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Today we're covering the two nationally televised 33 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:26,120 Speaker 1: games from last night, so Lakers sixers and then Bucks Mavericks. 34 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:27,600 Speaker 1: And then we're also going to talk about the New 35 00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:32,520 Speaker 1: Orleans Pelicans, who beat the Phoenix Suns last night underhanded 36 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:35,480 Speaker 1: without brandon ingram or IRV Jones. An impressive win for 37 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:38,119 Speaker 1: the Pelicans, who continue to look like potentially the best 38 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:40,880 Speaker 1: team in the West, and then tomorrow we're gonna be 39 00:02:40,919 --> 00:02:43,560 Speaker 1: breaking down the NBA Finals rematch from tonight between the 40 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:46,320 Speaker 1: Boston Celtics and the Golden State Warriors. Then we're taking 41 00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:49,079 Speaker 1: Monday off before we come back on Tuesday. You guys 42 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:51,079 Speaker 1: know the drill before we get started. Subscribe to the 43 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:53,120 Speaker 1: Volumes YouTube channel so you don't miss any more of 44 00:02:53,120 --> 00:02:56,280 Speaker 1: our videos. Follow me on Twitter at Underscore Jason Lts. 45 00:02:56,320 --> 00:02:59,320 Speaker 1: You guys don't miss any show announcements, video breakdowns, live 46 00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:01,560 Speaker 1: tweeting through games, all that kind of stuff. And then, 47 00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:04,119 Speaker 1: last but not least, for whatever reason, you miss one 48 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:05,960 Speaker 1: of these shows and you can't get back over to 49 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:08,480 Speaker 1: YouTube to finish, you can find them wherever you get 50 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:13,000 Speaker 1: your podcasts. Under Hoops Tonight, all right, let's talk some basketball. 51 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:18,160 Speaker 1: So that Lakers Sixers game had probably, at least at 52 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:22,000 Speaker 1: the top of my head, the strangest ending I've ever seen. 53 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:27,560 Speaker 1: We've all seen wild comebacks, whether that's a team coming 54 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:30,919 Speaker 1: down from you know, points in a fourth quarter, or 55 00:03:31,040 --> 00:03:34,280 Speaker 1: even some late comebacks where you're up five six points 56 00:03:34,280 --> 00:03:36,560 Speaker 1: with like a minute left and you blow it something 57 00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:41,480 Speaker 1: along those lines. I can't ever remember seeing a team 58 00:03:41,720 --> 00:03:46,480 Speaker 1: have a nine point lead with less than thirty seconds left, 59 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:49,720 Speaker 1: and then you blink and the other team's got an 60 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:51,880 Speaker 1: opportunity to win the game at the free throw line. 61 00:03:52,480 --> 00:03:54,720 Speaker 1: It was one of the strangest things I've ever seen. 62 00:03:54,840 --> 00:03:59,640 Speaker 1: Slipper the the Sixers got really sloppy with the basketball, 63 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:02,800 Speaker 1: and the Lakers kept turning those turnovers into baskets. And 64 00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:05,120 Speaker 1: then there at that last sequence the foul aust and 65 00:04:05,160 --> 00:04:08,920 Speaker 1: Reeves makes the first two misses, the third Sixers turn 66 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:12,520 Speaker 1: it over again Anthony Anthony Davis gets hacked underneath the rim, 67 00:04:12,520 --> 00:04:14,760 Speaker 1: makes the first free throw, misses the second free throw. 68 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:18,120 Speaker 1: We're going to ot. And how did the Lakers, who 69 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:21,400 Speaker 1: scored ten points in that thirty second stretch responding ot? 70 00:04:22,120 --> 00:04:26,920 Speaker 1: They would scoreless for the first four minutes of overtime 71 00:04:27,360 --> 00:04:29,880 Speaker 1: and the Sixers win comfortable. It's just a truly bizarre 72 00:04:30,440 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 1: basketball game. I thought the story of this game was 73 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:37,400 Speaker 1: Anthony Davis's foul trouble. Lakers fans were complaining about the 74 00:04:37,400 --> 00:04:40,600 Speaker 1: officiating all night. Um Lakers fans in general have done 75 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:44,320 Speaker 1: a lot of complaining about officiating. I generally am frustrated 76 00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:47,599 Speaker 1: with officiating around the league, just you know, the points 77 00:04:47,600 --> 00:04:50,919 Speaker 1: of emphasis, stuff like this carrying and traveling thing. I 78 00:04:50,960 --> 00:04:54,599 Speaker 1: think that if you really look close on any NBA possession, 79 00:04:55,680 --> 00:04:58,480 Speaker 1: you could call a carry, a travel and a foul 80 00:04:58,520 --> 00:05:01,840 Speaker 1: on just about every single NBA possession. That it's just 81 00:05:02,160 --> 00:05:04,880 Speaker 1: that kind of stuff is happening way more frequently than 82 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:07,760 Speaker 1: people are willing to admit, and we've kind of just 83 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:12,520 Speaker 1: come to uh an acceptance as the NBA fan base 84 00:05:12,960 --> 00:05:15,279 Speaker 1: that we're okay with that because we want a little 85 00:05:15,279 --> 00:05:17,000 Speaker 1: bit of flow in the game. So I have been 86 00:05:17,040 --> 00:05:22,960 Speaker 1: critical of officiating on that front. However, questionable foul calls, 87 00:05:23,040 --> 00:05:27,440 Speaker 1: especially on you know, like the traditional foul calls, they're 88 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:30,440 Speaker 1: kind of part of the game, you know. Like A 89 00:05:30,600 --> 00:05:33,160 Speaker 1: D did have some questionable fouls called him on him 90 00:05:33,240 --> 00:05:35,520 Speaker 1: last night. I thought the first one when Joel and 91 00:05:35,560 --> 00:05:38,279 Speaker 1: Be got the offensive rebound and went up, I thought 92 00:05:38,279 --> 00:05:41,000 Speaker 1: that was minimal contact. Should not have been a foul 93 00:05:41,040 --> 00:05:43,359 Speaker 1: in an NBA game. I thought an A D s 94 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:45,560 Speaker 1: third foul when p J. Tucker was cutting along the 95 00:05:45,560 --> 00:05:47,080 Speaker 1: base on and A D kind of checked him a 96 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:50,800 Speaker 1: little bit. Checking cutters is part of NBA defense. It's 97 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:53,840 Speaker 1: what you're coached to do from the youngest levels. If 98 00:05:53,880 --> 00:05:58,200 Speaker 1: you're in help side and an offensive player cuts in 99 00:05:58,240 --> 00:05:59,880 Speaker 1: front of you or behind you, you're supposed to hit 100 00:05:59,920 --> 00:06:02,760 Speaker 1: it just to slow him down, so whoever's guarding him 101 00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:05,120 Speaker 1: has a little bit better chance to recover. It's part 102 00:06:05,120 --> 00:06:07,960 Speaker 1: of NBA basketball that should not be a foul call, 103 00:06:08,480 --> 00:06:10,880 Speaker 1: and that kind of contact happens on once again, just 104 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:13,920 Speaker 1: about every NBA possession. So yeah, those are two really 105 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:17,119 Speaker 1: questionable calls. The thing is is that's part of the game, 106 00:06:17,560 --> 00:06:20,200 Speaker 1: and that's why you get six fouls, because you're not 107 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:24,520 Speaker 1: gonna get removed from the game over two questionable foul calls. 