1
00:00:01,200 --> 00:00:07,600
Speaker 1: The volume. It's Hoops Tonight presented by FanDuel. The NBA

2
00:00:07,720 --> 00:00:10,440
Speaker 1: season is kicking into gear and there's no better place

3
00:00:10,520 --> 00:00:13,240
Speaker 1: to get in on the action than with FanDuel. The

4
00:00:13,280 --> 00:00:15,840
Speaker 1: app is safe and secure, getting your money out is

5
00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:18,400
Speaker 1: super easy. You can jump into the action at any

6
00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:20,880
Speaker 1: time during the game with live betting and I love

7
00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:25,360
Speaker 1: building those same game parlays and Fanduels now live in Ohio,

8
00:00:25,480 --> 00:00:28,640
Speaker 1: so use promo code Jason T and download the fandel

9
00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:32,400
Speaker 1: app today to start making every moment more twenty one

10
00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:35,760
Speaker 1: plus In select states, gambling problem called one hundred gambler

11
00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:39,800
Speaker 1: or visit FanDuel dot com. Slash r g in Colorado, Iowa, Michigan,

12
00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:44,319
Speaker 1: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Tennessee, Virginia, and Ohio. Called one

13
00:00:44,880 --> 00:00:48,840
Speaker 1: next Step or text next step to five three three

14
00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:53,000
Speaker 1: four two in Arizona called one eight seven eight nine

15
00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:57,880
Speaker 1: seven seven seven seven or visit CCPG dot org. Slash

16
00:00:57,960 --> 00:01:03,000
Speaker 1: chat in Connecticut called one hundred nine with it in Indiana.

17
00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:07,800
Speaker 1: Visit k S gambling help dot com in Kansas called

18
00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:12,000
Speaker 1: one eight seven seven seven seven zero stop in l

19
00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:17,119
Speaker 1: A visit www dot m d gambling help dot org

20
00:01:17,360 --> 00:01:22,040
Speaker 1: in Maryland, dial one eight seven seven eight hope and why,

21
00:01:22,319 --> 00:01:26,240
Speaker 1: or text hope and Why to four six seven three

22
00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:29,520
Speaker 1: six nine in New York, called one D five to

23
00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:34,360
Speaker 1: two four seven zero zero in Wyoming, or visit www

24
00:01:34,480 --> 00:02:03,000
Speaker 1: dot one hundred gambler dot net in West Virginia. All right,

25
00:02:03,040 --> 00:02:05,440
Speaker 1: Welcome to Hoops Tonight, presented by Fandel here at the volume.

26
00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:07,640
Speaker 1: Happy Sunday, everybody. I hope all of you guys are

27
00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:10,320
Speaker 1: having a great weekend. I just got back into town

28
00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:14,240
Speaker 1: last night, flew in from Reno. We were skiing at

29
00:02:14,360 --> 00:02:17,560
Speaker 1: North Star in California by the Lake Tahoe. It was

30
00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:20,320
Speaker 1: my first time ever skiing in that Lake Tahoe area.

31
00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:22,480
Speaker 1: Was a lot of fun, a lot of really good runs.

32
00:02:22,520 --> 00:02:24,600
Speaker 1: I feel like I got a lot better. Uh. Skiing

33
00:02:24,639 --> 00:02:26,639
Speaker 1: is like my second favorite thing to do in the world,

34
00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:28,800
Speaker 1: behind basketball, so I always enjoy getting out of town

35
00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:31,679
Speaker 1: on those trips. I leave again on Friday to go

36
00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:34,520
Speaker 1: up to Breckon Ridge for my second to last trip

37
00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:36,160
Speaker 1: of the year. We have a special trip in April

38
00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:38,320
Speaker 1: from my wife's thirtieth birthday. We're gonna be going up

39
00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:40,720
Speaker 1: to Canada. But doing a lot of skiing this season.

40
00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:42,480
Speaker 1: Like I said, one of my favorite things to do today.

41
00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:46,000
Speaker 1: We're gonna keep it really simple, talking Laker Celtics and

42
00:02:46,040 --> 00:02:49,480
Speaker 1: that wild game last night, and then Joe l MB

43
00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:54,360
Speaker 1: delivering a SmackDown to Nicola Yoga's a lot to get

44
00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:56,760
Speaker 1: into on both of those fronts. You guys know the

45
00:02:56,800 --> 00:02:59,400
Speaker 1: drill before we get started. Subscribe to the Volumes YouTube channels.

46
00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:01,760
Speaker 1: You don't miss any more of our videos. Follow me

47
00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:03,720
Speaker 1: on Twitter and I underscore Jason Lts. You guys don't

48
00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:06,040
Speaker 1: miss any show announcements. And then, last but not least,

49
00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:08,000
Speaker 1: for whatever reason, you guys miss one of these videos

50
00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:09,640
Speaker 1: and you can't get back over to YouTube to finish.

51
00:03:09,919 --> 00:03:12,320
Speaker 1: You can find them wherever you get your podcasts under

52
00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:14,919
Speaker 1: Hoops tonight. And lastly, you guys have heard me talk

53
00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:18,240
Speaker 1: about game Time, the fastest growing ticketing app in the

54
00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:20,040
Speaker 1: United States. If you're looking to get out to any

55
00:03:20,240 --> 00:03:22,359
Speaker 1: n NBA game, or an n h L game, or

56
00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:26,920
Speaker 1: an NFL game, or comedy show or anything, game Time

57
00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:31,120
Speaker 1: has amazing last minute deals to all of those. My

58
00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:33,200
Speaker 1: wife and I are going on Thursday night to see

59
00:03:33,240 --> 00:03:36,520
Speaker 1: Oregon play at Arizona and Michale Center. Very very much

60
00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:39,680
Speaker 1: excited for that. When we went through the process. The

61
00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:41,560
Speaker 1: game Time app was super easy to use. I knew

62
00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:43,600
Speaker 1: exactly where we were gonna be sitting. I could even

63
00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:46,320
Speaker 1: like move the phone around and kind of look around

64
00:03:46,400 --> 00:03:49,200
Speaker 1: the arena. It's super easy to use and user friendly.

65
00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:51,440
Speaker 1: I want you guys to check that out. No matter

66
00:03:51,480 --> 00:03:54,160
Speaker 1: where you live, get out and have some fun this week.

67
00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:56,560
Speaker 1: Download the game Time app. Enter your email and redeem

68
00:03:56,600 --> 00:04:00,720
Speaker 1: code Hoops for twenty off your first purchase terms apply

69
00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:03,560
Speaker 1: again and to your email and code Hoops. That's h

70
00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:07,640
Speaker 1: o O p s for twenty dollars off. Download game

71
00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:12,960
Speaker 1: Time today, Last minute tickets, lowest price guaranteed. Okay, So,

72
00:04:14,280 --> 00:04:17,599
Speaker 1: what a great game between the Lakers and the Celtics

73
00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:20,240
Speaker 1: last night. And intensity, especially as the crowd was kind

74
00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:22,000
Speaker 1: of working off of each other, where the Laker fans

75
00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:24,280
Speaker 1: are getting loud and then the Celtics fans are trying

76
00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:27,520
Speaker 1: to match that. There was a special intensity in that game.

77
00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:29,799
Speaker 1: I was watching it in the Salt Lake City Airport

78
00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:32,680
Speaker 1: while we were preparing on a layover. Uh, it's still

79
00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:35,040
Speaker 1: a little bit of a funky game. Like Anthony Davis

80
00:04:35,120 --> 00:04:37,159
Speaker 1: and Ruey Hatch and Muruver is still coming off the bench.

81
00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:40,680
Speaker 1: A d is still nowhere near what he was before

82
00:04:40,720 --> 00:04:42,839
Speaker 1: his injury, Like he played thirty four minutes and only

83
00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:45,159
Speaker 1: managed sixteen points and ten rebounds, although I thought he

84
00:04:45,200 --> 00:04:48,359
Speaker 1: was very good defensively. And then Marcus Smart wasn't playing

85
00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:50,600
Speaker 1: for the Celtics either, So it's just kind of like

86
00:04:50,600 --> 00:04:53,440
Speaker 1: a weird game in a lot of different ways. Um,

87
00:04:53,640 --> 00:04:56,600
Speaker 1: the Lakers really controlled it, led throughout. I thought they

88
00:04:56,640 --> 00:04:59,559
Speaker 1: deserved to win, and then they got burned by three.

