WEBVTT - All-In on Cade Cunningham; Former NBA Scout Bryan Oringher Evaluation, Questioning Analytics, Underrated Players, NBA Team Evals 0:00:06.800 --> 0:00:10.239 Hey, what welcome in, UM, Doug gli Ben. This is 0:00:10.760 --> 0:00:15.040 All Ball, All Basketball, all the Time. UM. My guest 0:00:15.120 --> 0:00:20.079 for this version, this podcast episode of All Ball is 0:00:20.280 --> 0:00:23.880 um is a guy who I mean, he's he's actually 0:00:24.120 --> 0:00:29.680 super interesting young career right and a dude who UM 0:00:29.720 --> 0:00:32.680 has already spent seven years working in the n b 0:00:32.840 --> 0:00:35.880 A and now you can follow him on social media 0:00:35.920 --> 0:00:38.680 at Scott with Brian is Brian Obringer and he'll join 0:00:38.800 --> 0:00:41.360 us in moments. A guy who was a high school 0:00:41.360 --> 0:00:44.400 tennis player, I love basketball, went to the University of Maryland, 0:00:44.520 --> 0:00:47.840 helped out, was a manager with the Turps, and then said, 0:00:47.880 --> 0:00:49.839 you know, and I love hoop, I want to get 0:00:49.880 --> 0:00:53.440 involved in the NBA and has some really interesting thoughts 0:00:53.960 --> 0:00:56.840 from his time in the NBA and from the breakdowns 0:00:57.280 --> 0:00:59.080 that he does. And you can follow him again on 0:00:59.200 --> 0:01:02.680 social media. Before we get to Brian, though, I want 0:01:02.720 --> 0:01:05.360 to share a couple of of additional thoughts. You know, 0:01:05.560 --> 0:01:08.480 last episode, obviously we had Mike Martin from from Brown 0:01:08.560 --> 0:01:12.280 I talked a little bit about UH college basketball and 0:01:13.000 --> 0:01:17.319 this season, you know, saw Kade Cunningham play and Kade 0:01:18.400 --> 0:01:22.600 um Look, I think he's one of probably three guys 0:01:23.160 --> 0:01:24.520 and they're all playing in college. You could be the 0:01:24.600 --> 0:01:27.959 number one overall pick. But but Kate is really interesting. 0:01:28.280 --> 0:01:31.800 Um obviously, you know, having his brothers an assistant coach, 0:01:33.280 --> 0:01:35.400 he's a great way to get a really good player. 0:01:35.560 --> 0:01:39.639 But the interaction between the brothers is fascinating me. I've 0:01:39.800 --> 0:01:42.520 I've talked to the Mike Boyden. Of course, if you 0:01:42.640 --> 0:01:45.400 want to download his podcast retells his story. I've talked 0:01:45.400 --> 0:01:47.960 to some of the assistant coaches, I've talked to other 0:01:48.000 --> 0:01:50.960 people around the program, and granted, there's not the student 0:01:51.000 --> 0:01:54.200 interaction whatever this year that there normally is. And then 0:01:54.200 --> 0:01:57.160 I've talked to other coaches who didn't get Kay Cunningham, 0:01:57.160 --> 0:02:00.200 and they're like, he's the real deal, not just in 0:02:00.280 --> 0:02:02.680 terms of how he is as a basketball player, but 0:02:02.680 --> 0:02:05.160 how he is a kid. And like that family, he's 0:02:05.200 --> 0:02:06.640 not going to stay a second year. But they're like, 0:02:06.640 --> 0:02:08.799 if there's any ever a family that a kid would 0:02:08.800 --> 0:02:13.160 stay a second year, like, that's the family. And so look, 0:02:13.160 --> 0:02:16.000 he he made up. I thought it wasn't necessarily a 0:02:16.120 --> 0:02:19.320 dumb move. I I liked I like that in a 0:02:19.360 --> 0:02:23.560 tie game in transition, he attacked and looked to make 0:02:23.600 --> 0:02:26.360 a play. When they lost the TCU, the game in 0:02:26.400 --> 0:02:30.600 which first half he doesn't score point the student section 0:02:30.720 --> 0:02:33.040 which did have people and it was chanting overrated, and 0:02:33.080 --> 0:02:35.680 then he took over in the second half. I didn't 0:02:35.680 --> 0:02:39.120 like the decision he made, but I like this this 0:02:39.200 --> 0:02:43.120 idea sometimes of holding for a last shot. Um. He 0:02:43.360 --> 0:02:45.480 is really interesting to me, like sometimes and I get 0:02:45.520 --> 0:02:48.080 like you in that particular instance, in a tie game, 0:02:48.520 --> 0:02:50.000 you only want to get a shout up with four 0:02:50.000 --> 0:02:52.320 seconds or so to go. See there's takes losing out 0:02:52.320 --> 0:02:54.720 of the equation, which is exactly what happened in a 0:02:54.800 --> 0:02:56.800 questionable block charge called I thought it was a charge. 0:02:56.840 --> 0:02:59.440 Actually I thought Oaklaham State, you know, got back in 0:02:59.480 --> 0:03:03.600 transition just in time, planted their feet. But the point 0:03:04.160 --> 0:03:08.200 is more, I can't tell how impressed with I am 0:03:08.240 --> 0:03:11.480 with his ability to play all over the court. You know, 0:03:11.520 --> 0:03:13.600 Evan Mobley is another guy who could be the number 0:03:13.600 --> 0:03:15.919 one overall pick, and I think he's a stud player. 0:03:17.000 --> 0:03:20.399 What when I'm impressed by with Kade Cunningham and I'll 0:03:20.440 --> 0:03:23.120 give my player revals we get ready for the NBA draft. 0:03:23.840 --> 0:03:28.080 Is haven't heard anybody say anything negative about attitude, work ethic, 0:03:28.639 --> 0:03:32.919 having his brother around, no entitlement like an everyday dude, 0:03:34.120 --> 0:03:38.800 and then you watch him play and the way really 0:03:38.840 --> 0:03:42.360 good NBA players play like they can handle and handle 0:03:42.400 --> 0:03:44.040 it like a point guard coming off a ball screen. 0:03:44.080 --> 0:03:46.240 He can play out of the post, and he can 0:03:46.240 --> 0:03:50.080 play off the basketball shooting the ball as well. So 0:03:50.760 --> 0:03:52.840 it's easy to be impressed with a guy. It's like 0:03:52.960 --> 0:03:57.880 Anthony Edwards last year, so explosive, so explosive, and the 0:03:57.880 --> 0:03:59.520 thought was like, all right, needs to become more of 0:03:59.520 --> 0:04:01.000 a guard, and he's to shoot the basketball a little 0:04:01.000 --> 0:04:03.680 bit better, needs to defend with a little bit more energy. 0:04:03.720 --> 0:04:05.800 But you can see he's got an NBA body, and 0:04:05.880 --> 0:04:08.760 somebody was the field around him. But there wasn't a 0:04:09.640 --> 0:04:14.000 he didn't have the post game. He wasn't a creative passer, 0:04:15.520 --> 0:04:18.400 and he definitely wasn't the adept ball handler. He just 0:04:18.480 --> 0:04:22.160 a beast athletically and a potentially a takeover a game 0:04:22.240 --> 0:04:27.040 athlete in score. I just I've watched Kay Cunningham and 0:04:27.560 --> 0:04:32.040 I thought Penny hardaway when I saw him in high school, 0:04:33.440 --> 0:04:36.000 but I watched him now and I do remember Penny 0:04:36.080 --> 0:04:39.760 was before injury set in, was really athletic. He's a 0:04:39.800 --> 0:04:43.120 lot more athletic than Penny Hardaway was, But it's it's 0:04:43.160 --> 0:04:46.159 the type of player that can play on the post, 0:04:46.480 --> 0:04:49.039 can play with the ball, can play without it as well. 0:04:49.400 --> 0:04:51.520 Could he defend better? Yeah, could he shoot? Could he 0:04:51.520 --> 0:04:55.800 shoot a higher percentage? Of course, you know. But his 0:04:55.880 --> 0:04:58.440 good job getting the line, good job playing off ball screen, 0:04:58.600 --> 0:05:00.839 and a great job I think of raising the level 0:05:01.000 --> 0:05:03.960 of a team one that. And they're not great in 0:05:04.000 --> 0:05:06.919 conference play. They've been swept by TCU, although they do 0:05:07.000 --> 0:05:08.960 have a big win over Texas Tech on the road. 0:05:09.120 --> 0:05:13.159 We'll see what they do against Texas this weekend. But 0:05:13.640 --> 0:05:17.800 considering Oklahoma State under Mike Boyden had traditionally struggled the 0:05:17.839 --> 0:05:20.360 first month and a half of conference play and then 0:05:20.400 --> 0:05:23.799 figured it out all all three seasons previously slow start, 0:05:23.839 --> 0:05:26.840 and even when Brad Underwood was that coach, they struggled 0:05:26.839 --> 0:05:28.680 out of the gate in the Big twelve and then adjusted, 0:05:29.800 --> 0:05:34.560 um that he's he's got that winning thing. Where give 0:05:34.560 --> 0:05:37.440 me the ball, I'll win the game for you. And 0:05:37.560 --> 0:05:40.239 they beat Kansas because of him. They win games because 0:05:40.279 --> 0:05:43.239 of him, not in spite of him. Really a rare 0:05:43.400 --> 0:05:46.720 one and done type player, and I think a rare 0:05:47.000 --> 0:05:49.480 get for whoever gets him in the number one and 0:05:49.520 --> 0:05:52.480 number two pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. All right, 0:05:52.560 --> 0:05:56.159 let's let's get to our guest. Binal Riggers was a 0:05:56.240 --> 0:06:01.039 scout in the NBA doing video first seven years. Now 0:06:01.080 --> 0:06:03.800 he does it, produces his own content. He joins us 0:06:03.800 --> 0:06:06.479 down the Elball Podcast. Be sure to catch the live 0:06:06.640 --> 0:06:09.760 edition of The Doug Gottlieb Show weekdays at three pm 0:06:09.760 --> 0:06:13.160 Easter noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the I 0:06:13.320 --> 0:06:18.320 Heart Radio app. All right, let's welcome in, uh, Bryan 0:06:18.440 --> 0:06:22.280 or Bryan Um. Let's let's start at the beginning of 0:06:22.320 --> 0:06:25.560 your basketball life. Where'd you grow up and what were 0:06:25.600 --> 0:06:30.279 your first memories? Uh? Yeah, So I grew up in Maryland. 