108 00:06:24,560 --> 00:06:28,000 Speaker 1: But that's precisely why you have to avoid the sloppy 109 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:33,520 Speaker 1: foul calls or this silly lazy fouls because those incombina, 110 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:37,119 Speaker 1: in combination with a couple of you know, questionable calls, 111 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:40,640 Speaker 1: will put you in foul trouble. So for instance, you know, 112 00:06:41,080 --> 00:06:44,160 Speaker 1: early in the first quarter, Anthony Davis already has a 113 00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:47,760 Speaker 1: foul questionable call on that and beat offensive rebound and 114 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:51,000 Speaker 1: beats posting him up on the left block right in 115 00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:53,600 Speaker 1: front of the ref. A d hacks at the basketball 116 00:06:53,640 --> 00:06:56,960 Speaker 1: from behind with his left hand, that's gonna get called 117 00:06:57,920 --> 00:07:00,279 Speaker 1: the time. Even if you hit the ball. Sometimes the 118 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:03,800 Speaker 1: refs just equate that to lazy hacking defense, and they're 119 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:06,680 Speaker 1: gonna call it. And what's the risk reward there? Like, 120 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:09,400 Speaker 1: you poke it away, you get a turnover, Okay, cool, 121 00:07:09,560 --> 00:07:11,960 Speaker 1: Maybe you get a bucket on the other end. If 122 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:14,680 Speaker 1: you foul him, that's your second foul. And now you've 123 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:17,840 Speaker 1: changed the entire dynamic of the basketball game. The risk 124 00:07:17,880 --> 00:07:20,840 Speaker 1: reward factor there was way too low to do that. 125 00:07:21,520 --> 00:07:23,640 Speaker 1: Then he got himself removed from the game. Now we 126 00:07:23,760 --> 00:07:26,520 Speaker 1: go forward to the third quarter. So you know we 127 00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:29,800 Speaker 1: saw in the second half um Darvin Ham went zone. 128 00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:33,160 Speaker 1: In the second quarter, the Lakers had to I think 129 00:07:33,160 --> 00:07:35,400 Speaker 1: they outscored the six or thirty nine to thirty in 130 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:38,360 Speaker 1: that quarter. You get it back within two. You come 131 00:07:38,360 --> 00:07:42,480 Speaker 1: out of the locker room at a halftime, it's a 132 00:07:42,600 --> 00:07:45,760 Speaker 1: D has three fouls clean slate. Basically, if you play 133 00:07:45,840 --> 00:07:48,720 Speaker 1: normal basketball from there, you should be okay. Joel and 134 00:07:48,760 --> 00:07:51,040 Speaker 1: beat gets Lebron on a post up on the left block, 135 00:07:51,400 --> 00:07:53,560 Speaker 1: rips through towards the middle and beats him off the dribble, 136 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:56,160 Speaker 1: and a D just steps up and hacks the hell 137 00:07:56,200 --> 00:08:00,080 Speaker 1: out of him. And again I don't understand the risk 138 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:02,560 Speaker 1: reward there, Like if you let him go, he gets 139 00:08:02,600 --> 00:08:06,080 Speaker 1: a dunk. If you foul him, he goes to the 140 00:08:06,080 --> 00:08:07,960 Speaker 1: free throw line where he's a good free throw shooter, 141 00:08:07,960 --> 00:08:10,760 Speaker 1: and guess what he made both. But what you did 142 00:08:10,800 --> 00:08:13,080 Speaker 1: is you got yourself your fourth foul and you checked 143 00:08:13,080 --> 00:08:15,920 Speaker 1: out of the game again. So basically, for the first 144 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:18,640 Speaker 1: three quarters of this game, it wasn't the Los Angeles 145 00:08:18,680 --> 00:08:22,320 Speaker 1: Lakers versus the Philadelphia seventy Sixers. It was the Philadelphia 146 00:08:22,360 --> 00:08:25,360 Speaker 1: seventy Sixers versus Lebron James at center with a bunch 147 00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:28,840 Speaker 1: of small guards, which turned into exactly what you could 148 00:08:28,840 --> 00:08:31,880 Speaker 1: have expected, a really jan Kee zone that the Lakers 149 00:08:31,880 --> 00:08:34,800 Speaker 1: had to stay in and the Sixers getting hot from 150 00:08:34,840 --> 00:08:37,240 Speaker 1: three point line. The Anthony Melton went eight for twelve 151 00:08:37,280 --> 00:08:39,960 Speaker 1: from three. He finished with thirty three points, and he'd 152 00:08:39,960 --> 00:08:42,160 Speaker 1: had a bunch of key offensive rebounds. Like it just 153 00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:46,319 Speaker 1: it wasn't exactly how you'd expect when the best player 154 00:08:46,360 --> 00:08:48,480 Speaker 1: on the Lakers took himself out of the game with 155 00:08:48,640 --> 00:08:52,640 Speaker 1: silly fouls. You know. The thing with the zone, I'm 156 00:08:52,679 --> 00:08:54,840 Speaker 1: glad that the Lakers have a zone. Look, they didn't 157 00:08:54,920 --> 00:08:56,680 Speaker 1: use it at all really in the first you know, 158 00:08:56,760 --> 00:08:59,400 Speaker 1: month of the season or so, And I really like 159 00:08:59,559 --> 00:09:02,920 Speaker 1: zone as a rhythm disruptor. Like I like it when 160 00:09:03,480 --> 00:09:06,240 Speaker 1: you randomly do go to his own like two three 161 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:08,600 Speaker 1: possessions in a row, just because it's like a changeup. 162 00:09:08,720 --> 00:09:11,680 Speaker 1: It changes the flow of the game. If there's a 163 00:09:11,679 --> 00:09:14,199 Speaker 1: score that's in a rhythm, you kind of like em 164 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:16,440 Speaker 1: beat like and beat lit the world on fire in 165 00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:18,120 Speaker 1: that first quarter. I think you had twenty points in 166 00:09:18,120 --> 00:09:20,040 Speaker 1: that first quarter. You go zone a little bit in 167 00:09:20,040 --> 00:09:22,199 Speaker 1: the second quarter, it kind of throws him out of 168 00:09:22,280 --> 00:09:24,079 Speaker 1: rhythm a little bit, gives you a chance to kind 169 00:09:24,080 --> 00:09:26,840 Speaker 1: of regain control of the game. But when you stay 170 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:29,880 Speaker 1: in his zone for a really long time. These are 171 00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:34,280 Speaker 1: NBA players, and zone defenses are designed to capitalize on 172 00:09:34,320 --> 00:09:37,760 Speaker 1: teams that are one not smart or two can't shoot, 173 00:09:37,960 --> 00:09:41,200 Speaker 1: So it works a lot at lower levels. You can 174 00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:45,120 Speaker 1: see zone defenses be really successful in high school and 175 00:09:45,160 --> 00:09:48,240 Speaker 1: in the call at the college level. Why because perimeter 176 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:53,240 Speaker 1: shooting is you know, when it comes to actually knockdown 177 00:09:53,320 --> 00:09:55,160 Speaker 1: perimeter shooting, there's just not a lot of it at 178 00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:58,199 Speaker 1: those levels, and the overall basketball queue is much lower, 179 00:09:58,240 --> 00:10:00,679 Speaker 1: so you're not going to get the high level execution 180 00:10:00,760 --> 00:10:04,400 Speaker 1: to pick zones apart for layups very often. But in 181 00:10:04,440 --> 00:10:07,160 Speaker 1: the n b A. It's like, like d Anthony Melton 182 00:10:07,280 --> 00:10:10,880 Speaker 1: is shooting, I'll catching shoot threes this year. Like if 183 00:10:10,920 --> 00:10:13,439 Speaker 1: you leave him open in his own the dude's going 184 00:10:13,480 --> 00:10:16,480 Speaker 1: to get hot. And he did. You know, Joel Embiat 185 00:10:16,559 --> 00:10:19,720 Speaker 1: is a smart basketball player who understands, oh wait, none 186 00:10:19,760 --> 00:10:21,880 Speaker 1: of these guys on this team are over six nine. 187 00:10:22,520 --> 00:10:26,160 Speaker 1: I'm just gonna battle for offensive rebounds, you know, and 188 00:10:26,760 --> 00:10:28,760 Speaker 1: that that's just kind of the inevitable pathway with that 189 00:10:28,840 --> 00:10:30,800 Speaker 1: sort of thing when you stay with the zone for 190 00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:33,720 Speaker 1: too long. So credit to the to the Sixers for 191 00:10:33,800 --> 00:10:37,400 Speaker 1: taking advantage of it. But Anthony Davis by getting himself 192 00:10:37,400 --> 00:10:41,200 Speaker 1: in foul trouble, Yes, some questionable calls, but by picking 193 00:10:41,240 --> 00:10:44,319 Speaker 1: up the two silly fouls, he removed himself from the game. 194 00:10:44,559 --> 00:10:46,920 Speaker 1: The Lakers had to play a Jankee style, and the 195 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:50,600 Speaker 1: better team, especially with Anthony Davis out, was able to 196 00:10:50,600 --> 00:10:52,679 Speaker 1: take advantage of it. And look a d came out 197 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:55,960 Speaker 1: in that fourth quarter and played extremely well. I finished 198 00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:58,720 Speaker 1: with thirty one points or whatever it was, but it 199 00:10:58,840 --> 00:11:00,480 Speaker 1: was just too late to really at her, I mean 200 00:11:00,520 --> 00:11:03,160 Speaker 1: at least until they were down nine with thirty seconds left, 201 00:11:03,160 --> 00:11:05,760 Speaker 1: and then all hell broke loose. What a game from 202 00:11:05,800 --> 00:11:08,200 Speaker 1: Joel Embid thirty eight points and nineteen shots. Took full 203 00:11:08,240 --> 00:11:12,640 Speaker 1: advantage of eighties absence, obliterating the undersized Lakers lineups. Showed 204 00:11:12,679 --> 00:11:15,719 Speaker 1: really impressive perimeter shot making again in this game. He 205 00:11:15,760 --> 00:11:18,240 Speaker 1: had a big shot in overtime right after Lebron missed 206 00:11:18,240 --> 00:11:20,440 Speaker 1: a layup heading nice like little pull up jump shot 207 00:11:21,080 --> 00:11:23,400 Speaker 1: um over a double team out of a jab step 208 00:11:23,440 --> 00:11:25,520 Speaker 1: at the free throw line. Made a bunch of perimeter 209 00:11:25,559 --> 00:11:27,760 Speaker 1: shots early in the game. Overall in the game, I 210 00:11:27,840 --> 00:11:31,120 Speaker 1: counted eight for thirteen outside of the restricted area. On 211 00:11:31,160 --> 00:11:33,400 Speaker 1: the season, Joel Embiad is a hundred and six out 212 00:11:33,400 --> 00:11:36,120 Speaker 1: of two hundred and thirty six outside of the restricted area. 213 00:11:36,160 --> 00:11:39,400 Speaker 1: That means he's making more than six shots per game 214 00:11:39,600 --> 00:11:42,559 Speaker 1: over the top of the defense at a forty clip. 215 00:11:43,400 --> 00:11:45,360 Speaker 1: If you guys, remember when I talked about this offseason 216 00:11:46,480 --> 00:11:49,839 Speaker 1: with Joel Embid's limitations as a passer, he has to 217 00:11:49,840 --> 00:11:51,760 Speaker 1: be able to hit shots over the top of the defense. 