WEBVTT - Taking Stock of Big Win Over Bucks, Shake Milton Interview 0:00:00.080 --> 0:00:04.880 The seventy Sixers are playoff bound, that much we know. 0:00:05.120 --> 0:00:08.440 Thanks to a big win of Milwaukee Bucks, the seventy 0:00:08.480 --> 0:00:13.119 Sixers clinches a playoff spot. Sixers chemistry starting to fire 0:00:13.160 --> 0:00:16.720 on all cylinders. We'll examine a signature performance of the 0:00:16.800 --> 0:00:20.080 season and what it represents, plus a sit down with 0:00:20.079 --> 0:00:22.840 one of the Sixers two way contract players who's been 0:00:22.920 --> 0:00:25.880 on a tear lately with the Delaware Bluecoats. I feel 0:00:25.880 --> 0:00:29.520 like I've just developed all parts of my game, shooting, passing, 0:00:29.800 --> 0:00:32.879 playmaking defensively as well. There's been a huge jump for me. 0:00:33.200 --> 0:00:35.280 Rookie Shake Milton is going to join us on this 0:00:35.320 --> 0:00:43.760 episode of the broadcast. How you doing out there, seventy 0:00:43.760 --> 0:00:46.639 Sixers Pie people. Great to be speaking with you on 0:00:46.680 --> 0:00:50.760 the heels of a big time win for the Sixers 0:00:50.800 --> 0:00:55.200 against Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday at Fiserve Forum, and the 0:00:55.240 --> 0:00:59.160 Sixers not done yet in terms of significant matchups on 0:00:59.200 --> 0:01:02.480 the schedule this week. They obviously have the Charlotte Hornets 0:01:02.480 --> 0:01:05.120 in a game on Tuesday, and then they'll complete the 0:01:05.160 --> 0:01:08.319 back to back at home on Wednesday with the fourth 0:01:08.360 --> 0:01:16.559 and final regular season confrontation against the our rival Boston Celtics, 0:01:16.560 --> 0:01:19.679 setting up real nice and then after that, what's going 0:01:19.720 --> 0:01:22.280 to be ten games to go following the Celtics game. 0:01:22.880 --> 0:01:27.240 Amazing that we are already on that deep point of 0:01:27.280 --> 0:01:30.440 the season for this year. But the Sixers, as mentioned, 0:01:30.480 --> 0:01:33.160 they are in the playoffs. That was what the outcome 0:01:33.280 --> 0:01:36.600 was of their whin against the Bucks on Sunday, combined 0:01:36.680 --> 0:01:40.319 with a loss by the Charlotte Hornets suffered at Miami. 0:01:41.000 --> 0:01:42.840 We'll talk about that Bucks game in a little bit 0:01:42.840 --> 0:01:45.640 more detail in just a matter of seconds, but wanted 0:01:45.680 --> 0:01:48.040 to remind you as we get underway that to subscribe 0:01:48.040 --> 0:01:50.720 to the podcast, you can do a couple of things. Essentially, 0:01:50.760 --> 0:01:52.920 it's just a matter of going to any one of 0:01:53.000 --> 0:01:56.920 your favorite podcast hosting platforms wherever you get your pods, 0:01:57.000 --> 0:01:59.840 type in Sixers Podcast Network that will take you to 0:02:00.120 --> 0:02:02.120 our feed. We would love to have you as a 0:02:02.160 --> 0:02:05.600 follower and subscriber if you are not yet one already, 0:02:05.720 --> 0:02:12.120 Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Pocketcasts, tune In, SoundCloud, a 0:02:12.200 --> 0:02:14.520 whole host of others. Those are just some of the 0:02:14.520 --> 0:02:18.040 places you can go to get the Sixers podcast network feed. 0:02:21.160 --> 0:02:23.520 What a way it was to start the week. The 0:02:23.720 --> 0:02:27.280 seventy Sixers the number three seed in the Eastern Conference 0:02:27.560 --> 0:02:30.320 and the Milwaukee Bucks, the one seed in the East 0:02:30.360 --> 0:02:33.760 and the best team by record in the NBA Fiser 0:02:33.880 --> 0:02:38.280 Forum on ESPN, on ABC the Sunday Showcase, and it 0:02:38.320 --> 0:02:41.120 was clear very quickly the seventy Sixers came ready to 0:02:41.160 --> 0:02:44.519 play up top. Jannis driving on Joel domalancats inside of 0:02:44.560 --> 0:02:47.480 the B block of Sixers ball been on the run 0:02:47.480 --> 0:02:50.519 to JJ right side running three ball got it j 0:02:50.919 --> 0:02:53.960 j running That not a game to get to heat up, 0:02:54.120 --> 0:02:56.560 say for a couple of brief back and forth minutes 0:02:56.600 --> 0:02:59.560 early in the second quarter. The Sixers never trailed the Bucks. 