1 00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:17,040 Speaker 1: The volume. All right, Well, good to hopes. Today you're 2 00:00:17,040 --> 00:00:19,360 Speaker 1: at the volume heavy Tuesday. Everybody love you guys, are 3 00:00:19,360 --> 00:00:20,800 Speaker 1: having a great start to your week. Got a quick 4 00:00:20,840 --> 00:00:22,960 Speaker 1: show for you guys today. We're gonna be hitting three 5 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:27,400 Speaker 1: games from last night. The Houston Rockets continue there now 6 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:31,000 Speaker 1: four game winning streak with a win over the Dallas Mavericks, 7 00:00:31,240 --> 00:00:33,080 Speaker 1: the first game in a while that they shot the 8 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:36,400 Speaker 1: ball extremely poorly, which I think was a good kind 9 00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:38,440 Speaker 1: of lesson for us, and how they're going to attack 10 00:00:38,520 --> 00:00:41,680 Speaker 1: teams when the spacing gets a little questionable from the 11 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:45,520 Speaker 1: three point line, and they unlocked their cutting attack, their 12 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:48,560 Speaker 1: best cutting scoring game of the season. We're going to 13 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:52,720 Speaker 1: dig into that game after that. Giannis Antana Kumpo continues 14 00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:56,360 Speaker 1: his MVP campaign to start the season with a right 15 00:00:56,400 --> 00:00:59,600 Speaker 1: shoulder fade away over Aaroni Smith to beat the Indiana 16 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:03,040 Speaker 1: Pacers in Indiana. We're going to talk about that game, 17 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:04,760 Speaker 1: and then at the tail end of the show, the 18 00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:08,560 Speaker 1: Los Angeles Lakers continue their improbable start to the season, 19 00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:13,880 Speaker 1: winning again down many players, this time all three of 20 00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:17,200 Speaker 1: their key shot creators. As they go into Portland, a 21 00:01:17,319 --> 00:01:19,640 Speaker 1: very good team, a top ten defense in this league 22 00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:22,680 Speaker 1: and get another win hanging one hundred and twenty three points. 23 00:01:22,680 --> 00:01:24,720 Speaker 1: I want to dive into some of the early returns 24 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:28,600 Speaker 1: from the depth of talent on this Lakers roster, and 25 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:31,039 Speaker 1: we'll talk a little bit about how they are progressing 26 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:32,880 Speaker 1: towards their goals to start the season. You guys are 27 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:35,039 Speaker 1: the job before we get started. Subscribe to the Hoops 28 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:37,200 Speaker 1: to YouTube channels. You don't miss any more of our videos. 29 00:01:37,400 --> 00:01:39,840 Speaker 1: Follow me on Twitter, Underscore JCNLTC. You guys don't miss 30 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:42,160 Speaker 1: sho announcements. Don't forget about our podcast feed where you 31 00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:44,120 Speaker 1: get your podcast under Hoops Tonight. It's also super helpful 32 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:45,880 Speaker 1: if you leave a rating and a review on that front. 33 00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:48,080 Speaker 1: Jackson is doing great work on our social media feeds 34 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:50,400 Speaker 1: on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. Make sure you guys 35 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:52,640 Speaker 1: follow us there for content throughout the season. The last, 36 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:54,240 Speaker 1: but not least, if you want to get questions into 37 00:01:54,240 --> 00:01:57,760 Speaker 1: our Friday mailbags, drop them in our full episodes on YouTube. 38 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:01,360 Speaker 1: In the comments right mailbag colon, write your question. We'll 39 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:04,040 Speaker 1: get to them on Fridays throughout the remainder of the season. 40 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 1: All right, let's talk some basketball bock spacers. Giannis wins 41 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:10,320 Speaker 1: the game with the buzzer with a right shoulder fade 42 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:13,320 Speaker 1: right around that left elbow, they go to that patented 43 00:02:13,440 --> 00:02:15,880 Speaker 1: AJ Green ghost screen action for Giannis. This is one 44 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:18,720 Speaker 1: of my favorite actions that they run. It's just impossible 45 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:21,680 Speaker 1: to guard without giving up an advantage. Right, Like, if 46 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:24,679 Speaker 1: you let AJ green screen and you don't help, now, 47 00:02:24,720 --> 00:02:28,200 Speaker 1: Giannis is going to go screaming downhill and it's going 48 00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:30,480 Speaker 1: to be a dunker and easy kickout for somebody. Right 49 00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:32,679 Speaker 1: if you hedge and recovers. If you have the guy 50 00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:37,280 Speaker 1: guarding AJ lunge out to stop Giannis from driving, AJ 51 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:39,800 Speaker 1: knows to slip out of it, in which case he's 52 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:42,000 Speaker 1: going to get a wide open three. Or even if 53 00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:45,480 Speaker 1: the hedger rotates or sprints back, or if they rotate 54 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:47,519 Speaker 1: from the weak side, he's gonna have an opportunity to 55 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:50,240 Speaker 1: drive a close out and make that next read for 56 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:53,600 Speaker 1: an easy shot for someone else. Right, And if you switch, 57 00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:57,000 Speaker 1: AJ is most likely going to be guarded on most 58 00:02:57,120 --> 00:03:00,600 Speaker 1: nights by a much smaller player than the type player 59 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:03,200 Speaker 1: that you would need to guard Giannis, and so it's 60 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:05,639 Speaker 1: just really difficult to guard without giving up an advantage. 61 00:03:05,720 --> 00:03:09,120 Speaker 1: The pacers on that final possession elected to switch on 62 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:12,240 Speaker 1: that particular play that ended up with Aaron Nesmith on Giannis, 63 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:15,520 Speaker 1: and Aaron Nesmith is a big, physical wing who like 64 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:17,760 Speaker 1: will slide his feet and take contact in the chest 65 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:19,560 Speaker 1: and he'll get a good contest, but he is giving 66 00:03:19,639 --> 00:03:22,920 Speaker 1: up a ton of size to Giannis, and Yanni's just 67 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:26,400 Speaker 1: calmly backed him down to that elbow, turned over his 68 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:30,360 Speaker 1: right shoulder, good wide base, got great lift on the shot, 69 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:33,840 Speaker 1: and just confidently rised up and knocked down that fade 70 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:35,960 Speaker 1: away over his right shoulder. And now the Bucks sit 71 00:03:36,040 --> 00:03:40,680 Speaker 1: at five and two, tied for third in the Eastern Conference. 