1 00:00:16,079 --> 00:00:18,480 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Jason timp Podcast. Thank you guys so 2 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:21,360 Speaker 1: much for taking time out of your Monday, your busy 3 00:00:21,440 --> 00:00:23,880 Speaker 1: Monday mornings to come hang out talk some basketball with me. 4 00:00:23,920 --> 00:00:28,040 Speaker 1: I hope you all had a great weekend. UM. I 5 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:30,600 Speaker 1: really really appreciate those of you who took time out 6 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:33,320 Speaker 1: of your day the other day to review the podcast 7 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:37,160 Speaker 1: and to drop some ratings as well. If you guys 8 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:40,600 Speaker 1: have not done so yet, UM, I'd really appreciate it. 9 00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:42,239 Speaker 1: Even if you don't have time to write something up, 10 00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:43,960 Speaker 1: it doesn't take any time at all just to run 11 00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:47,239 Speaker 1: in there and give it a quick rating. Um. But 12 00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:50,400 Speaker 1: as usually, I appreciate you guys support. UM. I was 13 00:00:50,479 --> 00:00:53,440 Speaker 1: planning on waiting to to talk to Tommy, which we 14 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:55,360 Speaker 1: were gonna do on either Tuesday or Wednesday this week, 15 00:00:55,360 --> 00:00:56,600 Speaker 1: but I just had a lot of stuff on my 16 00:00:56,640 --> 00:00:58,320 Speaker 1: mind this morning, so I figured why not just do 17 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:02,560 Speaker 1: three pods this week? So um uh, playing on Tommy 18 00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:04,920 Speaker 1: sometime in the next couple of days, and then at 19 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:06,520 Speaker 1: the end of the week, I'm hoping to have Rage 20 00:01:06,520 --> 00:01:08,600 Speaker 1: on you guys know unwritten rules. I'm gonna try to 21 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:10,520 Speaker 1: have him on to talk some Lakers stuff later in 22 00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:12,679 Speaker 1: the week, but today, I want to talk about last 23 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:14,880 Speaker 1: night's Laker Nugget game to talk a little bit about 24 00:01:14,920 --> 00:01:16,360 Speaker 1: my takeaway is a little bit about the A D 25 00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:19,200 Speaker 1: situation and a little bit about what the next few 26 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:21,720 Speaker 1: months are gonna look like for that team. Uh, And 27 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:23,839 Speaker 1: then I want to talk about what the league landscape 28 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:25,800 Speaker 1: looks like in terms of the contenders. I think it's 29 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:28,600 Speaker 1: really really interesting how things have shaken out over the 30 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:31,080 Speaker 1: last couple of weeks in terms of the teams that 31 00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:34,000 Speaker 1: have a realistic chance to win the championship and kind 32 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:36,000 Speaker 1: of how that what we need to keep an eye 33 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:38,280 Speaker 1: on in the coming months, especially as far as those 34 00:01:38,319 --> 00:01:41,200 Speaker 1: matchups concerned. And then lastly, I had some thoughts on 35 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:43,480 Speaker 1: you know, one of the big themes from last night 36 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:46,600 Speaker 1: was discussion about, you know, just the way that basketball 37 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:49,520 Speaker 1: has changed over the last few decades, and uh, you 38 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:52,760 Speaker 1: know what it means for the league moving forward, especially 39 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:55,880 Speaker 1: as it especially as as it pertains to the palatability 40 00:01:55,920 --> 00:01:57,720 Speaker 1: of the sport, like how much fun it is to 41 00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:00,880 Speaker 1: actually watch the game. Um. So we'll get to all 42 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:03,520 Speaker 1: of those things at some point. As far as the 43 00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:06,360 Speaker 1: Lakers Nuggets go, last night is a classic throwaway game. 44 00:02:06,360 --> 00:02:08,720 Speaker 1: I talked about this all the time. You know, as 45 00:02:08,720 --> 00:02:11,280 Speaker 1: far as the regular season goes, you know, even on 46 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:14,320 Speaker 1: a good day, when both teams are healthy and both 47 00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:17,000 Speaker 1: teams are trying hard, there are only so many things 48 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:19,960 Speaker 1: you can take away because there's so much random stuff 49 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:21,760 Speaker 1: that can happen in a regular season, whether it's a 50 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:24,120 Speaker 1: road trip affecting a team, or you know, one guy 51 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:25,919 Speaker 1: is in a particular slump or whatever it may be. 52 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:30,240 Speaker 1: You know, a playoff series has the length that allows 53 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:32,680 Speaker 1: that stuff to kind of flush out, whereas in a 54 00:02:32,760 --> 00:02:35,160 Speaker 1: random regular season matchup there can be all sorts of noise. 55 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:37,600 Speaker 1: A great example of that is the Bucks last year 56 00:02:37,639 --> 00:02:42,040 Speaker 1: in Milwaukee beating the Lakers, especially like just jumping on 57 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:44,799 Speaker 1: them in the first half, Yannice making like five threes. 58 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:47,360 Speaker 1: That's not something you can really depend on in a 59 00:02:47,360 --> 00:02:50,160 Speaker 1: playoff series. But in the regular season you also have 60 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:53,440 Speaker 1: these like complete throwaway games. You know, one team just 61 00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:55,680 Speaker 1: brings a trash effort, so it's clear that they're just 62 00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:57,880 Speaker 1: not in it the way the other team is. You know, 63 00:02:57,919 --> 00:03:00,160 Speaker 1: there's injuries that can play a role. There's so many 64 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:03,280 Speaker 1: different things that can happen in a random regular season 65 00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:05,679 Speaker 1: game that kind of make the result pointless. And last 66 00:03:05,720 --> 00:03:07,600 Speaker 1: night's game was a great example of that. You know, 67 00:03:07,639 --> 00:03:10,840 Speaker 1: the Lakers come out early, the uh, they're playing really 68 00:03:10,919 --> 00:03:13,120 Speaker 1: really well. There, it looks like it's gonna be some 69 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:16,120 Speaker 1: sort of meaningful game. A D gets hurt, you know, 70 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:19,040 Speaker 1: when a D gets hurt, there down five, and the 71 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:21,960 Speaker 1: wind just gets taken out of the sales and for 72 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:23,560 Speaker 1: the rest of the game, they don't even look like 73 00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:26,760 Speaker 1: the Lakers. They're not flying around in the rotations, they're 74 00:03:26,760 --> 00:03:29,120 Speaker 1: not playing hard anymore. It just kind of looked like 75 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:31,400 Speaker 1: they let go of the rope. And I don't think 76 00:03:31,440 --> 00:03:33,840 Speaker 1: that that's super uncommon. I mean, at that point they 77 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:35,560 Speaker 1: didn't know what was going on with a D. You 78 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:38,120 Speaker 1: have to understand, like at that point, a D is 79 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:40,760 Speaker 1: limping off, you know, after he takes the free throws, 80 00:03:41,160 --> 00:03:43,400 Speaker 1: the Nuggets in bound the ball and go the other way, 81 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:45,600 Speaker 1: and literally they have to take a foul because a 82 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:47,640 Speaker 1: D is not moving from the free throw line. Like 83 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:49,880 Speaker 1: it's a little freaky, you know. And you know, now 84 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:51,760 Speaker 1: we we find out after the fact that a D 85 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:54,400 