1 00:00:01,440 --> 00:00:02,120 Speaker 1: The volume. 2 00:00:05,440 --> 00:00:08,440 Speaker 2: The NBA Finals are almost here and every play could 3 00:00:08,520 --> 00:00:10,960 Speaker 2: be the one that changes everything. This is the NBA 4 00:00:11,039 --> 00:00:14,640 Speaker 2: Playoffs where heroes rise, legacies are built, and the action 5 00:00:14,840 --> 00:00:17,120 Speaker 2: never lets up. And with DraftKings Sports Book and official 6 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:19,880 Speaker 2: sports betting partner of the NBA, you don't just watch 7 00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:23,560 Speaker 2: the madness, you live it. Back your favorite team, ride 8 00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:26,239 Speaker 2: with your clutch, time killer, bet on the buzzer beaters, 9 00:00:26,320 --> 00:00:29,960 Speaker 2: the breakout performances, the game winning threes, from player props 10 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:32,559 Speaker 2: to same game parlays. 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Hope all of you guys 37 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:07,560 Speaker 2: are having a great week, well as expected. The Oklahoma 38 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:10,919 Speaker 2: City thunder delivered the death blow to the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight, 39 00:02:11,639 --> 00:02:13,560 Speaker 2: immediately out the gates, just kicking their ass. 40 00:02:13,639 --> 00:02:15,079 Speaker 3: And it started with their defense. 41 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:18,079 Speaker 2: We can talk about Shay and j Dubb, and those 42 00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:21,520 Speaker 2: two guys have had incredible offensive moments in this postseason run. 43 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:23,280 Speaker 2: I think Game four is a great example of a 44 00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:25,800 Speaker 2: game that those two guys won with their offense. But 45 00:02:25,919 --> 00:02:28,560 Speaker 2: the best attribute of the Oklahoma City Thunder is their 46 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:32,200 Speaker 2: defense and holding the Minnesota Timberwolves to just thirty two 47 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:35,200 Speaker 2: points in the first half as they make their way 48 00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:37,800 Speaker 2: to the NBA Finals. We're going to be very briefly 49 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:39,760 Speaker 2: talking about that game. We're going to be mostly looking 50 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:43,000 Speaker 2: forward for Oklahoma City and Minnesota after that. For our 51 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:45,440 Speaker 2: Microsoft Course Correction segment this week, I want to talk 52 00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:46,560 Speaker 2: a little bit about Alex. 53 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:48,440 Speaker 3: Caruso the tail end of the show. 54 00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:51,320 Speaker 2: There's been a lot of debate over the course of 55 00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:53,200 Speaker 2: the last couple of days about the current state of 56 00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:56,320 Speaker 2: the NBA. Specifically, we've talked about refereeing and stuff like that. 57 00:02:56,360 --> 00:02:58,920 Speaker 2: I want to focus in more on the concept of 58 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:01,880 Speaker 2: the face of the lead and some of the complaining 59 00:03:01,960 --> 00:03:05,200 Speaker 2: about Oklahoma City and Indiana being in the finals as 60 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:08,079 Speaker 2: small markets, and some of the stuff about whether or 61 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:10,320 Speaker 2: not the league needs to market some of these teams better. 62 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:12,480 Speaker 2: I want to kind of dive into that concept, the 63 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:16,960 Speaker 2: transition from the Steph lebron kd era into this new era, 64 00:03:17,120 --> 00:03:20,000 Speaker 2: and just some of the realities that face down stars 65 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:23,880 Speaker 2: like Shay Gils, Alexander and Tyrese Haliburton, Anthony Edwards and 66 00:03:23,919 --> 00:03:27,520 Speaker 2: other guys who want to make an imprint on this league. 67 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:29,720 Speaker 2: And so that'll be our third segment tonight, and then 68 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:31,120 Speaker 2: when we are at when we are done with all 69 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:33,200 Speaker 2: of that, we'll take five to ten minutes of questions 70 00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:35,240 Speaker 2: from the mail bag, So make sure you guys get 71 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:37,080 Speaker 2: your questions into the chat. You guys are the joke 72 00:03:37,120 --> 00:03:39,400 Speaker 2: before we get started. To subscribe to hoops Cent. Subscribe 73 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 2: to the Hoops and O YouTube channel so you don't 74 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:42,360 Speaker 2: miss any more of our videos. Follow me on Twitter 75 00:03:42,400 --> 00:03:45,360 Speaker 2: at underscore jcnlt so you guys don't miss show announcement. Still, 76 00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:47,120 Speaker 2: forget about a podcast feed where we get your podcast 77 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 2: on our hoops tonight. It's also super helpful if you 78 00:03:48,720 --> 00:03:50,760 Speaker 2: leave a rating and a review on that front. Jackson's 79 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:53,640 Speaker 2: doing great work on our social media feeds Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok. 80 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:55,760 Speaker 2: Make sure you guys follow us there and keep dropping 81 00:03:55,800 --> 00:03:57,680 Speaker 2: mailbag questions in the chat so that we can get 82 00:03:57,680 --> 00:03:59,080 Speaker 2: to them. At the tail end of the show. Also, 83 00:03:59,120 --> 00:04:02,120 Speaker 2: when we finish here tonight, right it over to playback again. 84 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:07,400 Speaker 2: That's playback dot TV slash shops tonight, We're gonna, you know, 85 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:09,360 Speaker 2: take callers, We'll watch some film, we'll have some fun. 86 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:11,880 Speaker 2: It'll just be a it'll just be like a more 87 00:04:11,920 --> 00:04:14,760 Speaker 2: informal kind of environment where we can all talk hoops together. 88 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:16,640 Speaker 2: So make sure you guys follow us over to playback 89 00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:20,280 Speaker 2: when we finish up tonight. All right, let's talk some basketball. 90 00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:21,760 Speaker 2: So what an ass. 91 00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:22,400 Speaker 3: Kicking that was? 92 00:04:23,040 --> 00:04:25,520 Speaker 2: I thought Oklahoma City came right out the gates with 93 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:29,839 Speaker 2: an absurd defensive effort and the Wolves kind of just crumbled. Specifically, 94 00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:32,680 Speaker 2: the role player talent couldn't really handle the physicality. I 95 00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:34,960 Speaker 2: thought Ant looked a little shook early. Julius was a 96 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:38,280 Speaker 2: little strong early, like it kind of looked a little 97 00:04:38,279 --> 00:04:40,200 Speaker 2: bit more engaged early, but then Aunt woke up. But 98 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:43,080 Speaker 2: it didn't really matter. There was just a huge amount 99 00:04:43,080 --> 00:04:45,360 Speaker 2: of pressure and intensity. Ants pull up three point shot 100 00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:47,200 Speaker 2: kind of abandoned him in this series, similar to what 101 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:50,640 Speaker 2: happened in the Western Conference Finals last year. And honestly, 102 00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:53,040 Speaker 2: the wheels came off quickly and there one really a 103 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:55,719 Speaker 2: whole lot of chance there for Minnesota to try to 104 00:04:55,720 --> 00:04:58,080 Speaker 2: close the gap again. Like we can talk about all 105 00:04:58,120 --> 00:05:01,040 Speaker 2: the different offensive talent on this team, and this Thunder 106 00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:03,440 Speaker 2: offense has been impressive, as we've talked about them needing 107 00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:05,839 Speaker 2: to conquer their demons in terms of spot up shooting 108 00:05:05,920 --> 00:05:09,359 Speaker 2: and decision making for shake yieldes Alexander and some of 109 00:05:09,400 --> 00:05:12,680 Speaker 2: the youthful inconsistency from j dub which has gone completely 110 00:05:12,680 --> 00:05:16,400 Speaker 2: by the wayside since Game seven of the Denver Nuggets series. 111 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:18,400 Speaker 2: And we can talk about all that, but the best 112 00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:21,080 Speaker 2: attribute that this team has is their defense, and that's 113 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:23,040 Speaker 2: the thing that I think is going to win them 114 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:25,799 Speaker 2: the title. I said this after Game four. I thought 115 00:05:26,240 --> 00:05:29,000 Speaker 2: Minnesota's chance at home to tie that series at two 116 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:33,279 Speaker 2: was the last chance, the last barrier. There's obviously games 117 00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:36,320 Speaker 2: to win, but the last substantial barrier that stood in 118 00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:39,080 Speaker 2: the way between them and winning the title, and they 119 00:05:39,120 --> 00:05:41,200 Speaker 2: conquered that. And I at this point, I would be 120 00:05:41,279 --> 00:05:43,360 Speaker 2: absolutely stunned if Oklahoma City. 121 00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:45,240 Speaker 3: Didn't win the title. 122 00:05:45,279 --> 00:05:48,240 Speaker 2: And you know, we've talked a lot about the uh 123 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:51,360 Speaker 2: what makes an all time great team, and I've been 124 00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:53,599 Speaker 2: talking about this over the years, Like as we talked 125 00:05:53,640 --> 00:05:56,120 Speaker 2: about Boston last year as everyone wanted to talk about 126 00:05:56,120 --> 00:05:58,800 Speaker 2: their net rating and different things like that, or Oklahoma 127 00:05:58,839 --> 00:06:00,840 Speaker 2: City this year and talk about their net rating in 128 00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:02,840 Speaker 2: the regular season. You don't become all time great in 129 00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:04,520 Speaker 2: the regular season. You just don't. You don't unless you 130 00:06:04,560 --> 00:06:07,960 Speaker 2: win seventy games. Like that's just the reality. When we 131 00:06:07,960 --> 00:06:10,000 Speaker 2: talk about the all time great teams, we talk about 132 00:06:10,279 --> 00:06:12,680 Speaker 2: the seventy three win Warriors losing, and we talk about 133 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:15,440 Speaker 2: the seventy two win Bulls, right, But like, when you 134 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:17,560 Speaker 2: get to the postseason, that is where you can make 135 00:06:17,560 --> 00:06:19,599 Speaker 2: a name for yourself. That is where you can become 136 00:06:19,640 --> 00:06:21,719 Speaker 2: a legend. That's going to be a theme when we 137 00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:25,520 Speaker 2: get into that face of the league conversation. This defense 138 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:28,280 Speaker 2: has been reputed as being an all time great defense 139 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:31,320 Speaker 2: third during the regular season based on the statistical performance 140 00:06:31,320 --> 00:06:33,919 Speaker 2: of the defense. I'd argue what puts them into that 141 00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:36,600 Speaker 2: conversation is the job that they did in this postseason. 