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Get 41 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:02,000 Speaker 1: some a return back to normal from Orlando or Orlando's 42 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:05,400 Speaker 1: jump shooting in the first explosive scoring game of Steph 43 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:06,520 Speaker 1: Curry's season. 44 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:07,600 Speaker 2: A lot of really. 45 00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:09,920 Speaker 1: Encouraging stuff on the Warriors front, and then at the 46 00:02:09,919 --> 00:02:12,200 Speaker 1: tail end of the show, a brief shout out that 47 00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:14,880 Speaker 1: I have for Russell Westbrook. You guys have the drill 48 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:16,400 Speaker 1: before we get started. To subscribe to the Hoops Tonight 49 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:18,200 Speaker 1: YouTube channels. You don't miss any more of our videos. 50 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:20,560 Speaker 1: Follow me on Twitter at Underscore JCNLT so you guys 51 00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:22,600 Speaker 1: don't miss show announcements. Don't forget about a podcast feed 52 00:02:22,600 --> 00:02:24,360 Speaker 1: wherever you get your podcast on our Hoops Tonight. It's 53 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:26,040 Speaker 1: also super helpful if he leave a rating and a 54 00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:27,959 Speaker 1: review on that front. We also have brand new social 55 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:31,160 Speaker 1: media feeds on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. We're releasing content 56 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:33,280 Speaker 1: throughout the year. We're doing some more film stuff on 57 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:35,560 Speaker 1: those platforms as well, so make sure you guys follow 58 00:02:35,639 --> 00:02:37,480 Speaker 1: us there. In the last but not least, keep dropping 59 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:39,360 Speaker 1: mailback questions and the YouTube comments. We can get to 60 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:42,560 Speaker 1: them on Fridays throughout the remainder of the season. All right, 61 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:45,280 Speaker 1: let's talk some basketball. So I talked a little bit 62 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:48,760 Speaker 1: about e after the game right for the All Star 63 00:02:48,840 --> 00:02:51,520 Speaker 1: break with the Timberwolves about how they're one of those teams. 64 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:54,960 Speaker 1: I'm always looking at teams in the regular season and 65 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:57,919 Speaker 1: trying to find out what I think translates to the postseason, 66 00:02:58,600 --> 00:03:01,320 Speaker 1: and there's always like a certain amount of like sometimes 67 00:03:01,320 --> 00:03:04,680 Speaker 1: the young athletic teams, there's a little bit of a 68 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:06,680 Speaker 1: ceiling that they run into when they get into the 69 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:09,640 Speaker 1: postseason when all the vets kind of up their level 70 00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:11,800 Speaker 1: of intensity and the game planning gets a little bit 71 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:14,880 Speaker 1: more intense. Young players tend to have more weaknesses and 72 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:17,120 Speaker 1: they can run into some issues. Right, There are some 73 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:19,400 Speaker 1: young teams near the top of the stay in his 74 00:03:19,440 --> 00:03:22,400 Speaker 1: classic example as years, teams like the Houston Rockets, right that, like, 75 00:03:22,840 --> 00:03:25,320 Speaker 1: I don't think they're as good as their record is 76 00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:28,200 Speaker 1: in terms of the type of threat that they represent 77 00:03:28,720 --> 00:03:31,560 Speaker 1: in the postseason. But then there is a layer to that, 78 00:03:32,040 --> 00:03:35,760 Speaker 1: especially on teams that do have more talent, more actual 79 00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:40,360 Speaker 1: veteran experienced talent, teams like the Minnesota Timberwolves, where their 80 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:44,760 Speaker 1: size in physicality can manifest in the postseason in a 81 00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:48,160 Speaker 1: way that it doesn't manifest in the regular season because 82 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:50,960 Speaker 1: they're allowed to get away with more because of their 83 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:54,120 Speaker 1: size and physicality. Wearing on a team over the course 84 00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:56,960 Speaker 1: of a seven game series. The Timberwolves last year, what 85 00:03:57,000 --> 00:03:59,720 Speaker 1: they did to the Phoenix Suns, what they did to 86 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:02,080 Speaker 1: the Nuggets was a perfect example of that. And if 87 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:05,360 Speaker 1: you guys remember I talked about it in that stretch 88 00:04:05,440 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 1: right during the All Star break. Like with Minnesota, I 89 00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:12,480 Speaker 1: take them more seriously than their record because they just 90 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:17,640 Speaker 1: have a bunch of big, strong athletes with veteran president presences, 91 00:04:17,920 --> 00:04:20,839 Speaker 1: with enough shot creation talent to where they can just 92 00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:23,760 Speaker 1: drag you down into the mud. And when you're down 93 00:04:23,760 --> 00:04:26,000 Speaker 1: in the mud with them, they can make a lot 94 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:29,120 Speaker 1: of your players play beneath their capability. You can start 95 00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:31,680 Speaker 1: to experience some injuries as you get banged up in 96 00:04:31,720 --> 00:04:35,080 Speaker 1: that environment and it can go south for you pretty quickly. 97 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:38,200 Speaker 1: And even without Anthony Edwards in that second half, I 98 00:04:38,200 --> 00:04:41,560 Speaker 1: thought the Wolves presented an excellent challenge for the Lakers 99 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:45,159 Speaker 1: in terms of that physical imposition that they presented. Terrence 100 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:49,240 Speaker 1: Shannon in particular, was just ripping through the Lakers transition defense. 101 00:04:49,320 --> 00:04:52,599 Speaker 1: Lakers have been really good on defense, including in transition 102 00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:56,040 Speaker 1: for a while. That was not their best transition defense effort. 103 00:04:56,160 --> 00:04:59,279 Speaker 1: Terrence Shannon made them pay consistently by just ripping through them. 104 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:01,080 Speaker 1: One of the things things that I want to talk 105 00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:05,240 Speaker 1: about is like the Lakers have a flaw that's been 106 00:05:05,520 --> 00:05:09,240 Speaker 1: consistent throughout this season, which is that teams are going 107 00:05:09,320 --> 00:05:12,479 Speaker 1: to ball pressure the hell out of Lebron and ball 108 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:15,400 Speaker 1: pressure the hell out of Austin, and they ball pressured 109 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:17,279 Speaker 1: the hell out of d Lo when he was there, 110 00:05:17,839 --> 00:05:21,960 Speaker 1: and as games progressed, those guys would wear down and 111 00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:25,280 Speaker 1: get fatigued, and they'd start to get sloppy with their passes. 