1 00:00:01,440 --> 00:00:07,800 Speaker 1: The volume. The NBA Finals are almost here and every 2 00:00:07,880 --> 00:00:10,479 Speaker 1: play could be the one that changes everything. This is 3 00:00:10,520 --> 00:00:14,160 Speaker 1: the NBA Playoffs where heroes rise, legacies are built, and 4 00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:16,800 Speaker 1: the action never lets up. And with DraftKings Sportsbook and 5 00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:19,479 Speaker 1: official sports betting partner of the NBA, you don't just 6 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:23,000 Speaker 1: watch the madness, you live it. Back your favorite team, 7 00:00:23,239 --> 00:00:26,239 Speaker 1: ride with your clutch, time killer, bet on the buzzer beaters, 8 00:00:26,320 --> 00:00:29,960 Speaker 1: the breakout performances, the game winning threes, from player props 9 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:32,559 Speaker 1: to same game parlays. This is how you take your 10 00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:35,320 Speaker 1: fandom to the next level. 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In Kansas twenty one plus age 30 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:38,880 Speaker 1: in eligibility varies by jurisdiction void in Ontario. Bet must 31 00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:42,000 Speaker 1: win to receive reward. Bonus bets expire one hundred and 32 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:45,640 Speaker 1: sixty eight hours after issuance. For additional terms and responsible 33 00:01:45,640 --> 00:02:02,040 Speaker 1: gaming resources, see dkang dot co slash audio. All right, 34 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:04,320 Speaker 1: welcome to hoops tonight. You're at the volume heavy Saturday. 35 00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 1: Everybody hopefull You guys are having a great start to 36 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:07,040 Speaker 1: your weekend. 37 00:02:07,080 --> 00:02:07,240 Speaker 2: Well. 38 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:10,600 Speaker 1: The Minnesota Timberwolves made a couple of key changes to 39 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:13,959 Speaker 1: their game plan tonight. Wrote some hot shooting and unbelievable 40 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:17,200 Speaker 1: shot making from Aunt and Julius ed Julius Randall and 41 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:20,080 Speaker 1: beat the living shit out of the Oklahoma City Thunder 42 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:21,840 Speaker 1: and what was a very interesting game on a bunch 43 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:25,600 Speaker 1: of different levels. Some stuff that's like classic game three 44 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:28,919 Speaker 1: down two Oh buzz sauce stuff, but also some realities 45 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:32,280 Speaker 1: in terms of the ability of this Minnesota team to 46 00:02:32,280 --> 00:02:36,399 Speaker 1: make Oklahoma City uncomfortable at stretches, some growth from Minnesota 47 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:39,480 Speaker 1: shot creators, as they had by far their most successful 48 00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:43,240 Speaker 1: sustained offense in this particular game. So much interesting stuff 49 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:45,280 Speaker 1: to get into tonight. You guys know the Joe before 50 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:47,200 Speaker 1: we get started. Subscribe to the Hoops Tonight YouTube channel 51 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:49,040 Speaker 1: so you don't miss any more of our videos. Follow 52 00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:51,000 Speaker 1: me on Twitter at underscore json lt so you guys 53 00:02:51,040 --> 00:02:53,520 Speaker 1: don't miss show announcements. Don't forget about a podcast for 54 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:55,320 Speaker 1: you wherever you get your podcast under Hoops Tonight. It's 55 00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:57,760 Speaker 1: also super helpful if you leave a rating in a 56 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:00,600 Speaker 1: review on that front. Check out our Solos media feeds 57 00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:03,959 Speaker 1: on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. We're releasing content throughout 58 00:03:04,040 --> 00:03:07,080 Speaker 1: the year and then keep dropping questions in the chat 59 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:08,880 Speaker 1: so that we can hit him in our mail bags 60 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:12,399 Speaker 1: towards the towards the end of these shows. Now tonight's 61 00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:15,600 Speaker 1: show in particular, Jackson's out of town. So if you 62 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:18,200 Speaker 1: guys want to get questions, we're gonna be taking chat 63 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:20,359 Speaker 1: questions from my Twitter feeds. If you go to my 64 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:23,280 Speaker 1: Twitter feed at underscore json LT and you scroll down, 65 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:25,760 Speaker 1: you'll see a tweet where I asked for questions. Feel 66 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:27,640 Speaker 1: free to drop the questions in there, and when I 67 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:31,240 Speaker 1: get done with the breakdown, we'll head into that that 68 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:34,640 Speaker 1: kind of thread there and I'll start grabbing questions from there. Also, 69 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:37,840 Speaker 1: when we finish tonight, we're gonna be moving over to 70 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:43,080 Speaker 1: playback again. That's playback dot tv slash Hoops tonight there 71 00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:45,280 Speaker 1: for you know, another hour or so, we're gonna be 72 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:48,320 Speaker 1: taking callers. We'll watch some film. It's more informal. It's 73 00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:49,720 Speaker 1: a lot of fun. We just talk hoops and have 74 00:03:49,840 --> 00:03:52,000 Speaker 1: fun for an extra hour at the tail end of 75 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:54,160 Speaker 1: the show. So make sure you guys head over there. 76 00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:57,600 Speaker 1: All right, let's talk some basketball. So at in the 77 00:03:58,040 --> 00:04:01,200 Speaker 1: playback session last night, we have a thunder fan th 78 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:03,560 Speaker 1: Under a fan named Will who is graced us with 79 00:04:03,600 --> 00:04:07,400 Speaker 1: his presence several times, some fun venting and some takes 80 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:10,480 Speaker 1: on his Thunder team, and I asked Will, I said, 81 00:04:10,640 --> 00:04:12,760 Speaker 1: what is Shay's biggest weakness? And I was trying to 82 00:04:12,760 --> 00:04:16,880 Speaker 1: make a point with respect to his u with the 83 00:04:16,880 --> 00:04:20,080 Speaker 1: game plan, and Will mention three point shooting. What I 84 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:23,760 Speaker 1: was trying to say was his playmaking, specifically that if 85 00:04:23,760 --> 00:04:26,920 Speaker 1: you packed the pain against him, he's a passer that 86 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:30,760 Speaker 1: can make reads and is a you know, certainly good 87 00:04:30,880 --> 00:04:32,680 Speaker 1: enough at the job to still be a top tier 88 00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:35,040 Speaker 1: superstar in this league. But no one's going to call 89 00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:38,720 Speaker 1: out Shay's playmaking as the strength of his game. And 90 00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:40,960 Speaker 1: similarly to what Will was saying, no one's going to 91 00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:44,840 Speaker 1: call out Will the SGA's three point shooting as the 92 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:48,080 Speaker 1: strength of his game. The two things there in his 93 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:50,840 Speaker 1: game that you would point to as like not like 94 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:53,520 Speaker 1: the like far down the list of what he's great 95 00:04:53,560 --> 00:04:55,760 Speaker 1: at is his three point shooting and his processing in 96 00:04:55,760 --> 00:05:00,279 Speaker 1: the half court. What would you consider to be his strengths. Well, 97 00:05:00,560 --> 00:05:03,600 Speaker 1: he's the best high volume ISO player in the league 98 00:05:03,960 --> 00:05:06,400 Speaker 1: by a mile. Among any player who ran at least 99 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:08,920 Speaker 1: three hundred ISOs this year. Shot out of three hundred ISOs, 100 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:11,720 Speaker 1: he was far and away the most efficient, and he's 101 00:05:11,960 --> 00:05:14,520 Speaker 1: far and