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For additional 31 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:25,760 Speaker 1: terms and responsible gaming resources, see dkang dot co slash 32 00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:40,400 Speaker 1: b ball. All right, welcome to hoops tonight. You're at 33 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:42,640 Speaker 1: the volume heavy Saturday. Everybody, Oh balve. You guys are 34 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:44,560 Speaker 1: having a great weekend. I'm actually staying up to record 35 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:46,839 Speaker 1: this on Friday night. We've got a jam Pack show 36 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:49,400 Speaker 1: for you guys. Today. I'm gonna be breaking down the 37 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:52,640 Speaker 1: Clippers Lakers showdown from last night. As the Lakers, after 38 00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 1: getting dominated by the Clippers for a long time, they've 39 00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:57,600 Speaker 1: actually won five out of seven in that matchup another 40 00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:01,000 Speaker 1: super interesting example of the Lakers dealing with the switching defense. 41 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:03,120 Speaker 1: We're going to talk about that. After that, we're going 42 00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:05,800 Speaker 1: to get into a showdown between the two teams that 43 00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:08,400 Speaker 1: I believe will eventually face off in the Eastern Conference Finals. 44 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:13,320 Speaker 1: The Cleveland Cavaliers survive two massive runs from the Boston 45 00:02:13,360 --> 00:02:16,840 Speaker 1: Celtics to tie the season series at two, getting a 46 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:18,919 Speaker 1: big win on the road in Boston. Then at the 47 00:02:18,919 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 1: tail end of the show, I want to talk a 48 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:23,480 Speaker 1: little bit of Denver Nuggets. They've had a uneven stretch 49 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:25,480 Speaker 1: of games here recently. They're two and one, I believe 50 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:27,400 Speaker 1: on the road trip so far. I want to talk 51 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 1: about two concepts with them. One, the concept of inverted 52 00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:34,560 Speaker 1: spacing as I watched Jokic pick apart the Pistons off 53 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:37,760 Speaker 1: ball defenders through just acting as a passing folkrim at 54 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 1: the top of the key. And then I want to 55 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:41,200 Speaker 1: talk about the stuff that Denver has to get better 56 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:43,520 Speaker 1: at on defense if they want to make a legitimate 57 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:47,160 Speaker 1: run to get back into championship contention. You guys know 58 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:48,720 Speaker 1: the drip before we get started. To subscribe to the 59 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:50,360 Speaker 1: Hoops and I YouTube channels. You don't miss any more 60 00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:52,919 Speaker 1: of our videos. Follow me on Twitter at underscore JCNLT. 61 00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:54,720 Speaker 1: You guys, don't mis sh announcements. Don't forget about our 62 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:57,079 Speaker 1: podcast feed wherever gets your podcast on our Hoops Tonight. 63 00:02:57,120 --> 00:02:58,679 Speaker 1: It's also super helpful if you leave a rating and 64 00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:00,799 Speaker 1: a review on that front. The last, but not least, 65 00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:04,519 Speaker 1: keep dropping mailbag questions in the YouTube comments. We'll get 66 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:08,880 Speaker 1: to him on Fridays throughout the remainder of the season. 67 00:03:08,919 --> 00:03:12,240 Speaker 1: All right, let's talk some basketball. So when I looked 68 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:15,519 Speaker 1: at the initial matchups to start this Clippers Lakers game, 69 00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:19,560 Speaker 1: I saw the Tylu put Zubach on Dorian Phinney Smith, 70 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:22,239 Speaker 1: and so my first impression there was, oh, we might 71 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:25,399 Speaker 1: have a repeat of the Knicks game when they put 72 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:28,320 Speaker 1: Karl Anthony Towns on Dorian Phinney Smith, and the Lakers 73 00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:31,120 Speaker 1: just spammed a bunch of pick and pop action to 74 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:33,840 Speaker 1: get Dorian Phinney Smith in space. But there was a 75 00:03:33,919 --> 00:03:39,400 Speaker 1: very smart defensive strategy that Tylu implemented in this game. 76 00:03:39,920 --> 00:03:42,480 Speaker 1: After watching a bunch of film of the Lakers struggling 77 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:46,360 Speaker 1: against switching, he just decided to have Zubach switch all 78 00:03:46,400 --> 00:03:48,680 Speaker 1: those screens. That's why you saw so many of those 79 00:03:48,720 --> 00:03:51,920 Speaker 1: ISOs out around the top of the key with either 80 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:56,080 Speaker 1: Lebron or Luca attacking Zubach in space, and I thought 81 00:03:56,080 --> 00:03:58,680 Speaker 1: generally did a good job. He pretty much contains rebel 82 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:01,480 Speaker 1: penetration for the most part and force those guys into 83 00:04:01,560 --> 00:04:04,520 Speaker 1: a lot of jump shots over the top. Lebron was 84 00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:06,560 Speaker 1: really carrying the load in the early part of the 85 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:09,680 Speaker 1: game by just settling into that mid range jump shot 86 00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:13,320 Speaker 1: right around like seventeen eighteen feet out kind of by 87 00:04:13,360 --> 00:04:15,840 Speaker 1: the top of the key area. But again, like the 88 00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:19,200 Speaker 1: Lakers did struggle again for the most part, and you know, 89 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:21,880 Speaker 1: I don't think they're going to really generate a ton 90 00:04:21,960 --> 00:04:27,159 Speaker 1: of offense against switching defenses until Luca gets back to 91 00:04:27,279 --> 00:04:30,240 Speaker 1: the Luka Dancic that we know he's capable of being 92 00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:34,400 Speaker 1: an MVP level shot maker. Right. We saw even just 93 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:36,880 Speaker 1: a tiny little touch of it at the end of 94 00:04:36,880 --> 00:04:38,719 Speaker 1: the game when Luca made a couple of big step 95 00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:41,280 Speaker 1: back threes that led to an adjustment from Tye. We'll 96 00:04:41,279 --> 00:04:43,640 Speaker 1: get to that in a second. But until Luca really 97 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:46,480 Speaker 1: gets back to his MVP level form on the offensive end, 98 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:49,440 Speaker 1: and until the Lakers start knocking down their catching shoot attempts, 99 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:52,719 Speaker 1: this is their third straight game where they got less 100 00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:54,800 Speaker 1: than one point per catch and shoot attempt. They've been 101 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:57,400 Speaker 1: struggling to shoot the basketball a lot. I do think 102 00:04:57,400 --> 00:04:59,480 Speaker 1: they'll shoot better in the long run. But until those 103 00:04:59,520 --> 00:05:01,839 Speaker 1: two things turn around, until Luca gets going, and until 104 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:04,000 Speaker 1: they start knocking down the catch and shoot shots, they're 105 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:07,240 Speaker 1: going to struggle against defenses that switch. And they struggled 106 00:05:07,240 --> 00:05:09,520 Speaker 1: for long stretches in this game. But we did see 107 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:12,080 Speaker 1: a little Luca run in that fourth quarter. That was 108 00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:14,320 Speaker 1: a taste of what things should look like in the 109 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:17,039 Speaker 1: long run when Luca gets going. So it's a couple 110 00:05:17,080 --> 00:05:19,680 Speaker 1: of step back threes over zubach In switches one on 111 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:21,680 Speaker 1: the left wing, one kind of out on the right 112 00:05:21,720 --> 00:05:24,520 Speaker 1: side of the floor. Now at that point, Tyleru had 113 00:05:24,520 --> 00:05:26,719 Speaker 1: to make an adjustment. He started putting two on the ball. 114 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:29,320 Speaker 1: Once Luka put two on the ball, then they were 115 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:32,599 Speaker 1: able to get the defense into rotation and generate quality 116 00:05:32,640 --> 00:05:35,200 Speaker 1: looks out of that and open look for Dorian Finney 117 00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:37,039 Speaker 1: Smith in the right corner that he knocked down a 118 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:39,920 Speaker 1: dunk for Jackson Hayes on a slip to the rim. 119 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:42,840 Speaker 1: They started to get good looks because they got two 120 00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:44,840 Speaker 1: to the ball again, like We're gonna talk about this 121 00:05:44,880 --> 00:05:46,960 Speaker 1: a lot when we get into the Celtics game as well. 122 00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:50,640 Speaker 1: But there's like an order of operations. In order to 123 00:05:50,760 --> 00:05:53,880 Speaker 1: break down a switching defense. You have to start getting 124 00:05:53,880 --> 00:05:56,800 Speaker 1: a matchup you like and attacking it well enough that 125 00:05:56,839 --> 00:06:00,479 Speaker 1: you score at any rate that is untenable for the defense. 126 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:03,039 Speaker 1: Once you start scoring at a rate that's untenable for 127 00:06:03,080 --> 00:06:05,720 Speaker 1: the defense, then you can start bringing two to the ball. 128 00:06:05,760 --> 00:06:07,880 Speaker 1: Once you can start bringing two to the ball, then 129 00:06:07,920 --> 00:06:10,599 Speaker 1: you can start to generate the same type of opportunities 130 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:13,120 Speaker 1: that they got in the Denver game, where it's like, 131 00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:14,920 Speaker 1: now we're getting a lot of these four on threes 132 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:17,560 Speaker 1: in the ball's popping around, We're getting wide open shots 133 00:06:17,880 --> 00:06:20,680 Speaker 1: for people. They actually handled the double teams better in 134 00:06:20,720 --> 00:06:22,960 Speaker 1: this game than they did it was the I believe 135 00:06:22,960 --> 00:06:24,960 Speaker 1: it was the Dallas game if I remember correctly, that 136 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:28,480 Speaker 1: they kind of struggled against double teams. But again, like 137 00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:30,560 Speaker 1: that's a little tiny taste for Lakers fans and what 138 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:33,000 Speaker 1: that could look like in the big picture. Luca going 139 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:37,200 Speaker 1: on these scoring runs against switches leading to him getting blitzed, 140 00:06:37,720 --> 00:06:40,760 Speaker 1: then you have all this opportunity on the backside of that. 141 00:06:40,960 --> 00:06:43,400 Speaker 1: Now again, like it got a little tricky in this 142 00:06:43,480 --> 00:06:46,200 Speaker 1: game because it's not Austin Reeves. Austin Reeves leaves the 143 00:06:46,240 --> 00:06:48,680 Speaker 1: game with the calf injury. He's gonna be getting an 144 00:06:48,760 --> 00:06:51,400 Speaker 1: MRI on that. Hopefully Austin's okay, we'll find out soon. 145 00:06:51,680 --> 00:06:55,040 Speaker 1: Ruyacha Mura Jj Redick talked after the game, is dealing 146 00:06:55,080 --> 00:06:59,720 Speaker 1: with Peteller tendonitis or tendon tompathy, if I remember correctly, 147 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:01,920 Speaker 1: like something's going on with the front of his knee. 148 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:03,920 Speaker 1: He's gonna be out for about a week. So take 149 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:05,839 Speaker 1: those two guys out of the rotation. You're bringing guys 150 00:07:05,880 --> 00:07:08,800 Speaker 1: into the rotation that are lesser offensive players. You know, 151 00:07:08,880 --> 00:07:12,680 Speaker 1: Trey Jemison basically operating as the backup center when that's 152 00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:14,800 Speaker 1: been a lot of small ball looks anchored by Ruey 153 00:07:14,920 --> 00:07:17,880 Speaker 1: and then you're getting a lot more Jordan Goodwin because 154 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:20,040 Speaker 1: Austin Reeves is out of the lineup. Right, those guys 155 00:07:20,080 --> 00:07:22,920 Speaker 1: are not as good in terms of offensive threats. Although 156 00:07:22,960 --> 00:07:24,640 Speaker 1: they scraped tonight. We're gonna talk about it in a 157 00:07:24,680 --> 00:07:26,680 Speaker 1: little bit. So they're gonna be a little tricky in 158 00:07:26,760 --> 00:07:30,240 Speaker 1: these four on threes in the next couple of weeks. 159 00:07:30,240 --> 00:07:32,320 Speaker 1: As Lebron and Luca have to kind of shoulder more 160 00:07:32,360 --> 00:07:34,720 Speaker 1: of that offensive load, and there's just not as much 161 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:38,000 Speaker 1: offensive talent off the ball. But in general, I thought 162 00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:39,320 Speaker 1: you got to see a little taste of what it 163 00:07:39,360 --> 00:07:41,360 Speaker 1: could look like in the big picture as Lucas starts 164 00:07:41,360 --> 00:07:43,480 Speaker 1: to get going. That's a beautiful thing about all of this. 165 00:07:43,520 --> 00:07:47,040 Speaker 1: They've been winning with defense. This is the sixth consecutive 166 00:07:47,080 --> 00:07:49,840 Speaker 1: game where the Lakers held their opponents to one hundred 167 00:07:49,840 --> 00:07:52,560 Speaker 1: and two points or fewer. This is now a twenty 168 00:07:52,680 --> 00:07:56,000 Speaker 1: one game span of the Lakers being the best defense 169 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:58,080 Speaker 1: in the NBA. That's over a fourth of the season. 170 00:07:58,240 --> 00:08:01,080 Speaker 1: It's a beautiful thing for the Lakers fans because the 171 00:08:01,080 --> 00:08:03,600 Speaker 1: thing that I've been most excited about with this team 172 00:08:03,600 --> 00:08:05,600 Speaker 1: in the big picture is what they're capable of on 173 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:09,640 Speaker 1: the offense. Event I imagine a five man grouping with Lebron, 174 00:08:09,720 --> 00:08:12,720 Speaker 1: Luca and Austin, Dorian Finney Smith and Ruey Hatchamura that 175 00:08:12,800 --> 00:08:16,800 Speaker 1: could achieve a level of unguardability in a playoff context 176 00:08:17,280 --> 00:08:19,440 Speaker 1: when Luca gets back to the level that we all 177 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:23,720 Speaker 1: know that Lucas capable of reaching. Right, Lebron was fantastic 178 00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:25,120 Speaker 1: again in this game. By the way, He's been doing 179 00:08:25,120 --> 00:08:26,920 Speaker 1: a great job of just kind of like pulling the 180 00:08:26,920 --> 00:08:29,560 Speaker 1: weight as Luca's been working his way back into rhythm. 181 00:08:29,800 --> 00:08:34,000 Speaker 1: It's just wild to me how he's consistently night tonight 182 00:08:34,320 --> 00:08:36,199 Speaker 1: playing at an MVP level. I was in awe of 183 00:08:36,320 --> 00:08:40,720 Speaker 1: him again tonight. He soundly outplayed Kawhi Leonard, soundly outplayed 184 00:08:41,040 --> 00:08:43,080 Speaker 1: James Harden, a couple of stars that are a half 185 00:08:43,160 --> 00:08:47,040 Speaker 1: decade younger than him. Just Lebron continues to just be amazing. 