1 00:00:16,160 --> 00:00:18,560 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Jason timp Podcast. Thank you guys so 2 00:00:18,640 --> 00:00:20,280 Speaker 1: much for taking time out of your day to come 3 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:23,000 Speaker 1: and talk some hoops with Tommy and I. I am 4 00:00:23,120 --> 00:00:26,840 Speaker 1: fresh off of a weekend of skiing in Colorado Staff. 5 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:32,360 Speaker 1: Tommy's got his stepth better hoodie here's here. On this 6 00:00:32,760 --> 00:00:37,120 Speaker 1: Tuesday afternoon, I was just complaining to Tommy because I 7 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:40,239 Speaker 1: have put on just an absurd amount of weight on 8 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:42,600 Speaker 1: these stupid ski trips that I that I've been going 9 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:46,240 Speaker 1: on drinking too much and eating too much. And meanwhile 10 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:48,560 Speaker 1: Tommy's on a cleanse. He was just telling me about 11 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:51,800 Speaker 1: his weekend on the beach where he was completely soberly 12 00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:56,520 Speaker 1: looking off into the distance and contemplating life. Basically, Yeah, 13 00:00:56,600 --> 00:00:58,840 Speaker 1: I mean I'm doing I usually do a sober month 14 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:04,160 Speaker 1: every year. Um, happen to do it January this year. Um, Yes, 15 00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:06,080 Speaker 1: a good way to reset the body after the holidays, 16 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:08,040 Speaker 1: especially a lot of eating, a lot of drinking, a 17 00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:10,600 Speaker 1: lot of being lazy. Um, I probably need to cut 18 00:01:10,600 --> 00:01:13,000 Speaker 1: off a few pounds. So yeah, man, just trying to 19 00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:16,000 Speaker 1: live a healthy lifestyle. That's definitely the way to do it. 20 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:19,080 Speaker 1: I mean, like I I have. So this year one 21 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:20,920 Speaker 1: is the year that I will turn thirty years old, 22 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:24,280 Speaker 1: and I've always been blessed to have a really good metabolism, 23 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:26,560 Speaker 1: and I think that that has played a significant role 24 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:29,360 Speaker 1: in the fact that even though I eat like absolute dogshit, 25 00:01:29,520 --> 00:01:32,520 Speaker 1: I've been able to stay at a reasonable wait. But 26 00:01:32,600 --> 00:01:35,320 Speaker 1: when I waited in last night at two thirty six pounds, 27 00:01:35,640 --> 00:01:37,440 Speaker 1: I realized that because I've been I've been on this 28 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:40,200 Speaker 1: crazy workout routine for like six weeks now where I've 29 00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:42,240 Speaker 1: been working out like seven to eight times a week. 30 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:44,320 Speaker 1: I've been in the weight room four times, and then 31 00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:47,520 Speaker 1: I'm playing basketball Monday, Wednesday, Friday at five am. So 32 00:01:47,520 --> 00:01:50,560 Speaker 1: I've been burning like, on average, like several thousands of 33 00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:54,640 Speaker 1: calories a day. But my eating habits haven't changed at all, 34 00:01:54,680 --> 00:01:56,920 Speaker 1: and I think my metabolism is starting to slow down 35 00:01:56,920 --> 00:01:59,000 Speaker 1: because I'm not seeing any progress there. So I need 36 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:02,320 Speaker 1: to get that all ordered out. But that said, I'm 37 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:07,040 Speaker 1: back in town now. Um didn't miss too much aside. 38 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:09,320 Speaker 1: We did manage to get to the Harden trade before 39 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:11,280 Speaker 1: I got out of town, which is good. But we 40 00:02:11,360 --> 00:02:14,320 Speaker 1: are going to talk about that crazy Laker Warrior game 41 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:17,120 Speaker 1: last night. We're gonna talk about the first couple of 42 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:20,840 Speaker 1: games of the James Harden and Brooklyn experience. We are 43 00:02:20,880 --> 00:02:24,919 Speaker 1: going to talk about the Milwaukee Bucks, and then if 44 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:26,880 Speaker 1: we have time, we're going to touch on the Indiana 45 00:02:26,919 --> 00:02:29,160 Speaker 1: Pacers as well as like I said, we're gonna we're 46 00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:31,520 Speaker 1: gonna touch on a lot of like big league wide stuff, 47 00:02:31,800 --> 00:02:34,000 Speaker 1: and then each each week we're gonna try to touch 48 00:02:34,040 --> 00:02:36,799 Speaker 1: on a couple of teams with really nerdy stuff, more 49 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:39,760 Speaker 1: in depth analysis that that is going to be more 50 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:42,240 Speaker 1: cater to specific teams. And this week we're gonna be 51 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:46,240 Speaker 1: doing Milwaukee and Indie. Um. But so last night was 52 00:02:46,919 --> 00:02:49,720 Speaker 1: the latest example in one of my long standing theories 53 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:52,560 Speaker 1: about basketball, which is that it is way way better 54 00:02:53,080 --> 00:02:55,880 Speaker 1: to get off to a bad start and try to 55 00:02:55,960 --> 00:02:59,240 Speaker 1: kick it back into gear and wake up than it 56 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:02,000 Speaker 1: is to h than it is to start great and 57 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:04,160 Speaker 1: to let your foot off the gas. And the analogy 58 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:07,280 Speaker 1: I'd use, ironically is alcohol related because like when I 59 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:09,000 Speaker 1: was younger and a lot more energy, but as I'm 60 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 1: older now, like it's funny like if I if I'm 61 00:03:11,480 --> 00:03:14,080 Speaker 1: with some people were playing some golf and I have 62 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:17,440 Speaker 1: a couple of drinks on the golf course, It's impossible 63 00:03:17,480 --> 00:03:20,120 Speaker 1: for me later in the day to try to have 64 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:23,080 Speaker 1: fun again, because like once I kick it into that 65 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:26,679 Speaker 1: gear once and I shut it down, like it's over 66 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:29,280 Speaker 1: for me, Like I'm tired, I'm napping, I'm going to bed, 67 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:31,160 Speaker 1: whatever it is. And it's just just kind of funny 68 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:33,200 Speaker 1: because it's the same thing with these with these older 69 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:36,600 Speaker 1: kind of veteran basketball teams, which the Lakers aren't overly old, 70 00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:38,440 Speaker 1: but they do have a lot of veteran players. They 71 00:03:38,480 --> 00:03:41,200 Speaker 1: when when they really kick it into gear, it's really 72 00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:42,960 Speaker 1: hard for them to kind of let their foot off 73 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:45,640 Speaker 1: the gas and then kick it into gear again. And 74 00:03:45,680 --> 00:03:48,480 Speaker 1: I see that so often, particularly with this team, where 75 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:50,800 Speaker 1: they get off to a really good start. The first 76 00:03:50,840 --> 00:03:53,920 Speaker 1: time now gets called, it's like twenty seven to twelve, 77 00:03:54,040 --> 00:03:55,960 Speaker 1: you know, with three or four minutes left in the 78 00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:59,280 Speaker 1: first quarter, and then they just immediately relax because they 79 00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:02,040 Speaker 1: just expect these teams to quit, and then they don't, 80 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:05,160 Speaker 1: and then they find themselves in a dog fight and 81 00:04:05,160 --> 00:04:06,960 Speaker 1: they have to kind of kick it back into gear 82 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:09,760 Speaker 1: and there's just nothing there because they've already kind of 83 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:12,280 Speaker 1: they've already just let that slip that that mode that 84 00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:14,680 Speaker 1: they can get into. So that was my original take. 85 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:16,320 Speaker 1: There's a lot more we're gonna talk about with this game, 86 00:04:16,360 --> 00:04:18,000 Speaker 1: but that was my original takeaway. What were your thoughts 87 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:21,440 Speaker 1: on last night's game? Uh, number one, I know exactly 88 00:04:21,520 --> 00:04:25,000 Speaker 1: what you're talking about, drinking related Like at this point, 89 00:04:25,160 --> 00:04:27,240 Speaker 1: if I'll start drinking and I don't know, one or 90 00:04:27,279 --> 00:04:30,080 Speaker 1: two in the afternoon, I'm done by six o'clock. That's 91 00:04:30,120 --> 00:04:32,120 Speaker 1: all I got. Man, I'm gonna pass out by six 92 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:33,600 Speaker 1: or seven o'clock and I'm gonna go to sleep. I'm 93 00:04:33,600 --> 00:04:35,920 Speaker 1: too old for all that going out. And it's it's 94 00:04:36,560 --> 00:04:40,160 Speaker 1: it's tough, like it's like, it's just it's it's a 95 00:04:40,279 --> 00:04:42,000 Speaker 1: it's a ride that you have to be on. And 96 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:44,200 Speaker 1: that's the thing like when you're when you're playing basketball 97 00:04:45,080 --> 00:04:48,160 Speaker 1: and you're dialed in and you stay on like and 98 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:50,120 Speaker 1: you stay on a string. Let's you see this a 99 00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:52,880 Speaker 1: lot of the Lakers in the in the last year's postseason, 100 00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:54,840 Speaker 1: when they would be really dialed in defensively, it's like 101 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:57,320 Speaker 1: when they ride the wave and they stay with it 102 00:04:57,360 --> 00:04:59,640 Speaker 1: all game long, they're great, but as soon as they 103 00:04:59,720 --> 00:05:01,560 Speaker 1: kind of flip off, it's really hard for them to 104 00:05:01,600 --> 00:05:03,640 Speaker 1: get going again. And you're right, it's just like it's 105 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:05,760 Speaker 1: just it's just human nature. It's just a natural human 106 00:05:05,880 --> 00:05:09,240 Speaker 1: nature thing. Absolutely, And I I mean I tweeted during 107 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:12,640 Speaker 1: the first half like that was like, honestly an embarrassing 108 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:14,520 Speaker 1: performance by the Warriors. There was a layup drill for 109 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:16,000 Speaker 1: much of that first half, and it was like, all right, 110 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:18,400 Speaker 1: this is gonna be a fifteen or twenty point game. Um, 111 00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:21,240 Speaker 1: But this Warrior's team is scrappy. Um. They they have 112 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:24,360 Speaker 1: a lot of younger guys who are kind of trying 113 00:05:24,400 --> 00:05:26,839 Speaker 1: to make their way in the league. Wiggins Uber who 114 00:05:26,839 --> 00:05:30,320 Speaker 1: have bounced around a little bit now that Wanta Maker 115 00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:32,760 Speaker 1: and bays Moore, a really good veterans. Damian Lee is 116 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:34,359 Speaker 1: a guy who's bounces around the league little bit and 117 00:05:34,360 --> 00:05:35,520 Speaker 1: is now making a little bit of a name for 118 00:05:35,560 --> 00:05:38,080 Speaker 1: himself with the Warriors. And then obviously have Stephan Draymond 119 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:40,040 Speaker 1: to cap it off and kind of lead the way. 120 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:43,960 Speaker 1: But this game also showed one of my long standing 121 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:47,960 Speaker 1: points on basketball, and I tweeted about this last week. Typically, 122 00:05:48,279 --> 00:05:49,920 Speaker 1: if you have a superstar on your team, or two 123 00:05:49,960 --> 00:05:53,280 Speaker 1: superstars like the Lakers do, if you get blown out, 124 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:55,440 Speaker 1: which the Lakers really don't but the Warriors have a 125 00:05:55,440 --> 00:05:58,600 Speaker 1: couple of times. A blowout is typically on the role players. 126 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:00,400 Speaker 1: That typically means the role players did and show up 127 00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:01,680 Speaker 1: and do their job, and the game gets out of 128 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:04,400 Speaker 1: hand early and it just kind of ends up being 129 00:06:04,400 --> 00:06:07,880 Speaker 1: a double digit loss. Close games typically come down to 130 00:06:07,920 --> 00:06:11,160 Speaker 1: how your superstars performed, and last night, down the stretch, 131 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:13,360 Speaker 1: Step and Draymond were better than le Bron and a 132 00:06:13,480 --> 00:06:15,200 Speaker 1: d And that's basically what it came down to. The 133 00:06:15,279 --> 00:06:17,160 Speaker 1: role players on both teams did a good enough job 134 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:19,240 Speaker 1: to keep that game close. The Warriors second unit I 135 00:06:19,240 --> 00:06:22,200 Speaker 1: thought was outstanding all night. Those past Coal lead lineups 136 00:06:22,160 --> 00:06:25,159 Speaker 1: are are really something for teams to deal with. For 137 00:06:25,160 --> 00:06:26,880 Speaker 1: whatever reason, they're able to space the floor a little 138 00:06:26,920 --> 00:06:28,720 Speaker 1: bit and they basically just give him a runway to 139 00:06:28,760 --> 00:06:30,440 Speaker 1: the rim, and he's really tough to stop going to 140 00:06:30,440 --> 00:06:33,200 Speaker 1: the rim. He kind of gets tunnelvision sometimes, but he 141 00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:36,120 Speaker 1: is a monster finishing at the rim. And then as 142 00:06:36,120 --> 00:06:38,120 Speaker 1: bad as I thought Step was and Draymond for parts 143 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:39,960 Speaker 1: of the game too, they did a great job down 144 00:06:39,960 --> 00:06:41,359 Speaker 1: the stretch. D rey wonted a couple of drives and 145 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:43,600 Speaker 1: finishes Step at that end one and then obviously the 146 00:06:43,640 --> 00:06:46,880 Speaker 1: Step back over a d um and they came out 147 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:48,640 Speaker 1: with the win. Somehow, I don't know how it happened. 148 00:06:48,640 --> 00:06:51,960 Speaker 1: They they were losing forty six of the forty eight minutes. Basically, 149 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:54,560 Speaker 1: they didn't take the lead until that Draymond right handed 150 00:06:54,600 --> 00:06:56,080 Speaker 1: lay up going down the lane off the step pick 151 00:06:56,080 --> 00:06:57,839 Speaker 1: and roll with about two and a half minutes left. 152 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:02,960 Speaker 1: So weird, weird game. But the fact from a Warrior standpoint, 153 00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:04,720 Speaker 1: the fact that there's seven and six at this point, 154 00:07:04,760 --> 00:07:07,159 Speaker 1: I'm almost ecstatic with with that outcome. They've stolen a 155 00:07:07,200 --> 00:07:09,200 Speaker 1: couple of wins. In Chicago, they stole one and they 156 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:11,600 Speaker 1: still went against the Clippers, and they've now stolen one 157 00:07:11,640 --> 00:07:14,000 Speaker 1: to get on one against the Lakers. Um and I 158 00:07:14,040 --> 00:07:16,040 Speaker 1: tweeted that I was shocked that this team is two 159 00:07:16,040 --> 00:07:17,600 Speaker 1: and three against the l A teams at this point. 160 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:19,240 Speaker 1: They really could be three and three if they would 161 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:22,160 Speaker 1: have beat the Clippers in that first game. So from 162 00:07:22,160 --> 00:07:24,840 Speaker 1: a purely warrior standpoint, I'm pretty excited about where this 163 00:07:24,880 --> 00:07:27,320 Speaker 1: team is, considering how much room I still think they 164 00:07:27,320 --> 00:07:30,200 Speaker 1: have to grow. Um and Kelly Huber has just started 165 00:07:30,200 --> 00:07:32,440 Speaker 1: playing well recently. If you can can kind of continue 166 00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:34,080 Speaker 1: how he's been playing, this team is going to be 167 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:37,560 Speaker 1: a lot better. But there's there's still a long, long 168 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:40,920 Speaker 1: way to go with this team. So yeah, yeah, so 169 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:42,840 Speaker 1: let's let's start with the Lakers because we we are 170 00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:44,440 Speaker 1: are excuse me, the Warriors, because we are we are 171 00:07:44,480 --> 00:07:45,680 Speaker 1: going to get to the Lakers at some point. But 172 00:07:45,720 --> 00:07:49,040 Speaker 1: I do think it's important, especially with regular season basketball. 173 00:07:49,440 --> 00:07:52,400 Speaker 1: I mean, you can you can look at specific matchups 174 00:07:52,440 --> 00:07:55,880 Speaker 1: about what that playoff series might look like, but it's 175 00:07:55,880 --> 00:07:57,640 Speaker 1: easier to kind of look at each team and what 176 00:07:57,720 --> 00:08:00,320 Speaker 1: they're going through in their specific circumstances. So the Warriors 177 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:02,320 Speaker 1: obviously had a lot more to play for last night, 178 00:08:02,640 --> 00:08:06,400 Speaker 1: and the Warriors, obviously, uh are in a different phase 179 00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:10,200 Speaker 1: of their developmental timeline, you know, Like the Lakers know 180 00:08:10,280 --> 00:08:13,440 Speaker 1: who they are. They they even with these guys they've 181 00:08:13,440 --> 00:08:16,360 Speaker 1: been bringing in, they're more or less filling in roles 182 00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:19,120 Speaker 1: that already existed in previous iterations of the team. Like 183 00:08:19,280 --> 00:08:21,720 Speaker 1: Schroeder's just a way better version of Rondo, but his 184 00:08:21,920 --> 00:08:24,600 Speaker 1: role in the offense, he's doing what Rondo did on 185 00:08:24,600 --> 00:08:27,840 Speaker 1: that team, just a more aggressive, better version of that, 186 00:08:27,920 --> 00:08:30,480 Speaker 1: you know. But the team is constructed more or less 187 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:34,160 Speaker 1: the same, so their their their night tonight process is different. 