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Next week we'll have two 38 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:17,200 Speaker 1: follow up videos to the player rankings list. I have 39 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:19,160 Speaker 1: the nerd sash guys coming on on Monday, we're gonna 40 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:22,040 Speaker 1: argue about our top ten, and then on Wednesday, I'm 41 00:02:22,080 --> 00:02:23,960 Speaker 1: gonna be doing a video that's more of like a 42 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 1: bragging rights focus, so kind of similar to last year's criteria, 43 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:29,280 Speaker 1: where we're just looking at who had the best season 44 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:31,960 Speaker 1: in terms of bragging rights. Not gonna do top twenty five. 45 00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 1: We're just gonna focus on like the top five or so. 46 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:35,880 Speaker 1: But we'll do that next week and then we're turning 47 00:02:35,919 --> 00:02:40,200 Speaker 1: our attention forward to next season. But we're gonna tie 48 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:42,639 Speaker 1: up our player rankings today. I hope you guys enjoyed 49 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:46,120 Speaker 1: the launch of the NFL season last night. Obviously a 50 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:50,160 Speaker 1: super entertaining game. I am always blown away every year 51 00:02:50,560 --> 00:02:53,320 Speaker 1: at the start of the NFL season by just how 52 00:02:53,440 --> 00:02:57,320 Speaker 1: like culturally resonant it is here in the United States. 53 00:02:57,720 --> 00:03:01,000 Speaker 1: Like I'm as big a basketball fan as you'll find, obviously, 54 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:03,160 Speaker 1: I mean, I've given my entire life to the game, 55 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:07,760 Speaker 1: but like, like I don't see anything in the game 56 00:03:07,800 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 1: of basketball that like really engages the community the way 57 00:03:11,480 --> 00:03:14,440 Speaker 1: that the NFL does. And like I'm with a bunch 58 00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:16,720 Speaker 1: of friends and family last night and on that crazy 59 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:19,600 Speaker 1: last Baltimore drive, just the energy that's in that room, 60 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:21,400 Speaker 1: Like I don't when I go over and see my 61 00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:24,079 Speaker 1: friends and family and I'm watching an NBA playoff game 62 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:26,080 Speaker 1: or something like that. Let's just say it doesn't engage 63 00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:28,360 Speaker 1: the entire room the way that the NFL can. And 64 00:03:28,720 --> 00:03:32,079 Speaker 1: it's it's funny because like it's it's fascinating from a 65 00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:36,360 Speaker 1: business standpoint, because the NBA in terms of revenue is 66 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:40,560 Speaker 1: closer to the NFL than you would think given that 67 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:44,360 Speaker 1: gap in cultural residence. But like I was just blown 68 00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:46,840 Speaker 1: away last night, like the NFL is just an entirely 69 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:50,400 Speaker 1: different animal with the way that it engages people. But 70 00:03:50,760 --> 00:03:53,160 Speaker 1: for all of you psychopaths out there that are turning 71 00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:57,520 Speaker 1: down the NFL content today to watch me talk about 72 00:03:57,600 --> 00:04:00,000 Speaker 1: Nankola Jokic, I appreciate you guys for rocking with me. 73 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:02,400 Speaker 1: You guys know the drill before we get started. Subscribe 74 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:04,160 Speaker 1: to the Hoops and Night YouTube channels. You don't miss 75 00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:05,960 Speaker 1: any more of our videos. Follow me on Twitter at 76 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:08,640 Speaker 1: underscore JSNLTS. You guys, don't miss you announcements. Don't forget 77 00:04:08,640 --> 00:04:10,400 Speaker 1: about our podcast feed where we gout podcast on our 78 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:12,360 Speaker 1: Hoops Tonight. Don't forget it's helpful if you leave a 79 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:14,200 Speaker 1: rating and a review on that front, and the last 80 00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:16,640 Speaker 1: not least, keep dropping mailback questions in those YouTube comments 81 00:04:16,880 --> 00:04:19,039 Speaker 1: so we can keep hitting them over the course of 82 00:04:19,080 --> 00:04:21,280 Speaker 1: the rest of this summer. So Nicole Yokich last year 83 00:04:21,320 --> 00:04:24,119 Speaker 1: seventy nine games played. He's played in at least seventy 84 00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:26,479 Speaker 1: two games in eight of his nine NBA seasons. The 85 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:28,480 Speaker 1: only time he didn't was two years ago when they 86 00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:31,400 Speaker 1: won the title, and he played sixty nine games in 87 00:04:31,440 --> 00:04:33,919 Speaker 1: that year, So he's one of the most available stars 88 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:36,080 Speaker 1: in the league. He was the MVP of the league 89 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:38,440 Speaker 1: last year. He's won three out of the last four. 90 00:04:38,560 --> 00:04:40,800 Speaker 1: The last guy to do that was Lebron