89
00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:03,720
Speaker 1: Things is down the stretch once again, Darvin Hamm refusing

90
00:05:03,760 --> 00:05:07,520
Speaker 1: to foul when up three on the final possession. Now again,

91
00:05:07,560 --> 00:05:11,719
Speaker 1: I understand as a basketball mind how you might feel

92
00:05:11,760 --> 00:05:15,279
Speaker 1: like I trust my defense to get a stop here,

93
00:05:15,880 --> 00:05:19,880
Speaker 1: but all of the data clearly suggests that you have

94
00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:24,720
Speaker 1: a better chance to win significantly if you foul up

95
00:05:24,760 --> 00:05:27,240
Speaker 1: three on the final possession. Then if you play it

96
00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:30,520
Speaker 1: out defensively, And it would be one thing if it

97
00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:31,880
Speaker 1: was kind of on the fence and it was a

98
00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:34,760
Speaker 1: matter of ideology, I'd understand. But when the data that

99
00:05:34,880 --> 00:05:37,960
Speaker 1: is that clear about fouling when you're up three, I

100
00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:41,720
Speaker 1: think that refusing to take that strategy is leaving opportunity

101
00:05:42,240 --> 00:05:44,960
Speaker 1: on the table. They end up getting burned by a

102
00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:47,880
Speaker 1: offensive rebound by Jalen Brown and then Patrick Beverley kind

103
00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:50,080
Speaker 1: of hacks him over the top of the head. The

104
00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:52,720
Speaker 1: game is tied. Um then at the end of the

105
00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:55,239
Speaker 1: game that there was a really bad misscall on Lebron.

106
00:05:55,279 --> 00:05:56,760
Speaker 1: You guys have all seen it's been the biggest story

107
00:05:56,760 --> 00:05:58,600
Speaker 1: in the league over the last twenty four hours. Lebron

108
00:05:58,640 --> 00:06:00,680
Speaker 1: gets all the way to the rim, left hand at

109
00:06:00,680 --> 00:06:02,720
Speaker 1: the rim, gets hacked on the forum. He missed it.

110
00:06:02,720 --> 00:06:04,480
Speaker 1: It was an atrocious missed call. I don't know what

111
00:06:04,520 --> 00:06:07,240
Speaker 1: else to say. I mean, the ref's that were in

112
00:06:07,279 --> 00:06:09,919
Speaker 1: that moment should be ashamed. There was a ref on

113
00:06:09,960 --> 00:06:12,320
Speaker 1: the baseline that had a clear view of the call.

114
00:06:12,760 --> 00:06:14,640
Speaker 1: But at the end of the day, that's why a

115
00:06:14,680 --> 00:06:16,520
Speaker 1: lot of guys settled for jump shots at the end

116
00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:18,159
Speaker 1: of games. I've been saying this on the show for

117
00:06:18,200 --> 00:06:21,559
Speaker 1: a long time. Everyone thinks it's so easy, like, hey,

118
00:06:21,560 --> 00:06:23,919
Speaker 1: why did you settle? Put your head down, try to

119
00:06:23,960 --> 00:06:27,080
Speaker 1: go to the rim. There is a distinct reason why

120
00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:29,160
Speaker 1: players take a lot of pull up jump shots at

121
00:06:29,160 --> 00:06:32,719
Speaker 1: the end of games one. It's a lot harder to

122
00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:34,839
Speaker 1: send help and double team when you're working off with

123
00:06:34,920 --> 00:06:37,120
Speaker 1: the live dribble from the perimeter than it is when

124
00:06:37,160 --> 00:06:40,600
Speaker 1: you're driving to the basket. And two, when you drive

125
00:06:40,640 --> 00:06:43,719
Speaker 1: to the basket, you put the outcome in the ref's hands.

126
00:06:43,760 --> 00:06:45,800
Speaker 1: It even goes further than getting a shot off. It's

127
00:06:45,839 --> 00:06:48,000
Speaker 1: like kind of like that Russell Westbrook play on Joel Ebid.

128
00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:50,760
Speaker 1: He's getting fouled on his way to the rim and

129
00:06:50,839 --> 00:06:53,680
Speaker 1: he lost control of the basketball. So you might not

130
00:06:53,720 --> 00:06:56,680
Speaker 1: even get a shot off, let alone get to the

131
00:06:56,760 --> 00:06:58,600
Speaker 1: rim and have a chance to finish where you might

132
00:06:58,600 --> 00:07:01,000
Speaker 1: get fouled there as as well. When you drive to

133
00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:04,640
Speaker 1: the basket, you put the outcome in the hands of

134
00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:07,400
Speaker 1: the refs, and the refs in many cases don't want

135
00:07:07,440 --> 00:07:10,360
Speaker 1: to be involved with changing the outcome of the game.

136
00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:13,360
Speaker 1: The reason why so many calls get uncalled on the

137
00:07:13,400 --> 00:07:16,200
Speaker 1: final possession at the rim is they'd rather let the

138
00:07:16,200 --> 00:07:20,160
Speaker 1: basketball players dictate the terms of the game, which I get. Now,

139
00:07:20,200 --> 00:07:22,800
Speaker 1: there should be a line like if you're getting clearly

140
00:07:22,840 --> 00:07:24,760
Speaker 1: hacked right in front of the ref on a layup,

141
00:07:24,920 --> 00:07:27,200
Speaker 1: then yeah, you should blow the whistle. But you've got

142
00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:31,320
Speaker 1: to understand human nature. Yes, it makes sense. Hey, if

143
00:07:31,320 --> 00:07:33,080
Speaker 1: we drive to the basket, I might be able to

144
00:07:33,080 --> 00:07:34,880
Speaker 1: get a driving kick opportunity I might be able to

145
00:07:34,880 --> 00:07:38,480
Speaker 1: get a higher percentage shot at the rim, but we

146
00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:42,480
Speaker 1: know through human nature that you're much less likely to

147
00:07:42,560 --> 00:07:46,160
Speaker 1: get a call, which means you have to score or

148
00:07:46,320 --> 00:07:52,200
Speaker 1: pass through physicality illegal physicality that's not going to get called.

149
00:07:52,520 --> 00:07:55,000
Speaker 1: So that's why it's like, Hey, why don't I take

150
00:07:55,040 --> 00:07:57,160
Speaker 1: this pull up jump shot, or why don't I go

151
00:07:57,200 --> 00:07:59,160
Speaker 1: over this ball screen and shoot this three or take

152
00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:01,200
Speaker 1: this turnaround fade way out of the post. The reason

153
00:08:01,240 --> 00:08:04,120
Speaker 1: why is in that situation, the outcomes in my hands.

154
00:08:04,920 --> 00:08:08,000
Speaker 1: The ref can't take it away from me. The defense

155
00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:11,119
Speaker 1: is gonna have a hard time even doubling. My best

156
00:08:11,160 --> 00:08:14,440
Speaker 1: player is going to get a shot that at least

157
00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:16,240
Speaker 1: he's going to make or miss, and we'll live on

158
00:08:16,240 --> 00:08:18,280
Speaker 1: that outcome. That's why a lot of guys do that.

159
00:08:19,080 --> 00:08:21,280
Speaker 1: So I'm not saying that there's a right or wrong answer,

160
00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:24,360
Speaker 1: but it's a lot easier for us Monday morning more

161
00:08:24,440 --> 00:08:26,720
Speaker 1: Monday morning quarterbacking from the couch to be like, oh,

162
00:08:26,760 --> 00:08:28,520
Speaker 1: you should have driven, or oh he should have taken

163
00:08:28,520 --> 00:08:31,400
Speaker 1: a jump shot, when really, at the end of games,

164
00:08:31,400 --> 00:08:34,480
Speaker 1: there's no good option. You can drive and get fouled

165
00:08:34,480 --> 00:08:36,360
Speaker 1: and it probably won't get called, or you can take

166
00:08:36,360 --> 00:08:38,800
Speaker 1: a lower percentage fade away. In both cases, it's tough, which,

167
00:08:38,840 --> 00:08:41,960
Speaker 1: by the way, is exactly why throughout NBA history, in

168
00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:45,920
Speaker 1: the last second possessions, everyone's field goal percentage tanks, like

169
00:08:46,440 --> 00:08:49,880
Speaker 1: everybody does poorly in those situations. You might have outlier

170
00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:52,360
Speaker 1: seasons where one guy shoots really well for a year,

171
00:08:52,640 --> 00:08:56,280
Speaker 1: but all league wide percentages go down in those situations

172
00:08:56,320 --> 00:08:59,200
Speaker 1: because of that specific conundrum that I just broke down

173
00:08:59,240 --> 00:09:01,679
Speaker 1: for you. And then, lastly, the third big mistake for

174
00:09:01,720 --> 00:09:07,360
Speaker 1: the Lakers in overtime, Darvin Ham inexplicably and inexcusably went

175
00:09:07,440 --> 00:09:11,320
Speaker 1: back to Russell Westbrook. Despite the mountain of evidence both

176
00:09:11,679 --> 00:09:16,080
Speaker 1: in data and visual evidence on tape that Russ cannot close,

177
00:09:16,679 --> 00:09:19,480
Speaker 1: Darvin went back to him. It predictably messed up l

178
00:09:19,559 --> 00:09:21,640
Speaker 1: A's offense. They managed just seven points in o t

179
00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:24,520
Speaker 1: and they lost. On the Celtic side of things, Jalen

180
00:09:24,520 --> 00:09:27,240
Speaker 1: Brown and Malcolm Brogney were both magnificent. Jayson Tatum once

181
00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:30,520
Speaker 1: again kind of had an uneven night on a big stage.

