WEBVTT - How Celtics Dominated Game 2, Mavs T-Wolves Preview, All-NBA Decisions 0:00:06.040 --> 0:00:09.039 Welcoming into NBA Pulse, the production of iHeartRadio in the NBA. 0:00:09.160 --> 0:00:12.000 I'm Sarahustak, NBA analyst for the Yes Network, and today 0:00:12.320 --> 0:00:15.800 is Friday, May twenty fourth. From our extraordinary court group 0:00:15.840 --> 0:00:18.400 of NBA journalists. We're joined now by NBA dot Com 0:00:18.440 --> 0:00:19.680 Senior writer John. 0:00:19.440 --> 0:00:21.680 Schuman and Oh Shoe. 0:00:22.160 --> 0:00:25.520 Indiana had an opportunity that they threw away in Game 0:00:25.600 --> 0:00:28.600 one at Boston, and in Game two, the Celtics took 0:00:28.640 --> 0:00:31.120 care of business one twenty six to one ten win 0:00:31.880 --> 0:00:33.839 against the Pacers last night. 0:00:33.880 --> 0:00:35.120 Pascal Siakam had. 0:00:35.000 --> 0:00:39.680 Twenty eight points for Indiana, But probably more concerning for 0:00:40.360 --> 0:00:44.839 the Pacers is that Tyrese Haliburton left with that hamstring injury. 0:00:45.520 --> 0:00:47.360 It's gonna be interesting to see. We were talking about 0:00:47.360 --> 0:00:50.800 this just a little bit before the podcast. Actually injured 0:00:50.840 --> 0:00:55.120 that same hamstring against the Celtics in January, had missed 0:00:55.120 --> 0:00:58.080 ten games, was on a minutes restriction when he came back. 0:00:58.120 --> 0:01:00.560 That's obviously something that had been a point of just 0:01:00.640 --> 0:01:04.080 kind of conversation and observation in how he was playing 0:01:04.120 --> 0:01:06.920 the latter part of the season, and so steal no 0:01:07.080 --> 0:01:10.440 update to this point as to what his status is, 0:01:10.520 --> 0:01:14.360 but the major factor in what Indiana will be able 0:01:14.400 --> 0:01:16.399 to do with or without him in the series. On 0:01:16.480 --> 0:01:19.479 the other side of things, Jalen Brown was spectacular. He 0:01:19.520 --> 0:01:23.759 had forty points twenty four in the first half. And 0:01:24.600 --> 0:01:28.080 all NBA teams came out prior to the game, Jalen 0:01:28.120 --> 0:01:30.480 Brown was not on them, So whether that added a 0:01:30.520 --> 0:01:34.440 little bit of extra motivation, we'll discuss those all NBA 0:01:34.520 --> 0:01:37.360 teams as you are a voter, later on in the show. 0:01:37.880 --> 0:01:41.560 But Boston was great and overall they did a lot 0:01:41.600 --> 0:01:44.759 of the things in terms of balance that they needed 0:01:44.760 --> 0:01:46.679 to do to take care of their home court as 0:01:46.720 --> 0:01:49.960 the series will now return back to Indiana. But with 0:01:50.040 --> 0:01:53.400 all that being said, a Boston team that I know, 0:01:53.440 --> 0:01:57.360 there's been a lot of just thoughts perspective on how 0:01:57.360 --> 0:02:00.720 they've been winning, how they've been playing, the belief in 0:02:00.760 --> 0:02:02.720 them despite the fact they were so far ahead of 0:02:02.760 --> 0:02:05.440 the pack throughout the course of the regular season. What 0:02:05.480 --> 0:02:08.840 did you take away from that win in Game. 0:02:08.600 --> 0:02:13.760 Twotistic Statistically, it was actually a slightly worse defensive game 0:02:13.760 --> 0:02:15.960 for the Celtics than Game one. Obviously there was some 0:02:16.120 --> 0:02:22.160 garbage time thrown in, you know, Thursday night, but I 0:02:22.200 --> 0:02:26.480 thought offensively they were just much more purposeful, and that 0:02:26.600 --> 0:02:33.240 purpose was basically attacking Tyrese Haliburton, you know, from like 0:02:33.360 --> 0:02:37.040 sort of the middle of the first quarter until Haliburton 0:02:37.080 --> 0:02:39.920 got hurt if he was on the floor, like three 0:02:39.919 --> 0:02:44.519 out of every four possessions, it was, you know, Haliburton's 0:02:44.520 --> 0:02:47.840 guy setting a screen for Jason Tatum or Haliburton's guy 0:02:47.880 --> 