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I sincerely appreciate you 31 00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:19,600 Speaker 1: all coming to hang out and talk some basketball with me. 32 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:22,600 Speaker 1: We are going to start with the Lakers tonight, but 33 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:26,440 Speaker 1: we're also going to get to the Brooklyn Nets, demolishing 34 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:29,200 Speaker 1: the Utah Jazz, who are frauds, as I always say. 35 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:34,000 Speaker 1: We're gonna get to the Timberwolves finally playing against a 36 00:02:34,040 --> 00:02:36,720 Speaker 1: good basketball team that has all their stars and that 37 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:39,560 Speaker 1: resulting in a loss, and then we're going to get 38 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:43,200 Speaker 1: into our power rankings. This week's Timp's Top ten. So 39 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:45,160 Speaker 1: I sincerely appreciate you guys come to hang out. Let's 40 00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:48,440 Speaker 1: get started with the Lakers. So this is starting to 41 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:52,679 Speaker 1: look a little bit like a good basketball team. They 42 00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:56,000 Speaker 1: have fixed their offense. The Lakers have an offensive rating 43 00:02:56,440 --> 00:02:59,639 Speaker 1: of a hundred and twenty six points per one possessions 44 00:02:59,639 --> 00:03:02,880 Speaker 1: in their last three games, which ranks third in the league. 45 00:03:03,639 --> 00:03:05,800 Speaker 1: In a few minutes, I want to get into why 46 00:03:05,919 --> 00:03:07,840 Speaker 1: I think that's the case, because I think it's an 47 00:03:07,880 --> 00:03:11,560 Speaker 1: interesting example of scheming, which is something that has been 48 00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:13,760 Speaker 1: a huge pet peeve of mine with the Lakers over 49 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:15,399 Speaker 1: the course of the last few seasons. But I wanted 50 00:03:15,440 --> 00:03:18,960 Speaker 1: to start with Lebron because you know, as Lebron fans 51 00:03:18,960 --> 00:03:21,160 Speaker 1: would tell you, I've been very critical of him over 52 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:24,000 Speaker 1: the course of the last uh like month or so. 53 00:03:24,120 --> 00:03:26,880 Speaker 1: And it's because I hold Lebron to a very high standard, 54 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:30,360 Speaker 1: because I think he's potentially the greatest basketball player to 55 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:33,040 Speaker 1: ever play the game. Because I throw his name around 56 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:35,360 Speaker 1: in conversations about who's the best player in the league, 57 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:38,280 Speaker 1: and I think there's a list of expectations that come 58 00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 1: with that. And after the All Star break, he came 59 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:42,720 Speaker 1: out and looked like a guy who didn't believe in 60 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:45,960 Speaker 1: this team, and and and just essentially didn't provide the 61 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:49,280 Speaker 1: necessary effort for the Lakers to be competitive. Well, over 62 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:52,880 Speaker 1: this last stretch of games, he is one thousand percent 63 00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:56,760 Speaker 1: dialed back in, is bought back into everything the team 64 00:03:56,800 --> 00:03:58,560 Speaker 1: needs him to do. I think a huge part of 65 00:03:58,560 --> 00:04:00,520 Speaker 1: it has been a little bit less him at the 66 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:02,640 Speaker 1: center for stretches of the game, so he doesn't have 67 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:06,320 Speaker 1: as difficult of a defensive job. But at the end 68 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:09,480 Speaker 1: of the day, at the center position, when he's engaged 69 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:12,720 Speaker 1: and he's actually doing his job defensively, that's when this 70 00:04:12,760 --> 00:04:18,120 Speaker 1: team is at their best. He had an absolutely vintage dunk. 71 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:20,040 Speaker 1: It was hilarious. I I I got into the game 72 00:04:20,080 --> 00:04:22,240 Speaker 1: a little bit late because it was such an early start, 73 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:25,120 Speaker 1: and I was fast forwarding like little ten second increments 74 00:04:25,120 --> 00:04:26,720 Speaker 1: as I was trying to work up through the game, 75 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:30,120 Speaker 1: and I skipped ahead right as he was at the 76 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:33,800 Speaker 1: top of his dunk, like literally extended over the top 77 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 1: of Kevin Love, and I was like, hold up, something 78 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:37,240 Speaker 1: crazy is about to happen. And I rewonded and I 79 00:04:37,240 --> 00:04:40,599 Speaker 1: saw the dunk. It's absolutely wild to me that he 80 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:44,560 Speaker 1: can make a play that athletic in his nineteen season 81 00:04:44,839 --> 00:04:47,680 Speaker 1: at age thirty seven. That is, he is uh the 82 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:51,440 Speaker 1: greatest example of athletic longevity that I can remember seeing 83 00:04:51,440 --> 00:04:55,159 Speaker 1: in my time following sports. That was one hell of 84 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:58,880 Speaker 1: a vintage highlight. But to make a long story short, 85 00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:04,320 Speaker 1: lebron recent search is perimeter shooting coming together, but a 86 00:05:04,320 --> 00:05:06,800 Speaker 1: big part of it is him making a concerted effort 87 00:05:07,160 --> 00:05:10,360 Speaker 1: to get to the rim. The Cleveland Cavaliers are one 88 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:12,880 Speaker 1: of the best interior defenses in the league. I've laid 89 00:05:12,880 --> 00:05:15,440 Speaker 1: this out on the show before. They block a ton 90 00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:17,720 Speaker 1: of shots. They have a ton of size and their 91 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:20,320 Speaker 1: length will bother you around the rim. Now, some of 92 00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:22,960 Speaker 1: this was Lebron taking advantage of Evan Mobley when he 93 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:24,280 Speaker 1: was off the floor, but a lot of it was 94 00:05:24,360 --> 00:05:28,640 Speaker 1: just their five out system. Lebron killed the calves inside 95 00:05:28,680 --> 00:05:31,920 Speaker 1: Lori marken In could not handle him on his drives 96 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:34,640 Speaker 1: to the basket, and that was the fulcrumb for so 97 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:36,560 Speaker 1: much of what they did offensively. So much of what 98 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:38,760 Speaker 1: this whole team has done offensively over the course of 99 00:05:38,800 --> 00:05:41,279 Speaker 1: the last three games has to do with Lebron making 100 00:05:41,320 --> 00:05:44,120 Speaker 1: a concerted effort to get in the paint. I was 101 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:46,080 Speaker 1: talking about this with some of my family as I 102 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:47,880 Speaker 1: was family and friends as I was watching the U 103 00:05:47,960 --> 00:05:52,800 Speaker 1: of A get their big comeback. When last night over TCU, like, 104 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:56,200 Speaker 1: there is no such thing as bad rim pressure. If 105 00:05:56,200 --> 00:05:58,919 Speaker 1: you get into the basket and you attempt shots around 106 00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:01,719 Speaker 1: the rim, even if you miss them, they have the 107 00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:05,080 Speaker 1: positive effect that comes from rim pressure. So for instance, 108 00:06:05,160 --> 00:06:08,880 Speaker 1: last night, the TCU guards kept getting into the rim 109 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:11,200 Speaker 1: and Christian Coloco had to step over and try to 110 00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:13,760 Speaker 1: block shots, and he kept and TCU was getting offensive 111 00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:16,560 Speaker 1: rebound putbacks. A huge part of what is making this 112 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:20,360 Speaker 1: offense work for the Lakers is Lebron putting in the 113 00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:22,320 Speaker 1: work it takes, because it takes a lot of work. 114 00:06:22,320 --> 00:06:24,400 Speaker 1: When when when everyone says like, hey, why doesn't Lebron 115 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:27,240 Speaker 1: drive to the basket every time? Because it's exhausting, That's 116 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:29,680 Speaker 1: why he does it. Do it every time. But he's 117 00:06:29,720 --> 00:06:33,359 Speaker 1: making a much more concerted effort to apply more rim 118 00:06:33,360 --> 00:06:36,440 Speaker 1: pressure as of late, and that is opening everything up 119 00:06:36,440 --> 00:06:39,040 Speaker 1: for this team. In addition to that, he's shooting from 120 00:06:39,040 --> 00:06:41,240 Speaker 1: three on like nine attempts over the course of the 121 00:06:41,279 --> 00:06:43,200 Speaker 1: last couple of weeks. That's a huge part of it too. 122 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:45,279 Speaker 1: He's got it working at every level of the game. 123 00:06:45,279 --> 00:06:48,480 Speaker 1: He made a bunch of mid range jump shots today. 