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All right, welcome to hoopsinight here at 26 00:01:41,800 --> 00:01:44,080 Speaker 1: the volume, Happy Thursday, everybody hopeful. If you guys are 27 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:45,800 Speaker 1: having an incredible week, we have a fun show for 28 00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:47,640 Speaker 1: you today. We're gonna breaking down two games. We have 29 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 1: Raptors Suns and Nuggets. Rockets. Haven't talked much Raptors yet 30 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:53,160 Speaker 1: this year, so we're gonna do a deep dive on 31 00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 1: the Raptors, and then I have a take about the 32 00:01:55,120 --> 00:01:57,640 Speaker 1: Denver Nuggets starting lineup that's been kind of crystallizing for 33 00:01:57,720 --> 00:01:59,560 Speaker 1: me over the course of the last few months that 34 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:02,480 Speaker 1: I want to unleash today. And then we have a 35 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:04,000 Speaker 1: bunch of mailbag questions for the end of the show 36 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:05,560 Speaker 1: as well. You guys are the joke before we get started, 37 00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 1: subscribe to our brand new YouTube channel. I mean a 38 00:02:07,440 --> 00:02:08,760 Speaker 1: lot to me. If you guys would take a second 39 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:11,720 Speaker 1: to scroll down and hit that subscribe button. Don't forget 40 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:13,840 Speaker 1: about our podcast feed wherever you get your podcast under 41 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:16,200 Speaker 1: Hoops Tonight. Follow me on Twitter at Underscore Jason lt 42 00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:18,560 Speaker 1: for the film threads that I do every morning, as 43 00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:21,040 Speaker 1: well as show announcements in the last but not least, 44 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:23,880 Speaker 1: don't forget to keep dropping mailbag questions in the YouTube 45 00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:27,160 Speaker 1: comments so we can keep hitting them throughout these shows. 46 00:02:27,200 --> 00:02:29,880 Speaker 1: All right, let's talk some basketball. So this was a 47 00:02:29,919 --> 00:02:32,519 Speaker 1: game that the Raptors pretty much controlled throughout. The Suns 48 00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:35,240 Speaker 1: briefly took a lead there in the third quarter, but 49 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:37,800 Speaker 1: it never really felt like the Raptors didn't have control 50 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:40,720 Speaker 1: of the game. They did an amazing job on Kevin 51 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:42,800 Speaker 1: Durant and Devin Booker and that was really the story 52 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:44,919 Speaker 1: of the game. They held them to thirteen for forty 53 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:48,120 Speaker 1: two shooting and stayed out of rotation for the most part, 54 00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:50,680 Speaker 1: which allowed them to hold the Suns as a team 55 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:54,040 Speaker 1: to forty percent shooting and twenty seven percent from three. 56 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:55,800 Speaker 1: And this is what they do best, at least on 57 00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:57,280 Speaker 1: the defensive end of the floor. You know, they have 58 00:02:57,320 --> 00:03:01,160 Speaker 1: all these big athletic wings right, a lot of like strength, 59 00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:05,079 Speaker 1: so they can struggle navigating screens sometimes and so their 60 00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:07,120 Speaker 1: pick and roll defense is not as good as it 61 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:10,120 Speaker 1: probably could be, or certainly not as good as some 62 00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:12,480 Speaker 1: of the other teams in the league. But they're outstanding 63 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:15,520 Speaker 1: on an island, especially against scoring wings. So they hold 64 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:18,160 Speaker 1: up really well in ISO and post up situations. They 65 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:21,399 Speaker 1: allow to zero point eighty five points per ISO, which 66 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:24,080 Speaker 1: ranks eighth in the NBA. They allow zero point nine 67 00:03:24,120 --> 00:03:26,799 Speaker 1: points per post up, which ranks fifth in the NBA. 68 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:28,239 Speaker 1: And you saw from the start of this game it 69 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:30,840 Speaker 1: was ogn and O Beyon Devin Booker and Scottie Barnes 70 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:33,519 Speaker 1: on Kevin Durant, and then they occasionally spent time on opposites, 71 00:03:33,520 --> 00:03:35,200 Speaker 1: whether it was cross matches or one guy was on 72 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:37,280 Speaker 1: the bench or whatever it might have been. But both 73 00:03:37,280 --> 00:03:39,680 Speaker 1: of them did an outstanding job. And one of the 74 00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:41,280 Speaker 1: big things that stood out to me on the screen, 75 00:03:41,480 --> 00:03:43,880 Speaker 1: and it's kind of the advantage of having a defensive 76 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:46,040 Speaker 1: talent like this is, you know, there's a reason why 77 00:03:46,080 --> 00:03:49,600 Speaker 1: Kevin Durant Devin Booker are so efficient. They take tough shots, 78 00:03:49,640 --> 00:03:52,360 Speaker 1: they make tough shots. There's no doubt they are tough 79 00:03:52,360 --> 00:03:54,880 Speaker 1: shot makers, and they can do the improvisational stuff and 80 00:03:54,920 --> 00:03:57,080 Speaker 1: the creative stuff with the best in the league. But 81 00:03:57,120 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 1: there's a reason why they're so efficient. There's a reason 82 00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:02,200 Speaker 1: why these or high volume scorers that are consistently over 83 00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:06,000 Speaker 1: sixty percent through shooting, And it comes down to the 84 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:08,440 Speaker 1: the muscle memory shots that they can get to by 85 00:04:08,440 --> 00:04:12,080 Speaker 1: getting great separation, right, So they have such great footwork 86 00:04:12,200 --> 00:04:14,560 Speaker 1: and such great counter moves for every move that they 87 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:16,960 Speaker 1: can usually get to a spot and get up and 88 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:19,960 Speaker 1: down into their you know, their their muscle memory into 89 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:23,040 Speaker 1: their energy transfer and it doesn't get disrupted. And at 90 00:04:23,040 --> 00:04:25,400 Speaker 1: that point, it's just like a shot they've practiced ten 91 00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:26,960 Speaker 1: thousand times in their life and they're gonna make it 92 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:29,200 Speaker 1: a bunch of the time. Right. But one of the 93 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:32,000 Speaker 1: things you notice in this particular game, especially early, was 94 00:04:32,080 --> 00:04:34,080 Speaker 1: kde and Devin Booker getting to their spots and then 95 00:04:34,120 --> 00:04:37,360 Speaker 1: suddenly realizing like, oh shit, here comes a long arm 96 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:39,719 Speaker 1: in my face, and all of a sudden, I have 97 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:42,359 Speaker 1: to adjust my release, and suddenly it becomes one of 98 00:04:42,360 --> 00:04:45,960 Speaker 1: those improvisational, creative shots which nobody in the league is 99 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:48,280 Speaker 1: going to hit at the same rate that you can 100 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:50,880 Speaker 1: hit those muscle memory shots. Right. Like, for the most part, 101 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:53,400 Speaker 1: efficiency comes down a shot selection. You know, like it's 102 00:04:53,440 --> 00:04:56,360 Speaker 1: not there's nobody out there that's like only taking impossible 103 00:04:56,400 --> 00:04:59,239 Speaker 1: shots and has a sixty percent through shooting, you're getting 104 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:01,560 Speaker 1: like a you're getting like a certain amount of shots 105 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:03,679 Speaker 1: from the flow of the offense right where you're working 106 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:05,560 Speaker 1: off the ball. You're getting a certain amount of shots 107 00:05:05,560 --> 00:05:07,960 Speaker 1: that are muscle memory shots where you get a great 108 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:10,120 Speaker 1: deal of separation and you rise up into a shot 109 00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:11,800 Speaker 1: that you can knock down at a high percentage, and 110 00:05:11,800 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 1: then you have your rescue possessions and all of the 111 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:15,679 Speaker 1: weird creative stuff that you have to do throughout the game. 112 00:05:16,520 --> 00:05:19,440 Speaker 1: But if the ball's not popping around those, you know, 113 00:05:19,520 --> 00:05:21,280 Speaker 1: kind of in the flow of the offense, shots kind 114 00:05:21,279 --> 00:05:25,080 Speaker 1: of retract, right, and if you're not getting as much separation, 115 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:28,080 Speaker 1: suddenly those start to retract, and suddenly most of your 116 00:05:28,080 --> 00:05:31,440 Speaker 1: shots are these like really tough, creative, improvisational shots. And 117 00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:34,480 Speaker 1: like you'd see Devin Booker like rise up. There was 118 00:05:34,520 --> 00:05:36,480 Speaker 1: playing like the third or fourth possession of the game, 119 00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:38,320 Speaker 1: where like Devin Booker rose up to take a shot 120 00:05:38,360 --> 00:05:40,320 Speaker 1: and then a late contest came and he ended up 121 00:05:40,360 --> 00:05:42,560 Speaker 1: having to default to a pass and throw it away 122 00:05:42,600 --> 00:05:44,560 Speaker 1: at the last second, there were like three or four 123 00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:47,360 Speaker 1: shots from KD where like all of a sudden, here 124 00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:49,680 Speaker 1: comes Scottie Barnes' long ass arm and he has to 125 00:05:49,720 --> 00:05:51,720 Speaker 1: adjust his release point and shoot some kind of like 126 00:05:51,839 --> 00:05:54,680 Speaker 1: janky one handed kind of like like push shot right. 