0:02:51.520 setting a screen for Jalen Brown, or Jason Tatum setting 0:02:51.520 --> 0:02:55.000 a screen for Haliburton's guy, or Brown setting a screen 0:02:55.040 --> 0:02:58.079 for haliburton guy. That was it was like basically their 0:02:58.080 --> 0:03:01.079 offense was, all right, who's gonna set the screen? Where 0:03:01.120 --> 0:03:03.880 are we going to set it? That's just the point 0:03:04.160 --> 0:03:08.080 is put Tyrese Haliburton in the action, make him work. 0:03:09.840 --> 0:03:13.440 I thought it worked pretty well. You know, he it 0:03:13.600 --> 0:03:17.880 created some open shots for Dark White. Let's say, if 0:03:17.680 --> 0:03:20.440 if if White was setting the screen, Haliburton would try 0:03:20.440 --> 0:03:23.880 to you know, hedge the pick and try to scramble back, 0:03:23.919 --> 0:03:25.840 and if he didn't scramble back in time, he had 0:03:25.840 --> 0:03:28.640 an open three. Or if he was rotating, you know, 0:03:28.680 --> 0:03:33.360 you could sort of attack the attack the rotation. And 0:03:33.440 --> 0:03:36.680 I thought that was just like the main my main 0:03:36.720 --> 0:03:41.520 takeaway from that game is they just attacked him almost 0:03:41.560 --> 0:03:45.280 every possession down the floor. And it was on one 0:03:45.320 --> 0:03:48.200 of those possessions, I think it was his man setting 0:03:48.200 --> 0:03:51.160 a screen for Tatum where he hurt reinjured his hamstring. 0:03:51.200 --> 0:03:53.440 He was trying to scramble back and I don't know 0:03:53.480 --> 0:03:56.440 when he pivoted something, you know, he tweaked something in 0:03:56.480 --> 0:04:00.520 the leg and so that was it. And then shoot, 0:04:00.560 --> 0:04:03.440 when when Halibert was out, they just turned dot, So 0:04:03.440 --> 0:04:05.280 who are we gonna pick on? Next? It was Ben 0:04:05.320 --> 0:04:08.240 Sheppard and then it was Doug McDermott. You know, Doug 0:04:08.360 --> 0:04:10.320 McDermott got got in the game, and it's like, all right, 0:04:10.360 --> 0:04:13.080 he's the guy, you know, and we're gonna start attacking him. 0:04:13.120 --> 0:04:15.240 He's his man is going to set all these screens 0:04:17.080 --> 0:04:20.280 and so I and I feel like that's I mean, 0:04:20.279 --> 0:04:22.320 that's what the Celtics have been doing for years. Like 0:04:22.440 --> 0:04:26.960 when they are seriously purposeful, it's not about like this 0:04:27.279 --> 0:04:31.760 flowing offense. It's what, you know, what defender can we 0:04:31.800 --> 0:04:36.279 attack with? What what matchup do we want? And and no, 0:04:36.400 --> 0:04:38.960 it's not doesn't necessarily have to turn into an isolation 0:04:39.160 --> 0:04:41.960 because if like it, like I said, I, if Haliburton 0:04:42.080 --> 0:04:44.440 is sort of blitzing and then trying to recover. Well, 0:04:44.480 --> 0:04:46.400 then the ball can move and they can drive and 0:04:46.480 --> 0:04:49.120 kick from there and eventually get an open shot. It 0:04:49.160 --> 0:04:51.080 doesn't have to see, it doesn't have to be like, 0:04:51.120 --> 0:04:53.200 all right, let's just get a switch and then isolate 0:04:53.279 --> 0:04:56.880 and let Jay, you know, Tatum and Brown do their thing. 0:04:57.040 --> 0:04:59.640 Although there was some of that, I think and Brown, 0:05:00.400 --> 0:05:03.080 you know, part of Brown's performance was some some tough 0:05:03.440 --> 0:05:07.919 shots in isolation, but I thought they were, like, you know, 0:05:08.160 --> 0:05:10.839 they were just much more purposeful offensively in game two 0:05:10.880 --> 0:05:11.800 than they were in Game one. 0:05:12.440 --> 0:05:15.520 Yeah, and you know, in saying all those things, I 0:05:15.560 --> 0:05:19.480 think too, the question will be Indiana has been excellent 0:05:19.560 --> 0:05:22.800 at home. They haven't lost yet at home. Shoot, you 0:05:22.920 --> 0:05:26.920 are going to Indiana. So will the Pacers be able 0:05:26.960 --> 0:05:28.720 to pull