away the best driver of the basketball in 102 00:05:14,560 --> 00:05:16,880 Speaker 1: the league. You have like two hundred more drives than 103 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:19,400 Speaker 1: anyone else in the NBA this year, which you know, 104 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:21,200 Speaker 1: you can do the math there on how many times 105 00:05:21,240 --> 00:05:23,520 Speaker 1: that is per game. And so what I didn't like 106 00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:25,680 Speaker 1: about the game plan that Chris Finch used in the 107 00:05:25,720 --> 00:05:29,320 Speaker 1: first two games was he was picking up Shay really 108 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:32,440 Speaker 1: far away from the basket with Jada McDaniels, often right 109 00:05:32,480 --> 00:05:34,840 Speaker 1: when he was crossing half court, and he was staying 110 00:05:34,880 --> 00:05:37,560 Speaker 1: glued to shooters off the ball. And one of the 111 00:05:37,600 --> 00:05:40,560 Speaker 1: things that did is it allowed Shay to one not 112 00:05:40,720 --> 00:05:42,880 Speaker 1: have to rely on his three point shot because he's 113 00:05:42,920 --> 00:05:46,000 Speaker 1: beating ball pressure by driving. And so you're playing into 114 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:48,960 Speaker 1: the strength of his game by giving him a much 115 00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:53,520 Speaker 1: wider runway, a longer runway to drive past his man. 116 00:05:53,880 --> 00:05:56,000 Speaker 1: And then two, he doesn't have to rely on that 117 00:05:56,040 --> 00:05:59,640 Speaker 1: three point shot because he's not being you know, baited 118 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:01,599 Speaker 1: into it by a guy playing off of him. And 119 00:06:01,640 --> 00:06:03,440 Speaker 1: then the third piece of it is if you stay 120 00:06:03,440 --> 00:06:05,839 Speaker 1: home off the ball and you let Shape play a 121 00:06:05,839 --> 00:06:07,320 Speaker 1: lot of one on one or a lot of two 122 00:06:07,400 --> 00:06:11,160 Speaker 1: on two, you're accentuating his shot, making his foul. Drifting 123 00:06:11,240 --> 00:06:13,920 Speaker 1: is scoring ability, which is the kind of thing that 124 00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:17,320 Speaker 1: made him the MVP of this league, instead of forcing 125 00:06:17,400 --> 00:06:20,400 Speaker 1: him to process tight space environments in the middle of 126 00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:24,320 Speaker 1: the floor and show off his passing ability, which again 127 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:28,000 Speaker 1: he's fine at, but it's not his strength. And so 128 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:31,920 Speaker 1: I you know, again, I was immediately annoyed about this 129 00:06:31,960 --> 00:06:35,839 Speaker 1: in game one Game two. It was defensible to run 130 00:06:35,880 --> 00:06:38,159 Speaker 1: it back just because Minnesota shot. 131 00:06:37,920 --> 00:06:39,160 Speaker 2: So poorly in game one. 132 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:41,400 Speaker 1: You could talk yourself into thinking that maybe you just 133 00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:45,000 Speaker 1: shoot better overall, though, I'm a big believer, and you 134 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:47,839 Speaker 1: spotted the Oklahoma City thunder or two oh lead. Now 135 00:06:47,839 --> 00:06:49,640 Speaker 1: they might have gone up two OHO anyway, even with 136 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:52,680 Speaker 1: the right game plan. But you played an inferior game 137 00:06:52,760 --> 00:06:56,000 Speaker 1: plan that allowed Oklahoma City to dominate you through the 138 00:06:56,040 --> 00:06:58,800 Speaker 1: first two games, when we had a clear example in 139 00:06:58,839 --> 00:07:02,279 Speaker 1: the previous round from Denver of how to make this 140 00:07:02,320 --> 00:07:06,120 Speaker 1: Oklahoma City team uncomfortable. I pulled the numbers yesterday. I 141 00:07:06,120 --> 00:07:07,960 Speaker 1: can't remember exactly off top of my head, but they 142 00:07:07,960 --> 00:07:11,480 Speaker 1: had an offensive rating around like one thirteen, I believe, 143 00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:13,680 Speaker 1: against Denver, and in the first two games in an 144 00:07:13,720 --> 00:07:17,000 Speaker 1: offensive rating of one to twenty against Minnesota. Minnesota is 145 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:22,840 Speaker 1: a substantially more talented defensive roster bigger, longer athletes that 146 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:24,120 Speaker 1: are faster, deeper. 147 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:24,840 Speaker 2: They just have. 148 00:07:25,200 --> 00:07:27,920 Speaker 1: They probably have two and a half good defenders for 149 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:30,840 Speaker 1: every good defender on the Denver roster. There was no 150 00:07:30,960 --> 00:07:33,600 Speaker 1: excuse for them to be getting cut to pieces the 151 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:35,520 Speaker 1: way that they did it. Again, I'm not sitting here 152 00:07:35,520 --> 00:07:38,760 Speaker 1: saying that that Minnesota should be up three to Oh No, 153 00:07:38,960 --> 00:07:42,320 Speaker 1: the Thunder are amazing, but you just played a game 154 00:07:42,360 --> 00:07:44,720 Speaker 1: plan that allowed the Thunder to kick the shit out 155 00:07:44,720 --> 00:07:48,080 Speaker 1: of you and score on you easily, which doesn't match 156 00:07:48,280 --> 00:07:51,800 Speaker 1: your specific personnel and how good they should be at 157 00:07:51,840 --> 00:07:55,240 Speaker 1: stopping this team. In theory, they should be able to 158 00:07:55,400 --> 00:08:00,000 Speaker 1: do a better job of what Denver did. The same 159 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:04,600 Speaker 1: game plan but with better personnel should in theory lead 160 00:08:04,680 --> 00:08:09,600 Speaker 1: to dramatic results. And we saw that tonight immediately right 161 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:13,920 Speaker 1: out the gates the specific ball pressure adjustment, Jaden was 162 00:08:13,960 --> 00:08:16,760 Speaker 1: not meeting Shae outside the three point line. He was 163 00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:20,120 Speaker 1: meeting him inside the three point line, not allowing him 164 00:08:20,120 --> 00:08:22,560 Speaker 1: to get that head of steam against the ball pressure, 165 00:08:22,800 --> 00:08:25,080 Speaker 1: but then against everybody else, And I thought this was 166 00:08:25,120 --> 00:08:29,239 Speaker 1: the genius little tweak from Chris Finch against everyone else 167 00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:34,360 Speaker 1: he was pressuring. Cause again, those guys aren't the dribble 168 00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:38,240 Speaker 1: drive threat that shake Gilders Alexander is and so what 169 00:08:38,320 --> 00:08:41,640 Speaker 1: ended up happening is you were able to neutralize that 170 00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:45,440 Speaker 1: initial problem, which was Shay he goes four for thirteen 171 00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:48,440 Speaker 1: tonight has four turnovers. He was one for four from 172 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:50,960 Speaker 1: three with four turnovers in the first half. So again 173 00:08:51,280 --> 00:08:54,480 Speaker 1: you accentuated his processing in his three point shooting. You 174 00:08:54,520 --> 00:08:56,760 Speaker 1: could knock down threes and he didn't make the ree. 175 00:08:56,840 --> 00:09:00,959 Speaker 1: Simple example, there was like a play where they pinched 176 00:09:00,960 --> 00:09:02,640 Speaker 1: in off the ball, because that's the other part of it. 177 00:09:02,640 --> 00:09:05,440 Speaker 1: It's not just the ball pressure piece. They were sinking in. 178 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:09,320 Speaker 1: You could see when Jaden is facing up against Shae. 179 00:09:09,679 --> 00:09:11,720 Speaker 1: You know, he's standing at the top of the key 180 00:09:12,160 --> 00:09:14,080 Speaker 1: and Shae's outside the three point line. There's a little 181 00:09:14,080 --> 00:09:16,640 Speaker 1: bit of a gap. You were seeing guys digging down 182 00:09:16,720 --> 00:09:19,280 Speaker 1: into the driving lanes. They were bringing doubles, not out 183 00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:22,440 Speaker 1: at half court, but bringing the doubles inside the three 184 00:09:22,480 --> 00:09:25,560 Speaker 1: point line, and in that zone they were able to 185 00:09:25,559 --> 00:09:27,880 Speaker 1: force Shade a pass. There was a play in the 186 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:31,200 Speaker 1: third quarter where they brought a double team of Shae 187 00:09:31,240 --> 00:09:34,280 Speaker 1: inside the three point line around the elbow. Isaiah Joe 188 00:09:34,360 --> 00:09:36,720 Speaker 1: is wide open in the left corner and Shae just 189 00:09:36,720 --> 00:09:39,960 Speaker 1: throws a bad pass to Isaiah Joe And it's like, 190 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:42,200 Speaker 1: if he throws a good pass on time, on target, 191 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:44,880 Speaker 1: that's a three point shot that's probably going to go in. 192 00:09:45,280 --> 00:09:48,040 Speaker 1: But again, you're forcing Shay to do the thing that 193 00:09:48,080 --> 00:09:51,200 Speaker 1: he's not as good at as the other things that 194 00:09:51,240 --> 00:09:53,800 Speaker 1: he's great at. And I just thought that worked. But 195 00:09:53,800 --> 00:09:56,199 Speaker 1: then the second piece of it is pressuring the hell 196 00:09:56,240 --> 00:09:59,920 Speaker 1: out of everyone else, which allows Minnesota to maintain their identity. 