72 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:43,720 Speaker 1: I was really impressed by the Bucks offense in that 73 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:47,360 Speaker 1: fourth quarter. They logged a one forty four offensive rating 74 00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:49,640 Speaker 1: in that fourth quarter, is their best quarter of the game. 75 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:53,320 Speaker 1: And it continued a trend of them team wide season long, 76 00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:57,360 Speaker 1: of them just being an awesome offense. The Bucks are 77 00:03:57,520 --> 00:04:00,560 Speaker 1: fourth in offensive rating to start this here in the 78 00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:02,360 Speaker 1: early part of the season. It started in that early 79 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:05,720 Speaker 1: fourth quarter with Cole Anthony. I continue to be blown 80 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:09,440 Speaker 1: away by how good he has been driving the basketball 81 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:12,800 Speaker 1: and making the kickout reads. But not just like, oh, 82 00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:14,520 Speaker 1: I beat my man off the dribble and throw a 83 00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:16,039 Speaker 1: kickout like he had one of those. He had one 84 00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:17,400 Speaker 1: on the right wing where he just beat his man 85 00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:19,640 Speaker 1: off the dribble, pitched it out to aj Green in 86 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:21,440 Speaker 1: the right corner, and he knocked out of three. But 87 00:04:21,520 --> 00:04:24,200 Speaker 1: also like some of the manipulative playmaking like he has. 88 00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:26,200 Speaker 1: You know, he'll dribble off a ball screen and wait 89 00:04:26,240 --> 00:04:27,960 Speaker 1: for the low man to sink over and then he'll 90 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:31,039 Speaker 1: just whip a cross court pass to the left corner. 91 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:32,400 Speaker 1: He had one of those in the fourth quarter that 92 00:04:32,480 --> 00:04:35,320 Speaker 1: generated a wide open three. He'll make higher level reads 93 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:38,400 Speaker 1: when he gets all the way to the basket in traffic. 94 00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:41,479 Speaker 1: He had like a half dozen possessions in that early 95 00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:44,760 Speaker 1: fourth quarter where he started things by beating his man 96 00:04:44,800 --> 00:04:46,720 Speaker 1: off the dribble or by getting downhill on a ball 97 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:49,200 Speaker 1: screen and it either ended in a kickout to a 98 00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:53,200 Speaker 1: shooter or some sort of sequence that led to an 99 00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:57,080 Speaker 1: open shot because Cole Anthony broke them at the point 100 00:04:57,120 --> 00:05:00,240 Speaker 1: of attack. Like there was a stretch there in the 101 00:05:00,279 --> 00:05:03,040 Speaker 1: early fourth quarter where the Bucks seemingly hit a three 102 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:05,320 Speaker 1: like every time down the floor for a few minutes, 103 00:05:05,600 --> 00:05:08,560 Speaker 1: and Cole Anthony was a big part of that driving force. 104 00:05:08,600 --> 00:05:10,200 Speaker 1: I ended up hitting a couple of his own as 105 00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:13,320 Speaker 1: well in that stretch, and they've been able to maintain 106 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:16,159 Speaker 1: when Giannis is off the floor and Cole Anthony is 107 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:19,280 Speaker 1: on the floor, they've been able to maintain about even 108 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:22,360 Speaker 1: on the scoreboard negative one point two points per one 109 00:05:22,440 --> 00:05:25,800 Speaker 1: hundred possessions. And like, I know it's a negative stat 110 00:05:25,839 --> 00:05:27,919 Speaker 1: but like to me, with the type of talent on 111 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:31,760 Speaker 1: this roster, with Giannis off the floor, getting that kind 112 00:05:31,760 --> 00:05:33,680 Speaker 1: of shot creation from Cole, I think that's a win 113 00:05:34,320 --> 00:05:36,960 Speaker 1: considering the talent that they have on the floor with 114 00:05:37,040 --> 00:05:40,320 Speaker 1: those groups. And then that stretch of generating great threes 115 00:05:40,360 --> 00:05:42,800 Speaker 1: continued when Giannis came back on the floor. He just 116 00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:45,760 Speaker 1: kept attacking and drawing fouls. He's being super aggressive towards 117 00:05:45,760 --> 00:05:48,040 Speaker 1: the rim in that fourth quarter, and so whenever he 118 00:05:48,080 --> 00:05:50,839 Speaker 1: would catch on the perimeter at all in scoring position, 119 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:53,760 Speaker 1: whether it was like a left block, extended post up, 120 00:05:53,800 --> 00:05:55,400 Speaker 1: or him just kind of dribbling at the top of 121 00:05:55,400 --> 00:05:59,400 Speaker 1: the key, Indiana was reacting so aggressively, either double teaming 122 00:05:59,480 --> 00:06:01,360 Speaker 1: off of the side when he was in his post 123 00:06:01,440 --> 00:06:04,080 Speaker 1: ups or just packing the paint when he's dribbling up top. 124 00:06:04,520 --> 00:06:06,720 Speaker 1: They were able to get easy threes by like not 125 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:09,800 Speaker 1: even making complicated passing rates just like easy kickouts like 126 00:06:10,040 --> 00:06:13,159 Speaker 1: oh Yiannis is on the left block and aj Green 127 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:16,440 Speaker 1: after the post entry is spotting up one pass away 128 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:18,520 Speaker 1: and his man just sinks down. Janis just has to 129 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:21,560 Speaker 1: literally right hand shovel pass out to AJ Green for 130 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:23,880 Speaker 1: a wide open three. There was one that Gary Trent 131 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:25,840 Speaker 1: hit late in the game, huge shot to put him 132 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:28,120 Speaker 1: up one fourteen, one oh nine, where Giannis is just 133 00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:30,800 Speaker 1: dribbling up top and the whole Pacer defense is just 134 00:06:30,839 --> 00:06:33,880 Speaker 1: sucked in swing swing, and Gary Trent gets like a 135 00:06:33,920 --> 00:06:36,320 Speaker 1: pretty decent look off the catch and he knocks it down. 136 00:06:36,839 --> 00:06:40,200 Speaker 1: The Bucks to start this season have a one twenty 137 00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:43,320 Speaker 1: five offensive rating with Giannis on the floor, just an 138 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:46,919 Speaker 1: insane start for him. Honestly, the the MVP front runner 139 00:06:46,960 --> 00:06:49,080 Speaker 1: for me, obviously very early. No one's gonna give the 140 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:52,039 Speaker 1: MVP out over a couple of weeks worth of games, 141 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:53,560 Speaker 1: But I just I don't think you could be more 142 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:55,880 Speaker 1: happy with how Giannis has looked to start the season. 143 00:06:55,920 --> 00:06:58,200 Speaker 1: And then I have to shout out Myles Turner because 144 00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:00,520 Speaker 1: he was getting picked on a little bit down the 145 00:07:00,520 --> 00:07:03,560 Speaker 1: stretch of this game. He gave up some easy ones 146 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:06,200 Speaker 1: to see, OK, him on drives. Late he lost track 147 00:07:06,200 --> 00:07:08,400 Speaker 1: of Isaiah Jackson on a driving dunk at the top 148 00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:09,720 Speaker 1: of the key where he was just playing him a 149 00:07:09,720 --> 00:07:11,480 Speaker 1: little too close on a triple threat and he just 150 00:07:11,560 --> 00:07:14,680 Speaker 1: kind of like got around his left with his left 151 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:17,160 Speaker 1: hand drive and ended up getting a dunk. But he 152 00:07:17,200 --> 00:07:20,200 Speaker 1: made two massive plays down the stretch of this game. 153 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:22,320 Speaker 1: He had an offensive rebound put back on an airball 154 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:23,760 Speaker 1: late in the game that was a big play. It 155 00:07:23,760 --> 00:07:25,400 Speaker 1: was like right after he'd given up a bucket on 156 00:07:25,400 --> 00:07:27,480 Speaker 1: the other end. It kind of like made up for 157 00:07:27,520 --> 00:07:29,800 Speaker 1: what had happened. And then he made a defensive play 158 00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:32,360 Speaker 1: that I think demonstrates the difference between him and Brook. 159 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:36,200 Speaker 1: There was a drive and on the drive, aj Green 160 00:07:36,240 --> 00:07:39,040 Speaker 1: had to rotate off of Ben Sheppard to get up 161 00:07:39,080 --> 00:07:42,560 Speaker 1: to the right wing, and as a result of that, 162 00:07:43,240 --> 00:07:46,239 Speaker 1: Ben Shepherd's wide open in the right corner and Miles 163 00:07:46,240 --> 00:07:49,120 Speaker 1: Turner's down in the paint, and Miles Turner rotated out 164 00:07:49,160 --> 00:07:52,520 Speaker 1: from the paint and blocked Ben Shepherd on the three. 165 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:56,240 Speaker 1: Ryan Rollins comes in and gets a big rebound, huge 166 00:07:56,280 --> 00:07:58,680 Speaker 1: stop late in the game on a play where like 167 00:07:58,720 --> 00:08:01,520 Speaker 1: I'm not sure Brooke could have that play. In the 168 00:08:01,560 --> 00:08:04,600 Speaker 1: last couple of years. It's just that extra level of mobility. 