out some of that magic? We saw them 0:05:28.760 --> 0:05:32.560 shooting extraordinary in doing so in that Game one victory 0:05:32.920 --> 0:05:33.320 as well. 0:05:33.400 --> 0:05:34.960 Last night they came down to earth a little bit. 0:05:35.000 --> 0:05:37.320 You're talking about the Boston defense thirty eight percent from 0:05:37.320 --> 0:05:40.520 the three point line, fifty two from the field. Joe 0:05:40.520 --> 0:05:43.479 Mizoula did bring oshae Zett off the bench, facing his 0:05:43.560 --> 0:05:45.640 former team and going small and in some of those 0:05:45.680 --> 0:05:48.080 things trying to help along with it. But do you 0:05:48.120 --> 0:05:49.680 think this series is over? Is this is going to 0:05:49.680 --> 0:05:51.839 be a sweep by the Celtics. 0:05:52.120 --> 0:05:54.919 I won't say. I won't. I will never have that 0:05:55.040 --> 0:05:57.839 strong of opinion about stuff. Something I don't know, but 0:05:58.080 --> 0:06:00.640 I would say, yeah, I think if you were to, 0:06:01.360 --> 0:06:04.000 I would favor the Celtics going forward in every game 0:06:04.040 --> 0:06:07.800 going forward, especially if Haliburton is one unavailable or two 0:06:07.920 --> 0:06:11.440 just not himself. I mean, we saw during much of 0:06:11.440 --> 0:06:14.080 the second half of the season where he was not 0:06:14.160 --> 0:06:18.520 one hundred percent and his offense wasn't you know, it 0:06:18.680 --> 0:06:21.000 just wasn't the same, and it seemed like he was 0:06:21.080 --> 0:06:24.000 finally getting his legs back in these last you know, 0:06:24.160 --> 0:06:27.720 in these last few weeks, and so it really stinks that, 0:06:27.920 --> 0:06:31.320 you know, he he've reinjured the same hamstring. And as 0:06:31.400 --> 0:06:34.880 much as they picked on him on the defensive end 0:06:34.880 --> 0:06:38.839 of the floor, the Pacers need him offensively to sort 0:06:38.839 --> 0:06:41.720 of push the They have t J. McConnell, but they 0:06:41.760 --> 0:06:45.120 need two of those guards basically to push the ball 0:06:45.200 --> 0:06:48.560 up the floor and get their offense moving, you know, 0:06:48.880 --> 0:06:52.880 pick and roll and then go from there. And so yeah, 0:06:52.920 --> 0:06:58.160 it would be a tough task for the Pacers to 0:06:58.240 --> 0:07:02.279 sort of Pacers offense to continue at the pace it's 0:07:02.279 --> 0:07:08.400 been at the last few games. If Haliburton is either 0:07:08.640 --> 0:07:13.800 unavailable or or or not you know, not himself. You know, 0:07:13.840 --> 0:07:17.600 I think Brissette was in there because Luke Cornett got hurt, 0:07:19.560 --> 0:07:22.480 and so yeah, I think the Celtics now were down 0:07:22.760 --> 0:07:26.000 to you know, Al Horford being their only big, assuming 0:07:26.000 --> 0:07:28.920 that Kristaps Porzingis is not coming back in the next game. 0:07:30.680 --> 0:07:33.320 So there's something there, you know. I don't know if 0:07:33.440 --> 0:07:37.000 if the Pacers can try to exploit Boston on the glass. 0:07:37.200 --> 0:07:40.000 Boston's been a very good defensive rebounding team in the playoffs, 0:07:41.120 --> 0:07:43.280 but that might be their the sort of only hope 0:07:43.440 --> 0:07:45.880 or not not only hope. But one way they can 0:07:45.920 --> 0:07:49.640 try to make up for what they've lost is is 0:07:49.720 --> 0:07:52.520 try to crash the glass and turn into the Knicks 0:07:52.560 --> 0:07:55.880 almost because they could do that. Isaiah Jackson is a 0:07:56.280 --> 0:07:58.520 really active big and really good on the glass, so 0:07:58.600 --> 0:08:01.760 I think that's one way they could try to adjust. 