218 00:11:51,800 --> 00:11:54,720 Speaker 1: Same goes for Anthony Davis. Like when you are a 219 00:11:54,880 --> 00:11:59,840 Speaker 1: dominant individual score, defenses are going to collapse the paint, 220 00:12:00,520 --> 00:12:03,360 Speaker 1: especially if you're rim pressuring type of player like most 221 00:12:03,400 --> 00:12:05,520 Speaker 1: of the big, strong athletes in the league like Janice, 222 00:12:05,559 --> 00:12:07,360 Speaker 1: Joel and beating Anthony Davis, so on and so forth, 223 00:12:07,440 --> 00:12:10,920 Speaker 1: Lebron James. When that's the case, you have one of 224 00:12:10,960 --> 00:12:13,680 Speaker 1: two options. You either need to be able to pass 225 00:12:13,760 --> 00:12:15,920 Speaker 1: to beat the defense to make them pay for helping, 226 00:12:16,760 --> 00:12:18,960 Speaker 1: or you need to be able to consistently hit shots 227 00:12:19,040 --> 00:12:22,480 Speaker 1: over the top of the defense when they're packing the pain. Now, 228 00:12:22,520 --> 00:12:24,960 Speaker 1: for a guy like Lebron, he's doing it with passing. 229 00:12:25,920 --> 00:12:28,760 Speaker 1: For a guy like Nicola Yokich, he's doing it with passing. 230 00:12:29,320 --> 00:12:31,960 Speaker 1: For a guy like Janice, he's doing it with passing. 231 00:12:32,360 --> 00:12:35,600 Speaker 1: But for guys like him beating Anthony Davis that's struggled 232 00:12:35,640 --> 00:12:37,600 Speaker 1: to pass at a high level, although both of them 233 00:12:37,640 --> 00:12:39,760 Speaker 1: have shown a little bit of an improvement there this year. 234 00:12:40,200 --> 00:12:42,040 Speaker 1: You have to be able to hit shots over the 235 00:12:42,080 --> 00:12:44,640 Speaker 1: top of the defense. And Joel embat is having his 236 00:12:44,800 --> 00:12:49,160 Speaker 1: best perimeter shooting season of his career, and I'm really 237 00:12:49,160 --> 00:12:51,320 Speaker 1: interested to see if it translates to the playoffs this 238 00:12:51,400 --> 00:12:53,280 Speaker 1: year because that's been something that has failed him in 239 00:12:53,280 --> 00:12:55,959 Speaker 1: the past. James Harden contributed with twenty eight points and 240 00:12:55,960 --> 00:12:58,160 Speaker 1: twelve assists, a couple of huge plays in ot a 241 00:12:58,280 --> 00:13:00,760 Speaker 1: driving and one on Austin Reeves got into his chest, 242 00:13:00,760 --> 00:13:03,200 Speaker 1: and then he hit another pull up mid range jumper 243 00:13:03,240 --> 00:13:06,360 Speaker 1: over Awestin Reaves later in the overtime period. That's such 244 00:13:06,400 --> 00:13:09,000 Speaker 1: an important tool to have, especially when you're going up 245 00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:14,200 Speaker 1: against undersized defensive players like the uh. You know, long 246 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:18,280 Speaker 1: distance jump shots require a great deal of lift, and 247 00:13:18,360 --> 00:13:21,920 Speaker 1: so as games get going and you fatigue, it's hard 248 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:24,680 Speaker 1: to get the necessary lift on those shots to knock 249 00:13:24,720 --> 00:13:28,240 Speaker 1: them down. But if you're working closer ten to fifteen 250 00:13:28,280 --> 00:13:32,400 Speaker 1: feet and you're taller than your defender, you don't need 251 00:13:32,440 --> 00:13:35,520 Speaker 1: to get as much lift. It's a much higher percentage shot. 252 00:13:35,520 --> 00:13:37,560 Speaker 1: It's such an important shot to have in your bag, 253 00:13:37,640 --> 00:13:40,880 Speaker 1: and it wasn't in James Harden's bag for basically this 254 00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:45,240 Speaker 1: last massive chunk of his career. He hit four pull 255 00:13:45,320 --> 00:13:49,800 Speaker 1: up mid range jump shots yesterday. This season, he's made seventeen. 256 00:13:50,040 --> 00:13:54,040 Speaker 1: Last year he combined in all of the games to 257 00:13:54,120 --> 00:13:57,040 Speaker 1: make four for the Philadelphia seventy six. So he made 258 00:13:57,440 --> 00:13:59,520 Speaker 1: just as many pull up mid range jump shots last 259 00:13:59,600 --> 00:14:02,160 Speaker 1: night as he did the entire regular season in his 260 00:14:02,200 --> 00:14:05,400 Speaker 1: sixers uniform last year. So that's the difference that we're 261 00:14:05,400 --> 00:14:07,160 Speaker 1: seeing from James Harden there, and I think that's a 262 00:14:07,160 --> 00:14:09,640 Speaker 1: big part of him coming back. I I predicted a 263 00:14:09,679 --> 00:14:12,120 Speaker 1: revenge season from him this year. I thought he played 264 00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:15,360 Speaker 1: pretty damn well until his injury. Then it's been a 265 00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:17,240 Speaker 1: mixed bag since he's come back from his injury. I'd 266 00:14:17,240 --> 00:14:18,439 Speaker 1: like to see him stay on the court for a 267 00:14:18,440 --> 00:14:20,800 Speaker 1: little while to see if he can prove me right. 268 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:24,640 Speaker 1: We'll see what happens. Nice win though for the Sixers 269 00:14:24,680 --> 00:14:26,680 Speaker 1: to stop the three game, said skin and get back 270 00:14:26,680 --> 00:14:29,920 Speaker 1: about I want to talk about Darvin Ham for a 271 00:14:29,920 --> 00:14:32,560 Speaker 1: minute because there's been a lot of criticism throwing his 272 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:35,960 Speaker 1: way by Lakers fans for his lineup decisions, and a 273 00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:38,360 Speaker 1: lot of it I don't think is fair. Like, for instance, 274 00:14:38,440 --> 00:14:40,680 Speaker 1: with the starters, a lot of people are complaining, why 275 00:14:40,720 --> 00:14:44,680 Speaker 1: are they starting Patrick Beverley and Dennis schroder Um. Let's 276 00:14:44,720 --> 00:14:48,640 Speaker 1: look at Patrick Beverley really quick. It's I don't like 277 00:14:48,760 --> 00:14:52,360 Speaker 1: Monday morning quarterbacking. Like I've seen some Russ fans be like, 278 00:14:52,400 --> 00:14:55,360 Speaker 1: a ha ha, look at this. You know the Lakers 279 00:14:55,360 --> 00:14:59,240 Speaker 1: were smart to keep Russ. It's like or you're playing 280 00:14:59,280 --> 00:15:03,000 Speaker 1: the result because everything we saw from a massive sample 281 00:15:03,040 --> 00:15:06,880 Speaker 1: size last year was that Russ was bad and he 282 00:15:07,040 --> 00:15:11,600 Speaker 1: is playing better this year, and that's great, but it 283 00:15:11,720 --> 00:15:14,760 Speaker 1: was a risk that Rob Polinka took by not trading 284 00:15:14,840 --> 00:15:18,320 Speaker 1: Russ by keeping him on the roster. If you play 285 00:15:18,360 --> 00:15:20,840 Speaker 1: that scenario out a bunch of different times, the vast 286 00:15:20,840 --> 00:15:22,760 Speaker 1: majority of the times it goes poorly. Just because it 287 00:15:22,800 --> 00:15:25,760 Speaker 1: went well doesn't mean it was the right decision. But 288 00:15:25,840 --> 00:15:29,640 Speaker 1: that goes both ways. So, for instance, it's not fair 289 00:15:29,680 --> 00:15:33,400 Speaker 1: to be like man that Patrick Beverley trade. That was stupid. 290 00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:38,040 Speaker 1: I'd rather have Taylor Horton Tucker and Stanley Johnson. I 291 00:15:38,040 --> 00:15:42,040 Speaker 1: don't agree with that because in the moment, Patrick Beverley 292 00:15:42,160 --> 00:15:46,880 Speaker 1: was coming off of a great season with Minnesota coming 293 00:15:46,880 --> 00:15:50,640 Speaker 1: into last night. Patrick Beverley was shooting on catching shoot threes. 