1 00:00:01,440 --> 00:00:02,520 Speaker 1: The volume. 2 00:00:03,960 --> 00:00:06,520 Speaker 2: When it comes to college basketball in March Mania, one 3 00:00:06,559 --> 00:00:10,480 Speaker 2: thing is for sure. Nothing's for sure. Upsets, buzzer beaters, 4 00:00:10,520 --> 00:00:13,760 Speaker 2: Cinderella is advancing top seeds, going home early. It's all 5 00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:17,840 Speaker 2: gonna happen. Bet the unexpected, every upset, every day with 6 00:00:17,960 --> 00:00:22,000 Speaker 2: Draft Kings Sportsbook. With live betting, exclusive content, promos, and parlays, 7 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:25,799 Speaker 2: Draft Kings is the ultimate college basketball destination for March. 8 00:00:25,840 --> 00:00:27,720 Speaker 2: Ready to make your first bet, check out the matchups, 9 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:30,280 Speaker 2: and pick a team to win. It's that simple. 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Today, 36 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:53,360 Speaker 2: we're gonna be hitting two games from last night's slate 37 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 2: as the Golden State Warriors without Steph Curry put on 38 00:01:55,760 --> 00:02:00,880 Speaker 2: a defensive masterclass against Giannis Dame in the Milwaukee Bucks. 39 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:02,880 Speaker 2: We're gonna be breaking that game down. I want to 40 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 2: talk about some specific concepts in modern NBA defense and 41 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:08,960 Speaker 2: how it's a little bit more about a team concept 42 00:02:08,960 --> 00:02:11,680 Speaker 2: than people are willing to give these schemes credit for. 43 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:13,320 Speaker 2: We're gonna be talking about that, and then a little 44 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:15,960 Speaker 2: bit of my concerns surrounding Milwaukee and the big picture. 45 00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:18,919 Speaker 2: Tail end of the show, we had a showdown between 46 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:23,600 Speaker 2: a red hot Los Angeles Clippers team and the Cleveland 47 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 2: Cavaliers and what was a shootout for most of the 48 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:28,520 Speaker 2: game until the Clippers were able to regain control with 49 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:31,320 Speaker 2: their defense late. Really fascinating game that taught us a 50 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:33,920 Speaker 2: bunch about both teams. You guys know the drill before 51 00:02:33,919 --> 00:02:36,120 Speaker 2: we get started. Subscribe to the Hoops Tonight YouTube channels 52 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:37,679 Speaker 2: you don't miss any more of our videos. Follow me 53 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:40,280 Speaker 2: on Twitter at underscore jsonlt so you guys don't miss 54 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:42,680 Speaker 2: show announcements. Don't forget about our podcast few wherever you 55 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:45,160 Speaker 2: get your podcast on our Hoops Tonight. We also have 56 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:47,640 Speaker 2: brand new social media feeds on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. 57 00:02:47,639 --> 00:02:49,680 Speaker 2: We're releasing content throughout the year. Make sure you guys follow 58 00:02:49,720 --> 00:02:52,160 Speaker 2: us there, and the last but not least, keep dropping 59 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:54,360 Speaker 2: mailbag questions in the YouTube comments so that we can 60 00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:57,520 Speaker 2: keep getting to them throughout the remainder of the season. 61 00:02:57,520 --> 00:02:59,680 Speaker 2: All right, let's talk some basketball. So the Warriors dropped 62 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:02,320 Speaker 2: a game a couple nights ago against the Nuggets at 63 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:06,000 Speaker 2: home without Jamal Murray and without Nicole Jokic playing for 64 00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:09,000 Speaker 2: the Nuggets, And to be clear, my thoughts coming out 65 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:11,680 Speaker 2: of that game were, this is March in the NBA. 66 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:15,080 Speaker 2: You're gonna see this quite a bit in this time 67 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:19,440 Speaker 2: of year, because it's like a funky phase where half 68 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:23,520 Speaker 2: the league already knows exactly what they are and are 69 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:26,360 Speaker 2: in some variation of cruise control where you don't know 70 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:28,919 Speaker 2: what you're getting any given night because they're either saving 71 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:31,640 Speaker 2: legs for the playoffs or they're just not feeling that 72 00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:34,200 Speaker 2: level of intensity. And even for the teams that made 73 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:37,720 Speaker 2: big deals at the trade deadline, the newness is starting 74 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:40,720 Speaker 2: to fade. It's been over a month and this is 75 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:42,840 Speaker 2: just kind of like this a lull that you're gonna 76 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:46,080 Speaker 2: see and you're gonna see some weird results. Denver, in particular, 77 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:47,400 Speaker 2: it has been a total shit show. 78 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:48,080 Speaker 1: Like they get. 79 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:50,440 Speaker 2: Smashed by the Thunder, but then they beat the Thunder, 80 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:53,400 Speaker 2: then they get smashed by the Wolves, then they nearly 81 00:03:53,480 --> 00:03:56,160 Speaker 2: lose to the Lakers missing four starters. Then they do 82 00:03:56,360 --> 00:03:59,720 Speaker 2: actually lose to the Washington Wizards at home, just to 83 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:02,360 Speaker 2: go the Golden State without Murray and jokicen beat the 84 00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:04,960 Speaker 2: Warriors who were red hot. It doesn't make any sense 85 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:07,400 Speaker 2: that team is just bizarre. You're gonna see a lot 86 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:10,440 Speaker 2: of general or a lot of weird results in general 87 00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:13,840 Speaker 2: this time of year, Like the Pacers without four starters 88 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:16,479 Speaker 2: just went into Minnesota and beat the Wolves at full strength. 89 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:19,640 Speaker 2: The Wizards also went into Detroit and beat a Pistons 90 00:04:19,640 --> 00:04:22,760 Speaker 2: team at full strength a few days before they're winning Denver. 91 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:25,320 Speaker 2: Although it's worth mentioning that the Wizards have some real 92 00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:28,679 Speaker 2: stuff to start getting excited about, with their young talent flashing, 93 00:04:28,720 --> 00:04:32,120 Speaker 2: some real two way potential guys like Galaxar really shooting 94 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:35,359 Speaker 2: the ball well from three, defending really well, Bilakulabali Kishan, 95 00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:37,880 Speaker 2: George bub Carrington. They've got a bunch of guys that 96 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:40,839 Speaker 2: are popping for them. But the point is is that's March, 97 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:42,839 Speaker 2: and so there's a certain amount of weird result that 98 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:45,520 Speaker 2: you're gonna see in there. And Steve Kerrin formed us 99 00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:48,120 Speaker 2: that Steph really just needs a night off and that 100 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:50,560 Speaker 2: he's been dealing with some back Sorenice, and so the 101 00:04:50,600 --> 00:04:54,320 Speaker 2: Warriors needed to beat the Bucks last night without Steph Curry. 