0:08:02.360 --> 0:08:04.840 I think the Pacers get one at home. I think 0:08:04.880 --> 0:08:08.760 we've seen it from Boston. I do think that Boston 0:08:08.800 --> 0:08:11.280 will ultimately take the series. I think a lot will 0:08:11.320 --> 0:08:16.080 be riding on the health of Tyre's Halliburton. But I 0:08:16.160 --> 0:08:18.480 have a hard time thinking that the Pacers won't find 0:08:18.520 --> 0:08:21.680 a way, whether because of Boston or whether some hot 0:08:21.680 --> 0:08:24.800 shooting in just the fast paced of prenetic nature that 0:08:24.880 --> 0:08:27.360 Indiana can tend to play with and find a way 0:08:27.400 --> 0:08:29.280 to get one back at home. But I think they 0:08:29.280 --> 0:08:31.760 have been so good there and I think there's moments 0:08:31.800 --> 0:08:35.719 that the Celtics that level and sense of urgency and 0:08:36.040 --> 0:08:38.880 maybe understandably so, just isn't always there throughout the course 0:08:38.920 --> 0:08:42.720 of the series. So I do think I would maybe 0:08:42.760 --> 0:08:45.599 predict a gentleman sweep off of this one. But on 0:08:45.679 --> 0:08:47.160 the flip side of things, I think we got a 0:08:47.200 --> 0:08:50.360 long series in the Western Conference on the way Dallas 0:08:50.400 --> 0:08:54.840 stealing the first game on the road at Minnesota one 0:08:55.520 --> 0:08:59.560 five victory against the Timberwolves team, and it was really 0:08:59.679 --> 0:09:02.720 it was fun to watch these two teams going back 0:09:02.760 --> 0:09:05.200 and forth, but more so just the strategy behind it, 0:09:05.240 --> 0:09:10.320 some of the game planning Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic, 0:09:10.400 --> 0:09:12.559 I think when that trade was made, and just kind 0:09:12.559 --> 0:09:14.400 of watching them and some of the injuries that played 0:09:14.400 --> 0:09:16.080 in the fact they didn't spend a lot of time 0:09:16.480 --> 0:09:19.959 on the floor together last season. You are seeing the 0:09:20.559 --> 0:09:23.160 I think, kind of the ideal way of the hope 0:09:23.360 --> 0:09:26.040 of what they would be together. And early on in 0:09:26.040 --> 0:09:28.480 the game, Kyrie Irvin set the tone twenty four points 0:09:28.880 --> 0:09:31.800 of his thirty in that first half, Luka Doncic closing 0:09:31.800 --> 0:09:34.800 things off. He finishes with thirty three, six and eight, 0:09:35.800 --> 0:09:38.120 a couple of nice defensive stops to close out the game. 0:09:38.240 --> 0:09:41.120 But it was more about what they did to Minnesota. 0:09:41.800 --> 0:09:45.360 Minnesota taking forty nine three point shots, making just eighteen 0:09:45.400 --> 0:09:49.120 of those, and Jade Daniels ended up being the leading 0:09:49.160 --> 0:09:53.760 scorer for Minnesota with twenty four points. In some ways 0:09:53.880 --> 0:09:57.520 kept Anthony Edwards in check and I think a lot 0:09:57.520 --> 0:09:59.760 of that too. Just you saw it, and he set 0:09:59.760 --> 0:10:01.760 it out after the game. Timber Wolves a minute after 0:10:01.760 --> 0:10:03.480 the game, they were tired, and they looked at they 0:10:03.480 --> 0:10:06.600 looked fatigue and how they were playing. They will play 0:10:06.640 --> 0:10:10.360 against nikere at Minnesota at a thirty pm Eastern on TNT. 0:10:10.960 --> 0:10:14.959 What is your expectation of what happens here in Minnesota 0:10:15.400 --> 0:10:17.120 based on what you saw in game one? 0:10:17.559 --> 0:10:20.120 That's a good question. I I mean, yeah, I would 0:10:20.800 --> 0:10:23.960 certainly face or favor the Wolves. I think I put 0:10:23.960 --> 0:10:26.200 picked the Wolves to win the series at the start, 0:10:26.280 --> 0:10:29.320 so I would favor them in Game two. I'll be 0:10:29.400 --> 0:10:33.160 very curious to see how Rudy Gobaert defends, you know, 0:10:33.200 --> 0:10:36.840 the pick and roll. You know, for the most part, 0:10:36.920 --> 0:10:40.560 when they were running high pick and roll in Game one, 0:10:40.840 --> 0:10:44.520 he was in drop coverage and it sort of worked 0:10:44.520 --> 0:10:47.120 for the most part of the first half. Luka Dancic 0:10:47.240 --> 0:10:50.079 wasn't hitting his his sort of mid range and short 0:10:50.080 --> 0:10:55.240 mid range shots. Kyrie Irving kept the MAVs in that game. 0:10:55.600 --> 0:10:58.360 In game yeah, in the first half, and a lot 0:10:58.400 --> 0:11:00.920 of it was transition, I think. So like number one 0:11:00.920 --> 0:11:03.199 for the Wolves is like, let's be better in transition 0:11:03.320 --> 0:11:07.800 and try to get in front of Kyrie Irving. And 0:11:07.840 --> 0:11:10.199 that's that's a big sort of theme with the MAVs, 0:11:10.280 --> 0:11:14.319 is they were just a slow team prior to his arrival. 