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Speaker 2: All right, welcome to hoops tonight. You're at the volume.

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Speaker 2: Happy Friday, everybody, hopeful if you guys had an incredible week.

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Speaker 2: We have very special guests today, Carson Breber and Logan

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Speaker 2: Camden from the nerd SESSH. You guys have probably seen

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Speaker 2: these guys come on the show. They went on a

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Speaker 2: few times last year. Carson's been on a few more

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Speaker 2: times than that. I've been on their show a few times,

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Speaker 2: but I'm very very We're gonna be breaking down everything

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Speaker 2: from yesterday as well as the n Season Tournament championship game,

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Speaker 2: which is going to be tomorrow, and then two other

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Speaker 2: questions from around the league having to do with the

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Speaker 2: Pelicans and the Warriors. But before we get started, what's up, guys,

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Speaker 2: Please tell everybody about your new YouTube channel where they

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Speaker 2: can find you. I want to make sure, because you

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Speaker 2: guys just like what I just went through about a

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Speaker 2: month ago. You guys are launching a new channel. I

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Speaker 2: want to help get that off the ground as best

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Speaker 2: as we can. Tell everybody where to find your stuff.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, So, as you said, we have our on YouTube

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Speaker 3: page now if you just look up nerd Sesh should

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Speaker 3: be the first result. As you mentioned, Jason, we just

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Speaker 3: had you onto our show last week, which was super great,

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Speaker 3: so you can check that out. We've got a new

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Speaker 3: trivia show up today. We're doing some in depth video essay,

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Speaker 3: in depth breakdowns of some specific NBA players. We've got

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Speaker 3: one up about a guy who we're going to talk

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Speaker 3: about today, Tyres Haliburton. So all of that is at

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Speaker 3: the nerd Sesh page.

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Speaker 2: Yeah. To put it simply, I enjoy talking basketball with

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Speaker 2: these guys because they both know the game and they

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Speaker 2: put in the work and they know well. They do

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Speaker 2: a much better job covering some of the more off

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Speaker 2: the beaten path NBA topics two than I do. I

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Speaker 2: highly recommend you guys go check them out. But let's

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Speaker 2: get to last night. So Lebron obviously thirty points on

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Speaker 2: twelve shots, four to four from three eight assis zero turnovers,

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Speaker 2: first player in NBA history to put up a thirty

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Speaker 2: five and five in less than twenty three minutes, which

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Speaker 2: is an absolutely insane stat. I would say that on

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Speaker 2: a per minute basis, that was one of the most

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Speaker 2: dominant games of his career, as he literally snatched the

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Speaker 2: soul of the New Orleans Pelicans for the world to see.

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Speaker 2: For the season, now twenty five points, eight rebound, seven assists,

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Speaker 2: sixty five percent true shooting, his highest true shooting percentage

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Speaker 2: since twenty fourteen, the second highest of his career, two

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Speaker 2: point two stocks per game. That's thirtieth in the NBA.

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Speaker 2: Not nothing, Lakers are twenty one point two points per

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Speaker 2: one hundred possessions better with him on the floor versus off.

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Speaker 2: According to Cleaning the Glass, the jump SHOT's been dead

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Speaker 2: one point one points per jump shot, one point two

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Speaker 2: to four points per catch and shoot jump shot. In particular,

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Speaker 2: where he's been red hot. He's one of only two

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Speaker 2: players in the NBA to have attempted at least seven

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Speaker 2: shots per game in the restricted area, and he sho

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Speaker 2: and shoot over seventy percent on them. It's him and Giannis.

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Speaker 2: Thirty six players this year have ran at least two

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Speaker 2: hundred pick and rolls, including passes. His one point zero

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Speaker 2: nine points per possession ranks seventh out of those thirty

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Speaker 2: six players, despite some pretty bad off ball shooting. He's

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Speaker 2: also second in total fourth quarter points scored this year

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Speaker 2: and fifth in total clutch points scored this year. The

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Speaker 2: Lakers have been the third best clutch team in the

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Speaker 2: league by win percentage. As well. I say all that

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Speaker 2: to ask this, does Lebron deserve to be in the

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Speaker 2: MVP conversation?

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Speaker 3: I would not put him in the upper echaloons of

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Speaker 3: this conversation, just because I think you have to look

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Speaker 3: at a The Lakers are not among the elite regular

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Speaker 3: season teams at this point. I think that the they

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Speaker 3: have the potential to get there, especially if they hit

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Speaker 3: on a mid season trade. But this is a team

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Speaker 3: whose effort can wax and wane, and that applies to

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Speaker 3: Lebron as well. I think that when he is dialed in,

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Speaker 3: this is the best Lebron that we have seen since

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Speaker 3: twenty twenty, when he was the best player on the

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Speaker 3: planet pretty indisputably and the best player on a title team. Now,

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Speaker 3: I would say that he has no argument for the

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Speaker 3: best player in the world title anymore. He is not

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Speaker 3: that level of player. But when you consider some of

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Speaker 3: the health issues that he's endured where we haven't seen him,

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Speaker 3: maybe this explosively athletic, especially if you look at the

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Speaker 3: playoff run last year when he was really hampered by

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Speaker 3: the foot injury, when he was struggling with the jumper,

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Speaker 3: when he wasn't able to impose himself offensively as consistently

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Speaker 3: as we're used to from him, There's no question that

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Speaker 3: this is unimproved and a wildly impressive Lebron. So to me,

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Speaker 3: it's not so much about him really pushing for that MVP.

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Speaker 3: Not I think that there are guys who just night

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Speaker 3: to night are putting forth such massive efforts and are

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Speaker 3: so responsible for carrying their teams singularly to being elite

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Speaker 3: Nicole Jokic, if it's Joel Embiid. What's so encouraging to

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Speaker 3: me about this is that when he picks his spots,

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Speaker 3: this Lebron looks so unbelievable. It is the most efficient

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Speaker 3: Lebron we have ever seen. You read a lot of

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Speaker 3: those great stats off Jason. He is shooting his career

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Speaker 3: best percentage on twos and on threes. Now you have

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Speaker 3: this unbelievable combination of him having a career jump shooting season,

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Speaker 3: and we saw it in this game. It was a

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Speaker 3: shot making clinic. You have the stretch where he pulls

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Speaker 3: the back to back logo threes, just obscene. You have

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Speaker 3: not long after that, the really tough runner and won

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Speaker 3: like just incredible skilled shot making combined with an ability

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Speaker 3: to attack mismatches and to really pick on the easy

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Speaker 3: stuff so efficiently. And that's another thing that stood out

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Speaker 3: from this game when you put up numbers like this

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Speaker 3: in twenty three minutes on the floor. Yes, you have

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Speaker 3: to shoot the ball really well, as he did, but

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Speaker 3: hunting the easy stuff starting from his first basket of

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Speaker 3: the day where he just gets that post seal and

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Speaker 3: it's an easy layup. You have a smart cut from

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Speaker 3: him in this game. He's getting out in treransition repeatedly,

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Speaker 3: like he is doing such a good job of maximizing

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Speaker 3: his advantages without having to put excessive stress on his body.

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Speaker 3: And then situationally, you see in the efficiency you mentioned

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Speaker 3: the fourth quarter numbers, he's eight and a half points

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Speaker 3: per game there on fifty nine percent shooting. This is

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Speaker 3: an unbelievable version of Lebron, who is just putting forth

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Speaker 3: to me, by far, the most impressive demonstration of longevity,

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Speaker 3: not just an NBA history, I would argue in sports history.

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Speaker 3: If you try to make the cross sports comparisons, Brady

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Speaker 3: plays until he's forty five, but that's a position that

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Speaker 3: is so much less dependent on athleticism. Lebron is still

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Speaker 3: a top tier athlete in the NBA today and we

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Speaker 3: see that every night whenever he wants to show it.

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Speaker 3: That's never happened for a guy who was knocking on

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Speaker 3: the door of thirty nine. When you think about the

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Speaker 3: dudes who could still put up twenty plus at this age,

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Speaker 3: it's Kareem who had this unbelievable size advantage and then

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Speaker 3: this great skilled shot making. It's Karl Malone, who was

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Speaker 3: this post machine. You've never seen a guy with this

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Speaker 3: sort of explosiveness. There's still probably fewer than a handful

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Speaker 3: of guys who are better all around athletes than Lebron

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Speaker 3: in the NBA today, and that is so encouraging for

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Speaker 3: the Lakers ceiling because we saw in the playoff run

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Speaker 3: last year they need him to carry a pretty heavy

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Speaker 3: burden if this team wants to be really good. Offensively.

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Speaker 3: They certainly need him to be better than he was

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Speaker 3: in that run last year when he was hampered, and

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Speaker 3: I think there is every sign right now that he

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Speaker 3: is capable of doing that.

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Speaker 1: And considering what a large question mark that was coming

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Speaker 1: into the season, Carson, it has to be encouraging for

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Speaker 1: the Lakers ceiling. I think there is one more aspect

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Speaker 1: of why I wouldn't have Lebron in the upper echelon

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Speaker 1: MVP conversation, and that's because he does have Anthony Davis.

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Speaker 1: And I don't want to understell how imperative Anthony Davis

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Speaker 1: is to this team winning basketball games, and what he

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Speaker 1: does on the defensive side of the ball, and how

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Speaker 1: great he has been over the last ten games. You know,

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Speaker 1: Lebron is dominating and it is remarkable. I've never seen

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Speaker 1: anything like this from a guy from an athlete his

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Speaker 1: age but eighties, twenty four, fourteen and three on sixty

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Speaker 1: one percent through shooting over the last ten games. He's

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Speaker 1: been good defensively, and so I think that plays against

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Speaker 1: Lebron's MVP case, But like you said, I think it

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Speaker 1: is why it's really encouraging about this Lakers team moving

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Speaker 1: forward towards playoff time. Ad rounding in the form Lebron,

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Speaker 1: rounding in the form guys are shooting better, d Lo,

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Speaker 1: Taarian Prince and Lebron all over forty percent from deep

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Speaker 1: over the last ten. That's, you know, withstanding A Reeves,

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Speaker 1: you know, bad shooting stretch, and this team is clicking

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Speaker 1: a lot more defensively. I have loved the energy and

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Speaker 1: the effort of these last couple of games. And again,

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Speaker 1: you don't want to give them too much credit because

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Speaker 1: the Lakers, we know they can. It's a flip of

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Speaker 1: a coin on what you're going to get that day.

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Speaker 1: But I have liked their energy and effort. With Vanderbilt back,

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Speaker 1: it seems like all the pieces are coming together in

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Speaker 1: the biggest variable, and all this was Lebron and AD.

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Speaker 1: I don't know, man, I don't know about you guys,

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Speaker 1: but with this version of Lebron and this version of

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Speaker 1: Anthony Davis, I mean, it does feel like we're on

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Speaker 1: the cusp of a potential playoff run.

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Speaker 2: Right, We'll get there, We'll get there. I want to

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Speaker 2: I want to get I want to dive into the

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Speaker 2: Lakers here in just a minute. I will say that

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Speaker 2: I agree with you guys that I don't think Lebron

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Speaker 2: is in the upper echelon of the MVP conversation. I

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Speaker 2: let me put it this way. I think he's good

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Speaker 2: enough right now that if he went for it, he'd

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Speaker 2: have an outside chance of getting it. Like, because let's

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Speaker 2: just put it simply, you can tell that there have

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Speaker 2: been about a third of the games this year where

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Speaker 2: he's like, I'm gonna go after it tonight, and like

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Speaker 2: in those games, he's looked like the best player in

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Speaker 2: the world in those games, like at least I shouldn't

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Speaker 2: say like definitively, but he's been at that level. Like

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Speaker 2: he's been he has been contributing to winning an at

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Speaker 2: a high MVP level during those third of the games

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Speaker 2: where he's carried And it's very clear this week he's like,

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Speaker 2: I'm winning these games, you know what I mean. But

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Speaker 2: there's a lot of chill mode going on. And for

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Speaker 2: the record, I think that's smart. Like I think Lebron

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Speaker 2: going for the MVP this year would be absolutely stupid,

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Speaker 2: like just an incredible way of resources one. Like, just

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Speaker 2: from the standpoint of the voters, he's got a very

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Speaker 2: small chance of actually getting it, just because of all

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Speaker 2: the fatigue, the Anthony Davis element Laker anti Laker bias,

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Speaker 2: Like I thought Lebron was clearly the MVP in twenty

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Speaker 2: twenty and he didn't get it, and so like at

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Speaker 2: the end of the day, like it's just not worth it.

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Speaker 2: But that said, I think in terms of like his

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Speaker 2: individual ceiling, this is the best I've seen him look

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Speaker 2: since twenty twenty. Like he just the efficiency, the jump shot,

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Speaker 2: the playmaking that like, like, and even with when it

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Speaker 2: comes to the scoring volume, it mostly has to do

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Speaker 2: with the fact that he's attempting the fewest number of

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Speaker 2: shots in his entire career and because he's on you know,

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Speaker 2: half to two thirds of the night's kind of in

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Speaker 2: chill mode. Like I'm just I feel really confident now

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Speaker 2: from that specific spot, the Lebron spot, that in big moments,

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Speaker 2: Lebron can turn it up and hit that top tier,

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Speaker 2: superstar level, providing he doesn't get hurt at some point

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Speaker 2: this season, And that simply was not there last year. No,

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Speaker 2: Like he just wasn't that good last year. No.

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Speaker 3: I mean there was maybe two games in that playoff

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Speaker 3: run where you saw him totally dial in. It was

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Speaker 3: Game six against the Warriors, and it was Game four

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Speaker 3: against the Nuggets, a close out spot and a do

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Speaker 3: or die spot where it is just I am going

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Speaker 3: to make the most of my physical advantages every possession

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Speaker 3: and I am going to fully exert myself for forty

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Speaker 3: eight minutes. And you saw just this unbelievable ability to

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Speaker 3: bruise guys in the post, to attack with such efficiency

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Speaker 3: and transition. But I mean, over the totality of that

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Speaker 3: playoff run, Lebron wasn't a top ten player in the league.

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Speaker 3: I mean, right, he definitely had a positive defensive impact.

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Speaker 3: It was great to see him dial in there, but offensively,

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Speaker 3: he was overly relyant on the jumper. I mean, he

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Speaker 3: was an average efficiency twenty five point per game score

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Speaker 3: who wasn't dictating offense with the same level of playmaking

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Speaker 3: brilliance that were used to from him. And I think

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Speaker 3: we can attribute a lot of that now that we

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Speaker 3: see how he looks revitalized and healthy to that foot injury.

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Speaker 3: I don't know.

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Speaker 2: I think foot injury and I think he got in

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Speaker 2: the lab this summer. I think it's both.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, I agree, But I wasn't sure exactly how

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Speaker 3: much of a role that played, right, I didn't know

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Speaker 3: if he could get back to this level, and now

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Speaker 3: that he has, I don't know if there's a handful

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Speaker 3: of guys who I would rather have than him in

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Speaker 3: a single game do or die scenario, just because I

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Speaker 3: know how dominant he can be dictating the game. We

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Speaker 3: don't see Lebron running fifteen pick and roll as a

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Speaker 3: game anymore, but I do believe that if it came

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Speaker 3: down to an elimination game, he could and he could

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Speaker 3: be absolutely masterful there. And you combine that with the

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Speaker 3: jump shooting at this level, all the efficient stuff he's

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Speaker 3: able to do off ball, and in transition, I mean,

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Speaker 3: this is like a terrifyingly good basketball player at almost

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Speaker 3: thirty nine years old. It's unbelievable, and it is vital,

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Speaker 3: vital to the Lakers ceiling this year.

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Speaker 1: And like go ahead, logan, Oh sorry, I just wanted

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Speaker 1: to mention just the defense too. Man, when Lebron's been

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Speaker 1: engaged defensively, he's been one of the best defensive players

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Speaker 1: on the planet this season.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, is he's He has always been an extremely gifted

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Speaker 2: lowman when he actually cares to do the job, which,

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Speaker 2: again as in terms of the actual distribution of his resources,

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Speaker 2: makes sense to me. But like there's been like five

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Speaker 2: or six games this year like that Suns game where

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Speaker 2: it's been the fourth quarter and it's like every time

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Speaker 2: down the floor, I'm getting a bucket or I'm setting

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Speaker 2: a guy up for a wide open shot, like where

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Speaker 2: it's like that like top top tier perimeter initiator, half

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Speaker 2: court surgeon thing, and that just was not there last year,

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Speaker 2: and I think that is it has. Again, we framed

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Speaker 2: this as MVP conversation. We're all in the same page

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Speaker 2: that he's not going to win it, that he's not

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Speaker 2: really all that high up on that list, but just

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Speaker 2: the fact that he has been able to reach that

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Speaker 2: level is more important than any trade, more important than

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Speaker 2: anything else having to do with the Lakers this season. Now,

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Speaker 2: on the Lakers, since they're three and five start, which

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Speaker 2: again it is important to mention that their high motor

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Speaker 2: athletes were all out with injuries, which was a significant

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Speaker 2: hindrance to what the team was capable of achieving. Last

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Speaker 2: fifteen games eleven and four, second best record in the

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Speaker 2: league over that span, second best defensive rating in the

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Speaker 2: league over that span, and again, fifteen games, that's two

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Speaker 2: thirds of the games we've played so far. Sixth in

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Speaker 2: defensive rebound percentage over that span. They had a rough

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Speaker 2: stretch there at the beginning last night where they were

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Speaker 2: really struggling to box out the Pelicans were doing a

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Speaker 2: good job crashing out of the weak side corner and

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Speaker 2: catching them sleeping. But for the most part, they've cleaned

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Speaker 2: up that issue, which was a big problem earlier in

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Speaker 2: the season. The offense is bad, but there are three

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Speaker 2: stats that I think are encouraging. One, they have a

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Speaker 2: one to fifteen point three offensive rating with Lebron on

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Speaker 2: the floor, that would be the eleventh best in the

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Speaker 2: NBA if you actually kind of branched that out to

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Speaker 2: the big picture. One hundred and eighteen offensive rating and

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Speaker 2: clutch situations. They've never had issues scoring in the clutch

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Speaker 2: for the most part. And then one hundred and nineteen

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Speaker 2: offensive rating this week in big, high leverage situations. I

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Speaker 2: also think it's worth mentioning that they I don't think

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Speaker 2: the Lakers are a good shooting team, but they're not

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Speaker 2: as bad as they've shown so far this year either.

