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In tennessee redline dial one 27 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:47,440 Speaker 1: eight hundred eight eight nine nine seven eight nine in Tennessee, 28 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 1: visit www one dot one eight hundred gambler dot net 29 00:01:51,760 --> 00:02:14,160 Speaker 1: in West Virginia. All right, welcome to Hoops Tonight, presented 30 00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:17,800 Speaker 1: I Fan Duel here at the volume live on AMP 31 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:20,320 Speaker 1: Pappy Tuesday. Everybody. I hope you guys as weeks are 32 00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:22,240 Speaker 1: off to a good start. Here's the plan for the 33 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:25,040 Speaker 1: next couple of days. Tonight, we're gonna be talking about 34 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:27,680 Speaker 1: Ben Simmons's return to Philly, just focusing in on that 35 00:02:27,760 --> 00:02:31,079 Speaker 1: game and on some of the narratives surrounding Ben Simmons, 36 00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:33,320 Speaker 1: and then keep an eye on the feet. Tomorrow we're 37 00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:35,080 Speaker 1: gonna be doing a mail back, so all of you 38 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:37,600 Speaker 1: guys are sending mail back questions. I really appreciate that 39 00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 1: we're gonna get to a bunch of them. I think 40 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:41,320 Speaker 1: I picked out seven of them that we're gonna be 41 00:02:41,400 --> 00:02:44,520 Speaker 1: hitting tomorrow. So keep an eye on the feet. And 42 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:46,120 Speaker 1: then also for those of you who are listening to 43 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:48,480 Speaker 1: this on YouTube or on the podcast feed, don't forget 44 00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:51,640 Speaker 1: that AMP is the very first place that you guys 45 00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:54,240 Speaker 1: can get these post game breakdowns. So this is a 46 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:56,760 Speaker 1: good old fashioned ass kicking in a lot of different ways. 47 00:02:56,800 --> 00:02:59,800 Speaker 1: It felt like Philly was completely in control that entire 48 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:03,960 Speaker 1: that can have. They really poverized Brooklyn on the glass 49 00:03:03,960 --> 00:03:08,239 Speaker 1: and shot the ball really really well. Now, remember Brooklyn 50 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:12,000 Speaker 1: has been really good defensively lately their fourth coming into tonight, 51 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:15,560 Speaker 1: they were fourth and defensive rating since the Kyrie suspension. 52 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:18,679 Speaker 1: But they are a long and athletic team, but they're 53 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:21,839 Speaker 1: not a physically imposing team. They're not strong. And when 54 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:26,120 Speaker 1: you look at that Philly roster and even down three, 55 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:29,839 Speaker 1: basically they're three best players. Even down those guys, it's 56 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:33,839 Speaker 1: like p J. Tucker, big strong wing, like physically imposing wing. 57 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:37,600 Speaker 1: Tobias Hair is big, strong wing. Even you know Montrez Harrold, 58 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:41,280 Speaker 1: he plays a lot bigger and stronger than he actually is. 59 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:44,280 Speaker 1: Paul Reid, big strong player, and then they've got enough 60 00:03:44,640 --> 00:03:48,200 Speaker 1: ball handling and shooting with you know, with um, with 61 00:03:48,280 --> 00:03:51,160 Speaker 1: guys like the Anthony Melton that they picked up, and 62 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:54,000 Speaker 1: and for concork Mas can make plays with the basketball 63 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:56,840 Speaker 1: in his hands. They've got guys that can play offense. 64 00:03:56,880 --> 00:03:59,080 Speaker 1: And so if you bring a weak effort, you can 65 00:03:59,120 --> 00:04:01,839 Speaker 1: still lose to that team, especially when they're in front 66 00:04:01,880 --> 00:04:04,240 Speaker 1: of a crowd that's highly motivated and that wants to 67 00:04:04,240 --> 00:04:07,480 Speaker 1: beat the Brooklynetts because Ben Simmons plays for them, which 68 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:10,520 Speaker 1: we'll talk about here in just a second. Tobias Harris 69 00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:14,560 Speaker 1: absolutely dominated the second half of this game. You know, 70 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:17,039 Speaker 1: it's funny when when I coming into the season, I 71 00:04:17,080 --> 00:04:20,160 Speaker 1: talked about Philly's top four players and how they were 72 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:23,760 Speaker 1: the most talented top four in the league, and everyone, 73 00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:26,240 Speaker 1: you know, seemed to be kind of react in a 74 00:04:26,320 --> 00:04:29,080 Speaker 1: in a very unenthusiastic manner to that, because it's like 75 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:31,640 Speaker 1: a lot of times guys like Tobias Harris just kind 76 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:34,720 Speaker 1: of get forgotten, and he is the forgotten member of 77 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:36,600 Speaker 1: that group. But the reality is that has more to 78 00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:39,440 Speaker 1: do with his role than it does with his actual 79 00:04:39,520 --> 00:04:43,279 Speaker 1: skill set. Tobias Harris is a big, strong wing that 80 00:04:43,360 --> 00:04:46,680 Speaker 1: has a good versatile skill set that allows him to 81 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:50,320 Speaker 1: score the basketball. He's just on a team alongside Tobias 82 00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:52,919 Speaker 1: or excuse me, alongside Tyrese Maxie who's one of the 83 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:55,479 Speaker 1: best young guards in the league, James Harden, who's just 84 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:57,839 Speaker 1: flat out one of the best guards in the league, 85 00:04:57,920 --> 00:05:00,760 Speaker 1: and Joel Empide, who's a top six or seven player 86 00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:04,560 Speaker 1: in the league. So he's relegated down to a role 87 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:06,680 Speaker 1: where he's doing a lot more spotting up, a lot 88 00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:09,440 Speaker 1: more attacking close outs, a lot more playing on the 89 00:05:09,480 --> 00:05:13,599 Speaker 1: margins rather than doing things with the basketball in his hands. 90 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:15,840 Speaker 1: And that's that's just an important part of the game 91 00:05:15,839 --> 00:05:18,719 Speaker 1: of basketball. Something that impacted me when I played in college. 92 00:05:18,760 --> 00:05:21,560 Speaker 1: My first couple of years, I was a score I 93 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:24,240 Speaker 1: was playing on teams that were less talented. They put 94 00:05:24,240 --> 00:05:26,840 Speaker 1: the basketball in my hands. I average double figures, I 95 00:05:26,880 --> 00:05:28,919 Speaker 1: shot a lot better, had a bunch of big scoring games. 96 00:05:28,960 --> 00:05:30,440 Speaker 1: And then I played on a team where I had 97 00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:32,800 Speaker 1: two All American guards and they stuck me in the 98 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:35,480 Speaker 1: corner and it was a completely different type of role. 99 00:05:36,080 --> 00:05:38,720 Speaker 1: And in that season I had my worst shooting season. 100 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:42,320 Speaker 1: After shooting like fift in conference play from three the 101 00:05:42,360 --> 00:05:44,960 Speaker 1: previous year. I couldn't make a damn shot to save 102 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:47,960 Speaker 1: my life in that much smaller role. And you know, 103 00:05:48,080 --> 00:05:50,080 Speaker 1: in a lot of cases like that, when you get 104 00:05:50,160 --> 00:05:53,040 Speaker 1: into a different type of basketball role, you can struggle. 