102 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:57,080 Speaker 2: And so conventional wisdom would tell you go into that 103 00:04:57,160 --> 00:05:00,720 Speaker 2: game thinking you're gonna win with defense, right, take Steph 104 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:03,400 Speaker 2: out of the equation. You're gonna put a probably a 105 00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:06,800 Speaker 2: better defender than Steph into that rotation spot. Obviously you 106 00:05:06,880 --> 00:05:09,160 Speaker 2: lose the world on the offensive end of the floor, 107 00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:11,320 Speaker 2: but if you just defend extremely well, you give yourself 108 00:05:11,360 --> 00:05:13,480 Speaker 2: a chance. And that's exactly what the Warriors did. They 109 00:05:13,480 --> 00:05:15,880 Speaker 2: held the Bucks to just ninety two points. They had 110 00:05:15,880 --> 00:05:19,320 Speaker 2: two separate seventeen point quarters that they held them to. 111 00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:23,800 Speaker 2: They responded to two separate Bucks runs with defensive runs. 112 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:26,600 Speaker 2: There was a late third quarter run where it was 113 00:05:26,640 --> 00:05:28,680 Speaker 2: really the only phase of the game where the Milwaukee 114 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:32,560 Speaker 2: offense was in like really really cooking. Dame had the 115 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:34,760 Speaker 2: pick and pop with brook Lopez going and Brooke was 116 00:05:34,839 --> 00:05:37,240 Speaker 2: hitting threes. They had some two man game with Damon 117 00:05:37,279 --> 00:05:40,200 Speaker 2: Giannis where they were passing well out of it. Giannis 118 00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:42,360 Speaker 2: was drawing double teams in the post and passing well 119 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:44,520 Speaker 2: out of it. He made a nice pass to brook 120 00:05:44,560 --> 00:05:47,240 Speaker 2: Lopez who sealed the low man and got an easy layup. 121 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:50,160 Speaker 2: They were skipping the ball to Kyle Kuzma, who hit 122 00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:52,560 Speaker 2: three after three, after three. It was just the one 123 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:54,960 Speaker 2: phase in the game where Milwaukee's offense just looked like 124 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:56,920 Speaker 2: it was getting easy stuff. And so they go on 125 00:05:57,000 --> 00:05:59,360 Speaker 2: this run and they go up seventy six to seventy 126 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:03,240 Speaker 2: and then promptly the Warriors put the clamps on them 127 00:06:03,279 --> 00:06:06,400 Speaker 2: and hold them scoreless for three straight minutes, and they 128 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:09,040 Speaker 2: regain control. And then something similar happened in the fourth quarter. 129 00:06:09,080 --> 00:06:11,840 Speaker 2: The Bucks go on another run, this time Giannis's on 130 00:06:11,880 --> 00:06:14,040 Speaker 2: the bench, Dame is doing a lot of cooking and 131 00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:17,160 Speaker 2: ball screens. They cut the lead down to three, but 132 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:20,520 Speaker 2: the Warriors hold them completely scoreless over the final four 133 00:06:20,560 --> 00:06:22,880 Speaker 2: minutes of the game as they pull away and win 134 00:06:22,960 --> 00:06:25,880 Speaker 2: by eleven. And so it was their defense that was 135 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:29,960 Speaker 2: able to completely strangle the Bucks at these stretches that 136 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:33,040 Speaker 2: allowed them, in the limited offensive production they were getting 137 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:35,600 Speaker 2: under the circumstances to have enough to win that game. 138 00:06:35,680 --> 00:06:38,240 Speaker 2: I want to start by digging into the concept of 139 00:06:38,279 --> 00:06:41,159 Speaker 2: being in two places at once on defense. This is 140 00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:44,719 Speaker 2: really the superpower that Draymond Green has used to become 141 00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:46,600 Speaker 2: one of the best defenders that the league has seen 142 00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:49,640 Speaker 2: over the last decade. Right, we think of defense too reductively. 143 00:06:49,720 --> 00:06:51,440 Speaker 2: Sometimes a lot of times we'll think of it like 144 00:06:51,920 --> 00:06:53,800 Speaker 2: can I guard my man and can he. 145 00:06:53,760 --> 00:06:55,760 Speaker 1: Guard his man? Do we have five guys that are 146 00:06:55,760 --> 00:06:56,080 Speaker 1: all like. 147 00:06:56,040 --> 00:06:59,000 Speaker 2: Elite defenders that can defend on an island and keep 148 00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:01,840 Speaker 2: defenses out of r rotation and keep their defense out 149 00:07:01,839 --> 00:07:04,080 Speaker 2: of rotation, and so on and so forth, And there's 150 00:07:04,120 --> 00:07:06,480 Speaker 2: a certain amount of that where you do need guys 151 00:07:06,560 --> 00:07:08,880 Speaker 2: that can hold up one on one. Draymond got a 152 00:07:08,960 --> 00:07:11,040 Speaker 2: huge one on one stop against Giannis late in the 153 00:07:11,040 --> 00:07:13,040 Speaker 2: game where he forced him into kind of a drifting, 154 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:15,680 Speaker 2: floating hook shot that he missed off the rim. But 155 00:07:16,280 --> 00:07:18,480 Speaker 2: most of the best defenses that you'll see in the 156 00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:21,360 Speaker 2: history of the league are centered around a concept that 157 00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:25,480 Speaker 2: involves actually being aggressive on the ball, meaning like putting 158 00:07:25,560 --> 00:07:29,320 Speaker 2: two defenders on the ball or overhelping, putting guys into 159 00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:31,840 Speaker 2: situation to make stars play. 160 00:07:31,560 --> 00:07:32,200 Speaker 1: In a crowd. 161 00:07:32,920 --> 00:07:38,560 Speaker 2: But then those openings disappearing really quickly through excellent rotations 162 00:07:38,840 --> 00:07:40,440 Speaker 2: and setting up the floor in a way where you 163 00:07:40,480 --> 00:07:43,800 Speaker 2: have a plan for whatever it is that you're dealing 164 00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:46,680 Speaker 2: with from the opposing star, and like again, like this 165 00:07:46,720 --> 00:07:49,480 Speaker 2: is think about Oklahoma City. Oklahoma City's best defense in 166 00:07:49,480 --> 00:07:51,440 Speaker 2: the league. They're not just out there letting all their 167 00:07:51,480 --> 00:07:54,520 Speaker 2: guys play one on one on defense. That defense is 168 00:07:54,560 --> 00:08:00,480 Speaker 2: predicated on aggressive coverages, leaving openings that quickly disappear as 169 00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:03,360 Speaker 2: you rotate out of it with your speed. I thought 170 00:08:03,400 --> 00:08:06,120 Speaker 2: the Warriors executed this concept to perfection in this game. 171 00:08:06,160 --> 00:08:09,000 Speaker 2: I thought it all started with Draymond, who did an 172 00:08:09,040 --> 00:08:12,440 Speaker 2: incredible job on Giannis all game, but especially in ball 173 00:08:12,440 --> 00:08:15,720 Speaker 2: screens where he was consistently able to get up to 174 00:08:15,760 --> 00:08:18,480 Speaker 2: the level to defend the ball, but to get back 175 00:08:18,520 --> 00:08:21,760 Speaker 2: in time to handle Yiannis on the roll. We saw 176 00:08:21,920 --> 00:08:23,640 Speaker 2: play early in the game where he got a block 177 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:25,600 Speaker 2: on Giannis where he was like kind of trailing the 178 00:08:25,640 --> 00:08:28,280 Speaker 2: play a little bit and he jumped and squared up 179 00:08:28,320 --> 00:08:30,320 Speaker 2: in mid air to get a piece of the ball 180 00:08:30,720 --> 00:08:32,640 Speaker 2: on the way down to force some miss. He had 181 00:08:32,640 --> 00:08:34,800 Speaker 2: a huge one late in the game when the ball 182 00:08:34,800 --> 00:08:37,079 Speaker 2: screens were getting pushed a little bit further out towards 183 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:40,800 Speaker 2: half court. Really good ball pressure from Gary Payton. They 184 00:08:40,840 --> 00:08:42,959 Speaker 2: were pushing the ball screens out further to half court 185 00:08:43,040 --> 00:08:46,040 Speaker 2: and those rotations were more in like the short roll 186 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:49,360 Speaker 2: area and Draymond Green once again showing up to the level. 