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Speaker 2: I think that's important to mention. After last night, they

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Speaker 2: have nine wins against five hundred or better teams, which

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Speaker 2: is tied with the Boston Celtics for the most in

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Speaker 2: the league. Lakers are now plus fifteen hundred to win

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Speaker 2: the title, which is the six best odds in the league.

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Speaker 2: Philly and Phoenix are ahead of them. Phoenix is plus

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Speaker 2: seven hundred, so Vegas is viewing Phoenix as a substantial

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Speaker 2: better title favorite than the Lakers. Are the Lakers now

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Speaker 2: the best value bet to win the title this year.

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Speaker 2: Let's start with you, Logan, Yeah, it kind of seems

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Speaker 2: like it.

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Speaker 1: I've been back and forth on that. I've been having

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Speaker 1: that internal debate this entire time. Suns, Lakers and the

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Speaker 1: Nail and the Coffin, for me, probably was the head

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Speaker 1: to head matchup that we saw between the two. Now,

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Speaker 1: granted we have not seen the Phoenix Suns yet with

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Speaker 1: Bradley Beal. We still need to see what that team

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Speaker 1: looks like at full health of all their superstars, and

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Speaker 1: I still think that could be the difference maker. But

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Speaker 1: the Suns played really sloppy, and again when the Lakers

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Speaker 1: were engaged in that first half, they completely shut down

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Speaker 1: that offense. Again, they are without Radley Beal, but it

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Speaker 1: was really sloppy. They forced a ton of turnovers, They

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Speaker 1: were really active physically, and they disappear in the second

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Speaker 1: half a little bit. They kind of do their Lakers things.

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Speaker 1: But I think I do prefer the Lakers more and

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Speaker 1: I still think that they're I do think they're the

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Speaker 1: best value bet probably to win the finals right now.

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Speaker 1: Preseason I said the Lakers were my pick to win

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Speaker 1: the title, And like you guys have laid out in

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Speaker 1: this segment, I think that a lot of the key

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Speaker 1: components of this run are coming together really slowly. You

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Speaker 1: say this isn't a good shooting team, Jason, A lot

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Speaker 1: of guys are up near forty percent over the last fifteen.

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Speaker 1: It's not about them being a great, reliable shooting team

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Speaker 1: this entire season. It's about them being hot and creating

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Speaker 1: open looks at the right time. I trust these guys

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Speaker 1: to make shots come playoff time. The one outlier is

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Speaker 1: probably de Lo shooting like forty six percent from deep

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Speaker 1: over the last fifteen.

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Speaker 2: But hopefully that can give you he won't be here.

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Speaker 2: Very true, Very true. But a lot of them, by

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Speaker 2: the way, I'm not trying to slander of go.

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Speaker 1: Ahead, the shooting, the defense, Lebron and Anthony Davis hitting

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Speaker 1: their peaks again. That's my biggest question, and I want

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Speaker 1: to see where your guys gauge is on this. If

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Speaker 1: Lebron can keep up this level come playoff time, if

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Speaker 1: he can give you thirty six minutes of this at

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Speaker 1: this level, does Anthony Davis need to reach a higher

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Speaker 1: level offensively than what we've seen this year for them

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Speaker 1: to win the title?

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Speaker 3: If they want to win the title, I think a

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Speaker 3: lot of things have to go right as currently constructed.

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Speaker 3: I still don't think that they have that sort of ceiling,

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Speaker 3: as Jason hinted at, as we talked about when we

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Speaker 3: had you on our show last week, Jason, we are

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Speaker 3: in unanimous agreement that something needs to be done about

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Speaker 3: the current back configuration so they can get rid of

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Speaker 3: some of the more redundant traits that you have with

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Speaker 3: Dilo Ann Reeves. Reeves is a better basketball player, He's

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Speaker 3: less prone to shooting you in the foot with those

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Speaker 3: stretches where he's just making bad decisions offensively, etc. Etc.

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Speaker 3: Until they figure those things out, I do not believe

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Speaker 3: this Lakers team can win the title, just because I

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Speaker 3: think the Denver Nuggets are that overwhelmingly good, presuming that

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Speaker 3: they are at health now. I do think that Anthony

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Speaker 3: Davis needs to be more consistently imposing offensively than what

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Speaker 3: we saw last year in the playoffs if they want

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Speaker 3: to make a run that deep. But to Jason's question,

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Speaker 3: I think that there's a strong case to be made.

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Speaker 3: First of all, I'm just not in love with these

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Speaker 3: odds in general. The Clippers are plus eighteen hundred and

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Speaker 3: the Timberwls are plus twenty five hundred. I just don't

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Speaker 3: know what could possibly indicate that the Clippers are a

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Speaker 3: better team, even in a playoff setting than Minnesota. I

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Speaker 3: think Minnesota makes a real strong case to be my

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Speaker 3: second favorite out West. They're just so dominant defensively, and

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Speaker 3: I think they have a good formula offensively if Ant

404
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Speaker 3: reaches that superstar level and Cat pulls his weight, just

405
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Speaker 3: a really good basketball team. But I definitely like the

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Speaker 3: Lakers more than the Suns, and I think it's a

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Speaker 3: brutal matchup, specifically for Phoenix, because how do you lose

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Speaker 3: a game where you shoot fifty percent from the field

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Speaker 3: and forty eight percent from three and the other team

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Speaker 3: shoots forty percent on twos and thirty percent from three.

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Speaker 3: As we just saw happen earlier this week. The Suns

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Speaker 3: were the team that shot the hell out of the ball.

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Speaker 3: The Lakers really struggled to make shots. It's when the

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Speaker 3: other team has overwhelming physical advantages. Now the Suns turn

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Speaker 3: the ball over too much, but the Lakers also dominated.

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Speaker 3: They were plus thirteen on the od offensive boards. And

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Speaker 3: I think that you saw again a very dialed in

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Speaker 3: Lebron there, who can basically mismatch hunt with anyone on

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Speaker 3: the floor. It is just so easy. He can go

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Speaker 3: at NRK so easily out of pick and roll. He

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Speaker 3: can run pick and roll actions with Austin Reeves and

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Speaker 3: get Grayson Allen switched on to him, and there's really

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Speaker 3: nobody one on one. Kdi is far too slight. Eric

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Speaker 3: Gordon's just too short and small who can do anything,

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Speaker 3: and getting back Bradley Beal does nothing to help them

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Speaker 3: with that problem. I also think Ada is a problematic matchup,

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Speaker 3: So I believe that the Lakers' physical advantages there and

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Speaker 3: their two way ceiling are just too great when Lebron

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Speaker 3: is playing at this level. And I do believe that

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Speaker 3: in big time situations they can produce good offense. Because

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Speaker 3: of that for me to believe in Phoenix over them,

432
00:20:41,960 --> 00:20:45,880
Speaker 3: So I still view the Lakers as a legitimately flawed

433
00:20:45,920 --> 00:20:48,879
Speaker 3: team in a way that the Bucks, the Celtics, the

434
00:20:48,920 --> 00:20:52,880
Speaker 3: Nuggets just are not. But after that, I do really

435
00:20:52,880 --> 00:20:54,840
Speaker 3: believe in their ceiling. I do like them more than

436
00:20:54,840 --> 00:20:57,000
Speaker 3: the Suns, So there's a case to be made.

437
00:20:58,320 --> 00:21:02,160
Speaker 2: So yeah, I'm so annoyed by some of the discourse

438
00:21:02,240 --> 00:21:04,800
Speaker 2: coming out of that Sun's Lakers game on Tuesday, because

439
00:21:04,800 --> 00:21:07,480
Speaker 2: I thought the Lakers were so clearly the better team,

440
00:21:07,960 --> 00:21:10,560
Speaker 2: Like the amount of stuff that had to break right

441
00:21:10,960 --> 00:21:13,680
Speaker 2: for Phoenix to even have a chance to win that game.

442
00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:18,320
Speaker 2: The bizarre stretch where Darvin ham lea leaves Lebron and

443
00:21:18,359 --> 00:21:20,800
Speaker 2: Anthony Davis both off the floor in the first half,

444
00:21:20,920 --> 00:21:23,359
Speaker 2: wild Devin Booker and Kevin Durray were on the floor,

445
00:21:23,520 --> 00:21:25,200
Speaker 2: which ended in a five to zero run that took

446
00:21:25,240 --> 00:21:28,840
Speaker 2: about fifteen seconds before darvinham realized his mistake and called

447
00:21:28,840 --> 00:21:31,000
Speaker 2: a time out. To the Lakers coming out of the

448
00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:33,680
Speaker 2: halftime locker room sleepwalking and giving up a fourteen zero

449
00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:36,520
Speaker 2: run that kind of turned it into a game. Anthony

450
00:21:36,640 --> 00:21:41,399
Speaker 2: Davis literally missed eleven shots in the restricted area in

451
00:21:41,440 --> 00:21:46,000
Speaker 2: that game, including five in the fourth quarter, and for

452
00:21:46,040 --> 00:21:47,639
Speaker 2: the most part, if you look at like if you

453
00:21:47,680 --> 00:21:51,200
Speaker 2: know how those Carson, you know these graphs on Synergy

454
00:21:51,240 --> 00:21:52,879
Speaker 2: where you kind of see the bar graph having to

455
00:21:52,880 --> 00:21:56,040
Speaker 2: do with the lead. It was all purple. The Lakers

456
00:21:56,080 --> 00:21:58,199
Speaker 2: had to lead the entire game, basically outside of a

457
00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:01,359
Speaker 2: couple of brief stretches, and so again, like I like,

458
00:22:01,640 --> 00:22:04,240
Speaker 2: had the Suns won that game, they would have gotten

459
00:22:04,280 --> 00:22:06,240
Speaker 2: away with murderer in my opinion, because I thought the

460
00:22:06,280 --> 00:22:08,080
Speaker 2: Lakers were clearly better. I don't really see that as

461
00:22:08,080 --> 00:22:11,240
Speaker 2: a matchup now. I think I disagree with the framing

462
00:22:11,280 --> 00:22:13,359
Speaker 2: of what you said, Carson, from the standpoint of like,

463
00:22:13,720 --> 00:22:16,800
Speaker 2: I don't think as currently constructed, they can't win the title.

464
00:22:17,400 --> 00:22:20,560
Speaker 2: I just think they're clearly a Tier two contender, meaning

465
00:22:20,640 --> 00:22:23,520
Speaker 2: like meaning like things would have to go right, Like

466
00:22:23,560 --> 00:22:27,360
Speaker 2: they'd need to get excellent shooting out of Cam Reddish,

467
00:22:27,520 --> 00:22:30,000
Speaker 2: they'd have to get Lebron at this level for the

468
00:22:30,160 --> 00:22:33,959
Speaker 2: entire playoff run. They'd have to get you know, Nikola Jokic,

469
00:22:34,119 --> 00:22:37,600
Speaker 2: to have Nikola jokicch and Jamal Murray in particular to shoot,

470
00:22:38,160 --> 00:22:41,680
Speaker 2: like I would say that, like the Nuggets also shot

471
00:22:41,800 --> 00:22:44,439
Speaker 2: well last year. If they shot at their norm and

472
00:22:44,480 --> 00:22:46,600
Speaker 2: the Lakers shot above their norm, they might have an

473
00:22:46,600 --> 00:22:49,480
Speaker 2: outside chance in a six or seven game series to

474
00:22:49,600 --> 00:22:52,800
Speaker 2: steal it. But the Nuggets would be a clear favorite,

475
00:22:52,800 --> 00:22:55,720
Speaker 2: in my opinion, like a substantial favorite, like you would

476
00:22:55,800 --> 00:22:58,040
Speaker 2: expect them to win the series, but I'd give the

477
00:22:58,080 --> 00:23:04,760
Speaker 2: Lakers a puncher's chance. I also disagree that that with

478
00:23:04,800 --> 00:23:06,480
Speaker 2: the way you portray the Bucks as a team without

479
00:23:06,480 --> 00:23:08,640
Speaker 2: a flaw. I think the Bucks and the Lakers are both.

480
00:23:08,920 --> 00:23:11,400
Speaker 2: They're both in that say. I think it's like nugget

481
00:23:11,440 --> 00:23:18,480
Speaker 2: Celtics small gap, Lakers, Bucks, the Timberwolves small gap. Then

482
00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:20,440
Speaker 2: we get to the Suns and the and the Warriors

483
00:23:20,480 --> 00:23:22,719
Speaker 2: based on whatever potential trade they could make, which we'll

484
00:23:22,760 --> 00:23:24,520
Speaker 2: talk about them in a little bit now. As far

485
00:23:24,560 --> 00:23:28,000
Speaker 2: as the Lakers go on the trade front, that's obviously

486
00:23:28,040 --> 00:23:31,240
Speaker 2: the direction they're going to go. They once again this

487
00:23:31,400 --> 00:23:33,400
Speaker 2: week and the Sun's game, had to leave both Ruy

488
00:23:33,440 --> 00:23:36,160
Speaker 2: Hachimura and D'Angelo Russell on the bench in closing time,

489
00:23:36,520 --> 00:23:39,359
Speaker 2: which is just a bad use of resources. So like

490
00:23:39,359 --> 00:23:41,359
Speaker 2: they're going to make some sort of move to upgrade

491
00:23:41,400 --> 00:23:45,960
Speaker 2: those positions. I think if they nail that trade, like

492
00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:48,399
Speaker 2: if they do get a Jeremy Grant, if they do

493
00:23:48,480 --> 00:23:50,080
Speaker 2: get a lower market in if they do get a

494
00:23:50,080 --> 00:23:52,800
Speaker 2: Pascal Si Yakam if they do, like if they nail

495
00:23:52,880 --> 00:23:55,240
Speaker 2: that trade and somehow jump in there and swoop in

496
00:23:55,280 --> 00:23:57,640
Speaker 2: and steal one of those guys, I think they enter

497
00:23:57,720 --> 00:24:00,840
Speaker 2: the same tier as the Denver Nuggets. But I don't

498
00:24:00,840 --> 00:24:03,040
Speaker 2: think it would make them a favorite over the Nuggets either.

499
00:24:03,520 --> 00:24:05,800
Speaker 2: I just think I think it's important to recognize, like

500
00:24:06,320 --> 00:24:11,280
Speaker 2: this team as currently constructed, with Lebron playing at a

501
00:24:11,400 --> 00:24:13,760
Speaker 2: much higher level than he was last year and more

502
00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:16,480
Speaker 2: wing depth, makes them a little bit more of a

503
00:24:16,520 --> 00:24:19,080
Speaker 2: puncher's chance favorite than they were last year. But I

504
00:24:19,119 --> 00:24:21,280
Speaker 2: still view them as a clear tier too. Now, Carson,

505
00:24:21,320 --> 00:24:22,600
Speaker 2: you look like you want to call me an idiot,

506
00:24:22,640 --> 00:24:23,840
Speaker 2: So let's get started on this now.

507
00:24:24,160 --> 00:24:27,040
Speaker 3: No, No, I don't. Well, first off, I just wanted

508
00:24:27,080 --> 00:24:30,120
Speaker 3: to clarify the Bucks absolutely do have a weakness their

509
00:24:30,119 --> 00:24:32,199
Speaker 3: point of attack defense. We've talked about it has to

510
00:24:32,240 --> 00:24:34,520
Speaker 3: be addressed in some way. You cannot try out a

511
00:24:34,560 --> 00:24:37,159
Speaker 3: backcourt of Dame and Malik Beasley if you want to

512
00:24:37,200 --> 00:24:39,240
Speaker 3: win the title. I just think they have some more

513
00:24:39,400 --> 00:24:42,840
Speaker 3: overwhelming advantages. I think their offensive ceiling is so high.

514
00:24:42,880 --> 00:24:45,120
Speaker 3: I do think that they have more top end talents,

515
00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:47,199
Speaker 3: so that's why I put them in a bit of

516
00:24:47,200 --> 00:24:50,720
Speaker 3: a different tier. It's really tough for me to envision

517
00:24:50,720 --> 00:24:53,320
Speaker 3: this Lakers team as currently constructed beating the Nuggets. What

518
00:24:53,359 --> 00:24:55,040
Speaker 3: I was going to ask you is like, would it

519
00:24:55,119 --> 00:24:58,400
Speaker 3: require an injury to a Nugget starter or you think

520
00:24:58,520 --> 00:25:02,080
Speaker 3: healthy with some shooting variants going their way, with Lebron

521
00:25:02,119 --> 00:25:04,320
Speaker 3: playing his best, this Lakers scene can beat the Nuggets

522
00:25:04,359 --> 00:25:06,280
Speaker 3: in a seven game series, because that's pretty hard for

523
00:25:06,320 --> 00:25:06,919
Speaker 3: me to see.

524
00:25:07,840 --> 00:25:10,800
Speaker 2: Well, again, a much less a much less version of

525
00:25:10,880 --> 00:25:15,959
Speaker 2: Lebron last year, with significantly less wing depth was in

526
00:25:16,080 --> 00:25:19,119
Speaker 2: all four of those games, And specifically, the Lakers have

527
00:25:19,160 --> 00:25:22,159
Speaker 2: been a much much better clutch team on both ends

528
00:25:22,200 --> 00:25:24,000
Speaker 2: of the floor this year than last year. Now, again,

529
00:25:24,119 --> 00:25:27,040
Speaker 2: I want to be clear, like I'm saying that there's

530
00:25:27,080 --> 00:25:31,439
Speaker 2: a puncher's chance, like if if Jokic doesn't shoot forty

531
00:25:31,480 --> 00:25:33,960
Speaker 2: seven percent from three or whatever he shot in that series,

532
00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:36,800
Speaker 2: and if Jamal Murray doesn't play literally like a like

533
00:25:36,920 --> 00:25:39,320
Speaker 2: Jamal Murray's best series was the Lakers series. He was

534
00:25:39,359 --> 00:25:42,600
Speaker 2: incredible in that series, and so like, if some of

535
00:25:42,600 --> 00:25:46,800
Speaker 2: those things break differently, I think the Lakers could end

536
00:25:46,920 --> 00:25:50,720
Speaker 2: up in a Game five in Denver two to two

537
00:25:51,720 --> 00:25:54,399
Speaker 2: close game, fourth quarter, Lebron gets hot, they steal it.

538
00:25:54,440 --> 00:25:57,280
Speaker 2: Then they go home and play this wildly good defensive

539
00:25:57,280 --> 00:25:59,240
Speaker 2: game in Game six and they win. Like I, this

540
00:25:59,800 --> 00:26:03,560
Speaker 2: kind of thing does happen like some like the seven

541
00:26:03,600 --> 00:26:07,960
Speaker 2: game series. Thing does in the majority of situations lead

542
00:26:08,000 --> 00:26:11,040
Speaker 2: to the best team winning, But it also does there

543
00:26:11,080 --> 00:26:13,399
Speaker 2: are versions of it where it goes another way. And

544
00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:15,960
Speaker 2: so again, I just I would give them a puncher's chance.

