Speaker 1: This crowd rises to its meaning what borrow slam it?
Speaker 1: Oh Carl left wing three ball perfect, then.
Speaker 2: He left block the shot at the rim pow with
Speaker 2: the left head and a fowl. Welcome to the Chasetown Podcast,
Speaker 2: part of the Caves Media family. I'm your host, Doessin Rohan.
Speaker 2: The Chase Down is presented by Fubo, the official streaming
Speaker 2: partner of the Calves. Watch over three hundred and fifty
Speaker 2: channels of live sports and TV, including fan Duel Sports
Speaker 2: Network without cable. There's no cost and no commitment. Try
Speaker 2: for free at foobotv dot com slash Calves. Well. The
Speaker 2: first half was not the prettiest, but the Cleveland Cavaliers
Speaker 2: found a way to adjust at halftime and walk away
Speaker 2: with a domin win over the New York Knicks, who
Speaker 2: they have now outscored by a combined sixty two points
Speaker 2: this season through three games. Joining me today is my
Speaker 2: co host Carter Rodriguez. Carter, how you doing, buddy, I'm
Speaker 2: doing good.
Speaker 1: I really was grumpy in the first half. I was disappointed,
Speaker 1: and uh, you know, sometimes you have games where they
Speaker 1: don't go the way you're hoping they're going to go.
Speaker 1: As a fan, and you feel frustrated, and then the
Speaker 1: team kind of can't win you back in the second half.
Speaker 1: You know, you're just you're just grumpy, and you're like, yeah,
Speaker 1: I don't care what you do in the second half,
Speaker 1: I'm still mad at you, you know, like you're mad
Speaker 1: at your you know, significant other or something.
Speaker 2: Uh.
Speaker 1: And I kind of was like, I kind of in
Speaker 1: my brain was thinking that was going to be this game.
Speaker 1: I was really disappointed by, you know, another team getting
Speaker 1: handsy with the calves, getting overly physical with the calves,
Speaker 1: throwing them off their rhythm, force them, baiting them into turnovers,
Speaker 1: you know, all that all that fun stuff.
Speaker 2: And then, uh, you know, not only do they.
Speaker 1: Take control of the game in the second half, they
Speaker 1: took they took control of the game in the exact
Speaker 1: same way that New York took control of the game
Speaker 1: on the defensive end of the floor, which was they
Speaker 1: started holding, grabbing, pushing, shoving, beating the crap out of
Speaker 1: them in a respectful, healthy way. They stopped getting their
Speaker 1: asses kicked on the offensive class the gang rebounded even
Speaker 1: when it wasn't perfect. They were there to help each
Speaker 1: other out. So when one of the biggest couldn't get
Speaker 1: their hands on the ball, they were able to tip
Speaker 1: it to someone else. You know, they just really answered
Speaker 1: the bell with physicality in a way that I was
Speaker 1: really encouraged by. You know, I think if they had
Speaker 1: just you know, blown the doors out off of the
Speaker 1: knicks with the offense, which they certainly did, they had
Speaker 1: a great offensive second half. They put up thirty eight
Speaker 1: and then thirty three points in the third and fourth quarters.
Speaker 1: But I do really feel like the combined in forty
Speaker 1: five second half points was what actually told the story
Speaker 1: of that of that.
Speaker 2: Game for New Year. Yeah. Yeah, And I think, you know,
Speaker 2: the second half story came down to how they played defensively.
Speaker 2: Right when you start getting stops, that helps generate momentum
Speaker 2: for your offense. I thought they played more decisively. I
Speaker 2: wasn't as low on the first half as you our
Speaker 2: little kind of running group chat that we have. I
Speaker 2: won't name who wasn't watching in the first half, but
Speaker 2: they said, tell me the story, what's going on is
Speaker 2: as bad as the score? And I said, no, it's
Speaker 2: not as bad as the score. There's things that they
Speaker 2: could clean up, but I felt pretty confident that they
Speaker 2: were going to take a lead. I actually thought they
Speaker 2: were going to take a lead by halftime. I took
Speaker 2: a couple of minutes into the third quarter for that
Speaker 2: to actually come to fruition.
Speaker 1: But there was a difference in style of play first
Speaker 1: half the second half.
Speaker 2: No, there was a difference in style of play. There
Speaker 2: was a difference, you know, in effort. I thought the
Speaker 2: biggest difference between first half and second half was defensive connectivity,
Speaker 2: like and you know, the fifty to fifty plays and
Speaker 2: stuff like that. I thought it was already starting to
Speaker 2: tilt back towards their favor as the first half progressed.
Speaker 2: But I really felt like the defensive continuity was a big,
Speaker 2: big difference because really after the first substitution pattern in
Speaker 2: the first quarter, like when it went to the Garland
Speaker 2: Allen lineup there, I thought that they started to find
Speaker 2: a little bit of a groove Offensively, I thought coming
Speaker 2: into this game to start the game, it felt very
Speaker 2: similar to some of the Boston games where they just
Speaker 2: did not look assertive. They looked a little out of
Speaker 2: rhythm offensively. They got good shots, but it didn't feel like, hey,
Speaker 2: the ball was humming for twelve fifteen seconds here and
Speaker 2: then we got a good shot. It was kind of
Speaker 2: awkward dribbling around. You know, someone created a little bit
Speaker 2: of space. We got a nice clean look. It didn't
Speaker 2: go down, But you know, it never really felt like
Speaker 2: there was that rhythm when the Cats have it going.
Speaker 2: It is just so obvious, like there was so much
Speaker 2: energy with you know, the pass is the way that
Speaker 2: they're cutting off ball. I didn't feel that energy. And
Speaker 2: it really did take about six minutes into this game
Speaker 2: for them to start to find that groove and to
Speaker 2: find that rhythm offensively.
Speaker 1: And I do think it was another one of those
Speaker 1: times where the defense kind of, you know, it was
Speaker 1: clear the next game plan was like, hey, we're shorthanded.
Speaker 1: We don't have a lot of our offensive talent on
Speaker 1: the floor. We don't have a lot of the guys
Speaker 1: that you know, like Brunson obviously is the engine for
Speaker 1: their team. But you know, they didn't even have Duce McBride.
Speaker 1: You know, they didn't have Mitchell Robinson coming off the
Speaker 1: bench to play back up five for them. So like
Speaker 1: I do think their game plan was, let's try to
Speaker 1: chop the game up and make it ugly. And I thought,
Speaker 1: you know, those first four minutes, the Cavs were getting,
Speaker 1: you know, taken that bait. They were throwing sloppy passes,
Speaker 1: they were not playing as crisp as they needed to.
Speaker 1: And I think you're right that that first sub pattern
Speaker 1: was when the offense started to shift, where you know,
Speaker 1: the first five to ten seconds of the possession could
Speaker 1: be choppy, but they were patient and calm and weren't
Speaker 1: getting sped up. And you know, they had in the
Speaker 1: back half of that first quarter four or five or
Speaker 1: six wide open threes in the corners for guys they
Speaker 1: want taking those shots. Yeah, the DeAndre Hunter in particular
Speaker 1: felt really good in that stretch, and Merrill got a
Speaker 1: couple of really really clean looks there too, So I
Speaker 1: did feel like they answered that. And then once the
Speaker 1: next realized they couldn't just junk the game up, you know,
Speaker 1: they had to drop back into their shell, and that
Speaker 1: shell defense is just very easy to beat up at
Speaker 1: the end of the day, you know, So I thought
Speaker 1: the offensive process was really really strong. I do think,
Speaker 1: you know, it was the perfect storm. I mean, the
Speaker 1: Knicks start the game seven of nine from three, they
Speaker 1: go four of twenty seven us the way from three.
