1 00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:06,520 Speaker 1: The volume. The eighty two game preseason is in the books, 2 00:00:06,519 --> 00:00:09,920 Speaker 1: and now it's finally time for the real season. Don't 3 00:00:09,960 --> 00:00:13,200 Speaker 1: miss out on any of the NBA playoff action at 4 00:00:13,240 --> 00:00:16,800 Speaker 1: DraftKings Sportsbook, an official sports betting partner of the NBA. 5 00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:20,200 Speaker 1: From the play in tournament through the finals, DraftKings Sportsbook 6 00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:24,160 Speaker 1: has you covered with same game parlays, live betting odds, boosts, 7 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:26,960 Speaker 1: and so much more. The Boston Celtics are currently the 8 00:00:27,080 --> 00:00:30,600 Speaker 1: favorite at plus one sixty, but the team that's third 9 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:33,599 Speaker 1: in my championship rankings the Dallas Mavericks. 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Help is available for problem gambling call eight 20 00:01:11,160 --> 00:01:15,840 Speaker 1: eight eight seven eight nine seven seven seven seven or 21 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:19,959 Speaker 1: visit CCPG dot org. Please play responsibly on behalf of 22 00:01:19,959 --> 00:01:23,600 Speaker 1: Boothill Casino and Resort in Kansas. Twenty one plus age 23 00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:27,360 Speaker 1: varies by jurisdiction, void in Ontario. Bonus bets expire one 24 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:31,479 Speaker 1: hundred and sixty eight hours after issuance. See dkang dot 25 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:36,200 Speaker 1: co slash b ball for eligibility and deposit restrictions, terms 26 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:49,480 Speaker 1: and responsible gaming resources. All right, welcome to hoop tonight 27 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 1: here at the Volume. Happy Thursday, everybody. I'll foll of 28 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:54,120 Speaker 1: you guys are having an incredible week. Got a jam 29 00:01:54,120 --> 00:01:56,000 Speaker 1: pack show for you tonight. We're gonna be breaking down 30 00:01:56,040 --> 00:01:59,480 Speaker 1: all three games from the perspective of both teams. Well, 31 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:02,560 Speaker 1: the las Age just cannot beat the Denver Nuggets. I 32 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:04,560 Speaker 1: really thought that'd get a couple. I was wrong. I 33 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:06,320 Speaker 1: think they're gonna get swept. I think they're out of here. 34 00:02:06,360 --> 00:02:08,440 Speaker 1: On Saturday, we're gonna break it down. You guys know 35 00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:10,880 Speaker 1: the jove before we get started. Subscribe to the Volumes 36 00:02:10,880 --> 00:02:13,560 Speaker 1: YouTube channel, so excuse me, to my new YouTube channel 37 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:15,120 Speaker 1: so you don't miss any more of videos. Follow me 38 00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:17,480 Speaker 1: on Twitter at underscore Jason lt. So you guys, don't 39 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:20,200 Speaker 1: miss any show announcements, don't forget about a podcast feed 40 00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:22,440 Speaker 1: wherever you get your podcast under Hoops tonight. In the 41 00:02:22,560 --> 00:02:24,440 Speaker 1: last but not least, keep dropping mail bag questions and 42 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:26,640 Speaker 1: those YouTube comments. We're gonna hit a couple of mail 43 00:02:26,639 --> 00:02:28,960 Speaker 1: bags a week the rest of the way through the playoffs. 44 00:02:29,040 --> 00:02:33,440 Speaker 1: So Game three in the NBA Playoffs in the first round, 45 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:36,040 Speaker 1: in particular, those of you guys who've been around the 46 00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:38,560 Speaker 1: show for a while will know what I refer to 47 00:02:38,600 --> 00:02:41,800 Speaker 1: these games as I refer to these as the buzzsaw games, right, 48 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:46,080 Speaker 1: especially when the team is down to oh because there's 49 00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:50,320 Speaker 1: usually a gigantic gap in urgency between the two teams. 50 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:54,480 Speaker 1: And then obviously you're shifting to the home you're shifting 51 00:02:54,480 --> 00:02:58,200 Speaker 1: to the other team's home arena, and that typically leads 52 00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:03,080 Speaker 1: to more confidence in your lower level role players. That 53 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:07,480 Speaker 1: typically leads to sometimes a better whistle. Officials generally will 54 00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:09,280 Speaker 1: get caught up in the emotion of a crowd. It's 55 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:11,520 Speaker 1: kind of like a human nature thing, right, And then 56 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:15,480 Speaker 1: also like that athletic advantage of playing with forced type 57 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:19,760 Speaker 1: of advantage that comes from that comes from the urgency 58 00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:22,960 Speaker 1: shift that like the home crowd is just like cure 59 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:24,880 Speaker 1: scene on that like it just it just makes it 60 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:28,280 Speaker 1: that much crazier, right, And like I actually placed my 61 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:30,560 Speaker 1: first three bets of the NBA postseason this year. I 62 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:32,640 Speaker 1: bet on all three home teams tonight, and I actually 63 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:36,320 Speaker 1: hit on the first two obviously, And I was flirting 64 00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:39,920 Speaker 1: with a I've bet an alternate spread on the Sixers 65 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:43,440 Speaker 1: Nicks game, and as I was watching the Jalen Brunson 66 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:46,480 Speaker 1: Joel Embiid free throw shooting contest at the end of 67 00:03:46,480 --> 00:03:48,000 Speaker 1: the game, it was definitely a little hectic, but I 68 00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:51,360 Speaker 1: ended up getting out of there with that one. But anyway, 69 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:54,160 Speaker 1: the one team that managed to flip that script was 70 00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:56,560 Speaker 1: the Denver Nuggets. But like you saw the BUZZSA, the 71 00:03:56,680 --> 00:04:00,520 Speaker 1: Orlando Magic completely demolished the Cavs on the glass, completely 72 00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:03,920 Speaker 1: demolished them, and not as much in transition, I should 73 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:06,360 Speaker 1: say they demolish them on the offensive glass. They demolished 74 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:08,080 Speaker 1: the Cavs on the offensive glass. They do a bunch 75 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:12,520 Speaker 1: of damage with their physicality and with Franz Wagner and 76 00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:15,800 Speaker 1: Pala Bancaro just working at close shots around the rim, 77 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:18,719 Speaker 1: and the dynamic just shifts, their role players hit shots. 78 00:04:18,760 --> 00:04:22,280 Speaker 1: It's a blowout, right, Like, obviously, the Sixers finally get 79 00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:24,720 Speaker 1: some contributions from some of their role players, and some 80 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:27,400 Speaker 1: guys hit some shots. They finally get some production out 81 00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:31,760 Speaker 1: of Kelly Eubray, and they win that game convincingly. Right. 