1 00:00:16,200 --> 00:00:18,840 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Jason tim Podcast. Thank you guys so 2 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:22,320 Speaker 1: much for taking time out of your day to come 3 00:00:22,360 --> 00:00:25,400 Speaker 1: hang out and talk some hoops with me today. Um. 4 00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:28,080 Speaker 1: I hope you all had a great holiday or holidays, 5 00:00:28,200 --> 00:00:30,680 Speaker 1: and that you're ready for the new year. I know 6 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:34,160 Speaker 1: it's kind of unfortunate that we celebrate the new year 7 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:36,320 Speaker 1: and kind of life is more or less the same 8 00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:39,680 Speaker 1: amount of trouble that we've been dealing with the past year, 9 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:44,320 Speaker 1: but I am cautiously optimistic that we will be headed 10 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:46,280 Speaker 1: out of this shortly. I had a good holiday. I 11 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:48,560 Speaker 1: hope you guys did too. I had to do some 12 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:52,240 Speaker 1: deliveries for my clients today that took me all over town, 13 00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:55,280 Speaker 1: and I was able to parlay that into a trip 14 00:00:55,320 --> 00:00:57,840 Speaker 1: to the Nike outlet, which is a solid forty eight 15 00:00:58,480 --> 00:01:01,560 Speaker 1: minutes from my house according to the GPS, and I 16 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:03,920 Speaker 1: got some new basketball shoes and some other new stuff. 17 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:07,640 Speaker 1: So I'm excited. I have been fortunate enough to get 18 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:11,440 Speaker 1: invited to a consistent run that is on Monday, Wednesday 19 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:14,960 Speaker 1: Friday here in town at five am, which tests the 20 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:18,800 Speaker 1: sleep schedule that I already have enough trouble maintaining. But 21 00:01:18,959 --> 00:01:22,200 Speaker 1: I've been super super happy to have consistent basketball in 22 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:24,400 Speaker 1: my life so I can shed some of this ridiculous 23 00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:27,720 Speaker 1: weight that I'm carrying around and get back to what 24 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:30,039 Speaker 1: I'm used to being as a basketball player and just 25 00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:34,800 Speaker 1: as a healthier person. I ate like absolute dogshit over 26 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:38,679 Speaker 1: the holidays and got as high as two and one pounds. Um. 27 00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:41,040 Speaker 1: Not good, but that's just part of being an adult. 28 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:44,679 Speaker 1: And I grow up in a family that uh has 29 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:46,959 Speaker 1: My mom is just a really really good cook which 30 00:01:46,959 --> 00:01:48,400 Speaker 1: cooks with a lot of butter and a lot of 31 00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:50,880 Speaker 1: really unhealthy stuff, and and then I end up paying 32 00:01:50,920 --> 00:01:53,520 Speaker 1: the price. So uh, that's a good time to make 33 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:55,880 Speaker 1: some New Year's resolutions and get back on the straight 34 00:01:55,920 --> 00:02:01,880 Speaker 1: and narrow. Um. Today, I'm gonna be talking about the Lakers, Clippers, Warriors, 35 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:04,200 Speaker 1: and Nets. These are the four teams that I find 36 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:08,679 Speaker 1: most interesting right now at this point early in the season. Um. 37 00:02:08,720 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 1: For the record, obviously, there are teams with better records 38 00:02:12,280 --> 00:02:14,840 Speaker 1: in the league, and they're gonna get attention from various outlets. 39 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:17,520 Speaker 1: The bottom line is, if we're only three games in, 40 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:19,440 Speaker 1: I really don't think the Hawks are The Calves are 41 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:22,120 Speaker 1: gonna be relevant as we get further into the season, 42 00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:23,680 Speaker 1: So I'm not gonna waste a ton of time talking 43 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:25,960 Speaker 1: about them today. Um, and then at the end I'm 44 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:28,200 Speaker 1: gonna be doing a mailbag. Uh. So I've got a 45 00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:31,800 Speaker 1: couple of questions so far from my Twitter feed, but 46 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:36,320 Speaker 1: there's obviously plenty of time here in the next half 47 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:38,079 Speaker 1: hour or so for you guys to drop some more 48 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:41,880 Speaker 1: questions and the comments. Absolutely anything NBA related or whatever 49 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:43,320 Speaker 1: the heck you guys want to talk about, just drop 50 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:44,840 Speaker 1: him in the comments and we'll get to him after. 51 00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:49,959 Speaker 1: So let's start with the Lakers. Um. You know, we're 52 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:53,120 Speaker 1: early on here, and the Lakers are two and two 53 00:02:53,680 --> 00:02:57,600 Speaker 1: and they have two really impressive wins and two pretty 54 00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:01,560 Speaker 1: ugly losses. Although the two ugly losses seemed to me 55 00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:05,000 Speaker 1: to more be a product of their effort and focus 56 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:08,960 Speaker 1: rather than some sort of damning, damning condition of their 57 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:13,200 Speaker 1: roster or lacking area that that is in desperate need 58 00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:15,640 Speaker 1: of repair. It's just to me the classic case of 59 00:03:15,639 --> 00:03:17,680 Speaker 1: a team that's on a really short layoff that's trying to, 60 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:20,519 Speaker 1: you know, get their motor going when they don't really 61 00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:22,520 Speaker 1: have a lot of motivation, Which is where I want 62 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:24,680 Speaker 1: to start, because I think it's important to understand that 63 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:29,120 Speaker 1: the Laker goal and focus for this season doesn't look 64 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:31,519 Speaker 1: the same that it does for the other teams in 65 00:03:31,560 --> 00:03:35,880 Speaker 1: the league because they were a dominant championship team, and 66 00:03:36,040 --> 00:03:39,960 Speaker 1: a dominant championship team doesn't have the same goal as 67 00:03:40,360 --> 00:03:42,720 Speaker 1: you know, a less dominant championship team, like a team 68 00:03:42,720 --> 00:03:45,360 Speaker 1: that barely won the title or a team that didn't 69 00:03:45,360 --> 00:03:48,000 Speaker 1: win the title. The other twenty nine teams in the league, 70 00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:51,280 Speaker 1: they're looking at this going, we have to get better. 71 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:56,760 Speaker 1: We have to prove or improve to the point where 72 00:03:56,800 --> 00:04:00,400 Speaker 1: we can compete with and potentially beat this Laker team 73 00:04:00,400 --> 00:04:03,200 Speaker 1: four times out of seven. So they have to attack 74 00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:06,440 Speaker 1: the season with a different level of focus and intensity 75 00:04:06,440 --> 00:04:09,600 Speaker 1: than the Lakers need to. The Lakers don't have that need. 76 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:13,440 Speaker 1: Their need is basically comes down to two things. One, 77 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:15,600 Speaker 1: they need to stay healthy. You need to make sure 78 00:04:15,640 --> 00:04:18,360 Speaker 1: that they are more or less the same team when 79 00:04:18,400 --> 00:04:20,480 Speaker 1: they get to the end of the season that they 80 00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:23,960 Speaker 1: are now. And then two, they need to maintain their 81 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:28,400 Speaker 1: championship identity. Outside of those two things, as long as 82 00:04:28,440 --> 00:04:31,880 Speaker 1: they are maintained, who cares what else happens. A loss 83 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:35,240 Speaker 1: like last night is not concerning at all. Where it 84 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:40,080 Speaker 1: does become concerning is if their identity fades away, and 85 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:44,480 Speaker 1: they lose the habits and the consistency that they had 86 00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:47,320 Speaker 1: the previous year and a half, and then, all of 87 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:49,480 Speaker 1: a sudden, when they need to rely on it later 88 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:52,160 Speaker 1: in the season, they let go of the rope and 89 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:55,920 Speaker 1: they don't have anything there for them to fall back 90 00:04:56,000 --> 00:04:59,520 Speaker 1: on to regain control of the series when they get 91 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:02,520 Speaker 1: themselves in a situation where the back is against the wall. So, 92 00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:05,600 Speaker 1: for instance, I'm less concerned about last night because exactly 93 00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:09,200 Speaker 1: one night prior, they had an extremely dominant defensive performance 94 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:12,840 Speaker 1: and an extremely dominant offensive performance where they gotta win, 95 00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:15,640 Speaker 1: and then the night before, two nights before that, they 96 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:18,720 Speaker 1: had an equally dominant performance against the Mavericks. So