Speaker 1: They end up shooting thirty point six percent from three
Speaker 1: in a game that they started seven of nine.
Speaker 2: Ye. The ESPN Next broadcast brought up that, I think
Speaker 2: they said that they were fifteen of twenty or something
Speaker 2: on contested shots in the first half, and like that
Speaker 2: was just very due for regression. And I really thought that,
Speaker 2: you know, to start the game, it was clear that
Speaker 2: they were comfortable sagging off of Josh Hart, they were
Speaker 2: comfortable sagging off of De Lawn. Right, Let's kind of
Speaker 2: jam up the lanes and force them to beat us
Speaker 2: from the outside. And I'm somewhat okay with the approach.
Speaker 2: I you know me, I prefer playing in you know,
Speaker 2: your base defense, play it straight up, especially with the
Speaker 2: personnel that we have. You don't really need to cheat
Speaker 2: a whole bunch. You already have tremendous backline defenders in
Speaker 2: Evan Mobley and Jared Allen, Max Drew, Sterius Garland, Donovan Mitchell.
Speaker 2: They're all going to play their part defensively. I prefer
Speaker 2: kind of playing it straight up because it felt like
Speaker 2: we're sagging off of these guys. Now, these questionable three
Speaker 2: point shooters have hit a couple and we're now it
Speaker 2: almost seemed like they were double guessing what they were
Speaker 2: doing defensively, liked, should I really be you know, sagging
Speaker 2: off of Delon right Josh Hard or should I be
Speaker 2: staying with them all of a sudden, you know, you're
Speaker 2: almost putting yourself into rotation, you know, unnecessarily in those instances.
Speaker 2: And I felt like there just wasn't that defensive continuity.
Speaker 2: And I thought second half it played it more straight up.
Speaker 2: All right, you know we're just going to play, you know,
Speaker 2: pretty solid man a man defense. We're gonna trust our
Speaker 2: guys to do their part. And in particular, you know,
Speaker 2: when when the Knicks had to go to their bench
Speaker 2: at times, or you know, they they had to take
Speaker 2: Karl Anthony Towns off the court, they just weren't able
Speaker 2: to generate any offense. And the Cavs were able to
Speaker 2: put athleticism in off the bench with de Andre Hunter,
Speaker 2: Isaaca core Row and really you know, make them feel it. Defensively, Yeah,
Speaker 2: I think it was d H.
Speaker 1: And in our discord, he was talking about about like
Speaker 1: the sagging off to gun up the Knicks offense is
Speaker 1: doesn't work if you're in rotation every single possession, because
Speaker 1: like you know, right might not be a Grade three
Speaker 1: point shooter. Heart might not be a grade three point shooter,
Speaker 1: but they're good enough that you should close out on them.
Speaker 1: And if you're having to close out from the other
Speaker 1: side of the court because you were playing gap coverage
Speaker 1: on him, you know, that's just like you know, I
Speaker 1: just do think it was a bit of a bridge
Speaker 1: too far.
Speaker 2: Hey, we saw that on the other end with Isaac Okoro.
Speaker 2: There there was a time where he caught the ball
Speaker 2: I think it was in the first half, where the
Speaker 2: defender came flying out at him, he drove it, he
Speaker 2: kicked it to Javonte Green for an open three. Like
Speaker 2: you know, there's an instance where someone that the Knicks
Speaker 2: are probably comfortable with him taking three point shots. We
Speaker 2: saw that going back to the playoffs. But when you're
Speaker 2: that far off, you're you're those closeouts are not going
Speaker 2: to be on balance. You are susceptible to the driving
Speaker 2: kick game. You are susceptible to you know, overall defensive
Speaker 2: breakdowns as a result of that.
Speaker 1: So yeah, and I do think, like you know, like Doris,
Speaker 1: I think was the one who mentioned the contested shot
Speaker 1: in the first half for New York And you know,
Speaker 1: I while I do think they would do for some regression.
Speaker 1: I do think a lot of that was, like, you know,
Speaker 1: not all contests are are are are made the same.
Speaker 2: You know. I didn't think the first quarter contests were good.
Speaker 2: I thought they were late. I didn't feel it. I
Speaker 2: felt like, you know, we obviously don't have the tracking
Speaker 2: data yet, but I even though they weren't great shooters
Speaker 2: and even though some of those shots were nonsense, I
Speaker 2: think it was Landry Shammitt that hit like a drifting
Speaker 2: one going out of bounds. Josh Hart hit one in
Speaker 2: the second half over Sam Merril where it's like, okay,
Speaker 2: like you're throwing up a prayer. You're not a good shooter.
Speaker 2: Sam probably felt like Sammy Osmond in that moment where
Speaker 2: you know, the Josh Hart stepped back on that end
Speaker 2: of the court, but you know, like you make your
Speaker 2: own luck to some extent. And my concern was when
Speaker 2: the offense started to get going in the first quarter,
Speaker 2: I thought we were going to take the lead. I
Speaker 2: still felt good about our ability to win it, particularly
Speaker 2: with the Knicks being on the second night of a
Speaker 2: back to back without Jalen Brunson and everything that they
Speaker 2: had going against them. I felt confident about that, but
Speaker 2: I was also sitting there annoyed, being like they might
Speaker 2: have made it a little more difficult than it needed
Speaker 2: to be because they found a rhythm from three, they
Speaker 2: found their jump shot early. You know you're going to
Speaker 2: have tired legs. But if you see those first few
Speaker 2: shots go down in you know, the second night of
Speaker 2: a back to back, that energy and hey, we actually
Speaker 2: do have a shot tonight. That little bit of adrenaline
Speaker 2: is going to give you a boost in those situations,
Speaker 2: particularly when it's you know, a matchup where the Knicks
Speaker 2: really want to get a win. They know that they
Speaker 2: are completely winless against the Oklahoma City thunder Calves and Celtics,
Speaker 2: so you know, they were motivated. They felt like, hey,
Speaker 2: we have a chance to steal this one here, And
Speaker 2: I thought it really did. You know, again, show a
Speaker 2: lot that the Calves were able to start the adjustment
Speaker 2: prior to halftime in terms of effort, energy, defensive intensity,
Speaker 2: but then really go into half understand what they were
Speaker 2: starting to do better, and then cranking that up to
Speaker 2: twelve and turning this into a comfortable win. Yeah, it
Speaker 2: certainly helped that.
Speaker 1: You know, you know, Karl Anthony Towns has just never
Speaker 1: been able to help himself with fouls. He was really
Speaker 1: really reckless yet again and always is. There's even that
Speaker 1: play where he's taken it up and just stiff armed
Speaker 1: Max as he was carrying the ball up and didn't
Speaker 1: get called for it.
Speaker 2: Is there were like three or four that he easily
Speaker 2: could have been called.
Speaker 1: For, you know, and Og obviously like you know, that's
Speaker 1: like that's the risk you run a little bit when
Speaker 1: you're playing a hyper physical defenses, you're gonna get just
Speaker 1: called for some some more handsy fouls. And you saw
Speaker 1: that in the second half of the Cavs all all
Speaker 1: the Cavs starters except Max had at.