124 00:06:48,760 --> 00:06:51,000 Speaker 1: That little fade away over his right shoulder as he 125 00:06:51,080 --> 00:06:53,040 Speaker 1: drifts through the lane as he's snaking the pick and 126 00:06:53,160 --> 00:06:55,200 Speaker 1: roll is turning into one of his go to moves, 127 00:06:55,520 --> 00:06:57,160 Speaker 1: and he's he's just got it all work on all 128 00:06:57,200 --> 00:07:01,359 Speaker 1: cylinders right now. He is a testament to the the 129 00:07:01,400 --> 00:07:06,680 Speaker 1: ability that that basketball i Q can replace basketball cute 130 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:10,920 Speaker 1: and skill development can replace waning athleticism. As he's aged, 131 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:14,680 Speaker 1: As his athleticism has fallen off, he has replaced that 132 00:07:15,040 --> 00:07:19,520 Speaker 1: with remarkable skill and shot making, and he understands the 133 00:07:19,560 --> 00:07:22,440 Speaker 1: angles and the approach to offense so well at this 134 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:24,840 Speaker 1: phase in his career, it's like he's a step ahead 135 00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:27,360 Speaker 1: of everyone else on the court. For those of you 136 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:29,440 Speaker 1: are just joining us, this is Hoops Tonight, presented by 137 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:31,640 Speaker 1: Fandel here on the volume. I wanted to move on 138 00:07:31,680 --> 00:07:34,320 Speaker 1: to Russ for a second. I have some positive things 139 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:37,680 Speaker 1: to say about Russ. You know, Russ has a ton 140 00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:40,880 Speaker 1: of bad that comes with him that's never gonna go away. 141 00:07:41,040 --> 00:07:44,840 Speaker 1: He's going to drift in and out focus defensively, he 142 00:07:45,040 --> 00:07:48,240 Speaker 1: like even though he played mostly good against the Wizards 143 00:07:48,280 --> 00:07:50,480 Speaker 1: a couple of nights ago, there are a bunch of these, 144 00:07:50,520 --> 00:07:53,400 Speaker 1: like key possessions where he made mistakes that I don't 145 00:07:53,400 --> 00:07:55,200 Speaker 1: think is ever going to go away. We have too 146 00:07:55,320 --> 00:07:58,080 Speaker 1: much evidence of the kind of guy that Russ is 147 00:07:58,120 --> 00:07:59,960 Speaker 1: on the basketball court and where his head's at when 148 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:02,640 Speaker 1: he's out there for us to expect some sort of 149 00:08:02,680 --> 00:08:05,360 Speaker 1: massive change from him. But as is the case with 150 00:08:05,440 --> 00:08:07,280 Speaker 1: most guys like this, and Russ isn't the only guy 151 00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:08,760 Speaker 1: like this in the league. There are guys that I 152 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:11,880 Speaker 1: call good play bad play guys their players where they 153 00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:14,680 Speaker 1: bring a lot of good, but they also bring a 154 00:08:14,680 --> 00:08:16,880 Speaker 1: lot of bad, and so whether or not they impact 155 00:08:16,920 --> 00:08:19,160 Speaker 1: winning has a lot to do with that scale shifting 156 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:22,520 Speaker 1: one way or another. Well, as of late, Russ is 157 00:08:22,680 --> 00:08:24,640 Speaker 1: getting to the rim a lot as well, very similar 158 00:08:24,640 --> 00:08:27,160 Speaker 1: to that rim pressure concept I was talking about with Lebron, 159 00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:29,800 Speaker 1: but with his shot selection in his ability to get 160 00:08:29,800 --> 00:08:32,000 Speaker 1: to the rim, he's slowing himself down. He's starting to 161 00:08:32,120 --> 00:08:35,320 Speaker 1: make layups that he's usually missed. That has added a 162 00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:39,000 Speaker 1: scoring element to Russ's game, which is allowing him to 163 00:08:39,040 --> 00:08:41,200 Speaker 1: create shots for his teammates, spreading the ball out to 164 00:08:41,200 --> 00:08:43,640 Speaker 1: the perimeter, and now he's starting to make a few 165 00:08:43,679 --> 00:08:47,000 Speaker 1: more good plays every game, and over this recent stretch, 166 00:08:47,040 --> 00:08:50,920 Speaker 1: we've tipped into Russ being a positive player, which has 167 00:08:50,960 --> 00:08:53,960 Speaker 1: taken a lot off of what Lebron needs to bring 168 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:55,480 Speaker 1: to the table in order for them to win. There 169 00:08:55,520 --> 00:08:58,360 Speaker 1: for a while, it was like, if Lebron doesn't score fifty, 170 00:08:58,520 --> 00:09:00,600 Speaker 1: the Lakers are gonna lose. Well, now, how it's starting 171 00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:03,480 Speaker 1: to look a little bit more like a functional basketball team. 172 00:09:03,520 --> 00:09:05,320 Speaker 1: So I wanted to shout out Russ. I can be 173 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:07,440 Speaker 1: very critical of him at times. He's one of my 174 00:09:07,520 --> 00:09:09,680 Speaker 1: least favorite players in the league. I had a fan 175 00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:12,480 Speaker 1: asked me on Twitter today like, Hey, what does this 176 00:09:12,600 --> 00:09:15,120 Speaker 1: change your opinion about Russ coming back? Hell? No, I 177 00:09:15,160 --> 00:09:17,840 Speaker 1: want him off the team. I cannot wait to be 178 00:09:17,880 --> 00:09:21,120 Speaker 1: done with the Russell Westbrook experience. But while he's here, 179 00:09:21,480 --> 00:09:23,240 Speaker 1: I'm gonna compliment him when he plays well, and we 180 00:09:23,320 --> 00:09:25,520 Speaker 1: might as well try to win a championship while we're 181 00:09:25,520 --> 00:09:27,240 Speaker 1: at it. So I wanted to shout out Russ. So 182 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:28,599 Speaker 1: I wanted to move on to the role players for 183 00:09:28,600 --> 00:09:31,240 Speaker 1: a second, because this is a huge part of why 184 00:09:31,280 --> 00:09:35,079 Speaker 1: the offense is where it's at. So Lebron is obviously 185 00:09:35,120 --> 00:09:37,640 Speaker 1: playing really good offensive basketball of late, but he's been 186 00:09:37,640 --> 00:09:40,440 Speaker 1: playing really good offensive basketball the vast majority of this season. 187 00:09:40,920 --> 00:09:43,720 Speaker 1: But coming into this recent stretch, offense has been a 188 00:09:43,760 --> 00:09:46,280 Speaker 1: massive problem for the Lakers. They just simply haven't been 189 00:09:46,320 --> 00:09:49,440 Speaker 1: able to score the basketball. It's certainly not, you know, 190 00:09:49,520 --> 00:09:52,280 Speaker 1: commensurate to what their talent was. They added all the shooting, 191 00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:54,640 Speaker 1: they added Malikue Monk, they added Carmelo Anthony, they added 192 00:09:54,640 --> 00:09:57,120 Speaker 1: these guys that were allegedly going to help them on 193 00:09:57,160 --> 00:09:59,520 Speaker 1: the offensive end of the floor, and none of it materialized. 194 00:09:59,559 --> 00:10:01,880 Speaker 1: A lot of the had to do with personnel, Frank 195 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:05,000 Speaker 1: playing weird combinations of nonshooters with the group. A lot 196 00:10:05,040 --> 00:10:06,680 Speaker 1: of it had to do with them playing big the 197 00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:09,160 Speaker 1: entire first part of the season. A lot of it 198 00:10:09,240 --> 00:10:12,920 Speaker 1: is Frank not understanding that in the modern NBA that 199 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:15,960 Speaker 1: five out basketball is what has success. But in five 200 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:20,160 Speaker 1: out basketball, it's more complicated than just can Lebron get 201 00:10:20,200 --> 00:10:22,000 Speaker 1: to the basket or can Rust get to the basket. 202 00:10:22,080 --> 00:10:25,760 Speaker 1: It's the concept of breaking the defense down. So this 203 00:10:25,800 --> 00:10:27,480 Speaker 1: is where I want to shout out Stanley Johnson and 204 00:10:27,480 --> 00:10:30,400 Speaker 1: Austin Reeves. So if you ask Stanley Johnson and Aston 205 00:10:30,440 --> 00:10:32,800 Speaker 1: Reeves to come down against the set defense and to 206 00:10:33,040 --> 00:10:36,080 Speaker 1: create a shot for a teammate, they would really struggle 207 00:10:36,120 --> 00:10:38,599 Speaker 1: in that department. Austin Reeves doesn't have the talent or 208 00:10:38,640 --> 00:10:41,480 Speaker 1: excuse me, Astan Reaves doesn't have the physical tools, and 209 00:10:41,520 --> 00:10:44,640 Speaker 1: Stanley Johnson doesn't have the skill. So those two players 210 00:10:44,640 --> 00:10:47,720 Speaker 1: are gonna struggle with that that type of role. But 211 00:10:48,520 --> 00:10:52,120 Speaker 1: if I let those two guys attack a compromise defense. 