105 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:55,240 Speaker 1: And I feel like over the years, Tobias Harris has 106 00:05:55,279 --> 00:05:59,680 Speaker 1: gone a little bit under appreciated, and it has become 107 00:05:59,720 --> 00:06:02,640 Speaker 1: that for gott member the team, that has more to 108 00:06:02,720 --> 00:06:04,839 Speaker 1: do with the role that he's in than it does 109 00:06:04,839 --> 00:06:06,919 Speaker 1: his actual skill set. And what did he do that 110 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:11,279 Speaker 1: entire second half? He picked on the smaller Brooklyn guards 111 00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:14,400 Speaker 1: and wings and scored over the top of them because 112 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:17,680 Speaker 1: he is a big, skilled wing. And I hope that 113 00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:20,960 Speaker 1: a game like tonight just kind of reminds people that 114 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:23,800 Speaker 1: he's capable of a lot more than what he has 115 00:06:23,880 --> 00:06:26,159 Speaker 1: shown for the Sixers over the course of the last 116 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:29,080 Speaker 1: couple of years. And really he's a guy who's sacrificing 117 00:06:29,120 --> 00:06:33,000 Speaker 1: to make this particular team work, and that people should 118 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:36,120 Speaker 1: be a little bit more hesitant to offer criticism towards 119 00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:38,920 Speaker 1: him when he's having a rough night, when he's you know, 120 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:42,640 Speaker 1: playing on the margins um Brooklyn. Again, like I said earlier, 121 00:06:42,680 --> 00:06:46,440 Speaker 1: They've been much better defending and rebounding lately, even since 122 00:06:46,480 --> 00:06:49,279 Speaker 1: the kyriees haspension, they've been twenty three and rebounding, which 123 00:06:49,400 --> 00:06:52,000 Speaker 1: originally before that they were like near the very bottom. 124 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:54,599 Speaker 1: So again, bad but better than it had been. But 125 00:06:54,680 --> 00:06:57,960 Speaker 1: tonight they completely let go of the rope with both 126 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:00,320 Speaker 1: and they got their ass kicked. And that's how it's 127 00:07:00,320 --> 00:07:03,160 Speaker 1: gonna go. Um. You know, for Ben Simmons, I really 128 00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:06,599 Speaker 1: didn't think the reception was that bad. And you know, 129 00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:08,440 Speaker 1: there was some booze. You know, when he missed a 130 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:11,280 Speaker 1: jump pook, there'd be some booze when you know, just 131 00:07:11,320 --> 00:07:14,800 Speaker 1: in general, there was some negative energy that was directed 132 00:07:14,800 --> 00:07:16,640 Speaker 1: towards him, But it wasn't that bad. And the reason 133 00:07:16,680 --> 00:07:19,320 Speaker 1: why I think it's pretty simple. First of all, this 134 00:07:19,360 --> 00:07:22,720 Speaker 1: isn't Lebron coming back to Cleveland as the best player 135 00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:24,760 Speaker 1: in the world. Ben Simmons is a is a bad 136 00:07:24,800 --> 00:07:27,920 Speaker 1: contract right now. He's played a few good games in 137 00:07:27,920 --> 00:07:30,160 Speaker 1: a row, but right now he's not a super desirable 138 00:07:30,200 --> 00:07:33,600 Speaker 1: basketball player. So it's not like the Philly fans horribly 139 00:07:33,720 --> 00:07:36,640 Speaker 1: miss him, if that makes sense. And then secondly, they 140 00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:39,640 Speaker 1: got James Harden back in that deal that he could 141 00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:42,040 Speaker 1: not get James Harden if it wasn't for the Ben 142 00:07:42,080 --> 00:07:45,360 Speaker 1: Simmons trade. And you know, James Harden hasn't been the 143 00:07:45,520 --> 00:07:47,920 Speaker 1: m v P James Harden that we're accustomed that we're 144 00:07:47,920 --> 00:07:51,840 Speaker 1: accustomed to, but he's definitely been a top twentysomething player 145 00:07:51,880 --> 00:07:53,960 Speaker 1: in the league over the course of the last couple 146 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:56,160 Speaker 1: of seasons, and a hell of a lot better than 147 00:07:56,240 --> 00:07:59,400 Speaker 1: Ben Simmons has been. And so that saga, the whole 148 00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:02,840 Speaker 1: Ben Simmons saga, worked out pretty damn well for the 149 00:08:02,840 --> 00:08:05,760 Speaker 1: Philadelphia seventies sixers. So I don't I don't think that 150 00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:08,320 Speaker 1: I don't think that they have a lot of reason 151 00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:11,360 Speaker 1: to be upset at Ben. And even when we go 152 00:08:11,480 --> 00:08:13,760 Speaker 1: further and like, like for instance, when we look at 153 00:08:13,800 --> 00:08:17,640 Speaker 1: the refusal to play, because in terms of you know, 154 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:20,160 Speaker 1: like I think a big part of why Cleveland fans 155 00:08:20,160 --> 00:08:24,520 Speaker 1: were mad at Lebron was the manner in which he 156 00:08:24,880 --> 00:08:29,040 Speaker 1: went to Miami. Did you look at the decision, there's 157 00:08:29,120 --> 00:08:32,000 Speaker 1: kind of like a he looks really happy, it looks 158 00:08:32,040 --> 00:08:34,600 Speaker 1: like he's a kid in a candy store picking from teams. 159 00:08:35,040 --> 00:08:38,160 Speaker 1: The optics of it were really bad, and so in 160 00:08:38,200 --> 00:08:40,079 Speaker 1: a lot of ways, when you saw that and then 161 00:08:40,120 --> 00:08:43,040 Speaker 1: you saw him put on the Miami Heat jersey and 162 00:08:43,080 --> 00:08:45,280 Speaker 1: you see him do that weird party where he's saying 163 00:08:45,320 --> 00:08:48,440 Speaker 1: the not five, not six, not seven. They're you know, 164 00:08:48,679 --> 00:08:52,920 Speaker 1: just Bosh, Wade and Lebron by themselves, not with the 165 00:08:52,920 --> 00:08:54,800 Speaker 1: rest of the team, but just those three in an 166 00:08:54,840 --> 00:08:57,960 Speaker 1: arena doing like a hype event. Like there was a 167 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:02,319 Speaker 1: lot of objectively really unlikable stuff that was done there 168 00:09:03,400 --> 00:09:06,880 Speaker 1: that made it so that when Lebron came back, he 169 00:09:07,120 --> 00:09:09,600 Speaker 1: was kind of a pariah. And then of course when 170 00:09:09,600 --> 00:09:12,040 Speaker 1: he went into the arena, it was like almost painfully 171 00:09:12,080 --> 00:09:15,839 Speaker 1: awkward to watches. The crowd was treating him horribly and 172 00:09:15,880 --> 00:09:18,720 Speaker 1: he was just lighting them on fire, like he destroyed 173 00:09:18,760 --> 00:09:22,040 Speaker 1: them in that game, particularly with his jump shooting and 174 00:09:22,280 --> 00:09:25,360 Speaker 1: with every passing shot that he made and turned and 175 00:09:25,400 --> 00:09:27,800 Speaker 1: looked at the Calves bench and almost was like more 176 00:09:27,840 --> 00:09:31,760 Speaker 1: and more unlikable. Really, Lebron's redemption didn't happen until he 177 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:34,600 Speaker 1: got humiliated in the two thousand and eleven playoffs, and 178 00:09:34,640 --> 00:09:36,280 Speaker 1: that kind of humbled him in a lot of ways, 179 00:09:36,360 --> 00:09:39,720 Speaker 1: and then he became his more likable version of himself 180 00:09:40,160 --> 00:09:42,560 Speaker 1: moving forward. But you know, the Ben Simmons thing had 181 00:09:42,600 --> 00:09:46,400 Speaker 1: a lot of similar hallmarks, right, like, didn't show up 182 00:09:46,679 --> 00:09:49,120 Speaker 1: first to training camp, skipped a bunch of stuff. But 183 00:09:49,160 --> 00:09:50,800 Speaker 1: then he does show up and he's got like his 184 00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:54,960 Speaker 1: phone in his pocket on while he's running through defensive drills, 185 00:09:55,600 --> 00:09:58,319 Speaker 1: and then he's like, you know, he's bringing up mental 186 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:00,679 Speaker 1: health issues and all these different things. There are a 187 00:10:00,720 --> 00:10:04,640 Speaker 1: lot of reasons for Philly fans to dislike Ben, but 188 00:10:04,720 --> 00:10:08,480 Speaker 1: the dirty little secret is him doing that was the 189 00:10:08,520 --> 00:10:12,800 Speaker 1: best possible thing that could have happened to Philly because 190 00:10:13,160 --> 00:10:17,120 Speaker 1: Ben Simmons had a bad playoff game against the Atlanta Hawks, 191 00:10:17,160 --> 00:10:21,000 Speaker 1: in a really bad playoff moment where he passed up 192 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:24,040 Speaker 1: on the dunk, right, But for the most part, over 193 00:10:24,040 --> 00:10:26,240 Speaker 1: the previous couple of years, he had been really damn good. 194 00:10:27,600 --> 00:10:30,280 Speaker 1: One He was one of the candidates for Defensive Player 195 00:10:30,320 --> 00:10:33,080 Speaker 1: of the Year, you know, so like Ben Simmons had 196 00:10:33,080 --> 00:10:36,560 Speaker 1: a lot of value, and so him not actually playing 197 00:10:37,280 --> 00:10:41,360 Speaker 1: to start the season last year kept like an aura 198 00:10:41,600 --> 00:10:46,160 Speaker 1: of of mystery surrounding Ben in a good way. It 199 00:10:46,200 --> 00:10:49,240 Speaker 1: was like you were trading for what you thought was 200 00:10:49,360 --> 00:10:52,439 Speaker 1: the previous version of Ben. Had he shown up to 201 00:10:52,559 --> 00:10:55,480 Speaker 1: camp with the back issues that he had been having 202 00:10:55,520 --> 00:10:58,079 Speaker 1: with the knee issues, that he had been having essentially 203 00:10:58,160 --> 00:11:01,800 Speaker 1: in a declined form. Had he been, you know, more 204 00:11:01,840 --> 00:11:04,280 Speaker 1: of a professional and just showed up to work during 205 00:11:04,320 --> 00:11:07,760 Speaker 1: his trade request, he would have probably tanked his own 206 00:11:07,840 --> 00:11:11,520 Speaker 1: value well beyond the point of any hope of bringing 207 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:15,200 Speaker 1: a James Harden back in a deal like that. So 208 00:11:15,280 --> 00:11:17,880 Speaker 1: the reality is whether it was the disrespect, or the 209 00:11:17,880 --> 00:11:20,880 Speaker 1: mental health issues, or the combination of all those different things. 