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Speaker 1: All right, welcome to hoops tonight. You're at the volume.

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Speaker 1: Happy Thursday, everybody hopeful. If you guys are having a

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Speaker 1: great week so far, I've got a jam pack show

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Speaker 1: for you today. We're gonna be hitting two preseason games

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Speaker 1: from last night, the Lakers and the Kings and the

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Speaker 1: Celtics and the seventy six ers, and then we're doing

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Speaker 1: our season pre you for the Boston Celtics, who came

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Speaker 1: in at number three in our preseason power rankings. And

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Speaker 1: I've got three mail bag questions for the end of

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Speaker 1: the show as well. You guys are the drip for

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Speaker 1: we get started. Subscribe to the YouTube channel, follow me

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Speaker 1: on Twitter at underscore, Jason lt don't forget about our

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Speaker 1: podcast feed wherever you get your podcast under Hoops tonight,

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Speaker 1: And last but not least, any more mailbag questions, So

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Speaker 1: keep dropping those in the YouTube comments so we can

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Speaker 1: keep hitting them at the end of the show. So

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Speaker 1: all right, So, if you guys remember in my Lakers

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Speaker 1: season preview, one of the things I said is that

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Speaker 1: I agree with most you know, Lakers detractors as it

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Speaker 1: pertains to the off season and what it means for

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Speaker 1: their ultimate ceiling. Like nothing they did this offseason is

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Speaker 1: going to fix what happened to Denver unless Lebron James

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Speaker 1: and Anthony Davis become better as jump shooters, unless D'Angelo

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Speaker 1: Russell gets better as a defensive players that he can

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Speaker 1: stay on the floor, Unless the things that went wrong

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Speaker 1: for them in that series get fixed, which again we've

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Speaker 1: seen some encouraging signs in preseason, but those things have

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Speaker 1: not been fixed, at least not in a way that

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Speaker 1: we can pen done right from the standpoint of prediction.

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Speaker 1: So like right now, if I had to pick a

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Speaker 1: Lakers nugget series, picking the Nuggets again, right, But what

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Speaker 1: I did say is that their off season was a

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Speaker 1: really good example of taking advantage of the opportunities that

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Speaker 1: were available to you in that offseason to improve depth

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Speaker 1: that will help you over the course of the regular season.

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Speaker 1: One of the things that was an issue in the

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Speaker 1: past for the Lakers is if Lebron James or Anthony

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Speaker 1: Davis missed a game, they were in big trouble, in

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Speaker 1: large part because if Lebron was out, they didn't have

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Speaker 1: any forwards. They didn't have anybody that was between six

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Speaker 1: seven and six ' ten that was competent defensively and

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Speaker 1: enough of a threat offensively to stay on the floor.

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Speaker 1: And then if Anthony Davis was out, their backup centers

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Speaker 1: were older and slower and weren't capable of anchoring a

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Speaker 1: unit that could contend in the NBA. It contends the

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Speaker 1: wrong word, but compete in a night in, night out

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Speaker 1: basis in the NBA regular season. And so they were

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Speaker 1: in a lot of trouble. And I mean it was

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Speaker 1: one of those things where one of them would go

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Speaker 1: out during the Russell Westbrook era and they would have

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Speaker 1: to play their ass off and Lebron would have to

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Speaker 1: play like an absolute superstar just to barely scrape out

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Speaker 1: a five hundred record or Anthony Davis would have to

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Speaker 1: play unbelievable basketball just to barely scrape out on a

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Speaker 1: five hundred record when Lebron was out right, I mean,

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Speaker 1: even when those two guys were available, they were a

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Speaker 1: mediocre basketball team. And it's because down the roster they

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Speaker 1: were missing a bunch of very specific and important traits

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Speaker 1: that basketball teams need to have. And so unless Lebron

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Speaker 1: James and Anthony Davis both played like top five players

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Speaker 1: in any one game, even if they just played a

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Speaker 1: little poorly, they probably would lose. And that was the

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Speaker 1: predicament they were in. Now. The unique the difference between

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Speaker 1: that situation where the Lakers are now is starting with

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Speaker 1: the Ruey Hotcha Mura trade, They've brought in things that

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Speaker 1: can help them in those specific areas. Right, you bring

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Speaker 1: in Ruy Hatcha Mura, a forward that can do a

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Speaker 1: lot of little things that help your basketball team. And

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Speaker 1: at the deadline you bring in Jared Vanderbilt. Right you,

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Speaker 1: by moving Russ out of the situation and giving the

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Speaker 1: keys of the offense to Austin Reeves, you discover another

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Speaker 1: shot creator in Austin Reeves that can legitimately anchor an

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Speaker 1: offense for a shift. Right, Then you bring in D'Angelo Russell,

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Speaker 1: who was pretty good for the most part last year

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Speaker 1: until the Denver series, right, and then he's been great

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Speaker 1: so far in the preseason. But that's another legitimate shot creator.

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Speaker 1: Then extending into this summer, flipping Dennis Schroeder for Gabe Vincent,

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Speaker 1: a player that fits better with this Lakers roster, bringing

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Speaker 1: in Torre and Prince as another forward that brings a

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Speaker 1: different punch to the table than what Jared Vanderbilt and

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Speaker 1: Ruy Hatchamura bring to the table. Going with younger, more

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Speaker 1: athletic backup center options. Right, that's what you're getting with

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Speaker 1: Jackson Hayes. Christian Wood has a lot of length for

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Speaker 1: the position, more of an offensive minded player obviously, right.

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Speaker 1: And Christian Woods had a kind of a hell of

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Speaker 1: a training camp so far. But he's also you know,

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Speaker 1: it looks like he's not really fitting in yet. That's

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Speaker 1: gonna take time. But down the roster, they've made significant

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Speaker 1: improvements at areas where they used to be weak. And

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Speaker 1: so now what happens is is they can have Lebron

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Speaker 1: James miss an extended stretch like he did at the

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Speaker 1: end of last season, and you can still win most

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Speaker 1: of your games. They were literally one of the very

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Speaker 1: best teams in the league post deadline, especially on the

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Speaker 1: defensive end, but in their win loss record as well.

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Speaker 1: I believe they were eighteen to eight post deadline, and

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Speaker 1: that was with Lebron James missing most of those games.

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Speaker 1: Because now they actually have that functional ability to be

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Speaker 1: a basketball team without one of them. What does that mean?

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Speaker 1: What do you have to do to have a functional

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Speaker 1: basketball team? You have to have shot creation guys that

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Speaker 1: can start offensive possessions by getting the defense in rotation.

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Speaker 1: Then you have to have play finishing. Right, you have

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Speaker 1: to have guys that can score based on what the

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Speaker 1: defensive coverage is. Right, So if they can get the

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Speaker 1: defense in rotation, you need to have guys that can

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Speaker 1: knock down shots on the backside. And then if they

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Speaker 1: defend your actions two on two or one on one,

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Speaker 1: you gotta have guys that can make shots with the

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Speaker 1: ball in their hands. Right. That's like an absolute to

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Speaker 1: have a chance to win an NBA basketball game. And

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Speaker 1: then secondly, you have to have size and athleticism. You

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Speaker 1: have to have athletes that can compete defensively and can

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Speaker 1: compete on the glass. They used to not have those things.

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Speaker 1: Now they do, and that's bought them the luxury of

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Speaker 1: having the ability to be a competitive basketball team when

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Speaker 1: Lebron James and Anthony Davis are out of the lineup.

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Speaker 1: Right last night, they were out of four starters. Jared Vanderbilt,

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Speaker 1: I believe, is going to be the starting three on

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Speaker 1: opening night. There's some buzz about Tory and Prince. I

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Speaker 1: don't really understand that specific move. I think Jared Vanderbilt

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Speaker 1: is the best way to start the game with like

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Speaker 1: an intense point of attack defense kind of like vibe, right,

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Speaker 1: But I mean, maybe it ends up being Torrian Prince.

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Speaker 1: But Jared Vanderbilt did start a lot of games for

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Speaker 1: the Lakers last year, So let's call it four starters

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Speaker 1: they had. Vanderbilt was out, Austin Reeves was out, Lebron James,

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Speaker 1: and Anthony Davis was out. The Kings played basically everybody

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Speaker 1: but Keegan Murray. Right, they had their core lineup out there,

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Speaker 1: and they were viewing that as like a dress rehearsal.

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Speaker 1: They're trying to get ready for the season, and the

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Speaker 1: Lakers straight up out played them. And the reason why

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Speaker 1: is now they are a functional basketball team without Lebron James,

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Speaker 1: and Anthony Davis right, Danzel Russell has turned into like

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Speaker 1: a legitimate half court shot creator and he's straight up

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Speaker 1: playing at a star level in preseason. I'm not gonna

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Speaker 1: get any more into that right now. We're gonna say

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Speaker 1: that until after we get through this specific game breakdown.

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Speaker 1: Gabe Vincent, when he slotted as your second best guard,

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Speaker 1: that's a perfect example. If Gabe Vincent is your best guard,

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Speaker 1: your best shot creator, you might have an issue competing

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Speaker 1: in a basketball game. But if he's your second or

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Speaker 1: third best, and when the Lakers are healthy, he's like

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Speaker 1: their fifth or sixth best. But with Austin Lebron and

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Speaker 1: Austin Lebron and Anthony Davis out, he kind of slots

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Speaker 1: in there right about their second best shot creator. He

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Speaker 1: does find there, He's right around a point per possession.

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Speaker 1: In preseason running pick and rolls. He's six for twelve

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Speaker 1: on pull up jumper. Four of those six makes are threes.

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Speaker 1: That ability to hit the pull up three and four

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Speaker 1: scuards over the top and pick and roll allows him

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Speaker 1: to create shots. Remember he started for an NBA Finals

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Speaker 1: team last year. Riehatch American Score He's four for six

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Speaker 1: some pull up jumpers. So far in preseason, he's been

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Speaker 1: really aggressive as a spot up player. I always talking

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Speaker 1: about the difference between spot up shooting and aggressive spot

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Speaker 1: up shooting. Spot up shooting is like, Okay, I'm wide open,

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Speaker 1: the defense was in rotation, and I got a wide

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Speaker 1: open catch and shoot three. Watch me make this thing right.

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Speaker 1: A aggressive spot up shooter is like, I'm really just

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Speaker 1: catching a pass. The defense isn't really in rotation. The

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Speaker 1: dude who's closing out at me is kind of there.

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Speaker 1: But I'm just six foot nine and I jump high

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Speaker 1: on my shot and I'm just gonna rise up over

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Speaker 1: the top of you and knock it down. Like this

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Speaker 1: is crazy. Rietchamura is at sixty seven percent in effective

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Speaker 1: field goal percentage on twelve catch and shoot jump shots.

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Speaker 1: Of those twelve attempts, only one was classified is unguarded

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Speaker 1: by Synergy, So he's just rising up and knocking down

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Speaker 1: shots over contests. He's converting spoted possessions at one point

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Speaker 1: three points per possession in preseason, so that's like a

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Speaker 1: lot of offensive firepower Between Ruey Gabe and d LO.

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Speaker 1: That's like, like, here's the thing. Are they gonna beat

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Speaker 1: the Kings in a playoff series with that group. Of course,

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Speaker 1: not the Kings are better. But the point is is

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Speaker 1: on any one game sample, two game sample, three to

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Speaker 1: four game sample over the course of the regular season,

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Speaker 1: can they play five hundred basketball? Absolutely, of course they

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Speaker 1: can because they have firepower that goes beyond the stars.

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Speaker 1: They have two legit pick and roll weapons. Without ad

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Speaker 1: you can have Jackson Hayes screening and rolling hard to

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Speaker 1: the rim. I talked about the other day that he's

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Speaker 1: actually been really good for their offense because he flows

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Speaker 1: really quickly, makes quick decisions. He hasn't even missed a

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Speaker 1: shot in pick and roll yet this year. He's seven

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Speaker 1: for seven its converting rollman possessions at one point at

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Speaker 1: one point four points present. That's awesome, and he's actually

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Speaker 1: been he's committing is the big problem he's having an

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Speaker 1: on defense right now is Fouling got kind of buried

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Speaker 1: under the rim a few times by Sibonis last night.

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Speaker 1: That was causing him problems. But like, if he can

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Speaker 1: figure out the fouling piece, he's actually doing a decent

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Speaker 1: job contesting shots and pick and roll. Now. I mean,

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Speaker 1: here's the thing, he's kind of had issues with that

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Speaker 1: throughout his career, so maybe that ends up being a

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Speaker 1: problem all season, but again, during the regular season, just

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Speaker 1: need to eat innings. He's a legitimate option. Christian Wood

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Speaker 1: hasn't played well in the preseason, but he's incredibly skilled.