212 00:10:52,559 --> 00:10:55,600 Speaker 1: So if Austin Reeves is catching the ball wide open 213 00:10:55,679 --> 00:10:58,320 Speaker 1: on the wing and the dude is sprinting at him 214 00:10:58,360 --> 00:11:00,600 Speaker 1: and the defense is shifted over to the other side 215 00:11:00,640 --> 00:11:03,720 Speaker 1: of the court, all of a sudden, Austin Reeves is 216 00:11:03,840 --> 00:11:07,120 Speaker 1: great at making plays in that environment. Same thing goes 217 00:11:07,440 --> 00:11:10,560 Speaker 1: for Stanley Johnson. So that's where this is so important. 218 00:11:10,559 --> 00:11:13,560 Speaker 1: There is a there is a process to running five 219 00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:16,840 Speaker 1: out basketball. You've gotta have somebody at the beginning that 220 00:11:16,920 --> 00:11:20,480 Speaker 1: can break down the defense and force that first rotation. 221 00:11:20,880 --> 00:11:23,120 Speaker 1: But then you have to have guys after that first 222 00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:27,480 Speaker 1: rotation that can continue to further compromise the defense. That's 223 00:11:27,480 --> 00:11:30,080 Speaker 1: where Stanley Johnson and Ossa Reeves have been so valuable. 224 00:11:30,320 --> 00:11:33,439 Speaker 1: Lebron and Russ are playing really good offensive basketball right now. 225 00:11:33,520 --> 00:11:36,200 Speaker 1: To start possessions and they're gonna score a lot of 226 00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:39,000 Speaker 1: the time, as you've seen, but most of the time 227 00:11:39,240 --> 00:11:42,360 Speaker 1: there's gonna be helped sent their way. And in order 228 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:46,280 Speaker 1: for that whole system to work, that second guy who 229 00:11:46,320 --> 00:11:50,040 Speaker 1: attacks as the defense is compromised, that is the guy 230 00:11:50,120 --> 00:11:52,800 Speaker 1: that is the key to creating the great shot. And 231 00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:55,199 Speaker 1: the Lakers are getting great shots as of late, and 232 00:11:55,240 --> 00:11:56,760 Speaker 1: a lot of it has to do with Lebron and 233 00:11:56,800 --> 00:11:59,120 Speaker 1: a d excuse me, Lebron and Russ at the beginning 234 00:11:59,160 --> 00:12:01,920 Speaker 1: of the possessions, and guys like Stanley Johnson and Austin 235 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:04,800 Speaker 1: Reaves at the end of possession. Specifically Austin Reeves. I 236 00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:07,360 Speaker 1: wanted to give him a big shout out tonight. He 237 00:12:07,559 --> 00:12:11,400 Speaker 1: what he did to start that game offensively is ridiculous. 238 00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:14,320 Speaker 1: You can tell he's got a whole other set of 239 00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:18,360 Speaker 1: offensive moves and an offensive repertoire that is beyond what 240 00:12:18,400 --> 00:12:21,480 Speaker 1: we've even seen with this team, and as of late, 241 00:12:21,960 --> 00:12:25,880 Speaker 1: he's starting to unleash that little by little. He's very 242 00:12:25,920 --> 00:12:29,840 Speaker 1: gifted at drawing fouls, he's very gifted at using his 243 00:12:29,960 --> 00:12:33,240 Speaker 1: body to gain angles and gain position. He's got little 244 00:12:33,280 --> 00:12:36,320 Speaker 1: floaters and push shots, and he's got the passes he 245 00:12:36,400 --> 00:12:39,800 Speaker 1: was making in that first quarter two open teammates was 246 00:12:39,840 --> 00:12:42,320 Speaker 1: really really impressive to me. I have to shout those 247 00:12:42,320 --> 00:12:44,440 Speaker 1: guys out there a huge part of why this offense 248 00:12:44,800 --> 00:12:46,320 Speaker 1: is humming the way it is. And it's a really 249 00:12:46,320 --> 00:12:50,479 Speaker 1: really interesting example of how you can scheme your way 250 00:12:51,040 --> 00:12:55,160 Speaker 1: around personnel shortcomings, just like the Clippers did last year 251 00:12:55,160 --> 00:12:58,680 Speaker 1: in the playoffs, as without kawhilan Or, they went on 252 00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:01,000 Speaker 1: that run to the Conference fine, as it was all 253 00:13:01,040 --> 00:13:04,880 Speaker 1: about scheming around personnel shortcomings. They had solid players. The 254 00:13:04,880 --> 00:13:08,360 Speaker 1: Clippers are solid, but they didn't have all these stars 255 00:13:08,840 --> 00:13:10,920 Speaker 1: that we're gonna go out and create everything. But it 256 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:14,240 Speaker 1: all just happened. It all just worked because Reggie, Reggie 257 00:13:14,320 --> 00:13:18,079 Speaker 1: Jackson and Paul George could make that first defensive rotation 258 00:13:18,120 --> 00:13:20,000 Speaker 1: and everyone else was just feeding off of that. And 259 00:13:20,040 --> 00:13:22,240 Speaker 1: the Lakers are starting to capture a little bit of that, 260 00:13:22,280 --> 00:13:26,080 Speaker 1: which is something I've been begging for literally four years. 261 00:13:26,240 --> 00:13:28,440 Speaker 1: So it's good to see. So the question becomes, this 262 00:13:28,480 --> 00:13:30,600 Speaker 1: is half of the issue, right because the Lakers were 263 00:13:30,640 --> 00:13:35,240 Speaker 1: a bad offensive team and they were a bad defensive team. Well, 264 00:13:35,559 --> 00:13:38,760 Speaker 1: they seemed to have fixed their offense. Those were two 265 00:13:39,120 --> 00:13:41,920 Speaker 1: of the five best defenses in the East that they 266 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:45,320 Speaker 1: just went in and just ran over offensively in this 267 00:13:45,440 --> 00:13:47,400 Speaker 1: last three game starts the calves of the second best 268 00:13:47,400 --> 00:13:49,360 Speaker 1: defense in the East and the Raptors are the fifth 269 00:13:49,400 --> 00:13:51,520 Speaker 1: best defense in the East. And the Raptors defense is 270 00:13:51,520 --> 00:13:53,960 Speaker 1: a lot more intimidating than the numbers would have shown 271 00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:56,240 Speaker 1: you because they've dealt with injuries a lot this season. 272 00:13:57,120 --> 00:13:59,880 Speaker 1: But the Lakers offense that seems to be remedied, and 273 00:14:00,120 --> 00:14:04,360 Speaker 1: Anthony Davis is a clean and an easy plug into 274 00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:06,400 Speaker 1: that system. We saw that when he came back from 275 00:14:06,400 --> 00:14:08,880 Speaker 1: the knee injury. I'm not worried about fitting in Anthony 276 00:14:08,960 --> 00:14:12,280 Speaker 1: Davis offensively. So you have this other half of the 277 00:14:12,320 --> 00:14:15,480 Speaker 1: pie here, the defensive end of the floor. The Lakers 278 00:14:15,600 --> 00:14:19,400 Speaker 1: obviously have to make significant strides on that end of 279 00:14:19,440 --> 00:14:22,720 Speaker 1: the floor to have any chance of making it out 280 00:14:22,720 --> 00:14:24,800 Speaker 1: of the plan and beating Phoenix in the first round, 281 00:14:25,440 --> 00:14:27,360 Speaker 1: and obviously they have a lot of work to do 282 00:14:27,400 --> 00:14:31,119 Speaker 1: on that front. But that's where the Anthony Davis potential 283 00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:34,960 Speaker 1: return makes that a much more achievable outcome. There was 284 00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:38,440 Speaker 1: issues with personnel earlier in the season where even when 285 00:14:38,480 --> 00:14:40,880 Speaker 1: those guys were healthy, none of this was getting But 286 00:14:40,920 --> 00:14:44,760 Speaker 1: now Avery Bradley's basically out of the rotation. DeAndre Jordan's 287 00:14:44,800 --> 00:14:46,960 Speaker 1: not even on the roster anymore, Trevor Rees is not 288 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:49,320 Speaker 1: playing anymore. A lot of the guys that were part 289 00:14:49,320 --> 00:14:52,440 Speaker 1: of the that issue aren't around anymore. We've brought in 290 00:14:52,520 --> 00:14:55,600 Speaker 1: guys like Stanley Johnson, who is a great defensive player. 291 00:14:55,600 --> 00:14:58,720 Speaker 1: We've brought in Austin Reeves, who obviously brings a ton 292 00:14:58,760 --> 00:15:01,240 Speaker 1: of the user reasons around all this this time, but 293 00:15:01,280 --> 00:15:04,080 Speaker 1: he of late is now a consistent guy in the 294 00:15:04,120 --> 00:15:05,920 Speaker 1: starting lineup. So that's a big part of it. When 295 00:15:05,960 --> 00:15:09,400 Speaker 1: you in Gabriel raises our athletic profile, so the entire 296 00:15:09,480 --> 00:15:12,320 Speaker 1: roster now has a little bit more athleticism, a little 297 00:15:12,320 --> 00:15:15,320 Speaker 1: bit more foot speed with those lineups. So all you 298 00:15:15,320 --> 00:15:17,840 Speaker 1: gotta do is combine this little bit of magic that 299 00:15:17,880 --> 00:15:21,440 Speaker 1: you've captured here with Anthony Davis coming back and good 300 00:15:21,480 --> 00:15:23,920 Speaker 1: defensive habits, and you can do this again. It's a 301 00:15:23,920 --> 00:15:27,640 Speaker 1: long shot. I would certainly like their chances a lot 302 00:15:27,720 --> 00:15:30,280 Speaker 1: more if they didn't have to go through Phoenix in 303 00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:32,760 Speaker 1: the first round. This is what pisces me off about 304 00:15:32,800 --> 00:15:35,080 Speaker 1: the way they approached the season. If you're a seven 305 00:15:35,120 --> 00:15:38,200 Speaker 1: seed or literally anything other than having to roll into Phoenix, 306 00:15:38,400 --> 00:15:40,440 Speaker 1: then maybe you can weather through these injuries and get 307 00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:43,000 Speaker 1: your stuff together in the playoff run. But that's not 308 00:15:43,080 --> 00:15:46,400 Speaker 1: the case. This is they They they have to basically 309 00:15:46,440 --> 00:15:49,200 Speaker 1: beat the team I'm picking to win the championship, the 310 00:15:49,200 --> 00:15:51,440 Speaker 1: Phoenix Suns, the team I think is clearly the best 311 00:15:51,440 --> 00:15:53,400 Speaker 1: team in the league. The Lakers are gonna have to 312 00:15:53,440 --> 00:15:55,600 Speaker 1: go through them in the first round. So now it 313 00:15:55,680 --> 00:15:59,200 Speaker 1: requires perfection. You need to get Anthony Davis back. You 314 00:15:59,240 --> 00:16:02,720 Speaker 1: need to spend this next month establishing all the habits 315 00:16:02,760 --> 00:16:05,400 Speaker 1: that you let slip by the wayside this entire season. 