210 00:11:21,720 --> 00:11:25,480 Speaker 1: Him doing that, that stunt that him and Clutch Sports 211 00:11:25,520 --> 00:11:29,120 Speaker 1: polled hid the fact that he had massively declined as 212 00:11:29,120 --> 00:11:33,160 Speaker 1: a player, which kept his trade value more of a 213 00:11:33,440 --> 00:11:35,800 Speaker 1: you know, a question mark rather than a sure thing. 214 00:11:35,880 --> 00:11:39,160 Speaker 1: That it was definitively a bad contract at that point, 215 00:11:39,400 --> 00:11:43,000 Speaker 1: and it facilitated that particular deal. So the reality is 216 00:11:43,080 --> 00:11:45,120 Speaker 1: is for Philly, it's about as good as it could 217 00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:49,000 Speaker 1: have gone. And I think that's why there's not that 218 00:11:49,120 --> 00:11:51,920 Speaker 1: much negative energy towards him, And I think that's I 219 00:11:51,920 --> 00:11:54,840 Speaker 1: think that's why tonight didn't have that feel of Lebron 220 00:11:54,920 --> 00:11:57,240 Speaker 1: coming back to Cleveland or anything else along those lines. 221 00:11:58,160 --> 00:12:02,240 Speaker 1: On a positive note, for Ben, in Ben's declined form, 222 00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:05,880 Speaker 1: he literally needs a team like Brooklyn to find basket 223 00:12:06,160 --> 00:12:08,640 Speaker 1: to find value on a basketball court right now, A 224 00:12:08,640 --> 00:12:10,920 Speaker 1: big part of it is that inverted spacing concept that 225 00:12:10,960 --> 00:12:12,320 Speaker 1: I talked a lot a lot about. You guys have 226 00:12:12,360 --> 00:12:14,520 Speaker 1: heard me talk about this with Golden State. Every you know, 227 00:12:14,559 --> 00:12:16,920 Speaker 1: people will say like, oh, Draymond won't take that three. Well, 228 00:12:16,960 --> 00:12:20,400 Speaker 1: it just doesn't matter because the paint. They're not actively 229 00:12:20,400 --> 00:12:22,840 Speaker 1: trying to drive the basketball into the paint all that often, 230 00:12:22,920 --> 00:12:25,520 Speaker 1: so spacing doesn't matter to them. Like if Draymond Green 231 00:12:25,640 --> 00:12:28,600 Speaker 1: is unguarded on the right wing and Clay Thompson is 232 00:12:28,600 --> 00:12:30,960 Speaker 1: guarded in the right corner, they'll just kick it to 233 00:12:31,040 --> 00:12:33,240 Speaker 1: Dre and he'll quick do a dribble handoff for Clay 234 00:12:33,280 --> 00:12:35,240 Speaker 1: and he'll get a wide open three. When you have 235 00:12:35,360 --> 00:12:37,559 Speaker 1: teams that are actively trying to take the top off 236 00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:40,800 Speaker 1: of the defense with jump shooting, spacing just doesn't matter 237 00:12:40,840 --> 00:12:43,640 Speaker 1: all that much. So a guy like Ben Simmons, if 238 00:12:43,679 --> 00:12:46,240 Speaker 1: you put him alongside Anthony Davis and Lebron, that could 239 00:12:46,280 --> 00:12:48,880 Speaker 1: be a catastrophe. Lebron James and Anthony Davis are two 240 00:12:49,200 --> 00:12:51,880 Speaker 1: of the top four restricted area finishers in the league 241 00:12:51,960 --> 00:12:56,120 Speaker 1: right now. They're constantly hunting those opportunities that congestion would 242 00:12:56,120 --> 00:12:59,080 Speaker 1: be problematic for them. This is a Brooklyn Nets team 243 00:12:59,080 --> 00:13:00,760 Speaker 1: that has Kevin Dury, one of the best pull up 244 00:13:00,840 --> 00:13:02,400 Speaker 1: jump shooters in the leage, Kyrie Irving one of the 245 00:13:02,400 --> 00:13:04,640 Speaker 1: best pull up jump shooters in the league, Seth Curry 246 00:13:04,760 --> 00:13:06,319 Speaker 1: one of the best shooters in the league, Patty Mills 247 00:13:06,360 --> 00:13:07,680 Speaker 1: one of the the best shooters in the league. Joe Harris 248 00:13:07,679 --> 00:13:09,640 Speaker 1: one of the best shooters in the league. Here's some 249 00:13:09,720 --> 00:13:13,640 Speaker 1: numbers to kind of demonstrate what I'm talking about. Of 250 00:13:13,640 --> 00:13:19,040 Speaker 1: Brooklyn's shot attempts this year are jump shots. Of them 251 00:13:19,080 --> 00:13:21,640 Speaker 1: are pull up jump shots. So almost a third of 252 00:13:21,679 --> 00:13:25,040 Speaker 1: Brooklyn's offense is an off the dribble jump shot over 253 00:13:25,160 --> 00:13:29,600 Speaker 1: the defense, and then another third of them our catch 254 00:13:29,640 --> 00:13:32,080 Speaker 1: and shoot jump shots. So they're just not hunting those 255 00:13:32,120 --> 00:13:35,679 Speaker 1: at the rim opportunities nearly enough for that to matter. 256 00:13:36,400 --> 00:13:40,960 Speaker 1: As a comparison, here's some Lakers numbers. Only of their 257 00:13:40,960 --> 00:13:45,760 Speaker 1: shot attempts are jump shots. Only six of their shot 258 00:13:45,800 --> 00:13:48,440 Speaker 1: attempts are pull up jump shots. So spacing is just 259 00:13:48,440 --> 00:13:50,559 Speaker 1: gonna matter a lot more to them because they're constantly 260 00:13:50,559 --> 00:13:53,240 Speaker 1: trying to force their way to the basket, and congestion 261 00:13:53,679 --> 00:13:57,640 Speaker 1: disrupts those driving lines. On a team like Brooklyn. If 262 00:13:57,679 --> 00:14:00,400 Speaker 1: Ben Simmons defender is ignoring him in Rome, it just 263 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:03,360 Speaker 1: doesn't hurt nearly as much. And honestly, his ability to 264 00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:05,840 Speaker 1: make plays out of the short roll is significantly more 265 00:14:05,920 --> 00:14:08,560 Speaker 1: valuable for them. It's kind of like with Draymond the 266 00:14:08,600 --> 00:14:12,040 Speaker 1: ability to quickly do something with the basketball that creates 267 00:14:12,040 --> 00:14:14,880 Speaker 1: an advantage for someone else when you're left wide open 268 00:14:15,320 --> 00:14:19,720 Speaker 1: is much more valuable for a jump shooting team. And 269 00:14:19,760 --> 00:14:22,160 Speaker 1: he's doing everything Brooklyn needs that needs him to do. 270 00:14:22,240 --> 00:14:25,000 Speaker 1: He's finding openings around the rim for drop offs and 271 00:14:25,080 --> 00:14:27,480 Speaker 1: quick finishes. He's been having a lot of scoring success 272 00:14:27,480 --> 00:14:30,480 Speaker 1: in this last three or four games in the dunker 273 00:14:30,600 --> 00:14:35,120 Speaker 1: spot just by relocating and staying available and quickly making 274 00:14:35,240 --> 00:14:37,360 Speaker 1: you know, reverse laps and things along those lines. Doesn't 275 00:14:37,400 --> 00:14:38,760 Speaker 1: have to be dunks, although he had a couple of 276 00:14:38,840 --> 00:14:42,560 Speaker 1: dunks and lob situations tonight. Um. But he's also really 277 00:14:42,720 --> 00:14:44,840 Speaker 1: he's still getting the ball in transition and pushing the 278 00:14:44,840 --> 00:14:48,160 Speaker 1: ball and hunting shooters exactly like Draymond Green does, and 279 00:14:48,160 --> 00:14:51,360 Speaker 1: that's always been one of Ben Simmons's best gifts. And 280 00:14:51,400 --> 00:14:53,760 Speaker 1: then in pick and roll situations with Kevin Durant, he 281 00:14:53,760 --> 00:14:56,280 Speaker 1: can make quick decisions out of the short roll, and 282 00:14:56,320 --> 00:14:58,480 Speaker 1: then he's he's not the defensive Player of the Year 283 00:14:58,480 --> 00:15:00,120 Speaker 1: type of candidate that he was a couple of years. Ag. Oh, 284 00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:03,640 Speaker 1: but he's still a very good plus defender and has 285 00:15:03,680 --> 00:15:06,160 Speaker 1: a knack for defensive playmaking. That there was a play 286 00:15:06,200 --> 00:15:09,200 Speaker 1: there in the uh. You know, playmaking is is such 287 00:15:09,240 --> 00:15:13,720 Speaker 1: a vague term in all sports because it doesn't really 288 00:15:13,760 --> 00:15:16,080 Speaker 1: have like a definition in the sense that like, oh, 289 00:15:16,200 --> 00:15:18,800 Speaker 1: you just did playmaking, you know what I mean. But 290 00:15:18,840 --> 00:15:21,520 Speaker 1: because we can sort all these plays down to specific types, 291 00:15:21,560 --> 00:15:23,160 Speaker 1: pull up jump shot here, you know it's still here, 292 00:15:23,160 --> 00:15:25,360 Speaker 1: a block here, whatever it is to me, a playmaking 293 00:15:25,400 --> 00:15:28,040 Speaker 1: is a natural feel for the momentum in basketball game 294 00:15:28,520 --> 00:15:32,040 Speaker 1: and like improvisational things on either end of the floor 295 00:15:32,120 --> 00:15:35,560 Speaker 1: that create a momentum shift in a basketball game. For example, 296 00:15:35,600 --> 00:15:37,840 Speaker 1: and of the first half, Ben Simmons, I can't remember 297 00:15:37,840 --> 00:15:40,080 Speaker 1: who's guarding, might have been mat Matisse thyble, but it 298 00:15:40,160 --> 00:15:42,520 Speaker 1: was out by half court and he rips the ball away. 299 00:15:42,760 --> 00:15:44,360 Speaker 1: But when he rips the ball away, the balls loose 300 00:15:44,400 --> 00:15:47,560 Speaker 1: on the ground. Ben Simmons sees