182
00:09:30,520 --> 00:09:32,560
Speaker 1: He did get over thirty points, but he was just

183
00:09:32,600 --> 00:09:36,040
Speaker 1: eight from the field. He had more turnovers than assists.

184
00:09:36,280 --> 00:09:38,760
Speaker 1: There was that weird moment I mean that that last

185
00:09:38,760 --> 00:09:42,000
Speaker 1: play with Lebron was really weird because Tatum clearly hacks

186
00:09:42,040 --> 00:09:44,360
Speaker 1: him on the left arm, like the one of the

187
00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:46,360
Speaker 1: worst miscalls at the end of a basketball game I've

188
00:09:46,360 --> 00:09:49,000
Speaker 1: ever seen, and he turns and like runs up the

189
00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:51,720
Speaker 1: floor holding one finger up like he just saved the day,

190
00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:54,840
Speaker 1: which was bizarre behavior. And now he did technically, but

191
00:09:54,880 --> 00:09:57,240
Speaker 1: he saved the day by doing something that should have

192
00:09:57,400 --> 00:09:59,320
Speaker 1: actually cost him the game. So it's just kind of

193
00:09:59,480 --> 00:10:02,880
Speaker 1: another yeared on even night from Tatum. But every single

194
00:10:02,920 --> 00:10:05,360
Speaker 1: time that has happened over the last couple of years,

195
00:10:05,480 --> 00:10:08,439
Speaker 1: Jalen Brown has been the guy who's been aggressive, who's

196
00:10:08,480 --> 00:10:11,880
Speaker 1: been confident, who stepped up and made those big plays.

197
00:10:12,360 --> 00:10:14,240
Speaker 1: Um that that's been a consistent theme over the last

198
00:10:14,280 --> 00:10:16,640
Speaker 1: couple of years. Made all the plays down the stretch

199
00:10:16,679 --> 00:10:19,079
Speaker 1: to send it to Ot, including the offensive rebound put back,

200
00:10:19,080 --> 00:10:21,560
Speaker 1: and then Inot just bulling his way to the rim,

201
00:10:21,679 --> 00:10:25,119
Speaker 1: hitting pull up jump shots. He's their late game assassin

202
00:10:25,440 --> 00:10:27,160
Speaker 1: in a lot of different ways. And it's not a

203
00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:30,120
Speaker 1: matter of skill, because I think Jalen Jayson Tatum is

204
00:10:30,160 --> 00:10:33,280
Speaker 1: a better player than Jalen Brown. The Jayson Tatum has

205
00:10:33,280 --> 00:10:35,920
Speaker 1: a little bit more of a passive persona and is

206
00:10:36,160 --> 00:10:40,880
Speaker 1: less confident in those situations. And Jalen Brown is completely

207
00:10:40,960 --> 00:10:44,679
Speaker 1: laser focused on on looking for his own shot and

208
00:10:44,679 --> 00:10:47,920
Speaker 1: and using his physical tools to get higher quality attempts

209
00:10:47,920 --> 00:10:49,720
Speaker 1: at the rim. He does everything right in those late

210
00:10:49,760 --> 00:10:53,440
Speaker 1: game situations that you want from Jayson Tatum and then

211
00:10:53,480 --> 00:10:55,839
Speaker 1: Malcolm Brogden. I've been from the minute they made the

212
00:10:55,840 --> 00:10:57,280
Speaker 1: trade that last summer. I said it was a home

213
00:10:57,360 --> 00:11:00,000
Speaker 1: run trade. It's specifically addressed one of their biggest weaknesses.

214
00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:02,360
Speaker 1: And you saw again last night what happens when you

215
00:11:02,400 --> 00:11:04,880
Speaker 1: put the basketball in the hands of a very smart player,

216
00:11:05,080 --> 00:11:08,320
Speaker 1: who is very skilled, who's going to make good decisions

217
00:11:08,360 --> 00:11:10,120
Speaker 1: at the end of games. He had eleven points and

218
00:11:10,160 --> 00:11:13,560
Speaker 1: two assists in the fourth quarter in overtime, massive pull

219
00:11:13,640 --> 00:11:15,199
Speaker 1: up three and pick and roll towards the end of

220
00:11:15,240 --> 00:11:17,480
Speaker 1: regulation where the I can't remember whether whether it was

221
00:11:17,520 --> 00:11:19,400
Speaker 1: Dennis or Path, but one of the guards goes underneath

222
00:11:19,440 --> 00:11:21,120
Speaker 1: the screen. He just steps back and hits the three,

223
00:11:21,640 --> 00:11:24,520
Speaker 1: really nice left handed finish in traffic off the glass

224
00:11:24,520 --> 00:11:28,080
Speaker 1: and o t to put the Celtics up by six. Um.

225
00:11:28,320 --> 00:11:30,600
Speaker 1: Malcolm Brown is just playing. I I said to you guys,

226
00:11:31,080 --> 00:11:34,160
Speaker 1: like a week or two ago that in smaller doses

227
00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:36,560
Speaker 1: because his minutes have been somewhat limited, he's been giving

228
00:11:36,559 --> 00:11:41,160
Speaker 1: you superstar level production, Like on a per thirty six

229
00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:46,160
Speaker 1: minute basis, He's doing what superstars do with shot making

230
00:11:46,320 --> 00:11:49,520
Speaker 1: and being the offensive engine and making those decisions and

231
00:11:49,600 --> 00:11:54,880
Speaker 1: keeping their offense moving. So I mean I tip of

232
00:11:54,880 --> 00:11:56,800
Speaker 1: the cap to the Celtics for making that aggressive move

233
00:11:56,880 --> 00:12:00,520
Speaker 1: this offseason, not being complacent when you were that close

234
00:12:00,520 --> 00:12:03,320
Speaker 1: to an NBA championship, because he makes them so much better.

235
00:12:04,480 --> 00:12:07,440
Speaker 1: Darvin ham and the refs, obviously, with that missed call,

236
00:12:07,679 --> 00:12:09,440
Speaker 1: left a little bit of a crack in the door

237
00:12:10,040 --> 00:12:13,360
Speaker 1: on a night when the Lakers were a better basketball team,

238
00:12:13,400 --> 00:12:16,520
Speaker 1: and Malcolm Brogden and Jalen Brown just smashed that door

239
00:12:16,559 --> 00:12:19,680
Speaker 1: open and got the win. I want to talk about

240
00:12:19,720 --> 00:12:21,920
Speaker 1: Russ and overtime for a minute, because at four minutes

241
00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:24,640
Speaker 1: left in ot even though he had played poorly all game,

242
00:12:25,280 --> 00:12:27,120
Speaker 1: and even though he really has been playing poorly for

243
00:12:27,200 --> 00:12:29,160
Speaker 1: most of the last two weeks, Darvin Hamm went back

244
00:12:29,200 --> 00:12:31,600
Speaker 1: to Russ and it was it was funny. I was

245
00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:34,880
Speaker 1: watching it in the in the airport in Salt Lake City,

246
00:12:35,360 --> 00:12:37,640
Speaker 1: and I remember literally thinking in the moment, I'm like,

247
00:12:38,760 --> 00:12:42,000
Speaker 1: I can see what his reasoning was. Like Jayson Tatum

248
00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:43,800
Speaker 1: and Jitalen Brown were starting to give Dennis Shirter and

249
00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:47,000
Speaker 1: Patrick rever Leys some issues with their size because they're bigger.