Speaker 1: is probably okay. I mean, we're gonna see the results 86 00:03:54,440 --> 00:03:56,840 Speaker 1: later today. Um. The reason why I didn't wait for 87 00:03:56,840 --> 00:03:59,440 Speaker 1: the results to record this is. I kind of don't 88 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:02,320 Speaker 1: think it makes much of a difference if it's if 89 00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:05,200 Speaker 1: it's really a strain, meaning like the tendon got stretched, 90 00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:08,120 Speaker 1: it's gonna be a couple of months off. Right. If 91 00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:11,520 Speaker 1: it's not a strain and it's just the normal tendonosis stuff, 92 00:04:12,200 --> 00:04:14,200 Speaker 1: he's still gonna have to take a couple of months off. Like, 93 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:16,520 Speaker 1: no matter what comes out of this mr I results 94 00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:19,239 Speaker 1: short of a partial tear, which hopefully that's not the case. 95 00:04:19,520 --> 00:04:21,880 Speaker 1: But whatever comes out of this m r I, they're 96 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:24,240 Speaker 1: gonna have to rest him for a while. So more 97 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:25,880 Speaker 1: or less, it's gonna be the same issue for the 98 00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:29,279 Speaker 1: Lakers regardless of what happens. But I think it's important 99 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:31,520 Speaker 1: to look at a d as a whole coming into 100 00:04:31,560 --> 00:04:35,160 Speaker 1: this injury and realize what's kind of going on with him. 101 00:04:35,279 --> 00:04:37,160 Speaker 1: It kind of reminds me a little bit of Lebron 102 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:40,440 Speaker 1: in the two thousand fifteen season. If you remember, he 103 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:44,960 Speaker 1: goes on this weird Pesketerian diet over the summer. He's 104 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:47,000 Speaker 1: dropped a bunch of weight. He's down to like two 105 00:04:47,040 --> 00:04:50,159 Speaker 1: forty or something, and in the interviews he's like, Oh, 106 00:04:50,200 --> 00:04:53,320 Speaker 1: I'm I'm quicker, you know. The league's in trouble. I'm quicker, 107 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:54,880 Speaker 1: this is gonna be great. And then he comes into 108 00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:57,040 Speaker 1: the season and it's very clear that even though he's 109 00:04:57,040 --> 00:04:59,720 Speaker 1: lost some weight, he's nowhere near his athletic as he 110 00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:02,120 Speaker 1: used to be. He's not able to bully people anymore. 111 00:05:02,240 --> 00:05:04,839 Speaker 1: Then he's got this back spasm stuff and he's barely 112 00:05:04,839 --> 00:05:07,080 Speaker 1: getting off the ground when he jumps. It just looks 113 00:05:07,080 --> 00:05:09,600 Speaker 1: like something's wrong. And he was twenty nine years old, 114 00:05:09,640 --> 00:05:11,680 Speaker 1: like it was. It was ridiculous for him to look 115 00:05:11,720 --> 00:05:14,640 Speaker 1: that way. And uh So then one ends up happening 116 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:17,200 Speaker 1: is he takes a couple of weeks off and uh 117 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:20,440 Speaker 1: just kind of focuses on rebuilding his strength, and then 118 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:22,200 Speaker 1: he comes back and looks more or less like the 119 00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:24,720 Speaker 1: old Lebron and and that at that at some point 120 00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:26,920 Speaker 1: you just got to acknowledge that it's not you're not 121 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:29,360 Speaker 1: playing very well and it's time to get healthy. And 122 00:05:29,400 --> 00:05:30,719 Speaker 1: I think that's kind of where we're at with a 123 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:32,560 Speaker 1: D because if you look at it, you know, Tim 124 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:34,960 Speaker 1: Crantis was talking about this this morning and his little, 125 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:38,080 Speaker 1: uh film breakdown he was doing on Twitter, But you know, 126 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:40,040 Speaker 1: I noticed the same thing last night, Like a D 127 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:43,479 Speaker 1: is just not very good right now. Like it's forget 128 00:05:43,520 --> 00:05:46,359 Speaker 1: about like him going down with injury. Before the injury, 129 00:05:46,560 --> 00:05:48,479 Speaker 1: and and in the several games leading up to this, 130 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:50,920 Speaker 1: like he'll have some games where he's putting up big 131 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:53,200 Speaker 1: numbers just by getting some offensive rebound put backs and 132 00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:55,400 Speaker 1: finishing a bunch of stuff around the rim. But this 133 00:05:55,480 --> 00:05:58,160 Speaker 1: is not the same guy that we saw in the bubble. 134 00:05:58,440 --> 00:06:00,640 Speaker 1: He can't shoot anymore, or at least nowhere near as 135 00:06:00,640 --> 00:06:03,040 Speaker 1: well as he used to, nowhere near as confidently as 136 00:06:03,040 --> 00:06:05,279 Speaker 1: he used to. He's not very quick, he's not beating 137 00:06:05,279 --> 00:06:08,400 Speaker 1: people off the dribble. He's just having a bad year. 138 00:06:08,480 --> 00:06:10,320 Speaker 1: And I don't think it's his fault. I think it 139 00:06:10,440 --> 00:06:13,279 Speaker 1: is health related. But let's acknowledge what it is. A 140 00:06:13,440 --> 00:06:16,080 Speaker 1: d went from being you know, the second or third 141 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:18,440 Speaker 1: best player in basketball, you know, coming out of the 142 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:21,159 Speaker 1: bubble last year too. Now he looks like the fifteen 143 00:06:21,240 --> 00:06:24,320 Speaker 1: best player in basketball. And it's health related. So sit 144 00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:27,320 Speaker 1: his ass down, let him get healthy, don't even don't 145 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:30,200 Speaker 1: even mess around with this at this point, because you're 146 00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:33,279 Speaker 1: gonna absolutely need him at some point um in order 147 00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:34,839 Speaker 1: to have any chance of winning the title. And I 148 00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:38,279 Speaker 1: talked about this that this morning. But you know, of 149 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:39,720 Speaker 1: all of the teams, we're gonna talk about this in 150 00:06:39,760 --> 00:06:41,719 Speaker 1: a minute too, with the contenders, of all of the 151 00:06:41,760 --> 00:06:44,479 Speaker 1: teams that are in contention for a championship, none of 152 00:06:44,520 --> 00:06:46,760 Speaker 1: them are capable of withstanding and injury to one of 153 00:06:46,760 --> 00:06:49,560 Speaker 1: their core star players. That's just the reality of the situation. 154 00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:51,640 Speaker 1: You just can't. The league is too talented. I mean 155 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:54,440 Speaker 1: I I used the two thousand nineteen Warriors as an example. 156 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:58,000 Speaker 1: That's the most talent that has ever been put together 157 00:06:58,080 --> 00:07:01,160 Speaker 1: on a roster, that two thousand seventeen too, thousand nineteen Warriors, 158 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:04,520 Speaker 1: Kevin Durant goes down. They can't win. You know, they 159 00:07:04,600 --> 00:07:07,359 Speaker 1: get they get fortunate to catch an inferior team in 160 00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:09,800 Speaker 1: the Western Conference finals. They get through, and then they 161 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:11,520 Speaker 1: steal a game late in the finals, but they that 162 00:07:11,560 --> 00:07:14,200 Speaker 1: they very very easily could have lost in five. That 163 00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:17,120 Speaker 1: team wasn't the same when they lost their stars. And 164 00:07:17,120 --> 00:07:19,760 Speaker 1: and that's just a harsh reality of the way the 165 00:07:19,800 --> 00:07:23,480 Speaker 1: league works. Health is ultimately the most important thing, and 166 00:07:23,560 --> 00:07:26,480 Speaker 1: at this point all that matters is getting a d healthy, 167 00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:29,080 Speaker 1: even more so than the seating and and the Lakers 168 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:31,720 Speaker 1: kind of have a luxury here because of their home 169 00:07:31,760 --> 00:07:34,600 Speaker 1: court advantage situation. I talked about this last night. You know, 170 00:07:34,920 --> 00:07:38,720 Speaker 1: I don't think people are fully aware of how quickly 171 00:07:38,840 --> 00:07:43,040 Speaker 1: the whole you know, optics surrounding coronavirus are about to 172 00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:46,920 Speaker 1: change because the way that this vaccination plan goes down. 173 00:07:46,960 --> 00:07:49,560 Speaker 1: You know, you might think, uh, it's gonna take forever 174 00:07:49,680 --> 00:07:51,800 Speaker 1: for the world to get vaccinated. That's true, it's gonna 175 00:07:51,840 --> 00:07:54,320 Speaker 1: take like a year for the entire world to get vaccinated. 