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Speaker 1: gambler dot net in West Virginia. Welcome to Hoops Tonight,

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Speaker 1: presented by Fandel here at the volume. Happy Wednesday, everybody.

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Speaker 1: It is halfway through the week. I hope all of

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Speaker 1: you guys are having a great week that turned into

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Speaker 1: a much more interesting night of basketball than I expected

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Speaker 1: coming into tonight. Obviously you're thinking to three one series

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Speaker 1: team at home, significant favorite, gonna be a relatively boring

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Speaker 1: night of basketball, you know, the kind of boring night

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Speaker 1: that would lead to folks in Lakers Land leaking defamatory

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Speaker 1: things about their teammates and compatriots and trying to take

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Speaker 1: advantage of the slow news cycle on today. But what

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Speaker 1: ended up happening was a very very very interesting Game

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Speaker 1: five between Denver and Golden State, and I think Golden

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Speaker 1: State was in a lot more trouble there. People realize

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Speaker 1: we are going to break that down. We're also going

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Speaker 1: to have a what I learned segment about the bulls

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Speaker 1: and the Bucks. We're gonna get into the story that

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Speaker 1: was released on Bleacher Report about some of this Lakers drama,

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Speaker 1: and then at the end, we're gonna do a mail back.

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Speaker 1: So I need all of you guys who are listening

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Speaker 1: to do a couple of things. Please hit the subscribe

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Speaker 1: button to the Volumes YouTube channels. You don't miss any

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Speaker 1: more of our shows. And then if you have any

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Speaker 1: questions that you can ask literally anything about absolutely anything

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Speaker 1: dropped them in the chat, and if we have time,

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Speaker 1: we will get to them at the end. But let's

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Speaker 1: start with Golden State and Denver. So interestingly enough, this

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Speaker 1: series was starting to take on a little bit of

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Speaker 1: a feel similar to Toronto and Philly. You know, we

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Speaker 1: did a theme last night and the show that styles

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Speaker 1: make fights. But not just that styles make fights. It's

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Speaker 1: about which style wins the fight, because just because one

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Speaker 1: style has an advantage over another, usually that has something

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Speaker 1: to do with which style is playing better, not necessarily

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Speaker 1: the style in and of itself in a vacuum. Golden

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Speaker 1: State has a bunch of advantages over Denver, particularly in

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Speaker 1: overall talent and skill level. Right, No one's debating the

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Speaker 1: fact that Golden State has significantly more skilled and capable

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Speaker 1: perimeter players than Denver does. But Denver has a huge

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Speaker 1: advantage in this series too, and its interior size, not

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Speaker 1: just on the interior, actually perimeter size as well. Guys

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Speaker 1: like you know, guys like Will Barton can cause a

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Speaker 1: problem on the perimeter with his length and athleticism. They're

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Speaker 1: a big and strong team. Austin Rivers is another guy

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Speaker 1: who's very, very good and physical defensive guard. They have

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Speaker 1: physical advantages in this series, and early on in this series,

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Speaker 1: Golden State held up really well under that physical onslaught

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Speaker 1: and had a lot of success and took a three

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Speaker 1: oh lead. But what happened in Game three? It was close,

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Speaker 1: It was very close, and Stephen Draymond each made a

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Speaker 1: key play down the stretch of the game to pull

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Speaker 1: that one out, very similar to a Joel and Be

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Speaker 1: did to the Raptors in Game three. Up in Toronto.

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Speaker 1: But in those games, Game three in Toronto and Game

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Speaker 1: three in Denver, Denver and Toronto figured some things out

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Speaker 1: and started to inflict their advantages on who they were playing.

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Speaker 1: And then you saw Game four swing the other way,

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Speaker 1: wins for both teams. Right, So now you got a

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Speaker 1: Game five on your home floor. Toronto went into Philly

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Speaker 1: and played the same brand of basketball that they played

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Speaker 1: at home, and they kicked their ass. Now, Golden State

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Speaker 1: is not, as you know, I'm not even sure the

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Speaker 1: right word to use here, but Golden State is is

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Speaker 1: more experienced, battle hardened, and prepared for something like this

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Speaker 1: than Philly is. And so when Denver came in tonight

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Speaker 1: and did the exact same thing, just playing that physically

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Speaker 1: imposing brand of basketball, Golden State faltered a little bit,

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Speaker 1: but they had the mental toughness to push through. Tweeted

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Speaker 1: out twice during the game that this was quickly turning

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Speaker 1: into not a must win, but as close to a

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Speaker 1: must win as it could be for a team that's

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Speaker 1: up three one in this series. The reason why is

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Speaker 1: you're heading to Denver next, and these advantages, these physical advantages,

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Speaker 1: it's really difficult to regain control of that situation. Look

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Speaker 1: at Phoenix last year. Phoenix, very similar situation. They hold

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Speaker 1: up really well under the Janice and Drew Holiday on

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Speaker 1: slot in gains one in game two, right, and then

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Speaker 1: it just started to wear on them a little bit.

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Speaker 1: Everything got a little bit tougher for them on both

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Speaker 1: sides of the floor. And suddenly Milwaukee had the advantage

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Speaker 1: in their physicality and it was impossible for Phoenix to

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Speaker 1: regain that advantage that because, like we talked another theme

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Speaker 1: from last night, the difference between what's in your control

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Speaker 1: and what's outside of your control. You know, your perimeter skill,

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Speaker 1: guys like Jordan Pool and Clay Thompson and Steph Curry

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Speaker 1: and their ability to create shots off the dribble and

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Speaker 1: knockdown difficult jump shots. There's a chance element there. Does

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Speaker 1: the shot go in or does it not go in?

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Speaker 1: And if it goes one way or the other, it

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Speaker 1: can swing the outcome of a game. But if you

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Speaker 1: are a physically dominant team, that is a very dependable

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Speaker 1: tool to have in your toolbox. And I thought Aaron

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Speaker 1: Gordon in particular set the tone. So Golden States starts

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Speaker 1: small and they go with their best lineup, right, the

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Speaker 1: death lineup number two or death lineup, number three, whatever

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Speaker 1: you wanna call it, Steph Clay, Jordan Poole, Draymond Green

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Speaker 1: and Andrew Wiggins. And on the very first possessions of

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Speaker 1: the game, Aaron Gordon just put his head down and

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Speaker 1: started driving to the basket, draws a foul on on

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Speaker 1: Draymond Green, gets an offensive rebound and draws a foul.

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Speaker 1: Then he drove to the basket on Clay Thompson and

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Speaker 1: drew a foul. Nicola Yokus was bullying his way inside.

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Speaker 1: Draymond had a foul already almost immediately. Steve Kerr had

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Speaker 1: two audible out of that small lineup and go big.

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Speaker 1: He brings in uh Kivon Looney to try to get

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Speaker 1: some size in there, and it ended up being something

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Speaker 1: they had to navigate the rest of the night. All

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Speaker 1: game long, Denver was being so so aggressive to the basket.

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Speaker 1: They weren't making shots from the perimeter. That wasn't their

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Speaker 1: advantage in this game. It was just putting their head

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Speaker 1: down and going to the rim. And Steph had a

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Speaker 1: rough game in the first half, definitely got it going

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Speaker 1: and save the day in the second half. We'll get

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Speaker 1: to that in a minute. But Steph had a rough

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Speaker 1: night in the first half, Jordan Pool was having a

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Speaker 1: rough night. You know, everyone on Denver's got it clicking,

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Speaker 1: and next thing you know, it's like we're down ten

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Speaker 1: in the second half. They've been the better basketball team

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Speaker 1: over the last two and a half games. We might

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Speaker 1: be in some trouble here. And that's why I was

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Speaker 1: saying it was a must win and two Golden States credit.

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Speaker 1: They reached down deep and they got it done. You know,

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Speaker 1: Draymond all night long. I don't remember how many remounts

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Speaker 1: he finished with, but I think he might have had

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Speaker 1: zero or or barely more than that. And it's because

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Speaker 1: all night long he was fighting his ass off on

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Speaker 1: just boxing dudes out, and Golden State was getting killed

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Speaker 1: on the offensive glass. And you know, there's this interesting

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Speaker 1: dynamic with UH with rebounding that I think led to

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Speaker 1: the key substitution at the end of the game. So

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Speaker 1: I don't know if you guys noticed, but Jordan Pool

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Speaker 1: was absent down the stretch of the game and ended

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Speaker 1: up being Gary Payton that closed. And there were two

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Speaker 1: reasons why. Part of it was Monty Morris drew a

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Speaker 1: couple of fouls on Jordan Pool because he wasn't sliding

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Speaker 1: his feet well on the perimeter, and he was getting

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Speaker 1: beat to the basket again young guard. Young guards typically

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Speaker 1: are gonna take a while before they really pick up

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Speaker 1: the details of defensive basketball. So I'm not worried about

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Speaker 1: Jordan Pool. In the long run, especially in the Golden

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Speaker 1: State system, He'll be a fine defensive player. But Denver

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Speaker 1: was attacking him, and so they went to Gary Payton.

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Speaker 1: And another big reason why they went to Gary Payton

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Speaker 1: was the rebounding. So if Draymond has zero rebounds because

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Speaker 1: he's locked in box outs all night long, how is

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Speaker 1: it that you secure defensive rebounds. It's crashing. You gotta

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Speaker 1: have people come flying in from the perimeter to grab rebounds.

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Speaker 1: I thought that was a a big part of why

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Speaker 1: Auto Porter Jr. Getting as much playing time as he did.

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Speaker 1: He was coming flying in and grabbing rebounds. Gary Payton Jr.

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Speaker 1: Coming flying into grab rebounds. And they finally started to

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Speaker 1: get some stops down the stretch of the game. And

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Speaker 1: then Steph was aggressive to the rim, and this was

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Speaker 1: the key difference in the first half. Denver's defense was

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Speaker 1: super aggressive on the perimeter. Every time they called the

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Speaker 1: ball screen. They were trapping the ball screen and the

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Speaker 1: rollman was wide open, and get Golden State was missing

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Speaker 1: that pass a lot. And then when Jordan Pool and

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Speaker 1: Steph and Clay and all those guys were dribbling, Denver's

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Speaker 1: defenders were pressing up into them and taking away their

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Speaker 1: three point shooting and they had to drive past them.

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Speaker 1: And part of the reason why the first half was

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Speaker 1: so sloppy was they weren't hitting the roll man and

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Speaker 1: they weren't attacking that overly aggressive perimeter defense. Got a

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Speaker 1: pivotal stretch of the game there in the third quarter,

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Speaker 1: Steph got hot, made some threes, got them back into

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Speaker 1: the game, and then down the stretch of the game,

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Speaker 1: it was Steph Curry putting his head down and going

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Speaker 1: to the rim and he was icing the game at

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Speaker 1: the rim. But a huge, huge, huge performance from Gary

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Speaker 1: Payton Jr. We've talked a lot about him on the

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Speaker 1: show in recent weeks. I obviously have a personal attachment there.

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Speaker 1: I played against him a bunch of college and have

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Speaker 1: a bunch of mutual respect there. And he he made

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Speaker 1: his living in college as a playmaker. That's what made

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Speaker 1: him so good. In his second year at Salt Lake

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Speaker 1: and in his year at Oregon State, and he was

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Speaker 1: just the perfect guy to have out there down the

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Speaker 1: stretch because he one was making his wide open threes.

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Speaker 1: Two he could set screens and roll to the basket

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Speaker 1: and make smart decisions because again he's had so much

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Speaker 1: experience as a decision maker. Had another player where he

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Speaker 1: cut along the baseline and had a beautiful shovel passage

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Speaker 1: Draymond Green for a dunk. Just a monstrously impactful Arguably again,

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Speaker 1: some Golden State fans might disagree with me here, but

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Speaker 1: I thought this game was super pivotal to close the

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Speaker 1: deal tonight, to prevent going up to Denver where you're

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Speaker 1: probably gonna lose because they're playing better basketball than you

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Speaker 1: right now and they're pulverizing you physically. And then a

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Speaker 1: Game seven, anything could happen. And just an absolute lee

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Speaker 1: monster performance from Gary Payton Jr. Now looking forward, because

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Speaker 1: this is where it gets interesting. Denver pulverized Golden State

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Speaker 1: with a size advantage, but they just didn't have enough

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Speaker 1: skill to capitalize. In the middle of the third quarter

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Speaker 1: when Steph got hot. Do you guys remember Golden State

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Speaker 1: transition to a box in one? They put Clay Thompson

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Speaker 1: on Yokich and then they put basically two guys at

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Speaker 1: the elbow, two guys at the block, and it's a

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Speaker 1: zone essentially with those four guys. And then Clay Thompson

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Speaker 1: stays glue to Yokas there some wrinkles in there, like

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Speaker 1: if Yoki said a ball screen, they would just switch

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Speaker 1: and then Clay would go into the box and like

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Speaker 1: Wiggins or wherever it was, would then take Yo kis.

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Speaker 1: But during that stretch, the gimmicky defense wasn't working. It

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Speaker 1: was getting stops, but only because Denver was missing shots.

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Speaker 1: They were making fantastic reads out of that boxing one

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Speaker 1: and getting wide open threes. And during that same stretch

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Speaker 1: when Denver was missing those wide open three, Steph got hot,

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Speaker 1: made some threes, got the game close, and then they

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Speaker 1: were able to close the deal late. But what concerns

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Speaker 1: me is again you saw a match up, a physical

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Speaker 1: mismatch in terms of size. Damn near allow a Denver

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Speaker 1: team that has a significantly they they are, especially on

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Speaker 1: the perimeter, at a massive disadvantage with talent, and they

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Speaker 1: damn near pushed this series to six games. And so

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Speaker 1: the issue is when you get to a later round,

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Speaker 1: Let's say Memphis next round, when you're dealing with guys

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Speaker 1: like Jaren Jackson Jr. Who's a monster. When you're dealing

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Speaker 1: with guys like Brandon Clark, who arguably stole Game five

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Speaker 1: from Minnesota, offensive rebounding guys like Desmond Baine who are

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Speaker 1: huge at their position. You know, John Moran is skinny,

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Speaker 1: but he's very very athletic. Memphis is going to present

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Speaker 1: a lot of those same types of size mismatches in

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Speaker 1: conjunction with a lot more talent. And so you know,

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Speaker 1: I'm not I've still am. I would probably I to

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Speaker 1: dive more into this series before I make an actual

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Speaker 1: official pick, and I'm but at the moment, I'm leaning

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Speaker 1: Golden State because I'm gonna always trust their experience and

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Speaker 1: how many times they've been in this type of setting.

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Speaker 1: And as big as Memphis is, they don't have a

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Speaker 1: Yokich And obviously yo kits was a huge factor in

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Speaker 1: this series in Denver's ability to inflict with their size.

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Speaker 1: But I think that's gonna be a very very close series.

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Speaker 1: Memphis is gonna have a lot of advantages. It's gonna

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Speaker 1: be interesting. But one last shout out, I gotta give

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Speaker 1: it to step Steph had a rough night in the

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Speaker 1: first half. Like I said, everything was trending Denver's way

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Speaker 1: for basically up until that fourth quarter. For the previous

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Speaker 1: two and a half games, Denver was playing better basketball

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Speaker 1: or two games or so, whatever it was, Denver was

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Speaker 1: playing better basketball, and so things were looking dire. I

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Speaker 1: mentioned on Twitter it was practically a must win, and

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Speaker 1: Steph treated it like a must win and he made

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Speaker 1: all the plays down the stretch to win that game.

