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In Tennessee redline dial 26 00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:42,080 Speaker 1: one eight hundred eight eight nine nine seven eight nine 27 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:46,000 Speaker 1: in Tennessee, visit www one eight dot one eight hundred 28 00:01:46,040 --> 00:02:10,760 Speaker 1: gambler dot net in West Virginia. All right, welcome to 29 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:13,440 Speaker 1: Hoops Tonight, presented by FanDuel Here at the volume, I'm 30 00:02:13,520 --> 00:02:16,600 Speaker 1: Jason Timp Happy Tuesday, everybody. I hope you are all 31 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:21,160 Speaker 1: having a great startier week. Another action packed night in 32 00:02:21,160 --> 00:02:25,320 Speaker 1: the NBA postseason. We got effectively a game winner from 33 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:27,519 Speaker 1: John Murant. We're gonna start with that tonight. We're gonna 34 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:31,640 Speaker 1: break down Sons Pelicans. We're gonna get into the games 35 00:02:31,639 --> 00:02:33,720 Speaker 1: that I missed from last night, so we're gonna get 36 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:38,040 Speaker 1: into the Sixers and the Raptors. We have another series 37 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:40,000 Speaker 1: that ended tonight with the heat and the Hawks will 38 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:42,920 Speaker 1: touch on that briefly, and then for those of you 39 00:02:42,919 --> 00:02:44,680 Speaker 1: guys who are listening at the end of the show, 40 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:48,160 Speaker 1: we're gonna do another ask Jason anything, So in the 41 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:51,120 Speaker 1: chat drop any questions that you have and we will 42 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:53,400 Speaker 1: get to them tonight at the end of the show. 43 00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:55,680 Speaker 1: But let's start with the grizz in the Wolves, very 44 00:02:55,760 --> 00:02:58,960 Speaker 1: very interesting basketball game. Game fives in a series tied 45 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:03,000 Speaker 1: at two have always been on my favorite playoffs settings. 46 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:08,120 Speaker 1: That's the the game that it. Both teams are immensely 47 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:12,639 Speaker 1: familiar with each other, both teams know exactly what each 48 00:03:12,680 --> 00:03:15,480 Speaker 1: other want to do, and it truly comes down to 49 00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:20,040 Speaker 1: can you do what you do better than they do 50 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:22,920 Speaker 1: what they do? If you guys remember, I think it 51 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 1: was last week we were talking about the Raptors falling 52 00:03:26,639 --> 00:03:30,320 Speaker 1: down behind the Sixers, and I think it was back 53 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:32,840 Speaker 1: when they were down to oh and I talked to 54 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:35,760 Speaker 1: you guys about how, you know, everyone talks about how 55 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:37,760 Speaker 1: the Playoffs are about matchups, and there's a lot of 56 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:41,160 Speaker 1: truth to that, but it goes deeper than that, you know, 57 00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:45,320 Speaker 1: Like it's the concept of styles making fights, but it's 58 00:03:45,360 --> 00:03:48,400 Speaker 1: not just the styles that make the fights, it's which 59 00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:53,560 Speaker 1: style wins. Because each team has a style. We just 60 00:03:53,600 --> 00:03:56,760 Speaker 1: talked about this with Jonas Valancunas in Game four of 61 00:03:56,800 --> 00:04:00,680 Speaker 1: this series. He's been really bad through the first three games, 62 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:03,000 Speaker 1: played really well in Game four and it turned what 63 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:06,080 Speaker 1: had been a bad matchup for the Pelicans into a 64 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:10,360 Speaker 1: good matchup because of what he did to control his style. 65 00:04:11,080 --> 00:04:14,720 Speaker 1: The foot speed was an issue with him, but he 66 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:17,560 Speaker 1: brings size to the table, so if he's dominant with 67 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:22,039 Speaker 1: his size, it undercuts anything like that. It's no different 68 00:04:22,080 --> 00:04:25,360 Speaker 1: than like Connor McGregor when he was in his prime, 69 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:29,799 Speaker 1: knocking everybody out if he could make the fight quick. 70 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:34,680 Speaker 1: He had such a great knockout punch that it swung 71 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:37,480 Speaker 1: a lot of fights that otherwise might not have gone 72 00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:41,560 Speaker 1: his way. Then Nate Diaz came in and made him 73 00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:46,479 Speaker 1: go from round to round and tested his stamina, and 74 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:50,320 Speaker 1: it changed the style on Connor and exposed a weakness 75 00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:52,960 Speaker 1: for him, and interestingly enough, in order for him to 76 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:56,160 Speaker 1: even the score and their rematch, he had to embrace 77 00:04:56,480 --> 00:05:00,200 Speaker 1: some of those long form strategies like kicking the ship 78 00:05:00,279 --> 00:05:02,520 Speaker 1: out of his leg a million times and earning points 79 00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:04,760 Speaker 1: and things like that. That way to win a fight 80 00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:08,200 Speaker 1: by decision, right, And it's not just about what your 81 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:12,880 Speaker 1: strength is. It's about can you inflict your strength on 82 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:17,320 Speaker 1: somebody well enough that their strength doesn't win in that 83 00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:21,039 Speaker 1: specific matchup. Usually I like to have a theme for 84 00:05:21,080 --> 00:05:22,640 Speaker 1: the show, and we had a couple of different themes 85 00:05:22,720 --> 00:05:25,120 Speaker 1: last week, and that's gonna be the theme for this show. 86 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:28,080 Speaker 1: It's gonna be brought up several different times. The idea 87 00:05:28,200 --> 00:05:32,359 Speaker 1: of a team actually controlling the style of the fight. 88 00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:36,200 Speaker 1: And what's so interesting about the grizz In Wolves series 89 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:42,560 Speaker 1: is when each when either team has control, they look dominant. 90 00:05:43,480 --> 00:05:48,320 Speaker 1: The Grizzlies all season long have been this freakishly athletic, 91 00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:52,040 Speaker 1: high flying team that gets out in transition and gets 92 00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:54,919 Speaker 1: all of this stuff in the open floor. And I 93 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:58,440 Speaker 1: told you guys all season I was worried about them 94 00:05:58,480 --> 00:06:02,400 Speaker 1: in the postseason when the game slows down in dealing 95 00:06:02,400 --> 00:06:05,440 Speaker 1: with half court scenarios because they don't have a ton 96 00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:09,400 Speaker 1: of half court creators. They have John Moran, and that's 97 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:13,159 Speaker 1: pretty much it. Desmond bains like basically an off ball player, 98 00:06:13,200 --> 00:06:15,159 Speaker 1: more of like a Clay Thompson archetype than he is 99 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:18,400 Speaker 1: like a C. J. McCollum arketype, better at creating off 100 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:21,040 Speaker 1: of an advantage than he is at creating by himself. 101 00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:23,160 Speaker 1: And then the same goes for Jaren Jackson Jr. For 102 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:25,080 Speaker 1: give him the right matchup and you give him tons 103 00:06:25,120 --> 00:06:27,520 Speaker 1: of space. Yeah, he could do some work in the 104 00:06:27,520 --> 00:06:29,280 Speaker 1: half court, but a lot of things have to break 105 00:06:29,279 --> 00:06:32,320 Speaker 1: his way, and I was concerned about them. They kind 106 00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:35,320 Speaker 1: of remind me of the New York Knicks from last year, 107 00:06:35,400 --> 00:06:38,200 Speaker 1: much much better version. To be clear, the New York 108 00:06:38,279 --> 00:06:41,200 Speaker 1: Knicks were not a two seed, but there was a 109 00:06:41,320 --> 00:06:43,800 Speaker 1: dynamic to what the New York Knicks did that was 110 00:06:43,960 --> 00:06:47,600 Speaker 1: more effective in the regular season than it was in 111 00:06:47,640 --> 00:06:50,280 Speaker 1: the postseason. And what that had to do with was 112 00:06:50,880 --> 00:06:55,080 Speaker 1: they had one half court creator, right, Julius Randall. But 113 00:06:55,240 --> 00:06:57,960 Speaker 1: they were kind of like a freakishly athletic, try hard, 114 00:06:58,440 --> 00:07:01,120 Speaker 1: defense oriented team that loved to get out In transition, 115 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:03,560 Speaker 1: then they ran it to an Atlanta Hawks team. Last 116 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:05,760 Speaker 1: year's Atlanta Hawks team was much more serious than this 117 00:07:05,839 --> 00:07:07,960 Speaker 1: year's team is. We're gonna talk about that later tonight. 118 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:10,640 Speaker 1: But that Atlanta Hawks team kept them in the half 119 00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:13,960 Speaker 1: court and it turned into a chess match. And the 120 00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:16,640 Speaker 1: problem was Julius Randall was the only guy who could 121 00:07:16,640 --> 00:07:20,040 Speaker 1: create his own shot in the Atlanta defense was devoting 122 00:07:20,080 --> 00:07:23,640 Speaker 1: all of their attention to Julius Randall, so he had 123 00:07:23,640 --> 00:07:27,600 Speaker 1: a rough series in the Knicks offense completely fell apart, 124 00:07:28,320 --> 00:07:30,920 Speaker 1: and a similar thing has been happening to Memphis in 125 00:07:30,920 --> 00:07:34,560 Speaker 1: this series. How does the seven seed. They've won two 126 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:37,800 Speaker 1: games in this series and in the other two two 127 00:07:37,840 --> 00:07:40,720 Speaker 1: of the other games they had monster late leads that 128 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:44,120 Speaker 1: they blew. So Minnesota could have very well already won 129 00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:48,520 Speaker 1: this series in five. So Memphis has shown some real 130 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:51,840 Speaker 1: holes in what they do. And to me, it reminds 131 00:07:51,840 --> 00:07:53,480 Speaker 1: me of that Nix team from last year, like I said, 132 00:07:53,480 --> 00:07:56,160 Speaker 1: a better version of it. But all of a sudden, 133 00:07:56,160 --> 00:07:58,240 Speaker 1: you have a Minnesota team that's trapping them in the 134 00:07:58,280 --> 00:08:01,240 Speaker 1: half court. Often when they get in the half court. 135 00:08:01,280 --> 00:08:04,200 Speaker 1: Like we've talked about, Minnesota has one of the best 136 00:08:04,640 --> 00:08:07,360 Speaker 1: perimeter defense teams in the league. They're not a great 137 00:08:07,480 --> 00:08:11,080 Speaker 1: back line defensive team. They're not like a rim deterrent team, 138 00:08:11,120 --> 00:08:14,200 Speaker 1: like a Anthony Davis under the rim or Click Cappella 139 00:08:14,240 --> 00:08:17,440 Speaker 1: DeAndre in big vertical shot blocker under the rim. That's 140 00:08:17,440 --> 00:08:20,760 Speaker 1: not their style they are. We're gonna guard you on 141 00:08:20,840 --> 00:08:23,520 Speaker 1: the perimeter and keep you in front and not even 142 00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:25,320 Speaker 1: let you get to the paint, let alone try to 143 00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:29,720 Speaker 1: finish over everybody and all series long, when Minnesota has 144 00:08:29,760 --> 00:08:33,360 Speaker 1: been able to hang onto that rope and keep control 145 00:08:33,400 --> 00:08:38,680 Speaker 1: of their style of play, they've been dominant. But like 146 00:08:38,760 --> 00:08:41,600 Speaker 1: so many other young teams around the league, they fall 147 00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:46,760 Speaker 1: apart when they get into a situation where consistency is 148 00:08:46,800 --> 00:08:49,000 Speaker 1: a factor, when they have to do it possession after 149 00:08:49,040 --> 00:08:51,400 Speaker 1: possession after possession. That's what you expect from young teams. 