1
00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:01,920
Speaker 1: The volume.

2
00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:08,200
Speaker 2: Looking for a super offer for Super Bowl fifty eight, Well,

3
00:00:08,320 --> 00:00:11,440
Speaker 2: DraftKings has you covered. New customers can bet on the

4
00:00:11,440 --> 00:00:15,160
Speaker 2: Big Game and turn five bucks into two hundred instantly

5
00:00:15,200 --> 00:00:17,680
Speaker 2: in bonus bets. The line right now is at San

6
00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:21,080
Speaker 2: Francisco minus one point five, but you can bet all

7
00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:23,240
Speaker 2: sorts of things on the game, even the coin toss,

8
00:00:23,239 --> 00:00:26,360
Speaker 2: although big shock it's gonna be fifty to fifty odds there.

9
00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:28,200
Speaker 2: My brothers and I always place a bunch of bets

10
00:00:28,200 --> 00:00:30,000
Speaker 2: on the Super Bowl every year. I'm not actually sure

11
00:00:30,040 --> 00:00:31,680
Speaker 2: what I'm gonna do yet, but I'm excited. She should

12
00:00:31,680 --> 00:00:34,640
Speaker 2: be a great game. Download the Draftking Sportsbook app now

13
00:00:34,920 --> 00:00:39,520
Speaker 2: and use code hoops. That's hoops. New customers can bet

14
00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:43,240
Speaker 2: five bucks to get two hundred instantly in bonus bets

15
00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:46,920
Speaker 2: only on Draftking Sportsbook, an official sports betting partner of

16
00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:51,480
Speaker 2: Super Bowl fifty eight, with code hoops again, that's hops.

17
00:00:51,720 --> 00:00:55,280
Speaker 2: The crown is yours gambling problem called one eight hundred Gambler,

18
00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:58,480
Speaker 2: or in West Virginia, visit www dot one eight hundred

19
00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:03,240
Speaker 2: gambler dot net, call eight seven seven eight hope and why,

20
00:01:03,760 --> 00:01:06,959
Speaker 2: or text hope and Why to four six seven three

21
00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:10,200
Speaker 2: six nine in Connecticut. Help is available for problem gambling.

22
00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:13,839
Speaker 2: Call eight eight eight seven eight nine seven seven seven

23
00:01:13,959 --> 00:01:19,080
Speaker 2: seven or visit CCPG dot org. Please play responsibly on

24
00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:22,520
Speaker 2: behalf of Boothill Casino and Resort in Kansas. Twenty one

25
00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:26,520
Speaker 2: plus age varies by jurisdiction. Void in Ontario. Bonus bets

26
00:01:26,520 --> 00:01:30,160
Speaker 2: expire one hundred and sixty eight hours after issuance. See

27
00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:35,360
Speaker 2: dkg dot com slash football for eligibility and deposit restrictions,

28
00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:49,280
Speaker 2: terms and responsible gambling resources. All right, welcome to hoops tonight.

29
00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:51,360
Speaker 2: You're at the Vaulume. Happy Wednesday, everybody, hope all if

30
00:01:51,360 --> 00:01:53,520
Speaker 2: you guys are having a great week. We actually have

31
00:01:53,600 --> 00:01:56,920
Speaker 2: two shows today. In this particular episode, we're just gonna

32
00:01:56,960 --> 00:01:59,600
Speaker 2: hit Sixers Warriors. Then I want to talk about some

33
00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:01,800
Speaker 2: of the past aggressive Lebron stuff, and we're gonna play

34
00:02:01,840 --> 00:02:05,120
Speaker 2: a little game, a little hypothetical game about Lebron potentially

35
00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:07,920
Speaker 2: leaping the Lakers. Then I have ten mail bag questions

36
00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:09,280
Speaker 2: that we're gonna hit at the end of the show

37
00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:12,560
Speaker 2: where we bounce around the entire league. Later today, I

38
00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:16,000
Speaker 2: have Carter Rodriguez from the Chase Down Pod, who covers

39
00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:19,160
Speaker 2: the Cleveland Cavaliers after a big win against the Clippers

40
00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:21,440
Speaker 2: on Monday night, and I think they've won something crazy

41
00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:24,640
Speaker 2: like fifteen of their last nineteen games. So we're gonna

42
00:02:24,680 --> 00:02:27,639
Speaker 2: do a deep dive on the Cleveland Cavaliers later this afternoon.

43
00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:30,120
Speaker 2: That'll be in a separate video that you guys can

44
00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:32,280
Speaker 2: see later Today, you guys known the Joe fort we

45
00:02:32,280 --> 00:02:34,160
Speaker 2: Get started subscribe to a brand new YouTube channel. It

46
00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:35,320
Speaker 2: mean a lot to me if you guys would take

47
00:02:35,320 --> 00:02:37,800
Speaker 2: a second to scroll down and hit that subscribe button.

48
00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:40,080
Speaker 2: Don't forget about our podcast feed wherever you get your

49
00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:42,480
Speaker 2: podcast under hoops tonight. I also found out the other

50
00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:44,560
Speaker 2: day it's really helpful for us if you leave a

51
00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:47,080
Speaker 2: rating in a review on the podcast feed, So if

52
00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:49,079
Speaker 2: you guys have some time for that, I would appreciate it.

53
00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:51,680
Speaker 2: Don't forget about my Twitter feed out underscore jsonlt That's

54
00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:54,400
Speaker 2: where I put show announcements as well as the film

55
00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:55,880
Speaker 2: threads that I do in the morning. In the last

56
00:02:55,960 --> 00:02:58,160
Speaker 2: not least, keep dropping mail, bad questions and those YouTube

57
00:02:58,160 --> 00:03:00,639
Speaker 2: comments so we can keep hitting them throughout this season.

58
00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:03,399
Speaker 2: All right, So, I think the story of the Sixers

59
00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:06,359
Speaker 2: Warriors game was the defense they played on Joel Embiid

60
00:03:06,360 --> 00:03:11,280
Speaker 2: now important caveat there. I thought Embiid looked super disengaged

61
00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:13,360
Speaker 2: in this particular game. The dead giveaway was like he

62
00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:16,320
Speaker 2: basically would never be physically aggressive. He was just looking

63
00:03:16,320 --> 00:03:18,760
Speaker 2: to take jump shots. As a matter of fact, thirteen

64
00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:21,120
Speaker 2: of his eighteen shots that he took in that game

65
00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:23,440
Speaker 2: or jump shots he basically just catch and then the

66
00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:25,160
Speaker 2: Warriors would kind of press up on him and then

67
00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:27,239
Speaker 2: he kind of take a jab step jumper. And there's

68
00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:30,520
Speaker 2: some weird stuff going on with Philly, not just with

69
00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:32,120
Speaker 2: the on the injury front, but also on the body

70
00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:35,120
Speaker 2: language front. It's a little weird. That said, I want

71
00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:37,920
Speaker 2: to give the Warriors some credit. They were swarming. Specifically,

72
00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:39,960
Speaker 2: one of the things you saw both Kevon Looney and

73
00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:42,840
Speaker 2: Raymond Green do is chest up Joel Embiid with their

74
00:03:42,920 --> 00:03:45,360
Speaker 2: arms out wide to the side, basically making it so

75
00:03:45,440 --> 00:03:48,480
Speaker 2: that they could play like physical ball pressure without actually

76
00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:51,800
Speaker 2: risking fouling on those reaching you know, because Joel Embid's

77
00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:54,080
Speaker 2: always like digging those arms out in front of him

78
00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:57,560
Speaker 2: in a weird kind of like jump shot a gather

79
00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:00,280
Speaker 2: to try to draw fouls, right, And that's the most

80
00:04:00,280 --> 00:04:04,760
Speaker 2: important parts of guarding Embeid is contesting those shots without fouling,

81
00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:06,720
Speaker 2: and then from there it's like digging down into driving

82
00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:09,000
Speaker 2: lanes and swarming him, especially when he puts the ball

83
00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:12,480
Speaker 2: on the floor and turns his back. And they were

84
00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:14,600
Speaker 2: doing a great job every single time inb did put

85
00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:16,880
Speaker 2: the ball on the floor by reaching in from behind,

86
00:04:16,960 --> 00:04:20,200
Speaker 2: Jonathan Kminga got a few steals. In particular, they actually

87
00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:22,839
Speaker 2: forced him into eight turnovers overall. I think he was

88
00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:25,920
Speaker 2: like five to eighteen from the field. Just an excellent

89
00:04:25,960 --> 00:04:29,000
Speaker 2: defensive performance from the Golden State Warriors. And you know,

90
00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:31,240
Speaker 2: Draymond Green, I thought played a big part in this.

91
00:04:31,360 --> 00:04:33,880
Speaker 2: I thought he did just an incredible job on Joel

92
00:04:33,880 --> 00:04:36,080
Speaker 2: Embiid and the possessions he was on him. And I

93
00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:38,000
Speaker 2: think a lot of times, like one of the things

94
00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:42,480
Speaker 2: that we gloss over in the in the NBA postseason

95
00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:47,599
Speaker 2: is the capability that your roster has to make real

96
00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:51,800
Speaker 2: significant impact on opposing stars, because like when you really

97
00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:53,200
Speaker 2: look back, like let's just take a look at the

98
00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:56,560
Speaker 2: twenty twenty two postseason run, for example, and point out

99
00:04:56,640 --> 00:04:59,279
Speaker 2: some specific examples of the way the Warriors defense didn't

100
00:04:59,360 --> 00:05:02,799
Speaker 2: just do good job but actually led players to having

101
00:05:03,120 --> 00:05:06,720
Speaker 2: struggles in real way. So for instance, like in that

102
00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:09,240
Speaker 2: first series against the Denver Nuggets, there was a big

103
00:05:09,320 --> 00:05:12,040
Speaker 2: play I think in game five if I remember correctly

104
00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:14,279
Speaker 2: where Nicole Jokich was. I think it was actually game

105
00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:15,880
Speaker 2: four when they went up three to one. I can't

106
00:05:15,880 --> 00:05:18,320
Speaker 2: remember exactly which game it was, but you guys, remember

107
00:05:18,360 --> 00:05:20,680
Speaker 2: it was a one possession game. Late Nicole Jokich was

108
00:05:20,720 --> 00:05:23,320
Speaker 2: attacking Draymond Green in the post on the left block,

109
00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:26,360
Speaker 2: and Draymond Green actually got to reach around steal on him.

110
00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:29,280
Speaker 2: Like how many players do you know that are capable

111
00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:31,640
Speaker 2: of going on an island against one of the top

112
00:05:31,680 --> 00:05:33,919
Speaker 2: five players in the league in a big moment and

113
00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:37,400
Speaker 2: picking them clean. And that's what Draymond Green brings to

114
00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:40,880
Speaker 2: the table as like a transcendent defensive option. Right. And

115
00:05:40,920 --> 00:05:44,240
Speaker 2: then looking at the Dallas Maverick series between Andrew Wiggins

116
00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:46,640
Speaker 2: ball pressure, the good job they did on the back

117
00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:49,560
Speaker 2: line helping without helping too much off of shooters Like

118
00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:52,800
Speaker 2: Luca put up statistical numbers, but he was nowhere near

119
00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:57,400
Speaker 2: as you put up box score numbers, but he wasn't

120
00:05:57,440 --> 00:06:00,680
Speaker 2: as impactful as an offensive initiator in that series. In fact,

121
00:06:00,680 --> 00:06:03,200
Speaker 2: he was down a significant level from where he was

122
00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:06,240
Speaker 2: in the Phoenix Sun series, and that's an example of

123
00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:09,560
Speaker 2: what that transcendent defensive impact can do. And then lastly,

124
00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:12,400
Speaker 2: the Jason Tatum series in the against the Celtics in

125
00:06:12,440 --> 00:06:14,800
Speaker 2: the NBA Finals, they sent him into one of his

126
00:06:14,880 --> 00:06:17,839
Speaker 2: worst playoff series as a pro, and that just goes

127
00:06:17,880 --> 00:06:21,040
Speaker 2: to show you, like that specific element. Having defensive weapons

128
00:06:21,040 --> 00:06:24,320
Speaker 2: the caliber of Draymond Green, the caliber of Andrew Wiggins,

129
00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:27,880
Speaker 2: they can go a long way towards swinging playoff series

130
00:06:28,120 --> 00:06:31,720
Speaker 2: by causing opposing stars to play well below their capability.

131
00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:33,800
Speaker 2: I thought last night against Joel Embiid was a great

132
00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:36,280
Speaker 2: example of that. Like, don't take Draymond Green for granted,

133
00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:39,680
Speaker 2: Like his ability to impact the game defensively isn't just

134
00:06:39,839 --> 00:06:43,400
Speaker 2: really good, it's transcendently good. It's top tier in the

135
00:06:43,520 --> 00:06:46,400
Speaker 2: NBA good. Right. The second big takeaway I had from

136
00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:48,080
Speaker 2: this game is that Steph is just back to form.

137
00:06:48,120 --> 00:06:52,640
Speaker 2: Now at thirty seven on seventeen shots, He's averaging thirty

138
00:06:52,640 --> 00:06:55,280
Speaker 2: three to five and six on fifty three percent from

139
00:06:55,279 --> 00:06:57,440
Speaker 2: the field, forty eight percent from three, and one hundred

140
00:06:57,440 --> 00:06:59,039
Speaker 2: percent from the line over the course of his last

141
00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:02,719
Speaker 2: five games. Remember, over his previous twenty three games, just

142
00:07:02,760 --> 00:07:05,920
Speaker 2: twenty five, four and six on forty two percent from

143
00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:08,840
Speaker 2: the field, thirty six percent from three to ninety two

144
00:07:08,880 --> 00:07:11,840
Speaker 2: percent from the line. So like we went from an

145
00:07:11,880 --> 00:07:15,160
Speaker 2: extended stretch there where Steph was playing below his capability

146
00:07:15,360 --> 00:07:17,760
Speaker 2: to now we have a two or three week stretch here,

147
00:07:18,080 --> 00:07:20,600
Speaker 2: two weeks basically where Steph looks more or less like

148
00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:22,480
Speaker 2: the stepf that we know as matter of fact playing

149
00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:25,760
Speaker 2: at an MVP level. And that was just an important checkpoint,

150
00:07:25,880 --> 00:07:28,520
Speaker 2: right Like when I talked about the three important things

151
00:07:28,520 --> 00:07:31,440
Speaker 2: that the Warriors had to accomplish, It's like step one,

152
00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:34,520
Speaker 2: Steph has to play like Steph Curry right. Step two

153
00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:38,040
Speaker 2: you have to be coherent defensively and honestly have to

154
00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:40,040
Speaker 2: be great defensively with some of the limitations they have

155
00:07:40,080 --> 00:07:44,000
Speaker 2: in chock craation. And then three you need backup offensive support,

156
00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:46,440
Speaker 2: which leads us to the next big takeaway. Andrew Wiggins

157
00:07:46,480 --> 00:07:48,960
Speaker 2: was awesome in this game against the Sixers. He was

158
00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:52,720
Speaker 2: getting downhill penetration on Kelly Ubra, he was rising up

159
00:07:52,760 --> 00:07:55,000
Speaker 2: around the rim and dunking everything on cuts. That's an

160
00:07:55,040 --> 00:07:56,920
Speaker 2: area where he's been really bad this year. He's been

161
00:07:56,960 --> 00:08:00,880
Speaker 2: really timid and soft around the basket. And I pulled

162
00:08:00,880 --> 00:08:03,920
Speaker 2: this data last week, but like before the last couple

163
00:08:03,960 --> 00:08:06,640
Speaker 2: of games, Andrew Wiggins was down something crazy like eight

164
00:08:06,760 --> 00:08:10,720
Speaker 2: or nine percent on layups around the basket compared to

165
00:08:10,880 --> 00:08:14,000
Speaker 2: last year, and so that just goes compared to the

166
00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:17,560
Speaker 2: twenty twenty two season, pardon me, so, like seeing Andrew

167
00:08:17,680 --> 00:08:20,320
Speaker 2: just going up with more confidence around the basket as

168
00:08:20,320 --> 00:08:23,600
Speaker 2: an athlete, like dunking everything hanging on the rim, just

169
00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:27,080
Speaker 2: having that like force and power behind his game is super,

170
00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:30,960
Speaker 2: super encouraging it. Twenty three points on ten shots last night.

171
00:08:31,440 --> 00:08:35,520
Speaker 2: In this four game stretch after the team took that break,

172
00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:37,760
Speaker 2: obviously to grieve the loss of one of their assistant coaches,

173
00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:41,640
Speaker 2: he's averaging nineteen points, five rebounds, and three assists on

174
00:08:41,760 --> 00:08:45,560
Speaker 2: sixty three percent from the field, forty six percent from

175
00:08:45,800 --> 00:08:48,760
Speaker 2: the three point line, and two point three steals in

176
00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:51,320
Speaker 2: blocks per game. So like that's more or less than

177
00:08:51,360 --> 00:08:54,240
Speaker 2: Andrew Wiggins that we remember from twenty twenty two. That's

178
00:08:54,240 --> 00:08:56,240
Speaker 2: what the Warriors have been getting. And you know what's

179
00:08:56,280 --> 00:08:58,440
Speaker 2: crazy is the offense has come. But it started in

180
00:08:58,440 --> 00:09:01,840
Speaker 2: that Atlanta Hawks game with re engaging defensively at the

181
00:09:01,840 --> 00:09:03,800
Speaker 2: point of attack, with the job that he did on

182
00:09:03,880 --> 00:09:06,199
Speaker 2: to Jontay Murray, and he's just kind of ridden that momentum.

183
00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:07,840
Speaker 2: I've talked about this concept on the show before. I

184
00:09:07,840 --> 00:09:11,480
Speaker 2: talked about yesterday actually, but one of the best ways

185
00:09:11,520 --> 00:09:14,440
Speaker 2: to get out of a slump is to impact winning elsewhere.

186
00:09:14,640 --> 00:09:17,280
Speaker 2: Because when you start impact winning else elsewhere, you can

187
00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:19,560
Speaker 2: feel it, You feel it in your confidence. You know,

188
00:09:19,800 --> 00:09:23,560
Speaker 2: I am helping my team right now. That relieves pressure

189
00:09:23,880 --> 00:09:26,960
Speaker 2: when you go to take a shot. And Andrew's shooting

190
00:09:26,960 --> 00:09:29,920
Speaker 2: better from three. He's made six of his last nine threes.

191
00:09:29,920 --> 00:09:33,040
Speaker 2: He's making those important kind of weak side wing above

192
00:09:33,040 --> 00:09:35,959
Speaker 2: the break threes that the Warriors offense can generate for him.

193
00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:39,120
Speaker 2: And like the confidence to take those and make those

194
00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:42,600
Speaker 2: in a lot of ways can come from playing well

195
00:09:42,640 --> 00:09:44,360
Speaker 2: elsewhere on the floor. And I think you're kind of

196
00:09:44,440 --> 00:09:48,840
Speaker 2: just seeing momentum, like real positive momentum with Andrew Wiggins.

197
00:09:49,160 --> 00:09:51,959
Speaker 2: And you know, I saw a report yesterday it might

198
00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:54,040
Speaker 2: have been it was yesterday or two days ago about

199
00:09:54,080 --> 00:09:59,680
Speaker 2: the Warriors potentially exploring player for player swaps involving Andrew Wiggins.

200
00:09:59,760 --> 00:10:01,480
Speaker 2: I talkalked about some of them on the show actually

201
00:10:01,480 --> 00:10:04,560
Speaker 2: that I had heard about behind the scenes. A couple

202
00:10:04,640 --> 00:10:06,599
Speaker 2: of weeks ago, so, like, I know that's something that

203
00:10:06,640 --> 00:10:11,080
Speaker 2: they had explored, but I've maintained this all season, like,

204
00:10:11,360 --> 00:10:15,120
Speaker 2: unless you're getting something significant, like a real return, I

205
00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:17,840
Speaker 2: wouldn't look for like a player for player, like another

206
00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:20,800
Speaker 2: role player type of swap for Andrew Wiggins, because, as

207
00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:25,000
Speaker 2: I've said all season, the potential he has to regain

208
00:10:25,320 --> 00:10:28,280
Speaker 2: what he used to be is far greater than what

209
00:10:28,400 --> 00:10:31,640
Speaker 2: any potential trade return would be at this point. And

210
00:10:31,679 --> 00:10:34,120
Speaker 2: so I'm actually very hopeful that the Warriors keep Andrew

211
00:10:34,160 --> 00:10:37,360
Speaker 2: Wiggins and just kind of lean into hoping that he

212
00:10:37,440 --> 00:10:39,040
Speaker 2: kind of gets back on track the way that he

213
00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:42,240
Speaker 2: has in the last couple of weeks. And then lastly

214
00:10:42,360 --> 00:10:45,560
Speaker 2: on the Warriors front, Johnathanmingez twenty six just a ridiculous

215
00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:48,280
Speaker 2: highlight reel. He had this transition push against Obias Harris

216
00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:50,440
Speaker 2: where he like crossed him over right to left and

217
00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:52,200
Speaker 2: Embiid was waiting for him at the rim and he

218
00:10:52,280 --> 00:10:54,480
Speaker 2: just went right into him Beid's chest and finished at

219
00:10:54,480 --> 00:10:56,640
Speaker 2: the rim. There's another one where he kind of slashed

220
00:10:56,679 --> 00:10:58,720
Speaker 2: from the top of the key and he took off

221
00:10:58,760 --> 00:11:00,960
Speaker 2: like he was gonna dunk on him and like took

222
00:11:00,960 --> 00:11:03,480
Speaker 2: the content contact and then whipped around with like a

223
00:11:03,520 --> 00:11:06,600
Speaker 2: scoop shot off the glass. It was ridiculous. He's dunking

224
00:11:06,600 --> 00:11:09,760
Speaker 2: on everyone on these cuts that he catches underneath the basket.

225
00:11:10,120 --> 00:11:12,200
Speaker 2: He's hitting pull up jump shots, he's hitting above to

226
00:11:12,200 --> 00:11:15,640
Speaker 2: break threes. He's just it's outrageous, like we're watching an

227
00:11:15,679 --> 00:11:21,120
Speaker 2: incredible rise. Remember, Jonathan Kaminga before this stretch had never

228
00:11:21,640 --> 00:11:24,120
Speaker 2: put two twenty point games together in a row. Never,

229
00:11:24,200 --> 00:11:27,160
Speaker 2: he had never done it. And now he's had seven

230
00:11:27,240 --> 00:11:31,000
Speaker 2: consecutive twenty plus point nights. Over the seven game span,

231
00:11:31,280 --> 00:11:35,520
Speaker 2: Jonathan Kminga is averaging sixty two or He's averaging twenty

232
00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:38,640
Speaker 2: five points and seven rebounds on sixty two percent from

233
00:11:38,679 --> 00:11:42,720
Speaker 2: the field and fifty five percent from three, including one

234
00:11:42,720 --> 00:11:46,320
Speaker 2: point nine stocks per game. That steals plus blocks. So

235
00:11:46,720 --> 00:11:49,120
Speaker 2: I'm officially at the point with Jonathan Kminga where you

236
00:11:49,160 --> 00:11:51,480
Speaker 2: just can't trade this guy. You can't trade him unless

237
00:11:51,520 --> 00:11:55,360
Speaker 2: you're getting back a legitimate star, and quite frankly, I'm

238
00:11:55,360 --> 00:11:57,760
Speaker 2: not sure that type of star is available at this deadline.

239
00:11:57,800 --> 00:11:59,320
Speaker 2: You know, I was talking with sam as fondi Ari

240
00:11:59,559 --> 00:12:02,800
Speaker 2: in our post game show after I think it was

241
00:12:02,840 --> 00:12:05,959
Speaker 2: the Kings game a few nights ago, and we kind

242
00:12:05,960 --> 00:12:08,240
Speaker 2: of talked about how like the like like a Lori

243
00:12:08,440 --> 00:12:11,080
Speaker 2: Marken and would be like the minimum allowable kind of

244
00:12:11,360 --> 00:12:14,360
Speaker 2: quality of player that you'd make a move for. And like,

245
00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:17,120
Speaker 2: I'm not even sure Lori is enough now, Like I

246
00:12:17,160 --> 00:12:19,920
Speaker 2: think this guy's on like a bona fide star trajectory.

247
00:12:20,440 --> 00:12:23,960
Speaker 2: He's he moves, he moves in a way that is

248
00:12:24,080 --> 00:12:27,679
Speaker 2: not like top tier for the position. He moves in

249
00:12:27,800 --> 00:12:32,280
Speaker 2: a way that is like like truly, it's like a unicorn.

250
00:12:32,320 --> 00:12:36,360
Speaker 2: It's like it's like his unique basketball trait that kind

251
00:12:36,360 --> 00:12:40,520
Speaker 2: of makes him that makes him special compared to other

252
00:12:40,720 --> 00:12:43,880
Speaker 2: excellent forward prospects that we see in NBA history. It

253
00:12:44,040 --> 00:12:46,800
Speaker 2: like when you combine that with like the touch and

254
00:12:46,880 --> 00:12:51,320
Speaker 2: the confidence and the real like relentless downhill motor that

255
00:12:51,360 --> 00:12:53,800
Speaker 2: he has. I don't think you can trade this guy,

256
00:12:53,880 --> 00:12:56,760
Speaker 2: not unless you're getting back a legitimate star, Like not

257
00:12:57,040 --> 00:12:59,040
Speaker 2: unless you're getting a back a guy that makes you

258
00:12:59,120 --> 00:13:01,120
Speaker 2: actually sit back and think, oh, we have a chance

259
00:13:01,160 --> 00:13:03,560
Speaker 2: to win the title here, Like if for some reason

260
00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:06,880
Speaker 2: you could get a player that's of like a Paul

261
00:13:06,960 --> 00:13:09,640
Speaker 2: George's caliber, which obviously are not because the Clippers are

262
00:13:09,640 --> 00:13:11,520
Speaker 2: contending for the title, but it would have to be

263
00:13:11,559 --> 00:13:14,240
Speaker 2: that type of player, a bona fide top fifteen player,

264
00:13:14,920 --> 00:13:17,120
Speaker 2: and I just don't see that out on the market.