187 00:08:49,920 --> 00:08:52,880 Speaker 2: He lets Giannis get past him, but he sprints back 188 00:08:52,960 --> 00:08:56,280 Speaker 2: and by the time Giannis actually caught it, Draymond had 189 00:08:56,360 --> 00:08:58,439 Speaker 2: him squared up again and then he was able to 190 00:08:58,480 --> 00:09:00,680 Speaker 2: play one on one defense and forced Raymond into a 191 00:09:00,679 --> 00:09:03,280 Speaker 2: tough faight away. Quentin Post, who had some issues defensively 192 00:09:03,320 --> 00:09:06,080 Speaker 2: in this game, had a big one late where he 193 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:09,920 Speaker 2: showed on a ball screen Brooke Lopez slipped out of it. 194 00:09:10,080 --> 00:09:12,080 Speaker 2: He was slipping towards like the top of the key area, 195 00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:15,840 Speaker 2: and Post just sprinted back it, got back in front 196 00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:19,280 Speaker 2: of Brook, kept him out of rotation, forced him into 197 00:09:19,280 --> 00:09:21,040 Speaker 2: a tough fade away jump shot that he missed. So 198 00:09:21,080 --> 00:09:24,120 Speaker 2: again that concept the ability to be on the ball 199 00:09:24,240 --> 00:09:26,880 Speaker 2: to force a star ball handler to get rid of it, 200 00:09:27,440 --> 00:09:30,000 Speaker 2: but then also the ability to recover in rotation to 201 00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:33,839 Speaker 2: where the opening is gone. That is the concept that 202 00:09:33,920 --> 00:09:37,480 Speaker 2: makes an elite defense reach that level. Is their ability 203 00:09:37,520 --> 00:09:39,600 Speaker 2: to make you constantly feel like you're playing in a 204 00:09:39,640 --> 00:09:44,360 Speaker 2: crowd while never actually conceding the openings that lead to 205 00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:46,800 Speaker 2: the wide open shots that'll cook you in this sort 206 00:09:46,800 --> 00:09:50,640 Speaker 2: of situation. And then in those one on ones with Gianni's. 207 00:09:50,760 --> 00:09:53,040 Speaker 2: Draymond is one of the few defenders in the entire 208 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:57,240 Speaker 2: NBA that has the strength and the quickness to force 209 00:09:57,360 --> 00:10:00,000 Speaker 2: Giannis into actually taking over the top shots. We talked 210 00:10:00,120 --> 00:10:02,400 Speaker 2: about this concept in the Thunder Game. If you remember 211 00:10:02,440 --> 00:10:07,240 Speaker 2: with Isaiah Hartenstein with Yannis, there's a specific amount of 212 00:10:07,320 --> 00:10:09,320 Speaker 2: like you need to have the strength so that when 213 00:10:09,360 --> 00:10:12,120 Speaker 2: Yanna sees those small openings he can't just blow through 214 00:10:12,160 --> 00:10:15,360 Speaker 2: your shoulder, but you also have to have the mobility 215 00:10:15,720 --> 00:10:18,520 Speaker 2: to get to a spot so that Jannis actually has 216 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:21,960 Speaker 2: to make a move right. Once you have the ability 217 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:24,839 Speaker 2: to slide your feet and hold that strength on that shoulder, 218 00:10:24,920 --> 00:10:27,960 Speaker 2: you can flatten Drives out with Giannis. Once you start 219 00:10:28,040 --> 00:10:31,840 Speaker 2: flattening drives out with Giannis, it turns into drifting, tougher 220 00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:35,360 Speaker 2: contested layups. It turns into the hooks and the floaters 221 00:10:35,600 --> 00:10:38,760 Speaker 2: that like he can't make, and he's gotten better at them. 222 00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:42,160 Speaker 2: But over the years, even with that improvement, he's still 223 00:10:42,160 --> 00:10:44,320 Speaker 2: getting less than a point per shot. He's still missing 224 00:10:44,400 --> 00:10:47,400 Speaker 2: almost sixty percent of his hooks and his floaters and 225 00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:50,240 Speaker 2: things like that. That big Iso stop ed late big 226 00:10:50,280 --> 00:10:56,000 Speaker 2: possession Janis against Draymond on the left elbow extended area, 227 00:10:56,440 --> 00:10:59,840 Speaker 2: Jannis makes an aggressive move towards the right, Draymond slides 228 00:10:59,840 --> 00:11:02,679 Speaker 2: his his feet, absorbs the contact, flattens out the drive, 229 00:11:03,080 --> 00:11:05,600 Speaker 2: forces him into that tough little hook in the lane 230 00:11:05,600 --> 00:11:07,960 Speaker 2: that he leaves short off the front of the rim. 231 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:12,080 Speaker 2: And again, like we've talked about how Isaiah Hartenstein held 232 00:11:12,200 --> 00:11:15,360 Speaker 2: Giannis to his worst shooting game of the season, he 233 00:11:15,360 --> 00:11:17,440 Speaker 2: held Gianness to forty seven percent from the field. Well, 234 00:11:17,440 --> 00:11:21,320 Speaker 2: I should say Hartenstein and the thunder held Giannis to 235 00:11:21,400 --> 00:11:23,400 Speaker 2: forty seven percent from the field, which was his worst 236 00:11:23,440 --> 00:11:25,720 Speaker 2: shooting night of the season. Well, Draymond Green and the 237 00:11:25,720 --> 00:11:29,080 Speaker 2: Warriors just held him to thirty one percent from the field, 238 00:11:29,720 --> 00:11:33,000 Speaker 2: sixteen percent lower from the field than he has against 239 00:11:33,040 --> 00:11:35,720 Speaker 2: anybody else in the NBA this season. Just a casual 240 00:11:35,800 --> 00:11:38,920 Speaker 2: reminder that Draymond Green is still very much one of 241 00:11:38,920 --> 00:11:42,600 Speaker 2: the very best defensive players in the NBA. And you 242 00:11:42,640 --> 00:11:44,199 Speaker 2: know the second place that you're going to see that 243 00:11:44,440 --> 00:11:46,760 Speaker 2: be in two places at once. Type of concept come 244 00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:49,600 Speaker 2: into play is with gapping in closing out. I talk 245 00:11:49,640 --> 00:11:51,800 Speaker 2: about this concept a lot, but gapping all it is 246 00:11:51,800 --> 00:11:54,240 Speaker 2: is if you're one pass away, meaning like you're in 247 00:11:54,320 --> 00:11:57,640 Speaker 2: the driving lane, if there's a ball handler and there's 248 00:11:57,640 --> 00:11:59,320 Speaker 2: a defender scored up with him. He's got a driving 249 00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:01,480 Speaker 2: lane to the right, driving lane to the left. If 250 00:12:01,480 --> 00:12:04,079 Speaker 2: you're guarding one of the guys that's one pass away, 251 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:07,439 Speaker 2: almost every defense is gonna have you gap into the 252 00:12:07,520 --> 00:12:09,880 Speaker 2: lane a little bit so that person's gonna step over 253 00:12:09,920 --> 00:12:12,559 Speaker 2: and exist in the driving lane, so that even if 254 00:12:12,559 --> 00:12:15,000 Speaker 2: he does beat his primary defender off the dribble, he's 255 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:18,000 Speaker 2: just running into help. But in those situations, it requires 256 00:12:18,040 --> 00:12:22,280 Speaker 2: really sharp closeouts to prevent giving up those wide open 257 00:12:22,360 --> 00:12:26,120 Speaker 2: threes that can that can come from just a simple 258 00:12:26,160 --> 00:12:28,480 Speaker 2: swing pass right. I thought a perfect example of this 259 00:12:28,640 --> 00:12:32,120 Speaker 2: was the late three, the tying three that Gary Trent 260 00:12:32,200 --> 00:12:35,080 Speaker 2: Junior missed again that could have tied the games ninety 261 00:12:35,080 --> 00:12:37,080 Speaker 2: six to ninety three. Was a little over two minutes left. 262 00:12:37,559 --> 00:12:39,400 Speaker 2: Dam and Giannis are trying really hard to run a 263 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:41,480 Speaker 2: cleared side pick and roll on the right side, and 264 00:12:41,520 --> 00:12:43,680 Speaker 2: it was hilarious because Giannis is having a meltdown because 265 00:12:43,679 --> 00:12:45,600 Speaker 2: Torian prince like would not get out of the corner, 266 00:12:45,640 --> 00:12:47,080 Speaker 2: and he's over there just like waving. 267 00:12:46,800 --> 00:12:48,480 Speaker 1: Like, get out of there, get out of there. 268 00:12:48,640 --> 00:12:51,080 Speaker 2: So Torrian finally clears out of the corner and they're 269 00:12:51,080 --> 00:12:53,080 Speaker 2: set up to run their cleared side ball screen. Why 270 00:12:53,160 --> 00:12:55,640 Speaker 2: I've talked a lot about this. The Bucks I think 271 00:12:55,720 --> 00:12:58,800 Speaker 2: are at their best sometimes with Giannis in his some 272 00:12:58,880 --> 00:13:01,200 Speaker 2: of his limitations as a play maker to keep the 273 00:13:01,200 --> 00:13:02,920 Speaker 2: floor in front of him. And so if you clear 274 00:13:02,960 --> 00:13:05,199 Speaker 2: the side, then when he rolls into that space in 275 00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:07,400 Speaker 2: the short corner, he's got the entire floor in front 276 00:13:07,400 --> 00:13:09,040 Speaker 2: of him and he can just barrel downhill to the 277 00:13:09,080 --> 00:13:11,760 Speaker 2: rim and have really easy passing raids available. That's why 278 00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:14,760 Speaker 2: he's wanting that cleared side. He wants to roll into 279 00:13:14,880 --> 00:13:19,200 Speaker 2: space right. So the Warriors decide to defend it by icing. 