0:02:59.600 --> 0:03:02.720 They were the ones in control throughout, looking every bit 0:03:03.160 --> 0:03:05.440 the more confident in sync Claude it'd be when it 0:03:05.440 --> 0:03:07.919 puts it off to no rebounds flave by seventh and 0:03:08.080 --> 0:03:12.080 a foul, Ben jumps up over and through Chris Middleton. 0:03:14.040 --> 0:03:15.600 We're here to compete, you know, we can compete with 0:03:15.600 --> 0:03:18.919 the best. We have an amazing team, and I think 0:03:19.080 --> 0:03:21.639 EB has done a great job of putting us all together. 0:03:22.520 --> 0:03:25.119 Obviously Coachy Brown and coaches after doing a good job. 0:03:25.600 --> 0:03:30.480 So it's fun. Fun. It certainly seemed to be something 0:03:30.520 --> 0:03:34.160 the Sixers had no shortage of having. On Sunday, they 0:03:34.200 --> 0:03:36.520 extended their winning streak to a season high tying fourth 0:03:36.640 --> 0:03:39.360 game in a row. They dealt the Bucks just their 0:03:39.480 --> 0:03:43.000 sixth home loss of the season, and the Sixers maintained 0:03:43.040 --> 0:03:46.320 to hold on third place in the Eastern Conference standings. 0:03:46.920 --> 0:03:50.960 No performance on Sunday was bigger than that of the 0:03:50.960 --> 0:03:52.680 Big Man. Now the monif wing one on one with 0:03:52.720 --> 0:03:54.720 the Dennick Cooper crosses them over down the night, puts 0:03:54.760 --> 0:03:56.920 up off balance, shop for the base like Ribby good 0:03:57.080 --> 0:03:59.880 put front ribbon and trickles and three to shoot Dwells 0:04:00.200 --> 0:04:02.920 back on. Lopez puts it up up big Man when 0:04:03.000 --> 0:04:05.680 a feathery touch cops it drives it off. That was 0:04:05.760 --> 0:04:10.000 baked head, improbable shot by Bed. But time to Joel. 0:04:10.200 --> 0:04:13.560 He's gonna shoot the three d Joel a Bed gives 0:04:13.560 --> 0:04:17.080 the Sixers of what twenty grade? What sixty league? And 0:04:17.320 --> 0:04:21.239 he parts in the crowd. Yeah. Joel Embiide a total 0:04:21.800 --> 0:04:26.440 monster against Milwaukee. He was magnificent. His competitive spirit was 0:04:26.640 --> 0:04:32.400 full throttle. Forty points, fifteen rebounds, six assists against the Bucks. 0:04:33.279 --> 0:04:38.560 Forty fifteen and six, not against the lack luster opponent, 0:04:39.080 --> 0:04:42.440 not against a pretty good opponent, not even one of 0:04:42.520 --> 0:04:46.600 the elite opponents in the NBA, the best team with 0:04:46.760 --> 0:04:52.479 the highest rated defense. Amazing. Yeah, Jannison and a coupo. 0:04:52.560 --> 0:04:55.080 He put up big numbers two fifty two, sixteen and seven. 0:04:55.400 --> 0:04:58.279 Totally get that and acknowledge it. But in the first half, 0:04:58.320 --> 0:05:01.480 Ebid did a really solid job as the primary defender 0:05:01.560 --> 0:05:04.599 on Yannis, making things uncomfortable for the freak and throwing 0:05:04.640 --> 0:05:07.680 the Bucks offense out of rhythm. With Embad leading the way, 0:05:07.880 --> 0:05:11.560 the message was sent, no doubt about it. We had 0:05:11.600 --> 0:05:14.840 to lie make a statement. We had to get this 0:05:15.000 --> 0:05:20.320 way to see where we are a demoment, and everybody 0:05:20.400 --> 0:05:24.159 stepped up a statement showing indeed one thirty one twenty 0:05:24.200 --> 0:05:26.480 five the final score, and I actually thought it was 0:05:26.480 --> 0:05:29.200 a game that didn't feel quite as close as perhaps 0:05:29.279 --> 0:05:32.440 the final score suggested. But there was something else in 0:05:32.480 --> 0:05:35.400 Beid would say moments later that resonated just as Lad 0:05:35.520 --> 0:05:37.960 he told reporters were still learning how to play with 0:05:38.040 --> 0:05:40.440 each other. That's only the seventh game we played together. 