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Speaker 1: So again, like there's just a lot of firepower here.

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Speaker 1: There's a lot of shooting and ball handling. There's a

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Speaker 1: lot of size and athleticism. They're young, they're eager, they're

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Speaker 1: playing hard, they're well coached, and so they can hang

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Speaker 1: in games like this. Ruy and Jackson Hayes. That's a

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Speaker 1: decent sized front line for an NBA regular season game,

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Speaker 1: especially when a lot of teams do play small, like

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Speaker 1: the Sacramento Kings, and so even without four starters, they

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Speaker 1: can do something like outplay the starters for the Sacramento

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Speaker 1: Kings in a preseason game. Right. But again, like that

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Speaker 1: was the move that I really appreciated about Rob Polinka

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Speaker 1: in the offseason, just going all in on continuity and

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Speaker 1: depth solve the regular season problem so that you can

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Speaker 1: just stress free work your way through the season, end

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Speaker 1: up around fifty wins with a first round home court advantage.

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Speaker 1: Right then you can decide over the course of the season.

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Speaker 1: What you want to do at the deadline. And here's

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Speaker 1: the thing. If Dlo is going to play this well,

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Speaker 1: you don't do anything. And it wasn't just that they

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Speaker 1: outplayed the Kings last night. They looked confident, they looked charismatic.

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Speaker 1: Dlo was carrying himself like he was the best player

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Speaker 1: on the floor. But that bodes well for an eighty

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Speaker 1: two game regular season. D'Angel Russell last night twenty one

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Speaker 1: points and eight assists in twenty one minutes. He led

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Speaker 1: an eleven zero run in the third quarter to take

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Speaker 1: an eight point later it was like sixty two to

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Speaker 1: fifty nine. Okay, Malik Monk Gambles or no, I think

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Speaker 1: it was darreon Fox Gambles. On an offensive rebound, D'Angelo

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Speaker 1: Russell sprints up the floor and gets a runout layup,

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Speaker 1: identifying that they don't have their floor balance set up

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Speaker 1: properly for transition defense. Very next possession, he comes off

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Speaker 1: of a double drag screen at the top of the

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Speaker 1: key and uh, I think it was Duarte was in

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Speaker 1: the left corner on Torreon Prince. He sucks over into

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Speaker 1: the paint to defend the to tag the role man

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Speaker 1: de Loo just makes the skip pass right into the

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Speaker 1: shooting pocket for Torium Prince. He knocks down the three.

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Speaker 1: Next possession, another double drag at the top of the key,

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Speaker 1: This time Sabonis switches onto d Lo, but he's hanging back.

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Speaker 1: Del just rises up and knocks down the pull up three.

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Speaker 1: And then finally, after they get a stop, he dribbles

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Speaker 1: up the floor in transition and hits like a dribble combo,

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Speaker 1: like heat check. There's nothing special about it for the

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Speaker 1: stand point of schematics. It's just he's hot and feeling himself,

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Speaker 1: and he rises and fires and knocks down a pull

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Speaker 1: up three. Next thing you know, it's seventy to sixty two.

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Speaker 1: He's been playing at an incredibly high level. And it

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Speaker 1: wasn't just that that in the third quarter, like legitimately,

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Speaker 1: he just took over the beginning of the game as

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Speaker 1: a half court shot creator. First possession of the game,

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Speaker 1: they run a horn set. He starts in the right corner,

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Speaker 1: comes off the dribble hand off from Torrian Prince, gave

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Speaker 1: Vincent cuts back door. He notices that Kevin Herder is

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Speaker 1: not paying attention, just throws a rifle pass right by

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Speaker 1: his head for a layup. Very next possession, he runs

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Speaker 1: a dribble hand off with Jackson Hayes on the right

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Speaker 1: wing and he sees Sashavzhenkov, who's guarding Ruy Hachimura, help

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Speaker 1: into the paint. The King's all game long were tagging

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Speaker 1: the roller on the weakside corner. They're basically going to

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Speaker 1: exist in rotation all year, which we'll talk about in

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Speaker 1: a minute. But as a result, Ruey Hachimura again is

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Speaker 1: the open man in the corner. De Loo May three.

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Speaker 1: Two possessions later, another pick and roll with Jackson Hayes,

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Speaker 1: the Kings guard it three on two, tagging the roller again.

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Speaker 1: This time it's Harrison Barnes that's tagging the roll man.

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Speaker 1: But Ruey, after having just missed the three, cuts along

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Speaker 1: the baseline over to the other side of the rim

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Speaker 1: and Delo finds him cutting for a layup. He's just again.

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Speaker 1: It's easier too when the Kings are playing three and

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Speaker 1: two again. The Kings did not defend well last night,

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Speaker 1: which we'll talk about in a minute, but it's about

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Speaker 1: making decisions. Like the pick and roll ball handler has

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Speaker 1: to make decisions based on what the defense is doing,

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Speaker 1: and he just continually made the right decision. Very next possession,

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Speaker 1: another pick and roll with Hayes, this time on the

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Speaker 1: right side of the floor, and they cleared the side

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Speaker 1: and Kevin Herder is kind of lagging behind in his

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Speaker 1: back pressure, Delo just takes like a little drifting seventeen

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Speaker 1: footer along the baseline and makes it like it just

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Speaker 1: it's just. I can go on and on and on,

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Speaker 1: but I'm not going to because I'll be boring. I

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Speaker 1: did make a video of the of his of his

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Speaker 1: court a third quarter run where I kind of broke

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Speaker 1: it down. You can find that on TikTok or Instagram

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Speaker 1: or on Twitter. But I mean, here's the thing. He

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Speaker 1: ran sixteen more pick and rolls last night that led

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Speaker 1: to twenty one points. He's up to fifty four points

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Speaker 1: on thirty nine pick and rolls in preseason. That's one

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Speaker 1: point thirty nine points per possession. He's at sixty three

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Speaker 1: percent in EFFECTI field goal percentage on pull up jump shots,

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Speaker 1: ninety percent EFFECTI field goal percentage on catching and shoot

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Speaker 1: jump shots. He's converting spot up possessions at two points

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Speaker 1: per possession. He's nine for nine shooting layups at the rim.

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Speaker 1: Like I don't think you could be more impressive through

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Speaker 1: three preseason games than Dangel Russell has been and that's

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Speaker 1: the beauty of basketball. Like de Loo was the most

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Speaker 1: embarrassing part of the Laker postseason run last year, and

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Speaker 1: he had some moments. He had some moments in the

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Speaker 1: regular season. He had moments against Memphis. I think it

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Speaker 1: was the Memphis game right a Game four where he

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Speaker 1: hit all those threes to get him back into it late,

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Speaker 1: had some moments in the Warriors series, was like attacking

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Speaker 1: Steph out of the post. Like it wasn't like it

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Speaker 1: was all bad, but he was really really bad. In

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Speaker 1: the Nuggets series. He averaged six points a game on

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Speaker 1: like thirty two percent shooting. You could not do much

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Speaker 1: worse than he did, and specifically was getting embarrassed and

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Speaker 1: shown up by Bruce Brown. But again, that's the beauty

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Speaker 1: of basketball. You live to fight another day. Hey dude,

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Speaker 1: I'm still in the league. You had your moment last year,

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Speaker 1: Now I'm back right. That's what's cool about basketball. You

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Speaker 1: live to fight another day. Okay, you got embarrassed, what

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Speaker 1: are you gonna do next? And it's clear that he's

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Speaker 1: put in a lot of work and it's not just

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Speaker 1: on his offensive game by the way he looks athletic.

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Speaker 1: There was a play after that initial run where like

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Speaker 1: the Kings clearly were starting to get pissed off the

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Speaker 1: Danzel Russell's picking him apart, and so Darren Fox like

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Speaker 1: picks him up full court like full court intense ball

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Speaker 1: pressure and Dearon Fox is a good ball pressure guard,

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Speaker 1: and de Lo just beats him to the left and

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Speaker 1: goes full speed down the lane in like semi transition,

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Speaker 1: gets challenged at the rim by Kevin Herder and like

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Speaker 1: makes one of the more athletic finishes I've ever seen

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Speaker 1: from him in his career. Like he clearly has been

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Speaker 1: in the gym, he's been in the weight room. He's

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Speaker 1: polishing up his jumper. Nine for nine at the rim.

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Speaker 1: That's great for a guard. It's half decision making half

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Speaker 1: his legs look strong. And then he's even been much

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Speaker 1: better defensively. I talked about this the other night, he

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Speaker 1: talked about it on in his media day interview. But

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Speaker 1: he's just just in the right spot all the time.

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Speaker 1: There have been like four steals this preseason where dudes

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Speaker 1: just threw passes Indiangelo Russell just because he's in the

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Speaker 1: right spot ended up getting steals. He's playing really good

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Speaker 1: basketball this preseason, and again it's just preseason, and again

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Speaker 1: like there are specific issues he needs to directify to

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Speaker 1: be successful in the postseason. But like he's playing himself

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Speaker 1: into everyone's gonna be talking about Dangelo trades all summer.

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Speaker 1: We're all a season. It's gonna be d LO plus

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Speaker 1: this contract, DL plus that contract for this guy, for

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Speaker 1: this star or whatever it is. It's gonna be the

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Speaker 1: talk all season. But if he plays this well, that

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Speaker 1: talk is going to quiet down quickly. Good for D'Angelo. Russell.

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Speaker 1: All right's talk about the Kings. They're not very sharp again,

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Speaker 1: Like the defense was borderline embarrassing. It's kind of crazy

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Speaker 1: how aggressive they're guarding pick and roll, but they have

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Speaker 1: to because they can't guard at the rim and their

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Speaker 1: point of attack defense is not great. But as a result,

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Speaker 1: they're just constantly in rotation and constantly giving up closeout opportunities.

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Speaker 1: But again, I want to cut them some slack because

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Speaker 1: they're not very sharp right now, because they're in a

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Speaker 1: different spot right Like, you gotta think about what the

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Speaker 1: Lakers are. The Lakers are a team that struggled in

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Speaker 1: the regular season. Last year, right, I think they ended

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Speaker 1: up what forty two and forty and so they weren't

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Speaker 1: like they were coming into the season highly motivated, Like

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Speaker 1: we made it to the Western Conference finals, and we

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Speaker 1: threw this shit together at the deadline. We're gonna attack

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Speaker 1: training camp. We're gonna go get this thing. That's where

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Speaker 1: the Lakers are at mentally. The Kings just had a

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Speaker 1: super impressive regular season and still lost in the first round, right,

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Speaker 1: So like they're in a different spot here. They understand

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Speaker 1: that they're kind of looking more at the bigger picture.

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Speaker 1: They're just like, we need to fix some things before

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Speaker 1: you get to the postseason. They learned the hard way

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Speaker 1: last year that seeding doesn't really matter. There's so many

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Speaker 1: good teams. Like even if the even if my power

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Speaker 1: rankings list all leads the conference, Like even if it's

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Speaker 1: like Denver, La, Phoenix, Golden State one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight,

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Speaker 1: is going to be like Clippers, you know, Grizzlies, timber Wolves, Kings,

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Speaker 1: Thunder right, Like it's gonna be really good teams that

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Speaker 1: the bottom there. There is no such thing as like,

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Speaker 1: oh I got the one seed, my path's gonna be easy. Now,

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Speaker 1: Like It's just like last year with Minnesota, who was

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Speaker 1: like kind of a year too early. It is probably

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Speaker 1: the last time for a long time you're gonna see

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Speaker 1: a bad Western Conference team in the playoffs. I shouldn't

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Speaker 1: even say bad, but like not as much of a threat.

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Speaker 1: And I'd argue if if Minnesota gets the eight seed

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Speaker 1: again this year, they're gonna be a significantly bigger threat

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Speaker 1: than they were last year. Right. It's just they're in

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Speaker 1: a different spot, is my point, and so I don't

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Speaker 1: expect them to be as sharp. In the preseason. Darren

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Speaker 1: Fox was a silver lining. He really struggled in his

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Speaker 1: first preseason game against Toronto, but he looked really good

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Speaker 1: last night. He was getting downhill, getting downhill in transition.

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Speaker 1: He was hitting his pull up jump shirt jump shot.

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Speaker 1: He hit like a really nice, like one legged pull

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Speaker 1: up jump shot, kind of drifting towards the basket. He

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Speaker 1: had a pull up three. He was making good reads.