188 00:08:34,200 --> 00:08:37,760 Speaker 1: This Warrior team is building something right now. They don't 189 00:08:37,760 --> 00:08:40,240 Speaker 1: really know what they're gonna be yet, but they're building 190 00:08:40,320 --> 00:08:43,200 Speaker 1: something right now. And there are a couple of things, 191 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:46,000 Speaker 1: like I always talk about a championship identity. It's it's 192 00:08:46,040 --> 00:08:49,719 Speaker 1: like the it's the the two or three things that 193 00:08:49,760 --> 00:08:53,800 Speaker 1: really define who you are and how that will inevitably 194 00:08:54,480 --> 00:08:56,880 Speaker 1: be what you lean on when the ship hits the 195 00:08:56,880 --> 00:08:59,280 Speaker 1: fan later on in the playoffs. And you can kind 196 00:08:59,320 --> 00:09:02,920 Speaker 1: of see the identity building with that Warrior Team. And 197 00:09:02,960 --> 00:09:06,000 Speaker 1: I thought it was interesting last night, Like with Kelly 198 00:09:06,080 --> 00:09:10,560 Speaker 1: u Bray and with Andrew Wiggins, and with Camp bays 199 00:09:10,640 --> 00:09:13,800 Speaker 1: More and with brad Wanamaker. They have a really really 200 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:18,599 Speaker 1: quick team that is a lot more athletic than previous 201 00:09:18,640 --> 00:09:23,000 Speaker 1: iterations of of of this Warrior Team dynasty from years past. 202 00:09:23,240 --> 00:09:25,920 Speaker 1: And that's the funny part, because like it's almost weird 203 00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:28,200 Speaker 1: watching them because they don't even look similar in the 204 00:09:28,200 --> 00:09:31,160 Speaker 1: sense that they're just faster, and they're just they're younger 205 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:33,600 Speaker 1: and their leaner and and and you can see them 206 00:09:33,720 --> 00:09:37,760 Speaker 1: becoming this like high effort team that is extremely persistent 207 00:09:38,120 --> 00:09:40,240 Speaker 1: that plays into the ebbs and flows of the game. 208 00:09:40,280 --> 00:09:42,719 Speaker 1: That's why they've had so many comebacks, like they had 209 00:09:42,720 --> 00:09:44,679 Speaker 1: to come back against the Pistons, they had to come 210 00:09:44,679 --> 00:09:46,600 Speaker 1: back against the Clippers, they had to come back against 211 00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:50,160 Speaker 1: the Lakers. They're finding themselves down in these games, and 212 00:09:50,200 --> 00:09:54,360 Speaker 1: they're just they're sticking to their identity and understanding that 213 00:09:54,400 --> 00:09:57,120 Speaker 1: inevitably we're going to break through on the strength of 214 00:09:57,480 --> 00:10:00,400 Speaker 1: the Steph and UH and Draymond pick and roll and 215 00:10:00,480 --> 00:10:03,240 Speaker 1: just our effort. Guys from their bench. Their their bench 216 00:10:03,760 --> 00:10:07,280 Speaker 1: did their job of of carrying them for stretches of 217 00:10:07,320 --> 00:10:11,000 Speaker 1: that game when the Lakers starters were engaged and when 218 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:14,720 Speaker 1: they were bullying the Warrior starters, and it allowed them 219 00:10:14,800 --> 00:10:17,920 Speaker 1: to linger around long enough so that Stephan and Draymond 220 00:10:17,920 --> 00:10:19,760 Speaker 1: could outplay Lebron and a d at the end of 221 00:10:19,800 --> 00:10:21,959 Speaker 1: the game. But you can see the identity building. It's 222 00:10:22,160 --> 00:10:26,880 Speaker 1: high effort, it's running a lot in transition, it's flying 223 00:10:26,920 --> 00:10:31,400 Speaker 1: around wings with Ubraen Wiggins, and it's Steph making basketball 224 00:10:31,400 --> 00:10:33,760 Speaker 1: decisions at the end of these games, which is getting 225 00:10:33,760 --> 00:10:36,400 Speaker 1: them high quality shots. And that's you could see that 226 00:10:36,400 --> 00:10:39,000 Speaker 1: that's forming their identity and that's the stuff you can 227 00:10:39,040 --> 00:10:42,560 Speaker 1: build on. Because I don't think that their championship contender 228 00:10:42,600 --> 00:10:45,480 Speaker 1: at this point. The reality is as they lost to 229 00:10:45,559 --> 00:10:47,559 Speaker 1: the Pacers and then they lost to the Nuggets, and 230 00:10:47,600 --> 00:10:49,560 Speaker 1: then they were getting their ass kicked by the Lakers 231 00:10:49,840 --> 00:10:51,360 Speaker 1: and they managed to come back and win. But the 232 00:10:51,360 --> 00:10:53,640 Speaker 1: truth is they've got a long way to go. But 233 00:10:53,760 --> 00:10:56,400 Speaker 1: you can see the identity forming and you can start 234 00:10:56,440 --> 00:11:00,000 Speaker 1: to talk yourself into like, Okay, Wiseman doesn't really necessarily 235 00:11:00,040 --> 00:11:02,440 Speaker 1: makes sense, but he's this asset that we've built because 236 00:11:02,440 --> 00:11:05,800 Speaker 1: he has shown flashes. Maybe we can move him for 237 00:11:06,120 --> 00:11:08,719 Speaker 1: another backup all handler, or maybe for another wing or 238 00:11:09,360 --> 00:11:12,720 Speaker 1: a more veteran, savvy big who's a little bit more usable. 239 00:11:12,760 --> 00:11:15,400 Speaker 1: In the short term. You can see it building, and 240 00:11:15,440 --> 00:11:18,200 Speaker 1: I think that's exciting for Warrior fans because even though 241 00:11:18,720 --> 00:11:20,440 Speaker 1: you're out of your freaking mind if you think you're 242 00:11:20,440 --> 00:11:22,440 Speaker 1: gonna beat the Lakers in the playoff series right now, 243 00:11:22,679 --> 00:11:24,960 Speaker 1: you can see from stuff from last night that that 244 00:11:25,080 --> 00:11:27,560 Speaker 1: just gives you a positive outlook on what how this 245 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:31,560 Speaker 1: could inevitably end up working in the future, especially when 246 00:11:31,559 --> 00:11:33,760 Speaker 1: Clay gets back. Yeah, so I think a couple of 247 00:11:33,760 --> 00:11:36,440 Speaker 1: things are interesting. This team is pretty far from their 248 00:11:36,480 --> 00:11:38,440 Speaker 1: ceiling even this year. You know, Clay is not coming 249 00:11:38,440 --> 00:11:40,320 Speaker 1: back this year, we all know that, but I think 250 00:11:40,320 --> 00:11:42,160 Speaker 1: this team is still pretty far from their ceiling. From 251 00:11:42,160 --> 00:11:45,760 Speaker 1: the standpoint of they've basically played thirteen games together, this 252 00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:49,400 Speaker 1: roster is almost entirely new, especially when you consider that 253 00:11:49,400 --> 00:11:51,320 Speaker 1: Stephan Draymond didn't really play with any of these guys 254 00:11:51,400 --> 00:11:53,480 Speaker 1: last year. Draymond played with a couple of them, but 255 00:11:53,600 --> 00:11:55,559 Speaker 1: he was so mentally checked out for most of the 256 00:11:55,640 --> 00:11:58,000 Speaker 1: year that you can't even really count those games. So 257 00:11:58,040 --> 00:12:01,000 Speaker 1: it's an entirely new roster around these guys. And I 258 00:12:01,040 --> 00:12:03,679 Speaker 1: think you're correct, and you're in kind of your analysis 259 00:12:03,679 --> 00:12:05,320 Speaker 1: of who they are at this point. They are a 260 00:12:05,360 --> 00:12:08,080 Speaker 1: plucky team. I mean, they are really annoying to play against, 261 00:12:08,080 --> 00:12:10,920 Speaker 1: I think, and that's only going to get more annoying 262 00:12:10,960 --> 00:12:12,560 Speaker 1: as they get to know each other better and the 263 00:12:12,559 --> 00:12:15,000 Speaker 1: effort becomes more consistent from the role guys that they 264 00:12:15,040 --> 00:12:19,240 Speaker 1: understand their roles better. I think they really do have 265 00:12:19,320 --> 00:12:21,120 Speaker 1: a chance to be one of the final four teams 266 00:12:21,120 --> 00:12:24,760 Speaker 1: in the Western Conference. I'm not sure that Western Conference 267 00:12:24,800 --> 00:12:28,120 Speaker 1: finals would be I think an incredible outcome for this team, 268 00:12:28,280 --> 00:12:30,240 Speaker 1: but I really do think they have a chance to 269 00:12:30,240 --> 00:12:31,680 Speaker 1: be one of those final four teams in the West 270 00:12:31,679 --> 00:12:35,640 Speaker 1: simply on their effort and then having two of kind 271 00:12:35,640 --> 00:12:37,400 Speaker 1: of the better closers in the game in terms of 272 00:12:37,400 --> 00:12:39,760 Speaker 1: how they working at tandem right that Steph Draymond pick 273 00:12:39,800 --> 00:12:41,000 Speaker 1: and roll is something they're gonna be able to go 274 00:12:41,080 --> 00:12:44,080 Speaker 1: to against everybody. And even against Anthony Davis last night 275 00:12:44,080 --> 00:12:45,960 Speaker 1: and Schroeder, who has been really good defensively this year, 276 00:12:46,120 --> 00:12:47,800 Speaker 1: they were giving them issues. Steph got a couple of 277 00:12:47,840 --> 00:12:50,400 Speaker 1: open shots, Draymond got some open layups, and if they 278 00:12:50,400 --> 00:12:52,800 Speaker 1: get the right lineups around those guys, they're still gonna 279 00:12:52,800 --> 00:12:55,080 Speaker 1: be tough to stop offensively as long as they can 280 00:12:55,080 --> 00:12:56,440 Speaker 1: get to the point where the games are close at 281 00:12:56,440 --> 00:12:59,600 Speaker 1: the end. Um. So I think, like I said, they 282 00:12:59,640 --> 00:13:01,960 Speaker 1: have a long way to go before they reach their ceiling, 283 00:13:02,080 --> 00:13:04,400 Speaker 1: but they're going to continue building, and I think there's 284 00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:06,800 Speaker 1: probably a couple of roster moves they'll they'll make, especially 285 00:13:06,840 --> 00:13:08,880 Speaker 1: if Markue's Chris doesn't seem like he's gonna come back 286 00:13:08,880 --> 00:13:10,720 Speaker 1: this year, which is up in the air. Um. He 287 00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:12,520 Speaker 1: would help this team a lot right now, because, like 288 00:13:12,559 --> 00:13:15,199 Speaker 1: you've alluded to, Wiseman is talented, but he is really 289 00:13:15,280 --> 00:13:18,199 Speaker 1: young and really green and really lost a lot of 290 00:13:18,240 --> 00:13:20,199 Speaker 1: the time. And last night was one of those games 291 00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:21,599 Speaker 1: where it's like, look the talent as a parent on 292 00:13:21,679 --> 00:13:23,760 Speaker 1: some plays, but this kid's also still night team, and 293 00:13:23,800 --> 00:13:25,559 Speaker 1: he's still a long way from where he needs to 294 00:13:25,600 --> 00:13:28,319 Speaker 1: be to help this team contend within I would think 295 00:13:28,360 --> 00:13:29,719 Speaker 1: the next two to three years. I could be wrong. 296 00:13:29,720 --> 00:13:32,880 Speaker 1: Maybe he develops quicker than I'm thinking, but um, I 297 00:13:32,880 --> 00:13:36,960 Speaker 1: don't see it at this point. But Marquis Chris would 298 00:13:36,960 --> 00:13:38,360 Speaker 1: be a huge upgrade if they get him back. If not, 299 00:13:38,360 --> 00:13:39,800 Speaker 1: they're probably gonna pick up a big man off the 300 00:13:39,800 --> 00:13:41,640 Speaker 1: waiver wire. I would hope they try to get some 301 00:13:41,679 --> 00:13:43,720 Speaker 1: more shooting um at this point because a lot of 302 00:13:43,720 --> 00:13:46,520 Speaker 1: these starts that where they're down twenty points, or because 303 00:13:46,559 --> 00:13:49,200 Speaker 1: you have two guys in Uber and Wiseman who don't 304 00:13:49,200 --> 00:13:52,520 Speaker 1: really understand what Steve Kerr wants. They don't really have 305 00:13:52,559 --> 00:13:54,960 Speaker 1: the basketball like you to play in his system. So 306 00:13:55,000 --> 00:13:57,600 Speaker 1: the solution would really be just go to more spread, 307 00:13:57,600 --> 00:14:00,000 Speaker 1: prick and roll with that early group, just so it's simple, 308 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:02,720 Speaker 1: will fight, it's easier, and the roles are very very defined. 309 00:14:02,760 --> 00:14:04,320 Speaker 1: But I don't think he's going to do that. So 310 00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:06,760 Speaker 1: the other solution would be start somebody in place of 311 00:14:07,040 --> 00:14:09,160 Speaker 1: Ubre and let him just crush second units, because that's 312 00:14:09,200 --> 00:14:11,160 Speaker 1: what he did last night. It was probably his most 313 00:14:11,160 --> 00:14:13,240 Speaker 1: competent game because he got to play twelve or fifteen 314 00:14:13,240 --> 00:14:14,920 Speaker 1: minutes against the Lakers second unit, and he had a 315 00:14:14,960 --> 00:14:16,960 Speaker 1: couple of really nice moves to the rim, and then 316 00:14:17,120 --> 00:14:19,320 Speaker 1: he puts feeling confidence, so his three balls started going, 317 00:14:19,480 --> 00:14:21,080 Speaker 1: and then he felt confident enough to make a drive 318 00:14:21,080 --> 00:14:22,840 Speaker 1: and finish over a d with like three minutes left 319 00:14:22,840 --> 00:14:25,240 Speaker 1: in the game. So this team is still working out 320 00:14:25,240 --> 00:14:27,600 Speaker 1: a lot of the kinks, and I think they're still 321 00:14:27,800 --> 00:14:30,040 Speaker 1: We're still going to get inconsistent performances for probably the 322 00:14:30,080 --> 00:14:32,200 Speaker 1: next fifteen to twenty games, but I think around the 323 00:14:32,200 --> 00:14:33,800 Speaker 1: middle of the season they will really start to figure 324 00:14:33,800 --> 00:14:36,400 Speaker 1: things out as the rotation becomes more solidified. And I think, 325 00:14:36,440 --> 00:14:39,080 Speaker 1: like I said, I still maintain that this will probably 326 00:14:39,160 --> 00:14:40,960 Speaker 1: one of the final four teams in the West, unless 327 00:14:40,960 --> 00:14:42,480 Speaker 1: they get a weird first round matchup, Like if they 328 00:14:42,520 --> 00:14:44,480 Speaker 1: match up against the Lakers in the first round, probably 329 00:14:44,480 --> 00:14:47,720 Speaker 1: not gonna happen, Clippers, probably not gonna happen. But anybody 330 00:14:47,760 --> 00:14:51,640 Speaker 1: else in a seven game playoff series, I still think 331 00:14:52,440 --> 00:14:54,640 Speaker 1: they'll be good enough to be in most of those 332 00:14:54,640 --> 00:14:57,040 Speaker 1: games within that seven game series. And then it comes 333 00:14:57,080 --> 00:15:00,360 Speaker 1: down to do you trust anybody besides Lebron or Hawaii 334 00:15:00,400 --> 00:15:02,320 Speaker 1: over step in the final seven minutes of you know, 335 00:15:02,360 --> 00:15:04,680 Speaker 1: the final six minutes of a game, and I wouldn't. Right, 336 00:15:04,800 --> 00:15:07,600 Speaker 1: So anybody else in the Western Conferences, great as Yokich is, 337 00:15:07,960 --> 00:15:10,160 Speaker 1: I would still want Step in the last six minutes 338 00:15:10,200 --> 00:15:13,280 Speaker 1: the game over him. So this team has a long 339 00:15:13,320 --> 00:15:16,320 Speaker 1: way to go. But I'm I was expecting them to be, 340 00:15:16,400 --> 00:15:18,400 Speaker 1: like to have maybe five wins at this point of 341 00:15:18,440 --> 00:15:20,880 Speaker 1: this easy you know, fifteen games, and I was expecting 342 00:15:20,920 --> 00:15:22,600 Speaker 1: them to be four or five games under five hundred. 343 00:15:22,640 --> 00:15:26,600 Speaker 1: So I'm really pumped about where they're at. Yeah, I think. Uh. 344 00:15:26,920 --> 00:15:28,720 Speaker 1: One of the biggest things that's been a pleasant surprise 345 00:15:28,760 --> 00:15:30,800 Speaker 1: to me has been their defense. Um. I was a 346 00:15:30,840 --> 00:15:33,160 Speaker 1: pessimist as it related to their defense because of the 347 00:15:33,160 --> 00:15:36,520 Speaker 1: fact that I thought Clay Thompson was a huge part 348 00:15:37,640 --> 00:15:40,040 Speaker 1: of what they were able to do defensively. Uh, And 349 00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:42,760 Speaker 1: what has been what has been a a pleasant surprise 350 00:15:42,840 --> 00:15:46,360 Speaker 1: is Wiggins has been flat out good for a defense. 351 00:15:46,560 --> 00:15:52,600 Speaker 1: First event, let's started right now. First very well, maybe 352 00:15:52,680 --> 00:15:54,840 Speaker 1: it may end up happening here. The truth of the 353 00:15:54,880 --> 00:15:57,000 Speaker 1: matter is is like that that's what's making this work. 354 00:15:57,080 --> 00:16:00,320 Speaker 1: Like the Warrior defense was always built on and full 355 00:16:00,320 --> 00:16:03,080 Speaker 1: of things. You know, Draymond Green just being an absolute 356 00:16:03,200 --> 00:16:06,120 Speaker 1: unicorn on the defensive end of the floor as a 357 00:16:06,120 --> 00:16:08,480 Speaker 1: as a small ball five. You know, a guy that 358 00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:11,080 Speaker 1: you couldn't post up, but at the same time was 359 00:16:11,120 --> 00:16:12,960 Speaker 1: like flying around and moving around enough that it made 360 00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:15,880 Speaker 1: up for some of his shot his size shortcomings. And 361 00:16:15,920 --> 00:16:18,040 Speaker 1: then it was always built on a couple of really 362 00:16:18,040 --> 00:16:21,360 Speaker 1: really good perimeter wing defensive players, which used to be 363 00:16:21,440 --> 00:16:24,160 Speaker 1: Clay Thompson and Andrea Gudala and and now in this 364 00:16:24,200 --> 00:16:27,040 Speaker 1: case it's Ubra who was flying around last night too, 365 00:16:27,520 --> 00:16:30,320 Speaker 1: and and Andrew Wiggins, and you know, Steph. I'm gonna 366 00:16:30,320 --> 00:16:32,520 Speaker 1: pay him another compliment here. Like Steph is not a 367 00:16:32,560 --> 00:16:35,560 Speaker 1: great defender, He's an average to slightly above average defender. 368 00:16:35,760 --> 00:16:38,640 Speaker 1: But what he does is he commits himself on that 369 00:16:38,760 --> 00:16:41,120 Speaker 1: end of the floor, which is more than just It 370 00:16:42,120 --> 00:16:44,400 Speaker 1: takes him from being a blow average defensive player to 371 00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:47,200 Speaker 1: an average defensive player because that commitment and focus matters. 372 00:16:47,520 --> 00:16:51,960 Speaker 1: But most importantly, it trickles down his his His commitment 373 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:54,800 Speaker 1: to being an impacts defensive player, even though he doesn't 374 00:16:54,840 --> 00:16:57,720 Speaker 1: have the physical tools, just trickles down in effort to 375 00:16:57,760 --> 00:17:00,120 Speaker 1: everyone else on the roster, like making no mistake, if 376 00:17:00,160 --> 00:17:03,160 Speaker 1: you know. One of the biggest reasons why, uh, the 377 00:17:03,280 --> 00:17:06,760 Speaker 1: Laker defense is inconsistent, even though I think when they're 378 00:17:06,760 --> 00:17:08,639 Speaker 1: dialed in, they're the best defense in the league. The 379 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:12,200 Speaker 1: reason why they've been inconsistent is sometimes their best two players, 380 00:17:12,320 --> 00:17:14,680 Speaker 1: Lebron and na d come out and they're like, you know, tonight, 381 00:17:14,720 --> 00:17:16,960 Speaker 1: we're gonna see if we can win without defending. And 382 00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:20,040 Speaker 1: then it's like KCP is losing guys on screens or 383 00:17:20,160 --> 00:17:23,159 Speaker 1: are taking uh sloppy close outs and and all these 384 00:17:23,200 --> 00:17:24,879 Speaker 1: guys are kind of bs and around. The next thing 385 00:17:24,920 --> 00:17:27,000 Speaker 1: you know, they're they're giving up seventy seven points in 386 00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:28,960 Speaker 1: the second half like they did last night. Like the 387 00:17:29,440 --> 00:17:34,560 Speaker 1: Steph Curry deserves credit, you know, as a leader for 388 00:17:34,560 --> 00:17:36,880 Speaker 1: for being one of the lynch pins of this defense, 389 00:17:36,960 --> 00:17:40,000 Speaker 1: even though he technically isn't that great of a defensive player, 390 00:17:40,320 --> 00:17:42,280 Speaker 1: you know, with with what he brings to the table physically, 391 00:17:42,320 --> 00:17:43,960 Speaker 1: So that that that I've been really impressed with. That's 392 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:46,479 Speaker 1: something you can build on. And you know, I'm with you. 393 00:17:46,560 --> 00:17:49,960 Speaker 1: I wouldn't pick them over you know, four or five 394 00:17:49,960 --> 00:17:52,560 Speaker 1: teams in the West, but if they're if they're in 395 00:17:52,560 --> 00:17:54,520 Speaker 1: a series against anybody, that's not one of the l 396 00:17:54,560 --> 00:17:56,880 Speaker 1: A teams. They've got a real chance because they can 397 00:17:56,880 --> 00:17:59,560 Speaker 1: guard and because they have a really, really good alpha 398 00:17:59,600 --> 00:18:02,080 Speaker 1: that's gonna go toe to toe, if not be better 399 00:18:02,160 --> 00:18:04,800 Speaker 1: than any player in the league. And so that that's 400 00:18:04,840 --> 00:18:06,640 Speaker 1: what what what you can build on. But the key 401 00:18:06,680 --> 00:18:09,800 Speaker 1: there is, like you know with Wiseman, your your brother 402 00:18:09,960 --> 00:18:12,680 Speaker 1: in the comments is asking about Wiseman. The thing I 403 00:18:12,720 --> 00:18:16,199 Speaker 1: would say about Wiseman is like, I I try to 404 00:18:16,240 --> 00:18:20,879 Speaker 1: be consistent with this stuff, Like you're tempted to hold 405 00:18:20,920 --> 00:18:24,200 Speaker 1: on because of potential, but you don't want to pull 406 00:18:24,240 --> 00:18:26,240 Speaker 1: a Danny Ainge, you know, Like, and what I mean 407 00:18:26,240 --> 00:18:29,840 Speaker 1: by that is like, like, for instance, Kyrie, Kawhi, Leonard 408 00:18:29,840 --> 00:18:32,959 Speaker 1: and Al and Al Horford probably wins an NBA championship. 