0:06:30.320 --> 0:06:33.560 I was a big, big Maryland and Wizards fan growing up. 0:06:33.760 --> 0:06:36.720 You know, love the Gilbert Arena's teams. You know a 0:06:36.760 --> 0:06:41.160 little bit of MJ's Wizards era. Obviously, I've worked for 0:06:41.240 --> 0:06:43.520 Gary Williams his last couple of years at the University 0:06:43.560 --> 0:06:47.400 of Maryland as a student manager type those gravest fast 0:06:47.440 --> 0:06:50.360 guest teams that were pretty good. Uh. Ended up then 0:06:50.360 --> 0:06:52.960 working for the Washington Wizards for six years. I was 0:06:53.000 --> 0:06:56.120 the head video coordinator for them. Bryan, Bryan, Bryan, Bryan, 0:06:56.160 --> 0:06:58.800 You're going. You're going away too fast. You don't like hell, 0:06:58.960 --> 0:07:02.320 this is about you row. Okay, you you went, you 0:07:02.360 --> 0:07:06.279 went to college. I said, where you grew up? Like 0:07:06.320 --> 0:07:10.040 I'm a wizard, and he started zooming through. Okay, you 0:07:10.080 --> 0:07:15.000 go specifically where, like I grew up in Orange, California, Badio, 0:07:15.040 --> 0:07:18.840 El Medina. Like my first basketball memories, my dad was 0:07:18.880 --> 0:07:21.520 an assistant Long Beach State. Used to go and run 0:07:21.560 --> 0:07:24.320 around at games and UNLB your friends, no mistake, were 0:07:24.320 --> 0:07:26.360 the only teams that drew. They'd come to town right 0:07:26.400 --> 0:07:28.560 and then we became U c l A fans, And 0:07:29.200 --> 0:07:31.200 I wasn't really like your fans. So you grew up 0:07:31.240 --> 0:07:36.040 specifically where I grew up specifically in Rockville, Maryland, and 0:07:36.600 --> 0:07:39.520 uh yeah, you know, my my basketball uh you know, 0:07:39.560 --> 0:07:42.040 at least before college wasn't all that exciting. I mean 0:07:42.440 --> 0:07:45.440 I remember, you know, I was at the Maryland miracle 0:07:45.480 --> 0:07:47.640 minute they lost the duke when we were up with 0:07:47.840 --> 0:07:50.400 ten with like fifty four seconds left. That was definitely 0:07:50.480 --> 0:07:54.000 just on TV. That was crazy. Yeah, pretty heartbreaking memory. 0:07:54.080 --> 0:07:56.240 But yeah, actually, you know, when I was in high school, 0:07:56.280 --> 0:07:58.800 I was part of that kind of moneyball generation that 0:07:59.280 --> 0:08:01.360 I read that book Can really wanted to work in 0:08:01.400 --> 0:08:04.200 baseball growing up, and that's kind of what I loved, uh, 0:08:04.600 --> 0:08:07.920 you know, up until college at least, but uh yeah, 0:08:07.960 --> 0:08:09.720 I just kind of realized once I got to college 0:08:09.920 --> 0:08:12.880 basketball was was my real love, and uh kind of 0:08:12.960 --> 0:08:17.280 went all in trying to work work there. What what 0:08:17.320 --> 0:08:22.280 was it about basketball that means, you know, just just 0:08:22.680 --> 0:08:26.120 an unbelievably beautiful game. I mean, honestly, just just pick 0:08:26.200 --> 0:08:29.840 up every day myself and I'm watching you know, games NonStop. 0:08:30.080 --> 0:08:34.520 I just love everything about the game. You know, I just, uh, 0:08:34.559 --> 0:08:37.000 I think it's, you know, the best game that's that's 0:08:37.000 --> 0:08:40.600 not individual. It's all about the cohesion of five guys 0:08:40.640 --> 0:08:44.000 playing together and doing it as a group and playing hard, 0:08:44.080 --> 0:08:46.200 and you know, usually those are the things that end 0:08:46.320 --> 0:08:49.800 up end up winning games. And you know, you know, obviously, 0:08:49.840 --> 0:08:51.840 when when you're in sync and you're playing with four 0:08:51.880 --> 0:08:54.760 other guys who who love each other and play well together, 0:08:54.840 --> 0:09:00.400 there's just no better feeling. It's interesting. So I've been 0:09:00.480 --> 0:09:03.200 I've been coaching a U basketball now for a couple 0:09:03.200 --> 0:09:05.080 of years. I coached it with my dad when I 0:09:05.080 --> 0:09:08.000 was still a player, and then you know, when I 0:09:08.000 --> 0:09:10.719 got into broadcasting, I probably shouldn't continue to do it, 0:09:10.800 --> 0:09:13.719 just it's hard with the time and kids. So now 0:09:13.760 --> 0:09:17.840 I have I have We have a fourteen that I 0:09:17.880 --> 0:09:21.000 don't coach. I just occasionally help with practice. We have 0:09:21.040 --> 0:09:23.120 a thirteen with two thirteens, and we have a twelve 0:09:23.160 --> 0:09:25.520 and eleven new teams and the third team, you is, 0:09:26.000 --> 0:09:29.240 it's gotten to be really good and there I think 0:09:29.240 --> 0:09:32.959 if you asked the parents honestly, they would say, like, individually, 0:09:33.000 --> 0:09:36.720 our kids are just okay, but collectively, now that we 0:09:36.760 --> 0:09:40.360 have this really strong group, they're they're like a a good, 0:09:40.520 --> 0:09:44.040 solid team. We're not good enough yet to compete with 0:09:44.160 --> 0:09:48.440 like the the super elite, crazy talented teams yet, but 0:09:48.520 --> 0:09:50.199 it's one of those things where I'm kind of I'm 0:09:50.240 --> 0:09:53.360 committed to these families, like, look, I don't know, well, 0:09:53.559 --> 0:09:56.160 we probably will never win one of the big tournaments, okay, 0:09:56.200 --> 0:10:00.480 but your kid's gonna get better and they're gonna learn 0:10:00.520 --> 0:10:04.880 to play as a team because I think that I 0:10:04.920 --> 0:10:07.959 think that lasts longer than Hey, I'm gonna go join 0:10:08.040 --> 0:10:11.880 this team with a couple of superstar dudes and win 0:10:11.920 --> 0:10:16.520 a tournament but have no real kind of uh no 0:10:16.640 --> 0:10:19.240 real really piece of the pie. You know. I was 0:10:19.280 --> 0:10:21.280 just I was the guy that stood in the corner 0:10:21.280 --> 0:10:23.319 and shot the ball when it came to me, right, 0:10:23.520 --> 0:10:25.480 So it's it's interest. I feel the same way. I 0:10:25.600 --> 0:10:28.560 love There's nothing like going to a park right with 0:10:28.600 --> 0:10:31.120 four your buddies, or picking up a couple of dudes 0:10:31.160 --> 0:10:34.199 or whatever and then running the and just running the court, 0:10:34.559 --> 0:10:37.640 regardless of how good other dudes are, but just playing 0:10:37.640 --> 0:10:39.920 as a team like that. I think that's the best 0:10:39.960 --> 0:10:42.880 part of the sport, is that a team can beat 0:10:43.200 --> 0:10:46.520 more talented individuals if they figure out each other's strengths 0:10:46.520 --> 0:10:50.160 and weaknesses and play together. No, absolutely, And yeah, like 0:10:50.160 --> 0:10:52.520 I said, you know, I grew up. I love the 0:10:52.520 --> 0:10:55.400 the Gilbert Arenas Wizards team, which obviously didn't do a 0:10:55.440 --> 0:10:58.000 tremendous amount of winning in the playoffs. But you know, 0:10:58.080 --> 0:11:00.360 Karen Butler to off juice was was so fun to 0:11:00.400 --> 0:11:03.960 watch every night. He played unbelievably hard. You know, Antoine 0:11:03.960 --> 0:11:06.559 was an incredible score. Obviously, you know, Gilbert's one of 0:11:06.600 --> 0:11:09.800 the biggest tragedies and basketball history. How you know how 0:11:09.800 --> 0:11:12.280 talented he was and how much uh winning they could 0:11:12.280 --> 0:11:14.679 have done if he had stayed healthy. But uh, yeah, 0:11:14.760 --> 0:11:16.480 I mean to be perfectly honest, and I was a 0:11:16.559 --> 0:11:19.200 high school tennis player. I didn't really you know, love 0:11:19.280 --> 0:11:21.960 it until I got to college. And once I got there, 0:11:22.360 --> 0:11:24.040 you know, I played pick up at the rec center 0:11:24.120 --> 0:11:27.200 probably almost every single day, and just my love for 0:11:27.240 --> 0:11:29.840 the game grew exponentially. And you know, you end up 0:11:29.880 --> 0:11:33.480 playing three hours every single day with you know, fifty 0:11:33.520 --> 0:11:36.079 other guys at the rec center there, and it's just, uh, 0:11:36.120 --> 0:11:40.040 you know, a tremendous bonding experience and and so fun 0:11:40.080 --> 0:11:42.880 when you're winning and playing hard and playing together and 0:11:43.080 --> 0:11:46.120 uh yeah, it's just it's a beautiful, beautiful game. And 0:11:46.240 --> 0:11:48.360 I was lucky, lucky enough to get to spend a 0:11:48.400 --> 0:11:52.920 long time working in it. Okay, so uh, let's let's 0:11:52.920 --> 0:11:59.200 go to Maryland before Who's the point card? Before bass guys? Uh, 0:11:59.200 --> 0:12:01.319 it was what's the dude? I'm trying to think, what's 0:12:01.320 --> 0:12:04.199 the dude's name? Tinker with going to throws and didn't, 0:12:04.200 --> 0:12:05.680 and then it was a disaster when he came back. 0:12:06.280 --> 0:12:13.360 Uh John Gilchrist, John Kilchrist John, because that was that 0:12:13.400 --> 0:12:17.320 was my that was I think I almost feel like 0:12:17.360 --> 0:12:20.400 that was like the downfall of Jerry really is that 0:12:21.760 --> 0:12:26.200 he suffered through after those back to back fours. Want 0:12:26.200 --> 0:12:30.360 to be in a championship obviously what billing Ovo went 0:12:30.400 --> 0:12:33.439 through and they went to their first Bottle four. Oklahoma 0:12:33.480 --> 0:12:38.360 State went through after the OH four and oh five teams. Um, 0:12:38.400 --> 0:12:41.360 I think Georgia tected this after they were running up 0:12:41.360 --> 0:12:44.840 in OH four. Was we've seen you know, Syracuse has 0:12:44.840 --> 0:12:46.800 gone through this after they went to Fottle fours where 0:12:47.320 --> 0:12:49.439 you go to a final four, you win that champiship. 0:12:49.559 --> 0:12:54.000 Now you can recruit anybody you want, right, but they're 0:12:54.040 --> 0:12:56.000 not Okay, geez, they're not you're kind of guy. They're 0:12:56.040 --> 0:12:59.240 not the guys that the program was built around, right, 0:12:59.760 --> 0:13:04.440 And they're a little bit a little bit entitled, and 0:13:04.480 --> 0:13:08.000 their expectations are to just show up and hoop and win, 0:13:08.679 --> 0:13:13.000 and there's like a a a skip of a step 0:13:13.120 --> 0:13:16.839 and they're not as invested in the program. That's my 0:13:17.080 --> 0:13:20.000 outside perception of what happened during the Gilt Christ era. 0:13:20.640 --> 0:13:23.320 Is that a fair perception is somebody who was on 0:13:23.400 --> 0:13:27.080 campus at the time. Uh yeah, So you know, I 0:13:27.080 --> 0:13:29.640 think I got to campus probably right after him. You 0:13:29.679 --> 0:13:32.200 know that the start of Gravest and Eric has when 0:13:32.280 --> 0:13:34.400 when things were a little bit better. But you know 0:13:34.440 --> 0:13:36.320 that that sounds about right. I mean, I think Gary 0:13:36.440 --> 0:13:39.960 was definitely better, uh without the five star roots, without 0:13:39.960 --> 0:13:42.880 the McDonald's all Americans. He he certainly didn't love to 0:13:43.200 --> 0:13:45.160 love to recruit in the first place. Didn't love to 0:13:45.200 --> 0:13:48.760 recruit those guys in particular because you know, like you 0:13:48.800 --> 0:13:51.920 said that they tended to come with a sense of entitlement. 