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Speaker 1: Darren Fox looks good. I thought Chris Duarte looked good.

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Speaker 1: He was killing in transition. Like again with the Kings,

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Speaker 1: Derean Fox and Milakumnk are running and they're running, They're unning,

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Speaker 1: They're playing with the pace and so if you run

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Speaker 1: your lane, you're gonna get shots. And Duarte got two

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Speaker 1: corner threes in this game just by sprinting his lane

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Speaker 1: in transition and getting his feet set in the corner.

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Speaker 1: He also hit it above the break three on a

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Speaker 1: kickout on the right wing in the second half, and

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Speaker 1: then in the first half he had a playoff of

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Speaker 1: a steel where he had like a really nice, like

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00:22:19,480 --> 00:22:22,400
Speaker 1: slow down, like long step finish on the left side

428
00:22:22,400 --> 00:22:24,080
Speaker 1: of the rim. Thought I thought he looked like he

429
00:22:24,119 --> 00:22:26,520
Speaker 1: made a lot of sense with his athleticism and shooting

430
00:22:26,720 --> 00:22:30,040
Speaker 1: out there. Sasha Vazankov, I've been a little disappointed with

431
00:22:30,040 --> 00:22:32,040
Speaker 1: the way they've used him so far in preseason, because

432
00:22:32,160 --> 00:22:34,800
Speaker 1: he was much more of like a post up folkrum

433
00:22:35,280 --> 00:22:38,120
Speaker 1: over in Europe, and they're basically just using him as

434
00:22:38,160 --> 00:22:41,959
Speaker 1: another Kegan Murray, like they're they're running dribble handoffs with him,

435
00:22:41,960 --> 00:22:44,399
Speaker 1: and he's shooting threes off the catch, and he's spotting

436
00:22:44,480 --> 00:22:47,199
Speaker 1: up a lot and stuff like that. I've noticed his

437
00:22:47,280 --> 00:22:49,640
Speaker 1: cutting be of value, like he just has good instincts

438
00:22:49,640 --> 00:22:53,000
Speaker 1: for not understanding when his defender's not paying attention to him,

439
00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:57,560
Speaker 1: and he'll relocate or or cut to the basket. They've

440
00:22:57,600 --> 00:23:00,879
Speaker 1: only posted him once in all in the two games,

441
00:23:01,240 --> 00:23:03,600
Speaker 1: which is kind of a bummer because, like again, like

442
00:23:04,080 --> 00:23:08,600
Speaker 1: he has this like disgusting left shoulder fade. He could

443
00:23:08,600 --> 00:23:10,520
Speaker 1: take it off a one leg, he can take it

444
00:23:10,560 --> 00:23:12,720
Speaker 1: where he goes strong and straight up, he can kind

445
00:23:12,720 --> 00:23:16,000
Speaker 1: of drift back off of two feet like he's deadly

446
00:23:16,080 --> 00:23:17,680
Speaker 1: with that shot. And the one post up was a

447
00:23:17,680 --> 00:23:19,879
Speaker 1: post up of D'Angelo Russell and he immediately went to

448
00:23:19,920 --> 00:23:21,639
Speaker 1: his one like fade away and he made it. So

449
00:23:21,640 --> 00:23:23,760
Speaker 1: I'd like to see them use him a little bit more,

450
00:23:24,960 --> 00:23:27,159
Speaker 1: especially since he just kind of brings a different type

451
00:23:27,160 --> 00:23:31,120
Speaker 1: of speed to what they do offensively. I think he's

452
00:23:31,119 --> 00:23:32,879
Speaker 1: gonna be really useful for them over the course of

453
00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:34,320
Speaker 1: the season. I just hope they use him a little

454
00:23:34,320 --> 00:23:37,280
Speaker 1: bit more aggressively than they have. I have the Kings

455
00:23:37,320 --> 00:23:40,080
Speaker 1: as the team expect to take the biggest dip in

456
00:23:40,160 --> 00:23:42,119
Speaker 1: the standings this year. I think they're gonna be a

457
00:23:42,119 --> 00:23:45,400
Speaker 1: playing team. There's three main reasons why I feel that way.

458
00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:47,359
Speaker 1: First of all, like I said earlier, they're in a

459
00:23:47,359 --> 00:23:49,480
Speaker 1: different motivational spot. I won't get into that again. They're

460
00:23:49,520 --> 00:23:52,280
Speaker 1: just in a different spot motivationally in the regular season

461
00:23:52,320 --> 00:23:54,680
Speaker 1: than they were last year. Secondly, they had the best

462
00:23:54,720 --> 00:23:57,720
Speaker 1: injury luck in the league last year, which obviously played

463
00:23:57,720 --> 00:24:00,639
Speaker 1: a role in the regular season success. And then lastly,

464
00:24:00,680 --> 00:24:04,000
Speaker 1: the West just got better around them. The Lakers deeper

465
00:24:04,040 --> 00:24:06,439
Speaker 1: and better in the regular season, the Suns deeper and

466
00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:09,560
Speaker 1: better in the regular season. Golden State deeper and more

467
00:24:09,640 --> 00:24:12,040
Speaker 1: versatile than they were last year. The Timberwolves, I think

468
00:24:12,040 --> 00:24:14,359
Speaker 1: they're gonna be awesome this year. The Okay see thunder

469
00:24:14,520 --> 00:24:16,240
Speaker 1: All their young players are a year better, and you're

470
00:24:16,240 --> 00:24:18,359
Speaker 1: adding Cheded Holmgren to the situation, they're gonna be a

471
00:24:18,440 --> 00:24:21,080
Speaker 1: lot better. The Pelicans. If Zion Williamson is healthy and

472
00:24:21,119 --> 00:24:22,959
Speaker 1: in shape, they're gonna be a lot better, and they

473
00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:25,480
Speaker 1: have young players making improvements. The MAVs are going to

474
00:24:25,520 --> 00:24:27,320
Speaker 1: be better than they were last year. They basically punted.

475
00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:29,600
Speaker 1: The Rockets are going to be a lot better than

476
00:24:29,600 --> 00:24:31,680
Speaker 1: they were last year. The only two teams I looked

477
00:24:31,680 --> 00:24:34,439
Speaker 1: at in the standings where I'm like, you know, maybe

478
00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:37,760
Speaker 1: the Kings could make a case that they're not any better,

479
00:24:38,560 --> 00:24:41,280
Speaker 1: the Clippers and the Grizzlies, but at worst they're just

480
00:24:41,359 --> 00:24:45,639
Speaker 1: as good as they were last year. So, like the

481
00:24:45,720 --> 00:24:48,800
Speaker 1: West got better the Kings are probably not gonna get

482
00:24:48,880 --> 00:24:51,280
Speaker 1: as lucky as they did with the injuries. They're not

483
00:24:51,320 --> 00:24:53,000
Speaker 1: going to be as motivated to play hard in the

484
00:24:53,040 --> 00:24:54,800
Speaker 1: regular season. I think they're gonna take a dip. I

485
00:24:54,800 --> 00:24:57,240
Speaker 1: think they're going to be around the play in tournament

486
00:24:57,680 --> 00:24:59,919
Speaker 1: this season. As far as their playoff success comes down,

487
00:25:01,160 --> 00:25:02,719
Speaker 1: it really just comes down to whether or not they

488
00:25:02,760 --> 00:25:06,879
Speaker 1: can get stops. I actually believe their playoff offense will

489
00:25:06,920 --> 00:25:12,040
Speaker 1: be better. Every player not named Malik Monk or Darren

490
00:25:12,080 --> 00:25:14,600
Speaker 1: Fox really struggled to shoot the basketball last year in

491
00:25:14,640 --> 00:25:18,639
Speaker 1: the postseason, and Sibonis like had a nightmare series against

492
00:25:18,640 --> 00:25:21,879
Speaker 1: Golden State. He just Draymond Green and Cavon LONEI had

493
00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:25,479
Speaker 1: been eating up, you know the power, the undersized power,

494
00:25:26,080 --> 00:25:28,119
Speaker 1: you know center. I shouldn't even say undersized because the

495
00:25:28,200 --> 00:25:30,840
Speaker 1: bonus is big, but like under athletic center who likes

496
00:25:30,840 --> 00:25:33,320
Speaker 1: to play with power in the postseason, those guys have

497
00:25:33,359 --> 00:25:36,520
Speaker 1: been chewing those dudes up NonStop. So, like, I really

498
00:25:36,520 --> 00:25:39,359
Speaker 1: do think they're gonna be better offensively this year, But

499
00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:42,800
Speaker 1: they just really couldn't get stops. They got absolutely cooked

500
00:25:42,880 --> 00:25:45,720
Speaker 1: by Steph Curry. They couldn't figure out the balance between

501
00:25:45,720 --> 00:25:48,800
Speaker 1: point of attack defense and offensive firepower for their lineups.

502
00:25:49,240 --> 00:25:51,880
Speaker 1: So I mean, I would hope that at some point

503
00:25:51,920 --> 00:25:56,600
Speaker 1: this season they take the defensive end more seriously moving

504
00:25:56,600 --> 00:26:00,359
Speaker 1: on to six or Celtics. So the Celtics have a

505
00:26:00,440 --> 00:26:02,760
Speaker 1: very similar version of the Lakers roster where they have

506
00:26:02,840 --> 00:26:05,639
Speaker 1: the ability to be functional without their two stars. And

507
00:26:05,680 --> 00:26:07,760
Speaker 1: you saw that again last night, right Like they started

508
00:26:07,760 --> 00:26:09,960
Speaker 1: with Derek White and Drew Holliday. They went with Sam

509
00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:11,359
Speaker 1: Howser at the three, and I thought he had an

510
00:26:11,359 --> 00:26:15,040
Speaker 1: impressive game, and then they went without Horford and Christops Porzingis.

511
00:26:15,440 --> 00:26:19,119
Speaker 1: That's three legitimate offensive weapons. Derek White is really good.

512
00:26:19,200 --> 00:26:22,640
Speaker 1: He's a very good offensive player. Drew Holliday a star

513
00:26:22,760 --> 00:26:27,679
Speaker 1: offensive player. You know, Christops Porzingi is a legitimate offensive

514
00:26:27,720 --> 00:26:31,320
Speaker 1: weapon at center. Then they have plenty of interior size

515
00:26:31,359 --> 00:26:34,840
Speaker 1: with Horford and Christops Porzingis, plenty of point of attack defense.

516
00:26:34,880 --> 00:26:36,960
Speaker 1: It's versatile in the type of positions they can guard.

517
00:26:37,200 --> 00:26:39,840
Speaker 1: That's what Derek White and Drew Holliday are. They're guards

518
00:26:39,840 --> 00:26:41,760
Speaker 1: that can defend at the point of attack and can

519
00:26:41,800 --> 00:26:47,280
Speaker 1: defend wings. So like they have the ability to contend

520
00:26:47,520 --> 00:26:50,000
Speaker 1: or compete. I should say when Jayson Tatum and Jaylen

521
00:26:50,000 --> 00:26:54,199
Speaker 1: Brown don't play, and they'll be able to compete when

522
00:26:54,280 --> 00:26:57,720
Speaker 1: Drew Holliday and Derek White don't play because Jayson Tatum

523
00:26:57,720 --> 00:27:00,560
Speaker 1: and Jaln Brown are out there that step, that depth

524
00:27:00,600 --> 00:27:06,280
Speaker 1: of star talent is what creates small achievable roles for

525
00:27:06,320 --> 00:27:09,600
Speaker 1: their role players. They're not as deep as some of

526
00:27:09,600 --> 00:27:11,800
Speaker 1: the other teams in the league on the bench, but

527
00:27:11,840 --> 00:27:17,600
Speaker 1: they've got five legitimately very very very good players, you know,

528
00:27:17,720 --> 00:27:20,760
Speaker 1: five top forty players in the league, five top fifty

529
00:27:20,800 --> 00:27:22,639
Speaker 1: players in league, depending on where you have Derek White.

530
00:27:23,600 --> 00:27:28,399
Speaker 1: So like with that flexibility, you have the ability to

531
00:27:28,440 --> 00:27:30,280
Speaker 1: coast during the regular season in a lot of ways.

