1 00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:17,200 Speaker 1: The volume. All right, well, good hoops today, you're at 2 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:19,360 Speaker 1: the volume. Happy Thursday, everybody. Hope all of you guys 3 00:00:19,360 --> 00:00:20,759 Speaker 1: are having a great end to your week. Got a 4 00:00:20,840 --> 00:00:23,800 Speaker 1: jam pack show for you guys today. Austin Reeves continues 5 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:27,200 Speaker 1: this ridiculous week with a game winning floater over the 6 00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:31,280 Speaker 1: Minnesota Timberwolves on the road, not saying, another really important 7 00:00:31,320 --> 00:00:33,920 Speaker 1: win with both Lebron and Luca out as the Lakers 8 00:00:33,960 --> 00:00:35,440 Speaker 1: go to three and two. We're going to talk a 9 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:40,240 Speaker 1: little bit about Austin as well as the upcoming infusion 10 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:42,360 Speaker 1: of Lebron James and some of my thoughts that I 11 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:45,680 Speaker 1: have surrounding that. After that, the Boston Celtics got a big, 12 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:49,800 Speaker 1: impressive win last night against the Cleveland Cavaliers at home. 13 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:52,640 Speaker 1: Going to talk about some of the early metrics for 14 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:55,080 Speaker 1: Boston on both ends of the floor. Then at the 15 00:00:55,080 --> 00:00:59,080 Speaker 1: tail end of the show, the Chicago Bulls improved to 16 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:03,160 Speaker 1: four and oh after beating the Kings last night. We're 17 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:06,480 Speaker 1: going to talk about what some of the specific areas 18 00:01:06,520 --> 00:01:09,480 Speaker 1: of the game where Chicago's kind of a unique team, 19 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:12,960 Speaker 1: a team that is prioritizing defending the three point line 20 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:15,160 Speaker 1: over the paint. Some interesting stuff to get into there, 21 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:18,280 Speaker 1: we'll talk about what their upcoming schedule looks like and 22 00:01:18,319 --> 00:01:20,800 Speaker 1: what I expect from them as we move forward this season. 23 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:22,200 Speaker 1: You guys are the joke before we get started. To 24 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:24,119 Speaker 1: subscribe to the Hoops Tonight YouTube channels you don't miss 25 00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:26,000 Speaker 1: any more of our videos. Follow me on Twitter at 26 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:29,119 Speaker 1: underscore json lt so you guys don't miss show announcements. 27 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:30,960 Speaker 1: Don't forget about our podcast feed wherever you get your 28 00:01:30,959 --> 00:01:32,880 Speaker 1: podcast and our Hoops Tonight. It's also super helpful if 29 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:34,600 Speaker 1: you leave a rating and a review on that front. 30 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:38,160 Speaker 1: Jackson's doing incredible work on our social media feeds on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, 31 00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:39,680 Speaker 1: and TikTok. Make sure you guys follow us there for 32 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:42,400 Speaker 1: more content throughout the season. Then, last, but not least, 33 00:01:42,680 --> 00:01:46,399 Speaker 1: we're going to be recording our regular Friday mail bag tomorrow, 34 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:49,760 Speaker 1: So if you have any questions about anything, especially the 35 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:53,320 Speaker 1: games from tonight's slate, because we'll want to touch on 36 00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:55,760 Speaker 1: some of those tomorrow as well, drop him in our 37 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 1: YouTube comments again. Full episodes on YouTube in the comments 38 00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:02,200 Speaker 1: right mail bag with a colon ret question. We'll get 39 00:02:02,240 --> 00:02:04,560 Speaker 1: to them on Fridays throughout the remainder of the season. 40 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:06,560 Speaker 1: All right, let's talk some basketball, So we're gonna start 41 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:09,799 Speaker 1: with some Lakers. Lakers win one sixteen to one fifteen 42 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 1: last night on the road in Minnesota. Kind of the 43 00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:15,160 Speaker 1: showdown of the teams down a bunch of key players, right, 44 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:18,760 Speaker 1: the Lakers obviously without Lebron James and Luka Doncic, and 45 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:22,320 Speaker 1: the Minnesota Timberwolves without Anthony Edwards, right, kind of a 46 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:25,320 Speaker 1: crazy game. Austin Reeves torched the Wolves all night with 47 00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:28,040 Speaker 1: his passing, and a bunch of Lakers did a great 48 00:02:28,120 --> 00:02:31,280 Speaker 1: job paying off those sequences. Jake la Ravia had his 49 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:33,320 Speaker 1: second big moment as a Laker. I thought he made 50 00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:34,799 Speaker 1: a couple of huge plays down the stretch of the 51 00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:38,120 Speaker 1: Sacramento Kings game that were kind of like more individual moments. 52 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:39,880 Speaker 1: This whole game was a moment for Jake. He hit 53 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:44,120 Speaker 1: five of six threes at twenty seven points on the road. 54 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:48,440 Speaker 1: Rui was his typical solid self had seventeen points. DeAndre 55 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:52,359 Speaker 1: Ayton continues to score really well in the pocket off 56 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:55,640 Speaker 1: of both Austin and Luca, but especially off of Austin. 57 00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:58,880 Speaker 1: This week. He at seventeen more points last night. DeAndre 58 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:02,280 Speaker 1: eight in this season is shoot twelve for twenty on 59 00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:05,800 Speaker 1: the roll. That's getting one point one to three points 60 00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:09,160 Speaker 1: per possession. Really solid, especially considering he had no Lebron 61 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:13,560 Speaker 1: two games without Luca, a lot of you know, two 62 00:03:13,639 --> 00:03:18,200 Speaker 1: games with Luca total Lebron zero games, a lot of 63 00:03:18,280 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 1: lineups with less shooting where he's getting swarmed down the roll. 64 00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:24,360 Speaker 1: To me, that twelve for twenty is a really strong 65 00:03:24,480 --> 00:03:26,400 Speaker 1: number for him. He had some tough ones last night too, 66 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:29,320 Speaker 1: a really tough floater over the top of Rudy Gobert 67 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:32,480 Speaker 1: and crunch time Dalton connect had fifteen off the bench 68 00:03:32,919 --> 00:03:35,640 Speaker 1: and the Lakers control. They were up twenty in the 69 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:38,000 Speaker 1: third quarter. The Wolves didn't quit though, right they got 70 00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:40,160 Speaker 1: a burst out of Bones Highland and the third quarter 71 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:43,280 Speaker 1: and then down the stretch they played some pretty impressive basketball. 