176 00:07:54,440 --> 00:07:58,000 Speaker 1: But they're gonna vaccinate all of the elderly people, all 177 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:02,280 Speaker 1: of the people with chronic health conditions first. So realistically, 178 00:08:02,360 --> 00:08:05,240 Speaker 1: within the next like month or two, you're gonna see 179 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:09,400 Speaker 1: death rates fall to almost zero. They're gonna plummet way way, way, 180 00:08:09,440 --> 00:08:11,960 Speaker 1: way way down. We're only seeing a handful of deaths 181 00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:14,160 Speaker 1: out of each state every couple of weeks. That's that's 182 00:08:14,280 --> 00:08:17,040 Speaker 1: my prediction based on just common sense having to do 183 00:08:17,120 --> 00:08:19,520 Speaker 1: with vaccinating all of the people that COVID has been 184 00:08:19,560 --> 00:08:22,000 Speaker 1: killing over the last few months. So as a result 185 00:08:22,040 --> 00:08:25,320 Speaker 1: of that, when the case numbers dip way down, case 186 00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:28,040 Speaker 1: numbers already down like six for whatever from what they 187 00:08:28,040 --> 00:08:30,320 Speaker 1: were a month ago, deaths are gonna start falling down. 188 00:08:30,360 --> 00:08:32,240 Speaker 1: You know, who's gonna be the first to jump on that. 189 00:08:32,800 --> 00:08:35,280 Speaker 1: Rich guys. Rich guys are gonna jump on that. So 190 00:08:35,320 --> 00:08:37,360 Speaker 1: all of these dudes who own these NBA teams, they're 191 00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:40,319 Speaker 1: gonna put fans and stadiums, So you're gonna see I 192 00:08:40,320 --> 00:08:42,960 Speaker 1: would bet that all twenty playoff teams are gonna have 193 00:08:43,040 --> 00:08:45,280 Speaker 1: some form of crowd. I wouldn't be surprised if some 194 00:08:45,320 --> 00:08:48,200 Speaker 1: of the more conservative conservative states attempts to really pack 195 00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:51,320 Speaker 1: the stadiums. It's gonna be like a home crowd type 196 00:08:51,360 --> 00:08:54,720 Speaker 1: of environment all the way around the country come playoff time. 197 00:08:55,040 --> 00:08:58,200 Speaker 1: The Lakers have the best ability to capitalize on that 198 00:08:58,440 --> 00:09:00,199 Speaker 1: because they have fans in every road or you know, 199 00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:02,640 Speaker 1: and you know, even when they get into a potential 200 00:09:02,679 --> 00:09:05,600 Speaker 1: matchup with the Clippers, they're gonna have seven home games. 201 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:08,160 Speaker 1: So as much as seeding matters for other teams, and 202 00:09:08,200 --> 00:09:11,040 Speaker 1: don't get me wrong, seeding does matter even just within 203 00:09:11,080 --> 00:09:14,640 Speaker 1: who you play in your matchups, it matters a little 204 00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:16,800 Speaker 1: less to the Lakers than it does to the other 205 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:19,960 Speaker 1: teams because of their ability to capitalize on their massive 206 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:23,319 Speaker 1: fan base and the in home court advantage that they'll 207 00:09:23,320 --> 00:09:27,520 Speaker 1: be able to play with throughout h throughout their playoff runs. 208 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:30,120 Speaker 1: So it just get a d healthy. You can't win 209 00:09:30,160 --> 00:09:33,640 Speaker 1: without him anyway. Uh, Lebron might be able to make 210 00:09:33,679 --> 00:09:35,400 Speaker 1: this happen, and we're gonna talk about that in a second. 211 00:09:35,480 --> 00:09:37,760 Speaker 1: But at the end of the day, as long as 212 00:09:37,760 --> 00:09:40,320 Speaker 1: you stay in those top four seeds in the West, 213 00:09:40,800 --> 00:09:42,600 Speaker 1: you know, you're gonna be going into Phoenix and there's 214 00:09:42,600 --> 00:09:44,120 Speaker 1: gonna be a lot of Laker fans there. You're gonna 215 00:09:44,120 --> 00:09:46,199 Speaker 1: be going into you know, Utah, there's gonna be some 216 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:48,520 Speaker 1: Laker fans there. So it's not it's not the end 217 00:09:48,520 --> 00:09:51,400 Speaker 1: of the world as it pertains to UM, as it 218 00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:54,880 Speaker 1: pertains to the home court advantage situation. So let's talk 219 00:09:54,920 --> 00:09:58,439 Speaker 1: about Lebron because you know, for starters. You know, if 220 00:09:58,480 --> 00:10:01,280 Speaker 1: you look back historically, this is something Lebron has done 221 00:10:01,679 --> 00:10:03,680 Speaker 1: like a half dozen times in his career if you 222 00:10:03,679 --> 00:10:06,800 Speaker 1: look back. Okay, so you think you know, two thousand twelve, 223 00:10:07,160 --> 00:10:09,440 Speaker 1: he has to carry the team for an extensive stretch 224 00:10:09,440 --> 00:10:11,760 Speaker 1: in a playoff run because Chris Bosh goes down with 225 00:10:11,800 --> 00:10:14,559 Speaker 1: an abdominal strain. You know, two thousand thirteen and two 226 00:10:14,559 --> 00:10:19,679 Speaker 1: thousand fourteen, you have issues with uh uh two two 227 00:10:19,679 --> 00:10:21,599 Speaker 1: thousand fourteen, you have issues with Dayne Wade and his 228 00:10:21,679 --> 00:10:25,600 Speaker 1: knee in two thousand fourteen, In particular, Dwyane Wade missed 229 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:27,360 Speaker 1: a significant chunk of the regular season. I think you 230 00:10:27,400 --> 00:10:30,559 Speaker 1: missed like thirty games. So and then you fast forward, 231 00:10:30,559 --> 00:10:34,040 Speaker 1: it's like, Uh, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love go down 232 00:10:34,040 --> 00:10:37,200 Speaker 1: in two thousand fifteen. Kyrie Irving misses like a whole 233 00:10:37,320 --> 00:10:39,599 Speaker 1: chunk of the season in two thousand sixteen at the 234 00:10:39,640 --> 00:10:42,000 Speaker 1: start of the year because he's still recovering from the 235 00:10:42,040 --> 00:10:45,559 Speaker 1: knee situation. Two thousand eighteen, Kevin Love misses I think 236 00:10:45,600 --> 00:10:48,280 Speaker 1: twenty something games as a result of uh. I think 237 00:10:48,320 --> 00:10:51,320 Speaker 1: he was having I can't even remember what his problem was, 238 00:10:51,320 --> 00:10:53,040 Speaker 1: but I think it was I think it was lower bodies, 239 00:10:53,040 --> 00:10:55,000 Speaker 1: some leg injury. But Kevin Love missed a bunch of 240 00:10:55,000 --> 00:10:57,320 Speaker 1: games in two thousand eighteen, and Lebron had to carry 241 00:10:57,360 --> 00:11:00,520 Speaker 1: the team for extensive stretches. So point being, Lebron has 242 00:11:00,520 --> 00:11:02,720 Speaker 1: a lot of experience dealing with this kind of thing. 243 00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:05,600 Speaker 1: And if there's one silver lining, his team is right 244 00:11:05,640 --> 00:11:08,959 Speaker 1: now as currently constructed without a D is better than 245 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:10,920 Speaker 1: some of those teams. They've got a lot of youth, 246 00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:14,720 Speaker 1: they've got a lot of athleticism, They're still very good defensively. 247 00:11:14,760 --> 00:11:16,679 Speaker 1: As I keep saying, everyone wants to pretend the defense 248 00:11:16,760 --> 00:11:19,240 Speaker 1: is all about Anthony Davis, and he's important to that, 249 00:11:19,640 --> 00:11:21,800 Speaker 1: but that's not the only reason they defend. They defend 250 00:11:21,840 --> 00:11:24,680 Speaker 1: extremely well with their guards, they defend extremely well with 251 00:11:24,679 --> 00:11:27,160 Speaker 1: their rotations and their focus and everything. It's it's a 252 00:11:27,280 --> 00:11:29,680 Speaker 1: very good defensive team with or without a D and 253 00:11:29,679 --> 00:11:34,120 Speaker 1: the numbers show that for the record. But essentially, Lebron 254 00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:35,439 Speaker 1: is going to have to carry this team for a 255 00:11:35,440 --> 00:11:37,000 Speaker 1: little while, for a couple of months. You know, there's 256 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:40,120 Speaker 1: gonna be roughly thirty games here where he's going to 257 00:11:40,160 --> 00:11:42,720 Speaker 1: have to uh, kind of float them in the standings. 