1 00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:06,520 Speaker 1: The volume. The eighty two game preseason is in the books, 2 00:00:06,519 --> 00:00:09,920 Speaker 1: and now it's finally time for the real season. Don't 3 00:00:09,960 --> 00:00:13,200 Speaker 1: miss out on any of the NBA playoff action at 4 00:00:13,240 --> 00:00:16,800 Speaker 1: DraftKings Sportsbook, an official sports betting partner of the NBA. 5 00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:20,200 Speaker 1: From the play in tournament through the finals, DraftKings Sportsbook 6 00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:24,160 Speaker 1: has you covered with same game parlays, live betting odds, boosts, 7 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:26,960 Speaker 1: and so much more. The Boston Celtics are currently the 8 00:00:27,080 --> 00:00:30,600 Speaker 1: favorite at plus one sixty, but the team that's third 9 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:33,599 Speaker 1: in my championship rankings the Dallas Mavericks. 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Help is available for problem gambling call eight 20 00:01:11,160 --> 00:01:15,840 Speaker 1: eight eight seven eight nine seven seven seven seven or 21 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:19,959 Speaker 1: visit CCPG dot org. Please play responsibly on behalf of 22 00:01:19,959 --> 00:01:23,600 Speaker 1: Boothill Casino and Resort in Kansas. Twenty one plus age 23 00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:27,360 Speaker 1: varies by jurisdiction. Void in Ontario. Bonus bets expire one 24 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:31,479 Speaker 1: hundred and sixty eight hours after issuance. See dkang dot 25 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:36,200 Speaker 1: co slash b ball for eligibility and deposit restrictions, terms 26 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:49,400 Speaker 1: and responsible gaming resources. All right, welcome to Hoops tonight 27 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:51,560 Speaker 1: here at the volume, Happy Tuesday, everybody. Hope all of 28 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:53,880 Speaker 1: you guys are having an incredible week so for so far, 29 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:57,120 Speaker 1: Day four of the NBA Playoffs is officially in the books. 30 00:01:57,400 --> 00:01:59,440 Speaker 1: We're gonna keep it real simple tonight. You're gonna break 31 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:02,960 Speaker 1: down all all three games from the perspective of both teams. 32 00:02:02,960 --> 00:02:04,720 Speaker 1: You guys did the Joe forbiz started. Subscribe to our 33 00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:06,520 Speaker 1: brand new YouTube channels. You don't miss any more of 34 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:09,000 Speaker 1: our videos. Follow me on Twitter at underscore JSNLT so 35 00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:11,240 Speaker 1: you guys don't miss show announcements. Don't forget about my 36 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:14,320 Speaker 1: podcast feed wherever you get your podcasts under Hoops Tonight. 37 00:02:14,360 --> 00:02:16,480 Speaker 1: If you're into more of the audio format and the 38 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:18,520 Speaker 1: last but not least, Kep dropping mailbag questions in the 39 00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:22,560 Speaker 1: YouTube comments. We're gonna hit a mail bag later this week. 40 00:02:22,919 --> 00:02:26,280 Speaker 1: All right, let's talk some basketball. So starting with MAVs Clippers, 41 00:02:26,320 --> 00:02:28,800 Speaker 1: there's gonna be a lot of talk about the end 42 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:32,720 Speaker 1: of that game and the surgical job that Luka Doncic 43 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:35,840 Speaker 1: and Kyrie Irving did, not just navigating the slow down 44 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:39,639 Speaker 1: half court environment, but coming back from down six. I 45 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:41,240 Speaker 1: think it was the biggest lead with six. I think 46 00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:43,200 Speaker 1: with seventy nine to seventy three is really where the 47 00:02:43,280 --> 00:02:47,880 Speaker 1: run started, and just methodically walking the Clippers down and 48 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:52,760 Speaker 1: getting buckets. Now, obviously Luca and Kyrie were amazing offensively 49 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:56,240 Speaker 1: down the stretch. The shot making was ridiculous, Like Luca 50 00:02:56,360 --> 00:03:00,160 Speaker 1: hit that ridiculous step back three over James Hard and 51 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 1: we all saw that one coming too, Right, Like the 52 00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:06,040 Speaker 1: dagger shot where Luca has his moment with the crowd, 53 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:09,000 Speaker 1: that's kind of like a staple of the Luka Doncic experience, 54 00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 1: right that. I don't know about you, guys, but did 55 00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:14,760 Speaker 1: that not just remind you of playoff Luca that we 56 00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:17,320 Speaker 1: didn't get to see last year? Obviously, and some of 57 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:19,520 Speaker 1: the stuff we saw in the shot that he hit 58 00:03:19,560 --> 00:03:21,799 Speaker 1: against the Jazz and what was a game three or 59 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:24,600 Speaker 1: game four in the twenty twenty two run, or some 60 00:03:24,639 --> 00:03:26,480 Speaker 1: of the shots that he hit against the Clippers. That's 61 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:28,640 Speaker 1: just a big part of the Luca experience is hit 62 00:03:28,720 --> 00:03:31,080 Speaker 1: the dagger, having a moment at the expense of the 63 00:03:31,080 --> 00:03:33,720 Speaker 1: fans and the guy that was guarding him. It's almost 64 00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:35,960 Speaker 1: like on the road exclusively that he likes to do 65 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:39,680 Speaker 1: that too. Kyrie Irving had this kind of ridiculous like 66 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:43,880 Speaker 1: fake half spin back over his left shoulder, hook shot 67 00:03:44,280 --> 00:03:47,080 Speaker 1: slash floater thing that he hit along the baseline that 68 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:50,560 Speaker 1: was nasty. They were targeting Harden a lot in switches, 69 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:52,280 Speaker 1: giving the Clippers a little bit of a taste of 70 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:56,240 Speaker 1: their own medicine. I thought like one of the key 71 00:03:56,360 --> 00:03:58,320 Speaker 1: kind of elements at the end of the game was 72 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:01,240 Speaker 1: beating the Clippers aggression. And I'm not even just talking 73 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:05,080 Speaker 1: about double teams, because like they were doubling Luca posting 74 00:04:05,160 --> 00:04:07,560 Speaker 1: up Russell Westbrook on the right block, you know, double 75 00:04:07,680 --> 00:04:10,080 Speaker 1: from one pass away easy kick out past to Kyrie 76 00:04:10,080 --> 00:04:13,440 Speaker 1: Irving knocks down at three right or a lot of 77 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:16,000 Speaker 1: like coming up high to the level of the screen 78 00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:18,000 Speaker 1: and pick and roll to get Luca to get rid 79 00:04:18,080 --> 00:04:20,120 Speaker 1: of the ball, and just playing on the short role 80 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:22,440 Speaker 1: in the four and three situations. But I thought it 81 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:24,960 Speaker 1: was also just aggression on the ball. There was a 82 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:27,920 Speaker 1: Russell Westbrook post up at Luka Doncic where he tried 83 00:04:27,960 --> 00:04:30,560 Speaker 1: to come up over in a three quarter front to 84 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:33,320 Speaker 1: knock the ball away, and by the time Luca actually 85 00:04:33,320 --> 00:04:36,720 Speaker 1: maintained got control of the basketball, he had inside position 86 00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:39,840 Speaker 1: on Russ which forced the defense to collapse. Who's kick out? 87 00:04:39,880 --> 00:04:41,599 Speaker 1: I think that one ended up in a PJ. Washington 88 00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:43,840 Speaker 1: three in the left corner if I remember correctly. Then 89 00:04:43,839 --> 00:04:46,599 Speaker 1: there's one where he's going to work against Paul George 90 00:04:46,839 --> 00:04:49,919 Speaker 1: and Paul George is reaching in and trying to swipe 91 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:52,200 Speaker 1: away the basketball, and he kind of sort of knocks 92 00:04:52,240 --> 00:04:54,720 Speaker 1: the ball loose for a second, but Luca is able 93 00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:58,080 Speaker 1: to regain control and he works into the lane because 94 00:04:58,080 --> 00:05:01,479 Speaker 1: now PG is on outside position and Luca's on inside position, 95 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:05,120 Speaker 1: goes inside, draws an extra defender kick out pass to 96 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:07,920 Speaker 1: Maxi Kleiba on the right wing. He knocks down to three. 97 00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:10,760 Speaker 1: It was just beating the aggression that the Clippers were bringing. 