265
00:13:17,160 --> 00:13:18,880
Speaker 2: So I think you hang on to Jonathan Kaminge at

266
00:13:18,920 --> 00:13:20,880
Speaker 2: this point and you try to make it work with

267
00:13:20,920 --> 00:13:24,400
Speaker 2: some sort of other ancillary moves on the margins. All right,

268
00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:27,040
Speaker 2: so let's move on to this passive aggressive Lebron stuff.

269
00:13:27,080 --> 00:13:30,440
Speaker 2: So first of all, we've had all sorts of reporting

270
00:13:30,559 --> 00:13:33,680
Speaker 2: behind the scenes for a while. I had heard specifically

271
00:13:33,720 --> 00:13:37,240
Speaker 2: that Lebron and ad were just done with Darvin Ham

272
00:13:37,800 --> 00:13:39,600
Speaker 2: at one point in time. That was about a month

273
00:13:39,600 --> 00:13:42,240
Speaker 2: ago or earlier in January, I should say not quite

274
00:13:42,240 --> 00:13:44,560
Speaker 2: a month ago. But we're seeing all sorts of passive

275
00:13:44,559 --> 00:13:47,240
Speaker 2: aggressive stuff. I've seen Anthony Davis walk out of a huddle.

276
00:13:47,240 --> 00:13:50,080
Speaker 2: I've seen Lebron have really bad body language in a huddle.

277
00:13:50,160 --> 00:13:53,240
Speaker 2: Lebron post game last night gets cut off by a

278
00:13:53,280 --> 00:13:55,439
Speaker 2: reporter and goes like, thanks for stopping me. I was

279
00:13:55,480 --> 00:13:59,760
Speaker 2: about to go off. He tweets last night the hour

280
00:13:59,840 --> 00:14:03,840
Speaker 2: goal emoji it. It's just a lot of classic Lebron

281
00:14:03,880 --> 00:14:07,000
Speaker 2: passive aggressive stuff. So now, for the record, I do

282
00:14:07,120 --> 00:14:10,480
Speaker 2: not think that Lebron James is gonna leave Los Angeles,

283
00:14:10,520 --> 00:14:13,520
Speaker 2: his kids are in LA I think he loves playing

284
00:14:13,520 --> 00:14:15,800
Speaker 2: for the Lakers. I think he loves the I think

285
00:14:15,800 --> 00:14:17,679
Speaker 2: he loves playing in Crypto dot com arena. I think

286
00:14:17,720 --> 00:14:19,360
Speaker 2: he loves playing in front of the celebrities. I think

287
00:14:19,360 --> 00:14:23,120
Speaker 2: he feels the stage, in the vibe, in the history

288
00:14:23,160 --> 00:14:25,200
Speaker 2: of the organization, and I think he loves that. And

289
00:14:25,280 --> 00:14:28,200
Speaker 2: quite frankly, he's gonna be in his twenty second season

290
00:14:28,240 --> 00:14:30,440
Speaker 2: next year. I don't think he's I don't think he's

291
00:14:30,480 --> 00:14:32,880
Speaker 2: in a position from an age standpoint to start a

292
00:14:32,960 --> 00:14:35,640
Speaker 2: new venture. So my opinion is that all of this

293
00:14:35,720 --> 00:14:38,760
Speaker 2: his classic Lebron stuff just to try to apply pressure

294
00:14:38,800 --> 00:14:40,920
Speaker 2: on the front office to get a trade done. That's

295
00:14:40,920 --> 00:14:44,120
Speaker 2: what I think is happening. But we're gonna have some

296
00:14:44,200 --> 00:14:48,360
Speaker 2: fun here. I want to contemplate different examples of opportunities

297
00:14:48,360 --> 00:14:50,800
Speaker 2: for Lebron to potentially leave the Lakers and go help

298
00:14:50,800 --> 00:14:53,600
Speaker 2: another team win a championship, just for fun. So, first

299
00:14:53,600 --> 00:14:56,720
Speaker 2: of all, what type of team would Lebron help the most?

300
00:14:57,160 --> 00:14:59,520
Speaker 2: A team with like an opening in that big forward

301
00:14:59,600 --> 00:15:02,600
Speaker 2: spot right to a team that's already in the title mix,

302
00:15:02,680 --> 00:15:06,080
Speaker 2: right Like Lebron's not gonna leave for another Iffy situation, right,

303
00:15:06,120 --> 00:15:09,200
Speaker 2: that's that that would serve no purpose. And then lastly,

304
00:15:09,280 --> 00:15:11,160
Speaker 2: a team that could use size and power on the

305
00:15:11,160 --> 00:15:14,160
Speaker 2: front line, So specifically, teams that struggle with defensive rebounding

306
00:15:14,160 --> 00:15:17,800
Speaker 2: helpside defense interior playmaking, whether it's out of the post

307
00:15:17,920 --> 00:15:20,640
Speaker 2: or in just an overall like kind of a bullyball

308
00:15:20,680 --> 00:15:23,280
Speaker 2: attack around the basket like matchup attacking. Those are the

309
00:15:23,360 --> 00:15:26,080
Speaker 2: kinds of teams that we would be looking at. Right,

310
00:15:26,360 --> 00:15:28,800
Speaker 2: So what I want to do here, I want to

311
00:15:28,840 --> 00:15:34,520
Speaker 2: give my top five favorite Lebron James destinations. Now important

312
00:15:34,560 --> 00:15:37,440
Speaker 2: caveat here I'm looking at because I want to make

313
00:15:37,480 --> 00:15:39,280
Speaker 2: because there's a bunch of different ways this could go down.

314
00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:43,480
Speaker 2: Right like Lebron could ask for a trade at this deadline.

315
00:15:43,760 --> 00:15:46,840
Speaker 2: Right Like Lebron could opt into his new deal and

316
00:15:46,880 --> 00:15:48,960
Speaker 2: then ask for a trade this summer. That that would

317
00:15:48,960 --> 00:15:51,560
Speaker 2: probably be like the most likely scenario. If Lebron wanted

318
00:15:51,560 --> 00:15:53,200
Speaker 2: to leave, he'd probably opt in and ask for a

319
00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:54,960
Speaker 2: trade because he'd probably want to make sure he gets

320
00:15:54,960 --> 00:15:57,400
Speaker 2: paid what he deserves. But that would make things really

321
00:15:57,440 --> 00:15:59,920
Speaker 2: complicated and severely limit the types of teams that could

322
00:15:59,920 --> 00:16:03,520
Speaker 2: go after him. So I am building this list based

323
00:16:03,600 --> 00:16:08,520
Speaker 2: purely on the idea of Lebron signing an exception to

324
00:16:08,520 --> 00:16:10,440
Speaker 2: start with the deal, start with the team. So whether

325
00:16:10,480 --> 00:16:14,600
Speaker 2: that's a veteran minimum exception or like the whatever mid

326
00:16:14,680 --> 00:16:17,400
Speaker 2: level exception the team has available, depending on their situation

327
00:16:17,480 --> 00:16:20,560
Speaker 2: with their salary cap. I'm looking at Lebron's signing with

328
00:16:20,640 --> 00:16:24,040
Speaker 2: these teams outright, and I'm going to give you guys

329
00:16:24,080 --> 00:16:26,920
Speaker 2: my top five here and I'll explain why I like

330
00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:30,720
Speaker 2: the move for each team. So number five, the Minnesota Timberwolves.

331
00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:33,520
Speaker 2: He'd be surrounded by now again, like you were looking

332
00:16:33,520 --> 00:16:36,080
Speaker 2: at a construct here where you're looking at like Anthony Edwards,

333
00:16:36,080 --> 00:16:39,760
Speaker 2: Mike Conley, Jaden McDaniels, Lebron, James, Rudy Gobert. He'd be

334
00:16:39,800 --> 00:16:43,200
Speaker 2: surrounded by excellent defensive players and ton of and a

335
00:16:43,200 --> 00:16:45,960
Speaker 2: ton of regular season motor to just kind of help

336
00:16:46,040 --> 00:16:48,160
Speaker 2: him over the course of the regular season. He'd be

337
00:16:48,200 --> 00:16:51,000
Speaker 2: an excellent back line guy without having to over exert

338
00:16:51,080 --> 00:16:53,520
Speaker 2: himself on that end of the floor. He'd play alongside

339
00:16:53,560 --> 00:16:56,240
Speaker 2: a young superstar and Anthony Edwards who can carry a

340
00:16:56,280 --> 00:16:59,160
Speaker 2: good chunk of the offensive load in the regular season.

341
00:16:59,200 --> 00:17:02,120
Speaker 2: Anthony Edwards two kind of reminds me a lot of

342
00:17:02,120 --> 00:17:06,800
Speaker 2: young Lebron where he just brings an insane amount of athleticism, motor,

343
00:17:06,920 --> 00:17:10,200
Speaker 2: and competitiveness to every regular season game, which I think

344
00:17:10,200 --> 00:17:12,520
Speaker 2: would be a great fit there. And then lastly, I

345
00:17:12,520 --> 00:17:14,960
Speaker 2: think Lebron could help them with late game execution. This

346
00:17:15,119 --> 00:17:18,280
Speaker 2: was one of the biggest weaknesses for the Timberwolves all

347
00:17:18,320 --> 00:17:23,000
Speaker 2: season long. Like half court offense, slow down, clutch time offense,

348
00:17:23,359 --> 00:17:25,640
Speaker 2: that's a specific area where Lebron would be able to help.

349
00:17:25,720 --> 00:17:27,359
Speaker 2: I think if you add Lebron at the four with

350
00:17:27,400 --> 00:17:31,680
Speaker 2: the Minnesota Timberwolves, they immediately become a top tier contender.

351
00:17:31,840 --> 00:17:36,960
Speaker 2: Number four the Oklahoma City Thunder, he specifically addresses everything

352
00:17:37,000 --> 00:17:39,760
Speaker 2: they suck at. He's the big forward they don't have

353
00:17:39,840 --> 00:17:42,399
Speaker 2: on the roster. He would help with defensive rebounding. They

354
00:17:42,400 --> 00:17:44,359
Speaker 2: have no post presence. As a matter of fact, the

355
00:17:44,560 --> 00:17:48,520
Speaker 2: Thunder run the third fewest post ups in the league,

356
00:17:48,560 --> 00:17:50,880
Speaker 2: and so Lebron would kind of bring that matchup attacking

357
00:17:50,880 --> 00:17:53,760
Speaker 2: element to that frontline that they don't have. And he

358
00:17:53,800 --> 00:17:56,760
Speaker 2: provides the experience and leadership that a team like this

359
00:17:56,760 --> 00:18:00,280
Speaker 2: would need to navigate a deep playoff front And once again,

360
00:18:00,680 --> 00:18:02,840
Speaker 2: just like we talked about with the Timberwolves, a young

361
00:18:02,920 --> 00:18:05,520
Speaker 2: team with a ton of defense and shot creation and

362
00:18:05,560 --> 00:18:09,280
Speaker 2: athleticism and motor to carry them through the regular season.

363
00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:12,960
Speaker 2: So important contexts with number five and number four, Minnesota

364
00:18:12,960 --> 00:18:16,840
Speaker 2: and Oklahoma City are really small markets, and so they're

365
00:18:16,960 --> 00:18:20,800
Speaker 2: extremely unlikely because even in the event that Lebron did

366
00:18:20,840 --> 00:18:23,520
Speaker 2: decide to move, it's just hard to imagine Lebron being like,

367
00:18:23,560 --> 00:18:26,240
Speaker 2: I'm gonna finish my career in Minnesota, you know, like

368
00:18:26,240 --> 00:18:28,879
Speaker 2: I'm gonna finish my career at Oklahoma City. So I

369
00:18:28,920 --> 00:18:32,520
Speaker 2: am abundantly aware of the fact that those are basically

370
00:18:32,600 --> 00:18:34,919
Speaker 2: just never ever ever going to happen. But as a

371
00:18:35,040 --> 00:18:39,760
Speaker 2: basketball fan, those are examples of two teams positionally with

372
00:18:39,840 --> 00:18:42,200
Speaker 2: the way those rosters are constructed that he would be

373
00:18:42,280 --> 00:18:45,440
Speaker 2: a really good basketball fit with. These last three are

374
00:18:45,480 --> 00:18:48,600
Speaker 2: like somewhat more legitimate for various reasons. In the event

375
00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:51,680
Speaker 2: that Lebron did choose to leave, these teams actually make

376
00:18:51,760 --> 00:18:57,480
Speaker 2: sense for him as destinations. So number three the Cleveland Cavaliers,

377
00:18:58,840 --> 00:19:00,960
Speaker 2: just like Oklahoma City, they don't post up. As a

378
00:19:00,960 --> 00:19:02,920
Speaker 2: matter of fact, they are one of only two teams

379
00:19:02,920 --> 00:19:05,480
Speaker 2: in the league that post up less frequently than Oklahoma City.

380
00:19:05,480 --> 00:19:08,440
Speaker 2: The Calves are a massive pick and roll attack tons

381
00:19:08,440 --> 00:19:11,040
Speaker 2: and tons and tons of spread, pick and roll, and

382
00:19:11,080 --> 00:19:12,960
Speaker 2: so they don't really have a lot of diversity in

383
00:19:12,960 --> 00:19:16,119
Speaker 2: their offense. Lebron would help them a lot with that,

384
00:19:16,560 --> 00:19:20,080
Speaker 2: just giving them an additional matchup attacking option as a

385
00:19:20,080 --> 00:19:23,639
Speaker 2: bully ball forward right. Secondly, late game execution, the Calves

386
00:19:23,640 --> 00:19:27,040
Speaker 2: are the fourth worst clutch offense in the league. Lebron

387
00:19:27,080 --> 00:19:29,879
Speaker 2: would help them significantly on that front. And again, just

388
00:19:29,920 --> 00:19:32,560
Speaker 2: the idea of matchup attacking. I love the idea of

389
00:19:32,600 --> 00:19:35,000
Speaker 2: like a Donovan Mitchell Lebron James two man game at

390
00:19:35,040 --> 00:19:38,200
Speaker 2: the end of games to pick on specific matchups and

391
00:19:38,760 --> 00:19:42,200
Speaker 2: to generate high quality shots, and then you could really

392
00:19:42,200 --> 00:19:45,879
Speaker 2: help with Evan Mobley's development. I think in the short

393
00:19:45,960 --> 00:19:50,040
Speaker 2: term it would be a little complicated because like Jared

394
00:19:50,080 --> 00:19:53,040
Speaker 2: Allen is just a better like kind of like center

395
00:19:53,080 --> 00:19:55,320
Speaker 2: and anchor right now than Evan Mobley. And you don't

396
00:19:55,359 --> 00:19:57,840
Speaker 2: like the idea of Evan Mobley coming off the bench, right,

397
00:19:57,920 --> 00:19:59,560
Speaker 2: But like in the long run, you could see better

398
00:19:59,600 --> 00:20:01,880
Speaker 2: of an an option where like maybe you can get

399
00:20:01,920 --> 00:20:03,879
Speaker 2: away with Lebron at the four and Evan Mobley at

400
00:20:03,880 --> 00:20:07,120
Speaker 2: the five because of Lebron's strength, right, And I think

401
00:20:07,160 --> 00:20:10,400
Speaker 2: maybe you lean into that sort of thing. Most importantly,

402
00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:12,639
Speaker 2: it's a place that you could see Lebron actually wanting

403
00:20:12,640 --> 00:20:15,560
Speaker 2: to end his career. Like if you heard, oh, Lebron's

404
00:20:15,640 --> 00:20:17,720
Speaker 2: leaving the Lakers to go back to Cleveland and finish

405
00:20:17,720 --> 00:20:19,359
Speaker 2: his career there, he'd be like, oh, yeah, that makes

406
00:20:19,359 --> 00:20:22,800
Speaker 2: some sense just because of Lebron's history in that city. Right.

407
00:20:23,440 --> 00:20:27,600
Speaker 2: Number two, the Golden State Warriors. It's a fun one.

408
00:20:27,800 --> 00:20:30,240
Speaker 2: Really would help with interior size and strength, which is

409
00:20:30,240 --> 00:20:32,679
Speaker 2: one of the bigger weaknesses on the roster. Also an

410
00:20:32,680 --> 00:20:35,440
Speaker 2: alternative playmaker. We've talked about this all season long and

411
00:20:35,480 --> 00:20:38,480
Speaker 2: extending back into the postseason last year. It just comes

412
00:20:38,520 --> 00:20:41,280
Speaker 2: down to way too often Steph being the only guy

413
00:20:41,720 --> 00:20:44,600
Speaker 2: who can generate a quality shot. Lebron would be able

414
00:20:44,640 --> 00:20:48,359
Speaker 2: to just alleviate some of that for him. Three, he

415
00:20:48,400 --> 00:20:51,119
Speaker 2: gets to stay in California and be relatively close to

416
00:20:51,160 --> 00:20:53,879
Speaker 2: his kids, so it makes some logistical sense from the

417
00:20:53,920 --> 00:20:57,120
Speaker 2: standpoint of where he is at this point in his life.

418
00:20:57,200 --> 00:21:00,960
Speaker 2: And then lastly, Stephan Lebron playing together just be really cool.

419
00:21:01,080 --> 00:21:03,560
Speaker 2: I think they're the two best players of this era.

420
00:21:03,920 --> 00:21:06,200
Speaker 2: I don't think the roster is talented enough that people

421
00:21:06,240 --> 00:21:08,800
Speaker 2: would discount any success of those two guys. Like, I

422
00:21:08,800 --> 00:21:11,840
Speaker 2: think if Steph and Lebron won a title together at

423
00:21:11,840 --> 00:21:15,200
Speaker 2: this phase, with Steph turning thirty six in March in

424
00:21:15,320 --> 00:21:17,800
Speaker 2: Lebron being thirty nine years old, I think it would

425
00:21:17,800 --> 00:21:20,040
Speaker 2: actually be more of a testament to the greatness of

426
00:21:20,040 --> 00:21:22,880
Speaker 2: those two rather than some sort of detriment because they

427
00:21:22,880 --> 00:21:25,199
Speaker 2: did it together, especially with some of the limitations of

428
00:21:25,240 --> 00:21:29,280
Speaker 2: talent around them. Also, Jonathan Kaminga with his athleticism and

429
00:21:29,320 --> 00:21:32,560
Speaker 2: with the shooting that he's demonstrating as of late, shooting

430
00:21:32,560 --> 00:21:35,760
Speaker 2: over fifty percent from three over the seven game span, Like,

431
00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:38,960
Speaker 2: I actually think he could theoretically play the three next

432
00:21:38,960 --> 00:21:41,479
Speaker 2: to Lebron and Draymond Green, and so like, just as

433
00:21:41,520 --> 00:21:43,960
Speaker 2: a basketball fan, I would just I think that would

434
00:21:43,960 --> 00:21:45,400
Speaker 2: be really really fun to see the two of them

435
00:21:45,400 --> 00:21:49,240
Speaker 2: play together. And then lastly, our last one, uh, the

436
00:21:49,320 --> 00:21:51,120
Speaker 2: number one place that I'd like to see Lebron James

437
00:21:51,160 --> 00:21:53,320
Speaker 2: go if he left the Los Angeles Lakers the New

438
00:21:53,400 --> 00:21:57,800
Speaker 2: York Knicks, another huge market, a franchise with a ton

439
00:21:57,840 --> 00:22:01,520
Speaker 2: of history. They are legitimately built to win the title.

440
00:22:02,119 --> 00:22:04,840
Speaker 2: With a couple of a couple of upgrades, Just imagine

441
00:22:04,880 --> 00:22:08,800
Speaker 2: like a significantly better version of Julius Randall, a better shooter,

442
00:22:09,119 --> 00:22:12,639
Speaker 2: a better matchup attacker, a better defensive player, better attitude,

443
00:22:12,680 --> 00:22:15,320
Speaker 2: better leader, better all of that stuff, right, And you

444
00:22:15,320 --> 00:22:18,120
Speaker 2: can imagine, obviously, with Mitchell Robinson being back like this

445
00:22:18,520 --> 00:22:22,320
Speaker 2: incredibly physically imposing frontline of ogn and ob Lebron, James

446
00:22:22,320 --> 00:22:25,240
Speaker 2: and Mitchell Robinson alongside an excellent point of attack defender

447
00:22:25,280 --> 00:22:28,640
Speaker 2: in Dante DiVincenzo and Jalen Brunson, And specifically the Jalen

448
00:22:28,680 --> 00:22:30,959
Speaker 2: Brunson fit kind of reminds me of the Kyrie Irving

449
00:22:31,000 --> 00:22:34,800
Speaker 2: fit with the Cavaliers in the sense that like he's

450
00:22:34,840 --> 00:22:38,000
Speaker 2: more of like an individual shot creator on an island

451
00:22:38,240 --> 00:22:41,080
Speaker 2: who also is capable of passing. But Jalen is a

452
00:22:41,119 --> 00:22:44,080
Speaker 2: guy that like picks on matchups primarily looking to score.

453
00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:47,440
Speaker 2: And I think that that compliments Lebron really really well.

454
00:22:47,440 --> 00:22:51,120
Speaker 2: And again, like you can just imagine Lebron potentially enjoying

455
00:22:51,359 --> 00:22:54,560
Speaker 2: being at Madison Square Garden, enjoying the history, enjoying playing

456
00:22:54,600 --> 00:22:57,680
Speaker 2: for the celebrity in front of the celebrities, enjoying, you know,

457
00:22:57,720 --> 00:23:01,640
Speaker 2: trying to add another chapter or to his legacy in

458
00:23:01,720 --> 00:23:03,800
Speaker 2: reviving the New York Knicks, although they've already kind of

459
00:23:03,800 --> 00:23:06,800
Speaker 2: started that revival, right, But like of all of the

460
00:23:07,320 --> 00:23:09,199
Speaker 2: teams out there, there are a lot of options that

461
00:23:09,280 --> 00:23:10,919
Speaker 2: make sense. But I thought the New York Knicks had

462
00:23:10,960 --> 00:23:13,960
Speaker 2: that best balance of like he would get the majority

463
00:23:14,000 --> 00:23:15,800
Speaker 2: of the credit, and you know how much that matters

464
00:23:15,840 --> 00:23:19,640
Speaker 2: to Lebron, the history of the franchise, the actual proximity

465
00:23:19,680 --> 00:23:22,600
Speaker 2: to championship contention. It just makes a lot of sense

466
00:23:23,680 --> 00:23:27,119
Speaker 2: on that front. All right, let's move on to the

467
00:23:27,280 --> 00:23:29,760
Speaker 2: mail bang. First question, what do you think is up

468
00:23:29,760 --> 00:23:31,600
Speaker 2: with Jamal Murray? I figured he would be a good

469
00:23:31,600 --> 00:23:34,640
Speaker 2: candidate to get his first All Star non but does

470
00:23:34,680 --> 00:23:37,119
Speaker 2: not look likely this year unless there are injuries or

471
00:23:37,160 --> 00:23:40,680
Speaker 2: some other factor. Clearly, he's a great player and with

472
00:23:40,760 --> 00:23:43,840
Speaker 2: great physical tools and skill set who tends to rise

473
00:23:43,880 --> 00:23:45,879
Speaker 2: to the occasion. But to me, he seems like he

474
00:23:45,960 --> 00:23:49,280
Speaker 2: just plays to the level of the competition and the moment.

475
00:23:49,680 --> 00:23:51,880
Speaker 2: So a couple of things I think. For I think

476
00:23:51,920 --> 00:23:53,840
Speaker 2: it's important to acknowledge that Denver has a lot of

477
00:23:53,840 --> 00:23:57,320
Speaker 2: offensive talent. So like Contavio's Collo Pope is a guy

478
00:23:57,320 --> 00:23:59,760
Speaker 2: who can easily go for twenty in a night, right

479
00:24:00,119 --> 00:24:02,720
Speaker 2: like He's he can hit jump shots coming off of screens.

480
00:24:02,720 --> 00:24:06,159
Speaker 2: He's a great transition scorer, spot up shooter, that kind

481
00:24:06,200 --> 00:24:07,800
Speaker 2: of thing. Michael Porter Junior is a guy you can

482
00:24:07,880 --> 00:24:10,399
Speaker 2: go for thirty on any given night. Aaron Gordon is

483
00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:12,280
Speaker 2: a guy that, like I mean, we've seen him literally

484
00:24:12,320 --> 00:24:15,600
Speaker 2: in the NBA Finals spam post ups as he goes

485
00:24:15,640 --> 00:24:17,119
Speaker 2: to work. He's a guy that's got a lot of

486
00:24:17,119 --> 00:24:20,159
Speaker 2: offensive talent, especially combined with his athleticism. And so I

487
00:24:20,160 --> 00:24:22,399
Speaker 2: think a lot of times in the regular season on

488
00:24:22,440 --> 00:24:24,240
Speaker 2: the night and night out stuff. You see this with

489
00:24:24,320 --> 00:24:26,520
Speaker 2: Jokic too, where it's like there are nights where like

490
00:24:26,560 --> 00:24:29,320
Speaker 2: Jamal and and Nikola just don't really have to be aggressive.

491
00:24:29,359 --> 00:24:31,439
Speaker 2: They don't have to because of the way the regular

492
00:24:31,440 --> 00:24:34,240
Speaker 2: season pans out. And then what we've seen consistently is

493
00:24:34,280 --> 00:24:37,520
Speaker 2: anytime there's some sort of significant challenge in front of them,

494
00:24:37,840 --> 00:24:40,600
Speaker 2: especially when you see Michael Porter start to misshots, you

495
00:24:40,600 --> 00:24:43,440
Speaker 2: see KCP start to misshots, see Aaron Gordon getting left open,

496
00:24:43,480 --> 00:24:45,679
Speaker 2: and all that stuff. Every single time we've seen that,

497
00:24:45,960 --> 00:24:47,959
Speaker 2: Jamal and Nikola, Jokich the kind of just have this

498
00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:49,840
Speaker 2: moment where they're like, hey, it's time for us to

499
00:24:49,880 --> 00:24:53,200
Speaker 2: take over, and they do. And again, like I understand

500
00:24:53,640 --> 00:24:55,639
Speaker 2: that there's some frustration on that front as it pertains

501
00:24:55,680 --> 00:24:58,280
Speaker 2: to the awards and the fact that Jamal Murray deserves

502
00:24:58,280 --> 00:25:01,080
Speaker 2: more recognition as a player in this league than what

503
00:25:01,240 --> 00:25:05,639
Speaker 2: his accolades would suggest. Right, But if you had to

504
00:25:05,720 --> 00:25:07,720
Speaker 2: choose between a guy who had all the accolades but

505
00:25:07,760 --> 00:25:10,000
Speaker 2: couldn't rise to the occasion, or a guy that didn't

506
00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:11,879
Speaker 2: have the accolades but the guy that you trusted to

507
00:25:11,960 --> 00:25:14,840
Speaker 2: rise to the occasion, which guy would you take? Obviously

508
00:25:14,880 --> 00:25:18,119
Speaker 2: the second one. I am happy for Nuggets fans that

509
00:25:18,119 --> 00:25:19,720
Speaker 2: they get to root for a guy like Jamal Murray.

