WEBVTT - Spotlight Weekend Sweep 0:00:00.320 --> 0:00:02.920 This crowd rises to its being. 0:00:02.920 --> 0:00:04.280 What Carl slam it? 0:00:04.360 --> 0:00:10.879 Oh, Carl left wing free ball, perfect. 0:00:07.200 --> 0:00:11.799 Dar pop the hell block, the shot at the rim, 0:00:12.080 --> 0:00:14.680 pow in the left hand and of fowl. 0:00:15.360 --> 0:00:17.320 Welcome to the Chase Down Podcast, part of the Caves 0:00:17.360 --> 0:00:19.640 Media family. I'm your host Justin Rohan. The Chase Down 0:00:19.720 --> 0:00:22.280 is presented by Fubo, the official streaming partner of the Calves. 0:00:22.520 --> 0:00:24.840 Watch over three hundred and fifty channels of live sports 0:00:24.880 --> 0:00:28.080 and TV, including FanDuel Sports Network without cable. There's no 0:00:28.160 --> 0:00:31.080 cost and no commitment. Try for free at footballtv dot 0:00:31.120 --> 0:00:34.400 Com Slash Calves. The Clived Cavaliers came away with not 0:00:34.600 --> 0:00:37.920 one but two signature wins over the weekend at three 0:00:37.960 --> 0:00:39.920 and oho starts since the All Star Breaks. Since we 0:00:40.040 --> 0:00:43.240 last recorded, Uh dominant went over the New York Knicks 0:00:43.280 --> 0:00:46.920 and in oppressive win over the Memphis Grizzlies. Joining me 0:00:47.000 --> 0:00:50.240 today to discuss it all is my co host Carter Rodriguez. Carter, 0:00:50.360 --> 0:00:51.160 how you doing, buddy? 0:00:51.400 --> 0:00:54.440 It's kind of nice to get, you know, two flavors 0:00:54.440 --> 0:00:54.800 of win. 0:00:55.400 --> 0:00:55.720 Uh. 0:00:55.800 --> 0:00:58.880 You know, you have the absolute ass kicking against the 0:00:58.920 --> 0:01:04.080 Knicks on Friday and then you get where you kind 0:01:04.080 --> 0:01:07.640 of just show your class, and then you show your 0:01:07.680 --> 0:01:11.520 culture on Sunday in a game against the Grizzlies when 0:01:11.560 --> 0:01:14.640 you're down your point guard and you can't hit the 0:01:14.640 --> 0:01:18.440 broadside of a barn with your jump shots and you 0:01:18.520 --> 0:01:21.880 still put up one twenty nine and just process your 0:01:21.920 --> 0:01:25.959 way to a win. So, you know, I think like 0:01:26.520 --> 0:01:29.720 you kind of just get whatever you wanted to learn 0:01:29.720 --> 0:01:33.560 about the Calves, you know, in these two games. I 0:01:33.560 --> 0:01:35.360 do feel like you did kind of get to learn it. 0:01:36.000 --> 0:01:36.280 Yeah. 0:01:36.360 --> 0:01:38.600 Oh, I totally agree with that. And I think the 0:01:38.680 --> 0:01:41.440 important thing is I believe both of these games were 0:01:41.440 --> 0:01:44.440 flexed into the national TV kind of spotlight, right Like, 0:01:44.800 --> 0:01:47.000 with how well the Calves have been playing, they are 0:01:47.000 --> 0:01:49.760 getting more and more of these showcase games in the 0:01:49.800 --> 0:01:53.000 second half of the season, in this closing stretch, and 0:01:53.080 --> 0:01:55.960 for people that may have not been following as closely 0:01:56.160 --> 0:01:58.960 that maybe the last time that they tuned into a 0:01:58.960 --> 0:02:03.760 Calvs game was the lost in OKC, or just checking 0:02:03.800 --> 0:02:06.680 out the NBA post All Star break for the first time, 0:02:06.720 --> 0:02:09.000 which you know a lot of casual fans do. This 0:02:09.200 --> 0:02:12.240 was like a showcase opportunity for them to show what 0:02:12.280 --> 0:02:15.560 they're made of. Maybe people have still been dealing with 0:02:15.560 --> 0:02:18.079 some of the scars of that playoff series two years 0:02:18.120 --> 0:02:20.480 ago with the Knicks. I thought it was really interesting 0:02:20.520 --> 0:02:23.480 that Donovan talked about that and how you know they 0:02:24.040 --> 0:02:27.680 almost appreciate that experience and benefited from it. But I 0:02:27.720 --> 0:02:30.919 think for the Calves to come out and show how 0:02:30.960 --> 0:02:34.840 good they've been all season against you know, the second 0:02:34.880 --> 0:02:37.320 best team in the Eastern Conference, or the second best 0:02:37.320 --> 0:02:40.040 team in the Western Conference and the third best team 0:02:40.040 --> 0:02:43.239 in the Eastern Conference, I thought it was really really impressive. 0:02:43.280 --> 0:02:45.600 I thought the Caves showed a lot of toughness. I 0:02:45.600 --> 0:02:48.560 thought there were elements within each of these games where 0:02:49.800 --> 0:02:53.600 the team of yesteryear probably would have lost some composure 0:02:53.800 --> 0:02:55.920 and maybe let go of a rope to some extent. 0:02:56.280 --> 0:02:58.640 I just think you're seeing more and more of the 0:02:58.680 --> 0:03:01.040 maturity of this team as the season has progressed. 0:03:01.400 --> 0:03:04.320 Yeah, they're just kind of the most reliable thing in 0:03:04.400 --> 0:03:06.960 sports right now. At the end of the day, you know, 0:03:07.120 --> 0:03:11.119 I mean they're forty seven and ten, Oh my gosh. 0:03:11.160 --> 0:03:16.440 If you're on a franchise win record tracker, as I am, 0:03:16.800 --> 0:03:21.359 pretty much every game right now. The eighth nine Cavaliers 0:03:21.360 --> 0:03:25.440 were forty five and twelve at the fifty seven game mark, 0:03:25.880 --> 0:03:28.560 so the Cavs are now two losses ahead of that 0:03:28.639 --> 0:03:33.399 pace right now. And man, yeah, it's just again We've 0:03:33.400 --> 0:03:36.560 said it all year, but you just never know where 0:03:36.560 --> 0:03:40.560 it's going to come from. And this game, I think 0:03:40.600 --> 0:03:43.280 that Grizzlies game was kind of the best example of 0:03:44.440 --> 0:03:46.280 at least two of your stars are going to show 0:03:46.360 --> 0:03:49.320 up in an insane way, Mobley and Donovan, and at 0:03:49.400 --> 0:03:50.920 least one of your role players is going to have 0:03:51.000 --> 0:03:54.080 a killer game. In this case, it was Tied Jerome, 0:03:54.120 --> 0:03:58.440 who went bananas justin I mean, what do you have? 0:03:58.480 --> 0:04:03.520 Six fifteen, sixteen points in the fourth quarter, completely took 0:04:03.560 --> 0:04:07.520 over the game. Allowed Donovan to sit the first five 0:04:07.520 --> 0:04:10.120 to six minutes of the fourth quarter, which was important 0:04:10.160 --> 0:04:14.840 because he's still played thirty five last night, you know, 0:04:14.880 --> 0:04:18.400 and he would have if Ty wasn't going nuts and 0:04:18.440 --> 0:04:21.560 Kenny had to break rotations and get him back in early, 0:04:21.760 --> 0:04:23.880 then there would have been a world where he plays 0:04:24.000 --> 0:04:26.360 forty minutes for one of the only times that they've 0:04:26.400 --> 0:04:29.720 done that all year on a three and four night stretch. 0:04:30.680 --> 0:04:33.880 So I just thought it was really important for Ty 0:04:34.000 --> 0:04:35.640 to kind of go nuts the way he did, and 0:04:36.080 --> 0:04:41.400 he continues to be I think probably the most pleasant 0:04:41.440 --> 0:04:47.960 surprise maybe of my Calves fandom, Like, has there been 0:04:48.000 --> 0:04:52.440 a season from any Calves player that has been this good, 0:04:52.880 --> 0:04:56.000 this out of nowhere in your fandom? 0:04:56.279 --> 0:04:59.039 No, And there's been players that have been excited about 0:04:59.200 --> 0:05:02.000 that in and missed their first year, right, Like I 0:05:02.000 --> 0:05:04.560 think back to Dylan Windler, I think back to, you know, 0:05:05.400 --> 0:05:07.560 going all the way back to like guys like Sergei 0:05:07.640 --> 0:05:10.479 Carrasev who didn't miss his first year, but you know, 0:05:10.560 --> 0:05:12.560 had a lot of injuries. But I was excited. You know, 0:05:12.600 --> 0:05:14.840 it's a shooter for a team that needs shooting. Like 0:05:14.880 --> 0:05:17.760 I've talked myself into so many of these moves on 0:05:17.839 --> 0:05:22.839 the margins, and if he did this last year, it 0:05:22.839 --> 0:05:24.760 would be one of the most surprising things that I 0:05:24.800 --> 0:05:27.600 can recall within my cast fandom, even though we were 0:05:27.600 --> 0:05:29.719 both very high on him. But I think what makes 0:05:29.760 --> 0:05:32.440 it even more unique is the fact that he missed 0:05:32.520 --> 0:05:36.000 last season. Usually when something goes off the rails, it 0:05:36.160 --> 0:05:39.400 stays that way, Like there isn't the bounce back, there 0:05:39.520 --> 0:05:42.080 isn't the recovery, especially when you're talking about these little 0:05:42.080 --> 0:05:45.240 moves on the margins. So for Ti Jerome to step 0:05:45.320 --> 0:05:47.640 up and play as well as he has all season. 0:05:48.160 --> 0:05:50.719 I think has been, you know, one of the most 0:05:50.760 --> 0:05:53.960 pleasant surprises. But I think the most surprising aspect of 0:05:54.000 --> 0:05:57.560 this is not only is he, you know, on a 0:05:57.640 --> 0:06:00.680 night in, night out basis giving them consistent bents, you know, 0:06:00.800 --> 0:06:04.159 really stepping up and in essence replacing what we had 0:06:04.200 --> 0:06:08.240 in Karris Lavert. You know since his departure here, not 0:06:08.320 --> 0:06:11.120 only is he doing that, but if Donovan or Darius 0:06:11.200 --> 0:06:14.080 are out all of a sudden, we get this next gear. 0:06:14.120 --> 0:06:15.599 We give him every time. 0:06:16.120 --> 0:06:19.000 It's not like it's not like you get it every 0:06:19.240 --> 0:06:22.200 blue moon when those guys are Every single time one 0:06:22.240 --> 0:06:24.880 of those guards is out, he scores like twenty five points. 0:06:24.880 --> 0:06:26.119 It's nuts, dude. 0:06:26.160 --> 0:06:31.080 He's like that golden like fantasy handcuff backup running back 0:06:31.120 --> 0:06:32.840 that you know, as soon as one of them the 0:06:32.920 --> 0:06:34.760 starters out, you put him in. You don't even think 0:06:34.800 --> 0:06:37.200 about it because he's going to deliver in all those spots. 0:06:37.240 --> 0:06:39.480 And you know, I've done that in fantasy basketball a 0:06:39.520 --> 0:06:41.680 few times this year because I of course have Darius 0:06:41.680 --> 0:06:44.559 and Donovan on my team because I am that way, 0:06:45.080 --> 0:06:46.880 and you know, as soon as one of them's out, 0:06:47.000 --> 0:06:49.280 I pick him up off waivers. He's always sitting there. 0:06:49.320 --> 0:06:51.360 I pick him up and I throw him into my lineup, 0:06:51.640 --> 0:06:54.160 and you know, that saved me sometimes, but it's also 0:06:54.240 --> 0:06:57.880 helped save the calves. And he's he's been terrific. I 0:06:57.920 --> 0:07:01.039 think the confidence that he plays with, the edge that 0:07:01.120 --> 0:07:05.080 he plays with. That guy talks as much as anybody 0:07:05.120 --> 0:07:06.680 on the team. I think it's him and Max that 0:07:06.720 --> 0:07:10.560 probably lead the team in talking, especially now that George Niang. 0:07:10.200 --> 0:07:11.000 Isn't here anymore. 0:07:11.440 --> 0:07:14.560 I've just been so enamored with how he's played all season. 0:07:14.640 --> 0:07:18.440 And you know, we talked about it when it came 0:07:18.480 --> 0:07:21.280 to team building, when we talked about the core being 0:07:21.360 --> 0:07:25.720 expensive and all the kind of fine line that they 0:07:25.760 --> 0:07:28.160 have to walk as a front office, they needed to 0:07:28.240 --> 0:07:30.520 hit some home runs on the margins and Ty Jerome 0:07:30.600 --> 0:07:32.400 has absolutely been one of those home runs. 0:07:32.800 --> 0:07:33.080 Brother. 0:07:33.200 --> 0:07:36.000 We went into this year wondering if he could be 0:07:36.120 --> 0:07:38.440 the backup point guard on a team that might not 0:07:38.600 --> 0:07:41.280 play a backup point guard. That was where we were 0:07:41.720 --> 0:07:43.840 at the beginning of the years, like he might beat 0:07:43.960 --> 0:07:48.320 Craig out and he still might not get to be 0:07:48.360 --> 0:07:52.600 in the rotation. Like that's where we were, and he 0:07:52.680 --> 0:07:58.000 has I think been unquestionably their best non core four 0:07:58.080 --> 0:08:04.200 player this year. He is averaging twenty two, six five 0:08:04.440 --> 0:08:10.120 and two steals for thirty six while basically just about 0:08:10.440 --> 0:08:14.600 splashing a fifty to forty ninety from an efficiency perspective. 