WEBVTT - The BroadCast: 1/31/2019 ~ Assistant Billy Lange Examines Defensive Growth 0:00:01.560 --> 0:00:04.960 What's been the seventy Sixers bread and butter in recent seasons. 0:00:05.120 --> 0:00:07.960 He group throws it away t J McConnell and a drive, Hito, 0:00:08.000 --> 0:00:10.119 the late right and left good and a five on 0:00:10.240 --> 0:00:13.640 Los Angeles and the Lakers are bloating here. The Sixers 0:00:13.640 --> 0:00:17.040 are stealing the ball left and right, no doubt defense 0:00:17.360 --> 0:00:20.400 the past few weeks, with new personnel continuing to get 0:00:20.400 --> 0:00:22.760 more and more acclimated, things seem to be rounding into 0:00:22.800 --> 0:00:24.640 form on that side of the floor. The team has 0:00:24.640 --> 0:00:26.479 been playing like a top three unit. Guys are just 0:00:26.480 --> 0:00:28.520 getting a little bit more comfortable now. I really think 0:00:28.520 --> 0:00:30.960 it is we need them to lock into every possession. 0:00:31.000 --> 0:00:32.760 We are not there yet. I'm just going to be honest. 0:00:32.760 --> 0:00:35.560 We're not there. We don't take that level of concentration 0:00:35.680 --> 0:00:37.839 to every possession. But we're trending in a good way 0:00:37.880 --> 0:00:40.760 as the numbers been around. That's assistant coach Billy Lang. 0:00:40.840 --> 0:00:43.400 He oversees the Sixers defense and he'll be our guest 0:00:43.760 --> 0:00:51.520 on this episode of the broadcast. Greetings seventy Sixers podcast 0:00:51.600 --> 0:00:54.680 people from the West Coast of the United States. The 0:00:54.720 --> 0:00:58.760 seventies Sixers road Trip rolls on, as does our podcast 0:00:58.840 --> 0:01:03.440 feed right and Seltzer is saying hello, Sixer has been 0:01:03.480 --> 0:01:05.720 doing some good stuff as of late, and once again 0:01:05.840 --> 0:01:08.399 we are set to wrap up a month of January 0:01:08.680 --> 0:01:11.240 under the coaching tenure of Brett Brown, and we look 0:01:11.280 --> 0:01:13.959 back over the last thirty days or so and you 0:01:14.000 --> 0:01:18.520 can say with pretty good authority that the Sixers have 0:01:18.720 --> 0:01:21.839 been making headway. That's been the case the last couple 0:01:21.840 --> 0:01:24.319 of years. It seems like January as the time that 0:01:24.440 --> 0:01:26.679 this team comes together. And definitely, at least for me, 0:01:26.720 --> 0:01:29.200 what stood out with the exception of that Denver game, 0:01:29.240 --> 0:01:32.240 aside when the Sixer has had some circumstances working against them, 0:01:32.600 --> 0:01:35.800 the defense has been really, really solid as of late, 0:01:35.920 --> 0:01:38.039 and that is a good sign. That has been the 0:01:38.080 --> 0:01:41.039 calling card of this club with Brett Brown as coach. 0:01:41.560 --> 0:01:43.720 And we're going to dive into some of the nitty 0:01:43.760 --> 0:01:45.960 gritty details of what the Sixers has been doing as 0:01:45.959 --> 0:01:48.600 of late, but also how things were set up this 0:01:48.680 --> 0:01:51.200 year on the defensive end of the court and what 0:01:51.400 --> 0:01:54.040 changed and how the team has had to adjust since 0:01:54.080 --> 0:01:56.560 the Jimmy Butler trade and also bringing in a guy 0:01:56.600 --> 0:01:59.120 like Corey Brewer or making some other personnel tweks. We're 0:01:59.120 --> 0:02:01.840 going to talk to billing in a sixth season as 0:02:01.880 --> 0:02:05.640 a Sixers assistant about that. But before we get started, 0:02:05.680 --> 0:02:08.720 a reminder that to subscribe the podcast, you can do 0:02:08.760 --> 0:02:11.560 a couple of things. You can go to Apple Podcast, 0:02:11.639 --> 0:02:13.000 you can go to Google Play, you can go to 0:02:13.040 --> 0:02:18.200 stitchers SoundCloud. Tune in, type in Sixers podcast Network that 0:02:18.280 --> 0:02:21.960 will take you to our feed. So if you watch 0:02:22.040 --> 0:02:25.480 the Sixers game against the Lakers earlier on on this 0:02:25.560 --> 0:02:29.040 road trip, a game the Sixers one twenty one to 0:02:29.280 --> 0:02:32.880 one oh five, the start of that game was nuts. 0:02:33.800 --> 0:02:37.120 It was totally out of control of the Sixers came 0:02:37.120 --> 0:02:40.359 out out of the gates with defensive stoppers Joel and 0:02:40.480 --> 0:02:43.600 b Jimmy Butler and Wilson Chandler back in the mix. 0:02:44.120 --> 0:02:46.600 They're just flat out punched the Lakers in the mouth. 