510
00:25:19,760 --> 00:25:22,760
Speaker 2: I think he's the perfect co star for Nikola Jokic.

511
00:25:23,040 --> 00:25:26,200
Speaker 2: Next question, do you think Torrian Prince is being given

512
00:25:26,240 --> 00:25:28,639
Speaker 2: so much playing time to juice his trade stock. I

513
00:25:28,680 --> 00:25:30,760
Speaker 2: know his contract isn't as big as a d LO,

514
00:25:31,240 --> 00:25:33,879
Speaker 2: but alongside someone else he could make a desirable offer.

515
00:25:34,160 --> 00:25:35,960
Speaker 2: Van Do and Ruey are the playoff wings, but they've

516
00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:38,080
Speaker 2: had injuries this season. Maybe Ham is thinking of it

517
00:25:38,119 --> 00:25:41,439
Speaker 2: in a load management sort of way. So the digging

518
00:25:41,440 --> 00:25:45,159
Speaker 2: I've done behind the scenes would lead me to believe

519
00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:49,520
Speaker 2: that the Lakers are primarily prioritizing Torrian Prince because of

520
00:25:49,560 --> 00:25:54,360
Speaker 2: his shooting just a simple, a simple concept of spacing.

521
00:25:54,359 --> 00:25:56,199
Speaker 2: He shoots thirty nine percent from three, and I think

522
00:25:56,200 --> 00:25:58,439
Speaker 2: they're just kind of keeping it at that level. But

523
00:25:58,880 --> 00:26:01,879
Speaker 2: there's no legitimate basketball reason for Torrian Prince to be

524
00:26:01,920 --> 00:26:05,040
Speaker 2: starting at the three. Historically in the NBA, he's been

525
00:26:05,040 --> 00:26:07,040
Speaker 2: a bench player. I mentioned this stat the other day.

526
00:26:07,240 --> 00:26:11,040
Speaker 2: Torrian Prince has started more than twice as many games

527
00:26:12,800 --> 00:26:16,320
Speaker 2: this season as he has in the previous three seasons combined.

528
00:26:17,160 --> 00:26:21,000
Speaker 2: He's a bench wing, perfectly fine bench wing, but he's

529
00:26:21,040 --> 00:26:23,280
Speaker 2: being asked to do more than he's capable of. Right now.

530
00:26:24,040 --> 00:26:26,840
Speaker 2: I was doing lineup data stuff for the Cleveland Cavaliers

531
00:26:26,880 --> 00:26:29,639
Speaker 2: video that I'm doing later today with Carter Rodriguez, and

532
00:26:29,800 --> 00:26:32,560
Speaker 2: I found this gem for you guys. There are twenty

533
00:26:32,640 --> 00:26:34,520
Speaker 2: two to five man lineups in the NBA that have

534
00:26:34,520 --> 00:26:37,639
Speaker 2: played at least two hundred minutes this year. The D'Angelo Russell,

535
00:26:37,680 --> 00:26:42,000
Speaker 2: Austin Reeves, Torrian Prince, Lebron James Anthony Davis lineup is

536
00:26:42,040 --> 00:26:44,280
Speaker 2: being outscored by four and a half points per one

537
00:26:44,320 --> 00:26:48,199
Speaker 2: hundred possessions, which is the second worst mark in that

538
00:26:48,440 --> 00:26:52,080
Speaker 2: entire list. Literally twenty first out of twenty two teams.

539
00:26:52,080 --> 00:26:55,520
Speaker 2: So like, there is an extensive bit of evidence that

540
00:26:55,520 --> 00:26:59,080
Speaker 2: that lineup does not work for everything Darvin Ham is

541
00:26:59,080 --> 00:27:01,760
Speaker 2: focusing on on the spacing side of things. It is

542
00:27:01,800 --> 00:27:05,040
Speaker 2: a basic misunderstanding of the way the modern NBA works.

543
00:27:05,320 --> 00:27:07,880
Speaker 2: In the modern NBA, there is a ton of perimeter

544
00:27:08,080 --> 00:27:10,840
Speaker 2: speed and athleticism, and teams are trying to drive and

545
00:27:10,920 --> 00:27:13,520
Speaker 2: kick you to death once they get into rotation, whether

546
00:27:13,520 --> 00:27:15,400
Speaker 2: it's through the post or whether it's through pick and roll.

547
00:27:15,600 --> 00:27:19,240
Speaker 2: You need perimeter speed, you need perimeter strength. And the

548
00:27:19,320 --> 00:27:22,359
Speaker 2: Lakers have perimeter speed and strength in the form of

549
00:27:22,400 --> 00:27:24,639
Speaker 2: Jared Vanderbilt in the form of Max Christy, right Like.

550
00:27:24,680 --> 00:27:27,000
Speaker 2: They have guys that can do that sort of thing

551
00:27:27,000 --> 00:27:29,440
Speaker 2: they need more Like, I'm a big believer that even

552
00:27:29,480 --> 00:27:32,520
Speaker 2: the Jared Vanderbilt in the starting lineup situation has some

553
00:27:32,600 --> 00:27:35,120
Speaker 2: playoff limitations, And that's why I think a trade needs

554
00:27:35,160 --> 00:27:37,240
Speaker 2: to be made, And that's why I'm kind of withholding

555
00:27:37,240 --> 00:27:40,399
Speaker 2: any sort of big picture evaluation of the Lakers until

556
00:27:40,400 --> 00:27:43,560
Speaker 2: that point. But the bottom line is that three man

557
00:27:43,600 --> 00:27:46,520
Speaker 2: grouping with Tory and at the three very clearly is

558
00:27:46,600 --> 00:27:49,400
Speaker 2: not good enough. They can't defend, they can't rebound. It's

559
00:27:49,440 --> 00:27:51,679
Speaker 2: a huge problem They're bad on offense. They're bat on defense,

560
00:27:51,720 --> 00:27:54,840
Speaker 2: a bat on the glass. It's like even even the

561
00:27:55,000 --> 00:27:58,960
Speaker 2: spacing concepts that the Lakers are envisioning with toryn prints

562
00:27:59,000 --> 00:28:02,320
Speaker 2: at the three are not coming to fruition. The offense

563
00:28:02,400 --> 00:28:04,879
Speaker 2: is not good with that five man grouping, and it

564
00:28:04,920 --> 00:28:07,760
Speaker 2: has nothing to do with Torrian making shots. Torrian Prince

565
00:28:07,800 --> 00:28:09,719
Speaker 2: has had ten games this year where he's made at

566
00:28:09,760 --> 00:28:13,440
Speaker 2: least four threes. The Lakers lost his minutes in six

567
00:28:13,520 --> 00:28:17,520
Speaker 2: of those ten games. They're minus twenty in those ten games,

568
00:28:17,600 --> 00:28:21,240
Speaker 2: so in Torrian's minutes in those ten games. So even

569
00:28:21,280 --> 00:28:23,720
Speaker 2: when Torrean's got the three point shot going, it's not

570
00:28:23,840 --> 00:28:28,840
Speaker 2: helping them. It is legitimately one of the most con like.

571
00:28:29,640 --> 00:28:33,000
Speaker 2: It is legitimately one of the worst consistent coaching decisions

572
00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:36,320
Speaker 2: I've seen made in a very long time. There are

573
00:28:36,480 --> 00:28:39,920
Speaker 2: better basketball players than Torrian Prince on the roster right now,

574
00:28:40,040 --> 00:28:42,160
Speaker 2: even if we acknowledge the Lakers need to make a trade,

575
00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:46,600
Speaker 2: and Darvinham is deliberately handicapping the team by starting every

576
00:28:46,600 --> 00:28:50,200
Speaker 2: single game in half with a lineup that is doomed

577
00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:53,920
Speaker 2: to fail. And I don't really know what else to say.

578
00:28:54,680 --> 00:28:56,840
Speaker 2: This is a consensus around the league, not just with

579
00:28:56,920 --> 00:28:59,440
Speaker 2: Lakers fans, but with non Lakers fans. All of the

580
00:28:59,520 --> 00:29:03,360
Speaker 2: data clearly demonstrates this, and Darvin ham is either completely

581
00:29:03,360 --> 00:29:07,440
Speaker 2: oblivious to it or he just doesn't care. And it's

582
00:29:07,680 --> 00:29:12,000
Speaker 2: it's it's truly confounding to me. Next question as a

583
00:29:12,040 --> 00:29:14,720
Speaker 2: Dubs fan, aunt Man versus say Gil justs Alexander looks

584
00:29:14,720 --> 00:29:16,800
Speaker 2: and feels like the new version of MJ versus Reggie.

585
00:29:16,840 --> 00:29:19,240
Speaker 2: Both are great in their own way at the guard spot,

586
00:29:19,280 --> 00:29:21,440
Speaker 2: and both are absolutely insane. I one hundred percent agree.

587
00:29:21,480 --> 00:29:23,840
Speaker 2: I was actually thinking about this this morning, like they're

588
00:29:23,880 --> 00:29:28,800
Speaker 2: so different, Like Ant is this incredible athlete who plays

589
00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:31,920
Speaker 2: with a ton of power and verticality, while Shay is

590
00:29:31,960 --> 00:29:35,920
Speaker 2: like this thinner, longer player who brings physicality to the position,

591
00:29:35,960 --> 00:29:38,640
Speaker 2: but it's much more finesse and skill oriented. And so

592
00:29:38,800 --> 00:29:40,680
Speaker 2: it's one of my favorite things about the game of basketball.

593
00:29:40,840 --> 00:29:43,560
Speaker 2: Two guys that basically play the same position, that are

594
00:29:43,560 --> 00:29:47,280
Speaker 2: basically even the same height, but that just play fundamentally

595
00:29:47,320 --> 00:29:50,880
Speaker 2: different brands of basketball. I think you guys know me,

596
00:29:51,040 --> 00:29:52,680
Speaker 2: you guys know the way that I see the game.

597
00:29:53,200 --> 00:29:55,920
Speaker 2: I am always gonna lean more towards that strength and

598
00:29:56,000 --> 00:29:58,760
Speaker 2: power and so like, even though Sga may or may

599
00:29:58,760 --> 00:30:01,280
Speaker 2: not be a better player right now, I think when

600
00:30:01,320 --> 00:30:03,480
Speaker 2: we fast forward five years, it's far more likely that

601
00:30:03,560 --> 00:30:06,600
Speaker 2: Anthony Edwards is a more impactful playoff player because he

602
00:30:06,680 --> 00:30:09,800
Speaker 2: brings that two way element. Not that Shay's not a

603
00:30:09,800 --> 00:30:12,840
Speaker 2: good defender, but it's just a better defensive player, and

604
00:30:12,880 --> 00:30:14,880
Speaker 2: he just has that strength and power element that he

605
00:30:14,920 --> 00:30:18,840
Speaker 2: can inflict on the game. Next question, Chet has been

606
00:30:18,840 --> 00:30:21,080
Speaker 2: so confusing to me on offense. When he's wide open

607
00:30:21,120 --> 00:30:23,120
Speaker 2: for three he's been pump faking and looking to drive,

608
00:30:23,440 --> 00:30:25,360
Speaker 2: but when he takes contested ones in the heat of

609
00:30:25,400 --> 00:30:27,320
Speaker 2: the game, he tends to hit them. Seems like as

610
00:30:27,400 --> 00:30:29,240
Speaker 2: much as he still has to develop, he is also

611
00:30:29,280 --> 00:30:30,640
Speaker 2: in his head a bit right now. Would love to

612
00:30:30,640 --> 00:30:32,800
Speaker 2: see him just take these open ones. So I've noticed

613
00:30:32,800 --> 00:30:36,080
Speaker 2: this as well, and it's a classic young player thing.

614
00:30:36,240 --> 00:30:40,160
Speaker 2: Young players are have a lot harder time seeing the

615
00:30:40,160 --> 00:30:42,120
Speaker 2: forest for the trees. I know this because I was

616
00:30:42,120 --> 00:30:45,240
Speaker 2: a young player once, obviously, and like what I talk

617
00:30:45,280 --> 00:30:47,640
Speaker 2: about this concept all the time. Young players struggle to

618
00:30:47,720 --> 00:30:50,600
Speaker 2: identify what works and keep doing it, and they struggle

619
00:30:50,640 --> 00:30:53,760
Speaker 2: to identify what's not working and stop doing it. It's

620
00:30:53,800 --> 00:30:56,000
Speaker 2: a it's they have a hard time seeing the bigger

621
00:30:56,040 --> 00:30:59,360
Speaker 2: picture of basketball, and so the reason why he hits

622
00:30:59,360 --> 00:31:01,920
Speaker 2: the contested one seemingly a big part of that is

623
00:31:01,920 --> 00:31:03,360
Speaker 2: you just don't have much time to think about it.

624
00:31:03,360 --> 00:31:05,640
Speaker 2: If it's a late clock situation and the ball ends

625
00:31:05,720 --> 00:31:07,400
Speaker 2: up in your hands and a catch and shoot five

626
00:31:07,400 --> 00:31:10,280
Speaker 2: on the shot clock that's relatively contested, but it's like

627
00:31:10,320 --> 00:31:12,400
Speaker 2: the best shot your team can get on that possession.

628
00:31:12,680 --> 00:31:14,680
Speaker 2: You just rise and fire. You don't think about it,

629
00:31:14,680 --> 00:31:16,920
Speaker 2: and it can be the open ones that get in

630
00:31:16,960 --> 00:31:18,600
Speaker 2: your head a little bit. But the bottom line is

631
00:31:18,600 --> 00:31:21,920
Speaker 2: is like it would be really bizarre if we saw

632
00:31:21,960 --> 00:31:25,160
Speaker 2: a kid his age that just was consistently great on

633
00:31:25,200 --> 00:31:27,680
Speaker 2: a night and night out basis, month and month out basis.

634
00:31:27,680 --> 00:31:29,480
Speaker 2: This is part of the growing pains of being a

635
00:31:29,520 --> 00:31:34,200
Speaker 2: young basketball player. Next question, mail bag, love the show,

636
00:31:34,560 --> 00:31:36,680
Speaker 2: where's your Rookie of the year so far? Or who's

637
00:31:36,680 --> 00:31:38,240
Speaker 2: your rookie of the year so far the season? I'm

638
00:31:38,240 --> 00:31:41,600
Speaker 2: a Spurs fan, so obviously I think Victor is your thoughts,

639
00:31:41,920 --> 00:31:44,440
Speaker 2: so I agree it's Victor. A couple of different reasons

640
00:31:44,480 --> 00:31:47,680
Speaker 2: for that, Like Chet's role with a thunder is very different.

641
00:31:48,120 --> 00:31:50,239
Speaker 2: He's playing on a great team and getting set up

642
00:31:50,240 --> 00:31:53,040
Speaker 2: with great opportunities as he's playing alongside great ball handlers.

643
00:31:53,560 --> 00:31:56,320
Speaker 2: And that's not to say that Chet's not playing really well.

644
00:31:56,320 --> 00:31:57,920
Speaker 2: Of course he is, and I'm a huge believer in

645
00:31:58,000 --> 00:32:00,280
Speaker 2: Chet in the big picture. But Victor is playing on

646
00:32:00,280 --> 00:32:01,680
Speaker 2: a team with some of the worst ball handling you'll

647
00:32:01,720 --> 00:32:04,280
Speaker 2: ever see. And the bottom line is, I just think

648
00:32:04,360 --> 00:32:06,040
Speaker 2: I just think Victor is a little bit better as

649
00:32:06,040 --> 00:32:08,560
Speaker 2: a basketball player, and I think you're showing that. The

650
00:32:08,560 --> 00:32:12,800
Speaker 2: most encouraging trend so far this season for the for

651
00:32:12,920 --> 00:32:15,440
Speaker 2: Victor is the uptick in his efficiency. In his first

652
00:32:15,440 --> 00:32:18,280
Speaker 2: twenty one games this year, he only shot forty three

653
00:32:18,320 --> 00:32:20,760
Speaker 2: percent from the field, and as a team they went

654
00:32:20,800 --> 00:32:23,920
Speaker 2: three to eighteen. In their last twenty games, Victor is

655
00:32:23,960 --> 00:32:26,440
Speaker 2: averaging twenty two points and ten rebounds and four assists,

656
00:32:26,640 --> 00:32:29,800
Speaker 2: fifty percent from the field thirty five percent from three

657
00:32:30,000 --> 00:32:33,200
Speaker 2: sixty percent true shooting, and they're seven and thirteen. They're

658
00:32:33,240 --> 00:32:35,640
Speaker 2: actually just a shade under five hundred. So you're just

659
00:32:35,680 --> 00:32:38,920
Speaker 2: seeing really good progress on that front. Also, there just

660
00:32:38,960 --> 00:32:41,200
Speaker 2: aren't that many rookies in NBA history that walk in

661
00:32:41,240 --> 00:32:43,720
Speaker 2: and average twenty points a game. I think that's significant

662
00:32:43,920 --> 00:32:45,600
Speaker 2: I think he's easily the rookie of the year at

663
00:32:45,600 --> 00:32:50,040
Speaker 2: this point. Do you have a favorite move, slash, counter move,

664
00:32:50,080 --> 00:32:55,080
Speaker 2: combo from a specific player? So, I have a lot

665
00:32:55,080 --> 00:32:57,480
Speaker 2: of just like any basketball player, I have a lot

666
00:32:57,520 --> 00:33:00,120
Speaker 2: of specific like moves and combos that I've picked up

667
00:33:00,160 --> 00:33:03,360
Speaker 2: from people. There's a like, I have a lot of

668
00:33:03,360 --> 00:33:06,000
Speaker 2: my in and out step backs or I stole from

669
00:33:06,080 --> 00:33:08,920
Speaker 2: Damian Lillard. A lot of the footwork that I use

670
00:33:09,160 --> 00:33:12,680
Speaker 2: on step back three's comes from James Harden. A lot

671
00:33:12,720 --> 00:33:16,800
Speaker 2: of the like off the dribble, like combination stuff into

672
00:33:16,840 --> 00:33:19,400
Speaker 2: pull up jump shots I've I've stolen from Paul George.

673
00:33:19,840 --> 00:33:22,320
Speaker 2: But the biggest one that I would say my favorite

674
00:33:23,240 --> 00:33:26,160
Speaker 2: is because my my biggest asset as a basketball player

675
00:33:26,240 --> 00:33:28,080
Speaker 2: is my size and strength. I weighed two hundred and

676
00:33:28,080 --> 00:33:29,720
Speaker 2: twenty five two hundred and thirty pounds depending on the

677
00:33:29,800 --> 00:33:31,800
Speaker 2: depending on how much vacation I've been on lately and

678
00:33:31,800 --> 00:33:34,040
Speaker 2: how much I've been eating and drinking, but I weigh

679
00:33:34,040 --> 00:33:35,520
Speaker 2: a lot of I weigh a lot. I have long

680
00:33:35,640 --> 00:33:39,800
Speaker 2: arms and I'm about six six, so uh, with that

681
00:33:39,880 --> 00:33:42,480
Speaker 2: being the case, Like I play like a power back

682
00:33:42,480 --> 00:33:44,640
Speaker 2: to the basket game against smaller guards when they try

683
00:33:44,640 --> 00:33:46,920
Speaker 2: to guard me on the perimeter, and so the big

684
00:33:46,960 --> 00:33:49,760
Speaker 2: one for me has been this. This is actually something

685
00:33:49,800 --> 00:33:52,400
Speaker 2: I built out over COVID because it was not a

686
00:33:52,400 --> 00:33:54,640
Speaker 2: part of my game when I was younger. But like

687
00:33:55,040 --> 00:33:58,400
Speaker 2: basically just a back to the basket combination of right

688
00:33:58,440 --> 00:34:00,760
Speaker 2: to left shoulder fades. So I have a drill that

689
00:34:00,840 --> 00:34:04,200
Speaker 2: I do every single day, and I basically start on

690
00:34:04,240 --> 00:34:06,520
Speaker 2: the left block, spin the ball out to myself, and

691
00:34:06,560 --> 00:34:08,400
Speaker 2: I shoot a left shoulder fade and I shoot a

692
00:34:08,480 --> 00:34:10,319
Speaker 2: right shoulder faith. Then I go to the opposite block

693
00:34:10,360 --> 00:34:12,240
Speaker 2: and I shoot a left shoulder fad and I shoot

694
00:34:12,239 --> 00:34:14,120
Speaker 2: a right shoulder fade, and I keep going until I

695
00:34:14,160 --> 00:34:16,480
Speaker 2: make them, and then I go through that cycle four

696
00:34:16,480 --> 00:34:20,120
Speaker 2: to five times, so I make twenty total turnaround fade aways,

697
00:34:20,200 --> 00:34:24,400
Speaker 2: ten over each shoulder, and I say kawhi because like

698
00:34:24,440 --> 00:34:27,279
Speaker 2: I steal like the contact oriented element of it. Like

699
00:34:27,280 --> 00:34:29,520
Speaker 2: a lot of people take tough fade away shots that

700
00:34:29,560 --> 00:34:32,399
Speaker 2: are more athleticism oriented, where they're like covering a ton

701
00:34:32,440 --> 00:34:34,880
Speaker 2: of ground and jumping really high. Mine's more of like

702
00:34:34,920 --> 00:34:37,440
Speaker 2: a I'm hitting you with my shoulder and I'm trying

703
00:34:37,440 --> 00:34:39,680
Speaker 2: to create space so I can spin into it and

704
00:34:39,760 --> 00:34:41,920
Speaker 2: more or less go straight up and down, and like

705
00:34:42,239 --> 00:34:43,880
Speaker 2: that ended up being huge for me because when I

706
00:34:43,920 --> 00:34:48,320
Speaker 2: was younger, I was a lot of off the dribble

707
00:34:48,320 --> 00:34:51,759
Speaker 2: stuff from the perimeter, especially pull up threes and trying

708
00:34:51,800 --> 00:34:53,279
Speaker 2: to slash off of that. I played a lot like

709
00:34:53,440 --> 00:34:55,440
Speaker 2: more like Paul George at that phase in my career

710
00:34:55,640 --> 00:34:58,040
Speaker 2: or my basketball life, i should say, because obviously I'm

711
00:34:58,040 --> 00:35:01,680
Speaker 2: not a pro, but like the what ended up happening

712
00:35:01,760 --> 00:35:03,439
Speaker 2: is a lot of the teams and players in town

713
00:35:03,440 --> 00:35:06,800
Speaker 2: would start sticking smaller, quicker guards on me to press

714
00:35:06,880 --> 00:35:09,480
Speaker 2: up and test my handle in quickness, and so it

715
00:35:09,560 --> 00:35:11,320
Speaker 2: was important for me to build out a back to

716
00:35:11,360 --> 00:35:13,560
Speaker 2: the basket game to counter that. And now it's like

717
00:35:13,800 --> 00:35:15,600
Speaker 2: no team will put a small guard on me because

718
00:35:15,600 --> 00:35:17,479
Speaker 2: I'll just take them down to the post every single time.

719
00:35:17,520 --> 00:35:21,600
Speaker 2: And so that's been definitely my favorite move. Counter move

720
00:35:21,640 --> 00:35:24,200
Speaker 2: combo is like I'm hitting you with that shoulder, and

721
00:35:24,280 --> 00:35:26,920
Speaker 2: if you're overplaying the right side, I'm spinning off into

722
00:35:27,000 --> 00:35:29,480
Speaker 2: that left shoulder fade. If you're playing me straight up,

723
00:35:29,480 --> 00:35:32,040
Speaker 2: I'm spinning into that right shoulder fade. And then obviously

724
00:35:32,400 --> 00:35:35,680
Speaker 2: important caveat, I do not think I'm a professional basketball

725
00:35:35,680 --> 00:35:38,160
Speaker 2: player in the NBA. This is just simply talking the

726
00:35:38,160 --> 00:35:39,680
Speaker 2: game because I love the game, and I still play

727
00:35:39,680 --> 00:35:42,080
Speaker 2: the game, and I still love playing the game, all right,

728
00:35:42,160 --> 00:35:44,680
Speaker 2: next question, I'm a football fan through and through first,

729
00:35:44,960 --> 00:35:47,600
Speaker 2: but I've been watching basketball a lot more and thoroughly

730
00:35:47,680 --> 00:35:50,479
Speaker 2: enjoying it as I learn more, as I learned about

731
00:35:50,480 --> 00:35:52,799
Speaker 2: the more techno parts. With this in mind, we've seen

732
00:35:52,800 --> 00:35:54,480
Speaker 2: the Celtics team be one of the best teams for

733
00:35:54,520 --> 00:35:56,839
Speaker 2: the last three years now, and with those three years

734
00:35:56,920 --> 00:35:59,760
Speaker 2: not resulting in a single championship. I understand a championship

735
00:35:59,760 --> 00:36:01,560
Speaker 2: is hard to get, but if I compare it to football,

736
00:36:01,600 --> 00:36:03,719
Speaker 2: it's like the Ravens versus the Chiefs number one seed

737
00:36:03,760 --> 00:36:05,840
Speaker 2: but can never punch it in. Is there a point

738
00:36:05,880 --> 00:36:07,560
Speaker 2: in being such a good team if you've never won

739
00:36:07,600 --> 00:36:10,319
Speaker 2: anything from it? And can you eventually write a team

740
00:36:10,360 --> 00:36:13,239
Speaker 2: off if they can't punch it in the postseason? So,

741
00:36:13,280 --> 00:36:17,400
Speaker 2: first of all, football and basketball fundamentally different in the

742
00:36:17,400 --> 00:36:20,200
Speaker 2: way that like a quarterback, a quarterback can impact winning

743
00:36:20,280 --> 00:36:22,680
Speaker 2: right like Aaron Rodgers, in my opinion, is the second

744
00:36:22,719 --> 00:36:25,719
Speaker 2: best quarterback of that era that Tom Brady era, right,

745
00:36:26,239 --> 00:36:29,360
Speaker 2: and he just didn't have nearly as much playoff success

746
00:36:29,440 --> 00:36:32,120
Speaker 2: because of all the different moving parts in an eleven

747
00:36:32,160 --> 00:36:35,440
Speaker 2: man unit on offense, in an eleven unit on defense. Right,

748
00:36:35,520 --> 00:36:37,840
Speaker 2: Like we've even seen Patrick Mahomes. It's like, oh, you

749
00:36:37,840 --> 00:36:40,160
Speaker 2: have a couple of injuries on your offensive line. Now

750
00:36:40,200 --> 00:36:43,080
Speaker 2: you're running for your life, and a Tampa Bay Buccaneers

751
00:36:43,080 --> 00:36:45,960
Speaker 2: team with a pretty limited version of Tom Brady beats you, right, Like,

752
00:36:46,040 --> 00:36:48,960
Speaker 2: we've seen how that can happen. So basketball is more

753
00:36:49,400 --> 00:36:53,800
Speaker 2: more a sport where the best player can impact the outcome.