409 00:18:33,160 --> 00:18:37,760 Speaker 1: They probably do okay, But Danny Ainge was tantalized by 410 00:18:37,840 --> 00:18:41,600 Speaker 1: Jayson Tatum. Now, Jayson Tatum is one of the best 411 00:18:41,720 --> 00:18:44,760 Speaker 1: ten to twelve players in the league, so that's fantastic, 412 00:18:45,640 --> 00:18:48,359 Speaker 1: but he's a top ten player in the league or 413 00:18:48,400 --> 00:18:50,399 Speaker 1: fringe top ten player in the league that was on 414 00:18:50,440 --> 00:18:53,840 Speaker 1: a different timeline than Kyrie and Al Horford at the time. 415 00:18:54,400 --> 00:18:58,119 Speaker 1: And so the problem that you have here is Wiseman 416 00:18:58,320 --> 00:19:01,719 Speaker 1: very well may end up being some freaky crisp bosh 417 00:19:01,920 --> 00:19:06,040 Speaker 1: mixed with LaMarcus Aldridge hybrid beast of a big man 418 00:19:06,040 --> 00:19:07,840 Speaker 1: he or who knows what he's gonna be, but he 419 00:19:07,840 --> 00:19:10,159 Speaker 1: could be something like that, but he's not going to 420 00:19:10,200 --> 00:19:13,160 Speaker 1: be that for several years. And so you have this 421 00:19:13,160 --> 00:19:16,600 Speaker 1: this predicament here, or you have to decide whether or 422 00:19:16,600 --> 00:19:19,160 Speaker 1: not you want to commit to this timeline or kind 423 00:19:19,160 --> 00:19:21,359 Speaker 1: of have one foot in, one foot out. And maybe 424 00:19:21,359 --> 00:19:23,359 Speaker 1: you have fun with Staff his last few years, but 425 00:19:23,400 --> 00:19:25,600 Speaker 1: you don't win any titles, and then you go into 426 00:19:25,600 --> 00:19:27,639 Speaker 1: the Wiseman years and now he's the best player in 427 00:19:27,640 --> 00:19:29,439 Speaker 1: the team, but maybe things don't work out with some 428 00:19:29,520 --> 00:19:32,199 Speaker 1: injuries or some poor draft picks, or you know, some 429 00:19:32,240 --> 00:19:34,320 Speaker 1: things don't work out in free agency. And you're pretty 430 00:19:34,359 --> 00:19:36,119 Speaker 1: good with Wiseman too, but he you can't win a 431 00:19:36,119 --> 00:19:40,080 Speaker 1: title there, Like you gotta commit to something. And to me, 432 00:19:40,440 --> 00:19:43,880 Speaker 1: the Wiseman move here actually has kind of worked out 433 00:19:43,920 --> 00:19:47,199 Speaker 1: well for the Warriors because he's shown these crazy flashes 434 00:19:48,119 --> 00:19:51,159 Speaker 1: that will inevitably lead him to have some value around 435 00:19:51,160 --> 00:19:54,480 Speaker 1: the league. But you've also learned that he can't help 436 00:19:54,480 --> 00:19:57,439 Speaker 1: you right now, and so I think it's time for 437 00:19:57,480 --> 00:20:00,840 Speaker 1: them to to at least consider the idea, uh that 438 00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:02,800 Speaker 1: you've got this elite defense he didn't think you were 439 00:20:02,800 --> 00:20:05,680 Speaker 1: going to have. You've got Steph Curry, who clearly is 440 00:20:05,720 --> 00:20:07,320 Speaker 1: one of the two best players in the league. Still 441 00:20:07,760 --> 00:20:10,600 Speaker 1: like you need to push your chips in, especially if 442 00:20:10,600 --> 00:20:12,239 Speaker 1: you can get a player that's under contract next year 443 00:20:12,240 --> 00:20:13,879 Speaker 1: and Clay Thompson's coming back, because then you can make 444 00:20:13,880 --> 00:20:17,320 Speaker 1: a real run at things next year. Especially yep, and 445 00:20:17,400 --> 00:20:23,280 Speaker 1: I think the thing is hunting the rest of the 446 00:20:23,320 --> 00:20:25,280 Speaker 1: prime of one of the twenty greatest players of all time, 447 00:20:25,359 --> 00:20:27,720 Speaker 1: and if we're not including Will Chamberlain, the greatest player 448 00:20:27,760 --> 00:20:31,159 Speaker 1: in Warriors history, is one of the dumbest things in 449 00:20:31,240 --> 00:20:32,879 Speaker 1: NBA history. If you're gonna say, well, we're gonna have 450 00:20:32,880 --> 00:20:34,360 Speaker 1: one foot in, one foot out, and we're gonna try 451 00:20:34,359 --> 00:20:37,320 Speaker 1: to develop the center, who's clearly talented, as you've alluded to, 452 00:20:37,480 --> 00:20:38,920 Speaker 1: but as a bit of a project, like there was 453 00:20:38,960 --> 00:20:40,720 Speaker 1: a long way to go before he reaches this, youing, 454 00:20:40,760 --> 00:20:44,120 Speaker 1: and if he ever does so, it would be irresponsible 455 00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:49,560 Speaker 1: I think for the Warriors to billy dally around and say, oh, well, 456 00:20:49,600 --> 00:20:51,399 Speaker 1: you know, we can try to develop Wiseman and also 457 00:20:51,480 --> 00:20:53,760 Speaker 1: try to, you know, try to win championship at the 458 00:20:53,800 --> 00:20:55,360 Speaker 1: same time. I don't think that's possible. If you're trying 459 00:20:55,400 --> 00:20:57,880 Speaker 1: to play the thirty minutes a game, It's not gonna 460 00:20:57,880 --> 00:21:00,119 Speaker 1: be possible in the next couple of years. Because of 461 00:21:00,160 --> 00:21:01,960 Speaker 1: the hardest things in the NBA to learn is big 462 00:21:01,960 --> 00:21:04,840 Speaker 1: man defense. It is so complex and complicated because you 463 00:21:04,840 --> 00:21:08,479 Speaker 1: are accountable for basically everything and almost every possession. At 464 00:21:08,480 --> 00:21:11,440 Speaker 1: some point, he looks lost, and this isn't his fault. 465 00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:14,440 Speaker 1: He's only played like fifteen games after he graduated from 466 00:21:14,440 --> 00:21:16,119 Speaker 1: my school, Like a lot of this isn't his fault. 467 00:21:16,280 --> 00:21:18,639 Speaker 1: He's just not ready. Like it's just the fact of 468 00:21:18,640 --> 00:21:21,399 Speaker 1: the matter is he he isn't ready. And we know 469 00:21:21,480 --> 00:21:23,960 Speaker 1: what the way the NBA works now, somebody's going to 470 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:25,760 Speaker 1: be available in the next twelve months. You know. It 471 00:21:25,840 --> 00:21:28,480 Speaker 1: might be Bradley Beal, it might be somebody else, but 472 00:21:28,600 --> 00:21:31,360 Speaker 1: somebody will be available. And with Wiseman, with the Minnesota pick, 473 00:21:31,520 --> 00:21:34,200 Speaker 1: you have the assets to go get basically whoever you want. 474 00:21:34,320 --> 00:21:35,879 Speaker 1: You're gonna have to deal probably one of those big 475 00:21:35,920 --> 00:21:37,640 Speaker 1: contracts that they have on the books that might be Wiggins, 476 00:21:38,200 --> 00:21:40,480 Speaker 1: which I wouldn't be super keen on. But if it 477 00:21:40,520 --> 00:21:42,600 Speaker 1: means they're getting another top fifteen player, you probably do 478 00:21:42,600 --> 00:21:45,119 Speaker 1: it right, Like you probably don't even think twice about it, because, 479 00:21:45,560 --> 00:21:47,399 Speaker 1: like I said, I'd love that Wiggins has done for 480 00:21:47,440 --> 00:21:49,760 Speaker 1: this team so far, He's been basically everything I could 481 00:21:49,760 --> 00:21:55,440 Speaker 1: have expected it more um, And it's funny. Wiggins isn't 482 00:21:55,440 --> 00:21:56,959 Speaker 1: a role player, but he's also not a star. He's 483 00:21:57,000 --> 00:21:58,600 Speaker 1: kind of in that weird middle ground where he's better 484 00:21:58,600 --> 00:22:00,919 Speaker 1: than most role players, but he's not quite you know, 485 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:04,280 Speaker 1: a top thirty level player. Situation matters so much for 486 00:22:04,320 --> 00:22:07,359 Speaker 1: those type of guys. Right in Minnesota, he was basically 487 00:22:07,359 --> 00:22:09,760 Speaker 1: just wasting away. He never gave consistent ever, and everybody 488 00:22:09,840 --> 00:22:11,840 Speaker 1: kind of just labeled him as a bus. And first 489 00:22:11,880 --> 00:22:13,359 Speaker 1: I means for number one pick, he's still kind of 490 00:22:13,359 --> 00:22:15,040 Speaker 1: as a bus no matter what he does with the Warriors, 491 00:22:15,320 --> 00:22:18,320 Speaker 1: but his effort level and his consistent approach mentally has 492 00:22:18,359 --> 00:22:21,400 Speaker 1: been super impressive this year. This is a guy who 493 00:22:21,520 --> 00:22:23,080 Speaker 1: if they do keep him around, I think he can 494 00:22:23,080 --> 00:22:25,440 Speaker 1: help them win a championship. Right if Clay comes back 495 00:22:25,560 --> 00:22:28,679 Speaker 1: relatively healthy who he was and step is still in 496 00:22:28,720 --> 00:22:31,040 Speaker 1: his prime, and same with Draymond, I think Wiggins is 497 00:22:31,040 --> 00:22:32,480 Speaker 1: absolutely a guy who can be one of the five 498 00:22:32,480 --> 00:22:36,040 Speaker 1: best players on a championship team. But the overall point 499 00:22:36,160 --> 00:22:40,600 Speaker 1: is circumstance matters so much for for guys around the 500 00:22:40,640 --> 00:22:42,520 Speaker 1: league who are not top thirty. I mean, we see 501 00:22:42,520 --> 00:22:44,560 Speaker 1: it every single year where guys go to a new 502 00:22:44,560 --> 00:22:46,439 Speaker 1: situation it's like, oh my god, where was this player at? 503 00:22:46,800 --> 00:22:49,080 Speaker 1: And that that's Andrew Wiggins this year, and he has 504 00:22:49,359 --> 00:22:50,879 Speaker 1: I don't know if he has a legitimate case for 505 00:22:51,040 --> 00:22:52,800 Speaker 1: Most Improved Player, but I think he's gonna get some 506 00:22:52,880 --> 00:22:55,280 Speaker 1: votes this year. Um, and I've been all in on 507 00:22:55,400 --> 00:22:58,800 Speaker 1: him since the trade happens, so yeah, I've just been 508 00:22:58,840 --> 00:23:00,320 Speaker 1: super super I just want to get a Q Wiggins 509 00:23:00,359 --> 00:23:02,480 Speaker 1: point because he's been super impresent. He gave you know, 510 00:23:02,560 --> 00:23:04,760 Speaker 1: Lebron wasn't fully engaged last night. I think anybody who 511 00:23:04,800 --> 00:23:07,399 Speaker 1: watched that games knows that. But Wiggins gave him some 512 00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:10,040 Speaker 1: problems on the stretch defensively, like he he was legitimately 513 00:23:10,080 --> 00:23:12,320 Speaker 1: bothering Lebron and not letting him get to his spots, 514 00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:14,600 Speaker 1: and he caused a couple of turnovers. And that's really 515 00:23:14,640 --> 00:23:16,640 Speaker 1: all you can ask of him. Because this year they're 516 00:23:16,680 --> 00:23:18,840 Speaker 1: not a title contender, but coming back next year, you're 517 00:23:18,840 --> 00:23:20,960 Speaker 1: gonna need that guy who can be consistent at point 518 00:23:20,960 --> 00:23:23,560 Speaker 1: of attack defensively forty five minutes a night. And Andrew 519 00:23:23,560 --> 00:23:25,480 Speaker 1: Wiggins absolutely is that guy. And that's really all you 520 00:23:25,520 --> 00:23:30,080 Speaker 1: can ask. Wiggins is definitely deserving of roses at this point. 521 00:23:30,400 --> 00:23:32,600 Speaker 1: He simplified his game. There was a couple of things 522 00:23:32,600 --> 00:23:36,440 Speaker 1: that I didn't like. He took a really bizarre step 523 00:23:36,480 --> 00:23:38,240 Speaker 1: back three in the fourth quarter that was kind of 524 00:23:38,920 --> 00:23:41,240 Speaker 1: three times a game. He still done that. Again, you 525 00:23:41,280 --> 00:23:42,440 Speaker 1: just gotta live with it if he's gonna give you 526 00:23:42,480 --> 00:23:45,240 Speaker 1: the defensive effort exactly. And that's the thing like that, 527 00:23:45,480 --> 00:23:47,080 Speaker 1: you have to you have to live with that, you know, 528 00:23:47,200 --> 00:23:50,280 Speaker 1: Like like Lebron is one of the two best players 529 00:23:50,320 --> 00:23:53,280 Speaker 1: of all time, and I literally he still occasionally settles 530 00:23:53,280 --> 00:23:55,000 Speaker 1: for stupid three over the top of the center or 531 00:23:55,040 --> 00:23:57,200 Speaker 1: whatever it is. But you know, you have to live 532 00:23:57,240 --> 00:23:59,960 Speaker 1: with it. But for the most part, it's he's simple, 533 00:24:00,040 --> 00:24:04,320 Speaker 1: had his game. He his shot chart is basically now simplified, 534 00:24:04,359 --> 00:24:06,960 Speaker 1: down to wide open threes, the occasional pull up three, 535 00:24:07,400 --> 00:24:09,880 Speaker 1: and shots in and around the basket. He's actually really 536 00:24:09,920 --> 00:24:12,119 Speaker 1: good at contorting his body around the shop, blockers and 537 00:24:12,160 --> 00:24:14,639 Speaker 1: finishing um. He had a big play in the fourth 538 00:24:14,680 --> 00:24:16,960 Speaker 1: quarter where he attacked to close out on KCP and 539 00:24:17,040 --> 00:24:19,399 Speaker 1: drew a foul on Anthony Davis by going into his body. 540 00:24:19,720 --> 00:24:23,560 Speaker 1: He uh, but yeah, yeah, he missed both. But but 541 00:24:23,960 --> 00:24:26,560 Speaker 1: point being like overall, like I've I was really really 542 00:24:26,600 --> 00:24:29,359 Speaker 1: impressed with him, and again like we're gonna move on 543 00:24:29,440 --> 00:24:30,760 Speaker 1: to the Lakers here in just a second. But like 544 00:24:30,920 --> 00:24:36,040 Speaker 1: the bottom line is, you know, Steph, you and I 545 00:24:36,080 --> 00:24:39,280 Speaker 1: talked before the season that there were basically two scenarios 546 00:24:39,280 --> 00:24:41,680 Speaker 1: that this season could go. It could go the two 547 00:24:41,720 --> 00:24:45,600 Speaker 1: thousand eighteen Calves, where you know, Lebron just went on 548 00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:49,960 Speaker 1: a freaking like like destruction tour individually and the team 549 00:24:49,960 --> 00:24:52,400 Speaker 1: was really flawed that they were able to beat all 550 00:24:52,400 --> 00:24:55,720 Speaker 1: the mediocre playoff teams and make it to the finals. Uh. 551 00:24:55,760 --> 00:24:58,880 Speaker 1: And then there was the two thousand nineteen Lakers, you know, 552 00:24:59,320 --> 00:25:02,879 Speaker 1: where you know, injury plays a role. Lebron's good, but 553 00:25:02,920 --> 00:25:04,520 Speaker 1: he's not as good as he usually is because you 554 00:25:04,560 --> 00:25:07,800 Speaker 1: can tell he's pouting and and and the team has 555 00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:10,920 Speaker 1: you know, some real structural flaws and they fall apart 556 00:25:10,960 --> 00:25:13,160 Speaker 1: and they missed the playoffs. Those were the two scenarios 557 00:25:13,160 --> 00:25:15,720 Speaker 1: for this Warrior's team. Now from an injury standpoint, we 558 00:25:15,760 --> 00:25:17,439 Speaker 1: still don't know because he's got to get through the 559 00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:20,520 Speaker 1: whole season, but it's very clear here early on that 560 00:25:20,600 --> 00:25:23,359 Speaker 1: stuff is going to two thousand eighteen Lebron route. He 561 00:25:23,480 --> 00:25:27,439 Speaker 1: has been unbelievable, you know, for the most part, including 562 00:25:28,080 --> 00:25:30,080 Speaker 1: the even some of these games where he hasn't shot 563 00:25:30,080 --> 00:25:33,160 Speaker 1: the ball particularly well, he's still doing all the little things. 564 00:25:33,160 --> 00:25:36,600 Speaker 1: He's defending, he's leading the team from by example, and 565 00:25:36,640 --> 00:25:39,159 Speaker 1: he's creating quality shots for his teammates. And I have 566 00:25:39,240 --> 00:25:41,840 Speaker 1: been super impressed by him. And the bottom line is 567 00:25:41,840 --> 00:25:44,600 Speaker 1: is like, for what this team was supposed to be 568 00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:48,000 Speaker 1: and for the ship hand that they've been dealt by 569 00:25:48,200 --> 00:25:52,200 Speaker 1: virtue of injuries and just you know them, uh Kevin 570 00:25:52,280 --> 00:25:55,640 Speaker 1: Durrant leaving and all of these things, they have managed 571 00:25:55,680 --> 00:25:59,560 Speaker 1: to retool this team into a competitive basketball team. And 572 00:25:59,560 --> 00:26:01,680 Speaker 1: it's I think gets a lot of credit to Steve Kerr, 573 00:26:02,040 --> 00:26:04,920 Speaker 1: and a lot of credit to to Stephen Curry, and 574 00:26:04,960 --> 00:26:07,080 Speaker 1: a lot of credit to Draymond Green. And I think 575 00:26:07,119 --> 00:26:09,720 Speaker 1: that I think that this is the problem that happens 576 00:26:09,720 --> 00:26:13,040 Speaker 1: when we undercut winning on a team level. You can say, 577 00:26:13,040 --> 00:26:17,560 Speaker 1: oh you want about how talented Steph's rosters were and 578 00:26:17,600 --> 00:26:21,359 Speaker 1: he's absolutely been on very talented rosters. But you don't 579 00:26:21,359 --> 00:26:23,920 Speaker 1: just win basketball games like and we're gonna talk about 580 00:26:23,960 --> 00:26:26,000 Speaker 1: this more with the nets here shortly, but like, you 581 00:26:26,040 --> 00:26:28,920 Speaker 1: don't just walk out onto the floor and win basketball games. 582 00:26:28,960 --> 00:26:31,679 Speaker 1: Ask the Lakers last night that you you have to 583 00:26:31,800 --> 00:26:35,120 Speaker 1: do all of the things that actually lead to winning. 584 00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:40,080 Speaker 1: And and Steph, Stephen Curry, Steve Kerr, and Draymond Green 585 00:26:40,480 --> 00:26:42,800 Speaker 1: have been winning for a long time. They know how 586 00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:45,000 Speaker 1: to do it. And they're gonna catch his slipping when 587 00:26:45,080 --> 00:26:48,040 Speaker 1: you when you bring an effort like what the Lakers do. Uh, 588 00:26:48,640 --> 00:26:50,320 Speaker 1: And I think that that that was my I'm just 589 00:26:50,520 --> 00:26:53,280 Speaker 1: I'm just paying a compliment to those guys, and I'm 590 00:26:53,280 --> 00:26:55,880 Speaker 1: paying a compliment to the Warriors as a unit. Yep. 591 00:26:56,000 --> 00:26:57,760 Speaker 1: And quick point to kind of wrap up here on 592 00:26:57,800 --> 00:27:02,080 Speaker 1: the Warriors, I inc one thing that Stephan Draymond have 593 00:27:02,200 --> 00:27:03,480 Speaker 1: learned how to do. And they didn't know how to 594 00:27:03,480 --> 00:27:05,159 Speaker 1: do this maybe four or five years ago. And we 595 00:27:05,200 --> 00:27:07,920 Speaker 1: saw this last in the playoffs as well against Portlands 596 00:27:08,240 --> 00:27:10,840 Speaker 1: and even Toronto. They know how to win ugly now, right, 597 00:27:10,880 --> 00:27:13,080 Speaker 1: They even when things aren't going great. They didn't used 598 00:27:13,080 --> 00:27:14,320 Speaker 1: to win a lot of games like this. They just 599 00:27:14,359 --> 00:27:17,040 Speaker 1: kind of used to overpower you by sheer offensive course, 600 00:27:17,280 --> 00:27:19,600 Speaker 1: and then obviously you know, creating turnovers and getting out 601 00:27:19,640 --> 00:27:22,560 Speaker 1: in transition when it doesn't look right. Now, they figured 602 00:27:22,600 --> 00:27:24,679 Speaker 1: out how to win games right like that was not 603 00:27:24,720 --> 00:27:27,000 Speaker 1: pretty last night at all, but down the stretch they 604 00:27:27,040 --> 00:27:28,679 Speaker 1: figured out how to get it done. And that's just 605 00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:31,680 Speaker 1: that's championship medal, right, It's all that cliche stuff about 606 00:27:31,680 --> 00:27:35,399 Speaker 1: figuring out how to win as you game more experience. 