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Happy Tuesday, everybody, hope 30 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:52,760 Speaker 2: all if you guys are having a great week, just 31 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:55,640 Speaker 2: gonna go quick for about fifteen minutes on that Lakers 32 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:59,120 Speaker 2: Pelicans game, and then we're coming back live tonight after 33 00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:02,800 Speaker 2: the final buzz of Kings Warriors on YouTube, So make 34 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:05,680 Speaker 2: sure you guys get over to YouTube after that game finishes. 35 00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:07,560 Speaker 2: You guys know the Joe Fourgetz artists. Subscribe to a 36 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:09,120 Speaker 2: brand new YouTube channel so you don't miss any more 37 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:11,880 Speaker 2: of our videos. Follow me on Twitter, I underscore jsonlts, 38 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:14,720 Speaker 2: you guys don't miss any show announcements. Don't forget about 39 00:02:14,720 --> 00:02:17,200 Speaker 2: our podcast feed wherever you get your podcast under hoops tonight, 40 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:19,359 Speaker 2: and the last, but not least, keep dropping mail bag 41 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:21,440 Speaker 2: questions in the YouTube comments so we can hit them 42 00:02:21,639 --> 00:02:24,480 Speaker 2: later on throughout the week. So, as I said in 43 00:02:24,639 --> 00:02:28,200 Speaker 2: the Sunday show, I was expecting more or less today's 44 00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:30,960 Speaker 2: game to be ugly. This is it's really hard to 45 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:33,280 Speaker 2: beat a good team twice in a row, especially after 46 00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:37,040 Speaker 2: you humiliate them. For the losing team, their pride is 47 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:39,480 Speaker 2: on the line. For the winning team, there's a natural 48 00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:42,920 Speaker 2: sense of relaxation that comes in. And honestly, it was 49 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:46,880 Speaker 2: ugly for different reasons than I was expecting. I expected 50 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:50,000 Speaker 2: the Pelicans to kind of keep this game close throughout. 51 00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:52,840 Speaker 2: The way it looked there in that first quarter was 52 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:55,120 Speaker 2: more or less kind of what I was expecting the 53 00:02:55,120 --> 00:02:58,040 Speaker 2: game to look like. Pelicans get an early lead, Lakers 54 00:02:58,120 --> 00:03:00,640 Speaker 2: kind of linger around and out execute them late. To 55 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:04,120 Speaker 2: be honest, I was generally impressed by the Lakers in 56 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:06,640 Speaker 2: this game in the way that they kind of controlled 57 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:09,840 Speaker 2: and dominated things throughout, and really they it was more 58 00:03:09,919 --> 00:03:11,880 Speaker 2: or less just like what happened in the Sunday game. 59 00:03:11,919 --> 00:03:13,720 Speaker 2: They went up big and then they relaxed, and the 60 00:03:13,720 --> 00:03:15,959 Speaker 2: Pelicans brought a bunch of ball pressure and speed onto 61 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:18,040 Speaker 2: the table and were able to kind of make things 62 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:20,679 Speaker 2: a little more competitive. Just in this particular game, the 63 00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:23,919 Speaker 2: Pelicans made it super competitive and actually tied the game 64 00:03:24,400 --> 00:03:27,079 Speaker 2: I think at one or two points. So it was ugly, 65 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:29,280 Speaker 2: but in a different way than I was expecting. The 66 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:33,079 Speaker 2: early success for New Orleans. Couple specific things. Bringing the force. 67 00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:37,240 Speaker 2: That's the big pendulum that swings an NBA Playoffs series 68 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 2: is force. Usually the team that wins game one, you 69 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:42,720 Speaker 2: go into game two, you can expect the team that 70 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:45,240 Speaker 2: lost game one to bring more force, and typically the 71 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:47,800 Speaker 2: team that one game wont to bring less force. 72 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:48,480 Speaker 1: What is force? 73 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:53,640 Speaker 2: It's just doing everything harder, cutting, harder, screening, harder running 74 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:57,880 Speaker 2: and transition both ways, harder, driving, harder every element of 75 00:03:57,920 --> 00:04:01,520 Speaker 2: the game. Usually the that's playing with more force is 76 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:04,760 Speaker 2: bringing that effort in intensity to a higher level. That's 77 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:07,400 Speaker 2: that pendulum that swings, and that pendulum swung a big 78 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:11,680 Speaker 2: way in the Pelicans direction. Well, a couple of schematic things. 79 00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:15,360 Speaker 2: They were using screens on Zion more often so a 80 00:04:15,400 --> 00:04:17,680 Speaker 2: lot of what Zion does offensively is they just set 81 00:04:17,720 --> 00:04:19,680 Speaker 2: them up in that slot there on the right wing, 82 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:22,320 Speaker 2: and they space the floor and he'll just go straight Iso. 83 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:25,440 Speaker 2: That didn't work against Lebron because Lebron has Zion's number 84 00:04:25,480 --> 00:04:27,080 Speaker 2: in a lot of ways, and I thought Lebron did 85 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:29,640 Speaker 2: a really good job on Zion again in this game, 86 00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:32,599 Speaker 2: but they use screens to get Zion onto other players, 87 00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:35,600 Speaker 2: whether it was Ruey or Anthony Davis. He was going 88 00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:38,200 Speaker 2: through Anthony Davis like he was tissue paper. And then 89 00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:40,919 Speaker 2: also in the stretches where Lebron was off the floor, 90 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:44,760 Speaker 2: so like late first quarter, late third quarter, Zion was 91 00:04:44,960 --> 00:04:49,040 Speaker 2: super aggressive to try to take advantage of those particular stretches, 92 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:53,120 Speaker 2: which was a big part of how the Pelicans dominated 93 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:56,559 Speaker 2: those stretches of the game. Also in that fourth quarter run, 94 00:04:57,480 --> 00:04:59,640 Speaker 2: another big part of what helped the Pelicans kind of 95 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:02,559 Speaker 2: get back into it is the Lakers were chasing Jose 96 00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:05,520 Speaker 2: Alvarado over the top of ball screens, which they probably 97 00:05:05,560 --> 00:05:08,960 Speaker 2: shouldn't have been doing. Jose Alvarado shot thirty three percent 98 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:11,120 Speaker 2: on pull up jump shots this year, and he wasn't 99 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:13,880 Speaker 2: shooting particularly well in this game. I would have ducked 100 00:05:13,920 --> 00:05:16,799 Speaker 2: underneath picks that would have shut that action off. Instead, 101 00:05:17,839 --> 00:05:21,320 Speaker 2: D'Angelo Russell was chasing Jose Alvarado over the top. Jose 102 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:24,719 Speaker 2: Alvarado was getting into the lane, engaging Anthony Davis and 103 00:05:24,839 --> 00:05:27,040 Speaker 2: dropping the ball off for Larry Nance, who was getting 104 00:05:27,120 --> 00:05:28,920 Speaker 2: dunks and layups right at the rim. So that was 105 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:32,240 Speaker 2: kind of a schematic mistake from Darvin Ham that I 106 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:34,560 Speaker 2: thought kind of led to a big part of New 107 00:05:34,680 --> 00:05:37,560 Speaker 2: Orleans late success. But again late in the game, and 108 00:05:37,560 --> 00:05:40,159 Speaker 2: obviously Zion getting injured played a certain factor here, but 109 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:42,919 Speaker 2: they did get a couple of buckets after that. But 110 00:05:43,040 --> 00:05:45,680 Speaker 2: the Lakers just kind of settled down offensively, got a 111 00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:47,960 Speaker 2: few great looks. One of the consistent problems for the 112 00:05:47,960 --> 00:05:51,120 Speaker 2: Pelicans in this matchup is they can't play Yonas Valenciunas. 113 00:05:51,320 --> 00:05:53,760 Speaker 2: So when Yonas Valentunas comes out, Anthony Davis just has 114 00:05:53,800 --> 00:05:55,839 Speaker 2: a huge size advantage underneath the basket. I think he 115 00:05:55,839 --> 00:05:58,360 Speaker 2: had six or seven offensive rebounds in this game, and 116 00:05:58,360 --> 00:06:01,320 Speaker 2: on the one of the key possessions late, Anthony Davis 117 00:06:01,320 --> 00:06:03,960 Speaker 2: got an offensive rebound and got to the foul line 118 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:05,640 Speaker 2: and knocked down a couple of big free throws. But 119 00:06:05,839 --> 00:06:08,560 Speaker 2: bottom line, late in the game, it's Lebron James against 120 00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:09,159 Speaker 2: Herb Jones. 121 00:06:09,520 --> 00:06:10,440 Speaker 1: He gets a bucket. 