545
00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:18,239
Speaker 2: But I think that's the extent of our disagreement there.

546
00:26:18,240 --> 00:26:20,280
Speaker 2: I think we both agree that the Lakers will make

547
00:26:20,320 --> 00:26:23,160
Speaker 2: a trade, And honestly, it's just it's just not even

548
00:26:23,200 --> 00:26:27,199
Speaker 2: worth really looking at their all, their actual ceiling and

549
00:26:27,280 --> 00:26:30,760
Speaker 2: potential until we get to that point. I do want

550
00:26:30,800 --> 00:26:32,840
Speaker 2: to move just because we've gone for a while now

551
00:26:33,200 --> 00:26:34,760
Speaker 2: I want to I do want to move on to

552
00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:40,240
Speaker 2: the Pacers. So Tyrus Alibert four hundred and ninety nine

553
00:26:40,240 --> 00:26:42,679
Speaker 2: pick and rolls in ISOs this year, leading to six

554
00:26:42,840 --> 00:26:46,800
Speaker 2: hundred and twenty nine points one point twenty six points

555
00:26:46,840 --> 00:26:48,880
Speaker 2: per possession. That's the best self creator in the league

556
00:26:48,920 --> 00:26:53,439
Speaker 2: this year. Thirty six players have run at least two

557
00:26:53,480 --> 00:26:54,840
Speaker 2: hundred pick and roles. The one we talked about with

558
00:26:54,880 --> 00:26:58,080
Speaker 2: Lebron where he finished at seventh. He's first on that list,

559
00:26:58,119 --> 00:27:00,720
Speaker 2: a full seven points per one hundred percent ahead of

560
00:27:00,760 --> 00:27:04,439
Speaker 2: second place, which was Devin Booker. That's completely ridiculous. A

561
00:27:04,480 --> 00:27:08,080
Speaker 2: Tyrese Haliburton jumper this year has been worth one point

562
00:27:08,119 --> 00:27:12,479
Speaker 2: twenty nine points. A catch and shoot jumper from Tyres

563
00:27:12,520 --> 00:27:16,200
Speaker 2: has been worth one point four to one points, pull

564
00:27:16,280 --> 00:27:18,960
Speaker 2: ups one point twenty six. There doesn't seem to be

565
00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:20,719
Speaker 2: a coverage that works against him.

566
00:27:21,960 --> 00:27:22,080
Speaker 3: Uh.

567
00:27:22,240 --> 00:27:25,560
Speaker 2: We saw first of all, completely picked apart the Celtics.

568
00:27:25,560 --> 00:27:29,480
Speaker 2: Then yesterday he torched the Bucks in their high drop coverage.

569
00:27:29,480 --> 00:27:30,959
Speaker 2: He torched the Bucks when they went with a low

570
00:27:31,080 --> 00:27:33,000
Speaker 2: drop coverage. He torched the Bucks when they went to

571
00:27:33,760 --> 00:27:37,919
Speaker 2: a switching scheme. He obviously there was only a handful

572
00:27:37,960 --> 00:27:39,679
Speaker 2: of possessions against the zone, but they didn't have any

573
00:27:39,720 --> 00:27:41,600
Speaker 2: trouble scoring against the zone as well getting the ball

574
00:27:41,640 --> 00:27:43,360
Speaker 2: to the middle of the floor to Bruce Brown. There

575
00:27:43,400 --> 00:27:45,240
Speaker 2: just was nothing they could do with the guy. And

576
00:27:45,640 --> 00:27:47,880
Speaker 2: I mean they had a one to twenty offensive rating

577
00:27:47,880 --> 00:27:50,359
Speaker 2: against that Boston Celtics team, which has been the second defense,

578
00:27:50,400 --> 00:27:52,639
Speaker 2: the second best defense in the league this year. I

579
00:27:52,960 --> 00:27:56,240
Speaker 2: so I did a rant in my show yesterday where

580
00:27:56,280 --> 00:27:59,600
Speaker 2: I said that I believe Tyrese Haliburton is on. He's

581
00:27:59,640 --> 00:28:03,880
Speaker 2: the next in that group of guys that is, you know,

582
00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:07,760
Speaker 2: truly has the potential to be a pantheon type of player.

583
00:28:08,119 --> 00:28:11,359
Speaker 2: To me, he's Steve Nash with more athleticism, in a

584
00:28:11,359 --> 00:28:15,399
Speaker 2: little bit better size. He legitimately, in my opinion, if

585
00:28:15,400 --> 00:28:18,560
Speaker 2: he stays healthy and makes the moderate improvements on the

586
00:28:18,600 --> 00:28:20,880
Speaker 2: margins and on the defensive end, I think he has

587
00:28:20,880 --> 00:28:23,520
Speaker 2: the potential to be an all time great. Do you

588
00:28:23,520 --> 00:28:25,360
Speaker 2: guys agree with me? Let's start with Carson.

589
00:28:26,920 --> 00:28:29,439
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think that if we are looking at the

590
00:28:29,520 --> 00:28:32,000
Speaker 3: guys who are let's say under twenty five in the

591
00:28:32,080 --> 00:28:34,640
Speaker 3: league today, he's in the top five who you want

592
00:28:34,680 --> 00:28:37,560
Speaker 3: to build around. You have to have Luca. I think

593
00:28:37,600 --> 00:28:41,560
Speaker 3: you have to have Wemby, and then I think that

594
00:28:41,600 --> 00:28:45,720
Speaker 3: I would probably go aunt Tyres and then chet Holmger

595
00:28:45,760 --> 00:28:47,160
Speaker 3: and shout out Chad. I think he is like a

596
00:28:47,200 --> 00:28:50,520
Speaker 3: perfect modern center. But Tyree is unbelievable. And you read

597
00:28:50,560 --> 00:28:52,760
Speaker 3: off some of the just mind blowing stats about his

598
00:28:52,760 --> 00:28:55,440
Speaker 3: production this year. I've got some more that I will

599
00:28:55,440 --> 00:28:59,600
Speaker 3: now recite. The Pacers are three point four points ahead

600
00:28:59,640 --> 00:29:01,800
Speaker 3: in terms of offensive rating, of the number two offense

601
00:29:01,840 --> 00:29:04,440
Speaker 3: in the NBA right now, that would be the widest

602
00:29:04,480 --> 00:29:06,680
Speaker 3: margin between the number one offense in the league and

603
00:29:06,680 --> 00:29:11,040
Speaker 3: the number two offense since nineteen eighty two, and Tyres

604
00:29:11,120 --> 00:29:15,560
Speaker 3: is propelling that unit inarguably without another All Star level talent,

605
00:29:15,600 --> 00:29:18,160
Speaker 3: which is a very rare thing to lead, first of all,

606
00:29:18,200 --> 00:29:21,360
Speaker 3: a convincing number one offense. But there's only really two

607
00:29:21,480 --> 00:29:26,080
Speaker 3: other instances this century of one superstar offensive talent carrying

608
00:29:26,080 --> 00:29:28,600
Speaker 3: a group without another All Star level guy to the

609
00:29:28,680 --> 00:29:31,760
Speaker 3: number one offense. It's the twenty twenty MAVs Luca doing

610
00:29:31,840 --> 00:29:33,840
Speaker 3: that in his second season with just a collection of

611
00:29:33,880 --> 00:29:37,560
Speaker 3: good shooters and solid rim finishers, just unbelievable control of

612
00:29:37,600 --> 00:29:40,440
Speaker 3: the game, lethal scoring and playmaking threat. And then it's

613
00:29:40,440 --> 00:29:43,800
Speaker 3: the two thousand and six Maps with Dirk Novitsky. Outside

614
00:29:43,840 --> 00:29:46,360
Speaker 3: of that, there's some other teams that only had one

615
00:29:46,400 --> 00:29:49,760
Speaker 3: All Star, but there's clearly multiple all star talents, right

616
00:29:49,840 --> 00:29:52,040
Speaker 3: It's the twenty eighteen Rockets, who had Chris Paul wasn't

617
00:29:52,040 --> 00:29:54,640
Speaker 3: an All Star stuff like that, So he's in rarefied

618
00:29:54,680 --> 00:29:56,920
Speaker 3: air in terms of the singular impact that he is

619
00:29:56,960 --> 00:30:01,440
Speaker 3: having propelling an elite team offense with out star level talent. Now,

620
00:30:01,440 --> 00:30:03,880
Speaker 3: he has very good complimentary talents, right. He has guys

621
00:30:03,920 --> 00:30:05,960
Speaker 3: who are very good in transition, which is fundamental to

622
00:30:06,000 --> 00:30:08,080
Speaker 3: their identity and a great strength of his. And he

623
00:30:08,120 --> 00:30:11,520
Speaker 3: has awesome spot up shooters. So he's got good play finishers.

624
00:30:11,560 --> 00:30:14,680
Speaker 3: But he is manufacturing so much of the offense here,

625
00:30:15,080 --> 00:30:18,240
Speaker 3: really really impressive. Historically, if you look at his individual

626
00:30:18,240 --> 00:30:22,560
Speaker 3: production and efficiency, nobody has ever averaged twenty five points

627
00:30:22,600 --> 00:30:26,120
Speaker 3: in twelve assists per game in NBA history period point blank.

628
00:30:26,440 --> 00:30:29,600
Speaker 3: Halli is doing that right now on plus nine point

629
00:30:29,600 --> 00:30:33,120
Speaker 3: eight percent true shooting versus league average. Nobody has ever

630
00:30:33,160 --> 00:30:35,480
Speaker 3: averaged twelve assists per game with fewer than two and

631
00:30:35,480 --> 00:30:38,120
Speaker 3: a half turnovers per game. Hollie is doing that right now.

632
00:30:38,320 --> 00:30:41,640
Speaker 3: The only other player ever to shoot forty four percent

633
00:30:41,720 --> 00:30:43,960
Speaker 3: from three on eight and a half attempts per game

634
00:30:44,240 --> 00:30:48,120
Speaker 3: is twenty sixteen Steph Curry. We are simultaneously seeing one

635
00:30:48,160 --> 00:30:50,640
Speaker 3: of the all time great jump shooting seasons, one of

636
00:30:50,680 --> 00:30:53,040
Speaker 3: the all time great playmaking seasons, and one of the

637
00:30:53,080 --> 00:30:56,800
Speaker 3: all time great seasons in terms of amplifying team offense.

638
00:30:56,840 --> 00:30:59,800
Speaker 3: It is unbelievable. I think he is inarguably a top

639
00:31:00,160 --> 00:31:03,440
Speaker 3: two shooter in basketball right now, nobody other than Steph

640
00:31:03,560 --> 00:31:06,160
Speaker 3: is able to blend this volume both on and off

641
00:31:06,160 --> 00:31:08,920
Speaker 3: ball with this lethal efficiency. Shoots forty four percent on

642
00:31:08,960 --> 00:31:10,480
Speaker 3: pull up threes and then I think he's at like

643
00:31:10,520 --> 00:31:13,480
Speaker 3: forty eight percent off the catch. Just disgusting. And I

644
00:31:13,480 --> 00:31:17,600
Speaker 3: think that as a playmaker, you see this incredible ability

645
00:31:17,680 --> 00:31:21,600
Speaker 3: to amplify his teammates to really create advantages while also

646
00:31:21,720 --> 00:31:25,320
Speaker 3: limiting mistakes. And often people will say that a sign

647
00:31:25,400 --> 00:31:28,520
Speaker 3: of really low turnovers probably means that a guy isn't

648
00:31:28,560 --> 00:31:30,920
Speaker 3: being creative enough as a playmaker, that he isn't taking

649
00:31:31,040 --> 00:31:33,000
Speaker 3: enough risk, that he isn't trying to fit enough of

650
00:31:33,040 --> 00:31:35,720
Speaker 3: those passes into tight gaps, or maybe a hit a

651
00:31:35,760 --> 00:31:38,200
Speaker 3: head pass and transition and he just slightly overshoots it.

652
00:31:38,400 --> 00:31:40,840
Speaker 3: You should be aggressive creating advantages and if that leads

653
00:31:40,880 --> 00:31:43,480
Speaker 3: to a couple more turnovers, that's okay. I think Hallie's

654
00:31:43,480 --> 00:31:48,680
Speaker 3: in a really healthy blend where, Yeah, he's not Jokic audacious,

655
00:31:48,720 --> 00:31:52,640
Speaker 3: he's not Magic Johnson audacious, he's not Luca audacious, but

656
00:31:52,800 --> 00:31:56,480
Speaker 3: he is an aggressive passer who's just never stupid. He's

657
00:31:56,520 --> 00:31:59,680
Speaker 3: almost never inaccurate. I mean, he's just unbelievable. His decision

658
00:31:59,680 --> 00:32:03,160
Speaker 3: making is basically flawless. And Jason, You're so right about

659
00:32:03,200 --> 00:32:06,280
Speaker 3: him against every coverage, pick and roll. His ability to

660
00:32:06,360 --> 00:32:09,280
Speaker 3: manipulate defenders, to move them with his eyes to open

661
00:32:09,360 --> 00:32:12,240
Speaker 3: up whatever passing angle he wants incredible. He can make

662
00:32:12,280 --> 00:32:14,800
Speaker 3: every pass out of those actions. When teams try to

663
00:32:14,840 --> 00:32:18,040
Speaker 3: trap him, he is so composed, so effective in dissecting

664
00:32:18,080 --> 00:32:20,760
Speaker 3: those actions, not just getting the ball out. I think

665
00:32:20,800 --> 00:32:23,280
Speaker 3: about that game where he was just torching the Hawks,

666
00:32:23,320 --> 00:32:27,360
Speaker 3: like the ultimate offensive game this season, where they both

667
00:32:27,360 --> 00:32:29,640
Speaker 3: were up in the one fifties, and they start trapping

668
00:32:29,720 --> 00:32:31,760
Speaker 3: him at half court and he is making the best

669
00:32:31,800 --> 00:32:34,680
Speaker 3: possible pass on the floor Obie Top and is opening

670
00:32:34,720 --> 00:32:37,560
Speaker 3: the dunker spot forty feet away. He's trapped, he rises

671
00:32:37,600 --> 00:32:40,240
Speaker 3: up and just fires that pass in there. It's so

672
00:32:40,240 --> 00:32:42,680
Speaker 3: so rare. And when you combine that with the takeover

673
00:32:42,720 --> 00:32:44,960
Speaker 3: scoring that he does have because of this unbelievable pull

674
00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:48,280
Speaker 3: up shooting, because I mean, he is a big ball handler,

675
00:32:48,320 --> 00:32:50,000
Speaker 3: and he is lethal from floiada range, and he's a

676
00:32:50,280 --> 00:32:51,920
Speaker 3: pretty good athlete. You see with a couple of the

677
00:32:51,920 --> 00:32:55,239
Speaker 3: adjustments around the rim and the rim finishing yesterday, and

678
00:32:55,280 --> 00:32:58,440
Speaker 3: then he is to me, the most aware transition playmaker

679
00:32:58,760 --> 00:33:01,800
Speaker 3: in the NBA today, And that's like the final element

680
00:33:02,200 --> 00:33:04,880
Speaker 3: when people make the Steve Nash comparisons and I'm like, yeah,

681
00:33:05,080 --> 00:33:08,000
Speaker 3: it's really there. It is the just masterful pick and

682
00:33:08,080 --> 00:33:11,400
Speaker 3: roll decision making combined with this unbelievable pull up shooting.

683
00:33:11,400 --> 00:33:13,840
Speaker 3: They will always make you a more lethal score than

684
00:33:13,880 --> 00:33:16,200
Speaker 3: the raw numbers indicate. And Howie's putting up some big

685
00:33:16,280 --> 00:33:18,560
Speaker 3: raw numbers right now. But I mean, his efficiency is

686
00:33:18,600 --> 00:33:21,000
Speaker 3: so mind blowing because he is always going to try

687
00:33:21,000 --> 00:33:24,320
Speaker 3: to amplify that attention or I should say weaponize that

688
00:33:24,360 --> 00:33:27,440
Speaker 3: attention to amplify his teammates first, and then it is

689
00:33:27,640 --> 00:33:31,040
Speaker 3: that pushing the pace, that awareness of all right, well,

690
00:33:31,080 --> 00:33:33,080
Speaker 3: I've got a guy who's out running the defense down

691
00:33:33,120 --> 00:33:35,040
Speaker 3: the floor right now. Boom hit had passed. So many

692
00:33:35,120 --> 00:33:37,360
Speaker 3: guys don't see those opportunities at the level that how

693
00:33:37,400 --> 00:33:39,040
Speaker 3: he does. He gets you a couple free buckets like

694
00:33:39,080 --> 00:33:44,080
Speaker 3: that every game. I mean, he is a sensational, generational

695
00:33:44,160 --> 00:33:47,800
Speaker 3: sort of one man offense, and everything that he's doing

696
00:33:47,880 --> 00:33:51,040
Speaker 3: right now is absolutely legit. I don't see any coverage

697
00:33:51,120 --> 00:33:53,760
Speaker 3: or any player who can slow him down individually because

698
00:33:53,800 --> 00:33:56,840
Speaker 3: he is such a complete offensive player and I don't

699
00:33:56,840 --> 00:33:59,360
Speaker 3: see a team that can slow down this PACER's offense. Now,

700
00:33:59,400 --> 00:34:03,280
Speaker 3: their defense is another issue entirely as is Hollie's, but offensively,

701
00:34:03,320 --> 00:34:05,400
Speaker 3: he is a bona fide superstar.

702
00:34:06,480 --> 00:34:08,160
Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't have a ton to add.

703
00:34:08,200 --> 00:34:11,440
Speaker 1: Carson did a phenomenal breakdown on our YouTube channel, The

704
00:34:11,480 --> 00:34:13,399
Speaker 1: Tyrese Haliburton if you guys want to check it out.

705
00:34:13,520 --> 00:34:15,319
Speaker 1: I want to contextualize some of those numbers that you

706
00:34:15,400 --> 00:34:19,839
Speaker 1: throw out that make Halle historically great, Carson. Only six

707
00:34:19,840 --> 00:34:22,080
Speaker 1: players have ever averaged twelve assists per game in a

708
00:34:22,120 --> 00:34:25,680
Speaker 1: single season, Kevin Johnson, Magic Johnson, Kevin Porter, John Stockton,

709
00:34:25,960 --> 00:34:28,480
Speaker 1: Isaiah Thomas, and now Halle. I'd say pretty good company.