72 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:45,360 Speaker 1: I thought they switched to kind of like a zone 73 00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:47,160 Speaker 1: defense where they were trying to get the ball out 74 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:49,160 Speaker 1: of Austin's hands, kind of like a ball pressure zone 75 00:03:49,160 --> 00:03:51,880 Speaker 1: where they were pressuring Austin and really trying to get 76 00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:54,440 Speaker 1: the ball out of his hands, out of the screens 77 00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:56,360 Speaker 1: that eighton was setting at the top of the zone, 78 00:03:56,400 --> 00:03:58,040 Speaker 1: and so it just led to a lot of these 79 00:03:58,080 --> 00:04:01,560 Speaker 1: like kickouts for mediocre catch and shoot threes for guys 80 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:03,880 Speaker 1: like Ruy and Jake Laravia who are a little gun 81 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:06,120 Speaker 1: shy on some of the more contested threes, and so 82 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:09,760 Speaker 1: the Laker offense fell apart a little bit down the stretch, 83 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:11,120 Speaker 1: and then on the other end of the floor, I 84 00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:13,880 Speaker 1: thought they played some really good basketball. They attacked quickly 85 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:17,160 Speaker 1: in transition and in semi transition, they make good kickout 86 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:19,880 Speaker 1: reads and guys hit some shots. Jade McDaniels hit some threes, 87 00:04:20,440 --> 00:04:24,240 Speaker 1: Dante DiVincenzo hit some threes. Mike Conley has a really 88 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:27,200 Speaker 1: nice little bounced pass after looking off the low man 89 00:04:27,279 --> 00:04:29,440 Speaker 1: to get Jade McDaniels a dunk, and then on the 90 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:32,960 Speaker 1: key possession late down by one, Julius Randall's working on 91 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:34,600 Speaker 1: Jake Loravia on the left wing, and one of the 92 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:37,680 Speaker 1: key details was Deandreton ended up getting switched on to 93 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:40,279 Speaker 1: Mike Conley off the right wing, and so as a result, 94 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:43,119 Speaker 1: he was kind of in a different spot to help 95 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:45,840 Speaker 1: on the drive than he typically would be in there 96 00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:50,080 Speaker 1: was no rim protection. Julius beats Jake to his right 97 00:04:50,279 --> 00:04:52,920 Speaker 1: and then gets back to his left hand and finishes 98 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:55,240 Speaker 1: at the rim. All of a sudden, the Wolves are 99 00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:58,160 Speaker 1: up by one. But just like in the Kings game, 100 00:04:58,200 --> 00:04:59,800 Speaker 1: if you guys remember I could tell he started to 101 00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:02,839 Speaker 1: get fatigue towards the end. No surprise, they're completely devoid 102 00:05:02,839 --> 00:05:05,640 Speaker 1: of ball handling, which puts so much pressure on Austin 103 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:08,400 Speaker 1: in these games, and so fatigue's obviously going to play 104 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:11,760 Speaker 1: a role, right. But Austin on that final possession, just 105 00:05:11,839 --> 00:05:13,520 Speaker 1: like in the King's game, I kept talking about how 106 00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:15,400 Speaker 1: he just needed to get to the rim one more time. 107 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:18,599 Speaker 1: He needed to get one more quality too, and he 108 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:20,440 Speaker 1: did against the Kings in the form of a floater. 109 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:24,000 Speaker 1: Did it again against Minnesota in the form of a floater. 110 00:05:24,040 --> 00:05:25,719 Speaker 1: He comes off that screen and one of the things 111 00:05:25,760 --> 00:05:28,560 Speaker 1: that a specific detail because he splits Rudy Gobert right. 112 00:05:28,960 --> 00:05:30,680 Speaker 1: So like one of the things you got to do 113 00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:33,919 Speaker 1: in order to split a ball screen, you have to 114 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:37,679 Speaker 1: show real threat to turn the corner around the left 115 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:40,039 Speaker 1: on that left hand side. So he's coming off the 116 00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:42,880 Speaker 1: screen towards his left right and he's got to get 117 00:05:42,960 --> 00:05:45,599 Speaker 1: Rudy to jump out too far. If he gets Rudy 118 00:05:45,640 --> 00:05:49,320 Speaker 1: to jump out too far to Austin's left hand, that's 119 00:05:49,320 --> 00:05:52,200 Speaker 1: what opens the window for him to split back to 120 00:05:52,279 --> 00:05:53,760 Speaker 1: his right hand and so one of the things that 121 00:05:53,760 --> 00:05:56,320 Speaker 1: Austin does extremely well. We talked about this after the 122 00:05:56,400 --> 00:05:59,880 Speaker 1: Kings game, but he gets downhill in ball screens, he 123 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:03,360 Speaker 1: really really comes off with speed and with pace right 124 00:06:03,760 --> 00:06:07,080 Speaker 1: and so Rudy jumps way out. As Austin all game 125 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:09,919 Speaker 1: long had been on some key possessions. Late in the 126 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:13,640 Speaker 1: game too, Austin had dragged that Rudy hedge out, like 127 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:17,560 Speaker 1: Rudy would come up high and Austin would drive around him, 128 00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:20,679 Speaker 1: and so Rudy would kind of flatten that out towards 129 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:23,040 Speaker 1: the sideline. And so what that did is it's set 130 00:06:23,120 --> 00:06:25,799 Speaker 1: up the split. As Austin came off that ball screen, 131 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:29,600 Speaker 1: Rudy went wide, Austin split back towards the middle. Dante 132 00:06:29,640 --> 00:06:31,800 Speaker 1: Devenenzo peels off his man and gets right in the 133 00:06:31,880 --> 00:06:34,800 Speaker 1: lane to take a charge. Austin stops short, shoots the 134 00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:38,200 Speaker 1: little soft floater at the buzzer, and all of a sudden, 135 00:06:38,240 --> 00:06:41,640 Speaker 1: that game is over and now the Lakers are three 136 00:06:41,640 --> 00:06:44,680 Speaker 1: and two. What a week for Austin Reeves. In the 137 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:48,720 Speaker 1: three games since Luca Dncis went down, forty points five 138 00:06:48,839 --> 00:06:52,880 Speaker 1: rebounds in tennysis per game, two point three steals per game, 139 00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:56,359 Speaker 1: and he's been fifty to forty ninety specifically fifty percent 140 00:06:56,400 --> 00:06:58,559 Speaker 1: from the field, forty one percent from three to ninety 141 00:06:58,600 --> 00:07:01,760 Speaker 1: three percent from the line. He's leading the entire league 142 00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:04,240 Speaker 1: in free throw attempts per game this season. Thanks to 143 00:07:04,320 --> 00:07:07,599 Speaker 1: Shay totaling a grand total of eight free throws in 144 00:07:07,640 --> 00:07:10,920 Speaker 1: his last three games, He's now not on that twenty 145 00:07:10,960 --> 00:07:13,120 Speaker 1: free throw per game pace he started the season with. 146 00:07:13,520 --> 00:07:15,880 Speaker 1: Austin's not leading the league in free throw attempts per 147 00:07:15,880 --> 00:07:18,600 Speaker 1: game at eleven point six per game. But don't let 148 00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:20,720 Speaker 1: that fool you and thinking he's not getting buckets. He's 149 00:07:20,720 --> 00:07:24,360 Speaker 1: averaging ten point four made field goals per game to 150 00:07:24,440 --> 00:07:27,800 Speaker 1: start the season. That ranks ninth in the entire NBA. 151 00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:31,240 Speaker 1: It's just been really cool as a fan, as someone 152 00:07:31,240 --> 00:07:33,280 Speaker 1: who's rooted for this team over the entirety of this 153 00:07:33,360 --> 00:07:35,520 Speaker 