0:13:52.040 --> 0:13:54.719 And you know, he was much more into the the 0:13:54.800 --> 0:13:57.360 vasquez Is and the Juan Dixons and the Blakes and 0:13:57.400 --> 0:13:59.920 the guys that were under recruited and the and the 0:14:00.080 --> 0:14:01.840 up having a chip on their shoulder, and that he 0:14:01.880 --> 0:14:05.319 could you know, push relentlessly hard to achieve a lot 0:14:05.320 --> 0:14:09.560 more than anybody thought. But uh, yeah, Gilchrist definitely, you know, 0:14:09.679 --> 0:14:12.080 besides that moment in the a SEC tournament didn't work 0:14:12.080 --> 0:14:14.960 out tremendously well. And then you know, actually the year 0:14:15.000 --> 0:14:18.960 he ended up retiring after was after Jordan Williams's sophomore 0:14:19.000 --> 0:14:21.640 season where he went to the draft. You know, I 0:14:21.680 --> 0:14:24.480 think was a high second round pick, but he left 0:14:24.960 --> 0:14:27.160 too early. You know, could have come back and been 0:14:27.240 --> 0:14:29.840 a tremendous player as a junior and you know, ends 0:14:29.920 --> 0:14:33.080 up flaming out of the NBA and after like a season. Um, 0:14:33.080 --> 0:14:34.720 you know, it was just way too mature. To go, 0:14:34.920 --> 0:14:37.680 and I think, you know, after that happened, Gary was 0:14:37.720 --> 0:14:39.720 just kind of done with it and I decided to 0:14:39.720 --> 0:14:42.960 beat have enough dealing with that kind of of nonsense. 0:14:43.080 --> 0:14:45.840 But yeah, he definitely did a lot better with uh 0:14:46.240 --> 0:14:51.480 you know the guys that were thought of lesser for sure. Um, okay, 0:14:51.480 --> 0:14:56.760 so you get done in college grad you like grad 0:14:56.760 --> 0:14:59.320 assistant and then how did you get how did you 0:14:59.320 --> 0:15:03.680 get into league? So it's funny. Actually, so after after 0:15:03.840 --> 0:15:08.160 Gary's last season, I emailed Tommy Shepard, you know, who's 0:15:08.160 --> 0:15:10.920 now the Wizard's GM. He was the assistant GM at 0:15:10.920 --> 0:15:13.320 the time, and honestly, I just wanted to, uh to 0:15:13.360 --> 0:15:15.000 pick his brain. I just asked if I can take 0:15:15.080 --> 0:15:17.120 him to lunch, you know, asked him a few questions, 0:15:17.160 --> 0:15:20.200 find out, uh, you know, some tips and things from him, 0:15:20.240 --> 0:15:22.760 and I happened to mention what I had done, you 0:15:22.800 --> 0:15:25.160 know at Maryland in the film room and everything there, 0:15:25.240 --> 0:15:27.920 and uh, you know, at the time, the Wizards had 0:15:27.960 --> 0:15:30.640 one guy working like a hundred twenty hour weeks in 0:15:30.720 --> 0:15:34.520 the video room who was just completely overwhelmed, and uh, 0:15:34.640 --> 0:15:36.280 you know, they said they could use some help, and 0:15:36.320 --> 0:15:39.080 I got to come in an interview with him. Uh, 0:15:39.120 --> 0:15:41.400 and then I actually ended up interning for the Wizards 0:15:41.880 --> 0:15:44.400 my last two years of college, just working you know, 0:15:44.480 --> 0:15:47.880 for a lot less hours in their film room even remotely. Um. 0:15:47.960 --> 0:15:50.560 And then right when I graduated Maryland, actually I got 0:15:50.560 --> 0:15:53.960 to become up full time as the head video coordinator, 0:15:54.360 --> 0:15:58.240 traveling with the with the Wizards. Okay, so here's my question. 0:15:59.240 --> 0:16:02.080 You've been a basket ball fan. You didn't play basketball 0:16:02.080 --> 0:16:04.160 in high school. You started playing basketball and loving the 0:16:04.200 --> 0:16:07.480 game in college from the moneyball idea of it. You 0:16:07.560 --> 0:16:11.560 understood the analytics probably above that of many of the 0:16:11.680 --> 0:16:15.280 older guys, even in the Wizards front office, right because 0:16:15.360 --> 0:16:17.920 because you know, we were well we were raised that. 0:16:18.360 --> 0:16:20.840 Not not anti analytics, but that just wasn't the way 0:16:20.920 --> 0:16:26.920 which data was collected or really deciphered. Right. But you 0:16:27.000 --> 0:16:30.520 also hadn't studied the game the way that you study 0:16:30.600 --> 0:16:33.040 the game or have to allow others study the game 0:16:33.080 --> 0:16:35.560 when you're cutting up film. So when you first start 0:16:35.640 --> 0:16:41.480 watching film of NBA games and breakdowns, what what I'm 0:16:41.560 --> 0:16:45.520 just I'll just tell you personally, like as a player, 0:16:46.360 --> 0:16:49.760 what jumped out to me I remember was, um, so 0:16:49.840 --> 0:16:54.760 my after my junior years, uh, I think is a 0:16:54.840 --> 0:16:58.360 during my sophomore my junior year. Um, there used to 0:16:58.440 --> 0:17:01.880 be a rule where you could go and work out 0:17:02.600 --> 0:17:06.600 with NBA teams. You just had to pay your own way. Kid. 0:17:06.600 --> 0:17:08.879 They couldn't pick up anything. They could give you a 0:17:08.960 --> 0:17:12.359 jersey and shorts, a T shirt. So I went to 0:17:12.480 --> 0:17:15.600 a Trailblazer Mark working tine hook me up. I went 0:17:15.680 --> 0:17:21.200 to a Trailblazers mini camp and this was Germaine O'Neil 0:17:21.400 --> 0:17:24.399 was maybe in his second year in the league. So 0:17:24.680 --> 0:17:28.320 no one knew how the Germaine O'Neil was gonna be. Um. 0:17:28.359 --> 0:17:31.479 And this is when they were the Trail the jail Blazers, right, 0:17:31.720 --> 0:17:35.080 but they had dudes. They had Rashid, they had Greg Anthony, 0:17:35.160 --> 0:17:39.360 they had Bonds. I mean, they had fucking dudes, right, 0:17:40.080 --> 0:17:43.280 And so the couple of things I remember my first 0:17:43.359 --> 0:17:50.160 foray into professional basketball was one, goddamn everybody's long, right, 0:17:50.280 --> 0:17:55.520 Like everybody's long. You know, Uh, There's there's not one 0:17:55.600 --> 0:17:58.239 guy that you're like, oh, well, he's a normal. Like 0:17:58.359 --> 0:18:02.080 everybody walks in and they're like and condors and which 0:18:02.119 --> 0:18:05.359 which makes the way I I see basketball as a 0:18:05.359 --> 0:18:08.360 player is you know through windows and you know where 0:18:08.359 --> 0:18:10.399 a pass is gonna go where it an angle for 0:18:10.440 --> 0:18:13.399 a drive, where the space is to create a shot. 0:18:13.880 --> 0:18:17.680 And these windows close up so fast because even when 0:18:17.680 --> 0:18:20.480 they're beaten, they're not really beaten because they just they 0:18:20.520 --> 0:18:24.000 have long arms and big hands and and great ability 0:18:24.080 --> 0:18:28.680 to react. So the length of players was studying to me. 0:18:29.480 --> 0:18:34.359 And how much like you you think you've been around 0:18:34.440 --> 0:18:36.840 good shooters, you know. And I used to play pick 0:18:36.920 --> 0:18:39.879 up all of Scotty Brooks. It's interesting about about the Wizards. 0:18:39.920 --> 0:18:44.720 So Scotty was alleged he grew up. I'm again Orange County. 0:18:44.800 --> 0:18:47.840 He played U c Irvine and he and guy's name 0:18:48.600 --> 0:18:52.000 Todd Thornton and William McGee and and Todd Murphy, all 0:18:52.000 --> 0:18:55.159 guys that played in the NBA and played overseas. They 0:18:55.240 --> 0:18:58.160 all would play pick up all at this a couple 0:18:58.200 --> 0:19:01.040 of spots in Orange County. And so I had seen 0:19:01.160 --> 0:19:05.000 like how they could shoot in games, you know, But 0:19:05.160 --> 0:19:08.000 I don't think I had a healthy respect for just 0:19:08.040 --> 0:19:11.200 how fucking good they were, right, Like, I don't think 0:19:11.480 --> 0:19:14.119 I just don't think it translates to people. It's like 0:19:14.119 --> 0:19:18.960 I had a conversation with uh, with um somebody the 0:19:19.040 --> 0:19:22.120 other day and they were they were trying to tell 0:19:22.119 --> 0:19:25.879 me like, well, you know NBA players only, so you know, 0:19:26.160 --> 0:19:28.440 I was like, okay, you have to understand. NBA players shoot, 0:19:28.840 --> 0:19:32.280 you know, from three and fifty from two in an 0:19:32.359 --> 0:19:35.960 NBA game against NBA players. If you put an NBA 0:19:36.040 --> 0:19:38.800 player you know, worked out in a gym, they shoot 0:19:39.320 --> 0:19:43.800 like ninety. It's unbelievable how good they are. I don't 0:19:43.840 --> 0:19:47.120 even guys that can't shoot can shoot, they just can't 0:19:47.119 --> 0:19:49.639 shoot in an NBA game. Right, So those are the 0:19:49.720 --> 0:19:51.800 two things that jumped out to me. Yeah, you're a 0:19:51.800 --> 0:19:55.160 college kid, you start breaking down film, working all hours 0:19:55.160 --> 0:19:56.920 of the night, or what do you remember about the 0:19:56.920 --> 0:19:59.000 first couple of things you thought and learned about the 0:19:59.119 --> 0:20:03.560 NBA that you didn no previously. Yeah, the first thing 0:20:03.640 --> 0:20:06.240 comes to mind, definitely is a little bit of a story. 0:20:06.320 --> 0:20:08.720 But uh, you know that the fact that just not 0:20:08.800 --> 0:20:11.920 everybody loves the game. You know. I went from Maryland, 0:20:11.920 --> 0:20:14.520 like I said, where Gary would be custom guys out 0:20:14.520 --> 0:20:17.800 if we're only up fifty at halftime against Longwood, Uh, 0:20:17.800 --> 0:20:20.960 to my first NBA experience being uh, you know, the 0:20:21.000 --> 0:20:24.800 locker room with the Wizards. JaVale McGhee, Andre Blotch, Nick Young, 0:20:25.000 --> 0:20:28.680 Jordan Crawford at the time walking in at halftime down 0:20:28.720 --> 0:20:31.720 twenty laughing about it. Um, so you know that that 0:20:31.840 --> 0:20:34.160 was just it was a terrible culture at the time. 0:20:34.200 --> 0:20:36.239 And you know, you realize, like I said, a lot 0:20:36.280 --> 0:20:38.200 of those guys just just do it for the paycheck. 