Kevin Durant streaking the 301 00:15:47,600 --> 00:15:49,760 Speaker 1: floor because Kevin Durant started streaking because he thought Ben 302 00:15:49,800 --> 00:15:53,200 Speaker 1: Simmons had the basketball, but he didn't. Ben Simmons laid 303 00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:56,320 Speaker 1: out and just punched the basketball into the front court 304 00:15:56,680 --> 00:15:59,160 Speaker 1: and it went right into Kevin Durant's hands and he 305 00:15:59,240 --> 00:16:02,600 Speaker 1: ended up getting a punk. And like, that's playmaking. There's 306 00:16:02,640 --> 00:16:06,160 Speaker 1: no whoever practices punching the basketball like a diving punch 307 00:16:06,240 --> 00:16:08,200 Speaker 1: of the basketball. Nobody does. What that is is that's 308 00:16:08,200 --> 00:16:11,520 Speaker 1: an instinctual, improvisational thing that you do on a basketball 309 00:16:11,520 --> 00:16:14,040 Speaker 1: court that ends up in a momentum shift. Of course, 310 00:16:14,080 --> 00:16:16,200 Speaker 1: the Anthony Melton stole all that momentum by knocking a 311 00:16:16,280 --> 00:16:17,920 Speaker 1: three down right before the end of the half. But 312 00:16:18,040 --> 00:16:19,720 Speaker 1: that's the kind of thing that I'm talking about. Ben 313 00:16:19,720 --> 00:16:22,720 Speaker 1: Simmons is a defensive playmaker for this team that doesn't 314 00:16:22,760 --> 00:16:24,800 Speaker 1: hurt them on the offensive end because of the things 315 00:16:24,800 --> 00:16:26,200 Speaker 1: that he can do in the dunker spot and in 316 00:16:26,200 --> 00:16:30,240 Speaker 1: the short role. Ideal situation for him. So again, happy 317 00:16:30,280 --> 00:16:32,840 Speaker 1: for Philly, they did find in the Ben Simmons saga. 318 00:16:33,040 --> 00:16:36,600 Speaker 1: Happy for Brooklyn because in this now they got snowed 319 00:16:36,600 --> 00:16:39,280 Speaker 1: basically on the James Harden trade. That's a whole other story. 320 00:16:39,640 --> 00:16:41,960 Speaker 1: But as far as Ben Simmons goes, this is pretty 321 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:46,040 Speaker 1: much the ideal situation for him at this point. This 322 00:16:46,080 --> 00:16:48,160 Speaker 1: is our last show for this week. We're gonna take 323 00:16:48,160 --> 00:16:51,080 Speaker 1: the rest of the week off. I do plan on 324 00:16:51,160 --> 00:16:53,800 Speaker 1: still watching a good amount of hoops and and doing 325 00:16:53,800 --> 00:16:55,800 Speaker 1: the usual stuff that I do in the mornings, watching 326 00:16:55,840 --> 00:16:57,880 Speaker 1: some films, So keep an eye on my Twitter feed 327 00:16:57,920 --> 00:17:01,480 Speaker 1: at Underscore Jason lt in the mornings, that's primarily when 328 00:17:01,520 --> 00:17:03,840 Speaker 1: I'll be getting, you know, just some instant reaction stuff 329 00:17:04,200 --> 00:17:06,119 Speaker 1: on those particular games. And we will not have a 330 00:17:06,200 --> 00:17:11,160 Speaker 1: show until next Monday. We're doing a mail bag episode today, 331 00:17:11,240 --> 00:17:13,720 Speaker 1: so thank you to everyone who contributed to the mail 332 00:17:13,760 --> 00:17:17,320 Speaker 1: bag questions. We have six questions there we are that 333 00:17:17,400 --> 00:17:19,440 Speaker 1: we are going to get to today, covering a bunch 334 00:17:19,560 --> 00:17:22,159 Speaker 1: of different teams. You guys know the drill before we 335 00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:24,240 Speaker 1: get started. Subscribe to the Volumes YouTube channel so you 336 00:17:24,280 --> 00:17:26,480 Speaker 1: don't miss any more of our videos. Follow me on 337 00:17:26,480 --> 00:17:28,639 Speaker 1: Twitter I underscore json lts. You guys don't miss any 338 00:17:28,640 --> 00:17:32,399 Speaker 1: show announcements as well as some breakdowns over the course 339 00:17:32,400 --> 00:17:33,879 Speaker 1: of the rest of this week and then last but 340 00:17:33,920 --> 00:17:35,879 Speaker 1: not least, for whatever reason, you guys miss one of 341 00:17:35,920 --> 00:17:38,280 Speaker 1: these videos and you can't get back over to YouTube 342 00:17:38,280 --> 00:17:40,600 Speaker 1: to finish, don't forget. You can find them wherever you 343 00:17:40,640 --> 00:17:45,640 Speaker 1: get your podcasts. Under Hoops tonight. All right, question number one, 344 00:17:46,080 --> 00:17:50,080 Speaker 1: this is from zero percent. Do you think there is 345 00:17:50,119 --> 00:17:54,119 Speaker 1: a decent chance the Lakers keep Westbrook for the entire season? 346 00:17:54,840 --> 00:17:58,639 Speaker 1: If so, what trade do you think would make sense 347 00:17:58,720 --> 00:18:02,720 Speaker 1: for them? So is there a chance to keep Westbrook? Yes, 348 00:18:02,840 --> 00:18:04,440 Speaker 1: First of all, there were a million reasons to get 349 00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:07,000 Speaker 1: rid of him last summer and then they didn't. So 350 00:18:07,480 --> 00:18:11,320 Speaker 1: whatever conventional wisdom approach or logical progression we had in mind, 351 00:18:11,320 --> 00:18:13,199 Speaker 1: we gotta throw that out the window because that's just 352 00:18:13,280 --> 00:18:15,439 Speaker 1: not the way this front office works. They had the 353 00:18:15,440 --> 00:18:17,240 Speaker 1: toughest schedule in the league to start the season, and 354 00:18:17,280 --> 00:18:19,560 Speaker 1: they said, let's send him out there and see how 355 00:18:19,600 --> 00:18:22,040 Speaker 1: this goes, and it was a complete disaster. So, like, 356 00:18:22,119 --> 00:18:24,840 Speaker 1: we can't put ourselves in the brain space of Rob 357 00:18:24,880 --> 00:18:27,040 Speaker 1: Polinka and Genie bust because they are two of the 358 00:18:27,040 --> 00:18:29,600 Speaker 1: most incompetent people in the entire league. So we have 359 00:18:29,640 --> 00:18:32,880 Speaker 1: to kind of distance ourselves from that. Secondly, the narrative 360 00:18:32,880 --> 00:18:36,680 Speaker 1: surrounding Russell Westbrook as a sixth man is really powerful 361 00:18:36,760 --> 00:18:38,800 Speaker 1: right now, and he's been good. He's been Russ has 362 00:18:38,920 --> 00:18:41,600 Speaker 1: had a good season off the bench, particularly as a 363 00:18:41,640 --> 00:18:44,480 Speaker 1: pick and roll shot creator. With Anthony Davis. I saw 364 00:18:44,560 --> 00:18:47,359 Speaker 1: ustat today that matches up with what we've seen on film, 365 00:18:47,600 --> 00:18:50,240 Speaker 1: which is that Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis are two 366 00:18:50,320 --> 00:18:52,600 Speaker 1: of the best pick and roll pairings that we have 367 00:18:52,840 --> 00:18:55,920 Speaker 1: in the league right now by points per possession. And 368 00:18:56,000 --> 00:18:57,960 Speaker 1: I've been, you know, talking about that a lot earlier 369 00:18:57,960 --> 00:19:00,159 Speaker 1: in the year, based on the fact that Russ was 370 00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:02,600 Speaker 1: actually trying to get downhill on the screen. Whenever you're 371 00:19:02,800 --> 00:19:05,159 Speaker 1: running pick and roll, you have to engage the screen 372 00:19:05,240 --> 00:19:08,880 Speaker 1: defender to actually open up the passing reads that are available, 373 00:19:08,920 --> 00:19:11,400 Speaker 1: and pick and roll Lebron James was too passive, wasn't 374 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:13,320 Speaker 1: actually coming over the top of the screens, was picking 375 00:19:13,359 --> 00:19:16,439 Speaker 1: up his dribble earlier, throwing pocket passes to Anthony Davis 376 00:19:16,480 --> 00:19:19,240 Speaker 1: before engaging the screen defender. And so the Lebron a 377 00:19:19,320 --> 00:19:21,639 Speaker 1: d pick and roll has been bad this year, like 378 00:19:21,680 --> 00:19:24,679 Speaker 1: flat out bad. I did a whole video breakdown on 379 00:19:24,760 --> 00:19:26,720 Speaker 1: that particular concept that you can find on my Twitter 380 00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:29,159 Speaker 1: feed if you scroll back. I think it was last Thursday, 381 00:19:29,160 --> 00:19:31,320 Speaker 1: if I remember correctly, but I broke down the good 382 00:19:31,400 --> 00:19:33,320 Speaker 1: Lebron pick and rolls, which is the bad Lebron pick 383 00:19:33,320 --> 00:19:35,680 Speaker 1: and rolls. Russ pick and rolls have been good because 384 00:19:35,680 --> 00:19:38,160 Speaker 1: he's been trying to get downhill and he's just generally 385 00:19:38,160 --> 00:19:41,600 Speaker 1: been doing a good job carving up bench units around 386 00:19:41,600 --> 00:19:43,720 Speaker 1: the league. And he's been better defensively than he was 387 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:47,639 Speaker 1: last year, although not great. However, I vehemently disagree with 388 00:19:47,680 --> 00:19:53,120 Speaker 1: the strategy of keeping Russell Westbrook. Here's They still desperately 389 00:19:53,160 --> 00:19:55,639 Speaker 1: need a couple of more good role players. A couple 390 00:19:55,640 --> 00:19:58,800 Speaker 1: of guys have rosen from the pile and informed, you know, 391 00:19:58,880 --> 00:20:00,920 Speaker 1: pretty decent sized roles on this team and have become 392 00:20:01,160 --> 00:20:04,480 Speaker 1: solid NBA players. Austin Reeves, Lonnie Walker, who I was 393 00:20:04,480 --> 00:20:07,280 Speaker 1: flat out wrong about this summer, Troy Brown Jr. Those 394 00:20:07,320 --> 00:20:10,800 Speaker 1: three guys have done a good job becoming functional basketball 395 00:20:10,840 --> 00:20:14,400 Speaker 1: players alongside Lebron James and Anthony Davis. But that's not enough. 