1: five year stretch. It's been really cool as a fan 154 00:07:35,560 --> 00:07:38,080 Speaker 1: to just watch the kind of different levels of his 155 00:07:38,280 --> 00:07:41,520 Speaker 1: rise as he's gone on this journey over the last 156 00:07:41,560 --> 00:07:44,280 Speaker 1: half decade. Like as a rookie, if you guys remember, 157 00:07:44,320 --> 00:07:47,520 Speaker 1: he really impresses Lebron in the team's mini camp before 158 00:07:47,560 --> 00:07:50,480 Speaker 1: training camp, gets kind of a vote of confidence from 159 00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:53,240 Speaker 1: the core guys on the team. He immediately comes in 160 00:07:53,280 --> 00:07:55,800 Speaker 1: and plays a role. He's playing twenty three minutes per game. 161 00:07:57,040 --> 00:08:00,240 Speaker 1: He was only averaging I want to say it was 162 00:08:00,280 --> 00:08:03,920 Speaker 1: like seven points per game. But he was their second 163 00:08:03,960 --> 00:08:07,640 Speaker 1: best plus minus guy that year, Like the Lakers were 164 00:08:07,680 --> 00:08:10,520 Speaker 1: seven point two points per one hundred possessions better with 165 00:08:10,600 --> 00:08:13,280 Speaker 1: him on versus off. Just did all these little things, 166 00:08:13,320 --> 00:08:16,640 Speaker 1: like he would attack closeouts and compete on defense and 167 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:19,560 Speaker 1: get random little steals, little bits of playmaking here and there. 168 00:08:19,960 --> 00:08:22,280 Speaker 1: That kind of pulled everything together for them as an 169 00:08:22,360 --> 00:08:26,320 Speaker 1: off ball player. And in the second year, his role grows, right. 170 00:08:26,360 --> 00:08:28,800 Speaker 1: He goes up to twenty nine minutes per game, he 171 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:31,440 Speaker 1: goes up to thirteen points per game, had a couple 172 00:08:31,440 --> 00:08:33,640 Speaker 1: of big breakout games. He had a thirty five point 173 00:08:33,679 --> 00:08:36,400 Speaker 1: game and a win on the road against the Orlando Magic. 174 00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:39,320 Speaker 1: He had four to twenty five plus point games in 175 00:08:39,400 --> 00:08:41,960 Speaker 1: that season. But he really broke out in that second 176 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:44,160 Speaker 1: year in his playoff runt. If you guys remember that 177 00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:45,959 Speaker 1: was twenty twenty three, that was when the Lakers made 178 00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:49,080 Speaker 1: it to the Western Conference Finals. Austin Reeves had eight 179 00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:53,920 Speaker 1: twenty point games in their Western Conference Finals run. He 180 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:58,560 Speaker 1: definitively separated himself as the Lakers' third best player and 181 00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:01,240 Speaker 1: as their second best ball him which kind of tied 182 00:09:01,320 --> 00:09:03,760 Speaker 1: up the next two years where he essentially became their 183 00:09:03,880 --> 00:09:07,480 Speaker 1: featured secondary ball handler off of Lebron. Started a little 184 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:10,480 Speaker 1: bit lower while D'Angelo Russell was in the equation, but 185 00:09:10,520 --> 00:09:12,840 Speaker 1: he still was up over twenty percent and usage rate 186 00:09:12,960 --> 00:09:15,120 Speaker 1: in each of those years, and then after the D'Angelo 187 00:09:15,200 --> 00:09:18,320 Speaker 1: Russell trade, he walked into an even larger role, especially 188 00:09:18,360 --> 00:09:21,320 Speaker 1: after Anthony Davis went down last year, and he started 189 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:24,240 Speaker 1: to demonstrate that he's capable of some lead ball handling again. 190 00:09:24,280 --> 00:09:27,360 Speaker 1: Over his last thirty two games in the regular season 191 00:09:27,440 --> 00:09:30,360 Speaker 1: last year, he averaged twenty three points per game on 192 00:09:30,520 --> 00:09:33,480 Speaker 1: j just shy of fifty forty ninety. But we all 193 00:09:33,520 --> 00:09:36,360 Speaker 1: know what happens in the Minnesota series. Definitely not at 194 00:09:36,400 --> 00:09:40,000 Speaker 1: his best, really struggled with ball pressure, really struggled in 195 00:09:40,040 --> 00:09:43,480 Speaker 1: catch and shoot situations. But to Austin's credit, he just 196 00:09:43,520 --> 00:09:45,400 Speaker 1: took that and use it to motivate him and he 197 00:09:45,520 --> 00:09:48,199 Speaker 1: clearly worked his ass off all summer. With something we 198 00:09:48,240 --> 00:09:50,079 Speaker 1: heard from JJ Reddick talking about how he was the 199 00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:53,360 Speaker 1: best player in the gym all summer because now he 200 00:09:53,480 --> 00:09:56,640 Speaker 1: clearly has made a leap. He looks like a legit 201 00:09:57,320 --> 00:10:00,640 Speaker 1: all star level ball handler in this league first five 202 00:10:00,679 --> 00:10:02,640 Speaker 1: games because again, remember he had twenty five and twenty 203 00:10:02,679 --> 00:10:05,960 Speaker 1: six in his first two games too, playing off of Luca, 204 00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:08,920 Speaker 1: who was averaging over forty in those games. Right, but 205 00:10:09,480 --> 00:10:13,439 Speaker 1: Austin thirty four points, six rebounds, and ten assists per 206 00:10:13,480 --> 00:10:16,839 Speaker 1: game on sixty nine percent through shooting in his first 207 00:10:16,840 --> 00:10:19,320 Speaker 1: five games of the season just extraordinary. And you know, 208 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:22,600 Speaker 1: again as a fan, just to watch his journey from 209 00:10:22,640 --> 00:10:27,920 Speaker 1: like quality role player off the bench to like secondary 210 00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:31,319 Speaker 1: ball handler to a guy who could step in in 211 00:10:31,400 --> 00:10:33,520 Speaker 1: a big spot, like, oh, Lebron and Luca are both 212 00:10:33,520 --> 00:10:35,480 Speaker 1: out against the Pacers, we need you to lead us. 213 00:10:35,520 --> 00:10:37,240 Speaker 1: It's like, oh shit, like he can kind of give 214 00:10:37,240 --> 00:10:40,240 Speaker 1: you a thirty point triple double and step into a 215 00:10:40,240 --> 00:10:42,520 Speaker 1: big spot and help your team to Now all of 216 00:10:42,600 --> 00:10:46,320 Speaker 1: a sudden, he looks like a legit, bonafide all star 217 00:10:46,440 --> 00:10:48,480 Speaker 1: level ballhandler in this league. It's just been a really 218 00:10:48,520 --> 00:10:51,760 Speaker 1: cool experience to watch him as a fan. And again, 219 00:10:51,800 --> 00:10:55,400 Speaker 1: like when Luca goes down, he rises to the very 220 00:10:55,440 --> 00:10:57,720 Speaker 1: top of the scouting report for these defenses, and it 221 00:10:57,800 --> 00:11:00,480 Speaker 1: just hasn't mattered. He's just cooked these dudes. I've just 222 00:11:00,520 --> 00:11:03,480 Speaker 1: been so impressed by Austin. Can't say enough about his 223 00:11:03,520 --> 00:11:06,680 Speaker 1: start to this season. Well, last thot on the Lakers 224 00:11:06,679 --> 00:11:10,200 Speaker 1: before we move on. First of all, talked about this 225 00:11:10,240 --> 00:11:12,440 Speaker 1: over the summer. I'm not naive. I know there's a 226 00:11:12,520 --> 00:11:15,520 Speaker 1: large contingent of NBA fans that really don't like Lebron 227 00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:19,280 Speaker 1: and that tends to color a lot of the discussion 228 00:11:19,320 --> 00:11:22,520 Speaker 1: around him. But let me be very clear. If you 229 00:11:22,520 --> 00:11:24,960 Speaker 1: have watched the way that Austin and Luca have played 230 00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:27,120 Speaker 1: to start the season and seen how good they've been, 231 00:11:28,040 --> 00:11:31,560 Speaker 1: and you came to a conclusion like Lebron was holding 232 00:11:31,559 --> 00:11:35,840 Speaker 1: these guys back, or that the Lakers don't need Lebron, 233 00:11:36,440 --> 00:11:41,040 Speaker 1: I think you are spectacularly wrong. It is a classic 234 00:11:41,080 --> 00:11:45,480 Speaker 1: case of overthinking the game. Austin's entire growth trajectory that 235 00:11:45,520 --> 00:11:49,600 Speaker 1: I just laid out for you came alongside Lebron. Austin 236 00:11:49,640 --> 00:11:53,160 Speaker 1: has literally been on the record talking about how Lebron 237 00:11:53,200 --> 00:11:56,320 Speaker 1: in particular helped set him up for success in his career, 238 00:11:56,320 --> 00:11:58,640 Speaker 1: and how Lebron and Anthony Davis gave him the vote 239 00:11:58,640 --> 00:12:02,960 Speaker 1: of confidence early in their career, Luca last year was 240 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:06,240 Speaker 1: a very different player than he was this year. That's 241 00:12:06,240 --> 00:12:08,880 Speaker 1: not a Lebron problem. That's a Luca finally got into 242 00:12:09,440 --> 00:12:13,440 Speaker 1: peak shape type of result that you're seeing. This is 243 00:12:13,480 --> 00:12:16,200 Speaker 1: overthinking it from these people that think Lebron's not going 244 00:12:16,280 --> 00:12:18,480 Speaker 1: to help this team, or that he's not going to 245 00:12:18,480 --> 00:12:20,600 Speaker 1: be able to come in and immediately help. Lebron is 246 00:12:20,640 --> 00:12:24,319 Speaker 1: the greatest Swiss army knife in the history of basketball. 