258 00:11:42,760 --> 00:11:45,120 Speaker 1: That's worst case scenario of ads out for a couple 259 00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:47,040 Speaker 1: of months. I mean, maybe it maybe it'll be better 260 00:11:47,040 --> 00:11:49,880 Speaker 1: than that, but assuming the error on the side of 261 00:11:50,040 --> 00:11:53,040 Speaker 1: caution and he misses a couple of months, Lebron is 262 00:11:53,040 --> 00:11:56,440 Speaker 1: gonna have a big workload. And uh, the good news is, 263 00:11:56,480 --> 00:11:58,959 Speaker 1: and I tweeted this last night, the silver lining Lebron 264 00:11:58,960 --> 00:12:01,280 Speaker 1: didn't play particularly well last night. He was another guy 265 00:12:01,280 --> 00:12:04,600 Speaker 1: who is kind of defensive effort slipped quite quite a 266 00:12:04,600 --> 00:12:07,560 Speaker 1: bit after the the d injury. Just like everyone else's 267 00:12:07,600 --> 00:12:13,200 Speaker 1: did Lebron looks amazing physically? Um? You know, in two 268 00:12:13,200 --> 00:12:17,600 Speaker 1: thousand eighteen, he was having one of his most ridiculous 269 00:12:17,679 --> 00:12:20,200 Speaker 1: athletic seasons that we can remember, if you guys, if 270 00:12:20,200 --> 00:12:22,360 Speaker 1: you guys think back to that point, Like he had 271 00:12:22,400 --> 00:12:25,480 Speaker 1: that crazy dunk on Nurkicch that literally looked like he 272 00:12:25,559 --> 00:12:28,320 Speaker 1: was back in his old Cleveland days. You know. In 273 00:12:28,320 --> 00:12:30,120 Speaker 1: the playoff run, he was like throwing lobs off the 274 00:12:30,120 --> 00:12:34,160 Speaker 1: glass to himself, cutting back door and doing like double 275 00:12:34,200 --> 00:12:36,760 Speaker 1: pump reverse dunks and crazy stuff like that. Lebron is 276 00:12:36,800 --> 00:12:39,920 Speaker 1: a ridiculous athlete. In two thousand eighteen, he goes to 277 00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:43,840 Speaker 1: the Lakers and he's still athletic. He's had he had 278 00:12:43,880 --> 00:12:47,160 Speaker 1: some athletic plays, but there was a discernible gap, you know, 279 00:12:47,200 --> 00:12:49,760 Speaker 1: in his athleticism in two thousand nineteen and two thousand 280 00:12:49,760 --> 00:12:52,920 Speaker 1: twenty compared to two thousand eighteen, he still was incredible. 281 00:12:52,920 --> 00:12:54,440 Speaker 1: I mean, the man one of finals MVP and was 282 00:12:54,480 --> 00:12:57,440 Speaker 1: second in in m VP voting, but he didn't quite 283 00:12:57,480 --> 00:12:59,640 Speaker 1: physically look the same. He was relying on a little 284 00:12:59,640 --> 00:13:01,800 Speaker 1: bit more of his old main game, passing the ball 285 00:13:01,800 --> 00:13:04,680 Speaker 1: extremely well, analyzing the game with his brain, you know, 286 00:13:04,960 --> 00:13:07,880 Speaker 1: low post stuff. All of this like uh, you know, 287 00:13:08,040 --> 00:13:10,559 Speaker 1: below the rim type of stuff, you're still getting dunks. 288 00:13:10,559 --> 00:13:12,439 Speaker 1: I'm not saying he completely fell off a cliff, but 289 00:13:12,440 --> 00:13:15,440 Speaker 1: there was a discernible gap. Well. The last two games 290 00:13:15,440 --> 00:13:20,160 Speaker 1: in particular, he's had several plays where he looks like 291 00:13:20,160 --> 00:13:23,760 Speaker 1: two thou eighteen Lebron again, which is deeply confusing, but 292 00:13:23,840 --> 00:13:26,040 Speaker 1: it is what it is. There's the backdoor cut against Memphis, 293 00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:28,840 Speaker 1: Marcus Alt throws in the ball, he's got a tomahawk 294 00:13:28,880 --> 00:13:30,400 Speaker 1: dunk that looks like the one he had in the 295 00:13:30,440 --> 00:13:34,080 Speaker 1: two thousand seventeen playoffs against the Raptors, you know last year. 296 00:13:34,559 --> 00:13:37,640 Speaker 1: Last night, he had that play right before halftime where 297 00:13:37,640 --> 00:13:40,840 Speaker 1: he's basically taken two dribbles from half court, taking off 298 00:13:40,920 --> 00:13:43,000 Speaker 1: just inside the free throw line. Not only did he 299 00:13:43,040 --> 00:13:45,240 Speaker 1: finish the dunk when he finished it kind of aggressively, 300 00:13:45,320 --> 00:13:47,200 Speaker 1: like he probably could have gone another foot or two 301 00:13:47,240 --> 00:13:49,800 Speaker 1: before he had to finish, and stretched for it like that. 302 00:13:49,920 --> 00:13:53,680 Speaker 1: That's he physically looks better than he has in the 303 00:13:53,760 --> 00:13:57,280 Speaker 1: last several years. And so the question becomes, can this 304 00:13:57,440 --> 00:14:01,000 Speaker 1: version of Lebron this you know, eight year eighteen, thirty 305 00:14:01,040 --> 00:14:04,080 Speaker 1: six year old Lebron who is somehow peaking again athletically, 306 00:14:04,480 --> 00:14:07,760 Speaker 1: can he carry the load that he needs to carry 307 00:14:07,760 --> 00:14:09,280 Speaker 1: over the next few weeks. And a big part of 308 00:14:09,320 --> 00:14:11,760 Speaker 1: that is his jump shot, which is kind of faded 309 00:14:11,800 --> 00:14:14,240 Speaker 1: again over the last couple of weeks after he shot 310 00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:17,040 Speaker 1: so well to start the season. Um. But as long 311 00:14:17,080 --> 00:14:19,520 Speaker 1: as he stays healthy, you know, it doesn't get banged 312 00:14:19,560 --> 00:14:21,000 Speaker 1: up a little bit and lose a little bit of 313 00:14:21,040 --> 00:14:25,120 Speaker 1: that that burst that he has, Lebron looks primed to 314 00:14:25,200 --> 00:14:28,680 Speaker 1: be able to handle this elevated workload over the next 315 00:14:28,680 --> 00:14:31,640 Speaker 1: couple of weeks or or potentially next couple of months, 316 00:14:31,640 --> 00:14:36,280 Speaker 1: and so that's something to be optimistic about. Um. But 317 00:14:36,360 --> 00:14:37,800 Speaker 1: at the end of the day, it's gonna come down 318 00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:41,520 Speaker 1: to Lebron playing like that, uh, really really good shooting 319 00:14:41,520 --> 00:14:43,960 Speaker 1: because they haven't shot the ball particularly well as of late, 320 00:14:44,200 --> 00:14:46,680 Speaker 1: and then getting their defensive mojo back, which for the record, 321 00:14:46,720 --> 00:14:49,880 Speaker 1: they've had back at stretches second half against Memphis, they 322 00:14:49,880 --> 00:14:51,960 Speaker 1: looked really good a couple of weeks ago. They looked 323 00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:54,640 Speaker 1: really really good against Denver in Boston in Atlanta, so 324 00:14:54,680 --> 00:14:56,600 Speaker 1: it's still there. But as long as they can kind 325 00:14:56,600 --> 00:14:58,560 Speaker 1: of replicate that over the next few weeks and as 326 00:14:58,600 --> 00:15:00,280 Speaker 1: long as Lebron plays pretty well and as long as 327 00:15:00,280 --> 00:15:02,880 Speaker 1: they make shots, they should still hang around near the 328 00:15:02,880 --> 00:15:05,680 Speaker 1: top of the standings. The Utah Jazz are still coming 329 00:15:05,720 --> 00:15:07,720 Speaker 1: into a stretch here with a bunch of really tough games. 330 00:15:07,920 --> 00:15:10,240 Speaker 1: The Jazz and Clippers play each other twice here in 331 00:15:10,240 --> 00:15:11,920 Speaker 1: the next week. If they split, that that helps in 332 00:15:11,960 --> 00:15:15,840 Speaker 1: the standings. So chances are, you know, uh, and then 333 00:15:15,880 --> 00:15:18,600 Speaker 1: Paul George is having some health issues too, so chances 334 00:15:18,640 --> 00:15:20,440 Speaker 1: are the Clippers and Jazz are gonna be dealing with 335 00:15:20,480 --> 00:15:23,400 Speaker 1: some similar issues to what the Lakers are dealing with 336 00:15:23,440 --> 00:15:26,320 Speaker 1: over the next few weeks. And nothing particularly to worry about. 337 00:15:32,920 --> 00:15:40,760 Speaker 1: All right, We're gonna talk about the contenders in the league. Hmm. 338 00:15:41,480 --> 00:15:44,160 Speaker 1: So the interesting thing about this season is, like, you know, 339 00:15:45,160 --> 00:15:48,120 Speaker 1: with everything that we learned about the Lakers offseason acquisitions. 340 00:15:49,080 --> 00:15:51,720 Speaker 1: You know, Dennis Shooter who who Who's struggling a little 341 00:15:51,720 --> 00:15:55,240 Speaker 1: bit but has been an obvious upgrade over Rondo, Montrese 342 00:15:55,280 --> 00:15:57,400 Speaker 1: Harald who struggled defensively to start the season but has 343 00:15:57,400 --> 00:16:00,000 Speaker 1: been playing a lot better recently defensively. And it's still 344 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:02,600 Speaker 1: one of the biggest mismatch, uh, you know, abusers that 345 00:16:02,640 --> 00:16:05,280 Speaker 1: we have in the league. And with how well Lebron 346 00:16:05,440 --> 00:16:09,960 Speaker 1: was playing, it was very it was very uh possible 347 00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:12,200 Speaker 1: that the Lakers could have come into this season and 348 00:16:12,280 --> 00:16:14,520 Speaker 1: been kind of a juggernaut just started running people over. 349 00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:18,440 Speaker 1: That was always an option here, And ironically a d 350 00:16:18,600 --> 00:16:21,600 Speaker 1: s struggles and his injuries have kind of leveled the 351 00:16:21,640 --> 00:16:25,120 Speaker 1: playing field. And it's been interesting because we kind of 352 00:16:25,160 --> 00:16:28,000 Speaker 1: came into this season thinking the Lakers would run away 353 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:31,560 Speaker 1: with it, and now by my calculations, there are six 354 00:16:31,600 --> 00:16:34,000 Speaker 1: teams that are very much in this and with as 355 00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:36,280 Speaker 1: poorly as a d has been playing, unless he can 356 00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:39,200 Speaker 1: somehow replicate his Bubble performance by getting healthy in the 357 00:16:39,240 --> 00:16:41,680 Speaker 1: next few months, it looks like the Lakers are kind 358 00:16:41,720 --> 00:16:44,280 Speaker 1: of just another team in the pack right now. Um. 359 00:16:44,280 --> 00:16:45,760 Speaker 1: But the other teams that have in that list are 360 00:16:45,800 --> 00:16:50,040 Speaker 1: the Clippers, the Nets, the Jazz, the Suns, and the Sixers. 