from 97 00:05:18,760 --> 00:05:22,039 Speaker 1: that standpoint, I've got two really really good, you know, 98 00:05:22,080 --> 00:05:24,840 Speaker 1: performances that looked like the Laker team that we knew 99 00:05:24,880 --> 00:05:27,400 Speaker 1: of the They looked like the Laker team that was 100 00:05:27,440 --> 00:05:30,360 Speaker 1: as dominant as they were last season. And then they 101 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:32,640 Speaker 1: had to let the foot off the gas night, second 102 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:34,960 Speaker 1: night of a back to back, Lebron on a bad ankle, 103 00:05:35,279 --> 00:05:37,479 Speaker 1: you know, Anthony Davis on a bad calf, I don't. 104 00:05:37,520 --> 00:05:39,920 Speaker 1: I'm not as worried about it where I would get 105 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:42,480 Speaker 1: worried didn't give a good example will be the two 106 00:05:42,520 --> 00:05:45,919 Speaker 1: thousand and seventeen Calves. So the two thousand and sixteen 107 00:05:45,960 --> 00:05:50,840 Speaker 1: Calves were a non dominant championship team. They had an 108 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:54,000 Speaker 1: imperfect regular season where they fired their coach. They were 109 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:56,600 Speaker 1: a fringe top ten defense. They're right at number ten, 110 00:05:57,320 --> 00:05:58,960 Speaker 1: and they dropped a couple of games in the Eastern 111 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:02,360 Speaker 1: Conference finals, two pretty flawed Toronto Raptors team, although they 112 00:06:02,400 --> 00:06:04,960 Speaker 1: did put them away in dominant fashion. And then they 113 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:08,000 Speaker 1: get to the finals and they barely scraped by against 114 00:06:08,080 --> 00:06:10,359 Speaker 1: the Warriors, and for stretches of that series looked like 115 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:13,600 Speaker 1: they were kind of overmatched, especially at the beginning. So 116 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:16,400 Speaker 1: then they come into two thousand and seventeen and they 117 00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:19,840 Speaker 1: completely let go of the rope defensively. They fell to 118 00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:24,560 Speaker 1: twenty one in the league. The same team that won 119 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:27,359 Speaker 1: on the strength of their defense in Lebron and I 120 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:32,400 Speaker 1: Lebron and Kyrie's uh offensive prowess became a team that 121 00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:36,839 Speaker 1: just tried to outscore people. So their identity completely faded away. 122 00:06:36,960 --> 00:06:39,279 Speaker 1: Now it may not have mattered because of how good 123 00:06:39,320 --> 00:06:42,719 Speaker 1: that Warrior's team was, maybe they win anyway, But the 124 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:45,320 Speaker 1: point is is that the two thousand seventeen Warriors had 125 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:48,120 Speaker 1: basically two goals going into that season, be more or 126 00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:51,400 Speaker 1: less the same team. Maintain your identity. They made it 127 00:06:51,440 --> 00:06:54,039 Speaker 1: to the end healthy, but they had let go of 128 00:06:54,040 --> 00:06:57,320 Speaker 1: their identity. And when the Warriors were just you know, 129 00:06:57,360 --> 00:07:00,160 Speaker 1: getting wide open layups and dunks and threes, because the 130 00:07:00,839 --> 00:07:03,240 Speaker 1: Calves are making no attempt to slow things down for them, 131 00:07:03,279 --> 00:07:05,920 Speaker 1: they were unable to put themselves in a position, even 132 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:08,200 Speaker 1: if it would have been a long shot for Lebron 133 00:07:08,240 --> 00:07:11,760 Speaker 1: Inquyrie's offensive prowess to take over. So I'm not worried 134 00:07:11,800 --> 00:07:15,880 Speaker 1: at all about what happened last night with the Lakers. However, 135 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:19,240 Speaker 1: something to keep an eye on moving forward is that 136 00:07:19,440 --> 00:07:22,280 Speaker 1: defensive rating. That's the thing that I talked I talked 137 00:07:22,320 --> 00:07:24,640 Speaker 1: about all the time on this podcast, I talked about 138 00:07:24,720 --> 00:07:27,560 Speaker 1: with Tommy the last time. If you guys remember that, 139 00:07:27,680 --> 00:07:30,120 Speaker 1: if you go back to the beginning of this century, 140 00:07:30,520 --> 00:07:34,560 Speaker 1: the last twenty one champions, fourteen of the twenty one 141 00:07:34,960 --> 00:07:39,920 Speaker 1: were top five defenses, and then twenty of nineteen of 142 00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:42,560 Speaker 1: the twenty one were top ten. And the ones that 143 00:07:42,600 --> 00:07:46,200 Speaker 1: were outside of the top twenty excuse me, outside of 144 00:07:46,240 --> 00:07:49,400 Speaker 1: the top ten, those ones were teams that had been 145 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:52,720 Speaker 1: top five defenses previously, so they were able to fall 146 00:07:52,760 --> 00:07:55,600 Speaker 1: back on it and and generally speaking, you want to 147 00:07:55,600 --> 00:07:57,520 Speaker 1: be in that top five range. So the point being 148 00:07:57,920 --> 00:08:01,679 Speaker 1: that that indicator is a real indicator, there's real data 149 00:08:01,720 --> 00:08:05,720 Speaker 1: there that that is data that projects who will inevitably 150 00:08:05,720 --> 00:08:08,200 Speaker 1: win the NBA Championship. And so the reason why I 151 00:08:08,200 --> 00:08:10,720 Speaker 1: want to track that this year, it's not because it's 152 00:08:10,720 --> 00:08:13,920 Speaker 1: an indicator of their like strictly of their ability to defend. 153 00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:17,960 Speaker 1: It's an indicator of their effort level. It's an indicator 154 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:21,080 Speaker 1: that they understand that they have to maintain these habits 155 00:08:21,280 --> 00:08:23,440 Speaker 1: over the course of the seventy two game season to 156 00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:25,720 Speaker 1: fall back on it when they need it. So I'm 157 00:08:25,760 --> 00:08:29,040 Speaker 1: gonna be tracking the Laker defensive rating all year, not 158 00:08:29,120 --> 00:08:32,400 Speaker 1: because I'm picking their individual mess ups, but just to 159 00:08:32,440 --> 00:08:34,440 Speaker 1: say just so that I can be sure that more 160 00:08:34,520 --> 00:08:37,559 Speaker 1: often than not they can dial it up and get 161 00:08:37,640 --> 00:08:40,360 Speaker 1: to that level, so that at the end of the 162 00:08:40,360 --> 00:08:43,040 Speaker 1: season they've maintained enough of that identity so that when 163 00:08:43,040 --> 00:08:44,880 Speaker 1: they have something to play for, because right now they 164 00:08:44,880 --> 00:08:46,920 Speaker 1: don't have anything to play for. Eight, he is not 165 00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:48,920 Speaker 1: getting Defensive Player of the Year. He's been coasting too 166 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:51,800 Speaker 1: much to start the season. He's already built up a 167 00:08:51,840 --> 00:08:54,360 Speaker 1: reputation this season as someone who doesn't care Lebron is 168 00:08:54,400 --> 00:08:56,760 Speaker 1: not winning, m VP hasn't been playing well enough. You know, 169 00:08:56,760 --> 00:08:58,559 Speaker 1: maybe that all turns around, but chances are that's not 170 00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:01,480 Speaker 1: gonna happen. Chances are they're gonna kind of slowly coast 171 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:03,839 Speaker 1: their way through the season. So the reality is is 172 00:09:03,920 --> 00:09:06,240 Speaker 1: they have nothing to play for in this regular season, 173 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:09,200 Speaker 1: so they don't have that motivation. But the motivation will 174 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:11,320 Speaker 1: be there when they get to the playoffs as soon 175 00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:13,640 Speaker 1: as they check ball in the first round. Especially with 176 00:09:13,640 --> 00:09:17,000 Speaker 1: how deep the Western Conference is, it's gonna be two 177 00:09:17,040 --> 00:09:20,160 Speaker 1: straight months of them needing to bring and so at 178 00:09:20,200 --> 00:09:22,680 Speaker 1: that point they can fall back on their identity and 179 00:09:22,720 --> 00:09:24,960 Speaker 1: fall back on their habits as long as they maintain 180 00:09:25,040 --> 00:09:27,640 Speaker 1: them well enough through this season. So let's keep an 181 00:09:27,679 --> 00:09:30,560 Speaker 1: eye on the defensive rating. Right now, they're eleven. Let's 182 00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:32,840 Speaker 1: keep an eye on the defensive rating. See if they 183 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:35,120 Speaker 1: can't get it closer to that, you know, in the 184 00:09:35,360 --> 00:09:37,560 Speaker 1: right around that five to seven range. As long as 185 00:09:37,559 --> 00:09:39,640 Speaker 1: they can hover in that range, who cares if they 186 00:09:39,640 --> 00:09:41,680 Speaker 1: have a clunker now? And then who cares if they 187 00:09:41,760 --> 00:09:44,160 Speaker 1: drop a game? To a bad team, it's not gonna 188 00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:47,320 Speaker 1: matter as long as they maintain the general gist of 189 00:09:47,360 --> 00:09:51,200 Speaker 1: their identity. Other a couple a couple of quick Laker notes. 190 00:09:54,280 --> 00:09:57,720 Speaker 1: I am super happy with the fact that the Lakers 191 00:09:57,720 --> 00:10:00,800 Speaker 1: have finally decided to make Marcus al a spot up shooter. 192 00:10:01,480 --> 00:10:06,439 Speaker 1: UM at this age and with his fading physical advantages, 193 00:10:07,440 --> 00:10:09,520 Speaker 1: he's just not He's just not the type of player 194 00:10:09,559 --> 00:10:11,640 Speaker 1: that really brings much to the table sitting in the 195 00:10:11,679 --> 00:10:14,760 Speaker 1: dunker spot. And so from that standpoint, if he's not 196 00:10:14,800 --> 00:10:16,319 Speaker 1: gonna be pounding the glass and getting a ton of 197 00:10:16,280 --> 00:10:18,560 Speaker 1: offensive rebounds, and and if a d is not gonna 198 00:10:18,559 --> 00:10:19,959 Speaker 1: be able to find him down there, there's no real 199 00:10:19,960 --> 00:10:21,880 Speaker 1: reason to put him there. And so, as you can 200 00:10:21,920 --> 00:10:24,319 Speaker 1: see in the last couple of games, they've been putting 201 00:10:24,320 --> 00:10:26,160 Speaker 1: Marcusol at the top of the key. He's been a 202 00:10:26,200 --> 00:10:28,760 Speaker 1: post entry guy, he's been a spot up shooter, and 203 00:10:28,800 --> 00:10:32,120 Speaker 1: it's really helped space things out for them. And that's 204 00:10:32,440 --> 00:10:34,160 Speaker 1: that's just a little excess. And note those things that 205 00:10:34,200 --> 00:10:36,160 Speaker 1: are the excess, And note thing that I really like. 206 00:10:36,960 --> 00:10:39,679 Speaker 1: UM a lot of heat on Montrese Harold last night 207 00:10:39,720 --> 00:10:44,000 Speaker 1: for his defense. The clips aren't good. Kevin O'Connor put 208 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:47,079 Speaker 1: out a little highlight video of of the Blazers attacking 209 00:10:47,120 --> 00:10:49,760 Speaker 1: Montres at the end of the game. It doesn't look good. 210 00:10:50,400 --> 00:10:54,120 Speaker 1: That's set and I will harp on this all season long. 211 00:10:55,120 --> 00:10:59,280 Speaker 1: Defense is a team endeavor. It is not an individual endeavor. 