122 00:06:10,520 --> 00:06:13,640 Speaker 2: It's the I don't remember exactly what the action was 123 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:16,480 Speaker 2: but the Lakers drew a double team, worked it around. 124 00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:18,080 Speaker 2: I think it was a Lebron drew a double team. 125 00:06:18,279 --> 00:06:20,320 Speaker 2: Lakers worked it around, and it ended up with a 126 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:23,039 Speaker 2: wide open catch and shoot three for D'Angelo Russell. Like 127 00:06:23,080 --> 00:06:26,159 Speaker 2: the Lakers were just gonna get better shots down the stretch. 128 00:06:26,240 --> 00:06:27,760 Speaker 2: That was more or less what I expected from the 129 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:30,160 Speaker 2: ugliness of the game, is it would be ugly, then 130 00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:32,400 Speaker 2: the Lakers would get better shots down the stretch and win. 131 00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:34,680 Speaker 2: People don't realize this, but the Lakers were the best 132 00:06:34,680 --> 00:06:36,480 Speaker 2: clutch team in basketball this year. They went twenty four 133 00:06:36,520 --> 00:06:39,640 Speaker 2: to nine in games that were within five minutes in 134 00:06:39,680 --> 00:06:42,400 Speaker 2: and within five points late in the game, and so 135 00:06:42,440 --> 00:06:45,320 Speaker 2: they've been pretty consistently great at doing that, just getting 136 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:47,080 Speaker 2: a couple of key stops and getting a couple of 137 00:06:47,160 --> 00:06:50,120 Speaker 2: key buckets and getting out there, getting out of there 138 00:06:50,160 --> 00:06:51,840 Speaker 2: with the win. So the Lakers get it done again. 139 00:06:51,880 --> 00:06:54,040 Speaker 2: It was ugly, but like you know, a couple of 140 00:06:54,040 --> 00:06:56,360 Speaker 2: big swing factors there. I thought Anthony Davis had one 141 00:06:56,400 --> 00:06:58,880 Speaker 2: of those games where he just kind of doesn't have it. 142 00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:01,599 Speaker 2: I don't know whether it was the backspasms or if 143 00:07:01,600 --> 00:07:03,800 Speaker 2: it's just one of those things that ad can do sometimes, 144 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:06,279 Speaker 2: but he just was generally kind of floating through the 145 00:07:06,320 --> 00:07:08,840 Speaker 2: game on both ends of the floor for three quarters. 146 00:07:08,880 --> 00:07:11,120 Speaker 2: Did make a couple of big plays in the fourth. 147 00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:14,160 Speaker 2: He had a big offensive rebound put back, then he 148 00:07:14,200 --> 00:07:17,360 Speaker 2: got a block on CJ. McCollum at the rim obviously 149 00:07:17,440 --> 00:07:19,480 Speaker 2: drew the foul on the offensive glass late. So made 150 00:07:19,520 --> 00:07:22,680 Speaker 2: some big plays, but AD was pretty disengaged. And between 151 00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:26,160 Speaker 2: AD being pretty bad and Zion being pretty awesome, that 152 00:07:26,240 --> 00:07:28,080 Speaker 2: was enough to give the Pelicans a chance to win, 153 00:07:28,480 --> 00:07:31,560 Speaker 2: but alas it was not enough. I want to shout 154 00:07:31,560 --> 00:07:33,520 Speaker 2: out Lebron James because I thought this was a classic 155 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:36,800 Speaker 2: example of dominating a game without making shots. He was 156 00:07:36,840 --> 00:07:40,160 Speaker 2: six foot twenty, tricked off a bunch of layups, barely 157 00:07:40,200 --> 00:07:42,240 Speaker 2: made any jump shots aside from the big one that 158 00:07:42,240 --> 00:07:44,560 Speaker 2: he hit over Herb Jones late. It was a rough 159 00:07:44,600 --> 00:07:46,560 Speaker 2: shot making game for him, and yet I thought he 160 00:07:46,680 --> 00:07:51,200 Speaker 2: completely dominated every facet of the game. First of all, 161 00:07:51,280 --> 00:07:54,080 Speaker 2: the defense on Zion. When he was on Zion, they 162 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:56,320 Speaker 2: had him under control. It was generally when he got 163 00:07:56,320 --> 00:07:59,840 Speaker 2: off of Zion, whether his transition cross matches transition situation 164 00:08:00,280 --> 00:08:02,760 Speaker 2: where he was helping somewhere else off the ball or 165 00:08:02,800 --> 00:08:05,240 Speaker 2: when they were screening him to get Anthony Davis into 166 00:08:05,280 --> 00:08:09,360 Speaker 2: the action. That Zion had some impact, but Lebron blew 167 00:08:09,440 --> 00:08:12,080 Speaker 2: up a bunch of plays in the passing lanes. He 168 00:08:12,280 --> 00:08:14,960 Speaker 2: was a great rebounder in this particular game, got a 169 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:17,760 Speaker 2: bunch of key, contested defensive rebounds, and then on the 170 00:08:17,800 --> 00:08:19,880 Speaker 2: offensive end of the floor, generated just a ton of 171 00:08:19,960 --> 00:08:22,760 Speaker 2: high quality shots and then a big one I thought 172 00:08:22,800 --> 00:08:25,280 Speaker 2: was just his timely play in the key stretches of 173 00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:28,600 Speaker 2: the game. The Pelicans blow it open to end the third, 174 00:08:29,080 --> 00:08:32,080 Speaker 2: then Lebron comes in in the second quarter just immediately 175 00:08:32,559 --> 00:08:35,480 Speaker 2: takes control of the game, gets it back to the 176 00:08:35,559 --> 00:08:37,920 Speaker 2: Lakers being in front. That actually led to the Lakers 177 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:40,760 Speaker 2: kind of dominating that second quarter. Pelicans go on a 178 00:08:40,800 --> 00:08:42,920 Speaker 2: big run in the third quarter. Lebron comes in the 179 00:08:42,960 --> 00:08:46,880 Speaker 2: early fourth and immediately kind of helps reassert control when 180 00:08:46,880 --> 00:08:48,440 Speaker 2: he gets in there. I thought he was great in 181 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:50,720 Speaker 2: the key stretches, great in the key areas of the 182 00:08:50,760 --> 00:08:53,560 Speaker 2: game despite going six for twenty. So shout out to Lebron. 183 00:08:54,400 --> 00:08:54,720 Speaker 1: Lakers. 184 00:08:54,800 --> 00:08:57,800 Speaker 2: Nuggets again, like I said after the Sunday game, different 185 00:08:57,840 --> 00:09:00,760 Speaker 2: teams this year. This time around, the Nuggets are actually 186 00:09:00,800 --> 00:09:02,400 Speaker 2: a little better than they were last year, and I 187 00:09:02,440 --> 00:09:04,120 Speaker 2: think the Lakers are a little better than they were 188 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:07,560 Speaker 2: last year. The Nuggets have some of that defending champion 189 00:09:07,960 --> 00:09:11,160 Speaker 2: type of swagger. Peyton Watson I think has brought a 190 00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:14,520 Speaker 2: real element to their bench defense. I think everybody in 191 00:09:14,559 --> 00:09:16,839 Speaker 2: the starting lineup is a little better than they were 192 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:19,160 Speaker 2: last year. But on the Lakers front, Lebron, this is 193 00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:21,520 Speaker 2: not Lebron with the bad foot. This is Lebron who's 194 00:09:21,559 --> 00:09:24,120 Speaker 2: been playing. I tweeted this out during the game, but 195 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:27,640 Speaker 2: Lebron post All Star Break has been a top three 196 00:09:27,760 --> 00:09:28,880 Speaker 2: player in the league. 197 00:09:29,160 --> 00:09:30,280 Speaker 1: Literally, he's been. 198 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:34,240 Speaker 2: It's been basically Jokic, Luca and Lebron that have been 199 00:09:34,440 --> 00:09:36,560 Speaker 2: the best players in the league post All Star Break, 200 00:09:36,600 --> 00:09:38,400 Speaker 2: and that's like a fourth of the season. He's been 201 00:09:38,600 --> 00:09:40,520 Speaker 2: the only guy in the league post All Star Break 202 00:09:40,559 --> 00:09:42,240 Speaker 2: to average at least twenty seven points per game on 203 00:09:42,240 --> 00:09:44,000 Speaker 2: at least fifty percent from the field and at least 204 00:09:44,040 --> 00:09:46,880 Speaker 2: forty percent from three. They've been dominant when he's on 205 00:09:46,880 --> 00:09:48,840 Speaker 2: the floor and terrible when he's off the floor. Lebron's 206 00:09:48,880 --> 00:09:51,599 Speaker 2: been at a higher level. Anthony Davis is more or 207 00:09:51,640 --> 00:09:53,600 Speaker 2: less the same player he was last year, although he's 208 00:09:53,640 --> 00:09:57,120 Speaker 2: been a little better handling post up double teams. Obviously, 209 00:09:57,200 --> 00:09:59,960 Speaker 2: the Lakers offense is more polished with their five out set. 210 00:10:00,920 --> 00:10:04,320 Speaker 2: The Nuggets don't do as much switching as the Pelicans do, 211 00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:05,760 Speaker 2: and as I did it, as I talked about in 212 00:10:05,800 --> 00:10:08,800 Speaker 2: my contender's list, the Lakers can be a little susceptible 213 00:10:08,800 --> 00:10:11,439 Speaker 2: to switching defenses. That was part of what made them 214 00:10:11,480 --> 00:10:14,240 Speaker 2: go so stagnant. Now the Lakers are capable of beating 215 00:10:14,280 --> 00:10:17,640 Speaker 2: switching with Lebron and ad in size, but specifically with 216 00:10:17,760 --> 00:10:20,000 Speaker 2: the Pelicans, that was a big part of how they 217 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:21,840 Speaker 2: kind of let go of the rope. Lakers went up eighteen, 218 00:10:22,320 --> 00:10:25,680 Speaker 2: then that Nance line up at center, they started switching everything. 219 00:10:25,720 --> 00:10:28,240 Speaker 2: The Lakers got stagnant, they started to take some bad shots. 220 00:10:28,400 --> 00:10:30,559 Speaker 2: That's how you play the Lakers into their worst tendencies. 221 00:10:30,600 --> 00:10:32,600 Speaker 2: And so I actually expect the Lakers to score more 222 00:10:32,600 --> 00:10:34,880 Speaker 2: effectively against the Nuggets in this series than they did 223 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:37,480 Speaker 2: last year. But all of that said, Denver is the 224 00:10:37,480 --> 00:10:39,800 Speaker 2: better team. I'm going to start my prep on that 225 00:10:39,880 --> 00:10:43,560 Speaker 2: series tomorrow. We'll probably have break that breakdown with some 226 00:10:43,640 --> 00:10:47,280 Speaker 2: film up later in the day tomorrow. But the last 227 00:10:47,280 --> 00:10:50,080 Speaker 2: thing is for the Lakers to have any chance to 228 00:10:50,080 --> 00:10:53,079 Speaker 2: beat the Nuggets. They need Anthony Davis to be great. 