197 00:10:00,360 --> 00:10:01,319 Speaker 2: This is a Minnesota team. 198 00:10:01,360 --> 00:10:03,360 Speaker 1: You guys want to know why they were picking up, 199 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:07,160 Speaker 1: you know, picking up at half court and pressuring and 200 00:10:07,200 --> 00:10:08,240 Speaker 1: staying home off ball. 201 00:10:08,280 --> 00:10:09,760 Speaker 2: You want to know why they were doing all that stuff. 202 00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:11,360 Speaker 1: They were doing all that stuff because that's who they 203 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:14,959 Speaker 1: are as a basketball team. It's at their core, it's 204 00:10:14,960 --> 00:10:17,920 Speaker 1: their identity, and so they wanted to you know, and 205 00:10:17,920 --> 00:10:19,560 Speaker 1: there's a lot of basketball teams that will go about 206 00:10:19,600 --> 00:10:22,120 Speaker 1: it this way, thinking like, you know, I want to 207 00:10:22,160 --> 00:10:26,000 Speaker 1: beat the other team playing our style, you know, rather 208 00:10:26,040 --> 00:10:31,080 Speaker 1: than immediately pivot and like surrender our identity right out 209 00:10:31,200 --> 00:10:36,800 Speaker 1: the gates. You know, I understand that thought process, but again, ultimately, 210 00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:39,520 Speaker 1: when you get into a series like this against a 211 00:10:39,520 --> 00:10:44,640 Speaker 1: team that's better. Oklahoma City demonstrated themselves to be better. 212 00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:47,719 Speaker 1: They won nineteen more games than Minnesota this year, and 213 00:10:47,760 --> 00:10:50,600 Speaker 1: so the margins are thin, and you need to play 214 00:10:50,679 --> 00:10:53,800 Speaker 1: into what gives you the best chance to win this 215 00:10:53,880 --> 00:10:56,520 Speaker 1: specific series. Very similarly like I talk about it with 216 00:10:56,520 --> 00:10:58,720 Speaker 1: coaching in the big picture, you don't want to coach 217 00:10:58,760 --> 00:11:01,240 Speaker 1: for the roster. You want you coach for the roster 218 00:11:01,400 --> 00:11:04,480 Speaker 1: you had. So if you're not fast, don't play a 219 00:11:04,520 --> 00:11:07,640 Speaker 1: style of basketball that requires you to be fast and run. 220 00:11:07,880 --> 00:11:11,880 Speaker 1: Play a slower, methodical, matchup, attacking type of attack. If 221 00:11:11,920 --> 00:11:14,320 Speaker 1: you've got a really fast team with a bunch of 222 00:11:14,360 --> 00:11:16,560 Speaker 1: fast guards and you're not pushing the ball in transition, 223 00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:19,000 Speaker 1: you're not accentuating what your roster is good at. But 224 00:11:19,080 --> 00:11:22,720 Speaker 1: even in a very focused level in the postseason, within 225 00:11:22,800 --> 00:11:25,680 Speaker 1: one of these two week series, you got to coach 226 00:11:25,679 --> 00:11:29,280 Speaker 1: for this matchup. I don't care what your identity is. 227 00:11:29,320 --> 00:11:34,560 Speaker 1: Shaye torched you all season in that identity, and so 228 00:11:34,720 --> 00:11:36,800 Speaker 1: one of the things that I liked about that specific 229 00:11:36,880 --> 00:11:41,040 Speaker 1: tweak from Finch was by sagging off of Shay, but 230 00:11:41,120 --> 00:11:44,520 Speaker 1: by pressing up on everyone else, they were able to 231 00:11:44,760 --> 00:11:46,920 Speaker 1: when they had the ball, meaning well, obviously when Shaye 232 00:11:46,920 --> 00:11:48,920 Speaker 1: had the ball, those guys were sinking in. But by 233 00:11:48,960 --> 00:11:51,400 Speaker 1: pressuring up on everyone else when they had the ball, 234 00:11:51,679 --> 00:11:54,160 Speaker 1: they were able to maintain some of that aggressive ball 235 00:11:54,160 --> 00:11:58,400 Speaker 1: pressure identity that made Minnesota the basketball team that they've 236 00:11:58,440 --> 00:12:01,120 Speaker 1: been over the course of the last two years. And ironically, 237 00:12:01,160 --> 00:12:04,680 Speaker 1: they were able to actually fulfill, you know, something or 238 00:12:04,880 --> 00:12:08,040 Speaker 1: force something out of Oklahoma City that we very rarely see, 239 00:12:08,040 --> 00:12:12,000 Speaker 1: which is them turning the basketball over. In that first half, 240 00:12:12,040 --> 00:12:15,360 Speaker 1: they turned OKAC over a bunch and got out in 241 00:12:15,360 --> 00:12:16,880 Speaker 1: transition a bunch. 242 00:12:18,120 --> 00:12:18,360 Speaker 2: Again. 243 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:22,480 Speaker 1: Whenever, whenever I talk about like bizarre outcomes, So this 244 00:12:22,520 --> 00:12:26,120 Speaker 1: is a bizarre outcome right Like you're it's five minutes 245 00:12:26,200 --> 00:12:26,480 Speaker 1: left in. 246 00:12:26,480 --> 00:12:29,559 Speaker 2: The fourth quarter. You have forty four on the. 247 00:12:29,679 --> 00:12:32,160 Speaker 1: Sixty eight win thunder team that beat the shit out 248 00:12:32,200 --> 00:12:36,320 Speaker 1: of you twice in Oklahoma City. What causes you to 249 00:12:36,480 --> 00:12:41,240 Speaker 1: flip the script that dramatically, Well, like I always say, 250 00:12:41,280 --> 00:12:44,920 Speaker 1: it's not one thing. Many things have to go your 251 00:12:44,960 --> 00:12:48,840 Speaker 1: way to lead to a dynamic that dramatic. So one, 252 00:12:48,960 --> 00:12:52,160 Speaker 1: obviously the shift in the game plan containing Shay. You've 253 00:12:52,200 --> 00:12:55,240 Speaker 1: played him into his first bad game of the series. 254 00:12:55,280 --> 00:12:57,240 Speaker 1: Full game you have obviously was bad in the first half, 255 00:12:57,240 --> 00:12:59,760 Speaker 1: of game one, but you played Shay into a bad 256 00:12:59,800 --> 00:13:04,120 Speaker 1: game right two. The ball pressure on the other Thunder players, 257 00:13:04,160 --> 00:13:07,400 Speaker 1: forcing turnovers and getting out in transition. Those are the 258 00:13:08,520 --> 00:13:11,720 Speaker 1: two things that we've already discussed. The third thing, Ant 259 00:13:11,960 --> 00:13:15,040 Speaker 1: and Julius making the corner kicks. We've talked about this 260 00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:18,679 Speaker 1: NonStop through the first two games of the series. Minnesota, 261 00:13:18,720 --> 00:13:22,800 Speaker 1: for the first time tonight showed the ability to dislodge 262 00:13:22,800 --> 00:13:26,320 Speaker 1: Oklahoma City from their base defensive scheme the first time. 263 00:13:26,679 --> 00:13:28,880 Speaker 1: Thirty four in the first quarter, thirty eight in the 264 00:13:28,920 --> 00:13:34,280 Speaker 1: second quarter, thirty five in the third quarter. That's absurd. 265 00:13:35,480 --> 00:13:39,480 Speaker 1: They were finally able to demonstrate, hey, your baseline scheme 266 00:13:39,559 --> 00:13:43,280 Speaker 1: doesn't work. In the first two games, they were unable 267 00:13:43,280 --> 00:13:46,760 Speaker 1: to do that. Aunt and Julius forcing the issue, taking 268 00:13:46,880 --> 00:13:50,480 Speaker 1: bad shots, not making the corner kicks. When the corner 269 00:13:50,600 --> 00:13:53,640 Speaker 1: kicks were made, not knocking them down. In the first 270 00:13:53,679 --> 00:13:55,880 Speaker 1: two games of the series, the Wolves were nine for 271 00:13:55,960 --> 00:13:59,679 Speaker 1: thirty six on corner threes. That's twenty five percent. That's 272 00:13:59,760 --> 00:14:03,280 Speaker 1: not going to get the job done. The turnovers that 273 00:14:03,320 --> 00:14:06,040 Speaker 1: they were dealing with, all of those things that they 274 00:14:06,120 --> 00:14:11,600 Speaker 1: had to do to successfully process against this defense wasn't 275 00:14:11,600 --> 00:14:15,320 Speaker 1: getting done. Tonight as of five minutes left in the 276 00:14:15,320 --> 00:14:20,280 Speaker 1: fourth quarter, only nine turnovers. Relentlessly in this game, and 277 00:14:20,440 --> 00:14:24,880 Speaker 1: and Julius making the corner kickout passes over and over again, 278 00:14:25,360 --> 00:14:29,200 Speaker 1: trusting their ability to capitalize on that advantage. And it 279 00:14:29,280 --> 00:14:33,200 Speaker 1: wasn't just corner threes. I thought Jaden McDaniels in particular 280 00:14:33,520 --> 00:14:37,560 Speaker 1: did an incredible job tonight operating on that weak side 281 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:41,280 Speaker 1: corner as a guy who was hitting threes, but also 282 00:14:41,720 --> 00:14:46,200 Speaker 1: making like attacking closeouts, making connective passing reads. There were 283 00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:47,840 Speaker 1: a couple of plays in the late first half that 284 00:14:47,840 --> 00:14:51,360 Speaker 1: I thought perfectly demonstrated. This one a corner kick from Julius. 285 00:14:51,760 --> 00:14:54,680 Speaker 1: Another corner kick from Ann I have in both of 286 00:14:54,680 --> 00:14:56,680 Speaker 1: my Twitter feed you can find him at underscore jsnlt. 287 00:14:56,800 --> 00:14:59,400 Speaker 1: I put him in a little thread. But Julius drives. 