0:08:15.080 --> 0:08:19.080 And you know, Donovan, I think said it where it's 0:08:19.240 --> 0:08:20.600 like at the end of the year, you're kind of 0:08:20.640 --> 0:08:22.720 waiting for there to be the drop off, but it's like, 0:08:23.520 --> 0:08:24.760 this is just kind of who he's going to be, 0:08:24.800 --> 0:08:27.840 at least for this season, you know. And I think 0:08:27.880 --> 0:08:31.080 I'd be more surprised if he fell off than if 0:08:31.080 --> 0:08:34.440 he maintained this play at this point. And I think 0:08:34.480 --> 0:08:37.240 you hit the nail on the head. And part of 0:08:37.240 --> 0:08:39.600 what makes the DeAndre Hunter trade as good as it 0:08:39.679 --> 0:08:44.720 is is really what you traded was Carris and Niang 0:08:45.080 --> 0:08:50.040 for DeAndre Hunter and guaranteed rotational minutes for ty Jerome yep. 0:08:50.240 --> 0:08:54.480 And that's part of the depth play of the team 0:08:54.760 --> 0:08:58.840 where you like it was just going to be because 0:08:58.880 --> 0:09:00.600 Carris is a good ball handler and he is a 0:09:00.600 --> 0:09:04.080 good creator, he's a good positional defender, and he was 0:09:04.160 --> 0:09:09.520 going to earn minutes he deserved minutes, and naturally those 0:09:09.559 --> 0:09:11.600 two were just gonna be kind of at odds with 0:09:11.640 --> 0:09:16.120 each other in the rotation and kind of inherently be 0:09:16.559 --> 0:09:19.560 stealing minutes because, as we've said, a lot minutes is 0:09:19.559 --> 0:09:22.040 a zero sum game at the end of the day. 0:09:22.600 --> 0:09:25.600 And it's just cleared the. 0:09:25.679 --> 0:09:31.079 Runway, and it is such a game changer for this team. 0:09:30.960 --> 0:09:34.240 Dude, Like when you look at it, DeAndre Hunter is 0:09:34.240 --> 0:09:37.199 currently playing three minutes a game more than George Niang 0:09:37.240 --> 0:09:40.320 did when he was with the Cavs. Like, that's functionally 0:09:40.400 --> 0:09:43.280 what it's been. It's been tied Jerome that has replaced 0:09:43.480 --> 0:09:46.840 the charisl Avert role, right, and you know we've absorbed 0:09:46.840 --> 0:09:48.560 some of that too. I think you know Max is 0:09:48.559 --> 0:09:51.360 getting some minutes, or Kor is getting minutes, particularly now 0:09:51.360 --> 0:09:54.120 that we're fully healthy. Dean Wade is getting some time. 0:09:54.480 --> 0:09:58.960 So obviously George's minutes were inflated a bit because of availability. 0:09:59.400 --> 0:10:03.400 But it it just leaves you with this really rock 0:10:03.480 --> 0:10:06.440 solid rotation. Like even on a night where Darius was 0:10:06.440 --> 0:10:09.000 out of the lineup, you felt really good about the 0:10:09.000 --> 0:10:12.520 depth that the Cavs had, Right, You had Max Struz contributing, 0:10:12.520 --> 0:10:15.320 you had DeAndre Hunter stepping up, ty Jerome was stepping up. 0:10:15.360 --> 0:10:18.440 I thought Isaac Okorro gave them good minutes. Sam Marril 0:10:18.440 --> 0:10:21.760 and Dean Wade weren't shooting well, but they contributed in 0:10:21.800 --> 0:10:26.320 other ways. Dean had some fantastic defensive possessions, Like it's 0:10:26.320 --> 0:10:30.040 a rock solid deep rotation even after that trade. And 0:10:30.080 --> 0:10:33.080 I think when you can do a consolidation trade and 0:10:33.160 --> 0:10:36.360 don't lose any depth, and not lose any depth because 0:10:36.360 --> 0:10:39.480 you trust the guys that you've developed internally to step up, 0:10:39.840 --> 0:10:41.520 I think that's so so important. 0:10:41.520 --> 0:10:43.600 And I think it was important when we. 0:10:43.559 --> 0:10:46.720 Talked about, you know, the ability to move on from 0:10:46.800 --> 0:10:49.480 Karris Lavert after everything that he gave them and how 0:10:49.520 --> 0:10:52.800 important he was, particularly when the guards would go down. 0:10:53.280 --> 0:10:55.920 But I think part of that calculus was still, Hey, 0:10:56.200 --> 0:10:59.160 Craig Porter juniors looking really good, Like those minutes he 0:10:59.200 --> 0:11:01.720 played against the Nick That jump shot is coming along. 0:11:01.800 --> 0:11:04.480 He's looking better and better, and that's you know, that's 0:11:04.520 --> 0:11:07.280 one of those swing skill sets, right Like I think 0:11:07.360 --> 0:11:10.199 Craig in a lot of ways reminds me of what 0:11:10.240 --> 0:11:13.440 we love about Luke Travers, where, oh my god, the rebounding, like, 0:11:13.440 --> 0:11:18.080 the athleticism, the feel for the game, the intelligence, the maturity. 0:11:18.080 --> 0:11:20.680 He plays with just needs that three point shot to 0:11:20.679 --> 0:11:23.320 come along in order for it to all kind of 0:11:23.360 --> 0:11:25.680 get unlocked once again. 0:11:25.800 --> 0:11:26.600 It looks like one of. 0:11:26.600 --> 0:11:29.400 Those success stories where he's knocking those shots down with 0:11:29.400 --> 0:11:32.560 more consistency. So I think the confidence that they have 0:11:32.640 --> 0:11:36.040 in their player development has really empowered them. And you know, 0:11:36.160 --> 0:11:37.200 to bring it back to Tie. 0:11:37.960 --> 0:11:39.880 Yeah, what he's said, I'm not done talking about Tie. 0:11:40.160 --> 0:11:42.320 It's so good and I think he needs like the 0:11:42.400 --> 0:11:46.360 first ten twelve minutes of this podcast, I won't. 0:11:46.120 --> 0:11:47.920 Go that far because I got someone I want to 0:11:48.000 --> 0:11:49.679 rant about on this podcast, so. 0:11:49.640 --> 0:11:51.360 We will get there. We had a lot to cover. 0:11:51.840 --> 0:11:55.439 But I do think an important thing has also been availability. 0:11:55.800 --> 0:11:58.480 That hasn't been a consistent thing with him throughout his career. 0:11:58.720 --> 0:12:01.040 If you look at the stats, what he's doing this 0:12:01.080 --> 0:12:03.200 season is not dis similar to his first year in 0:12:03.240 --> 0:12:07.000 Oklahoma City. The biggest difference is his efficiency on you 0:12:07.000 --> 0:12:10.200 know those two point shots, the little floaters that you 0:12:10.200 --> 0:12:13.440 know he is just absolutely mastered. But he was shooting 0:12:13.559 --> 0:12:16.320 just as well from three on. In fact, higher volume, 0:12:16.360 --> 0:12:18.320 he was scoring just as many points per game. I'm 0:12:18.360 --> 0:12:21.160 sure there weren't the same high watermarks. Forgive me, I 0:12:21.200 --> 0:12:24.280 don't remember a lot about Okac in that weird after 0:12:24.280 --> 0:12:27.880 the bubble season, but like he's done this before, but 0:12:28.520 --> 0:12:31.160 for him to do it now over fifty three games 0:12:31.160 --> 0:12:33.920 instead of the thirty three he played that year, for 0:12:34.040 --> 0:12:37.120 him to have these, you know, for him to be 0:12:37.160 --> 0:12:39.760 as reliable as he has been when they really need 0:12:39.800 --> 0:12:42.840 him to step up, it's just been an incredibly impressive 0:12:42.840 --> 0:12:46.040 season from them. Yeah, you mentioned the health, and he 0:12:46.120 --> 0:12:48.760 mentions the health like he got it. It's so funny 0:12:49.320 --> 0:12:51.680 because people want to kind of like tease out like 0:12:51.760 --> 0:12:54.840 the reason why, and he was He's been like so 0:12:55.040 --> 0:12:56.800 stead passed and be like I just didn't get to 0:12:56.800 --> 0:12:59.480 play this way and I wasn't healthy, Like I didn't 0:12:59.520 --> 0:13:02.600 get wasn't unlocked to play this kind of basketball, Like 0:13:02.840 --> 0:13:05.760 this isn't a dude who just needed someone to tell 0:13:05.840 --> 0:13:07.760 him he was great, and now he gets to be 0:13:08.280 --> 0:13:10.720 like he's just like, yeah, I was great the whole time, 0:13:10.920 --> 0:13:13.720 and my body wasn't cooperative and I was playing as 0:13:13.720 --> 0:13:15.840 a role player on some teams. I pulled up the 0:13:15.880 --> 0:13:18.400 numbers because he mentioned that he's already hit his career 0:13:18.480 --> 0:13:21.600 high for games played in the season in his post 0:13:21.600 --> 0:13:24.840 game availability last night. I pulled up he's played three 0:13:25.280 --> 0:13:29.720 seven hundred and sixty three minutes in his six year career, Oney, 0:13:29.880 --> 0:13:33.440 fifteen of those are just this year. So like he's 0:13:33.640 --> 0:13:36.199 just you know, and he's earning his way into the 0:13:36.240 --> 0:13:39.400 court obviously, but also his body's just been cooperative. And 0:13:39.679 --> 0:13:42.280 when you have that combination and you've got the size 0:13:42.520 --> 0:13:46.640 and you've got the complimentary skill set where he can 0:13:46.720 --> 0:13:49.200 run point guard for this team and he can play 0:13:49.200 --> 0:13:52.400 the two guard next to Darius, or he can play 0:13:52.400 --> 0:13:54.680 the one next to Donovan, or he can be the 0:13:54.720 --> 0:13:56.199 only ball hander on the floor. 0:13:56.280 --> 0:13:58.520 Like his positional. 0:13:58.160 --> 0:14:01.240 Versatility and ability to play in any lineup can he 0:14:01.240 --> 0:14:04.080 plays him in has just been so crucial and like 0:14:04.360 --> 0:14:06.120 you just can't help a root for the guy. I 0:14:06.120 --> 0:14:09.040 mean again, I really don't think I've been this floored 0:14:09.920 --> 0:14:13.960 by by, you know, in this This taken aback by 0:14:14.000 --> 0:14:17.080 a player like this just doesn't happen. Guys who are 0:14:17.160 --> 0:14:20.440 journeyman role players like this, who you know, are not 0:14:20.960 --> 0:14:23.960 like because's not like he was considered like this, this 0:14:24.440 --> 0:14:28.400 unpolished project coming out of the draft, like he was 0:14:28.440 --> 0:14:30.480 an old rookie. You know, he's a three four year 0:14:30.520 --> 0:14:34.560 player at Virginia and U and you know, was supposed 0:14:34.560 --> 0:14:36.080 to be a guy who's just a high floor role 0:14:36.120 --> 0:14:39.960 guy at best, Like he is raising the ceiling of 0:14:40.000 --> 0:14:42.520 this team on a game to game basis, and you 0:14:42.680 --> 0:14:45.960 just got to be so appreciative that, you know, one 0:14:46.400 --> 0:14:50.160 of Tie for doing the work, also of Kobe Altman 0:14:50.240 --> 0:14:52.640 in the front office for for finding the guy and 0:14:52.680 --> 0:14:55.280 locking him in, and also just we got to think 0:14:55.280 --> 0:14:57.360 our lucky stars that it's playing out this way. 0:14:57.400 --> 0:14:57.720 Brother. 0:14:58.200 --> 0:15:03.200 Yeah, it's not often that as two self admitted calvs 0:15:03.240 --> 0:15:06.600 homers are high on a player coming in and then 0:15:06.720 --> 0:15:09.440 blown away by what they actually produce, right, Like, that 0:15:10.400 --> 0:15:13.680 doesn't happen too too often. And he's just been phenomenal. 0:15:13.760 --> 0:15:16.000 I think one of the biggest things too, and one 0:15:16.000 --> 0:15:17.920 of the advantages of having him play at such a 0:15:18.000 --> 0:15:21.280 high level is we have seen over the last couple 0:15:21.320 --> 0:15:25.200 of years, even when you're playing lineups that are a 0:15:25.240 --> 0:15:28.000 spacing challenge right where you're playing too bigs and let's 0:15:28.000 --> 0:15:30.240 say back when you had Icycle Corra when he was 0:15:30.240 --> 0:15:34.160 in as established as a shooter or Lamar Stevens playing 0:15:34.160 --> 0:15:36.560 minutes there, you are able to still get a lot 0:15:36.560 --> 0:15:39.360 of functional offense off of the strength of having two 0:15:39.400 --> 0:15:42.800 dynamic guards that you had to account for. Now you 0:15:42.920 --> 0:15:45.080 have it so that when one of Darius or Donovan 0:15:45.160 --> 0:15:47.960 comes off the court, Ty Jerome comes in, he's a 0:15:48.080 --> 0:15:51.520 dynamic guard. And not only that, now you have two 0:15:51.600 --> 0:15:54.160 way wings. Now you have guys that can space the 0:15:54.200 --> 0:15:56.400 floor that are threats that have to be accounted for. 0:15:56.840 --> 0:15:59.560 Now you have more mature big men in both Evan 0:15:59.600 --> 0:16:03.320 Mobley and Jared Allen who are are really expanded their 0:16:03.320 --> 0:16:06.120 games as playmakers, their understanding of the game, their feel 0:16:06.160 --> 0:16:09.080 as playmakers. So when you have two guards that you 0:16:09.120 --> 0:16:11.560 have to account for on that level, it's going to 0:16:11.720 --> 0:16:16.200 lead to these breakdowns that drive opposing fan bases nuts. 0:16:16.240 --> 0:16:18.800 Like when you look at Nick Twitter during the last 0:16:19.200 --> 0:16:21.720 like that that game on Friday, They're losing their minds 0:16:21.720 --> 0:16:24.080 at what Tige Rome's doing. And when the Knicks try 0:16:24.120 --> 0:16:27.160 to scramble to account for them, open opportunity for Donovan, 0:16:27.240 --> 0:16:31.760 open dunks, right you cheat on the guards, and all 0:16:31.800 --> 0:16:34.960 of a sudden, Max Struce is running an incredibly effective 0:16:35.000 --> 0:16:37.160 side pick and roll with Evan Mobley or Jared Allen 0:16:37.280 --> 0:16:40.400 and hitting them on the numbers, right Like, there is 0:16:40.600 --> 0:16:45.880 just so much more dynamic play from this team, and 0:16:45.920 --> 0:16:49.080 I just they needed to hit on a lot of 0:16:49.120 --> 0:16:52.960 these role guys, and it seems like here, here's the 0:16:53.000 --> 0:16:55.840 most important thing. Let's let's summarize it all with this 0:16:56.720 --> 0:17:00.840 going into the playoffs, I feel one confident that we 0:17:00.920 --> 0:17:04.240 have enough to properly evaluate how the core is going 0:17:04.280 --> 0:17:08.360 to play in that setting. Supporting cast is not going 0:17:08.400 --> 0:17:10.000 to be an issue. They are going to be taken 0:17:10.040 --> 0:17:14.119 as far as Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, Donovan Mitchell, and 0:17:14.200 --> 0:17:16.600 Jared Allen take them. And I think that that's the 0:17:16.640 --> 0:17:19.479 most important thing. And that's been something that we haven't 0:17:19.520 --> 0:17:21.680 confidently been able to say the last couple of years. 