879 Speaker 1: this team. But again, like as good as the Angela 372 00:17:36,920 --> 00:17:38,600 Speaker 1: Russell is, and he's gonna have a lot of great knights, 373 00:17:38,600 --> 00:17:40,840 Speaker 1: and he's gonna have a lot of great sequences time 374 00:17:40,880 --> 00:17:43,240 Speaker 1: and time again, when the physicality ratchets up in these 375 00:17:43,520 --> 00:17:45,760 Speaker 1: bigger matchups against the better teams at the top of 376 00:17:45,800 --> 00:17:49,199 Speaker 1: the league, he tends to struggle a little bit. I 377 00:17:49,200 --> 00:17:51,160 Speaker 1: thought the second half bench unit end of the third quarter, 378 00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:54,320 Speaker 1: early fourth looked good. There's a lot of Lebron, James 379 00:17:54,359 --> 00:17:57,000 Speaker 1: and Christian would match up attacking against smaller defenders, either 380 00:17:57,000 --> 00:17:58,520 Speaker 1: at the high post and out of the post. I 381 00:17:58,520 --> 00:18:00,360 Speaker 1: thought that was an interesting thing that you can see 382 00:18:00,359 --> 00:18:02,840 Speaker 1: the Lakers do more over the course of the season. 383 00:18:02,840 --> 00:18:05,440 Speaker 1: You saw d'An Angela Russell kind of operate making those 384 00:18:05,480 --> 00:18:08,359 Speaker 1: post entries and then basically just spotting up on the wing, 385 00:18:08,640 --> 00:18:10,880 Speaker 1: and Lebron's really good at punishing the nail help there, 386 00:18:10,880 --> 00:18:13,480 Speaker 1: which just quick passes into the shooting pocket. So I 387 00:18:13,520 --> 00:18:15,520 Speaker 1: thought that was encouraging because the bench units kind of 388 00:18:15,520 --> 00:18:18,720 Speaker 1: struggled during the regular season, and again, in the big picture, 389 00:18:19,200 --> 00:18:22,320 Speaker 1: not every team is Denver like this is a really 390 00:18:22,359 --> 00:18:25,040 Speaker 1: good team on the road Championship ring night. It's a 391 00:18:25,040 --> 00:18:28,159 Speaker 1: hard game to win. It doesn't spell doom for the season, 392 00:18:28,440 --> 00:18:30,720 Speaker 1: but it's the measuring stick. It's the level they have 393 00:18:30,760 --> 00:18:35,560 Speaker 1: to get to over the course of the eighty two Obviously, 394 00:18:35,600 --> 00:18:38,480 Speaker 1: my Arizona Diamondbacks just made it to the World Series, 395 00:18:38,480 --> 00:18:40,960 Speaker 1: which I'm super excited about. So we still have a 396 00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:43,960 Speaker 1: couple of weeks of baseball. We have the NFL that's 397 00:18:44,359 --> 00:18:46,680 Speaker 1: deep in the swing of things. Obviously, college football is 398 00:18:46,720 --> 00:18:47,919 Speaker 1: in the heart of the season, and now we have 399 00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:51,359 Speaker 1: the return of the NBA and college basketball right around 400 00:18:51,400 --> 00:18:53,760 Speaker 1: the corner, so there's no shortage of events to attend 401 00:18:53,840 --> 00:18:56,239 Speaker 1: right now, and all summer long we've had concerts and 402 00:18:56,240 --> 00:18:59,000 Speaker 1: comedy shows, and so with all of this, there's a 403 00:18:59,040 --> 00:19:01,199 Speaker 1: lot of tickets out there for these events, and the 404 00:19:01,200 --> 00:19:04,000 Speaker 1: best way to get tickets to any of these events 405 00:19:04,119 --> 00:19:06,440 Speaker 1: is on game Time, the fastest growing ticketing app in 406 00:19:06,480 --> 00:19:09,399 Speaker 1: the United States. 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So I 416 00:19:39,680 --> 00:19:44,199 Speaker 1: had a radio hit this morning in Phoenix, and it 417 00:19:44,200 --> 00:19:45,960 Speaker 1: was funny because we ended up talking d backs for 418 00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:47,720 Speaker 1: about a third of it, But it's just you have 419 00:19:47,720 --> 00:19:51,040 Speaker 1: to understand, like a man, baseball was like such a 420 00:19:51,119 --> 00:19:53,000 Speaker 1: huge thing for me growing up. It was like literally 421 00:19:53,080 --> 00:19:55,240 Speaker 1: all I did until I picked up a basketball because 422 00:19:55,240 --> 00:19:57,160 Speaker 1: I kind of got into basketball late. So like I'd 423 00:19:57,200 --> 00:19:59,359 Speaker 1: go to school, go to liter League practice, and then 424 00:19:59,400 --> 00:20:01,159 Speaker 1: I'd go watch the d Backs every single night. So 425 00:20:01,200 --> 00:20:03,000 Speaker 1: this playoff run has like thrown me for a loop 426 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:04,359 Speaker 1: because it's like it makes me feel like I'm a 427 00:20:04,440 --> 00:20:07,919 Speaker 1: kid again. Tonight, honestly to God, was really difficult to 428 00:20:08,040 --> 00:20:11,720 Speaker 1: navigate doing my job while also watching one of the 429 00:20:11,720 --> 00:20:14,280 Speaker 1: most stressful baseball games that I've ever watched, you know, 430 00:20:14,680 --> 00:20:16,560 Speaker 1: the d Backs on the road in Philly against the 431 00:20:16,960 --> 00:20:21,000 Speaker 1: terrifying bats of Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber, and I 432 00:20:21,680 --> 00:20:24,920 Speaker 1: would love to never see a Zach Wheeler sweeper or 433 00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:26,920 Speaker 1: four seamer or two seamer ever again in my life. 434 00:20:26,960 --> 00:20:30,960 Speaker 1: That was absolutely terrifying. But after we talked to some 435 00:20:31,040 --> 00:20:32,800 Speaker 1: d Backs on the radio this morning, we talked some 436 00:20:32,920 --> 00:20:38,000 Speaker 1: sons and before the interview, I was doing