247 00:12:25,120 --> 00:12:29,160 Speaker 1: He is great at like a dozen things, many of 248 00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:34,880 Speaker 1: which are specific weaknesses on this Lakers roster. The Lakers 249 00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:38,120 Speaker 1: have been a bottom ten defensive rebounding team. Lebron is 250 00:12:38,120 --> 00:12:40,880 Speaker 1: one of the best defensive rebounding forwards in the league. 251 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:44,720 Speaker 1: The Lakers are eighteenth in defensive rating. Lebron can help 252 00:12:44,720 --> 00:12:46,679 Speaker 1: in like a half dozen ways here, Like he was 253 00:12:46,760 --> 00:12:49,120 Speaker 1: literally the best switch defender in the league last year 254 00:12:49,160 --> 00:12:53,560 Speaker 1: by ISO efficiency. He's an excellent back line communicator, which 255 00:12:53,600 --> 00:12:55,760 Speaker 1: I think will work wonders for Deandrey and having like 256 00:12:55,800 --> 00:12:59,079 Speaker 1: a super high IQ low man behind Aighton that can 257 00:12:59,120 --> 00:13:02,520 Speaker 1: help signal to him what to do specific plays that 258 00:13:02,559 --> 00:13:05,000 Speaker 1: are about to happen, Like Lebron is going to be 259 00:13:05,720 --> 00:13:09,839 Speaker 1: the IQ foundation for Deandret and in his coverages. He's 260 00:13:09,880 --> 00:13:12,679 Speaker 1: going to be so helpful there. And then most importantly, 261 00:13:12,760 --> 00:13:16,439 Speaker 1: like this team struggles with athleticism, and even old Lebron 262 00:13:16,720 --> 00:13:20,400 Speaker 1: fundamentally alters the athletic profile of the team for a 263 00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:24,040 Speaker 1: team that desperately needs it. Then, on offense, like Lebron 264 00:13:24,120 --> 00:13:26,199 Speaker 1: is on back to back seasons of being like a 265 00:13:26,240 --> 00:13:29,760 Speaker 1: mid forties catch and shoot three guy, you can't leave 266 00:13:29,840 --> 00:13:33,040 Speaker 1: him open. That's a huge value off of Luka Doncic 267 00:13:33,080 --> 00:13:36,600 Speaker 1: in particular. You guys have watched this season already multiple 268 00:13:36,640 --> 00:13:40,520 Speaker 1: games or either Austin or Luca. Both of them have 269 00:13:40,800 --> 00:13:44,360 Speaker 1: fried teams so bad that they've started to blitz them 270 00:13:44,360 --> 00:13:46,760 Speaker 1: in ball screens twenty five thirty feet from the basket. 271 00:13:46,840 --> 00:13:49,920 Speaker 1: That leads to a lot of four on threes. Having 272 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:54,760 Speaker 1: Lebron like a souped up Draymond is the perfect guy 273 00:13:54,800 --> 00:13:57,040 Speaker 1: to have on the floor to help turn those four 274 00:13:57,080 --> 00:14:00,800 Speaker 1: on threes into wide open layups, dunks and three. If 275 00:14:00,840 --> 00:14:02,920 Speaker 1: he ends up being the short role man, you can't 276 00:14:02,960 --> 00:14:04,600 Speaker 1: have a better guy in the league to make that 277 00:14:04,640 --> 00:14:06,840 Speaker 1: next read. If he ends up on the weak side, 278 00:14:06,840 --> 00:14:08,800 Speaker 1: he's going to hit the catch and shoot three. And 279 00:14:08,840 --> 00:14:11,360 Speaker 1: he's an excellent cutter along the baseline, He's like the 280 00:14:11,400 --> 00:14:15,520 Speaker 1: perfect weapon to deploy in those situations. And then lastly, 281 00:14:15,600 --> 00:14:18,240 Speaker 1: Lebron provides depth of ball handling. You want to know 282 00:14:18,320 --> 00:14:20,680 Speaker 1: why they lost to Portland because every single time Austin 283 00:14:20,720 --> 00:14:22,800 Speaker 1: was off the floor, they had no chance to generate 284 00:14:22,840 --> 00:14:26,320 Speaker 1: a shot. I like Marcus Smart. I think Gavee Vincent's 285 00:14:26,320 --> 00:14:29,160 Speaker 1: had some moments, but ideally the two of them are 286 00:14:29,160 --> 00:14:32,640 Speaker 1: in smaller ball handling roles. If you have Lebron out there, 287 00:14:33,160 --> 00:14:35,400 Speaker 1: not only does he compliment the two of them when 288 00:14:35,400 --> 00:14:38,440 Speaker 1: they're on the floor together, but when Austin or Luca 289 00:14:38,600 --> 00:14:40,640 Speaker 1: go to the bench, now all of a sudden, it's 290 00:14:40,680 --> 00:14:42,800 Speaker 1: not just Luca by himself or Austin by himself, it's 291 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:45,840 Speaker 1: Austin and Lebron. It's Luca and Lebron. There's depth of 292 00:14:45,880 --> 00:14:49,000 Speaker 1: ball handling. You're gonna have a second team All NBA 293 00:14:49,160 --> 00:14:51,720 Speaker 1: level secondary ball handler on the floor in all of 294 00:14:51,720 --> 00:14:55,800 Speaker 1: those units. So, in other words, do I think the 295 00:14:55,880 --> 00:14:58,640 Speaker 1: Lakers could use the guy who made second team All 296 00:14:58,720 --> 00:15:00,640 Speaker 1: NBA last year and is great eat at a bunch 297 00:15:00,640 --> 00:15:04,160 Speaker 1: of things that the Lakers suck at? Yeah, big shock, 298 00:15:04,240 --> 00:15:06,880 Speaker 1: I know, I can't believe it even has to be explained, 299 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:10,200 Speaker 1: there are a lot of minutes in this rotation right 300 00:15:10,240 --> 00:15:13,840 Speaker 1: now that are going to fringe level NBA players, and 301 00:15:13,880 --> 00:15:18,640 Speaker 1: those minutes are gonna be going to Lebron freakin' James. 302 00:15:18,280 --> 00:15:23,040 Speaker 1: It is not complicated. Get those guys out there together 303 00:15:23,080 --> 00:15:26,520 Speaker 1: and see what they can do. 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Celtics end 330 00:16:53,360 --> 00:16:56,200 Speaker 1: up blowing out the Calves last night. Both teams came 331 00:16:56,200 --> 00:16:58,800 Speaker 1: out absolutely guns blazing from three. I believe at one 332 00:16:58,800 --> 00:17:02,120 Speaker 1: point the two teams were eighteen for twenty four combined 333 00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:05,760 Speaker 1: from three. I did think Boston got slightly better looks 334 00:17:05,800 --> 00:17:08,800 Speaker 1: in that stretch, Like Donovan Mitchell was five for five 335 00:17:08,840 --> 00:17:10,560 Speaker 1: from three in the first quarter, and there was some 336 00:17:10,760 --> 00:17:14,719 Speaker 1: tough tough shots that he had, including a ridiculous like 337 00:17:15,240 --> 00:17:17,399 Speaker 1: break rhythm pump fake three that he hit at the 338 00:17:17,400 --> 00:17:21,360 Speaker 1: first first quarter buzzer. Sam Houser I think at four 339 00:17:21,440 --> 00:17:23,560 Speaker 1: threes in the first quarter, and most of them were 340 00:17:23,600 --> 00:17:26,400 Speaker 1: wide open catch and shoots because DeAndre Hunter just kept 341 00:17:26,560 --> 00:17:29,040 Speaker 1: roaming off of him over and over and over again. 342 00:17:29,080 --> 00:17:31,679 Speaker 1: Like DeAndre Hunter just was not learning his lesson from 343 00:17:31,720 --> 00:17:34,840 Speaker 1: watching Sam Houser hit threes. There's actually a funny end 344 00:17:34,880 --> 00:17:37,920 Speaker 1: of the first quarter interview where Evan Mobley was asked 345 00:17:37,920 --> 00:17:41,960 Speaker 1: about Sam Hauser and Mobley didn't mention DeAndre Hunter by name, 346 00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:44,880 Speaker 1: but he was obviously irritated while he was saying, like, hey, 347 00:17:44,880 --> 00:17:47,240 Speaker 1: we need to stay home on him and trust our defense. 348 00:17:47,280 --> 00:17:50,320 Speaker 1: So I did think that despite the hot shooting, I 349 00:17:50,359 --> 00:17:53,240 Speaker 1: thought it favored Boston a little bit in shot quality 350 00:17:53,280 --> 00:17:55,960 Speaker 1: early and then in the late second quarter, as things 351 00:17:56,000 --> 00:17:59,360 Speaker 1: were back and forth with that shooting display, the Celtics 352 00:17:59,440 --> 00:18:02,040 Speaker 1: up there inten City a little bit, the Calves started missing. 