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Speaker 1: to hoop tonight here at the vall you have he

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Speaker 1: was to everybody of ball. If you guys are having

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Speaker 1: a great week, we have a jam pack show for

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Speaker 1: you today, we're gonna be covering our bragging rights champ

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Speaker 1: of the year, the individual NBA player that had the

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Speaker 1: best season, the guy that should feel as though he's

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Speaker 1: on the mountaintop based on what he accomplished last year.

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Speaker 1: After that, he got a bunch of good mail, bad

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Speaker 1: questions from you. Guys are gonna be bouncing all around

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Speaker 1: the league talking about a bunch of interesting stuff, tweaking

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Speaker 1: the end of the week schedule. I don't know if

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Speaker 1: I was hallucinating or what the deal was, but I

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Speaker 1: had mentioned that we might be covering the GM survey

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Speaker 1: on Friday, and that doesn't come out till October, So

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Speaker 1: clearly I don't know what I had seen. I could

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Speaker 1: have sworn I like was scrolling and i'd seen something

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Speaker 1: talking about it, and clearly I didn't actually see that.

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Speaker 1: So obviously I can't cover the GM survey on Friday

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Speaker 1: because there is no GM survey, not for another month.

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Speaker 1: So what we're gonna do at the tail end of

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Speaker 1: this week before we head into our series our season

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Speaker 1: previews next year or next week? I should say, Tonight,

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Speaker 1: Wednesday night, we're gonna be covering the WNBA matchup between

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Speaker 1: the Las Vegas aces in the Indiana Fever, so Asia

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Speaker 1: Wilson versus Caitlin Clark gonna be a lot of fun,

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Speaker 1: big time game. We're gonna be breaking it down on

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Speaker 1: YouTube right after the game later this week. I wanted

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Speaker 1: to take some time to do a video breakdown on

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Speaker 1: the specific things that has made Caitlin Clark such a

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Speaker 1: devastating offensive player. She now leads the WNBA in total

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Speaker 1: assists by a pretty wide margin. She is leading the

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Speaker 1: best offense in the WNBA over the last ten games.

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Speaker 1: A lot of really really exciting stuff coming out of Indiana,

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Speaker 1: So I want to spend some time talking about the

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Speaker 1: basketball of what has made Caitlin so good. So that's

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Speaker 1: going to be what we're doing at the tail end

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Speaker 1: of this week and then starting next week on Monday,

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Speaker 1: that's where we're going to kick it into high gear

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Speaker 1: with our season previews power ranking style, kind of working

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Speaker 1: our way through the NBA hierarchy while also taking some

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Speaker 1: time to get into the weeds and see how those

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Speaker 1: teams are going to play this season. You guys are

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Speaker 1: the Joe before we get started, and subscribe to Oops

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Speaker 1: Tonight YouTube channel so you don't miss any more of

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Speaker 1: our videos. Follow me on Twitter at underscore JSNLTS. You guys,

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Speaker 1: don't misshow announcements. Don't forget about O podcast feed wherever

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Speaker 1: you eatch podcast on Hoops tonight, don't forget it is

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Speaker 1: helpful for us if you leave your rating and review

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Speaker 1: on that front. And last, not least, keep dropping mail

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Speaker 1: back questions in those YouTube comments and we can keep

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Speaker 1: hitting them throughout the rest of the fall. And then

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Speaker 1: really quickly before we get started, I want to talk

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Speaker 1: to you guys about game time. You know how live

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Speaker 1: events are. There's nothing quite like being in the arena.

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Speaker 1: It's crazy. I'm a huge Dead and Company fan. I've

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Speaker 1: loved that music for a long time. John Mayer, I

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Speaker 1: think is the best guitarist of this particular era, maybe

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Speaker 1: of all time. And I've always enjoyed their music. But

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Speaker 1: then like going to see them at the Sphere was

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Speaker 1: quite possibly the coolest single night experience of my life.

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Speaker 1: It was such a great time. There's nothing quite like it.

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Speaker 1: Then there's like the Arizona Diamondbacks. It looks like they're

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Speaker 1: gonna get in the playoffs again this year. They're in

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Speaker 1: a little bit of a race. There are two games

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Speaker 1: up of the being out of the Wildcard. They're in

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Speaker 1: a little bit of a race at the Atlanta Braves

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Speaker 1: and the New York Mets if I remember correctly. But

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Speaker 1: I really enjoyed that playoff ron last year, and so

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Speaker 1: I might try to hop up to Phoenix to see

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Speaker 1: a playoff game, but there's just nothing quite like being

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Speaker 1: actually in the arena and this is where game time

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Speaker 1: comes to the surface. They're my personal favorite ticketing app.

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Speaker 1: I've had amazing experiences with them this year. They were

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Speaker 1: the ones who hooked me up when I went to

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Speaker 1: go see this Spear got an amazing deal and a

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Speaker 1: last minute thing when I had some family in Vegas

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Speaker 1: and I just was like on the day of, I

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Speaker 1: was like, I want to go, and I was able

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Speaker 1: to find a great deal with their flash deals, which

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Speaker 1: is one of their awesome features that they have. It's

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Speaker 1: You know exactly what you're paying before you go to

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Speaker 1: check out, and you get a view of your seat

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Speaker 1: within the apps. You know exactly what you're paying for

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Speaker 1: with your money. Also, game Time is introducing game Time

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Speaker 1: hops for twenty dollars off. Download game Time today. What

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Speaker 1: time is it? Game Time? All right, let's talk some basketball.

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Speaker 1: So obviously I take the player ranking side of things

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Speaker 1: very seriously. It's interesting because I don't think it matters

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Speaker 1: quite as much as it used to. Basketball is a

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Speaker 1: sport that, compared to other professional sports, team sports, is

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Speaker 1: very dependent on your best player. There's more impact on

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Speaker 1: the win and loss from that best player than you

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Speaker 1: see in other sports. But I actually think that's starting

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Speaker 1: to not cease to be the case, but it's being

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Speaker 1: the case less so than it used to. And the

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Speaker 1: main reason why I think that is is just defenses

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Speaker 1: are so much better than they used to be. They're

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Speaker 1: so athletic, they cover so much ground that it's easier

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Speaker 1: than ever to get the ball out of your star's hands.

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Speaker 1: And then it becomes so much more important for you

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Speaker 1: have guys off the ball that can capitalize on that

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Speaker 1: attention and specifically dribble shooting pass, which is something that

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Speaker 1: off ball players in NBA history have been less talented with,

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Speaker 1: and I think it's been really interesting. I think the

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Speaker 1: Tatum with the Celtics is a great example of this. Like,

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Speaker 1: if you go back through NBA history, it's like the

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Speaker 1: twenty twenty three Championship, Jokic, Best player in the World,

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Speaker 1: T two, Steph first or second best player in the world,

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Speaker 1: Giannis and twenty twenty one best player in the world, right,

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Speaker 1: twenty twenty Lebron best player in the world, twenty nineteen Kwhi,

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Speaker 1: you know, second, third best player in the world kd

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Speaker 1: in twenty eighteen second best player in the world second

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Speaker 1: or third seventeen Kdi second or third Lebron and sixteen

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Speaker 1: best player in the world Steph and fifteen you know,

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Speaker 1: second best player in the world. Like it's usually like

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Speaker 1: one of the absolute top tier guys that leads his

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Speaker 1: team to the title. And I think it was really

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Speaker 1: fascinating to watch the Celtics not just win, but win

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Speaker 1: convincingly while having a legitimate top ten player, but not

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Speaker 1: a guy that we think is on the same level

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Speaker 1: as the guys at the very top of the league, right,

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Speaker 1: And I think that's really fascinating. And it's because of

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Speaker 1: that more team oriented path to success in modern NBA basketball,

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Speaker 1: with spacing and driving and kicking and capitalizing on attention

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Speaker 1: that is drawn by the primary action at the beginning

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Speaker 1: of the possession, right. And so obviously it's not as

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Speaker 1: big of a deal as it used to be. That said,

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Speaker 1: having the best player still matters a great deal. I

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Speaker 1: thought Ka in particular, at least in the Western Conference,

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Speaker 1: flex those muscles to help push his team from series

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Speaker 1: to series, and so we and he made it to

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Speaker 1: the finals, got about as close as you can get

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Speaker 1: to winning, right, three wins away from getting the actual

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Speaker 1: AREO B. And so even though the league is trending

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Speaker 1: a little bit away from the idea of like the

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Speaker 1: best player mattering that much, I still think it matters

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Speaker 1: quite a bit. And so player rankings are a fun

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Speaker 1: way for us to kind of discuss that over the summer,

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Speaker 1: and it's something that I've always cared about quite a bit,

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Speaker 1: especially going back to when I was a kid. I

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Speaker 1: used to argue about this stuff all the time with

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Speaker 1: my teammates when I was in college, you know, just

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Speaker 1: shooting the shit on the sidelines while we're taking our

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Speaker 1: shoes off, or while we're on the bus or on

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Speaker 1: the way to dinner or something like that, you know

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Speaker 1: how it goes like. It's always been something that I've

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Speaker 1: been a fan of, and so I take it very seriously.

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Speaker 1: And my criteria this year was a little different, and

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Speaker 1: as I was trying to find a criteria that made

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Speaker 1: the most sense within the context of what the NBA

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Speaker 1: actually demands from its superstars, right, and so what I

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Speaker 1: settled on was the idea of like a draft that

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Speaker 1: would take place in a kind of like in a vacuum.

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Speaker 1: Everyone's starting from scratch, but you need players to lead

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Speaker 1: you from October to June. That was the best way

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Speaker 1: that I thought I could quantify what we would actually

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Speaker 1: need from a player for this coming NBA season. But

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Speaker 1: as we know, there are other ways to look at it. Right.

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Speaker 1: There's the what if we had a game tomorrow, Like,

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Speaker 1: who are you picking to lead you in that sort

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Speaker 1: of situation. I still the same top two in that

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Speaker 1: situation with Jokic and then with Luca. But like all

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Speaker 1: of a sudden, I'm gonna have guys like Lebron shoot

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Speaker 1: up that list. Guys like Steph are going to shoot

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Speaker 1: up that list. Guys A KD You're going to shoot

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Speaker 1: up that list, right, Guys A Kawi are gonna shoot

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Speaker 1: up that list. You know, guys that aren't necessarily work

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Speaker 1: courses for the regular season the way they used to,

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Speaker 1: but guys that are still you know, alpha dog type

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Speaker 1: of talents in a smaller sample size. Right. But I

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Speaker 1: actually last year used a different criteria than either of those.

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Speaker 1: I used the bragging rights method, essentially the idea that

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Speaker 1: this is a list to demonstrate what actually happened on

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Speaker 1: the court, like how these players actually performed when all

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Speaker 1: the stakes were, you know, what they were in that

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Speaker 1: specific season. And I got a lot of pushback, right,

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Speaker 1: Like I had Luca way down at ten because he

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Speaker 1: missed the playoffs. You know, the way that that list

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Speaker 1: kind of worked out, I ended up having a whole

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Speaker 1: other list of complaints, right, And so we went away

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Speaker 1: from that method this year. That's it. I still think

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Speaker 1: it matters, right, Like, why do we play the games.

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Speaker 1: We play the games because you're trying to win. You're

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Speaker 1: trying to hoist Larry O'Brien trophy, right, And the best

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Speaker 1: player in the league doesn't always win, but he usually

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Speaker 1: gets pretty close. And so what I wanted to do

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Speaker 1: is just shout out the player that I thought had

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Speaker 1: the bragging rights for this particular season. So basically what

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Speaker 1: this means, this is the singular NBA player that I

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Speaker 1: think had the best season this last year, from start

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Speaker 1: to finish, including the postseason, including the quality of competition,

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Speaker 1: who you played against, all the different things that are

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Speaker 1: wrapped up into that specific context. Now, last year, I

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Speaker 1: thought it was the same guy who would have been

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Speaker 1: the best in all the lists, which was Nikola Jokic, right,

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Speaker 1: But Nicola Jokic got eliminated in the second round. This year,

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Speaker 1: struggled to knock down jump shots, had a pretty rough

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Speaker 1: defensive series, not his best moment. I didn't think he

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Speaker 1: had the best season from start to finish. The player

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Speaker 1: that I picked as the bragging rights champ for this

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Speaker 1: season was Luka Doncic. Here's a list of his accomplishments

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Speaker 1: just from this season. He won the scoring title, averaging

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Speaker 1: thirty three point nine points per game. He was the

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Speaker 1: most efficient high volume pull up jump shooter last year

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Speaker 1: in the NBA among players who attempted at least five

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Speaker 1: hundred pull up jump shots. He made First Team All NBA.

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Speaker 1: He was third in MVP voting, made the All Star Team.

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Speaker 1: He had a seventy three point game, he had another

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Speaker 1: fifty point game. He had thirteen to forty point games.