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Speaker 1: Just a monstrous sav the veteran refused to die performance

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Speaker 1: from Steph current really quickly. I wanted to touch on

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Speaker 1: Bulls Bucks just for a minute. That series what just

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Speaker 1: about exactly as I expected, with exception of the random

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Speaker 1: Game two performance when uh DeMar Derozen went absolutely nuclear

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Speaker 1: down the stretch and shot them out of the game.

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Speaker 1: But aside from that, it went basically exactly as I expected.

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Speaker 1: Golden Uh the Bucks gave up a jazillion wide open threes.

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Speaker 1: They gave up I believe, just under twenty two wide

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Speaker 1: open threes per NBA dot Com from games one to

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Speaker 1: Game four. Um. Obviously they haven't updated the metrics from tonight,

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Speaker 1: but that was the most wide open threes that was

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Speaker 1: given up. In the first round a Game five, they

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Speaker 1: gave up fifty two threes and Chicago was only able

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Speaker 1: to make fifteen of them, which was like in the

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Speaker 1: like or something like that. So what did we say

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Speaker 1: before the series? Chicago is not a good three point

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Speaker 1: shooting team. They're not even good at generating three point shots.

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Speaker 1: Milwaukee's defense gives up three point shots, what's gonna happen? Well,

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Speaker 1: it went exactly like that. Here's the trick. In the

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Speaker 1: first four games, Chicago shot just overt on wide open threes.

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Speaker 1: Boston shot over on wide open threes against the nets,

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Speaker 1: much more skilled team, a team that's prepared to knock

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Speaker 1: down threes they knocked down. I think of their three

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Speaker 1: is just out of the left corner, which is gonna

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Speaker 1: be the three that they get most frequently in their

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Speaker 1: offense against against Milwaukee. So this next round is going

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Speaker 1: to put that Milwaukee defense to the test. A Milwaukee

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Speaker 1: defense that succeeds against teams that relentlessly pressure the rim,

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Speaker 1: but don't know how to make you pay from the perimeter.

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Speaker 1: And so I we'll get more into this series at

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Speaker 1: a later date. But as good as this as dominant

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Speaker 1: as this first down or this first round performance was

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Speaker 1: from Milwaukee, I can't say that I did learn much

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Speaker 1: because it did look like the same defense from the

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Speaker 1: regular season, which was an bridge defense, a defense that

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Speaker 1: dominated the painted area, a defense that dominated on the

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Speaker 1: defensive glass, and a defense that gave up a million

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Speaker 1: wide open threes. And that's why they were an average defense. Well,

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Speaker 1: Boston is gonna take the look at did you guys

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Speaker 1: see Janice tonight? I think he made ten of his

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Speaker 1: first eleven shots or something, literally just dunking all over

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Speaker 1: them and getting whatever he wanted to paint. Chicago is

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Speaker 1: incapable of making Janice work hard the way that Boston

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Speaker 1: is going to. That's gonna be a much more interesting

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Speaker 1: series than people think. We will get deeper into both

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Speaker 1: of those series, Golden State Second Round Series and Milwaukee

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Speaker 1: Second Round series as we get further along here in

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Speaker 1: a minute, we're going to talk about this Lakers drama.

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Speaker 1: to some drama with the Los Angeles Lakers, who, predictably,

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Speaker 1: on one of the slowest days of this first round

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Speaker 1: of the postseason, had some drama release. And again with

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Speaker 1: this kind of thing, you never know who it's coming

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Speaker 1: from or what the ultimate goal is. But Eric Pinkus

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Speaker 1: from Bleacher Report wrote an article today talking about both

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Speaker 1: the Nets and the Lakers and their situations with stars

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Speaker 1: and their influences on the front office. And obviously the

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Speaker 1: article was targeting a bigger issue with the construction of

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Speaker 1: super teams and NBA superstars playing a very very hands

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Speaker 1: on role in the construction of rosters, and we're gonn

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Speaker 1: to talk about that in just a second, but there

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Speaker 1: was a nugget in there about the Lakers specifically that

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Speaker 1: I wanted to touch on before we get to that point,

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Speaker 1: so from Eric Pinkas quote, but James certainly has a

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Speaker 1: strong influence on the Lakers decision making. Multiple sources indicate

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Speaker 1: that the team's front office is internally blaming pressure from

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Speaker 1: Clutch Sports group representing both James and Davis for Westbrook,

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Speaker 1: that maybe an epic level of passing the buck. An

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Speaker 1: NBA team should consider it, stars wishes, but ultimately make

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Speaker 1: the best decision for the team. And quote a little

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Speaker 1: bit of a personal opinion there from Pinkas at the

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Speaker 1: end that I agree with. I cannot take credit for

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Speaker 1: this specific take because it comes from my friend Harrison

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Speaker 1: Fagan at Silver Screen and Roll, but he said it

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Speaker 1: this morning, and I thought it was a perfect encapsulation

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Speaker 1: of this situation. You know, it's fine for the Lakers

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Speaker 1: to take credit when they get the trophy in twenty

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Speaker 1: I didn't see any reporting or any leaks from Rob

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Speaker 1: Polinka or from Genie Buss about how actually it was

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Speaker 1: Lebron and Clutch Sports who pushed for the necessary moves

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Speaker 1: to build a championship winning roster. But now that things

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Speaker 1: are going south, they're wanting to lead you guys to

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Speaker 1: believe that Lebron and and Rich Paul held these guys

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Speaker 1: at gunpoint to make the Russell Westbrook deal, and that's ridiculous. Now,

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Speaker 1: you guys know how I feel about stars getting involved

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Speaker 1: in personnel decisions. It's the same thing I said about

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Speaker 1: Rob Polinka during all this drama from the beginning. You know,

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Speaker 1: in order to be a general manager in this league,

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Speaker 1: you have to have a certain amount of dedication to

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Speaker 1: diving into film because player evaluation. It's just like all

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Speaker 1: of you guys as casual fans, if you turn on

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Speaker 1: the right game and you watch Malik Beasley from the

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Speaker 1: Minnesota Timberwolves, you might think he's a max contract player.

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Speaker 1: There are days where he looks like Bradley Beale out there,

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Speaker 1: but then there are other games when it's not so much.

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Speaker 1: And that's the job of the GM. You have to

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Speaker 1: consume enough total like content of one player to have

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Speaker 1: a clear picture of what they actually are like on

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Speaker 1: a day in, day out basis. You might have to

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Speaker 1: look at them in different circumstances. It's even more complicated

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Speaker 1: when you're looking at younger players, like before they make

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Speaker 1: it to the league, because then you've got to consider,

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Speaker 1: you know, are they at a college program that's adequately.

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Speaker 1: You know, that's running a professional enough style of program

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Speaker 1: to capitalize on what this player in his talent brings

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Speaker 1: to the table. It's a difficult job, and so I

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Speaker 1: have a problem with guys like Lebron and guys like

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Speaker 1: k D being more hands on because they don't have

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Speaker 1: time to actually evaluate players properly. So I agree from

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Speaker 1: that standpoint. But at the same time, no one did

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Speaker 1: point a gun at Rob Blink and make him make

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Speaker 1: that deal. You guys made the decision to allow whatever

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Speaker 1: ask Clutch Sports had in this situation, and so as

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Speaker 1: a result, trying to turn the blame on Lebron is ridiculous.

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Speaker 1: If that's the case, let's go ahead and pull down

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Speaker 1: that banner. Let's take down that seventeenth championship banner. Let's

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Speaker 1: rip it up, Let's make a new one, and we'll

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Speaker 1: put Clutch Sports on it. NBA champions and hanging up

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Speaker 1: in Clutch sports headquarters. Because that's the type of lame

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Speaker 1: mass attitude. This is shirking the blame when things go

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Speaker 1: wrong and accepting the responsibility when things go right, which

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Speaker 1: I have a huge problem with. But that set this

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Speaker 1: has brought an interesting dynamic to the forefront in this

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Speaker 1: playoff run. You know, you have three major star run

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Speaker 1: supert teams in the league. You've got Kauai and Paul

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Speaker 1: George and what they've done with the Clippers. You have

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Speaker 1: Lebron James and Anthony Davis and what they did with

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Speaker 1: the Lakers. And you have Kevin Duranton Kyrie and what

430
00:24:10,560 --> 00:24:13,320
Speaker 1: they did with the Brooklyn Nets. And all three of

431
00:24:13,359 --> 00:24:18,919
Speaker 1: those teams secured precisely zero playoff wins this year. Zero.

432
00:24:19,880 --> 00:24:26,399
Speaker 1: So the question becomes, is this mold a failure? Is

433
00:24:26,440 --> 00:24:29,639
Speaker 1: it time as a league to move beyond that? Mold

434
00:24:30,119 --> 00:24:32,480
Speaker 1: kind of reminds me in the NFL and a little

435
00:24:32,480 --> 00:24:34,840
Speaker 1: bit in the n B a of like the coach

436
00:24:34,960 --> 00:24:38,640
Speaker 1: GM concept. There was a time period where a lot

437
00:24:38,680 --> 00:24:41,880
Speaker 1: of the top tier coaches in both leagues would demand

438
00:24:42,240 --> 00:24:46,280
Speaker 1: decision over player personnel in addition to their coaching responsibilities.

439
00:24:46,840 --> 00:24:49,919
Speaker 1: And then some years went by and it became pretty

440
00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:53,240
Speaker 1: clear based on the results, that even the best coaches,

441
00:24:53,280 --> 00:24:56,159
Speaker 1: the hardest working coaches in the league, simply didn't have

442
00:24:56,320 --> 00:25:00,640
Speaker 1: enough time to properly evaluate players into make those types

443
00:25:00,680 --> 00:25:04,919
Speaker 1: of decisions, and they were too intimately involved to be objective,

444
00:25:05,440 --> 00:25:07,359
Speaker 1: and so as a result, now you don't see that

445
00:25:07,480 --> 00:25:10,119
Speaker 1: very often. They're handful of cases around the league. Like

446
00:25:10,119 --> 00:25:12,520
Speaker 1: I know, Greg Popovich still has some role in player

447
00:25:12,520 --> 00:25:15,320
Speaker 1: personnel there in San Antonio, but it's rare, it's unusual

448
00:25:15,880 --> 00:25:18,439
Speaker 1: and more it's more of like a consulting type of role.

449
00:25:18,520 --> 00:25:21,679
Speaker 1: Should you go ask Lebron, should you go ask Katie

450
00:25:21,720 --> 00:25:26,280
Speaker 1: what do you think about this? Absolutely, that to me

451
00:25:26,920 --> 00:25:30,639
Speaker 1: is just getting an additional opinion. Diversity of opinion is

452
00:25:30,680 --> 00:25:33,119
Speaker 1: a great way to make sure that you don't walk

453
00:25:33,359 --> 00:25:36,959
Speaker 1: headlong into a terrible decision. I agree on that on

454
00:25:37,040 --> 00:25:39,240
Speaker 1: that side of things. You know, Kevin Durant said in

455
00:25:39,280 --> 00:25:41,800
Speaker 1: his postgame presser after Game four, He's like, I just

456
00:25:41,800 --> 00:25:43,359
Speaker 1: want to focus on the basketball. I don't want to

457
00:25:43,359 --> 00:25:46,000
Speaker 1: be involved in player personnel. Now, whether or not that's

458
00:25:46,040 --> 00:25:49,840
Speaker 1: true is another story. There's a whole narrative controlling side

459
00:25:49,840 --> 00:25:52,240
Speaker 1: of this thing. But to me, that's the way that

460
00:25:52,280 --> 00:25:55,679
Speaker 1: it should be. Do what you do best, keep the

461
00:25:55,720 --> 00:25:58,960
Speaker 1: main thing, the main thing. Get somebody in the chair

462
00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:01,520
Speaker 1: and the general management. Edition problem is for the Lakers

463
00:26:01,520 --> 00:26:03,399
Speaker 1: they don't have that guy either, But get someone in

464
00:26:03,440 --> 00:26:05,720
Speaker 1: the chair whose job it is every day to dive

465
00:26:05,760 --> 00:26:08,400
Speaker 1: into the tape and figure things out there, and then

466
00:26:08,480 --> 00:26:12,359
Speaker 1: the player, you're a basketball player, figure out the basketball.

467
00:26:12,400 --> 00:26:15,000
Speaker 1: That's all you have to focus on. That keep the

468
00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:17,159
Speaker 1: main thing the main thing. So then the second question

469
00:26:17,200 --> 00:26:22,680
Speaker 1: becomes what about the assembly of superstars? Because you saw

470
00:26:22,960 --> 00:26:27,159
Speaker 1: both teams, the Nets and the Lakers in particular, go

471
00:26:27,320 --> 00:26:31,159
Speaker 1: after the third star in sacrifice depth. As part of

472
00:26:31,160 --> 00:26:35,840
Speaker 1: the process, Lakers send off key pivotal role players from

473
00:26:35,880 --> 00:26:39,280
Speaker 1: their championship team to bring in Russell Westbrook, and the

474
00:26:39,320 --> 00:26:43,000
Speaker 1: Nets send off key role players for James Harden that

475
00:26:43,080 --> 00:26:46,040
Speaker 1: they in turn flip for Ben Simmons, and in that

476
00:26:46,080 --> 00:26:48,240
Speaker 1: deal they actually got a couple of role players in

477
00:26:48,280 --> 00:26:50,439
Speaker 1: Seth Curry and Andre Drummond. So for them it wasn't

478
00:26:50,480 --> 00:26:53,439
Speaker 1: as much of a catastrophe. But you saw that happen,

479
00:26:54,040 --> 00:26:57,359
Speaker 1: and I think there are two very specific reasons why

480
00:26:57,600 --> 00:27:01,359
Speaker 1: I disagree with that strategy. I'm a believer in the

481
00:27:01,400 --> 00:27:06,400
Speaker 1: two stars great role player depth rather than three stars

482
00:27:06,480 --> 00:27:09,919
Speaker 1: and veteran minimum contracts. And the two reasons why I

483
00:27:09,960 --> 00:27:12,960
Speaker 1: believe in that is one, there's a diminishing return with

484
00:27:13,040 --> 00:27:16,760
Speaker 1: the third star when you factor in the jobs that

485
00:27:16,840 --> 00:27:19,080
Speaker 1: players have on the floor in a five man line up,

486
00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:22,439
Speaker 1: especially when you get to the postseason and everybody bumps

487
00:27:22,480 --> 00:27:24,240
Speaker 1: up their minutes, and your best players are all playing

488
00:27:24,240 --> 00:27:28,280
Speaker 1: forties something minutes, there's a diminishing return for number three.

489
00:27:28,760 --> 00:27:31,520
Speaker 1: Had Let's pretend everything went great for the Lakers this

490
00:27:31,600 --> 00:27:34,239
Speaker 1: year and Lebron and Anthony Davis stay healthy and they

491
00:27:34,280 --> 00:27:36,480
Speaker 1: make it to the first round. There's no way in

492
00:27:36,520 --> 00:27:39,040
Speaker 1: the world if Lebron and a d are playing forty

493
00:27:39,080 --> 00:27:41,400
Speaker 1: two minutes a game and a playoff game, that you're

494
00:27:41,440 --> 00:27:44,280
Speaker 1: gonna have a great deal of on ball responsibility for

495
00:27:44,320 --> 00:27:47,879
Speaker 1: RUSSA Westbrook. That's just not the way the game works now.

496
00:27:48,119 --> 00:27:50,840
Speaker 1: Russ also struggled in a lot of different ways, so

497
00:27:50,880 --> 00:27:53,439
Speaker 1: I'm not alleviating him of responsibility in any sense in

498
00:27:53,480 --> 00:27:56,840
Speaker 1: that regard, but strictly in the way that basketball works.