Speaker 2: Least three fouls. Web we picked up four.
Speaker 1: Donan picked up at least two just out on the perimeter,
Speaker 1: just being overly aggressive. But I do think like that
Speaker 1: is the difference between you know, the first half contests
Speaker 1: and the second half contests is not only are you
Speaker 1: contesting the shot on release, you're contesting the process of
Speaker 1: the shot. You're contesting the pin down screen, you're contesting
Speaker 1: the catch, you're contesting the dribble, and you're contesting the shot.
Speaker 1: And that is the meaningful difference that like the tracking
Speaker 1: data just isn't going to show you. Is that every
Speaker 1: from the second og Annobe started his action to the
Speaker 1: time he got a shot attempt up, it was annoying
Speaker 1: and hard and and like that is the difference between
Speaker 1: their second half effort. And that's why I like as
Speaker 1: much as I wanted to say, and I you know,
Speaker 1: I was seeing the same game you were. I've seen
Speaker 1: a lot of really hard shots going in. I was
Speaker 1: seeing contested shots going I was seeing threes go in.
Speaker 1: I've seeing that Landry Shammitt drifting corner three. But like it,
Speaker 1: I didn't love all the work on the road to
Speaker 1: the attempt quite as much, even if they were guarding
Speaker 1: the attempt, Whereas I just felt like, at no point
Speaker 1: did Bridges and Anobi part any of these guys really
Speaker 1: have their two feet under them comfortably and on balance
Speaker 1: on pretty much any of their attempts the entire final,
Speaker 1: let's say, thirty minutes of the game.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm always going to believe your defense prior to
Speaker 2: the shot is much more impactful than the contest itself.
Speaker 2: Like you look at the offseason drills that these guys
Speaker 2: do in training and stuff like that, the trainer is
Speaker 2: usually standing there with the broom or something like that,
Speaker 2: you know, getting an extended hand up in the face
Speaker 2: or blocking your line of sight. It's the rhythm, right,
Speaker 2: particularly when you're talking about basketball. It's all right, this
Speaker 2: is the combination of move, this is my footwork to
Speaker 2: get into this shot. I know what to do from
Speaker 2: this distance, right. A bunch of these guys, I guarantee
Speaker 2: you you tell them where they are on the court
Speaker 2: and you put a blindfold on them, they can probably
Speaker 2: get some shots from those comfort zones for themselves. Someone
Speaker 2: like Lou Dort, who I think is one of the
Speaker 2: best perimeter defenders in the league. It's not because he's
Speaker 2: this big, long guy right like he's he's not the
Speaker 2: tallest player. He's like six' three it probably tops maybe
Speaker 2: five six feet. Wide in terms of, strength he's built
Speaker 2: like a mini. Fridge but what he does to get
Speaker 2: up into your, space to disrupt your rhythm is what
Speaker 2: makes him such a menace. Defensively that's that's what Bothers
Speaker 2: Donovan mitchell Because Donald mitchell can score over long defenders
Speaker 2: as well as anybody. Else but it's that ability to
Speaker 2: really get up in your. Space Tony allen at you,
Speaker 2: know six' two being one of The Best kevin durant
Speaker 2: defenders that. We've seen it's because of the defense prior
Speaker 2: to the shot. Going up and, you know, my, my
Speaker 2: honestly my annoyance with the first. HALF one i just
Speaker 2: like it when the caves, are up so that's always
Speaker 2: going to be part. OF it i was also sitting there, being,
Speaker 2: like well this is going to give some red meat to,
Speaker 2: you know critics that are looking for reasons to pick
Speaker 2: apart the cass right.
Speaker 1: Now there and Here's what i'll say on. That front sorry,
Speaker 1: to interrupt like this would be, Reasonable criticism like we
Speaker 1: can't site he we couldn't go through the Month of
Speaker 1: march and make all these caveats about rest and about
Speaker 1: the travel schedule and then look at our listeners and
Speaker 1: our viewers with a straight face after two days off
Speaker 1: at home with with a team coming off the on
Speaker 1: a road back to back and, be, like ah well
Speaker 1: they just didn't have.
Speaker 2: IT tonight i, don't, know man. It's inexplicable, you know
Speaker 2: all those things that you were worried about are, you
Speaker 2: know coming to fruition and that's why. They lost, but yeah,
Speaker 2: you know just write. It off that's Not what i'm, saying.
Speaker 1: Here right it's my first, You Weren't but i'm, just, saying,
Speaker 1: LIKE no I think i would have been really disappointed
Speaker 1: if the first half. Had continued this was THE game
Speaker 1: i thought, They needed they needed to show a.
Speaker 2: Strong PERFORMANCE then i think that was a good clarification,
Speaker 2: by you because that's definitely NOT what i meant. By
Speaker 2: that it's my my frustration Is when i'm, sitting there my, Thought,
Speaker 2: was god we want a statement more Than the calves
Speaker 2: want to make one, right now because you know the
Speaker 2: issues that. THEY have i think all of it is stuff,
Speaker 2: that's Correctable right like when you talk about some of
Speaker 2: the struggles that they've had with defensive, rebounding recently or
Speaker 2: and giving up second, Chance opportunities they've done it before.
Speaker 2: This year they've. Done it they have held very good
Speaker 2: offensive rebounding teams off. The glass when you, talk, about
Speaker 2: oh these you know turnovers that they're giving up To,
Speaker 2: the knicks they had a low turnover game Against The
Speaker 2: Oklahoma city thunder on a national spotlight and won. That
Speaker 2: game they are capable of doing what they need to
Speaker 2: do to win versus any single team in. The league,
Speaker 2: it just, you know in. Certain areas there are structural
Speaker 2: weaknesses with the team because of, the construction just like any,
Speaker 2: other team and they can overcome it when the focus,
Speaker 2: is there when the effort is in the, right places
Speaker 2: and they are executing at a. High level and it
Speaker 2: did not seem like they came out with the you
Speaker 2: know that level of focus and, you know readiness really for.
Speaker 2: This MATCHUP and i was, Sitting there I'm, Like god
Speaker 2: and of course they're struggling in the ways that everyone
Speaker 2: that is looking for reasons to say that it's the
Speaker 2: Same old calves is going to. Jump on and you,
Speaker 2: know what they probably gave enough red meat in that
Speaker 2: first half that people who already feel that way are
Speaker 2: going to still be at. That conclusion you know it's going, to,
Speaker 2: be oh you gave up fifteen rebounds to the offense
Speaker 2: offensive rebounds To. The knicks it goes to show you
Speaker 2: how tough they are in comparison To. The calves there's
Speaker 2: going to be no mention of the fact That the
Speaker 2: calves had fifteen offensive. Rebounds themselves, right like it's we
Speaker 2: get them, by fluke the other team gets it by
Speaker 2: hard and grit and because, We're soft right like it
Speaker 2: was frustrating from, that standpoint and it was also FRUSTRATING
Speaker 2: because i Felt Like evan mobley did not have a good.
Speaker 2: HALF defensively i thought he got pushed off of his
Speaker 2: spot a. FEW times i thought there were other times
Speaker 2: where it was really bad perimeter defense and he was
Speaker 2: put in a. Tough spot but some of those kind
Speaker 2: of one on one situations where, you know six nine
Speaker 2: precious to chew is moving him off of. His spot
Speaker 2: that was frustrating to ME because i Think That evan
Speaker 2: Mobily Deserves defensive player Of the YEAR and i can't.