710
00:34:28,719 --> 00:34:30,680
Speaker 1: You mentioned how efficient he's been. He's the third most

711
00:34:30,719 --> 00:34:32,959
Speaker 1: efficient twenty five point per game season of all time,

712
00:34:33,000 --> 00:34:37,000
Speaker 1: behind last year's Kevin Durant twenty eighteen Steph Curry. Can

713
00:34:37,080 --> 00:34:38,400
Speaker 1: I say that's pretty good company?

714
00:34:38,880 --> 00:34:39,200
Speaker 2: Carson.

715
00:34:39,239 --> 00:34:41,240
Speaker 1: You mentioned it's the first ever twenty five twelve season

716
00:34:41,320 --> 00:34:44,080
Speaker 1: NBA history. Only fifteen players have ever averaged twenty to

717
00:34:44,120 --> 00:34:47,160
Speaker 1: ten in a single season. It's it's super remarkable and

718
00:34:47,239 --> 00:34:49,680
Speaker 1: it is just as much to do with his playmaking

719
00:34:49,719 --> 00:34:52,440
Speaker 1: as it is the unstoppable scoring. He's seventy two percent

720
00:34:52,719 --> 00:34:55,120
Speaker 1: in the paint non restricted area. He's fifty three percent

721
00:34:55,160 --> 00:34:57,600
Speaker 1: on short mid range attempts, the forty three percent on

722
00:34:57,680 --> 00:34:59,960
Speaker 1: long mid range attempts. And the only aspect I think

723
00:35:00,080 --> 00:35:02,800
Speaker 1: you didn't hit on is him in big moments this season.

724
00:35:02,840 --> 00:35:05,880
Speaker 1: We have now seen him in two massive games on

725
00:35:05,960 --> 00:35:08,000
Speaker 1: the biggest stage of this very young season on the

726
00:35:08,040 --> 00:35:10,880
Speaker 1: end season tournament against Boston, not only carve them up

727
00:35:10,920 --> 00:35:13,960
Speaker 1: and dissect them the entire game playmaking and scoring on

728
00:35:14,040 --> 00:35:17,160
Speaker 1: the biggest stage, on the biggest part of the game.

729
00:35:17,440 --> 00:35:18,799
Speaker 1: He said, I'm gonna put up a pull up three

730
00:35:18,800 --> 00:35:20,640
Speaker 1: because I'm that great of a shooter, and I'm gonna

731
00:35:20,640 --> 00:35:22,680
Speaker 1: wet it because I'm that guy. And he does, and

732
00:35:22,680 --> 00:35:25,320
Speaker 1: he knocks off the Boston Celtics, and then in another

733
00:35:25,440 --> 00:35:29,120
Speaker 1: big time clutch moment, knocks down another crucial pull up

734
00:35:29,160 --> 00:35:32,040
Speaker 1: jumper to knock off the Bucks, who we are considering

735
00:35:32,080 --> 00:35:34,040
Speaker 1: to be the two best teams in the Eastern Conference.

736
00:35:34,040 --> 00:35:37,120
Speaker 1: I just think that's another aspect too. He didn't blink

737
00:35:37,320 --> 00:35:39,160
Speaker 1: in a big time moment. You know, we have these

738
00:35:39,160 --> 00:35:41,120
Speaker 1: issues with Jason Tatum in the clutch right with what

739
00:35:41,200 --> 00:35:44,480
Speaker 1: he does offensively. Alie doesn't have these issues, right he

740
00:35:44,640 --> 00:35:46,399
Speaker 1: just said I'm gonna do it because I'm that guy.

741
00:35:46,440 --> 00:35:49,760
Speaker 1: I'm gonna take that shot and I'm gonna make it.

742
00:35:49,760 --> 00:35:51,520
Speaker 1: It's the totality of it, and I do. I think

743
00:35:51,520 --> 00:35:53,759
Speaker 1: he's got the potential. I think we're already seeing it.

744
00:35:53,800 --> 00:35:55,400
Speaker 1: I mean, he's one of the best offensive players on

745
00:35:55,440 --> 00:35:57,480
Speaker 1: the planet right now and to overlook that is just

746
00:35:57,960 --> 00:36:00,000
Speaker 1: wrong to him. But that's the final component to me,

747
00:36:00,280 --> 00:36:02,520
Speaker 1: is the clutch gene that we've seen from Halle. Some

748
00:36:02,520 --> 00:36:04,640
Speaker 1: guys do fear the moment, some guys do shy away.

749
00:36:05,000 --> 00:36:07,160
Speaker 1: Hallie's not one of those guys. And like you mentioned,

750
00:36:07,280 --> 00:36:09,360
Speaker 1: whatever you throw at him, he's got a counter. If

751
00:36:09,400 --> 00:36:10,719
Speaker 1: you want to shut this down, he's going to get

752
00:36:10,719 --> 00:36:11,120
Speaker 1: a bucket.

753
00:36:11,160 --> 00:36:11,560
Speaker 2: This way.

754
00:36:12,040 --> 00:36:16,080
Speaker 1: It's it's very different in the way he does it

755
00:36:16,080 --> 00:36:19,120
Speaker 1: to nicolea Jokic, But you know that unstoppable, that on,

756
00:36:20,200 --> 00:36:22,239
Speaker 1: that inevitable feeling that you get from him. I kind

757
00:36:22,239 --> 00:36:23,879
Speaker 1: of also get that from Halle a little bit.

758
00:36:23,920 --> 00:36:28,240
Speaker 2: Man. Yeah, he's straight up alpha dogs Jason Tatum and

759
00:36:28,600 --> 00:36:31,920
Speaker 2: Damian Lillard and Jannis in the same week and high

760
00:36:32,000 --> 00:36:35,880
Speaker 2: leverage situation, but just just straight up alpha dogdom and

761
00:36:35,960 --> 00:36:38,799
Speaker 2: talk shit while doing it like it just just it

762
00:36:38,840 --> 00:36:42,400
Speaker 2: was completely ridiculous. I think he reminds me of Jokic

763
00:36:42,440 --> 00:36:44,800
Speaker 2: in the sense that it's like there is no tenable

764
00:36:44,840 --> 00:36:47,440
Speaker 2: defensive strategy. If you play him to be a score

765
00:36:47,520 --> 00:36:49,160
Speaker 2: he's going to beat you a well over a point

766
00:36:49,160 --> 00:36:51,960
Speaker 2: and point, you know, one point two points per possession.

767
00:36:52,120 --> 00:36:53,600
Speaker 2: If you claim to be a passer, he's going to

768
00:36:53,600 --> 00:36:55,000
Speaker 2: beat you to the tune of one point two points

769
00:36:55,000 --> 00:36:57,880
Speaker 2: per possession. Like it's a unique combination to your list, Carson,

770
00:36:57,920 --> 00:37:00,760
Speaker 2: real quick before we move on. Yeah, you had mentioned

771
00:37:00,760 --> 00:37:05,319
Speaker 2: four guys. We had this conversation last week or two

772
00:37:05,360 --> 00:37:07,320
Speaker 2: weeks ago. I think it was last week two weeks ago.

773
00:37:07,360 --> 00:37:13,359
Speaker 2: Who knows, I'm going to switch Aliburton an aunt. I

774
00:37:13,440 --> 00:37:16,040
Speaker 2: understand all the things I said about Ant are true.

775
00:37:16,040 --> 00:37:18,560
Speaker 2: This is not a bad Ant take. This is a

776
00:37:18,600 --> 00:37:22,479
Speaker 2: pro Haliburton take. I think he has all time great

777
00:37:22,480 --> 00:37:25,520
Speaker 2: offensive player written all over him, and I think that

778
00:37:25,719 --> 00:37:28,480
Speaker 2: to me, that makes him a better big picture prospect

779
00:37:28,520 --> 00:37:31,799
Speaker 2: than and just by going over the top of him,

780
00:37:31,800 --> 00:37:34,040
Speaker 2: not by Ant dropping in any way, shape or form.

781
00:37:35,160 --> 00:37:38,080
Speaker 2: Luca is interesting because I would never say that that

782
00:37:38,360 --> 00:37:40,920
Speaker 2: Halliburton's better than Luca, not just because their fans are

783
00:37:40,960 --> 00:37:44,719
Speaker 2: crazy and they would murder me alive. But at the

784
00:37:44,800 --> 00:37:48,160
Speaker 2: same time, I do think there's something to be said

785
00:37:48,200 --> 00:37:51,600
Speaker 2: in the big picture about the potential that Haliburton has

786
00:37:51,680 --> 00:37:53,840
Speaker 2: to be better than Luca, And it comes down to

787
00:37:53,880 --> 00:37:56,480
Speaker 2: two things. In my opinion. He's so much faster and

788
00:37:56,560 --> 00:37:58,279
Speaker 2: has good length, which I think will give him the

789
00:37:58,320 --> 00:38:00,759
Speaker 2: ability to be a better defender the big picture than

790
00:38:00,800 --> 00:38:02,719
Speaker 2: Luca can ever be just because of his lack of

791
00:38:02,719 --> 00:38:06,040
Speaker 2: foot speed. And then two, I think Tiers Haliburton plays

792
00:38:06,040 --> 00:38:08,560
Speaker 2: a way more likable brand of basketball. And I think,

793
00:38:08,920 --> 00:38:11,640
Speaker 2: and I think in general like because he plays with

794
00:38:11,760 --> 00:38:16,400
Speaker 2: pace like Tyrese is heliocentric, but he's helio centric with

795
00:38:16,440 --> 00:38:18,520
Speaker 2: a quick trigger to get rid of the ball, not

796
00:38:18,760 --> 00:38:22,480
Speaker 2: just in transition situations, but in half court situations. And

797
00:38:22,640 --> 00:38:26,000
Speaker 2: I think the methodical Luka Doncic thing. There are certain

798
00:38:26,040 --> 00:38:28,640
Speaker 2: types of players who thrive in that specific types of

799
00:38:28,640 --> 00:38:31,319
Speaker 2: play finishers, but there are other types of players who

800
00:38:31,360 --> 00:38:33,600
Speaker 2: struggle in that environment, and we've seen that over the

801
00:38:33,680 --> 00:38:36,239
Speaker 2: years and so well. I think Luca is a better

802
00:38:36,280 --> 00:38:39,280
Speaker 2: player than tyress Aliburton right now, and obviously his physical

803
00:38:39,280 --> 00:38:43,200
Speaker 2: imposition offensively as like a matchup attacker is an important

804
00:38:43,200 --> 00:38:45,640
Speaker 2: element to factor in there. But I think Tyrese has

805
00:38:45,680 --> 00:38:48,160
Speaker 2: the potential to be a better player than Luca in

806
00:38:48,160 --> 00:38:51,080
Speaker 2: the long run. I think he legitimately has that potential.

807
00:38:51,120 --> 00:38:53,600
Speaker 2: And then the Wemby piece, it's like he's an alien.

808
00:38:53,640 --> 00:38:55,200
Speaker 2: So I don't even know how you know it, Like,

809
00:38:55,239 --> 00:38:56,800
Speaker 2: how do you even do a basketball breakdown of that?

810
00:38:56,840 --> 00:39:01,920
Speaker 2: I think it's ridiculous. Right, So, the Lakers open up

811
00:39:02,200 --> 00:39:06,200
Speaker 2: as a four point five point favorite over the Pacers tomorrow.

812
00:39:06,800 --> 00:39:09,200
Speaker 2: Pacers have a one to ten point five defensive rating

813
00:39:09,239 --> 00:39:11,440
Speaker 2: over their last two games. I thought they played basically

814
00:39:11,480 --> 00:39:15,080
Speaker 2: outside of the third quarter yesterday, an excellent defensive game. Honestly, though,

815
00:39:15,320 --> 00:39:18,480
Speaker 2: I'll be honest, like Dame got red hot with his

816
00:39:18,520 --> 00:39:20,600
Speaker 2: pull up three in that third quarter, and honestly, if

817
00:39:20,640 --> 00:39:22,719
Speaker 2: it wasn't for Dame's red hot shooting, that probably would

818
00:39:22,760 --> 00:39:25,279
Speaker 2: have been a fifteen point win for the Pacers. I

819
00:39:25,280 --> 00:39:28,640
Speaker 2: thought they outplayed him for the most part during the game. No,

820
00:39:28,960 --> 00:39:32,280
Speaker 2: the Celtics have been I think that when the Lakers

821
00:39:32,280 --> 00:39:34,680
Speaker 2: are this version, I think they are a better defense

822
00:39:34,719 --> 00:39:37,000
Speaker 2: than the Celtics. I think you guys would probably agree

823
00:39:37,040 --> 00:39:39,080
Speaker 2: with me in terms of their actual top tier when

824
00:39:39,120 --> 00:39:41,440
Speaker 2: they're really locked in. That said, the Celtics are an

825
00:39:41,560 --> 00:39:45,680
Speaker 2: excellent defense, and they have excellent perimeter defenders and excellent

826
00:39:45,719 --> 00:39:48,720
Speaker 2: help defenders, and they hung a one to twenty offensive

827
00:39:48,760 --> 00:39:52,600
Speaker 2: rating on the Celtics this week. I want to get

828
00:39:53,239 --> 00:39:57,800
Speaker 2: let's start with this. I want to have you, guys

829
00:39:57,880 --> 00:40:00,799
Speaker 2: lead with your pick if who's gonna win. But then

830
00:40:01,000 --> 00:40:03,200
Speaker 2: I want you to give your take for what you

831
00:40:03,239 --> 00:40:06,239
Speaker 2: think is gonna happen when Indy is on offense in

832
00:40:06,320 --> 00:40:10,879
Speaker 2: tomorrow's games. Start with your pick, though, Let's go with Logan. Ah.

833
00:40:11,360 --> 00:40:13,000
Speaker 2: I've been going back and forth on this game.

834
00:40:13,040 --> 00:40:13,200
Speaker 3: Man.

835
00:40:13,239 --> 00:40:15,719
Speaker 1: It's tough because I don't know if we're gonna get

836
00:40:15,760 --> 00:40:19,879
Speaker 1: four consistent Lakers quarters. That's kind of the dilemma, right,

837
00:40:21,200 --> 00:40:24,879
Speaker 1: I'm going to take the Lakers, uh, but I really

838
00:40:24,880 --> 00:40:27,600
Speaker 1: do think it's how they deal with the offense and uh,

839
00:40:27,800 --> 00:40:30,000
Speaker 1: you know, the these teams do play very fast. The

840
00:40:30,040 --> 00:40:32,840
Speaker 1: Pacers are first and pace, the Lakers are eighth. I

841
00:40:32,840 --> 00:40:34,560
Speaker 1: think that's gonna be interesting, and I think it's gonna

842
00:40:34,560 --> 00:40:36,200
Speaker 1: be interesting to see if the Lakers can just keep up.

843
00:40:36,239 --> 00:40:38,000
Speaker 1: And what I mean by that is some of the guys,

844
00:40:38,200 --> 00:40:40,040
Speaker 1: some of the things you guys note about Halliburn, how

845
00:40:40,160 --> 00:40:43,319
Speaker 1: quick he plays in transition, taking advantage of opportunities that

846
00:40:43,400 --> 00:40:47,600
Speaker 1: he sees if they're there. If there's any lapses in

847
00:40:47,719 --> 00:40:50,600
Speaker 1: Lakers defensive coverage, Hallie's going to find it if it's

848
00:40:50,640 --> 00:40:54,000
Speaker 1: quick and fast. So I think the Lakers rotations need

849
00:40:54,040 --> 00:40:56,160
Speaker 1: to be crisp, they need to be quick, they need

850
00:40:56,200 --> 00:40:58,920
Speaker 1: to be timely. And the Lakers off I mean, excuse me.

851
00:40:59,040 --> 00:41:01,880
Speaker 1: The Pacers offense is really really good in the actions

852
00:41:01,880 --> 00:41:04,000
Speaker 1: that they run too, like back doors, off pin downs

853
00:41:04,000 --> 00:41:08,160
Speaker 1: and how they open up, how they move the center right.

854
00:41:08,200 --> 00:41:10,279
Speaker 1: There's a huge burden on Anthony Davis, I think in

855
00:41:10,320 --> 00:41:13,880
Speaker 1: this game to dominate, and he's as game breaking a

856
00:41:13,960 --> 00:41:16,920
Speaker 1: defensive weapon as they come. Right, So I'm gonna run

857
00:41:16,920 --> 00:41:18,319
Speaker 1: a ton of pick and roll. They run the eighth

858
00:41:18,360 --> 00:41:20,560
Speaker 1: most in basketball. The Pacers do it, the second most

859
00:41:20,560 --> 00:41:22,960
Speaker 1: efficient mark in the NBA. And Ad is gonna be

860
00:41:23,000 --> 00:41:25,760
Speaker 1: tasked with switching out to the perimeter on turner holding

861
00:41:25,800 --> 00:41:28,080
Speaker 1: Halliburton and check in the mid range and on the interior,

862
00:41:28,440 --> 00:41:30,920
Speaker 1: and he's gonna have to be disruptive getting into passing lanes.

863
00:41:31,880 --> 00:41:34,320
Speaker 1: It's a it's a huge ask of this Lakers defense,

864
00:41:34,320 --> 00:41:36,200
Speaker 1: who again has been playing great over these past couple

865
00:41:36,280 --> 00:41:40,080
Speaker 1: of games, to check all their boxes. It's just hard

866
00:41:40,160 --> 00:41:42,680
Speaker 1: covering all of what Indiana does man the pick and

867
00:41:42,680 --> 00:41:44,600
Speaker 1: pops that are open, the in between game with Halle,

868
00:41:45,600 --> 00:41:47,240
Speaker 1: there's gonna be a burden on the point of attack

869
00:41:47,280 --> 00:41:50,600
Speaker 1: defenders to not overplay defense versus Halliburton. It's not concede

870
00:41:50,640 --> 00:41:53,839
Speaker 1: open looks. It's just gonna be tough. But I think

871
00:41:53,880 --> 00:41:55,760
Speaker 1: the one advantage that I will give to the Lakers

872
00:41:55,800 --> 00:41:59,520
Speaker 1: is something that you guys mentioned early, and that's physical imposition.