150 00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:53,480 Speaker 1: It's one of the big reasons why I told you 151 00:08:53,520 --> 00:08:56,040 Speaker 1: guys last week that I'm off Memphis as a title contender. 152 00:08:56,600 --> 00:09:01,640 Speaker 1: They're not serious enough, consistently enough to not get beat 153 00:09:02,160 --> 00:09:05,040 Speaker 1: by a serious team down the line. Phoenix Suns, for instance, 154 00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:09,000 Speaker 1: tonight Chris Paul led team team that's dealt with some 155 00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:12,520 Speaker 1: pain and suffering losing in the NBA Finals after being 156 00:09:12,600 --> 00:09:17,280 Speaker 1: up to zero. They are dead serious, and they were 157 00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:19,679 Speaker 1: there was no chance in the world that they were 158 00:09:19,679 --> 00:09:21,280 Speaker 1: going to come out in this game. Five have a 159 00:09:21,320 --> 00:09:26,320 Speaker 1: flat stretch. Memphis has had three or four extended flat 160 00:09:26,400 --> 00:09:29,320 Speaker 1: stretches in this series where they don't play hard, where 161 00:09:29,320 --> 00:09:32,720 Speaker 1: their defense is lazy, where they're kind of like more 162 00:09:32,800 --> 00:09:35,960 Speaker 1: style and less substance, and it's gotten them into a 163 00:09:35,960 --> 00:09:39,040 Speaker 1: bunch of big holes, but there were times in the 164 00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:43,920 Speaker 1: series several points, like in Game three when they blew 165 00:09:43,960 --> 00:09:45,960 Speaker 1: back to back fifteen point leads in the same game 166 00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:49,120 Speaker 1: where Memphis was able to rest control of that get 167 00:09:49,120 --> 00:09:52,760 Speaker 1: out and transition more. I thought a super interesting part 168 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:57,120 Speaker 1: of this particular game was late game decision making. I 169 00:09:57,160 --> 00:09:59,400 Speaker 1: told you guys back when Minnesota was going on their 170 00:09:59,480 --> 00:10:02,880 Speaker 1: run during the regular season. You know, I love Anthony Edwards. 171 00:10:02,920 --> 00:10:04,280 Speaker 1: We've talked a lot about him on the show. I 172 00:10:04,320 --> 00:10:06,480 Speaker 1: have a ton of excitement about him in the long run. 173 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:09,079 Speaker 1: Even the shots he took in that fourth quarter, even 174 00:10:09,080 --> 00:10:10,680 Speaker 1: though I disagreed with some of them from a shot 175 00:10:10,720 --> 00:10:13,640 Speaker 1: selection standpoint, they were disclose to going in. There's a 176 00:10:13,720 --> 00:10:17,360 Speaker 1: version of Tonight's story where Anthony Edwards basically executes the 177 00:10:17,400 --> 00:10:20,600 Speaker 1: Memphis Grizzlies, and maybe that will be coming down the line. 178 00:10:21,040 --> 00:10:25,520 Speaker 1: But he's a kid. He's young, and D'Angelo Russell is 179 00:10:25,520 --> 00:10:29,680 Speaker 1: a little older. But he's not exactly your savvy, slow 180 00:10:29,760 --> 00:10:31,760 Speaker 1: down point guard, and he went rogue on one of 181 00:10:31,760 --> 00:10:34,560 Speaker 1: the final possessions of the game with better players on 182 00:10:34,559 --> 00:10:37,600 Speaker 1: the floor, took a crazy, terrible pull up jump shot 183 00:10:37,640 --> 00:10:41,480 Speaker 1: that he pricked that was my concern the entire time 184 00:10:41,480 --> 00:10:45,400 Speaker 1: with this Minnesota Timberwolves team. Can Anthony Edwards in D'Angelo 185 00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:51,719 Speaker 1: Russell make the right decisions down the stretch of games Minnesota. 186 00:10:51,760 --> 00:10:54,199 Speaker 1: You can tell throughout this whole series when they are 187 00:10:54,360 --> 00:10:58,439 Speaker 1: in the flow of the game, they're very confident when 188 00:10:58,440 --> 00:11:02,680 Speaker 1: they don't have to think about the one possession but 189 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:07,760 Speaker 1: rather the fifty possessions, meaning like early portion of the game, 190 00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:11,679 Speaker 1: second quarter, third quarter, when they don't stress about messing up. 191 00:11:12,120 --> 00:11:15,840 Speaker 1: They look so good because del and and are flowing 192 00:11:15,880 --> 00:11:18,440 Speaker 1: and they're being aggressive. Karl Anthony Towns is playing with 193 00:11:18,480 --> 00:11:21,120 Speaker 1: the crowd and he's being aggressive. But then they get 194 00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:24,480 Speaker 1: down to the handful of possessions and suddenly it's not 195 00:11:24,559 --> 00:11:27,960 Speaker 1: about your points per possession. It's not about how effective 196 00:11:27,960 --> 00:11:32,120 Speaker 1: your offense is. Usually it's about this possession and this 197 00:11:32,200 --> 00:11:35,839 Speaker 1: decision I have to make. And you know, there was 198 00:11:35,840 --> 00:11:38,679 Speaker 1: an interesting moment I can't even remember if it was 199 00:11:38,679 --> 00:11:41,400 Speaker 1: the end of the third quarter beginning fourth, but John 200 00:11:41,400 --> 00:11:45,959 Speaker 1: Morant took off an absolutely destroyed Malik Beasley with a 201 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:49,360 Speaker 1: poster dunk, And it was kind of funny because John 202 00:11:49,360 --> 00:11:54,160 Speaker 1: Moran has been trying that exact same dunk like dozens 203 00:11:54,160 --> 00:11:56,520 Speaker 1: of times since he got in the league and nearly 204 00:11:56,559 --> 00:11:59,360 Speaker 1: gotten himself killed a half dozen times with awful falls 205 00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:03,080 Speaker 1: because trust me that they're just super super dangerous plays 206 00:12:03,080 --> 00:12:05,280 Speaker 1: when you get bodies underneath you when you're flying that high. 207 00:12:05,320 --> 00:12:07,920 Speaker 1: But he finally got one. But I don't know if 208 00:12:07,920 --> 00:12:12,480 Speaker 1: you guys noticed, but almost immediately after that play, the 209 00:12:12,679 --> 00:12:18,840 Speaker 1: entire demeanor of John Morant changed. I think before that dunk, 210 00:12:18,920 --> 00:12:21,920 Speaker 1: he only had ten points in the game through three quarters. 211 00:12:22,880 --> 00:12:25,520 Speaker 1: Minnesota was really holding them in check in the half court. 212 00:12:25,520 --> 00:12:27,400 Speaker 1: I believe he had nine or ten assists at that point, 213 00:12:27,440 --> 00:12:30,240 Speaker 1: so it's not like he was ineffective, but he was 214 00:12:30,280 --> 00:12:33,280 Speaker 1: limited in a lot of different ways. And starting with 215 00:12:33,320 --> 00:12:39,200 Speaker 1: that dunk, John Morant made a conscious effort and deliberate 216 00:12:39,240 --> 00:12:42,600 Speaker 1: decision to attack the rim. Do you guys remember very 217 00:12:42,640 --> 00:12:45,560 Speaker 1: next possession a day of near poster eyes, two more 218 00:12:45,600 --> 00:12:49,880 Speaker 1: Minnesota Timberwolves, and then the possession right after that aggressively 219 00:12:49,960 --> 00:12:52,520 Speaker 1: to the rim, finished left hand on the left side 220 00:12:52,559 --> 00:12:56,319 Speaker 1: of the rim. He was consistently getting to the paint 221 00:12:56,440 --> 00:12:58,920 Speaker 1: down the stretch of that game. And this is the thing, 222 00:12:58,960 --> 00:13:02,440 Speaker 1: it's not like Minnesota's defense got worse. It was an 223 00:13:02,480 --> 00:13:07,120 Speaker 1: intentional effort. It's exhausting. It takes understanding angles and being 224 00:13:07,120 --> 00:13:10,320 Speaker 1: more picky about when you drive. But John Morant knew 225 00:13:10,320 --> 00:13:12,760 Speaker 1: that even though it was gonna be a very difficult job, 226 00:13:13,400 --> 00:13:14,800 Speaker 1: he was gonna put his head down and go to 227 00:13:14,840 --> 00:13:19,080 Speaker 1: the rint. On the other end of the floor, D'Angelo Russell, 228 00:13:19,360 --> 00:13:24,040 Speaker 1: Anthony Edwards and Carl Towns became jump shooters, and in 229 00:13:24,080 --> 00:13:26,560 Speaker 1: their defense, they were making them through most of the game. 230 00:13:27,120 --> 00:13:28,959 Speaker 1: They had a fourteen point lead, I think it was 231 00:13:28,960 --> 00:13:31,120 Speaker 1: in the thirteen or fourteen right around the middle point 232 00:13:31,160 --> 00:13:35,720 Speaker 1: of the fourth quarter, so it was working. But again, 233 00:13:35,760 --> 00:13:38,240 Speaker 1: it's not about the fifty possessions. It's about the ten 234 00:13:38,320 --> 00:13:40,720 Speaker 1: or fifteen right at the end of the game. And 235 00:13:40,800 --> 00:13:42,640 Speaker 1: for those ten or fifteen possessions at the end of 236 00:13:42,679 --> 00:13:45,319 Speaker 1: the game, John Morant was being aggressive and getting to 237 00:13:45,360 --> 00:13:48,680 Speaker 1: the basket, and Anthony Edwards and D'Angelo Russell and Carl 238 00:13:48,679 --> 00:13:51,679 Speaker 1: Towns were settling for jump shots. Again, Anthony Edwards had 239 00:13:51,720 --> 00:13:54,280 Speaker 1: to pull up threes in that fourth quarter that were 240 00:13:54,440 --> 00:13:58,240 Speaker 1: this close to going in, but they weren't great shots. 241 00:13:58,960 --> 00:14:02,280 Speaker 1: One of them he had John Ray on him right 242 00:14:02,320 --> 00:14:05,360 Speaker 1: on the left wing. John More has been a horrific 243 00:14:05,400 --> 00:14:08,360 Speaker 1: perimeter defender in this series, there's no way in the 244 00:14:08,400 --> 00:14:11,280 Speaker 1: world that he would have been able to keep Anthony 245 00:14:11,400 --> 00:14:13,599 Speaker 1: Edwards from putting his head down and go into the 246 00:14:13,720 --> 00:14:19,120 Speaker 1: rim and settled. As we call it in basketball now. 247 00:14:19,720 --> 00:14:22,160 Speaker 1: I think that word gets used too often because I 248 00:14:22,200 --> 00:14:26,000 Speaker 1: think people have an unrealistic expectation of how exhausting it 249 00:14:26,040 --> 00:14:28,240 Speaker 1: is to go to the rim. But in a small 250 00:14:28,280 --> 00:14:32,920 Speaker 1: sample size, when you absolutely need baskets, you gotta take 251 00:14:32,960 --> 00:14:36,760 Speaker 1: what you can control. You can't control whether or not 252 00:14:36,800 --> 00:14:40,000 Speaker 1: a jump shot goes in. I remember arguing with Laker 253 00:14:40,040 --> 00:14:43,520 Speaker 1: fans in the two thousand twenty finals game five up, 254 00:14:43,520 --> 00:14:46,520 Speaker 1: three games to one, Lebron drives to the basket, kicks 255 00:14:46,520 --> 00:14:48,040 Speaker 1: out the Danny Green at the top of the key. 256 00:14:48,320 --> 00:14:51,960 Speaker 1: Danny Green is wide open shot to win the trophy, 257 00:14:52,040 --> 00:14:54,040 Speaker 1: and all the Laker fans were slandering him because he 258 00:14:54,040 --> 00:14:57,000 Speaker 1: missed it. But here's the thing. The best shooters in 259 00:14:57,000 --> 00:15:00,880 Speaker 1: the league, when they're wide open, never right a So 260 00:15:01,120 --> 00:15:03,760 Speaker 1: it's just as likely that he'll miss as he'll make. 261 00:15:04,920 --> 00:15:07,280 Speaker 1: Anthony Edwards works really hard on his pull up jump 262 00:15:07,320 --> 00:15:09,560 Speaker 1: shooting game, and he's been shooting really, really well on 263 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:11,800 Speaker 1: pull up jump shots of late We've talked about it 264 00:15:11,800 --> 00:15:14,440 Speaker 1: a lot on the show, but on your best day, 265 00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:17,200 Speaker 1: you might make half of them. And that's the issue. 