316 00:16:05,760 --> 00:16:08,600 Speaker 1: But the most important part of this entire thing that 317 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:11,880 Speaker 1: I'm laying out here is it's a realistic outcome now. 318 00:16:12,640 --> 00:16:16,280 Speaker 1: It was very much not a realistic outcome in the past. Now, 319 00:16:16,480 --> 00:16:17,920 Speaker 1: even if you want to call it a one in 320 00:16:18,080 --> 00:16:20,560 Speaker 1: a million, whatever you want to call it, there is 321 00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:24,400 Speaker 1: a realistic outcome to this Laker team making your run. 322 00:16:24,680 --> 00:16:26,680 Speaker 1: It's Lebron James being the best player in the world. 323 00:16:26,800 --> 00:16:29,760 Speaker 1: It's Anthony Davis being Anthony Davis. It's Russell Westbrook being 324 00:16:29,800 --> 00:16:34,000 Speaker 1: a net positive instead of a net negative, and young, enthusiastic, 325 00:16:34,200 --> 00:16:37,120 Speaker 1: energetic role players that fit within their scheme do their 326 00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:40,480 Speaker 1: jobs and make the five out, dribble driving, driving, kick 327 00:16:40,520 --> 00:16:43,680 Speaker 1: offense work makes sense. Now I can see a light 328 00:16:44,080 --> 00:16:47,720 Speaker 1: at the end of the tunnel. Start your bracket with 329 00:16:47,880 --> 00:16:50,840 Speaker 1: a bang right now, fandal Sports Book is giving new 330 00:16:50,880 --> 00:16:56,200 Speaker 1: customers a one hundred and fifty dollar instant bonus guaranteed. 331 00:16:56,640 --> 00:16:59,280 Speaker 1: That's right. 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All right, I wanted to move 364 00:18:56,359 --> 00:18:58,160 Speaker 1: on to the Brooklyn Nets for a little bit, who 365 00:18:58,160 --> 00:19:00,600 Speaker 1: have been one of the most impressive teams in the 366 00:19:00,640 --> 00:19:03,560 Speaker 1: league as of like, they're six in one in their 367 00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:08,159 Speaker 1: last seven games. K D dropped thirty seven nine and 368 00:19:08,280 --> 00:19:12,160 Speaker 1: eight to nine. In his last seven games, he's averaging 369 00:19:12,400 --> 00:19:17,760 Speaker 1: thirty seven rebounds, eight assists on this is insane. Fifty 370 00:19:17,880 --> 00:19:22,680 Speaker 1: six percent shooting from the field, forty three percent from three, 371 00:19:22,800 --> 00:19:26,000 Speaker 1: and from the free throw line. It continues to be 372 00:19:26,080 --> 00:19:29,919 Speaker 1: completely mind boggling to me that Kevin Durant can be 373 00:19:30,119 --> 00:19:33,199 Speaker 1: away from NBA basketball for extended stretches, whether it was 374 00:19:33,280 --> 00:19:35,119 Speaker 1: his achilles injury that kept him out for a couple 375 00:19:35,119 --> 00:19:37,480 Speaker 1: of years or this most recent knee injury that kept 376 00:19:37,520 --> 00:19:39,560 Speaker 1: him out for a much shorter period of time. He 377 00:19:39,760 --> 00:19:42,680 Speaker 1: just doesn't miss a beat. This guy is the most natural, 378 00:19:43,320 --> 00:19:47,080 Speaker 1: like he's the most natural hooper that I can remember 379 00:19:47,080 --> 00:19:50,080 Speaker 1: watching in this league. He just is comfortable all the 380 00:19:50,160 --> 00:19:53,160 Speaker 1: time on a basketball court. And it's leading two wins now, 381 00:19:53,359 --> 00:19:55,520 Speaker 1: but it's it goes beyond KD. So in the last 382 00:19:56,280 --> 00:19:59,920 Speaker 1: seven games, Seth Curry is averaging fifteen points on fifty 383 00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:03,440 Speaker 1: five percent from the field from three and a percent 384 00:20:03,480 --> 00:20:05,520 Speaker 1: from the free throw line and Kyrie Irving, who has 385 00:20:05,560 --> 00:20:08,119 Speaker 1: only managed to play in three games because of his 386 00:20:09,040 --> 00:20:13,919 Speaker 1: vaccination status, is averaging forty four points four rebounds in 387 00:20:14,040 --> 00:20:19,080 Speaker 1: five assists on sixty from the field, sixty three percent 388 00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:21,679 Speaker 1: from three, and eight six percent from the line. So 389 00:20:21,720 --> 00:20:24,680 Speaker 1: what do you get when you have three offensive players 390 00:20:24,720 --> 00:20:27,840 Speaker 1: like this that are playing out of their minds on 391 00:20:27,920 --> 00:20:29,600 Speaker 1: the offensive end of the floor. Well, you get a 392 00:20:29,640 --> 00:20:31,960 Speaker 1: team that in their last seven games is averaging a 393 00:20:32,040 --> 00:20:36,440 Speaker 1: hundred and twenty seven points per one possessions. They are 394 00:20:36,520 --> 00:20:38,720 Speaker 1: far and away the best offense in the league over 395 00:20:38,760 --> 00:20:41,240 Speaker 1: this stretch, and they're actually defending a little bit. In 396 00:20:41,240 --> 00:20:43,960 Speaker 1: the seven game stretch, they are eleventh and defense. So 397 00:20:45,040 --> 00:20:48,199 Speaker 1: they are the They are a great example of this 398 00:20:48,280 --> 00:20:50,200 Speaker 1: thing that I'm trying to lay out with the Lakers. 399 00:20:50,800 --> 00:20:53,400 Speaker 1: The Lakers floundered all season with injuries, but they built 400 00:20:53,440 --> 00:20:55,320 Speaker 1: all these bad habits around the way. Well, the Brooklyn 401 00:20:55,359 --> 00:20:58,199 Speaker 1: Nets floundered all season with injuries and bad habits, but 402 00:20:58,240 --> 00:21:00,679 Speaker 1: they kicked out some bad guys like James Harden, Right. 403 00:21:00,720 --> 00:21:02,359 Speaker 1: They kicked out some guys that didn't that weren't a 404 00:21:02,359 --> 00:21:04,640 Speaker 1: good fit with their culture. They brought in some new 405 00:21:04,720 --> 00:21:07,800 Speaker 1: guys and now they're just bought it there. Now they're 406 00:21:07,840 --> 00:21:11,960 Speaker 1: just trying to fix and rectify all of the issues 407 00:21:12,240 --> 00:21:14,080 Speaker 1: that they built over the course of the early parts 408 00:21:14,080 --> 00:21:16,280 Speaker 1: of the season. And it's working. And that's what the 409 00:21:16,359 --> 00:21:19,080 Speaker 1: Lakers have to see. I mentioned in the show UH 410 00:21:19,080 --> 00:21:21,600 Speaker 1: the other night that the Lakers needed to view this 411 00:21:21,680 --> 00:21:23,920 Speaker 1: next stretch of games like a training camp. Well, that's 412 00:21:23,960 --> 00:21:26,280 Speaker 1: what Brooklyn is doing. Brooklyn is approaching this as a 413 00:21:26,280 --> 00:21:28,680 Speaker 1: training camp. They don't care where they are in the standings, 414 00:21:28,840 --> 00:21:31,159 Speaker 1: they don't care about anything that happened earlier in the season. 415 00:21:31,480 --> 00:21:35,159 Speaker 1: They're just trying to become a good basketball team right now. 416 00:21:35,560 --> 00:21:37,720 Speaker 1: And the Lakers have that same opportunity, and the Nets 417 00:21:37,760 --> 00:21:40,320 Speaker 1: have provided a great model for them. The team the 418 00:21:40,320 --> 00:21:42,439 Speaker 1: Nets beat tonight the Utah Jazz. They were fifteen and 419 00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:47,520 Speaker 1: five in their previous twenty games before tonight. They UH 420 00:21:47,560 --> 00:21:49,959 Speaker 1: they have the fifth best record in the league. So 421 00:21:50,040 --> 00:21:52,600 Speaker 1: you would think, with everything that I just said, that 422 00:21:52,680 --> 00:21:55,480 Speaker 1: this team should be someone that we considered a bona 423 00:21:55,520 --> 00:21:58,080 Speaker 1: fide contender and a team that that we should be 424 00:21:58,119 --> 00:22:01,199 Speaker 1: taking very seriously. I continue to think they're frauds. I 425 00:22:01,240 --> 00:22:03,520 Speaker 1: don't trust their defense at all. Anytime they play a 426 00:22:03,600 --> 00:22:06,840 Speaker 1: real offensive team, that can spread them out, their lack 427 00:22:06,880 --> 00:22:10,800 Speaker 1: of perimeter defense becomes lethal to them. I I just 428 00:22:10,960 --> 00:22:13,360 Speaker 1: I've been trying to think of what I would need 429 00:22:13,440 --> 00:22:16,040 Speaker 1: to see from the Utah Jazz to take them seriously, 430 00:22:16,440 --> 00:22:19,240 Speaker 1: and honestly, I can't think of anything. They just simply 431 00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:22,359 Speaker 1: don't have the defensive personnel to hang with the best 432 00:22:22,400 --> 00:22:25,160 Speaker 1: offensive teams in the league. The Brooklyn Nets lit them 433 00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:27,800 Speaker 1: on fire tonight, and every good offensive team is going 434 00:22:27,840 --> 00:22:30,240 Speaker 1: to light them on fire, especially when they have time 435 00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:34,160 Speaker 1: to scheme around all the issues that Rudy Gobert presents 436 00:22:34,240 --> 00:22:37,720 Speaker 1: as a defensive presence. Alright, moving on to the that 437 00:22:37,840 --> 00:22:41,439 Speaker 1: game between the Timberwolves and the MAVs. So, as I 438 00:22:41,520 --> 00:22:44,480 Speaker 1: laid out in our show the other night, the Timberwolves 439 00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:46,840 Speaker 1: had won ten of their last eleven games. They were 440 00:22:46,840 --> 00:22:48,879 Speaker 1: on a big run. They had beat a ton of 441 00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:51,639 Speaker 1: good teams during that stretch. But like I laid out, 442 00:22:51,840 --> 00:22:54,000 Speaker 1: every time they played one of those good teams the 443 00:22:54,040 --> 00:22:56,400 Speaker 1: other two one of the other team's best players sat out, 444 00:22:56,440 --> 00:22:59,119 Speaker 1: Like they beat the Bucks, but they didn't have the 445 00:22:59,160 --> 00:23:02,160 Speaker 1: honest they beat the Acres, but they didn't have Anthony Davis. 