212 00:11:00,040 --> 00:11:03,520 Speaker 1: No matter how dialed in one person is, the defense 213 00:11:03,559 --> 00:11:06,160 Speaker 1: doesn't work unless all players are on the same page. 214 00:11:06,600 --> 00:11:09,400 Speaker 1: For instance, if you're hoping that Montrese Harold shows a 215 00:11:09,400 --> 00:11:11,959 Speaker 1: little higher on those screening rolls and tries to I 216 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:15,040 Speaker 1: don't know, Trapper double, it's still gonna be layups all 217 00:11:15,120 --> 00:11:17,760 Speaker 1: day long if the back line of the defense isn't 218 00:11:17,800 --> 00:11:21,040 Speaker 1: ready and and and focused and in the right position 219 00:11:21,080 --> 00:11:23,880 Speaker 1: to do their job, to keep everybody on a string 220 00:11:23,880 --> 00:11:26,679 Speaker 1: and get the job done. So as as poor as 221 00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:30,160 Speaker 1: Montrese Harold looked last night, almost everybody on the Laker 222 00:11:30,240 --> 00:11:33,880 Speaker 1: roster looked bad. Anthony Davis, in my opinion, is the 223 00:11:33,960 --> 00:11:37,440 Speaker 1: best defensive player in the entire world, and he had 224 00:11:37,480 --> 00:11:40,640 Speaker 1: one of the worst defensive performances I've ever seen watching 225 00:11:40,720 --> 00:11:44,120 Speaker 1: him play last night. So I'm not gonna really get 226 00:11:44,120 --> 00:11:47,320 Speaker 1: hard on, be really really hard on Montrese Harold when 227 00:11:47,559 --> 00:11:50,280 Speaker 1: the alleged leader of this defense just completely no show 228 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:54,320 Speaker 1: the game. I would much rather really dissect and and 229 00:11:54,360 --> 00:11:57,840 Speaker 1: dive into montrese Harold's defensive ability in a game where 230 00:11:57,840 --> 00:12:00,640 Speaker 1: they're really trying, in a game where he's playing in 231 00:12:00,640 --> 00:12:03,320 Speaker 1: a more traditional lineup against lineups that he will normally 232 00:12:03,360 --> 00:12:07,120 Speaker 1: play against, and then he's making mistakes that are breaking 233 00:12:07,160 --> 00:12:10,120 Speaker 1: down their defense. That's when I'll be paying closer attention. 234 00:12:10,480 --> 00:12:11,880 Speaker 1: So one of the one of the problems I had 235 00:12:11,880 --> 00:12:15,000 Speaker 1: with Rondo last year. There would be games where four 236 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:16,720 Speaker 1: of the five guys on the floor really dialed in 237 00:12:16,800 --> 00:12:19,080 Speaker 1: and rotating and in the right spot, and Rondo would 238 00:12:19,080 --> 00:12:20,880 Speaker 1: be gambling and getting out of position, and it would 239 00:12:20,920 --> 00:12:22,760 Speaker 1: hurt the defense. Those are the kinds of times when 240 00:12:22,800 --> 00:12:25,280 Speaker 1: I want to pay attention games like last night throw 241 00:12:25,320 --> 00:12:28,600 Speaker 1: it away. It was very clear from the opening tip 242 00:12:28,640 --> 00:12:30,640 Speaker 1: that when the Lakers actually try, they can beat the 243 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:33,320 Speaker 1: hell out of anybody in this league. Uh, there's just 244 00:12:33,320 --> 00:12:34,760 Speaker 1: not a lot to take away. And I don't think 245 00:12:34,800 --> 00:12:38,800 Speaker 1: it's fair to Montrez to pick last night as the 246 00:12:38,920 --> 00:12:42,280 Speaker 1: night to make sweeping declarations on what kind of defensive 247 00:12:42,280 --> 00:12:47,200 Speaker 1: player he is. Um I thought Jason Maples on his 248 00:12:47,280 --> 00:12:49,040 Speaker 1: podcast I listened to it this morning while I was 249 00:12:49,080 --> 00:12:53,120 Speaker 1: doing my deliveries. I thought he made a really really 250 00:12:53,120 --> 00:12:56,760 Speaker 1: interesting point about Dennis Shrewder and and what he brings 251 00:12:56,760 --> 00:13:00,080 Speaker 1: to the table in terms of alleviating Lebron of some 252 00:13:00,160 --> 00:13:03,000 Speaker 1: of his creation responsibilities and allowing him to rest while 253 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:05,280 Speaker 1: he's on the court, and the example will give his 254 00:13:05,400 --> 00:13:08,960 Speaker 1: the two thousand sixteen Finals, I watched every almost every 255 00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:12,160 Speaker 1: game that Lebron played with Kyrie, and it took me 256 00:13:12,240 --> 00:13:14,439 Speaker 1: until the end of the two thousand sixteen Finals to 257 00:13:14,520 --> 00:13:17,079 Speaker 1: really understand what they were doing because I used to 258 00:13:17,160 --> 00:13:20,400 Speaker 1: always be so frustrated with Kyrie shot selection. He was 259 00:13:20,440 --> 00:13:23,040 Speaker 1: never looking for his teammates. He was never really kind 260 00:13:23,040 --> 00:13:25,520 Speaker 1: of like understanding and feeling the flow of the game. 261 00:13:25,880 --> 00:13:27,679 Speaker 1: He was always just kind of being shot out of 262 00:13:27,720 --> 00:13:30,240 Speaker 1: a cannon and being super super aggressive with no real 263 00:13:30,520 --> 00:13:33,160 Speaker 1: you know, understanding of of of the flow of the game. 264 00:13:34,120 --> 00:13:36,320 Speaker 1: And it dawned on me and at the end of 265 00:13:36,320 --> 00:13:39,800 Speaker 1: the two thousand sixteen Finals that there was a there 266 00:13:39,840 --> 00:13:42,400 Speaker 1: was a reason to why they were doing that. It 267 00:13:42,440 --> 00:13:46,320 Speaker 1: was by design. Lebron on those possessions would effectively become 268 00:13:46,360 --> 00:13:48,640 Speaker 1: a spot up shooter. He'd go to one of the 269 00:13:49,280 --> 00:13:51,320 Speaker 1: one of the extended wings just a couple of feet 270 00:13:51,320 --> 00:13:53,760 Speaker 1: behind the three point line, staying with his hands on 271 00:13:53,800 --> 00:13:55,880 Speaker 1: his hips like Kyrie go to work. If the ball 272 00:13:55,920 --> 00:13:57,840 Speaker 1: got worked around to him, he shoot a spot up three. 273 00:13:58,080 --> 00:14:00,320 Speaker 1: But for the most part he was resting while he 274 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:02,880 Speaker 1: was on the court. It allowed him to extend his minutes, 275 00:14:03,120 --> 00:14:05,160 Speaker 1: It allowed him to be more focused on the defensive 276 00:14:05,200 --> 00:14:07,840 Speaker 1: end of the floor. It made it so that, you know, 277 00:14:08,280 --> 00:14:11,280 Speaker 1: in comparison to last year, when Lebron was, you know, 278 00:14:11,640 --> 00:14:14,200 Speaker 1: more or less the only creator on the floor. Whenever 279 00:14:14,240 --> 00:14:16,760 Speaker 1: he was out there, he had to do everything, you know, 280 00:14:16,840 --> 00:14:19,520 Speaker 1: especially in the games, Rondo was no showing. So from 281 00:14:19,560 --> 00:14:21,520 Speaker 1: that stand point, and he was out with injury half 282 00:14:21,520 --> 00:14:25,000 Speaker 1: the time Rondo was, So from that standpoint, I understand 283 00:14:25,040 --> 00:14:28,480 Speaker 1: now that as much as I've complained about Schroeder's shot 284 00:14:28,560 --> 00:14:31,320 Speaker 1: selection here early in the season, there's kind of an 285 00:14:31,320 --> 00:14:36,640 Speaker 1: added benefit to the fact that Schroeder's aggressiveness allows Lebron 286 00:14:37,080 --> 00:14:39,640 Speaker 1: to rest so that he can be more efficient when 287 00:14:39,640 --> 00:14:41,760 Speaker 1: he does have the ball. And I really think when 288 00:14:41,840 --> 00:14:44,200 Speaker 1: Lebron finds his groove again, when he get ditches some 289 00:14:44,240 --> 00:14:46,960 Speaker 1: of this rust, when when Anthony Davis shows up and 290 00:14:46,960 --> 00:14:49,800 Speaker 1: starts trying this season, I really think Lebron and a 291 00:14:49,920 --> 00:14:52,320 Speaker 1: d are going to benefit from that because then when 292 00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:54,800 Speaker 1: they do get the ball, it's gonna be that they 293 00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:56,760 Speaker 1: can be aggressive when they want to be, and not 294 00:14:56,880 --> 00:14:58,640 Speaker 1: because they have to be as a result of a 295 00:14:58,720 --> 00:15:00,880 Speaker 1: lack of creation on the floor. I think there's a 296 00:15:00,880 --> 00:15:04,560 Speaker 1: fine line there. I think Schroeder could potentially cross the 297 00:15:04,600 --> 00:15:06,360 Speaker 1: line to where it would hurt the team, but I 298 00:15:06,400 --> 00:15:08,600 Speaker 1: don't think he's there yet, and I'm kind of okay 299 00:15:08,600 --> 00:15:11,880 Speaker 1: with that balance to this point. One last tiny note 300 00:15:11,880 --> 00:15:16,320 Speaker 1: on the Lakers, I I think I think it's uh my. 301 00:15:16,320 --> 00:15:19,480 Speaker 1: My feelings about Anthony Davis as a defensive player are 302 00:15:19,560 --> 00:15:22,240 Speaker 1: very similar to my feelings about Lebron is a player. 303 00:15:22,880 --> 00:15:25,960 Speaker 1: I think Anthony Davis is the best defensive player in 304 00:15:25,960 --> 00:15:28,400 Speaker 1: the league, but that he can never win a Defensive 305 00:15:28,400 --> 00:15:31,080 Speaker 1: Player of the Year while he's in this situation where 306 00:15:31,120 --> 00:15:33,360 Speaker 1: he's not really giving it his all every single night. 307 00:15:33,480 --> 00:15:36,000 Speaker 1: That award deserves to go to someone who's trying on 308 00:15:36,040 --> 00:15:38,720 Speaker 1: a nightly basis for all seventy two for all eighty 309 00:15:38,760 --> 00:15:40,400 Speaker 1: two games. The same way I feel about Lebron when 310 00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:43,840 Speaker 1: it comes to the MVP. Last year, Lebron from start 311 00:15:43,920 --> 00:15:46,960 Speaker 1: to finish completely attacked the season. It feels to me 312 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:48,800 Speaker 1: now that Lebron is gonna be a little bit more, 313 00:15:49,320 --> 00:15:52,640 Speaker 1: you know, uh, conscious of of coasting and taking care 314 00:15:52,680 --> 00:15:54,960 Speaker 1: of his body this season. So even though I think 315 00:15:55,000 --> 00:15:56,880 Speaker 1: he's the best player in the league, I don't think 316 00:15:56,880 --> 00:15:59,440 Speaker 1: he's a candidate for the Most Valuable Player award as 317 00:15:59,440 --> 00:16:01,360 Speaker 1: a result of at something to keep in mind with 318 00:16:01,360 --> 00:16:03,600 Speaker 1: both Lebron and a d best defender in the league, 319 00:16:03,720 --> 00:16:05,920 Speaker 1: best player in the league, both of them are kind 320 00:16:05,920 --> 00:16:08,080 Speaker 1: of taking it easy this season. Chances are they're not 321 00:16:08,080 --> 00:16:10,720 Speaker 1: going to be involved in award conversations, and I think 322 00:16:10,760 --> 00:16:15,160 Speaker 1: that's okay anyway, Just some tiny note there. So we're 323 00:16:15,160 --> 00:16:22,840 Speaker 1: gonna move on to the Clippers. So the Clippers are 324 00:16:22,840 --> 00:16:24,880 Speaker 1: off to another rough start. They're catching all of the 325 00:16:24,920 --> 00:16:27,560 Speaker 1: jokes as a result of what happened to the to 326 00:16:27,680 --> 00:16:30,680 Speaker 1: the against the Mavericks the other day, as they should. 