some research 437 00:20:38,280 --> 00:20:41,639 Speaker 1: on the Sun's preseason just a Deeper Dive, and Devin 438 00:20:41,640 --> 00:20:44,160 Speaker 1: Booker was thirteen for twenty three on pull up jump 439 00:20:44,200 --> 00:20:46,639 Speaker 1: shots in preseason, I'm like, that's freaking insane. So like, 440 00:20:46,760 --> 00:20:49,160 Speaker 1: last year in the regular season, he was a hair 441 00:20:49,280 --> 00:20:52,000 Speaker 1: under fifty percent on effective field goal percent to jump 442 00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:54,240 Speaker 1: pull up jump shots, and then he went up way 443 00:20:54,320 --> 00:20:56,639 Speaker 1: up to like almost sixty percent in the postseason, and 444 00:20:56,680 --> 00:20:59,080 Speaker 1: then in the preseason he's at like almost seventy five 445 00:20:59,119 --> 00:21:01,600 Speaker 1: percent in EFFECTI feel percentage. I'm like, man, it feels 446 00:21:01,640 --> 00:21:05,200 Speaker 1: like Devin Booker's kind of taking a leap. And then 447 00:21:05,560 --> 00:21:09,600 Speaker 1: last year in the regular season was the first time 448 00:21:09,600 --> 00:21:11,840 Speaker 1: that it really dawned on me just how advanced of 449 00:21:11,880 --> 00:21:14,720 Speaker 1: a playmaker Devin Booker has become in this phase of 450 00:21:14,760 --> 00:21:16,560 Speaker 1: his career. And so as I was sitting down on 451 00:21:16,560 --> 00:21:18,800 Speaker 1: the computer, I'm looking at Devin Booker's age, and I'm like, 452 00:21:19,520 --> 00:21:21,840 Speaker 1: he hit all these crazy pull up jump shots last year. 453 00:21:21,880 --> 00:21:24,320 Speaker 1: Remember that Game three, Game four sequence against Denver when 454 00:21:24,320 --> 00:21:26,159 Speaker 1: he got like so outrageously hot. It was one of 455 00:21:26,200 --> 00:21:28,600 Speaker 1: the hottest shooting streaks that we've ever seen from a 456 00:21:28,600 --> 00:21:31,720 Speaker 1: pull up jump shooter in the postseason. And I remember, though, 457 00:21:31,760 --> 00:21:34,000 Speaker 1: the whole thing was like, and I'm guilty of this 458 00:21:34,080 --> 00:21:35,879 Speaker 1: as well. We're all like, he's just not going to 459 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:39,400 Speaker 1: keep making these right, Like he's got to eventually start missing, right. 460 00:21:39,840 --> 00:21:41,359 Speaker 1: And don't get me wrong, I don't expect him to 461 00:21:41,359 --> 00:21:43,760 Speaker 1: shoot seventy five percent on him forever. But you know, 462 00:21:44,119 --> 00:21:46,399 Speaker 1: people used to say that thing about Steph. He's never 463 00:21:46,480 --> 00:21:49,440 Speaker 1: gonna be able to just consistently shoot threes at this level, right, 464 00:21:49,920 --> 00:21:54,760 Speaker 1: And I started looking at the Basketball Reference page and 465 00:21:54,760 --> 00:21:56,840 Speaker 1: I'm like, holy shit, Like Devin Booker is only twenty 466 00:21:56,880 --> 00:22:01,120 Speaker 1: six years old, and Steph Curry in two twenty fifteen 467 00:22:01,359 --> 00:22:05,000 Speaker 1: MVP season. His first MVP season was when he was 468 00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:08,439 Speaker 1: twenty six years old, And all I could think of is, like, 469 00:22:08,480 --> 00:22:11,040 Speaker 1: you could make a legitimate case that Devin Booker was 470 00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:13,959 Speaker 1: the best player on the Suns last year. And I 471 00:22:13,960 --> 00:22:15,680 Speaker 1: still think Devin Booker is a better player than Devin 472 00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:17,280 Speaker 1: or scuse me, I still think Vin Durant is a 473 00:22:17,320 --> 00:22:19,359 Speaker 1: better player than Devin Booker. Overall. I think he deserves 474 00:22:19,440 --> 00:22:21,800 Speaker 1: that kind of like benefit of the doubt right now. 475 00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:23,760 Speaker 1: But here's the thing, Like, if Devin Booker takes a 476 00:22:23,840 --> 00:22:27,240 Speaker 1: leap and he becomes a better player than Kevin Durant, 477 00:22:27,240 --> 00:22:29,840 Speaker 1: not through some sort of decline from Kevin Durant, but 478 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:34,200 Speaker 1: just through his own ascension to bona fide superstardom that 479 00:22:34,320 --> 00:22:39,440 Speaker 1: completely changes the calculus for everything surrounding this Phoenix Suns 480 00:22:39,480 --> 00:22:42,240 Speaker 1: team because he is now playing like a top five 481 00:22:42,280 --> 00:22:44,960 Speaker 1: player in the world and has been for a really 482 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:47,560 Speaker 1: long time. He played like a top five player all preseason, 483 00:22:47,640 --> 00:22:50,439 Speaker 1: he played like a top five player all postseason. This 484 00:22:50,560 --> 00:22:53,399 Speaker 1: is not a blip. This is a trend of Devin 485 00:22:53,400 --> 00:22:56,480 Speaker 1: Booker ascending to the level of the players at the 486 00:22:56,520 --> 00:22:58,440 Speaker 1: top of the league. And again, like we talked about 487 00:22:58,480 --> 00:23:00,000 Speaker 1: all that pull up jump shooting, but down the street 488 00:23:00,040 --> 00:23:04,640 Speaker 1: actually was three playmaking possessions from Devin Booker that turned 489 00:23:04,640 --> 00:23:07,360 Speaker 1: this game around. So we have a classic high pick 490 00:23:07,359 --> 00:23:09,960 Speaker 1: and roll on the right side of the floor to 491 00:23:10,119 --> 00:23:12,000 Speaker 1: go to the ball. Again, we talked about this concept 492 00:23:12,040 --> 00:23:15,000 Speaker 1: a lot, especially with the Suns, you