499
00:27:57,240 --> 00:28:01,959
Speaker 1: Being the third guy, you have less responsive, thus requiring

500
00:28:02,119 --> 00:28:04,960
Speaker 1: less talent. So does it make sense to have a

501
00:28:04,960 --> 00:28:09,119
Speaker 1: guy who's overqualified for that position unless you absolutely have to,

502
00:28:10,119 --> 00:28:12,480
Speaker 1: And so I disagree with that strategy from that standpoint.

503
00:28:12,520 --> 00:28:14,720
Speaker 1: That's the first side. The second part of it has

504
00:28:14,840 --> 00:28:17,720
Speaker 1: everything to do with the way that defenses have evolved

505
00:28:18,119 --> 00:28:21,240
Speaker 1: and how important it is now to have five guys

506
00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:24,360
Speaker 1: on the floor that can capitalize on not being guarded.

507
00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:27,000
Speaker 1: We talked a lot about this early in the playoffs.

508
00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:31,120
Speaker 1: I said to you, guys, NBA defenses are dangerously close

509
00:28:31,560 --> 00:28:35,960
Speaker 1: to figuring out how to adequately double team stars and

510
00:28:36,160 --> 00:28:38,760
Speaker 1: rotate on the back end and take away easy open

511
00:28:38,800 --> 00:28:40,400
Speaker 1: shots on the back end. It used to be that

512
00:28:40,440 --> 00:28:43,640
Speaker 1: you could have a Wesley Matthews, a guy who can

513
00:28:43,680 --> 00:28:45,600
Speaker 1: knock down spot up threes, but not a whole lot

514
00:28:45,640 --> 00:28:49,280
Speaker 1: else on that week side corner. But now teams are

515
00:28:49,280 --> 00:28:51,400
Speaker 1: closing out on Wesley Matthews and getting there in time

516
00:28:51,680 --> 00:28:54,320
Speaker 1: off of double teams. So now what you need is

517
00:28:54,360 --> 00:28:58,520
Speaker 1: guys that can attack close outs. You need great offensive

518
00:28:58,560 --> 00:29:02,840
Speaker 1: players off ball to capitalize on that attention. And so

519
00:29:02,920 --> 00:29:06,440
Speaker 1: having a third star and then having really like limited

520
00:29:06,520 --> 00:29:10,280
Speaker 1: role players around them causes a predicament where now you

521
00:29:10,360 --> 00:29:13,600
Speaker 1: have guys off the ball that aren't talented enough to

522
00:29:13,720 --> 00:29:17,240
Speaker 1: capitalize in all that extra attention. This is why having

523
00:29:17,640 --> 00:29:20,800
Speaker 1: you know, two stars in great depth is a better model.

524
00:29:20,800 --> 00:29:23,560
Speaker 1: Look at the Lakers. Look at how important k c

525
00:29:23,800 --> 00:29:27,440
Speaker 1: p was attacking closeouts. Look At how important Alex Crusoe was.

526
00:29:27,480 --> 00:29:29,320
Speaker 1: Looking at how important Kyle Kuzma was, Looking at how

527
00:29:29,360 --> 00:29:33,640
Speaker 1: important Danny Green was having better offensive players in those

528
00:29:33,760 --> 00:29:37,640
Speaker 1: roles that when every team is throwing the kitchen sink

529
00:29:37,680 --> 00:29:40,680
Speaker 1: at Lebron and a D, they have lots and lots

530
00:29:40,720 --> 00:29:44,200
Speaker 1: of opportunity and they're talented enough to succeed in that role.

531
00:29:45,080 --> 00:29:46,960
Speaker 1: You saw there was a playoff game where Mark Keith

532
00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:50,560
Speaker 1: Morris made five threes and they could throw the ball

533
00:29:50,600 --> 00:29:52,640
Speaker 1: to Mark Keith Morris in the right matchup down in

534
00:29:52,680 --> 00:29:54,320
Speaker 1: the post. There was a bunch of different ways to

535
00:29:54,320 --> 00:29:57,960
Speaker 1: go about it, and so I think in addition to

536
00:29:58,040 --> 00:30:01,240
Speaker 1: the idea of taking control back away from stars in

537
00:30:01,320 --> 00:30:04,640
Speaker 1: terms of personnel decisions, they simply don't have the time

538
00:30:04,960 --> 00:30:08,480
Speaker 1: to watch enough film to be educated enough to make

539
00:30:08,520 --> 00:30:12,400
Speaker 1: those calls. But also get away from this idea that

540
00:30:12,480 --> 00:30:15,760
Speaker 1: you need to amass high end talent. If you have

541
00:30:15,880 --> 00:30:19,400
Speaker 1: two guys that you can dependably throw the ball to

542
00:30:19,400 --> 00:30:23,600
Speaker 1: to initiate offense, you don't need a third. Those two

543
00:30:23,600 --> 00:30:25,840
Speaker 1: guys can figure out to give and take, and you're

544
00:30:25,880 --> 00:30:29,040
Speaker 1: better off allowing them to be decoys half the time

545
00:30:29,160 --> 00:30:31,720
Speaker 1: and take on the the attention and let other guys

546
00:30:31,720 --> 00:30:34,080
Speaker 1: go to work. Look at Jayson Tatum, He's just taking

547
00:30:34,160 --> 00:30:36,719
Speaker 1: double teams most times down the floor. It's guys like

548
00:30:36,760 --> 00:30:39,720
Speaker 1: Marcus Smart making plays. It's guys like Jalen Brown making plays.

549
00:30:39,720 --> 00:30:42,880
Speaker 1: This guy like Grant Williams making plays, al Horford making

550
00:30:43,000 --> 00:30:45,800
Speaker 1: plays off of the attention that Jayson Tatum is grabbing.

551
00:30:45,840 --> 00:30:48,360
Speaker 1: It's a really interesting concept. I'm curious to see over

552
00:30:48,400 --> 00:30:50,479
Speaker 1: the over the course of the next few years, if

553
00:30:50,520 --> 00:30:53,280
Speaker 1: you see more big threes form, or if you see

554
00:30:53,280 --> 00:30:56,720
Speaker 1: more teams take on the two star role player type

555
00:30:56,720 --> 00:30:59,239
Speaker 1: of concept. But that's that's just where I stand with it.

556
00:30:59,360 --> 00:31:02,440
Speaker 1: I would go with take player personnel decisions away from

557
00:31:02,440 --> 00:31:06,479
Speaker 1: the stars and build around two high level players and

558
00:31:06,520 --> 00:31:09,640
Speaker 1: get depth because you need quality players around them to

559
00:31:09,720 --> 00:31:12,400
Speaker 1: make people pay when they are throwing the kitchen sink

560
00:31:12,440 --> 00:31:14,760
Speaker 1: at your stars. Hi, it's Colin Coward. I started the

561
00:31:14,800 --> 00:31:17,360
Speaker 1: volume to bring you some of the most apathetic voices

562
00:31:17,400 --> 00:31:22,720
Speaker 1: in sports. While you're here, make sure you hit subscribe.

563
00:31:22,920 --> 00:31:30,320
Speaker 1: Thanks all right, before we bring Carson on. Oh there

564
00:31:30,320 --> 00:31:32,880
Speaker 1: he is. Before we're in Carson on, forget just like

565
00:31:33,080 --> 00:31:36,400
Speaker 1: don't forget, Just like Colin said, hit that subscribe button. Also,

566
00:31:36,560 --> 00:31:37,920
Speaker 1: we are going to do a mail back, so if

567
00:31:37,920 --> 00:31:41,040
Speaker 1: you have any questions about absolutely anything, please drop them

568
00:31:41,040 --> 00:31:42,320
Speaker 1: in the chat. And if we have time, and we'll

569
00:31:42,320 --> 00:31:43,720
Speaker 1: get to them at the end. All right, Carson, what

570
00:31:43,720 --> 00:31:46,680
Speaker 1: do you got from me tonight? Man? We've got a

571
00:31:46,720 --> 00:31:50,560
Speaker 1: game here called Real Question, Fake Question, Jason, and the

572
00:31:50,600 --> 00:31:54,800
Speaker 1: way it works is we've got real questions from fans

573
00:31:54,840 --> 00:31:56,800
Speaker 1: and then we've got questions that I have come up

574
00:31:56,800 --> 00:31:58,400
Speaker 1: with which we're calling fake, which I don't know if

575
00:31:58,440 --> 00:32:00,560
Speaker 1: I love the branding there. I think they're just as real.

576
00:32:01,120 --> 00:32:04,160
Speaker 1: But that's besides the point. So I'll defer to you.

577
00:32:04,200 --> 00:32:05,680
Speaker 1: Do you want to start with a real question or

578
00:32:05,720 --> 00:32:09,760
Speaker 1: a fake question? Let's start with the real one, all right?

579
00:32:10,160 --> 00:32:14,080
Speaker 1: So this is from Georges on Twitter. Do you think

580
00:32:14,160 --> 00:32:18,120
Speaker 1: currently it's Boston versus the field in the playoffs? And

581
00:32:18,200 --> 00:32:24,200
Speaker 1: if so, which remaining team has the best chance against them? Man?

582
00:32:24,320 --> 00:32:27,400
Speaker 1: That the news from Devin Booker really threw me for

583
00:32:27,440 --> 00:32:31,200
Speaker 1: a loop. And I am absolutely stunned that they're bringing

584
00:32:31,240 --> 00:32:34,720
Speaker 1: him back this quickly. First of all, like I I

585
00:32:35,160 --> 00:32:38,640
Speaker 1: understand the threat of New Orleans, but would you pick

586
00:32:38,680 --> 00:32:41,320
Speaker 1: against Chris Paul with all of that talent at a

587
00:32:41,360 --> 00:32:43,719
Speaker 1: home and game? Like I think they'll be fine. So

588
00:32:43,800 --> 00:32:47,640
Speaker 1: like I would have I would have been more hesitant

589
00:32:47,720 --> 00:32:49,960
Speaker 1: to bring Devon back but let's and then also when

590
00:32:50,080 --> 00:32:52,440
Speaker 1: now that he's back, it makes me nervous because hamstrings

591
00:32:52,440 --> 00:32:56,600
Speaker 1: are like arguably the most reinjurable injury that an athlete

592
00:32:56,600 --> 00:33:00,080
Speaker 1: deals with. But let's accept, just for the sake of

593
00:33:00,160 --> 00:33:04,840
Speaker 1: this question, that Devin Booker is healthy and going to

594
00:33:04,880 --> 00:33:08,200
Speaker 1: be fine the rest of the playoffs. Coming into the postseason,

595
00:33:08,280 --> 00:33:10,440
Speaker 1: I had Phoenix as a definitive number one and then

596
00:33:10,480 --> 00:33:13,360
Speaker 1: a tear below them that Boston was a part of.

597
00:33:13,840 --> 00:33:16,360
Speaker 1: So part of me moving Boston up was the Devin

598
00:33:16,400 --> 00:33:19,320
Speaker 1: Booker injury, but also another big part of it was

599
00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:21,480
Speaker 1: just how dominant they look on the defensive end of

600
00:33:21,520 --> 00:33:24,200
Speaker 1: the floor. And so I think it's most likely that

601
00:33:24,240 --> 00:33:27,720
Speaker 1: Boston runs into Phoenix in the finals. And then as

602
00:33:27,720 --> 00:33:31,160
Speaker 1: I start to think about that matchup, like when you

603
00:33:31,200 --> 00:33:35,240
Speaker 1: think about the way that Drew Holiday and the rest

604
00:33:35,240 --> 00:33:37,960
Speaker 1: of the Milwaukee Bucks were able to really really shut

605
00:33:37,960 --> 00:33:41,360
Speaker 1: down Chris Paul, I think Boston is gonna have some

606
00:33:41,440 --> 00:33:46,240
Speaker 1: similar impact there. Yes, Drew, Yes, Devin Booker showed some

607
00:33:46,520 --> 00:33:50,520
Speaker 1: amazing shot making versus Drew Holiday in that series last

608
00:33:50,560 --> 00:33:54,480
Speaker 1: year in the finals, But I think this Boston defense

609
00:33:54,560 --> 00:33:57,280
Speaker 1: is another level above that. So, like I think i'd

610
00:33:57,280 --> 00:33:59,560
Speaker 1: pick Boston over Phoenix too. But if you're asking me

611
00:33:59,600 --> 00:34:02,080
Speaker 1: which team has the best chance to beat them easily,

612
00:34:02,120 --> 00:34:04,640
Speaker 1: it's Phoenix. They've got they're the only team that has

613
00:34:04,920 --> 00:34:08,520
Speaker 1: a talent advantage against them in my opinion. But like, man, like,

614
00:34:08,760 --> 00:34:12,640
Speaker 1: I know everyone thinks I'm crazy, but like, I think

615
00:34:12,680 --> 00:34:15,440
Speaker 1: something special is going on with this Boston defense. I

616
00:34:15,440 --> 00:34:17,720
Speaker 1: think the story coming out of that first round series

617
00:34:17,800 --> 00:34:21,160
Speaker 1: was Brooklyn choking or Kevin Durant struggling and all the

618
00:34:21,239 --> 00:34:23,680
Speaker 1: drama and Brooklyn and Ben Simmons and all that crap.

619
00:34:24,239 --> 00:34:27,359
Speaker 1: But meanwhile, Boston just seems to be like a team

620
00:34:27,400 --> 00:34:33,680
Speaker 1: that has captured some serious magic. So you mentioned the

621
00:34:33,719 --> 00:34:36,440
Speaker 1: son's element of this and the decision to bring book back.

622
00:34:36,719 --> 00:34:39,319
Speaker 1: You touched on a little bit, but there's a fake

623
00:34:39,400 --> 00:34:43,359
Speaker 1: question from me. Give us more of your thoughts on

624
00:34:43,400 --> 00:34:45,600
Speaker 1: that decision, and do you think that that's just a

625
00:34:45,640 --> 00:34:49,759
Speaker 1: bad decision flat out? I don't want to say it's

626
00:34:49,760 --> 00:34:52,799
Speaker 1: a bad decision because you've got a factor in the circumstance. Like,

627
00:34:53,920 --> 00:34:55,360
Speaker 1: you know, what is it that I think it's is

628
00:34:55,400 --> 00:34:57,239
Speaker 1: it's Steve Kerr. I can't remember who it is. It's

629
00:34:57,600 --> 00:35:00,560
Speaker 1: there's a famous NBA coach that always talks about approp fear.