446 00:23:02,160 --> 00:23:03,960 Speaker 1: It was like that every single time they played a 447 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:07,000 Speaker 1: contender over the course of that stretch. Well, here was 448 00:23:07,040 --> 00:23:10,679 Speaker 1: your opportunity, Here was your opportunity to add legitimacy to 449 00:23:10,760 --> 00:23:13,560 Speaker 1: your recent stretch of basketball. You're playing a Dallas Mavericks 450 00:23:13,600 --> 00:23:15,880 Speaker 1: team that's just came home from a very long road 451 00:23:15,880 --> 00:23:18,399 Speaker 1: trip that has been slipping in a lot of areas 452 00:23:18,400 --> 00:23:19,840 Speaker 1: of the game, which we'll get to in a second, 453 00:23:20,240 --> 00:23:23,600 Speaker 1: and that's a completely beatable team. It's on the road, 454 00:23:23,760 --> 00:23:25,960 Speaker 1: but that's a winnable game. To add legitimacy to what 455 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:28,359 Speaker 1: you're doing, and they couldn't out execute Luca at the 456 00:23:28,440 --> 00:23:29,840 Speaker 1: end of the game, which was what I said was 457 00:23:29,880 --> 00:23:32,760 Speaker 1: their biggest issue. When you're relying on a super young 458 00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:37,080 Speaker 1: and volatile guard and Anthony Edwards and a slightly older 459 00:23:37,200 --> 00:23:41,040 Speaker 1: volatile guard in in D'angela Russell, you're gonna struggle when 460 00:23:41,080 --> 00:23:43,879 Speaker 1: you go against the chess masters, and a guy like 461 00:23:43,960 --> 00:23:46,320 Speaker 1: Luca is a chess master. He even though he had 462 00:23:46,359 --> 00:23:48,600 Speaker 1: a really rough night, Luca looks a little banged up. 463 00:23:48,800 --> 00:23:51,879 Speaker 1: He struggled the other night as well. He's he's in 464 00:23:51,920 --> 00:23:54,159 Speaker 1: a little bit of a slump. He just made all 465 00:23:54,160 --> 00:23:55,600 Speaker 1: the plays that need to be played at the end 466 00:23:55,640 --> 00:23:57,239 Speaker 1: of the game, and there was a weird play right 467 00:23:57,240 --> 00:23:59,320 Speaker 1: at the end, the Dorian Phinney Smith dagger when they 468 00:23:59,320 --> 00:24:01,560 Speaker 1: were up on a four one o three, where Anthony 469 00:24:01,640 --> 00:24:04,439 Speaker 1: Edwards is like picking up Luca at forty ft and 470 00:24:04,480 --> 00:24:07,040 Speaker 1: just gives up a straight line drive. And then again, 471 00:24:07,080 --> 00:24:12,520 Speaker 1: that's youth, that's inexperience, that's not understanding the the stakes 472 00:24:12,680 --> 00:24:15,120 Speaker 1: of that possession and understanding that you can't get jan 473 00:24:15,200 --> 00:24:17,880 Speaker 1: Kie against that smart of a player. He's gonna make 474 00:24:17,880 --> 00:24:21,760 Speaker 1: you pay every time. So, very impressive stretch of basketball 475 00:24:21,760 --> 00:24:25,240 Speaker 1: from the Wolves. They're a completely respectable basketball team, so 476 00:24:25,280 --> 00:24:27,399 Speaker 1: I don't want to undercut that by any stretch of 477 00:24:27,400 --> 00:24:30,080 Speaker 1: the imagination, but hey, this is the big boys now. 478 00:24:30,119 --> 00:24:33,359 Speaker 1: If you want to be consistently beating these good teams 479 00:24:33,400 --> 00:24:35,520 Speaker 1: with all their players, there are some things that they 480 00:24:35,560 --> 00:24:38,760 Speaker 1: have to sharpen up. Now. With the MAVs, they've had 481 00:24:38,760 --> 00:24:43,360 Speaker 1: a couple of ugly losses recently. They they're an interesting 482 00:24:43,400 --> 00:24:46,640 Speaker 1: case and fatigue as it pertains to defense, so their 483 00:24:46,640 --> 00:24:49,440 Speaker 1: defense is slipping big time in this last stretch since 484 00:24:49,480 --> 00:24:51,639 Speaker 1: our last power rankings, which we'll get to in a minute. 485 00:24:52,080 --> 00:24:55,320 Speaker 1: But what's interesting is I laid out at length how 486 00:24:55,800 --> 00:25:00,399 Speaker 1: the Mavericks were compensating for a lack of personnel on 487 00:25:00,480 --> 00:25:03,480 Speaker 1: the defensive end with a really smart scheme and a 488 00:25:03,480 --> 00:25:07,200 Speaker 1: ton of effort in buy in from inferior defensive players, 489 00:25:07,200 --> 00:25:09,720 Speaker 1: guys like Jalen Brunson and Spencer Dinwodie and Luca don Cheich. 490 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:13,320 Speaker 1: We're simply trying harder on defense than they ever have 491 00:25:13,840 --> 00:25:16,760 Speaker 1: and it was resulting in good defensive results for Dallas. 492 00:25:16,800 --> 00:25:20,560 Speaker 1: But when you don't have defensive personnel, you have to 493 00:25:20,640 --> 00:25:23,679 Speaker 1: make up for it with effort, and effort is really 494 00:25:23,720 --> 00:25:27,320 Speaker 1: difficult to maintain during the dregs of the regular season. 495 00:25:27,880 --> 00:25:29,960 Speaker 1: And so what you're seeing is the MAVs are entering 496 00:25:29,960 --> 00:25:32,800 Speaker 1: a rule where the effort is fading. It's hurting them 497 00:25:32,840 --> 00:25:35,360 Speaker 1: on the defensive end of the ball. It's not an 498 00:25:35,359 --> 00:25:37,159 Speaker 1: issue for them in the long run as they get 499 00:25:37,200 --> 00:25:39,040 Speaker 1: to the playoffs. It's just this is the kind of 500 00:25:39,040 --> 00:25:40,680 Speaker 1: thing that's gonna happen to a team like this. When 501 00:25:40,680 --> 00:25:43,760 Speaker 1: you have a ton of defensive personnel and all your 502 00:25:43,800 --> 00:25:46,840 Speaker 1: guys are good defensive players, effort is less of an 503 00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:49,879 Speaker 1: issue for them. Defensively. They're gonna they're not gonna have 504 00:25:49,920 --> 00:25:52,120 Speaker 1: as many rules during the season. That's why that Lakers 505 00:25:52,119 --> 00:25:54,920 Speaker 1: team for the previous two seasons was so good defensively, 506 00:25:55,400 --> 00:25:58,000 Speaker 1: night in and night out. They just have personnel, so 507 00:25:58,040 --> 00:26:00,239 Speaker 1: the job is a little bit easier for them, so 508 00:26:00,280 --> 00:26:02,679 Speaker 1: they don't get fatigued as easily. The one other thing 509 00:26:02,720 --> 00:26:04,919 Speaker 1: you gotta look at with Matt with the MAVs is 510 00:26:05,480 --> 00:26:08,640 Speaker 1: Luca looks a little banged up, and at this time 511 00:26:08,640 --> 00:26:10,280 Speaker 1: of year, when we get to the end of March 512 00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:13,439 Speaker 1: early April, there are little details that start to shape 513 00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:15,560 Speaker 1: this whole outlook like we're gonna get to with the 514 00:26:15,560 --> 00:26:17,720 Speaker 1: power rankings, Like I don't have the Warriors in my 515 00:26:17,760 --> 00:26:21,720 Speaker 1: power rankings right now because Steph is hurt. And that's 516 00:26:21,720 --> 00:26:24,120 Speaker 1: how this goes. You're either getting healthy at the right time, 517 00:26:24,200 --> 00:26:25,960 Speaker 1: or you're getting hurt at the right time or the 518 00:26:25,960 --> 00:26:29,400 Speaker 1: wrong time. And Luca looks a little banged up and 519 00:26:29,640 --> 00:26:31,960 Speaker 1: some other teams are getting healthy. That's something that they're 520 00:26:31,960 --> 00:26:33,800 Speaker 1: gonna have to keep an eye on. Really quick note 521 00:26:33,840 --> 00:26:36,760 Speaker 1: this wasn't on our list, but really quickly on the 522 00:26:36,760 --> 00:26:40,639 Speaker 1: that Bulls Raptors game report came out today that a 523 00:26:40,640 --> 00:26:45,240 Speaker 1: Lonzo Ball tried running and his knee is not doing well. 524 00:26:45,720 --> 00:26:48,080 Speaker 1: I talked at length the other day that the only 525 00:26:48,200 --> 00:26:50,920 Speaker 1: chance that the Bulls have to go on a run 526 00:26:51,440 --> 00:26:54,240 Speaker 1: was if a Lonzo Ball and Alex Crusoe were healthy, 527 00:26:54,280 --> 00:26:58,639 Speaker 1: because they carry so much of the defensive load and 528 00:26:58,680 --> 00:27:01,400 Speaker 1: without both of them, um, I don't think that they 529 00:27:01,480 --> 00:27:08,199 Speaker 1: have enough defensive like athleticism to cover for their scores 530 00:27:08,240 --> 00:27:09,639 Speaker 1: so that they can go to work to cover for 531 00:27:09,720 --> 00:27:12,119 Speaker 1: Levine and for DeRos. And they got a good win 532 00:27:12,240 --> 00:27:15,200 Speaker 1: tonight over a good Raptors team. But that Raptors team 533 00:27:15,240 --> 00:27:16,560 Speaker 1: is on the tail end of a back to back 534 00:27:16,600 --> 00:27:19,520 Speaker 1: and they've been, uh, they've been playing a lot of 535 00:27:19,560 --> 00:27:22,080 Speaker 1: games lately. I thought that was fatigue related. One of 536 00:27:22,080 --> 00:27:24,840 Speaker 1: their note with the Bulls Patrick Williams. Just having that 537 00:27:25,119 --> 00:27:27,639 Speaker 1: other six eight athlete on the floor just kind of 538 00:27:27,720 --> 00:27:30,680 Speaker 1: raises that physical profile the team makes them more athletic, 539 00:27:30,800 --> 00:27:32,480 Speaker 1: which is a big deal because they don't have a 540 00:27:32,520 --> 00:27:36,000 Speaker 1: ton of size and athleticism in the front court. All right, 541 00:27:36,119 --> 00:27:39,800 Speaker 1: let's get to the power rankings. Tip's top ten. You'll 542 00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:42,800 Speaker 1: notice I've dropped out the Warriors, like I said, because 543 00:27:42,800 --> 00:27:47,240 Speaker 1: of their recent struggles, UM, the a couple of other teams. 