James, who 91 00:04:40,880 --> 00:04:42,760 Speaker 1: won four out of five, So obviously Jokich has a 92 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:45,279 Speaker 1: chance to match that run this year. But in terms 93 00:04:45,320 --> 00:04:48,560 Speaker 1: of guys to win three MVPs in four seasons, before 94 00:04:48,640 --> 00:04:52,400 Speaker 1: Lebron was Magic Johnson. Before Magic Johnson was Larry Bird, 95 00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:55,320 Speaker 1: Before Larry Bird was Kareem, before Kareem was Wilt, and 96 00:04:55,360 --> 00:05:00,480 Speaker 1: before Wilt was Bill Russell. So that's Lebron, Magic, Larry Career, Wilt, 97 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:04,920 Speaker 1: and Russell. That's really rare company. That's some damn good 98 00:05:04,960 --> 00:05:07,120 Speaker 1: company for Nikola Jokic to be in in terms of 99 00:05:07,240 --> 00:05:09,760 Speaker 1: MVP production. You know, I had a lot of over 100 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:11,839 Speaker 1: the course of this Jokic stretch that he's been on. 101 00:05:11,839 --> 00:05:13,960 Speaker 1: One of the takes that I've had is that I 102 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:17,320 Speaker 1: think this is the most dominant individual stretch, like the 103 00:05:17,320 --> 00:05:22,120 Speaker 1: most the highest ceiling individual stretch since Lebron James and 104 00:05:22,480 --> 00:05:24,520 Speaker 1: I had a lot of Steph Curry fans in particular, 105 00:05:24,920 --> 00:05:26,919 Speaker 1: get very upset at me for saying that, and like 106 00:05:27,160 --> 00:05:29,440 Speaker 1: I want to just I want to just remind people, 107 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:32,160 Speaker 1: like what we're seeing from Jokic is exceedingly rare. Like 108 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:34,960 Speaker 1: I said, like the two guys to do it since 109 00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:38,760 Speaker 1: Magic are Lebron and Nikola Jokic in terms of three 110 00:05:38,839 --> 00:05:42,560 Speaker 1: MVPs in four seasons. He finished second in the year 111 00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:44,120 Speaker 1: that he didn't win it, and he won the title 112 00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:46,400 Speaker 1: that year, and so like I want to like just 113 00:05:46,400 --> 00:05:48,200 Speaker 1: shine a little bit of a light on the fact that, like, 114 00:05:48,279 --> 00:05:50,159 Speaker 1: even though we're in the mix of this here and 115 00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:52,160 Speaker 1: there's a lot of really good players in the league, 116 00:05:52,320 --> 00:05:54,600 Speaker 1: and as we're going to discuss today, I think Jokic 117 00:05:54,640 --> 00:05:56,640 Speaker 1: has slipped back to the pack a little bit in 118 00:05:56,680 --> 00:05:58,960 Speaker 1: the last season because of some issues that he had 119 00:05:58,960 --> 00:06:02,040 Speaker 1: on defense and with his jump shot. But what we're 120 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:05,599 Speaker 1: seeing in terms of just sheer basketball accomplishment right now 121 00:06:05,760 --> 00:06:08,720 Speaker 1: is pretty rare, and I hope that that doesn't just 122 00:06:08,960 --> 00:06:11,440 Speaker 1: slide under the radar when we're looking back at Jokic 123 00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:15,240 Speaker 1: this is it's not usual to see a guy rack 124 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:18,400 Speaker 1: up the accolades that we've seen Nicola rack up over 125 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:20,960 Speaker 1: the last few years. His counting stats from last year 126 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:24,240 Speaker 1: twenty six points per game, twelve rebounds per game, nine 127 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:26,440 Speaker 1: as sister per game, two point three steals plus blocks 128 00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:27,520 Speaker 1: per game is shooting splits. 129 00:06:27,600 --> 00:06:29,279 Speaker 2: I'm gonna rip through these numbers as quick. 130 00:06:29,080 --> 00:06:30,360 Speaker 1: As I can, and then I want to get into 131 00:06:30,400 --> 00:06:34,200 Speaker 1: some of the minutia of what makes NICOLEA Jokic so dominant. 132 00:06:34,200 --> 00:06:36,680 Speaker 1: But shot fifty eight percent in field goals, thirty six 133 00:06:36,720 --> 00:06:39,440 Speaker 1: percent from three, eighty two percent from the foul line, 134 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:42,680 Speaker 1: sixty one percent in effective field goal percentage when you 135 00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:46,120 Speaker 1: weight his field goal percentage for threes, and then sixty 136 00:06:46,120 --> 00:06:48,520 Speaker 1: five percent in true shooting percentage when you add free 137 00:06:48,520 --> 00:06:51,400 Speaker 1: throws to that equation. Shooting stats per s energy, he 138 00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:54,440 Speaker 1: got one point zero one points per jump shot, considerably 139 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:56,200 Speaker 1: down from last year, but we'll talk about that in 140 00:06:56,240 --> 00:06:58,880 Speaker 1: a little bit. One point zero five points per catch 141 00:06:58,880 --> 00:07:01,840 Speaker 1: and shoot, zero point eighty three off the dribble, zero 142 00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:04,680 Speaker 1: point eighty one in face up situation. So not a 143 00:07:04,720 --> 00:07:07,600 Speaker 1: very good jump shooting season from Jokic relative to what 144 00:07:07,640 --> 00:07:11,320 Speaker 1: you expect. Sixty three percent on floaters and sixty percent 145 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:15,360 Speaker 1: on hooks, three hundred and eighty nine total attempts on 146 00:07:15,440 --> 00:07:19,840 Speaker 1: hooks and floaters. That's the most dependable single possession scorer 147 00:07:19,840 --> 00:07:21,600 Speaker 1: in the league right there in NIKOLEA. 148 00:07:21,640 --> 00:07:21,920 Speaker 2: Jokic. 