112 00:05:25,320 --> 00:05:27,600 Speaker 1: They'd start to miss a lot of jump shots. Look 113 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:30,160 Speaker 1: at how many badly missed jump shots you saw from 114 00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:32,760 Speaker 1: the Lakers in that second half. And one of the 115 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:35,200 Speaker 1: big things that I was really excited about in the 116 00:05:35,279 --> 00:05:39,320 Speaker 1: Luka Doncics trade is he's like literally the antidote to 117 00:05:39,440 --> 00:05:41,960 Speaker 1: that problem. He is a guy that can eat up 118 00:05:41,960 --> 00:05:45,719 Speaker 1: an enormous amount of that usage in terms of bringing 119 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:49,760 Speaker 1: the ball up the floor with standing ball pressure, making 120 00:05:49,800 --> 00:05:53,920 Speaker 1: that easier. The difference is is that Luca, when he's 121 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:57,520 Speaker 1: at his best, brings a level of shot making that 122 00:05:57,600 --> 00:06:00,480 Speaker 1: he can use to defeat that type of pressure. He 123 00:06:00,520 --> 00:06:03,719 Speaker 1: can get guys on his side and work his way downhill, 124 00:06:03,720 --> 00:06:05,960 Speaker 1: get into that ten to fifteen foot zone and make 125 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:08,080 Speaker 1: a bunch of shots. He actually saw a taste of 126 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:10,640 Speaker 1: that in that first quarter stretch, which was the stretch 127 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:13,719 Speaker 1: where Luca looked his best offensively, and so on the 128 00:06:13,760 --> 00:06:17,080 Speaker 1: one hand, I thought the Wolves exposed the reality of 129 00:06:17,080 --> 00:06:20,440 Speaker 1: the Lakers' weaknesses in terms of wearing down under ball pressure. 130 00:06:20,839 --> 00:06:24,719 Speaker 1: But the reality is that when Luca gets into form, 131 00:06:25,160 --> 00:06:28,599 Speaker 1: he should be able to handle that better. Luca is 132 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:31,000 Speaker 1: still having a hell of a time making jump shots 133 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:34,560 Speaker 1: at this point. He came into tonight eleven for fifty 134 00:06:34,640 --> 00:06:37,920 Speaker 1: one on jump shots in a Lakers jersey. He ended 135 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:40,640 Speaker 1: up making the most ridiculous shot he took tonight, the 136 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:44,400 Speaker 1: interesting kind of a late clock sequence where Lebron was 137 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:46,839 Speaker 1: kind of caught the ball in the post against Nazriid, 138 00:06:46,880 --> 00:06:48,360 Speaker 1: and then he was like, you know what, Like I 139 00:06:48,360 --> 00:06:50,440 Speaker 1: don't see the point me posting up Nasriid, so he 140 00:06:50,440 --> 00:06:52,640 Speaker 1: pulled him out to the perimeter, but his jumper was 141 00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:54,080 Speaker 1: kind of out of rhythm. He had missed a few 142 00:06:54,080 --> 00:06:55,760 Speaker 1: early in the fourth, so he tries to drive on 143 00:06:55,839 --> 00:06:57,920 Speaker 1: him and nas does a really nice job shutting off 144 00:06:57,920 --> 00:07:00,159 Speaker 1: the driving lane kind of traps him along the baseline 145 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:03,000 Speaker 1: and Lebron throws basically just an escape pass to Luca 146 00:07:03,240 --> 00:07:06,359 Speaker 1: on the left wing. Nikhil Alexander Walker is smothering it 147 00:07:06,400 --> 00:07:08,599 Speaker 1: the whole way, and Luca just bumps him a little 148 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:10,480 Speaker 1: bit with that shoulder and leans back and shoots a 149 00:07:10,520 --> 00:07:14,200 Speaker 1: one leg fade away from like twenty seven feet nothing 150 00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:15,320 Speaker 1: but the bottom of the net. 151 00:07:15,440 --> 00:07:15,840 Speaker 2: It's funny. 152 00:07:15,880 --> 00:07:17,960 Speaker 1: I had a MAVs fan tweet at me after that 153 00:07:17,960 --> 00:07:21,480 Speaker 1: that basically said, all MAVs fans knew that shot was 154 00:07:21,520 --> 00:07:24,360 Speaker 1: going in, And it's just an example of the Luca 155 00:07:24,480 --> 00:07:28,560 Speaker 1: magic that MAVs fans grew accustoms to during the beginning 156 00:07:28,560 --> 00:07:30,920 Speaker 1: stretch of his career that Laker fans are going. 157 00:07:30,760 --> 00:07:31,520 Speaker 2: To see a lot of. 158 00:07:31,680 --> 00:07:34,400 Speaker 1: But like to me, lucas not close to where he 159 00:07:34,520 --> 00:07:36,800 Speaker 1: needs to be as a shot maker. To me, it's 160 00:07:36,840 --> 00:07:40,040 Speaker 1: obvious because so many of his misses are outside the rim. 161 00:07:40,240 --> 00:07:42,200 Speaker 1: An easy way to think of it is the basketball 162 00:07:42,280 --> 00:07:45,000 Speaker 1: rim can actually fit two basketballs on the inside, right, 163 00:07:45,320 --> 00:07:48,400 Speaker 1: So like there's kind of like a dialing in process. 164 00:07:48,440 --> 00:07:51,080 Speaker 1: When you're out of rhythm, You're you're getting a little 165 00:07:51,160 --> 00:07:54,360 Speaker 1: bit closer on your missus, you're making more shots, right, 166 00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:56,440 Speaker 1: And like right now, I don't think Luca, Like, I 167 00:07:56,480 --> 00:07:59,240 Speaker 1: don't think Luca's Luca might have a good game here 168 00:07:59,320 --> 00:08:01,400 Speaker 1: or there as jump shooter, but I think he's a 169 00:08:01,440 --> 00:08:06,240 Speaker 1: ways away from actually, like regularly just notching really good 170 00:08:06,280 --> 00:08:09,160 Speaker 1: shot making games because his jumper's way off right now. 171 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:12,160 Speaker 1: He's missing most of them well outside the rim. He's 172 00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:14,800 Speaker 1: missing a lot of his short range shot making, like 173 00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:17,200 Speaker 1: short in front of the rim, Like he's not even 174 00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:18,920 Speaker 1: like getting it over the front of the rim. So 175 00:08:19,600 --> 00:08:21,560 Speaker 1: it's gonna be a while. I think. I think we're 176 00:08:21,560 --> 00:08:24,360 Speaker 1: probably still at least a few weeks out from Luca 177 00:08:24,440 --> 00:08:27,160 Speaker 1: really looking like Luca as a shot maker. But he 178 00:08:27,240 --> 00:08:30,040 Speaker 1: should help solve that problem for the Lakers in terms 179 00:08:30,080 --> 00:08:33,400 Speaker 1: of wearing down under that type of ball pressure, because 180 00:08:33,400 --> 00:08:36,200 Speaker 1: even with Luca as he can wear down as we 181 00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:39,720 Speaker 1: saw like in the Celtics series for instance, Lebron James 182 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:41,800 Speaker 1: should be able to help anchor him on that end 183 00:08:42,040 --> 00:08:44,920 Speaker 1: by giving him a release foul Austin Reeves as well. 184 00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:47,080 Speaker 1: I think Luca is gonna be an antidote for that 185 00:08:47,120 --> 00:08:48,880 Speaker 1: problem in the big picture, But you did see that 186 00:08:48,920 --> 00:08:51,560 Speaker 1: get exposed quite a bit in this game as a 187 00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:55,600 Speaker 1: weakness for the Lakers on the defensive end. Dealing with 188 00:08:55,640 --> 00:08:59,880 Speaker 1: Anthony Edwards, there's another completely different type of offensive matchup 189 00:09:00,440 --> 00:09:02,880 Speaker 1: that the Lakers personnel had to deal with that JJ 190 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:04,520 Speaker 1: and his coaching staff had to come up with a 191 00:09:04,559 --> 00:09:06,920 Speaker 1: game plan for The game plan that they had for 192 00:09:06,920 --> 00:09:08,080 Speaker 1: Aunt was pretty simple. 193 00:09:08,200 --> 00:09:08,880 Speaker 2: They just had. 194 00:09:08,720 --> 00:09:12,439 Speaker 1: Whoever was guarding him on the ball basically force him 195 00:09:12,440 --> 00:09:16,000 Speaker 1: towards the sideline, So play entirely on his inside shoulder 196 00:09:16,040 --> 00:09:18,600 Speaker 1: and force him to drive towards the sideline, and then 197 00:09:18,640 --> 00:09:21,280 Speaker 1: they use what's called a strong side zone, basically taking 198 00:09:21,320 --> 00:09:24,319 Speaker 1: a think of it like this. Normally, if a defender 199 00:09:24,360 --> 00:09:26,920 Speaker 1: were to sit in the paint and he's not guarding anybody, 200 00:09:27,120 --> 00:09:29,680 Speaker 1: he would get a defensive three second violation, right. We 201 00:09:29,720 --> 00:09:31,119 Speaker 1: saw a couple of those tonight. 