0:11:14.360 --> 0:11:17.400 In fact, like they saw the second biggest jump in 0:11:17.400 --> 0:11:20.559 transition points per game from last season to this season 0:11:20.960 --> 0:11:23.640 obviously his first full season in Dallas, and a lot 0:11:23.679 --> 0:11:26.360 of that's just him, like he's he's a guy who 0:11:26.400 --> 0:11:29.440 will get out and go and obviously has stuff in 0:11:29.480 --> 0:11:32.920 his bag in those transition possessions where he can if 0:11:32.920 --> 0:11:35.040 he's if it's one on one or even one on two, 0:11:35.120 --> 0:11:38.640 he can score. And Don has been better this season 0:11:38.679 --> 0:11:41.880 about passing ahead. And there was one incredible in that 0:11:41.960 --> 0:11:45.120 first half, incredible lead pass from Don Chits to Irving 0:11:45.559 --> 0:11:47.880 on one of those breaks. So I think number was. 0:11:47.840 --> 0:11:49.959 It off a make there It felt like there was 0:11:50.440 --> 0:11:53.320 I don't know, I think I could visualize one year 0:11:53.559 --> 0:11:54.880 that I turned my head and I was like, I 0:11:54.920 --> 0:11:57.080 don't even know how he got down the floor and 0:11:57.120 --> 0:11:59.400 you can see, but there was a couple that felt 0:11:59.400 --> 0:12:02.240 like they were off makes and Minnesota was just surprised 0:12:02.840 --> 0:12:04.640 they had a nice three point shot or they had 0:12:04.679 --> 0:12:07.120 a big make and yeah and before you know, when 0:12:07.240 --> 0:12:08.680 a flash, Dallas is on the other end. 0:12:08.920 --> 0:12:13.040 Yeah, continue, Yeah, Number one, ye be better in transition 0:12:13.240 --> 0:12:16.800 and they cut down, so you know, Dallas won by 0:12:16.840 --> 0:12:19.040 three and they were I think there were plus eight 0:12:19.080 --> 0:12:21.000 in transition points. I think it was twenty nine to 0:12:21.040 --> 0:12:27.400 twenty one. So obviously be better in transition. And then 0:12:27.920 --> 0:12:31.080 and the drop coverage sort of it was Doncic just 0:12:31.120 --> 0:12:34.360 started getting going in the second half with that where 0:12:34.360 --> 0:12:37.560 he was you know, he got the screen, he was 0:12:37.600 --> 0:12:41.600 able to keep Jalen McDaniels on his hip, excuse me, 0:12:41.760 --> 0:12:46.679 Jaden McDaniels on his hip, and Gobert was more you know, 0:12:46.760 --> 0:12:49.040 they got a couple of lobs behind Gobert, and so 0:12:49.200 --> 0:12:52.520 after that he was sort of more, you know, retreating 0:12:52.520 --> 0:12:54.960 towards the role man. And then Doncic was able to 0:12:55.040 --> 0:12:58.440 get into you know, short step back jumpers, twelve foot 0:12:58.520 --> 0:13:06.200 fifteen foot jumpers. They did that with Gobert, you know, 0:13:06.280 --> 0:13:09.280 sort of in the high pick and roll. They were different. 0:13:09.640 --> 0:13:13.120 When Karl Anthony Towns was defending the pick, they blitzed 0:13:13.559 --> 0:13:15.640 right like they had him blitz the pick and roll 0:13:15.720 --> 0:13:17.560 take the ball out of the ball andler's hands. They 0:13:17.600 --> 0:13:20.000 also blitzed every time when there's a pick and roll 0:13:20.000 --> 0:13:24.240 on the sideline, and those I thought were ended up 0:13:24.280 --> 0:13:28.439 with better results for the Wolves. You know, Doncis would 0:13:28.720 --> 0:13:31.480 pass the ball and the Wolves turned the ball over 0:13:31.520 --> 0:13:34.600 a lot in those situations. You know, we