169 00:08:04,640 --> 00:08:07,520 Speaker 1: Like I don't think I don't think that Miles has 170 00:08:07,560 --> 00:08:12,480 Speaker 1: been particularly good as like a in space defender over 171 00:08:12,520 --> 00:08:14,880 Speaker 1: the last couple of years. Like I don't think that's 172 00:08:14,960 --> 00:08:18,119 Speaker 1: necessarily some big leg up over a guy like Brooke, 173 00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:21,560 Speaker 1: Like Miles is not switching out like bam Adebayo, But 174 00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:24,040 Speaker 1: I do think that there's a substantial difference in like 175 00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:28,880 Speaker 1: rotational speed, like covering ground from the paint out to 176 00:08:28,960 --> 00:08:32,360 Speaker 1: short range shooters, out to three point shooters and recovering 177 00:08:32,440 --> 00:08:34,120 Speaker 1: back to the paint. I think there's been a difference 178 00:08:34,160 --> 00:08:37,360 Speaker 1: in mobility there that I think adds a different dynamic 179 00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:40,120 Speaker 1: to this defense than when Brooke was there. And again, 180 00:08:40,160 --> 00:08:43,400 Speaker 1: it's like as a team, the defense hasn't been fantastic 181 00:08:43,720 --> 00:08:46,560 Speaker 1: to start the season, but they're getting key stops and 182 00:08:46,559 --> 00:08:48,080 Speaker 1: I think a big part of that is just a 183 00:08:48,120 --> 00:08:51,360 Speaker 1: little bit more of an athletic ceiling within their best lineups. 184 00:08:52,840 --> 00:08:56,280 Speaker 1: Last note on the Bucks, Ryan Rollins has obviously been 185 00:08:56,320 --> 00:08:58,760 Speaker 1: one of the biggest stories on the team to start 186 00:08:58,800 --> 00:09:02,160 Speaker 1: the season. So part of the fun with a player 187 00:09:02,240 --> 00:09:04,160 Speaker 1: like this when we're learning about a new player is 188 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:05,920 Speaker 1: on the rise is you get to learn about them, right, 189 00:09:05,960 --> 00:09:08,600 Speaker 1: and that's not just what they're great at already, but 190 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:11,600 Speaker 1: also what their areas of opportunity are. And this was 191 00:09:11,640 --> 00:09:13,920 Speaker 1: like our first you know, since the rise of Ryan 192 00:09:14,040 --> 00:09:16,640 Speaker 1: this has been This was one of his worst games, right. 193 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:19,880 Speaker 1: He had issues with Indiana's ball pressure last night. He 194 00:09:19,920 --> 00:09:23,040 Speaker 1: struggled bringing it up against Aaron Nesmith especially, but a 195 00:09:23,040 --> 00:09:25,120 Speaker 1: little bit against Ben Shephard as well. And I thought 196 00:09:25,120 --> 00:09:27,480 Speaker 1: it caused him to speed up and above and beyond, 197 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:29,240 Speaker 1: like the couple of turnovers that he had in the 198 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:32,760 Speaker 1: open floor handling pressure. It also caused him to rush 199 00:09:32,800 --> 00:09:35,240 Speaker 1: on his drives and be a little bit more out 200 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:38,360 Speaker 1: of control than usual. And that even impacted him in 201 00:09:38,400 --> 00:09:40,240 Speaker 1: other areas of the game, like he had a couple 202 00:09:40,240 --> 00:09:42,920 Speaker 1: of post entries that were way off target, like kind 203 00:09:42,920 --> 00:09:45,280 Speaker 1: of bizarrely off target, which I think we're a byproduct 204 00:09:45,280 --> 00:09:47,800 Speaker 1: of him being rushed a little bit. He had seven 205 00:09:47,880 --> 00:09:50,679 Speaker 1: turnovers in this game. Was it all bad? I thought 206 00:09:50,720 --> 00:09:52,640 Speaker 1: he did a really nice job of hunting Giannis on 207 00:09:52,760 --> 00:09:55,480 Speaker 1: kick Aheads all night. That's been a really good early 208 00:09:55,520 --> 00:09:58,640 Speaker 1: season trend. I think that's sparking those transition possessions by 209 00:09:58,640 --> 00:10:01,080 Speaker 1: having somebody that can hit Yiannis on the run is 210 00:10:01,120 --> 00:10:03,120 Speaker 1: really important. He has a good eye for that sort 211 00:10:03,160 --> 00:10:05,880 Speaker 1: of thing. He hit some guys on cuts for layups. 212 00:10:05,880 --> 00:10:09,280 Speaker 1: He had like a nice feed to Kyle kuzmana inside 213 00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:12,040 Speaker 1: seal in the second half of this game. He had 214 00:10:12,080 --> 00:10:14,440 Speaker 1: seven assists, right, So it wasn't like it was all bad, 215 00:10:14,480 --> 00:10:17,960 Speaker 1: and had some big defensive sequences, had that huge contested 216 00:10:18,040 --> 00:10:20,440 Speaker 1: rebound laid off of the Ben Shepherd block three, So like, 217 00:10:20,480 --> 00:10:22,559 Speaker 1: it wasn't all bad. But it was one of those 218 00:10:22,559 --> 00:10:24,800 Speaker 1: things where we can learn a little bit about Ryan 219 00:10:24,880 --> 00:10:26,760 Speaker 1: as this progresses here. And one of the things I 220 00:10:26,840 --> 00:10:29,720 Speaker 1: noticed was like, oh, like Indiana ratchet up the ball 221 00:10:29,720 --> 00:10:31,960 Speaker 1: pressure on him. He struggled a little bit, So I'll 222 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:34,440 Speaker 1: be curious to see how he handles that throughout the year. 223 00:10:34,480 --> 00:10:37,120 Speaker 1: Teams that can ratchet up the ball pressure with like shorter, 224 00:10:37,280 --> 00:10:39,880 Speaker 1: quicker players, and let's see if he can slow down 225 00:10:40,559 --> 00:10:44,599 Speaker 1: and execute a little bit. Today's show is brought to 226 00:10:44,600 --> 00:10:47,200 Speaker 1: you by our new presenting sponsor, hard Rock Bet. The 227 00:10:47,280 --> 00:10:50,480 Speaker 1: NBA season is heating up. College basketball is back, and 228 00:10:50,640 --> 00:10:53,040 Speaker 1: every night is a shot to score a major bucket 229 00:10:53,240 --> 00:10:56,080 Speaker 1: on hard Rock Bet, your home for hoops action all 230 00:10:56,120 --> 00:10:58,280 Speaker 1: season long. 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Concerned about gambling in Florida called one eight 255 00:12:09,520 --> 00:12:13,040 Speaker 1: three to three play wise In Indiana, if you or 256 00:12:13,080 --> 00:12:15,480 Speaker 1: someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, 257 00:12:15,800 --> 00:12:19,680 Speaker 1: call one eight hundred and nine with it gambling problem 258 00:12:19,720 --> 00:12:24,840 Speaker 1: called one eight hundred gambler in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee, 259 00:12:24,920 --> 00:12:31,680 Speaker 1: or Virginia. Rockets MAVs a super interesting game. The MAVs 260 00:12:31,679 --> 00:12:34,480 Speaker 1: gave the Rockets a really good fight in this one. 261 00:12:34,559 --> 00:12:39,600 Speaker 1: Down obviously most of their starting center rotation. They doubled 262 00:12:39,679 --> 00:12:42,840 Speaker 1: the Rockets all over the floor. They were trapping KD 263 00:12:42,920 --> 00:12:46,000 Speaker 1: and ball screens. They were doubling both Kevin Durant and 264 00:12:46,080 --> 00:12:49,240 Speaker 1: Shangon on most of their post ups and ISOs. This 265 00:12:49,280 --> 00:12:51,720 Speaker 1: is something Dallas has been doing since their bigs have 266 00:12:51,760 --> 00:12:54,200 Speaker 1: gone out of the rotation to try to manufacture stops. 267 00:12:54,600 --> 00:12:56,520 Speaker 1: It's been kind of like a base scheme for them 268 00:12:56,559 --> 00:12:59,439 Speaker 1: in a lot of ways. They forced a bunch of turnovers, 269 00:12:59,559 --> 00:13:02,280 Speaker 1: especially that first quarter. Houston really struggled with it live 270 00:13:02,360 --> 00:13:05,200 Speaker 1: ball turnovers that led to runouts. The other way, they 271 00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:09,440 Speaker 1: scored twenty six points on them and transition running. Transition 272 00:13:09,520 --> 00:13:11,280 Speaker 1: defense has been a little bit of an issue for Houston. 273 00:13:11,320 --> 00:13:14,240 Speaker 1: We'll talk about that later on. And then PJ Washington 274 00:13:14,360 --> 00:13:16,760 Speaker 1: towards them. A bunch of floaters in the middle of 275 00:13:16,760 --> 00:13:19,960 Speaker 1: their zone, did damage in transition, did some damage one 276 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:23,480 Speaker 1: on one, got drew some fouls on Alpern Shanggoun. As 277 00:13:23,520 --> 00:13:26,120 Speaker 1: a team, I thought they drove closeouts really well. That's 278 00:13:26,160 --> 00:13:29,320 Speaker 1: been kind of a little subplot for Dallas. They've been 279 00:13:30,720 --> 00:13:34,200 Speaker 1: driving closeouts well off of the perimeter with their athleticism, 280 00:13:35,200 --> 00:13:38,160 Speaker 1: and Houston finally got a game where they didn't shoot 281 00:13:38,160 --> 00:13:40,400 Speaker 1: the ball well. Houston for all to talk about their 282 00:13:40,440 --> 00:13:43,400 Speaker 1: jump shooting before the season. Ever since those first couple 283 00:13:43,480 --> 00:13:45,160 Speaker 1: of games, they've been shooting the shit out of the 284 00:13:45,160 --> 00:13:48,319 Speaker 1: basketball to start the year. And last night the Rockets 285 00:13:48,320 --> 00:13:52,040 Speaker 1: were just five for twenty six on catch and shoot threes, 286 00:13:52,080 --> 00:13:54,360 Speaker 1: and many of those misses were from guys who will 287 00:13:54,440 --> 00:13:59,720 Speaker 1: have cold nights like Alprin, Shangoon, Josha Kogi, Amen Thompson, 288 00:13:59,800 --> 00:14:03,920 Speaker 1: Jay Tate, and Aaron Holiday were combined two for twelve 289 00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:07,600 Speaker 1: on mostly open looks, and they will have nights like 290 00:14:07,720 --> 00:14:10,280 Speaker 1: that over the course of the season. Right so gave 291 00:14:10,360 --> 00:14:14,240 Speaker 1: us an opportunity to see how the Rockets could manufacture 292 00:14:14,280 --> 00:14:18,240 Speaker 1: offense in an ugly game, and the short answer is 293 00:14:18,280 --> 00:14:21,800 Speaker 1: three things. Tough buckets, over the top from their stars, 294 00:14:22,480 --> 00:14:28,720 Speaker 1: offensive rebounds, and cuts. They absolutely bludgeoned Dallas on the glass, 295 00:14:28,800 --> 00:14:31,520 Speaker 1: especially in the first half. They had thirteen offensive rebounds 296 00:14:31,840 --> 00:14:33,680 Speaker 1: in just twenty four minutes in the first half. This 297 00:14:33,720 --> 00:14:37,320 Speaker 1: is continuing a season long trend where they have been 298 00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:42,920 Speaker 1: rebounding a preposterous forty two percent of their own misses, 299 00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:47,000 Speaker 1: which leads the NBA. They also scored twenty four points 300 00:14:47,040 --> 00:14:49,920 Speaker 1: on cuts last night. This was a season high. This 301 00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:52,680 Speaker 1: has been a trend throughout the season. As a team, 302 00:14:52,760 --> 00:14:56,400 Speaker 1: the Rockets are averaging the second most points on cuts 303 00:14:56,440 --> 00:14:59,560 Speaker 1: in the entire NBA, behind the Denver Nuggets. This is 304 00:14:59,560 --> 00:15:02,800 Speaker 1: an advance of their team, especially in their two big configurations. 305 00:15:03,040 --> 00:15:05,440 Speaker 1: They have guys who can pass in the middle of 306 00:15:05,440 --> 00:15:07,600 Speaker 1: the floor when they catch right there in the kind 307 00:15:07,600 --> 00:15:10,160 Speaker 1: of paint outside the restricted area, and they've got a 308 00:15:10,200 --> 00:15:13,160 Speaker 1: bunch of guys who can score on cuts and on flashes. 309 00:15:13,880 --> 00:15:15,800 Speaker 1: Some people call it teeing up. It's the idea of 310 00:15:15,840 --> 00:15:18,640 Speaker 1: like when the ball is either being driven baseline or 311 00:15:18,680 --> 00:15:21,440 Speaker 1: in a post up flashing right to the front of 312 00:15:21,480 --> 00:15:23,640 Speaker 1: the rim, where you can catch and finish with a 313 00:15:23,640 --> 00:15:26,240 Speaker 1: little float or a layup, something along those lines, right. 314 00:15:27,280 --> 00:15:30,480 Speaker 1: Twenty four of them last night, most of them dunks 315 00:15:30,480 --> 00:15:33,280 Speaker 1: for a Men Thompson and Tari Eason couple easy ones. 316 00:15:33,320 --> 00:15:36,200 Speaker 1: Early we got to see some really interesting three man 317 00:15:36,240 --> 00:15:40,200 Speaker 1: sequences from a Men Thompson alprin Shangoon and Kevin Durant 318 00:15:40,240 --> 00:15:43,640 Speaker 1: to start the game, first possession of the game cleared side, 319 00:15:44,080 --> 00:15:45,400 Speaker 1: or they run a pick and roll off of the 320 00:15:45,480 --> 00:15:47,680 Speaker 1: left side with a Men Thompson in the left corner, 321 00:15:47,960 --> 00:15:51,520 Speaker 1: Kevin Durant dribbles off the Shangoon screen two on the 322 00:15:51,560 --> 00:15:54,680 Speaker 1: ball with kd pocket past to Shangoon in the middle 323 00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:57,800 Speaker 1: of the floor lob a Men Thompson dunk. That's the 324 00:15:57,800 --> 00:15:59,960 Speaker 1: sequence we talked about all summer that I look at 325 00:16:00,160 --> 00:16:02,760 Speaker 1: is like the tic tac toe sequence of Kevin Durant 326 00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:04,600 Speaker 1: and pick and roll that I think could be really deadly. 327 00:16:04,840 --> 00:16:07,520 Speaker 1: They get a dunk out of it early very next possession, 328 00:16:07,560 --> 00:16:09,680 Speaker 1: they run a horn set on that horn set and 329 00:16:09,760 --> 00:16:14,920 Speaker 1: men Thompson enters the ball to Shangun and then goes 330 00:16:14,920 --> 00:16:17,520 Speaker 1: and sets a pin down for Kevin Durant. And when 331 00:16:17,560 --> 00:16:20,000 Speaker 1: he sets the pin down for Kevin Durant, Kevin Durant 332 00:16:20,080 --> 00:16:23,920 Speaker 1: comes off of the dribble handoff with Shanegon and when 333 00:16:23,920 --> 00:16:27,520 Speaker 1: he got the ball back to men Thompson, both guys 334 00:16:27,600 --> 00:16:31,000 Speaker 1: run with KD off of the dho and Shang Goun 335 00:16:31,080 --> 00:16:33,840 Speaker 1: has inside position on PJ. Washington. He just slips right 336 00:16:33,880 --> 00:16:37,080 Speaker 1: to the basket easy bounce past another dunk to start 337 00:16:37,120 --> 00:16:39,320 Speaker 1: the game. So two easy dunks to start the game 338 00:16:39,360 --> 00:16:42,800 Speaker 1: off of three man sequences from their three best players. 339 00:16:42,920 --> 00:16:45,280 Speaker 1: And then throughout the game the guys just made good 340 00:16:45,360 --> 00:16:47,680 Speaker 1: reads in the middle of the floor constantly with guys 341 00:16:47,720 --> 00:16:51,400 Speaker 1: making good active cuts along the baseline and again flashing 342 00:16:52,240 --> 00:16:55,160 Speaker 1: up right above the charge circle to make themselves available. 343 00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:57,920 Speaker 1: Like kd gets doubled on a post up, Shane Goon 344 00:16:58,000 --> 00:17:01,360 Speaker 1: cuts into the gap easy too. Shane Goon gets doubled 345 00:17:01,360 --> 00:17:04,600 Speaker 1: on a post up. Aman Thompson teas up flashes right 346 00:17:04,640 --> 00:17:07,439 Speaker 1: to the front of the rim. Little easy floater. Steven 347 00:17:07,480 --> 00:17:09,719 Speaker 1: Adams catches the ball on a blitz kdie comes off 348 00:17:09,760 --> 00:17:13,640 Speaker 1: the ball screen. They blitz Stephen Adams short rolls when 349 00:17:13,640 --> 00:17:16,520 Speaker 1: he catches Tarry Easton cuts along the baseline, perfect drop 350 00:17:16,560 --> 00:17:19,160 Speaker 1: off dunk. At the end of the game, Shane Goon 351 00:17:19,600 --> 00:17:22,120 Speaker 1: just absolutely fries Daniel Gafford one on one and gets 352 00:17:22,119 --> 00:17:23,840 Speaker 1: a little left shoulder hook. So the next time he 353 00:17:23,880 --> 00:17:26,240 Speaker 1: catches out on the perimeter, they throw a double team. 354 00:17:26,520 --> 00:17:29,159 Speaker 1: This time d Lo kind of from the left hand side, 355 00:17:29,240 --> 00:17:31,920 Speaker 1: and it leaves Josha Koge wide open cutting on the baseline. 356 00:17:31,920 --> 00:17:34,640 Speaker 1: They hit him, he gets a foul. This is an 357 00:17:34,680 --> 00:17:38,000 Speaker 1: excellent way for them to space the floor when shots 358 00:17:38,040 --> 00:17:43,240 Speaker 1: aren't falling. Size and athleticism cutting along the baseline, good 359 00:17:43,240 --> 00:17:45,480 Speaker 1: little bits of shot making in the middle of the floor, 360 00:17:45,880 --> 00:17:49,520 Speaker 1: and as a team, really good passing in the middle 361 00:17:49,560 --> 00:17:52,399 Speaker 1: of the floor. Again, Rockets the second best cutting team 362 00:17:52,920 --> 00:17:55,720 Speaker 1: here in the early part of the NBA season. Look, 363 00:17:56,040 --> 00:17:59,400 Speaker 1: I know that Dallas has just kind of been doubling 364 00:17:59,440 --> 00:18:01,960 Speaker 1: everyone a base scheme for a little while now, but 365 00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:04,000 Speaker 1: a lot of this is the predicament that the Rockets 366 00:18:04,000 --> 00:18:06,600 Speaker 1: will put you in, like if you leave them one 367 00:18:06,640 --> 00:18:09,240 Speaker 1: on one, their guys are gonna fry you. Like Shane 368 00:18:09,280 --> 00:18:12,399 Speaker 1: Gun was killing PJ. Washington a really easy one in 369 00:18:12,440 --> 00:18:14,680 Speaker 1: crunch time where he just backed him down on the 370 00:18:14,720 --> 00:18:17,159 Speaker 1: right block for a little left shoulder hook, like that 371 00:18:17,240 --> 00:18:19,080 Speaker 1: easy one he got on Daniel Gafford, Like, if you 372 00:18:19,119 --> 00:18:21,280 Speaker 1: let him attack one on one, he's probably gonna score. 