Speaker 2: Believe that, you know if he has a bad game
Speaker 2: in a, national spotlight or if there is a week
Speaker 2: that isn't, as strong that's going to be outweighing an
Speaker 2: entire season of. His portfolio so that was driving. ME
Speaker 2: nuts i was, sitting here, you know fighting narratives in
Speaker 2: my head in the. First HALF but i did feel
Speaker 2: comfortable that they were going to come out. AND win
Speaker 2: i was just impressed that they came out and won
Speaker 2: as comfortably as. They.
Speaker 1: Did, yeah again it was a total answer to the
Speaker 1: physicality A literal, i mean you could just literally hold
Speaker 1: up a mirror from half to half and show the
Speaker 1: difference in terms of who was dictating, the physicality terms
Speaker 1: who was reaching and grabbing and bumping and annoying and
Speaker 1: like all the, Stuff THAT like, i think Like the
Speaker 1: calves aren't natural jerks to, play against, you KNOW like
Speaker 1: i think they BUT like i do think it was
Speaker 1: a nice statement, of, like no we can do, this
Speaker 1: too and we are better, than you so like we,
Speaker 1: we can, we can we can muck up the game
Speaker 1: for you, and uh and we don't think you can
Speaker 1: sustain that effort. Against US so i JUST thought i
Speaker 1: was really impressed. BY THAT i i Feel like i've
Speaker 1: seen this team answer that kind of hyper physicality in
Speaker 1: the past with cold precision yeap or fun. OFFENSIVE explosions
Speaker 1: i don't Know if i've seen them as MUCH as
Speaker 1: i saw tonight Actively, decide no we're gonna we're gonna rough. You,
Speaker 1: Up yep and, YOU know I want i think we
Speaker 1: have to start the credit, at it, you know when
Speaker 1: talking about individuals in, this Game With, isaac okora who
Speaker 1: had maybe My favorite okoro game of, The, season.
Speaker 2: Yeah, you know. YOU'RE right i do think that in
Speaker 2: a lot of times, this Season the cavs have answered
Speaker 2: with precision sometimes you need. That energy sometimes you need to,
Speaker 2: dig deep you need to, you know give that extra
Speaker 2: bit of effort and have, some PHYSICALITY and i Thought
Speaker 2: isaacle coro absolutely brought that to the. Table, tonight honestly
Speaker 2: it's one of my favorite of. Kor games he's had
Speaker 2: ones where he shot better. From three he was only
Speaker 2: one of six tonight five to ten from. The field
Speaker 2: but this is textbook example of how we have been
Speaker 2: saying we want To see isaac o cor use how
Speaker 2: he can make an impact on the game against. A team,
Speaker 2: you know you talk about the debens of the past
Speaker 2: and how people are going to put extra weight on
Speaker 2: this matchup Against the Knicks isaacle coro and how he
Speaker 2: performed it Against the knicks coming off of that injury two.
Speaker 2: Years ago you know that drew a lot. Of criticism
Speaker 2: there was a lot of focus on, you know how
Speaker 2: much attention they were giving. To him people were breaking
Speaker 2: out the rulers to see how much space they were
Speaker 2: sagging off. Of him this is exactly How isaacle corel
Speaker 2: can make an impact on. A game he gainst a
Speaker 2: good team even when the shot. Isn't FALLING and, i thought,
Speaker 2: you know generating the, offensive rebounds, the steels the playmaking
Speaker 2: out of the. Short role this this is the. Hustle
Speaker 2: stats this is the, you know filling the. Box score
Speaker 2: this is the activity that we need to See From
Speaker 2: isaacle corel and that's ultimately going to buy in more
Speaker 2: minutes because if he's playing, like this if the motor
Speaker 2: is running, like this that's, you know That's That josh
Speaker 2: hart type impact coming in off the bench that can
Speaker 2: swing a.
Speaker 1: Playoff game one of my absolute favorite plays of the
Speaker 1: game for him was when he caught the long rebound
Speaker 1: at like the free throw line or like near the
Speaker 1: top of the arc and he turns and he realizes
Speaker 1: in the immediate moment that all four knicks are at
Speaker 1: his level or below the free, throw line and the
Speaker 1: and the only person uh in his Way As Carl.
Speaker 1: Anthony towns and it was one of those interesting PLAYS
Speaker 1: because i Feel like isaac always has been a really strong.
Speaker 2: Transition.
Speaker 1: Player uh he's always been willing to push, an attack
Speaker 1: but normally it's like he catches the ball on the
Speaker 1: move and attacks or or, you know gets an outlet
Speaker 1: and is moving the the the fact that he kind
Speaker 1: of he kind of rebounded with the facing the rim
Speaker 1: facing his, own rim, you know pivoted, was like, OH
Speaker 1: wait i, got, daylight baby and just attacks and and
Speaker 1: gets the layup and, You know towns immediately knew he
Speaker 1: was in, huge trouble uh with and started backpedaling as
Speaker 1: Fast As Carl anthony towns, can backpedal which ain't that
Speaker 1: fast And Uh, AND like i just really loved, that assertiveness,
Speaker 1: that vision that feel for like the moment, of like,
Speaker 1: Oh wait i've Got a i've got. A runway He
Speaker 1: and i'm not in a perfect sprinting, rhythm Already but
Speaker 1: i'm going, To attack i'm going to get the defense,
Speaker 1: back Pedaling and i'm gonna get us a clean look.
Speaker 1: Right now it just felt like another one of those
Speaker 1: moments Where the calves were taking It To. New york and,
Speaker 1: YOU know i Felt like okora was the most emblematic.
Speaker 2: Of, that yeah and that finished in transition was one
Speaker 2: of my favorite finishes that. He's, had obviously my favorite
Speaker 2: is the one Against The houston rockets where he just
Speaker 2: dunked on the. Entire team but like, the touch, The
Speaker 2: CONTROL like I just i love seeing that, from HIM
Speaker 2: and i love seeing him be, this active not only,
Speaker 2: because hey he, you know tipping ball to generate second,
Speaker 2: chance opportunities and, you know doing those kind of impact
Speaker 2: plays and the fifty to fifty stuff that makes such a.
Speaker 2: Big difference BUT what i love about him being on
Speaker 2: the MOVE is i feel like he is such an
Speaker 2: intelligent player and makes such smart reads on. The move
Speaker 2: he just doesn't have an advanced enough dribble to generate
Speaker 2: those opportunities for himself a lot. Of time so when
Speaker 2: he's catching it and, All right i've caught the ball on,
Speaker 2: THE cut i can, you know take two strides and
Speaker 2: go up for, a dunk or if the health defense is,
Speaker 2: Coming here i'm going to make the. Right read i'm
Speaker 2: going to dump it Off To jared Allen Or, evan
Speaker 2: Mobley or i'm going to kick it out. To three
Speaker 2: he can, make reads not, just okay well there's who's
Speaker 2: in the. Dunker spot he'll make some like, cross court
Speaker 2: really really nice passes in. Those situations so getting him on,
Speaker 2: the move, finding him, you know on, the cut with
Speaker 2: how many intelligent Passers the cavs have up and down,
Speaker 2: the lineup it's just a perfect use. Of HIM so
Speaker 2: i was really really excited to see him come out
Speaker 2: and have the type of game that he. Has had
Speaker 2: i've really liked his, minutes recently and and, you know So.