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Speaker 1: He had eight games with at least fifteen assists, and

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Speaker 1: as we know, in the postseason, he ended up taking

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Speaker 1: his team all the way to the NBA Finals. And

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Speaker 1: I thought he had the biggest moment, like the coolest

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Speaker 1: individual singular moment of any NBA player this season. I

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Speaker 1: thought was Luka Doncics' game winner over Rudy Gobert in

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Speaker 1: Game two of the Western Conference Finals. Nasty series of

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Speaker 1: dribble combinations that baited Rudy into over playing a drive

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Speaker 1: to Luca's right hand side, so that Luca was able

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Speaker 1: to get some separation on a step back going to

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Speaker 1: his right knock down the shot. And it was crazy

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Speaker 1: because in the wild part was in the moment. Every

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Speaker 1: one of us who was watching that game knew that

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Speaker 1: that was going in the minute Luca got the switch.

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Speaker 1: It just kind of felt inevitable. It was kind of

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Speaker 1: like the pathway of that series too, Like Minnesota was

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Speaker 1: keeping the games close, but it just felt like Dallas

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Speaker 1: was the better team, and Luca really stamped that with

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Speaker 1: that game winner. But there's here's like that still just

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Speaker 1: barely scratches the surface. I just wanted to shout out

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Speaker 1: another I've got another half dozen crazy stats for you

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Speaker 1: guys to demonstrate just how good Luka Doncic was. This year,

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Speaker 1: the MAVs were eleven point nine points per one hundred

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Speaker 1: possessions better with him on the floor versus off the floor.

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Speaker 1: That number went up to seventeen point four points per

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Speaker 1: one hundred possessions in the postseason. Lucas scored one hundred

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Speaker 1: and forty eight more points than any other player in

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Speaker 1: the NBA playoffs. The second place on the list was

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Speaker 1: actually Kyrie Irving. Interestingly enough, Luca had twenty four more

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Speaker 1: rebounds than any other player in the NBA playoffs. Luke

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Speaker 1: had fifty five more assists than any other player in

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Speaker 1: the NBA playoffs. He had by far more points, rebounds,

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Speaker 1: and assists than any player in the NBA Playoffs. He

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Speaker 1: had seventeen more steals than any player in the NBA Playoffs.

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Speaker 1: Some really good off ball work from him last year

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Speaker 1: in the postseason. He scored in pick and roll thirty

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Speaker 1: four more times than any other player in the NBA Playoffs.

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Speaker 1: He scored in ISO four more times than any other

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Speaker 1: player in the NBA Playoffs. Once again, Kyrie Irving was

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Speaker 1: second place in that list. Just an unbelievable year from

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Speaker 1: an unbelievable player in Luka Doncic. It was really cool

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Speaker 1: to watch him lift a defensive minded roster with some

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Speaker 1: limited offensive players aside from Kyrie Irving obviously, to all

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Speaker 1: the way through that brutal Western Conference. Just ran into

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Speaker 1: a really bad matchup against the Boston Celtics in the finals.

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Speaker 1: And Boston, by the way, like I thought, they were

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Speaker 1: better than everyone in the league except for Denver, and

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Speaker 1: so it just was a really tough matchup. I actually

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Speaker 1: predicted that Boston would blow them out multiple times in

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Speaker 1: that series and ended up being what happened. It's just

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Speaker 1: kind of a tough matchup. It's it's kind of interesting

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Speaker 1: how that works, Like, like Minnesota, all these centers, they

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Speaker 1: give Jokic all these issues, right, then they run into

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Speaker 1: Dallas and it's like Minnesota's pimeter defenders are too thin,

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Speaker 1: so Luca just bullies them and they easily dispatch of Minnesota.

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Speaker 1: Then you go to the finals and it's like Boston

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Speaker 1: is a roster that's thin on the front line, but

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Speaker 1: really strong in perimeter defense. And so it's like, all

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Speaker 1: of a sudden, all these big bodied perimeter defenders that

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Speaker 1: can deal with kind of Luca's bullyball attack and ended

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Speaker 1: up being a tough matchup for Luca, and that would

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Speaker 1: have been a better matchup for Jokic, right, And that's

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Speaker 1: kind of the interesting part of the way basketball works,

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Speaker 1: Like we always think about who's the best team and

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Speaker 1: who's going to win, but more often than not, it

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Speaker 1: comes down to matchups. It kind of goes back to

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Speaker 1: my rant at the beginning of the show, Like I

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Speaker 1: just as I've learned more about the game and learned

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Speaker 1: more about the way NBA offenses and defenses work, I've

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Speaker 1: just become more and more aware of the fact that,

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Speaker 1: like it's not as straightforward as just add up your

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Speaker 1: parts and seeing whether or not that can carry you

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Speaker 1: all the way to mid June. It's really about like

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Speaker 1: matchup versatility. How vulnerable are you to certain types of teams,

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Speaker 1: Because if you've got to beat four of them, inevitably

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Speaker 1: you're going to run into a team that can attack

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Speaker 1: your specific weakness and you've got to have the ability

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Speaker 1: to overcome it. And so it was a really fascinating

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Speaker 1: type of postseason. But in spite of that, I thought

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Speaker 1: that Luca was by far the best individual performer of

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Speaker 1: last season, and I think he deserves the bragging rights

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Speaker 1: title for this particular NBA offseason. Let's get to our mailbank.

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Speaker 1: So our first question from my guy NMZ, who does

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Speaker 1: really great work covering the league on Twitter. If you

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Speaker 1: guys haven't followed him, I recommend you do. With two

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Speaker 1: thirds of the league qualifying for some form of postseason play,

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Speaker 1: is it also time to abolish conferences for seeding Some

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Speaker 1: playoffs series will be tougher logistically, but one could argue

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Speaker 1: that thirteen of the best twenty teams are out West,

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Speaker 1: and as fans, we want to see more of the

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Speaker 1: best teams complete compete. Yeah. I was looking at the

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Speaker 1: standings earlier today and as I was looking at it.

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Speaker 1: It's crazy because there's legitimately thirteen teams that are going

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Speaker 1: to be trying to make the playoffs out West, and

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Speaker 1: the one team that's kind of weird in there is

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Speaker 1: San Antonio. But like, and do I think San Antonio

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Speaker 1: is going to be like a top four seed or anything. No,

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Speaker 1: absolutely not, but like I think they are going to

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Speaker 1: be kind of in the mix and the play in

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Speaker 1: just simply because Victor wemen Yama is one of the

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Speaker 1: most profoundly impactful young basketball players that we have in

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Speaker 1: the league, and you finally gave him a really high

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Speaker 1: level ball handler in a role that's primarily going to

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Speaker 1: serve to set Victor up. And when you come find

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Speaker 1: that with probably an increase in his minutes and just

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Speaker 1: the sheer frequency that he plays. And I shared a

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Speaker 1: stat with you guys when we were talking about player rankings,

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Speaker 1: and I don't have it off the top of my head,

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Speaker 1: so I don't want to butcher it. But over the

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Speaker 1: final portion of the season, I can't remember exactly the

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Speaker 1: number of games, but like, it was crazy. They were

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Speaker 1: getting their butts kicked with Wemby off the floor, and

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Speaker 1: they were positive with Wemby on the floor over a

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Speaker 1: pretty substantial sample size towards the tail end of the season,

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Speaker 1: which just goes to show you what he's capable of overcoming.

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Speaker 1: And he's going to be surrounded by even more talent

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Speaker 1: in this particular season. Don't forget Harrison Barnes is just

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Speaker 1: a really good veteran player that they've added to the mix.

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Speaker 1: That's going to be a really really interesting team. And so, honestly, like,

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Speaker 1: if you think about it, that's thirteen teams, and three

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Speaker 1: of them are just going to miss the playoffs entirely.

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Speaker 1: Five of them are going to miss the eight team field,

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Speaker 1: and that kind of sucks when we go over to

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Speaker 1: the Eastern Conference and in all likelihood we're going to

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Speaker 1: have multiple play in teams that are just bad and

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Speaker 1: very likely a bad team that gets into the late

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Speaker 1: And so I absolutely do think that it would be

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Speaker 1: better for the league in the long run if they

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Speaker 1: just got rid of the conferences and found some way

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Speaker 1: to do. You could figure out a way with the schedule.

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Speaker 1: You could read configured divisions and have it so that

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Speaker 1: you play, you know, four times each against these divisions,

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Speaker 1: but then three times in your division, but then three

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Speaker 1: times against everyone else or whatever the specific workings of

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Speaker 1: it would be. But if you did something like that,

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Speaker 1: I'm not concerned about the travel. The increase in the

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Speaker 1: quality of care that these players get in terms of

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Speaker 1: private jets and the type of physical training that they get,

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Speaker 1: I don't think the flights would be an issue. I

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Speaker 1: think it'd be really fun to see more cross conference matchups.

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Speaker 1: Like I think it'd be great to have three or

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Speaker 1: four Celtics Lakers games a year instead of just two, right,

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Speaker 1: you know, like that sort of thing. Like I think

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Speaker 1: that there's a lot of really good basketball that can

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Speaker 1: be brought out of that, And then I think it

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Speaker 1: just be better for seeding. Like it really sucked last

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Speaker 1: year that when we went into the playoffs, it was

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Speaker 1: like four blood bats series in the Western Conference and

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Speaker 1: then like like a bunch of dog shit in the

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Speaker 1: first round in the Eastern Conference, as every team was

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Speaker 1: you know, with exception of that Calves Magic series. It

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Speaker 1: just was a lot of like like kind of funky matchups.

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Speaker 1: So like even the Indiana Milwaukee series, which would have

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Speaker 1: been entertaining, was bad because of Gianni's being out. But

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Speaker 1: like in that case, you have multiple you had two

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Speaker 1: really bad first round series out in the Eastern Conference,

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Speaker 1: and that's just that's just that's not that's not a

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Speaker 1: good television product, right, And so I think it'd be

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Speaker 1: better and there'd be more parody if you had it

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Speaker 1: set up with more of a uh more of a

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Speaker 1: balanced approach to the bracketing in the postseason. That said,

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Speaker 1: I just don't think it's going to happen. I don't

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Speaker 1: think the league is going to make that change. I

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Speaker 1: think it's logistically pretty tough. Beyond even the travel, it's

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Speaker 1: just a reorganization of the league that can be extremely complicated,

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Speaker 1: and there's I would imagine people in the league office

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Speaker 1: just think that over time, with the talent influx, that

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Speaker 1: the Eastern Conference will balance out, the Western Conference will

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Speaker 1: balance out. I would disagree with that just simply because

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Speaker 1: I mean, I saw this chart the other day on Instagram.

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Speaker 1: Was kind of crazy. It was like showing all like

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Speaker 1: the total number of like good weather days around the

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Speaker 1: United States. Some of you guys might have seen this

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Speaker 1: on Instagram, but like it was like they were like

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Speaker 1: kind of a darker blue purple when they had like

431
00:20:10,359 --> 00:20:12,480
Speaker 1: lesser days that were good weather. And then it was

432
00:20:12,480 --> 00:20:14,159
Speaker 1: like the orange and red color when it was like

433
00:20:14,280 --> 00:20:16,359
Speaker 1: more days with good weather and it was like between

434
00:20:16,400 --> 00:20:18,879
Speaker 1: sixty degrees and eighty five degrees with like within a

435
00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:22,800
Speaker 1: certain range of humidity, and like, by the way, Tucson

436
00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:25,760
Speaker 1: was one of the where I live here in Tucson

437
00:20:25,920 --> 00:20:29,200
Speaker 1: was one of a few places outside of California that

438
00:20:29,280 --> 00:20:31,440
Speaker 1: had two hundred plus days of good weather. I've always

439
00:20:31,480 --> 00:20:32,720
Speaker 1: been a big Tucson fan. I thought that was a

440
00:20:32,720 --> 00:20:36,439
Speaker 1: cool moment. But California is where all the good weather is.