294 00:15:50,640 --> 00:15:52,760 Speaker 1: You know what he shot last year thirty eight percent 295 00:15:52,800 --> 00:15:55,840 Speaker 1: on catching shoot threes. He's been around fort on catching 296 00:15:56,160 --> 00:15:59,840 Speaker 1: catching shoot threes for a half a decade. So Patrick 297 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:04,320 Speaker 1: really was player A. That was the information that was 298 00:16:04,440 --> 00:16:07,960 Speaker 1: available during the time of the trade. Then the trade 299 00:16:08,040 --> 00:16:11,880 Speaker 1: was made. This year he's been worse. That's playing the results. 300 00:16:11,920 --> 00:16:16,760 Speaker 1: That's not fair, it's not that's not a realistic way to, uh, 301 00:16:16,800 --> 00:16:20,520 Speaker 1: you know, to critique decision making, because it's not Rob 302 00:16:20,560 --> 00:16:24,400 Speaker 1: Polinka's fault that Patrick Beverley came to Los Angeles and 303 00:16:24,440 --> 00:16:27,920 Speaker 1: has been a much lesser basketball player, and and and 304 00:16:28,040 --> 00:16:31,160 Speaker 1: that's the thing. So it's easier to Monday morning quarterback 305 00:16:31,160 --> 00:16:32,760 Speaker 1: than it is to take advantage of the city. The 306 00:16:32,800 --> 00:16:35,920 Speaker 1: information that you have actually is available at the time 307 00:16:36,400 --> 00:16:39,480 Speaker 1: that you're making the decision. I liked the Patrick Beverley 308 00:16:39,520 --> 00:16:42,120 Speaker 1: trade because you turned what was a pretty much useless 309 00:16:42,120 --> 00:16:44,880 Speaker 1: player in Taylor Norton Tucker and a wing, but a 310 00:16:44,920 --> 00:16:47,160 Speaker 1: wing that you would have struggled to find the rotation 311 00:16:47,200 --> 00:16:49,520 Speaker 1: this year because of how well Lonnie Walker and Troy 312 00:16:49,600 --> 00:16:52,800 Speaker 1: Brown Jr. Are playing. You turned those two guys into 313 00:16:53,040 --> 00:16:55,600 Speaker 1: Patrick Beverley, who fit a specific need at the point 314 00:16:55,600 --> 00:16:58,520 Speaker 1: guard position of on BALLD defense, and that was a 315 00:16:58,520 --> 00:17:01,880 Speaker 1: good spot up shooter. I liked the trade. It just 316 00:17:01,960 --> 00:17:05,080 Speaker 1: so happens that through this early fourth of the season 317 00:17:05,160 --> 00:17:07,680 Speaker 1: hasn't worked out, you know. And I think when we 318 00:17:07,720 --> 00:17:09,600 Speaker 1: look at the starting lineup, that's what Darvin Hamm is 319 00:17:09,600 --> 00:17:13,399 Speaker 1: counting on there. He's counting on Dennis Shooter and Patrick 320 00:17:13,480 --> 00:17:17,840 Speaker 1: Beverley pressuring ball handlers and making people feel uncomfortable to 321 00:17:17,840 --> 00:17:21,520 Speaker 1: start games. And eventually Pat's gonna get it together. That's 322 00:17:21,520 --> 00:17:25,760 Speaker 1: what they're banking on. They're thinking this is clearly an anomaly. 323 00:17:25,880 --> 00:17:28,000 Speaker 1: He's making half as many catch and shoot threes as 324 00:17:28,040 --> 00:17:31,200 Speaker 1: he did last year. That should turn around. I respect that. 325 00:17:31,800 --> 00:17:34,040 Speaker 1: And then in general, like when you're talking about the 326 00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:37,959 Speaker 1: lineup functionality of the entire rotation for the game, this 327 00:17:38,040 --> 00:17:40,640 Speaker 1: is a really limited roster, so there's gonna be jankie 328 00:17:40,680 --> 00:17:43,560 Speaker 1: lineups like I see you know, Lakers fans being like, 329 00:17:43,640 --> 00:17:47,600 Speaker 1: you gotta start Austin Reeves. Yeah, that's great, But Ostres 330 00:17:47,680 --> 00:17:49,880 Speaker 1: is a really important ball handler with the bench group. 331 00:17:50,720 --> 00:17:53,080 Speaker 1: So if you put Patrick Beverley, the guy you're begging 332 00:17:53,080 --> 00:17:54,960 Speaker 1: to take out of the starting lineup, in with the 333 00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:57,800 Speaker 1: bench group, maybe the starters get a little bit better. 334 00:17:58,160 --> 00:18:01,000 Speaker 1: But now Patrick Beverley is not getting the same level 335 00:18:01,040 --> 00:18:03,520 Speaker 1: of shots because there's less ball handling in that group 336 00:18:03,600 --> 00:18:05,359 Speaker 1: and he's not getting the wide open looks he's getting 337 00:18:05,359 --> 00:18:08,160 Speaker 1: with Lebron and Anthony Davis, and maybe he does struggle 338 00:18:08,240 --> 00:18:10,840 Speaker 1: to get going that way. At the point there is 339 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:13,880 Speaker 1: there's just not a lot of good decisions. The rosters limited, 340 00:18:13,880 --> 00:18:17,080 Speaker 1: and there's bound to be jankie lineups with like Russ 341 00:18:17,080 --> 00:18:20,160 Speaker 1: and when you in Gabriel, you know, or Thomas Bryant 342 00:18:20,240 --> 00:18:22,280 Speaker 1: and three other small guards like that kind of thing 343 00:18:22,359 --> 00:18:24,680 Speaker 1: is just gonna happen until they make a trade that 344 00:18:24,720 --> 00:18:28,239 Speaker 1: brings in some more functional wings, because functional wings are 345 00:18:28,280 --> 00:18:31,840 Speaker 1: what make NBA lineups work. So I want to defend 346 00:18:31,920 --> 00:18:33,920 Speaker 1: him in the in the grand scheme with the lineups, 347 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:37,560 Speaker 1: but if we zoom in on crunch time, I've been 348 00:18:37,560 --> 00:18:39,879 Speaker 1: really confused by his decision making because as much as 349 00:18:39,920 --> 00:18:42,800 Speaker 1: the roster itself doesn't make a ton of sense for 350 00:18:42,800 --> 00:18:45,600 Speaker 1: forty eight minutes, they do have enough good players to 351 00:18:45,680 --> 00:18:49,399 Speaker 1: run a really solid crunch time lineup. Lebron and a 352 00:18:49,480 --> 00:18:52,120 Speaker 1: D gotta be out there for size, you know, Like 353 00:18:52,640 --> 00:18:55,199 Speaker 1: Lebron's your only real wing, so you gotta play him 354 00:18:55,200 --> 00:18:57,720 Speaker 1: alongside Anthony Davis to make a D at the five 355 00:18:57,800 --> 00:19:01,120 Speaker 1: functional Lonnie walker As aid well enough to close every 356 00:19:01,160 --> 00:19:04,480 Speaker 1: game he's been their third best player, Oscar Reeves Asser 357 00:19:04,560 --> 00:19:06,520 Speaker 1: issue close every game he's been the fourth best player. 358 00:19:06,560 --> 00:19:10,320 Speaker 1: Those two are completely unassailable. And then right now, Patrick Beverley, 359 00:19:10,440 --> 00:19:12,360 Speaker 1: for all of the things you guys want to criticize 360 00:19:12,440 --> 00:19:16,080 Speaker 1: him for, he is a good defensive player that grabs 361 00:19:16,240 --> 00:19:19,760 Speaker 1: makes winning plays, that grabs key defensive rebounds, key offensive rebounds, 362 00:19:20,840 --> 00:19:22,720 Speaker 1: and they can just count on him to not do 363 00:19:22,840 --> 00:19:25,760 Speaker 1: anything stupid, typically in late game situations. So I like 364 00:19:25,920 --> 00:19:30,200 Speaker 1: that Lebrono, Anthony Davis, Ossi Reaves, and uh Lonnie Walker 365 00:19:30,240 --> 00:19:33,280 Speaker 1: and Patrick Beverley. Maybe Troy Brown Jr. For Patrick Beverley 366 00:19:33,280 --> 00:19:35,520 Speaker 1: if he's having a bad night. But way too often 367 00:19:35,600 --> 00:19:39,080 Speaker 1: this year, Ham has gone with Dennis Schroeder or Russell 368 00:19:39,119 --> 00:19:43,720 Speaker 1: Westbrook in closing groups and that's handicapped the team. Russ 369 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:46,760 Speaker 1: is having a good year, but that's because of his role. 370 00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:51,400 Speaker 1: What he's doing attacking bench groups, going against bench guards 371 00:19:51,920 --> 00:19:54,199 Speaker 1: during the phases of the game when it's more up 372 00:19:54,280 --> 00:19:57,399 Speaker 1: and down and free flowing and there's less defense being played. 373 00:19:57,680 --> 00:20:00,280 Speaker 1: He's doing a really nice job generating high all these 374 00:20:00,320 --> 00:20:04,680 Speaker 1: shots first teammates in those stretches. However, as we've always known, 375 00:20:05,440 --> 00:20:09,560 Speaker 1: in clutch situations, the game slows down, it turns into 376 00:20:09,600 --> 00:20:13,520 Speaker 1: a half court chess match, and schematically, teams will try 377 00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:15,200 Speaker 1: to make you do what you don't want to do. 378 00:20:16,280 --> 00:20:19,040 Speaker 1: So what happened last night we got into overtime, Russa 379 00:20:19,080 --> 00:20:21,119 Speaker 1: ran two pick and rolls, one with Anthony Davis on 380 00:20:21,160 --> 00:20:23,200 Speaker 1: the left wing, one with Lebron James on the right wing. 381 00:20:23,680 --> 00:20:27,359 Speaker 1: What did the Sixers do? Both defenders went with the 382 00:20:27,480 --> 00:20:31,200 Speaker 1: role man. Literally, Russ's man ran into the screen and 383 00:20:31,640 --> 00:20:35,160 Speaker 1: rolled with a d to the basket. He ran into 384 00:20:35,280 --> 00:20:37,840 Speaker 1: Lebron James and rolled with Lebron to the basket. And 385 00:20:37,920 --> 00:20:40,480 Speaker 1: so Russ had two wide open pull up jump shots. 