82 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:34,040 Speaker 1: But what I find to be interesting, and this is 83 00:04:34,080 --> 00:04:36,880 Speaker 1: actually something that has been one of my biggest lessons 84 00:04:36,880 --> 00:04:38,880 Speaker 1: that I've learned in the first round of this postseason 85 00:04:38,920 --> 00:04:41,720 Speaker 1: and every year in the playoffs, I learned lessons, right, Like, 86 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:44,680 Speaker 1: we're always kind of learning not just about the game 87 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:46,800 Speaker 1: in general, but also as the game is changing as 88 00:04:46,839 --> 00:04:48,799 Speaker 1: the years go by, as the NBA kind of moves 89 00:04:48,800 --> 00:04:51,279 Speaker 1: into the future. Right. But one of the things that 90 00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:54,000 Speaker 1: has been a lesson for me in this first round 91 00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:57,440 Speaker 1: throughout the playoffs is that the finesse guys are kind 92 00:04:57,440 --> 00:04:59,440 Speaker 1: of getting their ass kicked, and they're getting their ass 93 00:04:59,480 --> 00:05:06,120 Speaker 1: kicked by intelligent athleticism and strength, right, And that is like, like, 94 00:05:06,160 --> 00:05:08,680 Speaker 1: even just look at the Wolves Suns matchup, for instance, 95 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:11,279 Speaker 1: that's the Suns team that dominated the Wolves in the 96 00:05:11,279 --> 00:05:13,279 Speaker 1: regular season. Here we are in the playoffs and the 97 00:05:13,279 --> 00:05:16,000 Speaker 1: Wolves kick their ass twice. And that is a team 98 00:05:16,040 --> 00:05:19,400 Speaker 1: that has a lot of intelligent size in athleticism, while 99 00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:21,080 Speaker 1: the Sons are a finesse team and it's been an 100 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:24,680 Speaker 1: ass kicking right Specifically, the role players for the Lakers, 101 00:05:24,760 --> 00:05:28,719 Speaker 1: D'Angelo Russell, Austin Reeves, Torrey and Prince like Spencer Dinwiddie, 102 00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:31,800 Speaker 1: these guys are all like these finesse kind of like 103 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:35,159 Speaker 1: skill players on the perimeter, and they've run into these 104 00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:38,440 Speaker 1: like athletic wrecking balls like Contavious Cabbo Pope and Aaron 105 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:41,720 Speaker 1: Gordon and Christian Brown and Peyton Watson and they're just 106 00:05:41,800 --> 00:05:44,720 Speaker 1: getting their They're getting their ass kt That's really been 107 00:05:44,760 --> 00:05:46,599 Speaker 1: the story of this series. To give you guys an idea, 108 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:51,200 Speaker 1: non Lebron and Ad Lakers have one hundred and thirty 109 00:05:51,240 --> 00:05:56,119 Speaker 1: one points and fifty six rebounds in this series. Non 110 00:05:56,360 --> 00:06:00,320 Speaker 1: Murray Jokic Nuggets have one hundred and eighty points and 111 00:06:00,520 --> 00:06:05,120 Speaker 1: eighty three rebounds in the series. That's the difference. Like, 112 00:06:04,760 --> 00:06:08,080 Speaker 1: I think Anthony Davis and Jokich have been amazing basically 113 00:06:08,080 --> 00:06:12,080 Speaker 1: ever game. I think Murray had a poor shooting series, 114 00:06:12,120 --> 00:06:13,960 Speaker 1: but hit a bunch of clutch shots in the first 115 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:15,880 Speaker 1: two games, and then I thought Murray was pretty great 116 00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:19,240 Speaker 1: Tonight and Lebron James I thought was really good in 117 00:06:19,279 --> 00:06:21,880 Speaker 1: Game two, pretty good in Game one, and pretty bad 118 00:06:21,920 --> 00:06:26,040 Speaker 1: Tonight relative to his relative to what his box score 119 00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:28,520 Speaker 1: numbers showed. But I think Lebron and Murray have been 120 00:06:28,520 --> 00:06:31,000 Speaker 1: more or less on the same level, and Jokicchen and 121 00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:32,800 Speaker 1: Ad have been more or less on the same level. 122 00:06:32,839 --> 00:06:36,120 Speaker 1: But it's been a complete and total ass kicking down 123 00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:39,239 Speaker 1: the roster. This is crazy. Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter 124 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:43,400 Speaker 1: Junior tonight had forty nine points and twenty five rebounds. 125 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:48,520 Speaker 1: That's a Wilt Chamberlain Circle circa the nineteen sixties. Like that, 126 00:06:48,279 --> 00:06:50,600 Speaker 1: that's the type of production they were getting out of 127 00:06:50,640 --> 00:06:54,479 Speaker 1: their front court, not counting Nicole jokicch and I find 128 00:06:54,520 --> 00:06:58,280 Speaker 1: it really fascinating and honestly like it gives me this 129 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:01,479 Speaker 1: like interesting perspective looking back at the twenty twenty Lakers, 130 00:07:01,520 --> 00:07:04,040 Speaker 1: And I always knew size and strength was an advantage 131 00:07:04,080 --> 00:07:07,039 Speaker 1: for that team, but I'm even seeing now just how 132 00:07:07,120 --> 00:07:11,440 Speaker 1: much that matters at this point in the NBA playoffs, Right, 133 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:15,840 Speaker 1: Like that team was built on intelligent athleticism and strength. 134 00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:23,360 Speaker 1: Alex Caruso, Coentavious Caldwell, Pope Dwight Howard, right, even Kyle Kuzma, 135 00:07:23,960 --> 00:07:27,680 Speaker 1: like even Danny Green. They were all big, strong, high 136 00:07:27,760 --> 00:07:31,440 Speaker 1: IQ players, and that that next to Lebron and ad. 137 00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:34,040 Speaker 1: Did they struggle in the half court scoring sometimes? Yeah? 138 00:07:34,040 --> 00:07:36,440 Speaker 1: Did they struggle sometimes and go cold from the three 139 00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:38,520 Speaker 1: point line? Yeah? That was a big story going into 140 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:41,160 Speaker 1: the bubble in the in the seeding games before they 141 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:43,720 Speaker 1: got into the first round, and especially through the first 142 00:07:43,720 --> 00:07:46,960 Speaker 1: game against Portland, right. But then like they just kicked 143 00:07:46,960 --> 00:07:50,960 Speaker 1: everybody's ass with intelligent athleticism and strength, And I think 144 00:07:51,080 --> 00:07:53,280 Speaker 1: I think that's even been exacerbated as the league has 145 00:07:53,280 --> 00:07:58,240 Speaker 1: shifted more and more towards the towards the physicality side 146 00:07:58,240 --> 00:08:01,080 Speaker 1: of things. And that actually started in regular season this year, 147 00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:03,800 Speaker 1: but I even think this postseason has been more physical 148 00:08:03,880 --> 00:08:07,600 Speaker 1: and more just kind of like nasty and rock fighty 149 00:08:08,160 --> 00:08:12,280 Speaker 1: than other playoff rounds that we've seen in the past. 150 00:08:12,520 --> 00:08:15,000 Speaker 1: I think the entire league is shifting more towards that, 151 00:08:15,320 --> 00:08:18,320 Speaker 1: And honestly, I thought that was the story of tonight's game. 152 00:08:18,400 --> 00:08:21,920 Speaker 1: Like Aaron Gordon just carried the Nuggets through that initial 153 00:08:21,960 --> 00:08:25,400 Speaker 1: portion of the game when the Lakers were engaged and 154 00:08:25,680 --> 00:08:27,240 Speaker 1: there was a brief stretch there too in the second 155 00:08:27,320 --> 00:08:29,720 Speaker 1: quarter where Jamal Murray hit a bunch of nice pull 156 00:08:29,800 --> 00:08:31,880 Speaker 1: up jump shots that I helped kind of keep the 157 00:08:31,920 --> 00:08:35,160 Speaker 1: game kind of close. But Aaron Gordon was a monster 158 00:08:35,280 --> 00:08:37,120 Speaker 1: in that first half. And then the Nuggets came out 159 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:39,160 Speaker 1: in that third quarter. In just that first couple of 160 00:08:39,200 --> 00:08:42,040 Speaker 1: minutes of the third quarter, they threw a really good 161 00:08:42,120 --> 00:08:45,280 Speaker 1: punch just for a few minutes, and the Lakers let 162 00:08:45,320 --> 00:08:47,040 Speaker 1: go of the rope. And then as soon as they 163 00:08:47,120 --> 00:08:48,960 Speaker 1: let go the rope, it was over. And honestly, that 164 00:08:49,040 --> 00:08:50,920 Speaker 1: was kind of as a as a person who roots 165 00:08:50,920 --> 00:08:52,920 Speaker 1: for the Lakers. That was the biggest disappointing thing for 166 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:56,080 Speaker 1: me tonight, is like I thought, the Lakers straight up 167 00:08:56,160 --> 00:09:00,559 Speaker 1: let go of the rope for literally, what is it, 168 00:09:00,880 --> 00:09:04,720 Speaker 1: five halves of this series? The obviously the first two 169 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:07,000 Speaker 1: games and then the tonight. In the first half, the 170 00:09:07,080 --> 00:09:09,040 Speaker 1: Lakers kind of went toe to toe with the Nuggets 171 00:09:09,080 --> 00:09:11,160 Speaker 1: for the most part, and like, what's crazy about it? 172 00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:13,280 Speaker 1: And this is honestly, you know, I said this before 173 00:09:13,280 --> 00:09:16,000 Speaker 1: the series. The reason why I, even when the Lakers 174 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:17,880 Speaker 1: were up twenty, I never actually thought they had a 175 00:09:17,920 --> 00:09:21,520 Speaker 1: substantial chance to win the series is because I knew 176 00:09:21,559 --> 00:09:24,160 Speaker 1: that the Lakers were talented enough to go blow for 177 00:09:24,240 --> 00:09:26,840 Speaker 1: blow with the Nuggets for spurts, and I thought they 178 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:29,760 Speaker 1: could get a game or two, but I never I 179 00:09:29,840 --> 00:09:32,719 Speaker 1: never thought they could sustain against this team. And it's 180 