WEBVTT - MVP Ladder - Jokic vs Embiid Battle,  and SGA Makes His Case

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome into NBA Pulse production of iHeartRadio in the NBA.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm Sarah Stock, NBA analysts for the Yes Network, and

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<v Speaker 1>today is Fride Day, December first, and from our terrific

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<v Speaker 1>four group of NBA journalists, We're joined now by NBA

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<v Speaker 1>dot Com senior writer Michael C. Wright and Michael, we

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<v Speaker 1>are kicking this December off with your new MVP ladder

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<v Speaker 1>for the week. Nicola Jokic still remaining in that number

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<v Speaker 1>one spot, Joel Embiid jumping up from number three to

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<v Speaker 1>the number two spot. We got a tie. We got

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<v Speaker 1>to tie three between Luka Dantic and Shay Gildas Alexander

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<v Speaker 1>and then Giannis Adetta Kuko makes a big jump back

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<v Speaker 1>up to the top five from number nine. But I

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<v Speaker 1>want to first dig in to the top two because

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<v Speaker 1>I feel like we have been talking about this for years.

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<v Speaker 1>Nicola Jokis Joel Embiid, those two have been extraordinary this year.

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<v Speaker 1>We are accustomed to seeing Jokic get triple double after

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<v Speaker 1>triple double already seven on the season, but that is

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<v Speaker 1>something that we saw out of Joel Embiid for the

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<v Speaker 1>first time the other nights earlier this week against the

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<v Speaker 1>Clippers was one to say shy Saturday at Oklahoma. But

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<v Speaker 1>I first want to start with Joel because the thing

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<v Speaker 1>we always see out of Jokic, and obviously he does everything,

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<v Speaker 1>but the brilliance of his passing, Joel has taken his

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<v Speaker 1>facilitation up a notch this season. How we've seen them

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<v Speaker 1>run through the offense through him, how he's finding teammates

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<v Speaker 1>a career high and assist so par of the season

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<v Speaker 1>at six point six. When you look at what Joel

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<v Speaker 1>has done this season and obviously the moving parts of

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<v Speaker 1>what the personnel in the lineup looked like for Philadelphia,

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<v Speaker 1>now it's more solidified. What stood out to you about

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<v Speaker 1>the play of Embiid in particularly the last few games.

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<v Speaker 2>I think, Sarah, it is sort of of a matter

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<v Speaker 2>of Joel trusting his teammates more. And I mean that's

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<v Speaker 2>pretty easy to do when you got a guy like

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<v Speaker 2>Tyrese Maxy just dropping thirty like there's nothing watched this again,

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<v Speaker 2>little two man game. Joel just leaves it for him,

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<v Speaker 2>sets the screen. So I think that's a big part

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<v Speaker 2>of it. But you know, Nick Nurse explained it the

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<v Speaker 2>other night that hey, you know, teams are going to

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<v Speaker 2>load up to try to stop Joel and b and

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<v Speaker 2>you know, either he can take it himself or he

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<v Speaker 2>can find teammates out there on the perimeter. And you

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<v Speaker 2>know that's what's happening, Like, you know, teams collapse on him.

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<v Speaker 2>He finds somebody on the perimeter, and he's got shooters

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<v Speaker 2>all over the place. See from outside, it's been really

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<v Speaker 2>interesting to see just I mean, you know, just go

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<v Speaker 2>back over the last two or three years, Joel Embiid

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<v Speaker 2>is a guy that's sort of dealt with a bunch

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<v Speaker 2>of just different moving parts all around him. You know,

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<v Speaker 2>it's just constantly something in motion. You know, you deal

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<v Speaker 2>with the drama with Ben Simons, you deal with the

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<v Speaker 2>James Hard and stuff that uncertainty, and you know he's

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<v Speaker 2>been the one constant. But it seems like now with

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<v Speaker 2>the new coach, Nick Ners, it just seems like there

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<v Speaker 2>is like that perfect mix, like this perfect storm going on.

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<v Speaker 2>And I don't even think, you know, what, how many

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<v Speaker 2>games are we into the season, eighteen games in for

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<v Speaker 2>the for the seventy six ers, I still don't we

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<v Speaker 2>haven't seen the best of them yet.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, And I think a big part of that, to

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<v Speaker 1>your point is, you know, some uncertainty at the start

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<v Speaker 1>of the season, and obviously with Nick Nurse, we have

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<v Speaker 1>talked about this before you go into training camp and

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<v Speaker 1>whether you want to frame the James Harden situation. You know,

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<v Speaker 1>by all accounts they said, not a distraction. We show up,

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<v Speaker 1>we play. You're still how you're you're working on your coverages,

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<v Speaker 1>your schemes, what you're doing philosophically and both in the floor.