544 00:27:47,720 --> 00:27:50,800 Speaker 1: I dropped out the Denver Nuggets. They took another beat 545 00:27:50,840 --> 00:27:53,159 Speaker 1: down to the Boston Celtics other and I'll get to 546 00:27:53,200 --> 00:27:58,400 Speaker 1: that in a minute. UM number ten Utah Jazz fifteen 547 00:27:58,440 --> 00:28:02,240 Speaker 1: and six since February, second, fifth in offense, fourth and 548 00:28:02,320 --> 00:28:06,119 Speaker 1: defense over that span, fifth and net rating. Donovan Mitchell 549 00:28:06,160 --> 00:28:10,199 Speaker 1: is attempting eleven threes per game over this stretch, and 550 00:28:10,200 --> 00:28:14,000 Speaker 1: he's making forty of them. So why do I have 551 00:28:14,080 --> 00:28:16,399 Speaker 1: them so low? Because of all the things that I 552 00:28:16,480 --> 00:28:23,840 Speaker 1: laid out earlier. He this team doesn't have a playoff 553 00:28:24,200 --> 00:28:29,800 Speaker 1: translatable attack. In the regular season, you can scheme around 554 00:28:29,840 --> 00:28:31,560 Speaker 1: like I'm gonna get to this with the Denver Nuggets 555 00:28:31,600 --> 00:28:34,280 Speaker 1: here shortly when we talked about the Boston Celtics. When 556 00:28:34,280 --> 00:28:37,000 Speaker 1: you have a drop coverage big and you have weak 557 00:28:37,040 --> 00:28:43,120 Speaker 1: perimeter defensive players, you can take your sweet time, uh, 558 00:28:43,200 --> 00:28:46,200 Speaker 1: chasing guys around on defense and funneling them into the paint. 559 00:28:46,480 --> 00:28:48,000 Speaker 1: You don't have to put in a ton of effort. 560 00:28:48,040 --> 00:28:50,560 Speaker 1: You can give up drives because Rudy's just waiting down there. 561 00:28:50,560 --> 00:28:52,960 Speaker 1: He's gonna clean everything up for you. But when you 562 00:28:53,000 --> 00:28:56,479 Speaker 1: get into the postseason and a really smart offensive team 563 00:28:56,640 --> 00:28:58,680 Speaker 1: can rotate the ball a couple of times, all of 564 00:28:58,720 --> 00:29:00,800 Speaker 1: a sudden, Rudy's not under the bat asket anymore, and 565 00:29:00,840 --> 00:29:02,800 Speaker 1: now Jordan Clarkson is getting beat to the basket for 566 00:29:02,840 --> 00:29:06,200 Speaker 1: a layup and there's nobody they're helping. That's been the 567 00:29:06,440 --> 00:29:10,240 Speaker 1: proven downfall of this Utah Jazz team. They've done absolutely 568 00:29:10,240 --> 00:29:13,840 Speaker 1: nothing to address it. So I can't fairly in my 569 00:29:14,040 --> 00:29:17,840 Speaker 1: right mind put them higher on this list, even though 570 00:29:18,280 --> 00:29:21,560 Speaker 1: their results in the regular season would suggest that and 571 00:29:21,640 --> 00:29:23,680 Speaker 1: my power rankings, I'm always going to factor in the 572 00:29:23,680 --> 00:29:27,000 Speaker 1: playoff translatability of a team, and the Utah Jazz, to me, 573 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:30,240 Speaker 1: are a regular season machine that can't win playoff series. 574 00:29:30,880 --> 00:29:33,360 Speaker 1: Number nine the Dallas Mavericks, like a laid out earlier, 575 00:29:33,360 --> 00:29:36,400 Speaker 1: their defensive slipping in their last six games. Coming into tonight, 576 00:29:36,960 --> 00:29:40,400 Speaker 1: they had a one fifteen point five defensive rating, which 577 00:29:40,440 --> 00:29:43,120 Speaker 1: is a huge drop off from where they were in 578 00:29:43,160 --> 00:29:45,720 Speaker 1: their previous stretch of games. A lot of this has 579 00:29:45,760 --> 00:29:48,640 Speaker 1: to do with them just getting back from a super 580 00:29:48,680 --> 00:29:52,360 Speaker 1: long road trip. Road trips where teams out and then everything. 581 00:29:52,400 --> 00:29:55,480 Speaker 1: Like I just said before, with them on the defensive 582 00:29:55,560 --> 00:29:56,920 Speaker 1: end of the floor, they have to make up for 583 00:29:56,960 --> 00:30:00,440 Speaker 1: their lack of personnel with effort, and effort is a 584 00:30:00,720 --> 00:30:02,960 Speaker 1: is a lot harder to maintain over the course of 585 00:30:02,960 --> 00:30:04,680 Speaker 1: an eight two game season. The MAVs are in a 586 00:30:04,720 --> 00:30:06,240 Speaker 1: little bit of a dip right now. I'm a little 587 00:30:06,280 --> 00:30:08,880 Speaker 1: worried about Lucas health, but I still think they are 588 00:30:08,880 --> 00:30:11,600 Speaker 1: in that second tier of contenders. They have a legitimate 589 00:30:11,640 --> 00:30:16,360 Speaker 1: puncher's chance to win the title number eight the Philadelphia seventies. 590 00:30:16,680 --> 00:30:19,880 Speaker 1: So they actually got a big win tonight without Joel 591 00:30:19,920 --> 00:30:23,320 Speaker 1: Embid or James Harden against the Miami Heat. But I 592 00:30:23,320 --> 00:30:24,840 Speaker 1: don't know what to make of that. How do I 593 00:30:25,360 --> 00:30:28,840 Speaker 1: factor in the fake version of the Sixers that doesn't 594 00:30:28,880 --> 00:30:33,120 Speaker 1: even resemble what they're gonna look like and apply that 595 00:30:33,200 --> 00:30:36,160 Speaker 1: to projecting them forward? Uh? You know in the postseason, 596 00:30:36,200 --> 00:30:39,680 Speaker 1: great win. Proud of those guys for fighting without their stars. 597 00:30:39,720 --> 00:30:42,840 Speaker 1: Just hard to really translate anything about that. With James 598 00:30:42,920 --> 00:30:45,920 Speaker 1: Harden and Joel Embid, they've been struggling lately. They lost 599 00:30:45,960 --> 00:30:48,840 Speaker 1: to the Raptors, they lost to the Denver Nuggets, they 600 00:30:48,880 --> 00:30:51,760 Speaker 1: lost to the Nets, all at home in this recent stretch. 601 00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:55,240 Speaker 1: Their defense is bad. Coming into tonight, in this last 602 00:30:55,280 --> 00:30:57,080 Speaker 1: stretch of games, they've got a defensive rating of a 603 00:30:57,160 --> 00:31:00,440 Speaker 1: hundred and fourteen point three, which is nowhere year good 604 00:31:00,520 --> 00:31:03,000 Speaker 1: enough given the personnel they have a lot of that 605 00:31:03,040 --> 00:31:06,480 Speaker 1: has to do with James Harden and his laziness on 606 00:31:06,480 --> 00:31:10,560 Speaker 1: the defensive end and Joel Embiid struggling with transition. Teams 607 00:31:10,560 --> 00:31:14,480 Speaker 1: have figured out that you can run on the Philadelphia 608 00:31:14,520 --> 00:31:16,680 Speaker 1: seventy sixers, and when you do, I've laid this out 609 00:31:16,680 --> 00:31:18,600 Speaker 1: in a lot of film on my Twitter feed lately. 610 00:31:19,000 --> 00:31:22,600 Speaker 1: When you run on Joel Embiid, Hey's he can be slow. 611 00:31:22,640 --> 00:31:25,720 Speaker 1: He complains about fouls a lot, He lingers around under 612 00:31:25,720 --> 00:31:27,880 Speaker 1: the basket on the offensive end of the floor. You 613 00:31:28,000 --> 00:31:30,200 Speaker 1: can run on Philly and it makes them beat aful. 614 00:31:30,600 --> 00:31:32,600 Speaker 1: They are not playing anywhere near as well as they 615 00:31:32,600 --> 00:31:34,680 Speaker 1: should be with the amount of talent they have. So 616 00:31:34,800 --> 00:31:36,840 Speaker 1: right now, I've got them at number eight, even though 617 00:31:36,840 --> 00:31:39,320 Speaker 1: they're definitely not the eighth most talented team in the league. 618 00:31:39,720 --> 00:31:43,640 Speaker 1: Number seven, I've got the Toronto Raptors. Recently, they just 619 00:31:43,680 --> 00:31:47,000 Speaker 1: beat the seventies Sixers, the Clippers, the Nuggets, the Sons, 620 00:31:47,080 --> 00:31:50,560 Speaker 1: and the Bulls all on the road. They are they 621 00:31:50,600 --> 00:31:54,520 Speaker 1: are at the UH. Nick Nurse obviously is a great coach. 622 00:31:54,840 --> 00:31:59,080 Speaker 1: But the combination of Nick Nurse UH with Massi Yu 623 00:31:59,160 --> 00:32:04,040 Speaker 1: Jerry and his talent for finding really athletic young talent 624 00:32:04,320 --> 00:32:06,840 Speaker 1: has turned this team into a royal pain in the 625 00:32:06,880 --> 00:32:08,800 Speaker 1: ass to play on a night in, night out basis. 626 00:32:09,080 --> 00:32:11,960 Speaker 1: They make everything difficult on both ends of the floor. 