1 00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:17,160 Speaker 1: The volume. All right, welcome to hoopson I here at 2 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:19,279 Speaker 1: the volume. Happy Tuesday, everybody, hope if you guys are 3 00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:21,560 Speaker 1: having a great start to your week. A wild night 4 00:00:21,840 --> 00:00:24,920 Speaker 1: in the NBA last night, all sorts of weird games. 5 00:00:25,280 --> 00:00:28,680 Speaker 1: Houston loses on the road in Utah, a game where 6 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:31,639 Speaker 1: they couldn't stop fouling down the stretches. They had this 7 00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:34,319 Speaker 1: bizarre stretch where they committed I think five fouls on 8 00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:39,200 Speaker 1: one single possession. The Dallas Mavericks when their second consecutive 9 00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:42,440 Speaker 1: game going on the road into Denver. Ryan Emhart has 10 00:00:42,479 --> 00:00:45,240 Speaker 1: a massive night, Cooper Flag playing two of his best 11 00:00:45,280 --> 00:00:49,000 Speaker 1: games as a young pro. Anthony Davis monster night. Lots 12 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:51,560 Speaker 1: of weird stuff, but I'm going to be zooming in 13 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:54,240 Speaker 1: on Suns Lakers from last night. We haven't done a 14 00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:56,760 Speaker 1: deep dive on the Suns in a while, and I 15 00:00:56,800 --> 00:00:59,520 Speaker 1: really want to dig into why they've been so much 16 00:00:59,560 --> 00:01:03,040 Speaker 1: better than we even expected. I thought the Suns would 17 00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:05,520 Speaker 1: be feisty this year, kind of looked at them as 18 00:01:05,520 --> 00:01:07,720 Speaker 1: a team that would be a pain in the ass 19 00:01:07,760 --> 00:01:09,920 Speaker 1: to play on any given night. But now they're looking 20 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:12,400 Speaker 1: like a bona fide playoff team. And that is coming 21 00:01:12,440 --> 00:01:16,280 Speaker 1: down to a handful of pieces with internal improvement, the 22 00:01:16,319 --> 00:01:20,400 Speaker 1: development of Mark Williams into a foundational defensive center, Dylan 23 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:24,920 Speaker 1: Brooks blowing up into like a legitimate score in this league, 24 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:28,400 Speaker 1: Colin Gillespie flashing a little bit of that Austin Reeves 25 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:32,760 Speaker 1: esque development trajectory as a role player guard into a 26 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:35,199 Speaker 1: little bit more and a little bit more each time 27 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:37,399 Speaker 1: we see him. I want to do a deep dive 28 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:40,920 Speaker 1: into the suns. After that, I will talk about you know, again, 29 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:43,760 Speaker 1: this happens, it's December. You lose a bad game, or 30 00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:46,479 Speaker 1: you lose a game like this where you look bad 31 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:49,080 Speaker 1: if you're the Lakers. But I do think that there's 32 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:52,480 Speaker 1: a disturbing trend with them getting punked by some of 33 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:55,520 Speaker 1: these bigger, physical, athletic perimeter teams, and I want to 34 00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:59,840 Speaker 1: talk about what that specifically means for the Lakers and 35 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:04,280 Speaker 1: their short term and long term goals as currently constructed. 36 00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:05,720 Speaker 1: You guys know the joke before we get started to 37 00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:08,320 Speaker 1: subscribe to the Hoops Tonight YouTube channel so you don't 38 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 1: miss any more of our videos. 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Make sure you guys 45 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:28,679 Speaker 1: follow us there for more content throughout the season and 46 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:30,079 Speaker 1: the last but not least, if you guys want to 47 00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:33,360 Speaker 1: get mail bag questions into our mail bags, you can 48 00:02:34,040 --> 00:02:36,240 Speaker 1: drop them in our full episodes on YouTube in the 49 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:38,880 Speaker 1: comments right mail bag with a colon writes your question. 50 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:40,960 Speaker 1: That helps me sort through them as I'm looking through. 51 00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:43,600 Speaker 1: And we will have our next mail bag coming up 52 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:46,880 Speaker 1: on this Friday. All right, let's talk some basketball. So 53 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:50,480 Speaker 1: you know, I want to take the game itself and 54 00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:52,600 Speaker 1: I want to focus more on some of the big 55 00:02:52,639 --> 00:02:55,840 Speaker 1: picture stuff for both of these teams. Obviously, the game itself, 56 00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:59,960 Speaker 1: it's combination of an incredibly impressive performance by the Phoenix 57 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:04,000 Speaker 1: and an incredibly disappointing performance by the Los Angeles Lakers. 58 00:03:04,040 --> 00:03:06,280 Speaker 1: They led by as much as twenty five in this 59 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:10,079 Speaker 1: game Phoenix did. And there's a tendency on nights like 60 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:13,960 Speaker 1: last night, just to chalk things up to December basketball, right, 61 00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:16,680 Speaker 1: like that's Knights like last night. Happened a lot in 62 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:19,560 Speaker 1: the NBA, where it's like Houston losing in Utah as 63 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:21,840 Speaker 1: a classic example. Houston's been one of the most impressive 64 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:24,240 Speaker 1: teams in the league to start this season, and they 65 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:27,680 Speaker 1: could not stop making mistakes down the stretch against the Jazz, 66 00:03:28,040 --> 00:03:31,120 Speaker 1: Denver losing to Dallas. Denver has a few kind of 67 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:35,040 Speaker 1: bizarre bad losses as of late. Am I about to 68 00:03:35,120 --> 00:03:38,000 Speaker 1: panic about the Lakers because they looked bad on a 69 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:42,440 Speaker 1: Monday in December to drop to fifteen to five. No, 70 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:45,960 Speaker 1: of course not. We're not gonna get melodramatic today. But 71 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:48,280 Speaker 1: I do think there is plenty to learn from that game. 72 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:52,520 Speaker 1: First of all, Phoenix is a really good basketball team, 73 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:55,960 Speaker 1: and they have some very exciting developments in terms of 74 00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:59,800 Speaker 1: internal improvement that have made them even more dangerous than 75 00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:03,280 Speaker 1: I thought they would be before the season. And then 76 00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:08,800 Speaker 1: on the Lakers front, Phoenix presented some physical challenges and 77 00:04:08,880 --> 00:04:12,440 Speaker 1: a game plan that caused the Lakers to spiral in 78 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:16,480 Speaker 1: a way that we've seen before against Oklahoma City back 79 00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:20,800 Speaker 1: in November, or against Minnesota back in the playoffs last 80 00:04:20,839 --> 00:04:22,760 Speaker 1: year in the first round. I think those are real 81 00:04:22,839 --> 00:04:26,600 Speaker 1: demons that the Lakers will have to conquer if they 82 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:28,800 Speaker 1: want to reach their goals. We're gonna get to the 83 00:04:28,839 --> 00:04:30,480 Speaker 1: Lakers later, though. We haven't done a deep dive on 84 00:04:30,520 --> 00:04:31,720 Speaker 1: the Suns in a while, so I want to deep 85 00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:34,520 Speaker 1: dive in on Phoenix, and I want to start with 86 00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:38,000 Speaker 1: their defense. There are things with the Suns this season 87 00:04:38,120 --> 00:04:42,039 Speaker 1: that I expected, but there have also been some things 88 00:04:42,080 --> 00:04:46,320 Speaker 1: that I've been genuinely surprised by. I expected them to 89 00:04:46,320 --> 00:04:50,919 Speaker 1: be a good defense. It just made sense structurally. You 90 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:53,799 Speaker 1: have a guy like Ryan Dunn heading into his second 91 00:04:53,920 --> 00:04:57,400 Speaker 1: year who's very dynamic and versatile on the perimeter as 92 00:04:57,400 --> 00:05:00,000 Speaker 1: the defender. He's got strength, he's got speed, he compete, 93 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:02,840 Speaker 1: he's got a good motor. Lots of really exciting stuff there. 