288 00:14:59,800 --> 00:15:02,560 Speaker 1: He he draws Shay in and help because again all 289 00:15:02,600 --> 00:15:06,160 Speaker 1: series long, Oklahoma City has been packing the paint and 290 00:15:06,200 --> 00:15:10,360 Speaker 1: conceding those corner kickouts. Julius makes the corner kickout. There's 291 00:15:10,360 --> 00:15:13,440 Speaker 1: a close out. That close out is an advantage, right, 292 00:15:14,720 --> 00:15:17,840 Speaker 1: got to capitalize on that advantage. Jayden racks to the 293 00:15:17,880 --> 00:15:21,480 Speaker 1: baseline and on that rip the remove because he beats 294 00:15:21,520 --> 00:15:25,560 Speaker 1: the close out, He's able to generate dribble penetration and 295 00:15:25,600 --> 00:15:28,320 Speaker 1: it forces the big man to step up. Then Rudy 296 00:15:28,360 --> 00:15:31,440 Speaker 1: Gobert very smartly teas up, meaning he just kind of 297 00:15:31,440 --> 00:15:34,640 Speaker 1: relocates from the opposite dunker spot right in front of 298 00:15:34,680 --> 00:15:37,520 Speaker 1: the rim and makes himself available. Jaden drops it off 299 00:15:37,560 --> 00:15:42,480 Speaker 1: to him, Rudy catches. Then lou Dort has to because 300 00:15:42,480 --> 00:15:44,400 Speaker 1: he has no choice digging, and also it's just kind 301 00:15:44,400 --> 00:15:46,760 Speaker 1: of part of the way the Thunder play basketball. Swoop 302 00:15:46,800 --> 00:15:48,720 Speaker 1: in to try to steal it from Gobert, and as 303 00:15:48,760 --> 00:15:51,520 Speaker 1: a result, Nikil Alexander Walker is wide open at the 304 00:15:51,560 --> 00:15:55,280 Speaker 1: top of the key. Rudy another connective past pitches it 305 00:15:55,280 --> 00:15:57,840 Speaker 1: to Nikil at the top of the key. Pump fakes 306 00:15:57,840 --> 00:15:59,800 Speaker 1: on the close out, gets in the lane and gets 307 00:15:59,800 --> 00:16:04,320 Speaker 1: an easy, breezy floater in the lane where Oklahoma City 308 00:16:04,360 --> 00:16:09,080 Speaker 1: typically is swarming, but not attacking at the beginning of 309 00:16:09,120 --> 00:16:12,920 Speaker 1: the possession, but kicking on the beginning of the possession, 310 00:16:13,400 --> 00:16:17,720 Speaker 1: moving the ball, and suddenly things get loose. Suddenly there's 311 00:16:17,760 --> 00:16:19,880 Speaker 1: an opportunity in the middle of the floor where you 312 00:16:19,920 --> 00:16:22,520 Speaker 1: can look to be aggressive without having to deal with 313 00:16:22,560 --> 00:16:26,400 Speaker 1: the swarm of Oklahoma City defenders very similar one. Aunt 314 00:16:26,520 --> 00:16:29,680 Speaker 1: drives kicks to the corner to Jaden, draws an extra 315 00:16:29,800 --> 00:16:33,160 Speaker 1: rotation from the top of the wing, pitches it to 316 00:16:33,280 --> 00:16:37,600 Speaker 1: Nas read another really aggressive closeout. Nas just shows the ball, 317 00:16:37,960 --> 00:16:40,520 Speaker 1: Dude goes flying by, puts the ball on the floor, 318 00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:43,680 Speaker 1: and then Easy Breezy settles into a wide open three 319 00:16:43,720 --> 00:16:47,160 Speaker 1: on the right wing that he knocks down. That's advantage basketball. 320 00:16:47,560 --> 00:16:50,440 Speaker 1: That's how you have to break down this Oklahoma City defense. 321 00:16:50,800 --> 00:16:53,960 Speaker 1: Get into the middle, make the corner kicks, knock them 322 00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:58,160 Speaker 1: down when you're wide open, drive closeouts, make the connective reads. 323 00:16:58,560 --> 00:17:01,040 Speaker 1: Then you're gonna see opportunities for Aunt and Julius to 324 00:17:01,040 --> 00:17:04,840 Speaker 1: be aggressive on the backside. But again, there's more to 325 00:17:04,880 --> 00:17:07,960 Speaker 1: it than just that. Even the Aunt and Julius over 326 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:11,200 Speaker 1: the top shot making like Aunt and Julius just did 327 00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:13,879 Speaker 1: a better job of being a little more selective on 328 00:17:13,960 --> 00:17:16,200 Speaker 1: the types of pull up jump shots they were taking. 329 00:17:16,880 --> 00:17:18,800 Speaker 1: I thought Ant took some really tough ones in the 330 00:17:18,800 --> 00:17:21,600 Speaker 1: second half, but he got his rhythm first. He got 331 00:17:21,640 --> 00:17:24,800 Speaker 1: it going with some easier looks against drop coverage or 332 00:17:24,840 --> 00:17:28,200 Speaker 1: beating gambles, and so when he got his jumper going, 333 00:17:28,720 --> 00:17:31,240 Speaker 1: then in the second half, he went to some really 334 00:17:31,240 --> 00:17:33,239 Speaker 1: tough bits of shot making, but it came in the 335 00:17:33,280 --> 00:17:36,600 Speaker 1: flow after he already built his rhythm. Julius Randalls over 336 00:17:36,640 --> 00:17:39,119 Speaker 1: the top shot making in the short range and a 337 00:17:39,160 --> 00:17:41,480 Speaker 1: pull up three as well. Like you saw the shot 338 00:17:41,520 --> 00:17:45,399 Speaker 1: making from the stars meet the moment as well, guys 339 00:17:45,480 --> 00:17:47,679 Speaker 1: knocking down their catch and shoot threes. As of the 340 00:17:47,680 --> 00:17:50,800 Speaker 1: time we started the show, there were seven Timberwolves players 341 00:17:50,960 --> 00:17:54,160 Speaker 1: that hit multiple threes and going there. Naseri two for three, 342 00:17:54,240 --> 00:17:57,320 Speaker 1: Dante DiVincenzo two for two, Ni Kil, Alexander Walker two 343 00:17:57,400 --> 00:18:00,639 Speaker 1: for four, Ant five for eight, Mike Conley two for six, 344 00:18:01,040 --> 00:18:03,720 Speaker 1: Jada McDaniel's two for four, Julius Randall two for five. 345 00:18:03,760 --> 00:18:06,720 Speaker 1: So all those dudes multiple threes, all of them hit 346 00:18:06,760 --> 00:18:08,560 Speaker 1: over forty percent except for Mike Conley. 347 00:18:09,040 --> 00:18:11,240 Speaker 2: So the shooting followed right again. 348 00:18:11,320 --> 00:18:13,000 Speaker 1: If you're gonna beat the shit out of a team 349 00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:15,399 Speaker 1: that just previously blew you out, you need a bunch 350 00:18:15,440 --> 00:18:18,720 Speaker 1: of factors to go your way. Game plan shift, forcing 351 00:18:18,720 --> 00:18:21,520 Speaker 1: turnovers and getting out in transition. Aunt and Julius making 352 00:18:21,560 --> 00:18:26,000 Speaker 1: the reads, guys knocking down corner threes, connective playmaking, attacking closeouts, 353 00:18:26,200 --> 00:18:28,880 Speaker 1: Aunt and Julius hitting shots over the top, and then 354 00:18:29,000 --> 00:18:31,040 Speaker 1: what I thought was a really smart little move from 355 00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:33,200 Speaker 1: Chris Finch to start in the I think he was 356 00:18:33,240 --> 00:18:34,399 Speaker 1: right at the start of the second quarter if I 357 00:18:34,440 --> 00:18:36,680 Speaker 1: remember correctly, but it's in the first half. I thought 358 00:18:36,720 --> 00:18:39,400 Speaker 1: he read the room right and was like, oh, we're 359 00:18:39,400 --> 00:18:42,600 Speaker 1: forcing turnovers, we're getting out in transition. This is very 360 00:18:42,640 --> 00:18:45,680 Speaker 1: much like a up and down the floor type of game. 361 00:18:45,960 --> 00:18:49,760 Speaker 1: How about we throw Terrence Shannon in there. And Terrence Shannon, 362 00:18:49,880 --> 00:18:52,399 Speaker 1: you know, in a league where it's hard to stand 363 00:18:52,400 --> 00:18:55,840 Speaker 1: out as an athlete, this guy pops off the screen 364 00:18:55,960 --> 00:18:58,159 Speaker 1: every time I watch him as an athlete. And he 365 00:18:58,200 --> 00:19:01,720 Speaker 1: got some opportunities to attack, to slash off the wing, 366 00:19:01,840 --> 00:19:04,879 Speaker 1: to slash in transition, and I thought he was great 367 00:19:04,960 --> 00:19:07,520 Speaker 1: in his shift. I thought, there's just a really smart 368 00:19:07,560 --> 00:19:11,000 Speaker 1: move from Chris Finch in that spot. So obviously everything 369 00:19:11,080 --> 00:19:13,960 Speaker 1: goes Minnesota's way in this game and they get a 370 00:19:13,960 --> 00:19:17,720 Speaker 1: big win. The question is can Minnesota still win this series? 371 00:19:19,080 --> 00:19:21,440 Speaker 1: The problem is is you spotted Oklahoma City a two 372 00:19:21,440 --> 00:19:23,359 Speaker 1: to oh lead with a foolish game plan. Now, again, 373 00:19:23,600 --> 00:19:26,560 Speaker 1: as I mentioned before, there's no guarantee that you would 374 00:19:26,560 --> 00:19:29,320 Speaker 1: have had an opportunity to win either of those games, 375 00:19:29,359 --> 00:19:32,280 Speaker 1: which you probably have a better chance to win those 376 00:19:32,320 --> 00:19:36,199 Speaker 1: games if you end up you starting the series with 377 00:19:36,240 --> 00:19:39,480 Speaker 1: an appropriate game plan. The problem is now you still 378 00:19:39,600 --> 00:19:41,639 Speaker 1: even after tonight, you have to win three of the 379 00:19:41,680 --> 00:19:45,840 Speaker 1: next four games, and at least one of those games 380 00:19:45,880 --> 00:19:48,880 Speaker 1: needs to be one in Oklahoma City, maybe two. If 381 00:19:48,920 --> 00:19:51,760 Speaker 1: OKAC manages to steal one game in your building, Oklahoma 382 00:19:51,840 --> 00:19:53,880 Speaker 1: City will come out and play better in game two. 383 00:19:54,600 --> 00:19:57,600 Speaker 1: There are obvious things that will swing and excuse me 384 00:19:57,600 --> 00:20:02,080 Speaker 1: in game four, apologize game two minute soda. Oklahoma City 385 00:20:02,080 --> 00:20:04,840 Speaker 1: will play better in game four, there's a couple of 386 00:20:04,960 --> 00:20:07,679 Speaker 1: obvious things that will tilt back their way. They're gonna 387 00:20:07,680 --> 