353 00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:05,359 Speaker 1: Donovan Mitchell took several super tough shots at the end 354 00:18:05,400 --> 00:18:07,800 Speaker 1: of the second quarter, and then that's when Jalen Brown 355 00:18:07,840 --> 00:18:09,560 Speaker 1: got going and he had a little tough shot making 356 00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:11,080 Speaker 1: stretch of his own there, he had a couple of 357 00:18:11,119 --> 00:18:14,680 Speaker 1: tough step back threes and then he hit a right 358 00:18:14,760 --> 00:18:17,080 Speaker 1: like a left shoulder going to his right, little mid 359 00:18:17,160 --> 00:18:19,560 Speaker 1: range pull up over DeAndre Hunter off of a spin move. 360 00:18:19,600 --> 00:18:22,520 Speaker 1: He had ten points in the final four minutes of 361 00:18:22,560 --> 00:18:25,399 Speaker 1: the second quarter while the Calves went cold and the 362 00:18:25,400 --> 00:18:27,680 Speaker 1: Celtics ended up going into the half up by fifteen, 363 00:18:27,800 --> 00:18:29,879 Speaker 1: and from there the Calves probed a bit, but they 364 00:18:29,880 --> 00:18:32,440 Speaker 1: never got any closer than nine points the rest of 365 00:18:32,480 --> 00:18:34,760 Speaker 1: the way. Jalen Brown finished with thirty points and just 366 00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:38,760 Speaker 1: two turnovers. Sam Howser finished with twenty one. Josh Bnnott 367 00:18:38,800 --> 00:18:41,119 Speaker 1: a very active double double. He had eleven points and 368 00:18:41,160 --> 00:18:43,560 Speaker 1: fourteen rebounds. I've liked him with the starting group, like 369 00:18:44,840 --> 00:18:48,199 Speaker 1: he's just athletic and he anchors the team in some 370 00:18:48,320 --> 00:18:51,640 Speaker 1: key areas like that. It's been really interesting to see 371 00:18:51,720 --> 00:18:55,080 Speaker 1: the like with Tatum out of the lineup, the obvious 372 00:18:55,160 --> 00:18:57,520 Speaker 1: ways that he was able to help in the past, 373 00:18:57,520 --> 00:19:00,160 Speaker 1: and one of the things was he was just a big, 374 00:19:00,640 --> 00:19:03,679 Speaker 1: versatile athlete on the front line that could do a 375 00:19:03,680 --> 00:19:06,760 Speaker 1: lot of things on defense in that especially could defensive 376 00:19:06,800 --> 00:19:09,000 Speaker 1: rebound right and like this rebounding thing has been a 377 00:19:09,040 --> 00:19:12,399 Speaker 1: huge problem for the Celtics in the early part of 378 00:19:12,400 --> 00:19:14,560 Speaker 1: the season. On the defensive end of the floor, Josh 379 00:19:14,560 --> 00:19:17,600 Speaker 1: Manott helps there. Fourteen rebounds really helps there, and he 380 00:19:17,680 --> 00:19:20,600 Speaker 1: also brings a transition athleticism element that I like. He 381 00:19:20,640 --> 00:19:24,560 Speaker 1: has sixteen transition points already this season on just nine possessions. 382 00:19:24,600 --> 00:19:27,760 Speaker 1: It's one point seven to eight points per transition attack. 383 00:19:28,240 --> 00:19:29,600 Speaker 1: And so far he is doing pretty well as an 384 00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:32,879 Speaker 1: off ball score in spot up situations and it cuts. 385 00:19:32,880 --> 00:19:35,760 Speaker 1: He has sixteen points on fourteen possessions. That's one point 386 00:19:35,840 --> 00:19:38,679 Speaker 1: one to four points per possession. That'll do like. It's fine. 387 00:19:38,680 --> 00:19:43,520 Speaker 1: He's just providing that Swiss army knife forward that can 388 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:47,359 Speaker 1: do a little bit of everything as an athlete, and 389 00:19:47,359 --> 00:19:50,560 Speaker 1: that's been really valuable for that starting group. Now let's 390 00:19:50,600 --> 00:19:52,280 Speaker 1: take a look at the early season Celtics. As we 391 00:19:52,359 --> 00:19:54,480 Speaker 1: zoom out a little bit. They dropped their first three games. 392 00:19:54,480 --> 00:19:56,120 Speaker 1: As we know, the Philly game they should have won, 393 00:19:56,200 --> 00:19:58,520 Speaker 1: they just blew it late. A couple of things go 394 00:19:58,600 --> 00:20:01,719 Speaker 1: differently down the stretch little bit a little bit too 395 00:20:01,800 --> 00:20:04,440 Speaker 1: much of that, like high post up from Dalen Brown 396 00:20:04,480 --> 00:20:07,160 Speaker 1: that wasn't leading to great shots. But then they drop 397 00:20:07,200 --> 00:20:09,119 Speaker 1: a game to the Knicks, and Madison Square Garden, And 398 00:20:09,160 --> 00:20:12,800 Speaker 1: so the Pistons in Detroit looking at an zero three start, right, 399 00:20:13,080 --> 00:20:15,159 Speaker 1: but they have back to back blowout wins over the 400 00:20:15,160 --> 00:20:18,720 Speaker 1: Pelicans and Calves by combined fifty two points. That gets 401 00:20:18,760 --> 00:20:21,040 Speaker 1: them up to two and three, and very easily could 402 00:20:21,040 --> 00:20:23,080 Speaker 1: be three and two. Things go a little different their 403 00:20:23,160 --> 00:20:25,679 Speaker 1: top ten in offense and defense. Still, they're ninth in offense, 404 00:20:25,760 --> 00:20:28,960 Speaker 1: ninth and defense, and seventh and net rating. The defense 405 00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:32,359 Speaker 1: has been built very much around swarming with their speed, 406 00:20:32,440 --> 00:20:36,520 Speaker 1: especially in the paint, and living with kickout threes kind 407 00:20:36,520 --> 00:20:37,879 Speaker 1: of makes some sense with the way their team is 408 00:20:37,880 --> 00:20:39,320 Speaker 1: put together. They don't have much in the way of 409 00:20:39,359 --> 00:20:42,320 Speaker 1: rim protection or defensive back line, so the only way 410 00:20:42,320 --> 00:20:44,399 Speaker 1: they're going to protect the rim is as a team, 411 00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:46,679 Speaker 1: so they do a ton of swarming and so as 412 00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:49,879 Speaker 1: a result, they have that classic trade off, right, thirty 413 00:20:49,880 --> 00:20:52,240 Speaker 1: eight points in the paint allowed per one hundred possessions. 414 00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:54,800 Speaker 1: That's the best in the league. But they're also giving 415 00:20:54,840 --> 00:20:58,239 Speaker 1: up the fourth most threes in the NBA. Now, when 416 00:20:58,240 --> 00:21:00,639 Speaker 1: you dig a little deeper, just by giving up a 417 00:21:00,640 --> 00:21:03,000 Speaker 1: lot of threes, they are doing a great job with 418 00:21:03,040 --> 00:21:05,520 Speaker 1: their closeout like it close outs like despite giving up 419 00:21:05,560 --> 00:21:08,600 Speaker 1: the fourth most threes in the NBA, they're only giving 420 00:21:08,720 --> 00:21:12,600 Speaker 1: up the eleventh most unguarded catch and shoot threes. So 421 00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:17,000 Speaker 1: they're skewing a larger percentage of those threes towards off 422 00:21:17,040 --> 00:21:20,919 Speaker 1: the dribble threes and contested threes, and as a result, 423 00:21:21,160 --> 00:21:25,600 Speaker 1: teams are shooting twenty seven percent on unguarded catch and 424 00:21:25,600 --> 00:21:27,720 Speaker 1: shoot threes against them. Now, some folks will just call 425 00:21:27,760 --> 00:21:32,000 Speaker 1: that variance that certainly plays a role, but you guys know, 426 00:21:32,040 --> 00:21:34,359 Speaker 1: I'm a big believer that that sort of thing fallows 427 00:21:34,359 --> 00:21:36,800 Speaker 1: pretty far down the list behind some of the controllables 428 00:21:36,840 --> 00:21:40,639 Speaker 1: like leaving the right shooters open. Overall intensity of your 429 00:21:40,680 --> 00:21:44,320 Speaker 1: ball pressure and your closeouts leading to shooters being uncomfortable 430 00:21:44,359 --> 00:21:48,240 Speaker 1: and a little bit rushed on their catches right from there, 431 00:21:49,040 --> 00:21:52,159 Speaker 1: as is typical with most unbalanced rosters. And again, this 432 00:21:52,200 --> 00:21:55,159 Speaker 1: is a roster that skews heavily towards perimeter talent. They 433 00:21:55,200 --> 00:21:58,119 Speaker 1: have some margins where they're really strong, and they have 434 00:21:58,160 --> 00:22:01,000 Speaker 1: some margins where they're losing their ass. They can't rebound 435 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:03,480 Speaker 1: on defense at all. Right now, they're twenty ninth in 436 00:22:03,560 --> 00:22:06,000 Speaker 1: defensive rebounding percentage. I think they gave up eleven more 437 00:22:06,040 --> 00:22:09,200 Speaker 1: offensive rebounds last night against Cleveland, But they get a 438 00:22:09,240 --> 00:22:11,800 Speaker 1: lot of that back on offense, mainly with the speed 439 00:22:11,800 --> 00:22:15,000 Speaker 1: of their guards and consistent habits like corner crashing. They 440 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:16,280 Speaker 1: do a really good job. This has been something the 441 00:22:16,320 --> 00:22:18,320 Speaker 1: Celtics have been good at for years. They are ninth 442 00:22:18,920 --> 00:22:22,600 Speaker 1: in offensive rebound percentage and they are seventh in second 443 00:22:22,760 --> 00:22:26,000 Speaker 1: chance points per one hundred possessions. Although it's worth mentioning 444 00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:29,119 Speaker 1: that their transition defense hasn't been great. That tends to 445 00:22:29,119 --> 00:22:32,119 Speaker 1: be related to that offensive rebounding piece, but that has 446 00:22:32,160 --> 00:22:34,240 Speaker 1: been a margin that they've been able to use to 447 00:22:34,320 --> 00:22:37,240 Speaker 1: make up some of that defensive rebounding margin that they're losing. 