250
00:12:47,559 --> 00:12:49,920
Speaker 1: I think he wanted to have a larger player out

251
00:12:49,920 --> 00:12:52,760
Speaker 1: there that could do some more individual defense stuff on

252
00:12:52,800 --> 00:12:54,600
Speaker 1: Tatum and Brown. And for the record, that was like

253
00:12:54,640 --> 00:12:57,040
Speaker 1: the one thing he did pretty well in that crunch

254
00:12:57,080 --> 00:12:59,000
Speaker 1: time period was you know, I think he forced two

255
00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:01,360
Speaker 1: turnovers he stripped and Tatum clean once. He's a good

256
00:13:01,400 --> 00:13:05,160
Speaker 1: isolation defender. That's a fact about Russ. But there's all

257
00:13:05,160 --> 00:13:07,800
Speaker 1: the bad stuff that comes with it, and he's on

258
00:13:07,840 --> 00:13:09,840
Speaker 1: the offensive end. We know three things about Russ and

259
00:13:10,120 --> 00:13:13,319
Speaker 1: crunch time situations. They're going to put a center on him,

260
00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:15,280
Speaker 1: so if he's off the ball, he's gonna have to

261
00:13:15,280 --> 00:13:16,960
Speaker 1: take catch and shoot threes, which he won't be able

262
00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:18,920
Speaker 1: to make. And if he's on the ball, the center

263
00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:20,520
Speaker 1: is gonna back off and try to bait him into

264
00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:23,240
Speaker 1: driving into him at the basket where he's gonna struggle

265
00:13:23,240 --> 00:13:25,280
Speaker 1: to finish over that size and physicality. And then third

266
00:13:25,600 --> 00:13:28,760
Speaker 1: decision making, Russ is not a good late game decision maker.

267
00:13:28,840 --> 00:13:31,640
Speaker 1: And all three of those things were on display down

268
00:13:31,640 --> 00:13:34,520
Speaker 1: the stretch of this game. But what's funny is I

269
00:13:34,520 --> 00:13:36,920
Speaker 1: remember sitting there in the Salt Lake City Airport thinking,

270
00:13:37,280 --> 00:13:42,160
Speaker 1: this is Darvin playing Roulette, because Russ is a very

271
00:13:42,240 --> 00:13:44,960
Speaker 1: much a Roulette type of player. He's a good playmaker

272
00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:49,240
Speaker 1: and he's a bad playmaker, and if you play the

273
00:13:49,280 --> 00:13:52,360
Speaker 1: game in a large sample size, there's gonna be more

274
00:13:52,440 --> 00:13:54,880
Speaker 1: good than bad, especially if he plays a lot in

275
00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:56,640
Speaker 1: the middle portions of the game, which has been the

276
00:13:56,640 --> 00:13:59,520
Speaker 1: story of the season. There's been more good Russ than

277
00:13:59,640 --> 00:14:02,079
Speaker 1: bad Us, but most of that good is taking place

278
00:14:02,080 --> 00:14:04,320
Speaker 1: in the middle portions of games. At the end of games.

279
00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:09,400
Speaker 1: It's a completely different dynamic. But if when you play roulette,

280
00:14:09,440 --> 00:14:11,199
Speaker 1: sometimes you pick red three times in a row, and

281
00:14:11,240 --> 00:14:13,199
Speaker 1: sometimes it lands on red three times in a row.

282
00:14:13,440 --> 00:14:15,319
Speaker 1: And it's funny because that's how it started. Because the

283
00:14:15,960 --> 00:14:19,000
Speaker 1: Russ checks into the game and Lebron misses a driving

284
00:14:19,080 --> 00:14:21,840
Speaker 1: layup and Russ just comes flying in and gets an

285
00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:25,520
Speaker 1: offensive remail put back and gets fould and you're like, whoa,

286
00:14:25,960 --> 00:14:28,640
Speaker 1: there you go. Big time play from Russ. MS is

287
00:14:28,640 --> 00:14:31,720
Speaker 1: the free throw, but a couple of possessions later. Jayson

288
00:14:31,720 --> 00:14:34,160
Speaker 1: Tatum picks on Russ on a switch and Russ just

289
00:14:34,280 --> 00:14:38,120
Speaker 1: strips Jayson Tatum clean. Anthony Davis gets the ball, pushes

290
00:14:38,120 --> 00:14:39,600
Speaker 1: it ahead to Russ. Russ goes the length of the

291
00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:42,200
Speaker 1: floor and draws a foul on Malcolm Brogden goes to

292
00:14:42,240 --> 00:14:45,520
Speaker 1: the line and makes both free throws. Boom. We're making plays.

293
00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:49,120
Speaker 1: Three good plays in a row from Russ. That's hit

294
00:14:49,200 --> 00:14:51,080
Speaker 1: and red three times in a row. But what happens

295
00:14:51,080 --> 00:14:54,040
Speaker 1: when you're playing roulette and you hit red three times

296
00:14:54,040 --> 00:14:55,640
Speaker 1: in a row and you pick red on the fourth one,

297
00:14:56,200 --> 00:14:59,480
Speaker 1: Sometimes it goes back to black, and then sometimes it

298
00:14:59,520 --> 00:15:02,800
Speaker 1: goes back to again, and now all of a sudden,

299
00:15:02,840 --> 00:15:04,760
Speaker 1: you're in a worst position than you were when you started.

300
00:15:06,560 --> 00:15:11,080
Speaker 1: Boston starts guarding Russ with Luke Cornett a center, in

301
00:15:11,120 --> 00:15:15,840
Speaker 1: a strategy we've seen all season beat the Lakers. Lebron

302
00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:18,560
Speaker 1: drives to the basket. Luke Cornette is ignoring Russ in

303
00:15:18,560 --> 00:15:21,160
Speaker 1: the left corner. Lebron makes the kickout pass to Russ

304
00:15:21,160 --> 00:15:24,600
Speaker 1: in the left corner. He misses the three. If that's

305
00:15:24,680 --> 00:15:27,120
Speaker 1: Ruey Hatchamura, the player who should have been in the

306
00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:31,360
Speaker 1: game in that point, he's a forty two corner three

307
00:15:31,360 --> 00:15:33,960
Speaker 1: point shooter, one of the better corner three point shooters

308
00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:37,200
Speaker 1: in the league, and he has a much better chance

309
00:15:37,200 --> 00:15:40,280
Speaker 1: of making that shot. Russell Westbrook is a twenty eight

310
00:15:40,400 --> 00:15:44,560
Speaker 1: percent corner three point shooter. So Boston is loving that

311
00:15:44,600 --> 00:15:47,960
Speaker 1: shot because even if even if he manages to make it,

312
00:15:48,440 --> 00:15:50,080
Speaker 1: you'll probably take two or three more of him and

313
00:15:50,160 --> 00:15:56,080
Speaker 1: miss him. And Russ predictably missed that shot. Very next possession,

314
00:15:56,640 --> 00:15:59,360
Speaker 1: Russ catches in the right corner, this time Al Horford's

315
00:15:59,400 --> 00:16:02,760
Speaker 1: guarding him. Al Horford concedes the shot to us, but

316
00:16:02,840 --> 00:16:05,080
Speaker 1: Russ doesn't take it. Why because he's a twenty eight

317
00:16:05,200 --> 00:16:09,200
Speaker 1: percent three point shooter on wide open attempts. Again, that's

318
00:16:09,240 --> 00:16:15,040
Speaker 1: the big disc differentiator. It's not on Boyan Bogdanovitch's shot profile.

319
00:16:16,040 --> 00:16:24,320
Speaker 1: It's on stands still completely unguarded threes. Like many of

320
00:16:24,400 --> 00:16:28,640
Speaker 1: you watching this show probably hit wide open threes at

321
00:16:28,640 --> 00:16:32,880
Speaker 1: a higher percentage than Russell Westbrook. That's the concern. So

322
00:16:32,920 --> 00:16:36,600
Speaker 1: he looks at Al Horford doesn't shoot it, instead of

323
00:16:36,640 --> 00:16:40,800
Speaker 1: working it around to Lebron who's on one all game long,

324
00:16:41,880 --> 00:16:43,640
Speaker 1: or Anthony Davis who's not having a great game but

325
00:16:43,720 --> 00:16:46,360
Speaker 1: is a better player than Russ. What does Russ do.

326
00:16:47,960 --> 00:16:50,600
Speaker 1: He does exactly what the other team wants him to do.

327
00:16:50,880 --> 00:16:55,000
Speaker 1: Attempts to bully a center to the basket, and al

328
00:16:55,080 --> 00:16:57,560
Speaker 1: funnels him behind the backboard and he ends up throwing

329
00:16:57,560 --> 00:17:02,520
Speaker 1: it up off the bottom of the rim. Meanwhile, Lebron

330
00:17:02,640 --> 00:17:05,159
Speaker 1: is relocating to the right corner in his wide open

331
00:17:05,280 --> 00:17:11,560
Speaker 1: asking for the basketball. That's why teams guard Russ with centers.