0:20:38.240 --> 0:20:40.879 They do it because they're seven feet tall, and you 0:20:40.880 --> 0:20:42.760 know that they're happening to be great at it, But 0:20:42.800 --> 0:20:45.800 it doesn't necessarily mean that they, you know, really love 0:20:45.880 --> 0:20:48.920 the game and are all out nuts about basketball like 0:20:48.920 --> 0:20:51.560 like we are for example. Um. You know, so you 0:20:51.600 --> 0:20:54.320 definitely see that, and absolutely you know that the part 0:20:54.359 --> 0:20:57.439 about how talented every single guy is, you know, just 0:20:57.560 --> 0:20:59.520 jumps off the page. I mean, you know, we we'd 0:20:59.520 --> 0:21:03.080 have some games. Remember Phil Prescy I think was on 0:21:03.160 --> 0:21:05.879 like a ten day contract with the Celtics, and we 0:21:05.880 --> 0:21:08.159 didn't even think he would play. He was like, you know, 0:21:08.240 --> 0:21:11.440 fourteenth on their depth chart or something, and so, uh, 0:21:11.480 --> 0:21:13.800 he actually wasn't even on the scouting report. He ends 0:21:13.880 --> 0:21:16.320 up getting in the game and gives us like twenty 0:21:16.400 --> 0:21:19.080 and they they win the game. And after the game, 0:21:19.200 --> 0:21:21.520 Randy Whitman comes in the film room like, why the 0:21:21.600 --> 0:21:24.719 funk wasn't Phil Prescy on the scatting report, you know, 0:21:24.880 --> 0:21:30.200 just because yeah, you know he's on a D exactly, Yeah, 0:21:30.240 --> 0:21:32.200 and he killed us. So you know, you see that 0:21:32.240 --> 0:21:35.080 all the time. Guys that are fourteen fifteen guys on 0:21:35.119 --> 0:21:37.359 the roster, guys that are you know, forty that you 0:21:37.400 --> 0:21:39.720 think are about done, and they come out and you 0:21:39.760 --> 0:21:43.359 know you take them lightly or think they can't do something, 0:21:43.400 --> 0:21:45.960 and that's when they kill you. So yeah, you absolutely 0:21:46.000 --> 0:21:47.800 see that. And then you know, last all, I'll give 0:21:47.840 --> 0:21:49.440 you a two. I mean you kind of mentioned the 0:21:49.440 --> 0:21:52.440 the analytics, and I definitely came in the game like 0:21:52.600 --> 0:21:55.000 thinking that I was gonna be a huge analytics guy. 0:21:55.080 --> 0:21:57.040 And you know, like I said, I grew up on 0:21:57.040 --> 0:21:59.919 the moneyball stuff. But once you really get to it, 0:22:00.000 --> 0:22:02.080 once you're in all the coaches meetings, you know, watching 0:22:02.119 --> 0:22:04.760 film with guys that have done it for thirty years 0:22:04.800 --> 0:22:08.160 and and you know, just pour over every single detail, 0:22:08.280 --> 0:22:12.800 every little meticulous aspect of everything in the game. You know, 0:22:12.920 --> 0:22:15.520 you really realize that the analytics and the stats so 0:22:15.920 --> 0:22:20.119 very little of how much actually goes into winning basketball games. 0:22:20.119 --> 0:22:23.560 So it's funny. I actually started probably very extreme on 0:22:23.600 --> 0:22:27.159 that analytics end and ended up drifting where now I'd say, um, 0:22:27.520 --> 0:22:30.760 you know, almost all eye tests, because I think the 0:22:30.760 --> 0:22:33.960 stats just do a pretty terrible job overall measuring you 0:22:34.000 --> 0:22:36.840 know what, what really wins basketball games? What? What do 0:22:36.880 --> 0:22:42.000 you think it misses? Uh? You know, where where do 0:22:42.040 --> 0:22:44.320 you start? I mean, you know, even Darryl Moorey, like 0:22:44.359 --> 0:22:48.000 the biggest analytics GM, obviously he has some quote that's like, 0:22:48.560 --> 0:22:51.800 you know, the basketball box scores is absolutely worthless. You 0:22:51.840 --> 0:22:54.840 know how many people just look at, Oh, Zach Lavine's 0:22:54.840 --> 0:22:57.600 a bucket. He scored you know, forty points tonight and 0:22:57.640 --> 0:23:00.919 don't see that. You know, he missed ten reads on 0:23:00.960 --> 0:23:03.840 pick and rolls, he missed five rotations, you know, he 0:23:04.520 --> 0:23:08.240 uh balls, hockey assists, all those things don't even you know, 0:23:08.320 --> 0:23:11.359 don't even get measured for the most part. Um, you know. 0:23:11.480 --> 0:23:13.639 So it's that and then, like I said, it's also 0:23:13.760 --> 0:23:17.919 just competitiveness. I think defense we don't really measure at 0:23:17.920 --> 0:23:20.439 all well with with the box score. I mean, you know, 0:23:20.520 --> 0:23:23.560 there's some things of plus minuses and things like that 0:23:23.560 --> 0:23:26.800 that I think do okay, but uh, yeah, you know, 0:23:26.840 --> 0:23:29.320 I think defense is almost impossible to measure. Most of 0:23:29.359 --> 0:23:32.000 the best defenders are the ones you know getting lit 0:23:32.080 --> 0:23:34.879 up by the best offensive players every night, so obviously 0:23:35.320 --> 0:23:38.080 you know, their stats take a little bit of a beating. Um. 0:23:38.160 --> 0:23:41.120 But yeah, you know, it's just so hard to capture 0:23:41.200 --> 0:23:43.840 the impact of of five guys playing on a string 0:23:43.960 --> 0:23:46.840 and being locked in together. Uh, you know, with the 0:23:46.880 --> 0:23:52.399 statue sheets, it's that that's a fascinating thing. Now, what 0:23:52.480 --> 0:23:57.080 are your thoughts on plus minus? You know, it definitely 0:23:57.080 --> 0:23:59.640 has has some value and and there's a few ways 0:23:59.720 --> 0:24:03.199 to adjust it where certainly it's it's it's worth at 0:24:03.280 --> 0:24:05.959 least being a piece of the puzzle, um, you know. 0:24:06.040 --> 0:24:08.080 And I'm a believer of like Rich Show, I think 0:24:08.160 --> 0:24:11.480 always had a saying that was eyes, years and numbers. Right, 0:24:11.560 --> 0:24:13.679 numbers have to be a part of the equation. But 0:24:13.760 --> 0:24:16.080 you also have to you know, pass the eye tests. 0:24:16.119 --> 0:24:19.919 You have to listen to what coaches, what scouts are saying, um, 0:24:19.960 --> 0:24:21.919 you know. And I think plus minus, for example, like 0:24:21.960 --> 0:24:25.600 has always been used against the guy like like Tamar 0:24:25.720 --> 0:24:28.840 de Rosen because you know, okay, in the ten minutes 0:24:28.880 --> 0:24:31.439 he's not on the court. Uh, sometimes his teams have 0:24:31.520 --> 0:24:34.199 done a little better than the forty minutes he's on. 0:24:34.400 --> 0:24:37.280 But you know that they discount that almost every single 0:24:37.280 --> 0:24:40.800 team he's on is won fifty games year after year 0:24:40.840 --> 0:24:43.639 after year, and he has such an overall, you know, 0:24:43.680 --> 0:24:46.840 tremendous impact on the game, and they just crush a 0:24:46.880 --> 0:24:49.280 player like him just because he can't shoot threes. You know, 0:24:49.359 --> 0:24:52.639 that doesn't mean that he's still not a an incredibly 0:24:52.680 --> 0:24:55.879 efficient scorer. He makes so many plays for his teammates, 0:24:55.920 --> 0:24:59.680 and like I said, he's played winning basketball so long 0:24:59.720 --> 0:25:02.359 for Toronto. He he gets to San Antonio in his 0:25:02.400 --> 0:25:05.440 first year, they lose, you know, they're starting point guard 0:25:05.520 --> 0:25:07.520 for the season. Everybody thinks they're gonna be all full 0:25:07.600 --> 0:25:11.080 and they win forty eight games his first year there. So, 0:25:11.520 --> 0:25:13.199 you know, I think there's just so many guys like 0:25:13.240 --> 0:25:17.119 that that that the stats just uh, you know, failed 0:25:17.119 --> 0:25:22.200 to fail to appreciate fully. Okay, So who is the 0:25:22.920 --> 0:25:28.680 least appreciated guy from your perspective? Is is it Tomorrow? Yeah? 0:25:28.760 --> 0:25:30.800 I think long term, you know, at least over the 0:25:30.880 --> 0:25:32.760 last ten years or so, I think he's gotten the 0:25:32.800 --> 0:25:36.600 most uh most undue hate. Probably. I think you know 0:25:36.840 --> 0:25:38.960 that Ben Simmons is up there as well. I think 0:25:39.040 --> 0:25:42.040 we get so lost in the fact that, yeah, obviously, 0:25:42.119 --> 0:25:43.840 you know, he doesn't have a jumper, and that's a 0:25:43.880 --> 0:25:47.240 big uh fatal flaw that attempts to show up in 0:25:47.240 --> 0:25:50.000 the playoffs. But that doesn't mean, you know, like I said, 0:25:50.000 --> 0:25:53.280 he doesn't still impact the game incredibly by being one 0:25:53.280 --> 0:25:55.720 of the best by probably defenders in the league, and 0:25:56.200 --> 0:25:58.800 being an incredible passer and his feel for the game 0:25:58.880 --> 0:26:02.320 and uh, all those things. I think our y Philadelphia's 0:26:02.600 --> 0:26:04.640 first in the East right now, and he's he's playing 0:26:04.640 --> 0:26:07.240 amazing basketball and if you look online, you still see 0:26:07.280 --> 0:26:11.480 nothing but people killing him every single day for his shot. Uh, 0:26:11.480 --> 0:26:13.600 he's up there. And the last guy I'll say, you know, 0:26:13.680 --> 0:26:18.440 James Harden too. Obviously, he's he's had playoff failings. He's uh, 0:26:18.600 --> 0:26:21.480 you know, had questionable commitment at times and some things 0:26:21.520 --> 0:26:24.880 definitely that that drive me nuts. You know. It also 0:26:24.960 --> 0:26:26.679 drives me nuts when you hear that he's like a 0:26:26.760 --> 0:26:30.359 ball hog or selfish. When he's leading the league and assists, 0:26:30.400 --> 0:26:33.440 He's had plenty of seasons ten eleven assists a game. 0:26:33.560 --> 0:26:35.600 He's you know, you watch him play. I mean, his 0:26:35.880 --> 0:26:38.520 field for the games off the charts is his floor 0:26:38.600 --> 0:26:41.200 vision is incredible, and he's he's also a better defender 0:26:41.240 --> 0:26:43.560 than than people think, um, you know, and I think 0:26:43.640 --> 0:26:46.240 it's it's sad now that he's he felt he had 0:26:46.280 --> 0:26:49.200 to go to to Brooklyn and a super team because 0:26:49.400 --> 0:26:51.959 you know, he was just getting crushed by the narratives 0:26:52.000 --> 0:26:53.880 of you know, not being good enough to get over 0:26:53.920 --> 0:26:56.760 the hump with a with a team that that wasn't 0:26:56.760 --> 0:26:59.480 amazing quite frankly. And you know, now that's what happens. 0:26:59.520 --> 0:27:01.240 All these guys us feel the way of the need 0:27:01.320 --> 0:27:04.160 then to join forces and go to a super team 0:27:04.160 --> 0:27:06.399 just so they can get a ring to you know, 0:27:06.480 --> 0:27:11.240 to appease like vot like no, like validates that somehow 0:27:11.240 --> 0:27:14.280 that validates their career when it shouldn't. You know, It's 0:27:14.280 --> 0:27:16.800 it's interesting, It's like, and I have to be very 0:27:16.800 --> 0:27:19.400 cautious of this myself, right like, we we can't make 0:27:20.200 --> 0:27:23.000 getting a ring the only thing that matters, because when 0:27:23.000 --> 0:27:25.679 we do, then guys pursue a ring and then suddenly 0:27:25.720 --> 0:27:28.520 they're the bad guy, right Like, Yeah, I mean that's 0:27:28.560 --> 0:27:31.320 that's really, that's that's really Kevin. The story of Kevin 0:27:31.359 --> 0:27:36.439 Durant's career. Right whereas he's he was playing Oaklhoma City, Okay, 0:27:36.560 --> 0:27:41.200 and he was playing two on five against the Warriors. 