127 00:05:55,080 --> 00:05:58,640 Speaker 1: And that's just kind of the type of personnel predicament 128 00:05:58,640 --> 00:06:00,960 Speaker 1: that Toronto can put you in. And for the record, 129 00:06:01,200 --> 00:06:03,960 Speaker 1: that's how good this team has been on the defensive 130 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:06,760 Speaker 1: end in the half court. They have had some issues 131 00:06:06,760 --> 00:06:08,560 Speaker 1: on defense, which we're going to talk about in a minute, 132 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:11,240 Speaker 1: but when they have those guys out there on the floor, 133 00:06:11,279 --> 00:06:13,479 Speaker 1: they're really tough to score against. It's not just on 134 00:06:13,560 --> 00:06:15,240 Speaker 1: the ball too, it's help side. There were a lot 135 00:06:15,240 --> 00:06:17,680 Speaker 1: of possessions in last night's game where it seemed like 136 00:06:17,720 --> 00:06:19,760 Speaker 1: one of them got some separation or it seemed like 137 00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:23,360 Speaker 1: a you know, a Jordan Goodwin or Eric Gordon got 138 00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:24,960 Speaker 1: downhill and was going to the rim and here comes 139 00:06:24,960 --> 00:06:28,560 Speaker 1: another freaky athlete over the top to swap the shot. Aside, 140 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:31,120 Speaker 1: they're just a whole lot of long arms all over 141 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:34,120 Speaker 1: the floor causing problems for people. This is where I 142 00:06:34,120 --> 00:06:35,760 Speaker 1: want to do a deep dive into the raptors because 143 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:38,760 Speaker 1: it's kind of interesting how good they've been in certain 144 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:42,159 Speaker 1: areas and on certain nights versus what the actual end 145 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:45,320 Speaker 1: product has been. They're twelfth in defensive rating in terms 146 00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:48,239 Speaker 1: of total points allowed per one hundred possessions, but according 147 00:06:48,279 --> 00:06:50,240 Speaker 1: to Cleaning the Glass, which we'll filter out to half 148 00:06:50,240 --> 00:06:52,960 Speaker 1: court as well as getting rid of garbage time, they're 149 00:06:52,960 --> 00:06:57,440 Speaker 1: the eighth best half court defense. And honestly, what's hurting 150 00:06:57,480 --> 00:06:59,719 Speaker 1: them in terms of dropping that defensive rating from eighth 151 00:06:59,720 --> 00:07:02,640 Speaker 1: to t twelve comes down to their transition defense, which 152 00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:04,880 Speaker 1: mostly has to do with offense. They have a lot 153 00:07:04,880 --> 00:07:06,960 Speaker 1: of long rebounds and a lot of turnovers. Right. They 154 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:09,640 Speaker 1: are the twenty sixth best team in the league at 155 00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:12,120 Speaker 1: knocking down three point shots by percentage, so a lot 156 00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:15,480 Speaker 1: of long misses, right, And then they are twenty first 157 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:18,440 Speaker 1: and turnovers per one hundred possession, So lots of turnovers, 158 00:07:18,480 --> 00:07:21,840 Speaker 1: lots of long rebounds, lots of transition opportunities, right, and 159 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:24,280 Speaker 1: that puts your defense in a really precarious position. And 160 00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:27,600 Speaker 1: they've given up one point two points per transition possession 161 00:07:27,800 --> 00:07:31,520 Speaker 1: according to Synergy, which ranks twenty sixth in the NBA. 162 00:07:31,640 --> 00:07:34,440 Speaker 1: Synergy has a more broad scope of transition possessions which 163 00:07:34,440 --> 00:07:37,000 Speaker 1: I prefer, Like, like when you look at just fast 164 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:39,720 Speaker 1: break points, fast breaks are more or less just like 165 00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:43,000 Speaker 1: runouts like one on zhers, two on ones, three on twos, 166 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:45,320 Speaker 1: and they usually result in really quick shots. But transition 167 00:07:45,400 --> 00:07:47,840 Speaker 1: basketball usually has more flow than that, right, Like there's 168 00:07:47,840 --> 00:07:50,560 Speaker 1: a semi transition phase where the defense isn't set. So 169 00:07:50,800 --> 00:07:54,200 Speaker 1: I actually prefer Synergy's classification for what counts as a 170 00:07:54,240 --> 00:07:56,640 Speaker 1: transition possession, just so that you guys know why I 171 00:07:56,760 --> 00:08:01,680 Speaker 1: use different stats in different situations. But that specifically is 172 00:08:01,680 --> 00:08:04,560 Speaker 1: what hurts their transition defense, and their transition defense is 173 00:08:04,600 --> 00:08:08,320 Speaker 1: what hurts their overall defensive rating as a half court defense. 174 00:08:08,360 --> 00:08:10,160 Speaker 1: The reason why they're eighth instead of higher. They don't 175 00:08:10,160 --> 00:08:12,480 Speaker 1: protect the paint super well, not that goes to be 176 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:15,760 Speaker 1: that's not exactly a shocking thing. Yaka pertles a solid 177 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:18,920 Speaker 1: defensive player, but he's not the earth shattering rim protector 178 00:08:18,920 --> 00:08:21,560 Speaker 1: that you see elsewhere around the league. Right. Also, it's 179 00:08:21,560 --> 00:08:24,520 Speaker 1: about scheme. This team is eighth and half court defense. 180 00:08:24,720 --> 00:08:26,960 Speaker 1: Last year they were nineteenth, and a big part of 181 00:08:26,960 --> 00:08:30,200 Speaker 1: it was overhelping. A big part of it was overtrapping 182 00:08:30,240 --> 00:08:32,920 Speaker 1: over aggressiveness, which was very much Nick Nurse's brand. If 183 00:08:32,920 --> 00:08:36,920 Speaker 1: you guys remember one of the things you'll notice they 184 00:08:36,960 --> 00:08:39,000 Speaker 1: allow only thirty four to three point attempts per one 185 00:08:39,080 --> 00:08:42,320 Speaker 1: hundred possessions, which is the ninth best mark in the NBA. 186 00:08:42,440 --> 00:08:44,559 Speaker 1: It's not a lot of overhelping. It's leaving guys on 187 00:08:44,600 --> 00:08:47,880 Speaker 1: an island, trusting your individual defenders to do their job. 188 00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:50,560 Speaker 1: It gives up some layups, but it also prevents the 189 00:08:50,559 --> 00:08:53,520 Speaker 1: ball from popping around and disrupts the flow of the 190 00:08:53,520 --> 00:08:56,599 Speaker 1: opponent that you're trying to guard. Right biggest areas of 191 00:08:56,640 --> 00:08:58,520 Speaker 1: opportunity that I'm seeing right now on the defensive end 192 00:08:58,520 --> 00:09:01,480 Speaker 1: of the floor for for Toronto is they are a 193 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:04,840 Speaker 1: mediocre defensive rebounding team. For how much athleticism they have 194 00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:06,640 Speaker 1: on the floor, they should be better, especially with all 195 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:09,000 Speaker 1: the long rebounds that are available in NBA games. And 196 00:09:09,040 --> 00:09:11,280 Speaker 1: then they don't force enough turnovers considering the kind of 197 00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:13,080 Speaker 1: length that they had. It's something that I'd like to 198 00:09:13,080 --> 00:09:15,840 Speaker 1: see them do better moving forward. I want to talk 199 00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:17,679 Speaker 1: about Scotty Barnes for a minute, because this is a 200 00:09:17,679 --> 00:09:20,240 Speaker 1: guy who kind of stagnated from year one to year two, 201 00:09:20,280 --> 00:09:23,080 Speaker 1: and a lot of people were specifically disappointed because you know, 202 00:09:23,120 --> 00:09:24,520 Speaker 1: coming out of his first year, it was like a 203 00:09:24,559 --> 00:09:28,480 Speaker 1: lot of like smaller version of Giannis, who might be 204 00:09:28,520 --> 00:09:31,640 Speaker 1: a more polished score which could be one of the 205 00:09:31,679 --> 00:09:34,800 Speaker 1: best players in the league. Right Like, that's the type 206 00:09:34,800 --> 00:09:37,440 Speaker 1: of potential that Scotty Barnes as Scotty Barnes had and 207 00:09:37,480 --> 00:09:39,160 Speaker 1: then we came into year two and he's pretty much 208 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:42,280 Speaker 1: the same player, and so it was kind of discouraging, right, Well, 209 00:09:42,720 --> 00:09:44,679 Speaker 1: that can go out the window. He's taken a huge 210 00:09:44,760 --> 00:09:47,680 Speaker 1: leap going into year three, career high nineteen points per game, 211 00:09:48,040 --> 00:09:51,040 Speaker 1: career high fifty five point three percent true shooting, career 212 00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:54,200 Speaker 1: high five point five assists per game, career high nine 213 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:57,480 Speaker 1: rebounds per game, career high one point six steals per game, 214 00:09:57,559 --> 00:09:59,839 Speaker 1: career high one point three blocks per game, and he's 215 00:09:59,840 --> 00:10:02,160 Speaker 1: a the best jump shooting season of his career. A 216 00:10:02,200 --> 00:10:04,440 Speaker 1: Scottie Barnes jump shot this year has been worth one 217 00:10:04,480 --> 00:10:08,800 Speaker 1: point one four points per shot, which is excellent. He's 218 00:10:08,840 --> 00:10:11,280 Speaker 1: even got a forty eight percent effective field goal percentage 219 00:10:11,280 --> 00:10:12,840 Speaker 1: on pull up jumpers, which is not bad. He had 220 00:10:12,840 --> 00:10:14,679 Speaker 1: a big pull up three in the second half against 221 00:10:14,679 --> 00:10:16,600 Speaker 1: the Suns last night, where like he'd kind of had 222 00:10:16,600 --> 00:10:18,200 Speaker 1: the honest thing going on, or he's bringing the ball 223 00:10:18,240 --> 00:10:20,160 Speaker 1: to the four and everybody's kind of backpedaling, and he 224 00:10:20,240 --> 00:10:22,960 Speaker 1: just kind of walked into an easy pull up three 225 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:25,319 Speaker 1: and he knocked it down. And that's why kind of 226 00:10:25,360 --> 00:10:26,920 Speaker 1: like in the big pictures doesn't have anything to do 227 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:29,520 Speaker 1: with this particular Raptors team, but in the big picture, 228 00:10:29,679 --> 00:10:31,839 Speaker 1: I'm really excited to see what Scottie Barnes looks like 229 00:10:31,880 --> 00:10:34,520 Speaker 1: when they finally surround him with shooting, because again, this 230 00:10:34,600 --> 00:10:36,960 Speaker 1: is a team that's twenty sixth and three point percentage 231 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:40,640 Speaker 1: and you've got a downhill, slashing wing who is an 232 00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:44,640 Speaker 1: excellent passer, Scottie Barnes, Like there was a play where 233 00:10:44,760 --> 00:10:48,760 Speaker 1: he attacked out of the left like kind of elbow 234 00:10:48,880 --> 00:10:52,440 Speaker 1: extended against Yaka Perle, hit him with a hard dribble 235 00:10:52,480 --> 00:10:54,520 Speaker 1: move to the left and then spun back to the right. 