0:17:21.960 --> 0:17:25.359 Yeah, I think that's absolutely fair. And you know, I 0:17:25.359 --> 0:17:27.880 think after that, and we haven't talked about Javonte Green 0:17:27.960 --> 0:17:29.880 yet because he wasn't officially signed, so I think we'll 0:17:29.880 --> 0:17:31.200 have to sneak that in somewhere. 0:17:31.440 --> 0:17:32.800 And they very dim't not all like that. 0:17:32.920 --> 0:17:35.000 It wasn't even it wasn't even out there when we 0:17:35.040 --> 0:17:36.160 did the last mail Bag. 0:17:36.000 --> 0:17:40.040 Podcast, and uh, you know, but like I think after 0:17:40.080 --> 0:17:43.440 they after that went, you know, got reported. I think 0:17:43.480 --> 0:17:45.680 you said in either in a discord, a group chat 0:17:45.760 --> 0:17:47.720 or something like that, you were like, well, COVID did 0:17:47.720 --> 0:17:50.399 his job, Like they've got what they need, and I 0:17:50.400 --> 0:17:54.280 think you're one hundred percent right the the They've got 0:17:54.720 --> 0:17:59.160 high volume role players, they've got role players who can mesh, 0:17:59.280 --> 0:18:01.760 They've got role playlayers who can defend. They've got role 0:18:01.760 --> 0:18:04.560 players who can play in multiple styles. Like the roster 0:18:04.760 --> 0:18:08.399 just up and down is really really dynamic. And like 0:18:08.480 --> 0:18:10.119 when you, by the way, when you were talking about 0:18:10.359 --> 0:18:13.760 you know what Tie unlocks against in that Knicks matchup, 0:18:14.040 --> 0:18:16.280 I was thinking that, you know, the whole premise of 0:18:16.320 --> 0:18:19.719 this team is that you always have one you know, 0:18:19.880 --> 0:18:23.159 dynamic elite ball handler on the floor with one elite 0:18:23.200 --> 0:18:27.199 rim running you know, uh rim protecting big on the 0:18:27.200 --> 0:18:30.399 floor at all times. What Tie has really done at 0:18:30.400 --> 0:18:32.320 the end of the day, because he's made it so 0:18:32.440 --> 0:18:35.240 you have two dynamic ball handlers on the floor at 0:18:35.240 --> 0:18:38.560 all times, because you're always going to be playing with 0:18:38.560 --> 0:18:40.879 with a with a Darius, a Donovan or a Tie 0:18:40.880 --> 0:18:42.280 and most of the time you're gonna have at least 0:18:42.280 --> 0:18:44.520 two of those guys on the floor. You know, least 0:18:44.560 --> 0:18:47.760 got a step further, of course, because now we I 0:18:47.800 --> 0:18:51.560 think I'm comfortable saying that we have two dynamic front 0:18:51.560 --> 0:18:53.600 court players on the court at all times because you're 0:18:53.760 --> 0:18:56.480 likely playing. When you're staggering those bigs, you likely have 0:18:56.520 --> 0:18:59.480 DeAndre Hunter out there as well. And that's someone that 0:18:59.560 --> 0:19:02.959 was average nineteen points per game this season on great efficiency. 0:19:03.400 --> 0:19:06.520 This team is dope. Yeah, Like they are so good. 0:19:06.680 --> 0:19:09.360 You cannot ask more. You could not have asked more 0:19:09.400 --> 0:19:13.880 from the front office, like showing patients. But then not 0:19:13.960 --> 0:19:16.080 only do they get to, you know, kind of strut 0:19:16.160 --> 0:19:19.640 their stuff, probably like around All Star weekend. I don't 0:19:19.680 --> 0:19:22.040 know if Kobe even attended, but if he's walking around 0:19:22.119 --> 0:19:24.440 other general managers and whatnot, I think he can puff 0:19:24.480 --> 0:19:25.160 out his chest. 0:19:24.960 --> 0:19:25.400 A little bit. 0:19:25.440 --> 0:19:28.320 Like, not only was I right about being patient and 0:19:28.400 --> 0:19:30.840 keeping the core together through the summer, I didn't get 0:19:30.840 --> 0:19:33.719 complacent with that. I didn't rest on my laurels of oh, 0:19:33.800 --> 0:19:36.960 you know, my gamble paid off, we're the best team 0:19:37.000 --> 0:19:38.800 in the league, or we had the best record in 0:19:38.840 --> 0:19:42.520 the league, not being complacent with that, but still going 0:19:42.520 --> 0:19:46.400 out being aggressive, going and getting DeAndre Hunter and then 0:19:46.520 --> 0:19:48.240 having Tied Jerome step up in this way. 0:19:48.400 --> 0:19:51.440 I just think it's exactly what you need. 0:19:51.600 --> 0:19:54.000 It's exactly what you need going into this postseason, and 0:19:54.200 --> 0:19:56.639 I I just do not feel like that's going to 0:19:56.640 --> 0:19:59.639 be the storyline like this goes beyond pumpkin insurance, like 0:19:59.680 --> 0:20:02.000 this is yes, I don't know what you want to 0:20:02.280 --> 0:20:05.280 use for that analogy, but they've got the depth they need. 0:20:05.720 --> 0:20:08.719 Yeah, it's just at the end of the day, like 0:20:08.880 --> 0:20:12.080 the sandbox is there for these guys to play, and 0:20:12.160 --> 0:20:16.280 it's built. You've got all all the toys, all the tools, 0:20:17.359 --> 0:20:22.199 and uh, it's so encouraging to see. I think this 0:20:22.320 --> 0:20:29.200 front office just needs endless, endless credit because the balance 0:20:29.320 --> 0:20:36.000 between self confidence and humorous kind of sits at a 0:20:36.119 --> 0:20:36.960 razor's edge. 0:20:38.160 --> 0:20:40.600 And my ears are burning continue. 0:20:40.680 --> 0:20:47.840 And and sorry I wasn't ready for that one. And 0:20:48.200 --> 0:20:52.320 you know there were times where you worried almost where 0:20:53.040 --> 0:20:56.359 like okay this you know, this front office really really 0:20:56.400 --> 0:21:01.120 believes in what they've built, and they've had some some 0:21:01.160 --> 0:21:04.760 real hits to that on the journey. You know, that 0:21:04.840 --> 0:21:07.760 Knick series is a big hit. You know, the entirety 0:21:07.760 --> 0:21:11.679 of last regular season was the kind of was was 0:21:11.720 --> 0:21:14.119 a hit where things weren't meshing, things worth the some 0:21:14.280 --> 0:21:18.440 of their parts. So when you're that confident and then 0:21:18.480 --> 0:21:23.520 you start getting the good results in the wake of that, Yeah, 0:21:23.560 --> 0:21:27.520 it's unbelievable that they didn't just go well, I was 0:21:27.600 --> 0:21:29.960 right last time, so why would I Why would I 0:21:30.040 --> 0:21:30.760 change it now? 0:21:31.160 --> 0:21:31.359 You know? 0:21:31.560 --> 0:21:35.240 So like that ability to to to hang out on 0:21:35.280 --> 0:21:37.879 that knife sets, which is where the best executives and 0:21:37.920 --> 0:21:42.960 the best organizations live, uh, is such a testament. It's 0:21:42.960 --> 0:21:45.320 something I didn't know if we would ever have because 0:21:45.600 --> 0:21:50.080 most organizations don't get to have this. And uh again, 0:21:50.160 --> 0:21:53.440 you just have to give Kobe, Mike Gansey that front 0:21:53.480 --> 0:21:57.000 office their flowers. Clearly, it's it's a it's a it's 0:21:57.040 --> 0:22:02.200 an environment where an opinion matters, having a real point 0:22:02.200 --> 0:22:05.479 of view matters, but where that point of view can 0:22:05.520 --> 0:22:08.479 get challenged and you can and you can say, and 0:22:08.520 --> 0:22:10.120 you can really see how that filters all the way 0:22:10.119 --> 0:22:12.480 down to the coaching staff, the kind of team that 0:22:12.560 --> 0:22:16.120 Kenny's running, where he's where he's telling stories about how 0:22:16.240 --> 0:22:19.000 he didn't want to start Jalen Tyson and Damari Carroll 0:22:19.240 --> 0:22:20.520 goes and talks him into it. 0:22:20.960 --> 0:22:22.800 Like all these little. 0:22:22.520 --> 0:22:25.639 Pieces of evidence that show, hey, we believe in something, 0:22:25.680 --> 0:22:29.840 but we're not getting getting too high on our own opinions. 0:22:30.119 --> 0:22:33.680 We are ready to be challenged and we in everything 0:22:34.040 --> 0:22:38.440 that we believe has to be deeply defended and deeply 0:22:38.520 --> 0:22:43.080 validated or or or it's not going to work. And 0:22:43.160 --> 0:22:46.199 like again, just what a masterclass on the road to 0:22:46.240 --> 0:22:46.920 building a team. 0:22:46.960 --> 0:22:47.400 This good? 0:22:48.160 --> 0:22:51.400 Yeah, I think it's so important and it really goes 0:22:51.440 --> 0:22:54.000 to show, right, Like we see what we see in 0:22:54.040 --> 0:22:56.960 forty eight minutes, right, what's on the court, What the 0:22:57.160 --> 0:22:59.600 kind of relationships are, the body chemistry, all that kind 0:22:59.600 --> 0:23:02.199 of stuff that's a parent Like we can see that 0:23:03.080 --> 0:23:04.240 on a consistent basis. 0:23:04.280 --> 0:23:05.680 But I think those types. 0:23:05.480 --> 0:23:08.199 Of relationships, right, having your finger on the pulse with 0:23:08.240 --> 0:23:11.000 the locker room, knowing what types of shake ups the 0:23:11.040 --> 0:23:13.960 locker room can handle, what shakeups are going to be 0:23:14.080 --> 0:23:16.200 a positive for the locker room, right, Like when you 0:23:16.520 --> 0:23:19.160 look back at the coaching change, JB did a great job, 0:23:19.200 --> 0:23:21.840 but it was clearly time to make an adjustment there. 0:23:22.400 --> 0:23:25.120 Caros LeVert had really contributed, had really brought a lot 0:23:25.160 --> 0:23:27.159 to the locker room, but it was the right time 0:23:27.600 --> 0:23:30.800 and they had the trust in the locker room to 0:23:30.840 --> 0:23:34.159 be able to kind of step up and address that. 0:23:34.359 --> 0:23:37.240 I think, and you know that did Mark Carroll example. 0:23:37.280 --> 0:23:39.520 I think that's another great example. Like it's all these 0:23:39.600 --> 0:23:43.560 kind of relationships and things you don't see that aren't 0:23:43.600 --> 0:23:46.359 a parent that are working in the background, always providing support, 0:23:46.480 --> 0:23:48.399 just like zoom Ai Companion. Because only you can do 0:23:48.480 --> 0:23:50.720 your best work harder. Zoom Ai Companion can help you 0:23:50.760 --> 0:23:53.960 do the rest, like automatically taking notes, answering meeting questions, 0:23:54.040 --> 0:23:56.280 and helping you respond to your coworker. Available at no 0:23:56.320 --> 0:23:59.600 additional costs with eligible paid plans. Were happy with Zoomy 0:23:59.680 --> 0:24:03.360 I can Carter. You took me on a Ti Jerome 0:24:04.520 --> 0:24:09.520 ride here. I think he absolutely deserved it. I am 0:24:09.680 --> 0:24:14.199 enamored with Ti Jerome. But I want to talk about 0:24:14.240 --> 0:24:18.199 Evan Mobley because that man looked like one of the 0:24:18.240 --> 0:24:21.040 best players on the planet these last two games. He 0:24:21.080 --> 0:24:24.040 put up twenty five thirteen and eight versus Memphis with 0:24:24.080 --> 0:24:27.080 three blocks, twenty one, eight and four versus New York, 0:24:27.119 --> 0:24:29.960 which is impressive, more impressive when you realize he did 0:24:30.000 --> 0:24:33.280 in twenty four minutes. This guy is one of the 0:24:33.280 --> 0:24:36.280 best two way players in basketball. Is off the dribble 0:24:36.320 --> 0:24:39.879 game has expanded. He is looking so confident he was 0:24:39.960 --> 0:24:42.240 taking it too. One of the best defenders on the 0:24:42.280 --> 0:24:46.679 planet in Jaron Jackson Junior. And I think when you 0:24:47.240 --> 0:24:50.719 we talk about the differences between two years ago against 0:24:50.720 --> 0:24:53.920 the Knicks and where the team is at now. Mentioning 0:24:53.960 --> 0:24:57.160 the changes in the supporting cast, coaching, all that kind 0:24:57.160 --> 0:25:00.159 of stuff is so important. I think the b a 0:25:00.240 --> 0:25:03.040 swing factor, which we said at the time was going 0:25:03.080 --> 0:25:05.760 to be the growth of Evan Mobley and is no. 0:25:06.160 --> 0:25:09.200 This is no longer what we saw post All Star 0:25:09.280 --> 0:25:12.119 break of that season where he was more productive. He 0:25:12.160 --> 0:25:15.640 was getting around eighteen and ten. This is someone that 0:25:15.720 --> 0:25:20.000 can bend defenses that people panic because he is so 0:25:20.240 --> 0:25:22.440 dominant on both ends of the court. 