373 00:18:21,720 --> 00:18:25,119 Speaker 1: Kevin Durant got left on an island dribbling above the 374 00:18:25,160 --> 00:18:28,000 Speaker 1: break twice in the mid fourth quarter, and he had 375 00:18:28,040 --> 00:18:31,840 Speaker 1: two pull up threes. That's something that's gonna happen potentially 376 00:18:31,880 --> 00:18:34,679 Speaker 1: when you leave Kevin Durant on an island. Some of 377 00:18:34,680 --> 00:18:37,359 Speaker 1: this is the reality that the Rockets shock creators are 378 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:40,479 Speaker 1: really damn good, and so yeah, Dallas may be doubling 379 00:18:40,520 --> 00:18:42,959 Speaker 1: as a base scheme, but teams are gonna generally have 380 00:18:43,080 --> 00:18:45,880 Speaker 1: that decision to make let these guys cook one on 381 00:18:45,880 --> 00:18:48,760 Speaker 1: one where they could fry you, or send the second 382 00:18:48,800 --> 00:18:51,840 Speaker 1: body where they get these tic tac toe passing sequences 383 00:18:51,840 --> 00:18:53,600 Speaker 1: and they get a lot of dunks and then even 384 00:18:53,600 --> 00:18:55,560 Speaker 1: on the ones they miss, like there's a lot of 385 00:18:55,640 --> 00:18:57,159 Speaker 1: them where it's like just get the ball up on 386 00:18:57,240 --> 00:18:59,359 Speaker 1: the rim, get the ball up on the rim, and 387 00:18:59,640 --> 00:19:02,240 Speaker 1: some like Click Coppeller Steven Adams is gonna grab that 388 00:19:02,280 --> 00:19:04,400 Speaker 1: offensive rebound and dunk it or put it back in. 389 00:19:05,359 --> 00:19:07,080 Speaker 1: But again, like when I look at their catch and 390 00:19:07,119 --> 00:19:10,359 Speaker 1: shoot shooting, it's more likely than not going to be 391 00:19:11,040 --> 00:19:15,160 Speaker 1: at the very least inconsistent and more likely not very good. 392 00:19:15,240 --> 00:19:17,400 Speaker 1: Through the large sample, there's a lot of guys there 393 00:19:17,400 --> 00:19:19,840 Speaker 1: that have been shooting a little above their pay grade 394 00:19:19,840 --> 00:19:23,320 Speaker 1: to start the season. That'll probably cool off a little bit. Again, 395 00:19:23,359 --> 00:19:24,760 Speaker 1: they're either going to be a middle of the pack 396 00:19:24,840 --> 00:19:26,920 Speaker 1: jump shooting team that's very hot and cold, or they're 397 00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:28,760 Speaker 1: gonna be a bottom of the pack jump shooting team. 398 00:19:28,800 --> 00:19:32,520 Speaker 1: So with that being the case, their ability to convert 399 00:19:32,600 --> 00:19:35,960 Speaker 1: that attention into cuts in offensive rebounds is going to 400 00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:37,440 Speaker 1: be a big part of how they'll be able to 401 00:19:37,480 --> 00:19:39,879 Speaker 1: beat some of the more aggressive defensive schemes that they 402 00:19:39,880 --> 00:19:43,400 Speaker 1: will inevitably face along the way. A couple little notes 403 00:19:43,440 --> 00:19:45,080 Speaker 1: from this game. This is something stuff that I've had 404 00:19:45,080 --> 00:19:48,240 Speaker 1: my eye on throughout the season, turnovers and transition defense. 405 00:19:48,320 --> 00:19:51,480 Speaker 1: Like they had six first quarter turnovers, a lot of 406 00:19:51,520 --> 00:19:54,040 Speaker 1: those were live ball turnovers that led to easy buckets. 407 00:19:54,040 --> 00:19:58,040 Speaker 1: The other way, they have the sixth worst turnover percentage 408 00:19:58,040 --> 00:19:59,919 Speaker 1: in the entire NBA to start the year. So turnover 409 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:01,520 Speaker 1: has been a little bit of an issue, kind of 410 00:20:01,560 --> 00:20:04,920 Speaker 1: predictable with the ball handling issues that they have. Again, 411 00:20:04,960 --> 00:20:07,320 Speaker 1: they make up for some of that margin with their 412 00:20:07,359 --> 00:20:10,000 Speaker 1: offensive rebounding. Again, when you're grabbing forty two percent of 413 00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:15,240 Speaker 1: your own misses, that manufactures margin where you've been losing 414 00:20:15,280 --> 00:20:18,600 Speaker 1: margin on turnovers. And then transition defense just getting beat 415 00:20:18,640 --> 00:20:21,320 Speaker 1: down the floor. Shan Gun got beat just on a 416 00:20:21,359 --> 00:20:24,320 Speaker 1: straight line sprint by PJ. Washington late in the game 417 00:20:24,359 --> 00:20:26,840 Speaker 1: for a dunk. As a team, they're a little slow footed. 418 00:20:27,240 --> 00:20:30,840 Speaker 1: This is also exacerbated by the turnovers. Right. The turnovers 419 00:20:31,119 --> 00:20:33,600 Speaker 1: lead to a lot of live ball, you know, three 420 00:20:33,720 --> 00:20:35,680 Speaker 1: on twos, two on ones that I don't care how 421 00:20:35,680 --> 00:20:38,760 Speaker 1: hard you sprint back. They're difficult to guard, right, And 422 00:20:38,800 --> 00:20:42,280 Speaker 1: so as a team they're twenty second right now in 423 00:20:42,400 --> 00:20:45,840 Speaker 1: transition points allowed per game perc Entergy. So those are 424 00:20:45,840 --> 00:20:47,920 Speaker 1: a couple of like little red flags that have shown 425 00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:50,160 Speaker 1: up early in the season, but everything else is looking 426 00:20:50,200 --> 00:20:53,080 Speaker 1: super strong for them in the early going. They're first 427 00:20:53,359 --> 00:20:57,600 Speaker 1: in offensive rating overall, their defense is trending up through 428 00:20:57,640 --> 00:21:00,520 Speaker 1: up to ninth in defensive rating and the second in 429 00:21:00,560 --> 00:21:03,760 Speaker 1: net rating. I think Reed Shepherd has been pretty good 430 00:21:03,760 --> 00:21:05,040 Speaker 1: in the last two games. He had a bunch of 431 00:21:05,040 --> 00:21:07,920 Speaker 1: threes in the Boston game last night to some quality 432 00:21:07,960 --> 00:21:10,800 Speaker 1: shot creation off the bounce, and then after a brutal 433 00:21:10,840 --> 00:21:13,560 Speaker 1: start to the season where Tari Easton looked bad, he's 434 00:21:13,600 --> 00:21:16,679 Speaker 1: been fantastic in the four game winning streak. He's shooting 435 00:21:16,720 --> 00:21:19,400 Speaker 1: sixty five percent from three on five attempts per game. 436 00:21:19,400 --> 00:21:21,480 Speaker 1: He had three more of them last night, a couple 437 00:21:21,560 --> 00:21:24,000 Speaker 1: of big corner threes, and he's been filling up the 438 00:21:24,080 --> 00:21:26,359 Speaker 1: box score in his minutes per thirty six if you 439 00:21:26,400 --> 00:21:29,040 Speaker 1: take his production and expanded out to thirty six minutes again, 440 00:21:29,119 --> 00:21:30,600 Speaker 1: I always use that as just kind of like a 441 00:21:31,920 --> 00:21:34,960 Speaker 1: way to provide some perspective on how bench players in 442 00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:38,199 Speaker 1: smaller roles produce relative to how many minutes they have. 443 00:21:38,359 --> 00:21:42,160 Speaker 1: Right He's getting seven point two rebounds, four point four 444 00:21:42,240 --> 00:21:45,679 Speaker 1: assists in two point four stocks, one point two steals, 445 00:21:45,680 --> 00:21:49,600 Speaker 1: and one point two blocks per thirty six minutes during 446 00:21:49,640 --> 00:21:51,760 Speaker 1: the four game winning streak. So really nice play from 447 00:21:51,800 --> 00:21:54,840 Speaker 1: Tari Easton. Rockets are looking really good. Here a couple 448 00:21:54,840 --> 00:21:57,760 Speaker 1: of possessions again, like that little step back from Shay 449 00:21:57,800 --> 00:22:01,160 Speaker 1: over at men Thompson on the left elbow, they beat 450 00:22:01,160 --> 00:22:04,879 Speaker 1: okayc if he misses that Jabari Smith that wide open 451 00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:08,000 Speaker 1: catch and shoot three on the left wing against the 452 00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:11,320 Speaker 1: Pistons in their second game. He hits that they're six 453 00:22:11,359 --> 00:22:14,440 Speaker 1: and zero right now and a lot of winnable games 454 00:22:14,440 --> 00:22:16,280 Speaker 1: in their next seven too, if you look at their schedule, 455 00:22:16,359 --> 00:22:19,119 Speaker 1: especially with Cleveland being without Darius Garland. So look for 456 00:22:19,160 --> 00:22:21,680 Speaker 1: the Rockets to get a solid foundation in the standings 457 00:22:21,960 --> 00:22:23,880 Speaker 1: in the Western Conference over the course of the next 458 00:22:23,960 --> 00:22:31,680 Speaker 1: couple of weeks. All right, last segment. Today, the Lakers 459 00:22:31,760 --> 00:22:37,439 Speaker 1: win again on the road in Portland without Lebron, without Luca, 460 00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:39,959 Speaker 1: and without Austin. This is a Portland team that's been 461 00:22:39,960 --> 00:22:41,480 Speaker 1: top ten in defense to start the year. In a 462 00:22:41,520 --> 00:22:44,520 Speaker 1: Portland team that I had in my power rankings yesterday, 463 00:22:44,560 --> 00:22:47,560 Speaker 1: I think this is a decent team there, especially when 464 00:22:47,560 --> 00:22:49,800 Speaker 1: you're playing them in Portland. And so in this sort 465 00:22:49,840 --> 00:22:51,800 Speaker 1: of situation, right when you've got all these guys out 466 00:22:51,800 --> 00:22:56,280 Speaker 1: of the lineup, seemingly every single Laker had a lot 467 00:22:56,320 --> 00:22:59,680 Speaker 1: more responsibility on their plate, and to their credit, every 468 00:22:59,760 --> 00:23:02,119 Speaker 1: single one of them excelled in a larger role like 469 00:23:02,200 --> 00:23:05,639 Speaker 1: Marcus Smart. I thought he did a phenomenal job attacking 470 00:23:05,680 --> 00:23:08,800 Speaker 1: Portland's full court pressure. Portland picks up the ball full 471 00:23:08,800 --> 00:23:10,639 Speaker 1: court more than any team in the league. I was 472 00:23:10,640 --> 00:23:12,440 Speaker 1: a big part of how they were trying to work 473 00:23:12,480 --> 00:23:14,920 Speaker 1: their way back into the game late, and I thought 474 00:23:14,920 --> 00:23:17,919 Speaker 1: Marcus and I would I'd give Nick Smith Junior some 475 00:23:17,960 --> 00:23:20,840 Speaker 1: credit for this too, focusing in Marcus right now, but 476 00:23:21,119 --> 00:23:23,760 Speaker 1: attacking the ball pressure, like using your speed to get 477 00:23:23,800 --> 00:23:26,840 Speaker 1: past that first defender and kind of breaking the defense 478 00:23:26,880 --> 00:23:29,679 Speaker 1: at the start. JJ Reddick talked about this in his 479 00:23:29,720 --> 00:23:32,280 Speaker 1: postgame presser, but like he was talking about how like 480 00:23:32,320 --> 00:23:34,399 Speaker 1: one of the things that he thought helped down the 481 00:23:34,440 --> 00:23:37,480 Speaker 1: stretch of the game was guys just beating their man 482 00:23:37,520 --> 00:23:40,280 Speaker 1: off the dribble rather than in ball screens, where they 483 00:23:40,320 --> 00:23:41,960 Speaker 1: had struggled a little bit, and ball screens were still 484 00:23:41,960 --> 00:23:43,679 Speaker 1: an important part of their attack. Like we're gonna talk 485 00:23:43,680 --> 00:23:46,080 Speaker 1: about it with Nick Smith, like him hitting drop coverage threes, 486 00:23:46,119 --> 00:23:48,879 Speaker 1: and like, there were certain elements of their pick and 487 00:23:48,960 --> 00:23:51,119 Speaker 1: roll attack that I think were very important in this game. 488 00:23:51,600 --> 00:23:53,600 Speaker 1: But JJ's right, like a big part of them in 489 00:23:53,640 --> 00:23:55,879 Speaker 1: the fourth quarter having the success they did was just 490 00:23:56,600 --> 00:23:59,359 Speaker 1: Marcus Smart beating that first defender who's picking him up 491 00:23:59,400 --> 00:24:02,040 Speaker 1: full court and getting the defense in rotation before they 492 00:24:02,040 --> 00:24:06,159 Speaker 1: had to do anything. Deandreton and Rujachamura just providing reliable 493 00:24:06,200 --> 00:24:09,280 Speaker 1: scoring in every single way, Like both scored out of 494 00:24:09,320 --> 00:24:12,120 Speaker 1: action like eight and catching and finishing around the rim, 495 00:24:12,600 --> 00:24:15,480 Speaker 1: Ruey hitting catch and shoot threes or cutting along the baseline. 