0:27:41.680 --> 0:27:44.720 I know they're up three one, I get okay, But yeah, 0:27:44.760 --> 0:27:47.119 Steven Adams is a non story and Andre Robertson is 0:27:47.119 --> 0:27:50.399 a non score. Um trying to think who else they had? 0:27:50.440 --> 0:27:52.920 Who is there? Um? Who else? Who was who was 0:27:53.480 --> 0:27:56.399 Dana Baca? Who's who's Bacca is on that team? Right? 0:27:56.440 --> 0:27:59.399 Then Abakabaka shoot, but then you have Russ is not 0:27:59.440 --> 0:28:01.520 a shooter, right, So I, but I remember when they're 0:28:01.520 --> 0:28:04.440 playing against the Warriors, the Warriors put two guys in 0:28:04.560 --> 0:28:07.360 his zone and just two guys right there at the elbows. 0:28:07.440 --> 0:28:09.959 So when when he catching catching at his elbows, he 0:28:10.040 --> 0:28:12.399 was constantly double teamed where there's just nowhere to go. 0:28:13.040 --> 0:28:15.000 So he goes somewhere where like, hey, we're gonna give 0:28:15.040 --> 0:28:16.800 you all the space in the world. He gets all 0:28:16.800 --> 0:28:19.480 the space in the world, gets Lebron on an island, 0:28:19.920 --> 0:28:22.679 and like, you can't guard that fucking guy, and he 0:28:22.760 --> 0:28:24.840 wins a couple of championships, would have won a third one, 0:28:24.880 --> 0:28:27.880 and suddenly he's the bad guy because he got tired of, 0:28:28.000 --> 0:28:32.120 you know, trying to carry a team that wasn't constructed 0:28:32.160 --> 0:28:35.480 to the way which it could truly show how magnificent 0:28:35.520 --> 0:28:38.160 the scory he is. So I and and look again, 0:28:38.200 --> 0:28:41.440 I'm I won't apologize for some of the social media 0:28:41.480 --> 0:28:45.320 stupid ship. He's done with the burner accounts whenever, and 0:28:45.320 --> 0:28:49.160 and maybe for uh, you know, his lack of understanding 0:28:49.160 --> 0:28:52.280 of how other people would handle him leaving. And I 0:28:52.320 --> 0:28:53.960 do think there's a right way and a wrong way 0:28:54.000 --> 0:28:56.720 to leave, even if you do leave all that stuff, 0:28:56.760 --> 0:29:00.440 I actually understand, like I would be and it had 0:29:00.440 --> 0:29:03.600 to be really really one on five is hard, right, 0:29:04.640 --> 0:29:06.560 I'll give you. I'll give you a story real quick. 0:29:06.600 --> 0:29:09.760 So obviously I wasn't a scorer ever since high school. 0:29:10.440 --> 0:29:13.080 And my first year playing professionally, I was playing with 0:29:13.120 --> 0:29:15.840 a team called euro Great. We won the Russian Championship, 0:29:15.880 --> 0:29:18.120 with the first team not named Sescat to win the 0:29:18.160 --> 0:29:23.120 Russian Championship, and we were I joined in January and 0:29:23.520 --> 0:29:27.560 we were stacked, and we had four or five good Russians, 0:29:27.560 --> 0:29:30.720 we had three good Lithuanians, we had the best player 0:29:30.720 --> 0:29:33.720 in Ukraine. And the reason that matters is they all 0:29:33.760 --> 0:29:36.360 counted as Russians. And then we had Willie Burton and 0:29:36.400 --> 0:29:39.760 me and I played this American that year and we 0:29:39.840 --> 0:29:43.880 kicked everybody's ass and we were so good that we 0:29:43.920 --> 0:29:46.920 won the league by like four games, and so we 0:29:46.960 --> 0:29:51.040 advanced automatically to the semi finals of the playoffs. Well, 0:29:51.280 --> 0:29:53.440 when won the league by four games, there were still 0:29:54.200 --> 0:29:58.320 two games left to be played, and I was twenty 0:29:58.400 --> 0:30:02.040 four and all these other guys are late twenties and thirties, 0:30:02.840 --> 0:30:05.920 and somehow they were like, we're gonna go take a brick, 0:30:06.160 --> 0:30:08.080 like they got to all really got to go home. 0:30:09.080 --> 0:30:10.959 One of the Russian dudes lived in Spain. He went 0:30:11.000 --> 0:30:13.360 to Spain and all of a sudden, like you know, 0:30:13.400 --> 0:30:16.480 I was a I would I would start some in 0:30:16.640 --> 0:30:20.000 six man some and suddenly like they all pieced out 0:30:20.040 --> 0:30:23.960 and I was playing. I played against SSCA with the juniors, 0:30:24.040 --> 0:30:26.080 and like one or two of the bench dude like 0:30:26.120 --> 0:30:31.080 the bench strubby dudes, right, and um, I was, you know, 0:30:31.160 --> 0:30:34.120 like now a sudden. It was on one part, it 0:30:34.200 --> 0:30:37.200 was awesome because we're practicing. We have two games left 0:30:37.880 --> 0:30:43.520 and once against SESCA. Home was against I think mineral Voda, right, 0:30:43.600 --> 0:30:46.520 mineral Water is actually a town in South Russia. And 0:30:46.600 --> 0:30:49.080 so like now I'm the dude, We're like we're running 0:30:49.160 --> 0:30:51.880 high sideball screens all this ship. For me, it's really good. 0:30:53.760 --> 0:30:57.240 And we get into a game and everywhere I go 0:30:57.400 --> 0:31:00.800 there's two dudes. And remember like again I'm not a score, 0:31:00.960 --> 0:31:03.480 I'm a pastor. I'm a facilitator. Like that's you know, 0:31:03.520 --> 0:31:05.360 when you want to do pro, you gotta do what 0:31:05.400 --> 0:31:07.760 you do best, you know, but in this particular setting, 0:31:07.800 --> 0:31:09.600 they're like, do we need you to We need you 0:31:09.600 --> 0:31:13.240 to go get buckets. So my first game playing with 0:31:13.280 --> 0:31:15.840 that group, I was like two of fourteen or something 0:31:15.880 --> 0:31:19.800 against Seska, and I mean I missed some good looks 0:31:20.080 --> 0:31:22.720 and I missed a dunk coming down the lane I had. 0:31:22.840 --> 0:31:25.840 I actually I just shot poorly. But it was so hard, 0:31:26.040 --> 0:31:29.800 so much harder when there was no space to do 0:31:29.840 --> 0:31:31.960 what I wanted to do because I could get by guys. 0:31:31.960 --> 0:31:34.000 But then the second guy we alway struggle without so 0:31:34.120 --> 0:31:36.760 used to passing off it. And the second game against 0:31:36.800 --> 0:31:39.200 the lesser team I was I was much better. But 0:31:39.280 --> 0:31:41.280 it was one of those things to where everybody thinks 0:31:41.320 --> 0:31:43.200 they want to be the dude, but you also have 0:31:43.280 --> 0:31:46.080 to have space to do what you do. And I 0:31:46.120 --> 0:31:48.400 think you you nailed it with the narrative, right, we 0:31:48.560 --> 0:31:51.800 create these narratives of you're only an all time grade 0:31:51.800 --> 0:31:54.480 if you win a champion, but you can't be a 0:31:54.560 --> 0:31:57.280 champion unless you have other dudes with you and you 0:31:57.560 --> 0:32:00.400 sometimes you can't organically allow that to happen on its 0:32:00.400 --> 0:32:03.880 own right. You just can't. So I think it's really 0:32:03.880 --> 0:32:06.840 hard for these guys. The herd and thing. I'll disagree 0:32:06.920 --> 0:32:09.680 with you. I'll push back on this point. I know 0:32:09.760 --> 0:32:13.280 that we pick him, we pick on him for for 0:32:13.480 --> 0:32:17.320 some of the defensive stuff, but like, he doesn't guard. 0:32:17.440 --> 0:32:19.960 I mean, he just doesn't. And now he I don't 0:32:20.000 --> 0:32:22.520 think he's as bad as Kyrie is, and I'll explain 0:32:22.520 --> 0:32:26.280 why in the second um, but but he he doesn't guard. 0:32:26.360 --> 0:32:28.320 And then there are times in which in the playoffs 0:32:28.320 --> 0:32:30.640 he tries to guard. And I think that it's one 0:32:30.640 --> 0:32:33.320 of the things that limits him offensively is you go 0:32:33.440 --> 0:32:35.840 through a season playing one way, and then you get 0:32:35.880 --> 0:32:38.040 to the playoffs. They're not giving him the fouls the 0:32:38.040 --> 0:32:40.360 way they used to give it to him, and he's 0:32:40.400 --> 0:32:43.800 trying to guard, and so he's exhausted because playing both 0:32:43.880 --> 0:32:48.360 ends is really hard. Um. And and then I don't 0:32:48.360 --> 0:32:51.040 I agree with you. He is not selfish, he's magnificent 0:32:51.080 --> 0:32:54.840 with the ball. But what they were doing in Houston 0:32:55.080 --> 0:32:58.880 allowing him to just you know, dribble, dribble dribble, create 0:32:58.920 --> 0:33:02.520 the mismatch dribble, dribble dribble. It becomes a hard watch, 0:33:03.040 --> 0:33:07.760 and it takes away from how magnificent his skill set is. 0:33:07.800 --> 0:33:09.640 I always said this is my thing on James Harden. 0:33:10.160 --> 0:33:14.719 He's incredible. Okay, might be the best offensive player in basketball, 0:33:15.120 --> 0:33:18.360 but I can't stand to watch him now. I say that, 0:33:18.600 --> 0:33:21.200 and I actually really like how he's playing with Brooklyn 0:33:21.240 --> 0:33:24.240 because he's back to being more a facilitator and he's 0:33:24.240 --> 0:33:27.400 he's showing off how good a passer he is, and 0:33:27.640 --> 0:33:30.520 that kind of stuff. That kind of stuff shows like 0:33:30.680 --> 0:33:36.640 what people don't understand about James Harden. Uh is painfully honest. No, absolutely, 0:33:36.680 --> 0:33:39.360 I mean, yeah, he You know Houston, You've got to 0:33:39.400 --> 0:33:42.760 remember that last year they're playing without a center. You know, 0:33:42.800 --> 0:33:45.920 they played p J. Tucker's six five playing playing center. 