0:02:46.639 --> 0:02:51.200 They were swarming, they were aggressive, They created turnovers. They 0:02:51.200 --> 0:02:54.160 had seven turnovers in the first I think it was 0:02:54.200 --> 0:02:57.960 six minutes, and at that point had fourteen points off turnovers. 0:02:58.560 --> 0:03:01.280 They were scoring off miss shots, and I really felt 0:03:01.280 --> 0:03:04.239 the defensive intensity helps set the tone for that game, 0:03:04.280 --> 0:03:07.080 and that's been emblematic of a larger growing trend for 0:03:07.080 --> 0:03:09.720 the seventy sixers. When we look back over the last 0:03:09.760 --> 0:03:12.880 two weeks. Since the fifteenth of January, the Sixers have 0:03:13.000 --> 0:03:16.359 been the third best defense in the NBA, and they're 0:03:16.360 --> 0:03:18.720 putting up numbers in terms of their defensive rating that 0:03:18.760 --> 0:03:21.760 would put them good enough for fourth overall in the league. 0:03:21.840 --> 0:03:24.960 So the Sixers, they made some adjustments in the offseason 0:03:25.240 --> 0:03:27.720 and they've been growing. I think there's been more cohesion 0:03:28.000 --> 0:03:30.120 so that it'd be a good time to pull up 0:03:30.160 --> 0:03:34.440 a chair. As you'll hear where with assistant coach Billy 0:03:34.520 --> 0:03:37.360 Lange has been with Brett Brown since day one for 0:03:37.480 --> 0:03:40.640 the seventy Sixers left Santa Monica and route to San 0:03:40.680 --> 0:03:45.000 Francisco to continue this four game Western Conference road trip. 0:03:45.760 --> 0:03:48.640 This is a message out there for our wives. If 0:03:48.640 --> 0:03:51.680 you're listening, what you hear in the background, perhaps the 0:03:51.760 --> 0:03:54.920 rolling crescendo of waves, the rustling of palm trees. It's 0:03:54.960 --> 0:03:58.960 not that it's just ambient static in the atmosphere. Natural 0:03:58.960 --> 0:04:02.000 things had happened when you podcast, right, Billy, that's right. 0:04:02.200 --> 0:04:06.160 I'm just happy this is not on video. True true statement. 0:04:06.440 --> 0:04:08.120 So maybe in our minds we can just imagine that 0:04:08.160 --> 0:04:11.040 we're only about fifty feet from the Pacific Ocean. It's 0:04:11.080 --> 0:04:15.280 around seventy degrees sunny, a nice breeze coming in on 0:04:15.320 --> 0:04:17.760 the West coast. Seventy six is picking up a great 0:04:17.760 --> 0:04:21.160 twin against the Los Angeleslers. So right now, at this 0:04:21.240 --> 0:04:24.919 very moment, life is excellent, Yes it is, it is. 0:04:25.160 --> 0:04:27.280 But we do have the Warriors coming up in like 0:04:27.520 --> 0:04:30.760 a little over twenty four hours so and then that'll 0:04:30.760 --> 0:04:34.360 be excellent because it's a learning experience. But we're blessed man. 0:04:34.400 --> 0:04:37.520 We do what we love to do regardless of the results. 0:04:37.520 --> 0:04:40.000 We have to always remind ourselves look at what we're doing, 0:04:40.560 --> 0:04:43.080 you know. And we've got great supportive families back home 0:04:43.120 --> 0:04:45.960 and you know, our coaching staff. This is something Money 0:04:45.960 --> 0:04:49.440 and I talk about all the time, just how you 0:04:49.480 --> 0:04:51.960 know strong our wives are, our families are for us 0:04:52.000 --> 0:04:53.600 to be away from them. And the same thing goes 0:04:53.600 --> 0:04:55.360 with the players, you know, like we look at these 0:04:55.400 --> 0:04:58.000 guys as these young, invincible people, but they're away from 0:04:58.080 --> 0:05:01.120 support staff a lot. That's where earth they're support system. 