607 00:27:35,840 --> 00:27:39,560 Speaker 1: And last point I'll make on Steph is I think 608 00:27:39,600 --> 00:27:41,320 Speaker 1: it's clear that his ceiling is still a top two 609 00:27:41,400 --> 00:27:43,560 Speaker 1: or three guy. The key is going to be how 610 00:27:43,560 --> 00:27:45,280 Speaker 1: consistently can he get there. Is he at the point 611 00:27:45,320 --> 00:27:46,800 Speaker 1: of his career where it's more like kind of Lake 612 00:27:46,840 --> 00:27:48,840 Speaker 1: career Lebron or the regular season is a bit more 613 00:27:48,880 --> 00:27:50,720 Speaker 1: up and down and he's not really giving full effort 614 00:27:50,720 --> 00:27:53,040 Speaker 1: every night, but come playoffs he can really turn it 615 00:27:53,080 --> 00:27:55,320 Speaker 1: on and be that consistent guy for six to seven 616 00:27:55,359 --> 00:27:58,359 Speaker 1: games of a series. Or is it just the ceiling 617 00:27:58,440 --> 00:28:00,200 Speaker 1: is still the same but he can't quite get they're 618 00:28:00,200 --> 00:28:02,800 Speaker 1: on the same consistent basis that he could four or 619 00:28:02,840 --> 00:28:05,800 Speaker 1: five years ago. That's what That's my only question left 620 00:28:05,800 --> 00:28:07,600 Speaker 1: with step at this point, we've seen the ceiling. I mean, 621 00:28:07,640 --> 00:28:10,280 Speaker 1: the ceiling is still incredible. At sixty two points against Portland, 622 00:28:10,600 --> 00:28:12,840 Speaker 1: it's a twenty point out person the third quarter against 623 00:28:12,840 --> 00:28:15,360 Speaker 1: the Lakers. Like that ceiling is still clearly there. It's 624 00:28:15,440 --> 00:28:18,399 Speaker 1: can you do it consistently enough to make this roster 625 00:28:18,480 --> 00:28:24,160 Speaker 1: eventually when Lake comes back to the championship roster. M agree. Um, 626 00:28:24,200 --> 00:28:29,440 Speaker 1: So with the Lakers. This is you know, for all 627 00:28:29,480 --> 00:28:32,520 Speaker 1: of us who do not work full time in the business, 628 00:28:32,640 --> 00:28:35,320 Speaker 1: we have our teams that we watch all the games, 629 00:28:35,320 --> 00:28:36,920 Speaker 1: and then we have other teams where we watch when 630 00:28:36,960 --> 00:28:38,280 Speaker 1: we can, and we do the best we can to 631 00:28:38,320 --> 00:28:40,920 Speaker 1: stay on top of them with our busier schedules. And 632 00:28:40,960 --> 00:28:43,400 Speaker 1: you know, for me, obviously I've run a local business 633 00:28:43,440 --> 00:28:45,200 Speaker 1: here in town my wife. I have to devote a 634 00:28:45,240 --> 00:28:47,280 Speaker 1: certain amount of attention to that. Otherwise you can lose 635 00:28:47,280 --> 00:28:51,000 Speaker 1: the life. And uh and I I the team that 636 00:28:51,080 --> 00:28:55,200 Speaker 1: I primarily watch, in addition to supplementing with other teams 637 00:28:55,200 --> 00:28:58,240 Speaker 1: around the league, is the Lakers. And I've watched every 638 00:28:58,240 --> 00:28:59,880 Speaker 1: single game that this team is played for the last 639 00:28:59,880 --> 00:29:03,800 Speaker 1: two years. And I have consistently talked about how they're 640 00:29:03,840 --> 00:29:07,400 Speaker 1: kind of a jackal and high defensive team, And uh, 641 00:29:07,480 --> 00:29:10,120 Speaker 1: I get crap for it sometimes because people assume that 642 00:29:10,160 --> 00:29:13,240 Speaker 1: I'm undercutting the other teams when I talk about it, 643 00:29:13,280 --> 00:29:15,400 Speaker 1: and I'm not. I'm just I'm just being realistic about 644 00:29:15,440 --> 00:29:18,280 Speaker 1: the team that I know really, really well. So for instance, 645 00:29:18,360 --> 00:29:21,080 Speaker 1: like I'm I'm gonna say a lot about how the 646 00:29:21,160 --> 00:29:24,160 Speaker 1: Lakers weren't taking the Warriors seriously, and that's why I'm 647 00:29:24,200 --> 00:29:26,520 Speaker 1: glad we talked about the Warriors first. It doesn't mean 648 00:29:26,560 --> 00:29:30,080 Speaker 1: I'm I'm undercutting what the Warriors did last night, which 649 00:29:30,120 --> 00:29:33,360 Speaker 1: was an impressive win. I'm just saying that I know 650 00:29:33,480 --> 00:29:36,320 Speaker 1: what this team is, this Laker team, and I know 651 00:29:36,360 --> 00:29:38,560 Speaker 1: what they can be, and I know the difference between 652 00:29:38,600 --> 00:29:41,160 Speaker 1: the real version of them, you know, and the and 653 00:29:41,200 --> 00:29:43,840 Speaker 1: the ugly version of them. And you know, the same 654 00:29:43,840 --> 00:29:45,520 Speaker 1: thing happened in the finals last year. Everyone's like, oh, 655 00:29:45,560 --> 00:29:47,800 Speaker 1: you're you're you're talking bad about Jimmy Butler. No, I'm not. 656 00:29:47,880 --> 00:29:50,400 Speaker 1: I'm just saying, I know the Lakers usually don't let 657 00:29:50,560 --> 00:29:52,280 Speaker 1: a wing player play one on one all night. Like 658 00:29:52,280 --> 00:29:54,520 Speaker 1: there's a difference between this team when they're trying and 659 00:29:54,560 --> 00:29:57,520 Speaker 1: when they're not. The you know, I I a lot 660 00:29:57,520 --> 00:29:58,960 Speaker 1: of times I have to go back and rewatch the 661 00:29:58,960 --> 00:30:01,000 Speaker 1: film to really get a few for it. But as 662 00:30:01,040 --> 00:30:03,520 Speaker 1: I was watching, I rewatched most of the of the 663 00:30:03,560 --> 00:30:09,200 Speaker 1: second half shortly before this pod, and I was truly 664 00:30:09,240 --> 00:30:14,000 Speaker 1: blown away by how lackadaisical their defensive effort was, and 665 00:30:14,200 --> 00:30:17,920 Speaker 1: there was there was no communicating with cross matches and transition. 666 00:30:18,520 --> 00:30:21,080 Speaker 1: Their entire pick and roll coverage was was butcher. The 667 00:30:21,160 --> 00:30:23,840 Speaker 1: Lakers completely shift that shifted their pick and roll coverage 668 00:30:23,840 --> 00:30:25,840 Speaker 1: to what's called a catch heads this year. Basically they're 669 00:30:26,080 --> 00:30:29,440 Speaker 1: they're soft trapping pick and rolls as opposed to using 670 00:30:29,480 --> 00:30:32,800 Speaker 1: a drop coverage. Last year with Javal and Dwight, they 671 00:30:32,880 --> 00:30:35,360 Speaker 1: used to drop coverage. In this year, they're basically trapping 672 00:30:35,360 --> 00:30:37,680 Speaker 1: pick and rolls. They would trap pick and rolls and 673 00:30:37,920 --> 00:30:40,720 Speaker 1: nobody would rotate on the backside like it was it was, 674 00:30:40,800 --> 00:30:42,920 Speaker 1: you know, like guys would miss shots and jog back 675 00:30:42,960 --> 00:30:46,240 Speaker 1: in transition. You know, Anthony Davis is good at shutting 676 00:30:46,280 --> 00:30:49,720 Speaker 1: off the paint. Anthony Davis was consistently out of position 677 00:30:49,760 --> 00:30:52,200 Speaker 1: as a paint defender last night. It was one of 678 00:30:52,240 --> 00:30:55,200 Speaker 1: the worst defensive performances I've seen from them, and they 679 00:30:55,240 --> 00:30:58,040 Speaker 1: gave up seventy seven points in that second half, Like 680 00:30:58,080 --> 00:31:00,440 Speaker 1: it's not just it's not just what I'm scene with 681 00:31:00,480 --> 00:31:03,560 Speaker 1: my eyes. It's a result that's happening on the scoreboard. 682 00:31:03,560 --> 00:31:07,200 Speaker 1: And so you know, for me, like it doesn't matter necessarily, 683 00:31:07,320 --> 00:31:10,720 Speaker 1: like I've said all all year long, I'm more concerned 684 00:31:10,760 --> 00:31:13,400 Speaker 1: with just the overall habits of that team, and going 685 00:31:13,400 --> 00:31:15,560 Speaker 1: into last night, they were the number one defense in 686 00:31:15,560 --> 00:31:17,800 Speaker 1: the league literally even though they've been b s NG. 687 00:31:18,240 --> 00:31:21,280 Speaker 1: So as long as they stay up there, I'll be 688 00:31:21,360 --> 00:31:25,120 Speaker 1: fine with it, because not up a one, but somewhere 689 00:31:25,120 --> 00:31:27,360 Speaker 1: between one and seven or eight, because at least it'll 690 00:31:27,360 --> 00:31:30,480 Speaker 1: tell me that they're occasionally able to turn that on 691 00:31:30,560 --> 00:31:32,960 Speaker 1: and still get to that level. But all I'm saying 692 00:31:33,040 --> 00:31:35,240 Speaker 1: is it's hard for me to take too much away 693 00:31:35,280 --> 00:31:38,240 Speaker 1: from that individual matchup last night between the Warriors and 694 00:31:38,360 --> 00:31:42,200 Speaker 1: Lakers because the Lakers completely mailed in the defensive side 695 00:31:42,200 --> 00:31:44,640 Speaker 1: of the ball. Yeah I wouldn't. I mean, if I'm 696 00:31:44,680 --> 00:31:47,040 Speaker 1: a Lakers fan, I'm not worried about last night at all, 697 00:31:47,440 --> 00:31:50,080 Speaker 1: like I've seen it before, Like this team, to me 698 00:31:50,200 --> 00:31:52,040 Speaker 1: is still clearly the best team in the n b A. 699 00:31:52,440 --> 00:31:55,200 Speaker 1: Even after the the hard trade which we're gonna get to, 700 00:31:55,560 --> 00:31:56,880 Speaker 1: I still think the Lakers are the best team in 701 00:31:56,880 --> 00:32:01,680 Speaker 1: the NBA. Their defensive seeling is probably one of the 702 00:32:01,720 --> 00:32:04,320 Speaker 1: better defensive ceilings of the last twenty or so years. 703 00:32:04,640 --> 00:32:06,080 Speaker 1: Just the groups that they can put on the floor 704 00:32:06,080 --> 00:32:09,680 Speaker 1: together to not only be physical like guarded point of attack, 705 00:32:09,720 --> 00:32:13,240 Speaker 1: obviously protect the rim. They are a spectacular defensive team 706 00:32:13,240 --> 00:32:16,640 Speaker 1: when they want to be. But I thought basically they 707 00:32:16,640 --> 00:32:19,800 Speaker 1: were focused on stopping Step last night, but they weren't. 708 00:32:19,960 --> 00:32:21,880 Speaker 1: Like they would trap Steff or they could throw a 709 00:32:21,880 --> 00:32:23,360 Speaker 1: couple of bodies at him, and like you're alluding to, 710 00:32:23,360 --> 00:32:25,680 Speaker 1: they wouldn't rotate out of it. It resulted in a 711 00:32:25,680 --> 00:32:28,680 Speaker 1: ton of open catch and shoot open looks for for Wiggins, 712 00:32:28,760 --> 00:32:31,440 Speaker 1: he got a couple but naked open looks O Gray. 713 00:32:31,520 --> 00:32:35,280 Speaker 1: Same thing, bays Moore, same thing. Lazy rebounding where like 714 00:32:35,560 --> 00:32:37,120 Speaker 1: they tip a ball and they think they'd have it 715 00:32:37,160 --> 00:32:38,520 Speaker 1: and the Warriors would strip and kick it out for 716 00:32:38,520 --> 00:32:39,920 Speaker 1: a three year gonna lay up. That hapen a couple 717 00:32:39,920 --> 00:32:43,400 Speaker 1: of times the fourth quarter actually where the Lakers and 718 00:32:43,400 --> 00:32:45,440 Speaker 1: the ball got popped out. Baysmore got a three off 719 00:32:45,440 --> 00:32:47,560 Speaker 1: of one of them. Pascal got a lay up to 720 00:32:47,560 --> 00:32:49,640 Speaker 1: cut it to seven. This game, it was a fourteen 721 00:32:49,640 --> 00:32:52,560 Speaker 1: point game with like nine minutes. Um. I was sitting 722 00:32:52,560 --> 00:32:54,240 Speaker 1: there just kind of watching out of the quarter of 723 00:32:54,240 --> 00:32:56,120 Speaker 1: my eye almost because I was like, this thing is 724 00:32:56,120 --> 00:32:58,600 Speaker 1: basically over. And then it was twelve, then it was nine, 725 00:32:58,640 --> 00:33:00,200 Speaker 1: then it was seven, and responds like, oh my got 726 00:33:00,200 --> 00:33:02,520 Speaker 1: we got a game, And it was basically a porter 727 00:33:02,560 --> 00:33:04,680 Speaker 1: has made some plays. Like I said before that their 728 00:33:04,680 --> 00:33:06,280 Speaker 1: second you know, looked amazing last night, and it has 729 00:33:06,320 --> 00:33:09,120 Speaker 1: for much of the season. But it was really to 730 00:33:09,240 --> 00:33:11,440 Speaker 1: me more of the Lakers just being lazy and not 731 00:33:12,000 --> 00:33:14,479 Speaker 1: and it being game thirteen or fourteen in the regular season, 732 00:33:14,840 --> 00:33:17,280 Speaker 1: and them not caring too much about a team that 733 00:33:17,280 --> 00:33:18,880 Speaker 1: they didn't think is on the level, which I mean 734 00:33:18,880 --> 00:33:21,600 Speaker 1: the Warriors aren't on the level, so you can't blame 735 00:33:21,640 --> 00:33:23,760 Speaker 1: them in a way. But what I'd ask you is, 736 00:33:23,800 --> 00:33:27,080 Speaker 1: are you worried about their ability to flip the switch 737 00:33:27,080 --> 00:33:29,320 Speaker 1: come playoff time? Like if they're gonna be this lacks 738 00:33:29,320 --> 00:33:31,640 Speaker 1: of daisical most of the season, it doesn't become a 739 00:33:31,680 --> 00:33:34,880 Speaker 1: concern at some point. No. I mean that that's where 740 00:33:34,920 --> 00:33:37,600 Speaker 1: I like to track the defensive ratings because like it's 741 00:33:37,640 --> 00:33:40,240 Speaker 1: you know, to me, the defensive rating isn't about you know, 742 00:33:40,320 --> 00:33:43,440 Speaker 1: what you're ceiling is as a defense. To me, it's 743 00:33:43,440 --> 00:33:47,080 Speaker 1: about what your what your effort and focus looks like 744 00:33:47,360 --> 00:33:49,720 Speaker 1: night in and night out in the regular season to me, 745 00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:54,440 Speaker 1: like there, for instance, the uh the two thousand and 746 00:33:54,600 --> 00:33:57,640 Speaker 1: eighteen Warriors ended up as a as the eleventh ranked 747 00:33:57,720 --> 00:34:00,960 Speaker 1: defense in the league. That tells me pretty flat out 748 00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:04,080 Speaker 1: that they were a really, really good defensive team when 749 00:34:04,080 --> 00:34:06,440 Speaker 1: they were trying, but that they mailed in a lot 750 00:34:06,520 --> 00:34:08,400 Speaker 1: of nights in the regular season. That's what that That 751 00:34:08,440 --> 00:34:10,799 Speaker 1: means to me that I watched almost every game they 752 00:34:10,800 --> 00:34:13,279 Speaker 1: mailed in basically every game they had. They actually had 753 00:34:13,280 --> 00:34:15,279 Speaker 1: a lot of games like the Lakers did last night, 754 00:34:15,320 --> 00:34:17,520 Speaker 1: where they'd be up like fifteen going into a fourth 755 00:34:17,600 --> 00:34:18,960 Speaker 1: quarter and then all of a sudden, it's a two 756 00:34:19,000 --> 00:34:21,320 Speaker 1: point game with two minutes left and they're looking to 757 00:34:21,400 --> 00:34:23,279 Speaker 1: Stephan Katie to save them, or they end up blowing 758 00:34:23,280 --> 00:34:26,040 Speaker 1: the game happened against like Phoenix when when they were terrible, 759 00:34:26,080 --> 00:34:28,279 Speaker 1: it happened against the Pistons. I remember from that year. 760 00:34:28,320 --> 00:34:29,719 Speaker 1: There was like four or five games or it's like, 761 00:34:29,760 --> 00:34:32,160 Speaker 1: how did they end up losing this game? But and 762 00:34:32,120 --> 00:34:33,600 Speaker 1: then it almost came back to bite. What I'll say 763 00:34:33,640 --> 00:34:35,600 Speaker 1: is it almost came back to bite them because they 764 00:34:35,640 --> 00:34:38,040 Speaker 1: went down three two to the Rockets because partly because 765 00:34:38,080 --> 00:34:39,640 Speaker 1: they were being lazy and they weren't coming out ready 766 00:34:39,640 --> 00:34:41,719 Speaker 1: to play. And you can see in the finals that 767 00:34:41,760 --> 00:34:43,920 Speaker 1: their defense wasn't really all that great. That like the 768 00:34:44,400 --> 00:34:47,360 Speaker 1: lebron fifty one point finals game, which was a great game, 769 00:34:47,520 --> 00:34:50,280 Speaker 1: it was also a terrible defensive performance from the Warriors. 770 00:34:50,360 --> 00:34:52,520 Speaker 1: That's a that's a dirty little secret about that night. 771 00:34:52,560 --> 00:34:55,040 Speaker 1: But anyway, I agree. But and so that's where the 772 00:34:55,080 --> 00:34:57,160 Speaker 1: line is, like, to me, I'd like to see them 773 00:34:57,160 --> 00:34:59,759 Speaker 1: stay closer to top five because that tells me that 774 00:34:59,800 --> 00:35:03,000 Speaker 1: they did a better job of maintaining their habits throughout 775 00:35:03,040 --> 00:35:05,879 Speaker 1: the regular season than the two thousand eighteen Warriors did, 776 00:35:05,920 --> 00:35:09,080 Speaker 1: for example. But I'm not particularly concerned about that. And 777 00:35:09,080 --> 00:35:12,839 Speaker 1: then still, so the one of the most interesting things 778 00:35:12,880 --> 00:35:15,280 Speaker 1: that stood out to me at the end of that game, 779 00:35:15,880 --> 00:35:17,719 Speaker 1: as I went back and rewatched the film, and you 780 00:35:17,760 --> 00:35:19,680 Speaker 1: can actually find this on my Twitter feed if you 781 00:35:19,719 --> 00:35:21,360 Speaker 1: scroll through and look through the videos. I took a 782 00:35:21,360 --> 00:35:24,239 Speaker 1: bunch of clips and and uh and labeled them. But 783 00:35:25,239 --> 00:35:27,960 Speaker 1: they scored seven points in the last six minutes. The 784 00:35:28,040 --> 00:35:32,840 Speaker 1: Lakers didn't, and they were running pretty high quality offense. 785 00:35:33,000 --> 00:35:36,400 Speaker 1: That was the bizarre part to me. Going back and rewatching, 786 00:35:36,440 --> 00:35:39,760 Speaker 1: there were three crazy plays. There was the two Lebron 787 00:35:39,840 --> 00:35:44,600 Speaker 1: travels where he just shuffled his his plant foot as 788 00:35:44,600 --> 00:35:46,480 Speaker 1: he was going by, which was weird because he complained 789 00:35:46,520 --> 00:35:48,360 Speaker 1: after that he does that all the time. He actually doesn't. 790 00:35:48,400 --> 00:35:50,759 Speaker 1: He's actually better at keeping that foot planted on on 791 00:35:51,040 --> 00:35:53,000 Speaker 1: rip through drives. He just slid his foot on each 792 00:35:53,000 --> 00:35:55,319 Speaker 1: of those. And then there was the play where him 793 00:35:55,320 --> 00:35:57,960 Speaker 1: and Shrewder got lazy on the inbound. But aside from that, 794 00:35:58,000 --> 00:36:01,640 Speaker 1: it was like it was like Lebron post up wide 795 00:36:01,680 --> 00:36:06,359 Speaker 1: open three for Alex Cruso, Lebron post up wide open 796 00:36:06,440 --> 00:36:08,680 Speaker 1: three for KCP in the corner that he misses, you know, 797 00:36:08,760 --> 00:36:12,040 Speaker 1: like Lebron pick and roll with Anthony Davis, wide open 798 00:36:12,120 --> 00:36:14,760 Speaker 1: jump shot from from sixteen ft from the basket, Lebron 799 00:36:14,800 --> 00:36:17,919 Speaker 1: post up, Andrew Wiggins spins baseline, draws a foul, gets 800 00:36:17,920 --> 00:36:20,360 Speaker 1: to the free throw line. Like they actually ran pretty 801 00:36:20,440 --> 00:36:23,200 Speaker 1: high quality offense. Just every single one of the wide 802 00:36:23,200 --> 00:36:25,399 Speaker 1: open shots they had there was like a Crusoe one, 803 00:36:25,840 --> 00:36:29,560 Speaker 1: a Kuzma one, a KCP one, and Anthony Davis one. 804 00:36:29,560 --> 00:36:32,480 Speaker 1: They went over four on, you know, and then Shrewderman 805 00:36:33,000 --> 00:36:34,520 Speaker 1: was a bad shot though. He thought that with like 806 00:36:34,560 --> 00:36:37,359 Speaker 1: eighteen seconds on the shot clock in transition when I'm 807 00:36:37,360 --> 00:36:40,040 Speaker 1: not talking about that when he missed one in the Yeah, 808 00:36:40,080 --> 00:36:42,520 Speaker 1: I know which one you're talking about, the pump b sidestep. 809 00:36:42,840 --> 00:36:44,680 Speaker 1: Another one that was a catch and shoot off of 810 00:36:44,680 --> 00:36:47,480 Speaker 1: a Lebron post up. It was a Lebron dry like 811 00:36:47,520 --> 00:36:50,680 Speaker 1: he drove kicked it to Kuzma in the corner and 812 00:36:50,680 --> 00:36:53,320 Speaker 1: he just missed it. But like again, all those clips 813 00:36:53,320 --> 00:36:55,000 Speaker 1: are on my fety you can watch them. But like, anyway, 814 00:36:55,239 --> 00:36:57,799 Speaker 1: my point is is like it's funny to me, and 815 00:36:57,800 --> 00:37:00,000 Speaker 1: it's one of my favorite things about the Lebron James 816 00:36:59,840 --> 00:37:03,120 Speaker 1: experience is like, you know, he wasn't putting his head 817 00:37:03,160 --> 00:37:05,200 Speaker 1: down and getting to the room and getting layups. He 818 00:37:05,320 --> 00:37:07,560 Speaker 1: wasn't being more of a bully around the basket as 819 00:37:07,560 --> 00:37:10,319 Speaker 1: a post up player because he was being lazy and 820 00:37:10,400 --> 00:37:12,279 Speaker 1: he wasn't playing great on the defensive end. The whole 821 00:37:12,280 --> 00:37:14,239 Speaker 1: team wasn't playing great on the defensive end. But it's 822 00:37:14,280 --> 00:37:17,600 Speaker 1: just funny how like the bad Lebron game is like 823 00:37:17,800 --> 00:37:21,359 Speaker 1: somehow him still generating just super high quality shots every 824 00:37:21,400 --> 00:37:23,520 Speaker 1: trip down the floor, and it's my favorite thing about 825 00:37:23,520 --> 00:37:27,120 Speaker 1: the Lebron Stepp experience because Steph similarly had a bad 826 00:37:27,120 --> 00:37:28,920 Speaker 1: game last night, although he did make a couple of 827 00:37:28,960 --> 00:37:31,239 Speaker 1: huge plays down the stretch of the game, Like but 828 00:37:31,400 --> 00:37:33,600 Speaker 1: Stephan Lebron, even though they both were giving you like 829 00:37:33,719 --> 00:37:38,319 Speaker 1: C minus level performances, we're still just generating offense. And 830 00:37:38,360 --> 00:37:40,759 Speaker 1: it's funny because, like you'll see a clip of Kevin 831 00:37:40,840 --> 00:37:45,920 Speaker 1: Durant doing a series of wicked crossovers over Chris Middleton 832 00:37:46,440 --> 00:37:50,200 Speaker 1: into like a crazy leaning floater that he makes, and 833 00:37:50,239 --> 00:37:52,000 Speaker 1: it's like all over house of highlights and they're like, 834 00:37:52,000 --> 00:37:53,920 Speaker 1: oh my gosh, look at this move from Kevin Durant, 835 00:37:53,920 --> 00:37:55,920 Speaker 1: And don't get me wrong, it's awesome, and as a 836 00:37:55,920 --> 00:37:58,640 Speaker 1: basketball fan, I love it. But it's just funny to 837 00:37:58,680 --> 00:38:02,160 Speaker 1: me because like love Ron and Steph. Aside from step 838 00:38:02,280 --> 00:38:04,640 Speaker 1: step back, they did not have a bunch of highlights 839 00:38:04,719 --> 00:38:07,279 Speaker 1: last night. That was not a highlight written performance from 840 00:38:07,280 --> 00:38:10,840 Speaker 1: either of them, but they just made so many fundamental, 841 00:38:11,040 --> 00:38:15,120 Speaker 1: basic basketball plays that helped their teams. And it's just 842 00:38:15,239 --> 00:38:18,040 Speaker 1: crazy to me that like people don't see that. It's 843 00:38:18,160 --> 00:38:20,200 Speaker 1: it's mind blowing to me because I don't know about you, 844 00:38:20,239 --> 00:38:22,000 Speaker 1: but I've seen all sorts of chatter abou how Kevin 845 00:38:22,040 --> 00:38:24,160 Speaker 1: Durant the best player in the world again on Twitter 846 00:38:24,200 --> 00:38:26,279 Speaker 1: over the last couple of days. And it's like, because 847 00:38:26,320 --> 00:38:29,480 Speaker 1: people are just so mesmerized by the aesthetically appealing things 848 00:38:29,520 --> 00:38:32,240 Speaker 1: in basketball, and the and the little things that actually 849 00:38:32,280 --> 00:38:35,000 Speaker 1: helped teams win, the little things that are equally as 850 00:38:35,040 --> 00:38:38,600 Speaker 1: impactful as a seventeen crossover pull up floater, those things 851 00:38:38,640 --> 00:38:40,160 Speaker 1: just kind of slide under the radar and no one 852 00:38:40,200 --> 00:38:42,960 Speaker 1: seems to see them. Yeah, not to go too much 853 00:38:43,000 --> 00:38:44,719 Speaker 1: on a tangent about this, but I think it's still 