266 00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:21,840 Speaker 1: You're putting the fate of the game in chance instead 267 00:15:21,840 --> 00:15:24,400 Speaker 1: of something that is far more reliable. John Morant took 268 00:15:24,440 --> 00:15:28,040 Speaker 1: one jump shot in that fourth quarter of one three 269 00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:30,720 Speaker 1: pointer in that fourth quarter, top of the key, wide 270 00:15:30,720 --> 00:15:34,160 Speaker 1: open on an offensive rebound by Brandon Clark. Brandon Clark 271 00:15:34,320 --> 00:15:39,080 Speaker 1: was unbelievably dominant in that fourth quarter offensive rebounding. He 272 00:15:39,160 --> 00:15:44,120 Speaker 1: had three, I believe, all contested in traffic, all unbelievably 273 00:15:44,120 --> 00:15:46,480 Speaker 1: massive little details about the game of basketball that kind 274 00:15:46,480 --> 00:15:49,720 Speaker 1: of go underneath the surface. You think about a battle 275 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:52,400 Speaker 1: between John and and Dill and Aunt and don't get 276 00:15:52,400 --> 00:15:54,880 Speaker 1: me wrong, that's the core decision makers of the series, 277 00:15:54,920 --> 00:15:57,920 Speaker 1: and they're obviously the biggest guys swinging the impact. But 278 00:15:58,320 --> 00:16:00,000 Speaker 1: on the big play where John rand tied the game, 279 00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:01,840 Speaker 1: or when he made the shot that gave them a 280 00:16:01,840 --> 00:16:06,640 Speaker 1: one point lead, what happened was is in transition, the 281 00:16:06,680 --> 00:16:09,200 Speaker 1: Grizzlies ran like a three man action at the top 282 00:16:09,200 --> 00:16:11,480 Speaker 1: of the key like Towa, two ball screens for Jaw 283 00:16:12,160 --> 00:16:16,600 Speaker 1: and on the play, Uh, there was a switch and 284 00:16:16,640 --> 00:16:19,200 Speaker 1: I believe it is. It was Jade McDaniels ended up 285 00:16:19,200 --> 00:16:22,720 Speaker 1: on Brandon Clark and Jenny. Jenny McDaniels is big and 286 00:16:22,760 --> 00:16:26,680 Speaker 1: tall and athletic, but Brandon Clark is bigger and stronger 287 00:16:26,680 --> 00:16:31,000 Speaker 1: and more athletic, and so he just pinned Jaden underneath 288 00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:34,560 Speaker 1: the basket. They gotta stop. They forced to miss, but 289 00:16:34,640 --> 00:16:37,080 Speaker 1: Brandon Clark just jumped up over everybody and grabbed it 290 00:16:37,280 --> 00:16:40,000 Speaker 1: and swung it out to John Morant for the big shot. Again, 291 00:16:40,600 --> 00:16:44,200 Speaker 1: the types the quality of shots that Memphis was getting 292 00:16:44,200 --> 00:16:47,200 Speaker 1: in that fourth quarter was we are not leaving this 293 00:16:47,240 --> 00:16:49,840 Speaker 1: to chance. We're putting our head down, We're going to 294 00:16:49,880 --> 00:16:53,160 Speaker 1: the rim. We're winning every physical altercation. These are things 295 00:16:53,200 --> 00:16:55,760 Speaker 1: we can control. We are not going to leave this 296 00:16:55,800 --> 00:16:58,840 Speaker 1: game to chance. The Timberwolves left the game to chance 297 00:16:58,880 --> 00:17:01,480 Speaker 1: by taking contest to jump shots. Like I said, there's 298 00:17:01,480 --> 00:17:05,240 Speaker 1: a version of that story where if they make them, 299 00:17:05,440 --> 00:17:08,720 Speaker 1: you win. It looks great, there's a highlight reel that's great. 300 00:17:09,359 --> 00:17:11,760 Speaker 1: But there's a version of that story where you miss them, 301 00:17:11,800 --> 00:17:14,120 Speaker 1: and that's and that ended up being what actually happens. 302 00:17:14,800 --> 00:17:16,880 Speaker 1: That's that's another concept we're gonna get to a little 303 00:17:16,880 --> 00:17:19,080 Speaker 1: bit later in the show. The idea of controlling what 304 00:17:19,280 --> 00:17:20,840 Speaker 1: you can control. We're gonna get to that. When we 305 00:17:20,840 --> 00:17:23,560 Speaker 1: talked about the Sun's series, you know, I talk a 306 00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:26,359 Speaker 1: lot about the concept of why you can't afford to 307 00:17:26,400 --> 00:17:30,240 Speaker 1: trick off games in a playoff series. It's really hard 308 00:17:30,280 --> 00:17:32,240 Speaker 1: to be the time a team four times out of seven. 309 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:35,639 Speaker 1: And I would argue that Minnesota has played well enough 310 00:17:35,680 --> 00:17:38,399 Speaker 1: to beat Memphis four times already out of five tries, 311 00:17:39,160 --> 00:17:42,000 Speaker 1: They're probably gonna lose this series. I would imagine that 312 00:17:42,040 --> 00:17:45,040 Speaker 1: there's a better than fifty percent chance at Minnesota wins 313 00:17:45,040 --> 00:17:49,000 Speaker 1: Game six and sends this to Game seven. But even 314 00:17:49,040 --> 00:17:51,720 Speaker 1: if Minnesota does win Game six, the numbers tell us 315 00:17:51,760 --> 00:17:55,240 Speaker 1: that the home team almost always wins Game seven almost 316 00:17:55,280 --> 00:17:59,080 Speaker 1: every single time. I can't remember exactly what the percentages, 317 00:17:59,200 --> 00:18:02,000 Speaker 1: but it's more than three fourths of the time. So 318 00:18:02,840 --> 00:18:05,359 Speaker 1: chances are you're gonna lose the series now, and you 319 00:18:05,440 --> 00:18:08,239 Speaker 1: played well enough to win four of the five games, 320 00:18:08,240 --> 00:18:13,040 Speaker 1: but you lost focus in three pivotal stretches or late 321 00:18:13,080 --> 00:18:15,960 Speaker 1: first half in Game three, between the third and fourth 322 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:19,680 Speaker 1: quarter of Game four of also of Game three in 323 00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:22,440 Speaker 1: the same game, and then tonight in the in the 324 00:18:22,680 --> 00:18:25,840 Speaker 1: late fourth quarter section of the game three times where 325 00:18:25,840 --> 00:18:28,560 Speaker 1: you lost focus and you cost you a series. And 326 00:18:28,640 --> 00:18:32,159 Speaker 1: now if Minnesota does win this series in seven games, 327 00:18:32,440 --> 00:18:35,880 Speaker 1: they will have had to effectively beat Memphis six times 328 00:18:35,880 --> 00:18:39,400 Speaker 1: out of seven tries. Those are the little details that 329 00:18:39,480 --> 00:18:42,840 Speaker 1: win and lose playoff series. That's why I'm always lower 330 00:18:42,880 --> 00:18:46,760 Speaker 1: on young teams. And that's why I value perimeter decision 331 00:18:46,840 --> 00:18:50,600 Speaker 1: making so much. Having a ball handler, not a big, 332 00:18:50,920 --> 00:18:53,880 Speaker 1: a ball handler that can set you up on offense 333 00:18:53,920 --> 00:18:59,040 Speaker 1: from the perimeter and and make intelligent basketball decisions not 334 00:18:59,119 --> 00:19:03,280 Speaker 1: just for himself but for everybody on the team. And 335 00:19:03,320 --> 00:19:07,639 Speaker 1: I thought that was was the hallmark of Jaws game tonight, 336 00:19:07,840 --> 00:19:11,320 Speaker 1: which is his first big playoff moment. Obviously, he's played 337 00:19:11,320 --> 00:19:14,359 Speaker 1: well in the playoffs before, played well enough to eliminate 338 00:19:14,400 --> 00:19:16,680 Speaker 1: the Golden State Warriors last year in the playing tournament, 339 00:19:16,920 --> 00:19:18,879 Speaker 1: played well enough to steal a game from the Jazz 340 00:19:18,880 --> 00:19:22,560 Speaker 1: in the first round. But this was his first bona fide, 341 00:19:22,720 --> 00:19:27,360 Speaker 1: real playoff moment. Game five, team with expectations, series tied 342 00:19:27,400 --> 00:19:32,240 Speaker 1: it to down big adversity in front of your home crowd, 343 00:19:33,160 --> 00:19:37,359 Speaker 1: Palms get sweaty, everyone starts to feel tight, and Jaw 344 00:19:38,359 --> 00:19:43,200 Speaker 1: settled down, threw away any chance, didn't settle for bad 345 00:19:43,280 --> 00:19:47,240 Speaker 1: jump shots, put his head down and went to the rim, 346 00:19:47,280 --> 00:19:50,520 Speaker 1: and as a result, he swung potentially a whole playoff 347 00:19:50,600 --> 00:19:53,920 Speaker 1: series because if Memphis wins, I think you could make 348 00:19:53,960 --> 00:19:57,159 Speaker 1: a realistic case that Minnesota played better in this series. 349 00:19:58,200 --> 00:20:01,119 Speaker 1: And so that's a huge moment for Jah. Looking forward 350 00:20:01,160 --> 00:20:03,560 Speaker 1: for Memphis, I still am concerned about them. Like I said, 351 00:20:03,560 --> 00:20:06,320 Speaker 1: they're not serious enough. Their half court offense concerns me. 352 00:20:06,359 --> 00:20:08,399 Speaker 1: And then John's defense has been a real problem over 353 00:20:08,440 --> 00:20:10,359 Speaker 1: the course of this series. Kind of reminds me of 354 00:20:10,400 --> 00:20:14,240 Speaker 1: Malik Monk, where like he's got this freak athleticism and 355 00:20:14,280 --> 00:20:17,000 Speaker 1: a decent set of physical tools, good long arms. He's 356 00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:19,040 Speaker 1: not short by any stretch of the imagineation. Yeah, he's 357 00:20:19,040 --> 00:20:21,080 Speaker 1: shorter than a wing, but he's not short by any 358 00:20:21,080 --> 00:20:25,800 Speaker 1: stretch of the imagination. But he's very thin. And basketball's 359 00:20:25,840 --> 00:20:30,360 Speaker 1: game of angles and physicality in the playoffs, wins and 360 00:20:30,520 --> 00:20:35,480 Speaker 1: you can't have Patrick freaking Beverly consistently attacking you. And 361 00:20:35,520 --> 00:20:37,960 Speaker 1: they attack Job with other switches as well, But the 362 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:40,439 Speaker 1: problem is is that they get even an inch of 363 00:20:40,480 --> 00:20:43,320 Speaker 1: an angle on jaw, they just blow through his shoulder 364 00:20:43,840 --> 00:20:46,760 Speaker 1: because he's not strong enough to hold his ground, so 365 00:20:47,440 --> 00:20:49,879 Speaker 1: I think for his entire career unless he bulkes up 366 00:20:49,880 --> 00:20:52,520 Speaker 1: a little bit, which who knows how these got These guys, 367 00:20:52,800 --> 00:20:54,679 Speaker 1: you know, are going to transition as the age, Like 368 00:20:54,920 --> 00:20:56,919 Speaker 1: John could end up looking like Russell Westbrook one day, 369 00:20:56,960 --> 00:20:58,480 Speaker 1: to be built like a truck. You just don't know. 370 00:20:59,080 --> 00:21:01,280 Speaker 1: But if he's day, he's thin like this, that kind 371 00:21:01,280 --> 00:21:02,840 Speaker 1: of changes the way you have to construct the team. 372 00:21:02,880 --> 00:21:04,920 Speaker 1: You've got to construct the team in a way that 373 00:21:05,000 --> 00:21:07,840 Speaker 1: covers for his defensive shortcomings, a lot more length, a 374 00:21:07,880 --> 00:21:11,640 Speaker 1: lot more athleticism, so on and so forth. But yeah, 375 00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:14,840 Speaker 1: I would predict Minnesota to win Game six, but I 376 00:21:14,840 --> 00:21:16,880 Speaker 1: think Memphis is gonna end up winning the series either 377 00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:19,480 Speaker 1: in six or in seven. Moving on to the Suns 378 00:21:19,480 --> 00:21:24,080 Speaker 1: and the Pelicans. So, like I said, you have to 379 00:21:24,119 --> 00:21:28,119 Speaker 1: control what you can control. Phoenix's Upship's creek in a 380 00:21:28,160 --> 00:21:31,080 Speaker 1: lot of different areas of this series. Right, Devin Booker's out, 381 00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:35,119 Speaker 1: that's a that's a easily their most important player. I 382 00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:37,399 Speaker 1: think you could have made the case last year that 383 00:21:37,480 --> 00:21:40,199 Speaker 1: Chris Paul was the most important player because Devin played 384 00:21:40,200 --> 00:21:44,680 Speaker 1: better this season. But with his shot creation, it puts 385 00:21:44,680 --> 00:21:47,760 Speaker 1: a lot on everybody else, and what you saw in 386 00:21:47,840 --> 00:21:50,040 Speaker 1: game four this series was some of the things that 387 00:21:50,040 --> 00:21:51,640 Speaker 1: are out of your control not go well. Chris Paul 388 00:21:51,680 --> 00:21:55,560 Speaker 1: didn't play well. IRV Jones guarded him extremely well. You know, 389 00:21:55,640 --> 00:21:57,760 Speaker 1: Michail Bridges and Deandreton didn't play as well. A lot 390 00:21:57,800 --> 00:22:03,840 Speaker 1: of things didn't go right. But you can control the 391 00:22:03,880 --> 00:22:07,879 Speaker 1: defensive end of the floor. You can control your decision making. 392 00:22:09,280 --> 00:22:13,360 Speaker 1: I thought it was really really interesting that in this 393 00:22:13,440 --> 00:22:17,000 Speaker 1: big game, in a big environment like this, that Phoenix 394 00:22:17,040 --> 00:22:18,560 Speaker 1: was able to get as many stops as they did. 395 00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:21,240 Speaker 1: The Phoenix limited their turnovers the way they did. Those 396 00:22:21,240 --> 00:22:24,199 Speaker 1: are the things you can control. And there's been a 397 00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:27,520 Speaker 1: couple of weird dynamics right like the Pelicans have utterly 398 00:22:28,160 --> 00:22:31,639 Speaker 1: demolished Phoenix on the offensive glass in this series. I 399 00:22:31,640 --> 00:22:33,520 Speaker 1: haven't seen the numbers updated from tonight, but I think 400 00:22:33,520 --> 00:22:37,639 Speaker 1: they're averaging right around fifteen offensive rebounds per game. A 401 00:22:37,720 --> 00:22:41,199 Speaker 1: lot of that's matchup oriented. New Orleans is sending a 402 00:22:41,240 --> 00:22:43,280 Speaker 1: ton of guys to the glass at the expense of 403 00:22:43,280 --> 00:22:45,600 Speaker 1: their transition defense. There's a bunch of reasons why they're 404 00:22:45,600 --> 00:22:48,000 Speaker 1: getting as many offensive rebounds as they are, but that's 405 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:51,679 Speaker 1: extra possessions. That's fifteen additional possessions per game, so you 406 00:22:51,720 --> 00:22:53,360 Speaker 1: have to make up for that. When you factor in 407 00:22:53,680 --> 00:22:57,480 Speaker 1: losing Devin Booker and having so much offensive scoring load 408 00:22:57,520 --> 00:22:59,960 Speaker 1: on Chris Paul, you can't afford to have a bad 409 00:23:00,160 --> 00:23:03,159 Speaker 1: defensive night. You can't afford to have a bunch of turnovers. 410 00:23:03,520 --> 00:23:06,440 Speaker 1: And that's why I love having a grown ass man, 411 00:23:06,560 --> 00:23:09,080 Speaker 1: a grown adult who's been in the setting so many 412 00:23:09,119 --> 00:23:12,240 Speaker 1: times as the guy that you can lean on in 413 00:23:12,280 --> 00:23:17,199 Speaker 1: these settings. Chris Paul was built for this type of setting. 