202 00:09:30,880 --> 00:09:31,679 Speaker 2: One on each team. 203 00:09:32,160 --> 00:09:34,520 Speaker 1: But in that event, one of the counters for that 204 00:09:34,640 --> 00:09:36,400 Speaker 1: is like guys will sometimes be all the way on 205 00:09:36,440 --> 00:09:38,200 Speaker 1: the opposite side of the paint and they'll step in 206 00:09:38,440 --> 00:09:40,520 Speaker 1: and they'll step out, and they'll step in and they'll 207 00:09:40,520 --> 00:09:43,040 Speaker 1: step out. But a way to avoid that entirely is 208 00:09:43,080 --> 00:09:44,680 Speaker 1: what if you just have that guy go all the 209 00:09:44,679 --> 00:09:47,200 Speaker 1: way to the opposite side of the paint and literally 210 00:09:47,280 --> 00:09:49,320 Speaker 1: just that's what they called a strong side zone. Because 211 00:09:49,320 --> 00:09:52,640 Speaker 1: that defender is not actually guarding a man anymore. He's 212 00:09:52,679 --> 00:09:56,880 Speaker 1: actually effectively a one man's zone who's in help right 213 00:09:56,920 --> 00:09:59,960 Speaker 1: outside the block on the strong side of the floor 214 00:10:00,360 --> 00:10:03,240 Speaker 1: where the ball handler is right. So essentially it's like 215 00:10:03,280 --> 00:10:06,160 Speaker 1: a soft double team of Ant. You're playing his strong 216 00:10:06,240 --> 00:10:09,720 Speaker 1: side shoulder or his middle side shoulder so that he 217 00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:13,040 Speaker 1: can't just like easily take pull up threes, and you're 218 00:10:13,160 --> 00:10:15,880 Speaker 1: trying to force him to drive right into the teeth 219 00:10:15,960 --> 00:10:18,960 Speaker 1: of the defense. I actually thought At handled it really well. 220 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:20,520 Speaker 1: I mean, the game plan more or less worked the 221 00:10:20,559 --> 00:10:22,800 Speaker 1: way it was supposed to. The Lakers did get a 222 00:10:22,840 --> 00:10:24,719 Speaker 1: lot of stops in this game, but I thought At 223 00:10:24,760 --> 00:10:26,440 Speaker 1: handled it pretty well. He got it to paint quite 224 00:10:26,440 --> 00:10:28,600 Speaker 1: a bit. He was using his slow down step to 225 00:10:28,679 --> 00:10:31,720 Speaker 1: deal with help defenders. He was using screening actions to 226 00:10:31,720 --> 00:10:33,679 Speaker 1: try to get his defender caught on the screen by 227 00:10:33,720 --> 00:10:36,439 Speaker 1: like like screening and then rescreening to get the dude 228 00:10:36,520 --> 00:10:38,200 Speaker 1: caught on the underside so he could get a decent 229 00:10:38,240 --> 00:10:40,600 Speaker 1: look at a pull up three. He got guys off 230 00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:43,319 Speaker 1: of him with pump fakes. You know, Ant's just freakishly talented. 231 00:10:43,320 --> 00:10:45,320 Speaker 1: That's what he's gonna do. He made some really nice 232 00:10:45,320 --> 00:10:48,160 Speaker 1: skip passes to beat the strong side zone. But then 233 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:50,160 Speaker 1: it got worked up and there was a sequence that 234 00:10:50,200 --> 00:10:52,240 Speaker 1: was kind of like a bang bang play where he 235 00:10:52,400 --> 00:10:55,680 Speaker 1: drove at Gabe Vincent and like clearly shoved him off 236 00:10:55,720 --> 00:10:58,960 Speaker 1: with his right arm, and like, yeah, when Gabe was falling, 237 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:01,040 Speaker 1: his left foot came up a little bit and kicked 238 00:11:01,600 --> 00:11:03,400 Speaker 1: Ant in the back of the leg. But like the 239 00:11:03,440 --> 00:11:05,199 Speaker 1: ref didn't call it. You want to know why the 240 00:11:05,240 --> 00:11:07,240 Speaker 1: ref didn't call it because he saw Aunt push him 241 00:11:07,280 --> 00:11:10,160 Speaker 1: off and and it was just kind of like a 242 00:11:10,160 --> 00:11:11,760 Speaker 1: bang bang play where he didn't think it was worthy 243 00:11:11,800 --> 00:11:14,200 Speaker 1: of a whistle. Ant fell down and loses his mind, 244 00:11:14,240 --> 00:11:16,720 Speaker 1: gets into it with the ref, gets himself ejected. Now 245 00:11:16,760 --> 00:11:20,439 Speaker 1: he's suspended for tomorrow as well, So like that's really unfortunate, 246 00:11:20,440 --> 00:11:22,080 Speaker 1: and like one of those things where like I get 247 00:11:22,120 --> 00:11:24,040 Speaker 1: I could see watching that game how you could be 248 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:27,120 Speaker 1: frustrated as a Wolves fan or as a Wolve's player. 249 00:11:27,160 --> 00:11:29,439 Speaker 1: The Lakers were getting some tiki tac calls in that game. 250 00:11:29,559 --> 00:11:31,720 Speaker 1: Is one of those ones where like like Austin was 251 00:11:31,760 --> 00:11:34,280 Speaker 1: getting hit on the forearm. It's like really light, but 252 00:11:34,320 --> 00:11:36,160 Speaker 1: at the same time, like you guys know, if you've 253 00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:38,679 Speaker 1: ever played basketball. If you shoot a jump shot and 254 00:11:38,679 --> 00:11:41,079 Speaker 1: a guy taps you on the forearm when you're shooting, 255 00:11:41,280 --> 00:11:43,200 Speaker 1: it can cause the shot to go off by feet 256 00:11:43,800 --> 00:11:46,160 Speaker 1: because it just affects your follow through. That's all the 257 00:11:46,200 --> 00:11:48,800 Speaker 1: power that you're transferring into the basketball, right. But like 258 00:11:48,960 --> 00:11:53,160 Speaker 1: I can understand that it's a frustrating officiating game for 259 00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:55,480 Speaker 1: the Wolves. My thing is like you're on the road 260 00:11:56,120 --> 00:11:58,760 Speaker 1: in the arena with a group of players, specifically Austin 261 00:11:58,800 --> 00:12:01,640 Speaker 1: and Luca, who are like famous spougrifters. You know you're 262 00:12:01,679 --> 00:12:03,320 Speaker 1: gonna be on the wrong end to some calls. You 263 00:12:03,360 --> 00:12:05,520 Speaker 1: got to show some mental toughness to get through that 264 00:12:05,880 --> 00:12:08,199 Speaker 1: so that you can stay available for your team, and 265 00:12:07,920 --> 00:12:12,240 Speaker 1: got himself ejected from there. The Wolves were just like, hey, 266 00:12:12,720 --> 00:12:16,360 Speaker 1: we got one chance here, Let's muck this up. Let's 267 00:12:16,400 --> 00:12:19,120 Speaker 1: get super physical, let's make a mess of this game, 268 00:12:19,240 --> 00:12:20,400 Speaker 1: let's get out in transition. 269 00:12:20,720 --> 00:12:22,560 Speaker 2: And they did. They made it a game. 270 00:12:23,440 --> 00:12:26,200 Speaker 1: But the Lakers, just like they did in the Dallas game, 271 00:12:26,440 --> 00:12:29,840 Speaker 1: they were lock in down the stretch, get enough stops, 272 00:12:30,040 --> 00:12:32,120 Speaker 1: get enough good looks, and ended up pulling away and 273 00:12:32,120 --> 00:12:36,600 Speaker 1: winning relatively comfortably. I thought Lebron was absolutely magnificent all 274 00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:40,920 Speaker 1: around in this game, but especially on defense as ironic 275 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:45,160 Speaker 1: after JJ Reddick touted his all defense level of play 276 00:12:45,200 --> 00:12:46,959 Speaker 1: over the course of the last six weeks after the 277 00:12:47,040 --> 00:12:49,880 Speaker 1: Dallas game, I thought this was his best defensive game 278 00:12:50,200 --> 00:12:53,600 Speaker 1: of this entire stretch. His rotations all over the floor 279 00:12:53,600 --> 00:12:56,559 Speaker 1: were amazing, his close outs to the three point line 280 00:12:56,600 --> 00:12:59,720 Speaker 1: going flying into a row of chairs, his back line 281 00:12:59,760 --> 00:13:02,400 Speaker 1: wrote around the rim. There were like a half dozen 282 00:13:02,960 --> 00:13:05,600 Speaker 1: deep catches for the Wolves in the paint in this 283 00:13:05,679 --> 00:13:09,120 Speaker 1: game where Lebron just like appeared out of nowhere to 284 00:13:09,320 --> 00:13:12,120 Speaker 1: disrupt the player on the catch and force some miss. 285 00:13:12,360 --> 00:13:14,880 Speaker 1: Clean up the defensive glass after that miss. He was 286 00:13:14,920 --> 00:13:16,840 Speaker 1: incredible on the defensive glass all night and again went 287 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:20,480 Speaker 1: like sixteen to seventeen rebounds, so many contested rebounds that 288 00:13:20,520 --> 00:13:22,440 Speaker 1: he came away with. There was even that one I 289 00:13:22,440 --> 00:13:24,840 Speaker 1: think it was with Terrence Shannon where both guys had 290 00:13:24,880 --> 00:13:26,160 Speaker 1: a grip on the ball and they ended up in 291 00:13:26,160 --> 00:13:28,760 Speaker 1: a wrestling match over it, and Lebron somehow got away 292 00:13:28,800 --> 00:13:31,040 Speaker 1: with that one as well. He was in groups of 293 00:13:31,120 --> 00:13:34,239 Speaker 1: three bodies and tapping it out to other Lakers for rebounds. 294 00:13:34,559 --> 00:13:35,079 Speaker 2: He was just. 295 00:13:35,080 --> 00:13:38,520 Speaker 1: Amazing all over the floor on the defensive end of 296 00:13:38,520 --> 00:13:43,679 Speaker 1: of the ball, getting stops and finishing possessions with the 297 00:13:43,720 --> 00:13:46,320 Speaker 1: defensive rebound. And then again on a night where Luca 298 00:13:46,360 --> 00:13:50,640 Speaker 1: couldn't buy a shot, Lebron brought the scoring all night long. 299 00:13:51,320 --> 00:13:53,840 Speaker 1: He was downhill to the rim all night long, he 300 00:13:53,920 --> 00:13:57,040 Speaker 1: was dominating in the paint. It was just another game 301 00:13:57,080 --> 00:14:00,439 Speaker 1: where Lebron was playing at an MVP level in nearly 302 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:03,679 Speaker 1: two month stretch where he's consistently. 303 00:14:02,960 --> 00:14:05,520 Speaker 2: Been playing at that level. Uh. 304 00:14:05,559 --> 00:14:07,840 Speaker 1: The one last note I have on the Lakers front here, 305 00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:10,600 Speaker 1: there are some realities to this team with their depth. 