630
00:35:00,600 --> 00:35:03,080
Speaker 1: I think it was Steve Kerr actually, But like I

631
00:35:03,120 --> 00:35:06,360
Speaker 1: think if you have an appropriate fear of the Pelicans,

632
00:35:06,360 --> 00:35:08,800
Speaker 1: which you should, they're dominating you on the defensive glass

633
00:35:08,960 --> 00:35:11,359
Speaker 1: or in the offensive glass. Excuse me. A huge part

634
00:35:11,360 --> 00:35:13,200
Speaker 1: of their offense is brandon ingram And and c J

635
00:35:13,320 --> 00:35:16,120
Speaker 1: McCollum attacking in isolation. And they had a really bad

636
00:35:16,160 --> 00:35:18,520
Speaker 1: game in game five. So there's a version of this

637
00:35:18,560 --> 00:35:21,280
Speaker 1: story where they go back to New Orleans, they bully

638
00:35:21,280 --> 00:35:23,640
Speaker 1: you on the glass again, c J and Brandon play better,

639
00:35:23,680 --> 00:35:25,640
Speaker 1: they win Game six, you'd come back to Phoenix, and

640
00:35:25,680 --> 00:35:28,760
Speaker 1: then I mean, I think I think, uh, New Orleans

641
00:35:28,760 --> 00:35:31,160
Speaker 1: got it within seven about halfway through the fourth quarter

642
00:35:31,200 --> 00:35:33,839
Speaker 1: if I remember correctly last night. So you know, there

643
00:35:34,040 --> 00:35:37,239
Speaker 1: is I think an appropriate amount of fear here, and

644
00:35:37,280 --> 00:35:40,879
Speaker 1: I think that's what's driving the decision. My thing is like,

645
00:35:41,120 --> 00:35:43,960
Speaker 1: it's kind of like Anthony Davis last year against the Suns,

646
00:35:44,000 --> 00:35:47,640
Speaker 1: Like rushing him back it almost stands to do more

647
00:35:47,760 --> 00:35:50,759
Speaker 1: damage psychologically to your team, because what if Devin comes

648
00:35:50,800 --> 00:35:53,920
Speaker 1: back and plays in Game six and pulls his hamstring

649
00:35:53,960 --> 00:35:56,000
Speaker 1: again in the second quarter and you have to watch

650
00:35:56,120 --> 00:35:58,160
Speaker 1: him limp off to the locker room. There's a massive

651
00:35:58,200 --> 00:36:00,880
Speaker 1: psychological impact that that has is on your team. When

652
00:36:00,960 --> 00:36:05,120
Speaker 1: Anthony Davis uh gave it a go last year in

653
00:36:05,160 --> 00:36:08,080
Speaker 1: Game six and his groin started hurting right away. It

654
00:36:08,200 --> 00:36:10,719
Speaker 1: was early first quarter, and I don't know if you

655
00:36:10,719 --> 00:36:15,160
Speaker 1: guys remember, but the Lakers were extraordinarily flat the rest

656
00:36:15,200 --> 00:36:18,360
Speaker 1: of that first quarter. Meanwhile, Devin Booker got hot, and

657
00:36:18,440 --> 00:36:20,160
Speaker 1: next thing you know, they were down by like twenty

658
00:36:20,239 --> 00:36:21,879
Speaker 1: or something like that at the end of the first quarter.

659
00:36:22,000 --> 00:36:24,680
Speaker 1: So there's a very dangerous game that you play with

660
00:36:24,719 --> 00:36:28,480
Speaker 1: bringing back a star that could potentially re injure himself

661
00:36:28,520 --> 00:36:31,400
Speaker 1: because there's the advantage off and potentially playing and helping

662
00:36:31,400 --> 00:36:34,680
Speaker 1: your team, but there's the potential disadvantage of the discouragement

663
00:36:34,719 --> 00:36:37,520
Speaker 1: that comes from him getting reinjured. I sincerely hope that

664
00:36:37,520 --> 00:36:39,600
Speaker 1: that doesn't happen. It's just something that I'm worried about.

665
00:36:41,280 --> 00:36:44,120
Speaker 1: You mentioned the appropriate fear. I believe that's a pop

666
00:36:44,160 --> 00:36:49,280
Speaker 1: is m but is it. Obviously you are balancing those

667
00:36:49,320 --> 00:36:51,239
Speaker 1: two factors that you are talking about against each other.

668
00:36:51,280 --> 00:36:56,000
Speaker 1: But if you were to say this is what has

669
00:36:56,040 --> 00:36:58,640
Speaker 1: to go right for the Pelicans to actually get out,

670
00:36:58,719 --> 00:37:00,560
Speaker 1: like if they were to go and in game six

671
00:37:00,560 --> 00:37:02,440
Speaker 1: and seven, what would sort of the key things be.

672
00:37:03,080 --> 00:37:06,520
Speaker 1: And I know you say it's not particularly likely, but roughly,

673
00:37:06,520 --> 00:37:08,560
Speaker 1: how likely do you think it is that they can

674
00:37:08,640 --> 00:37:13,319
Speaker 1: do that I had them, I would say they have

675
00:37:13,520 --> 00:37:16,719
Speaker 1: like maybe a ten percent chance. It's just the thing

676
00:37:16,880 --> 00:37:20,360
Speaker 1: is is when you know what New Orleans depends on

677
00:37:20,520 --> 00:37:23,120
Speaker 1: for their offense, which again is brandon Ingram kind of

678
00:37:23,200 --> 00:37:25,320
Speaker 1: is like a point forward running a lot of io

679
00:37:25,400 --> 00:37:27,680
Speaker 1: and high pick and roll, and then C. J. McCollum

680
00:37:27,800 --> 00:37:29,880
Speaker 1: kind of more in the Devon Booker role of just

681
00:37:29,920 --> 00:37:32,719
Speaker 1: being a guy who's hunting for his shot when you,

682
00:37:32,920 --> 00:37:37,200
Speaker 1: like Michael Bridges was devastating defensively in game five. Almost

683
00:37:37,239 --> 00:37:39,680
Speaker 1: everybody that he guarded was not not just shut down,

684
00:37:39,719 --> 00:37:42,600
Speaker 1: but shut down in a kind of resounding fashion. And

685
00:37:42,640 --> 00:37:45,759
Speaker 1: so the concern there is, I don't I would give

686
00:37:45,960 --> 00:37:48,720
Speaker 1: New Orleans roughly a coin flip chance to win game six.

687
00:37:48,800 --> 00:37:51,560
Speaker 1: That's fine, but man, the the the chances that New

688
00:37:51,640 --> 00:37:53,920
Speaker 1: Orleans goes into Phoenix and wins game seven are so

689
00:37:54,000 --> 00:37:56,280
Speaker 1: close to zero that I think it leaves it pretty

690
00:37:56,320 --> 00:37:58,839
Speaker 1: damn low. So I'd say maybe around ten per sam,

691
00:37:58,880 --> 00:38:01,080
Speaker 1: But the only way that they pull it off as

692
00:38:01,080 --> 00:38:02,880
Speaker 1: if c J and Brandon catch a little bit of

693
00:38:02,880 --> 00:38:05,640
Speaker 1: that lebron Kyrie two thousand and sixteen Finals magic where

694
00:38:05,840 --> 00:38:07,680
Speaker 1: just a couple to three games in a row where

695
00:38:07,680 --> 00:38:09,480
Speaker 1: they just don't miss, and then yeah, that could be

696
00:38:09,520 --> 00:38:13,959
Speaker 1: the difference, but it's just very unlikely. Yeah, I will

697
00:38:14,000 --> 00:38:16,319
Speaker 1: say it felt like to me before Game five it

698
00:38:16,440 --> 00:38:19,759
Speaker 1: was more of like legitimate even footing. But part of

699
00:38:19,800 --> 00:38:22,960
Speaker 1: that was absolutely You're right, they're so overwhelming and dependent

700
00:38:23,000 --> 00:38:25,200
Speaker 1: on that lead shot making n B. I had been

701
00:38:25,280 --> 00:38:27,839
Speaker 1: like perfect, you know, I mean, he's thirty a game

702
00:38:27,880 --> 00:38:31,640
Speaker 1: on ridiculous efficiency and then you talk about Bridges defense

703
00:38:31,719 --> 00:38:34,560
Speaker 1: changing some of those dynamics. So I'm I'm with you there.

704
00:38:35,480 --> 00:38:39,880
Speaker 1: Maybe I would put its tall task quick follow up.

705
00:38:39,880 --> 00:38:42,120
Speaker 1: And this has been the dynamic that I've talked about

706
00:38:42,120 --> 00:38:44,160
Speaker 1: all the season. What have I always told you Guys like, yes,

707
00:38:44,280 --> 00:38:47,120
Speaker 1: Chris Paul and Devin Booker are great, but down the roster,

708
00:38:47,239 --> 00:38:49,160
Speaker 1: Phoenix is the most talented team in the league, like

709
00:38:49,200 --> 00:38:52,480
Speaker 1: and guys like Mikhail Bridges and DeAndre and have consistently

710
00:38:52,520 --> 00:38:55,320
Speaker 1: been playing in roles that are much smaller than what

711
00:38:55,360 --> 00:38:58,000
Speaker 1: their talent is capable of. And and you compare them

712
00:38:58,000 --> 00:39:01,200
Speaker 1: to guys like guys like a Herb Jones for instance,

713
00:39:01,239 --> 00:39:04,160
Speaker 1: like compare him to like Michael Bridges. Like in a

714
00:39:04,320 --> 00:39:08,160
Speaker 1: tiny role, Herb Jones and Michael Bridges can have relatively

715
00:39:08,239 --> 00:39:11,080
Speaker 1: similar impact. Obviously Michael Bridge is a better player, but

716
00:39:11,160 --> 00:39:13,880
Speaker 1: in a tiny role there can be a relatively similar impact.

717
00:39:14,640 --> 00:39:17,160
Speaker 1: All of a sudden, with Devin Booker out, Michael Bridges

718
00:39:17,239 --> 00:39:19,840
Speaker 1: is being depended on more as a shot maker twelve

719
00:39:19,880 --> 00:39:21,759
Speaker 1: for seventeen, I think he had like thirty four points

720
00:39:21,840 --> 00:39:23,520
Speaker 1: or something like that. In game five was just a

721
00:39:23,560 --> 00:39:26,080
Speaker 1: monster offensively, like Herb Jones is not gonna be able

722
00:39:26,080 --> 00:39:27,759
Speaker 1: to get to that level. And so at the end

723
00:39:27,800 --> 00:39:30,200
Speaker 1: of the day, like it's just so many things would

724
00:39:30,239 --> 00:39:31,920
Speaker 1: have to go right. So many guys with the Pelicans

725
00:39:31,960 --> 00:39:33,879
Speaker 1: would have to play above their ability, so many guys

726
00:39:33,920 --> 00:39:36,080
Speaker 1: for Phoenix would have to play below their ability. I

727
00:39:36,080 --> 00:39:39,440
Speaker 1: think the smart money is on Phoenix there, and I

728
00:39:39,480 --> 00:39:42,960
Speaker 1: will say, you talk about the talent on this Phoenix roster.

729
00:39:43,320 --> 00:39:45,880
Speaker 1: When the book injury happened, one of the biggest concerns

730
00:39:45,920 --> 00:39:49,960
Speaker 1: that we discussed was that really high level shock creation

731
00:39:50,040 --> 00:39:52,799
Speaker 1: coming because the book is so clearly the Apex guy

732
00:39:52,880 --> 00:39:54,840
Speaker 1: and outside of CP there haven't been a ton of

733
00:39:54,880 --> 00:39:57,319
Speaker 1: guys who have filled that role and who are really

734
00:39:57,320 --> 00:40:00,760
Speaker 1: in like the prototype of ball handler, score play maker combo.

735
00:40:01,040 --> 00:40:03,080
Speaker 1: But I have been extremely impressed. I mean you mentioned

736
00:40:03,080 --> 00:40:06,399
Speaker 1: the Bridge's performance. He feels like, for the most part,

737
00:40:06,400 --> 00:40:08,680
Speaker 1: the ultimate role player, just so good at fitting in

738
00:40:08,719 --> 00:40:12,160
Speaker 1: but really asserting himself. Aidan producing at that level, you know,

739
00:40:12,200 --> 00:40:15,239
Speaker 1: on that efficiency has been extremely impressive. So you could

740
00:40:15,320 --> 00:40:19,560
Speaker 1: argue is better than Avalanchunis. Yeah, No, I think that

741
00:40:19,560 --> 00:40:21,440
Speaker 1: that is. I think you would have to argue against

742
00:40:21,440 --> 00:40:24,000
Speaker 1: that at this point. I mean, are you talking overall

743
00:40:24,120 --> 00:40:27,680
Speaker 1: or just like offensive skill, because I think overall two

744
00:40:27,719 --> 00:40:33,399
Speaker 1: way center. Yeah, I totally agree, totally agree. Okay, We've

745
00:40:33,400 --> 00:40:36,719
Speaker 1: got another real question for you here, Jason, and you've

746
00:40:36,719 --> 00:40:39,040
Speaker 1: touched on this a bit before, but how will do

747
00:40:39,080 --> 00:40:42,200
Speaker 1: you think Boston's defense will work against Janice? Will he

748
00:40:42,239 --> 00:40:44,920
Speaker 1: be able to attack it more effectively than Kevin Durant

749
00:40:45,200 --> 00:40:47,840
Speaker 1: and without Chris Middleton, do they have a chance in

750
00:40:47,880 --> 00:40:50,400
Speaker 1: that series which is now booked. This is from Almond

751
00:40:50,400 --> 00:40:55,799
Speaker 1: Milk on Twitter. So this is this is this is

752
00:40:55,800 --> 00:40:58,279
Speaker 1: the million dollar question, man, and it's been something I've

753
00:40:58,280 --> 00:41:00,960
Speaker 1: been thinking about NonStop over of course of the last week.

754
00:41:01,040 --> 00:41:04,359
Speaker 1: I cannot freaking wait for this series? Did did they tell?

755
00:41:04,480 --> 00:41:06,720
Speaker 1: Did uh? Why did you check for me while I'm

756
00:41:06,760 --> 00:41:09,359
Speaker 1: talking when when Game one is? Because I'm so so

757
00:41:09,400 --> 00:41:12,520
Speaker 1: excited for it. But the the interesting thing here is,

758
00:41:13,040 --> 00:41:18,240
Speaker 1: you know, Joannice and k D both have very different games,

759
00:41:18,440 --> 00:41:20,520
Speaker 1: but they're structured in similar ways. There's like a bread

760
00:41:20,520 --> 00:41:21,960
Speaker 1: in the butt, there's a bread and butter, and then

761
00:41:21,960 --> 00:41:24,560
Speaker 1: there's like kind of like supplementary offense, you know. One

762
00:41:24,600 --> 00:41:27,880
Speaker 1: of the things that Joannice, like KD, for instance, Katie

763
00:41:28,000 --> 00:41:30,480
Speaker 1: supplements his offense. I did a video about this earlier

764
00:41:30,480 --> 00:41:34,120
Speaker 1: in the regular season. Katie supplements his isolation offense with

765
00:41:34,160 --> 00:41:36,279
Speaker 1: off ball shooting, like movement shooting, does a lot of

766
00:41:36,280 --> 00:41:38,920
Speaker 1: like fighting for position and coming off of pin downs

767
00:41:38,920 --> 00:41:42,160
Speaker 1: and taking like these fifteen to seventeen foot wide open

768
00:41:42,239 --> 00:41:44,640
Speaker 1: pull up jump shots that he makes like like more

769
00:41:44,680 --> 00:41:46,680
Speaker 1: than half the time. And it's it's way, it's his

770
00:41:46,719 --> 00:41:51,760
Speaker 1: way of supplementing offense, his isolation offense with easy shots. Well,

771
00:41:52,480 --> 00:41:55,520
Speaker 1: Boston completely took that element of his game away, but

772
00:41:55,719 --> 00:41:58,239
Speaker 1: because of how physical they were and how willing they

773
00:41:58,239 --> 00:42:00,400
Speaker 1: were to switch those screens and just basically to grab

774
00:42:00,520 --> 00:42:02,319
Speaker 1: him as he was coming off the screen, so the

775
00:42:02,400 --> 00:42:06,200
Speaker 1: easy elements of Katie's offense were completely removed. Well, Janice,

776
00:42:06,840 --> 00:42:10,160
Speaker 1: he gets a lot of easy offense just with his physicality.