00:09:32,760 --> 00:09:35,360 Speaker 1: like they're literally like playing tug of war, and they 181 00:09:35,440 --> 00:09:37,360 Speaker 1: let go of the rope in that second half and 182 00:09:37,400 --> 00:09:39,920 Speaker 1: then it just got turned into bad body language. And 183 00:09:40,400 --> 00:09:43,800 Speaker 1: now it's like the effort craters and their defensive rotations 184 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:46,880 Speaker 1: are worse, and their execution on offense gets worse, and 185 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:48,640 Speaker 1: it just gets worse and worse, and then the bottom 186 00:09:48,679 --> 00:09:50,720 Speaker 1: basically fell out. And I want to credit the Nuggets 187 00:09:50,760 --> 00:09:53,000 Speaker 1: because they smelled blood in the water and they went 188 00:09:53,040 --> 00:09:55,280 Speaker 1: for it. And you know, it's interesting because I was 189 00:09:55,320 --> 00:09:57,840 Speaker 1: wrong about this series. I picked the Nuggets to win. 190 00:09:57,880 --> 00:10:00,760 Speaker 1: I thought they'd win in five or six games, but 191 00:10:00,840 --> 00:10:02,800 Speaker 1: I really did think the Lakers would get one or two. 192 00:10:03,320 --> 00:10:05,880 Speaker 1: And the main reason why is like I think this 193 00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:09,280 Speaker 1: Lakers team is more talented and better than last year's team. 194 00:10:09,640 --> 00:10:13,280 Speaker 1: They just have the continuity. They a couple of key 195 00:10:13,360 --> 00:10:16,080 Speaker 1: role players had better seasons than they did last year. 196 00:10:16,440 --> 00:10:19,560 Speaker 1: The five out offense kind of optimized all five of 197 00:10:19,559 --> 00:10:22,640 Speaker 1: those starters to kind of play together and reach heights 198 00:10:22,679 --> 00:10:25,120 Speaker 1: offensively that they hadn't reached. They were bad offense last 199 00:10:25,200 --> 00:10:28,720 Speaker 1: year with more or less the same guys. Right, they 200 00:10:28,720 --> 00:10:31,120 Speaker 1: were a bad offense last year, and this year they 201 00:10:31,120 --> 00:10:32,839 Speaker 1: were the third best offense in the league over the 202 00:10:32,920 --> 00:10:34,960 Speaker 1: last forty six games of the season. Right, this was 203 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:37,560 Speaker 1: a good offensive team. And so I really thought they'd 204 00:10:37,559 --> 00:10:40,120 Speaker 1: be able to do some damage, at least a little 205 00:10:40,120 --> 00:10:43,280 Speaker 1: bit of damage in this series before they'd inevitably lose. Right, 206 00:10:43,640 --> 00:10:46,160 Speaker 1: And I was just wrong. They're gonna get swept. And 207 00:10:46,400 --> 00:10:50,560 Speaker 1: I think kind of trying to diagnose that, I really 208 00:10:50,600 --> 00:10:52,240 Speaker 1: just come back to I just think it's a really 209 00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:55,080 Speaker 1: bad matchup. And what I mean by that is like 210 00:10:55,320 --> 00:10:59,600 Speaker 1: Lebron and Ad are a bad matchup for the vast 211 00:10:59,640 --> 00:11:02,400 Speaker 1: majority of the league. They're too big at power forward 212 00:11:02,440 --> 00:11:04,520 Speaker 1: and they're too big at center. And they did a 213 00:11:04,559 --> 00:11:08,000 Speaker 1: lot of damage this year to really good teams with 214 00:11:08,280 --> 00:11:11,600 Speaker 1: that advantage. That's how they beat the Clippers so many times. 215 00:11:11,679 --> 00:11:13,679 Speaker 1: That's how they beat the Suns so many times. That's 216 00:11:13,679 --> 00:11:15,920 Speaker 1: how they beat the Thunder so many times. That's how 217 00:11:15,920 --> 00:11:20,240 Speaker 1: they beat the Bucks. You know, like they just perpetually 218 00:11:20,760 --> 00:11:24,760 Speaker 1: were able to weaponize their front court as their supreme advantage. Right, 219 00:11:24,800 --> 00:11:27,360 Speaker 1: if you were listing the advantages that the Lakers have, 220 00:11:27,440 --> 00:11:30,679 Speaker 1: it's like lebron ad front court is number one on 221 00:11:30,720 --> 00:11:33,600 Speaker 1: that list, and then beneath that, it's like really skilled 222 00:11:33,640 --> 00:11:36,440 Speaker 1: offensive players around him that can kind of play in 223 00:11:36,520 --> 00:11:40,480 Speaker 1: that mix. Right, that's their advantage. But here's the problem. 224 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:44,199 Speaker 1: Denver is bigger than them in the front court. They 225 00:11:44,280 --> 00:11:48,880 Speaker 1: just are like a Yokich is bigger than Anthony Davis. 226 00:11:49,400 --> 00:11:51,800 Speaker 1: Aaron Gordon and Lebron are more or less the same size. 227 00:11:51,800 --> 00:11:53,840 Speaker 1: Aaron Gordon's not quite as strong, but he's a little 228 00:11:53,840 --> 00:11:56,680 Speaker 1: bit taller, right, and at this phase of his career 229 00:11:56,920 --> 00:12:00,480 Speaker 1: is able to really match up with Lebron athletically in 230 00:12:00,520 --> 00:12:03,160 Speaker 1: a way that when Lebron's twenty five nobody could. Right. 231 00:12:03,720 --> 00:12:07,120 Speaker 1: And then Michael Porter Junior is just a bigger, better 232 00:12:07,240 --> 00:12:10,679 Speaker 1: basketball player than Ruey Hachamura. And so now imagine this 233 00:12:10,760 --> 00:12:15,280 Speaker 1: scenario your best advantage as you try to inflict it 234 00:12:15,440 --> 00:12:20,520 Speaker 1: on Denver, You're running into basically a bigger, stronger front 235 00:12:20,559 --> 00:12:23,520 Speaker 1: line that you can't weaponize that against. Okay, so now 236 00:12:23,559 --> 00:12:27,160 Speaker 1: your biggest advantage has been more or less mitigated, removed 237 00:12:27,160 --> 00:12:30,160 Speaker 1: from the equation. Right now, we shift down to the 238 00:12:30,160 --> 00:12:33,440 Speaker 1: rest of the roster, and that's where Denver's advantages kick in. 239 00:12:33,760 --> 00:12:36,880 Speaker 1: And it's like, oh wait, like Contavious call Well, Pope, 240 00:12:37,320 --> 00:12:40,840 Speaker 1: maybe not as skilled as D'Angelo Russell, maybe doesn't have 241 00:12:40,920 --> 00:12:44,560 Speaker 1: the high highs that d' angelo Russell can bring to 242 00:12:44,600 --> 00:12:47,719 Speaker 1: the table, But on a night in, night out, basis 243 00:12:47,559 --> 00:12:51,000 Speaker 1: as a two way player for the Denver Nuggets, he's 244 00:12:51,080 --> 00:12:55,120 Speaker 1: just a better basketball player tonight. KCP didn't put up 245 00:12:55,600 --> 00:12:58,320 Speaker 1: big numbers, but how many times did you see ad 246 00:12:58,480 --> 00:12:59,920 Speaker 1: try to make some move in the lane on your 247 00:13:00,080 --> 00:13:02,440 Speaker 1: kitch and CACP come in and strip it down or 248 00:13:02,480 --> 00:13:04,720 Speaker 1: dig down on somebody else, driving and pick and roll 249 00:13:04,720 --> 00:13:08,920 Speaker 1: like he just is everywhere making plays Defensively, Aaron Gordon 250 00:13:09,080 --> 00:13:11,840 Speaker 1: was an athletic wrecking ball in this game, causing problems. 251 00:13:11,880 --> 00:13:16,160 Speaker 1: Michael Porter Junior just perpetually hitting big shot after big shot, 252 00:13:16,240 --> 00:13:20,640 Speaker 1: grabbing big rebound. It is a mismatch down the roster. 253 00:13:20,760 --> 00:13:24,400 Speaker 1: And so essentially, if your biggest advantage gets canceled out 254 00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:27,920 Speaker 1: by Denver and all of your secondary advantages are just 255 00:13:27,960 --> 00:13:30,240 Speaker 1: not as good as Denver, then there's not really a 256 00:13:30,280 --> 00:13:35,480 Speaker 1: pathway to victory anymore. Your only pathway is essentially variants, 257 00:13:35,520 --> 00:13:36,960 Speaker 1: and you kind of got a little bit of that 258 00:13:36,960 --> 00:13:39,079 Speaker 1: it in game two, right, Like, in Game two, you 259 00:13:39,360 --> 00:13:41,640 Speaker 1: shot the ball really well and Denver didn't, and you 260 00:13:42,080 --> 00:13:45,600 Speaker 1: got close enough. But even then you couldn't close the 261 00:13:45,640 --> 00:13:49,440 Speaker 1: deal because Denver's personnel on the defensive end is more 262 00:13:49,520 --> 00:13:51,440 Speaker 1: versatile than yours, and they were able to make an 263 00:13:51,440 --> 00:13:55,040 Speaker 1: adjustment to mitigate what you were doing offensively, play you 264 00:13:55,080 --> 00:13:57,319 Speaker 1: into some of your worst tendencies, and then they walked 265 00:13:57,360 --> 00:13:58,760 Speaker 1: you down at the end of the game and scored 266 00:13:58,760 --> 00:14:01,200 Speaker 1: on eight of their last nine possession, right, And so 267 00:14:01,240 --> 00:14:03,520 Speaker 1: that's the thing, Like, it doesn't really matter if the 268 00:14:03,600 --> 00:14:07,640 Speaker 1: Lakers closed the gap in terms of their you know, 269 00:14:08,120 --> 00:14:11,160 Speaker 1: abilities as a basketball team between last year and this year. 270 00:14:11,160 --> 00:14:13,560 Speaker 1: And I still truly believe that last year they threw 271 00:14:13,600 --> 00:14:16,160 Speaker 1: the team together together at the deadline. They didn't have continuity, 272 00:14:16,160 --> 00:14:18,240 Speaker 1: they were running a different offense, a lot of guys 273 00:14:18,280 --> 00:14:22,240 Speaker 1: were learning on the fly. This year's team, same squad 274 00:14:22,240 --> 00:14:26,560 Speaker 1: from training camp to now, new offense, better production. They 275 00:14:26,600 --> 00:14:29,600 Speaker 1: are a better team than they were last year. But 276 00:14:29,680 --> 00:14:33,400 Speaker 1: it doesn't matter because strictly within the context of this matchup, 277 00:14:33,760 --> 00:14:37,400 Speaker 1: they can't hang. And matchups are a huge deal in 278 00:14:37,440 --> 00:14:39,680 Speaker 1: the NBA these days. Why do you think the Pelicans 279 00:14:39,880 --> 00:14:42,960 Speaker 1: have the Sacramento Kings in the Golden State Warriors number. 