0:05:40.600 --> 0:05:43.360 We got a long way to go, and Beads, referring 0:05:43.360 --> 0:05:45.560 to the number of games that the current starting lineup 0:05:45.600 --> 0:05:49.599 in particular has played, that of course would be Embid Simmons, 0:05:49.800 --> 0:05:53.760 JJ Reddick and newcomers this season Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris. 0:05:54.400 --> 0:05:56.960 And given how little time the group has had together, 0:05:57.400 --> 0:06:01.000 you'd have to think embiad is right in his statement 0:06:01.040 --> 0:06:04.000 and what he was saying. The chemistry can only get better. 0:06:04.440 --> 0:06:06.839 But in the here and now, it's also worth noting 0:06:06.920 --> 0:06:10.960 this and bead Simmons, Reddick, Butler and Harris. They've combined 0:06:11.040 --> 0:06:14.600 for the tenth best net rating of five man lineups 0:06:14.800 --> 0:06:17.279 that have played at least one hundred and fifteen minutes. 0:06:17.520 --> 0:06:21.120 Here's Harris, Jimmy Parler, tough three by foler is good 0:06:21.560 --> 0:06:23.880 nails and triple. If that's what they've managed to do 0:06:23.960 --> 0:06:27.720 with virtually no practice time at all, imagine what we 0:06:27.839 --> 0:06:30.320 might see from them. The more rep stay gain and 0:06:30.760 --> 0:06:33.760 the more important the games are come scary. There were 0:06:33.800 --> 0:06:36.200 so much that they should be proud of and excited about. 0:06:36.520 --> 0:06:38.760 We had only played six games. Now you think of 0:06:38.839 --> 0:06:41.880 that number, truly, think about that number. We played six 0:06:42.000 --> 0:06:44.640 games with each other, and now we've played seven to 0:06:44.880 --> 0:06:47.240 go and play against, you know, one of the more 0:06:47.320 --> 0:06:50.920 consistent teams in the league, the best defensive team in 0:06:51.000 --> 0:06:55.000 the NBA, and to try to learn and grow our 0:06:55.080 --> 0:06:58.839 team and move it forward. You know there's some talent 0:06:58.920 --> 0:07:02.120 in that role out about it, but there's no right 0:07:02.240 --> 0:07:04.480 to have like a fluid side and a chemistry and 0:07:04.520 --> 0:07:07.800 a symmetry. They have no right to have that, you know, 0:07:07.960 --> 0:07:11.560 not to anybody's faultics up to calendar and so growing 0:07:11.640 --> 0:07:14.600 that and being excited about that and trying to polish 0:07:14.640 --> 0:07:19.560 it up before the playoffs begin is a goal. Ultimately. 0:07:19.640 --> 0:07:21.880 The point we're trying to make here is this. Ever 0:07:22.000 --> 0:07:25.840 since Brown took over as head coach in August twenty thirteen, 0:07:25.880 --> 0:07:28.240 he's demanded a certain style of play. You could probably 0:07:28.680 --> 0:07:33.080 recite it by road by bal pace, space defense, but 0:07:33.240 --> 0:07:36.400 more than that, from a holistic standpoint, Brown has wanted 0:07:36.400 --> 0:07:40.520 his system to be capable of absorbing talent. How many 0:07:40.600 --> 0:07:43.400 times have we heard Brett Brown say that over the 0:07:43.480 --> 0:07:46.800 years when the team was going through struggles building itself up. 0:07:47.160 --> 0:07:50.400 We're trying to build a system that can absorb talent, 0:07:50.720 --> 0:07:54.240 either through the draft, free agency, or by trade. And 0:07:54.400 --> 0:07:58.320 this season in particular, the mechanism of absorbing talent was 0:07:58.400 --> 0:08:01.760 trades with Minnesota for Jimmy Butler, with the LA Clippers 0:08:01.880 --> 0:08:05.560 for Tobias Harris, right now, we're seeing that philosophy at 0:08:05.600 --> 0:08:13.080 work with seventy six Ers three point up. All right. 