00:20:10,000 Speaker 1: come out with a more desperate defensive effort with a 388 00:20:10,040 --> 00:20:13,240 Speaker 1: ton of physicality, like that's just guaranteed right out the gates, 389 00:20:13,240 --> 00:20:16,040 Speaker 1: which means Aunt and Julius are gonna have to be 390 00:20:16,119 --> 00:20:19,600 Speaker 1: even more deliberate with protecting the ball, with making the 391 00:20:19,640 --> 00:20:22,399 Speaker 1: appropriate reads. Guys are gonna have to hit threes against 392 00:20:22,400 --> 00:20:25,560 Speaker 1: tighter closeouts. Guys when they drive closeouts are gonna have 393 00:20:25,600 --> 00:20:29,400 Speaker 1: to deal with sharper closeouts containing the ball that they're 394 00:20:29,400 --> 00:20:31,960 Speaker 1: gonna have to do a better job beating and making 395 00:20:31,960 --> 00:20:35,800 Speaker 1: those subsequent reads out of it. Right, Oklahoma City turned 396 00:20:35,840 --> 00:20:37,720 Speaker 1: the ball over a lot at the beginning of this game. 397 00:20:38,040 --> 00:20:40,240 Speaker 1: I would expect Oklahoma City to turn the ball over 398 00:20:40,359 --> 00:20:44,040 Speaker 1: less in Game four. Right, They're gonna be more methodical, 399 00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:46,760 Speaker 1: like they have seen this style of defense before. They 400 00:20:46,800 --> 00:20:49,240 Speaker 1: saw it in the Denver series. So we're gonna see 401 00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:51,720 Speaker 1: them most likely try to bring back some of that 402 00:20:51,880 --> 00:20:55,359 Speaker 1: methodical playmaking and shot making that we saw in the 403 00:20:55,400 --> 00:21:00,159 Speaker 1: Denver series at stretches right, So like Oklahoma City, you 404 00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:02,760 Speaker 1: will play way better in Game four and this margin 405 00:21:02,840 --> 00:21:06,080 Speaker 1: will be way tighter. Now, the case if you're a 406 00:21:06,080 --> 00:21:08,200 Speaker 1: Minnesota fan and you're looking for a reason to feel 407 00:21:08,240 --> 00:21:11,560 Speaker 1: optimistic about your chances to come back and win the series, 408 00:21:12,160 --> 00:21:15,439 Speaker 1: the case is that you did some real damage tonight. 409 00:21:16,600 --> 00:21:18,480 Speaker 1: This was not a win. This was an ass kicking. 410 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:23,000 Speaker 1: I thought you shook the thunder to their core tonight. 411 00:21:24,080 --> 00:21:27,480 Speaker 1: You had them looking disheveled and doing things they don't 412 00:21:27,520 --> 00:21:30,960 Speaker 1: normally do. Shae was awful. You played them into a 413 00:21:30,960 --> 00:21:32,760 Speaker 1: bunch of turnovers. Look at how many times this year 414 00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:36,560 Speaker 1: Shae was four for thirteen tonight. Go look at how 415 00:21:36,560 --> 00:21:39,840 Speaker 1: many times this year Shaye shot that poorly from the field. 416 00:21:40,400 --> 00:21:43,240 Speaker 1: That's thirty one percent. I pulled the numbers for the 417 00:21:43,280 --> 00:21:46,000 Speaker 1: show the other day. He had single digit games this 418 00:21:46,080 --> 00:21:50,400 Speaker 1: year below forty percent from the field, guys like Jalen Brunson, 419 00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:54,679 Speaker 1: guys like Anthony Edwards, they had more than twenty such games. 420 00:21:55,160 --> 00:21:58,639 Speaker 1: You played Shay into an uncharacteristically tough game. You played 421 00:21:58,640 --> 00:22:00,919 Speaker 1: a team that doesn't turn the bast over into a 422 00:22:00,920 --> 00:22:05,800 Speaker 1: bunch of turnovers. You took a sixty eight win team 423 00:22:06,280 --> 00:22:08,879 Speaker 1: that I said the last night, I would be shocked 424 00:22:08,920 --> 00:22:11,080 Speaker 1: if they didn't win the title at this point, and 425 00:22:11,119 --> 00:22:13,400 Speaker 1: you beat the shit out of them. So if you're 426 00:22:13,440 --> 00:22:16,920 Speaker 1: looking for optimism, that's what you cling to. You did 427 00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:22,080 Speaker 1: some real damage. I would be shocked if Oklahoma City 428 00:22:22,160 --> 00:22:24,800 Speaker 1: blew you out in game four. Game four is going 429 00:22:24,840 --> 00:22:28,760 Speaker 1: to most likely be a tight, competitive game that will 430 00:22:28,760 --> 00:22:31,280 Speaker 1: come down to some sort of sequence down the stretch. 431 00:22:31,680 --> 00:22:34,640 Speaker 1: And if you can execute, and you execute the game 432 00:22:34,680 --> 00:22:38,800 Speaker 1: plan specifically, and if Julius and and make the appropriate reads, 433 00:22:39,040 --> 00:22:42,000 Speaker 1: the guys play smart off of those advantages and finish 434 00:22:42,119 --> 00:22:45,160 Speaker 1: plays with shot making. There is a real chance here. 435 00:22:45,880 --> 00:22:48,960 Speaker 1: But there's a reason why in NBA history. I saw 436 00:22:48,960 --> 00:22:51,200 Speaker 1: a stat the other day I believe only six times 437 00:22:51,720 --> 00:22:54,000 Speaker 1: in the conference finals a team has come back from 438 00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:57,320 Speaker 1: down two. Oh, there's a reason why you're not playing 439 00:22:57,320 --> 00:23:00,600 Speaker 1: against bums anymore. This is the conference Finalslahoma City has 440 00:23:00,600 --> 00:23:02,879 Speaker 1: been the championship favorite since like the last third of 441 00:23:02,920 --> 00:23:06,000 Speaker 1: the regular season. This is a real team, and you 442 00:23:06,080 --> 00:23:08,320 Speaker 1: got to beat them four out of five times, took 443 00:23:08,400 --> 00:23:10,640 Speaker 1: care one, but now you got to win three out 444 00:23:10,640 --> 00:23:12,560 Speaker 1: of four, and it's just really hard to do. It's 445 00:23:12,600 --> 00:23:16,320 Speaker 1: really hard to sustain. And so with that being the case, 446 00:23:16,640 --> 00:23:19,000 Speaker 1: like I still feel like the thunder are in a 447 00:23:19,040 --> 00:23:21,439 Speaker 1: commanding position here, but you just got to take it 448 00:23:21,520 --> 00:23:24,520 Speaker 1: one game at a time. We talked about this last night. 449 00:23:24,560 --> 00:23:26,520 Speaker 1: You win for New York, it's the same kind of thing. 450 00:23:27,280 --> 00:23:31,840 Speaker 1: Just win game three, it changes the series. Win game three, 451 00:23:32,040 --> 00:23:34,600 Speaker 1: all of a sudden, Game four becomes the pivot point. 452 00:23:35,320 --> 00:23:37,920 Speaker 1: If you win game four, you go back to Oklahoma 453 00:23:38,000 --> 00:23:41,720 Speaker 1: City in a two to two series with the appropriate 454 00:23:41,800 --> 00:23:44,160 Speaker 1: game plan, and you feel like you have a better 455 00:23:44,240 --> 00:23:47,199 Speaker 1: chance to win the series at that point. Theoretically, at 456 00:23:47,200 --> 00:23:49,439 Speaker 1: that point, you're in better shape than you are in 457 00:23:49,480 --> 00:23:53,040 Speaker 1: game one zero zero, because now you know the way 458 00:23:53,119 --> 00:23:55,119 Speaker 1: that you want to play and you only got to 459 00:23:55,160 --> 00:23:58,720 Speaker 1: beat them twice. Same thing goes with the Knicks win 460 00:23:58,840 --> 00:24:01,840 Speaker 1: game three, all of a sudden, Game four becomes the 461 00:24:01,840 --> 00:24:05,200 Speaker 1: pivot point. You win game four, it's two to two, 462 00:24:05,280 --> 00:24:09,160 Speaker 1: you're going home for a best of three, and you've 463 00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:11,439 Speaker 1: figured out some stuff with the way you want to play. 464 00:24:11,760 --> 00:24:14,560 Speaker 1: You just have to keep taking it one game at 465 00:24:14,560 --> 00:24:16,240 Speaker 1: a time. All right, bear with me for just a 466 00:24:16,240 --> 00:24:19,040 Speaker 1: second because Jackson's gone, So I'm gonna pull up the 467 00:24:19,080 --> 00:24:23,240 Speaker 1: tweet here so I can get these questions from you guys. 468 00:24:24,760 --> 00:24:35,119 Speaker 1: All Right, I know it's the playoffs and adjustments that matter. 469 00:24:35,240 --> 00:24:38,000 Speaker 1: But do you think that Finch not adjusting the base 470 00:24:38,040 --> 00:24:40,199 Speaker 1: defensive scheme in the first two games is him just 471 00:24:40,240 --> 00:24:43,640 Speaker 1: not wanting to overreact and having confidence in his player's 472 00:24:43,720 --> 00:24:47,359 Speaker 1: ability to execute. Absolutely, That's what we talked about earlier. 