361 00:16:50,680 --> 00:16:53,200 Speaker 1: Really quickly. Clippers, I think are more or less the 362 00:16:53,240 --> 00:16:54,800 Speaker 1: same team from last year. But I think the team 363 00:16:54,840 --> 00:16:56,360 Speaker 1: from last year was really good. They just had a 364 00:16:56,400 --> 00:16:58,840 Speaker 1: catastrophic collapse as a result of some flaws in the 365 00:16:58,840 --> 00:17:01,960 Speaker 1: way that they're constructed. Um, I personally still think those 366 00:17:01,960 --> 00:17:04,440 Speaker 1: flaws are there. If you ask Clipper fans they'll disagree 367 00:17:04,440 --> 00:17:06,840 Speaker 1: with you. They'll tell you that ty Lou has fixed things. 368 00:17:06,880 --> 00:17:08,600 Speaker 1: They'll tell you that they're moving the ball around more. 369 00:17:08,640 --> 00:17:10,480 Speaker 1: They'll tell you that they're running the triangle. They'll tell 370 00:17:10,520 --> 00:17:13,040 Speaker 1: you that Nick Batoum has solved all of their basketball 371 00:17:13,080 --> 00:17:16,080 Speaker 1: i Q issues as well as sergebaka Uh. To me, 372 00:17:16,440 --> 00:17:18,520 Speaker 1: it's more or less the same issue at the end 373 00:17:18,520 --> 00:17:21,840 Speaker 1: of these playoff games when things really bogged down. You know, um, 374 00:17:22,600 --> 00:17:25,479 Speaker 1: you need to create high quality shots not just for 375 00:17:25,520 --> 00:17:28,280 Speaker 1: yourself but for your teammates over a large sample. If 376 00:17:28,320 --> 00:17:30,080 Speaker 1: it's four minutes to go in a game and the 377 00:17:30,119 --> 00:17:32,959 Speaker 1: game is tied, it's not can I hit one turnaround jumper? 378 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:36,000 Speaker 1: It's can I create eight quality shots over the next 379 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:38,359 Speaker 1: four minutes? Can I create ten quality shots over the 380 00:17:38,440 --> 00:17:40,720 Speaker 1: next four minutes? Like, you have to create a lot 381 00:17:41,119 --> 00:17:44,600 Speaker 1: of quality offense, and in those situations it helps to 382 00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:47,440 Speaker 1: have a good mix of guys who can create easy 383 00:17:47,480 --> 00:17:51,240 Speaker 1: shots for their teammates in addition to creating isolation shots 384 00:17:51,240 --> 00:17:53,200 Speaker 1: for themselves. And I just think that there are better 385 00:17:53,280 --> 00:17:56,240 Speaker 1: teams than them in the league in that regard. That said, 386 00:17:56,640 --> 00:17:59,480 Speaker 1: they still have all of the boxes checked outside of that, 387 00:17:59,680 --> 00:18:04,080 Speaker 1: which automatically makes them a tough potential um a team 388 00:18:04,119 --> 00:18:05,840 Speaker 1: that could potentially go on a run and win it all, 389 00:18:06,160 --> 00:18:09,000 Speaker 1: especially considering all of the teams are flawed. The Lakers, 390 00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:12,359 Speaker 1: a team that appeared flawless now having gaping flaw, which 391 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:15,960 Speaker 1: is Anthony Davis is either a shell of himself or 392 00:18:16,040 --> 00:18:18,800 Speaker 1: potentially could not be available in the playoff runs. So 393 00:18:19,040 --> 00:18:21,760 Speaker 1: those are that's that's the that's the flaw that levels 394 00:18:21,760 --> 00:18:26,520 Speaker 1: the playing field. Moving on to Brooklyn, Uh, I've talked 395 00:18:26,560 --> 00:18:27,920 Speaker 1: at length about these guys, but I don't want to 396 00:18:27,920 --> 00:18:29,359 Speaker 1: wait too and I don't want to dive into it 397 00:18:29,400 --> 00:18:31,600 Speaker 1: too much. But I'm more or less feel the same way. 398 00:18:31,840 --> 00:18:33,600 Speaker 1: They're never gonna have a problem with scoring. That's not 399 00:18:33,680 --> 00:18:36,639 Speaker 1: the issue. However, over the course of a playoff series, 400 00:18:36,880 --> 00:18:39,320 Speaker 1: you know, everyone was talking about this against the Warriors. 401 00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:41,080 Speaker 1: You know, how do you guard this team? How do 402 00:18:41,119 --> 00:18:43,280 Speaker 1: you guard this team? You can't? Like do you can't 403 00:18:43,320 --> 00:18:45,800 Speaker 1: guard any of the really, really good teams. They're gonna 404 00:18:45,840 --> 00:18:47,840 Speaker 1: find a way to score. The teams that are at 405 00:18:47,840 --> 00:18:50,960 Speaker 1: the top of the league. The question becomes what kind 406 00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:53,600 Speaker 1: of shots are you getting? When things really bogged down 407 00:18:53,600 --> 00:18:56,680 Speaker 1: and people start to wear down, that's the key difference. So, 408 00:18:56,960 --> 00:19:00,760 Speaker 1: you know, it's one thing to try to stop Kyrie Irving, 409 00:19:00,880 --> 00:19:03,159 Speaker 1: James Harden and Kevin durandt on a random Tuesday night 410 00:19:03,160 --> 00:19:05,119 Speaker 1: when they come to town. You know, in a regular 411 00:19:05,119 --> 00:19:07,200 Speaker 1: season where they're playing less minutes, where they're not playing 412 00:19:07,200 --> 00:19:10,200 Speaker 1: as much defense, and their legs are feeling really really good. Okay, 413 00:19:10,200 --> 00:19:12,639 Speaker 1: But it changes completely in a playoff series. This is 414 00:19:12,640 --> 00:19:14,440 Speaker 1: what I was talking about in terms of the potential 415 00:19:14,440 --> 00:19:16,880 Speaker 1: matchup against the Lakers. Right, So, if you're playing against 416 00:19:16,920 --> 00:19:20,040 Speaker 1: the Lakers and you're the Brooklyn Nets, it's Kyrie Irving 417 00:19:20,080 --> 00:19:24,080 Speaker 1: and James Harden attacking really good perimeter defensive players for 418 00:19:24,119 --> 00:19:27,600 Speaker 1: an entire series. Okay, So James Harden dealing with Alex 419 00:19:27,680 --> 00:19:31,119 Speaker 1: Caruso and extensive health defense all series long. It's Kyrie 420 00:19:31,160 --> 00:19:34,160 Speaker 1: Irving dealing with Dennis shrewder Ball pressuring him all series long. 421 00:19:34,560 --> 00:19:36,399 Speaker 1: Yes they might go off in Game one, Yes they 422 00:19:36,440 --> 00:19:38,440 Speaker 1: might go off in Game two. But at a certain point, 423 00:19:38,840 --> 00:19:42,760 Speaker 1: if you exclusively rely on contested pull up jump shots 424 00:19:42,760 --> 00:19:45,960 Speaker 1: off the dribble, it's going to become potentially an issue 425 00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:48,160 Speaker 1: over the course of a series, especially against a team 426 00:19:48,160 --> 00:19:50,439 Speaker 1: like the Lakers that's not gonna give you, you know, 427 00:19:50,920 --> 00:19:53,800 Speaker 1: like a bunch of trips down Broadway, especially with Anthony 428 00:19:53,880 --> 00:19:56,679 Speaker 1: Davis on the floor. And so from that standpoint, and 429 00:19:56,680 --> 00:19:58,520 Speaker 1: then on the other end, is you're guarding, you know, 430 00:19:58,560 --> 00:20:00,760 Speaker 1: you're not dealing with a team that has a bunch 431 00:20:00,760 --> 00:20:03,200 Speaker 1: of guys outside of Steph Curry that are uncomfortable creating 432 00:20:03,240 --> 00:20:04,760 Speaker 1: their own shot. It's like, no, no, You're gonna be 433 00:20:04,760 --> 00:20:07,920 Speaker 1: dealing with you know, Dennis shrit Or attacking uh like 434 00:20:08,359 --> 00:20:10,720 Speaker 1: attacking people off switches. You're gonna be dealing with Lebron 435 00:20:10,800 --> 00:20:12,560 Speaker 1: trying to bully you under the basket. You're gonna be 436 00:20:12,560 --> 00:20:15,000 Speaker 1: dealing with Anthony Davis trying to bully you under the basket. 437 00:20:15,240 --> 00:20:18,560 Speaker 1: They're a team that you can wear down physically, so 438 00:20:18,640 --> 00:20:21,320 Speaker 1: that in Game five when the series is three to 439 00:20:21,440 --> 00:20:24,760 Speaker 1: two and you know they're down by you know, five 440 00:20:24,840 --> 00:20:26,560 Speaker 1: or six in the third quarter and they need to 441 00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:29,800 Speaker 1: go on a run, except for Kyrie's exhausted and James 442 00:20:29,800 --> 00:20:32,639 Speaker 1: Harden is exhausted, and you know, Kevin Durant's been playing 443 00:20:32,680 --> 00:20:35,840 Speaker 1: center against all of these Laker bigs. It just gets 444 00:20:35,880 --> 00:20:39,399 Speaker 1: a lot more complicated at that point, um and it 445 00:20:39,640 --> 00:20:41,359 Speaker 1: gets a lot harder to make shots and We've all 446 00:20:41,400 --> 00:20:44,840 Speaker 1: seen it so many times, guys missing contested pull up 447 00:20:44,880 --> 00:20:47,879 Speaker 1: jump shots at the end of playoff games when they're really, 448 00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:51,480 Speaker 1: really tired. That's just that's that's how works. And the 449 00:20:51,560 --> 00:20:53,840 Speaker 1: Lakers are gonna get shots at the front of the 450 00:20:53,920 --> 00:20:57,720 Speaker 1: rim consistently because they have two of the most powerful 451 00:20:57,760 --> 00:21:02,800 Speaker 1: offensive interior players in the league. Um But again that 452 00:21:02,880 --> 00:21:04,760 Speaker 1: the thing with the Nets is as long as Kevin 453 00:21:04,840 --> 00:21:09,199 Speaker 1: Durant can resemble anything close to Anthony Davis defensively, if 454 00:21:09,200 --> 00:21:12,840 Speaker 1: he can be sev of Anthony Davis defensively, they should 455 00:21:12,840 --> 00:21:14,600 Speaker 1: be able to get enough stops to beat most of 456 00:21:14,640 --> 00:21:16,760 Speaker 1: the teams in the league. It's more a Laker matchup 457 00:21:16,800 --> 00:21:19,240 Speaker 1: that I think could be a problem with them. Philly 458 00:21:19,320 --> 00:21:21,560 Speaker 1: is another team that's wired that way. A ton of 459 00:21:21,600 --> 00:21:25,280 Speaker 1: ball pressure defensive players, a ton of length size under 460 00:21:25,280 --> 00:21:28,280 Speaker 1: the basket to really wear them down defensively, and then 461 00:21:28,320 --> 00:21:30,600 Speaker 1: a lot of physical mismatches on the other end like 462 00:21:30,800 --> 00:21:34,840 Speaker 1: Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, Joel em beat offensive attack against 463 00:21:34,840 --> 00:21:37,359 Speaker 1: the lack of size that Brooklyn has could become a 464 00:21:37,400 --> 00:21:41,120 Speaker 1: serious problem. U The Jazz I think are the weakest 465 00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:44,040 Speaker 1: of all of the contenders. The six that I listed. Uh. 466 00:21:44,080 --> 00:21:47,000 Speaker 1: The thing with the Jazz is, you know, I always 467 00:21:47,000 --> 00:21:48,960 Speaker 1: talk about three things that you need in order to 468 00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:51,600 Speaker 1: contend for a championship. You need to be an elite 469 00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:54,000 Speaker 1: defensive team, which I believe the Jazz are. You need 470 00:21:54,040 --> 00:21:56,879 Speaker 1: to have offensive versatility, and then you need to have 471 00:21:56,960 --> 00:21:59,720 Speaker 1: alpha's that can step to the biggest stars in the league. 