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<v Speaker 1>That's an adjustment and that changes, and so I think

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<v Speaker 1>you're to your point starting to see them catch more

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<v Speaker 1>of a rhythm. Currently sitting forth in the Eastern Conference

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<v Speaker 1>with twelve and six record a big game tonight I

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<v Speaker 1>gains Boston seven thirty pm Eastern on ESPN. We'll see

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<v Speaker 1>though currently Joel is questionable with an illness, but we'll

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<v Speaker 1>see if those two matchup, because obviously always a fun

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<v Speaker 1>one to watch the Celtics and seventy six ers battle.

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<v Speaker 1>On the flip side of things, to Kulla Jokic extraordinary,

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, I think you can't get numb to his

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<v Speaker 1>greatness and how he somewhat has raised his game another

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<v Speaker 1>level after what Denver did winning a championship last season.

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<v Speaker 1>Twenty nine points over thirteen rebounds, over nine assists. I

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<v Speaker 1>had already mentioned it seven triple doubles on the season,

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<v Speaker 1>Denver sitting in that number two spot behind Minnesota with

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<v Speaker 1>the thirteen and six record.

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<v Speaker 2>Jokis throws it down his second dunk of the.

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<v Speaker 1>Season, Jokic having to probably do more, or carry more

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<v Speaker 1>or score more with Jamal Murray being out. Is there

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<v Speaker 1>something different about the game and Yokic that you have

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<v Speaker 1>watched or witnessed this year that's either surprised you or

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<v Speaker 1>or just it has you viewing him differently in the

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<v Speaker 1>ways in what he just understands and reads the game.

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<v Speaker 2>I think just the playoffs, the playoffs from last season.

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<v Speaker 2>I thought that like just the light came on, like

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<v Speaker 2>this Eureka moment where he was just like, oh, okay,

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<v Speaker 2>I've mastered this thing, so I can I can just

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<v Speaker 2>pretty much do whatever I want out here. I can

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<v Speaker 2>move the pieces, you know, I can find guys, I

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<v Speaker 2>can take over the game. I can do whatever I

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<v Speaker 2>want when I need to to, you know, make sure

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<v Speaker 2>my team, you know, comes out on top. And to me,

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<v Speaker 2>that's been the biggest thing. It's just like he has

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<v Speaker 2>figured out, you know, like you think about people like

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<v Speaker 2>Chris Paul. Guys that can manipulate the game and bend

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<v Speaker 2>it to their will. That's sort of what Nicola Yokis

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<v Speaker 2>can do.

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<v Speaker 1>What a fake game too. On that dribble, he almost

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<v Speaker 1>telled it like he was going to pass it. The

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<v Speaker 1>dribble was high enough where he could have done.

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<v Speaker 2>That three in a row. The Rockets win on Wednesday night.

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<v Speaker 2>I thought it was a really good winning for them because,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, Houston is a pretty good defensive team and

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<v Speaker 2>so to I think they had like thirty seven assists

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<v Speaker 2>with three turnovers, and Yokic had fifteen of those assists.

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<v Speaker 2>That's I think only the second time that you know,

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<v Speaker 2>a team has had that many assists and that few

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<v Speaker 2>turnovers in the game, and a lot of that is

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<v Speaker 2>Nikola jokicchy they you know, after the playoffs and the championship,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, you saw how the Nuggets were celebrating. Everybody

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<v Speaker 2>was celebrated on that team, and they celebrated all summer long,

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<v Speaker 2>and so you thought Nikola Yokis might come back a

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<v Speaker 2>little complacent. No no, no, no, no no. That man

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<v Speaker 2>came back on a mission to go get him another championship.

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<v Speaker 2>And so that's been really fun to watch and as

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<v Speaker 2>we've discussed the Kola Jokics Joel EMBII, I think that

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<v Speaker 2>is going to be the conversation when we talk about

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<v Speaker 2>this MVP thing, and it's going to be that way

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<v Speaker 2>all season. I think it's going to go back and forth.

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<v Speaker 2>But as I mentioned earlier, I don't think we've even

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<v Speaker 2>seen the best Joel and b and I think he's

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<v Speaker 2>a guy that's sort of, you know, his game is

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<v Speaker 2>sort of changing, and if he becomes the assist guy

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<v Speaker 2>that it looks like he's about to man, those are

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<v Speaker 2>going to be some interesting conversation because then everybody's going

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<v Speaker 2>to be like, well, what about defensive impact? Like, We're

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<v Speaker 2>going to be looking at every little metric to try

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<v Speaker 2>to figure out that race. So it's gonna be fun.

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<v Speaker 1>I do think that's the caveat of the assist factor.