saw a 0:13:34.600 --> 0:13:38.280 turnover peep from PJ. Washington, town stripped him. There was 0:13:38.320 --> 0:13:42.520 a late turnover from Derek Lively where he got the 0:13:42.520 --> 0:13:45.720 ball on the roll. Mike Conley came late with help 0:13:45.800 --> 0:13:51.800 and Lively traveled. That was like an adjustment like late 0:13:51.920 --> 0:13:56.800 possession where Gobert blitzed at the top and Lively got 0:13:56.800 --> 0:13:59.920 the ball and traveled. So I think maybe they make 0:14:00.160 --> 0:14:01.720 it up a little bit. I think it's a sort 0:14:01.720 --> 0:14:03.839 of a pick your poison situation. It's not like if 0:14:03.840 --> 0:14:05.880 you blitz, the maps don't know what to do, right, 0:14:05.960 --> 0:14:08.960 Like they've seen everything this year, so they're they're gonna 0:14:09.000 --> 0:14:10.960 be able to just Doncic is willing to get off 0:14:11.000 --> 0:14:14.640 the ball. They have other guys. But I think Minnesota 0:14:14.679 --> 0:14:19.280 has to decide, you know, do we want Doncic to 0:14:19.360 --> 0:14:20.920 keep the ball or do we want him to get 0:14:21.000 --> 0:14:24.680 rid of the ball. Like that's basically decision number one 0:14:24.720 --> 0:14:27.560 when it comes to Dallas's half court offense, and they 0:14:27.600 --> 0:14:29.400 just have to be better. I think you just have 0:14:29.440 --> 0:14:31.520 to be good in rotations. I think they're capable, They're 0:14:31.560 --> 0:14:35.640 they're long. I think they're a smart defensive team, so 0:14:35.680 --> 0:14:38.800 they are sort of capable of sort of blitzing and 0:14:38.840 --> 0:14:41.400 then rotating from there. They just have to make sure 0:14:42.280 --> 0:14:46.520 that the guy we if we're blitzing Luka Doncics, we're 0:14:46.560 --> 0:14:49.360 not leaving you know, Kyrie Irving isn't the guy we're 0:14:49.440 --> 0:14:52.160 leaving open, right, Or if we blitz Kyrie Irving. Luka 0:14:52.200 --> 0:14:54.280 Doncic isn't the guy we're leaving over it. They did 0:14:54.320 --> 0:14:58.400 that once where they blitzed Irving and like two passes away, 0:14:58.960 --> 0:15:01.000 Luka Doncic's got a I open three. I think it 0:15:01.040 --> 0:15:03.080 was in the first half. He missed it, but it 0:15:03.160 --> 0:15:05.720 was like, yeah, that's not the you know, let's let's 0:15:05.800 --> 0:15:07.880 you know, let it be Derek Jones Junior and not 0:15:08.000 --> 0:15:11.240 Luka Doncics that we're leaving open as a result of this, 0:15:11.440 --> 0:15:12.840 you know, defensive coverage. 0:15:13.240 --> 0:15:16.720 Well, it feels it feels easier said than done, too though, 0:15:16.840 --> 0:15:20.520 just with the way in which he reads and picks 0:15:20.560 --> 0:15:24.400 apart things and sees things seemingly a step ahead of everything. 0:15:24.720 --> 0:15:25.840 Shoot, who do you got tonight? 0:15:27.280 --> 0:15:29.560 I mean, yeah, I would. I would favor the Wolves 0:15:29.800 --> 0:15:32.120 just because they're at home. I think they're a really 0:15:32.120 --> 0:15:34.640 good team. I think they can be better defensively than 0:15:34.680 --> 0:15:39.000 they were in Game one. They can also be better offensively. 0:15:39.080 --> 0:15:42.000 Like you said it, like Anthony Edwards, he just didn't 0:15:42.000 --> 0:15:44.600 attack very much. And I think if that was fatigue, 0:15:44.600 --> 0:15:47.680 if it was you know, him just sort of reading 0:15:47.720 --> 0:15:49.880 the Dallas defense, and I don't, you know, I don't 0:15:49.880 --> 0:15:52.120 think they were double teaming him, but they were shading 0:15:52.160 --> 0:15:54.280 towards him right like if he's got the ball at 0:15:54.280 --> 0:15:58.160 the top, they were shading and obviously very willing to 0:15:58.520 --> 0:16:01.520 leave Kylie Anderson open. He's on the floor. I think 0:16:02.320 --> 0:16:05.480 some other guys got some open shots, but I think 0:16:05.560 --> 0:16:09.520 they obviously did not want him to, you know, get 0:16:09.520 --> 0:16:11.440 into the paint and get to the basket. And so 0:16:13.240 --> 0:16:15.920 it's as much about you know, the other defenders on 0:16:15.960 --> 0:16:18.440 the floor as the guy who's in front of front 0:16:18.440 --> 0:16:20.640 of Edwards, which is going to be Derek Jones Jr. 0:16:20.880 --> 0:16:23.720 And that's you know, that's a lot of length obviously. 