873
00:41:59,640 --> 00:42:02,279
Speaker 1: And I still think that the Lakers physically match up

874
00:42:02,320 --> 00:42:04,480
Speaker 1: well with this team where Lebron's going to be able

875
00:42:04,480 --> 00:42:07,200
Speaker 1: to dominate offensive matchups. Right, you talk about Halle and

876
00:42:07,200 --> 00:42:09,400
Speaker 1: some of these other smaller defenders here, I would be

877
00:42:09,440 --> 00:42:11,759
Speaker 1: setting screens for Lebron in ad all games, just trying

878
00:42:11,760 --> 00:42:14,239
Speaker 1: to get a switch on Halle, Bruce Brown, you know,

879
00:42:14,280 --> 00:42:16,239
Speaker 1: Nie Smith's a great defender too. But these guys should

880
00:42:16,280 --> 00:42:20,120
Speaker 1: just physically overwhelm Indiana. And so that's where I give

881
00:42:20,160 --> 00:42:24,360
Speaker 1: the Lakers the edge on the glass physically on offense.

882
00:42:25,239 --> 00:42:28,640
Speaker 1: And I just think on a big stage, Tyreese has

883
00:42:28,640 --> 00:42:30,920
Speaker 1: stepped up his game because it's the Ncason Tournament. But

884
00:42:30,960 --> 00:42:33,680
Speaker 1: there's something about like you mentioned, Carson, this is a

885
00:42:33,719 --> 00:42:36,840
Speaker 1: one game format. Lebron has really cranked it up in

886
00:42:36,880 --> 00:42:39,320
Speaker 1: the nd season tournament, and I think this means something

887
00:42:39,360 --> 00:42:41,520
Speaker 1: to him. I think this is a point of pride

888
00:42:41,520 --> 00:42:44,640
Speaker 1: for him, and I'm not picking against Lebron in a

889
00:42:44,640 --> 00:42:46,719
Speaker 1: one game scenario here, and again, I just think the

890
00:42:46,800 --> 00:42:50,160
Speaker 1: Lakers have physical advantages that they can impose over Indiana.

891
00:42:50,239 --> 00:42:51,759
Speaker 1: It's not going to be easy. I think this is

892
00:42:51,760 --> 00:42:53,440
Speaker 1: going to be a game that comes down to the wire,

893
00:42:53,800 --> 00:42:55,800
Speaker 1: as have all the ND season games. But at the

894
00:42:55,880 --> 00:42:58,600
Speaker 1: end of the day, I like the Lakers physical advantages

895
00:42:58,640 --> 00:43:00,840
Speaker 1: and I'm I'm just not going to pick against the

896
00:43:00,920 --> 00:43:02,960
Speaker 1: King Man he's been He's been too great.

897
00:43:04,120 --> 00:43:06,759
Speaker 3: I think review this very similarly. With the level that

898
00:43:06,840 --> 00:43:10,360
Speaker 3: Lebron is playing at and with how much he clearly cares,

899
00:43:11,040 --> 00:43:13,239
Speaker 3: this is not a team that is in position to

900
00:43:13,280 --> 00:43:17,200
Speaker 3: make him uncomfortable. They don't have big enough, strong enough,

901
00:43:17,239 --> 00:43:20,920
Speaker 3: athletic enough wings like I do really like Aaron Nesmith.

902
00:43:20,960 --> 00:43:24,000
Speaker 3: But it's a very favorable matchup for Lebron, I think,

903
00:43:24,000 --> 00:43:28,640
Speaker 3: and he's playing at this level regardless, I do worry

904
00:43:28,800 --> 00:43:34,080
Speaker 3: about the Lakers just matching the consistently prolific Indiana offense

905
00:43:34,120 --> 00:43:37,400
Speaker 3: because we've seen nobody can stop that offense. And there

906
00:43:37,440 --> 00:43:39,880
Speaker 3: are some specific things about this matchup that concern me.

907
00:43:40,000 --> 00:43:42,200
Speaker 3: You mentioned it, Logan. This is a team that we

908
00:43:42,560 --> 00:43:45,840
Speaker 3: have seen in terms of the Lakers be as inconsistent

909
00:43:45,880 --> 00:43:48,520
Speaker 3: with their effort as any good team in basketball, and

910
00:43:48,600 --> 00:43:50,680
Speaker 3: this is a team you have to be dialed against

911
00:43:50,719 --> 00:43:53,279
Speaker 3: because they are going to play so fast, be so

912
00:43:53,360 --> 00:43:57,000
Speaker 3: opportunistic in transition. They have lethal shooters everywhere, so you

913
00:43:57,040 --> 00:43:59,759
Speaker 3: have to be sharp with every rotation you do. Mention

914
00:44:00,280 --> 00:44:02,960
Speaker 3: eighty is the best defensive player alive, but this is

915
00:44:03,000 --> 00:44:07,480
Speaker 3: a very complete offense, and any one rim protector is

916
00:44:07,600 --> 00:44:09,960
Speaker 3: not going to be at their most valuable in this matchup.

917
00:44:09,960 --> 00:44:12,000
Speaker 3: I just think because of the lethal pick and pop

918
00:44:12,040 --> 00:44:14,560
Speaker 3: big that is Miles Turner in because of the shooting

919
00:44:14,600 --> 00:44:16,960
Speaker 3: all around. Now eight is unique because of how well

920
00:44:16,960 --> 00:44:19,440
Speaker 3: he plays in space and all that. I just don't

921
00:44:19,719 --> 00:44:23,400
Speaker 3: know that you can really slow down this Pacers offense.

922
00:44:23,520 --> 00:44:27,839
Speaker 3: But I still think the physical advantages Lebron playing at

923
00:44:27,840 --> 00:44:30,680
Speaker 3: this level. If the Lakers have an off shooting night,

924
00:44:30,719 --> 00:44:33,279
Speaker 3: which they have had plenty of this season, it's sort

925
00:44:33,320 --> 00:44:34,960
Speaker 3: of tough to see a path to where they win

926
00:44:35,000 --> 00:44:36,680
Speaker 3: this game. And they just had a great shooting night

927
00:44:36,719 --> 00:44:39,400
Speaker 3: against the Pelicans. But if they have a solid shooting

928
00:44:39,520 --> 00:44:42,520
Speaker 3: night with Lebron at this level, I do think they

929
00:44:42,560 --> 00:44:45,319
Speaker 3: can win a lot of matchups against Indiana offensively to

930
00:44:45,400 --> 00:44:49,000
Speaker 3: offset how good that Pacers offense is. And I would

931
00:44:49,320 --> 00:44:52,120
Speaker 3: lean towards Lebron and the Lakers with how he and

932
00:44:52,160 --> 00:44:53,200
Speaker 3: they are playing right now.

933
00:44:54,160 --> 00:44:58,040
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think Indy can win this game. And when

934
00:44:58,040 --> 00:45:00,560
Speaker 2: I say can, I mean very much can. Like would

935
00:45:00,600 --> 00:45:04,160
Speaker 2: not even be surprised, But I think picking against Lebron

936
00:45:04,160 --> 00:45:08,600
Speaker 2: in this game is a terrible idea, Like he just

937
00:45:09,200 --> 00:45:12,279
Speaker 2: wants it, like probably more than everyone else out there,

938
00:45:12,320 --> 00:45:15,360
Speaker 2: and specifically they don't have anybodies that can match up

939
00:45:15,360 --> 00:45:16,879
Speaker 2: to him, which we'll get to the Lakers on offense

940
00:45:16,920 --> 00:45:19,080
Speaker 2: in a minute. I wanted to This is kind of

941
00:45:19,080 --> 00:45:20,759
Speaker 2: the way I see the game going. First of all,

942
00:45:20,880 --> 00:45:23,360
Speaker 2: Indian Indian offense is going to look to push a

943
00:45:23,360 --> 00:45:25,520
Speaker 2: lot in transition. The Lakers are a much better transition

944
00:45:25,600 --> 00:45:28,360
Speaker 2: defense this year than they were last year. They've basically

945
00:45:28,400 --> 00:45:32,040
Speaker 2: abandoned the offensive glass to get everybody back on defense

946
00:45:32,080 --> 00:45:34,319
Speaker 2: this year, which has been kind of their counter to that,

947
00:45:34,440 --> 00:45:37,319
Speaker 2: and they've been last I checked, like they were in

948
00:45:37,360 --> 00:45:41,480
Speaker 2: the like in the eleven twelve area for transition defense

949
00:45:41,520 --> 00:45:44,239
Speaker 2: according to Cleaning the Glass, which again that's going to

950
00:45:44,280 --> 00:45:46,840
Speaker 2: be something that just in general in terms of focus,

951
00:45:46,880 --> 00:45:49,320
Speaker 2: they're gonna have to be really sharp on. I expect

952
00:45:49,400 --> 00:45:54,040
Speaker 2: Darvin Ham to start with Cam Reddish on Tyrese Haliburton

953
00:45:55,200 --> 00:45:58,520
Speaker 2: and basically apply a ton of ball pressure, and then

954
00:45:58,560 --> 00:46:00,880
Speaker 2: I expect him to play an aggressive all screen coverage

955
00:46:01,160 --> 00:46:04,000
Speaker 2: with Anthony Davis on Miles Turner to start up at

956
00:46:04,040 --> 00:46:06,640
Speaker 2: the level of the screen, and then he's gonna put

957
00:46:06,680 --> 00:46:08,600
Speaker 2: Lebron on Obi top and basically use him as a

958
00:46:08,640 --> 00:46:11,120
Speaker 2: roamer and try to blow up plays there. I think

959
00:46:11,160 --> 00:46:15,200
Speaker 2: they're going to concede whenever he goes to it, although

960
00:46:15,239 --> 00:46:16,719
Speaker 2: if they are aggressive enough, they might be able to

961
00:46:16,800 --> 00:46:19,080
Speaker 2: force him to roll. But I think they're going to

962
00:46:19,120 --> 00:46:21,720
Speaker 2: concede the pick and pop to Miles Turner to start

963
00:46:21,760 --> 00:46:24,200
Speaker 2: the game, and if he doesn't make it, that could

964
00:46:24,200 --> 00:46:26,120
Speaker 2: be a huge swing factor in this game if he

965
00:46:26,160 --> 00:46:29,000
Speaker 2: misses too and starts to get a little hesitant. But

966
00:46:29,040 --> 00:46:32,120
Speaker 2: that's kind of the way I see them starting. The

967
00:46:32,320 --> 00:46:34,759
Speaker 2: interesting thing that i'd like to see them do at

968
00:46:34,760 --> 00:46:37,600
Speaker 2: some point during the game is put Anthony Davis on

969
00:46:37,640 --> 00:46:41,120
Speaker 2: Obi Toppin and then basically put Lebron James on Miles

970
00:46:41,120 --> 00:46:44,319
Speaker 2: Turner and switch the Haliburton pick and roll and then

971
00:46:44,440 --> 00:46:47,400
Speaker 2: essentially tell Lebron or Rui or whoever it is that

972
00:46:47,520 --> 00:46:50,520
Speaker 2: ends up in that switch to just basically press up

973
00:46:50,560 --> 00:46:52,960
Speaker 2: on Tyres and make him drive into help and then

974
00:46:52,960 --> 00:46:56,000
Speaker 2: they have Anthony Davis waiting and then essentially try to

975
00:46:56,080 --> 00:46:58,600
Speaker 2: rotate out of it with all your athletes, because that's

976
00:46:58,600 --> 00:47:00,440
Speaker 2: one of the things the Lakers have been doing in

977
00:47:00,520 --> 00:47:03,200
Speaker 2: this last fifteen game stretch that's given them a huge edges.

978
00:47:03,239 --> 00:47:07,280
Speaker 2: They're basically slotting instead of playing Austin and dil together,

979
00:47:07,360 --> 00:47:10,240
Speaker 2: They've basically moved another point of attack defender into the lineup.

980
00:47:10,280 --> 00:47:14,000
Speaker 2: And it's been consistently like reddish entaurium prints and then

981
00:47:14,040 --> 00:47:16,920
Speaker 2: it's Max Christy and Jared Vanderbilt. You know, it's like

982
00:47:16,960 --> 00:47:20,000
Speaker 2: a steady diet of athletes on the floor. And so

983
00:47:20,400 --> 00:47:23,879
Speaker 2: when you have like a situation where let's say let's

984
00:47:23,880 --> 00:47:28,120
Speaker 2: say it's the Let's say it's Jared Vanderbilt on ball

985
00:47:28,600 --> 00:47:31,080
Speaker 2: and it's Lebron on Miles turner and they switch it

986
00:47:31,400 --> 00:47:34,719
Speaker 2: on the backside, you're gonna have Anthony Davis and a

987
00:47:34,920 --> 00:47:38,400
Speaker 2: Cam Reddish or a Max Christi in rotation. Austin Reeves

988
00:47:38,400 --> 00:47:40,440
Speaker 2: has been a really good help defender as of late.

989
00:47:40,480 --> 00:47:43,279
Speaker 2: He's blowing up plays, jumping from the weak side. He's

990
00:47:43,280 --> 00:47:45,200
Speaker 2: done a really good job. So like that's kind of

991
00:47:45,200 --> 00:47:47,359
Speaker 2: the direction I see the game going. And again, I

992
00:47:47,360 --> 00:47:49,400
Speaker 2: think if the Lakers are sharp, if they apply good

993
00:47:49,480 --> 00:47:54,120
Speaker 2: ball pressure, if they if they you know, rotate hard,

994
00:47:54,200 --> 00:47:58,319
Speaker 2: get back in transition, I think they can keep them

995
00:47:58,320 --> 00:48:01,640
Speaker 2: around that like one fifteen offensive rating area. That's kind

996
00:48:01,640 --> 00:48:03,120
Speaker 2: of like the way they're gonna have to play to win.

997
00:48:03,280 --> 00:48:07,319
Speaker 2: And then moving over to the Lakers on offense, like

998
00:48:07,800 --> 00:48:10,040
Speaker 2: it's going to be a couple of different things. The

999
00:48:10,080 --> 00:48:13,160
Speaker 2: Pacers give up an offensive rebound on thirty four point

1000
00:48:13,239 --> 00:48:18,040
Speaker 2: two percent of opponents misses, which is really bad. And

1001
00:48:18,440 --> 00:48:21,400
Speaker 2: now the Lakers have abandoned the offensive glass for the

1002
00:48:21,480 --> 00:48:24,440
Speaker 2: most part this season. But we saw in the Phoenix

1003
00:48:24,480 --> 00:48:27,399
Speaker 2: game in particular, when they know they have an advantage there,

1004
00:48:28,040 --> 00:48:31,319
Speaker 2: they look to be aggressive. And so I see it

1005
00:48:31,360 --> 00:48:34,360
Speaker 2: being one of those things where like maybe the Pacers

1006
00:48:34,360 --> 00:48:37,359
Speaker 2: have a lot of success offensively, but the Lakers get

1007
00:48:37,440 --> 00:48:40,080
Speaker 2: like fifteen to twenty more shot attempts than they do,

1008
00:48:40,560 --> 00:48:44,360
Speaker 2: and that goes a long way. I think also in

1009
00:48:44,440 --> 00:48:48,080
Speaker 2: a weird way, like and I know, I'll just pitch

1010
00:48:48,080 --> 00:48:51,440
Speaker 2: it to you guys like this, do you think Lebron

1011
00:48:51,680 --> 00:48:53,800
Speaker 2: can have a little bit more of a mental effect

1012
00:48:53,840 --> 00:48:56,359
Speaker 2: on Indie than Jannis Dame or Jason Tatum? Did?

1013
00:48:58,360 --> 00:49:04,719
Speaker 3: I heard that? Crazy? To be a generally young team

1014
00:49:05,480 --> 00:49:10,480
Speaker 3: with turn Heel have been in spy stake situations, playing

1015
00:49:10,560 --> 00:49:15,200
Speaker 3: Lebron in a game matters to when really been in

1016
00:49:15,280 --> 00:49:17,840
Speaker 3: those games. That is scary. And I don't know if

1017
00:49:17,880 --> 00:49:20,000
Speaker 3: it's a huge factor, but I do think it is

1018
00:49:20,040 --> 00:49:23,239
Speaker 3: a factor. Yes, I consider that as well. I think

1019
00:49:23,239 --> 00:49:25,840
Speaker 3: it's a big time fact. I mean, I don't know

1020
00:49:25,960 --> 00:49:28,759
Speaker 3: Lebron would scare me out there on the floor. It's

1021
00:49:28,760 --> 00:49:31,279
Speaker 3: the same for these guys like they watched him growing up.

1022
00:49:31,280 --> 00:49:33,120
Speaker 3: You know, this is a really young Pacers team, Like

1023
00:49:33,160 --> 00:49:35,279
Speaker 3: there has to be a I don't know that. I

1024
00:49:35,320 --> 00:49:37,799
Speaker 3: think the r around Lebron has to come into play

1025
00:49:37,840 --> 00:49:38,440
Speaker 3: in this game.

1026
00:49:39,920 --> 00:49:43,320
Speaker 2: I think it's it's something that could play a factor

1027
00:49:43,360 --> 00:49:45,279
Speaker 2: and it's something to keep an eye on early. And

1028
00:49:45,320 --> 00:49:48,879
Speaker 2: I think if the Pacers play very confidently throughout this game,

1029
00:49:48,920 --> 00:49:52,239
Speaker 2: it's yet another indicator of just how amazing Tyres Haliburton is,

1030
00:49:53,080 --> 00:49:56,040
Speaker 2: which would be worth keeping an eye on. But again,

1031
00:49:56,120 --> 00:49:58,440
Speaker 2: I think I think that's the pathway for the Lakers,

1032
00:49:58,520 --> 00:50:02,399
Speaker 2: bully ball, lots of matchup attacking on the front line,

1033
00:50:02,440 --> 00:50:05,719
Speaker 2: win the possession battle. And then again, I know some

1034
00:50:05,760 --> 00:50:07,960
Speaker 2: people disagree with me on this, but I think when

1035
00:50:07,960 --> 00:50:10,440
Speaker 2: the Lakers give their best defensive effort, they are the

1036
00:50:10,440 --> 00:50:13,040
Speaker 2: best defense in the league. And so, in my opinion,

1037
00:50:13,640 --> 00:50:16,520
Speaker 2: like this will be a great challenge. It's I'm so

1038
00:50:16,560 --> 00:50:19,600
Speaker 2: excited for this game tomorrow because not only is it

1039
00:50:19,760 --> 00:50:23,280
Speaker 2: Lebron versus Tyres Halliburton, but it's two incredibly different styles.

1040
00:50:23,280 --> 00:50:26,799
Speaker 2: A team that thrives on offense and couldn't care less

1041
00:50:26,800 --> 00:50:29,440
Speaker 2: about defense versus a team that thrives on defense and

1042
00:50:29,520 --> 00:50:32,040
Speaker 2: is a bad offense. But both teams are doing better

1043
00:50:32,080 --> 00:50:34,200
Speaker 2: on the other end as of late, Like the Pacers

1044
00:50:34,239 --> 00:50:36,839
Speaker 2: have been defending better, the Lakers have been scoring better.