754
00:36:54,560 --> 00:36:57,560
Speaker 2: And you know, as much as like, as much as

755
00:36:57,560 --> 00:36:59,520
Speaker 2: I have frustrations with the Celtics, the reason why I

756
00:36:59,520 --> 00:37:01,879
Speaker 2: could never be done with them is Tatum is still

757
00:37:01,880 --> 00:37:05,760
Speaker 2: relatively young. Like most of these guys don't really figure

758
00:37:05,800 --> 00:37:08,000
Speaker 2: it out on the biggest stages until they're twenty seven

759
00:37:08,000 --> 00:37:10,560
Speaker 2: to twenty eight years old. You know, every once in

760
00:37:10,600 --> 00:37:12,759
Speaker 2: a while, you'll get a guy like a Yoki, you'll

761
00:37:12,760 --> 00:37:15,000
Speaker 2: get it at twenty six, but it's like, for the

762
00:37:15,040 --> 00:37:17,239
Speaker 2: most part, it's that twenty six, twenty seven, twenty eight,

763
00:37:17,239 --> 00:37:18,719
Speaker 2: twenty nine where they start to figure it out. And

764
00:37:18,760 --> 00:37:22,040
Speaker 2: like Tatum's just now entering into that phase of his career.

765
00:37:22,040 --> 00:37:24,080
Speaker 2: And so I think it'd be foolish to punt on

766
00:37:24,120 --> 00:37:26,080
Speaker 2: that core until they at least have a few chances

767
00:37:26,120 --> 00:37:29,239
Speaker 2: with Jason Tatum in the heart of his prime. Next

768
00:37:29,320 --> 00:37:33,200
Speaker 2: question three more. You often talk about the Lakers' ability

769
00:37:33,239 --> 00:37:35,080
Speaker 2: to turn it on in the playoffs, how their size

770
00:37:35,120 --> 00:37:37,520
Speaker 2: and experience will be key in a Wolves or Thunder

771
00:37:37,600 --> 00:37:40,719
Speaker 2: hypothetical matchup. But at one point does a size and

772
00:37:40,800 --> 00:37:43,880
Speaker 2: experience advantage become a disadvantage. At what point do the

773
00:37:43,920 --> 00:37:46,759
Speaker 2: big veteran Lakers become the slow old Lakers and the

774
00:37:46,800 --> 00:37:51,560
Speaker 2: young inexperienced thunder slash Wolves become the youthful, hungry, and

775
00:37:51,640 --> 00:37:55,640
Speaker 2: spry thunder slash Wolves. Eventually, these advantages slash disadvantages are

776
00:37:55,680 --> 00:37:57,560
Speaker 2: going to flip in favor of the younger teams. You

777
00:37:57,600 --> 00:38:00,319
Speaker 2: obviously think that that that won't happen this postseason, But

778
00:38:00,400 --> 00:38:02,759
Speaker 2: if not this season, then went Lebron in forty ad

779
00:38:02,880 --> 00:38:04,399
Speaker 2: is a thirty year old big man with a lot

780
00:38:04,400 --> 00:38:07,400
Speaker 2: of mileage. The same also applies to teams like the Suns,

781
00:38:07,440 --> 00:38:09,799
Speaker 2: Warriors and the Bucks and their younger counterparts the Kings

782
00:38:09,840 --> 00:38:12,279
Speaker 2: the Pelicans in the Magic So, first of all, you

783
00:38:12,320 --> 00:38:14,360
Speaker 2: guys want to hear a fun fact. Did you know

784
00:38:14,480 --> 00:38:17,600
Speaker 2: that the Oklahoma City Thunder have only two players on

785
00:38:17,640 --> 00:38:20,240
Speaker 2: the roster that are thirty years old or or older.

786
00:38:20,719 --> 00:38:23,880
Speaker 2: That is Davis Barton's and Vasila jay Mesiich if I

787
00:38:23,880 --> 00:38:26,879
Speaker 2: remember correctly, guess who else only has two thirty old

788
00:38:26,920 --> 00:38:30,560
Speaker 2: players on the roster The Los Angeles Lakers. Every single

789
00:38:30,600 --> 00:38:33,280
Speaker 2: player on that roster that's not Lebron James and Anthony

790
00:38:33,360 --> 00:38:36,840
Speaker 2: Davis is less than thirty years old, and Anthony Davis

791
00:38:36,920 --> 00:38:39,880
Speaker 2: is only thirty years old. The specific issue for the

792
00:38:39,960 --> 00:38:43,000
Speaker 2: Lakers is they actually have a lot of youth and athleticism.

793
00:38:43,160 --> 00:38:46,320
Speaker 2: Like Ruby Hachimura is an excellent athlete at that power

794
00:38:46,360 --> 00:38:49,440
Speaker 2: forward position. Jared Vanderbilt is an excellent athlete at that

795
00:38:49,880 --> 00:38:53,560
Speaker 2: power forward position. Max Christi camp British are excellent athletes

796
00:38:53,800 --> 00:38:56,640
Speaker 2: at the two guard position, Jackson Hayes is an excellent

797
00:38:56,680 --> 00:38:59,719
Speaker 2: athlete at the center position, and more is just the

798
00:38:59,800 --> 00:39:03,920
Speaker 2: Lakers have this issue where the actual guys that are

799
00:39:03,960 --> 00:39:07,400
Speaker 2: playing for them are not great athletes. Austin Reeves and

800
00:39:07,440 --> 00:39:09,319
Speaker 2: Dangelo Russell at this point kind of have to play

801
00:39:09,360 --> 00:39:12,480
Speaker 2: because of the way the roster is organized. But their

802
00:39:12,520 --> 00:39:16,720
Speaker 2: issue is they play guys like Austin Dilo torn Prints

803
00:39:16,880 --> 00:39:19,919
Speaker 2: massive minutes and they're not great athletes, and so even

804
00:39:19,960 --> 00:39:22,920
Speaker 2: though they're young, they run into athleticism and there's a problem,

805
00:39:22,960 --> 00:39:26,920
Speaker 2: and especially when Lebron James isn't engaged defensively. And I've

806
00:39:26,920 --> 00:39:29,200
Speaker 2: said this many times on the show, but the reality

807
00:39:29,280 --> 00:39:32,040
Speaker 2: is is Lebron's defensive engagement has been the primary culprit

808
00:39:32,040 --> 00:39:34,840
Speaker 2: of the Lakers defensive issues. Like I can't tell you

809
00:39:34,920 --> 00:39:36,960
Speaker 2: how many times I'm watching on tape and I'm like, oh,

810
00:39:37,080 --> 00:39:39,480
Speaker 2: Lebron could have made a play there as the low man,

811
00:39:39,520 --> 00:39:43,400
Speaker 2: and he just chose not to. And so one of

812
00:39:43,440 --> 00:39:46,160
Speaker 2: the big reasons why the Lakers have been so good

813
00:39:46,320 --> 00:39:50,239
Speaker 2: in like big time games on against big time opponents

814
00:39:50,239 --> 00:39:53,200
Speaker 2: and then so bad in other situations is like Lebron

815
00:39:53,320 --> 00:39:57,000
Speaker 2: just engages himself defensively, and suddenly the Lakers look more

816
00:39:57,040 --> 00:39:59,960
Speaker 2: coherent defensively, and that goes a long way. Lakers have

817
00:40:00,040 --> 00:40:01,560
Speaker 2: actually been one of the top ten defenses in the

818
00:40:01,600 --> 00:40:04,319
Speaker 2: league this year against the top ten offenses in the league.

819
00:40:04,320 --> 00:40:07,080
Speaker 2: The Laker defense goes up a level when they play

820
00:40:07,120 --> 00:40:09,960
Speaker 2: better teams. My concern with the Lakers is are they

821
00:40:09,960 --> 00:40:13,359
Speaker 2: going to be able at this deadline to turn one

822
00:40:13,360 --> 00:40:16,719
Speaker 2: of those skill, non athletic players that's at the top

823
00:40:16,800 --> 00:40:19,439
Speaker 2: end of their rotation, swap them out for a more

824
00:40:19,520 --> 00:40:22,000
Speaker 2: athletic version of that type of rotation player, which is

825
00:40:22,000 --> 00:40:25,640
Speaker 2: why I keep going back to players like a Dejante

826
00:40:25,760 --> 00:40:28,160
Speaker 2: Murray or a Bruce Brown. I've also seen, like Royce

827
00:40:28,239 --> 00:40:32,200
Speaker 2: O'Neill doin Finney Smith, potential combinations coming from the Brooklyn Nets.

828
00:40:32,480 --> 00:40:34,440
Speaker 2: If they can find a way to turn their top

829
00:40:34,480 --> 00:40:36,480
Speaker 2: part of their rotation, the guys that aren't Lebron and

830
00:40:36,520 --> 00:40:39,399
Speaker 2: ad but the guys right below that into a more

831
00:40:39,440 --> 00:40:42,760
Speaker 2: athletic group that is also capable of scoring the basketball

832
00:40:42,840 --> 00:40:45,560
Speaker 2: or making shots, that would go a long way towards

833
00:40:45,600 --> 00:40:47,839
Speaker 2: alleviating some of their issues. But yeah, the Lakers have

834
00:40:47,920 --> 00:40:50,080
Speaker 2: a lot of issues. Age isn't one of them. They

835
00:40:50,080 --> 00:40:54,360
Speaker 2: are not an old team. Lebron is old, and that's it.

836
00:40:54,360 --> 00:40:57,200
Speaker 2: It's one hundred percent issue with the guys they play

837
00:40:57,640 --> 00:41:00,719
Speaker 2: are primarily to unathletic, and so they have to find

838
00:41:00,719 --> 00:41:03,120
Speaker 2: a way to balance their rotation so that there's a

839
00:41:03,120 --> 00:41:05,239
Speaker 2: little bit less of the offensive skill and a little

840
00:41:05,280 --> 00:41:07,440
Speaker 2: bit more of the power and force. All Right, two

841
00:41:07,440 --> 00:41:10,879
Speaker 2: more questions. When the Pacers traded for Siakam, I thought

842
00:41:10,920 --> 00:41:12,319
Speaker 2: it was a great move, but I still think they're

843
00:41:12,320 --> 00:41:14,800
Speaker 2: all move away a significant move from being a contender.

844
00:41:15,040 --> 00:41:17,440
Speaker 2: In your opinion, would you trade for McHale Bridges to

845
00:41:17,440 --> 00:41:19,920
Speaker 2: make them a contender. I understand the Pacers would have

846
00:41:19,960 --> 00:41:22,239
Speaker 2: to give up Jarris Walker, their recent lottery pick who

847
00:41:22,239 --> 00:41:23,879
Speaker 2: has a high upside, but I think the move would

848
00:41:23,920 --> 00:41:27,160
Speaker 2: be worth it. A starting lineup of Halle Mathrin, Bridges,

849
00:41:27,200 --> 00:41:29,880
Speaker 2: Siakam Turner could make the Pacers contenders next season. What

850
00:41:29,920 --> 00:41:32,719
Speaker 2: do you think? So I'd remind me if I'm wrong

851
00:41:32,760 --> 00:41:35,000
Speaker 2: about this, But when I reacted to the Siakam trade,

852
00:41:35,000 --> 00:41:37,200
Speaker 2: I think I might have pitched to McHale Bridge's trade.

853
00:41:37,280 --> 00:41:39,120
Speaker 2: I can't quite remember. I don't want to take credit

854
00:41:39,120 --> 00:41:41,799
Speaker 2: forward if I'm wrong, but I vaguely remember saying something

855
00:41:41,800 --> 00:41:44,120
Speaker 2: along those lines. I really like that fit there. That's

856
00:41:44,120 --> 00:41:47,040
Speaker 2: a positional archetype they don't have They've got, you know,

857
00:41:47,120 --> 00:41:50,400
Speaker 2: Aaron NEI Smith is the kind of perimeter oriented forward

858
00:41:50,480 --> 00:41:52,560
Speaker 2: on the team. But the problem with Aaron Nee Smith

859
00:41:52,640 --> 00:41:55,440
Speaker 2: is is just a little bit on the short side.

860
00:41:55,680 --> 00:41:58,799
Speaker 2: I tend to like Aaron Neismith still because I think

861
00:41:58,840 --> 00:42:01,319
Speaker 2: he's kind of in that Rus Brown archetype of like

862
00:42:01,680 --> 00:42:04,760
Speaker 2: kind of lower center of gravity lots of strength, really

863
00:42:04,800 --> 00:42:06,680
Speaker 2: physical at the point of attack, which I find to

864
00:42:06,680 --> 00:42:09,399
Speaker 2: be very valuable, especially in a playoff setting. He also

865
00:42:09,440 --> 00:42:11,560
Speaker 2: can shoot the ball and he can slash off of

866
00:42:11,600 --> 00:42:15,160
Speaker 2: catch and shoot situation. So like I like Aaron E. Smith,

867
00:42:15,200 --> 00:42:17,160
Speaker 2: but there's no doubt that Mikal Bridges would just be

868
00:42:17,200 --> 00:42:20,640
Speaker 2: a much better version of that of that archetype, more length,

869
00:42:21,239 --> 00:42:24,800
Speaker 2: more offensive pop. It's like a legitimate, you know, third

870
00:42:24,880 --> 00:42:27,120
Speaker 2: creator next to Siakam and Albert, and I really like

871
00:42:27,160 --> 00:42:29,839
Speaker 2: that setup. As far as championship contention goes, it's all

872
00:42:29,840 --> 00:42:33,560
Speaker 2: about playoff lumps for me, Like nikol jokicch didn't win

873
00:42:33,600 --> 00:42:36,879
Speaker 2: the title his first run through the playoffs. That dude

874
00:42:36,920 --> 00:42:40,120
Speaker 2: has been in wars. He lost to Anthony Davis, lost

875
00:42:40,120 --> 00:42:42,200
Speaker 2: to the Warriors twice. Like he's been to the playoffs

876
00:42:42,200 --> 00:42:44,799
Speaker 2: a bunch of times. He's been in those wars, right,

877
00:42:45,280 --> 00:42:48,920
Speaker 2: it took lots of loss and building of scar tissue,

878
00:42:48,920 --> 00:42:51,239
Speaker 2: the hatred of losing to get to the point where

879
00:42:51,239 --> 00:42:53,520
Speaker 2: he succeeded in twenty twenty three. And the same goes

880
00:42:53,760 --> 00:42:55,960
Speaker 2: for Giannis. The same goes for every single one of

881
00:42:56,000 --> 00:42:58,480
Speaker 2: these guys. There are lumps along the way. You don't

882
00:42:58,520 --> 00:43:01,680
Speaker 2: just walk into the playoffs and start winning, so regardless

883
00:43:01,719 --> 00:43:03,920
Speaker 2: of what the roster is. And this is a big believer.

884
00:43:04,000 --> 00:43:05,960
Speaker 2: This is why I'm a big believer in getting there

885
00:43:06,040 --> 00:43:08,359
Speaker 2: sooner than later. You want to get him to take

886
00:43:08,400 --> 00:43:12,400
Speaker 2: those lumps a tyre Saliburton meaning. And so I think

887
00:43:12,640 --> 00:43:15,160
Speaker 2: I love that idea, But the idea of them contending

888
00:43:15,239 --> 00:43:17,120
Speaker 2: right away, I would think they would need to take

889
00:43:17,160 --> 00:43:18,920
Speaker 2: a loss or two in the postseason for them to

890
00:43:18,960 --> 00:43:21,799
Speaker 2: actually get to the level of commitment. They would need

891
00:43:21,800 --> 00:43:25,320
Speaker 2: to win the title, all right. Last question, Hey, Jason,

892
00:43:25,320 --> 00:43:27,120
Speaker 2: a quick hypothetical mail back. A lot of people have

893
00:43:27,160 --> 00:43:30,000
Speaker 2: tatum over Lebron and their player rankings. However, I firmly

894
00:43:30,000 --> 00:43:32,160
Speaker 2: believe the Celtics would have won with Lebron in twenty

895
00:43:32,160 --> 00:43:34,040
Speaker 2: twenty two and maybe even in twenty twenty three. What

896
00:43:34,120 --> 00:43:36,640
Speaker 2: are your thoughts on this? So there's a huge difference

897
00:43:37,200 --> 00:43:41,800
Speaker 2: between like ranking players for the entire campaign from training

898
00:43:41,840 --> 00:43:45,560
Speaker 2: camp through the trophy to Okay, we're healthy and we're

899
00:43:45,560 --> 00:43:48,399
Speaker 2: starting a seven game series tomorrow or playoff run tomorrow, right,

900
00:43:48,440 --> 00:43:53,760
Speaker 2: And I actually talked about this in my player rankings

901
00:43:53,760 --> 00:43:56,640
Speaker 2: this last summer, and I actually said in my player rankings,

902
00:43:56,960 --> 00:43:59,840
Speaker 2: I think Lebron is a better playoff player than Jason Tatum,

903
00:44:00,080 --> 00:44:03,040
Speaker 2: and he's healthy. But I think Jason Tatum has a

904
00:44:03,120 --> 00:44:06,160
Speaker 2: much better chance of being healthy when we get there.

905
00:44:06,160 --> 00:44:08,080
Speaker 2: And we actually saw last year Lebron, even though he

906
00:44:08,120 --> 00:44:09,920
Speaker 2: got through the regular season, he got to the playoffs

907
00:44:09,960 --> 00:44:12,759
Speaker 2: and he was hobbled, and so like, I tend to

908
00:44:12,840 --> 00:44:15,720
Speaker 2: agree that I would take Lebron in a playoff setting

909
00:44:15,719 --> 00:44:18,080
Speaker 2: over Jason Tatum. He's just more experienced. He just and

910
00:44:18,200 --> 00:44:21,040
Speaker 2: at this point he's just Lebron's better than he was

911
00:44:21,120 --> 00:44:23,640
Speaker 2: last year. Even but there's no doubt that Jason Tatum

912
00:44:23,680 --> 00:44:25,319
Speaker 2: is a better player for the eighty two just because

913
00:44:25,320 --> 00:44:28,120
Speaker 2: of his youth and his ability to kind of withstand

914
00:44:28,160 --> 00:44:30,200
Speaker 2: the grind of the eighty two game season at this point.

915
00:44:30,920 --> 00:44:33,480
Speaker 2: Have you, guys ever had a bad ticket buying experience.

916
00:44:33,520 --> 00:44:35,279
Speaker 2: Maybe you go to check out and ends up being

917
00:44:35,360 --> 00:44:37,560
Speaker 2: way more expensive than it was when you clicked on it,

918
00:44:37,680 --> 00:44:39,160
Speaker 2: Or maybe you go to your seat and ends up

919
00:44:39,160 --> 00:44:40,920
Speaker 2: being not what you expected when you bought it to

920
00:44:40,920 --> 00:44:43,520
Speaker 2: begin with, or maybe it's just an overly convoluted and

921
00:44:43,560 --> 00:44:46,160
Speaker 2: complicated process. Well, this is where I want to talk

922
00:44:46,160 --> 00:44:49,000
Speaker 2: to you guys about game time. The fastest growing ticketing

923
00:44:49,040 --> 00:44:52,400
Speaker 2: app in the United States. They have all in pricing,

924
00:44:52,440 --> 00:44:54,360
Speaker 2: so you know exactly what your total is going to

925
00:44:54,400 --> 00:44:56,959
Speaker 2: be upfront and you know you're getting a great deal

926
00:44:57,040 --> 00:44:59,480
Speaker 2: before you check out. Also, you get to see the

927
00:44:59,560 --> 00:45:01,880
Speaker 2: view from your seat in the app, so you know

928
00:45:02,000 --> 00:45:04,719
Speaker 2: exactly what you're getting for your money. And it's a

929
00:45:04,760 --> 00:45:08,080
Speaker 2: super easy process. You can buy tickets in seconds with

930
00:45:08,200 --> 00:45:11,440
Speaker 2: two taps. Game Time has deals on tickets right up

931
00:45:11,440 --> 00:45:13,399
Speaker 2: to the start of the event and even an hour

932
00:45:13,480 --> 00:45:16,920
Speaker 2: after it starts. It's the place to find last minute seats.

933
00:45:16,960 --> 00:45:19,799
Speaker 2: You can find exclusive flash deals and sponsored deals on

934
00:45:19,840 --> 00:45:24,200
Speaker 2: tickets for football, basketball, baseball, concerts, comedy theater and more.

935
00:45:24,400 --> 00:45:27,239
Speaker 2: And this is the coolest part. The Game Time guarantee

936
00:45:27,280 --> 00:45:29,920
Speaker 2: means you'll always get the best price. If you find

937
00:45:29,920 --> 00:45:32,719
Speaker 2: tickets in the same section in row for less, game

938
00:45:32,719 --> 00:45:35,839
Speaker 2: Time will credit you one hundred and ten percent of

939
00:45:35,880 --> 00:45:38,080
Speaker 2: the difference. And as great as it is watching these

940
00:45:38,120 --> 00:45:40,919
Speaker 2: games on TV, especially with the NBA heating up here

941
00:45:40,920 --> 00:45:43,279
Speaker 2: on the home stretch, go out and see a game,

942
00:45:43,320 --> 00:45:45,759
Speaker 2: go to c one in person. The NBA is in

943
00:45:45,760 --> 00:45:47,560
Speaker 2: a really great place right now with talent. You got

944
00:45:47,560 --> 00:45:50,200
Speaker 2: to get into the arena to really get the full experience.

945
00:45:50,280 --> 00:45:53,279
Speaker 2: Take the guesswork out of buying tickets with game Time.

946
00:45:53,360 --> 00:45:56,319
Speaker 2: Download the game Time app, create an account and use

947
00:45:56,360 --> 00:45:59,640
Speaker 2: code Hoops for twenty dollars off your first purchase terms

948
00:45:59,680 --> 00:46:03,319
Speaker 2: apply again. Create an account and redeem code Hoops. That's

949
00:46:03,520 --> 00:46:08,239
Speaker 2: Hops for twenty dollars off. Download Game Time today, last

950
00:46:08,239 --> 00:46:12,200
Speaker 2: minute tickets, lowest price guarantee. Well, we have a very

951
00:46:12,320 --> 00:46:15,640
Speaker 2: very special show today. We have Carter Rodriguez from the

952
00:46:15,760 --> 00:46:20,120
Speaker 2: Chase Down podcast, a podcast that covers the Cleveland Cavaliers

953
00:46:20,360 --> 00:46:24,480
Speaker 2: who are absolutely scorching red hot right now. They've won

954
00:46:24,520 --> 00:46:28,320
Speaker 2: fifteen of their last nineteen games, so some impressive wins

955
00:46:28,360 --> 00:46:30,520
Speaker 2: in there. They got a couple wins against the Bucks,

956
00:46:30,520 --> 00:46:33,239
Speaker 2: including that last one. We're like Milwaukee wanted to win

957
00:46:33,280 --> 00:46:35,919
Speaker 2: that game and they and they just couldn't get it done.

958
00:46:35,960 --> 00:46:38,840
Speaker 2: And then they on Monday had a big test against

959
00:46:38,880 --> 00:46:41,920
Speaker 2: another red hot team and the Los Angeles Clippers, and

960
00:46:42,040 --> 00:46:43,719
Speaker 2: a lot of the same stuff that's been working for

961
00:46:43,760 --> 00:46:46,760
Speaker 2: them as of late continued to work and they notched

962
00:46:47,080 --> 00:46:50,239
Speaker 2: yet another impressive win. I'm excited just to dive into

963
00:46:50,280 --> 00:46:53,080
Speaker 2: the weeds on everything that's making this Cavs team a

964
00:46:53,120 --> 00:46:54,880
Speaker 2: function right now and then also, they've got a lot

965
00:46:54,920 --> 00:46:57,600
Speaker 2: of change on the horizon with some important players coming back.

966
00:46:57,640 --> 00:47:00,320
Speaker 2: So Carter's gonna help us get to the bottom of

967
00:47:00,840 --> 00:47:02,200
Speaker 2: all of it. So, Carter, this is where I want

968
00:47:02,200 --> 00:47:06,399
Speaker 2: to start. Can you help explain to our listeners how

969
00:47:06,440 --> 00:47:09,880
Speaker 2: the Calves managed to go up a level after losing

970
00:47:09,960 --> 00:47:12,080
Speaker 2: Darius Garland and Evan Mobley for an extended struck.

971
00:47:12,160 --> 00:47:15,560
Speaker 1: Yeah, so, as you mentioned, they're fifteen and four since

972
00:47:15,600 --> 00:47:18,080
Speaker 1: those injuries were announced. Obviously, one of those wins was

973
00:47:18,120 --> 00:47:20,200
Speaker 1: with Evan Mobley back in the lineup, who came back

974
00:47:20,239 --> 00:47:23,200
Speaker 1: against the Clippers. But yeah, it was starting out as

975
00:47:23,360 --> 00:47:27,200
Speaker 1: frankly a bad vibe season. You know that they have

976
00:47:27,280 --> 00:47:29,759
Speaker 1: this really fun year after trading for Donovan Mitchell last year.