236 00:10:55,000 --> 00:10:58,280 Speaker 1: And I can't remember who exactly it was that double teamed, 237 00:10:58,559 --> 00:11:02,720 Speaker 1: but the guard might have been I can't remember exactly 238 00:11:02,760 --> 00:11:04,360 Speaker 1: who it was, might have been Jordan Goowin. Actually I 239 00:11:04,360 --> 00:11:06,079 Speaker 1: think it was Jordan Goodman. I clipped this play. It's 240 00:11:06,080 --> 00:11:08,440 Speaker 1: in my thread from this game. Jordan Goodwin does what 241 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:10,720 Speaker 1: you're supposed to do. When you double team, you wait 242 00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:12,600 Speaker 1: until the guy has his back turned and it's a 243 00:11:12,600 --> 00:11:15,840 Speaker 1: live dribble. That's the hardest situation to quickly identify a 244 00:11:15,880 --> 00:11:18,400 Speaker 1: double and to handle it by making the right pass 245 00:11:18,520 --> 00:11:22,240 Speaker 1: right and he dives down and Scotty like literally is 246 00:11:22,520 --> 00:11:26,320 Speaker 1: in the spin move, turning, reading the situation and easily 247 00:11:26,360 --> 00:11:28,800 Speaker 1: makes a kickout before Jordan Goodwin can do anything right 248 00:11:28,840 --> 00:11:31,080 Speaker 1: to Gary Trent Junior, who's wide open, he knocks down 249 00:11:31,080 --> 00:11:33,760 Speaker 1: the shot. He's actually more advanced as a passer at 250 00:11:33,760 --> 00:11:36,120 Speaker 1: this point than Giannis was at this phase in his career, 251 00:11:36,160 --> 00:11:39,080 Speaker 1: and so I'm really really excited about seeing what this 252 00:11:39,160 --> 00:11:42,200 Speaker 1: team looks like in the big picture, because as interesting 253 00:11:42,200 --> 00:11:44,960 Speaker 1: as this version is, which is like all this length, 254 00:11:45,280 --> 00:11:48,400 Speaker 1: all this athleticism, we're flying around, there's just you know, 255 00:11:48,440 --> 00:11:52,559 Speaker 1: freak athletes everywhere. That's exciting, But in the big picture, 256 00:11:52,720 --> 00:11:55,240 Speaker 1: they're not gonna do anything until they put real offensive 257 00:11:55,240 --> 00:11:58,200 Speaker 1: talent around Scotty Barnes, particularly the guys who can play 258 00:11:58,200 --> 00:11:59,960 Speaker 1: off the ball, and so I'm kind of excited about 259 00:12:00,120 --> 00:12:02,839 Speaker 1: seeing in the future what they can build around him 260 00:12:03,559 --> 00:12:06,319 Speaker 1: in the big picture. Now, as a unit, the Raptors 261 00:12:06,360 --> 00:12:08,360 Speaker 1: offense has not been good they're twenty fifth and half 262 00:12:08,360 --> 00:12:10,880 Speaker 1: court offense. According to Cleaning the Glass, they are a 263 00:12:10,920 --> 00:12:13,800 Speaker 1: bottom third ISO team and a bottom third pick and 264 00:12:13,920 --> 00:12:16,440 Speaker 1: roll team. Anything going kind of downhill towards the rim 265 00:12:16,600 --> 00:12:18,440 Speaker 1: because the guy's missing shots, and then a lot of 266 00:12:18,440 --> 00:12:22,480 Speaker 1: the bigger wings struggling to kind of like identify what 267 00:12:22,559 --> 00:12:25,240 Speaker 1: they're dribbling into and like getting into four or five 268 00:12:25,280 --> 00:12:28,560 Speaker 1: bodies over penetrating, turning the ball over taking some really 269 00:12:28,600 --> 00:12:31,280 Speaker 1: tough like push shots over the top of the defense. 270 00:12:31,520 --> 00:12:33,760 Speaker 1: The one area they've been really good offense, I shouldn't 271 00:12:33,760 --> 00:12:35,439 Speaker 1: even say really good. The one area they've been above 272 00:12:35,480 --> 00:12:38,240 Speaker 1: average on offense has been in the post. And it's 273 00:12:38,280 --> 00:12:40,120 Speaker 1: a little bit easier for guys to read the floor 274 00:12:40,320 --> 00:12:42,120 Speaker 1: they have their back turn, so it's easier for them 275 00:12:42,120 --> 00:12:44,000 Speaker 1: to protect the basketball, and so they've been a little 276 00:12:44,040 --> 00:12:47,120 Speaker 1: bit above average there, being led mainly by Pascal Siyakum, 277 00:12:47,120 --> 00:12:48,640 Speaker 1: who actually has been the best post up player in 278 00:12:48,679 --> 00:12:51,560 Speaker 1: the league this year minimum of fifty possessions one point 279 00:12:52,040 --> 00:12:57,520 Speaker 1: nine points per Pascal Siakam post up possession. Now, one 280 00:12:57,559 --> 00:13:00,000 Speaker 1: of the things that I appreciate about this Raptor's offense 281 00:13:00,200 --> 00:13:02,040 Speaker 1: is that they have good self awareness. They know they 282 00:13:02,040 --> 00:13:03,920 Speaker 1: struggle to score in the half court, so they hunt 283 00:13:03,960 --> 00:13:08,520 Speaker 1: transition opportunities as much as possible. They actually score off 284 00:13:08,520 --> 00:13:11,400 Speaker 1: of steals according to Cleaning the Glass one point four 285 00:13:11,400 --> 00:13:14,760 Speaker 1: to seven points per possession, which ranks fifth in the NBA, 286 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:17,880 Speaker 1: and it's a high volume transition offense. They score twenty 287 00:13:17,960 --> 00:13:21,120 Speaker 1: four point two points per game in transition according to Synergy, 288 00:13:21,360 --> 00:13:24,760 Speaker 1: which ranks fifth in the NBA. Now, when I break 289 00:13:24,760 --> 00:13:26,200 Speaker 1: down a team like that, when there's a lot of 290 00:13:26,200 --> 00:13:27,640 Speaker 1: good and there's a lot of bad, it's like, Oh, 291 00:13:27,679 --> 00:13:30,040 Speaker 1: we're this great individual defense team, but we struggle and 292 00:13:30,080 --> 00:13:31,800 Speaker 1: pick and roll. We're a great transition offense, but we 293 00:13:31,800 --> 00:13:34,760 Speaker 1: struggle in the half court. We can post up really well, 294 00:13:34,800 --> 00:13:36,560 Speaker 1: but we can't knock down open threes and all these 295 00:13:36,559 --> 00:13:39,559 Speaker 1: different things. That's what leads to what you see this season, 296 00:13:39,559 --> 00:13:42,120 Speaker 1: which is a team that hovers around five hundred any 297 00:13:42,160 --> 00:13:44,160 Speaker 1: particular night. If a bunch of things go right, they 298 00:13:44,160 --> 00:13:46,320 Speaker 1: can look like world beaters, and then when those other 299 00:13:46,559 --> 00:13:49,240 Speaker 1: the same things go the opposite direction, they can lose 300 00:13:49,280 --> 00:13:51,439 Speaker 1: even to bad teams. And so like, I don't really 301 00:13:51,480 --> 00:13:54,000 Speaker 1: have high expectations for this particular team. They're gonna hover 302 00:13:54,040 --> 00:13:56,960 Speaker 1: around five hundred, but the leap from Scottie Barnes is 303 00:13:57,000 --> 00:13:59,920 Speaker 1: super exciting, and I'm particularly excited in the long run 304 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:02,160 Speaker 1: to see what Toronto puts around him, especially when they 305 00:14:02,160 --> 00:14:04,960 Speaker 1: put some more shooting and just higher level offensive talent, 306 00:14:05,240 --> 00:14:08,040 Speaker 1: because that guy has that guy has a chance to 307 00:14:08,080 --> 00:14:11,760 Speaker 1: be really, really really good in the big picture. On 308 00:14:11,840 --> 00:14:15,400 Speaker 1: the Sun's front, it's just about adjusting the length. In 309 00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:18,200 Speaker 1: my opinion, this has actually been one of my like 310 00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:21,520 Speaker 1: personal experiences playing basketball in twoson. It makes me sad 311 00:14:21,560 --> 00:14:24,000 Speaker 1: to talk about basketball because i haven't been playing very 312 00:14:24,080 --> 00:14:25,760 Speaker 1: much lately because I've been dealing with this injury. But 313 00:14:25,800 --> 00:14:28,240 Speaker 1: this week I'm slowly ramping up. I'm actually gonna go 314 00:14:28,240 --> 00:14:30,040 Speaker 1: to the gym and shoot around for the first time today, 315 00:14:30,120 --> 00:14:32,240 Speaker 1: very very excited about that. I even already got my 316 00:14:32,280 --> 00:14:34,760 Speaker 1: shoes on. I've got my uh, I've got my my 317 00:14:34,960 --> 00:14:37,800 Speaker 1: Yenescus shout out, Sabrina Yenescu. I'm gonna be testing these 318 00:14:37,840 --> 00:14:40,600 Speaker 1: out in the gym today. But I when I lived 319 00:14:40,600 --> 00:14:45,760 Speaker 1: in Charlotte, It's funny because I I used to play 320 00:14:45,800 --> 00:14:49,240 Speaker 1: against high level competition every single day because a ton 321 00:14:49,280 --> 00:14:53,280 Speaker 1: of overseas players there, a ton of college basketball players there, 322 00:14:53,400 --> 00:14:55,000 Speaker 1: and so it was like every single day I had 323 00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:56,240 Speaker 1: to be at the top of my game, which is 324 00:14:56,280 --> 00:14:58,760 Speaker 1: something I really appreciated and something I missed about Charlotte. 325 00:14:58,760 --> 00:15:00,320 Speaker 1: And you know, I love two Soon. I don't know 326 00:15:00,320 --> 00:15:02,040 Speaker 1: if I'm gonna stay here forever or not, but like 327 00:15:02,440 --> 00:15:03,920 Speaker 1: there are days where I wish I lived in a 328 00:15:04,640 --> 00:15:08,520 Speaker 1: better basketball city right here in Tucson, Like I am 329 00:15:09,040 --> 00:15:11,360 Speaker 1: just so much more like big and athletic than most 330 00:15:11,400 --> 00:15:13,840 Speaker 1: of the players I play against. Right but there are 331 00:15:13,880 --> 00:15:17,760 Speaker 1: some good basketball players here, some lanky, athletic wings. And 332 00:15:17,800 --> 00:15:21,200 Speaker 1: then I also play in money tournaments and I go 333 00:15:21,240 --> 00:15:23,480 Speaker 1: out of town sometimes and play, and so every once 334 00:15:23,480 --> 00:15:25,280 Speaker 1: in a while end up in a situation where I'm 335 00:15:25,280 --> 00:15:27,120 Speaker 1: playing against the level of talent that I used to 336 00:15:27,160 --> 00:15:30,240 Speaker 1: play against when I was in Charlotte. And it's funny 337 00:15:30,240 --> 00:15:34,400 Speaker 1: because every single time there's an adjustment. Like my favorite 338 00:15:34,400 --> 00:15:36,120 Speaker 1: example of this is like one of the college players 339 00:15:36,120 --> 00:15:37,880 Speaker 1: that I work out with every summer, when they come 340 00:15:37,880 --> 00:15:39,800 Speaker 1: home and I play against them, it's like, all of 341 00:15:39,840 --> 00:15:42,600 Speaker 1: a sudden, like every dribble move you do needs to 342 00:15:42,600 --> 00:15:44,360 Speaker 1: be a little tighter, and you need to move a 343 00:15:44,400 --> 00:15:47,320 Speaker 1: little faster. That swing pass you make or that post 344 00:15:47,480 --> 00:15:49,320 Speaker 1: entry you make like you used to be able to 345 00:15:49,320 --> 00:15:50,880 Speaker 1: just throw it. Now you need to use a pass 346 00:15:50,920 --> 00:15:52,920 Speaker 1: fake or you need to put real pace on it. Right, 347 00:15:52,960 --> 00:15:56,359 Speaker 1: It's like that step back three. The level of intensity 348 00:15:56,400 --> 00:15:57,920 Speaker 1: I used to be able to get away with that 349 00:15:58,040 --> 00:16:00,800 Speaker 1: in against the talent regularly here Tucson is not the 350 00:16:00,800 --> 00:16:02,400 Speaker 1: same as the one I need to use against the 351 00:16:02,480 --> 00:16:04,720 Speaker 1: kids that I'm working out with over the summer. And 352 00:16:04,760 --> 00:16:07,560 Speaker 1: so like every single time I get back into that environment, 353 00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:10,120 Speaker 1: it's an adjustment, and I usually struggle the first day 354 00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:12,440 Speaker 1: or two, and then once I get you know, get 355 00:16:12,440 --> 00:16:14,960 Speaker 1: the timing down and I kind of get adjusted to it, 356 00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:19,880 Speaker 1: it's fine. Like have Devin Booker and Kevin Durant like 357 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:24,160 Speaker 1: always struggled against long athletic teams, No, like they've succeeded 358 00:16:24,160 --> 00:16:26,560 Speaker 1: against teams like that throughout their NBA careers. This is 359 00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:29,040 Speaker 1: more an example of just like in the dregs of 360 00:16:29,040 --> 00:16:32,280 Speaker 1: the regular season, when it's like a random Wednesday night 361 00:16:32,360 --> 00:16:34,720 Speaker 1: and you show up in Toronto on the road and 362 00:16:34,760 --> 00:16:37,520 Speaker 1: it's like, here comes Scottie Barnes, Here comes Pascal Siakam, 363 00:16:37,520 --> 00:16:40,040 Speaker 1: Here comes O G N and O B. And it's like, shit, man, 364 00:16:40,080 --> 00:16:42,440 Speaker 1: I'm not ready for this, you know, and like it 365 00:16:42,440 --> 00:16:44,560 Speaker 1: can it can be an adjustment. And that's why, like 366 00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:46,960 Speaker 1: if you were to actually play a seven game series 367 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:49,200 Speaker 1: between the Suns and Raptors, which will probably never happen, 368 00:16:49,520 --> 00:16:51,920 Speaker 1: like you'd see by like game two or game three, 369 00:16:52,320 --> 00:16:54,560 Speaker 1: KD and Devin Booker would make all those little tweaks 370 00:16:54,600 --> 00:16:56,880 Speaker 1: and adjustments they need to make to get their shots 371 00:16:56,880 --> 00:16:58,920 Speaker 1: off and to get the type of separation that they need, 372 00:16:59,240 --> 00:17:01,280 Speaker 1: and then they would be right at least a hell 373 00:17:01,280 --> 00:17:02,840 Speaker 1: of a lot more fine than they were last night. 