441
00:20:36,520 --> 00:20:38,200
Speaker 1: It was crazy to see the map. It literally looked

442
00:20:38,200 --> 00:20:40,040
Speaker 1: like a bunch of red and orange along the California

443
00:20:40,119 --> 00:20:41,800
Speaker 1: coast and then just a bunch of purple and blue

444
00:20:41,840 --> 00:20:44,640
Speaker 1: everywhere else, because it's either hot as shit here, cold

445
00:20:44,680 --> 00:20:47,000
Speaker 1: at shit there, rains all the time here, you know,

446
00:20:47,320 --> 00:20:50,080
Speaker 1: human as hell there. Like it's like all these people

447
00:20:50,200 --> 00:20:52,399
Speaker 1: that play in the NBA, they start making money. I

448
00:20:52,440 --> 00:20:54,399
Speaker 1: don't blame them for wanting to move to California. I

449
00:20:54,400 --> 00:20:55,960
Speaker 1: don't blame them for wanting to get out to the

450
00:20:55,960 --> 00:20:57,880
Speaker 1: West coast where the weather's just better and a little

451
00:20:57,880 --> 00:21:00,679
Speaker 1: bit more consistently good. And so I don't see a

452
00:21:00,800 --> 00:21:04,320
Speaker 1: universe where like the Eastern Conference balances with the West

453
00:21:04,359 --> 00:21:06,720
Speaker 1: my entire lifetime. It's been like this the entire time

454
00:21:06,800 --> 00:21:09,760
Speaker 1: I've been following the NBA, It's been like this. The

455
00:21:10,280 --> 00:21:12,359
Speaker 1: East will have phases where the top of the East

456
00:21:12,400 --> 00:21:14,840
Speaker 1: is good, but it's never been able to balance out

457
00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:17,560
Speaker 1: in terms of depth with the Western Conference. I don't

458
00:21:17,560 --> 00:21:20,440
Speaker 1: think it's like necessarily a franchise competence thing. I think

459
00:21:20,840 --> 00:21:23,320
Speaker 1: I think the talent just kind of naturally funnels its

460
00:21:23,320 --> 00:21:26,639
Speaker 1: way to the better weather on the West coast. So

461
00:21:26,640 --> 00:21:28,400
Speaker 1: I don't think it'll ever actually happen, but I think

462
00:21:28,440 --> 00:21:29,879
Speaker 1: it should, and I think it would be good for

463
00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:33,080
Speaker 1: the league. How do you feel overall about Joe Mizula.

464
00:21:33,640 --> 00:21:35,440
Speaker 1: I know you disliked him since he did think he

465
00:21:35,560 --> 00:21:38,000
Speaker 1: valued the possession, but I'm curious if that changed after

466
00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:40,200
Speaker 1: the title. He was in some ways the most important

467
00:21:40,200 --> 00:21:42,200
Speaker 1: part of the run in him being the first coach

468
00:21:42,240 --> 00:21:44,480
Speaker 1: in a while to go for back to back. So

469
00:21:45,080 --> 00:21:47,040
Speaker 1: learning about coaches takes time. It's been one of the

470
00:21:47,040 --> 00:21:50,640
Speaker 1: more interesting things that I've come across as as I've

471
00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:53,680
Speaker 1: worked in this industry, simply because like what it takes

472
00:21:53,680 --> 00:21:56,600
Speaker 1: to really learn about a coach, there's a beat writing

473
00:21:56,640 --> 00:21:59,040
Speaker 1: element to it, Like these guys that are in the

474
00:21:59,080 --> 00:22:01,119
Speaker 1: locker rooms, that are asking questions to the coach, that

475
00:22:01,160 --> 00:22:03,000
Speaker 1: are going to shoot around, that are going to practice,

476
00:22:03,040 --> 00:22:06,600
Speaker 1: that are deeply involved with the process. It's easier to

477
00:22:06,600 --> 00:22:09,040
Speaker 1: pick up on that stuff. But like here in Tucson,

478
00:22:09,119 --> 00:22:11,760
Speaker 1: is I'm just watching a lot of film, like and like, yeah,

479
00:22:11,800 --> 00:22:14,400
Speaker 1: like there are times when I try to watch postgame pressers,

480
00:22:14,440 --> 00:22:16,879
Speaker 1: but like in terms of like the amount of film

481
00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:18,199
Speaker 1: that I need to watch, a lot of times I

482
00:22:18,240 --> 00:22:20,760
Speaker 1: just prioritize the games, and so I try to pick

483
00:22:20,840 --> 00:22:23,160
Speaker 1: up what the coaches are doing from the way their

484
00:22:23,160 --> 00:22:26,520
Speaker 1: teams play, right, And what got frustrating for me with

485
00:22:26,600 --> 00:22:28,480
Speaker 1: Joe Miszula is I just hated the way the Celtics

486
00:22:28,480 --> 00:22:30,600
Speaker 1: were playing for large portions of the last couple of

487
00:22:30,640 --> 00:22:33,840
Speaker 1: years and just the sheer number of bad possessions that

488
00:22:33,880 --> 00:22:38,879
Speaker 1: they were putting together on offense. And it was during

489
00:22:38,960 --> 00:22:41,520
Speaker 1: this postseason run in particular, not just this postseason, really

490
00:22:41,600 --> 00:22:43,840
Speaker 1: in the springtime. I started to kind of like get

491
00:22:43,840 --> 00:22:46,800
Speaker 1: more aware of it in like that Marchy late February

492
00:22:46,840 --> 00:22:50,480
Speaker 1: March timeframe. But as I started to listen to Joe

493
00:22:50,560 --> 00:22:54,399
Speaker 1: talk more and I tried to find more people that

494
00:22:54,440 --> 00:22:57,240
Speaker 1: cover the Celtics on a really intimate level so that

495
00:22:57,240 --> 00:22:59,159
Speaker 1: I can learn more from them, because they are the

496
00:22:59,160 --> 00:23:01,920
Speaker 1: guys that are paying to every single little thing that

497
00:23:03,280 --> 00:23:05,800
Speaker 1: their program does. Over the course of the year, it

498
00:23:05,840 --> 00:23:07,840
Speaker 1: became clear to me that those were possessions that Joe

499
00:23:07,840 --> 00:23:11,919
Speaker 1: Mizula didn't approve of. Joe Miszoula does believe in the

500
00:23:11,960 --> 00:23:14,640
Speaker 1: high volume of three point shooting, but he believes in

501
00:23:14,720 --> 00:23:19,520
Speaker 1: the deliberate process of offense. They're learning more about the

502
00:23:19,520 --> 00:23:22,520
Speaker 1: way that they prioritize spacing and like little things like

503
00:23:22,560 --> 00:23:26,560
Speaker 1: for instance, like if you have a guard in the

504
00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:30,159
Speaker 1: corner and a big on the wing, then when I

505
00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:32,760
Speaker 1: beat my man off the dribble from the opposite wing,

506
00:23:33,200 --> 00:23:35,680
Speaker 1: I'm more likely to run into a guard in help

507
00:23:36,040 --> 00:23:38,560
Speaker 1: rather than a big in help. Whereas if the big

508
00:23:38,600 --> 00:23:40,960
Speaker 1: is in the corner and the guard is on the wing,

509
00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:43,480
Speaker 1: I'm more likely to run into a big in help

510
00:23:44,040 --> 00:23:46,440
Speaker 1: rather than the guard. And so even though I'm looking

511
00:23:46,480 --> 00:23:49,119
Speaker 1: for driving kick opportunities, if I'm a freaky athlete, if

512
00:23:49,119 --> 00:23:51,560
Speaker 1: I'm Jaylen Brown or Jason Tatum and i can get

513
00:23:51,600 --> 00:23:54,359
Speaker 1: downhill and I've got a six ' three guard that's

514
00:23:54,359 --> 00:23:56,800
Speaker 1: stepping over in help on the weak side. I might

515
00:23:56,840 --> 00:23:58,359
Speaker 1: not even have to kick out for three. I might

516
00:23:58,359 --> 00:23:59,520
Speaker 1: be able to go all the way to the rim

517
00:23:59,560 --> 00:24:03,240
Speaker 1: and finish. That's a little basic spacing detail, like take

518
00:24:03,280 --> 00:24:06,320
Speaker 1: the time in your possessions to get guys in the

519
00:24:06,400 --> 00:24:09,320
Speaker 1: right spots, to make it sure that when you're running action,

520
00:24:09,480 --> 00:24:11,639
Speaker 1: you're running it in a way that flows into your

521
00:24:11,680 --> 00:24:14,920
Speaker 1: player's strengths versus your player's weaknesses. This guy's great from

522
00:24:14,920 --> 00:24:16,959
Speaker 1: the corner, but weak above the break. Okay, let's make

523
00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:19,560
Speaker 1: sure that he's consistently in the corner as opposed to

524
00:24:19,600 --> 00:24:21,800
Speaker 1: above the break. Like this guy's really good on the

525
00:24:21,800 --> 00:24:23,639
Speaker 1: short roll, this guy's not. Okay, then we want to

526
00:24:23,640 --> 00:24:26,560
Speaker 1: make sure we're running screening actions with this guy in particular,

527
00:24:26,760 --> 00:24:29,119
Speaker 1: who's good at short rolling catching the ball. These are

528
00:24:29,160 --> 00:24:31,840
Speaker 1: like little deliberate things that Joe Mazula was preaching behind

529
00:24:31,880 --> 00:24:33,679
Speaker 1: the scenes, and it just took a little while for

530
00:24:33,720 --> 00:24:39,320
Speaker 1: the Celtics to like really figure it out right, And honestly, like,

531
00:24:39,600 --> 00:24:41,600
Speaker 1: I think that there is something to be said about

532
00:24:41,600 --> 00:24:44,080
Speaker 1: the large sample and the sense that like the way

533
00:24:44,119 --> 00:24:46,400
Speaker 1: that you have to play basketball in a meticulous sense

534
00:24:46,440 --> 00:24:48,919
Speaker 1: in the small sample is different than the large sample.

535
00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:50,679
Speaker 1: But we just didn't have to run into that with

536
00:24:50,680 --> 00:24:53,120
Speaker 1: Boston because they kicked the shit out of everybody. They

537
00:24:53,400 --> 00:24:55,640
Speaker 1: didn't really end up being an issue where they were

538
00:24:56,240 --> 00:24:59,040
Speaker 1: having to out execute teams in the small sample. And

539
00:24:59,119 --> 00:25:01,800
Speaker 1: so for for Joe, and like, part of that too

540
00:25:01,880 --> 00:25:03,840
Speaker 1: is not even Joe's fault. Part of that's like Jason

541
00:25:03,840 --> 00:25:08,240
Speaker 1: Tatum has never been particularly great at like the really slow,

542
00:25:08,280 --> 00:25:11,480
Speaker 1: methodical half court choc creation in crunch time situations, right,

543
00:25:11,520 --> 00:25:13,359
Speaker 1: So like at the end of the day that some

544
00:25:13,359 --> 00:25:15,200
Speaker 1: of the struggles that Boston has had in those areas

545
00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:18,639
Speaker 1: aren't necessarily Joe Mizzula's fault. And they've been so good

546
00:25:18,720 --> 00:25:21,040
Speaker 1: defensively in the clutch and they're so damn hard to

547
00:25:21,040 --> 00:25:22,840
Speaker 1: guard with their five out guys that their clutch numbers

548
00:25:22,880 --> 00:25:25,399
Speaker 1: have been really damn good. And so like, honestly, like

549
00:25:25,440 --> 00:25:26,960
Speaker 1: whatever you want to criticize that, a lot of people

550
00:25:27,440 --> 00:25:30,920
Speaker 1: like are putting Joe Mazula more in like that Budenholzer category,

551
00:25:30,920 --> 00:25:33,159
Speaker 1: more of like a system type of coach. But like,

552
00:25:33,760 --> 00:25:36,080
Speaker 1: I think over time he'll get even better at the

553
00:25:36,480 --> 00:25:38,720
Speaker 1: at all of the little details, all the little things

554
00:25:38,800 --> 00:25:42,160
Speaker 1: that that he hasn't really had to show with the Celtics,

555
00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:46,520
Speaker 1: and I think that it's a case of his philosophy

556
00:25:46,560 --> 00:25:49,480
Speaker 1: working because I told you, guys, like the Celtics were

557
00:25:49,520 --> 00:25:51,920
Speaker 1: a team I used to hate watching, and I actually

558
00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:54,840
Speaker 1: genuinely enjoyed watching them play in this postseason because they

559
00:25:54,880 --> 00:25:57,960
Speaker 1: did play with a lot of deliberate offensive process, and

560
00:25:58,000 --> 00:26:00,639
Speaker 1: they were particular about getting their spacing right and they

561
00:26:00,680 --> 00:26:02,560
Speaker 1: got a lot of really good shots and it made

562
00:26:02,560 --> 00:26:05,280
Speaker 1: them really, really difficult to beat. Did they play any

563
00:26:05,320 --> 00:26:07,119
Speaker 1: of the super super good teams in the league that

564
00:26:07,160 --> 00:26:09,240
Speaker 1: I wanted to see them play now, But like, we'll

565
00:26:09,280 --> 00:26:10,960
Speaker 1: get to see that this year and it'll be just

566
00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:13,360
Speaker 1: another challenge for these guys, and I'm curious to see

567
00:26:13,359 --> 00:26:17,440
Speaker 1: how they react. But I Joe Mizula was a play

568
00:26:17,720 --> 00:26:20,400
Speaker 1: was a coach that I became more fond of over

569
00:26:20,400 --> 00:26:23,080
Speaker 1: the course of this season, and in general, the Celtics

570
00:26:23,119 --> 00:26:24,720
Speaker 1: and the way they play is something that I've become

571
00:26:24,760 --> 00:26:27,400
Speaker 1: more fond of over the course of this season. One

572
00:26:27,400 --> 00:26:29,520
Speaker 1: of the three most important things the Chicago Bulls can

573
00:26:29,600 --> 00:26:32,080
Speaker 1: Slash should do in order to pull themselves out of

574
00:26:32,119 --> 00:26:34,360
Speaker 1: the hole they created. Love the show, Ben a fan

575
00:26:34,359 --> 00:26:36,200
Speaker 1: for years, Keep killing it, Bro, Thanks so the support.