854 00:38:44,719 --> 00:38:46,960 Speaker 1: pretty clearly the two best offensive engines in the NBA 855 00:38:47,000 --> 00:38:50,440 Speaker 1: are right. Well, we talked about this before. Katie might 856 00:38:50,600 --> 00:38:53,400 Speaker 1: be more talented at specific skills, he's not better at 857 00:38:53,440 --> 00:38:56,480 Speaker 1: running an offense or creating offense for an entire team. 858 00:38:56,480 --> 00:38:59,480 Speaker 1: Both both those teams last night got consistent open looks 859 00:38:59,480 --> 00:39:02,279 Speaker 1: when it matt the Lakers and the Warriors. Right, it didn't. 860 00:39:02,320 --> 00:39:04,880 Speaker 1: It wasn't dependent on one guy issuing and making a 861 00:39:05,000 --> 00:39:08,600 Speaker 1: ridiculously difficult jump shot or you know, finding a lob 862 00:39:08,640 --> 00:39:10,680 Speaker 1: somehow after dribbling through three people. It was like, No, 863 00:39:11,000 --> 00:39:12,759 Speaker 1: he attracted a bunch of attention and now we've got 864 00:39:12,800 --> 00:39:14,759 Speaker 1: a wide open corner three, or we gotta lay up that. 865 00:39:14,880 --> 00:39:16,960 Speaker 1: That's literally what it was, and those are those are 866 00:39:16,960 --> 00:39:18,440 Speaker 1: the best shots in basketball and they always will be. 867 00:39:18,440 --> 00:39:20,279 Speaker 1: If you can generate wide open threes and you can 868 00:39:20,320 --> 00:39:22,720 Speaker 1: generate layups, you're gonna have one of the best offenses 869 00:39:22,760 --> 00:39:25,040 Speaker 1: in the league. Um and the Worrior. It's weird. The 870 00:39:25,040 --> 00:39:27,000 Speaker 1: Warriors offensive rating is like twenty right now. A lot 871 00:39:27,000 --> 00:39:28,359 Speaker 1: of that is related to the first couple of games 872 00:39:28,400 --> 00:39:31,120 Speaker 1: where they looked awful, but I think also a lot 873 00:39:31,120 --> 00:39:33,200 Speaker 1: of it is playing too much Wiseman and having line 874 00:39:33,280 --> 00:39:36,480 Speaker 1: ups with really bad spacing. Point being, they're still, when 875 00:39:36,480 --> 00:39:38,320 Speaker 1: it comes down to it, the best that generating looks 876 00:39:38,360 --> 00:39:40,760 Speaker 1: for a team late in the game. Maybe not necessarily 877 00:39:40,800 --> 00:39:44,120 Speaker 1: for themselves, but for a team of players, they're still 878 00:39:44,160 --> 00:39:47,799 Speaker 1: the two best that in the league. I want to 879 00:39:47,800 --> 00:39:50,080 Speaker 1: touch on a couple more Lakers things, Um, just to 880 00:39:50,120 --> 00:39:52,120 Speaker 1: get your perspective on it and see how you feel 881 00:39:52,160 --> 00:39:54,440 Speaker 1: about this team fifteen or so games in. How do 882 00:39:54,480 --> 00:39:56,880 Speaker 1: you feel about most of the free agent signings Tread's 883 00:39:57,160 --> 00:40:01,360 Speaker 1: Gasol Wes Matthews better than expect about what expected? Do 884 00:40:01,360 --> 00:40:03,320 Speaker 1: you think those guys are gonna matter in the playoffs, 885 00:40:03,320 --> 00:40:05,400 Speaker 1: because that's what it really comes down to at the 886 00:40:05,480 --> 00:40:07,439 Speaker 1: end of the day. That Lakers roster was a little 887 00:40:07,440 --> 00:40:09,000 Speaker 1: bit flawed last year, but they had guys who helped 888 00:40:09,040 --> 00:40:11,160 Speaker 1: them win playoff games consistently. Do you think the new 889 00:40:11,200 --> 00:40:14,719 Speaker 1: guys are gonna help them be able to do that? Yeah? 890 00:40:14,760 --> 00:40:18,080 Speaker 1: So I have complicated feelings because first of all, I 891 00:40:18,120 --> 00:40:22,640 Speaker 1: think Tres has been pretty bad, um I, especially in 892 00:40:22,640 --> 00:40:26,439 Speaker 1: that fourth quarter defensively. Again, he just I I'm low 893 00:40:26,480 --> 00:40:29,160 Speaker 1: on Tres. However, I don't view him as a necessity 894 00:40:29,160 --> 00:40:31,200 Speaker 1: of you him as a luxury. So like it's very 895 00:40:31,280 --> 00:40:32,920 Speaker 1: easy for them to move off of him if they 896 00:40:32,960 --> 00:40:36,840 Speaker 1: need to. Uh. In terms of the rotation, Uh, Dennis 897 00:40:36,920 --> 00:40:39,759 Speaker 1: is kind of going exactly as I expected. He is 898 00:40:39,960 --> 00:40:42,520 Speaker 1: pretty good. He's been really really helping them on the 899 00:40:42,560 --> 00:40:45,840 Speaker 1: defensive end of the floor, but he's been super aggressive 900 00:40:45,880 --> 00:40:48,000 Speaker 1: on the offensive end, which has come as good. Come 901 00:40:48,040 --> 00:40:50,239 Speaker 1: with good, but it has also come with limitations on 902 00:40:50,280 --> 00:40:52,239 Speaker 1: the rhythm of Anthony Davis and Lebron, which is something 903 00:40:52,280 --> 00:40:54,480 Speaker 1: I've talked to you about a lot. Just the simple 904 00:40:54,520 --> 00:40:57,920 Speaker 1: fact that you know, the simplification of having Lebron and 905 00:40:58,040 --> 00:41:02,240 Speaker 1: a d dictate everything led to them having more good nights, 906 00:41:02,600 --> 00:41:05,080 Speaker 1: and they're good nights were just better than everybody else's 907 00:41:05,120 --> 00:41:06,719 Speaker 1: good nights, and it was a lot it helped them 908 00:41:06,760 --> 00:41:09,520 Speaker 1: to win, whereas with Dennis shrewder, Like last night, each 909 00:41:09,800 --> 00:41:12,440 Speaker 1: Lebron and they d each only took sixteen shots in 910 00:41:12,520 --> 00:41:15,560 Speaker 1: a pretty high paced game, and part of that had 911 00:41:15,600 --> 00:41:17,600 Speaker 1: to do with, like, there's this other guy on the 912 00:41:17,600 --> 00:41:21,000 Speaker 1: floor that's being really aggressive and and actually shooting as 913 00:41:21,080 --> 00:41:23,840 Speaker 1: much as Lebron and they d are And while it 914 00:41:23,880 --> 00:41:26,800 Speaker 1: comes with good nights, like Dennis was actually making shots 915 00:41:26,880 --> 00:41:28,840 Speaker 1: last night and actually had a pretty good game. He 916 00:41:29,000 --> 00:41:31,640 Speaker 1: was telling the Warriors in the first half, just absolutely 917 00:41:31,640 --> 00:41:33,600 Speaker 1: prying them. He was doing whatever he wants, destroying the 918 00:41:33,600 --> 00:41:35,640 Speaker 1: big men on switches. He was playing really really well. 919 00:41:36,000 --> 00:41:40,480 Speaker 1: But the problem is is like I can't ever prove this, 920 00:41:41,200 --> 00:41:44,799 Speaker 1: Like I'm I'm this is just my opinion. But I've 921 00:41:44,840 --> 00:41:48,080 Speaker 1: always felt like having that third guy on the floor 922 00:41:48,160 --> 00:41:51,560 Speaker 1: is super aggressive kind the messes with the give and 923 00:41:51,600 --> 00:41:54,600 Speaker 1: take of the other two and it'll actually be something 924 00:41:54,640 --> 00:41:58,040 Speaker 1: interesting to watch with the nets moving forward. But like 925 00:41:58,200 --> 00:42:01,040 Speaker 1: I I like, my thing is like Anthony Davis missed 926 00:42:01,080 --> 00:42:03,920 Speaker 1: a wide open eighteen footer or at the end of 927 00:42:03,920 --> 00:42:06,319 Speaker 1: that game that I kind of feel like if he 928 00:42:06,400 --> 00:42:09,600 Speaker 1: had taken twenty shots instead of sixteen shots, he's got 929 00:42:09,600 --> 00:42:11,440 Speaker 1: a better chance of making that shot, just because he's 930 00:42:11,440 --> 00:42:13,120 Speaker 1: a little bit more in a rhythm and a flow 931 00:42:13,200 --> 00:42:15,600 Speaker 1: within the offense. And so that's the give and take 932 00:42:15,840 --> 00:42:20,160 Speaker 1: I I feel like, I feel like that's just an 933 00:42:20,200 --> 00:42:23,040 Speaker 1: ideology that some people will probably disagree with me on, 934 00:42:23,400 --> 00:42:26,280 Speaker 1: but I kind of would prefer to see Dennis tone 935 00:42:26,320 --> 00:42:29,680 Speaker 1: it back a little bit and flow a little bit 936 00:42:29,719 --> 00:42:32,880 Speaker 1: more through uh, through Lebron in a d That's just 937 00:42:32,960 --> 00:42:35,279 Speaker 1: that those are my early takeaways. But I am. I 938 00:42:35,320 --> 00:42:38,640 Speaker 1: still remain more optimistic about this Laker team now than 939 00:42:38,680 --> 00:42:41,720 Speaker 1: I did last year, and I was extremely optimistic about 940 00:42:41,719 --> 00:42:44,120 Speaker 1: them last year. It's just I think this is textbook 941 00:42:44,160 --> 00:42:48,640 Speaker 1: defending champion inconsistent effort. Like you're gonna see these flashes 942 00:42:48,680 --> 00:42:50,919 Speaker 1: where they just, like even early in last night's game, 943 00:42:51,040 --> 00:42:53,520 Speaker 1: you're gonna see these flashes where they just look physically 944 00:42:54,440 --> 00:42:58,080 Speaker 1: impossible to hang with, and like, like, for instance, a 945 00:42:58,120 --> 00:43:00,680 Speaker 1: playoff series between the Lakers and yours is going to 946 00:43:00,840 --> 00:43:03,320 Speaker 1: end in a relentless amount of post ups of Lebron, 947 00:43:03,680 --> 00:43:06,080 Speaker 1: Like it's just because they can't post up Lebron against 948 00:43:06,239 --> 00:43:09,440 Speaker 1: against Draymond Green, as he proved last night again. Uh, 949 00:43:09,520 --> 00:43:12,480 Speaker 1: Draymond Green is just unbelievable. But he's the best defender 950 00:43:12,520 --> 00:43:16,560 Speaker 1: I've ever seen. Yeah, he made Anthony Davis look physically 951 00:43:16,600 --> 00:43:19,239 Speaker 1: uncomfortable taking like step backs like it was crazy. But 952 00:43:19,360 --> 00:43:23,239 Speaker 1: Lebron James is going to destroy Kelly Bray and Andrew 953 00:43:23,280 --> 00:43:25,879 Speaker 1: Wiggins in a playoff series. He's just going to destroy them. 954 00:43:25,880 --> 00:43:28,239 Speaker 1: There are only like three or four post offenders in 955 00:43:28,239 --> 00:43:30,600 Speaker 1: the league that are on the wing that can force 956 00:43:30,719 --> 00:43:33,680 Speaker 1: Lebron into consistently taking fadeaways down there. It's just and 957 00:43:33,719 --> 00:43:37,120 Speaker 1: for the record, the handful of post ups that Lebron 958 00:43:37,160 --> 00:43:40,400 Speaker 1: went to last night, he mostly was getting double teamed. Uh. 959 00:43:40,480 --> 00:43:42,720 Speaker 1: There was a couple where he was left on an island, 960 00:43:42,719 --> 00:43:44,799 Speaker 1: and namely that one where Andrew Wiggins had to foul him. 961 00:43:44,960 --> 00:43:46,680 Speaker 1: And the one time they left him on an island, 962 00:43:46,800 --> 00:43:48,400 Speaker 1: he went baseline and would have had a layup if 963 00:43:48,400 --> 00:43:51,759 Speaker 1: he didn't get found. So it's like the what what 964 00:43:51,840 --> 00:43:55,840 Speaker 1: makes the Lakers so impossible to beat is the physicality 965 00:43:56,160 --> 00:44:01,360 Speaker 1: Because Kevin Durant has everal eyes on make or miss mentality, 966 00:44:01,800 --> 00:44:05,160 Speaker 1: you know, make or miss result you know, Kyrie Irving 967 00:44:05,200 --> 00:44:08,320 Speaker 1: depends on makes some misrs. Steph Curry and individually offensively 968 00:44:08,360 --> 00:44:12,759 Speaker 1: depends on makes some mrs. Sometimes Lebron James can literally 969 00:44:12,960 --> 00:44:17,399 Speaker 1: generate easy shots that go in every single night, and 970 00:44:17,400 --> 00:44:20,759 Speaker 1: and and then inevitably leads to a double team, which 971 00:44:20,800 --> 00:44:23,520 Speaker 1: inevitably leads to wide open shots first teammates. And it's 972 00:44:23,560 --> 00:44:28,480 Speaker 1: just that whole that whole dynamic of that team is 973 00:44:28,520 --> 00:44:31,160 Speaker 1: what is what makes them so scary. In my opinion, 974 00:44:31,239 --> 00:44:34,480 Speaker 1: they just can physically bully you in a playoff series. 975 00:44:34,560 --> 00:44:36,760 Speaker 1: That's that's too much to handle for the vast majority 976 00:44:36,800 --> 00:44:38,560 Speaker 1: of the teams in the league. Totally agree. I mean, 977 00:44:38,560 --> 00:44:40,279 Speaker 1: that's how they won the championship last year. They just 978 00:44:41,200 --> 00:44:45,000 Speaker 1: they showed that still with all of the the emphasis 979 00:44:45,040 --> 00:44:47,919 Speaker 1: around three pointers, the best right in basketball being able 980 00:44:47,920 --> 00:44:50,440 Speaker 1: to generate shots in the paint right at the front 981 00:44:50,480 --> 00:44:52,000 Speaker 1: of the ring, and they have the best guys in 982 00:44:52,040 --> 00:44:57,279 Speaker 1: the league at that. I would assume that as we 983 00:44:57,320 --> 00:44:58,759 Speaker 1: get closer to the playoffs, and as we get into 984 00:44:58,760 --> 00:45:01,200 Speaker 1: the playoffs, Lebron's starts to take some of those Shroder 985 00:45:01,200 --> 00:45:03,680 Speaker 1: possessions away. I would just assume that's what happens. I 986 00:45:03,680 --> 00:45:06,200 Speaker 1: would hope so, I mean, yeah, yeah, as a Lakers fan, 987 00:45:06,239 --> 00:45:08,960 Speaker 1: you would, you would probably hope. So it happens every year. 988 00:45:09,080 --> 00:45:11,600 Speaker 1: I think they're probably trying to keep Shrewder engaged in 989 00:45:11,640 --> 00:45:13,919 Speaker 1: happy during the regular season game possessions. They know they're 990 00:45:13,920 --> 00:45:15,080 Speaker 1: going to be one of the top two or three 991 00:45:15,080 --> 00:45:16,799 Speaker 1: season in the West no matter what happens, unless they 992 00:45:16,800 --> 00:45:18,359 Speaker 1: get a bunch of guys out with COVID for three 993 00:45:18,440 --> 00:45:22,040 Speaker 1: or four weeks. Um. So I wouldn't be concerned about 994 00:45:22,040 --> 00:45:24,200 Speaker 1: that at all. I think it will naturally happen as 995 00:45:24,200 --> 00:45:27,680 Speaker 1: the season goes on, and they're gonna be the best 996 00:45:27,680 --> 00:45:29,319 Speaker 1: team in the league come playoff time. I don't I 997 00:45:29,360 --> 00:45:31,000 Speaker 1: still don't have any doubts about that. They're still the 998 00:45:31,000 --> 00:45:32,480 Speaker 1: best team in the league. You what was the team 999 00:45:32,480 --> 00:45:34,920 Speaker 1: where Anthony that Anthony Davis sat out against the other night. 1000 00:45:34,960 --> 00:45:38,560 Speaker 1: I'm trying to remember. Um, yeah, I'm blanking on that too. 1001 00:45:39,440 --> 00:45:44,279 Speaker 1: I can't remember. But anyways, Anthony Davis, Anthony Davis sat 1002 00:45:44,280 --> 00:45:46,680 Speaker 1: out of game the other day and uh and Lebron 1003 00:45:46,760 --> 00:45:49,840 Speaker 1: at the end of the game was more demonstrative with 1004 00:45:49,880 --> 00:45:52,759 Speaker 1: Schroder to get the ball, and Schroder just immediately just 1005 00:45:52,760 --> 00:45:54,719 Speaker 1: gave it to him down the stretch of the game, 1006 00:45:54,760 --> 00:45:56,600 Speaker 1: and they repeatedly went to him down the stretch. So 1007 00:45:56,719 --> 00:45:58,439 Speaker 1: I agree with you. I think I think as things 1008 00:45:58,520 --> 00:46:00,960 Speaker 1: kind of get to winning time him, you're gonna see 1009 00:46:01,000 --> 00:46:03,560 Speaker 1: a lot better. Uh, You're gonna see just a lot 1010 00:46:03,600 --> 00:46:06,320 Speaker 1: more like forceful nature from Lebron to kind of control 1011 00:46:06,360 --> 00:46:08,799 Speaker 1: the offense, which is a good thing. People. You'll see 1012 00:46:08,800 --> 00:46:10,880 Speaker 1: a lot of people get upset that Lebron is a 1013 00:46:10,880 --> 00:46:13,200 Speaker 1: little two ball dominant in the regular season from time 1014 00:46:13,200 --> 00:46:15,000 Speaker 1: to time as he's I don't know, patting, his stats 1015 00:46:15,000 --> 00:46:17,239 Speaker 1: are doing whatever he usually does. But the truth is 1016 00:46:17,239 --> 00:46:21,520 Speaker 1: is like Lebron dominating the basketball, especially in a playoff setting, 1017 00:46:21,560 --> 00:46:25,520 Speaker 1: because of his physicality and because of his unending energy reservoir, 1018 00:46:26,040 --> 00:46:28,520 Speaker 1: it actually it actually is a good offense for them 1019 00:46:28,800 --> 00:46:31,279 Speaker 1: when it comes to that point. All right, So let's 1020 00:46:31,280 --> 00:46:34,879 Speaker 1: move on to the nets. So, Uh, it's going about 1021 00:46:34,920 --> 00:46:38,000 Speaker 1: as exactly. It's going about exactly as I would have predicted, 1022 00:46:38,680 --> 00:46:41,920 Speaker 1: at least through two games. The it's important understand that, 1023 00:46:42,120 --> 00:46:44,040 Speaker 1: like you can't, I don't want to undersell winning here. 1024 00:46:44,080 --> 00:46:46,200 Speaker 1: There's a quality win against the Bucks, although it did 1025 00:46:46,200 --> 00:46:47,839 Speaker 1: depend on a misshot at the end of the game. 1026 00:46:48,680 --> 00:46:52,000 Speaker 1: But as we expected, last two games there, they have 1027 00:46:52,000 --> 00:46:54,600 Speaker 1: a defensive rating up over a hundred and thirteen points 1028 00:46:54,640 --> 00:46:57,640 Speaker 1: per one hundred possessions allowed, which ranks twenty three in 1029 00:46:57,640 --> 00:47:00,400 Speaker 1: the league over that span. They're not guarding in buddy, 1030 00:47:00,760 --> 00:47:02,920 Speaker 1: They're basically just running up and down the floor, generating 1031 00:47:02,960 --> 00:47:06,480 Speaker 1: insanely high quality shots on one end and giving little 1032 00:47:06,480 --> 00:47:09,560 Speaker 1: to no resistance on the other. I A lot of 1033 00:47:09,560 --> 00:47:11,840 Speaker 1: people are getting very excited about it, and I and 1034 00:47:11,880 --> 00:47:15,480 Speaker 1: I understand, Like I understand, like you're watching Milwaukee was 1035 00:47:15,520 --> 00:47:18,880 Speaker 1: a very good defensive team. Try to get stops against 1036 00:47:18,920 --> 00:47:23,800 Speaker 1: this uh, this high powered Milwaukee New Jersey Brooklyn Nets 1037 00:47:23,800 --> 00:47:26,200 Speaker 1: offense and they literally can't. Like they're just getting whatever 1038 00:47:26,200 --> 00:47:27,560 Speaker 1: they want on the other end of the floor. I 1039 00:47:27,600 --> 00:47:31,080 Speaker 1: see that part, but I mean that's a when things 1040 00:47:31,080 --> 00:47:35,239 Speaker 1: really slow down. That's a rudimentary UH Milwaukee offense, and 1041 00:47:35,320 --> 00:47:37,319 Speaker 1: they're just getting shots right at the front of the rim. 1042 00:47:37,920 --> 00:47:41,399 Speaker 1: Like there were a couple of plays where uh where 1043 00:47:41,400 --> 00:47:43,840 Speaker 1: Middleton is just going off a pick and roll and 1044 00:47:43,880 --> 00:47:47,000 Speaker 1: getting into that fifteen foot line, like completely uncontested for 1045 00:47:47,000 --> 00:47:49,040 Speaker 1: pull up jump shots, or there's literally no one within 1046 00:47:49,160 --> 00:47:52,279 Speaker 1: ten feet of him. There's just there. It's It's very 1047 00:47:52,280 --> 00:47:55,080 Speaker 1: clear to me that there are gonna be games in 1048 00:47:55,080 --> 00:47:58,239 Speaker 1: this regular season where they just look unbelievable, but that 1049 00:47:58,280 --> 00:48:01,080 Speaker 1: inevitably they're gonna find themselves in a fight at some point, 1050 00:48:01,719 --> 00:48:05,520 Speaker 1: and I don't know that they can match the physicality 1051 00:48:05,560 --> 00:48:06,960 Speaker 1: that they would need to to win that type of 1052 00:48:07,040 --> 00:48:09,640 Speaker 1: rock fight. Oh, you're early takeaways from last night's game. 1053 00:48:10,160 --> 00:48:12,240 Speaker 1: I should say from the two games that they played together, 1054 00:48:13,160 --> 00:48:15,560 Speaker 1: basically in agreement with what you said, But I think 1055 00:48:15,560 --> 00:48:18,120 Speaker 1: it's important to note right now that Kyrie hasn't been playing, 1056 00:48:18,560 --> 00:48:21,279 Speaker 1: and like you touched on earlier, having that third guy 1057 00:48:21,360 --> 00:48:24,319 Speaker 1: always complicates things no matter how talented that third guy is, 1058 00:48:24,880 --> 00:48:27,919 Speaker 1: Right like, Eyrie essentially in this situation, is just gonna 1059 00:48:27,960 --> 00:48:29,920 Speaker 1: end up being like the way more talented version of 1060 00:48:29,960 --> 00:48:34,160 Speaker 1: Dennis Shrewder, where it's like he's pulling Katie in and 1061 00:48:34,280 --> 00:48:37,359 Speaker 1: Harden out of rhythm because he's taking touches away from 1062 00:48:37,400 --> 00:48:39,520 Speaker 1: those guys, and it all looks more discombabulated towards the 1063 00:48:39,600 --> 00:48:41,200 Speaker 1: end of the game. So I think it looks good 1064 00:48:41,280 --> 00:48:43,960 Speaker 1: right now because they only had two of the guys, 1065 00:48:44,000 --> 00:48:46,520 Speaker 1: So they're gonna be amazing offensively no matter what. I'm 1066 00:48:46,560 --> 00:48:48,640 Speaker 1: not saying they won't when Kyrie comes back, but I 1067 00:48:48,680 --> 00:48:50,719 Speaker 1: thought they would probably look pretty good these first couple 1068 00:48:50,760 --> 00:48:53,080 Speaker 1: of games because they only have the two superstars, and 1069 00:48:53,080 --> 00:48:55,000 Speaker 1: if those two are basically just training possessions, you're gonna 1070 00:48:55,000 --> 00:48:57,440 Speaker 1: have one of the greatest offenses of all time. It 1071 00:48:57,480 --> 00:48:59,720 Speaker 1: doesn't I mean, it doesn't matter. They're basically is a players. 1072 00:49:00,160 --> 00:49:01,960 Speaker 1: There's still too the greatest size of players of all time, 1073 00:49:01,960 --> 00:49:03,879 Speaker 1: so that's gonna end in a quality look no matter 1074 00:49:03,960 --> 00:49:06,920 Speaker 1: what happens every time down the floor. I just what 1075 00:49:07,000 --> 00:49:10,000 Speaker 1: I'd worry about from a Milwaukee standpoint is their ability 1076 00:49:10,000 --> 00:49:12,080 Speaker 1: to score in the half court in an eventual playoff matchup. 