386 00:20:40,840 --> 00:20:45,200 Speaker 1: That is by design. They're making the Lakers turn Russ 387 00:20:45,240 --> 00:20:48,080 Speaker 1: into a jump shooter. And guess what. Russ is shooting 388 00:20:48,119 --> 00:20:50,720 Speaker 1: twenty eight point six percent on pull up jumpers this year. 389 00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:53,200 Speaker 1: So he missed the two pull up jumpers. He took 390 00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:56,160 Speaker 1: an ot Okay, So you can't put Russ on ball 391 00:20:56,200 --> 00:20:58,720 Speaker 1: in clutch situations because they're gonna do stuff like that 392 00:20:59,200 --> 00:21:01,119 Speaker 1: or what they did earlier this season where they just 393 00:21:01,160 --> 00:21:03,000 Speaker 1: put the center on Russ and have him sit back 394 00:21:03,040 --> 00:21:06,320 Speaker 1: into the paint. So let's put him off ball. Well, 395 00:21:06,840 --> 00:21:10,960 Speaker 1: Russ is shooting on catching shoot jumpers this year and 396 00:21:11,040 --> 00:21:17,320 Speaker 1: he's registered just fourteen cut possessions, meaning that of NBA 397 00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:20,879 Speaker 1: players have cut to the basket more frequently than Russ 398 00:21:21,520 --> 00:21:23,920 Speaker 1: during his minutes. So if he's not going to cut 399 00:21:23,960 --> 00:21:25,399 Speaker 1: to the basket and he can't make a catch and 400 00:21:25,400 --> 00:21:28,440 Speaker 1: shoot jumper, you can't have him off ball. If he's 401 00:21:29,040 --> 00:21:31,359 Speaker 1: if the defensive coverages are just gonna dare him to 402 00:21:31,400 --> 00:21:33,720 Speaker 1: take pull up jump shots. If he's on ball, that 403 00:21:33,880 --> 00:21:37,920 Speaker 1: makes him impossible to play in crunch time. But guess 404 00:21:37,960 --> 00:21:39,800 Speaker 1: who has played in more crunch time games this year 405 00:21:39,840 --> 00:21:43,920 Speaker 1: than any other Laker. Russell Westbrook at ten. I think 406 00:21:43,960 --> 00:21:45,960 Speaker 1: Austin Reaves has played in ten as well, but the 407 00:21:46,800 --> 00:21:48,879 Speaker 1: no Laker has played in more crunch time games. So 408 00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:52,119 Speaker 1: any sort of conversation that's been out there about benching Russ, 409 00:21:52,720 --> 00:21:55,760 Speaker 1: it hasn't happened. They're not benching Russ. They're playing him 410 00:21:55,800 --> 00:21:58,600 Speaker 1: every time the game is close and it's going poorly 411 00:21:59,800 --> 00:22:02,280 Speaker 1: at a certain point, Darvin Ann has to make that 412 00:22:02,359 --> 00:22:04,800 Speaker 1: adjustment really quick. Before we move on, I want to 413 00:22:04,800 --> 00:22:08,000 Speaker 1: talk about Lebron Anthony Davis. Lebron had some bright spots 414 00:22:08,040 --> 00:22:09,680 Speaker 1: in the first half. He battled and beat in the 415 00:22:09,720 --> 00:22:11,280 Speaker 1: post after a d got in foul trouble. He did 416 00:22:11,320 --> 00:22:14,040 Speaker 1: a night shop fronting him and got hot offensively in 417 00:22:14,080 --> 00:22:16,000 Speaker 1: the second quarter for a little bit, but once again 418 00:22:16,160 --> 00:22:18,720 Speaker 1: at the end of the game, settling for jumpers on 419 00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:20,399 Speaker 1: a night when his jumpers not going in, and then 420 00:22:20,440 --> 00:22:23,280 Speaker 1: sloppy turnovers, Like I see a lot of people complaining like, oh, 421 00:22:23,359 --> 00:22:25,240 Speaker 1: it's because of the spacing. It's become of the spacing. 422 00:22:25,720 --> 00:22:28,080 Speaker 1: Is the spacing the reason why Lebron keeps throwing swing 423 00:22:28,160 --> 00:22:32,440 Speaker 1: passes directly into defender's arms or just pointlessly throwing skip 424 00:22:32,560 --> 00:22:35,920 Speaker 1: passes two guys that aren't open. Like his decision making 425 00:22:36,080 --> 00:22:38,640 Speaker 1: hasn't been good. It wasn't good last night. At least, 426 00:22:39,520 --> 00:22:41,920 Speaker 1: that's just slopping us again, Like, I don't care about 427 00:22:41,960 --> 00:22:45,200 Speaker 1: the missed shots when it like that's bound to happen. 428 00:22:45,280 --> 00:22:47,240 Speaker 1: It's part of the night and night out process of 429 00:22:47,320 --> 00:22:49,200 Speaker 1: the n B A. I don't think it's fair to 430 00:22:49,240 --> 00:22:51,479 Speaker 1: be like on a five for twenty night to be like, oh, 431 00:22:51,560 --> 00:22:53,639 Speaker 1: that guy sucks, and then on the night be like, 432 00:22:53,680 --> 00:22:56,280 Speaker 1: oh that guy's great. That's the natural flow of an 433 00:22:56,400 --> 00:22:59,000 Speaker 1: NBA season. What I look at is are you committed 434 00:22:59,040 --> 00:23:01,520 Speaker 1: on the defensive end? How is your decision making? Ben? 435 00:23:01,720 --> 00:23:04,000 Speaker 1: How is your shot selection? Bet? Those are things that 436 00:23:04,080 --> 00:23:06,120 Speaker 1: are under your control. And it was a really sloppy 437 00:23:06,200 --> 00:23:09,680 Speaker 1: game from Lebron. And then looking at Anthony Davis like yeah, look, 438 00:23:12,160 --> 00:23:14,119 Speaker 1: E d has been way better than Lebron this year. 439 00:23:14,280 --> 00:23:17,359 Speaker 1: Lebron's been pretty bad, and like six or seven of 440 00:23:17,400 --> 00:23:20,960 Speaker 1: the Lakers losses, I'd probably have Anthony Davis first team 441 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:23,680 Speaker 1: All NBA this year. I have him as my Defensive 442 00:23:23,680 --> 00:23:26,560 Speaker 1: Player of the Year. You know. A D has been great, 443 00:23:27,440 --> 00:23:30,240 Speaker 1: But this was the third game that I can think 444 00:23:30,320 --> 00:23:33,560 Speaker 1: of that the Lakers probably win if Anthony Davis brings 445 00:23:33,600 --> 00:23:38,240 Speaker 1: the requisite effort and play smart basketball. They lost the 446 00:23:38,280 --> 00:23:40,880 Speaker 1: game in Denver because Anthony Davis just refused to run 447 00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:43,200 Speaker 1: back in transition defense. That did a whole video about it. 448 00:23:43,880 --> 00:23:46,280 Speaker 1: They lost to the Clippers earlier this year because he 449 00:23:46,400 --> 00:23:49,920 Speaker 1: just wouldn't battle with Zubot physically and got bullied underneath 450 00:23:49,920 --> 00:23:51,960 Speaker 1: the basket on a bunch of post ups and offensive rebounds. 451 00:23:53,240 --> 00:23:55,920 Speaker 1: And then last night he removed himself from the Philly 452 00:23:56,000 --> 00:23:59,680 Speaker 1: game with bad decision making in two stupid fouls, you know. 453 00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:02,000 Speaker 1: And so I tweeted this last night, and I mean it. 454 00:24:02,600 --> 00:24:04,719 Speaker 1: The Lakers are ten in fifteen, but they'd be fifteen 455 00:24:04,760 --> 00:24:06,959 Speaker 1: and ten if Lebron and a D actually were more 456 00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:10,240 Speaker 1: consistent with their impact. How many times this year of 457 00:24:10,320 --> 00:24:12,560 Speaker 1: Lebron and Nadi both played great in the same game 458 00:24:13,080 --> 00:24:16,840 Speaker 1: two times, maybe three times in the season. That was 459 00:24:16,960 --> 00:24:19,680 Speaker 1: two thirds and nights. The two of them were great. 460 00:24:21,160 --> 00:24:22,840 Speaker 1: You know, even if they were fifteen in ten right 461 00:24:22,840 --> 00:24:24,920 Speaker 1: now instead of ten and fifteen, would still be talking 462 00:24:24,960 --> 00:24:27,159 Speaker 1: about the roster, would still be talking about how they 463 00:24:27,200 --> 00:24:28,639 Speaker 1: make it, need to make a trade to get to 464 00:24:28,680 --> 00:24:32,480 Speaker 1: the ultimate championship ceiling. But at least they'd be a 465 00:24:32,560 --> 00:24:36,760 Speaker 1: flow in the standings. So like, there's two problems for 466 00:24:36,800 --> 00:24:39,960 Speaker 1: the Lakers this year. Roster related problems in Lebron and 467 00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:43,680 Speaker 1: Anthony Davis are two inconsistent. When Lebron and Anthony Davis 468 00:24:43,760 --> 00:24:46,399 Speaker 1: were playing well, they want eight out of ten. They 469 00:24:46,480 --> 00:24:48,560 Speaker 1: beat the Bucks, they beat the Wizards, they beat the Pacers, 470 00:24:48,600 --> 00:24:50,560 Speaker 1: they beat the Or, they beat the Blazers. They've had 471 00:24:50,600 --> 00:24:54,800 Speaker 1: some quality wins in there. Then Anthony Davis missed two 472 00:24:54,880 --> 00:24:57,359 Speaker 1: games and they lost. And then Lebron and A d 473 00:24:57,480 --> 00:25:01,080 Speaker 1: played poorly in Philly and they lost. Like, at the 474 00:25:01,160 --> 00:25:03,320 Speaker 1: end of the day, those two guys cannot afford to 475 00:25:03,359 --> 00:25:07,000 Speaker 1: have bad games, especially against good teams. Maybe that maybe 476 00:25:07,040 --> 00:25:09,119 Speaker 1: you get a little bit more margin for air if 477 00:25:09,160 --> 00:25:11,199 Speaker 1: they make a good trade, but that's gonna be an 478 00:25:11,240 --> 00:25:16,119 Speaker 1: issue all season no matter what. Looking to get more 479 00:25:16,160 --> 00:25:18,560 Speaker 1: out of this NBA season, well, now is the perfect 480 00:25:18,640 --> 00:25:22,000 Speaker 1: time to download FanDuel, America's number one sports book because 481 00:25:22,080 --> 00:25:24,879 Speaker 1: new customers get a no sweat first bet up to 482 00:25:25,040 --> 00:25:28,360 Speaker 1: one thousand dollars. That's free bets back if your first 483 00:25:28,400 --> 00:25:31,280 Speaker 1: bet doesn't win. Just download the fandel sports book app. 484 00:25:31,480 --> 00:25:34,119 Speaker 1: It's safe, secure, and super easy to use. Then you 485 00:25:34,160 --> 00:25:36,840 Speaker 1: can bet on everything from money line to touchdown scores 486 00:25:36,920 --> 00:25:40,240 Speaker 1: two over under yards. My favorite future in the NBA 487 00:25:40,359 --> 00:25:41,840 Speaker 1: right now, he is honest to win m v P 488 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:44,280 Speaker 1: at plus two ninety. He's been doing all of this 489 00:25:44,440 --> 00:25:46,919 Speaker 1: with a bunch of starters and guys out of the lineup. 