0:25:22.840 --> 0:25:25.600 Holy hell, it was fun to watch he is. 0:25:27.160 --> 0:25:29.760 He is really I feel like even taking another leap 0:25:29.840 --> 0:25:32.639 as a creator midseason from what he was at the 0:25:32.680 --> 0:25:35.760 beginning of the year. I mean, we talk about how 0:25:35.840 --> 0:25:38.080 at the front end of the year he's taken it 0:25:38.119 --> 0:25:41.159 to the Charlottes of the world and you know, the 0:25:41.320 --> 0:25:44.720 Washingtons of the world, and you wait to see like, Okay, 0:25:45.080 --> 0:25:48.560 that's good, I'm glad to see it, but like he 0:25:48.680 --> 0:25:52.880 can't turtle up against the best defenses in the league 0:25:52.880 --> 0:25:55.359 when he goes up against other elite personnel. At the 0:25:55.440 --> 0:25:57.879 end of the day, that's what elite offense is is 0:25:57.920 --> 0:26:02.480 when you can beat elite defense with it, and you 0:26:02.520 --> 0:26:07.440 know he has that first possession against Jaron where they're 0:26:07.640 --> 0:26:10.000 down Darius, So he's gonna need to initiate That's just 0:26:10.000 --> 0:26:12.800 the way, especially with that starting lineup with Okuoro in there, 0:26:13.280 --> 0:26:16.159 You're gonna need mobilely to initiate offense. So it's just 0:26:16.200 --> 0:26:18.879 not the Donovan Mitchell show, which by the way, it was, 0:26:19.160 --> 0:26:24.280 but just the Donovan Mitchell show. So you need it. 0:26:25.000 --> 0:26:29.159 And he gets ripped on that first possession, and you 0:26:29.240 --> 0:26:32.600 go and I won't lie. I go, this could be 0:26:33.080 --> 0:26:34.840 a hard game, you know, this could be a hard 0:26:34.880 --> 0:26:39.160 game to get easy buckets, and then he just proceeds 0:26:39.200 --> 0:26:41.920 to decimate him the rest of the game. I mean, 0:26:42.400 --> 0:26:46.680 the the euro step, the inverted pick and rolls, the 0:26:47.080 --> 0:26:51.960 Duccans right when he needs them, so much self created offense, 0:26:52.320 --> 0:26:56.440 so much playmaking for others where he is getting he's 0:26:56.520 --> 0:27:00.320 beating Jaren to the point, like the whole feast of 0:27:00.400 --> 0:27:04.040 Jaron Jackson Junior for the Grizzlies is they don't have 0:27:04.119 --> 0:27:08.320 to help when he's guarding someone. Yeah, so if the 0:27:08.359 --> 0:27:11.359 fact that Evan is just spraying passes out, I know 0:27:11.400 --> 0:27:13.960 you have an unbelievable stat I wouldn't dare take from 0:27:13.960 --> 0:27:17.560 you from this one with regardless of his playming. But the 0:27:17.600 --> 0:27:22.159 fact that he's able to destabilize Memphis defense with you know, 0:27:22.440 --> 0:27:25.399 the current odds front runner for Defensive Player of the 0:27:25.480 --> 0:27:29.600 Year guarding him, hopefully not for long, is really special. 0:27:30.200 --> 0:27:31.160 It is really special. 0:27:31.320 --> 0:27:34.639 And that's that you're referring to fifteen assist opportunities created 0:27:34.640 --> 0:27:37.000 by Mobile in that game. Second on the team was 0:27:37.000 --> 0:27:40.359 Donovan with eight, So you know, he is not only 0:27:40.440 --> 0:27:43.520 generating for himself against one of the best defenders in 0:27:43.520 --> 0:27:46.760 the league. He is generating for others. He was creating 0:27:46.880 --> 0:27:48.680 opportunities all over the board. 0:27:48.680 --> 0:27:49.879 And I think I'm. 0:27:49.760 --> 0:27:53.159 Really happy that you pointed out that turnover because I 0:27:53.160 --> 0:27:55.000 didn't get to watch that game live. I had to 0:27:55.040 --> 0:27:57.040 watch it after, and I knew that he had a 0:27:57.040 --> 0:27:59.719 great game, and I smiled when I saw that turnover 0:27:59.720 --> 0:28:02.120 because I'm like, this is great because I already knew 0:28:02.160 --> 0:28:04.480 what his box score was. I watched the fourth quarter live. 0:28:04.800 --> 0:28:06.840 I was like, this is awesome. He is going to 0:28:06.920 --> 0:28:09.600 stick with it. And I think you even saw within 0:28:09.640 --> 0:28:12.719 this game he took a lot of open threes. One 0:28:12.760 --> 0:28:14.600 of them he had his foot on the line. Unfortunately 0:28:14.840 --> 0:28:17.639 he missed a bunch of them, but he didn't let 0:28:17.680 --> 0:28:21.480 that determ. He's not being polite where oh you know, 0:28:21.680 --> 0:28:24.359 excuse me, I'm going to try to expand my game 0:28:24.400 --> 0:28:26.359 here for a possession or two. Let me, let me 0:28:26.440 --> 0:28:28.840 experiment with a dribble, let me experiment with a three. 0:28:28.960 --> 0:28:31.800 He's confident with what he's doing on the court, and 0:28:32.000 --> 0:28:34.320 he believes in the process. He is sticking to it 0:28:34.359 --> 0:28:36.560 and he is playing his game. And I think we 0:28:36.640 --> 0:28:39.400 still need to see it against Boston. I want to 0:28:39.440 --> 0:28:41.960 see him have one of these games against Kristaps Porzingis 0:28:42.000 --> 0:28:44.760 and now Horford. We saw it against Horford in the playoffs. 0:28:44.880 --> 0:28:48.440 Porzingis has given him trouble, but I think it's encouraging 0:28:48.480 --> 0:28:51.000 that since he struggled there. We've seen him do it 0:28:51.040 --> 0:28:53.680 against I, Rudy Gobert, We've seen him do it against 0:28:53.760 --> 0:28:57.800 Jaron Jackson Jr. Who Christaph Porzingis is a phenomenal defender. 0:28:58.000 --> 0:29:00.240 He is not as good as those two guys, Like 0:29:00.400 --> 0:29:03.360 I'm sorry, he's maybe a little larger, but he is 0:29:03.560 --> 0:29:07.760 not a better defender than those two guys. Whether he 0:29:07.800 --> 0:29:11.520 can get that to translate, whether he can keep himself, 0:29:12.280 --> 0:29:15.680 keep maintain that composure, attack and assert his will on 0:29:15.760 --> 0:29:18.240 the game, that's going to be really really important to see. 0:29:18.720 --> 0:29:21.360 But what did we say. We only have one game 0:29:21.440 --> 0:29:23.800 left against Boston, but we do have a lot of 0:29:23.840 --> 0:29:27.360 these matchups where you're playing very very good defensive teams 0:29:27.640 --> 0:29:31.120 and very very good defensive players at that position. So 0:29:31.160 --> 0:29:34.880 for Evan Mobiley to excel and to not just have 0:29:35.160 --> 0:29:39.080 a solid game against a good defender, but have an 0:29:39.200 --> 0:29:41.640 argument for being the best player on the court with 0:29:41.720 --> 0:29:45.760 his performance, I think is significant. Yeah, and I think 0:29:46.120 --> 0:29:49.000 I think you mentioning the three point volume, I'll just 0:29:49.040 --> 0:29:51.280 actually take it a step further and say the field 0:29:51.320 --> 0:29:54.960 goal it's him volume. He took twenty shots, and how 0:29:55.000 --> 0:29:58.200 many times in the last two years would the Cavs 0:29:58.240 --> 0:30:01.840 be like down one of their core guys, especially one 0:30:01.840 --> 0:30:03.960 of their guards. And then you look at the end 0:30:03.960 --> 0:30:08.120 of the night and Evan has sixteen seventeen points on 0:30:08.520 --> 0:30:11.080 nine or ten field goal attempts, and it's like, Okay, 0:30:11.120 --> 0:30:14.920 that's cool that you were efficient, But like brother, we 0:30:15.000 --> 0:30:17.480 need we need to take shots. We need you to 0:30:17.560 --> 0:30:20.680 have high attempt, high volume. We need to feel you 0:30:20.720 --> 0:30:24.000 in the offense on especially on nights like this where 0:30:24.080 --> 0:30:27.239 Darius is out and you know, the engine to your 0:30:27.280 --> 0:30:32.560 offense isn't playing. You need to self create offense, And 0:30:32.680 --> 0:30:36.760 like what is better self creation for a seven foot 0:30:36.800 --> 0:30:41.320 power forward than you know, twenty field goal attempts, eight assists, 0:30:41.320 --> 0:30:46.280 fifteen potential assists and like an eight three point attempts, 0:30:46.320 --> 0:30:49.560 Like that is self creation in a way that I 0:30:49.680 --> 0:30:51.840 just don't know we would have seen a year or 0:30:51.880 --> 0:30:55.080 two ago. It's what needs to happen for this offense 0:30:55.120 --> 0:30:57.680 to be playoff proof, because we have talked about this 0:30:57.760 --> 0:31:01.360 time and time again. You need to have counters for 0:31:01.480 --> 0:31:05.200 when teams hedge blitz and put pressure on your guards. 0:31:05.240 --> 0:31:08.240 You need to have that frontcourt creation and Evan Mobley 0:31:08.280 --> 0:31:10.480 stepping up in that way is important. I think having 0:31:10.480 --> 0:31:13.680 DeAndre Hunter is important. He is able to generate offense. 0:31:13.720 --> 0:31:17.160 I've been really impressed with his touchoff of drives, some 0:31:17.240 --> 0:31:19.280 of the self created buckets, the way he's able to 0:31:19.400 --> 0:31:22.840 rise up over defenders, and abounding game for him. By 0:31:22.880 --> 0:31:25.160 the way, I know it is that what we're talking about, 0:31:25.160 --> 0:31:28.719 But no, I see it's You're absolutely correct. 0:31:28.720 --> 0:31:29.480 Like I thought. 0:31:29.800 --> 0:31:32.040 You know, he stepped up in a big, big way 0:31:32.160 --> 0:31:34.640 and was a star in his role, and that's exactly 0:31:34.680 --> 0:31:37.280 what you need. So I just feel more confident about 0:31:37.320 --> 0:31:39.720 the ability of this offense to translate. 0:31:39.240 --> 0:31:39.920 To the playoffs. 0:31:40.440 --> 0:31:44.760 But man Evan Mobley, especially in a showcase game National 0:31:44.760 --> 0:31:47.160 TV against Jaron Jackson Junior, who is going to be 0:31:47.160 --> 0:31:49.800 competing with for Defensive Player of the Year, I thought 0:31:49.840 --> 0:31:53.200 it was really, really significant. And I made this argument 0:31:53.240 --> 0:31:56.360 two years ago when I personally thought Evan Mobley should 0:31:56.360 --> 0:31:57.640 have won Defensive Player of the Year. 0:31:58.400 --> 0:32:00.000 But I think when you look at. 0:31:59.960 --> 0:32:02.640 These two games from over the weekend where Evan Mobley, 0:32:02.720 --> 0:32:06.240 you know, massive performance in twenty four minutes against the Knicks, 0:32:06.360 --> 0:32:09.200 Jaron Jackson Junior twenty two points in his twenty five 0:32:09.240 --> 0:32:12.160 minutes against the Cavs, very similar production. Know what the 0:32:12.200 --> 0:32:15.880 difference is. Carter Jaren played twenty five minutes because he 0:32:15.920 --> 0:32:19.680 had five fouls. Evan played twenty four minutes because they 0:32:19.720 --> 0:32:23.120 blew the Micks out. This is the thing Evan Mobley's 0:32:23.120 --> 0:32:25.360 minutes like when you look at their per thirty six stats. 0:32:25.440 --> 0:32:28.240 Jaren really expanded his offensive game last year, did him 0:32:28.240 --> 0:32:30.080 a lot of good. He is an improved player, He's 0:32:30.120 --> 0:32:35.360 a phenomenal player. But Evan Mobley can scale up his 0:32:35.480 --> 0:32:38.840 minutes and actually achieve those per thirty six stats. Because 0:32:38.840 --> 0:32:42.680 he's not picking up fouls all the time. Not only that, 0:32:43.040 --> 0:32:47.280 when they have very similar kind of impact on opponents 0:32:47.320 --> 0:32:50.600 shooting when it comes to what they do defensively. Know 0:32:50.680 --> 0:32:54.000 what Evan does better ending those possessions after the shot 0:32:54.000 --> 0:32:58.400 has gone up because he is a dramatically better rebounder 0:32:58.440 --> 0:33:01.200 than Jaron Jackson Jr. The Grizzlies are one of the 0:33:01.240 --> 0:33:04.520 worst rebounding teams in the league, and his rebound rate 0:33:04.880 --> 0:33:08.320 is not that dissimilar to someone like DeAndre Hunter, who 0:33:08.480 --> 0:33:11.560 we've talked about is rebounding at the small forward position. 0:33:11.960 --> 0:33:13.880 Like I just think that Evan Moley is a more 0:33:13.920 --> 0:33:17.440 complete defensive player. I think the ability to defend without 0:33:17.520 --> 0:33:22.080 fouling is so important, particularly when you're talking about can 0:33:22.160 --> 0:33:25.160 the success of the regular season translate to the playoffs 0:33:25.280 --> 0:33:28.240 where we need our best players to potentially play thirty 0:33:28.280 --> 0:33:31.080 six thirty eight minutes a game. If you can't play 0:33:31.120 --> 0:33:33.719 that many minutes because you are taking yourself off the 0:33:33.720 --> 0:33:37.680 court with those fouls, that to me has to work 0:33:37.680 --> 0:33:40.520 against you. If you cannot end those possessions and the 0:33:40.600 --> 0:33:44.720 Cavs outrebound you by ten, that has to count in 0:33:44.800 --> 0:33:48.160 these Defensive Player of the Year conversations. I think Jaron 0:33:48.240 --> 0:33:50.640 Jackson has as I said, I think he's taken a 0:33:50.680 --> 0:33:53.200 step forward. I think he's a phenomenal player. I think 0:33:53.400 --> 0:33:56.200 he is a much much more dynamic offensive player than 0:33:56.240 --> 0:33:58.840 what we saw two years ago. I think Evan Mobley 0:33:58.880 --> 0:34:00.680 is just a flat out better player at this point. 0:34:01.240 --> 0:34:01.560 He is. 0:34:01.680 --> 0:34:04.680 And I think there is a little bit of of 0:34:04.880 --> 0:34:08.600 JJJ getting credit for his growth as a player as 0:34:08.760 --> 0:34:11.600 in this like it's and you see that happen the 0:34:11.600 --> 0:34:13.960 other way too, you know, Like I was listening to 0:34:13.960 --> 0:34:16.560 the Dunker spots, I was hanging out in their playback 0:34:16.640 --> 0:34:19.920 room and someone asked about BAM. Why why he's not 0:34:20.000 --> 0:34:23.560 in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation, and you know, 0:34:23.719 --> 0:34:25.840 and you know, and Nikai has kind of mentioned like, 0:34:26.440 --> 0:34:28.680 I mean, he's been good there, but also like he's 0:34:28.680 --> 0:34:31.240 just having a bad year overall. And it does drag 0:34:31.320 --> 0:34:34.920 you down narratively, it just does. And like so even 0:34:34.960 --> 0:34:38.040 though most of bam struggles this year have been on offense, like, 0:34:38.280 --> 0:34:40.440 it does just kind of change the perception of you 0:34:40.480 --> 0:34:42.440 a little bit. And I do feel like that's happening 0:34:42.480 --> 0:34:46.120 with JJJ in the opposite way. By the way, just 0:34:46.160 --> 0:34:49.279 pulled up ban duel, just a just a check, and 0:34:49.840 --> 0:34:52.120 guess who is now tied for the best odds for 0:34:52.200 --> 0:34:55.359 defensive Player of the Year, Your boy, Evan Mobley. They're 0:34:55.400 --> 0:34:58.399 both plus one twenty five. And by the way, I'm 0:34:58.400 --> 0:35:00.799 going to use this as aside to say, this is 0:35:00.840 --> 0:35:07.080 why taking advantage of getting put on national TV really matters. 