1077 00:49:12,280 --> 00:49:14,000 Speaker 1: Their ability to score in the half court, and if 1078 00:49:14,040 --> 00:49:16,879 Speaker 1: if it's still kind of average, that means the Nets 1079 00:49:16,920 --> 00:49:19,520 Speaker 1: are gonna get high quality looks a lot of the time. 1080 00:49:19,560 --> 00:49:21,839 Speaker 1: On the other end, because their cross match or they're 1081 00:49:21,840 --> 00:49:23,640 Speaker 1: getting back in transition and things are a little bit 1082 00:49:23,640 --> 00:49:30,640 Speaker 1: discombobulated in the eventual playoff matchup. Last night might have 1083 00:49:30,680 --> 00:49:32,320 Speaker 1: made me lean Nets a little bit more than I 1084 00:49:32,360 --> 00:49:34,839 Speaker 1: would have a week ago, but we still haven't seen 1085 00:49:34,840 --> 00:49:38,560 Speaker 1: what things look like with Kyrie, so I think the 1086 00:49:38,600 --> 00:49:40,320 Speaker 1: Nets are obviously gonna be a problem in the playoffs. 1087 00:49:40,320 --> 00:49:41,960 Speaker 1: But if their defensive rating is gonna be twenty three, 1088 00:49:42,040 --> 00:49:44,480 Speaker 1: they still can't win an NBA championship. Maybe they can 1089 00:49:44,480 --> 00:49:47,680 Speaker 1: get through the East. Maybe, but I still would I 1090 00:49:47,719 --> 00:49:51,239 Speaker 1: would still bank on the Sixers probably taking them down 1091 00:49:51,239 --> 00:49:53,640 Speaker 1: a series and maybe Milwaukee as well. But the last 1092 00:49:53,680 --> 00:49:55,080 Speaker 1: night you do a little bit just way my opinion, 1093 00:49:55,080 --> 00:49:58,520 Speaker 1: I can't lie about it. Hard looks amazing. Um, which 1094 00:49:58,560 --> 00:50:01,359 Speaker 1: shouldn't be a surprise anybody knew. Change of scenery. He's 1095 00:50:01,360 --> 00:50:03,759 Speaker 1: feeling better about where he's at now. Um. I saw 1096 00:50:03,800 --> 00:50:06,720 Speaker 1: a tweet last night ardon like has his background now 1097 00:50:06,800 --> 00:50:09,120 Speaker 1: on Twitter is like him and like seven different Brooklyn 1098 00:50:09,160 --> 00:50:12,160 Speaker 1: next Jersey's somebody tweeted, this is the most first week 1099 00:50:12,200 --> 00:50:14,040 Speaker 1: of work energy I've ever seen in my life. Like 1100 00:50:14,040 --> 00:50:17,839 Speaker 1: he's just so happy to be a different called this 1101 00:50:17,880 --> 00:50:21,840 Speaker 1: for the record, literally, like we literally said, like I 1102 00:50:21,880 --> 00:50:24,080 Speaker 1: would not be the least bit concerned that he looks 1103 00:50:24,120 --> 00:50:27,520 Speaker 1: like a fat, unhappy man right now, Like because because 1104 00:50:28,040 --> 00:50:30,000 Speaker 1: it was it was so obvious that he was going 1105 00:50:30,040 --> 00:50:32,160 Speaker 1: to get into Brooklyn and just be Mr Giddy again, 1106 00:50:32,200 --> 00:50:33,800 Speaker 1: Like it was it was just it was gonna happen, 1107 00:50:33,840 --> 00:50:36,319 Speaker 1: Like it was the most praticable thing in sports. It's 1108 00:50:36,320 --> 00:50:38,200 Speaker 1: a it's a long season. We're going to see how 1109 00:50:38,239 --> 00:50:41,080 Speaker 1: this team. Obviously with all the Kyrie stuff going on 1110 00:50:41,120 --> 00:50:43,320 Speaker 1: that there's already issues, you know, a month into the 1111 00:50:43,400 --> 00:50:45,439 Speaker 1: season that those probably aren't going to get much better. 1112 00:50:45,440 --> 00:50:48,640 Speaker 1: Maybe they will, maybe the iron things out And reports 1113 00:50:48,640 --> 00:50:50,359 Speaker 1: are that Katie and Kyrie are not happy with each 1114 00:50:50,400 --> 00:50:52,040 Speaker 1: other right now. And that's not just me saying that. 1115 00:50:52,040 --> 00:50:54,920 Speaker 1: That's some pretty well sourced people alluding to that. So 1116 00:50:55,200 --> 00:50:58,600 Speaker 1: who anybody I would know? Who? People on Twitter? And 1117 00:50:58,600 --> 00:51:01,440 Speaker 1: then Andrew Sharpe mentioned it on his latest podcast with 1118 00:51:01,520 --> 00:51:05,239 Speaker 1: Ben Golver, which is great listen by the way, it's 1119 00:51:05,239 --> 00:51:08,359 Speaker 1: a subscription one, but it's a really good listen. Those 1120 00:51:08,360 --> 00:51:09,640 Speaker 1: two are two of the best in the business. So 1121 00:51:09,680 --> 00:51:11,799 Speaker 1: it's I mean, it's basically sourced at this point by 1122 00:51:11,800 --> 00:51:14,880 Speaker 1: some pretty high level people. Who knows if it's true. Um, 1123 00:51:14,920 --> 00:51:18,600 Speaker 1: but point being that they're super talented. But I'm still 1124 00:51:18,960 --> 00:51:21,000 Speaker 1: my concerns would still be about kind of fit when 1125 00:51:21,040 --> 00:51:22,400 Speaker 1: all three of those guys are on the floor at 1126 00:51:22,400 --> 00:51:24,520 Speaker 1: the same time, and whether all three of them are 1127 00:51:24,520 --> 00:51:27,319 Speaker 1: going to be happy. Um, the last thing I'll say 1128 00:51:27,360 --> 00:51:29,680 Speaker 1: is hard. It's definitely gonna make me regret uh calling 1129 00:51:29,760 --> 00:51:31,800 Speaker 1: him not a top ten player because he looks amazing. 1130 00:51:32,320 --> 00:51:34,320 Speaker 1: But it's always been situational with him, right, if you 1131 00:51:34,360 --> 00:51:36,520 Speaker 1: can get him in a situation where he feels comfortable. 1132 00:51:36,520 --> 00:51:39,160 Speaker 1: The talents obviously there, it's just about you don't want 1133 00:51:39,239 --> 00:51:41,680 Speaker 1: him to be the face of the corner stone of 1134 00:51:41,680 --> 00:51:46,239 Speaker 1: your franchise because things are always going to implode within 1135 00:51:46,280 --> 00:51:48,640 Speaker 1: eighteen months if if he's that guy. But he looks incredible, 1136 00:51:48,840 --> 00:51:51,120 Speaker 1: so so he's in a setting where a lot of 1137 00:51:51,160 --> 00:51:54,400 Speaker 1: his flaws are getting covered. I think that really helped me. Um, 1138 00:51:54,440 --> 00:51:56,200 Speaker 1: But yeah, I mean I still think like, I mean, 1139 00:51:56,200 --> 00:51:58,000 Speaker 1: you made a great point at the beginning, Like it's 1140 00:51:58,120 --> 00:52:01,640 Speaker 1: very clear you know when people this was this has 1141 00:52:01,640 --> 00:52:05,080 Speaker 1: been a popular opinion throughout basketball history, like oh, Lebron 1142 00:52:05,160 --> 00:52:07,440 Speaker 1: and and Dwyane Wade are pairing up in Miami, like 1143 00:52:07,440 --> 00:52:09,239 Speaker 1: what are they gonna do? There's only one ball? Or 1144 00:52:09,480 --> 00:52:11,800 Speaker 1: Chris Paul goes to I mean, the Chris Paul to 1145 00:52:11,800 --> 00:52:14,799 Speaker 1: to Houston was the best example in NBA history because 1146 00:52:14,800 --> 00:52:18,239 Speaker 1: it's like, this is James Harden, like the craziest high 1147 00:52:18,320 --> 00:52:21,120 Speaker 1: usage guy ever. And then the point god, like how 1148 00:52:21,120 --> 00:52:23,080 Speaker 1: are they going to make it work? And it's like, oh, actually, 1149 00:52:23,160 --> 00:52:25,960 Speaker 1: it turns out in an NBA offense over forty eight minutes, 1150 00:52:26,400 --> 00:52:28,600 Speaker 1: it's actually very easy to run a give and take 1151 00:52:28,960 --> 00:52:32,399 Speaker 1: with two guys you need to, But it gets way 1152 00:52:32,400 --> 00:52:35,680 Speaker 1: different when you add that third and um. From a 1153 00:52:35,760 --> 00:52:39,799 Speaker 1: rhythm standpoint, you're basically turning one of the guys into 1154 00:52:39,840 --> 00:52:43,839 Speaker 1: an overcomp overqualified spot up shooter. It works out great 1155 00:52:43,920 --> 00:52:46,200 Speaker 1: during the regular season when you can stagger everybody and 1156 00:52:46,239 --> 00:52:48,919 Speaker 1: play everybody thirty three minutes, but once you get into 1157 00:52:48,920 --> 00:52:51,200 Speaker 1: the playoffs and you're playing all the guys forty minutes, 1158 00:52:51,560 --> 00:52:54,440 Speaker 1: it gets a little bit different. And uh, I just 1159 00:52:54,480 --> 00:52:57,600 Speaker 1: think at the end of the day, you know, like 1160 00:52:58,320 --> 00:53:01,480 Speaker 1: jump shooting is contagious, It really is. I mean last 1161 00:53:01,560 --> 00:53:03,480 Speaker 1: night was a great example with the Lakers. It's like, 1162 00:53:03,640 --> 00:53:05,560 Speaker 1: oh my gosh, we can't hit an open shot, like 1163 00:53:05,760 --> 00:53:08,520 Speaker 1: kcp's missing, Anthony Davis is missing, Kyle Kuzma is missing, 1164 00:53:08,600 --> 00:53:10,920 Speaker 1: Lebron this is an open shot. It's like you can 1165 00:53:11,040 --> 00:53:13,720 Speaker 1: the team starts to feel it and and it becomes 1166 00:53:13,719 --> 00:53:16,440 Speaker 1: this contagious thing and all of a sudden everyone's missing. Well, 1167 00:53:16,440 --> 00:53:19,520 Speaker 1: the same thing happens with those isolation scores, Like you know, 1168 00:53:19,960 --> 00:53:22,840 Speaker 1: Katie in a It'll be game three of a playoff 1169 00:53:22,880 --> 00:53:24,480 Speaker 1: series and they're gonna the series is gonna be tied 1170 00:53:24,480 --> 00:53:26,480 Speaker 1: at one, and it's gonna be in the fourth quarter, 1171 00:53:26,880 --> 00:53:29,000 Speaker 1: and Katie's gonna miss back to back pull up jump 1172 00:53:29,040 --> 00:53:31,120 Speaker 1: shots and then all of a sudden, Kyrie is gonna 1173 00:53:31,120 --> 00:53:32,920 Speaker 1: get the ball and he's gonna feel like an added 1174 00:53:32,960 --> 00:53:35,560 Speaker 1: pressure because Katie basically just gave him the ball and 1175 00:53:35,560 --> 00:53:37,879 Speaker 1: said like, Okay, now it's your turn, like I need 1176 00:53:37,920 --> 00:53:39,759 Speaker 1: you to create something. And he's gonna get to his 1177 00:53:39,800 --> 00:53:41,279 Speaker 1: spot and take a pull up jump shot, but like 1178 00:53:41,320 --> 00:53:42,680 Speaker 1: he's gonna be thinking in the back of his head 1179 00:53:42,680 --> 00:53:44,680 Speaker 1: about how they've been missing, and you know, all of 1180 00:53:44,719 --> 00:53:46,040 Speaker 1: a sudden, you've missed three in a row, and the 1181 00:53:46,040 --> 00:53:48,160 Speaker 1: other teams like running it down your throat on the 1182 00:53:48,160 --> 00:53:51,880 Speaker 1: other end with some big freak, you know, transition presence 1183 00:53:51,920 --> 00:53:55,200 Speaker 1: like janis antonea Kumbo or or or Lebron, and they're 1184 00:53:55,239 --> 00:53:57,160 Speaker 1: scoring on the other end, and they're getting an easy 1185 00:53:57,239 --> 00:54:00,400 Speaker 1: shot like right at the rim, and you're leaning on 1186 00:54:00,440 --> 00:54:03,160 Speaker 1: these like heavy skill guys taking these crazy shots. It's 1187 00:54:03,160 --> 00:54:06,640 Speaker 1: just contagious. It turns into this and and so inevitably 1188 00:54:07,400 --> 00:54:09,799 Speaker 1: you have to be able to weather those storms. You know, 1189 00:54:09,840 --> 00:54:11,560 Speaker 1: we talked about this all the time with Steph Curry, 1190 00:54:11,640 --> 00:54:14,080 Speaker 1: like uh Samus Fandi was talking about this this morning, 1191 00:54:14,239 --> 00:54:17,560 Speaker 1: this idea that that Steph will have a high variance 1192 00:54:17,600 --> 00:54:22,279 Speaker 1: playoff series. But it goes both ways, and so you know, uh, 1193 00:54:22,760 --> 00:54:25,239 Speaker 1: they they learn to live with the cold streaks because 1194 00:54:25,239 --> 00:54:27,200 Speaker 1: they know the hot streaks are coming, or they can 1195 00:54:27,239 --> 00:54:29,560 Speaker 1: win in these other ways in the meantime. That's the 1196 00:54:29,600 --> 00:54:33,200 Speaker 1: way that a real contender like the Lakers is going 1197 00:54:33,239 --> 00:54:36,120 Speaker 1: to go at you. It's like if Anthony Davis is 1198 00:54:36,200 --> 00:54:38,680 Speaker 1: missing all of his jump shots and Kyle Kuzma is 1199 00:54:38,719 --> 00:54:41,360 Speaker 1: missing all of his jump shots, They're still just gonna 1200 00:54:41,400 --> 00:54:44,000 Speaker 1: generate shots at the room with their physicality. They're gonna 1201 00:54:44,040 --> 00:54:45,600 Speaker 1: lock you up on the other end of the floor. 1202 00:54:45,640 --> 00:54:48,239 Speaker 1: They're gonna lean heavily on transition a lot of like 1203 00:54:48,480 --> 00:54:50,959 Speaker 1: you know, Lebron getting rebounds and outletting to Anthony Davis 1204 00:54:51,040 --> 00:54:53,040 Speaker 1: right under the basket, or Marcus all getting rebounds and 1205 00:54:53,040 --> 00:54:56,560 Speaker 1: outletting to Lebron. They're gonna find other ways to score this. 1206 00:54:56,560 --> 00:55:00,960 Speaker 1: This Brooklyn Nets team is so dependent on winning on 1207 00:55:01,040 --> 00:55:03,560 Speaker 1: the strength of those three guys and their ability to 1208 00:55:03,640 --> 00:55:07,439 Speaker 1: create things for themselves. It's gonna be like, even even 1209 00:55:07,480 --> 00:55:09,759 Speaker 1: with like Joe Harris spotting up on the back end, 1210 00:55:09,800 --> 00:55:12,520 Speaker 1: it's like that's one small wrinkle that they have, Like, Okay, 1211 00:55:12,520 --> 00:55:15,160 Speaker 1: you can't double off of Joe Harris. But the truth 1212 00:55:15,320 --> 00:55:18,200 Speaker 1: is that like they're gonna they're gonna completely abandon Jeff 1213 00:55:18,239 --> 00:55:21,759 Speaker 1: Green and help wherever they can off the floor. They're 1214 00:55:21,760 --> 00:55:26,080 Speaker 1: gonna they're gonna stagnate you somehow. All of these NBA defenses, 1215 00:55:26,200 --> 00:55:28,080 Speaker 1: the ones that are actually in it to win it, 1216 00:55:28,440 --> 00:55:31,040 Speaker 1: the ones that are actually competing for a title, they're 1217 00:55:31,040 --> 00:55:34,000 Speaker 1: gonna stagnate you somehow. And all of a sudden, it's 1218 00:55:34,000 --> 00:55:36,719 Speaker 1: gonna be those three guys looking at each other like, dude, 1219 00:55:36,760 --> 00:55:39,040 Speaker 1: you gotta go create something we can't like run a screen, 1220 00:55:39,080 --> 00:55:40,920 Speaker 1: you know. And then they're just gonna lean heavily on that. 1221 00:55:41,080 --> 00:55:43,080 Speaker 1: They're gonna miss some shots and they're not gonna be 1222 00:55:43,080 --> 00:55:44,799 Speaker 1: getting stops on the other end. And I think they're 1223 00:55:44,800 --> 00:55:49,440 Speaker 1: gonna lose. And I remain confident that they're more susceptible 1224 00:55:49,480 --> 00:55:52,279 Speaker 1: to losing in the Eastern Conference now than they were 1225 00:55:52,360 --> 00:55:57,600 Speaker 1: before the James Harden acquisition. On the overall, I agree. Overall, 1226 00:55:57,600 --> 00:55:59,719 Speaker 1: I agree with the premise that they're definitely more susceptible 1227 00:55:59,760 --> 00:56:02,600 Speaker 1: with the point, which would go against you know, common sense. 1228 00:56:02,600 --> 00:56:05,680 Speaker 1: Since they're more talented, like you're saying, you know that 1229 00:56:05,760 --> 00:56:08,120 Speaker 1: diasois and scoring thing is contagious, those shoulders get a 1230 00:56:08,200 --> 00:56:10,160 Speaker 1: little bit tighter. When Katie's missed two or three shots 1231 00:56:10,160 --> 00:56:12,919 Speaker 1: in a row and Kyrie gets open or James Harden, 1232 00:56:12,960 --> 00:56:15,719 Speaker 1: they're like, oh, ship, now it's on me. We've got 1233 00:56:15,920 --> 00:56:17,919 Speaker 1: the other team that scored three straight possessions were down 1234 00:56:18,000 --> 00:56:19,920 Speaker 1: five all of a sudden if I missed this when 1235 00:56:19,920 --> 00:56:22,560 Speaker 1: it could be seven or eight. That stuff really is contagious, 1236 00:56:22,640 --> 00:56:26,799 Speaker 1: especially in a pressurized vacuum like a playoff series. So 1237 00:56:27,880 --> 00:56:31,439 Speaker 1: they're totally dependent on isolation scoring at this point and 1238 00:56:31,760 --> 00:56:34,520 Speaker 1: end of the day. It can only take you so far, 1239 00:56:34,960 --> 00:56:37,200 Speaker 1: it really can. Right there, there's no other way that 1240 00:56:37,200 --> 00:56:39,640 Speaker 1: they're really going to create offense besides Joe Harris running 1241 00:56:39,640 --> 00:56:45,799 Speaker 1: off some screens. So unless Kyrie, Hardened, and Katie all 1242 00:56:45,800 --> 00:56:47,960 Speaker 1: have like nuclear games within one series against one of 1243 00:56:48,000 --> 00:56:50,319 Speaker 1: these great teams, they probably are going to lose at 1244 00:56:50,320 --> 00:56:53,200 Speaker 1: some point just on the strength of or well the 1245 00:56:53,200 --> 00:56:56,360 Speaker 1: weakness of not having a great defense. The defense is 1246 00:56:56,360 --> 00:56:58,879 Speaker 1: probably gonna be bottom ten, bottom fifteen in the league 1247 00:56:58,880 --> 00:57:02,440 Speaker 1: at absolute best, so they're they're just in a weird position. 1248 00:57:02,680 --> 00:57:04,760 Speaker 1: The move made no sense at the time. It still 1249 00:57:04,800 --> 00:57:07,600 Speaker 1: makes no sense. I am slightly more confident because the 1250 00:57:07,680 --> 00:57:09,480 Speaker 1: last night's game, but we're still only fifteen games into 1251 00:57:09,480 --> 00:57:11,719 Speaker 1: the season in Milwaukee, still figuring out some stuff too. 1252 00:57:11,719 --> 00:57:13,839 Speaker 1: I think they have a fairly new roster. Their bench 1253 00:57:13,880 --> 00:57:15,759 Speaker 1: isn't great, but their their top five or six guys 1254 00:57:15,760 --> 00:57:17,680 Speaker 1: are pretty good. Um so over the course of the 1255 00:57:17,680 --> 00:57:20,439 Speaker 1: playoff series, I would I would hope they can figure 1256 00:57:20,440 --> 00:57:22,840 Speaker 1: out how to get enough stop defensively to stagnate the 1257 00:57:22,880 --> 00:57:24,920 Speaker 1: nets and then get enough easy looks on the other end, 1258 00:57:24,960 --> 00:57:27,000 Speaker 1: because they are generating easy looks, it's just about knocking 1259 00:57:27,000 --> 00:57:29,560 Speaker 1: them down. And also, I think they have absolutely no 1260 00:57:29,560 --> 00:57:31,640 Speaker 1: one that can guard Joel Embiid, which is gonna end 1261 00:57:31,680 --> 00:57:33,800 Speaker 1: up being a huge problem in a in a playoff seriod. 1262 00:57:33,920 --> 00:57:36,240 Speaker 1: I think this is a I think we're I think 1263 00:57:36,280 --> 00:57:38,720 Speaker 1: we're on the same page with Brooklyn. I It's still early, 1264 00:57:38,840 --> 00:57:42,280 Speaker 1: we'll see, but I think it's very clear to me 1265 00:57:42,400 --> 00:57:45,200 Speaker 1: that they that they do not have what it takes 1266 00:57:45,240 --> 00:57:48,560 Speaker 1: to defend at the same level as their peers are 1267 00:57:48,600 --> 00:57:50,800 Speaker 1: going to defend. This isn't a NBA season where it's 1268 00:57:50,840 --> 00:57:54,560 Speaker 1: up for grabs and and there's no real great team 1269 00:57:54,600 --> 00:57:56,400 Speaker 1: out there, kind of like two thousand nineteen after Kevin 1270 00:57:56,480 --> 00:57:59,360 Speaker 1: Durank got hurt. It's not like there's like there's there's 1271 00:57:59,360 --> 00:58:00,880 Speaker 1: It's not like there's a void at the top of 1272 00:58:00,880 --> 00:58:03,000 Speaker 1: the league and some funky team can rise to the top. 1273 00:58:03,000 --> 00:58:05,520 Speaker 1: It's like, no, the Lakers are really really good. You know, 1274 00:58:05,560 --> 00:58:08,760 Speaker 1: Philly is really really good, Milwaukee is really good. You know, 1275 00:58:08,800 --> 00:58:11,480 Speaker 1: the Clippers maybe better than all of them. Like, all 1276 00:58:11,520 --> 00:58:14,680 Speaker 1: of these teams are really really really good, and so 1277 00:58:14,720 --> 00:58:17,040 Speaker 1: you're not going to win by outscoring. That's just the 1278 00:58:17,040 --> 00:58:19,240 Speaker 1: reality of the way that this the league is set 1279 00:58:19,280 --> 00:58:23,880 Speaker 1: up right now. But let's transition to Milwaukee. So, um, 1280 00:58:24,000 --> 00:58:26,720 Speaker 1: the uh we all saw last night as they kind 1281 00:58:26,760 --> 00:58:30,400 Speaker 1: of degenerated into their typical oh my gosh, we can't 1282 00:58:30,480 --> 00:58:32,040 Speaker 1: use the honest at the end of these games, Chris 1283 00:58:32,120 --> 00:58:35,600 Speaker 1: Middleton has to run everything offense. Um, it's very clear 1284 00:58:35,600 --> 00:58:38,400 Speaker 1: that Drew Holiday right now is being very passive. In 1285 00:58:38,440 --> 00:58:42,640 Speaker 1: my opinion, he's uh, he's kind of like deferring a 1286 00:58:42,640 --> 00:58:45,400 Speaker 1: little bit, a little bit more than than I would 1287 00:58:45,400 --> 00:58:47,720 Speaker 1: have expected him to given the given him what they 1288 00:58:47,720 --> 00:58:53,080 Speaker 1: brought him in to do. Um that said, like we 1289 00:58:53,120 --> 00:58:55,880 Speaker 1: had another honest, crazy airball at the top of the key, 1290 00:58:56,080 --> 00:58:59,120 Speaker 1: you know we have They're guarding him with DeAndre Jordan 1291 00:58:59,120 --> 00:59:01,680 Speaker 1: and literally staying at the at the semi circle just 1292 00:59:01,760 --> 00:59:05,080 Speaker 1: waiting for Jannice to make a move. And uh, they're 1293 00:59:05,080 --> 00:59:08,120 Speaker 1: still doing this funky stuff where they're not having the 1294 00:59:08,200 --> 00:59:10,880 Speaker 1: honest guard Kevin Durant or using him as a help defender. 