0:08:13.120 --> 0:08:16.320 So after Milwaukee and that win on Sunday, another big 0:08:16.440 --> 0:08:20.200 test looms in bosson Wednesday at the Center. You cannot 0:08:20.240 --> 0:08:23.800 forget the Charlotte Hornets game at Spectrum Center on Tuesday 0:08:23.840 --> 0:08:26.679 against a Hornet squad that is fighting for dear life 0:08:27.240 --> 0:08:31.200 to get into the playoff picture. As we shift scenes 0:08:31.240 --> 0:08:34.640 a bit, in Wilmington, Delaware, the Bluecoats are wrapping up 0:08:34.679 --> 0:08:37.679 their inaugural season in terms of that name in the 0:08:37.880 --> 0:08:40.640 NBA G League, and one of the Sixers draft picks 0:08:40.720 --> 0:08:43.640 has been tearing it up, Jake Milton, trying to give 0:08:43.679 --> 0:08:47.560 the Bluecoats the lead and one for Shake Milton. We'll 0:08:47.559 --> 0:08:49.920 hear from Shake Milton, the fifty fourth pick in this 0:08:50.040 --> 0:08:54.760 past year's draft out of SMU next. But before we 0:08:54.880 --> 0:08:57.600 hear from Shake, I wanted to talk about some things 0:08:57.640 --> 0:09:00.520 that are out there the Sixers are doing. The kids. 0:09:01.280 --> 0:09:03.560 Not sure if you've heard the word, but the seventy 0:09:03.600 --> 0:09:07.600 Sixers Kids Club is now activated, up and running, presented 0:09:07.640 --> 0:09:11.280 by five Blow, we are introducing, Yes, the seventy Sixers 0:09:11.559 --> 0:09:15.120 Kids Club membership is only thirty five Bucks and includes 0:09:15.160 --> 0:09:18.200 a welcome kit team store discount. Can't beat that right, 0:09:18.679 --> 0:09:22.160 five blow gift card. Come on, this is great stuff 0:09:22.559 --> 0:09:24.840 and much much more of being inaugural member and sign 0:09:24.960 --> 0:09:27.920 up today at sixers dot com slash Kids Club. That 0:09:28.080 --> 0:09:31.960 is sixers dot com slash Kids Club and also coming 0:09:32.080 --> 0:09:35.360 up this summer, it's another edition of seventy six Ers 0:09:35.440 --> 0:09:40.319 Camps presented by Rothman ORTHOPEDICX. Celebrating the thirty fifth anniversary 0:09:40.400 --> 0:09:43.720 of seventy six Ers Camps presented by Rothman ORTHOPEDICX empowered 0:09:43.760 --> 0:09:47.000 by EESF. It is now open for registration day and 0:09:47.240 --> 0:09:50.240 overnight camps are available throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware 0:09:50.480 --> 0:09:53.640 for boys and girls ages five to seventeen. For more information, 0:09:54.080 --> 0:09:57.280 visit seventy six Erscamps dot com or call six one 0:09:57.440 --> 0:10:00.679 zero six sixty eight seven six seven six again that's 0:10:00.679 --> 0:10:04.000 six one zero six six eighty seven six seven six 0:10:05.000 --> 0:10:07.120 one last thing about the kids. If you have not 0:10:07.320 --> 0:10:10.520 yet been down to Wilmington, Delaware, I could not recommend 0:10:10.600 --> 0:10:15.959 it more. Highly outstanding brand Spank, a new facility in 0:10:16.160 --> 0:10:18.360 seventy six Ers Field House, and a high energy G 0:10:18.520 --> 0:10:20.679 League team in the Bluecoats to go along with it. 0:10:21.520 --> 0:10:23.319 I actually had the chance to go down there on 0:10:23.960 --> 0:10:27.439 Monday to see the Bluecoats take on the Canton Charge. 0:10:27.520 --> 0:10:29.160 Game got off to a little bit of a ragged 0:10:29.200 --> 0:10:31.959 and slow start, but down the stretch, one dude in 0:10:32.080 --> 0:10:35.319 particular gave the Blue Coats a fighting chance from overcoming 0:10:35.840 --> 0:10:39.280 a twenty five point deficit, and that would be none 0:10:39.320 --> 0:10:42.920 other than Shake Milton. Shake Milton was the fifty fourth 0:10:43.000 --> 0:10:45.600 pick in this past year's draft. I think a lot 0:10:45.640 --> 0:10:48.200 of draft experts thought that he perhaps could have gone 0:10:48.360 --> 0:10:50.520 higher in the draft had it not been for an 0:10:50.559 --> 0:10:53.960 injury that cut short his junior campaign at SMU after 0:10:54.040 --> 0:10:57.680 twenty two games, but he finished with twenty six points overall, 0:10:57.800 --> 0:11:00.480 shot four of eight from outside the arc. His fourth 0:11:00.559 --> 0:11:03.559 quarter was tremendous. He scored eighteen points on six for 0:11:03.720 --> 0:11:06.400 nine shooting. All four of his threes came in the 0:11:06.480 --> 0:11:09.839 final period. He had a great, great game. At the 0:11:09.920 --> 0:11:11.920 beginning of this week, Shake was number three in the 0:11:11.960 --> 0:11:14.560 G League and