532
00:27:31,400 --> 00:27:33,679
Speaker 1: That's one of my biggest hot takes from this particular

533
00:27:33,720 --> 00:27:35,560
Speaker 1: season is I think the Celtics are going to run

534
00:27:35,600 --> 00:27:37,920
Speaker 1: away with the one seed, and I mean the overall

535
00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:40,000
Speaker 1: one seed. Everybody in the West is going to kick

536
00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:42,119
Speaker 1: the shit out of each other. The East is a

537
00:27:42,119 --> 00:27:44,480
Speaker 1: little bit bottom, is a little bit top heavy, and

538
00:27:44,520 --> 00:27:46,639
Speaker 1: then is weak at the bottom, so I think teams

539
00:27:46,640 --> 00:27:48,879
Speaker 1: will hit the higher win totals. But I also just

540
00:27:48,920 --> 00:27:50,719
Speaker 1: think the Celtics are going to win the Eastern Conference

541
00:27:50,720 --> 00:27:54,480
Speaker 1: by like five games because Milwaukee doesn't have that same

542
00:27:54,560 --> 00:27:56,880
Speaker 1: type of depth of star talent at the top right.

543
00:27:57,200 --> 00:28:00,480
Speaker 1: So like that, I really do think this is gonna

544
00:28:00,480 --> 00:28:02,120
Speaker 1: be a thing that they can lean on all season long.

545
00:28:03,880 --> 00:28:06,639
Speaker 1: They had a somewhat uneven first shift against the Sixers.

546
00:28:06,680 --> 00:28:08,000
Speaker 1: They got up to like a seven to zero lead,

547
00:28:08,080 --> 00:28:10,880
Speaker 1: and then they kind of cooled off, But they put

548
00:28:10,920 --> 00:28:13,439
Speaker 1: on a masterpiece of a second shift at the end

549
00:28:13,480 --> 00:28:17,040
Speaker 1: of the second quarter. I think they wanted with I

550
00:28:17,080 --> 00:28:19,240
Speaker 1: think they went with Delano Banton instead of Sam Houser

551
00:28:19,280 --> 00:28:21,640
Speaker 1: and that specific shift, but it was still Drew Holliday,

552
00:28:21,680 --> 00:28:24,600
Speaker 1: Derek White without Horford and chrisops Porzingis, and they just

553
00:28:24,640 --> 00:28:26,680
Speaker 1: picked him apart on both ends. Drew Holliday and Derek

554
00:28:26,720 --> 00:28:29,960
Speaker 1: White really locked in defensively in that stretch. They were

555
00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:33,680
Speaker 1: causing Tobias Harris and and Tyres Maxie all sorts of issues,

556
00:28:35,320 --> 00:28:37,399
Speaker 1: like just really shut down the Sixers offense and then

557
00:28:37,440 --> 00:28:38,960
Speaker 1: on the other end of the floor, just run in

558
00:28:39,000 --> 00:28:43,040
Speaker 1: two man game and just killing teams. That pick and

559
00:28:43,120 --> 00:28:45,640
Speaker 1: pop action with christops Porzingis is gonna give teams all

560
00:28:45,640 --> 00:28:48,520
Speaker 1: sorts of issues. They even had a play where they

561
00:28:48,600 --> 00:28:51,960
Speaker 1: switched it, so like, uh, Drew Holliday and and chrisops

562
00:28:51,960 --> 00:28:55,080
Speaker 1: Porzingis ran a pick and roll late second quarter, Paul

563
00:28:55,120 --> 00:28:57,320
Speaker 1: Reid switches on to Drew Holliday and it's like, take

564
00:28:57,360 --> 00:29:00,800
Speaker 1: your pick. You want to post up Chris stops Porzingish

565
00:29:01,080 --> 00:29:03,160
Speaker 1: on one of the sixer guards, or do you want

566
00:29:03,160 --> 00:29:05,400
Speaker 1: to have Drew Holiday go to work on Paul Reid.

567
00:29:05,600 --> 00:29:07,800
Speaker 1: He ended up taking Paul Reid to work and Drew

568
00:29:07,800 --> 00:29:10,320
Speaker 1: Holiday so damn big and strong. He literally took him

569
00:29:10,360 --> 00:29:12,480
Speaker 1: to the basket and hit him with a power move,

570
00:29:12,760 --> 00:29:17,040
Speaker 1: a pump fake, and a bucket. They just and then

571
00:29:17,080 --> 00:29:19,160
Speaker 1: even when they went to the bench, it's just shooting.

572
00:29:19,200 --> 00:29:21,960
Speaker 1: Like they're not as athletic and as good defensively off

573
00:29:21,960 --> 00:29:23,959
Speaker 1: the bench as they were in recent years, but they

574
00:29:23,960 --> 00:29:26,800
Speaker 1: can shoot the ship out of the basketball. They ran

575
00:29:26,840 --> 00:29:29,480
Speaker 1: a lineup with Luke Cornette out there with Sphema Kailou

576
00:29:29,600 --> 00:29:33,640
Speaker 1: and and and Peyton Pritchard and and Sam Hauser, and

577
00:29:33,680 --> 00:29:38,000
Speaker 1: they were just ragining threes. This is a This is

578
00:29:38,040 --> 00:29:40,360
Speaker 1: a really good team, and chrisops Sporzingis is like a

579
00:29:40,400 --> 00:29:47,080
Speaker 1: perfect fit with that group as well. But like in general,

580
00:29:47,520 --> 00:29:49,360
Speaker 1: I think, you know, I was listening to the Celtics

581
00:29:49,400 --> 00:29:52,160
Speaker 1: announcers last night talking about you know, Drew Holliday and

582
00:29:52,200 --> 00:29:54,240
Speaker 1: some comments he's made about his willingness to come off

583
00:29:54,240 --> 00:29:56,360
Speaker 1: the bench. I just don't see the point in that.

584
00:29:57,080 --> 00:29:59,920
Speaker 1: I want. I would want to get as much repetition

585
00:30:00,120 --> 00:30:04,320
Speaker 1: as possible for Drew Holliday with Derek White, with Tatum

586
00:30:04,360 --> 00:30:06,840
Speaker 1: and Brown and with chrisps Porzingis over the course of

587
00:30:06,840 --> 00:30:08,719
Speaker 1: the season, because that's the lineup you're going down with.

588
00:30:09,400 --> 00:30:11,720
Speaker 1: You're not going down with Drew Holliday on the bench, right,

589
00:30:12,360 --> 00:30:14,040
Speaker 1: And so I would like to see them kind of

590
00:30:14,080 --> 00:30:16,840
Speaker 1: lean into that a little bit more over the course

591
00:30:16,880 --> 00:30:19,400
Speaker 1: of the season. But at the end of the day,

592
00:30:19,440 --> 00:30:23,400
Speaker 1: it doesn't matter, because, like if you bring Al Horford

593
00:30:23,400 --> 00:30:25,280
Speaker 1: into the starting unit and you make Drew Holiday come

594
00:30:25,280 --> 00:30:26,800
Speaker 1: off the bench, they're still gonna win a shit ton

595
00:30:26,800 --> 00:30:29,239
Speaker 1: of games. I feel pretty confidently that they're gonna win

596
00:30:29,280 --> 00:30:31,720
Speaker 1: the get the number one overall seed this year. On

597
00:30:31,760 --> 00:30:34,320
Speaker 1: the Sixers front, Tyris Maxey came out guns blaze and

598
00:30:34,320 --> 00:30:36,320
Speaker 1: he's been super impressive to start the preseason. He hasn't

599
00:30:36,320 --> 00:30:38,880
Speaker 1: even really shot that well, but he just has that

600
00:30:38,920 --> 00:30:42,240
Speaker 1: perfect combination of downhill speed and over the top shot making,

601
00:30:42,320 --> 00:30:45,240
Speaker 1: like reliable three point shooting. He was one of the

602
00:30:45,240 --> 00:30:48,600
Speaker 1: best three point shooters in the league last year. But

603
00:30:48,640 --> 00:30:50,040
Speaker 1: the big things that stood out to me, because here's

604
00:30:50,080 --> 00:30:52,239
Speaker 1: the thing, Tyris Maxey has been fast and a good

605
00:30:52,280 --> 00:30:55,120
Speaker 1: shooter for like three years now, But the big things

606
00:30:55,160 --> 00:30:56,520
Speaker 1: that have stood out to me are the reads that

607
00:30:56,560 --> 00:30:58,640
Speaker 1: he's making in pick and roll and his commitments to

608
00:30:58,640 --> 00:31:02,280
Speaker 1: the defensive end of the floor. He's getting really good

609
00:31:02,360 --> 00:31:06,200
Speaker 1: now at baiting defenders to show high on that three

610
00:31:06,240 --> 00:31:08,640
Speaker 1: point shot and then hitting the jets down hill. He's

611
00:31:08,640 --> 00:31:10,680
Speaker 1: got better command of the floor than he has in

612
00:31:10,720 --> 00:31:12,480
Speaker 1: recent years and on the defensive end of the floor.

613
00:31:12,480 --> 00:31:14,200
Speaker 1: And this is the Nick Nurse effect. You could see

614
00:31:14,240 --> 00:31:16,320
Speaker 1: it from the opening tip of these games. Tyres Maxi

615
00:31:16,720 --> 00:31:20,240
Speaker 1: is applying ball pressure, He's looking for screens and navigating

616
00:31:20,280 --> 00:31:22,800
Speaker 1: them better. You can just tell in general his level

617
00:31:22,840 --> 00:31:25,640
Speaker 1: of give a shit about point of attack defense is

618
00:31:25,640 --> 00:31:28,000
Speaker 1: at an all time high for him personally. There's a

619
00:31:28,000 --> 00:31:32,400
Speaker 1: play in the second quarter where Sam Hauser was getting

620
00:31:32,440 --> 00:31:34,320
Speaker 1: ready to run off a pick on the right side

621
00:31:34,320 --> 00:31:37,880
Speaker 1: of the floor out of the right wing, and and

622
00:31:37,960 --> 00:31:40,440
Speaker 1: like you could literally he didn't even get the ball,

623
00:31:40,480 --> 00:31:42,600
Speaker 1: Like the play was ranted in a different direction, and

624
00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:46,400
Speaker 1: you can literally see Tyrese Maxey like identifying that that

625
00:31:46,520 --> 00:31:49,400
Speaker 1: screen's coming, he sees the play and then he immediately

626
00:31:49,440 --> 00:31:52,120
Speaker 1: gets he hops around and gets into gets into lock

627
00:31:52,160 --> 00:31:54,400
Speaker 1: and trail position on Hawser like gets like set up

628
00:31:54,400 --> 00:31:56,800
Speaker 1: behind him. He's ready to go, and then like he

629
00:31:56,880 --> 00:32:00,320
Speaker 1: sees Sam Houser getting ready to curl, and he like

630
00:32:00,320 --> 00:32:02,520
Speaker 1: cuts underneath the screen and meets him on the other side.

631
00:32:02,640 --> 00:32:05,480
Speaker 1: Like you can tell the commitment is there at another level,

632
00:32:05,480 --> 00:32:08,600
Speaker 1: and it's gonna be important because there's again especially with

633
00:32:08,960 --> 00:32:11,440
Speaker 1: on the offensive end, if they do end up making

634
00:32:11,440 --> 00:32:14,200
Speaker 1: a James Harden trade, he's going to have to carry

635
00:32:14,240 --> 00:32:16,240
Speaker 1: a bigger offensive role than he has in recent years,

636
00:32:16,240 --> 00:32:18,120
Speaker 1: and it seems like he's positioned for that. And again,

637
00:32:18,120 --> 00:32:20,280
Speaker 1: like tyres max he's always been one of my favorite players.

638
00:32:20,800 --> 00:32:24,160
Speaker 1: I uh, I think I've told the story four but

639
00:32:24,160 --> 00:32:27,440
Speaker 1: I ran into him working out at in Vegas two

640
00:32:27,480 --> 00:32:29,880
Speaker 1: years ago, and like I like, of all the NBA

641
00:32:29,920 --> 00:32:31,600
Speaker 1: players that I saw at Summer League, like he was

642
00:32:31,640 --> 00:32:33,440
Speaker 1: one of the ones that was there just to get

643
00:32:33,480 --> 00:32:37,160
Speaker 1: better at basketball, you know, just an absolute hoophead who's

644
00:32:37,360 --> 00:32:40,240
Speaker 1: uh who lives in the gym, And I think he's

645
00:32:40,240 --> 00:32:43,160
Speaker 1: gonna take a big leap this year, Kelly Ubra hit

646
00:32:43,200 --> 00:32:46,040
Speaker 1: four threes all in the first half. That's gonna be

647
00:32:46,080 --> 00:32:48,680
Speaker 1: a really important thing for the Sixers all season. He's

648
00:32:48,680 --> 00:32:50,760
Speaker 1: at eighty six percent in effective field goal percentage so

649
00:32:50,800 --> 00:32:53,000
Speaker 1: far in catch and shoot jump shots in preseason, at

650
00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:55,160
Speaker 1: one point one to three points per spot of possession.