149 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:24,280 Speaker 1: We're gonna get into more detail on that in a 150 00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:27,040 Speaker 1: little bit. Shot seventy percent at the rim. Also got 151 00:07:27,040 --> 00:07:29,720 Speaker 1: four point two makes in the restricted area per game, 152 00:07:29,760 --> 00:07:32,320 Speaker 1: that was the sixteenth most in the entire NBA. His 153 00:07:32,400 --> 00:07:35,320 Speaker 1: play type data PERCENTERGY he ran two hundred and twenty 154 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:37,600 Speaker 1: inverted ball screens where he was the ball handler in 155 00:07:37,640 --> 00:07:39,880 Speaker 1: a pick and roll. Got one point zero nine points 156 00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:43,120 Speaker 1: per possession. That is eighty six percentile including passes. I 157 00:07:43,240 --> 00:07:45,160 Speaker 1: soow one hundred and fifty eight possession for one hundred 158 00:07:45,160 --> 00:07:47,280 Speaker 1: and sixty six points. That's one point zero five points 159 00:07:47,280 --> 00:07:50,040 Speaker 1: per possession, which is the seventy fourth percentile. And then 160 00:07:50,120 --> 00:07:52,720 Speaker 1: Jokic is the best post up player in the league 161 00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:55,800 Speaker 1: by any metric. He ran eight hundred and twenty nine 162 00:07:56,320 --> 00:07:58,840 Speaker 1: post ups last year. Second place was Anthony Davis at 163 00:07:58,840 --> 00:08:01,559 Speaker 1: four hundred and forty three, so just an entirely different 164 00:08:01,560 --> 00:08:04,320 Speaker 1: stratosphere in terms of volume. He also got one point 165 00:08:04,320 --> 00:08:07,280 Speaker 1: one five points per possession, which including passes, which is 166 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:10,880 Speaker 1: first among the eighteen players in the NBA to log 167 00:08:10,920 --> 00:08:13,400 Speaker 1: at least two hundred and fifty reps, and Lebron was 168 00:08:13,400 --> 00:08:16,680 Speaker 1: in second place at one one point one point one 169 00:08:16,760 --> 00:08:19,400 Speaker 1: points per possession, so a full four points per one 170 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:22,080 Speaker 1: hundred possessions above the rest of the field. In efficiency, 171 00:08:22,440 --> 00:08:24,720 Speaker 1: as we mentioned, his volume is off the charts. He 172 00:08:24,840 --> 00:08:28,480 Speaker 1: generated seventy six made threes for his teammates out of 173 00:08:28,520 --> 00:08:31,120 Speaker 1: post ups. That was thirty five more than anyone else 174 00:08:31,120 --> 00:08:33,640 Speaker 1: on the list. He's just the best at it. But 175 00:08:33,679 --> 00:08:35,640 Speaker 1: at the same time, when we're talking play type data 176 00:08:35,640 --> 00:08:38,320 Speaker 1: with Jokich, we got to remember he can really score 177 00:08:38,400 --> 00:08:40,959 Speaker 1: within the flow of the offense. He got one point 178 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:44,840 Speaker 1: two eight points per roleman possession that ranked second out 179 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:47,400 Speaker 1: of the twelve players to log at least two hundred 180 00:08:47,480 --> 00:08:51,240 Speaker 1: roll man possessions. He personally shot sixty two percent on 181 00:08:51,280 --> 00:08:54,199 Speaker 1: the roll, so just incredibly deadly when he catches there 182 00:08:54,240 --> 00:08:56,800 Speaker 1: in the pocket looking to finish. He scored one hundred 183 00:08:56,840 --> 00:08:59,839 Speaker 1: and twenty times on cuts. He scored ninety two times 184 00:08:59,840 --> 00:09:02,200 Speaker 1: on offensive rebound put backs. That was the fourth most 185 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:05,319 Speaker 1: in the entire NBA. So that's really a main differentiator 186 00:09:05,320 --> 00:09:07,960 Speaker 1: for jokis he can play with real ball in player 187 00:09:08,040 --> 00:09:11,120 Speaker 1: movement like he can score in the flow of an 188 00:09:11,120 --> 00:09:15,560 Speaker 1: equal opportunity offense, which opens up opportunities for his other 189 00:09:15,679 --> 00:09:18,360 Speaker 1: players to be confident looking to make plays. That's what 190 00:09:18,400 --> 00:09:22,559 Speaker 1: you'll see Aaron Gordon take possessions on. You'll see Michael 191 00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:25,959 Speaker 1: Porter Junior and Contavious Calbo Pope look to do things 192 00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:27,600 Speaker 1: with the ball in their hands. Obviously we know what 193 00:09:27,640 --> 00:09:30,520 Speaker 1: Jamal Murray can do. It's an equal opportunity offense. Even 194 00:09:30,559 --> 00:09:33,440 Speaker 1: though Jokic is the fulkrum of it. You know, when 195 00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:36,200 Speaker 1: it comes to a baskets that he makes out of 196 00:09:36,280 --> 00:09:39,280 Speaker 1: like straight up on the ball post ups and ISOs, 197 00:09:39,480 --> 00:09:41,800 Speaker 1: it's a small percentage of the amount of baskets he 198 00:09:41,840 --> 00:09:43,719 Speaker 1: actually makes. And that's one of the things that I 199 00:09:43,720 --> 00:09:45,720 Speaker 1: think is a ceiling razor for a team when you 200 00:09:45,720 --> 00:09:47,280 Speaker 1: can say that a player is going to score and 201 00:09:47,320 --> 00:09:51,160 Speaker 1: score efficiently, and can score as a singular force, but 202 00:09:51,320 --> 00:09:54,160 Speaker 1: also can be plugged into a system where everybody is 203 00:09:54,160 --> 00:09:56,880 Speaker 1: confident and involved in the offense. I think there's real 204 00:09:57,600 --> 00:10:00,520 Speaker 1: value there, and that is, for the record, one of 205 00:10:00,600 --> 00:10:02,840 Speaker 1: the four main reasons I have Jokic over Luca. But 206 00:10:02,840 --> 00:10:05,240 Speaker 1: we're gonna get to that later. So now that we've 207 00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:08,600 Speaker 1: ripped through the numbers, let's get into some of the 208 00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:12,559 Speaker 1: breakdown of the specific reasons why Jokic is the best 209 00:10:12,559 --> 00:10:15,960 Speaker 1: player in the league. So it starts with looking at 210 00:10:16,160 --> 00:10:18,440 Speaker 1: the offensive end of the flour in the big picture 211 00:10:18,480 --> 00:10:22,480 Speaker 1: sense that I think Jokic among all the offensive engine archetypes, 212 00:10:22,600 --> 00:10:24,080 Speaker 1: and like, these are guys that are like kind of 213 00:10:24,080 --> 00:10:27,400 Speaker 1: an offense in and of themselves, and everybody is this 214 00:10:27,480 --> 00:10:29,880 Speaker 1: to a certain extent, but they're really good. Ones that 215 00:10:29,920 --> 00:10:33,199 Speaker 1: we think of are guys like Jokic, guys like Luka Doncic. 