know, the idea 493 00:23:15,119 --> 00:23:18,080 Speaker 1: of defending pick and roll three on two and the 494 00:23:18,160 --> 00:23:19,680 Speaker 1: need to have a guy in the weakside corner that 495 00:23:19,760 --> 00:23:21,439 Speaker 1: can like knock down shots right And we're gonna talk 496 00:23:21,440 --> 00:23:23,359 Speaker 1: about Josh cog in a minute, because he hits this one. 497 00:23:23,600 --> 00:23:24,960 Speaker 1: But like what ends up happening in a lot of 498 00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:26,680 Speaker 1: these cases is when you put two to the ball. 499 00:23:27,040 --> 00:23:29,159 Speaker 1: So like Devin Booker's got the basketball, he's dribbling to 500 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:31,600 Speaker 1: his right, coming off of a ball screen. The guy 501 00:23:31,600 --> 00:23:33,600 Speaker 1: who's guarding him is trailing him from behind. In this case, 502 00:23:33,640 --> 00:23:37,600 Speaker 1: I think it was Gary Payton, so Peyton's coming from behind. 503 00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:40,560 Speaker 1: Kevon Looney, the screen defender is up at the level 504 00:23:40,600 --> 00:23:42,240 Speaker 1: of the screen to try to stop the Devin Booker 505 00:23:42,240 --> 00:23:45,000 Speaker 1: pull up jump shot that's going in every single damn time. Well, 506 00:23:45,040 --> 00:23:47,920 Speaker 1: the low man is the player that is guarding Joshakoge 507 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:49,560 Speaker 1: in the weak side corner, and he's coming over and 508 00:23:49,600 --> 00:23:52,560 Speaker 1: he's basically defending the action three on two. And in 509 00:23:52,560 --> 00:23:55,560 Speaker 1: that case, if you don't have one a playmaker that 510 00:23:55,640 --> 00:23:58,320 Speaker 1: has the ability to make that cross court skip pass 511 00:23:58,680 --> 00:24:00,440 Speaker 1: to the shooting pocket for the shoot during the week's 512 00:24:00,440 --> 00:24:02,159 Speaker 1: I corn I've talked about that all summer long and 513 00:24:02,200 --> 00:24:05,520 Speaker 1: all preseason long, the playmakers that are capable of making 514 00:24:05,520 --> 00:24:08,760 Speaker 1: the cross court feed over the top of the defense 515 00:24:09,119 --> 00:24:11,040 Speaker 1: when teams guard pick and roll three on two, because 516 00:24:11,080 --> 00:24:14,200 Speaker 1: it's difficult to get high enough to make that pass. 517 00:24:14,359 --> 00:24:16,120 Speaker 1: Usually the low man's a little bit of an athlete. 518 00:24:16,200 --> 00:24:18,280 Speaker 1: Now that's not necessarily the case with the Golden State 519 00:24:18,280 --> 00:24:21,320 Speaker 1: Warriors in this in this particular game, but like there's 520 00:24:21,359 --> 00:24:23,480 Speaker 1: typically a lot of length on the ball. There's length 521 00:24:23,520 --> 00:24:25,399 Speaker 1: in the pick and roll defender, right, it's usually an 522 00:24:25,440 --> 00:24:27,200 Speaker 1: athlete that's coming up to the level of the screen, 523 00:24:27,520 --> 00:24:30,280 Speaker 1: an athlete trailing the play, and an athlete that's the lowman. 524 00:24:30,600 --> 00:24:33,040 Speaker 1: And it's difficult to get enough separation from the perimeter 525 00:24:33,119 --> 00:24:35,560 Speaker 1: defenders to elevate over the top and make that pass. 526 00:24:35,920 --> 00:24:39,280 Speaker 1: And Devin Booker was able to make that pass. Then 527 00:24:39,280 --> 00:24:41,360 Speaker 1: on the very next possession they run this interesting kind 528 00:24:41,359 --> 00:24:44,800 Speaker 1: of like variation of Spain pick and roll with Eric Gordon, 529 00:24:45,640 --> 00:24:46,919 Speaker 1: where Air Gordon has a ball, it gives the ball 530 00:24:46,920 --> 00:24:49,240 Speaker 1: to Devin book where they clear out. Nurkics comes up 531 00:24:49,240 --> 00:24:53,800 Speaker 1: and sets the ball screen. After Nurkis sets the screen literally, 532 00:24:54,000 --> 00:24:57,600 Speaker 1: Eric Gordon goes over and screens Kevon Looney. And on 533 00:24:57,640 --> 00:25:01,000 Speaker 1: that play, because Air Gordon screens Cavan kaval Luney can't 534 00:25:01,040 --> 00:25:04,760 Speaker 1: help Devin Booker on that pull up jump shot. Steph Curry, 535 00:25:05,640 --> 00:25:08,919 Speaker 1: who's the guy guarding Eric Gordon, has to basically hedge 536 00:25:09,080 --> 00:25:12,439 Speaker 1: or show on that Devin Booker pull up and because 537 00:25:12,440 --> 00:25:15,000 Speaker 1: of that, when he shows, Eric Gordon pops to the 538 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:16,919 Speaker 1: three point line. Kavan Looney, because he's a big man, 539 00:25:16,920 --> 00:25:19,200 Speaker 1: is accustomed to kind of staying in the ball screen action. 540 00:25:19,560 --> 00:25:22,080 Speaker 1: He kind of leaks back towards the middle. Steph has 541 00:25:22,119 --> 00:25:25,159 Speaker 1: to close out all the way to the wing. Devin Booker, 542 00:25:25,320 --> 00:25:28,840 Speaker 1: on time on target hits Eric Gordon in the shooting pocket. 543 00:25:29,160 --> 00:25:31,119 Speaker 1: Steph is too slow to close out and he knocks 544 00:25:31,119 --> 00:25:34,639 Speaker 1: down the shot. And then finally the biggest possession of 545 00:25:34,640 --> 00:25:36,480 Speaker 1: the game, after Steph hits the three on the offensive 546 00:25:36,480 --> 00:25:39,280 Speaker 1: rebound to get it back to one or back to two, 547 00:25:39,760 --> 00:25:42,520 Speaker 1: they go down another Devin Booker use of nurkis pick 548 00:25:42,560 --> 00:25:45,600 Speaker 1: and roll two to the ball. Right, we have Gary 549 00:25:45,640 --> 00:25:49,520 Speaker 1: Payton chasing over the top. Looney's showing high. Booker just elevates. 