977
00:47:29,760 --> 00:47:32,480
Speaker 1: They win fifty one games their favored against the next

978
00:47:32,520 --> 00:47:35,040
Speaker 1: in the postseason, and then get run off the floor

979
00:47:35,120 --> 00:47:38,640
Speaker 1: in pretty embarrassing fashion, to be honest. You know, they

980
00:47:39,120 --> 00:47:43,319
Speaker 1: got just physically dominated in that series in a way

981
00:47:43,360 --> 00:47:46,680
Speaker 1: that was hard to shake. So they go into the offseason,

982
00:47:47,040 --> 00:47:49,240
Speaker 1: they get all the shooting that we thought they needed.

983
00:47:49,719 --> 00:47:51,560
Speaker 1: You know, you're hearing great stuff out of camp, and

984
00:47:51,600 --> 00:47:54,080
Speaker 1: then it comes out and it's like, oh, this doesn't

985
00:47:54,080 --> 00:47:56,240
Speaker 1: feel good at all. You know, they start four and six,

986
00:47:56,840 --> 00:48:00,640
Speaker 1: you know they're hovering around five hundred. They through sixteen games,

987
00:48:00,680 --> 00:48:02,759
Speaker 1: they're eight and eight, and it's not even a good

988
00:48:02,840 --> 00:48:04,840
Speaker 1: eight and eight. They're like, you know, minus two, minus

989
00:48:04,840 --> 00:48:08,920
Speaker 1: three net rating, and you just start wondering, like, where's

990
00:48:09,120 --> 00:48:10,880
Speaker 1: the Catharsis I was looking for?

991
00:48:11,320 --> 00:48:12,920
Speaker 2: You know, like we were all like.

992
00:48:12,920 --> 00:48:14,799
Speaker 1: Okay, let's just get rid of that next series. And

993
00:48:15,160 --> 00:48:19,040
Speaker 1: it just didn't feel good, like things felt gunky Darius

994
00:48:19,280 --> 00:48:21,480
Speaker 1: Garland and you know the team got hurt right away,

995
00:48:21,600 --> 00:48:24,280
Speaker 1: you know, Jared Allen missed time early on, Darius Garland

996
00:48:24,320 --> 00:48:26,920
Speaker 1: missed time early on, then Donovan missed some time that

997
00:48:27,480 --> 00:48:29,439
Speaker 1: they never were able to get healthy. And even when

998
00:48:29,440 --> 00:48:32,080
Speaker 1: they were healthy, there were a lot of nagging injuries.

999
00:48:32,120 --> 00:48:35,160
Speaker 1: You know, Darius had had hamstring issues, he had a

1000
00:48:35,239 --> 00:48:38,399
Speaker 1: rap on his shooting hand with some sort of hand

1001
00:48:38,440 --> 00:48:42,160
Speaker 1: injury that you know wasn't disclosed. Just felt like things

1002
00:48:42,200 --> 00:48:47,680
Speaker 1: weren't right. And so when on December fifteenth, I believe

1003
00:48:47,760 --> 00:48:52,040
Speaker 1: it was when the Evan Mobile and Darius Garland injuries announced,

1004
00:48:52,080 --> 00:48:54,279
Speaker 1: you just kind of go, well, okay, well it was

1005
00:48:54,280 --> 00:48:58,000
Speaker 1: already a bad, kind of a weird too bad vibe season.

1006
00:48:58,680 --> 00:49:01,040
Speaker 1: Maybe it's just not their year, and maybe it's a

1007
00:49:01,120 --> 00:49:04,080
Speaker 1: lost season. And then of course they rattle off fifteen

1008
00:49:04,120 --> 00:49:07,160
Speaker 1: wins out of nineteen ten of their last eleven. Right,

1009
00:49:07,280 --> 00:49:09,879
Speaker 1: if you go to cleaning the glass and check their

1010
00:49:09,960 --> 00:49:13,120
Speaker 1: projected wins over the course of the season over this

1011
00:49:13,200 --> 00:49:16,040
Speaker 1: nineteen game stretch, they're on a sixty four win pace

1012
00:49:17,239 --> 00:49:19,799
Speaker 1: over that tineteen game stretch. So, I mean, they're kicking

1013
00:49:19,840 --> 00:49:21,960
Speaker 1: the snot out of teams. I'm gonna knock out the

1014
00:49:22,000 --> 00:49:27,279
Speaker 1: boring stuff. First, the schedule has been easy. They had

1015
00:49:27,360 --> 00:49:29,880
Speaker 1: one of the hardest schedules in the league to start

1016
00:49:29,880 --> 00:49:33,239
Speaker 1: the year. It lightened up in a major way. Even

1017
00:49:33,280 --> 00:49:35,799
Speaker 1: in some of their tougher matchups. You know they were

1018
00:49:35,800 --> 00:49:38,000
Speaker 1: playing you know, they host the Magic it's three and four.

1019
00:49:38,280 --> 00:49:41,480
Speaker 1: They play the Hawks, it's their third and four. They

1020
00:49:41,560 --> 00:49:44,080
Speaker 1: got they finally had some schedule luck bounced their way.

1021
00:49:44,800 --> 00:49:48,520
Speaker 1: Since that December fifteenth stretch, they've only played nineteen games.

1022
00:49:49,600 --> 00:49:51,960
Speaker 1: Twenty seven teams have played at least twenty two games

1023
00:49:52,120 --> 00:49:55,600
Speaker 1: in that same stretch, and I think the Pacers have

1024
00:49:55,600 --> 00:49:59,160
Speaker 1: played twenty six in the same stretch. That's crazy. You

1025
00:49:59,280 --> 00:50:01,400
Speaker 1: rarely see that. Now. Part of that was because the

1026
00:50:01,520 --> 00:50:03,280
Speaker 1: Caps had a week in Paris where they only played

1027
00:50:03,280 --> 00:50:05,440
Speaker 1: one game in eight days. But like it does matter,

1028
00:50:05,560 --> 00:50:08,959
Speaker 1: all this stuff matters. It doesn't matter to the point

1029
00:50:08,960 --> 00:50:10,799
Speaker 1: of being the best team in the league by net

1030
00:50:10,880 --> 00:50:14,200
Speaker 1: rating with two of your best three players out, So

1031
00:50:15,760 --> 00:50:20,280
Speaker 1: they've really had to lean into high variants offense.

1032
00:50:20,800 --> 00:50:21,280
Speaker 2: They are.

1033
00:50:21,680 --> 00:50:26,360
Speaker 1: They went from a pretty mediocre team in terms of

1034
00:50:26,360 --> 00:50:29,560
Speaker 1: three point frequency. They were only sixteenth. They are first

1035
00:50:29,680 --> 00:50:30,359
Speaker 1: by a lot.

1036
00:50:31,680 --> 00:50:32,960
Speaker 2: They they have.

1037
00:50:33,280 --> 00:50:37,239
Speaker 1: They're pretty much playing full more eble they are let's

1038
00:50:37,239 --> 00:50:40,480
Speaker 1: see here. Sorry, they're seventh in rim frequency first and

1039
00:50:40,520 --> 00:50:43,920
Speaker 1: three point frequency thirtieth from the mid range. So they

1040
00:50:44,280 --> 00:50:46,719
Speaker 1: it's tons of high variant shots. They're getting a lot

1041
00:50:46,800 --> 00:50:49,480
Speaker 1: up and like you might be, you know, you might

1042
00:50:49,560 --> 00:50:51,680
Speaker 1: think like, oh, maybe they're just they're just hot. They're

1043
00:50:51,719 --> 00:50:53,600
Speaker 1: hitting open threes. You know, we talked about shot luck

1044
00:50:53,600 --> 00:50:55,799
Speaker 1: all the time and the league, and we'll probably talk

1045
00:50:55,800 --> 00:50:58,279
Speaker 1: about that on the defensive end for them during the

1046
00:50:58,320 --> 00:51:00,719
Speaker 1: stretch where they've been getting a little luck. They have

1047
00:51:00,760 --> 00:51:03,920
Speaker 1: the number one shot profile in the league for cleaning

1048
00:51:03,960 --> 00:51:07,080
Speaker 1: the glass. They're only fifteenth in effective field goal percentage,

1049
00:51:07,239 --> 00:51:10,359
Speaker 1: so you know, they they actually could benefit from the

1050
00:51:10,400 --> 00:51:13,160
Speaker 1: talent that's coming back because even though they're generating great looks,

1051
00:51:13,200 --> 00:51:15,680
Speaker 1: they're not really converting them that well. They's second in

1052
00:51:15,680 --> 00:51:19,080
Speaker 1: the league and potential assists per game. So it's been

1053
00:51:19,120 --> 00:51:22,400
Speaker 1: a ton of ball movement. It's been it's been playing

1054
00:51:23,239 --> 00:51:25,239
Speaker 1: you know, it's been Jared Allen playing frankly out of

1055
00:51:25,280 --> 00:51:29,759
Speaker 1: his mind up front, you know, averaging career highs and assists,

1056
00:51:29,800 --> 00:51:32,600
Speaker 1: like not just being a role man with vertical gravity,

1057
00:51:32,640 --> 00:51:34,759
Speaker 1: but being a guy who can operate in the high

1058
00:51:34,800 --> 00:51:39,520
Speaker 1: post and run durable handoff action. It's been the revelation

1059
00:51:40,000 --> 00:51:43,600
Speaker 1: of Sam Merrill, who was you know and also ran

1060
00:51:44,040 --> 00:51:46,560
Speaker 1: that is now shooting the third most threes per one

1061
00:51:46,640 --> 00:51:51,279
Speaker 1: hundred possessions in NBA history on real minutes like twenty

1062
00:51:51,360 --> 00:51:54,719
Speaker 1: minutes a game and shooting around forty one percent on

1063
00:51:54,800 --> 00:51:59,239
Speaker 1: those attempts. It's it's Donovan Mitchell, I think, playing the

1064
00:51:59,280 --> 00:52:03,040
Speaker 1: best basketball of his career since he's since he's been

1065
00:52:03,120 --> 00:52:07,400
Speaker 1: with the team at least. And it is also just

1066
00:52:07,520 --> 00:52:11,240
Speaker 1: an absolute killer of a point of attack defense between

1067
00:52:11,239 --> 00:52:14,680
Speaker 1: Isaac o Kora and Dean Wade, who are consistently shutting

1068
00:52:14,680 --> 00:52:18,080
Speaker 1: off the water of the league's best players pretty much

1069
00:52:18,120 --> 00:52:23,480
Speaker 1: every night. So it's it's really an enormous amalgamation of

1070
00:52:23,520 --> 00:52:26,680
Speaker 1: these things that everything's just kind of going right for them.

1071
00:52:27,040 --> 00:52:27,200
Speaker 2: You know.

1072
00:52:27,280 --> 00:52:30,120
Speaker 1: They I don't know if this has changed in the

1073
00:52:30,200 --> 00:52:32,640
Speaker 1: last week, but as of a week ago, every single

1074
00:52:32,680 --> 00:52:34,560
Speaker 1: player in their rotation during the stretch has had a

1075
00:52:34,560 --> 00:52:37,520
Speaker 1: positive net rating. They don't have any lineups that aren't working.

1076
00:52:39,160 --> 00:52:42,239
Speaker 1: They are, and you know, I my hope is that

1077
00:52:42,360 --> 00:52:45,239
Speaker 1: some of this stylistic stuff applies as the team gets

1078
00:52:45,239 --> 00:52:49,680
Speaker 1: healthy and that you know, they're just gonna they have

1079
00:52:49,800 --> 00:52:51,839
Speaker 1: found forty eight minutes of good lineups now.

1080
00:52:54,280 --> 00:52:56,319
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's been super interesting to see. I think in

1081
00:52:56,360 --> 00:53:01,040
Speaker 2: a weird way, the injuries kind of stabilize some of

1082
00:53:01,080 --> 00:53:04,680
Speaker 2: the rapid fluctuation they were experiencing early in the season

1083
00:53:05,160 --> 00:53:09,560
Speaker 2: because that Mitchell Struss, Isaacacorro, Dean Wade, Jared Allen lineup

1084
00:53:09,960 --> 00:53:12,759
Speaker 2: has just been healthy and playing for a long time now,

1085
00:53:12,960 --> 00:53:14,920
Speaker 2: and they've they've been able to kind of build their

1086
00:53:14,960 --> 00:53:16,759
Speaker 2: own identity. As a matter of fact, they're one of

1087
00:53:16,800 --> 00:53:19,279
Speaker 2: only twenty two lineups in the league that have played

1088
00:53:19,280 --> 00:53:23,840
Speaker 2: at least two hundred minutes together this year. And specifically,

1089
00:53:23,880 --> 00:53:27,080
Speaker 2: I think Dean Wade him and he was the biggest

1090
00:53:27,080 --> 00:53:29,879
Speaker 2: surprise for me this year as I was pouring over

1091
00:53:29,880 --> 00:53:33,360
Speaker 2: the tape, just how gifted he was defensively, not just

1092
00:53:33,400 --> 00:53:36,120
Speaker 2: off the ball, but like consistently holding up in switches

1093
00:53:36,200 --> 00:53:39,440
Speaker 2: against different archetypes of players, not just wings but guards

1094
00:53:39,440 --> 00:53:42,360
Speaker 2: as well. He's got long arms, He's a good positional

1095
00:53:42,360 --> 00:53:44,560
Speaker 2: defender that just kind of forces guys to take tough

1096
00:53:44,600 --> 00:53:49,160
Speaker 2: shots over the top. And then honestly, like we know

1097
00:53:49,239 --> 00:53:52,440
Speaker 2: Evan Mobley and what his potential is, but right now,

1098
00:53:52,840 --> 00:53:56,360
Speaker 2: offensively with most of his touch related stuff, he's just

1099
00:53:56,400 --> 00:53:59,040
Speaker 2: so far behind where he needs to be for this

1100
00:53:59,080 --> 00:54:01,520
Speaker 2: team to be a really functional half court offense. That

1101
00:54:01,640 --> 00:54:03,400
Speaker 2: having a guy like Dean Wade that just kind of

1102
00:54:03,400 --> 00:54:06,520
Speaker 2: fills a traditional spot up type of role and a

1103
00:54:06,560 --> 00:54:08,520
Speaker 2: guy that just has a little bit more offensive touch

1104
00:54:08,560 --> 00:54:10,319
Speaker 2: at that four spot, I think has helped at least

1105
00:54:10,320 --> 00:54:13,560
Speaker 2: in the short term. Again, like there's obvious, obviously so

1106
00:54:13,680 --> 00:54:16,440
Speaker 2: much more long term potential with the guy like Evan Mobley.

1107
00:54:16,680 --> 00:54:19,560
Speaker 2: But the big one for me too, Donovan Mitchell, you

1108
00:54:19,560 --> 00:54:21,680
Speaker 2: said he's having the best season of his career. I

1109
00:54:21,760 --> 00:54:25,239
Speaker 2: one hundred percent agree, and it comes down to two

1110
00:54:25,239 --> 00:54:27,320
Speaker 2: things for me. The playmaking piece, he's just getting so

1111
00:54:27,400 --> 00:54:30,080
Speaker 2: much better at running an offense above and beyond his

1112
00:54:30,120 --> 00:54:32,680
Speaker 2: own shot hunting. But the second piece of it is

1113
00:54:33,120 --> 00:54:37,520
Speaker 2: Donovan's defending at a significantly better level than he ever

1114
00:54:37,640 --> 00:54:42,840
Speaker 2: has in his NBA career, his off ball awareness, jumping

1115
00:54:42,840 --> 00:54:46,319
Speaker 2: into passing lanes, his quickness in rotations. There's a play

1116
00:54:46,520 --> 00:54:49,040
Speaker 2: a steal that he had when James Harden was driving

1117
00:54:49,040 --> 00:54:51,520
Speaker 2: along the baseline where he jumped from the weak side

1118
00:54:51,560 --> 00:54:54,040
Speaker 2: wing into the passing lane and got the steal as

1119
00:54:54,040 --> 00:54:55,600
Speaker 2: he went the other way, and I'm like, I'm like,

1120
00:54:55,640 --> 00:54:57,440
Speaker 2: he's a step ahead of some of this stuff in

1121
00:54:57,440 --> 00:55:00,279
Speaker 2: a way that he used to be very passive. Those

1122
00:55:00,320 --> 00:55:03,319
Speaker 2: outs that he's showing on that week side when he's

1123
00:55:03,440 --> 00:55:05,560
Speaker 2: digging down to help and then chasing guys off the

1124
00:55:05,560 --> 00:55:08,000
Speaker 2: line because he has such incredible quickness. It's funny. I

1125
00:55:08,040 --> 00:55:10,000
Speaker 2: used to have concerns and the big picture about the

1126
00:55:10,080 --> 00:55:12,920
Speaker 2: Darius Garland Donovan Mitchell backcourt just from the same point

1127
00:55:12,920 --> 00:55:15,600
Speaker 2: of two smaller guards that have some limitations on that

1128
00:55:15,719 --> 00:55:18,680
Speaker 2: end of the floor. But Donovan Mitchell's rise on the

1129
00:55:18,719 --> 00:55:22,480
Speaker 2: defensive end completely makes it tenable in my opinion, and

1130
00:55:22,560 --> 00:55:24,600
Speaker 2: it's been one of the biggest developments of this season.

1131
00:55:24,640 --> 00:55:26,600
Speaker 2: And then honestly, like I think one of the other

1132
00:55:26,600 --> 00:55:28,560
Speaker 2: pieces that's really helped them on the offensive end of

1133
00:55:28,600 --> 00:55:31,479
Speaker 2: the floor is just getting out in transition, which again

1134
00:55:31,520 --> 00:55:35,680
Speaker 2: requires that certain bit of defensive intensity and playmaking. But

1135
00:55:35,760 --> 00:55:37,800
Speaker 2: they've been one of the best transition offenses in the

1136
00:55:37,840 --> 00:55:41,000
Speaker 2: league this year, and they are a classic case of

1137
00:55:41,000 --> 00:55:45,480
Speaker 2: a team that uses their defense to generate higher quality

1138
00:55:45,760 --> 00:55:49,759
Speaker 2: offensive opportunities. That lineup Mitchell Strus, Isaac Corro, Dean Wade,

1139
00:55:49,800 --> 00:55:53,520
Speaker 2: and Jared Allen. They're the seventh best offense out of

1140
00:55:53,560 --> 00:55:55,400
Speaker 2: the twenty two lineups that have run at least two

1141
00:55:55,440 --> 00:55:58,759
Speaker 2: hundred minutes, the second best defense, the second best net rating.

1142
00:55:59,080 --> 00:56:02,200
Speaker 2: They grab fifty four percent of available rebounds, that's the

1143
00:56:02,239 --> 00:56:04,520
Speaker 2: fourth best out of all those lineups, and they have

1144
00:56:04,600 --> 00:56:08,200
Speaker 2: a two point six assist to turnover ratio, which ranks

1145
00:56:08,440 --> 00:56:09,960
Speaker 2: fifth out of that group. They've been one of the

1146
00:56:09,960 --> 00:56:12,960
Speaker 2: best lineups in basketball, and it's crazy because, like you said,

1147
00:56:12,960 --> 00:56:14,000
Speaker 2: there's more talent on the way.

1148
00:56:14,040 --> 00:56:17,080
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, they've been really wonderful together, and I

1149
00:56:17,080 --> 00:56:20,080
Speaker 1: do think to some extent there is a degree of

1150
00:56:20,160 --> 00:56:26,200
Speaker 1: like simplifying your options sometimes, especially in the regular season,

1151
00:56:26,719 --> 00:56:30,279
Speaker 1: can be really nice. You know, like there's a clear hierarchy.

1152
00:56:30,560 --> 00:56:33,840
Speaker 1: The decision making is simple. You know, Jared Allen doesn't

1153
00:56:33,840 --> 00:56:36,319
Speaker 1: get to have to think about what like, oh, I've

1154
00:56:36,320 --> 00:56:37,759
Speaker 1: got the ball in the short role, do I try

1155
00:56:37,800 --> 00:56:40,080
Speaker 1: to hit it to Evan in the dunker spot or

1156
00:56:40,120 --> 00:56:41,520
Speaker 1: do I just to tell you it's like no, he

1157
00:56:41,640 --> 00:56:44,000
Speaker 1: just has to be decisive because they have a lack

1158
00:56:44,040 --> 00:56:46,280
Speaker 1: of options. So a guy like Dean Wade that you mentioned,

1159
00:56:46,760 --> 00:56:49,319
Speaker 1: if you ask, you know, diehard Cavs fans what they

1160
00:56:49,400 --> 00:56:52,319
Speaker 1: might have a gripe about Dina's Sometimes he just disappears

1161
00:56:52,360 --> 00:56:55,319
Speaker 1: out there. You won't see him. You know, he'll play

1162
00:56:55,360 --> 00:56:57,719
Speaker 1: thirty minutes and have two field goal attempts. Well, you

1163
00:56:57,760 --> 00:57:01,240
Speaker 1: can't do that when you don't have Darius and Evan

1164
00:57:01,360 --> 00:57:05,120
Speaker 1: to eat up shot volume. Like the Cavs can't sacrifice

1165
00:57:05,120 --> 00:57:07,680
Speaker 1: good for great. You know, this has been a great

1166
00:57:07,760 --> 00:57:10,000
Speaker 1: cab stands hat with Darius Garland, who doesn't shoot enough

1167
00:57:10,000 --> 00:57:12,880
Speaker 1: from three, And like something I saw it put this

1168
00:57:12,920 --> 00:57:14,839
Speaker 1: way with Darius that I thought was really funny, which

1169
00:57:14,880 --> 00:57:17,720
Speaker 1: is like Darius knows that an open three has like

1170
00:57:17,800 --> 00:57:20,400
Speaker 1: one point two points per possession. You know that's a

1171
00:57:20,440 --> 00:57:24,080
Speaker 1: great shot. But like I think deep in Darius's core.

1172
00:57:24,520 --> 00:57:26,200
Speaker 1: He feels like he's going to get two points per

1173
00:57:26,200 --> 00:57:28,400
Speaker 1: possession if he just gets into the lane because he

1174
00:57:28,400 --> 00:57:30,400
Speaker 1: he's so confident he's going to be able to set

1175
00:57:30,480 --> 00:57:34,280
Speaker 1: up a wide open layup or dunk for someone else. So,

1176
00:57:34,440 --> 00:57:36,800
Speaker 1: like I do think there has been a simplicity of

1177
00:57:36,840 --> 00:57:39,120
Speaker 1: options with the group that has kind of with that

1178
00:57:39,160 --> 00:57:42,560
Speaker 1: group that makes things much easier on the offensive end.

1179
00:57:42,560 --> 00:57:45,840
Speaker 1: And also it's just a stifling group on the defensive

1180
00:57:45,920 --> 00:57:48,680
Speaker 1: end of the floor, you know, where you know, Okoro

1181
00:57:48,800 --> 00:57:50,720
Speaker 1: can be the lead point of attack. Strus gets to

1182
00:57:51,160 --> 00:57:54,240
Speaker 1: very comfortably guard the team's second or third best options

1183
00:57:54,280 --> 00:57:59,520
Speaker 1: instead while Dean guards up. With that said, I do

1184
00:57:59,600 --> 00:58:02,240
Speaker 1: want to push back a little bit on, you know,

1185
00:58:02,560 --> 00:58:05,280
Speaker 1: some of the some of the Evan Mobley numbers. The

1186
00:58:05,320 --> 00:58:08,720
Speaker 1: team starting lineup with Isaacle Coro in it at the

1187
00:58:08,760 --> 00:58:11,560
Speaker 1: three last year had a one twenty one point six

1188
00:58:11,600 --> 00:58:15,040
Speaker 1: offensive rating in about four hundred minutes. Like, this is

1189
00:58:15,080 --> 00:58:19,680
Speaker 1: a group that was very successful despite some very clear

1190
00:58:19,800 --> 00:58:23,680
Speaker 1: inherent spacing limitations. I wouldn't expect that number to get

1191
00:58:23,680 --> 00:58:26,840
Speaker 1: worse with Max Strus in for Isaacle Coro, you know,

1192
00:58:27,080 --> 00:58:30,480
Speaker 1: and like you mentioned, some of the defensive concerns that

1193
00:58:30,560 --> 00:58:33,280
Speaker 1: some folks have with a very small backcourt. One of

1194
00:58:33,280 --> 00:58:35,080
Speaker 1: the ways you insulate against that is to have a

1195
00:58:35,200 --> 00:58:38,880
Speaker 1: very very big front court in Evan and Jarrett who

1196
00:58:38,880 --> 00:58:42,040
Speaker 1: can help protect I think the inverse has kind of

1197
00:58:42,040 --> 00:58:45,160
Speaker 1: been done on the offensive end to protect the space

1198
00:58:45,200 --> 00:58:47,840
Speaker 1: and concerns that you have with a Jarrett in An Evan.

1199
00:58:48,160 --> 00:58:50,880
Speaker 1: You know, if Darius, Donovan and Max are being the

1200
00:58:50,960 --> 00:58:53,560
Speaker 1: volume three point shooters that the team needs them to be,

1201
00:58:54,080 --> 00:58:55,960
Speaker 1: you know, I do think a lot of those concerns

1202
00:58:56,000 --> 00:58:59,240
Speaker 1: about you know, you know, the shape of the floor

1203
00:58:59,280 --> 00:59:03,120
Speaker 1: go away. You know, no one ever criticizes the Warriors

1204
00:59:03,120 --> 00:59:06,400
Speaker 1: for having two non shooters on the floor because they

1205
00:59:06,400 --> 00:59:08,760
Speaker 1: have two of the best shooters of all time in

1206
00:59:08,800 --> 00:59:12,160
Speaker 1: the back court juicing those numbers, so, you know, like

1207
00:59:12,320 --> 00:59:14,760
Speaker 1: I do think there is a degree to which that

1208
00:59:14,880 --> 00:59:18,600
Speaker 1: simplicity of options has forced those guys into you know,

1209
00:59:18,640 --> 00:59:21,880
Speaker 1: more decisive action. What I really want the team to

1210
00:59:21,960 --> 00:59:24,400
Speaker 1: learn is, no matter what our talent level on the

1211
00:59:24,440 --> 00:59:27,320
Speaker 1: floor is, Hey, if I'm Dean Wade and I'm opening

1212
00:59:27,360 --> 00:59:29,600
Speaker 1: and open in the corner, it doesn't matter.