Speaker 1: Was kenny he got asked in, postgame about, you know
Speaker 1: who's really impressing you with their form heading into, the
Speaker 1: Postseason and kenny's first ANSWER Was, o quorra, and uh,
Speaker 1: you know talked about kind of the lull, he, had uh,
Speaker 1: you know just about a month ago where, you Know
Speaker 1: and kenny didn't, say this BUT Where o coral was
Speaker 1: coming back from that shoulder injury and the jumper wasn't
Speaker 1: right and the impact was really really not where it needed,
Speaker 1: to be and he wasn't getting a lot of run
Speaker 1: and it just kind of feels like he's been, chipping
Speaker 1: away chip and away at getting more and more minutes
Speaker 1: and earning his way into into more of these lineups
Speaker 1: where in kind of, proving, that, LIKE hey i don't
Speaker 1: need to, you know hit my two threes to justify
Speaker 1: my existence. Out here i'm, Helpful anyway, and.
Speaker 2: Uh yeah.
Speaker 1: IT was i thought it was very NOTEWORTHY That o
Speaker 1: coral was the, first, guy Uh that kenny mentioned when
Speaker 1: he was asked about who's, you know showing you that
Speaker 1: they're in, good form, right now especially since, YOU know
Speaker 1: i think both me and you have wondered if he
Speaker 1: was going to be the tenth guy in that, playoff
Speaker 1: rotation and.
Speaker 2: You know he very well may still be heading into,
Speaker 2: the playoffs and, You know kenny's talked about how he
Speaker 2: still anticipates going ten deep going into. The playoffs but
Speaker 2: that can, get trimmed that can who who is whearing
Speaker 2: the rotation can change based on matchups and based. On
Speaker 2: performance the most, important thing, you know if you're a
Speaker 2: reserve IN the nba is reliability in terms of what
Speaker 2: you're bringing to. The table and if isicle, core like,
Speaker 2: you know we Know a dean can bring to. The
Speaker 2: table we Know What DeAndre hunter is going to bring.
Speaker 2: The table you Know What sam merrill's going. To bring if,
Speaker 2: isiccle corel can, you know really, Solidify, that hey when
Speaker 2: you put, me in you're. Getting effort you're you're getting
Speaker 2: blunt forced basketball. Out here you're you're getting someone that's
Speaker 2: going to do all the dirty work and really kind
Speaker 2: of give that that. Maximum effort he's going to give
Speaker 2: himself opportunities to play. Man like sometimes that's exactly, what's
Speaker 2: required but sometimes, you know maximum effort isn't, what's required
Speaker 2: and you can use tools Like Zoom aa companion to help.
Speaker 2: You out because only you can do your, Best Work
Speaker 2: zumia companion can help you do, the rest like automatically,
Speaker 2: taking notes answered, meeting questions and helping you respond to.
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Speaker 2: plans were happy With Zuomey.
Speaker 1: I Companion oh, isaac okoro what A what a what a?
Speaker 1: Cool run, YOU know i feel like in years past
Speaker 1: it's been one of those, things, where, Oh no isaac's
Speaker 1: going the. Wrong way we're getting near. The postseason are
Speaker 1: we going to be able to count? On him and,
Speaker 1: YOU know i do feel like he's really really showing his,
Speaker 1: value ESPECIALLY and i think both me and you really
Speaker 1: really feel.
Speaker 2: THIS way i don't want to speak for you, too much.
Speaker 1: But like, YOU know i feel like of the two,
Speaker 1: of us you've always been the higher One. On isaac
Speaker 1: i've always been a little bit more skeptical or had.
Speaker 1: More QUESTIONS but i think both of us agree that
Speaker 1: After The DeAndre, Hunter trade isaac's role became much more
Speaker 1: clear and his value became much more important to. The team,
Speaker 1: you know not just because they did a, consolidation trade
Speaker 1: but just because of the things that at His best
Speaker 1: isaac does really really well and how that plugs in
Speaker 1: with the rest of. The TEAM so i, DON'T know
Speaker 1: I just i would love to see him earn that
Speaker 1: eighth ninth man in the rotation in the postseason by
Speaker 1: having more games. Like THIS and i think this is
Speaker 1: one of the things that we've learned through this, regular Season,
Speaker 1: right like Ultimately the cavs goals are going to be,
Speaker 1: you know whether or not this is a successful season
Speaker 1: is going to be defined by.
Speaker 2: The postseason but there are things that you learn along
Speaker 2: the way in the. Regular SEASON and i think one
Speaker 2: of the questions that we've Had For isaaca corral the
Speaker 2: last couple of YEARS that i think we've learned now
Speaker 2: during this regular, season, is hey he's had stretches where
Speaker 2: he's not, you know he looks out, of rhythm and
Speaker 2: then he usually ends up in the starting lineup and
Speaker 2: he usually ends up playing a whole bunch and he
Speaker 2: usually ends up playing really well in, those minutes and
Speaker 2: those lineups work. Really well and our question, has, been
Speaker 2: well is this someone that can't kind of make that
Speaker 2: transition to being a role guy and have the same kind.
Speaker 2: Of impact is this a situation where he really needs
Speaker 2: to have enough minutes to get, himself comfortable which we
Speaker 2: might not be able to get him. Or right or
Speaker 2: is it about having a defined role where he understands
Speaker 2: exactly what's being asked of him when he's in the
Speaker 2: starting lineup and if you were to give him eighteen
Speaker 2: minutes a night coming in off, the bench but he
Speaker 2: knows exactly where he's supposed, To be he's used. More
Speaker 2: creatively he's not just sat in the corner as a
Speaker 2: spot up guy and it's about whether or not he
Speaker 2: hits one or two shots in a game in terms of.
Speaker 2: Offensive impact if he's used in a more, creative way
Speaker 2: if he's given that structure and there is clarity, of
Speaker 2: role can he be someone that makes. An IMPACT and
Speaker 2: i think that we have learned in this regular season,
Speaker 2: that yes that is in fact. The case he seems
Speaker 2: to not only be comfortable in, this role he seems
Speaker 2: to be growing. WITHIN it i really think that he
Speaker 2: is becoming stronger and stronger as a short. ROLE passer
Speaker 2: i think his cuts have. LOOKED better i think, he understands,
Speaker 2: you know the spacing of the team and where he's
Speaker 2: able to take advantage of. THOSE opportunities i think he's
Speaker 2: always had a good sense of where those passing. Lanes
Speaker 2: ARE and i just feel really really, good about, you
Speaker 2: know his trajectory at, this Point because i've continued to hammer.
Speaker 2: THIS point i think sometimes it gets overlooked because he
Speaker 2: came out a, year earlier but he is in fact
Speaker 2: the same Age As, Evan MOBLEY like i don't think
Speaker 2: He Has evan. Mobley, upside obviously, you know people might
Speaker 2: might still hold his draft slot. AGAINST him i will
Speaker 2: continue to say we did not do That With. Tristan
Speaker 2: thompson and in a lot, Of Ways isaac ocor reminds
Speaker 2: me of A Wing tristan thompson in terms of his
Speaker 2: ability to, complete lineups to do the, dirty work to
Speaker 2: be an impactful defender that can defend. Multiple POSITIONS and
Speaker 2: i think for a team that is as deep and
Speaker 2: talented as this cast, team is where, we have, you
Speaker 2: know three guys probably in contention FOR. All nba we
Speaker 2: have four guys That Are all. Star caliber we have
Speaker 2: two guys that are two of the top Three six
Speaker 2: men Of the. Year candidates We Have, max struce who's a.