0:35:07.440 --> 0:35:12.360 You've got four national or sorry, five straight national TV games, 0:35:12.800 --> 0:35:17.239 six out of seven and like, and a lot of 0:35:17.239 --> 0:35:20.640 those were flexed games where you know, the leagues saw 0:35:20.640 --> 0:35:22.520 how good the Caves are playing and put them in 0:35:22.560 --> 0:35:26.600 the spot. That's why it matters. And you cannot tell 0:35:26.640 --> 0:35:30.480 me that if that, if that was, if that Memphis 0:35:30.560 --> 0:35:35.000 game is only on the regional networks, that that line 0:35:35.040 --> 0:35:36.480 shifts that fast. 0:35:36.680 --> 0:35:36.880 You know. 0:35:37.360 --> 0:35:39.640 But when you when you put when you when these 0:35:39.640 --> 0:35:42.279 guys are getting in this national showcase and showing out 0:35:42.360 --> 0:35:44.120 the way they have been these last couple of games, 0:35:44.360 --> 0:35:48.840 it just starts to push these narratives in their favor. Yeah, 0:35:49.160 --> 0:35:50.960 and you know, I thought that this was a big 0:35:51.000 --> 0:35:53.799 weekend for changing narratives overall for the Caves. I thought 0:35:53.800 --> 0:35:56.120 what they did against the Knicks was significant. It would 0:35:56.160 --> 0:35:58.080 be a huge week by Friday. 0:35:58.640 --> 0:36:01.000 Absolutely, and you know Bullet's dodge. 0:36:01.520 --> 0:36:05.680 You know, I will confess I panicked when I saw 0:36:05.760 --> 0:36:08.960 Darius land on his face, when I saw you know, 0:36:09.080 --> 0:36:13.360 Jared Allen going for an MRI. All of that freaked 0:36:13.400 --> 0:36:16.560 me out because it brought me right back to after 0:36:16.640 --> 0:36:18.520 All Star break. In the past, like people have always 0:36:18.560 --> 0:36:20.879 talked about, oh, you know, the cass fall off after 0:36:20.880 --> 0:36:24.759 the All Star break, like that, the play has fallen off. 0:36:24.880 --> 0:36:27.200 It has always been injuries. Like when we were coming 0:36:27.239 --> 0:36:29.720 off the All Star Game in Cleveland, we lost Darius, 0:36:29.719 --> 0:36:31.960 we lost Caris, we lost Lowry, we lost Jared, we 0:36:32.000 --> 0:36:35.280 lost Evan, we lost Dean. All those guys were out 0:36:35.719 --> 0:36:39.240 and that's why the tail spin happened. For Jared Allen 0:36:39.280 --> 0:36:41.239 to you know, bang his finger on the rim and 0:36:41.280 --> 0:36:43.239 then miss the rest of the regular season and be 0:36:43.320 --> 0:36:46.279 impacted in the play in game. Like, all of that 0:36:46.360 --> 0:36:49.000 was fresh in my memory. So for Jared to come 0:36:49.080 --> 0:36:51.680 back to not have it be anything too serious, I 0:36:51.719 --> 0:36:53.680 think he saw maybe a little bit with his free 0:36:53.719 --> 0:36:56.840 throw shooting, but I thought he had a big impact 0:36:56.840 --> 0:36:57.279 on the game. 0:36:57.320 --> 0:36:57.799 I thought he. 0:36:57.760 --> 0:37:01.680 Played really really well for Varius. You know, well, we'll 0:37:01.680 --> 0:37:04.920 see how long he's out. If he's not one hundred 0:37:04.920 --> 0:37:07.520 percent for Boston. I'm going to find that interesting because 0:37:07.560 --> 0:37:09.719 you're likely going to be banged up in the playoffs. 0:37:09.880 --> 0:37:11.680 You're going to need to find ways to be productive 0:37:11.680 --> 0:37:13.960 in those spots. I think that we have more than 0:37:14.080 --> 0:37:16.640 enough to win. I think we've seen that in past 0:37:16.680 --> 0:37:19.560 games against Boston where someone's had a really, really bad game. 0:37:20.360 --> 0:37:22.680 We just might need a like a It's funny to 0:37:22.719 --> 0:37:24.759 say this against the team as good as Boston, but 0:37:25.120 --> 0:37:27.839 you know, we might just need a be game from 0:37:27.920 --> 0:37:30.880 Darius if we get a strong Evan and Darius or 0:37:31.160 --> 0:37:33.839 and Donnie and Hunter steps up right, Like. 0:37:34.400 --> 0:37:36.600 Is Donovan in a good form right now? Oh my, 0:37:37.400 --> 0:37:38.400 it's been phenomenal. 0:37:38.440 --> 0:37:41.120 So I'm I'm I'm really you know, I'm hopeful that 0:37:41.160 --> 0:37:43.080 he doesn't miss too much time. I know the Caves 0:37:43.080 --> 0:37:46.320 have been very cautious with how they've managed injuries and 0:37:46.719 --> 0:37:48.520 made sure that that guys were one hundred percent. It 0:37:48.600 --> 0:37:50.960 was nice to see him on the bench having some 0:37:51.080 --> 0:37:54.480 fun in the last game. I like the track suit look, 0:37:55.840 --> 0:37:58.520 but yeah, hopefully it's available for Boston. It's nice to 0:37:58.520 --> 0:38:00.600 get two days off prior to that as well. But 0:38:01.120 --> 0:38:04.400 you know, the Cavs did a phenomenal job managing you know, 0:38:04.719 --> 0:38:07.600 a three and four as well. Sure, those last two 0:38:07.640 --> 0:38:10.960 games were at home, but I think, particularly coming off 0:38:11.000 --> 0:38:13.760 some time off, I'm not surprised that they shot twenty 0:38:13.800 --> 0:38:17.520 seven percent from three and had some tire legs. I'm 0:38:17.520 --> 0:38:19.960 not surprised that Isaac o Coro and Dean Wade are 0:38:20.040 --> 0:38:22.399 are a little tired, particularly old Cora who played all 0:38:22.400 --> 0:38:25.080 those games. You're going to have some tired legs in 0:38:25.080 --> 0:38:28.000 those spots. But to go up against one of the 0:38:28.000 --> 0:38:31.680 best offensive teams in the league in Memphis and a 0:38:31.800 --> 0:38:34.719 very good defensive team as well, and to still put 0:38:34.840 --> 0:38:37.440 up that many points when you shoot twenty seven percent 0:38:37.480 --> 0:38:40.440 from three and sixty eight percent from the free throw line. 0:38:40.800 --> 0:38:42.880 If you're Memphis, you can't feel too good about what 0:38:42.920 --> 0:38:44.280 the Cavs did to your defense. 0:38:44.880 --> 0:38:49.759 No, absolutely not, man, And like, what's so nice again, 0:38:49.800 --> 0:38:53.240 And We've talked about it a lot, but Donovan Mitchell 0:38:53.320 --> 0:38:56.720 just being the break the like the best break glass 0:38:56.719 --> 0:39:00.080 in case of emergency option in the league, that a 0:39:00.120 --> 0:39:03.680 team that rarely has to break that glass, like he 0:39:03.760 --> 0:39:06.120 was so crucial in this game. Like they don't score 0:39:06.719 --> 0:39:10.640 sixty plus in the first half shooting the way they shot. 0:39:10.960 --> 0:39:14.840 If Donovan isn't just carrying the offense and playing like 0:39:15.280 --> 0:39:18.839 a super duper star, yeah, he has just been on 0:39:19.000 --> 0:39:23.440 a tear dude. I mean the explosion has been top notched. 0:39:23.520 --> 0:39:31.520 Yet another monster dunk. The jumper looks really really pure. 0:39:31.760 --> 0:39:34.120 His catch and shoot just it just feels like he 0:39:34.160 --> 0:39:36.359 never misses when he gets to catch and shoot. At 0:39:36.360 --> 0:39:42.719 this point, the connectiveness has been really really great, not 0:39:42.840 --> 0:39:45.720 just the passes leading to assists, but the hockey assists, 0:39:45.719 --> 0:39:49.800 the hit aheads. You know, man, that lobb to Mobili 0:39:49.880 --> 0:39:52.520 against the Knicks in the first quarter, Oh my god, 0:39:52.560 --> 0:39:54.520 that was beautiful. Like for a guy who says he's 0:39:54.520 --> 0:39:56.200 not that good at throwing lobs, that's one of the 0:39:56.239 --> 0:39:59.800 best trap lobs I've seen in a long time. 0:40:00.239 --> 0:40:03.719 That was remind me because I can't remember if we've 0:40:03.760 --> 0:40:05.440 discussed this on the podcast. I've done a lot of 0:40:05.480 --> 0:40:08.080 damage from my brain over the years. Have we talked 0:40:08.120 --> 0:40:12.360 about kind of the variety of his playmaking this season, 0:40:12.400 --> 0:40:15.000 because I really feel like, even though last year was 0:40:15.239 --> 0:40:17.560 you know, that big kind of playmaking leap from him. 0:40:18.120 --> 0:40:20.680 I feel like his understanding of what the Cavs are 0:40:20.719 --> 0:40:24.160 running offensively and the Tights and the variety of passes 0:40:24.200 --> 0:40:27.319 that he's making are at the highest level. And I 0:40:27.400 --> 0:40:30.200 just think we are seeing the absolute best version of 0:40:30.200 --> 0:40:33.600 Donovan Mitchell, even if it's not readily apparent when you 0:40:33.600 --> 0:40:34.920 look at his season long stats. 0:40:35.200 --> 0:40:37.799 I think he's passing guys open. I think he is 0:40:37.880 --> 0:40:42.680 finding and he's making passes I didn't see, you know, 0:40:42.840 --> 0:40:45.279 so much of what I thought last year was kind 0:40:45.280 --> 0:40:47.440 of a brute force thing where, you know, kind of 0:40:47.520 --> 0:40:51.319 like Westbrook playmaking, if I could find finding the open man, yeah, yeah, 0:40:51.400 --> 0:40:54.759 being a little reductive where he you know, had would have, 0:40:55.200 --> 0:40:59.080 you know, intense gravitational pull. Everyone would just kind of 0:40:59.160 --> 0:41:01.920 suck in towards basket and he would be able to 0:41:02.000 --> 0:41:04.279 kick it or make an interior pass that was there 0:41:05.000 --> 0:41:06.680 with an angle that he could see. 0:41:06.880 --> 0:41:07.080 You know. 0:41:07.560 --> 0:41:11.359 He is making passes this year where I'm like, I 0:41:11.400 --> 0:41:15.200 didn't know you were gonna throw it there, and and 0:41:15.840 --> 0:41:18.040 that is really really special, and you're right, it is 0:41:18.160 --> 0:41:19.560 not you know, And we did talk about this a 0:41:19.600 --> 0:41:22.440 little bit, how it's not gonna It hasn't really shown 0:41:22.520 --> 0:41:26.760 up in the Playmatrix playmaking metrics, but I just don't 0:41:26.840 --> 0:41:29.560 really care. And it's part of why I think the 0:41:29.640 --> 0:41:31.960 Cabs have just been so freaking elite with him and 0:41:32.239 --> 0:41:35.279 Evan on the floor because both of their playmaking has 0:41:35.320 --> 0:41:38.319 been so good all year that those, you know, those 0:41:38.320 --> 0:41:40.400 lineups are just kind of impossible at the end of 0:41:40.440 --> 0:41:42.839 the day. I mean, in the month of February, justin 0:41:42.920 --> 0:41:48.120 he's averaging thirty points, five rebounds, six assists per thirty six, 0:41:49.719 --> 0:41:53.040 I mean, and on very good efficiency forty nine from 0:41:53.080 --> 0:41:55.279 the field, thirty eight from three on ten to three 0:41:55.280 --> 0:41:59.520 point attempts per thirty six as well. Like the he 0:41:59.640 --> 0:42:01.200 is playing like a super duper star. 0:42:02.080 --> 0:42:04.080 And I think what stands out to me too is 0:42:04.120 --> 0:42:06.840 I feel like he has good chemistry with everybody on 0:42:06.880 --> 0:42:09.920 the roster, whereas in the past I felt like sometimes 0:42:09.920 --> 0:42:12.440 there was almost like a learning curve for playing with guys, 0:42:12.440 --> 0:42:15.440 and some of that's probably a result of continuity, but 0:42:15.440 --> 0:42:18.480 I also just think everyone's being put in really good positions, 0:42:18.480 --> 0:42:22.360 like I honestly think Isaac Okorral since coming back. I 0:42:22.400 --> 0:42:25.360 know he's two of eight from three, but I felt 0:42:25.360 --> 0:42:28.200 his impact in these games. I'm really enjoying the minutes 0:42:28.239 --> 0:42:32.000 of him role attacks really you know, generating some assist 0:42:32.080 --> 0:42:35.239 opportunities there. He's been attacking the glass at the type 0:42:35.239 --> 0:42:38.040 of rate that we want to see. The rebound percentages 0:42:38.120 --> 0:42:41.360 up three percent since he's come back from the injury. 0:42:42.440 --> 0:42:45.960 I thought he had some really really impactful defensive possessions 0:42:46.000 --> 0:42:49.200 and possessions where he didn't get the rebound but he's 0:42:49.280 --> 0:42:53.600 tipping at it and generates a second chance opportunity. The 0:42:53.640 --> 0:42:56.400 block he had on Desmond Baine and I thought was phenomenal. 0:42:56.440 --> 0:42:59.279 I believe that was with his left hand, Like he's 0:42:59.320 --> 0:43:02.880 just looked really good out there. And it's it's funny 0:43:02.880 --> 0:43:05.480 because I think in how he was used in the past, 0:43:06.000 --> 0:43:08.960 when you're sitting in the corner, you whether or not 0:43:09.040 --> 0:43:11.680 you are playing well is based solely on whether or 0:43:11.719 --> 0:43:14.200 not you hit those shots. And I just feel like 0:43:14.239 --> 0:43:17.719 he's being used in more ways and he's impacting the 0:43:17.760 --> 0:43:21.080 game and it's not just about Okay, did the shots 0:43:21.120 --> 0:43:24.520 go down? And there were so many possessions where you know, 0:43:24.640 --> 0:43:27.440 little dribble handoffs with him and Donovan where he's setting 0:43:27.560 --> 0:43:30.879 just these incredible screens that are really blowing guys up. 0:43:31.960 --> 0:43:34.000 And just he had that great two man game in 0:43:34.080 --> 0:43:38.400 the corner with Mobley last night where he ends up 0:43:38.440 --> 0:43:41.640 helping them force a switch, Mobley gets it, is able 0:43:41.680 --> 0:43:44.680 to attack Jaw on that switch and feeds Jared who's 0:43:44.680 --> 0:43:48.520 cutting baseline, Like he's part of these connected plays to. 0:43:48.440 --> 0:43:52.319 Your point, Yeah, and you know for him to come 0:43:52.360 --> 0:43:56.120 back into the lineup. And I think it really illustrates. 