186 00:08:47,160 --> 00:08:49,600 Speaker 1: I wanted to shout out the Lakers bench in this game, though, 187 00:08:49,679 --> 00:08:52,200 Speaker 1: because obviously Ruey hat Chamura is out, then we find 188 00:08:52,200 --> 00:08:55,640 Speaker 1: out Austin's out, the Lakers are down two starters, so 189 00:08:55,679 --> 00:08:58,000 Speaker 1: I ended up being just Lebron and Luca and a 190 00:08:58,040 --> 00:09:01,240 Speaker 1: bunch of discounted role players. But one of the things 191 00:09:01,280 --> 00:09:03,319 Speaker 1: that I've been preaching about for a while is the 192 00:09:03,440 --> 00:09:09,559 Speaker 1: value of high motor athletes on an NBA roster, especially 193 00:09:09,600 --> 00:09:13,280 Speaker 1: on your deep bench. The reason why I'm into this 194 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:16,640 Speaker 1: concept is when your main guys are out of the lineup, 195 00:09:17,559 --> 00:09:22,720 Speaker 1: just playing super fucking hard will go a long way 196 00:09:22,840 --> 00:09:26,000 Speaker 1: towards keeping your floor up high and giving you a 197 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:29,680 Speaker 1: chance to win games. Jordan Goodwin was insane again in 198 00:09:29,720 --> 00:09:32,640 Speaker 1: this game. One of the best scrappers that I've rooted 199 00:09:32,640 --> 00:09:35,239 Speaker 1: for in my time as an NBA fan, Jared Vanderbilt 200 00:09:35,240 --> 00:09:37,000 Speaker 1: was great. Tray Jemison came in and just played his 201 00:09:37,040 --> 00:09:39,560 Speaker 1: ass off Dorrian Phinney Smith always plays hard game, Vincent 202 00:09:39,679 --> 00:09:43,000 Speaker 1: always plays hard. I just think that's how you should 203 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:46,439 Speaker 1: build a team when you have championship aspirations and you're 204 00:09:46,480 --> 00:09:49,640 Speaker 1: trying to survive the regular season, make sure the guys 205 00:09:49,640 --> 00:09:53,000 Speaker 1: that are outside of your normal rotation are guys who 206 00:09:53,040 --> 00:09:56,080 Speaker 1: play hard, because that is something you can count on 207 00:09:56,160 --> 00:10:00,160 Speaker 1: every single night. When you have offensive players that are 208 00:10:00,160 --> 00:10:01,800 Speaker 1: not very good and that's why they're end of the 209 00:10:01,800 --> 00:10:05,000 Speaker 1: bench guys, they could be terrible on a night when 210 00:10:05,040 --> 00:10:06,840 Speaker 1: they don't have their jump shot going, or when they 211 00:10:06,880 --> 00:10:10,520 Speaker 1: don't have, you know, a matchup where they're facing switching 212 00:10:10,559 --> 00:10:12,360 Speaker 1: and they have to create more shots for themselves. Like, 213 00:10:12,400 --> 00:10:14,679 Speaker 1: you're gonna run into a lot more weaknesses in that regard. 214 00:10:14,720 --> 00:10:17,079 Speaker 1: And here's the thing. Jordan Goodwin struggled to knock down 215 00:10:17,080 --> 00:10:18,920 Speaker 1: spot up threes today. Tree Jemison had a couple of 216 00:10:18,920 --> 00:10:22,120 Speaker 1: plays where he you know, fumbled the ball away in traffic. 217 00:10:22,160 --> 00:10:24,960 Speaker 1: There are going you know, a lot of Jared Vanderbilt, right, 218 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:28,280 Speaker 1: there's gonna be moments where you're dealing with those guys 219 00:10:28,360 --> 00:10:31,040 Speaker 1: in their offensive limitations come to the surface. Jared Vanderbilt 220 00:10:31,080 --> 00:10:33,840 Speaker 1: still struggles to catch anything in traffic, right, but like 221 00:10:34,400 --> 00:10:37,120 Speaker 1: just by competing and playing their ass off, like I thought, 222 00:10:37,160 --> 00:10:38,559 Speaker 1: one of the biggest plays of the game is when 223 00:10:38,559 --> 00:10:41,600 Speaker 1: the Clippers took that lead off of I believe it 224 00:10:41,640 --> 00:10:43,360 Speaker 1: was off of a Kwi Hindard three at the top 225 00:10:43,360 --> 00:10:46,199 Speaker 1: of the key on the left side where I believe 226 00:10:46,240 --> 00:10:49,000 Speaker 1: Luca goes down and scores, and on the inbound Jordan 227 00:10:49,080 --> 00:10:51,960 Speaker 1: Goodwin gets a steal in another layup and it reversed 228 00:10:52,000 --> 00:10:53,840 Speaker 1: it back to the Lakers being in the lead. It 229 00:10:53,960 --> 00:10:58,040 Speaker 1: like completely flipped the momentum and Luca ended up taking 230 00:10:58,080 --> 00:11:01,120 Speaker 1: that group into having a small lead going into the 231 00:11:01,120 --> 00:11:03,640 Speaker 1: fourth quarter. That's a scrappy play that made a huge difference. 232 00:11:03,800 --> 00:11:07,400 Speaker 1: Jared Vanderbilt scrapping, getting on the floor, taking the ball 233 00:11:07,440 --> 00:11:10,000 Speaker 1: away from James Harden and drawing foul gave Vincent he 234 00:11:10,080 --> 00:11:13,480 Speaker 1: committed a kicking violation on this play, but applying ball 235 00:11:13,520 --> 00:11:17,000 Speaker 1: pressure and kicking the ball away from James Harden and again, 236 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:18,760 Speaker 1: if you don't hear the whistle, you just keep playing, 237 00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:21,439 Speaker 1: and he just ran beat everybody to the basketball, got 238 00:11:21,480 --> 00:11:23,559 Speaker 1: that ball, ran it out and transitioned and got a 239 00:11:23,640 --> 00:11:27,720 Speaker 1: lay up. Those dudes scrapped all game long, and it 240 00:11:27,800 --> 00:11:30,800 Speaker 1: gave the Lakers a chance to win, even down two 241 00:11:30,880 --> 00:11:34,480 Speaker 1: of their most important offensive players, and Lebron and Luca 242 00:11:34,640 --> 00:11:39,240 Speaker 1: just grinded out enough buckets against switches out above the 243 00:11:39,280 --> 00:11:43,280 Speaker 1: break in order to get enough to win that particular game. 244 00:11:44,200 --> 00:11:47,400 Speaker 1: I thought the Zubox matchup was interesting. I mean, it's 245 00:11:47,440 --> 00:11:49,400 Speaker 1: the same type of player as Jokic in terms of 246 00:11:49,440 --> 00:11:51,680 Speaker 1: like a guy that's just way too big for any 247 00:11:51,720 --> 00:11:53,480 Speaker 1: Laker to guard, but it's a very different type of 248 00:11:53,520 --> 00:11:57,080 Speaker 1: matchup because Jokic was the center of the game plan 249 00:11:57,120 --> 00:11:59,319 Speaker 1: and everything they did was built around like helping off 250 00:11:59,360 --> 00:12:02,040 Speaker 1: of these non shoes and containing Jokics, right, and like 251 00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:05,120 Speaker 1: even with Jamal Murray, they were willing to concede these 252 00:12:05,160 --> 00:12:08,000 Speaker 1: like mildly contested pull up jump shots out above the break. 253 00:12:08,120 --> 00:12:11,160 Speaker 1: Right with Zubos though, like he's not the focus of 254 00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:13,160 Speaker 1: the game plan. The game plan was focused around Kawhi 255 00:12:13,280 --> 00:12:15,880 Speaker 1: Leonard and James Harden. A lot of similar stuff to 256 00:12:16,559 --> 00:12:19,200 Speaker 1: what we've seen in other matchups where they were sending 257 00:12:19,200 --> 00:12:21,880 Speaker 1: all sorts of help at Kawhi Leonard, particularly when he 258 00:12:21,920 --> 00:12:23,720 Speaker 1: would turn his back, so that when he would go 259 00:12:23,720 --> 00:12:25,600 Speaker 1: to spin off of a guy, he would just run 260 00:12:25,640 --> 00:12:27,800 Speaker 1: into bodies. They just did a great job of making 261 00:12:28,160 --> 00:12:30,320 Speaker 1: Kawhi Leonard feel like he was playing in a crowd. 262 00:12:30,679 --> 00:12:33,720 Speaker 1: They pressed up on James Harden's right shoulder so that 263 00:12:33,760 --> 00:12:36,520 Speaker 1: they could contest without getting up underneath his landing zone, 264 00:12:36,520 --> 00:12:38,640 Speaker 1: so he wouldn't get to the foul line. Although Jackson 265 00:12:38,720 --> 00:12:40,840 Speaker 1: Hayes did have a really really bad foul in the 266 00:12:40,840 --> 00:12:43,480 Speaker 1: fourth quarter where he reached in on James Harden just 267 00:12:43,679 --> 00:12:46,440 Speaker 1: stuck his hand right on James Harden's left arm, and 268 00:12:46,440 --> 00:12:50,440 Speaker 1: that's just James has been just had an automatic trigger 269 00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:52,320 Speaker 1: to just rise and fire when he sees that for 270 00:12:52,360 --> 00:12:55,200 Speaker 1: the last half, you know, you know, five seven years 271 00:12:55,200 --> 00:12:57,720 Speaker 1: of his career to draw additional foul shots right. So like, 272 00:12:57,840 --> 00:13:00,000 Speaker 1: But for the most part, they played Harden's right shoulder. 273 00:13:00,800 --> 00:13:03,520 Speaker 1: They tried to funnel him into help where Jackson Hayes 274 00:13:03,600 --> 00:13:05,680 Speaker 1: was always waiting and he was trying to take that floater. 275 00:13:06,040 --> 00:13:08,040 Speaker 1: I think he ended up going one for ten from three. 