1045
00:50:37,120 --> 00:50:40,320
Speaker 2: So like there's all these like interesting trends, and I

1046
00:50:40,400 --> 00:50:42,600
Speaker 2: think I think Lebron like again, like there's not a

1047
00:50:42,640 --> 00:50:44,799
Speaker 2: soul on that roster that can even hope to make

1048
00:50:44,880 --> 00:50:48,240
Speaker 2: Lebron moderately uncomfortable, like a lot of that ball pressure

1049
00:50:48,280 --> 00:50:51,040
Speaker 2: stuff that that Aaron Nee Smith did, Lebron's just gonna

1050
00:50:51,120 --> 00:50:54,920
Speaker 2: use against him and just and pick him apart. And obviously,

1051
00:50:54,960 --> 00:50:57,520
Speaker 2: like the big weakness of the Pacers defense is actually

1052
00:50:57,560 --> 00:51:00,440
Speaker 2: their help and recover, Like they're off ball eyes get

1053
00:51:00,520 --> 00:51:02,400
Speaker 2: lost all the time, which is going to be a

1054
00:51:02,400 --> 00:51:04,799
Speaker 2: big problem with Lebron on the floor. They haven't faced

1055
00:51:04,840 --> 00:51:06,640
Speaker 2: a single team this week that's got that level of

1056
00:51:06,680 --> 00:51:09,239
Speaker 2: passer on the floor, and I think that's something to

1057
00:51:09,280 --> 00:51:12,239
Speaker 2: keep an eye on. Again, think the Pacers can win,

1058
00:51:12,400 --> 00:51:15,319
Speaker 2: think they flat out have a good chance, But I'm

1059
00:51:15,360 --> 00:51:17,839
Speaker 2: picking the Lakers now because of time. We're gonna move on.

1060
00:51:18,239 --> 00:51:19,960
Speaker 2: I want to hit two quick topics before we get

1061
00:51:19,960 --> 00:51:25,319
Speaker 2: out of here. Zion Williamson Lebron erased him from that

1062
00:51:25,400 --> 00:51:29,080
Speaker 2: game basically just daring him to shoot, beating him to

1063
00:51:29,080 --> 00:51:32,480
Speaker 2: spots right outside the restricted area and fallen over. And

1064
00:51:32,920 --> 00:51:36,520
Speaker 2: that doesn't seem like. What bothered me in particular is

1065
00:51:36,560 --> 00:51:40,319
Speaker 2: Zion actually has like a pretty solid floater where like

1066
00:51:40,360 --> 00:51:42,800
Speaker 2: he'll like he was using it, he's used it throughout

1067
00:51:42,800 --> 00:51:45,040
Speaker 2: this season, where like he'll make a hard iso move

1068
00:51:45,080 --> 00:51:47,040
Speaker 2: and then he'll just kind of elevate from like six

1069
00:51:47,080 --> 00:51:48,960
Speaker 2: feet and just shoot that little pop shot over the

1070
00:51:49,000 --> 00:51:51,840
Speaker 2: top and he can make it. And I think again,

1071
00:51:51,880 --> 00:51:53,719
Speaker 2: I think Lebron alpha dogged him in a lot of

1072
00:51:53,719 --> 00:51:56,560
Speaker 2: ways that affected his confidence. But so I do think

1073
00:51:56,680 --> 00:51:59,920
Speaker 2: last night isn't exactly the best characterization of who's I

1074
00:52:00,080 --> 00:52:03,560
Speaker 2: and is as a player. That said, like, rim efficiencies

1075
00:52:03,600 --> 00:52:07,320
Speaker 2: down this year, rim frequencies down from when he was good.

1076
00:52:08,360 --> 00:52:10,719
Speaker 2: He just hasn't quite been even as good as he

1077
00:52:10,920 --> 00:52:13,920
Speaker 2: was a year ago. And so from that standpoint, like,

1078
00:52:14,160 --> 00:52:16,680
Speaker 2: are we off the Zion bandwagon? From the standpoint of

1079
00:52:16,760 --> 00:52:19,879
Speaker 2: him ever reaching truly great potential? Like is he now

1080
00:52:20,000 --> 00:52:22,960
Speaker 2: essentially damaged goods in the sense that, like, as he

1081
00:52:22,960 --> 00:52:25,040
Speaker 2: gets older, the weight and the injuries are just going

1082
00:52:25,080 --> 00:52:26,680
Speaker 2: to make him less and less mobile, which is going

1083
00:52:26,719 --> 00:52:29,120
Speaker 2: to make him less and less impactful. Are we more

1084
00:52:29,200 --> 00:52:31,759
Speaker 2: or less seeing the ceiling of Zion route right now?

1085
00:52:31,800 --> 00:52:32,880
Speaker 2: What do you guys think.

1086
00:52:34,560 --> 00:52:40,560
Speaker 3: I have been an advocate when you're looking at last

1087
00:52:40,600 --> 00:52:43,239
Speaker 3: year the level he was at in twenty twenty one

1088
00:52:43,840 --> 00:52:48,879
Speaker 3: that some people have just flat out undersold how monumentally

1089
00:52:48,920 --> 00:52:51,440
Speaker 3: great an offensive player Zion has been. When he is

1090
00:52:51,480 --> 00:52:55,640
Speaker 3: on the floor, he has been the most imposing rim

1091
00:52:55,680 --> 00:52:59,800
Speaker 3: finisher from initiating from the perimeter right excluding Shack because

1092
00:52:59,840 --> 00:53:02,279
Speaker 3: he he's a big he dominates from the interior that

1093
00:53:02,400 --> 00:53:06,239
Speaker 3: we have seen. He is six six, two hundred and

1094
00:53:06,280 --> 00:53:08,880
Speaker 3: eighty five pounds with one of the quickest first steps

1095
00:53:08,920 --> 00:53:11,560
Speaker 3: in the league some of the elite bounced in the league.

1096
00:53:11,560 --> 00:53:14,439
Speaker 3: And then this overwhelming force. He has just been such

1097
00:53:14,480 --> 00:53:17,160
Speaker 3: a marvel to watch. He has just walked in to

1098
00:53:17,280 --> 00:53:20,520
Speaker 3: twenty five twenty seven a night on sixty five percent

1099
00:53:20,560 --> 00:53:22,560
Speaker 3: through shooting. He's been so lethal a lot of different

1100
00:53:22,560 --> 00:53:26,359
Speaker 3: offensive actions. Isolating dudes can't check him one on one

1101
00:53:26,480 --> 00:53:29,439
Speaker 3: in the post. He has such overwhelming physical advantages. Even

1102
00:53:29,480 --> 00:53:31,320
Speaker 3: ball handling out a pick and roll as a roller

1103
00:53:31,360 --> 00:53:33,880
Speaker 3: like Zion has been awesome. When he's been on the

1104
00:53:33,920 --> 00:53:37,240
Speaker 3: floor up to this season, I think it's been really

1105
00:53:37,719 --> 00:53:39,560
Speaker 3: disappointing what we've seen from him. I think this is

1106
00:53:39,560 --> 00:53:42,279
Speaker 3: the worst condition that we have seen him in, and

1107
00:53:42,320 --> 00:53:45,600
Speaker 3: I think that this is also probably the least confident

1108
00:53:46,000 --> 00:53:49,279
Speaker 3: comfortable to absolutely think that was a factor. Yesterday's game,

1109
00:53:49,280 --> 00:53:51,120
Speaker 3: he seemed rattled to me. I mean, he couldn't hit

1110
00:53:51,160 --> 00:53:54,440
Speaker 3: his free throws, either, and he's been less aggressive this year.

1111
00:53:54,440 --> 00:53:56,560
Speaker 3: We actually just had this conversation with a guest on

1112
00:53:56,600 --> 00:54:00,360
Speaker 3: our show. Shout out to Yokis Joe Star. But Zion

1113
00:54:00,440 --> 00:54:04,080
Speaker 3: has normally been, I mean a crazy efficient isolation player.

1114
00:54:04,280 --> 00:54:06,759
Speaker 3: This year, he's been below average efficiency there and he

1115
00:54:06,880 --> 00:54:10,040
Speaker 3: just hasn't asserted himself offensively as much. His attempts are down,

1116
00:54:10,040 --> 00:54:13,600
Speaker 3: his scoring is down, his efficiency is down, his rebounding

1117
00:54:13,640 --> 00:54:16,680
Speaker 3: is down. I think he continues to be really underwhelming there.

1118
00:54:16,719 --> 00:54:19,480
Speaker 3: It's not something that he really commits to, but an

1119
00:54:19,480 --> 00:54:22,239
Speaker 3: athlete of his caliber should have more of an impact there.

1120
00:54:22,239 --> 00:54:25,000
Speaker 3: And then defensively, I think there was optimism with him

1121
00:54:25,040 --> 00:54:28,000
Speaker 3: as a prospect that, right he could have enough lateral

1122
00:54:28,080 --> 00:54:30,960
Speaker 3: quickness and I mean he had some monster defensive stretches

1123
00:54:31,000 --> 00:54:34,480
Speaker 3: at Duke. He's never been able to turn into, in

1124
00:54:34,520 --> 00:54:36,840
Speaker 3: my opinion, even a neutral and I've been disappointed in

1125
00:54:36,880 --> 00:54:38,279
Speaker 3: what we've seen from him so far this year.

1126
00:54:39,200 --> 00:54:42,920
Speaker 1: I've been pretty disappointed by Zion two. And it's frustrating, man,

1127
00:54:42,920 --> 00:54:44,840
Speaker 1: because I think it's that level of disengagement that you

1128
00:54:44,880 --> 00:54:47,480
Speaker 1: talk about Carson that's so frustrating with Zion Williamson and

1129
00:54:47,520 --> 00:54:50,200
Speaker 1: kind of speaks to him as a basketball player in

1130
00:54:50,239 --> 00:54:52,720
Speaker 1: his character. Right, it's like the little things like that,

1131
00:54:52,800 --> 00:54:57,440
Speaker 1: the defense, the rebounding. It's like Zion, does he want

1132
00:54:57,480 --> 00:54:59,480
Speaker 1: to be out there or does he want to play basketball?

1133
00:54:59,520 --> 00:55:03,120
Speaker 1: It's like it's like the smart kid in school, right,

1134
00:55:03,200 --> 00:55:06,000
Speaker 1: like the naturally gifted, really smart kid versus the dumb

1135
00:55:06,080 --> 00:55:08,160
Speaker 1: kid who needs to study and go get a tutor,

1136
00:55:08,239 --> 00:55:10,640
Speaker 1: right like Man Carson, Right, you know Carson didn't need

1137
00:55:10,680 --> 00:55:12,279
Speaker 1: to crack the book, but I had to read a lot.

1138
00:55:12,320 --> 00:55:13,319
Speaker 2: You know, I had to study. Man.

1139
00:55:14,280 --> 00:55:15,040
Speaker 3: Love this analogy.

1140
00:55:15,280 --> 00:55:15,400
Speaker 2: Love.

1141
00:55:15,400 --> 00:55:17,719
Speaker 1: It's like it's like if the really it's like if

1142
00:55:17,719 --> 00:55:20,560
Speaker 1: the really smart kid was disengaged. Right, It's so easy

1143
00:55:20,600 --> 00:55:22,960
Speaker 1: for Zion. He's always had it. He didn't need to

1144
00:55:23,000 --> 00:55:26,600
Speaker 1: crack the book. Right, He's got these such dominant physical advantages.

1145
00:55:26,800 --> 00:55:29,359
Speaker 1: He's a freaking bowl in ball man. When he goes

1146
00:55:29,400 --> 00:55:31,879
Speaker 1: to the paint, guy's bounced off of him.

1147
00:55:32,160 --> 00:55:32,640
Speaker 3: He doesn't.

1148
00:55:32,680 --> 00:55:36,400
Speaker 1: It's a shoulder, he's like a he's like a trampoline,

1149
00:55:36,400 --> 00:55:38,239
Speaker 1: like as just literally jump off of him.

1150
00:55:38,239 --> 00:55:38,920
Speaker 2: It's insane.

1151
00:55:39,000 --> 00:55:43,000
Speaker 1: But I wonder with Zion because of these overwhelming physical advantages,

1152
00:55:43,000 --> 00:55:45,080
Speaker 1: because of how easy the game comes to him. It's like,

1153
00:55:46,640 --> 00:55:48,719
Speaker 1: I don't know, if one Zion tries that much, I

1154
00:55:48,719 --> 00:55:50,600
Speaker 1: don't know how much off court, if he really wants

1155
00:55:50,640 --> 00:55:53,880
Speaker 1: to improve his craft. It's you know, it comes so

1156
00:55:54,000 --> 00:55:56,040
Speaker 1: easy to him because of these physical things that I

1157
00:55:56,040 --> 00:55:58,879
Speaker 1: don't know how much off court if he really does

1158
00:55:58,920 --> 00:56:01,279
Speaker 1: put in the work. And that's that's the question to me.

1159
00:56:01,360 --> 00:56:04,560
Speaker 1: Because he has all the tools, he has all the skills,

1160
00:56:04,600 --> 00:56:07,600
Speaker 1: We've seen the flashes of it. I do want to

1161
00:56:07,600 --> 00:56:09,840
Speaker 1: cut Zion some slack in one area. And that's the

1162
00:56:09,840 --> 00:56:12,480
Speaker 1: fact that I don't think New Orleans is an optimized

1163
00:56:12,520 --> 00:56:16,400
Speaker 1: situation for him. I think that it's really tough because

1164
00:56:17,600 --> 00:56:19,960
Speaker 1: you know, it's not optimized spacing wise. He plays, you know,

1165
00:56:19,960 --> 00:56:22,920
Speaker 1: alongside a not great shooting big you know, Valentunas can

1166
00:56:22,960 --> 00:56:25,040
Speaker 1: space the floor, but he's not, you know, always out

1167
00:56:25,080 --> 00:56:25,560
Speaker 1: spacing it.

1168
00:56:25,680 --> 00:56:27,840
Speaker 2: So that's where I come down on it.

1169
00:56:27,880 --> 00:56:30,080
Speaker 1: I think it's partly on Zion because I don't know

1170
00:56:30,120 --> 00:56:31,600
Speaker 1: how much he cares about the game. I don't know

1171
00:56:31,640 --> 00:56:33,319
Speaker 1: how much he's trying to get better, how much he's

1172
00:56:33,360 --> 00:56:35,640
Speaker 1: trying to lose weight. But I also don't think this

1173
00:56:35,680 --> 00:56:38,600
Speaker 1: is a great situation for him. I do think more

1174
00:56:38,600 --> 00:56:40,560
Speaker 1: of it falls on Zion and no I probably wouldn't

1175
00:56:40,600 --> 00:56:42,040
Speaker 1: have him in that operational a lont of guys to

1176
00:56:42,080 --> 00:56:44,200
Speaker 1: build around because of all the concerns we've laid about.

1177
00:56:44,280 --> 00:56:46,960
Speaker 1: But the biggest issue to me is that I don't

1178
00:56:46,960 --> 00:56:48,080
Speaker 1: know if Zion loves the game.

1179
00:56:48,120 --> 00:56:48,239
Speaker 2: Man.

1180
00:56:48,239 --> 00:56:50,440
Speaker 1: I don't know if Zion really wants to does he

1181
00:56:50,480 --> 00:56:52,279
Speaker 1: want to win, does he care? Does he want to

1182
00:56:52,320 --> 00:56:54,920
Speaker 1: get better? That's my biggest question mark with Zion and

1183
00:56:54,920 --> 00:56:57,560
Speaker 1: where I've felt most unfulfilled with him this season.

1184
00:56:58,440 --> 00:57:00,200
Speaker 2: I can tell you that the Lakers don't think his

1185
00:57:00,280 --> 00:57:07,120
Speaker 2: Valentoin Hiss can shoot. Yeah, I'm not giving up hope entirely,

1186
00:57:07,360 --> 00:57:09,640
Speaker 2: but I'm running out of hope. And it really is

1187
00:57:09,640 --> 00:57:13,920
Speaker 2: this simple for me. I'm worried that he might figure

1188
00:57:13,960 --> 00:57:16,160
Speaker 2: it out so to speak, when he's twenty five or

1189
00:57:16,160 --> 00:57:17,960
Speaker 2: twenty six, and then his body will have too much

1190
00:57:18,000 --> 00:57:21,320
Speaker 2: damage done to it and initiate and that that, specifically

1191
00:57:21,320 --> 00:57:24,520
Speaker 2: to me, is what scares me. And specifically what sucks

1192
00:57:24,520 --> 00:57:27,520
Speaker 2: about that is like I was an idiot when I

1193
00:57:27,720 --> 00:57:30,800
Speaker 2: was young. Now I took better care of my body,

1194
00:57:30,960 --> 00:57:33,400
Speaker 2: but like I did. Like the point is is like

1195
00:57:33,440 --> 00:57:35,800
Speaker 2: it's not exactly unheard of for a dude to become

1196
00:57:35,800 --> 00:57:37,960
Speaker 2: more disciplined and to have his shit together better and

1197
00:57:38,000 --> 00:57:40,480
Speaker 2: when he's older, and I just hope he can figure

1198
00:57:40,520 --> 00:57:42,920
Speaker 2: that out before his body fails him. That's kind of

1199
00:57:42,960 --> 00:57:45,400
Speaker 2: where I'm at with it now. One last thing I

1200
00:57:45,400 --> 00:57:46,680
Speaker 2: want to hit before we get out of here. Last

1201
00:57:46,760 --> 00:57:49,640
Speaker 2: night we had a Bob Myers went on with the

1202
00:57:49,680 --> 00:57:51,840
Speaker 2: Inside the NBA guys and he had a funny interaction

1203
00:57:51,880 --> 00:57:53,880
Speaker 2: with Charles Barkley where he's like, you know, congrats on

1204
00:57:53,920 --> 00:57:55,520
Speaker 2: getting off of that sinking ship. And he's like, oh,

1205
00:57:55,520 --> 00:57:57,000
Speaker 2: I got some friends over there, and it's like, oh,

1206
00:57:57,040 --> 00:58:01,760
Speaker 2: they'll be with you soon. Are the Warriors is sinking ship?

1207
00:58:02,440 --> 00:58:03,680
Speaker 2: Let's start with U Carson.