396 00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:18,080 Speaker 1: They need more than that. And Russ makes forty seven 397 00:20:18,119 --> 00:20:21,199 Speaker 1: million and he won't be in the closing lineup. He 398 00:20:21,240 --> 00:20:23,000 Speaker 1: hasn't even been in the closing line up every game 399 00:20:23,040 --> 00:20:26,600 Speaker 1: since Lebron went out. When Lebron's back, he's almost never 400 00:20:26,640 --> 00:20:29,000 Speaker 1: gonna be in the closing lineup. You can't tie up 401 00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:31,240 Speaker 1: a forty seven million dollar salary slot on a guy 402 00:20:31,240 --> 00:20:33,560 Speaker 1: that you can't use in your final five. That's just 403 00:20:33,600 --> 00:20:37,360 Speaker 1: a poor use of real of resources. So his salary, 404 00:20:37,440 --> 00:20:41,080 Speaker 1: realistically is still the best vehicle with which to bring 405 00:20:41,160 --> 00:20:45,040 Speaker 1: back multiple good players. Eric Pinkus of Bleacher Report pitched 406 00:20:45,119 --> 00:20:49,520 Speaker 1: a deal yesterday, a three team deal that would involve 407 00:20:49,520 --> 00:20:52,360 Speaker 1: the Brooklyn Nets and the Detroit Pistons that would bring 408 00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:56,720 Speaker 1: back Kyrie, Irving Boy and Bogdanovich, Alec Burk's and New 409 00:20:56,800 --> 00:20:59,879 Speaker 1: Orleans Noel. Obviously, that would be perfect because you get 410 00:21:00,080 --> 00:21:03,440 Speaker 1: back up big, you know, since Damien Jones hasn't really 411 00:21:03,480 --> 00:21:05,560 Speaker 1: panned out, Thomas Bryant remains to be seen. He's been 412 00:21:05,560 --> 00:21:07,160 Speaker 1: pretty good, but it's only been a couple of games 413 00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:10,160 Speaker 1: since he came back. New Orland's Noel gives you a legitimate, 414 00:21:10,280 --> 00:21:13,320 Speaker 1: you know, backup big to throw in there. Alec Burke's 415 00:21:13,359 --> 00:21:15,720 Speaker 1: actually killed the Lakers the other night just because he's 416 00:21:15,760 --> 00:21:18,720 Speaker 1: a big wing that can. He's about six six, but 417 00:21:18,720 --> 00:21:21,080 Speaker 1: he's a good athlete, just because he's bigger and stronger 418 00:21:21,119 --> 00:21:23,560 Speaker 1: than most Laker players, and he was just attacking closeouts 419 00:21:23,600 --> 00:21:25,320 Speaker 1: and getting to the foul line a bunch and causing 420 00:21:25,359 --> 00:21:28,600 Speaker 1: problems for them. He's just a good, a solid NBA 421 00:21:29,000 --> 00:21:30,800 Speaker 1: role player, right that you can throw into the mixed 422 00:21:30,800 --> 00:21:33,520 Speaker 1: boy and Macdonovitch gives them a wing that allows them 423 00:21:33,560 --> 00:21:35,560 Speaker 1: to play a d at the five, and then Kyrie 424 00:21:35,600 --> 00:21:38,320 Speaker 1: Irving is the shot making piece that they miss. They're 425 00:21:38,320 --> 00:21:40,199 Speaker 1: one of the best. The Lakers are one of the 426 00:21:40,240 --> 00:21:42,080 Speaker 1: worst pull up jump shooting teams in the league. I 427 00:21:42,119 --> 00:21:44,359 Speaker 1: think they are far and away the worst pull up 428 00:21:44,440 --> 00:21:46,479 Speaker 1: jump shooting team in the league. So Kyrie gives you 429 00:21:47,320 --> 00:21:50,320 Speaker 1: a punch there, but that's kind of like a long shot. 430 00:21:50,440 --> 00:21:52,800 Speaker 1: So that I like the idea from Eric Pinkis, but 431 00:21:52,840 --> 00:21:56,200 Speaker 1: it's hard to imagine that specific deal um working out. 432 00:21:56,240 --> 00:21:58,439 Speaker 1: As far as trade options go for the Lakers, they 433 00:21:58,480 --> 00:22:01,200 Speaker 1: have two directions that they can go. They can go big. 434 00:22:01,520 --> 00:22:04,240 Speaker 1: I think like the Indiana Pacers trade. Miles Turner has 435 00:22:04,280 --> 00:22:06,359 Speaker 1: been one of the best defensive bigs in the league 436 00:22:06,359 --> 00:22:09,040 Speaker 1: this year and is routinely throwing out like twenty and 437 00:22:09,119 --> 00:22:11,119 Speaker 1: ten with m a three and a couple of different 438 00:22:11,119 --> 00:22:13,520 Speaker 1: a couple of blocks. That's a big part of how 439 00:22:13,520 --> 00:22:16,280 Speaker 1: Indiana has been so good. Buddy Healed, you know, I've 440 00:22:16,280 --> 00:22:18,119 Speaker 1: been watching a ton of film on Buddy Held in 441 00:22:18,160 --> 00:22:20,640 Speaker 1: the last couple of weeks, kind of prepping for potential 442 00:22:20,720 --> 00:22:23,840 Speaker 1: Lakers trades, and you know, I like him as a shooter. 443 00:22:24,720 --> 00:22:27,160 Speaker 1: I like the things that he does off of the ball, 444 00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:30,400 Speaker 1: especially in spot up situations, attacking closeouts and stuff. He's 445 00:22:30,400 --> 00:22:33,880 Speaker 1: actually not great handling the ball and pick and roll um, 446 00:22:34,359 --> 00:22:37,240 Speaker 1: So I don't I I don't love that specific aspect 447 00:22:37,280 --> 00:22:39,600 Speaker 1: that that actually has been a little bit worse than 448 00:22:39,640 --> 00:22:42,240 Speaker 1: I expected. But Miles Turner has been so damn good 449 00:22:42,600 --> 00:22:45,679 Speaker 1: that that particular trade is an interesting option for the Lakers, 450 00:22:45,680 --> 00:22:47,439 Speaker 1: and it gives them a big punch. It gives them 451 00:22:47,440 --> 00:22:49,679 Speaker 1: the ability to play a D at the four for 452 00:22:49,800 --> 00:22:51,520 Speaker 1: large chunks of the game, which is something they did 453 00:22:51,560 --> 00:22:54,600 Speaker 1: a lot in twenty to alleviate some of the workload 454 00:22:54,640 --> 00:22:57,840 Speaker 1: on Anthony Davis, and then he'd play his primary minutes 455 00:22:57,960 --> 00:23:00,320 Speaker 1: at the five. The other direction they could oh is 456 00:23:00,359 --> 00:23:03,119 Speaker 1: targeting more wings to try to keep a D at 457 00:23:03,119 --> 00:23:05,760 Speaker 1: the five. That's where you're looking for teams like maybe 458 00:23:05,760 --> 00:23:08,359 Speaker 1: if Utah eventually blows it up, if Detroit continues to 459 00:23:08,400 --> 00:23:10,720 Speaker 1: go downhill, you can target a guy like Bogdanovitch. But 460 00:23:10,960 --> 00:23:12,800 Speaker 1: I have a hard time believing Detroit, which is let 461 00:23:12,840 --> 00:23:15,199 Speaker 1: go of Bogdanovitch too, because I think they like his 462 00:23:15,280 --> 00:23:19,080 Speaker 1: veteran presence alongside those young guys. Another team I really 463 00:23:19,080 --> 00:23:22,280 Speaker 1: like targeting athletes on the wing is Charlotte, who has 464 00:23:22,320 --> 00:23:23,840 Speaker 1: been one of the best teams in the league early 465 00:23:23,920 --> 00:23:25,879 Speaker 1: in the year in deflections just because of how much 466 00:23:25,960 --> 00:23:28,560 Speaker 1: length and athleticism they have on the floor. You can 467 00:23:28,560 --> 00:23:32,160 Speaker 1: get a guy um like Kelly Hubray Jr. A guy 468 00:23:32,240 --> 00:23:34,400 Speaker 1: like Gordon Hayward who has been a really good pick 469 00:23:34,440 --> 00:23:37,600 Speaker 1: and roll ball handler this year, to bring wing size, 470 00:23:37,840 --> 00:23:39,520 Speaker 1: to keep a d at the five. But those are 471 00:23:39,520 --> 00:23:42,119 Speaker 1: just two different identities that the Lakers can go. They 472 00:23:42,160 --> 00:23:43,439 Speaker 1: just need to pick one, and they need to go 473 00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:46,119 Speaker 1: in that direction. My guess is that they keep Russ 474 00:23:46,119 --> 00:23:48,320 Speaker 1: because of all this narrative stuff, and then they'll make 475 00:23:48,359 --> 00:23:52,919 Speaker 1: some ancillary move like Kendrick Nunn and Patrick Beverley for 476 00:23:53,040 --> 00:23:55,920 Speaker 1: a wing with maybe one first round pick. But even 477 00:23:55,920 --> 00:23:57,399 Speaker 1: then I don't even think they'll throw a pick on 478 00:23:57,440 --> 00:24:00,560 Speaker 1: the table unless Lebron comes back and starts playing really well. 479 00:24:00,800 --> 00:24:05,040 Speaker 1: Big silver lining Anthony Davis has been fantastic in the 480 00:24:05,160 --> 00:24:08,919 Speaker 1: last week or sub all right, next question. This is 481 00:24:08,960 --> 00:24:12,560 Speaker 1: from n m Z Hoops. The Sacramento Kings, winners of 482 00:24:12,600 --> 00:24:15,280 Speaker 1: sixth straight, averaging a hundred and thirty one point five 483 00:24:15,359 --> 00:24:18,119 Speaker 1: points during this stretch. Is it just a hot stretch 484 00:24:18,440 --> 00:24:20,680 Speaker 1: or is it time to take them serious as a 485 00:24:20,680 --> 00:24:25,600 Speaker 1: sleeper in the West. First of all, before I rain 486 00:24:25,720 --> 00:24:27,679 Speaker 1: on the parade a little bit, let's talk about some 487 00:24:27,720 --> 00:24:29,359 Speaker 1: of the good stuff. They're the best offense in the 488 00:24:29,400 --> 00:24:31,680 Speaker 1: league right now. They're averaging a hundred and eighteen points 489 00:24:31,680 --> 00:24:35,680 Speaker 1: six points per one hundred possessions. Kevin Horders herders shooting 490 00:24:36,359 --> 00:24:39,080 Speaker 1: the laces off the damn basketball. There are thirty two 491 00:24:39,080 --> 00:24:40,720 Speaker 1: players in the league right now that are attempting at 492 00:24:40,760 --> 00:24:42,919 Speaker 1: least seven threes per game, and he's number one in 493 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:45,640 Speaker 1: percentage at forty nine and a half. He's also doing 494 00:24:45,680 --> 00:24:47,520 Speaker 1: a he's added like a little bit more of like 495 00:24:47,600 --> 00:24:51,280 Speaker 1: a that Clay Thompson