229 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:56,840 Speaker 2: He got his ass kicked by Nikola Jokic last year 230 00:10:57,120 --> 00:10:59,440 Speaker 2: pretty bad too, to the point we're in Game four. 231 00:10:59,480 --> 00:11:02,360 Speaker 2: In particular, when again when their backs were against the ball, 232 00:11:02,559 --> 00:11:05,960 Speaker 2: I thought Ad looked a little bit disengaged and a 233 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:08,080 Speaker 2: little bit like he let go of the rope. Like so, 234 00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:11,000 Speaker 2: Jokic kicked his butt so bad that Ad kind of 235 00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:13,040 Speaker 2: let go of the rope a little bit last year. 236 00:11:13,480 --> 00:11:15,679 Speaker 2: That's gonna be the factor that needs to swing back 237 00:11:15,720 --> 00:11:19,080 Speaker 2: the other direction. Anthony Davis. He doesn't need to outplay Jokic, 238 00:11:19,200 --> 00:11:21,280 Speaker 2: but he needs to get up to that level. And 239 00:11:21,320 --> 00:11:24,920 Speaker 2: then Lebron James does need to outplay Jamal Murray. That's 240 00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:28,360 Speaker 2: their only chance. WAS kind of disappointed in Ad tonight 241 00:11:28,480 --> 00:11:30,800 Speaker 2: for such a big game for him to be as 242 00:11:31,280 --> 00:11:34,360 Speaker 2: ineffective as he was, But he can make up for 243 00:11:34,400 --> 00:11:36,760 Speaker 2: it by going in there on Saturday or Sunday, whenever 244 00:11:36,800 --> 00:11:39,040 Speaker 2: the game is and getting a big win in Denver. 245 00:11:39,080 --> 00:11:41,400 Speaker 2: I think the Lakers need to win Game one to 246 00:11:41,440 --> 00:11:43,600 Speaker 2: win that series, just to kind of maintain their confidence 247 00:11:43,640 --> 00:11:46,080 Speaker 2: and belief and their ability to win. But I have 248 00:11:46,120 --> 00:11:48,920 Speaker 2: big expectations for Ad in this one, He's got to 249 00:11:48,920 --> 00:11:52,199 Speaker 2: show me something. It's something that I think that he 250 00:11:52,640 --> 00:11:54,880 Speaker 2: I think he has an opportunity here to kind of 251 00:11:54,920 --> 00:11:57,760 Speaker 2: reverse some of the narrative that surrounds him after that series, 252 00:11:57,920 --> 00:12:00,360 Speaker 2: because we went away from that series like, oh, Joki 253 00:12:00,520 --> 00:12:03,400 Speaker 2: is just way way, way, way way better than ad. 254 00:12:03,520 --> 00:12:06,400 Speaker 2: This isn't even much of a matchup. Adi's got to 255 00:12:06,400 --> 00:12:08,959 Speaker 2: make that a conversation for the Lakers to have a 256 00:12:09,040 --> 00:12:11,640 Speaker 2: chance to win this series. And then, lastly before we 257 00:12:11,640 --> 00:12:14,640 Speaker 2: get out of here, the Pelicans. I again, I know 258 00:12:14,679 --> 00:12:18,679 Speaker 2: it's disappointing to lose two straight games like this to 259 00:12:18,920 --> 00:12:24,680 Speaker 2: end the season, but I think that this actually is 260 00:12:24,679 --> 00:12:27,760 Speaker 2: shaping up pretty nicely for them. They match up extremely 261 00:12:27,760 --> 00:12:29,400 Speaker 2: well with Sacramento. They're five to zero this year. They 262 00:12:29,400 --> 00:12:31,240 Speaker 2: match up extremely well with Golden State, they're two to 263 00:12:31,360 --> 00:12:33,080 Speaker 2: one against them this year, and they've won two straight 264 00:12:33,440 --> 00:12:36,760 Speaker 2: somewhat convincingly. You're gonna have that game at home, beat 265 00:12:36,800 --> 00:12:39,680 Speaker 2: those teams whoever comes out of that right. The Oklahoma 266 00:12:39,760 --> 00:12:43,280 Speaker 2: City Thunder are a team that initiated offense with a 267 00:12:43,320 --> 00:12:45,520 Speaker 2: couple of guys that are six six or shorter from 268 00:12:45,600 --> 00:12:48,440 Speaker 2: the perimeter that plays directly into the Pelicans' strength of 269 00:12:48,480 --> 00:12:51,520 Speaker 2: their roster, which is perimeter defenders, and the Pelicans do 270 00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:54,600 Speaker 2: not have the interior size or excuse me, the Thunder 271 00:12:54,600 --> 00:12:56,880 Speaker 2: do not have the interior size to punish the weak 272 00:12:57,240 --> 00:13:00,559 Speaker 2: Pelicans frontline defensively. I will pick Oklahoma City to win 273 00:13:00,600 --> 00:13:03,720 Speaker 2: that series, but the Pelicans have a much better chance 274 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:06,480 Speaker 2: of beating the Thunder than they do to beat the Nuggets. 275 00:13:06,480 --> 00:13:08,760 Speaker 2: So as disappointing as this is, as long as Zion 276 00:13:08,800 --> 00:13:11,160 Speaker 2: can get back onto the floor in time, I actually 277 00:13:11,160 --> 00:13:14,120 Speaker 2: think the Pelicans are kind of slotting into a pathway 278 00:13:14,120 --> 00:13:16,840 Speaker 2: here that makes more sense for them. All right, guys, 279 00:13:16,840 --> 00:13:19,760 Speaker 2: that is all I have for this particular video. Again, 280 00:13:19,800 --> 00:13:21,880 Speaker 2: I will be back live on YouTube after the final 281 00:13:21,920 --> 00:13:22,839 Speaker 2: buzzer of Kings Warriors. 282 00:13:22,880 --> 00:13:25,680 Speaker 1: I will see you guys then. All right, welcome to hoops. 283 00:13:25,440 --> 00:13:27,880 Speaker 2: Tonight here at the volume. Happy Tuesday, everybody. Hope all 284 00:13:27,880 --> 00:13:29,600 Speaker 2: of you guys are having a great week so far. 285 00:13:29,679 --> 00:13:33,480 Speaker 2: We're gonna be breaking down the Warriors dynasty potentially ending 286 00:13:33,520 --> 00:13:36,920 Speaker 2: at the hands of the Sacramento Kings in the play 287 00:13:36,920 --> 00:13:38,600 Speaker 2: in game, the nine to ten playing game. For those 288 00:13:38,640 --> 00:13:41,360 Speaker 2: of you guys looking for a breakdown of Lakers Pelicans, 289 00:13:41,360 --> 00:13:43,600 Speaker 2: we actually already recorded that and it's already uploaded, so 290 00:13:43,640 --> 00:13:45,360 Speaker 2: you can find that a little bit further back in 291 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:47,480 Speaker 2: the feed. Just gonna talk a little bit of Kings 292 00:13:47,520 --> 00:13:49,680 Speaker 2: off the top. I don't really view them as a 293 00:13:49,679 --> 00:13:52,040 Speaker 2: threat after this point. They're zero to five versus the 294 00:13:52,080 --> 00:13:55,400 Speaker 2: Pelicans this year. Obviously Zion being out potentially the hamstring 295 00:13:55,480 --> 00:13:57,320 Speaker 2: is going to be somewhat of an issue, but it's 296 00:13:57,320 --> 00:13:59,560 Speaker 2: more of the Pelicans' perimeter players that give them a bother. 297 00:14:00,559 --> 00:14:02,320 Speaker 2: We're gonna talk a little bit about the Warriors, some 298 00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:05,040 Speaker 2: of the things that stood out from this season and 299 00:14:05,440 --> 00:14:07,800 Speaker 2: part of the reason why I was never really optimistic 300 00:14:07,800 --> 00:14:10,080 Speaker 2: about them making a run to begin with, where the 301 00:14:10,080 --> 00:14:12,320 Speaker 2: Warriors should go from here, and then at the end, 302 00:14:12,720 --> 00:14:14,840 Speaker 2: I personally just want to pay a little bit of 303 00:14:14,840 --> 00:14:17,560 Speaker 2: a homage to the Warriors just for what it was 304 00:14:17,640 --> 00:14:20,920 Speaker 2: like rooting obviously as someone who's a fan of Lebron 305 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:22,720 Speaker 2: James and had to root against them a lot over 306 00:14:22,720 --> 00:14:29,000 Speaker 2: the years, just how incredible that dynasty was, how you know, 307 00:14:29,480 --> 00:14:31,920 Speaker 2: relentless they were in their pursuit of winning, and how 308 00:14:31,920 --> 00:14:35,200 Speaker 2: inevitable they felt at times. And so I put down 309 00:14:35,280 --> 00:14:39,640 Speaker 2: four of my favorite moments after the after KD left 310 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:42,000 Speaker 2: and just kind of like my it just kind of 311 00:14:42,040 --> 00:14:43,920 Speaker 2: my appreciation for the Warriors. That's going to be at 312 00:14:43,960 --> 00:14:45,080 Speaker 2: the end of the show. You guys are the Joe 313 00:14:45,080 --> 00:14:46,480 Speaker 2: for we get started to subscribe to a brand of 314 00:14:46,520 --> 00:14:48,520 Speaker 2: YouTube channel so you don't miss any more of our videos. 315 00:14:48,760 --> 00:14:50,880 Speaker 2: Follow me on Twitter at underscore jsn LT so you 316 00:14:50,920 --> 00:14:54,160 Speaker 2: guys don't miss shownnouncements as well as the film threads 317 00:14:54,160 --> 00:14:56,040 Speaker 2: that I do from time. Don't forget about a podcast 318 00:14:56,080 --> 00:14:58,040 Speaker 2: feed wherever you get your podcast under Hoops tonight. It's 319 00:14:58,040 --> 00:15:00,560 Speaker 2: also super helpful for he leave a rating review on 320 00:15:00,600 --> 00:15:02,920 Speaker 2: that front, and the last but not least, keep leaving 321 00:15:02,960 --> 00:15:05,240 Speaker 2: mail bag questions in the YouTube comments so we can 322 00:15:05,280 --> 00:15:07,640 Speaker 2: keep hitting them throughout the rest of this week. 323 00:15:07,640 --> 00:15:08,800 Speaker 1: All right, let's talk some basketball. 324 00:15:08,840 --> 00:15:11,880 Speaker 2: So this was just a complete and total beat down 325 00:15:11,920 --> 00:15:14,440 Speaker 2: at the hands of the Sacramento Kings. They outshot the 326 00:15:14,480 --> 00:15:17,520 Speaker 2: Warriors from the field, They outshot the Warriors from three, 327 00:15:17,800 --> 00:15:20,240 Speaker 2: They shot better from the foul line. They doubled them 328 00:15:20,280 --> 00:15:22,800 Speaker 2: up on the offensive glass. They had more assists with 329 00:15:22,880 --> 00:15:25,880 Speaker 2: fewer turnovers. They had twice as many steals, twice as 330 00:15:25,920 --> 00:15:29,200 Speaker 2: many fast break points, and committed fewer fouls. It was 331 00:15:29,280 --> 00:15:32,240 Speaker 2: just a complete and total outclassing. Honestly, I was a 332 00:15:32,280 --> 00:15:35,880 Speaker 2: little disappointed just with how the Warriors held up physically, 333 00:15:35,960 --> 00:15:39,560 Speaker 2: because for all of the weaknesses that the Warriors have, 334 00:15:39,720 --> 00:15:44,720 Speaker 2: things like interior size, things like shot creation, one of 335 00:15:44,720 --> 00:15:47,280 Speaker 2: their strengths is they're actually a really athletic team, especially 336 00:15:47,320 --> 00:15:50,040 Speaker 2: on the wing. They've got a lot of youthful exuberance 337 00:15:50,080 --> 00:15:52,920 Speaker 2: at some key positions and a lot of length and athleticism, 338 00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:56,280 Speaker 2: especially on the perimeter that should in theory allow them 339 00:15:56,320 --> 00:15:58,960 Speaker 2: to match up pretty well with Sacramento, but they they 340 00:15:59,000 --> 00:16:02,400 Speaker 2: just didn't hold up tonight for whatever reason. Obviously, the 341 00:16:02,720 --> 00:16:05,560 Speaker 2: veterans in particular struggled in this game, but some of 342 00:16:05,600 --> 00:16:08,280 Speaker 2: the young guys too, even though their effort shined through. 