0:16:24.760 --> 0:16:26.760 So yeah, I think Minnesota's got to sort of find 0:16:26.760 --> 0:16:29.720 a way to get Edwards into the paint and towards 0:16:29.720 --> 0:16:33.080 the basket, whether that be with with scheme or just 0:16:33.160 --> 0:16:34.600 him being a little bit more aggressive. 0:16:36.480 --> 0:16:39.880 Yeah, I'm taking Minnesota tonight. I don't think they dropped 0:16:39.880 --> 0:16:44.240 to here at home, and I do think there's changes, tweets, 0:16:44.240 --> 0:16:46.160 adjustments that they will be able to make. I'm sure 0:16:46.200 --> 0:16:49.080 the two they were they were riding high with a 0:16:49.120 --> 0:16:52.040 lot of emotions, and there's a lot goes into them 0:16:52.080 --> 0:16:54.840 winning that game seven against Denverse. So I think with 0:16:54.920 --> 0:16:57.320 that turnaround. I think we're going to see a different 0:16:57.320 --> 0:17:01.120 team here in Minnesota tonight. We're gonna take freak and 0:17:01.240 --> 0:17:13.879 come back with the all NBA teams. Welcome back to 0:17:13.880 --> 0:17:16.600 the NBA, Paul, Sarah Whustak, joined by the great John 0:17:16.640 --> 0:17:21.679 Schuman and Shoe I'm curious how your voting ballot stacked 0:17:21.760 --> 0:17:25.680 up with the way things shake shook out. For all 0:17:25.800 --> 0:17:29.919 NBA had mentioned, Jalen Brown left off of it despite 0:17:29.920 --> 0:17:32.760 the fact he was on probably last year. More important 0:17:32.760 --> 0:17:36.320 for him is it helped allow him to sign the 0:17:36.480 --> 0:17:40.119 richest contract at the time of NBA history. But first 0:17:40.160 --> 0:17:45.840 team you got Giannis Luca Sga Jokic and Jason Tatum, 0:17:46.240 --> 0:17:51.440 and second team Jalen Brunson, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, Anthony Edwards, 0:17:51.480 --> 0:17:53.720 and Kawhi Leonard. And then rounding out the third team 0:17:53.800 --> 0:18:00.000 Kevin Booker, Curry, Tyres Halliburton, Lebron James, and Demona Sibonis. 0:18:00.080 --> 0:18:02.960 Is there any I guess different on your ballot or 0:18:03.000 --> 0:18:05.720 ones that you felt strongly about that you voted for 0:18:06.040 --> 0:18:07.600 that weren't. 0:18:07.359 --> 0:18:08.920 The same as how it all shook out. 0:18:09.920 --> 0:18:14.560 Only slight differences. I had fourteen of the fifteen guys 0:18:14.760 --> 0:18:18.000 on my list were the same. My only difference was 0:18:18.040 --> 0:18:21.040 I had Jalen Brunson instead of Jason Tatum on the 0:18:21.080 --> 0:18:25.080 first team. The rest of my second team was the same, 0:18:25.160 --> 0:18:29.720 Davis Durant, Leonard and Edwards, and then on third team 0:18:29.800 --> 0:18:35.760 I had Rudy Gobert instead of Stephen Curry. Ends. Okay, yeah, 0:18:36.160 --> 0:18:38.399 you know I and I get it. I have no 0:18:38.720 --> 0:18:41.320 problem with the way anybody else votes. But for me, 0:18:41.520 --> 0:18:47.880 if you're the clear defensive player of the year, like 0:18:48.000 --> 0:18:52.600 that's and you're not like a complete liability on offense, 0:18:52.640 --> 0:18:57.200 which I don't think he is. That's thirteen All NBA 0:18:57.480 --> 0:19:00.600 like defenses half of the game. And you know, like, 0:19:01.200 --> 0:19:03.760 so if you're the defensive player of the year, how 0:19:03.760 --> 0:19:07.720 are you not you know, a third team All NBA 0:19:07.880 --> 0:19:10.639 at the least. So that that was it for me. 0:19:10.680 --> 0:19:13.880 I didn't have Brown. I know, he was definitely one 0:19:13.920 --> 0:19:17.399 of the you know, twenty five players I considered, and 0:19:17.480 --> 0:19:20.840 probably was one of the very last cuts on my 0:19:20.960 --> 0:19:25.840 list for obvious reasons. You know, just a terrific two 0:19:25.880 --> 0:19:28.640 way player. But I think he you know, as far 0:19:28.640 --> 0:19:31.280 as the numbers, his numbers just weren't as good this 0:19:31.400 --> 0:19:35.720 year as they were last year. That's not necessarily his fault. 