like quick relocations, dribble three. So 496 00:24:51,280 --> 00:24:53,560 Speaker 1: he's taken two and a half pull up threes per game, 497 00:24:53,560 --> 00:24:56,199 Speaker 1: and he's making of them. And they're not like you know, 498 00:24:56,320 --> 00:24:59,040 Speaker 1: mixing dudes off the dribble and taking threes. It's close 499 00:24:59,080 --> 00:25:01,560 Speaker 1: out stuff. So like pump fake one, dribble over to 500 00:25:01,600 --> 00:25:03,800 Speaker 1: his left, quick three. That's a staple of the Clay 501 00:25:03,840 --> 00:25:07,480 Speaker 1: Thompson one pump fake hard dribble towards the left, like 502 00:25:07,480 --> 00:25:10,680 Speaker 1: when the closeouts not as hard. Car dribble towards the left, 503 00:25:10,720 --> 00:25:12,440 Speaker 1: like you're going to the rim and then step back. 504 00:25:12,760 --> 00:25:15,160 Speaker 1: He can make that one or an escape dribble coming 505 00:25:15,160 --> 00:25:17,040 Speaker 1: off the screen. So imagine he's in the left corner 506 00:25:17,240 --> 00:25:19,080 Speaker 1: and he's coming off of a couple of wide pin 507 00:25:19,160 --> 00:25:21,639 Speaker 1: downs and he catches the ball, but the defender is 508 00:25:21,640 --> 00:25:23,680 Speaker 1: a little too close to him. He'll just take one 509 00:25:23,720 --> 00:25:26,119 Speaker 1: extra dribble to get a little bit further away before 510 00:25:26,119 --> 00:25:28,680 Speaker 1: he rises up. He's actually doing a really nice job 511 00:25:28,720 --> 00:25:32,320 Speaker 1: creating additional looks for himself doing that. Dear and Fox 512 00:25:32,359 --> 00:25:34,240 Speaker 1: has been a borderline all started to start the year. 513 00:25:34,520 --> 00:25:36,400 Speaker 1: His jump shot looks a lot better than last year. 514 00:25:36,560 --> 00:25:38,120 Speaker 1: He's been very good in pick and roll. We talked 515 00:25:38,119 --> 00:25:40,440 Speaker 1: about this last week. A hundred points on a hundred 516 00:25:40,440 --> 00:25:43,119 Speaker 1: and eighty seven pick and rolls including passes, which is 517 00:25:43,119 --> 00:25:46,320 Speaker 1: in the seventy four percentile in the league. Uh Demonus 518 00:25:46,280 --> 00:25:49,159 Speaker 1: Sabonis is doing all the usual Sabonis Sabonus stuff, bullying 519 00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:51,520 Speaker 1: his way to the rim. He's always been a great 520 00:25:51,560 --> 00:25:54,440 Speaker 1: passer when he passes out of the post. This year, 521 00:25:54,480 --> 00:25:57,320 Speaker 1: the Kings are scoring one point to seven points per possession, 522 00:25:57,320 --> 00:25:59,760 Speaker 1: which is very good. Keegan Murray is a great fit. 523 00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:02,600 Speaker 1: Maliaque Monk and Davean Mitchell have both been really good, 524 00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:08,320 Speaker 1: lots of good for the Kings. But there seven and defense, 525 00:26:08,840 --> 00:26:12,640 Speaker 1: they're just one in three against teams that are five 526 00:26:12,720 --> 00:26:15,720 Speaker 1: hundred or better. In fact, they rank dead last and 527 00:26:15,800 --> 00:26:18,399 Speaker 1: strength of schedule right now. They've just been able to 528 00:26:18,400 --> 00:26:23,080 Speaker 1: outscore teams because they're playing almost exclusively bad teams. The 529 00:26:23,160 --> 00:26:26,240 Speaker 1: realities is eventually their schedule will toughen up and they'll 530 00:26:26,240 --> 00:26:28,800 Speaker 1: have to play more balanced brand of two way basketball 531 00:26:28,920 --> 00:26:31,160 Speaker 1: or they're gonna start losing games. That's just the reality, 532 00:26:31,440 --> 00:26:33,800 Speaker 1: and we're gonna learn a lot more about this team 533 00:26:33,840 --> 00:26:35,840 Speaker 1: in the next couple of weeks. This is their upcoming schedule. 534 00:26:35,840 --> 00:26:38,320 Speaker 1: They're finishing a game against Memphis right now, although Memphis 535 00:26:38,320 --> 00:26:42,040 Speaker 1: is super shorthanded, there down their three best players. Then 536 00:26:42,040 --> 00:26:45,320 Speaker 1: they play Atlanta and Bosta, Atlanta and Boston on the road. 537 00:26:45,800 --> 00:26:48,000 Speaker 1: Then they play Phoenix, then they play that red hot 538 00:26:48,080 --> 00:26:50,080 Speaker 1: Pacers team, Then they play the Clippers, then they play 539 00:26:50,119 --> 00:26:52,160 Speaker 1: the Bulls who just beat the Celtics. Then they play 540 00:26:52,200 --> 00:26:54,439 Speaker 1: the Bucks, and then they play the Calves. So if 541 00:26:54,480 --> 00:26:57,040 Speaker 1: you're a King's fan and you're hating on me because 542 00:26:57,080 --> 00:26:59,720 Speaker 1: I'm pointing out the strength of schedule stuff. You're gonna 543 00:26:59,720 --> 00:27:01,119 Speaker 1: have a chance to rub it in my face if 544 00:27:01,160 --> 00:27:03,280 Speaker 1: they ripped through that next stretch of schedule by going, 545 00:27:03,320 --> 00:27:04,680 Speaker 1: you know, if I win in four or five of 546 00:27:04,720 --> 00:27:06,840 Speaker 1: those games, which we will see, like I said, we 547 00:27:06,880 --> 00:27:09,240 Speaker 1: will know if the Kings are for real in about 548 00:27:09,280 --> 00:27:12,359 Speaker 1: two weeks. All right. Next question, this is from ricks 549 00:27:13,720 --> 00:27:16,280 Speaker 1: moving forward. Who do you think needs to step up 550 00:27:16,320 --> 00:27:20,760 Speaker 1: more for the Warriors? Jordan Poole or Andrew Wiggins. It's 551 00:27:20,840 --> 00:27:24,240 Speaker 1: Jordan Pool, no question. It's having a bad season. He 552 00:27:24,320 --> 00:27:26,440 Speaker 1: scored twenty six on Monday Night, but a lot of 553 00:27:26,480 --> 00:27:29,320 Speaker 1: bad decision making a really kind of like a ballhog 554 00:27:29,400 --> 00:27:31,680 Speaker 1: type of game, just hunting his shot as the Warriors 555 00:27:31,680 --> 00:27:34,040 Speaker 1: were just getting the crap beat out of him. He's 556 00:27:34,040 --> 00:27:37,760 Speaker 1: been super inconsistent offensively and flat out bad defensively. In 557 00:27:37,800 --> 00:27:40,800 Speaker 1: the bench desperately needs him to be better to help 558 00:27:40,880 --> 00:27:44,000 Speaker 1: bolster that unit, while on the other on the other end, 559 00:27:44,400 --> 00:27:47,040 Speaker 1: Andrew Wiggins has just been flat out good as he 560 00:27:47,080 --> 00:27:50,480 Speaker 1: always is. So definitely Jordan Pool is the player who 561 00:27:50,480 --> 00:27:53,359 Speaker 1: needs to step up more for the Warriors. All right, 562 00:27:53,400 --> 00:27:57,359 Speaker 1: This one is from Joshua. What could the MAVs add 563 00:27:57,359 --> 00:28:00,560 Speaker 1: to their offensive scheme given their current person to make 564 00:28:00,600 --> 00:28:05,200 Speaker 1: it less Luca centric? Not a whole lot. You know, 565 00:28:05,320 --> 00:28:07,560 Speaker 1: Christian Wood is having a good offensive season. That was 566 00:28:07,600 --> 00:28:10,400 Speaker 1: the offensive piece they brought in this summer, but it's 567 00:28:10,440 --> 00:28:13,080 Speaker 1: mostly been when he's been created for. He's doing good 568 00:28:13,080 --> 00:28:15,520 Speaker 1: in spot up situations and on the role, but he's 569 00:28:15,520 --> 00:28:18,359 Speaker 1: having a slightly below average season in both is so 570 00:28:18,520 --> 00:28:21,840 Speaker 1: and post up situations. And now he's playing less and 571 00:28:21,920 --> 00:28:25,000 Speaker 1: less because he's so bad defensively. His defensive instincts are 572 00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:27,199 Speaker 1: really bad. He's always up out of his stance, so 573 00:28:27,280 --> 00:28:29,480 Speaker 1: he can't rotate quickly, even though he's actually a pretty 574 00:28:29,520 --> 00:28:32,720 Speaker 1: good athlete with really long arms, just bad instincts over 575 00:28:32,800 --> 00:28:35,760 Speaker 1: helps or hugs up to his defender, his his matchup. 576 00:28:36,040 --> 00:28:39,040 Speaker 1: A lot of bad stuff offensive defensively that's leading him 577 00:28:39,040 --> 00:28:41,720 Speaker 1: to to slip out of the rotation. And then Tim 578 00:28:41,760 --> 00:28:44,920 Speaker 1: Hardaway Jr. Is just having a disaster shooting season. I 579 00:28:44,920 --> 00:28:46,640 Speaker 1: think they were counting on him to be better than 580 00:28:46,680 --> 00:28:49,080 Speaker 1: he's been. The truth is is that the Mavericks have 581 00:28:49,120 --> 00:28:51,600 Speaker 1: a lot of specialists and not a lot of well 582 00:28:51,800 --> 00:28:55,320 Speaker 1: rounded offensive basketball players, which is fine, that's the design 583 00:28:55,360 --> 00:28:57,280 Speaker 1: of the system. There's a lot of guys that can 584 00:28:57,280 --> 00:28:58,800 Speaker 1: make spot up the reason, a lot of guys that 585 00:28:58,840 --> 00:29:02,400 Speaker 1: can defend, but you need your three solid creators, and 586 00:29:02,400 --> 00:29:04,840 Speaker 1: ever since they lost Jalen Brunson, they just don't have that. 587 00:29:04,880 --> 00:29:06,920 Speaker 1: And when you look at the numbers, Spencer didn't what 588 00:29:06,960 --> 00:29:10,280 Speaker 1: He's been good. Luca don Chich has been good both 589 00:29:10,280 --> 00:29:12,720 Speaker 1: in pick and roll in isolation. Both of those guys, 590 00:29:12,760 --> 00:29:16,440 Speaker 1: including passing. They just need that third creator which they 591 00:29:16,480 --> 00:29:18,320 Speaker 1: don't have. And the reality is that they don't have 592 00:29:18,360 --> 00:29:21,040 Speaker 1: a ton of options on the trade market. Um I 593 00:29:21,080 --> 00:29:23,400 Speaker 1: would keep an eye on a Russ buy out here, 594 00:29:24,440 --> 00:29:26,760 Speaker 1: So in the event of a Russell Westbrook trade, there's 595 00:29:26,760 --> 00:29:29,760 Speaker 1: a pretty good chance that he gets bought out. And 596 00:29:30,080 --> 00:29:34,000 Speaker 1: this like the there Eric Pinkinson his Bleacher Report article yesterday, 597 00:29:34,320 --> 00:29:37,280 Speaker 1: UH has said that in the event of a Russell 598 00:29:37,280 --> 00:29:39,520 Speaker 1: Westbrook buy out, most of the league thinks he's going 599 00:29:39,560 --> 00:29:42,040 Speaker 1: to the Miami Heat and that's also a good fit 600 00:29:42,320 --> 00:29:44,040 Speaker 1: for him, and we're actually gonna talk about that here 601 00:29:44,040 --> 00:29:46,080 Speaker 1: in a little bit, But I think Dallas is the 602 00:29:46,240 --> 00:29:48,800 Speaker 1: perfect fit for him. And the main reason why is 603 00:29:48,840 --> 00:29:52,920 Speaker 1: there spacing concepts like Russell Westbrook is a Russell Westbrook 604 00:29:53,240 --> 00:29:56,120 Speaker 1: racks up assists because of his ability to pressure the rim, 605 00:29:56,280 --> 00:29:58,520 Speaker 1: but he's actually not a great passer. He's more of 606 00:29:58,560 --> 00:30:01,959 Speaker 1: like a He makes simple reads relentlessly and he's just 607 00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:04,400 Speaker 1: so good at getting to the rim that all those 608 00:30:04,400 --> 00:30:06,720 Speaker 1: easy reads to the corners and to the dunker spot 609 00:30:06,720 --> 00:30:09,400 Speaker 1: are just always open because of the pressure that he 610 00:30:09,440 --> 00:30:11,320 Speaker 1: puts on the rim and the way the defense collapses 611 00:30:11,680 --> 00:30:14,520 Speaker 1: around him. So I think his passing would be ideal 612 00:30:14,600 --> 00:30:18,200 Speaker 1: in a system like Dallas that has those concepts nailed down, 613 00:30:18,520 --> 00:30:21,520 Speaker 1: and it's always like Reggie Bullocker, Dorian Phinney Smith or 614 00:30:21,520 --> 00:30:24,920 Speaker 1: maxi Leeve a great shooter in those corners, and if 615 00:30:24,960 --> 00:30:26,680 Speaker 1: it's someone in the dunker spot, it's a Christian Wood, 616 00:30:26,680 --> 00:30:28,960 Speaker 1: it's a Dwight Palette, JaVale McGee, a guy that can 617 00:30:28,960 --> 00:30:32,480 Speaker 1: easily finish down there. So it's a simplified offensive system 618 00:30:32,560 --> 00:30:34,960 Speaker 1: where you put the ball in Russ's hands and it's like, hey, dude, 619 00:30:35,120 --> 00:30:37,840 Speaker 1: for the next fourteen possessions, I need you to create 620 00:30:37,880 --> 00:30:41,000 Speaker 1: a shot. Well, that's ideal for him. He can just 621 00:30:41,040 --> 00:30:44,160 Speaker 1: play Russ ball. He's got easy passing reads there for him. 622 00:30:44,240 --> 00:30:47,440 Speaker 1: I think that's perfect fit. So one of the easy 623 00:30:47,480 --> 00:30:51,560 Speaker 1: ways for Dallas to bolster their playmaking is hope for 624 00:30:51,680 --> 00:30:54,200 Speaker 1: Russell Westbrook trade and hope that he gets bought out 625 00:30:54,440 --> 00:30:57,240 Speaker 1: and then pitch him like, hey, don't go to Miami, 626 00:30:57,480 --> 00:30:59,920 Speaker 1: you know, come to us and and we're just gonna 627 00:31:00,160 --> 00:31:04,040 Speaker 1: you play russ ball. Um. All right, next question this 628 00:31:04,080 --> 00:31:08,320 Speaker 1: is from Miles. Do you think too many people brush 629 00:31:08,440 --> 00:31:12,680 Speaker 1: off Paul George is just another player? Yes, thank you, Miles, 630 00:31:12,800 --> 00:31:15,800 Speaker 1: so glad that you said this. Um. He deserved his 631 00:31:15,800 --> 00:31:18,600 Speaker 1: earlier reputation when he was struggling in the postseason, both 632 00:31:18,640 --> 00:31:20,920 Speaker 1: with the Thunder, you know, struggling with the likes of 633 00:31:21,000 --> 00:31:24,680 Speaker 1: Joe Ingles and then even with the Clippers. Um, really 634 00:31:24,720 --> 00:31:28,400 Speaker 1: struggling in the bubble in particular, he at one point 635 00:31:28,440 --> 00:31:30,719 Speaker 1: lost five playoff series in a row, and he deserved 636 00:31:30,720 --> 00:31:32,840 Speaker 1: a lot of the criticism that went his way there. 637 00:31:32,880 --> 00:31:34,719 Speaker 1: But he's not the same player now that he was then. 638 00:31:34,760 --> 00:31:36,280 Speaker 1: He's much better getting to the room and he's a 639 00:31:36,360 --> 00:31:40,080 Speaker 1: much better passer. Overall, he's an outstanding perimeter defender that 640 00:31:40,080 --> 00:31:43,240 Speaker 1: can score it all three levels, and that can play 641 00:31:43,320 --> 00:31:45,120 Speaker 1: make out of the pick and roll and out of 642 00:31:45,120 --> 00:31:48,280 Speaker 1: the post. So he's on a that automatically puts you 643 00:31:48,960 --> 00:31:51,920 Speaker 1: in the conversation as to whether or not you're a superstar. 644 00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:54,760 Speaker 1: I think he's in that tier right below superstar and 645 00:31:54,760 --> 00:31:57,000 Speaker 1: that like ten to fifteen range with the likes of 646 00:31:57,040 --> 00:31:59,760 Speaker 1: like Brandon Ingram and Jalon Brown and guys like that, 647 00:31:59,800 --> 00:32:02,280 Speaker 1: but definitely better than those two guys. I think he's 648 00:32:02,320 --> 00:32:05,200 Speaker 1: like at the top of the tier that's right below 649 00:32:05,760 --> 00:32:09,600 Speaker 1: the superstars. His passing is probably his most underrated skill 650 00:32:09,720 --> 00:32:11,960 Speaker 1: right now. He's passed out of the pick and roll 651 00:32:12,520 --> 00:32:14,360 Speaker 1: a hundred and nine times this year. That has led 652 00:32:14,360 --> 00:32:16,320 Speaker 1: to a twenty one points, which is in the eighty 653 00:32:16,360 --> 00:32:19,440 Speaker 1: one percentile in the league. He also passes really well 654 00:32:19,480 --> 00:32:22,040 Speaker 1: out of the post. He's a legit dominant two A 655 00:32:22,160 --> 00:32:24,720 Speaker 1: wing whose last playoff front was dominant. Don't forget that 656 00:32:24,760 --> 00:32:27,320 Speaker 1: when Kawai went down, he took the Sons to He 657 00:32:27,360 --> 00:32:29,320 Speaker 1: beat the Jazz and then took the Sons to six 658 00:32:29,360 --> 00:32:32,040 Speaker 1: and came within two wins of an NBA Finals. He's 659 00:32:32,520 --> 00:32:34,840 Speaker 1: capable aout playing any player in the league on any 660 00:32:34,880 --> 00:32:38,280 Speaker 1: given night. He's not just a guy, like Miles said, 661 00:32:38,360 --> 00:32:41,959 Speaker 1: so I appreciated that from Mr Miles. This last question 662 00:32:42,040 --> 00:32:46,040 Speaker 1: is from Mike, what do you believe the Heat need 663 00:32:46,120 --> 00:32:49,520 Speaker 1: to turn around the season. So they've dropped four games 664 00:32:49,560 --> 00:32:51,720 Speaker 1: in a row, three in a row without Jimmy Butler. 665 00:32:52,120 --> 00:32:54,160 Speaker 1: They were already thin in the front court as soon 666 00:32:54,200 --> 00:32:56,080 Speaker 1: as they lost p J. Tucker to the Sixers. That's 667 00:32:56,080 --> 00:32:58,520 Speaker 1: something that we were on before the season, and you 668 00:32:58,560 --> 00:33:02,040 Speaker 1: know it's manifested in in particular in stretches like this 669 00:33:02,080 --> 00:33:04,000 Speaker 1: where they've had guys out of the lineup, because it's 670 00:33:04,040 --> 00:33:06,719 Speaker 1: mainly a depth issue their core lineups. Before we go 671 00:33:06,760 --> 00:33:10,840 Speaker 1: any further into this, the silver lining with this bad 672 00:33:11,200 --> 00:33:13,640 Speaker 1: Heat start to the season is that when Bam at 673 00:33:13,640 --> 00:33:16,200 Speaker 1: a bio, Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry are on the 674 00:33:16,200 --> 00:33:19,120 Speaker 1: floor together, they have a one nineteen offensive rating and 675 00:33:19,160 --> 00:33:22,720 Speaker 1: a one ten defensive rating, which is plus nine per 676 00:33:22,720 --> 00:33:25,440 Speaker 1: one possessions. And that's in a large sample size five 677 00:33:26,120 --> 00:33:29,800 Speaker 1: six possessions. So it's primarily a depth issue. Um. But 678 00:33:29,880 --> 00:33:32,000 Speaker 1: the reality is is because of that thin front court, 679 00:33:32,080 --> 00:33:35,720 Speaker 1: they just can't afford to have Jimmy or Bam miss games. 680 00:33:35,760 --> 00:33:37,560 Speaker 1: Like Nikola Jovich, I was watching a bunch of film 681 00:33:37,600 --> 00:33:40,920 Speaker 1: on him earlier today, He's fine, He's got a he's 682 00:33:40,960 --> 00:33:42,680 Speaker 1: got good form on his jump shot, but he's not 683 00:33:42,720 --> 00:33:44,960 Speaker 1: a very good athlete right now, and he's you know, 684 00:33:45,000 --> 00:33:48,560 Speaker 1: it's been a mixed bag defensively, and even though the 685 00:33:48,560 --> 00:33:50,480 Speaker 1: forum looks good on the jump shot, the jump shots 686 00:33:50,520 --> 00:33:54,240 Speaker 1: not going in, so there's a lot of stuff there. Um, 687 00:33:54,280 --> 00:33:56,800 Speaker 1: you know, he hasn't been good enough to bolster that 688 00:33:56,840 --> 00:33:58,840 Speaker 1: front court in the way they need. They're one in 689 00:33:58,920 --> 00:34:00,959 Speaker 1: four in games that Jimmy Butler has missed, an oh 690 00:34:01,040 --> 00:34:03,200 Speaker 1: in two and games that Bam has missed, and they're 691 00:34:03,240 --> 00:34:05,920 Speaker 1: down to twenty three in offense. You know, lack of 692 00:34:05,920 --> 00:34:08,319 Speaker 1: offensive creation was an issue last year that I constantly 693 00:34:08,360 --> 00:34:11,160 Speaker 1: talked about, but they made up for it with execution. 