0:05:01.160 --> 0:05:02.760 I should say. It's why it's great to see a 0:05:02.760 --> 0:05:05.080 lot of these parents that are able to fly and 0:05:05.120 --> 0:05:07.120 watch their children play, you know, because there's still their 0:05:07.200 --> 0:05:09.279 children even if they're they're in their mid twenties. These 0:05:09.279 --> 0:05:13.160 are their kids. We've got a great basketball family with 0:05:13.200 --> 0:05:15.000 the seventy six ers, but we have to remember that 0:05:15.040 --> 0:05:17.839 we have these families back home, and we're just really 0:05:17.839 --> 0:05:19.960 blessed to have the sport we do. It's funny is 0:05:20.120 --> 0:05:23.359 still a relatively fresh father myself. I'm looking at the 0:05:23.400 --> 0:05:25.720 game against the Lakers the other night, and there down 0:05:25.720 --> 0:05:27.599 to the corner of the base line is Dave Simmons 0:05:27.600 --> 0:05:31.680 sitting watching Ben put together another terrific performance. And I'm like, 0:05:32.000 --> 0:05:34.480 this guy who's really played the sport at about as 0:05:34.560 --> 0:05:37.000 high level as you could without being in the NBA 0:05:37.040 --> 0:05:39.040 and talking about Ben's dad, but it's still got to 0:05:39.080 --> 0:05:41.280 be just such an amazing feeling to sit there and 0:05:41.360 --> 0:05:44.320 see your kid do something to the level that Ben does. 0:05:44.320 --> 0:05:46.680 It must be unreal, I'll tell you what's crazy. Actually, 0:05:46.800 --> 0:05:49.200 that same thought after the game yesterday. Really yeah, just 0:05:50.040 --> 0:05:54.159 you know, because you're on this stage in Los Angeles, 0:05:54.160 --> 0:05:57.400 you know, it's a state, right and you're you're watching 0:05:57.480 --> 0:06:02.000 your child play, and that your son's in the NBA, 0:06:02.120 --> 0:06:04.760 you know, and you know, think about all the things 0:06:04.800 --> 0:06:07.159 that the Simmons had to do and all these parents 0:06:07.160 --> 0:06:09.120 had to do to help get their children here, the 0:06:09.120 --> 0:06:12.400 commitments they made, the sacrifices they made, the dollars they spent. 0:06:12.839 --> 0:06:15.200 You know, they made a decision to move, you know, 0:06:15.279 --> 0:06:18.159 to come to the United States to get Ben against 0:06:18.160 --> 0:06:20.120 the competition over here. For all these kids. I mean, 0:06:20.160 --> 0:06:22.800 you know, Joel and Beat left the country, left his 0:06:22.880 --> 0:06:26.080 family to come over here to play. You know, it's 0:06:26.120 --> 0:06:28.760 all the hours that you know, t J. McConnell's father 0:06:28.880 --> 0:06:31.279 spent with him in the gym. It's just a huge commitment. 0:06:31.360 --> 0:06:36.160 So to see their children on this stage and in 0:06:36.200 --> 0:06:39.360 this limelight of Los Angeles, and then they probably still 0:06:39.360 --> 0:06:41.920 remember holding them and burping them and giving them passifiers 0:06:41.960 --> 0:06:43.520 on all the things you're going through right now. You 0:06:43.520 --> 0:06:45.520 probably understand what a binkie is more now than you 0:06:45.520 --> 0:06:48.479 did a year ago. And you know, this is just 0:06:48.560 --> 0:06:50.200 part of life. But it has to be really cool 0:06:50.240 --> 0:06:53.040 for them to see that. So the Sixers bounced back, 0:06:53.279 --> 0:06:56.800 got the full personnel back against the Lakers, and the 0:06:56.839 --> 0:07:00.839 start of that game was outrageous, really was. It was 0:07:00.880 --> 0:07:06.680 like when you think even Sixers basketball to warp speed, aggressive, defensively, keen, 0:07:07.240 --> 0:07:10.360 scoring opportunities on the break, scoring off missus, Like what 0:07:10.400 --> 0:07:11.920 was going on? What did you see happening at the 0:07:11.960 --> 0:07:14.080 started Well, I want to go back to something you 0:07:14.120 --> 0:07:17.800 said about full roster. It's just important we never make 0:07:17.840 --> 0:07:21.320 excuses for missing people. Okay is particularly coach Brown. I mean, 0:07:21.360 --> 0:07:24.280 he's been here for six seasons, so in the first 0:07:24.280 --> 0:07:26.000 few years of some people could say we were missing 0:07:26.040 --> 0:07:28.680 