496 00:24:15,480 --> 00:24:19,119 Speaker 1: But they both also provided like tough mid range shot making, 497 00:24:19,359 --> 00:24:21,560 Speaker 1: which again is such a value add especially when you 498 00:24:21,600 --> 00:24:23,680 Speaker 1: deal with the team like Portland who does the switching 499 00:24:23,720 --> 00:24:25,720 Speaker 1: that they do, Like they have these small ball looks 500 00:24:25,760 --> 00:24:27,280 Speaker 1: where they go without a center and they just switch 501 00:24:27,280 --> 00:24:28,840 Speaker 1: everything because they got a bunch of six eight, six 502 00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:31,640 Speaker 1: nine dudes on the floor, and Drew Holliday's so big 503 00:24:31,680 --> 00:24:33,800 Speaker 1: and strong at the guard position and so kind of 504 00:24:33,800 --> 00:24:35,680 Speaker 1: forces you to have some guys that can go get 505 00:24:35,720 --> 00:24:39,520 Speaker 1: a bucket. And like having Ruy and Deandreton giving you 506 00:24:39,600 --> 00:24:41,960 Speaker 1: like a half dozen of those mid range pull up 507 00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:44,159 Speaker 1: jump shots. Those are huge shots in a game like this. 508 00:24:44,320 --> 00:24:48,000 Speaker 1: And then Jacobavia has really won me over over the 509 00:24:48,080 --> 00:24:50,679 Speaker 1: last six games. It started in the end of the 510 00:24:50,760 --> 00:24:53,679 Speaker 1: Kings game. He made a couple of big clutch plays 511 00:24:53,680 --> 00:24:56,320 Speaker 1: he relocated off of Ruey Hacha Mura post up and 512 00:24:56,400 --> 00:24:58,280 Speaker 1: hit a three right at the top of the key, 513 00:24:58,320 --> 00:25:00,639 Speaker 1: a tough movement three. And then he had like an 514 00:25:00,640 --> 00:25:03,320 Speaker 1: inside seal on Keon Ellis where he got a layup 515 00:25:03,640 --> 00:25:06,000 Speaker 1: and won late in the game. And I started to 516 00:25:06,080 --> 00:25:08,080 Speaker 1: notice in that game that he's just always in the 517 00:25:08,119 --> 00:25:11,320 Speaker 1: right spots and then he usually makes the right reads. 518 00:25:12,040 --> 00:25:13,679 Speaker 1: And it was a little it was a little up 519 00:25:13,680 --> 00:25:15,600 Speaker 1: and down. Early in the year. His lack of aggression 520 00:25:15,680 --> 00:25:17,399 Speaker 1: drove me crazy. It felt like he didn't want to 521 00:25:17,400 --> 00:25:20,200 Speaker 1: shoot unless he was completely wide open. But he's turned 522 00:25:20,200 --> 00:25:22,680 Speaker 1: that up a little bit, the aggression, and it's been 523 00:25:22,720 --> 00:25:27,040 Speaker 1: the perfect addition to this team. Like timely shooting, timely scoring, 524 00:25:27,600 --> 00:25:30,199 Speaker 1: connective playmaking, even like some bucket getting, Like he had 525 00:25:30,200 --> 00:25:33,240 Speaker 1: a late possession, late game possession in this game where 526 00:25:33,240 --> 00:25:35,720 Speaker 1: he had Shaydon Sharp on the right block and just 527 00:25:35,760 --> 00:25:38,160 Speaker 1: attacked him one on one and like got a little 528 00:25:38,240 --> 00:25:40,320 Speaker 1: drop step over his left shoulder. It hit like a 529 00:25:40,359 --> 00:25:42,280 Speaker 1: little bank shot off the glass. That was a huge 530 00:25:42,280 --> 00:25:44,879 Speaker 1: bucket in that game. And the thing that I'm noticing 531 00:25:44,920 --> 00:25:46,960 Speaker 1: with him on defense is he's just a very solid 532 00:25:47,359 --> 00:25:49,280 Speaker 1: positional defender. I talk about this all the time. The 533 00:25:49,320 --> 00:25:55,040 Speaker 1: difference between like really athletic, disruptive attacking defenders versus positional 534 00:25:55,080 --> 00:25:57,280 Speaker 1: defenders that do a great job of sliding their feet, 535 00:25:57,720 --> 00:26:00,879 Speaker 1: guessing which direction you're going to go, keep their chest 536 00:26:00,960 --> 00:26:04,520 Speaker 1: in front, absorbing contact, keeping their hands up and forcing 537 00:26:04,560 --> 00:26:06,800 Speaker 1: you to make shots over the top. And look, he's 538 00:26:06,840 --> 00:26:09,639 Speaker 1: a little athletically overmatch sometimes because he's a little bigger 539 00:26:09,680 --> 00:26:12,840 Speaker 1: and a little slower, and he'll occasionally get beat and 540 00:26:13,080 --> 00:26:15,280 Speaker 1: foul somebody. He had a couple of plays where he 541 00:26:15,320 --> 00:26:18,359 Speaker 1: gave up some drives late in this game, But generally speaking, 542 00:26:18,400 --> 00:26:20,520 Speaker 1: I view him as a positive defender in the team 543 00:26:20,600 --> 00:26:23,280 Speaker 1: context because he's usually in the right spot and he's 544 00:26:23,280 --> 00:26:25,120 Speaker 1: gonna win some of those battles he took. You know, 545 00:26:25,359 --> 00:26:27,000 Speaker 1: he gave up some drives late in the game, but 546 00:26:27,040 --> 00:26:28,560 Speaker 1: he also had a huge play late in the game 547 00:26:28,600 --> 00:26:31,480 Speaker 1: where they gaffed well and he slid his feet well 548 00:26:31,480 --> 00:26:33,800 Speaker 1: and Avdya tried to just force his way through him 549 00:26:33,800 --> 00:26:37,720 Speaker 1: with a spin move and once again positional, sliding his feet, 550 00:26:37,880 --> 00:26:40,800 Speaker 1: staying in front, hands up, Denny came up with the 551 00:26:40,840 --> 00:26:42,800 Speaker 1: elbow on the spin and caught him in the chin 552 00:26:42,880 --> 00:26:45,880 Speaker 1: on that spin move led to that offensive foul, and 553 00:26:45,920 --> 00:26:50,520 Speaker 1: like that was a hard to stop Portland attack there 554 00:26:50,600 --> 00:26:52,879 Speaker 1: late in the game, like Denny Avdya, Jeremy Grant and 555 00:26:52,960 --> 00:26:55,240 Speaker 1: Drew Holiday, they were in attack mode down the stretch, 556 00:26:55,520 --> 00:26:58,320 Speaker 1: trying to say that game driving, driving, driving, applying a 557 00:26:58,359 --> 00:26:59,800 Speaker 1: ton of pressure on the rim, and it was hard 558 00:26:59,800 --> 00:27:04,000 Speaker 1: to them, and so every stop felt like a huge win. 559 00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:06,639 Speaker 1: And he took that elbow and got in there and 560 00:27:06,680 --> 00:27:09,160 Speaker 1: got a big stop late in the game. He's rebounding 561 00:27:09,160 --> 00:27:11,600 Speaker 1: at a rate of six point five rebounds per thirty 562 00:27:11,640 --> 00:27:13,960 Speaker 1: six minutes, which I think is really solid for an 563 00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:17,560 Speaker 1: athlete of his level. He's just a good player. It 564 00:27:17,600 --> 00:27:19,720 Speaker 1: didn't take him long this season, just two weeks to 565 00:27:20,040 --> 00:27:22,480 Speaker 1: really win me over. I think he really helps the team, 566 00:27:22,520 --> 00:27:25,080 Speaker 1: and I think he's the perfect type of guy to 567 00:27:25,200 --> 00:27:28,000 Speaker 1: compliment their stars, to be a guy that can capitalize 568 00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:31,280 Speaker 1: on the attention that their stars draw over the course 569 00:27:31,920 --> 00:27:37,119 Speaker 1: of games. And man, what a show put on by 570 00:27:37,240 --> 00:27:42,040 Speaker 1: Nick Smith Junior. Obviously, when you're down Austin, Luca and Lebron, 571 00:27:42,640 --> 00:27:46,560 Speaker 1: the initiation talent is utterly devoid on this roster, and 572 00:27:46,600 --> 00:27:50,840 Speaker 1: the Lakers needed him, desperately needed him to step into 573 00:27:50,840 --> 00:27:54,399 Speaker 1: the game and just get buckets, and Nick did just that. 574 00:27:55,200 --> 00:27:57,320 Speaker 1: It was an interesting matchup for him because Portland has 575 00:27:57,320 --> 00:27:59,280 Speaker 1: all these ball pressure guys, but they're all pretty tall 576 00:27:59,320 --> 00:28:02,359 Speaker 1: and lanky, and Drew is older. Drew's more of like 577 00:28:02,400 --> 00:28:04,640 Speaker 1: a physical player at this point. He's not the same 578 00:28:04,760 --> 00:28:06,880 Speaker 1: quick type of guard that he was in the past. Right, 579 00:28:07,280 --> 00:28:12,119 Speaker 1: what Nick Smith is super quick and like smaller, So 580 00:28:12,200 --> 00:28:14,400 Speaker 1: he was actually able to handle the ball pressure pretty 581 00:28:14,440 --> 00:28:16,840 Speaker 1: well and get to his spots because despite