327 00:16:32,200 --> 00:16:34,960 Speaker 1: And the Clippers are more or less the same team 328 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:37,280 Speaker 1: in my opinion, that they were last year. They have 329 00:16:37,360 --> 00:16:41,080 Speaker 1: the same two fatal flaws. One they have they lack 330 00:16:41,160 --> 00:16:46,200 Speaker 1: collective basketball i Q basketball games have a flow to them. 331 00:16:46,240 --> 00:16:49,280 Speaker 1: There is they're they're like a play with several acts. 332 00:16:50,080 --> 00:16:53,000 Speaker 1: For example, last night's Laker Blazer game is a great example. 333 00:16:53,280 --> 00:16:57,840 Speaker 1: Act one, Lakers come out, dialed in and just beat 334 00:16:57,880 --> 00:16:59,720 Speaker 1: the living hell out of the Blazers jump out to 335 00:16:59,720 --> 00:17:02,200 Speaker 1: a need to seven lead. They're getting steals all over 336 00:17:02,240 --> 00:17:05,080 Speaker 1: the floor, they're flying around in the rotations, they're getting 337 00:17:05,080 --> 00:17:07,399 Speaker 1: out in transition, they're getting easy shots, they're dunking it 338 00:17:07,440 --> 00:17:10,880 Speaker 1: down their throat. It's just a ridiculous performance to start 339 00:17:10,920 --> 00:17:13,720 Speaker 1: the game. Portland calls the time out. They come out, 340 00:17:14,359 --> 00:17:16,720 Speaker 1: Lakers think the games over, take their foot off the gas. 341 00:17:16,720 --> 00:17:19,360 Speaker 1: Act two is the Blazers getting back into the game. 342 00:17:20,320 --> 00:17:23,000 Speaker 1: Act three they go in a halftime, The Lakers come 343 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:24,840 Speaker 1: out take control of the game again. In the third 344 00:17:25,840 --> 00:17:29,160 Speaker 1: Acts four, the Blazers come back. You know, Gary Trent Jr. 345 00:17:29,200 --> 00:17:33,040 Speaker 1: Gets super hot, absolutely lights up talent, Horton Tucker. You know, 346 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:37,240 Speaker 1: the game is tied again, and uh the game has 347 00:17:37,240 --> 00:17:41,040 Speaker 1: shifted momentum again. You know. Then there's this fifth fifth act. 348 00:17:41,320 --> 00:17:44,040 Speaker 1: Blazers take a big lead in the fourth quarter. I 349 00:17:44,080 --> 00:17:46,520 Speaker 1: think they were up by seven, and Lebron all of 350 00:17:46,560 --> 00:17:48,960 Speaker 1: a sudden is like I'm not letting his game slip away, 351 00:17:49,320 --> 00:17:52,040 Speaker 1: goes on a crazy Lebron run. Rai's up where he's 352 00:17:52,080 --> 00:17:54,399 Speaker 1: all over the place, ties the game up, and then 353 00:17:54,440 --> 00:17:57,080 Speaker 1: the final act the Blazers put them away. There's always 354 00:17:57,119 --> 00:18:00,280 Speaker 1: like this flow to the game from start to finish, 355 00:18:00,640 --> 00:18:04,479 Speaker 1: and the really high i Q players can sense that 356 00:18:04,560 --> 00:18:07,280 Speaker 1: flow and they can take control of the game in 357 00:18:07,359 --> 00:18:10,679 Speaker 1: specific moments to drive that flow in one direction or 358 00:18:10,680 --> 00:18:12,080 Speaker 1: the other. It's one of the It's one of the 359 00:18:12,119 --> 00:18:14,399 Speaker 1: things that Lebron does better than anybody in the league 360 00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:18,160 Speaker 1: in my opinion. It's the ability to sense the direction 361 00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:21,760 Speaker 1: of the game and to channel your aggression. This is 362 00:18:21,760 --> 00:18:23,359 Speaker 1: one of always been one of my biggest problems with 363 00:18:23,440 --> 00:18:25,160 Speaker 1: James Harden comes out at the start of the game 364 00:18:25,480 --> 00:18:28,159 Speaker 1: and just kind of immediately starts doing James Harden stuff. 365 00:18:28,359 --> 00:18:30,399 Speaker 1: Doesn't understand the flow of the game, the impact that 366 00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:32,080 Speaker 1: his teammates need to have on it for them to 367 00:18:32,560 --> 00:18:34,959 Speaker 1: you know, feel confident at the right moments, and then 368 00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:36,800 Speaker 1: inevitably by the end of the game, the defense is 369 00:18:36,880 --> 00:18:38,240 Speaker 1: kind of sitting on a lot of his moves and 370 00:18:38,240 --> 00:18:40,000 Speaker 1: it's harder for him to get his shots off. Doesn't 371 00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:42,680 Speaker 1: mean James Harden is not great, doesn't mean Kawhi Leonard 372 00:18:42,760 --> 00:18:44,639 Speaker 1: is not great. It's just that to me is one 373 00:18:44,640 --> 00:18:47,240 Speaker 1: of the things that separates them from the best players 374 00:18:47,240 --> 00:18:49,440 Speaker 1: in the league. It is just their inability to really 375 00:18:49,480 --> 00:18:53,440 Speaker 1: feel the flow of the basketball game. So this year's 376 00:18:53,440 --> 00:18:55,959 Speaker 1: Clippers team has that exact same flaw that they had 377 00:18:56,040 --> 00:18:59,080 Speaker 1: last year, and it was evident evidence against the Mavericks. 378 00:18:59,600 --> 00:19:02,840 Speaker 1: When the wheels start to come off, the high i 379 00:19:02,920 --> 00:19:07,680 Speaker 1: Q players make the necessary reads, make the necessary offensive decisions, 380 00:19:07,840 --> 00:19:11,040 Speaker 1: make the necessary extra effort plays to bring the train 381 00:19:11,160 --> 00:19:14,719 Speaker 1: back onto the tracks. It's it's preventing an e oh 382 00:19:14,840 --> 00:19:17,920 Speaker 1: run from becoming a twenty run, and you know, next 383 00:19:17,960 --> 00:19:19,720 Speaker 1: thing you know, the train is off the tracks. For 384 00:19:19,760 --> 00:19:22,080 Speaker 1: the Clippers, there's nobody on the roster that really knows 385 00:19:22,080 --> 00:19:24,280 Speaker 1: how to take control of the game back and now 386 00:19:24,320 --> 00:19:27,639 Speaker 1: you're losing in historic fashion. And which leads me to 387 00:19:27,680 --> 00:19:29,560 Speaker 1: the second problem that I have with the Clippers. And 388 00:19:29,560 --> 00:19:31,439 Speaker 1: it's the same reason why the same fly they had 389 00:19:31,520 --> 00:19:34,880 Speaker 1: last year, and it's the same reason why I would 390 00:19:34,920 --> 00:19:37,159 Speaker 1: imagine they'll have the same outcome this year that they 391 00:19:37,200 --> 00:19:39,520 Speaker 1: did last year, which is the disappointing loss in the playoffs. 392 00:19:40,119 --> 00:19:44,720 Speaker 1: And that's just their overall team vibe. It's the the 393 00:19:44,760 --> 00:19:49,840 Speaker 1: idea that this team, you know, uh, collectively they're psyche, 394 00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:53,120 Speaker 1: seems to be just off and and I don't. There's 395 00:19:53,119 --> 00:19:57,040 Speaker 1: no real like, there's there's no real way to describe it. 396 00:19:57,119 --> 00:19:59,280 Speaker 1: And you know, in a in a way that's semantically, 397 00:19:59,560 --> 00:20:02,080 Speaker 1: you know, proficient. But the truth of the matter is 398 00:20:02,080 --> 00:20:06,000 Speaker 1: is there's something off with this team. And the easiest 399 00:20:06,040 --> 00:20:07,680 Speaker 1: way to tell when there's something off about a team 400 00:20:07,720 --> 00:20:09,520 Speaker 1: is the difference between the way they act when things 401 00:20:09,520 --> 00:20:11,440 Speaker 1: are going good and the way they act when things 402 00:20:11,440 --> 00:20:14,440 Speaker 1: are going bad. You know, a team that is wired 403 00:20:14,520 --> 00:20:18,720 Speaker 1: right when things go bad, they come together, and a 404 00:20:18,720 --> 00:20:21,199 Speaker 1: team that is wired in in a in a in 405 00:20:21,240 --> 00:20:24,560 Speaker 1: a in a damaging way falls apart when things get rough. 406 00:20:25,040 --> 00:20:27,720 Speaker 1: The Clippers have a tendency when things get bad, to 407 00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:30,840 Speaker 1: split up on each other, to get really to have 408 00:20:30,880 --> 00:20:34,439 Speaker 1: really bad body language, to go their separate ways, and 409 00:20:34,480 --> 00:20:37,800 Speaker 1: to fall apart mentally and for things to get significantly worse. 410 00:20:37,840 --> 00:20:40,000 Speaker 1: We saw it in the playoffs last year, and you 411 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:42,520 Speaker 1: saw it a couple of days ago against the Mavericks. 412 00:20:42,720 --> 00:20:45,120 Speaker 1: And it's something that concerns me because the only way 413 00:20:45,119 --> 00:20:47,520 Speaker 1: to really change that is to bring in a bunch 414 00:20:47,560 --> 00:20:50,600 Speaker 1: of you know, really good veteran personalities to kind of 415 00:20:50,600 --> 00:20:52,639 Speaker 1: turn around the psyche of the team, and it's just 416 00:20:52,880 --> 00:20:55,080 Speaker 1: at this point, with their lack of assets, it's difficult 417 00:20:55,080 --> 00:20:57,840 Speaker 1: for them to do that. And Kawhi Leonard as a 418 00:20:57,920 --> 00:21:01,359 Speaker 1: leader is not wired in a to be really outspoken 419 00:21:01,720 --> 00:21:04,720 Speaker 1: and to try to grab control of that situation. And 420 00:21:04,760 --> 00:21:09,480 Speaker 1: Paul George is like a like a pathological uh excuse maker. 421 00:21:09,960 --> 00:21:13,439 Speaker 1: He has a tendency anytime anything happens to immediately just 422 00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:16,680 Speaker 1: start blame shifting, you know. And so from that same point, 423 00:21:16,720 --> 00:21:18,640 Speaker 1: I just you know, with that team, I think they 424 00:21:18,640 --> 00:21:22,120 Speaker 1: have two catastrophic fatal flaws and I think inevitably they're 425 00:21:22,119 --> 00:21:24,280 Speaker 1: gonna lead to them going down the same path. I 426 00:21:24,359 --> 00:21:26,320 Speaker 1: still think they're good, They're there. I still think they're 427 00:21:26,320 --> 00:21:28,760 Speaker 1: the biggest threat to the Lakers, but it's more a 428 00:21:28,760 --> 00:21:31,320 Speaker 1: product of the fact that all of the other threats 429 00:21:31,359 --> 00:21:33,520 Speaker 1: to the Lakers are flawed in one way or another, 430 00:21:34,040 --> 00:21:36,520 Speaker 1: and their big flaw still is there. But they have 431 00:21:36,560 --> 00:21:38,560 Speaker 1: the matchup advantages and they have the talent to go 432 00:21:38,640 --> 00:21:40,439 Speaker 1: toe to toe with the Lakers, and that's where I 433 00:21:40,480 --> 00:21:43,200 Speaker 1: think they would have the the ability to potentially take 434 00:21:43,240 --> 00:21:44,679 Speaker 1: a couple of games off the Lakers and push them 435 00:21:44,720 --> 00:21:46,600 Speaker 1: to the limit. But it's just something to keep an 436 00:21:46,600 --> 00:21:48,480 Speaker 1: eye on with the Clippers, and I don't think it's fixable. 