142 00:06:36,880 --> 00:06:40,440 Speaker 2: I have never seen Nikole Jokic in his prime play 143 00:06:40,480 --> 00:06:44,520 Speaker 2: three consecutive bad playoff games. Oksee did that to him. 144 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:48,440 Speaker 2: Oklahoma City made Julius Randall when he had for two rounds, 145 00:06:48,640 --> 00:06:53,800 Speaker 2: revitalized his playoff reputation. They completely exposed him like a 146 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:56,800 Speaker 2: completely and utterly exposed him in the series to the 147 00:06:56,800 --> 00:06:58,960 Speaker 2: point where I thought he kind of let go of 148 00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:01,479 Speaker 2: the rope in terms of his effort and competitiveness in 149 00:07:01,600 --> 00:07:06,440 Speaker 2: Game four, Anthony Edwards in the wonderful postseason he had 150 00:07:06,480 --> 00:07:09,520 Speaker 2: been having shut him down in this series relative to 151 00:07:09,560 --> 00:07:12,280 Speaker 2: what his previous production was. This is where you can 152 00:07:12,320 --> 00:07:14,640 Speaker 2: make a name for yourself and the next step if 153 00:07:14,640 --> 00:07:18,920 Speaker 2: you shut down that Tyrese Haliburton led high octane Indiana 154 00:07:18,960 --> 00:07:22,240 Speaker 2: Pacers offense, that is the last piece of the puzzle 155 00:07:22,240 --> 00:07:24,240 Speaker 2: that can cement you as one of the defenses that 156 00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:28,520 Speaker 2: we will remember in NBA history. It almost feels like 157 00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:31,760 Speaker 2: there are steps to solving the Thunder puzzle. I was 158 00:07:31,760 --> 00:07:34,200 Speaker 2: thinking about this during the first half tonight. It felt 159 00:07:34,240 --> 00:07:37,800 Speaker 2: like we couldn't even really get to the kind of 160 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:40,560 Speaker 2: the normal chain of playmaking with Aunt and Julius and 161 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:43,200 Speaker 2: them having disparate to the corners and attacking closeouts and 162 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:47,520 Speaker 2: breaking down Oklahoma City's defense incrementally because they couldn't handle 163 00:07:47,520 --> 00:07:50,360 Speaker 2: the ball pressure at the beginning of the possessions. It 164 00:07:50,360 --> 00:07:52,960 Speaker 2: feels like the first step to solving the Thunder puzzle 165 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:55,080 Speaker 2: is you got to get the ball to the spots 166 00:07:55,080 --> 00:07:57,200 Speaker 2: that you need the ball to begin, whether it's a 167 00:07:57,240 --> 00:08:00,520 Speaker 2: specific action that you're looking to run, a specific post mismatch, 168 00:08:00,600 --> 00:08:03,480 Speaker 2: something along those lines. And if you fail that test, 169 00:08:03,880 --> 00:08:06,200 Speaker 2: like if you can't even get the ball to your spots, 170 00:08:06,760 --> 00:08:10,120 Speaker 2: then you're just dead on arrival. Lou dorton Alex Caruso 171 00:08:10,240 --> 00:08:14,320 Speaker 2: with seven steals tonight. We'll talk more about Caruso in 172 00:08:14,360 --> 00:08:17,800 Speaker 2: particular here in a few minutes. But like absolute wrecking balls, 173 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:19,880 Speaker 2: you're watching them try to throw the ball to Julius 174 00:08:19,960 --> 00:08:21,960 Speaker 2: Randa on the post case on Wallace knocks the ball 175 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:23,880 Speaker 2: off of his chest. Oh, he finally gets a deep 176 00:08:23,880 --> 00:08:26,080 Speaker 2: post catch on a transition seal. Oh, he tries to 177 00:08:26,080 --> 00:08:27,880 Speaker 2: go up against a triple team and just gets swatted 178 00:08:27,920 --> 00:08:32,080 Speaker 2: off the glass. They completely disrupted Minnesota before they could 179 00:08:32,120 --> 00:08:35,080 Speaker 2: even get to the actions that they wanted to get to. 180 00:08:35,720 --> 00:08:40,080 Speaker 2: It was an incredibly impressive performance from the Thunder. Now, 181 00:08:40,120 --> 00:08:42,760 Speaker 2: looking forward to the finals, there's a lot of different 182 00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:44,240 Speaker 2: dynamics that we're gonna be looking at, and this is 183 00:08:44,280 --> 00:08:46,200 Speaker 2: just gonna be a little brief teaser. Again, we're gonna 184 00:08:46,240 --> 00:08:49,000 Speaker 2: have a full series preview. Most I think that the 185 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:51,080 Speaker 2: Pacers have a good chance to win tomorrow night, because 186 00:08:51,120 --> 00:08:53,000 Speaker 2: I think the Knicks probably know they blew their chance. 187 00:08:53,400 --> 00:08:53,840 Speaker 3: I wouldn't. 188 00:08:53,920 --> 00:08:56,559 Speaker 2: I think the Knicks have like roughly one out of 189 00:08:56,600 --> 00:08:59,640 Speaker 2: three chance of winning that game tomorrow night. But then 190 00:08:59,679 --> 00:09:02,200 Speaker 2: the pay I think are almost certainly going to win 191 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:04,560 Speaker 2: in Game six. So we will have a series preview 192 00:09:04,600 --> 00:09:06,920 Speaker 2: when the time comes. We're gonna wait until we get 193 00:09:06,920 --> 00:09:09,200 Speaker 2: a final result out of the Eastern Conference Finals. But 194 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:11,240 Speaker 2: my initial impression is going to have a lot to 195 00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:15,160 Speaker 2: do with the game plan. I think that for Mark Dagnall, 196 00:09:15,400 --> 00:09:19,679 Speaker 2: this team's identity is what you saw tonight and forward aggression, 197 00:09:20,240 --> 00:09:24,240 Speaker 2: battling at the point of attack with ball pressure, denying 198 00:09:24,320 --> 00:09:27,560 Speaker 2: high post entries, doing everything you can to disrupt offense 199 00:09:27,640 --> 00:09:31,240 Speaker 2: early in the sequence. And it's gonna be tricky because 200 00:09:31,400 --> 00:09:35,560 Speaker 2: Indiana doesn't really turn the basketball over. Tyris Saliburton in particular, 201 00:09:35,640 --> 00:09:37,640 Speaker 2: is one of the best guards in the league at 202 00:09:37,679 --> 00:09:39,880 Speaker 2: taking care of the basketball. He's under averaging less than 203 00:09:39,880 --> 00:09:42,400 Speaker 2: two turnovers per game in this postseason run. He's also 204 00:09:42,559 --> 00:09:45,160 Speaker 2: particularly gifted over the top passer, which is going to 205 00:09:45,200 --> 00:09:47,240 Speaker 2: be the kind of opening that Okac is going to 206 00:09:47,280 --> 00:09:49,760 Speaker 2: have to concede in their defensive scheme, but I do 207 00:09:49,800 --> 00:09:52,959 Speaker 2: think it's worthwhile, considering that this is their identity. I 208 00:09:53,000 --> 00:09:55,959 Speaker 2: think it's worthwhile to at least throw that punch at 209 00:09:55,960 --> 00:09:59,319 Speaker 2: the beginning of game one, meaning picking up full court, 210 00:10:00,320 --> 00:10:03,160 Speaker 2: pressuring the ball, trying to stop the Pacers from getting 211 00:10:03,200 --> 00:10:05,280 Speaker 2: into their half court flow, and trying to see if 212 00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:07,840 Speaker 2: you can turn them over. My big key there would 213 00:10:07,880 --> 00:10:10,800 Speaker 2: be Mark Dagnault being willing to pivot if it doesn't work. 214 00:10:10,920 --> 00:10:13,280 Speaker 2: So if it's clear right in the first you know 215 00:10:13,720 --> 00:10:16,559 Speaker 2: quarter and a half of Game one, that the ball 216 00:10:16,559 --> 00:10:19,520 Speaker 2: pressure isn't bothering them and that they're getting the ball 217 00:10:19,559 --> 00:10:21,480 Speaker 2: over the top to the weak side and they're starting 218 00:10:21,480 --> 00:10:24,880 Speaker 2: to get you into rotation consistently, I think Dagnalton needs 219 00:10:24,920 --> 00:10:28,319 Speaker 2: to pivot quickly. The Pacers have been a very difficult 220 00:10:28,320 --> 00:10:31,800 Speaker 2: team to beat in Indiana especially and must win games. Yeah, 221 00:10:31,800 --> 00:10:33,320 Speaker 2: they've dropped a couple of games when they're up two 222 00:10:33,320 --> 00:10:35,120 Speaker 2: to oh in the series, but when you have two 223 00:10:35,160 --> 00:10:37,840 Speaker 2: to oh on the road, it's like the biggest that's 224 00:10:37,920 --> 00:10:40,160 Speaker 2: the most dominant start to a series you can possibly 225 00:10:40,200 --> 00:10:42,720 Speaker 2: have is to go up two to oh on the road, 226 00:10:42,840 --> 00:10:45,160 Speaker 2: And so those games were a little bit weird in 227 00:10:45,240 --> 00:10:47,440 Speaker 2: terms of a lack of intensity from Indiana, and in 228 00:10:47,480 --> 00:10:50,280 Speaker 2: both games it kind of lost their identity. You don't 229 00:10:50,280 --> 00:10:52,280 Speaker 2: want to trick off an early game in the series 230 00:10:52,280 --> 00:10:54,640 Speaker 2: to the Pacers because of a bad game plan and 231 00:10:54,679 --> 00:10:57,240 Speaker 2: then go into a situation where they smell blood and 232 00:10:57,280 --> 00:10:59,440 Speaker 2: they see the trophy and they get a couple of 233 00:10:59,480 --> 00:11:01,480 Speaker 2: wins in Indiana, all of a sudden you're staring down 234 00:11:01,480 --> 00:11:03,880 Speaker 2: the barrel of a three to one deficit. So early 235 00:11:03,920 --> 00:11:08,120 Speaker 2: in the series, if Halliburton needs Smith nemhard, these guys TJ. McConnell, 236 00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:10,480 Speaker 2: if they handle pressure well and they get the ball 237 00:11:10,520 --> 00:11:13,280 Speaker 2: over the top, over the top of your aggressive defense, 238 00:11:13,280 --> 00:11:15,679 Speaker 2: and they get you into rotation and they start scoring easily. 239 00:11:15,920 --> 00:11:18,160 Speaker 2: I think Dagnal needs to pivot quickly, not away from 240 00:11:18,200 --> 00:11:21,280 Speaker 2: ball pressure necessarily, but away from some of the aggressive 241 00:11:21,320 --> 00:11:23,800 Speaker 2: help in passing lanes. This is a team that if 242 00:11:23,840 --> 00:11:27,000 Speaker 2: you force Tyrese Haliburton in Pascal Siakam to score one 243 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:30,040 Speaker 2: on one, they can. It is certainly something they can do, 244 00:11:30,280 --> 00:11:32,360 Speaker 2: but it is not the thing they do at a 245 00:11:32,480 --> 00:11:36,680 Speaker 2: superstar level. And the thing that the Tyrese Haliburton is 246 00:11:36,679 --> 00:11:41,360 Speaker 2: a superstar level playmaker every single night. This offense has 247 00:11:42,320 --> 00:11:45,400 Speaker 2: a wonderful rhythm in terms of attacking when that advantage 248 00:11:45,440 --> 00:11:48,800 Speaker 2: is already kind of baked into the equation. So like 249 00:11:49,280 --> 00:11:52,520 Speaker 2: those sorts of things that accentuates the Pacers' strengths, if 250 00:11:52,520 --> 00:11:54,640 Speaker 2: you force Haliburton in Seakam to play a bunch of 251 00:11:54,640 --> 00:11:57,560 Speaker 2: one on one, that accentuates one of the weaker parts 252 00:11:57,600 --> 00:12:00,560 Speaker 2: of their formula. So with that being the case, the 253 00:12:00,600 --> 00:12:06,120 Speaker 2: attentiveness in action to prevent easy openings, the communication through 254 00:12:06,160 --> 00:12:09,200 Speaker 2: switches and then staying home off the ball and forcing 255 00:12:09,240 --> 00:12:11,400 Speaker 2: those guys to play one on one and not conceding 256 00:12:11,400 --> 00:12:14,040 Speaker 2: the easy openings that will get them into rotation because 257 00:12:14,040 --> 00:12:17,800 Speaker 2: again they're good at it. If they're not gonna you 258 00:12:18,520 --> 00:12:21,560 Speaker 2: can pass the ball better faster, then you can move 259 00:12:21,640 --> 00:12:24,480 Speaker 2: with the ball as a ball handler, and it doesn't 260 00:12:24,480 --> 00:12:27,319 Speaker 2: matter how much they're rotating around. If they can pass 261 00:12:27,360 --> 00:12:31,200 Speaker 2: the ball around and beat Oklahoma City's speed with just 262 00:12:31,240 --> 00:12:35,320 Speaker 2: ball movement and quick processing and play finishing, there could 263 00:12:35,320 --> 00:12:37,240 Speaker 2: be some issues there. So I'm just really curious to 264 00:12:37,240 --> 00:12:39,320 Speaker 2: see the initial game plan, which I think will be 265 00:12:39,360 --> 00:12:43,200 Speaker 2: standard for Oklahoma City. But if it works, like here's 266 00:12:43,200 --> 00:12:47,400 Speaker 2: the thing, it might just work. You might just force 267 00:12:47,480 --> 00:12:50,600 Speaker 2: Indiana to pee down their leg and all of a 268 00:12:50,600 --> 00:12:53,160 Speaker 2: sudden things look really rough for them, and you never 269 00:12:53,200 --> 00:12:55,160 Speaker 2: have to bail on that game plan. But there's also 270 00:12:55,200 --> 00:12:57,040 Speaker 2: a version of this where they handle it, and if 271 00:12:57,040 --> 00:12:59,080 Speaker 2: they do, it just needs to be a quick pivot 272 00:12:59,520 --> 00:13:01,760 Speaker 2: from Mark dagnall on the other end of the floor. 