332
00:17:11,840 --> 00:17:14,359
Speaker 1: They can give space, and when he tries to bully

333
00:17:14,400 --> 00:17:16,360
Speaker 1: their way to the rim or his way to the rim,

334
00:17:16,560 --> 00:17:18,639
Speaker 1: they can swallow everything up around the rim because they

335
00:17:18,680 --> 00:17:22,360
Speaker 1: are bigger and stronger than him. I want to be clear,

336
00:17:22,440 --> 00:17:25,119
Speaker 1: Russ has played well enough for long stretches this season

337
00:17:25,160 --> 00:17:26,879
Speaker 1: to be a net positive. I said that earlier. I'm

338
00:17:26,920 --> 00:17:28,399
Speaker 1: gonna say it again because I don't want to be

339
00:17:28,760 --> 00:17:33,440
Speaker 1: slander us here. But one of the biggest reasons that

340
00:17:33,480 --> 00:17:36,679
Speaker 1: I remain a big advocate for trading Russ at the

341
00:17:36,720 --> 00:17:41,359
Speaker 1: deadline is Darvin Ham has a blind spot for him.

342
00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:44,600
Speaker 1: He does not see those problems in crunch time. And

343
00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:47,879
Speaker 1: we wondered earlier it was like, Okay, Russ is playing

344
00:17:47,880 --> 00:17:50,920
Speaker 1: a lot in crunch time because of injuries. Well, now

345
00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:54,280
Speaker 1: everyone's healthy. He had Lonnie Walker as an option. He

346
00:17:54,320 --> 00:17:57,240
Speaker 1: had Ruey Hatchimura as an option, he had Troy Brown Jr.

347
00:17:57,240 --> 00:18:01,919
Speaker 1: As an option. All three much at our options, then

348
00:18:02,040 --> 00:18:04,360
Speaker 1: Russell Westbrook in the crunch time group, and he went

349
00:18:04,359 --> 00:18:11,680
Speaker 1: with Russ anyway. This season, when Russ plays in crunch time,

350
00:18:13,080 --> 00:18:16,920
Speaker 1: the Lakers are eight and thirteen. This season, when Russ

351
00:18:16,960 --> 00:18:19,720
Speaker 1: does not play in crunch time, the Lakers are four

352
00:18:19,760 --> 00:18:24,600
Speaker 1: and no. We have a mountain of data, both in

353
00:18:24,640 --> 00:18:27,480
Speaker 1: the numbers but also in the visual evidence that's on

354
00:18:27,560 --> 00:18:29,560
Speaker 1: film of what happens when he's in crunch time and

355
00:18:29,640 --> 00:18:33,119
Speaker 1: Darvin does not see it. And so even in the

356
00:18:33,240 --> 00:18:37,560
Speaker 1: beautiful you know Lakers fan dream scenario where a d

357
00:18:37,680 --> 00:18:40,000
Speaker 1: gets back to m VP form and they make a

358
00:18:40,040 --> 00:18:43,159
Speaker 1: trade for a shooter at the deadline and everything's clicking,

359
00:18:43,520 --> 00:18:45,159
Speaker 1: and you're in the second round of the playoffs and

360
00:18:45,240 --> 00:18:47,640
Speaker 1: it's Game five and it's two to two and it's

361
00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:51,879
Speaker 1: one oh five, one oh five, and O T. Darvin

362
00:18:51,960 --> 00:18:56,080
Speaker 1: will play Russ again and it might cost them the series.

363
00:18:57,200 --> 00:18:59,560
Speaker 1: The only way to stop that is to get him

364
00:18:59,560 --> 00:19:03,520
Speaker 1: off the rock, Sir. It is now incumbent on Rod

365
00:19:03,600 --> 00:19:08,760
Speaker 1: Polinka to save Darvin Ham from himself. I don't believe

366
00:19:08,800 --> 00:19:12,760
Speaker 1: they will, and I believe that this will continue to

367
00:19:12,760 --> 00:19:14,600
Speaker 1: be an issue throughout the remainder of the season. But

368
00:19:14,680 --> 00:19:19,600
Speaker 1: I think that the actual solution itself is pretty simple. Look,

369
00:19:19,920 --> 00:19:22,959
Speaker 1: it's a heartbreaking loss for the Lakers, and heartbreak is heartbreak.

370
00:19:22,960 --> 00:19:24,840
Speaker 1: It happens to every team. It's a natural part of

371
00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:27,359
Speaker 1: the eight two game season. You're going to lose games

372
00:19:27,400 --> 00:19:29,720
Speaker 1: because of bad calls. You're going to lose games because

373
00:19:29,720 --> 00:19:32,160
Speaker 1: a wild shot making from a random opponent. You're going

374
00:19:32,200 --> 00:19:34,280
Speaker 1: to lose games because you have for a half dozen

375
00:19:34,320 --> 00:19:36,560
Speaker 1: different reasons over the course of an eighty two game season.

376
00:19:38,280 --> 00:19:41,919
Speaker 1: But if you're the Celtics and your thirty six and fifteen,

377
00:19:41,960 --> 00:19:43,960
Speaker 1: say Lebron makes that left handed lay up at the

378
00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:47,200
Speaker 1: buzzer and the Lakers win, Lakers feeling great, But let's

379
00:19:47,200 --> 00:19:50,440
Speaker 1: focus on Boston. They're looking at that, and they're thirty

380
00:19:50,480 --> 00:19:53,679
Speaker 1: five and sixteen, and they're like, man, that sucks. We

381
00:19:53,760 --> 00:19:57,159
Speaker 1: lost Lebron in a final possession. He beat us, damn it,

382
00:19:58,119 --> 00:20:02,280
Speaker 1: in a rivalry game national television. That sucks. Okay, But

383
00:20:02,320 --> 00:20:04,520
Speaker 1: if we turn around and we went on Monday, now

384
00:20:04,560 --> 00:20:07,280
Speaker 1: we're thirty six and sixteen, we still have the best record.

385
00:20:07,280 --> 00:20:10,960
Speaker 1: In the league and who cares but Rob Polinken. Jennie

386
00:20:10,960 --> 00:20:13,600
Speaker 1: Buss sent the Lakers out undermanned to start the season

387
00:20:15,119 --> 00:20:18,719
Speaker 1: at key positions and kept Ross on the roster despite

388
00:20:18,760 --> 00:20:22,959
Speaker 1: the clunky fit. And so they're twenty three and twenty

389
00:20:23,000 --> 00:20:26,080
Speaker 1: seven now, so it's a lot harder for them to

390
00:20:26,160 --> 00:20:29,480
Speaker 1: cope with this sort of thing because they desperately need wins.

391
00:20:30,600 --> 00:20:32,520
Speaker 1: And look, I understand a lot of Lakers fans are

392
00:20:32,560 --> 00:20:34,160
Speaker 1: focusing on the refs, and I understand, I think they're

393
00:20:34,160 --> 00:20:35,960
Speaker 1: being a little dramatic. I can only think of two

394
00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:38,880
Speaker 1: games in particular where I thought they were flat out robbed.

395
00:20:38,960 --> 00:20:40,480
Speaker 1: Some of the other games it was just missed calls

396
00:20:40,480 --> 00:20:42,960
Speaker 1: that could have gone either way, and even in that situation,

397
00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:45,160
Speaker 1: it doesn't guarantee the outcome of the game. The two games.

398
00:20:45,160 --> 00:20:47,760
Speaker 1: I look at her last night because Lebron got fouled

399
00:20:48,160 --> 00:20:51,639
Speaker 1: as the buzzer was sounding on a layup and should

400
00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:53,880
Speaker 1: have gone to the line to win the game. And

401
00:20:54,040 --> 00:20:55,680
Speaker 1: I don't care how bad you are three throw shooting,

402
00:20:55,680 --> 00:20:59,840
Speaker 1: he's gonna make one of two. And then the man

403
00:21:00,280 --> 00:21:02,159
Speaker 1: X game when he did the exact same thing on

404
00:21:02,240 --> 00:21:03,639
Speaker 1: Christian Would. I think it was either at the end

405
00:21:03,640 --> 00:21:05,960
Speaker 1: of o T or the end of regulation drives baseline

406
00:21:06,200 --> 00:21:09,399
Speaker 1: buzzards about to sound. He's at the rim and Christian

407
00:21:09,400 --> 00:21:10,919
Speaker 1: would just hacks the hell out of him on his arm.