94 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:05,479 Speaker 1: You go into a second season, you expect him to 95 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:07,280 Speaker 1: experience a good amount of improvement on that end of 96 00:05:07,279 --> 00:05:09,960 Speaker 1: the floor, and then you turn Kevin Durant into Dylan Brooks. 97 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:16,040 Speaker 1: That's obviously a talent downgrade, right, but Dylan Brooks is 98 00:05:16,120 --> 00:05:19,000 Speaker 1: legitimately one of the best perimeter defenders in the entire NBA, 99 00:05:19,640 --> 00:05:22,320 Speaker 1: and similar to Ryan Dunn, he can guard a pretty 100 00:05:22,320 --> 00:05:27,760 Speaker 1: wide range of players. So you add a second guy 101 00:05:27,839 --> 00:05:31,600 Speaker 1: in that Ryan Dunn ilk of this big, physical, awesome 102 00:05:31,640 --> 00:05:35,320 Speaker 1: perimeter defender when this team was lacking that type of 103 00:05:35,320 --> 00:05:38,760 Speaker 1: player last year. But then you look down the roster 104 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:42,359 Speaker 1: and everyone else on the perimeter. As a plus, Devin 105 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:45,240 Speaker 1: Booker was literally the primary point of attack guy on 106 00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:48,360 Speaker 1: many nights for Team USA a couple of summers ago. 107 00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:54,440 Speaker 1: Royce O'Neil is a solid perimeter defender. Jordan Goodwin is 108 00:05:54,480 --> 00:05:57,240 Speaker 1: a solid perimeter defender. Colin Gillespie and Grayson Allen, those 109 00:05:57,240 --> 00:05:59,560 Speaker 1: are guys who compete. They're physical, they're usually in the 110 00:05:59,600 --> 00:06:03,200 Speaker 1: right spot, they have good game plan discipline, and they 111 00:06:03,200 --> 00:06:06,039 Speaker 1: have some defensive talent at the center position, some guys 112 00:06:06,080 --> 00:06:08,600 Speaker 1: who can switch a little bit, plenty of foot speed, 113 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:11,760 Speaker 1: and some real length in the form of guys like 114 00:06:11,800 --> 00:06:13,800 Speaker 1: Mark Williams and come on, malowatch right, that was what 115 00:06:13,880 --> 00:06:15,960 Speaker 1: I saw coming into the season, and I'm like, oh, 116 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:19,080 Speaker 1: this is going to be a good defense. But then 117 00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:22,159 Speaker 1: I watched them come out and physically punch the Lakers 118 00:06:22,160 --> 00:06:24,240 Speaker 1: in the mouth in their first preseason game. You guys 119 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:27,440 Speaker 1: remember that we covered that preseason game, and I was like, Okay, 120 00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:31,320 Speaker 1: not only do they have the pieces on paper, but 121 00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:34,800 Speaker 1: they also look clearly bought in. This is going to 122 00:06:34,880 --> 00:06:36,400 Speaker 1: be a pain in the ass to deal with on 123 00:06:36,440 --> 00:06:40,440 Speaker 1: any given night in the NBA. I specifically predicted before 124 00:06:40,440 --> 00:06:43,680 Speaker 1: the season that they'd be the type of team who 125 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:47,080 Speaker 1: would beat the really good Western Conference teams on any 126 00:06:47,120 --> 00:06:50,520 Speaker 1: given night where they don't bring the appropriate effort and focus. 127 00:06:50,839 --> 00:06:53,760 Speaker 1: In other words, I thought they'd be the royal pain 128 00:06:53,839 --> 00:06:57,080 Speaker 1: in the ass type of team in the West playoff picture. 129 00:06:57,920 --> 00:07:01,960 Speaker 1: But I figured they'd be something like thirty seven and 130 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:07,080 Speaker 1: forty five, some really fun wins against good teams, some 131 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:11,160 Speaker 1: fun nights for the fans, but no real threat, like, 132 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:16,200 Speaker 1: no real any sort of like consistent success. That's gonna 133 00:07:16,200 --> 00:07:18,520 Speaker 1: be something people have to account for in the playoff picture. 134 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:25,920 Speaker 1: Forget all of that. They look like a legitimate playoff team, 135 00:07:25,960 --> 00:07:28,720 Speaker 1: Like at this point, they look pretty well entrenched as 136 00:07:28,760 --> 00:07:31,920 Speaker 1: a top eight seed in the West. It's still early. 137 00:07:32,640 --> 00:07:36,040 Speaker 1: Dudes could get hurt, Devin Booker growing injury last night, 138 00:07:36,080 --> 00:07:39,200 Speaker 1: things could fall apart. But to me, they look a 139 00:07:39,240 --> 00:07:42,680 Speaker 1: lot more like a forty five and thirty seventeen than 140 00:07:42,680 --> 00:07:45,720 Speaker 1: a thirty seven and forty five team. So the question is, 141 00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:49,560 Speaker 1: why why is it that the Suns on a year 142 00:07:49,720 --> 00:07:52,679 Speaker 1: where they lose Bradley Beal and they trade Kevin Durant 143 00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:55,120 Speaker 1: that they suddenly are looking like a team that could 144 00:07:55,200 --> 00:07:59,440 Speaker 1: very well be better than they were last year. And 145 00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:04,360 Speaker 1: there's two for that. One is the internal development on offense, 146 00:08:04,440 --> 00:08:06,760 Speaker 1: which we'll get too later on guys like Calling Gillespie, 147 00:08:06,800 --> 00:08:10,920 Speaker 1: guys like Dylan Brooks. We'll get to that later. The 148 00:08:10,960 --> 00:08:13,640 Speaker 1: second piece of it, though, is the internal development on defense, 149 00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:19,280 Speaker 1: specifically with Mark Williams as a drop coverage big. I 150 00:08:19,320 --> 00:08:23,200 Speaker 1: remember when the Lakers made that ill fated Dalton connect 151 00:08:23,280 --> 00:08:27,400 Speaker 1: for Mark Williams trade last year, shortly before the deadline. 152 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:31,720 Speaker 1: I did a pretty extensive scout on Mark Williams, and 153 00:08:32,040 --> 00:08:34,960 Speaker 1: I thought he looked bad on defense. He obviously had 154 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:37,920 Speaker 1: the tools, He's got good mobility, he's got a ridiculous 155 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:41,520 Speaker 1: wingspan for the position. But his instincts were rough. He 156 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:44,720 Speaker 1: made a ton of mistakes. He'd, you know, try to 157 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:47,160 Speaker 1: block shots he had no business blocking and give up 158 00:08:47,200 --> 00:08:50,640 Speaker 1: offensive rebounds, or he'd aggressively show and help and give 159 00:08:50,679 --> 00:08:52,679 Speaker 1: an easy drop off for a donkey. Just looked like 160 00:08:52,720 --> 00:08:55,520 Speaker 1: a guy that really struggled with the basic decision making 161 00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:58,000 Speaker 1: process of rim protection of like when to go for 162 00:08:58,040 --> 00:09:01,640 Speaker 1: the shot versus when to stay home to some basic fundamentals. 163 00:09:01,679 --> 00:09:05,080 Speaker 1: He looked like he was a real mistake maker. So 164 00:09:05,320 --> 00:09:08,440 Speaker 1: I viewed him as a offensive weapon, a guy that 165 00:09:08,480 --> 00:09:10,800 Speaker 1: could help Luca on the role as a vertical spacer. 