472 00:22:00,040 --> 00:22:02,399 Speaker 1: Those last two for me with the Jazz are a 473 00:22:02,440 --> 00:22:05,919 Speaker 1: little iffy. You know. Donovan Mitchell certainly can, and we 474 00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:08,080 Speaker 1: have seen him step up to Jamal Murray in a 475 00:22:08,080 --> 00:22:10,440 Speaker 1: playoff series. We've seen him step up to Russell Westbrooke 476 00:22:10,440 --> 00:22:12,920 Speaker 1: in a playoff series. The question becomes, can he step 477 00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:16,080 Speaker 1: up to the elite tiers of stars in the entire league? 478 00:22:16,359 --> 00:22:18,520 Speaker 1: Can he be in a close game, in a late 479 00:22:18,520 --> 00:22:21,320 Speaker 1: playoff game against a guy like Lebron, against a guy 480 00:22:21,320 --> 00:22:24,400 Speaker 1: like Kawhile Leonard, you know, against a guy like Chris 481 00:22:24,440 --> 00:22:26,320 Speaker 1: Paul who has been there so many times? Can he 482 00:22:26,359 --> 00:22:28,879 Speaker 1: be in those situations and can he be the better 483 00:22:28,880 --> 00:22:31,800 Speaker 1: player on the floor. Yes, he can, That's why he's 484 00:22:31,800 --> 00:22:34,200 Speaker 1: in the contender list with the rest of his team. 485 00:22:34,240 --> 00:22:36,840 Speaker 1: But I feel less confident about him in that regard 486 00:22:37,040 --> 00:22:39,040 Speaker 1: than some of the other guys. He's gonna be going against. 487 00:22:39,359 --> 00:22:42,080 Speaker 1: As far as offensive versatility, I actually worry about them 488 00:22:42,080 --> 00:22:44,080 Speaker 1: a little bit more in that respect, you know, because 489 00:22:44,119 --> 00:22:46,480 Speaker 1: their entire offense is kind of predicated on this driving 490 00:22:46,560 --> 00:22:50,320 Speaker 1: kick attack with Mitchell and with UH and Mike Conley. 491 00:22:50,640 --> 00:22:53,520 Speaker 1: You know this idea that you put extensive pressure on 492 00:22:53,560 --> 00:22:58,800 Speaker 1: the basket with UH pick and rolls with Rudy Gobert 493 00:22:58,840 --> 00:23:01,160 Speaker 1: where he's bringing some above the him gravity and you're 494 00:23:01,240 --> 00:23:04,640 Speaker 1: driving um, you know, with these really aggressive dribble drive 495 00:23:04,680 --> 00:23:07,119 Speaker 1: guards with con Lee and Mitchell, and then you basically 496 00:23:07,160 --> 00:23:09,919 Speaker 1: get the defense and rotation and you have three really 497 00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:12,760 Speaker 1: really good close out guys, you know, Like I always 498 00:23:12,800 --> 00:23:15,960 Speaker 1: talking about, the best close out guys are guys who 499 00:23:15,960 --> 00:23:18,960 Speaker 1: can shoot and guys who can make really quick decisions 500 00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:20,720 Speaker 1: with one or two dribbles. That's why I love k 501 00:23:20,800 --> 00:23:23,320 Speaker 1: Cps so much on the Lakers. You know, he's if 502 00:23:23,320 --> 00:23:25,760 Speaker 1: you leave him open, he's gonna make shots. And if 503 00:23:25,760 --> 00:23:27,240 Speaker 1: you close out too hard on him, he's just gonna 504 00:23:27,280 --> 00:23:29,280 Speaker 1: rip through to his right hand. If the help doesn't come, 505 00:23:29,280 --> 00:23:31,240 Speaker 1: he's gonna take off his left leg and he's gonna 506 00:23:31,240 --> 00:23:33,280 Speaker 1: finish around the basket. And if he doesn't, if he 507 00:23:33,320 --> 00:23:35,440 Speaker 1: gets cut off, he can make the next pass. Well. 508 00:23:35,480 --> 00:23:38,680 Speaker 1: They do that with guys like Royce O'Neil, guys like 509 00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:42,719 Speaker 1: uh Bogdanovich, guys like Joe Ingles, guys who can make 510 00:23:42,760 --> 00:23:45,960 Speaker 1: really simple reads out of closeouts. So that all sounds 511 00:23:45,960 --> 00:23:49,240 Speaker 1: great in theory, but it lacks some versatility. They don't 512 00:23:49,240 --> 00:23:51,159 Speaker 1: have a guy that they can consistently go to in 513 00:23:51,200 --> 00:23:53,280 Speaker 1: the low block to get a basket. They don't have 514 00:23:53,320 --> 00:23:56,240 Speaker 1: a guy who can score from all three levels consistently. 515 00:23:56,600 --> 00:23:58,920 Speaker 1: Most of it is just dribble drive from the perimeter 516 00:23:59,040 --> 00:24:01,760 Speaker 1: and pick and roll or an isolation from two guards 517 00:24:01,880 --> 00:24:03,320 Speaker 1: who like to get all the way to the basket 518 00:24:03,400 --> 00:24:04,919 Speaker 1: or take pull up three. So there's a little bit 519 00:24:04,920 --> 00:24:07,040 Speaker 1: of lacking versatility there, which makes me a little bit 520 00:24:07,119 --> 00:24:09,399 Speaker 1: less confident in them as compared to some of the 521 00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:12,679 Speaker 1: other teams. The Sons are a team that I'm actually 522 00:24:12,720 --> 00:24:15,679 Speaker 1: feel is way more dangerous than U Ties. And to 523 00:24:15,680 --> 00:24:17,840 Speaker 1: be clear, the Jazz look great in terms of the 524 00:24:17,880 --> 00:24:20,960 Speaker 1: way they've been playing and Uh, the way their record 525 00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:22,639 Speaker 1: is shaken out to this point in the season. I 526 00:24:22,640 --> 00:24:23,919 Speaker 1: just think it's a little bit more kind of like 527 00:24:23,920 --> 00:24:26,320 Speaker 1: a Milwaukee Bucks from last year. Thing They've got like 528 00:24:26,320 --> 00:24:28,959 Speaker 1: a chipper shredder. Set up this this machine, this system, 529 00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:31,640 Speaker 1: and they're playing so hard that teams are running into 530 00:24:31,680 --> 00:24:33,760 Speaker 1: it their first time and getting their butts kicked. But 531 00:24:34,040 --> 00:24:35,639 Speaker 1: it's a little bit easier to deal with when you 532 00:24:35,640 --> 00:24:37,640 Speaker 1: can game plan for him several times in a row. 533 00:24:37,680 --> 00:24:39,040 Speaker 1: That's what I think will be interesting to see in 534 00:24:39,040 --> 00:24:41,600 Speaker 1: a playoff series. As far as the Suns go in 535 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:43,720 Speaker 1: those boxes, I just said that they need to check 536 00:24:43,920 --> 00:24:47,320 Speaker 1: their top five defense in the league, okay, and recently 537 00:24:47,320 --> 00:24:50,360 Speaker 1: they've been better than that. Uh. They have two alphas 538 00:24:50,400 --> 00:24:52,199 Speaker 1: that can step up to most of the players in 539 00:24:52,200 --> 00:24:54,040 Speaker 1: the league, like Devin Booker I think is as someone 540 00:24:54,080 --> 00:24:56,600 Speaker 1: I'm a little more confident, and then Donovan Mitchell in 541 00:24:56,600 --> 00:24:58,119 Speaker 1: the playoff series, and now he doesn't actually have the 542 00:24:58,200 --> 00:25:01,280 Speaker 1: reps yet, but I test would tell you given how 543 00:25:01,320 --> 00:25:03,680 Speaker 1: gifted he is as a three level score in his 544 00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:06,320 Speaker 1: history of making big shots against big teams in the league, 545 00:25:06,320 --> 00:25:08,240 Speaker 1: you know, hitting game winners against Golden State, in game 546 00:25:08,240 --> 00:25:11,919 Speaker 1: winners against the Clippers. He's an extremely uh gifted alpha 547 00:25:11,920 --> 00:25:14,240 Speaker 1: in that regard. And then you've got Chris Paul who 548 00:25:14,240 --> 00:25:16,600 Speaker 1: can absolutely step up to the biggest stars in the league. 549 00:25:16,600 --> 00:25:19,040 Speaker 1: So I've got two guys that will not be scared 550 00:25:19,080 --> 00:25:21,880 Speaker 1: in these big moments. And then uh, last but not least, 551 00:25:21,880 --> 00:25:24,399 Speaker 1: they have a lot of offensive versatility. They can run 552 00:25:24,440 --> 00:25:26,760 Speaker 1: extensive pick and roll with Booker and extensive pick and 553 00:25:26,840 --> 00:25:29,920 Speaker 1: roll with Chris Paul. They can get DeAndre and involved, Devin. 554 00:25:29,960 --> 00:25:33,840 Speaker 1: Booker can play in uh in the low post against 555 00:25:33,880 --> 00:25:36,359 Speaker 1: seis mispatches against cards, and he can score from there. 