550 00:25:49,600 --> 00:25:52,639 Speaker 1: This time, they don't help as much. They don't aggressively 551 00:25:52,680 --> 00:25:55,880 Speaker 1: help from the week side corner, so Nurkic is able 552 00:25:55,880 --> 00:25:58,240 Speaker 1: to catch on the run. Nurkic catches on the run 553 00:25:58,280 --> 00:26:01,159 Speaker 1: and makes the driving layup. One of the biggest narratives 554 00:26:01,160 --> 00:26:03,359 Speaker 1: surrounding this Phoenix Suns team is like they need a 555 00:26:03,359 --> 00:26:05,479 Speaker 1: point guard. They need a point guard. And don't get 556 00:26:05,520 --> 00:26:07,280 Speaker 1: me wrong, like I think you saw the absence of 557 00:26:07,280 --> 00:26:09,520 Speaker 1: Bradley Beal tonight when Kevin Durant was kind of not 558 00:26:09,600 --> 00:26:12,199 Speaker 1: having a very great game by his standards, and so 559 00:26:12,520 --> 00:26:14,439 Speaker 1: every single time Devin Booker went off the floor, there 560 00:26:14,480 --> 00:26:16,760 Speaker 1: was kind of a crater in the sun's kind of 561 00:26:16,760 --> 00:26:19,639 Speaker 1: offensive flow, so to speak, right, and Bradley Beal is 562 00:26:19,640 --> 00:26:21,359 Speaker 1: gonna help with that just because it allows you to 563 00:26:21,359 --> 00:26:24,040 Speaker 1: constantly have two of those guys on the floor. But 564 00:26:24,240 --> 00:26:26,960 Speaker 1: they don't need a point guard. It's like talking about 565 00:26:26,960 --> 00:26:29,080 Speaker 1: the Celtics needing point guard. At the end of the day. 566 00:26:29,320 --> 00:26:32,160 Speaker 1: It's your top tier ball handler, your number one guy 567 00:26:32,200 --> 00:26:33,720 Speaker 1: that you're giving the basketball to at the end of 568 00:26:33,800 --> 00:26:36,800 Speaker 1: the game, and his ability to make plays off the 569 00:26:36,840 --> 00:26:40,240 Speaker 1: bounce for your team and to constantly get the defense 570 00:26:40,240 --> 00:26:42,320 Speaker 1: in rotation, which allows you to make the right reads 571 00:26:42,320 --> 00:26:45,320 Speaker 1: out of that and get quality shots. As long as 572 00:26:45,320 --> 00:26:48,600 Speaker 1: you have that, you don't need a point guard. And 573 00:26:48,640 --> 00:26:51,600 Speaker 1: so I again like, if Devin Booker is going to 574 00:26:51,640 --> 00:26:53,480 Speaker 1: play like this the way he's played now for the 575 00:26:53,480 --> 00:26:56,520 Speaker 1: better part of a year, it's not about what you 576 00:26:56,560 --> 00:26:58,720 Speaker 1: can get from the point guard position. Devin Booker is 577 00:26:58,760 --> 00:27:00,960 Speaker 1: your primary shot creator on the stretch of these games. 578 00:27:02,520 --> 00:27:05,160 Speaker 1: Devin Booker finished the game with thirty two points, six rebounds, 579 00:27:05,160 --> 00:27:07,560 Speaker 1: and eight assists on thirteen for twenty one shooting did 580 00:27:07,560 --> 00:27:09,520 Speaker 1: have six turnovers as something to keep an eye on, 581 00:27:10,680 --> 00:27:13,760 Speaker 1: but I just have been blown away by him. And again, 582 00:27:13,840 --> 00:27:17,359 Speaker 1: like Kevin Durant struggled a little bit with the physicality 583 00:27:17,400 --> 00:27:21,399 Speaker 1: of Golden State, leaned on a lot of really tough, 584 00:27:21,560 --> 00:27:23,600 Speaker 1: like fade away jump shots out of the post, and 585 00:27:23,600 --> 00:27:26,960 Speaker 1: he wasn't making them. And look, here's the thing, Kevin 586 00:27:27,000 --> 00:27:29,240 Speaker 1: Durant's gonna figure it out. Kevin Durant, like just last 587 00:27:29,240 --> 00:27:32,080 Speaker 1: season shot sixty percent on pull up twos. So Kd's 588 00:27:32,080 --> 00:27:35,359 Speaker 1: gonna figure it out. But like, if Devin Booker's going 589 00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:38,760 Speaker 1: to be better than KD, that's fantastic news for the 590 00:27:38,800 --> 00:27:42,440 Speaker 1: Suns because now you're not talking about, you know, a 591 00:27:43,440 --> 00:27:46,560 Speaker 1: single top five player and then another top fifteen player 592 00:27:46,600 --> 00:27:49,400 Speaker 1: and then another top thirty player. You're talking about two 593 00:27:49,560 --> 00:27:52,960 Speaker 1: top six or seven players before you get to Bradley Beal. 594 00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:56,600 Speaker 1: That completely changes the math, especially since the only other 595 00:27:56,600 --> 00:27:58,320 Speaker 1: team that has two top ten players in the league 596 00:27:58,320 --> 00:28:01,399 Speaker 1: are Lebron j Anthony Davis, and they're both on the 597 00:28:01,400 --> 00:28:03,679 Speaker 1: tail end of that top ten, right, And if you 598 00:28:03,720 --> 00:28:07,639 Speaker 1: have two players that are that are in legitimate conversation 599 00:28:07,760 --> 00:28:10,719 Speaker 1: for being top tier superstars, that kind of flips that 600 00:28:10,760 --> 00:28:14,160 Speaker 1: talent equation into a crazy direction. I wanted to shout 601 00:28:14,200 --> 00:28:16,359 Speaker 1: out Josha Coog, So we talked about the corner three 602 00:28:16,480 --> 00:28:18,960 Speaker 1: and again that that's the big thing, Like like, when 603 00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:21,639 Speaker 1: this team is healthy, you have that question. It's like, 604 00:28:21,680 --> 00:28:24,520 Speaker 1: are you gonna put if we have BeO Booker Durant 605 00:28:24,520 --> 00:28:26,960 Speaker 1: at the foe, you need another perimeter player out there. 