651
00:32:55,360 --> 00:32:58,440
Speaker 1: Why is that important because again, that forward position next

652
00:32:58,440 --> 00:33:02,360
Speaker 1: to Embiid, in between Hair and Embiid is vitally important

653
00:33:02,400 --> 00:33:05,560
Speaker 1: for the versatility in the playoffs because PJ. Tucker against

654
00:33:05,640 --> 00:33:08,400
Speaker 1: certain matchups can be a problem with the way teams

655
00:33:08,440 --> 00:33:10,560
Speaker 1: leave him open in the corner. But if kel U

656
00:33:10,600 --> 00:33:12,880
Speaker 1: Break can be a knockdown spot up shooter this year,

657
00:33:13,320 --> 00:33:15,080
Speaker 1: that could go a long way towards giving them an

658
00:33:15,080 --> 00:33:19,560
Speaker 1: option when Pj's not hit. All right, let's move on

659
00:33:19,600 --> 00:33:22,960
Speaker 1: to that season preview for the Boston Celtics. So I

660
00:33:23,000 --> 00:33:24,960
Speaker 1: have the Celtics at number three in my power rankings.

661
00:33:24,960 --> 00:33:28,640
Speaker 1: Here is an off season recap. They lost Malcolm Brogden,

662
00:33:28,760 --> 00:33:33,200
Speaker 1: Danila Gallinari, Blake Griffin, Mike Muscala, Marcus Smart, Grant Williams,

663
00:33:33,200 --> 00:33:36,200
Speaker 1: and Robert Williams. Grant Williams is the one there, like

664
00:33:36,440 --> 00:33:39,000
Speaker 1: I'm not as worried about Robert Williams because I think

665
00:33:39,000 --> 00:33:42,320
Speaker 1: they're better when they go five out and porzingis kind

666
00:33:42,320 --> 00:33:47,520
Speaker 1: of brings that option, right, Grant Williams, I think there's

667
00:33:49,480 --> 00:33:53,080
Speaker 1: Grant Williams was not as necessary last year, and I

668
00:33:53,120 --> 00:33:55,920
Speaker 1: can see how that would like cause Celtics fans to

669
00:33:55,960 --> 00:33:59,120
Speaker 1: be like, we don't need him, But he was vitally

670
00:33:59,160 --> 00:34:02,800
Speaker 1: important to years ago. And why was that Because he

671
00:34:02,840 --> 00:34:06,520
Speaker 1: did a credible job guarding Giannis, especially in the first

672
00:34:06,600 --> 00:34:11,799
Speaker 1: chunk of that series in the Eastern Conference Semis And

673
00:34:11,920 --> 00:34:15,400
Speaker 1: like it's because he's at the wing position, a fire hydrant.

674
00:34:15,400 --> 00:34:18,200
Speaker 1: He's huge and strong, low center of gravity, has good

675
00:34:18,239 --> 00:34:22,319
Speaker 1: defensive anticipation, and they don't really have another guy like

676
00:34:22,360 --> 00:34:24,799
Speaker 1: that on the roster unfortunately, with his like size at

677
00:34:24,800 --> 00:34:29,360
Speaker 1: the forward position. And that's important because like if you

678
00:34:29,480 --> 00:34:33,880
Speaker 1: run into Giannis again, suddenly Grant Williams does become more valuable.

679
00:34:34,160 --> 00:34:37,040
Speaker 1: So again, like I want to just caution Celtics fans,

680
00:34:37,440 --> 00:34:39,400
Speaker 1: I don't think it's gonna make or break this season,

681
00:34:40,040 --> 00:34:43,000
Speaker 1: but like before you just say cyonar at a Grant Williams,

682
00:34:43,040 --> 00:34:47,120
Speaker 1: like there's he served a purpose. He's a very specific

683
00:34:47,160 --> 00:34:50,000
Speaker 1: type of forward, a big, strong, low center of gravity

684
00:34:50,040 --> 00:34:52,200
Speaker 1: forward that can slide his feet and stay in front

685
00:34:52,239 --> 00:34:55,440
Speaker 1: of power players. You didn't play a power player last year,

686
00:34:55,480 --> 00:34:59,080
Speaker 1: so he didn't need him, but you will. He does

687
00:34:59,160 --> 00:35:01,959
Speaker 1: have a distinct purpose in the league as that type

688
00:35:01,960 --> 00:35:06,040
Speaker 1: of forward. They added Delano Banton from the Raptors, Oshae

689
00:35:06,080 --> 00:35:09,799
Speaker 1: Brissett from the Pacers, Wyyan Gabriel from the Lakers, a

690
00:35:09,880 --> 00:35:13,200
Speaker 1: really athletic, try hard forward that can do a lot

691
00:35:13,200 --> 00:35:15,880
Speaker 1: of dirty work. Lamar Stevens played with the Cavs last year,

692
00:35:16,000 --> 00:35:20,600
Speaker 1: Spemkaielu shooter, and then Drew Holliday and chrisops Porzingis, who

693
00:35:20,640 --> 00:35:21,759
Speaker 1: will talk about in just a minute. I want to

694
00:35:21,760 --> 00:35:25,120
Speaker 1: start with the depth chart, So at guard, the depth

695
00:35:25,200 --> 00:35:28,000
Speaker 1: chart right now, Drew Holliday, Derek White, Peyton Pritchard's Phemachaielu

696
00:35:28,120 --> 00:35:29,920
Speaker 1: kind of a similar situation to the Lakers, where it's

697
00:35:29,960 --> 00:35:32,879
Speaker 1: like three starter caliber players and then not a lot

698
00:35:32,880 --> 00:35:36,040
Speaker 1: of depth. So obviously injuries over the course of the

699
00:35:36,040 --> 00:35:38,799
Speaker 1: season at the guard position could be an issue, but

700
00:35:39,200 --> 00:35:40,920
Speaker 1: not too much when you've got the type of perimeter

701
00:35:41,000 --> 00:35:42,960
Speaker 1: talent you do at forward. So you got Jason Tatum,

702
00:35:43,000 --> 00:35:47,600
Speaker 1: Jaylen Brown, Oshae Brissette, Delano Banton, Sam Hauser, and Lamar Stevens.

703
00:35:47,640 --> 00:35:49,719
Speaker 1: And then at center Chris hoops Porzingis, Al Horford, Luke

704
00:35:49,760 --> 00:35:52,600
Speaker 1: Cornette and Whenyan Gabriel, So I want to talk about

705
00:35:52,600 --> 00:35:55,320
Speaker 1: the Drew Holliday and chrisops Porzingis editions for a minute.

706
00:35:56,640 --> 00:35:59,520
Speaker 1: These are massive upgrades that their two weakest positions last year.

707
00:35:59,560 --> 00:36:02,719
Speaker 1: I thought they're players were Derek White, Jason Tatum, Jalen Brown.

708
00:36:02,800 --> 00:36:04,279
Speaker 1: I mean, even over the course that Heat series, you

709
00:36:04,280 --> 00:36:06,080
Speaker 1: could really tell Derek White became one of the more

710
00:36:06,080 --> 00:36:08,839
Speaker 1: reliable half court guys, especially with the way that Jalen

711
00:36:08,880 --> 00:36:10,960
Speaker 1: Brown was falling apart. So, like those are your three

712
00:36:10,960 --> 00:36:13,719
Speaker 1: best players at the two, three, four, right, But the

713
00:36:13,800 --> 00:36:19,239
Speaker 1: problem was is like, uh, obviously, like Marcus Smart went

714
00:36:19,280 --> 00:36:22,080
Speaker 1: down a level defensively last year. Jie Holliday is just

715
00:36:22,080 --> 00:36:25,080
Speaker 1: a lot better at everything that Marcus smartt does. He's

716
00:36:25,160 --> 00:36:27,640
Speaker 1: just a better version of Marcus Smart. And then at

717
00:36:27,680 --> 00:36:29,960
Speaker 1: the center position, the problem you had was when you

718
00:36:30,000 --> 00:36:32,120
Speaker 1: went five out with Al Horford, your offense looked better,

719
00:36:32,120 --> 00:36:34,000
Speaker 1: but your defense wasn't as good. And when you went

720
00:36:34,040 --> 00:36:35,920
Speaker 1: with Robert Williams and you played Al Horford at the

721
00:36:35,920 --> 00:36:38,480
Speaker 1: four you had to take a perimeter player off the floor,

722
00:36:38,640 --> 00:36:40,520
Speaker 1: or if all Horford was off the floor, you weren't

723
00:36:40,560 --> 00:36:43,120
Speaker 1: as good offensively because Robert Williams isn't the same type

724
00:36:43,120 --> 00:36:47,640
Speaker 1: of offensive spacing threat that Al Horford was. Right, Porzingis

725
00:36:47,640 --> 00:36:50,560
Speaker 1: brings the best of both worlds to the table. It

726
00:36:50,640 --> 00:36:53,440
Speaker 1: gives you the ability to have legitimate rim protection like

727
00:36:53,440 --> 00:36:56,480
Speaker 1: what Robert Williams brings to the table, legitimate vertical spacing

728
00:36:56,520 --> 00:36:58,560
Speaker 1: like what Robert Williams brings to the table, while at

729
00:36:58,560 --> 00:37:01,880
Speaker 1: the same time having the perimeters facing that Al Horford

730
00:37:01,880 --> 00:37:04,520
Speaker 1: brought to the table, right, and the little bit of

731
00:37:04,520 --> 00:37:07,080
Speaker 1: off the dribble pop that you didn't really get from

732
00:37:07,080 --> 00:37:10,520
Speaker 1: either of them, right. So, like it's massive upgrades at

733
00:37:10,560 --> 00:37:12,400
Speaker 1: both positions, and that matters for a couple of different

734
00:37:12,400 --> 00:37:15,160
Speaker 1: reasons because, like now they can actually go to that

735
00:37:15,239 --> 00:37:18,439
Speaker 1: rim protection without sacrificing offense, which was a significant issue

736
00:37:18,440 --> 00:37:22,879
Speaker 1: in the years past. You've significantly upgraded one of your

737
00:37:22,960 --> 00:37:25,319
Speaker 1: most important players in Marcus mar Drew Holliday is like

738
00:37:25,400 --> 00:37:28,440
Speaker 1: legitimately a top thirty player in this NBA Somewhere. Some

739
00:37:28,480 --> 00:37:30,919
Speaker 1: people think he's top twenty, some people think he's top thirty.

740
00:37:30,960 --> 00:37:32,799
Speaker 1: It depends on who you ask. I had him just

741
00:37:32,840 --> 00:37:35,239
Speaker 1: outside my top twenty five, so somewhere between twenty five

742
00:37:35,239 --> 00:37:36,920
Speaker 1: to thirty. I think I had him like in that

743
00:37:36,960 --> 00:37:39,000
Speaker 1: twenty five or twenty six, twenty seven to twenty twenty

744
00:37:39,080 --> 00:37:43,200
Speaker 1: nine group. I can't remember exactly where. But he's a

745
00:37:43,320 --> 00:37:46,680
Speaker 1: super valuable playoff player too with his defensive versatility. You've

746
00:37:47,280 --> 00:37:51,880
Speaker 1: like and then again specifically with Miami, you had issues

747
00:37:51,920 --> 00:37:55,280
Speaker 1: with switching. The book is out on the Boston Celtics.

748
00:37:55,719 --> 00:37:58,680
Speaker 1: If you switch screens against them, you will bait them

749
00:37:58,680 --> 00:38:02,080
Speaker 1: into ISOs. You bait them into ISOs. Jason Tatum and

750
00:38:02,120 --> 00:38:04,360
Speaker 1: Jaylen Brown just aren't good enough at it in a

751
00:38:04,400 --> 00:38:08,200
Speaker 1: slow down, physical playoff environment against the best defenses in

752
00:38:08,239 --> 00:38:11,799
Speaker 1: the league. Right, But now you've added additional weapons in

753
00:38:11,800 --> 00:38:14,759
Speaker 1: that situation, specifically porzingis Drew Holiday can beat switches too.