216 00:10:33,440 --> 00:10:35,600 Speaker 1: I think Steph Curry's kind of an engine unto himself. 217 00:10:35,679 --> 00:10:38,199 Speaker 1: Lebron James is kind of like that. Tyres Halliburn is 218 00:10:38,280 --> 00:10:39,800 Speaker 1: kind of like that, where it's almost like the player 219 00:10:39,840 --> 00:10:43,400 Speaker 1: has like this unique play style that they inflict on 220 00:10:43,440 --> 00:10:46,280 Speaker 1: a roster and they just seem to generate high level 221 00:10:46,320 --> 00:10:49,040 Speaker 1: offense consistently, right, Like, that's kind of the identity of 222 00:10:49,600 --> 00:10:50,920 Speaker 1: what we call an offensive engine. 223 00:10:50,920 --> 00:10:52,320 Speaker 2: Now, lesser players still do that. 224 00:10:52,360 --> 00:10:54,839 Speaker 1: Giannis is still an offensive engine, and Anthony Edwards is 225 00:10:54,880 --> 00:10:57,199 Speaker 1: still an offensive engine. These guys are all still like that. 226 00:10:57,480 --> 00:11:01,600 Speaker 1: They're just lesser versions of that. But that among that archetype, 227 00:11:01,640 --> 00:11:03,680 Speaker 1: I think Jokic is the best in the entire league, 228 00:11:03,720 --> 00:11:05,640 Speaker 1: and it starts because of the fact that he can 229 00:11:05,679 --> 00:11:10,000 Speaker 1: do it both ways, starting as a devastating five out fulcrum. 230 00:11:10,360 --> 00:11:12,360 Speaker 1: So you know, we're gonna do a lot more as 231 00:11:12,360 --> 00:11:14,719 Speaker 1: we head into the series season previews and as we 232 00:11:14,760 --> 00:11:16,560 Speaker 1: head into the season, we're gonna go back to doing 233 00:11:16,559 --> 00:11:18,560 Speaker 1: more video and we're gonna go back to doing more 234 00:11:18,640 --> 00:11:21,040 Speaker 1: like when I show you guys the actual like x's 235 00:11:21,040 --> 00:11:21,920 Speaker 1: and o's chart that. 236 00:11:21,840 --> 00:11:22,400 Speaker 2: We work with. 237 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:24,680 Speaker 1: But I did a breakdown earlier this summer when we 238 00:11:24,679 --> 00:11:26,920 Speaker 1: were talking about Isaiah Hartenstein where I went over to 239 00:11:27,240 --> 00:11:30,600 Speaker 1: the general concept of five out right and in five 240 00:11:30,640 --> 00:11:33,320 Speaker 1: out you're always working from side to side on the floor, 241 00:11:33,320 --> 00:11:35,520 Speaker 1: and you're running multiple actions in the same possession, and 242 00:11:35,559 --> 00:11:37,520 Speaker 1: the center position is the fulcrum and the reason why 243 00:11:37,559 --> 00:11:39,280 Speaker 1: they are the folk crumb. They are the guy that 244 00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:42,560 Speaker 1: is dribbling at this one side of the floor to 245 00:11:42,679 --> 00:11:45,000 Speaker 1: get the dribble handoff to the guy that's either coming 246 00:11:45,080 --> 00:11:46,600 Speaker 1: off of a pin down or just coming out of 247 00:11:46,600 --> 00:11:49,560 Speaker 1: the corner by himself, and he is setting a screen. 248 00:11:49,800 --> 00:11:52,320 Speaker 1: But as he sets that screen, he is turning into 249 00:11:52,360 --> 00:11:54,560 Speaker 1: the middle of the floor and making himself available on 250 00:11:54,600 --> 00:11:57,280 Speaker 1: the catch, and in many cases he will catch there 251 00:11:57,320 --> 00:11:58,960 Speaker 1: and have to make the next play in terms of 252 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:01,880 Speaker 1: like shooting on the role if it's a floater or 253 00:12:01,960 --> 00:12:04,640 Speaker 1: drawing that extra defender for a kickout pass two a three. 254 00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:07,880 Speaker 1: But in the event that the play doesn't amount to anything, 255 00:12:08,080 --> 00:12:10,200 Speaker 1: the ball has to be reversed. And so if that's 256 00:12:10,200 --> 00:12:12,720 Speaker 1: a drop off to Jokic that doesn't amount to anything, 257 00:12:12,720 --> 00:12:14,079 Speaker 1: that he has to turn and look to the other 258 00:12:14,120 --> 00:12:16,000 Speaker 1: end of the floor, or if the guard throws a 259 00:12:16,040 --> 00:12:18,480 Speaker 1: swing pass, if the guard swings it to the other 260 00:12:18,559 --> 00:12:21,400 Speaker 1: end of the floor, that role man, the guy who 261 00:12:21,440 --> 00:12:24,120 Speaker 1: set the screen on the first side, has to sprint 262 00:12:24,200 --> 00:12:27,000 Speaker 1: over to the other side and set another screen for 263 00:12:27,080 --> 00:12:31,240 Speaker 1: another player coming off of another dribble handoff. That player there, 264 00:12:31,280 --> 00:12:35,080 Speaker 1: that big man, the five man in five out is 265 00:12:35,160 --> 00:12:38,280 Speaker 1: critically important for greasing the wheels as the ball moves 266 00:12:38,280 --> 00:12:40,760 Speaker 1: to both ends of the floor. It extends beyond that 267 00:12:41,200 --> 00:12:44,880 Speaker 1: to making passes against overplays. So one of the most 268 00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:48,320 Speaker 1: common plays you'll see defensively is you'll see a big 269 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:50,280 Speaker 1: guy dribble over to the wing to go do a 270 00:12:50,360 --> 00:12:53,080 Speaker 1: dribble handoff for a five out action. But it'll be 271 00:12:53,120 --> 00:12:55,600 Speaker 1: a really good shooter or scorer coming out of the corner, 272 00:12:55,800 --> 00:12:57,920 Speaker 1: and so his defender will top lock him, meaning he 273 00:12:57,960 --> 00:13:00,760 Speaker 1: will slide up to his top side and literally deny 274 00:13:00,840 --> 00:13:02,559 Speaker 1: him the use of the screen. Like if the screen 275 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:04,920 Speaker 1: is where the camera is, the defender is going to 276 00:13:04,960 --> 00:13:07,440 Speaker 1: position himself right here, which makes it so that he 277 00:13:07,480 --> 00:13:10,000 Speaker 1: can't go that way, so he has to backcut. And 278 00:13:10,600 --> 00:13:12,600 Speaker 1: it's very important for the big man, the big man 279 00:13:12,600 --> 00:13:14,600 Speaker 1: who's dribbling to that side of the floor to be 280 00:13:14,679 --> 00:13:18,000 Speaker 1: capable of making those reads and making those passes to 281 00:13:18,080 --> 00:13:20,800 Speaker 1: guys cutting back door or slipping out of screening actions. 