scoring it just under twenty five points 0:11:14.640 --> 0:11:17.319 per game, and before the Blue Coats tipped off against 0:11:17.320 --> 0:11:19.080 the Canton Charge, I had a chance to sit down 0:11:19.120 --> 0:11:21.800 with Shake Milton and talk about his first season as 0:11:21.840 --> 0:11:24.160 a pro shake. I feel like we've seen you at 0:11:24.240 --> 0:11:27.000 various stages across the season, whether it's been up with 0:11:27.040 --> 0:11:29.280 the seventy six ers doing your thing with the Delaware 0:11:29.320 --> 0:11:31.559 Blue Coats. Bring us up to speed. How do you 0:11:31.600 --> 0:11:33.760 think things have been going in your first year as 0:11:33.760 --> 0:11:37.600 a pro? I feel like things have gone really well. 0:11:37.840 --> 0:11:42.000 One of the things I wanted to accomplish my first 0:11:42.080 --> 0:11:44.600 year of being a professional is just to become all 0:11:44.640 --> 0:11:47.079 around better player, and I feel like i've I've done that. 0:11:48.000 --> 0:11:50.199 Hasn't been easy, but there's been ups and downs, but 0:11:50.240 --> 0:11:52.120 that's kind of what I expected coming into this, so 0:11:53.240 --> 0:11:55.360 I'm happy with where I'm at. How do you manage 0:11:55.400 --> 0:11:58.240 the ups and downs? You've been injured at times, but 0:11:58.520 --> 0:12:00.760 you know this recent situation and you've come back and 0:12:01.120 --> 0:12:03.480 seems like you've been playing really strong since your return. 0:12:04.280 --> 0:12:06.240 I think you just have to be level headed. It's 0:12:06.280 --> 0:12:08.360 about having the right people around you, people that keep 0:12:08.360 --> 0:12:10.760 you focused. And I mean, as long as you know 0:12:11.400 --> 0:12:13.760 the reason why that you know that you're doing what 0:12:13.880 --> 0:12:16.679 you're doing, You're knowing your why. I feel like it's 0:12:17.360 --> 0:12:19.000 you can keep it all in perspective and it makes 0:12:19.040 --> 0:12:21.400 it easy. Have you always been like that? You've been 0:12:21.440 --> 0:12:26.200 able to channel some inner level headedness and keep your 0:12:26.240 --> 0:12:29.600 mind focused along that track. I think it's just kind 0:12:29.640 --> 0:12:32.439 of my personality. I'm not I never get too high, 0:12:32.440 --> 0:12:35.880 I never get too low. So yeah, and I mean 0:12:36.040 --> 0:12:38.000 the people I've had around me, I've been really good 0:12:38.000 --> 0:12:40.360 about keeping me level headed too and helping me out 0:12:40.400 --> 0:12:42.680 with that aspect. So it hasn't really been too difficult. 0:12:43.360 --> 0:12:47.120 When you look back to, let's say the fall, when 0:12:47.679 --> 0:12:50.160 training camp first came together and you were working your 0:12:50.200 --> 0:12:52.560 way towards the season, where do you think the biggest 0:12:52.600 --> 0:12:55.880 strides you've made have been in your overall development, Because 0:12:55.880 --> 0:12:58.679 that's really what this year has been about, right develop it. 0:13:00.280 --> 0:13:05.000 I feel like I've just developed all parts of my game, shooting, passing, 0:13:05.800 --> 0:13:09.199 playmaking defensively as well. It's been a huge jump for me. 0:13:10.440 --> 0:13:12.800 I feel like just everywhere I've just tried to level up, 0:13:12.880 --> 0:13:14.360 and I feel like the coaches have done a really 0:13:14.400 --> 0:13:17.000 good job of kind of helping me do that, especially 0:13:17.040 --> 0:13:18.640 since I kind of had to learn on the fly. 0:13:18.880 --> 0:13:20.520 I was I was hurt most of the preseason, so 0:13:20.559 --> 0:13:22.679 I really didn't get a chance to work on my 0:13:22.760 --> 0:13:24.600 game too much. I kind of just hit the ground running, 0:13:24.640 --> 0:13:26.880 So I feel like I did pretty well, you know, 0:13:27.000 --> 0:13:29.280 coming from that were concerned at any point that you 0:13:29.400 --> 0:13:30.959 might be behind the eight ball because of some of 0:13:31.000 --> 0:13:34.080 the time you missed. Nah, I mean once I started 