0:33:46.000 --> 0:33:48.760 And probably the best aspect of James Harden's game over 0:33:48.800 --> 0:33:51.600 his career has been his pick and role passing. You know, 0:33:51.680 --> 0:33:53.880 so Darryl More, he can say all he wants that 0:33:53.880 --> 0:33:56.040 that they have the most official offensive ever, James Harden 0:33:56.120 --> 0:33:59.240 is the most efficient player ever. But you know, you know, 0:33:59.360 --> 0:34:01.320 in the player offs, you need a you need a mix, 0:34:01.360 --> 0:34:03.320 you need somebody that can get their own shot in 0:34:03.360 --> 0:34:06.000 the mid range. You need, you need Kevin Durant, you know, 0:34:06.040 --> 0:34:08.320 you need you need guys like that. You can't only 0:34:08.880 --> 0:34:11.960 take threes or only play you know, robot ball. And 0:34:12.160 --> 0:34:15.080 that's what they never understood in Houston too. You know, 0:34:15.160 --> 0:34:18.200 they just became so predictable in the playoffs, and the 0:34:18.320 --> 0:34:21.680 Lakers just you know, pressed up like crazy on threes 0:34:21.760 --> 0:34:23.920 and and helped like crazy at the rim and and 0:34:23.960 --> 0:34:27.800 Houston just absolutely refused, uh to take a mid range jumper, 0:34:27.840 --> 0:34:30.680 which just makes no sense. And yeah, you know you're 0:34:30.680 --> 0:34:34.080 seeing again Harden has real pick and roll options. Now 0:34:34.120 --> 0:34:37.160 he has talent around him. And you know, the narrative thing, 0:34:38.040 --> 0:34:41.319 Kevin Durant wasn't good enough without without a ring, so 0:34:41.360 --> 0:34:43.840 he goes to Golden State, gets rings, and then that 0:34:43.920 --> 0:34:47.280 still doesn't validate him, so he goes back to Brooklyn 0:34:47.360 --> 0:34:49.920 trying to kind of do his own thing with Kyrie. 0:34:50.040 --> 0:34:52.160 But then they're still not good enough to win just 0:34:52.239 --> 0:34:54.880 for those two, so they need more help. And you know, 0:34:54.960 --> 0:34:58.759 now the narrative just continues to cycle and cycle, and 0:34:59.160 --> 0:35:01.799 you know Harden's defense, like I said that, you know, 0:35:01.880 --> 0:35:05.560 he definitely deserves criticism his lifestyle I think has definitely 0:35:05.560 --> 0:35:07.799 caught up with him a lot in the playoffs. You 0:35:07.840 --> 0:35:10.359 can't be going out as much as as he does 0:35:10.520 --> 0:35:13.080 over the season and expect to have the energy to 0:35:13.080 --> 0:35:14.919 to do it on both ends. Like I said, for 0:35:14.920 --> 0:35:18.160 forty five minutes a night. Um, you know, but you 0:35:18.160 --> 0:35:20.000 saw it like against the Clippers the other night. One 0:35:20.000 --> 0:35:23.680 thing I think he's really underrated in is his post defense. 0:35:23.719 --> 0:35:26.160 And he's just so hard to move, you know, for 0:35:26.560 --> 0:35:28.640 even Kauai in a bak and all these guys are 0:35:28.640 --> 0:35:31.080 trying to post him up, and his you know, the 0:35:31.160 --> 0:35:34.279 way he resists post ups is is pretty incredible. So 0:35:34.880 --> 0:35:37.239 I think he definitely, like I said, is better than 0:35:37.280 --> 0:35:39.440 people think. But I do agree with you, you know, 0:35:39.520 --> 0:35:42.880 he's marginally better than Kyrie on that end, and still 0:35:42.920 --> 0:35:47.280 definitely definitely not great. Uh. Well, here's my thing with Kyrie, 0:35:47.400 --> 0:35:49.640 and some of this is inside infol right from people 0:35:49.680 --> 0:35:52.000 who have played with them or people that have coached 0:35:52.040 --> 0:35:55.040 him or been around people the coaching. It's it's not 0:35:55.200 --> 0:35:57.359 n Carrie is bad on defense. He's not very good 0:35:57.360 --> 0:35:59.960 at It's that Kyrie is. He doesn't know he's been 0:36:00.000 --> 0:36:03.120 out on defense, right, or he refuses to you know, 0:36:03.239 --> 0:36:05.719 the the the easiest example that I like to give 0:36:06.000 --> 0:36:09.440 is they played the Celtics, they played the Bucks in 0:36:09.440 --> 0:36:13.160 the playoffs when he's with the Celtics, and their defensive 0:36:13.200 --> 0:36:18.080 scheme was to switch everything except for Kyrie, you know, 0:36:18.160 --> 0:36:20.799 which is basically what Golden State does with Steph right 0:36:20.840 --> 0:36:23.640 where he stays home and everybody else, everybody else switches 0:36:24.040 --> 0:36:27.080 and under no uncertain circumstances did they want him guarding 0:36:27.880 --> 0:36:30.600 nice right there? Like that's we don't want that, Okay, 0:36:31.000 --> 0:36:33.840 We're gonna protect you. And he kept switching out on 0:36:33.880 --> 0:36:37.400 your honest and not just switching out and then switching 0:36:37.400 --> 0:36:40.560 out and like challenging you honest, and you know, these 0:36:40.760 --> 0:36:43.400 the coaches are like, what what the funk? Dude, Like, 0:36:44.080 --> 0:36:47.040 we're actually trying to protect you so that you can 0:36:47.120 --> 0:36:50.239 be the great offensive player that you are and not 0:36:50.320 --> 0:36:53.440 have to worry about defense. And you know, here do 0:36:53.440 --> 0:36:55.400 you you know, and not have to worry about, you know, 0:36:55.400 --> 0:36:58.440 guarding the you know, the best score maybe in the league, 0:36:58.920 --> 0:37:02.120 and you know, you're you're doing your own thing, which 0:37:02.200 --> 0:37:04.920 is why that's the frustrating part about Kyrie. It's not 0:37:05.000 --> 0:37:07.839 that he's better. And I agree with you on on Hart, 0:37:07.880 --> 0:37:09.799 and that's a great point that he's actually a really 0:37:09.840 --> 0:37:12.600 good He's incredibly strong, he's big. He is a good 0:37:12.600 --> 0:37:15.720 post defender, which always is funny to me when when teams, 0:37:16.440 --> 0:37:17.920 you know, try and attack him and I saw him 0:37:17.960 --> 0:37:19.839 the post. No dude, take him out in the court. 0:37:19.880 --> 0:37:22.239 That's when he just lays you know, and then he 0:37:22.600 --> 0:37:24.719 you know, he olas. And it used to work in 0:37:24.760 --> 0:37:27.360 Houston when they had Capella because he could ola and 0:37:27.360 --> 0:37:28.879 go ahead, go to the rim. You got that big 0:37:28.920 --> 0:37:32.400 fellow waiting to block your shot, you know. So Okay, 0:37:32.440 --> 0:37:34.240 so let me let me ask you about about about 0:37:34.239 --> 0:37:37.880 Brooklyn does it in the end? Do you think it works? 0:37:40.719 --> 0:37:45.080 I think, you know, I think they definitely have a 0:37:45.120 --> 0:37:47.839 tremendous chance to at least make the finals. To me, 0:37:47.960 --> 0:37:51.279 I think they're the best, best equipped team in the East. Uh. 0:37:51.440 --> 0:37:53.840 You know, I still don't buy Milwaukee as as a 0:37:53.840 --> 0:37:56.799 playoff team. I still you know, Philly obviously he's gonna 0:37:56.800 --> 0:38:00.359 struggle with with Ben's shot. Um, you know, they play 0:38:00.400 --> 0:38:02.719 like they did against the Clippers, which was probably the 0:38:02.719 --> 0:38:06.120 best defensive game I've ever seen Kyrie play, quite frankly, 0:38:06.160 --> 0:38:08.680 and he was, you know, probably the best game i've 0:38:08.680 --> 0:38:10.880 ever seen him played period, considering how good he was 0:38:10.920 --> 0:38:15.200 offensively to um, you know, if they're that locked in, absolutely, 0:38:15.320 --> 0:38:18.279 But like you said, I mean the million dollar question is, 0:38:18.840 --> 0:38:21.120 you know, you don't know if Kyrie just decides in 0:38:21.120 --> 0:38:23.240 in in a month that he's gonna take two weeks 0:38:23.280 --> 0:38:26.920 to go, uh canvass around the country and do whatever 0:38:27.000 --> 0:38:29.400 else uh he wants to do. I mean, he's just 0:38:29.880 --> 0:38:34.439 a tremendously bizarre individual that nobody has really been able 0:38:34.440 --> 0:38:37.480 to figure out completely. And uh, yeah, you know, I 0:38:37.480 --> 0:38:39.960 think it's a huge test to a first time not 0:38:40.040 --> 0:38:43.640 only head coach, but first time coach really in Steve Nash, 0:38:43.680 --> 0:38:46.600 and I think at times he's looked overwhelmed. I think, 0:38:46.719 --> 0:38:49.080 you know, he doesn't take the time out against the 0:38:49.120 --> 0:38:51.839 Wizards with them up to in bounding the ball under 0:38:51.840 --> 0:38:54.359 their own basket with like five seconds left, they throw 0:38:54.400 --> 0:38:57.279 it away and Westbrook it's a three. I mean, you know, 0:38:57.360 --> 0:39:01.719 it's a huge question mark for him. But um, you know, ultimately, 0:39:02.080 --> 0:39:04.520 I think it would be pretty hard to bet against 0:39:04.960 --> 0:39:07.480 Kyrie hardened Kevin Durant and I do think they have 0:39:07.600 --> 0:39:10.560 enough in terms of role players and defensive minded guys 0:39:10.640 --> 0:39:13.399 to you know, just enough to make it work if 0:39:13.400 --> 0:39:15.960 those three guys are again playing like they did against 0:39:16.000 --> 0:39:19.600 Clippers the other night. But obviously, you know it's gonna 0:39:19.640 --> 0:39:21.640 be all up to the mental and if they can 0:39:22.440 --> 0:39:25.640 you know, stick together and manage Kyrie well enough to 0:39:25.800 --> 0:39:28.640 make it across the finish line. Yeah, I think he 0:39:28.640 --> 0:39:30.560 would make a There's a series of great points you 0:39:30.600 --> 0:39:33.600 made there which are interesting and the fact that they 0:39:33.680 --> 0:39:35.480 he did all of that, they did all that against 0:39:35.520 --> 0:39:39.200 the Clippers is probably the best way to get into 0:39:39.200 --> 0:39:42.360 the best way to say it, right, like the magic 0:39:42.400 --> 0:39:46.160 to the NBA is Yeah, Yes, I think Kyrie can 0:39:46.200 --> 0:39:48.640 lock in for a series against the Bucks, for a 0:39:48.680 --> 0:39:51.680 series against the Celtics especially, he'd love to do right, 0:39:52.040 --> 0:39:56.160 a series against the Clippers, against the Lakers. The question 0:39:56.239 --> 0:39:58.960 is can they get there? Right? Can they can they? 0:39:59.239 --> 0:40:01.280 Can they get to that part of the finish line 0:40:01.800 --> 0:40:06.960 where um, okay, now now your competitive juices are flowing, 0:40:06.960 --> 0:40:09.200 and now you can and and that's the part where 0:40:09.640 --> 0:40:12.520 we just don't just don't know. Does does anybody know 0:40:12.600 --> 0:40:16.160 what that dude is? Like I I do wonder if 0:40:16.200 --> 0:40:20.120 k D even understands what he partnered with. You know, 0:40:20.160 --> 0:40:23.000 it's like when you're friends with somebody's it's like when 0:40:23.040 --> 0:40:24.960 you're dating somebody, then else when you're living with him, 0:40:25.000 --> 0:40:29.440 it's so so different. Yeah, I mean, just a completely 0:40:29.480 --> 0:40:32.759 