273 00:13:02,800 --> 00:13:05,680 Speaker 2: We have seen in this series that the Timberwolves in 274 00:13:05,679 --> 00:13:07,559 Speaker 2: particular had a little bit more success with some of 275 00:13:07,600 --> 00:13:13,120 Speaker 2: their quicker on ball guards than Jaden McDaniels Nikkeil Alexander 276 00:13:13,160 --> 00:13:15,040 Speaker 2: Walker in particular, I thought did the best job at 277 00:13:15,120 --> 00:13:17,560 Speaker 2: kind of like beating shade of spots and at least 278 00:13:17,600 --> 00:13:19,880 Speaker 2: forcing him to make jump shots over the top. So 279 00:13:20,280 --> 00:13:22,360 Speaker 2: in theory we could see a lot of you know, 280 00:13:22,440 --> 00:13:25,520 Speaker 2: Aaron E. Smith weak guys. Aaron Ne Smith, over the 281 00:13:25,520 --> 00:13:27,200 Speaker 2: course of the tail end of the series has done 282 00:13:27,240 --> 00:13:30,400 Speaker 2: some serious damage to Jalen Brunson to the point where 283 00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:32,319 Speaker 2: he's not even looking to shoot. We went, we watched 284 00:13:32,360 --> 00:13:36,080 Speaker 2: through the entire crunch time sequence of last game in 285 00:13:36,120 --> 00:13:39,400 Speaker 2: the playback session last night, and he just didn't want 286 00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:41,920 Speaker 2: to even look to score down the stretch of that game, 287 00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:44,480 Speaker 2: in large part because of the work that Aaron Neismith did, 288 00:13:44,520 --> 00:13:47,839 Speaker 2: and again, guys like Jalen Brunson was having an unbelievable 289 00:13:47,880 --> 00:13:51,120 Speaker 2: playoff run before this kind of like trend that has 290 00:13:51,160 --> 00:13:53,040 Speaker 2: taken hold here at the tail end of the series. 291 00:13:53,040 --> 00:13:54,920 Speaker 2: And so with that being the case, just keep in 292 00:13:54,960 --> 00:13:57,760 Speaker 2: mind that this is going to be a different type 293 00:13:57,800 --> 00:14:00,280 Speaker 2: of defensive matchup in terms of the level of bed 294 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:03,720 Speaker 2: foot speed on the perimeter that Indiana presents to the table. 295 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:06,720 Speaker 2: That being said, I still think that Oklahoma City should 296 00:14:06,720 --> 00:14:08,520 Speaker 2: be able to score against this team. I just think 297 00:14:08,520 --> 00:14:09,920 Speaker 2: it's going to be a little bit different. It's going 298 00:14:09,960 --> 00:14:11,960 Speaker 2: to be a little bit less of the dribble penetration, 299 00:14:12,120 --> 00:14:15,440 Speaker 2: a little bit more of the kind of over the 300 00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:18,600 Speaker 2: top matchup hunting against some of the smaller guards that 301 00:14:18,640 --> 00:14:21,120 Speaker 2: the Pacers had. They do every im protection as well 302 00:14:21,120 --> 00:14:22,600 Speaker 2: with Miles Turner. So it's going to be kind of 303 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:25,960 Speaker 2: similar to some previous series, like this Minnesota series towards 304 00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:27,960 Speaker 2: the end, as they've game planned more towards helping at 305 00:14:27,960 --> 00:14:30,960 Speaker 2: the rim, or the Dallas series last year, where you 306 00:14:31,040 --> 00:14:34,040 Speaker 2: can't just have Jadubb trying to test Miles Turner at 307 00:14:34,040 --> 00:14:36,560 Speaker 2: the rim all series long. There has to be processing 308 00:14:36,600 --> 00:14:39,480 Speaker 2: at the rim, quality rim decisions, moving the ball, hunting 309 00:14:39,560 --> 00:14:41,680 Speaker 2: down the great shot. But it's going to be a 310 00:14:41,760 --> 00:14:45,160 Speaker 2: very interesting series. I initially, when I first started thinking 311 00:14:45,160 --> 00:14:47,120 Speaker 2: about the series, thought Oklahoma City would beat the shit 312 00:14:47,120 --> 00:14:48,720 Speaker 2: out of them. I thought it would be like a 313 00:14:48,760 --> 00:14:51,080 Speaker 2: four or five game series. We had a little debate 314 00:14:51,160 --> 00:14:52,880 Speaker 2: last night Jackson and I. You guys can find that. 315 00:14:52,920 --> 00:14:55,320 Speaker 2: We broke it out as a clip on our YouTube channels. 316 00:14:55,360 --> 00:14:58,520 Speaker 2: You can find it under our list of uploads. But 317 00:14:59,440 --> 00:15:01,840 Speaker 2: Jackson is me into being a little bit more bullish 318 00:15:01,840 --> 00:15:04,640 Speaker 2: on the Pacers' chances to be more competitive in the 319 00:15:04,720 --> 00:15:08,280 Speaker 2: series because of their processing, because of their smaller, quicker 320 00:15:08,320 --> 00:15:09,840 Speaker 2: guards that can stay in front of the ball a 321 00:15:09,880 --> 00:15:12,480 Speaker 2: little bit better, some of those things. But my initial 322 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:16,200 Speaker 2: impression at this point, before we get into our prediction phase, 323 00:15:16,760 --> 00:15:18,880 Speaker 2: is that the Thunder will win that series in five 324 00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:21,680 Speaker 2: or six games. Looking forward for Minnesota, and we'll have 325 00:15:21,680 --> 00:15:23,120 Speaker 2: a little bit more Thunder talk here in a minute, 326 00:15:23,120 --> 00:15:24,920 Speaker 2: because I want to talk about Alex Cruso in our 327 00:15:24,960 --> 00:15:30,120 Speaker 2: Microsoft segment with Minnesota. The Julius Randall experiment I thought 328 00:15:30,240 --> 00:15:33,040 Speaker 2: was rough. The big thing that I specifically was bothered 329 00:15:33,040 --> 00:15:35,680 Speaker 2: by was just when they ran into some real adversity, 330 00:15:36,560 --> 00:15:38,440 Speaker 2: I didn't like the way he handled it in terms 331 00:15:38,480 --> 00:15:41,200 Speaker 2: of just his overall competitiveness, and it was like, in 332 00:15:41,280 --> 00:15:44,080 Speaker 2: Game four, I thought he'd let go of the rope competitively. 333 00:15:44,560 --> 00:15:47,360 Speaker 2: In Game five, I thought he tried to force the 334 00:15:47,400 --> 00:15:50,000 Speaker 2: issue too much and was attacking two three bodies in 335 00:15:50,040 --> 00:15:53,680 Speaker 2: traffic and getting blocked and stolen. And basically like his 336 00:15:53,720 --> 00:15:57,320 Speaker 2: two different approaches to adversity in this series were to 337 00:15:57,440 --> 00:16:02,080 Speaker 2: not fight and to without using his head. And that 338 00:16:02,240 --> 00:16:05,400 Speaker 2: was the kind of frustrating thing for me watching the 339 00:16:05,680 --> 00:16:08,520 Speaker 2: Timberwolves in this series. And so I think there's some 340 00:16:08,680 --> 00:16:11,360 Speaker 2: reality to the fact that, like in retrospect, and by 341 00:16:11,400 --> 00:16:13,640 Speaker 2: the way, guys, I am fully aware of how ridiculous 342 00:16:13,640 --> 00:16:17,320 Speaker 2: this sounds after my series preview, But in retrospect, Minnesota 343 00:16:17,440 --> 00:16:21,360 Speaker 2: matched up very favorably with the Lakers, and Julius Randall 344 00:16:21,440 --> 00:16:24,840 Speaker 2: as a one on one ISO guy against big bodied forwards, 345 00:16:24,880 --> 00:16:27,160 Speaker 2: was a great defensive option and did a lot of 346 00:16:27,240 --> 00:16:30,040 Speaker 2: damage attacking certain types of mismatches in that series, and 347 00:16:30,400 --> 00:16:32,920 Speaker 2: was great against a Golden State Warriors team that didn't 348 00:16:32,960 --> 00:16:35,560 Speaker 2: have Steph Curry. But there are some realities to the 349 00:16:35,600 --> 00:16:37,760 Speaker 2: fact that Julius Randall has a player option and if 350 00:16:37,760 --> 00:16:40,600 Speaker 2: you up re up and pay him a massive amount 351 00:16:40,600 --> 00:16:43,160 Speaker 2: of money. You're taking up a big chunk your payroll 352 00:16:43,240 --> 00:16:46,640 Speaker 2: for a player that I didn't think handled this higher 353 00:16:46,720 --> 00:16:50,680 Speaker 2: leverage matchup very well. I would look to surround Anthony 354 00:16:50,800 --> 00:16:54,800 Speaker 2: Edwards with high IQ players. There's a thing that happens 355 00:16:54,840 --> 00:16:56,800 Speaker 2: when you look at this roster on paper. I mean, 356 00:16:56,960 --> 00:16:59,520 Speaker 2: there's a lot of Minnesota buzz going into this series. 357 00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:02,440 Speaker 2: You know, even I thought that Minnesota would be more 358 00:17:02,480 --> 00:17:04,919 Speaker 2: competitive in this series than they were, even though I 359 00:17:04,920 --> 00:17:06,440 Speaker 2: picked the Thunder to win. And it's because you look 360 00:17:06,480 --> 00:17:08,600 Speaker 2: on paper and it's like, man, all these dudes can 361 00:17:08,600 --> 00:17:10,679 Speaker 2: guard and all these dudes can shoot. 362 00:17:11,400 --> 00:17:13,440 Speaker 3: But the truth is, if like you really started to. 363 00:17:13,400 --> 00:17:18,119 Speaker 2: Talk about like high IQ basketball players, like really smart 364 00:17:18,640 --> 00:17:21,600 Speaker 2: basketball players that don't make poor decisions, that are always 365 00:17:21,600 --> 00:17:23,440 Speaker 2: in the right spot, that always seem to do the 366 00:17:23,520 --> 00:17:29,439 Speaker 2: right thing, it's Mike Conley, end of list. And So 367 00:17:29,560 --> 00:17:33,199 Speaker 2: with that being the case, especially with ant and his like, 368 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:36,119 Speaker 2: if you're breaking down Ant's game right now, We're going 369 00:17:36,160 --> 00:17:38,440 Speaker 2: to talk more about Aunt in a minute. The reality 370 00:17:38,520 --> 00:17:42,080 Speaker 2: is is that ant and is not necessarily the most 371 00:17:42,160 --> 00:17:44,879 Speaker 2: high level processor that exists in the league. And I 372 00:17:44,920 --> 00:17:47,719 Speaker 2: would argue that he could learn the most in that 373 00:17:47,840 --> 00:17:50,960 Speaker 2: area and experience the most improvement in the coming years. 374 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:54,000 Speaker 2: And so you know, a simple example like if CP 375 00:17:54,080 --> 00:17:56,560 Speaker 2: three is on the move away from San Antonio, I'd 376 00:17:56,560 --> 00:17:58,800 Speaker 2: be looking to bring in Chris Paul as a backup guard, 377 00:17:59,119 --> 00:18:01,480 Speaker 2: as a guy that can help ant literally just help 378 00:18:01,560 --> 00:18:05,560 Speaker 2: him understand more of the processing and game flow elements 379 00:18:05,560 --> 00:18:08,760 Speaker 2: of that. On ball roll, I would look too down 380 00:18:08,800 --> 00:18:11,600 Speaker 2: the line in terms of role players, connective playmakers, off 381 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:15,320 Speaker 2: ball shooters, stuff like that. Look for higher IQ, smarter 382 00:18:15,480 --> 00:18:18,600 Speaker 2: players that will help him process some of these situations, 383 00:18:18,600 --> 00:18:20,080 Speaker 2: that know how to be in the right spots, that 384 00:18:20,160 --> 00:18:23,000 Speaker 2: won't make mistakes. I think that would be a direction 385 00:18:23,080 --> 00:18:24,879 Speaker 2: that I would look to go if I was this offseason. 