437 00:21:49,080 --> 00:21:50,640 Speaker 1: I don't know if there's a point guard out there 438 00:21:50,640 --> 00:21:53,560 Speaker 1: that's achievable for the Clippers to turn around their collective 439 00:21:53,560 --> 00:21:56,680 Speaker 1: i Q situation. I don't know that there are enough 440 00:21:56,760 --> 00:21:59,639 Speaker 1: veterans that are readily available, either but at the veteran 441 00:21:59,680 --> 00:22:03,080 Speaker 1: minimum salary or through some sort of achievable trade that 442 00:22:03,119 --> 00:22:05,520 Speaker 1: can turn around the vibe of this team. I'm just 443 00:22:05,560 --> 00:22:08,239 Speaker 1: not sure that those options are out there, and so 444 00:22:08,280 --> 00:22:10,919 Speaker 1: that's something that would concern me about the Clippers. Alright, 445 00:22:10,960 --> 00:22:17,359 Speaker 1: moving on to the Warriors. All Right, I'm gonna tell 446 00:22:17,359 --> 00:22:19,880 Speaker 1: the story here to defend Kelly U brad Jr. Because 447 00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:23,480 Speaker 1: he's catching a lot of slander. I'm sure you guys 448 00:22:23,480 --> 00:22:25,440 Speaker 1: have all seen the stat that's gone around like crazy, 449 00:22:25,640 --> 00:22:28,080 Speaker 1: and it's that he's over thirty one or something like that, 450 00:22:28,119 --> 00:22:32,800 Speaker 1: on over thirty three on on non dunk attempts this season. So, 451 00:22:33,359 --> 00:22:37,119 Speaker 1: as Zachlow pointed out in his podcast yesterday, Kelly YU 452 00:22:37,160 --> 00:22:41,199 Speaker 1: brad Jr. Is a league average three point shooter. He 453 00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:44,399 Speaker 1: is not a guy who is incapable of making shots 454 00:22:44,400 --> 00:22:46,920 Speaker 1: away from the basket. He just happens to be in 455 00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:49,879 Speaker 1: a stretch where he's not making anything. And this is 456 00:22:49,880 --> 00:22:52,840 Speaker 1: where I'm gonna share a personal story from my experience 457 00:22:53,240 --> 00:22:57,000 Speaker 1: that is embarrassing on my part, but I think shed 458 00:22:57,080 --> 00:22:59,359 Speaker 1: some light onto to what's going on with Kelly you 459 00:22:59,440 --> 00:23:03,880 Speaker 1: bre So. I I in college was a good three 460 00:23:03,880 --> 00:23:06,000 Speaker 1: point shooter, like a very good three point shooter at 461 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:09,240 Speaker 1: certain stretches in all three seasons that I played. I 462 00:23:09,280 --> 00:23:11,480 Speaker 1: struggled early in the season as I was kind of 463 00:23:11,480 --> 00:23:14,760 Speaker 1: finding my role on the team, but in conference play 464 00:23:14,880 --> 00:23:18,200 Speaker 1: from the three seasons combined, I was from three point land. 465 00:23:18,240 --> 00:23:20,399 Speaker 1: I usually shot well beyond the three point line a 466 00:23:20,440 --> 00:23:23,120 Speaker 1: line to and I had a game in college where 467 00:23:23,119 --> 00:23:26,479 Speaker 1: I made six in a row, uh from beyond the ark. 468 00:23:26,600 --> 00:23:29,000 Speaker 1: I was a good three point shooter in college. Not 469 00:23:29,040 --> 00:23:31,200 Speaker 1: a great shooter, not a Clay Thompson or anything, but 470 00:23:31,240 --> 00:23:33,760 Speaker 1: I was a I was a good two above average 471 00:23:34,560 --> 00:23:38,080 Speaker 1: a three point shooter. But to start my third season, 472 00:23:38,720 --> 00:23:41,840 Speaker 1: I went from being an all conference player in one 473 00:23:41,920 --> 00:23:45,639 Speaker 1: situation to joining a team that had to all American guards. 474 00:23:46,160 --> 00:23:47,920 Speaker 1: All of a sudden, I was playing off the ball 475 00:23:47,960 --> 00:23:50,199 Speaker 1: more than I had ever had. All of a sudden, 476 00:23:50,200 --> 00:23:53,040 Speaker 1: I had more defensive defensive responsibilities than I had ever had, 477 00:23:53,560 --> 00:23:55,320 Speaker 1: and all of a sudden, I was getting less shots 478 00:23:55,440 --> 00:23:58,440 Speaker 1: than I had ever had. And I'm not necessarily saying 479 00:23:58,480 --> 00:24:01,920 Speaker 1: that's exactly what Kelly Brad's going through, but it was 480 00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:04,000 Speaker 1: similar in the sense that I was trying to learn 481 00:24:04,040 --> 00:24:06,639 Speaker 1: how to play with a different group of guys and 482 00:24:06,680 --> 00:24:09,400 Speaker 1: possibly the best player I'd ever played with. In this case, 483 00:24:09,440 --> 00:24:11,879 Speaker 1: it was to leave Ukta, the All American guard that 484 00:24:11,920 --> 00:24:14,439 Speaker 1: was on my team at a c U. And for 485 00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:18,439 Speaker 1: Kelly Yubridge Jr. It's Steph Curry. I started that season, 486 00:24:18,480 --> 00:24:20,160 Speaker 1: I made a couple of threes in the first couple 487 00:24:20,160 --> 00:24:23,240 Speaker 1: of games of the year. Uh, But there was a 488 00:24:23,280 --> 00:24:26,200 Speaker 1: stretch right around the you know, third or fourth game 489 00:24:26,240 --> 00:24:28,600 Speaker 1: of the season. Were in a game in a week 490 00:24:28,600 --> 00:24:33,080 Speaker 1: where I played four games, I missed twenty two consecutive threes. 491 00:24:33,440 --> 00:24:36,840 Speaker 1: Think about that. Twenty two consecutive threes from a guy 492 00:24:36,880 --> 00:24:40,040 Speaker 1: who had been, you know, roughly a three point shooter 493 00:24:40,160 --> 00:24:43,200 Speaker 1: leading into that. That's not because I forgot how to shoot. 494 00:24:43,840 --> 00:24:46,240 Speaker 1: It's not because I all of a sudden just you know, 495 00:24:46,400 --> 00:24:48,879 Speaker 1: completely unraveled and forgot how to be a basketball player. 496 00:24:49,160 --> 00:24:50,840 Speaker 1: It's because I was getting different shots than I was 497 00:24:50,960 --> 00:24:53,720 Speaker 1: used to and and then honestly like shooting as a 498 00:24:53,720 --> 00:24:56,720 Speaker 1: tendency to you know, it's when it rains, it pours effects. 499 00:24:56,720 --> 00:25:00,240 Speaker 1: It's contagious, you know, and it and it's hard to 500 00:25:00,320 --> 00:25:02,800 Speaker 1: find out playing in a different role than you had been, 501 00:25:03,119 --> 00:25:06,240 Speaker 1: playing alongside better players than you have been when to shoot, 502 00:25:06,240 --> 00:25:09,000 Speaker 1: when not to shoot, you know, when to be aggressive, 503 00:25:09,080 --> 00:25:11,760 Speaker 1: when to defer to the better players on your team. 504 00:25:11,800 --> 00:25:15,000 Speaker 1: It's hard to find that balance. And I can sympathize 505 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:16,919 Speaker 1: with that. It took me that whole that whole stretch 506 00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:19,480 Speaker 1: was really really hard on my confidence, and it took 507 00:25:19,560 --> 00:25:22,000 Speaker 1: until a conference play in the second half of the 508 00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:24,560 Speaker 1: season for me to kind of feel out where my 509 00:25:24,680 --> 00:25:26,439 Speaker 1: role was. You know, I was taking a lot of 510 00:25:26,440 --> 00:25:29,080 Speaker 1: threes above the break, and all of a sudden, I 511 00:25:29,119 --> 00:25:31,560 Speaker 1: realized that the higher quality shots I was getting in 512 00:25:31,600 --> 00:25:33,800 Speaker 1: that offense were in the corner, you know, playing in 513 00:25:33,840 --> 00:25:36,520 Speaker 1: a different spot at the offense. And so, you know, 514 00:25:36,520 --> 00:25:38,320 Speaker 1: when I would get the above the break threes, I 515 00:25:38,359 --> 00:25:40,240 Speaker 1: would swing it around a little bit. When I would 516 00:25:40,240 --> 00:25:41,800 Speaker 1: catch it in the corner, I was more open, I 517 00:25:41,840 --> 00:25:45,119 Speaker 1: was more balanced, you know, I was usually spotting up 518 00:25:45,160 --> 00:25:46,840 Speaker 1: as opposed to coming on off the move. They were 519 00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:49,440 Speaker 1: higher quality shots for me, and I made those ones 520 00:25:49,440 --> 00:25:52,119 Speaker 1: at a much higher clip. I had to learn with 521 00:25:52,240 --> 00:25:55,440 Speaker 1: that group of guys how to find how to get 522 00:25:55,480 --> 00:25:58,600 Speaker 1: my skill set to fit. And that's what Kelly Ubrid Jr. 523 00:25:58,640 --> 00:26:01,600 Speaker 1: Is going through through right right now. He is a 524 00:26:01,720 --> 00:26:04,920 Speaker 1: league average three point shooter. He is a league average 525 00:26:05,000 --> 00:26:08,359 Speaker 1: wing defender. He's going to be a good player, not 526 00:26:08,480 --> 00:26:10,560 Speaker 1: a bad player. He's not gonna be a great player either, 527 00:26:10,880 --> 00:26:13,000 Speaker 1: but he's not going to be a bad player. He's 528 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:14,840 Speaker 1: gonna find a spot on this team that makes sense 529 00:26:14,840 --> 00:26:16,480 Speaker 1: for him. He's going to find a spot on this 530 00:26:16,480 --> 00:26:19,480 Speaker 1: team where he can be, you know, a net positive 531 00:26:19,720 --> 00:26:22,080 Speaker 1: to what they're trying to accomplish. So I don't think 532 00:26:22,080 --> 00:26:24,360 Speaker 1: it's fair through four games to be super super hard 533 00:26:24,400 --> 00:26:28,240 Speaker 1: on Kelly Bright for the way he's been playing. Um 534 00:26:28,280 --> 00:26:33,120 Speaker 1: that said, for the team in general, so much has 535 00:26:33,160 --> 00:26:37,000 Speaker 1: to change for them to become what everybody in Golden 536 00:26:37,040 --> 00:26:39,840 Speaker 1: State Warrior, you know, in that fan base wanted them 537 00:26:39,880 --> 00:26:42,280 Speaker 1: to be before this year, which is a middle tier 538 00:26:42,280 --> 00:26:44,600 Speaker 1: playoff team in the West, someone in that three to 539 00:26:44,800 --> 00:26:47,919 Speaker 1: six seed. For them to be that, they have to 540 00:26:47,960 --> 00:26:50,760 Speaker 1: be so much better down the line. This is not 541 00:26:50,840 --> 00:26:54,960 Speaker 1: a situation that Draymond Green coming back can fix. This 542 00:26:55,040 --> 00:26:58,320 Speaker 1: is not a situation that Steph playing better can fix. 543 00:26:58,920 --> 00:27:02,359 Speaker 1: This is a situation that requires Andrew Wiggins to play better, 544 00:27:02,840 --> 00:27:05,720 Speaker 1: Kelly You're Brady to play better, Steph to play way better, 545 00:27:06,240 --> 00:27:08,800 Speaker 1: Draymond Green to come back and play better, and they 546 00:27:08,840 --> 00:27:11,320 Speaker 1: probably need to make a trade or two or find 547 00:27:11,400 --> 00:27:13,800 Speaker 1: some sort of discounted piece out there in order to 548 00:27:13,840 --> 00:27:16,160 Speaker 1: crawl up into that range, because right now they are bad. 549 00:27:16,760 --> 00:27:20,040 Speaker 1: They aren't just it's They're not losing because Kelly Bray 550 00:27:20,119 --> 00:27:23,040 Speaker 1: is missing shots. They're not losing because Andrew Wiggins has 551 00:27:23,040 --> 00:27:26,240 Speaker 1: been inconsistent. They're not losing because Steph hasn't been aggressive enough. 