282 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:23,679 Speaker 1: You'll see the same thing where like you'll run like 283 00:13:23,760 --> 00:13:25,840 Speaker 1: a Chicago action, which is where you have a guy 284 00:13:26,280 --> 00:13:29,280 Speaker 1: screened down for the corner as he comes off into 285 00:13:29,400 --> 00:13:31,360 Speaker 1: where the big man is right so it's like a 286 00:13:31,440 --> 00:13:34,560 Speaker 1: pin down into a dribble handoff. In that situation, you 287 00:13:34,600 --> 00:13:37,040 Speaker 1: have two guards in the action. If they botch the 288 00:13:37,120 --> 00:13:38,920 Speaker 1: switch in some way, shape or form, you have an 289 00:13:38,920 --> 00:13:42,720 Speaker 1: opportunity to slip there into an opening. If that happens, 290 00:13:42,760 --> 00:13:45,400 Speaker 1: you need your big man to be paying attention and 291 00:13:45,480 --> 00:13:47,280 Speaker 1: to be able to make those reads and so like. 292 00:13:47,559 --> 00:13:50,520 Speaker 1: When it comes to modern NBA offense and the majority 293 00:13:50,520 --> 00:13:53,040 Speaker 1: of teams now are starting to kind of tilt towards 294 00:13:53,120 --> 00:13:55,480 Speaker 1: this kind of five out approach, you need to have 295 00:13:55,920 --> 00:13:59,080 Speaker 1: a center that can grease the wheels and make all 296 00:13:59,080 --> 00:14:03,120 Speaker 1: of that stuff work. Jokic is devastating in that sense. 297 00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:06,080 Speaker 1: He's a very very good screener, meaning when guys are 298 00:14:06,160 --> 00:14:08,680 Speaker 1: chasing over the top, they have a hard time staying attached. 299 00:14:08,720 --> 00:14:10,640 Speaker 1: That's a big part of what allows Jamal Murray to 300 00:14:10,679 --> 00:14:13,440 Speaker 1: get going. He can pass and score on the role. 301 00:14:13,520 --> 00:14:15,840 Speaker 1: So if he sets that screen and Jamal comes off 302 00:14:15,880 --> 00:14:17,719 Speaker 1: or CACP comes off, or whoever it is comes off, 303 00:14:17,720 --> 00:14:19,680 Speaker 1: and he catches in the middle of the floor, he's 304 00:14:19,920 --> 00:14:23,800 Speaker 1: absolutely deadly with that floater at that ten foot range. 305 00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:25,960 Speaker 1: I mean he makes him over sixty percent of the time. 306 00:14:26,200 --> 00:14:28,400 Speaker 1: And if you show on him and come up to 307 00:14:28,480 --> 00:14:30,400 Speaker 1: him on the catch. He can make all of the 308 00:14:30,440 --> 00:14:33,160 Speaker 1: passing reads out of that as well, if not better 309 00:14:33,200 --> 00:14:36,520 Speaker 1: than anybody else in the league. Hitting the cutter's piece 310 00:14:36,960 --> 00:14:39,080 Speaker 1: as well or better than anyone else in the league 311 00:14:39,080 --> 00:14:41,360 Speaker 1: in terms of dribbling out an action and seeing somebody 312 00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:44,240 Speaker 1: slip out of it, He's gonna make that pass even 313 00:14:44,240 --> 00:14:46,400 Speaker 1: in the event that you get a shot up and 314 00:14:46,440 --> 00:14:49,160 Speaker 1: it misses. He's one of the most effective offensive rebound 315 00:14:49,200 --> 00:14:52,480 Speaker 1: scorers in the league. Is the fourth most offensive rebound 316 00:14:52,480 --> 00:14:55,160 Speaker 1: put backs in the entire NBA last year. So like 317 00:14:55,480 --> 00:14:59,040 Speaker 1: he's an efficient, high volume scorer who doesn't need to 318 00:14:59,080 --> 00:15:03,560 Speaker 1: dominate the basket. Everything is in the flow that frees 319 00:15:03,680 --> 00:15:07,400 Speaker 1: up his teammates to go make plays. It empowers them, 320 00:15:07,480 --> 00:15:09,800 Speaker 1: which is a ceiling razor for a team. But at 321 00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:14,080 Speaker 1: the same time, when it's go time and you can't 322 00:15:14,080 --> 00:15:16,480 Speaker 1: rely on a KCP, or you can't rely even on 323 00:15:16,480 --> 00:15:21,120 Speaker 1: a Jamal Murray, potentially you can spam Helio centric stuff 324 00:15:21,160 --> 00:15:24,440 Speaker 1: with Jokic to generate offense. So when the shit's not 325 00:15:24,560 --> 00:15:26,960 Speaker 1: working and you can't just go down the floor and 326 00:15:27,040 --> 00:15:28,920 Speaker 1: run a series of dribble handoffs to get a wide 327 00:15:28,960 --> 00:15:31,000 Speaker 1: open cut or a wide open three, and you need 328 00:15:31,040 --> 00:15:33,440 Speaker 1: to try to make something out of nothing. You can 329 00:15:33,480 --> 00:15:35,960 Speaker 1: throw the ball down to the block and just spam 330 00:15:36,040 --> 00:15:38,200 Speaker 1: Yokic post ups, and if you leave him on an island, 331 00:15:38,240 --> 00:15:40,600 Speaker 1: he's gonna make a hook shot at sixty percent. And 332 00:15:40,640 --> 00:15:42,960 Speaker 1: if you double team, he's as good or better than 333 00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:45,960 Speaker 1: everybody else in the league at making the spray out 334 00:15:46,000 --> 00:15:48,320 Speaker 1: passes to shooters from there. And then with two man 335 00:15:48,360 --> 00:15:50,320 Speaker 1: game with Jamal Murray, which is a more helio centric 336 00:15:50,440 --> 00:15:52,680 Speaker 1: kind of action where they just space the floor and 337 00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:55,640 Speaker 1: it's just Jokic and Murray just like repeatedly setting dribble 338 00:15:55,640 --> 00:15:58,440 Speaker 1: handoffs and ball screens until they get somebody open. That's 339 00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:00,120 Speaker 1: an action they can spam and be one of the 340 00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:03,480 Speaker 1: most devastating clutch time scoring duos in the league. 