606 00:28:27,320 --> 00:28:29,040 Speaker 1: And ideally that's a guy who can guard at the 607 00:28:29,040 --> 00:28:30,879 Speaker 1: point of attack and a guy that can consistently make 608 00:28:30,880 --> 00:28:34,640 Speaker 1: the defense pay for not guarding him in situations like that. 609 00:28:35,600 --> 00:28:38,040 Speaker 1: Tagging the roller situation that Josha Kogi got the wide 610 00:28:38,080 --> 00:28:41,720 Speaker 1: open corner three, well, you know, the conversation kind of 611 00:28:41,720 --> 00:28:43,560 Speaker 1: coming into this was like, do you want Joshak Cogi 612 00:28:43,640 --> 00:28:46,040 Speaker 1: used this like wrecking ball of an athlete who could 613 00:28:46,040 --> 00:28:47,720 Speaker 1: do all these things but is going to struggle to 614 00:28:47,720 --> 00:28:50,760 Speaker 1: make the offensive plays. Or would you rather have, you know, 615 00:28:50,840 --> 00:28:52,920 Speaker 1: Grayson Allen, a guy who's like gonna be more reliable 616 00:28:52,960 --> 00:28:55,840 Speaker 1: allegedly although he couldn't shoot tonight, but a more reliable 617 00:28:55,920 --> 00:28:57,920 Speaker 1: or an Eric Gordon as another option. The guy's gonna 618 00:28:57,920 --> 00:28:59,760 Speaker 1: be more reliable to knock down those shots, but not 619 00:28:59,760 --> 00:29:02,360 Speaker 1: bring the same level of defensive upside that you get 620 00:29:02,400 --> 00:29:05,080 Speaker 1: from joshak Coog And that was a big moment tonight 621 00:29:05,080 --> 00:29:08,320 Speaker 1: for Joshakogi to show that in a huge possession at 622 00:29:08,360 --> 00:29:10,720 Speaker 1: the end of a game when he was completely ignored 623 00:29:10,760 --> 00:29:12,720 Speaker 1: in a three on two situation and pick and roll 624 00:29:13,080 --> 00:29:15,640 Speaker 1: that when Devin Booker trusted him to knock down the shot, 625 00:29:15,680 --> 00:29:18,720 Speaker 1: he rose up and he knocked the shotdown. And when 626 00:29:18,760 --> 00:29:20,360 Speaker 1: you combine that with everything else he does, because he 627 00:29:20,400 --> 00:29:23,200 Speaker 1: wrecks havoc at the point of attack with his physicality 628 00:29:23,240 --> 00:29:26,360 Speaker 1: and his athleticism slashing off the wing, like just catching 629 00:29:26,360 --> 00:29:28,120 Speaker 1: and ripping and going to the rim. We're gonna talk 630 00:29:28,120 --> 00:29:29,320 Speaker 1: about that in a minute, but it has to do 631 00:29:29,360 --> 00:29:32,640 Speaker 1: with this specific type of athlete, the transition drives that 632 00:29:32,680 --> 00:29:34,160 Speaker 1: he had in this game, getting all the way to 633 00:29:34,160 --> 00:29:37,120 Speaker 1: the room, crashing the offensive glass. He had four offensive rebounds, 634 00:29:38,080 --> 00:29:41,640 Speaker 1: finished the game with seventeen points, and like, if he's 635 00:29:41,680 --> 00:29:44,080 Speaker 1: gonna knock down the big corner threes when they matter, 636 00:29:44,760 --> 00:29:47,240 Speaker 1: then forget about the some of the other issues that 637 00:29:47,280 --> 00:29:49,040 Speaker 1: this roster has. If Josha Kogi is going to be 638 00:29:49,040 --> 00:29:51,880 Speaker 1: available to help in those situations and reliable on the 639 00:29:51,920 --> 00:29:54,960 Speaker 1: offensive end, that just solves a bunch of your problems. 640 00:29:55,160 --> 00:29:56,720 Speaker 1: And this kind of goes back to the conversation we 641 00:29:56,720 --> 00:29:59,440 Speaker 1: had surrounding Bruce Brown in the postseason last year. That 642 00:30:00,160 --> 00:30:05,120 Speaker 1: bit shorter, a little bit stockier, stout, athletic wing with 643 00:30:05,280 --> 00:30:09,560 Speaker 1: long arms, right, Not the tall, lanky kind of like 644 00:30:09,640 --> 00:30:13,760 Speaker 1: high center of gravity Herb Jones, Jade McDaniels type. I'm 645 00:30:13,800 --> 00:30:16,120 Speaker 1: talking more like the fire hydrants, the guys that are 646 00:30:16,160 --> 00:30:19,360 Speaker 1: like six ' six sixty seven, usually about two hundred 647 00:30:19,360 --> 00:30:23,400 Speaker 1: and twenty pounds or more, usually super long arms and freaky athletic. 648 00:30:24,120 --> 00:30:27,680 Speaker 1: The Bruce Browns, the Terrence Man's, the Josha Kogi's. We're 649 00:30:27,720 --> 00:30:30,920 Speaker 1: seeing that type of player become immensely valuable in the 650 00:30:30,960 --> 00:30:33,920 Speaker 1: modern MBA. And a huge part, huge reason for that, 651 00:30:33,960 --> 00:30:36,000 Speaker 1: in my opinion, is as the game is spread out 652 00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:38,800 Speaker 1: more and become more perimeterive oriented and more skill oriented, 653 00:30:39,680 --> 00:30:41,720 Speaker 1: you have a lot of thin players on the floor, 654 00:30:42,400 --> 00:30:45,640 Speaker 1: guys that aren't especially strong and stout at their position, 655 00:30:46,000 --> 00:30:47,720 Speaker 1: and when you have a low center of gravity, it's 656 00:30:47,720 --> 00:30:50,680 Speaker 1: extremely difficult to cut that player off on a drive. 