1295 00:59:10,920 --> 00:59:14,760 Speaker 1: And I saw somebody I think his name is Jackson. Uh, 1296 00:59:14,920 --> 00:59:17,160 Speaker 1: this was saying on Twitter like oh if you if 1297 00:59:17,200 --> 00:59:18,920 Speaker 1: you think that Johanna should be guarding on the ball, 1298 00:59:18,960 --> 00:59:20,760 Speaker 1: it's you don't know who he is as a defender, 1299 00:59:20,920 --> 00:59:22,880 Speaker 1: that he's better as a help defender. It's like, yeah, 1300 00:59:22,920 --> 00:59:24,920 Speaker 1: but now you're doing the same thing that Mike Budenholder 1301 00:59:25,160 --> 00:59:30,560 Speaker 1: Budenholzer does. You're you're refusing to adapt like Kevin Durant 1302 00:59:30,680 --> 00:59:33,120 Speaker 1: two minutes Like for the first forty two minutes or so, Yeah, 1303 00:59:33,120 --> 00:59:35,040 Speaker 1: I use him as a help defender, but down the 1304 00:59:35,080 --> 00:59:37,800 Speaker 1: stretch he's a really good one on one defender. Put 1305 00:59:37,840 --> 00:59:41,360 Speaker 1: him on KD Like it doesn't the entire game makes 1306 00:59:41,400 --> 00:59:44,640 Speaker 1: some type of adjustment to where honest isn't standing off 1307 00:59:44,680 --> 00:59:46,760 Speaker 1: ball will coming to rant just generates easy look after, 1308 00:59:46,800 --> 00:59:49,760 Speaker 1: easy look after, easy look exactly, And that that was 1309 00:59:49,800 --> 00:59:51,400 Speaker 1: the part that bothered me about it. I'm like, yeah, Dode, 1310 00:59:51,400 --> 00:59:54,800 Speaker 1: we get it. Like thet is, they're basically they're they're 1311 00:59:54,920 --> 00:59:57,360 Speaker 1: five man and their defensive scheme and he's helping off 1312 00:59:57,360 --> 00:59:59,880 Speaker 1: the ball. That's great, But also there is a seven 1313 01:00:00,040 --> 01:00:03,240 Speaker 1: foot guy who's dribbling and shooting pull up jump shots 1314 01:00:03,240 --> 01:00:05,960 Speaker 1: all over the court, and your six eight small forward 1315 01:00:06,120 --> 01:00:08,520 Speaker 1: is barbecue chicken right now. So you need to find 1316 01:00:08,680 --> 01:00:12,360 Speaker 1: some way to get your best physical matchup for Kevin 1317 01:00:12,440 --> 01:00:15,800 Speaker 1: Durant on Kevin Durant and and and again it's it's 1318 01:00:15,840 --> 01:00:19,320 Speaker 1: about adjustments. There's no doubt that you want to try 1319 01:00:19,360 --> 01:00:21,800 Speaker 1: to mix it up and maintain some reliance on your 1320 01:00:21,800 --> 01:00:24,960 Speaker 1: original scheme because you practice it so much. But throwing 1321 01:00:25,040 --> 01:00:27,440 Speaker 1: different looks at guys is one of the best ways 1322 01:00:27,480 --> 01:00:29,960 Speaker 1: to throw them at a rhythm. Literally it's it's like 1323 01:00:30,280 --> 01:00:35,720 Speaker 1: its alternating between trapping and hedging, or alternating between trapping 1324 01:00:35,760 --> 01:00:37,760 Speaker 1: and doing a drop coverage or whatever. It is like 1325 01:00:38,000 --> 01:00:40,560 Speaker 1: finding some way to mix things up is one of 1326 01:00:40,560 --> 01:00:43,080 Speaker 1: the easiest ways to throw a guy at a rhythm 1327 01:00:43,120 --> 01:00:45,960 Speaker 1: because he's not coming down and attacking the same coverage 1328 01:00:45,960 --> 01:00:49,400 Speaker 1: every time that Urry. That's what team you're starting to 1329 01:00:49,480 --> 01:00:52,000 Speaker 1: have Curry. They throw different looks at him all game long, 1330 01:00:52,480 --> 01:00:55,000 Speaker 1: and but it's not willing to do that to other 1331 01:00:55,040 --> 01:00:58,320 Speaker 1: great players. It does not make sense to me. I mean, 1332 01:00:58,640 --> 01:00:59,840 Speaker 1: if this is the team that they're going to be 1333 01:00:59,920 --> 01:01:01,680 Speaker 1: the No, they're probably not going to bring Brooklyn in 1334 01:01:01,720 --> 01:01:03,680 Speaker 1: the series. If they refused to adapt. I would think 1335 01:01:03,720 --> 01:01:05,560 Speaker 1: only Billy has a chance to be Brookelyn, at least 1336 01:01:05,560 --> 01:01:08,400 Speaker 1: in the Eastern Conference. Yeah, no, I agree, and so 1337 01:01:08,480 --> 01:01:11,760 Speaker 1: like I mean, my I've watched like three Bucks games 1338 01:01:11,760 --> 01:01:14,760 Speaker 1: in the last ten days, and more or less I 1339 01:01:14,760 --> 01:01:16,600 Speaker 1: feel the same way about them that I did last year. 1340 01:01:16,680 --> 01:01:20,400 Speaker 1: Janice is no better than he was. Um uh. Chris 1341 01:01:20,440 --> 01:01:23,880 Speaker 1: Middleton is very very good, but we've already seen on 1342 01:01:23,920 --> 01:01:26,720 Speaker 1: so many different occasions that he can cool off significantly 1343 01:01:26,760 --> 01:01:28,720 Speaker 1: for long stretches and apply. It's very similar to Paul 1344 01:01:28,720 --> 01:01:30,840 Speaker 1: George in that regard, Like when he's got to go 1345 01:01:30,880 --> 01:01:32,840 Speaker 1: in and when he's in the flow, he's one of 1346 01:01:32,840 --> 01:01:34,880 Speaker 1: the best players on the floor, but he's very capable 1347 01:01:34,920 --> 01:01:36,760 Speaker 1: of just kind of going slipping into a funk and 1348 01:01:36,800 --> 01:01:39,800 Speaker 1: kind of disappearing from the game for long stretches. Drew 1349 01:01:39,840 --> 01:01:42,720 Speaker 1: Holiday is what Drew Holiday is a good defensive guard 1350 01:01:42,760 --> 01:01:45,720 Speaker 1: who is a very very average offensive guard. That like, 1351 01:01:45,760 --> 01:01:49,080 Speaker 1: that's that's just the reality of the situation. And uh, 1352 01:01:49,160 --> 01:01:51,840 Speaker 1: And on the defensive end of the floor, it's very 1353 01:01:51,840 --> 01:01:54,960 Speaker 1: clear that Mike Budenholzer is still all in on sticking 1354 01:01:55,000 --> 01:01:58,720 Speaker 1: to his his base schemes and and making no attempt 1355 01:01:58,840 --> 01:02:01,680 Speaker 1: to adjust to whatever the other team is bringing. And like, 1356 01:02:02,120 --> 01:02:04,400 Speaker 1: you know, there are a handful of possessions at the 1357 01:02:04,480 --> 01:02:07,400 Speaker 1: end of that game where Kevin Durant, you know, got 1358 01:02:07,760 --> 01:02:10,880 Speaker 1: Chris Middleton on his hip using a ball screen or 1359 01:02:11,000 --> 01:02:13,560 Speaker 1: using a pin down screen, and he would get into 1360 01:02:13,600 --> 01:02:16,240 Speaker 1: the middle of the floor and make a shot in 1361 01:02:16,280 --> 01:02:19,040 Speaker 1: that ten to fifteen foot range off the dribble. If 1362 01:02:19,120 --> 01:02:22,080 Speaker 1: Janice is on the ball there, he can bother Kevin 1363 01:02:22,160 --> 01:02:24,960 Speaker 1: Durant from behind. He can reach over the top and 1364 01:02:25,000 --> 01:02:26,760 Speaker 1: grab the ball away from him as he's going up. 1365 01:02:26,840 --> 01:02:29,080 Speaker 1: And he's stronger than Katie, He's much stronger than Katie. 1366 01:02:29,120 --> 01:02:30,640 Speaker 1: Can be physical with him and fight his way through 1367 01:02:30,640 --> 01:02:32,160 Speaker 1: those screens or bump him off his spot a little 1368 01:02:32,160 --> 01:02:35,720 Speaker 1: bit better than Middleton can. That's exactly Middleton can't. Like 1369 01:02:35,760 --> 01:02:40,240 Speaker 1: Middleton is a below average athlete at that position. So 1370 01:02:40,360 --> 01:02:42,600 Speaker 1: that that's just the that that is the reality of 1371 01:02:42,600 --> 01:02:46,320 Speaker 1: that circumstance, and like, you know, I it bothers me 1372 01:02:46,360 --> 01:02:49,000 Speaker 1: because like I feel like it's this Twitter conundrum that 1373 01:02:49,000 --> 01:02:50,919 Speaker 1: constantly happens, and you're not talking about this all the time. 1374 01:02:50,960 --> 01:02:54,400 Speaker 1: Like you know, really really good basketball player does something, 1375 01:02:54,720 --> 01:02:57,120 Speaker 1: whether it's on the court or off the court, and 1376 01:02:57,160 --> 01:03:00,960 Speaker 1: like we levy some fair criticism and my opinion, and 1377 01:03:00,960 --> 01:03:02,440 Speaker 1: then all these people come out of the woodwork and 1378 01:03:02,480 --> 01:03:04,480 Speaker 1: it's like, no, Janice is great, He's a Defensive Player 1379 01:03:04,520 --> 01:03:06,440 Speaker 1: of the Year as a help defender. You you you don't understand. 1380 01:03:06,480 --> 01:03:08,640 Speaker 1: And it's like, look, man, like we get that, Like 1381 01:03:08,680 --> 01:03:11,440 Speaker 1: we understand that. We've all seen what Janice can do 1382 01:03:11,480 --> 01:03:13,960 Speaker 1: as a shop blocker helping off the ball. But again, 1383 01:03:14,320 --> 01:03:19,080 Speaker 1: like watch the whole floor, because while Janice is excelling 1384 01:03:19,160 --> 01:03:23,480 Speaker 1: at shutting off the paint, Chris Middleton is struggling at 1385 01:03:23,520 --> 01:03:27,240 Speaker 1: stopping his man. And you have a better option there. 1386 01:03:28,080 --> 01:03:31,880 Speaker 1: So like like acknowledge the the the whole totality of 1387 01:03:31,920 --> 01:03:33,760 Speaker 1: what the five guys are trying to do. You know 1388 01:03:33,800 --> 01:03:36,240 Speaker 1: what I mean. Basketball isn't paint by numbers, right, And 1389 01:03:36,400 --> 01:03:39,120 Speaker 1: I think this is what annoys me with the analytics movement. 1390 01:03:39,160 --> 01:03:41,440 Speaker 1: And obviously analytics has helped the game advance to a 1391 01:03:41,440 --> 01:03:43,000 Speaker 1: point that it never would have got to without it. 1392 01:03:43,480 --> 01:03:51,600 Speaker 1: But basketball is a very fluid, creative, adaptable game. And 1393 01:03:52,040 --> 01:03:55,480 Speaker 1: if you're so dogmatic like like but is, you're never 1394 01:03:55,480 --> 01:03:58,720 Speaker 1: gonna win playoff series. Playoff series inevitably end up being 1395 01:03:58,720 --> 01:04:01,240 Speaker 1: about adjustments. Almost every time that the talent is so 1396 01:04:01,360 --> 01:04:04,000 Speaker 1: mudy equal, it ends up being about the adjustments that 1397 01:04:04,040 --> 01:04:06,880 Speaker 1: the coaches can make to levy their talent and their 1398 01:04:06,920 --> 01:04:10,040 Speaker 1: scheme to win a series. And if this is who 1399 01:04:10,080 --> 01:04:11,360 Speaker 1: the Bucks are gonna be, they have no chance of 1400 01:04:11,360 --> 01:04:14,160 Speaker 1: winning a championship. Again, I wouldn't even point to Drew 1401 01:04:14,200 --> 01:04:16,520 Speaker 1: Holiday being passive. I think it's like we've talked about 1402 01:04:16,520 --> 01:04:17,960 Speaker 1: a couple of times, he's the third guy. He's the 1403 01:04:18,000 --> 01:04:20,440 Speaker 1: third wheel, right, so just by nature, he's not going 1404 01:04:20,480 --> 01:04:22,680 Speaker 1: to get as many possessions as he should. And then 1405 01:04:22,760 --> 01:04:26,920 Speaker 1: on the honest point, he's almost regressing in some ways 1406 01:04:26,920 --> 01:04:28,840 Speaker 1: in terms of his willingness to like shoot jump shots 1407 01:04:28,880 --> 01:04:31,200 Speaker 1: or be able to make jump shots. It is incredible 1408 01:04:31,240 --> 01:04:33,760 Speaker 1: to me to watch what he was coming into the 1409 01:04:33,800 --> 01:04:36,120 Speaker 1: league in terms of like a fluid basketball player who 1410 01:04:36,120 --> 01:04:38,160 Speaker 1: can make decisions in the flow and shoot like a 1411 01:04:38,200 --> 01:04:41,200 Speaker 1: regular rhythm jump shot to what he is now. And 1412 01:04:41,520 --> 01:04:43,280 Speaker 1: I've talked about this a couple of times on Twitter. 1413 01:04:43,360 --> 01:04:44,760 Speaker 1: I think a lot of it is just kind of 1414 01:04:44,760 --> 01:04:47,240 Speaker 1: the teaching that goes on in America with basketball. It 1415 01:04:47,440 --> 01:04:50,040 Speaker 1: the emphasis a lot of times isn't on field or 1416 01:04:50,120 --> 01:04:53,000 Speaker 1: playing rhythm. It's like this, very like dogmatic structure. No, 1417 01:04:53,120 --> 01:04:55,680 Speaker 1: you need to shoot a basketball exactly like this, when 1418 01:04:55,680 --> 01:05:01,200 Speaker 1: we know everybody has different kind of biomechanical um differences 1419 01:05:01,240 --> 01:05:03,520 Speaker 1: for lack of a better word, that make a jump 1420 01:05:03,560 --> 01:05:06,760 Speaker 1: shot unique to each person. There's been great jumps throughout history. 1421 01:05:07,120 --> 01:05:09,160 Speaker 1: The three best jump shooters of all time, Ray Allen, 1422 01:05:09,200 --> 01:05:11,640 Speaker 1: Reggie Miller, and Steph Curry, their jump shots could not 1423 01:05:11,680 --> 01:05:15,800 Speaker 1: look more different. Right. The steps is incredibly smooth and rhythmic, 1424 01:05:16,200 --> 01:05:19,439 Speaker 1: like no spin on his jump shot over his head 1425 01:05:19,680 --> 01:05:22,800 Speaker 1: and Reggie's arms crossed as he releases the ball. Right, 1426 01:05:22,840 --> 01:05:26,800 Speaker 1: There's no yeah, there's no one way to shoot a basketball. 1427 01:05:26,800 --> 01:05:28,360 Speaker 1: And if you look at the honest Jumpshoute early on, 1428 01:05:28,520 --> 01:05:29,800 Speaker 1: it was rhythmic, it had a dip, it was a 1429 01:05:29,840 --> 01:05:31,440 Speaker 1: little bit slingshot. He but he could make it, and 1430 01:05:31,440 --> 01:05:32,960 Speaker 1: he could shoot it off the dribble. He'd get to 1431 01:05:33,000 --> 01:05:34,880 Speaker 1: it off the dribble every time. And now he's doing 1432 01:05:34,880 --> 01:05:37,320 Speaker 1: this thing where it's super rigid and he's like, oh 1433 01:05:37,400 --> 01:05:38,960 Speaker 1: my god, he's holding on the ball so tight at 1434 01:05:39,000 --> 01:05:40,360 Speaker 1: the end that he can barely even get the ball 1435 01:05:40,360 --> 01:05:41,760 Speaker 1: to the rim at the time. He I mean, he 1436 01:05:41,800 --> 01:05:46,360 Speaker 1: can't make free throws at this point many nights. So yeah, 1437 01:05:46,680 --> 01:05:49,680 Speaker 1: they they've got to do a better job with honestly, 1438 01:05:49,720 --> 01:05:53,240 Speaker 1: just developing your honest because he's obviously improved in parts 1439 01:05:53,240 --> 01:05:55,040 Speaker 1: of his game that helped may make him an m 1440 01:05:55,120 --> 01:05:57,360 Speaker 1: v P, but he's regrets in other parts that matter 1441 01:05:57,440 --> 01:06:00,320 Speaker 1: come playoff time and until he improves on those parts, 1442 01:06:00,840 --> 01:06:04,480 Speaker 1: unless he gets like, you know, a top three on 1443 01:06:04,600 --> 01:06:06,760 Speaker 1: bull creator, a guy like James Harden or Steph Curry. 1444 01:06:06,800 --> 01:06:08,480 Speaker 1: You know, a guard who can kind of attract defenses 1445 01:06:08,520 --> 01:06:10,240 Speaker 1: and pull bodies away from him so you can just 1446 01:06:10,240 --> 01:06:12,800 Speaker 1: have a runway to the rim. I don't see how 1447 01:06:13,080 --> 01:06:15,080 Speaker 1: they ever become NBA champions. But even if they make 1448 01:06:15,120 --> 01:06:17,800 Speaker 1: coaching changes, because the end of the day, when the 1449 01:06:17,840 --> 01:06:19,560 Speaker 1: game is close at the end, it's gonna come down 1450 01:06:19,600 --> 01:06:22,520 Speaker 1: to whether how quality of looks are superstars can create. 1451 01:06:22,560 --> 01:06:24,479 Speaker 1: And right now, you honest can't do that. He still can't. 1452 01:06:24,640 --> 01:06:28,320 Speaker 1: I haven't seen any difference in his ability to do 1453 01:06:28,320 --> 01:06:29,440 Speaker 1: that late in games. Like you said, they had to 1454 01:06:29,440 --> 01:06:31,919 Speaker 1: depend on Middleton last night to create shots, and that's 1455 01:06:32,320 --> 01:06:33,800 Speaker 1: it's gonna go like it does with Paul George. Some 1456 01:06:33,920 --> 01:06:35,440 Speaker 1: night's gonna work. So i'm n's not going to do 1457 01:06:35,960 --> 01:06:40,480 Speaker 1: And so now you're asking Chris Middleton to out execute 1458 01:06:41,160 --> 01:06:46,440 Speaker 1: Kevin Durant, Joe Ollen, you know, Jimmy Hardon, you know 1459 01:06:46,600 --> 01:06:49,880 Speaker 1: better better like better players than him. And so you're 1460 01:06:50,440 --> 01:06:52,400 Speaker 1: and that's the problem because it will be like when 1461 01:06:52,400 --> 01:06:56,400 Speaker 1: it degenerates into that, you know, clutch, physical, slowdown half 1462 01:06:56,400 --> 01:06:58,560 Speaker 1: court basketball. At the end of these games, they're not 1463 01:06:58,640 --> 01:07:00,480 Speaker 1: going to be honest. Like literally, end of that game, 1464 01:07:00,520 --> 01:07:03,120 Speaker 1: they could not go to honest and and and so 1465 01:07:03,160 --> 01:07:05,160 Speaker 1: they went to Middleton and he made some shots, and 1466 01:07:05,160 --> 01:07:07,400 Speaker 1: he missed some shots, and guess what, James Harden and 1467 01:07:07,480 --> 01:07:09,280 Speaker 1: Kevin Durrant were better on the other end. And so 1468 01:07:09,840 --> 01:07:14,560 Speaker 1: I don't really see how that's going to improve this season, 1469 01:07:14,840 --> 01:07:18,720 Speaker 1: like it would just it would require be Honese making 1470 01:07:18,760 --> 01:07:20,280 Speaker 1: some leap in the middle of the season, which is 1471 01:07:20,360 --> 01:07:24,160 Speaker 1: kind of unprecedented. So we don't have time. I don't 1472 01:07:24,200 --> 01:07:26,080 Speaker 1: think to get to the Pacers today because I do 1473 01:07:26,160 --> 01:07:31,600 Speaker 1: wanna spend a little more time on them. Lastly, for today, um, 1474 01:07:31,680 --> 01:07:34,880 Speaker 1: one of my friends Ben hopped in and asked a question. 1475 01:07:36,240 --> 01:07:39,560 Speaker 1: He said, do y'all think you can be the best 1476 01:07:39,560 --> 01:07:43,160 Speaker 1: player in the world without being an engine like a 1477 01:07:43,200 --> 01:07:47,000 Speaker 1: guy that just gets buckets or a guy that's an 1478 01:07:47,000 --> 01:07:49,640 Speaker 1: engine like? And so my question for you just to 1479 01:07:49,800 --> 01:07:53,320 Speaker 1: end today ideologically about basketball, I thought it'd be fun 1480 01:07:53,320 --> 01:07:55,560 Speaker 1: for us to touch on really quick. Do you think 1481 01:07:55,560 --> 01:07:57,400 Speaker 1: you can be the best player in the world without 1482 01:07:57,520 --> 01:08:03,680 Speaker 1: being an engine? I mean, because of what the game 1483 01:08:03,720 --> 01:08:08,800 Speaker 1: has become and how um, offensive focused basketball has become. 1484 01:08:09,360 --> 01:08:14,040 Speaker 1: Probably not right. I think we've seen over the last 1485 01:08:14,040 --> 01:08:18,200 Speaker 1: five or six years that when Steph career, Lebron James 1486 01:08:18,240 --> 01:08:21,240 Speaker 1: is healthy and they have at least enough parts around them, 1487 01:08:21,280 --> 01:08:23,960 Speaker 1: their teams end up being the best every single year. 1488 01:08:24,560 --> 01:08:27,680 Speaker 1: Every single year it's been the case. And what the 1489 01:08:28,280 --> 01:08:31,479 Speaker 1: years it hasn't happened. The Raptors want because the Warriors 1490 01:08:31,479 --> 01:08:33,960 Speaker 1: second third best players got injured right, and and that's 1491 01:08:33,960 --> 01:08:36,160 Speaker 1: basically what it's come down to. And then last year, 1492 01:08:36,320 --> 01:08:39,120 Speaker 1: when the problem was healthy, they won the championship going away, 1493 01:08:39,120 --> 01:08:40,240 Speaker 1: and a lot of that was on the strength of 1494 01:08:40,240 --> 01:08:42,160 Speaker 1: their defense, but a lot of it, too, was on 1495 01:08:42,280 --> 01:08:44,920 Speaker 1: Lebron James creating more quality looks than anybody else in 1496 01:08:44,920 --> 01:08:49,000 Speaker 1: the league, possession after possession after possession after possession. So 1497 01:08:50,120 --> 01:08:52,360 Speaker 1: I think if you put Katie in the perfect situation, 1498 01:08:52,400 --> 01:08:54,760 Speaker 1: you are Kauai. We've seen that they can be the 1499 01:08:54,800 --> 01:08:57,439 Speaker 1: best player in the world if everything around them is 1500 01:08:57,520 --> 01:09:01,960 Speaker 1: absolutely perfect, right. But if it's not, then I think 1501 01:09:02,720 --> 01:09:06,600 Speaker 1: it is much more difficult, right, Whereas it seems like 1502 01:09:06,600 --> 01:09:08,760 Speaker 1: with Stephan Lebron you can kind of construct a winning 1503 01:09:08,840 --> 01:09:12,280 Speaker 1: roster in multiple ways. Um, probably Lebron more so, but 1504 01:09:12,360 --> 01:09:14,840 Speaker 1: Steph same thing. Like like I like I'm saying, I 1505 01:09:14,880 --> 01:09:18,320 Speaker 1: think this team eventually has a chance to be one 1506 01:09:18,320 --> 01:09:20,439 Speaker 1: of the last four teams in the NBA. This Warrior's team, 1507 01:09:20,560 --> 01:09:22,760 Speaker 1: as deficient as they are in many areas, I still 1508 01:09:22,760 --> 01:09:25,320 Speaker 1: think they can be that on the strength of Steph Curry, 1509 01:09:25,600 --> 01:09:29,360 Speaker 1: and you know, Katie's incredible. This is not to take 1510 01:09:29,360 --> 01:09:31,880 Speaker 1: anything away from the fact that he's doing what he's 1511 01:09:31,920 --> 01:09:35,679 Speaker 1: doing coming off an Achilles injury. It can't be mentioned enough. 