448 00:22:37,640 --> 00:22:40,280 Speaker 1: And then they've been decent at forcing turnovers. They're averaging 449 00:22:40,359 --> 00:22:44,480 Speaker 1: the fewest they're averaging the fewest turnovers in the NBA themselves, 450 00:22:44,600 --> 00:22:47,080 Speaker 1: and then they're middle of the pack forcing turnovers, so 451 00:22:47,119 --> 00:22:50,320 Speaker 1: they're generating a little bit of extra margin by winning 452 00:22:50,359 --> 00:22:54,159 Speaker 1: the turnover margin. Jalen Brown his kind of debut in 453 00:22:54,160 --> 00:22:56,360 Speaker 1: this leading role. It's been up and down. Like he's 454 00:22:56,400 --> 00:22:59,120 Speaker 1: twenty seven points per game on sixty four percent sure shooting. 455 00:22:59,440 --> 00:23:03,000 Speaker 1: That's very good obviously, right, thirty five percent on off 456 00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:07,680 Speaker 1: the dribble, threes fifty percent on twos inside of seventeen feet. 457 00:23:07,720 --> 00:23:11,240 Speaker 1: That's good short range shot making, seven for twelve on 458 00:23:11,320 --> 00:23:14,480 Speaker 1: catch and shoot threes, seventy one percent at the rim. 459 00:23:14,480 --> 00:23:18,399 Speaker 1: Those are all really strong indicators for Jalen Brown, but 460 00:23:19,119 --> 00:23:23,119 Speaker 1: not a good playmaking start right, Nineteen assists, eighteen turnovers 461 00:23:23,119 --> 00:23:25,960 Speaker 1: to start the season. I'm gonna zag here though, because 462 00:23:26,840 --> 00:23:29,520 Speaker 1: I don't really mind. As I've watched the Celtics in 463 00:23:29,520 --> 00:23:31,600 Speaker 1: the early part of the season, I kind of like 464 00:23:31,680 --> 00:23:36,160 Speaker 1: the way they've channeled Jalen Brown. Like I've always believed 465 00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:39,320 Speaker 1: self awareness is key. And that's not to say that 466 00:23:39,359 --> 00:23:42,760 Speaker 1: I don't want Jalen to make some improvements as a playmaker. 467 00:23:42,800 --> 00:23:45,280 Speaker 1: Of course, that would be a big step forward for 468 00:23:45,359 --> 00:23:48,600 Speaker 1: him in his career. However, what is Jalen Brown like 469 00:23:48,640 --> 00:23:50,159 Speaker 1: at his core? Like, if I ask you guys just 470 00:23:50,200 --> 00:23:52,840 Speaker 1: to describe to me Jalen Brown as a basketball player, 471 00:23:53,040 --> 00:23:56,560 Speaker 1: You're probably gonna say some combination of He's a scoring 472 00:23:56,680 --> 00:24:01,480 Speaker 1: forward who is a primary point of attack defense option. Right, 473 00:24:01,600 --> 00:24:04,600 Speaker 1: those are the two things that he's best at. He's 474 00:24:04,640 --> 00:24:08,199 Speaker 1: best when he is aggressive as a scorer, both in 475 00:24:08,240 --> 00:24:10,480 Speaker 1: transition and in the half court as a driver and 476 00:24:10,560 --> 00:24:13,720 Speaker 1: as a post a threat, and when he's guarding the 477 00:24:13,760 --> 00:24:16,359 Speaker 1: other team's best player, that is when Jalen Brown is 478 00:24:16,359 --> 00:24:20,840 Speaker 1: at his best. This team has a depth of guard talent, right. 479 00:24:21,240 --> 00:24:24,040 Speaker 1: They've got guys like Peyton Pritchard and Infrety Simons and 480 00:24:24,040 --> 00:24:28,080 Speaker 1: Derek White that can run action and make reads out 481 00:24:28,119 --> 00:24:30,600 Speaker 1: of the action. As a matter of fact, it's one 482 00:24:30,640 --> 00:24:33,119 Speaker 1: of the few places on the roster where they actually 483 00:24:33,160 --> 00:24:35,840 Speaker 1: have some depth. Right. So I kind of like this 484 00:24:35,960 --> 00:24:40,240 Speaker 1: idea of channeling Jalen Brown as a score Like, hey, dude, 485 00:24:40,240 --> 00:24:41,720 Speaker 1: we don't need you to go out there and get 486 00:24:41,880 --> 00:24:45,360 Speaker 1: seven eight assists a game. I ideally you'd cut down 487 00:24:45,359 --> 00:24:48,320 Speaker 1: on the turnovers a little bit, but just go out 488 00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:50,439 Speaker 1: there and be aggressive. Go out there and look to 489 00:24:50,440 --> 00:24:53,080 Speaker 1: score the basketball. You don't have to be as picky 490 00:24:53,119 --> 00:24:55,560 Speaker 1: as you were in years past when we had more 491 00:24:55,600 --> 00:24:58,119 Speaker 1: talent and we were generating all these wide open threes 492 00:24:58,160 --> 00:25:02,480 Speaker 1: and layups. Go out there at you see some opportunities 493 00:25:02,480 --> 00:25:04,320 Speaker 1: to attack in the mid range attack, if you see 494 00:25:04,320 --> 00:25:07,040 Speaker 1: some opportunities to attack with your pull up three attack, 495 00:25:07,160 --> 00:25:10,440 Speaker 1: there's a little bit more aggression, a little bit more focusing. 496 00:25:10,520 --> 00:25:13,560 Speaker 1: Jalen Brown into his strengths and like that makes sense 497 00:25:13,560 --> 00:25:16,240 Speaker 1: to me. Again, ideally, you'd like to see him, you know, 498 00:25:16,320 --> 00:25:19,880 Speaker 1: one assists more per game, one fewer turnover per game, right, ideally, 499 00:25:20,359 --> 00:25:23,280 Speaker 1: But I don't hate the idea of channeling Jalen Brown 500 00:25:23,320 --> 00:25:25,800 Speaker 1: into his best trait, which is the ability to score 501 00:25:25,840 --> 00:25:28,440 Speaker 1: the basketball, then trusting the fact that you have shot 502 00:25:28,480 --> 00:25:31,000 Speaker 1: creation talent off of him that can help get you 503 00:25:31,080 --> 00:25:33,640 Speaker 1: going into action. I mean again, like they're a top 504 00:25:33,680 --> 00:25:36,600 Speaker 1: ten offense without Jason Tatum so far. I think it's 505 00:25:36,680 --> 00:25:39,960 Speaker 1: working given the talent that they have available to them. 506 00:25:40,320 --> 00:25:44,440 Speaker 1: Last note on the Celtics the Infrety Simons experiment. I 507 00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:46,639 Speaker 1: want to be clear, it hasn't been all bad. He's 508 00:25:46,640 --> 00:25:49,760 Speaker 1: shooting the three ball well. He brings like a dynamic 509 00:25:49,960 --> 00:25:53,080 Speaker 1: pull up shooting element that you don't see in the 510 00:25:53,119 --> 00:25:56,160 Speaker 1: past from the Celtics team. Right. But he has eight 511 00:25:56,200 --> 00:25:59,480 Speaker 1: attempts at the rim in over one hundred and forty 512 00:25:59,480 --> 00:26:01,440 Speaker 1: minutes play. This is something that I had my eye 513 00:26:01,440 --> 00:26:04,920 Speaker 1: on in preseason. I was hoping that he would be 514 00:26:04,960 --> 00:26:08,879 Speaker 1: able to bring a rim pressure element to the Celtics 515 00:26:08,880 --> 00:26:12,800 Speaker 1: offense that sometimes was lacking in years past, and that 516 00:26:12,880 --> 00:26:16,520 Speaker 1: hasn't really materialized, at least not yet. There was a 517 00:26:16,560 --> 00:26:19,000 Speaker 1: play in the early second quarter where he had Tyrese 518 00:26:19,080 --> 00:26:21,600 Speaker 1: Proctor on a switch and he tried to break him 519 00:26:21,640 --> 00:26:24,120 Speaker 1: down off the dribble and he just wasn't getting even 520 00:26:24,160 --> 00:26:27,280 Speaker 1: remotely close to a step and he had to settle 521 00:26:27,320 --> 00:26:29,199 Speaker 1: for like a one like fade away. And it's a 522 00:26:29,200 --> 00:26:33,000 Speaker 1: combination of two things. On the one hand, he is fast, 523 00:26:33,040 --> 00:26:36,840 Speaker 1: but he's not transcendently fast, and then two doesn't bring 524 00:26:36,880 --> 00:26:39,240 Speaker 1: a lot of like physicality to his drives, Like it's 525 00:26:39,240 --> 00:26:41,879 Speaker 1: pretty easy to bump him off his line. He's not 526 00:26:41,920 --> 00:26:43,880 Speaker 1: a player that's going to get an angle on you 527 00:26:44,160 --> 00:26:48,400 Speaker 1: and then use that shoulder to continue to gain leverage 528 00:26:48,400 --> 00:26:50,640 Speaker 1: on you as he goes downhill. Right, So, like I've 529 00:26:50,640 --> 00:26:53,439 Speaker 1: been a little disappointed on that front. Again, it's still early. 