657 00:30:51,160 --> 00:30:53,280 Speaker 1: Does that make sense? Like if you have a high 658 00:30:53,320 --> 00:30:55,400 Speaker 1: center of gravity, if I slide my feet and I 659 00:30:55,480 --> 00:30:57,360 Speaker 1: initiate some sort of contact like a hip check or 660 00:30:57,400 --> 00:30:59,520 Speaker 1: a little bit of a hand check. I can probably 661 00:30:59,600 --> 00:31:02,000 Speaker 1: contain you in that situation. But if you have a 662 00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:03,680 Speaker 1: low center of gravity, even if I do put my 663 00:31:03,720 --> 00:31:05,160 Speaker 1: hand on you, or I do kind of hip check 664 00:31:05,200 --> 00:31:08,080 Speaker 1: you, you can blow through that because you're your center of 665 00:31:08,080 --> 00:31:09,920 Speaker 1: gravity is low and you're bringing a lot of power 666 00:31:09,960 --> 00:31:12,520 Speaker 1: to that drive. And that's what caught. That's what allowed 667 00:31:12,560 --> 00:31:16,400 Speaker 1: Bruce Brown to like just rip through D'Angelo Russell all 668 00:31:16,440 --> 00:31:18,520 Speaker 1: the way to the rim. That's what allows you know, 669 00:31:18,920 --> 00:31:21,680 Speaker 1: Bruce Brown or Josh Kogi or Terrence Man to crash 670 00:31:21,720 --> 00:31:24,560 Speaker 1: the offensive glass and be very difficult to box out 671 00:31:24,800 --> 00:31:28,240 Speaker 1: because there's thinner, skinnier players that are trying to wrap 672 00:31:28,280 --> 00:31:30,320 Speaker 1: their arms around and box a player like that out. 673 00:31:30,440 --> 00:31:32,960 Speaker 1: That brings that athleticism to the table. Again, we gotta 674 00:31:33,000 --> 00:31:34,800 Speaker 1: keep an eye on that because the teams are teams 675 00:31:34,800 --> 00:31:37,560 Speaker 1: aren't going to respond to this one game with Josh 676 00:31:37,640 --> 00:31:40,040 Speaker 1: Kogi hitting that corner three and then just start guarding 677 00:31:40,080 --> 00:31:41,760 Speaker 1: him all the time, like they're going to ignore him 678 00:31:41,760 --> 00:31:43,280 Speaker 1: a lot in those situations. And we'll see in the 679 00:31:43,520 --> 00:31:45,840 Speaker 1: bigger picture if he can make enough of those shots. 680 00:31:45,920 --> 00:31:48,280 Speaker 1: But I thought It was a super encouraging first game 681 00:31:48,520 --> 00:31:51,760 Speaker 1: from Joshakog and in general, a super impressive win for 682 00:31:51,880 --> 00:31:54,560 Speaker 1: the Suns. You got nothing from Grayson Allen. Eric Gordon 683 00:31:54,680 --> 00:31:56,520 Speaker 1: was ice cold until he hit those two late threes. 684 00:31:56,560 --> 00:31:58,200 Speaker 1: I think one was on an offensive rebound, and then 685 00:31:58,200 --> 00:32:00,240 Speaker 1: we talked about that kind of like weird funk Keys 686 00:32:00,240 --> 00:32:04,440 Speaker 1: Spain pick and roll possession that they ran. Kevin Durant 687 00:32:04,480 --> 00:32:06,760 Speaker 1: was seven for twenty two from the field, and as 688 00:32:06,760 --> 00:32:09,200 Speaker 1: a team, you had nineteen turnovers and you went on 689 00:32:09,240 --> 00:32:11,080 Speaker 1: the road into one of the hardest places in the 690 00:32:11,160 --> 00:32:12,479 Speaker 1: NBA to win on the road, and you gotta win. 691 00:32:12,600 --> 00:32:13,960 Speaker 1: Huge win for the Phoenix Suns. I thought it was 692 00:32:13,960 --> 00:32:16,680 Speaker 1: really impressive showdown with the Lakers on Thursday in LA. 693 00:32:16,680 --> 00:32:18,239 Speaker 1: It's gonna be fun when the Lakers are gonna want 694 00:32:18,240 --> 00:32:21,080 Speaker 1: to get a bounce back win. It's a bad matchup 695 00:32:21,120 --> 00:32:23,120 Speaker 1: for the Lakers because they have weak point of attack defense. 696 00:32:23,160 --> 00:32:24,920 Speaker 1: I think that Thursday night game is gonna be really fun. 697 00:32:25,040 --> 00:32:28,320 Speaker 1: We will be breaking that game down immediately after it's over. 698 00:32:28,400 --> 00:32:31,480 Speaker 1: One other positive note for the Suns, I thought Nurkic 699 00:32:31,840 --> 00:32:34,520 Speaker 1: again defensively, he was a mess and that's something they're 700 00:32:34,520 --> 00:32:37,120 Speaker 1: gonna have to figure out. Did have a big late 701 00:32:37,160 --> 00:32:40,840 Speaker 1: block though on Jonathan kaminga Jonathan Kamenica kind of randomly 702 00:32:40,880 --> 00:32:43,240 Speaker 1: just decided to co opt to possession in semi transition 703 00:32:43,280 --> 00:32:45,480 Speaker 1: to kind of forced things. But Nurkis made a nice 704 00:32:45,480 --> 00:32:47,240 Speaker 1: play helping from the left elbow and came down and 705 00:32:47,280 --> 00:32:49,320 Speaker 1: made a nice block. But he did rebound the hell 706 00:32:49,360 --> 00:32:51,440 Speaker 1: out of the basketball. He saw his size be really imposing. 707 00:32:51,520 --> 00:32:54,880 Speaker 1: Nurkic is legitimately very big, had that big play on 708 00:32:54,920 --> 00:32:57,120 Speaker 1: the role late where he kind of caught the pass 709 00:32:57,120 --> 00:32:59,000 Speaker 1: from Devin Booker on the slip and went to the basket, 710 00:32:59,160 --> 00:33:01,200 Speaker 1: and you saw his screw be a factor in this game, 711 00:33:01,240 --> 00:33:05,000 Speaker 1: his ability to get his perimeter players separation, and then 712 00:33:05,080 --> 00:33:07,479 Speaker 1: just in general, shout out to Frank Vogel. He's done 713 00:33:07,480 --> 00:33:10,560 Speaker 1: a really nice job breeding a culture of physicality and 714 00:33:10,560 --> 00:33:13,200 Speaker 1: commitment to the defensive end of the floor from the 715 00:33:13,200 --> 00:33:17,640 Speaker 1: Suns in training camp to this point under the Warriors. Obviously, 716 00:33:17,680 --> 00:33:20,479 Speaker 1: Draymond's out, and again, like I know, Warriors fans are 717 00:33:20,480 --> 00:33:23,040 Speaker 1: always so up and down on Draymond. I think it's 718 00:33:23,040 --> 00:33:24,760 Speaker 1: just because he's friends with Lebron and a lot of 719 00:33:25,400 --> 00:33:28,520 Speaker 1: the stand culture surrounding Steph Curry really struggles to identify 720 00:33:28,520 --> 00:33:31,480 Speaker 1: that players could be friends with rivals and stuff like that. 721 00:33:32,840 --> 00:33:34,960 Speaker 1: But the reality is is Draymond is every bit is 722 00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:38,000 Speaker 1: important to the Warriors defense as Steph Curry is to 723 00:33:38,040 --> 00:33:41,720 Speaker 1: the Warriors offense. That has been statistically proven over the 724 