the whole roster, right, So this is just what we do. 0:07:28.760 --> 0:07:31.880 We have to coach, and we really challenge our players 0:07:31.920 --> 0:07:33.800 after the Denver game because a lot of those guys 0:07:33.800 --> 0:07:35.720 that were on the quarter still in our rotations and 0:07:35.760 --> 0:07:38.000 we trust them and we believe in them. And some 0:07:38.040 --> 0:07:40.520 of the things, the mistakes or noncommittal things that they 0:07:40.560 --> 0:07:42.200 made on the defensive end, and then some of the 0:07:42.200 --> 0:07:44.120 things we did in the on our offensive end in 0:07:44.160 --> 0:07:47.120 the second half. We're not accepting that just because Wilson, Jimmy, 0:07:47.160 --> 0:07:48.720 and Joel were not on the floor, but we do 0:07:48.840 --> 0:07:51.320 understand the impact that they make. What you saw last 0:07:51.400 --> 0:07:55.960 night was probably the result of a challenge to those 0:07:56.000 --> 0:07:59.160 other players to step up and then bringing back those 0:07:59.200 --> 0:08:01.640 three guys. And we're going through a little collision here 0:08:01.760 --> 0:08:05.480 right now, particularly on the defensive end, meaning this you 0:08:05.680 --> 0:08:09.320 can not win in the spring and summertime if you 0:08:09.400 --> 0:08:15.000 do not play solid possessions, valuing each detail, because the 0:08:15.080 --> 0:08:17.760 offenses are not going to turn to basketball over They're 0:08:17.800 --> 0:08:19.440 just not going to do that. That's why they're in 0:08:19.480 --> 0:08:24.360 the playoffs. However, because of Jimmy, because of Joel and 0:08:24.400 --> 0:08:26.200 who he is, and Ben and who he is, and 0:08:26.240 --> 0:08:29.400 TJ and who he is, we have this element, like 0:08:29.440 --> 0:08:32.720 this explosive element that we probably have not had here 0:08:32.720 --> 0:08:35.160 where we're able to jump on people. So now we 0:08:35.240 --> 0:08:36.719 have to find a way to balance that. This is 0:08:36.760 --> 0:08:38.560 what I think Golden State has done a great job of. 0:08:39.520 --> 0:08:41.400 They gamble a lot. Golden State. They are in the 0:08:41.480 --> 0:08:45.240 passing lanes, they leave an assignment to go randomly double 0:08:45.240 --> 0:08:48.360 the ball, and they all rotate and play off each other. 0:08:48.360 --> 0:08:51.360 But then when they have to play Cleveland or Lebron 0:08:51.480 --> 0:08:53.200 or they've got to go against Boston and they have 0:08:53.240 --> 0:08:55.920 to just lock in and be solid and just protect 0:08:55.960 --> 0:08:57.920 the basket and get a key stop, they're able to 0:08:57.920 --> 0:08:59.720 find that balance. We're going to have to find that 0:08:59.760 --> 0:09:02.160 movie forward. But it's pretty cool that we're adding this 0:09:02.200 --> 0:09:05.160 other element right now. Where do you see things defensively 0:09:05.160 --> 0:09:07.240 at this stage of the season, just past the fifty 0:09:07.280 --> 0:09:10.040 game mark. I know you guys are always striving for more. 0:09:10.120 --> 0:09:12.760 But really, I guess a lot of people have made 0:09:12.800 --> 0:09:15.280 a lot of this stretch that you could say started 0:09:15.320 --> 0:09:18.640 back with the home game against Minnesota, and since that point, 0:09:18.640 --> 0:09:20.400 you guys are number three in the league defensively in 0:09:20.480 --> 0:09:23.400 terms of defensive rating, almost right at number two where 0:09:23.400 --> 0:09:25.880 Boston is. So where have you seen some evolutions, some 0:09:26.000 --> 0:09:28.559 growth because as you said, like there have been stretches 0:09:28.559 --> 0:09:30.680 when Jimmy wasn't available for the last three game. Yes, no, 0:09:30.760 --> 0:09:33.319 I mean if you take the whole Minnesota game and 0:09:33.400 --> 0:09:37.120 the whole Indiana game, and then the second half of 0:09:37.240 --> 0:09:40.600 the Oklahoma City game, and really maybe quarters two through four, 0:09:41.640 --> 0:09:43.880 and then the whole game against Houston, we were amazing. 