1208
00:58:05,080 --> 00:58:10,160
Speaker 3: I think they have been slowly sinking since the title

1209
00:58:10,560 --> 00:58:13,360
Speaker 3: because I think that, to some extent, that was magic

1210
00:58:13,400 --> 00:58:15,720
Speaker 3: in a bottle. That was a field that wasn't quite

1211
00:58:15,760 --> 00:58:18,240
Speaker 3: as strong as the ones that we've seen develop in

1212
00:58:18,320 --> 00:58:21,560
Speaker 3: the subsequent two years, and you had Jordan Poole playing

1213
00:58:21,560 --> 00:58:24,160
Speaker 3: at an unbelievable level. I was just reflecting on that

1214
00:58:24,200 --> 00:58:27,480
Speaker 3: with my friend yesterday, how insane it was that he

1215
00:58:27,560 --> 00:58:30,520
Speaker 3: was able to carry the offense for multiple games in

1216
00:58:30,520 --> 00:58:33,000
Speaker 3: that Denver series with Steph off the bench, with unbelievable

1217
00:58:33,000 --> 00:58:37,040
Speaker 3: efficiency and shot making and great playmaking, and he demonstrated

1218
00:58:37,120 --> 00:58:41,200
Speaker 3: maturity from a guard that young. That is so unreasonable

1219
00:58:41,200 --> 00:58:43,680
Speaker 3: to expect in a championship run, but he did it,

1220
00:58:43,960 --> 00:58:46,000
Speaker 3: and then he became the polar opposite of that within

1221
00:58:46,040 --> 00:58:49,280
Speaker 3: eighteen months. So that was incredible. Wiggins playing at this

1222
00:58:49,360 --> 00:58:52,560
Speaker 3: level that he hasn't been able to reach before or since.

1223
00:58:53,800 --> 00:58:56,080
Speaker 3: That was a special run, and I think that it

1224
00:58:56,120 --> 00:58:58,560
Speaker 3: was natural to expect that that was a team that,

1225
00:58:58,680 --> 00:59:01,720
Speaker 3: given how they were aging, how they did capture lightning

1226
00:59:01,720 --> 00:59:03,760
Speaker 3: in a bottle with a couple of those key players,

1227
00:59:03,800 --> 00:59:07,280
Speaker 3: was probably going to trend downwards. However, I am not

1228
00:59:07,480 --> 00:59:11,320
Speaker 3: all in on the chuck like the Warriors are dead

1229
00:59:11,400 --> 00:59:12,880
Speaker 3: sort of thing. I know that he's been a big

1230
00:59:12,880 --> 00:59:14,520
Speaker 3: advocate for that, and I think a lot of people

1231
00:59:14,560 --> 00:59:19,040
Speaker 3: have been. I remain cautiously optimistic about this team because

1232
00:59:19,080 --> 00:59:20,800
Speaker 3: I think that there's a couple areas in which they

1233
00:59:20,840 --> 00:59:23,680
Speaker 3: are clearly a lot better than last year, when that

1234
00:59:23,720 --> 00:59:25,080
Speaker 3: was a team that made the second round of the

1235
00:59:25,080 --> 00:59:27,720
Speaker 3: playoffs and played a competitive series against the Lakers, which

1236
00:59:27,760 --> 00:59:30,040
Speaker 3: is a really good basketball team. I think this is

1237
00:59:30,120 --> 00:59:33,360
Speaker 3: the best bench unit of Steph's career, and I think

1238
00:59:33,400 --> 00:59:35,360
Speaker 3: that CP three has been a good fit to that

1239
00:59:35,440 --> 00:59:37,440
Speaker 3: unit when he's been out there as a commanding presence.

1240
00:59:37,480 --> 00:59:40,040
Speaker 3: But I just grow more and more bullish about that

1241
00:59:40,080 --> 00:59:42,800
Speaker 3: group even without him. I think that the energy that

1242
00:59:42,840 --> 00:59:46,560
Speaker 3: you get from Pods, from Moody, from kaminga so important

1243
00:59:46,600 --> 00:59:49,360
Speaker 3: chars is playing at a really high level GP two Like,

1244
00:59:49,560 --> 00:59:52,880
Speaker 3: there's just so many quality role players there, and historically

1245
00:59:53,680 --> 00:59:57,040
Speaker 3: since Katie left, the Warriors have struggled so much to

1246
00:59:57,080 --> 00:59:59,480
Speaker 3: win the non Steph minutes. They were positive by a

1247
00:59:59,520 --> 01:00:01,720
Speaker 3: decent amount when Steph was on the floor last year.

1248
01:00:01,720 --> 01:00:03,080
Speaker 3: I think it was like plus forty six in the

1249
01:00:03,120 --> 01:00:05,280
Speaker 3: playoffs with him, minus forty eight without him. So you

1250
01:00:05,280 --> 01:00:07,160
Speaker 3: can point at that and say, when Steph was off

1251
01:00:07,200 --> 01:00:09,560
Speaker 3: the floor, they couldn't put together a capable second unit,

1252
01:00:09,840 --> 01:00:12,800
Speaker 3: and maybe that was the single thing that sunk them

1253
01:00:13,200 --> 01:00:16,480
Speaker 3: this year. I do see other concerns. I think that

1254
01:00:16,520 --> 01:00:20,240
Speaker 3: their core starting unit and CP, especially when they try

1255
01:00:20,280 --> 01:00:22,480
Speaker 3: to close with CP, I just don't think that's tenable.

1256
01:00:22,480 --> 01:00:25,400
Speaker 3: He's not a good offensive fit alongside Steph, and they

1257
01:00:25,560 --> 01:00:29,560
Speaker 3: just can be too small, too slow, not athletic enough

1258
01:00:29,600 --> 01:00:34,680
Speaker 3: to seriously contend, especially in this monstrously huge Western Conference.

1259
01:00:34,720 --> 01:00:37,840
Speaker 3: So they do need to me Moody to play big minutes.

1260
01:00:37,880 --> 01:00:40,040
Speaker 3: I love Moses Moody. I love what he is doing

1261
01:00:40,040 --> 01:00:41,840
Speaker 3: out there. That is a big time shooter who plays

1262
01:00:41,840 --> 01:00:44,760
Speaker 3: with great effort. He just makes winning basketball plays. Cominga

1263
01:00:44,800 --> 01:00:46,360
Speaker 3: came up in a big way in that Portland game.

1264
01:00:46,360 --> 01:00:49,240
Speaker 3: I don't think he's as consistently a positive guy, but

1265
01:00:49,320 --> 01:00:52,600
Speaker 3: I think that athleticism alone can swing games. Pods is

1266
01:00:52,600 --> 01:00:54,720
Speaker 3: so mature offensively for his agent. He plays so hard

1267
01:00:54,760 --> 01:00:57,640
Speaker 3: like those guys are legitimately valuable, and I do think

1268
01:00:58,000 --> 01:01:01,280
Speaker 3: they may need to be more willing to mix and

1269
01:01:01,360 --> 01:01:04,280
Speaker 3: match combinations when you're looking at closing. There are games

1270
01:01:04,280 --> 01:01:06,760
Speaker 3: where Clay is just a negative. And I'm not one

1271
01:01:06,800 --> 01:01:09,040
Speaker 3: of those people who thinks Clay is washed because he

1272
01:01:09,080 --> 01:01:11,600
Speaker 3: had a terrible month. Because he had a terrible month

1273
01:01:11,640 --> 01:01:13,240
Speaker 3: to start last year and then he had some of

1274
01:01:13,240 --> 01:01:15,160
Speaker 3: the best months of his career. He is a tough

1275
01:01:15,160 --> 01:01:17,640
Speaker 3: shot taker, tough shot maker, and there is going to

1276
01:01:17,640 --> 01:01:19,760
Speaker 3: be variants with that. I don't really like him as

1277
01:01:19,760 --> 01:01:22,640
Speaker 3: an offensive number two because he's so limited athletically and

1278
01:01:22,680 --> 01:01:25,480
Speaker 3: as a playmaker. But I don't think that Clay has

1279
01:01:25,480 --> 01:01:27,120
Speaker 3: fallen off a cliff just because he had a really

1280
01:01:27,120 --> 01:01:29,000
Speaker 3: bad shooting month, and maybe he took a few more

1281
01:01:29,040 --> 01:01:31,640
Speaker 3: bad shots than he even normally would. But he's just

1282
01:01:31,720 --> 01:01:33,760
Speaker 3: generally a guy who takes and makes a lot of

1283
01:01:33,760 --> 01:01:36,400
Speaker 3: contest to jumpers, so there do need to be spots

1284
01:01:36,440 --> 01:01:38,880
Speaker 3: where he's not playing well. Wiggins has had so many

1285
01:01:38,920 --> 01:01:42,360
Speaker 3: rough games, and those guys just shouldn't play closing minutes.

1286
01:01:42,480 --> 01:01:45,120
Speaker 3: But I do think those guys are going to find

1287
01:01:45,160 --> 01:01:47,760
Speaker 3: more of their normal level. You mentioned when you came

1288
01:01:47,800 --> 01:01:50,040
Speaker 3: on our show how brutal the schedule has been. The

1289
01:01:50,080 --> 01:01:52,560
Speaker 3: Warriors still haven't lost to a bad basketball team. The

1290
01:01:52,560 --> 01:01:56,800
Speaker 3: Clippers are very legitimately arguably the worst team who they've

1291
01:01:56,840 --> 01:01:59,000
Speaker 3: lost to. That's a talented team, that's a team that's

1292
01:01:59,000 --> 01:02:02,760
Speaker 3: playing better basketball of late. If Wiggins and Clay can't

1293
01:02:02,800 --> 01:02:05,640
Speaker 3: find their normal level, then I think you start looking

1294
01:02:05,680 --> 01:02:08,320
Speaker 3: at making a move, and I think they probably should anyways,

1295
01:02:08,320 --> 01:02:10,760
Speaker 3: if they want to have like a real puncher's chance

1296
01:02:10,800 --> 01:02:14,600
Speaker 3: even to win the West. If it's a big athletic wing,

1297
01:02:14,920 --> 01:02:17,560
Speaker 3: a guy with two way impact like Ogianoobi, who we

1298
01:02:17,600 --> 01:02:19,640
Speaker 3: know they wanted to target last year, the asking price

1299
01:02:19,800 --> 01:02:22,960
Speaker 3: was just so crazy high. If it is a dynamic

1300
01:02:23,000 --> 01:02:26,240
Speaker 3: second shot creator like Zach Levine, who Yes, I have

1301
01:02:26,360 --> 01:02:30,280
Speaker 3: concerns about de defensively and how does he fit into

1302
01:02:30,360 --> 01:02:32,760
Speaker 3: a new culture, how malleable will he be? But it's

1303
01:02:32,800 --> 01:02:35,800
Speaker 3: just a talent injection that I think is valuable to them.

1304
01:02:36,160 --> 01:02:39,680
Speaker 3: And maybe you don't have to move Clay because I

1305
01:02:39,720 --> 01:02:43,040
Speaker 3: think that that's going to be a tough sell maybe

1306
01:02:43,080 --> 01:02:45,480
Speaker 3: for Steph and Draymond that I don't know if they

1307
01:02:45,480 --> 01:02:48,520
Speaker 3: ever reasonably could break up that core. And even though

1308
01:02:48,560 --> 01:02:52,240
Speaker 3: I like CPS fit, I think that at that contract value,

1309
01:02:52,320 --> 01:02:54,560
Speaker 3: you can probably get a guy who is more impactful

1310
01:02:54,640 --> 01:02:57,760
Speaker 3: than like a good sixth man who reasonably you can't

1311
01:02:57,800 --> 01:03:00,560
Speaker 3: close with. And the bench is playing well without it anyways.

1312
01:03:00,640 --> 01:03:02,600
Speaker 3: So I think this is a team that's going to

1313
01:03:02,680 --> 01:03:04,720
Speaker 3: get better. I think this is a team that has

1314
01:03:04,760 --> 01:03:07,720
Speaker 3: had catastrophic performance from a couple of their key players.

1315
01:03:08,160 --> 01:03:09,280
Speaker 3: And I think this is a team that's had a

1316
01:03:09,320 --> 01:03:12,720
Speaker 3: tough schedule and Draymond obviously missing time with injury and

1317
01:03:12,760 --> 01:03:15,280
Speaker 3: then the suspension. Everything has sort of been working against them,

1318
01:03:15,480 --> 01:03:19,760
Speaker 3: like unbelievable blown games late against the Kings and against

1319
01:03:19,760 --> 01:03:23,400
Speaker 3: the Clippers, and I think things are only going to

1320
01:03:23,480 --> 01:03:25,280
Speaker 3: go up from here because of that. I don't think

1321
01:03:25,280 --> 01:03:27,760
Speaker 3: they're broken. I absolutely think this is a team that

1322
01:03:27,800 --> 01:03:30,960
Speaker 3: can win a playoff series. I just think they need retooling.

1323
01:03:31,000 --> 01:03:33,200
Speaker 3: But I'm encouraged so much by the young guys in

1324
01:03:33,240 --> 01:03:35,240
Speaker 3: the second unit as a whole, because that's a strength

1325
01:03:35,400 --> 01:03:37,320
Speaker 3: that this team just has not had in recent years.

1326
01:03:37,320 --> 01:03:39,600
Speaker 3: And Steph is still Steph. So as long as Steph

1327
01:03:39,680 --> 01:03:42,200
Speaker 3: is Steph with a better second unit and you know,

1328
01:03:42,280 --> 01:03:44,640
Speaker 3: most of the key piece is still around, you cannot

1329
01:03:44,640 --> 01:03:47,120
Speaker 3: write off the Warriors like some people are doing right now.

1330
01:03:47,920 --> 01:03:49,400
Speaker 1: I agree with a lot of what you said. In

1331
01:03:49,480 --> 01:03:51,640
Speaker 1: the other area I'll hild on too, is I think

1332
01:03:51,680 --> 01:03:53,720
Speaker 1: the Warriors have to be better defensively. You know, in

1333
01:03:53,720 --> 01:03:56,200
Speaker 1: the regular season of their final run, they were the

1334
01:03:56,240 --> 01:03:58,760
Speaker 1: best defense in the NBA. In the playoffs, they were

1335
01:03:58,760 --> 01:04:01,320
Speaker 1: still a really good defense. I know Draymond's missed some time.

1336
01:04:01,880 --> 01:04:04,840
Speaker 1: We need to see along with Steph being great, along

1337
01:04:04,840 --> 01:04:07,080
Speaker 1: with the bench unit being better, I think that the

1338
01:04:07,120 --> 01:04:09,920
Speaker 1: defense has to get to an above average level. And

1339
01:04:09,960 --> 01:04:12,040
Speaker 1: then I do think they need to make a move.

1340
01:04:12,160 --> 01:04:14,280
Speaker 1: What happens with the sinking ship? How do you get better?

1341
01:04:14,320 --> 01:04:16,240
Speaker 1: Will you throw off some weight, you know, you get

1342
01:04:16,280 --> 01:04:18,280
Speaker 1: rid of some of the gold, and if it is CP.

1343
01:04:18,880 --> 01:04:20,760
Speaker 1: If it is somebody else, you got to cut some

1344
01:04:20,800 --> 01:04:23,000
Speaker 1: weight and so the ship can get back up, you know,

1345
01:04:23,080 --> 01:04:25,120
Speaker 1: point blank. And so I think a move is required

1346
01:04:25,120 --> 01:04:27,560
Speaker 1: at the deadline. And Carson, you talk about giving them

1347
01:04:27,600 --> 01:04:31,240
Speaker 1: a puncher's chance. I'll remind you guys, Buster Douglas once

1348
01:04:31,320 --> 01:04:32,400
Speaker 1: knocked out Mike Tyson.

1349
01:04:32,480 --> 01:04:33,120
Speaker 3: You know what I mean.

1350
01:04:33,200 --> 01:04:36,040
Speaker 1: So it's sometimes it's all you need, you know, you

1351
01:04:36,160 --> 01:04:39,360
Speaker 1: just need an opportunity. I do think to get that opportunity,

1352
01:04:39,400 --> 01:04:42,120
Speaker 1: to get that punch's chance, they do need to make

1353
01:04:42,160 --> 01:04:44,400
Speaker 1: a move at the deadline. And I think probably shopping

1354
01:04:44,440 --> 01:04:46,560
Speaker 1: CP is the right move. They need an upgrade in

1355
01:04:46,680 --> 01:04:50,880
Speaker 1: offensive talent they need, they need that injection of offense.

1356
01:04:51,000 --> 01:04:54,760
Speaker 1: But I'd give them the Buster Douglas puncher's chance if

1357
01:04:54,760 --> 01:04:56,400
Speaker 1: they make that move at the deadline, and if it

1358
01:04:56,480 --> 01:04:57,160
Speaker 1: is the right move.

1359
01:04:58,360 --> 01:05:00,320
Speaker 2: Yeah, I agree with both of you. I think writing

1360
01:05:00,400 --> 01:05:03,840
Speaker 2: them off is incredibly foolish, considering they've had just about

1361
01:05:03,840 --> 01:05:06,400
Speaker 2: the worst possible set of circumstances you could have to

1362
01:05:06,400 --> 01:05:10,520
Speaker 2: start a season with the with the the schedule, the

1363
01:05:10,800 --> 01:05:13,600
Speaker 2: like you lose on a crazy step back three from

1364
01:05:13,600 --> 01:05:18,440
Speaker 2: Paul George, you lose on a wild crossbody bank shot

1365
01:05:18,480 --> 01:05:21,680
Speaker 2: from the leak Monk on perfect defense from Andrew Wiggins.

1366
01:05:22,240 --> 01:05:25,560
Speaker 2: You obviously, Draymond Green barely plays Andrew Wiggins has played

1367
01:05:25,560 --> 01:05:30,560
Speaker 2: like crap until just recently. It's been an incredibly unfortunate

1368
01:05:31,520 --> 01:05:34,800
Speaker 2: sequence of events for you, and you're still within striking distance.