530 00:26:53,800 --> 00:26:56,200 Speaker 1: I just thought with all the Celtics spacing that it'd 531 00:26:56,200 --> 00:26:59,400 Speaker 1: be something that would be a kind of a legitimate 532 00:26:59,480 --> 00:27:02,760 Speaker 1: dynamic offense, and it just hasn't materialized yet. And it 533 00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:04,560 Speaker 1: has been pretty bad. In the plus minus stuff. The 534 00:27:04,560 --> 00:27:07,360 Speaker 1: Celtics have been twenty six points per one hundred possessions 535 00:27:07,680 --> 00:27:11,760 Speaker 1: better with Anthony Simons off the floor versus on, So 536 00:27:11,840 --> 00:27:13,879 Speaker 1: it hasn't been pretty on the box score, but anyway, 537 00:27:13,880 --> 00:27:16,399 Speaker 1: solid start for the Celtics and they could easily be 538 00:27:16,560 --> 00:27:20,439 Speaker 1: three and two right now. All right, last segment for today, 539 00:27:21,160 --> 00:27:24,680 Speaker 1: how about the four in oh Chicago Bulls struggled a 540 00:27:24,720 --> 00:27:26,560 Speaker 1: little bit with the Kings in the first half last night. 541 00:27:26,560 --> 00:27:29,720 Speaker 1: They trailed by twelve in the late second quarter, but 542 00:27:29,760 --> 00:27:32,080 Speaker 1: then they went on a run spanning the few minutes 543 00:27:32,119 --> 00:27:34,399 Speaker 1: before the end of the half and the few minutes 544 00:27:34,480 --> 00:27:37,800 Speaker 1: after halftime, and they completely flipped the script and they 545 00:27:37,840 --> 00:27:41,040 Speaker 1: went on to win by double figures. Madus Bozellis put 546 00:27:41,119 --> 00:27:43,800 Speaker 1: up the third highest point total in his young career 547 00:27:43,840 --> 00:27:46,800 Speaker 1: with twenty seven. Good mix of spot up shooting, which 548 00:27:46,840 --> 00:27:48,640 Speaker 1: has been important because he struggled with that to start 549 00:27:48,640 --> 00:27:51,520 Speaker 1: the season. High level close out attacking, which I always 550 00:27:51,520 --> 00:27:53,960 Speaker 1: think is an underrated part of modern NBA offense, like 551 00:27:54,280 --> 00:27:56,880 Speaker 1: if you catch with the guy chase chasing you off 552 00:27:56,880 --> 00:27:59,359 Speaker 1: the line, can you go get a bucket? Had several 553 00:27:59,359 --> 00:28:03,679 Speaker 1: sequences like that, cutting along the baseline running in transition. 554 00:28:03,720 --> 00:28:05,679 Speaker 1: He even got a couple of buckets off of action 555 00:28:05,960 --> 00:28:08,800 Speaker 1: attacking off of Vucevic on the left wing, one on 556 00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:10,520 Speaker 1: a dho and one on like a little pick and 557 00:28:10,600 --> 00:28:12,800 Speaker 1: roll and he just could get into the middle of 558 00:28:12,840 --> 00:28:14,520 Speaker 1: the floor, get his defender on his hip, and just 559 00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:17,359 Speaker 1: get like a little short range shot in the lane. 560 00:28:17,359 --> 00:28:18,840 Speaker 1: I think he had one where he like knocked over 561 00:28:18,920 --> 00:28:21,199 Speaker 1: his man and then did a step through move and 562 00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:23,000 Speaker 1: got a layup. It was good to see him break 563 00:28:23,040 --> 00:28:25,159 Speaker 1: out as a spot up player because that had been 564 00:28:25,160 --> 00:28:27,240 Speaker 1: where he had been roughest to start the year. But 565 00:28:27,280 --> 00:28:30,000 Speaker 1: he finally had some catching two jump shots and he 566 00:28:30,040 --> 00:28:32,200 Speaker 1: showed some of that off the dribble pop that made 567 00:28:32,280 --> 00:28:34,840 Speaker 1: him such an exciting player coming out of G League. 568 00:28:34,920 --> 00:28:38,680 Speaker 1: Knight and he's just a really dynamic athlete. He's active. 569 00:28:38,720 --> 00:28:41,120 Speaker 1: He gets six rebounds on two point three stocks per 570 00:28:41,160 --> 00:28:43,840 Speaker 1: thirty six minutes, and he's been very good at the rim. 571 00:28:43,840 --> 00:28:47,480 Speaker 1: He's got twenty six attempts at the rim at sixty 572 00:28:47,600 --> 00:28:52,520 Speaker 1: nine percent. That's nineteen in the entire NBA so far 573 00:28:53,040 --> 00:28:55,720 Speaker 1: in shots made at the rim per game. And it's 574 00:28:55,800 --> 00:29:00,000 Speaker 1: just that steady driving in transition, cutting along the baseline 575 00:29:00,080 --> 00:29:02,840 Speaker 1: and slashing off the catch. He's just getting to the 576 00:29:02,880 --> 00:29:07,040 Speaker 1: paint as this big fluid athlete really often to start 577 00:29:07,040 --> 00:29:08,960 Speaker 1: the year. And the main thing with this jumper that 578 00:29:08,960 --> 00:29:11,760 Speaker 1: I've noticed is he hits it when he's open, and 579 00:29:11,800 --> 00:29:14,280 Speaker 1: he struggles versus contest. So there's a little bit of 580 00:29:14,360 --> 00:29:16,920 Speaker 1: like learning how to shoot under duress that I think 581 00:29:16,920 --> 00:29:18,840 Speaker 1: will be a big step forward for him. But he's 582 00:29:18,880 --> 00:29:22,120 Speaker 1: five for eight on unguarded catch and shoot jump shots 583 00:29:22,120 --> 00:29:24,880 Speaker 1: and one for nine when he's guarded. I would buy 584 00:29:24,960 --> 00:29:27,560 Speaker 1: all the Bizelli stock I could find if I were you. 585 00:29:27,880 --> 00:29:31,320 Speaker 1: He's only twenty one years old, He's already contributing in 586 00:29:31,320 --> 00:29:34,480 Speaker 1: a real way in a winning context, and he just 587 00:29:34,520 --> 00:29:39,400 Speaker 1: has that really impressive combination of athleticism, polish and motor 588 00:29:39,520 --> 00:29:41,920 Speaker 1: meaning he plays hard all the time that I think 589 00:29:42,240 --> 00:29:44,640 Speaker 1: bodes well for his future in the NBA. I caught 590 00:29:44,640 --> 00:29:48,160 Speaker 1: a bunch of Bulls film this morning, and they're really 591 00:29:48,160 --> 00:29:53,920 Speaker 1: fun to watch. Third in defense, fifteenth in offense, fifth 592 00:29:54,040 --> 00:29:57,200 Speaker 1: in net rating here in the early part of the season. 593 00:29:58,280 --> 00:30:00,800 Speaker 1: The third and defensive rating thing is super interesting to 594 00:30:00,840 --> 00:30:04,160 Speaker 1: me because they have some super weak metrics in some 595 00:30:04,240 --> 00:30:06,040 Speaker 1: key areas. Maybe you know how we were just talking 596 00:30:06,080 --> 00:30:09,280 Speaker 1: about Boston and the idea of them kind of lacking 597 00:30:09,360 --> 00:30:12,400 Speaker 1: perimeter or excuse me, lacking rim protection but having plenty 598 00:30:12,480 --> 00:30:16,440 Speaker 1: of perimeter quickness, and how for them they're manifesting with 599 00:30:16,600 --> 00:30:21,760 Speaker 1: swarming and conceding threes. It's been the exact opposite for 600 00:30:21,800 --> 00:30:25,000 Speaker 1: this Bowls team. They have been far and away the 601 00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:28,760 Speaker 1: worst paint defense in the league, giving up sixty four 602 00:30:28,800 --> 00:30:32,000 Speaker 1: points in the paint per game another week metric for them. 603 00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:35,120 Speaker 1: They've been the worst team in the league at forcing turnovers, 604 00:30:35,680 --> 00:30:37,840 Speaker 1: but Billy Donovan knows they don't have rimp protection and 605 00:30:37,840 --> 00:30:40,280 Speaker 1: he's got good athletes on the perimeter, so they've keyed 606 00:30:40,320 --> 00:30:43,160 Speaker 1: their defense around chasing guys off the three point line. 607 00:30:44,200 --> 00:30:47,600 Speaker 1: They're also allowing far and away the fewest three point 608 00:30:47,640 --> 00:30:50,959 Speaker 1: attempts per game at just twenty six, and teams are 609 00:30:50,960 --> 00:30:54,760 Speaker 1: shooting just twenty six percent on those threes. They've also 610 00:30:54,800 --> 00:30:56,720 Speaker 1: been an excellent defensive rebounding team. This is what I 611 00:30:56,720 --> 00:30:59,920 Speaker 1: mean by the margins like not forcing any turnovers, give 612 00:31:00,160 --> 00:31:02,600 Speaker 1: up a million points in the paint, but never giving 613 00:31:02,680 --> 00:31:06,640 Speaker 1: up threes, and getting every single defensive rebound. It's like 614 00:31:06,720 --> 00:31:09,320 Speaker 1: a and again. Part of that defensive rebounding is connected 615 00:31:09,320 --> 00:31:12,640 Speaker 1: to their talent right Like Vucevich is an excellent defensive rebounder, 616 00:31:12,720 --> 00:31:15,440 Speaker 1: Josh Giddy is an excellent defensive rebounder. All their guards 617 00:31:15,480 --> 00:31:17,560 Speaker 1: and forwards are pretty solid. They scrap for the ball. 618 00:31:17,720 --> 00:31:20,120 Speaker 1: They've grabbed seventy six percent of their opponent's missus, which 619 00:31:20,200 --> 00:31:22,760 Speaker 1: ranks second in the MBA. But it's also part of 620 00:31:22,760 --> 00:31:25,560 Speaker 1: that shot diet. Like when you're not giving up many threes, 621 00:31:25,920 --> 00:31:29,240 Speaker 1: there's fewer long rebounds. Longer rebounds have more potential to 622 00:31:29,240 --> 00:31:31,880 Speaker 1: be secured by corner crashes and other perimeter players from 623 00:31:31,920 --> 00:31:34,520 Speaker 1: the opponent right, So like keeping shots closer to the 624 00:31:34,560 --> 00:31:37,560 Speaker 1: rim is also helping them in their defensive rebounding, and 625 00:31:37,560 --> 00:31:40,520 Speaker 1: then again that sparks them in transition, where they've been 626 00:31:40,520 --> 00:31:43,280 Speaker 1: really good. I've been really impressed by Josh Giddy in transition. 