all of 582 00:28:16,880 --> 00:28:19,240 Speaker 1: the depth of ball pressure talent that Portland has, Nick 583 00:28:19,320 --> 00:28:21,560 Speaker 1: is just faster than all those dudes, and so he 584 00:28:21,600 --> 00:28:23,240 Speaker 1: was able to get to his spots pretty quick, and 585 00:28:23,280 --> 00:28:28,400 Speaker 1: he generated baskets important baskets throughout the game against Portland's 586 00:28:28,400 --> 00:28:30,800 Speaker 1: two main coverages that we saw. They ran a super 587 00:28:30,880 --> 00:28:35,320 Speaker 1: deep drop coverage with their bigs with Klingon and Rob Williams, 588 00:28:35,320 --> 00:28:39,080 Speaker 1: and with those looks, he hit several pull up threes 589 00:28:39,120 --> 00:28:40,560 Speaker 1: where he would just set his man up for the 590 00:28:40,600 --> 00:28:44,080 Speaker 1: screen crossover and just get up into that footwork for 591 00:28:44,120 --> 00:28:45,800 Speaker 1: a pull up three point shot off the dribble. He 592 00:28:45,840 --> 00:28:48,400 Speaker 1: hit a bunch of those, and then in Portland switch 593 00:28:48,480 --> 00:28:51,560 Speaker 1: looks again, like when they started switching with their centerless looks, 594 00:28:51,840 --> 00:28:53,959 Speaker 1: all of a sudden, it becomes about beating people off 595 00:28:54,000 --> 00:28:56,240 Speaker 1: the dribble, and he hit two pull up mid range shots, 596 00:28:56,240 --> 00:28:59,720 Speaker 1: one against City Sosoko and one against Timani Kamara where 597 00:28:59,720 --> 00:29:02,640 Speaker 1: he eat them off the dribble with this quickness, got 598 00:29:02,760 --> 00:29:05,720 Speaker 1: enough separation to elevate in that like little short thirteen 599 00:29:05,840 --> 00:29:09,120 Speaker 1: fourteen foot range, and he hit shots. He also had 600 00:29:09,120 --> 00:29:11,160 Speaker 1: a big floater late in the game where he got 601 00:29:11,240 --> 00:29:12,920 Speaker 1: Drew Holiday on like a brush screen. It's like a 602 00:29:13,000 --> 00:29:16,000 Speaker 1: random screen where Portland was in their small ball look 603 00:29:16,040 --> 00:29:19,000 Speaker 1: that should have been switching, but they randomly didn't switch 604 00:29:19,040 --> 00:29:21,280 Speaker 1: that screen, and so Drew Hollidy got a little bit 605 00:29:21,320 --> 00:29:23,000 Speaker 1: caught on the screen and he got downhill and he 606 00:29:23,080 --> 00:29:25,680 Speaker 1: hit like a little right handed floater in the lane. 607 00:29:26,520 --> 00:29:29,480 Speaker 1: And then he iced the game with two catch and 608 00:29:29,480 --> 00:29:31,880 Speaker 1: shoot threes, both on plays like what I was talking 609 00:29:31,880 --> 00:29:34,880 Speaker 1: about with Marcus Smart earlier, where Marcus Smart beat the 610 00:29:34,920 --> 00:29:38,560 Speaker 1: full court pressure off the dribble, drew in help off 611 00:29:38,600 --> 00:29:42,280 Speaker 1: of the baseline, rotate, rotate, Nick Smith is wide open, 612 00:29:42,480 --> 00:29:44,120 Speaker 1: once on the left wing, once at the top of 613 00:29:44,120 --> 00:29:47,320 Speaker 1: the key. He hit both of those threes. Have yourself 614 00:29:47,360 --> 00:29:52,000 Speaker 1: a moment. Nick Smith twenty five points and they needed 615 00:29:52,080 --> 00:29:54,680 Speaker 1: every single one of them. To win that game. And lastly, 616 00:29:54,720 --> 00:29:57,600 Speaker 1: I got a shout out Brownie. He played real rotation 617 00:29:57,760 --> 00:29:59,800 Speaker 1: minutes and both ends of this back to back, and 618 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:02,640 Speaker 1: he was legitimately solid in both games. In the Heat game, 619 00:30:03,280 --> 00:30:05,640 Speaker 1: JJ was desperately looking for someone that could hang with 620 00:30:05,720 --> 00:30:08,080 Speaker 1: Davion Mitchell, and it wasn't perfect. He picked up some fouls, 621 00:30:08,080 --> 00:30:09,640 Speaker 1: but I thought he came in and played super hard, 622 00:30:09,760 --> 00:30:12,800 Speaker 1: was generally in the right spot, and he made some 623 00:30:12,880 --> 00:30:14,560 Speaker 1: nice close out attacks. This is something I want to 624 00:30:14,560 --> 00:30:15,719 Speaker 1: get to you more in a second when we talk 625 00:30:15,760 --> 00:30:17,680 Speaker 1: about the Portland game, and I thought he was really 626 00:30:17,720 --> 00:30:20,560 Speaker 1: good last night. In that Portland game. He had a 627 00:30:20,640 --> 00:30:23,760 Speaker 1: massive three on the right wing that started the fourth quarter. 628 00:30:23,760 --> 00:30:27,480 Speaker 1: He hit some clutch free throws, and he had six assists, 629 00:30:27,320 --> 00:30:30,120 Speaker 1: most of which came out of racking closeouts. This is 630 00:30:30,160 --> 00:30:32,560 Speaker 1: something that I've talked about a lot baked in driving lanes. 631 00:30:32,640 --> 00:30:35,320 Speaker 1: Right when the defense reacts to a primary ball handler, 632 00:30:35,440 --> 00:30:37,680 Speaker 1: what ends up happening is often there's a closeout, and 633 00:30:37,720 --> 00:30:40,160 Speaker 1: on that close that it's usually coming at one side 634 00:30:40,160 --> 00:30:42,280 Speaker 1: of you, depending on how the shell drill works. And 635 00:30:42,320 --> 00:30:45,000 Speaker 1: so if you're a right handed player and a guy 636 00:30:45,080 --> 00:30:47,800 Speaker 1: is closing out at your left shoulder, you know, on 637 00:30:47,920 --> 00:30:50,600 Speaker 1: the catch, just catch and rip, And if you catch 638 00:30:50,640 --> 00:30:53,000 Speaker 1: and rip, you're probably gonna beat that dude off the dribble. 639 00:30:53,040 --> 00:30:55,160 Speaker 1: Same thing, if he's closing out at your right shoulder, 640 00:30:55,520 --> 00:30:58,040 Speaker 1: just catching rip left, you're gonna beat that man off 641 00:30:58,040 --> 00:31:00,280 Speaker 1: the dribble. And Broni's actually really good at me that 642 00:31:00,360 --> 00:31:03,480 Speaker 1: read and like one of his like superhuman traits that 643 00:31:03,520 --> 00:31:06,320 Speaker 1: he has at this phase. Even though he's undersized and 644 00:31:06,360 --> 00:31:10,000 Speaker 1: he has his certain limitations, he's very fast and he's 645 00:31:10,120 --> 00:31:13,120 Speaker 1: very vertically athletic. The vertical athletics is a manifest in 646 00:31:13,160 --> 00:31:15,520 Speaker 1: other ways, like the lob dunk that he got from Austin, 647 00:31:16,040 --> 00:31:18,280 Speaker 1: or like that big offensive rebound he got in the 648 00:31:18,280 --> 00:31:22,440 Speaker 1: fourth quarter against Portland, But like the quickness manifests when 649 00:31:22,440 --> 00:31:25,920 Speaker 1: he slashes these closeouts, and when he slashes the closeouts, 650 00:31:25,960 --> 00:31:28,840 Speaker 1: he just makes really nice reads. Oh easy drop off 651 00:31:28,880 --> 00:31:31,680 Speaker 1: pass for Jackson Hayes in the middle for a layup, 652 00:31:31,760 --> 00:31:34,720 Speaker 1: or oh rack baseline, there's Ruby Hotcha Murrow wide open 653 00:31:34,760 --> 00:31:37,520 Speaker 1: in the right corner, kickout pass, knock it down. He 654 00:31:37,640 --> 00:31:40,200 Speaker 1: was like just really good at making those reads out 655 00:31:40,200 --> 00:31:42,120 Speaker 1: of closeouts, and so I think this is one of 656 00:31:42,160 --> 00:31:44,080 Speaker 1: those underrated things that he like. We talk a lot 657 00:31:44,120 --> 00:31:46,640 Speaker 1: about Brownie shortcomings. He's undersized. He's not a good on 658 00:31:46,840 --> 00:31:49,320 Speaker 1: ball player in terms of like leading the team with 659 00:31:49,400 --> 00:31:52,520 Speaker 1: action at the beginning of possessions. There's certainly issues that 660 00:31:52,600 --> 00:31:55,240 Speaker 1: he has. But one of the things he is very 661 00:31:55,280 --> 00:31:56,960 Speaker 1: good at that I think he deserves credit for is 662 00:31:57,000 --> 00:31:59,640 Speaker 1: he's a good connective playmaker. This has been a thing 663 00:31:59,680 --> 00:32:03,760 Speaker 1: throughout his career. He's averaging four point three assists per 664 00:32:03,840 --> 00:32:07,080 Speaker 1: thirty six minutes to start his career on about a 665 00:32:07,120 --> 00:32:09,040 Speaker 1: one and a half assist the turnover ratio. Like, he's 666 00:32:09,040 --> 00:32:11,880 Speaker 1: a decent connective playmaker. It's something that he can do 667 00:32:11,960 --> 00:32:14,800 Speaker 1: to help the team. And he's just fastest shit, which 668 00:32:14,840 --> 00:32:16,400 Speaker 1: is valuable for a team that doesn't have a ton 669 00:32:16,400 --> 00:32:18,280 Speaker 1: of speed. And he's doing his job and that actually 670 00:32:18,280 --> 00:32:20,040 Speaker 1: helped the Lakers over the course of this back to back. 671 00:32:20,080 --> 00:32:22,040 Speaker 1: I want to give give him credit for playing some 672 00:32:22,520 --> 00:32:26,320 Speaker 1: quality rotation minutes in a winning context over this stretch 673 00:32:26,840 --> 00:32:28,440 Speaker 1: really quick on the Lakers. I just want to zoom 674 00:32:28,480 --> 00:32:31,600 Speaker 1: out and talk briefly about JJ Reddick and this roster. 675 00:32:31,720 --> 00:32:34,000 Speaker 1: So like, whenever I see a team start to rack 676 00:32:34,120 --> 00:32:36,920 Speaker 1: up wins, when Key guys are out. I always think 677 00:32:36,920 --> 00:32:40,160 Speaker 1: two things. One the roster must have good depth of talent, 678 00:32:40,760 --> 00:32:44,600 Speaker 1: and two the coach must be instilling a strong basketball culture. 