98 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:12,320 Speaker 1: We know that that's going to be the Clippers game 99 00:05:12,320 --> 00:05:15,960 Speaker 1: plan in this series. They're going to try to force 100 00:05:16,040 --> 00:05:20,000 Speaker 1: the non Luca Kyrie guys to make shots, and they 101 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:23,480 Speaker 1: desperately needed somebody to hit a couple shots. They're down 102 00:05:23,480 --> 00:05:25,320 Speaker 1: the stretch of that game, and ended up being PJ 103 00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:27,200 Speaker 1: Washington for the most part. He had a bunch of 104 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:30,280 Speaker 1: buckets down the stretch. Maxi, like we talked about, hit 105 00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:31,680 Speaker 1: that huge three on the right wing. As a matter 106 00:05:31,680 --> 00:05:35,440 Speaker 1: of fact, Maxi, Cleba and PJ. Washington were five for 107 00:05:35,720 --> 00:05:38,240 Speaker 1: seven from three in this game. So one of our 108 00:05:38,279 --> 00:05:41,120 Speaker 1: major adjustments we talked about after game one is really 109 00:05:41,200 --> 00:05:43,440 Speaker 1: it's this simple. You gotta beat the game plan with 110 00:05:43,480 --> 00:05:45,560 Speaker 1: shot making on the weak side. They needed guys to 111 00:05:45,600 --> 00:05:49,839 Speaker 1: hit shots. Maxi and PJ Washington stepped up and hit them. 112 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:52,320 Speaker 1: One of the things I talked about in our series preview, 113 00:05:52,320 --> 00:05:55,360 Speaker 1: you Mavericks fans that watched that video will remember this. 114 00:05:56,120 --> 00:06:00,919 Speaker 1: I saw this series tilting heavily towards a Maxi frontcourt, 115 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:04,920 Speaker 1: and we saw over the course of the series started 116 00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:08,720 Speaker 1: with Gafford. Obviously, we saw Jason Kidd go to Derek 117 00:06:08,760 --> 00:06:11,360 Speaker 1: Lively to start the second half tonight, but the reality 118 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:15,719 Speaker 1: is they're not getting good enough defense or rim finishing 119 00:06:15,760 --> 00:06:19,400 Speaker 1: from either of those guys to really justify playing them 120 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:23,200 Speaker 1: when Maxie and PJ are just better basketball players on 121 00:06:23,279 --> 00:06:25,840 Speaker 1: both ends of the floor right now. And uniquely, Like 122 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:28,719 Speaker 1: one of the things that's nice about PJ and Maxie 123 00:06:28,839 --> 00:06:32,599 Speaker 1: is they're not just forwards. They're big forwards. You know. 124 00:06:32,760 --> 00:06:35,520 Speaker 1: I talk about the different archetypes of players, and like, 125 00:06:36,120 --> 00:06:39,400 Speaker 1: you're you've got your kind of thin, perimeter oriented forward, 126 00:06:39,480 --> 00:06:42,680 Speaker 1: think like a Jaden McDaniels type of guy, right, but 127 00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:46,240 Speaker 1: then you have your and Derek Jones Junior kind of 128 00:06:46,279 --> 00:06:47,720 Speaker 1: fits that mold a little bit too, although I kind 129 00:06:47,720 --> 00:06:49,320 Speaker 1: of look at him as more of like a hybrid 130 00:06:49,360 --> 00:06:52,200 Speaker 1: guard wing. And by the way, he's the fifth guy 131 00:06:52,240 --> 00:06:54,080 Speaker 1: in that lineup, right, and he's the guy that they're 132 00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:56,240 Speaker 1: using to guard Paul George for the most part. But 133 00:06:56,440 --> 00:06:59,479 Speaker 1: like there's also that big forward position. This is like 134 00:06:59,520 --> 00:07:03,320 Speaker 1: the Aaron Gordon, Ruychimura rue HACHMURPG at Washington Mexic Ciliba 135 00:07:03,400 --> 00:07:05,320 Speaker 1: kind of thing, right, And when I look at guys 136 00:07:05,360 --> 00:07:07,920 Speaker 1: like that, it's like they have some mobility, they can 137 00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:09,520 Speaker 1: move around on the perimeter, but they also have the 138 00:07:09,600 --> 00:07:12,040 Speaker 1: physical size to really, you know, deal with some of 139 00:07:12,040 --> 00:07:14,560 Speaker 1: the physical stuff that you need to do inside, right, 140 00:07:14,760 --> 00:07:17,080 Speaker 1: And if you're gonna play small ball, if you're gonna 141 00:07:17,120 --> 00:07:19,160 Speaker 1: give yourself the flexibility to do the things that a 142 00:07:19,200 --> 00:07:22,640 Speaker 1: small ball lineup can do, preferably, you want two big 143 00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:25,320 Speaker 1: forwards out there, right Like, even if we go back 144 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:28,040 Speaker 1: and look at some of the great uh uh small 145 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:30,960 Speaker 1: ball teams of all time, like the let's just say 146 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:33,720 Speaker 1: the the the Hampton's five with the Golden State Warriors, 147 00:07:33,800 --> 00:07:36,800 Speaker 1: right Like, it's like it's kind of like three big 148 00:07:36,920 --> 00:07:39,480 Speaker 1: forwards out there with Draymond Green, who's kind of more 149 00:07:39,560 --> 00:07:43,160 Speaker 1: or less a big forward, and Kevin Durant and Andrea Gudala, 150 00:07:43,280 --> 00:07:46,119 Speaker 1: right Like. You need to be able to be small 151 00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:48,680 Speaker 1: and quick and have offensive skill on the floor, but 152 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:51,840 Speaker 1: you also need to have like real size and athleticism 153 00:07:52,320 --> 00:07:54,720 Speaker 1: on the front line. And I thought it was really 154 00:07:54,800 --> 00:07:57,480 Speaker 1: interesting that the Clippers first big win of this series, 155 00:07:57,560 --> 00:08:00,920 Speaker 1: excuse me, the Mavericks part of my missing there, The 156 00:08:01,040 --> 00:08:04,640 Speaker 1: Mavericks first big win of this series comes with them 157 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:07,000 Speaker 1: going down the stretch to the lineup that I called 158 00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:09,360 Speaker 1: for in the series preview, which is PJ and MAXI 159 00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:12,480 Speaker 1: with Derek Jones, Dante Exum could theoretically be in that 160 00:08:12,560 --> 00:08:16,480 Speaker 1: spot as well, and then Kyrie and Luca. And remember, 161 00:08:16,600 --> 00:08:19,840 Speaker 1: in the regular season, albeit in a somewhat small sample 162 00:08:19,880 --> 00:08:22,160 Speaker 1: size because it was a post a trade deadline kind 163 00:08:22,200 --> 00:08:25,360 Speaker 1: of thing, that lineup was outscoring teams by like nineteen 164 00:08:25,480 --> 00:08:30,280 Speaker 1: points for one hundred possessions. Any two forward combination with PJ. 165 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:33,360 Speaker 1: Washington and mexically but on the floor were doing work. 166 00:08:33,600 --> 00:08:35,600 Speaker 1: And so again, you know, it's kind of it's kind 167 00:08:35,640 --> 00:08:37,839 Speaker 1: of interesting because you remember when they made the Kyrie 168 00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:40,599 Speaker 1: Irving trade, those of you guys who've been around this 169 00:08:40,760 --> 00:08:43,000 Speaker 1: show for a while. I was on a ski trip 170 00:08:43,040 --> 00:08:46,000 Speaker 1: with my friends in Breckenridge when that trade went down, 171 00:08:46,600 --> 00:08:49,040 Speaker 1: and I remember talking about how because there was so 172 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:52,400 Speaker 1: much negative energy surrounding that trade when it happened, right, 173 00:08:52,880 --> 00:08:57,520 Speaker 1: it was like they gave up you know, like meaningful 174 00:08:57,600 --> 00:09:01,160 Speaker 1: players draft compensation. Dorian Finney's like, there was like a 175 00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:03,439 Speaker 1: lot of negative energy surrounding that. And one of the 176 00:09:03,520 --> 00:09:05,120 Speaker 1: things I said on the day of the trade, if 177 00:09:05,120 --> 00:09:08,360 Speaker 1: you guys remember, I said, this is just step one. 178 00:09:09,160 --> 00:09:12,760 Speaker 1: You get Kyrie first. You're obviously not gonna have enough 179 00:09:12,880 --> 00:09:16,760 Speaker 1: right away, right, And we saw that they ended up 180 00:09:16,760 --> 00:09:18,880 Speaker 1: missing the playoffs last year. There were some also some 181 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:21,360 Speaker 1: bad basketball character stuff. Didn't love the way that Luca 182 00:09:21,400 --> 00:09:23,160 Speaker 1: played down the stretch of the season, especially on the 183 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:25,079 Speaker 1: defensive end of the floor. There's some stuff there, but 184 00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:27,079 Speaker 1: I don't think he really believed in that team for 185 00:09:27,120 --> 00:09:30,079 Speaker 1: obvious reasons. They didn't have enough talent. But like, it's 186 00:09:30,160 --> 00:09:33,640 Speaker 1: not about that. It was get your number two. Then 187 00:09:33,720 --> 00:09:36,760 Speaker 1: you have a full off season and a trade deadline 188 00:09:37,160 --> 00:09:40,439 Speaker 1: to fill out the pieces on the margins. Right, And 189 00:09:40,760 --> 00:09:44,320 Speaker 1: we've seen Derek Jones Junior be like a super useful 190 00:09:44,760 --> 00:09:48,840 Speaker 1: piece for them in this rotation. Right, we seen PJ. 191 00:09:49,120 --> 00:09:51,600 Speaker 1: Washington come back in the trade and be a super 192 00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:54,080 Speaker 1: useful piece for them. You know, I talk about team 193 00:09:54,120 --> 00:09:56,600 Speaker 1: building in three phases. Right, You got to get your 194 00:09:56,679 --> 00:09:58,640 Speaker 1: number one, a guy who's good enough to be the 195 00:09:58,760 --> 00:10:02,000 Speaker 1: best player on a championship team. From there, step two 196 00:10:02,200 --> 00:10:05,040 Speaker 1: is get a legitimate number two, preferably a guy who 197 00:10:05,120 --> 00:10:07,840 Speaker 1: compliments his skill set, preferably a guy who can play 198 00:10:07,880 --> 00:10:10,000 Speaker 1: both ends of the floor. Right, those are your first 199 00:10:10,280 --> 00:10:15,760 Speaker 1: two priorities. From there, find role players that can accentuate 200 00:10:15,920 --> 00:10:20,000 Speaker 1: the skills and address the weaknesses of your stars and 201 00:10:20,080 --> 00:10:23,000 Speaker 1: They've just done a really nice job every step along 202 00:10:23,040 --> 00:10:28,240 Speaker 1: the way, making the trade for Kyrie, getting a piece 203 00:10:28,280 --> 00:10:29,960 Speaker 1: like Derek Jones Junior, and some other guys that they 204 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:32,000 Speaker 1: got over the course of the offseason, even just the 205 00:10:32,080 --> 00:10:35,440 Speaker 1: sign and trade for Grant Williams, which ended up being 206 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:38,320 Speaker 1: the vehicle with which they got PJ. Washington, get PJ 207 00:10:38,520 --> 00:10:41,640 Speaker 1: Washington at the deadline. They followed that process to a 208 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:46,120 Speaker 1: t and now they got themselves a damn good basketball team. 209 00:10:46,120 --> 00:10:48,000 Speaker 1: As a matter of fact, the Indiana Pacers are more 210 00:10:48,120 --> 00:10:50,760 Speaker 1: or less doing the same thing right now. Right, they 211 00:10:50,880 --> 00:10:54,959 Speaker 1: go and they get Pascal Siakam. They identified, Hey, Tyre's 212 00:10:54,960 --> 00:10:57,199 Speaker 1: Halliburton is clearly a guy that we think can be 213 00:10:57,240 --> 00:10:59,640 Speaker 1: the best player on a championship team. Now, Tyree's hasn't 214 00:10:59,640 --> 00:11:02,280 Speaker 1: really looked. It's like what we expect from Tyrese since 215 00:11:02,320 --> 00:11:05,160 Speaker 1: he heard his hamstring and I have not loved his 216 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:07,840 Speaker 1: lack of offensive aggression over the course the last portion 217 00:11:07,920 --> 00:11:10,280 Speaker 1: of the season. But part of that is Siakam being 218 00:11:10,320 --> 00:11:12,679 Speaker 1: in the equation. But like it was very clear, like, 219 00:11:12,720 --> 00:11:14,440 Speaker 1: oh my god, goodness, this is one of the best 220 00:11:14,480 --> 00:11:16,679 Speaker 1: shot creators in the NBA. We can build a champion 221 00:11:16,760 --> 00:11:19,520 Speaker 1: team championship team around this guy. We need to find 222 00:11:19,640 --> 00:11:21,760 Speaker 1: a complimentary star. So they found a guy who can 223 00:11:21,840 --> 00:11:24,199 Speaker 1: defend and a guy that can get a bucket on 224 00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:27,680 Speaker 1: an island and plays a position of need, that power 225 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:29,640 Speaker 1: forward position that they just didn't have on the roster. 