627 00:31:43,320 --> 00:31:46,280 Speaker 1: He's just always getting the ball and probing in that 628 00:31:46,400 --> 00:31:49,560 Speaker 1: like semi transition phase where the defense isn't quite set 629 00:31:49,840 --> 00:31:51,840 Speaker 1: and he just finds a way to get an angle 630 00:31:51,880 --> 00:31:56,080 Speaker 1: and kind of get into the elbow paint area. Guys react, 631 00:31:56,280 --> 00:31:59,200 Speaker 1: and then he's hitting cutters in spray outs to shooters 632 00:31:59,240 --> 00:32:02,440 Speaker 1: over and over and over again. And Nicole Vusovich is 633 00:32:02,720 --> 00:32:06,480 Speaker 1: absolutely bludgeoning teams as a trailer in transition. They got 634 00:32:06,520 --> 00:32:09,360 Speaker 1: another couple of those against Sacramento. That has been one 635 00:32:09,360 --> 00:32:12,360 Speaker 1: of Giddy's favorite kickout reads like Vouchs just trails the 636 00:32:12,440 --> 00:32:14,680 Speaker 1: floor right at the top of the key, Giddy probes 637 00:32:14,720 --> 00:32:17,000 Speaker 1: into the lane. If he doesn't find anything in the 638 00:32:17,040 --> 00:32:19,600 Speaker 1: corners or as a cutter, he just quick turns and 639 00:32:19,640 --> 00:32:22,720 Speaker 1: pitches it back to Vooch. Booch has his momentum going 640 00:32:22,760 --> 00:32:24,880 Speaker 1: towards the basket, he can rise up and knock that 641 00:32:24,960 --> 00:32:27,240 Speaker 1: shot down at a high clip. And then in the 642 00:32:27,280 --> 00:32:30,480 Speaker 1: half court, they don't really have a lot of wasted possessions. 643 00:32:30,520 --> 00:32:33,440 Speaker 1: They're pretty steady through Josh Giddyon pick and roll, and 644 00:32:33,520 --> 00:32:36,440 Speaker 1: Vusovich in the post, often in a two man game, 645 00:32:36,440 --> 00:32:39,160 Speaker 1: and they've just been really good. Vouch has been very 646 00:32:39,200 --> 00:32:41,800 Speaker 1: efficient in the post so far to start this year. 647 00:32:42,120 --> 00:32:45,360 Speaker 1: Josh Giddy continues to show improvement as a three point shooter. 648 00:32:45,400 --> 00:32:48,120 Speaker 1: And then out of action Giddy, as we've talked about 649 00:32:48,160 --> 00:32:50,920 Speaker 1: over the summer, he just makes the right reads and 650 00:32:50,960 --> 00:32:53,320 Speaker 1: gets their offense movement. He's just a guy that's going 651 00:32:53,360 --> 00:32:56,040 Speaker 1: to come downhill in the action, wait for the defense 652 00:32:56,080 --> 00:32:58,960 Speaker 1: to react and make the kickout read that starts their 653 00:32:59,040 --> 00:33:00,720 Speaker 1: drive in kick, and then they we just had really 654 00:33:00,760 --> 00:33:04,280 Speaker 1: smart drive and kick basketball off of that. Trey Jones, 655 00:33:04,280 --> 00:33:09,880 Speaker 1: Madus Buzellis Isaacacorro, even Kevin Pritchard and excuse me, Kevin Herder, 656 00:33:09,920 --> 00:33:12,440 Speaker 1: not the GM of the Pacers. Kevin Herder, Patrick Williams 657 00:33:12,440 --> 00:33:14,320 Speaker 1: and iod assume we've all done a really nice job 658 00:33:14,480 --> 00:33:16,760 Speaker 1: coming in off the bench and continuing that drive and 659 00:33:16,840 --> 00:33:19,440 Speaker 1: kick attack. And then Trey Jones has been a revelation 660 00:33:19,480 --> 00:33:21,360 Speaker 1: to start the year. He's run forty nine pick and 661 00:33:21,480 --> 00:33:25,280 Speaker 1: rolls as that secondary ball handler and generated fifty six points. 662 00:33:25,280 --> 00:33:27,320 Speaker 1: That's one point one to four points per possession, which 663 00:33:27,400 --> 00:33:30,720 Speaker 1: is excellent. Nothing overly complicated there. He's attacking the rim 664 00:33:30,800 --> 00:33:33,280 Speaker 1: really well off those screens and he can make all 665 00:33:33,320 --> 00:33:36,880 Speaker 1: of the reads. The Bulls currently lead the league in 666 00:33:37,000 --> 00:33:40,080 Speaker 1: paint points on offense as much as they're giving up 667 00:33:40,080 --> 00:33:42,920 Speaker 1: point paint points on defense. They are the number one 668 00:33:43,080 --> 00:33:45,720 Speaker 1: paint scoring offense to start the year, just shy of 669 00:33:45,840 --> 00:33:48,600 Speaker 1: sixty points in the paint per game, and it's because 670 00:33:48,720 --> 00:33:52,040 Speaker 1: all of their perimeter players attack the rim like crazy. 671 00:33:52,560 --> 00:33:55,560 Speaker 1: Josh Giddy is always downhill and using his strength to 672 00:33:55,560 --> 00:33:58,280 Speaker 1: get to the rim for layups and short floaters. Manus 673 00:33:58,320 --> 00:34:00,920 Speaker 1: Buzzellis is scoring there like we talked about earlier, slashing 674 00:34:00,960 --> 00:34:03,600 Speaker 1: in every phase of the game. I had assume moves 675 00:34:03,600 --> 00:34:06,440 Speaker 1: always attacking the rim. We mentioned Trey Jones and his 676 00:34:06,600 --> 00:34:10,000 Speaker 1: ball screens getting downhill. They just play a really fun 677 00:34:10,080 --> 00:34:12,680 Speaker 1: brand of basketball on both ends of the floor. And 678 00:34:12,800 --> 00:34:14,920 Speaker 1: I want to shout out Billy Donovan because he's capitalizing 679 00:34:14,960 --> 00:34:16,800 Speaker 1: on a lot of specific margins, right, Like you know, 680 00:34:16,920 --> 00:34:20,320 Speaker 1: when you have a weakness, you also have strengths. Typically 681 00:34:21,120 --> 00:34:24,279 Speaker 1: identifying what your weaknesses are, identifying what your strengths are, 682 00:34:24,360 --> 00:34:26,839 Speaker 1: and trying to capitalize on those margins to cancel each 683 00:34:26,840 --> 00:34:29,320 Speaker 1: other out so that you can use your talent playing 684 00:34:29,400 --> 00:34:32,719 Speaker 1: in transition off and using your advantage creator and Josh 685 00:34:32,800 --> 00:34:36,640 Speaker 1: Gitty to sparks, driving kick sequences, winning the margin on 686 00:34:36,719 --> 00:34:39,080 Speaker 1: the three point line. Like again, like putting yourself in 687 00:34:39,160 --> 00:34:41,640 Speaker 1: a position where you're not dealing with as many long rebounds. 688 00:34:41,680 --> 00:34:43,520 Speaker 1: You know you're not good in the paint, but you're 689 00:34:43,600 --> 00:34:45,560 Speaker 1: chasing teams off the three point line and you're getting 690 00:34:45,600 --> 00:34:48,200 Speaker 1: every defensive rebound, and then in the half court, you're 691 00:34:48,239 --> 00:34:51,520 Speaker 1: consistently playing through your two best offensive players, and you 692 00:34:51,600 --> 00:34:53,719 Speaker 1: have guys that know how to playoff of those advantages. 693 00:34:53,800 --> 00:34:56,160 Speaker 1: It's a proven formula in this league and it's been 694 00:34:56,200 --> 00:34:59,439 Speaker 1: working for the Bulls earlier that said they're headed into 695 00:34:59,520 --> 00:35:02,640 Speaker 1: a bru stretch of schedule from here home and home 696 00:35:02,680 --> 00:35:06,839 Speaker 1: with the Knicks, home for Philly. I say home and home, 697 00:35:06,880 --> 00:35:09,160 Speaker 1: meaning to go to MSG for one of those two games, 698 00:35:09,640 --> 00:35:13,320 Speaker 1: then home for Philly, at Milwaukee, at Cleveland, home for 699 00:35:13,400 --> 00:35:15,480 Speaker 1: San Antonio, and then at Detroit. So over the next 700 00:35:15,520 --> 00:35:18,480 Speaker 1: two weeks we will definitely find out how real this is. 701 00:35:19,120 --> 00:35:21,879 Speaker 1: Their offense hasn't been perfect to start this year. They're 702 00:35:21,880 --> 00:35:24,640 Speaker 1: going to be playing against some better defenses. I'm curious 703 00:35:24,640 --> 00:35:27,279 Speaker 1: to see how well that holds up. But a really 704 00:35:27,400 --> 00:35:30,719 Speaker 1: nice start for the Chicago Bulls. All right, guys, that's 705 00:35:30,719 --> 00:35:32,680 Speaker 1: all I have for today is always a sincerely appreciate 706 00:35:32,680 --> 00:35:35,239 Speaker 1: you guys for supporting us and supporting the show. We 707 00:35:35,360 --> 00:35:37,960 Speaker 1: will be back tomorrow morning with probably a game reaction 708 00:35:38,160 --> 00:35:39,920 Speaker 1: or two and then some mail bag questions, so make 709 00:35:39,960 --> 00:35:42,000 Speaker 1: sure you guys get your questions into the mail bags. 710 00:35:42,160 --> 00:35:43,320 Speaker 1: I will see you guys tomorrow