280 00:13:19,320 --> 00:13:22,080 Speaker 2: What that means is Gary Payton the second is going 281 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:25,800 Speaker 2: to completely close off the drive towards the middle and 282 00:13:25,920 --> 00:13:28,960 Speaker 2: force Dame towards the sideline where Draymond is going to 283 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:31,439 Speaker 2: be sitting, and basically a deep drop coverage kind of 284 00:13:31,520 --> 00:13:34,840 Speaker 2: right around the elbow extended, so that if Dame drives, 285 00:13:34,840 --> 00:13:37,960 Speaker 2: he's basically driving into a bracket. He drives into a 286 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:40,960 Speaker 2: bracket where Janis and Gary Payton are there, kind of 287 00:13:40,960 --> 00:13:43,760 Speaker 2: trapping him on both sides, and then Jannis has to 288 00:13:43,880 --> 00:13:47,160 Speaker 2: roll not towards the cleared side. Yannis would have to 289 00:13:47,240 --> 00:13:50,120 Speaker 2: roll towards the middle, which is where all the traffic is. 290 00:13:50,160 --> 00:13:52,800 Speaker 2: That's why teams try to ice those side ball screens, right, 291 00:13:53,120 --> 00:13:56,240 Speaker 2: So Jannis flips the screening angle and tries to screen 292 00:13:56,600 --> 00:13:59,160 Speaker 2: Gary Payton so that Dame can at least get towards 293 00:13:59,200 --> 00:14:01,319 Speaker 2: the sideline with a little bit more of an advantage. 294 00:14:01,440 --> 00:14:05,000 Speaker 2: So Draymond identifies it immediately and goes, oh, Yiannis flips 295 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:08,280 Speaker 2: the screen. I don't want Dame just gets screaming downhill. 296 00:14:08,559 --> 00:14:12,400 Speaker 2: So Draymond rushes up to the level like he's gonna 297 00:14:12,400 --> 00:14:15,240 Speaker 2: blitz Dame coming off the ball screen. This causes Dame 298 00:14:15,280 --> 00:14:18,120 Speaker 2: to panic, and Dame dribbles back out to half court, 299 00:14:18,440 --> 00:14:21,960 Speaker 2: but Gary Payton loses contain on him, and all of 300 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:25,400 Speaker 2: a sudden, Dame comes screaming downhill from the top of 301 00:14:25,480 --> 00:14:28,680 Speaker 2: from out by half court. As he comes screaming downhill, though, 302 00:14:29,040 --> 00:14:32,680 Speaker 2: where's the next defender in the chain. It's Brandon Pajemski, 303 00:14:32,680 --> 00:14:35,680 Speaker 2: who's gapping off of Gary Trent right there at the 304 00:14:35,680 --> 00:14:38,320 Speaker 2: top of the key to help contain on the Dame drive. 305 00:14:38,440 --> 00:14:41,360 Speaker 2: So Dame obviously sees the read and goes, I'm gonna 306 00:14:41,360 --> 00:14:43,880 Speaker 2: swing it over to Gary Payton or excuse me to 307 00:14:44,120 --> 00:14:46,760 Speaker 2: Gary Trent Junior on the left wing right. But if 308 00:14:46,800 --> 00:14:50,200 Speaker 2: you watch Pods, Pods identifies it in real time and 309 00:14:50,240 --> 00:14:53,200 Speaker 2: he sees Dame picking up his dribble to make that 310 00:14:53,240 --> 00:14:56,760 Speaker 2: swing pass, starts his rotation early and ends up getting 311 00:14:56,760 --> 00:15:01,000 Speaker 2: a great contest on Gary Trent's three. That three would 312 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:04,560 Speaker 2: have tied the game, but because of the great contest 313 00:15:04,160 --> 00:15:09,120 Speaker 2: from Pojemski, he rushes it. You can see Gary Trent 314 00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:11,840 Speaker 2: rush the shot and he leaves it way short and 315 00:15:11,960 --> 00:15:14,040 Speaker 2: ends up grazing the side of the rim. 316 00:15:14,520 --> 00:15:15,840 Speaker 1: It had no chance of going in. 317 00:15:15,920 --> 00:15:19,200 Speaker 2: And again that entire play got blown up because you 318 00:15:19,280 --> 00:15:22,120 Speaker 2: had an ice coverage that caused the Bucks to do 319 00:15:22,160 --> 00:15:24,240 Speaker 2: something they didn't want to do. So then when Giannis 320 00:15:24,280 --> 00:15:27,320 Speaker 2: flipped his screening angle, Draymond threw a blitz which forced 321 00:15:27,360 --> 00:15:31,000 Speaker 2: Dame to audible into dribbling the other way. But even 322 00:15:31,040 --> 00:15:34,160 Speaker 2: when Gary Payton lost control, there was another defender there 323 00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:36,520 Speaker 2: in the gap to make it feel like he was 324 00:15:36,560 --> 00:15:40,520 Speaker 2: playing in a crowd, make it feel like there's an opening, 325 00:15:41,240 --> 00:15:44,040 Speaker 2: but there's actually not an opening. Pods is on top 326 00:15:44,080 --> 00:15:45,680 Speaker 2: of it. He gets a great close out and so 327 00:15:46,000 --> 00:15:49,520 Speaker 2: essentially there's no paint touch there's no compromising of the 328 00:15:49,560 --> 00:15:52,360 Speaker 2: interior of the defense. There's nothing at the rim. It's 329 00:15:52,400 --> 00:15:55,000 Speaker 2: a smothered catch and shoot three that gets rushed and 330 00:15:55,040 --> 00:15:59,200 Speaker 2: badly missed by Gary Trent And again like the Bucks 331 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:04,400 Speaker 2: shot extreemly well on open threes. On unguarded catch and 332 00:16:04,400 --> 00:16:08,120 Speaker 2: shoot threes, they were seven for nine, but they only 333 00:16:08,200 --> 00:16:11,960 Speaker 2: generated nine of them. When Golden State got a good 334 00:16:12,040 --> 00:16:15,360 Speaker 2: contest on a catch and shoot Milwaukee jumper, they were 335 00:16:15,440 --> 00:16:18,840 Speaker 2: just five for seventeen on those catch and shoots. The 336 00:16:18,920 --> 00:16:22,160 Speaker 2: contested catch and shoots again like that, those gapp being 337 00:16:22,200 --> 00:16:24,600 Speaker 2: closeouts are one of the big ways that Golden State 338 00:16:24,640 --> 00:16:28,160 Speaker 2: can make those perceived openings disappear in a heartbeat. Again, 339 00:16:28,160 --> 00:16:31,640 Speaker 2: it was just a defensive masterclass from the Warriors. On offense, 340 00:16:31,800 --> 00:16:34,600 Speaker 2: it was just about timely contributions. Like when Milwaukee took 341 00:16:34,640 --> 00:16:37,600 Speaker 2: their six point lead in the late third, Jimmy started 342 00:16:37,600 --> 00:16:40,240 Speaker 2: going to work and did some nice grift work to 343 00:16:40,280 --> 00:16:42,280 Speaker 2: get to the line a few times. I thought he 344 00:16:42,360 --> 00:16:44,600 Speaker 2: was brilliant. Over the last like fifteen minutes or so. 345 00:16:44,680 --> 00:16:47,080 Speaker 2: On offense, he just kept getting to the line. He 346 00:16:47,120 --> 00:16:49,640 Speaker 2: hit a few pull up jump shots, including a four 347 00:16:49,640 --> 00:16:51,880 Speaker 2: point play like an and three point shot on the 348 00:16:51,960 --> 00:16:54,320 Speaker 2: left wing. He made some nice driving kick plays, like 349 00:16:54,360 --> 00:16:56,680 Speaker 2: a really nice bounce past the Quinton post in the 350 00:16:56,760 --> 00:16:59,280 Speaker 2: right corner. Where as he was driving along the baseline, 351 00:16:59,360 --> 00:17:01,560 Speaker 2: the defender was there in the passing lane, and so 352 00:17:01,600 --> 00:17:04,640 Speaker 2: he had to change his pass angle to like bounce 353 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:06,960 Speaker 2: right next to the defender so that it can sneak 354 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:09,240 Speaker 2: through to Quinton post. The Bucks were also doing a 355 00:17:09,240 --> 00:17:11,399 Speaker 2: lot of aggressive helping late in the game off of 356 00:17:11,440 --> 00:17:15,000 Speaker 2: Gary Payton and Brandon Pajemski. They put Lopez on Gary 357 00:17:15,040 --> 00:17:18,240 Speaker 2: Payton and just sitting him under the basket. Gary Payton 358 00:17:18,240 --> 00:17:20,080 Speaker 2: had a really nice relocation to the top of the 359 00:17:20,119 --> 00:17:22,440 Speaker 2: key where Jimmy just shoveled it to him and Gary 360 00:17:22,440 --> 00:17:24,240 Speaker 2: Payton knocked down the three. Gary Payon keeps sitting in 361 00:17:24,240 --> 00:17:27,400 Speaker 2: these uncontested threes and it's been part of the way 362 00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:29,920 Speaker 2: that he's maintained his value on offense. And then late 363 00:17:29,920 --> 00:17:31,520 Speaker 2: in the game they ended up in rotation in a 364 00:17:31,520 --> 00:17:34,200 Speaker 2: ball screen at Pajemski ended up rotating up to the 365 00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:36,800 Speaker 2: right wing. Jimmy sprays it out the pods and he 366 00:17:36,880 --> 00:17:40,399 Speaker 2: ends up hitting the big uncontested three. But Jimmy just 367 00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:44,600 Speaker 2: kept making smart plays as that primary handler in those situations, 368 00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:47,040 Speaker 2: and credits to those guys they knocked down the shots. 