679 00:32:44,880 --> 00:32:46,640 Speaker 1: Let's start with the roster for a second. It was 680 00:32:46,800 --> 00:32:50,640 Speaker 1: much maligned after training camp, and that super upsetting game 681 00:32:50,680 --> 00:32:53,360 Speaker 1: against the Warriors. Is actually funny listening to JJ Reddick 682 00:32:53,440 --> 00:32:55,760 Speaker 1: last night in his postgame, because he talked about how 683 00:32:55,800 --> 00:32:58,840 Speaker 1: like he kept referencing like the last seven games just 684 00:32:58,920 --> 00:33:01,560 Speaker 1: pretending as though the goal in State game doesn't exist, 685 00:33:01,600 --> 00:33:04,200 Speaker 1: and like, I don't blame him because it was bad. 686 00:33:04,360 --> 00:33:07,280 Speaker 1: They looked in that game like a bad combination of 687 00:33:07,400 --> 00:33:11,640 Speaker 1: unathletic and completely lacking physical intensity. That was the big 688 00:33:11,680 --> 00:33:13,000 Speaker 1: thing that stood out to me in the first game, 689 00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:15,400 Speaker 1: and I criticized them that night, and I wasn't alone 690 00:33:15,400 --> 00:33:18,160 Speaker 1: in doing so. They didn't look good throughout the entire 691 00:33:18,360 --> 00:33:22,720 Speaker 1: beginning of October through that Golden State game. They still 692 00:33:22,760 --> 00:33:26,000 Speaker 1: look super unathletic relative to the field, especially the top teams, 693 00:33:26,040 --> 00:33:28,440 Speaker 1: and we'll see if that becomes an issue down the line. 694 00:33:28,720 --> 00:33:32,520 Speaker 1: But they have been more intense and physical. They're using 695 00:33:32,520 --> 00:33:35,960 Speaker 1: their size and they're meeting the fight. They're competing every 696 00:33:36,040 --> 00:33:39,560 Speaker 1: night like they're playing harder than most teams on most nights. 697 00:33:39,560 --> 00:33:43,640 Speaker 1: That's a strong, a strong like quality in this roster 698 00:33:43,720 --> 00:33:45,560 Speaker 1: that I've seen over the course of the tail end 699 00:33:45,560 --> 00:33:47,080 Speaker 1: of last season we'll talk about a minute, but the 700 00:33:47,080 --> 00:33:49,320 Speaker 1: tail end of last season and started this season, they've 701 00:33:49,360 --> 00:33:51,920 Speaker 1: been pretty locked into the game plans that JJ's put together, 702 00:33:52,280 --> 00:33:54,479 Speaker 1: and they are big and so like they do have 703 00:33:54,560 --> 00:33:56,640 Speaker 1: a strength in terms of their size, and they're bringing 704 00:33:56,680 --> 00:34:00,400 Speaker 1: physicality and intensity now. So even though they're unathletic. It's 705 00:34:00,400 --> 00:34:04,640 Speaker 1: one thing to be unathletic and lack intensity in physical competition, right, 706 00:34:04,840 --> 00:34:07,280 Speaker 1: that's a death sentence. But if you're unathletic, but you're 707 00:34:07,680 --> 00:34:09,719 Speaker 1: in the right spots, you're playing super hard, and you're 708 00:34:09,719 --> 00:34:13,520 Speaker 1: competing physically, it becomes something that's a little bit more tenable. 709 00:34:13,600 --> 00:34:16,880 Speaker 1: And there's a clear roster strength that is rising to 710 00:34:16,960 --> 00:34:19,360 Speaker 1: the surface. For all the lack of athleticism and the 711 00:34:19,400 --> 00:34:22,920 Speaker 1: lack of two way players, the team is extremely deep 712 00:34:23,040 --> 00:34:30,320 Speaker 1: with smart players and very skilled offensive players. After facing 713 00:34:30,360 --> 00:34:32,959 Speaker 1: that excellent Heat defense and dropping one hundred and thirty 714 00:34:33,000 --> 00:34:35,960 Speaker 1: points on them again without Lebron, they face another top 715 00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:39,200 Speaker 1: ten defense in Portland on the road without their three 716 00:34:39,239 --> 00:34:41,520 Speaker 1: best offensive players and they dropped one hundred and twenty 717 00:34:41,520 --> 00:34:45,920 Speaker 1: three points. Deandreten's added the much needed firepower at the 718 00:34:45,960 --> 00:34:48,799 Speaker 1: center position. Marcus mart and Jake Larevia have added that 719 00:34:49,239 --> 00:34:52,720 Speaker 1: connective playmaking and that high IQ elements of the offense. 720 00:34:52,960 --> 00:34:56,320 Speaker 1: There is enough defensive talent on the court with Marcus Smart, 721 00:34:56,400 --> 00:34:59,720 Speaker 1: with Jared Vanderbilt, with Jake Larevia, with Deandreton at the rim, 722 00:35:00,120 --> 00:35:02,719 Speaker 1: just the high IQ of the group that they're they're 723 00:35:02,760 --> 00:35:06,200 Speaker 1: doing okay, Like their eighteenth in defense. That's better than 724 00:35:06,200 --> 00:35:08,040 Speaker 1: you would expect for this team without If you would 725 00:35:08,040 --> 00:35:09,399 Speaker 1: have told me they didn't have Lebron at this point 726 00:35:09,440 --> 00:35:11,759 Speaker 1: in the season, I'd be like twenty fifth, twenty sixth 727 00:35:11,800 --> 00:35:13,800 Speaker 1: in defense just because of the complete lack of talent. 728 00:35:14,120 --> 00:35:17,760 Speaker 1: They're out kicking their coverage, so to speak, on defense 729 00:35:17,840 --> 00:35:20,600 Speaker 1: right now. So like for all of the talk about 730 00:35:20,640 --> 00:35:23,719 Speaker 1: their athleticism as a weakness, I think the depth of 731 00:35:23,719 --> 00:35:27,000 Speaker 1: offensive talent and IQ is a roster strength that I 732 00:35:27,080 --> 00:35:30,000 Speaker 1: think we all, including myself, may have underrated a bit 733 00:35:30,080 --> 00:35:32,640 Speaker 1: this summer. Even as high as I was on them 734 00:35:32,680 --> 00:35:35,520 Speaker 1: as an offense, they look better than I expected because again, 735 00:35:35,520 --> 00:35:37,000 Speaker 1: there's been a lot of guys out of the lineup 736 00:35:37,000 --> 00:35:39,440 Speaker 1: including Luca and Lebron for the entirety of it, right. 737 00:35:39,880 --> 00:35:42,200 Speaker 1: The second piece of it is the strong basketball culture. 738 00:35:42,920 --> 00:35:45,280 Speaker 1: We talked a ton about this after JJ was hired. 739 00:35:45,719 --> 00:35:49,320 Speaker 1: I don't think the Lakers have a strong basketball culture organizationally. 740 00:35:49,400 --> 00:35:51,840 Speaker 1: I think their culture is essentially just go get the 741 00:35:51,880 --> 00:35:56,640 Speaker 1: next superstar. They desperately needed JJ to come in and 742 00:35:56,719 --> 00:36:00,680 Speaker 1: instill a strong basketball culture that is based on habits, 743 00:36:01,360 --> 00:36:06,839 Speaker 1: daily excellence, attention to detail, competitive energy, and like, look, 744 00:36:06,840 --> 00:36:10,160 Speaker 1: it was a little rough to start last season, like 745 00:36:10,200 --> 00:36:13,440 Speaker 1: the early you know, forty percent or so of last season. 746 00:36:14,080 --> 00:36:16,120 Speaker 1: It was a different group of players, but they kind 747 00:36:16,160 --> 00:36:18,719 Speaker 1: of lacked that like day to day intensity. But to 748 00:36:18,960 --> 00:36:24,880 Speaker 1: JJ's reddick, to JJ's reddick, to JJ's credit, ever since 749 00:36:25,000 --> 00:36:28,840 Speaker 1: late January, this team has been one of the hardest 750 00:36:28,840 --> 00:36:32,320 Speaker 1: playing teams in the league night tonight and throughout that stretch, 751 00:36:32,360 --> 00:36:36,400 Speaker 1: including the season, whether it's Anthony Davis down with an injury, 752 00:36:36,480 --> 00:36:38,800 Speaker 1: or it's Luca down with an injury, or it's Lebron 753 00:36:38,880 --> 00:36:42,120 Speaker 1: now with an injury, to now Luca and Lebron being down, 754 00:36:42,160 --> 00:36:44,640 Speaker 1: to all three of the guys being down, there have 755 00:36:44,680 --> 00:36:47,640 Speaker 1: been like a dozen different versions of this team because 756 00:36:47,640 --> 00:36:50,759 Speaker 1: of injuries over the course of this calendar year since 757 00:36:50,840 --> 00:36:54,440 Speaker 1: late January, and every single iteration of that team has 758 00:36:54,440 --> 00:36:58,400 Speaker 1: been able to sustain winning through excellent effort and execution, 759 00:36:58,920 --> 00:37:00,719 Speaker 1: and they've been, by win perge, one of the best 760 00:37:00,760 --> 00:37:02,600 Speaker 1: teams in the league over that span. I just think 761 00:37:02,640 --> 00:37:06,040 Speaker 1: JJ deserves a lot more credit than what he's been 762 00:37:06,080 --> 00:37:08,640 Speaker 1: getting for the job that he's done with this group. 763 00:37:09,040 --> 00:37:11,040 Speaker 1: And then, lastly, like the path for the Lakers to 764 00:37:11,040 --> 00:37:13,600 Speaker 1: start the season was obvious. Be the twenty twenty three 765 00:37:13,640 --> 00:37:17,319 Speaker 1: Denver Nuggets. Be an unstoppable offense with a depth of 766 00:37:17,360 --> 00:37:21,040 Speaker 1: shot creation talent in finishing talent, and then be a smart, 767 00:37:21,320 --> 00:37:23,399 Speaker 1: high IQ defense on the other end of the floor 768 00:37:23,440 --> 00:37:26,600 Speaker 1: that executes well and just gets enough stops. And to 769 00:37:26,600 --> 00:37:28,960 Speaker 1: be clear, it is very early. No one's given a 770 00:37:28,960 --> 00:37:32,240 Speaker 1: trophy out for eight games, but they're on the right path. 771 00:37:32,360 --> 00:37:35,440 Speaker 1: They are on the right path to achieving whatever this 772 00:37:35,560 --> 00:37:38,040 Speaker 1: team's ceiling is, and I am very, very excited to 773 00:37:38,080 --> 00:37:40,680 Speaker 1: see what they look like when they get Lebron James back. 774 00:37:40,719 --> 00:37:43,320 Speaker 1: All right, guys, it's all we have for today. As always, 775 00:37:43,320 --> 00:37:45,840 Speaker 1: a sincerely appreciate you guys for supporting us and supporting 776 00:37:45,840 --> 00:37:48,080 Speaker 1: the show. We'll be back tomorrow with more game reaction. 777 00:37:48,239 --> 00:37:49,200 Speaker 1: I'll see you guys then