386 00:18:24,920 --> 00:18:27,879 Speaker 3: Now. I saw a lot. 387 00:18:27,640 --> 00:18:30,639 Speaker 2: Of talk on Twitter, YouTube comments, all this kind of 388 00:18:30,640 --> 00:18:34,600 Speaker 2: stuff over the last couple of days burying Anthony Edwards, 389 00:18:35,160 --> 00:18:37,840 Speaker 2: And I know what this comes from. It comes from 390 00:18:37,880 --> 00:18:40,879 Speaker 2: the fact that ant is more popular than Shay and 391 00:18:40,880 --> 00:18:44,080 Speaker 2: then Jason Tatum, And even though Tatum and Shae are 392 00:18:44,080 --> 00:18:47,640 Speaker 2: better basketball players than ant An, it's more popular. And 393 00:18:47,720 --> 00:18:50,879 Speaker 2: that just eats at people and it makes them super 394 00:18:50,880 --> 00:18:53,040 Speaker 2: irrational and upset, and then they take it out on 395 00:18:53,080 --> 00:18:55,720 Speaker 2: Ant when the reality is is Ant's not doing anything 396 00:18:55,720 --> 00:18:58,440 Speaker 2: but be an Ant, and he just happens to resonate 397 00:18:58,480 --> 00:19:00,359 Speaker 2: with people in a certain way, which we're going to 398 00:19:00,400 --> 00:19:02,520 Speaker 2: talk about that in a bigger picture context here when 399 00:19:02,560 --> 00:19:04,119 Speaker 2: we talk about the face of the league. But for 400 00:19:04,160 --> 00:19:07,160 Speaker 2: some reason, that just builds all this negativity towards Ant. 401 00:19:07,280 --> 00:19:09,760 Speaker 2: Here's the thing, back to back Western Conference Finals where 402 00:19:09,760 --> 00:19:13,440 Speaker 2: Anthony Edwards got pretty badly outplayed by his counterpart on 403 00:19:13,480 --> 00:19:15,920 Speaker 2: the other side, Luka Dancis last year, Shake gills Is 404 00:19:15,960 --> 00:19:16,840 Speaker 2: Alexander this year. 405 00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:18,200 Speaker 3: There's no way around it. 406 00:19:18,480 --> 00:19:21,840 Speaker 2: I thought that Ant faced an extremely difficult game plan 407 00:19:21,960 --> 00:19:25,240 Speaker 2: from a very very very good defense that did damage 408 00:19:25,240 --> 00:19:27,879 Speaker 2: to every single star that they ran into in this postseason. 409 00:19:28,400 --> 00:19:31,399 Speaker 2: But even within that context, he didn't do very well. 410 00:19:31,480 --> 00:19:33,119 Speaker 2: He didn't do as well as he needed to do. 411 00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:36,000 Speaker 2: There was a gap in his performance relative to what 412 00:19:36,040 --> 00:19:38,920 Speaker 2: Shae gals As Alexander did for the Thunder. So yeah, 413 00:19:38,960 --> 00:19:42,840 Speaker 2: I'm not about to rank Ant over Gildas Alexander or 414 00:19:42,840 --> 00:19:45,200 Speaker 2: anything like that. I think he's somewhere around the fifth 415 00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:48,040 Speaker 2: to seventh best player in the NBA kind of just 416 00:19:48,200 --> 00:19:53,120 Speaker 2: off of that kind of like reliable top tier superstar tier, 417 00:19:53,200 --> 00:19:55,479 Speaker 2: and you know, depending on the matchup, when the matchup 418 00:19:55,520 --> 00:19:57,320 Speaker 2: is right, he can kind of reach that level, but 419 00:19:57,560 --> 00:19:59,680 Speaker 2: it's clear when he reaches tougher matchups he kind of 420 00:19:59,680 --> 00:20:01,959 Speaker 2: feels more like a second tier star at this point. 421 00:20:02,280 --> 00:20:06,600 Speaker 2: Here's the thing. He's twenty three years old and he 422 00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:10,080 Speaker 2: just went to back to back conference finals. And yes, 423 00:20:10,119 --> 00:20:12,360 Speaker 2: he got out played by Shay and he got out 424 00:20:12,359 --> 00:20:15,119 Speaker 2: played by Luca last year. But he went to Totoe 425 00:20:15,119 --> 00:20:17,160 Speaker 2: with Nikola Jokich in a series where he beat him. 426 00:20:17,280 --> 00:20:20,120 Speaker 2: He went to Totoe with Lebron James and Luka Doncic 427 00:20:20,200 --> 00:20:22,919 Speaker 2: in a series where he beat them, and in that series, 428 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:25,840 Speaker 2: repeatedly down the stretch looked like the better player as he. 429 00:20:25,800 --> 00:20:26,359 Speaker 3: Won the game. 430 00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:30,320 Speaker 2: It's been uneven, it's been inconsistent, but there is literally 431 00:20:30,359 --> 00:20:34,439 Speaker 2: if we could remove the irrational emotion that Shae fans 432 00:20:34,520 --> 00:20:37,600 Speaker 2: and Tatum fans and all these people feel about Anthony 433 00:20:37,720 --> 00:20:39,840 Speaker 2: Edwards just out of jealousy for the amount of attention 434 00:20:39,960 --> 00:20:42,359 Speaker 2: that he gets, we could just take that and remove 435 00:20:42,400 --> 00:20:44,200 Speaker 2: it out of the equation and set it on the side. 436 00:20:44,200 --> 00:20:46,520 Speaker 2: And we all looked at Ant's career just with like 437 00:20:46,920 --> 00:20:50,480 Speaker 2: clear eyes and just a basic evaluation. We'd all say 438 00:20:50,480 --> 00:20:54,560 Speaker 2: the same thing, like flawed player, crazy upside, all sorts 439 00:20:54,600 --> 00:20:57,560 Speaker 2: of room to improve. There's no way to describe his 440 00:20:57,640 --> 00:21:00,520 Speaker 2: career up to age twenty three other than a resounding success. 441 00:21:00,640 --> 00:21:03,800 Speaker 2: There's literally no way to describe. There's all of the 442 00:21:03,840 --> 00:21:06,240 Speaker 2: other greats that went on to win titles, did it 443 00:21:06,240 --> 00:21:08,680 Speaker 2: when they were twenty six, twenty seven, twenty eight years old. 444 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:09,840 Speaker 3: Nobody does it. 445 00:21:09,920 --> 00:21:13,280 Speaker 2: Nobody conquers the demons and wins the title at age 446 00:21:13,320 --> 00:21:17,119 Speaker 2: twenty three, unless they're on a supremely talented roster like 447 00:21:17,200 --> 00:21:21,359 Speaker 2: Kobe was in two thousand or Dwayne Wade was on 448 00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:23,280 Speaker 2: the Miami Heat in two thousand and six. There are 449 00:21:23,440 --> 00:21:26,119 Speaker 2: rare examples of dudes who have success at the championship 450 00:21:26,200 --> 00:21:29,240 Speaker 2: level in kind of a supporting type of role, but. 451 00:21:29,280 --> 00:21:32,639 Speaker 3: Very rarely do you see, very rarely. 452 00:21:32,440 --> 00:21:34,959 Speaker 2: In NBA history do you see a player actually achieve 453 00:21:35,119 --> 00:21:38,000 Speaker 2: like I'm the best player in the world status at 454 00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:41,199 Speaker 2: twenty three years old. He didn't do enough this series, 455 00:21:41,240 --> 00:21:44,240 Speaker 2: he got out played. He's doing just fine. He's doing 456 00:21:44,520 --> 00:21:47,560 Speaker 2: just fine. He made Let's just put it this way, guys, 457 00:21:47,720 --> 00:21:50,880 Speaker 2: do you think Aunt got substantially better from last year 458 00:21:50,920 --> 00:21:56,200 Speaker 2: to this year. Yes, absolutely, twenty two year old Aunt 459 00:21:56,320 --> 00:21:59,400 Speaker 2: failed got in the gym, became one of the best time, 460 00:21:59,560 --> 00:22:01,960 Speaker 2: the best tie volume three point shooter in the league. 461 00:22:02,200 --> 00:22:05,160 Speaker 2: Showed a lot of higher level processing in this postseason run. 462 00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:08,000 Speaker 2: Not enough, but showed a lot of higher level processing 463 00:22:08,880 --> 00:22:11,359 Speaker 2: and took a leap. He's one step closer to his 464 00:22:11,440 --> 00:22:14,240 Speaker 2: ultimate goals. He's not there yet, give him time. He's 465 00:22:14,240 --> 00:22:17,560 Speaker 2: twenty three years old. Ant's development will be the key 466 00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:19,320 Speaker 2: though for this team going over the top. There are 467 00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:21,399 Speaker 2: some realities to being in a roster this build with 468 00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:23,440 Speaker 2: some of these older veteran guys that make a lot 469 00:22:23,440 --> 00:22:26,439 Speaker 2: of money. There's not a lot of like, let's go 470 00:22:26,480 --> 00:22:29,400 Speaker 2: bring in more talent type of situation going on here 471 00:22:29,400 --> 00:22:32,240 Speaker 2: with Minnesota. Now, they can find better types of talent. 472 00:22:32,520 --> 00:22:35,640 Speaker 2: They can find talent that is better fitting. We talked 473 00:22:35,640 --> 00:22:39,119 Speaker 2: earlier about basketball IQ. But ultimately it will be Ant's 474 00:22:39,200 --> 00:22:42,800 Speaker 2: individual improvement that will get him to where he needs 475 00:22:42,800 --> 00:22:45,760 Speaker 2: to go. Shake Yodess Alexander to me, I think has 476 00:22:45,840 --> 00:22:49,000 Speaker 2: in this playoff run very clearly snatched the title of 477 00:22:49,040 --> 00:22:52,000 Speaker 2: being the second best player in the world behind Nikole Jokich. 478 00:22:52,040 --> 00:22:53,520 Speaker 2: I think he's got a better case than Yannis. I 479 00:22:53,560 --> 00:22:55,600 Speaker 2: think he's got a better case than Luca. At this point. 480 00:22:55,840 --> 00:22:58,960 Speaker 2: He is clearly to me in that second spot. The 481 00:22:59,040 --> 00:23:01,640 Speaker 2: reason why he has that spot is he has flashed 482 00:23:01,720 --> 00:23:05,600 Speaker 2: in this postseason run defense that is above average, the 483 00:23:05,680 --> 00:23:10,040 Speaker 2: ability to score regardless of circumstance. Like Minnesota switched up 484 00:23:10,040 --> 00:23:12,520 Speaker 2: their game plan, packed the paint and put him through 485 00:23:12,520 --> 00:23:14,240 Speaker 2: a lot of the same stuff that Ant has saw 486 00:23:14,240 --> 00:23:16,400 Speaker 2: in this series. And in the pivotal game he hung 487 00:23:16,480 --> 00:23:20,719 Speaker 2: forty points in ten assist, the incredible dribble penetration, the processing, 488 00:23:20,760 --> 00:23:23,040 Speaker 2: the playmaking has gone up a massive level for him 489 00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:27,400 Speaker 2: compared to last year. And like there was a it's 490 00:23:27,480 --> 00:23:30,120 Speaker 2: very similar to Ant in the sense that Sga kind 491 00:23:30,119 --> 00:23:32,439 Speaker 2: of had a little bit of a rough playmaking series 492 00:23:32,520 --> 00:23:34,960 Speaker 2: last year in the postseason. It has been a thing 493 00:23:34,960 --> 00:23:38,680 Speaker 2: that he has substantially improved upon in this postseason. Because again, 494 00:23:38,800 --> 00:23:42,080 Speaker 2: failure is what breeds the motivation that gets these guys 495 00:23:42,359 --> 00:23:45,040 Speaker 2: to figure things out and take that next step. That's 496 00:23:45,040 --> 00:23:47,840 Speaker 2: where Shay's at. Shay is what three years ahead of 497 00:23:47,880 --> 00:23:51,400 Speaker 2: schedule on Shay. On Ant, he's three years older than him. 498 00:23:51,720 --> 00:23:54,359 Speaker 2: He is currently, in my opinion, firmly holding onto that 499 00:23:54,440 --> 00:23:54,800 Speaker 2: number two. 500 00:23:54,880 --> 00:23:55,160 Speaker 3: Spot. 501 00:23:55,160 --> 00:23:57,280 Speaker 2: I think he's anchored himself there. I think he's got 502 00:23:57,840 --> 00:23:59,800 Speaker 2: a very very very very good chance to win a 503 00:23:59,880 --> 00:24:02,399 Speaker 2: time title this year and put that first feather in 504 00:24:02,440 --> 00:24:05,680 Speaker 2: his cap. But the processing that Shay has gone through 505 00:24:05,720 --> 00:24:07,159 Speaker 2: in the last few years, if you look at the 506 00:24:07,200 --> 00:24:09,840 Speaker 2: player Shay was in twenty twenty three and you look 507 00:24:09,840 --> 00:24:12,000 Speaker 2: at the player that he is now, there has been 508 00:24:12,040 --> 00:24:14,679 Speaker 2: these improvements that have taken place as an over the 509 00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:17,600 Speaker 2: top shot maker, as a half court processor, as a 510 00:24:17,640 --> 00:24:20,960 Speaker 2: defensive player that have vaulted him into a situation where 511 00:24:20,960 --> 00:24:23,240 Speaker 2: he is the second best player in the NBA. That 512 00:24:23,480 --> 00:24:26,760 Speaker 2: is the track that Ant has to follow. Minuscule improvements 513 00:24:26,840 --> 00:24:30,320 Speaker 2: year over year in key areas understanding the game and processing, 514 00:24:30,400 --> 00:24:32,840 Speaker 2: handling the ball against ball pressure and making those kickout 515 00:24:32,880 --> 00:24:35,600 Speaker 2: raads in traffic, building out a back to back to 516 00:24:35,640 --> 00:24:38,520 Speaker 2: the basket game, the ability to score over both shoulders 517 00:24:38,520 --> 00:24:40,119 Speaker 2: at the high posts and in the mid post and 518 00:24:40,359 --> 00:24:43,080 Speaker 2: on the low post. All of those different things are 519 00:24:43,160 --> 00:24:45,359 Speaker 2: things that He's going to have to build out in 520 00:24:45,520 --> 00:24:48,680 Speaker 2: order to reach the level that Shay is at right now. 521 00:24:49,160 --> 00:24:52,240 Speaker 2: But again, as I said, Shay's been doing this three 522 00:24:52,320 --> 00:24:58,320 Speaker 2: years longer. Shay is at the age when typically the 523 00:24:58,359 --> 00:25:00,840 Speaker 2: all time great players in our league start to figure 524 00:25:00,880 --> 00:25:04,199 Speaker 2: it out and take their stake their claim at the 525 00:25:04,200 --> 00:25:07,040 Speaker 2: top of the league. Ant is a head of schedule, guys. 526 00:25:07,040 --> 00:25:11,880 Speaker 2: He's ahead of schedule, and like the burying of him 527 00:25:11,920 --> 00:25:13,360 Speaker 2: that I've seen over the course of the last couple 528 00:25:13,359 --> 00:25:17,200 Speaker 2: of days just reeks of insecurity, and honestly, it's it's 529 00:25:17,359 --> 00:25:19,240 Speaker 2: reprehensible to me, but it is what it is. He's 530 00:25:19,280 --> 00:25:23,240 Speaker 2: doing just fine at twenty three years old. Back to 531 00:25:23,280 --> 00:25:26,760 Speaker 2: back Western Conference Finals appearances, and literally the sky is 532 00:25:26,800 --> 00:25:29,200 Speaker 2: the limit for what he can accomplish in the future. 