166 00:09:10,880 --> 00:09:14,560 Speaker 1: Guy was a good offensive rebounder of always like underrated 167 00:09:14,559 --> 00:09:16,360 Speaker 1: as a guy who could like grab offensive rebounds and 168 00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:20,040 Speaker 1: make kickout passes to three point shooters, a lot more 169 00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:23,600 Speaker 1: connective passing, short role passing ability than you'd think. I'm like, oh, 170 00:09:23,640 --> 00:09:26,360 Speaker 1: this will be a good offensive weapon for Luca, But 171 00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:29,760 Speaker 1: this guy can't guard and that's going to be an issue, 172 00:09:29,840 --> 00:09:33,640 Speaker 1: and there were the health concerns. Right, Phoenix has turned 173 00:09:33,679 --> 00:09:36,880 Speaker 1: him into a legitimate defensive anchor, which I did not 174 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:40,920 Speaker 1: see coming. This is a credit to Brian Gregory. He 175 00:09:40,960 --> 00:09:44,880 Speaker 1: made a big bet on just how incompetent Charlotte was 176 00:09:45,559 --> 00:09:47,160 Speaker 1: in terms of the talent they had on the floor 177 00:09:47,160 --> 00:09:50,320 Speaker 1: and the way they were using him. And I think 178 00:09:50,320 --> 00:09:52,480 Speaker 1: that Brian Gregory just looked at that and was like, 179 00:09:52,840 --> 00:09:56,480 Speaker 1: Charlotte's at least partially responsible for Mark not being a 180 00:09:56,480 --> 00:10:00,000 Speaker 1: good defender. We can turn him around. And then second, 181 00:10:01,120 --> 00:10:05,960 Speaker 1: you have to credit Jordan not for creating an achievable 182 00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:09,959 Speaker 1: defensive role for him with the talent they had available. 183 00:10:11,559 --> 00:10:13,840 Speaker 1: We often refer to drop coverage on the show as 184 00:10:13,880 --> 00:10:18,880 Speaker 1: a bracket. Okay, why is it bracket Because there's two 185 00:10:19,080 --> 00:10:23,840 Speaker 1: sides to the coverage. There's the big who's keeping the 186 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:26,000 Speaker 1: ball handler and the big in front in a deep 187 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:28,520 Speaker 1: drop or at least keeping the ballhandler in front and 188 00:10:28,600 --> 00:10:31,400 Speaker 1: high drop right. And then there's the top part of 189 00:10:31,400 --> 00:10:34,800 Speaker 1: the bracket, which is the on ball defender getting over 190 00:10:34,840 --> 00:10:39,720 Speaker 1: the top of the screen, staying attached, back pressuring, getting 191 00:10:39,760 --> 00:10:43,880 Speaker 1: a rear view contest. And one of the things that's 192 00:10:44,480 --> 00:10:47,560 Speaker 1: kind of difficult with evaluating bigs and drop coverage, and 193 00:10:47,600 --> 00:10:48,960 Speaker 1: this is some of the one of the things I 194 00:10:49,040 --> 00:10:52,840 Speaker 1: underrated when I was scouting Mark Williams's film in Charlotte 195 00:10:53,840 --> 00:10:56,880 Speaker 1: is the job of the drop coverage big is substantially 196 00:10:57,000 --> 00:11:00,840 Speaker 1: harder when the point of attack defense isn't good. When 197 00:11:00,840 --> 00:11:04,319 Speaker 1: the top part of the bracket isn't good, and that 198 00:11:04,360 --> 00:11:06,880 Speaker 1: ball handler is easily getting over the top of the 199 00:11:06,880 --> 00:11:10,360 Speaker 1: screen and he has lots of separation from his defender 200 00:11:10,840 --> 00:11:14,280 Speaker 1: and he's super comfortable operating in the mid range, he 201 00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:18,880 Speaker 1: can manipulate the drop coverage Big easier because that drop 202 00:11:18,920 --> 00:11:21,959 Speaker 1: coverage Big also has a responsibility to offer contest on 203 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:25,200 Speaker 1: those mid range shots. There's a little dance you do. 204 00:11:25,840 --> 00:11:29,400 Speaker 1: You're back pedaling, you're stunting and contesting at the guard 205 00:11:29,559 --> 00:11:31,880 Speaker 1: while making sure you keep that role man in front 206 00:11:31,920 --> 00:11:35,000 Speaker 1: of you, right, and if that guy's coming free and 207 00:11:35,080 --> 00:11:40,360 Speaker 1: clear off the screen, he's gonna engage you easier. It's 208 00:11:40,400 --> 00:11:43,760 Speaker 1: gonna look more like a traditional two on one where 209 00:11:43,800 --> 00:11:46,840 Speaker 1: like you jump to the guard and it's a lob dunk, 210 00:11:47,200 --> 00:11:50,400 Speaker 1: or you stay back and that dude's getting easy twos 211 00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:54,320 Speaker 1: or going right at you at the rim right. If 212 00:11:54,320 --> 00:11:57,160 Speaker 1: the guy on the top part of the bracket isn't 213 00:11:57,200 --> 00:12:01,880 Speaker 1: doing his job, it makes it really difficult. But when 214 00:12:01,880 --> 00:12:05,960 Speaker 1: you have Ryan Done, when you have Dylan Brooks, and 215 00:12:06,040 --> 00:12:09,600 Speaker 1: those dudes are getting up into the ball, making dudes 216 00:12:09,679 --> 00:12:13,360 Speaker 1: uncomfortable from the opening tip staying attached over the top 217 00:12:13,400 --> 00:12:19,360 Speaker 1: of screens, basically funneling you into the paint the ball handler, 218 00:12:20,520 --> 00:12:23,120 Speaker 1: making it so that dude doesn't have a lot of 219 00:12:23,440 --> 00:12:26,280 Speaker 1: comfort in the mid range but rather is just driving 220 00:12:26,400 --> 00:12:32,119 Speaker 1: into your length. It suddenly becomes a very tenable dynamic 221 00:12:33,120 --> 00:12:39,360 Speaker 1: for a talented drop coverage Big. That specific dynamic. The 222 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:43,400 Speaker 1: ability of done In Brooks to pressure the ball and 223 00:12:43,480 --> 00:12:49,120 Speaker 1: stay attached from behind, while Mark Williams's giant wingspan is 224 00:12:49,200 --> 00:12:52,600 Speaker 1: swallowing everything up at the basket as they're getting funneled 225 00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:56,080 Speaker 1: in is literally what broke the Lakers offense last night. 226 00:12:57,440 --> 00:12:58,959 Speaker 1: And I want to give Jordan not some more credit 227 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:02,560 Speaker 1: here because this did not go well early in the game. 228 00:13:03,640 --> 00:13:07,880 Speaker 1: His idea was, we're gonna run a traditional drop coverage 229 00:13:08,280 --> 00:13:10,720 Speaker 1: and we're going to guard that action two on two, 230 00:13:11,160 --> 00:13:15,360 Speaker 1: meaning Dunner Brooks is going to chase Mark Williams is 231 00:13:15,400 --> 00:13:17,960 Speaker 1: going to be there in the drop. The other three dudes, 232 00:13:18,000 --> 00:13:20,480 Speaker 1: they might stunt and recover a little bit of like 233 00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:23,840 Speaker 1: opportunistic playmaking, but for the most part, those dudes are 234 00:13:23,840 --> 00:13:27,120 Speaker 1: going to stay home. That leaves the coverage two on 235 00:13:27,200 --> 00:13:31,600 Speaker 1: two that is going to dictate the flow of the 236 00:13:31,640 --> 00:13:35,440 Speaker 1: game more towards Luka Doncic scoring the basketball. We talked 237 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:37,000 Speaker 1: about this a lot over the course of the last 238 00:13:37,040 --> 00:13:38,760 Speaker 1: couple of games with the Lakers. I talked about it 239 00:13:38,840 --> 00:13:43,360 Speaker 1: yesterday in our Power Rankings show against the Pelicans. Luca 240 00:13:43,440 --> 00:13:46,960 Speaker 1: comes out and he's facing a lot of single coverage 241 00:13:47,040 --> 00:13:49,080 Speaker 1: and two on two in pick and roll, so he's 242 00:13:49,120 --> 00:13:51,760 Speaker 1: looking to score, and he scores, scores coorse coorse coorse 243 00:13:51,800 --> 00:13:53,839 Speaker 1: core score. And then suddenly by the middle of the 244 00:13:53,880 --> 00:13:57,800 Speaker 1: second quarter, it's we're anybody but Luca, please, We're blitzing 245 00:13:57,840 --> 00:13:59,760 Speaker 1: the hell out of this dude, give up the basketball 246 00:13:59,840 --> 00:14:03,400 Speaker 1: right Versus the Dallas game where Jason Kidd comes out 247 00:14:03,400 --> 00:14:06,400 Speaker 1: and he's doubling Luka Doncicch like from the opening tip, 248 00:14:06,720 --> 00:14:09,480 Speaker 1: and it's a little bit different dynamic. It's dictating Luca 249 00:14:09,559 --> 00:14:12,560 Speaker 1: more towards passing the basketball right. So Jordanott's game plan 250 00:14:12,640 --> 00:14:14,520 Speaker 1: last night, he wants to guard these pick and rolls 251 00:14:14,520 --> 00:14:17,439 Speaker 1: two on two. He's willing to live with Luca as 252 00:14:17,440 --> 00:14:21,600 Speaker 1: a score. And Luca's scores yet another twenty point first quarter, 253 00:14:21,680 --> 00:14:26,720 Speaker 1: something he's been doing a lot more often as of late. Now, 254 00:14:27,640 --> 00:14:32,880 Speaker 1: the overreaction would be, shit, Luca torched us, let's adjust, 255 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:35,720 Speaker 1: let's start blitzing. Now all of a sudden, it's going 256 00:14:35,760 --> 00:14:38,240 Speaker 1: to be four on threes for Lebron and Austin off 257 00:14:38,240 --> 00:14:39,640 Speaker 1: the ball, and it's going to cause all sorts of 258 00:14:39,680 --> 00:14:43,080 Speaker 1: problems on the backside of your defense. There was no 259 00:14:43,160 --> 00:14:46,160 Speaker 1: overreaction from Jordan not he's stuck with the game plan, 260 00:14:46,800 --> 00:14:49,040 Speaker 