694 00:34:11,200 --> 00:34:14,240 Speaker 1: They're one of the smartest teams in the league. Jimmy 695 00:34:14,280 --> 00:34:17,480 Speaker 1: Butler just going otherworldly good in the playoffs, and then 696 00:34:17,480 --> 00:34:19,399 Speaker 1: they were a very good defensive team. They were fourth 697 00:34:19,440 --> 00:34:21,680 Speaker 1: in defense last year. But they're so damn thin in 698 00:34:21,680 --> 00:34:23,720 Speaker 1: the front court that they can't get stops anymore. According 699 00:34:23,719 --> 00:34:27,680 Speaker 1: to Cleaning the Glass this year there in half court defense, 700 00:34:28,200 --> 00:34:30,600 Speaker 1: and then on the offensive creation side of things, especially 701 00:34:30,600 --> 00:34:33,080 Speaker 1: now that Jimmy Butler's out, like Bam has been fine. 702 00:34:34,040 --> 00:34:37,439 Speaker 1: You know, he's he's created forty points on forty post 703 00:34:37,520 --> 00:34:41,040 Speaker 1: ups including passes, which is sixty percentile, so slightly above average. 704 00:34:41,640 --> 00:34:44,239 Speaker 1: Forty one points on thirty eight ISOs, which is in 705 00:34:44,239 --> 00:34:47,400 Speaker 1: the seventy one percentile. But that's all really low volume. 706 00:34:47,520 --> 00:34:49,879 Speaker 1: That's you know, every once in a while we throw 707 00:34:49,920 --> 00:34:51,560 Speaker 1: the ball to Bam and he makes a play. That's 708 00:34:51,600 --> 00:34:55,440 Speaker 1: not like, you know, constructing the offense around him. Bam 709 00:34:55,480 --> 00:34:58,680 Speaker 1: is a Swiss army knife of a defensive forward who 710 00:34:58,760 --> 00:35:01,160 Speaker 1: is a very good offensive player in the Miami Heat 711 00:35:01,239 --> 00:35:03,080 Speaker 1: system because of the things that he can do in 712 00:35:03,120 --> 00:35:05,520 Speaker 1: fake drible handoffs and and how good of a screener 713 00:35:05,520 --> 00:35:07,280 Speaker 1: he is, and how good he is as a vertical spacer, 714 00:35:07,320 --> 00:35:09,759 Speaker 1: and his ability to occasionally create offense and is and 715 00:35:09,840 --> 00:35:12,720 Speaker 1: post ups. But what he's not is the offensive focal 716 00:35:12,760 --> 00:35:15,040 Speaker 1: point for a great team that that ship has sailed 717 00:35:15,040 --> 00:35:18,719 Speaker 1: at this point. Um Kyle Lowry has been a rock 718 00:35:18,760 --> 00:35:21,080 Speaker 1: of availability. He hasn't missed a game, but he's having 719 00:35:21,160 --> 00:35:23,880 Speaker 1: his least efficient scoring season since two thousand fifteen. He's 720 00:35:23,880 --> 00:35:26,480 Speaker 1: shooting just thirty nine from the field. He's having a 721 00:35:26,560 --> 00:35:29,240 Speaker 1: really bad pick and roll season. He's run two hundred 722 00:35:29,239 --> 00:35:30,799 Speaker 1: and twelve pick and rolls this year that have led 723 00:35:30,840 --> 00:35:34,399 Speaker 1: to just one points, which is zero point nine points 724 00:35:34,400 --> 00:35:37,239 Speaker 1: per possession, which is in the thirty seven percentile in 725 00:35:37,280 --> 00:35:41,160 Speaker 1: the league. But again, as we back away the silver lining, 726 00:35:41,840 --> 00:35:44,879 Speaker 1: when Bam and Jimmy and Kyler on the floor their 727 00:35:44,920 --> 00:35:47,319 Speaker 1: plus nine per one hundred possessions and a pretty good 728 00:35:47,520 --> 00:35:49,920 Speaker 1: sample size. So it's really just a depth issue, so 729 00:35:50,239 --> 00:35:52,960 Speaker 1: that they should be super active in the trade market 730 00:35:53,360 --> 00:35:56,520 Speaker 1: looking for front court depth. Jay Crowder is obviously available. 731 00:35:56,520 --> 00:35:58,520 Speaker 1: I wouldn't be surprised if they're a player when when 732 00:35:58,960 --> 00:36:02,520 Speaker 1: when those Hawks eventually heat up and then teams will 733 00:36:02,560 --> 00:36:05,200 Speaker 1: eventually start tanking. There was a male bad question in 734 00:36:05,200 --> 00:36:07,080 Speaker 1: there that I didn't put on the list, but someone asked, like, 735 00:36:07,320 --> 00:36:09,719 Speaker 1: do you think there's any chance that the Jazz still 736 00:36:09,800 --> 00:36:12,040 Speaker 1: end up trying to tank? And they've won so many 737 00:36:12,080 --> 00:36:15,239 Speaker 1: games at this point that like they're probably gonna even 738 00:36:15,239 --> 00:36:17,280 Speaker 1: if they did try to tank, they're still gonna finish 739 00:36:17,280 --> 00:36:20,360 Speaker 1: with wins. And you know the reality is they just 740 00:36:20,360 --> 00:36:23,000 Speaker 1: have so many good players, Like they could trade Mike Conley, 741 00:36:23,000 --> 00:36:26,240 Speaker 1: and they could trade you know, uh, Rudy gay and 742 00:36:26,239 --> 00:36:28,799 Speaker 1: and Jordan Clarkson. But it's like Colin Sexton still there 743 00:36:28,800 --> 00:36:31,200 Speaker 1: and he's really good over in marketing is really good. 744 00:36:31,280 --> 00:36:34,120 Speaker 1: Jared Vanderbilt is a really good player. They just, you know, 745 00:36:34,120 --> 00:36:35,960 Speaker 1: Malik be easily can shoot the ship out of the basketball. 746 00:36:36,000 --> 00:36:39,040 Speaker 1: They just they have so many good players that it's 747 00:36:39,120 --> 00:36:41,719 Speaker 1: kind of not feasible for them to to pull the 748 00:36:41,760 --> 00:36:44,640 Speaker 1: team apart, you know, in a way that would actually 749 00:36:44,680 --> 00:36:47,080 Speaker 1: make them bad. So I don't think the Jazz are 750 00:36:47,120 --> 00:36:49,560 Speaker 1: gonna be tanking anymore, but they might still make some 751 00:36:49,640 --> 00:36:52,560 Speaker 1: players available in trade, but there will be some teams 752 00:36:52,560 --> 00:36:55,359 Speaker 1: out there that eventually start pulling the plug. And when 753 00:36:55,400 --> 00:36:59,239 Speaker 1: they do, I'd expect the Miami Heat to jump into 754 00:36:59,280 --> 00:37:01,920 Speaker 1: those conversations. And then, like I said earlier, Eric Pinks 755 00:37:01,920 --> 00:37:03,839 Speaker 1: from bleacher Report said that the buzz around the league 756 00:37:03,880 --> 00:37:06,160 Speaker 1: is that if Russell Westbrook gets bought out, he's going 757 00:37:06,200 --> 00:37:08,480 Speaker 1: to Miami, and I do like that for Russ a lot. 758 00:37:08,520 --> 00:37:10,320 Speaker 1: I don't like it as much as that Dallas situation, 759 00:37:10,360 --> 00:37:12,319 Speaker 1: but it's a similar type of idea. They have lots 760 00:37:12,320 --> 00:37:15,400 Speaker 1: of shooting with Gay, Vincent, Max Strus, Tyler Harrow, Kyle Lowry. 761 00:37:15,560 --> 00:37:18,160 Speaker 1: I think they're making Duncan Robinson available for trade as well. 762 00:37:18,200 --> 00:37:21,600 Speaker 1: I saw a report about that today, but Russ's ability 763 00:37:21,640 --> 00:37:24,840 Speaker 1: to pressure the rim. You know, the thing with Miami, 764 00:37:24,960 --> 00:37:27,000 Speaker 1: they don't have good offensive creators, but they do have 765 00:37:27,000 --> 00:37:29,160 Speaker 1: guys that can attack close out as well, whether that's 766 00:37:29,360 --> 00:37:32,719 Speaker 1: shooting or extending the advantage. Right, So the key for 767 00:37:32,760 --> 00:37:34,480 Speaker 1: them is they just they don't have enough guys that 768 00:37:34,520 --> 00:37:37,239 Speaker 1: can get the defense into rotation. And say what you 769 00:37:37,239 --> 00:37:39,600 Speaker 1: want about Russell Westbrook, He's got a lot of flaws, 770 00:37:39,600 --> 00:37:41,759 Speaker 1: but his ability to get to the basket does put 771 00:37:41,800 --> 00:37:45,319 Speaker 1: teams into rotation. He will get Max trus you know, 772 00:37:45,640 --> 00:37:49,200 Speaker 1: gave Vincent, Kyle Lowry, those guys close out opportunities. You know, 773 00:37:49,200 --> 00:37:51,440 Speaker 1: Tyler Harroll is one of the best close out attackers 774 00:37:51,480 --> 00:37:53,719 Speaker 1: in the league. You get a bunch of opportunities for 775 00:37:53,760 --> 00:37:56,239 Speaker 1: those guys. That could be something that helps juice up 776 00:37:56,239 --> 00:37:59,560 Speaker 1: their offense. Uh um a little bit. He also plays 777 00:37:59,560 --> 00:38:02,719 Speaker 1: bigger than his size at six three, so that bolsters 778 00:38:02,760 --> 00:38:05,319 Speaker 1: them physically and that's something they desperately need. And then 779 00:38:05,920 --> 00:38:09,359 Speaker 1: Erik Spoelstra is just a really smart coach and uh 780 00:38:09,400 --> 00:38:11,560 Speaker 1: he would probably find a way to use rus effectively. 781 00:38:11,600 --> 00:38:13,799 Speaker 1: So bottom line, this version of Miami Heat is not 782 00:38:13,920 --> 00:38:16,680 Speaker 1: a feasible contender, but they are a mover or two 783 00:38:16,680 --> 00:38:20,719 Speaker 1: away from re entering that conversation. All right, that is 784 00:38:20,760 --> 00:38:22,600 Speaker 1: all I have for today. I'll have for the rest 785 00:38:22,640 --> 00:38:24,120 Speaker 1: of the week. I hope all of you guys enjoy 786 00:38:24,520 --> 00:38:26,440 Speaker 1: the holiday. I hope you have some good food. I 787 00:38:26,480 --> 00:38:29,560 Speaker 1: helpe you spend some time with family, and I will 788 00:38:29,600 --> 00:38:31,200 Speaker 1: see you guys on Monday. Like I said, keep an 789 00:38:31,200 --> 00:38:33,200 Speaker 1: eye on the Twitter feeds. I'll be doing the occasional. 790 00:38:33,480 --> 00:38:35,200 Speaker 1: I'll just you know, tweet out my thoughts on a 791 00:38:35,200 --> 00:38:38,200 Speaker 1: handful of important games, and um, let's send out some 792 00:38:38,320 --> 00:38:40,960 Speaker 1: video footage and stuff like that. As always, I sincerely 793 00:38:41,000 --> 00:38:43,279 Speaker 1: appreciate you guys supporting the show, and I will see 794 00:38:43,280 --> 00:39:34,920 Speaker 1: you on Monday. The Volume