552 00:27:26,480 --> 00:27:29,399 Speaker 1: They're losing because all of those things are going wrong 553 00:27:29,600 --> 00:27:32,719 Speaker 1: and all of them. And they're not losing by small amounts. 554 00:27:32,760 --> 00:27:36,560 Speaker 1: They're losing. They're they're getting destroyed. They're not even competitive. 555 00:27:36,960 --> 00:27:40,399 Speaker 1: That Chicago Bowls team is really really bad. And the 556 00:27:40,440 --> 00:27:43,880 Speaker 1: Warriors it required a vintage Steph, you know, come from 557 00:27:43,880 --> 00:27:46,760 Speaker 1: behind performance to lose by two had it not been 558 00:27:46,800 --> 00:27:50,439 Speaker 1: for a supporting player on the team making it contested 559 00:27:51,040 --> 00:27:54,520 Speaker 1: on the move, kind of like leaning fading three at 560 00:27:54,560 --> 00:27:56,679 Speaker 1: the top of the key that won that game. And 561 00:27:56,720 --> 00:27:58,359 Speaker 1: so the problem that I have with it is a 562 00:27:58,400 --> 00:28:00,920 Speaker 1: lot of people are talking about Steve her and a 563 00:28:00,960 --> 00:28:02,800 Speaker 1: lot of people are talking about step and a lot 564 00:28:02,800 --> 00:28:06,560 Speaker 1: of people are talking about the supporting pieces. I don't 565 00:28:06,560 --> 00:28:09,720 Speaker 1: even know if Klay Thompson fixes this. The truth of 566 00:28:09,720 --> 00:28:13,040 Speaker 1: the matter is is that NBA defenses have learned how 567 00:28:13,080 --> 00:28:15,399 Speaker 1: to better guard Steph Curry than they used to. Doesn't 568 00:28:15,400 --> 00:28:18,120 Speaker 1: mean steps bad, doesn't mean steps worse. But in two 569 00:28:18,119 --> 00:28:21,440 Speaker 1: thousand sixteen, think about that famous shot where he dribbles 570 00:28:21,440 --> 00:28:25,280 Speaker 1: in and makes the game winner over Uh over Robertson 571 00:28:25,760 --> 00:28:28,960 Speaker 1: to win that regular season game, the famous shot her 572 00:28:29,040 --> 00:28:31,040 Speaker 1: around the World or whatever they call it in Golden State. 573 00:28:31,560 --> 00:28:36,399 Speaker 1: On that play, Steph Curry is dribbling across half court unguarded. 574 00:28:36,480 --> 00:28:39,360 Speaker 1: That doesn't happen anymore now you're in steps shirt amnity 575 00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:43,040 Speaker 1: crosses half court Now every single time Steph calls for 576 00:28:43,040 --> 00:28:45,520 Speaker 1: a pick and roll, he's getting trapped or there's some 577 00:28:45,720 --> 00:28:48,160 Speaker 1: super heavy show that's forcing him to give up the ball. 578 00:28:48,400 --> 00:28:51,640 Speaker 1: The bottom line is NBA defenses have learned to better 579 00:28:51,640 --> 00:28:54,080 Speaker 1: guards Steph Curry, so they're not going to be that 580 00:28:54,120 --> 00:28:58,160 Speaker 1: same seventy three win dominant type of team. They're a 581 00:28:58,240 --> 00:29:00,920 Speaker 1: step below that. If he has all of the pieces 582 00:29:00,960 --> 00:29:03,280 Speaker 1: in place, he doesn't have the same high i Q 583 00:29:03,360 --> 00:29:06,440 Speaker 1: players who can make plays off of his attention that 584 00:29:06,520 --> 00:29:09,440 Speaker 1: he draws. You're playing with average to below average i 585 00:29:09,520 --> 00:29:13,600 Speaker 1: Q s. Now, there's not enough going on there. There's 586 00:29:13,640 --> 00:29:17,720 Speaker 1: not enough that that Steph Curry can carry this over 587 00:29:17,760 --> 00:29:20,360 Speaker 1: the top into being that middle tier playoff team that 588 00:29:20,360 --> 00:29:23,080 Speaker 1: they need to be. Everything needs to be fixed. And 589 00:29:23,120 --> 00:29:25,440 Speaker 1: so from that same point, I'm at the point where 590 00:29:26,040 --> 00:29:29,680 Speaker 1: I legitimately and expecting this team to miss the playoffs. 591 00:29:29,720 --> 00:29:31,600 Speaker 1: At this point, I think it's gonna get really ugly. 592 00:29:32,080 --> 00:29:33,640 Speaker 1: I think there's gonna be a whole lot that goes 593 00:29:33,680 --> 00:29:37,560 Speaker 1: off the rails. And uh, I feel bad for step 594 00:29:38,280 --> 00:29:40,960 Speaker 1: because it's gonna get ugly for him because a lot 595 00:29:40,960 --> 00:29:43,800 Speaker 1: of his fans were talking reckless for so long that 596 00:29:44,120 --> 00:29:46,040 Speaker 1: a lot of the people that are against stuff, a 597 00:29:46,040 --> 00:29:47,680 Speaker 1: lot of people that aren't in his corner, are going 598 00:29:47,720 --> 00:29:50,120 Speaker 1: to be coming for revenge at this point. And it 599 00:29:50,200 --> 00:29:52,280 Speaker 1: is what it is now if you ask me, those 600 00:29:52,320 --> 00:29:54,800 Speaker 1: are all people that aren't really talking basketball series to 601 00:29:54,840 --> 00:29:57,840 Speaker 1: begin with. I don't think we should stoop to that level. 602 00:29:58,160 --> 00:30:00,640 Speaker 1: I think we should acknowledge what it is. Basketball is 603 00:30:00,640 --> 00:30:03,920 Speaker 1: a team sport. Steph Curry plays on a bad basketball team. 604 00:30:04,040 --> 00:30:06,360 Speaker 1: If anything, it just kind of proves what I've always 605 00:30:06,400 --> 00:30:09,040 Speaker 1: been saying, which is Steph's not the best player in 606 00:30:09,040 --> 00:30:12,480 Speaker 1: the league. He's somewhere in the top five. You know, 607 00:30:12,520 --> 00:30:15,120 Speaker 1: at his very best, he can get close. But he 608 00:30:15,160 --> 00:30:19,560 Speaker 1: never was that guy to me. And this shows because 609 00:30:19,720 --> 00:30:21,920 Speaker 1: you know, make no mistake, if you're gonna, if you're 610 00:30:21,920 --> 00:30:24,520 Speaker 1: gonna be able to call yourself that guy the very 611 00:30:24,560 --> 00:30:27,600 Speaker 1: best basketball player in the world, I would imagine that 612 00:30:27,720 --> 00:30:29,320 Speaker 1: we should be able to hold you to a standard 613 00:30:29,360 --> 00:30:32,920 Speaker 1: that Kelly bray stef uh and and Andrew Wiggins and 614 00:30:32,920 --> 00:30:36,200 Speaker 1: and just you know, league average veterans in the league 615 00:30:36,280 --> 00:30:38,200 Speaker 1: should be enough for you to be at least competitive. 616 00:30:38,720 --> 00:30:40,760 Speaker 1: I mean, they look like a like they look like 617 00:30:40,760 --> 00:30:43,200 Speaker 1: a G League affiliate. They don't look like a real 618 00:30:43,320 --> 00:30:46,080 Speaker 1: NBA basketball team. And I don't I don't know if 619 00:30:46,120 --> 00:30:49,960 Speaker 1: there's an option out there to fix him at this point. Last, 620 00:30:50,000 --> 00:30:51,760 Speaker 1: but not least before we get to the mail bad 621 00:30:51,840 --> 00:30:55,320 Speaker 1: questions is the Brooklyn Nets. And I'm just gonna stay 622 00:30:55,320 --> 00:30:56,800 Speaker 1: on this for a couple of seconds because there's not 623 00:30:56,840 --> 00:30:58,920 Speaker 1: too much to take from it. They look really good 624 00:30:58,920 --> 00:31:00,880 Speaker 1: so far as I meant and earlier when we were 625 00:31:00,880 --> 00:31:04,080 Speaker 1: talking about the James Harden trade, their offense is already 626 00:31:04,080 --> 00:31:05,880 Speaker 1: peeking in a way that it doesn't really it can't 627 00:31:05,880 --> 00:31:09,640 Speaker 1: really improve anymore above what of what what it already is. 628 00:31:09,920 --> 00:31:11,840 Speaker 1: Even the Spencer didn't what he lost, which is a 629 00:31:11,920 --> 00:31:15,680 Speaker 1: legitimate loss, they had such a redundancy of of ball handling. 630 00:31:15,920 --> 00:31:18,680 Speaker 1: I don't necessarily think they're gonna have too much trouble 631 00:31:20,240 --> 00:31:24,080 Speaker 1: maintaining where they were offensively. And the big story is 632 00:31:24,120 --> 00:31:27,600 Speaker 1: that early on in the season they're defending. There are 633 00:31:27,600 --> 00:31:30,720 Speaker 1: top five defense at this point and uh number one 634 00:31:30,760 --> 00:31:34,120 Speaker 1: actually if I'm not mistaken on double check um. But 635 00:31:34,920 --> 00:31:37,840 Speaker 1: the key is can they maintain that, because, like I 636 00:31:37,880 --> 00:31:40,840 Speaker 1: said before, they have to prove that they can defend 637 00:31:40,880 --> 00:31:42,760 Speaker 1: at that level to be able to compete with that 638 00:31:42,880 --> 00:31:47,000 Speaker 1: Laker team. And to me, the key is Kade. So 639 00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:49,680 Speaker 1: I've talked at length about how Kevin Durant has the 640 00:31:49,760 --> 00:31:53,840 Speaker 1: same physical gifts that Anthony Davis has, and that he 641 00:31:53,960 --> 00:31:58,000 Speaker 1: is capable physically of impacting the defensive end of the 642 00:31:58,040 --> 00:32:01,240 Speaker 1: ball just as much as Anthony Davis does. It's always 643 00:32:01,240 --> 00:32:04,480 Speaker 1: been a matter of choice for him. Now three games 644 00:32:04,520 --> 00:32:06,960 Speaker 1: into this season or two games technically because he sat 645 00:32:06,960 --> 00:32:11,680 Speaker 1: out one, he has shown the three games. Yeah, because 646 00:32:11,720 --> 00:32:13,600 Speaker 1: they lost last night, but that was their fourth game. 647 00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:16,960 Speaker 1: They were two and one before that point. Being through 648 00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:20,200 Speaker 1: those first three games that Kevin Durant played, he was 649 00:32:20,280 --> 00:32:22,480 Speaker 1: a wrecking ball on the defensive end of the floor. 650 00:32:22,760 --> 00:32:25,560 Speaker 1: He looked like a first team All Defense type of defender. 651 00:32:26,000 --> 00:32:29,160 Speaker 1: Problem is, that's not the first time in Kevin Durant's 652 00:32:29,200 --> 00:32:32,040 Speaker 1: career that he's had a three game stretch where he 653 00:32:32,080 --> 00:32:34,680 Speaker 1: looks like Anthony Davis or where he looks like a 654 00:32:34,720 --> 00:32:37,160 Speaker 1: wrecking ball on the defensive end of the floor. This 655 00:32:37,240 --> 00:32:39,760 Speaker 1: is the first time this season. The key is that 656 00:32:39,840 --> 00:32:44,200 Speaker 1: he has to maintain that. If Kevin Durant maintains that, 657 00:32:44,440 --> 00:32:46,160 Speaker 1: and he should be able to given the amount of 658 00:32:46,160 --> 00:32:48,680 Speaker 1: offensive talent they have, he can divert some of his 659 00:32:48,800 --> 00:32:52,640 Speaker 1: energy to that side. If Kevin Durant maintains that, my 660 00:32:52,880 --> 00:32:57,120 Speaker 1: entire prospect for what this team is changes because Kevin Durant, 661 00:32:57,840 --> 00:33:00,600 Speaker 1: who is an elite top five defense of player in 662 00:33:00,600 --> 00:33:03,400 Speaker 1: the league, is maybe the best player in the league. 