280 00:14:43,200 --> 00:14:46,600 Speaker 1: It's because they have lanky perimeter defenders to throw up 281 00:14:46,640 --> 00:14:50,240 Speaker 1: against the smaller guard initiators for the other team, and 282 00:14:50,360 --> 00:14:53,480 Speaker 1: those teams don't have the interior size to punish the 283 00:14:53,520 --> 00:14:57,400 Speaker 1: Pelicans bad defensive front line. So it's just a bad matchup. 284 00:14:57,560 --> 00:15:00,960 Speaker 1: That doesn't necessarily mean that the Pelicans aren't. Like I 285 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:02,760 Speaker 1: think the Pelicans and the Warriors and the Kings are 286 00:15:02,760 --> 00:15:05,000 Speaker 1: all kind of on the same level as basketball teams 287 00:15:05,040 --> 00:15:08,000 Speaker 1: in the aggregate versus the rest of the league. But 288 00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:11,040 Speaker 1: when you put them against each other, the Pelicans can 289 00:15:11,320 --> 00:15:15,600 Speaker 1: can just confront all of Golden State and Sacramento's strengths, 290 00:15:15,920 --> 00:15:18,080 Speaker 1: and it makes it so that they're incapable of what 291 00:15:18,200 --> 00:15:20,560 Speaker 1: the Pelicans go against the Kings this year six and 292 00:15:20,640 --> 00:15:23,120 Speaker 1: zero or something like that, Like it was complete in 293 00:15:23,200 --> 00:15:25,720 Speaker 1: total dominance, right, And that's kind of more or less 294 00:15:25,720 --> 00:15:27,840 Speaker 1: what I see between the Lakers and the Nuggets. Lakers 295 00:15:27,880 --> 00:15:29,680 Speaker 1: had a lot of success this year against a lot 296 00:15:29,680 --> 00:15:33,520 Speaker 1: of good teams, but this particular team has consistently had 297 00:15:33,560 --> 00:15:36,520 Speaker 1: their number, and there's been nothing that they can do 298 00:15:36,680 --> 00:15:39,280 Speaker 1: about it. And one last thing I want to say. 299 00:15:39,320 --> 00:15:42,920 Speaker 1: I want to say about the Nuggets like this, this 300 00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:46,240 Speaker 1: team has a basketball character in terms of their night 301 00:15:46,280 --> 00:15:50,400 Speaker 1: in and night out effort and focus and energy like 302 00:15:50,520 --> 00:15:55,640 Speaker 1: in the postseason that I think helps them avoid the 303 00:15:55,800 --> 00:15:59,920 Speaker 1: unforced errors that can occur in a playoff run. For instance, Boston, 304 00:16:00,800 --> 00:16:03,720 Speaker 1: Boston tricks off a game against Miami last night playing 305 00:16:03,760 --> 00:16:06,480 Speaker 1: some of the worst defense I've ever seen them play. 306 00:16:07,120 --> 00:16:10,040 Speaker 1: Twenty seven of the forty three threes that they allowed 307 00:16:10,080 --> 00:16:13,920 Speaker 1: Miami to shoot I thought were significant and defensive breakdowns 308 00:16:14,160 --> 00:16:19,160 Speaker 1: like it was bad. Like that team, they have trouble 309 00:16:19,240 --> 00:16:22,520 Speaker 1: maintaining their level. They kind of oscillate up and down right, 310 00:16:22,720 --> 00:16:24,920 Speaker 1: And so what happens is is like against a good team, 311 00:16:24,920 --> 00:16:28,040 Speaker 1: when you dip down, you could take a loss, and 312 00:16:28,080 --> 00:16:29,800 Speaker 1: that could put you in a predicament where now your 313 00:16:29,840 --> 00:16:32,920 Speaker 1: margin for error is smaller. And Denver's just not like that. 314 00:16:32,960 --> 00:16:35,760 Speaker 1: They always pull on the rope, and the really good 315 00:16:35,760 --> 00:16:37,240 Speaker 1: teams might be able to pull on the rope with 316 00:16:37,280 --> 00:16:39,240 Speaker 1: them and hang on for a while. But for the 317 00:16:39,240 --> 00:16:41,760 Speaker 1: most part, Denver's not gonna give you ground just for 318 00:16:41,800 --> 00:16:43,600 Speaker 1: the sake of giving ground. They're not gonna give you 319 00:16:43,640 --> 00:16:46,440 Speaker 1: ground with sloppiness. They're not gonna give you ground with 320 00:16:46,560 --> 00:16:49,480 Speaker 1: inconsistent effort. They're not gonna give you ground with guys 321 00:16:49,520 --> 00:16:53,800 Speaker 1: not accepting their roles and going off script and not 322 00:16:53,960 --> 00:16:57,080 Speaker 1: doing their jobs. I loved that quote from Aaron Gordon 323 00:16:57,120 --> 00:16:58,680 Speaker 1: after the game. I don't know if you guys remember, 324 00:16:59,600 --> 00:17:01,800 Speaker 1: but the reporter was kind of trying to bait him, 325 00:17:01,840 --> 00:17:04,159 Speaker 1: you know. He was like asking him questions about the 326 00:17:04,200 --> 00:17:07,359 Speaker 1: Lakers matchup specifically, and what is it about these guys 327 00:17:07,359 --> 00:17:10,280 Speaker 1: that you guys give him all these problems blah blah blah, 328 00:17:10,320 --> 00:17:13,080 Speaker 1: and he's just like, no, no, no, it's about us, and 329 00:17:13,440 --> 00:17:15,199 Speaker 1: I am just trying to do what I can to 330 00:17:15,240 --> 00:17:17,679 Speaker 1: help my team win. And what's interesting about that is 331 00:17:17,680 --> 00:17:20,280 Speaker 1: Aaron Gordon, when he was with Orlando, he was all 332 00:17:20,320 --> 00:17:23,840 Speaker 1: interested in becoming this like versatile scoring forward. And what's 333 00:17:23,840 --> 00:17:26,440 Speaker 1: so fascinating about what he's done in Denver is he's 334 00:17:26,480 --> 00:17:29,119 Speaker 1: been like, the hell with all that they need me 335 00:17:29,240 --> 00:17:32,880 Speaker 1: to basically play center while Jokic plays like point forward 336 00:17:34,200 --> 00:17:35,840 Speaker 1: at the top of the key area with all this 337 00:17:35,920 --> 00:17:38,320 Speaker 1: two man game and triuble handoff stuff and five out stuff, right, 338 00:17:38,680 --> 00:17:40,760 Speaker 1: and He's like, fine, I'll do that. You need me 339 00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:43,600 Speaker 1: to just grab every offensive rebound and hut to the 340 00:17:43,640 --> 00:17:45,679 Speaker 1: rim every single time my man turns his head and 341 00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:48,400 Speaker 1: sprint up and down the floor and transition and guard 342 00:17:48,440 --> 00:17:50,679 Speaker 1: the other team's best defensive forward. If that's all you 343 00:17:50,720 --> 00:17:52,639 Speaker 1: need me to do, That's what I'll do. I was 344 00:17:52,680 --> 00:17:55,400 Speaker 1: actually thinking during the game, like, no one would ever 345 00:17:55,440 --> 00:17:58,119 Speaker 1: consider Aaron Gordon to be a top thirty, top forty 346 00:17:58,160 --> 00:18:00,960 Speaker 1: player in the NBA because of his statistical production. But 347 00:18:01,040 --> 00:18:04,800 Speaker 1: if you actually just were to kind of just focus 348 00:18:04,800 --> 00:18:08,680 Speaker 1: it down strictly to winning impact, he's probably a lot 349 00:18:08,760 --> 00:18:10,760 Speaker 1: higher on that list than we give him credit for. 350 00:18:11,200 --> 00:18:12,679 Speaker 1: There are a lot of guys in the league that 351 00:18:12,960 --> 00:18:17,080 Speaker 1: put up big numbers in specific roles for teams that 352 00:18:17,480 --> 00:18:21,760 Speaker 1: can't impact winning the way that Aaron Gordon does. And 353 00:18:21,920 --> 00:18:26,479 Speaker 1: I like, like you, he is just he's just so 354 00:18:26,760 --> 00:18:30,680 Speaker 1: useful and so impactful and so underrated in my opinion. 355 00:18:31,320 --> 00:18:33,960 Speaker 1: Moving on to the Lakers, just really quickly before we 356 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:38,120 Speaker 1: move on. Lessons have to be learned from this, and 357 00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:40,919 Speaker 1: I'm skeptical about it because this is the front office 358 00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:43,800 Speaker 1: that has consistently missed the boat on this kind of thing, right, 359 00:18:43,840 --> 00:18:46,360 Speaker 1: This is the same front office. That was like, oh, 360 00:18:46,640 --> 00:18:51,000 Speaker 1: KCP and Alex Caruso and Dennis Schroeder and all these 361 00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:55,000 Speaker 1: guys missed some shots in twenty twenty one during the 362 00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:58,360 Speaker 1: Sun series, So let's bail on him and find shooting. 363 00:18:59,080 --> 00:19:01,600 Speaker 1: Oh wait, never mind, and we actually want a third star, 364 00:19:02,119 --> 00:19:05,000 Speaker 1: So forget about Buddy Heal. Let's go after Russell Westbrook. 365 00:19:05,080 --> 00:19:08,320 Speaker 1: And they don't realize that Alex Cruso and KCP were 366 00:19:08,320 --> 00:19:10,680 Speaker 1: two of the most important pieces to when they won 367 00:19:10,720 --> 00:19:13,520 Speaker 1: the title, not because of them knocking down three point shots, 368 00:19:13,680 --> 00:19:16,760 Speaker 1: not because of their offensive ceiling, but because of their floor. 