754
00:38:14,800 --> 00:38:16,640
Speaker 1: He's a better post up guard too than Marcus Smart

755
00:38:16,680 --> 00:38:19,480
Speaker 1: in my opinion. But if you look at it strictly

756
00:38:19,520 --> 00:38:23,160
Speaker 1: from the standpoint of Chrisops, porzingis now when you run Tatum,

757
00:38:23,200 --> 00:38:27,480
Speaker 1: porzingis action or Brown, porzingis action and they switch, you

758
00:38:27,520 --> 00:38:29,040
Speaker 1: have another way that you can attack, which is go

759
00:38:29,080 --> 00:38:31,719
Speaker 1: to chrisps Porzingis, and again with Chris Tops it's not

760
00:38:32,000 --> 00:38:35,840
Speaker 1: just like pound the basketball right shoulder fade, left shoulder fade,

761
00:38:35,840 --> 00:38:38,560
Speaker 1: like tough shot making out of the post. He also

762
00:38:38,680 --> 00:38:41,640
Speaker 1: legitimately is a good like duckin sealer And what that

763
00:38:41,719 --> 00:38:44,680
Speaker 1: means is like he can get a switch and then

764
00:38:44,760 --> 00:38:47,080
Speaker 1: like when the dude tries a three quarter front, he

765
00:38:47,160 --> 00:38:50,160
Speaker 1: can turn and give you a target and seal and

766
00:38:50,200 --> 00:38:52,279
Speaker 1: catch and quick finish around the basket. Like a big

767
00:38:52,320 --> 00:38:54,560
Speaker 1: part of his post up efficiency last year is that

768
00:38:54,640 --> 00:38:57,919
Speaker 1: it wasn't just slow down methodical shot making in the post.

769
00:38:58,120 --> 00:39:00,839
Speaker 1: He did a lot of work on quick duckins and

770
00:39:01,880 --> 00:39:04,839
Speaker 1: ceiling a front and creating a target right and like

771
00:39:04,880 --> 00:39:09,279
Speaker 1: making easy shots out of the post. I thought the

772
00:39:09,400 --> 00:39:12,400
Speaker 1: Marcus Smart trade two kind of gave them the ability

773
00:39:12,440 --> 00:39:16,680
Speaker 1: to give Peyton Pritchard a legitimate a legitimate spot in

774
00:39:16,719 --> 00:39:19,480
Speaker 1: the rotation. Right, Like you get rid of Smart, you

775
00:39:19,480 --> 00:39:21,839
Speaker 1: get rid of Brogden, you bring and Drew Holliday. Now

776
00:39:21,880 --> 00:39:24,560
Speaker 1: you have two really good guards in front ofton Peyton

777
00:39:24,560 --> 00:39:26,400
Speaker 1: Pritchard instead of three. And that's the thing is like

778
00:39:26,719 --> 00:39:31,160
Speaker 1: Peyton Pritchard is like a legitimate, really good NBA guard

779
00:39:31,960 --> 00:39:33,719
Speaker 1: who was out of the rotation most of the time,

780
00:39:33,800 --> 00:39:36,120
Speaker 1: just because he had three legitimate, really good guards in

781
00:39:36,120 --> 00:39:39,600
Speaker 1: front of him, and every playoff rotation shrinks right. And

782
00:39:39,680 --> 00:39:42,320
Speaker 1: he's been shooting the shit out of the basketball in preseason.

783
00:39:42,840 --> 00:39:46,240
Speaker 1: He's nine for fifteen on pull up jump shots. Peyton

784
00:39:46,239 --> 00:39:50,360
Speaker 1: Pritchard seven for thirteen on pull up threes in some

785
00:39:50,480 --> 00:39:54,160
Speaker 1: really nasty ones too. There's a play in the in

786
00:39:54,200 --> 00:39:57,239
Speaker 1: the preseason game last night against the Sixers where I

787
00:39:57,280 --> 00:39:59,680
Speaker 1: want to say it was de Anthony Melton was guarding

788
00:39:59,719 --> 00:40:02,719
Speaker 1: Peyton Richard and did a really nice job navigating a

789
00:40:02,719 --> 00:40:06,920
Speaker 1: ball screen. It was just being a pester and just

790
00:40:06,960 --> 00:40:10,080
Speaker 1: being a pest, i should say. And then literally he

791
00:40:10,160 --> 00:40:13,920
Speaker 1: ends up running a resetting, doesn't get discouraged, resets, does

792
00:40:13,960 --> 00:40:15,880
Speaker 1: a better job setting up to Anthony Milton on the

793
00:40:15,880 --> 00:40:19,360
Speaker 1: next one, gets him into trail position, then snakes the

794
00:40:19,440 --> 00:40:21,279
Speaker 1: screen because Melton was doing a really good job with

795
00:40:21,560 --> 00:40:24,319
Speaker 1: ball pressure. After he snakes the screen, he pulled out

796
00:40:24,320 --> 00:40:26,359
Speaker 1: of it with a step back three to the top

797
00:40:26,360 --> 00:40:30,279
Speaker 1: of the key, like an incredibly high level shot making possession.

798
00:40:30,960 --> 00:40:33,160
Speaker 1: And so I'm just kind of excited for Peyton, especially

799
00:40:33,160 --> 00:40:35,360
Speaker 1: off of the extension that now he's gonna have a

800
00:40:35,360 --> 00:40:37,720
Speaker 1: real chance to be just a consistent spot in the rotation.

801
00:40:38,040 --> 00:40:40,520
Speaker 1: That's just a better use of your resources. Again, in

802
00:40:40,640 --> 00:40:43,040
Speaker 1: terms of resource management, it doesn't make sense to have

803
00:40:43,120 --> 00:40:45,839
Speaker 1: really good basketball players out of your rotation, and if

804
00:40:45,880 --> 00:40:47,840
Speaker 1: you do, you should probably consider making some sort of

805
00:40:47,880 --> 00:40:50,480
Speaker 1: move to try to turn that player into a position

806
00:40:50,520 --> 00:40:52,759
Speaker 1: group where you need help. And that's the thing. You

807
00:40:52,800 --> 00:40:55,359
Speaker 1: had too many good guards last year and you got

808
00:40:55,480 --> 00:40:57,880
Speaker 1: rid of one, and now as a result, you're going

809
00:40:57,920 --> 00:40:59,759
Speaker 1: to provide an opportunity for a guard that you had

810
00:40:59,800 --> 00:41:01,960
Speaker 1: out side of the rotation last year. Now, one of

811
00:41:02,000 --> 00:41:04,000
Speaker 1: the big things I've seen in terms of criticism or

812
00:41:04,040 --> 00:41:07,040
Speaker 1: negativity surrounding the Celtics this year is the depth debate. Right.

813
00:41:08,080 --> 00:41:11,080
Speaker 1: So you know, last year you just had more good

814
00:41:11,120 --> 00:41:12,799
Speaker 1: players coming off the bench. And if you look at

815
00:41:12,840 --> 00:41:14,640
Speaker 1: the depth chart, like it's it's a drop off, right,

816
00:41:14,719 --> 00:41:17,160
Speaker 1: Like we go from Drew Holliday and Derek White to

817
00:41:17,160 --> 00:41:19,080
Speaker 1: Peyton Pritchard, who I really like and I think is

818
00:41:19,080 --> 00:41:21,960
Speaker 1: a very good player, but a guy who historically hasn't

819
00:41:21,960 --> 00:41:24,759
Speaker 1: been in the rotation, right saphe mkaylo, that's a big

820
00:41:24,840 --> 00:41:27,719
Speaker 1: drop off at four, Jason Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Like that's

821
00:41:27,760 --> 00:41:31,200
Speaker 1: a really good that's two superstars right in the star

822
00:41:31,440 --> 00:41:33,520
Speaker 1: at the top, but then it's a big drop off

823
00:41:33,640 --> 00:41:35,640
Speaker 1: to go to oshape Er, Set Delano Benton, Sam House

824
00:41:35,719 --> 00:41:39,160
Speaker 1: or Lamar Stevens. Right from chrisops Porzingis and Al Horford,

825
00:41:39,200 --> 00:41:41,239
Speaker 1: you drop off to Luke Cornett and Wingi and Gabriel right,

826
00:41:41,239 --> 00:41:43,440
Speaker 1: So they don't have the depth that they did in

827
00:41:43,480 --> 00:41:46,600
Speaker 1: previous seasons. But like again, I'm not as worried about

828
00:41:46,640 --> 00:41:51,360
Speaker 1: that because star depth is equally important in my opinion,

829
00:41:51,680 --> 00:41:53,719
Speaker 1: because of the ability to create small roles. I talked

830
00:41:53,719 --> 00:41:54,960
Speaker 1: about this all the time on the show, but you

831
00:41:55,000 --> 00:41:59,239
Speaker 1: have roles on the floor, responsibilities that have to be fulfilled.

832
00:41:59,680 --> 00:42:01,600
Speaker 1: And the beautiful thing about stars is they can take

833
00:42:01,640 --> 00:42:05,279
Speaker 1: big chunks out of it. Right, Like when you have

834
00:42:06,239 --> 00:42:10,600
Speaker 1: a really good shot blocking center like chrisps Porzingis, everybody's

835
00:42:10,640 --> 00:42:14,280
Speaker 1: defensive job gets easier, right because there's real rim protection

836
00:42:14,360 --> 00:42:19,000
Speaker 1: on the floor. When you have an outstanding shot creator,

837
00:42:19,920 --> 00:42:22,440
Speaker 1: it makes all of your role players jobs easier because

838
00:42:22,440 --> 00:42:26,920
Speaker 1: they get easier spot up opportunities. And that's the beautiful

839
00:42:26,960 --> 00:42:30,719
Speaker 1: thing is, like you've got four dudes five really if

840
00:42:30,760 --> 00:42:34,080
Speaker 1: you count Porzingis, that can help you create shots, and

841
00:42:34,160 --> 00:42:35,680
Speaker 1: so even if two of them are out of the

842
00:42:35,680 --> 00:42:39,080
Speaker 1: lineup for whatever reason, it's gonna be role players alongside

843
00:42:39,400 --> 00:42:44,360
Speaker 1: three outstanding shot creators that can help your team generate

844
00:42:44,400 --> 00:42:48,080
Speaker 1: high quality spot up looks on the defensive end and

845
00:42:48,160 --> 00:42:51,200
Speaker 1: on the offensive end, when you have stars that fulfill responsibilities.

846
00:42:51,200 --> 00:42:53,600
Speaker 1: And again, all five of those guys are good defenders.

847
00:42:54,280 --> 00:42:56,560
Speaker 1: Drew Holliday maybe the best perimeter defender in the league,

848
00:42:57,080 --> 00:42:59,399
Speaker 1: Derek White the best shot blocking guard in the league,

849
00:42:59,440 --> 00:43:02,680
Speaker 1: and very very good defensive guard. Jason Tatum two years

850
00:43:02,680 --> 00:43:04,520
Speaker 1: ago was the best perimeter defender in the league in

851
00:43:04,520 --> 00:43:07,760
Speaker 1: my opinion, shut down Kevin Durant in a playoff series, right.

852
00:43:08,040 --> 00:43:10,439
Speaker 1: Jalen Brown two years ago is a very good defensive player.

853
00:43:10,440 --> 00:43:13,080
Speaker 1: All these Celtics guys had bad defensive seasons last year.

854
00:43:13,080 --> 00:43:15,640
Speaker 1: We'll talk about that in a minute. And then Chris

855
00:43:15,640 --> 00:43:19,080
Speaker 1: ops Porzingis is a legitimate rim protector. So they all

856
00:43:19,120 --> 00:43:21,759
Speaker 1: take significant chunks of the responsibilities on both ends of

857
00:43:21,800 --> 00:43:24,400
Speaker 1: the flour. The roles that you're gonna ask guys to

858
00:43:24,400 --> 00:43:29,439
Speaker 1: fill are gonna be small and achievable roles. So I'm

859
00:43:29,440 --> 00:43:32,680
Speaker 1: not as worried about their depth because they have so

860
00:43:32,800 --> 00:43:36,080
Speaker 1: much star depth, and I'd argue that's every bit as important.

861
00:43:37,320 --> 00:43:39,040
Speaker 1: Two other things I want to hit before we get

862
00:43:39,040 --> 00:43:44,200
Speaker 1: to a prediction, the defensive intensity thing. So I said

863
00:43:44,239 --> 00:43:47,799
Speaker 1: this after the Nets series two years ago, but I

864
00:43:47,800 --> 00:43:50,919
Speaker 1: thought that Boston Celtics defense in the playoff run where

865
00:43:50,920 --> 00:43:52,880
Speaker 1: they went to the finals was the best defense that

866
00:43:52,880 --> 00:43:54,799
Speaker 1: I've seen in this era. In the half court, they

867
00:43:54,800 --> 00:43:57,319
Speaker 1: were bad transition defense. But that wasn't even because they

868
00:43:57,360 --> 00:43:59,200
Speaker 1: were a bad transition defense. It was because they kept

869
00:43:59,200 --> 00:44:03,759
Speaker 1: putting themselves in carrious transition situations by blowing shots at

870
00:44:03,760 --> 00:44:06,239
Speaker 1: the rim, falling down and complaining to the refs while

871
00:44:06,280 --> 00:44:08,560
Speaker 1: they're running the other way with an advantage. Right, But

872
00:44:08,640 --> 00:44:13,080
Speaker 1: in the half court they were a stifling, frightening defensive team.