533 00:25:29,240 --> 00:25:31,800 Speaker 2: And honestly, as a basketball fan, I'm super fun or 534 00:25:31,840 --> 00:25:36,760 Speaker 2: super pumped because I think the Shay versus Ant kind 535 00:25:36,800 --> 00:25:40,000 Speaker 2: of rivalry could end up being a very very interesting 536 00:25:40,119 --> 00:25:42,159 Speaker 2: rivalry in this coming era. It kind of reminds me 537 00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:44,960 Speaker 2: of the Lebron's deph rivalry in the sense that, like, 538 00:25:45,359 --> 00:25:48,200 Speaker 2: Lebron is three years older and was obviously further along 539 00:25:48,200 --> 00:25:49,760 Speaker 2: in the deal, but the two of them just kind 540 00:25:49,800 --> 00:25:52,680 Speaker 2: of like seem to have this rivalry that existed over 541 00:25:52,720 --> 00:25:55,520 Speaker 2: the course of their careers. I would love to see 542 00:25:55,560 --> 00:25:58,040 Speaker 2: Ant and Shae face off in the postseason five more 543 00:25:58,080 --> 00:25:59,800 Speaker 2: times over the course of the next ten years, and 544 00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:02,120 Speaker 2: hopefully that ends up being something that we get to see. 545 00:26:02,119 --> 00:26:05,439 Speaker 2: It's a very fun rivalry. All right, Welcome to course correction, 546 00:26:05,520 --> 00:26:07,480 Speaker 2: brought to you by Microsoft. Just like star players and 547 00:26:07,520 --> 00:26:11,200 Speaker 2: teams navigating performance hurdles, business decision makers today are under 548 00:26:11,240 --> 00:26:13,760 Speaker 2: immense pressure to get things right. They must rise to 549 00:26:13,800 --> 00:26:18,560 Speaker 2: the occasion, turning challenges into opportunities. Microsoft empowers these visionaries 550 00:26:18,560 --> 00:26:22,280 Speaker 2: with AI solutions, simplified cloud and data management and trustworthy, 551 00:26:22,400 --> 00:26:25,240 Speaker 2: responsible AI. And when you're in the NBA, you have 552 00:26:25,240 --> 00:26:27,360 Speaker 2: your own hurdles to face. In this segment, we will 553 00:26:27,400 --> 00:26:29,280 Speaker 2: highlight the player every week that has risen to the 554 00:26:29,280 --> 00:26:32,120 Speaker 2: occasion when his team needed him. Whatever challenge you're facing, 555 00:26:32,359 --> 00:26:35,960 Speaker 2: Microsoft empowers you with the expertise to say bring it on. 556 00:26:36,040 --> 00:26:39,639 Speaker 2: The player we're highlighting this week is Alex Caruso of 557 00:26:39,640 --> 00:26:43,439 Speaker 2: the Oklahoma City Thunder. Looking back at last year's potseason 558 00:26:43,480 --> 00:26:45,240 Speaker 2: run for Oklahoma City, if you guys remember they had. 559 00:26:45,119 --> 00:26:46,240 Speaker 3: A fifth starter problem. 560 00:26:47,160 --> 00:26:49,560 Speaker 2: Team started putting their center on Josh Giddey and sagging 561 00:26:49,640 --> 00:26:51,520 Speaker 2: into the paint and things just really bogged down for 562 00:26:51,560 --> 00:26:54,679 Speaker 2: them offensively. It was one of the few weak points 563 00:26:54,680 --> 00:26:56,800 Speaker 2: that that team was dealing with They tried a bunch 564 00:26:56,800 --> 00:26:58,919 Speaker 2: of different guys in his spot, a rookie version of 565 00:26:58,960 --> 00:27:02,320 Speaker 2: Cason Wallace, Aaron Wiggins, Isaiah Joe, but none of them 566 00:27:02,359 --> 00:27:05,600 Speaker 2: were able to bring the combination of size and versatile 567 00:27:05,600 --> 00:27:09,919 Speaker 2: defense and offensive utility that Alex Crusoe has brought to 568 00:27:09,960 --> 00:27:13,560 Speaker 2: this team. So Sam Pressy, Sam Presty, excuse me, pulls 569 00:27:13,600 --> 00:27:17,560 Speaker 2: off two very savvy moves this summer, one signing Isaiah 570 00:27:17,560 --> 00:27:20,800 Speaker 2: Hartenstein away from the New York Knicks. Obviously, Isaiah was 571 00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:24,280 Speaker 2: hividly important during the second round win versus the Denver Nuggets, 572 00:27:24,280 --> 00:27:25,840 Speaker 2: a little less so in this series, but he still 573 00:27:25,840 --> 00:27:29,480 Speaker 2: had his moments. And then trading Josh Giddy straight up 574 00:27:29,960 --> 00:27:33,520 Speaker 2: with no draft compensation for Alex Crusoe. A player that 575 00:27:33,640 --> 00:27:36,119 Speaker 2: is universally recognized as one of the best role player 576 00:27:36,119 --> 00:27:39,520 Speaker 2: wings in the NBA. A player that started an NBA 577 00:27:39,600 --> 00:27:42,359 Speaker 2: Finals game for the twenty twenty Lakers. A player who 578 00:27:42,400 --> 00:27:46,359 Speaker 2: has since then turned him turned himself into a much 579 00:27:46,400 --> 00:27:48,600 Speaker 2: more reliable offensive player than he used to be. He 580 00:27:48,640 --> 00:27:51,040 Speaker 2: was always a gifted cutter with the Lakers, but he's 581 00:27:51,080 --> 00:27:54,960 Speaker 2: become a very good connective playmaker. He's become very good 582 00:27:55,000 --> 00:27:57,200 Speaker 2: as a catch and shoot three point shooter. He hit 583 00:27:57,560 --> 00:28:00,439 Speaker 2: forty four percent of his threes coming into in this 584 00:28:00,480 --> 00:28:03,000 Speaker 2: postseason run. But I want to focus on his defense 585 00:28:03,040 --> 00:28:05,520 Speaker 2: for a minute, because he's putting together one of the 586 00:28:05,520 --> 00:28:06,920 Speaker 2: best defensive playoff runs. 587 00:28:06,960 --> 00:28:07,440 Speaker 3: You'll see. 588 00:28:08,320 --> 00:28:12,240 Speaker 2: He's averaging four stocks per thirty six minutes in his 589 00:28:12,280 --> 00:28:15,159 Speaker 2: playoff run that steals plus blocks and this is a 590 00:28:15,200 --> 00:28:17,639 Speaker 2: consistent thing. By the way, he averaged the same amount 591 00:28:17,680 --> 00:28:21,200 Speaker 2: in the regular season. Basically, the only guy this year 592 00:28:21,320 --> 00:28:24,159 Speaker 2: to exceed that output with at least forty six games 593 00:28:24,200 --> 00:28:27,280 Speaker 2: played was Victor Wemenyama, and I chose forty six games 594 00:28:27,320 --> 00:28:29,520 Speaker 2: played because that's how many games Victor women Yama played, 595 00:28:29,520 --> 00:28:32,000 Speaker 2: But he was the only guy that averaged more stocks 596 00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:35,200 Speaker 2: per thirty six minutes at that minimum number of games played. 597 00:28:35,200 --> 00:28:40,040 Speaker 2: This year's Victor Wenmnyama Dyson Daniels matched Alex Crusoe's performance, 598 00:28:40,040 --> 00:28:41,760 Speaker 2: but Victor was the only one who exceeded it. He 599 00:28:41,840 --> 00:28:47,200 Speaker 2: was that level of disruptive, defensive wrecking ball in this postseason. 600 00:28:47,440 --> 00:28:50,400 Speaker 2: There have been some high profile assignments, like he did 601 00:28:51,040 --> 00:28:52,320 Speaker 2: a lot of quality work. 602 00:28:52,120 --> 00:28:53,160 Speaker 3: On Ant in this series. 603 00:28:53,240 --> 00:28:55,800 Speaker 2: He did an amazing job on Nikola Jokic in Game seven, 604 00:28:55,840 --> 00:28:58,920 Speaker 2: in that second round series that arguably saved Oklahoma City 605 00:28:58,920 --> 00:29:02,720 Speaker 2: from disaster, fronting the post and single handedly decomposing that 606 00:29:02,800 --> 00:29:05,800 Speaker 2: Nuggets offense. But in the big picture, the funnest thing 607 00:29:05,800 --> 00:29:07,400 Speaker 2: for me to watch as a fan has just been 608 00:29:07,440 --> 00:29:13,400 Speaker 2: his defensive game playmaking literally anytime he sees someone try 609 00:29:13,440 --> 00:29:18,680 Speaker 2: to dribble against him that has a questionable handle, like 610 00:29:18,800 --> 00:29:21,760 Speaker 2: usually if it's a guy who's in rotation attacking a 611 00:29:21,800 --> 00:29:25,080 Speaker 2: closeout or a guy in t Like there have been 612 00:29:25,120 --> 00:29:27,600 Speaker 2: a half dozen plays in this postseason where some guy 613 00:29:27,960 --> 00:29:30,080 Speaker 2: had like a one on one against Alex Crusoe in 614 00:29:30,080 --> 00:29:32,120 Speaker 2: transition and was like, I'm going to try to score 615 00:29:32,160 --> 00:29:34,200 Speaker 2: on it, and it's like his eyes just light up 616 00:29:34,200 --> 00:29:34,480 Speaker 2: and he. 617 00:29:34,480 --> 00:29:35,440 Speaker 3: Just sees a turnover. 618 00:29:35,520 --> 00:29:38,960 Speaker 2: He just attacks the basketball with physicality, and whoever it 619 00:29:39,000 --> 00:29:41,800 Speaker 2: is that's trying to dribble just immediately soils themselves and 620 00:29:41,840 --> 00:29:45,240 Speaker 2: flubs the ball away. He's the type of defensive player 621 00:29:45,240 --> 00:29:47,720 Speaker 2: that you basically have no choice but to run your 622 00:29:47,720 --> 00:29:50,320 Speaker 2: action on the other side of the floor whenever you can. 623 00:29:50,400 --> 00:29:51,800 Speaker 2: You want to keep him out of the play if 624 00:29:51,840 --> 00:29:55,040 Speaker 2: at all possible. I truly believe that the Thunder lose 625 00:29:55,120 --> 00:29:57,760 Speaker 2: in Round two this year if not for the work 626 00:29:57,800 --> 00:30:00,080 Speaker 2: that Alex Crusoe did in that series, the workie he 627 00:30:00,160 --> 00:30:03,080 Speaker 2: did on Nicole Jokicchen Game seven, but also the on 628 00:30:03,200 --> 00:30:06,600 Speaker 2: ball defensive work throughout the series. He also hit fifteen 629 00:30:06,720 --> 00:30:09,520 Speaker 2: threes in that series. He had nineteen assists with just 630 00:30:09,560 --> 00:30:12,840 Speaker 2: six turnovers in that series. As I said on the 631 00:30:12,840 --> 00:30:16,480 Speaker 2: show Monday night, and as I said earlier tonight, I 632 00:30:16,480 --> 00:30:18,880 Speaker 2: think it's a near certainty that the Thunder win the 633 00:30:18,880 --> 00:30:21,640 Speaker 2: title at this point, and so you got an immediate 634 00:30:22,240 --> 00:30:27,520 Speaker 2: championship level return for the Thunder given by Alex Caruso. 635 00:30:28,160 --> 00:30:30,920 Speaker 2: That's it for this week's course correction. Remember Microsoft's AI 636 00:30:31,000 --> 00:30:34,160 Speaker 2: solutions power empower you to take bold steps and make 637 00:30:34,200 --> 00:30:37,200 Speaker 2: informed decisions, sparking new ideas to help drive your business forward. 638 00:30:37,360 --> 00:30:40,040 Speaker 2: If Microsoft is your trusted partner, you can navigate your 639 00:30:40,080 --> 00:30:44,080 Speaker 2: journey with confidence, finding innovative solutions and reaching new possibilities. 640 00:30:44,120 --> 00:30:48,479 Speaker 2: Visit Microsoft dot com slash challengers to learn more. All right, 641 00:30:48,520 --> 00:30:51,400 Speaker 2: our last segment before we get into our mailbag, the 642 00:30:51,400 --> 00:30:53,840 Speaker 2: face of the League talk. There's been a lot of 643 00:30:53,880 --> 00:30:55,040 Speaker 2: talk about the current. 644 00:30:54,800 --> 00:30:55,600 Speaker 3: State of the NBA. 645 00:30:56,440 --> 00:30:58,240 Speaker 2: Who's going to be the face of the league now 646 00:30:58,240 --> 00:31:01,120 Speaker 2: that Lebron and Steph are gone, are going out aging 647 00:31:01,160 --> 00:31:04,080 Speaker 2: out in the process. At least is the NBA screwed 648 00:31:04,120 --> 00:31:07,320 Speaker 2: because two small markets are facing off in the NBA Finals? 