369 00:19:17,440 --> 00:19:20,360 Speaker 1: And I've noticed that as the game has gotten more physical, 370 00:19:20,520 --> 00:19:24,080 Speaker 1: it's more the floor that matters than the ceiling, because 371 00:19:24,119 --> 00:19:28,000 Speaker 1: like when everything gets grinded down into the mud, it's 372 00:19:28,080 --> 00:19:31,000 Speaker 1: everyone's playing like shit to a certain extent, you know, 373 00:19:31,240 --> 00:19:33,960 Speaker 1: at least in terms of their like finesse efficiency. Obviously, 374 00:19:33,960 --> 00:19:37,800 Speaker 1: the big strong stars like the uh the Nikola Jokicic's 375 00:19:37,800 --> 00:19:39,720 Speaker 1: of the world are gonna thrive in those environments. But 376 00:19:39,920 --> 00:19:42,760 Speaker 1: the finesse player like Jamal Murray, his shot making has 377 00:19:42,760 --> 00:19:44,600 Speaker 1: been key in the series. Go look at his percentages. 378 00:19:44,600 --> 00:19:46,399 Speaker 1: He's been below fifty percent in every game. If I 379 00:19:46,440 --> 00:19:48,440 Speaker 1: remember correctly, I think he finished tonight like eight for 380 00:19:48,480 --> 00:19:52,160 Speaker 1: twenty one. He's been shooting poorly the majority of the series. 381 00:19:52,160 --> 00:19:55,040 Speaker 1: That doesn't matter his floor because he's big and strong 382 00:19:55,280 --> 00:19:57,400 Speaker 1: and he does find a way to hit some shots 383 00:19:57,440 --> 00:20:00,879 Speaker 1: no matter what it like, all three games hit pivotal shots. 384 00:20:01,119 --> 00:20:03,840 Speaker 1: Forget about the percentages. He hit pivotal shots in all 385 00:20:03,880 --> 00:20:07,879 Speaker 1: three games, right, Like KCP had a bad shooting night tonight, 386 00:20:08,040 --> 00:20:10,680 Speaker 1: Who cares, he was all over the place. As an athlete, 387 00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:13,960 Speaker 1: if your floor is high, that matters more in the 388 00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:17,200 Speaker 1: postseason than your ceiling. And again, like, I don't have 389 00:20:17,240 --> 00:20:19,640 Speaker 1: any optimism about the Laker front office about being able 390 00:20:19,680 --> 00:20:21,600 Speaker 1: to figure that out because I genuinely just don't think 391 00:20:21,640 --> 00:20:24,159 Speaker 1: they get it. But hopefully this year will be the 392 00:20:24,240 --> 00:20:28,679 Speaker 1: year that they learned about that. Danzel Russell, you know, 393 00:20:29,880 --> 00:20:31,639 Speaker 1: it's been a really this is Delo is actually the 394 00:20:31,640 --> 00:20:36,480 Speaker 1: perfect example of this theory, because Delo's ceiling is really 395 00:20:36,560 --> 00:20:39,320 Speaker 1: damn high. You saw what he did in Game two 396 00:20:39,320 --> 00:20:41,920 Speaker 1: when he was hitting shots. Go back into the postseason 397 00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:46,680 Speaker 1: last year, Game four against Memphis, just massive three point 398 00:20:46,680 --> 00:20:48,680 Speaker 1: shots in the fourth quarter because he caught a little 399 00:20:48,720 --> 00:20:51,719 Speaker 1: mini heater in the fourth quarter that put the Lakers 400 00:20:51,760 --> 00:20:54,399 Speaker 1: in position to win that game. Right, we all know 401 00:20:54,440 --> 00:20:58,600 Speaker 1: what a Delo's ceiling is. But Dlo's floor is so 402 00:20:58,960 --> 00:21:01,920 Speaker 1: bad because he goes so cold and his decision making 403 00:21:01,960 --> 00:21:04,800 Speaker 1: gets so poor, and he's so useless on the defensive 404 00:21:04,880 --> 00:21:08,280 Speaker 1: end of the floor that he's like downright damaging like 405 00:21:08,440 --> 00:21:11,639 Speaker 1: half the time. And so it doesn't really matter how 406 00:21:11,720 --> 00:21:14,200 Speaker 1: highest ceiling is if when you need him in a 407 00:21:14,240 --> 00:21:17,120 Speaker 1: big game like this, you don't know what you're gonna get, right, 408 00:21:17,640 --> 00:21:20,720 Speaker 1: And like I we have to be critical because this 409 00:21:20,800 --> 00:21:22,439 Speaker 1: is the same guy that said all season that he 410 00:21:22,480 --> 00:21:24,879 Speaker 1: wanted all the smoke. He literally said that. This is 411 00:21:24,920 --> 00:21:28,280 Speaker 1: the same guy after Game two that said that he 412 00:21:28,359 --> 00:21:30,359 Speaker 1: still believed his team was gonna win this series. He 413 00:21:30,440 --> 00:21:35,240 Speaker 1: was writing checks and then he didn't cash them. He 414 00:21:35,240 --> 00:21:40,000 Speaker 1: he put forth an abysmal two way performance tonight, zero 415 00:21:40,040 --> 00:21:42,720 Speaker 1: for seven from the field, lost all over the place 416 00:21:42,720 --> 00:21:45,639 Speaker 1: on defense. There's a video of him pouting outside the 417 00:21:45,640 --> 00:21:49,639 Speaker 1: team huddle after the game, and I'm like, I I 418 00:21:49,880 --> 00:21:54,600 Speaker 1: just never he never addressed his floor as a player, 419 00:21:54,680 --> 00:21:57,040 Speaker 1: and that was the problem. He's so worried about his ceiling, 420 00:21:57,040 --> 00:21:59,520 Speaker 1: and he work more on shooting, more on playmaking. I'm 421 00:21:59,520 --> 00:22:04,679 Speaker 1: just gonna lean into being this highly volatile offensive player 422 00:22:04,920 --> 00:22:07,760 Speaker 1: instead of addressing his weaknesses, which is his possession to 423 00:22:07,800 --> 00:22:12,720 Speaker 1: possession focus outside of what he's doing offensively, outside of 424 00:22:12,760 --> 00:22:14,399 Speaker 1: what he's doing with the ball in his hands, I 425 00:22:14,400 --> 00:22:17,400 Speaker 1: should say, And that ended up being what basically did 426 00:22:17,440 --> 00:22:21,040 Speaker 1: him in Again, here we are one year after he 427 00:22:21,080 --> 00:22:22,919 Speaker 1: was played off the floor against Denver, and in two 428 00:22:23,000 --> 00:22:27,120 Speaker 1: of the three games, he's been downright destructive to the Lakers. 429 00:22:28,040 --> 00:22:31,160 Speaker 1: Like they but if they decide to and we'll see 430 00:22:31,160 --> 00:22:32,399 Speaker 1: what because the Lakers have a lot of stuff they 431 00:22:32,400 --> 00:22:33,720 Speaker 1: have to figure out this obviously, and who knows if 432 00:22:33,800 --> 00:22:36,040 Speaker 1: Lebron is gonna want to look somewhere else. Who knows 433 00:22:36,040 --> 00:22:38,640 Speaker 1: if the entire ownership in front office group just wants 434 00:22:38,720 --> 00:22:40,440 Speaker 1: to move on from the Lebron Ad pairing. Like, we 435 00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:43,159 Speaker 1: don't know what's gonna happen, Right. I thought Ad was 436 00:22:43,200 --> 00:22:46,000 Speaker 1: for more or less great in this series to this point, 437 00:22:46,400 --> 00:22:49,880 Speaker 1: and that obviously is an excellent kind of foundational piece 438 00:22:49,880 --> 00:22:51,200 Speaker 1: to try to build around. But I mean, he's gonna 439 00:22:51,200 --> 00:22:53,760 Speaker 1: be thirty one next year, right, and so there's stuff 440 00:22:53,760 --> 00:22:55,439 Speaker 1: that they got to figure out. But like, if they 441 00:22:55,480 --> 00:22:57,000 Speaker 1: do try to run it back if they run it 442 00:22:57,000 --> 00:22:58,760 Speaker 1: back and they go, hey, we're doing the ad Lebron 443 00:22:58,840 --> 00:23:01,800 Speaker 1: thing again, that you you need to package d'angela Russell 444 00:23:02,560 --> 00:23:05,040 Speaker 1: and draft compensation and whatever you need to do if 445 00:23:05,040 --> 00:23:07,120 Speaker 1: it's more than one deal, and you need to bring 446 00:23:07,119 --> 00:23:11,880 Speaker 1: in intelligent athleticism and strength to put alongside Lebron James 447 00:23:11,880 --> 00:23:14,920 Speaker 1: and Anthony Davis, guys with high floors that maybe don't 448 00:23:14,960 --> 00:23:17,440 Speaker 1: have the ceiling, because not only will that be better 449 00:23:17,440 --> 00:23:19,080 Speaker 1: for them in the regular season, but when we get 450 00:23:19,119 --> 00:23:20,960 Speaker 1: into these rock fights, when we get into these physical 451 00:23:20,960 --> 00:23:22,560 Speaker 1: playoff games, those are gonna be the guys that are 452 00:23:22,560 --> 00:23:26,000 Speaker 1: able to play all right, Moving on to six Ers Nicks. 453 00:23:27,160 --> 00:23:28,600 Speaker 1: You know, one of the things I talked about going 454 00:23:28,640 --> 00:23:31,760 Speaker 1: into this postseason run is when it comes to Joel Embiid, 455 00:23:33,280 --> 00:23:37,160 Speaker 1: his playoff history kind of comes down to a similar theme. Right. 456 00:23:37,720 --> 00:23:41,040 Speaker 1: He struggles with some of the aggression that the defenses 457 00:23:41,080 --> 00:23:43,640 Speaker 1: bring to the table, and he'll have bad turnovers and 458 00:23:44,160 --> 00:23:46,600 Speaker 1: he'll struggle to kind of bully his way to the basket, 459 00:23:46,760 --> 00:23:51,120 Speaker 1: and he never really developed that like consistent like five 460 00:23:51,200 --> 00:23:53,720 Speaker 1: to seven feet from the basket, like over the top 461 00:23:53,760 --> 00:23:56,280 Speaker 1: game like Jokic has, and that I think has made 462 00:23:56,720 --> 00:23:59,360 Speaker 1: his game a little bit more volatile, but he's been 463 00:23:59,680 --> 00:24:02,760 Speaker 1: bad head for the most part because his jump shot 464 00:24:02,800 --> 00:24:05,920 Speaker 1: hasn't gone in. That's been the primary issue. Every year. 465 00:24:05,960 --> 00:24:09,080 Speaker 1: He shoots pretty damn well for the entire regular season, 466 00:24:09,119 --> 00:24:10,760 Speaker 1: and then he gets into the postseason and he can't 467 00:24:10,800 --> 00:24:12,560 Speaker 1: make a jump shot. And since he can't make a 468 00:24:12,640 --> 00:24:14,840 Speaker 1: jump shot and he can't make the over the top shot, 469 00:24:15,119 --> 00:24:16,680 Speaker 1: his game kind of falls apart, and all of a sudden, 470 00:24:16,720 --> 00:24:18,840 Speaker 1: Al Horford's in his head and he doesn't know what 471 00:24:18,880 --> 00:24:22,600 Speaker 1: to do, and now he's kind of like mitigated within 