226 00:11:29,679 --> 00:11:31,720 Speaker 1: They were playing Obi Topen to start the year. They 227 00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:34,000 Speaker 1: figured that out, probably not good enough to make a 228 00:11:34,040 --> 00:11:36,880 Speaker 1: real championship run this year, but a couple of smart 229 00:11:36,960 --> 00:11:39,000 Speaker 1: moves this offseason and they could be right there in 230 00:11:39,040 --> 00:11:41,400 Speaker 1: the mix. That's why I like this kind of pathway 231 00:11:41,480 --> 00:11:43,880 Speaker 1: of team building, and we're seeing a good example of 232 00:11:43,960 --> 00:11:46,280 Speaker 1: that with the Mavericks this year. Went on a random 233 00:11:46,360 --> 00:11:48,640 Speaker 1: tangent there about team building, But we're gonna get back 234 00:11:48,640 --> 00:11:51,240 Speaker 1: to the game now, Okay, So I want to shift 235 00:11:51,280 --> 00:11:54,040 Speaker 1: the focus to Luca's defense because again, most of the 236 00:11:54,360 --> 00:11:57,439 Speaker 1: focus down the stretch of that game is, like I 237 00:11:57,559 --> 00:12:00,840 Speaker 1: mentioned the shot making, the over aggression from the Clippers, 238 00:12:00,920 --> 00:12:03,880 Speaker 1: PJ and Maxi hitting shots, all that stuff, But there 239 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:06,640 Speaker 1: was a huge portion of this game that doesn't get 240 00:12:06,679 --> 00:12:09,920 Speaker 1: talked about enough, and that's that, Like, they just basically 241 00:12:10,040 --> 00:12:13,679 Speaker 1: strangled the Clippers offense. And if you remember in Game one, 242 00:12:13,960 --> 00:12:16,679 Speaker 1: the primary focus of the clippers was to try to 243 00:12:16,760 --> 00:12:20,920 Speaker 1: get Luka Dancic on switches right, And you know, it 244 00:12:21,080 --> 00:12:24,120 Speaker 1: wasn't like Luca was giving up buckets on the switches 245 00:12:24,240 --> 00:12:27,160 Speaker 1: that much. He was just getting burned off the dribble. 246 00:12:27,559 --> 00:12:31,000 Speaker 1: And then, as we talk about the worst form of 247 00:12:31,320 --> 00:12:34,959 Speaker 1: compromising that you should, let's try to rephrase this. The 248 00:12:35,960 --> 00:12:38,439 Speaker 1: worst situation you can be in as a defense is 249 00:12:38,480 --> 00:12:41,240 Speaker 1: to give up a straight line drive. Right. Drible penetration 250 00:12:41,360 --> 00:12:42,920 Speaker 1: is kind of part of the game if you're set 251 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:45,240 Speaker 1: up for it right. Drible penetration and pick and roll. 252 00:12:45,240 --> 00:12:46,920 Speaker 1: When you're in a drop coverage, certain amount of that 253 00:12:47,040 --> 00:12:50,320 Speaker 1: is expected. Drible penetration. When you're doing a week side 254 00:12:50,400 --> 00:12:52,200 Speaker 1: close out and you close out on the high side 255 00:12:52,200 --> 00:12:54,679 Speaker 1: and funnel someone towards the baseline, that's drible penetration that 256 00:12:54,760 --> 00:12:57,120 Speaker 1: you expect. But when you get beat off the dribble 257 00:12:57,160 --> 00:12:58,720 Speaker 1: from the top of the key in a straight line driving, 258 00:12:58,760 --> 00:13:01,520 Speaker 1: the guy's just flying downhill. It's just really, really difficult 259 00:13:01,520 --> 00:13:03,160 Speaker 1: to handle. And that was a big part of al 260 00:13:03,240 --> 00:13:06,880 Speaker 1: Zubas was getting going, just getting offensive rebound putbacks after 261 00:13:06,960 --> 00:13:10,800 Speaker 1: guys were beating Luca off the dribble. Right. So again, 262 00:13:11,040 --> 00:13:14,079 Speaker 1: it wasn't Ironically, I talked about after that game that 263 00:13:14,360 --> 00:13:15,959 Speaker 1: I wanted to see them go to a hedge and 264 00:13:16,040 --> 00:13:19,560 Speaker 1: recover system. And again with the hedge and recover, there 265 00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:21,960 Speaker 1: are some other openings that exist there, but it's openings 266 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:24,880 Speaker 1: that you can plan for in your defensive rotations. But 267 00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:28,240 Speaker 1: they didn't go that route. Luca just did a better 268 00:13:28,400 --> 00:13:33,400 Speaker 1: job literally that simple and again he was given some space. 269 00:13:33,720 --> 00:13:35,960 Speaker 1: Some guys got some decent pull up jump shot looks 270 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:39,000 Speaker 1: over the top of him, but he contained dribble penetration, 271 00:13:39,840 --> 00:13:43,240 Speaker 1: which is what you can live with. Right, Like the 272 00:13:43,559 --> 00:13:45,760 Speaker 1: pull up jump shooting, even the best guys in the 273 00:13:45,800 --> 00:13:48,000 Speaker 1: world aren't going to be that efficient with it, right. 274 00:13:48,400 --> 00:13:51,520 Speaker 1: It's when you get in rotation and guys are getting 275 00:13:51,559 --> 00:13:54,120 Speaker 1: wide open catch and shoot threes and wide open layups 276 00:13:54,160 --> 00:13:56,680 Speaker 1: and dunks under the rim. That's when the efficiency equation 277 00:13:56,840 --> 00:14:00,360 Speaker 1: tilts way out of favor for your defense. So just 278 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:03,920 Speaker 1: by sliding his feet and containing the ball, he was 279 00:14:03,960 --> 00:14:07,040 Speaker 1: able to kind of slow down that specific element of 280 00:14:07,080 --> 00:14:09,560 Speaker 1: the Clippers attack. And you know, one of the things 281 00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:12,480 Speaker 1: that Tylu does a lot is he'll lean into matchup 282 00:14:12,520 --> 00:14:16,240 Speaker 1: attacking instead of you know, more ball and player movement, 283 00:14:16,640 --> 00:14:19,680 Speaker 1: and it kind of played directly into Dallas's strengths at 284 00:14:19,720 --> 00:14:22,840 Speaker 1: that point. And again, it's not just Luca on the ball. 285 00:14:22,920 --> 00:14:25,440 Speaker 1: There's just a lot of athleticism on the back line 286 00:14:25,480 --> 00:14:27,440 Speaker 1: as well. And you know, Luca just had the best 287 00:14:27,480 --> 00:14:30,200 Speaker 1: season of his career defensively, and it wasn't really that 288 00:14:30,320 --> 00:14:32,240 Speaker 1: much on the ball stuff. It was mostly help in 289 00:14:32,320 --> 00:14:35,400 Speaker 1: recover type of stuff on the weak side. But I 290 00:14:35,440 --> 00:14:37,360 Speaker 1: thought it was really interesting tonight that you saw that 291 00:14:37,720 --> 00:14:40,880 Speaker 1: Luca's basketball IQ and his size and his length, he 292 00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:43,760 Speaker 1: has the ability as long as he squares up an 293 00:14:43,800 --> 00:14:48,840 Speaker 1: offensive player, sits down in a defensive stance, anticipates directional changes, 294 00:14:49,120 --> 00:14:51,800 Speaker 1: and beats guys to spots and absorbs contact in the chest, 295 00:14:52,360 --> 00:14:54,240 Speaker 1: he can be a solid on ball defender. And he 296 00:14:54,280 --> 00:14:57,000 Speaker 1: showed you that tonight. I actually wanted to come back 297 00:14:57,000 --> 00:14:59,800 Speaker 1: around to conditioning for a second, because you know, I've 298 00:14:59,800 --> 00:15:02,760 Speaker 1: been really fascinated by this first four days of the 299 00:15:02,880 --> 00:15:04,960 Speaker 1: NBA playoffs for a bunch of reasons. One of the 300 00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:07,040 Speaker 1: main reasons why is home teams have been kicking ass. 301 00:15:08,680 --> 00:15:13,600 Speaker 1: Like first two days of last year's postseason, the road 302 00:15:13,680 --> 00:15:17,240 Speaker 1: team won four of the eight games. And it's interesting 303 00:15:17,280 --> 00:15:19,720 Speaker 1: because the physicality we saw it pick up at the 304 00:15:19,720 --> 00:15:22,200 Speaker 1: tail end of the regular season. I don't know about you, guys, 305 00:15:22,240 --> 00:15:23,560 Speaker 1: and if you disagree, I want to hear it in 306 00:15:23,640 --> 00:15:26,280 Speaker 1: the comments. But like, I kind of feel like this 307 00:15:26,640 --> 00:15:33,160 Speaker 1: year in the postseason even it's been significantly more physical 308 00:15:33,360 --> 00:15:37,520 Speaker 1: and intense and a tighter whistle even than what we 309 00:15:37,640 --> 00:15:41,960 Speaker 1: saw last year in the postseason. It's like almost everything, 310 00:15:42,040 --> 00:15:44,560 Speaker 1: including the regular season and the postseason, had been raised 311 00:15:44,680 --> 00:15:48,440 Speaker 1: up a level in physicality and intensity. And I thought 312 00:15:48,480 --> 00:15:52,240 Speaker 1: it was really interesting that through the first thirteen postseason 313 00:15:52,320 --> 00:15:55,000 Speaker 1: games up until the MAVs got to win tonight, home 314 00:15:55,080 --> 00:15:58,600 Speaker 1: teams went twelve to one and the only team to 315 00:15:58,640 --> 00:16:00,720 Speaker 1: get a win on the road was the Indianacers, who 316 00:16:00,760 --> 00:16:02,320 Speaker 1: are playing against a team that doesn't have their best 317 00:16:02,360 --> 00:16:04,560 Speaker 1: player right now, and they were up twenty something in 318 00:16:04,640 --> 00:16:07,480 Speaker 1: the fourth quarter, right And I think it's just an 319 00:16:07,520 --> 00:16:11,040 Speaker 1: example of like, when these games get super physical, the 320 00:16:11,200 --> 00:16:15,040 Speaker 1: home team, which can drive energy from the crowd, is 321 00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:17,920 Speaker 1: able to kind of persist in that environment and make 322 00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:21,040 Speaker 1: those extra efforts to higher rate. But one of the 323 00:16:21,080 --> 00:16:23,720 Speaker 1: big things that stood out to me is like everyone 324 00:16:23,960 --> 00:16:30,200 Speaker 1: looks super tired. Everyone does the stars, role players, everyone's 325 00:16:30,240 --> 00:16:32,720 Speaker 1: got their hands on their knees, guys are missing shots. 326 00:16:33,120 --> 00:16:36,760 Speaker 1: So many stars have been inefficient. I mean, hell, even 327 00:16:36,840 --> 00:16:40,320 Speaker 1: Luca and Kyrie by their standards, have been inefficient. And 328 00:16:40,800 --> 00:16:43,480 Speaker 1: it's just super interesting to me. But I'm gonna circle 329 00:16:43,520 --> 00:16:45,520 Speaker 1: back around here because I thought it was super fascinating 330 00:16:45,560 --> 00:16:47,800 Speaker 1: that down the stretch of this game, in game two, 331 00:16:48,120 --> 00:16:51,120 Speaker 1: just two days removed from a really tough game where 332 00:16:51,120 --> 00:16:53,640 Speaker 1: you kind of got your ass handed to you, Luca 333 00:16:53,920 --> 00:16:56,760 Speaker 1: was playing both ends of the floor. Well. He had 334 00:16:56,840 --> 00:16:59,720 Speaker 1: the lift to knock down that pull up three y 335 00:16:59,760 --> 00:17:03,120 Speaker 1: over Harden, he had the lift to battle with Russell 336 00:17:03,120 --> 00:17:06,280 Speaker 1: Westbrook in the post and to make reads as the 337 00:17:06,320 --> 00:17:09,320 Speaker 1: Clippers were being aggressive, and he had the leg strength 338 00:17:09,680 --> 00:17:12,720 Speaker 1: to slide his damn feet and contain the basketball on 339 00:17:12,760 --> 00:17:15,840 Speaker 1: the other end of the floor. And it's just I 340 00:17:15,880 --> 00:17:19,680 Speaker 1: don't think we talk enough about conditioning as a part 341 00:17:19,760 --> 00:17:22,879 Speaker 1: of greatness, in what separates the best from the others. 