414 00:23:17,480 --> 00:23:20,480 Speaker 1: That's why I decided, even after the Devin book injury, 415 00:23:20,520 --> 00:23:23,679 Speaker 1: Brooker injury, that I predicted the Sons would win the 416 00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:27,439 Speaker 1: game and win the series. It'll be another story in 417 00:23:27,440 --> 00:23:30,119 Speaker 1: the next round. Adding Luca to the picture, that's a 418 00:23:30,160 --> 00:23:33,840 Speaker 1: whole other animal. Luca is gonna have a hell of 419 00:23:33,880 --> 00:23:36,919 Speaker 1: a time getting eight and out on the perimeter, working 420 00:23:36,960 --> 00:23:40,000 Speaker 1: against Chris Paul and isolation. I'm really curious to see 421 00:23:40,119 --> 00:23:42,920 Speaker 1: how he fares against some of the longer wings for Phoenix. 422 00:23:42,960 --> 00:23:45,719 Speaker 1: That's gonna be a super super interesting matchup if they 423 00:23:45,720 --> 00:23:48,560 Speaker 1: get to that point. But Chris Paul and his i 424 00:23:48,720 --> 00:23:53,040 Speaker 1: Q and his experience I believe was gonna be enough 425 00:23:53,320 --> 00:23:56,639 Speaker 1: to control the series. And it was even in a 426 00:23:57,000 --> 00:24:01,720 Speaker 1: even in a predicament like Devin Booker going down, obviously 427 00:24:01,880 --> 00:24:03,520 Speaker 1: they got a much They got a much better night 428 00:24:03,560 --> 00:24:05,520 Speaker 1: out of Mikhal Bridges, they got a much better night 429 00:24:05,520 --> 00:24:07,080 Speaker 1: out of DeAndre eight. And I talked a lot with 430 00:24:07,119 --> 00:24:10,160 Speaker 1: you guys about how important it was to have those 431 00:24:10,200 --> 00:24:14,800 Speaker 1: two guys carry the scoring load that Devin Booker, but 432 00:24:14,920 --> 00:24:18,080 Speaker 1: with him being out takes out of the picture. One 433 00:24:18,119 --> 00:24:22,240 Speaker 1: other interesting note on this game, New Orleans is reliance 434 00:24:22,240 --> 00:24:27,760 Speaker 1: on isolation. So if you look at the UHUM, if 435 00:24:27,760 --> 00:24:31,400 Speaker 1: you look at the box score after the game, Phoenix 436 00:24:31,400 --> 00:24:37,119 Speaker 1: has twenty eight assists to New Orleans is fourteen, And 437 00:24:37,200 --> 00:24:39,000 Speaker 1: a big part of that is just the way they play. 438 00:24:40,560 --> 00:24:42,720 Speaker 1: You know, New Orleans kind of plays a similar style 439 00:24:42,760 --> 00:24:44,800 Speaker 1: to Brooklyn in the sense that they rely on their 440 00:24:44,800 --> 00:24:48,520 Speaker 1: two primary shot creators, Brandon Ingram and c. J. McCollum, 441 00:24:48,760 --> 00:24:52,919 Speaker 1: to attack matchups all over the floor. The problem is is, 442 00:24:53,440 --> 00:24:56,080 Speaker 1: just like what happened with Katie and Kyrie, if you 443 00:24:56,160 --> 00:25:00,640 Speaker 1: run into a really good defensive team like it's gonna 444 00:25:00,680 --> 00:25:04,720 Speaker 1: turn into a tough shot making contest. And what's more 445 00:25:04,760 --> 00:25:09,359 Speaker 1: reliable Phoenix bruising you on the inside forty six points 446 00:25:09,359 --> 00:25:13,800 Speaker 1: in the paint Phoenix, executing in pick and roll, getting 447 00:25:13,880 --> 00:25:19,560 Speaker 1: high quality shots or brandon Ingram and c J McCollum 448 00:25:19,640 --> 00:25:23,760 Speaker 1: taking tough isolation jump shots on every single possession. It's 449 00:25:23,800 --> 00:25:26,920 Speaker 1: not a surprise that they didn't play particularly well as 450 00:25:26,920 --> 00:25:30,520 Speaker 1: a result, but that's all I had on that particular game. 451 00:25:30,520 --> 00:25:32,920 Speaker 1: We're gonna bring Carson on and we're gonna get into 452 00:25:32,960 --> 00:25:34,600 Speaker 1: some of the other series is and go over some 453 00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:38,040 Speaker 1: questions that he might have, And hey, guys, just remember, 454 00:25:38,400 --> 00:25:40,520 Speaker 1: if you're listening and you're in the chat, we're doing 455 00:25:40,560 --> 00:25:42,600 Speaker 1: a mail bag at the end, So any questions that 456 00:25:42,640 --> 00:25:43,879 Speaker 1: you have, dropped them in there and we'll get to 457 00:25:43,920 --> 00:25:48,880 Speaker 1: them at the end of the show. The playoffs are 458 00:25:48,880 --> 00:25:51,160 Speaker 1: here and you can make every game feel like Game 459 00:25:51,320 --> 00:25:55,000 Speaker 1: seven on Fandel Sports Book, an official partner of the NBA. 460 00:25:55,119 --> 00:25:58,960 Speaker 1: FanDuel is hooking you up with free bets throughout the playoffs. 461 00:25:59,200 --> 00:26:01,720 Speaker 1: It doesn't matter if your new customer or already have 462 00:26:01,760 --> 00:26:03,800 Speaker 1: an account. Just be sure to check out the app 463 00:26:03,840 --> 00:26:08,359 Speaker 1: for exclusive weekly same game parlay promos. Vandel has so 464 00:26:08,400 --> 00:26:10,760 Speaker 1: many ways to play, and best of all, when you win, 465 00:26:11,080 --> 00:26:14,080 Speaker 1: you'll get paid faster than a fast break. New to FanDuel, 466 00:26:14,160 --> 00:26:16,720 Speaker 1: just download the fan Duel sports Book app and signed 467 00:26:16,760 --> 00:26:20,040 Speaker 1: up with promo code Jason T. Once again, that's promo 468 00:26:20,080 --> 00:26:25,120 Speaker 1: code Jason T. All right, Well, Jason, we're gonna play 469 00:26:25,119 --> 00:26:28,000 Speaker 1: a game here called what have we learned? As you said, 470 00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:30,680 Speaker 1: we're gonna run down some key points from a few 471 00:26:30,720 --> 00:26:33,199 Speaker 1: series and you're gonna tell me what your takeaways are 472 00:26:33,240 --> 00:26:36,359 Speaker 1: from that. So we're gonna start with the Miami Heat, 473 00:26:36,640 --> 00:26:39,879 Speaker 1: who finished off the Hawks today in five game What 474 00:26:39,960 --> 00:26:42,280 Speaker 1: do you think we've learned from their performance? And moving 475 00:26:42,280 --> 00:26:46,479 Speaker 1: on pretty convincingly in Round one. So I thought this 476 00:26:46,560 --> 00:26:48,480 Speaker 1: was the least interesting series in the first round, and 477 00:26:48,480 --> 00:26:52,399 Speaker 1: I'm glad it's over. Atlanta. To me was, like I 478 00:26:52,400 --> 00:26:54,080 Speaker 1: said many times on the show over the course of 479 00:26:54,080 --> 00:26:55,679 Speaker 1: the last week, they were the sore thumb of this 480 00:26:55,720 --> 00:26:58,520 Speaker 1: playoff field. They were the one team that seemed to 481 00:26:58,520 --> 00:27:02,399 Speaker 1: be clearly a level below everyone else that was playing 482 00:27:02,440 --> 00:27:05,040 Speaker 1: among the other fifteen teams. You know, I have three 483 00:27:05,080 --> 00:27:09,640 Speaker 1: big takeaways that I learned from this series. One, there's 484 00:27:09,680 --> 00:27:13,680 Speaker 1: an issue with Trey Young. There there were so many 485 00:27:13,720 --> 00:27:17,720 Speaker 1: people that jumped on Luca early on that they're kind 486 00:27:17,720 --> 00:27:21,840 Speaker 1: of turned into this like counter tray movement. And then 487 00:27:21,960 --> 00:27:25,720 Speaker 1: last year in the playoffs. Because he won two playoffs series, 488 00:27:26,280 --> 00:27:30,000 Speaker 1: there became this additional trade Young movement, like oh, Lucas 489 00:27:30,040 --> 00:27:32,760 Speaker 1: never won a playoff series, Trays already won two. And 490 00:27:33,000 --> 00:27:35,840 Speaker 1: anybody who actually watched the Hawks last year knows that 491 00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:39,560 Speaker 1: they beat a NIXT team that had no half court creation. 492 00:27:40,240 --> 00:27:43,080 Speaker 1: They beat a Philly team that was literally combusting on 493 00:27:43,119 --> 00:27:44,760 Speaker 1: the floor in front of our eyes to the point 494 00:27:44,760 --> 00:27:47,240 Speaker 1: where they had to reconstruct after the season with the 495 00:27:47,240 --> 00:27:50,960 Speaker 1: Ben Simmons situation, and Atlanta had an awesome defense. Truth 496 00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:53,600 Speaker 1: of the matter was is Trey Young shot below fort 497 00:27:54,240 --> 00:27:55,879 Speaker 1: from the field last year in the playoffs, and he 498 00:27:55,880 --> 00:27:59,439 Speaker 1: shot thirty one percent from three, and he wasn't terrible. 499 00:27:59,480 --> 00:28:02,320 Speaker 1: He had more mints, obviously, but there were a lot 500 00:28:02,320 --> 00:28:05,919 Speaker 1: of things that broke his way in that series. In 501 00:28:05,960 --> 00:28:10,199 Speaker 1: that run, the reality with Trey Young is in the 502 00:28:10,240 --> 00:28:13,800 Speaker 1: playoff environment, when the physicality is allowed to go to 503 00:28:13,840 --> 00:28:16,640 Speaker 1: another level and guys are allowed to grab, when they're 504 00:28:16,680 --> 00:28:22,240 Speaker 1: allowed to hold slim slight players struggle. It's just a fact. 505 00:28:22,520 --> 00:28:25,920 Speaker 1: We have so much evidence of this throughout NBA history 506 00:28:25,960 --> 00:28:29,800 Speaker 1: and this year's postseason run obviously, only five games average 507 00:28:29,840 --> 00:28:33,760 Speaker 1: fifteen point four points on thirty two percent from the 508 00:28:33,800 --> 00:28:37,960 Speaker 1: field in eight percent from three. I love Trey Young's 509 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:42,080 Speaker 1: game in in some areas great passer, willing pastors kind 510 00:28:42,080 --> 00:28:45,640 Speaker 1: of like Luca, like actively looking for his shot, but 511 00:28:45,880 --> 00:28:48,280 Speaker 1: also has the ability to make the high level reads. 512 00:28:49,160 --> 00:28:51,240 Speaker 1: The differences is I think Tray is a little bit 513 00:28:51,280 --> 00:28:54,560 Speaker 1: more of a gunner. But the biggest difference between the 514 00:28:54,560 --> 00:28:56,120 Speaker 1: two of them, and the reason why Luca is so 515 00:28:56,240 --> 00:28:58,200 Speaker 1: much better and the reason why it's silly to ever 516 00:28:58,240 --> 00:29:01,320 Speaker 1: put them in a conversation together, is Luca can lean 517 00:29:01,400 --> 00:29:05,560 Speaker 1: on you, man, and in all of these matchups, Luca 518 00:29:05,680 --> 00:29:07,600 Speaker 1: is gonna pick on a small guy and he's gonna 519 00:29:07,640 --> 00:29:10,360 Speaker 1: bully him. He's gonna pick on a big guy and 520 00:29:10,600 --> 00:29:13,640 Speaker 1: uses his moves to get him to get a step, 521 00:29:13,720 --> 00:29:15,400 Speaker 1: and he's gonna pin him on his backside, and he 522 00:29:15,400 --> 00:29:19,480 Speaker 1: has the strength to hold them off. I know this 523 00:29:19,560 --> 00:29:21,880 Speaker 1: has been something that I've leaned on a lot in 524 00:29:21,920 --> 00:29:24,080 Speaker 1: my basketball analysis over the course of the last few years, 525 00:29:24,080 --> 00:29:27,200 Speaker 1: but it's something I believe very strongly in. Like these 526 00:29:27,240 --> 00:29:33,040 Speaker 1: playoff series, is are physical fist fights, and size does matter. 527 00:29:34,080 --> 00:29:36,480 Speaker 1: There are guys that have overcome to have been able 528 00:29:36,520 --> 00:29:39,400 Speaker 1: to overcome it over the course of the years, Kevin Durant, 529 00:29:39,480 --> 00:29:42,520 Speaker 1: even though he's thin, what happened with Boston, that's an outlier, 530 00:29:42,680 --> 00:29:46,240 Speaker 1: usually does well. Steph Curry six three, kind of slight, 531 00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:49,160 Speaker 1: but he's so good in almost every single area of 532 00:29:49,200 --> 00:29:51,280 Speaker 1: the game, and he's good enough defensively that it doesn't 533 00:29:51,320 --> 00:29:54,200 Speaker 1: matter as much. But I've always leaned on guys that 534 00:29:54,240 --> 00:29:59,160 Speaker 1: are more physical. Trey Young, good player, He's solid. I'm 535 00:29:59,200 --> 00:30:01,960 Speaker 1: not sure that his ceiling could possibly be much higher 536 00:30:01,960 --> 00:30:04,560 Speaker 1: than it already is right now, because what is there 537 00:30:04,600 --> 00:30:06,760 Speaker 1: that Trey could add to his game at this point 538 00:30:07,040 --> 00:30:09,800 Speaker 1: with his physical limitations. And then the last two things 539 00:30:09,800 --> 00:30:12,800 Speaker 1: really quick. Miami's offense. I told you guys all the 540 00:30:12,840 --> 00:30:14,440 Speaker 1: season I was worried about them in the half court. 541 00:30:14,920 --> 00:30:18,160 Speaker 1: Atlanta was the twenty six ranked defense in the regular season. 542 00:30:18,440 --> 00:30:20,720 Speaker 1: In Miami only scored a hundred and fifteen point nine 543 00:30:20,720 --> 00:30:22,880 Speaker 1: points per one Hunter possessions in this series, which would 544 00:30:22,920 --> 00:30:27,120 Speaker 1: rank seventh among playoff teams. Really really curious to see 545 00:30:27,120 --> 00:30:30,160 Speaker 1: what their offense looks like in the next round. Regardless 546 00:30:30,160 --> 00:30:32,000 Speaker 1: of whether or not they play Toronto or play Philly, 547 00:30:32,200 --> 00:30:35,320 Speaker 1: they're gonna play a significantly better defensive team. And the 548 00:30:35,440 --> 00:30:38,280 Speaker 1: last but not least Jimmy Butler's health. We talked about 549 00:30:38,320 --> 00:30:41,320 Speaker 1: this right before the end of the regular season. This 550 00:30:41,480 --> 00:30:44,840 Speaker 1: dude is like practically playing every other night now. In 551 00:30:44,840 --> 00:30:47,440 Speaker 1: the regular season, he'll play one or two games in 552 00:30:47,480 --> 00:30:49,240 Speaker 1: a row and then he needs a rest, and then 553 00:30:49,280 --> 00:30:52,160 Speaker 1: here he is missing a playoff game for a sore knee. 554 00:30:52,760 --> 00:30:55,360 Speaker 1: I love Jimmy Butler's game. He's a bona fide playoff player. 