0:13:34.080 --> 0:13:37.280 to get a rhythm back for the game of basketball 0:13:37.440 --> 0:13:39.600 and just you know, get to play more and more. 0:13:39.800 --> 0:13:42.360 The more confident I felt, and you know, the better 0:13:42.360 --> 0:13:44.720 I felt upon my game. It's easy to see your 0:13:44.960 --> 0:13:48.120 scoring numbers and your averages as far as things that 0:13:48.200 --> 0:13:50.559 jump out at the time that we're recording this year 0:13:50.720 --> 0:13:53.280 number three in the G League. I think in scoring 0:13:53.360 --> 0:13:55.880 what has allowed you to be effective at getting the 0:13:55.920 --> 0:13:57.880 ball in the basket at this level. I think my 0:13:57.960 --> 0:14:01.079 teammates they do a really good job of giving me 0:14:01.160 --> 0:14:02.839 the ball and then giving me confidence well to go 0:14:02.880 --> 0:14:04.880 and make plays and and do what I do. And 0:14:05.040 --> 0:14:08.280 I think it ultimately allows me to, you know, get 0:14:08.320 --> 0:14:09.920 them involved as well, because I don't want to be 0:14:09.960 --> 0:14:12.679 a selfish player, so um, I think, you know, the 0:14:12.720 --> 0:14:14.880 confidence that they give me allows me to go out 0:14:14.880 --> 0:14:16.920 there and do what I do. Do you feel like 0:14:17.080 --> 0:14:19.520 this is you know, some things have been I don't 0:14:19.520 --> 0:14:21.640 want to say easier, but if things come to you 0:14:21.720 --> 0:14:24.200 more quickly than you might have expected at this level, 0:14:24.280 --> 0:14:26.760 like was there? You know, it's I feel like every 0:14:26.840 --> 0:14:29.840 player's answer is different. But you know, are there numbers 0:14:30.080 --> 0:14:32.480 that you have in mind, like you know, tangible stats. 0:14:32.560 --> 0:14:34.120 You went into this season saying like, hey, I want 0:14:34.160 --> 0:14:36.240 to do this offensively, I would like to be this 0:14:36.360 --> 0:14:39.120 type of player defensively. No, I didn't. I didn't really 0:14:39.160 --> 0:14:43.360 set any number goals or number like goals number wise 0:14:43.480 --> 0:14:45.240 or anything like that. I just kind of wanted to 0:14:45.840 --> 0:14:48.160 judge myself just the way that I felt, um, the 0:14:48.240 --> 0:14:49.960 way that I was able to compete against others on 0:14:50.000 --> 0:14:53.360 the floor, and I feel pretty good about it. When 0:14:53.400 --> 0:14:55.640 it comes to scoring or having the basketball in your hands, 0:14:55.720 --> 0:14:58.040 there's a lot more than just I would think getting 0:14:58.080 --> 0:15:01.560 the ball into the basket decision making wise, Have you 0:15:01.720 --> 0:15:04.120 been challenged this season to look at what you do 0:15:04.200 --> 0:15:06.120 when the balls in your hands, the type of decisions, 0:15:06.200 --> 0:15:09.080 the reads you make, that sort of thing. Um, I 0:15:09.120 --> 0:15:12.080 would say yes, but I've always been challenged to do that. 0:15:12.760 --> 0:15:14.560 This wasn't my first time. You know, they have me 0:15:14.600 --> 0:15:16.360 playing some point guard now with this. I've been playing 0:15:16.400 --> 0:15:18.560 point guard my whole life, so it's kind of been 0:15:18.600 --> 0:15:21.160 the same reads, but just fine tuning it and and 0:15:21.280 --> 0:15:24.560 getting better, and you know you're limiting the mistakes more 0:15:24.560 --> 0:15:27.360 and more as you go and as you learn. When 0:15:27.400 --> 0:15:29.840 you hear about I don't want to say I think 0:15:29.920 --> 0:15:31.920 minor league is the wrong context for it. I used 0:15:31.920 --> 0:15:33.800 to do. I used to work in minor league baseball, 0:15:33.840 --> 0:15:35.280 So I think when I think of the G League, 0:15:35.280 --> 0:15:36.680 I think back at that time in my life. You know, 0:15:36.760 --> 0:15:38.880 we'd go on long bus trips and there would be 0:15:38.920 --> 0:15:41.680 times when the bus stalls out in the middle of 0:15:41.760 --> 0:15:44.680 your trip, and you know it's scorching hot out and 0:15:44.680 --> 