342 00:17:23,520 --> 00:17:26,159 Speaker 1: Like I've said a couple times over the course of 343 00:17:26,160 --> 00:17:28,119 Speaker 1: the last few weeks, I think the three best players 344 00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:32,000 Speaker 1: in the world right now are Jokic number one, Luca 345 00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:34,200 Speaker 1: number two, and I think Lebron James is the third 346 00:17:34,240 --> 00:17:37,600 Speaker 1: best basketball player right now that we're seeing playing. I 347 00:17:37,640 --> 00:17:41,680 Speaker 1: don't think it's a coincidence that Luca is hitting big 348 00:17:41,800 --> 00:17:45,760 Speaker 1: shots and making big offensive plays down the stretch of physical, 349 00:17:46,119 --> 00:17:49,159 Speaker 1: intense playoff games when a lot of his peers are 350 00:17:49,280 --> 00:17:52,080 Speaker 1: getting too tired and struggling. I don't think it's a 351 00:17:52,119 --> 00:17:55,520 Speaker 1: coincidence that Lebron James last night is getting steals and 352 00:17:55,640 --> 00:17:58,680 Speaker 1: run out dunks and hitting threes and hitting tough turnaround 353 00:17:58,720 --> 00:18:04,200 Speaker 1: fadeaways and like somehow still having the energy when so 354 00:18:04,320 --> 00:18:07,920 Speaker 1: many other guys are not. Or Yokich's just literally getting 355 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:10,560 Speaker 1: beat up on every possession and is required to do 356 00:18:10,680 --> 00:18:13,600 Speaker 1: so much for Denver's offense, and he's walking down the 357 00:18:13,720 --> 00:18:17,040 Speaker 1: best defensive player in the world and giving him easy 358 00:18:17,160 --> 00:18:21,280 Speaker 1: buckets in crunch time of a very close game. Like 359 00:18:22,200 --> 00:18:24,359 Speaker 1: it's just super fascinating to me. I don't think we 360 00:18:24,480 --> 00:18:28,480 Speaker 1: discuss it nearly enough in terms of like basketball player 361 00:18:28,600 --> 00:18:31,080 Speaker 1: traits as one of the biggest things that set Steph 362 00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:34,000 Speaker 1: Curry apart from his peers when he was in his prime, Like, 363 00:18:34,359 --> 00:18:37,600 Speaker 1: conditioning is just a very very important part of your 364 00:18:37,640 --> 00:18:40,760 Speaker 1: ability to thrive in these particular environments, and I think 365 00:18:40,880 --> 00:18:44,400 Speaker 1: the super physical game has shined a light on that specifically, 366 00:18:45,680 --> 00:18:48,280 Speaker 1: so salute to those three guys and several other players 367 00:18:48,280 --> 00:18:50,280 Speaker 1: as well around the league that have been playing at 368 00:18:50,320 --> 00:18:52,920 Speaker 1: a super high level. As far as the Clipper's not 369 00:18:52,920 --> 00:18:54,480 Speaker 1: gonna spend too much time on the tonight, I want 370 00:18:54,520 --> 00:18:56,840 Speaker 1: to do a We're gonna do some film tomorrow. I 371 00:18:56,840 --> 00:18:59,399 Speaker 1: actually already put together a film session for Suns Wolves 372 00:18:59,720 --> 00:19:01,320 Speaker 1: that hit tomorrow, but I'm gonna hit a couple of 373 00:19:01,359 --> 00:19:04,080 Speaker 1: other games tomorrow as well. But just really quickly on 374 00:19:04,119 --> 00:19:06,600 Speaker 1: the Clippers, I got Kawi just looked obviously out of 375 00:19:06,680 --> 00:19:08,680 Speaker 1: shape and out of rhythm. He made a bunch of 376 00:19:08,760 --> 00:19:10,359 Speaker 1: defensive plays, but you could just tell he didn't have 377 00:19:10,400 --> 00:19:12,880 Speaker 1: his lift on his jump shot. And then Russell Westbrook. 378 00:19:13,040 --> 00:19:15,080 Speaker 1: Obviously the field goal percentage isn't gonna show it, but 379 00:19:15,119 --> 00:19:18,320 Speaker 1: I thought just his overall athletic energy was a huge 380 00:19:18,320 --> 00:19:21,400 Speaker 1: impact on this game. Rim pressure, creating easy looks around 381 00:19:21,400 --> 00:19:23,480 Speaker 1: the rim and easy kickout three point shot looks, and 382 00:19:23,520 --> 00:19:25,480 Speaker 1: then just kind of being a wrecking ball like he 383 00:19:25,520 --> 00:19:28,280 Speaker 1: can be defensively from time to time. Also hit a 384 00:19:28,359 --> 00:19:31,200 Speaker 1: huge three down the stretch in the fourth quarter. So 385 00:19:31,240 --> 00:19:33,520 Speaker 1: shout out to Russell Westbrook again. We're gonna dig into 386 00:19:33,560 --> 00:19:36,000 Speaker 1: the film and take a look at what specifically went 387 00:19:36,040 --> 00:19:40,800 Speaker 1: wrong for the Clippers offense tomorrow. All right, moving out 388 00:19:40,800 --> 00:19:44,160 Speaker 1: of Suns Wolves. So this game, to me came down 389 00:19:44,240 --> 00:19:46,840 Speaker 1: to two big second half runs because it was mostly 390 00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:50,200 Speaker 1: close game. It was sixty four to sixty three about 391 00:19:50,240 --> 00:19:52,400 Speaker 1: five and a half minutes left in the third quarter. 392 00:19:52,480 --> 00:19:54,640 Speaker 1: But we got two big runs, one in the late 393 00:19:54,800 --> 00:19:58,080 Speaker 1: third quarter, led primarily by Anthony Edwards, and one in 394 00:19:58,160 --> 00:20:02,119 Speaker 1: the early fourth quarter led by Mike Conley. So I 395 00:20:02,160 --> 00:20:04,200 Speaker 1: want to dig into each of those runs because I 396 00:20:04,240 --> 00:20:06,840 Speaker 1: thought they were really interesting tactically, especially based on some 397 00:20:06,920 --> 00:20:08,800 Speaker 1: of the stuff we talked about in the series preview. 398 00:20:09,280 --> 00:20:11,000 Speaker 1: So if sixty four to sixty three with five and 399 00:20:11,040 --> 00:20:12,840 Speaker 1: a half minutes left in the third, they get up 400 00:20:12,840 --> 00:20:15,399 Speaker 1: to seventy sixty three with some free throws, and then 401 00:20:15,440 --> 00:20:19,159 Speaker 1: Anthony Edwards hits that like super nasty sidestep pull up 402 00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:21,879 Speaker 1: jump shot over Kevin Durant the long to they're on 403 00:20:21,960 --> 00:20:23,960 Speaker 1: the left wing right, so it's seventy to sixty three. 404 00:20:24,520 --> 00:20:27,600 Speaker 1: Then Drew u Banks checks into the gate, and what 405 00:20:27,680 --> 00:20:30,160 Speaker 1: do we talk about is the coverage that the Suns 406 00:20:30,160 --> 00:20:32,040 Speaker 1: are using in this series. When u Banks is on 407 00:20:32,080 --> 00:20:34,960 Speaker 1: the floor right, everything with Ant is more aggressive. It's 408 00:20:35,080 --> 00:20:37,600 Speaker 1: Nurkic at the level of the screen, and with U 409 00:20:37,680 --> 00:20:40,200 Speaker 1: Banks in particular, they're doing an even more aggressive version 410 00:20:40,200 --> 00:20:42,080 Speaker 1: of that, which is a hedge. They're actually having him 411 00:20:42,359 --> 00:20:45,679 Speaker 1: literally lunge out and cut off the driving lane before 412 00:20:45,840 --> 00:20:49,520 Speaker 1: he recovers into the lane. So, in a weird way, 413 00:20:49,960 --> 00:20:51,840 Speaker 1: the high drop is a little bit more of a 414 00:20:52,200 --> 00:20:54,080 Speaker 1: like what Nurkic is doing. The high drop is a 415 00:20:54,119 --> 00:20:56,040 Speaker 1: little bit more of like a windshield wiper type of 416 00:20:56,160 --> 00:20:59,560 Speaker 1: rotation where the low man is making a read based 417 00:20:59,600 --> 00:21:02,760 Speaker 1: on how high Nurkic needs to go out, and it's 418 00:21:02,840 --> 00:21:06,800 Speaker 1: not quite as aggressive of a coverage. With the hedge, 419 00:21:07,240 --> 00:21:11,240 Speaker 1: it's so aggressive aggressive that the pocket pass can get 420 00:21:11,320 --> 00:21:13,760 Speaker 1: open and it could be a big problem pretty quickly. 421 00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:17,160 Speaker 1: So they're tagging the roller aggressively to start the possession. 422 00:21:17,280 --> 00:21:22,280 Speaker 1: And so especially in those specific coverages, ants passing is 423 00:21:22,560 --> 00:21:25,560 Speaker 1: a vital importance for them to be able to beat 424 00:21:25,640 --> 00:21:28,639 Speaker 1: that coverage. And as I talked about, the offensive pendulum 425 00:21:28,720 --> 00:21:30,399 Speaker 1: for the Suns or excuse me, for the Wolves in 426 00:21:30,480 --> 00:21:33,280 Speaker 1: the series is going to center on ants playmaking and 427 00:21:33,359 --> 00:21:36,640 Speaker 1: his pull up shooting. Right, can he make tough pull 428 00:21:36,720 --> 00:21:39,600 Speaker 1: up jump shots over the top of multiple defenders like 429 00:21:39,720 --> 00:21:43,440 Speaker 1: he did at the in game one, or can he 430 00:21:43,640 --> 00:21:46,200 Speaker 1: beat the coverage with the pass? And I thought he 431 00:21:46,440 --> 00:21:51,280 Speaker 1: just did just an amazing job beating the Sun's hedge 432 00:21:51,320 --> 00:21:53,680 Speaker 1: and recover with U Banks in that third quarter stretch, 433 00:21:53,720 --> 00:21:56,399 Speaker 1: do you remember that Jaden McDaniels ripped through on the 434 00:21:56,480 --> 00:22:00,639 Speaker 1: baseline where he drifted underneath the back getting hit the 435 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:04,240 Speaker 1: like fade away like like on the opposite side of 436 00:22:04,280 --> 00:22:07,679 Speaker 1: the rim. That literally started with a hedge and recover 437 00:22:07,920 --> 00:22:10,800 Speaker 1: that Ant beat with the skip pass. That's it was 438 00:22:10,880 --> 00:22:14,359 Speaker 1: his read. He generated a three on two defensively or 439 00:22:14,359 --> 00:22:16,440 Speaker 1: two on three I should say, And he created a 440 00:22:16,520 --> 00:22:18,800 Speaker 1: three on two on the weak side, and Jaden beat 441 00:22:19,080 --> 00:22:21,399 Speaker 1: Kevin Durant on a close out that was created by 442 00:22:21,480 --> 00:22:23,959 Speaker 1: Ant's pass nas Reed. Do you remember when Nasri caught 443 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:26,160 Speaker 1: at the top of the key and drove by Devin 444 00:22:26,240 --> 00:22:28,840 Speaker 1: Booker and Drew drew free throws right after that? That 445 00:22:29,040 --> 00:22:32,320 Speaker 1: was literally a hedge and a tag with a kick 446 00:22:32,440 --> 00:22:34,920 Speaker 1: back to naz Reid wide open at the top of 447 00:22:34,960 --> 00:22:37,640 Speaker 1: the key. Devin Booker had to close out on him, 448 00:22:37,920 --> 00:22:39,600 Speaker 1: and when he closed out on him, he was able 449 00:22:39,640 --> 00:22:41,959 Speaker 1: to beat him off the dribble and draw foul shots, 450 00:22:42,040 --> 00:22:45,840 Speaker 1: once again generated by Ant's playmaking the kil Alexander Walker's 451 00:22:45,920 --> 00:22:49,119 Speaker 1: corner three in the left corner. Devin Booker, if I remember, 452 00:22:49,200 --> 00:22:51,320 Speaker 1: I think Devin was the guy guarding Nikil on that play. 453 00:22:51,720 --> 00:22:55,880 Speaker 1: Devin Booker was way up digging down into a driving lane. 454 00:22:56,119 --> 00:22:58,080 Speaker 1: In addition to the hedge and recover. It was like 455 00:22:58,119 --> 00:23:00,520 Speaker 1: a they were defending it like four on two and 456 00:23:00,800 --> 00:23:03,440 Speaker 1: Ant just instead of trying to force the action, just 457 00:23:03,640 --> 00:23:05,920 Speaker 1: made the swing pass into keele Alexander Walker in the 458 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:08,159 Speaker 1: left corner and he knocked down the three. They were 459 00:23:08,280 --> 00:23:11,720 Speaker 1: all reads by Anthony Edwards, and again like it's just 460 00:23:12,160 --> 00:23:14,560 Speaker 1: we talked about the game plan coming into this series. 