0:43:55.520 --> 0:43:58.360 Just how high level the feel. 0:43:58.160 --> 0:44:00.720 Is for Donovan right now. But like him and Isaaca 0:44:00.840 --> 0:44:04.080 Coral have an effective two man game against a top 0:44:04.120 --> 0:44:05.560 ten defense and one of the best teams in the 0:44:05.600 --> 0:44:08.960 league in Memphis. Like I just think you're seeing it 0:44:09.120 --> 0:44:12.320 up and down the lineup where he has a perfect 0:44:12.320 --> 0:44:15.560 feel for where Dean wants the ball. He has immediately 0:44:15.600 --> 0:44:18.799 has great chemistry with DeAndre Hunter, like you've had really 0:44:18.880 --> 0:44:21.919 nice possessions with those two. His chemistry with Mobley is great. 0:44:21.960 --> 0:44:24.800 His chemistry with Jared Allen has been so much better 0:44:25.040 --> 0:44:27.160 than it was in the past. Like I just or 0:44:27.400 --> 0:44:29.839 actually the other way around, the chemistry with Mobley's better 0:44:29.880 --> 0:44:31.839 than it was in the past. Like I just think 0:44:31.840 --> 0:44:34.760 that up and down the lineup, he just has such 0:44:35.239 --> 0:44:39.400 a high level understanding of where he needs to be 0:44:39.840 --> 0:44:42.680 when he can be aggressive, of how to get guys open, 0:44:42.800 --> 0:44:45.600 how guys are going to cut, how they're going to move, 0:44:46.280 --> 0:44:48.520 and I think this is what This is what I 0:44:48.560 --> 0:44:51.040 was hoping for earlier in the season, where we were 0:44:51.040 --> 0:44:54.000 talking about, hey, there's a few possessions where Donovan is 0:44:54.080 --> 0:44:56.719 very clearly saying it's my turn. Where the feel wasn't 0:44:56.880 --> 0:45:00.000 necessarily there, like it felt like everybody else was flown, 0:45:00.200 --> 0:45:04.000 and then sometimes like Donovan was playing such unselfish team basketball, 0:45:04.120 --> 0:45:06.640 He's like, I gotta get mine here. I got to 0:45:06.640 --> 0:45:08.640 get it once or twice. The reason why I felt 0:45:08.680 --> 0:45:10.719 it was so important to point out is because what 0:45:10.760 --> 0:45:13.680 we have seen from Donovan throughout his cast tenure is 0:45:13.719 --> 0:45:16.200 that he has grown, he has improved, he has done 0:45:16.280 --> 0:45:18.760 all the things to become a better team player. 0:45:18.880 --> 0:45:21.360 Like Tony Stark, he's always learning justin. 0:45:21.440 --> 0:45:23.560 And I just had that high level of confidence that 0:45:23.640 --> 0:45:26.120 was going to come at some point. And not that 0:45:26.200 --> 0:45:28.200 we wouldn't have pointed it out if we didn't think 0:45:28.239 --> 0:45:30.840 it was going to turn around, but I think pointing 0:45:30.880 --> 0:45:34.600 out where there's opportunity for growth is so so important, 0:45:34.640 --> 0:45:38.960 particularly when you're talking about a team who's path to 0:45:39.160 --> 0:45:42.960 a championship is largely going to be coming through internal development, 0:45:43.080 --> 0:45:44.680 or at least it has been to this point. 0:45:45.160 --> 0:45:49.000 Yeah, and like your star player who's you know, in 0:45:49.040 --> 0:45:52.200 his late twenties at this point, like is the guy 0:45:52.400 --> 0:45:55.399 who you want, like who you're not counting on at 0:45:55.440 --> 0:45:59.280 development from comparatively, and the fact that you're still getting 0:45:59.280 --> 0:46:02.400 that growth again just speaks to what I love so 0:46:02.480 --> 0:46:04.919 much about the game of basketball that you know, it's 0:46:05.000 --> 0:46:07.400 not about the bag, It's just not. It's about how 0:46:07.480 --> 0:46:11.400 you how you read the flow of the game, and 0:46:11.480 --> 0:46:15.080 how uh and how you connect with your teammates and 0:46:15.560 --> 0:46:19.200 when you decide to take over, when you decide to 0:46:19.200 --> 0:46:22.359 get your guys going, when you decide to uh, you know, 0:46:22.440 --> 0:46:26.960 to to muster the strength, that extra burst on the rim, 0:46:27.000 --> 0:46:29.080 attack that you know, on a night where your legs 0:46:29.080 --> 0:46:31.759 maybe don't all the way have it. Like, that's all 0:46:31.800 --> 0:46:34.239 the stuff I think Donovan's just getting better and better at. 0:46:34.360 --> 0:46:37.120 And you know, there were. 0:46:37.239 --> 0:46:38.799 I would like to see him attack the rim a 0:46:38.840 --> 0:46:41.320 little bit more that That's my one critique is sometimes 0:46:41.320 --> 0:46:44.960 I feel like in some of these matchups and there's 0:46:45.000 --> 0:46:47.080 just so many good things that happen when he attacks 0:46:47.120 --> 0:46:49.000 the rim, I'd like to see it just a little 0:46:49.040 --> 0:46:52.439 bit more. But he's been so damn good. 0:46:52.440 --> 0:46:55.080 And you know, here's the thing I trust that he'll 0:46:55.120 --> 0:46:57.239 do it in the playoffs because I do too. I 0:46:57.600 --> 0:46:59.920 like that Boston series before he got hurt. I mean, 0:47:00.040 --> 0:47:02.759 it was just a parade to the rim. Yeah, and 0:47:02.960 --> 0:47:05.280 I really do trust that he is going to muster 0:47:05.400 --> 0:47:09.520 the energy to get there, especially when they're closed out 0:47:09.520 --> 0:47:13.239 hard on that jumper. He's just been He's been phenomenal man, 0:47:14.280 --> 0:47:18.480 an absolute tone setter. And you know the fact that 0:47:18.520 --> 0:47:21.040 I'm not sure who's been better between him and Evan 0:47:22.200 --> 0:47:25.120 in this month kind of tells you what kind of 0:47:25.160 --> 0:47:26.200 month the Cavs have had. 0:47:26.719 --> 0:47:30.640 Yeah, they've been really, really damn good. And you know, 0:47:31.120 --> 0:47:34.920 his growth and his continuous improvement even into kind of 0:47:34.920 --> 0:47:37.640 his late twenties here, it just gets me excited about 0:47:37.680 --> 0:47:41.720 what twenty three year old Evan Mobley and newly twenty 0:47:41.719 --> 0:47:44.759 five year old Darrius Garland are going to do. Is 0:47:44.760 --> 0:47:46.080 they continue to get better and. 0:47:46.040 --> 0:47:46.920 Fan me off. 0:47:48.600 --> 0:47:51.439 Can I just a little brief rant about some of 0:47:51.320 --> 0:47:54.200 the cap dorcs here that are worried about all the 0:47:54.239 --> 0:47:57.279 accolades that Evan Mobley is going to get one. We've 0:47:57.320 --> 0:47:59.759 always said we are rooting for it, guys to get 0:47:59.760 --> 0:48:02.880 those accolades. We trust the front office to be creative 0:48:02.960 --> 0:48:05.799 we've also put the team together. I'm very content with 0:48:05.840 --> 0:48:10.239 this team staying together. But when it comes to you know, 0:48:10.280 --> 0:48:13.680 Evan Mobley potentially getting all NBA those kind of kickers 0:48:13.840 --> 0:48:16.480 in the contract and all that kind of stuff. We 0:48:16.560 --> 0:48:19.280 have two guys twenty five and under that are probably 0:48:19.320 --> 0:48:21.680 deserving of all NBA spots, and the fact that only 0:48:21.960 --> 0:48:24.000 one of them has a chance to get that designative 0:48:24.080 --> 0:48:27.280 rookie Max, We're already probably ahead of the game there. 0:48:27.640 --> 0:48:30.000 I'm very, very much rooting for Evan Mobley to get 0:48:30.000 --> 0:48:32.520 all the accolades he deserves. And I love that he's 0:48:32.560 --> 0:48:35.440 speaking out for himself too, Like he's he's puffing out 0:48:35.440 --> 0:48:38.680 his chest a little bit. He's talking, you know, saying, Hey, 0:48:38.680 --> 0:48:40.000 who do I think is going to be the best 0:48:40.000 --> 0:48:40.960 player in five years? 0:48:41.000 --> 0:48:41.640 Me or Wemby? 0:48:41.960 --> 0:48:45.920 Like I love that from him. I love the asserted ritually. 0:48:45.960 --> 0:48:48.440 Not for Wendy, by the way, what a horrible or Wemby, 0:48:48.520 --> 0:48:53.040 Sorry not Wendy. Yeah yeah, what a terrible uh thing 0:48:53.120 --> 0:48:56.480 and scary thing. And hope for the best for him 0:48:56.520 --> 0:48:58.760 because that was a that was a real gut punch 0:48:58.760 --> 0:48:59.560 as a hoops fan. 0:49:00.120 --> 0:49:02.759 Yeah, you were one of the first people I thought 0:49:02.760 --> 0:49:06.600 about because the last podcast we had done was you saying, Yeah, 0:49:06.600 --> 0:49:08.480 the matchup I'm most looking forward to is the two 0:49:08.520 --> 0:49:13.080 against Wemby, and then that immediately came out. I felt 0:49:13.080 --> 0:49:14.760 for you, and I also felt for that guy. 0:49:14.600 --> 0:49:16.239 That tweeted out an hour before that. 0:49:16.280 --> 0:49:19.880 He had just put ten thousand on to win Defensive 0:49:19.880 --> 0:49:23.160 Player of the Year just an hour before that news broke, 0:49:23.239 --> 0:49:27.359 so shouts out to him. But yeah, Evan Mobley taking 0:49:27.400 --> 0:49:29.000 the step forward that he has, I think is the 0:49:29.000 --> 0:49:33.000 most important thing. And No, it was really really fun 0:49:33.080 --> 0:49:36.120 to see Knicks fans kind of reacting to, oh, this 0:49:36.239 --> 0:49:40.359 is Evan Mobley now, because I think that that, more 0:49:40.400 --> 0:49:44.360 than anything, is the biggest difference when you talk about 0:49:44.360 --> 0:49:45.800 what they're going to be able to do in a 0:49:45.840 --> 0:49:47.880 playoff series. Well, I should say, at least from a 0:49:47.920 --> 0:49:50.560 cast perspective, I think the biggest difference in that matchup 0:49:50.640 --> 0:49:54.240 is they took all their identity and traded away into 0:49:54.320 --> 0:49:58.399 Michale Bridges and Karl Anthony Townsend. I just don't think 0:49:58.600 --> 0:50:00.960 as good as Josh Hart is and he's been having 0:50:00.960 --> 0:50:03.200 the best season of his career, and as good as 0:50:03.239 --> 0:50:06.640 Mitchell Robinson can be, I don't think that they alone 0:50:07.040 --> 0:50:10.600 can carry kind of that physicality mantle for the Knicks. Like, 0:50:11.080 --> 0:50:14.920 my goodness, man, Like that felt great. That was so 0:50:15.520 --> 0:50:18.799 much fun because I messaged you before the game where 0:50:18.800 --> 0:50:22.239 I'm like, I really feel like the Cavs should get 0:50:22.239 --> 0:50:25.120 this one. I feel like this should be a comfortable win. 0:50:25.320 --> 0:50:28.040 Even though the Knicks are really good, they haven't been 0:50:28.120 --> 0:50:30.000 good against the best teams of the league. They haven't 0:50:30.000 --> 0:50:32.839 been good against winning teams. And I really felt like 0:50:33.360 --> 0:50:36.640 if they went out and struggled, you know, to score 0:50:36.800 --> 0:50:41.160 against a defense anchored by Kat, I was gonna say 0:50:41.280 --> 0:50:43.600 it was a mental hurdle that they have to come 0:50:43.640 --> 0:50:47.080 over overcome rather than a roster issue. 0:50:47.400 --> 0:50:48.160 So for them to. 0:50:48.480 --> 0:50:51.600 Just be as surgical as they were, that just felt great. 0:50:52.160 --> 0:50:56.520 It was It was really rewarding, and it was really fun. 0:50:56.760 --> 0:51:00.320 Hate listening to a bunch of Knicks podcasts after words, 0:51:00.360 --> 0:51:01.439 and you know, you can. 0:51:01.360 --> 0:51:02.080 Play a fun game. 0:51:02.200 --> 0:51:04.239 What what is your favorite comment that you heard from 0:51:04.280 --> 0:51:05.560 a Knicks podcast. 0:51:05.280 --> 0:51:05.839 After the game? 0:51:06.160 --> 0:51:09.280 My favorite one was one It was I was listening 0:51:09.280 --> 0:51:12.440 to the next film school Q and a Okay, it's 0:51:12.480 --> 0:51:15.200 going to come from that too, And they asked if 0:51:15.200 --> 0:51:19.160 they asked him who was better Hunter or Michel Bridges, 0:51:19.560 --> 0:51:20.240 it took mine. 0:51:20.760 --> 0:51:22.560 That was like, and he had to. 0:51:22.680 --> 0:51:26.120 Earnestly be like, you know, it's close, like they gave 0:51:26.200 --> 0:51:27.320 up five first roup. 0:51:27.239 --> 0:51:30.000 Picks, yeah versus three seconds. Yeah. 0:51:30.080 --> 0:51:34.720 The comment of probably closer than we are comfortable admitting. 0:51:34.640 --> 0:51:39.239 Was just that was yeah. I mean, you know I 0:51:39.800 --> 0:51:42.879 said it. Uh, you know, I whatever, We're fifty five 0:51:42.920 --> 0:51:45.160 minutes and we can do a Knicks Uh. We can 0:51:45.200 --> 0:51:48.080 make fun of the Knicks for a minute, you know. 0:51:48.239 --> 0:51:50.400 I we love it. We love Next Film School. They 0:51:50.440 --> 0:51:51.319 do great work. Yeah. 0:51:51.320 --> 0:51:54.360 Shout shouts shouts Claudio and John McCray. 