576
00:26:36,240 --> 00:26:38,960
Speaker 1: I really appreciate it. You know, it's interesting because I'm

577
00:26:38,960 --> 00:26:42,960
Speaker 1: a big believer in the process of rebuilding centering around

578
00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:47,840
Speaker 1: finding the top tier talent, right, Like step one is like,

579
00:26:47,920 --> 00:26:50,000
Speaker 1: who's going to be your guy, Like the guy that

580
00:26:50,080 --> 00:26:52,960
Speaker 1: you build the entire system around, right, especially on the

581
00:26:52,960 --> 00:26:55,280
Speaker 1: offensive end of the four. From there, it's like, well,

582
00:26:55,280 --> 00:26:57,440
Speaker 1: what's that guy's strengths and weaknesses. Let's find a number

583
00:26:57,440 --> 00:26:59,320
Speaker 1: two that compliments him well. And then from there we

584
00:26:59,359 --> 00:27:01,680
Speaker 1: want to find role players that fit within the way

585
00:27:01,720 --> 00:27:03,960
Speaker 1: that those players like to play. So if it's Luca,

586
00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:05,879
Speaker 1: I'm looking for play finishers. If it's more of a

587
00:27:05,920 --> 00:27:07,440
Speaker 1: five out kind of guy, I'm looking for guys that

588
00:27:07,480 --> 00:27:10,040
Speaker 1: contriberle shooting pass in a system. Right, So, like it

589
00:27:10,080 --> 00:27:13,720
Speaker 1: all depends on what your your framework is. Now, the

590
00:27:13,880 --> 00:27:18,840
Speaker 1: Cruso for Josh Giddy trade it like, there's always going

591
00:27:18,880 --> 00:27:19,920
Speaker 1: to be a part of me that wonders if you

592
00:27:19,960 --> 00:27:22,119
Speaker 1: could have gotten a little bit more for Cruso. But

593
00:27:22,160 --> 00:27:24,600
Speaker 1: at the same time, like, it doesn't make sense to

594
00:27:24,840 --> 00:27:27,720
Speaker 1: hold a really high level role player when you don't

595
00:27:27,720 --> 00:27:30,000
Speaker 1: have the actual top end talent to make it work.

596
00:27:30,040 --> 00:27:32,960
Speaker 1: And so that's actually an example of a deal and

597
00:27:33,600 --> 00:27:35,959
Speaker 1: what they're giving themselves an opportunity to see is like, Okay,

598
00:27:37,400 --> 00:27:40,200
Speaker 1: let's cash in this asset in Alex Cruso. That doesn't

599
00:27:40,200 --> 00:27:42,000
Speaker 1: really help us in the short term because he's a

600
00:27:42,040 --> 00:27:45,760
Speaker 1: ceiling razor among supreme talent, right, Like, we know what

601
00:27:45,840 --> 00:27:48,360
Speaker 1: he can do alongside the best players in the world,

602
00:27:48,359 --> 00:27:50,159
Speaker 1: because we saw it with Lebron and ad in the

603
00:27:50,440 --> 00:27:53,600
Speaker 1: with the Lakers, where he can like almost reach you

604
00:27:53,640 --> 00:27:55,840
Speaker 1: to another height because of all of those little things

605
00:27:55,840 --> 00:27:59,120
Speaker 1: that he does, right, But that benefit just doesn't matter

606
00:27:59,119 --> 00:28:02,120
Speaker 1: to the Bulls because they right. And this was an

607
00:28:02,200 --> 00:28:06,520
Speaker 1: extended period with the DeRozan with that core, with Derozen

608
00:28:06,560 --> 00:28:09,280
Speaker 1: and Vucevich and zach Levine where they just weren't able

609
00:28:09,320 --> 00:28:11,480
Speaker 1: to even keep their heads above water, let alone be

610
00:28:12,200 --> 00:28:15,160
Speaker 1: even into a some sort of deep playoff run where

611
00:28:15,160 --> 00:28:17,000
Speaker 1: you could see what those guys are like in that setting.

612
00:28:17,600 --> 00:28:19,760
Speaker 1: And so as you pivot, it's like, okay, well, let's

613
00:28:19,760 --> 00:28:22,080
Speaker 1: see what Josh Gitty can do. And then from there

614
00:28:22,160 --> 00:28:25,240
Speaker 1: you start to give more high volume ball handling responsibilities

615
00:28:25,280 --> 00:28:27,160
Speaker 1: to guys at Kobe White, to guys like Josh Gitty,

616
00:28:27,160 --> 00:28:28,800
Speaker 1: and you find out what they're capable of with the

617
00:28:28,800 --> 00:28:30,919
Speaker 1: ball in their hands. Let's say you find out that

618
00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:34,560
Speaker 1: Josh Gitty is actually like a legitimate offensive engine to

619
00:28:34,560 --> 00:28:37,840
Speaker 1: start around. Well, it's like, okay, well now we feel

620
00:28:37,840 --> 00:28:41,560
Speaker 1: like Josh Gitty might actually be good enough, but we're

621
00:28:41,600 --> 00:28:43,920
Speaker 1: going to give ourselves a number two that's more of

622
00:28:44,040 --> 00:28:45,960
Speaker 1: like a role man because we know we need Josh

623
00:28:46,000 --> 00:28:47,719
Speaker 1: Gitty on the ball. So like maybe it's more of

624
00:28:47,760 --> 00:28:51,000
Speaker 1: like a player that's in like the Shane Goon kind

625
00:28:51,040 --> 00:28:53,400
Speaker 1: of archetype, the Anthony Davis type of archetype, like a

626
00:28:54,320 --> 00:28:57,120
Speaker 1: power forward center that is a guy that can compliment

627
00:28:57,440 --> 00:29:00,640
Speaker 1: Josh Gitty with these supreme gifts on both the floor,

628
00:29:00,640 --> 00:29:03,040
Speaker 1: but doesn't necessarily need to dominate the basketball where Giddy's

629
00:29:03,040 --> 00:29:04,640
Speaker 1: standing in the corner where teams are gonna put their

630
00:29:04,680 --> 00:29:06,640
Speaker 1: center on him and not have to worry about guarding him. Right,

631
00:29:06,960 --> 00:29:10,400
Speaker 1: And so this is essentially a waiver. You're trying Giddy,

632
00:29:10,760 --> 00:29:14,440
Speaker 1: trying Giddy to just see how it looks giving Kobe

633
00:29:14,480 --> 00:29:18,040
Speaker 1: White more ball handling responsibility. Let's just see how it looks,

634
00:29:18,120 --> 00:29:21,600
Speaker 1: and then from there it's either gonna make some sense

635
00:29:21,640 --> 00:29:22,720
Speaker 1: or it might be one of those things where we

636
00:29:22,760 --> 00:29:26,560
Speaker 1: end up flipping Giddy. You could revitalize Giddy's value, like

637
00:29:26,600 --> 00:29:28,680
Speaker 1: that's where this Caruso tray could end up working out

638
00:29:28,680 --> 00:29:32,280
Speaker 1: in a big way. What if Giddy goes for you know,

639
00:29:32,440 --> 00:29:36,160
Speaker 1: nineteen ten to nine over the first half of the season,

640
00:29:36,320 --> 00:29:38,880
Speaker 1: and a team out there that like desperately needs ball

641
00:29:38,880 --> 00:29:41,520
Speaker 1: handling ends up making some kind of move for him,

642
00:29:41,520 --> 00:29:44,440
Speaker 1: and then you get draft compensation back, right, That is

643
00:29:44,480 --> 00:29:47,120
Speaker 1: what could potentially open the door for you to potentially

644
00:29:47,200 --> 00:29:50,480
Speaker 1: find that top end piece. But you're basically starting from scratch.

645
00:29:50,680 --> 00:29:53,160
Speaker 1: There's no use in finding useful role players at this

646
00:29:53,280 --> 00:29:56,880
Speaker 1: point because it doesn't fit your timeline. It's more important

647
00:29:56,920 --> 00:29:59,200
Speaker 1: for you to cash in those guys for draft assets

648
00:29:59,240 --> 00:30:01,640
Speaker 1: if you have them, like what you did with Caruso.

649
00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:05,080
Speaker 1: From there, you're giving reps to guys that haven't had

650
00:30:05,160 --> 00:30:07,680
Speaker 1: high volume ball handling reps, and you're just continuing to

651
00:30:07,720 --> 00:30:13,600
Speaker 1: look for talent in the draft. It's like step one

652
00:30:13,640 --> 00:30:16,000
Speaker 1: is admitting that you know that you have an issue,

653
00:30:16,120 --> 00:30:18,680
Speaker 1: and it took a little too long, but for them

654
00:30:18,680 --> 00:30:22,320
Speaker 1: to finally admit that the Vucevich, Levine and derozencore wasn't

655
00:30:22,440 --> 00:30:24,920
Speaker 1: enough was a good step in the right direction. I

656
00:30:24,920 --> 00:30:26,440
Speaker 1: don't know if he'll be able to find a Levine

657
00:30:26,440 --> 00:30:28,920
Speaker 1: trade partner. But eventually he'll be an expiring contract, and

658
00:30:28,960 --> 00:30:31,080
Speaker 1: at that point he will be someone who carries some

659
00:30:31,160 --> 00:30:33,800
Speaker 1: value and so you can cash him in at that point. Again,

660
00:30:33,840 --> 00:30:37,600
Speaker 1: it's far away, but at this point it's like making

661
00:30:37,640 --> 00:30:39,880
Speaker 1: sure that you're taking in assets as much as possible

662
00:30:39,880 --> 00:30:41,600
Speaker 1: by getting rid of anything that has any sort of

663
00:30:41,680 --> 00:30:44,480
Speaker 1: value around the league, trusting in your scouting department to

664
00:30:44,480 --> 00:30:47,520
Speaker 1: find talent, and you're seeking those foundational pieces the guys

665
00:30:47,520 --> 00:31:03,520
Speaker 1: that you can build the rest of the roster. I've

666
00:31:03,520 --> 00:31:05,600
Speaker 1: been meaning to ask you about your experience of the

667
00:31:05,600 --> 00:31:08,040
Speaker 1: Golden State CAZ days, given that Lebron and Steph are

668
00:31:08,040 --> 00:31:10,600
Speaker 1: your one and two favorite players, But you recently said

669
00:31:10,640 --> 00:31:13,120
Speaker 1: that you hated Steph back then. Which moment slash event

670
00:31:13,360 --> 00:31:15,480
Speaker 1: made you fall in love or out of hate with

671
00:31:15,520 --> 00:31:19,840
Speaker 1: Steph and earlier with Lebron. So I've told everybody the

672
00:31:19,840 --> 00:31:21,720
Speaker 1: story about Lebron. It was that's how I fell in

673
00:31:21,720 --> 00:31:23,480
Speaker 1: love with the game of basketball. I was raised in

674
00:31:23,520 --> 00:31:26,640
Speaker 1: a household that was very much baseball and football focused.

675
00:31:27,320 --> 00:31:29,960
Speaker 1: My little brother played football West Point, my older brother

676
00:31:30,560 --> 00:31:33,560
Speaker 1: played junior college football, was a very good high school player.

677
00:31:35,440 --> 00:31:38,480
Speaker 1: They were big baseball guys too. That's just what they did, right,

678
00:31:38,520 --> 00:31:41,320
Speaker 1: and that's what my family did. And I just randomly

679
00:31:41,360 --> 00:31:43,880
Speaker 1: got tall. Nobody in my family is over six to one,

680
00:31:43,920 --> 00:31:45,720
Speaker 1: and I'm six to six. So like it just was

681
00:31:45,800 --> 00:31:47,440
Speaker 1: kind of one of those things where I kind of

682
00:31:47,520 --> 00:31:51,240
Speaker 1: was just naturally inclined to the game, but I randomly

683
00:31:51,280 --> 00:31:53,440
Speaker 1: in two thousand and six, and it was game seven too.