461 00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:17,199 Speaker 1: If Ant can make the reads, if Mike Conley can 462 00:23:17,280 --> 00:23:19,920 Speaker 1: score and pick and roll, and if the Wolves on 463 00:23:20,080 --> 00:23:23,440 Speaker 1: defense can stay home off the ball and force them 464 00:23:23,520 --> 00:23:27,480 Speaker 1: to the Suns to take and make really difficult contested twos, 465 00:23:27,520 --> 00:23:30,080 Speaker 1: the Wolves are gonna win. And that is exactly what 466 00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:33,960 Speaker 1: they've done. But if Mike Conley can't score and pick 467 00:23:33,960 --> 00:23:35,560 Speaker 1: and roll, if an it can't make the reads and 468 00:23:35,600 --> 00:23:37,320 Speaker 1: makes a bunch of bad decisions on the ball and 469 00:23:37,480 --> 00:23:39,959 Speaker 1: defensively they end up in rotation, the Suns are gonna win, 470 00:23:40,440 --> 00:23:43,000 Speaker 1: and we'll see if that pendulum swings back towards Phoenix 471 00:23:43,040 --> 00:23:46,080 Speaker 1: when we get to Phoenix in game three. And honestly, 472 00:23:46,160 --> 00:23:48,879 Speaker 1: I'm genuinely curious to see how this all goes with 473 00:23:49,040 --> 00:23:52,600 Speaker 1: how bad the home teams have dominated so far through 474 00:23:52,680 --> 00:23:55,520 Speaker 1: the first four days of the playoffs, really curious to 475 00:23:55,520 --> 00:23:58,240 Speaker 1: see if that shifts when we get into these game threes. 476 00:23:58,440 --> 00:24:02,080 Speaker 1: But so far Minnes has won that battle. So ants 477 00:24:02,119 --> 00:24:04,320 Speaker 1: playmaking in the third Let's move on to the fourth quarter. 478 00:24:04,440 --> 00:24:06,280 Speaker 1: So in the fourth quarter, it was Mike Conley that 479 00:24:06,359 --> 00:24:08,880 Speaker 1: went to work as a playmaker. But before we get 480 00:24:08,880 --> 00:24:10,560 Speaker 1: into this, I want to go back in time for 481 00:24:10,600 --> 00:24:13,480 Speaker 1: a minute to the second quarter, because remember the base 482 00:24:13,560 --> 00:24:16,959 Speaker 1: coverage for Phoenix when it comes to Conley was very 483 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:20,240 Speaker 1: different than their coverage for Anthony Edwards. Anthony Edwards is 484 00:24:20,480 --> 00:24:22,920 Speaker 1: high drop with Nurkic with a tag and it's a 485 00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:26,120 Speaker 1: hedge with U Banks with a tag. Right with Conley, 486 00:24:26,359 --> 00:24:29,040 Speaker 1: they're trying to bait him into being a score and 487 00:24:29,119 --> 00:24:31,000 Speaker 1: try to stay home off the ball. So they were 488 00:24:31,040 --> 00:24:33,359 Speaker 1: having Nurkic sit way back in a deep drop and 489 00:24:33,400 --> 00:24:35,320 Speaker 1: they're just chasing him over the top of the screen. 490 00:24:35,800 --> 00:24:39,680 Speaker 1: Well in that second quarter. Mike Conley went on a 491 00:24:39,880 --> 00:24:43,200 Speaker 1: hell of a scoring run in that against that coverage. 492 00:24:43,280 --> 00:24:45,119 Speaker 1: In his two man game with Rudy Gobert, who, by 493 00:24:45,119 --> 00:24:47,680 Speaker 1: the way, is a bunch of credit a chemistry with 494 00:24:48,040 --> 00:24:50,480 Speaker 1: from their time together in Utah and obviously a year 495 00:24:50,480 --> 00:24:53,760 Speaker 1: and a half if they spent playing together. Now started 496 00:24:53,760 --> 00:24:56,040 Speaker 1: off with a couple of floaters and a really difficult 497 00:24:56,119 --> 00:24:59,359 Speaker 1: left handed floater getting downhill to start that run in 498 00:24:59,400 --> 00:25:01,719 Speaker 1: the second quarter. Then he hit another float that one 499 00:25:01,840 --> 00:25:03,920 Speaker 1: was a little bit easier. There was an off ball 500 00:25:04,040 --> 00:25:07,320 Speaker 1: flare screen from Gobert on the right corner where Conley 501 00:25:07,400 --> 00:25:10,280 Speaker 1: got a wide open corner three. Remember off ball coverages 502 00:25:10,320 --> 00:25:14,639 Speaker 1: actually have very similar principles to on ball coverages. So 503 00:25:15,119 --> 00:25:18,760 Speaker 1: in an on ball drop coverage, right, Conley is has 504 00:25:18,800 --> 00:25:22,040 Speaker 1: the ball guy's chasing him over the top, Nurkic is 505 00:25:22,080 --> 00:25:25,160 Speaker 1: sitting way back and basically waiting for him and containing 506 00:25:25,240 --> 00:25:28,400 Speaker 1: both the role maan and the ball handler. Right, That's 507 00:25:28,520 --> 00:25:31,920 Speaker 1: exactly what happens in an off ball screen. The difference 508 00:25:32,040 --> 00:25:33,760 Speaker 1: is the ball is just in a passer at the 509 00:25:33,800 --> 00:25:35,760 Speaker 1: top of the key. So passer at the top of 510 00:25:35,800 --> 00:25:38,840 Speaker 1: the key, let's say Conley is on the right wing, 511 00:25:39,400 --> 00:25:41,720 Speaker 1: and Gobert sets a flare screen to him in the corner. 512 00:25:42,040 --> 00:25:45,480 Speaker 1: Nurkic is in the exact same coverage. He's dropping to 513 00:25:45,600 --> 00:25:48,840 Speaker 1: the short corner and he's waiting for Conley to try 514 00:25:48,880 --> 00:25:52,119 Speaker 1: to score between him, and if the screener slips, go 515 00:25:52,280 --> 00:25:54,600 Speaker 1: Bear slips, Nurkic is there to handle both of them. 516 00:25:54,640 --> 00:25:56,400 Speaker 1: So even though it was an off ball play, it's 517 00:25:56,440 --> 00:25:58,480 Speaker 1: more or less the same coverage. It's just set up 518 00:25:58,520 --> 00:26:02,280 Speaker 1: in an off ball configuration. Finally sinks that three in 519 00:26:02,400 --> 00:26:04,480 Speaker 1: the corner. Then he hits a pull up three on 520 00:26:04,560 --> 00:26:07,800 Speaker 1: the right wing go Bear screen. Grayson Allen dies on 521 00:26:07,880 --> 00:26:10,399 Speaker 1: the screen, Condy comes off of it. Bam, hits that 522 00:26:10,560 --> 00:26:13,280 Speaker 1: pull up. Patent did pull up three that he's been 523 00:26:13,359 --> 00:26:15,920 Speaker 1: hitting his entire career right on the on the right wing. 524 00:26:16,240 --> 00:26:19,879 Speaker 1: Then he hits this like ridiculous up and under left 525 00:26:19,920 --> 00:26:23,480 Speaker 1: handed scoop shot. So he literally had twelve points as 526 00:26:23,560 --> 00:26:26,960 Speaker 1: a score in that second quarter run and all of 527 00:26:27,080 --> 00:26:30,400 Speaker 1: them were against the deep drop coverage. Now here's where 528 00:26:30,440 --> 00:26:33,280 Speaker 1: it gets interesting. He did not make a field goal 529 00:26:33,359 --> 00:26:36,720 Speaker 1: in the third quarter. Most of those shots were tough. 530 00:26:37,040 --> 00:26:39,800 Speaker 1: The first floater was tough, the corner three was tough. 531 00:26:39,840 --> 00:26:42,480 Speaker 1: He was like flying into the corner. The layup, the 532 00:26:42,600 --> 00:26:45,520 Speaker 1: up and under layup was super tough. Only the second 533 00:26:45,600 --> 00:26:47,360 Speaker 1: floater and the pull up three were what I would 534 00:26:47,440 --> 00:26:49,920 Speaker 1: qualify as easy shots. And honestly, it was on the 535 00:26:49,960 --> 00:26:53,239 Speaker 1: on ball guy for giving too much separation chasing over 536 00:26:53,280 --> 00:26:55,919 Speaker 1: the top of the screens, so as we So when 537 00:26:55,960 --> 00:26:57,800 Speaker 1: you factor in that they were tough shots and that 538 00:26:57,880 --> 00:26:59,440 Speaker 1: he didn't make a field goal in the third quarter, 539 00:27:00,560 --> 00:27:03,000 Speaker 1: that kind of sets the stage for this fourth quarter situation. 540 00:27:03,640 --> 00:27:06,359 Speaker 1: So Vogel has a decision to make there. You either 541 00:27:06,520 --> 00:27:08,800 Speaker 1: stick with the game plan and say, we just got 542 00:27:08,920 --> 00:27:10,520 Speaker 1: to do a better job on ball. He hit some 543 00:27:10,600 --> 00:27:12,879 Speaker 1: tough shots. He might be out of rhythm because he 544 00:27:12,920 --> 00:27:15,520 Speaker 1: didn't score in the third quarter. Why don't we just 545 00:27:15,600 --> 00:27:17,679 Speaker 1: stick with our deep drop coverage and see what happens 546 00:27:18,080 --> 00:27:21,359 Speaker 1: or make an adjustment. And Frank Vogel decided to make 547 00:27:21,400 --> 00:27:24,040 Speaker 1: an adjustment, and it burned him. He ended up putting 548 00:27:24,080 --> 00:27:28,159 Speaker 1: Nurkic in an aggressive high drop coverage and then Conley 549 00:27:28,359 --> 00:27:31,000 Speaker 1: immediately started picking them apart with the pocket pass to 550 00:27:31,080 --> 00:27:34,360 Speaker 1: go Bear. First possession comes off the ball screen, high 551 00:27:34,440 --> 00:27:37,679 Speaker 1: drop from Nurkic, easy pocket pass to go Bear Hadi 552 00:27:37,880 --> 00:27:41,240 Speaker 1: is way too slow tagging on the back line. Gobert 553 00:27:41,320 --> 00:27:43,920 Speaker 1: goes down the lane and dunks it. They're the very 554 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:47,760 Speaker 1: next next time they run it high drop pocket pass 555 00:27:47,840 --> 00:27:52,200 Speaker 1: to go Bear. Carl Towns huts along the baseline. There's 556 00:27:52,240 --> 00:27:54,560 Speaker 1: a tag of the roller. Carl Towns gets a layup. 557 00:27:54,800 --> 00:27:58,080 Speaker 1: Jaden McDaniels got a wide open three on the left wing, 558 00:27:58,359 --> 00:28:01,560 Speaker 1: same sort of thing up. Pocket pass to go Bear, 559 00:28:01,760 --> 00:28:04,320 Speaker 1: tag the roller, kick out to Jade McDaniels on the 560 00:28:04,400 --> 00:28:07,000 Speaker 1: left wing. He happened to miss that one, but as 561 00:28:07,040 --> 00:28:09,680 Speaker 1: everyone was closing out at him, there was a long 562 00:28:09,800 --> 00:28:12,120 Speaker 1: rebound to the right side of the floor and Conley 563 00:28:12,280 --> 00:28:15,040 Speaker 1: was standing there by himself caught it in the right 564 00:28:15,119 --> 00:28:17,800 Speaker 1: corner and made the three. That really was the dagger 565 00:28:17,880 --> 00:28:20,280 Speaker 1: of this game and put the Wolves up thirteen and 566 00:28:20,400 --> 00:28:24,600 Speaker 1: they never looked back. So like super super interesting a 567 00:28:24,800 --> 00:28:28,240 Speaker 1: work from Conley and Ant in this game. To beat 568 00:28:28,520 --> 00:28:31,920 Speaker 1: the coverages that Phoenix was using, they baited Ant into 569 00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:35,160 Speaker 1: his worst tendencies. He confronted them, and he beat them 570 00:28:35,200 --> 00:28:39,840 Speaker 1: with the pass. They baited Conley into his worst tendencies passivity. 