369 00:17:47,040 --> 00:17:50,320 Speaker 2: I thought Buddy healed the two transition pull up threes 370 00:17:50,359 --> 00:17:52,840 Speaker 2: he hit after Milwaukee took that six point lead. I 371 00:17:52,840 --> 00:17:54,879 Speaker 2: thought both of those were huge shots. He had won 372 00:17:54,920 --> 00:17:56,880 Speaker 2: on the right wing, one on the left wing. Those 373 00:17:56,880 --> 00:17:59,600 Speaker 2: were just really important shots in the flow of the game. 374 00:18:00,160 --> 00:18:03,760 Speaker 2: A really impressive bounce back win for the Warriors after 375 00:18:03,800 --> 00:18:06,000 Speaker 2: the disappointment of that loss to Denver, and then on 376 00:18:06,040 --> 00:18:10,159 Speaker 2: the Milwaukee front again. Yiannis's three worst shooting games of 377 00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:12,439 Speaker 2: the season have all taken place in the last week. 378 00:18:12,600 --> 00:18:14,960 Speaker 2: You know, the Lakers one is whatever. The Lakers have 379 00:18:15,040 --> 00:18:16,720 Speaker 2: been one of the best defenses in the league for 380 00:18:16,720 --> 00:18:18,600 Speaker 2: the last several months, but they were down a bunch 381 00:18:18,680 --> 00:18:21,320 Speaker 2: of guys and they were just doubling him constantly. And 382 00:18:21,359 --> 00:18:23,800 Speaker 2: the Bucks did burn the Lakers by just skipping the 383 00:18:23,800 --> 00:18:26,200 Speaker 2: ball across the court and hitting threes. But the Thunder, 384 00:18:26,240 --> 00:18:28,440 Speaker 2: the Warriors, and the Lakers are three of the best 385 00:18:28,440 --> 00:18:31,879 Speaker 2: defenses in the NBA, and Giannis has really struggled to 386 00:18:31,880 --> 00:18:34,480 Speaker 2: get easy stuff at the rim against them again, Thunder 387 00:18:34,560 --> 00:18:37,680 Speaker 2: and Warriors being his two worst shooting literally. The Lakers 388 00:18:37,680 --> 00:18:40,239 Speaker 2: Thunders and Warriors games. All three of those are his 389 00:18:40,320 --> 00:18:43,720 Speaker 2: three worst shooting games of the season. I just hope 390 00:18:43,720 --> 00:18:46,200 Speaker 2: he's not dealing with any sort of like nagging lower 391 00:18:46,240 --> 00:18:49,200 Speaker 2: body injury because I would really like to see Yannis 392 00:18:49,560 --> 00:18:52,000 Speaker 2: healthy in the playoffs again after what happened the last 393 00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:54,440 Speaker 2: couple of years, and it just seems like he's trending 394 00:18:54,480 --> 00:18:57,320 Speaker 2: downward right now, and I just hope everything's all right 395 00:18:57,359 --> 00:19:00,720 Speaker 2: with him physically. The concerning thing for me with Milwaukee 396 00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:03,040 Speaker 2: is they just haven't been able to put things together 397 00:19:03,119 --> 00:19:06,720 Speaker 2: on offense, which is concerning because they that was a 398 00:19:06,800 --> 00:19:09,440 Speaker 2: strength of Theirs for most of the season last year. 399 00:19:09,720 --> 00:19:12,760 Speaker 2: And again like with their defense, even though it's performed 400 00:19:12,800 --> 00:19:17,480 Speaker 2: well statistically, they have a tendency to break down relatively easily. 401 00:19:17,520 --> 00:19:19,760 Speaker 2: Despite those defensive rating numbers. You look at the numbers 402 00:19:19,760 --> 00:19:21,720 Speaker 2: and it's like their tenth and defensive rating on the season. 403 00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:25,400 Speaker 2: They've been the best clutch defense in the NBA this year. Statistically, 404 00:19:25,400 --> 00:19:27,280 Speaker 2: it all looks great, but time and time again, in 405 00:19:27,359 --> 00:19:29,840 Speaker 2: these spots, especially against the best teams in the league, 406 00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:34,439 Speaker 2: it's the same issue. It's Brook Lopez in space, like 407 00:19:34,720 --> 00:19:37,160 Speaker 2: he's either sitting at the rim and leaving a shooter open, 408 00:19:37,240 --> 00:19:38,919 Speaker 2: or he's going out on the perimeter and guys are 409 00:19:38,960 --> 00:19:42,080 Speaker 2: running right around him. Every time they end up in rotation. 410 00:19:42,200 --> 00:19:45,240 Speaker 2: You see these sequences like the Pajemski three late in 411 00:19:45,280 --> 00:19:47,879 Speaker 2: the game. Watch Dame and Gary Trent on that play. 412 00:19:47,920 --> 00:19:51,399 Speaker 2: They just look lost in rotation on the backside, and 413 00:19:51,440 --> 00:19:53,440 Speaker 2: it's like, when you really get down to it, it's 414 00:19:53,520 --> 00:19:56,760 Speaker 2: like their best lineup is probably what you saw there 415 00:19:57,119 --> 00:19:59,800 Speaker 2: right like with Gary Trent and with Kyle Kuzma, and 416 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:02,080 Speaker 2: it's like, when you have that group out there, there's 417 00:20:02,119 --> 00:20:04,800 Speaker 2: just too many players on the floor that are prone 418 00:20:04,800 --> 00:20:09,720 Speaker 2: to defense's mistakes. That's separate from any sort of big picture, 419 00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:13,919 Speaker 2: large sample sized metric they might put together. Make their 420 00:20:14,359 --> 00:20:16,760 Speaker 2: defense a little rickety when they need to get stops 421 00:20:16,760 --> 00:20:20,000 Speaker 2: in these situations, and it's hard to overcome that unless 422 00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:22,439 Speaker 2: you're a world beater on offense. And the Bucks just 423 00:20:22,720 --> 00:20:24,920 Speaker 2: haven't been that good on that end of the floor 424 00:20:24,960 --> 00:20:26,800 Speaker 2: this year. They look to me like a team that's 425 00:20:27,480 --> 00:20:29,920 Speaker 2: like destined for a disappointing finish at this point. 426 00:20:43,240 --> 00:20:44,720 Speaker 1: Pile Let's move on to Cavs Clippers. 427 00:20:44,920 --> 00:20:47,040 Speaker 2: So the Clippers big test for them last night, an 428 00:20:47,040 --> 00:20:50,880 Speaker 2: opportunity to legitimize some of their recent success. The Clippers 429 00:20:50,880 --> 00:20:53,320 Speaker 2: had won six out of seven, including a three game 430 00:20:53,320 --> 00:20:56,560 Speaker 2: winning streak against Detroit, New York and Sacramento, playing some 431 00:20:56,680 --> 00:20:58,960 Speaker 2: really good ball. They're top five in both offense and 432 00:20:59,040 --> 00:21:01,720 Speaker 2: defense in that span. Why Leonard has started to look stronger. 433 00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:05,280 Speaker 2: They're just coming together, right. But the Caves present a 434 00:21:05,359 --> 00:21:08,600 Speaker 2: real challenge, particularly on the offensive end, because they can 435 00:21:08,680 --> 00:21:11,560 Speaker 2: just be so difficult to keep up with. And the 436 00:21:11,560 --> 00:21:14,520 Speaker 2: Cavs made it abundantly clear right out the gates of 437 00:21:14,520 --> 00:21:16,400 Speaker 2: this game that they were going to make it very 438 00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:18,399 Speaker 2: difficult to keep up with them. They came out in 439 00:21:18,480 --> 00:21:21,000 Speaker 2: lace three straight threes. Max Strew hit two in a row, 440 00:21:21,040 --> 00:21:23,320 Speaker 2: Darius Garland Lace is at three ouf the dribble. They 441 00:21:23,400 --> 00:21:27,200 Speaker 2: hit forty five points in the first quarter, so pretty 442 00:21:27,240 --> 00:21:29,480 Speaker 2: quickly the game took on the feel of a shootout. 443 00:21:29,640 --> 00:21:31,760 Speaker 2: I talk a lot about the concept of winning games 444 00:21:31,800 --> 00:21:35,360 Speaker 2: in different ways. Why, because in the playoffs you got 445 00:21:35,359 --> 00:21:38,080 Speaker 2: to beat four different teams in a seven game series, 446 00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:42,320 Speaker 2: usually for very different types of opponents, and one round 447 00:21:42,359 --> 00:21:45,320 Speaker 2: you might face like a big, physical defense that drags 448 00:21:45,320 --> 00:21:48,520 Speaker 2: you down into the mud. Everybody's legs are tired. Jumpers 449 00:21:48,520 --> 00:21:51,920 Speaker 2: stop falling and it turns into like winning a rock fight, right, 450 00:21:52,200 --> 00:21:54,240 Speaker 2: But then in the next round, you might fight fight 451 00:21:54,280 --> 00:21:58,440 Speaker 2: against a thinner, faster team that plays really fast and 452 00:21:58,480 --> 00:22:00,280 Speaker 2: scores a lot of points, and it becomes more about 453 00:22:00,359 --> 00:22:03,040 Speaker 2: your offensive firepower and your ability to keep up with 454 00:22:03,080 --> 00:22:07,560 Speaker 2: your perimeter speed. Even just stars can present different challenges. Oh, 455 00:22:07,600 --> 00:22:10,800 Speaker 2: this team has you know, nikolea jokicch sor if you 456 00:22:10,840 --> 00:22:13,119 Speaker 2: get Zubas right, a big, strong center that we have 457 00:22:13,119 --> 00:22:15,480 Speaker 2: to match up. Or maybe it's a super quick guard 458 00:22:15,480 --> 00:22:17,199 Speaker 2: like Darius Garland, Like how are we going to keep 459 00:22:17,240 --> 00:22:19,680 Speaker 