different experience. Um. I mean it's the reason that the 0:40:32.760 --> 0:40:35.040 Bachelor and Bachelorette like they never make it right because 0:40:35.360 --> 0:40:36.759 it's all fantasy and then all of a sudden you 0:40:36.800 --> 0:40:39.120 get back to reality. Like, wait a second, this person 0:40:39.200 --> 0:40:41.560 is a slab, this person the idiot. You know, this 0:40:41.640 --> 0:40:47.160 person has no drive. Um, so it does, okay, Um, 0:40:47.200 --> 0:40:50.360 where are you on the Clippers this year as opposed 0:40:50.400 --> 0:40:55.200 to last year? You know, I think obviously at times 0:40:55.280 --> 0:40:57.920 last year they look great, you know, and in a 0:40:57.960 --> 0:40:59.839 lot of the regular season they look great a lot 0:40:59.840 --> 0:41:03.080 of early playoffs. I mean, ultimately, you know, like we 0:41:03.120 --> 0:41:05.640 talked about, the narrative with them is just gonna be 0:41:06.239 --> 0:41:07.960 do they make it to the finals or not? And 0:41:08.000 --> 0:41:10.360 anything short of that is gonna be is gonna be 0:41:10.360 --> 0:41:13.040 probably viewed as as a failure. Again, certainly, you know, 0:41:13.080 --> 0:41:14.839 if they don't at least make it to to play 0:41:14.840 --> 0:41:17.880 the Lakers in the conference finals. Um, you know, I 0:41:18.239 --> 0:41:21.960 think Doc uh quite frankly really did get out coached 0:41:21.960 --> 0:41:24.920 by Mike Malone last year, and um, you know, I 0:41:25.160 --> 0:41:27.960 think a big upgrade for them was not only getting 0:41:28.120 --> 0:41:30.960 you know, promoting Tylu, but what they've done with the 0:41:31.760 --> 0:41:34.719 assistance there has been really important to get you know, 0:41:34.840 --> 0:41:37.880 Dan Craig, who was a great preparation guy from Miami, 0:41:38.000 --> 0:41:42.160 Kenny Atkinson, Larry Drew, Trump, c Billips, Roy Rogers. You know, 0:41:42.200 --> 0:41:44.480 he's got a really good staff around him now, I 0:41:44.520 --> 0:41:48.040 think better than better than what Doc had. Um, you know, 0:41:48.120 --> 0:41:50.720 but can Betune keep this up? I mean, he looked 0:41:50.800 --> 0:41:54.640 near comatose and Charlotte and he's shooting like forty something 0:41:54.640 --> 0:41:57.880 percent from three and just been unbelievable for them. You know, 0:41:57.960 --> 0:42:00.839 the whole team shooting like above forty percent from three. 0:42:00.920 --> 0:42:05.160 They're they're all playing tremendously well together. But uh yeah, 0:42:05.200 --> 0:42:07.200 I mean, like we said, you know, the question marks 0:42:07.200 --> 0:42:10.440 all gonna be about the playoffs, and and Paul George 0:42:10.600 --> 0:42:13.160 clearly is uh you know, gonna have a lot of 0:42:13.920 --> 0:42:16.040 chances to get in his own head in the playoffs 0:42:16.040 --> 0:42:18.600 if he if he struggles it all there again. Um 0:42:18.640 --> 0:42:21.359 you know, so do they have enough to overcome that 0:42:21.600 --> 0:42:24.200 against the Lakers? I don't know. I think those two 0:42:24.200 --> 0:42:27.560 teams pretty much are our coin flip still if if 0:42:27.560 --> 0:42:30.400 they you know, faced themselves in the in the Western 0:42:30.480 --> 0:42:36.000 Conference finals. Um, okay, so and then the Lakers this year. 0:42:36.440 --> 0:42:40.480 You know, it's it's interesting, um that I think the 0:42:40.520 --> 0:42:43.799 Clippers it was a lot for year one, but they 0:42:43.800 --> 0:42:47.360 were probably I don't, I don't. I didn't love the 0:42:47.400 --> 0:42:50.480 Lakers roster last year, but it came together. Part of 0:42:50.480 --> 0:42:53.400 it was they were in the bubble and they you know, 0:42:53.719 --> 0:42:56.439 I don't think they you know, it's funny everybody says 0:42:56.480 --> 0:42:59.040 the Clippers, you know, succumb to the bubble. The truth 0:42:59.160 --> 0:43:01.920 is the Lakers were on the birth there too. But 0:43:02.280 --> 0:43:05.440 what happened with them was interesting was they weren't doing 0:43:05.480 --> 0:43:10.239 so well emotionally and they were all were ready to 0:43:10.239 --> 0:43:15.239 go home. And then they had then the dealing the 0:43:15.280 --> 0:43:18.600 tragedy and Kenosha happened right with it, and and there 0:43:18.680 --> 0:43:22.400 was the protests. So they actually had missed two game days, 0:43:22.680 --> 0:43:24.560 which gave them all time to kind of rest and 0:43:24.560 --> 0:43:28.720 recharge their bodies, and then you know, they played shortly 0:43:28.760 --> 0:43:32.480 after then the advanced to take on the Rockets, and 0:43:32.880 --> 0:43:36.120 the Rockets first it was a terrible matchup for the Rockets, 0:43:36.160 --> 0:43:38.920 right because the Rockets could only play small and so 0:43:38.960 --> 0:43:40.960 as you point out, like the Lakers had a great 0:43:41.000 --> 0:43:44.040 game plan and really matched up well, and then you know, 0:43:44.239 --> 0:43:48.160 Russell starts talking ship to them, which you know, supercharged everybody. 0:43:48.160 --> 0:43:50.200 And then the Clippers lose and they're like, how we 0:43:50.239 --> 0:43:53.000 can win this thing? So a lot of it was, 0:43:53.680 --> 0:43:56.120 you know, they It's interesting how we tell we're gonna 0:43:56.160 --> 0:43:58.120 go back and tell the story of the bubble and 0:43:58.200 --> 0:44:00.520 lead out the fact that the Lakers weren't doing so 0:44:00.560 --> 0:44:02.319 hot for a for a good portion of times. That 0:44:02.440 --> 0:44:04.799 that said, I like a lot of the things they've 0:44:04.840 --> 0:44:08.680 done to the roster. I just we make this assumption 0:44:08.719 --> 0:44:10.800 that we know what Dennis Shrewder is going to be 0:44:10.880 --> 0:44:14.880 like in the playoffs. We have no idea. I have 0:44:14.880 --> 0:44:19.600 no idea how he's gonna react in real pressure situations. UM. 0:44:19.920 --> 0:44:23.320 And uh, you know, I think there are times in 0:44:23.360 --> 0:44:26.080 which Coup's looks better. There are times in which he 0:44:26.120 --> 0:44:30.960 does not. UM. And I also wonder, like we we 0:44:31.120 --> 0:44:34.600 we This is my biggest problem with with all of 0:44:34.680 --> 0:44:37.239 us collectively, not just and I have this problem too, 0:44:37.400 --> 0:44:40.680 is we see one thing and it affirms what we think, 0:44:41.080 --> 0:44:44.800 and that's what we write. So you know, Lebron looks 0:44:44.800 --> 0:44:47.680 incredible against the Bucks. Keep in mind, he looked like 0:44:47.680 --> 0:44:51.240 shit against the Warriors, didn't play well against the Bulls, 0:44:51.320 --> 0:44:53.799 and he's not expected to be magnificent every night. But 0:44:53.800 --> 0:44:56.160 there are nights in which he looks like he's in 0:44:56.160 --> 0:44:58.160 his mid late thirties and has played eighteen years in 0:44:58.200 --> 0:45:02.560 the NBA. I'm interested what Lebron is the percentage of 0:45:02.600 --> 0:45:05.600 times in which he can be Lebron when we get 0:45:05.600 --> 0:45:09.520 to the playoffs. Considering it's not just this year, it's 0:45:09.600 --> 0:45:12.480 last year. You know, it's there, there wasn't time off 0:45:12.520 --> 0:45:15.000 and we can say that he's got this great body whatever, 0:45:15.040 --> 0:45:17.800 but like at some point, father time does start to 0:45:17.840 --> 0:45:20.080 catch up to you. So again my question, do you 0:45:20.680 --> 0:45:23.760 Lakers this year? What do you think of the roster, 0:45:24.440 --> 0:45:26.520 how they're playing, and what it looks like once we 0:45:26.560 --> 0:45:30.439 get to the playoffs. Yeah, I mean, you know, when 0:45:30.440 --> 0:45:33.719 when you have Lebron and a d it's hard hard 0:45:33.760 --> 0:45:35.960 to to really screw that up. You know, you'd be 0:45:36.000 --> 0:45:38.560 hard pressed to put a roster together that they can't 0:45:38.560 --> 0:45:41.719 find some way to complement those two. Uh, you know, 0:45:42.200 --> 0:45:44.799 come playoff time. I mean, certainly I agree with you 0:45:44.840 --> 0:45:48.480 about Shrewder. You know, I think one thing I was 0:45:48.520 --> 0:45:51.440 definitely on all season last year. Lakers fans were just 0:45:52.000 --> 0:45:55.840 bitching incessantly all season long about Rondo and his regular 0:45:55.840 --> 0:45:58.480 season stats and all those things. But anybody that knew 0:45:58.520 --> 0:46:01.480 basketball knew that he he's a genius. You know, he's 0:46:01.520 --> 0:46:04.120 a savant. They knew in the playoffs he would he 0:46:04.160 --> 0:46:06.520 would have more and be able to play defense and 0:46:06.560 --> 0:46:09.120 then you know, make those labs and all the all 0:46:09.160 --> 0:46:12.120 the things he does. You know, So, yeah, he's shrewder 0:46:12.160 --> 0:46:14.920 the better fit over seventy two games. And can he 0:46:14.960 --> 0:46:17.799 play more minutes and can he start? Sure? But you know, 0:46:17.880 --> 0:46:20.879 will he have the impact Toronto does in terms of 0:46:21.080 --> 0:46:23.960 leading a team and understanding the game in the playoffs. 0:46:23.960 --> 0:46:27.240 Probably not. You know that that's a big question mark. Um, 0:46:27.320 --> 0:46:31.200 you know, losing losing Bradley, losing uh Danny Green's wing 0:46:31.320 --> 0:46:35.440 defense is still certainly a question mark to me. You know, 0:46:35.920 --> 0:46:39.160 you have Caruso, you have Matthews, you have Horton. Tucker's 0:46:39.600 --> 0:46:42.800 you know, young and impressive at times. But uh yeah, 0:46:42.840 --> 0:46:45.560 you know that the center's obviously changed. The ton Gasol 0:46:45.640 --> 0:46:48.360 looked like he was he was out of juice really 0:46:48.400 --> 0:46:50.799 for Toronto in the playoffs. He's He's looked pretty good 0:46:50.800 --> 0:46:53.440 for l A, but certainly big question mark if he 0:46:53.480 --> 0:46:57.000 can really make it through the whole season. You know, Carrel, 0:46:57.160 --> 0:46:59.239 we talked about the Clippers. He was the one guy 0:46:59.320 --> 0:47:02.280 that uh, you know, most of their fans blame for 0:47:02.280 --> 0:47:05.960 for their shortcomings in terms of his defense, his rebounding 0:47:05.960 --> 0:47:09.560 at times, uh in the playoffs. So you know, he's 0:47:09.560 --> 0:47:12.480 definitely still a question mark to some extent. So yeah, 0:47:12.680 --> 0:47:14.560 I think, you know, you kind of put it fairly. 