777
00:42:10,280 --> 00:42:13,080
Speaker 1: So whether that's in transition, just putting his head down

778
00:42:13,080 --> 00:42:16,480
Speaker 1: and go into the rim, whether that's another it's offensive rebounding,

779
00:42:16,560 --> 00:42:18,279
Speaker 1: but not just as an off ball player, but like

780
00:42:18,560 --> 00:42:21,480
Speaker 1: he'll pirouette into the lane and throw up a hook

781
00:42:21,520 --> 00:42:25,120
Speaker 1: shot and it's not really a high percentage shot, but

782
00:42:25,280 --> 00:42:28,120
Speaker 1: Janice knows that, and he just continues to bulldoze his

783
00:42:28,160 --> 00:42:31,000
Speaker 1: way into the lane after shooting, grab the ball and

784
00:42:31,000 --> 00:42:32,640
Speaker 1: go right back up with it and dunk it because

785
00:42:32,640 --> 00:42:34,839
Speaker 1: he's so much quicker off his feet than everybody else

786
00:42:34,840 --> 00:42:36,880
Speaker 1: on the floor. And and so he has all of

787
00:42:36,920 --> 00:42:40,280
Speaker 1: those elements. And when I look at that, I think

788
00:42:40,360 --> 00:42:43,239
Speaker 1: that Janice, I don't think Boston's gonna be able to

789
00:42:43,239 --> 00:42:45,600
Speaker 1: shut off those parts of his offense. So I think

790
00:42:45,680 --> 00:42:49,520
Speaker 1: Janice is gonna be able to get better easy supplementary offense.

791
00:42:49,719 --> 00:42:53,360
Speaker 1: But in the half court, when the game grinds to

792
00:42:53,360 --> 00:42:57,160
Speaker 1: the halt, when Boston is in their set defense geared

793
00:42:57,239 --> 00:42:59,720
Speaker 1: up on Janice, I think Joannice is going to struggle

794
00:42:59,840 --> 00:43:03,000
Speaker 1: Joe used as much as KAD does, so in summation,

795
00:43:03,480 --> 00:43:07,279
Speaker 1: I think Joannice has a better series overall because of

796
00:43:07,360 --> 00:43:11,279
Speaker 1: his supplementary offense, offensive rebaum, putbacks, transition things like that,

797
00:43:11,520 --> 00:43:14,520
Speaker 1: So I think his counting stats will appear better. But

798
00:43:14,560 --> 00:43:15,799
Speaker 1: I think at the end of the day, this game

799
00:43:15,880 --> 00:43:18,080
Speaker 1: is gonna come down to half court execution. The series

800
00:43:18,160 --> 00:43:20,360
Speaker 1: is gonna come down to half court execution, and I

801
00:43:20,400 --> 00:43:22,920
Speaker 1: think people are way too quick to blame KD for

802
00:43:22,960 --> 00:43:25,759
Speaker 1: how that went and not acknowledge the Boston defense. I

803
00:43:25,760 --> 00:43:28,520
Speaker 1: think the Boston defense at many points in this series

804
00:43:28,640 --> 00:43:31,560
Speaker 1: is going to make you, honest, look not ineffective, but

805
00:43:31,719 --> 00:43:35,000
Speaker 1: significantly less effective than he is going in other matchups,

806
00:43:35,040 --> 00:43:37,160
Speaker 1: and so that's gonna be the interesting dynamic here. But

807
00:43:37,400 --> 00:43:40,759
Speaker 1: overall he will fare better I would. I would be

808
00:43:40,840 --> 00:43:44,280
Speaker 1: shocked at Milwaukee didn't get one game, but I'm leaning

809
00:43:44,640 --> 00:43:47,040
Speaker 1: not my final pick yet, but I'm leaning towards Boston

810
00:43:47,120 --> 00:43:49,320
Speaker 1: in five, and I think it's gonna overall be ugly

811
00:43:49,360 --> 00:43:53,600
Speaker 1: for you, honest. So obviously, as we look at this matchup,

812
00:43:54,520 --> 00:43:57,200
Speaker 1: the Celtics are exceptional on how many really high level

813
00:43:57,280 --> 00:44:00,080
Speaker 1: defensive weapons they have. But I think an interesting in

814
00:44:00,200 --> 00:44:04,000
Speaker 1: question is who is the primary guy on Janice in

815
00:44:04,000 --> 00:44:06,399
Speaker 1: this series because you have obviously Tatum is that lead

816
00:44:06,440 --> 00:44:09,840
Speaker 1: wing defender. But we've seen teams when they have versatile,

817
00:44:09,920 --> 00:44:13,600
Speaker 1: quick enough bigs try to guard Janice with those guys,

818
00:44:13,600 --> 00:44:16,040
Speaker 1: and you do have a Robert Williams or Horford. So

819
00:44:16,920 --> 00:44:19,600
Speaker 1: who do you think is that guy who Boston should

820
00:44:19,640 --> 00:44:21,520
Speaker 1: lean on most? Isn't a combination, just what do you

821
00:44:21,520 --> 00:44:25,560
Speaker 1: think is their best approach in terms of personnel. So

822
00:44:25,880 --> 00:44:27,879
Speaker 1: you always want to mix up coverage to keep guys

823
00:44:27,920 --> 00:44:31,520
Speaker 1: off their feet. So I would imagine I would imagine

824
00:44:31,520 --> 00:44:33,120
Speaker 1: that there will be a bunch of different looks. My

825
00:44:33,160 --> 00:44:36,920
Speaker 1: guesses they'll start with Horford. Horford is an excellent positional defender.

826
00:44:36,960 --> 00:44:40,120
Speaker 1: He's a guy that doesn't reach. He slides his feast defeat,

827
00:44:40,160 --> 00:44:42,719
Speaker 1: he absorbs contact with his chest. He's kind of like

828
00:44:42,760 --> 00:44:45,279
Speaker 1: your textbook positional defender. That's why he always does well

829
00:44:45,320 --> 00:44:50,120
Speaker 1: against really really big players. The trick is it's gonna

830
00:44:50,160 --> 00:44:53,160
Speaker 1: be I'm really curious to see what Emayduka's strategy is

831
00:44:53,200 --> 00:44:55,759
Speaker 1: in terms of double teaming. I think that you know

832
00:44:55,760 --> 00:44:58,560
Speaker 1: because Jannice goes to a lot of like really aggressive

833
00:44:58,600 --> 00:45:01,160
Speaker 1: spin moves in like pump makes and pivots and things

834
00:45:01,200 --> 00:45:03,400
Speaker 1: like that. I'd like to see them do kind of

835
00:45:03,440 --> 00:45:05,920
Speaker 1: what Golden State did to Yokich a lot in this

836
00:45:05,960 --> 00:45:08,960
Speaker 1: series and during the regular season, which is double on

837
00:45:09,200 --> 00:45:12,720
Speaker 1: the counter move. So let him think he's in single coverage.

838
00:45:12,800 --> 00:45:15,200
Speaker 1: Let him make that initial you know, load up in

839
00:45:15,400 --> 00:45:17,640
Speaker 1: and and get ahead of Steam and go into Horford.

840
00:45:17,680 --> 00:45:19,440
Speaker 1: And then as soon as Horford beats him to the

841
00:45:19,480 --> 00:45:23,439
Speaker 1: first spot and he counterspins back, that's when you come

842
00:45:23,440 --> 00:45:25,840
Speaker 1: with the help and attack the ball. I think you know,

843
00:45:26,400 --> 00:45:30,000
Speaker 1: Boston did an amazing job attacking Katie's handle all series long.

844
00:45:30,160 --> 00:45:32,440
Speaker 1: That's why Katie had so many turnovers and struggled so

845
00:45:32,520 --> 00:45:35,719
Speaker 1: much dribbling the basketball. Well, Katie, I mean, it's not

846
00:45:35,800 --> 00:45:38,840
Speaker 1: it's not some sort of chasm. They're close, but joannice

847
00:45:39,000 --> 00:45:43,360
Speaker 1: Is is not a fantastic ball handler in traffic either.

848
00:45:43,560 --> 00:45:46,800
Speaker 1: So like and it's not necessarily Katie or Jannice's fault.

849
00:45:46,800 --> 00:45:49,520
Speaker 1: It's a tall guy problem. You're just dribbling the ball further.

850
00:45:50,040 --> 00:45:52,839
Speaker 1: There's less margin for error there, right, So the thing

851
00:45:52,960 --> 00:45:55,799
Speaker 1: is is, like I I would test joannice Is, he

852
00:45:55,920 --> 00:45:58,480
Speaker 1: handled NonStop in this series and see if he can

853
00:45:58,480 --> 00:46:01,359
Speaker 1: really truly dribble by sending help while he's in the

854
00:46:01,400 --> 00:46:03,560
Speaker 1: middle of moves. That would be my strategy. I expect

855
00:46:03,640 --> 00:46:05,959
Speaker 1: him to start with Horford, but I bet you'll see

856
00:46:06,000 --> 00:46:09,720
Speaker 1: Grant Williams on him. Probably not Robert Williams because Janice

857
00:46:09,760 --> 00:46:14,520
Speaker 1: tends to utterly destroy slender centers. Um not that Robert Robert.

858
00:46:14,600 --> 00:46:16,839
Speaker 1: Robert Williams is bigger than most people think he is.

859
00:46:16,880 --> 00:46:18,879
Speaker 1: But I just don't think that's the perfect matchup there.

860
00:46:18,880 --> 00:46:20,480
Speaker 1: I think he'd be better in a help side role.

861
00:46:20,800 --> 00:46:22,520
Speaker 1: But I'm really curious. I think email you don't is

862
00:46:22,560 --> 00:46:24,400
Speaker 1: gonna have a bunch of stuff up his sleeve, and

863
00:46:24,160 --> 00:46:27,600
Speaker 1: and and I'm really interested to see what it is. Well,

864
00:46:27,640 --> 00:46:30,040
Speaker 1: you mentioned the excitement for the series. It does tip

865
00:46:30,160 --> 00:46:34,799
Speaker 1: at one Eastern on Sunday and we'll be live that night.

866
00:46:35,520 --> 00:46:39,520
Speaker 1: Also a little interesting sound out a pole in the chat.

867
00:46:39,800 --> 00:46:42,400
Speaker 1: Fifty percent of people say they would take the bucks

868
00:46:42,400 --> 00:46:44,759
Speaker 1: to win that series right now out of our chat,

869
00:46:44,840 --> 00:46:48,480
Speaker 1: which I think it's very interesting. I think that's I

870
00:46:48,480 --> 00:46:50,680
Speaker 1: think that's wild. I'm not saying you guys are wrong,

871
00:46:50,960 --> 00:46:54,879
Speaker 1: but I vehemently disagree. I think I'm not saying Milwaukee's

872
00:46:55,080 --> 00:46:58,440
Speaker 1: I'm not saying you guys are wrong. I'm not saying

873
00:46:58,800 --> 00:47:01,120
Speaker 1: I'm not saying Milah Key doesn't have a chance. They

874
00:47:01,120 --> 00:47:04,680
Speaker 1: absolutely do. But again, I think there's a couple of

875
00:47:04,719 --> 00:47:08,640
Speaker 1: reasons why Boston kind of like the Lakers, not exactly

876
00:47:08,640 --> 00:47:11,200
Speaker 1: the most well liked team around the league because they're

877
00:47:11,239 --> 00:47:13,799
Speaker 1: the They're the two winning as franchises, so the other

878
00:47:13,800 --> 00:47:15,640
Speaker 1: twenty fan bases hate them. So there's a lot of

879
00:47:15,680 --> 00:47:18,680
Speaker 1: anti Celtics bias. There's a lot of anti k D

880
00:47:18,840 --> 00:47:21,359
Speaker 1: and Kyrie bias that is leading people to kind of

881
00:47:21,440 --> 00:47:23,839
Speaker 1: change their analysis of that series and make it more

882
00:47:23,880 --> 00:47:26,440
Speaker 1: about them sucking and less about Boston being good. So

883
00:47:26,480 --> 00:47:28,839
Speaker 1: I think the public perception of Boston is still pretty low.

884
00:47:28,960 --> 00:47:30,520
Speaker 1: I don't know if you notice this, Carson, but on

885
00:47:30,640 --> 00:47:33,479
Speaker 1: fan duel, I believe Boston right now is plus four

886
00:47:33,640 --> 00:47:35,319
Speaker 1: sixty to win the title, and I think they have

887
00:47:35,360 --> 00:47:39,080
Speaker 1: the third best odds overall behind Phoenix and Golden State,

888
00:47:39,120 --> 00:47:43,120
Speaker 1: which I think is absolutely wild. I hopefully this series,

889
00:47:43,200 --> 00:47:44,920
Speaker 1: if I'm right, which we'll see, I could very well

890
00:47:44,920 --> 00:47:47,239
Speaker 1: be wrong, and I've been wrong before, but if I'm right,

891
00:47:47,320 --> 00:47:49,719
Speaker 1: I think in this series people will finally start to

892
00:47:49,800 --> 00:47:54,680
Speaker 1: understand just how special this Boston team is Yeah, I

893
00:47:54,719 --> 00:47:58,279
Speaker 1: think you, I mean very aptly identified a couple of

894
00:47:58,320 --> 00:48:01,480
Speaker 1: the key reasons that people are maybe under selling this team.

895
00:48:01,560 --> 00:48:03,439
Speaker 1: I wonder if there's also just sort of a prove

896
00:48:03,560 --> 00:48:06,040
Speaker 1: it element or maybe that like they don't have a

897
00:48:06,040 --> 00:48:08,680
Speaker 1: consensus top five guy on the planet who's done it

898
00:48:08,840 --> 00:48:11,440
Speaker 1: year in and year out. But like, I mean, there's

899
00:48:11,440 --> 00:48:15,520
Speaker 1: no denying that. Since I don't know exactly what point

900
00:48:15,560 --> 00:48:17,600
Speaker 1: you would pick, but the last thirtysomething games of the

901
00:48:17,640 --> 00:48:19,480
Speaker 1: regular season through the playoffs, it Celtics has been the

902
00:48:19,480 --> 00:48:22,880
Speaker 1: most impressive team in the NBA. And uh, I'm with you.

903
00:48:22,960 --> 00:48:24,920
Speaker 1: I think it's surprising that their odds are still that low,

904
00:48:25,000 --> 00:48:27,760
Speaker 1: especially now that they're healthy again. I mean, they are

905
00:48:28,360 --> 00:48:30,480
Speaker 1: clicking and they are scary, and I would also take

906
00:48:30,520 --> 00:48:33,160
Speaker 1: them against the Bucks. I think five is you know,

907
00:48:33,480 --> 00:48:35,200
Speaker 1: that would be very impressive, But I don't think it's

908
00:48:35,200 --> 00:48:38,080
Speaker 1: at all out of the question. Really quickly, Carson, I

909
00:48:38,160 --> 00:48:41,240
Speaker 1: have a question for you. Is Jayson Tatum a top

910
00:48:41,320 --> 00:48:46,440
Speaker 1: five player? No, I don't think so. I think that.