2: Darius Garland from getting out of his spots? Every team 460 00:22:19,720 --> 00:22:22,600 Speaker 2: presents different types of challenges. That's why it's so important 461 00:22:22,640 --> 00:22:24,439 Speaker 2: to be able to win different types of wins. I 462 00:22:24,440 --> 00:22:27,440 Speaker 2: thought this particular game was a test of the Clippers 463 00:22:27,600 --> 00:22:31,000 Speaker 2: offensive firepower. Cleveland is the best offense in the league, 464 00:22:31,160 --> 00:22:33,600 Speaker 2: and while the Clippers did have some success against their 465 00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:36,919 Speaker 2: offense late in the game by getting some stops, for 466 00:22:37,080 --> 00:22:40,680 Speaker 2: two and a half quarters, the Cavs were just red hot. 467 00:22:40,760 --> 00:22:43,359 Speaker 2: They were in the zone. Sometimes that's just how it is. 468 00:22:43,400 --> 00:22:46,000 Speaker 2: It's not like Chris Dunn and Kawhi Leonard weren't guarding 469 00:22:46,040 --> 00:22:48,320 Speaker 2: at the start of the game, it's just good offense 470 00:22:48,359 --> 00:22:52,080 Speaker 2: beats good defense every time. So sometimes you're kind of 471 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:54,720 Speaker 2: just hanging on for dear life, and you just have 472 00:22:54,800 --> 00:22:57,280 Speaker 2: to find a way to score at a similar pace, 473 00:22:57,400 --> 00:23:01,080 Speaker 2: just to weather the storm until they cool start missing shots, 474 00:23:01,119 --> 00:23:03,680 Speaker 2: or until your defense settles in and you start making 475 00:23:03,720 --> 00:23:05,720 Speaker 2: them uncomfortable. That's what I mean when I say the 476 00:23:05,720 --> 00:23:07,560 Speaker 2: game took on a feel of a shootout, like the 477 00:23:07,560 --> 00:23:09,640 Speaker 2: Clippers were just trying to keep up for the first 478 00:23:09,640 --> 00:23:11,439 Speaker 2: two and a half quarters of that game. Now, in 479 00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:14,160 Speaker 2: order for you to be able to consistently score against 480 00:23:14,160 --> 00:23:16,040 Speaker 2: a good defense, and again we've talked a lot about 481 00:23:16,040 --> 00:23:19,119 Speaker 2: the Cavs offense. They're seventh in defense. It's not an 482 00:23:19,160 --> 00:23:22,320 Speaker 2: exceptional defensive team, but they're a very good defensive team. 483 00:23:22,600 --> 00:23:25,159 Speaker 2: And if you're going to generate consistent offense against a 484 00:23:25,200 --> 00:23:27,520 Speaker 2: top ten defense like that, you need to have a 485 00:23:27,600 --> 00:23:30,640 Speaker 2: bunch of different guys that can generate quality shots from 486 00:23:30,640 --> 00:23:33,760 Speaker 2: a bunch of different types of actions or sequences. And 487 00:23:33,800 --> 00:23:36,240 Speaker 2: the Clippers proved that they were more than capable last night. 488 00:23:37,119 --> 00:23:40,000 Speaker 2: Kawhi looked absolutely amazing. It's crazy because like a few 489 00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:42,680 Speaker 2: weeks ago, he just didn't look good physically, it looked 490 00:23:42,680 --> 00:23:44,480 Speaker 2: like he wasn't getting lyft. It looks like his base 491 00:23:44,560 --> 00:23:48,600 Speaker 2: was getting disrupted by basically every team that he ran into. 492 00:23:49,280 --> 00:23:51,679 Speaker 2: Last night, the Clippers play by play guy set on 493 00:23:51,720 --> 00:23:54,560 Speaker 2: the broadcast quote, this is the Kawhi Leonard we know 494 00:23:54,880 --> 00:23:57,840 Speaker 2: and remember, and this is the Kawhi Leonard we need, 495 00:23:58,280 --> 00:24:01,200 Speaker 2: And he was absolutely right. I had thirty three, seven 496 00:24:01,240 --> 00:24:04,359 Speaker 2: and four with for steals. He was twelve for nineteen 497 00:24:04,400 --> 00:24:07,760 Speaker 2: from the field, five for six from three several specific 498 00:24:07,840 --> 00:24:10,720 Speaker 2: types of plays that I thought were great signs of 499 00:24:10,800 --> 00:24:13,920 Speaker 2: the improving strength of his base, and again that's always 500 00:24:13,960 --> 00:24:17,359 Speaker 2: been where Kawhi beats people. He's got such a strong 501 00:24:17,480 --> 00:24:21,400 Speaker 2: base that he's dislodging you from your base, and he's 502 00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:25,120 Speaker 2: getting such great lift that he can knock down consistently, 503 00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:27,960 Speaker 2: pull up jump shots from everywhere on the floor and 504 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:29,920 Speaker 2: get to the room. He's just that pure three level 505 00:24:29,920 --> 00:24:30,800 Speaker 2: score that. 506 00:24:30,720 --> 00:24:31,280 Speaker 1: You can't keep. 507 00:24:31,280 --> 00:24:34,840 Speaker 2: From his spots, you can see the base strength coming 508 00:24:34,840 --> 00:24:37,320 Speaker 2: together with some of these types of plays. He had 509 00:24:37,320 --> 00:24:39,800 Speaker 2: a tap in offensive rebound putback on a shot that 510 00:24:39,840 --> 00:24:43,080 Speaker 2: he missed where he beat everyone else back up off 511 00:24:43,160 --> 00:24:46,240 Speaker 2: the floor on his second jump. That's always a sign 512 00:24:46,760 --> 00:24:50,159 Speaker 2: of athletic dominance when you can win on the second jump, 513 00:24:50,520 --> 00:24:52,959 Speaker 2: that was a big sign. He hit a right shoulder 514 00:24:53,040 --> 00:24:55,480 Speaker 2: fade over Dean Wade big shot late in the game. 515 00:24:55,720 --> 00:24:58,879 Speaker 2: Dean Wade defends him super well, gets a great contest. 516 00:24:59,240 --> 00:25:02,720 Speaker 2: Kawhi has to fade dramatically over his right shoulder, but 517 00:25:02,800 --> 00:25:05,680 Speaker 2: he just gets excellent lift and if you watch the shot, 518 00:25:05,680 --> 00:25:08,000 Speaker 2: he gets such great lift that even though he's drifting 519 00:25:08,040 --> 00:25:12,200 Speaker 2: away from the basket, his body is perfectly still imbalanced 520 00:25:12,520 --> 00:25:14,919 Speaker 2: while he's rising up and knocking down that shot. He 521 00:25:14,920 --> 00:25:18,240 Speaker 2: had another right shoulder fade over Evan Mobley late. It 522 00:25:18,280 --> 00:25:19,600 Speaker 2: was a different kind of fade. It was like a 523 00:25:19,680 --> 00:25:22,520 Speaker 2: quick spinning fade out of a drive and like, once again, 524 00:25:22,560 --> 00:25:25,120 Speaker 2: look at his balance, and that's a great sign because 525 00:25:25,160 --> 00:25:28,240 Speaker 2: those quick spins, those quick moves, those are the hardest 526 00:25:28,320 --> 00:25:31,480 Speaker 2: moves to stop your body and get balance as you're 527 00:25:31,480 --> 00:25:32,560 Speaker 2: coming up off the ground. 528 00:25:33,119 --> 00:25:35,320 Speaker 1: All night long, he just looked like Kawhi. 529 00:25:35,840 --> 00:25:38,119 Speaker 2: We know that at his best he has this like 530 00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:41,119 Speaker 2: scissor dribble combination that he'll go to for pull up 531 00:25:41,160 --> 00:25:44,080 Speaker 2: threes where he'll just pound the ball between his legs 532 00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:46,639 Speaker 2: and just go straight up into a three out of it. 533 00:25:46,680 --> 00:25:49,080 Speaker 2: He does it out of a couple different footworks and 534 00:25:49,280 --> 00:25:52,640 Speaker 2: a couple of different dribble combinations, but it's basically it's 535 00:25:52,640 --> 00:25:54,960 Speaker 2: like a live dribble jab step where he'll like use 536 00:25:55,000 --> 00:25:58,320 Speaker 2: that between the legs dribble to essentially jab and get 537 00:25:58,320 --> 00:26:00,480 Speaker 2: the defender to take a step back so that he 538 00:26:00,480 --> 00:26:01,879 Speaker 2: can just rise up and knock it down. He was 539 00:26:01,960 --> 00:26:05,240 Speaker 2: hitting that all night long. He just looked great. James 540 00:26:05,280 --> 00:26:07,919 Speaker 2: Harden was really smart with his attacks all night. He 541 00:26:07,960 --> 00:26:10,800 Speaker 2: was using guard screens to get favorable matchups before getting 542 00:26:10,800 --> 00:26:12,760 Speaker 2: into ball screens, and then he was attacking those guards 543 00:26:12,760 --> 00:26:13,680 Speaker 2: in ISO as well. 544 00:26:13,840 --> 00:26:15,400 Speaker 1: He didn't shoot the ball super well, but he. 545 00:26:15,320 --> 00:26:17,000 Speaker 2: Got to the line eleven times, so he finished with 546 00:26:17,040 --> 00:26:19,440 Speaker 2: twenty two points and nine assists with zero turnovers. That's 547 00:26:19,480 --> 00:26:22,320 Speaker 2: a pretty damn good James Harden game. But it wasn't 548 00:26:22,400 --> 00:26:24,840 Speaker 2: just those two guys BOGGEDA mcgdonovitch had one of his 549 00:26:24,840 --> 00:26:27,959 Speaker 2: best games as a Clipper, some nice secondary shot creation 550 00:26:28,080 --> 00:26:30,920 Speaker 2: with the bench group. He also closed the game with 551 00:26:31,080 --> 00:26:34,320 Speaker 2: James Harden and Kawhi and did some really nice connective playmaking. 