306 00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:13,040 Speaker 1: This is something I talked about in the if you 307 00:14:13,040 --> 00:14:16,920 Speaker 1: guys remember in the in the after, in the immediate 308 00:14:16,920 --> 00:14:21,320 Speaker 1: aftermath of the trade, there are some realities just in 309 00:14:21,480 --> 00:14:25,920 Speaker 1: the number of like reliable rotation players they have. There's 310 00:14:26,040 --> 00:14:31,200 Speaker 1: like eight if you include Jackson Hayes. Right, it's Lebron, Austin, Luca, 311 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:36,120 Speaker 1: It's Ruey and Jackson, and then it's Dorian Finney Smith, 312 00:14:36,120 --> 00:14:41,080 Speaker 1: it's Jared Vanderbilt, it's Gabe Vincent. After that, it gets shaky, right, 313 00:14:41,280 --> 00:14:44,040 Speaker 1: like you get into that Dalton connect phase. Like I've 314 00:14:44,040 --> 00:14:45,920 Speaker 1: been kind of lower on Dalton Connect than most Laker 315 00:14:45,960 --> 00:14:48,200 Speaker 1: fans all year. He just I think he's gonna be 316 00:14:48,200 --> 00:14:50,960 Speaker 1: a good player in the big picture, but right now, 317 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:52,800 Speaker 1: he's a shooter that can't make shots and is a 318 00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:56,400 Speaker 1: really bad defensive player. Like I don't think he's even 319 00:14:56,440 --> 00:14:59,440 Speaker 1: really capable of being a consistent rotation player for a 320 00:14:59,480 --> 00:15:03,600 Speaker 1: good NBA team right now. Right like Jordan Goodwin, absolute scrapper. 321 00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:08,240 Speaker 1: He's such a good piece to have for a regular season, 322 00:15:08,480 --> 00:15:10,360 Speaker 1: but he's not a guy that you're gonna be able 323 00:15:10,440 --> 00:15:14,000 Speaker 1: to like rely on for significant minutes in a postseason setting. 324 00:15:14,200 --> 00:15:16,600 Speaker 1: So you got eight guys, and here's the thing, Like 325 00:15:17,080 --> 00:15:20,520 Speaker 1: eight guys is enough. That's what you wanted a playoff rotation. 326 00:15:20,680 --> 00:15:23,640 Speaker 1: You want seven and a half, eight guys that you 327 00:15:23,800 --> 00:15:26,080 Speaker 1: trust to do their job on both ends of the floor. 328 00:15:26,480 --> 00:15:29,680 Speaker 1: But there's no margin for error there. As soon as 329 00:15:29,920 --> 00:15:33,800 Speaker 1: like just tomorrow night, for example, you take Ruey out 330 00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:36,040 Speaker 1: of the picture. Ruey went down with a knees brain 331 00:15:36,080 --> 00:15:38,920 Speaker 1: in this game, Dorrian Finney Smith slots into the starting 332 00:15:38,960 --> 00:15:41,600 Speaker 1: lineup in all likelihood if everyone else plays, But it's 333 00:15:41,680 --> 00:15:43,320 Speaker 1: very possible that the Lakers hit a bunch of guys 334 00:15:43,320 --> 00:15:46,280 Speaker 1: tomorrow will see. But like let's just say Ruey's out 335 00:15:46,320 --> 00:15:48,600 Speaker 1: long term, Like let's say, Ruey's out three four weeks, 336 00:15:49,640 --> 00:15:53,000 Speaker 1: Dorrian Phinney Smith is starting. You got one forward coming 337 00:15:53,040 --> 00:15:57,840 Speaker 1: off the bench, Jared Vanderbilt. Like, now it's gonna be 338 00:15:57,920 --> 00:15:59,760 Speaker 1: a are we going big? Is it gonna? Is it 339 00:15:59,760 --> 00:16:02,480 Speaker 1: gonna be a lot of Alex lenn You know that's 340 00:16:02,520 --> 00:16:06,280 Speaker 1: a huge dropoff from a player of Ruey Hatchi Mura's caliber. 341 00:16:06,720 --> 00:16:09,280 Speaker 1: And so again, like I want to be clear about 342 00:16:09,280 --> 00:16:12,840 Speaker 1: this Laker team. I think they absolutely have a championship ceiling. 343 00:16:13,040 --> 00:16:16,760 Speaker 1: They are proving once again another night where they held 344 00:16:16,800 --> 00:16:21,160 Speaker 1: a team that that Wolves offense was top ten in 345 00:16:21,240 --> 00:16:25,080 Speaker 1: offense in offensive rating over the previous fifteen games. The 346 00:16:25,160 --> 00:16:27,840 Speaker 1: Lakers held him down, just like the held Dallas down, 347 00:16:28,160 --> 00:16:30,200 Speaker 1: just like the held Denver down, just like they've been 348 00:16:30,200 --> 00:16:33,480 Speaker 1: holding everybody down since the middle of January. The defense 349 00:16:33,560 --> 00:16:38,440 Speaker 1: is real. Luca getting back to being Luca will anchor 350 00:16:38,520 --> 00:16:41,920 Speaker 1: this offense at a higher floor. I still think they're 351 00:16:41,960 --> 00:16:45,040 Speaker 1: shooting well below their shot quality right now. A big 352 00:16:45,120 --> 00:16:47,840 Speaker 1: part of that is just every game has been super physical, 353 00:16:48,040 --> 00:16:50,440 Speaker 1: and I think also Luca getting back to form will 354 00:16:50,440 --> 00:16:53,360 Speaker 1: start to generate better shot quality. But like, I think 355 00:16:53,400 --> 00:16:55,440 Speaker 1: they're gonna be fine on the offensive end, They have 356 00:16:55,800 --> 00:16:59,880 Speaker 1: absolutely a championship level unit on both ends of the floor. 357 00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:04,600 Speaker 1: They're rebounding really well with this group. Everything's great there. However, 358 00:17:04,680 --> 00:17:08,240 Speaker 1: the margin for air as it pertains to their injury 359 00:17:08,359 --> 00:17:15,200 Speaker 1: luck is extremely luck. It's extremely small. Ruey sprains his 360 00:17:15,280 --> 00:17:17,199 Speaker 1: knee in this game. Jackson Hayes hurt his hip in 361 00:17:17,240 --> 00:17:19,680 Speaker 1: this game. Luca grabbed at his knee after going knee 362 00:17:19,680 --> 00:17:21,720 Speaker 1: to knee with somebody. Lebron looked like he was a 363 00:17:21,720 --> 00:17:24,479 Speaker 1: little banged up at the end of the game. There's 364 00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:27,880 Speaker 1: definitely a very small window here in terms of they 365 00:17:28,040 --> 00:17:31,679 Speaker 1: need to get through a really brutal stretch of basketball 366 00:17:31,720 --> 00:17:37,040 Speaker 1: here with their roster intact. And so again, like I 367 00:17:37,080 --> 00:17:39,000 Speaker 1: think it's important every time you see a team struggle, 368 00:17:39,119 --> 00:17:41,200 Speaker 1: I got talked about it's always important to at least 369 00:17:41,240 --> 00:17:43,439 Speaker 1: acknowledge what's making them a struggle. 370 00:17:43,480 --> 00:17:46,040 Speaker 2: It's like, oh, ball pressure and physicality. 371 00:17:46,119 --> 00:17:49,000 Speaker 1: Well, yeah, Lucas should help with that, but like, oh, 372 00:17:49,080 --> 00:17:51,639 Speaker 1: also down the stretch he ended up having to play. 373 00:17:52,160 --> 00:17:54,080 Speaker 1: You couldn't go to your closing group with Ruey because 374 00:17:54,160 --> 00:17:57,480 Speaker 1: Ruey's hurt. Okay, So the reality is this team has 375 00:17:57,520 --> 00:18:01,520 Speaker 1: eight men can that they can trust. But after that, 376 00:18:01,560 --> 00:18:03,920 Speaker 1: it gets a little sketchy, and it's just something that's 377 00:18:03,960 --> 00:18:05,560 Speaker 1: a reality of something that they're gonna have to deal 378 00:18:05,600 --> 00:18:06,800 Speaker 1: with as the season progresses. 379 00:18:21,119 --> 00:18:22,560 Speaker 2: All right, Moving onto Warriors Magic. 380 00:18:24,040 --> 00:18:26,040 Speaker 1: This was an interesting matchup that I had my eye 381 00:18:26,040 --> 00:18:28,479 Speaker 1: on for the New York Warriors because the Magic are 382 00:18:28,560 --> 00:18:32,200 Speaker 1: just a much bigger team. It was going to test 383 00:18:32,760 --> 00:18:35,399 Speaker 1: the Warriors in the paint and on the glass, and 384 00:18:35,440 --> 00:18:37,560 Speaker 1: I actually thought they held up pretty well on that front. 385 00:18:37,880 --> 00:18:40,160 Speaker 1: They only gave up eleven second chance points while getting 386 00:18:40,160 --> 00:18:42,440 Speaker 1: eight of their own. It was actually the Magic down 387 00:18:42,480 --> 00:18:45,480 Speaker 1: the stretch who weren't able to secure a defensive rebound 388 00:18:46,119 --> 00:18:48,600 Speaker 1: that Jimmy Butler beat everyone to the ball once. Draymond 389 00:18:48,640 --> 00:18:50,720 Speaker 1: Green beat every one of the ball once. So I 390 00:18:50,760 --> 00:18:53,200 Speaker 1: actually thought it was a relatively successful night on that front. 391 00:18:53,200 --> 00:18:55,919 Speaker 1: And again, when you have a disadvantage like that, like oh, 392 00:18:55,960 --> 00:18:58,000 Speaker 1: they're bigger than us, it's not like you're gonna go 393 00:18:58,040 --> 00:19:02,960 Speaker 1: and just play bigger than them. It's about just minimizing 394 00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:07,680 Speaker 1: that advantage. You can minimize their size advantage and maximize 395 00:19:07,720 --> 00:19:10,520 Speaker 1: your speed advantage, you can win that fight. 396 00:19:11,320 --> 00:19:11,560 Speaker 2: Again. 397 00:19:11,640 --> 00:19:14,679 Speaker 1: It's like there's that expression styles make fights, But the 398 00:19:14,720 --> 00:19:17,080 Speaker 1: way I look at it is like which style wins 399 00:19:17,119 --> 00:19:19,800 Speaker 1: the fight. A really fast guy and a really big 400 00:19:19,840 --> 00:19:22,959 Speaker 1: guy get into a fistfight, like it really just depends 401 00:19:22,960 --> 00:19:27,280 Speaker 1: on who weaponizes their advantage better, right, And like it 402 00:19:27,400 --> 00:19:29,439 Speaker 1: just felt like in this game, the Warriors held up 403 00:19:29,480 --> 00:19:33,280 Speaker 1: pretty well onto Orlando's size. The flip side of the 404 00:19:33,280 --> 00:19:36,280 Speaker 1: Magic being this massive team is that they can't shoot. 