276 00:13:08,080 --> 00:13:09,840 Speaker 1: They did a good job of closing that gap and 277 00:13:09,960 --> 00:13:13,520 Speaker 1: keeping things difficult for him, and it worked. They held 278 00:13:13,880 --> 00:13:16,600 Speaker 1: Kawhi and James Harden to thirty nine points on thirty 279 00:13:16,679 --> 00:13:19,960 Speaker 1: nine shots. They forced him into eight turnovers. I thought 280 00:13:19,960 --> 00:13:22,840 Speaker 1: it was another impressive defensive game plan from JJ Reddick, 281 00:13:22,880 --> 00:13:26,120 Speaker 1: but again you end up giving things to take things away, right, 282 00:13:26,240 --> 00:13:28,600 Speaker 1: just like in the Denver series or Denver game, the 283 00:13:28,679 --> 00:13:33,040 Speaker 1: Lakers were conceding wide open looks to Aaron Gordon, Russell Westbrook, 284 00:13:33,720 --> 00:13:37,040 Speaker 1: Christian Brown. Right in this matchup, it was like Zubach 285 00:13:37,120 --> 00:13:38,920 Speaker 1: was getting some catches, He was getting some catches on 286 00:13:38,960 --> 00:13:42,760 Speaker 1: the roll, and like the Lakers were constantly reacting to 287 00:13:42,840 --> 00:13:46,400 Speaker 1: Zubach when he'd already have deep post position as opposed 288 00:13:46,440 --> 00:13:49,840 Speaker 1: to denying Jokics fronting the posts, forcing him to catch 289 00:13:49,840 --> 00:13:52,080 Speaker 1: the ball further out so that they could mitigate some 290 00:13:52,200 --> 00:13:54,280 Speaker 1: of his size. Was Zubach by the time he caught 291 00:13:54,280 --> 00:13:56,640 Speaker 1: it underneath the basket most of the time they were 292 00:13:56,640 --> 00:13:59,160 Speaker 1: just dead to rights already, and Zubach was just able 293 00:13:59,160 --> 00:14:01,000 Speaker 1: to shoot a little bok shot over the top where 294 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:03,160 Speaker 1: he's so dead lean. Zubatch is just an awesome player. 295 00:14:03,240 --> 00:14:04,800 Speaker 1: I think, what do you have like twenty seven and 296 00:14:04,880 --> 00:14:07,240 Speaker 1: sixteen something like that in that game. The thing that 297 00:14:07,280 --> 00:14:09,480 Speaker 1: has been really impressive to me was Zubach in particular, 298 00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:13,000 Speaker 1: is like his floater touch, Like when he would catch 299 00:14:13,360 --> 00:14:15,160 Speaker 1: and there wouldn't be somebody on him, he'd be seven 300 00:14:15,200 --> 00:14:17,120 Speaker 1: eight feet from the basket, he just turn and shoot 301 00:14:17,120 --> 00:14:19,560 Speaker 1: like a little floater that would just softly go in 302 00:14:19,600 --> 00:14:21,880 Speaker 1: the basket every single time. He's just a really good player. 303 00:14:21,920 --> 00:14:24,960 Speaker 1: And that was where the Lakers decided to have their 304 00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:27,720 Speaker 1: defense bend without breaking, and they gave up a ton 305 00:14:27,760 --> 00:14:31,760 Speaker 1: to Zoobach, they held everyone else in check and again 306 00:14:32,080 --> 00:14:37,000 Speaker 1: held another opponent to one hundred and two points or less. 307 00:14:37,040 --> 00:14:40,120 Speaker 1: The Lakers are now seventeen and four in their last 308 00:14:40,120 --> 00:14:43,040 Speaker 1: twenty one games. That's the best record in the NBA, 309 00:14:43,160 --> 00:14:47,880 Speaker 1: their tenth in offense, first in defense, eighth in defensive rebounding. 310 00:14:48,560 --> 00:14:50,480 Speaker 1: On the Clippers front, the only thing I wanted to 311 00:14:50,480 --> 00:14:53,840 Speaker 1: get into there, The biggest concern for me that stood 312 00:14:53,840 --> 00:14:56,240 Speaker 1: out was just the amount of lift that Kawhi Leonard 313 00:14:56,280 --> 00:14:58,640 Speaker 1: was getting on his jump shot. Kawhi was shooting a 314 00:14:58,640 --> 00:15:02,360 Speaker 1: really flatball tonight, and it was barely getting over the 315 00:15:02,400 --> 00:15:04,160 Speaker 1: front of the rim unless he was wide open, like 316 00:15:04,160 --> 00:15:05,760 Speaker 1: if he was wide open. That thing was going in 317 00:15:05,880 --> 00:15:09,760 Speaker 1: and Kawhi just has a very robotic jump shot form 318 00:15:09,840 --> 00:15:11,600 Speaker 1: to where like if he kind of gets into his 319 00:15:12,280 --> 00:15:15,080 Speaker 1: energy transfer from the ground up and no one disrupts that, 320 00:15:15,240 --> 00:15:17,520 Speaker 1: he's gonna knock it down, right. But like just about 321 00:15:17,520 --> 00:15:21,320 Speaker 1: everything that was contested and everything that involved him trying 322 00:15:21,360 --> 00:15:25,560 Speaker 1: to shoot through you know, congested defense around him, he 323 00:15:25,680 --> 00:15:28,760 Speaker 1: struggled to get lyft. And again, like when Kawhi's at 324 00:15:28,800 --> 00:15:33,480 Speaker 1: his best, he's always powering through guys, bumping them off 325 00:15:33,480 --> 00:15:37,200 Speaker 1: with his shoulder, getting to his spot, rising cleanly, and 326 00:15:37,280 --> 00:15:39,480 Speaker 1: just it just pops in off the back of the 327 00:15:39,560 --> 00:15:42,160 Speaker 1: rim over and over and over again when he's at 328 00:15:42,160 --> 00:15:45,600 Speaker 1: his best. And like he's up to seventeen games this 329 00:15:45,720 --> 00:15:48,200 Speaker 1: year and he's just not getting lyft. I think he's 330 00:15:48,200 --> 00:15:50,120 Speaker 1: actually up to eighteen games this year. He's just not 331 00:15:50,160 --> 00:15:52,800 Speaker 1: getting lyft. And that's the part that concerns me as 332 00:15:52,840 --> 00:15:55,600 Speaker 1: part of as as far as like his base goes 333 00:15:56,400 --> 00:15:59,160 Speaker 1: and just like whether or not his knee is capable 334 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:01,440 Speaker 1: of getting to where to be for the Clippers to 335 00:16:01,440 --> 00:16:03,400 Speaker 1: make a real run. But big win for the Lakers again, 336 00:16:03,400 --> 00:16:06,520 Speaker 1: five out of seven against the Clippers, they've flipped that script. 337 00:16:07,680 --> 00:16:09,200 Speaker 1: The one thing I'll the last thing I'll say in 338 00:16:09,240 --> 00:16:11,800 Speaker 1: the Laker front, Guys, like, like I talked about after 339 00:16:11,800 --> 00:16:14,480 Speaker 1: the Minnesota game, my biggest concern with this team is injuries. 340 00:16:14,800 --> 00:16:17,720 Speaker 1: They've been playing their asses off, they've been competing, but 341 00:16:17,840 --> 00:16:22,160 Speaker 1: guys are starting to drop. Bruy goes down, Austin goes down. 342 00:16:22,680 --> 00:16:25,400 Speaker 1: We haven't even gotten to the forty year old or 343 00:16:25,480 --> 00:16:28,600 Speaker 1: the dude who's you know, was significantly overweighted a couple 344 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:30,880 Speaker 1: of weeks ago and has already dealt with calf issues 345 00:16:30,920 --> 00:16:33,320 Speaker 1: throughout the season. So, like, I'm a little worried about 346 00:16:33,360 --> 00:16:35,720 Speaker 1: the Lakers on the injury front. It's basically the main 347 00:16:36,040 --> 00:16:38,640 Speaker 1: piece of pessimism that I'm contending with right now as 348 00:16:38,680 --> 00:16:41,080 Speaker 1: a fan of the team. But they are playing some 349 00:16:41,120 --> 00:16:43,000 Speaker 1: really good basketball, and I do think they have a 350 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:45,880 Speaker 1: formula to where they can keep things afloat until they 351 00:16:46,080 --> 00:17:02,200 Speaker 1: get guys back into the lineup. All right, Moving on 352 00:17:02,240 --> 00:17:06,159 Speaker 1: to Calves Celtics. So the Celtics just jump them right away. 353 00:17:06,359 --> 00:17:09,360 Speaker 1: Calves missed a couple of decent looks from three. The 354 00:17:09,960 --> 00:17:12,439 Speaker 1: Celtics are just immediately on fire. I thought Tatum came 355 00:17:12,480 --> 00:17:15,320 Speaker 1: out looking fantastic, hitting jump shots, spraying the ball out 356 00:17:15,359 --> 00:17:18,520 Speaker 1: to shooters, they jump up twenty five to three. Doris 357 00:17:18,560 --> 00:17:22,680 Speaker 1: Burke had an interesting comment on the broadcast talking about 358 00:17:22,680 --> 00:17:25,960 Speaker 1: how like the Calves just didn't look like the like 359 00:17:26,000 --> 00:17:29,000 Speaker 1: they believed they belonged on the same floor with the Celtics, 360 00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:31,520 Speaker 1: Like they just had this energy in that first stretch 361 00:17:31,520 --> 00:17:34,320 Speaker 1: of the game where they just didn't look like they 362 00:17:34,359 --> 00:17:37,800 Speaker 1: believed they could win. And there was a really cool 363 00:17:38,800 --> 00:17:41,760 Speaker 1: quote that the broadcast showed from Kenny Atkinson in the 364 00:17:41,840 --> 00:17:45,520 Speaker 1: huddle saying, like, come on, guys, like this is not us, Like, 365 00:17:46,440 --> 00:17:48,920 Speaker 1: just believe in what you're doing. Step in and knock 366 00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:51,320 Speaker 1: some shots down, right, And that's what I thought turned 367 00:17:51,359 --> 00:17:53,159 Speaker 1: it around. There were two things that I thought like 368 00:17:53,240 --> 00:17:55,040 Speaker 1: kind of just changed the tone and tender of the 369 00:17:55,040 --> 00:17:57,719 Speaker 1: game after that twenty five to three start, first drible 370 00:17:57,720 --> 00:18:01,320 Speaker 1: penetration from Darius Garland. He started getting buy people off 371 00:18:01,320 --> 00:18:04,080 Speaker 1: the dribble and getting the defense into rotation to generate 372 00:18:04,119 --> 00:18:07,080 Speaker 1: some quality shots. That just kind of started to pick 373 00:18:07,160 --> 00:18:10,280 Speaker 1: up the pace for Cleveland in this game. And then 374 00:18:10,320 --> 00:18:12,399 Speaker 1: a couple of shooters entered the game, a couple of 375 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:15,280 Speaker 1: guys that came in with confidence and knocked down some shots. 