1: and even though Luca was awesome in the first quarter, 261 00:14:49,520 --> 00:14:51,640 Speaker 1: he started to fall apart as the game went along 262 00:14:51,720 --> 00:14:54,200 Speaker 1: and really really started to turn the basketball over. They 263 00:14:54,240 --> 00:15:00,440 Speaker 1: turned Luca over nine times yesterday. How do those turnovers happen? Yes, 264 00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:03,520 Speaker 1: there were some un you know, kind of unforced ones 265 00:15:03,560 --> 00:15:08,000 Speaker 1: where you know, Luca's forcing ridiculous up the court passes 266 00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:12,800 Speaker 1: to cover Lebron or overthrowing Ruie running the running up 267 00:15:12,800 --> 00:15:15,640 Speaker 1: the lane line right Like. There were some unforced errors, 268 00:15:15,680 --> 00:15:18,840 Speaker 1: but most of those were a product of the fact 269 00:15:19,440 --> 00:15:22,560 Speaker 1: that when Lucas started to work against the two on two, 270 00:15:22,960 --> 00:15:25,120 Speaker 1: like he turned one over to Bouier in the right corner, 271 00:15:25,120 --> 00:15:28,920 Speaker 1: and it's like, do you staying home when those guys 272 00:15:28,960 --> 00:15:34,240 Speaker 1: are home? They're in the passing lanes. Lucas specifically mentioned 273 00:15:34,640 --> 00:15:37,040 Speaker 1: in the postgame presser that he was kind of confused 274 00:15:37,080 --> 00:15:41,920 Speaker 1: by the coverage. He got confused because of the fact 275 00:15:41,960 --> 00:15:44,160 Speaker 1: that he was getting defended two on two and it 276 00:15:44,320 --> 00:15:47,520 Speaker 1: felt like he was in a crowd because Mark Williams 277 00:15:47,600 --> 00:15:50,480 Speaker 1: is there and the dudes draped on his backside in 278 00:15:50,560 --> 00:15:54,160 Speaker 1: back pressure and they're kind of stunting and recovering, but 279 00:15:54,200 --> 00:15:59,320 Speaker 1: they're actually home. That's he was confused because it felt 280 00:15:59,360 --> 00:16:02,320 Speaker 1: like he was in a crowd when the action was 281 00:16:02,360 --> 00:16:06,760 Speaker 1: actually only getting guarded to on two. That's the dynamic 282 00:16:06,760 --> 00:16:08,840 Speaker 1: that you when you have the right kind of talent, 283 00:16:08,880 --> 00:16:11,840 Speaker 1: when you have the types of on ball players that 284 00:16:11,920 --> 00:16:15,320 Speaker 1: Phoenix has and the drop coverage big that Mark Williams 285 00:16:15,440 --> 00:16:18,000 Speaker 1: is in terms of his length around the basket, you 286 00:16:18,080 --> 00:16:22,640 Speaker 1: can make things feel congested when they actually aren't, and 287 00:16:22,680 --> 00:16:25,720 Speaker 1: that's what it can start turning into those turnovers. And 288 00:16:25,720 --> 00:16:28,600 Speaker 1: then JJ Reddick mentioned this after the game, but a 289 00:16:28,640 --> 00:16:30,520 Speaker 1: lot there were a couple of times where JJ or 290 00:16:30,600 --> 00:16:33,560 Speaker 1: where Luca got deep penetration and was like in around 291 00:16:33,600 --> 00:16:38,239 Speaker 1: the basket and there were swarms, but he had opportunities 292 00:16:38,240 --> 00:16:40,360 Speaker 1: to throw kickout passes, but he couldn't see them, and 293 00:16:40,360 --> 00:16:43,280 Speaker 1: he couldn't see them because Mark Williams' long ass arms 294 00:16:43,280 --> 00:16:45,840 Speaker 1: are going like this. And JJ mentioned that after the game, 295 00:16:45,880 --> 00:16:49,440 Speaker 1: Mark Williams and his length caused a problem for Luca 296 00:16:49,520 --> 00:16:55,000 Speaker 1: getting the ball through those coverages. And I just I 297 00:16:55,040 --> 00:16:58,400 Speaker 1: just think a big thing that we underrated, and myself 298 00:16:58,720 --> 00:17:03,040 Speaker 1: included that we underrated about this Phoenix Sun's defense is 299 00:17:03,080 --> 00:17:06,960 Speaker 1: they've turned Mark Williams into a legitimate defensive anchor drop 300 00:17:07,080 --> 00:17:11,520 Speaker 1: coverage big and they were able to successfully guard the 301 00:17:11,560 --> 00:17:14,119 Speaker 1: Lakers and pick and roll two on two most of 302 00:17:14,160 --> 00:17:17,720 Speaker 1: the night last night without giving up too much. And 303 00:17:17,760 --> 00:17:20,560 Speaker 1: by the way, the Suns this season are nine points 304 00:17:20,920 --> 00:17:25,400 Speaker 1: per one hundred possessions better on defense with Mark Williams 305 00:17:25,480 --> 00:17:29,000 Speaker 1: on the floor versus off, and I do think it's 306 00:17:29,040 --> 00:17:31,919 Speaker 1: worth mentioning beyond the two man games, So beyond the 307 00:17:32,160 --> 00:17:35,760 Speaker 1: dun and Williams or Brooks and Williams two man defensive 308 00:17:35,800 --> 00:17:38,400 Speaker 1: sequences against pick and roll, I thought the Suns as 309 00:17:38,440 --> 00:17:40,800 Speaker 1: a team were incredibly sharp with their help and recover 310 00:17:40,920 --> 00:17:45,080 Speaker 1: decisions and their rotations to shooters. A lot of sequences 311 00:17:45,080 --> 00:17:48,080 Speaker 1: where guys made opportunistic digs but then got back out, 312 00:17:48,560 --> 00:17:51,720 Speaker 1: or the Lakers did manage to not turn the basketball 313 00:17:51,720 --> 00:17:54,119 Speaker 1: over and kick out to somebody, but there was a 314 00:17:54,160 --> 00:17:56,719 Speaker 1: great close out that would chase it, Gabe Vincent off 315 00:17:56,760 --> 00:17:58,919 Speaker 1: the line, or chase him maxically ab off the liner, 316 00:17:59,280 --> 00:18:01,320 Speaker 1: Chase at Dalton connect off the line, a lot of 317 00:18:01,400 --> 00:18:05,040 Speaker 1: really good closeouts. I just thought they played a very 318 00:18:05,080 --> 00:18:08,920 Speaker 1: good defensive game last night Phoenix. That was the number 319 00:18:08,920 --> 00:18:11,720 Speaker 1: one half court offense in the entire NBA. In the 320 00:18:11,800 --> 00:18:14,400 Speaker 1: Lakers that the Suns faced last night. They held them 321 00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:16,520 Speaker 1: to a ninety nine offensive rating in the half court, 322 00:18:16,520 --> 00:18:19,080 Speaker 1: which is about seven points per one hundred possessions below 323 00:18:19,119 --> 00:18:22,919 Speaker 1: their season average. And that's obviously impressive in and of itself, 324 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:27,520 Speaker 1: but the real damage was done on the margins. They 325 00:18:27,600 --> 00:18:31,840 Speaker 1: forced twenty two turnovers, and again some of them were unforced, 326 00:18:31,880 --> 00:18:34,240 Speaker 1: but many of them were like poke aways by their 327 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:37,280 Speaker 1: on ball guys. You know, Ryan Done poking the ball 328 00:18:37,280 --> 00:18:40,720 Speaker 1: away from a Luca or Austin or like Mark Williams, 329 00:18:40,720 --> 00:18:43,679 Speaker 1: like we talked about forcing turnovers on kickouts with his 330 00:18:43,800 --> 00:18:46,800 Speaker 1: length around the rim. I think Phoenix deserves a ton 331 00:18:46,840 --> 00:18:50,080 Speaker 1: of credit for the job they did disrupting a great 332 00:18:50,119 --> 00:18:53,400 Speaker 1: Lakers offense. Those turnovers allowed them to get out and transition, 333 00:18:53,760 --> 00:18:57,440 Speaker 1: and they bludgeoned them in transition. The Suns scored thirty 334 00:18:57,480 --> 00:19:00,440 Speaker 1: two points off of Lakers turnovers in this game. They 335 00:19:00,480 --> 00:19:04,800 Speaker 1: outscored the Lakers twenty eight to two on the fast break. 336 00:19:05,200 --> 00:19:08,719 Speaker 1: That's basically the difference in the game. So, in other words, 337 00:19:09,440 --> 00:19:12,560 Speaker 1: the Suns defended so well that they played the Lakers 338 00:19:12,560 --> 00:19:15,480 Speaker 1: into a below average offensive game, and they forced a 339 00:19:15,480 --> 00:19:20,440 Speaker 1: ton of turnovers which fed their transition attack where they dominated, 340 00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:22,879 Speaker 1: and again I just want to credit every one of 341 00:19:22,880 --> 00:19:24,920 Speaker 1: the Suns, like Brian Gregory for the moves he made 342 00:19:24,960 --> 00:19:27,199 Speaker 1: this summer to balance out the roster, the bet he 343 00:19:27,280 --> 00:19:31,119 Speaker 1: made on Mark Williams, Jordanot for building a scheme that 344 00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:34,199 Speaker 1: matches the talent really well, and from day one of 345 00:19:34,200 --> 00:19:36,639 Speaker 1: the season getting a level of buy in from this 346 00:19:36,800 --> 00:19:41,600 Speaker 1: roster that they didn't have in years past. And the 347 00:19:41,600 --> 00:19:43,560 Speaker 1: guys in that locker room have been playing great defense. 348 00:19:43,560 --> 00:19:45,240 Speaker 1: They just deserve a lot of credit. Now it's moved 349 00:19:45,280 --> 00:19:51,640 Speaker 1: the offensive vent Dylan brooks Man. Today's show is brought 350 00:19:51,680 --> 00:19:53,840 Speaker 1: to you by our new presenting sponsor, hard Rock Bet. 351 00:19:54,280 --> 00:19:56,520 Speaker 1: The hard Rock Bet sportsbook GAP is the only legal 352 00:19:56,520 --> 00:19:59,440 Speaker 1: sportsbook for whenever you're in Florida, and it's also live 353 00:19:59,440 --> 00:20:04,200 Speaker 1: in Arizona, Ohio, New Jersey, Indiana, Tennessee, Virginia, Illinois, and 354 00:20:04,240 --> 00:20:07,639 Speaker 1: Colorado coming soon into more states too. Sign up today 355 00:20:07,760 --> 00:20:09,440 Speaker 1: and you could score one hundred and fifty dollars in 356 00:20:09,520 --> 00:20:12,440 Speaker 1: bonus bets. 