0:19:35.720 --> 0:19:37.800 I mean they had a better team. They had more, 0:19:39.160 --> 0:19:42.240 you know, a stronger sort of top you know, starting 0:19:42.280 --> 0:19:47.560 lineup from top to bottom than they did they had 0:19:47.640 --> 0:19:50.840 last year. You look at like Drew Holliday even like 0:19:50.920 --> 0:19:54.320 took a huge you know cut in his numbers, you know, 0:19:54.400 --> 0:19:57.080 his he saw like basically one of the biggest drops 0:19:57.080 --> 0:20:00.200 in USA Drake from year to year in the league. 0:20:01.080 --> 0:20:03.280 So that's just the way that you know, like they 0:20:03.280 --> 0:20:07.359 were a great team. And yeah, you'd think, you know, 0:20:07.680 --> 0:20:10.480 how did the Lakers get two guys on All NBA 0:20:10.600 --> 0:20:13.760 and the Celtics don't, But it's just, you know, it's 0:20:13.800 --> 0:20:18.119 basically because they had five six great players, right Like, 0:20:18.240 --> 0:20:19.600 it was a lot of balance. 0:20:19.800 --> 0:20:20.440 Lakers got. 0:20:20.640 --> 0:20:23.840 Lakers get two guys on All NBA, Phoenix gets two 0:20:23.920 --> 0:20:27.840 guys All NBA. Last quick question in regards to that 0:20:27.840 --> 0:20:30.239 with Boston, I think that always becomes the discussion with 0:20:30.760 --> 0:20:33.920 how seemingly stacked they are and how that affects. Did 0:20:33.960 --> 0:20:37.120 you have you said you had Brunson ahead of Tatum 0:20:37.240 --> 0:20:40.680 there in first team? What was your MVP balloting? Did 0:20:40.720 --> 0:20:45.400 you have Tatum ahead of Brunson in your in your 0:20:45.440 --> 0:20:47.080 top five or was he on your ballot? 0:20:47.640 --> 0:20:51.680 No, my MVP was basically the same as my first team, 0:20:51.720 --> 0:20:52.840 so it was one. 0:20:52.760 --> 0:20:53.760 I like that. I like that. 0:20:53.880 --> 0:20:56.280 I heard from some voters that they they kind of 0:20:56.640 --> 0:20:58.520 heads their bet on both of them, so they had 0:20:58.520 --> 0:21:02.560 Tatum ahead of Brunson for first team or for MVP 0:21:02.800 --> 0:21:06.800 and vice versa. Four. But yeah, it's I I tell you, 0:21:06.840 --> 0:21:08.840 that's one of the hard I think it shows just 0:21:08.880 --> 0:21:12.080 how robust the talent and skill in level of play 0:21:12.280 --> 0:21:15.080 is in this league with these discussions we could have, 0:21:15.200 --> 0:21:17.560 And that is one of the hardest jobs I will 0:21:17.560 --> 0:21:21.480 give you of having to decide decide because it's it's 0:21:21.560 --> 0:21:25.080 such small, small margins of things and details that you 0:21:25.080 --> 0:21:25.680 can look at. 0:21:26.840 --> 0:21:30.000 Yeah, it's it's it's it's it's a you know, it's 0:21:30.000 --> 0:21:32.840 a privilege to to to vote for these things, but yeah, 0:21:32.840 --> 0:21:35.520 it is is work. In fact, I don't like it 0:21:35.560 --> 0:21:38.280 when I'm asked, like three weeks before the end of 0:21:38.320 --> 0:21:40.320 the season or four weeks for the end of season, 0:21:40.359 --> 0:21:43.280 like who's your who's your what's your m VV fee ballot, 0:21:43.280 --> 0:21:45.159 And I'm like, I have no idea, I have to 0:21:45.200 --> 0:21:47.719 I need like two or three days to sit with 0:21:47.760 --> 0:21:50.679 it before I can like give you a list. If 0:21:50.720 --> 0:21:52.080 I were to give you a list, it would be 0:21:52.200 --> 0:21:55.399 very sort of shallow analysis if I do it like 0:21:55.560 --> 0:21:58.439