555 00:30:55,440 --> 00:30:56,840 Speaker 1: A lot of the things that I just talked about 556 00:30:56,840 --> 00:30:59,720 Speaker 1: with physicality and decision making or why he's such a 557 00:30:59,760 --> 00:31:02,000 Speaker 1: dom a playoff player. But if the dude can't stay 558 00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:04,920 Speaker 1: on the court, like that's just one other massive red 559 00:31:04,920 --> 00:31:09,800 Speaker 1: flag for the Miami Heat. So let me ask you 560 00:31:09,800 --> 00:31:12,440 Speaker 1: a little bit more about Trey first, because I think 561 00:31:13,440 --> 00:31:16,520 Speaker 1: when you are looking at one man offensive engines, he 562 00:31:16,760 --> 00:31:19,680 Speaker 1: stands certainly among the league's best. Right in terms of 563 00:31:19,760 --> 00:31:22,040 Speaker 1: ry output. He led the league in total points and 564 00:31:22,080 --> 00:31:25,120 Speaker 1: assists this year, was very efficient in doing so, lead 565 00:31:25,160 --> 00:31:28,200 Speaker 1: the Hawks offense to be the second most efficient basketball 566 00:31:28,240 --> 00:31:32,000 Speaker 1: without a really high level second creator on that team. 567 00:31:32,080 --> 00:31:35,360 Speaker 1: So how much of what we saw in this series 568 00:31:35,400 --> 00:31:38,320 Speaker 1: do you think is a product of actual things about 569 00:31:38,400 --> 00:31:42,000 Speaker 1: his game that are not sustainable in the playoffs versus 570 00:31:42,520 --> 00:31:45,120 Speaker 1: issues with the Hawks roster construction and the fact that 571 00:31:45,160 --> 00:31:47,440 Speaker 1: they didn't have that second guy who could really punish 572 00:31:47,520 --> 00:31:51,520 Speaker 1: the Heat for dedicating overwhelming attention to Tray night in 573 00:31:51,520 --> 00:31:55,080 Speaker 1: and night out, because obviously it's inexcusable from him. I mean, 574 00:31:55,120 --> 00:31:57,400 Speaker 1: it was, I would say, kind of a shockingly bad series. 575 00:31:57,440 --> 00:32:00,720 Speaker 1: But which of those factors do you think is more 576 00:32:00,760 --> 00:32:05,160 Speaker 1: important and was more impactful there? Well, the conversation we're 577 00:32:05,160 --> 00:32:06,719 Speaker 1: having about Trey is kind of similar to the one 578 00:32:06,760 --> 00:32:12,040 Speaker 1: we had about Yoki, Like the conversation I'm having is 579 00:32:12,080 --> 00:32:16,120 Speaker 1: more about his ranking in the league. I'm with you, 580 00:32:16,160 --> 00:32:19,680 Speaker 1: there are roster shortcomings here, Like you need if you're 581 00:32:19,680 --> 00:32:22,080 Speaker 1: gonna have a guy like Trey Young that has to 582 00:32:22,120 --> 00:32:25,000 Speaker 1: operate with the live dribble from the perimeter or out 583 00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:27,200 Speaker 1: of pick and roll, you need to have a bigger 584 00:32:27,200 --> 00:32:29,480 Speaker 1: wing that you can throw the ball to to try 585 00:32:29,520 --> 00:32:32,920 Speaker 1: to generate physical offense, a guy that can attack, seize mismatches. 586 00:32:33,320 --> 00:32:36,800 Speaker 1: You know, Danielle Gallinari just never really amounted to that. 587 00:32:37,200 --> 00:32:40,640 Speaker 1: You know, Badanovitch was just way too inconsistent, and he's 588 00:32:40,680 --> 00:32:42,680 Speaker 1: not big enough to be that kind of rim pressuring 589 00:32:42,720 --> 00:32:47,000 Speaker 1: guy anyway. So, like kind of like again, the archetype 590 00:32:47,480 --> 00:32:49,880 Speaker 1: of boy on Bogdanovitch with Utah is kind of what 591 00:32:49,920 --> 00:32:52,560 Speaker 1: I'm talking about, Like someone like that that can take 592 00:32:52,600 --> 00:32:55,360 Speaker 1: a different element to their offensive attack. And then again, 593 00:32:55,760 --> 00:32:57,800 Speaker 1: you have to have a defense like you did last 594 00:32:57,880 --> 00:33:00,560 Speaker 1: year again, unsung hero of last year's play off team, 595 00:33:00,720 --> 00:33:03,200 Speaker 1: and Atlanta wasn't a dominant playoff team last year in 596 00:33:03,200 --> 00:33:05,600 Speaker 1: the regular season by any stretch of the imagination, but 597 00:33:05,680 --> 00:33:08,600 Speaker 1: they did hit a level in the postseason that allowed 598 00:33:08,600 --> 00:33:11,200 Speaker 1: them to eke out a lot of games. Defense Again, 599 00:33:11,280 --> 00:33:13,160 Speaker 1: it's like it's something that you can count on and 600 00:33:13,200 --> 00:33:14,960 Speaker 1: you will. You'll be shocked at how many times in 601 00:33:14,960 --> 00:33:17,480 Speaker 1: a playoff series or a playoff game where you'll see 602 00:33:17,480 --> 00:33:20,160 Speaker 1: a team that will shoot poorly, have a lot of turnovers, 603 00:33:20,440 --> 00:33:22,479 Speaker 1: a bunch of guys, have bad nights, but you end 604 00:33:22,520 --> 00:33:25,000 Speaker 1: up winning somehow, and it's just because you played so 605 00:33:25,040 --> 00:33:27,200 Speaker 1: well on defense that you forced them to not play 606 00:33:27,440 --> 00:33:29,800 Speaker 1: well as well. So like there, let me be clear, 607 00:33:29,920 --> 00:33:31,960 Speaker 1: Trade can be the best player on a championship team. 608 00:33:32,160 --> 00:33:34,840 Speaker 1: You just he's far enough down the list that so 609 00:33:34,880 --> 00:33:37,800 Speaker 1: many things above him have to be perfect, like has 610 00:33:37,840 --> 00:33:40,840 Speaker 1: to be with surrounded by tons of defensive talent has 611 00:33:40,880 --> 00:33:43,240 Speaker 1: to have a co star that can pressure the rim 612 00:33:43,240 --> 00:33:45,240 Speaker 1: and is more physical. A lot of things would have 613 00:33:45,280 --> 00:33:47,560 Speaker 1: to be perfect around him in order for that to 614 00:33:47,560 --> 00:33:51,720 Speaker 1: work out. Going back to the Heat for a second, 615 00:33:52,520 --> 00:33:56,560 Speaker 1: do you feel significantly different about them now compared to 616 00:33:56,600 --> 00:33:59,000 Speaker 1: before the series and where do you feel like they 617 00:33:59,080 --> 00:34:05,720 Speaker 1: are in the Eastern hierarchy of contenders right now? I 618 00:34:05,720 --> 00:34:07,520 Speaker 1: would think they're gonna be the worst team left in 619 00:34:07,520 --> 00:34:09,920 Speaker 1: the second round. Uh they I would give them an 620 00:34:09,920 --> 00:34:12,400 Speaker 1: outside chance to beat whoever comes out of the Sixers 621 00:34:12,480 --> 00:34:15,800 Speaker 1: Raptors series, because both of those teams have gaping holes, 622 00:34:15,840 --> 00:34:18,120 Speaker 1: like just like you've seen from Toronto in this series, 623 00:34:18,160 --> 00:34:20,520 Speaker 1: there's a massive chasm between what they look like when 624 00:34:20,560 --> 00:34:22,320 Speaker 1: they're bad and what they look like when they're good, 625 00:34:22,640 --> 00:34:25,120 Speaker 1: you know, And and the same thing goes with the Sixers, 626 00:34:25,160 --> 00:34:28,439 Speaker 1: like when they when they're humming, they were whooping Toronto's ass, 627 00:34:28,480 --> 00:34:31,359 Speaker 1: and they've looked unrecognizable in the last two games. So like, 628 00:34:31,719 --> 00:34:35,640 Speaker 1: Miami will be capable of beating either of those teams, 629 00:34:36,360 --> 00:34:39,120 Speaker 1: but they're also capable of losing to either of those 630 00:34:39,160 --> 00:34:41,520 Speaker 1: teams for the same reasons we discussed earlier. Nothing really 631 00:34:41,520 --> 00:34:43,719 Speaker 1: has changed for me other than the fact that you 632 00:34:43,760 --> 00:34:46,640 Speaker 1: know they they're playing Duncan Robinson less. That was to 633 00:34:46,680 --> 00:34:49,160 Speaker 1: be expected because he's having issues on the defensive end. 634 00:34:49,680 --> 00:34:52,040 Speaker 1: I don't think Kyle Lowry is as important as everyone 635 00:34:52,080 --> 00:34:54,120 Speaker 1: else thinks he is, just at this point in his 636 00:34:54,200 --> 00:34:56,600 Speaker 1: career because he's a little bit older. But the health 637 00:34:56,719 --> 00:34:59,040 Speaker 1: is a concern to Like. I would say that I 638 00:34:59,120 --> 00:35:01,560 Speaker 1: was already low on them before the playoffs, but I'm 639 00:35:01,600 --> 00:35:03,760 Speaker 1: even lower now. Like I give them a zero percent 640 00:35:03,840 --> 00:35:07,920 Speaker 1: chance to get out of the East. Wow, Yeah, I 641 00:35:07,960 --> 00:35:11,400 Speaker 1: think that that's pretty reasonable because of a lot of 642 00:35:11,440 --> 00:35:14,319 Speaker 1: the offensive limitations that you've talked about in the inconsistency there. 643 00:35:14,360 --> 00:35:17,880 Speaker 1: I will say they are wildly impressive defensively, and I 644 00:35:17,920 --> 00:35:21,719 Speaker 1: do think that you know that gives them some sort 645 00:35:21,760 --> 00:35:24,880 Speaker 1: of chance. But I think that you're probably right. They 646 00:35:24,880 --> 00:35:27,960 Speaker 1: would be probably that last team in the next round. 647 00:35:29,440 --> 00:35:33,920 Speaker 1: The their defense, it kind of reminds me of Dallas. 648 00:35:35,160 --> 00:35:38,480 Speaker 1: They have great defensive players on the floor. Bam Adebile 649 00:35:38,640 --> 00:35:41,799 Speaker 1: unbelievable defensive player, you know. P J. Tucker I think 650 00:35:42,080 --> 00:35:44,520 Speaker 1: is underrated because so many people are focused on his 651 00:35:44,600 --> 00:35:48,920 Speaker 1: limitations Offensively. Jimmy Butler is obviously incredible. They have great 652 00:35:48,920 --> 00:35:51,600 Speaker 1: defensive players, but so much of what they do involves 653 00:35:52,040 --> 00:35:55,640 Speaker 1: convincing average to below average defensive players to to work 654 00:35:55,680 --> 00:35:58,080 Speaker 1: their ass off, which I which is a credit to 655 00:35:58,080 --> 00:36:00,960 Speaker 1: the Heat organization, to be clear. But they're gonna run 656 00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:04,840 Speaker 1: into a team, probably the Celtics in the conference finals, 657 00:36:05,239 --> 00:36:10,080 Speaker 1: that are gonna have excellent defensive personnel to match the 658 00:36:10,200 --> 00:36:13,799 Speaker 1: dedication in the effort. Another thing too, from a matchup standpoint, 659 00:36:14,160 --> 00:36:15,960 Speaker 1: One of the things that we're gonna talk about this 660 00:36:16,040 --> 00:36:18,360 Speaker 1: later here just a couple of minutes, but the Raptors 661 00:36:18,400 --> 00:36:21,080 Speaker 1: are starting to expose Joel embid with foot speed and 662 00:36:21,080 --> 00:36:24,120 Speaker 1: we'll talk more about that in a minute. Against this 663 00:36:24,160 --> 00:36:27,319 Speaker 1: particular matchup with Miami, I think they're going to be 664 00:36:27,360 --> 00:36:30,680 Speaker 1: able to get away with dropping Joel Embiid all series. 665 00:36:31,160 --> 00:36:33,840 Speaker 1: And if they can keep Joel embiad drop all series, 666 00:36:34,080 --> 00:36:37,000 Speaker 1: that completely shuts off the paint, turns Miami into only 667 00:36:37,080 --> 00:36:39,839 Speaker 1: a jump shooting team. So there's some matchup stuff too 668 00:36:39,840 --> 00:36:41,279 Speaker 1: that I think is is gonna end up getting in 669 00:36:41,320 --> 00:36:43,200 Speaker 1: their way. Not a bad defensive team, but I think 670 00:36:43,239 --> 00:36:46,759 Speaker 1: there's a massive chasm between their defensive ceiling and like 671 00:36:46,960 --> 00:36:51,440 Speaker 1: Boston's defensive ceiling for instance. Sure, yeah, I think the 672 00:36:51,520 --> 00:36:54,480 Speaker 1: Dallas comparison is interesting. I feel like the personnel is 673 00:36:54,480 --> 00:36:56,080 Speaker 1: more impressive. But I agree with you. I mean, Boston 674 00:36:56,200 --> 00:36:58,480 Speaker 1: right now is in a class of their own on 675 00:36:58,600 --> 00:37:01,680 Speaker 1: that end. So you mentioned some of the stuff that 676 00:37:01,719 --> 00:37:04,120 Speaker 1: we've seen out of Philly slumping a bit in their 677 00:37:04,200 --> 00:37:07,080 Speaker 1: last couple of games. One up, three oh on the Raptors. 678 00:37:07,640 --> 00:37:10,760 Speaker 1: Now we're looking at three too, we're headed back to Toronto. 679 00:37:11,760 --> 00:37:14,600 Speaker 1: What do you feel like you've learned from what we've 680 00:37:14,600 --> 00:37:16,200 Speaker 1: seen in the last couple of games and what's been 681 00:37:16,200 --> 00:37:20,319 Speaker 1: going on in that series, Jason, this is such a 682 00:37:20,320 --> 00:37:25,360 Speaker 1: classic series for understanding why it's so important not to 683 00:37:25,440 --> 00:37:29,120 Speaker 1: overreact to one game or two two games. Obviously there's 684 00:37:29,160 --> 00:37:31,640 Speaker 1: the wrinkle of them having fallen down three oh, and 685 00:37:31,760 --> 00:37:35,000 Speaker 1: that being something that's never been done before. But in 686 00:37:35,080 --> 00:37:38,680 Speaker 1: game three, Toronto played really well, and honestly, it came 687 00:37:38,719 --> 00:37:44,279 Speaker 1: down to particularly Siakum and VanVleet really struggling offensively to 688 00:37:44,280 --> 00:37:46,600 Speaker 1: the point where they couldn't close the deal in that game. 689 00:37:46,640 --> 00:37:49,280 Speaker 1: Way too much was on you know, Gary Trent Jr. 690 00:37:49,360 --> 00:37:50,759 Speaker 1: To make plays or O. G. N and and Obi to 691 00:37:50,800 --> 00:37:53,440 Speaker 1: make plays. But the truth is is like if you 692 00:37:53,440 --> 00:37:55,560 Speaker 1: were watched the first two games of that series, and 693 00:37:55,560 --> 00:37:59,480 Speaker 1: then watched game four and five. They they are massively 694 00:37:59,600 --> 00:38:02,880 Speaker 1: on wreck ignizable between the two the two stretches of games, 695 00:38:03,160 --> 00:38:05,720 Speaker 1: and it's because in a playoff series so much can change. 