408
00:21:10,960 --> 00:21:12,520
Speaker 1: Should have gone to the line, should have made them.

409
00:21:12,600 --> 00:21:17,680
Speaker 1: That's two games, guys, that's two games out of a

410
00:21:17,800 --> 00:21:21,560
Speaker 1: d two. That should not dictate your season. You should

411
00:21:21,560 --> 00:21:23,399
Speaker 1: just be like, oh, crap, I can't believe it happened

412
00:21:23,400 --> 00:21:26,439
Speaker 1: to us twice. But who cares because we're a good

413
00:21:26,480 --> 00:21:29,280
Speaker 1: basketball team and we can weather that. But the Lakers

414
00:21:30,400 --> 00:21:33,399
Speaker 1: have done so much additional damage to themselves that that

415
00:21:33,520 --> 00:21:36,520
Speaker 1: hurts even worse. Again. Four, No, when you close the

416
00:21:36,560 --> 00:21:39,080
Speaker 1: games without Russ should have been five. And though if

417
00:21:39,160 --> 00:21:40,879
Speaker 1: Lebron gets the call that he wanted because Russ was

418
00:21:40,880 --> 00:21:42,400
Speaker 1: out of the game for crunch time in that part

419
00:21:42,640 --> 00:21:44,640
Speaker 1: and eight and thirteen when they closed with Russ, there's

420
00:21:44,720 --> 00:21:47,800
Speaker 1: data there. You're ignoring data. That's self sabotage. You can't

421
00:21:47,800 --> 00:21:52,080
Speaker 1: blame the refs for that. That self sabotage. You lost

422
00:21:52,119 --> 00:21:54,240
Speaker 1: a half dozen games this year just because you simply

423
00:21:54,280 --> 00:21:57,359
Speaker 1: did not have forwards on the floor, and you continually

424
00:21:57,359 --> 00:21:59,720
Speaker 1: gave up offensive rebounds to bigger, taller players and you

425
00:21:59,800 --> 00:22:03,840
Speaker 1: love ust. That's not on the refs. That's on Rob Bolinka.

426
00:22:05,680 --> 00:22:07,840
Speaker 1: So like I, I don't like. That's why I don't

427
00:22:07,840 --> 00:22:09,919
Speaker 1: like blaming refs when we talk about this kind of

428
00:22:09,920 --> 00:22:12,240
Speaker 1: stuff and you can point it out, Yeah, missed call,

429
00:22:12,680 --> 00:22:16,280
Speaker 1: you're right, Yeah, the Lakers should have one. Lebron got robbed.

430
00:22:17,560 --> 00:22:20,919
Speaker 1: The Lakers got robbed. But that's a natural part of

431
00:22:20,920 --> 00:22:23,520
Speaker 1: the game of basketball, especially in a larger sample size,

432
00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:26,120
Speaker 1: and you should be able to weather that. And if

433
00:22:26,160 --> 00:22:28,840
Speaker 1: you can't, you probably have a lot bigger problems than

434
00:22:28,880 --> 00:22:32,679
Speaker 1: getting calls at the end of games. On a glass

435
00:22:32,680 --> 00:22:36,320
Speaker 1: half full level, for the Lakers, the Lakers are good.

436
00:22:37,240 --> 00:22:39,320
Speaker 1: I would imagine that there are even skeptics out there

437
00:22:39,320 --> 00:22:41,040
Speaker 1: who are who have been watching these videos, who have

438
00:22:41,119 --> 00:22:43,879
Speaker 1: been thinking I was ridiculous all year, who are starting

439
00:22:43,920 --> 00:22:46,280
Speaker 1: to acknowledge that the Lakers are good. They're in every

440
00:22:46,320 --> 00:22:50,480
Speaker 1: single game, regardless of who they're playing, even with all

441
00:22:50,520 --> 00:22:52,800
Speaker 1: of the disaster in all of the tricked off games,

442
00:22:52,880 --> 00:22:54,879
Speaker 1: they are still twenty one and seventeen since they're too

443
00:22:54,920 --> 00:22:57,600
Speaker 1: intense start, and they just added Anthony Davis back to

444
00:22:57,680 --> 00:23:02,040
Speaker 1: the lineup and a really good lottery pickful word. So

445
00:23:02,160 --> 00:23:05,040
Speaker 1: they're good. But they've got to get out of their

446
00:23:05,080 --> 00:23:07,960
Speaker 1: own way. They need to get rid of Russ to

447
00:23:08,040 --> 00:23:10,520
Speaker 1: save Darvin Ham from himself. I still think they need

448
00:23:10,600 --> 00:23:13,719
Speaker 1: that one more shooter to really tie things together offensively.

449
00:23:14,240 --> 00:23:16,320
Speaker 1: And here's the other glassful thing. A D was really

450
00:23:16,359 --> 00:23:20,159
Speaker 1: good last night defensively, and he grabbed some key contested rebounds.

451
00:23:20,240 --> 00:23:23,359
Speaker 1: But A D is not even close to back to form.

452
00:23:24,359 --> 00:23:26,399
Speaker 1: He's going to continue to get better and better over

453
00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:27,840
Speaker 1: the next few weeks. So there's a lot to get

454
00:23:27,840 --> 00:23:32,399
Speaker 1: excited about there. All right, let's talk Denver, Philly. I

455
00:23:32,440 --> 00:23:34,719
Speaker 1: watched this game in Reno. Um. You know what's kind

456
00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:36,080
Speaker 1: of funny about this game is through three and a

457
00:23:36,080 --> 00:23:38,320
Speaker 1: half quarters, it was kind of the perfect description of

458
00:23:38,400 --> 00:23:41,240
Speaker 1: why Yokich is the better player, right, Like, he was

459
00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:43,320
Speaker 1: controlling the game the way he usually does. He was

460
00:23:43,400 --> 00:23:45,400
Speaker 1: only shooting when it was in the flow of the offense,

461
00:23:45,760 --> 00:23:48,639
Speaker 1: just creating advantages all game long and being that engine

462
00:23:48,720 --> 00:23:52,040
Speaker 1: that makes everything works. Nothing special was happening, but the

463
00:23:52,080 --> 00:23:54,159
Speaker 1: box score numbers were there and the nuggets were up,

464
00:23:55,280 --> 00:23:58,480
Speaker 1: kind of textbook Denver nuggets. But then Joe l embiid happened,

465
00:23:59,200 --> 00:24:00,840
Speaker 1: and in the same way that the first three and

466
00:24:00,840 --> 00:24:03,360
Speaker 1: a half quarters were evidence of the way that Yokich

467
00:24:03,480 --> 00:24:06,240
Speaker 1: is better. That last half quarter was evidence of y

468
00:24:06,280 --> 00:24:09,560
Speaker 1: I am Bead is better. Just an onslaught of high

469
00:24:09,640 --> 00:24:11,639
Speaker 1: level pull up jump shooting, most of which was in

470
00:24:12,119 --> 00:24:18,200
Speaker 1: Nicola Yokich's face, making him look silly. Joel demonstrated in

471
00:24:18,359 --> 00:24:20,800
Speaker 1: that stretch all the things that he can do that

472
00:24:20,960 --> 00:24:24,920
Speaker 1: Yokis can't do, and he looked helpless while Joel snatched

473
00:24:24,960 --> 00:24:26,720
Speaker 1: the game away from him. So what I want to

474
00:24:26,800 --> 00:24:28,720
Speaker 1: do here is I want to come at this game

475
00:24:28,800 --> 00:24:31,119
Speaker 1: from the angle of the who's better and beat or

476
00:24:31,160 --> 00:24:34,480
Speaker 1: Yokis debate, because I think it's super interesting. First of all,

477
00:24:34,720 --> 00:24:38,520
Speaker 1: it's super subjective. Everybody's entrenched, everybody's on their side, and

478
00:24:38,680 --> 00:24:41,520
Speaker 1: I'm not even gonna change anybody's mind, obviously, But I

479
00:24:41,600 --> 00:24:42,879
Speaker 1: do want to take a look at it from that

480
00:24:42,960 --> 00:24:45,919
Speaker 1: angle because I think it's an interesting example of different

481
00:24:46,320 --> 00:24:49,000
Speaker 1: archetypes of players and the way we have to evaluate them.