Speaker 2: Terrific starter that is Seven guys i've. Named already most
Speaker 2: teams don't have seven guys that they, feel really really.
Speaker 2: Confident in and we still have Guys Like, dean wade
Speaker 2: who has made a consistent impact when. He's Available sam
Speaker 2: merril has had a very. Good Season, isaac ocoro is
Speaker 2: you know a twenty four year old glue guy that's still?
Speaker 2: Getting Better i'm i'm very excited about the fact that
Speaker 2: we still have him locked up for the next few
Speaker 2: years and what he can do growing alongside. These.
Speaker 1: Guys, Yeah absolutely and again you're still seeing the little
Speaker 1: bits and pieces. Of growth i'll bet he didn't have
Speaker 1: twenty possessions in his career before this season as the
Speaker 1: roleman in the pick. And roll, and yeah. It's funny
Speaker 1: you know Those v ball index matrics you never really
Speaker 1: know goes. Into him some of them are a little,
Speaker 1: black boxy but you know they, you know they they
Speaker 1: posted a, you know screening talent ranking and was like
Speaker 1: second or third, and Like and i'm NOT such i.
Speaker 2: Don't know how you measure, Screening, talent like you, KNOW
Speaker 2: what i understand what you're doing as a, role man but,
Speaker 2: you know just quality. OF screens i feel like he's
Speaker 2: a very, good screener so it matches my. High.
Speaker 1: Test, YEAH well i also would imagine part of it
Speaker 1: is like it's just a very, small sample and they've
Speaker 1: been very successful in that, small sample, You know but
Speaker 1: like you really do see like that empty side pick
Speaker 1: and roll where he can kind of just see, you
Speaker 1: know it's kind of between a screen and a slip
Speaker 1: where he seals the other defender kind of on his,
Speaker 1: back hip and, you know he's just so big, and
Speaker 1: strong and he's always been a good finisher at the
Speaker 1: rim by percentage that you know with an with an
Speaker 1: with an empty week side or a or A rumbling
Speaker 1: evan or j either in the dunker spot or coming
Speaker 1: in from the elbow extended for a. Dump OFF like
Speaker 1: i just feel like his reads get really. Really easy the,
Speaker 1: you know the the size and the touch are there.
Speaker 1: For him he doesn't really have to rely on his
Speaker 1: handle because it's just two, three dribble, you know a
Speaker 1: dribble or two, at most and then step step past
Speaker 1: or step, step layup and the reds are just right
Speaker 1: there in front. Of HIM and i think it's really
Speaker 1: hard for teams to deal with because of how well
Speaker 1: the calves are constructed in terms of. Their shooting on
Speaker 1: the other side of, the floor the cheat options just aren't.
Speaker 2: As, Obvious YEAH and i think too often we make
Speaker 2: the assumption that someone is a. Finished product like, You
Speaker 2: Know donovan mitchell is a. Great example he was a
Speaker 2: hell of a player when he Came. To cleveland he
Speaker 2: has gone consistently better these last. Three YEARS like i
Speaker 2: thought he was tremendous, again tonight it really feels like
Speaker 2: he's ROUNDING into i feel great about how. He's playing
Speaker 2: but he has continued to grow his understanding of, the game,
Speaker 2: you know, the nuances his vision as, a passer what
Speaker 2: he's done as a. Defensive, player like he has continuously.
Speaker 2: Gotten BETTER and i was, just thinking, next year when
Speaker 2: we go into, Next Season carter darius is going to
Speaker 2: be the Same age donovan was when he spent his
Speaker 2: first Year. In cleveland like, you know we Think of
Speaker 2: darius as a, finished product but in, all likelihood as
Speaker 2: he enters his physical prime over the next three, four
Speaker 2: years he's going to. Get better look how much you
Speaker 2: know there's an Opportunity For isaacle coro to. Get better
Speaker 2: there is an opportunity Obviously For evan mobley to get
Speaker 2: better who, you know when he's putting it together and
Speaker 2: you see, These stretches, i'm, like yeah there's that path
Speaker 2: to be a, top ten top five player IN the
Speaker 2: nba without a shadow, Of DOUBT like i feel confident.
Speaker 2: About it, and then, YOU know i think the poster
Speaker 2: child for this conversation is Someone Like, jared, allen who,
Speaker 2: you know when he Came to clear even seem like
Speaker 2: as finished of a product as it comes for a.
Speaker 2: Big man but it's, the nuances it's everything else he's
Speaker 2: added to. His game he is just, a smarter better
Speaker 2: player than he's. Ever been and, YOU know i think
Speaker 2: it's important when we do when we talk about, our
Speaker 2: concerns when we say things that we're, nervous about and, we,
Speaker 2: say oh, you know we got to Give the cavs
Speaker 2: the benefit of the doubt that they know what's best
Speaker 2: physically and things. LIKE that i think we got to
Speaker 2: do That with JARED because, i was, YOU know i
Speaker 2: was worried with him playing with that. Hand wrap it's
Speaker 2: been off for the last, few games, you, Know, wondering,
Speaker 2: okay well could he benefit from some time off or
Speaker 2: is this something that it could? Get worse. With playing
Speaker 2: it does not look like it got worse. Through playing
Speaker 2: he's not playing with the. Rap anymore and when you look, at,
Speaker 2: it man twenty one of his last twenty three shots have.
Speaker 2: Gone In jared allen has. Been awesome he has. Been awesome.
Speaker 2: You know in a Matchup, against zubach he's. Been awesome
Speaker 2: now a Matchup Against Karl. Anthony towns he put him
Speaker 2: down into the, front row which. Was Tremendous jared allen
Speaker 2: has been bawling his butt off and it's been a
Speaker 2: lot of fun. To watch i'll do you, one.
Speaker 1: Better brother he's thirty one of thirty four from the
Speaker 1: field in his last three. Home games oh. My god
Speaker 1: Because that spurs game he also went in ten of
Speaker 1: eleven from.
Speaker 2: The field seems. Pretty good this is getting back to
Speaker 2: that you know stretch where he had more blocks. Than,
Speaker 2: misshots oh that was a lot.
Speaker 1: Of fun, you know he don't need too many blocks
Speaker 1: honestly in that stretch to. Get, there yeah he's just.
Speaker 1: Been unbelievable another really really GREAT game. I loved, you
Speaker 1: know another guy who really answered the bell from a.
Speaker 1: Physicality perspective, you Know Every Carl anthony towns catch, was
Speaker 1: contested and he really made him square up, and fight,
Speaker 1: you know fight to, catch it fight to get, squared
Speaker 1: up fight. To Attack and towns had a really ugly. Second,
Speaker 1: half honestly he had seven turnovers in. This game, you
Speaker 1: know he certainly made a, few buckets but, like overall
Speaker 1: was not the level of impactful he was in the.
Speaker 1: First half didn't, you know got most of his buckets were,
Speaker 1: tipping buckets, you know wasn't able to get they didn't
Speaker 1: have to, send help so he wasn't able to really create,
Speaker 1: for others which is really important for them without runs. In,
Speaker 1: there yeah, JUST overall i JUST thought I thought jared
Speaker 1: Handily outplayed towns in, this one and you know in, That,
Speaker 1: CONSTRUCT yeah i.