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Must be twenty one plus and physically 372 00:20:54,440 --> 00:20:59,080 Speaker 1: present in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee, 373 00:20:59,119 --> 00:21:02,680 Speaker 1: or Virginia to play. Terms and conditions apply. Concerned about 374 00:21:02,680 --> 00:21:06,080 Speaker 1: gambling in Florida called one eight three to three play wise. 375 00:21:06,440 --> 00:21:08,280 Speaker 1: In Indiana, if you or someone you know has a 376 00:21:08,320 --> 00:21:11,000 Speaker 1: gambling problem and wants help, call one eight hundred and 377 00:21:11,200 --> 00:21:15,080 Speaker 1: nine with it gambling problem called one eight hundred gambler 378 00:21:15,119 --> 00:21:19,800 Speaker 1: in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee, or Virginia. 379 00:21:22,480 --> 00:21:26,760 Speaker 1: But then he goes to Houston and Imai Uduka basically 380 00:21:26,800 --> 00:21:30,359 Speaker 1: gets him to stop taking those tougher shots, especially like 381 00:21:30,400 --> 00:21:33,680 Speaker 1: those pull up mid range twos, and suddenly his shot 382 00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:37,640 Speaker 1: diets skews way more heavily towards like that typical three 383 00:21:37,680 --> 00:21:40,840 Speaker 1: and d archetype. Now, he still did it every once 384 00:21:40,880 --> 00:21:43,360 Speaker 1: in a while, but for the most part, he trimmed 385 00:21:43,359 --> 00:21:46,080 Speaker 1: the fat out of his game and he literally became 386 00:21:46,119 --> 00:21:48,680 Speaker 1: one of the very best role players in the entire NBA. 387 00:21:48,720 --> 00:21:51,840 Speaker 1: And he was a big part of that turnaround in Houston. 388 00:21:53,119 --> 00:21:56,800 Speaker 1: His efficiency skyrocketed, basically became one of the best perimeter 389 00:21:56,840 --> 00:21:59,880 Speaker 1: defenders in the league. Just an awesome player who looked 390 00:21:59,880 --> 00:22:03,160 Speaker 1: at its very worth. The contract that he end up signing. 391 00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:04,800 Speaker 1: I think it was like four years, eighty million or 392 00:22:04,840 --> 00:22:07,879 Speaker 1: whatever it was at that point in time. It was 393 00:22:07,960 --> 00:22:10,280 Speaker 1: for that reason that I actually really liked this trade 394 00:22:10,280 --> 00:22:13,800 Speaker 1: for Phoenix. I thought turning Kevin Durant into Dylan Brooks 395 00:22:13,920 --> 00:22:16,440 Speaker 1: was obviously a talent downgrade, but it was the perfect 396 00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:20,440 Speaker 1: roster balancing trade, especially with an aging Kevin Durant. And 397 00:22:20,520 --> 00:22:22,600 Speaker 1: it's worth mentioning that we still haven't even seen Jalen 398 00:22:22,640 --> 00:22:26,360 Speaker 1: Green yet. I've two games before he reinjured the hamstring. 399 00:22:26,400 --> 00:22:29,080 Speaker 1: But we may end up seeing even more returns out 400 00:22:29,080 --> 00:22:33,520 Speaker 1: of that deal. However, I don't think any of us 401 00:22:33,640 --> 00:22:37,639 Speaker 1: could have seen this type of offensive explosion from Dylan, 402 00:22:37,840 --> 00:22:40,880 Speaker 1: especially after essentially trimming that from his game in Houston. 403 00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:45,560 Speaker 1: All of those good looking ISO moves from his time 404 00:22:45,600 --> 00:22:48,399 Speaker 1: in Memphis, the ones he was clanking left and right 405 00:22:49,080 --> 00:22:53,679 Speaker 1: now they're going in last night was not an outlier performance. 406 00:22:54,640 --> 00:22:58,480 Speaker 1: That was his ninth twenty plus point game of the season. 407 00:22:58,920 --> 00:23:03,000 Speaker 1: That was his sixth twenty five plus point game of 408 00:23:03,040 --> 00:23:07,000 Speaker 1: the season. It was his third thirty point game he's averaging. 409 00:23:07,119 --> 00:23:10,840 Speaker 1: Dylan Brooks averaging twenty five points per game over his 410 00:23:10,920 --> 00:23:16,560 Speaker 1: last ten games. He's shooting sixty one percent from two 411 00:23:16,640 --> 00:23:20,840 Speaker 1: point range. During that span. He's been deadly accurate on 412 00:23:20,880 --> 00:23:23,879 Speaker 1: pull ups thirty four for seventy one on pull up 413 00:23:23,920 --> 00:23:27,359 Speaker 1: twos this year, six for twelve on floaters. That's just 414 00:23:27,480 --> 00:23:31,240 Speaker 1: under fifty percent on pretty high volume. In the mid range. 415 00:23:32,119 --> 00:23:34,080 Speaker 1: He's sixty six percent at the rim. We didn't see 416 00:23:34,080 --> 00:23:36,359 Speaker 1: too much of this last night, but he's bullying dudes 417 00:23:36,440 --> 00:23:39,199 Speaker 1: like to the basket for layups on a lot of 418 00:23:39,200 --> 00:23:42,320 Speaker 1: his drives. Really, the only thing he's not shooting well 419 00:23:42,320 --> 00:23:44,359 Speaker 1: this year is the three, which is strange because he 420 00:23:44,359 --> 00:23:46,720 Speaker 1: shot it pretty well in Houston. So maybe it'll come 421 00:23:46,760 --> 00:23:48,600 Speaker 1: around as the season goes along. He certainly hit a 422 00:23:48,600 --> 00:23:51,919 Speaker 1: few last night, and it's making him into a legitimate 423 00:23:51,960 --> 00:23:56,280 Speaker 1: offensive weapon in this league. Dylan has run sixty nine 424 00:23:56,400 --> 00:23:58,879 Speaker 1: post ups in ISOs, so sixty nine to one on ones. 425 00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:03,040 Speaker 1: He generated seventy seven points including passes. That's one point 426 00:24:03,080 --> 00:24:05,959 Speaker 1: one to two points per possession. That's insanely good for 427 00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:09,639 Speaker 1: one on ones. I'm pretty good volume. He's also been 428 00:24:09,680 --> 00:24:13,040 Speaker 1: a good ball screen player. He's hit six of his 429 00:24:13,200 --> 00:24:16,080 Speaker 1: nine pull up threes in pick and roll. He's shooting 430 00:24:16,240 --> 00:24:19,760 Speaker 1: sixty three percent on twos in pick and roll, He's 431 00:24:19,840 --> 00:24:22,880 Speaker 1: run seventy eight of them. He's got one point two 432 00:24:22,840 --> 00:24:28,040 Speaker 1: to three points per possession including passes. That's incredible, And 433 00:24:28,080 --> 00:24:29,720 Speaker 1: the main thing I want to emphasize here is just 434 00:24:29,760 --> 00:24:33,359 Speaker 1: how much work Dylan has done behind the scenes to 435 00:24:33,440 --> 00:24:37,280 Speaker 1: continue to refine this part of his game. He has 436 00:24:37,320 --> 00:24:42,439 Speaker 1: actually some decent natural talent. As a score I always 437 00:24:42,480 --> 00:24:45,639 Speaker 1: talk about scoring as a three part skill. You have 438 00:24:45,680 --> 00:24:49,800 Speaker 1: to have this audacious personality, like you have to be 439 00:24:49,960 --> 00:24:54,399 Speaker 1: confident enough to think I don't need to score on 440 00:24:54,520 --> 00:24:57,000 Speaker 1: open shots or drive clothes outs, like I can get 441 00:24:57,040 --> 00:24:59,560 Speaker 1: a bucket on this dude one on one. There is 442 00:24:59,600 --> 00:25:04,359 Speaker 1: an odd dacious confidence piece to it. Then there's a 443 00:25:04,480 --> 00:25:09,880 Speaker 1: creativity piece to it. There's like a dance, a counter move, 444 00:25:10,040 --> 00:25:13,200 Speaker 1: like a move counter move dance to scoring. And there's 445 00:25:13,240 --> 00:25:16,639 Speaker 1: a natural instinct element to it that's like a creativity 446 00:25:17,400 --> 00:25:19,840 Speaker 1: and some dudes just don't have that. Some dudes are 447 00:25:19,880 --> 00:25:23,320 Speaker 1: just too robotic. They struggle with that natural dance of 448 00:25:23,400 --> 00:25:26,320 Speaker 1: move counter move. And then the third piece of it 449 00:25:26,359 --> 00:25:30,080 Speaker 1: is you have to have the touch to actually make shots. 450 00:25:30,720 --> 00:25:35,000 Speaker 1: Dylan always had those first two pieces. We all know, 451 00:25:35,200 --> 00:25:39,800 Speaker 1: damn well. Dylan has the audaciousness, he has the confidence. 452 00:25:40,320 --> 00:25:45,080 Speaker 1: That kind of stuff always came naturally to Dylan. Then 453 00:25:45,119 --> 00:25:48,440 Speaker 1: there's the creativity piece, like we talked about in Memphis. 454 00:25:48,880 --> 00:25:52,760 Speaker 1: He had the natural kind of like move counter move dance. 