376 00:18:15,280 --> 00:18:18,600 Speaker 1: DeAndre Hunter and Ti Jerome both stepped in and each 377 00:18:18,680 --> 00:18:22,920 Speaker 1: knockdown two threes. Ti Jerome, who can be really aggressive 378 00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:25,359 Speaker 1: as a pull up shooter, hit two kind of contested 379 00:18:25,359 --> 00:18:28,040 Speaker 1: threes and like had a little bit of attitude about it, 380 00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:30,440 Speaker 1: and it just loosened up the team, and you could 381 00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:33,160 Speaker 1: tell that helped them believe that they could get back 382 00:18:33,200 --> 00:18:35,199 Speaker 1: into the game and they started to settle down and 383 00:18:35,200 --> 00:18:38,080 Speaker 1: play Cavs basketball. They started to get stops run out 384 00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:42,000 Speaker 1: in transition, attacking the Celtics defense before it got set. 385 00:18:42,280 --> 00:18:44,199 Speaker 1: I thought Darius Garland did a really nice job of 386 00:18:44,240 --> 00:18:46,560 Speaker 1: like getting up the ball, the ball at the floor 387 00:18:46,640 --> 00:18:50,080 Speaker 1: quickly and quickly getting into a screening action to immediately 388 00:18:50,200 --> 00:18:52,199 Speaker 1: draw two to the ball, and then he would drive 389 00:18:52,280 --> 00:18:54,760 Speaker 1: off of it, drawn nail heelpi to the wing and 390 00:18:54,800 --> 00:18:57,280 Speaker 1: someone was wide open. Like consistently, they started to get 391 00:18:57,280 --> 00:19:00,040 Speaker 1: like some really great looks and it got them go 392 00:19:00,280 --> 00:19:02,440 Speaker 1: on the offensive end of the floor and then on defense, 393 00:19:02,840 --> 00:19:06,560 Speaker 1: sticking to the game plan, not overreacting to Tatum and 394 00:19:06,600 --> 00:19:09,160 Speaker 1: Brown when they were beating switches. This was, you know, 395 00:19:09,520 --> 00:19:11,480 Speaker 1: this is what I've always talked about in terms of 396 00:19:11,520 --> 00:19:13,680 Speaker 1: like what I believe is the best strategy to defend 397 00:19:13,680 --> 00:19:18,280 Speaker 1: the Boston Celtics, and that's switch contain. Try to bait 398 00:19:18,359 --> 00:19:21,040 Speaker 1: Jalen and Jason into pull up jump shots and hope 399 00:19:21,040 --> 00:19:23,480 Speaker 1: that they settle a bunch and that you can keep 400 00:19:23,520 --> 00:19:26,320 Speaker 1: them out of rotation, keep them from getting the wide 401 00:19:26,320 --> 00:19:28,520 Speaker 1: open catch and shoot threes and the easy stuff at 402 00:19:28,520 --> 00:19:31,920 Speaker 1: the rim that makes them unbeatable. And by the way, 403 00:19:31,960 --> 00:19:35,920 Speaker 1: like it was, their defense was breaking early on, they 404 00:19:35,960 --> 00:19:39,480 Speaker 1: were conceding the switches. Tatum was picking on everybody, a 405 00:19:39,480 --> 00:19:42,359 Speaker 1: lot of Garland, but a ton against the Bigs, a 406 00:19:42,359 --> 00:19:45,240 Speaker 1: lot of Evan Mobley and Jared Allen in space where 407 00:19:45,280 --> 00:19:48,000 Speaker 1: Jayson Tatum was just going to work and like Jalen 408 00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:50,439 Speaker 1: Brown did most of his work against Darius Garland, did 409 00:19:50,520 --> 00:19:52,320 Speaker 1: a ton of damage there, did some damage there in 410 00:19:52,320 --> 00:19:55,760 Speaker 1: the fourth quarter. But like I was really impressed by 411 00:19:55,840 --> 00:19:59,520 Speaker 1: Jason Tatum in his ISO possessions against Evan Mobley and 412 00:19:59,600 --> 00:20:03,119 Speaker 1: Jared Alla. He was just driving hard at Evan Mobley 413 00:20:03,160 --> 00:20:05,440 Speaker 1: and just like shucking him off with that right shoulder 414 00:20:05,440 --> 00:20:08,000 Speaker 1: and getting easy looks to doing the same thing to 415 00:20:08,560 --> 00:20:10,760 Speaker 1: Jared Allen, although he can't dislodge him as well. But 416 00:20:10,800 --> 00:20:13,120 Speaker 1: he was showing a lot of impressive over the top 417 00:20:13,200 --> 00:20:15,440 Speaker 1: short and mid range shot making against Jared Allen, he 418 00:20:15,440 --> 00:20:17,840 Speaker 1: who's beating him off the dribble. There was a lot 419 00:20:17,920 --> 00:20:21,760 Speaker 1: of good for the Celtics attacking Cleveland's game plan in 420 00:20:21,800 --> 00:20:24,040 Speaker 1: the first half. But again, the goal there for Kenny 421 00:20:24,080 --> 00:20:27,720 Speaker 1: Atkinson is to stay out of rotation as much as 422 00:20:27,760 --> 00:20:31,360 Speaker 1: possible and limit Boston's catch and shoot looks. In order 423 00:20:31,400 --> 00:20:33,360 Speaker 1: to do that, you have to not send too much 424 00:20:33,400 --> 00:20:35,560 Speaker 1: help and count on those guys to just do the 425 00:20:35,560 --> 00:20:38,679 Speaker 1: best they can and hope that they eventually wear down 426 00:20:39,200 --> 00:20:41,560 Speaker 1: over the course of the game and that you start 427 00:20:41,600 --> 00:20:44,080 Speaker 1: to get stops when you need him late. By the way, 428 00:20:44,480 --> 00:20:47,520 Speaker 1: Boston averages thirty two catch and shoot jump shot attempts 429 00:20:47,520 --> 00:20:50,560 Speaker 1: per game, which is the second most in the entire NBA. 430 00:20:50,680 --> 00:20:54,880 Speaker 1: The only generated twenty catch and shoot catch and shoot 431 00:20:54,880 --> 00:20:57,840 Speaker 1: shot attempts in this particular game because they stayed out 432 00:20:57,880 --> 00:21:01,240 Speaker 1: of rotation, because they allowed Jon Tatum and Jaylen Brown 433 00:21:01,520 --> 00:21:03,119 Speaker 1: to play one on one And by the way, in 434 00:21:03,160 --> 00:21:07,119 Speaker 1: the first half, Boston got one point five to four 435 00:21:07,280 --> 00:21:10,399 Speaker 1: points per ISO and they were getting cooked. But in 436 00:21:10,440 --> 00:21:15,639 Speaker 1: the second half just one point per ISO flat. That's 437 00:21:15,720 --> 00:21:19,080 Speaker 1: much more tenable. And then down the stretch. Cleveland took 438 00:21:19,080 --> 00:21:21,600 Speaker 1: a page right out of Boston's book and started doing 439 00:21:21,680 --> 00:21:24,639 Speaker 1: hunting of their own, as Donovan Mitchell just started relentlessly 440 00:21:24,680 --> 00:21:28,520 Speaker 1: picking on Sam Hauser and was just consistently generating great 441 00:21:28,560 --> 00:21:31,320 Speaker 1: stuff against him. He had twelve points and two assists 442 00:21:31,359 --> 00:21:33,960 Speaker 1: in the fourth quarter. I thought he was incredible all night, 443 00:21:34,080 --> 00:21:37,040 Speaker 1: Like as great as Jason Tatum was. Donovan Mitchell was 444 00:21:37,160 --> 00:21:40,159 Speaker 1: basically going step first step with him, and there just 445 00:21:40,200 --> 00:21:41,960 Speaker 1: aren't that many players in the league who can do 446 00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:45,440 Speaker 1: that super impressive off the dribbles shot making the step 447 00:21:45,480 --> 00:21:49,359 Speaker 1: back three, was going really deadly floater tonight. He was 448 00:21:49,359 --> 00:21:51,760 Speaker 1: getting into the lane and just like shooting that a 449 00:21:51,800 --> 00:21:54,400 Speaker 1: little easy five to seven foot shot over the top. 450 00:21:54,440 --> 00:21:57,159 Speaker 1: He was killing the Celtics with that and then Evan Mobley. 