Speaker 2: Totally agree it's just. A shot I thought jared. WAS
Speaker 2: terrific i. Thought mobiley, YOU know i MENTIONED that i
Speaker 2: didn't love his. FIRST half i thought his second half
Speaker 2: was a. LOT better i still would have liked to
Speaker 2: have seen a more assertive game. FROM him i thought
Speaker 2: he was floating a, little bit but he made some
Speaker 2: really great, plays DEFENSIVELY and i felt his impact more
Speaker 2: in the. Second half great stat from the broadcast Where
Speaker 2: the knicks had won seventy one straight games when they
Speaker 2: went up. By fifteen not only Did the knicks not win,
Speaker 2: this game they lost. By twenty so that was. Pretty
Speaker 2: fun that's a pretty fun way to kill, a very very.
Speaker 2: IMPRESSIVE streak i should have said this at, the top
Speaker 2: But the calves have won sixty. One games their magic
Speaker 2: number to clinch the number one seed In The eastern
Speaker 2: conference is now down. To two Is The boston celtics
Speaker 2: lost at home To The. Miami heat it's probably worth
Speaker 2: noting they only have to win one more game Against
Speaker 2: the East because boston got another loss Against The eastern
Speaker 2: conference While the calves got. To win they do play
Speaker 2: two teams From the West In san antonio And The,
Speaker 2: sacramento kings so it's very possible that the magic number
Speaker 2: kicks in Before that east. Number does but they have
Speaker 2: pretty much locked up that number. One seed carter sixty
Speaker 2: one wins ties the second highest marke in caz. Franchise history,
Speaker 2: Pop quiz do you know who was starting for the Sixty?
Speaker 1: ONE cavaliers i DO because I. Watched twitter you just
Speaker 1: want to? Tell, everyone, Okay Sorry.
Speaker 2: Mo WILLIAMS who, i loved Absolutely. Loved Williams, anthony PARKER
Speaker 2: who i really, you know came just a couple of years.
Speaker 2: TOO late i loved him as a three and. D
Speaker 2: wing i thought he did a lot of good Things.
Speaker 2: In toronto wasn't as Great, in cleveland but you know
Speaker 2: he had. His Moments, lebron james, OF Course jj Hickson and.
Speaker 1: Shaquille O'Neal i'll tell, You What lebron james was really good.
Speaker 2: Back then that would be, my takeaway, you know that's part.
Speaker 2: OF it i, will ARGUE like, I think i think
Speaker 2: the pieces fit really well in those sixty six sixty one.
Speaker 2: WIN teams i think sometimes when we look back, at
Speaker 2: it we forget about how good certain role. PLAYERS were
Speaker 2: i think it also, matters that, you know teams overall
Speaker 2: just weren't. As, good, LIKE yeah i think the overall
Speaker 2: standard for what a role player needs to do in
Speaker 2: today's game is so much higher than it was back then,
Speaker 2: that sometimes, you know we discredit those teams a little.
Speaker 2: Too much, but yeah that's that's that's quite a trip now. Memory.
Speaker 1: LANE yeah, i mean you look at some of these
Speaker 1: teams that are like playing, quality TEAMS and i just
Speaker 1: Today and, i'm, like man that team would be a.
Speaker 1: Five seed, you know think About Those Gilbert arenas. Wizards
Speaker 1: teams those feel like they would be, like, eleven twelve
Speaker 1: thirteen seed teams in THE, modern nba just because everyone
Speaker 1: is so freaking good up and down.
Speaker 2: The.
Speaker 1: Roster yeah that team also Had a, Calvs Legend. LEON
Speaker 1: poe I loved LEON.
Speaker 2: Po i was that was My first that was my first,
Speaker 2: sports Autograph Reallys darnel jackson that that season was the
Speaker 2: first TIME that i ever got to See the cavs.
Speaker 2: Play live that early season Game. Against, Minnesota unfortunately delante
Speaker 2: was suspended. FOR it i really wanted To, see Delante
Speaker 2: But leon poe, wasn't active but he was walking out of.
Speaker 2: The TUNNEL so i got him to Sign My minnesota
Speaker 2: timberwolves game ticket because that was the ONLY thing i
Speaker 2: had on me. To sign, oh, Yeah brother yeah that.
Speaker 2: Was fun, but man it, felt great, you know to
Speaker 2: get this win Against the. Knicks again it does still
Speaker 2: feel Like the cavs just kind of want to get to.
Speaker 2: The playoffs. YOU know i think there's been issues getting
Speaker 2: up for some of these games and giving a full forty.
Speaker 2: EIGHT minutes i thought they gave a full forty eight
Speaker 2: Against the, Clippers tonight i'd, probably say, you know maybe around,
Speaker 2: thirty Six the cavs were really looking. Like themselves but,
Speaker 2: it really it hasn't shaken my confidence in what this team.
Speaker 2: CAN be i think that what they are and what
Speaker 2: they are capable of accomplishing is right there ON the
Speaker 2: i think it's. REALLY clear i love the fact that
Speaker 2: the Both the guards have been playing. Better lately jared's
Speaker 2: been looking, Really good evans looked, Really Good.
Speaker 1: Matt darius WAS really, I mean darius had a, quiet
Speaker 1: game but he was. THE reason, i, MEAN obviously i
Speaker 1: don't want to take credit Away, from jared who did all,
Speaker 1: the SCORING but i Felt like darius was the engine
Speaker 1: for why the game got out of hand in the,
Speaker 1: Fourth quarter like it was. Just clean look every single
Speaker 1: possession down, the floor and it was, him orchestrating just
Speaker 1: Torturing Poor Karl anthony towns in the pick. And roll,
Speaker 1: and yeah he got. Found everywhere button was available to
Speaker 1: them whenever, they wanted and.
Speaker 2: He got anywhere he wanted the. Entire NIGHT like, i thought,
Speaker 2: you know whether It was delon right, on him whether
Speaker 2: It Was, mikhail bridges, you know no matter who the,
Speaker 2: MATCHUP was i thought he did a really good job
Speaker 2: getting into, the paint generating good looks for himself. And
Speaker 2: others nice, to see, you know the finishing, was there
Speaker 2: the floaters. WERE dropping i thought there was a lot
Speaker 2: of passes that led to, you know the the the
Speaker 2: pass that got. THE assist i just thought it was
Speaker 2: a really really good game. From Him and donovan. Was
Speaker 2: phenomenal like, you know we we probably should have talked
Speaker 2: about him earlier in. The podcast maybe this is one
Speaker 2: of those instances where we take how great he is,
Speaker 2: For GRANTED but i really Thought that donovan was. Terrific,
Speaker 2: tonight yeah HE just i thought his control of the
Speaker 2: game was just really. Really, strong yeah it Was a
Speaker 2: i'm going to walk to my spots kind of night.
Speaker 2: For him and understanding the, moment too like he you
Speaker 2: could tell like he felt when that momentum. Was going
Speaker 2: he's playing to the crowd like he he understood the
Speaker 2: moment the, entire night and, you know those big kind
Speaker 2: of momentum, swing shots he seemed to hit all.