405 00:19:36,400 --> 00:19:39,160 Speaker 1: And I mean they really can't shoot. They are far 406 00:19:39,200 --> 00:19:41,160 Speaker 1: and away the worst jump shooting team in the NBA. 407 00:19:42,560 --> 00:19:45,159 Speaker 1: They're so bad that the gap between them and the 408 00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:50,119 Speaker 1: twenty ninth ranked jump shooting team, the Washington Wizards, is 409 00:19:50,280 --> 00:19:54,679 Speaker 1: seven points over seven points per one hundred jump shots. 410 00:19:55,520 --> 00:19:58,160 Speaker 1: As a matter of fact, the gap between the Magic 411 00:19:58,240 --> 00:20:00,920 Speaker 1: and the twenty ninth ranked jump shooting team Washington Wizards 412 00:20:01,520 --> 00:20:03,600 Speaker 1: is the same as the gap between the twenty ninth 413 00:20:03,680 --> 00:20:07,920 Speaker 1: ranked team in the fourteenth ranked jump shooting team in 414 00:20:07,960 --> 00:20:10,720 Speaker 1: the NBA. That's how bad the Orlando Magic art making 415 00:20:10,800 --> 00:20:13,960 Speaker 1: jump shots. But now, in that first half, Orlando shot 416 00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:16,159 Speaker 1: the seams off the ball to start this game. They 417 00:20:16,200 --> 00:20:19,160 Speaker 1: got one point five to three points per jump shot 418 00:20:19,400 --> 00:20:22,560 Speaker 1: in the first half. That's close to double their season average. 419 00:20:22,840 --> 00:20:24,840 Speaker 1: But the Warriors didn't over react. They stuck to their 420 00:20:24,840 --> 00:20:27,760 Speaker 1: game plan and Orlando cooled off in the second half. 421 00:20:27,760 --> 00:20:30,560 Speaker 1: They got just zero point eight to two points per 422 00:20:30,640 --> 00:20:33,040 Speaker 1: jump shot in the second half. Now, again, like I 423 00:20:33,080 --> 00:20:35,200 Speaker 1: always talked about with shot results, there's two different ways 424 00:20:35,200 --> 00:20:37,560 Speaker 1: to look at it. Yeah, there's absolutely some variance in 425 00:20:37,640 --> 00:20:40,520 Speaker 1: jump shooting, but there are also a lot of controllables. 426 00:20:40,880 --> 00:20:44,280 Speaker 1: If a team is shooting well, if you start sharpening 427 00:20:44,359 --> 00:20:47,040 Speaker 1: up your closeouts, making them a little bit more uncomfortable, 428 00:20:47,040 --> 00:20:50,119 Speaker 1: it's more likely that they'll get out of rhythm and 429 00:20:50,160 --> 00:20:53,680 Speaker 1: that they'll start missing they like did you guys notice 430 00:20:53,680 --> 00:20:57,040 Speaker 1: a dynamic where the Warriors were, like in the second half, 431 00:20:57,440 --> 00:21:02,600 Speaker 1: blocking shots in the right court like threes, or forcing 432 00:21:02,720 --> 00:21:04,480 Speaker 1: really bad misses. 433 00:21:04,160 --> 00:21:05,560 Speaker 2: Out of the right corner on threes. 434 00:21:06,119 --> 00:21:08,160 Speaker 1: They kept putting two on the ball as the Magic 435 00:21:08,240 --> 00:21:10,920 Speaker 1: kept attacking out of that left wing, and a simple 436 00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:14,280 Speaker 1: dynamic was being generated where because they were occupying the 437 00:21:14,320 --> 00:21:16,400 Speaker 1: dunker spot, there was usually nobody on the right wing. 438 00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:19,960 Speaker 1: There's someone in the right corner and there was a defender, 439 00:21:20,560 --> 00:21:23,640 Speaker 1: sometimes there's Moses Moody, sometimes as Jimmy Butler, sometimes Draymond Green. 440 00:21:23,800 --> 00:21:26,960 Speaker 1: That defender would have to tag the roller as they're 441 00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:29,560 Speaker 1: putting two on the ball, But then also be accountable 442 00:21:29,560 --> 00:21:32,480 Speaker 1: for that shooter in the corner. Their rotations in the 443 00:21:32,480 --> 00:21:36,439 Speaker 1: second half were fantastic. Sprinting out there, Draymond and Jimmy 444 00:21:36,440 --> 00:21:39,879 Speaker 1: had several great closeouts forcing bad misses. Moses Moody had 445 00:21:39,880 --> 00:21:43,119 Speaker 1: to play where he tagged a roller at the foul 446 00:21:43,160 --> 00:21:47,000 Speaker 1: line and somehow got all the way back that his 447 00:21:47,200 --> 00:21:50,320 Speaker 1: man made the pass and he got all the way 448 00:21:50,320 --> 00:21:53,400 Speaker 1: back to the right corner and blocked a three point 449 00:21:53,440 --> 00:21:57,880 Speaker 1: shot over there. He's just been fantastic on defense consistently 450 00:21:58,720 --> 00:22:01,960 Speaker 1: since his role has become more were clarified for him. 451 00:22:02,240 --> 00:22:05,040 Speaker 1: The Warriors defense was great all around in the second half. 452 00:22:05,080 --> 00:22:06,840 Speaker 1: I thought it was a great matchup for Quinton Posts 453 00:22:07,240 --> 00:22:09,160 Speaker 1: because he was able to kind of hang back by 454 00:22:09,160 --> 00:22:12,720 Speaker 1: the rim and he had several great contests blocks there. 455 00:22:12,760 --> 00:22:14,840 Speaker 1: Like he was just really impactful as a rim protector 456 00:22:14,880 --> 00:22:17,520 Speaker 1: in this game. We talked about the defensive rotations from 457 00:22:17,520 --> 00:22:20,000 Speaker 1: guys like Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, Moses Moody. I think 458 00:22:20,040 --> 00:22:23,000 Speaker 1: Brandon Pajemski was awesome on defense in that second half 459 00:22:23,240 --> 00:22:27,320 Speaker 1: with his ball pressure just delaying Orlando getting into their offense. 460 00:22:27,680 --> 00:22:29,960 Speaker 1: He also had some great rear view contests again, that's 461 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:34,480 Speaker 1: when you're in ball screens and the screener screens. You 462 00:22:34,480 --> 00:22:37,320 Speaker 1: you have to chase over the top, but you have 463 00:22:37,359 --> 00:22:40,000 Speaker 1: a drop coverage defender or somebody that's helping on the 464 00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:42,359 Speaker 1: other side of the screen. Your job is to bother 465 00:22:42,520 --> 00:22:45,960 Speaker 1: from behind swipe at the basketball. He had some great 466 00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:48,639 Speaker 1: rearview contest. He had a block in a situation like that. 467 00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:52,359 Speaker 1: He's been fantastic on defense all around since the Jimmy Trade. 468 00:22:52,400 --> 00:22:55,879 Speaker 1: Like him and Moody, they've had their roles crystallized and 469 00:22:55,920 --> 00:22:59,000 Speaker 1: they're just hooping on both ends of the floor with 470 00:22:59,040 --> 00:23:00,840 Speaker 1: what the team is asking to do. Gary Payton, the 471 00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:03,080 Speaker 1: second had one of the biggest plays in the game. 472 00:23:03,119 --> 00:23:05,399 Speaker 1: The magic cut it into a close game late. He 473 00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:09,760 Speaker 1: off of an offensive rebound Cole Anthony drove the baseline 474 00:23:09,760 --> 00:23:11,720 Speaker 1: out of the right corner and it looked like he 475 00:23:11,800 --> 00:23:13,119 Speaker 1: was going to have a chance there to cut the 476 00:23:13,200 --> 00:23:16,160 Speaker 1: lead to a one possession game there, Gary just stayed 477 00:23:16,200 --> 00:23:19,240 Speaker 1: attached from behind, just swatted it out of there, and 478 00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:21,360 Speaker 1: it actually led to a fast break going the other way. 479 00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:24,600 Speaker 1: It was a huge defensive play from Gary Payton. They've 480 00:23:24,600 --> 00:23:29,280 Speaker 1: been second in defensive rating in the entire NBA in 481 00:23:29,320 --> 00:23:32,800 Speaker 1: this eight game stretch since Jimmy Butler did join the team. 482 00:23:33,119 --> 00:23:37,959 Speaker 1: They're fast. Everyone is doing their job. I was talking 483 00:23:38,240 --> 00:23:41,080 Speaker 1: our new producer, Jackson, He's a really smart basketball mind. 484 00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:43,920 Speaker 1: We were talking before the show about how, like how 485 00:23:44,040 --> 00:23:47,359 Speaker 1: the game has changed so much over the course of 486 00:23:47,400 --> 00:23:49,640 Speaker 1: the last few years in terms of teams are existing 487 00:23:49,640 --> 00:23:52,520 Speaker 1: in rotation a lot. All these great pull up shooters, 488 00:23:52,520 --> 00:23:54,240 Speaker 1: you got to put two on the ball. All these 489 00:23:54,280 --> 00:23:57,400 Speaker 1: great superstars that are great at attacking mismatches, you got 490 00:23:57,400 --> 00:23:59,879 Speaker 1: to put two on the ball. You're in rotation a lot. 491 00:24:00,760 --> 00:24:02,320 Speaker 1: And one of the things that Jackson was talking about 492 00:24:02,359 --> 00:24:04,480 Speaker 1: before we started recording, and I think he spot on 493 00:24:04,600 --> 00:24:09,399 Speaker 1: with this, is like having intelligent defenders that make the 494 00:24:09,520 --> 00:24:15,200 Speaker 1: right types of decisions in these situations really matters. You're 495 00:24:15,760 --> 00:24:20,639 Speaker 1: in rotation and there's two shooters on the opposite end 496 00:24:20,640 --> 00:24:22,240 Speaker 1: of the floor, a guy on the wing and a 497 00:24:22,280 --> 00:24:23,120 Speaker 1: guy in the corner. 