684
00:31:53,440 --> 00:31:54,840
Speaker 1: It was Game seven of the two thousand and six

685
00:31:55,000 --> 00:31:58,480
Speaker 1: second round series between the Cavs and the Pistons when

686
00:31:58,480 --> 00:32:01,160
Speaker 1: the Pistons, it was Game seven and Pistons beat that

687
00:32:01,160 --> 00:32:03,600
Speaker 1: shit out of him, like it won't even close. But

688
00:32:03,600 --> 00:32:06,240
Speaker 1: that was actually my first like real time sitting down

689
00:32:06,280 --> 00:32:08,480
Speaker 1: and watching NBA basketball and kind of falling in love

690
00:32:08,520 --> 00:32:11,360
Speaker 1: with it. And so then I just started like following

691
00:32:11,400 --> 00:32:14,440
Speaker 1: Lebron's career and obviously you guys all remember what happened

692
00:32:14,480 --> 00:32:16,320
Speaker 1: in two thousand and seven when he took him all

693
00:32:16,320 --> 00:32:18,480
Speaker 1: the way to the finals, and so just immediately fell

694
00:32:18,480 --> 00:32:20,200
Speaker 1: in love with the game. And Lebron just became like

695
00:32:20,200 --> 00:32:22,400
Speaker 1: my sentimental attachment to the game because he was the

696
00:32:22,520 --> 00:32:24,080
Speaker 1: player that got me to fall in love with it.

697
00:32:24,160 --> 00:32:26,840
Speaker 1: And so as you can imagine a kid that never

698
00:32:26,920 --> 00:32:30,720
Speaker 1: did anything with basketball as a kid to like picking

699
00:32:30,760 --> 00:32:34,200
Speaker 1: it up as a teenager and then getting my school

700
00:32:34,200 --> 00:32:35,600
Speaker 1: paid for for it, and now that's what I do

701
00:32:35,640 --> 00:32:38,000
Speaker 1: for a living. Like the game of basketball is so

702
00:32:38,040 --> 00:32:40,560
Speaker 1: important to me, and so like Lebron is like always

703
00:32:40,600 --> 00:32:43,240
Speaker 1: going to be like my emotional weak spot in terms

704
00:32:43,280 --> 00:32:47,000
Speaker 1: of analysis, in the sense that like I love other

705
00:32:47,280 --> 00:32:50,240
Speaker 1: NBA players, but not the same way, just because Lebron

706
00:32:50,360 --> 00:32:52,800
Speaker 1: will always have an attachment to like my childhood love

707
00:32:52,840 --> 00:32:55,360
Speaker 1: for the game, right, if that makes sense. Now, as

708
00:32:55,360 --> 00:33:00,400
Speaker 1: far as the hate thing with Steph hates the wrong word, obviously,

709
00:33:00,480 --> 00:33:04,280
Speaker 1: I hated having to compete against him, not individually but

710
00:33:04,360 --> 00:33:07,320
Speaker 1: as a fan, having to watch my favorite team compete

711
00:33:07,360 --> 00:33:09,920
Speaker 1: against him, and I just was He's so damn good.

712
00:33:10,400 --> 00:33:12,440
Speaker 1: And as a roster they were so damn good, especially

713
00:33:12,480 --> 00:33:15,120
Speaker 1: when they added Kevin Urant. Like it just was annoying, right,

714
00:33:15,680 --> 00:33:17,440
Speaker 1: But it's you know how it is, Like it like

715
00:33:18,960 --> 00:33:21,880
Speaker 1: as time passes, you start to grow up and you

716
00:33:21,920 --> 00:33:25,760
Speaker 1: start to like twenty sixteen, twenty fifteen, that would have

717
00:33:25,840 --> 00:33:28,960
Speaker 1: been I graduated high school and own nine, so I

718
00:33:28,960 --> 00:33:31,479
Speaker 1: would have been like, what twenty four something like that.

719
00:33:31,520 --> 00:33:32,960
Speaker 1: I still kind of a kid, right, Like I was

720
00:33:32,960 --> 00:33:35,600
Speaker 1: still handling it the way a twenty four year old

721
00:33:35,680 --> 00:33:37,880
Speaker 1: would as a fan, you know, And so like, as

722
00:33:37,880 --> 00:33:40,960
Speaker 1: I got older, and as I dove deeper into the game,

723
00:33:41,120 --> 00:33:43,080
Speaker 1: and as I started to coach, and as I started

724
00:33:43,120 --> 00:33:46,280
Speaker 1: to cover the league, It's like you grow to appreciate

725
00:33:46,320 --> 00:33:48,920
Speaker 1: these guys in a different way, right, especially now that

726
00:33:48,960 --> 00:33:51,280
Speaker 1: I'm where we are not rooting for them to compete

727
00:33:51,280 --> 00:33:55,520
Speaker 1: against each other as much anymore. And so at that point, like, uh,

728
00:33:56,160 --> 00:33:58,880
Speaker 1: there's several key things that really drove me to like Steph.

729
00:33:59,000 --> 00:34:04,080
Speaker 1: One his competitiveness. I like I am. I've always been

730
00:34:04,200 --> 00:34:08,080
Speaker 1: just like super annoyed with people that don't show the

731
00:34:08,160 --> 00:34:13,520
Speaker 1: requisite amount of fight in sporting events. And what I've

732
00:34:13,520 --> 00:34:16,360
Speaker 1: always loved about Steph is like I never felt for

733
00:34:16,400 --> 00:34:18,840
Speaker 1: a second like he wasn't giving everything he had in

734
00:34:18,880 --> 00:34:21,840
Speaker 1: a big moment just simply because the dude hated losing

735
00:34:22,560 --> 00:34:25,560
Speaker 1: more than anything else. I had a conversation with Ethan

736
00:34:25,600 --> 00:34:27,799
Speaker 1: Strauss on his podcast a few months ago, and we

737
00:34:27,800 --> 00:34:30,719
Speaker 1: were talking about Steph, and he was pointing out like

738
00:34:31,000 --> 00:34:33,920
Speaker 1: that Steph's favorite sport might be golf, and how like

739
00:34:33,960 --> 00:34:35,759
Speaker 1: a lot of the all time greats are guys that

740
00:34:35,880 --> 00:34:38,640
Speaker 1: like are more competitive than they are lovers of the

741
00:34:38,640 --> 00:34:41,960
Speaker 1: game right, like Michael Jordan's another example that Lebron famously

742
00:34:42,000 --> 00:34:45,080
Speaker 1: loves football, Like I've found that to be very fascinating,

743
00:34:46,040 --> 00:34:49,680
Speaker 1: But it was like it was the first the overall

744
00:34:49,760 --> 00:34:54,120
Speaker 1: just sheer competitiveness to the making the most out of

745
00:34:54,120 --> 00:34:56,840
Speaker 1: his specific set of gifts, like I was always super

746
00:34:56,840 --> 00:35:00,000
Speaker 1: impressed by, like the weight training regimen from Steph Curry.

747
00:35:00,640 --> 00:35:02,080
Speaker 1: A lot of people don't realize this, but that was

748
00:35:02,080 --> 00:35:05,120
Speaker 1: the main drivers of his success. Famously, after twenty fifteen,

749
00:35:05,120 --> 00:35:07,160
Speaker 1: he went to twenty sixteen and he raised his scoring

750
00:35:07,200 --> 00:35:09,640
Speaker 1: average about like six points a game when he had

751
00:35:09,640 --> 00:35:12,160
Speaker 1: already won MVP, and then got six points a game better.

752
00:35:12,200 --> 00:35:15,600
Speaker 1: And he attributed most of it to lower body weightlifting

753
00:35:16,120 --> 00:35:17,719
Speaker 1: and the fact that it just made it so that

754
00:35:17,719 --> 00:35:20,640
Speaker 1: he could get lift in separation better. And like obviously

755
00:35:20,640 --> 00:35:22,239
Speaker 1: we've seen what he's done with his upper body, we've

756
00:35:22,239 --> 00:35:24,160
Speaker 1: seen what he's done to become a useful defender over

757
00:35:24,200 --> 00:35:27,040
Speaker 1: the course of his prime, and that's just a lot

758
00:35:27,080 --> 00:35:31,279
Speaker 1: of a lot of work. And it's a testament because

759
00:35:31,320 --> 00:35:34,240
Speaker 1: there's a lot of guys that have similar physical gifts

760
00:35:34,239 --> 00:35:36,320
Speaker 1: that just didn't do that and didn't reach their potential

761
00:35:36,600 --> 00:35:37,840
Speaker 1: and Steph's going to go down as one of the

762
00:35:37,840 --> 00:35:40,520
Speaker 1: ten best players of all time in my opinion, as

763
00:35:40,560 --> 00:35:42,600
Speaker 1: the only guy in that list that's below sixty five

764
00:35:42,640 --> 00:35:45,080
Speaker 1: and certainly the only guy that doesn't have supreme athletic gifts.

765
00:35:45,560 --> 00:35:48,360
Speaker 1: And so it just that was what drew me to Steph.

766
00:35:48,440 --> 00:35:50,239
Speaker 1: And there are a lot of skill stuff too, Like

767
00:35:50,280 --> 00:35:53,480
Speaker 1: I've always been really impressed by STEP's ability to quickly

768
00:35:53,480 --> 00:35:55,960
Speaker 1: reset his base off the dribble. There are some footwork

769
00:35:55,960 --> 00:35:58,920
Speaker 1: things that I've stolen from him, specifically like outside foot

770
00:35:58,960 --> 00:36:02,239
Speaker 1: when you're moving lateral, Steph will like hit a dribble

771
00:36:02,280 --> 00:36:04,440
Speaker 1: combination into a step back and cover a shit ton

772
00:36:04,480 --> 00:36:06,680
Speaker 1: of ground, but then like go straight up and down

773
00:36:06,719 --> 00:36:08,040
Speaker 1: at the end. But if you watch, like if he's

774
00:36:08,040 --> 00:36:09,600
Speaker 1: going to the left, like he'll stick his left foot

775
00:36:09,680 --> 00:36:12,400
Speaker 1: way out and he'll catch his body and reset his

776
00:36:12,480 --> 00:36:14,360
Speaker 1: base to go straight up and down, which is a

777
00:36:14,400 --> 00:36:17,720
Speaker 1: footwork element but also strength element. But there are elements

778
00:36:17,719 --> 00:36:19,759
Speaker 1: of that that I've tried to steal with the way

779
00:36:19,760 --> 00:36:22,120
Speaker 1: that I played the game, and over time, I just

780
00:36:22,239 --> 00:36:24,080
Speaker 1: found out pretty quickly that as I looked around at

781
00:36:24,120 --> 00:36:27,400
Speaker 1: the other players around the league, like there wasn't anybody

782
00:36:27,400 --> 00:36:29,319
Speaker 1: that was doing the kind of stuff that Steph was doing,

783
00:36:29,400 --> 00:36:30,880
Speaker 1: and all of a sudden he became one of my

784
00:36:30,880 --> 00:36:33,279
Speaker 1: favorite players, and I really, really really enjoyed rooting for

785
00:36:33,360 --> 00:36:35,440
Speaker 1: him over the tail end of his career. It's been

786
00:36:35,440 --> 00:36:39,040
Speaker 1: a much better experience than rooting against him the way

787
00:36:39,080 --> 00:36:41,600
Speaker 1: I did with Lebron when he was or with Steph

788
00:36:41,600 --> 00:36:43,680
Speaker 1: when he was younger. One of the best ways for

789
00:36:43,719 --> 00:36:46,480
Speaker 1: offensively limited rosters to squeeze the most juice out of

790
00:36:46,480 --> 00:36:48,920
Speaker 1: their personnel. Teams like the Heat or the Wolves are

791
00:36:48,920 --> 00:36:51,640
Speaker 1: clearly great defensively, but lack some offensive firepower to push

792
00:36:51,680 --> 00:36:54,479
Speaker 1: them over the edge. So you know, it's interesting because

793
00:36:54,520 --> 00:36:58,800
Speaker 1: there's the half court element, and then there's the total

794
00:36:58,800 --> 00:37:02,560
Speaker 1: game element. Right So, like any team that has offensively

795
00:37:02,600 --> 00:37:06,040
Speaker 1: limited personnel but as defensively minded personnel, there are ways

796
00:37:06,120 --> 00:37:11,240
Speaker 1: to elevate your offensive performance on the margins. So for instance,

797
00:37:12,520 --> 00:37:15,040
Speaker 1: getting out in transition as much as possible. Okay, so

798
00:37:15,080 --> 00:37:18,000
Speaker 1: you're freaky athletic and good at defense, Well, don't play

799
00:37:18,000 --> 00:37:19,719
Speaker 1: in the half court if you don't have to, right Like,

800
00:37:19,800 --> 00:37:21,239
Speaker 1: that was a big thing with the twenty twenty Lakers.