663 00:33:04,160 --> 00:33:07,160 Speaker 1: So that that's what's at stake here. In terms of 664 00:33:07,360 --> 00:33:09,880 Speaker 1: Katie finally committing to that side of the ball the 665 00:33:09,920 --> 00:33:12,920 Speaker 1: way he has for these first three games and continuing 666 00:33:12,920 --> 00:33:16,520 Speaker 1: it forward. If he does that, he becomes the best 667 00:33:16,640 --> 00:33:18,800 Speaker 1: or second best player in the league, and all of 668 00:33:18,880 --> 00:33:22,520 Speaker 1: a sudden, that team becomes an extremely different you know 669 00:33:22,640 --> 00:33:25,760 Speaker 1: animal will come playoff time. So that's something to keep 670 00:33:25,760 --> 00:33:28,200 Speaker 1: an eye on. All right, let's get to the mail bag. 671 00:33:28,240 --> 00:33:32,360 Speaker 1: Hang on one second, for those of you are still here. Uh, 672 00:33:32,480 --> 00:33:34,800 Speaker 1: there's still time to drop another question or two if 673 00:33:34,800 --> 00:33:41,160 Speaker 1: you want to in the comments. All right, let's see 674 00:33:46,320 --> 00:33:50,360 Speaker 1: first question. Should we be This is from Chenny Britt. 675 00:33:51,360 --> 00:33:54,160 Speaker 1: Should we be looking to get th h T more minutes? 676 00:33:56,960 --> 00:33:59,520 Speaker 1: He blew a few assignments, mostly on Trent Jr. That 677 00:33:59,600 --> 00:34:04,200 Speaker 1: really hurt, But his offensive talent is undeniable. He's got 678 00:34:04,200 --> 00:34:06,480 Speaker 1: the tools to be a great defender, and he needs 679 00:34:06,520 --> 00:34:09,399 Speaker 1: reps to get better. I still think he should take 680 00:34:09,440 --> 00:34:14,160 Speaker 1: Wes's minutes. So what happened last night for th HD 681 00:34:14,400 --> 00:34:18,879 Speaker 1: was your stereotypical welcome to the NBA moment, and it's 682 00:34:18,880 --> 00:34:22,440 Speaker 1: a great example of why defense is not about physical 683 00:34:22,520 --> 00:34:25,640 Speaker 1: tools as much as it's about effort and focus. There's 684 00:34:25,640 --> 00:34:29,120 Speaker 1: a reason why players like Steph Curry, who basically have 685 00:34:29,239 --> 00:34:31,880 Speaker 1: no physical tools relative to the rest of the league. 686 00:34:32,160 --> 00:34:34,600 Speaker 1: Can be a league average defender. But a guy like 687 00:34:34,640 --> 00:34:36,799 Speaker 1: Kyrie Irving is much quicker and faster and has all 688 00:34:36,840 --> 00:34:40,160 Speaker 1: these other physical tools that Step doesn't has. Step doesn't 689 00:34:40,160 --> 00:34:43,440 Speaker 1: have that he can't be a top tier defensive player. 690 00:34:43,600 --> 00:34:46,680 Speaker 1: It's all about that effort and focus. Real quick story 691 00:34:46,719 --> 00:34:48,560 Speaker 1: to give you an example, this run that I've been 692 00:34:48,560 --> 00:34:51,279 Speaker 1: playing in on Monday, Wednesday, Friday. There's a guy here 693 00:34:51,280 --> 00:34:55,360 Speaker 1: in town that I that is overweight, kind of short. 694 00:34:55,719 --> 00:34:57,319 Speaker 1: He's a good shooter, but doesn't bring a lot else 695 00:34:57,320 --> 00:34:59,800 Speaker 1: to the table offensively. But he plays in a in 696 00:34:59,840 --> 00:35:02,000 Speaker 1: the local seene. He's been playing forever. I pick him 697 00:35:02,080 --> 00:35:04,480 Speaker 1: up every time I get a chance. Why because I 698 00:35:04,520 --> 00:35:08,640 Speaker 1: always can count on him to not miss an assignment defensively. 699 00:35:09,000 --> 00:35:11,839 Speaker 1: If there's a rotation that's within his athletic ability, he'll 700 00:35:11,880 --> 00:35:14,920 Speaker 1: be there. If there's he's never gonna leave his shooter open. 701 00:35:15,239 --> 00:35:17,480 Speaker 1: If there's an opportunity for him to give help, he's 702 00:35:17,480 --> 00:35:20,000 Speaker 1: going to give help. He is the classic case of 703 00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:23,440 Speaker 1: a guy who's the least physically gifted player on the floor. 704 00:35:23,640 --> 00:35:25,840 Speaker 1: But when I have him on my team in conjunction 705 00:35:25,880 --> 00:35:28,680 Speaker 1: with other players who are like that. I feel confident 706 00:35:28,880 --> 00:35:31,080 Speaker 1: that we can lock down the other team. We're not 707 00:35:31,120 --> 00:35:33,799 Speaker 1: going to give up easy shots. Now. Can I leave 708 00:35:33,880 --> 00:35:36,200 Speaker 1: him on an island. No, If he's getting isolated by 709 00:35:36,200 --> 00:35:39,040 Speaker 1: a good player, we gotta send help. But for the 710 00:35:39,120 --> 00:35:41,359 Speaker 1: for the for the majority of the game, when he's 711 00:35:41,360 --> 00:35:44,120 Speaker 1: in a support role defensively, I can count on him 712 00:35:44,160 --> 00:35:47,279 Speaker 1: to be in the same spot. That is literally what's 713 00:35:47,280 --> 00:35:49,439 Speaker 1: missing from th hd s game right now, and he'll 714 00:35:49,440 --> 00:35:52,279 Speaker 1: pick it up with time. Right now. In terms of 715 00:35:52,280 --> 00:35:56,960 Speaker 1: his physical gifts, he has all defense potential, super long arms, 716 00:35:57,120 --> 00:36:00,719 Speaker 1: he's very strong, He's really good on the ball all defensively. 717 00:36:01,120 --> 00:36:04,920 Speaker 1: Where his struggle is is focus and attention to detail 718 00:36:05,040 --> 00:36:07,919 Speaker 1: off the ball. For instance, Gary Trend Jr. The last 719 00:36:07,920 --> 00:36:09,640 Speaker 1: one before they made the time out, the last year 720 00:36:09,680 --> 00:36:13,000 Speaker 1: he made going into the time out, where he's one 721 00:36:13,040 --> 00:36:16,719 Speaker 1: pass away. Damian Lillard has the ball to top key, 722 00:36:16,719 --> 00:36:19,800 Speaker 1: he's one pass away. Gary tren Jr. Is on fire, 723 00:36:19,920 --> 00:36:22,560 Speaker 1: literally has not missed in a couple of minutes, and 724 00:36:22,600 --> 00:36:25,960 Speaker 1: he's standing on the wing, wide open, simple swing pass. 725 00:36:26,200 --> 00:36:29,880 Speaker 1: Th HD is not paying attention quick easy swing. Uh 726 00:36:29,960 --> 00:36:32,480 Speaker 1: doesn't even touch the rim Lakers. Epps called time out. 727 00:36:32,880 --> 00:36:36,120 Speaker 1: That's an example of a play where th HT is 728 00:36:36,280 --> 00:36:38,920 Speaker 1: he's kind of just floating around mentally and he's not 729 00:36:38,920 --> 00:36:42,600 Speaker 1: paying attention to what his specific responsibility is. That comes 730 00:36:42,600 --> 00:36:45,480 Speaker 1: in time and to the point about the rotation that 731 00:36:45,640 --> 00:36:48,319 Speaker 1: you have to find that delicate balance because the truth 732 00:36:48,360 --> 00:36:50,720 Speaker 1: of the matter is you have to keep West involved too, 733 00:36:51,360 --> 00:36:56,400 Speaker 1: because if th HT doesn't develop into a dependable, focused 734 00:36:56,520 --> 00:36:59,719 Speaker 1: defender that doesn't make those kinds of mistakes, you have 735 00:36:59,840 --> 00:37:02,799 Speaker 1: to lean on West Matthews in the playoffs. If th 736 00:37:03,000 --> 00:37:05,600 Speaker 1: H doesn't become that guy at that time in time 737 00:37:05,640 --> 00:37:08,200 Speaker 1: for that, so you need to keep West engaged. You 738 00:37:08,200 --> 00:37:10,320 Speaker 1: need to keep West as part of the of the 739 00:37:10,760 --> 00:37:14,160 Speaker 1: flow of the rotation for that for that very reason. 740 00:37:14,440 --> 00:37:16,600 Speaker 1: But the flip side of that is the only way 741 00:37:16,600 --> 00:37:19,080 Speaker 1: to get th HT to that point is reps. You 742 00:37:19,120 --> 00:37:20,640 Speaker 1: need to get him out there. You need to allow 743 00:37:20,719 --> 00:37:22,799 Speaker 1: him to make mistakes. You need to allow him to 744 00:37:22,800 --> 00:37:24,360 Speaker 1: take a bad shot every once in a while. You 745 00:37:24,400 --> 00:37:27,120 Speaker 1: need to allow him to be super aggressive and kind 746 00:37:27,160 --> 00:37:29,200 Speaker 1: of see where the game goes offensively and for him 747 00:37:29,239 --> 00:37:31,239 Speaker 1: to learn his role in the defense and to learn 748 00:37:31,280 --> 00:37:35,360 Speaker 1: that defensive focus and effort. But there there's that balance. 749 00:37:35,360 --> 00:37:38,000 Speaker 1: You just gotta figure it out. So it's really it's 750 00:37:38,080 --> 00:37:40,440 Speaker 1: really hard decision, you know. Like the bottom line is, 751 00:37:40,640 --> 00:37:43,640 Speaker 1: Frank has the toughest job as a as a head 752 00:37:43,640 --> 00:37:45,840 Speaker 1: basketball coach right now. He has too many good players 753 00:37:46,440 --> 00:37:48,520 Speaker 1: and so he has to figure out how to balance 754 00:37:48,520 --> 00:37:51,719 Speaker 1: their rotation and to get all of these guys to 755 00:37:51,800 --> 00:37:54,080 Speaker 1: feel comfortable and in a rhythm while at the same 756 00:37:54,080 --> 00:37:56,680 Speaker 1: time understanding that there's only so many minutes that are available. 757 00:37:56,840 --> 00:37:59,200 Speaker 1: So it's a really hard decision. Um right now, I 758 00:37:59,280 --> 00:38:01,399 Speaker 1: kind of think where they're at is good. Uh. And 759 00:38:01,480 --> 00:38:05,680 Speaker 1: it's the one thing that they that they could potentially 760 00:38:05,760 --> 00:38:08,920 Speaker 1: end up trying is instead of splitting minutes evenly between games, 761 00:38:09,280 --> 00:38:11,399 Speaker 1: you know, as more of a load managing thing, give 762 00:38:11,400 --> 00:38:15,240 Speaker 1: guys nights off and then play the rotation heavier minutes 763 00:38:16,040 --> 00:38:18,680 Speaker 1: uh in those nights. So for instance, Alex Cruso sits 764 00:38:18,680 --> 00:38:22,560 Speaker 1: out a lot more th HT you know, West Matthew 765 00:38:22,600 --> 00:38:25,120 Speaker 1: sits out a lot more th HT because he's younger. 766 00:38:25,360 --> 00:38:27,800 Speaker 1: Give those guys like kind of a rotating rest schedule 767 00:38:27,840 --> 00:38:29,880 Speaker 1: and see if that helps. But at the bottom line 768 00:38:29,920 --> 00:38:32,480 Speaker 1: is there's no good answer. You take West out, that's 769 00:38:32,520 --> 00:38:35,040 Speaker 1: that's a really really good defensive player that you're losing 770 00:38:35,040 --> 00:38:37,759 Speaker 1: and experienced defensive player who's really good on wings. There's 771 00:38:37,840 --> 00:38:40,600 Speaker 1: lots of playoff experience. You know, if you if you 772 00:38:40,640 --> 00:38:43,520 Speaker 1: take th HT out of the rotation because you want 773 00:38:43,560 --> 00:38:45,719 Speaker 1: to lean on veterans, you're losing out on th h 774 00:38:45,840 --> 00:38:49,080 Speaker 1: t s potential ceiling. You know, there's there's so there. 