0:15:46.080 you gotta wait a couple of hours with the bus 0:15:46.160 --> 0:15:48.320 to be fixed. What are some stories. Tell me some 0:15:48.440 --> 0:15:50.600 stories about being in a developmental league. I've got to 0:15:50.640 --> 0:15:54.400 think that there's probably some fun, crazy type situations that 0:15:54.600 --> 0:15:57.000 you guys have found yourself in this year. Yeah, I 0:15:57.040 --> 0:15:59.600 don't I don't remember where we were at, but I 0:15:59.680 --> 0:16:02.800 remember remember we had played a game, and we had 0:16:02.840 --> 0:16:05.280 a game the next day, I think, and we were 0:16:05.520 --> 0:16:07.880 stuck at the hotel because of the weather, and they 0:16:07.960 --> 0:16:10.720 had a bus come to get us and it broke down, 0:16:11.040 --> 0:16:12.760 and so we were sitting there waiting at the hotel 0:16:12.760 --> 0:16:14.200 and then had another bus coming to get us. And 0:16:14.280 --> 0:16:16.800 that broke down as well, and they had another bus 0:16:16.920 --> 0:16:19.120 coming that woman also broke down. So I think it 0:16:19.600 --> 0:16:22.080 was we didn't ended up getting in until it was 0:16:22.160 --> 0:16:24.040 super duper late, and then we had to wake up 0:16:24.040 --> 0:16:26.560 the next morning and play another game. So I mean, 0:16:26.640 --> 0:16:28.440 I guess that just comes where it kind of reminds 0:16:28.480 --> 0:16:30.360 me of a basketball you know, you kind of just 0:16:30.880 --> 0:16:33.360 lace them up and go. And in some ways, I 0:16:33.480 --> 0:16:36.480 think that's that's got to be a neat part of it. 0:16:36.720 --> 0:16:39.400 Like I remember again going back to minor league baseball, 0:16:39.440 --> 0:16:41.600 where it's like you wouldn't arrive in a city until 0:16:41.600 --> 0:16:43.440 maybe six in the morning, the team got a couple 0:16:43.520 --> 0:16:45.600 hours asleep, and they would call it just show and 0:16:45.720 --> 0:16:48.080 go games where you get to the park just do 0:16:48.200 --> 0:16:51.600 your thing. Is there a simplicity to that sometimes where 0:16:51.600 --> 0:16:55.320 it almost forces you to zero win on the essentials 0:16:55.400 --> 0:16:58.200 of what's necessary, where you know, instead of getting wrapped 0:16:58.240 --> 0:17:00.240 up and like I gotta do this pre game that game, 0:17:00.240 --> 0:17:02.880 it's just focusing on what really is the essence of 0:17:02.960 --> 0:17:05.560 playing the game. Um yeah, I could definitely say that. 0:17:05.640 --> 0:17:07.920 It kind of feels good. I mean, that's why some 0:17:08.080 --> 0:17:10.080 guys my life, having back to back games or a 0:17:10.160 --> 0:17:11.760 lot of games in a row where you don't have 0:17:11.840 --> 0:17:14.480 to even worry about practice or shoot arounds or anything 0:17:14.520 --> 0:17:16.320 like that. You kind of just, you know, lace them 0:17:16.400 --> 0:17:18.239 up and play. And that's kind of the same thing 0:17:18.280 --> 0:17:20.159 you've been doing all the while since you were a 0:17:20.200 --> 0:17:22.119 little kid. So I mean it kind of brings you 0:17:22.200 --> 0:17:24.680 back to that. Before you went on this current tear 0:17:25.040 --> 0:17:28.199 with the Bluecoats and before the injury, you were up 0:17:28.200 --> 0:17:31.840 with the seventy Sixers towards the end of that month 0:17:31.880 --> 0:17:34.120 of January when the team was on a West coast trip. 0:17:35.280 --> 0:17:37.600 Do you find yourself, as a human nature to wonder 0:17:37.640 --> 0:17:39.800 when calls will come, when you'll get called up? Do 0:17:39.840 --> 0:17:41.440 you think about that? How do you handle that part 0:17:41.480 --> 0:17:43.200 of it? I just try not to think about it. 0:17:43.359 --> 0:17:46.240 I just try to keep my mind focused on the 0:17:46.400 --> 0:17:49.200 task at hand and what I'm doing currently. You know, 0:17:49.280 --> 0:17:52.040 when I'm in with the G League team, I try 0:17:52.080 --> 0:17:55.199 to focus strictly on them and you know, who our 0:17:55.240 --> 0:17:57.040 opponent is and what