801
00:37:21,280 --> 00:37:22,719
Speaker 1: They were a little bit limited in half court because

802
00:37:22,719 --> 00:37:24,279
Speaker 1: they had a bunch of big, strong dudes, and some

803
00:37:24,320 --> 00:37:26,480
Speaker 1: of them couldn't shoot very well, but like they were

804
00:37:26,520 --> 00:37:28,120
Speaker 1: just so damn good defensively, and they were so damn

805
00:37:28,120 --> 00:37:29,960
Speaker 1: good in transition that it just didn't matter. And then

806
00:37:30,320 --> 00:37:32,680
Speaker 1: in the half court, Lebron and ad were able to

807
00:37:32,680 --> 00:37:36,760
Speaker 1: make enough shots right Like with teams like Minnesota. Minnesota

808
00:37:36,840 --> 00:37:38,600
Speaker 1: is a great example of this, Like they need to

809
00:37:38,600 --> 00:37:40,320
Speaker 1: get stops and get out in transition. Like it was

810
00:37:40,360 --> 00:37:43,080
Speaker 1: so funny to watch that Denver series, Like whenever they

811
00:37:43,080 --> 00:37:46,240
Speaker 1: were getting stops and forcing turnovers and getting out in transition,

812
00:37:46,280 --> 00:37:48,440
Speaker 1: they were killing Denver. But then every time the game

813
00:37:48,520 --> 00:37:50,759
Speaker 1: slowed down into the half court, Denver was killing them.

814
00:37:50,760 --> 00:37:53,520
Speaker 1: It was like a super interesting dynamic. So first is

815
00:37:53,600 --> 00:37:56,279
Speaker 1: like exploit the margins as much as possible. That's not

816
00:37:56,320 --> 00:38:00,280
Speaker 1: just transition. That's also like attacking the offensive class bigger

817
00:38:00,280 --> 00:38:02,480
Speaker 1: and more athletic, you can do damage on the offensive glass. Right.

818
00:38:02,520 --> 00:38:04,279
Speaker 1: There are different ways to squeeze those things out in

819
00:38:04,320 --> 00:38:07,200
Speaker 1: the margins in the half court. It's schematics, it's ball

820
00:38:07,239 --> 00:38:09,720
Speaker 1: and player movement. If you have a player that's limited

821
00:38:09,719 --> 00:38:11,160
Speaker 1: as a shooter, don't let him stand at the three

822
00:38:11,160 --> 00:38:12,880
Speaker 1: point line, let him function more as a cutter and

823
00:38:12,920 --> 00:38:15,040
Speaker 1: as a screener. Right, if you have two non shooters

824
00:38:15,080 --> 00:38:17,120
Speaker 1: on the floor, you can actually run five out. This

825
00:38:17,160 --> 00:38:18,640
Speaker 1: is one of the most common things that I see

826
00:38:18,680 --> 00:38:20,719
Speaker 1: people get wrong in the YouTube comments. I see people

827
00:38:20,800 --> 00:38:22,839
Speaker 1: be like they do run five out. They have this

828
00:38:22,880 --> 00:38:25,000
Speaker 1: guy that can shoot at center, and it's like, running

829
00:38:25,000 --> 00:38:27,240
Speaker 1: five out has nothing to do with how many players

830
00:38:27,280 --> 00:38:30,239
Speaker 1: can shoot. Five out is entirely about where players are

831
00:38:30,239 --> 00:38:32,360
Speaker 1: while the action is being run. The simplest way to

832
00:38:32,400 --> 00:38:35,080
Speaker 1: put it is like in five out, you never have

833
00:38:35,120 --> 00:38:38,880
Speaker 1: a player just chilling in the dunker spot or like

834
00:38:38,960 --> 00:38:42,360
Speaker 1: a big man that's just just like permanently perched around

835
00:38:42,400 --> 00:38:44,960
Speaker 1: the basket. In five out, your big guys are up

836
00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:48,239
Speaker 1: around the elbows and they're working as dribble handoff fulcrumbs.

837
00:38:48,520 --> 00:38:51,360
Speaker 1: Guys still go to the basket, They cut to the basket,

838
00:38:51,440 --> 00:38:54,560
Speaker 1: they screen and roll to the basket, they drive to

839
00:38:54,600 --> 00:38:58,839
Speaker 1: the basket, but they're not permanently occupying that space. There

840
00:38:58,840 --> 00:39:01,520
Speaker 1: are lots of different ways. Five out offense manifests in

841
00:39:01,560 --> 00:39:04,200
Speaker 1: a bunch of different ways. Right, Like we see Golden State,

842
00:39:04,320 --> 00:39:07,000
Speaker 1: it's like two non shooters, a lot of guys coming

843
00:39:07,040 --> 00:39:10,799
Speaker 1: off of screens looking to shoot right Boston, it's more

844
00:39:10,800 --> 00:39:12,840
Speaker 1: individual two man game to try to get a defense

845
00:39:12,840 --> 00:39:15,520
Speaker 1: in rotation. You'll see guys end up in the dunker spot.

846
00:39:15,920 --> 00:39:17,840
Speaker 1: You'll see guards end up in the dunker spot, just

847
00:39:17,840 --> 00:39:19,879
Speaker 1: because as they're kind of going through the action, they'll

848
00:39:19,880 --> 00:39:22,959
Speaker 1: briefly make themselves available. If it's there, they'll catch and finish.

849
00:39:23,000 --> 00:39:24,759
Speaker 1: If not, they'll quickly get the fuck out of there. Right,

850
00:39:24,800 --> 00:39:28,000
Speaker 1: Like it's guys aren't just like perched around the basket.

851
00:39:28,080 --> 00:39:29,560
Speaker 1: That's all five out is Five out is ball and

852
00:39:29,640 --> 00:39:33,280
Speaker 1: player movement with your non shooters functioning as full crumbs

853
00:39:33,280 --> 00:39:35,920
Speaker 1: away from the baskets, cutting and rolling into the paint

854
00:39:36,280 --> 00:39:39,279
Speaker 1: rather than standing in the paint. That's the main difference, right.

855
00:39:41,200 --> 00:39:43,960
Speaker 1: But like within that, you can craft roles that make sense.

856
00:39:43,960 --> 00:39:45,880
Speaker 1: It's just different from team to team. Right, So, like

857
00:39:46,239 --> 00:39:49,200
Speaker 1: Golden State with their non shooters and guys setting screens

858
00:39:49,239 --> 00:39:51,759
Speaker 1: and guys flying off a screen shooting, they can't play

859
00:39:51,800 --> 00:39:54,000
Speaker 1: the way Boston does because they can't get to dribble penetration.

860
00:39:54,120 --> 00:39:56,120
Speaker 1: But Boston can't play the way Golden State does because

861
00:39:56,120 --> 00:39:58,160
Speaker 1: they don't have guys like Stephan Clay used to be

862
00:39:58,200 --> 00:40:00,959
Speaker 1: Clay that could fly off of a screen and rise

863
00:40:01,000 --> 00:40:03,520
Speaker 1: up and shoot a jump shot. Right Like there Boston

864
00:40:03,520 --> 00:40:04,920
Speaker 1: has a bunch of go catch and shoot guys, not

865
00:40:04,960 --> 00:40:07,440
Speaker 1: a bunch of great movement shooters. Right. So two different

866
00:40:07,440 --> 00:40:12,600
Speaker 1: forms of five out offense that that that essentially center

867
00:40:12,600 --> 00:40:14,680
Speaker 1: around the same concept of the paint being something that

868
00:40:14,719 --> 00:40:18,560
Speaker 1: you temporarily occupy, you don't permanently occupy. Right. But like

869
00:40:18,600 --> 00:40:22,600
Speaker 1: with your team, so like with with the Minnesota for instance,

870
00:40:22,719 --> 00:40:24,799
Speaker 1: right like they do their best to try to have

871
00:40:25,080 --> 00:40:27,960
Speaker 1: Rudy Gobert screen and roll into space, and they try

872
00:40:28,000 --> 00:40:30,960
Speaker 1: their best to have Jada McDaniels occasionally come off of

873
00:40:30,960 --> 00:40:33,560
Speaker 1: a dribble handoff. But there are just certain limitations in

874
00:40:33,640 --> 00:40:37,320
Speaker 1: terms of ball handling and shooting from the non Anthony Edwards,

875
00:40:37,320 --> 00:40:41,040
Speaker 1: non Mike Conley, non cat Karl Anthony Towns players that

876
00:40:41,080 --> 00:40:42,840
Speaker 1: they just have a certain ceiling in the half court.

877
00:40:43,239 --> 00:40:45,000
Speaker 1: That's where you try to maximize it as much on

878
00:40:45,000 --> 00:40:47,239
Speaker 1: the margins by getting out in transition, by attacking the

879
00:40:47,280 --> 00:40:50,560
Speaker 1: offensive class. But in the half court, it's just like,

880
00:40:50,920 --> 00:40:53,120
Speaker 1: don't like it's like Jared Vanderbilt with the Lakers. You

881
00:40:53,160 --> 00:40:54,919
Speaker 1: don't have him standing in the corner. That's a waste

882
00:40:54,920 --> 00:40:57,239
Speaker 1: of what Jared Vanderbilt is is good and bad at

883
00:40:57,320 --> 00:41:00,200
Speaker 1: like You're better off having him screen and roll into space.

884
00:41:00,400 --> 00:41:03,000
Speaker 1: Jared Vanderbilt was a bad offensive player with the Lakers

885
00:41:03,000 --> 00:41:05,319
Speaker 1: two years ago. He actually was pretty solid before he

886
00:41:05,360 --> 00:41:08,080
Speaker 1: got hurt in January because he was functioning more as

887
00:41:08,080 --> 00:41:11,880
Speaker 1: a screener and as a cutter. What is a successful

888
00:41:11,880 --> 00:41:14,360
Speaker 1: season for San Antonio play in and smashed by Oklahoma

889
00:41:14,400 --> 00:41:19,480
Speaker 1: City Denver wenby establishing himself in the top ten, I'd

890
00:41:19,480 --> 00:41:22,520
Speaker 1: say the big thing is getting big game experience. Like you,

891
00:41:23,080 --> 00:41:25,239
Speaker 1: it's hard to learn about what a player is good

892
00:41:25,239 --> 00:41:28,799
Speaker 1: and bad at until there's real, real high leverage situations.

893
00:41:28,880 --> 00:41:31,759
Speaker 1: Physicality ramps up, scouting ramps up. It's easier to free

894
00:41:31,719 --> 00:41:34,400
Speaker 1: you to identify weaknesses. If you get let's say you

895
00:41:34,400 --> 00:41:36,400
Speaker 1: get a play in matchup and you squeak into the

896
00:41:36,400 --> 00:41:38,000
Speaker 1: play and you play first round series, but you get

897
00:41:38,040 --> 00:41:40,360
Speaker 1: your butt kicked, You're gonna learn a lot more about

898
00:41:40,360 --> 00:41:42,760
Speaker 1: Devin Vessel and Victor wimin yam and what their strengths

899
00:41:42,800 --> 00:41:45,520
Speaker 1: and weaknesses are. From there, you can learn more about

900
00:41:45,520 --> 00:41:48,800
Speaker 1: how to accentuate their strengths and how to fight against

901
00:41:48,840 --> 00:41:50,920
Speaker 1: and limit their flaws. But you got to have high

902
00:41:51,000 --> 00:41:52,839
Speaker 1: leverage moments for you to see that. I'm a big

903
00:41:52,840 --> 00:41:57,120
Speaker 1: believer in like san Antonio is at the point where,

904
00:41:58,640 --> 00:42:00,839
Speaker 1: like you need to find out whether or not Devin

905
00:42:00,880 --> 00:42:02,800
Speaker 1: Vassell can be the go to perimeter guy next to

906
00:42:02,880 --> 00:42:05,680
Speaker 1: Victor Wimenyama. That's what you gotta find out. If he is,

907
00:42:06,200 --> 00:42:09,000
Speaker 1: then your entire focus shifts to finding high quality two

908
00:42:09,040 --> 00:42:12,919
Speaker 1: way role players to fit their offense. Right. But if

909
00:42:12,960 --> 00:42:15,480
Speaker 1: Devin Vessel is not good enough, then your attention has

910
00:42:15,520 --> 00:42:17,919
Speaker 1: to turn more towards We got to find a number

911
00:42:17,920 --> 00:42:19,840
Speaker 1: two for Victor women Yama, right. The only way to

912
00:42:19,880 --> 00:42:22,239
Speaker 1: find that is to get into high leverage moments and

913
00:42:22,280 --> 00:42:24,600
Speaker 1: see what these guys look like when the shit hits

914
00:42:24,640 --> 00:42:27,799
Speaker 1: the fan. With Vando and Christian Wood seeming to both

915
00:42:27,840 --> 00:42:29,799
Speaker 1: be out of the start of the regular season, even

916
00:42:29,840 --> 00:42:32,600
Speaker 1: though nothing officials come out yet. With Vando, how effect

917
00:42:33,040 --> 00:42:34,880
Speaker 1: excuse me, how effectively do you think the Lakers will

918
00:42:34,880 --> 00:42:37,280
Speaker 1: stay afloat? They lost key players like Spencer and Torrian

919
00:42:37,320 --> 00:42:41,879
Speaker 1: Prince and seem to be doomed defensively. I think they're

920
00:42:41,920 --> 00:42:43,600
Speaker 1: going to be fine in the regular season. I don't

921
00:42:43,600 --> 00:42:44,960
Speaker 1: think they're going to be a top four seed or

922
00:42:45,000 --> 00:42:46,359
Speaker 1: anything like that, but I think they'll be in that

923
00:42:46,400 --> 00:42:49,080
Speaker 1: five to eight range most of the year. Again, they

924
00:42:49,120 --> 00:42:51,399
Speaker 1: won thirty of their last forty five games. They were

925
00:42:51,520 --> 00:42:53,880
Speaker 1: the fourth best record in the league after January seventh

926
00:42:54,239 --> 00:42:56,800
Speaker 1: with this group of guys. That was with Vanderbilt hurt.