552 00:26:34,680 --> 00:26:37,400 Speaker 2: He was being guarded by Garland, so Kawhi was trying 553 00:26:37,440 --> 00:26:40,479 Speaker 2: to attack Garland by bringing Bogdanovitch into the action as 554 00:26:40,480 --> 00:26:43,560 Speaker 2: a screener. At first, they try to hedge and recover, 555 00:26:43,600 --> 00:26:46,119 Speaker 2: which is the most common coverage that you'll see teams 556 00:26:46,200 --> 00:26:49,520 Speaker 2: use when you've got a small quick guard that a 557 00:26:49,560 --> 00:26:52,600 Speaker 2: team's trying to attack. Because quickness is the ability to 558 00:26:52,720 --> 00:26:54,879 Speaker 2: rotate right, he can throw a hedge and he can 559 00:26:54,920 --> 00:26:59,400 Speaker 2: get out of there as quick as possible. Garland hedges, Bogdanovich, slips, 560 00:27:00,119 --> 00:27:02,440 Speaker 2: throws the pass to him. He makes a nice read 561 00:27:02,560 --> 00:27:05,440 Speaker 2: out to James Harden in the corner. James Harden gets 562 00:27:05,480 --> 00:27:08,200 Speaker 2: a close out, drives the close out and makes the floater. 563 00:27:08,560 --> 00:27:12,840 Speaker 2: That is that like excellent breaking down, that incremental breaking 564 00:27:12,880 --> 00:27:16,880 Speaker 2: down of the defense. Right, Kawhi draws two Magdonovich extends 565 00:27:16,920 --> 00:27:20,000 Speaker 2: the advantage with a nice kickout read. Harden gets a 566 00:27:20,040 --> 00:27:23,199 Speaker 2: close out that he scores against with a driving floater. 567 00:27:23,680 --> 00:27:27,920 Speaker 2: Getting three high level offensive players in those sequences makes 568 00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:31,320 Speaker 2: some more resilient against better defense. Right then, after the 569 00:27:31,359 --> 00:27:33,840 Speaker 2: hedge didn't work, they just straight up blitz Kawhi with 570 00:27:33,960 --> 00:27:38,439 Speaker 2: Darius Carlin floated out to Bogdanovic. He beats Donovan Mitchell, 571 00:27:38,440 --> 00:27:40,320 Speaker 2: who rotates to the top. He gets into the lane 572 00:27:40,320 --> 00:27:42,840 Speaker 2: and hits that tough floater that he knocked down in 573 00:27:42,840 --> 00:27:44,720 Speaker 2: the lane. He was eight for eight in this game 574 00:27:45,119 --> 00:27:47,399 Speaker 2: for twenty points. That's how you're going to keep up 575 00:27:47,400 --> 00:27:52,199 Speaker 2: in a shootout, all of those offensive initiation points that 576 00:27:52,280 --> 00:27:55,400 Speaker 2: you have, all those connective playmaking pieces, all the play 577 00:27:55,400 --> 00:27:59,480 Speaker 2: finishing coming together right, And then there was Zubas. Zubach 578 00:27:59,520 --> 00:28:01,760 Speaker 2: has been snikky kicking the shit out of some of 579 00:28:01,800 --> 00:28:04,320 Speaker 2: the best centers in the league all year. I saw 580 00:28:04,359 --> 00:28:07,560 Speaker 2: tweet last night that he's hung twenty and twenty on 581 00:28:07,680 --> 00:28:09,520 Speaker 2: a bunch of the All Star centers, and that's not 582 00:28:09,680 --> 00:28:13,080 Speaker 2: exactly true, but it's close enough to true. He had 583 00:28:13,119 --> 00:28:15,800 Speaker 2: twenty one and twenty two against Wemby, he had twenty 584 00:28:15,840 --> 00:28:19,119 Speaker 2: and nineteen against Jaron Jackson, he had twenty one and 585 00:28:19,240 --> 00:28:23,359 Speaker 2: nineteen against Anthony Davis, twenty three and eighteen against Straymond, 586 00:28:24,160 --> 00:28:26,280 Speaker 2: and then last night he puts up twenty eight and 587 00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:30,440 Speaker 2: twenty against Jared Allen. And it was just as bad 588 00:28:30,520 --> 00:28:32,959 Speaker 2: for Jared as it looked on the box score. Zubats 589 00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:35,879 Speaker 2: whooped his ass straight up, scored on him in the 590 00:28:35,920 --> 00:28:39,160 Speaker 2: post a bunch of times, one on one, just absolutely 591 00:28:39,240 --> 00:28:41,520 Speaker 2: butchered him on the offensive glass shot goes up. He 592 00:28:41,600 --> 00:28:43,560 Speaker 2: was just leaning on him and just shoving him out 593 00:28:43,600 --> 00:28:45,800 Speaker 2: of his spot, getting whatever he wanted. He had eight 594 00:28:45,840 --> 00:28:49,120 Speaker 2: offensive rebounds in the game. There's huge play late Cleveland 595 00:28:49,160 --> 00:28:51,880 Speaker 2: cuts the lead to seven and gets two stops in 596 00:28:51,880 --> 00:28:54,640 Speaker 2: a row against the Clippers offense. But on both plays 597 00:28:54,960 --> 00:28:58,200 Speaker 2: Zubas just wrecking balls into the lane and taps the 598 00:28:58,240 --> 00:29:00,520 Speaker 2: ball out and they keep the ball alive two times 599 00:29:00,520 --> 00:29:02,720 Speaker 2: in a row. He was hitting shots in the roll 600 00:29:02,760 --> 00:29:05,760 Speaker 2: off of Harden, he was ducking in on cuts. He 601 00:29:05,880 --> 00:29:08,720 Speaker 2: was just an absolute monster. He kicked Jared Allen's ass. 602 00:29:08,760 --> 00:29:12,160 Speaker 2: There's no way around it. So the question is why 603 00:29:12,160 --> 00:29:14,760 Speaker 2: does Zubac keep kicking ass against some of the best 604 00:29:14,760 --> 00:29:17,560 Speaker 2: bigs in basketball. It's an interesting part of the way 605 00:29:17,560 --> 00:29:20,480 Speaker 2: the modern game has changed at the center position. As 606 00:29:20,520 --> 00:29:23,400 Speaker 2: things have changed with pace and the way teams run 607 00:29:23,480 --> 00:29:26,400 Speaker 2: up and down the floor and attack in ball screens 608 00:29:26,440 --> 00:29:30,240 Speaker 2: with rim runners in vertical spacers, we've seen a massive 609 00:29:30,320 --> 00:29:34,160 Speaker 2: increase in these like thinner rim running types of bigs. 610 00:29:34,640 --> 00:29:37,760 Speaker 2: Jared Allen and Mobiley are great examples. Victor Women, Yama, 611 00:29:37,880 --> 00:29:39,960 Speaker 2: Chet Holmgren, Anthony Davis kind of fits this. 612 00:29:40,080 --> 00:29:41,880 Speaker 1: Mole. Rudy go Bear Derek Lively. 613 00:29:42,400 --> 00:29:45,280 Speaker 2: That type of guy has become way more common in 614 00:29:45,320 --> 00:29:47,240 Speaker 2: the league as the league has become faster, more of 615 00:29:47,240 --> 00:29:50,240 Speaker 2: a transition game, more of a pick and roll, rolling 616 00:29:50,280 --> 00:29:53,680 Speaker 2: hard to the rim. You need vertical spacing type of league. 617 00:29:53,880 --> 00:29:57,200 Speaker 2: Back in the day, there were two or three huge, 618 00:29:57,400 --> 00:30:01,320 Speaker 2: bruising centers on every team. Now half the teams in 619 00:30:01,320 --> 00:30:04,280 Speaker 2: the league don't even have a guy like that. I 620 00:30:04,280 --> 00:30:06,160 Speaker 2: actually think it plays a role in how dominated a 621 00:30:06,160 --> 00:30:09,120 Speaker 2: guy like NICOLEA. Jokic is in this era. And by 622 00:30:09,120 --> 00:30:10,720 Speaker 2: the way, I don't mean that as a shot at Jokic. 623 00:30:10,840 --> 00:30:12,840 Speaker 2: It actually reminds me a lot of the dynamic with 624 00:30:12,880 --> 00:30:15,960 Speaker 2: Michael Jordan in the nineties. Back then, teams were so 625 00:30:16,040 --> 00:30:20,240 Speaker 2: loaded up on size and strength that overwhelming quickness was 626 00:30:20,280 --> 00:30:22,760 Speaker 2: a game breaker in a lot of ways that Michael 627 00:30:22,840 --> 00:30:26,160 Speaker 2: Jordan took advantage of. These days, the league is so 628 00:30:26,280 --> 00:30:30,320 Speaker 2: loaded up on quickness that size and strength can be 629 00:30:30,360 --> 00:30:33,280 Speaker 2: a game breaker, and that is how guys like Zubach 630 00:30:33,320 --> 00:30:35,720 Speaker 2: and Jokic to a much greater extent, have had a 631 00:30:35,720 --> 00:30:38,560 Speaker 2: lot of success. If you're really really big and strong, 632 00:30:39,120 --> 00:30:41,720 Speaker 2: and you have the footwork to actually use that physical 633 00:30:41,800 --> 00:30:44,440 Speaker 2: leverage and the touch in the IQ to make teams 634 00:30:44,520 --> 00:30:47,720 Speaker 2: pay by winning ground battles. You're gonna win a lot 635 00:30:47,720 --> 00:30:50,560 Speaker 2: of battles in this league. It's a matchup problem for 636 00:30:50,600 --> 00:30:54,440 Speaker 2: a lot of these teams. Zubach is just too big 637 00:30:54,480 --> 00:30:56,520 Speaker 2: and strong for these guys. I had Frank Friscilla, who 638 00:30:56,560 --> 00:30:58,480 Speaker 2: was doing the color commentary last night, he was saying 639 00:30:58,520 --> 00:31:00,840 Speaker 2: after the game that, uh, early in the game, on 640 00:31:00,920 --> 00:31:03,680 Speaker 2: Zoo's first post up, he's like, he literally said, he's 641 00:31:03,760 --> 00:31:06,080 Speaker 2: just too much for him. He can't hold his ground. 642 00:31:06,840 --> 00:31:10,120 Speaker 2: And it really was that simple. So you get great 643 00:31:10,160 --> 00:31:14,000 Speaker 2: offensive games from Kawhi, Zoo, and Bgdonovic. You get a 644 00:31:14,040 --> 00:31:17,440 Speaker 2: good game from Harden, even Norman Powell in his limited minutes. 645 00:31:17,480 --> 00:31:20,000 Speaker 2: I mean he played eighteen minutes and dropped eleven points 646 00:31:20,000 --> 00:31:21,880 Speaker 2: in a thirty six minute game. That's twenty two points. 