473 00:24:47,359 --> 00:24:50,600 Speaker 1: There's there's a kind of push and pull that you 474 00:24:50,680 --> 00:24:56,679 Speaker 1: see in every single like weird matchup that kind of 475 00:24:56,760 --> 00:24:59,080 Speaker 1: leads to a blink like kind of a staring contest 476 00:24:59,080 --> 00:25:01,200 Speaker 1: between the coaches. For instance, like let's say a fast 477 00:25:01,200 --> 00:25:04,000 Speaker 1: team and a slow team play against each other. Imagine 478 00:25:04,040 --> 00:25:07,159 Speaker 1: like a lightning fast Golden State Warriors team with like 479 00:25:07,280 --> 00:25:10,520 Speaker 1: Draymond Green at center in like twenty twenty two and 480 00:25:10,560 --> 00:25:14,480 Speaker 1: then like, imagine a two big group, so call it, 481 00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:18,359 Speaker 1: you know, this year's Minnesota Timberwolves versus the twenty twenty 482 00:25:18,400 --> 00:25:24,320 Speaker 1: two Warriors or another two big team like Houston or 483 00:25:24,320 --> 00:25:28,199 Speaker 1: something like that. With those situations, it's like who's gonna blink? Like, 484 00:25:28,240 --> 00:25:32,240 Speaker 1: are is the small team gonna be like, shit, we 485 00:25:32,359 --> 00:25:35,359 Speaker 1: can't out small these guys, Let's go big, Or is 486 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:38,359 Speaker 1: the big team gonna go like, shit, we're too slow 487 00:25:38,400 --> 00:25:40,399 Speaker 1: for these guys, Let's go small like and it's like 488 00:25:40,520 --> 00:25:42,480 Speaker 1: who's gonna be the first team that blinks? And I 489 00:25:42,520 --> 00:25:45,960 Speaker 1: think there's a certain amount of like I think Chris 490 00:25:46,000 --> 00:25:48,679 Speaker 1: Finch wanted to go out there with his base scheme 491 00:25:49,359 --> 00:25:52,040 Speaker 1: and just be like, let's see if the thunder can 492 00:25:52,080 --> 00:25:56,120 Speaker 1: beat the Timberwolves. The problem is is like they beat 493 00:25:56,160 --> 00:25:59,240 Speaker 1: you pretty good in game one, and they cut you 494 00:25:59,320 --> 00:26:02,359 Speaker 1: a pieces in that game, and it was pretty clear 495 00:26:02,480 --> 00:26:05,119 Speaker 1: right away in game two that they could score whenever 496 00:26:05,160 --> 00:26:07,560 Speaker 1: they wanted to. Again, so they're like, there was no 497 00:26:07,640 --> 00:26:11,280 Speaker 1: real point in game two where Minnesota took substantial control, 498 00:26:11,359 --> 00:26:14,000 Speaker 1: and so they did, for the record, to Finch his credit, 499 00:26:14,080 --> 00:26:16,240 Speaker 1: like they did the game was just already out of reach. 500 00:26:16,560 --> 00:26:18,800 Speaker 1: They did start doing this like kind of meet and 501 00:26:18,800 --> 00:26:21,000 Speaker 1: Shae further back and packing the paint thing on, like 502 00:26:21,080 --> 00:26:23,240 Speaker 1: some of the final possessions in the fourth quarter of 503 00:26:23,280 --> 00:26:23,720 Speaker 1: Game two. 504 00:26:24,520 --> 00:26:25,880 Speaker 2: It just was one of those things. 505 00:26:25,640 --> 00:26:28,840 Speaker 1: Where like, maybe if you do it earlier, this series 506 00:26:28,920 --> 00:26:30,720 Speaker 1: is two to one now instead of one to two. 507 00:26:30,880 --> 00:26:33,720 Speaker 1: But again, it's it is what it is. I'm I'm 508 00:26:33,840 --> 00:26:38,080 Speaker 1: generally of the opinion that in the postseason you cannot 509 00:26:38,080 --> 00:26:41,640 Speaker 1: waste time. Ask the Knicks who just blew Game one. 510 00:26:42,440 --> 00:26:44,400 Speaker 1: Ask the Lakers who got punched in the face by 511 00:26:44,400 --> 00:26:47,120 Speaker 1: the Wolves in Game one. You know, there's so many 512 00:26:47,119 --> 00:26:50,840 Speaker 1: different examples like this in all these different series, Like 513 00:26:50,920 --> 00:26:56,719 Speaker 1: you cannot afford to spot teams wins in the postseason. 514 00:26:57,200 --> 00:26:59,600 Speaker 1: So I'm generally of the belief that you should attack 515 00:27:00,160 --> 00:27:02,879 Speaker 1: right away with the method that gives you the best 516 00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:07,040 Speaker 1: chance to win that series, and make adjustments quicker rather 517 00:27:07,080 --> 00:27:09,679 Speaker 1: than slower. We're talking about this with Jackson yesterday, just 518 00:27:10,200 --> 00:27:13,199 Speaker 1: with I think it was Jake Iszenberg yesterday, like be 519 00:27:13,440 --> 00:27:17,760 Speaker 1: quick to don't be stubborn, be quick to make the 520 00:27:17,800 --> 00:27:20,040 Speaker 1: appropriate adjustment to give you the best chance to win 521 00:27:20,920 --> 00:27:22,320 Speaker 1: a playoff series. 522 00:27:23,720 --> 00:27:25,560 Speaker 2: All right, let's look at some other questions here. 523 00:27:27,320 --> 00:27:29,440 Speaker 1: Hey, Jason, question here, something I noticed in these playoffs 524 00:27:29,520 --> 00:27:33,960 Speaker 1: is the increase significance of elite team conditioning allah the 525 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:36,960 Speaker 1: relentless Pacers and OKC defense. I know you mentioned attention 526 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:38,560 Speaker 1: to detail in the last video, and I think there's 527 00:27:38,560 --> 00:27:39,360 Speaker 1: a correlation there. 528 00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:40,600 Speaker 2: What are your thoughts. 529 00:27:41,520 --> 00:27:43,119 Speaker 1: I think we've seen this with the Knicks to just 530 00:27:43,119 --> 00:27:45,520 Speaker 1: in general, with the way that they pushed their guys minutes. 531 00:27:47,359 --> 00:27:51,240 Speaker 1: The Pacers dominated the second half of the season. The 532 00:27:51,320 --> 00:27:54,320 Speaker 1: Knicks underachieved this year, but they played all their guys 533 00:27:54,359 --> 00:27:57,879 Speaker 1: big minutes, and like those dudes were asked to do 534 00:27:57,960 --> 00:28:02,640 Speaker 1: a ton. The Thunder attacked the regular season relentlessly. Timberwolves 535 00:28:02,640 --> 00:28:04,760 Speaker 1: a little bit up and down over the course of 536 00:28:04,760 --> 00:28:06,840 Speaker 1: the year, but took down the stretch of the season. 537 00:28:06,840 --> 00:28:10,200 Speaker 1: They were playing great basketball. In general, the best way 538 00:28:10,359 --> 00:28:13,800 Speaker 1: to prefer, like you know that old expression, the best 539 00:28:13,840 --> 00:28:18,280 Speaker 1: indicator of future performance is past performance. Similarly like your 540 00:28:18,359 --> 00:28:21,920 Speaker 1: best chance to play your best basketball when you need 541 00:28:21,960 --> 00:28:26,640 Speaker 1: to is to practice playing your best basketball. Like as 542 00:28:26,680 --> 00:28:29,160 Speaker 1: a Laker fan, for instance, I didn't think the Laker 543 00:28:29,240 --> 00:28:32,680 Speaker 1: defense was anywhere near as good as it was before 544 00:28:32,800 --> 00:28:36,000 Speaker 1: Lebron heard his groin. When Lebron heard his groin. He 545 00:28:36,040 --> 00:28:37,720 Speaker 1: was out for a while, the defense fell off a 546 00:28:37,760 --> 00:28:40,760 Speaker 1: cliff when Lebron came back. There was never really a 547 00:28:40,840 --> 00:28:43,240 Speaker 1: point from that point to the end of the season 548 00:28:43,280 --> 00:28:45,520 Speaker 1: where they looked like the same defense that they were 549 00:28:45,520 --> 00:28:48,640 Speaker 1: before the injuries. So yeah, I'm not surprised that they 550 00:28:48,680 --> 00:28:50,880 Speaker 1: went into the Minnesota Series and they were playing some 551 00:28:50,880 --> 00:28:53,000 Speaker 1: shitty defense. I think there's a certain amount of like 552 00:28:53,040 --> 00:28:57,520 Speaker 1: in general preparing for playoff basketball as it pertains specifically 553 00:28:57,600 --> 00:29:02,360 Speaker 1: to Oklahoma City in Indiana. These are two teams that 554 00:29:02,440 --> 00:29:05,160 Speaker 1: play a very hectic style with full court ball pressure 555 00:29:05,160 --> 00:29:07,880 Speaker 1: and a ton of rotation speed and flying up and 556 00:29:07,880 --> 00:29:11,040 Speaker 1: down the floor and transition on offense. These are teams 557 00:29:11,040 --> 00:29:13,000 Speaker 1: that need to be deep and need to be in 558 00:29:13,040 --> 00:29:16,040 Speaker 1: great shape. It's just something that's necessary for their specific 559 00:29:16,080 --> 00:29:24,560 Speaker 1: play style. Alrighty is Pascal the underrated X factor in 560 00:29:24,600 --> 00:29:26,280 Speaker 1: the Eastern Conference Finals that I think he is? The 561 00:29:26,360 --> 00:29:29,120 Speaker 1: Knicks don't seem to have an answer for him. Going 562 00:29:29,200 --> 00:29:31,680 Speaker 1: back to what we had last year in the postseason. 563 00:29:31,720 --> 00:29:35,480 Speaker 1: If you guys remember when Og and Deobi got hurt, 564 00:29:35,760 --> 00:29:38,480 Speaker 1: Pascal caught Josh Hart for a lot of like this 565 00:29:38,640 --> 00:29:41,680 Speaker 1: primary assignment stuff, and he was just cooking his ass 566 00:29:41,720 --> 00:29:45,640 Speaker 1: all over the place. But like in general, Siakam is 567 00:29:45,720 --> 00:29:49,840 Speaker 1: the missing piece to the Indiana Pacer offense from what 568 00:29:49,960 --> 00:29:52,479 Speaker 1: it already was before the trade last year, which was 569 00:29:52,880 --> 00:29:54,200 Speaker 1: that one of the best pick and role players in 570 00:29:54,200 --> 00:29:56,400 Speaker 1: the league, a guy that is going to consistently set 571 00:29:56,400 --> 00:29:58,640 Speaker 1: teams up with their team up with an advantage and 572 00:29:58,680 --> 00:30:00,880 Speaker 1: they could play advantage basketball with the best of them. 573 00:30:01,280 --> 00:30:03,560 Speaker 1: But what a guy like Siakam gives you is the 574 00:30:03,600 --> 00:30:07,520 Speaker 1: ability to create his own advantage one on one, and 575 00:30:08,240 --> 00:30:10,680 Speaker 1: you know it's gonna be different levels of value in 576 00:30:10,720 --> 00:30:13,720 Speaker 1: different games based on the way the flow is. Ideally, 577 00:30:13,760 --> 00:30:16,560 Speaker 1: I'm sure the Pacers would like to never have to 578 00:30:16,680 --> 00:30:20,880 Speaker 1: use Pascal as an ISO player and have him attacking 579 00:30:20,920 --> 00:30:22,320 Speaker 1: with an advantage consistently. 580 00:30:22,320 --> 00:30:23,320 Speaker 2: And by the way he does that, he had a 581 00:30:23,360 --> 00:30:24,560 Speaker 2: couple of big catch and shoot threes. 582 00:30:24,880 --> 00:30:28,720 Speaker 1: But like the it's like a break glass in case 583 00:30:28,760 --> 00:30:32,320 Speaker 1: of we got stopped by the defense, just give the 584 00:30:32,360 --> 00:30:34,880 Speaker 1: ball to passcal he can go get a bucket. And 585 00:30:34,920 --> 00:30:38,240 Speaker 1: with that being the case, he becomes vitally important within 586 00:30:38,280 --> 00:30:40,520 Speaker 1: that specific Pacers construct. 