374 00:17:02,880 --> 00:17:05,160 Speaker 1: What were they thirteen for forty two or something like that. 375 00:17:05,240 --> 00:17:07,239 Speaker 1: So I don't really want to overthink that. A lot 376 00:17:07,280 --> 00:17:11,600 Speaker 1: of specific Sun's role players missed good looks. Devin Booker 377 00:17:11,600 --> 00:17:14,080 Speaker 1: tweaked his ankle, that was an issue. Grayson Allen didn't 378 00:17:14,080 --> 00:17:15,520 Speaker 1: play in this game. It was just an all around 379 00:17:15,560 --> 00:17:17,480 Speaker 1: bad night. So I don't want to pay too much 380 00:17:17,480 --> 00:17:21,480 Speaker 1: attention to it. Now. There are a couple of schematic 381 00:17:21,520 --> 00:17:24,280 Speaker 1: things that I want to look at. There will be teams, 382 00:17:24,280 --> 00:17:27,320 Speaker 1: particularly at the very top level of competition. So let's 383 00:17:27,320 --> 00:17:30,160 Speaker 1: say it's a Let's say you're in a series against 384 00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:33,119 Speaker 1: Denver and you're facing off against you know, KCP and 385 00:17:33,160 --> 00:17:35,800 Speaker 1: Aaron Gordon kind of like last year. Right, Let's say 386 00:17:35,800 --> 00:17:37,040 Speaker 1: you make it to the finals and you have a 387 00:17:37,040 --> 00:17:39,600 Speaker 1: Boston Celtics team that's gonna throw a bunch of athletic, 388 00:17:39,760 --> 00:17:43,200 Speaker 1: you know, perimeter defenders at you. I wonder if there 389 00:17:43,280 --> 00:17:46,439 Speaker 1: is a team that can successfully make all three of 390 00:17:46,480 --> 00:17:48,480 Speaker 1: them work, because that's the thing we keep forgetting about 391 00:17:48,480 --> 00:17:50,560 Speaker 1: brad Beal in this situation. And like, you can have 392 00:17:50,560 --> 00:17:54,359 Speaker 1: a great defender for KD and a great defender for 393 00:17:54,400 --> 00:17:56,959 Speaker 1: Devin Booker. But if Bradley Beale can get the defense 394 00:17:57,000 --> 00:17:59,840 Speaker 1: in rotation by beating his matchup, then everyone's playing in 395 00:17:59,840 --> 00:18:01,840 Speaker 1: the flow of the game. And now, like KDE and 396 00:18:01,880 --> 00:18:05,160 Speaker 1: Devin Booker are attacking with advantages consistently, then it can 397 00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:07,840 Speaker 1: fall apart pretty quickly, right, And so that'll be something 398 00:18:07,840 --> 00:18:10,840 Speaker 1: interesting because I think the way you beat Phoenix is 399 00:18:10,960 --> 00:18:13,800 Speaker 1: you have outstanding perimeter defenders for those two guys, and 400 00:18:13,840 --> 00:18:15,840 Speaker 1: you make them work really hard, and you stay out 401 00:18:15,880 --> 00:18:18,920 Speaker 1: of rotation as much as possible, and maybe you can 402 00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:20,800 Speaker 1: lead them to be less efficient and then beat them 403 00:18:20,800 --> 00:18:23,760 Speaker 1: in every other area of the game. Right, And you know, 404 00:18:23,880 --> 00:18:26,120 Speaker 1: last night was an interesting example of a Raptors team 405 00:18:26,160 --> 00:18:29,840 Speaker 1: that had bodies for KD and Devin Booker, and obviously, 406 00:18:29,920 --> 00:18:33,080 Speaker 1: like it's they have other limitations and I think, like 407 00:18:33,200 --> 00:18:36,520 Speaker 1: I think Phoenix could would beat Toronto in a playoff series. 408 00:18:36,520 --> 00:18:38,640 Speaker 1: I don't think you have enough offensive talent. The Sons 409 00:18:38,680 --> 00:18:40,480 Speaker 1: would just figure out how to get stops. But it 410 00:18:40,560 --> 00:18:43,280 Speaker 1: is such a it's an interesting thing to keep an 411 00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:45,639 Speaker 1: eye on, and it's why the Bradley Beal acquisition in 412 00:18:45,680 --> 00:18:47,800 Speaker 1: particular is so important in the big picture and why 413 00:18:47,800 --> 00:18:50,120 Speaker 1: I'm excited to see them all three play together, which 414 00:18:50,119 --> 00:18:51,840 Speaker 1: we haven't seen yet this year. And then the last 415 00:18:51,840 --> 00:18:54,000 Speaker 1: thing was the offensive rebounds. They give up fifteen offensive 416 00:18:54,040 --> 00:18:56,280 Speaker 1: rebounds in this game. Now they are ninth in defensive 417 00:18:56,280 --> 00:18:58,919 Speaker 1: rebound percentage on the season, so it's kind of like 418 00:18:58,960 --> 00:19:01,920 Speaker 1: a matchup thing. But they did what they kept doing 419 00:19:02,040 --> 00:19:05,160 Speaker 1: is finding ways to pull, you know, the bigger Sons 420 00:19:05,160 --> 00:19:07,160 Speaker 1: players away from the basket. And then suddenly you had 421 00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:09,639 Speaker 1: a six to nine wing that's trying to be boxed 422 00:19:09,640 --> 00:19:12,000 Speaker 1: out by Jordan Goodwin and he just has no chance. 423 00:19:12,040 --> 00:19:13,919 Speaker 1: And that like, that's you know, when we saw that 424 00:19:13,960 --> 00:19:15,399 Speaker 1: in the Denver series. By the way, it has a 425 00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:19,760 Speaker 1: bunch of size on the front line and they the 426 00:19:19,760 --> 00:19:22,880 Speaker 1: Denver Nuggets got offensive rebounds on thirty one point five 427 00:19:22,920 --> 00:19:25,680 Speaker 1: percent of their own shot attempts in that Sun series, 428 00:19:25,720 --> 00:19:27,719 Speaker 1: which was a problem. So that's something to keep an 429 00:19:27,720 --> 00:19:31,800 Speaker 1: eye on as well. Now the Denver Houston game. So 430 00:19:32,000 --> 00:19:34,480 Speaker 1: I Houston, if I'm not mistaken, still hasn't won a 431 00:19:34,480 --> 00:19:36,280 Speaker 1: game on the road, and they really struggled in this game. 432 00:19:36,320 --> 00:19:39,520 Speaker 1: I thought they were really sloppy defensively. They were botching 433 00:19:39,560 --> 00:19:43,240 Speaker 1: switches right and left and missing rotations on the back end, 434 00:19:43,240 --> 00:19:45,440 Speaker 1: which against the Denver team, you're just gonna get absolutely 435 00:19:45,520 --> 00:19:47,840 Speaker 1: killed when you do that. And for whatever reason, Houston 436 00:19:47,840 --> 00:19:50,639 Speaker 1: hasn't been able to get their defense to travel on 437 00:19:50,680 --> 00:19:52,200 Speaker 1: the road the way that it has been at home. 438 00:19:52,800 --> 00:19:54,840 Speaker 1: But I want to focus on Denver in this particular 439 00:19:54,880 --> 00:19:57,959 Speaker 1: game because you know, Jamal Murray was back, Aaron Gordon's 440 00:19:57,960 --> 00:20:02,680 Speaker 1: still out. They played a really tough schedule with this 441 00:20:02,840 --> 00:20:04,680 Speaker 1: stretch where Jamal Murray was out, a lot of good 442 00:20:04,680 --> 00:20:07,560 Speaker 1: opponents on the road, and so now you get Jamal back, 443 00:20:07,600 --> 00:20:11,239 Speaker 1: you come home and suddenly things turn around, right. But 444 00:20:11,920 --> 00:20:15,240 Speaker 1: so I don't really overlook, I don't really over emphasize 445 00:20:15,440 --> 00:20:17,800 Speaker 1: or focus on that stretch there where they because I 446 00:20:17,840 --> 00:20:19,359 Speaker 1: did what They were six and one to start the 447 00:20:19,359 --> 00:20:21,240 Speaker 1: season with Jamal, and then they went six and five 448 00:20:21,400 --> 00:20:24,360 Speaker 1: after that, and I mostly attribute that to just down 449 00:20:24,400 --> 00:20:26,639 Speaker 1: your second best player, really tough schedule with a lot 450 00:20:26,640 --> 00:20:30,000 Speaker 1: of road games against really good teams, but they looked 451 00:20:30,440 --> 00:20:33,359 Speaker 1: just as unguardable as ever last night without Aaron Gordon, 452 00:20:33,480 --> 00:20:35,560 Speaker 1: by the way, Justin Holiday filling in for him in 453 00:20:35,600 --> 00:20:39,800 Speaker 1: the starting lineup. And I was talking yesterday with the 454 00:20:39,840 --> 00:20:43,040 Speaker 1: Nerd Sesh guys and they asked me, they were like, 455 00:20:43,040 --> 00:20:46,560 Speaker 1: do you think that that Nicole Jokic is the most 456 00:20:46,680 --> 00:20:50,800 Speaker 1: unguardable offensive player in the history of the NBA? And 457 00:20:51,080 --> 00:20:54,520 Speaker 1: I said, like, I can only speak from my personal 458 00:20:54,560 --> 00:20:56,639 Speaker 1: experience in the sense that, like, as someone who's had 459 00:20:56,680 --> 00:21:01,280 Speaker 1: to root against both Steph and NIKOLEA Jokic Lebron, I'm biased, 460 00:21:01,680 --> 00:21:05,040 Speaker 1: but having had to root against Stephan Nikola Jokic, I 461 00:21:05,119 --> 00:21:09,479 Speaker 1: felt more helpless as a fan rooting against Nikola Jokic 462 00:21:09,640 --> 00:21:12,359 Speaker 1: than I did against Steph. And that to me, there 463 00:21:12,400 --> 00:21:17,239 Speaker 1: was an inevitability to the Nikola Jokic experience that was 464 00:21:17,400 --> 00:21:20,159 Speaker 1: straight up painful to watch. And even Lebron, who I 465 00:21:20,200 --> 00:21:22,320 Speaker 1: think at his peak was a better player than Nikola Jokic, 466 00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:23,880 Speaker 1: but it came from every other area of the game 467 00:21:23,920 --> 00:21:25,480 Speaker 1: just because of what he could do as an athlete. 468 00:21:25,640 --> 00:21:27,800 Speaker 1: Even Lebron James at his absolute peak, I don't think 469 00:21:27,840 --> 00:21:32,600 Speaker 1: had the inevitable nature of offensive success that Nikola Jokic has, 470 00:21:32,640 --> 00:21:35,520 Speaker 1: and that makes him, in my opinion, the most unguardable 471 00:21:35,520 --> 00:21:38,359 Speaker 1: offensive player of all time. But I don't want to 472 00:21:38,359 --> 00:21:40,320 Speaker 1: talk about Jokic today because we talked about that. We 473 00:21:40,359 --> 00:21:42,240 Speaker 1: did a deep dive about that with the Nerd Sach 474 00:21:42,320 --> 00:21:45,000 Speaker 1: guys again, go to their YouTube channel and we did 475 00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:46,359 Speaker 1: an hour and a half on a bunch of stuff. 476 00:21:46,400 --> 00:21:49,879 Speaker 1: But we talked Jokic for a while. I I was 477 00:21:49,920 --> 00:21:54,280 Speaker 1: texting with Carson this morning because I think that the 478 00:21:54,320 --> 00:21:59,320 Speaker 1: Denver starting lineup is the most perfect basketball lineup ever built. 479 00:22:00,560 --> 00:22:04,679 Speaker 1: And to emphasize this, I asked Carson this morning. I said, 480 00:22:04,840 --> 00:22:08,159 Speaker 1: if you had to take one player away from that 481 00:22:08,240 --> 00:22:12,840 Speaker 1: starting lineup, like a season ending injury that would maintain 482 00:22:12,960 --> 00:22:15,639 Speaker 1: the Nuggets as the championship favorite, who would it be? 483 00:22:16,800 --> 00:22:19,880 Speaker 1: And the problem is is it's a really, really tough 484 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:24,040 Speaker 1: question because Aaron Gordon is vitally important for a bunch 485 00:22:24,040 --> 00:22:28,240 Speaker 1: of reasons. Took several high leverage defensive assignments last year, 486 00:22:28,240 --> 00:22:31,239 Speaker 1: from Lebron James to Kevin Durant to Jimmy Butler, and 487 00:22:31,280 --> 00:22:35,560 Speaker 1: did an excellent job in literally every single matchup and 488 00:22:35,720 --> 00:22:37,159 Speaker 1: on the offensive end of the floor, the work he 489 00:22:37,160 --> 00:22:39,239 Speaker 1: does out of the dunker spot, just in general, as 490 00:22:39,280 --> 00:22:43,680 Speaker 1: a high IQ offensive player, his vertical spacing is vitally important. 