0:09:44.040 --> 0:09:47.000 We were not great against San Antonio because the result 0:09:47.080 --> 0:09:49.000 was not great, and part of that was San Antonio 0:09:49.040 --> 0:09:52.040 played amazing. It really did. That was just a well 0:09:52.080 --> 0:09:54.480 played basketball game, and that's going to happen at this league. 0:09:54.480 --> 0:09:56.840 You have an effective offensive players that can do a 0:09:56.840 --> 0:09:59.079 lot of things. But what we did in the last 0:09:59.240 --> 0:10:01.880 four minutes that game, particularly the last two and a half, 0:10:01.920 --> 0:10:04.680 we're just really in line with what the team had 0:10:04.720 --> 0:10:08.200 done prior to that. Since Minnesotas you allude to, where 0:10:08.240 --> 0:10:11.000 I see us right now is still growing. You know, 0:10:11.080 --> 0:10:12.920 a guy like Jimmy Butler has been in the same 0:10:12.960 --> 0:10:15.840 defensive system for almost his entire career, and even though 0:10:15.880 --> 0:10:18.240 things really don't change that much from team to team, 0:10:18.480 --> 0:10:20.600 we have a few nuances that are unique to us, 0:10:21.080 --> 0:10:24.960 and he's getting adjusted. Wilson Chandler is healthy and now learning. 0:10:24.960 --> 0:10:27.800 He's a twelve year veteran or maybe even more that's 0:10:27.800 --> 0:10:29.320 done a lot of things in a different way, and 0:10:29.360 --> 0:10:33.000 now he's getting accustomed to our mantra of trying to 0:10:33.000 --> 0:10:34.960 take away the open three point shot, because you're going 0:10:35.000 --> 0:10:37.319 to need that as you progress forward in the springtime. 0:10:37.840 --> 0:10:40.040 And guys are just getting a little bit more comfortable now. 0:10:40.040 --> 0:10:42.080 I really think it is, Brian, we need them to 0:10:42.160 --> 0:10:44.839 lock in to every possession. We are not there yet. 0:10:45.320 --> 0:10:47.080 I'm just going to be honest. We're not there. We 0:10:47.160 --> 0:10:50.960 don't take that yet, take that level of concentration to 0:10:51.080 --> 0:10:53.240 every possession. But we're trending in a good way as 0:10:53.240 --> 0:10:55.720 the numbers bear out. Walk me through how you guys 0:10:55.720 --> 0:10:59.360 have decided to coach this thing defensively, really going back 0:10:59.400 --> 0:11:01.200 to the summer, like, how does that work with the 0:11:01.200 --> 0:11:04.000 coaching staff when you philosophically decide to tweak a few 0:11:04.040 --> 0:11:07.040 things that we really had been very successful to a 0:11:07.040 --> 0:11:09.840 certain degree last year. Yeah, so a few things I 0:11:09.880 --> 0:11:12.800 think too much has been made of these tweaks, because 0:11:13.040 --> 0:11:15.440 really they were things that we did last year. We 0:11:15.480 --> 0:11:17.719 just didn't make them staples of this is what we're 0:11:17.720 --> 0:11:20.480 going to do. We made them like adjustments, or we 0:11:20.559 --> 0:11:23.360 made them change based on an opponent or an opponent's 0:11:23.360 --> 0:11:26.600 playoff series or losing a game. So everything that we've 0:11:26.640 --> 0:11:31.560 added or emphasized are all things that were in last season. 0:11:31.600 --> 0:11:33.480 We just studied during the summer and say, you know, 0:11:33.559 --> 0:11:36.400 it's not about two thousand and eight seventeen eighteen anymore. 0:11:36.400 --> 0:11:38.520 It's really about, like, if we believe we're this good, 0:11:38.760 --> 0:11:40.320 how are we going to be good in two thousand 0:11:40.320 --> 0:11:43.200 and nineteen to two thousand and twenty two, twenty three 0:11:43.240 --> 0:11:44.520 and behind. And one of it is you have to 0:11:44.559 --> 0:11:46.679 look at your superstar on the defensive end, and Joe 0:11:46.720 --> 0:11:50.360 Ellenbid and how do we craft a defense that allows 0:11:50.480 --> 0:11:52.920 him to play to his strengths. That was one of 0:11:52.920 --> 0:11:55.000 the first things I think we sat down and said 0:11:55.040 --> 0:11:57.800 that that's number one. Number two, we studied a lot 0:11:57.840 --> 0:12:00.480 of playoff basketball. We studied a lot of