1512 01:09:35,960 --> 01:09:38,360 Speaker 1: He looks basically like the same player. Maybe his rim 1513 01:09:38,360 --> 01:09:41,320 Speaker 1: and tents are down a little bit, but he's easily 1514 01:09:41,320 --> 01:09:43,439 Speaker 1: one of the most talented offensive players of all time, 1515 01:09:43,680 --> 01:09:46,920 Speaker 1: like very, very easily, and he continues to be that guy. 1516 01:09:46,960 --> 01:09:50,200 Speaker 1: But if he's not fully willing to buy into get 1517 01:09:50,280 --> 01:09:52,360 Speaker 1: looks for his teammates in other ways besides his own 1518 01:09:52,360 --> 01:09:55,360 Speaker 1: isolation scoring or his own distributing, then he probably will 1519 01:09:55,400 --> 01:09:57,760 Speaker 1: never be the best player in the NBA, at least 1520 01:09:57,760 --> 01:10:00,479 Speaker 1: not in my opinion. Yeah, so I kind have similar 1521 01:10:00,479 --> 01:10:03,160 Speaker 1: feelings like that. The graphic that they kept throwing up 1522 01:10:03,200 --> 01:10:06,960 Speaker 1: on the on the screen yesterday of basically how Stephan 1523 01:10:07,080 --> 01:10:10,680 Speaker 1: Lebron are the are the people that take home the 1524 01:10:10,720 --> 01:10:13,840 Speaker 1: jewelry every year are a great example of results to 1525 01:10:13,880 --> 01:10:16,840 Speaker 1: back up this ideology, because I would agree, like do 1526 01:10:16,880 --> 01:10:21,880 Speaker 1: I think that the a traditional bucket getter type of 1527 01:10:22,000 --> 01:10:24,600 Speaker 1: dude can be the best player on a championship team. Absolutely, 1528 01:10:24,600 --> 01:10:26,360 Speaker 1: and we've seen lots of examples of that, whether it's 1529 01:10:26,400 --> 01:10:28,680 Speaker 1: Kauai or Michael Jordan's or things along those lines. But 1530 01:10:29,240 --> 01:10:32,800 Speaker 1: the reality to me is that the key point with 1531 01:10:32,920 --> 01:10:35,720 Speaker 1: like Jordan though he was willing to use his off 1532 01:10:35,720 --> 01:10:38,760 Speaker 1: ball gravity more than like Kauai or or Duran or 1533 01:10:38,800 --> 01:10:41,200 Speaker 1: if you watch old m J stuff, He's constantly moving 1534 01:10:41,200 --> 01:10:43,679 Speaker 1: and cutting and screening and getting his teammates open looks 1535 01:10:43,680 --> 01:10:45,920 Speaker 1: just through his gravity, kind of similar to like step 1536 01:10:45,960 --> 01:10:48,320 Speaker 1: in a way, but obviously not not the same level, 1537 01:10:48,640 --> 01:10:51,160 Speaker 1: but like he was constantly creating looks for his teammates 1538 01:10:51,160 --> 01:10:53,479 Speaker 1: by like running triangle actions even when it didn't result 1539 01:10:53,479 --> 01:10:55,720 Speaker 1: in him getting a shot, and guys like Kawai and 1540 01:10:55,800 --> 01:10:57,160 Speaker 1: Katie they just aren't as willing to do that. They're 1541 01:10:57,160 --> 01:10:59,759 Speaker 1: going to their spots to get their shots and buried 1542 01:10:59,840 --> 01:11:02,360 Speaker 1: end point, like that's what they do. But we also 1543 01:11:02,520 --> 01:11:05,240 Speaker 1: MJ is just so so so so good at those 1544 01:11:05,280 --> 01:11:07,559 Speaker 1: two things. Like, for instance, like Kevin Durant is this 1545 01:11:07,680 --> 01:11:11,000 Speaker 1: unbelievable basket getter, but he's not a great defensive player. 1546 01:11:11,120 --> 01:11:14,719 Speaker 1: So people think HY is similarly a similarly talented player, 1547 01:11:14,720 --> 01:11:18,759 Speaker 1: because Kauai is a really good offensive player and an 1548 01:11:18,800 --> 01:11:21,040 Speaker 1: amazing defensive player, at least he used to be at 1549 01:11:21,120 --> 01:11:23,760 Speaker 1: some point in the past. So you know, MJ was 1550 01:11:23,840 --> 01:11:26,320 Speaker 1: the both like he would like MJ was Kevin Durant 1551 01:11:26,320 --> 01:11:28,679 Speaker 1: offensively with Kauai on the defensive end in the floor 1552 01:11:28,720 --> 01:11:30,879 Speaker 1: all combined into one player. So that that's the difference 1553 01:11:30,880 --> 01:11:32,920 Speaker 1: between MJ and these other guys. But the point to 1554 01:11:33,040 --> 01:11:35,120 Speaker 1: what that I'm trying to make though, is that from 1555 01:11:35,120 --> 01:11:38,080 Speaker 1: a value perspective, it's the reason why Lebron even though 1556 01:11:38,120 --> 01:11:41,040 Speaker 1: he's a less polished skill player than a lot of 1557 01:11:41,080 --> 01:11:42,880 Speaker 1: these other guys, and the reason why Steph even though 1558 01:11:42,880 --> 01:11:45,360 Speaker 1: he's less physically imposing than a lot of these other players. 1559 01:11:45,720 --> 01:11:47,720 Speaker 1: That it's the reason why those two are so impactful. 1560 01:11:47,800 --> 01:11:53,400 Speaker 1: It's just to me, you know, running a style of 1561 01:11:53,400 --> 01:11:56,919 Speaker 1: offense that involves you seeking out looks for your teammates 1562 01:11:56,960 --> 01:12:00,400 Speaker 1: primarily and then attacking offensively when you can fit that 1563 01:12:00,479 --> 01:12:03,240 Speaker 1: around that, to me, that will always be a more 1564 01:12:03,280 --> 01:12:07,160 Speaker 1: impactful kind of basketball because it keeps your teammates engaged 1565 01:12:07,640 --> 01:12:10,640 Speaker 1: and and and it feeds their confidence. And like, you know, 1566 01:12:10,800 --> 01:12:13,559 Speaker 1: I don't think it's a coincidence when you look back 1567 01:12:13,600 --> 01:12:16,560 Speaker 1: the NBA history that there are huge role player performances 1568 01:12:16,560 --> 01:12:19,400 Speaker 1: from these guys, whether it's Andrea Gudala making a bunch 1569 01:12:19,400 --> 01:12:21,400 Speaker 1: of shots in the two thousand fifteen finals, or if 1570 01:12:21,400 --> 01:12:24,120 Speaker 1: it's Draymond Green scoring thirty five in Game seven or 1571 01:12:24,160 --> 01:12:27,519 Speaker 1: two thousand sixteen, or if it's literally like JR. Smith, 1572 01:12:27,720 --> 01:12:31,120 Speaker 1: like lighting up other teams, or if it's another great 1573 01:12:31,120 --> 01:12:33,160 Speaker 1: example last year it's like, oh, Mark Keith Morris went 1574 01:12:33,200 --> 01:12:35,200 Speaker 1: five for five from three in the first half of 1575 01:12:35,200 --> 01:12:38,720 Speaker 1: this game against Denver, or whatever it is. It's like there, 1576 01:12:38,760 --> 01:12:43,000 Speaker 1: that's all a product of consistently depending on those guys 1577 01:12:43,040 --> 01:12:48,760 Speaker 1: throughout the season, consistently making them feel comfortable, consistently uh 1578 01:12:48,840 --> 01:12:51,840 Speaker 1: keeping them involved in the offense so that the inevitably 1579 01:12:51,880 --> 01:12:54,559 Speaker 1: are going to have these breakout games, and and it 1580 01:12:54,680 --> 01:12:58,120 Speaker 1: just it just it just to me. I don't want 1581 01:12:58,120 --> 01:12:59,800 Speaker 1: to I think you gotta be careful this stuff because 1582 01:12:59,800 --> 01:13:01,280 Speaker 1: you don't and give them all of the credit. Like 1583 01:13:01,280 --> 01:13:03,040 Speaker 1: I don't want to say Lebron is the reason why 1584 01:13:03,040 --> 01:13:05,040 Speaker 1: MARKI Morris made a bunch of threes. But the truth 1585 01:13:05,160 --> 01:13:07,920 Speaker 1: is is I do think that he helped him get 1586 01:13:07,960 --> 01:13:10,080 Speaker 1: to that point where he was able to maximize what 1587 01:13:10,160 --> 01:13:12,800 Speaker 1: he does in his role, and I I just think 1588 01:13:12,840 --> 01:13:15,280 Speaker 1: that that brings more value to the table. You know, 1589 01:13:15,360 --> 01:13:18,040 Speaker 1: within a vacuum, you know, you might take an MJ 1590 01:13:18,720 --> 01:13:22,640 Speaker 1: over a Lebron because MJ was so great as a 1591 01:13:22,680 --> 01:13:25,600 Speaker 1: defensive player and as a score, and you're right, like 1592 01:13:25,640 --> 01:13:28,440 Speaker 1: he did, he was more willing to buy into the system. 1593 01:13:28,479 --> 01:13:33,559 Speaker 1: But inevitably, I think, like like an average superstar score 1594 01:13:33,760 --> 01:13:37,559 Speaker 1: versus an average superstar engines, so to speak, I'm always 1595 01:13:37,560 --> 01:13:40,160 Speaker 1: going to pick the engine in the sense that I 1596 01:13:40,240 --> 01:13:43,120 Speaker 1: just believe that style of basketball is more conducive to winning. 1597 01:13:43,400 --> 01:13:45,559 Speaker 1: For instance, I would take a I would take a 1598 01:13:45,560 --> 01:13:48,280 Speaker 1: step over a Kyrie. There's a great example because, like, 1599 01:13:48,439 --> 01:13:51,120 Speaker 1: Kyrie is a more skilled basketball player than Steph and 1600 01:13:51,160 --> 01:13:53,960 Speaker 1: everything but shooting, you know, like he's got more gifted 1601 01:13:54,280 --> 01:13:58,000 Speaker 1: finishing room, moves around the basket, he's got a more 1602 01:13:58,439 --> 01:14:01,080 Speaker 1: diverse a pull up I'm shooting game, and he's got 1603 01:14:01,080 --> 01:14:02,840 Speaker 1: a much better handle in my not much better, but 1604 01:14:02,840 --> 01:14:05,040 Speaker 1: he's got better handle in my opinion. But Steph is 1605 01:14:05,080 --> 01:14:08,559 Speaker 1: a much better player because organically what he does for 1606 01:14:08,640 --> 01:14:11,679 Speaker 1: his team is so much is so much better. And Kyrie, 1607 01:14:11,760 --> 01:14:15,400 Speaker 1: ironically is is the best example to use because Kyrie, 1608 01:14:15,479 --> 01:14:18,840 Speaker 1: and my opinion, is one of his biggest weaknesses. It 1609 01:14:18,920 --> 01:14:21,720 Speaker 1: is his inability to to feel the flow of a 1610 01:14:21,760 --> 01:14:24,880 Speaker 1: basketball game. And that's the reason why those Calves teams 1611 01:14:24,920 --> 01:14:28,680 Speaker 1: never won, and why those Celtics teams underachieved is. It 1612 01:14:29,160 --> 01:14:33,000 Speaker 1: was like, you know, one game in Milwaukee, Kyrie's going 1613 01:14:33,040 --> 01:14:35,599 Speaker 1: off and and the Bucks can't do anything about it, 1614 01:14:35,640 --> 01:14:38,439 Speaker 1: and he puts up a massive scoring number and they win. 1615 01:14:38,880 --> 01:14:40,760 Speaker 1: But then the next four games, it's like, oh, he's 1616 01:14:40,760 --> 01:14:44,200 Speaker 1: shooting more towards a traditional shooting percentage, but he's not 1617 01:14:44,280 --> 01:14:47,519 Speaker 1: keeping his teammates involved. Jason Tatum's literally like off the 1618 01:14:47,560 --> 01:14:50,559 Speaker 1: reservation mentally doesn't even know what to do. Jalen Brown's 1619 01:14:50,600 --> 01:14:52,240 Speaker 1: hiding in the corner like they just don't know what 1620 01:14:52,280 --> 01:14:54,880 Speaker 1: to do because it's it's not a style of basketball 1621 01:14:55,200 --> 01:14:58,599 Speaker 1: that is conducive to consistent winning, if that makes sense. Yeah, 1622 01:14:58,640 --> 01:15:00,640 Speaker 1: and it's it's funny. We as bad is Lebron and 1623 01:15:00,640 --> 01:15:02,840 Speaker 1: Step played last night. Both their teams got quality looks 1624 01:15:03,000 --> 01:15:05,000 Speaker 1: the entire time down the stretch. There was a couple 1625 01:15:05,040 --> 01:15:07,760 Speaker 1: of possessions late where Brad Wannamaker got a driving lay 1626 01:15:07,840 --> 01:15:09,600 Speaker 1: up kind of like finished around a d on a 1627 01:15:09,680 --> 01:15:11,720 Speaker 1: driving way up, and then got a transition lay up 1628 01:15:11,800 --> 01:15:14,320 Speaker 1: off a Draymond Green bounce pass. Both times, if you 1629 01:15:14,320 --> 01:15:17,360 Speaker 1: watch the first one, that driving way up, it's Step 1630 01:15:17,560 --> 01:15:19,479 Speaker 1: was like kind of near the play. Then he vacated 1631 01:15:19,479 --> 01:15:21,439 Speaker 1: to the corner Dennis Shorder was in his position to help, 1632 01:15:21,479 --> 01:15:22,880 Speaker 1: and then he ran out to step because he you know, 1633 01:15:22,960 --> 01:15:24,679 Speaker 1: he had to cover him. The same thing in transition, 1634 01:15:24,680 --> 01:15:27,560 Speaker 1: Wanta Maker's cutting, Shorter's caught between two. Shorter runs that 1635 01:15:27,600 --> 01:15:29,519 Speaker 1: step at the three point line, and I want to 1636 01:15:29,560 --> 01:15:31,200 Speaker 1: Maker gets a wide open lay up. And I don't 1637 01:15:31,200 --> 01:15:34,200 Speaker 1: think there's any two other guys in the NBA who 1638 01:15:34,240 --> 01:15:36,960 Speaker 1: generate looks like that for their teammates consistently, and that's 1639 01:15:36,960 --> 01:15:38,720 Speaker 1: why their teams always end up winning games because they 1640 01:15:38,760 --> 01:15:40,800 Speaker 1: get the best looks night in the night out. And 1641 01:15:40,920 --> 01:15:44,400 Speaker 1: I get it. It's it's about aesthetics. Like like, you know, 1642 01:15:45,640 --> 01:15:47,639 Speaker 1: there are a lot of people that watch Kevin Durant 1643 01:15:47,680 --> 01:15:51,000 Speaker 1: play basketball and they're like, my god, this guy is 1644 01:15:51,040 --> 01:15:53,599 Speaker 1: the best basketball player I've ever seen. You know, there 1645 01:15:53,600 --> 01:15:55,360 Speaker 1: are people there are people that feel that way when 1646 01:15:55,360 --> 01:15:57,639 Speaker 1: they watch him, And I can't argue with you about 1647 01:15:57,640 --> 01:15:59,400 Speaker 1: the way you feel about that kind of thing. You know. 1648 01:15:59,400 --> 01:16:01,880 Speaker 1: It's it's no different than the fact that the Steph 1649 01:16:01,960 --> 01:16:04,519 Speaker 1: fan base in the Lebron fan base are literally at 1650 01:16:04,520 --> 01:16:06,920 Speaker 1: each other's throats when the reality is that they should 1651 01:16:06,920 --> 01:16:09,799 Speaker 1: be on the same side because they champion the same ideals. 1652 01:16:09,800 --> 01:16:13,040 Speaker 1: Which is like, you know, leadership, uh, caring more about 1653 01:16:13,040 --> 01:16:16,240 Speaker 1: winning than anything else, doing all of these little things 1654 01:16:16,240 --> 01:16:18,960 Speaker 1: that impact winning, that go beyond the stat sheet and 1655 01:16:18,760 --> 01:16:21,880 Speaker 1: and and beyond their own individual highlights. Like those two 1656 01:16:22,120 --> 01:16:25,240 Speaker 1: those two players are are so similar even though they 1657 01:16:25,280 --> 01:16:27,880 Speaker 1: look so different. It's so ironic that their fan bases 1658 01:16:27,880 --> 01:16:30,519 Speaker 1: are are at each other's throats. But the reality is 1659 01:16:30,520 --> 01:16:33,479 Speaker 1: is like, like some people watch Kevin Durant and they're 1660 01:16:33,520 --> 01:16:36,240 Speaker 1: blown away by what he does, and you can't argue 1661 01:16:36,240 --> 01:16:40,040 Speaker 1: with them esthetically. And I can't tell I can't argue 1662 01:16:40,040 --> 01:16:41,840 Speaker 1: with you about that either. Like when I when I 1663 01:16:41,880 --> 01:16:44,400 Speaker 1: go to the to the park or to the gym 1664 01:16:44,479 --> 01:16:46,920 Speaker 1: and I work on my game, I'm not mimicking Lebron. 1665 01:16:47,120 --> 01:16:50,320 Speaker 1: He's not a skill player to emulate, Like I get 1666 01:16:50,360 --> 01:16:54,920 Speaker 1: that I do. But what I love about Lebron is, 1667 01:16:55,160 --> 01:16:57,640 Speaker 1: you know, I can simplify what he does down to 1668 01:16:57,760 --> 01:17:01,120 Speaker 1: results that are that are strictly based on the on 1669 01:17:01,240 --> 01:17:04,559 Speaker 1: winning and all of these things. And that's what's so 1670 01:17:04,640 --> 01:17:07,840 Speaker 1: cool about having him as potentially the greatest basketball player ever, 1671 01:17:08,520 --> 01:17:10,760 Speaker 1: is like that's a guy that you should emulate as 1672 01:17:10,760 --> 01:17:14,160 Speaker 1: a playing style, not as a skill style. Like ideally, 1673 01:17:14,200 --> 01:17:16,320 Speaker 1: if you could combine the two, you'd have this like 1674 01:17:16,400 --> 01:17:18,920 Speaker 1: superhuman basketball player that would never lose a game. But 1675 01:17:18,960 --> 01:17:22,160 Speaker 1: it's like, you, guys like Stephan and Lebron, they're the 1676 01:17:22,200 --> 01:17:26,360 Speaker 1: guys that people should be watching, not these Trey Young 1677 01:17:26,400 --> 01:17:28,599 Speaker 1: and James Harden types that lead me to go play 1678 01:17:28,680 --> 01:17:31,880 Speaker 1: pickup games that you know, at the local park before 1679 01:17:31,880 --> 01:17:34,679 Speaker 1: the virus, and I'm seeing some kid takes seventeen dribbles 1680 01:17:34,680 --> 01:17:36,720 Speaker 1: into step back jump shot. I'm like, what are you doing, man, Like, 1681 01:17:36,760 --> 01:17:38,280 Speaker 1: you're not that guy, Like I don't know what I 1682 01:17:38,320 --> 01:17:41,160 Speaker 1: don't know what you're doing, and then inevitably that team 1683 01:17:41,200 --> 01:17:44,400 Speaker 1: ends up losing, Like it's just the I I feel 1684 01:17:44,479 --> 01:17:48,880 Speaker 1: very passionately about this because, like I I think it's 1685 01:17:48,920 --> 01:17:51,040 Speaker 1: important for the health of the league to, you know, 1686 01:17:51,080 --> 01:17:54,559 Speaker 1: like you want to to champion guys that do the 1687 01:17:54,600 --> 01:17:57,160 Speaker 1: things that lead to winning. But yeah, I'm not I'm 1688 01:17:57,160 --> 01:17:59,840 Speaker 1: never gonna be able to convince you that Lebron is 1689 01:17:59,880 --> 01:18:02,400 Speaker 1: a better player than Kevin Durant by using anything other 1690 01:18:02,439 --> 01:18:04,960 Speaker 1: than the fact that he's won, Like that's literally all 1691 01:18:04,960 --> 01:18:08,000 Speaker 1: I can do, because he doesn't he doesn't tangibly do 1692 01:18:08,040 --> 01:18:10,360 Speaker 1: anything better than Kevin Durant other than pass the basketball 1693 01:18:10,360 --> 01:18:14,040 Speaker 1: and defend. You know, like, but he but he just 1694 01:18:14,600 --> 01:18:17,000 Speaker 1: he understands how to win basketball games at such a 1695 01:18:17,080 --> 01:18:19,400 Speaker 1: high level. And there's no real way to quantify that 1696 01:18:19,479 --> 01:18:23,000 Speaker 1: other than, hey, he's literally won four championships and ben 1697 01:18:23,040 --> 01:18:24,840 Speaker 1: to the finals ten of the last four team years. 1698 01:18:25,240 --> 01:18:26,720 Speaker 1: That's all I can tell you, you know, and I 1699 01:18:26,760 --> 01:18:29,120 Speaker 1: think you can you can boil a lot of the 1700 01:18:29,120 --> 01:18:31,960 Speaker 1: honest's issues down to like being told to lean into 1701 01:18:32,000 --> 01:18:34,000 Speaker 1: like a more hardened type of style, right where like 1702 01:18:34,040 --> 01:18:36,360 Speaker 1: you gotta be the guy that creates everything. It's like, no, dude, 1703 01:18:36,360 --> 01:18:37,880 Speaker 1: you could be like the best screener in the league 1704 01:18:37,880 --> 01:18:41,400 Speaker 1: if you want to be, if it could be one 1705 01:18:41,439 --> 01:18:43,040 Speaker 1: of the best cutters in the league. You could, Like 1706 01:18:43,280 --> 01:18:45,320 Speaker 1: Janice has so many things that he's not tapping into 1707 01:18:45,360 --> 01:18:47,040 Speaker 1: currently because he's been told, oh, you've got to be 1708 01:18:47,040 --> 01:18:49,559 Speaker 1: this on ball creator. Oh just bully everybody in dunked 1709 01:18:49,560 --> 01:18:50,960 Speaker 1: the ball. It's like, no, you have so much more 1710 01:18:51,000 --> 01:18:53,439 Speaker 1: in your skill set. They're gonna cut, They're not to screen, 1711 01:18:53,640 --> 01:18:56,320 Speaker 1: They're how to like pass quickly and make quick decisions. 1712 01:18:56,320 --> 01:18:58,439 Speaker 1: So you know, instead of your teammate getting a half 1713 01:18:58,439 --> 01:19:00,680 Speaker 1: contested book, now he's getting a wide open look like 1714 01:19:00,880 --> 01:19:03,360 Speaker 1: it's all these little things that both like you're alluding 1715 01:19:03,360 --> 01:19:06,559 Speaker 1: to Stephan Lebron do that it's stuff that you really 1716 01:19:06,560 --> 01:19:09,679 Speaker 1: can't quantify. Right, It's as good as like tracking stuff 1717 01:19:09,880 --> 01:19:12,000 Speaker 1: and analytics have got. You still can't quantify the things 1718 01:19:12,000 --> 01:19:13,879 Speaker 1: that they do on a night to night basis. Besides, 1719 01:19:13,880 --> 01:19:16,479 Speaker 1: you know, every time the p I p M numbers 1720 01:19:16,479 --> 01:19:18,680 Speaker 1: come out or like this new Lebron metric, those two 1721 01:19:18,760 --> 01:19:20,760 Speaker 1: are always near the top, right there, always at the 1722 01:19:20,800 --> 01:19:24,120 Speaker 1: top because they consistently affect winning more than anybody else 1723 01:19:24,439 --> 01:19:29,400 Speaker 1: every single year. Agree. Well, I've taken your time for 1724 01:19:29,439 --> 01:19:32,120 Speaker 1: an hour and twenty minutes, um, and we still didn't 1725 01:19:32,160 --> 01:19:35,080 Speaker 1: get to everything we were supposed to talk about. But 1726 01:19:35,120 --> 01:19:36,840 Speaker 1: we got a long season and plenty of time to 1727 01:19:36,880 --> 01:19:39,720 Speaker 1: cover everything. Um, everyone who hung out and watched. I 1728 01:19:39,760 --> 01:19:42,800 Speaker 1: really appreciate you guys and appreciate your support. Tommy, I 1729 01:19:42,840 --> 01:19:45,760 Speaker 1: hope to I'm out of town from Saturday. I'm going 1730 01:19:45,840 --> 01:19:49,240 Speaker 1: to Park City for one last ski trip this year. 1731 01:19:49,280 --> 01:19:50,840 Speaker 1: Although I may do a couple of day trips. I'm 1732 01:19:50,840 --> 01:19:54,000 Speaker 1: like completely hooked on skiing here, but I plan on. 1733 01:19:54,680 --> 01:19:57,280 Speaker 1: I think I get back Tuesday night, so we'll probably 1734 01:19:57,280 --> 01:20:00,479 Speaker 1: shoot Wednesday or Thursday. At that point perfect. Let's do 1735 01:20:00,520 --> 01:20:03,200 Speaker 1: it all right man, I will talk to you next week. 1736 01:20:03,200 --> 01:20:05,040 Speaker 1: Everybody else, enjoy the rest of your night and we 1737 01:20:05,080 --> 01:20:05,720 Speaker 1: will see soon