Speaker 1: Of THEM and i love that he picked up those
Speaker 1: two thousand in the third Quarter Of like, I'm working
Speaker 1: i'm gonna be too rough at the point. Of attack
Speaker 1: i'm gonna be too rough riding, you know Bridges or ananobe.
Speaker 1: Going around also really liked the Play where anonobe was
Speaker 1: trying to post him and he kind of just stonewalled
Speaker 1: him right on, the block, you know used, that length
Speaker 1: used his core strength to not move and forced up
Speaker 1: an ugly Miss. FOR antonobe i JUST thought i thought
Speaker 1: he was really really. Tough, tonight yeah and and was
Speaker 1: one of the GUYS who i. Thought most, YOU know
Speaker 1: i thought Him and max were the guys who really
Speaker 1: jumped out at me as like like we're going to
Speaker 1: rough them up in the. Second, half yeah, You know
Speaker 1: max's first HALF shift i thought was, Really rough but
Speaker 1: the SECOND half, i thought, you know he came out
Speaker 1: and really showed some of that toughness, and physicality And
Speaker 1: alongside donnie and they both answered.
Speaker 2: The. Bell. Yeah yeah for, first half the starters were
Speaker 2: outscored by eight minus eighty net rating according To. Pivot
Speaker 2: faate second half the Outscore the knicks by ten with
Speaker 2: a plus ninety one, net rating so a lot better
Speaker 2: for that. Starting lineup we also got five minutes Of
Speaker 2: the core four Along With, DeAndre hunter which was really nice.
Speaker 2: To see they Outscored the knicks by eight in, those
Speaker 2: minutes so, you know it's nice to get a little
Speaker 2: bit of. Run there coming into, THIS game i was
Speaker 2: looking at the cleaning the glass possession stats And the
Speaker 2: core Four With sam merrill had played one possession fewer
Speaker 2: Than the core Floor With. DeAndre Hunter As kenny atkinson
Speaker 2: said Recently To, jackson flickinger, you know that's that Grouping
Speaker 2: With DeAndre hunter is something that he wanted to see
Speaker 2: a little bit more of down, the stretch even though
Speaker 2: there isn't. Many games so it's nice, to see, you
Speaker 2: know another five minutes of that group not only playing,
Speaker 2: well together but, you know getting some run and getting
Speaker 2: it done against a. Good, team yeah they, played very.
Speaker 2: Very well they got into the paint.
Speaker 1: REALLY well i, JUST yeah i know we're kind of
Speaker 1: doing a little bit of a box score recap, right now, but,
Speaker 1: LIKE yeah i Also thought hunter.
Speaker 2: Ties into our macro thoughts we've been.
Speaker 1: TALKING about i Thought the hunter had an excellent game
Speaker 1: and he didn't have like an eye popping. Box score
Speaker 1: sixteen points on six of eleven from, the field two
Speaker 1: of five. From three he hit those two important threes
Speaker 1: just to keep. Us connected in the, first half only,
Speaker 1: two boards no assists, one steal so, you, go wow
Speaker 1: was it just kind of an empty? Calories GAME and
Speaker 1: i don't.
Speaker 2: THINK so.
Speaker 1: I thought i thought he was, generally very very helpful
Speaker 1: in the defensive end of. THE ball i thought. HIS
Speaker 1: drives i really liked his commitment to getting all the
Speaker 1: way to the cup on his, DRIVES tonight a couple.
Speaker 1: Really nice you're closing out on Me and i'm going
Speaker 1: to go all the way and either, you, know uh
Speaker 1: there was that one wack where were precious fouled the
Speaker 1: hell out of.
Speaker 2: Him and he didn't get to the LINE that i
Speaker 2: couldn't believe.
Speaker 1: That, one YEAH but i just liked his process attacking
Speaker 1: the hoop a. LOT tonight i think sometimes he goes
Speaker 1: to that floater, a little, you know he leans on
Speaker 1: that floater when he just really should take that one
Speaker 1: extra step and use all that length at a cleaner angle.
Speaker 1: To FINISH and i thought he really did a nice
Speaker 1: job of.
Speaker 2: That. TONIGHT yeah i thought those two threes that he
Speaker 2: hit it in the first quarter were. Incredibly important, right
Speaker 2: like early game scoring often feels more significant than, It Is,
Speaker 2: right like when you're down twelve to, to four it
Speaker 2: feels like it's an insurmountable mount and at times when
Speaker 2: it's really just an eight, point game but hitting those
Speaker 2: shots on the other end and cutting into that deficit
Speaker 2: can make a. Big DIFFERENCE and, i, think no it's
Speaker 2: one of the reasons why it was so important that
Speaker 2: they went out And Got DeAndre hunter because having someone
Speaker 2: that can hit those shots that isn't, You Know darius
Speaker 2: Garland Or donovan mitchell or, you Know even maxtius who
Speaker 2: can be a bit of a. STREAKY shooter i think
Speaker 2: it's so important to have another guy like that that's
Speaker 2: going to be able to hit shots even when the
Speaker 2: offense isn't clicking at the. Highest level when, you know
Speaker 2: we didn't really get the defense in. A rotation it's
Speaker 2: a bit of a, lake contest but, you know you've
Speaker 2: got to. High release you're a confidence shooter in, these
Speaker 2: spots and we trust you to knock. It down having
Speaker 2: another guy like that is just. So important that's one
Speaker 2: of those elements that they just did not have in previous.
Speaker 1: Playoff, series yeah you just, gotta say sometimes you just
Speaker 1: got to hang on for, dear life and Guys Like
Speaker 1: DeAndre hunter will help you do.
Speaker 2: That absolutely and, you know sometimes teams are going to
Speaker 2: punch you in. The mouth that doesn't mean you can't
Speaker 2: come back and punch them. Right BACK as i said at,
Speaker 2: the top fifteen offensive rebounds For, the knicks fifteen For.
Speaker 2: The calves they won the turnover battle fourteen to thirteen
Speaker 2: despite their, early turnovers and they won the points in
Speaker 2: the paint battle sixty four to. Fifty two they Outwork
Speaker 2: the knicks in the, second half and in, my opinion outwork.
Speaker 2: Them overall really really nice to see them Answer the
Speaker 2: bell in.
Speaker 1: That, way yeah and, YOU know i don't want to
Speaker 1: over Index again nix on the second half of back,
Speaker 1: To Back, no brownson, et cetera, et cetera.
Speaker 2: Et cetera THAT'S why.
Speaker 1: I think like the vibe and the energy is what
Speaker 1: matters to me a lot more than. The result proud
Speaker 1: of their the intentionality with which they Answered.
Speaker 2: That bell, totally agree and, you know winning in multiple ways.
Speaker 2: Is important last time that we played Them With, jalen
Speaker 2: brunson we smoked them with execution, right like we picked them.
Speaker 2: Apart offensively it. Was methodical we beat them. By forty
Speaker 2: it felt, great winning, you know through physicality in. This
Speaker 2: matchup that feels pretty good, as well especially for a
Speaker 2: cast team that hasn't been playing their best basketball as.
Speaker 2: Of late but, you know magic number down to two
Speaker 2: calves on the verge of locking up the number one
Speaker 2: seed In The. Eastern conference really excited to see what
Speaker 2: they do Against the Spurs. And kings we will be
Speaker 2: podcasting After that kings Game. On sunday big thanks to
Speaker 2: everyone that tuned in live. On YouTube make sure you
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