911
00:48:47,080 --> 00:48:50,160
Speaker 1: I mean, we discussed this briefly. When he is playing

912
00:48:50,160 --> 00:48:54,280
Speaker 1: at his offensive apex, it is like unbelievable peak scoring

913
00:48:54,320 --> 00:48:58,360
Speaker 1: wings stuff with some of the playmaking and great defensive value,

914
00:48:59,000 --> 00:49:01,440
Speaker 1: and like that's an in same portfolio, especially when you're

915
00:49:01,480 --> 00:49:04,120
Speaker 1: dropping thirty and night. I do still think though, that

916
00:49:04,200 --> 00:49:07,640
Speaker 1: over a full sample size, there are guys who are

917
00:49:07,680 --> 00:49:11,200
Speaker 1: just more complete sevengines when it comes to the scoring

918
00:49:11,239 --> 00:49:14,799
Speaker 1: playmaking combo who I would lean on. But also there

919
00:49:14,800 --> 00:49:17,680
Speaker 1: are guys who are more easily exposed. I mean, I'm

920
00:49:17,680 --> 00:49:19,880
Speaker 1: a huge believer and a guy like Yokich and I

921
00:49:19,920 --> 00:49:22,400
Speaker 1: would never drop him out of my personal top five,

922
00:49:22,880 --> 00:49:25,839
Speaker 1: But there are things that are more exploitable there. I mean,

923
00:49:25,880 --> 00:49:28,880
Speaker 1: I I think even there's a lot of guys basically

924
00:49:28,880 --> 00:49:31,120
Speaker 1: who I think have bigger holes in their game at

925
00:49:31,120 --> 00:49:33,279
Speaker 1: this point than Jayson Tatum. Like he can do his

926
00:49:33,400 --> 00:49:35,759
Speaker 1: job on both ends at an exceptionally high level, but

927
00:49:35,840 --> 00:49:37,960
Speaker 1: I don't think he's top five yet. I think we

928
00:49:38,000 --> 00:49:39,680
Speaker 1: need to see him sustained, like you said when we

929
00:49:39,719 --> 00:49:44,319
Speaker 1: discussed this a bit ago, this level for a longer time. Yeah,

930
00:49:44,360 --> 00:49:46,719
Speaker 1: I gotta stick to my own rule here. I'm not

931
00:49:46,800 --> 00:49:49,680
Speaker 1: a big believer in rushing people up that list. I

932
00:49:49,719 --> 00:49:53,719
Speaker 1: will say this, though, I would not be surprised if

933
00:49:53,960 --> 00:49:56,320
Speaker 1: in our wrap up season wrap up pods at the

934
00:49:56,400 --> 00:49:59,600
Speaker 1: end of June, if we're having a conversation about Tatum

935
00:49:59,640 --> 00:50:02,000
Speaker 1: Legiti being a top five player, because you're right there

936
00:50:02,040 --> 00:50:06,279
Speaker 1: there seems to be with his newfound pensiont for playmaking

937
00:50:06,760 --> 00:50:09,440
Speaker 1: and and kind of absorbing the double team and and

938
00:50:09,560 --> 00:50:11,480
Speaker 1: staying a threat after giving up the ball, that kind

939
00:50:11,480 --> 00:50:15,120
Speaker 1: of thing. There's kind of there's they're they're just they're

940
00:50:15,120 --> 00:50:17,080
Speaker 1: starting to take shape as a player that doesn't have

941
00:50:17,120 --> 00:50:19,680
Speaker 1: a lot of flaws. Like he's all, he's not the

942
00:50:19,719 --> 00:50:22,200
Speaker 1: same defensive player that Kauai was at his peak, but

943
00:50:22,200 --> 00:50:25,239
Speaker 1: he's already a much better playmaker than Kauai. And and

944
00:50:25,320 --> 00:50:28,920
Speaker 1: from the scoring standpoint, like he doesn't have the the

945
00:50:28,960 --> 00:50:31,359
Speaker 1: mid range kind of like back to the basket game

946
00:50:31,360 --> 00:50:33,480
Speaker 1: that Kauai has, but he's a better off the dribble

947
00:50:33,560 --> 00:50:36,200
Speaker 1: three point shooters. So he's kind of like, look this

948
00:50:36,239 --> 00:50:37,680
Speaker 1: is I'll just leave it at this. He's he's a

949
00:50:37,719 --> 00:50:42,440
Speaker 1: lot closer to like Kauai than people think. That's amazing

950
00:50:42,560 --> 00:50:45,080
Speaker 1: that you evoke that comparison, because I was literally about

951
00:50:45,200 --> 00:50:48,600
Speaker 1: to draw that myself, and I asked, like, what, really,

952
00:50:48,760 --> 00:50:52,120
Speaker 1: how big is the gap between current Jayson Tatum the

953
00:50:52,200 --> 00:50:54,279
Speaker 1: level he's been playing at since All Star Break where

954
00:50:54,320 --> 00:50:57,640
Speaker 1: we've read off the stats before, but it's just absolutely

955
00:50:57,760 --> 00:51:02,360
Speaker 1: ridiculous scoring and a on absurd efficiency. I mean thirty

956
00:51:02,360 --> 00:51:05,160
Speaker 1: plus a night on s shooting into these playoffs. Now

957
00:51:05,160 --> 00:51:06,799
Speaker 1: he dropped thirty a game against the Nets, and the

958
00:51:06,800 --> 00:51:09,760
Speaker 1: playmaking was great and the d defense is really great,

959
00:51:10,000 --> 00:51:14,279
Speaker 1: and it's like Kauai is a top twenty something guy

960
00:51:14,320 --> 00:51:16,719
Speaker 1: of all time in most people's eyes. And you know,

961
00:51:16,840 --> 00:51:18,960
Speaker 1: people view that as one of the most impressive individual

962
00:51:19,000 --> 00:51:21,600
Speaker 1: playoff runs ever. And of course there are differences and

963
00:51:21,640 --> 00:51:25,120
Speaker 1: there are things certain guys do better, but it doesn't

964
00:51:25,120 --> 00:51:27,399
Speaker 1: feel like the gap is all that big right now.

965
00:51:27,600 --> 00:51:31,640
Speaker 1: So he sustains this level and I I've always thought

966
00:51:31,640 --> 00:51:34,080
Speaker 1: he was like an all time talented guy. It's just

967
00:51:34,120 --> 00:51:37,239
Speaker 1: been about making the game easier, you know, getting down

968
00:51:37,320 --> 00:51:39,600
Speaker 1: hill more, get into the line, more, developing as a playmaker,

969
00:51:39,640 --> 00:51:42,440
Speaker 1: passing out of doubles, all these things that he's doing

970
00:51:42,520 --> 00:51:45,759
Speaker 1: consistently being really really high level on the defensive end,

971
00:51:45,840 --> 00:51:48,040
Speaker 1: and he's like got it all coming together right now.

972
00:51:48,040 --> 00:51:51,799
Speaker 1: It's really pretty remarkable. I think value of reps man.

973
00:51:51,920 --> 00:51:54,080
Speaker 1: I don't know if you guys remember was it last

974
00:51:54,120 --> 00:51:56,959
Speaker 1: season that Kemba Walker was hurt to start the year

975
00:51:57,560 --> 00:52:02,120
Speaker 1: in like Boston really flound heard because Jalen Brown and

976
00:52:02,200 --> 00:52:06,400
Speaker 1: Jayson Tatum became the primary initiators and then they ship

977
00:52:06,520 --> 00:52:09,440
Speaker 1: Kemba off and they bring in Dennis Schroder, but then

978
00:52:09,440 --> 00:52:13,840
Speaker 1: they shipped Dennis Schroder off, and like during that time period,

979
00:52:13,960 --> 00:52:16,000
Speaker 1: Jayson Tatum was kind of thrown in the deep end

980
00:52:16,040 --> 00:52:18,200
Speaker 1: as the guy who was like the offensive folk rum

981
00:52:18,320 --> 00:52:21,000
Speaker 1: and it got ugly a lot of the time for him.

982
00:52:21,040 --> 00:52:24,160
Speaker 1: But again, it's the value of reps. And and I

983
00:52:24,239 --> 00:52:25,759
Speaker 1: know we're ready to move on from Tatum, but like

984
00:52:25,760 --> 00:52:27,200
Speaker 1: we can talk about this guy for an hour because

985
00:52:27,200 --> 00:52:29,480
Speaker 1: he's such an interesting player. But I I think it

986
00:52:29,560 --> 00:52:31,920
Speaker 1: was the value of reps. And again, I don't want

987
00:52:31,920 --> 00:52:34,640
Speaker 1: to give him that credit until he gets the job done.

988
00:52:34,640 --> 00:52:38,560
Speaker 1: That I do think he's trending in that direction. And

989
00:52:38,600 --> 00:52:41,600
Speaker 1: it is fascinating. I mean, there are so many great

990
00:52:41,719 --> 00:52:45,200
Speaker 1: scoring wings who come into the league as you know,

991
00:52:45,320 --> 00:52:48,040
Speaker 1: subpar playmakers, but just because of the product of having

992
00:52:48,040 --> 00:52:49,759
Speaker 1: the ball in their hands so much, they developed, Like

993
00:52:49,840 --> 00:52:52,640
Speaker 1: we have seen it from Book who was basically had

994
00:52:52,680 --> 00:52:54,360
Speaker 1: to be a point guard for a couple of years,

995
00:52:54,840 --> 00:52:58,960
Speaker 1: from honest Janice, all these guys it's just product of,

996
00:52:59,080 --> 00:53:01,719
Speaker 1: you know, putting pressure on defense, having the ball in

997
00:53:01,719 --> 00:53:04,160
Speaker 1: your hands a lot. They just improved that almost universally,

998
00:53:04,160 --> 00:53:06,279
Speaker 1: and Tatum is a great example of that. Right now,

999
00:53:06,719 --> 00:53:10,080
Speaker 1: All right, we've got another fake question. Four years have

1000
00:53:10,120 --> 00:53:12,879
Speaker 1: now booked their ticket to the second round. They are

1001
00:53:12,880 --> 00:53:16,440
Speaker 1: still awaiting their opponent. So, Jason, who would give them

1002
00:53:16,480 --> 00:53:21,120
Speaker 1: more trouble the Grizzlies or the Timberwolves. Oh man, that's

1003
00:53:21,120 --> 00:53:28,000
Speaker 1: a super super interesting question. Well, the problem because, like,

1004
00:53:28,160 --> 00:53:30,839
Speaker 1: just strictly from an XS and O standpoint, I want

1005
00:53:30,880 --> 00:53:33,480
Speaker 1: to say Minnesota because Minnesota is such a good perimeter

1006
00:53:33,600 --> 00:53:36,800
Speaker 1: defense team and but Minnesota is not a great rim

1007
00:53:36,800 --> 00:53:40,200
Speaker 1: protection team, which a rim protection team would cause more

1008
00:53:40,239 --> 00:53:42,480
Speaker 1: problems for a team that likes to slash and attack

1009
00:53:42,520 --> 00:53:44,520
Speaker 1: the rim all night long. But Golden State's not really

1010
00:53:44,520 --> 00:53:47,759
Speaker 1: like that. Golden State mostly operates with a vacated paint

1011
00:53:47,760 --> 00:53:50,600
Speaker 1: and there's just a ton of congestion on the perimeter,

1012
00:53:50,640 --> 00:53:52,960
Speaker 1: and if they usually can get past that barrier, it's

1013
00:53:53,000 --> 00:53:55,440
Speaker 1: like wide open layups. One of the biggest reasons why

1014
00:53:55,560 --> 00:53:59,239
Speaker 1: uh Steph has one of the best interior finishing percentages

1015
00:53:59,280 --> 00:54:01,800
Speaker 1: for a guard is because he usually is shooting wide

1016
00:54:01,800 --> 00:54:05,440
Speaker 1: open because the defense is so far extended. Well, Minnesota,

1017
00:54:06,000 --> 00:54:08,719
Speaker 1: that's where they're at their best is in perimeter defense.

1018
00:54:08,880 --> 00:54:11,799
Speaker 1: But the reason why I think Memphis would be a

1019
00:54:11,800 --> 00:54:15,399
Speaker 1: tougher matchup is we just have enough experience watching them

1020
00:54:15,440 --> 00:54:19,040
Speaker 1: against Golden State, and they've consistently given Golden State issues.

1021
00:54:19,280 --> 00:54:21,759
Speaker 1: Like just it's just a bad matchup for them on

1022
00:54:21,800 --> 00:54:24,560
Speaker 1: so many fronts. They don't have great you know, they

1023
00:54:24,560 --> 00:54:26,279
Speaker 1: don't have anybody that can stay in front of jaw.

1024
00:54:26,719 --> 00:54:29,080
Speaker 1: You know, they have a lot of big athletes that

1025
00:54:29,120 --> 00:54:31,600
Speaker 1: can punish them on the offensive glass. They're big on

1026
00:54:31,719 --> 00:54:34,080
Speaker 1: the perimeter, which is a huge part of why Denver

1027
00:54:34,160 --> 00:54:37,240
Speaker 1: has been so successful. So I think I leaned towards Memphis.

1028
00:54:37,239 --> 00:54:40,040
Speaker 1: That's gonna be a really really interesting series, and it's

1029
00:54:40,040 --> 00:54:42,640
Speaker 1: gonna be nasty, it's gonna be toxic. There's gonna be

1030
00:54:42,680 --> 00:54:46,560
Speaker 1: trash talk, it's gonna be that's gonna be obviously it.

1031
00:54:46,840 --> 00:54:49,520
Speaker 1: I talked before this playoff run about how this particular

1032
00:54:49,560 --> 00:54:52,279
Speaker 1: playoff run was gonna be one of the most interesting

1033
00:54:52,280 --> 00:54:56,600
Speaker 1: in this era of NBA basketball. But like the second round,

1034
00:54:56,640 --> 00:54:58,920
Speaker 1: fittingly enough, is just gonna have a bunch of super

1035
00:54:58,960 --> 00:55:00,920
Speaker 1: interesting series is and that one's near the top of

1036
00:55:00,960 --> 00:55:05,399
Speaker 1: my list. How much of a chance do you think

1037
00:55:05,440 --> 00:55:13,560
Speaker 1: the Grizzlies have there? Who it's it's it's not because

1038
00:55:13,600 --> 00:55:16,839
Speaker 1: I'm leaning towards Golden State, but it's close, Like i'd

1039
00:55:16,880 --> 00:55:24,120
Speaker 1: probably go like a healthy like it's just the Golden State, Okay, Mike,

1040
00:55:24,160 --> 00:55:26,759
Speaker 1: we talked about earlier, Memphis is nowhere near serious. Like,

1041
00:55:27,200 --> 00:55:30,640
Speaker 1: in the same way that Golden State recognized the threat

1042
00:55:30,719 --> 00:55:34,120
Speaker 1: of Denver and closed the deal tonight, Memphis is the

1043
00:55:34,200 --> 00:55:36,480
Speaker 1: kind of team that would have lost that game because

1044
00:55:36,480 --> 00:55:39,200
Speaker 1: Memphis has had such a in and out focus through

1045
00:55:39,239 --> 00:55:41,120
Speaker 1: this entire playoff from We've talked about it a lot

1046
00:55:41,160 --> 00:55:43,600
Speaker 1: on this show. So like part of me wants to

1047
00:55:43,680 --> 00:55:46,200
Speaker 1: lean on Golden State and their decision making and their

1048
00:55:46,400 --> 00:55:51,680
Speaker 1: savvy nous, but this is just a horrible matchup for them.

1049
00:55:51,719 --> 00:55:54,719
Speaker 1: And so the question is is the horrible matchup enough

1050
00:55:54,760 --> 00:55:57,600
Speaker 1: to make up for you know, obviously Golden State having

1051
00:55:57,640 --> 00:56:00,640
Speaker 1: better perimeter talent, it's a good question. You know, we

1052
00:56:00,680 --> 00:56:02,880
Speaker 1: talked a lot about Minnesota having a good half court defense.