556 00:25:36,640 --> 00:25:39,600 Speaker 1: You know, Chris Paul can just run basic action to 557 00:25:39,640 --> 00:25:41,480 Speaker 1: get switched onto a big, and he can attack a 558 00:25:41,480 --> 00:25:43,840 Speaker 1: big in isolation. There's a bunch of different wrinkles to 559 00:25:43,880 --> 00:25:46,880 Speaker 1: their offense that don't exist for a team like uh, 560 00:25:47,359 --> 00:25:49,960 Speaker 1: the Jazz in my opinion, So they could they check 561 00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:52,919 Speaker 1: all those boxes. They're the ones that have you know, 562 00:25:53,040 --> 00:25:55,040 Speaker 1: they scare me more than some of these other teams 563 00:25:55,040 --> 00:25:57,840 Speaker 1: in the league. And then last but at least is 564 00:25:57,920 --> 00:26:01,000 Speaker 1: the Sixers. So everything with the Sixers is predicated on 565 00:26:01,080 --> 00:26:03,240 Speaker 1: Joe l emb He's an alpha that can step up 566 00:26:03,240 --> 00:26:05,280 Speaker 1: to anybody in the league, even more so than Booker. 567 00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:07,960 Speaker 1: And at the and Chris Paul like that guy has 568 00:26:08,040 --> 00:26:11,040 Speaker 1: an extensive history of going toe to toe with really 569 00:26:11,040 --> 00:26:13,520 Speaker 1: really good players at the end of games in addition 570 00:26:13,560 --> 00:26:15,760 Speaker 1: to that, I think they even though the numbers don't 571 00:26:15,760 --> 00:26:18,879 Speaker 1: necessarily say Philly is that good of a defensive team, 572 00:26:19,359 --> 00:26:21,040 Speaker 1: I believe they are. I think that I think a 573 00:26:21,080 --> 00:26:23,639 Speaker 1: lot of their defensive metrics have come from playing in 574 00:26:23,680 --> 00:26:25,919 Speaker 1: the Eastern Conference against some bad teams and giving up 575 00:26:25,960 --> 00:26:30,000 Speaker 1: some shots, Joel Embiad missing some games. But the reality 576 00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:33,119 Speaker 1: is is that they have on paper, which should be 577 00:26:33,119 --> 00:26:36,119 Speaker 1: a really difficult defense to score on, you've got this 578 00:26:36,160 --> 00:26:39,119 Speaker 1: elite rim protector and Joel Embiid he's not fantastic on 579 00:26:39,160 --> 00:26:41,760 Speaker 1: the perimeter, but he's okay. Ben Simmons might be the 580 00:26:41,800 --> 00:26:44,560 Speaker 1: best defensive player in the league. Tobias Harris is more 581 00:26:44,560 --> 00:26:48,040 Speaker 1: than okay. Matisse Thyble is like a legitimate problem. They 582 00:26:48,160 --> 00:26:50,720 Speaker 1: have a lot of defensive talent on the wing that 583 00:26:50,760 --> 00:26:53,960 Speaker 1: can really really be kind of oppressive in a in 584 00:26:54,000 --> 00:26:56,879 Speaker 1: a playoff series. So you've got that Ben Simmons is 585 00:26:56,920 --> 00:26:59,720 Speaker 1: a playmaker who can create easy shots for his teammates. 586 00:26:59,720 --> 00:27:02,640 Speaker 1: But also because he's next to Embiid, you don't need 587 00:27:02,760 --> 00:27:06,000 Speaker 1: him to be the most amazing isolation scoring league kind 588 00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:09,239 Speaker 1: of masks that flaw for you. So on paper, they 589 00:27:09,280 --> 00:27:10,720 Speaker 1: make a ton of sense, and in terms of the 590 00:27:10,720 --> 00:27:13,120 Speaker 1: Eastern Conference teams. They are the team that I think 591 00:27:13,160 --> 00:27:16,080 Speaker 1: has a really good chance of beating the Brooklyn Nets 592 00:27:16,160 --> 00:27:18,800 Speaker 1: unless they can get a really good buyout guy in 593 00:27:18,840 --> 00:27:20,920 Speaker 1: the center market, which I'm not sure is going to 594 00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:23,199 Speaker 1: be available. But the bottom line is, if you look 595 00:27:23,240 --> 00:27:26,200 Speaker 1: at all those teams, you know, it's interesting chook out. 596 00:27:26,240 --> 00:27:28,280 Speaker 1: Like I said, Lakers look like they were gonna be 597 00:27:28,600 --> 00:27:32,280 Speaker 1: this runaway team. Anthony Davis's injury just completely opens everything up. 598 00:27:32,760 --> 00:27:37,240 Speaker 1: And the emergence of the Suns and the Jazz as 599 00:27:37,320 --> 00:27:40,400 Speaker 1: bona fide contenders has made this whole thing very interesting. 600 00:27:40,600 --> 00:27:42,600 Speaker 1: I talked a lot about how seeding matters in the 601 00:27:42,640 --> 00:27:45,119 Speaker 1: Western Conference because you want that one seed so you 602 00:27:45,119 --> 00:27:47,920 Speaker 1: can avoid the Jazz and the Clippers in the second round. Well, 603 00:27:47,960 --> 00:27:50,000 Speaker 1: it may not matter if you get the one seed 604 00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:52,360 Speaker 1: and you get Phoenix, And I think Phoenix is every 605 00:27:52,359 --> 00:27:55,440 Speaker 1: bit as good as Utah and UH and potentially has 606 00:27:55,560 --> 00:27:58,000 Speaker 1: the the the ability to upset any of those teams 607 00:27:58,000 --> 00:28:01,000 Speaker 1: that we mentioned. But the bottom line is, you uh, 608 00:28:01,040 --> 00:28:02,920 Speaker 1: they all need to be healthy. Paul George needs to 609 00:28:02,960 --> 00:28:04,760 Speaker 1: be healthy, like Chris, Paul needs to stay healthy. He's 610 00:28:04,760 --> 00:28:06,960 Speaker 1: got a history of that kind of stuff. Anthony Davis 611 00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:09,040 Speaker 1: needs to get healthy. Health is going to be the 612 00:28:09,080 --> 00:28:11,640 Speaker 1: big determining fact. Even Mike Connolly for the Jazz, has 613 00:28:11,640 --> 00:28:14,000 Speaker 1: been hurt a lot as of late. So you know, 614 00:28:14,320 --> 00:28:15,960 Speaker 1: health is gonna end up being the biggest thing that 615 00:28:15,960 --> 00:28:24,800 Speaker 1: these guys got to prioritize. All right. The last thing 616 00:28:24,880 --> 00:28:27,680 Speaker 1: I wanted to touch on today was the evolution of basketball. 617 00:28:27,720 --> 00:28:30,920 Speaker 1: So you know, a pole went out last night. I said, 618 00:28:31,920 --> 00:28:33,760 Speaker 1: on a scale of one to ten, how much are 619 00:28:33,800 --> 00:28:37,360 Speaker 1: you enjoying watching basketball this year? And I said ten 620 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:41,160 Speaker 1: because for me personally, I just love watching basketball so 621 00:28:41,280 --> 00:28:46,720 Speaker 1: much that regardless of any of the surrounding circumstances, I'm 622 00:28:46,760 --> 00:28:48,520 Speaker 1: I'm still having the time of my life watching it. 623 00:28:48,560 --> 00:28:50,920 Speaker 1: I was extremely excited all day to watch that Nuggets 624 00:28:51,000 --> 00:28:52,920 Speaker 1: Lakers game last night, even though there were no fans, 625 00:28:53,240 --> 00:28:54,680 Speaker 1: you know, even though it's in a regular season, even 626 00:28:54,680 --> 00:28:56,560 Speaker 1: though it didn't really you know, matter in terms of 627 00:28:56,600 --> 00:28:59,040 Speaker 1: the grand scheme of things, I was extremely excited to 628 00:28:59,080 --> 00:29:03,720 Speaker 1: watch that game. Now, the some of the interesting points 629 00:29:03,720 --> 00:29:06,000 Speaker 1: that people brought up were, you know, the lack of 630 00:29:06,040 --> 00:29:08,320 Speaker 1: fans and how it's making it so that the games 631 00:29:08,360 --> 00:29:11,240 Speaker 1: are lacking energy. That the fact that the players just 632 00:29:11,320 --> 00:29:14,080 Speaker 1: kind of seem like they're showing up to work rather 633 00:29:14,120 --> 00:29:17,200 Speaker 1: than doing anything, uh that they really truly care about, 634 00:29:17,200 --> 00:29:19,280 Speaker 1: which I also think is related to fans. And then 635 00:29:19,280 --> 00:29:20,880 Speaker 1: one of the biggest things that was brought up with 636 00:29:20,920 --> 00:29:23,520 Speaker 1: it was the idea that the quality of basketball has 637 00:29:23,680 --> 00:29:27,160 Speaker 1: has changed as a result of of the the game 638 00:29:27,240 --> 00:29:30,280 Speaker 1: kind of evolving into this you know, three pointers and 639 00:29:30,360 --> 00:29:34,240 Speaker 1: layups kind of thing. And you know, I think I 640 00:29:34,320 --> 00:29:37,360 Speaker 1: understand that from the standpoint of like it lacks some 641 00:29:37,480 --> 00:29:42,200 Speaker 1: of the you know, the dynamic nature of older forms 642 00:29:42,200 --> 00:29:46,320 Speaker 1: of basketball, where each offensive possession looks different, right, Like 643 00:29:46,600 --> 00:29:48,760 Speaker 1: sometimes you're running plays to get guys coming off of 644 00:29:48,840 --> 00:29:52,120 Speaker 1: curls alla like Rip Hamilton's kind of thing. Sometimes you're 645 00:29:52,200 --> 00:29:54,200 Speaker 1: dumping it down in the low low block to Al 646 00:29:54,280 --> 00:29:57,000 Speaker 1: Jefferson and he's working on the post. You know. Sometimes 647 00:29:57,000 --> 00:29:59,960 Speaker 1: there's pick and roll, you know, sometimes there's guards isolated 648 00:30:00,200 --> 00:30:04,000 Speaker 1: isolating people. There's all sorts of uh, there's all sorts 649 00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:06,640 Speaker 1: of like variety in the offense, and some of that 650 00:30:06,720 --> 00:30:09,840 Speaker 1: variety has gone. It's true, especially with particular teams, and 651 00:30:09,840 --> 00:30:12,840 Speaker 1: I think that that's fair criticism of the league. However, 652 00:30:12,880 --> 00:30:14,840 Speaker 1: I do think one of the important things that is 653 00:30:14,840 --> 00:30:18,120 Speaker 1: getting glossed over there is the overall skill level has 654 00:30:18,160 --> 00:30:20,800 Speaker 1: improved as well. So even though there was a variety 655 00:30:20,840 --> 00:30:23,000 Speaker 1: in the