491 00:22:43,680 --> 00:22:47,119 Speaker 1: With how much nikolea Jokic actually operates away from the 492 00:22:47,160 --> 00:22:50,439 Speaker 1: basket right, so it's like you can't do Aaron Gordon. 493 00:22:51,400 --> 00:22:56,000 Speaker 1: So what about Michael Porter Junior. Well, he's an outstanding rebounder, 494 00:22:56,320 --> 00:22:59,040 Speaker 1: averages what eight rebounds a game this year, a career 495 00:22:59,119 --> 00:23:01,919 Speaker 1: high one point eight offensive rebounds per game. He's been 496 00:23:01,960 --> 00:23:06,520 Speaker 1: super active on the offensive glass this season, just torching 497 00:23:06,600 --> 00:23:09,280 Speaker 1: teams off the ball every single time the Rockets missed 498 00:23:09,280 --> 00:23:11,560 Speaker 1: a switch. Last night he knocked down the shot a 499 00:23:12,080 --> 00:23:14,320 Speaker 1: it's something great. I put the number on my on 500 00:23:14,359 --> 00:23:17,160 Speaker 1: my Twitter feed. But like a unguarded catch and shoot, 501 00:23:17,200 --> 00:23:20,080 Speaker 1: Michael Porter junior jump shot has been worth over one 502 00:23:20,119 --> 00:23:24,680 Speaker 1: and a half points. Any spot up possession at all 503 00:23:24,840 --> 00:23:27,040 Speaker 1: for Michael Porter Junior has been worth one point two 504 00:23:27,160 --> 00:23:29,919 Speaker 1: eight points, which is off the charts. Good and then 505 00:23:29,960 --> 00:23:32,720 Speaker 1: he's been a really good help defender for them. So 506 00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:35,879 Speaker 1: it's like he's the guy when you double Jokich who's 507 00:23:35,880 --> 00:23:39,040 Speaker 1: making every damn shot. He's the guy who's helping you 508 00:23:39,080 --> 00:23:41,000 Speaker 1: on the glass, helping you in helpside defense. I'm not 509 00:23:41,040 --> 00:23:43,840 Speaker 1: sure you can replace his value with anybody else on 510 00:23:43,880 --> 00:23:46,600 Speaker 1: that roster. And then it's like, Okay, what about Contavious 511 00:23:46,600 --> 00:23:50,560 Speaker 1: Calbo Pope, Well, he's your best perimeter guard defender. He's 512 00:23:50,600 --> 00:23:52,520 Speaker 1: the guy who's gonna guard to Devin Booker, He's the 513 00:23:52,520 --> 00:23:54,760 Speaker 1: guy who's gonna guard to Steph Curry. He's the guy 514 00:23:54,760 --> 00:23:56,840 Speaker 1: who's gonna guard an Austin reevesor whoever it is that 515 00:23:56,880 --> 00:24:00,359 Speaker 1: you're gonna face in these late round playoff series in 516 00:24:00,359 --> 00:24:05,119 Speaker 1: the Western Conference. And the drop off offensively from someone 517 00:24:05,200 --> 00:24:09,320 Speaker 1: like him to Christian Brown is pretty significant. And this 518 00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:11,480 Speaker 1: is not I'm not trying to diminish Jokic in any way, 519 00:24:11,480 --> 00:24:13,480 Speaker 1: shape or form. That's not the purpose of this discussion. 520 00:24:13,480 --> 00:24:16,159 Speaker 1: I'm really just shouting out the Nuggets in general and 521 00:24:16,240 --> 00:24:19,560 Speaker 1: the job they've done building this particular lineup, because when 522 00:24:19,600 --> 00:24:23,000 Speaker 1: you combine the synergy between Jokic and Murray as a 523 00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:26,480 Speaker 1: two man game and obviously, we've talked all about everything 524 00:24:26,480 --> 00:24:29,480 Speaker 1: that Jokic does. Jamal Murray I ranked him as a 525 00:24:29,520 --> 00:24:32,200 Speaker 1: top fifteen player in the NBA. I think that he 526 00:24:32,440 --> 00:24:34,480 Speaker 1: I think I've had him at sixteen if I remember correctly. 527 00:24:34,800 --> 00:24:36,880 Speaker 1: But I think that he played at a star level 528 00:24:36,880 --> 00:24:38,680 Speaker 1: in the NBA playoffs last year. I think he's gonna 529 00:24:38,680 --> 00:24:39,879 Speaker 1: make an All Star team this year if he can 530 00:24:39,920 --> 00:24:44,200 Speaker 1: stay healthy long enough. Like Jamal Murray's awesome, But it's 531 00:24:44,200 --> 00:24:48,879 Speaker 1: not just those two. It is perfect complimentary pieces that 532 00:24:49,040 --> 00:24:51,760 Speaker 1: Nuggets have been an excellent defense this year in large 533 00:24:51,760 --> 00:24:55,320 Speaker 1: part because they're anchored by two excellent defensive players, and 534 00:24:55,400 --> 00:24:58,159 Speaker 1: Aaron Gordon and Katavias Calboll Pope, and you're getting the 535 00:24:58,160 --> 00:25:01,160 Speaker 1: excellent help side defense from Michael Porter g Michael Porter 536 00:25:01,240 --> 00:25:05,200 Speaker 1: Junior and KCP are so vitally important to their backside spacing. 537 00:25:05,280 --> 00:25:07,399 Speaker 1: Aaron Gordon is so vitally important in terms of his 538 00:25:07,480 --> 00:25:11,960 Speaker 1: vertical spacing. I'm actually really curious if anybody has an 539 00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:14,320 Speaker 1: alternative opinion, and I'd like to see those in the 540 00:25:14,359 --> 00:25:16,320 Speaker 1: YouTube comments. Maybe we can hit him in a mailbag 541 00:25:16,400 --> 00:25:19,480 Speaker 1: question later on this week. But like, can anybody think 542 00:25:19,600 --> 00:25:24,480 Speaker 1: of a five man grouping that more perfectly compliments each 543 00:25:24,520 --> 00:25:26,920 Speaker 1: other on both ends of the floor than the Denver 544 00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:32,960 Speaker 1: Nuggets that lineup Jokis, Murray Porter Junior kcp in Gordon 545 00:25:33,640 --> 00:25:36,840 Speaker 1: had a plus ten net rating in the playoffs last year, 546 00:25:37,040 --> 00:25:43,159 Speaker 1: which is insane, absolutely insane. Playoff basketball against an outstanding 547 00:25:43,520 --> 00:25:46,200 Speaker 1: Timberwolves team that I've been high on for a while 548 00:25:46,280 --> 00:25:49,080 Speaker 1: and it was a top tier contender this year, against 549 00:25:49,560 --> 00:25:51,760 Speaker 1: a Phoenix Suns team who was more limited last Yer 550 00:25:51,760 --> 00:25:53,159 Speaker 1: than they are this year, and a Lakers team that's 551 00:25:53,200 --> 00:25:54,800 Speaker 1: more limited last Yer than they are this year, but 552 00:25:55,320 --> 00:25:58,280 Speaker 1: to very very good teams led by very very good players, 553 00:25:58,640 --> 00:26:01,879 Speaker 1: and then the best coach in basket ball in the 554 00:26:01,920 --> 00:26:05,000 Speaker 1: Miami Heat in Eric Spolstra, and they had a plus. 555 00:26:05,040 --> 00:26:07,679 Speaker 1: They outscored those those groups by ten points per one 556 00:26:07,760 --> 00:26:11,199 Speaker 1: hundred posessions. It's insane. That same group outscored opponents by 557 00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:13,480 Speaker 1: thirteen points per one hundred posessions in the regular season 558 00:26:13,520 --> 00:26:16,800 Speaker 1: and only a slight drop off against the higher level 559 00:26:16,800 --> 00:26:20,479 Speaker 1: competition of the playoffs. I just that's the thing is, like, 560 00:26:21,280 --> 00:26:24,840 Speaker 1: obviously any contender suffers a significant injury, they drop down 561 00:26:24,840 --> 00:26:27,679 Speaker 1: a level, so that this is not a unique problem 562 00:26:27,720 --> 00:26:29,920 Speaker 1: to Denver. But I don't think there's a single guy 563 00:26:29,960 --> 00:26:32,280 Speaker 1: in that starting lineup that you can sacrifice and maintain 564 00:26:32,359 --> 00:26:35,240 Speaker 1: Denver as the championship favorite. But it's because of this 565 00:26:35,359 --> 00:26:37,679 Speaker 1: syenergy of that group that I do view Denver as 566 00:26:37,680 --> 00:26:40,359 Speaker 1: the championship favorite. They don't have the top tier talent 567 00:26:40,400 --> 00:26:43,119 Speaker 1: that Boston has. They don't have the top tier talent 568 00:26:43,520 --> 00:26:46,000 Speaker 1: that like, like Damian Lillard's a better player than Jeal Murray. 569 00:26:46,040 --> 00:26:48,240 Speaker 1: Hate to break it to you, but like it doesn't matter. 570 00:26:48,520 --> 00:26:51,960 Speaker 1: It doesn't matter because the synergy of that group. That's 571 00:26:51,960 --> 00:26:54,360 Speaker 1: what I love about basketball. Shout out Mark Titus. Basketball 572 00:26:54,400 --> 00:26:58,320 Speaker 1: is more art than science, right, But because basketball is 573 00:26:58,359 --> 00:27:00,920 Speaker 1: more art than science, it's not a out adding up 574 00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:03,439 Speaker 1: the talent. It's about the synergy of the group. And 575 00:27:03,520 --> 00:27:05,520 Speaker 1: I can't remember ever seeing a five man grouping have 576 00:27:05,560 --> 00:27:09,040 Speaker 1: better synergy than that Denver Nuggets lineup. All right, Moving 577 00:27:09,040 --> 00:27:11,199 Speaker 1: on to our mailbag. First question, at what point this 578 00:27:11,280 --> 00:27:13,920 Speaker 1: season can we say we know how good a team 579 00:27:14,040 --> 00:27:16,880 Speaker 1: really is? Is it like forty games, all Star break, 580 00:27:16,960 --> 00:27:20,080 Speaker 1: trade deadline. I don't think there's any specific amount of 581 00:27:20,119 --> 00:27:23,280 Speaker 1: regular season games. I look at specific trends. You know, 582 00:27:23,320 --> 00:27:25,960 Speaker 1: it's more important to show what you can do when 583 00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:28,840 Speaker 1: you get to a certain point in the playoffs. I 584 00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:31,280 Speaker 1: can't say forty games because we've seen too many teams 585 00:27:31,320 --> 00:27:33,520 Speaker 1: be bad for forty games and then look great, right 586 00:27:33,640 --> 00:27:36,320 Speaker 1: like we've seen we saw Boston Celtics team in twenty 587 00:27:36,320 --> 00:27:39,280 Speaker 1: twenty two start the season extremely mediocre and then just 588 00:27:39,280 --> 00:27:41,480 Speaker 1: start kicking everyone's ass, right like we saw the Los 589 00:27:41,480 --> 00:27:43,960 Speaker 1: Angeles Lakers start last year as a team that was 590 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:46,119 Speaker 1: outside of the play in tournament for most of the 591 00:27:46,160 --> 00:27:48,520 Speaker 1: season and then suddenly made it to the Western Conference finals. 592 00:27:48,520 --> 00:27:51,520 Speaker 1: So I don't think there's any specific span of games. 593 00:27:51,880 --> 00:27:55,240 Speaker 1: All we're trying to do is learn specifically from the schematics. Right. 594 00:27:55,760 --> 00:27:58,160 Speaker 1: I can't tell you how many times, like I'll watch 595 00:27:58,200 --> 00:28:03,160 Speaker 1: a game and I'll just be like shout. I'll be like, oh, wow, 596 00:28:03,200 --> 00:28:05,560 Speaker 1: Mo Wagner looked really good on that possession. Oh he 597 00:28:05,560 --> 00:28:07,240 Speaker 1: did a really good job on that. Oh he's bullying 598 00:28:07,280 --> 00:28:09,120 Speaker 1: everybody here. Oh he's knocking down the spot up threes. 599 00:28:09,160 --> 00:28:11,600 Speaker 1: I don't even realize he has twenty seven points because 600 00:28:11,600 --> 00:28:13,920 Speaker 1: I'm not looking at the box score. I'm just watching 601 00:28:14,119 --> 00:28:16,760 Speaker 1: the players playing the game. Because what I'm trying to 602 00:28:16,800 --> 00:28:21,080 Speaker 1: do is, like, really, a regular season result means nothing 603 00:28:22,280 --> 00:28:26,119 Speaker 1: it means absolutely nothing. You know, like you're gonna have 604 00:28:26,119 --> 00:28:29,800 Speaker 1: a hard time getting anybody to any specific regular season 605 00:28:29,960 --> 00:28:32,080 Speaker 1: outcome in terms of what happens on the scoreboard at 606 00:28:32,119 --> 00:28:34,240 Speaker 1: the end to sway me in the big picture. What 607 00:28:34,280 --> 00:28:37,480 Speaker 1: I'm more concerned about is like specific exos and o's 608 00:28:37,560 --> 00:28:39,600 Speaker 1: things that are happening, because at the end of the day, 609 00:28:39,600 --> 00:28:41,000 Speaker 1: you have to beat the team four out of seven 610 00:28:41,040 --> 00:28:43,720 Speaker 1: times to eliminate them in the NBA playoffs, and so 611 00:28:43,880 --> 00:28:46,280 Speaker 1: like a lot of times, I'm not necessarily looking at 612 00:28:46,600 --> 00:28:49,560 Speaker 1: a specific forty game chunk or anything. I'm looking at 613 00:28:49,640 --> 00:28:52,520 Speaker 1: lineup groupings. Oh man, this lineup can really do well. 614 00:28:52,800 --> 00:28:55,520 Speaker 1: Oh man, this lineup struggles with this. Okay, they've won 615 00:28:55,560 --> 00:28:58,480 Speaker 1: all these games, but they're really struggling with XYZ. Right. So, 616 00:28:59,120 --> 00:29:01,280 Speaker 1: I don't think it's necessar about the number of games. 