I have to do for us 0:17:57.080 --> 0:17:59.240 to be successful. And then when I'm with the Sixers, 0:17:59.240 --> 0:18:01.480 I try to, you know, switch my mindset and focus 0:18:01.560 --> 0:18:03.480 on the same thing. So I don't try to worry 0:18:03.480 --> 0:18:05.520 about when a call up is coming. I think my 0:18:05.680 --> 0:18:08.199 job is to make it as hard as I can 0:18:08.359 --> 0:18:11.760 on whoever is making that decision to not have me 0:18:11.880 --> 0:18:13.840 up there. So that's just what I try to try 0:18:13.880 --> 0:18:16.440 to do, you know, defensively, offensively, I just try to 0:18:16.520 --> 0:18:18.880 make it hard for them not to have me up there. 0:18:19.760 --> 0:18:22.040 Brett Brown Is said on a couple occasions, especially after 0:18:22.119 --> 0:18:24.520 games you've been up with the seventy six ers, that 0:18:24.760 --> 0:18:27.000 you do things that pop, that stand out that in 0:18:27.119 --> 0:18:30.600 some way, shape or form, there's ways that you're getting noticed. 0:18:31.920 --> 0:18:35.239 How much different is it playing down here versus at 0:18:35.280 --> 0:18:38.640 the NBA level, that sort of thing, and what's the same? 0:18:38.800 --> 0:18:41.960 What are certain things that are normalized? Um, I mean, 0:18:42.280 --> 0:18:44.600 I would probably say the physicality is a little different 0:18:44.600 --> 0:18:48.440 than the NBA. But outside of that, you know, there's 0:18:48.480 --> 0:18:52.000 still there's great talent down here. Everybody plays hard, everybody's 0:18:52.160 --> 0:18:54.159 fighting for the same thing, so of course guys are 0:18:54.160 --> 0:18:56.159 going to be competitive, I mean, and at the end 0:18:56.200 --> 0:18:58.240 of the day, it's just basketball, so you kind of 0:18:58.320 --> 0:19:00.760 just it's the same thing you've been doing. You might 0:19:00.800 --> 0:19:02.720 have nerves, you might have jitters, but whenever the ball 0:19:02.840 --> 0:19:06.240 is tossing the air, you know, it's just basketball. When 0:19:06.280 --> 0:19:08.800 you take a look at how the season has gone 0:19:08.880 --> 0:19:12.480 for yourself offensively, we're saying things looking pretty good defensively. 0:19:12.560 --> 0:19:15.359 Tell me where you think your game is at right now? Um, 0:19:15.480 --> 0:19:18.040 I feel like I feel I feel pretty good about it. Um. 0:19:18.480 --> 0:19:20.560 And I feel like the coaches who have been working 0:19:20.600 --> 0:19:22.680 with me have also been doing a good job of 0:19:22.800 --> 0:19:25.640 challenging me to be better in areas and I feel 0:19:25.680 --> 0:19:28.320 like I'm trying to step up to that challenge. And um, 0:19:29.280 --> 0:19:31.719 that's something that I know I can do. So Um, 0:19:31.720 --> 0:19:33.560 it's just about going out there and proving it every night. 0:19:33.880 --> 0:19:35.639 What are the things defensively that you think that you 0:19:35.720 --> 0:19:39.800 need to master? Just being long, continue to use my length, um, 0:19:40.720 --> 0:19:43.919 and just being active at all times. Were you surprised 0:19:43.960 --> 0:19:45.880 when you found out Aamir Johnson was going to come 0:19:45.920 --> 0:19:50.440 down here? Um? I don't know if I was surprised. 0:19:50.480 --> 0:19:53.239 I was happy. You know, he's a he's an og Um, 0:19:53.440 --> 0:19:56.159 that's my guy. Um, you know, he's a. He's a 0:19:56.280 --> 0:19:58.879 He's a great player and an even better person. And 0:19:59.080 --> 0:20:01.720 so UM to of him or somebody like him in 0:20:01.760 --> 0:20:04.960 our locker room has been huge. And he rubs off 0:20:05.280 --> 0:20:07.840 on everybody the right way when the focus at this 0:20:08.040 --> 0:20:10.720 level is so much on individual development that is the 0:20:10.840 --> 0:20:13.880 top priority. It seems like, I mean, obviously everyone wants 0:20:13.960 --> 0:20:16.920 to win games. How does that affect the way a 0:20:17.000 --> 0:20:20.840 team interplays with one another, that sort of thing, the dynamics, 0:20:21.000 --> 0:20:23.720