649 00:31:08,240 --> 00:31:10,280 Speaker 2: Does the league need to do a better job of 650 00:31:10,360 --> 00:31:13,920 Speaker 2: marketing its young stars? The main thing I want to 651 00:31:13,920 --> 00:31:17,120 Speaker 2: focus on tonight is that last question, because I think 652 00:31:17,160 --> 00:31:20,240 Speaker 2: the answer is relevant for all of those questions, and 653 00:31:20,280 --> 00:31:22,760 Speaker 2: I think the perfect way to frame this conversation is 654 00:31:22,800 --> 00:31:26,800 Speaker 2: to look at our two previous faces of the league, 655 00:31:27,080 --> 00:31:30,360 Speaker 2: Lebron and Steph, which, by the way, this isn't a 656 00:31:30,400 --> 00:31:34,480 Speaker 2: real thing. There's not an assignment for face of the league. 657 00:31:34,520 --> 00:31:36,760 Speaker 2: It's just Lebron and Steph are far and away the 658 00:31:36,760 --> 00:31:38,360 Speaker 2: most famous players of their generation. 659 00:31:38,400 --> 00:31:38,880 Speaker 3: They just are. 660 00:31:39,400 --> 00:31:42,120 Speaker 2: It's them two and then a giant gap before you 661 00:31:42,160 --> 00:31:44,560 Speaker 2: get to Kevin Durant, James Harden the other guys in 662 00:31:44,600 --> 00:31:47,480 Speaker 2: those tiers. Like, even as famous as those guys are, 663 00:31:47,800 --> 00:31:50,240 Speaker 2: Lebron and Steph are just on another level. Did the 664 00:31:50,360 --> 00:31:55,160 Speaker 2: league make Lebron and Steph into stars? Did they run 665 00:31:55,320 --> 00:32:01,480 Speaker 2: sophisticated marketing campaigns? Did they make them get drafted by 666 00:32:01,480 --> 00:32:04,520 Speaker 2: big market teams like the Knicks or the Lakers. No, 667 00:32:06,440 --> 00:32:08,920 Speaker 2: we think of the Warriors now as one of the 668 00:32:08,960 --> 00:32:10,800 Speaker 2: big markets in the league, as one of the most 669 00:32:10,920 --> 00:32:14,280 Speaker 2: valuable franchises in the NBA. But they just sold in 670 00:32:14,280 --> 00:32:18,800 Speaker 2: twenty ten for like what the four hundred and fifty million. 671 00:32:21,400 --> 00:32:22,400 Speaker 3: Like they are. 672 00:32:22,640 --> 00:32:23,880 Speaker 2: I think it was a little bit less than that, 673 00:32:23,880 --> 00:32:27,280 Speaker 2: but they just sold for a little over four hundred million. 674 00:32:27,880 --> 00:32:29,080 Speaker 3: Fifteen years ago. 675 00:32:29,520 --> 00:32:33,960 Speaker 2: Nobody thought of the Warriors as a big market juggernaut 676 00:32:34,080 --> 00:32:39,320 Speaker 2: before Steph made them into that. The Cleveland Cavaliers are 677 00:32:39,360 --> 00:32:42,320 Speaker 2: now a four billion dollar franchise and they have a 678 00:32:42,440 --> 00:32:45,800 Speaker 2: viable fan base that is ravenous. For this new Cleveland 679 00:32:45,840 --> 00:32:53,400 Speaker 2: Cavaliers iteration, Lebron made them into that that it doesn't 680 00:32:53,400 --> 00:32:55,760 Speaker 2: matter if it's the Pacers in Indiana or it's the 681 00:32:55,760 --> 00:32:57,960 Speaker 2: Thunder in Oklahoma City. It doesn't matter where a guy 682 00:32:58,000 --> 00:33:01,240 Speaker 2: gets drafted. Lebron and Steph have proved that you can 683 00:33:01,360 --> 00:33:07,120 Speaker 2: supersede that and create legendary status for a smaller market 684 00:33:07,400 --> 00:33:12,080 Speaker 2: for a player regardless of what the league does. Lebron 685 00:33:12,080 --> 00:33:15,800 Speaker 2: and Steph made themselves in two faces of the league. 686 00:33:16,000 --> 00:33:22,440 Speaker 2: How two ways. One they were must see television. Lebron 687 00:33:22,520 --> 00:33:25,720 Speaker 2: James in his prime was arguably the best combination of 688 00:33:25,720 --> 00:33:30,120 Speaker 2: size and athleticism ever to play sports. You couldn't watch 689 00:33:30,160 --> 00:33:32,680 Speaker 2: a game in his prime without seeing a half dozen 690 00:33:32,800 --> 00:33:37,040 Speaker 2: absurd highlights. Crazy dunks, crazy layups, crazy chase down blocks, 691 00:33:37,320 --> 00:33:40,680 Speaker 2: absurd you know, jump passes that nobody other player in 692 00:33:40,680 --> 00:33:44,240 Speaker 2: the league could make jumping a passing lane. We think 693 00:33:44,280 --> 00:33:46,840 Speaker 2: of him as like a savvy, old veteran player now, 694 00:33:46,880 --> 00:33:49,400 Speaker 2: but back in the day, he was a nuclear athlete. 695 00:33:49,920 --> 00:33:53,520 Speaker 2: Every once in a while, some Lebron fan page on 696 00:33:53,560 --> 00:33:57,520 Speaker 2: Twitter will tweet some video highlight of Lebron in like 697 00:33:57,560 --> 00:34:00,400 Speaker 2: two thousand and nine or something, and it'll come across 698 00:34:00,440 --> 00:34:03,080 Speaker 2: my feet and I'm always like, oh my god, I 699 00:34:03,240 --> 00:34:07,000 Speaker 2: forgot this dude moved just different than anyone else in 700 00:34:07,040 --> 00:34:10,400 Speaker 2: the league. And Steph Curry's far and away the greatest 701 00:34:10,400 --> 00:34:13,000 Speaker 2: shot maker in the history of the NBA. His hot 702 00:34:13,040 --> 00:34:16,239 Speaker 2: streaks were unlike anything we had ever seen before. I 703 00:34:16,280 --> 00:34:19,000 Speaker 2: remember in twenty twenty one when he was routinely going 704 00:34:19,040 --> 00:34:22,240 Speaker 2: off after the All Star break, it was like, whatever 705 00:34:22,320 --> 00:34:24,239 Speaker 2: you were doing, you had to stop when Steph was 706 00:34:24,280 --> 00:34:26,120 Speaker 2: on a hot streak and just get to a television 707 00:34:26,400 --> 00:34:30,759 Speaker 2: because it was musty TV, even for non you know, 708 00:34:30,920 --> 00:34:35,560 Speaker 2: like guys that aren't necessarily super successful in the championship stage, 709 00:34:35,600 --> 00:34:38,200 Speaker 2: like Kyrie only has one championship, but he is a 710 00:34:38,719 --> 00:34:43,040 Speaker 2: profoundly entertaining player with a huge fan base. Why because 711 00:34:43,080 --> 00:34:47,040 Speaker 2: he's must see television. When you're watching Kyrie irving, chain together, 712 00:34:47,120 --> 00:34:49,520 Speaker 2: dribble combinations and doing the things he does on the court, 713 00:34:49,760 --> 00:34:53,600 Speaker 2: it resonates with people. It just does Anthony Edwards. Anthony 714 00:34:53,680 --> 00:34:56,560 Speaker 2: Edwards is not as good at basketball as Shay, but 715 00:34:56,600 --> 00:34:59,640 Speaker 2: he is absolutely more aesthetically appealing and that is why 716 00:34:59,640 --> 00:35:03,680 Speaker 2: he he has such a huge, ravenous fan base behind him. 717 00:35:03,960 --> 00:35:09,040 Speaker 2: The second part of it is the success from twenty 718 00:35:09,120 --> 00:35:12,960 Speaker 2: twelve to twenty twenty two. Lebron and Steph literally won 719 00:35:13,040 --> 00:35:17,880 Speaker 2: eight championships in eleven years, and the three years they 720 00:35:17,920 --> 00:35:20,399 Speaker 2: didn't win the championship, they were in the finals two 721 00:35:20,440 --> 00:35:22,280 Speaker 2: of them. One of them was in the finals Lebron 722 00:35:22,320 --> 00:35:25,560 Speaker 2: in twenty fourteen, Steph in twenty nineteen. You could not 723 00:35:25,760 --> 00:35:29,160 Speaker 2: turn on your TV in June without seeing Lebron or 724 00:35:29,200 --> 00:35:34,480 Speaker 2: Steph on the television. That's how they became legends. It's both, 725 00:35:34,760 --> 00:35:38,000 Speaker 2: you gotta have both. We've seen players like Tim Duncan 726 00:35:38,080 --> 00:35:40,240 Speaker 2: that won a lot, but that didn't resonate with people 727 00:35:40,239 --> 00:35:43,520 Speaker 2: because there wasn't an esthetically appealing element to his game. 728 00:35:43,960 --> 00:35:46,080 Speaker 2: I still feel like there's a huge chunk of casual 729 00:35:46,120 --> 00:35:48,520 Speaker 2: fans that don't really get the Jokic thing because there's 730 00:35:48,520 --> 00:35:51,040 Speaker 2: not a huge aesthetically appealing part of his game. But 731 00:35:51,239 --> 00:35:55,879 Speaker 2: if you can do both, if you can be must 732 00:35:55,920 --> 00:36:00,640 Speaker 2: see television and you can consistently play in June and 733 00:36:00,680 --> 00:36:04,359 Speaker 2: succeed in June, that is the kind of thing that 734 00:36:04,360 --> 00:36:09,279 Speaker 2: can influence the public. There is no marketing campaign that 735 00:36:09,280 --> 00:36:14,040 Speaker 2: can influence the public like that. Every media entity covering 736 00:36:14,040 --> 00:36:16,320 Speaker 2: the NBA, from myself to the people on ESPN or 737 00:36:16,320 --> 00:36:18,680 Speaker 2: whoever it is, we could talk about Shay and Tyrese 738 00:36:18,680 --> 00:36:21,800 Speaker 2: Halliburton every day for the next year and it would 739 00:36:21,800 --> 00:36:24,480 Speaker 2: not influence the public the way that they could on 740 00:36:24,640 --> 00:36:28,200 Speaker 2: ABC in June. That is where they win over the 741 00:36:28,200 --> 00:36:32,399 Speaker 2: hearts and minds of the people. Anyone can become a legend. 742 00:36:33,280 --> 00:36:35,359 Speaker 2: It doesn't matter if you're in Oklahoma City or New 743 00:36:35,400 --> 00:36:39,760 Speaker 2: York City. People don't even watch the same media anymore. 744 00:36:39,800 --> 00:36:42,080 Speaker 2: All of us consume NBA content from one hundred different 745 00:36:42,080 --> 00:36:45,560 Speaker 2: sources that perfectly fit what we like to hear. Some 746 00:36:45,560 --> 00:36:48,680 Speaker 2: people want superficial stuff, some people want way in the weeds. 747 00:36:48,719 --> 00:36:52,360 Speaker 2: Some people want team specific stuff. Some people want national media, 748 00:36:52,440 --> 00:36:55,520 Speaker 2: some people want television. Some people want more of the 749 00:36:55,560 --> 00:36:57,759 Speaker 2: podcast type of format. Some of you guys are big 750 00:36:57,760 --> 00:37:00,799 Speaker 2: YouTube people. A lot of people do streaming services like 751 00:37:00,800 --> 00:37:02,920 Speaker 2: playback where they can be more interactive. Like, there's a 752 00:37:02,960 --> 00:37:05,400 Speaker 2: million ways to consume NBA media. There isn't even a 753 00:37:05,400 --> 00:37:08,439 Speaker 2: way in which the NBA could like force a star 754 00:37:08,600 --> 00:37:13,480 Speaker 2: on us. The Internet is a tool that makes the 755 00:37:13,640 --> 00:37:17,719 Speaker 2: quality of your work matter. The algorithm it's about for 756 00:37:17,840 --> 00:37:20,680 Speaker 2: all of us content creators, it's about maintaining eyeballs. That's 757 00:37:20,719 --> 00:37:22,920 Speaker 2: literally all that matters when it comes to the Internet. 758 00:37:23,239 --> 00:37:26,480 Speaker 2: You have to bring the aura and the success that 759 00:37:26,760 --> 00:37:30,160 Speaker 2: captures the attention of the people. Lebron and Steph it 760 00:37:30,160 --> 00:37:32,600 Speaker 2: doesn't matter where they've played in their careers. They have 761 00:37:32,800 --> 00:37:38,920 Speaker 2: global fan bases. But it cannot be given to you 762 00:37:39,800 --> 00:37:44,200 Speaker 2: or forced on you. It has to be earned. So 763 00:37:44,280 --> 00:37:47,879 Speaker 2: here's the thing. This year's NBA Finals won't get good 764 00:37:47,920 --> 00:37:51,920 Speaker 2: TV ratings, and that's fine. It's kind of inevitable under 765 00:37:51,920 --> 00:37:55,440 Speaker 2: the circumstances. There's kind of a natural gap that exists 766 00:37:55,520 --> 00:37:58,360 Speaker 2: between the eras that we're in right now, So it 767 00:37:58,400 --> 00:38:01,000 Speaker 2: doesn't really matter what Shape and Tyree have done there 768 00:38:01,000 --> 00:38:02,919 Speaker 2: in their mid twenties, they haven't been around long enough 769 00:38:02,960 --> 00:38:06,279 Speaker 2: to influence people the way they need to. This is 770 00:38:06,680 --> 00:38:11,960 Speaker 2: this was inevitable. But the question is hand players like SGA, 771 00:38:12,440 --> 00:38:15,240 Speaker 2: like Tyrese Halliburn, or teams like the Thunder or the Pacers, 772 00:38:15,280 --> 00:38:18,240 Speaker 2: can they become faces of the NBA? Can they become 773 00:38:18,320 --> 00:38:22,800 Speaker 2: the kinds of cultural forces that those old Warriors teams were, 774 00:38:23,080 --> 00:38:27,359 Speaker 2: Cavs teams were that Lebron and Steph were. They certainly can. 775 00:38:28,880 --> 00:38:32,560 Speaker 2: Like with SGA, you need both, right, You need success 776 00:38:33,120 --> 00:38:37,160 Speaker 2: and you need to be musty television. So continually making 777 00:38:37,200 --> 00:38:39,600 Speaker 2: it to this