type of offense that you would see ten 656 00:30:23,080 --> 00:30:26,280 Speaker 1: years ago, I think the overall skill level the things 657 00:30:26,320 --> 00:30:28,760 Speaker 1: that basketball players are able to do with the basketball 658 00:30:28,800 --> 00:30:31,239 Speaker 1: now has improved and that's kind of canceled out some 659 00:30:31,280 --> 00:30:34,400 Speaker 1: of that stuff. And then, most importantly, as it pertains 660 00:30:34,440 --> 00:30:37,520 Speaker 1: to what will happen with the game of basketball, everything 661 00:30:37,560 --> 00:30:40,600 Speaker 1: to me, in my opinion, is about some sort of 662 00:30:40,640 --> 00:30:44,160 Speaker 1: innovation and then a reaction to that innovation. Right, so 663 00:30:44,480 --> 00:30:47,440 Speaker 1: this three point shooting thing is an innovation. This was 664 00:30:47,720 --> 00:30:51,400 Speaker 1: you know, analytics guys watching the game and telling us like, hey, 665 00:30:51,560 --> 00:30:55,560 Speaker 1: if we shoot percent from three, you know, it's actually 666 00:30:55,560 --> 00:30:58,920 Speaker 1: going to come out to you know, over in effective 667 00:30:58,920 --> 00:31:01,080 Speaker 1: field goal percentage. So why don't we just take a 668 00:31:01,120 --> 00:31:03,680 Speaker 1: bunch of threes and it's going to eventually lead to 669 00:31:03,760 --> 00:31:06,520 Speaker 1: more points per possession than we had been scoring. And 670 00:31:06,800 --> 00:31:09,200 Speaker 1: that has happened. And for the record, it has worked 671 00:31:09,640 --> 00:31:12,760 Speaker 1: because offensive ratings are peaking, you know, especially in the 672 00:31:12,800 --> 00:31:15,720 Speaker 1: last few years. You know, offensive ratings have always hovered 673 00:31:15,760 --> 00:31:17,960 Speaker 1: you know, between the low one hundreds up to like 674 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:19,640 Speaker 1: one oh eight. You know it was one of weight 675 00:31:19,640 --> 00:31:21,720 Speaker 1: in the eighties, was one oh wait a few years ago, 676 00:31:21,800 --> 00:31:24,560 Speaker 1: but then just suddenly recently it's gone up over one 677 00:31:24,640 --> 00:31:27,240 Speaker 1: oh one ten points per one hundred possessions on average 678 00:31:27,280 --> 00:31:30,040 Speaker 1: for a team, as evidence of the three point shot 679 00:31:30,360 --> 00:31:33,800 Speaker 1: really starting to finally impact offense. But the flip side 680 00:31:33,800 --> 00:31:36,640 Speaker 1: of that is as has happened every single time the 681 00:31:36,760 --> 00:31:39,880 Speaker 1: league adjusts. Okay, So one of the big reasons why 682 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:42,600 Speaker 1: post up offense doesn't work as well as it used 683 00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:45,480 Speaker 1: to is because teams have figured out how to guard 684 00:31:45,560 --> 00:31:48,760 Speaker 1: post up offense. Why because ten fifteen years ago that 685 00:31:48,880 --> 00:31:51,120 Speaker 1: was half of offense in the league, dumping the ball 686 00:31:51,120 --> 00:31:52,840 Speaker 1: down to the low block, to your best low post 687 00:31:52,880 --> 00:31:54,760 Speaker 1: player and letting him go to work, and teams just 688 00:31:54,840 --> 00:31:56,680 Speaker 1: kind of figured out how to guard it. And there 689 00:31:56,720 --> 00:31:58,480 Speaker 1: are still a handful of post up players in the 690 00:31:58,560 --> 00:32:01,560 Speaker 1: league right now that could have success doing that. But 691 00:32:01,640 --> 00:32:04,240 Speaker 1: there's a lot of like, the post up player was 692 00:32:04,280 --> 00:32:07,520 Speaker 1: not eliminated by efficiency concerns having to do with the three. 693 00:32:07,760 --> 00:32:11,800 Speaker 1: The post a player was eliminated by defenses evolving and 694 00:32:11,920 --> 00:32:14,120 Speaker 1: learning how to guard post up players. What kind of 695 00:32:14,120 --> 00:32:17,200 Speaker 1: physicality did the rests allow underneath the basket? How to 696 00:32:17,280 --> 00:32:19,840 Speaker 1: best position your health defenders that you can prevent the 697 00:32:19,880 --> 00:32:22,280 Speaker 1: guy from doing a basic little drop step move, but 698 00:32:22,320 --> 00:32:24,719 Speaker 1: at the same time rotate out to shooters. All of 699 00:32:24,760 --> 00:32:27,440 Speaker 1: that has led to the to the regression of post 700 00:32:27,560 --> 00:32:29,640 Speaker 1: up play in the league. Well, the same thing happens 701 00:32:29,640 --> 00:32:32,680 Speaker 1: with this three point shot thing. What you're gonna see 702 00:32:33,000 --> 00:32:35,360 Speaker 1: is defense over the next couple of years is going 703 00:32:35,400 --> 00:32:38,400 Speaker 1: to highly prioritize guarding the three point line. You're already 704 00:32:38,400 --> 00:32:40,880 Speaker 1: seeing a couple of teams doing this. The Lakers are 705 00:32:40,880 --> 00:32:43,280 Speaker 1: one of the best three point defense teams in the league, 706 00:32:43,480 --> 00:32:46,160 Speaker 1: and they have a healthy lead in defensive rating over 707 00:32:46,200 --> 00:32:48,200 Speaker 1: the rest of the league right now. It's because they 708 00:32:48,200 --> 00:32:51,280 Speaker 1: are already starting to evolve. The Lakers are telling you 709 00:32:51,520 --> 00:32:53,520 Speaker 1: we are going to take away the three point line, 710 00:32:53,680 --> 00:32:55,920 Speaker 1: and as a result of that, it's actually leading to 711 00:32:56,000 --> 00:32:58,480 Speaker 1: teams not scoring as much against them as they do 712 00:32:58,520 --> 00:33:00,760 Speaker 1: against other teams in the league, And so that that's 713 00:33:00,800 --> 00:33:03,360 Speaker 1: kind of the evolution. What you're gonna see is all 714 00:33:03,440 --> 00:33:05,880 Speaker 1: of the teams in the league are eventually going to 715 00:33:05,920 --> 00:33:09,200 Speaker 1: prioritize taking away the three point line, and then suddenly 716 00:33:09,400 --> 00:33:12,840 Speaker 1: you're gonna see this massive increase in and guys driving 717 00:33:12,880 --> 00:33:15,200 Speaker 1: to the basket. But the way these defenses are structured 718 00:33:15,440 --> 00:33:17,760 Speaker 1: is they're taking away the paint and the three point line. 719 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:19,720 Speaker 1: So all of a sudden, there's gonna be this big, 720 00:33:19,760 --> 00:33:22,120 Speaker 1: gaping hole in the middle of the floor for guys 721 00:33:22,160 --> 00:33:25,440 Speaker 1: to get high quality shots between five and twenty feet, 722 00:33:25,640 --> 00:33:28,320 Speaker 1: and you're gonna see a resurgence of mid range basketball. 723 00:33:28,440 --> 00:33:30,840 Speaker 1: Mark my words, it's going to happen. This is the 724 00:33:30,960 --> 00:33:33,480 Speaker 1: natural order of things. You never have to worry about 725 00:33:33,520 --> 00:33:35,800 Speaker 1: it getting too far off the rails in one direction 726 00:33:36,080 --> 00:33:39,320 Speaker 1: because the market will naturally correct itself back towards the middle, 727 00:33:39,680 --> 00:33:42,400 Speaker 1: and so and so. Like I said, there's no reason 728 00:33:42,440 --> 00:33:44,280 Speaker 1: to be too upset about it, because there's such a 729 00:33:44,360 --> 00:33:47,040 Speaker 1: high skill level in the league that it's still entertaining 730 00:33:47,080 --> 00:33:50,480 Speaker 1: to watch, and inevitably things are gonna progress back towards 731 00:33:50,840 --> 00:33:53,520 Speaker 1: you know, uh, an offense that has more balance, because 732 00:33:53,520 --> 00:33:56,080 Speaker 1: the teams that are too one dimensional in the way 733 00:33:56,120 --> 00:33:58,440 Speaker 1: they attack are going to become the teams that are 734 00:33:58,480 --> 00:34:00,840 Speaker 1: easiest to guard, and they're gonna become the teams that 735 00:34:00,920 --> 00:34:03,560 Speaker 1: start losing, and then they're gonna have to start adjusting 736 00:34:03,920 --> 00:34:06,120 Speaker 1: and and so I don't think it's a coincidence that 737 00:34:06,160 --> 00:34:09,040 Speaker 1: the Lakers won last year, kind of on that type 738 00:34:09,040 --> 00:34:13,040 Speaker 1: of identity, you know, going against the grain. So I'm 739 00:34:13,080 --> 00:34:15,399 Speaker 1: not particularly worried about it. And most importantly, like I said, 740 00:34:15,440 --> 00:34:19,000 Speaker 1: like given the circumstances with the pandemic and stuff, we're 741 00:34:19,040 --> 00:34:21,600 Speaker 1: lucky to have basketball right now. So I'm just I'm 742 00:34:21,640 --> 00:34:24,800 Speaker 1: not going to complain about what I'm watching. But anyway, 743 00:34:24,800 --> 00:34:26,759 Speaker 1: that's all I have for today. Like I said, I 744 00:34:26,800 --> 00:34:28,520 Speaker 1: just wanted to quickly hop on and cover some of 745 00:34:28,520 --> 00:34:31,120 Speaker 1: those topics that were on my mind. Um. I just 746 00:34:31,239 --> 00:34:33,680 Speaker 1: got a text from Tommy. We're gonna be going on Wednesday, 747 00:34:33,920 --> 00:34:35,880 Speaker 1: So playing on Tommy on Wednesday, and as long as 748 00:34:35,880 --> 00:34:38,960 Speaker 1: I can get approval from Rods, will probably go on Friday. Um, 749 00:34:39,400 --> 00:34:41,360 Speaker 1: but thank you guys so much for your support. Like 750 00:34:41,400 --> 00:34:44,120 Speaker 1: I said, if you haven't done so yet, just dropped 751 00:34:44,120 --> 00:34:45,920 Speaker 1: me a review, drop me a rating on the podcast. 752 00:34:46,000 --> 00:34:47,960 Speaker 1: It means the world to me. It helps get this 753 00:34:48,040 --> 00:34:50,040 Speaker 1: ball rolling, So I really appreciate you guys. Enjoy the 754 00:34:50,040 --> 00:34:51,200 Speaker 1: rest of your week, good luck, and I'll talk to 755 00:34:51,239 --> 00:34:51,640 Speaker 1: you later.