455 00:25:53,320 --> 00:25:55,919 Speaker 1: He would make these really nice one on one moves 456 00:25:56,200 --> 00:26:01,120 Speaker 1: and just miss the shot. The audacious in the creativity 457 00:26:01,160 --> 00:26:05,240 Speaker 1: those are natural talents for Dylan. What has happened is 458 00:26:05,280 --> 00:26:08,720 Speaker 1: he worked his ass off behind the scenes to turn 459 00:26:08,840 --> 00:26:13,800 Speaker 1: himself into a real shot maker, not just a shooter, 460 00:26:14,320 --> 00:26:19,399 Speaker 1: but a maker. And the thousands and thousands of reps 461 00:26:19,400 --> 00:26:21,359 Speaker 1: that must have taken behind the scenes, and in a 462 00:26:21,400 --> 00:26:24,200 Speaker 1: really fascinating way considering it seemed like he had basically 463 00:26:24,240 --> 00:26:29,480 Speaker 1: abandoned that to a certain extent in Houston. And now 464 00:26:29,520 --> 00:26:33,760 Speaker 1: he's a real matchup problem because he's got size. He's 465 00:26:33,800 --> 00:26:37,199 Speaker 1: basically that typical mismatch attacking forward. Now that it's like 466 00:26:37,200 --> 00:26:38,639 Speaker 1: you put a small on him, he's just going to 467 00:26:38,680 --> 00:26:42,480 Speaker 1: pick him apart. He picked apart the Lakers guards last night. 468 00:26:44,200 --> 00:26:50,320 Speaker 1: And so this development being the legitimate defensive perimeter weapon 469 00:26:50,359 --> 00:26:52,320 Speaker 1: that he is one of the very best perimeter defenders 470 00:26:52,359 --> 00:26:55,080 Speaker 1: in the league, a guy that knows how to play 471 00:26:55,160 --> 00:26:58,600 Speaker 1: advantage basketball like he learned in Houston on the offensive end. 472 00:26:58,840 --> 00:27:03,360 Speaker 1: But now you're adding this like bona fide mismatch attacking forward, 473 00:27:03,520 --> 00:27:07,480 Speaker 1: scoring piece. And he went into Los Angeles and outplayed 474 00:27:07,560 --> 00:27:11,440 Speaker 1: Luka Doncic for a night. That's the level that he's 475 00:27:11,480 --> 00:27:14,359 Speaker 1: capable of reaching right now. That's how much he's raised 476 00:27:14,400 --> 00:27:17,080 Speaker 1: his ceiling from where he was in recent years, and 477 00:27:17,119 --> 00:27:21,240 Speaker 1: it's just a truly remarkable development, an internal improvement for 478 00:27:21,320 --> 00:27:25,600 Speaker 1: Phoenix that is making them a better basketball team. And 479 00:27:25,640 --> 00:27:29,119 Speaker 1: then there's Colin Gillespie. In a lot of ways, his 480 00:27:29,240 --> 00:27:31,880 Speaker 1: rises kind of reminded me a little bit of Austin Reeves. 481 00:27:32,160 --> 00:27:33,920 Speaker 1: And I'm not trying to make the like, oh, small 482 00:27:33,920 --> 00:27:37,480 Speaker 1: white guard comparison there. It's more just the guy who 483 00:27:37,560 --> 00:27:41,159 Speaker 1: kind of finds a role on a imbalanced roster just 484 00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:45,640 Speaker 1: simply because he's a good, well rounded basketball player. Austin 485 00:27:45,960 --> 00:27:48,800 Speaker 1: kind of found his footing in the early part of 486 00:27:48,840 --> 00:27:51,800 Speaker 1: his career on a Lakers team that had shipped out 487 00:27:51,840 --> 00:27:54,480 Speaker 1: all their good role players in pursuit of Russell Westbrook, 488 00:27:55,560 --> 00:27:57,960 Speaker 1: and they were in desperate need of a dude who 489 00:27:58,040 --> 00:28:00,679 Speaker 1: just knew how to play, Like a guy who could 490 00:28:01,280 --> 00:28:04,119 Speaker 1: do all the little things like scrap for loose balls 491 00:28:04,119 --> 00:28:06,520 Speaker 1: and be in the right place in terms of defensive 492 00:28:07,240 --> 00:28:10,040 Speaker 1: discipline and attention to detailing the game plan, and like 493 00:28:10,720 --> 00:28:13,159 Speaker 1: a guy who could compete on the ball defensively and 494 00:28:13,160 --> 00:28:15,240 Speaker 1: at least scrap and guard, but like on the other 495 00:28:15,359 --> 00:28:18,600 Speaker 1: end that could like just make smart reads and knock 496 00:28:18,640 --> 00:28:20,919 Speaker 1: down an open catch and shoot three and drive a 497 00:28:20,960 --> 00:28:22,720 Speaker 1: close out and like, oh, it's the end of a 498 00:28:22,760 --> 00:28:24,560 Speaker 1: clock and you need him to run a quick ball screen. 499 00:28:24,600 --> 00:28:27,240 Speaker 1: He could run a quick ball screen. That's how Austin 500 00:28:27,800 --> 00:28:30,800 Speaker 1: found his initial role with the Lakers, and then he 501 00:28:30,960 --> 00:28:34,760 Speaker 1: blossomed over time into a more and more useful on 502 00:28:34,920 --> 00:28:38,880 Speaker 1: ball player. Colin Gillespie's track with Phoenix has actually been 503 00:28:39,000 --> 00:28:44,720 Speaker 1: very similar toward like last season, on a Suns team 504 00:28:44,840 --> 00:28:49,920 Speaker 1: that was woefully imbalanced, too much top end ball handling, 505 00:28:50,280 --> 00:28:55,360 Speaker 1: not enough well rounded good role player basketball players, Colin 506 00:28:55,440 --> 00:28:58,920 Speaker 1: finds the role we talked about this last year, just 507 00:28:58,960 --> 00:29:01,840 Speaker 1: like not getting back cut is offen or not missing 508 00:29:01,960 --> 00:29:04,320 Speaker 1: box out as box outs is offen as guys like 509 00:29:04,360 --> 00:29:08,440 Speaker 1: Bradley Beal would a guy that would just pay attention 510 00:29:08,480 --> 00:29:11,080 Speaker 1: to his role in the game plan do his job, 511 00:29:11,640 --> 00:29:14,280 Speaker 1: knock down an open catch and shoot three, run the 512 00:29:14,320 --> 00:29:17,360 Speaker 1: occasional ball screen. Oh you went way under or you 513 00:29:17,480 --> 00:29:19,320 Speaker 1: ran into the screen. I can hit a pull up three, 514 00:29:19,480 --> 00:29:21,640 Speaker 1: or I can get downhill and make a little floater, 515 00:29:22,560 --> 00:29:26,160 Speaker 1: make basic reads and driving kicks, convert spot ups at 516 00:29:26,200 --> 00:29:30,040 Speaker 1: a decent percentage. That's how Colin found his initial role 517 00:29:30,160 --> 00:29:34,560 Speaker 1: with the Suns last year, and then all he's done 518 00:29:35,520 --> 00:29:39,080 Speaker 1: is he's continued and taken that to the next level. 519 00:29:39,280 --> 00:29:42,280 Speaker 1: This season. He's shooting the absolute shit out of the 520 00:29:42,320 --> 00:29:43,920 Speaker 1: basketball off the catch. This is one of the big 521 00:29:43,960 --> 00:29:45,959 Speaker 1: differences between him and Austin. He's a little bit more 522 00:29:45,960 --> 00:29:48,680 Speaker 1: of like a natural catch and shoot player more as 523 00:29:48,840 --> 00:29:51,160 Speaker 1: whereas Austin's more of a natural, like put the ball 524 00:29:51,200 --> 00:29:54,400 Speaker 1: on the floor type of scoring guard. Right, but he shot. 525 00:29:54,680 --> 00:29:57,240 Speaker 1: He's shooting fifty one percent on catch and shoot threes 526 00:29:57,280 --> 00:30:00,680 Speaker 1: this season, shooting well with both contests and without contests. 527 00:30:01,000 --> 00:30:03,480 Speaker 1: He can drive a close out, he can hit a 528 00:30:03,520 --> 00:30:05,600 Speaker 1: shot in the mid range. He can get all the 529 00:30:05,600 --> 00:30:08,120 Speaker 1: way to the rim. He's converting spot ups at one 530 00:30:08,120 --> 00:30:10,960 Speaker 1: point three seven points per possession this year out of 531 00:30:10,960 --> 00:30:12,960 Speaker 1: one hundred and fifty nine players the log at least 532 00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:15,680 Speaker 1: fifty spot ups. That's tenth out of one hundred and 533 00:30:15,720 --> 00:30:17,240 Speaker 1: fifty nine. He's been one of the best spot up 534 00:30:17,240 --> 00:30:19,400 Speaker 1: players in the league this year. He's shown more and 535 00:30:19,400 --> 00:30:22,560 Speaker 1: more off the dribble pop He's hit fifteen threes off 536 00:30:22,560 --> 00:30:25,280 Speaker 1: the dribble in pick and roll this year. I can't 537 00:30:25,280 --> 00:30:26,760 Speaker 1: remember exactly off the top of my head, but I 538 00:30:26,800 --> 00:30:28,920 Speaker 1: think that's more than he hit all season last year 539 00:30:28,960 --> 00:30:32,520 Speaker 1: in pick and roll off the dribble, He's massively increased 540 00:30:32,520 --> 00:30:35,200 Speaker 1: his pick and roll volume this year. Not quite as 541 00:30:35,200 --> 00:30:37,400 Speaker 1: efficient as he was last year, but still just slightly 542 00:30:37,440 --> 00:30:40,520 Speaker 1: above average fifty first percent tile hit that game winner 543 00:30:40,800 --> 00:30:43,280 Speaker 1: versus Minnesota driving along the right lane line with that 544 00:30:43,280 --> 00:30:46,920 Speaker 1: little floater. He's up to thirteen points per game on 545 00:30:47,040 --> 00:30:49,800 Speaker 1: sixty one percent true shooting this year. So again, the 546 00:30:49,840 --> 00:30:51,800 Speaker 1: comp that I'm trying to draw there with Austin Reeves 547 00:30:51,880 --> 00:30:53,800 Speaker 1: is just simply the way that he managed to get 548 00:30:53,800 --> 00:30:57,000 Speaker 1: his initial opportunity with the Suns, just by being a 549 00:30:57,040 --> 00:31:01,239 Speaker 1: well rounded, disciplined, like fundamentally sound back basketball player in 550 00:31:01,320 --> 00:31:04,960 Speaker 1: every facet of the game, and then that blossoming and 551 00:31:05,040 --> 00:31:08,320 Speaker 1: to more opportunity this year and him capitalizing on it 552 00:31:08,440 --> 00:31:12,480 Speaker 1: through his own internal improvement. So insummation on the Suns, 553 00:31:13,040 --> 00:31:16,120 Speaker 1: I thought they'd be like this scrappy team that would 554 00:31:16,160 --> 00:31:20,160 Speaker 1: hover just below five hundred, fueled by a good defense 555 00:31:20,840 --> 00:31:23,920 Speaker 1: by Devin Booker, just being like a legit floor raising 556 00:31:23,960 --> 00:31:28,800 Speaker 1: offensive engine and overall just better buy in and better 557 00:31:28,960 --> 00:31:32,320 Speaker 1: vibes with the roster shakeup. But instead they look like 558 00:31:32,360 --> 00:31:35,160 Speaker 1: a legit middle tier playoff team in the Western Conference. 