1053
00:56:03,320 --> 00:56:05,279
Speaker 1: Memphis also has a pretty good half court defense, with

1054
00:56:05,360 --> 00:56:08,439
Speaker 1: exception of Jaw He's the one kind of weak link

1055
00:56:08,480 --> 00:56:11,800
Speaker 1: on that front. So I think, you know, Golden State's smarter,

1056
00:56:12,360 --> 00:56:14,840
Speaker 1: they have more experience. I'm gonna lean on them in

1057
00:56:14,840 --> 00:56:18,319
Speaker 1: that regard, but Memphis has a legit puncher's chance to

1058
00:56:18,360 --> 00:56:20,879
Speaker 1: win because of the fact that it's such a bad

1059
00:56:20,960 --> 00:56:24,440
Speaker 1: physical matchup for Golden State. They're bigger and almost every position,

1060
00:56:24,840 --> 00:56:27,760
Speaker 1: and you know, and and again with these kinds of things, Carson,

1061
00:56:27,760 --> 00:56:30,160
Speaker 1: it's always about, like a lot of it has to

1062
00:56:30,200 --> 00:56:32,719
Speaker 1: do with how long this series goes. It's so important

1063
00:56:32,760 --> 00:56:35,400
Speaker 1: for Golden State to steal a game in Memphis and

1064
00:56:35,440 --> 00:56:37,960
Speaker 1: then to win games three and four because they will

1065
00:56:38,000 --> 00:56:41,200
Speaker 1: need to end this series quickly. The longer these series

1066
00:56:41,200 --> 00:56:44,080
Speaker 1: with Golden State go, the more susceptible they are to

1067
00:56:44,160 --> 00:56:46,600
Speaker 1: physical mismatches, and that's gonna be something that they have

1068
00:56:46,640 --> 00:56:50,520
Speaker 1: to keep an eye on. Yeah, that's a really interesting

1069
00:56:50,560 --> 00:56:53,960
Speaker 1: take on it. I feel like the Warriors are pretty

1070
00:56:53,960 --> 00:56:58,479
Speaker 1: clearly the better back basketball team, but you are righting

1071
00:56:58,480 --> 00:57:01,040
Speaker 1: that they would be physically an athletic outmatched. I do

1072
00:57:01,120 --> 00:57:04,120
Speaker 1: feel though the level they have been able to reach

1073
00:57:04,200 --> 00:57:10,080
Speaker 1: defensively is so impressive, and just the shotmaking right now

1074
00:57:10,160 --> 00:57:14,200
Speaker 1: out of pool and obviously Steph and Clay, it feels

1075
00:57:14,239 --> 00:57:16,160
Speaker 1: like that's a lot for the Grizzlies to overcome, just

1076
00:57:16,200 --> 00:57:19,560
Speaker 1: because it's like their half court offense, in their high

1077
00:57:19,680 --> 00:57:23,000
Speaker 1: level shot creation. I mean, even compared to the tables,

1078
00:57:23,040 --> 00:57:26,000
Speaker 1: it's like if you were to tell me one team

1079
00:57:26,000 --> 00:57:29,720
Speaker 1: would be carried by their offensive stars to a win. Obviously,

1080
00:57:29,760 --> 00:57:32,600
Speaker 1: Desmond Bayane has been really tremendous at times in the series,

1081
00:57:32,640 --> 00:57:36,440
Speaker 1: but he's not like that go to bucket getter, initiator

1082
00:57:36,600 --> 00:57:38,160
Speaker 1: kind of guy you've talked about that. I mean, he's

1083
00:57:38,200 --> 00:57:41,000
Speaker 1: a score within the flow, phenomenal catch and shooter, all

1084
00:57:41,000 --> 00:57:44,280
Speaker 1: this different stuff, and so it just feels to me

1085
00:57:44,360 --> 00:57:47,120
Speaker 1: like that is still an issue with Memphis that can

1086
00:57:47,160 --> 00:57:51,920
Speaker 1: be exploited that if Jaw is an other worldly you know,

1087
00:57:51,960 --> 00:57:54,960
Speaker 1: you're relying on an inefficient Dylan Brooks as a second

1088
00:57:55,000 --> 00:57:57,240
Speaker 1: guy or a Desmond Bayane who you know, it's just

1089
00:57:57,240 --> 00:58:00,200
Speaker 1: not really his natural role. Triple j is still every

1090
00:58:00,240 --> 00:58:02,280
Speaker 1: other offensive posession when he initiates, it feel like he

1091
00:58:02,320 --> 00:58:04,840
Speaker 1: doesn't really know what he's doing. So I just feel

1092
00:58:04,840 --> 00:58:06,680
Speaker 1: like things are a little smoother or a little easier

1093
00:58:06,680 --> 00:58:08,960
Speaker 1: for the Warriors on that end right now. So I

1094
00:58:08,960 --> 00:58:14,160
Speaker 1: would probably put it closer to like Dubs. Honestly, I

1095
00:58:14,160 --> 00:58:15,680
Speaker 1: feel like there's a bit of a gap there right now,

1096
00:58:15,920 --> 00:58:20,200
Speaker 1: you're very confident. That's interesting. The offensive fulcrum pieces interesting

1097
00:58:20,240 --> 00:58:23,200
Speaker 1: because like part of the issue in this series Denver

1098
00:58:23,800 --> 00:58:28,360
Speaker 1: has been Yokich's ability to just utterly compromise their defense

1099
00:58:28,720 --> 00:58:31,960
Speaker 1: throughout the entire game, so that even these inferior guards

1100
00:58:31,960 --> 00:58:35,240
Speaker 1: are just getting amazing looks every time down the floor, right,

1101
00:58:35,280 --> 00:58:38,280
Speaker 1: And like not that Jaw doesn't have that capability, because

1102
00:58:38,320 --> 00:58:40,840
Speaker 1: he does. But I think that Golden State is going

1103
00:58:40,880 --> 00:58:43,240
Speaker 1: to be more equipped and now that will be something

1104
00:58:43,240 --> 00:58:45,360
Speaker 1: as the series goes Alonge that becomes an advantage for

1105
00:58:45,400 --> 00:58:48,200
Speaker 1: them as the smarter team. I think they're gonna be

1106
00:58:48,280 --> 00:58:50,360
Speaker 1: able to figure out more ways to slow Jot down.

1107
00:58:50,400 --> 00:58:53,720
Speaker 1: So that is an interesting angle there. Well, you bring

1108
00:58:53,760 --> 00:58:57,080
Speaker 1: up the Yoki dynamic, and I mean in terms of

1109
00:58:57,160 --> 00:59:01,680
Speaker 1: just making average or media ochre players around him look

1110
00:59:01,720 --> 00:59:04,040
Speaker 1: good and put them in exceptional position to succeed. I mean,

1111
00:59:04,040 --> 00:59:06,880
Speaker 1: that's all that he's done all year and throughout last year.

1112
00:59:06,960 --> 00:59:09,880
Speaker 1: Once Jamal Murray got hurt, is just ut those guys.

1113
00:59:10,120 --> 00:59:14,680
Speaker 1: We've got another fake question here. Even in defeat, did

1114
00:59:14,760 --> 00:59:19,840
Speaker 1: Yokich shut the haters up with his performance in this series? Okay,

1115
00:59:20,040 --> 00:59:23,240
Speaker 1: quick follow up question. Am I considered a hater? No,

1116
00:59:23,480 --> 00:59:27,240
Speaker 1: So here's where I would classify you, Jason. I think

1117
00:59:27,280 --> 00:59:31,360
Speaker 1: you're a fair skeptic. I think your criticisms about you know,

1118
00:59:31,640 --> 00:59:34,440
Speaker 1: having to go out and show that he doesn't have

1119
00:59:34,480 --> 00:59:37,320
Speaker 1: these weaknesses that can be exploited compared to other like

1120
00:59:37,880 --> 00:59:40,640
Speaker 1: all time, you know, top five kind of players. I

1121
00:59:40,640 --> 00:59:42,120
Speaker 1: think that's fair. I don't think that you're a hater.

1122
00:59:42,200 --> 00:59:45,240
Speaker 1: I would say haters are people who would like argue

1123
00:59:45,280 --> 00:59:47,920
Speaker 1: that he, you know, certainly didn't deserve m v P,

1124
00:59:48,080 --> 00:59:49,520
Speaker 1: which you didn't do. I mean, he was your m

1125
00:59:49,560 --> 00:59:51,680
Speaker 1: v P. Or I saw Charles Barkley the other day

1126
00:59:51,880 --> 00:59:55,720
Speaker 1: didn't have him in his top ten players. Like people

1127
00:59:55,760 --> 00:59:58,960
Speaker 1: who I think disregard the context and just blindly make

1128
00:59:59,000 --> 01:00:02,439
Speaker 1: anti yokich ar events. I don't think you fall into

1129
01:00:02,440 --> 01:00:05,280
Speaker 1: that category, but I would hope they would have shut

1130
01:00:05,320 --> 01:00:09,680
Speaker 1: that down. No, I mean I I've always, I've always

1131
01:00:09,680 --> 01:00:12,760
Speaker 1: I've had the respect, the requisite respect of Yoki ever

1132
01:00:12,800 --> 01:00:17,040
Speaker 1: since that Clipper series and like again, and you you

1133
01:00:17,080 --> 01:00:19,320
Speaker 1: guys know how much I value playmaking, Like I think

1134
01:00:19,360 --> 01:00:23,080
Speaker 1: he's in that like exclusive echelon of the top four

1135
01:00:23,120 --> 01:00:25,480
Speaker 1: playmakers in the league. You know with CP three, Luca

1136
01:00:25,480 --> 01:00:28,160
Speaker 1: and Lebron and I have a great deal of respect

1137
01:00:28,160 --> 01:00:32,240
Speaker 1: for that specific skill. So like my my thing is

1138
01:00:32,280 --> 01:00:35,960
Speaker 1: like I'm kind of sick of this conversation the and

1139
01:00:36,120 --> 01:00:37,680
Speaker 1: I'm not I'm not talking about like the question. I

1140
01:00:37,720 --> 01:00:41,120
Speaker 1: mean like the question, the conversation surrounding like Yokich is

1141
01:00:41,120 --> 01:00:43,480
Speaker 1: a floor raiser, Like I'm kind of sick of that.

1142
01:00:43,840 --> 01:00:48,040
Speaker 1: Like I'm ready to see Javal Murray come back, Michael

1143
01:00:48,040 --> 01:00:51,120
Speaker 1: Porter Jr. Come back, And to see this team with

1144
01:00:51,200 --> 01:00:54,280
Speaker 1: some real expectations and see what that looks like. And

1145
01:00:54,320 --> 01:00:56,760
Speaker 1: I want to see because because part of the issue

1146
01:00:56,800 --> 01:00:58,919
Speaker 1: here is Yokich keeps losing in the first round because

1147
01:00:58,920 --> 01:01:00,360
Speaker 1: his team has hurt out all the sast year. I

1148
01:01:00,400 --> 01:01:02,360
Speaker 1: guess he did beat that Portland Trailblazers team, but then

1149
01:01:02,400 --> 01:01:05,240
Speaker 1: he went out feebly against Phoenix. So it's like part

1150
01:01:05,240 --> 01:01:07,800
Speaker 1: of me is like I want to see I want

1151
01:01:07,840 --> 01:01:09,520
Speaker 1: to see Yokis go on a real playoff run like

1152
01:01:09,520 --> 01:01:14,760
Speaker 1: this now again, the you saw the Lakers give him

1153
01:01:14,840 --> 01:01:17,680
Speaker 1: some issues in the bubble with like throwing Dwight Howard

1154
01:01:17,720 --> 01:01:20,320
Speaker 1: at him, and Anthony Davis had some success against him.

1155
01:01:20,360 --> 01:01:22,320
Speaker 1: They were attacking him on the defensive end as well,

1156
01:01:22,320 --> 01:01:24,960
Speaker 1: although the Lakers didn't quite have the personnel to get

1157
01:01:25,000 --> 01:01:27,120
Speaker 1: him out of the paint enough. But like I'm just

1158
01:01:27,680 --> 01:01:29,840
Speaker 1: I'm ready to see the next challenge for Yoki. Like

1159
01:01:29,880 --> 01:01:31,680
Speaker 1: I've already known that he can raise the floor. I've

1160
01:01:31,680 --> 01:01:34,680
Speaker 1: already known that he can keep a team relatively competitive

1161
01:01:34,680 --> 01:01:37,440
Speaker 1: against the team like the Warriors when he has inferior talent.

1162
01:01:37,480 --> 01:01:39,840
Speaker 1: Like I've already seen all of that. So like, to me,

1163
01:01:39,960 --> 01:01:42,880
Speaker 1: there's nothing really new from Yokichen here. I would and

1164
01:01:42,920 --> 01:01:44,880
Speaker 1: at this point, like the Barkley types and the guys

1165
01:01:44,880 --> 01:01:46,520
Speaker 1: that don't have him in their top ten, like they're

1166
01:01:46,600 --> 01:01:50,080
Speaker 1: beyond saving, Like they're they're not they're either not watching

1167
01:01:50,200 --> 01:01:52,720
Speaker 1: enough basketball or they're deliberately not paying attention to what

1168
01:01:52,800 --> 01:01:55,480
Speaker 1: they're seeing. It's just to me, those guys are kind

1169
01:01:55,480 --> 01:01:58,560
Speaker 1: of like, uh, nefarious characters in terms of actually trying

1170
01:01:58,560 --> 01:02:02,680
Speaker 1: to talk basketball. Yeah, I agree, I would put absolutely

1171
01:02:02,760 --> 01:02:07,520
Speaker 1: zero stock into that. I think that this does not

1172
01:02:07,720 --> 01:02:09,760
Speaker 1: change my opinion of Yokis whatsoever, because I think that

1173
01:02:09,800 --> 01:02:11,439
Speaker 1: you're absolutely right. I mean, if you've watched the guy

1174
01:02:11,520 --> 01:02:13,640
Speaker 1: play a lot of basketball, there's never been a doubt

1175
01:02:13,680 --> 01:02:16,040
Speaker 1: about his ability to raise an offensive ceiling, and I

1176
01:02:16,080 --> 01:02:19,840
Speaker 1: think that. I mean, his postseason production is pretty ridiculous.

1177
01:02:19,880 --> 01:02:23,840
Speaker 1: Throughout his career, he's consistently elevated his raw production, and

1178
01:02:23,880 --> 01:02:28,560
Speaker 1: he was thirty one, thirteen and six in this series

1179
01:02:28,560 --> 01:02:32,200
Speaker 1: on almost fifty eight percent shooting from the field. Let

1180
01:02:32,240 --> 01:02:35,240
Speaker 1: me ask you this, then, I think Yoki is the

1181
01:02:35,280 --> 01:02:37,840
Speaker 1: best offensive player on the planet. I think that your

1182
01:02:37,880 --> 01:02:40,640
Speaker 1: defensive criticism is fair. I think maybe at times I've

1183
01:02:40,760 --> 01:02:44,520
Speaker 1: underrated that. What's your reaction to that. I'll make the case,

1184
01:02:44,640 --> 01:02:49,480
Speaker 1: but just gut instinct, what do you think So the

1185
01:02:49,520 --> 01:02:53,080
Speaker 1: ability to thrive in any sort of individual coverage but

1186
01:02:53,160 --> 01:02:55,080
Speaker 1: also have the ability to play make at such a

1187
01:02:55,120 --> 01:02:58,000
Speaker 1: high level, I think automatically puts you in that conversation.