617 00:29:01,320 --> 00:29:04,760 Speaker 1: It's more about just seeing repeated examples of specific lineups 618 00:29:04,800 --> 00:29:09,080 Speaker 1: thriving in versaal situations, right, if that makes sense. Next question, 619 00:29:10,600 --> 00:29:13,240 Speaker 1: what is your opinion on Kamingo with the Warriors. He 620 00:29:13,320 --> 00:29:15,720 Speaker 1: looks great during the preseason, but has not had many 621 00:29:15,720 --> 00:29:18,040 Speaker 1: bright spots since the season started. I felt like he 622 00:29:18,080 --> 00:29:20,360 Speaker 1: often looks a bit nervous on ball and reluctant to 623 00:29:20,360 --> 00:29:23,280 Speaker 1: make a play. Is the Warriors kerr reluctance to let 624 00:29:23,360 --> 00:29:24,880 Speaker 1: him stay on the court as soon as he makes 625 00:29:24,880 --> 00:29:29,320 Speaker 1: some mistake, stunting his confidence in his overall development. Do 626 00:29:29,360 --> 00:29:31,680 Speaker 1: you think the Warriors should just trade him? So, one 627 00:29:31,680 --> 00:29:33,680 Speaker 1: of the things I've noticed with Kaminga is a lot 628 00:29:33,680 --> 00:29:35,680 Speaker 1: of high end potential as an on ball creator. We've 629 00:29:35,680 --> 00:29:37,320 Speaker 1: seen this in the post. He's a freak athlete. He 630 00:29:37,400 --> 00:29:39,400 Speaker 1: draws a lot of fouls. That's always a really good sign. 631 00:29:39,560 --> 00:29:41,800 Speaker 1: A lot of really good stuff there, right. But one 632 00:29:41,800 --> 00:29:43,800 Speaker 1: of the things that Kaminga is struggling with right now 633 00:29:43,880 --> 00:29:45,760 Speaker 1: is playing within the flow of a five man unit. 634 00:29:46,320 --> 00:29:48,480 Speaker 1: And that becomes a problem because he's playing with a 635 00:29:48,560 --> 00:29:50,600 Speaker 1: team in particular with Golden State and a coach and 636 00:29:50,640 --> 00:29:53,600 Speaker 1: Steve Kerr is hyper focused on the flow of a 637 00:29:53,640 --> 00:29:56,960 Speaker 1: five man unit, right. And so it's one of those 638 00:29:56,960 --> 00:29:59,680 Speaker 1: things where I think Kaminga's value as a talent and 639 00:29:59,720 --> 00:30:03,200 Speaker 1: as a trade asset is actually really really high compared 640 00:30:03,240 --> 00:30:05,560 Speaker 1: to what his actual impact is on this particular team. 641 00:30:05,560 --> 00:30:09,240 Speaker 1: And so it really just comes down to aggression. Now, 642 00:30:09,400 --> 00:30:11,680 Speaker 1: if you're wanting me to say, don't trade Kminga. I've 643 00:30:11,680 --> 00:30:15,320 Speaker 1: been saying trade Kaminga literally since before they won the title. Like, 644 00:30:15,360 --> 00:30:17,960 Speaker 1: I'm a big believer in pushing your chips in, and 645 00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:20,200 Speaker 1: if it were up to me, you'd pair you know, 646 00:30:20,560 --> 00:30:23,880 Speaker 1: Chris Paul's salary with Jonathan Kaminga and you try to 647 00:30:23,880 --> 00:30:25,760 Speaker 1: bring back someone like a Jeremy Grant or one of 648 00:30:25,760 --> 00:30:28,280 Speaker 1: the players from the Toronto Raptors. I had one of 649 00:30:28,280 --> 00:30:32,160 Speaker 1: the guys. The next mail back question actually the upgrade 650 00:30:32,200 --> 00:30:34,200 Speaker 1: at the four for the Warriors between Wiggins and Draymond 651 00:30:34,240 --> 00:30:36,720 Speaker 1: you describe sounds to me like Siakim or Anonobe. Do 652 00:30:36,760 --> 00:30:38,480 Speaker 1: you like the fitting? Could you see the Warriors going 653 00:30:38,480 --> 00:30:40,920 Speaker 1: after them? Those are other examples that are excellent. The 654 00:30:40,920 --> 00:30:42,760 Speaker 1: reason why I didn't throw them out yesterday is like, 655 00:30:42,840 --> 00:30:45,280 Speaker 1: I really think that the Raptors have an outsized value 656 00:30:45,280 --> 00:30:48,440 Speaker 1: of all their players, and I think that specifically, when 657 00:30:48,480 --> 00:30:51,000 Speaker 1: it comes to getting a Siakam or an Anonobi, you're 658 00:30:51,040 --> 00:30:53,280 Speaker 1: gonna have to overpay, and at a certain point you 659 00:30:53,360 --> 00:30:56,040 Speaker 1: ask yourself, like, how much better is a Siakam than 660 00:30:56,040 --> 00:30:58,840 Speaker 1: a Jeremy Grant, really? And what if I could get 661 00:30:58,920 --> 00:31:00,760 Speaker 1: him for less? You know what I mean? And those 662 00:31:00,760 --> 00:31:02,480 Speaker 1: are the kinds of decisions you have to make. But 663 00:31:02,840 --> 00:31:05,240 Speaker 1: in my opinion, I'm a big believer in, like, if 664 00:31:05,240 --> 00:31:09,440 Speaker 1: you've got a if you've got Steph Clay, Andrew Wiggins 665 00:31:09,480 --> 00:31:11,240 Speaker 1: and let's just call it Jeremy Grant for the sake 666 00:31:11,280 --> 00:31:14,960 Speaker 1: of this particular discussion, and Draymond Green, and off the bench, 667 00:31:15,120 --> 00:31:17,920 Speaker 1: you have a Kevon Looney. And off the bench, you've 668 00:31:17,960 --> 00:31:20,560 Speaker 1: got a Moses Moody, and off the bench, you know 669 00:31:20,600 --> 00:31:24,440 Speaker 1: you've got Potzamski playing a certain amount, and if Gary 670 00:31:24,440 --> 00:31:26,680 Speaker 1: Payton can come back from his calf injury, and you've 671 00:31:26,720 --> 00:31:29,200 Speaker 1: got Dario sarag I looked at it, and I'm like, man, 672 00:31:29,560 --> 00:31:31,160 Speaker 1: they are a lot more athletic than they used to be. 673 00:31:31,720 --> 00:31:33,640 Speaker 1: They've got a lot more scoring pop in the starting 674 00:31:33,680 --> 00:31:36,240 Speaker 1: lineup than they used to have. This is now. You've 675 00:31:36,280 --> 00:31:40,200 Speaker 1: now turned Jonathan Kaminga into a veteran forward that like 676 00:31:40,640 --> 00:31:43,720 Speaker 1: has played in big playoff games and has guarded Lebron 677 00:31:43,800 --> 00:31:47,200 Speaker 1: James in the Western Conference finals, and a guy that's 678 00:31:47,240 --> 00:31:49,680 Speaker 1: shooting the shit out of the basketball this year. And 679 00:31:49,720 --> 00:31:51,720 Speaker 1: I'm like, I just feel a lot more comfortable with 680 00:31:51,720 --> 00:31:54,440 Speaker 1: that unit. Right, do you lose the long term potential 681 00:31:54,480 --> 00:31:57,360 Speaker 1: of Jonathan Jonathan Caminica, Yeah, you do, but it's been 682 00:31:57,400 --> 00:32:00,160 Speaker 1: it's been made abundantly clear that he's not ready to 683 00:32:01,000 --> 00:32:05,440 Speaker 1: be a reliable piece in a playoff rotation. Right, So 684 00:32:05,560 --> 00:32:09,240 Speaker 1: if that's the case, the question becomes what's your goal here, 685 00:32:10,040 --> 00:32:13,000 Speaker 1: because if you don't believe in that core, then it's 686 00:32:13,000 --> 00:32:15,880 Speaker 1: time to start trading the veterans and building around Jonathan 687 00:32:15,920 --> 00:32:19,800 Speaker 1: Kaminga and Moses Moody and Podziemski and Trace Jackson Davis. Right. 688 00:32:20,400 --> 00:32:22,880 Speaker 1: But if that's not the case, if you do believe 689 00:32:22,880 --> 00:32:24,640 Speaker 1: in Steph Curry, which I still do, I still think 690 00:32:24,680 --> 00:32:26,960 Speaker 1: he's one of the best players. I think he's firmly 691 00:32:26,960 --> 00:32:29,160 Speaker 1: in the top three four players in the world. If 692 00:32:29,200 --> 00:32:32,120 Speaker 1: you still believe in that, you invest in it and 693 00:32:32,160 --> 00:32:34,440 Speaker 1: in the plane. The two timelines thing worked for you 694 00:32:34,480 --> 00:32:37,160 Speaker 1: in twenty twenty two. But like, don't play the results, 695 00:32:37,200 --> 00:32:40,880 Speaker 1: play the process. That was a good result in over 696 00:32:40,920 --> 00:32:44,080 Speaker 1: a process I disagreed with. And you could argue that 697 00:32:44,840 --> 00:32:47,240 Speaker 1: if they had made that sort of trade, because Jonathan 698 00:32:47,280 --> 00:32:49,600 Speaker 1: Kaminga and Moses Moody basically didn't play at all in 699 00:32:49,600 --> 00:32:52,600 Speaker 1: that playoff run, you could argue that they would have 700 00:32:52,600 --> 00:32:54,960 Speaker 1: had a much higher chance of repeating in addition to 701 00:32:55,040 --> 00:32:58,480 Speaker 1: having probably won more comfortably in that particular year, right, 702 00:32:58,640 --> 00:33:00,360 Speaker 1: and they might be in a better position now. And 703 00:33:00,440 --> 00:33:02,640 Speaker 1: so my thing is like, I'm a big believer in 704 00:33:02,680 --> 00:33:05,640 Speaker 1: committing to the timeline at least when it comes to 705 00:33:05,680 --> 00:33:10,600 Speaker 1: having significant personnel needs, right. I think that that's you know, 706 00:33:10,640 --> 00:33:12,239 Speaker 1: I've heard a lot of Laker fans and they're like, 707 00:33:13,240 --> 00:33:15,320 Speaker 1: you know, Ruey Hotchmurrow, we can't trade Ruey hot Chamura. 708 00:33:15,600 --> 00:33:17,760 Speaker 1: He's playing really good basketball. He's really good playoff player 709 00:33:17,800 --> 00:33:19,320 Speaker 1: for us. Last year we just signed him to the 710 00:33:19,360 --> 00:33:23,120 Speaker 1: long term deal. Or they'll say, like, he's your guy 711 00:33:23,160 --> 00:33:28,200 Speaker 1: who plays the four after Lebron James retires. And I 712 00:33:28,200 --> 00:33:30,920 Speaker 1: want to be like, well, you're now talking about after 713 00:33:31,040 --> 00:33:33,560 Speaker 1: Lebron James retires this year, you're one of the top 714 00:33:33,560 --> 00:33:36,800 Speaker 1: six or seven contenders, Like why are you not? You know, 715 00:33:37,080 --> 00:33:40,560 Speaker 1: and Ruey plays the same position as Lebron. Now, I'm 716 00:33:40,560 --> 00:33:42,760 Speaker 1: not saying give it rue way away for nothing, but 717 00:33:42,800 --> 00:33:44,840 Speaker 1: if you have an opportunity to go get a Jeremy Grant, 718 00:33:45,400 --> 00:33:48,480 Speaker 1: you get him. Because Jeremy Grant can play alongside Lebron 719 00:33:48,560 --> 00:33:51,040 Speaker 1: James and Anthony Davis in the starting lineup. There's a 720 00:33:51,080 --> 00:33:53,880 Speaker 1: reason why Ruey hasn't. Ruey's not as good as a 721 00:33:53,920 --> 00:33:55,800 Speaker 1: screen navigator as Jeremy Grant. He's not as good of 722 00:33:55,800 --> 00:33:57,920 Speaker 1: a perimeter defender as Jeremy Grant. He's not as good 723 00:33:57,920 --> 00:34:00,000 Speaker 1: at playing in the flow of the offense as Jeremy Grant. 724 00:34:00,600 --> 00:34:03,440 Speaker 1: Ruey Hachi Mura's a really damn good player, and I 725 00:34:03,560 --> 00:34:05,720 Speaker 1: like him, and I think he's gonna succeed wherever else 726 00:34:05,720 --> 00:34:08,200 Speaker 1: he goes. And if you can't get a high caliber 727 00:34:08,200 --> 00:34:11,520 Speaker 1: player back, you keep Ruey Hachimura. But like, again, look 728 00:34:11,560 --> 00:34:15,720 Speaker 1: at your timeline. Lebron's thirty nine in December, you gotta 729 00:34:15,840 --> 00:34:21,000 Speaker 1: invest steph is thirty five. Now, Like, at a certain point, 730 00:34:21,040 --> 00:34:22,880 Speaker 1: if you don't think Kaminga can help you win a 731 00:34:22,960 --> 00:34:27,680 Speaker 1: championship this season, then all you're really doing is sacrificing 732 00:34:27,719 --> 00:34:32,240 Speaker 1: the potential ceiling of this team to maintain the potential future. 733 00:34:32,239 --> 00:34:35,280 Speaker 1: But you're also hurting that because these guys have value. 734 00:34:35,400 --> 00:34:39,120 Speaker 1: See the point, Like, you're actually better off either investing 735 00:34:39,280 --> 00:34:42,160 Speaker 1: entirely in this group and making and maximizing this era, 736 00:34:43,040 --> 00:34:45,920 Speaker 1: or investing entirely in that future era. Otherwise you might 737 00:34:45,960 --> 00:34:49,520 Speaker 1: have two mediocre eras, if that makes sense, And specifically 738 00:34:49,560 --> 00:34:51,239 Speaker 1: when it comes to Kaminga, and I say, I'd say 739 00:34:51,239 --> 00:34:54,600 Speaker 1: the same thing about Rui is a Ruyacha Muray Anthony 740 00:34:54,640 --> 00:34:56,960 Speaker 1: Davis Frontline winning you the title? I don't think so 741 00:34:58,600 --> 00:35:01,400 Speaker 1: is a Jonathan Kaminga. And I think Jonathan can be 742 00:35:01,480 --> 00:35:08,520 Speaker 1: really good. But is Jonathan Kaminga flashing Jannis Jokic, Anthony Edwards? 