559 00:31:36,600 --> 00:31:40,480 Speaker 1: And it's because Jordan Not and those defensive wings have 560 00:31:40,600 --> 00:31:43,720 Speaker 1: helped Mark Williams become a legitimate defensive anchor, which I 561 00:31:43,720 --> 00:31:47,240 Speaker 1: didn't see coming. And because of the explosions offensively of 562 00:31:47,280 --> 00:31:51,120 Speaker 1: guys like Dylan Brooks and Colin Gillespie. I'm sure the 563 00:31:51,160 --> 00:31:53,680 Speaker 1: Suns fans are thrilled right now, and they should be. 564 00:31:54,520 --> 00:31:56,800 Speaker 1: Like I was rooting for the Lakers last night, and 565 00:31:56,840 --> 00:31:59,240 Speaker 1: even though I was annoyed by how they were playing, 566 00:32:00,200 --> 00:32:03,840 Speaker 1: I actually really enjoyed watching that game because the Sun's 567 00:32:03,920 --> 00:32:07,560 Speaker 1: played a really fun brand of basketball. I enjoyed watching 568 00:32:07,560 --> 00:32:10,680 Speaker 1: the Suns kick their ass because they were playing such 569 00:32:10,760 --> 00:32:15,920 Speaker 1: fun basketball and they're not going anywhere barring severe injuries. 570 00:32:16,400 --> 00:32:18,800 Speaker 1: That's a playoff team to me. They look like a 571 00:32:18,880 --> 00:32:29,240 Speaker 1: clear top eight in that Western Conference to me. On 572 00:32:29,320 --> 00:32:34,240 Speaker 1: the Lakers front, whenever this kind of stuff happens, there's 573 00:32:34,360 --> 00:32:38,320 Speaker 1: two different perspectives to take. Right There's the oh, this 574 00:32:38,480 --> 00:32:41,800 Speaker 1: is just what happens in the regular season, Like you know, 575 00:32:41,960 --> 00:32:45,280 Speaker 1: the Lakers, for instance, playing a really light stretch of 576 00:32:45,280 --> 00:32:48,479 Speaker 1: their schedule, building some bad habits, kind of operating at 577 00:32:48,480 --> 00:32:51,600 Speaker 1: a different speed. And then Phoenix just played Oakilham City 578 00:32:51,600 --> 00:32:55,200 Speaker 1: in Denver, right, So like they're they've been in the 579 00:32:55,240 --> 00:32:59,120 Speaker 1: trenches for about a week now. They're operating at like 580 00:32:59,160 --> 00:33:02,600 Speaker 1: a higher level of competitiveness and physicality than the Lakers are. 581 00:33:03,360 --> 00:33:06,200 Speaker 1: Some kind of stuff will just happen like this in 582 00:33:06,240 --> 00:33:10,560 Speaker 1: the regular season whatever, Like just move on, you're fifteen 583 00:33:10,600 --> 00:33:13,800 Speaker 1: and five. That's one attitude to have, right. But then 584 00:33:13,840 --> 00:33:15,600 Speaker 1: the other side of this is like there were some 585 00:33:15,640 --> 00:33:19,120 Speaker 1: real basketball dynamics at play in this game that we've 586 00:33:19,120 --> 00:33:23,280 Speaker 1: seen before from this version of this Lakers team against 587 00:33:23,320 --> 00:33:26,960 Speaker 1: similar types of opponents, which at least makes it worth 588 00:33:27,000 --> 00:33:32,560 Speaker 1: acknowledging as a potential vulnerability with this team. So what 589 00:33:32,600 --> 00:33:35,719 Speaker 1: do the Suns do that's different than most NBA teams. 590 00:33:36,360 --> 00:33:40,120 Speaker 1: They're big and physical and athletic on the perimeter. They 591 00:33:40,160 --> 00:33:42,760 Speaker 1: got guys that they can put on Lebron and on 592 00:33:42,960 --> 00:33:46,880 Speaker 1: Luca that make them uncomfortable, make things harder for them, 593 00:33:47,160 --> 00:33:50,440 Speaker 1: and on Austin as well. They get up into you 594 00:33:50,480 --> 00:33:54,280 Speaker 1: with ball pressure, they try to punk you, they try 595 00:33:54,320 --> 00:33:58,760 Speaker 1: to physically dominate you. And it's worth mentioning this is 596 00:33:58,880 --> 00:34:03,400 Speaker 1: not the first time that we've seen these Lakers succumb 597 00:34:04,120 --> 00:34:07,240 Speaker 1: to that type of pressure and physicality. We saw it 598 00:34:07,280 --> 00:34:11,319 Speaker 1: against the Thunder about you know, three weeks ago. We 599 00:34:11,400 --> 00:34:14,719 Speaker 1: saw it against the Timberwolves in the first round last year. 600 00:34:15,680 --> 00:34:19,880 Speaker 1: It is a legitimate vulnerability with this team. Now, to 601 00:34:19,920 --> 00:34:23,799 Speaker 1: be clear, the Lakers are absolutely capable of beating this 602 00:34:23,960 --> 00:34:27,560 Speaker 1: type of team. The Lakers have responded to their first 603 00:34:27,600 --> 00:34:30,719 Speaker 1: round lost to the Timberwolves by returning the favor at 604 00:34:30,760 --> 00:34:33,919 Speaker 1: regular season style. But they've dominated the Timberwolves to start 605 00:34:33,920 --> 00:34:36,600 Speaker 1: this season. They beat him with Luca and Austin. They 606 00:34:36,600 --> 00:34:40,960 Speaker 1: beat him with just Austin in Minnesota, the Lakers last 607 00:34:41,040 --> 00:34:43,960 Speaker 1: year had a couple of great games against the Thunder 608 00:34:44,400 --> 00:34:47,920 Speaker 1: before Luca fouled out. It looked or got himself ejected. 609 00:34:48,400 --> 00:34:49,880 Speaker 1: It looked like they were going to go to to 610 00:34:50,040 --> 00:34:52,160 Speaker 1: zero against the Thunder in the regular season last year, 611 00:34:52,320 --> 00:34:56,040 Speaker 1: the same Thunder, that's a transcendently great defense. They handled 612 00:34:56,080 --> 00:34:59,560 Speaker 1: the pressure, didn't turn the basketball over, moved the ball 613 00:34:59,600 --> 00:35:03,359 Speaker 1: through ocal Alma City's defense, got great shots, knocked them down. 614 00:35:03,560 --> 00:35:05,560 Speaker 1: They kicked their ass in one of those two games. 615 00:35:08,160 --> 00:35:11,560 Speaker 1: What's the difference. What's the difference between the two wins 616 00:35:11,560 --> 00:35:15,080 Speaker 1: against Minnesota this year, the one win against Oklahoma City 617 00:35:15,120 --> 00:35:18,120 Speaker 1: last year and the impressive performance against Oklahoma City before 618 00:35:18,160 --> 00:35:22,839 Speaker 1: Luca gets ejected. Versus the absolute thrashing they took from 619 00:35:22,880 --> 00:35:26,040 Speaker 1: the Thunder this year, the absolute thrashing they took from 620 00:35:26,080 --> 00:35:29,320 Speaker 1: the Suns this year, and the embarrassing performance in Round 621 00:35:29,360 --> 00:35:32,360 Speaker 1: one against the Timberwolves back in April. What's the difference 622 00:35:32,360 --> 00:35:37,320 Speaker 1: between those two outcomes. It's all about their ball handlers 623 00:35:37,680 --> 00:35:41,200 Speaker 1: and the way they manage the pressure. In the losses, 624 00:35:41,840 --> 00:35:44,839 Speaker 1: Austin and Luca have been bad. They've turned the ball over, 625 00:35:45,239 --> 00:35:48,640 Speaker 1: they've looked flustered, they've lost control of the game and transition, 626 00:35:49,120 --> 00:35:52,040 Speaker 1: and they've gotten run off the floor. In the wins, 627 00:35:52,880 --> 00:35:58,000 Speaker 1: they've methodically handled the pressure. They've made good reads, they've 628 00:35:58,040 --> 00:36:01,520 Speaker 1: scored the ball, and they've kept control of the pace 629 00:36:01,560 --> 00:36:03,319 Speaker 1: of the game, kept things in the half court and 630 00:36:03,320 --> 00:36:08,600 Speaker 1: they've looked great. So, to be clear, vulnerability is not 631 00:36:08,680 --> 00:36:12,759 Speaker 1: the same as a dessence. It's just about acknowledging a weakness, 632 00:36:13,320 --> 00:36:15,920 Speaker 1: being aware that it's the demon you have to conquer 633 00:36:16,400 --> 00:36:18,120 Speaker 1: if you want to reach your ultimate goals in a 634 00:36:18,120 --> 00:36:20,200 Speaker 1: seven game series. If you toast off a game or 635 00:36:20,200 --> 00:36:22,600 Speaker 1: two where you turn the ball over twenty five times 636 00:36:22,680 --> 00:36:25,160 Speaker 1: and give up thirty five points in transition, that can 637 00:36:25,200 --> 00:36:29,040 Speaker 1: be a lot to overcome. I just think this is 638 00:36:29,040 --> 00:36:33,000 Speaker 1: worth mentioning because when you talk about the conversation surrounding 639 00:36:33,040 --> 00:36:37,040 Speaker 1: the potential trade market for the Lakers this year, like 640 00:36:37,440 --> 00:36:40,280 Speaker 1: I too, like many others, believe that if the Lakers 641 00:36:40,280 --> 00:36:42,920 Speaker 1: can get a legit starting caliber small forward, someone like 642 00:36:42,960 --> 00:36:45,440 Speaker 1: a Herb Jones or an Andrew Wiggins, if they can 643 00:36:45,480 --> 00:36:47,799 Speaker 1: pull that off, I think they become one of the 644 00:36:47,960 --> 00:36:50,840 Speaker 1: legitimate contenders in the league. I think they're on the 645 00:36:50,880 --> 00:36:53,360 Speaker 1: same tier with Houston and Denver as a team that 646 00:36:53,440 --> 00:36:55,960 Speaker 1: is a legit upset threat against Okac. If we all 647 00:36:55,960 --> 00:36:58,440 Speaker 1: acknowledge that Okac is the clear number one, I think 648 00:36:58,440 --> 00:37:01,720 Speaker 1: they're a trade