647 00:31:21,880 --> 00:31:25,120 Speaker 2: I mean, that's a high offensive output for a limited role. 648 00:31:25,520 --> 00:31:29,120 Speaker 2: That allowed them to keep up with that red hot 649 00:31:29,160 --> 00:31:31,600 Speaker 2: scoring effort from the Caves. But they're in the late 650 00:31:31,680 --> 00:31:35,280 Speaker 2: third quarter, their defense finally started to settle in. I 651 00:31:35,320 --> 00:31:38,360 Speaker 2: thought Derek Jones Junior was instrumental in this stretch. Had 652 00:31:38,360 --> 00:31:40,720 Speaker 2: some great reps on both Garland and Mitchell Kawhi. I 653 00:31:40,720 --> 00:31:43,240 Speaker 2: thought was great all night on Donovan Mitchell. The Clippers 654 00:31:43,280 --> 00:31:46,960 Speaker 2: really started to force some more difficult shot angles from 655 00:31:47,000 --> 00:31:49,960 Speaker 2: the guards that forced some misses. That was what triggered 656 00:31:49,960 --> 00:31:52,840 Speaker 2: their run when they started to pull away. We talked 657 00:31:52,840 --> 00:31:55,400 Speaker 2: a lot about their offense earlier, but the Clippers held 658 00:31:55,440 --> 00:31:59,360 Speaker 2: the Calves to just nineteen points over the final fifteen 659 00:31:59,400 --> 00:32:02,640 Speaker 2: minutes and change of this game. It was just a 660 00:32:02,680 --> 00:32:05,800 Speaker 2: really impressive win for the Clippers. And here's the thing. 661 00:32:05,840 --> 00:32:10,240 Speaker 2: We can't completely right off this upside that they're showing. 662 00:32:11,160 --> 00:32:16,840 Speaker 2: This team build always had this capability of putting everything together, 663 00:32:16,920 --> 00:32:20,000 Speaker 2: and suddenly Kawhi gets his leg strength and just stays healthy, 664 00:32:20,040 --> 00:32:22,880 Speaker 2: and like, what if Kawhi just stays healthy to mid June, Well, 665 00:32:22,920 --> 00:32:26,160 Speaker 2: then they're absolutely a threat. It's just going to be 666 00:32:26,160 --> 00:32:29,760 Speaker 2: really difficult to shake the pessimism that surrounds Kawhi and 667 00:32:29,800 --> 00:32:32,880 Speaker 2: his health. This time last year, he was kicking ass 668 00:32:32,880 --> 00:32:36,120 Speaker 2: two and so were the Clippers. March twenty ninth of 669 00:32:36,200 --> 00:32:38,880 Speaker 2: last season in Orlando, Kawhi drops twenty nine to eleven 670 00:32:38,920 --> 00:32:43,040 Speaker 2: and five with four steals and two blocks. Goes twelve 671 00:32:43,080 --> 00:32:44,640 Speaker 2: for twenty one from the field and three for six 672 00:32:44,680 --> 00:32:47,479 Speaker 2: from three looks incredible. He played one more game that 673 00:32:47,520 --> 00:32:50,480 Speaker 2: season and we didn't see him again. So it is 674 00:32:50,520 --> 00:32:53,560 Speaker 2: what it is. There's a version of this story where 675 00:32:53,640 --> 00:32:55,760 Speaker 2: Kawhi holds up and the Clippers are a real threat, 676 00:32:55,920 --> 00:32:59,360 Speaker 2: but that question mark is just always. 677 00:32:59,120 --> 00:32:59,880 Speaker 1: Going to be there with it. 678 00:33:00,920 --> 00:33:02,920 Speaker 2: On the Cleveland front, I had a bunch of Cavs 679 00:33:02,920 --> 00:33:05,560 Speaker 2: fans pissed off at us the other day for talking 680 00:33:05,600 --> 00:33:07,880 Speaker 2: about some of their struggles with Sizing and s Orlando. 681 00:33:08,000 --> 00:33:09,600 Speaker 2: Most of it was people just getting hung up on 682 00:33:09,680 --> 00:33:12,160 Speaker 2: a title. But I want to be clear, like I 683 00:33:12,240 --> 00:33:14,840 Speaker 2: wasn't saying the Calves as a team got exposed and 684 00:33:14,880 --> 00:33:17,600 Speaker 2: that they're fraudulent or anything like that. I just think 685 00:33:17,640 --> 00:33:20,320 Speaker 2: that there's value in looking at why a team is 686 00:33:20,360 --> 00:33:24,360 Speaker 2: struggling because it helps us learn about them. It's so 687 00:33:24,600 --> 00:33:27,960 Speaker 2: rare for a team like Boston last year or Denver 688 00:33:28,040 --> 00:33:30,520 Speaker 2: the year before to kind of run through the playoffs 689 00:33:30,560 --> 00:33:34,200 Speaker 2: without facing much in the way of adversity. The vast 690 00:33:34,240 --> 00:33:36,760 Speaker 2: majority of the time, you're gonna find yourself trailing in 691 00:33:36,800 --> 00:33:39,560 Speaker 2: a playoff series, even if you win the title. That's 692 00:33:39,560 --> 00:33:41,880 Speaker 2: what happened to the twenty twenty two Warriors. That's what 693 00:33:41,920 --> 00:33:44,440 Speaker 2: happened to the twenty twenty one Bucks. That's what happened 694 00:33:44,480 --> 00:33:46,680 Speaker 2: to the twenty twenty Lakers, That's what happened to the 695 00:33:46,680 --> 00:33:50,320 Speaker 2: twenty nineteen Raptors. Even the twenty eighteen Warriors trailed in 696 00:33:50,360 --> 00:33:53,240 Speaker 2: a playoff series, the twenty sixteen Calves trailed, the twenty 697 00:33:53,360 --> 00:33:57,760 Speaker 2: fifteen Warriors trailed. Like usually, adversity is a part of 698 00:33:57,800 --> 00:33:59,959 Speaker 2: the grind all the way through to the finish line. 699 00:34:00,600 --> 00:34:02,960 Speaker 2: There's no perfect basketball team in the NBA that just 700 00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:06,320 Speaker 2: beats the shit out of anybody and everybody. And so 701 00:34:06,440 --> 00:34:09,359 Speaker 2: with that being the case, again, that does happen occasionally. 702 00:34:09,480 --> 00:34:12,919 Speaker 2: It's rare though, and again like even with a team 703 00:34:12,960 --> 00:34:15,759 Speaker 2: like Boston, like part of it was that caught some 704 00:34:15,800 --> 00:34:18,040 Speaker 2: favorable matchups along the way. There's a version of that 705 00:34:18,040 --> 00:34:20,440 Speaker 2: where they win the title, but it looks tougher if 706 00:34:20,480 --> 00:34:22,600 Speaker 2: they have to face Denver in Milwaukee. 707 00:34:22,920 --> 00:34:23,160 Speaker 1: Right. 708 00:34:23,960 --> 00:34:28,040 Speaker 2: So, like it's one of those things where when we're 709 00:34:28,080 --> 00:34:30,479 Speaker 2: talking about these flaws with these teams, it's just about 710 00:34:30,560 --> 00:34:32,839 Speaker 2: learning so that we can try to figure out what 711 00:34:32,920 --> 00:34:35,400 Speaker 2: makes them struggle so we can at least identify that 712 00:34:35,440 --> 00:34:37,200 Speaker 2: sort of thing when it pops up down the line. 713 00:34:37,400 --> 00:34:41,319 Speaker 2: Once again, last night, they struggled with size, Zubos kicked 714 00:34:41,360 --> 00:34:43,840 Speaker 2: Allen's ass, but similar to the Orlando game, I was 715 00:34:43,840 --> 00:34:47,520 Speaker 2: talking about how their perimeter size caused issues for the 716 00:34:47,520 --> 00:34:51,080 Speaker 2: Cavs guards, the length of Kawhi, the length of Derek 717 00:34:51,120 --> 00:34:55,040 Speaker 2: Jones Junior, the overall size of the Clippers on the floor, Darius, Garland, 718 00:34:55,080 --> 00:34:58,480 Speaker 2: Don and Mitchell went just eleven for thirty two. Kawhi 719 00:34:58,520 --> 00:35:02,440 Speaker 2: on the offensive end, show to relatively easy willingness to 720 00:35:02,640 --> 00:35:06,200 Speaker 2: target Cleveland's perimeter players and get pretty easy over the 721 00:35:06,200 --> 00:35:09,400 Speaker 2: top shots. They chewed Cleveland up and spit them out 722 00:35:09,440 --> 00:35:12,560 Speaker 2: on the glass. It's just worth keeping an eye on 723 00:35:13,480 --> 00:35:16,920 Speaker 2: when we see Cleveland struggle in the playoffs. This is 724 00:35:17,040 --> 00:35:20,880 Speaker 2: probably what it will look like. Bigger physical teams, especially 725 00:35:20,920 --> 00:35:24,000 Speaker 2: on the perimeter, making life tough for them, making them 726 00:35:24,000 --> 00:35:25,719 Speaker 2: feel like they're playing in a crowd, and leading to 727 00:35:25,760 --> 00:35:29,239 Speaker 2: some inefficiency from their guards. All right, guys, that's all 728 00:35:29,280 --> 00:35:31,239 Speaker 2: I have for today is always as sincerely appreciate you 729 00:35:31,239 --> 00:35:33,160 Speaker 2: guys for supporting me and supporting the show. We are 730 00:35:33,200 --> 00:35:36,920 Speaker 2: back tonight after the final buzzer of Nuggets Lakers. We 731 00:35:37,000 --> 00:35:39,560 Speaker 2: have our course correction segment that we're also doing there. 732 00:35:39,960 --> 00:35:42,160 Speaker 2: Plan on hitting at least another team or two in 733 00:35:42,200 --> 00:35:43,839 Speaker 2: that show as well, So make sure you guys come out, 734 00:35:44,040 --> 00:35:45,800 Speaker 2: come hang out later tonight live on YouTube. 735 00:35:45,800 --> 00:35:46,719 Speaker 1: I'll see you guys. 736 00:35:46,480 --> 00:35:52,319 Speaker 2: Then VO what's up guys. As always, I appreciate you 737 00:35:52,360 --> 00:35:55,280 Speaker 2: for listening to and supporting OOPS tonight. They would actually 738 00:35:55,360 --> 00:35:57,239 Speaker 2: be really helpful for us if you guys would take 739 00:35:57,239 --> 00:36:00,399 Speaker 2: a second and leave a rating and a review. As always, 740 00:36:00,400 --> 00:36:02,080 Speaker 2: I appreciate you guys supporting us, but if you could 741 00:36:02,080 --> 00:36:04,600 Speaker 2: take a minute to do that, I'd really appreciate it.