498 00:24:23,800 --> 00:24:24,399 Speaker 2: And one of. 499 00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:26,760 Speaker 1: The guys is a guy that like, if you close 500 00:24:26,800 --> 00:24:30,159 Speaker 1: out at him short, he won't shoot it. But the 501 00:24:30,200 --> 00:24:32,600 Speaker 1: other guy's just a burner. Then you need to close 502 00:24:32,600 --> 00:24:35,159 Speaker 1: out to the better shooter passing lane close out. So 503 00:24:35,160 --> 00:24:38,359 Speaker 1: that's another thing that really advanced defenses will do where 504 00:24:38,359 --> 00:24:40,240 Speaker 1: like the pass goes to the wing or the pass 505 00:24:40,280 --> 00:24:42,320 Speaker 1: goes to the corner, instead of closing out to the shooter, 506 00:24:42,680 --> 00:24:45,639 Speaker 1: you close out in between them because it makes the 507 00:24:45,680 --> 00:24:48,160 Speaker 1: shooter think that you're closing out at him, so will 508 00:24:48,200 --> 00:24:50,480 Speaker 1: hesitate for a second. But then when he looks to 509 00:24:50,480 --> 00:24:53,199 Speaker 1: make the extra pass, guess who's in his way? You 510 00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:56,720 Speaker 1: because you're in the passing lane. Different like bait and 511 00:24:56,760 --> 00:24:59,000 Speaker 1: switch type of things where you might stunt at a 512 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:01,200 Speaker 1: guy to make him hesitate and then get back. The 513 00:25:01,240 --> 00:25:04,640 Speaker 1: Moses Moody block a great example. He's stunted, I believe 514 00:25:05,560 --> 00:25:07,240 Speaker 1: I think it was Goga Buttadze who caught on the 515 00:25:07,280 --> 00:25:10,080 Speaker 1: roll on that play. He like stunted at Gogut and 516 00:25:10,119 --> 00:25:12,840 Speaker 1: it made him hesitate, which bought him a second for 517 00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:16,080 Speaker 1: him to make that extra rotation to the corner. And 518 00:25:16,240 --> 00:25:20,840 Speaker 1: like Andrew Wiggins, as we've talked about, he is obviously 519 00:25:21,119 --> 00:25:25,560 Speaker 1: a better just like pick up the ball, full court 520 00:25:25,760 --> 00:25:28,040 Speaker 1: type of defender right, and that was a huge part 521 00:25:28,080 --> 00:25:30,680 Speaker 1: how they won the title. But Jimmy Butler has a 522 00:25:30,760 --> 00:25:34,320 Speaker 1: level of defensive playmaking to him that is a ceiling 523 00:25:34,400 --> 00:25:38,399 Speaker 1: razer that Andrew Wiggins is incapable of we talked about 524 00:25:38,480 --> 00:25:42,040 Speaker 1: earlier that intelligence piece. A lot of that is reading plays. 525 00:25:43,600 --> 00:25:45,520 Speaker 1: There's a play the other day, I can't even remember 526 00:25:45,560 --> 00:25:47,840 Speaker 1: which game it was, where he's like tracking a different 527 00:25:47,880 --> 00:25:51,080 Speaker 1: player on a baseline cut. Jimmy Butler is coming through 528 00:25:51,680 --> 00:25:54,199 Speaker 1: to the right side of the floor, but a different 529 00:25:54,240 --> 00:25:58,840 Speaker 1: player got back cut on the Warriors, and Jimmy identified 530 00:25:58,840 --> 00:26:01,240 Speaker 1: it and peeled off, jumped the passing lane, got it 531 00:26:01,280 --> 00:26:04,160 Speaker 1: and went the other way. Steph Curry, in my opinion, 532 00:26:04,520 --> 00:26:09,119 Speaker 1: has always been a very smart defender. Game plan discipline 533 00:26:09,240 --> 00:26:11,920 Speaker 1: is a huge part of success in the modern NBA. 534 00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:16,280 Speaker 1: Your coaches will spend hours pouring over film. Usually there's 535 00:26:16,320 --> 00:26:19,040 Speaker 1: someone on the staff who's scouting a game three four 536 00:26:19,080 --> 00:26:20,959 Speaker 1: games down the line. Hey, you're in charge for scouting 537 00:26:20,960 --> 00:26:22,800 Speaker 1: this game. This guy's in charge of scouting that game. 538 00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:25,800 Speaker 1: They're pouring over film. This is a guy we calls 539 00:26:25,840 --> 00:26:27,960 Speaker 1: out short on. This is a guy that doesn't ever 540 00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:29,800 Speaker 1: shoot a jump shot when he drives to the right, 541 00:26:29,840 --> 00:26:31,399 Speaker 1: but he always will shoot a jump shot when he 542 00:26:31,480 --> 00:26:33,040 Speaker 1: drives to the left. This is a guy that we 543 00:26:33,119 --> 00:26:34,880 Speaker 1: do this for. This is a guy that we're doing 544 00:26:34,880 --> 00:26:39,560 Speaker 1: that for. There's so much information there in the scouting report, 545 00:26:40,240 --> 00:26:42,399 Speaker 1: and a lot of times we see defensive breakdowns, and 546 00:26:42,440 --> 00:26:44,240 Speaker 1: we blame the coaching staff. A lot of times it's 547 00:26:44,240 --> 00:26:47,800 Speaker 1: a player who's just not obeying the game plan or 548 00:26:47,800 --> 00:26:51,639 Speaker 1: not sticking or being disciplined to the game plan. The 549 00:26:51,680 --> 00:26:56,040 Speaker 1: Warriors have a lot of really really smart defensive players 550 00:26:56,080 --> 00:26:59,040 Speaker 1: out there, and it's a big part of how they've 551 00:26:59,240 --> 00:27:01,880 Speaker 1: put together can consistently a top ten defense this season. 552 00:27:02,240 --> 00:27:05,280 Speaker 1: But now they're showing an elite defense over the course 553 00:27:05,280 --> 00:27:08,119 Speaker 1: of this recent stretch of games. But there was another 554 00:27:08,160 --> 00:27:10,760 Speaker 1: end of the floor in that second half, at the 555 00:27:10,840 --> 00:27:13,480 Speaker 1: end of the floor where Steph Curry went for thirty 556 00:27:13,560 --> 00:27:18,440 Speaker 1: five points just in the second half, started with a 557 00:27:18,440 --> 00:27:21,359 Speaker 1: half court heave right before the buzzer at halftime they 558 00:27:21,400 --> 00:27:24,760 Speaker 1: cut the lead to fourteen. He cut some favorable coverages 559 00:27:24,800 --> 00:27:27,199 Speaker 1: to start the third quarter. They were bringing Paolo and 560 00:27:27,200 --> 00:27:30,400 Speaker 1: Wendell Carter Junior into the screening action, and those guys 561 00:27:30,400 --> 00:27:34,480 Speaker 1: were just sitting back and letting Contavious Cobwo Pope just 562 00:27:34,600 --> 00:27:36,640 Speaker 1: chase Steph over screens. And so he got a couple 563 00:27:36,680 --> 00:27:39,640 Speaker 1: of really easy looks to start the third quarter, one 564 00:27:39,640 --> 00:27:41,520 Speaker 1: that he made and one that he missed. But it 565 00:27:41,560 --> 00:27:44,760 Speaker 1: actually got step into a groove, and so then when 566 00:27:44,840 --> 00:27:47,600 Speaker 1: Orlando started to up the pressure, he was already on 567 00:27:47,600 --> 00:27:49,600 Speaker 1: one of those classic Steph hot streaks because he's hit 568 00:27:49,600 --> 00:27:51,439 Speaker 1: a three, he just hit a bomb, and the first 569 00:27:51,440 --> 00:27:53,600 Speaker 1: half he's already in a groove there. I think he 570 00:27:53,640 --> 00:27:56,159 Speaker 1: had what twenty one in the first half. There was 571 00:27:56,200 --> 00:27:58,480 Speaker 1: nothing they can do at that point. He's already in 572 00:27:58,520 --> 00:28:01,520 Speaker 1: the groove. But these things are usually connected. Like a 573 00:28:01,520 --> 00:28:03,520 Speaker 1: lot of times, if you play sloppy defense in an 574 00:28:03,520 --> 00:28:06,440 Speaker 1: early portion of a game, a guy will get confident 575 00:28:06,480 --> 00:28:08,600 Speaker 1: in a rhythm. It doesn't matter how tight you get 576 00:28:08,600 --> 00:28:10,560 Speaker 1: on him in the second half or the rest of 577 00:28:10,600 --> 00:28:13,280 Speaker 1: the game. These are some of the best shot makers 578 00:28:13,280 --> 00:28:15,960 Speaker 1: in the history of the sport. Right, Steph is the 579 00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:18,359 Speaker 1: best shooter in the history of the sport. He was 580 00:28:18,359 --> 00:28:20,439 Speaker 1: getting downhill and he was stepping back in the mid range. 581 00:28:20,520 --> 00:28:22,640 Speaker 1: He was getting guys with pump fakes to get separation. 582 00:28:22,960 --> 00:28:24,960 Speaker 1: He had guys running out his base, drawing fouls. He 583 00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:27,800 Speaker 1: drew five thousand this game. He full Palow several times 584 00:28:27,800 --> 00:28:29,560 Speaker 1: in the second half, got him on a pump fake 585 00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:31,119 Speaker 1: and got him on a foul where he ran out 586 00:28:31,160 --> 00:28:35,199 Speaker 1: his base. KCP was just getting fried all night. As 587 00:28:35,200 --> 00:28:38,320 Speaker 1: Steph's primary defensive assignment, I got KCP looked a little 588 00:28:38,320 --> 00:28:40,880 Speaker 1: slow in this game, and that's another story. This is 589 00:28:40,920 --> 00:28:44,600 Speaker 1: all super encouraging for the Warriors because Steph had looked 590 00:28:44,600 --> 00:28:48,520 Speaker 1: pretty rough before the Jimmy trade. Before Jimmy suited up, 591 00:28:49,280 --> 00:28:51,280 Speaker 1: he was averaging twenty three points per game on forty 592 00:28:51,320 --> 00:28:53,640 Speaker 1: three percent from the field in thirty nine percent from three. 