00:33:41,760 --> 00:33:44,680 Speaker 1: course of this last decade. I don't think it's debatable 725 00:33:44,720 --> 00:33:46,400 Speaker 1: at this point. When you take him off the floor, 726 00:33:46,400 --> 00:33:49,520 Speaker 1: it just gets infinitely harder for this Warriors team to 727 00:33:49,600 --> 00:33:51,720 Speaker 1: get stops. And like you even saw that just from 728 00:33:51,760 --> 00:33:54,760 Speaker 1: the standpoint of offensive execution, like they went with kaminga late, 729 00:33:55,200 --> 00:33:58,480 Speaker 1: I think in large part because they needed another athlete 730 00:33:58,520 --> 00:34:02,040 Speaker 1: on the floor alongside Looney. But like I could see 731 00:34:02,040 --> 00:34:04,720 Speaker 1: a universe where if Draymond's out there, you might be 732 00:34:04,720 --> 00:34:07,600 Speaker 1: able to get away with Dario sarch at the four, 733 00:34:08,120 --> 00:34:10,440 Speaker 1: And if Dario Sarrich is at the four, that opens 734 00:34:10,520 --> 00:34:12,919 Speaker 1: up a bunch of other things for you offensively, right, 735 00:34:13,239 --> 00:34:15,080 Speaker 1: And so again, like I don't think you could have 736 00:34:15,120 --> 00:34:17,120 Speaker 1: gone with Sarge down the stretch because of that, Sarge 737 00:34:17,120 --> 00:34:18,440 Speaker 1: had a little bit of a rough night. But I 738 00:34:19,000 --> 00:34:21,680 Speaker 1: think that Draymond being out really does have a lot 739 00:34:21,719 --> 00:34:23,800 Speaker 1: of collateral damage that Warriors fans in a lot of 740 00:34:23,840 --> 00:34:26,960 Speaker 1: cases don't acknowledge that's not an excuse for the loss. 741 00:34:27,040 --> 00:34:29,839 Speaker 1: It's a quality win for Phoenix, But Draymond being out 742 00:34:29,920 --> 00:34:31,759 Speaker 1: certainly plays a big role in the way that the 743 00:34:31,760 --> 00:34:35,359 Speaker 1: Warriors play on both ends of the floor. Some positives though. 744 00:34:35,360 --> 00:34:38,080 Speaker 1: I thought Jonathan Kamingo showed some really impressive individual defense 745 00:34:38,120 --> 00:34:41,719 Speaker 1: on Kevin Durant. Again, the decision making thing is there, 746 00:34:41,760 --> 00:34:43,800 Speaker 1: like he had that weird semi transition drive at the 747 00:34:43,880 --> 00:34:45,520 Speaker 1: end of Those are the kinds of things where it's like, hey, dude, 748 00:34:45,520 --> 00:34:47,800 Speaker 1: there's four minutes left, Like get the ball to Steph 749 00:34:47,800 --> 00:34:51,120 Speaker 1: Curry instead of trying to force the action right. He 750 00:34:51,280 --> 00:34:53,759 Speaker 1: was actually really impactful on the offensive glass, even though 751 00:34:54,600 --> 00:34:56,840 Speaker 1: he missed that a couple of free throws late that 752 00:34:56,880 --> 00:35:00,080 Speaker 1: would have helped. But overall, you're seeing more of the 753 00:35:00,400 --> 00:35:02,680 Speaker 1: upside of Jonathan Anminga, and I thought his defensive possessions 754 00:35:02,680 --> 00:35:06,120 Speaker 1: on Kevin Durant were super encouraging. Again, Chris Paul shot poorly, 755 00:35:06,200 --> 00:35:07,920 Speaker 1: and I don't want to get on Chris Paul about that, 756 00:35:07,920 --> 00:35:10,160 Speaker 1: because everybody on the Warriors shot poorly. The Warrior shot 757 00:35:10,200 --> 00:35:12,680 Speaker 1: thirty six percent from the field, twenty three percent from 758 00:35:12,680 --> 00:35:15,400 Speaker 1: three Stephan Klay couldn't make their three as Andrew Wiggins 759 00:35:15,440 --> 00:35:18,080 Speaker 1: was awful. Like I don't want to get on Chris 760 00:35:18,120 --> 00:35:22,080 Speaker 1: Paul's shooting, I thought the fit from a basketball perspective 761 00:35:22,120 --> 00:35:24,160 Speaker 1: made a lot of sense. Having him as a late 762 00:35:24,200 --> 00:35:27,680 Speaker 1: game ball handler really seemed to allow Steph Curry more 763 00:35:27,719 --> 00:35:31,360 Speaker 1: freedom offensively to play the way he likes to play normally, 764 00:35:31,560 --> 00:35:33,000 Speaker 1: not have to have the ball in his hands all 765 00:35:33,000 --> 00:35:35,560 Speaker 1: the time. They actually got a really good look Chris 766 00:35:35,600 --> 00:35:37,920 Speaker 1: Paul pull up mid range jump shot that put the 767 00:35:38,000 --> 00:35:40,799 Speaker 1: lead to one late because they had Steph set up 768 00:35:40,800 --> 00:35:44,399 Speaker 1: ball screen, and when you have Chris Paul coming off 769 00:35:44,440 --> 00:35:47,000 Speaker 1: of a Steph led double ball screen, you're gonna get 770 00:35:47,000 --> 00:35:50,040 Speaker 1: an open look every time because they're gonna prioritize covering 771 00:35:50,080 --> 00:35:53,080 Speaker 1: Steph in that action. He got an easy, little fifteen footer, 772 00:35:54,120 --> 00:35:56,000 Speaker 1: So I'm really interested to see how that kind of 773 00:35:56,000 --> 00:35:57,919 Speaker 1: shapes out in the long run. I think that Chris 774 00:35:57,920 --> 00:36:00,360 Speaker 1: Paul fit has gone better than I expect did so 775 00:36:00,440 --> 00:36:04,120 Speaker 1: far through camp and the first regular season game. Moses 776 00:36:04,120 --> 00:36:05,719 Speaker 1: Moody played really well in the first half. I thought 777 00:36:05,760 --> 00:36:08,760 Speaker 1: that was encouraging, But like the reason, you can't contend 778 00:36:08,880 --> 00:36:10,880 Speaker 1: without Draymond if your best players don't play well, and 779 00:36:10,880 --> 00:36:13,080 Speaker 1: they just didn't play well. I thought Steph didn't play 780 00:36:13,120 --> 00:36:15,400 Speaker 1: particularly well. He hit some big shots, obviously, but like 781 00:36:15,440 --> 00:36:18,200 Speaker 1: I thought, he really struggled defensively and on the glass. 