571 00:28:40,240 --> 00:28:43,080 Speaker 1: He beat it with scoring forced them to make an 572 00:28:43,120 --> 00:28:47,080 Speaker 1: adjustment which then unlocked his best trait, which is him 573 00:28:47,200 --> 00:28:49,960 Speaker 1: as a playmaker, and he picked them apart. So shout 574 00:28:49,960 --> 00:28:52,800 Speaker 1: out to Anthony Edwards ants to Mike Conley. I thought 575 00:28:52,800 --> 00:28:54,560 Speaker 1: they were the story of this game. They're the two 576 00:28:54,600 --> 00:28:58,760 Speaker 1: primary initiative initiators from Minnesota. The biggest rub on Minnesota 577 00:28:58,840 --> 00:29:01,760 Speaker 1: this season has been their inability to score in the 578 00:29:01,840 --> 00:29:04,760 Speaker 1: half court against elite defenses that load up on them. 579 00:29:05,120 --> 00:29:10,200 Speaker 1: And they just got over that today and over the 580 00:29:10,280 --> 00:29:13,080 Speaker 1: course of this series so far, and again specifically in 581 00:29:13,280 --> 00:29:18,080 Speaker 1: late game situations, Minnesota. Gosh, like, Minnesota has been awful 582 00:29:18,760 --> 00:29:21,680 Speaker 1: in slow down half court environments at the end of 583 00:29:21,720 --> 00:29:24,120 Speaker 1: these games, and it's it's been such a weak point 584 00:29:24,240 --> 00:29:27,040 Speaker 1: and they're just confronting it in this series and they're 585 00:29:27,080 --> 00:29:29,160 Speaker 1: beating it. I also want to shout out Jaden McDaniels 586 00:29:29,680 --> 00:29:32,960 Speaker 1: another example of like how in this super physical and 587 00:29:33,080 --> 00:29:36,480 Speaker 1: intense environment, it's been the athletes that have been thriving 588 00:29:37,080 --> 00:29:41,520 Speaker 1: driving closeouts, like he was just torching the sun, specifically KD, 589 00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:44,880 Speaker 1: and now Kd's getting into help position and he's closing 590 00:29:44,920 --> 00:29:46,520 Speaker 1: out and like we talked about, you kind of have 591 00:29:46,800 --> 00:29:49,720 Speaker 1: to with Jayden. And here's the thing, Jade McDaniels was 592 00:29:49,840 --> 00:29:52,320 Speaker 1: not a good closeout player this year. He was below 593 00:29:52,880 --> 00:29:56,320 Speaker 1: one point per possession in spot up situations. He was 594 00:29:56,360 --> 00:29:59,840 Speaker 1: like a low fortieth percentile guy compared to his peers. 595 00:30:00,160 --> 00:30:02,760 Speaker 1: He shot just forty two percent this year in spot 596 00:30:02,880 --> 00:30:06,600 Speaker 1: up situations. He had zero points in spot up situations. 597 00:30:06,640 --> 00:30:10,920 Speaker 1: In Game one, he torched the Suns tonight, had fourteen 598 00:30:11,120 --> 00:30:14,959 Speaker 1: points just in spot up situations, shot six for eight 599 00:30:15,040 --> 00:30:18,480 Speaker 1: from the field. He's been an absolute athletic wrecking ball 600 00:30:18,600 --> 00:30:20,719 Speaker 1: in this series. It's been one of the most interesting 601 00:30:20,800 --> 00:30:22,480 Speaker 1: things that stood out to me through the first four 602 00:30:22,560 --> 00:30:26,800 Speaker 1: days of the postseason. The real athletes have thrived in 603 00:30:26,960 --> 00:30:31,440 Speaker 1: the thin finesse players have really struggled, and I find 604 00:30:31,480 --> 00:30:34,400 Speaker 1: that super interesting as the league kind of shifts towards 605 00:30:34,440 --> 00:30:38,440 Speaker 1: a more physical environment. On the Suns front, they just 606 00:30:38,560 --> 00:30:42,120 Speaker 1: really struggled to handle the physicality. They had twenty more 607 00:30:42,160 --> 00:30:45,120 Speaker 1: turnovers tonight. They just start to get tired and then 608 00:30:45,120 --> 00:30:47,560 Speaker 1: they get sloppy. They're up to thirty five turnovers for 609 00:30:47,640 --> 00:30:51,480 Speaker 1: the series. Their stars can't score efficiently in this environment, 610 00:30:51,800 --> 00:30:55,040 Speaker 1: and they're still really struggling to get the defense in rotation. 611 00:30:55,160 --> 00:30:58,040 Speaker 1: They have sixty eight made field goals so far in 612 00:30:58,120 --> 00:31:01,080 Speaker 1: this series, they've only gotten assists thirty five of them. 613 00:31:01,480 --> 00:31:04,680 Speaker 1: That's a fifty one percent assist percentage. And remember this 614 00:31:04,920 --> 00:31:10,000 Speaker 1: team was sixty six percent in assist percentage post All 615 00:31:10,040 --> 00:31:13,400 Speaker 1: Star Break. It was one of the defining characteristics of them, 616 00:31:13,520 --> 00:31:15,959 Speaker 1: kind of achieving some of the high highs that they 617 00:31:16,040 --> 00:31:18,640 Speaker 1: achieved down the stretch of the season. They're also just 618 00:31:18,760 --> 00:31:22,400 Speaker 1: not generating any catch and shoot looks. Post All Star Break, 619 00:31:22,480 --> 00:31:26,000 Speaker 1: they were generating twenty seven catch and shoot jump shots 620 00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:28,040 Speaker 1: per game. That was the twelfth most in the league, 621 00:31:28,160 --> 00:31:31,240 Speaker 1: very unlike the Phoenix team that we saw last year. 622 00:31:31,640 --> 00:31:36,600 Speaker 1: So far in this series total, they've generated nineteen catch 623 00:31:36,640 --> 00:31:39,760 Speaker 1: and shoot jump shots, just nine point five per game, 624 00:31:39,960 --> 00:31:42,959 Speaker 1: or another way of looking at it, one third as 625 00:31:43,160 --> 00:31:46,200 Speaker 1: many catch and shoot jump shot attempts as they were 626 00:31:46,200 --> 00:31:50,120 Speaker 1: getting per game over the last chunk of the season 627 00:31:50,240 --> 00:31:53,080 Speaker 1: post All Star Break. It is a major problem for 628 00:31:53,160 --> 00:31:56,040 Speaker 1: them in this series, and it goes beyond the assist percentage. 629 00:31:56,080 --> 00:32:00,280 Speaker 1: They're just not scoring. They're at a ninety eight point 630 00:32:00,400 --> 00:32:03,320 Speaker 1: nine offensive ratings so far through two games. They were 631 00:32:03,360 --> 00:32:06,280 Speaker 1: a top ten offense in the regular season. Now there's 632 00:32:06,320 --> 00:32:07,880 Speaker 1: three things that I want to call attention to that 633 00:32:07,920 --> 00:32:11,160 Speaker 1: are causing those problems. They're struggling to handle the physicality 634 00:32:11,200 --> 00:32:13,280 Speaker 1: on drives. When they start to get downhill in the 635 00:32:13,400 --> 00:32:16,360 Speaker 1: hands and everyone starts grabbing, They're falling over, they're losing 636 00:32:16,400 --> 00:32:19,440 Speaker 1: their balance, they're not getting lyft, they're losing control of basketball. Two, 637 00:32:19,520 --> 00:32:22,440 Speaker 1: they're turning the basketball over fatigue leading to sloppiness. And 638 00:32:22,480 --> 00:32:24,280 Speaker 1: you'll see this in the film session. I have twenty 639 00:32:24,360 --> 00:32:26,440 Speaker 1: clips that I'm gonna show you guys in a film 640 00:32:26,520 --> 00:32:29,400 Speaker 1: session tomorrow that kind of goes over some of these concepts. 641 00:32:29,880 --> 00:32:31,960 Speaker 1: But they're just they get tired and they make some 642 00:32:32,120 --> 00:32:35,320 Speaker 1: really sloppy turnovers. Devin Booker had two really bad ones 643 00:32:35,400 --> 00:32:37,760 Speaker 1: in the second half. Just threw the ball out of 644 00:32:37,800 --> 00:32:40,960 Speaker 1: bounds on a swing pass to Bradley Beal, tried to 645 00:32:41,000 --> 00:32:42,640 Speaker 1: make a high post entry and just threw the ball 646 00:32:42,720 --> 00:32:46,720 Speaker 1: right into the Keile Alexander Walker's hands. That's not Devin 647 00:32:46,760 --> 00:32:49,640 Speaker 1: Booker not being able to handle ball pressure. He's tired, 648 00:32:49,920 --> 00:32:52,920 Speaker 1: and when he's tired, he's getting sloppy. And like, here's 649 00:32:52,960 --> 00:32:57,320 Speaker 1: the thing. In physical games, the stronger team is usually 650 00:32:57,400 --> 00:33:00,000 Speaker 1: the team that holds up better in terms of fatigu 651 00:33:00,280 --> 00:33:02,880 Speaker 1: and the Sons are just not the stronger team in 652 00:33:02,960 --> 00:33:05,920 Speaker 1: this matchup. So but by far the biggest problem they're 653 00:33:05,960 --> 00:33:08,760 Speaker 1: having is they're just missing too many reads. And there's 654 00:33:09,040 --> 00:33:12,200 Speaker 1: literally so many examples. And I'm gonna, like I said 655 00:33:12,240 --> 00:33:13,920 Speaker 1: in the film session tomorrow, I'm gonna give you guys 656 00:33:13,920 --> 00:33:15,640 Speaker 1: a bunch of those examples. But I'm gonna give you 657 00:33:15,680 --> 00:33:20,200 Speaker 1: guys three examples tonight to just explain what I'm talking about. 658 00:33:20,560 --> 00:33:23,160 Speaker 1: And these are all just in the first half. So, 659 00:33:23,680 --> 00:33:25,880 Speaker 1: there was a Katie Grayson Allen goes screen at the 660 00:33:25,920 --> 00:33:29,080 Speaker 1: top of the key. Katie has the ball. He's kind 661 00:33:29,120 --> 00:33:31,520 Speaker 1: of like top of the key area. Grayson Allen's standing 662 00:33:31,560 --> 00:33:34,120 Speaker 1: on the right wing. Grayson Allen is being guarded by 663 00:33:34,200 --> 00:33:39,800 Speaker 1: Mike Conley. Kevin Durant's being guarded by Carl Towns. Grayson 664 00:33:39,800 --> 00:33:43,360 Speaker 1: Allen runs over to the right side of Kevin Durant 665 00:33:43,400 --> 00:33:45,560 Speaker 1: to set a ball screen. When he does, we know 666 00:33:45,680 --> 00:33:49,000 Speaker 1: what happens next. Right, Donley hedges because he doesn't want 667 00:33:49,040 --> 00:33:52,520 Speaker 1: to give up the drive to Kevin Durant. Right because 668 00:33:52,560 --> 00:33:55,200 Speaker 1: if if he stays glued up to Grayson and he 669 00:33:55,520 --> 00:33:58,640 Speaker 1: and he screens Cat, Katie's just gonna drive right around 670 00:33:58,680 --> 00:33:59,960 Speaker 1: into the right hand side to get to the rims. 671 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:02,760 Speaker 1: So the hedge, Mike Conley lunges out to cut off 672 00:34:02,800 --> 00:34:05,600 Speaker 1: the drive right Grayson Allen slips it, goes to the 673 00:34:05,720 --> 00:34:08,600 Speaker 1: left wing on the three point line. He's wide open. 674 00:34:09,040 --> 00:34:12,319 Speaker 1: Katie throws him the pass. Mike Conley is closing out 675 00:34:12,360 --> 00:34:14,960 Speaker 1: to his right hand side, there is a baked in 676 00:34:15,239 --> 00:34:17,840 Speaker 1: driving lane if he if he just catches and rips 677 00:34:17,880 --> 00:34:20,120 Speaker 1: to the left, he has a baked in driving lane 678 00:34:20,160 --> 00:34:22,800 Speaker 1: that is almost certainly gonna draw in another defender and 679 00:34:22,920 --> 00:34:26,320 Speaker 1: is going to generate a closeout opportunity for Devin Booker 680 00:34:26,400 --> 00:34:29,720 Speaker 1: or Bradley Beal And those guys operating with a close 681 00:34:29,800 --> 00:34:34,120 Speaker 1: out are gonna be typer efficient, not the inefficient scores 682 00:34:34,160 --> 00:34:36,640 Speaker 1: that they've been in this game. So what happens? Do 683 00:34:36,840 --> 00:34:39,279 Speaker 1: you guys remember in game one where Devin Booker or 684 00:34:39,280 --> 00:34:41,680 Speaker 1: excuse me, where Grayson Allen pump faked and got Jane 685 00:34:41,719 --> 00:34:43,640 Speaker 1: McDaniels off the floor and instead of driving it, he 686 00:34:43,760 --> 00:34:46,000 Speaker 1: just threw it back to KD. Did the exact same 687 00:34:46,040 --> 00:34:49,359 Speaker 1: thing tonight has the catch, could rack left and draw 688 00:34:49,440 --> 00:34:51,759 Speaker 1: the next defender. Instead, he just throws it right back 689 00:34:51,800 --> 00:34:56,160 Speaker 1: to KD and Carl Towns is right there, and now 690 00:34:56,239 --> 00:34:59,880 Speaker 1: it's a straight static ISO against Carl Towns, and k 691 00:35:00,640 --> 00:35:03,360 Speaker 1: drives on him and has to settle for a really difficult, 692 00:35:03,440 --> 00:35:06,080 Speaker 1: tough contested two that he misses. Why'd you even run 693 00:35:06,120 --> 00:35:09,280 Speaker 1: the ghost screen? The whole purpose of the ghost screen 694 00:35:09,680 --> 00:35:12,239 Speaker 1: is to generate the close out opportunity for Grayson so 695 00:35:12,360 --> 00:35:14,839 Speaker 1: that he can further the advantage for the next guy. 696 00:35:15,080 --> 00:35:17,600 Speaker 1: That's why you run the action, and you bailed on 697 00:35:17,719 --> 00:35:20,760 Speaker 1: it and gave up the advantage. It makes literally no sense. 