627 00:32:12,160 --> 00:32:14,080 Speaker 1: They shoot over the top of you on offense, they 628 00:32:14,120 --> 00:32:16,080 Speaker 1: go through you on offense, and then on the defensive 629 00:32:16,160 --> 00:32:18,560 Speaker 1: end of the floor, they've got they they'll they'll pick 630 00:32:18,600 --> 00:32:21,960 Speaker 1: you up full court, they'll challenge every swing pass, they'll 631 00:32:21,960 --> 00:32:25,120 Speaker 1: try to front every post up there. They overhelp on 632 00:32:25,200 --> 00:32:28,520 Speaker 1: every single drive. They make you beat them by being 633 00:32:28,640 --> 00:32:32,840 Speaker 1: extraordinarily fundamentally sound, and if you start to force things 634 00:32:32,880 --> 00:32:35,600 Speaker 1: against them, it only gets worse. They're a huge paint 635 00:32:35,600 --> 00:32:39,400 Speaker 1: of the butt uh Scottie Barnes and uh in Pascal 636 00:32:39,440 --> 00:32:42,440 Speaker 1: Siakum in the coming into tonight. In this recent stretch 637 00:32:42,440 --> 00:32:44,800 Speaker 1: of games, we're averaging forty five points per game on 638 00:32:44,880 --> 00:32:47,840 Speaker 1: fifty percent shooting. That they've been doing all this with 639 00:32:47,920 --> 00:32:50,120 Speaker 1: van Fred van Vleet being pretty banged up and with 640 00:32:50,160 --> 00:32:51,760 Speaker 1: O g n and Obi out with a with a 641 00:32:51,800 --> 00:32:54,720 Speaker 1: broken finger. I don't think this team has any chance 642 00:32:54,800 --> 00:32:56,760 Speaker 1: to win the title. I would not put them in 643 00:32:56,800 --> 00:32:59,320 Speaker 1: a tier of contenders, but they are a royal pain 644 00:32:59,400 --> 00:33:01,080 Speaker 1: in the ass and a team that knocks them out 645 00:33:01,120 --> 00:33:04,479 Speaker 1: of the playoffs. Is gonna come out of that banged 646 00:33:04,560 --> 00:33:07,680 Speaker 1: up and worn out and exhausted. Credit to the Raptors. 647 00:33:08,120 --> 00:33:11,760 Speaker 1: Number six, the Miami Heat, who lost again tonight to 648 00:33:11,840 --> 00:33:15,360 Speaker 1: the Philadelphia seventy without James Harden and the beat They 649 00:33:15,440 --> 00:33:18,360 Speaker 1: just recently lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Phoenix 650 00:33:18,400 --> 00:33:20,960 Speaker 1: Suns as well. They're beating their bad teams right now. 651 00:33:21,000 --> 00:33:23,840 Speaker 1: A huge part of it has to do with with health. 652 00:33:24,360 --> 00:33:27,960 Speaker 1: Jimmy Butler is basically playing every other game now. I 653 00:33:28,000 --> 00:33:30,200 Speaker 1: don't know what his deal is. I feel like that 654 00:33:30,280 --> 00:33:33,200 Speaker 1: dude is just never available to play in games. I'm 655 00:33:33,200 --> 00:33:35,400 Speaker 1: not sure what the deal is. Since the last time 656 00:33:35,440 --> 00:33:37,680 Speaker 1: we did Power rankings, which I believe is in March eight, 657 00:33:38,120 --> 00:33:41,520 Speaker 1: they're twenty five in offense, which was the huge thing 658 00:33:41,560 --> 00:33:43,760 Speaker 1: that I was laying out to you guys at that 659 00:33:43,840 --> 00:33:47,120 Speaker 1: point and the reason why I was pessimistic about this 660 00:33:47,160 --> 00:33:50,000 Speaker 1: team when you play that many non shooters. P J. 661 00:33:50,120 --> 00:33:52,440 Speaker 1: Tucker not a great shooter, team a guy that teams 662 00:33:52,440 --> 00:33:55,120 Speaker 1: are gonna ignore. Jimmy Butler not a great shooter, guy 663 00:33:55,120 --> 00:33:57,920 Speaker 1: that teams are gonna ignore. Bam At a bio. Everyone 664 00:33:57,960 --> 00:34:00,080 Speaker 1: tells me he's a good mid range shooter, but he 665 00:34:00,320 --> 00:34:03,360 Speaker 1: can't make them, and he's shooting terrible percentages there this year, 666 00:34:03,360 --> 00:34:06,160 Speaker 1: and teams aren't guarding him out there, so it's janking 667 00:34:06,240 --> 00:34:09,120 Speaker 1: up everything for their offense. That's gonna be their downfall 668 00:34:09,160 --> 00:34:12,040 Speaker 1: in a playoff series. They they have an outside chance 669 00:34:12,040 --> 00:34:14,080 Speaker 1: of making a run, obviously, if things go great and 670 00:34:14,160 --> 00:34:16,600 Speaker 1: Jimmy Butler gets healthy and goes on a great playoff run. 671 00:34:16,920 --> 00:34:19,000 Speaker 1: But I think this team is going to be knocked 672 00:34:19,040 --> 00:34:22,000 Speaker 1: out when they can't score against one of the best 673 00:34:22,000 --> 00:34:26,080 Speaker 1: teams in the league. Number four, the Memphis Grizzlies, excuse 674 00:34:26,120 --> 00:34:29,000 Speaker 1: me a skift one. Number five the Milwaukee Bucks. So 675 00:34:29,120 --> 00:34:32,400 Speaker 1: the I told you in the last rankings that my 676 00:34:32,440 --> 00:34:35,440 Speaker 1: main concern with the Milwaukee Bucks was that they don't 677 00:34:35,480 --> 00:34:37,640 Speaker 1: defend like a team that can win a championship. We 678 00:34:37,680 --> 00:34:40,759 Speaker 1: have all this history, all of this data in NBA 679 00:34:40,840 --> 00:34:42,680 Speaker 1: history that tells us that if you don't have a 680 00:34:42,719 --> 00:34:45,960 Speaker 1: top ten defense, you are going to lose. That's just 681 00:34:46,120 --> 00:34:49,040 Speaker 1: unless you have an overwhelming talent advantage. With the Bucks 682 00:34:49,520 --> 00:34:53,759 Speaker 1: definitely don't have. Well, I kept saying, eventually, they're gonna 683 00:34:53,760 --> 00:34:56,000 Speaker 1: have to show us something. Eventually, they're gonna have to 684 00:34:56,000 --> 00:34:59,520 Speaker 1: put together some stretch of good defensive basketball. Well since 685 00:34:59,520 --> 00:35:01,879 Speaker 1: our last rankings, they have a defensive rating of one 686 00:35:01,920 --> 00:35:05,880 Speaker 1: seventeen point four, so they've made negative progress on that front. 687 00:35:05,880 --> 00:35:07,919 Speaker 1: They're losing to the good teams they play. They lost 688 00:35:07,920 --> 00:35:10,839 Speaker 1: to the Warriors in the Minnesota Timberwolves, although Jannas didn't 689 00:35:10,880 --> 00:35:13,400 Speaker 1: play in that game. This season, they are seventeen and 690 00:35:13,560 --> 00:35:18,200 Speaker 1: nineteen against teams that are five or above. Everything would 691 00:35:18,239 --> 00:35:20,520 Speaker 1: tell you this is a bona fide championship contender when 692 00:35:20,520 --> 00:35:22,680 Speaker 1: you look at the roster, in the pieces and what 693 00:35:22,719 --> 00:35:26,239 Speaker 1: we just saw last year. But everything in the results 694 00:35:26,280 --> 00:35:29,160 Speaker 1: and what's actually happening on the court tells us this 695 00:35:29,200 --> 00:35:31,080 Speaker 1: is a team that loses in the first or second round. 696 00:35:31,520 --> 00:35:33,839 Speaker 1: So what's gonna happen? I'm not sure I got them 697 00:35:33,840 --> 00:35:36,920 Speaker 1: at number five right now. Number four the Memphis Grizzlies, 698 00:35:36,960 --> 00:35:39,319 Speaker 1: So they're in a weak part of their schedule right now. 699 00:35:40,160 --> 00:35:42,799 Speaker 1: They had a bad loss in Atlanta the other day, 700 00:35:42,840 --> 00:35:45,560 Speaker 1: but they're taking care of business everywhere else this season. 701 00:35:46,000 --> 00:35:48,680 Speaker 1: They are fourteen in two without John Moran. So stan 702 00:35:48,840 --> 00:35:52,719 Speaker 1: Van Gundi, obviously former coach of the Orlando Magic and 703 00:35:52,800 --> 00:35:55,600 Speaker 1: the Orance Pelicans, tweeted out earlier today basically talking about 704 00:35:55,600 --> 00:35:58,320 Speaker 1: how the Grizzlies pay play better without Job, so I 705 00:35:58,400 --> 00:36:02,160 Speaker 1: dug into that a little bit. They defend better without Jaw, 706 00:36:02,360 --> 00:36:04,919 Speaker 1: which makes sense because Jaw is a not a great 707 00:36:04,920 --> 00:36:08,359 Speaker 1: defensive player, and they have a ton of length and athleticism. 708 00:36:08,400 --> 00:36:11,279 Speaker 1: So if you can substitute a good defensive player in 709 00:36:11,320 --> 00:36:15,040 Speaker 1: where Jaw was, obviously they're gonna guard well. But that 710 00:36:15,360 --> 00:36:17,399 Speaker 1: the fourteen and two is a little misleading. They've played 711 00:36:17,440 --> 00:36:20,960 Speaker 1: almost no good teams during that stretch. They're They're just 712 00:36:21,040 --> 00:36:24,600 Speaker 1: a good basketball team, just like the Philadelphia seventy sixers are. 713 00:36:24,640 --> 00:36:26,920 Speaker 1: So when stars sit out, they just continue to play 714 00:36:27,000 --> 00:36:30,399 Speaker 1: good basketball and they can overwhelm limited teams. To make 715 00:36:30,520 --> 00:36:34,120 Speaker 1: no mistake, John Moran, like I talked about earlier with 716 00:36:34,120 --> 00:36:36,800 Speaker 1: the Lakers in there, you have to have that first 717 00:36:36,920 --> 00:36:40,480 Speaker 1: guy who can compromise the defense. Desmond Bane is a 718 00:36:40,520 --> 00:36:43,480 Speaker 1: good player, but he is a slasher, not a score 719 00:36:43,520 --> 00:36:45,880 Speaker 1: meaning he can attack closeouts, but he's not a guy 720 00:36:45,920 --> 00:36:48,120 Speaker 1: who's gonna isolate and break you down off the dribble. 721 00:36:48,320 --> 00:36:51,319 Speaker 1: Jaren Jackson Jr. Is great attacking mismatches, and he can 722 00:36:51,400 --> 00:36:53,040 Speaker 1: attack guys off the dribble and he can get to 723 00:36:53,040 --> 00:36:55,840 Speaker 1: the paint, but he's very reckless. He's got tunnel vision. 724 00:36:56,040 --> 00:36:58,560 Speaker 1: He doesn't see help very well. So that's a little 725 00:36:58,560 --> 00:37:00,080 Speaker 1: bit of fools goal because when they get into a 726 00:37:00,080 --> 00:37:02,440 Speaker 1: playoff series and they play a good defensive team that 727 00:37:02,520 --> 00:37:05,080 Speaker 1: scouts them really well, they're gonna take away all those 728 00:37:05,120 --> 00:37:08,200 Speaker 1: easy opportunities for Jaren Jackson Jr. So what they need 729 00:37:09,120 --> 00:37:11,640 Speaker 1: is for John Brant to be able to make that 730 00:37:11,880 --> 00:37:16,319 Speaker 1: first attack of the defense, that initial breakdown. That's why 731 00:37:16,440 --> 00:37:18,799 Speaker 1: John Moran is indispensable, and that's why I'm not trying 732 00:37:18,840 --> 00:37:22,040 Speaker 1: to hear anything about how this team is better without him. 733 00:37:22,080 --> 00:37:25,160 Speaker 1: Moving on to number three. The Brooklyn Nets like this 734 00:37:25,200 --> 00:37:27,920 Speaker 1: out earlier six and one in their last seven, best 735 00:37:27,960 --> 00:37:32,600 Speaker 1: offense in the league. They are the pinnacle of modern basketball. 