451 00:21:57,160 --> 00:21:59,200 Speaker 1: One of the concepts that I talk a lot about 452 00:21:59,240 --> 00:22:01,359 Speaker 1: in this show is the idea of, like, you know 453 00:22:01,520 --> 00:22:04,000 Speaker 1: what it's like as a basketball player when you're playing poorly, 454 00:22:04,920 --> 00:22:07,119 Speaker 1: and how you react to that, and how you stay 455 00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:10,840 Speaker 1: engaged and understand that like nothing really matters. No one's 456 00:22:10,880 --> 00:22:13,359 Speaker 1: going to remember any of it as long as you 457 00:22:13,440 --> 00:22:16,080 Speaker 1: make a play that helps your team win and you 458 00:22:16,080 --> 00:22:18,000 Speaker 1: get out of there with the win. Evan Mobley had 459 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:21,080 Speaker 1: a rough game through three quarters. He was picking up 460 00:22:21,119 --> 00:22:24,040 Speaker 1: some fouls, he was badly missing some jump shots. He 461 00:22:24,160 --> 00:22:26,919 Speaker 1: wasn't really accomplishing much as a scorer, but he was 462 00:22:26,960 --> 00:22:29,440 Speaker 1: amazing in that fourth quarter. He hit two massive threes, 463 00:22:29,480 --> 00:22:32,919 Speaker 1: He had four offensive rebounds, a couple of putbacks. He 464 00:22:32,960 --> 00:22:36,399 Speaker 1: finished the fourth quarter with eleven points and eight rebounds, 465 00:22:36,560 --> 00:22:38,560 Speaker 1: had two of the biggest like had several of the 466 00:22:38,600 --> 00:22:41,399 Speaker 1: biggest shots of the night, and I thought he was amazing. 467 00:22:41,440 --> 00:22:42,679 Speaker 1: And now no one's going to look back at that 468 00:22:42,720 --> 00:22:45,840 Speaker 1: game and think Evan Mobley played poorly because he found 469 00:22:45,840 --> 00:22:47,760 Speaker 1: a way to make plays when his team needed to 470 00:22:48,359 --> 00:22:50,399 Speaker 1: in the fourth quarter and they got got out of 471 00:22:50,440 --> 00:22:52,840 Speaker 1: there with the win. Really impressive Resilien. It's not the 472 00:22:52,880 --> 00:22:56,600 Speaker 1: whole team, but especially from Evan Mobley. Big picture with 473 00:22:56,640 --> 00:22:59,880 Speaker 1: the Cavs, I thought this was an incredibly impressive win, 474 00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:04,400 Speaker 1: regardless of the surrounding context. To survive a twenty five 475 00:23:04,440 --> 00:23:08,080 Speaker 1: to three start and another big Celtics run in the 476 00:23:08,119 --> 00:23:10,600 Speaker 1: third quarter where they go up by seventeen to win 477 00:23:10,920 --> 00:23:15,679 Speaker 1: on the road in that building against that team, I 478 00:23:15,680 --> 00:23:20,520 Speaker 1: thought it was just remarkable mental toughness in belief that 479 00:23:20,560 --> 00:23:24,600 Speaker 1: they were unwavering and they're just like attack and just 480 00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:27,160 Speaker 1: like eventually Boston will show some cracks and we're gonna 481 00:23:27,160 --> 00:23:28,879 Speaker 1: work our way back into this game. And they did. 482 00:23:29,920 --> 00:23:32,119 Speaker 1: They completely turned around the vibes from the beginning of 483 00:23:32,160 --> 00:23:34,440 Speaker 1: the game. And that's twice this year that they beat 484 00:23:34,440 --> 00:23:36,480 Speaker 1: the Celtics in games that they looked like they lost 485 00:23:36,480 --> 00:23:38,760 Speaker 1: control of. Again, if you remember the game in Cleveland 486 00:23:38,760 --> 00:23:42,680 Speaker 1: that Boston or that Cleveland won, Tatum was picking on Garland, 487 00:23:42,680 --> 00:23:44,840 Speaker 1: doing a bunch of damage short range shot making, looked 488 00:23:44,840 --> 00:23:46,280 Speaker 1: like the Celtics were gonna get out of there with 489 00:23:46,320 --> 00:23:50,160 Speaker 1: the win. Donovan Mitchell again just a bunch of crazy 490 00:23:50,200 --> 00:23:53,040 Speaker 1: shot making down the stretch as he helped pull that 491 00:23:53,119 --> 00:23:55,640 Speaker 1: game out. But at the same time, I do think 492 00:23:55,640 --> 00:23:58,000 Speaker 1: it's important to acknowledge that there was a dynamic gap 493 00:23:58,040 --> 00:24:01,560 Speaker 1: play in that fourth quarter that won't be in play 494 00:24:01,640 --> 00:24:04,639 Speaker 1: if these two teams meet in the playoffs. The Calves 495 00:24:04,640 --> 00:24:07,639 Speaker 1: had an easy target to attack in crunch time in 496 00:24:07,720 --> 00:24:12,760 Speaker 1: Sam Hauser. In a playoff series, that won't be Sam Hauser, 497 00:24:12,920 --> 00:24:15,680 Speaker 1: that'll be Drew Holliday. That's the thing that's scary about 498 00:24:15,680 --> 00:24:17,600 Speaker 1: this matchup in the big picture, and what makes the 499 00:24:17,640 --> 00:24:20,399 Speaker 1: Celtics such a dangerous team to deal with in a 500 00:24:20,400 --> 00:24:23,840 Speaker 1: two week context. The Celtics will always have ways to 501 00:24:23,880 --> 00:24:28,360 Speaker 1: attack you, especially if you're Cleveland. Right Like Darius Garland, 502 00:24:28,400 --> 00:24:31,000 Speaker 1: Tatum and Brown both feel very comfortable in that matchup. 503 00:24:31,440 --> 00:24:34,960 Speaker 1: Jason Tatum, as he demonstrated tonight, looks very comfortable attacking 504 00:24:35,440 --> 00:24:39,600 Speaker 1: Cleveland's bigs in switches. But the Calves will not have 505 00:24:39,680 --> 00:24:43,399 Speaker 1: those same high quality options unless the Celtics enter that 506 00:24:43,480 --> 00:24:46,120 Speaker 1: series with a bunch of injuries. That's more or less 507 00:24:46,119 --> 00:24:48,720 Speaker 1: where I'm at with this matchup at this point. If 508 00:24:48,760 --> 00:24:53,280 Speaker 1: the Celtics are fully healthy, the Calves can win. But 509 00:24:53,359 --> 00:24:56,840 Speaker 1: I'm definitely going to pick the Celtics. But if the 510 00:24:56,920 --> 00:25:00,280 Speaker 1: Seas go into that series with a couple of injuries, 511 00:25:00,640 --> 00:25:02,919 Speaker 1: say it like two of their core six guys, to 512 00:25:02,920 --> 00:25:06,240 Speaker 1: where someone like a Howser has to play, or someone 513 00:25:06,320 --> 00:25:09,680 Speaker 1: like a Pritchard has to play, then this series looks 514 00:25:09,680 --> 00:25:12,600 Speaker 1: a lot more like a coin flip to me, and 515 00:25:12,680 --> 00:25:15,040 Speaker 1: we'd be foolish should not consider that as a potential outcome. 516 00:25:15,080 --> 00:25:16,960 Speaker 1: When chrisops Porzingis missed a bunch of time in the 517 00:25:16,960 --> 00:25:20,159 Speaker 1: playoffs last year, so yeah, I think health is very 518 00:25:20,200 --> 00:25:22,679 Speaker 1: important for the Celtics, and I think it's important that 519 00:25:22,720 --> 00:25:25,080 Speaker 1: they continue to manage the injuries the way they have 520 00:25:25,280 --> 00:25:29,160 Speaker 1: been with all their guys throughout the season because it's 521 00:25:29,320 --> 00:25:33,000 Speaker 1: so important that they get there with everyone available. On 522 00:25:33,040 --> 00:25:35,600 Speaker 1: the Celtics front, I didn't love the idea of Jalen 523 00:25:35,640 --> 00:25:38,439 Speaker 1: Brown taking nine shots in the fourth quarter with how 524 00:25:38,480 --> 00:25:40,600 Speaker 1: well Jason Tatum was playing. There were some good possessions 525 00:25:40,640 --> 00:25:43,280 Speaker 1: there against Aarius Garland, but there are some really tough 526 00:25:43,320 --> 00:25:46,679 Speaker 1: shots mixed in there too. And again, like as a team, 527 00:25:46,920 --> 00:25:50,359 Speaker 1: you only managed eighteen points in the fourth quarter. Very 528 00:25:50,400 --> 00:25:52,960 Speaker 1: few of those catch and shoot type of attempts generated 529 00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:55,399 Speaker 1: in the fourth quarter. That's where it becomes an issue. 530 00:25:55,400 --> 00:25:56,800 Speaker 1: There was a brief stretch there in the middle of 531 00:25:56,800 --> 00:25:59,480 Speaker 1: the fourth where Kenny Atkinson went small to mobile and 532 00:25:59,520 --> 00:26:03,000 Speaker 1: Allen out out of the game, and the Celtics immediately 533 00:26:03,040 --> 00:26:05,760 Speaker 1: played some really good driving kick basketball. And that's the thing. 534 00:26:05,800 --> 00:26:08,439 Speaker 1: It's gonna be tough. It's gonna be tough against a 535 00:26:08,440 --> 00:26:10,879 Speaker 1: team like Cleveland that can really load up on the 536 00:26:10,920 --> 00:26:14,800 Speaker 1: ball with their size, right, But like you can't just 537 00:26:15,040 --> 00:26:18,119 Speaker 1: settle for jump shots. There has to be an attempt 538 00:26:18,520 --> 00:26:21,879 Speaker 1: to get as much of that. There has to be 539 00:26:21,880 --> 00:26:23,720 Speaker 1: an attempt to get as much of that rim pressure 540 00:26:23,760 --> 00:26:27,520 Speaker 1: as possible. It looks kind of kobesque at times with 541 00:26:27,680 --> 00:26:31,040 Speaker 1: Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown constantly taking really, really difficult 542 00:26:31,040 --> 00:26:34,600 Speaker 1: off the dribble jump shots. The Celtics took forty off 543 00:26:34,640 --> 00:26:37,240 Speaker 1: the dribble jump shots in this game and only got 544 00:26:37,280 --> 00:26:39,560 Speaker 1: thirty six points out of them, zero point nine points 545 00:26:39,600 --> 00:26:42,840 Speaker 1: per attenp. That's where the Jays have to be more 546 00:26:43,080 --> 00:26:45,440 Speaker 1: deliberate about that same dynamic we talked about in the 547 00:26:45,480 --> 00:26:50,760 Speaker 1: Lakers segment earlier in the show. Pressure the rim force 548 00:26:50,840 --> 00:26:55,440 Speaker 1: help make it untenable. Gotta generate those driving kick attempts, 549 00:26:56,160 --> 00:26:59,520 Speaker 1: catch and shoot threes, easy stuff at the rim. That's 550 00:26:59,760 --> 00:27:03,320 Speaker 1: the championship Celtics off the dribble jump shot is a 551 00:27:03,440 --> 00:27:06,720 Speaker 1: ceiling raizer. It's a rescue possessions at the end of 552 00:27:06,760 --> 00:27:09,160 Speaker 1: the shot clock type of thing. But you can't live 553 00:27:09,200 --> 00:27:12,359 Speaker 1: and die on that. Forty off the dribble jump shots 554 00:27:12,400 --> 00:27:14,480 Speaker 1: is too many in one game. I'm not gonna be 555 00:27:14,520 --> 00:27:16,520 Speaker 1: too concerned about them. On the defensive end in this game, 556 00:27:16,560 --> 00:27:18,720 Speaker 1: it's just tough to contain the ball without Drew Holliday, 557 00:27:18,720 --> 00:27:21,120 Speaker 1: but they certainly can do better. The Calves did cut 558 00:27:21,119 --> 00:27:23,840 Speaker 1: them to pieces after that first quarter. But again, that's 559 00:27:23,840 --> 00:27:25,600 Speaker 1: gonna be the one thing that is going to look 560 00:27:25,640 --> 00:27:28,639 Speaker 1: like a potential vulnerability for the Celtics this year in 561 00:27:28,720 --> 00:27:31,800 Speaker 1: the postseason is if Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown don't 562 00:27:31,800 --> 00:27:35,640 Speaker 1: bring the requisite a level of downhill aggression against switches. 