743 00:35:08,840 --> 00:35:12,200 Speaker 1: You know, is he shake Gillis Alexander? Is he flashing 744 00:35:12,280 --> 00:35:15,479 Speaker 1: that level of high, high end play. I'm not saying 745 00:35:15,480 --> 00:35:18,720 Speaker 1: it's off the table, but it's certainly a much longer shot. 746 00:35:18,880 --> 00:35:21,400 Speaker 1: And so that's the thing is, like it's not like 747 00:35:21,480 --> 00:35:24,440 Speaker 1: you're in it's not like you're being reluctant to trade 748 00:35:24,480 --> 00:35:28,960 Speaker 1: away a franchise cornerstone like Jonathan giving A might be that, 749 00:35:29,400 --> 00:35:31,360 Speaker 1: but it's so up in the air at this point 750 00:35:31,600 --> 00:35:34,440 Speaker 1: and and and there hasn't been that strong of an 751 00:35:34,480 --> 00:35:37,920 Speaker 1: indication in that direction. And so yeah, like I'm a 752 00:35:37,920 --> 00:35:40,799 Speaker 1: big believer in like pusher chips, and it just is 753 00:35:40,840 --> 00:35:42,800 Speaker 1: difficult to say at this point who's going to be available. 754 00:35:42,880 --> 00:35:45,200 Speaker 1: You don't want to overpay either, and so it's more 755 00:35:45,320 --> 00:35:47,160 Speaker 1: of a discussion that's easier to get in the weeds 756 00:35:47,200 --> 00:35:52,200 Speaker 1: about when we get closer to February. Next question, I 757 00:35:52,239 --> 00:35:54,280 Speaker 1: agree with your assessment on the current state of refing. 758 00:35:55,000 --> 00:35:56,600 Speaker 1: I have some other thoughts that I'd like your thoughts on. 759 00:35:56,640 --> 00:35:58,960 Speaker 1: How how do you think they should officiate smaller stout 760 00:35:58,960 --> 00:36:02,239 Speaker 1: defenders walking taller, skinnier offensive players out of position even 761 00:36:02,239 --> 00:36:04,399 Speaker 1: when they have the ball. It seems like athletic perimeter 762 00:36:04,520 --> 00:36:07,240 Speaker 1: defenders get away with being overly physical on less athletic 763 00:36:07,280 --> 00:36:09,360 Speaker 1: offensive players as long as they do it in spurts, 764 00:36:09,680 --> 00:36:11,600 Speaker 1: like they'll get physical and force the ball handler to 765 00:36:11,600 --> 00:36:14,000 Speaker 1: pick up the ball, like with a hand check or pressuring, 766 00:36:14,280 --> 00:36:16,760 Speaker 1: but then back off as the offensive player is recovering balance, 767 00:36:16,800 --> 00:36:19,760 Speaker 1: effectively blowing up the play. Finally, it seems like stronger 768 00:36:19,800 --> 00:36:22,520 Speaker 1: offensive players have to be overly cautious of having offensive 769 00:36:22,520 --> 00:36:24,920 Speaker 1: fouls called on them due to flopping, but when they 770 00:36:24,960 --> 00:36:27,880 Speaker 1: play straight up don't initiate contact, they get fouled and 771 00:36:27,880 --> 00:36:30,239 Speaker 1: then don't get calls, which would have been mitigated if 772 00:36:30,239 --> 00:36:33,400 Speaker 1: they could play with more force. So that was actually 773 00:36:33,480 --> 00:36:36,759 Speaker 1: really well thought out. The specific dynamics that you're talking 774 00:36:36,800 --> 00:36:40,759 Speaker 1: about as it relates to, you know, timely physicality and 775 00:36:40,800 --> 00:36:43,359 Speaker 1: then backing off, That to me is gamesmanship and It's 776 00:36:43,560 --> 00:36:46,680 Speaker 1: what all really good defenders do. The difference between the 777 00:36:46,680 --> 00:36:49,040 Speaker 1: best defenders in the league and the lesser defenders is 778 00:36:49,080 --> 00:36:51,560 Speaker 1: they're good at fouling without getting called. Like that's the thing. 779 00:36:51,600 --> 00:36:54,120 Speaker 1: Like Draymond Green has made a career out of fouling 780 00:36:54,160 --> 00:36:57,640 Speaker 1: without getting called, and like he has found every single 781 00:36:57,719 --> 00:37:00,720 Speaker 1: angle in loophole in the rule book to be physical 782 00:37:00,719 --> 00:37:03,799 Speaker 1: and to disrupt offensive players without getting fouls called on him. 783 00:37:03,840 --> 00:37:05,560 Speaker 1: And it's made him one of the best defensive players 784 00:37:05,600 --> 00:37:07,640 Speaker 1: of the generation. And it's not just him, it's all 785 00:37:07,680 --> 00:37:10,760 Speaker 1: of them. You know, who's a serial hand checker, Kawhi Leonard, 786 00:37:10,800 --> 00:37:13,239 Speaker 1: who's considered the best perimeter defender of this generation. You know, 787 00:37:13,280 --> 00:37:16,480 Speaker 1: you know it was a serial hand checker, Andre Gudala. 788 00:37:16,560 --> 00:37:18,560 Speaker 1: And because they were so damned strong, they used to 789 00:37:18,560 --> 00:37:20,560 Speaker 1: do it and it would be super impactful, right, Like 790 00:37:20,840 --> 00:37:22,839 Speaker 1: a lot of these guys do that. They're just good 791 00:37:22,880 --> 00:37:25,600 Speaker 1: at playing within the margins. Now, as far as officiating 792 00:37:25,600 --> 00:37:30,040 Speaker 1: in general, I think the problem is is officials in 793 00:37:30,080 --> 00:37:32,799 Speaker 1: particular fall for flopping because they watch the offensive player 794 00:37:32,800 --> 00:37:35,120 Speaker 1: too much. Now, from what I understand, refs are actually 795 00:37:35,160 --> 00:37:37,440 Speaker 1: trained to focus on the defensive player and watch what 796 00:37:37,480 --> 00:37:40,000 Speaker 1: they're doing and only whistle them when they do things 797 00:37:40,000 --> 00:37:42,040 Speaker 1: that are wrong. But more often than not, they end 798 00:37:42,120 --> 00:37:44,279 Speaker 1: up reacting to what the offensive player is doing. And 799 00:37:44,280 --> 00:37:46,920 Speaker 1: so I think in the big picture, if referees were 800 00:37:46,960 --> 00:37:49,120 Speaker 1: just never paying attention to the offensive player and only 801 00:37:49,120 --> 00:37:51,239 Speaker 1: watching what the defensive player is doing and then being 802 00:37:51,280 --> 00:37:53,480 Speaker 1: more picky about what they decided to call, I think 803 00:37:53,480 --> 00:37:55,440 Speaker 1: that would solve a lot of their problems and to 804 00:37:55,520 --> 00:38:00,320 Speaker 1: some of the grifty stuff that we see around the league. Jason, 805 00:38:00,320 --> 00:38:02,160 Speaker 1: in a previous mail back question, you talked about the 806 00:38:02,280 --> 00:38:05,359 Speaker 1: roster in balance the Pistons currently have, particularly the lack 807 00:38:05,400 --> 00:38:07,920 Speaker 1: of ball handling and a shooting putt power forward, and 808 00:38:08,000 --> 00:38:10,120 Speaker 1: with a losing streak going on, that imbalance is really 809 00:38:10,120 --> 00:38:12,760 Speaker 1: being exposed during these long stretches where we remain competitive 810 00:38:12,800 --> 00:38:14,880 Speaker 1: on defense but can't buy a bucket on the other 811 00:38:15,000 --> 00:38:17,600 Speaker 1: end to capitalize. Troy Weaver has been taking heat for 812 00:38:17,680 --> 00:38:20,279 Speaker 1: not doing anything this offseason to address these imbalances, but 813 00:38:20,320 --> 00:38:22,640 Speaker 1: I understand why no moves were made. The only free 814 00:38:22,640 --> 00:38:24,560 Speaker 1: agent I could have seen helping us was Cam Johnson, 815 00:38:24,560 --> 00:38:26,759 Speaker 1: and Brooklyn was not going to give him up. That said, 816 00:38:26,800 --> 00:38:28,680 Speaker 1: it's becoming evident to this point in time the front 817 00:38:28,680 --> 00:38:30,840 Speaker 1: office has not given Kid the tools to succeed the 818 00:38:30,840 --> 00:38:32,440 Speaker 1: same way as some of his peers have been, like 819 00:38:32,520 --> 00:38:35,960 Speaker 1: Frondz or Mobiley Scottie Barnes. The Pistons are expected to 820 00:38:36,000 --> 00:38:38,000 Speaker 1: have up to sixty million in cap space and a 821 00:38:38,000 --> 00:38:39,920 Speaker 1: deeper pool of free agents that can help address the 822 00:38:39,960 --> 00:38:42,680 Speaker 1: lack of spacing and aggregate ball handling. If you were 823 00:38:42,719 --> 00:38:44,440 Speaker 1: the GM, would you go out and make a move 824 00:38:44,440 --> 00:38:46,399 Speaker 1: for that ball handling for now to help the core 825 00:38:47,000 --> 00:38:49,400 Speaker 1: and re establish an identity, or simply wait until the 826 00:38:49,440 --> 00:38:51,759 Speaker 1: off season and get in play for someone like Siakam, 827 00:38:52,000 --> 00:38:54,879 Speaker 1: Miles Bridges, Tobias Harris, any of those last three names 828 00:38:54,880 --> 00:38:57,160 Speaker 1: would help immensely. But I do fear by waiting too long, 829 00:38:57,360 --> 00:39:00,640 Speaker 1: you're reinforcing bad habits and destroying the core's But that's 830 00:39:00,680 --> 00:39:03,600 Speaker 1: the trick that that last sentence there is like it's 831 00:39:03,640 --> 00:39:07,080 Speaker 1: always a fine line between like being patient to make 832 00:39:07,120 --> 00:39:09,920 Speaker 1: sure you don't waste resources before it really can help you, 833 00:39:10,400 --> 00:39:13,200 Speaker 1: and then the habits thing, because you want your young 834 00:39:13,280 --> 00:39:17,279 Speaker 1: basketball players to learn how to play good basketball. Now. Fundamentally, 835 00:39:17,760 --> 00:39:19,680 Speaker 1: part of the problem is is when you're running out 836 00:39:19,920 --> 00:39:22,760 Speaker 1: Asar Thompson in two bigs, your you're just your offense 837 00:39:22,840 --> 00:39:25,000 Speaker 1: is doomed to fail from the beginning. And Asar has 838 00:39:25,040 --> 00:39:27,799 Speaker 1: been like last I checked, and it's been about a week, 839 00:39:27,800 --> 00:39:29,759 Speaker 1: but he's been basically the worst jump shooter in the 840 00:39:29,840 --> 00:39:32,440 Speaker 1: NBA so far this year, and so that's gonna hurt you. 841 00:39:32,520 --> 00:39:34,640 Speaker 1: And Isaiah Stewart, I know, has made some shots, but 842 00:39:34,680 --> 00:39:36,279 Speaker 1: it's like one of those things where teams don't guard 843 00:39:36,360 --> 00:39:38,080 Speaker 1: him out there, and that that kind of is a 844 00:39:38,080 --> 00:39:41,440 Speaker 1: bigger problem than the the occasional three point shot that 845 00:39:41,480 --> 00:39:44,880 Speaker 1: he makes, right, And so a couple things, boy, and 846 00:39:44,920 --> 00:39:48,160 Speaker 1: Bogdanovic is allegedly coming back soon's that's gonna be something 847 00:39:48,160 --> 00:39:50,799 Speaker 1: that helps you. He is kind of a greaser of 848 00:39:50,800 --> 00:39:53,120 Speaker 1: the wheel, so to speak. I think when it comes 849 00:39:53,120 --> 00:39:55,120 Speaker 1: to the free agent market, you just have to be careful, 850 00:39:55,400 --> 00:39:57,800 Speaker 1: you know, because what you don't want to do is 851 00:39:57,840 --> 00:40:00,440 Speaker 1: bring in a player that's just gonna to kind of 852 00:40:00,520 --> 00:40:03,319 Speaker 1: like hamper that development, right, Like ironically, a guy like 853 00:40:03,320 --> 00:40:05,960 Speaker 1: Tobias Harris. I don't know if he'd be even interested 854 00:40:06,000 --> 00:40:09,240 Speaker 1: in playing at that in that type of rebuilding situation, 855 00:40:09,320 --> 00:40:11,080 Speaker 1: but he's a guy who'd be perfect because he's such 856 00:40:11,120 --> 00:40:15,200 Speaker 1: a smart off ball player who attacks mismatch as well 857 00:40:15,360 --> 00:40:18,080 Speaker 1: and can run the floor and transition and knock down 858 00:40:18,080 --> 00:40:19,799 Speaker 1: open three point shots, although he's been in a little 859 00:40:19,840 --> 00:40:22,280 Speaker 1: bit of a shooting slump as of late. But like 860 00:40:22,280 --> 00:40:24,440 Speaker 1: like Pascal Siakam is a guy like I don't know 861 00:40:24,480 --> 00:40:29,319 Speaker 1: how he helps your specific situation. It's one of those 862 00:40:29,320 --> 00:40:32,759 Speaker 1: things where it's I think, I think lineup construction would 863 00:40:32,800 --> 00:40:36,160 Speaker 1: go a long way. Like I know you're defending better 864 00:40:36,239 --> 00:40:38,200 Speaker 1: with two bigs, but