343 00:16:08,320 --> 00:16:11,120 Speaker 2: Some of their execution stuff that you expect from young 344 00:16:11,160 --> 00:16:13,120 Speaker 2: players to struggle with that kind of shined through to 345 00:16:13,160 --> 00:16:15,680 Speaker 2: the surface as well. It was just a complete and 346 00:16:15,840 --> 00:16:19,080 Speaker 2: total dominating performance from the Sacramento Kings. I want to 347 00:16:19,080 --> 00:16:23,280 Speaker 2: shout out two specific guys Versus Keith and Murray. He 348 00:16:23,360 --> 00:16:26,240 Speaker 2: literally looked like the old Klay Thompson out there. He 349 00:16:26,360 --> 00:16:29,880 Speaker 2: was defending a quick guard extremely well. Right, We've seen 350 00:16:31,200 --> 00:16:32,760 Speaker 2: Clay do that to a bunch of quick guards over 351 00:16:32,800 --> 00:16:35,680 Speaker 2: the year, namely Kyrie Irving over the course of their 352 00:16:35,720 --> 00:16:38,520 Speaker 2: matchups in the playoffs over the years, and hid in 353 00:16:38,600 --> 00:16:41,480 Speaker 2: threes not just in volume, not in different spots on 354 00:16:41,480 --> 00:16:44,000 Speaker 2: the floor, but also just flying off a screens kind 355 00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:48,200 Speaker 2: of like we're accustomed to seeing from Klay Thompson. Honestly, 356 00:16:48,960 --> 00:16:51,920 Speaker 2: Keegan hit eight threes in this game. Honestly, like I 357 00:16:51,960 --> 00:16:53,360 Speaker 2: have to kind of eat a little bit of crow 358 00:16:53,400 --> 00:16:55,160 Speaker 2: here in the sense that, like when Keigan Murray got 359 00:16:55,240 --> 00:16:59,800 Speaker 2: drafted and after watching him play in the NBA last year, 360 00:17:00,120 --> 00:17:03,600 Speaker 2: was you know, appreciative of him as a good role 361 00:17:03,600 --> 00:17:05,280 Speaker 2: player in this league. But I didn't really think he 362 00:17:05,320 --> 00:17:07,919 Speaker 2: had this kind of upside as a perimeter defender. I 363 00:17:07,960 --> 00:17:09,840 Speaker 2: didn't think he had this kind of upside as a 364 00:17:09,840 --> 00:17:13,879 Speaker 2: movement shooter. I have to kind of reevaluate my personal 365 00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:16,720 Speaker 2: kind of like view of Keegan Murray ceiling with some 366 00:17:16,760 --> 00:17:18,639 Speaker 2: of the stuff that he's shown this season. And this 367 00:17:18,800 --> 00:17:21,800 Speaker 2: was just a big time performance from him in a 368 00:17:21,920 --> 00:17:26,240 Speaker 2: super super important game. Honestly, Like for all the criticism 369 00:17:26,280 --> 00:17:28,359 Speaker 2: of the playing tournament that we've seen over the years, 370 00:17:29,400 --> 00:17:32,560 Speaker 2: that was an intense game. You had two really good 371 00:17:32,640 --> 00:17:36,120 Speaker 2: teams playing in a single elimination game. You just don't 372 00:17:36,160 --> 00:17:38,400 Speaker 2: get that in the NBA very often. Typically, the nine 373 00:17:38,400 --> 00:17:41,000 Speaker 2: to ten game, even in the Western Conference over the years, 374 00:17:41,040 --> 00:17:43,480 Speaker 2: has been the lesser of the teams that we've seen. 375 00:17:43,520 --> 00:17:45,240 Speaker 2: It's usually the seven eight game where we'll see the 376 00:17:45,280 --> 00:17:47,440 Speaker 2: good teams. And some of this is just the realities 377 00:17:47,480 --> 00:17:49,920 Speaker 2: of the Western Conference. There are ten good teams in 378 00:17:49,960 --> 00:17:52,480 Speaker 2: the West right Like I'll give you as an example, 379 00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:55,720 Speaker 2: I think the Lakers and Clippers are both clearly top 380 00:17:55,880 --> 00:17:58,720 Speaker 2: six teams in the NBA. I had the Lakers at 381 00:17:58,960 --> 00:18:01,280 Speaker 2: six in my contender and I had the Clippers at 382 00:18:01,400 --> 00:18:04,840 Speaker 2: four if I remember correctly. So like Lakers and Clippers 383 00:18:04,880 --> 00:18:08,240 Speaker 2: for me, both top six championship contenders. I'm going to 384 00:18:08,280 --> 00:18:10,560 Speaker 2: be picking them both to lose in the first round 385 00:18:10,560 --> 00:18:14,000 Speaker 2: of the playoffs. Why because they're playing teams two teams 386 00:18:14,160 --> 00:18:16,880 Speaker 2: that are in the top three of my championship contenders. 387 00:18:16,880 --> 00:18:20,400 Speaker 2: The Western Conference is just completely stacked, and so unfortunately, 388 00:18:20,400 --> 00:18:22,960 Speaker 2: as a product of that, the Warriors and Kings fall 389 00:18:23,040 --> 00:18:24,560 Speaker 2: down into the nine to ten game. They have to 390 00:18:24,560 --> 00:18:26,840 Speaker 2: play single elimination game. Somebody's got to go home and 391 00:18:26,920 --> 00:18:29,920 Speaker 2: ends up being the Golden State Warriors, but shout out 392 00:18:29,920 --> 00:18:33,199 Speaker 2: to Keegan Murray because in such a big game, for 393 00:18:33,280 --> 00:18:35,359 Speaker 2: him to show up the way he did, that tells 394 00:18:35,359 --> 00:18:36,960 Speaker 2: you a lot about the type of potential that he 395 00:18:37,040 --> 00:18:39,119 Speaker 2: has in the big picture. Keon Ellis is the second 396 00:18:39,160 --> 00:18:42,520 Speaker 2: guy you guys who remember last year in the postseason 397 00:18:42,560 --> 00:18:45,280 Speaker 2: I talked a lot about how Dearon Fox and Leak 398 00:18:45,320 --> 00:18:48,280 Speaker 2: Monk to a certain extent, but Deern Fox mainly demonstrated 399 00:18:48,280 --> 00:18:50,520 Speaker 2: that like he could really defend the guard position. 400 00:18:50,760 --> 00:18:51,960 Speaker 1: He's capable of it. 401 00:18:51,960 --> 00:18:54,359 Speaker 2: It's just a lot to ask for your primary shock 402 00:18:54,400 --> 00:18:57,200 Speaker 2: creating star to defend the other team's best guard, right, 403 00:18:57,640 --> 00:18:59,600 Speaker 2: And so you'd see a lot of like Davion Mitchell 404 00:18:59,600 --> 00:19:02,560 Speaker 2: that davey On Mitchell had some offensive limitations and they 405 00:19:02,680 --> 00:19:04,840 Speaker 2: just didn't have an option that they could go to 406 00:19:05,480 --> 00:19:10,600 Speaker 2: that they could consistently get high quality perimeter defense while 407 00:19:10,720 --> 00:19:14,200 Speaker 2: also getting the ability to consistently knock down an open 408 00:19:14,240 --> 00:19:17,320 Speaker 2: shot while also not having to ask Dearon Fox to 409 00:19:17,320 --> 00:19:20,320 Speaker 2: do it, because if you have to ask Dearon Fox 410 00:19:20,320 --> 00:19:22,000 Speaker 2: to do it, you're paying the price. On the other 411 00:19:22,080 --> 00:19:24,439 Speaker 2: end of the floor, Keon Ellis has been that for 412 00:19:24,520 --> 00:19:27,119 Speaker 2: the Kings this year. He can really really defend the 413 00:19:27,119 --> 00:19:29,560 Speaker 2: best guards in the league while also being a knockdown 414 00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:33,440 Speaker 2: shooter and also take that off of Dearon Fox's workload. 415 00:19:33,480 --> 00:19:35,640 Speaker 2: And I thought, you know, Mike Brown actually talked about 416 00:19:35,640 --> 00:19:38,720 Speaker 2: it after the third quarter in his interview, basically just 417 00:19:38,720 --> 00:19:41,800 Speaker 2: talking about, like, hey, like being able to switch things 418 00:19:41,880 --> 00:19:44,760 Speaker 2: up on Steph and go from length and size to 419 00:19:44,880 --> 00:19:47,240 Speaker 2: kind of like speed in quickness. With Keon Ellis, it 420 00:19:47,280 --> 00:19:48,879 Speaker 2: was a way that they could kind of keep Steph 421 00:19:48,880 --> 00:19:51,440 Speaker 2: off balance. And I thought he did a really nice job. 422 00:19:51,480 --> 00:19:54,440 Speaker 2: And as I've talked about all season long with the Warriors, 423 00:19:54,760 --> 00:19:56,920 Speaker 2: if you can do a good job on Steph, you're 424 00:19:56,920 --> 00:19:59,440 Speaker 2: probably gonna win because there's nobody else on that team 425 00:19:59,480 --> 00:20:03,320 Speaker 2: that can consistently generate high quality shots. They held step 426 00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:05,760 Speaker 2: to twenty two points, they forced them into six turnovers, 427 00:20:06,359 --> 00:20:08,959 Speaker 2: then they dominated every other facet of the game and 428 00:20:08,960 --> 00:20:11,800 Speaker 2: got the win. Here's the problem, though, Sacramento is a 429 00:20:11,840 --> 00:20:14,520 Speaker 2: team that just brings perimeter defender. 430 00:20:14,240 --> 00:20:16,879 Speaker 1: After perimater defender after perimater defender after perimeter defender. 431 00:20:16,960 --> 00:20:19,359 Speaker 2: Darren Fox is going to be seeing Herb Jones, He's 432 00:20:19,400 --> 00:20:21,360 Speaker 2: gonna be seeing Dyson Daniels, He's going to be seeing 433 00:20:21,440 --> 00:20:25,240 Speaker 2: length and athleticism on him for the entire game, and 434 00:20:25,320 --> 00:20:27,960 Speaker 2: they just have a plethora of that type of talent 435 00:20:28,040 --> 00:20:30,320 Speaker 2: on the floor, and they get they pressed the they 436 00:20:30,320 --> 00:20:32,920 Speaker 2: press the ball handlers, they play passing lanes, they force turnovers, 437 00:20:32,920 --> 00:20:36,320 Speaker 2: they get out in transition. They're five and zero against 438 00:20:36,320 --> 00:20:39,560 Speaker 2: the Sacramento Kings this year, and again, Zion Williamson pulled 439 00:20:39,560 --> 00:20:41,320 Speaker 2: his hamstring at the end of the Lakers game tonight, 440 00:20:41,359 --> 00:20:43,520 Speaker 2: so maybe that'll give them a little bit of a 441 00:20:43,600 --> 00:20:46,359 Speaker 2: semblance of a route that they can go. But the Pelicans, 442 00:20:46,400 --> 00:20:48,480 Speaker 2: you know, when they take Zion out, they play a 443 00:20:48,520 --> 00:20:50,720 Speaker 2: little bit more drive and kick, but they can still 444 00:20:50,760 --> 00:20:54,919 Speaker 2: be actually better defensively than they are with Zion on 445 00:20:54,920 --> 00:20:57,160 Speaker 2: the floor. Obviously, they're just gonna kind of default more 446 00:20:57,160 --> 00:21:00,080 Speaker 2: to running things through Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum. But 447 00:21:00,400 --> 00:21:02,800 Speaker 2: I still think the Pelicans are going to get that 448 00:21:02,920 --> 00:21:06,400 Speaker 2: win on Friday, just on the strength of their perimeter defense. 