1369
01:05:34,840 --> 01:05:37,240
Speaker 2: And it really comes down to this. For me, they

1370
01:05:37,280 --> 01:05:45,040
Speaker 2: have Jonathan Kaminga and this specific challenge for this front

1371
01:05:45,080 --> 01:05:46,600
Speaker 2: office is going to be difficult for them to come

1372
01:05:46,640 --> 01:05:49,400
Speaker 2: to terms with. But to me, Moses Moody popping the

1373
01:05:49,400 --> 01:05:51,680
Speaker 2: way that he has in a consistent way that fits

1374
01:05:51,720 --> 01:05:55,520
Speaker 2: within their system makes it such an easy decision. You

1375
01:05:55,960 --> 01:05:59,360
Speaker 2: package Jonathan Minga with Chris Paul and you and you

1376
01:05:59,400 --> 01:06:01,800
Speaker 2: go after or like to me, I'd be going after

1377
01:06:01,880 --> 01:06:06,360
Speaker 2: Pascal Siakam, I'd be going after like like, there's a

1378
01:06:06,400 --> 01:06:08,800
Speaker 2: bunch of guys who Pascal Siakam, Jeremy grat Lori market

1379
01:06:08,800 --> 01:06:10,400
Speaker 2: and there's a bunch of different potential guys you could

1380
01:06:10,400 --> 01:06:12,440
Speaker 2: look at in the spot. Now, let me just put

1381
01:06:12,480 --> 01:06:16,080
Speaker 2: it this way. With Pascal Siakam, if they were to

1382
01:06:16,120 --> 01:06:18,320
Speaker 2: make that deal, which by the way, if I was

1383
01:06:18,320 --> 01:06:20,240
Speaker 2: the Raptors, I would do that in a heart beat.

1384
01:06:21,120 --> 01:06:24,280
Speaker 2: If I could get Jonathan kaminga to pair with Scottie

1385
01:06:24,280 --> 01:06:27,160
Speaker 2: Barnes is more similar on the on the timeline, I

1386
01:06:27,200 --> 01:06:29,520
Speaker 2: don't know if they're going to get a better deal

1387
01:06:29,840 --> 01:06:33,240
Speaker 2: than that for Siakam on an expiring especially when you're

1388
01:06:33,240 --> 01:06:36,200
Speaker 2: gonna have to resign him. Genuinely, I don't know that

1389
01:06:36,280 --> 01:06:38,560
Speaker 2: they could do better. I think the Warriors have a

1390
01:06:38,640 --> 01:06:41,520
Speaker 2: chance to actually enter into these bidding wars and have

1391
01:06:41,720 --> 01:06:44,000
Speaker 2: a chance to win one of them. But let's just

1392
01:06:44,000 --> 01:06:46,960
Speaker 2: say Siakam for the sake of this debate. Now, I've

1393
01:06:47,000 --> 01:06:54,200
Speaker 2: got a Wiganam Draymond frontline which is just absurd defensively,

1394
01:06:54,480 --> 01:06:59,920
Speaker 2: like outrageous defensively with switch ability. Draymond's shooting the sh

1395
01:07:00,040 --> 01:07:03,760
Speaker 2: get out of the ball. This year, there's that Steph

1396
01:07:03,840 --> 01:07:06,720
Speaker 2: is still a definitive top you know he's in that.

1397
01:07:07,080 --> 01:07:11,040
Speaker 2: I would say that this season some of the external

1398
01:07:11,040 --> 01:07:13,880
Speaker 2: circumstances have led him to look a little rickety as

1399
01:07:13,920 --> 01:07:16,000
Speaker 2: an athlete. But I think he's had a lot on

1400
01:07:16,000 --> 01:07:18,160
Speaker 2: his plate, and I think that when they get, you know,

1401
01:07:18,360 --> 01:07:20,120
Speaker 2: kind of in a groove, I think he'll continue to

1402
01:07:20,320 --> 01:07:22,120
Speaker 2: look more or less like the Steph that we know.

1403
01:07:22,480 --> 01:07:24,720
Speaker 2: But I think he's definitively in that top six or

1404
01:07:24,720 --> 01:07:28,560
Speaker 2: seven players in the league still, right, And that's being conservative.

1405
01:07:28,640 --> 01:07:32,000
Speaker 2: So like, if that's the case, and you can run

1406
01:07:32,000 --> 01:07:34,400
Speaker 2: out of lineup with Steph and Clay, with Andrew and

1407
01:07:34,520 --> 01:07:38,360
Speaker 2: let's say Siakam and Draymond, and you have Pozemski, you

1408
01:07:38,400 --> 01:07:42,080
Speaker 2: have Gary Payton, you have Moses Moody, you have Trace Jackson, Davis,

1409
01:07:42,160 --> 01:07:47,360
Speaker 2: Dario Sartz. They've got they've got depth there. And with

1410
01:07:47,480 --> 01:07:49,200
Speaker 2: that being the case, like I think it would just

1411
01:07:49,200 --> 01:07:52,760
Speaker 2: be foolish to write them off. And so again, like

1412
01:07:52,760 --> 01:07:55,320
Speaker 2: like it's one thing when you're looking at a team

1413
01:07:55,440 --> 01:07:58,680
Speaker 2: like Phoenix and it's like, man, they really need to

1414
01:07:58,920 --> 01:08:01,480
Speaker 2: get a wing defender in there at some point, and

1415
01:08:01,520 --> 01:08:03,680
Speaker 2: it's like they really just don't have the means with

1416
01:08:03,720 --> 01:08:05,520
Speaker 2: which to do it. Like I was talking with Brendan

1417
01:08:05,560 --> 01:08:08,480
Speaker 2: Klean yesterday, and it's like, maybe you trade you to

1418
01:08:08,520 --> 01:08:10,880
Speaker 2: want Nabby for some other athlete who's on a veteran

1419
01:08:10,960 --> 01:08:14,000
Speaker 2: minimum somewhere when a team needs shooting, and you're just like, hey,

1420
01:08:14,000 --> 01:08:15,640
Speaker 2: we'll take the athlete, you take the shooter, you know,

1421
01:08:15,680 --> 01:08:17,360
Speaker 2: like that kind of thing, But like they just don't

1422
01:08:17,360 --> 01:08:21,479
Speaker 2: really have the means. The Warriors have the means they've

1423
01:08:21,479 --> 01:08:24,280
Speaker 2: got a tradable salary that can fit a big slot

1424
01:08:24,280 --> 01:08:26,920
Speaker 2: that they don't really need in Chris Paul. And they've

1425
01:08:26,960 --> 01:08:30,240
Speaker 2: got a young player and Jonathan Kaminga who is definitely

1426
01:08:30,280 --> 01:08:32,960
Speaker 2: sought after league wide, but that is a terrible fit

1427
01:08:32,960 --> 01:08:34,760
Speaker 2: in their system because he doesn't really fit in the

1428
01:08:34,800 --> 01:08:38,800
Speaker 2: motion five out offense. And so honestly, I think, like

1429
01:08:39,200 --> 01:08:42,360
Speaker 2: I think like writing them off as foolish. With the

1430
01:08:42,400 --> 01:08:44,920
Speaker 2: play in tournament, they could literally drop ten straight games

1431
01:08:44,920 --> 01:08:46,559
Speaker 2: and still have a chance to make the playoffs. Like

1432
01:08:46,600 --> 01:08:48,840
Speaker 2: it just it doesn't make any sense for me to

1433
01:08:48,880 --> 01:08:50,799
Speaker 2: write them off. And I think, honestly, like what happens

1434
01:08:50,800 --> 01:08:52,760
Speaker 2: a lot of times in media is for the sake

1435
01:08:52,800 --> 01:08:55,360
Speaker 2: of the talking point, people try to jump ahead of

1436
01:08:55,400 --> 01:08:57,880
Speaker 2: a ship. And I kind of feel this way with

1437
01:08:58,000 --> 01:08:59,599
Speaker 2: like the best player in the league thing, Like it's

1438
01:08:59,600 --> 01:09:02,000
Speaker 2: always like everyone's like, oh, this guy's the best player

1439
01:09:02,040 --> 01:09:04,000
Speaker 2: in the league, and it's like can we wait for

1440
01:09:04,120 --> 01:09:06,599
Speaker 2: him to get the trophy first? You know, But it's

1441
01:09:06,600 --> 01:09:08,439
Speaker 2: because it's a talking point. I think it's like, oh,

1442
01:09:08,520 --> 01:09:11,800
Speaker 2: the Warriors are falling apart, and it's like they've had

1443
01:09:11,800 --> 01:09:14,000
Speaker 2: a rough stretch and there's a whole lot of basketball

1444
01:09:14,080 --> 01:09:15,840
Speaker 2: left to play. Do you guys have anything else you

1445
01:09:15,880 --> 01:09:17,160
Speaker 2: want to add before we get out of here for

1446
01:09:17,200 --> 01:09:17,519
Speaker 2: the day.

1447
01:09:18,080 --> 01:09:20,519
Speaker 3: Well, I will just quickly say, I really do like

1448
01:09:20,600 --> 01:09:25,200
Speaker 3: the Siakam proposition. I think that that significantly diminishes Kevon

1449
01:09:25,280 --> 01:09:27,599
Speaker 3: Looney's role, but I don't know that that's the worst thing.

1450
01:09:28,080 --> 01:09:30,240
Speaker 3: And yeah, then you're athletic in the front court, you're

1451
01:09:30,240 --> 01:09:32,439
Speaker 3: adding some offensive skill. I think that's a big win.

1452
01:09:32,520 --> 01:09:35,479
Speaker 3: I know some Warriors fans really want marketing. I don't

1453
01:09:35,520 --> 01:09:37,760
Speaker 3: know what package you put together that makes the Utah

1454
01:09:37,880 --> 01:09:40,559
Speaker 3: Jazz move off of their shining star that is Lori

1455
01:09:40,680 --> 01:09:43,680
Speaker 3: marketing right now. That would be really tough. But I

1456
01:09:43,720 --> 01:09:46,240
Speaker 3: think the front court makes the most sense. And if

1457
01:09:46,240 --> 01:09:49,120
Speaker 3: you can add real offensive skill there too, that's a

1458
01:09:49,120 --> 01:09:51,240
Speaker 3: big win because they just need to be bigger and

1459
01:09:51,320 --> 01:09:54,960
Speaker 3: more athletic. Ultimately for this Western Conference.

1460
01:09:56,080 --> 01:10:04,000
Speaker 2: Logan, I'd say, get Auto Porter Junior back in the deal. Yeah, yes, Okay,

1461
01:10:03,960 --> 01:10:05,479
Speaker 2: I have one last quick one before we get out

1462
01:10:05,479 --> 01:10:07,599
Speaker 2: of here. If you had to pick a team that's

1463
01:10:07,640 --> 01:10:10,080
Speaker 2: gonna get Lori markin in at this point, who would

1464
01:10:10,080 --> 01:10:13,360
Speaker 2: you say? I have two teams that that I that

1465
01:10:13,479 --> 01:10:15,639
Speaker 2: screamed to me right away the Pacers in the Thunder.

1466
01:10:16,400 --> 01:10:21,640
Speaker 3: Oh my gosh, him in Indiana, that would be offensive

1467
01:10:22,000 --> 01:10:23,479
Speaker 3: heaven hm.

1468
01:10:23,800 --> 01:10:26,640
Speaker 2: And both teams need a fore man like Carson and

1469
01:10:26,920 --> 01:10:29,599
Speaker 2: Carson and I are both firmly on team Tyrese Aliburton

1470
01:10:29,640 --> 01:10:30,920
Speaker 2: is making obi top and look good.

1471
01:10:31,400 --> 01:10:37,680
Speaker 3: Yeah, and Lorie Man, I think that he might be

1472
01:10:37,880 --> 01:10:41,400
Speaker 3: like the most undervalued star talent by the just like

1473
01:10:41,439 --> 01:10:43,559
Speaker 3: you know, average NBA fan, why would they watch the

1474
01:10:43,600 --> 01:10:47,560
Speaker 3: Jazz Like? He is an incredible offensive player and he

1475
01:10:47,600 --> 01:10:49,600
Speaker 3: does have size and he's good enough defensively. Yeah, that

1476
01:10:49,600 --> 01:10:53,160
Speaker 3: would be super fun. I just if I were the Jazz,

1477
01:10:53,240 --> 01:10:55,400
Speaker 3: it would. I understand that he's like not perfectly aligned

1478
01:10:55,439 --> 01:10:57,880
Speaker 3: with their timeline because he's twenty six and they're really

1479
01:10:57,920 --> 01:11:01,000
Speaker 3: early in a rebuild, but he's so so good and

1480
01:11:01,040 --> 01:11:03,200
Speaker 3: he's on a good value contract. It would take a

1481
01:11:03,240 --> 01:11:05,559
Speaker 3: lot to get me to move him, but Indiana would

1482
01:11:05,560 --> 01:11:06,559
Speaker 3: be so fun.

1483
01:11:07,320 --> 01:11:09,760
Speaker 1: Well, go ahead, looking, I'm sorry, I was thinking the

1484
01:11:09,760 --> 01:11:11,280
Speaker 1: same about the Thunder. I mean that makes both of

1485
01:11:11,320 --> 01:11:14,840
Speaker 1: those teams almost legit contenders, right, Yeah, scratch.

1486
01:11:14,560 --> 01:11:17,680
Speaker 2: The whole team. Both teams they're both both are contenders

1487
01:11:17,840 --> 01:11:20,960
Speaker 2: with Shae and all like that. The Thunder are more talented,

1488
01:11:21,080 --> 01:11:22,840
Speaker 2: and then Indy has like a guy who I think

1489
01:11:22,880 --> 01:11:24,760
Speaker 2: is a top tier superstar, like I would say that

1490
01:11:24,880 --> 01:11:29,439
Speaker 2: Halliburton is. He's he's every bit as good as Shae.

1491
01:11:29,600 --> 01:11:32,720
Speaker 2: Maybe maybe I was gonna ask, I was gonna ask.

1492
01:11:32,760 --> 01:11:35,519
Speaker 3: I mean, he's certainly a better offensive player, I think

1493
01:11:35,600 --> 01:11:38,679
Speaker 3: Eileen Shay because of the difference in two way impact.

1494
01:11:38,760 --> 01:11:40,919
Speaker 3: We'll see how how he looks in real playoff environment,

1495
01:11:41,080 --> 01:11:42,760
Speaker 3: but he's a better offensive player.

1496
01:11:43,240 --> 01:11:45,800
Speaker 2: M hmm. But I think I think in general, like

1497
01:11:45,960 --> 01:11:48,920
Speaker 2: just I think I think marking In is a better

1498
01:11:48,960 --> 01:11:51,760
Speaker 2: fit timeline wise, in basketball wise, with both of those

1499
01:11:51,840 --> 01:11:54,439
Speaker 2: teams than some of these veteran teams that are that

1500
01:11:54,439 --> 01:11:56,600
Speaker 2: they're looking at with the Jazz and this last thing

1501
01:11:56,640 --> 01:11:58,120
Speaker 2: I'll say, and we'll get out of here. But like

1502
01:11:58,320 --> 01:12:00,439
Speaker 2: the one thing with the Jazz that that always bothers

1503
01:12:00,479 --> 01:12:02,160
Speaker 2: me is like Laurie's really good, but you know what

1504
01:12:02,200 --> 01:12:05,120
Speaker 2: he's not. He's not a franchise cornerstone. Yeah and so

1505
01:12:05,560 --> 01:12:10,519
Speaker 2: and so I just don't understand, like it's it's it's like, uh,

1506
01:12:10,640 --> 01:12:13,920
Speaker 2: there's to me. If you don't have that guy, the

1507
01:12:14,000 --> 01:12:17,599
Speaker 2: guy that's your franchise cornerstone, then every move you should

1508
01:12:17,640 --> 01:12:20,360
Speaker 2: be making should be geared towards getting that guy, and

1509
01:12:20,400 --> 01:12:23,360
Speaker 2: then once you have that guy, then you start to

1510
01:12:23,520 --> 01:12:26,479
Speaker 2: kind of analyze what your strengths and weaknesses are around

1511
01:12:26,520 --> 01:12:28,360
Speaker 2: that and kind of could cater to it. And so

1512
01:12:28,479 --> 01:12:31,160
Speaker 2: like for me, if I'm the Jazz, I'm like I'd

1513
01:12:31,160 --> 01:12:33,559
Speaker 2: be I like, if if Sam Presty calls, I'd be like,

1514
01:12:33,560 --> 01:12:37,240
Speaker 2: all right, six first round picks, you know, like we'll

1515
01:12:37,280 --> 01:12:39,640
Speaker 2: take We'll take Josh Giddy, We'll take you know. O

1516
01:12:39,640 --> 01:12:42,400
Speaker 2: case I'm Wallace, well, you know, like you pieced together

1517
01:12:42,439 --> 01:12:44,800
Speaker 2: something crazy and and and then you're like, you know,

1518
01:12:44,800 --> 01:12:46,640
Speaker 2: if you're Sam Pressy, You're sitting there and you're like,

1519
01:12:47,000 --> 01:12:48,960
Speaker 2: if I say yes to this, I get to I

1520
01:12:49,000 --> 01:12:51,479
Speaker 2: get to run out of lineup with Shaye dort zealand

1521
01:12:51,479 --> 01:12:54,840
Speaker 2: williams Lori Marketing and Chet Holgrin and like, holy shit, man,

1522
01:12:54,960 --> 01:12:56,680
Speaker 2: like you know, like it could be really good. So

1523
01:12:57,000 --> 01:12:59,559
Speaker 2: I think I'll be curious to see what happens. But hey,

1524
01:12:59,640 --> 01:13:01,479
Speaker 2: thank you, thanks so much for giving me an hour

1525
01:13:01,520 --> 01:13:04,280
Speaker 2: of your time, giving our audience an hour of your time. Everybody,

1526
01:13:04,320 --> 01:13:06,559
Speaker 2: please go over to the nerd Sesh YouTube channel right

1527
01:13:06,560 --> 01:13:09,040
Speaker 2: after you watch this and hit that subscribe button for

1528
01:13:09,120 --> 01:13:11,160
Speaker 2: me help these guys get their channel started. I think

1529
01:13:11,160 --> 01:13:14,880
Speaker 2: they make amazing content, and it's always a challenge trying

1530
01:13:14,880 --> 01:13:17,880
Speaker 2: to when your content moves from one platform to another,

1531
01:13:17,960 --> 01:13:21,400
Speaker 2: to get everybody to see where it's at. We're gonna

1532
01:13:21,400 --> 01:13:23,200
Speaker 2: be having the Nerd Sesh guys on about every other

1533
01:13:23,240 --> 01:13:24,720
Speaker 2: week from now on, just because I have so much

1534
01:13:24,720 --> 01:13:27,320
Speaker 2: fun talking basketball with them. Thank you, guys so much.

1535
01:13:27,640 --> 01:13:29,800
Speaker 2: Thank you to all the listeners. I will see all

1536
01:13:29,840 --> 01:13:33,080
Speaker 2: of you guys tomorrow for the nd season Tournament Championship.

1537
01:14:00,600 --> 01:14:01,280
Speaker 1: The volume