1188
01:02:59,160 --> 01:03:05,439
Speaker 1: I I'm always gonna go towards man. The hard part

1189
01:03:05,520 --> 01:03:06,920
Speaker 1: is is like my brain wants to go to like

1190
01:03:07,040 --> 01:03:13,400
Speaker 1: Lebron or a Steph, but they're both aging, so like

1191
01:03:13,840 --> 01:03:16,680
Speaker 1: I want a grandfather. The two of them above Yo

1192
01:03:16,760 --> 01:03:19,520
Speaker 1: kich in that conversation, But I could totally see why

1193
01:03:19,560 --> 01:03:21,720
Speaker 1: you put yokas on that level. My think the reason

1194
01:03:21,760 --> 01:03:25,480
Speaker 1: why I always have thought of Lebron as the best

1195
01:03:25,560 --> 01:03:29,320
Speaker 1: offensive engine in basketball is because of that diversity of

1196
01:03:29,360 --> 01:03:32,440
Speaker 1: his attack, the diversity of his attack. Like Lebron, just

1197
01:03:33,200 --> 01:03:35,240
Speaker 1: if you're giving him issues on one spot of the floor,

1198
01:03:35,280 --> 01:03:36,640
Speaker 1: he's just going to a different spot of the floor

1199
01:03:36,680 --> 01:03:38,400
Speaker 1: and he can thrive there as well. He can do

1200
01:03:38,800 --> 01:03:40,240
Speaker 1: he has a face up game, he's got a post

1201
01:03:40,360 --> 01:03:43,160
Speaker 1: up game, he's got a live dribble game. He can

1202
01:03:43,240 --> 01:03:44,960
Speaker 1: work at a pick and roll, he can work at isolation,

1203
01:03:44,960 --> 01:03:47,600
Speaker 1: he can score from all three levels. Like that to me,

1204
01:03:47,760 --> 01:03:50,000
Speaker 1: in conjunction with his playmaking, kind of gives him an

1205
01:03:50,000 --> 01:03:53,720
Speaker 1: extra level of versatility. But it's and it's hard for

1206
01:03:53,760 --> 01:03:55,840
Speaker 1: me to bump Lebron off that spot after he had

1207
01:03:55,880 --> 01:03:59,320
Speaker 1: yet another kind of magnificent offensive season on a garbage

1208
01:03:59,320 --> 01:04:01,680
Speaker 1: team where they were loading up on him just about

1209
01:04:01,680 --> 01:04:04,480
Speaker 1: every single time he had the basketball. But like, I

1210
01:04:04,520 --> 01:04:07,479
Speaker 1: totally see why your Kich is in the running there.

1211
01:04:07,960 --> 01:04:10,840
Speaker 1: But again, it's like, I want to see him go

1212
01:04:11,040 --> 01:04:14,280
Speaker 1: on a long playoff run where he has some ceiling

1213
01:04:14,360 --> 01:04:17,240
Speaker 1: raising potential with a good team before I kind of

1214
01:04:17,240 --> 01:04:18,720
Speaker 1: bump him to the top of that list. But I'm not.

1215
01:04:18,800 --> 01:04:23,360
Speaker 1: I'm not gonna poo poo your idea here at all. Yeah,

1216
01:04:23,480 --> 01:04:25,680
Speaker 1: I think it's interesting. Another thing that I would say

1217
01:04:25,720 --> 01:04:28,280
Speaker 1: is a dynamic with Lebron that I think has always

1218
01:04:28,360 --> 01:04:31,960
Speaker 1: given him an advantage comparatively over guys like Steph. To me,

1219
01:04:32,160 --> 01:04:36,680
Speaker 1: is the physical imposition element where you know, if things

1220
01:04:36,720 --> 01:04:39,240
Speaker 1: aren't going right from with his jump shot or what

1221
01:04:39,360 --> 01:04:43,320
Speaker 1: have you. I mean, just brutal dominance. I think, yeah,

1222
01:04:43,440 --> 01:04:45,920
Speaker 1: just run him over every time. I think it's really impressive.

1223
01:04:46,200 --> 01:04:48,680
Speaker 1: I just think, you know, the production with your kich

1224
01:04:48,760 --> 01:04:52,360
Speaker 1: is totally historically unprecedented. The efficiency is totally historically unprecedented.

1225
01:04:52,400 --> 01:04:55,200
Speaker 1: I do think the versatility is also pretty unreal. I

1226
01:04:55,200 --> 01:05:00,160
Speaker 1: mean he does everything. You know. He is curling around screens,

1227
01:05:00,200 --> 01:05:03,640
Speaker 1: he is rolling and popping, He's dominating out of the post,

1228
01:05:03,920 --> 01:05:08,440
Speaker 1: he's pushing in transition. Like, I think he is really

1229
01:05:08,480 --> 01:05:10,800
Speaker 1: in a class of his own in terms of his

1230
01:05:10,840 --> 01:05:13,360
Speaker 1: ability to just play all these different roles on offense.

1231
01:05:13,360 --> 01:05:16,960
Speaker 1: I agree with you, Lebron also has you know, incredible versatility,

1232
01:05:17,080 --> 01:05:20,640
Speaker 1: But I just think the guy is really really something else,

1233
01:05:20,880 --> 01:05:22,480
Speaker 1: and purely in terms of offense. I do think he's

1234
01:05:22,520 --> 01:05:24,680
Speaker 1: the best. I think he also, for me, might be

1235
01:05:24,720 --> 01:05:26,320
Speaker 1: the best player overall in the world. I know you're

1236
01:05:26,320 --> 01:05:33,040
Speaker 1: not gonna like that take, and I do have obviously

1237
01:05:33,080 --> 01:05:35,960
Speaker 1: some of the same defensive issues I do. At times,

1238
01:05:35,960 --> 01:05:38,360
Speaker 1: they'll just think the offense is overwhelming enough to where

1239
01:05:38,400 --> 01:05:42,120
Speaker 1: it's like, I don't know, everybody has their flaws. Janice,

1240
01:05:42,160 --> 01:05:44,919
Speaker 1: the half court offenses a flaw. Katie I just don't

1241
01:05:44,920 --> 01:05:48,800
Speaker 1: think compares as an overall offensive engine anybody. And you know,

1242
01:05:48,960 --> 01:05:51,320
Speaker 1: there's a bunch of guys you can throw into that conversation, Steph,

1243
01:05:51,400 --> 01:05:54,640
Speaker 1: I don't think the conversation is super complicated now, Like

1244
01:05:55,600 --> 01:05:58,959
Speaker 1: I can't wait till after the season kind of get

1245
01:05:58,960 --> 01:06:01,120
Speaker 1: in more into the weed of this with you, because

1246
01:06:01,160 --> 01:06:03,560
Speaker 1: like the truth of the matter is is like it's

1247
01:06:03,640 --> 01:06:05,480
Speaker 1: so up in the air for me because I did

1248
01:06:05,560 --> 01:06:09,120
Speaker 1: I had Janice at like third overall behind Lebron and

1249
01:06:09,240 --> 01:06:11,920
Speaker 1: Katie coming into this run, and and I don't want

1250
01:06:11,920 --> 01:06:13,400
Speaker 1: to just be like, yes, is the best because I

1251
01:06:13,440 --> 01:06:16,240
Speaker 1: think he's gonna struggle against Boston. So like I'm really

1252
01:06:16,280 --> 01:06:18,760
Speaker 1: curious to see that. Like this is like this whole

1253
01:06:18,880 --> 01:06:21,360
Speaker 1: NBA hierarchy is like a snow globe that just got

1254
01:06:21,400 --> 01:06:23,280
Speaker 1: like shook like a hundred times, and like I'm just

1255
01:06:23,320 --> 01:06:25,240
Speaker 1: really curious to see where it all lands in the

1256
01:06:25,280 --> 01:06:28,360
Speaker 1: next month and a half, you know, on equivocally. I mean,

1257
01:06:28,400 --> 01:06:31,800
Speaker 1: I cannot remember a time in my brief yet beautiful

1258
01:06:31,840 --> 01:06:34,000
Speaker 1: life that there have been remotely this many guys and

1259
01:06:34,080 --> 01:06:37,080
Speaker 1: the best player in the world conversation, like not even close.

1260
01:06:37,200 --> 01:06:39,280
Speaker 1: You know, it's been so consensus for the most or

1261
01:06:39,280 --> 01:06:41,760
Speaker 1: maybe one or two challengers. So it is really fun

1262
01:06:41,800 --> 01:06:46,200
Speaker 1: and interesting. All right, last question here, Jason, it's another

1263
01:06:46,200 --> 01:06:49,720
Speaker 1: fake one. We talked a little bit about Charles Barkley.

1264
01:06:50,200 --> 01:06:53,840
Speaker 1: He called Kevin Duran a bus rider. You reacted to

1265
01:06:53,840 --> 01:06:56,040
Speaker 1: those remarks. What do you think the last time was

1266
01:06:56,240 --> 01:07:01,080
Speaker 1: that Charles Barkley wrote a bus? Oh? Like literally or

1267
01:07:01,120 --> 01:07:04,480
Speaker 1: the NBA version, the last time Charles Barkley literally wrote

1268
01:07:04,480 --> 01:07:10,840
Speaker 1: a bus? Oh man, I'm gonna go with like in

1269
01:07:10,920 --> 01:07:13,360
Speaker 1: Europe or wherever it was that the Dream Team went.

1270
01:07:13,640 --> 01:07:15,640
Speaker 1: That's gonna be my guest. Wait, wait, are we counting

1271
01:07:15,680 --> 01:07:18,320
Speaker 1: like charter bus to the arena? Because if that's the case,

1272
01:07:18,360 --> 01:07:21,640
Speaker 1: it's probably happened on a road trip. Yeah, that's a

1273
01:07:21,640 --> 01:07:23,920
Speaker 1: good question. I'm gonna say, No, I don't think that

1274
01:07:23,960 --> 01:07:28,400
Speaker 1: counts as a bus. Okay, like public bus maybe Europe

1275
01:07:28,600 --> 01:07:32,000
Speaker 1: for the Dream Team, but that's about it. Yeah, was

1276
01:07:32,040 --> 01:07:35,959
Speaker 1: he on the nineties Olympics team. I have no idea.

1277
01:07:36,040 --> 01:07:37,800
Speaker 1: That's a really good question. Now, I think he was

1278
01:07:37,880 --> 01:07:40,200
Speaker 1: dealing with some injuries at that point in his career,

1279
01:07:40,240 --> 01:07:43,600
Speaker 1: so I doubt it because things went downhill fast for

1280
01:07:43,680 --> 01:07:46,920
Speaker 1: Chuck after he left Phoenix, right, well six is when

1281
01:07:46,920 --> 01:07:52,960
Speaker 1: he actually went to Houston, Right, Yeah, I think. I

1282
01:07:53,000 --> 01:07:57,360
Speaker 1: think it's been a very long time. And honestly, I mean,

1283
01:07:57,640 --> 01:07:59,520
Speaker 1: would there have been a ton of reason for him

1284
01:07:59,560 --> 01:08:01,360
Speaker 1: to be on a public bus. It might go back

1285
01:08:01,400 --> 01:08:10,120
Speaker 1: further than that. Yeah, you're right, I think high school. Yeah, man, well,

1286
01:08:10,480 --> 01:08:12,560
Speaker 1: I don't know, maybe college. I mean, I think he's

1287
01:08:12,560 --> 01:08:15,360
Speaker 1: been living on his palace of Krispy Kreme Donuts for

1288
01:08:15,440 --> 01:08:20,679
Speaker 1: quite some time. That dude, Charles Charles and Stephen A. Smith,

1289
01:08:20,720 --> 01:08:23,880
Speaker 1: the two of those guys, the clip that they unloaded

1290
01:08:23,920 --> 01:08:28,000
Speaker 1: this last week, it's like, oh, man, and you know me, like,

1291
01:08:28,040 --> 01:08:30,320
Speaker 1: I try so hard to avoid some of that stuff,

1292
01:08:30,360 --> 01:08:32,760
Speaker 1: but I have to to a certain extent because there is,

1293
01:08:32,800 --> 01:08:35,439
Speaker 1: like you have to leve me some legitimate criticism on

1294
01:08:35,479 --> 01:08:37,799
Speaker 1: some of these guys, like I mean, Kad like Katie

1295
01:08:37,800 --> 01:08:39,400
Speaker 1: has always been one of my favorite players. I thought

1296
01:08:39,439 --> 01:08:40,840
Speaker 1: he was the best player in the world coming into

1297
01:08:40,840 --> 01:08:43,439
Speaker 1: this playoff run and like he had a really bad series.

1298
01:08:43,520 --> 01:08:45,280
Speaker 1: Like I can't just sit there and lie about that,

1299
01:08:45,360 --> 01:08:47,240
Speaker 1: even though I'm a Katy fan, you know, so it's

1300
01:08:47,280 --> 01:08:49,800
Speaker 1: like you gotta be honest about these kinds of things.

1301
01:08:49,840 --> 01:08:53,040
Speaker 1: But like, man, Stephen A. Smith and Charles Barkley just

1302
01:08:53,080 --> 01:08:55,920
Speaker 1: went for the jugular over the this last week, and

1303
01:08:55,960 --> 01:09:01,920
Speaker 1: they're as performative like take artists there's they're unparalleled, and

1304
01:09:02,040 --> 01:09:03,559
Speaker 1: so like when the two of them get on a

1305
01:09:03,680 --> 01:09:05,519
Speaker 1: roll like that, it's a site to behold. Man, I'm

1306
01:09:05,560 --> 01:09:08,600
Speaker 1: telling you, yeah, I I there was a lot of

1307
01:09:08,640 --> 01:09:11,760
Speaker 1: talk of everybody just the next time that either one

1308
01:09:11,760 --> 01:09:13,160
Speaker 1: of them would get in front of them Mike because

1309
01:09:13,160 --> 01:09:15,439
Speaker 1: they knew what was coming. Apparently Barkley was on the

1310
01:09:15,479 --> 01:09:18,400
Speaker 1: nineties six team, so maybe that's maybe that's a candidate. Really,

1311
01:09:18,479 --> 01:09:22,479
Speaker 1: that's super interesting. Yeah, alright, guys, that is all we

1312
01:09:22,560 --> 01:09:25,240
Speaker 1: have for tonight. I sincerely appreciate your support. As always,

1313
01:09:25,439 --> 01:09:28,280
Speaker 1: don't forget to hit that subscribe button on the Volumes

1314
01:09:28,280 --> 01:09:31,880
Speaker 1: YouTube channel. Don't forget I also do video breakdowns of

1315
01:09:31,960 --> 01:09:34,040
Speaker 1: almost every game that I watched, So follow me on

1316
01:09:34,040 --> 01:09:37,000
Speaker 1: Twitter at underscore Jason lt so you can get some

1317
01:09:37,080 --> 01:09:39,960
Speaker 1: video content to back up the things that I am saying.

1318
01:09:40,360 --> 01:09:42,599
Speaker 1: We will be back tomorrow night, not with the live

1319
01:09:42,720 --> 01:09:45,840
Speaker 1: show because we're doing some NFL Draft stuff with the

1320
01:09:45,920 --> 01:09:49,120
Speaker 1: live element of things, but I'm still gonna be recording

1321
01:09:49,160 --> 01:09:52,439
Speaker 1: reaction videos to all three games. So just stay tuned

1322
01:09:52,520 --> 01:09:54,720
Speaker 1: to the Volumes YouTube page and you will see those

1323
01:09:54,800 --> 01:09:57,559
Speaker 1: videos there, and then we will take our usual Friday

1324
01:09:57,600 --> 01:10:00,240
Speaker 1: Saturday off and we'll be back on Sunday for kicking

1325
01:10:00,240 --> 01:10:03,679
Speaker 1: down what's going to be an unbelievably incredible first round

1326
01:10:03,840 --> 01:10:06,000
Speaker 1: or a first game of the second round. I appreciate

1327
01:10:06,000 --> 01:10:08,240
Speaker 1: your guys supports sincerely from the bottom of my heart,

1328
01:10:08,240 --> 01:10:21,879
Speaker 1: and I'll see you guys tomorrow. The Volume