449 00:21:06,440 --> 00:21:08,959 Speaker 2: Either way, though, I don't think either of those teams 450 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:11,399 Speaker 2: have much of a chance against Oklahoma City, even if 451 00:21:11,400 --> 00:21:14,280 Speaker 2: they're better matchups than some of the other teams in 452 00:21:14,320 --> 00:21:16,560 Speaker 2: the West that they can face. So really impressive win 453 00:21:16,640 --> 00:21:20,240 Speaker 2: for the Kings but without Malik Monk, even if they 454 00:21:20,280 --> 00:21:22,119 Speaker 2: do survive the Pelicans game, I don't think they have 455 00:21:22,560 --> 00:21:25,200 Speaker 2: the horses to make any sort of substantial playoff run. 456 00:21:25,760 --> 00:21:28,520 Speaker 2: So moving on to the Warriors, there's gonna be a 457 00:21:28,560 --> 00:21:32,159 Speaker 2: lot of talk about Draymond Green and the way his 458 00:21:32,240 --> 00:21:34,840 Speaker 2: suspension kind of put them in this predicament. I think 459 00:21:34,880 --> 00:21:37,360 Speaker 2: they were thirty three and twenty two this year when 460 00:21:37,440 --> 00:21:40,679 Speaker 2: Draymond actually played, which is pretty solid, right, And I 461 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:43,000 Speaker 2: want to be clear there's truth to that, Like Draymond 462 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:45,199 Speaker 2: Green did put his team in a predicament where they 463 00:21:45,280 --> 00:21:49,080 Speaker 2: dropped a bunch of games, and maybe, just maybe they're 464 00:21:49,119 --> 00:21:51,600 Speaker 2: not in the nine to ten game if Draymond plays 465 00:21:51,960 --> 00:21:56,080 Speaker 2: the entire season. However, I never really saw the Warriors 466 00:21:56,119 --> 00:21:59,960 Speaker 2: as a team that was capable of winning multiple playoff rounds. Maybe, 467 00:22:00,280 --> 00:22:02,119 Speaker 2: just maybe, if they got like the Thunder in the 468 00:22:02,119 --> 00:22:05,639 Speaker 2: first round, a really young team, or maybe like the 469 00:22:05,640 --> 00:22:07,840 Speaker 2: Minnesota Timberwolves who can struggle to execute in a half 470 00:22:07,880 --> 00:22:10,840 Speaker 2: court like, maybe the Warriors could get a playoff round 471 00:22:10,880 --> 00:22:13,399 Speaker 2: underneath their belt. But I didn't view them as a 472 00:22:13,400 --> 00:22:15,880 Speaker 2: substantial threat in the West this year, and the main 473 00:22:15,920 --> 00:22:19,920 Speaker 2: reason why was they weren't very good against the good 474 00:22:19,920 --> 00:22:22,679 Speaker 2: teams in the league, like this season, they were twenty 475 00:22:22,760 --> 00:22:25,439 Speaker 2: three and four against teams in the bottom ten in 476 00:22:25,520 --> 00:22:28,440 Speaker 2: point differential, which was the seventh best mark in the league. 477 00:22:28,560 --> 00:22:31,600 Speaker 2: But they were just nine and twenty one versus teams 478 00:22:31,600 --> 00:22:35,000 Speaker 2: that are in the top ten in point differential this year. 479 00:22:35,040 --> 00:22:38,480 Speaker 2: That's twentieth in the NBA. They consistently when they ran 480 00:22:38,560 --> 00:22:41,080 Speaker 2: up against the real teams at the top of the league, 481 00:22:41,160 --> 00:22:43,080 Speaker 2: they just didn't have the shot creation and that was 482 00:22:43,119 --> 00:22:45,960 Speaker 2: really it, and some of it it kind of comes 483 00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:50,240 Speaker 2: down to two things. First of all, the team's fatal flaw. 484 00:22:50,400 --> 00:22:53,000 Speaker 2: They didn't have another guy on the roster who could 485 00:22:53,119 --> 00:22:57,840 Speaker 2: consistently generate high quality offense like Kaminga had a hot stretch. 486 00:22:58,160 --> 00:22:59,920 Speaker 2: You know, you get a hot stretch at Andrew Wiggins 487 00:23:00,080 --> 00:23:02,119 Speaker 2: at some point, you get a hot stretch out of 488 00:23:02,200 --> 00:23:06,000 Speaker 2: Klay Thompson at some point. But in any one game sample, 489 00:23:06,040 --> 00:23:08,480 Speaker 2: when you were going in as a Warriors fan or 490 00:23:08,520 --> 00:23:11,240 Speaker 2: going in as someone who watches the Warriors a lot, 491 00:23:11,359 --> 00:23:13,639 Speaker 2: you were sitting there thinking like, is Clay going to 492 00:23:13,640 --> 00:23:18,000 Speaker 2: play well tonight? Maybe is Andrew Wiggins gonna play well tonight? 493 00:23:18,800 --> 00:23:22,800 Speaker 2: Maybe is Jonathan Camiingia gonna play well tonight. Maybe there 494 00:23:22,920 --> 00:23:27,200 Speaker 2: wasn't a legit guy next to Steph that you could 495 00:23:27,240 --> 00:23:31,240 Speaker 2: depend on to consistently generate high quality offense. Basically everybody 496 00:23:31,240 --> 00:23:34,120 Speaker 2: in the Western Conference has that. Sacramento, before the Malik 497 00:23:34,200 --> 00:23:37,280 Speaker 2: Monk injury, you knew you had that with Malik Monk. Obviously, 498 00:23:37,400 --> 00:23:40,520 Speaker 2: Lebron James, it's kind of by committee, by committee with 499 00:23:40,560 --> 00:23:45,040 Speaker 2: Ad Austin Reeves and D'Angelo Russell, right, Obviously, the New 500 00:23:45,119 --> 00:23:49,920 Speaker 2: Orleans Pelicans, it's Brandon ingram Zion Williamson, and it's CJ McCollum. Right, 501 00:23:50,320 --> 00:23:53,440 Speaker 2: you go to the Suns, it's Katie Bradley, Beal, Devin Booker. 502 00:23:53,480 --> 00:23:55,320 Speaker 2: To go to the Clippers, it's James Harden, it's Kevin 503 00:23:55,800 --> 00:23:59,199 Speaker 2: or it's a Kawhi Leonard, it's Paul George, it's Luka Doncic, 504 00:23:59,320 --> 00:24:02,639 Speaker 2: and it's Kyrie, it's Jamal Murray and it's Nikola Jokic. 505 00:24:02,760 --> 00:24:06,399 Speaker 2: The Warriors, really, aside from the injury to Malik Monk, 506 00:24:06,640 --> 00:24:09,480 Speaker 2: they were the only team in the Western Conference that 507 00:24:09,600 --> 00:24:14,240 Speaker 2: did not have a legitimate threat that could consistently generate 508 00:24:14,320 --> 00:24:17,120 Speaker 2: quality shots beyond Steph Curry and then to. 509 00:24:17,080 --> 00:24:18,480 Speaker 1: Make make matters worse. 510 00:24:18,880 --> 00:24:21,600 Speaker 2: Steph just hasn't been the same player over the course 511 00:24:21,640 --> 00:24:23,800 Speaker 2: of the last third of the season, and this kind 512 00:24:23,800 --> 00:24:25,560 Speaker 2: of really colors things when we start to talk about 513 00:24:25,560 --> 00:24:28,080 Speaker 2: where the Warriors should go from here. Steph's twenty five 514 00:24:28,119 --> 00:24:32,399 Speaker 2: games to end the season, twenty two point eight points 515 00:24:32,440 --> 00:24:35,560 Speaker 2: per game, four point five rebounds per game, five point 516 00:24:35,640 --> 00:24:38,680 Speaker 2: five assists per game, forty one point nine percent from 517 00:24:38,720 --> 00:24:41,800 Speaker 2: the field, thirty seven point five percent from three. That's 518 00:24:41,800 --> 00:24:44,640 Speaker 2: Steph's last twenty five games of the season. And then 519 00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:47,760 Speaker 2: you saw him tonight really struggling to break free from 520 00:24:47,840 --> 00:24:50,040 Speaker 2: Keegan and Murray and to break free from keon Ellis. 521 00:24:50,320 --> 00:24:52,920 Speaker 2: A lot of sloppy turnovers, a lot of like just 522 00:24:52,920 --> 00:24:55,719 Speaker 2: struggling to kind of get to his spots right, and 523 00:24:55,800 --> 00:24:58,679 Speaker 2: so there's a bunch of factors there. My guess he's 524 00:24:58,680 --> 00:25:00,919 Speaker 2: probably a little banged up. Wouldn't be surprised if in 525 00:25:00,920 --> 00:25:02,359 Speaker 2: the next couple of days we hear some sort of 526 00:25:02,400 --> 00:25:04,679 Speaker 2: report of an injury that Steph Curry's been dealing with, because, like, 527 00:25:05,160 --> 00:25:07,199 Speaker 2: even in decline, and we're going to talk about that, 528 00:25:07,240 --> 00:25:12,520 Speaker 2: even in decline, shouldn't happen this dramatically, this quickly, right, Two, Yeah, 529 00:25:12,640 --> 00:25:16,399 Speaker 2: Steph getting a little older small guard, there's gonna be 530 00:25:16,440 --> 00:25:19,040 Speaker 2: some decline there. You're starting to see that. And then three, 531 00:25:19,640 --> 00:25:24,080 Speaker 2: when you don't have legitimate, reliable shot creation off of 532 00:25:24,119 --> 00:25:27,880 Speaker 2: your star, it allows teams to throw the kitchen sink 533 00:25:27,960 --> 00:25:31,040 Speaker 2: at Steph Curry. By the way, this is a big 534 00:25:31,080 --> 00:25:32,879 Speaker 2: part of why I'm not as high on the New 535 00:25:32,920 --> 00:25:35,240 Speaker 2: York Knicks as everyone else love the New York Knicks 536 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:38,119 Speaker 2: in the long run, but without Julius Randall, they do 537 00:25:38,200 --> 00:25:41,240 Speaker 2: not have a legitimate secondary shot creator next to Jalen Brunson. 538 00:25:41,440 --> 00:25:44,320 Speaker 2: As a result, they're seven and seventeen this year against 539 00:25:44,320 --> 00:25:46,200 Speaker 2: teams that are in the top ten in point differential. 