490 00:25:47,240 --> 00:25:49,199 Speaker 1: Now they're getting healthy. I think they're gonna rip off 491 00:25:49,240 --> 00:25:51,560 Speaker 1: an a bunch of wins. And he's the best player 492 00:25:51,600 --> 00:25:54,040 Speaker 1: in the world and he hasn't won an m v 493 00:25:54,119 --> 00:25:55,760 Speaker 1: P and a couple of seasons. To me, that's a 494 00:25:55,840 --> 00:25:58,960 Speaker 1: no brainer. 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All right, let's move on to 504 00:26:25,320 --> 00:26:29,120 Speaker 1: that second nationally televised game, the Bucks winning in Dallas 505 00:26:29,160 --> 00:26:33,000 Speaker 1: against the Mavericks. This was a completely wild fourth quarter. 506 00:26:33,160 --> 00:26:35,680 Speaker 1: The Masks were up double digits at one point. Early 507 00:26:35,760 --> 00:26:38,280 Speaker 1: in the fourth. Christian Wood was scoring in the post, 508 00:26:38,359 --> 00:26:40,119 Speaker 1: doing a nice job attacking George Hill, but he was 509 00:26:40,119 --> 00:26:43,760 Speaker 1: getting absolutely obliterated by Janice on the other end. Jannie 510 00:26:43,840 --> 00:26:45,920 Speaker 1: had fifteen in the quarter to get the Bucks back 511 00:26:45,960 --> 00:26:48,560 Speaker 1: into it. George Hill also hit two massive corner threes 512 00:26:48,600 --> 00:26:51,680 Speaker 1: on just like basic possessions for Drew Holiday, dribbled the 513 00:26:51,680 --> 00:26:53,200 Speaker 1: ball at the floor, just passed the ball into the 514 00:26:53,280 --> 00:26:56,520 Speaker 1: corner and uh, the Dallas was sucked in too far 515 00:26:56,600 --> 00:27:00,080 Speaker 1: into help Spencer Dinwood. He dunked all over Janice and 516 00:27:00,200 --> 00:27:04,080 Speaker 1: dunked all over Brook Lopez on two separate plays like 517 00:27:04,240 --> 00:27:07,720 Speaker 1: to really really nasty dunks. Dwight Powell was grabbing a 518 00:27:07,760 --> 00:27:11,080 Speaker 1: million offensive rebounds. The MAVs missed at least a half 519 00:27:11,160 --> 00:27:14,080 Speaker 1: dozen wide open threes. They went over eight overall in 520 00:27:14,160 --> 00:27:16,840 Speaker 1: the quarter. The man has also missed eight free throws 521 00:27:16,880 --> 00:27:20,040 Speaker 1: in the fourth quarter, including Tim Hardaway Jr. Missing all 522 00:27:20,200 --> 00:27:21,959 Speaker 1: three free throws when he was fouled on a three 523 00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:24,879 Speaker 1: point shot by Jannis, and then Dorian Finney Smith, with 524 00:27:24,960 --> 00:27:27,640 Speaker 1: a chance to put the MAVs up three, missed both 525 00:27:27,720 --> 00:27:31,160 Speaker 1: free throws on a late take foul. Um. By the way, 526 00:27:31,400 --> 00:27:34,440 Speaker 1: Dallas is Uh was ten for twenty four from the 527 00:27:34,480 --> 00:27:36,280 Speaker 1: free throw line last night. They are now down to 528 00:27:36,359 --> 00:27:38,760 Speaker 1: twenty nine in the league in three point in the 529 00:27:38,880 --> 00:27:42,880 Speaker 1: free throw percentage. But after all that we got after 530 00:27:43,400 --> 00:27:46,960 Speaker 1: basically came down to a sequence where the Um the 531 00:27:47,480 --> 00:27:49,400 Speaker 1: Bucks were up one O four, one O three after 532 00:27:50,240 --> 00:27:53,639 Speaker 1: Uh Spencer Dinwood he dunked all over brook Lopez and 533 00:27:53,720 --> 00:27:55,080 Speaker 1: the Man's go down. They get a stop and they 534 00:27:55,119 --> 00:27:57,240 Speaker 1: come down and um Luca does a really nice job 535 00:27:57,760 --> 00:28:00,160 Speaker 1: navigating a couple of different screening actions to get brook 536 00:28:00,240 --> 00:28:04,160 Speaker 1: Lopez on a switch and then from a skill development standpoint, 537 00:28:04,359 --> 00:28:06,680 Speaker 1: did a really nice job turning his entire body to 538 00:28:06,760 --> 00:28:09,600 Speaker 1: the left and tipping Lopez to think he was going 539 00:28:09,680 --> 00:28:12,080 Speaker 1: to go to his step back and then crossing back 540 00:28:12,160 --> 00:28:14,159 Speaker 1: over to get Lopez out of position up on his 541 00:28:14,280 --> 00:28:17,080 Speaker 1: left side, beats Lopez to the basket for a layup. 542 00:28:17,280 --> 00:28:20,680 Speaker 1: Mavericks are up by one. From there, we had two 543 00:28:20,760 --> 00:28:24,520 Speaker 1: out of time out plays, and both plays were drawn 544 00:28:24,600 --> 00:28:27,359 Speaker 1: up by the head coach. One team executed, the other 545 00:28:27,400 --> 00:28:32,119 Speaker 1: team did it defensively, I should say so the Bucks 546 00:28:32,280 --> 00:28:34,560 Speaker 1: they just run a simple backscreen action. As a matter 547 00:28:34,600 --> 00:28:36,600 Speaker 1: of fact, it was such a simple backscreen action that 548 00:28:36,680 --> 00:28:38,600 Speaker 1: I'm pretty sure that wasn't even the target of the 549 00:28:38,680 --> 00:28:44,120 Speaker 1: play Originally. Maxi Cleber's guarding Brook Lopez and he's there 550 00:28:44,160 --> 00:28:46,080 Speaker 1: in kind of like a box set out up high 551 00:28:46,960 --> 00:28:51,120 Speaker 1: um and Chris Middleton is being guarded by Dorian Phinney Smith. 552 00:28:51,560 --> 00:28:54,960 Speaker 1: Chris Middleton just walks up and sets a backscreen on 553 00:28:55,160 --> 00:28:58,960 Speaker 1: Maxi Cleber. Maxi Cleber gets caught on the screen. Brooke 554 00:28:59,040 --> 00:29:02,840 Speaker 1: Lopez goes to the basket, nobody's there, Lob goes up. 555 00:29:03,400 --> 00:29:06,720 Speaker 1: They laid up Bucks by one. Now what you're supposed 556 00:29:06,720 --> 00:29:08,880 Speaker 1: to do on that play, because guys are gonna get 557 00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:11,160 Speaker 1: caught on screens often, especially when you don't know what 558 00:29:11,320 --> 00:29:15,040 Speaker 1: play is coming. There's it's just a classic concept of 559 00:29:15,520 --> 00:29:17,280 Speaker 1: checking a cutter, like we were talking about earlier with 560 00:29:17,320 --> 00:29:20,200 Speaker 1: p J. Tucker. So If I'm Dorrian Phinney Smith and 561 00:29:20,320 --> 00:29:23,400 Speaker 1: I see Chris Middleton back screen Maxicleba, and I see 562 00:29:23,440 --> 00:29:26,480 Speaker 1: that he's caught, and I see Lopez barreling down towards 563 00:29:26,520 --> 00:29:29,120 Speaker 1: the rim, it is my job to run up and 564 00:29:29,360 --> 00:29:34,800 Speaker 1: Chuck brook Lopez hit him. Literally stop the cut. When 565 00:29:34,840 --> 00:29:37,840 Speaker 1: you do that, that buys Cleiba enough time to get 566 00:29:37,920 --> 00:29:41,880 Speaker 1: out from the screen and to recover back to brook Lopez. Now, 567 00:29:42,320 --> 00:29:46,280 Speaker 1: typically what happens there is Middleton will have an opportunity 568 00:29:46,360 --> 00:29:49,480 Speaker 1: to break free because you're offering help on the brook 569 00:29:49,560 --> 00:29:53,200 Speaker 1: Lopez back cut. But you continue that process down the 570 00:29:53,240 --> 00:29:56,000 Speaker 1: line and you can recover right If Middleton runs out, 571 00:29:56,680 --> 00:29:59,360 Speaker 1: he's probably running off of another screen at that point 572 00:29:59,440 --> 00:30:01,560 Speaker 1: to go out get a catch and shoe jumper, or 573 00:30:01,600 --> 00:30:05,040 Speaker 1: to initiate an action. Your teammate will run out to 574 00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:08,440 Speaker 1: grab Chris Middleton. You now recover to your teammates man. 575 00:30:08,920 --> 00:30:11,320 Speaker 1: That is a classic help the helper type of situation. 576 00:30:12,320 --> 00:30:14,320 Speaker 1: When you see a man get caught on a screen, 577 00:30:14,760 --> 00:30:17,160 Speaker 1: the first thing you do is you help him. Then 578 00:30:17,360 --> 00:30:19,600 Speaker 1: once you've done your job, you look to see who 579 00:30:19,680 --> 00:30:22,760 Speaker 1: needs help, because one of your teammates probably had to 580 00:30:22,840 --> 00:30:25,320 Speaker 1: help you there. It's like a chain that that that 581 00:30:25,480 --> 00:30:29,280 Speaker 1: goes down the line in defensive rotation, but there was 582 00:30:29,360 --> 00:30:31,520 Speaker 1: one week link in that chain. Dorian Phinney Smith did 583 00:30:31,600 --> 00:30:34,680 Speaker 1: not check brook Lopez, so Cleveland got caught on the screen. 