587 00:30:43,000 --> 00:30:43,960 Speaker 2: All right, let's see. 588 00:30:43,800 --> 00:30:48,880 Speaker 1: Here this game in particular by the Wolves involved them 589 00:30:48,920 --> 00:30:51,480 Speaker 1: simply playing with a level of intensity and force that okay, 590 00:30:51,480 --> 00:30:53,560 Speaker 1: so he expected from them but was unable to match. 591 00:30:53,640 --> 00:30:56,360 Speaker 1: Finch finally made the defensive adjustments on Shay as well. 592 00:30:56,680 --> 00:30:59,760 Speaker 1: What is sustainable for the going into Game four? For 593 00:30:59,760 --> 00:31:02,800 Speaker 1: the talked a little bit about this early earlier, but 594 00:31:02,920 --> 00:31:06,960 Speaker 1: like again, I think the Thunder will absolutely bring a 595 00:31:07,000 --> 00:31:09,600 Speaker 1: better defensive effort right away, Like you're probably not going 596 00:31:09,640 --> 00:31:11,920 Speaker 1: to score seventy two points in the first half, right 597 00:31:12,520 --> 00:31:15,040 Speaker 1: and they certainly will take better care of the basketball. 598 00:31:15,200 --> 00:31:17,120 Speaker 1: I can't remember exactly what the numbers were because they've 599 00:31:17,120 --> 00:31:19,160 Speaker 1: been adopted adapted to the full game. I guess I 600 00:31:19,200 --> 00:31:22,160 Speaker 1: can give you the full game numbers real quick. They 601 00:31:22,200 --> 00:31:24,520 Speaker 1: gave up sixteen points off of turnovers in this game, 602 00:31:24,560 --> 00:31:27,120 Speaker 1: but I think thirteen or fifteen of them, like most 603 00:31:27,160 --> 00:31:29,400 Speaker 1: of those came in the first half, and by the way, 604 00:31:29,440 --> 00:31:32,200 Speaker 1: Oklahoma City cleaned that up literally in the second half 605 00:31:32,240 --> 00:31:33,760 Speaker 1: of this game. So I think they will take care 606 00:31:33,840 --> 00:31:34,600 Speaker 1: better care of the ball. 607 00:31:34,680 --> 00:31:35,960 Speaker 2: So what are the And. 608 00:31:36,040 --> 00:31:39,000 Speaker 1: Also I think Aunt and Julius hitting really tough pull 609 00:31:39,040 --> 00:31:41,160 Speaker 1: up jump shots. There's a certain amount of variance in that, 610 00:31:41,240 --> 00:31:43,160 Speaker 1: so there's a there's a version of Game four where 611 00:31:43,200 --> 00:31:45,720 Speaker 1: those guys just don't hit the same shots. So what 612 00:31:45,880 --> 00:31:48,880 Speaker 1: is it going to be that Minnesota can certainly bring 613 00:31:48,920 --> 00:31:52,000 Speaker 1: into the next game the right game plan. So again, 614 00:31:52,160 --> 00:31:55,320 Speaker 1: just sagging off of Shay packing the paint, ball, pressuring 615 00:31:55,360 --> 00:31:57,760 Speaker 1: the other guys when they have the ball, and then 616 00:31:57,840 --> 00:32:01,240 Speaker 1: on offense, Julius and Aunt making the corner kicks whenever 617 00:32:01,280 --> 00:32:03,800 Speaker 1: they can, and then playing advantage basketball out of that 618 00:32:04,280 --> 00:32:07,160 Speaker 1: whenever they have an opportunity to that. They found a 619 00:32:07,160 --> 00:32:13,280 Speaker 1: formula now that has shown the ability to work. Tea 620 00:32:13,320 --> 00:32:15,719 Speaker 1: Wolves fan, but do you think fatigue played a factor? 621 00:32:15,800 --> 00:32:17,680 Speaker 1: If so, it's going to be a long series. No, 622 00:32:17,880 --> 00:32:22,360 Speaker 1: that everybody in Oklahoma City, Jersey is who plays in 623 00:32:22,400 --> 00:32:25,560 Speaker 1: their rotation is twenty six or younger except for Alex Crusoe. 624 00:32:25,640 --> 00:32:28,440 Speaker 1: So any of you guys who still play basketball at 625 00:32:28,480 --> 00:32:30,520 Speaker 1: my age in your mid thirties will be able to 626 00:32:30,560 --> 00:32:32,719 Speaker 1: tell you how it feels a lot different when you're 627 00:32:32,760 --> 00:32:34,880 Speaker 1: twenty five twenty four, when you've got to play every 628 00:32:34,920 --> 00:32:35,360 Speaker 1: other night. 629 00:32:35,880 --> 00:32:36,920 Speaker 2: I still remember. 630 00:32:36,640 --> 00:32:41,080 Speaker 1: Playing legitimately, like four hours of pickup basketball a night 631 00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:44,040 Speaker 1: when I was that age, you know, So like it's 632 00:32:44,120 --> 00:32:47,960 Speaker 1: just a different it's just a different physical ask for 633 00:32:48,000 --> 00:32:51,000 Speaker 1: an Oklahoma City team. That said, there is like just 634 00:32:51,120 --> 00:32:53,360 Speaker 1: part of human nature in terms of the natural kind 635 00:32:53,400 --> 00:32:56,720 Speaker 1: of pullback of intensity that is going to take place 636 00:32:57,160 --> 00:33:01,920 Speaker 1: naturally as part of urgency. Like this same Thunder team 637 00:33:02,040 --> 00:33:04,520 Speaker 1: kind of got smacked by Memphis and would have lost 638 00:33:04,560 --> 00:33:08,000 Speaker 1: Game three if John Moran didn't get hurt, and so like, 639 00:33:08,240 --> 00:33:10,760 Speaker 1: there is a certain natural tendency to see that kind 640 00:33:10,760 --> 00:33:16,880 Speaker 1: of pullback in these sorts of situations. How much defensively 641 00:33:16,880 --> 00:33:19,560 Speaker 1: would the Wolves actually lose if they replaced Rudy with 642 00:33:19,600 --> 00:33:23,200 Speaker 1: a mid level guy who can actually shoot. I generally 643 00:33:23,240 --> 00:33:25,200 Speaker 1: am of the belief, and I thought Rudy was better tonight. 644 00:33:25,320 --> 00:33:27,719 Speaker 1: Just was more active on the defensive glass and had 645 00:33:27,760 --> 00:33:30,280 Speaker 1: a couple of sequences where he had better success against 646 00:33:30,320 --> 00:33:32,680 Speaker 1: Shaye than he did in earlier parts of the series. 647 00:33:33,120 --> 00:33:36,720 Speaker 1: But the thing with Rudy is his value as a 648 00:33:36,760 --> 00:33:39,600 Speaker 1: rimp protector is actually less in a scheme where you've 649 00:33:39,640 --> 00:33:42,600 Speaker 1: got so many quality perimeter defenders relative to what his 650 00:33:42,680 --> 00:33:46,200 Speaker 1: value looked like in Utah, for example, where you know 651 00:33:46,240 --> 00:33:49,160 Speaker 1: he was cleaning up messes constantly because there were you know, 652 00:33:49,240 --> 00:33:52,400 Speaker 1: Donovan Mitchell couldn't guard, Joe Ingles couldn't guard, you know, 653 00:33:52,840 --> 00:33:55,880 Speaker 1: Mike Conley couldn't guard you know, Jordan Clarson couldn't guard. 654 00:33:56,040 --> 00:33:57,960 Speaker 1: They just had a bunch of dudes who couldn't slide 655 00:33:57,960 --> 00:33:59,720 Speaker 1: their feet. It was like Royce O'Neill was the only 656 00:33:59,760 --> 00:34:02,720 Speaker 1: guy who could like really guard, you know, for that team. 657 00:34:02,760 --> 00:34:06,200 Speaker 1: And so you know, in this particular type of scheme, Like, 658 00:34:06,240 --> 00:34:09,000 Speaker 1: I think there's a reason why Minnesota's consistently all year 659 00:34:09,040 --> 00:34:12,520 Speaker 1: looked fantastic when it's Nas reading Dante DiVincenzo. It's because 660 00:34:12,520 --> 00:34:14,520 Speaker 1: it's just a bunch of elite perimeter defenders and the 661 00:34:14,560 --> 00:34:19,920 Speaker 1: ability to space the floor with NAS's shooting ability. All right, 662 00:34:20,280 --> 00:34:22,640 Speaker 1: what suggestion do you have for changing the knicks starting 663 00:34:22,680 --> 00:34:25,440 Speaker 1: and closing lineups? What do you think of changing out 664 00:34:25,680 --> 00:34:27,839 Speaker 1: Heart for Deuce in the starting lineup just to keep 665 00:34:27,880 --> 00:34:30,319 Speaker 1: up with the Pacers during that time, then win the 666 00:34:30,360 --> 00:34:34,400 Speaker 1: minutes with Mitch closing with Mitch og Deuce, McHale and Brunson. 667 00:34:35,000 --> 00:34:38,279 Speaker 1: So this is the thing. Mitchell Robinson to me, is 668 00:34:38,480 --> 00:34:45,800 Speaker 1: very much a player that relies on exerting energy. And 669 00:34:45,880 --> 00:34:47,560 Speaker 1: by the way, if you pull up his numbers from 670 00:34:47,640 --> 00:34:50,719 Speaker 1: last night, in the second half, he had I think 671 00:34:50,760 --> 00:34:54,600 Speaker 1: one offensive rebound, I think he had one block, and 672 00:34:54,600 --> 00:34:57,440 Speaker 1: I think he was minus seven in his minutes. He 673 00:34:57,520 --> 00:35:01,480 Speaker 1: was dominant in his first half stretch. The thing with 674 00:35:01,600 --> 00:35:03,560 Speaker 1: Mitch is, I think you want to keep his minutes 675 00:35:03,719 --> 00:35:06,880 Speaker 1: in that like eighteen to twenty two range because that's 676 00:35:06,960 --> 00:35:09,799 Speaker 1: where he is most effective with his motor. You want 677 00:35:09,880 --> 00:35:13,160 Speaker 1: him playing, you know, basically two shifts a game, right, 678 00:35:13,200 --> 00:35:15,520 Speaker 1: you know, bridging the first and second quarters and bridging 679 00:35:15,520 --> 00:35:17,840 Speaker 1: the third and fourth quarters. Like, that's what you want. 680 00:35:18,000 --> 00:35:20,239 Speaker 1: And again there's a conversation to be had about the 681 00:35:20,280 --> 00:35:22,560 Speaker 1: big picture in terms of whether or not you should 682 00:35:22,640 --> 00:35:25,000 Speaker 1: try to find a player that can kind of approximate 683 00:35:25,040 --> 00:35:28,680 Speaker 1: what Mitch Mitch does, but is capable of playing thirty 684 00:35:28,760 --> 00:35:31,040 Speaker 1: thirty five minutes a night. But with this, within this 685 00:35:31,640 --> 00:35:35,120 Speaker 1: scale of this, within the scope of this particular postseason series. 