782 00:36:18,600 --> 00:36:21,160 Speaker 1: They were throwing him in a ton of action at 783 00:36:21,160 --> 00:36:22,400 Speaker 1: the top of the key, where he was having to 784 00:36:22,400 --> 00:36:26,239 Speaker 1: hedge and recover. The Sons were consistently attacking him in 785 00:36:26,239 --> 00:36:28,880 Speaker 1: almost every action. He missed a lot of box outs 786 00:36:28,880 --> 00:36:32,680 Speaker 1: in this game. Again, every star has bad games. I 787 00:36:32,680 --> 00:36:34,839 Speaker 1: didn't think it was Steph's best game. Klay Thompson didn't 788 00:36:34,840 --> 00:36:38,360 Speaker 1: play particularly well, Andrew Wiggins was mostly awful. So like, 789 00:36:38,520 --> 00:36:40,759 Speaker 1: I just don't understand how you didn't even hope to 790 00:36:40,760 --> 00:36:43,200 Speaker 1: win a game like this without Dreymond Green if none 791 00:36:43,200 --> 00:36:44,880 Speaker 1: of your stars play well. And I mean that was 792 00:36:44,920 --> 00:36:47,879 Speaker 1: the thing, Like even down the stretch, Klay Thompson left 793 00:36:47,880 --> 00:36:51,160 Speaker 1: handed layup, left it short on the rim, like Steph 794 00:36:51,239 --> 00:36:53,239 Speaker 1: Curry missed a couple of threes late, Like it just 795 00:36:53,440 --> 00:36:56,160 Speaker 1: wasn't They just didn't have the firepower they needed from 796 00:36:56,160 --> 00:36:58,680 Speaker 1: their best guys to contend in a game like this. 797 00:36:59,120 --> 00:37:03,520 Speaker 1: One other note on the Warriors. They're small and you 798 00:37:03,560 --> 00:37:05,720 Speaker 1: know you saw that. I mean when Nurkic is towering 799 00:37:05,760 --> 00:37:08,080 Speaker 1: over you. That's kind of an issue, right and you 800 00:37:08,120 --> 00:37:12,400 Speaker 1: saw it happen a lot on long rebounds, contested rebounds. 801 00:37:12,520 --> 00:37:15,360 Speaker 1: We talked about the inability to box out guys like 802 00:37:15,719 --> 00:37:18,440 Speaker 1: Jordan Goodwin and Josha Kogi just because of their strength 803 00:37:18,440 --> 00:37:22,400 Speaker 1: and athleticism crashing from the perimeter. They need their guards 804 00:37:22,400 --> 00:37:25,840 Speaker 1: to compete more, especially in games like this one. Draymond's 805 00:37:25,840 --> 00:37:27,239 Speaker 1: out and we don't know how much longer he's going 806 00:37:27,320 --> 00:37:29,279 Speaker 1: to be out, and so like, especially going into the 807 00:37:29,360 --> 00:37:31,320 Speaker 1: rest of this week, I just want to see Stephan 808 00:37:31,400 --> 00:37:34,279 Speaker 1: Clay in particular compete more on the glass and defensively 809 00:37:34,960 --> 00:37:37,960 Speaker 1: because right now they don't have enough defensively to get 810 00:37:38,040 --> 00:37:40,520 Speaker 1: enough stops to allow them to coast on that end 811 00:37:40,520 --> 00:37:42,640 Speaker 1: of the floor. That was a that was a big 812 00:37:42,680 --> 00:37:44,200 Speaker 1: area of opportunity in this game. A lot lots of 813 00:37:44,200 --> 00:37:45,759 Speaker 1: stuff for Steve curt to look out on film for 814 00:37:45,800 --> 00:37:48,879 Speaker 1: them to get better at. They committed a ton of fouls. Again, 815 00:37:48,960 --> 00:37:51,800 Speaker 1: that's been an issue NonStop over the last couple of 816 00:37:51,880 --> 00:37:54,160 Speaker 1: years for the Warriors. They just failed too much. And 817 00:37:55,080 --> 00:37:56,200 Speaker 1: you know, you kind of saw that in that third 818 00:37:56,280 --> 00:37:58,080 Speaker 1: quarter run for the Warriors. I think they outscored the 819 00:37:58,080 --> 00:38:01,719 Speaker 1: Suns forty to nineteen. They stopped, which allowed them to 820 00:38:02,440 --> 00:38:05,760 Speaker 1: force Phoenix to make some shots which they missed a lot. 821 00:38:06,400 --> 00:38:08,920 Speaker 1: And then the Warriors we're able to run the floor, 822 00:38:09,040 --> 00:38:10,600 Speaker 1: and when they get out in transition, that's when they're 823 00:38:10,600 --> 00:38:12,160 Speaker 1: at their best. That's when they get energized, and that's 824 00:38:12,160 --> 00:38:14,279 Speaker 1: when they start to get easy shots in transition, which 825 00:38:14,280 --> 00:38:16,279 Speaker 1: allows them to set their defense, which allows them to 826 00:38:16,280 --> 00:38:17,960 Speaker 1: get more stops, which allows them to get out and 827 00:38:17,960 --> 00:38:20,359 Speaker 1: transition more. It's like a cascading effect. But when they're 828 00:38:20,400 --> 00:38:23,400 Speaker 1: constantly fouling, they're constantly setting up for free throws, and 829 00:38:23,440 --> 00:38:25,279 Speaker 1: now the other team is setting their defense, and now 830 00:38:25,280 --> 00:38:27,120 Speaker 1: you have to go down the floor and Steph has 831 00:38:27,160 --> 00:38:29,200 Speaker 1: to have three dudes hanging on him while he's trying 832 00:38:29,200 --> 00:38:32,640 Speaker 1: to run off screens again, and that just gets fatiguing, right, So, 833 00:38:32,960 --> 00:38:34,800 Speaker 1: I just didn't think it was an overly well played 834 00:38:34,840 --> 00:38:36,480 Speaker 1: game for the Warriors, and I'm sure they're gonna have 835 00:38:36,480 --> 00:38:39,239 Speaker 1: a lot to talk about in the film session. All right, guys, 836 00:38:39,239 --> 00:38:40,920 Speaker 1: that is all I have for tonight. As always, as 837 00:38:40,920 --> 00:38:43,000 Speaker 1: sincerely appreciate you for supporting the show. We would be 838 00:38:43,040 --> 00:38:45,160 Speaker 1: back tomorrow with the show at the end of the 839 00:38:45,440 --> 00:38:47,799 Speaker 1: ESPN slate, I appreciate you guys, and I'll see that 840 00:38:47,760 --> 00:39:17,880 Speaker 1: the volume