point, continually winning games, that'll go a 778 00:38:39,640 --> 00:38:43,680 Speaker 2: long way for SGA. But there is a reality to 779 00:38:43,719 --> 00:38:45,760 Speaker 2: the fact. And again I know Thunder fans are super 780 00:38:45,760 --> 00:38:47,600 Speaker 2: sensitive about this and they always have a conniption fit 781 00:38:47,600 --> 00:38:49,360 Speaker 2: every time it gets brought up. But there is a 782 00:38:49,400 --> 00:38:53,319 Speaker 2: reality to the fact that Shay sometimes has a hard 783 00:38:53,360 --> 00:38:56,640 Speaker 2: time resonating with casual fans because of some of the weird, 784 00:38:56,719 --> 00:39:01,160 Speaker 2: non basketball, foul grifty stuff he does. He will become 785 00:39:01,200 --> 00:39:05,080 Speaker 2: a legend and an icon by hitting contested mid range 786 00:39:05,160 --> 00:39:08,719 Speaker 2: jump shots in the finals, not by lurching into defenders' 787 00:39:08,719 --> 00:39:12,360 Speaker 2: bodies and grabbing their arms and throwing up fake shots 788 00:39:12,400 --> 00:39:16,200 Speaker 2: like we can talk all we want about how the 789 00:39:16,239 --> 00:39:17,759 Speaker 2: rule book is the rule book and you've got to 790 00:39:17,760 --> 00:39:20,080 Speaker 2: find a way not to foul. And yess, he's a 791 00:39:20,120 --> 00:39:24,279 Speaker 2: competitor that's just finding every advantage. Oh, that's true. The 792 00:39:24,360 --> 00:39:26,799 Speaker 2: casual fan does not care. You guys that are watching me. 793 00:39:26,880 --> 00:39:28,960 Speaker 2: You don't watch this show because you're casual fans. You 794 00:39:28,960 --> 00:39:31,279 Speaker 2: watch the show because you love basketball. We are the 795 00:39:31,360 --> 00:39:33,600 Speaker 2: nut jobs. We're not the people that Shay has to 796 00:39:33,640 --> 00:39:37,040 Speaker 2: win over. Shay has to win over the general public, 797 00:39:37,840 --> 00:39:39,800 Speaker 2: and he's not going to win over the general public 798 00:39:40,200 --> 00:39:45,719 Speaker 2: doing all that foul grifty shit. He absolutely has that potential, though, 799 00:39:46,239 --> 00:39:50,439 Speaker 2: because he is legitimately a top tier shot maker. Coming 800 00:39:50,480 --> 00:39:54,719 Speaker 2: into tonight, he was shooting fifty four percent on jump 801 00:39:54,719 --> 00:39:58,040 Speaker 2: shots inside of seventeen feet. He won a pivotal playoff 802 00:39:58,080 --> 00:39:59,920 Speaker 2: game with it in the second half of Game FI. 803 00:40:00,400 --> 00:40:04,120 Speaker 2: If he has more moments like that, in fewer moments 804 00:40:04,160 --> 00:40:06,240 Speaker 2: like Game two where he puts up a monster stat 805 00:40:06,280 --> 00:40:08,399 Speaker 2: line but takes like seven or eight of the most 806 00:40:08,440 --> 00:40:11,560 Speaker 2: ridiculous fake shot attempts I've ever seen, If he has 807 00:40:11,600 --> 00:40:13,879 Speaker 2: more moments like that second half in Game four, he 808 00:40:14,000 --> 00:40:18,960 Speaker 2: will become a legend. I absolutely think he could become 809 00:40:18,960 --> 00:40:22,880 Speaker 2: a fan favorite. As for Halliburton, I think his pathway 810 00:40:22,960 --> 00:40:25,239 Speaker 2: is shooting. As we've seen with Steph, that can be 811 00:40:25,280 --> 00:40:28,160 Speaker 2: a musty television type of show. His shooting run in 812 00:40:28,160 --> 00:40:32,200 Speaker 2: Game four was musky television. If he can improve as 813 00:40:32,239 --> 00:40:35,040 Speaker 2: a three point shooter to the type of dynamic guy 814 00:40:35,120 --> 00:40:38,000 Speaker 2: that can get super super hot and regularly hit five 815 00:40:38,120 --> 00:40:41,480 Speaker 2: seven threes a game, I think he could resonate with fans. 816 00:40:42,120 --> 00:40:45,160 Speaker 2: Combine that with the same success in June, he could 817 00:40:45,200 --> 00:40:47,640 Speaker 2: become a legend. The point is the point I'm trying 818 00:40:47,640 --> 00:40:52,839 Speaker 2: to make the younger generation guys like Halliburton, SGA, even 819 00:40:52,840 --> 00:40:57,240 Speaker 2: Anthony Edwards, they absolutely can become the faces of the NBA, 820 00:40:57,560 --> 00:41:00,000 Speaker 2: victor Women, Yama, Cooper, Flagg, whoever it ends up being. 821 00:41:00,560 --> 00:41:03,880 Speaker 2: But nobody is gonna give it to them. The NBA 822 00:41:04,080 --> 00:41:04,799 Speaker 2: can't do. 823 00:41:04,880 --> 00:41:05,520 Speaker 3: It for them. 824 00:41:06,320 --> 00:41:09,000 Speaker 2: They have to take it, and they have to take 825 00:41:09,040 --> 00:41:13,239 Speaker 2: it by becoming what Lebron and Steph were, by becoming legends, 826 00:41:13,480 --> 00:41:17,040 Speaker 2: by being musty television, by winning basketball games on ABC 827 00:41:17,080 --> 00:41:19,440 Speaker 2: and June. All right, I'm off my soapbox. 828 00:41:19,480 --> 00:41:19,959 Speaker 3: All right, Jackson. 829 00:41:20,000 --> 00:41:21,680 Speaker 2: Let's take a five ten minutes of questions and then 830 00:41:21,680 --> 00:41:22,560 Speaker 2: we'll head over to playback. 831 00:41:23,040 --> 00:41:23,600 Speaker 1: Let's do it. 832 00:41:23,719 --> 00:41:24,279 Speaker 3: Let's do it. 833 00:41:24,480 --> 00:41:26,680 Speaker 1: We got a couple of super Chat questions to start with. 834 00:41:27,000 --> 00:41:27,680 Speaker 1: One from Dave. 835 00:41:27,960 --> 00:41:31,400 Speaker 4: He said, thunderfan here, love your content. In what aspect 836 00:41:31,400 --> 00:41:34,399 Speaker 4: do you think the thunder have grown most from last 837 00:41:34,440 --> 00:41:36,719 Speaker 4: season that has resulted in them sort of getting over 838 00:41:36,800 --> 00:41:38,120 Speaker 4: the at least this step of the hump. 839 00:41:38,640 --> 00:41:41,240 Speaker 2: I think there's two obvious pieces, because like there's there's 840 00:41:41,360 --> 00:41:44,319 Speaker 2: you know, the talent increase that inherently comes from young 841 00:41:44,320 --> 00:41:47,560 Speaker 2: guys aging and uh bringing in key role players like 842 00:41:47,640 --> 00:41:51,080 Speaker 2: Crusoe and Hartenstein. But overall, I thought they're playmaking in 843 00:41:51,080 --> 00:41:52,960 Speaker 2: the middle of the floor, just the decisions they made 844 00:41:53,000 --> 00:41:55,120 Speaker 2: in the middle of the floor in traffic in the series, 845 00:41:55,200 --> 00:41:57,480 Speaker 2: and then the confidence with which they stepped into three 846 00:41:57,520 --> 00:42:01,520 Speaker 2: point shots like they legitimately time time and time again 847 00:42:01,520 --> 00:42:05,279 Speaker 2: in this postseason when we have seen them in this 848 00:42:05,400 --> 00:42:08,400 Speaker 2: regular season, even in this postseason early in the Denver series, 849 00:42:08,680 --> 00:42:11,000 Speaker 2: like we've seen them kind of lose their confidence in 850 00:42:11,040 --> 00:42:15,120 Speaker 2: catch and shoot situations. They've just been a very dependable 851 00:42:15,239 --> 00:42:17,680 Speaker 2: catch and shoot three point shooting team in this postseason run, 852 00:42:17,719 --> 00:42:20,080 Speaker 2: and I think it's been. I think it's been especially 853 00:42:20,080 --> 00:42:21,960 Speaker 2: in big spots when they've needed to be And so 854 00:42:22,280 --> 00:42:25,040 Speaker 2: I think I think that like connective playmaking piece, the 855 00:42:25,160 --> 00:42:27,680 Speaker 2: not forcing shit at the rim, making those kickout passes 856 00:42:27,680 --> 00:42:30,320 Speaker 2: and guys stepping into threes has been their biggest area 857 00:42:30,360 --> 00:42:30,800 Speaker 2: of growth. 858 00:42:31,640 --> 00:42:34,600 Speaker 4: Another super Track question, this one from JM. He says 859 00:42:35,000 --> 00:42:38,240 Speaker 4: SGA is a combination of the three greatest shooting guards 860 00:42:38,239 --> 00:42:41,239 Speaker 4: of the early two thousands, Kobe's size and footwork, d 861 00:42:41,400 --> 00:42:43,759 Speaker 4: Wade's sort of consistency and ability to drive to the 862 00:42:43,840 --> 00:42:46,560 Speaker 4: room and finish, and Manud's craftiness. 863 00:42:46,840 --> 00:42:51,960 Speaker 2: Thoughts the Kobe and Manu stuff I agree with. I 864 00:42:52,000 --> 00:42:55,799 Speaker 2: don't really see Dean Dwayne Wade in in Uh Shay 865 00:42:55,880 --> 00:42:57,360 Speaker 2: that much, just because Shaye is kind of more of 866 00:42:57,400 --> 00:43:01,640 Speaker 2: like a spindly, wiry, kind of like funky moving athlete 867 00:43:02,080 --> 00:43:02,360 Speaker 2: he is. 868 00:43:02,719 --> 00:43:04,360 Speaker 3: I think Shay's first step is underrated. 869 00:43:04,400 --> 00:43:07,560 Speaker 2: I think he's incredibly quick off the bounce, but I 870 00:43:07,600 --> 00:43:10,200 Speaker 2: don't think it looks anything like with Dwayne Wade was 871 00:43:10,239 --> 00:43:13,840 Speaker 2: like quite literally nuclear downhill athleticism with the ability to 872 00:43:14,040 --> 00:43:16,200 Speaker 2: the thing that Wade could do that was crazy was 873 00:43:16,200 --> 00:43:18,759 Speaker 2: he could change direction at full speed, So like if 874 00:43:18,760 --> 00:43:21,319 Speaker 2: you watched if you watched Wade, he would like come 875 00:43:21,360 --> 00:43:23,719 Speaker 2: at this angle at full speed and then split the 876 00:43:23,719 --> 00:43:25,239 Speaker 2: pick and roll back at this angle, and it would 877 00:43:25,280 --> 00:43:26,880 Speaker 2: literally look like he didn't even stop. He would just 878 00:43:26,920 --> 00:43:29,319 Speaker 2: like knife through the lane. I don't think he quite 879 00:43:29,360 --> 00:43:31,360 Speaker 2: has that athletic impact that Dwayne Wade had, but I 880 00:43:31,360 --> 00:43:33,600 Speaker 2: think the man who Genobili and Kobe comparisons make a 881 00:43:33,640 --> 00:43:34,279 Speaker 2: lot of sense to me. 882 00:43:34,960 --> 00:43:35,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, I agree. 883 00:43:35,640 --> 00:43:37,560 Speaker 4: It's like, when was the last time you shot you 884 00:43:37,640 --> 00:43:40,960 Speaker 4: saw Shade dunk over someone in traffic? It hasn't happened, 885 00:43:41,080 --> 00:43:43,319 Speaker 4: but that first step and the other aspects I like 886 00:43:43,360 --> 00:43:44,080 Speaker 4: those comparisons. 887 00:43:44,160 --> 00:43:46,719 Speaker 1: Actually one more super tech question. 888 00:43:46,719 --> 00:43:49,560 Speaker 4: Then we got a couple others supertech question from Michael 889 00:43:49,640 --> 00:43:53,080 Speaker 4: He said fan from Puerto Rico. After two Western Conference 890 00:43:53,120 --> 00:43:55,359 Speaker 4: finals back to back, is it's still fair to use 891 00:43:55,440 --> 00:43:56,920 Speaker 4: the he's just twenty. 892 00:43:56,640 --> 00:43:59,800 Speaker 1: Three years old? With Anthony Edwards, I feel like you 893 00:44:00,160 --> 00:44:00,960 Speaker 1: answered earlier, but. 894 00:44:01,560 --> 00:44:04,919 Speaker 2: It guys, who's the example. Who's the example of a guy? 895 00:44:05,520 --> 00:44:07,640 Speaker 2: Like if you have a counter example, if there are 896 00:44:07,680 --> 00:44:10,520 Speaker 2: like five six other dudes who like clearly looked better 897 00:44:10,560 --> 00:44:12,880 Speaker 2: than Ant at twenty three, then sure let's have that conversation. 898 00:44:12,960 --> 00:44:16,680 Speaker 2: I just don't like this is this is literally like 899 00:44:16,880 --> 00:44:20,319 Speaker 2: the the fact that ant is having this success so 900 00:44:20,440 --> 00:44:23,320 Speaker 2: early in his career is causing everybody to lose their minds. 901 00:44:23,360 --> 00:44:26,200 Speaker 2: It doesn't usually look like this, Like most of these 902 00:44:26,280 --> 00:44:29,359 Speaker 2: dudes are not even getting close to this level by 903 00:44:29,360 --> 00:44:31,880 Speaker 2: this point. Like how many players by the age of 904 00:44:31,920 --> 00:44:34,840 Speaker 2: twenty three eliminated the best player in the world in 905 00:44:34,880 --> 00:44:37,640 Speaker 2: a playoff series, eliminated a team that Luka Doncic, John 906 00:44:37,719 --> 00:44:40,440 Speaker 2: Lebron James on it, Like how many teams have been 907 00:44:40,480 --> 00:44:44,160 Speaker 2: able to do that? Like he swept Kevin Durant and 908 00:44:44,160 --> 00:44:47,440 Speaker 2: Devin Booker and the Suns and was like it was 909 00:44:47,480 --> 00:44:50,240 Speaker 2: like clowning on them that entire series. Like I think, 910 00:44:50,520 --> 00:44:52,400 Speaker 2: I think there are some realities to the fact that 911 00:44:52,440 --> 00:44:56,600 Speaker 2: he's shown some vulnerability to certain types of matchups, but 912 00:44:56,680 --> 00:45:00,359 Speaker 2: I think overall, he's clearly improving year over year like that. 913 00:45:00,360 --> 00:45:02,160 Speaker 2: That's the second piece I would say, is like I 914 00:45:02,200 --> 00:45:03,920 Speaker 2: would be so much more in line with this, Like 915 00:45:03,960 --> 00:45:05,680 Speaker 2: can we keep saying he's twenty three when this is 916 00:45:05,680 --> 00:45:08,800 Speaker 2: his second Western Conference Finals if he didn't look obviously 917 00:45:08,840 --> 00:45:10,359 Speaker 2: better than he did last year, So let me actually 918 00:45:10,400 --> 00:45:12,319 Speaker 2: pitch that back to you, Jackson, Am I out of 919 00:45:12,520 --> 00:45:14,440 Speaker 2: am I out of my mind for thinking it is 920 00:45:14,480 --> 00:45:16,160 Speaker 2: clearly better this year than he was last year. 921 00:45:16,560 --> 00:45:18,360 Speaker 4: No, no, no, no, I don't think so. I mean, I 922 00:45:18,360 --> 00:45:20,239 Speaker 4: think the development and from him as a shooter is 923 00:45:20,280 --> 00:45:24,000 Speaker 4: really remarkable. He was a fine, okay shooter coming in 924 00:45:24,040 --> 00:45:25,400 Speaker 4: for the first couple of seasons, and he was like 925 00:45:25,400 --> 00:45:27,760 Speaker 4: a good shooter last year. But he is a great 926 00:45:27,800 --> 00:45:28,600 Speaker 4: shooter this year. 927 00:45:29,040 --> 00:45:29,320 Speaker 3: Great. 