I almost feel like you're better 865 00:40:38,239 --> 00:40:41,000 Speaker 1: off learning how to play better offense with more offensive 866 00:40:41,000 --> 00:40:43,480 Speaker 1: talent on the floor and maybe putting someone like boy 867 00:40:43,520 --> 00:40:45,319 Speaker 1: On at the three ex just me at the four, 868 00:40:45,760 --> 00:40:48,560 Speaker 1: and maybe move us Our Thompson to the bench and 869 00:40:48,680 --> 00:40:50,879 Speaker 1: get Jade and Ivy more reps as much as you can. 870 00:40:50,960 --> 00:40:53,239 Speaker 1: And I at the end of the day, though, like 871 00:40:53,280 --> 00:40:55,440 Speaker 1: they're bad. They're so bad, and they're so far away 872 00:40:55,440 --> 00:40:57,879 Speaker 1: from being good. There is no one thing that's gonna 873 00:40:57,880 --> 00:41:00,560 Speaker 1: fix it. There's no one free agen signed, there's no 874 00:41:01,040 --> 00:41:03,520 Speaker 1: you know, moving boy On into the starting lineup, There's 875 00:41:03,560 --> 00:41:06,280 Speaker 1: no you know, Jade and Ivy finally finds his groove 876 00:41:06,320 --> 00:41:09,360 Speaker 1: and gets more minutes with the starters. There's no anything 877 00:41:09,440 --> 00:41:12,520 Speaker 1: like that. It's like you need total overhaul, you're so 878 00:41:12,680 --> 00:41:15,880 Speaker 1: far back, You're you're very much where like Philadelphia was 879 00:41:16,760 --> 00:41:19,759 Speaker 1: there before Joel Embiid really took off. Like there's a 880 00:41:19,800 --> 00:41:22,880 Speaker 1: lot of interesting stuff going on, and like I really 881 00:41:22,960 --> 00:41:25,040 Speaker 1: like Kate, and I really like Jade and Ivy and 882 00:41:25,080 --> 00:41:27,000 Speaker 1: A sar Thompson's like one of the best perimeter defender 883 00:41:27,040 --> 00:41:29,920 Speaker 1: prospects we've ever seen, and Jalen Duran is super exciting, 884 00:41:29,960 --> 00:41:33,839 Speaker 1: but like none of it is meshing into a kind 885 00:41:33,840 --> 00:41:36,719 Speaker 1: of like coherent basketball team. And so at the end 886 00:41:36,719 --> 00:41:40,560 Speaker 1: of the day, like like unless the right type of 887 00:41:40,560 --> 00:41:43,600 Speaker 1: shooting four comes you write it out with boy On Bogdanovic, 888 00:41:44,040 --> 00:41:46,399 Speaker 1: and you hope somebody pops in the draft. You hope 889 00:41:46,440 --> 00:41:49,040 Speaker 1: someone like a sar Thompson, Like that's as weird as 890 00:41:49,040 --> 00:41:50,839 Speaker 1: a Star actually was a better shooter than a men 891 00:41:50,880 --> 00:41:52,839 Speaker 1: Thompson coming out of the draft. So like you hope 892 00:41:52,840 --> 00:41:54,640 Speaker 1: maybe he kind of figures it out in the long run. 893 00:41:54,680 --> 00:41:56,960 Speaker 1: But I don't have easy fixes for you, because you're 894 00:41:57,000 --> 00:41:58,600 Speaker 1: just gonna be bad for a long time and that's 895 00:41:58,640 --> 00:42:01,440 Speaker 1: really unfortunate. But at the end of the day, it's 896 00:42:01,440 --> 00:42:04,040 Speaker 1: not going to take two or three you know fixes, 897 00:42:04,080 --> 00:42:06,040 Speaker 1: It's going to take six or seven decisions by that 898 00:42:06,080 --> 00:42:10,799 Speaker 1: front office to repair the situation that they have. Have 899 00:42:10,880 --> 00:42:12,560 Speaker 1: you taken a shot like the one Steph got called 900 00:42:12,600 --> 00:42:14,239 Speaker 1: for an offensive foul on and what are your thoughts 901 00:42:14,280 --> 00:42:17,000 Speaker 1: on protecting the shooter versus kicking out when momentum takes 902 00:42:17,040 --> 00:42:21,680 Speaker 1: you while shooting across your body. It's tough because I'm 903 00:42:21,680 --> 00:42:25,000 Speaker 1: a big believer kicking out is not so much like 904 00:42:26,640 --> 00:42:29,000 Speaker 1: it depends on the footwork, Like if you're the specific 905 00:42:29,040 --> 00:42:31,280 Speaker 1: shot you're referencing where Steph kicked out, he was moving 906 00:42:31,280 --> 00:42:34,040 Speaker 1: to his right, and like you train shooters when they're 907 00:42:34,080 --> 00:42:36,000 Speaker 1: moving to their right to swing their right foot around 908 00:42:36,040 --> 00:42:37,960 Speaker 1: to help them square up when they're in mid air. 909 00:42:38,440 --> 00:42:41,120 Speaker 1: But at the same time, like I don't, I think 910 00:42:41,200 --> 00:42:43,760 Speaker 1: you have to give defenses a chance to contest shots. 911 00:42:43,960 --> 00:42:46,000 Speaker 1: And I'm a big believer in your landing area should 912 00:42:46,000 --> 00:42:47,960 Speaker 1: be more or less where you took off from. And 913 00:42:48,000 --> 00:42:50,479 Speaker 1: once you start giving leniencees outside of that landing area, 914 00:42:50,480 --> 00:42:52,040 Speaker 1: it makes it too hard to guard, which I think 915 00:42:52,080 --> 00:42:53,799 Speaker 1: is bad for the league. But at the same time, 916 00:42:53,840 --> 00:42:56,560 Speaker 1: I wouldn't call it an offensive foul either. I like 917 00:42:56,640 --> 00:43:00,000 Speaker 1: I would just if if he kicks out any remains 918 00:43:00,360 --> 00:43:02,600 Speaker 1: inside his landing area, I think you call a foul, 919 00:43:03,000 --> 00:43:04,840 Speaker 1: and if he kicks out and ends up going outside 920 00:43:04,840 --> 00:43:06,319 Speaker 1: of the landing area, I think it's a no call, 921 00:43:06,360 --> 00:43:09,319 Speaker 1: and you play on. I think, like the only time 922 00:43:09,360 --> 00:43:13,040 Speaker 1: where I get really where I get really bothered by 923 00:43:13,120 --> 00:43:15,600 Speaker 1: it is when it's like a fake shot. And that's 924 00:43:15,640 --> 00:43:17,640 Speaker 1: like the shit that James Harden used to do, where 925 00:43:17,640 --> 00:43:20,560 Speaker 1: like he would take a shot and land five feet 926 00:43:20,560 --> 00:43:22,359 Speaker 1: in front of where he took off from, and it's like, dude, 927 00:43:22,400 --> 00:43:25,239 Speaker 1: that's not real basketball. But the shooter moving to his 928 00:43:25,320 --> 00:43:27,319 Speaker 1: right and swinging his right leg around a little bit, 929 00:43:27,560 --> 00:43:29,520 Speaker 1: that to me is a normal basketball play that you 930 00:43:29,560 --> 00:43:32,160 Speaker 1: train kids at a young age to do. And so like, 931 00:43:32,280 --> 00:43:35,640 Speaker 1: from that standpoint, I think I agree with you that 932 00:43:35,960 --> 00:43:40,040 Speaker 1: calling in an offensive foul is silly. Two more questions. Guys, 933 00:43:41,760 --> 00:43:43,600 Speaker 1: you mentioned how Ad is regressed with his jump shot. 934 00:43:43,640 --> 00:43:45,160 Speaker 1: Dude to him taking two months off, But how about 935 00:43:45,200 --> 00:43:47,320 Speaker 1: Jokic seems to take a long break every off season 936 00:43:47,360 --> 00:43:51,000 Speaker 1: and he's still incredible. This also moves to your point 937 00:43:51,000 --> 00:43:53,920 Speaker 1: that he and Steph and Lebron are all insane. Jokic 938 00:43:54,040 --> 00:43:57,279 Speaker 1: doesn't seem to have that same obsession. A couple of 939 00:43:57,280 --> 00:44:00,279 Speaker 1: things I think Jokic plays up the lack of obsession thing. 940 00:44:00,480 --> 00:44:01,920 Speaker 1: I don't remember who it was it told. It might 941 00:44:01,920 --> 00:44:05,719 Speaker 1: have been Adam Marris, but the Jokic is obsessive in 942 00:44:05,760 --> 00:44:08,160 Speaker 1: the offseason. Two. I know he puts forward this like 943 00:44:08,200 --> 00:44:10,480 Speaker 1: I don't give a shit personality. But here's the thing. 944 00:44:10,520 --> 00:44:13,239 Speaker 1: You don't become that good at basketball without giving a shit. He, 945 00:44:13,520 --> 00:44:15,879 Speaker 1: from what I understand, takes coaching clinics over the course 946 00:44:15,920 --> 00:44:19,360 Speaker 1: of the summer. I'm sure he does practice his touch. 947 00:44:19,560 --> 00:44:23,440 Speaker 1: He also, just in terms of natural ability, has transcendently 948 00:44:23,480 --> 00:44:25,839 Speaker 1: great touch, and I think that's a big difference between 949 00:44:25,920 --> 00:44:27,640 Speaker 1: him and Anthony Davis, who's a guy who doesn't have 950 00:44:27,680 --> 00:44:30,520 Speaker 1: great touch, who works really hard to become okay at 951 00:44:30,520 --> 00:44:32,839 Speaker 1: it right. But like, yeah, I don't think. I don't think. 952 00:44:32,840 --> 00:44:34,719 Speaker 1: I don't buy into Jokic is like fake, I don't 953 00:44:34,760 --> 00:44:37,960 Speaker 1: give a shit attitude. Last question, once, do the Miami 954 00:44:38,000 --> 00:44:39,480 Speaker 1: Heat have to do to be taken seriously as a 955 00:44:39,520 --> 00:44:41,759 Speaker 1: championship contender? Going to the finals and beating the one 956 00:44:41,760 --> 00:44:44,520 Speaker 1: seed clearly is not enough to please the media talking 957 00:44:44,560 --> 00:44:47,720 Speaker 1: heads well will change perception for them. I suspect winning 958 00:44:47,800 --> 00:44:54,040 Speaker 1: a championship isn't even I get it. I understand as 959 00:44:54,080 --> 00:44:56,440 Speaker 1: a Heat fan when you see your team succeed that 960 00:44:56,480 --> 00:44:58,400 Speaker 1: it's frustrating to not see them get the props that 961 00:44:58,440 --> 00:45:02,120 Speaker 1: they get. Here's all I would say. I'll say two things. 962 00:45:03,360 --> 00:45:05,960 Speaker 1: Did anybody think Miami had a chance to beat Denver? 963 00:45:06,360 --> 00:45:10,640 Speaker 1: I did not. I'm curious if there are non Heat 964 00:45:10,640 --> 00:45:13,000 Speaker 1: fans out there who actually think Miami had a chance 965 00:45:13,040 --> 00:45:14,880 Speaker 1: to beat Denver. I would like to hear it, because 966 00:45:14,960 --> 00:45:17,640 Speaker 1: I feel like that was the thing? Is it? Like, yeah, 967 00:45:17,640 --> 00:45:20,640 Speaker 1: they made it to the finals, but they upset a 968 00:45:20,640 --> 00:45:22,960 Speaker 1: lot of flawed teams, and then they ran into a 969 00:45:24,080 --> 00:45:25,560 Speaker 1: team that was clearly better than all of them, and 970 00:45:25,560 --> 00:45:28,080 Speaker 1: they had no chance. Right. And so the second piece 971 00:45:28,120 --> 00:45:30,280 Speaker 1: of that is when would I take the Heat seriously 972 00:45:30,320 --> 00:45:31,880 Speaker 1: as a contender? As soon as they trade for more 973 00:45:31,920 --> 00:45:36,640 Speaker 1: offensive talent. It's that simple. Give me a better version 974 00:45:36,640 --> 00:45:41,279 Speaker 1: of Tyler Harrow, like a legitimate backcourt offensive weapon next 975 00:45:41,280 --> 00:45:43,839 Speaker 1: to Jimmy Butler and bam Adebayo, and I'm all in. 976 00:45:44,760 --> 00:45:46,840 Speaker 1: I Like they say they're not interested in Zach Lavine, 977 00:45:46,920 --> 00:45:48,840 Speaker 1: I don't know who they're interested in. There's got to 978 00:45:48,880 --> 00:45:52,359 Speaker 1: be somebody. They got to go after somebody, But even 979 00:45:52,400 --> 00:45:54,400 Speaker 1: just to Martin Rosen. Like if the Heat got Demarta Rosen, 980 00:45:55,000 --> 00:45:56,680 Speaker 1: I'd be back on board and view them as a 981 00:45:56,760 --> 00:46:00,759 Speaker 1: championship contender. They just need somebody in that backcourt who 982 00:46:00,800 --> 00:46:05,640 Speaker 1: can provide high level offensive creation. In the playoffs, Heimi 983 00:46:05,640 --> 00:46:08,680 Speaker 1: Hawk has has been incredible. They hit on these fringe 984 00:46:08,680 --> 00:46:11,320 Speaker 1: pieces all the time, and that's how they keep getting 985 00:46:11,320 --> 00:46:13,160 Speaker 1: the next Caleb Martin, the next Max Strews, the next 986 00:46:13,239 --> 00:46:15,799 Speaker 1: Kay Vincent. They keep churning those guys out. But they 987 00:46:15,840 --> 00:46:18,440 Speaker 1: need something at a higher level than that, because those 988 00:46:18,520 --> 00:46:21,560 Speaker 1: role players will be round out the situation. But they 989 00:46:21,560 --> 00:46:23,719 Speaker 1: need more than what they have. All right, guys, that 990 00:46:23,760 --> 00:46:25,480 Speaker 1: is all I have for today is always as sincerely 991 00:46:25,480 --> 00:46:27,440 Speaker 1: appreciate your sport. One more show this week tomorrow and 992 00:46:27,480 --> 00:46:29,080 Speaker 1: then we'll take the weekend off. I will see you guys. 993 00:46:29,160 --> 00:46:57,320 Speaker 1: Then the volume