696 00:38:05,760 --> 00:38:07,400 Speaker 1: We talked about this at the beginning. I said the 697 00:38:07,400 --> 00:38:10,560 Speaker 1: theme of the show was styles make fights, but that 698 00:38:10,719 --> 00:38:14,320 Speaker 1: the stuff it's about the style that wins the fight. Well, 699 00:38:14,640 --> 00:38:18,720 Speaker 1: coming into this series, we talked at length about how 700 00:38:19,440 --> 00:38:21,560 Speaker 1: Joel Embide and James Harden were the best two players 701 00:38:21,600 --> 00:38:25,799 Speaker 1: in the series, probably that that uh Philly had more 702 00:38:25,840 --> 00:38:29,080 Speaker 1: talent than they should win, but they had some specific flaws. 703 00:38:29,280 --> 00:38:33,399 Speaker 1: Won their transition defense to Joel Embiad's ability to handle 704 00:38:33,440 --> 00:38:38,720 Speaker 1: double teams, three James Harden and his abilities to score 705 00:38:38,840 --> 00:38:42,760 Speaker 1: in single coverage, and then four Joel Embiid and James 706 00:38:42,760 --> 00:38:45,479 Speaker 1: Harden in a driving kick system. Those are my four 707 00:38:45,880 --> 00:38:48,440 Speaker 1: big gaping holes that I saw in this Philly roster. 708 00:38:48,680 --> 00:38:54,360 Speaker 1: So what sucks is those advantages. Toronto was completely geared 709 00:38:54,400 --> 00:38:57,400 Speaker 1: and equipped to inflict on Philly. They had all the 710 00:38:57,480 --> 00:39:00,560 Speaker 1: length and athleticism to cause James Harden problems and to 711 00:39:00,640 --> 00:39:03,040 Speaker 1: cause and be problems and double teams, all the length 712 00:39:03,080 --> 00:39:06,239 Speaker 1: and athleticism to get up in floor and transition to 713 00:39:06,640 --> 00:39:09,400 Speaker 1: get into driving kicks scenarios where they can take advantage 714 00:39:09,400 --> 00:39:11,160 Speaker 1: of their lack of foot speed. They had all of that, 715 00:39:11,200 --> 00:39:13,520 Speaker 1: they had the coach to do it too, but they 716 00:39:13,600 --> 00:39:16,760 Speaker 1: just did it. In the first two games of the series, 717 00:39:17,080 --> 00:39:19,919 Speaker 1: the Raptors allowed a hundred and thirty five point eight 718 00:39:19,920 --> 00:39:23,359 Speaker 1: points per one hundred possessions. In the first two games 719 00:39:23,360 --> 00:39:26,560 Speaker 1: of the series, the Sixers ran them off the floor 720 00:39:26,600 --> 00:39:29,440 Speaker 1: in transition, So the same thing that they should have 721 00:39:29,480 --> 00:39:33,160 Speaker 1: been doing to Philly happened to them. So even though 722 00:39:33,560 --> 00:39:38,960 Speaker 1: Toronto had advantages, Philly was playing so well in Toronto 723 00:39:39,080 --> 00:39:41,880 Speaker 1: was playing so poorly that none of that materialized and 724 00:39:41,880 --> 00:39:45,000 Speaker 1: they got their ass kicked. In the three games since, 725 00:39:46,360 --> 00:39:48,919 Speaker 1: the Sixers are being held to one hundred and two 726 00:39:48,960 --> 00:39:53,680 Speaker 1: points per per one hundred possessions, literally thirty three points 727 00:39:53,719 --> 00:39:56,759 Speaker 1: fewer more than thirty three fewer points per one hundred 728 00:39:56,760 --> 00:39:58,960 Speaker 1: possessions compared to the first two games of the series. 729 00:39:59,080 --> 00:40:03,359 Speaker 1: Toronto's just playing better man huge part of it. I mean, 730 00:40:04,280 --> 00:40:08,440 Speaker 1: Fred VanVleet is their best perimeter initiator. Fred VanVleet is 731 00:40:08,880 --> 00:40:12,200 Speaker 1: a very good defensive player at the guard position. But 732 00:40:12,280 --> 00:40:15,839 Speaker 1: he's small, and there are there's all these different ways 733 00:40:15,880 --> 00:40:19,480 Speaker 1: that we look at defense, and you know, in isolation defense, 734 00:40:19,719 --> 00:40:21,880 Speaker 1: van Fleet's ability to get up underneath you and slide 735 00:40:21,920 --> 00:40:25,400 Speaker 1: his feet and be physical as valuable, but covering ground 736 00:40:25,440 --> 00:40:29,120 Speaker 1: in rotation, there's a ceiling there for VanVleet. He's small, 737 00:40:29,440 --> 00:40:33,040 Speaker 1: can't cover as much ground, so they take VanVleet out 738 00:40:33,080 --> 00:40:35,680 Speaker 1: of the lineup all of a sudden, Gary Trent Jr. 739 00:40:35,800 --> 00:40:39,600 Speaker 1: Who's six five without shoes on. Gary Trent Jr. Was 740 00:40:39,640 --> 00:40:43,040 Speaker 1: the smallest player they played. Everybody else other than him 741 00:40:43,080 --> 00:40:48,040 Speaker 1: is massive, long and athletic. So suddenly Toronto looks a 742 00:40:48,080 --> 00:40:51,320 Speaker 1: lot more imposing defensively just because of the lineups that 743 00:40:51,360 --> 00:40:55,800 Speaker 1: they're going with. There was a really, really really interesting 744 00:40:55,840 --> 00:40:59,320 Speaker 1: sequence late fourth quarter excuse me, a middle third quarter 745 00:40:59,760 --> 00:41:02,439 Speaker 1: of Game five of game uh you have Game five, 746 00:41:03,520 --> 00:41:05,680 Speaker 1: so you guys have probably seen this clip was going 747 00:41:05,719 --> 00:41:10,960 Speaker 1: around social media like crazy, and I specifically have been 748 00:41:11,040 --> 00:41:13,600 Speaker 1: on this train all season long, so of course I 749 00:41:13,640 --> 00:41:15,840 Speaker 1: have to bring it up tonight. I talked to you 750 00:41:15,840 --> 00:41:19,040 Speaker 1: guys about how I love Joel embid Joel Embiad's game, 751 00:41:19,040 --> 00:41:21,759 Speaker 1: and I love Nikola Yoki's game, but I could never 752 00:41:21,800 --> 00:41:24,040 Speaker 1: include them in the list of best players in the 753 00:41:24,080 --> 00:41:27,040 Speaker 1: league because as dominant as they are at their position, 754 00:41:27,640 --> 00:41:30,960 Speaker 1: they have foot speed limitations that you can target specifically 755 00:41:31,000 --> 00:41:36,520 Speaker 1: in transition and in five out scenarios. Well. One of 756 00:41:36,520 --> 00:41:39,040 Speaker 1: the things that Toronto has figured out so far in 757 00:41:39,040 --> 00:41:42,480 Speaker 1: this series as it's progressed is Joel Embid can't guard 758 00:41:42,480 --> 00:41:46,759 Speaker 1: their quick forwards on the perimeter pretty average players. So 759 00:41:46,800 --> 00:41:49,440 Speaker 1: there was a sequence in the third quarter We're on 760 00:41:49,640 --> 00:41:55,240 Speaker 1: five consecutive possessions in isolation, not like, oh, he's attacking 761 00:41:55,239 --> 00:41:58,400 Speaker 1: a close out, not like, oh, Joel Embid was helping 762 00:41:58,400 --> 00:41:59,960 Speaker 1: on someone else and had to step over and was 763 00:42:00,000 --> 00:42:03,279 Speaker 1: out of disadvantage. No staring Joel embat in the eye 764 00:42:03,880 --> 00:42:07,800 Speaker 1: and driving to the basket on it. First play, precious 765 00:42:07,840 --> 00:42:09,759 Speaker 1: thatch you a faces up at the foul line, does 766 00:42:09,760 --> 00:42:12,880 Speaker 1: a jab step. Joel Embiad buckles, drives to the basket, 767 00:42:12,920 --> 00:42:15,520 Speaker 1: draws a foul. Very next play, O G and and 768 00:42:15,600 --> 00:42:17,719 Speaker 1: Nobi kind of like fakes like he's gonna use a 769 00:42:17,719 --> 00:42:19,880 Speaker 1: screen and roll. Joel Embiad is dropped way off of 770 00:42:19,960 --> 00:42:22,120 Speaker 1: him like ten ft. O g hits the gas and 771 00:42:22,160 --> 00:42:25,080 Speaker 1: punches the gap blows right by Embad for a done 772 00:42:26,000 --> 00:42:29,480 Speaker 1: next possession kind of semi transition man on man on man. 773 00:42:30,080 --> 00:42:32,760 Speaker 1: There's no help. It's just Joel Embiid on an island 774 00:42:33,080 --> 00:42:35,200 Speaker 1: with Precious that you A pressus that you A just 775 00:42:35,239 --> 00:42:38,200 Speaker 1: does it through the legs, dribble and just blows by Embead, 776 00:42:38,280 --> 00:42:42,279 Speaker 1: no chance, wide open lay up. Next possession, same exact thing. 777 00:42:42,560 --> 00:42:46,200 Speaker 1: Pascal Siakam on the right wing just drives by right 778 00:42:46,239 --> 00:42:48,840 Speaker 1: by Joel Embiad for a layup. And then finally on 779 00:42:48,880 --> 00:42:52,600 Speaker 1: the fifth consecutive possession, out of the left corner, Pressous 780 00:42:52,640 --> 00:42:55,200 Speaker 1: Thatchua drives on Embead and Beat actually makes him use 781 00:42:55,239 --> 00:42:58,960 Speaker 1: a counter move this time, but Precious just up fakes. 782 00:42:59,600 --> 00:43:01,080 Speaker 1: He goes up and under and makes a lamp on 783 00:43:01,120 --> 00:43:04,520 Speaker 1: the left side of the rim. Five consecutive possessions. Or 784 00:43:04,560 --> 00:43:08,319 Speaker 1: they scored on Joel Embiad in isolation situations because their 785 00:43:08,320 --> 00:43:12,640 Speaker 1: players are faster, and that again is Precious. Achua, O 786 00:43:12,840 --> 00:43:16,040 Speaker 1: g n and ob In Pascal Sika all very good 787 00:43:16,040 --> 00:43:21,840 Speaker 1: basketball players. None of them are dominant offensive engines, and 788 00:43:21,960 --> 00:43:25,160 Speaker 1: Joel and Beat can't guard them on the perimeter. It's 789 00:43:25,200 --> 00:43:29,360 Speaker 1: just a limitation in their individual games. Yo Kitchen Embeat 790 00:43:30,000 --> 00:43:32,239 Speaker 1: not a criticism of them as like they're not top 791 00:43:32,239 --> 00:43:34,000 Speaker 1: ten players, or they don't deserve to win m v 792 00:43:34,080 --> 00:43:37,640 Speaker 1: P or any of those things. Just why I personally 793 00:43:37,680 --> 00:43:42,440 Speaker 1: am always gonna lean towards a Janice or Lebron or 794 00:43:42,480 --> 00:43:45,719 Speaker 1: a kd is because if you put them in that 795 00:43:45,760 --> 00:43:48,240 Speaker 1: type of setting, a game that goes up and down, 796 00:43:48,400 --> 00:43:50,239 Speaker 1: or a game that's stuck in the half court, a 797 00:43:50,280 --> 00:43:52,800 Speaker 1: game that's five out, or a game that's more traditional 798 00:43:52,880 --> 00:43:54,720 Speaker 1: with you know, a lot of pick and roll and 799 00:43:54,880 --> 00:43:58,239 Speaker 1: guys underneath the basket with less less spacing, they can 800 00:43:58,320 --> 00:44:02,120 Speaker 1: thrive in all of those In ironments would Joe Yo 801 00:44:02,200 --> 00:44:06,480 Speaker 1: kitchen and beat if the style exits their comfort zone, 802 00:44:07,239 --> 00:44:11,280 Speaker 1: they have shortcomings and you're seeing Toronto attack that. Another 803 00:44:11,320 --> 00:44:14,000 Speaker 1: big part here in the series. We talked about how 804 00:44:14,320 --> 00:44:17,800 Speaker 1: there was no way in the world that James Harden 805 00:44:18,360 --> 00:44:20,360 Speaker 1: or that the the Raptors could not have one of 806 00:44:20,400 --> 00:44:22,080 Speaker 1: the top two or three players in the series and win. 807 00:44:22,080 --> 00:44:24,840 Speaker 1: They would need to and through the first two games, 808 00:44:25,080 --> 00:44:27,480 Speaker 1: I would argue and Bead was the best player, Maxi 809 00:44:27,560 --> 00:44:29,080 Speaker 1: was the second best player, in Harden was the third 810 00:44:29,080 --> 00:44:31,840 Speaker 1: best player. Before we got to a single Raptor well, 811 00:44:32,160 --> 00:44:35,200 Speaker 1: Maxi's cooled off last three games, fourteen points on thirty 812 00:44:35,280 --> 00:44:38,200 Speaker 1: nine percent from the field, eight percent from three Hardened 813 00:44:38,640 --> 00:44:40,359 Speaker 1: looks like the same guy he has for the last 814 00:44:40,360 --> 00:44:45,080 Speaker 1: three months, like a totally fine secondary creator who can 815 00:44:45,280 --> 00:44:47,440 Speaker 1: make passes out of pick and roll and stuff. But 816 00:44:47,520 --> 00:44:50,359 Speaker 1: he's not a great isolation player anymore. He's not doing 817 00:44:50,360 --> 00:44:52,840 Speaker 1: well in spot up situations, and he's really bad defensively. 818 00:44:52,920 --> 00:44:55,360 Speaker 1: So there's a lot of liutations there. Here's the reality 819 00:44:55,360 --> 00:44:59,000 Speaker 1: of the situation. There's two games left and Beat uh 820 00:44:59,040 --> 00:45:01,640 Speaker 1: and Beat is the best player in the series. The 821 00:45:01,760 --> 00:45:04,000 Speaker 1: Sixers have more talent and they have one of those 822 00:45:04,000 --> 00:45:08,399 Speaker 1: games at home, so the Sixers should win. But there's 823 00:45:08,440 --> 00:45:10,480 Speaker 1: a ton of pressure on them. Now they have to 824 00:45:10,520 --> 00:45:13,160 Speaker 1: start by going up to Toronto. If you lose that 825 00:45:13,200 --> 00:45:15,960 Speaker 1: game in Toronto, which Toronto, it's like probably like a 826 00:45:16,000 --> 00:45:19,520 Speaker 1: coin flip, right. If Toronto wins game six, now you're 827 00:45:19,560 --> 00:45:24,080 Speaker 1: coming home. But there's a boatload of pressure, and we've 828 00:45:24,160 --> 00:45:28,040 Speaker 1: seen how James Harden reacts in those situations. I'm still 829 00:45:28,080 --> 00:45:30,560 Speaker 1: seeing Joel Embid rely too much on foul drifting. One 830 00:45:30,600 --> 00:45:33,040 Speaker 1: last note on this series. One of the things that 831 00:45:33,080 --> 00:45:36,160 Speaker 1: I noticed when I watched the tape this morning, Joel 832 00:45:36,200 --> 00:45:40,239 Speaker 1: Embiid is starting to be relegated a little bit to 833 00:45:40,280 --> 00:45:44,440 Speaker 1: the perimeter. On offense, He's having some success in situations 834 00:45:44,440 --> 00:45:47,160 Speaker 1: where he's off ball and he happens to catch around 835 00:45:47,200 --> 00:45:49,919 Speaker 1: the rim, and he's still as dominant as ever there. 