540 00:25:46,400 --> 00:25:47,600 Speaker 2: I do not think they're going to be able to 541 00:25:47,640 --> 00:25:49,520 Speaker 2: beat the teams with the high firepower for the exact 542 00:25:49,560 --> 00:25:53,000 Speaker 2: same reason, for the exact same reason. When you have 543 00:25:53,080 --> 00:25:55,520 Speaker 2: one guy, you can throw the kitchen sink at it, 544 00:25:55,680 --> 00:25:58,280 Speaker 2: and chances are you'll figure out a way to rotate 545 00:25:58,320 --> 00:26:00,879 Speaker 2: on the back end to kind of contain some of 546 00:26:00,920 --> 00:26:04,560 Speaker 2: those more limited offensive players, and so like that's just 547 00:26:04,760 --> 00:26:06,480 Speaker 2: that's that's really where things fell. 548 00:26:06,280 --> 00:26:07,720 Speaker 1: Apart for the Warriors this year. 549 00:26:07,920 --> 00:26:10,280 Speaker 2: Honestly, Like you know, and I talked about this during 550 00:26:10,600 --> 00:26:13,040 Speaker 2: Jonathan Kaminga's rise. We had that stretch there, like Jonathan 551 00:26:13,119 --> 00:26:15,800 Speaker 2: Kaminga had never had two consecutive twenty point games in 552 00:26:15,840 --> 00:26:18,520 Speaker 2: his career, and then he rips off eight of them 553 00:26:18,520 --> 00:26:21,680 Speaker 2: in a row, right, and you're like, holy shit, this 554 00:26:21,760 --> 00:26:24,320 Speaker 2: guy might be a future star. By the way, I 555 00:26:24,320 --> 00:26:26,119 Speaker 2: still kind of feel like he's going to be. I 556 00:26:26,119 --> 00:26:28,679 Speaker 2: don't think he's on the trajectory with like Anthony Edwards 557 00:26:28,760 --> 00:26:31,359 Speaker 2: and like the super superstars that we have that are 558 00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:33,680 Speaker 2: the young players in the league, but like, I think 559 00:26:33,680 --> 00:26:36,440 Speaker 2: he could be kind of in that Jalen Brown level 560 00:26:36,520 --> 00:26:39,159 Speaker 2: guy that's in the fifteen to twentieth best player in 561 00:26:39,200 --> 00:26:42,000 Speaker 2: the league, who's like a legit twenty five point per 562 00:26:42,040 --> 00:26:44,640 Speaker 2: gay game, guy who can really defend. I think that's 563 00:26:44,640 --> 00:26:48,399 Speaker 2: in Kminga's potential, right, And so he flashed all that 564 00:26:48,440 --> 00:26:50,680 Speaker 2: to potential, and then all of a sudden, training guys, 565 00:26:50,840 --> 00:26:53,239 Speaker 2: trading guys was just out of the window, right, like 566 00:26:53,640 --> 00:26:56,280 Speaker 2: going into that stretch, or like trade Kaminga, trade some 567 00:26:56,359 --> 00:26:58,840 Speaker 2: draft picks. Maybe you go after a Pascal Siaka, maybe 568 00:26:58,840 --> 00:27:02,120 Speaker 2: you go after Nogan and no. And then as Kaminga 569 00:27:02,160 --> 00:27:04,760 Speaker 2: started to play better, right, as og and Andobi and 570 00:27:04,800 --> 00:27:08,280 Speaker 2: Pascal siakam were off us, were the trade talks were 571 00:27:08,480 --> 00:27:12,919 Speaker 2: heating up, they go off. Kaminga playing well kind of 572 00:27:12,920 --> 00:27:15,280 Speaker 2: removes him from that equation. All of a sudden, they're 573 00:27:15,320 --> 00:27:18,000 Speaker 2: out of the siakam Oganobe the sweepstakes. Now, all of 574 00:27:18,040 --> 00:27:20,400 Speaker 2: a sudden, you're kind of trapped with this particular group, right, 575 00:27:20,440 --> 00:27:24,080 Speaker 2: And I talked consistently during that time. You Warriors fans 576 00:27:24,080 --> 00:27:26,920 Speaker 2: that followed the show, you'll remember this. I said consistently 577 00:27:27,000 --> 00:27:30,280 Speaker 2: during that time, like this is great for the future, 578 00:27:31,359 --> 00:27:34,399 Speaker 2: but do not count on these young guys to be 579 00:27:34,920 --> 00:27:38,119 Speaker 2: reliable shot creators when you get to big time playoff games. 580 00:27:38,160 --> 00:27:39,679 Speaker 2: And that's what this was. This was a big time 581 00:27:39,680 --> 00:27:42,440 Speaker 2: playoff game. And Kamina makes some plays tonight, play really hard. 582 00:27:42,440 --> 00:27:44,119 Speaker 2: I thought he had a good stretch there in the 583 00:27:44,160 --> 00:27:48,000 Speaker 2: first half, but like he wasn't. Was he consistently generating 584 00:27:48,080 --> 00:27:49,120 Speaker 2: quality shots in this game. 585 00:27:49,160 --> 00:27:50,120 Speaker 1: No, because he's young. 586 00:27:50,920 --> 00:27:53,240 Speaker 2: He's too young for that type of game, and he's 587 00:27:53,240 --> 00:27:56,679 Speaker 2: not polished enough with his handle and to get to 588 00:27:56,760 --> 00:27:59,000 Speaker 2: his spots and to read the floor to do that. 589 00:27:59,080 --> 00:28:01,720 Speaker 2: Will he in five years probably? I think that's on 590 00:28:01,760 --> 00:28:04,480 Speaker 2: the table, not just on the table. It's probably likely 591 00:28:04,600 --> 00:28:07,520 Speaker 2: for Jonathan kaminga in a five year timeline. But the 592 00:28:07,560 --> 00:28:10,439 Speaker 2: minute you decided we're not going all in, we're sticking 593 00:28:10,480 --> 00:28:14,359 Speaker 2: with these guys, you capped off this team and the 594 00:28:14,440 --> 00:28:17,960 Speaker 2: championship ceiling was out the window. I mean, I threw 595 00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:20,880 Speaker 2: them tenth tied with the heat in my contender rankings 596 00:28:20,920 --> 00:28:24,000 Speaker 2: just as a like basically a sign of respect towards 597 00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:27,440 Speaker 2: Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler. But you know, the Warriors 598 00:28:27,440 --> 00:28:29,600 Speaker 2: just don't have the firepower. They don't have the firepower 599 00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:32,440 Speaker 2: to hang in these types of games, Unlike they could 600 00:28:32,440 --> 00:28:34,040 Speaker 2: have beat the Kings tonight. I'm not trying to act 601 00:28:34,040 --> 00:28:35,360 Speaker 2: like they can't beat the Kings. Of course they could 602 00:28:35,359 --> 00:28:37,720 Speaker 2: beat the Kings tonight. They needed to hold up better physically, 603 00:28:37,840 --> 00:28:39,680 Speaker 2: They needed more out of Clay, and they needed Steph 604 00:28:39,680 --> 00:28:42,160 Speaker 2: to play like a superstar. Instead, they didn't hold up physically. 605 00:28:42,360 --> 00:28:44,560 Speaker 2: Clay gave you nothing, and Steph played like he's been 606 00:28:44,600 --> 00:28:46,640 Speaker 2: playing for the last third of the season, and as 607 00:28:46,680 --> 00:28:50,959 Speaker 2: a result, they got basically dog walked tonight, right, And 608 00:28:51,040 --> 00:28:53,200 Speaker 2: so like that that's kind of the reality of the 609 00:28:53,200 --> 00:28:56,560 Speaker 2: predicament that they're in. And so you know, you could 610 00:28:56,640 --> 00:28:58,280 Speaker 2: where do we go from here? You could make an 611 00:28:58,280 --> 00:29:00,360 Speaker 2: all in trade, right, Like you could try to go 612 00:29:00,440 --> 00:29:02,560 Speaker 2: after a star, maybe a Paul George, maybe a brandon 613 00:29:02,680 --> 00:29:05,360 Speaker 2: Ingram At the Pelicans decide to kind of change their 614 00:29:05,400 --> 00:29:08,120 Speaker 2: build this summer. You can go in that sort of direction, 615 00:29:09,400 --> 00:29:13,560 Speaker 2: but you have to take a look at your situation here, 616 00:29:13,800 --> 00:29:16,920 Speaker 2: Like Steph slash twenty five games, how much of that 617 00:29:17,080 --> 00:29:21,520 Speaker 2: is declined versus not playing alongside a star. You take 618 00:29:21,560 --> 00:29:24,400 Speaker 2: a gamble, you go after a star. Let's say you 619 00:29:24,400 --> 00:29:26,720 Speaker 2: get Paul George, but you have to give up kaminga, 620 00:29:26,760 --> 00:29:30,840 Speaker 2: you have to give up draft compensation. Let's say Steph 621 00:29:31,040 --> 00:29:34,440 Speaker 2: just isn't a the top ten player next year. If 622 00:29:34,440 --> 00:29:36,640 Speaker 2: that happens, then all of a sudden, now you don't 623 00:29:36,680 --> 00:29:39,960 Speaker 2: have the draft assets and the young talent to kind 624 00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:42,880 Speaker 2: of slide into the next phase of your future. You 625 00:29:43,000 --> 00:29:45,440 Speaker 2: just have an old Stephan, an old Paul George. Right, 626 00:29:46,160 --> 00:29:48,360 Speaker 2: And so that's where it gets tricky. Like I almost 627 00:29:48,360 --> 00:29:50,760 Speaker 2: feel like if you were going to do that, you 628 00:29:50,840 --> 00:29:53,600 Speaker 2: needed to do it last year. You needed to do 629 00:29:53,680 --> 00:29:56,720 Speaker 2: it the year after they won the title. That was 630 00:29:56,760 --> 00:29:59,200 Speaker 2: the year where it made sense Steph was still playing 631 00:29:59,240 --> 00:30:01,960 Speaker 2: at that level. A lot of those guys, the young 632 00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:05,680 Speaker 2: guys were mostly just kind of, you know, just prospects 633 00:30:05,720 --> 00:30:07,320 Speaker 2: at that point. They didn't have that sort of long 634 00:30:07,400 --> 00:30:09,680 Speaker 2: term potential that or at least we hadn't seen it 635 00:30:09,720 --> 00:30:12,360 Speaker 2: really manifest for Jonathan Minga yet that was where it 636 00:30:12,360 --> 00:30:14,239 Speaker 2: made sense to do it. Now it doesn't really make 637 00:30:14,280 --> 00:30:17,080 Speaker 2: a lot of sense. And like, who were the guys 638 00:30:17,120 --> 00:30:19,120 Speaker 2: that kind of came in and brought the energy tonight 639 00:30:19,360 --> 00:30:21,920 Speaker 2: when the Warriors came out flat. It was Moses Moody, 640 00:30:21,960 --> 00:30:25,880 Speaker 2: it was Brandon Pitzemski, it was Jonathan Kaminga, right, And 641 00:30:26,200 --> 00:30:29,280 Speaker 2: it's because they have the athletic tools to kind of 642 00:30:29,280 --> 00:30:33,520 Speaker 2: hang in those sorts of settings, right, So, like I think, honestly, 643 00:30:33,600 --> 00:30:36,320 Speaker 2: like if I was running the Warriors at this point, 644 00:30:36,360 --> 00:30:38,920 Speaker 2: I would just kind of read the writing on the wall, Like, 645 00:30:38,960 --> 00:30:40,840 Speaker 2: if you can work out some sort of team friendly 646 00:30:40,880 --> 00:30:43,000 Speaker 2: deal for Clay and he wants to stay because he 647 00:30:43,120 --> 00:30:45,840 Speaker 2: likes his living situation and he likes this team, you 648 00:30:46,520 --> 00:30:48,920 Speaker 2: work it out. But if he gets offered a chunk 649 00:30:48,960 --> 00:30:50,600 Speaker 2: of money and he wants to go, you let him go. 650 00:30:51,560 --> 00:30:53,600 Speaker 2: You know, you see, if you can make some moves 651 00:30:53,640 --> 00:30:55,000 Speaker 2: on the margin of margins. 652 00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:55,600 Speaker 1: I don't know if you. 653 00:30:55,520 --> 00:30:58,280 Speaker 2: Can use a draft pick and maybe one of the 654 00:30:58,320 --> 00:31:02,280 Speaker 2: younger players, or or maybe using Chris Paul's salary to 655 00:31:02,320 --> 00:31:04,960 Speaker 2: try to bring in some sort of of peace, to 656 00:31:05,040 --> 00:31:07,640 Speaker 2: kind of bring in some firepower. But I don't think 657 00:31:07,680 --> 00:31:10,280 Speaker 2: you mortgage the future anymore for this group. I think 658 00:31:10,360 --> 00:31:14,040 Speaker 2: what you do is you bring obviously Stephan Draymond back, 659 00:31:14,320 --> 00:31:16,560 Speaker 2: You bring a legitimate center in so that you can 660 00:31:16,600 --> 00:31:18,520 Speaker 2: play a center next to Draymond to give yourself a 661 00:31:18,560 --> 00:31:21,320 Speaker 2: better chance of holding up in terms of size, and 662 00:31:21,360 --> 00:31:22,560 Speaker 2: then you lean into the youth. 663 00:31:22,640 --> 00:31:23,120 Speaker 1: Next year. 664 00:31:23,120 --> 00:31:26,640 Speaker 2: I think you probably start, you know, either Moses Moody 665 00:31:26,720 --> 00:31:29,680 Speaker 2: and Jonathan Kaminga or Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kaminga. You 666 00:31:29,760 --> 00:31:33,520 Speaker 2: lean heavily into Jonathan Kaminga as a shot creator and 667 00:31:34,160 --> 00:31:36,440 Speaker 2: try to get him to build that out, and you 668 00:31:36,520 --> 00:31:39,280 Speaker 2: don't worry as much about where you're at in the standings. 