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<v Speaker 1>And I'm curious how much as the season progresses, the

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<v Speaker 1>difference in what Nick Nurse has them doing, the compliment

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<v Speaker 1>of the roster around him, and how much more responsibility

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<v Speaker 1>Joelle takes on in that sascet, how that will change,

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<v Speaker 1>because right now, I would look at it, we're so

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<v Speaker 1>early in the season, you know, to even talk about

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<v Speaker 1>stuff like this, but what Jokic is doing has wowed met.

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, he really, like you said, the celebrations all summer,

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<v Speaker 1>you finally get a championship. He's already got to MVP trophies.

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<v Speaker 1>I thought it would be a little bit more of

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<v Speaker 1>a slow run up to start this season, and just

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<v Speaker 1>how he's been picking apart the game. I also was

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<v Speaker 1>you know, there was a podcast with Michael Porter Junior

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<v Speaker 1>and Aaron Gordon talking about their chemistry and how it's

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<v Speaker 1>just different and how they figured things out. And so

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<v Speaker 1>I think to raising the level of play of those

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<v Speaker 1>around him, I would give so much of that to

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<v Speaker 1>what Nicola does with this Denver team. But but overall,

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<v Speaker 1>I think it's just been fun and interesting to continue

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<v Speaker 1>to watch how they how they flourish, and how they

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<v Speaker 1>change and adapt and add to their games. At this point,

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<v Speaker 1>considering what a high, high level they're at the Tide,

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<v Speaker 1>the number three spot between Luca Shake Gildas, Alexander with

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<v Speaker 1>Shay and with Oklahoma City, how they're playing, do you

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<v Speaker 1>think that that if Oklahoma City continues to stay in

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<v Speaker 1>this level of play where they're at, how how much

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<v Speaker 1>consideration could he have in this conversation because I think

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<v Speaker 1>he's always been at the outskirts, so we always kind

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<v Speaker 1>of have watched, but Oklahoma City has never been to

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<v Speaker 1>the level in the standings in the West. If Oklahoma

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<v Speaker 1>City continues to be the real deal, what does that

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<v Speaker 1>do for shit? Man?

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<v Speaker 2>I think last year he was like, like we started

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<v Speaker 2>talking about it a little bit, but like like you

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<v Speaker 2>were just saying, like Oklahoma City record didn't really justify

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<v Speaker 2>his high feeling. You know, you couldn't really say, well,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, Sga is an MVP guy will because the

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<v Speaker 2>Thunder didn't have the record to match it. But now

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<v Speaker 2>this is something else with this kid has done. And

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<v Speaker 2>you know, I think I mentioned it to you, like

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<v Speaker 2>I covered them the first week of season against the

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<v Speaker 2>Denver Nuggets. It was in Oklahoma City. I think Shade

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<v Speaker 2>was like two of sixteen. It was early early in

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<v Speaker 2>the season. I'm like, oh, no, I guess he's not

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<v Speaker 2>going to live up to it. But boy, was I

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<v Speaker 2>wrong that this kid is amazing, like I said, and

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<v Speaker 2>he's just dropping thirty like it's nothing, and like his

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<v Speaker 2>shooting splits are crazy. I mean he's almost a fifty

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<v Speaker 2>forty ninety guy. I mean, I think he's like thirty

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<v Speaker 2>seven and a half percent from three point range. But

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<v Speaker 2>he can get that up and not only that, Like

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<v Speaker 2>you know, like last year he wasn't taking a ton

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<v Speaker 2>of threes. He was just killing people in the mid

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<v Speaker 2>range and at the basket. Well, he's kind of kicked

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<v Speaker 2>up his threes a little bit and the percentage has

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<v Speaker 2>gone down. But I don't know he And the funny

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<v Speaker 2>thing about him is when you watch him, it's not

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<v Speaker 2>like he's just this explosive guy that blows by people.

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<v Speaker 2>He sort of got this hurky jerky game. It's sort

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<v Speaker 2>of like Kyle Anderson and teams have a hard time

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<v Speaker 2>guarding him. And so like right now, this team is

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<v Speaker 2>a young team. It's you know, it's still sort of

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<v Speaker 2>fighting its way. I mean, I don't know what phase

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<v Speaker 2>we can say Oklahoma City is in in the rebuild.

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<v Speaker 2>They have this young corps, but Sam Preston also has

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<v Speaker 2>all these pigs and draft assets, and you know that

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<v Speaker 2>they're so good, so good now as a young team

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<v Speaker 2>that they can afford to sort of sit back and

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<v Speaker 2>wait and see what happens before they decide to, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>start trying to add more pieces.

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<v Speaker 1>Michael lies always we appreciate your time on We look

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<v Speaker 1>forward to continuing to see, read, watch all of your

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<v Speaker 1>stuff on NBA dot com and as this season continues

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<v Speaker 1>with the MVP latter NBA Pulse with Sarahustack is a

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<v Speaker 1>production of the NBA and iHeartRadio. Please rate, review, and

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