0:47:14.560 --> 0:47:17.160 I think both those teams still have have big question marks. 0:47:17.200 --> 0:47:20.960 And uh, you know, the Lakers ultimately they pulled it 0:47:21.000 --> 0:47:23.080 out and the Clippers choked at the end. So the 0:47:23.160 --> 0:47:26.919 narratives that the Lakers were some drastically better team, but 0:47:27.080 --> 0:47:29.960 you know, I think the truth is closer to they 0:47:30.000 --> 0:47:33.160 were both pretty damn close last season. Uh you know, 0:47:33.239 --> 0:47:35.360 they probably were probably the best two teams in the 0:47:35.400 --> 0:47:38.319 league ultimately, Um, you know, and I think we'll get 0:47:38.360 --> 0:47:40.880 to see that this year in terms of them meeting 0:47:40.880 --> 0:47:43.120 in the Western Conference Finals, and I think to me 0:47:43.239 --> 0:47:46.600 that that's basically, uh, the NBA Finals. You know, I 0:47:46.600 --> 0:47:48.839 think they're they're ultimately going to be the two best 0:47:48.840 --> 0:47:51.640 teams in the league. Um, you know, and whoever wins 0:47:51.680 --> 0:47:54.840 that I think should should be able to beat Brooklyn 0:47:54.920 --> 0:47:57.799 or whoever comes out of the East. If you can 0:47:57.840 --> 0:48:01.120 pick one player right now in the NBA, who would 0:48:01.120 --> 0:48:05.719 it be? This is to build around or like for 0:48:05.960 --> 0:48:10.160 right for one game now for one season this season, 0:48:12.239 --> 0:48:15.759 still gotta go to Lebrons. Uh yeah, I mean used 0:48:15.760 --> 0:48:18.280 to you know, thirty six. But he's he's like Brady, 0:48:18.320 --> 0:48:21.320 you know, he's he hasn't shown really any signs of 0:48:21.520 --> 0:48:24.440 losing his his mental genius. And I think just on 0:48:24.520 --> 0:48:28.279 both ends, continues to be the most dominant player, you know, 0:48:28.360 --> 0:48:32.120 especially come playoff times. So despite any videos of him 0:48:32.120 --> 0:48:35.200 coasting or whatever at times in the regular season, you 0:48:35.280 --> 0:48:37.480 ultimately know, you know, he's going to be the best 0:48:37.520 --> 0:48:42.360 player most likely, uh, come playoff time. It's interesting because 0:48:43.440 --> 0:48:46.719 I think the Brady comparison is a good one because sometimess, 0:48:46.920 --> 0:48:49.359 there's there's two things that having a guy like that 0:48:49.480 --> 0:48:54.680 does to your to your franchise. Right. One, it gives 0:48:54.719 --> 0:48:57.720 everybody a belief Like he walks in the door, You're like, Okay, 0:48:58.000 --> 0:49:00.440 we want to win, and this guy knows how to win, right. 0:49:00.920 --> 0:49:05.040 And the Lebron is kind of he's kind of evolved, right, 0:49:05.080 --> 0:49:08.120 he has. Like last year he just and I don't 0:49:08.120 --> 0:49:11.120 know if it was Vogel or if it was him, 0:49:11.120 --> 0:49:13.480 but at some point they figured out, like, you know, 0:49:13.800 --> 0:49:16.920 the offense is gonna come and go, let's just be 0:49:16.960 --> 0:49:19.520 the best fucking defensive team in the league. And they 0:49:19.520 --> 0:49:25.040 were unbelievable. And he's not nearly as his defense is 0:49:25.120 --> 0:49:28.160 on the micro what his game is on the macro, 0:49:28.600 --> 0:49:31.880 which is he's not as he's not as good defensively 0:49:32.000 --> 0:49:34.280 on the ball as he used to be. Can't defend 0:49:34.320 --> 0:49:36.439 the rim. Sometimes he doesn't. Sometimes he has nights where 0:49:36.440 --> 0:49:40.160 he doesn't move that well. But he's so intellectually ahead 0:49:40.320 --> 0:49:44.360 of everybody else. He's a great leader, and he knows 0:49:44.440 --> 0:49:47.360 to pick his spots and how to hide defensively at times, 0:49:48.080 --> 0:49:51.279 so he doesn't overextend himself or look bad like there's 0:49:51.280 --> 0:49:54.959 a you know, so he protects himself from himself, which 0:49:55.000 --> 0:49:58.239 is amazing. But that's kind of his whole game, right, 0:49:58.320 --> 0:50:00.480 Like he doesn't go one on one as much. He 0:50:00.520 --> 0:50:03.399 lets Anthony Davis do that. And now he'll because he's 0:50:03.400 --> 0:50:05.680 become a much better three point shooter. He'll settle for 0:50:05.760 --> 0:50:08.879 threes and he'll take halves off of really extending himself, 0:50:08.960 --> 0:50:12.040 saving himself with the fourth quarter, right, But there's a 0:50:12.040 --> 0:50:15.759 lot of Brady to it where even if it's not real, 0:50:16.400 --> 0:50:19.759 there's there's just this belief that he's gonna win and 0:50:19.840 --> 0:50:22.440 he's going to figure it out. And that's the Brady thing. 0:50:22.480 --> 0:50:25.920 Brady is not close to a top five quarterback. And 0:50:25.960 --> 0:50:28.640 they he played like ship in the NFC Championship game. 0:50:28.920 --> 0:50:32.040 But that first drive they get the ball, they march 0:50:32.120 --> 0:50:35.080 down the field and they score like, Oh, Tom Brady, 0:50:35.320 --> 0:50:38.520 what do you got? Right? And Lebron they're they're very 0:50:38.600 --> 0:50:42.240 similar in that way in that they they they believe 0:50:42.480 --> 0:50:44.120 that they're gonna win at the end of the day, 0:50:44.239 --> 0:50:47.680 and everybody else believes in them. And they're not better, 0:50:47.800 --> 0:50:50.840 but they're so much smarter than they ever were previously, 0:50:50.880 --> 0:50:54.000 even in their career that there that they're a step 0:50:54.040 --> 0:50:59.080 ahead of everybody else. Yeah. Absolutely, And it's you know, 0:50:59.320 --> 0:51:01.480 it's just the i Q is is off the charts. 0:51:01.560 --> 0:51:04.120 You know, he's he's the smartest player of all time. 0:51:04.520 --> 0:51:08.400 You know, there's stories going around about Patrick Patterson. I 0:51:08.440 --> 0:51:11.440 remember once forgot to play uh for the Raptors and 0:51:11.440 --> 0:51:14.799 and Lebron walked him through their play, like what what 0:51:14.840 --> 0:51:16.719 the Raptors were supposed to do? He knew it better 0:51:16.719 --> 0:51:19.680 than Patterson did um And yeah it is you know, 0:51:19.760 --> 0:51:21.520 that's again stuff that just doesn't show up in the 0:51:21.560 --> 0:51:24.600 statue that he he knows every single play and every 0:51:24.600 --> 0:51:27.560 team was playbook. He knows exactly where he's supposed to be, 0:51:27.600 --> 0:51:30.440 where everybody's supposed to be. And yeah, I mean he's 0:51:30.480 --> 0:51:33.279 like the you know, he's like the quarterback defensively offensively 0:51:33.320 --> 0:51:36.000 obviously that I cused off the charts too, and he 0:51:36.120 --> 0:51:39.759 just he just manages a game to a t. So 0:51:41.200 --> 0:51:44.400 last thing, Okay, so how can people get your stuff? 0:51:44.600 --> 0:51:49.839 Your pod, your breakdown? Yeah, just Scout with Brian, uh, 0:51:49.960 --> 0:51:52.160 Scott with Brian with a Y if you type that 0:51:52.200 --> 0:51:55.960 in on Twitter YouTube of course, the Scout with Brian podcast. 0:51:56.080 --> 0:51:58.520 Those are the three main ways to find my stuff 0:51:58.520 --> 0:52:02.680 at at Scott with Brian. If you're going to tell 0:52:02.880 --> 0:52:06.400 there's a college kid who's listening, I actually have a 0:52:06.400 --> 0:52:09.200 a friend who's a college kid and he wants to 0:52:09.239 --> 0:52:11.080 be a GM in the league and he studies it. 0:52:11.200 --> 0:52:13.560 He's working for an agent as well. But if you're 0:52:13.640 --> 0:52:16.160 you tell somebody, all right, when you get done with 0:52:16.239 --> 0:52:18.719 college here's what you should do if you want to 0:52:18.719 --> 0:52:23.440 be in the league. What would it be? Uh fucking grind, 0:52:24.160 --> 0:52:26.759 That's what I'll say. You know, I'm a I'm a 0:52:26.800 --> 0:52:30.160 five ten Jewish kid that that played high school tennis, 0:52:30.200 --> 0:52:31.840 like I said, you know, and and cut to be 0:52:32.520 --> 0:52:36.080 U a full time traveling video coordinator in every coach's 0:52:36.120 --> 0:52:39.040 meeting right out of college, you know, and that. Yeah, 0:52:39.239 --> 0:52:41.319 I'm not trying to toot my own horn or say 0:52:41.360 --> 0:52:43.799 I was better than anybody or anything. But what I 0:52:43.840 --> 0:52:46.759 tried to pride myself on was was, you know, being 0:52:46.760 --> 0:52:48.640 the first one in the office, last to leave, and 0:52:48.719 --> 0:52:51.200 just working my ass off. And and that's the only 0:52:51.200 --> 0:52:53.480 way you can kind of make up that gap, you know, 0:52:53.520 --> 0:52:57.400 if you weren't a player, weren't a tremendous athlete or anything. 0:52:57.560 --> 0:53:00.719 So you know, like sports, ultimately, a lot of that 0:53:00.760 --> 0:53:06.440 stuff is about about work ethic, So grinding, grinding. Hey man, listen, 0:53:06.560 --> 0:53:09.880 I really appreciate join us. I love the back and 0:53:09.920 --> 0:53:12.120 forth and some of the d M we have on stuff. 0:53:12.600 --> 0:53:15.840 And at some point let's break bread in person in 0:53:15.880 --> 0:53:19.200 the future and uh, this is great, let's let's let's 0:53:19.200 --> 0:53:21.960 do it again. As the season rolls, on. Thanks. I 0:53:22.000 --> 0:53:24.799 appreciate your input and your knowledge and and you join 0:53:24.920 --> 0:53:27.839 us on the pot. Thank you, Doug, really appreciate you 0:53:27.840 --> 0:53:32.120 having me enjoyed it. Be sure to catch the live 0:53:32.280 --> 0:53:35.080 edition of The Doug gott Leap Show weekdays at three 0:53:35.120 --> 0:53:38.120 p m. Easter noon Pacific. Alright, my thanks to Brian. 0:53:38.280 --> 0:53:42.040 Follow him on social media. He's awesome. Keep the questions coming. 0:53:42.480 --> 0:53:44.759 We always try and do some NBA, some college, some 0:53:44.840 --> 0:53:48.640 great personalities. Um, if you missed any of the other ones, 0:53:48.719 --> 0:53:51.480 there's some great other All Balls download them wherever you 0:53:51.520 --> 0:53:54.919 download this podcast. Remember my show is three to six 0:53:54.960 --> 0:53:57.439 Eastern or twelve three Pacific every day on Fox Sport 0:53:57.440 --> 0:53:59.719 Trade or foxport Trade dot Com, the I Heart Radio app. 0:54:00.200 --> 0:54:02.399 I'm Doug Gottlieb. This is All Ball