669 00:31:39,680 --> 00:31:42,760 Speaker 2: You just work on development and work towards the future. 670 00:31:43,160 --> 00:31:47,160 Speaker 2: But like again, like I think the reality is that 671 00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:50,440 Speaker 2: the championship ceiling is gone with this group. The championship 672 00:31:50,480 --> 00:31:52,959 Speaker 2: ceiling with this group was Steph is a top five player. 673 00:31:53,400 --> 00:31:56,400 Speaker 2: You make a trade to bring in a legitimate secondary star. 674 00:31:56,840 --> 00:31:57,680 Speaker 1: They never did that. 675 00:31:57,880 --> 00:32:00,720 Speaker 2: Now Steph has declined, Now the young guy are coming up, 676 00:32:01,040 --> 00:32:04,040 Speaker 2: that's the direction you have to look to go from here. 677 00:32:04,120 --> 00:32:06,240 Speaker 2: And and I guess, honestly, it's going to be about 678 00:32:06,240 --> 00:32:08,800 Speaker 2: whether or not Steph is willing to kind of. 679 00:32:08,800 --> 00:32:10,400 Speaker 1: Be a part of a soft rebuild like that. 680 00:32:11,160 --> 00:32:13,200 Speaker 2: My guess is Steph loves it in Golden State so 681 00:32:13,320 --> 00:32:16,120 Speaker 2: much and that he's so integral to that franchise that 682 00:32:16,160 --> 00:32:18,720 Speaker 2: he's not going anywhere. And to be honest, as much 683 00:32:18,760 --> 00:32:21,720 Speaker 2: as I'd love to see Steph compete for a championship again, someday, 684 00:32:22,320 --> 00:32:25,240 Speaker 2: I just can't even fathom seeing him in another jersey. 685 00:32:25,720 --> 00:32:28,000 Speaker 2: And so I think more likely than not that he 686 00:32:28,360 --> 00:32:30,080 Speaker 2: ends up kind of just kind of riding off into 687 00:32:30,120 --> 00:32:32,240 Speaker 2: the sunset gracefully as a member of the Golden State 688 00:32:32,280 --> 00:32:33,080 Speaker 2: Warriors during. 689 00:32:32,880 --> 00:32:33,680 Speaker 1: A soft rebuild. 690 00:32:33,720 --> 00:32:36,280 Speaker 2: But the only way a championship ceiling is coming back 691 00:32:36,360 --> 00:32:39,560 Speaker 2: is if Jonathan Kaminga takes a five year leap over 692 00:32:39,600 --> 00:32:43,240 Speaker 2: the summer, and I just don't really see that as 693 00:32:43,000 --> 00:32:45,600 Speaker 2: a as an option. Or maybe they can, you know, 694 00:32:45,680 --> 00:32:47,560 Speaker 2: nail some stuff over the course of the summer to 695 00:32:47,640 --> 00:32:49,240 Speaker 2: kind of push some things up on the roster, but 696 00:32:49,280 --> 00:32:51,680 Speaker 2: the reality is it's a firepower issue with this team, 697 00:32:51,720 --> 00:32:57,160 Speaker 2: they just never had consistently that secondary option next to Steph. 698 00:32:57,200 --> 00:32:59,200 Speaker 2: So before we get out of here tonight, I just 699 00:32:59,280 --> 00:33:00,880 Speaker 2: wanted to kind of talk a little bit about the 700 00:33:00,880 --> 00:33:05,440 Speaker 2: Warriors dynasty from just purely from a fan perspective. So 701 00:33:05,520 --> 00:33:08,160 Speaker 2: as I've told you guys before, I am a Lebron 702 00:33:08,240 --> 00:33:11,720 Speaker 2: James fan, and obviously now it's it's much more of 703 00:33:11,800 --> 00:33:16,640 Speaker 2: like a grown up fan hood, right Like I'm Lebron. 704 00:33:16,680 --> 00:33:18,600 Speaker 2: Fans hate me because I'm critical of him when he 705 00:33:18,640 --> 00:33:22,000 Speaker 2: doesn't play well, because I do a job to cover 706 00:33:22,040 --> 00:33:25,440 Speaker 2: the NBA and talk about, you know, these these basketball 707 00:33:25,440 --> 00:33:29,040 Speaker 2: games and actually give x's and o's analysis. Right, So, 708 00:33:29,200 --> 00:33:31,560 Speaker 2: like obviously at this phase of my courage different. But 709 00:33:31,600 --> 00:33:34,560 Speaker 2: like you know, when I was during the Warriors dynasty, 710 00:33:34,760 --> 00:33:37,360 Speaker 2: like I was in my mid twenties and I was, 711 00:33:37,840 --> 00:33:41,960 Speaker 2: you know, like a young emotional fan who loved Lebron, 712 00:33:42,120 --> 00:33:44,920 Speaker 2: loved that Cavaliers team, and I had to root against 713 00:33:44,960 --> 00:33:48,880 Speaker 2: the Warriors, and man did that suck, you know, like 714 00:33:49,560 --> 00:33:51,520 Speaker 2: not just not even just the KD years, because the 715 00:33:51,560 --> 00:33:53,680 Speaker 2: KD years were all about you know, second and third 716 00:33:53,680 --> 00:33:55,880 Speaker 2: best player in the in the world teaming up and 717 00:33:55,960 --> 00:33:58,480 Speaker 2: the like the Cows just never really had a chance. 718 00:33:58,960 --> 00:34:01,520 Speaker 2: But like going back to the two fifteen year, watching 719 00:34:01,560 --> 00:34:05,520 Speaker 2: Steph light up Matthew Delavadova in Game five, I thought 720 00:34:05,520 --> 00:34:09,919 Speaker 2: Steph got absolutely robbed of the Finals MVP that year. 721 00:34:09,960 --> 00:34:12,160 Speaker 2: All you had to do is have a basic understanding 722 00:34:12,200 --> 00:34:14,160 Speaker 2: of the way the game of basketball works to understand 723 00:34:14,200 --> 00:34:16,759 Speaker 2: that he was the reason everything was working for the 724 00:34:16,800 --> 00:34:18,240 Speaker 2: Warriors down the stretch of that series. 725 00:34:18,280 --> 00:34:19,200 Speaker 1: But it is what it is. 726 00:34:19,480 --> 00:34:21,719 Speaker 2: Obviously, the twenty sixteen year, it's a little bit of 727 00:34:21,760 --> 00:34:24,839 Speaker 2: Steph being heard. It's a little bit of Lebron James 728 00:34:24,880 --> 00:34:27,920 Speaker 2: and Kyrie Irving just meeting an insane level. But I 729 00:34:27,920 --> 00:34:31,200 Speaker 2: have four moments after Katie left the Warriors, well actually 730 00:34:31,200 --> 00:34:33,719 Speaker 2: one of them's without Katie, but in his last season 731 00:34:33,760 --> 00:34:36,440 Speaker 2: with the Warriors, that just kind of to me encapsulated 732 00:34:36,920 --> 00:34:40,000 Speaker 2: what made this Warriors dynasty so great. First was the 733 00:34:40,000 --> 00:34:44,240 Speaker 2: twenty nineteen series, the series against the Toronto Rafters. So obviously, 734 00:34:44,360 --> 00:34:46,640 Speaker 2: Kevin Durant goes down with the calf injury in the 735 00:34:46,719 --> 00:34:50,800 Speaker 2: second round and Golden State ends up sweeping the Portland 736 00:34:50,800 --> 00:34:55,200 Speaker 2: Trailblazers without Kevin Durant and come back from huge deficits 737 00:34:55,200 --> 00:34:57,319 Speaker 2: in all four games, just a reminder of just how 738 00:34:57,320 --> 00:34:59,799 Speaker 2: good Steph Clay and Draymond were when they were at 739 00:34:59,800 --> 00:35:03,680 Speaker 2: their best. Like KD made them unbeatable, but even without 740 00:35:03,760 --> 00:35:06,160 Speaker 2: KD they were still a top tier contender in the league. 741 00:35:06,200 --> 00:35:08,560 Speaker 2: They just probably wouldn't have you know, they probably get 742 00:35:08,560 --> 00:35:10,520 Speaker 2: one of those two instead of two of those two, right, Like, 743 00:35:10,600 --> 00:35:12,560 Speaker 2: That's what I always say is like I think, if 744 00:35:12,600 --> 00:35:15,560 Speaker 2: KD doesn't go to Golden State, Lebron gets one of 745 00:35:15,600 --> 00:35:18,200 Speaker 2: them in twenty seventeen, twenty eighteen, and Steph gets one 746 00:35:18,200 --> 00:35:21,279 Speaker 2: of them in twenty seventeen twenty eighteen instead, KD went there, 747 00:35:21,320 --> 00:35:23,239 Speaker 2: so they got them both, right, But like I think 748 00:35:23,280 --> 00:35:25,560 Speaker 2: a lot of times we use the KD stuff to 749 00:35:25,680 --> 00:35:28,279 Speaker 2: kind of underplay just how good Steph Klaan Raymond were. 750 00:35:28,360 --> 00:35:32,080 Speaker 2: And like that Game five, the game was a game five, Yeah, 751 00:35:32,080 --> 00:35:35,960 Speaker 2: it was game five, uh, where Kawhi Leonard just went 752 00:35:36,000 --> 00:35:39,960 Speaker 2: on that crazy Haymaker spree to to get I think 753 00:35:40,000 --> 00:35:41,840 Speaker 2: the I think the Raptors went up by like six 754 00:35:41,920 --> 00:35:44,680 Speaker 2: at that point in the game, and then Stephan Clay 755 00:35:45,120 --> 00:35:47,920 Speaker 2: just stole that game with shot making, and I remember 756 00:35:47,920 --> 00:35:50,879 Speaker 2: sitting there thinking, like, these dudes are just winners man, 757 00:35:51,320 --> 00:35:54,640 Speaker 2: Like KD literally tore his achilles in that game. If 758 00:35:54,680 --> 00:35:57,480 Speaker 2: I remember correct, I believe it was that game. Katie 759 00:35:57,880 --> 00:36:01,000 Speaker 2: hurts himself. You're on the rope. Why is on a 760 00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:03,640 Speaker 2: shot making spree? It all looks like it's over. You're 761 00:36:03,680 --> 00:36:07,280 Speaker 2: on the road, And Stephan Clay just refused to lose, 762 00:36:07,600 --> 00:36:09,360 Speaker 2: and they got it done. And even then, if I 763 00:36:09,400 --> 00:36:11,759 Speaker 2: remember correctly, in game six, Steph had a little step 764 00:36:11,760 --> 00:36:13,880 Speaker 2: back jump shot on the right wing that could have 765 00:36:13,960 --> 00:36:16,040 Speaker 2: tied it. So like they just they just didn't go 766 00:36:16,080 --> 00:36:18,200 Speaker 2: down without a fight. I thought that was a great 767 00:36:18,280 --> 00:36:21,440 Speaker 2: example of the winning character of the Warriors twenty twenty 768 00:36:21,440 --> 00:36:25,640 Speaker 2: one playing game. Obviously, you have no Klay Thompson in 769 00:36:25,680 --> 00:36:30,320 Speaker 2: that game. If I remember correctly, I think that Andrew 770 00:36:30,320 --> 00:36:34,440 Speaker 2: Wiggins was on that team. But once again, like that 771 00:36:34,840 --> 00:36:37,200 Speaker 2: was the Lakers when they still had all their athleticism, right, 772 00:36:37,200 --> 00:36:38,960 Speaker 2: that was when they still had Alex Cruso and they 773 00:36:39,000 --> 00:36:41,719 Speaker 2: still had Contavious Carbo Pope. Like that was a very 774 00:36:41,840 --> 00:36:46,440 Speaker 2: very good Lakers team, and Steph just played absurdly well 775 00:36:47,160 --> 00:36:50,440 Speaker 2: and literally pushed them to the brink. And then Lebron 776 00:36:50,480 --> 00:36:53,000 Speaker 2: basically hit the game winner when he got poked in 777 00:36:53,040 --> 00:36:54,759 Speaker 2: the eye. But like there's a moment in that game, 778 00:36:54,800 --> 00:36:57,080 Speaker 2: and you Warriors fans will probably remember this. You Lakers 779 00:36:57,120 --> 00:37:00,000 Speaker 2: fans will definitely remember this, But there was a moment 780 00:37:00,040 --> 00:37:01,439 Speaker 2: in that game where the Lakers went on a little 781 00:37:01,480 --> 00:37:04,680 Speaker 2: run in the fourth quarter and the camera pans over 782 00:37:04,760 --> 00:37:08,440 Speaker 2: to Steph on the sideline, and after the Lakers made 783 00:37:08,440 --> 00:37:11,320 Speaker 2: their run, because Steph obviously sits to start the fourth quarter, 784 00:37:11,920 --> 00:37:13,880 Speaker 2: you just see this this moment where Steph just kind 785 00:37:13,880 --> 00:37:16,759 Speaker 2: of nods and he just goes like, all right, let's go. 786 00:37:17,080 --> 00:37:20,080 Speaker 2: We got ourselves a game here. And I remember watching 787 00:37:20,120 --> 00:37:22,920 Speaker 2: it being like this motherfucker is gonna check back into 788 00:37:22,960 --> 00:37:26,000 Speaker 2: the game and immediately reassert himself. And he checked back 789 00:37:26,040 --> 00:37:29,080 Speaker 2: in the game and the Warriors immediately regained control. And 790 00:37:29,120 --> 00:37:32,279 Speaker 2: like that stretch there at twenty twenty one, twenty twenty 791 00:37:32,280 --> 00:37:34,840 Speaker 2: three stretch from Steph was so much fun because I 792 00:37:34,880 --> 00:37:36,680 Speaker 2: actually think that was the best version of Steph. I 793 00:37:36,719 --> 00:37:38,360 Speaker 2: know a lot of Steph fans disagree with me, but 794 00:37:38,680 --> 00:37:40,600 Speaker 2: I just thought he was at such a level defensively. 