686 00:35:36,040 --> 00:35:38,800 Speaker 1: You know, Mitch played what twenty nine minutes I think 687 00:35:38,920 --> 00:35:43,560 Speaker 1: in game in game two, like and in those final minutes, 688 00:35:44,160 --> 00:35:46,359 Speaker 1: you know, in his twenty six, twenty seven, twenty eight, 689 00:35:46,400 --> 00:35:48,960 Speaker 1: twenty ninth minute, that was when he was like leaving 690 00:35:49,000 --> 00:35:51,759 Speaker 1: Siakam and leaving Turner open and making a couple of 691 00:35:52,640 --> 00:35:56,279 Speaker 1: sketchy decisions defensively and like helping recover situations. So like, 692 00:35:56,760 --> 00:35:59,680 Speaker 1: I think, if you're going to try to close with 693 00:35:59,800 --> 00:36:03,680 Speaker 1: min which by the way, opens up some other problems 694 00:36:03,680 --> 00:36:06,400 Speaker 1: in terms of spacing. But if you close with Mitch, 695 00:36:07,080 --> 00:36:09,120 Speaker 1: you want to make sure that he's closing within the 696 00:36:09,120 --> 00:36:11,880 Speaker 1: scope of a minute load that he can handle. And 697 00:36:11,960 --> 00:36:13,960 Speaker 1: so it's one thing to say, let's put Deuce in 698 00:36:14,000 --> 00:36:16,320 Speaker 1: the starting lineup. I think Deuce can handle heavy minutes. 699 00:36:16,920 --> 00:36:20,000 Speaker 1: And the reality is Josh Hart is just not doing 700 00:36:20,080 --> 00:36:23,520 Speaker 1: enough damage offensively out there in his minutes. But with 701 00:36:23,680 --> 00:36:25,680 Speaker 1: Mitch in particular, I don't think you want to be 702 00:36:26,000 --> 00:36:29,080 Speaker 1: necessarily closing with him unless you can keep his minutes down, 703 00:36:29,160 --> 00:36:31,239 Speaker 1: and so he might just have to get kind of 704 00:36:31,239 --> 00:36:34,040 Speaker 1: creative with the rotation in order to make that happen. 705 00:36:34,040 --> 00:36:35,480 Speaker 1: All right, let me double check really quick to make 706 00:36:35,520 --> 00:36:40,520 Speaker 1: sure I didn't miss any. Are there any defensive adjustments 707 00:36:40,560 --> 00:36:42,560 Speaker 1: you think the Knicks can make versus Indy or are 708 00:36:42,560 --> 00:36:43,880 Speaker 1: they just going to have to try to beat them 709 00:36:43,920 --> 00:36:46,880 Speaker 1: in shootouts. I'm gonna be honest with you guys, Like, 710 00:36:47,080 --> 00:36:48,879 Speaker 1: if you watch the film from the first two games 711 00:36:48,920 --> 00:36:51,560 Speaker 1: of this series, Kat is like utterly lost on the 712 00:36:51,560 --> 00:36:53,239 Speaker 1: defensive end of the four. It looks like he has 713 00:36:53,280 --> 00:36:55,440 Speaker 1: no idea what he wants to do. He's like I 714 00:36:55,480 --> 00:37:00,120 Speaker 1: saw some clips, some defensive clips from game two where 715 00:37:00,160 --> 00:37:03,239 Speaker 1: like he threw some of the worst high drop kind 716 00:37:03,239 --> 00:37:05,600 Speaker 1: of hedge blitz whatever you want to call him, type 717 00:37:05,600 --> 00:37:08,040 Speaker 1: of looks i've ever seen where he's coming out way 718 00:37:08,080 --> 00:37:10,680 Speaker 1: too high and then in rotation he's just kind of 719 00:37:10,719 --> 00:37:12,480 Speaker 1: running around like a chicken with his head cut off, 720 00:37:12,520 --> 00:37:14,560 Speaker 1: and then like the ball go in the basket or 721 00:37:14,560 --> 00:37:16,040 Speaker 1: a cutter will catch it open, he kind of just 722 00:37:16,080 --> 00:37:18,400 Speaker 1: looks around like like what do you guys want me 723 00:37:18,400 --> 00:37:20,360 Speaker 1: to do? And and it just he just looks lost 724 00:37:20,360 --> 00:37:23,359 Speaker 1: out there. And so I you know, if you asked 725 00:37:23,360 --> 00:37:25,359 Speaker 1: me what was the best possible game plan to try 726 00:37:25,360 --> 00:37:28,160 Speaker 1: to proceed with moving forward, to me, it would be 727 00:37:29,000 --> 00:37:32,320 Speaker 1: with Cat. It would just be switching everything to prevent 728 00:37:32,400 --> 00:37:35,239 Speaker 1: the obvious drop coverage looks that you can get and 729 00:37:35,280 --> 00:37:37,920 Speaker 1: then just communicate like crazy behind Cat to make sure 730 00:37:37,920 --> 00:37:40,000 Speaker 1: that he doesn't get lost. But it's when he's in 731 00:37:40,000 --> 00:37:41,719 Speaker 1: these two on the ball situations and he has to 732 00:37:41,800 --> 00:37:44,279 Speaker 1: rotate that he's getting lost. And so I would just, 733 00:37:44,520 --> 00:37:46,440 Speaker 1: you know, try as hard as you can to turn 734 00:37:46,440 --> 00:37:48,600 Speaker 1: Indiana into an ISO team, and the best way to 735 00:37:48,640 --> 00:37:52,000 Speaker 1: do that is by switching. But there are some realities 736 00:37:52,000 --> 00:37:53,960 Speaker 1: to the fact that you know, I saw someone say, 737 00:37:54,760 --> 00:37:56,840 Speaker 1: I saw a Celtics fans say, or as a Pacers 738 00:37:56,880 --> 00:37:59,080 Speaker 1: fan say on Twitter, like this is going to be 739 00:37:59,160 --> 00:38:01,400 Speaker 1: very different than keeping Tatum in front. And I was 740 00:38:01,440 --> 00:38:02,759 Speaker 1: like when I read that, I was like, I was 741 00:38:02,800 --> 00:38:04,560 Speaker 1: trying to tell you guys this, like it's a very 742 00:38:04,560 --> 00:38:10,080 Speaker 1: different series. Like it's the Celtics succumb to switching. They 743 00:38:10,120 --> 00:38:13,520 Speaker 1: allow switching to stagnate them because they want to play 744 00:38:13,600 --> 00:38:16,319 Speaker 1: one on one and yeah, Tatum and Brown are two 745 00:38:16,320 --> 00:38:21,080 Speaker 1: guys that will absolutely settle if you slide your feet 746 00:38:21,160 --> 00:38:25,920 Speaker 1: reasonably well. The Pacers do not succumb to switching until 747 00:38:25,920 --> 00:38:29,080 Speaker 1: the end of the clock or for a very deep 748 00:38:29,120 --> 00:38:32,759 Speaker 1: post up. They are a team that plays with so 749 00:38:32,840 --> 00:38:35,359 Speaker 1: much pace and verve in the half court. They'll make 750 00:38:35,400 --> 00:38:38,800 Speaker 1: you execute fifteen to twenty switches before the end of 751 00:38:38,800 --> 00:38:41,239 Speaker 1: the possession, and inevitably you're gonna fuck one of them up. 752 00:38:41,400 --> 00:38:43,520 Speaker 1: And when you do, now they don't have to play 753 00:38:43,600 --> 00:38:45,239 Speaker 1: ice of ball. They can play drive and pick out 754 00:38:45,239 --> 00:38:47,920 Speaker 1: of that. And so again, like it's it's just it's 755 00:38:47,960 --> 00:38:51,520 Speaker 1: a really tough matchup with Cat out there, and you 756 00:38:51,560 --> 00:38:54,160 Speaker 1: can't just like bench Cat. You don't have the depth 757 00:38:54,200 --> 00:38:57,560 Speaker 1: for that, and so, like, you know, honestly, like all 758 00:38:57,840 --> 00:38:59,600 Speaker 1: all you can hope for is that they just play better, 759 00:38:59,640 --> 00:39:01,440 Speaker 1: that they do a better job within their scheme. By 760 00:39:01,440 --> 00:39:03,040 Speaker 1: the way, like I I think the Knicks have a 761 00:39:03,040 --> 00:39:05,640 Speaker 1: decent chance to win tomorrow night. Like I'm I'm not 762 00:39:05,640 --> 00:39:08,040 Speaker 1: gonna sit here and be surprised if if the Knicks 763 00:39:08,040 --> 00:39:11,120 Speaker 1: win tomorrow night. Now, like I feel almost certain that 764 00:39:11,160 --> 00:39:13,279 Speaker 1: Indiana's gonna get one of those two games, which means 765 00:39:13,280 --> 00:39:15,000 Speaker 1: they're gonna be up three to one, which means they're 766 00:39:15,000 --> 00:39:17,520 Speaker 1: gonna probably go to the finals. But like there's this 767 00:39:17,680 --> 00:39:19,440 Speaker 1: series isn't over. You just got to take it one 768 00:39:19,480 --> 00:39:22,440 Speaker 1: game at a time. But it's just the construct of 769 00:39:22,480 --> 00:39:25,719 Speaker 1: this team depends too much on Jalen Brunson and and 770 00:39:26,040 --> 00:39:29,960 Speaker 1: uh uh Karl Anthony Towns to be attentive and focused 771 00:39:30,160 --> 00:39:34,480 Speaker 1: and to give the requisite intensity in their rotations, and 772 00:39:34,560 --> 00:39:35,920 Speaker 1: the two of them are just not good at that. 773 00:39:36,200 --> 00:39:39,160 Speaker 1: And so it just it just to me looks like 774 00:39:39,520 --> 00:39:41,440 Speaker 1: a matchup that's gonna be tough for them to overcome. 775 00:39:41,960 --> 00:39:43,520 Speaker 1: All right, guys, that's all we have for right now. 776 00:39:43,560 --> 00:39:45,839 Speaker 1: We're gonna head over to playback again. That's playback dot 777 00:39:45,880 --> 00:39:48,759 Speaker 1: TV slash Hoops tonight. We'll hang out there for about 778 00:39:48,800 --> 00:39:50,600 Speaker 1: forty five minutes or so. We'd be taking callers and 779 00:39:50,640 --> 00:39:53,399 Speaker 1: watching some film. Again is always sincerely appreciate you guys 780 00:39:53,400 --> 00:39:55,680 Speaker 1: for supporting me and supporting the show. We will see 781 00:39:55,680 --> 00:39:57,680 Speaker 1: you guys next time. What's up guys? As always, I 782 00:39:57,680 --> 00:40:00,759 Speaker 1: appreciate you for listening to and supporting Hoops tonight. They 783 00:40:00,760 --> 00:40:02,879 Speaker 1: would actually be really helpful for us if you guys 784 00:40:02,880 --> 00:40:05,960 Speaker 1: would take a second and leave a rating and a review. 785 00:40:05,960 --> 00:40:07,799 Speaker 1: As always, I appreciate you guys supporting us, but if 786 00:40:07,840 --> 00:40:09,840 Speaker 1: you could take a minute to do that, I really 787 00:40:09,880 --> 00:40:12,480 Speaker 1: appreciate it. 788 00:40:12,600 --> 00:40:13,280 Speaker 2: The volume