472 00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:25,359 Speaker 1: that series, right, That's been kind of the story, but 473 00:24:25,640 --> 00:24:28,440 Speaker 1: and beats potential for like a just a complete wrecking 474 00:24:28,480 --> 00:24:31,120 Speaker 1: ball stretch has always been there because he is bigger 475 00:24:31,160 --> 00:24:33,479 Speaker 1: and stronger than everybody, because there isn't anybody that can 476 00:24:33,520 --> 00:24:36,960 Speaker 1: actually guard him when he's playing confident and comfortable offensively, 477 00:24:37,280 --> 00:24:40,680 Speaker 1: and he does have a very very very good jump shot. 478 00:24:40,720 --> 00:24:43,679 Speaker 1: He's an excellent jump shooter, and he is capable of 479 00:24:43,760 --> 00:24:45,960 Speaker 1: knocking down shots in the postseason. He just hasn't done 480 00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:48,320 Speaker 1: it to this point, and so honestly, tonight kind of 481 00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:51,119 Speaker 1: felt like him breaking through in a lot of ways. 482 00:24:51,160 --> 00:24:53,439 Speaker 1: Now there's a lot to get frustrated about if you're 483 00:24:53,440 --> 00:24:55,280 Speaker 1: a Sixers fan. Tonight, I did not think they had 484 00:24:55,280 --> 00:24:58,480 Speaker 1: a good defensive defensive game. They really really did a 485 00:24:58,480 --> 00:25:02,360 Speaker 1: poor job guarding bruntson and all screens. Uber and Nick 486 00:25:02,400 --> 00:25:05,960 Speaker 1: Batoum were just a little unfocused and getting caught off 487 00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:09,280 Speaker 1: guard when he was rejecting screens or why when he 488 00:25:09,280 --> 00:25:10,600 Speaker 1: would just kind of dribble around at the top of 489 00:25:10,640 --> 00:25:12,119 Speaker 1: the key and act like he's surveying the floor, He 490 00:25:12,160 --> 00:25:13,879 Speaker 1: kind of hit the Jets quick and beat him off 491 00:25:13,880 --> 00:25:16,520 Speaker 1: the dribble. They were then out of position in their 492 00:25:16,560 --> 00:25:19,560 Speaker 1: ball pursuit and committing fouls from behind. That was a 493 00:25:19,560 --> 00:25:22,240 Speaker 1: big issue. In the fourth quarter. There were possessions where 494 00:25:22,240 --> 00:25:24,760 Speaker 1: Embiid was like glued up to Hartenstein on the weak 495 00:25:24,840 --> 00:25:27,439 Speaker 1: side while Brunson's driving by Batooma on the other side. 496 00:25:27,480 --> 00:25:30,439 Speaker 1: Like it was not a good defensive effort. Honestly, the 497 00:25:30,480 --> 00:25:33,120 Speaker 1: only reason the Sixers won this game is they they 498 00:25:33,160 --> 00:25:36,639 Speaker 1: shot the shit out of the basketball in that second half, 499 00:25:36,720 --> 00:25:40,439 Speaker 1: and like specifically in the third quarter, Tyres Maxi and 500 00:25:40,520 --> 00:25:43,679 Speaker 1: Joel Embiid were just spamming that pick and pop and 501 00:25:43,720 --> 00:25:45,800 Speaker 1: Embiid was hitting threes. And it started in the early 502 00:25:45,800 --> 00:25:47,840 Speaker 1: third quarter with him hitting little mid range shots, and 503 00:25:47,840 --> 00:25:49,640 Speaker 1: then towards the end of the third quarter he started 504 00:25:49,720 --> 00:25:51,760 Speaker 1: hitting that pick and pop three point shot and it 505 00:25:51,800 --> 00:25:53,840 Speaker 1: kind of bailed them out. And so honestly, I think 506 00:25:53,880 --> 00:25:56,239 Speaker 1: it'll work to Nick Nurse's benefit because I think Nick 507 00:25:56,280 --> 00:25:57,760 Speaker 1: Nurse is gonna be able to go into a film 508 00:25:57,800 --> 00:25:59,640 Speaker 1: session with the team after this game and be like, Hey, 509 00:26:00,119 --> 00:26:02,760 Speaker 1: who won. This is great? You've played well enough to 510 00:26:02,760 --> 00:26:04,920 Speaker 1: be up or you're down one two, but you've played 511 00:26:04,960 --> 00:26:06,719 Speaker 1: well enough to be up to one. That's great. But 512 00:26:07,080 --> 00:26:09,960 Speaker 1: we gotta be a lot better for game four. And 513 00:26:10,000 --> 00:26:11,720 Speaker 1: I think I think we'll get much more of like 514 00:26:11,760 --> 00:26:14,520 Speaker 1: a stuck in the mud kind of rock fight game 515 00:26:15,560 --> 00:26:17,200 Speaker 1: in game four, And I think we'll get a better 516 00:26:17,240 --> 00:26:20,439 Speaker 1: defensive effort out of the sixers in that game, and 517 00:26:20,560 --> 00:26:22,119 Speaker 1: that that one is gonna be one where you're probably 518 00:26:22,119 --> 00:26:23,600 Speaker 1: not gonna shoot quite as well and you're gonna have 519 00:26:23,600 --> 00:26:25,560 Speaker 1: to win a different way. Right, This is kind of 520 00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:28,040 Speaker 1: the buzzsaw concept that we were talking about. It's why 521 00:26:28,080 --> 00:26:31,680 Speaker 1: you got ham Payne hidden shots and Kelly u Bray 522 00:26:31,760 --> 00:26:34,439 Speaker 1: a couple of shots like you get you get better 523 00:26:34,520 --> 00:26:37,720 Speaker 1: production from your role players at home, right, Like that's 524 00:26:37,840 --> 00:26:41,200 Speaker 1: that's kind of to be expected. Tyre's Maxy was awesome again, 525 00:26:41,320 --> 00:26:42,960 Speaker 1: not his most efficient night, but he had a step 526 00:26:42,960 --> 00:26:45,400 Speaker 1: back jump shot going, especially in that third quarter stretch. 527 00:26:46,000 --> 00:26:48,760 Speaker 1: Uh uh. You know, Tyres Masey, I think has been 528 00:26:48,800 --> 00:26:53,400 Speaker 1: a it's been a clear uh success story this year 529 00:26:53,560 --> 00:26:55,960 Speaker 1: in the sense that when Daryl Morrin moved off of 530 00:26:56,040 --> 00:26:59,200 Speaker 1: James Harden and especially when he made the move more 531 00:26:59,200 --> 00:27:03,280 Speaker 1: for draft compet and one useful role player and Nick Batoom, 532 00:27:03,800 --> 00:27:05,840 Speaker 1: that put a lot of pressure on Tyree s Maaxy. 533 00:27:05,880 --> 00:27:09,080 Speaker 1: Hey man, you're the number two, show us what you got, 534 00:27:09,320 --> 00:27:11,680 Speaker 1: and I think he's passed that test. With Flying Colors, 535 00:27:11,960 --> 00:27:15,000 Speaker 1: there's a little bit of like a trash talking match 536 00:27:15,040 --> 00:27:17,840 Speaker 1: that's starting to take shape between Maxi and Brunson too, 537 00:27:17,920 --> 00:27:20,800 Speaker 1: Like the Brunton at an and one against Maxie in 538 00:27:20,800 --> 00:27:22,639 Speaker 1: the second half are like Pump faked and leaned into 539 00:27:22,720 --> 00:27:25,120 Speaker 1: him and held the follow through right in Maxie's face, 540 00:27:25,200 --> 00:27:27,400 Speaker 1: and Maxi went back down on him on the other 541 00:27:27,520 --> 00:27:29,280 Speaker 1: end and his step back in his face and they're 542 00:27:29,320 --> 00:27:32,800 Speaker 1: kind of going at each other and like he's got 543 00:27:32,840 --> 00:27:36,520 Speaker 1: the confidence, he's got the natural ability in the postseason 544 00:27:36,520 --> 00:27:38,560 Speaker 1: to him just comes down to a simple combination of 545 00:27:38,600 --> 00:27:41,760 Speaker 1: jump shooting and downhill rim pressure. It's like the perfect 546 00:27:41,840 --> 00:27:44,320 Speaker 1: complimentary skills. If you were both a deadly over the 547 00:27:44,320 --> 00:27:47,320 Speaker 1: top shooter and a deadly downhill threat. It just puts 548 00:27:47,359 --> 00:27:50,520 Speaker 1: every defensive player that tries to guard you in a bind. 549 00:27:50,760 --> 00:27:52,720 Speaker 1: He's done a really nice job on the Embiid picking 550 00:27:52,760 --> 00:27:56,159 Speaker 1: pops of dragging his defender as far off to the 551 00:27:56,200 --> 00:27:59,040 Speaker 1: side as possible so that it's a longer close out right, 552 00:27:59,119 --> 00:28:01,159 Speaker 1: Like that is a speed element too. If you come 553 00:28:01,200 --> 00:28:03,280 Speaker 1: off the ball screen and you're too close and to 554 00:28:03,359 --> 00:28:06,520 Speaker 1: the pop, it's just an easier rotation for Hartenstein. Right. 555 00:28:08,280 --> 00:28:11,080 Speaker 1: As far as the play with Mitchell Robinson and Joel Embiid, 556 00:28:11,080 --> 00:28:13,320 Speaker 1: there's no defending it. It was a dirty play. He 557 00:28:13,359 --> 00:28:16,920 Speaker 1: was out of line. I'm glad that the league didn't 558 00:28:17,160 --> 00:28:20,080 Speaker 1: eject him just simply because that'd be kind of a 559 00:28:20,119 --> 00:28:23,320 Speaker 1: shitty way to win a series. Like if I'm the 560 00:28:23,359 --> 00:28:26,240 Speaker 1: Knicks as a competitor, I want to beat the Sixers 561 00:28:26,280 --> 00:28:28,640 Speaker 1: at full strength, and I want to beat them because 562 00:28:28,680 --> 00:28:31,280 Speaker 1: Embiid did something stupid in the second quarter. I don't 563 00:28:31,320 --> 00:28:33,840 Speaker 1: think Embiid was trying to hurt Mitchell Robinson. I think 564 00:28:33,880 --> 00:28:37,360 Speaker 1: he was just he made a really bad, split second decision, 565 00:28:37,600 --> 00:28:42,320 Speaker 1: a really stupid, unsafe decision because he was angry because 566 00:28:42,360 --> 00:28:44,520 Speaker 1: he got ran over. I think that's what it was. 567 00:28:44,840 --> 00:28:50,160 Speaker 1: Doesn't justify it, but I that's to me a discretion thing. Yeah, ya, 568 00:28:50,280 --> 00:28:53,400 Speaker 1: Levy a fine on embiid and you make sure he 569 00:28:53,480 --> 00:28:55,959 Speaker 1: understands that he can never do that again. But I 570 00:28:56,040 --> 00:28:59,240 Speaker 1: understood the league being like or the officials being like, 571 00:29:00,040 --> 00:29:02,840 Speaker 1: we're not gonna kick and beat out in Philly in 572 00:29:02,880 --> 00:29:04,760 Speaker 1: the second quarter or this game for something like that, 573 00:29:04,880 --> 00:29:06,480 Speaker 1: or or whenever it happened its first or second quarter. 