927
00:42:56,840 --> 00:42:59,359
Speaker 1: That was with Christian Wood hurt, that was with Gabe

928
00:42:59,400 --> 00:43:01,520
Speaker 1: Vincent barely playing until the very end of the year.

929
00:43:02,120 --> 00:43:04,480
Speaker 1: Gabe Vincent being back and healthy will go a long

930
00:43:04,520 --> 00:43:06,160
Speaker 1: way because that gives them a guard that can guard

931
00:43:06,200 --> 00:43:08,040
Speaker 1: at the point of attack and kind of like level

932
00:43:08,120 --> 00:43:10,920
Speaker 1: some things out in terms of distribution of resources, Like

933
00:43:11,080 --> 00:43:12,719
Speaker 1: it'd be great if Austin Reeves didn't have to guard

934
00:43:12,719 --> 00:43:16,160
Speaker 1: the other team's best guard every single night. Right that said, like,

935
00:43:16,239 --> 00:43:18,840
Speaker 1: even with all the flaws that we've talked about, Lebron

936
00:43:18,880 --> 00:43:21,000
Speaker 1: and eighty are still two the top ten players in

937
00:43:21,000 --> 00:43:22,799
Speaker 1: the league, playing damn near at the top of their

938
00:43:22,840 --> 00:43:26,840
Speaker 1: games at this point in time. Austin Reeves still a baller.

939
00:43:27,160 --> 00:43:28,719
Speaker 1: Daniel Russell said, what you want about him, He is

940
00:43:28,719 --> 00:43:31,520
Speaker 1: a good regular season player. Ruey Hatchamura, I still don't

941
00:43:31,520 --> 00:43:32,879
Speaker 1: know really what he is because he had an awesome

942
00:43:32,880 --> 00:43:34,920
Speaker 1: playoff run two years ago and then an awful playoff

943
00:43:35,000 --> 00:43:37,680
Speaker 1: run last year, but they're good enough to be a

944
00:43:37,719 --> 00:43:39,879
Speaker 1: good regular season team. I think a lot of people

945
00:43:39,920 --> 00:43:42,560
Speaker 1: are off the Lakers sent as a standings kind of

946
00:43:42,560 --> 00:43:44,960
Speaker 1: team because they went three to ten in December and

947
00:43:45,000 --> 00:43:47,839
Speaker 1: it nuked their situation. But they were really good most

948
00:43:47,880 --> 00:43:49,239
Speaker 1: of the year last year, and so as long as

949
00:43:49,280 --> 00:43:51,160
Speaker 1: they continue to play like that, I expect them to

950
00:43:51,160 --> 00:43:53,399
Speaker 1: be really good most of the year this year. Now

951
00:43:53,400 --> 00:43:55,000
Speaker 1: whether or not they can enter into that top tier

952
00:43:55,040 --> 00:43:57,480
Speaker 1: of championship contenders, that is all going to come down

953
00:43:57,480 --> 00:43:59,239
Speaker 1: to whatever big trade they end up making at some

954
00:43:59,280 --> 00:44:02,520
Speaker 1: point this season. Do you think the Lakers would be

955
00:44:02,520 --> 00:44:05,000
Speaker 1: better off if Lebron was more off the ball, averaging

956
00:44:05,040 --> 00:44:07,400
Speaker 1: around twenty instead of his twenty five, letting dlo and

957
00:44:07,440 --> 00:44:11,000
Speaker 1: Austin create, especially Givendlo's that del grades out well and

958
00:44:11,080 --> 00:44:13,840
Speaker 1: playmaking talent, but became a top tier low man in

959
00:44:13,880 --> 00:44:19,200
Speaker 1: the regular season. Stay blessed. I actually am the opposite

960
00:44:19,239 --> 00:44:24,040
Speaker 1: with Lebron. Lebron, in my opinion, is still a devastating

961
00:44:24,080 --> 00:44:26,600
Speaker 1: offensive player when he's devoting his resources there and his

962
00:44:26,719 --> 00:44:28,880
Speaker 1: jump shots going in. Obviously, two years ago he had

963
00:44:28,920 --> 00:44:31,719
Speaker 1: that weird bad jump shooting season, but last year's great

964
00:44:31,760 --> 00:44:33,319
Speaker 1: jumphooter and was one of the best half court shot

965
00:44:33,360 --> 00:44:36,839
Speaker 1: Craaders in the league. So what I want to do

966
00:44:37,000 --> 00:44:40,560
Speaker 1: is I want to alleviate Lebron's defensive job. If I

967
00:44:40,600 --> 00:44:42,840
Speaker 1: can actually go to Lebron and be like, hey, dude,

968
00:44:43,200 --> 00:44:45,919
Speaker 1: like you can chill on defense for the most part,

969
00:44:46,000 --> 00:44:48,840
Speaker 1: I just need you to create shots. That's actually I

970
00:44:48,840 --> 00:44:51,320
Speaker 1: think the best way to use Lebron at this age.

971
00:44:51,520 --> 00:44:53,640
Speaker 1: You know, you want to use him for his brain.

972
00:44:53,840 --> 00:44:56,000
Speaker 1: At this point, I want the ball in his hands.

973
00:44:56,000 --> 00:45:00,440
Speaker 1: I want him making decisions. It's specifically when he has

974
00:45:00,600 --> 00:45:04,120
Speaker 1: to do most of the defensive work while Austin and

975
00:45:04,160 --> 00:45:06,760
Speaker 1: Di lo are off doing everything with the ball, where

976
00:45:06,800 --> 00:45:09,479
Speaker 1: I can see some diminishing returns because Lebron still won't

977
00:45:09,520 --> 00:45:12,279
Speaker 1: try on defense in the regular season. So like, that's

978
00:45:12,280 --> 00:45:14,040
Speaker 1: my main thing. Is the main thing I think the

979
00:45:14,120 --> 00:45:17,080
Speaker 1: Lakers need to do is create an easier defensive job

980
00:45:17,120 --> 00:45:19,040
Speaker 1: for Lebron in the regular season. Maybe that's a too

981
00:45:19,040 --> 00:45:22,160
Speaker 1: big look, that's Christian Wood is somebody who would help

982
00:45:22,200 --> 00:45:23,800
Speaker 1: with that, so hopefully he's not out for too long.

983
00:45:24,640 --> 00:45:27,520
Speaker 1: Getting Jared Vanderbilt back would be a huge boost in

984
00:45:27,560 --> 00:45:31,200
Speaker 1: that specific regard, But just making Lebron's defensive job easier

985
00:45:31,880 --> 00:45:34,120
Speaker 1: is the best thing you can do for the regular season,

986
00:45:34,160 --> 00:45:36,479
Speaker 1: because Lebron still is one of the best offensive players

987
00:45:36,520 --> 00:45:40,280
Speaker 1: in the league. In my opinion, what's Brandon Ingram's future

988
00:45:40,280 --> 00:45:41,880
Speaker 1: in the league? What team makes sense to give him

989
00:45:41,880 --> 00:45:46,280
Speaker 1: the best chance to fulfill his potential. Brandon's in my opinion,

990
00:45:46,320 --> 00:45:49,520
Speaker 1: one of the like kind of underrated on ball forwards

991
00:45:49,520 --> 00:45:50,799
Speaker 1: in the league. He just kind of has to be

992
00:45:50,840 --> 00:45:52,239
Speaker 1: on the ball. He's not a player that like really

993
00:45:52,280 --> 00:45:54,720
Speaker 1: functions well off the ball in like ball and player movement,

994
00:45:54,920 --> 00:45:58,000
Speaker 1: and so I think about teams that have really good

995
00:45:58,040 --> 00:46:01,040
Speaker 1: defenses that would benefit from him pull up jump shooting

996
00:46:01,040 --> 00:46:03,440
Speaker 1: in some of his more surgical shot creation in the

997
00:46:03,480 --> 00:46:06,080
Speaker 1: half court, but also kind of need talent. So a

998
00:46:06,120 --> 00:46:07,799
Speaker 1: team the team two teams that I put up here

999
00:46:07,800 --> 00:46:10,960
Speaker 1: were like teams like Cleveland or Miami. Now with Cleveland,

1000
00:46:11,040 --> 00:46:13,080
Speaker 1: I think that also would come hand in hand with

1001
00:46:13,120 --> 00:46:16,279
Speaker 1: trading one of the guards, probably Darius Garland, but I

1002
00:46:16,320 --> 00:46:18,120
Speaker 1: think that would give them a little bit more firepower,

1003
00:46:18,320 --> 00:46:21,000
Speaker 1: and that would also kind of fit their system in

1004
00:46:21,040 --> 00:46:23,719
Speaker 1: a way that I think would struggle elsewhere. And in

1005
00:46:23,840 --> 00:46:25,600
Speaker 1: Miami it's just you're you're at a point where you're

1006
00:46:25,600 --> 00:46:26,800
Speaker 1: a little bit desperate and you got to make a

1007
00:46:26,840 --> 00:46:29,600
Speaker 1: talent play, and I think brandon Ing would be an

1008
00:46:29,640 --> 00:46:31,360
Speaker 1: interesting fit there. But I don't know. I don't know

1009
00:46:31,360 --> 00:46:32,919
Speaker 1: where he's gonna end up. This is gonna be really

1010
00:46:32,960 --> 00:46:35,160
Speaker 1: interesting to see because I think his value is in

1011
00:46:35,200 --> 00:46:38,040
Speaker 1: the gutter right now. But he obviously was playing hurt

1012
00:46:38,160 --> 00:46:39,719
Speaker 1: or coming back from an injury last year, so I

1013
00:46:39,719 --> 00:46:42,919
Speaker 1: don't think that was necessarily the best way to evaluate him.

1014
00:46:43,840 --> 00:46:46,600
Speaker 1: So I'm I think it'll start with him in New Orleans,

1015
00:46:46,760 --> 00:46:49,879
Speaker 1: hopefully revamping his value a little bit, and then from there,

1016
00:46:49,880 --> 00:46:51,120
Speaker 1: I think there will be a team that's a little

1017
00:46:51,120 --> 00:46:53,600
Speaker 1: bit desperate looking for some talent that'll jump on him.

1018
00:46:54,719 --> 00:47:01,080
Speaker 1: Let's see here, we've got i Helpi at his peak

1019
00:47:01,160 --> 00:47:03,760
Speaker 1: versus Curry. Who would you take in a playoff situation

1020
00:47:03,840 --> 00:47:06,400
Speaker 1: and who would be easier to build a contender around Curry?

1021
00:47:06,480 --> 00:47:09,640
Speaker 1: No question. Kawhi, for as good as he is, is

1022
00:47:10,000 --> 00:47:12,000
Speaker 1: not the type of guy that you can count on

1023
00:47:12,080 --> 00:47:15,560
Speaker 1: to consistently generate quality shots over a large sample. He's

1024
00:47:15,560 --> 00:47:17,600
Speaker 1: a better small sample guy because no one can stop

1025
00:47:17,640 --> 00:47:19,000
Speaker 1: him from getting to his spots, and he's one of

1026
00:47:19,040 --> 00:47:21,800
Speaker 1: the best individual shot makers that we have in the

1027
00:47:21,880 --> 00:47:24,520
Speaker 1: league when he's healthy. But like, if I get Curry,

1028
00:47:25,160 --> 00:47:27,080
Speaker 1: I know that just off the jump, I'm just gonna

1029
00:47:27,080 --> 00:47:28,919
Speaker 1: get a bunch of really good shots all year long.