1213
00:59:29,680 --> 00:59:31,800
Speaker 2: I have to shoot. I just have to.

1214
00:59:32,080 --> 00:59:35,280
Speaker 1: But if I'm Darius and I get a kickout from Donovant.

1215
00:59:35,280 --> 00:59:37,160
Speaker 1: I have to let it fly because a lot of

1216
00:59:37,160 --> 00:59:39,400
Speaker 1: this stuff is just volume stuff. It's not that they're

1217
00:59:39,400 --> 00:59:42,120
Speaker 1: shooting the cover off the ball. They're just tweaking their

1218
00:59:42,120 --> 00:59:47,880
Speaker 1: shop profile this much that is leading towards way, way,

1219
00:59:47,920 --> 00:59:50,080
Speaker 1: way better results. And like, that's what I think is

1220
00:59:50,120 --> 00:59:53,640
Speaker 1: really cool about this is I'm not seeing anything unsustainable here.

1221
00:59:53,920 --> 00:59:54,120
Speaker 2: You know.

1222
00:59:54,240 --> 00:59:56,120
Speaker 1: Yeah, you're going to put Evan back into the lineup

1223
00:59:56,160 --> 01:00:00,480
Speaker 1: for thirty minutes a game, and that does con seevably

1224
01:00:00,960 --> 01:00:04,640
Speaker 1: drink your spacing. But really like Darius coming back should

1225
01:00:04,640 --> 01:00:08,200
Speaker 1: take you know, his volume, and Evans volume should certainly

1226
01:00:08,200 --> 01:00:11,160
Speaker 1: be able to offset Isaac Okorro and Dean Wade's volume

1227
01:00:11,200 --> 01:00:14,800
Speaker 1: from three. You know, like we're not trying to We're

1228
01:00:14,800 --> 01:00:17,920
Speaker 1: not replacing you know, twenty three point at SEMs with zero.

1229
01:00:18,200 --> 01:00:20,720
Speaker 1: You know, it's really twelve for what should be ten,

1230
01:00:21,240 --> 01:00:23,960
Speaker 1: you know. And I don't expect to see a guy

1231
01:00:23,960 --> 01:00:26,520
Speaker 1: like Sam Merril out of the rotation either, and talk

1232
01:00:26,520 --> 01:00:28,840
Speaker 1: about a reason that the three point volume is used.

1233
01:00:28,960 --> 01:00:31,080
Speaker 1: They got a guy take in seventeen threes per one

1234
01:00:31,120 --> 01:00:35,160
Speaker 1: hundred possessions. So it's it's a really interesting kind of

1235
01:00:35,240 --> 01:00:38,880
Speaker 1: theory versus practice experiment that's going on here, because like,

1236
01:00:39,360 --> 01:00:41,880
Speaker 1: I don't see any reason why the Caps can't continue

1237
01:00:41,920 --> 01:00:44,040
Speaker 1: to do what they're doing no matter who's on the floor.

1238
01:00:44,080 --> 01:00:46,360
Speaker 1: It's really about what the players decide to do with

1239
01:00:46,400 --> 01:00:47,520
Speaker 1: the opportunities in front of them.

1240
01:00:47,520 --> 01:00:51,360
Speaker 2: To me, so I want to actually want to skip

1241
01:00:51,400 --> 01:00:54,280
Speaker 2: ahead here for a second because we're talking about Evan

1242
01:00:54,280 --> 01:00:55,640
Speaker 2: Mobley on the offensive end of the floor. And I

1243
01:00:55,680 --> 01:00:58,880
Speaker 2: actually find this super interesting because I thought, I thought

1244
01:00:58,920 --> 01:01:01,400
Speaker 2: there was a lot of a lot that went wrong

1245
01:01:01,480 --> 01:01:04,160
Speaker 2: for Cleveland in the Knicks series, and some of the

1246
01:01:04,160 --> 01:01:07,480
Speaker 2: stuff that was a little bit under, a little bit

1247
01:01:07,560 --> 01:01:10,040
Speaker 2: was under the surface because there was so much talk

1248
01:01:10,040 --> 01:01:13,600
Speaker 2: about the shooting, and I obviously that's an issue that

1249
01:01:13,640 --> 01:01:15,320
Speaker 2: this roster needed to address. And they have gone up

1250
01:01:15,320 --> 01:01:17,200
Speaker 2: a little bit. They went up from twenty eighth then

1251
01:01:17,240 --> 01:01:19,840
Speaker 2: spot up efficiency last year according to Senergy to sixteenth

1252
01:01:19,880 --> 01:01:21,600
Speaker 2: this year, so there's been some improvement there, and I

1253
01:01:21,600 --> 01:01:24,360
Speaker 2: could argue they could even go up a level over

1254
01:01:24,400 --> 01:01:26,320
Speaker 2: the course of the season, and they have been trending up.

1255
01:01:26,320 --> 01:01:29,280
Speaker 2: The numbers have been going in the right direction. But

1256
01:01:30,440 --> 01:01:34,720
Speaker 2: Mitchell Robinson dominated Mobley and Allen in that series, but

1257
01:01:34,800 --> 01:01:36,520
Speaker 2: it was on both ends of the floor. It was

1258
01:01:36,560 --> 01:01:40,160
Speaker 2: the offensive glass, but one of the bigger issues was

1259
01:01:41,480 --> 01:01:43,760
Speaker 2: the Cavs are a very high volume pick and roll offense.

1260
01:01:43,800 --> 01:01:46,760
Speaker 2: It's the primary source of their offensive initiation that they

1261
01:01:46,800 --> 01:01:49,920
Speaker 2: play off of. And last year one of the constructs

1262
01:01:49,920 --> 01:01:52,040
Speaker 2: that they went with was Jared Allen in the dunker

1263
01:01:52,040 --> 01:01:53,960
Speaker 2: spot with Evan Mobley setting the ball screen and so

1264
01:01:54,000 --> 01:01:56,680
Speaker 2: he kind of roll into space and Mitchell Robinson would

1265
01:01:56,680 --> 01:01:59,800
Speaker 2: basically split the difference between the two and bait Evan

1266
01:02:00,320 --> 01:02:03,520
Speaker 2: into some of his weaknesses, and specifically right now, Evan

1267
01:02:03,600 --> 01:02:07,040
Speaker 2: Mobley is an excellent cutter who can finish in traffic

1268
01:02:07,400 --> 01:02:10,080
Speaker 2: above the rim, but he struggles with touch shots, he

1269
01:02:10,120 --> 01:02:13,200
Speaker 2: struggles with floaters, he struggles with hooks, he struggles with

1270
01:02:13,240 --> 01:02:15,760
Speaker 2: that kind of stuff in the mid range. And so, honestly,

1271
01:02:15,840 --> 01:02:20,240
Speaker 2: like that to me, is is and you invest in

1272
01:02:20,240 --> 01:02:22,440
Speaker 2: that hoping that he improves over time and it works out.

1273
01:02:22,480 --> 01:02:24,000
Speaker 2: And I agree that the upside of the two of

1274
01:02:24,040 --> 01:02:27,160
Speaker 2: them together defensively in the front court can can kind

1275
01:02:27,160 --> 01:02:30,240
Speaker 2: of can kind of counteract a lot of that issue.

1276
01:02:30,360 --> 01:02:33,000
Speaker 2: But you know, I do wonder if you're worried at

1277
01:02:33,040 --> 01:02:36,000
Speaker 2: all about the Mobley Allen front court just strictly from

1278
01:02:36,000 --> 01:02:39,600
Speaker 2: the standpoint of like how that short role situation works

1279
01:02:39,600 --> 01:02:42,000
Speaker 2: and how Evan Mobley struggles with it. He was zero

1280
01:02:42,040 --> 01:02:43,920
Speaker 2: for ten shooting out of the short role in the

1281
01:02:43,960 --> 01:02:47,360
Speaker 2: Knixt series last year and once again this year zero

1282
01:02:47,480 --> 01:02:50,400
Speaker 2: point eighty nine points per possession on rollman possessions. There

1283
01:02:50,400 --> 01:02:52,320
Speaker 2: are forty eight players in the league that have logged

1284
01:02:52,320 --> 01:02:55,960
Speaker 2: at least fifty He ranks forty sixth in that group.

1285
01:02:56,000 --> 01:02:58,040
Speaker 2: And so do you let me just put it to

1286
01:02:58,080 --> 01:03:00,560
Speaker 2: you this way, what do you think the cat will do?

1287
01:03:00,800 --> 01:03:02,720
Speaker 2: Because they are going to lean into that front court?

1288
01:03:02,800 --> 01:03:04,440
Speaker 2: What do you think the Calves will do to address

1289
01:03:04,480 --> 01:03:05,080
Speaker 2: that specifically?

1290
01:03:05,280 --> 01:03:07,760
Speaker 1: I'm glad you brought up their their pick and roll

1291
01:03:07,800 --> 01:03:11,680
Speaker 1: attack because it was just horribly anemic. Uh in the

1292
01:03:12,280 --> 01:03:14,720
Speaker 1: in that series. Do you know what Evan Mobley's points

1293
01:03:14,720 --> 01:03:16,360
Speaker 1: per possession as a roleman.

1294
01:03:16,240 --> 01:03:19,400
Speaker 2: Was in that series? It was really bad?

1295
01:03:19,800 --> 01:03:24,640
Speaker 1: Was zero point zero eight? I mean that's I mean

1296
01:03:24,680 --> 01:03:27,439
Speaker 1: that that is a practical zero. He scored one point

1297
01:03:27,480 --> 01:03:31,600
Speaker 1: as a role man in the whole series. Uh. And like,

1298
01:03:31,680 --> 01:03:34,520
Speaker 1: obviously that can't continue. What I So, I do have

1299
01:03:34,560 --> 01:03:36,600
Speaker 1: some of those concerns, but I do think the Calves

1300
01:03:36,640 --> 01:03:40,240
Speaker 1: have more optionality and some of that stuff is a

1301
01:03:40,240 --> 01:03:43,640
Speaker 1: better space floor for those actions. You know, you can't

1302
01:03:43,680 --> 01:03:45,680
Speaker 1: dig with the third guy as easily. If Max Struce

1303
01:03:45,800 --> 01:03:48,040
Speaker 1: is in the corner as opposed to isaacle Kor who

1304
01:03:48,160 --> 01:03:52,800
Speaker 1: was not being guarded and he's shooting the lights eye,

1305
01:03:52,880 --> 01:03:56,520
Speaker 1: he's actually not. He's actually like in the low to

1306
01:03:56,560 --> 01:03:59,920
Speaker 1: mid thirties right now from three uh, he's in catching

1307
01:04:00,040 --> 01:04:02,520
Speaker 1: shoo situations and spot up situations. He's been much better

1308
01:04:02,520 --> 01:04:04,520
Speaker 1: than that, and that's kind of what the Calves were

1309
01:04:04,560 --> 01:04:06,600
Speaker 1: banking on. And you know, hopefully when you get some

1310
01:04:06,640 --> 01:04:10,520
Speaker 1: easier threes with Darius on the floor again, the main

1311
01:04:10,560 --> 01:04:13,440
Speaker 1: percentages will rise because he's taken some really tough ones,

1312
01:04:15,440 --> 01:04:18,800
Speaker 1: so there's better spacing. I think there's also just more optionality.

1313
01:04:18,960 --> 01:04:22,040
Speaker 1: I think they've seen how well Jared's done in the

1314
01:04:22,040 --> 01:04:25,160
Speaker 1: short role this year, and I think you can invert

1315
01:04:25,200 --> 01:04:27,520
Speaker 1: that based on the personnel you're being guarded with in

1316
01:04:27,560 --> 01:04:28,040
Speaker 1: a way.

1317
01:04:27,880 --> 01:04:29,760
Speaker 2: That they I was thinking the same thing, what if

1318
01:04:29,800 --> 01:04:30,480
Speaker 2: you just said.

1319
01:04:30,240 --> 01:04:32,480
Speaker 1: They weren't as comfortable doing that last year? And I

1320
01:04:32,520 --> 01:04:36,680
Speaker 1: think Jarrett's high post playmaking during this stretch as well

1321
01:04:36,720 --> 01:04:39,360
Speaker 1: as his dunkers, you know, as well as his you know,

1322
01:04:39,400 --> 01:04:41,560
Speaker 1: his floater game, which has been really really good. He's

1323
01:04:41,560 --> 01:04:43,959
Speaker 1: been the team's you know, probably their best mid range

1324
01:04:43,960 --> 01:04:47,680
Speaker 1: shooter on very low volume. Like I think you can

1325
01:04:47,720 --> 01:04:50,520
Speaker 1: invert that and you can just get Mitchell Robinson out

1326
01:04:50,520 --> 01:04:52,600
Speaker 1: of the way a lot better because if he has

1327
01:04:52,640 --> 01:04:54,880
Speaker 1: to go, if he has to go hard hedge against

1328
01:04:54,960 --> 01:04:57,720
Speaker 1: Darius Sir Donovan, then you know, now now it's Julius

1329
01:04:57,800 --> 01:05:00,480
Speaker 1: Randall having to come up in those help spots. I

1330
01:05:00,520 --> 01:05:05,240
Speaker 1: also think, frankly, like they just have more options. You know,

1331
01:05:05,320 --> 01:05:08,040
Speaker 1: Danny Green ended up being their seventh man, you know,

1332
01:05:08,640 --> 01:05:12,360
Speaker 1: like they didn't have as many as many criticisms as

1333
01:05:12,360 --> 01:05:14,640
Speaker 1: there were levied against JB. Bickerstaff, some of which I

1334
01:05:14,640 --> 01:05:17,800
Speaker 1: think are fair. Dean Wade couldn't lift his arm above

1335
01:05:17,800 --> 01:05:21,480
Speaker 1: his shoulder because his shoulder was so injured last year

1336
01:05:22,640 --> 01:05:25,120
Speaker 1: and they were playing, you know, a fresh off of

1337
01:05:25,160 --> 01:05:29,160
Speaker 1: a destroyed knee, Danny Green, like real rotation minutes, They

1338
01:05:29,160 --> 01:05:34,040
Speaker 1: couldn't really go to a smaller lineup or a spaceier lineup.

1339
01:05:34,120 --> 01:05:37,120
Speaker 1: Like Dean shooting really really well. George Niang is the

1340
01:05:37,200 --> 01:05:39,480
Speaker 1: one of the most reliable corner three point shooters in

1341
01:05:39,520 --> 01:05:42,280
Speaker 1: the league. Like, so if they do run into a

1342
01:05:42,320 --> 01:05:45,080
Speaker 1: matchup where the two big lineup is getting tested. I

1343
01:05:45,080 --> 01:05:48,200
Speaker 1: think they have a lot more options around it, and

1344
01:05:48,360 --> 01:05:50,920
Speaker 1: like frankly, I just think they're doing better against the drop.

1345
01:05:51,520 --> 01:05:55,240
Speaker 1: They they've killed the Bucks on offense this year, even

1346
01:05:55,240 --> 01:05:58,640
Speaker 1: with Giannis on the floor, They've killed Jokis, they killed

1347
01:05:58,680 --> 01:06:01,880
Speaker 1: him Bead, you know, teams that really like to play

1348
01:06:01,880 --> 01:06:04,400
Speaker 1: in that drop, they've done a really really good job

1349
01:06:04,440 --> 01:06:08,120
Speaker 1: manipulating that, whether it's via floaters from the guards, pull

1350
01:06:08,200 --> 01:06:11,200
Speaker 1: up threes like this has clearly been a focus of

1351
01:06:11,240 --> 01:06:14,680
Speaker 1: Theirs to attack the drop because it killed them so much.

1352
01:06:15,320 --> 01:06:17,960
Speaker 1: And I think I think that they have just not

1353
01:06:18,000 --> 01:06:19,960
Speaker 1: only do they have a better toolkit, I think their

1354
01:06:19,960 --> 01:06:23,320
Speaker 1: players are just playing better. Like I think, as much

1355
01:06:23,360 --> 01:06:26,160
Speaker 1: as we want to talk about, you know, roster construction

1356
01:06:26,960 --> 01:06:29,600
Speaker 1: and archetypes, I think most of the Caves just played

1357
01:06:29,640 --> 01:06:32,919
Speaker 1: really bad in that series, you know, and like it's

1358
01:06:33,000 --> 01:06:36,560
Speaker 1: really hard to overcome Donovan Mitchell just not hitting open

1359
01:06:36,600 --> 01:06:40,040
Speaker 1: pull ups in that Calves offense, and he didn't make

1360
01:06:40,080 --> 01:06:42,600
Speaker 1: a lot of them. Darius didn't make a lot of them.

1361
01:06:43,200 --> 01:06:47,600
Speaker 1: Evan missed every FLOATERY tried, Jarrett got completely was you know,

1362
01:06:47,840 --> 01:06:50,560
Speaker 1: non existent on offense. I think they learned a lot

1363
01:06:50,560 --> 01:06:53,720
Speaker 1: of lessons and and you know the things that they

1364
01:06:53,760 --> 01:06:57,320
Speaker 1: couldn't learn, like you can't learn spacing and shooting. So

1365
01:06:57,360 --> 01:07:00,200
Speaker 1: they went and got that. But you look at at

1366
01:07:00,600 --> 01:07:02,520
Speaker 1: the other thing that killed them in that series, which

1367
01:07:02,600 --> 01:07:05,480
Speaker 1: is rebounding. I mean, they were after the All Star

1368
01:07:05,520 --> 01:07:07,960
Speaker 1: break last year, they were the worst defensive rebounding team

1369
01:07:07,960 --> 01:07:10,400
Speaker 1: in the league. In the playoffs, they were certainly the

1370
01:07:10,440 --> 01:07:15,160
Speaker 1: worst defensive rebounding team in the postseason. And Mitchell Robinson,

1371
01:07:15,240 --> 01:07:17,960
Speaker 1: Josh Hart, it wasn't just Mitchell Robinson, it was everyone.

1372
01:07:18,400 --> 01:07:21,160
Speaker 1: Everyone on the Knicks was just beasting against the Calves

1373
01:07:21,200 --> 01:07:22,640
Speaker 1: on the offensive glass. And it's one of the only

1374
01:07:22,680 --> 01:07:24,680
Speaker 1: reasons the Knicks where ever to win the series, because

1375
01:07:24,680 --> 01:07:27,200
Speaker 1: they couldn't score either in the half court they had,

1376
01:07:27,360 --> 01:07:29,760
Speaker 1: you know, Jalen Brunson had a horrible series from an

1377
01:07:29,760 --> 01:07:32,680
Speaker 1: efficiency perspective. It was just that the Cavs couldn't score,

1378
01:07:33,040 --> 01:07:35,160
Speaker 1: and you know, every extra bucket they got off on

1379
01:07:35,240 --> 01:07:39,640
Speaker 1: offensive board felt that much more painful. Since December fifteenth,

1380
01:07:40,040 --> 01:07:42,280
Speaker 1: they are first in the league in defensive rebound rate,

1381
01:07:42,640 --> 01:07:46,760
Speaker 1: their third in offensive rebound rate, second overall, like and

1382
01:07:46,880 --> 01:07:50,840
Speaker 1: that's with no functional personnel changes that should make that

1383
01:07:50,880 --> 01:07:53,560
Speaker 1: the case. And I think that those are one of

1384
01:07:53,640 --> 01:07:56,080
Speaker 1: those things where you go, hey, if we just changed

1385
01:07:56,080 --> 01:07:58,200
Speaker 1: the way we're playing a little bit and decide to

1386
01:07:58,240 --> 01:08:01,120
Speaker 1: care about this a little more, will be a lot better,

1387
01:08:01,440 --> 01:08:03,720
Speaker 1: you know that. Like they've been playing with one sinner,

1388
01:08:04,240 --> 01:08:09,520
Speaker 1: really one traditional big and then Tristan Thompson for fifteen

1389
01:08:09,520 --> 01:08:10,800
Speaker 1: minutes a game, who is, by the way, not a

1390
01:08:10,800 --> 01:08:15,200
Speaker 1: good defensive rebounder and never has been, and yet they're

1391
01:08:15,200 --> 01:08:17,040
Speaker 1: cleaning the glass at a rate that they never have

1392
01:08:17,160 --> 01:08:20,120
Speaker 1: been able to do. So, Like, I think there's just

1393
01:08:20,120 --> 01:08:22,479
Speaker 1: been a lot of improvement to make that. Now that

1394
01:08:22,520 --> 01:08:25,760
Speaker 1: series would still scare me, don't get me wrong, but

1395
01:08:25,960 --> 01:08:29,080
Speaker 1: like I do think that they have just both in

1396
01:08:29,200 --> 01:08:32,120
Speaker 1: the things they've worked on in their game and schematically

1397
01:08:32,120 --> 01:08:34,640
Speaker 1: within their roster construction, been able to address some of

1398
01:08:34,640 --> 01:08:35,120
Speaker 1: those things.

1399
01:08:36,920 --> 01:08:39,479
Speaker 2: Yeah, never underestimated good asking, Yeah, and what it can

1400
01:08:39,520 --> 01:08:42,120
Speaker 2: do for a team, Like I had a mailback question

1401
01:08:42,160 --> 01:08:44,200
Speaker 2: earlier today from a pacerspan that was like, oh, what

1402
01:08:44,240 --> 01:08:45,960
Speaker 2: if we did this, Like, could we contend right away?

1403
01:08:46,000 --> 01:08:49,320
Speaker 2: And one of my long standing theories is like there's

1404
01:08:49,400 --> 01:08:51,479
Speaker 2: like two steps to this. It's getting the right group

1405
01:08:51,520 --> 01:08:54,360
Speaker 2: of guys but also it's going through the battles. You

1406
01:08:54,439 --> 01:08:56,479
Speaker 2: got to go through the battles, you got to lose,

1407
01:08:56,720 --> 01:08:59,920
Speaker 2: and like, because there really is another level of intensity

1408
01:09:00,040 --> 01:09:01,519
Speaker 2: in the NBA Playoffs that you have to be able

1409
01:09:01,560 --> 01:09:04,360
Speaker 2: to reach, and it requires a level of desperation that

1410
01:09:04,640 --> 01:09:07,360
Speaker 2: I think losing helps you get to. And you know

1411
01:09:07,439 --> 01:09:11,840
Speaker 2: a lot of the specifically on the schematic side. I

1412
01:09:11,880 --> 01:09:13,519
Speaker 2: love that you brought up inverting it because I was

1413
01:09:13,520 --> 01:09:17,520
Speaker 2: thinking the exact same thing. Like, Evan Mobley's strength offensively

1414
01:09:17,640 --> 01:09:20,000
Speaker 2: right now is he's got a ton of vertical pop

1415
01:09:20,120 --> 01:09:22,479
Speaker 2: right under the rim and he can dunk everything. And

1416
01:09:22,560 --> 01:09:24,760
Speaker 2: so like, if you can, if you can set him

1417
01:09:24,800 --> 01:09:26,920
Speaker 2: up with opportunities down there, he can be a useful

1418
01:09:26,960 --> 01:09:30,200
Speaker 2: vertical spacer. Jared Allen in this recent stretch has shown

1419
01:09:30,280 --> 01:09:32,639
Speaker 2: some really good play out of that short role position.

1420
01:09:32,960 --> 01:09:35,960
Speaker 2: So like, that's where you could imagine with it inverted.

1421
01:09:36,000 --> 01:09:38,120
Speaker 2: Not only are you pulling a Mitchell Robinson or whoever

1422
01:09:38,160 --> 01:09:40,839
Speaker 2: the bigger rim protector is further away from the basket,

1423
01:09:41,080 --> 01:09:43,200
Speaker 2: but you're also just putting those two guys in a

1424
01:09:43,240 --> 01:09:45,880
Speaker 2: position where they're more likely to succeed and then just

1425
01:09:45,960 --> 01:09:49,320
Speaker 2: down the roster, I like you mentioned guys not playing

1426
01:09:49,360 --> 01:09:53,519
Speaker 2: well in general. Above and beyond that, guys have gotten

1427
01:09:53,600 --> 01:09:56,080
Speaker 2: better going into the season, Like a lot of these

1428
01:09:56,080 --> 01:09:59,800
Speaker 2: guys have patched up specific weaknesses, Like Donovan Mitchell has

1429
01:09:59,800 --> 01:10:01,840
Speaker 2: gone up a level as a playmaker and as a

1430
01:10:01,880 --> 01:10:05,240
Speaker 2: defensive player. He's a better basketball player than he was

1431
01:10:05,520 --> 01:10:08,040
Speaker 2: this time last year. Isaaca Korro last year was a

1432
01:10:08,080 --> 01:10:10,599
Speaker 2: guy that you could afford to leave open. This year,

1433
01:10:10,840 --> 01:10:13,080
Speaker 2: a catch and shoot jump shot for Isaaca Corro is

1434
01:10:13,080 --> 01:10:16,519
Speaker 2: worth one point one five points. You know, unguarded one

1435
01:10:16,800 --> 01:10:19,240
Speaker 2: is worth one point almost one point two points. So

1436
01:10:19,320 --> 01:10:23,599
Speaker 2: like Isaaca Corro has now turned into a legitimate three

1437
01:10:23,640 --> 01:10:26,719
Speaker 2: and D option that you can't afford to leave open,

1438
01:10:26,800 --> 01:10:29,679
Speaker 2: and he will make you pay, Like Dean Wade obviously

1439
01:10:29,720 --> 01:10:31,800
Speaker 2: growth all over the place, Like they just guys are

1440
01:10:31,840 --> 01:10:33,959
Speaker 2: getting better, and it's and it's gonna.

1441
01:10:33,840 --> 01:10:36,080
Speaker 1: Turns out a roster full of twenty three year olds

1442
01:10:36,520 --> 01:10:38,160
Speaker 1: and twenty two year olds gets better.

1443
01:10:38,200 --> 01:10:38,360
Speaker 2: You know.