563 00:27:36,560 --> 00:27:38,160 Speaker 1: All right, let's talk a few minutes of Nuggets before 564 00:27:38,160 --> 00:27:40,399 Speaker 1: we get out of here tonight. So I want to 565 00:27:40,400 --> 00:27:43,080 Speaker 1: talk about two concepts, the idea of inverted spacing, and 566 00:27:43,119 --> 00:27:44,240 Speaker 1: then I want to talk a little bit about the 567 00:27:44,280 --> 00:27:46,800 Speaker 1: Nuggets on the defensive end of the floor. So I 568 00:27:46,840 --> 00:27:49,800 Speaker 1: was amazed at how easily the Nuggets were picking apart 569 00:27:49,840 --> 00:27:52,920 Speaker 1: the Pistons in this game by just having Yokics bring 570 00:27:52,920 --> 00:27:54,760 Speaker 1: the ball off the floor and you know, dribble up 571 00:27:54,760 --> 00:27:57,000 Speaker 1: to the elbow or the top of the key kind 572 00:27:57,000 --> 00:27:59,640 Speaker 1: of extended out above the break, and then they would 573 00:27:59,640 --> 00:28:01,920 Speaker 1: just have some of their guys run off ball action, 574 00:28:02,720 --> 00:28:05,320 Speaker 1: and Yokic was just making a read as those guys 575 00:28:05,600 --> 00:28:09,440 Speaker 1: were either slipping out of a screen or the Pistons 576 00:28:09,440 --> 00:28:11,320 Speaker 1: would botch a screen and put two on the ball 577 00:28:11,359 --> 00:28:13,960 Speaker 1: on accident. Whatever it was that they would do, Yokic 578 00:28:13,960 --> 00:28:16,359 Speaker 1: would make an easy, little over the top pass. And 579 00:28:16,600 --> 00:28:19,320 Speaker 1: there's a reason why that's so open for Denver. There 580 00:28:19,320 --> 00:28:21,280 Speaker 1: are a lot of teams that run off ball action, 581 00:28:21,840 --> 00:28:23,720 Speaker 1: but most of the teams that run off ball action 582 00:28:24,320 --> 00:28:28,560 Speaker 1: are not using their center as that type of high 583 00:28:28,680 --> 00:28:31,800 Speaker 1: level passing folkrum to where one he can make all 584 00:28:31,800 --> 00:28:35,200 Speaker 1: the reads, but two he also is capable of being 585 00:28:35,280 --> 00:28:37,640 Speaker 1: a scoring threat to where you have to press up 586 00:28:37,640 --> 00:28:40,800 Speaker 1: on him right when you have to press up on Jokic. 587 00:28:41,080 --> 00:28:46,400 Speaker 1: Where's the big he's on Jokic. So there's a lot 588 00:28:46,440 --> 00:28:50,720 Speaker 1: of space underneath the basket for guys to get openings 589 00:28:50,800 --> 00:28:53,800 Speaker 1: slipping out of those actions. And the other part of 590 00:28:53,840 --> 00:28:55,959 Speaker 1: it is this is where continuity comes to the surface 591 00:28:56,000 --> 00:28:59,640 Speaker 1: for Denver. MPJ has been playing in this system forever. 592 00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:03,240 Speaker 1: Al Murray's been playing in this system forever. Aaron Gordon's 593 00:29:03,280 --> 00:29:05,640 Speaker 1: been playing in the system forever. Christian Brown's been playing 594 00:29:05,680 --> 00:29:09,080 Speaker 1: in the system for a few years now. These guys 595 00:29:09,080 --> 00:29:12,600 Speaker 1: have a lot of reps in this system, so they 596 00:29:12,680 --> 00:29:16,480 Speaker 1: just know what to do this. Okay. If I set 597 00:29:16,520 --> 00:29:19,720 Speaker 1: a backscreen and Jamal Murray cuts through off of my 598 00:29:19,800 --> 00:29:22,880 Speaker 1: back screen but his defenders pinned on my top side, 599 00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:24,719 Speaker 1: I just wait for Jamal to cut through and then 600 00:29:24,720 --> 00:29:26,160 Speaker 1: I kind of push off that guy and I know 601 00:29:26,200 --> 00:29:28,560 Speaker 1: that passing angles right there. Because he's on my top side, 602 00:29:28,600 --> 00:29:31,080 Speaker 1: I've got an easy opportunity behind me to get to 603 00:29:31,160 --> 00:29:36,520 Speaker 1: the rid right like, Oh, it's a they're not switching 604 00:29:36,760 --> 00:29:38,800 Speaker 1: and he's kind of staying glued up. I'm just gonna 605 00:29:38,840 --> 00:29:41,200 Speaker 1: curl around it. I have an opportunity to attack that way, 606 00:29:41,280 --> 00:29:43,760 Speaker 1: or I can come off of yokicch and look to score. 607 00:29:44,600 --> 00:29:47,120 Speaker 1: They scored a ton on cuts in this game, nineteen 608 00:29:47,240 --> 00:29:50,000 Speaker 1: points off cuts. It was very similar to the Pacers 609 00:29:50,040 --> 00:29:52,240 Speaker 1: game or the Portland game a few weeks back, where 610 00:29:52,440 --> 00:29:54,800 Speaker 1: they just picked him apart with off ball action, with 611 00:29:54,920 --> 00:29:59,280 Speaker 1: Jokic operating as that passing fulcrum. It actually reminds me 612 00:29:59,320 --> 00:30:01,840 Speaker 1: a little bit of the Golden State Warriors when they 613 00:30:01,840 --> 00:30:04,800 Speaker 1: were in their peak there in the you know, mid 614 00:30:04,880 --> 00:30:09,120 Speaker 1: twenty tens, because they played such a unique style that 615 00:30:09,600 --> 00:30:12,520 Speaker 1: in the regular season context especially, but even in playoffs 616 00:30:12,520 --> 00:30:14,880 Speaker 1: in the beginning of series, as teams had to adjust, 617 00:30:15,320 --> 00:30:18,360 Speaker 1: they would do a lot of damage to teams just 618 00:30:18,440 --> 00:30:21,200 Speaker 1: because it'd be like, Oh, I'm used to playing all 619 00:30:21,240 --> 00:30:24,719 Speaker 1: these normal NBA teams, Now I'm playing Golden State, and 620 00:30:24,760 --> 00:30:27,080 Speaker 1: I'm being run through this blender of all of this 621 00:30:27,240 --> 00:30:30,280 Speaker 1: action as I'm chasing Steph and Clay around and Draymond's 622 00:30:30,280 --> 00:30:33,240 Speaker 1: strowing fake dribble handoffs, and if we blitz, they're just 623 00:30:33,280 --> 00:30:35,240 Speaker 1: so good at executing these four on threes they would 624 00:30:35,240 --> 00:30:38,840 Speaker 1: just pick teams apart like that, Right, that's a similar 625 00:30:38,880 --> 00:30:41,480 Speaker 1: effect that Denver can have on teams to where they 626 00:30:41,560 --> 00:30:45,560 Speaker 1: just have such a unique play style. Actually, I think 627 00:30:45,560 --> 00:30:48,320 Speaker 1: Tyre's Albert, if I remember correctly, I saw a social 628 00:30:48,360 --> 00:30:51,000 Speaker 1: media clip of Tyre's Albert making a mention of this himself, 629 00:30:51,720 --> 00:30:54,480 Speaker 1: talking about his experience and defending some of the stuff 630 00:30:54,760 --> 00:30:57,680 Speaker 1: that he's seen online about people saying all the teams 631 00:30:57,680 --> 00:30:59,360 Speaker 1: in the NBA play the same. No, they don't, and 632 00:30:59,400 --> 00:31:03,800 Speaker 1: I agree, But like that's part of the disadvantage that 633 00:31:03,840 --> 00:31:05,840 Speaker 1: Denver presents the teams is they just play such a 634 00:31:05,920 --> 00:31:07,840 Speaker 1: unique style that it can kind of catch teams off 635 00:31:07,880 --> 00:31:11,280 Speaker 1: guard if they're not used to it. Right. I just 636 00:31:11,320 --> 00:31:13,360 Speaker 1: thought it was really interesting watching the Pistons games. They 637 00:31:13,360 --> 00:31:17,960 Speaker 1: got again a very convincing win against a Pistons team 638 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:20,440 Speaker 1: that had been kicking everybody's butt for a while. By 639 00:31:20,480 --> 00:31:22,120 Speaker 1: the way, Javal Murray was amazing in that game. I 640 00:31:22,120 --> 00:31:24,200 Speaker 1: want to shout out Zeke Nausey too. Zike Nagy had 641 00:31:24,240 --> 00:31:29,280 Speaker 1: like a ridiculous defensive set of plays in the first half. 642 00:31:29,520 --> 00:31:32,040 Speaker 1: Like he like had a dig down play where he 643 