593 00:28:54,760 --> 00:28:58,760 Speaker 1: In the last eight games with Jimmy Butler, he's averaging 594 00:28:58,840 --> 00:29:02,320 Speaker 1: thirty one points per game, fifty one percent from the 595 00:29:02,360 --> 00:29:05,120 Speaker 1: field and forty three percent from three. In other words, 596 00:29:05,520 --> 00:29:08,080 Speaker 1: the Steph Curry that we've grown accustomed to for well 597 00:29:08,120 --> 00:29:11,280 Speaker 1: over a decade now. But the one thing that was missing, 598 00:29:11,320 --> 00:29:13,960 Speaker 1: even with everything having to do with the averages, was 599 00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:19,720 Speaker 1: the explosive scoring nights, the crazy steps on another heater, guys, 600 00:29:19,760 --> 00:29:24,320 Speaker 1: everyone get to your TV type of moments. Steph didn't 601 00:29:24,320 --> 00:29:28,520 Speaker 1: have a single forty point game yet this season. Last 602 00:29:28,560 --> 00:29:31,240 Speaker 1: year he had six. Last time he had a similar 603 00:29:31,320 --> 00:29:33,280 Speaker 1: roster before the Jimmy trade, and twenty twenty one he 604 00:29:33,280 --> 00:29:37,600 Speaker 1: had ten forty point games. Obviously a younger player, this 605 00:29:37,680 --> 00:29:41,280 Speaker 1: is this explosive scoring night, getting fifty six, getting like 606 00:29:41,320 --> 00:29:44,680 Speaker 1: an otherworldly type of performance out of Steph against a 607 00:29:44,720 --> 00:29:48,880 Speaker 1: good defense is a really, really strong indicator of what 608 00:29:48,920 --> 00:29:50,479 Speaker 1: this team is capable of moving forward. It's a big 609 00:29:50,480 --> 00:29:55,080 Speaker 1: part of why I believe in this team. Like the 610 00:29:55,120 --> 00:29:58,640 Speaker 1: defense was there all year, Jimmy just brings it up 611 00:29:58,640 --> 00:30:01,880 Speaker 1: a level. Then you get it's Steph, a legitimate offensive 612 00:30:01,920 --> 00:30:06,040 Speaker 1: co star in Jimmy. Then you get Knight tonight greatness 613 00:30:06,040 --> 00:30:09,520 Speaker 1: from Steph back. Now you're getting a real Steph explosion. 614 00:30:11,080 --> 00:30:13,719 Speaker 1: There's an awesome quote from Jamal Moseley in the postgame presser. 615 00:30:14,080 --> 00:30:17,160 Speaker 1: He was asked, coach aside from Steph, because he's capable 616 00:30:17,160 --> 00:30:19,640 Speaker 1: of doing this from time to time. What was the difference? 617 00:30:20,160 --> 00:30:22,440 Speaker 1: He said, the man had fifty six points. There is 618 00:30:22,480 --> 00:30:27,400 Speaker 1: no aside from Steph, and like that that's the exciting part. Like, 619 00:30:27,440 --> 00:30:29,360 Speaker 1: if you're looking at this team as a playoff threat, 620 00:30:29,400 --> 00:30:33,160 Speaker 1: it really is simple. They're an elite defense with a 621 00:30:33,160 --> 00:30:35,920 Speaker 1: bunch of really smart players and a great head coach. 622 00:30:36,800 --> 00:30:38,600 Speaker 1: And on the other end the floor, it's Steph Curry. 623 00:30:39,480 --> 00:30:41,800 Speaker 1: Except for now you can't throw the entire kitchen sink 624 00:30:41,840 --> 00:30:44,520 Speaker 1: at him because Jimmy Butler's out there too. And oh, 625 00:30:44,520 --> 00:30:46,520 Speaker 1: by the way, Jonathan Minga is not too far behind, 626 00:30:47,520 --> 00:30:51,440 Speaker 1: and would be. We can't write this team off when 627 00:30:51,440 --> 00:30:54,120 Speaker 1: they're this good on defense and they're led by one 628 00:30:54,120 --> 00:30:55,960 Speaker 1: of the greatest offensive players in the history of the 629 00:30:55,960 --> 00:30:58,280 Speaker 1: sport and he finally has someone that he can share 630 00:30:58,280 --> 00:31:00,720 Speaker 1: that load with. Last note on the war, I would 631 00:31:00,760 --> 00:31:04,080 Speaker 1: be remiss if I did not mention Quinton Posts scoring 632 00:31:04,120 --> 00:31:07,320 Speaker 1: in this game. I mentioned his or improtection earlier, but 633 00:31:07,400 --> 00:31:09,880 Speaker 1: he poured in eighteen points to a couple of threes. 634 00:31:09,880 --> 00:31:13,440 Speaker 1: By the way, Quinn Post is hitting fifty one percent 635 00:31:14,400 --> 00:31:17,240 Speaker 1: of his unguarded catch and shoot attempts so far this year, 636 00:31:18,320 --> 00:31:21,920 Speaker 1: one point five to three points per attempt. That's amazing. 637 00:31:22,520 --> 00:31:23,920 Speaker 1: Like they're One of the big things that happens with 638 00:31:23,920 --> 00:31:27,360 Speaker 1: shooting bigs is there's like the shooting big, the guy 639 00:31:27,400 --> 00:31:30,880 Speaker 1: that's gonna hit thirty five thirty six percent of like 640 00:31:32,440 --> 00:31:35,600 Speaker 1: to quote Dorian Finney Smith, but naked wide open threes 641 00:31:35,640 --> 00:31:39,400 Speaker 1: that teams are just conceding to them. And then there's 642 00:31:40,040 --> 00:31:44,640 Speaker 1: this guy's got a burner. We have to account for him. 643 00:31:44,840 --> 00:31:46,720 Speaker 1: I was watching a little bit of Nuggets Bucks tonight 644 00:31:46,720 --> 00:31:49,640 Speaker 1: and like Jokich is so good on the pick and pop, 645 00:31:50,720 --> 00:31:54,160 Speaker 1: teams are rotating from the weak side. They're guarding the 646 00:31:54,200 --> 00:31:57,560 Speaker 1: pick and pop with three players because they can't afford 647 00:31:57,600 --> 00:31:59,680 Speaker 1: to leave him open. There are a lot of bigs, 648 00:31:59,720 --> 00:32:02,520 Speaker 1: guys like Miles Turner, guys like Nikola Vucevic. There are 649 00:32:02,520 --> 00:32:05,400 Speaker 1: a lot of guys that are like, yeah, we'll live 650 00:32:05,480 --> 00:32:09,040 Speaker 1: with him shooting out there. Quinn Post seems to have 651 00:32:09,080 --> 00:32:12,080 Speaker 1: a burner. He looks like the kind of guy you 652 00:32:12,120 --> 00:32:15,480 Speaker 1: can't leave out there. But I also thought he showed 653 00:32:15,480 --> 00:32:17,280 Speaker 1: some impressive footwork in this game. He had a couple 654 00:32:17,280 --> 00:32:18,800 Speaker 1: of buckets in the paint. He had a pick and 655 00:32:18,880 --> 00:32:21,720 Speaker 1: roll switch where he buried a small under the basket, 656 00:32:21,840 --> 00:32:24,360 Speaker 1: created a passing angle quick finish over his left shoulder. 657 00:32:24,640 --> 00:32:26,360 Speaker 1: He had another playoff of a cut I think it 658 00:32:26,400 --> 00:32:28,320 Speaker 1: was from Draymond, he might have been from Jimmy actually, 659 00:32:28,560 --> 00:32:31,320 Speaker 1: where he just really patiently handled a kind of a 660 00:32:31,360 --> 00:32:33,920 Speaker 1: swarm of players around him and showed some good footwork 661 00:32:33,960 --> 00:32:35,840 Speaker 1: with a pump bake, stepped through a little layup on 662 00:32:35,840 --> 00:32:37,480 Speaker 1: the right side of the rim. He's just a really 663 00:32:37,520 --> 00:32:41,560 Speaker 1: solid player. There's a lot to be excited about in 664 00:32:41,640 --> 00:32:57,680 Speaker 1: the bay right now, all right, quickly, before we get 665 00:32:57,680 --> 00:33:00,160 Speaker 1: out of here tonight, welcome to course correction to you 666 00:33:00,240 --> 00:33:04,920 Speaker 1: by Microsoft. Just like star players and teams navigating performance hurdles, 667 00:33:05,320 --> 00:33:08,320 Speaker 1: business decision makers today are under immense pressure to get 668 00:33:08,320 --> 00:33:11,720 Speaker 1: things done right. They must rise to the occasion, turning 669 00:33:11,800 --> 00:33:16,320 Speaker 1: challenges into opportunities. Microsoft empowers these visionaries with AI solutions, 670 00:33:16,600 --> 00:33:21,520 Speaker 1: simplified cloud and data management and trustworthy responsible AI. And 671 00:33:21,560 --> 00:33:23,640 Speaker 1: when you're in the NBA, you have your own hurdles 672 00:33:23,640 --> 00:33:26,320 Speaker 1: to face. In this segment, we explore the challenges faced 673 00:33:26,320 --> 00:33:28,600 Speaker 1: by teams or star players and how they can turn 674 00:33:28,640 --> 00:33:32,880 Speaker 1: things around. Whatever you challenge is facing, whatever challenge you're facing, 675 00:33:32,880 --> 00:33:35,880 Speaker 1: Microsoft empowers you with the expertise to say bring it on. 676 00:33:36,040 --> 00:33:39,120 Speaker 1: This week, we're discussing Russell Westbrook and his resurgence with 677 00:33:39,160 --> 00:33:41,120 Speaker 1: the Denver Nuggets. I thought Russ was great in the 678 00:33:41,160 --> 00:33:42,880 Speaker 1: Bucks game today. He was doing a lot of damage, 679 00:33:43,400 --> 00:33:46,920 Speaker 1: just getting steals and starting transition sequences for the Nuggets. 680 00:33:46,920 --> 00:33:49,640 Speaker 1: He was attacking off of those. His man was the 681 00:33:49,640 --> 00:33:51,240 Speaker 1: guy that was rotating to Yocic on a lot of 682 00:33:51,280 --> 00:33:57,360 Speaker 1: those pop situations. The transition for Russ from MVP of 683 00:33:57,400 --> 00:34:02,360 Speaker 1: the league to role play has been far from smooth. 684 00:34:03,640 --> 00:34:06,360 Speaker 1: He was traded to the Lakers in a deal that 685 00:34:06,520 --> 00:34:10,319 Speaker 1: sent out so much role player talent that there wasn't 686 00:34:10,360 --> 00:34:13,040 Speaker 1: much roleplayer talent left on the roster when Ruscott there. 