873
00:44:13,400 --> 00:44:15,360
Speaker 1: And then last year they went down a huge level

874
00:44:15,360 --> 00:44:18,759
Speaker 1: from there. And again, like I know, you look at

875
00:44:18,760 --> 00:44:20,480
Speaker 1: the defensive ratings and you look at where they rank

876
00:44:20,520 --> 00:44:21,680
Speaker 1: and you're like, oh, they still were one of the

877
00:44:21,719 --> 00:44:24,479
Speaker 1: best defenses in the league. Yeah, they were another one

878
00:44:24,520 --> 00:44:28,120
Speaker 1: of the good defenses in the league last year. Two

879
00:44:28,239 --> 00:44:33,719
Speaker 1: years ago, they were miles better than everybody. The entire

880
00:44:33,760 --> 00:44:37,560
Speaker 1: second half of the year, they were comfortably above everybody

881
00:44:37,640 --> 00:44:40,200
Speaker 1: in the league. Defensively, and in the playoffs they were

882
00:44:40,280 --> 00:44:45,120
Speaker 1: comfortably above everybody defensively. That's what got them to within

883
00:44:45,239 --> 00:44:48,480
Speaker 1: one crazy Steph Curry performance of having a three to

884
00:44:48,480 --> 00:44:54,319
Speaker 1: one lead in the finals, and so like again, I

885
00:44:54,320 --> 00:44:56,680
Speaker 1: think just from the standpoint of commitment, I just want

886
00:44:56,680 --> 00:45:00,440
Speaker 1: to see this year at the level of intensity return.

887
00:45:00,920 --> 00:45:03,160
Speaker 1: I want to see the level of give a shit return,

888
00:45:03,640 --> 00:45:06,959
Speaker 1: because this team is extremely talented, but they're not going

889
00:45:06,960 --> 00:45:09,160
Speaker 1: to be a good enough half court offense to not

890
00:45:09,280 --> 00:45:12,960
Speaker 1: be the very best defense in the league comfortably, and

891
00:45:13,000 --> 00:45:14,480
Speaker 1: so that's something to keep an eye on this year.

892
00:45:14,560 --> 00:45:17,520
Speaker 1: And then lastly, Jason Tatum's like game execution. I have

893
00:45:17,520 --> 00:45:21,680
Speaker 1: thought about the Celtics team so much in preseason because

894
00:45:21,680 --> 00:45:24,520
Speaker 1: of the Drew Holiday trades and how good Christops Porzingis

895
00:45:24,520 --> 00:45:28,520
Speaker 1: has looked right like, it's hard not to be super

896
00:45:28,560 --> 00:45:30,480
Speaker 1: excited if you're a Celtics fan, and I get that,

897
00:45:32,520 --> 00:45:34,680
Speaker 1: but time and time again over the years, every time

898
00:45:34,719 --> 00:45:38,319
Speaker 1: the Celtics have brought in additional firepower, the ball has

899
00:45:38,400 --> 00:45:40,319
Speaker 1: ended up in Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown's hands at

900
00:45:40,320 --> 00:45:44,520
Speaker 1: the end of series. And look, Jason Tatum kind of

901
00:45:44,560 --> 00:45:46,600
Speaker 1: started to click a little bit at the end of

902
00:45:46,640 --> 00:45:49,480
Speaker 1: the Heat series before he got hurt. But for the

903
00:45:49,480 --> 00:45:52,640
Speaker 1: most part last year in the postseason, really struggled with

904
00:45:52,680 --> 00:45:55,000
Speaker 1: half court shot creation at the end of games when

905
00:45:55,040 --> 00:45:59,799
Speaker 1: things slowed down, And so like, they can run away

906
00:45:59,840 --> 00:46:04,880
Speaker 1: with number one seed and they can look fantastic and

907
00:46:04,960 --> 00:46:08,560
Speaker 1: win sixty games and blow out everybody in the first

908
00:46:08,640 --> 00:46:12,520
Speaker 1: round and maybe even blow out everybody in the second round.

909
00:46:13,280 --> 00:46:15,400
Speaker 1: But if they end up in a series with Milwaukee,

910
00:46:15,880 --> 00:46:17,479
Speaker 1: who do you trust at the end of a game

911
00:46:18,480 --> 00:46:20,840
Speaker 1: to execute more in the half court Damian Lillard and

912
00:46:20,840 --> 00:46:24,400
Speaker 1: Giannis or Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown Because at the

913
00:46:24,440 --> 00:46:26,319
Speaker 1: end of the day, that's where the ball's gonna end up.

914
00:46:27,920 --> 00:46:32,360
Speaker 1: And I believe genuinely that Jason Tatum is going to

915
00:46:32,440 --> 00:46:35,960
Speaker 1: become one of those guys. He's going to become one

916
00:46:36,000 --> 00:46:39,200
Speaker 1: of the best half court surgeons in the league. The

917
00:46:39,320 --> 00:46:43,520
Speaker 1: question is will it be this year, or will it

918
00:46:43,560 --> 00:46:46,919
Speaker 1: be next year, or will it be the following year? Right,

919
00:46:48,040 --> 00:46:51,320
Speaker 1: because we saw him run into Steph Curry and really

920
00:46:51,360 --> 00:46:56,239
Speaker 1: struggle and get out executed. Last year when push came

921
00:46:56,239 --> 00:46:59,160
Speaker 1: to shove, Jimmy Butler was able to make the plays

922
00:46:59,160 --> 00:47:00,920
Speaker 1: at the end of games, and Jason Tatum was not

923
00:47:02,760 --> 00:47:04,319
Speaker 1: so like that sort of thing is going to be

924
00:47:04,400 --> 00:47:07,520
Speaker 1: what ends up determining the ultimate ceiling of this team,

925
00:47:08,040 --> 00:47:11,360
Speaker 1: And right now that's an unknown, and that, to me

926
00:47:11,480 --> 00:47:12,960
Speaker 1: is kind of the difference maker. That's why I have

927
00:47:13,040 --> 00:47:15,719
Speaker 1: them down at three. I think the Celtics have the

928
00:47:15,719 --> 00:47:19,000
Speaker 1: best roster in the NBA with the highest ceiling. But

929
00:47:19,080 --> 00:47:21,600
Speaker 1: I've thought that same thing now three years in a row.

930
00:47:21,840 --> 00:47:23,759
Speaker 1: I thought it in twenty twenty two, I thought it

931
00:47:23,760 --> 00:47:26,000
Speaker 1: in twenty twenty three, thought it in twenty twenty four.

932
00:47:27,120 --> 00:47:29,720
Speaker 1: This is the twenty twenty four season, right but it

933
00:47:29,719 --> 00:47:33,640
Speaker 1: it just that's not what actually wins the title. What

934
00:47:33,640 --> 00:47:36,920
Speaker 1: wins the title is the combination of whatever your defensive

935
00:47:36,920 --> 00:47:39,799
Speaker 1: ceiling is and your defensive versatility and your ability to

936
00:47:39,800 --> 00:47:42,279
Speaker 1: execute in the half court at the end of games.

937
00:47:43,640 --> 00:47:46,040
Speaker 1: And that's just a big question mark at this point,

938
00:47:47,120 --> 00:47:50,120
Speaker 1: and so at that I just can't. I can't put

939
00:47:50,160 --> 00:47:54,520
Speaker 1: them above Milwaukee or Denver when I just trust Damon

940
00:47:54,520 --> 00:47:57,600
Speaker 1: Giannis or Yokichen Murray Moore at the end of close

941
00:47:57,680 --> 00:48:01,960
Speaker 1: games when things slow down. All Right, A couple of

942
00:48:01,960 --> 00:48:06,520
Speaker 1: mailback questions. Beyond the clear contenders, what team do you

943
00:48:06,560 --> 00:48:08,200
Speaker 1: think has the best chance to make a finals or

944
00:48:08,239 --> 00:48:10,319
Speaker 1: championship run as unlikely as it can be. I'm really

945
00:48:10,400 --> 00:48:13,200
Speaker 1: high on the Timberwolves. I really like the Timberwolves too.

946
00:48:13,400 --> 00:48:16,240
Speaker 1: I think they're gonna be one of the best defenses

947
00:48:16,239 --> 00:48:17,719
Speaker 1: in the league this year. They've got some of that

948
00:48:17,760 --> 00:48:21,000
Speaker 1: Celtics potential, like I was just talking about. The problem

949
00:48:21,080 --> 00:48:23,720
Speaker 1: is is once again late game half court shot creation.

950
00:48:23,960 --> 00:48:26,279
Speaker 1: Like do I trust Anthony Edwards, who I really like

951
00:48:26,320 --> 00:48:29,040
Speaker 1: and I think is sending into superstardom, but he reminds

952
00:48:29,080 --> 00:48:31,279
Speaker 1: me a lot of like, you know, Lebron in the

953
00:48:31,320 --> 00:48:33,480
Speaker 1: late twenty tens, is a half court shot creator, where

954
00:48:33,480 --> 00:48:36,279
Speaker 1: it's like, on any given one game sample size, if

955
00:48:36,280 --> 00:48:38,040
Speaker 1: his pull up jump shots going, he can be like

956
00:48:38,200 --> 00:48:40,719
Speaker 1: really good because he's such a gifted athlete and he's

957
00:48:40,719 --> 00:48:43,400
Speaker 1: got that alpha dog mentality. But the problem is is

958
00:48:43,480 --> 00:48:46,480
Speaker 1: like he's just not quite as polished as some of

959
00:48:46,520 --> 00:48:48,480
Speaker 1: these other half core guys. And so I don't think

960
00:48:48,480 --> 00:48:51,120
Speaker 1: the Timberwolves can win the title just because inevitably they're

961
00:48:51,160 --> 00:48:53,040
Speaker 1: gonna run into somebody who had executes them at the

962
00:48:53,120 --> 00:48:55,200
Speaker 1: end of games. The two teams that I'd put that

963
00:48:55,280 --> 00:48:57,240
Speaker 1: weren't in my top six right, so my top six

964
00:48:57,280 --> 00:49:03,000
Speaker 1: were you know, Bucks, Nuggets somewhere one two, Celtics at three,

965
00:49:03,200 --> 00:49:07,000
Speaker 1: Lakers at four, the Suns at five, the Warriors at six.

966
00:49:07,080 --> 00:49:09,239
Speaker 1: Those are my top six and the Warriors are clear six,

967
00:49:09,280 --> 00:49:10,600
Speaker 1: and then the top five I kind of all have

968
00:49:10,680 --> 00:49:12,640
Speaker 1: on the same tier, but I all think those are

969
00:49:12,680 --> 00:49:15,719
Speaker 1: the top tier contenders or top two tier contenders whatever,

970
00:49:15,719 --> 00:49:19,040
Speaker 1: you are serious contenders. But then there's a little bit

971
00:49:19,040 --> 00:49:22,640
Speaker 1: of a drop off, right, And I would say the Clippers,

972
00:49:22,760 --> 00:49:24,879
Speaker 1: obviously you always have to keep track of just because

973
00:49:24,880 --> 00:49:26,960
Speaker 1: if they're healthy, they're super talented, and they have one

974
00:49:27,000 --> 00:49:29,760
Speaker 1: of the top five in a vacuum stars in the league.

975
00:49:29,800 --> 00:49:32,440
Speaker 1: Like if Kawhi is healthy, he's a top five player.