1030
00:47:29,040 --> 00:47:30,719
Speaker 1: I also know that with Curry I can get away

1031
00:47:30,719 --> 00:47:34,440
Speaker 1: with playing a lot of defensive minded personnel, as Golden

1032
00:47:34,440 --> 00:47:36,279
Speaker 1: State has done over the years. I don't think that

1033
00:47:36,320 --> 00:47:40,879
Speaker 1: one's particularly close. I would go with Curry. Who's your

1034
00:47:41,040 --> 00:47:44,520
Speaker 1: dark horse NBA Champion contender? Based on the moves that

1035
00:47:44,560 --> 00:47:46,400
Speaker 1: were made this offseason. So we have a couple of

1036
00:47:46,440 --> 00:47:48,520
Speaker 1: new top tier contenders, right. I think the Knicks after

1037
00:47:48,600 --> 00:47:50,440
Speaker 1: they got McHale Bridges, I think that puts them in

1038
00:47:50,480 --> 00:47:55,320
Speaker 1: the top tier. You just Brunson, Bridges, og Randall, Robinson,

1039
00:47:55,400 --> 00:47:57,840
Speaker 1: that's just a really damn good top five with a

1040
00:47:57,920 --> 00:48:01,319
Speaker 1: lot of size and athleticism, rank and shot making, and

1041
00:48:01,520 --> 00:48:04,160
Speaker 1: that's just a really good team. In Oklahoma City getting

1042
00:48:04,160 --> 00:48:05,759
Speaker 1: Hart and Stein, I think that puts them in their group.

1043
00:48:05,760 --> 00:48:09,279
Speaker 1: But there's a bunch of different teams that are that

1044
00:48:09,320 --> 00:48:12,319
Speaker 1: are in the mix there. Obviously the obvious ones like

1045
00:48:12,680 --> 00:48:14,560
Speaker 1: Dallas and Minnesota are two teams that I think could

1046
00:48:14,560 --> 00:48:18,799
Speaker 1: be right back in the mixes here Milwaukee if those

1047
00:48:18,840 --> 00:48:22,719
Speaker 1: two guards that they brought in end up working out

1048
00:48:22,719 --> 00:48:24,320
Speaker 1: for them on the defensive end of the floor to

1049
00:48:24,400 --> 00:48:26,200
Speaker 1: kind of make things easier. And if Jannis and Dame

1050
00:48:26,280 --> 00:48:31,359
Speaker 1: have a better season. Obviously, the Philly I don't think

1051
00:48:31,360 --> 00:48:34,000
Speaker 1: you can ride out because of the MB factor. What

1052
00:48:34,000 --> 00:48:36,920
Speaker 1: if Embid just has healthy knees all year, and then

1053
00:48:37,120 --> 00:48:39,080
Speaker 1: what if he just kicks everyone's ass in the postseason?

1054
00:48:39,200 --> 00:48:41,239
Speaker 1: And they also have Paul George and Tyres Maxi right,

1055
00:48:41,280 --> 00:48:43,960
Speaker 1: So that's one. And then the Lakers if they landed

1056
00:48:43,960 --> 00:48:46,520
Speaker 1: a big trade because Lebron and n d are still

1057
00:48:46,560 --> 00:48:48,319
Speaker 1: the two of the top ten players in the league,

1058
00:48:48,320 --> 00:48:50,359
Speaker 1: and if you get them good two way players around them,

1059
00:48:50,360 --> 00:48:55,279
Speaker 1: I think that's a devastating combo. Let's see, what's your

1060
00:48:55,320 --> 00:48:57,560
Speaker 1: favorite shot to make when you play basketball? Not your

1061
00:48:57,600 --> 00:49:00,160
Speaker 1: most efficient, but your most enjoyable shot to put in

1062
00:49:00,200 --> 00:49:02,400
Speaker 1: the basket. That's an interesting question. I would say the

1063
00:49:02,760 --> 00:49:06,160
Speaker 1: shot that I feel the best about when I make

1064
00:49:06,280 --> 00:49:08,719
Speaker 1: is probably a left shoulder fade, particularly from the right

1065
00:49:08,760 --> 00:49:12,000
Speaker 1: block when I'm facing over my right shoulder. The left

1066
00:49:12,000 --> 00:49:14,040
Speaker 1: shoulder fade is one of the toughest shots that I've

1067
00:49:14,080 --> 00:49:16,480
Speaker 1: ever worked on. The right shoulder fade as a right

1068
00:49:16,480 --> 00:49:18,720
Speaker 1: handed shooter is easier because you don't have to square

1069
00:49:18,800 --> 00:49:21,960
Speaker 1: up in mid air. But when you're turning over your

1070
00:49:22,040 --> 00:49:24,279
Speaker 1: left shoulder, you actually have to swing your right leg

1071
00:49:24,320 --> 00:49:26,120
Speaker 1: all the way around. And one of the things I

1072
00:49:26,239 --> 00:49:29,880
Speaker 1: learned from Kobe is you deliberately swing that leg around

1073
00:49:29,880 --> 00:49:32,839
Speaker 1: and the momentum of your leg will naturally turn your

1074
00:49:32,880 --> 00:49:35,880
Speaker 1: body for you as you're turning, and it just alleviates

1075
00:49:35,920 --> 00:49:38,560
Speaker 1: some of the workload of actually getting squared up. But

1076
00:49:38,800 --> 00:49:41,440
Speaker 1: when I pivot over my left shoulder and hit a

1077
00:49:41,440 --> 00:49:43,799
Speaker 1: fade away, it's such a great feeling because it's such

1078
00:49:43,800 --> 00:49:46,680
Speaker 1: a tough shot. It's all about legs too. Like it's

1079
00:49:46,680 --> 00:49:48,799
Speaker 1: interesting like when I make it or miss it, it

1080
00:49:48,800 --> 00:49:50,920
Speaker 1: almost always comes down to did I get enough lift?

1081
00:49:51,080 --> 00:49:53,480
Speaker 1: Like if I spin over that left shoulder and I

1082
00:49:53,520 --> 00:49:55,560
Speaker 1: get really good lift, it to me, it just feels

1083
00:49:55,560 --> 00:49:57,399
Speaker 1: like a jump shot at the end. But like that's

1084
00:49:57,400 --> 00:50:00,000
Speaker 1: the fascinating part about that specific shot. It's just all

1085
00:50:00,080 --> 00:50:02,640
Speaker 1: lower body work to get you to where you can

1086
00:50:02,680 --> 00:50:07,800
Speaker 1: knock down a shot. It's definitely a satisfying feeling for me. Easily,

1087
00:50:07,840 --> 00:50:10,520
Speaker 1: my most efficient go to move those that right shoulder faith.

1088
00:50:10,600 --> 00:50:12,320
Speaker 1: If I need a bucket and a pickup game and

1089
00:50:12,360 --> 00:50:15,000
Speaker 1: it's game point. I'm calling for the ball on the

1090
00:50:15,080 --> 00:50:17,520
Speaker 1: right block and I'm bumping with my right shoulder and

1091
00:50:17,560 --> 00:50:19,120
Speaker 1: trying to get to my right shouder face because that's

1092
00:50:19,160 --> 00:50:20,320
Speaker 1: a shot that I feel like I can make a

1093
00:50:20,360 --> 00:50:24,440
Speaker 1: good half the time in a big spot. Like that

1094
00:50:25,120 --> 00:50:28,799
Speaker 1: last question, the Warriors team closely resembles the twenty two team.

1095
00:50:28,800 --> 00:50:30,319
Speaker 1: Would you be surprised if they made a run like

1096
00:50:30,320 --> 00:50:32,440
Speaker 1: twenty two? That's an interesting question because they do resemble

1097
00:50:32,480 --> 00:50:35,640
Speaker 1: the twenty two teams, specifically, just swapping out rule players

1098
00:50:35,640 --> 00:50:36,920
Speaker 1: for a couple of guys that are a little bit

1099
00:50:36,920 --> 00:50:39,000
Speaker 1: more of a better fit, right, like getting a d

1100
00:50:39,120 --> 00:50:41,759
Speaker 1: Anthony Melton, who I think is like it's interesting. I've

1101
00:50:41,760 --> 00:50:44,560
Speaker 1: always looked at him as like KCP is more of

1102
00:50:44,560 --> 00:50:46,799
Speaker 1: a movement shooter. D Anthony Melton's more of an off

1103
00:50:46,800 --> 00:50:49,759
Speaker 1: the dribble shooter or off the dribble player. But both

1104
00:50:49,800 --> 00:50:51,640
Speaker 1: of them are like two guys that are considered to

1105
00:50:51,680 --> 00:50:53,880
Speaker 1: be rock solid NBA starters. I think KCP at his

1106
00:50:53,880 --> 00:50:55,960
Speaker 1: peak was better, but I think d Anthony Melton is

1107
00:50:56,040 --> 00:50:57,880
Speaker 1: really really damn good. I think d Anthony Melton is

1108
00:50:57,880 --> 00:50:59,760
Speaker 1: the kind of guy that's gonna be a two guard.

1109
00:51:00,000 --> 00:51:01,480
Speaker 1: If you can say healthy, He's going to be a

1110
00:51:01,520 --> 00:51:03,839
Speaker 1: two guard and a really damn good team one day.

1111
00:51:04,680 --> 00:51:07,879
Speaker 1: I mean, he's been on some good Philly teams. But

1112
00:51:07,920 --> 00:51:09,880
Speaker 1: what I specifically like about that is his ability to

1113
00:51:09,920 --> 00:51:11,120
Speaker 1: put the ball on the floor kind of makes a

1114
00:51:11,160 --> 00:51:13,560
Speaker 1: lot of sense within Golden State's offense coming off of screens.

1115
00:51:13,960 --> 00:51:16,680
Speaker 1: Kyle Anderson, in addition to being one of the most

1116
00:51:16,760 --> 00:51:18,960
Speaker 1: versatile defensive forwards in the league, is a guy that

1117
00:51:19,160 --> 00:51:21,640
Speaker 1: has a bunch of offensive limitations, but if you put him

1118
00:51:21,640 --> 00:51:23,680
Speaker 1: in dribble handoffs with Steph I think he could actually

1119
00:51:23,680 --> 00:51:27,439
Speaker 1: be a pretty impactful offensive player. And we talked about

1120
00:51:27,480 --> 00:51:29,879
Speaker 1: earlier Golden State's offense and how they can usually work

1121
00:51:29,920 --> 00:51:32,080
Speaker 1: with two non shooters as dribble hand off full crumbs.

1122
00:51:32,480 --> 00:51:34,440
Speaker 1: They did it with Looney and Draymond, right, they did

1123
00:51:34,440 --> 00:51:36,319
Speaker 1: it with Bogett and Draymond right like we've seen that

1124
00:51:36,400 --> 00:51:38,440
Speaker 1: a bunch of times. They did it JaVale McGee and

1125
00:51:38,520 --> 00:51:42,200
Speaker 1: Raymond sometimes right like that dual fulcrumb kind of concept.

1126
00:51:42,200 --> 00:51:44,520
Speaker 1: I think Kyle Anderson fits that really nicely. So in

1127
00:51:44,560 --> 00:51:46,160
Speaker 1: a lot of ways, it resembles the twenty two team

1128
00:51:46,200 --> 00:51:48,239
Speaker 1: because they went from the twenty twenty one team, which

1129
00:51:48,320 --> 00:51:50,720
Speaker 1: was clunky and weird, to a couple of role player tweaks,

1130
00:51:50,760 --> 00:51:52,480
Speaker 1: and all of a sudden it comes together. The main

1131
00:51:52,480 --> 00:51:55,680
Speaker 1: difference is Steph isn't the same player. Steph was, in

1132
00:51:55,719 --> 00:51:58,279
Speaker 1: my opinion, the best or second best player in the

1133
00:51:58,360 --> 00:52:02,080
Speaker 1: league in twenty twenty one twenty two, and he just

1134
00:52:02,360 --> 00:52:05,120
Speaker 1: isn't at that level right now. So if Steph can

1135
00:52:05,160 --> 00:52:08,560
Speaker 1: get back to that top five player type of form,

1136
00:52:08,800 --> 00:52:10,480
Speaker 1: then I think we could be looking at a Warriors

1137
00:52:10,480 --> 00:52:12,920
Speaker 1: team that's one deal away from real championship contention. It's

1138
00:52:12,960 --> 00:52:14,359
Speaker 1: just a question of whether or not Steph can get

1139
00:52:14,360 --> 00:52:16,239
Speaker 1: it back to that point. All right, guys, that is

1140
00:52:16,280 --> 00:52:18,680
Speaker 1: all I have for today is always to sincerely appreciate

1141
00:52:18,719 --> 00:52:20,160
Speaker 1: you guys for supporting the show. I will see you

1142
00:52:20,160 --> 00:52:24,040
Speaker 1: guys on YouTube after the final buzzer of Aces Fear

1143
00:52:26,600 --> 00:52:29,759
Speaker 1: the volume whats So, guys, As always, I appreciate you

1144
00:52:29,800 --> 00:52:32,720
Speaker 1: for listening to and supporting OOPS tonight. It would actually

1145
00:52:32,800 --> 00:52:34,680
Speaker 1: be really helpful for us if you guys would take

1146
00:52:34,719 --> 00:52:37,840
Speaker 1: a second and leave a rating and a review. As always,

1147
00:52:37,840 --> 00:52:39,520
Speaker 1: I appreciate you guys supporting us, But if you could

1148
00:52:39,560 --> 00:52:42,040
Speaker 1: take a minute to do that, I'd really appreciate it.