00:31:32,080 --> 00:31:33,680 Speaker 1: dug down on a drive and like close out to 644 00:31:33,720 --> 00:31:36,000 Speaker 1: Tim Hardaway Junior and blocked him at the three point line. 645 00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:38,720 Speaker 1: He like met Asar Thompson at the rim and transition 646 00:31:38,840 --> 00:31:41,160 Speaker 1: and blocked him. He had another block on a rear 647 00:31:41,240 --> 00:31:43,680 Speaker 1: view contest of Tim Hardaway Junior where he chased him 648 00:31:43,680 --> 00:31:47,080 Speaker 1: over the top of the screen. He defended Tobias Harris 649 00:31:47,120 --> 00:31:49,720 Speaker 1: well on a post up. He did a lot of 650 00:31:49,760 --> 00:31:52,160 Speaker 1: good work on Kate Cunningham in the second half where 651 00:31:52,160 --> 00:31:54,480 Speaker 1: he's just absorbing contact and just making him feel like 652 00:31:54,480 --> 00:31:57,160 Speaker 1: he was playing in a crowd. I thought Zeke was fantastic, 653 00:31:57,160 --> 00:32:00,400 Speaker 1: big win for the Nuggets to bounce back from that 654 00:32:00,440 --> 00:32:01,880 Speaker 1: Bucks game. But I do want to talk a little 655 00:32:01,880 --> 00:32:04,480 Speaker 1: bit about the defense because they got picked a part 656 00:32:05,040 --> 00:32:07,440 Speaker 1: at stretches in the Bucks game, and they really got 657 00:32:07,440 --> 00:32:10,680 Speaker 1: picked apart in the Lakers game. And there's this consistent 658 00:32:10,720 --> 00:32:12,880 Speaker 1: issue that's risen to the surface that I've seen, which 659 00:32:12,920 --> 00:32:15,760 Speaker 1: is the Nuggets are getting picked part in rotation. Now, 660 00:32:16,120 --> 00:32:18,160 Speaker 1: as we talked about after the Nuggets game, there's a 661 00:32:18,200 --> 00:32:20,520 Speaker 1: certain amount of existing in rotation for Denver that they 662 00:32:20,520 --> 00:32:24,680 Speaker 1: can't avoid, basically because how in the world are you 663 00:32:24,760 --> 00:32:27,080 Speaker 1: going to be able to defend with Luca or with 664 00:32:27,360 --> 00:32:30,720 Speaker 1: excuse me, NICOLEA Jokic in space? You can't If you 665 00:32:30,800 --> 00:32:33,400 Speaker 1: have him switched ball screens, You're asking him to guard 666 00:32:33,480 --> 00:32:36,120 Speaker 1: on the perimeter. That's not going to work. He's not 667 00:32:36,160 --> 00:32:38,520 Speaker 1: a good enough rim protector to run deep drop. So 668 00:32:38,520 --> 00:32:41,200 Speaker 1: you're kind of limited in terms of defensive scheme for 669 00:32:41,280 --> 00:32:45,280 Speaker 1: Denver with Jokic at the level in ball screens. But 670 00:32:45,320 --> 00:32:48,560 Speaker 1: they've been getting killed there. So how do the Nuggets 671 00:32:48,560 --> 00:32:50,680 Speaker 1: get to the point where they can defend at a 672 00:32:50,800 --> 00:32:53,800 Speaker 1: level that is high enough to win the championship within 673 00:32:53,840 --> 00:32:57,080 Speaker 1: the concept of that defensive scheme? And there are two 674 00:32:57,120 --> 00:32:58,880 Speaker 1: elements that I want to do a little bit of 675 00:32:58,880 --> 00:33:02,480 Speaker 1: a deeper dive in today. First, this is on Jokis. 676 00:33:03,040 --> 00:33:05,600 Speaker 1: When he is at the level, he has to be 677 00:33:05,760 --> 00:33:08,760 Speaker 1: much much, much more active with his hands. For the 678 00:33:08,800 --> 00:33:11,480 Speaker 1: record against the Detroit I thought he had a lot 679 00:33:11,520 --> 00:33:15,560 Speaker 1: more quality possessions like that early in the game. Met 680 00:33:15,640 --> 00:33:18,760 Speaker 1: Kate up at the level got a deflection as he 681 00:33:18,800 --> 00:33:21,680 Speaker 1: was trying to gather his dribble. There was another one 682 00:33:21,720 --> 00:33:24,360 Speaker 1: where he got up on the level against Kate and 683 00:33:24,440 --> 00:33:27,480 Speaker 1: apply good ball pressure and Kate kind of panicked and 684 00:33:27,600 --> 00:33:30,720 Speaker 1: rifle to pass out of bounds through the baseline. The 685 00:33:30,800 --> 00:33:34,200 Speaker 1: reason why being active at the level is so important 686 00:33:34,680 --> 00:33:38,760 Speaker 1: with Jokic's hands is because being in rotation is hard. 687 00:33:39,520 --> 00:33:41,560 Speaker 1: One of the things you can do to make existing 688 00:33:41,560 --> 00:33:47,000 Speaker 1: in rotation easier is to disrupt the first pass. If 689 00:33:47,040 --> 00:33:49,360 Speaker 1: you get up to the level and the first pass 690 00:33:49,400 --> 00:33:53,120 Speaker 1: is just easily rifled across the court or easily dropped 691 00:33:53,160 --> 00:33:56,080 Speaker 1: off to the role man, now you're existing in rotation 692 00:33:56,720 --> 00:33:59,400 Speaker 1: and you're dead to rights because every close out is 693 00:33:59,440 --> 00:34:02,600 Speaker 1: like a fifteen twenty foot close out and you're just 694 00:34:02,920 --> 00:34:07,280 Speaker 1: behind the eight ball, so to speak. But if you 695 00:34:07,320 --> 00:34:10,399 Speaker 1: apply a little pressure and you either get a little 696 00:34:10,440 --> 00:34:13,440 Speaker 1: bit of a deflection, or you forced that pass to 697 00:34:13,480 --> 00:34:16,239 Speaker 1: be off target a little bit, or you force that 698 00:34:16,320 --> 00:34:18,440 Speaker 1: pass to go up in the air for a while 699 00:34:18,719 --> 00:34:21,040 Speaker 1: before it gets to where it needs to go, all 700 00:34:21,080 --> 00:34:25,000 Speaker 1: of a sudden, the first rotation has a head start 701 00:34:25,880 --> 00:34:28,600 Speaker 1: because the ball getting from point A to point B, 702 00:34:28,800 --> 00:34:31,880 Speaker 1: whether that's the role man or the weak side. The 703 00:34:31,920 --> 00:34:35,080 Speaker 1: ball getting to that point is now delayed, and if 704 00:34:35,080 --> 00:34:38,239 Speaker 1: it's delayed by a split second, that split second can 705 00:34:38,320 --> 00:34:42,560 Speaker 1: be what it takes for you to make that first rotation, 706 00:34:43,440 --> 00:34:45,840 Speaker 1: and then from there you have to be as sharp 707 00:34:45,880 --> 00:34:49,680 Speaker 1: as possible with your rotations on the backside. Denver's not 708 00:34:49,760 --> 00:34:52,320 Speaker 1: been good with their rotations for the most part this season. 709 00:34:53,200 --> 00:34:55,120 Speaker 1: If you can, you can do a lot to make 710 00:34:55,160 --> 00:34:59,680 Speaker 1: shooters shoot poorly by making them feel rushed, and you 711 00:34:59,680 --> 00:35:04,520 Speaker 1: can make them feel rushed by being sharper with your closeouts. Again, 712 00:35:04,960 --> 00:35:07,120 Speaker 1: the openings are going to be there, they're baked into 713 00:35:07,120 --> 00:35:10,279 Speaker 1: the coverage. You're bringing Yokich up to the level that's unavoidable, 714 00:35:10,960 --> 00:35:14,000 Speaker 1: but you can be more prepared for it on the 715 00:35:14,040 --> 00:35:15,799 Speaker 1: back end, and I think that that's going to be 716 00:35:15,840 --> 00:35:18,839 Speaker 1: a non negotiable for the Nuggets. For them to get 717 00:35:18,840 --> 00:35:21,040 Speaker 1: to where they need to go, they need Yokic to 718 00:35:21,080 --> 00:35:24,239 Speaker 1: be more active with his hands at the level, and 719 00:35:24,280 --> 00:35:28,080 Speaker 1: they need their weekside rotations to be substantially sharper as 720 00:35:28,080 --> 00:35:30,920 Speaker 1: they try to contain these teams. All right, guys, that 721 00:35:31,000 --> 00:35:33,200 Speaker 1: is all I have is always as sincerely appreciate you 722 00:35:33,200 --> 00:35:35,839 Speaker 1: guys for supporting me and supporting the show. We will 723 00:35:35,840 --> 00:35:38,600 Speaker 1: be back. I'm recording another episode on Sunday night before 724 00:35:38,640 --> 00:35:40,320 Speaker 1: I go out of town next week that'll be released 725 00:35:40,320 --> 00:35:42,360 Speaker 1: on Monday morning. That'll break down a bunch of games 726 00:35:42,360 --> 00:35:45,560 Speaker 1: from Sunday. I'm also pre recording a mail bag that 727 00:35:45,640 --> 00:35:48,879 Speaker 1: will most likely be airing on Tuesday, so that's why 728 00:35:48,920 --> 00:35:50,880 Speaker 1: we're doing the mail Bag on Tuesday instead of Friday 729 00:35:50,880 --> 00:35:52,800 Speaker 1: this week. But again, as always, as sincerely appreciate you 730 00:35:52,840 --> 00:35:55,040 Speaker 1: guys for supporting me and supporting the show, and I'll 731 00:35:55,040 --> 00:36:00,719 Speaker 1: see you guys next time the volume. As always, I 732 00:36:00,760 --> 00:36:03,759 Speaker 1: appreciate you for listening to and supporting Hoops tonight. It 733 00:36:03,800 --> 00:36:05,919 Speaker 1: would actually be really helpful for us if you guys 734 00:36:05,920 --> 00:36:09,000 Speaker 1: would take a second and leave a rating and a review. 735 00:36:09,000 --> 00:36:10,840 Speaker 1: As always, I appreciate you guys supporting us, but if 736 00:36:10,880 --> 00:36:12,880 Speaker 1: you could take a minute to do that, I'd really 737 00:36:12,920 --> 00:36:13,640 Speaker 1: appreciate it.