574 00:29:06,600 --> 00:29:09,280 Speaker 1: But like I honestly too, like the city of Philadelphia 575 00:29:09,360 --> 00:29:11,000 Speaker 1: might have never let those officials get out of that 576 00:29:11,040 --> 00:29:13,800 Speaker 1: arena alive if that, if something like that would have happened. 577 00:29:13,800 --> 00:29:17,120 Speaker 1: Like there's a there's like a like by the book 578 00:29:17,160 --> 00:29:19,719 Speaker 1: way of looking at that incident, and then there's like 579 00:29:19,800 --> 00:29:22,600 Speaker 1: a realistic way of looking at that incident, and when 580 00:29:22,640 --> 00:29:24,920 Speaker 1: you look at it through that from that perspective, I 581 00:29:25,240 --> 00:29:28,160 Speaker 1: understood what the officials were doing. A big part of 582 00:29:28,160 --> 00:29:30,560 Speaker 1: this game too, just role players coming back and hitting shots. 583 00:29:30,600 --> 00:29:33,000 Speaker 1: That's an important piece of it, right. The big one 584 00:29:33,000 --> 00:29:35,080 Speaker 1: for me, though, is the defense on runs in and this 585 00:29:35,120 --> 00:29:37,440 Speaker 1: is something that I think that the Sixers are gonna 586 00:29:37,440 --> 00:29:39,600 Speaker 1: have to adjust in game two. One of the things 587 00:29:39,600 --> 00:29:41,720 Speaker 1: that I really didn't like in this game is they 588 00:29:41,720 --> 00:29:44,560 Speaker 1: were doing a little too much defending the action two 589 00:29:44,680 --> 00:29:48,640 Speaker 1: on two and staying glued on guys off the ball. 590 00:29:49,080 --> 00:29:51,480 Speaker 1: And I understand, like Josh Hart's been hitting shots, and 591 00:29:51,520 --> 00:29:53,640 Speaker 1: I understand like there have been guys that have made 592 00:29:53,720 --> 00:29:55,720 Speaker 1: you pay over the course of the series from time 593 00:29:55,760 --> 00:29:58,240 Speaker 1: to time, and obviously, like you don't want to just 594 00:29:58,280 --> 00:30:01,000 Speaker 1: make easy reads available. But one of the things that 595 00:30:01,080 --> 00:30:04,239 Speaker 1: was working in games one in game two is they 596 00:30:04,280 --> 00:30:07,760 Speaker 1: were digging down a lot and making Brunton play in traffic, 597 00:30:07,800 --> 00:30:11,000 Speaker 1: and he was getting into some precarious positions on the 598 00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:13,680 Speaker 1: floor where he was surrounded by three four guys and 599 00:30:13,720 --> 00:30:17,040 Speaker 1: turning the basketball over taking extremely difficult shots. You're on ball. 600 00:30:17,080 --> 00:30:20,600 Speaker 1: Defenders were doing a better job of pursuit tyres. Maxie 601 00:30:20,640 --> 00:30:22,960 Speaker 1: in particular, had much better defensive games in Game one 602 00:30:22,960 --> 00:30:25,080 Speaker 1: and two than he did in Game three. Right Nicks 603 00:30:25,080 --> 00:30:28,400 Speaker 1: made some adjustments too. They were running Brunton off more 604 00:30:28,480 --> 00:30:30,360 Speaker 1: zoom action, like out of the corner where he'd like 605 00:30:30,360 --> 00:30:33,360 Speaker 1: come off of a him down into a dribble handoff, 606 00:30:33,400 --> 00:30:36,880 Speaker 1: so that like it's not as obvious as as Brunson 607 00:30:37,000 --> 00:30:39,480 Speaker 1: just dribbling up the floor into a ball screen. But 608 00:30:39,520 --> 00:30:41,480 Speaker 1: I still think there's a lot of area for improvement 609 00:30:41,520 --> 00:30:44,320 Speaker 1: there for Philly, and they're going to have to have 610 00:30:44,320 --> 00:30:46,880 Speaker 1: a better defensive effort in Game two if they're going 611 00:30:46,960 --> 00:30:49,360 Speaker 1: to get this one. I do think best guess at 612 00:30:49,360 --> 00:30:51,480 Speaker 1: this point, I think the Sixers will win Game four. 613 00:30:51,920 --> 00:30:54,520 Speaker 1: But like I came into this series thinking the Sixers 614 00:30:54,520 --> 00:30:58,640 Speaker 1: were going to win, and the Knicks have shown me 615 00:30:58,720 --> 00:31:02,640 Speaker 1: that that toughness gap is actually even wider than I 616 00:31:02,680 --> 00:31:06,040 Speaker 1: thought it was, and I'm actually pretty concerned about their 617 00:31:06,080 --> 00:31:08,320 Speaker 1: ability to win in Madison Square Guard and again, especially 618 00:31:08,360 --> 00:31:11,960 Speaker 1: after what happened in Game two. And so I'm not 619 00:31:12,000 --> 00:31:14,240 Speaker 1: gonna bail on my pick yet, but I will tell 620 00:31:14,240 --> 00:31:16,400 Speaker 1: you guys that I certainly don't feel as confident in 621 00:31:16,440 --> 00:31:18,400 Speaker 1: it as I did before the series. Not that I 622 00:31:18,400 --> 00:31:20,240 Speaker 1: felt super confident in the Sixers to begin with, but 623 00:31:20,280 --> 00:31:22,200 Speaker 1: that is the team that I ended up picking. All right, 624 00:31:22,240 --> 00:31:23,720 Speaker 1: moving on to Caves Magic before we get out of 625 00:31:23,720 --> 00:31:25,360 Speaker 1: here for the night. Magic got off to a rough 626 00:31:25,360 --> 00:31:27,080 Speaker 1: start in this one. They were playing in jumpers, right 627 00:31:27,120 --> 00:31:29,280 Speaker 1: and left and the Cavs went up ten to three. 628 00:31:29,640 --> 00:31:31,920 Speaker 1: Fronz Wagner ended up finally getting the lid off the 629 00:31:32,000 --> 00:31:33,880 Speaker 1: rim with the corner three out of the left corner, 630 00:31:33,880 --> 00:31:36,640 Speaker 1: and from there the Magic just basically took over Jalen 631 00:31:36,680 --> 00:31:39,200 Speaker 1: Suggs immediately. It's a three, and it's just like they 632 00:31:39,320 --> 00:31:42,600 Speaker 1: just got their confidence and got going from there on. Offense, 633 00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:44,600 Speaker 1: the story of this game and this entire matchup really 634 00:31:44,640 --> 00:31:46,520 Speaker 1: and it's something that the Magic had been doing all season. 635 00:31:46,560 --> 00:31:49,360 Speaker 1: But Pawlo is basically your point guard, right and they're 636 00:31:49,400 --> 00:31:51,520 Speaker 1: just running a lot of these like ghost screens with 637 00:31:51,600 --> 00:31:54,840 Speaker 1: Jalen Suggs as man and you know, obviously there's like 638 00:31:54,840 --> 00:31:57,280 Speaker 1: a hedge and recover element to that where Jalen Suggs 639 00:31:57,320 --> 00:31:59,800 Speaker 1: was able to attack closeouts where like again we talked 640 00:31:59,800 --> 00:32:01,760 Speaker 1: about this with Grayson Allen and the Suns in the 641 00:32:01,800 --> 00:32:05,160 Speaker 1: Timberwolve series. But sug sets a screen, he slips out 642 00:32:05,160 --> 00:32:06,760 Speaker 1: to the top of the key palette, throws it back 643 00:32:06,800 --> 00:32:09,080 Speaker 1: to him. The hedger is like sprinting back to him. 644 00:32:09,520 --> 00:32:11,760 Speaker 1: He's hitting threes and driving out of that. He was 645 00:32:11,760 --> 00:32:14,120 Speaker 1: getting really good rim pressure out of that. Also, a 646 00:32:14,120 --> 00:32:16,680 Speaker 1: really good transition game from Jalen Suggs just flying down 647 00:32:16,680 --> 00:32:19,160 Speaker 1: the lane, had a big dunk on a spot up 648 00:32:19,200 --> 00:32:20,800 Speaker 1: at the top of the key when I think it 649 00:32:20,800 --> 00:32:22,560 Speaker 1: was Darius Garland kind of lost sight of him off 650 00:32:22,600 --> 00:32:25,640 Speaker 1: the ball, but when they were able to switch that, 651 00:32:25,680 --> 00:32:28,800 Speaker 1: when Jalen got a really good screen and they were 652 00:32:28,840 --> 00:32:30,440 Speaker 1: able to get a switch. One of the things that 653 00:32:30,440 --> 00:32:33,320 Speaker 1: I appreciated was like early in the game, Powell was 654 00:32:33,320 --> 00:32:37,600 Speaker 1: settling for further away jump shots, and obviously he's at 655 00:32:37,600 --> 00:32:38,840 Speaker 1: this phase in his career a little bit of an 656 00:32:38,880 --> 00:32:41,479 Speaker 1: inconsistent jump shooter, but he's actually like pretty damn good 657 00:32:41,520 --> 00:32:43,400 Speaker 1: when he gets closer to the basket when he's in 658 00:32:43,480 --> 00:32:46,320 Speaker 1: there like that seven to fifteen foot range, And he 659 00:32:46,400 --> 00:32:48,920 Speaker 1: finally started getting some better matchups and those ghost screens, 660 00:32:48,920 --> 00:32:51,080 Speaker 1: and he was getting downhill. Franz was doing this too, 661 00:32:51,840 --> 00:32:54,080 Speaker 1: but getting closer to the rim and taking those short 662 00:32:54,160 --> 00:32:57,840 Speaker 1: range jump shots. Like we too often we break down 663 00:32:57,920 --> 00:33:01,120 Speaker 1: shot making into like three levels, right, it's three level scoring, 664 00:33:01,160 --> 00:33:02,880 Speaker 1: it's the rim, it's the three point line, it's the 665 00:33:02,920 --> 00:33:05,000 Speaker 1: mid range, right, But I actually look at more like 666 00:33:05,040 --> 00:33:08,320 Speaker 1: four levels. It's like the rim, the three point line, 667 00:33:08,880 --> 00:33:12,360 Speaker 1: long twos, which to me are an inefficient shot that 668 00:33:12,400 --> 00:33:14,719 Speaker 1: you should only take when you have to. But then 669 00:33:14,760 --> 00:33:17,480 Speaker 1: there's like short twos. These are shots that are like 670 00:33:17,640 --> 00:33:22,000 Speaker 1: inside of the foul line, you know, all around the basket, right, 671 00:33:23,200 --> 00:33:25,960 Speaker 1: how Low hits seven of those, Tonight hits seven jump 672 00:33:25,960 --> 00:33:29,000 Speaker 1: shots in that like seven to fifteen foot range, those 673 00:33:29,040 --> 00:33:31,959 Speaker 1: are a lot easier those Like again, when I talk 674 00:33:32,000 --> 00:33:33,800 Speaker 1: about pull up jump shooting, it's a lot about lyft. 675 00:33:33,800 --> 00:33:36,480 Speaker 1: It's a lot about getting separation and getting lyft right. 