341 00:16:03,520 --> 00:16:04,560 Speaker 2: And so like that. 342 00:16:04,760 --> 00:16:09,040 Speaker 1: That to me, is the main differentiator between Jokic and 343 00:16:09,120 --> 00:16:11,400 Speaker 1: a lot of like the more helio centric guys in 344 00:16:11,400 --> 00:16:13,840 Speaker 1: the league is he can play that way, but he 345 00:16:13,920 --> 00:16:17,120 Speaker 1: also can play like an equal opportunity five out kind 346 00:16:17,160 --> 00:16:18,760 Speaker 1: of sense. And even when you zoom in and I 347 00:16:18,760 --> 00:16:21,080 Speaker 1: mentioned this earlier when we were talking about hooks and floaters, 348 00:16:21,680 --> 00:16:25,320 Speaker 1: I think Jokic is the most efficient single possession scorer 349 00:16:25,320 --> 00:16:29,200 Speaker 1: in the league, right, So in the large sample, it's 350 00:16:29,200 --> 00:16:30,480 Speaker 1: all about points per possession. 351 00:16:30,560 --> 00:16:30,760 Speaker 2: Right. 352 00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:33,480 Speaker 1: So like, for instance, if you take a lot of 353 00:16:33,720 --> 00:16:37,240 Speaker 1: step back threes, like a Luka Doncic or in general, 354 00:16:37,280 --> 00:16:40,360 Speaker 1: like a Steph Curry, you in a massive sample over 355 00:16:40,360 --> 00:16:42,280 Speaker 1: the course of the season, you might get one point 356 00:16:42,280 --> 00:16:45,520 Speaker 1: one five points per possession in a play type, which 357 00:16:45,560 --> 00:16:47,800 Speaker 1: is really good, right. But then when you zoom in 358 00:16:47,840 --> 00:16:50,280 Speaker 1: on the singular possession, a step back three is not 359 00:16:50,320 --> 00:16:52,480 Speaker 1: going in sixty percent of the time. It's going into 360 00:16:52,760 --> 00:16:55,320 Speaker 1: like I think Luca shot thirty eight percent on them 361 00:16:55,400 --> 00:16:57,520 Speaker 1: last year. So that means if if Luca goes to 362 00:16:57,520 --> 00:17:00,680 Speaker 1: a step back three, he's actually only scoring a little 363 00:17:00,680 --> 00:17:03,040 Speaker 1: over a third of the time. And so when things 364 00:17:03,080 --> 00:17:06,000 Speaker 1: really slow down it becomes about one possession or two 365 00:17:06,040 --> 00:17:10,080 Speaker 1: possessions or three possessions. Jokic is actually a more reliable 366 00:17:10,119 --> 00:17:12,800 Speaker 1: scorer in those situations. Here's a simple stat to break 367 00:17:12,840 --> 00:17:15,720 Speaker 1: that down. If you factor in made field goals but 368 00:17:15,840 --> 00:17:18,800 Speaker 1: also the foul rate, like getting to the foul line, 369 00:17:19,200 --> 00:17:21,960 Speaker 1: it gives you something called score percentage, the percentage of 370 00:17:21,960 --> 00:17:25,679 Speaker 1: your possessions that you actually score on Luka Dancic last year, 371 00:17:25,840 --> 00:17:30,879 Speaker 1: score generated a generated points for his team on forty 372 00:17:30,920 --> 00:17:34,600 Speaker 1: six point nine percent of his ISOs including passes. He 373 00:17:34,680 --> 00:17:37,000 Speaker 1: generated a score for his team on forty nine point 374 00:17:37,040 --> 00:17:40,000 Speaker 1: eight percent of his post ups including passes. For Jokic, 375 00:17:40,400 --> 00:17:43,440 Speaker 1: it was fifty one percent in ISOs and fifty three 376 00:17:43,480 --> 00:17:46,600 Speaker 1: percent in post ups. And so in those situations where 377 00:17:46,600 --> 00:17:49,280 Speaker 1: it's Yokich on an island one on one, he is 378 00:17:49,480 --> 00:17:53,280 Speaker 1: generating points for his team more than half the time, 379 00:17:53,720 --> 00:17:56,760 Speaker 1: whereas for Luka it's less than half the time. Slightly 380 00:17:56,800 --> 00:17:59,480 Speaker 1: so in both directions, but that makes a big difference. 381 00:18:00,119 --> 00:18:01,800 Speaker 1: You need a bucket. At the end of the game. 382 00:18:01,880 --> 00:18:04,680 Speaker 1: Jokic is going to get close to the rim into 383 00:18:04,800 --> 00:18:08,160 Speaker 1: the short range and he's going to get a shot 384 00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:10,960 Speaker 1: that he's going to hit about sixty percent of the time. 385 00:18:11,359 --> 00:18:14,000 Speaker 1: That is a real tool to have in your bag. 386 00:18:14,280 --> 00:18:17,720 Speaker 1: Call a time out. Down by four, there's forty seconds left. 387 00:18:17,720 --> 00:18:20,320 Speaker 1: When need bucket. Stop bucket. You come out of the 388 00:18:20,359 --> 00:18:22,520 Speaker 1: time out, you drop an action for yokch and you 389 00:18:22,560 --> 00:18:24,800 Speaker 1: feel damn good about the fact that it might go in. 390 00:18:25,359 --> 00:18:29,000 Speaker 1: Whereas like if you're drawing up a play for let's 391 00:18:29,000 --> 00:18:31,160 Speaker 1: say Steph Curry, for instance, and it's like we're gonna 392 00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:33,000 Speaker 1: have him run off of this action, he's gonna get 393 00:18:33,040 --> 00:18:35,680 Speaker 1: like an elevator's screen on the opposite side of the 394 00:18:35,720 --> 00:18:38,240 Speaker 1: floor after running some decoy action on the primary side, 395 00:18:38,280 --> 00:18:40,000 Speaker 1: and he's gonna get a good look. It's like, this 396 00:18:40,080 --> 00:18:41,520 Speaker 1: is gonna be a good look for us. It's like 397 00:18:42,080 --> 00:18:44,480 Speaker 1: he might make it forty two percent of the time, right, 398 00:18:44,520 --> 00:18:46,399 Speaker 1: So that means there's a fifty eight percent chance on 399 00:18:46,440 --> 00:18:48,880 Speaker 1: that possession that he's going to miss. And so that 400 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:53,480 Speaker 1: short range scoring piece adds a layer of like reliability 401 00:18:53,520 --> 00:18:56,560 Speaker 1: to Yokic's scoring that is super valuable, especially when you 402 00:18:56,600 --> 00:19:00,639 Speaker 1: get into winning time in high leverage moments in the postseason. 