836 00:45:50,400 --> 00:45:53,319 Speaker 1: It's a bucket or foul every time, basically, but the 837 00:45:53,400 --> 00:45:57,400 Speaker 1: post ups with Embiid, Toronto's figured him out. They're getting 838 00:45:57,400 --> 00:45:58,920 Speaker 1: the ball out of his hand. He's not getting good 839 00:45:58,920 --> 00:46:02,040 Speaker 1: stuff out of that anymore. Down the stretch of Game five, 840 00:46:02,600 --> 00:46:05,400 Speaker 1: and Bead was kind of floating around the perimeter, getting 841 00:46:05,480 --> 00:46:07,360 Speaker 1: rid of the basketball, doing a lot more dribble handoffs, 842 00:46:07,400 --> 00:46:09,840 Speaker 1: taking a lot of tougher jump shots. It's an interesting 843 00:46:09,920 --> 00:46:12,720 Speaker 1: dynamic you're starting to see. You know, early in the series, 844 00:46:12,719 --> 00:46:14,920 Speaker 1: guys like Precious to Chua, Ken birch and O g 845 00:46:15,280 --> 00:46:17,520 Speaker 1: and uh O g and Obi and Pascal, I mean, 846 00:46:17,560 --> 00:46:19,759 Speaker 1: all of them have seen time on Embiid, but each 847 00:46:19,760 --> 00:46:22,400 Speaker 1: of them at the beginning of the series were super tentative. 848 00:46:22,440 --> 00:46:25,160 Speaker 1: They didn't want to commit fouls. They weren't being physical, 849 00:46:25,200 --> 00:46:28,240 Speaker 1: they weren't testing his handle. They're kind of feeling things out. 850 00:46:28,719 --> 00:46:31,560 Speaker 1: Watch the way they're guarding and Bead now they're testing 851 00:46:31,600 --> 00:46:34,680 Speaker 1: his handle, they're reaching, they're being aggressive, they're getting up 852 00:46:34,760 --> 00:46:38,440 Speaker 1: underneath him. They're starting to have some success there. So 853 00:46:39,160 --> 00:46:43,040 Speaker 1: like if there was ever a time that earlier I 854 00:46:43,120 --> 00:46:45,920 Speaker 1: was just wishing it would happen. Now this is a 855 00:46:46,040 --> 00:46:49,680 Speaker 1: real potential outcome. Toronto has a game at home, a 856 00:46:49,800 --> 00:46:52,520 Speaker 1: chance to win, and then Game seven and in Philly 857 00:46:52,560 --> 00:46:54,719 Speaker 1: anything happened. This thing is still up in the air. 858 00:46:54,719 --> 00:46:56,880 Speaker 1: Although I am still picking Philly because they are the 859 00:46:56,880 --> 00:47:01,279 Speaker 1: better team, so obviously, I mean, the three oh come 860 00:47:01,320 --> 00:47:06,279 Speaker 1: back would be completely unprecedented historically and wildly amusing for 861 00:47:06,320 --> 00:47:09,560 Speaker 1: a number of reasons, largely that you would have two 862 00:47:09,560 --> 00:47:12,880 Speaker 1: guys who have just become notorious for playoff under performance 863 00:47:12,920 --> 00:47:15,600 Speaker 1: and collapses, with Doc Rivers and Harden being at the 864 00:47:15,600 --> 00:47:19,400 Speaker 1: forefront of it. You say that Philly is still the favorite, 865 00:47:19,400 --> 00:47:22,560 Speaker 1: but it's possible for Toronto to do it. What do 866 00:47:22,600 --> 00:47:25,440 Speaker 1: you think is the most important thing that needs to 867 00:47:25,480 --> 00:47:28,359 Speaker 1: happen if Toronto is actually gonna pull it off, And 868 00:47:28,920 --> 00:47:31,680 Speaker 1: if you had to estimate a probability of the Raptors 869 00:47:31,719 --> 00:47:35,080 Speaker 1: actually doing it and winning this series, what range would 870 00:47:35,080 --> 00:47:39,200 Speaker 1: you put that in? I put it in about so 871 00:47:39,239 --> 00:47:41,839 Speaker 1: a little a little less than a coin flip. The 872 00:47:41,840 --> 00:47:44,040 Speaker 1: biggest thing is going to be the offensive end. Yeah, 873 00:47:44,040 --> 00:47:46,400 Speaker 1: it's a legit Carson. They have a legit chance to 874 00:47:46,400 --> 00:47:49,600 Speaker 1: win this series. It's I think the key is gonna 875 00:47:49,600 --> 00:47:52,359 Speaker 1: be the offensive end. Pascal s has been playing well. 876 00:47:53,120 --> 00:47:55,400 Speaker 1: O g and Obi has been playing well, hitting shots. 877 00:47:55,600 --> 00:48:00,200 Speaker 1: Precious a Chiwa, this dude in Miami. He was kind 878 00:48:00,239 --> 00:48:04,200 Speaker 1: of just like another undersized forward who tried really hard, 879 00:48:04,719 --> 00:48:07,239 Speaker 1: who and I say undersized, like had more of the 880 00:48:07,320 --> 00:48:10,400 Speaker 1: size of a wing, but didn't have the skills. So 881 00:48:10,440 --> 00:48:12,040 Speaker 1: he was playing kind of as a forward and just 882 00:48:12,080 --> 00:48:15,000 Speaker 1: kind of like a do everything utility player. He is 883 00:48:15,080 --> 00:48:18,160 Speaker 1: showing flashes of offensive potential on the perimeter that are 884 00:48:18,200 --> 00:48:20,480 Speaker 1: really really exciting. And he's young. I think he's only 885 00:48:20,480 --> 00:48:22,319 Speaker 1: twenty two if I remember correctly. You correct me if 886 00:48:22,360 --> 00:48:25,719 Speaker 1: I'm wrong there, Carson, Like, Precious looks amazing. There was 887 00:48:25,760 --> 00:48:29,440 Speaker 1: a play in the first half it was like like 888 00:48:29,640 --> 00:48:32,319 Speaker 1: late second quarter where Joel and Be was helping on 889 00:48:32,560 --> 00:48:35,360 Speaker 1: a play where O g and Nobe was isolating against 890 00:48:35,440 --> 00:48:38,839 Speaker 1: James Harden and O Gennobe threw a skip pass too 891 00:48:38,960 --> 00:48:42,440 Speaker 1: Precious Schua in the corner and Precious had already made 892 00:48:42,480 --> 00:48:44,200 Speaker 1: a couple of jump shots in the game, so and 893 00:48:44,239 --> 00:48:47,160 Speaker 1: Bead had to close out hard, and Precious did like 894 00:48:47,200 --> 00:48:49,960 Speaker 1: an up fake and ripped through the baseline and threw 895 00:48:50,000 --> 00:48:52,360 Speaker 1: down a dunk right before the shot clock buzzer. And 896 00:48:52,400 --> 00:48:55,359 Speaker 1: I'm like, that looks like a straight up slasher wing 897 00:48:55,440 --> 00:48:58,400 Speaker 1: and that doesn't look like unskilled forward like he's showing 898 00:48:58,400 --> 00:49:00,719 Speaker 1: some flashes there. So the key is going to be 899 00:49:01,760 --> 00:49:05,600 Speaker 1: can Toronto score enough to win this series? And so 900 00:49:05,640 --> 00:49:07,680 Speaker 1: it's gonna come down to guys like Precious playing well. 901 00:49:07,680 --> 00:49:10,920 Speaker 1: O G and Pascal obviously is that is their best 902 00:49:10,960 --> 00:49:13,640 Speaker 1: individual shot creator with with Van Vleet out, so I 903 00:49:13,680 --> 00:49:17,840 Speaker 1: think it's gonna come down to them on the offensive end. Well, 904 00:49:17,960 --> 00:49:20,920 Speaker 1: the name of the game here is what have we learned? 905 00:49:21,080 --> 00:49:24,279 Speaker 1: And there's very few people who are better to learn from, 906 00:49:24,320 --> 00:49:26,759 Speaker 1: I think when it comes to talking about basketball then 907 00:49:26,880 --> 00:49:30,719 Speaker 1: our colleague here the volume Draymond Green. He recently gave 908 00:49:30,840 --> 00:49:34,160 Speaker 1: his thoughts on his pot on the net struggles against 909 00:49:34,160 --> 00:49:35,880 Speaker 1: the Celtics, So Jason, let's take a listen to what 910 00:49:35,920 --> 00:49:38,880 Speaker 1: he had to say. I just thought in that series, 911 00:49:40,239 --> 00:49:43,920 Speaker 1: Boston made it a point that Kevin Durant and Kyrie 912 00:49:44,000 --> 00:49:46,520 Speaker 1: Irvan will not beat us we know those two guys 913 00:49:46,520 --> 00:49:48,799 Speaker 1: can beat us, They're not going to beat us. And 914 00:49:50,800 --> 00:49:54,040 Speaker 1: what it looked to me as there was no one 915 00:49:54,080 --> 00:49:57,400 Speaker 1: to get those two guys in position to score the 916 00:49:57,440 --> 00:49:59,480 Speaker 1: ball where they like to score the ball from. And 917 00:49:59,520 --> 00:50:02,640 Speaker 1: so you and up seeing a ton of turnovers. Uh. 918 00:50:02,760 --> 00:50:06,120 Speaker 1: You know, I saw the numbers with like Katie uh 919 00:50:06,120 --> 00:50:09,880 Speaker 1: and his turnovers versus Jayson Tatum and all the different things. 920 00:50:09,880 --> 00:50:12,759 Speaker 1: But the reality is Brooklyn struggled to get stops the 921 00:50:12,920 --> 00:50:15,799 Speaker 1: entire series. You struggle to get stops. You come down 922 00:50:15,840 --> 00:50:19,040 Speaker 1: against the set defense every single time you come down 923 00:50:19,080 --> 00:50:21,480 Speaker 1: to court. I don't care how good of an offensive 924 00:50:21,480 --> 00:50:24,560 Speaker 1: team you are or what offensive players you've got on 925 00:50:24,600 --> 00:50:28,080 Speaker 1: your team, playing against the set defense every time it 926 00:50:28,160 --> 00:50:32,839 Speaker 1: is nearly impossible. So, Jason, obviously you've talked a lot 927 00:50:32,880 --> 00:50:35,880 Speaker 1: about how brilliant the Celtics defense has been and explored 928 00:50:36,280 --> 00:50:39,880 Speaker 1: the net struggles offensively, But what are your thoughts on that? 929 00:50:42,640 --> 00:50:45,239 Speaker 1: First of all, Uh, I have so much respect for 930 00:50:45,320 --> 00:50:48,280 Speaker 1: Draymond as a basketball mind, and it really really makes 931 00:50:48,320 --> 00:50:50,400 Speaker 1: me feel good to hear him say some of the 932 00:50:50,440 --> 00:50:53,360 Speaker 1: similar things that I have said over the years. It 933 00:50:53,360 --> 00:50:55,400 Speaker 1: makes me feel like we gotta be doing something right 934 00:50:55,400 --> 00:50:57,680 Speaker 1: over here. How often do we talk about set defenses 935 00:50:57,719 --> 00:51:01,040 Speaker 1: and the difference between attacking in transition inter semi transition 936 00:51:01,160 --> 00:51:03,000 Speaker 1: versus in the half chord. Why it's so important to 937 00:51:03,040 --> 00:51:06,480 Speaker 1: get stops and all that stuff. You know, a couple 938 00:51:06,520 --> 00:51:07,839 Speaker 1: of things. He's hit the nail on the head. They 939 00:51:07,840 --> 00:51:11,560 Speaker 1: absolutely went to take away Katie and Kyrie. Um. I 940 00:51:11,560 --> 00:51:13,520 Speaker 1: think it's a little bit more difficult than it looks 941 00:51:13,560 --> 00:51:15,560 Speaker 1: to try to get them in spots where they can succeed, 942 00:51:15,600 --> 00:51:17,640 Speaker 1: because that was a big part of the series, was 943 00:51:17,719 --> 00:51:20,520 Speaker 1: fighting them off of position with physicality at different spots 944 00:51:20,520 --> 00:51:22,640 Speaker 1: on the floor, and even when they tried to run 945 00:51:22,680 --> 00:51:25,680 Speaker 1: actions where you know, like there was an in bounced 946 00:51:25,719 --> 00:51:28,040 Speaker 1: play in Game three baseline out of balanced play where 947 00:51:28,120 --> 00:51:30,600 Speaker 1: like we're like Katie and Kyrie and Nick Claxton were 948 00:51:30,600 --> 00:51:32,800 Speaker 1: all kind of in like a triangle, and like Katie 949 00:51:32,800 --> 00:51:35,880 Speaker 1: and Kyrie set across screen and then Nick Claxton like 950 00:51:35,920 --> 00:51:39,400 Speaker 1: fake setting a screen and they cut back and Tatum 951 00:51:39,400 --> 00:51:41,440 Speaker 1: and Brown and Grant Williams. I think we're the three 952 00:51:41,440 --> 00:51:44,680 Speaker 1: defenders involved, and they're literally hugging all three nets on 953 00:51:44,719 --> 00:51:47,680 Speaker 1: the play. And when Jalen Brown and Grant Williams do 954 00:51:47,719 --> 00:51:50,319 Speaker 1: the switch on the Katie Kyrie screen, they just like 955 00:51:50,640 --> 00:51:53,279 Speaker 1: shoved the player like Kyrie and Katie to each other, 956 00:51:53,280 --> 00:51:55,840 Speaker 1: and then like grabbed him again. And then on the 957 00:51:55,920 --> 00:51:58,800 Speaker 1: play when Nick Claxton goes to fake back to the basket, 958 00:51:58,880 --> 00:52:01,480 Speaker 1: Hated like grabs him again and he reaches in and 959 00:52:01,480 --> 00:52:03,799 Speaker 1: gets a steal on the inbounds pass. It runs the 960 00:52:03,840 --> 00:52:05,799 Speaker 1: other way, and I'm just like, well, here you go. Here, 961 00:52:05,800 --> 00:52:07,680 Speaker 1: You're trying to run in action and it just doesn't 962 00:52:07,680 --> 00:52:10,319 Speaker 1: work because Boston's just beating the ship out of you 963 00:52:10,400 --> 00:52:12,279 Speaker 1: off the ball. It's just kind of the nature of 964 00:52:12,320 --> 00:52:15,080 Speaker 1: the way they play. And I think I think it's 965 00:52:15,120 --> 00:52:18,880 Speaker 1: just it's just the important it's the important reality of 966 00:52:18,920 --> 00:52:21,640 Speaker 1: the way that playoff basketball gets so much tougher. It's 967 00:52:21,640 --> 00:52:24,400 Speaker 1: really important that he was talking about attacking against the 968 00:52:24,400 --> 00:52:29,359 Speaker 1: set defense, because the Celtics offense really really got going 969 00:52:29,400 --> 00:52:32,399 Speaker 1: in the second halves of this series. In the first half, 970 00:52:32,400 --> 00:52:35,120 Speaker 1: first quarter, second quarter, Brooklyn was able to get a 971 00:52:35,120 --> 00:52:36,759 Speaker 1: lot of stops. It's a big part of why they 972 00:52:36,800 --> 00:52:39,879 Speaker 1: had early leads in every game. But as the game 973 00:52:39,920 --> 00:52:42,480 Speaker 1: forget progress, they had a lot of problems. I wanted 974 00:52:42,520 --> 00:52:46,279 Speaker 1: to share some very specific of some kind of in 975 00:52:46,320 --> 00:52:49,680 Speaker 1: the details stats from this series, because the series was 976 00:52:49,719 --> 00:52:52,120 Speaker 1: interesting on a couple of different levels. It was it 977 00:52:52,239 --> 00:52:54,520 Speaker 1: was an example of you know, we talked about styles 978 00:52:54,560 --> 00:52:57,680 Speaker 1: making fights, but these two teams have very similar styles. 