482
00:24:51,200 --> 00:24:54,280
Speaker 1: So even if we even just looking at yesterday's game,

483
00:24:54,560 --> 00:24:58,240
Speaker 1: it's easy to be like, and Bead whooped yoki Is asked,

484
00:24:58,280 --> 00:25:00,840
Speaker 1: therefore he is better? And for the record, that's what

485
00:25:00,920 --> 00:25:05,040
Speaker 1: happened yesterday. Yoki or and Bead whooped Yoki's ass. That's

486
00:25:05,080 --> 00:25:09,800
Speaker 1: what happened yesterday. But last year, Yokis went into Philly,

487
00:25:10,520 --> 00:25:14,359
Speaker 1: same type of game, didn't do anything extraordinary, box score

488
00:25:14,440 --> 00:25:17,080
Speaker 1: wasn't anything magnificent, but the Nuggets got better shots all

489
00:25:17,119 --> 00:25:20,200
Speaker 1: game long than they want and that I remember in

490
00:25:20,240 --> 00:25:22,440
Speaker 1: that particular game, Yokis was killing them in transition with

491
00:25:22,520 --> 00:25:26,080
Speaker 1: his transition passing. But like again, like if you look

492
00:25:26,119 --> 00:25:28,080
Speaker 1: at one specific game, it's just gonna be about what

493
00:25:28,359 --> 00:25:31,520
Speaker 1: what ended up happening. Yokis played Yoka style last year,

494
00:25:31,680 --> 00:25:34,040
Speaker 1: they won. This year and Bead made all his pull

495
00:25:34,119 --> 00:25:36,639
Speaker 1: up jump shots they won. You see the difference between

496
00:25:36,640 --> 00:25:41,640
Speaker 1: their two archetypes, and that's why I want to start here. So, yes,

497
00:25:41,760 --> 00:25:47,680
Speaker 1: they are both centers, but they are incredibly different. Yokich

498
00:25:47,840 --> 00:25:52,840
Speaker 1: is an advantage creator that can score. Joel Embiide is

499
00:25:52,920 --> 00:25:57,119
Speaker 1: an assassin score like he is a top tier dominant score.

500
00:25:57,240 --> 00:25:59,399
Speaker 1: That's what he does better than most of the players

501
00:25:59,400 --> 00:26:01,520
Speaker 1: in the league. That's not what Yoki does better than

502
00:26:01,560 --> 00:26:03,760
Speaker 1: most of the players in the league. He is a

503
00:26:04,359 --> 00:26:08,560
Speaker 1: offensive engine, creates advantages, scores within the flow of the offense.

504
00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:14,560
Speaker 1: Very different like Yoki can score and be does that

505
00:26:14,720 --> 00:26:17,720
Speaker 1: for a living and be it's also a better defensive player,

506
00:26:18,960 --> 00:26:20,159
Speaker 1: but at the same time, he has some of the

507
00:26:20,200 --> 00:26:23,080
Speaker 1: same limitations that most centers do. He struggles in transition,

508
00:26:23,280 --> 00:26:25,480
Speaker 1: he struggles in space, needs to be kept around the

509
00:26:25,560 --> 00:26:27,520
Speaker 1: rim for him to have the same amount of defensive

510
00:26:27,560 --> 00:26:29,200
Speaker 1: value as some of the better defenders in the league.

511
00:26:29,840 --> 00:26:32,040
Speaker 1: So what does that mean? As soon as we start

512
00:26:32,080 --> 00:26:34,440
Speaker 1: comparing box score numbers with these guys, we've lost the

513
00:26:34,480 --> 00:26:37,880
Speaker 1: plot and we can't make any progress here because they're

514
00:26:37,920 --> 00:26:40,880
Speaker 1: just completely different. They impact the game in different ways.

515
00:26:41,119 --> 00:26:43,960
Speaker 1: They approached the game offensively in different ways defensively, they

516
00:26:44,040 --> 00:26:46,360
Speaker 1: have different levels of impact. So I just the box

517
00:26:46,400 --> 00:26:49,200
Speaker 1: score just doesn't serve any purpose. You have to look

518
00:26:49,240 --> 00:26:51,399
Speaker 1: at the way that they're controlling the outcome of the

519
00:26:51,440 --> 00:26:55,120
Speaker 1: game on the ultimate scoreboard, Like, what does a yokis

520
00:26:55,160 --> 00:26:59,880
Speaker 1: great game look like? Like? What you saw barely take

521
00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:04,040
Speaker 1: in any shots? Like I'll give you some examples of

522
00:27:04,119 --> 00:27:09,040
Speaker 1: the difference in their offensive approach. Uh Nicol Yoker has

523
00:27:09,119 --> 00:27:13,560
Speaker 1: run fifty four ISOs this year. Joel Embiid has run

524
00:27:13,920 --> 00:27:17,720
Speaker 1: three hundred and one ISOs this year. It's pretty different

525
00:27:17,760 --> 00:27:20,920
Speaker 1: offensive approach. Joel Embiad has posted up two fifty three

526
00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:23,480
Speaker 1: times and only passed out of it in nine six times.

527
00:27:24,359 --> 00:27:27,200
Speaker 1: Yokis just posted up four hundred and three times, but

528
00:27:27,320 --> 00:27:30,000
Speaker 1: he's passed out of it a hundred and eight times.

529
00:27:30,560 --> 00:27:33,560
Speaker 1: He's posting to pass every bit as much as he's

530
00:27:33,560 --> 00:27:37,080
Speaker 1: posting to shoot, as opposed to Himbiad, he's posting to

531
00:27:37,200 --> 00:27:40,200
Speaker 1: shoot three times as much as he's posting to pass.

532
00:27:40,840 --> 00:27:44,879
Speaker 1: You can see the difference. But like when you look

533
00:27:44,920 --> 00:27:47,760
Speaker 1: at him, beads great games they look exactly like it

534
00:27:47,840 --> 00:27:50,159
Speaker 1: looked like at the end of the game yesterday, and

535
00:27:50,280 --> 00:27:53,160
Speaker 1: Beads great games are shot making and pull up jump

536
00:27:53,200 --> 00:27:54,840
Speaker 1: shot after a pull up jump shot, and I just

537
00:27:55,040 --> 00:27:56,840
Speaker 1: throw you the ball at the free throw line and

538
00:27:56,880 --> 00:27:59,359
Speaker 1: there's nothing I can do to stop you. That's what

539
00:27:59,600 --> 00:28:02,840
Speaker 1: a yoke and Be good game looks like. The Yokis

540
00:28:02,920 --> 00:28:05,960
Speaker 1: good game is much more subtle. It's much more possession

541
00:28:06,040 --> 00:28:09,240
Speaker 1: by possession impact. And so you're gonna either be the

542
00:28:09,320 --> 00:28:12,159
Speaker 1: guy that sees all that stuff and targets that or

543
00:28:12,320 --> 00:28:14,320
Speaker 1: sees all the shot making and gets wowed by it

544
00:28:14,359 --> 00:28:16,240
Speaker 1: and allows that to sway your opinion. That's why this

545
00:28:16,359 --> 00:28:20,840
Speaker 1: is such a subjective debate. My take on it, I've

546
00:28:20,920 --> 00:28:25,600
Speaker 1: always thought that scores are better stealing razors and offensive

547
00:28:25,640 --> 00:28:29,560
Speaker 1: engines are better floor raizors. So, for instance, I think

548
00:28:29,680 --> 00:28:32,200
Speaker 1: Lebron is a much better player than Kevin Durant all time,

549
00:28:33,200 --> 00:28:35,760
Speaker 1: And if I needed a player for a playoff series tomorrow,

550
00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:39,120
Speaker 1: I'd take Lebron in terms of their like equal primes

551
00:28:39,280 --> 00:28:41,320
Speaker 1: right like both take both of them at age thirty three,

552
00:28:41,440 --> 00:28:45,760
Speaker 1: for instance, But on a night where Katie's jumper is

553
00:28:45,920 --> 00:28:49,720
Speaker 1: really going, like where he's just on fire with this

554
00:28:49,760 --> 00:28:52,800
Speaker 1: pull up jump shot, Lebron's never going to beat him

555
00:28:52,840 --> 00:28:57,120
Speaker 1: in that game. Because Lebron's impact is more of a

556
00:28:57,200 --> 00:29:00,600
Speaker 1: possession by possession. We get higher all of these shots

557
00:29:00,640 --> 00:29:04,200
Speaker 1: on both ends of the floor type of game, whereas

558
00:29:04,280 --> 00:29:08,080
Speaker 1: Kevin Durant it's like otherworldly pull up jump shooting, and

559
00:29:08,640 --> 00:29:11,400
Speaker 1: some nights he goes ten for thirteen on pull up

560
00:29:11,440 --> 00:29:13,040
Speaker 1: jump shots, and the next night he might go for

561
00:29:13,240 --> 00:29:16,479
Speaker 1: for thirteen on pull up jump shots, right, And then

562
00:29:16,480 --> 00:29:18,880
Speaker 1: in the aggregate it ends up being around on pull

563
00:29:18,920 --> 00:29:21,720
Speaker 1: up jump shots. But the night in night out, possession

564
00:29:21,720 --> 00:29:24,440
Speaker 1: by possession impact is different. And what you saw last

565
00:29:24,480 --> 00:29:28,280
Speaker 1: night is the Mbi Yoki's version of that Ike had

566
00:29:28,360 --> 00:29:31,120
Speaker 1: coming into the season Yokich at seven and then bat

567
00:29:31,160 --> 00:29:33,120
Speaker 1: at eight. That means I viewed them as very close.