687 00:34:14,239 --> 00:34:17,040 Speaker 1: I've often said after that deal and after that whole 688 00:34:17,080 --> 00:34:21,520 Speaker 1: era that it's not Westbrook's fault that that era went poorly, 689 00:34:22,120 --> 00:34:25,480 Speaker 1: but it is the Westbrook trades fault because it gutted 690 00:34:25,520 --> 00:34:30,000 Speaker 1: the roster. It put Russ in a position where the 691 00:34:30,040 --> 00:34:34,439 Speaker 1: Lakers like desperately needed him to be a Swiss Army knife. Yeah, 692 00:34:34,480 --> 00:34:37,520 Speaker 1: they needed him to be a shot creator and lead 693 00:34:37,640 --> 00:34:39,799 Speaker 1: units when Lebron was off the floor, but they also 694 00:34:39,840 --> 00:34:41,960 Speaker 1: needed him to play off the ball with Lebron and Ad. 695 00:34:42,239 --> 00:34:43,880 Speaker 1: They needed him to be active as a cutter and 696 00:34:43,920 --> 00:34:45,879 Speaker 1: a screener. They needed him to work on his catch 697 00:34:45,880 --> 00:34:47,560 Speaker 1: and shoot game so that he could be more impactful 698 00:34:47,560 --> 00:34:50,239 Speaker 1: and spot up situations on defense. They needed him to 699 00:34:50,280 --> 00:34:53,480 Speaker 1: be like an APEX perimeter defender. They needed him to 700 00:34:53,520 --> 00:34:57,120 Speaker 1: box out, to track shooters, to be consistently attentive to 701 00:34:57,160 --> 00:35:02,040 Speaker 1: the game plan. And he really struggled with those things. 702 00:35:03,560 --> 00:35:06,520 Speaker 1: Somewhat to be expected when you're an alpha dog MVP 703 00:35:06,719 --> 00:35:09,360 Speaker 1: level shot creator like he was for most of his career, 704 00:35:09,840 --> 00:35:12,120 Speaker 1: It's unreasonable to expect him to just be great at 705 00:35:12,160 --> 00:35:15,359 Speaker 1: those things that role players get paychecks for. That's why 706 00:35:15,360 --> 00:35:18,920 Speaker 1: they're in the league. I think we're seeing a similar 707 00:35:18,960 --> 00:35:22,080 Speaker 1: struggle from Bradley beal right now with the Suns. He's 708 00:35:22,120 --> 00:35:24,759 Speaker 1: transitioned from being one of those guys with Washington to 709 00:35:25,160 --> 00:35:26,880 Speaker 1: now in Phoenix. Like they need him to be a 710 00:35:26,920 --> 00:35:28,640 Speaker 1: really good rebounder, and they need him to be a 711 00:35:28,640 --> 00:35:30,840 Speaker 1: really good point of attack defender, and it's just not 712 00:35:30,960 --> 00:35:33,160 Speaker 1: something he spent most of his career doing. It didn't 713 00:35:33,200 --> 00:35:36,680 Speaker 1: go well in LA for US. It even led to 714 00:35:36,760 --> 00:35:39,240 Speaker 1: a lot of animosity with fans. And I'm not trying 715 00:35:39,400 --> 00:35:42,520 Speaker 1: like I'm not alleviating myself of guilt here. I was 716 00:35:42,560 --> 00:35:44,840 Speaker 1: super critical of Russ during that phase as well. The 717 00:35:44,880 --> 00:35:47,400 Speaker 1: point is it got pretty dark. There's a lot of 718 00:35:47,400 --> 00:35:52,480 Speaker 1: adversity for Russ there. But Russ has completely reinvented himself 719 00:35:52,880 --> 00:35:56,040 Speaker 1: with the Denver Nuggets as an extremely useful role player. 720 00:35:57,160 --> 00:36:00,640 Speaker 1: He's already had an excellent demonstration of two man game 721 00:36:00,719 --> 00:36:02,680 Speaker 1: with Jokich. One of the things that makes it work 722 00:36:02,719 --> 00:36:07,320 Speaker 1: with Russ is he brings real downhill force. One of 723 00:36:07,320 --> 00:36:10,960 Speaker 1: the most valuable things that Jokic brings as a score 724 00:36:12,239 --> 00:36:15,520 Speaker 1: is it's not just post up stuff in ball screens. 725 00:36:15,560 --> 00:36:17,600 Speaker 1: When he rolls into the middle of the floor, he's 726 00:36:17,600 --> 00:36:20,239 Speaker 1: got one of the deadliest little floaters that you'll see 727 00:36:20,280 --> 00:36:23,480 Speaker 1: in the league, makes over sixty percent of them. But 728 00:36:23,600 --> 00:36:25,880 Speaker 1: in order for Yokic to get that catch in the pocket, 729 00:36:26,640 --> 00:36:30,520 Speaker 1: the ball handler has to engage the screen defender, the 730 00:36:30,520 --> 00:36:33,759 Speaker 1: guy who's guarding Jokic, And the only way that's gonna 731 00:36:33,760 --> 00:36:36,800 Speaker 1: happen is if that player is a threat. And the 732 00:36:36,880 --> 00:36:39,480 Speaker 1: Nuggets haven't had anybody other than Jamal Murray over the 733 00:36:39,560 --> 00:36:41,960 Speaker 1: years who can be a consistent enough threat and a 734 00:36:41,960 --> 00:36:45,600 Speaker 1: good enough passer to generate those opportunities for Yokic on 735 00:36:45,640 --> 00:36:45,920 Speaker 1: the role. 736 00:36:47,080 --> 00:36:49,680 Speaker 2: Now, Jamal did it more with like shot making, a. 737 00:36:49,680 --> 00:36:51,680 Speaker 1: Little bit of floater stuff, a lot of like mid 738 00:36:51,800 --> 00:36:53,839 Speaker 1: range pull up jump shot making, that kind of thing. 739 00:36:54,360 --> 00:36:57,400 Speaker 1: Russ is doing it with downhill force. He's bringing that force, 740 00:36:57,880 --> 00:37:01,280 Speaker 1: engaging Yokic's defender, setting him up with those pocket passes. 741 00:37:02,120 --> 00:37:05,239 Speaker 1: But by far the biggest change that I've noticed is 742 00:37:05,239 --> 00:37:06,799 Speaker 1: how much more willing he is to cut to the 743 00:37:06,840 --> 00:37:10,400 Speaker 1: basket off the ball. He already has more buckets on 744 00:37:10,480 --> 00:37:13,680 Speaker 1: cuts this year than he did his entire full season 745 00:37:13,760 --> 00:37:18,239 Speaker 1: with the Lakers in twenty twenty two. As you saw 746 00:37:18,239 --> 00:37:21,000 Speaker 1: in the first bucket against Milwaukee, his first bucket, the 747 00:37:21,040 --> 00:37:24,760 Speaker 1: cut that he had Jokic popped, Russ's man had to rotate. 748 00:37:24,920 --> 00:37:26,960 Speaker 1: What did Russ do instead of just standing there at 749 00:37:27,000 --> 00:37:29,480 Speaker 1: the three point line. He immediately saw his man leave 750 00:37:29,560 --> 00:37:31,720 Speaker 1: him and he cut down the lane in that gap, 751 00:37:31,840 --> 00:37:33,600 Speaker 1: got to catch there, got an easy layer. 752 00:37:36,200 --> 00:37:36,400 Speaker 2: Like that. 753 00:37:36,560 --> 00:37:39,560 Speaker 1: That is a huge element of just being a threat 754 00:37:39,600 --> 00:37:42,560 Speaker 1: off the ball that he wasn't really utilizing. 755 00:37:42,320 --> 00:37:43,120 Speaker 2: Before this air. 756 00:37:44,880 --> 00:37:48,279 Speaker 1: He's put in way more work behind the scenes to 757 00:37:48,280 --> 00:37:52,120 Speaker 1: improve as a jump shooter. He's shooting the third highest 758 00:37:52,120 --> 00:37:56,120 Speaker 1: percentage on threes for a season in his career. A 759 00:37:56,200 --> 00:37:58,799 Speaker 1: Russ catch and shoot jump shot has been worth one 760 00:37:58,840 --> 00:38:02,520 Speaker 1: point zero four points this year. That's perfectly fine for 761 00:38:02,520 --> 00:38:06,640 Speaker 1: a half court possession. He was at thirty one percent 762 00:38:07,000 --> 00:38:09,040 Speaker 1: his last year with the Lakers, or just zero point 763 00:38:09,200 --> 00:38:12,120 Speaker 1: ninety three points per shot. It was kind of untenable. 764 00:38:13,040 --> 00:38:17,040 Speaker 1: He's put in the work. He's devoting way more energy 765 00:38:17,120 --> 00:38:19,480 Speaker 1: to the defensive end, where he's been a big defensive 766 00:38:19,480 --> 00:38:23,160 Speaker 1: playmaker for the Nuggets, getting them going in transition, forcing turnovers. 767 00:38:23,320 --> 00:38:26,600 Speaker 1: He's averaging the most steals per minute that he has 768 00:38:26,640 --> 00:38:30,320 Speaker 1: in his career since twenty nineteen, six years ago. Guys, 769 00:38:31,000 --> 00:38:35,600 Speaker 1: he's become a very nice, complimentary piece for a dead 770 00:38:35,680 --> 00:38:39,919 Speaker 1: serious championship contender, which seemed impossible a few years ago. 771 00:38:40,320 --> 00:38:42,520 Speaker 1: And it's just a testament to his competitiveness and to 772 00:38:42,520 --> 00:38:45,400 Speaker 1: his resolve. I've genuinely enjoyed watching him the season as 773 00:38:45,400 --> 00:38:48,080 Speaker 1: a basketball fan. That's it for this week's course correction. 774 00:38:48,120 --> 00:38:51,240 Speaker 1: And remember Microsoft's AI solutions empower you to make bold 775 00:38:51,280 --> 00:38:54,839 Speaker 1: steps and make informed decisions, sparking new ideas to help 776 00:38:54,920 --> 00:38:58,160 Speaker 1: drive your business forward. With Microsoft as your trusted partner, 777 00:38:58,440 --> 00:39:01,800 Speaker 1: you can navigate your journey with confidence, finding innovative solutions 778 00:39:01,800 --> 00:39:05,080 Speaker 1: and reaching new possibilities. Visit Microsoft dot com slash challengers 779 00:39:05,520 --> 00:39:07,520 Speaker 1: to learn more. All right, guys, it's all I have 780 00:39:07,600 --> 00:39:10,080 Speaker 1: for tonight. As always, sincerely appreciate you guys for supporting 781 00:39:10,080 --> 00:39:12,920 Speaker 1: me and supporting the show. We will have another episode 782 00:39:12,920 --> 00:39:15,719 Speaker 1: out on Saturday morning, covering a slate of games from 783 00:39:15,760 --> 00:39:16,359 Speaker 1: Friday night. 784 00:39:16,480 --> 00:39:23,000 Speaker 2: I'll see you guys then the volume. What's up guys? 785 00:39:23,040 --> 00:39:25,799 Speaker 1: As always, I appreciate you for listening to and supporting 786 00:39:25,840 --> 00:39:28,440 Speaker 1: OOPS tonight. It would actually be really helpful for us 787 00:39:28,480 --> 00:39:30,359 Speaker 1: if you guys would take a second and leave a 788 00:39:30,480 --> 00:39:33,040 Speaker 1: rating and a review. As always, I appreciate you guys 789 00:39:33,040 --> 00:39:34,640 Speaker 1: supporting us, but if you could take a minute to 790 00:39:34,680 --> 00:39:36,520 Speaker 1: do that, I'd really appreciate it.