1444
01:10:38,400 --> 01:10:40,280
Speaker 1: I think that's one thing that kind of got lost

1445
01:10:40,320 --> 01:10:42,600
Speaker 1: in the in the quote unquote all in move for

1446
01:10:42,680 --> 01:10:45,880
Speaker 1: Donovan Mitchell is like, dude, all these guys are like

1447
01:10:45,960 --> 01:10:49,080
Speaker 1: twenty two. You know, Isaacle Coro is only a few

1448
01:10:49,080 --> 01:10:52,920
Speaker 1: months older than Evan Mobley, Like like they are this

1449
01:10:53,040 --> 01:10:56,719
Speaker 1: is a bunch of kids, man, and like it's really

1450
01:10:56,760 --> 01:10:59,479
Speaker 1: really exciting to see that they're all growing, they're all

1451
01:10:59,479 --> 01:11:01,720
Speaker 1: getting better, and like, you know, I talked a lot

1452
01:11:01,720 --> 01:11:06,280
Speaker 1: about one of my pet peeves Jason in basketball coverage

1453
01:11:06,640 --> 01:11:09,240
Speaker 1: is when people talk about culture, because a lot of

1454
01:11:09,240 --> 01:11:12,280
Speaker 1: times it's like a lot of times it's just a

1455
01:11:12,320 --> 01:11:15,639
Speaker 1: team full of young guys had an unexpectedly good run,

1456
01:11:15,920 --> 01:11:18,479
Speaker 1: and then we'll see this glowing like profile where a

1457
01:11:18,520 --> 01:11:21,000
Speaker 1: reporter goes and spends two weeks with them and talks

1458
01:11:21,040 --> 01:11:24,000
Speaker 1: about all the things they do in culturally, and then

1459
01:11:24,040 --> 01:11:26,400
Speaker 1: when they suck again, like a year later, I was like, oh,

1460
01:11:26,439 --> 01:11:29,240
Speaker 1: I guess the culture wasn't there, and like so like

1461
01:11:29,360 --> 01:11:32,400
Speaker 1: I always find culture to be like better tested when

1462
01:11:32,439 --> 01:11:35,280
Speaker 1: you suck or when things are going wrong, and like

1463
01:11:35,360 --> 01:11:38,240
Speaker 1: this was a go wrong start of the year for

1464
01:11:38,280 --> 01:11:41,000
Speaker 1: the team. They didn't they weren't playing well. Then they

1465
01:11:41,000 --> 01:11:43,439
Speaker 1: got banged up, and like I feel like that is

1466
01:11:43,479 --> 01:11:45,759
Speaker 1: the test of what the team has kind of built

1467
01:11:45,760 --> 01:11:47,400
Speaker 1: in terms of the kind of guys they brought in,

1468
01:11:47,760 --> 01:11:51,200
Speaker 1: and like they've passed that test with flying colors, and

1469
01:11:51,560 --> 01:11:54,080
Speaker 1: another one's coming by the way because a lot of

1470
01:11:54,080 --> 01:11:56,439
Speaker 1: guys who deserve to get minutes are about to get

1471
01:11:56,520 --> 01:11:59,599
Speaker 1: dropped out of the rotation or you know, severely get

1472
01:11:59,600 --> 01:12:03,920
Speaker 1: their minute. But like, your culture is continually tested, and

1473
01:12:04,000 --> 01:12:06,360
Speaker 1: like I find it really interesting how much time is

1474
01:12:06,400 --> 01:12:09,599
Speaker 1: spent talking about culture when a team is on the rise.

1475
01:12:09,760 --> 01:12:14,280
Speaker 1: Like I've seen more pieces about the Calves culture over

1476
01:12:14,280 --> 01:12:16,040
Speaker 1: the last two years than I've seen now, and I

1477
01:12:16,040 --> 01:12:18,040
Speaker 1: think now is the best time to write that piece.

1478
01:12:20,040 --> 01:12:22,640
Speaker 2: No, I think that's so well put. And like, specifically

1479
01:12:22,720 --> 01:12:25,720
Speaker 2: in the NBA regular season, all it really takes is

1480
01:12:25,800 --> 01:12:28,120
Speaker 2: like a good stretch of health, with the decent stretch

1481
01:12:28,120 --> 01:12:30,960
Speaker 2: of the schedule with a good young athletic group for

1482
01:12:31,000 --> 01:12:32,439
Speaker 2: you to put together a win start. I mean we

1483
01:12:32,520 --> 01:12:34,200
Speaker 2: just we literally just saw this with the Utah Jazz

1484
01:12:34,400 --> 01:12:36,719
Speaker 2: like over the course of the previous couple of months,

1485
01:12:36,760 --> 01:12:39,120
Speaker 2: and one hundred percent agree with you. It's when there's

1486
01:12:39,160 --> 01:12:42,760
Speaker 2: expectations and you don't live up. It's when there's frustration,

1487
01:12:42,880 --> 01:12:45,560
Speaker 2: and it's when there are those big picture topics that

1488
01:12:45,560 --> 01:12:47,800
Speaker 2: are getting thrown around, Like I can say it from

1489
01:12:47,840 --> 01:12:50,120
Speaker 2: this show. We did a segment the day after the

1490
01:12:50,200 --> 01:12:53,679
Speaker 2: Darius Garland and Evan mobile Evan mobile injuries were announced,

1491
01:12:53,680 --> 01:12:56,400
Speaker 2: We're like, what if the Calves decided to trade Donovan Mitchell,

1492
01:12:56,400 --> 01:12:59,400
Speaker 2: who would want it? Like that, that's literally the direction

1493
01:12:59,479 --> 01:13:02,720
Speaker 2: the narrative was going. And instead of leaning into that,

1494
01:13:02,800 --> 01:13:04,800
Speaker 2: they said, no, screw this, We're gonna go win a

1495
01:13:04,800 --> 01:13:07,519
Speaker 2: bunch of basketball games. And like you mentioned, the young

1496
01:13:07,560 --> 01:13:10,040
Speaker 2: players in their improvement, that to me is the most

1497
01:13:10,040 --> 01:13:13,599
Speaker 2: exciting part about this team because to me, Evan Mobley

1498
01:13:13,800 --> 01:13:16,760
Speaker 2: has so much room to improve. And I look at

1499
01:13:16,760 --> 01:13:20,760
Speaker 2: that as upside because like, legitimately, if this dude can

1500
01:13:20,920 --> 01:13:23,200
Speaker 2: figure out some of this other stuff, it goes such

1501
01:13:23,240 --> 01:13:28,000
Speaker 2: a long way towards bolstering the specific potential of this unit.

1502
01:13:28,040 --> 01:13:30,320
Speaker 2: Because you know, one of the unique places where Evan

1503
01:13:30,360 --> 01:13:33,160
Speaker 2: Mobley's actually had some success this year is in ISO,

1504
01:13:33,320 --> 01:13:38,080
Speaker 2: Like straight up ISO, He's had some moments like that, Yeah, exactly,

1505
01:13:38,160 --> 01:13:40,519
Speaker 2: And like, what is the one thing that this team

1506
01:13:40,560 --> 01:13:43,880
Speaker 2: doesn't really have offensively is another way to initiate offense

1507
01:13:43,920 --> 01:13:46,479
Speaker 2: that isn't pick and roll. And so you can imagine

1508
01:13:46,479 --> 01:13:48,559
Speaker 2: a version of this kind of like what Jonathan Kaminga

1509
01:13:48,600 --> 01:13:51,360
Speaker 2: does for the Warriors, where it's like you're clearing the

1510
01:13:51,439 --> 01:13:53,880
Speaker 2: side for face up ISOs and post ups for Evan

1511
01:13:53,880 --> 01:13:56,080
Speaker 2: Mobley to get the defense into rotation and to play

1512
01:13:56,080 --> 01:13:58,200
Speaker 2: out of that. That's long term. That's not something that's

1513
01:13:58,200 --> 01:14:01,360
Speaker 2: gonna happen this year, but like that's the potential in

1514
01:14:01,400 --> 01:14:05,000
Speaker 2: the long run. So obviously, the trade deadline is about

1515
01:14:05,000 --> 01:14:08,240
Speaker 2: a week and a day away. Uh And you mentioned

1516
01:14:08,240 --> 01:14:11,600
Speaker 2: even the reality of their rotation and the fact that

1517
01:14:11,600 --> 01:14:13,439
Speaker 2: they just have more good players than they did last year,

1518
01:14:13,439 --> 01:14:15,800
Speaker 2: and there's gonna be some guys that get squeezed, uh

1519
01:14:16,760 --> 01:14:19,800
Speaker 2: as as the minutes get tighter around around the next

1520
01:14:19,840 --> 01:14:21,920
Speaker 2: couple of weeks. So do you think the Calves will

1521
01:14:21,960 --> 01:14:24,040
Speaker 2: be an active team at the deadline? I don't.

1522
01:14:24,280 --> 01:14:27,360
Speaker 1: And normally this is this has been a thing. Kobe

1523
01:14:27,400 --> 01:14:30,120
Speaker 1: likes making trades at the deadline. He's been a one

1524
01:14:30,160 --> 01:14:33,200
Speaker 1: of the more active gms. They didn't make trade a

1525
01:14:33,280 --> 01:14:36,599
Speaker 1: less deadline. Every Cavs fan was furious. I was even

1526
01:14:36,680 --> 01:14:40,160
Speaker 1: I was pretty bummed as well. But this year I

1527
01:14:40,160 --> 01:14:43,479
Speaker 1: think it is much much more justified. And I think

1528
01:14:43,840 --> 01:14:45,640
Speaker 1: really it comes down to a couple of things, like

1529
01:14:45,960 --> 01:14:48,960
Speaker 1: thing one, you're you're you can treat Darius and Evan

1530
01:14:49,040 --> 01:14:54,360
Speaker 1: Ashier trade deadline upgrades, and you just don't really have.

1531
01:14:54,920 --> 01:14:56,720
Speaker 1: It's a weird mix of they don't have a lot

1532
01:14:56,760 --> 01:14:59,200
Speaker 1: of tradable assets because they can't trade any first right now,

1533
01:14:59,200 --> 01:15:02,760
Speaker 1: they can only trade wops And then if they want

1534
01:15:02,800 --> 01:15:07,479
Speaker 1: to trade anyone in their rotation, then you know they

1535
01:15:07,520 --> 01:15:09,639
Speaker 1: have to they have to get someone a lot better

1536
01:15:09,800 --> 01:15:12,559
Speaker 1: or what's the point, you know, Like you can look

1537
01:15:12,600 --> 01:15:15,360
Speaker 1: to trade Kars Lavert, but if you if you trade him,

1538
01:15:15,360 --> 01:15:17,759
Speaker 1: then it has to be a meaningful upgrade. Like Okay,

1539
01:15:17,840 --> 01:15:20,280
Speaker 1: I'm just gonna throw out a fake trade that won't happen.

1540
01:15:20,640 --> 01:15:23,760
Speaker 1: But let's say you could trade Karris Lavert for like, uh,

1541
01:15:23,880 --> 01:15:26,479
Speaker 1: Dorian Finney Smith straight up, which you couldn't, by the way,

1542
01:15:26,520 --> 01:15:29,639
Speaker 1: you couldn't like Dorian Phinney Smith would add something really

1543
01:15:29,640 --> 01:15:32,559
Speaker 1: really valuable. But is that thing so much more valuable

1544
01:15:32,600 --> 01:15:34,880
Speaker 1: than whatever Dean Wade and George Niang are giving you

1545
01:15:34,960 --> 01:15:37,719
Speaker 1: in those in those exactly four minutes that you're also

1546
01:15:37,800 --> 01:15:40,320
Speaker 1: willing to lose all the playmaking Carris is giving you,

1547
01:15:40,800 --> 01:15:44,400
Speaker 1: Like I just don't you know, it's I'm like any fan,

1548
01:15:44,479 --> 01:15:46,479
Speaker 1: I'm on the trade machine all the time, just you know,

1549
01:15:46,600 --> 01:15:50,000
Speaker 1: messing around, and I can't find anything that feels good,

1550
01:15:50,400 --> 01:15:52,680
Speaker 1: you know, feels good that you wouldn't get laughed out

1551
01:15:52,680 --> 01:15:54,880
Speaker 1: of the room for asking for so, Like, they're just

1552
01:15:54,920 --> 01:15:58,559
Speaker 1: at a spot where I'm not crazy interested in marginal

1553
01:15:58,680 --> 01:16:01,880
Speaker 1: upgrades spending a ton of pick capital. Like the only

1554
01:16:01,920 --> 01:16:05,360
Speaker 1: thing I could see is like maybe bolstering that backup five,

1555
01:16:05,439 --> 01:16:08,600
Speaker 1: given that Tristan Thompson is uh, you know, on a

1556
01:16:08,640 --> 01:16:13,760
Speaker 1: suspension for for you know, drug policy violations and which

1557
01:16:13,800 --> 01:16:17,200
Speaker 1: is ridiculous and wild. But given that, and you know,

1558
01:16:17,280 --> 01:16:20,080
Speaker 1: Damian Jones hasn't really been someone they want to play

1559
01:16:20,240 --> 01:16:24,880
Speaker 1: in in competitive minutes. Like maybe you look there, but like,

1560
01:16:25,000 --> 01:16:28,160
Speaker 1: are you really gonna want to give up draft compensation

1561
01:16:28,640 --> 01:16:30,760
Speaker 1: to improve on a spot that if you're healthy in

1562
01:16:30,800 --> 01:16:35,759
Speaker 1: the postseason you want to be playing zero minutes? Like it,

1563
01:16:35,840 --> 01:16:38,719
Speaker 1: I just don't see the move Jason, Like, and every

1564
01:16:38,760 --> 01:16:42,000
Speaker 1: move I see is either like too much for too little,

1565
01:16:42,760 --> 01:16:46,200
Speaker 1: or or like just to help another team, And I'm

1566
01:16:46,200 --> 01:16:48,960
Speaker 1: not crazy interested in helping other teams solve their problems

1567
01:16:49,240 --> 01:16:50,360
Speaker 1: at the expense of our own.

1568
01:16:52,000 --> 01:16:53,800
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's funny. When I was sitting down this morning,

1569
01:16:53,800 --> 01:16:57,840
Speaker 2: I was trying to conceptualize ideas for what a trade

1570
01:16:57,880 --> 01:16:59,880
Speaker 2: for the Cavs would look like, and I literally couldn't

1571
01:16:59,920 --> 01:17:01,240
Speaker 2: eve and come up with one that I liked. I

1572
01:17:01,240 --> 01:17:03,160
Speaker 2: thought about Dorian Phinney Smith and thought the same thing.

1573
01:17:03,200 --> 01:17:04,400
Speaker 2: Dean Wade's just better.

1574
01:17:05,520 --> 01:17:08,479
Speaker 1: And like Dorian might be like the best blend of

1575
01:17:08,560 --> 01:17:11,599
Speaker 1: Wade in George, where you know Wade does go through

1576
01:17:11,680 --> 01:17:14,639
Speaker 1: big shooting slumps, so or just big periods of inactivity.

1577
01:17:14,680 --> 01:17:16,720
Speaker 1: You're probably not going to get that from DFS, and

1578
01:17:16,800 --> 01:17:19,559
Speaker 1: George can't guard the way DFS can guard. So maybe

1579
01:17:19,600 --> 01:17:22,120
Speaker 1: he is that ultimate mashup, But like the road to

1580
01:17:22,120 --> 01:17:25,080
Speaker 1: getting him, even if you could just it just kind

1581
01:17:25,120 --> 01:17:28,880
Speaker 1: of feels like an inefficient use of resources. And if

1582
01:17:28,920 --> 01:17:31,240
Speaker 1: I'm Kobe Aldman in the front office, I just would

1583
01:17:31,320 --> 01:17:33,519
Speaker 1: keep my powder dry until the summer where I have

1584
01:17:33,600 --> 01:17:36,519
Speaker 1: a tradable first, you know, like I just I just

1585
01:17:36,560 --> 01:17:39,200
Speaker 1: don't see the clear upgrades here.

1586
01:17:41,120 --> 01:17:43,200
Speaker 2: And the more I look at the rotation too, you

1587
01:17:43,200 --> 01:17:45,000
Speaker 2: start to think about a player coming back in that

1588
01:17:45,080 --> 01:17:47,000
Speaker 2: deal and it's like it's like, okay, what about the

1589
01:17:47,040 --> 01:17:49,280
Speaker 2: backup five? And it's like, actually, I like trying to

1590
01:17:49,280 --> 01:17:51,559
Speaker 2: find more minutes for Evan Mobley at the backup five

1591
01:17:51,680 --> 01:17:54,240
Speaker 2: to carve out more minutes for Dean Wade. It's like, well,

1592
01:17:54,280 --> 01:17:56,880
Speaker 2: what about shot creation. It's like Craig Porter Junior is

1593
01:17:56,920 --> 01:17:59,160
Speaker 2: like an interesting little shot creator that's kind of squeezed

1594
01:17:59,160 --> 01:18:01,000
Speaker 2: from the rotation right now. So like I don't think

1595
01:18:01,000 --> 01:18:02,800
Speaker 2: they have any sort of need there. It's like, oh,

1596
01:18:02,840 --> 01:18:05,120
Speaker 2: what about those minutes is like that kind of swing shooter.

1597
01:18:05,240 --> 01:18:08,400
Speaker 2: It's like between the Extrus and Isaacacoro and and uh

1598
01:18:08,880 --> 01:18:11,000
Speaker 2: in Sam maryl It's like they don't really necessarily have

1599
01:18:11,200 --> 01:18:13,880
Speaker 2: minutes available in that in that position. It's like they're

1600
01:18:13,920 --> 01:18:17,880
Speaker 2: really they really do have a very deep roster in

1601
01:18:17,920 --> 01:18:18,519
Speaker 2: a way that they did.

1602
01:18:18,680 --> 01:18:21,240
Speaker 1: If you could do like a three for one where

1603
01:18:21,280 --> 01:18:25,200
Speaker 1: you could get three solid rotation players for a really

1604
01:18:25,240 --> 01:18:29,840
Speaker 1: really really good one, awesome, But like I don't think

1605
01:18:29,880 --> 01:18:32,640
Speaker 1: the Cavs players have value like that, you know, Like

1606
01:18:33,040 --> 01:18:36,520
Speaker 1: so like you know, sure everyone might like Dean Wade, conceptually,

1607
01:18:36,560 --> 01:18:38,840
Speaker 1: you're not gonna be able to go get like like

1608
01:18:39,000 --> 01:18:42,800
Speaker 1: a B plus starting level four for him in Kars

1609
01:18:42,880 --> 01:18:46,479
Speaker 1: la Verte, you know, so, like it's it just makes

1610
01:18:46,479 --> 01:18:49,040
Speaker 1: sense to figure out what they have. Like my big

1611
01:18:49,080 --> 01:18:52,479
Speaker 1: gripe about last year's postseason, my big gripe about them

1612
01:18:52,520 --> 01:18:56,040
Speaker 1: not making a deal when I thought they should, was

1613
01:18:56,080 --> 01:19:00,000
Speaker 1: that the roster construction was so out of whack because

1614
01:19:00,000 --> 01:19:01,920
Speaker 1: you got to remember that Donovan Mitchell trade was late

1615
01:19:01,960 --> 01:19:04,439
Speaker 1: in the off season, Like their off season was done

1616
01:19:04,600 --> 01:19:06,160
Speaker 1: by the time they made that trade.

1617
01:19:06,560 --> 01:19:10,880
Speaker 2: So like what my gripe with the rest of.

1618
01:19:10,840 --> 01:19:14,800
Speaker 1: The roster in last year's postseason was, it was it

1619
01:19:14,840 --> 01:19:16,519
Speaker 1: was format in a way that made it really hard

1620
01:19:16,560 --> 01:19:19,800
Speaker 1: for me to evaluate the core four, Like was Evan

1621
01:19:19,840 --> 01:19:22,000
Speaker 1: horrible on the short role because Evan's not good enough

1622
01:19:22,000 --> 01:19:23,720
Speaker 1: on the short roll? Or was it because Isaaca o

1623
01:19:23,760 --> 01:19:26,480
Speaker 1: Korro's man was tagging him every time he tried to

1624
01:19:26,479 --> 01:19:29,000
Speaker 1: to drive you know? So, like all I wanted from

1625
01:19:29,040 --> 01:19:32,240
Speaker 1: the Caves off season was to build a roster that

1626
01:19:32,280 --> 01:19:36,679
Speaker 1: allowed me to adequately evaluate how good the Calves core

1627
01:19:36,720 --> 01:19:39,880
Speaker 1: four guys are and how well they play together. I

1628
01:19:39,920 --> 01:19:44,280
Speaker 1: think their roster does that right this second, and until

1629
01:19:44,400 --> 01:19:48,000
Speaker 1: I have that data point in another postseason, I'm just

1630
01:19:48,080 --> 01:19:50,599
Speaker 1: not crazy interested in another wild swim.

1631
01:19:52,680 --> 01:19:54,760
Speaker 2: One D agree with you? All right, I've got I've

1632
01:19:54,800 --> 01:19:57,519
Speaker 2: got three rapid fire questions for you before we get

1633
01:19:57,520 --> 01:20:01,800
Speaker 2: out of here. Question number one, what and if you

1634
01:20:01,800 --> 01:20:04,360
Speaker 2: don't want to use specific player names, you can use archetypes.

1635
01:20:04,880 --> 01:20:08,120
Speaker 2: What do you think the core five man lineup looks

1636
01:20:08,240 --> 01:20:11,200
Speaker 2: like for the Calves in five years, I.

1637
01:20:11,120 --> 01:20:13,559
Speaker 1: Don't know exactly what it looks like, but I'll say

1638
01:20:13,600 --> 01:20:16,879
Speaker 1: what I would like to see. You know, it's funny.

1639
01:20:17,120 --> 01:20:19,240
Speaker 1: Uh this has been a running joke on our podcast,

1640
01:20:19,360 --> 01:20:22,360
Speaker 1: is that at the three I would really like, you know,

1641
01:20:22,479 --> 01:20:25,920
Speaker 1: a big playmaking wing, you know, like a guy like

1642
01:20:26,240 --> 01:20:29,920
Speaker 1: Utah Gordon Hayward or or even Boston Gordon Hayward. You know,

1643
01:20:29,920 --> 01:20:32,160
Speaker 1: maybe a step down, but like a guy who can

1644
01:20:32,240 --> 01:20:34,080
Speaker 1: run a secondary pick and roll, because one of the

1645
01:20:34,080 --> 01:20:37,160
Speaker 1: problems that Calves do have is most they're dribbling comes

1646
01:20:37,160 --> 01:20:40,559
Speaker 1: from guys that are six to one, you know, so

1647
01:20:40,840 --> 01:20:43,320
Speaker 1: so a shooty playmaker, you know, a guy who's like

1648
01:20:43,320 --> 01:20:47,160
Speaker 1: maybe a BB plus at shooting, playmaking and defending. But

1649
01:20:47,200 --> 01:20:49,880
Speaker 1: guess what, everyone wants those guys. They're the hardest guys

1650
01:20:49,880 --> 01:20:53,200
Speaker 1: to get in the whole NBA. So like, you know, like, man,

1651
01:20:53,240 --> 01:20:56,280
Speaker 1: if we can only find a great, big small forward

1652
01:20:56,280 --> 01:20:58,960
Speaker 1: who can shoot and defend, like duh.

1653
01:20:58,479 --> 01:20:59,040
Speaker 2: Who can do it?

1654
01:20:59,200 --> 01:21:02,800
Speaker 1: Like it's such a duh suggestion. I feel stupid making it,

1655
01:21:02,840 --> 01:21:05,439
Speaker 1: but so I always qualify with that. But that's the truth.

1656
01:21:05,479 --> 01:21:08,040
Speaker 1: But that is what I think. But I do think

1657
01:21:08,120 --> 01:21:13,519
Speaker 1: that the other four can work together at an elite level.

1658
01:21:13,840 --> 01:21:16,320
Speaker 1: You know, Jarrett is getting better every year, Evan is

1659
01:21:16,320 --> 01:21:18,600
Speaker 1: going to get better every year. I think Darius is

1660
01:21:18,640 --> 01:21:21,519
Speaker 1: going to get better every year, and Donovan has four

1661
01:21:21,600 --> 01:21:23,439
Speaker 1: or five years of prime in front of him still.

1662
01:21:24,200 --> 01:21:27,519
Speaker 1: So like what I hope is that it looks pretty similar,

1663
01:21:27,640 --> 01:21:30,759
Speaker 1: just with more optimized pieces around it. It's really hard

1664
01:21:30,760 --> 01:21:32,720
Speaker 1: to find those optimized pieces. To ask the great and

1665
01:21:32,720 --> 01:21:35,680
Speaker 1: grind grizzlies who spent eight years looking for the right

1666
01:21:35,720 --> 01:21:39,000
Speaker 1: small forward and never found one. So like, I'm not

1667
01:21:39,040 --> 01:21:40,920
Speaker 1: saying it's easy, but that is what I would like

1668
01:21:41,000 --> 01:21:44,040
Speaker 1: to see from them, because you know, the one thing

1669
01:21:44,080 --> 01:21:47,519
Speaker 1: about a guy like Jarrett that kind of kind of

1670
01:21:47,920 --> 01:21:51,599
Speaker 1: grinds my gears a little bit is he's he's paid

1671
01:21:51,840 --> 01:21:54,080
Speaker 1: like by in three years, he's going to be around

1672
01:21:54,120 --> 01:21:57,160
Speaker 1: the mid level exception for his salary, Like he's on

1673
01:21:57,240 --> 01:21:59,680
Speaker 1: a great deal and he's a guy that is a

1674
01:21:59,680 --> 01:22:02,360
Speaker 1: good dude. You don't need to He's not like he's

1675
01:22:02,360 --> 01:22:03,960
Speaker 1: not at the level where it's like, if we don't

1676
01:22:03,960 --> 01:22:07,599
Speaker 1: play Jarrett, forty minutes were screwed. Like he's a guy

1677
01:22:07,640 --> 01:22:09,880
Speaker 1: who like, and that's what I wanted to see from

1678
01:22:09,880 --> 01:22:11,920
Speaker 1: this offseason was like, hey, if we went into a

1679
01:22:11,960 --> 01:22:15,040
Speaker 1: matchup where the double bigs just aren't working, Like, it

1680
01:22:15,120 --> 01:22:17,120
Speaker 1: shouldn't be the end of the world to have your

1681
01:22:17,439 --> 01:22:20,120
Speaker 1: have a twenty million dollar player only play twenty to

1682
01:22:20,120 --> 01:22:22,600
Speaker 1: twenty five minutes in a postseason series. We see that

1683
01:22:22,720 --> 01:22:25,600
Speaker 1: all the time, you know, Like how different does it

1684
01:22:25,640 --> 01:22:28,360
Speaker 1: look if they can just split the minutes of the five,

1685
01:22:28,479 --> 01:22:31,599
Speaker 1: you know, twenty four to twenty four and Evan plays

1686
01:22:31,640 --> 01:22:34,200
Speaker 1: six more minutes at the four in a certain series.