795 00:37:40,880 --> 00:37:43,920 Speaker 2: A lot of times people forget, Like around twenty sixteen, 796 00:37:43,960 --> 00:37:47,280 Speaker 2: when Steph won the unanimous MVP, Steph was barbecuing traditional 797 00:37:47,280 --> 00:37:49,200 Speaker 2: coverages and a lot of teams just didn't know how 798 00:37:49,200 --> 00:37:50,759 Speaker 2: to handle Steph yet. As a matter of fact, the 799 00:37:51,120 --> 00:37:54,480 Speaker 2: Cavs blitzing him in the in the twenty fifteen finals, 800 00:37:54,640 --> 00:37:56,359 Speaker 2: that was kind of like the first team that really 801 00:37:56,640 --> 00:37:59,279 Speaker 2: that really started doing that and doing it effectively like 802 00:37:59,320 --> 00:38:01,560 Speaker 2: they did in that sits, although Steph ended up solving it. 803 00:38:01,640 --> 00:38:04,000 Speaker 2: Like the idea of the way you guard Steph Curry 804 00:38:04,000 --> 00:38:05,840 Speaker 2: didn't really come to fruition until the end of the 805 00:38:05,880 --> 00:38:11,560 Speaker 2: twenty tens, and like Steph was barbecuing the best defensive 806 00:38:11,560 --> 00:38:14,400 Speaker 2: coverages to deal with the player like him in that 807 00:38:14,440 --> 00:38:17,239 Speaker 2: twenty twenty one twenty twenty three stretch, I just thought 808 00:38:17,239 --> 00:38:19,680 Speaker 2: he was at an insanely high level. Obviously, the twenty 809 00:38:19,719 --> 00:38:22,799 Speaker 2: twenty two playoff run, what's crazy with that one is 810 00:38:22,840 --> 00:38:28,200 Speaker 2: like Steph's a rhythm player, like like every other kind 811 00:38:28,200 --> 00:38:31,480 Speaker 2: of like perimeter shooter in the league, right, And he 812 00:38:31,520 --> 00:38:34,640 Speaker 2: went into that playoff run on a foot injury and 813 00:38:34,719 --> 00:38:37,799 Speaker 2: came off the bench to start the Denver series and 814 00:38:37,880 --> 00:38:41,040 Speaker 2: then ended up with one of the best playoff games 815 00:38:41,040 --> 00:38:43,479 Speaker 2: I've ever seen from an individual player in that Game 816 00:38:43,520 --> 00:38:46,600 Speaker 2: four in Boston, just kind of backpacking the Warriors on 817 00:38:46,640 --> 00:38:48,680 Speaker 2: their way to the title, and like it was like 818 00:38:48,800 --> 00:38:51,160 Speaker 2: it was similar to like the Denver Nuggets in the 819 00:38:51,200 --> 00:38:53,840 Speaker 2: sense that like there wasn't like a bona fide superstar 820 00:38:54,000 --> 00:38:55,360 Speaker 2: next to Steph, but he was getting a lot of 821 00:38:55,400 --> 00:38:58,239 Speaker 2: big time contributions from big time players, right Like like 822 00:38:58,280 --> 00:39:02,200 Speaker 2: obviously Klay Thompson didn't unbelievable job defensively in that series 823 00:39:02,200 --> 00:39:02,960 Speaker 2: on Jaylen Brown. 824 00:39:03,400 --> 00:39:04,120 Speaker 1: You got the. 825 00:39:05,880 --> 00:39:08,680 Speaker 2: Jordan Poole playoff run, you get the Andrew Wiggins playoff run, 826 00:39:08,719 --> 00:39:11,120 Speaker 2: Like they got some contributions. Again, no team wins a 827 00:39:11,160 --> 00:39:15,200 Speaker 2: championship without help, but Steph was just unbelievable. 828 00:39:14,520 --> 00:39:15,279 Speaker 1: In that playoff run. 829 00:39:15,320 --> 00:39:19,400 Speaker 2: And then twenty twenty three fifty points in Game seven 830 00:39:19,480 --> 00:39:22,440 Speaker 2: on the road against the Sacramento Kings. And then in 831 00:39:22,480 --> 00:39:25,759 Speaker 2: that twenty twenty three second round playoff series, watching that 832 00:39:25,920 --> 00:39:29,160 Speaker 2: chess match between Steve Kerr and Darvin Ham surrounding the 833 00:39:29,200 --> 00:39:32,440 Speaker 2: Anthony Davis Steph Curry problem for both teams. 834 00:39:32,760 --> 00:39:34,200 Speaker 1: And you know it's funny. 835 00:39:34,239 --> 00:39:36,840 Speaker 2: This summer I went back and I rewatched that series, 836 00:39:37,440 --> 00:39:40,520 Speaker 2: and those are you guys who actually watched the show 837 00:39:40,520 --> 00:39:42,439 Speaker 2: over the summer. You probably remember me doing a show 838 00:39:42,440 --> 00:39:46,360 Speaker 2: about this. But like Steph, no matter what the Lakers 839 00:39:46,360 --> 00:39:49,400 Speaker 2: threw at him in that series. Steph just controlled things 840 00:39:49,440 --> 00:39:51,400 Speaker 2: in ball screens. It was crazy. I can't remember the 841 00:39:51,440 --> 00:39:53,360 Speaker 2: exact numbers because I pulled him over the summer, but 842 00:39:53,719 --> 00:39:56,640 Speaker 2: the Lakers were throwing the kitchen sink at him, and 843 00:39:56,719 --> 00:39:59,839 Speaker 2: he just continued to get and generate quality shots every 844 00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:01,120 Speaker 2: single time down the floor, no. 845 00:40:01,000 --> 00:40:02,400 Speaker 1: Matter what coverage they used. 846 00:40:03,120 --> 00:40:06,040 Speaker 2: Really, the only the only reason the Lakers escaped that 847 00:40:06,120 --> 00:40:08,840 Speaker 2: series was at the end of Game four, Lonnie Walker 848 00:40:08,880 --> 00:40:10,400 Speaker 2: hit a bunch of pull up jump shots and then 849 00:40:10,440 --> 00:40:14,480 Speaker 2: Anthony Davis switched onto Steph Curry, which was the ultimate 850 00:40:14,560 --> 00:40:17,560 Speaker 2: kind of like final move that the Lakers had in 851 00:40:17,600 --> 00:40:19,840 Speaker 2: their back pocket, and Anthony Davis got a couple of 852 00:40:19,840 --> 00:40:21,759 Speaker 2: stops on an island and that was pretty much it. 853 00:40:21,800 --> 00:40:24,200 Speaker 2: But like that entire series, I can just tell you 854 00:40:24,239 --> 00:40:26,680 Speaker 2: as a fan, as someone was rooting against Steph and 855 00:40:26,760 --> 00:40:30,680 Speaker 2: rooting for Lebron in that series, like I felt helpless, 856 00:40:30,920 --> 00:40:33,759 Speaker 2: and again it just that's what I remember about the 857 00:40:33,760 --> 00:40:37,319 Speaker 2: Golden State dynasty is like when they were healthy, when 858 00:40:37,360 --> 00:40:40,200 Speaker 2: Steph was at his a game, when Clay and Raymond 859 00:40:40,239 --> 00:40:42,799 Speaker 2: were out there, when they had a legitimate two way wing, 860 00:40:42,840 --> 00:40:44,799 Speaker 2: whether it was Wiggins, whether it was Barnes, whether it 861 00:40:44,800 --> 00:40:48,480 Speaker 2: was Kevin Durant, they were just inevitable. They were the 862 00:40:48,480 --> 00:40:53,239 Speaker 2: best team of that particular era in my opinion. And 863 00:40:53,840 --> 00:40:56,560 Speaker 2: if this ends up being it, and I still think 864 00:40:56,800 --> 00:40:58,960 Speaker 2: the Warriors will be interesting over the course of the 865 00:40:58,960 --> 00:41:01,120 Speaker 2: next few years, just because they've got some young talent, 866 00:41:01,400 --> 00:41:03,040 Speaker 2: they got a great home crowd, and they do have 867 00:41:03,040 --> 00:41:05,480 Speaker 2: Steph Curry, and I still think Steph Curry's, you know, 868 00:41:05,560 --> 00:41:07,719 Speaker 2: top fifteen, top ten player in the league, right, So 869 00:41:07,840 --> 00:41:10,120 Speaker 2: like there's gonna be some fun times over the next 870 00:41:10,160 --> 00:41:13,160 Speaker 2: few years. But salute to those guys. It's been a 871 00:41:13,160 --> 00:41:15,440 Speaker 2: hell of a run. It's been a decade of dominance. 872 00:41:16,080 --> 00:41:22,480 Speaker 2: Four championships, got close in twenty nineteen and twenty sixteen 873 00:41:22,560 --> 00:41:25,080 Speaker 2: as well. One of the great teams in NBA history. 874 00:41:25,160 --> 00:41:27,120 Speaker 2: And it's been an honor to get to cover them 875 00:41:27,440 --> 00:41:29,799 Speaker 2: and to get to watch them as a fan. And 876 00:41:29,840 --> 00:41:31,560 Speaker 2: you know, that's kind of why I talk. You know 877 00:41:31,640 --> 00:41:33,920 Speaker 2: how excited I am about the Nuggets. They feel to 878 00:41:33,960 --> 00:41:37,840 Speaker 2: me like the next great team, the next great dynasty 879 00:41:37,960 --> 00:41:41,880 Speaker 2: of this era. All Right, that's all I have for tonight. 880 00:41:41,920 --> 00:41:44,399 Speaker 2: As always that sincerely appreciate you guys for supporting the show. 881 00:41:44,440 --> 00:41:47,520 Speaker 2: I'll be back tomorrow morning to uh, well, tomorrow morning, 882 00:41:47,560 --> 00:41:49,160 Speaker 2: I'm gonna start my prep. We'll see when I actually 883 00:41:49,160 --> 00:41:51,240 Speaker 2: get it uploaded, but I'm gonna start with a series 884 00:41:51,280 --> 00:41:54,200 Speaker 2: preview of Lakers Nuggets, and then we'll do a series 885 00:41:54,280 --> 00:41:59,040 Speaker 2: preview of the Eastern Conference seven to two matchup, probably 886 00:41:59,080 --> 00:42:01,759 Speaker 2: on Thursday, and then we'll see, I'm trying to think 887 00:42:01,760 --> 00:42:03,120 Speaker 2: of what we're gonna do on Friday, probably gonna have 888 00:42:03,160 --> 00:42:05,480 Speaker 2: the nerd sesh guys on and then obviously on Saturday 889 00:42:05,480 --> 00:42:08,000 Speaker 2: morning we'll have the one eight matchup previews and then 890 00:42:08,040 --> 00:42:11,319 Speaker 2: we'll get into our playoff grind. And so we're here, man, 891 00:42:11,480 --> 00:42:13,319 Speaker 2: this is it night one of the playoffs in the books. 892 00:42:13,320 --> 00:42:39,400 Speaker 2: I appreciate you, guys. I will see you tomorrow. The 893 00:42:39,520 --> 00:42:39,960 Speaker 2: volume