584 00:30:34,800 --> 00:30:37,000 Speaker 1: Brook Lopez got a wide up and lay up. Now 585 00:30:37,080 --> 00:30:39,480 Speaker 1: we go to the other end. The Bucks run in 586 00:30:39,520 --> 00:30:42,000 Speaker 1: action where they have a screener at the top of 587 00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:44,240 Speaker 1: the key Lucas underneath the basket. They run a guy 588 00:30:44,320 --> 00:30:45,840 Speaker 1: off the wing and kind of towards the basket, and 589 00:30:45,840 --> 00:30:48,680 Speaker 1: then that guy screens down for for Luca. It's play 590 00:30:48,720 --> 00:30:50,840 Speaker 1: that the MAVs have run a lot and crunch time 591 00:30:50,920 --> 00:30:56,160 Speaker 1: this year, and uh, the Bucks get do a really 592 00:30:56,240 --> 00:30:59,040 Speaker 1: nice job of of hedging out on Luca to give 593 00:30:59,400 --> 00:31:02,440 Speaker 1: Drew Holiday a chance to recover. Luca ends up catching 594 00:31:02,520 --> 00:31:05,360 Speaker 1: it out at like thirty ft with two seconds left, 595 00:31:05,360 --> 00:31:07,320 Speaker 1: and he takes a garbage step back three that has 596 00:31:07,320 --> 00:31:09,840 Speaker 1: almost no chance of going in and the game is over. 597 00:31:10,360 --> 00:31:12,480 Speaker 1: So as you can see, like the difference there is 598 00:31:12,520 --> 00:31:15,560 Speaker 1: from a scouting perspective that the Mavericks clearly did not 599 00:31:15,760 --> 00:31:18,600 Speaker 1: know what was coming, got caught off guard, botched a 600 00:31:18,640 --> 00:31:21,680 Speaker 1: defensive rotation, gave up a basket. On the other end, 601 00:31:22,760 --> 00:31:27,320 Speaker 1: Dallas the Gibson Pipers who coaches UM college basketball somewhere 602 00:31:27,320 --> 00:31:28,680 Speaker 1: here in the US. I'm not actually sure, but he 603 00:31:28,720 --> 00:31:31,000 Speaker 1: did a really nice video breakdown last night. I think 604 00:31:31,080 --> 00:31:33,959 Speaker 1: his Twitter handles at half court hoops if I remember correctly, 605 00:31:34,200 --> 00:31:36,640 Speaker 1: he did a really nice Twitter breakdown video breakdown on 606 00:31:36,680 --> 00:31:39,360 Speaker 1: Twitter last night that just kind of explained how the 607 00:31:39,480 --> 00:31:43,000 Speaker 1: Bucks got ahead of that coverage or that play because 608 00:31:43,000 --> 00:31:45,200 Speaker 1: they knew it was coming. And then Luca was having 609 00:31:45,280 --> 00:31:48,040 Speaker 1: like a conniption fit on the court before and after 610 00:31:48,120 --> 00:31:49,960 Speaker 1: the play because he knew the Bucks knew the play. 611 00:31:50,560 --> 00:31:55,520 Speaker 1: But again, that's scouting. In execution, determining a game at 612 00:31:55,560 --> 00:31:58,120 Speaker 1: the end, late game situations almost always come down to 613 00:31:58,160 --> 00:32:01,720 Speaker 1: execution shop making part of it. Like it's a maker misleague. 614 00:32:01,720 --> 00:32:03,720 Speaker 1: We always hear that, right, and I do believe that 615 00:32:03,840 --> 00:32:05,280 Speaker 1: making and missing is a big part of the game 616 00:32:05,320 --> 00:32:08,800 Speaker 1: of basketball. Never try to to to minimize that. However, 617 00:32:09,560 --> 00:32:13,800 Speaker 1: shot making has a big defensive element. The best way 618 00:32:13,840 --> 00:32:18,280 Speaker 1: to influence shot making in your for your team is 619 00:32:18,360 --> 00:32:22,040 Speaker 1: too on the offensive end. Run smart offense, set good screens, 620 00:32:22,600 --> 00:32:26,880 Speaker 1: be sharp with the basketball to generate quality looks. Typically 621 00:32:26,960 --> 00:32:30,080 Speaker 1: that involves either screening actions that are executed well to 622 00:32:30,120 --> 00:32:32,920 Speaker 1: get an opening or dribble penetration, whether that's off the 623 00:32:32,960 --> 00:32:35,280 Speaker 1: dribble or curling over the top of the screens, someone's 624 00:32:35,320 --> 00:32:36,920 Speaker 1: got to get downhill to draw help. And if you 625 00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:38,680 Speaker 1: do that and you're smart with your passing on the 626 00:32:38,760 --> 00:32:42,360 Speaker 1: back end, you will get open shots. On defense. If 627 00:32:42,440 --> 00:32:46,040 Speaker 1: you execute your defensive coverage is well enough to force 628 00:32:46,120 --> 00:32:48,720 Speaker 1: the opponent to take difficult shots over the top of 629 00:32:48,760 --> 00:32:51,920 Speaker 1: the defense, they are less likely to make their shots. 630 00:32:52,720 --> 00:32:55,840 Speaker 1: So yes, it's a maker miss league, but execution is 631 00:32:55,880 --> 00:32:58,760 Speaker 1: a big part of it. The Bucks executed and forced 632 00:32:58,840 --> 00:33:02,720 Speaker 1: Luca into a tough at back three. The Mavericks did 633 00:33:02,800 --> 00:33:07,480 Speaker 1: not execute defensively, while the Bucks executed their play properly. 634 00:33:07,600 --> 00:33:10,080 Speaker 1: A good screen from Chris Middleton and they got a 635 00:33:10,120 --> 00:33:13,080 Speaker 1: wide open layup out of it. The Bucks are a 636 00:33:13,160 --> 00:33:15,600 Speaker 1: better execution team, which is why they're eight and three 637 00:33:15,760 --> 00:33:18,720 Speaker 1: in games that involved clutch situations this year, and the 638 00:33:18,800 --> 00:33:21,920 Speaker 1: Mavericks are nine and nine in games that involved clutch 639 00:33:22,000 --> 00:33:24,160 Speaker 1: situations this year, so they've lost three times as many 640 00:33:24,240 --> 00:33:29,479 Speaker 1: games that were close as Milwaukee has um Chris Middleton. 641 00:33:30,560 --> 00:33:34,040 Speaker 1: This was his fourth game back. He's averaging just fourteen 642 00:33:34,080 --> 00:33:36,040 Speaker 1: points per game on thirty six percent shooting in his 643 00:33:36,080 --> 00:33:39,000 Speaker 1: first four games, which seems bad, but I've always thought 644 00:33:39,040 --> 00:33:41,000 Speaker 1: that it looked good on tape, and the shot creation 645 00:33:41,120 --> 00:33:43,680 Speaker 1: metrics have been excellent overall. He's got twenty three assists 646 00:33:43,720 --> 00:33:46,080 Speaker 1: to four turnovers. I said the other day and if 647 00:33:46,120 --> 00:33:47,360 Speaker 1: this may or may not be the case, but he 648 00:33:47,440 --> 00:33:49,160 Speaker 1: might be the best playmaker on the team. He's either 649 00:33:49,240 --> 00:33:51,920 Speaker 1: him or Yannice, but getting a legit off ball or 650 00:33:52,120 --> 00:33:54,760 Speaker 1: non Janice playmaker has been a big time for them. 651 00:33:54,920 --> 00:33:56,200 Speaker 1: He had a in the fourth quarter. He had a 652 00:33:56,240 --> 00:33:59,280 Speaker 1: really nice, like left handed feed to Pat Connaughton who 653 00:33:59,320 --> 00:34:01,960 Speaker 1: was sneaking along the baseline as a cutter in the 654 00:34:02,000 --> 00:34:05,320 Speaker 1: fourth quarter. Um he's run twenty seven pick and roll 655 00:34:05,400 --> 00:34:07,400 Speaker 1: so far since he came back for thirty one points. 656 00:34:07,480 --> 00:34:10,719 Speaker 1: That's one point one five points per possession, which is incentile. 657 00:34:11,160 --> 00:34:12,960 Speaker 1: And then he's scored nine points on eight post ups, 658 00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:15,719 Speaker 1: which is one point one three points per possession. And 659 00:34:15,760 --> 00:34:18,560 Speaker 1: he had a really nice little baseline hook shot off 660 00:34:18,600 --> 00:34:21,440 Speaker 1: the off the glass over Dorian Finnie Smith late in 661 00:34:21,480 --> 00:34:24,680 Speaker 1: the fourth quarter. Really impressive game from Jannice. I you know, 662 00:34:24,800 --> 00:34:27,200 Speaker 1: one of my favorite things about Janice is dependable fight 663 00:34:27,360 --> 00:34:30,520 Speaker 1: and energy. You never have to worry about Janice caring 664 00:34:30,680 --> 00:34:34,759 Speaker 1: enough to try to impact the game and downtown in 665 00:34:34,840 --> 00:34:36,600 Speaker 1: the fourth quarter. I can't tell you how many times 666 00:34:36,600 --> 00:34:39,600 Speaker 1: I've seen Stars go out there and maybe jack a 667 00:34:39,640 --> 00:34:41,359 Speaker 1: few shots up and if they miss, they just kind 668 00:34:41,360 --> 00:34:44,640 Speaker 1: of mail things in. Janice always has that like big 669 00:34:44,800 --> 00:34:47,400 Speaker 1: run and and it's typically third or fourth quarter of 670 00:34:47,480 --> 00:34:49,520 Speaker 1: a game that's close or where their team is losing, 671 00:34:49,560 --> 00:34:53,080 Speaker 1: where it's like Janice is basically saying, I'm gonna put 672 00:34:53,120 --> 00:34:55,000 Speaker 1: my head down and go to the rim every single time, 673 00:34:55,800 --> 00:34:58,239 Speaker 1: and if it works great, If not, hey, I went 674 00:34:58,320 --> 00:35:01,520 Speaker 1: down fighting. And he did that in that third, in 675 00:35:01,600 --> 00:35:04,360 Speaker 1: that early early fourth quarter through three quarters, he was 676 00:35:04,400 --> 00:35:07,400 Speaker 1: five or fourteen from the field. Dallas was swarming him 677 00:35:07,719 --> 00:35:10,680 Speaker 1: in the paint. But there was that weird MAV's lineup 678 00:35:10,719 --> 00:35:12,040 Speaker 1: that they went to a couple of times last night 679 00:35:12,040 --> 00:35:14,640 Speaker 1: where they have Kleiba and Christian wood out there together 680 00:35:14,800 --> 00:35:18,280 Speaker 1: and um, just by pushing the ball in transition, Janice 681 00:35:18,320 --> 00:35:21,320 Speaker 1: kept catching Christian wooden cross matches and he just boldozed 682 00:35:21,360 --> 00:35:23,279 Speaker 1: him to the basket for layups time and time again. 