736 00:37:32,840 --> 00:37:34,919 Speaker 1: They don't play a ton of front core guys. It's 737 00:37:34,960 --> 00:37:37,400 Speaker 1: all five out. They They'll do a little bit of 738 00:37:37,440 --> 00:37:39,160 Speaker 1: Andre Drummond in the dunker spot, a little bit of 739 00:37:39,200 --> 00:37:41,239 Speaker 1: Bruce Brown in the dunker spot. But for the most part, 740 00:37:41,480 --> 00:37:44,360 Speaker 1: when this team is at their best, it's just Kevin Durant, 741 00:37:44,640 --> 00:37:49,680 Speaker 1: Seth Curry and Kyrie Irving just being unbelievably talented offensive 742 00:37:49,680 --> 00:37:52,200 Speaker 1: players playing off of each other. They are a well 743 00:37:52,200 --> 00:37:54,600 Speaker 1: oiled machine, and they're getting enough stops in their last 744 00:37:54,600 --> 00:37:57,600 Speaker 1: seven games. Like I said, they are eleventh in defense. 745 00:37:57,880 --> 00:38:00,320 Speaker 1: That is more than good enough to go on a 746 00:38:00,400 --> 00:38:03,279 Speaker 1: run when you have their type of offensive talent. Like 747 00:38:03,360 --> 00:38:05,839 Speaker 1: I talked about before with the Bucks, you can have 748 00:38:05,880 --> 00:38:08,080 Speaker 1: a little bit of a weaker defense if you have 749 00:38:08,160 --> 00:38:12,200 Speaker 1: an overwhelming offensive talent advantage, and when you're staring down 750 00:38:12,280 --> 00:38:15,000 Speaker 1: Kevin Durant Kyrie Irving in a series, they're just way 751 00:38:15,040 --> 00:38:17,279 Speaker 1: better than you offensively and they can get away with it. 752 00:38:17,760 --> 00:38:20,640 Speaker 1: I'm nervous about the Ben Simmons thing. This thing with 753 00:38:20,680 --> 00:38:24,120 Speaker 1: his herniated disc in his back is deeply concerning. I 754 00:38:24,120 --> 00:38:27,000 Speaker 1: would bank on him not playing this year, and it 755 00:38:27,080 --> 00:38:30,799 Speaker 1: might actually be the best decision for them because Ben Simmons, 756 00:38:31,600 --> 00:38:35,560 Speaker 1: especially with spine stuff. Ben Simmons is an awesome player 757 00:38:35,600 --> 00:38:38,480 Speaker 1: to plug in in training camp next year to make 758 00:38:38,520 --> 00:38:41,560 Speaker 1: a really strong run at things next season, So you 759 00:38:41,560 --> 00:38:44,480 Speaker 1: don't want to bring him back to further exacerbate a 760 00:38:44,600 --> 00:38:47,879 Speaker 1: spine issue just for the sake of this season. They 761 00:38:47,960 --> 00:38:50,760 Speaker 1: have enough talent to do it. I'd like their chances 762 00:38:50,920 --> 00:38:53,960 Speaker 1: more if Ben Simmons was here, but it looks like 763 00:38:54,000 --> 00:38:55,640 Speaker 1: he's not gonna be this is what it looks like 764 00:38:55,719 --> 00:38:58,239 Speaker 1: they're gonna have. They have some details they gotta figure out. 765 00:38:58,239 --> 00:39:00,520 Speaker 1: You can't play Bruce Brown and Andre drumming at the 766 00:39:00,560 --> 00:39:03,480 Speaker 1: same time. They have spacing issues with that little details 767 00:39:03,520 --> 00:39:05,960 Speaker 1: that they got to iron out. But they are trending 768 00:39:06,120 --> 00:39:08,480 Speaker 1: massively in the right direction and they are definitely a 769 00:39:08,480 --> 00:39:11,439 Speaker 1: top tier contender for me. Number two the Phoenix Suns. 770 00:39:11,480 --> 00:39:13,960 Speaker 1: They're also in an easier part of their schedule, but 771 00:39:14,000 --> 00:39:16,960 Speaker 1: there dominating without Chris Paul, so I can't continue to 772 00:39:17,040 --> 00:39:20,000 Speaker 1: undercut that. There's seven and one since the last time 773 00:39:20,000 --> 00:39:23,279 Speaker 1: we did power rankings over that span, Mikhail Bridges and 774 00:39:23,280 --> 00:39:26,400 Speaker 1: DeAndre Aighton are both averaging nineteen points per game on 775 00:39:26,520 --> 00:39:29,960 Speaker 1: over fifty shooting. Like I said, those two guys are 776 00:39:30,000 --> 00:39:33,040 Speaker 1: the future of this franchise. They are really good players 777 00:39:33,040 --> 00:39:35,680 Speaker 1: that are overqualified for the roles that they're in. You're 778 00:39:35,680 --> 00:39:37,279 Speaker 1: starting to see a little bit more of what they're 779 00:39:37,320 --> 00:39:39,960 Speaker 1: capable of with with with Chris Paul out, this is 780 00:39:40,000 --> 00:39:42,360 Speaker 1: the most talented team in the league from top to bottom. 781 00:39:42,440 --> 00:39:46,120 Speaker 1: They are my championship favorite right now. They are at 782 00:39:46,200 --> 00:39:50,600 Speaker 1: number two. Number one the Boston Celtics. The reason why 783 00:39:50,640 --> 00:39:52,280 Speaker 1: I have them at number one of my power rankings 784 00:39:52,360 --> 00:39:54,759 Speaker 1: is as of late, they continue to be playing the 785 00:39:54,800 --> 00:39:58,400 Speaker 1: best basketball. I definitely think they're a top tier contender. 786 00:39:58,400 --> 00:40:01,040 Speaker 1: I just don't think they're quite as talented as the 787 00:40:01,040 --> 00:40:04,120 Speaker 1: Phoenix Suns. Since the last time we did these rankings, 788 00:40:04,400 --> 00:40:06,319 Speaker 1: which was when I laid out just how great the 789 00:40:06,320 --> 00:40:10,080 Speaker 1: Celtics have been in recent stretches. Just since then to today, 790 00:40:10,400 --> 00:40:12,640 Speaker 1: they have the best net rating in the league. They 791 00:40:12,640 --> 00:40:15,279 Speaker 1: have the best defense in the league, their sixth in 792 00:40:15,360 --> 00:40:18,719 Speaker 1: offense just in that span, so they've only continued to 793 00:40:18,760 --> 00:40:22,160 Speaker 1: play better. I mentioned earlier that Jayson Tatum wasn't even 794 00:40:22,200 --> 00:40:26,000 Speaker 1: shooting well and they were winning games. Jalen Brown wasn't 795 00:40:26,000 --> 00:40:28,640 Speaker 1: even shooting well and they were winning games well. Since 796 00:40:28,680 --> 00:40:32,640 Speaker 1: our last rankings, Jason Tamum's shooting from three. So there 797 00:40:32,640 --> 00:40:35,120 Speaker 1: you go. Now, Jayson Tatum is making shots. Wait till 798 00:40:35,200 --> 00:40:38,400 Speaker 1: Jalen Brown does, it's gonna get even nastier. I was 799 00:40:38,520 --> 00:40:42,760 Speaker 1: really impressed with the way they utterly demolished the Denver 800 00:40:42,840 --> 00:40:46,719 Speaker 1: Nuggets in Denver the other night. This is a great 801 00:40:46,719 --> 00:40:49,080 Speaker 1: example of what I was talking about with drop coverage 802 00:40:49,120 --> 00:40:52,719 Speaker 1: with bigs. Nicola Yokit just turned himself into a good 803 00:40:52,960 --> 00:40:55,359 Speaker 1: drop coverage big in the NBA, which has made him 804 00:40:55,400 --> 00:41:00,760 Speaker 1: a positive defender in the regular season. But it's only 805 00:41:00,760 --> 00:41:03,759 Speaker 1: It only works because on the vast majority of nights 806 00:41:04,080 --> 00:41:07,680 Speaker 1: you're not playing a player the caliber of Jayson Tatum 807 00:41:07,719 --> 00:41:11,239 Speaker 1: that can consistently make you pay for running a drop coverage. Well, 808 00:41:11,360 --> 00:41:15,200 Speaker 1: Jayson Tatum lit them on fire in the first half 809 00:41:15,239 --> 00:41:18,120 Speaker 1: the other night, Nikola Yoki was utterly victimized. If you 810 00:41:18,160 --> 00:41:19,759 Speaker 1: go to my Twitter page and you scroll down, I 811 00:41:19,800 --> 00:41:22,239 Speaker 1: did a video breakdown of this this morning, laying down 812 00:41:22,320 --> 00:41:25,000 Speaker 1: laying out specifically what I was talking about, the really 813 00:41:25,040 --> 00:41:27,800 Speaker 1: interesting element of it. One of the reasons why coaches 814 00:41:27,840 --> 00:41:30,839 Speaker 1: love running drop coverage with guards is guards are really 815 00:41:30,880 --> 00:41:33,200 Speaker 1: good at evading screens and getting over the top, and 816 00:41:33,200 --> 00:41:36,000 Speaker 1: they can apply back pressure which allows your big to 817 00:41:36,000 --> 00:41:40,120 Speaker 1: sit lower. But because Jayson Tatum is six eight, they 818 00:41:40,120 --> 00:41:43,640 Speaker 1: had to guarden with Eric Gordon, excuse me, with Aaron Gordon. 819 00:41:43,960 --> 00:41:46,279 Speaker 1: And one of the things that we know about basketball 820 00:41:46,360 --> 00:41:49,440 Speaker 1: is that bigger players are much easier to screen. They 821 00:41:49,520 --> 00:41:53,200 Speaker 1: struggle getting around screens. Well, Aaron Gordon was getting caught 822 00:41:53,200 --> 00:41:56,160 Speaker 1: on screens all night long, and it was Nicola Yoki 823 00:41:56,400 --> 00:41:59,840 Speaker 1: camping at fifteen feet and Jayson Tatum shooting practice, you 824 00:42:00,080 --> 00:42:03,799 Speaker 1: shots over the top. They absolutely demolished Denver Nuggets. It 825 00:42:03,840 --> 00:42:06,520 Speaker 1: was a super impressive win. I don't think they have 826 00:42:06,800 --> 00:42:11,680 Speaker 1: enough offense to be my favorite, but they're absolutely in 827 00:42:11,760 --> 00:42:14,799 Speaker 1: my top tier of contenders, and they are number one 828 00:42:15,120 --> 00:42:19,080 Speaker 1: in timp's Top ten for the second edition in a row. 829 00:42:19,400 --> 00:42:21,600 Speaker 1: All right, guys, that is all I have for tonight. 830 00:42:21,680 --> 00:42:24,280 Speaker 1: We will be back Wednesday. I believe the Lakers played 831 00:42:24,280 --> 00:42:27,759 Speaker 1: the Philadelphia seventy sixers on that night. As always, I 832 00:42:27,800 --> 00:42:30,440 Speaker 1: sincerely appreciate your support and we will see you in 833 00:42:30,440 --> 00:42:41,840 Speaker 1: a couple of days. Volume