568
00:29:33,200 --> 00:29:35,360
Speaker 1: But the reason why I gave Yogas the edge is

569
00:29:35,440 --> 00:29:38,280
Speaker 1: I believe he has more possession by possession impact game

570
00:29:38,320 --> 00:29:40,320
Speaker 1: in and game out over an eight two game season

571
00:29:40,600 --> 00:29:43,720
Speaker 1: in order over a playoff run. But make no mistake,

572
00:29:44,080 --> 00:29:46,200
Speaker 1: if Joel Embi is going to make pull up jump

573
00:29:46,240 --> 00:29:48,640
Speaker 1: shots the way he did last night and do it

574
00:29:48,960 --> 00:29:51,920
Speaker 1: through four rounds of the playoffs, he's absolutely better than Yoki.

575
00:29:52,080 --> 00:29:54,600
Speaker 1: He might be the best player in the world. That's

576
00:29:54,600 --> 00:29:58,000
Speaker 1: why I've been saying so consistently that his pull up

577
00:29:58,080 --> 00:30:00,480
Speaker 1: jump shot is everything for this team in the a season.

578
00:30:01,040 --> 00:30:03,480
Speaker 1: If that shot is going in that little fifteen footer

579
00:30:03,640 --> 00:30:07,120
Speaker 1: at the elbow off of seventeen different dribble combinations, no

580
00:30:07,200 --> 00:30:08,920
Speaker 1: one's gonna be able to guard the guy, and the

581
00:30:08,960 --> 00:30:11,920
Speaker 1: Sixers are going to win the trophy. That's what's going

582
00:30:12,000 --> 00:30:16,360
Speaker 1: to happen. But it's not like that every single night,

583
00:30:16,960 --> 00:30:18,440
Speaker 1: and and Joel, Joel has a little bit of a

584
00:30:18,800 --> 00:30:22,120
Speaker 1: reputation for his jump shot, in particular, falling apart when

585
00:30:22,160 --> 00:30:23,800
Speaker 1: he gets to the postseason. I said last year he

586
00:30:23,880 --> 00:30:26,200
Speaker 1: made Joel and beating his two thirds of his shots

587
00:30:26,240 --> 00:30:29,920
Speaker 1: outside of the restricted area last year in the playoffs,

588
00:30:30,840 --> 00:30:34,040
Speaker 1: and that's been a consistent theme throughout his career. So

589
00:30:34,800 --> 00:30:38,720
Speaker 1: when his ceiling raising isn't there, his overall winning impact

590
00:30:38,840 --> 00:30:42,760
Speaker 1: is lower. Whereas with Yokich, even if he's not making

591
00:30:42,920 --> 00:30:46,680
Speaker 1: his ice so jumpers, he does so many other things

592
00:30:46,760 --> 00:30:49,720
Speaker 1: offensively on the court to keep his team going than

593
00:30:49,760 --> 00:30:52,120
Speaker 1: on a night and night out basis, it's more consistent.

594
00:30:52,200 --> 00:30:55,959
Speaker 1: So that's why I have Yokich is slightly better than

595
00:30:56,000 --> 00:30:58,880
Speaker 1: embed But I'm never gonna sway you because they're two

596
00:30:58,920 --> 00:31:01,800
Speaker 1: completely different players. You either prefer one type or you don't.

597
00:31:02,400 --> 00:31:04,720
Speaker 1: And you guys know, I've been consistent. I've always preferred

598
00:31:04,760 --> 00:31:08,280
Speaker 1: the playmaker archetype over the scoring archetype. I've been consistent

599
00:31:08,320 --> 00:31:11,160
Speaker 1: with that since the beginning. Whether it's me favoring Luca

600
00:31:11,240 --> 00:31:14,960
Speaker 1: over players, favoring Yoki over players, favoring Lebron over players,

601
00:31:15,080 --> 00:31:17,760
Speaker 1: it's always been my that's just my opinion on it,

602
00:31:19,160 --> 00:31:21,120
Speaker 1: and I'm just breaking down why I feel that way.

603
00:31:21,880 --> 00:31:23,880
Speaker 1: But regardless of how you feel about this debate, make

604
00:31:23,920 --> 00:31:28,560
Speaker 1: no mistake and be busted. Nicola Yokis asked on national

605
00:31:28,640 --> 00:31:32,080
Speaker 1: television for the world to see last night, and it

606
00:31:32,160 --> 00:31:33,719
Speaker 1: was it was a cool moment. I'm happy for him,

607
00:31:33,760 --> 00:31:36,240
Speaker 1: beat and make no mistake like I'm not married to

608
00:31:36,320 --> 00:31:39,000
Speaker 1: any take. Yes, I think Yokich just slightly better now.

609
00:31:39,320 --> 00:31:41,160
Speaker 1: But if Embiat plays like this through the end of

610
00:31:41,160 --> 00:31:43,680
Speaker 1: the regular season and goes into the postseason and is

611
00:31:43,760 --> 00:31:45,440
Speaker 1: hitting pull up jump shots and goes on a deep

612
00:31:45,480 --> 00:31:47,640
Speaker 1: playoff run where he's in the conference finals or later,

613
00:31:48,040 --> 00:31:50,080
Speaker 1: and Yokich loses in the first round because he's not

614
00:31:50,280 --> 00:31:57,800
Speaker 1: aggressively looking to score, then that means embiads better. You know.

615
00:31:57,840 --> 00:31:59,800
Speaker 1: I saw a lot of Nuggets fans in particular, saying, like,

616
00:31:59,840 --> 00:32:01,640
Speaker 1: man him, I need Yokis to shoot more. Why isn't

617
00:32:01,640 --> 00:32:05,520
Speaker 1: he shooting more? That's not his game. He's not gonna

618
00:32:05,560 --> 00:32:07,960
Speaker 1: go shot for shot with Joel Embiat if and beats

619
00:32:08,000 --> 00:32:10,680
Speaker 1: hitting those pullup jumpers. Yoki isn't just gonna come down

620
00:32:10,760 --> 00:32:12,360
Speaker 1: and mix him up off the dribble for a pull

621
00:32:12,400 --> 00:32:14,440
Speaker 1: up jumper of his of his own. That's not his game.

622
00:32:16,720 --> 00:32:18,880
Speaker 1: And that's why it looked so jarring last night to

623
00:32:18,920 --> 00:32:21,840
Speaker 1: watch him. Bead repeatedly punched Yo Kitch in the face

624
00:32:21,920 --> 00:32:25,600
Speaker 1: proverbially with basketball while Yokis went on the other end

625
00:32:25,640 --> 00:32:29,000
Speaker 1: and seemingly did nothing. That's just it's not his style.

626
00:32:29,120 --> 00:32:31,640
Speaker 1: He can't. He'll never be able to meet and beat

627
00:32:31,680 --> 00:32:33,800
Speaker 1: on that ceiling when he's got it going like that.

628
00:32:35,240 --> 00:32:37,920
Speaker 1: But that's what makes this kind of thing complicated. And

629
00:32:38,040 --> 00:32:39,640
Speaker 1: if it was easy, we'd all be on the same

630
00:32:39,680 --> 00:32:41,400
Speaker 1: side and he would be boring to talk about. But

631
00:32:41,480 --> 00:32:46,200
Speaker 1: it's interesting because it's it's debate, it's you know, it's difficult,

632
00:32:47,400 --> 00:32:51,080
Speaker 1: and there is a lot of personal opinion involved. But damn,

633
00:32:51,120 --> 00:32:52,520
Speaker 1: that was a good basketball game. All right, guys, that

634
00:32:52,600 --> 00:32:53,960
Speaker 1: is all I have for today, and we will be

635
00:32:54,080 --> 00:32:57,800
Speaker 1: back tomorrow breaking down today's games as always. I sincerely

636
00:32:57,840 --> 00:33:20,480
Speaker 1: appreciate your guys support, and I'll see you the volume