676 00:33:37,320 --> 00:33:40,160 Speaker 1: And so when you're doing that further away from the basket, 677 00:33:40,200 --> 00:33:42,280 Speaker 1: they just turned into really difficult shots to make. It's 678 00:33:42,360 --> 00:33:44,240 Speaker 1: kind of like the James Harden story. His entire career 679 00:33:44,280 --> 00:33:45,760 Speaker 1: is built on this like step back three that he 680 00:33:45,800 --> 00:33:47,160 Speaker 1: can hit in the regular season. Then he gets to 681 00:33:47,240 --> 00:33:50,160 Speaker 1: the postseason and it's like a super inconsistent shot for him. 682 00:33:50,160 --> 00:33:53,720 Speaker 1: Why because Yeah, in a super physical and intense playoff game, 683 00:33:54,040 --> 00:33:56,600 Speaker 1: shooting a step back jump shot from twenty five feet 684 00:33:56,640 --> 00:33:59,959 Speaker 1: seventeen times, like however many times he takes it in 685 00:34:00,160 --> 00:34:03,040 Speaker 1: game is just really really difficult. Right, It's a fatiguing shot. 686 00:34:03,240 --> 00:34:05,120 Speaker 1: But like, no matter how tired you are, if you 687 00:34:05,160 --> 00:34:07,560 Speaker 1: get closer to the basket, you don't need as much 688 00:34:07,640 --> 00:34:10,160 Speaker 1: lift to get a decent look there. It's kind of 689 00:34:10,160 --> 00:34:12,600 Speaker 1: been what Kawhi Leonard has been so efficient within his career. 690 00:34:12,640 --> 00:34:15,839 Speaker 1: He's not hitting nineteen footers every single time, He's hitting 691 00:34:15,880 --> 00:34:18,680 Speaker 1: thirteen footers every single time. And that just imagine a 692 00:34:18,680 --> 00:34:21,279 Speaker 1: free throw. It's literally inside the free throw line, and 693 00:34:21,560 --> 00:34:24,240 Speaker 1: you can imagine how much that kind of makes things easier. 694 00:34:24,320 --> 00:34:27,279 Speaker 1: And Palow is just absolutely dominant in this game. And 695 00:34:27,360 --> 00:34:31,040 Speaker 1: I think that, to me is where Plow's ceiling lies. 696 00:34:31,440 --> 00:34:34,520 Speaker 1: His ceiling lies is basically like the forward version of 697 00:34:34,640 --> 00:34:37,240 Speaker 1: Jokic in the sense that like he needs to bully 698 00:34:37,320 --> 00:34:40,399 Speaker 1: his way in close to the rim and just get 699 00:34:40,600 --> 00:34:43,320 Speaker 1: deadly with those like short range over the top shots, 700 00:34:43,600 --> 00:34:46,480 Speaker 1: turn around jumpers over both shoulders, a hook shot over 701 00:34:46,520 --> 00:34:49,160 Speaker 1: his left shoulder. Franz kind of went to one of 702 00:34:49,160 --> 00:34:51,120 Speaker 1: these today where it's like almost like a euro step 703 00:34:51,160 --> 00:34:53,880 Speaker 1: into like a lean back, one leg fade away, but 704 00:34:53,960 --> 00:34:56,560 Speaker 1: not from far, like from five feet from the rim 705 00:34:56,600 --> 00:34:58,879 Speaker 1: like that. That is an area where you can get 706 00:34:58,960 --> 00:35:01,759 Speaker 1: really accurate if you're shot making. And by the way, 707 00:35:01,920 --> 00:35:04,560 Speaker 1: don't tell me that doesn't matter. That's the shot that 708 00:35:04,600 --> 00:35:08,520 Speaker 1: makes Jokic the best player in the world. Like Jokic's 709 00:35:08,640 --> 00:35:11,080 Speaker 1: ability to hit that shot is what has separated him 710 00:35:11,080 --> 00:35:15,279 Speaker 1: and Pallo is a supremely gifted forward. He is bigger 711 00:35:15,320 --> 00:35:17,279 Speaker 1: than the vast majority of the players that play his 712 00:35:17,320 --> 00:35:19,840 Speaker 1: position around the league, and that's where his advantage is. 713 00:35:20,120 --> 00:35:21,880 Speaker 1: But he got going with those short range jumpers and 714 00:35:21,920 --> 00:35:23,640 Speaker 1: he started hitting threes, and him hitting four of them 715 00:35:23,640 --> 00:35:26,400 Speaker 1: in this game. Like I mentioned before, Jalen sugs nine 716 00:35:26,400 --> 00:35:28,360 Speaker 1: for eleven with twenty four points. A lot of attacking 717 00:35:28,440 --> 00:35:30,760 Speaker 1: off of those ghost screen actions. I think Cole Anthony 718 00:35:30,800 --> 00:35:33,920 Speaker 1: had a really good second quarter shift. Markel Foltz did 719 00:35:33,960 --> 00:35:36,160 Speaker 1: some nice work off the bench as well. Again that's 720 00:35:36,200 --> 00:35:38,640 Speaker 1: to be expected. You go on the road, your role 721 00:35:38,640 --> 00:35:40,600 Speaker 1: players can struggle. You come home, your role players can 722 00:35:40,640 --> 00:35:43,040 Speaker 1: play better. But as a team, they just had a 723 00:35:43,120 --> 00:35:45,600 Speaker 1: much better jump shooting night. This is a bottom ten 724 00:35:45,680 --> 00:35:47,480 Speaker 1: jump shooting team. They're tied for twenty third in the 725 00:35:47,560 --> 00:35:50,560 Speaker 1: NBA in jump shot efficiency during the regular season, but 726 00:35:50,600 --> 00:35:53,480 Speaker 1: they at one point two to two points per jump 727 00:35:53,520 --> 00:35:56,880 Speaker 1: shot tonight completely flipped the script. Hit a bunch of shots, 728 00:35:56,920 --> 00:36:00,600 Speaker 1: bloom out right, not even close. On defense, a swarming 729 00:36:00,640 --> 00:36:03,920 Speaker 1: effort from everybody, more switching. Cleveland went out of their 730 00:36:03,960 --> 00:36:06,719 Speaker 1: way to kind of try to target Palo and early 731 00:36:06,760 --> 00:36:08,480 Speaker 1: in the series, if you remember, like Palo and Franz 732 00:36:08,600 --> 00:36:10,440 Speaker 1: when they were getting targeted in ball screens, they were 733 00:36:10,440 --> 00:36:12,480 Speaker 1: almost like or since of paloin Franz and Paalo and 734 00:36:12,719 --> 00:36:15,680 Speaker 1: Jonathan Isaac early in the series were almost like defending 735 00:36:15,719 --> 00:36:18,200 Speaker 1: those ball screens, almost like in a drop coverage. And 736 00:36:18,280 --> 00:36:19,520 Speaker 1: I mean, those are guys that just don't have a 737 00:36:19,520 --> 00:36:22,480 Speaker 1: ton of experience guarding like that. And so I was 738 00:36:22,520 --> 00:36:24,600 Speaker 1: advocating early in the series for more switching, and they 739 00:36:24,600 --> 00:36:27,760 Speaker 1: did more. They've been doing more switching as the series progresses, 740 00:36:27,760 --> 00:36:30,120 Speaker 1: really since the second half of Game one. But Cleveland 741 00:36:30,160 --> 00:36:32,120 Speaker 1: was going out of their way to try to attack Palo, 742 00:36:32,520 --> 00:36:34,279 Speaker 1: and he held up pretty damn well. It committed a 743 00:36:34,320 --> 00:36:37,040 Speaker 1: couple of fouls where he was just getting a little handsy, 744 00:36:37,440 --> 00:36:40,120 Speaker 1: but for the most part, slid his feet, was contesting 745 00:36:40,120 --> 00:36:42,640 Speaker 1: shots and was doing a good doing a good job. 746 00:36:43,120 --> 00:36:44,960 Speaker 1: This series, to me, feels like a series where the 747 00:36:45,040 --> 00:36:48,839 Speaker 1: home team is gonna win out. Obviously, if Cleveland can 748 00:36:48,920 --> 00:36:51,520 Speaker 1: steal one in Orlando, it'll be over quicker. If they 749 00:36:51,680 --> 00:36:54,560 Speaker 1: steal game four, then this this thing's over in five. 750 00:36:54,640 --> 00:36:56,959 Speaker 1: I don't think Orlando's gonna win in Cleveland at all. 751 00:36:57,280 --> 00:36:58,800 Speaker 1: But I do think Orlando is a good chance to 752 00:36:58,840 --> 00:37:00,680 Speaker 1: win all their home games. It kind of goes back 753 00:37:00,680 --> 00:37:02,040 Speaker 1: to what I was talking about at the beginning of 754 00:37:02,040 --> 00:37:04,680 Speaker 1: the show. This is the buzzsaw, right, but that buzz 755 00:37:04,680 --> 00:37:08,080 Speaker 1: saw is exacerbated by the athleticism. You know. The Lakers 756 00:37:08,160 --> 00:37:11,840 Speaker 1: just don't have the athletes to be a buzzsaw for Denver, right, 757 00:37:11,920 --> 00:37:14,759 Speaker 1: But Orlando sure as hell does to Cleveland. They are 758 00:37:14,800 --> 00:37:18,200 Speaker 1: the bigger, more athletic team, right. They out rebounded Cleveland 759 00:37:18,280 --> 00:37:21,600 Speaker 1: fifty one to thirty two. They were twenty one to 760 00:37:21,640 --> 00:37:24,840 Speaker 1: eleven in fast break points, fourteen to five in offensive rebounds. 761 00:37:25,000 --> 00:37:28,560 Speaker 1: That is a complete and total physical dominance of the 762 00:37:28,600 --> 00:37:31,839 Speaker 1: Cleveland Cavaliers. So again, this is where home court advantage matters. 763 00:37:31,840 --> 00:37:33,400 Speaker 1: I wouldn't be concerned if I was a Cavs fan, 764 00:37:33,440 --> 00:37:36,280 Speaker 1: because I literally don't think Orlando can beat Cleveland and Cleveland. 765 00:37:36,719 --> 00:37:39,239 Speaker 1: But this could be a long series just based on 766 00:37:39,239 --> 00:37:42,319 Speaker 1: how difficult it is to match Orlando's physicality when they're 767 00:37:42,360 --> 00:37:44,120 Speaker 1: at home. All right, guys, that is all I have 768 00:37:44,200 --> 00:37:46,440 Speaker 1: for tonight. As always, I sincerely appreciate you guys for 769 00:37:46,520 --> 00:37:50,680 Speaker 1: supporting me and supporting the show. We'll be back tomorrow morning. 770 00:37:50,719 --> 00:38:17,480 Speaker 1: We have Jovann Buja coming on the show. The volume