trends of 0:12:00.520 --> 0:12:03.400 the teams that are moving in that direction, like guys 0:12:03.400 --> 0:12:05.760 that can compete for a championship, teams that can compete 0:12:05.800 --> 0:12:08.560 for a championship. And you notice a few things. You know, 0:12:09.040 --> 0:12:11.440 it's almost all five out, Brian, once you get to 0:12:11.480 --> 0:12:15.880 that level, So you know, rim protection is different than 0:12:15.880 --> 0:12:19.000 when there's three guys around two guys or four guys 0:12:19.080 --> 0:12:20.880 around one. When you go to five out, how do 0:12:20.880 --> 0:12:22.960 you get Joel around the basket as much as you can? 0:12:23.280 --> 0:12:25.240 And why our teams five out because they want to 0:12:25.320 --> 0:12:27.280 drive the ball. Yes, they want to get layups, but 0:12:27.320 --> 0:12:29.319 more they want to kick you in and then kick 0:12:29.360 --> 0:12:31.400 it out for three. So we just went to some 0:12:31.480 --> 0:12:33.360 things that we did last season that we thought were 0:12:33.360 --> 0:12:36.760 effective and then we made them staples. And those things 0:12:36.760 --> 0:12:39.120 took some time, but I think they're rearing itself in 0:12:39.160 --> 0:12:41.120 a good way right now. We still make a few 0:12:41.120 --> 0:12:42.800 more mistakes than we would like to, but that's what 0:12:42.800 --> 0:12:45.000 we always here here for its coaches, is to pick 0:12:45.040 --> 0:12:47.520 out all the little mistakes. Then the crazy thing is 0:12:47.679 --> 0:12:49.400 about a month in the season, you get a four 0:12:49.440 --> 0:12:52.560 time All League defender, a four time All Star Jimmy Butler. 0:12:53.040 --> 0:12:55.360 And while there's been such great young talent here over 0:12:55.400 --> 0:12:57.880 the years, inheriting and absorbing a talent like that, it's 0:12:57.920 --> 0:12:59.880 something you guys have structured thing tours, but it had 0:13:00.080 --> 0:13:02.839 happened until this year. What are some of the nuances 0:13:02.880 --> 0:13:05.839 and subtleties and then maybe even some louder things of 0:13:05.960 --> 0:13:08.360 Jimmy Butler's defensive game that you really appreciate, And like, 0:13:08.520 --> 0:13:10.520 I mean number one, we also give up a really 0:13:10.520 --> 0:13:14.839 good defensive player, no doubt, so like and he was 0:13:14.880 --> 0:13:17.520 good and and Rob knew what we wanted to do, 0:13:17.640 --> 0:13:20.840 so like in the end of the day, effectiveness might 0:13:20.840 --> 0:13:22.959 have been equal. But with Jimmy brings is he brings 0:13:22.960 --> 0:13:28.439 this reputation and he is a good like small space toughness. 0:13:28.480 --> 0:13:31.440 He's got like a football like a soccer fullbacks body 0:13:31.840 --> 0:13:34.240 and he's able to get underneath people and it gives 0:13:34.240 --> 0:13:36.160 the team a lot of confidence. And now what we're 0:13:36.240 --> 0:13:38.800 learning is Jimmy has a lot of gambling in him, right, 0:13:40.040 --> 0:13:42.480 So it's not all bad. It's just he sees things. 0:13:42.480 --> 0:13:45.040 He's gotten an intellect about him. So the balance that 0:13:45.080 --> 0:13:47.600 we have to have as a coaching staff between like, Okay, 0:13:47.600 --> 0:13:50.040 we've studied this enough to know we have to be 0:13:50.080 --> 0:13:52.680 solid here versus, Hey, this guy has a unique skill 0:13:53.280 --> 0:13:55.440 and how do you marry those two things? Like that's 0:13:55.480 --> 0:13:58.320 not an easy thing to do because one time Jimmy 0:13:58.360 --> 0:14:01.040 might try to go make a play and it works, 0:14:01.160 --> 0:14:03.319 so we're all happy about the result. Then he tries 0:14:03.360 --> 0:14:05.760 to go make the same play and it didn't work 0:14:05.800 --> 0:14:08.120 and we're not happy about the results. So you know, 0:14:08.280 --> 0:14:10.200 what is the risk and is it worth it? Like 0:14:10.360 --> 0:14:12.440 you know, we talked about it. Did he calculate it? Like? 0:14:12.480 --> 0:14:14.760 Did he think about it? And Jimmy's intellect to your point, 0:14:14.800 --> 0:14:17.800 those are the things that he has brought to us 0:14:17.840 --> 0:14:19.960 that we've needed, Like his ability to see things and 0:14:20.000 --> 0:14:22.680 then visualize it and then take it to his teammates 0:14:23.000 --> 0:14:24.640 and talk about have been good. I mean we've learned 0:14:24.680 --> 0:14:27.800 from him as coaches too. He's been really helpful. More 0:14:27.880 --> 0:14:30.760 with Billy Lange in just a moment, but wanted to 0:14:30.800 --> 0:14:34.280 take a moment to remind you about the Sixers Youth 0:14:34.320 --> 0:14:37.400 Foundation GALLA. Fourth Annual Sixers Youth Foundation GALLA presented by 0:14:37.480 --> 0:14:40.560 Vip Wireless. It's gonna be on March eleventh, So in 0:14:40.600 --> 0:14:44.600 about six weeks from now at the outstanding Fillmore, Philadelphia. 0:14:44.640 --> 0:14:47.120 Sixers players, coaches and alums are gonna be on hand 0:14:47.160 --> 0:14:50.360 for a great night as everyone works together to create 0:14:50.400 --> 0:14:54.200 a brighter future for the leaders of tomorrow. Purchase tickets 0:14:54.200 --> 0:14:56.840 to the event at Sixers Youth Foundation dot org slash 0:14:56.880 --> 0:15:01.560 gala Strong Youth, Strong Communities, Promising future six or Strong 0:15:01.760 --> 0:15:03.680 and if you've not been before, the six Or Youth 0:15:03.720 --> 0:15:07.320 Foundation Gala is fantastic. It doesn't feel like one of 0:15:07.320 --> 0:15:15.520 those traditional charity events. This is comfortable. You get to 0:15:15.680 --> 0:15:19.280 mingle with some of the true dignitaries of the seventy 0:15:19.280 --> 0:15:22.280 six Ers family and again support a great cause while 0:15:22.360 --> 0:15:25.400 doing it. Six or Youth Foundation dot org slash Gala 0:15:25.480 --> 0:15:28.920 for more information and to purchase tickets. Hope to see 0:15:28.920 --> 0:15:32.280 you there now. Back North Billy Lane. I feel like 0:15:32.320 --> 0:15:34.680 there's always this narrative and talk about well, is eighty 0:15:34.680 --> 0:15:37.000 two games too many? And is the season too long? 0:15:37.400 --> 0:15:39.720 I've got to think that from a coaching standpoint, in 0:15:39.760 --> 0:15:42.720 this type of situation, it's got to help. I mean, 0:15:42.760 --> 0:15:44.920 you can't. It's not like a sport like football, where 0:15:44.920 --> 0:15:46.680 you live and die with every game. It's more like 0:15:46.760 --> 0:15:48.480 chunks where like here we are right now at the 0:15:48.560 --> 0:15:51.400 end of January, Surprise, surprise once again, and it seems 0:15:51.440 --> 0:15:53.240 like you guys are rounding more and more into form, 0:15:53.240 --> 0:15:54.840 because it does have to take some time for you 0:15:54.920 --> 0:15:57.400 to figure out a guy's tendencies and what he prefers, 0:15:57.400 --> 0:16:00.240 whether that's Jimmy Butler or moving Wilson Chandler up on 0:16:00.240 --> 0:16:03.400 the wing more bring well, I just want to tell you, 0:16:03.440 --> 0:16:05.600 don't be fooled. We live and die with all eighty two, right. 0:16:05.720 --> 0:16:07.880 It's just the fact that we're able to have a 0:16:07.920 --> 0:16:12.400 response to the loss within usually forty eight hours. It 0:16:14.760 --> 0:16:17.240 keeps it in perspective. It just like it allows us 0:16:17.240 --> 0:16:19.680 to be like, okay, did we get Let's take the 0:16:19.720 --> 0:16:21.880 San Antonio game. You know in the game we were 0:16:21.920 --> 0:16:23.720 like our defense thinks you go back and watch it, 0:16:23.760 --> 0:16:26.560 you're like, no, Like, you know, they made some really 0:16:26.560 --> 0:16:29.040 hard threes and DeMar derozen did what he did, but 0:16:29.080 --> 0:16:32.600 he does it against everybody, and our guys gave great effort. 0:16:32.680 --> 0:16:35.880 So the chance to just bounce back and play quickly 0:16:36.360 --> 0:16:39.640 helps us what hurts. Now, there's two things that have happened. 