403 00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:04,320 Speaker 1: So he checks the versatility box in a major way 404 00:19:04,680 --> 00:19:07,160 Speaker 1: on the offensive end. Even from a team building perspective, 405 00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:09,160 Speaker 1: like your ability to put him next to a non 406 00:19:09,240 --> 00:19:12,280 Speaker 1: shooting four like Aaron Gordon because he's such a good 407 00:19:12,320 --> 00:19:15,280 Speaker 1: passer that you can weaponize Aaron Gordon as a vertical 408 00:19:15,320 --> 00:19:18,119 Speaker 1: spacer around the rim. That's a luxury that most teams 409 00:19:18,119 --> 00:19:21,440 Speaker 1: can't pull off. And that's a credit to what Jokic 410 00:19:21,480 --> 00:19:23,639 Speaker 1: does for a basketball team. Now, let's talk about his 411 00:19:23,640 --> 00:19:26,080 Speaker 1: weaknesses for a second now, and before you get upset, 412 00:19:26,119 --> 00:19:28,760 Speaker 1: Jokich fans. We've done this for every single player on 413 00:19:28,800 --> 00:19:30,960 Speaker 1: this list. There has not been a single player that 414 00:19:31,040 --> 00:19:34,679 Speaker 1: we didn't discuss weak points and areas for improvement. I 415 00:19:34,680 --> 00:19:37,160 Speaker 1: think Jokic is the clear number one in the league, 416 00:19:37,680 --> 00:19:39,879 Speaker 1: but I think the gap is smaller than it was 417 00:19:39,960 --> 00:19:42,880 Speaker 1: last year after the title. Last year, I thought Jokic 418 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:45,000 Speaker 1: was far and away the best player in the league. 419 00:19:45,760 --> 00:19:48,600 Speaker 1: I thought there was like a sizeable gap between him 420 00:19:48,600 --> 00:19:51,159 Speaker 1: and number two. I think he's fallen back to the 421 00:19:51,200 --> 00:19:53,840 Speaker 1: pack a little bit in this last season, and it 422 00:19:53,880 --> 00:19:56,879 Speaker 1: really came down to two major areas of slimmage. He 423 00:19:57,080 --> 00:20:00,000 Speaker 1: wasn't as good defensively as he was in the championship, 424 00:20:00,560 --> 00:20:03,240 Speaker 1: and he went from a great jump shooter to being 425 00:20:03,240 --> 00:20:05,639 Speaker 1: a mediocre jump shooter in the regular season and a 426 00:20:05,760 --> 00:20:08,360 Speaker 1: bad jump shooter in the playoffs. So let's get into 427 00:20:08,359 --> 00:20:10,560 Speaker 1: each of these individually for a minute. First, the defensive 428 00:20:10,600 --> 00:20:12,440 Speaker 1: end of the floor, two main areas where he struggled 429 00:20:12,520 --> 00:20:15,800 Speaker 1: last year, especially in the postseason. He got absolutely fried 430 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:18,879 Speaker 1: one on one in his individual defense by Anthony Davis. 431 00:20:18,960 --> 00:20:22,600 Speaker 1: Anthony Davis isoed or posted up Nikola Jokic one on 432 00:20:22,600 --> 00:20:24,920 Speaker 1: one nine times in the first round and scored on 433 00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:27,399 Speaker 1: him seven times by the end of the series. 434 00:20:27,440 --> 00:20:28,080 Speaker 2: It was crazy. 435 00:20:28,080 --> 00:20:31,800 Speaker 1: Denver was like heavily shading all Ad post ups, like 436 00:20:31,840 --> 00:20:34,640 Speaker 1: straight up leaving dudes open to double team. And then 437 00:20:34,680 --> 00:20:37,320 Speaker 1: at certain points in the series they actually pulled Jokic 438 00:20:37,359 --> 00:20:39,640 Speaker 1: off of Ad entirely and put Aaron Gordon on him, 439 00:20:39,640 --> 00:20:42,400 Speaker 1: And like, that's the same matchup in twenty twenty three 440 00:20:42,680 --> 00:20:45,560 Speaker 1: that Jokic won. He was getting all sorts of stops 441 00:20:45,560 --> 00:20:47,640 Speaker 1: on AD and Iso to the point where the Lakers 442 00:20:47,680 --> 00:20:50,639 Speaker 1: just stopped throwing the ball to Anthony Davis. So like 443 00:20:50,920 --> 00:20:52,879 Speaker 1: that was an area of regression. The second piece was 444 00:20:52,960 --> 00:20:55,639 Speaker 1: rim protection. It's a simple stat I want to show you, guys. 445 00:20:55,960 --> 00:20:59,639 Speaker 1: In twenty twenty three, the Denver Nuggets allowed just fifteen 446 00:21:00,160 --> 00:21:02,960 Speaker 1: makes per game within five feet of the rim in 447 00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:06,480 Speaker 1: the postseason on just sixty two percent shooting. That went 448 00:21:06,560 --> 00:21:10,680 Speaker 1: up to twenty makes per game on sixty five percent 449 00:21:10,720 --> 00:21:14,360 Speaker 1: shooting in this year's playoffs. So that's a substantial increase 450 00:21:15,119 --> 00:21:19,840 Speaker 1: in the effectiveness of opponents attacking the rim against Denver's defense. 451 00:21:19,840 --> 00:21:23,399 Speaker 1: He just Jokic just didn't offer very much resistance against 452 00:21:23,440 --> 00:21:26,560 Speaker 1: Lebron and AD and then again against Anthony Edwards in 453 00:21:26,600 --> 00:21:28,840 Speaker 1: the second round, and I think fatigue played a role. 454 00:21:29,240 --> 00:21:32,439 Speaker 1: Jokic looks tired in general, and especially so in that 455 00:21:32,480 --> 00:21:35,679 Speaker 1: Minnesota series. There were some really ugly possessions at the 456 00:21:35,720 --> 00:21:38,280 Speaker 1: end of Game seven where he just let guys dribble 457 00:21:38,280 --> 00:21:41,920 Speaker 1: around him, or he gave up on defensive rebound situations 458 00:21:41,920 --> 00:21:44,439 Speaker 1: where guys crashed past him to get the ball. I 459 00:21:44,480 --> 00:21:46,440 Speaker 1: did a whole film session on this after Game seven, 460 00:21:46,480 --> 00:21:48,000 Speaker 1: so you can see video evidence of this if you 461 00:21:48,040 --> 00:21:50,120 Speaker 1: just scroll back into our YouTube veed go right after 462 00:21:50,160 --> 00:21:51,200 Speaker 1: game seven last year. 463 00:21:51,440 --> 00:21:52,160 Speaker 2: But here's the thing. 