away from that. But that's just because 649 00:37:02,000 --> 00:37:04,520 Speaker 1: that sort of guy can help them on defense, and 650 00:37:04,560 --> 00:37:07,240 Speaker 1: help them athletically, and help anchor some of their best 651 00:37:07,239 --> 00:37:09,839 Speaker 1: lineups so that they have a clear five that they 652 00:37:09,840 --> 00:37:12,120 Speaker 1: can go to at the end of games. That does 653 00:37:12,480 --> 00:37:20,399 Speaker 1: nothing to alleviate this specific vulnerability against this specific type 654 00:37:20,440 --> 00:37:25,440 Speaker 1: of opponent. This is a demon that Austin and Luca 655 00:37:25,560 --> 00:37:28,960 Speaker 1: have to conquer for them to work together as a 656 00:37:29,040 --> 00:37:32,560 Speaker 1: duo moving forward and in the short term for Lebron 657 00:37:32,600 --> 00:37:35,640 Speaker 1: as well, for at least this year and maybe next 658 00:37:35,680 --> 00:37:38,760 Speaker 1: year as he's part of this system. Having a Herb 659 00:37:38,840 --> 00:37:43,000 Speaker 1: Jones on the floor isn't gonna matter if Austin and 660 00:37:43,080 --> 00:37:46,200 Speaker 1: Luca can't take care of the ball against big, physical, 661 00:37:46,239 --> 00:37:50,400 Speaker 1: athletic perimeter defenders. You know, we talk about this concept 662 00:37:50,440 --> 00:37:53,800 Speaker 1: a lot on this show, but like basketball, too often 663 00:37:54,000 --> 00:37:59,080 Speaker 1: is presented in absolutes like oh, this team can't do that, 664 00:38:00,480 --> 00:38:03,920 Speaker 1: or this player can't do this, or this team sucks 665 00:38:03,920 --> 00:38:07,480 Speaker 1: at defense, or this guy can't shoot, and the reality 666 00:38:07,600 --> 00:38:12,840 Speaker 1: is all that stuff is determined night tonight. Like nobody 667 00:38:12,880 --> 00:38:16,960 Speaker 1: cares if you think Lou Dort can't shoot if he's 668 00:38:17,040 --> 00:38:19,160 Speaker 1: making the big threes that save his team in a 669 00:38:19,160 --> 00:38:21,480 Speaker 1: big playoff game, like he did a couple times last year. 670 00:38:22,560 --> 00:38:24,680 Speaker 1: Nobody cares if you don't think the Denver Nuggets can 671 00:38:24,719 --> 00:38:28,680 Speaker 1: play defense if they suddenly defend like a champion in 672 00:38:28,719 --> 00:38:31,920 Speaker 1: twenty twenty three on their way to hoisting the trophy. 673 00:38:32,040 --> 00:38:35,400 Speaker 1: Nobody cares if you got punked by the Timberwolves in 674 00:38:35,400 --> 00:38:39,240 Speaker 1: the first round. Nobody cares like Austin Reeves for example, 675 00:38:39,320 --> 00:38:42,719 Speaker 1: Like right now he's viewed as a bad playoff player 676 00:38:42,760 --> 00:38:45,319 Speaker 1: because of what happened against Minnesota. After twenty twenty three 677 00:38:45,360 --> 00:38:47,600 Speaker 1: you're like, oh my god, eight twenty point playoff games. 678 00:38:47,600 --> 00:38:50,680 Speaker 1: This dude's a playoff riser. Like it's all night tonight, 679 00:38:52,800 --> 00:38:55,840 Speaker 1: It's all what have you done for me lately? The 680 00:38:55,920 --> 00:38:58,120 Speaker 1: narrative is just the narrative that's for guys like me 681 00:38:58,200 --> 00:39:00,600 Speaker 1: to talk about. That's not the same is what happens 682 00:39:00,600 --> 00:39:04,279 Speaker 1: when you throw the ball up at center court. So 683 00:39:04,320 --> 00:39:07,919 Speaker 1: if you're the Lakers, it doesn't matter if you got 684 00:39:07,960 --> 00:39:11,480 Speaker 1: punked by the Timberwolves in April, and you got punked 685 00:39:11,719 --> 00:39:15,080 Speaker 1: by the Thunder in November and you got punked by 686 00:39:15,120 --> 00:39:19,120 Speaker 1: the Suns in December, if you turn around in April 687 00:39:19,960 --> 00:39:22,799 Speaker 1: and you face one of those teams and you take 688 00:39:22,840 --> 00:39:25,760 Speaker 1: care of the basketball, and you handle the ball pressure 689 00:39:26,320 --> 00:39:29,360 Speaker 1: and you pass through their defense, and you score and 690 00:39:29,440 --> 00:39:32,640 Speaker 1: knock down shots off of the attention you draw, which 691 00:39:32,680 --> 00:39:35,680 Speaker 1: we know they can do because we've seen them do 692 00:39:35,760 --> 00:39:39,000 Speaker 1: it to Minnesota this season, we saw them do it 693 00:39:39,040 --> 00:39:44,040 Speaker 1: to Oklahoma City last season. They are capable, but they 694 00:39:44,080 --> 00:39:48,960 Speaker 1: are also capable of succumbing to it. That's going to 695 00:39:49,040 --> 00:39:51,319 Speaker 1: be the determining factor of this Lakers team and what 696 00:39:51,320 --> 00:39:54,840 Speaker 1: they can achieve this year. Can they conquer those demons 697 00:39:55,120 --> 00:39:57,120 Speaker 1: making that sort of trade for a Herb Jones or 698 00:39:57,120 --> 00:40:00,080 Speaker 1: and Andrew Wiggins. That will bolster your talent level, that 699 00:40:00,160 --> 00:40:02,799 Speaker 1: will define some of your best lineups, that will give 700 00:40:02,800 --> 00:40:05,640 Speaker 1: you better roster balance, that will make you better defensively, 701 00:40:05,800 --> 00:40:07,920 Speaker 1: that'll make you better on the glass, that'll make you 702 00:40:07,960 --> 00:40:12,160 Speaker 1: more athletic in transition. Those things will certainly help. But 703 00:40:12,200 --> 00:40:15,759 Speaker 1: whether or not they beat Oklahoma City, or whether or 704 00:40:15,760 --> 00:40:17,800 Speaker 1: not they can handle a first round matchup with a 705 00:40:17,840 --> 00:40:23,040 Speaker 1: Minnesota or a random regular season game against Phoenix, or hell, 706 00:40:23,120 --> 00:40:26,160 Speaker 1: if Phoenix jumps up to seven and the Lakers get 707 00:40:26,160 --> 00:40:27,680 Speaker 1: the two seed and you end up facing them in 708 00:40:27,719 --> 00:40:30,000 Speaker 1: the first round, if the Lakers are going to beat 709 00:40:30,000 --> 00:40:32,799 Speaker 1: that sort of team, that is going to come down 710 00:40:32,920 --> 00:40:36,399 Speaker 1: to their stars and them conquering the demon of being 711 00:40:36,400 --> 00:40:38,799 Speaker 1: able to handle that ball pressure and not turn the 712 00:40:38,800 --> 00:40:42,800 Speaker 1: basketball over. The beautiful thing about the game of basketball 713 00:40:42,840 --> 00:40:45,680 Speaker 1: is you almost always get another chance to prove yourself. 714 00:40:45,960 --> 00:40:49,399 Speaker 1: You live to fight another day. The Lakers will play 715 00:40:49,440 --> 00:40:54,200 Speaker 1: Phoenix again on December twenty third. Go into Phoenix, take 716 00:40:54,239 --> 00:40:57,880 Speaker 1: care of the basketball, play better on offense. Beat those dudes. 717 00:40:58,120 --> 00:41:00,759 Speaker 1: No one's gonna give a damn what happened on December first, 718 00:41:01,400 --> 00:41:03,600 Speaker 1: The Lakers will play some good teams on this road trip. 719 00:41:03,840 --> 00:41:07,040 Speaker 1: Toronto's a good basketball team, another big, physical, athletic team 720 00:41:07,080 --> 00:41:09,480 Speaker 1: that likes to run the floor. In transition, they're going 721 00:41:09,560 --> 00:41:14,680 Speaker 1: to present a challenge on Thursday Night. That'll be another opportunity. Right. 722 00:41:15,440 --> 00:41:17,359 Speaker 1: A couple of weeks from now, the Lakers might get 723 00:41:17,400 --> 00:41:20,920 Speaker 1: San Antonio and Oklahoma City in the nd season tournament. 724 00:41:21,040 --> 00:41:25,840 Speaker 1: San Antonio, big physical perimeter team. Oklahoma City is the 725 00:41:25,960 --> 00:41:30,120 Speaker 1: rematch of that destructive blowout they experience in November. So 726 00:41:30,600 --> 00:41:33,720 Speaker 1: they are going to get more chances throughout this season 727 00:41:33,840 --> 00:41:37,960 Speaker 1: to try to address this, and inevitably in the probably 728 00:41:38,000 --> 00:41:40,239 Speaker 1: in the first round at the very latest, by the 729 00:41:40,280 --> 00:41:42,799 Speaker 1: second or third round, they're going to face one of 730 00:41:42,840 --> 00:41:45,080 Speaker 1: these teams that's big and physical on the perimeter, that 731 00:41:45,120 --> 00:41:48,040 Speaker 1: can get up in them and make their guys uncomfortable. 732 00:41:48,600 --> 00:41:51,160 Speaker 1: And they're gonna have to conquer that demon that is 733 00:41:51,840 --> 00:41:55,799 Speaker 1: separate from any roster concern. That is the conquering that 734 00:41:55,880 --> 00:41:57,799 Speaker 1: this Lakers team needs to do in order to reach 735 00:41:57,840 --> 00:42:00,080 Speaker 1: their goals. All right, guys, it's all I have for 736 00:42:00,120 --> 00:42:02,600 Speaker 1: today is always I sincerely appreciate you guys for supporting 737 00:42:02,640 --> 00:42:04,759 Speaker 1: us and supporting the show. Again. I know I wanted 738 00:42:04,800 --> 00:42:06,840 Speaker 1: to do that deep dive into Phoenix today. I know 739 00:42:06,840 --> 00:42:08,719 Speaker 1: we spent like a half hour there. But like we 740 00:42:08,800 --> 00:42:10,879 Speaker 1: will get to plenty of more teams throughout the rest 741 00:42:10,880 --> 00:42:14,000 Speaker 1: of this week, we'll have more game reaction tomorrow. As always, 742 00:42:14,040 --> 00:42:17,040 Speaker 1: I sincerely appreciate you guys for supporting us and supporting 743 00:42:17,040 --> 00:42:19,240 Speaker 1: the show, and I will see you tomorrow morning.