775 00:38:49,120 --> 00:38:51,560 Speaker 1: It's just it's really it's they're really tough decisions to make. 776 00:38:51,960 --> 00:38:54,479 Speaker 1: You know, there's a version of this playoff rotation where 777 00:38:54,520 --> 00:38:58,440 Speaker 1: Markief Morris completely falls out as they lean heavily and Marcusol, 778 00:38:58,719 --> 00:39:02,440 Speaker 1: Anthony Davis and and uh In Montrese Harrald that that 779 00:39:02,520 --> 00:39:04,919 Speaker 1: would mean that the guy who who played a lot 780 00:39:04,920 --> 00:39:08,000 Speaker 1: of center for the Lakers in the NBA Finals would 781 00:39:08,200 --> 00:39:11,200 Speaker 1: literally not be playing. So it's just these are really 782 00:39:11,200 --> 00:39:14,319 Speaker 1: hard decisions. I think. I think there is no such 783 00:39:14,360 --> 00:39:17,040 Speaker 1: thing as a perfect answer, and the reality is is 784 00:39:17,320 --> 00:39:19,280 Speaker 1: I think I think Frank's just gonna kind of feel 785 00:39:19,280 --> 00:39:20,960 Speaker 1: things out as they go, and Knights where th HD 786 00:39:21,080 --> 00:39:22,440 Speaker 1: has it going, I think he'll go heavy on th 787 00:39:22,600 --> 00:39:24,279 Speaker 1: h D and on nights where he does it, I 788 00:39:24,280 --> 00:39:25,920 Speaker 1: think he'll get a quick hook. I think that's just 789 00:39:25,920 --> 00:39:28,120 Speaker 1: the way it's gonna work. I did really like th 790 00:39:28,280 --> 00:39:33,360 Speaker 1: hd s finishing ability around the basket yesterday though. Alright, 791 00:39:33,400 --> 00:39:37,280 Speaker 1: let's see here discuss what you think the Lakers record 792 00:39:37,360 --> 00:39:44,080 Speaker 1: and seed will be. Uh. This is from Barry, So 793 00:39:44,920 --> 00:39:48,960 Speaker 1: to put it simply, the entire Western Conference is talented, 794 00:39:49,280 --> 00:39:52,839 Speaker 1: but the entire Western Conference is flawed. So the reason 795 00:39:52,880 --> 00:39:55,080 Speaker 1: why I think the Lakers will still inevitably be the 796 00:39:55,080 --> 00:39:58,160 Speaker 1: one seed stems simply from the fact that their losses 797 00:39:58,200 --> 00:40:02,360 Speaker 1: are gonna are gonna come from effort um effort related 798 00:40:02,400 --> 00:40:05,520 Speaker 1: problems and not actual xs and those related or talent 799 00:40:05,560 --> 00:40:09,640 Speaker 1: related problems. So the real question is if the Lakers 800 00:40:09,640 --> 00:40:11,719 Speaker 1: are definitively better than everybody in the league, which I 801 00:40:11,719 --> 00:40:14,319 Speaker 1: believe they are. Every single night where they go out 802 00:40:14,360 --> 00:40:17,839 Speaker 1: and give a eighty percent plus effort, they're gonna win. 803 00:40:18,560 --> 00:40:20,400 Speaker 1: The same cannot be said about the other teams in 804 00:40:20,400 --> 00:40:23,720 Speaker 1: the league, all of the other Western Conference playoff teams, 805 00:40:23,880 --> 00:40:26,560 Speaker 1: all the other Eastern Conference playoff teams. If they slack 806 00:40:26,600 --> 00:40:28,600 Speaker 1: at all, they're going to lose. And there are going 807 00:40:28,680 --> 00:40:30,360 Speaker 1: to be nights when they play as hard as they 808 00:40:30,400 --> 00:40:34,200 Speaker 1: possibly can and they still lose. The problem here being 809 00:40:34,640 --> 00:40:37,879 Speaker 1: that there's just so much talent in the league. That 810 00:40:38,000 --> 00:40:39,640 Speaker 1: every one of these teams is gonna get beat up. 811 00:40:39,640 --> 00:40:41,200 Speaker 1: There aren't going to be a lot of really really 812 00:40:41,239 --> 00:40:42,960 Speaker 1: good records. You're not going to see a team that 813 00:40:43,040 --> 00:40:45,799 Speaker 1: runs off forty and ten. That's just that's just not 814 00:40:45,840 --> 00:40:48,239 Speaker 1: gonna happen this year. By virtue of the amount of 815 00:40:48,280 --> 00:40:52,000 Speaker 1: talent that there is, I believe that the Lakers will 816 00:40:52,000 --> 00:40:55,160 Speaker 1: hover around, you know, in this early part of the season, 817 00:40:55,680 --> 00:40:59,080 Speaker 1: hover around that you know, sixty percent win percentage. You know, 818 00:40:59,120 --> 00:41:01,560 Speaker 1: they're gonna be probably six and four after ten games 819 00:41:01,600 --> 00:41:04,919 Speaker 1: or whatever. But eventually, just by virtue of getting sick 820 00:41:04,920 --> 00:41:07,200 Speaker 1: and tired of losing in the sheer amount of talent 821 00:41:07,280 --> 00:41:09,360 Speaker 1: that they have on this roster, they're gonna kick it 822 00:41:09,360 --> 00:41:12,240 Speaker 1: into high gear and they're gonna start getting consistent wins. 823 00:41:12,520 --> 00:41:14,640 Speaker 1: And you'll see the odd ball here and there, whether 824 00:41:14,640 --> 00:41:17,440 Speaker 1: it's schedule related or whether it's effort related to focus related. 825 00:41:17,480 --> 00:41:19,960 Speaker 1: You're gonna see some oddball losses in there. But for 826 00:41:20,000 --> 00:41:22,520 Speaker 1: the most part, this Laker team is going to be, 827 00:41:22,880 --> 00:41:25,880 Speaker 1: you know, just by sheer power of their talent and 828 00:41:25,920 --> 00:41:28,520 Speaker 1: by sheer power of the competitive, competitive nature of their stars, 829 00:41:28,520 --> 00:41:30,400 Speaker 1: They're just gonna win a lot of games. I expect 830 00:41:30,440 --> 00:41:33,279 Speaker 1: them to be the number one seed, not not overall, 831 00:41:33,480 --> 00:41:35,840 Speaker 1: because there's enough bad teams in the East that I 832 00:41:35,880 --> 00:41:38,960 Speaker 1: actually predict Brooklyn. Uh, it could end up with the 833 00:41:39,000 --> 00:41:41,000 Speaker 1: best record in the league when it's all said and done, 834 00:41:41,560 --> 00:41:45,799 Speaker 1: but it's just gonna be a product of the conference. Alrighty, 835 00:41:45,840 --> 00:41:49,000 Speaker 1: we're at forty two minutes here. Anybody else got any 836 00:41:49,000 --> 00:41:57,240 Speaker 1: other questions? Could be a big post All Star break run? Yeah? Agree? 837 00:41:57,239 --> 00:42:00,479 Speaker 1: I mean, like I said right now, there's a lack 838 00:42:00,560 --> 00:42:04,320 Speaker 1: of effort, and there's a lack of conditioning. There's a 839 00:42:04,400 --> 00:42:08,239 Speaker 1: lack of just general focus. But you can only It's 840 00:42:08,280 --> 00:42:12,000 Speaker 1: like it's like when I go play pick up Like 841 00:42:12,080 --> 00:42:16,160 Speaker 1: I played in college, and I played in front of 842 00:42:16,160 --> 00:42:18,920 Speaker 1: big crowds, and I was a good college player. So 843 00:42:18,960 --> 00:42:21,080 Speaker 1: when I go to the local pickup run, I don't 844 00:42:21,080 --> 00:42:23,759 Speaker 1: get the same adrenaline kick that I that I normally don't. 845 00:42:23,800 --> 00:42:26,160 Speaker 1: I don't have as much to play for. And Tucson 846 00:42:26,280 --> 00:42:28,440 Speaker 1: is in a great place for basketball talent. When I 847 00:42:28,440 --> 00:42:30,080 Speaker 1: lived in Charlotte, it was a different story. If you 848 00:42:30,080 --> 00:42:31,799 Speaker 1: didn't bring it every day in Charlotte, you got your 849 00:42:31,800 --> 00:42:34,759 Speaker 1: butt kicked. But in Tucson, it's just a different level 850 00:42:34,800 --> 00:42:36,600 Speaker 1: of talent here. There are still good players here, there 851 00:42:36,600 --> 00:42:39,440 Speaker 1: just aren't as many. And so in your typical pickup 852 00:42:39,440 --> 00:42:41,360 Speaker 1: game that I find myself in, I'm not you know, 853 00:42:41,400 --> 00:42:43,839 Speaker 1: I'm not as as playing as desperate as I usually do. 854 00:42:43,920 --> 00:42:47,719 Speaker 1: But all it takes is you start losing and and 855 00:42:47,960 --> 00:42:50,960 Speaker 1: something just clicks inside of you because you know you're 856 00:42:51,000 --> 00:42:53,719 Speaker 1: better than everybody, and you start attacking the game in 857 00:42:53,719 --> 00:42:55,759 Speaker 1: a different way than you used to. And I think 858 00:42:55,800 --> 00:42:59,359 Speaker 1: that's what's inevitably, inevitably gonna happen to these Lakers. It's 859 00:42:59,360 --> 00:43:01,480 Speaker 1: one thing to be in one, it's one thing to 860 00:43:01,480 --> 00:43:03,520 Speaker 1: be two and two, But all of a sudden, if 861 00:43:03,560 --> 00:43:06,759 Speaker 1: you're three and four and you've lost four of your 862 00:43:06,800 --> 00:43:12,440 Speaker 1: last seven games, like something clicks mentally in a talented competitor. 863 00:43:12,440 --> 00:43:15,480 Speaker 1: The way that this Laker roster is that will bring 864 00:43:15,520 --> 00:43:18,480 Speaker 1: it out of them, because nobody who is good at 865 00:43:18,520 --> 00:43:21,600 Speaker 1: what they do likes getting their butt kicked. And I 866 00:43:22,080 --> 00:43:24,080 Speaker 1: think I think the Lakers will end up going on 867 00:43:24,280 --> 00:43:29,520 Speaker 1: several super dominant you know, several week long runs where 868 00:43:29,560 --> 00:43:31,920 Speaker 1: they just start beating the hell out of everybody, just 869 00:43:32,040 --> 00:43:34,480 Speaker 1: by virtue of the fact that they're made up of 870 00:43:34,520 --> 00:43:37,280 Speaker 1: the right type of competitors, and they have enough talent. 871 00:43:37,760 --> 00:43:39,520 Speaker 1: They're they're they're gonna have something that they can fall 872 00:43:39,560 --> 00:43:45,239 Speaker 1: back on and start beating people with. Alrighty um, I 873 00:43:45,280 --> 00:43:47,120 Speaker 1: don't have any other questions at this point, so I 874 00:43:47,160 --> 00:43:50,880 Speaker 1: think we'll call it a day. UM. I have both 875 00:43:51,040 --> 00:43:54,360 Speaker 1: Jason Maples and raj who you guys remember his unwritten 876 00:43:54,440 --> 00:43:57,000 Speaker 1: rules on Twitter, have agreed to come on uh in 877 00:43:57,000 --> 00:44:00,719 Speaker 1: the next week or so, and uh, I'll bring them 878 00:44:00,719 --> 00:44:03,799 Speaker 1: on to talk mostly Lakers. I'll have Maples come on 879 00:44:03,840 --> 00:44:06,120 Speaker 1: to talk some Clippers as well, and he's a big 880 00:44:06,120 --> 00:44:08,960 Speaker 1: Pelicans fan, so we'll have him on for that as well. UM, 881 00:44:09,000 --> 00:44:11,359 Speaker 1: as is usually the case. I hope you guys will 882 00:44:11,440 --> 00:44:15,960 Speaker 1: understand how much I appreciate and uh, you know this, 883 00:44:15,960 --> 00:44:18,359 Speaker 1: this has been so much fun for me. And we're 884 00:44:18,360 --> 00:44:21,239 Speaker 1: already fourteen episodes in, which is actually crazy, and that 885 00:44:21,280 --> 00:44:24,640 Speaker 1: doesn't even factor in all of those periscope streams that 886 00:44:24,680 --> 00:44:27,800 Speaker 1: I did before I launched the podcast. So uh, we're 887 00:44:28,400 --> 00:44:32,920 Speaker 1: I think we're up over right around like podcast downloads 888 00:44:33,360 --> 00:44:35,920 Speaker 1: and then the periscope feeds on average get over a 889 00:44:35,960 --> 00:44:38,680 Speaker 1: thousand views and I just can't believe it. I can't 890 00:44:38,719 --> 00:44:41,200 Speaker 1: believe you guys are supporting and listening to me. It 891 00:44:41,239 --> 00:44:43,680 Speaker 1: means the world to me, and you know, I'm really 892 00:44:43,680 --> 00:44:46,520 Speaker 1: excited to see what happens. Maybe it just stays something 893 00:44:46,560 --> 00:44:48,239 Speaker 1: like this that we do for fun, or maybe it 894 00:44:48,239 --> 00:44:50,880 Speaker 1: becomes something bigger. I don't know, but for those of 895 00:44:50,920 --> 00:44:52,799 Speaker 1: you who have supported me throughout the process, I really 896 00:44:52,840 --> 00:44:56,000 Speaker 1: really appreciate it. Alright, guys, enjoy the rest of your night. 897 00:44:56,040 --> 00:44:58,960 Speaker 1: I would imagine that after the Spurs game on Friday, 898 00:44:58,960 --> 00:45:03,960 Speaker 1: I'll probably do something uh and get something going before 899 00:45:03,960 --> 00:45:07,279 Speaker 1: the weekend, but in because we'll have the New Year 900 00:45:07,280 --> 00:45:08,840 Speaker 1: before then. I will y'all happy New Year, and I 901 00:45:08,840 --> 00:45:09,759 Speaker 1: will talk to you guys soon