0:51:54.840 --> 0:51:56.160 Uh. 0:51:56.280 --> 0:52:00.200 I remember when they made that cat trade. I text 0:52:00.200 --> 0:52:02.360 my buddy and I was like, that looks like the 0:52:02.400 --> 0:52:04.680 team I make in two K when I get bored 0:52:04.680 --> 0:52:09.799 and do five consecutive suggested trades and then then I 0:52:09.880 --> 0:52:10.560 like load up. 0:52:10.600 --> 0:52:12.560 I'm like, what am I supposed to do with this? 0:52:13.160 --> 0:52:16.560 You know, like like you just like you kind of 0:52:16.600 --> 0:52:19.680 like accidentally just like nuke the identity of whatever team 0:52:19.719 --> 0:52:21.760 you were looking to play with in the first place, 0:52:22.040 --> 0:52:22.880 and you just kind. 0:52:22.719 --> 0:52:24.560 Of have like you trade for a bunch of guys. 0:52:24.560 --> 0:52:26.640 Oh, there's a three D guy who'd be great, and 0:52:26.680 --> 0:52:28.799 then you just have like a bunch of guys who 0:52:28.840 --> 0:52:32.240 just don't play with a tremendous amount of force. Uh, 0:52:32.280 --> 0:52:35.320 And I mean Josh Hart is the second best playmaker 0:52:35.400 --> 0:52:36.840 on that team, like by a lot. 0:52:37.719 --> 0:52:40.040 It doesn't have to work so hard like that. 0:52:40.040 --> 0:52:41.879 That was one that was honestly one of the main 0:52:41.880 --> 0:52:44.239 things that jumped out, Like I expected us to be 0:52:44.320 --> 0:52:47.080 able to feast at the rim, and I expected our 0:52:47.200 --> 0:52:49.880 offense to be good. I was very impressed with how 0:52:49.880 --> 0:52:53.239 we played defensively. I thought the Cavs had a terrific 0:52:53.320 --> 0:52:56.560 effort on that end of the floor. And man like 0:52:56.680 --> 0:52:59.600 when the Knicks kept a close ish in the first quarter, 0:53:00.160 --> 0:53:04.040 it was Brunson working his butt off to get those shots, 0:53:04.080 --> 0:53:07.080 hitting tough shots, hit one over Evan Mobley, like he 0:53:07.960 --> 0:53:10.799 was seeing bodies all over the place, And I just 0:53:11.520 --> 0:53:15.080 you need playmaking that How many times have I said 0:53:15.120 --> 0:53:17.440 it this season? That was my lesson from the Celtics 0:53:17.480 --> 0:53:19.960 is they had five guys that could create, and cap 0:53:20.239 --> 0:53:22.560 to his credit, has been very good this year. Like 0:53:22.600 --> 0:53:25.880 he's taken a step up as a creator and a playmaker. 0:53:27.080 --> 0:53:29.400 He's still more of a play finisher, you know, at 0:53:29.400 --> 0:53:32.440 the end, and if. 0:53:32.239 --> 0:53:35.040 He dribbles a second time. He is not going to 0:53:35.080 --> 0:53:38.080 give the ball up if he dribbles once. If he 0:53:38.160 --> 0:53:41.520 dribbles once and help comes, he will make the right pass. 0:53:41.640 --> 0:53:44.080 If he has dribbled the second time, he is going 0:53:44.120 --> 0:53:45.400 to take it to the basket. 0:53:45.920 --> 0:53:46.240 Yeah. 0:53:46.480 --> 0:53:52.080 I think that's after that Calves game, before the Boston game. 0:53:52.160 --> 0:53:54.600 You know that same podcast time about how they were 0:53:54.960 --> 0:53:59.280 against the Calves Celtics and in thunder they their average 0:53:59.320 --> 0:54:02.080 scores one of five and their average opposing score is 0:54:02.120 --> 0:54:05.000 one twenty six. And I'm just sitting here going the 0:54:05.040 --> 0:54:07.840 one oh five is the problem. The whole thesis of 0:54:07.880 --> 0:54:09.440 the team is that they got to be able to score, 0:54:09.560 --> 0:54:13.359 and like they just don't they They they don't have 0:54:13.840 --> 0:54:17.040 the ability to get easy looks against great teams. 0:54:17.640 --> 0:54:19.040 They have to work too hard for it. 0:54:19.120 --> 0:54:22.920 So anyway, there's there's the there's Nick Shotenfreud, a corner 0:54:23.400 --> 0:54:26.600 of the Chase Down podcast which probably get back on 0:54:26.640 --> 0:54:29.239 the Calves. And by the way, for what it's worth, 0:54:29.520 --> 0:54:32.320 I have this concern with the Caves against Boston because 0:54:32.440 --> 0:54:36.200 I do feel like no one even even okay see, 0:54:37.320 --> 0:54:40.080 like no one has consistently gotten the Calves out of 0:54:40.120 --> 0:54:45.480 their offense like Boston has yep. The biggest question with 0:54:45.520 --> 0:54:48.840 the Calves is still can this offense translate to the playoffs? 0:54:49.040 --> 0:54:52.080 The defense has held up. I think we have enough 0:54:52.160 --> 0:54:56.080 data points to indicate, yes, they are capable of doing this, 0:54:56.520 --> 0:54:58.640 But can you do it four times in the seven 0:54:58.680 --> 0:55:00.880 game series against the team as good as Boston? 0:55:01.239 --> 0:55:03.640 That's going to be the question. The answer very well 0:55:03.719 --> 0:55:04.120 might be no. 0:55:04.719 --> 0:55:08.040 But if we get like a competitive seven game series 0:55:08.040 --> 0:55:10.400 where we do it sometimes but you know there was 0:55:10.560 --> 0:55:12.759 just that one run that went the wrong way or 0:55:12.800 --> 0:55:15.640 whatever the case may be, that's something actionable. That's something 0:55:15.680 --> 0:55:18.080 that you can build off of, right, But how this 0:55:18.120 --> 0:55:20.920 offense translates to the playoff is still the biggest question. 0:55:21.080 --> 0:55:23.279 That's still something that I really really want to see, 0:55:23.280 --> 0:55:26.000 and I keep coming back to Evin Mobley. I think 0:55:26.040 --> 0:55:27.920 that that's where it needs to come. I think he 0:55:28.040 --> 0:55:30.919 needs to be consistent, and that's a lot to ask 0:55:30.960 --> 0:55:33.520 of a twenty three year old, but I think we 0:55:33.600 --> 0:55:36.040 are seeing more and more that he is capable of 0:55:36.080 --> 0:55:39.480 doing that. And you know, one thing that we have 0:55:39.640 --> 0:55:44.160 seen as cav fans is sometimes a twenty three year 0:55:44.200 --> 0:55:46.839 old is able to step up and do things that 0:55:46.880 --> 0:55:51.800 you can't always expect of players, right, like, we have 0:55:51.880 --> 0:55:55.800 had some generational talent. We have been really, really damn lucky. 0:55:56.280 --> 0:55:59.359 Obviously Lebron was phenomenal at twenty three years old, but 0:55:59.560 --> 0:56:02.279 there were those questions with Kyrie. There were questions, you know, 0:56:02.400 --> 0:56:05.320 early in the first round of the playoffs against Detroit. 0:56:05.360 --> 0:56:08.479 I remember ded hear from you know, the Warriors beat 0:56:08.480 --> 0:56:11.240 that was talking about the lack of assists between Kyrie 0:56:11.280 --> 0:56:13.960 and Lebron. Sometimes he had those off games, but when 0:56:13.960 --> 0:56:17.720 it really counted, he found that consistency. He struggled games 0:56:17.719 --> 0:56:21.600 one and two against the Warriors big in the comeback 0:56:22.360 --> 0:56:25.719 twenty three years old. Evan Mobley, same damn age, and 0:56:25.800 --> 0:56:27.799 I would love to see this season end the same 0:56:27.880 --> 0:56:28.359 damn way. 0:56:28.840 --> 0:56:32.960 You mentioned it's a lot to ask of Evan Mobley. Well, 0:56:33.480 --> 0:56:35.160 when the title means we're gonna have to ask a 0:56:35.160 --> 0:56:39.759 lot of a lot of guys, Yeah, and everyone. The 0:56:39.800 --> 0:56:42.120 way this team is built, everyone's going to have to 0:56:42.120 --> 0:56:44.080 step up to the plate for two to three games 0:56:44.080 --> 0:56:47.759 at a time and some and like that is the 0:56:47.880 --> 0:56:51.880 rope is having enough guys playing great, just like Boston 0:56:52.000 --> 0:56:55.280 last year, having enough guys playing at a B plus 0:56:55.320 --> 0:56:59.400 a minus level that you can take a c minus 0:56:59.440 --> 0:57:01.719 game for one of your guys here and there, but 0:57:01.920 --> 0:57:05.640 like he needs to be eighty percent of the roster 0:57:05.760 --> 0:57:08.680 playing well most of the way through. Yep, And I 0:57:08.719 --> 0:57:09.920 think this team can do it. 0:57:10.280 --> 0:57:12.640 And some of it might be you know, tied your home, 0:57:12.680 --> 0:57:15.600 playing like Jason Terry in the in the finals and 0:57:15.640 --> 0:57:18.040 having one of those explosive quarters, or you know, we 0:57:18.080 --> 0:57:21.560 saw j R. Smith the Mon Shumpert four point play, 0:57:21.680 --> 0:57:25.200 right Like, those type of stuff matters so much, and 0:57:25.240 --> 0:57:27.760 I just have a high, high level of confidence that 0:57:27.800 --> 0:57:29.200 these guys are capable of doing it. 0:57:29.600 --> 0:57:31.680 Now. I still I agree with. 0:57:31.640 --> 0:57:34.439 What we said on the last podcast where I don't 0:57:34.440 --> 0:57:36.720 think there is any set of circumstances where you could 0:57:36.720 --> 0:57:38.280 say that the Cavs are going to be a favorite 0:57:38.280 --> 0:57:41.640 against Boston. And I do feel like this team has 0:57:42.360 --> 0:57:44.400 at least like the way I think about things, it's 0:57:44.400 --> 0:57:47.280 a three year window, right, Like that's the length that 0:57:47.560 --> 0:57:50.200 we have at least Donovan under contract. Let's think within 0:57:50.240 --> 0:57:52.640 that window. But just because it's a three year window 0:57:53.040 --> 0:57:55.760 doesn't mean you're guaranteed to be in this position, doesn't 0:57:55.760 --> 0:57:57.720 mean you're guaranteed to be healthy next year, doesn't mean 0:57:57.720 --> 0:58:00.440 you can take this year for granted, if there is 0:58:00.520 --> 0:58:03.520 even an opportunity to go out and shock the world 0:58:03.520 --> 0:58:06.600 this year, he got to do everything in your power 0:58:06.680 --> 0:58:11.640 to maximize and capitalize on every single opportunity that you have. 0:58:12.320 --> 0:58:15.680 Which good thing this team is picking up more useful players. 0:58:16.200 --> 0:58:20.760 On that note, they signed Javonte Green after he agreed 0:58:20.760 --> 0:58:23.560 to a buy out with the Pelicans, And what did 0:58:23.560 --> 0:58:25.080 you think of this move? You know, I think both 0:58:25.120 --> 0:58:27.760 of us were kind of pining for a big man. 0:58:27.840 --> 0:58:30.320 We're looking for a four or five, but also we 0:58:30.320 --> 0:58:33.120 weren't expecting a guy like Green to hit the market. 0:58:33.640 --> 0:58:34.280 What do you think. 0:58:34.960 --> 0:58:37.720 I'm happy with it like this. This falls onto your 0:58:37.800 --> 0:58:40.600 pumpkin insurance category. And you know, he is a little 0:58:40.640 --> 0:58:44.800 undersized six four sixty five, but he's got a massive 0:58:44.880 --> 0:58:47.880 seven foot wingspan. He is someone that plays much much 0:58:47.920 --> 0:58:50.919 bigger than his size. And Chris Fiedor on the Wine 0:58:50.920 --> 0:58:54.040 and Gold Talk podcast mentioned from his understanding when he 0:58:54.080 --> 0:58:56.880 was talking to the Cavs, it was indicated to him, hey, 0:58:57.480 --> 0:58:59.560 it's not going to be guaranteed. We have a lot 0:58:59.640 --> 0:59:02.360 of depth, but you may have opportunities to get minutes. 0:59:03.040 --> 0:59:06.800 And I think the reason for that positional versatility, I 0:59:06.800 --> 0:59:09.560 think that this is someone that can competently play with 0:59:10.320 --> 0:59:12.680 from two to four, like he can play as an 0:59:12.760 --> 0:59:13.800 undersized power forward. 0:59:13.800 --> 0:59:15.080 He's done it a good amount in. 0:59:15.040 --> 0:59:17.520 His career because he is so physical and he is 0:59:17.600 --> 0:59:20.080 so long and plays so much bigger than his size. 0:59:20.640 --> 0:59:22.480 His defensive metrics are phenomenal. 0:59:22.520 --> 0:59:23.120 Go check out. 0:59:23.320 --> 0:59:26.120 Dan Devine had a great post on that where he 0:59:26.200 --> 0:59:28.160 is one of the best kind of perimeter defenders in 0:59:28.200 --> 0:59:31.360 the league from a metrics standpoint. Having a guy like 0:59:31.400 --> 0:59:34.040 that that can fill in, like if you are having 0:59:34.080 --> 0:59:36.760 an issue where Isaac gets banged up or Dean gets 0:59:36.760 --> 0:59:39.840 banged up or foul trouble with one of the role guys. 0:59:40.200 --> 0:59:43.160 The fact that you have some positional versatility coming in 0:59:43.200 --> 0:59:45.120 off the bench, someone that can fill in at a 0:59:45.160 --> 0:59:47.800 variety of those spots, I think is the most important thing. 0:59:47.880 --> 0:59:51.600 And that's what I wanted more than anything, Right, I 0:59:51.760 --> 0:59:55.760 want a skill set more than I want an archetype, 0:59:55.800 --> 0:59:57.560 and I think that he fills that need. 0:59:58.280 --> 0:59:59.320 Yeah, I think. 0:59:59.400 --> 1:00:02.640 He he has a couple of things that are really 1:00:02.680 --> 1:00:03.360 going for him. 1:00:04.080 --> 1:00:04.320 You know. 1:00:04.560 --> 1:00:09.560 I do think he is insulation in matchups where maybe 1:00:09.600 --> 1:00:13.160 Sam Merrill isn't a great matchup, you know, like We've 1:00:13.160 --> 1:00:16.600 talked a lot about how we don't love Sam against Boston. 1:00:16.760 --> 1:00:19.480 You know, it's just not it's not our favorite, and 1:00:19.640 --> 1:00:22.880 you know, who knows, maybe it'll it'll be Kenny's favorite, 1:00:22.920 --> 1:00:26.040 and that's all that really matters. But you know, I 1:00:26.640 --> 1:00:29.040 think like that's a guy where you can go, hey, 1:00:29.080 --> 1:00:31.840 if you still want to play eight, nine, ten guys 1:00:32.280 --> 1:00:35.240 that you can do that. You can just you can 1:00:35.280 --> 1:00:37.600 basically play him at the three or the four and 1:00:37.720 --> 1:00:41.640 down shift more Struce minutes at the two, yep, or 1:00:42.200 --> 1:00:44.880 or you know, more more Jerome minutes at the two 1:00:45.200 --> 1:00:48.439 because you got you got a big wing defender there. 