976
00:49:32,480 --> 00:49:34,960
Speaker 1: That's just fact. It's just he's never healthy, right, But

977
00:49:35,040 --> 00:49:37,040
Speaker 1: you always have to consider them as a threat. And

978
00:49:37,040 --> 00:49:39,480
Speaker 1: then the Heat because they're gonna eventually make a trade,

979
00:49:39,520 --> 00:49:41,879
Speaker 1: I would think, and if they do, and you give

980
00:49:42,000 --> 00:49:44,520
Speaker 1: enough talent to Eric spolskro and Jimmy Butler and Bamata Bio,

981
00:49:44,520 --> 00:49:48,440
Speaker 1: they can be a problem for teams. What do you

982
00:49:48,440 --> 00:49:50,840
Speaker 1: think about the difference in opinions between Tatum and Brown

983
00:49:51,040 --> 00:49:52,520
Speaker 1: what I've read this is a really good question, by

984
00:49:52,520 --> 00:49:55,040
Speaker 1: the way, what I've realized is that hoopers are much

985
00:49:55,120 --> 00:49:57,560
Speaker 1: higher on Jalen than Tatum, and journalists and analysts are

986
00:49:57,600 --> 00:49:59,880
Speaker 1: higher on Tatum compared to Brown. Tatum is in d

987
00:50:00,040 --> 00:50:01,560
Speaker 1: the better player. But I was wondering what your thoughts

988
00:50:01,560 --> 00:50:04,279
Speaker 1: are on this observation. Hoopers are always going to be

989
00:50:04,360 --> 00:50:09,200
Speaker 1: drawn to like creative shot making, and Jason Tatum is

990
00:50:09,200 --> 00:50:11,840
Speaker 1: a very analytically sound player, especially last year because he

991
00:50:11,880 --> 00:50:14,359
Speaker 1: basically started getting rid of the middle age and taking

992
00:50:14,400 --> 00:50:17,359
Speaker 1: just threes and layups right, So analytically he's always gonna

993
00:50:17,360 --> 00:50:19,000
Speaker 1: appeal a lot to people. And then obvious, I think

994
00:50:19,040 --> 00:50:21,080
Speaker 1: Jayson Tatum is a better defender than Jalen Brown too.

995
00:50:21,800 --> 00:50:23,600
Speaker 1: To be clear, Tatum is a better player than Brown,

996
00:50:24,719 --> 00:50:28,640
Speaker 1: but what draws people to Jalen Brown is that creativity.

997
00:50:29,280 --> 00:50:31,680
Speaker 1: My thing is like there is value there, and in

998
00:50:31,719 --> 00:50:34,239
Speaker 1: a lot of situations, in like a final possession, I'm like,

999
00:50:34,280 --> 00:50:35,759
Speaker 1: give the ball to Jaylen Brown. He's just a little

1000
00:50:35,800 --> 00:50:38,759
Speaker 1: bit more creative off the bounce, right. But at the

1001
00:50:38,840 --> 00:50:41,239
Speaker 1: end of the day, like even then, Jason Tatum is

1002
00:50:41,440 --> 00:50:44,480
Speaker 1: like a bigger, better athlete that allows him to get

1003
00:50:44,520 --> 00:50:46,560
Speaker 1: more separation even when he is just going to take

1004
00:50:46,560 --> 00:50:50,480
Speaker 1: another three right, and so I mean again, like I

1005
00:50:50,640 --> 00:50:53,239
Speaker 1: understand why basketball players are drawn to that sort of thing,

1006
00:50:53,280 --> 00:50:55,759
Speaker 1: and god knows, I think Jaylen Brown's really good, but

1007
00:50:55,840 --> 00:50:58,600
Speaker 1: I think Jason Tatum is like clearly the better player.

1008
00:50:59,680 --> 00:51:02,319
Speaker 1: And even though I am a basketball player myself, who

1009
00:51:02,480 --> 00:51:06,239
Speaker 1: I who? You know? I would imagine that I fall

1010
00:51:06,280 --> 00:51:10,759
Speaker 1: into that Hooper category to some extent. And I like

1011
00:51:10,880 --> 00:51:12,800
Speaker 1: those things about Jaylen Brown, but that's not enough to

1012
00:51:12,800 --> 00:51:15,880
Speaker 1: put him over the top for me. Last one, a

1013
00:51:15,920 --> 00:51:19,200
Speaker 1: non basketball question, what would it take for mass effect

1014
00:51:19,320 --> 00:51:21,960
Speaker 1: to return to greatness? This is completely random and a

1015
00:51:22,560 --> 00:51:25,120
Speaker 1: question I'm really happy about, just to talk about something

1016
00:51:25,160 --> 00:51:27,480
Speaker 1: different for a minute. So I used to be bigger

1017
00:51:27,480 --> 00:51:29,600
Speaker 1: into video games when I was younger, Not so much anymore.

1018
00:51:30,000 --> 00:51:32,480
Speaker 1: But I've always been really big into sci fi specifically,

1019
00:51:32,560 --> 00:51:36,839
Speaker 1: Like I'm really fascinated by like deep storytelling. You know.

1020
00:51:36,880 --> 00:51:39,520
Speaker 1: That's why I'm drawn to Star Wars, and that's why

1021
00:51:39,640 --> 00:51:42,440
Speaker 1: my Star Wars podcast and on that podcast, I also

1022
00:51:42,480 --> 00:51:45,280
Speaker 1: cover Lord of the Rings when they come out with stuff.

1023
00:51:45,320 --> 00:51:47,360
Speaker 1: So we did Rings of Power season one, right, the

1024
00:51:47,440 --> 00:51:50,160
Speaker 1: House of the Dragon, Game of Thrones, all those like

1025
00:51:50,360 --> 00:51:54,520
Speaker 1: long drawn out sagas storylines where there's deep storytelling I've

1026
00:51:54,520 --> 00:51:58,680
Speaker 1: always been attracted to and Mass Effect is like that

1027
00:51:58,719 --> 00:52:03,040
Speaker 1: in a video game. Right, there's books, there's extensive storytelling

1028
00:52:03,120 --> 00:52:08,520
Speaker 1: about how the human race discovered you know, that Pluto

1029
00:52:08,840 --> 00:52:11,560
Speaker 1: was this frozen you know, gate to the rest of

1030
00:52:11,600 --> 00:52:13,759
Speaker 1: the universe, so to speak. I won't get into the

1031
00:52:13,800 --> 00:52:17,120
Speaker 1: meat and potatoes of it, but like, I really appreciated

1032
00:52:17,120 --> 00:52:19,520
Speaker 1: that about that game, and I got really invested in it,

1033
00:52:20,080 --> 00:52:24,000
Speaker 1: and I like most Mass Effect fans played mass Effect one,

1034
00:52:24,040 --> 00:52:27,120
Speaker 1: played Mass Effect two, played Mass Effect three, loved them all.

1035
00:52:27,719 --> 00:52:30,879
Speaker 1: But then I played Massfect Andromeda and I got through it,

1036
00:52:31,440 --> 00:52:33,719
Speaker 1: but I was bored most of the time. Didn't think

1037
00:52:33,760 --> 00:52:36,400
Speaker 1: it was very good other than the graphics, and it

1038
00:52:36,440 --> 00:52:40,320
Speaker 1: was repetitive and it was boring, and it just felt

1039
00:52:40,360 --> 00:52:44,359
Speaker 1: like kind of like a miss right. But again, like

1040
00:52:44,400 --> 00:52:46,360
Speaker 1: I think, I think one of the most important things

1041
00:52:46,400 --> 00:52:49,320
Speaker 1: to any sort of storytelling is to have a truly

1042
00:52:49,440 --> 00:52:54,160
Speaker 1: terrifying villain, right, Like think about the villains in the

1043
00:52:54,239 --> 00:52:58,560
Speaker 1: other three sagas that I mentioned in Star Wars, Like

1044
00:52:58,680 --> 00:53:01,440
Speaker 1: Palpatine is literally one of the most terrifying villains in

1045
00:53:01,480 --> 00:53:05,040
Speaker 1: the history of storytelling, right, and his plan to overthrow

1046
00:53:05,080 --> 00:53:07,480
Speaker 1: the Republic was genius. And now he's got the Death

1047
00:53:07,520 --> 00:53:09,560
Speaker 1: Star and all this other stuff, right, go to Lord

1048
00:53:09,560 --> 00:53:13,600
Speaker 1: of the Rings like Sauron and more goth and everything

1049
00:53:13,680 --> 00:53:17,799
Speaker 1: surrounding the good versus evil. You have this truly terrifying

1050
00:53:17,960 --> 00:53:22,200
Speaker 1: entity that that is the enemy. And then same thing

1051
00:53:22,239 --> 00:53:24,239
Speaker 1: goes for Game of Thrones, like the White Walkers are

1052
00:53:24,239 --> 00:53:28,320
Speaker 1: this mysterious and terrifying entity, and that's what the Reapers

1053
00:53:28,360 --> 00:53:31,920
Speaker 1: were in mass effect, and like I remember some of

1054
00:53:31,920 --> 00:53:34,319
Speaker 1: you guys might probably remember playing, but like you talk

1055
00:53:34,440 --> 00:53:37,239
Speaker 1: to the Reapers and you'd have this conversation with this

1056
00:53:37,560 --> 00:53:42,719
Speaker 1: artificial intelligence, and it was like scary, how like ruthless

1057
00:53:43,440 --> 00:53:47,080
Speaker 1: and logical they were about how they have to exterminate life,

1058
00:53:47,680 --> 00:53:49,279
Speaker 1: and they're like, oh, you don't understand, like we have

1059
00:53:49,320 --> 00:53:52,160
Speaker 1: to kill you because you're it's what's best for you basically,

1060
00:53:52,239 --> 00:53:53,839
Speaker 1: you know. And it was it was terrifying. And then

1061
00:53:54,239 --> 00:53:59,960
Speaker 1: obviously you combine just the unbelievable fire power and defense

1062
00:54:00,200 --> 00:54:01,960
Speaker 1: that the Reapers having toy kind of look like those

1063
00:54:02,000 --> 00:54:04,640
Speaker 1: giant squids, right, they're kind of scary looking. The Reapers

1064
00:54:04,680 --> 00:54:09,040
Speaker 1: were just like a legitimately terrifying villain, and they went

1065
00:54:09,080 --> 00:54:12,000
Speaker 1: a really weird direction with Andromeda by leaving that galaxy

1066
00:54:12,120 --> 00:54:14,719
Speaker 1: entirely and so so you didn't have some of the

1067
00:54:15,239 --> 00:54:18,319
Speaker 1: kind of cool part of exploration that you had. And

1068
00:54:18,360 --> 00:54:21,680
Speaker 1: then I can't even remember the name of the villain,

1069
00:54:22,280 --> 00:54:24,080
Speaker 1: and I remember, it's been so long since I played

1070
00:54:24,080 --> 00:54:25,480
Speaker 1: that story. That is weird, but that they had like

1071
00:54:25,520 --> 00:54:28,200
Speaker 1: that that other villain out there that was like doing

1072
00:54:28,239 --> 00:54:34,120
Speaker 1: genetic manipulation where they they were like creating other beings

1073
00:54:34,160 --> 00:54:36,359
Speaker 1: out of like their genetic material or something like that.

1074
00:54:36,520 --> 00:54:38,560
Speaker 1: But it just wasn't that interesting and not that scary,

1075
00:54:38,719 --> 00:54:40,919
Speaker 1: you know what I mean, And so that that's kind

1076
00:54:40,920 --> 00:54:43,400
Speaker 1: of what what ruined it. So like what can return

1077
00:54:43,719 --> 00:54:45,800
Speaker 1: mass effect of greatness is come back to the original

1078
00:54:45,880 --> 00:54:51,200
Speaker 1: galaxy and come up with something that's terrifying. You know

1079
00:54:51,480 --> 00:54:54,480
Speaker 1: that it wouldn't be too hard to do. That's what's

1080
00:54:54,520 --> 00:54:57,080
Speaker 1: kind of appealing about the Uhsoka series, right, is like,

1081
00:54:57,440 --> 00:55:00,359
Speaker 1: what the hell is it that Balen's going after out there? Right?

1082
00:55:00,400 --> 00:55:02,840
Speaker 1: There's something scary out there that he's going after. So

1083
00:55:03,160 --> 00:55:06,239
Speaker 1: good question. I'm always down for mailback questions that are

1084
00:55:06,280 --> 00:55:08,920
Speaker 1: not related to basketball. Just helps us get through the

1085
00:55:08,960 --> 00:55:11,759
Speaker 1: grind of an NBA season and offseason. All right, guys,

1086
00:55:11,760 --> 00:55:13,640
Speaker 1: that's all I have for today is always as sincerely

1087
00:55:13,680 --> 00:55:16,080
Speaker 1: appreciate your support. We'll be back tomorrow with probably some

1088
00:55:16,120 --> 00:55:19,920
Speaker 1: more preseason reaction and eventually the top two in our

1089
00:55:19,960 --> 00:55:22,200
Speaker 1: power rankings. I appreciate you, guys, and I'll see you tomorrow.

1090
00:55:42,600 --> 00:55:43,280
Speaker 1: The volume