1687
01:22:34,240 --> 01:22:37,120
Speaker 1: So I think they have a lot more flexibility with

1688
01:22:37,160 --> 01:22:39,720
Speaker 1: that core four than people think they do. And like,

1689
01:22:40,040 --> 01:22:41,960
Speaker 1: I think this idea that all four have to be

1690
01:22:42,120 --> 01:22:44,600
Speaker 1: like forty minutes, be able to play forty minutes in

1691
01:22:44,640 --> 01:22:47,559
Speaker 1: every series against every opponent. I just think it's like

1692
01:22:47,680 --> 01:22:50,439
Speaker 1: it's holding all four of those guys to a standard

1693
01:22:50,520 --> 01:22:53,840
Speaker 1: that no other team's top four guys are held to.

1694
01:22:54,400 --> 01:22:57,400
Speaker 1: You know, like if Michael Porter Junior has has a

1695
01:22:57,439 --> 01:22:59,720
Speaker 1: series that doesn't fit for the Denver, no one's like

1696
01:23:00,040 --> 01:23:02,960
Speaker 1: you gotta blow it up, Like they just go, oh,

1697
01:23:03,000 --> 01:23:05,479
Speaker 1: it's not NBJ series. We'll just see if the next

1698
01:23:05,479 --> 01:23:07,519
Speaker 1: series is serious. And that's kind of the way I

1699
01:23:07,520 --> 01:23:09,080
Speaker 1: feel about a guy like Jared.

1700
01:23:10,920 --> 01:23:14,920
Speaker 2: He he specifically is a player that you have to

1701
01:23:14,960 --> 01:23:17,680
Speaker 2: have on the roster. To your point, even it's like

1702
01:23:17,760 --> 01:23:21,080
Speaker 2: it's like Zubots for the Clippers. It's like, even though

1703
01:23:21,120 --> 01:23:24,320
Speaker 2: you may end up going small in big moments, you

1704
01:23:24,520 --> 01:23:26,479
Speaker 2: need to have a guy like that on the roster

1705
01:23:26,640 --> 01:23:29,720
Speaker 2: that has true imposing size at the five position. Like

1706
01:23:29,960 --> 01:23:32,800
Speaker 2: to me, it's it's like a fundamental part unless you're

1707
01:23:32,920 --> 01:23:35,840
Speaker 2: Draymond Green, like one of the weirdest players of this era.

1708
01:23:36,120 --> 01:23:38,880
Speaker 2: If you go back through NBA history, you win the title,

1709
01:23:39,240 --> 01:23:40,400
Speaker 2: you have a guy like that.

1710
01:23:42,920 --> 01:23:46,240
Speaker 1: Is a big, strong, physical, rugged dude that that does

1711
01:23:46,320 --> 01:23:49,640
Speaker 1: things for the Draymond doesn't do. Andrew Boget was that

1712
01:23:49,720 --> 01:23:52,960
Speaker 1: for them, Like, like you need good players, and Jared

1713
01:23:53,120 --> 01:23:55,760
Speaker 1: is a good player, Jared. Whether or not you think

1714
01:23:55,800 --> 01:23:58,160
Speaker 1: Evan's long term best fit is at the five, which

1715
01:23:58,200 --> 01:24:02,800
Speaker 1: I remain dubious of, by the way, you still still

1716
01:24:02,840 --> 01:24:05,679
Speaker 1: get forty eight minutes of elite rim protection with those

1717
01:24:05,720 --> 01:24:07,920
Speaker 1: two out there, and like not a lot of teams

1718
01:24:07,960 --> 01:24:10,599
Speaker 1: have that in their toolkit. So like, do not count

1719
01:24:10,600 --> 01:24:12,800
Speaker 1: me among Cavs fans who are earnestly trying to figure

1720
01:24:12,800 --> 01:24:15,439
Speaker 1: out how to not have forty eight minutes of elite

1721
01:24:15,479 --> 01:24:18,560
Speaker 1: rim protection and a league where that matters a whole lot.

1722
01:24:19,680 --> 01:24:21,760
Speaker 2: The two things that were recorded that are going to

1723
01:24:21,840 --> 01:24:24,200
Speaker 2: be required to get to that point you're talking about

1724
01:24:24,200 --> 01:24:26,280
Speaker 2: in like three to five years from now, where it's

1725
01:24:26,320 --> 01:24:29,679
Speaker 2: the same group with like a better three man. It's

1726
01:24:29,960 --> 01:24:32,559
Speaker 2: Donovan Mitchell continuing to work as hard as he's working

1727
01:24:32,600 --> 01:24:34,840
Speaker 2: on the details that's gonna be key, and then Evan

1728
01:24:34,880 --> 01:24:37,120
Speaker 2: Mobley's offensive development. Those are going to be the two

1729
01:24:37,160 --> 01:24:38,679
Speaker 2: things to keep an eye on. But I do agree

1730
01:24:38,720 --> 01:24:40,920
Speaker 2: with you that I feel a lot more optimistic about

1731
01:24:40,920 --> 01:24:43,639
Speaker 2: the team construct now than I did one year ago today,

1732
01:24:43,640 --> 01:24:45,360
Speaker 2: which I think is a testament to the hard work

1733
01:24:45,360 --> 01:24:47,960
Speaker 2: of those guys. All Right, I have two fun Lebron

1734
01:24:48,000 --> 01:24:51,200
Speaker 2: related questions before we got out of here. So Lebron

1735
01:24:51,280 --> 01:24:53,840
Speaker 2: was acting all passive aggressive last night. You know, he

1736
01:24:54,200 --> 01:24:56,639
Speaker 2: was about to go off, and then he did go home, Jason,

1737
01:24:58,920 --> 01:25:02,519
Speaker 2: So I'm gonna paint an imaginary scenario for you here

1738
01:25:02,560 --> 01:25:05,040
Speaker 2: where Lebron opts out of his team his player option

1739
01:25:05,120 --> 01:25:08,040
Speaker 2: this summer, and he calls Kobe Altman and he says,

1740
01:25:08,120 --> 01:25:10,599
Speaker 2: I want to come sign a veteran minimum contract in Cleveland.

1741
01:25:10,600 --> 01:25:11,400
Speaker 2: Would you take him.

1742
01:25:11,520 --> 01:25:14,920
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think I think people who's I would, you know,

1743
01:25:15,080 --> 01:25:17,880
Speaker 1: I like and by the way, we got the full

1744
01:25:17,880 --> 01:25:19,920
Speaker 1: med level. We don't have to cut him that much.

1745
01:25:21,600 --> 01:25:24,920
Speaker 1: We're not a team right now. Jason, Yeah, of course

1746
01:25:24,960 --> 01:25:27,760
Speaker 1: I would. I mean, I have you know, I you know,

1747
01:25:27,800 --> 01:25:29,920
Speaker 1: my co host Justin. I think it gets a little

1748
01:25:29,920 --> 01:25:34,160
Speaker 1: grumpier with Lebron's antics, and it finds it more exhausting

1749
01:25:34,240 --> 01:25:36,519
Speaker 1: than I do. I kind of think it's fun. It's

1750
01:25:36,560 --> 01:25:38,679
Speaker 1: kind of silly, you know, Like I joke that feels

1751
01:25:38,680 --> 01:25:40,719
Speaker 1: like almost like a like a coup of your mom's

1752
01:25:40,760 --> 01:25:43,919
Speaker 1: chicken noodle soup. When Lebron's getting a little passive aggressive,

1753
01:25:44,040 --> 01:25:48,559
Speaker 1: like I'm I'm just far enough away emotionally now where

1754
01:25:48,600 --> 01:25:50,439
Speaker 1: I can kind of just like see that for what

1755
01:25:50,520 --> 01:25:56,439
Speaker 1: it is. And the the narrative of, you know, him

1756
01:25:56,479 --> 01:25:58,920
Speaker 1: closing out in Cleveland is always super appealed to me.

1757
01:26:00,400 --> 01:26:04,439
Speaker 1: And also maybe this is this is some Napoleon complex stuff,

1758
01:26:04,760 --> 01:26:08,000
Speaker 1: but isn't it kind of nice the idea that the

1759
01:26:08,000 --> 01:26:11,320
Speaker 1: first two times Lebron was a cavalier, he was coming

1760
01:26:11,360 --> 01:26:16,040
Speaker 1: to save them and as like a present to him

1761
01:26:16,080 --> 01:26:18,960
Speaker 1: on the way out, they can be the safe haven

1762
01:26:19,040 --> 01:26:21,680
Speaker 1: for him you know, they can be the team that

1763
01:26:22,200 --> 01:26:24,080
Speaker 1: is ready made to plug him in and become a

1764
01:26:24,080 --> 01:26:28,120
Speaker 1: title contender and help send him off into the sunset.

1765
01:26:28,520 --> 01:26:31,120
Speaker 1: You know, Like, I think there's something kind of nice

1766
01:26:31,120 --> 01:26:33,880
Speaker 1: about that narratively, Like I care about stories as much

1767
01:26:33,880 --> 01:26:37,720
Speaker 1: as as much as anyone like, And doesn't that just

1768
01:26:37,760 --> 01:26:41,400
Speaker 1: feel like the way it's supposed to end, not just

1769
01:26:41,439 --> 01:26:46,880
Speaker 1: like fading away and you know on unhappy, odd fitting

1770
01:26:46,920 --> 01:26:49,320
Speaker 1: teams in LA I don't know if you know obviously

1771
01:26:49,600 --> 01:26:55,240
Speaker 1: you know, supposed to is probably overstepping. He's an adult

1772
01:26:55,280 --> 01:26:58,280
Speaker 1: with his own wants needs. You know, his kids still

1773
01:26:58,280 --> 01:27:00,360
Speaker 1: in one of his kids is still in heigh cool.

1774
01:27:00,760 --> 01:27:04,439
Speaker 1: You know, maybe like there's a billion reasons he shouldn't,

1775
01:27:04,439 --> 01:27:08,760
Speaker 1: But just as like a basketball narrative, isn't that kind

1776
01:27:08,760 --> 01:27:11,360
Speaker 1: of the coolest story to come back and win one more,

1777
01:27:11,400 --> 01:27:14,200
Speaker 1: but this time as the wise old man, not as

1778
01:27:14,240 --> 01:27:15,400
Speaker 1: the as the savior.

1779
01:27:17,640 --> 01:27:20,720
Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't think he's gonna believe I agree with

1780
01:27:20,800 --> 01:27:23,680
Speaker 2: you for the for those reasons. I but like, and

1781
01:27:23,760 --> 01:27:25,640
Speaker 2: I think this is all classic Lebron, just trying to

1782
01:27:25,680 --> 01:27:28,519
Speaker 2: leverage the front office into being more aggressive. But like

1783
01:27:29,200 --> 01:27:31,680
Speaker 2: it makes a lot of basketball sense about like big

1784
01:27:31,760 --> 01:27:35,920
Speaker 2: play yeah, Like it's like, oh, all they can do

1785
01:27:35,960 --> 01:27:37,200
Speaker 2: is run, pick and roll. They need another way to

1786
01:27:37,280 --> 01:27:39,120
Speaker 2: initiate offense. It's like, oh, well, Lebron's one of the

1787
01:27:39,120 --> 01:27:41,639
Speaker 2: best at that like kind of matchup attacking forward position.

1788
01:27:41,680 --> 01:27:44,679
Speaker 2: It's like, oh, well, Lebron typically can't play the three

1789
01:27:44,720 --> 01:27:46,599
Speaker 2: because he can't chase guys around on the perimeter. It's

1790
01:27:46,600 --> 01:27:48,679
Speaker 2: like I just watched Evan Mobley chase kwhile Leonard around,

1791
01:27:48,880 --> 01:27:51,080
Speaker 2: Like like Evan Mobley can kind of take more of

1792
01:27:51,080 --> 01:27:53,880
Speaker 2: the perimeter oriented assignments at that position. It's like, oh well,

1793
01:27:54,000 --> 01:27:56,360
Speaker 2: they can struggle sometimes against really physical teams on the

1794
01:27:56,400 --> 01:27:58,599
Speaker 2: defensive class. It's like I just watched Lebron grab twenty

1795
01:27:58,680 --> 01:28:01,120
Speaker 2: defensive twenty rebound in a game against the Warriors the

1796
01:28:01,120 --> 01:28:04,600
Speaker 2: other night, Like it is a natural basketball fit. And

1797
01:28:04,600 --> 01:28:07,120
Speaker 2: and to your point, like you know, there's all these

1798
01:28:07,120 --> 01:28:09,280
Speaker 2: other basketball teams that make sense. Like it's he'd be

1799
01:28:09,320 --> 01:28:11,800
Speaker 2: really good in Oklahoma City, he'd be really good in Minnesota.

1800
01:28:11,840 --> 01:28:13,840
Speaker 2: But it's like he would never leave to go to

1801
01:28:13,880 --> 01:28:16,240
Speaker 2: a situation like that. If he was gonna leave, it

1802
01:28:16,280 --> 01:28:18,760
Speaker 2: would be for something like Cleveland. And I love the

1803
01:28:18,760 --> 01:28:21,439
Speaker 2: way you put that in terms of like Lebron came

1804
01:28:21,479 --> 01:28:23,879
Speaker 2: to save Cleveland, so to speak. But what if Cleveland

1805
01:28:23,880 --> 01:28:25,720
Speaker 2: got to save him? You know, that'd be that would be,

1806
01:28:25,800 --> 01:28:30,120
Speaker 2: that would be and I'm sure he'd hate lasting exactly.

1807
01:28:30,479 --> 01:28:34,639
Speaker 2: He'd pushed back that like crazy. Yeah, there's no Yeah,

1808
01:28:34,680 --> 01:28:36,600
Speaker 2: that's exactly what would happened. He would he would he

1809
01:28:36,640 --> 01:28:38,800
Speaker 2: would be gunning for stats in the NBA Finals to

1810
01:28:38,800 --> 01:28:40,840
Speaker 2: make sure he got that Finals MVP. All right, So

1811
01:28:41,720 --> 01:28:44,720
Speaker 2: what is your favorite Lebron moment with the calves that

1812
01:28:44,880 --> 01:28:47,040
Speaker 2: is not the twenty sixteen championship.

1813
01:28:47,320 --> 01:28:49,080
Speaker 1: I think I have to go back to when I

1814
01:28:49,160 --> 01:28:53,320
Speaker 1: was a kid and the you know, the explosion against Detroit,

1815
01:28:53,360 --> 01:28:57,840
Speaker 1: the twenty five straight uh in N seven. You know,

1816
01:28:58,040 --> 01:29:01,559
Speaker 1: I am of the opinion. So I did not grow

1817
01:29:01,640 --> 01:29:06,120
Speaker 1: up in a like a basketball obsessed household because like

1818
01:29:06,160 --> 01:29:09,400
Speaker 1: my dad doesn't really like sports. So like I loved

1819
01:29:09,439 --> 01:29:11,040
Speaker 1: basketball when I was a kid, Don't get me wrong.

1820
01:29:11,080 --> 01:29:13,240
Speaker 1: I watched it with my brother all the time, and

1821
01:29:13,280 --> 01:29:15,640
Speaker 1: we loved it. We loved you know, the Shaq Kobe Lakers.

1822
01:29:15,720 --> 01:29:18,880
Speaker 1: And you know, my first basketball memory is Lebron's I'm sorry,

1823
01:29:18,960 --> 01:29:22,960
Speaker 1: Jordan's last shot against Utah. You know, I was seven

1824
01:29:23,080 --> 01:29:29,200
Speaker 1: or eight years old, but I really strongly believe like

1825
01:29:29,360 --> 01:29:31,639
Speaker 1: you don't actually know what the hell you're watching until

1826
01:29:31,680 --> 01:29:34,800
Speaker 1: you're like sixteen or seventeen. I just think before that,

1827
01:29:34,880 --> 01:29:37,880
Speaker 1: you're just a dumb kid that doesn't really know how

1828
01:29:37,880 --> 01:29:41,040
Speaker 1: to interpret what's going on. So like, I feel like

1829
01:29:41,160 --> 01:29:44,680
Speaker 1: that push against the pistons where he just you know,

1830
01:29:44,760 --> 01:29:47,960
Speaker 1: went absolutely ballistic, was like it was like my basketball

1831
01:29:48,000 --> 01:29:52,639
Speaker 1: bar mitzvah. You know, I became a man watching that

1832
01:29:52,760 --> 01:29:54,960
Speaker 1: and like my obsession with the game. I feel like,

1833
01:29:55,080 --> 01:29:59,240
Speaker 1: win up another notch with that run, and it was

1834
01:29:59,320 --> 01:30:01,680
Speaker 1: just so fun. It was like it was like the

1835
01:30:02,760 --> 01:30:06,439
Speaker 1: first time I watched basketball majesty and had the frame

1836
01:30:06,520 --> 01:30:10,120
Speaker 1: of reference to understand it, you know, and really contextualize it.

1837
01:30:10,200 --> 01:30:12,360
Speaker 1: So that's got to be my favorite because you know,

1838
01:30:12,720 --> 01:30:15,600
Speaker 1: I remember exactly where I was. I remember calling my

1839
01:30:15,680 --> 01:30:18,280
Speaker 1: mom into the room to watch, like it was like

1840
01:30:18,320 --> 01:30:20,639
Speaker 1: a whole thing. So yeah, that's got to be my pick.

1841
01:30:22,240 --> 01:30:25,759
Speaker 2: I remember, like because that came at a much younger

1842
01:30:25,800 --> 01:30:27,920
Speaker 2: point in my life too, and I was just so

1843
01:30:28,000 --> 01:30:31,679
Speaker 2: much more emotional as a fan, Like I vividly remember

1844
01:30:31,800 --> 01:30:35,360
Speaker 2: Donielle Marshall missing the corner three and being completely devastated

1845
01:30:35,479 --> 01:30:38,200
Speaker 2: in game one, and then I vividly remember the news

1846
01:30:38,280 --> 01:30:40,880
Speaker 2: cycle about him passing out of the final shot, and

1847
01:30:40,880 --> 01:30:43,000
Speaker 2: then I vividly remember in game two when he drove

1848
01:30:43,040 --> 01:30:45,360
Speaker 2: down the lane and got fouled like three times on

1849
01:30:45,400 --> 01:30:47,479
Speaker 2: his way to on his way to the basket, and

1850
01:30:47,520 --> 01:30:50,719
Speaker 2: that being the whole thing. I remember in game three

1851
01:30:50,760 --> 01:30:53,960
Speaker 2: and four, like just the unbelievable momentum plays he made

1852
01:30:54,000 --> 01:30:56,640
Speaker 2: at home as they tied the series, and then I

1853
01:30:56,680 --> 01:30:59,400
Speaker 2: remember even game six, after the after Game five, when

1854
01:30:59,439 --> 01:31:01,800
Speaker 2: he was kind off and Daniel Gibson went off and

1855
01:31:02,080 --> 01:31:05,400
Speaker 2: they it was just like that whole series as a

1856
01:31:05,560 --> 01:31:07,880
Speaker 2: you know, it's funny because I'm sure you feel this

1857
01:31:07,920 --> 01:31:09,800
Speaker 2: way too, where like as we've become older, we've almost

1858
01:31:09,840 --> 01:31:11,600
Speaker 2: become jaded to the point where we're like we we

1859
01:31:11,640 --> 01:31:15,639
Speaker 2: almost underreact to everything, which is which is so much

1860
01:31:15,680 --> 01:31:17,719
Speaker 2: more boring than what it was like when we were kids.

1861
01:31:17,720 --> 01:31:20,759
Speaker 2: But dude, I remember, yeah, I remember those those Calves

1862
01:31:20,800 --> 01:31:24,240
Speaker 2: playoff runs as just being so such an emotional roller coaster,

1863
01:31:24,400 --> 01:31:27,160
Speaker 2: and like even some of the bad ones, like the

1864
01:31:27,160 --> 01:31:30,720
Speaker 2: the twenty ten run, it's like right before he was

1865
01:31:30,800 --> 01:31:33,519
Speaker 2: so bad and at the end of that series, remember

1866
01:31:33,560 --> 01:31:35,880
Speaker 2: Game three when he went in when it was one

1867
01:31:35,880 --> 01:31:39,200
Speaker 2: to one and he just completely obliterated them in Boston,

1868
01:31:39,280 --> 01:31:42,680
Speaker 2: like it just yeah, it's crazy, my my, Like foundational

1869
01:31:42,760 --> 01:31:45,759
Speaker 2: basketball moments as a fan are all like Lebron James

1870
01:31:45,760 --> 01:31:47,799
Speaker 2: playoff runs makes sense, it's.

1871
01:31:47,600 --> 01:31:49,920
Speaker 1: Crazy with like that's part of the reason like why

1872
01:31:50,040 --> 01:31:53,160
Speaker 1: I think anyone who says they don't want him back,

1873
01:31:53,280 --> 01:31:56,720
Speaker 1: I just don't believe them, because, like I just think

1874
01:31:56,720 --> 01:31:59,559
Speaker 1: he's kind of hard coded, especially for Cavs fans, like

1875
01:31:59,600 --> 01:32:02,640
Speaker 1: into our basketball DNA for good or for better. I

1876
01:32:02,720 --> 01:32:05,360
Speaker 1: mean I remember that first year he was in Miami

1877
01:32:05,439 --> 01:32:08,200
Speaker 1: and there was a big like running bit online calves

1878
01:32:08,280 --> 01:32:11,920
Speaker 1: for MAVs like, oh, let me tell you something, Jason.

1879
01:32:12,200 --> 01:32:17,360
Speaker 1: I have deleted so many humiliating Facebook statuses complaining about

1880
01:32:17,400 --> 01:32:20,160
Speaker 1: Lebron during the Miami era because you know, you get

1881
01:32:20,160 --> 01:32:24,200
Speaker 1: the memories and I'll see some like Lebron, this guy sucks,

1882
01:32:24,479 --> 01:32:26,000
Speaker 1: you know, like it was just such a like, you know,

1883
01:32:26,280 --> 01:32:29,360
Speaker 1: just like just a dumb kid angry. It's angry that

1884
01:32:29,479 --> 01:32:32,120
Speaker 1: you know, my basketball hero left me so like, you know,

1885
01:32:32,280 --> 01:32:34,880
Speaker 1: like he's just been such an important part of this

1886
01:32:34,880 --> 01:32:37,160
Speaker 1: this uh, this era of NBA history, and so anyone

1887
01:32:37,160 --> 01:32:39,360
Speaker 1: who's you know, my age, maybe a little bit older,

1888
01:32:39,360 --> 01:32:42,760
Speaker 1: a little bit younger, Like like he's been kind of

1889
01:32:42,920 --> 01:32:44,519
Speaker 1: at the core of it, so of course it's going

1890
01:32:44,560 --> 01:32:47,320
Speaker 1: to be interesting every time, you know, like he gets

1891
01:32:47,360 --> 01:32:49,559
Speaker 1: passive aggressive. Of course, people in my dms are like

1892
01:32:49,960 --> 01:32:52,800
Speaker 1: low return, you know, like it's just going to be

1893
01:32:52,840 --> 01:32:54,439
Speaker 1: part of it, and like that's kind of part of

1894
01:32:54,479 --> 01:32:56,320
Speaker 1: the fun. I don't expect it to ever happen, but

1895
01:32:56,439 --> 01:32:59,120
Speaker 1: like he's you know, I think he's the best player

1896
01:32:59,120 --> 01:33:01,639
Speaker 1: of all time, and like it's been really really fun

1897
01:33:01,680 --> 01:33:05,240
Speaker 1: to root for him root against him. He's never boring

1898
01:33:05,439 --> 01:33:09,200
Speaker 1: and that's what I think is really funny about him.

1899
01:33:09,680 --> 01:33:12,680
Speaker 1: And it's cool that the Calves ever bright future regardless

1900
01:33:13,240 --> 01:33:16,360
Speaker 1: with that decision. M M all right, Carter, can you

1901
01:33:16,400 --> 01:33:18,200
Speaker 1: tell us about where we can find your stuff? Yeah,

1902
01:33:18,240 --> 01:33:21,719
Speaker 1: you can find me at Carter Underscore Shade on Twitter

1903
01:33:21,760 --> 01:33:25,960
Speaker 1: dot com, slash x or whatever. And you can follow

1904
01:33:26,120 --> 01:33:31,080
Speaker 1: our podcast at Chase Down Pod on the same site.

1905
01:33:31,840 --> 01:33:34,799
Speaker 1: You can we live stream after a lot of games.

1906
01:33:35,040 --> 01:33:38,120
Speaker 1: All of our pods are on the Calves official YouTube channel,

1907
01:33:38,200 --> 01:33:41,200
Speaker 1: so go ahead and check us out there. And and yeah,

1908
01:33:41,240 --> 01:33:44,080
Speaker 1: of course subscribe to the pod on whatever platform you prefer.

1909
01:33:46,160 --> 01:33:48,599
Speaker 2: Yeah, Carter and Justin do amazing work covering the calves. Carter,

1910
01:33:48,640 --> 01:33:50,840
Speaker 2: I sincerely appreciate you taking the time out of your day.

1911
01:33:50,880 --> 01:33:52,439
Speaker 2: I know how busy you are, and I appreciate you

1912
01:33:52,479 --> 01:33:54,360
Speaker 2: making this happen for us. This was a ton of fun.

1913
01:33:54,640 --> 01:33:56,120
Speaker 2: We're gonna have to have you on again sometimes A.

1914
01:33:56,400 --> 01:33:57,960
Speaker 1: Thank you so much for the time and I had

1915
01:33:57,960 --> 01:34:27,240
Speaker 1: a blast. Man, the volume