979 00:52:57,719 --> 00:53:00,480 Speaker 1: Like Brooklyn is a team that has to get out 980 00:53:00,480 --> 00:53:03,040 Speaker 1: and transition a lot, so is Boston. Brooklyn is a 981 00:53:03,040 --> 00:53:05,640 Speaker 1: team that likes to switch a lot, so is Boston. 982 00:53:05,760 --> 00:53:08,319 Speaker 1: Brooklyn is a team that likes to attack mismatches on 983 00:53:08,360 --> 00:53:10,600 Speaker 1: the other end of the floor, so is Boston. But 984 00:53:10,719 --> 00:53:14,040 Speaker 1: Boston kind of is like the better version of them. 985 00:53:14,080 --> 00:53:16,680 Speaker 1: They're kind of the evolved version of them. Kind of 986 00:53:16,719 --> 00:53:18,480 Speaker 1: like that, Like I've been talking about a lot on 987 00:53:18,520 --> 00:53:21,000 Speaker 1: the show there what the future of basketball looks like 988 00:53:21,000 --> 00:53:23,120 Speaker 1: on so many different levels, and and you saw that 989 00:53:23,120 --> 00:53:26,640 Speaker 1: show up in the numbers. So obviously the Nets relied 990 00:53:26,680 --> 00:53:29,680 Speaker 1: a lot in isolation. They isolated about four percent of 991 00:53:29,680 --> 00:53:32,920 Speaker 1: their possessions in this series. The interesting thing is they 992 00:53:32,960 --> 00:53:37,120 Speaker 1: only scored zero point eight three points per possession and 993 00:53:37,239 --> 00:53:40,560 Speaker 1: isolation with Katie and Kyrie on most of those possessions. 994 00:53:40,880 --> 00:53:44,720 Speaker 1: The Celtics and isolation possessions averaged one point one nine 995 00:53:45,040 --> 00:53:47,680 Speaker 1: points per one possession or points per possession, which is 996 00:53:47,719 --> 00:53:50,719 Speaker 1: fascinating because I said, all towards the end of the 997 00:53:50,719 --> 00:53:53,440 Speaker 1: regular season and coming into the series, I said, the 998 00:53:53,480 --> 00:53:57,400 Speaker 1: biggest difference between these two dynamics is Tatum gets to 999 00:53:57,440 --> 00:54:00,319 Speaker 1: attack better matchups. He gets to go after Set Curry, 1000 00:54:00,320 --> 00:54:02,000 Speaker 1: he gets to go after Patty Meals. He gets to 1001 00:54:02,000 --> 00:54:06,200 Speaker 1: go after bigger, slower defenders or smaller, skinnier defenders. He 1002 00:54:06,239 --> 00:54:09,200 Speaker 1: had all of these different options, and Katie and Kyrie 1003 00:54:09,280 --> 00:54:11,480 Speaker 1: were just picking from an all you can eat buffet 1004 00:54:11,600 --> 00:54:14,440 Speaker 1: of all defense level guys. So of course it was 1005 00:54:14,480 --> 00:54:16,200 Speaker 1: gonna be a huge pain in the butt. So to 1006 00:54:16,200 --> 00:54:18,839 Speaker 1: give you an idea, the Celtics only lated on eight 1007 00:54:18,840 --> 00:54:22,720 Speaker 1: point six percent of their possessions compared to almost fourteen 1008 00:54:22,760 --> 00:54:26,400 Speaker 1: percent for the Nets. Yet the Celtics only scored three 1009 00:54:26,680 --> 00:54:31,319 Speaker 1: fewer points in isolation possessions than the Nets did. They 1010 00:54:31,360 --> 00:54:34,719 Speaker 1: scored on fifty one point four percent of their ISOs 1011 00:54:35,320 --> 00:54:37,799 Speaker 1: and the Nets only scored on thirty six point eight 1012 00:54:37,840 --> 00:54:41,919 Speaker 1: percent of their ISOs. I talked about how they where 1013 00:54:42,280 --> 00:54:45,120 Speaker 1: they wore Brooklyn down defensively in the second halves. Did 1014 00:54:45,160 --> 00:54:48,759 Speaker 1: you know that the Celtics in this series scored nineteen 1015 00:54:48,920 --> 00:54:51,719 Speaker 1: field goals per game in the restricted area compared to 1016 00:54:51,760 --> 00:54:55,040 Speaker 1: only twelve for Brooklyn. Bullying them inside, we talked a 1017 00:54:55,080 --> 00:54:58,920 Speaker 1: lot about Jalen Brown exploiting size Mitch mismatches and getting 1018 00:54:58,920 --> 00:55:01,320 Speaker 1: all the way to the rim them on the offensive glass. 1019 00:55:01,320 --> 00:55:03,399 Speaker 1: Al Horford was active on the offensive class and there 1020 00:55:03,400 --> 00:55:06,040 Speaker 1: so is Marcus Smart. They just they've won all of 1021 00:55:06,080 --> 00:55:08,520 Speaker 1: these little areas of the game that were so important 1022 00:55:08,560 --> 00:55:11,400 Speaker 1: to the way Brooklyn played. Boston just came in and 1023 00:55:11,440 --> 00:55:14,840 Speaker 1: did them better. There were ten minutes of clutch time 1024 00:55:14,920 --> 00:55:17,920 Speaker 1: in this series, so remember NBA dot Com defines clutch 1025 00:55:17,960 --> 00:55:22,680 Speaker 1: time is five or fewer minutes remaining score within five points. 1026 00:55:23,400 --> 00:55:27,440 Speaker 1: In ten minutes of clutch time, Boston held Brooklyn. Again. 1027 00:55:28,000 --> 00:55:32,200 Speaker 1: Kyrie and KD two of the best closers in basketball. 1028 00:55:32,880 --> 00:55:34,160 Speaker 1: But for those of you guys who've listened to the 1029 00:55:34,160 --> 00:55:35,960 Speaker 1: show over the course last few years, I always say, 1030 00:55:35,960 --> 00:55:39,120 Speaker 1: closing is very complicated. It's not just about isolation scoring. 1031 00:55:39,440 --> 00:55:42,240 Speaker 1: It's about perimeter decision making. It's not about one possession, 1032 00:55:42,480 --> 00:55:45,720 Speaker 1: it's about the last five to ten possessions. It's about defense. 1033 00:55:45,760 --> 00:55:49,480 Speaker 1: There's so many different things in closing. The Celtics, the 1034 00:55:49,600 --> 00:55:51,600 Speaker 1: Nets had the two best closers on the floor in 1035 00:55:51,719 --> 00:55:54,000 Speaker 1: terms of guys who can create their own shot. They 1036 00:55:54,040 --> 00:55:56,759 Speaker 1: averaged just fifty eight point eight points per one hundred 1037 00:55:56,760 --> 00:56:01,080 Speaker 1: possessions and ten minutes of of clutch possessions. So Boston 1038 00:56:01,680 --> 00:56:05,239 Speaker 1: utterly stifled Brooklyn in crunch time. As a result, in 1039 00:56:05,280 --> 00:56:11,160 Speaker 1: those ten minutes, Boston outscored Brooklyn by fifteen points. And 1040 00:56:11,160 --> 00:56:17,239 Speaker 1: then lastly, you know, to Draymond's point, when Boston, when 1041 00:56:17,280 --> 00:56:20,400 Speaker 1: Boston didn't score, when Brooklyn got a stop and they 1042 00:56:20,400 --> 00:56:22,879 Speaker 1: were able to get out in transition, they scored one 1043 00:56:22,960 --> 00:56:26,359 Speaker 1: point three one points per one per transition possession. That's 1044 00:56:26,360 --> 00:56:29,400 Speaker 1: a great number. So when they got out in transition, 1045 00:56:29,719 --> 00:56:33,160 Speaker 1: they were scoring very, very easily. But then when they 1046 00:56:33,160 --> 00:56:35,319 Speaker 1: get stuck, and then when they got stuck in the 1047 00:56:35,320 --> 00:56:37,640 Speaker 1: half court, that was when they got killed. It was 1048 00:56:37,719 --> 00:56:40,000 Speaker 1: just it was a it was a classic case of 1049 00:56:40,440 --> 00:56:44,200 Speaker 1: Brooklyn running into like the serious, grown up version of themselves. 1050 00:56:45,160 --> 00:56:47,799 Speaker 1: You know, Brooklyn was so much better than all of 1051 00:56:47,800 --> 00:56:51,480 Speaker 1: the detractors wanted to act like they were in this series. 1052 00:56:52,080 --> 00:56:55,239 Speaker 1: But Boston, you know, because like Brooklyn is not a 1053 00:56:55,320 --> 00:56:57,640 Speaker 1: dumpster fire. They just had a lot of drama. They 1054 00:56:57,640 --> 00:56:59,680 Speaker 1: had Ben Simmons drama, they had the Kyrie Irving drama. 1055 00:57:00,040 --> 00:57:02,040 Speaker 1: They have some old, washed up guys on the roster, 1056 00:57:02,440 --> 00:57:05,600 Speaker 1: but there's some real serious basketball players on the team. 1057 00:57:05,600 --> 00:57:07,920 Speaker 1: But Boston is what Brooklyn would look like if it 1058 00:57:08,000 --> 00:57:10,719 Speaker 1: was well run. You know, stars that are dedicated to 1059 00:57:10,719 --> 00:57:14,640 Speaker 1: the craft, that are not interested in the extracurriculars. You know, uh, 1060 00:57:14,640 --> 00:57:18,120 Speaker 1: a willingness to be coached, checking ego at the door, 1061 00:57:18,280 --> 00:57:21,600 Speaker 1: commitment to defense, signing players that are for the betterment 1062 00:57:21,680 --> 00:57:24,919 Speaker 1: of the team rather than personalities or resumes, things along 1063 00:57:24,960 --> 00:57:28,600 Speaker 1: those lines. You know, Boston is the grown up, professional 1064 00:57:28,680 --> 00:57:30,800 Speaker 1: version of Brooklyn, and it was cool to see them 1065 00:57:30,840 --> 00:57:35,440 Speaker 1: beat Brooklyn at their own game. So Draymond talks about 1066 00:57:35,520 --> 00:57:37,320 Speaker 1: sort of some of the issues was maybe a lack 1067 00:57:37,360 --> 00:57:40,800 Speaker 1: of that table setting presents who can get you know, 1068 00:57:40,880 --> 00:57:43,880 Speaker 1: those great scores going in their spots. You highlighted a 1069 00:57:43,880 --> 00:57:46,120 Speaker 1: bunch of the offensive issues that the that the Nets 1070 00:57:46,160 --> 00:57:48,640 Speaker 1: facing that matchup, and you know, I think the lack 1071 00:57:48,680 --> 00:57:51,600 Speaker 1: of paint production and paint offense stands out there. So 1072 00:57:51,720 --> 00:57:54,640 Speaker 1: just given all of those issues that we saw, is 1073 00:57:54,680 --> 00:57:59,040 Speaker 1: there a specific personnel adjustment that you look at, like 1074 00:57:59,240 --> 00:58:02,600 Speaker 1: one type of player who you think, boy, the Nets 1075 00:58:02,600 --> 00:58:05,400 Speaker 1: are really missing that guy who they could also even 1076 00:58:05,440 --> 00:58:08,560 Speaker 1: conceivably get because obviously they are pretty tied up cap wise, 1077 00:58:08,600 --> 00:58:10,919 Speaker 1: But is there a certain spot that you look at there. 1078 00:58:12,000 --> 00:58:13,960 Speaker 1: I agree with Draymond from the standpoint of like a 1079 00:58:14,000 --> 00:58:19,800 Speaker 1: playmaker would work great. The issue is is, like it's 1080 00:58:19,840 --> 00:58:25,040 Speaker 1: such a rare breed, like k D is already as 1081 00:58:25,080 --> 00:58:28,200 Speaker 1: good of a playmaker as the vast majority of the 1082 00:58:28,280 --> 00:58:31,560 Speaker 1: better playmakers in the league. There's just that group of 1083 00:58:31,600 --> 00:58:33,800 Speaker 1: four guys, you know, the Chris Paul's, the Lucas, the 1084 00:58:33,880 --> 00:58:36,760 Speaker 1: Yokichen and the Lebrons that are like on another level 1085 00:58:36,800 --> 00:58:39,360 Speaker 1: above them. And that's why I value those guys so much. 1086 00:58:39,400 --> 00:58:42,200 Speaker 1: There's so few of them, Like, is there one player 1087 00:58:42,240 --> 00:58:46,000 Speaker 1: who's close to that grouping? Like I mean, guys like 1088 00:58:46,240 --> 00:58:49,640 Speaker 1: guys like Trey Young and James Harden are good passers, 1089 00:58:49,680 --> 00:58:52,920 Speaker 1: but there's obviously huge chasm between what they can do 1090 00:58:52,960 --> 00:58:55,520 Speaker 1: and those guys, and so I don't think they can 1091 00:58:55,640 --> 00:58:58,040 Speaker 1: attain that type of players. So what I would target 1092 00:58:58,880 --> 00:59:01,760 Speaker 1: in a in a potential Reeving trade I talked about 1093 00:59:01,800 --> 00:59:03,440 Speaker 1: We talked about this a little bit last night, actually, 1094 00:59:03,440 --> 00:59:07,800 Speaker 1: like the idea of building a Boston type of of 1095 00:59:07,800 --> 00:59:10,880 Speaker 1: of concept with Katie at the Helm. So try to 1096 00:59:10,880 --> 00:59:13,760 Speaker 1: flip Kyrie for you know, Kyrie is gonna be overpaid 1097 00:59:13,760 --> 00:59:15,720 Speaker 1: on that contract, so try to flip him for other 1098 00:59:15,840 --> 00:59:19,440 Speaker 1: overpaid Wings guys that are six six to six eight 1099 00:59:19,720 --> 00:59:21,960 Speaker 1: that are willing to work on the defensive end aren't 1100 00:59:21,960 --> 00:59:25,680 Speaker 1: anywhere near as good offensively as Kyrie, but neither is 1101 00:59:25,760 --> 00:59:29,680 Speaker 1: Jalen Brown. Neither is you know, uh, Marcus Smarter. These 1102 00:59:29,680 --> 00:59:33,400 Speaker 1: guys that are playing for Boston, they're just they're building 1103 00:59:33,440 --> 00:59:37,560 Speaker 1: off of their defense, Like Boston. Boston is scoring twenty 1104 00:59:37,560 --> 00:59:40,200 Speaker 1: four points in transition per game in this playoff run, 1105 00:59:40,240 --> 00:59:42,520 Speaker 1: which leads all the teams in the playoffs, So they're 1106 00:59:42,520 --> 00:59:46,440 Speaker 1: getting easy opportunities off of their stops, which is making 1107 00:59:46,480 --> 00:59:50,040 Speaker 1: guys like Jalen Brown, Marcus Smart, guys that are good 1108 00:59:50,080 --> 00:59:52,439 Speaker 1: offensive players, but they're not great offensive players, but they're 1109 00:59:52,440 --> 00:59:56,000 Speaker 1: having great offensive moments because of the openings that are 1110 00:59:56,040 --> 00:59:57,880 Speaker 1: created by their defense on the offensive end. So I 1111 00:59:57,880 --> 01:00:01,200 Speaker 1: would try to flip Kyrie for that archetype of player, 1112 01:00:01,240 --> 01:00:06,320 Speaker 1: if that makes sense. Yeah. Absolutely, All right, guys, that 1113 01:00:06,400 --> 01:00:08,920 Speaker 1: is all we have for tonight. I sincerely appreciate your support. 1114 01:00:08,960 --> 01:00:11,520 Speaker 1: As always, we will be back tomorrow after the final 1115 01:00:11,600 --> 01:00:14,000 Speaker 1: game of the night, which I believe is Nuggets Warriors, 1116 01:00:14,040 --> 01:00:15,960 Speaker 1: so come hang out off to the final buzzer of 1117 01:00:16,000 --> 01:00:18,160 Speaker 1: Nuggets Warriors. As always, we appreciate your support and we 1118 01:00:18,200 --> 01:00:18,760 Speaker 1: will see you then