928 00:45:29,400 --> 00:45:31,120 Speaker 1: He led the league in or was it de leete 929 00:45:31,160 --> 00:45:32,600 Speaker 1: the league or he won short of Leage Beasley? I 930 00:45:32,640 --> 00:45:33,960 Speaker 1: forget in three point makes. 931 00:45:33,800 --> 00:45:36,080 Speaker 4: But he led the league I think, and that is like, 932 00:45:36,400 --> 00:45:39,040 Speaker 4: you're not doing that unless you are really putting in 933 00:45:39,040 --> 00:45:39,600 Speaker 4: all of that work. 934 00:45:39,680 --> 00:45:40,920 Speaker 1: So no, I don't. I don't think it's out of 935 00:45:40,920 --> 00:45:41,440 Speaker 1: bounds at all. 936 00:45:43,080 --> 00:45:47,960 Speaker 2: He was number one by one over Maleague Beasley at 937 00:45:48,280 --> 00:45:50,000 Speaker 2: three nineteen right. 938 00:45:49,440 --> 00:45:52,439 Speaker 4: Right exactly, and a lot of people in the chat 939 00:45:52,520 --> 00:45:54,680 Speaker 4: and sort of, you know, as people would compare the 940 00:45:54,680 --> 00:45:56,680 Speaker 4: two are talking about dwayn Wade and how he won 941 00:45:56,760 --> 00:45:59,279 Speaker 4: the finals at twenty four years old or however he was, 942 00:45:59,320 --> 00:46:03,160 Speaker 4: and it's like he won the finals of twenty four 943 00:46:03,160 --> 00:46:04,600 Speaker 4: and no one else has really done that, and he 944 00:46:04,640 --> 00:46:06,000 Speaker 4: did it one time, he didn't make it to the 945 00:46:06,000 --> 00:46:06,560 Speaker 4: finals again. 946 00:46:06,800 --> 00:46:07,520 Speaker 1: He made it to the final. 947 00:46:07,560 --> 00:46:08,919 Speaker 4: He only made it to the finals the one time 948 00:46:08,960 --> 00:46:10,719 Speaker 4: before he got Lebron James as his team, which is 949 00:46:10,760 --> 00:46:11,800 Speaker 4: not a shot at Dayne Wade. 950 00:46:12,000 --> 00:46:14,399 Speaker 3: Is just to say that it's very very rare. 951 00:46:14,480 --> 00:46:16,640 Speaker 4: And you're like, well, he's not Dwayne Wade, then okay, 952 00:46:17,040 --> 00:46:19,319 Speaker 4: he's not the fourth greatest shooting guard of all time 953 00:46:19,440 --> 00:46:22,239 Speaker 4: or whatever, right, Like he's not in the you know, 954 00:46:22,280 --> 00:46:22,879 Speaker 4: he's not in the. 955 00:46:22,800 --> 00:46:25,800 Speaker 1: Pantheon yet, and I don't think anyone like that's fine. 956 00:46:25,840 --> 00:46:28,400 Speaker 4: He can be amazing and not be Dwayne Wade. 957 00:46:29,440 --> 00:46:33,000 Speaker 2: And also, like to your point, like Wade legitimately lost 958 00:46:33,080 --> 00:46:34,880 Speaker 2: some of the talent after that year, and then he 959 00:46:35,080 --> 00:46:37,640 Speaker 2: could not bring his teams to any sort of legitimate 960 00:46:37,640 --> 00:46:40,160 Speaker 2: playoff success after that point until Lebron James came around, 961 00:46:40,160 --> 00:46:44,640 Speaker 2: Like I to me, to me, the the Dwayne Wade 962 00:46:44,960 --> 00:46:47,560 Speaker 2: performance in two thousand and six is very much like 963 00:46:47,640 --> 00:46:50,759 Speaker 2: a flash in the play flash in the pain kind 964 00:46:50,800 --> 00:46:54,040 Speaker 2: of like playoff performance that was like a kind of 965 00:46:54,200 --> 00:46:57,200 Speaker 2: unique compared to anything else in NBA history. There's like 966 00:46:57,560 --> 00:46:59,880 Speaker 2: it like doesn't really there's really nothing you can compare 967 00:46:59,880 --> 00:47:00,960 Speaker 2: it too, right. 968 00:47:00,960 --> 00:47:02,759 Speaker 4: And someone in the chat just said, people who are 969 00:47:02,800 --> 00:47:05,360 Speaker 4: better at age twenty three Luca d Wave, Lebron Magic, 970 00:47:05,480 --> 00:47:10,320 Speaker 4: MJ Bird, Will duncan check. Cool, pretty great, pretty shortly, amazing, 971 00:47:10,520 --> 00:47:12,719 Speaker 4: amazing group for Anthony Edwards to be a part of. Right, 972 00:47:12,760 --> 00:47:14,560 Speaker 4: I wouldn't argue with any of those names, and I 973 00:47:14,560 --> 00:47:17,200 Speaker 4: don't think and that's fine. If Anthony Edwards is the 974 00:47:17,239 --> 00:47:19,360 Speaker 4: tenth best twenty three year old ever, like he's on 975 00:47:19,360 --> 00:47:20,320 Speaker 4: a pretty good trajectory. 976 00:47:20,640 --> 00:47:22,319 Speaker 2: Well, and let me let me take this one step further, 977 00:47:22,400 --> 00:47:26,680 Speaker 2: because let's let's let's follow this thought process through to fruition. 978 00:47:26,800 --> 00:47:27,120 Speaker 3: Guys. 979 00:47:27,160 --> 00:47:31,160 Speaker 2: So, okay, Lebron James is, in my opinion, the best 980 00:47:31,160 --> 00:47:33,680 Speaker 2: best basketball player ever, in most people's opinion, the second 981 00:47:33,719 --> 00:47:36,560 Speaker 2: best basketball player ever, one of the top two. Like 982 00:47:36,600 --> 00:47:40,520 Speaker 2: that's like he's unassailable in terms of career trajectory. What 983 00:47:40,640 --> 00:47:42,920 Speaker 2: if we were all on Twitter back in two thousand 984 00:47:42,960 --> 00:47:44,959 Speaker 2: and five, two thousand and six, two thousand and seven, 985 00:47:44,960 --> 00:47:46,759 Speaker 2: two thousand and eight, two thousand and nine, and it 986 00:47:46,880 --> 00:47:49,040 Speaker 2: was like, oh, he makes it to the finals and 987 00:47:49,080 --> 00:47:52,520 Speaker 2: plays bad against the Spurs and gets eliminated. Then he 988 00:47:52,560 --> 00:47:56,120 Speaker 2: has a big statistical performing series against Boston in two 989 00:47:56,120 --> 00:47:59,240 Speaker 2: thousand and seven, but gets but loses and gets outplayed 990 00:47:59,239 --> 00:48:03,399 Speaker 2: by Paul Pierce in Game seven. In two thousand and 991 00:48:03,680 --> 00:48:06,360 Speaker 2: eight was the uh Two thousand and seven was the 992 00:48:06,360 --> 00:48:08,200 Speaker 2: Finals run. Two thousand and eight was the one year 993 00:48:08,239 --> 00:48:10,759 Speaker 2: that they lost to the Celtics. Two thousand and nine 994 00:48:11,200 --> 00:48:14,360 Speaker 2: puts up massive numbers but loses to an Orlando Magic 995 00:48:14,360 --> 00:48:18,160 Speaker 2: team in six games. Twenty ten like legitimately doesn't play 996 00:48:18,200 --> 00:48:20,800 Speaker 2: well down the stretch of a series against Boston and loses, 997 00:48:20,880 --> 00:48:23,400 Speaker 2: Like at that point he was already twenty six. Like 998 00:48:23,440 --> 00:48:26,839 Speaker 2: guys like this could have been, Like this is the 999 00:48:26,880 --> 00:48:30,560 Speaker 2: phase of careers where every star in NBA history has 1000 00:48:30,640 --> 00:48:33,360 Speaker 2: inconsistent and flawed results. 1001 00:48:33,719 --> 00:48:37,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, one hundred percent. Let's do one more question, then 1002 00:48:37,120 --> 00:48:38,000 Speaker 1: we'll go over to playback. 1003 00:48:38,200 --> 00:48:40,760 Speaker 4: Okay, this is an interesting one as we're talking about 1004 00:48:40,920 --> 00:48:44,920 Speaker 4: summer plans for the Minnesota Timberwolves as a franchise. 1005 00:48:45,080 --> 00:48:47,480 Speaker 1: Does Kevin Durant make sense for Minnesota. 1006 00:48:48,320 --> 00:48:50,799 Speaker 2: I think it makes a ton of sense for Minnesota. 1007 00:48:52,560 --> 00:48:54,040 Speaker 2: Oh my god, this is gonna get me thinking. 1008 00:48:56,360 --> 00:48:57,760 Speaker 3: I think he's a high IQ player. 1009 00:48:58,560 --> 00:49:02,000 Speaker 2: I think he's a incredible shooter and a very useful 1010 00:49:02,040 --> 00:49:05,840 Speaker 2: defensive player. I love the idea of surrounding Kevin Durant 1011 00:49:05,840 --> 00:49:09,040 Speaker 2: with tons of physicality, which has been the exact opposite 1012 00:49:09,080 --> 00:49:12,359 Speaker 2: of what's what he's been around since he left Golden State. Uh, 1013 00:49:13,560 --> 00:49:16,040 Speaker 2: oh my god, this is we need to take this 1014 00:49:16,920 --> 00:49:18,960 Speaker 2: concept over to playback and think a little bit more 1015 00:49:19,000 --> 00:49:20,960 Speaker 2: about it, because that's something I need to think about. 1016 00:49:21,560 --> 00:49:24,680 Speaker 2: But yeah, like I think, I think, shit, man, I 1017 00:49:24,680 --> 00:49:27,000 Speaker 2: almost like that better than any other option that I've 1018 00:49:27,000 --> 00:49:29,680 Speaker 2: seen thrown around. I don't know how they would be 1019 00:49:29,680 --> 00:49:31,880 Speaker 2: able to make it work because I think Julius's salary 1020 00:49:31,920 --> 00:49:35,200 Speaker 2: would be tough to match with Kd's, and then I 1021 00:49:35,239 --> 00:49:37,440 Speaker 2: think they're second apron, so they'd have a hard time 1022 00:49:37,440 --> 00:49:40,560 Speaker 2: aggregating salaries. They'd have to shed salary this summer somehow. 1023 00:49:41,680 --> 00:49:43,839 Speaker 2: Let me rephrase it like this, like, and we can 1024 00:49:43,880 --> 00:49:48,640 Speaker 2: talk about this on playback, but like, would you waive 1025 00:49:48,719 --> 00:49:50,600 Speaker 2: the rights to nas reed so that you can get 1026 00:49:50,680 --> 00:49:52,640 Speaker 2: Kevin Durant like that? 1027 00:49:52,640 --> 00:49:54,720 Speaker 3: That's that's where it gets kind of tricky. 1028 00:49:54,960 --> 00:49:57,120 Speaker 2: But because they might have to do something like that 1029 00:49:57,440 --> 00:49:59,680 Speaker 2: or offload a bunch of salary in order to make 1030 00:49:59,680 --> 00:50:02,880 Speaker 2: it work. But man, like, just thinking purely about the 1031 00:50:02,920 --> 00:50:05,760 Speaker 2: basketball and Kevin Durant being in the Julius Randall spot 1032 00:50:05,880 --> 00:50:07,799 Speaker 2: I think that all of a sudden becomes a much 1033 00:50:07,800 --> 00:50:11,360 Speaker 2: more interesting basketball team. All right, guys, it's all we 1034 00:50:11,400 --> 00:50:13,319 Speaker 2: have for tonight on YouTube. We're heading over to play 1035 00:50:13,400 --> 00:50:16,240 Speaker 2: back again. That's playback dot tv slash Hoops tonight. 1036 00:50:16,719 --> 00:50:17,200 Speaker 3: Come over there. 1037 00:50:17,200 --> 00:50:19,880 Speaker 2: If you're angry at me about my rants, bring your 1038 00:50:19,960 --> 00:50:22,279 Speaker 2: energy over there. Let's let's debate, let's have some fun. 1039 00:50:22,320 --> 00:50:24,640 Speaker 2: We're just gonna talk some hoops, watch some film, hang 1040 00:50:24,680 --> 00:50:26,120 Speaker 2: out for a little bit. I'll see you guys over 1041 00:50:26,160 --> 00:50:27,880 Speaker 2: there just in just a few minutes. But for our 1042 00:50:27,880 --> 00:50:30,319 Speaker 2: YouTube crowd things. As always, for the support, We'll be 1043 00:50:30,360 --> 00:50:32,760 Speaker 2: back tomorrow night after the final buzzer of Eastern Conference 1044 00:50:32,800 --> 00:50:33,520 Speaker 2: Finals Game five. 1045 00:50:33,600 --> 00:50:34,120 Speaker 3: What's up guys. 1046 00:50:34,160 --> 00:50:36,920 Speaker 2: As always, I appreciate you for listening to and supporting 1047 00:50:36,960 --> 00:50:39,560 Speaker 2: OOPS tonight. They would actually be really helpful for us 1048 00:50:39,600 --> 00:50:41,480 Speaker 2: if you guys would take a second and leave a 1049 00:50:41,600 --> 00:50:43,040 Speaker 2: rating and a review. 1050 00:50:43,040 --> 00:50:44,320 Speaker 3: As always, I appreciate you guys. 1051 00:50:44,160 --> 00:50:45,799 Speaker 2: Supporting us, but if you could take a minute to 1052 00:50:45,800 --> 00:50:47,840 Speaker 2: do that, I'd really appreciate it. 1053 00:50:49,680 --> 00:50:50,360 Speaker 4: The volume