1:00:49.400 --> 1:00:53.280 I think there is a you know, it's you. You 1:00:53.360 --> 1:00:56.600 made the pumpkin insurance joke earlier and and then brought 1:00:56.600 --> 1:00:59.800 it up here. What's nice is what you really want 1:00:59.880 --> 1:01:02.280 is pumpkin insurance for your role players in case and 1:01:02.360 --> 1:01:05.960 have another option behind them. Knowing that your starters, your 1:01:06.000 --> 1:01:08.040 top five to six guys you can really count on, 1:01:08.480 --> 1:01:11.439 you want like layers of insurance, and like he does 1:01:11.520 --> 1:01:15.880 provide that. You know, like you mentioned, Isaac's jumper hasn't 1:01:15.960 --> 1:01:19.120 looked great since the shoulder injury. You know, if you 1:01:19.120 --> 1:01:22.400 get into a playoff series and it's just not going well. 1:01:22.440 --> 1:01:25.560 But you need a stopper. Maybe throw him in for 1:01:25.600 --> 1:01:28.919 a shift and see how it goes. I think he'll 1:01:28.920 --> 1:01:31.400 be a great innings eater for this team as they 1:01:31.440 --> 1:01:34.480 go through the rest of their regular season, where you know, 1:01:34.480 --> 1:01:38.280 we've talked about how we're super confident they're going to 1:01:38.320 --> 1:01:41.800 be the one seed at this point, at least I am. 1:01:41.960 --> 1:01:45.280 I think you are. You can safely say that, yes, 1:01:45.960 --> 1:01:46.520 you know, they're. 1:01:46.400 --> 1:01:48.720 Up six games on Boston as we speak right now, 1:01:49.880 --> 1:01:53.680 and but we've talked about how okay See is in 1:01:53.720 --> 1:01:56.680 the middle of thumping Minnesota for the second straight game 1:01:57.080 --> 1:01:59.000 and they're gonna have the same record. If the Cavs 1:01:59.040 --> 1:02:01.640 went home court through the they're gonna have to probably 1:02:01.640 --> 1:02:03.479 play out the season try to win as many games 1:02:03.520 --> 1:02:06.680 I'm sorry to throw into the finals. They're gonna have 1:02:06.680 --> 1:02:08.480 to play out the season. They're gonna have to win 1:02:08.520 --> 1:02:10.920 as many games as possible, and they're going to have 1:02:10.960 --> 1:02:14.120 to decide whether they want to balance you know, rest, 1:02:14.200 --> 1:02:18.560 recovery and all that stuff with chasing those wins. So 1:02:18.680 --> 1:02:23.440 adding another, like no doubt NBA player to your rotation 1:02:24.440 --> 1:02:26.600 makes it easier for you to do that, where you're 1:02:26.640 --> 1:02:29.040 not playing guys that you don't think can help you 1:02:29.120 --> 1:02:33.080 win in any game. Yeah, even when you're down two 1:02:33.200 --> 1:02:34.480 or three rotation players. 1:02:34.920 --> 1:02:35.080 Yeah. 1:02:35.120 --> 1:02:37.040 And you know, the great thing about this season is 1:02:37.080 --> 1:02:40.560 they've been chasing wins without you know, really stacking. 1:02:40.280 --> 1:02:40.920 Up those minutes. 1:02:40.960 --> 1:02:44.880 And once again, to give credit to Chris Fiedor, because 1:02:44.960 --> 1:02:47.640 again we are just fans with the podcast, We don't 1:02:47.680 --> 1:02:47.920 do the. 1:02:48.480 --> 1:02:50.080 Work of a b reporter. 1:02:50.160 --> 1:02:52.800 So we're very grateful for people like Chris, people like 1:02:52.880 --> 1:02:55.480 Danny that that are putting in, you know, the the 1:02:55.600 --> 1:02:57.800 actual work and we just get the benefit off it. 1:02:58.080 --> 1:03:00.160 But he did mention that one of the things that 1:03:00.240 --> 1:03:02.600 he expects Kenny to do, and one of the things 1:03:02.680 --> 1:03:05.040 Kenny has mentioned is he's going to want to play 1:03:05.080 --> 1:03:07.240 them more minutes. He's going to want to give Donovan 1:03:07.320 --> 1:03:09.320 and Darius, you know, thirty six minutes in some of 1:03:09.360 --> 1:03:11.560 these games so that they can ramp up and get 1:03:11.600 --> 1:03:14.000 the conditioning to where it needs to be come playoffs. 1:03:14.000 --> 1:03:17.880 But if you're going to be doing that, my expectation is, hey, 1:03:18.040 --> 1:03:19.880 you're probably going to be doing that in the games 1:03:19.920 --> 1:03:23.280 against New York, against Boston and all that, and that's 1:03:23.320 --> 1:03:28.760 going to necessitate Hey, with that understanding, if we're playing 1:03:28.760 --> 1:03:30.959 it back to back, one of these games, we're going deep, 1:03:31.520 --> 1:03:34.800 and if we lose that game because we're going deep, 1:03:35.160 --> 1:03:38.040 that's fine. But we trust our depth to step up. 1:03:38.080 --> 1:03:41.120 We trust Tijerome, we trust you know, going all the 1:03:41.120 --> 1:03:44.040 way down to Sam, maryl Javonte Green, whomever coming in 1:03:44.080 --> 1:03:46.040 off the bench. They're going to need to do their 1:03:46.040 --> 1:03:48.080 part in order for us to get this wins record. 1:03:48.120 --> 1:03:50.360 And I think that's absolutely. 1:03:49.760 --> 1:03:51.800 The right approach. But I do pretty really like what 1:03:51.800 --> 1:03:52.200 it can bring. 1:03:52.560 --> 1:03:55.480 I'm pretty confident in saying that Sam Merrill or Javonte 1:03:55.600 --> 1:03:58.400 Green would be the best eleventh man in the league, 1:03:58.720 --> 1:04:02.560 Like no one else gets to play guys that deep 1:04:03.160 --> 1:04:08.640 and uh maybe okay, see, yes that's fair. Okay, See 1:04:08.680 --> 1:04:12.520 is bananas, dude. I went, I spent this entire season 1:04:12.840 --> 1:04:16.200 being a hat and ass hater, and I'm running out 1:04:16.200 --> 1:04:21.000 of things to hate. They kill everyone, They kill everyone, dude. Anyway, 1:04:21.080 --> 1:04:24.360 They're They're point differential is thirteen points a game and 1:04:24.440 --> 1:04:29.040 it keeps growing. Like they haven't had really any one 1:04:29.200 --> 1:04:31.760 singular bad stretch of play this season. 1:04:32.080 --> 1:04:33.480 They've been nuts. 1:04:33.960 --> 1:04:38.480 Yeah, yep, you know you got to be to be 1:04:38.640 --> 1:04:42.320 markedly better, like by the metrics than this Calves team 1:04:42.400 --> 1:04:45.480 right now, Like you're not good, you have to be 1:04:45.720 --> 1:04:48.400 to have to be missing, like you're the second or 1:04:48.440 --> 1:04:51.080 third most important player for pretty much half the year 1:04:51.360 --> 1:04:54.360 and still be keeping paces with the Calves. Like I 1:04:54.400 --> 1:04:56.760 don't know, man, I don't know, man. 1:04:57.240 --> 1:04:59.360 So well, you know, some of some of that is, 1:04:59.680 --> 1:05:01.840 you know, when when you're playing in a conference where 1:05:01.920 --> 1:05:04.040 a team like Memphis is the two seed, it's going 1:05:04.120 --> 1:05:05.640 to make things just a little bit easier. 1:05:06.080 --> 1:05:07.600 But you know, that's that's just my opinion. 1:05:07.680 --> 1:05:10.120 But you know, to strengthen my point, looking at minutes 1:05:10.360 --> 1:05:14.000 per game for for the Thunder, uh, their eleventh is 1:05:14.040 --> 1:05:16.880 aj Mitchell and twelve is ken Rich Williams. Those guys 1:05:16.920 --> 1:05:22.080 are absolutely NBA players. So but hey, Sam Merril, he's 1:05:22.080 --> 1:05:24.680 been playing great this year. I've been really happy with them, 1:05:25.280 --> 1:05:28.520 really rounded out his game. So no, no slight there. 1:05:28.560 --> 1:05:31.760 But you know, that's probably why kasin Thunder at the 1:05:31.800 --> 1:05:34.840 top of the league because they have the depth. They 1:05:35.200 --> 1:05:38.160 have all of these guys that can contribute. So it's 1:05:38.200 --> 1:05:41.240 been awesome, you know, going into the playoffs, I feel 1:05:41.440 --> 1:05:45.240 really really comfortable, and I'm someone that's always been you know, 1:05:45.640 --> 1:05:46.479 I prefer eight. 1:05:47.000 --> 1:05:49.680 I like eight. I think you have to go at 1:05:49.720 --> 1:05:50.280 least nine. 1:05:50.600 --> 1:05:53.480 Like I think it's I think you got your core. 1:05:53.720 --> 1:05:54.720 You got your core. Four. 1:05:54.960 --> 1:05:58.320 The next two, Max Strews and DeAndre Hunter, I think 1:05:58.320 --> 1:06:01.000 that they're kind of that that cut above. You know, 1:06:01.120 --> 1:06:04.880 Max continue to start the starting lineup with Max Drews 1:06:04.920 --> 1:06:07.760 has a plus thirty four net rating so far. 1:06:07.680 --> 1:06:10.280 Killing everyone. They are smoking everyone. 1:06:10.320 --> 1:06:14.840 It's like Max was just like, yeah, no, I would 1:06:14.880 --> 1:06:18.360 like to stay the starter. Yeah, and they are killing everyone. 1:06:18.600 --> 1:06:20.720 By the way. I know we're going along in this podcast, 1:06:20.760 --> 1:06:26.640 but whatever, we didn't pod for like eleven days. Max 1:06:26.800 --> 1:06:31.280 playmaking against the Knicks punishing them for trying to hide 1:06:31.320 --> 1:06:34.680 Bronson on him was so nice to see. 1:06:34.960 --> 1:06:37.240 Yep, and we talked about how, you know it's gonna 1:06:37.240 --> 1:06:39.480 be really tough for the Knicks to hide Brunson on 1:06:39.480 --> 1:06:41.360 the small forward, whether that's de Andandre Hunter in his 1:06:41.400 --> 1:06:45.200 ability to post him up, which you saw Brunton switching 1:06:45.200 --> 1:06:47.600 on and getting some larger players and getting attacked in 1:06:47.600 --> 1:06:51.120 that way. But also Max drus the connective playmaking, the 1:06:51.360 --> 1:06:54.040 feel he has with the starters has been phenomenal, So 1:06:54.400 --> 1:06:57.760 you know you are correct to bring that up. I 1:06:57.760 --> 1:06:59.520 thought Max was awesome against the next I thought it 1:06:59.560 --> 1:07:03.920 was good against the Grizzlies as well. But yeah, like 1:07:03.960 --> 1:07:07.280 I think him and DeAndre Hunter, that's five and six 1:07:08.080 --> 1:07:11.040 they have to play, you know, a tier above more 1:07:11.080 --> 1:07:13.920 minutes than the rest of the group. But the next three, man, like, 1:07:14.680 --> 1:07:17.200 I think you are going to need Isaac Ocor in 1:07:17.200 --> 1:07:19.840 the playoffs. I think ty Jerome absolutely deserves those minutes. 1:07:19.840 --> 1:07:22.160 And I think Dean Wade has made a big, big impact. 1:07:22.160 --> 1:07:24.640 So I think those are my nine that I feel 1:07:24.680 --> 1:07:27.520 super super confident in. Then everybody else in my mind, 1:07:27.600 --> 1:07:29.880 like that's a little bit of a specialist, like let's 1:07:29.920 --> 1:07:32.600 get a shooting punch, let's get some defense from Javonte Green, 1:07:32.680 --> 1:07:35.200 Let's let's try to mix things up in that way. 1:07:35.880 --> 1:07:38.360 But I just feel really good about the depth of 1:07:38.360 --> 1:07:40.959 this team. And I feel really good about the depth 1:07:40.960 --> 1:07:43.080 of this team. And we haven't even talked about, you know, 1:07:43.160 --> 1:07:46.440 kind of future projects in Jalen Tyson and Craig Porter Junior. 1:07:46.880 --> 1:07:50.200 Yeah, I think that at this point Kenny is gonna 1:07:50.240 --> 1:07:54.240 play nine. But I think what it'll be is if 1:07:54.600 --> 1:07:55.800 nine doesn't. 1:07:55.520 --> 1:07:56.720 Work, Yeah, that ain't nine. 1:07:56.840 --> 1:07:59.840 You just pear down or if a guy gets hurt 1:08:00.080 --> 1:08:04.840 or whatever it may be, you don't just replace you, 1:08:04.840 --> 1:08:07.880 you pair and you start adding to the minutes load 1:08:07.920 --> 1:08:08.440 a little bit. 1:08:08.680 --> 1:08:11.600 Yeah, yeah, you play, you play nine because the top. 1:08:11.480 --> 1:08:14.000 Nine are that strong in my opinion, exactly, And I 1:08:14.040 --> 1:08:15.240 think that's what Kenny'll do. 1:08:15.360 --> 1:08:17.519 But man, what does he have options? 1:08:18.760 --> 1:08:21.080 I love options and I love the calves playing this. 1:08:21.160 --> 1:08:25.080 Damn well. We will be podcasting Wednesday, uh after well 1:08:25.120 --> 1:08:27.040 not after the Magic game because they play tomorrow, but 1:08:27.080 --> 1:08:29.720 we'll be recapping that and previewing the game against the 1:08:29.760 --> 1:08:30.599 Boston Celtics. 1:08:30.720 --> 1:08:31.240 Big thanks to. 1:08:31.240 --> 1:08:33.400 Everyone that tune in live on the YouTube. Make sure 1:08:33.439 --> 1:08:36.120 you guys are liking and subscribing, clicking that notification bell 1:08:36.200 --> 1:08:38.040 so you know when we're going live. If you're listening 1:08:38.120 --> 1:08:39.800 via podcast and you want to support us, leave us 1:08:39.800 --> 1:08:42.679 a rating we review, subscribe unsubscribed, resubscribe and help cook 1:08:42.720 --> 1:08:44.240 those books. If you want to be part of the 1:08:44.320 --> 1:08:46.960 Chase Down's exclusive discord chat, Sidney screenshaw their view to 1:08:47.000 --> 1:08:49.320 Chase down pot at gmail dot com. However you choose 1:08:49.320 --> 1:08:51.280 to support us, we really do appreciate it. Make sure 1:08:51.280 --> 1:08:53.080 you guys are staying safe out there. Until next time. 1:08:53.600 --> 1:09:18.640 Go calves, sat name Santa