683 00:35:23,400 --> 00:35:26,000 Speaker 1: Got it really was responsible for getting the Bucks back 684 00:35:26,040 --> 00:35:31,600 Speaker 1: into that game. Alright. Moving on to that Son's Pelicans game, 685 00:35:31,640 --> 00:35:33,480 Speaker 1: so the Suns. This was another back and fourth game. 686 00:35:33,520 --> 00:35:35,040 Speaker 1: The Suns kept it close in the first half, the 687 00:35:35,080 --> 00:35:37,640 Speaker 1: Pelicans completely dominated the third quarter. Then the Suns went 688 00:35:37,680 --> 00:35:39,120 Speaker 1: on a run and took a brief lead in the 689 00:35:39,160 --> 00:35:42,239 Speaker 1: fourth quarter, and then Zion Williamson just closed the game 690 00:35:42,400 --> 00:35:45,960 Speaker 1: with three gigantic plays, one of which was a steel 691 00:35:46,040 --> 00:35:47,759 Speaker 1: on a post entry where he ran out and got 692 00:35:47,800 --> 00:35:50,279 Speaker 1: a dunk with his left hand. Um Then there was 693 00:35:50,320 --> 00:35:52,640 Speaker 1: a play where late in the game, because he was 694 00:35:52,760 --> 00:35:55,400 Speaker 1: just torching Tory Craig and mcaial Bridges all game long, 695 00:35:55,400 --> 00:35:57,440 Speaker 1: which we'll get to in a minute. But late in 696 00:35:57,440 --> 00:35:59,200 Speaker 1: the game he got DeAndre Aton on a switch because 697 00:35:59,200 --> 00:36:00,759 Speaker 1: they wanted to try to put some bigger on him 698 00:36:00,800 --> 00:36:03,400 Speaker 1: so that he couldn't bully them. But one of the 699 00:36:03,440 --> 00:36:06,040 Speaker 1: problems with Zion is he's too fast for guys like that, 700 00:36:06,320 --> 00:36:08,239 Speaker 1: and they ran like kind of like an inverted screen 701 00:36:08,360 --> 00:36:11,040 Speaker 1: roll over. Jose Alvarado set a screen and and and 702 00:36:11,480 --> 00:36:13,200 Speaker 1: reversed it so like he was on one side and 703 00:36:13,239 --> 00:36:14,919 Speaker 1: then switched and set the screen on the other side, 704 00:36:14,960 --> 00:36:17,719 Speaker 1: and a Zion got to the baseline and just threw 705 00:36:17,760 --> 00:36:20,600 Speaker 1: down a nasty left handed dunk and then we all 706 00:36:20,680 --> 00:36:23,120 Speaker 1: saw the the cherry on top, which was the leak 707 00:36:23,200 --> 00:36:24,800 Speaker 1: out dunk in the final seconds where he did the 708 00:36:24,840 --> 00:36:28,160 Speaker 1: three sixty wind mill. By the way, all years, Zone 709 00:36:28,160 --> 00:36:30,600 Speaker 1: has been good, um, but he's always looked a little 710 00:36:31,040 --> 00:36:33,759 Speaker 1: less athletic than we remember him, you know, from when 711 00:36:33,800 --> 00:36:36,719 Speaker 1: he was younger. Last night was like the most springy 712 00:36:36,760 --> 00:36:38,560 Speaker 1: I've seen Zi, and I wonder if he's starting to 713 00:36:38,640 --> 00:36:41,399 Speaker 1: really catch his conditioning and and really get his body 714 00:36:41,480 --> 00:36:43,879 Speaker 1: into a good groove because that that three sixty wind 715 00:36:43,880 --> 00:36:47,480 Speaker 1: mill was. It was very hoop mixtape esque from his 716 00:36:47,560 --> 00:36:51,240 Speaker 1: time when he was in in uh In high school. Overall, 717 00:36:51,239 --> 00:36:52,319 Speaker 1: I thought that was one of the best two way 718 00:36:52,320 --> 00:36:53,920 Speaker 1: games I've seen Zion play. He was he was being 719 00:36:53,960 --> 00:36:55,560 Speaker 1: guarded by Tory Craig for the most part, but he 720 00:36:55,600 --> 00:36:57,759 Speaker 1: also got a bunch of Michale bridges and he just 721 00:36:57,920 --> 00:37:00,680 Speaker 1: ripped right through those guys like tissue paper, time and 722 00:37:00,760 --> 00:37:04,440 Speaker 1: time again, finished with thirty five on seventeen shots. You know, 723 00:37:04,520 --> 00:37:07,560 Speaker 1: the dynamic that Zion presents reminds me of the dynamic 724 00:37:07,640 --> 00:37:11,800 Speaker 1: that Janice presents, which is that mismatch problem specifically targeting 725 00:37:11,920 --> 00:37:15,399 Speaker 1: NBA defenses modern NBA defenses, So back in the day, 726 00:37:16,600 --> 00:37:18,920 Speaker 1: you'd have a center that was typically slow and plotting 727 00:37:18,920 --> 00:37:20,399 Speaker 1: because the pace of the game was slow. But you'd 728 00:37:20,440 --> 00:37:22,759 Speaker 1: also have like a legit power forward, like a big, 729 00:37:22,880 --> 00:37:25,400 Speaker 1: strong guy I Drew good In, a you know, Kenyan Martin, 730 00:37:25,440 --> 00:37:28,279 Speaker 1: a dude who's you know, between six nine and six ten, 731 00:37:28,360 --> 00:37:31,280 Speaker 1: who's like a solid two and fifty pounds a muscle 732 00:37:31,400 --> 00:37:33,960 Speaker 1: that just was like a bulldozer of a player. That 733 00:37:34,080 --> 00:37:36,000 Speaker 1: guy is out of the league now, and now that 734 00:37:36,360 --> 00:37:39,640 Speaker 1: bulldozer power forward is just another wing, you know, like 735 00:37:39,719 --> 00:37:42,720 Speaker 1: a guy like Tory Craig who had literally no chance 736 00:37:42,800 --> 00:37:46,160 Speaker 1: carding Zion yesterday. Michael Bridges one of the best defensive 737 00:37:46,200 --> 00:37:49,640 Speaker 1: wings in the NBA, and he was tissue paper against 738 00:37:49,640 --> 00:37:54,200 Speaker 1: science that that that's the predicament that Zion and Janice 739 00:37:54,239 --> 00:37:58,840 Speaker 1: puts you in. The most valuable defensive piece in the 740 00:37:58,880 --> 00:38:01,880 Speaker 1: league right now is a player between six eight or 741 00:38:01,960 --> 00:38:05,000 Speaker 1: six six and six nine, you know, who's got long 742 00:38:05,160 --> 00:38:07,920 Speaker 1: arms and is super fast and can guard multiple positions. 743 00:38:08,160 --> 00:38:11,040 Speaker 1: That's like the bread and butter of NBA defense these days, 744 00:38:12,160 --> 00:38:13,880 Speaker 1: and a lot of lineups have two or three of 745 00:38:13,880 --> 00:38:16,200 Speaker 1: those guys on the floor at any given moment, and 746 00:38:16,360 --> 00:38:19,160 Speaker 1: that works really well. Against just about every type of 747 00:38:19,200 --> 00:38:24,279 Speaker 1: player in the NBA. But these honest, these Jannat Zion 748 00:38:24,920 --> 00:38:28,120 Speaker 1: possessions that these wings just have no chance. He's just 749 00:38:28,200 --> 00:38:30,640 Speaker 1: going right through him. And so then you switch a 750 00:38:30,719 --> 00:38:34,080 Speaker 1: bigger guy onto him and they're just too fast for him, 751 00:38:34,320 --> 00:38:35,840 Speaker 1: like what they did with DeAndre and there on that 752 00:38:35,920 --> 00:38:41,520 Speaker 1: last possession. Zion's ISOs are up to a hundred and 753 00:38:41,600 --> 00:38:43,719 Speaker 1: twenty nine points on a hundred five possessions, which is 754 00:38:43,760 --> 00:38:48,200 Speaker 1: in the percentile that's insane for a young player. Josie 755 00:38:48,200 --> 00:38:50,719 Speaker 1: Alvarado continued his great season. He pitched in twenty points, 756 00:38:50,760 --> 00:38:54,000 Speaker 1: not Marshall at fourteen. But you know, a bunch of 757 00:38:54,040 --> 00:38:58,600 Speaker 1: sneaky good like there's always like these, uh these role 758 00:38:58,640 --> 00:39:00,440 Speaker 1: players that you see Austin Red just kind of like 759 00:39:00,520 --> 00:39:03,239 Speaker 1: this for the Lakers, where they don't really get a 760 00:39:03,280 --> 00:39:05,000 Speaker 1: ton of on ball reps, but you can tell they 761 00:39:05,040 --> 00:39:07,840 Speaker 1: have really natural passing feel. Nagy Marshall is one of 762 00:39:07,880 --> 00:39:10,120 Speaker 1: those guys where he's one of the sneaky good passers 763 00:39:10,160 --> 00:39:11,880 Speaker 1: in the league right now. He had fifty assists to 764 00:39:11,960 --> 00:39:14,000 Speaker 1: just twenty one turnovers to this point in the season 765 00:39:14,400 --> 00:39:18,040 Speaker 1: at fourteen points. Again last night, um Devin Booker finished 766 00:39:18,080 --> 00:39:20,680 Speaker 1: with fourteen points and seventeen shots. He's now averaging fifteen 767 00:39:20,719 --> 00:39:22,560 Speaker 1: and a half on thirty five percent shooting in his 768 00:39:22,680 --> 00:39:25,200 Speaker 1: last four games. So I cursed him apparently when I 769 00:39:25,239 --> 00:39:26,719 Speaker 1: did that whole video about how I thought he was 770 00:39:26,760 --> 00:39:28,879 Speaker 1: a superstar, because he has not played well since then. 771 00:39:29,400 --> 00:39:32,399 Speaker 1: Chris Paul had twenty four. Looks like he's still still 772 00:39:32,440 --> 00:39:35,160 Speaker 1: has New Orleans number a little bit. Sons have lost 773 00:39:35,200 --> 00:39:37,680 Speaker 1: four out of five. Lots of bad body language, not 774 00:39:37,840 --> 00:39:41,799 Speaker 1: looking good. Um right now, alright, guess that is all 775 00:39:41,880 --> 00:39:43,560 Speaker 1: I have for today. So here's the plan. We're gonna 776 00:39:43,560 --> 00:39:45,680 Speaker 1: be going live, are not live. We're gonna have a 777 00:39:45,760 --> 00:39:49,320 Speaker 1: video tomorrow morning breaking down like breaking down Celtics Warriors, 778 00:39:49,760 --> 00:39:51,320 Speaker 1: and then we're gonna take Monday off and then we 779 00:39:51,360 --> 00:39:54,200 Speaker 1: will be back Tuesday night with game breakdowns as always. 780 00:39:54,239 --> 00:39:56,399 Speaker 1: I sincerely appreciate your guys support and I will see 781 00:39:56,400 --> 00:40:07,760 Speaker 1: you next time. The volume