698 00:35:21,280 --> 00:35:23,360 Speaker 1: You turned an action for a close out into a 699 00:35:23,440 --> 00:35:27,919 Speaker 1: tough contested two. In ISO. The next one, Bradley Beal 700 00:35:28,000 --> 00:35:31,080 Speaker 1: runs a double stagger use. If Nurkic sets the first screen, 701 00:35:31,280 --> 00:35:33,919 Speaker 1: Royce O'Neil sets the second screen. On the first screen, 702 00:35:34,040 --> 00:35:37,320 Speaker 1: Nurkic rolls, Bradley Beal, turns the corner and goes downhill. 703 00:35:37,440 --> 00:35:39,520 Speaker 1: On the second screen, Royce O'Neil pops to the top 704 00:35:39,520 --> 00:35:43,480 Speaker 1: of the key. All three wolves go with Nurkic and 705 00:35:43,600 --> 00:35:47,319 Speaker 1: Bradley Beal Royce O'Neil standing wide open at the top 706 00:35:47,400 --> 00:35:50,200 Speaker 1: of the key. Bradley Beal's not even getting ball pressured 707 00:35:50,200 --> 00:35:51,839 Speaker 1: at this point. All he has to do is whip 708 00:35:51,880 --> 00:35:54,359 Speaker 1: it back over his shoulder to Royce O'Neil. He's either 709 00:35:54,400 --> 00:35:56,960 Speaker 1: shooting a catch and shoot three or someone's closing out 710 00:35:57,000 --> 00:35:58,719 Speaker 1: at him and he can either make an extra pass 711 00:35:58,800 --> 00:36:01,360 Speaker 1: or drive the clothes out to break in an advantage 712 00:36:01,360 --> 00:36:04,520 Speaker 1: situation where you can generate another close out opportunity for 713 00:36:04,600 --> 00:36:08,160 Speaker 1: Devin Booker or Bradley Beal. Instead, Bradley Beal looks off 714 00:36:08,280 --> 00:36:10,920 Speaker 1: Royce O'Neil, drags the pick and roll way down to 715 00:36:10,960 --> 00:36:14,160 Speaker 1: the baseline. Heels go bear off in a switch and 716 00:36:14,239 --> 00:36:16,440 Speaker 1: then a tax go bear in a switch and settles 717 00:36:16,520 --> 00:36:20,880 Speaker 1: for an impossible step through like floater shot that has 718 00:36:20,960 --> 00:36:23,239 Speaker 1: like almost no chance of going in and he misses it. 719 00:36:23,640 --> 00:36:27,279 Speaker 1: That's just bad process. And then lastly, later on in 720 00:36:27,320 --> 00:36:29,840 Speaker 1: the first half, they run a guard guard screen with 721 00:36:30,000 --> 00:36:33,160 Speaker 1: Royce O'Neil that gets Monti Morris switched onto Devin Booker. 722 00:36:33,480 --> 00:36:36,399 Speaker 1: Devin Booker's thinking, Okay, I have a size advantage. I'm 723 00:36:36,400 --> 00:36:40,239 Speaker 1: gonna post him up like that, backs him down, gets 724 00:36:40,280 --> 00:36:42,719 Speaker 1: into the lane. We start to set up a situation 725 00:36:42,840 --> 00:36:46,040 Speaker 1: where the Wolves zone up on the backside, so Bradley 726 00:36:46,080 --> 00:36:49,000 Speaker 1: Beal clears out and goes to the right corner. His 727 00:36:49,200 --> 00:36:53,359 Speaker 1: man is Anthony Edwards. Anthony Edwards completely ignores Bradley Beal 728 00:36:53,719 --> 00:36:57,840 Speaker 1: and literally goes and stands right underneath the basket. Okay, 729 00:36:58,280 --> 00:37:01,160 Speaker 1: so now, Drew you Banks sets what's called a pin 730 00:37:01,320 --> 00:37:05,279 Speaker 1: in flair on I believe Gobert on the baseline. It 731 00:37:05,360 --> 00:37:06,520 Speaker 1: was either it was Gobert or one of the I 732 00:37:06,560 --> 00:37:09,200 Speaker 1: think it was Carl Town's. Actually at this point the 733 00:37:09,320 --> 00:37:11,359 Speaker 1: pin and flair again is all he's doing is making 734 00:37:11,400 --> 00:37:14,399 Speaker 1: it so that if Bradley Devin Booker decides to throw 735 00:37:14,560 --> 00:37:18,000 Speaker 1: that skip pass to Bradley Beal, who's wide open in 736 00:37:18,080 --> 00:37:21,279 Speaker 1: the corner, if Kat tries to close out, U Banks 737 00:37:21,360 --> 00:37:23,920 Speaker 1: is there to screen him. U Banks is literally set up. 738 00:37:24,000 --> 00:37:27,360 Speaker 1: He's positioned himself right between Kat and Bradley Beal in 739 00:37:27,400 --> 00:37:30,719 Speaker 1: the corner. It's cleanly set up to generate a wide 740 00:37:30,760 --> 00:37:33,000 Speaker 1: open catch and shoot three for Bradley Beal, who's been 741 00:37:33,120 --> 00:37:36,960 Speaker 1: deadly in catch and shoot three points situations all season long. 742 00:37:37,040 --> 00:37:39,479 Speaker 1: And instead of making the pass, and you can literally 743 00:37:39,520 --> 00:37:41,800 Speaker 1: see on the video a clear window for the pass, 744 00:37:42,200 --> 00:37:44,839 Speaker 1: instead of making the pass, Devin Booker settled for an 745 00:37:44,880 --> 00:37:47,719 Speaker 1: impossible well not an impossible quality shot for Booker, I guess, 746 00:37:47,920 --> 00:37:50,040 Speaker 1: but in a super physical game like this, where they 747 00:37:50,080 --> 00:37:53,640 Speaker 1: can't make shots. It's a much lower percentage, much lower 748 00:37:53,760 --> 00:37:56,440 Speaker 1: value shot. Takes a left shoulder fade over Moni Morris 749 00:37:56,480 --> 00:37:58,879 Speaker 1: and misses it. And again I'm not saying you don't 750 00:37:58,920 --> 00:38:01,319 Speaker 1: take those shots. Work on those shots for a reason. 751 00:38:01,400 --> 00:38:04,040 Speaker 1: They serve a very important purpose in basketball games, for 752 00:38:04,120 --> 00:38:07,400 Speaker 1: rescue possessions, coverage beaters in late game situations. There's a 753 00:38:07,440 --> 00:38:09,799 Speaker 1: reason why you work on those shots. But what made 754 00:38:09,840 --> 00:38:11,440 Speaker 1: the Suns a great team down the stretch of the 755 00:38:11,480 --> 00:38:16,160 Speaker 1: season was advantage basketball, getting guys into advantage situations because 756 00:38:16,160 --> 00:38:19,759 Speaker 1: they're way more efficient attacking a closeout versus attacking a 757 00:38:19,880 --> 00:38:24,880 Speaker 1: set defender. And they've played directly into Minnesota's hands in 758 00:38:25,000 --> 00:38:27,600 Speaker 1: this series. And again, you guys are gonna see the 759 00:38:28,719 --> 00:38:31,279 Speaker 1: examples when we get into the film tomorrow. But like, 760 00:38:31,440 --> 00:38:33,319 Speaker 1: I was watching that today and I'm like, what are 761 00:38:33,360 --> 00:38:36,440 Speaker 1: you guys doing? Like you're losing sight of exactly what 762 00:38:36,640 --> 00:38:39,440 Speaker 1: made you great, and you're playing into the lesser version 763 00:38:39,520 --> 00:38:42,360 Speaker 1: of yourself, and you're allowing a team in Minnesota that 764 00:38:42,560 --> 00:38:45,640 Speaker 1: has some weaknesses that you can attack to play to 765 00:38:45,760 --> 00:38:47,880 Speaker 1: their strengths. And now you're down two to oh and 766 00:38:47,960 --> 00:38:50,000 Speaker 1: you haven't had a decent chance to win either of 767 00:38:50,120 --> 00:38:52,960 Speaker 1: these games. Sons are in some real trouble and they're 768 00:38:53,040 --> 00:38:56,040 Speaker 1: going to have to flip that dynamic when they get home, 769 00:38:56,400 --> 00:38:59,919 Speaker 1: and it all starts with decision making from their starf 770 00:39:01,480 --> 00:39:05,680 Speaker 1: all right, Moving on to Pacers Bucks. Jump shooting was 771 00:39:05,680 --> 00:39:07,160 Speaker 1: a major story of this game. You guys, remember in 772 00:39:07,239 --> 00:39:09,520 Speaker 1: Game one I talked about how the Bucks are a 773 00:39:09,719 --> 00:39:12,760 Speaker 1: top five team in the NBA in allowing jump shots, 774 00:39:13,120 --> 00:39:15,000 Speaker 1: and the Pacers are a top five team in the 775 00:39:15,080 --> 00:39:18,440 Speaker 1: NBA in converting jump shots into points, and they just 776 00:39:18,600 --> 00:39:20,719 Speaker 1: could not make them in Game one. As a matter 777 00:39:20,760 --> 00:39:23,160 Speaker 1: of fact, they got zero points seven to seven points 778 00:39:23,200 --> 00:39:26,440 Speaker 1: per jump shot in Game one. Well, they shot like 779 00:39:26,520 --> 00:39:29,200 Speaker 1: the Pacers today and then some they had one point 780 00:39:29,320 --> 00:39:34,640 Speaker 1: two to two points per jump shot. So basically like 781 00:39:34,880 --> 00:39:37,840 Speaker 1: the Damnure doubled up their jump shot efficiency from the 782 00:39:37,920 --> 00:39:40,840 Speaker 1: last game, and it just completely changed the dynamic. A 783 00:39:40,880 --> 00:39:43,479 Speaker 1: bunch of key guys got going. Miles Turner was hitting 784 00:39:43,520 --> 00:39:45,759 Speaker 1: his threes in picking pop and in spot up situations, 785 00:39:46,239 --> 00:39:49,240 Speaker 1: very key for the game plan because remember the Bucks 786 00:39:49,239 --> 00:39:53,000 Speaker 1: are basically going to concede those to protect the rim, right, 787 00:39:53,600 --> 00:39:56,480 Speaker 1: and so Miles Turner hitting those shots is important to 788 00:39:56,520 --> 00:40:01,320 Speaker 1: burn the coverage. Siakam hit three threes, Aeronne hit three threes, 789 00:40:02,320 --> 00:40:06,120 Speaker 1: Tyrese Halliburton hit three threes. So like just getting that 790 00:40:06,280 --> 00:40:09,800 Speaker 1: jump shot result back into the to the ballpark of 791 00:40:09,880 --> 00:40:13,080 Speaker 1: what you expect from the Pacers. It got them engaged defensively. 792 00:40:13,280 --> 00:40:15,480 Speaker 1: They started to play like the Pacers in general. They 793 00:40:15,520 --> 00:40:18,040 Speaker 1: were pushing off of makes and misses. How many times 794 00:40:18,080 --> 00:40:21,560 Speaker 1: did you see, Like you know, there was a play 795 00:40:21,600 --> 00:40:23,839 Speaker 1: where in the first half of I remember correctly, where 796 00:40:24,360 --> 00:40:26,759 Speaker 1: Brook Lopez like makes a layup but kind of like 797 00:40:26,840 --> 00:40:28,840 Speaker 1: trips and falls over, and you just see the Pacers 798 00:40:28,920 --> 00:40:31,720 Speaker 1: go like he's down, let's go and on a made basket, 799 00:40:32,080 --> 00:40:34,400 Speaker 1: they push up the floor and Brooke gets up and 800 00:40:34,480 --> 00:40:38,840 Speaker 1: he's sprinting back, but Siakam just kind of like navigates 801 00:40:38,880 --> 00:40:41,120 Speaker 1: and finds a little opening and Tyrese hits him and 802 00:40:41,280 --> 00:40:43,239 Speaker 1: he makes the layup. On the other end, it might 803 00:40:43,239 --> 00:40:44,680 Speaker 1: have been ob top and I can't remember exactly, but 804 00:40:44,719 --> 00:40:47,120 Speaker 1: they were just running on makes and misses and getting out. 805 00:40:47,160 --> 00:40:50,279 Speaker 1: They got out in transition on twenty percent of their 806 00:40:50,360 --> 00:40:53,520 Speaker 1: possessions in this game, and then they finally got control 807 00:40:53,600 --> 00:40:55,839 Speaker 1: of Damian Lillard. Remember I talked a lot in Game 808 00:40:55,960 --> 00:40:59,400 Speaker 1: one about how some of the jump shot results you 809 00:40:59,480 --> 00:41:02,120 Speaker 1: kind of have to with. Dame is a superstar and 810 00:41:02,440 --> 00:41:05,560 Speaker 1: he's he's capable of making tough, contested pull up threes, 811 00:41:05,680 --> 00:41:08,680 Speaker 1: and to Dame's credit, tip the cap to him. He's 812 00:41:08,760 --> 00:41:12,160 Speaker 1: been hitting those shots through two games, and like I'm 813 00:41:12,200 --> 00:41:15,759 Speaker 1: sure Pacers fans have felt a certain amount of like 814 00:41:16,040 --> 00:41:20,520 Speaker 1: fear and hopelessness surrounding Dame and just his his supreme talent, 815 00:41:20,600 --> 00:41:23,600 Speaker 1: and that has been on full display through two games. 