0:16:40.400 --> 0:16:43.160 There's less back to backs, and that is much much 0:16:43.200 --> 0:16:46.840 better for the players. Okay, where it's actually hurt is 0:16:46.920 --> 0:16:48.400 usually when you would have a back to back, the 0:16:48.520 --> 0:16:50.480 next day would be off, and then if you came 0:16:50.560 --> 0:16:52.400 back the next day and didn't have a game, you 0:16:52.400 --> 0:16:55.240 would have it like a real practice. Okay. Now, when 0:16:55.280 --> 0:16:57.680 you're playing four games over seven or eight day span, 0:16:57.760 --> 0:17:00.280 those days in between are like maintenance days. These guys 0:17:00.280 --> 0:17:03.200 are getting shots to taking care of their body. You're walking. 0:17:03.280 --> 0:17:06.480 When I say walking, I mean walking through some things. 0:17:06.520 --> 0:17:11.520 So the game schedule is hurt mostly for us because 0:17:11.600 --> 0:17:13.280 of we just don't get the practice time, which I'm 0:17:13.280 --> 0:17:16.720 sure the players love. So these guys ability to learn 0:17:16.840 --> 0:17:19.680 through video is at a premium, and you need to 0:17:19.720 --> 0:17:22.480 have smart players and we do. Did you do anything 0:17:22.520 --> 0:17:25.120 differently this offseason preparation wise, knowing that you would get 0:17:25.119 --> 0:17:26.920 a shot at overseeing the defense? I mean, I don't 0:17:26.960 --> 0:17:29.000 want to make too much of that, but I'm sure, 0:17:29.040 --> 0:17:31.480 like you know, we it's crazy. We can probably go 0:17:31.480 --> 0:17:33.320 back about a decade or so. I was working at Penn, 0:17:33.359 --> 0:17:35.080 you're at Navy and Villanova, and I feel like you've 0:17:35.080 --> 0:17:36.920 always been a guy to seek out knowledge and speak 0:17:36.920 --> 0:17:38.920 to people. But the type of things that you tried 0:17:38.960 --> 0:17:40.520 to learn and acquire over the summer. Was that any 0:17:40.520 --> 0:17:42.040 different at all? You know, Lloyd and I used to 0:17:42.040 --> 0:17:44.800 talk about this all the time, you know, behind coaches back. 0:17:44.840 --> 0:17:46.880 I guess it won't be anymore because it's a podcast. 0:17:46.920 --> 0:17:49.800 But we're coaches. This is what we do. You know. 0:17:50.000 --> 0:17:51.719 I've been a head coach. I've done all of it, 0:17:51.800 --> 0:17:54.200 you know, player development, I've had to put games straggy together, 0:17:54.280 --> 0:17:57.639 coach offensive, coach defense. Lloyd worked for other coaches. We 0:17:57.760 --> 0:18:00.159 communicated a lot. We were in these meetings for five 0:18:00.240 --> 0:18:03.520 or six years on different you know, responsibilities, but we 0:18:03.640 --> 0:18:06.320 talked and we paid attention to each other. When coach 0:18:06.920 --> 0:18:11.199 puts someone in charge of something, really what he's saying is, 0:18:11.240 --> 0:18:13.720 I need you to be the most intimate person with 0:18:13.760 --> 0:18:16.800 this area during the season. In the end of the day, 0:18:16.840 --> 0:18:19.639 it's coaches offense and coaches defense. But he doesn't have 0:18:19.720 --> 0:18:22.040 the time after every game, like we just talked about, 0:18:22.040 --> 0:18:24.960 with the schedule to like dig into every possession. He's 0:18:25.000 --> 0:18:26.480 some games he's like, I need to look at all 0:18:26.480 --> 0:18:28.280 our after timeouts, or I need to watch the last 0:18:28.320 --> 0:18:30.800 four minutes, or today I'm watching all the opponents make 0:18:30.840 --> 0:18:32.760 So Billy, give me all the transition defense, and what 0:18:32.800 --> 0:18:36.680 he's counting on is do I have intimate knowledge of 0:18:36.800 --> 0:18:38.560 the defense. So that's what it means to be in charge. 0:18:38.600 --> 0:18:40.600 So now go back to your question on the off season, 0:18:40.680 --> 0:18:44.120 it was I studied every playoff game for the last 0:18:44.160 --> 0:18:46.680 two seasons. That was my job. Not played in the NBA, 0:18:46.800 --> 0:18:48.919 played in the NBA. So I had to see, like, 0:18:49.000 --> 0:18:51.280 where are things trending? You know, how did you Tall 0:18:51.320 --> 0:18:54.600 play pick and roll against James Harden? Why is Boston 0:18:54.760 --> 0:18:57.600