816 00:41:23,719 --> 00:41:26,640 Speaker 1: But the bigger problem they were having in the first 817 00:41:26,680 --> 00:41:30,160 Speaker 1: game was not the pull up threes, but rather the 818 00:41:30,280 --> 00:41:33,080 Speaker 1: dribble penetration. His Dame was coming off these ball screens, 819 00:41:33,320 --> 00:41:35,120 Speaker 1: the big guy in the high drop, whether it was 820 00:41:35,200 --> 00:41:38,120 Speaker 1: Siakam or Miles Turner, whoever it was, or Jalen Smith, 821 00:41:38,560 --> 00:41:41,000 Speaker 1: he was just beating that guy off the dribble and 822 00:41:41,080 --> 00:41:43,200 Speaker 1: the Pacers had no backside help at that point. He 823 00:41:43,280 --> 00:41:45,680 Speaker 1: was getting lay up after layup after foul. He got 824 00:41:45,840 --> 00:41:48,320 Speaker 1: four layups in the restricted area, drew a foul, and 825 00:41:48,360 --> 00:41:50,000 Speaker 1: got to the foul line there Like he just was 826 00:41:50,560 --> 00:41:53,000 Speaker 1: killing them in that specific situation while they cut his 827 00:41:53,080 --> 00:41:56,319 Speaker 1: restricted area, finishing in half in this game, and they 828 00:41:56,440 --> 00:41:58,759 Speaker 1: finally slowed him down in the second half, he was 829 00:41:58,840 --> 00:42:01,960 Speaker 1: just three for nine from the field. So shout out 830 00:42:02,000 --> 00:42:05,719 Speaker 1: to the Pacers for finally getting control of the situation defensively, 831 00:42:06,040 --> 00:42:09,680 Speaker 1: and then Pascalsiyakam, he just gave them that patented mid 832 00:42:09,840 --> 00:42:13,239 Speaker 1: range shot making that is so desperately needed when you 833 00:42:13,320 --> 00:42:16,200 Speaker 1: get into the postseason. He's been getting close to the 834 00:42:16,320 --> 00:42:19,239 Speaker 1: rim and taking short range jump shots. And again I 835 00:42:19,280 --> 00:42:21,439 Speaker 1: talk about this a lot, but like mid range jump 836 00:42:21,480 --> 00:42:23,560 Speaker 1: shooting a lot of times, it's when you get out 837 00:42:23,640 --> 00:42:27,839 Speaker 1: past fifteen feet that the actual efficiency metrics tank. When 838 00:42:27,880 --> 00:42:30,680 Speaker 1: you're inside of fifteen feet, they actually turn into shots 839 00:42:30,680 --> 00:42:32,840 Speaker 1: that you can hit sixty sixty five percent of the 840 00:42:32,840 --> 00:42:35,560 Speaker 1: time if you're a really really good pull up shooter, right, Like, 841 00:42:35,640 --> 00:42:37,839 Speaker 1: that's kind of the story with Jokic. The reason why 842 00:42:37,880 --> 00:42:40,320 Speaker 1: he's so damn efficient is the majority of the shots 843 00:42:40,360 --> 00:42:42,840 Speaker 1: that he takes is over the top shot making shots 844 00:42:43,200 --> 00:42:45,840 Speaker 1: are inside of fifteen feet and so they're floaters and 845 00:42:45,880 --> 00:42:48,440 Speaker 1: push shots and short turnarounds, and they're just shots that 846 00:42:48,480 --> 00:42:50,680 Speaker 1: he can hit an extremely high rate. And like you're 847 00:42:50,719 --> 00:42:54,799 Speaker 1: seeing that value from Pascal Siaka. In fact, he's eight 848 00:42:54,920 --> 00:42:59,279 Speaker 1: for thirteen from the mid range in this series so far, 849 00:42:59,360 --> 00:43:01,480 Speaker 1: he hits so much any big shots tonight, including some 850 00:43:01,600 --> 00:43:03,640 Speaker 1: huge ones in the fourth quarter when they blew the game. 851 00:43:03,680 --> 00:43:06,800 Speaker 1: Open talked about this in the Maverick segment. But for 852 00:43:06,880 --> 00:43:08,839 Speaker 1: the people who the Pacers fans who check this out 853 00:43:08,840 --> 00:43:10,759 Speaker 1: as a breakout clip, I'm gonna just kind of go 854 00:43:10,800 --> 00:43:14,640 Speaker 1: over it again, like I really like this approach to 855 00:43:14,719 --> 00:43:17,560 Speaker 1: team building. Talked about it with Dallas, But they went 856 00:43:17,640 --> 00:43:20,040 Speaker 1: and got Kyrie Irving, and in the process they kind 857 00:43:20,080 --> 00:43:22,800 Speaker 1: of gutted their roster, right, and it caused a problem. 858 00:43:22,840 --> 00:43:25,840 Speaker 1: They missed the playoffs last year, right, But then in 859 00:43:25,960 --> 00:43:29,200 Speaker 1: the offseason or in the in the off season, they 860 00:43:29,320 --> 00:43:31,279 Speaker 1: got Derek Jones Junior, and they got Grant Williams, and 861 00:43:31,280 --> 00:43:33,080 Speaker 1: they used Grant Williams at the deadline to flip to 862 00:43:33,080 --> 00:43:36,040 Speaker 1: get PJ. Washington. All of a sudden, they put together 863 00:43:36,160 --> 00:43:40,000 Speaker 1: some quality role players around their number one Luca and 864 00:43:40,000 --> 00:43:42,279 Speaker 1: their number two Kyrie Irving. And now you're seeing a 865 00:43:42,320 --> 00:43:46,280 Speaker 1: team that is the first team, not counting the Pacers 866 00:43:46,320 --> 00:43:48,200 Speaker 1: who are going against a team without their best player 867 00:43:48,239 --> 00:43:50,440 Speaker 1: and Giannis, but the first team to win against a 868 00:43:50,480 --> 00:43:52,360 Speaker 1: full strength team on the road in the playoffs so 869 00:43:52,440 --> 00:43:56,320 Speaker 1: far this year, so like you're seeing the reward of 870 00:43:56,520 --> 00:43:58,959 Speaker 1: that kind of team building approach. And it was clear 871 00:43:59,040 --> 00:44:01,399 Speaker 1: what happened this year with the Pacers the exact same thing. 872 00:44:02,200 --> 00:44:04,320 Speaker 1: Tyrese Haliburton went on that crazy run to start the 873 00:44:04,400 --> 00:44:06,040 Speaker 1: year where he was like twenty four points and I 874 00:44:06,120 --> 00:44:09,520 Speaker 1: think like twelve thirteen assists and shooting fifty forty ninety, 875 00:44:09,640 --> 00:44:12,680 Speaker 1: and it became clear, like, oh, Tyres is one of 876 00:44:12,719 --> 00:44:15,719 Speaker 1: the top five offensive engines in the NBA, like already, 877 00:44:16,120 --> 00:44:19,480 Speaker 1: like this is insane. This guy is clearly capable of 878 00:44:19,560 --> 00:44:22,279 Speaker 1: being a guy we build around to win a championship. 879 00:44:22,320 --> 00:44:24,160 Speaker 1: And so what did they do at the deadline exactly 880 00:44:24,239 --> 00:44:26,800 Speaker 1: what the MAVs did last year. They gave up a 881 00:44:26,880 --> 00:44:30,760 Speaker 1: couple of really good players, right giving up Buddy Healed, 882 00:44:31,000 --> 00:44:33,799 Speaker 1: but Hel was such an important part of this team 883 00:44:33,880 --> 00:44:37,280 Speaker 1: with his ghost screen game with Tyres Halliburton. Obviously Bruce 884 00:44:37,360 --> 00:44:40,880 Speaker 1: Brown was their best like kind of like athlete wrecking 885 00:44:41,000 --> 00:44:43,560 Speaker 1: ball in the backing court. They gave those guys up 886 00:44:43,600 --> 00:44:47,000 Speaker 1: and they got in Pascal Siakam, a complimentary star that 887 00:44:47,160 --> 00:44:50,080 Speaker 1: is good at the things that that Halliburton's not as 888 00:44:50,160 --> 00:44:53,160 Speaker 1: good at, like being that defensive forward being that on 889 00:44:53,280 --> 00:44:56,200 Speaker 1: an island score, although Tyree's before his hamstring injury was 890 00:44:56,200 --> 00:44:59,719 Speaker 1: an awesome, awesome on an island scorer too, But like, 891 00:45:00,200 --> 00:45:01,920 Speaker 1: I love it because now it's like, not only do 892 00:45:01,920 --> 00:45:03,480 Speaker 1: you have this good team this year that's fun and 893 00:45:03,800 --> 00:45:05,920 Speaker 1: has a decent chance to make it out of the 894 00:45:05,960 --> 00:45:08,279 Speaker 1: first round, and we'll have a fighting chance in that 895 00:45:08,360 --> 00:45:10,920 Speaker 1: second round series against whether depending on whether or not 896 00:45:10,960 --> 00:45:13,279 Speaker 1: it's the Knicks or the Sixers, right, but like they 897 00:45:13,360 --> 00:45:15,440 Speaker 1: have this chance and then going into the offseason they 898 00:45:15,480 --> 00:45:16,719 Speaker 1: can look at it and be like, all right, we 899 00:45:16,800 --> 00:45:20,080 Speaker 1: got our one Tyres, we got our two Pascal Siakam, 900 00:45:20,440 --> 00:45:23,359 Speaker 1: Let's find some complimentary role players that kind of tie 901 00:45:23,400 --> 00:45:25,719 Speaker 1: this whole thing together and make a run from there. 902 00:45:26,000 --> 00:45:28,560 Speaker 1: And just Siakam, I don't think you could have. I mean, 903 00:45:28,600 --> 00:45:31,400 Speaker 1: Pacers fans, are you not just completely thrilled with the 904 00:45:31,480 --> 00:45:34,360 Speaker 1: production you've got out of Siakam through two games? But 905 00:45:34,400 --> 00:45:36,040 Speaker 1: the Pacers did what they need to do tonight. They 906 00:45:36,360 --> 00:45:38,560 Speaker 1: played to their advantages. They use their speed to spread 907 00:45:38,600 --> 00:45:40,839 Speaker 1: Milwaukee out, keep them on their heels. They defended better, 908 00:45:40,880 --> 00:45:42,759 Speaker 1: they made their jump shots, and they got out of 909 00:45:42,800 --> 00:45:44,719 Speaker 1: there with a win. If they can go get Game 910 00:45:44,760 --> 00:45:46,640 Speaker 1: three at home, and they go up to one before 911 00:45:46,680 --> 00:45:48,800 Speaker 1: Giannis gets back. I think they'll win the series, but 912 00:45:48,840 --> 00:45:51,280 Speaker 1: if they drop Game three, they could be in some trouble. 913 00:45:51,320 --> 00:45:53,279 Speaker 1: But I do believe they'll win Game three. That's gonna 914 00:45:53,280 --> 00:45:54,759 Speaker 1: be the big one. And again, I'm gonna be really 915 00:45:54,800 --> 00:45:56,800 Speaker 1: curious to see just in general, some of the trends 916 00:45:57,239 --> 00:46:01,759 Speaker 1: surrounding the home teams when we shift to the lower 917 00:46:01,800 --> 00:46:04,440 Speaker 1: seeds being at home. All right, guys, that is all 918 00:46:04,480 --> 00:46:06,880 Speaker 1: I have for tonight. As always, I sincerely appreciate you 919 00:46:06,920 --> 00:46:09,279 Speaker 1: guys for rocking with me and supporting the show. We'll 920 00:46:09,280 --> 00:46:11,920 Speaker 1: be back tomorrow with some film breakdowns, and then obviously 921 00:46:13,000 --> 00:46:15,560 Speaker 1: we're actually taking tomorrow night off because we have a 922 00:46:15,640 --> 00:46:19,319 Speaker 1: relatively late light slate. If I remember correctly, it's Celtics heat, 923 00:46:19,760 --> 00:46:21,880 Speaker 1: which is the biggest favorite in the first round, and 924 00:46:22,000 --> 00:46:25,080 Speaker 1: then it's I think it's Thunder Pelicans is the second game. 925 00:46:25,360 --> 00:46:28,400 Speaker 1: We will cover those games on Thursday Mornings show, but 926 00:46:28,480 --> 00:46:30,480 Speaker 1: we're gonna take that as an opportunity to take a night. 927 00:46:30,520 --> 00:46:33,720 Speaker 1: I'm gonna actually hang out with my wife. Been putting 928 00:46:33,760 --> 00:46:36,719 Speaker 1: her through hell for the last four nights as she 929 00:46:36,800 --> 00:46:39,000 Speaker 1: comes home every night from work and I'm just working, 930 00:46:39,280 --> 00:46:41,279 Speaker 1: so I'm gonna spend some time with her and then 931 00:46:41,320 --> 00:46:43,480 Speaker 1: we'll get back to it on Thursday morning, and then 932 00:46:43,520 --> 00:46:47,160 Speaker 1: again on Thursday night for the for the night Slate 933 00:46:47,239 --> 00:46:49,560 Speaker 1: that night. So again, I appreciate you guys for rocking 934 00:46:49,600 --> 00:47:15,760 Speaker 1: with me. I will see you tomorrow morning. The volume