464 00:21:52,440 --> 00:21:56,120 Speaker 1: Jokic had turned himself into a good defensive player. He 465 00:21:56,280 --> 00:21:58,919 Speaker 1: was active with his hands at the high when he 466 00:21:58,920 --> 00:22:01,240 Speaker 1: would come up high in ball screens and he'd get deflections. 467 00:22:01,280 --> 00:22:04,720 Speaker 1: He's a very good communicator, a dominant defensive rebounder. But 468 00:22:04,800 --> 00:22:06,720 Speaker 1: he just regressed last year. He let go of the 469 00:22:06,800 --> 00:22:09,520 Speaker 1: rope a little bit. He just needs to refocus on 470 00:22:09,560 --> 00:22:11,639 Speaker 1: that end of the floor. And for the record, I 471 00:22:11,680 --> 00:22:14,280 Speaker 1: didn't think he was anywhere near as bad as Luca 472 00:22:14,320 --> 00:22:16,439 Speaker 1: was in his playoff run. So like, there's levels to this, 473 00:22:16,640 --> 00:22:20,919 Speaker 1: Like Jokich has declined to being like an average defensive player. 474 00:22:21,160 --> 00:22:23,960 Speaker 1: To me, Luca is still firmly in that below average 475 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:27,280 Speaker 1: to even sometimes bad category on the defensive end of 476 00:22:27,320 --> 00:22:30,399 Speaker 1: the floor. The second piece of his decline was jump shooting. 477 00:22:30,760 --> 00:22:32,399 Speaker 1: And this was something those are you guys who followed 478 00:22:32,400 --> 00:22:34,200 Speaker 1: the show. I was on this all year Last year. 479 00:22:34,280 --> 00:22:37,199 Speaker 1: I kept saying, Jokic's jumper doesn't look the same, this 480 00:22:37,240 --> 00:22:40,280 Speaker 1: could be an issue, and it was in twenty twenty three. 481 00:22:40,359 --> 00:22:42,920 Speaker 1: He's some basic numbers. Twenty twenty three, a Yokic jump 482 00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:45,199 Speaker 1: shot in the regular season was worth one point one 483 00:22:45,440 --> 00:22:48,320 Speaker 1: seven points per shot. In the playoffs, it went up 484 00:22:48,320 --> 00:22:50,960 Speaker 1: to one point two to one points per shot. Just 485 00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:53,560 Speaker 1: a dominant, great jump shooter all season long, all the 486 00:22:53,560 --> 00:22:56,159 Speaker 1: way to when he hoisted the trophy last year. In 487 00:22:56,200 --> 00:22:59,520 Speaker 1: the regular season, one point zero one points per jump shot, 488 00:22:59,560 --> 00:23:02,399 Speaker 1: so seek sixteen points per one hundred jump shots worse. 489 00:23:03,240 --> 00:23:05,600 Speaker 1: And I was calling that out all year, and then 490 00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:07,560 Speaker 1: it ended up being even worse. In the postseason. He 491 00:23:07,600 --> 00:23:11,440 Speaker 1: got zero point eight seven points per jump shot. 492 00:23:11,440 --> 00:23:11,680 Speaker 2: Guys. 493 00:23:11,680 --> 00:23:14,199 Speaker 1: That is that is literally thirty four points per one 494 00:23:14,280 --> 00:23:17,760 Speaker 1: hundred jump shots worse than he was in the previous postseason. 495 00:23:18,040 --> 00:23:21,000 Speaker 1: He was just eight for thirty five from three against Minnesota. 496 00:23:21,040 --> 00:23:23,480 Speaker 1: That's just twenty three percent. He shot just six for 497 00:23:23,600 --> 00:23:27,919 Speaker 1: eighteen on unguarded jump shots in the playoffs, and the 498 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:30,760 Speaker 1: main problem was is Minnesota was packing the paint, being 499 00:23:30,800 --> 00:23:33,400 Speaker 1: super physical, and Jokic was getting some good looks from 500 00:23:33,400 --> 00:23:36,680 Speaker 1: the perimeter. It was what he needed to beat the coverage. 501 00:23:37,280 --> 00:23:39,359 Speaker 1: There was a whole part of Yokic's game in twenty 502 00:23:39,359 --> 00:23:41,320 Speaker 1: twenty three when they won the title that had to 503 00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:44,080 Speaker 1: do with him picking and popping and knocking down shots 504 00:23:44,480 --> 00:23:47,239 Speaker 1: and then driving closeouts as dudes tried to chase him 505 00:23:47,280 --> 00:23:49,080 Speaker 1: off that line. That part of his game was gone. 506 00:23:49,160 --> 00:23:51,119 Speaker 1: Last year. Teams were just closing out short to him 507 00:23:51,160 --> 00:23:53,919 Speaker 1: because he wasn't making them. Here a couple of basic 508 00:23:53,960 --> 00:23:57,520 Speaker 1: stats to demonstrate that. In twenty twenty three in the postseason, 509 00:23:57,880 --> 00:24:01,720 Speaker 1: Jokic got one point two six points per roleman possession 510 00:24:02,080 --> 00:24:05,000 Speaker 1: and one point one six points per spot up possession. 511 00:24:05,119 --> 00:24:08,320 Speaker 1: Last year in the postseason one point zero seven points 512 00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:11,440 Speaker 1: per roleman possession, so nineteen points per one hundred possession worse, 513 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:15,399 Speaker 1: and then one point zero zero points per spot up possession, 514 00:24:15,440 --> 00:24:18,320 Speaker 1: which is sixteen points per one hundred possessions worse, So 515 00:24:18,520 --> 00:24:21,919 Speaker 1: massive declines. There wasn't hitting those pick and pop threes, 516 00:24:22,119 --> 00:24:25,399 Speaker 1: so he wasn't driving the close out, so drawing the 517 00:24:25,440 --> 00:24:27,919 Speaker 1: clothes out so that he could drive it. It's a 518 00:24:27,920 --> 00:24:29,960 Speaker 1: ceiling raiser for him. He's still the best player in 519 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:32,679 Speaker 1: the league without that jump shot because he's a center 520 00:24:33,040 --> 00:24:34,560 Speaker 1: and he can do most of his scoring in the 521 00:24:34,560 --> 00:24:36,600 Speaker 1: short to mid range and he doesn't have to pop. 522 00:24:36,640 --> 00:24:38,920 Speaker 1: He can pick and roll and be a devastating score. 523 00:24:39,320 --> 00:24:41,560 Speaker 1: And one of the things that Jokic very rarely does 524 00:24:41,600 --> 00:24:44,440 Speaker 1: is spot up. Like with exception of the occasional Jamal 525 00:24:44,520 --> 00:24:47,840 Speaker 1: Murray post up, Jokic isn't spotting up, and even in 526 00:24:47,880 --> 00:24:50,520 Speaker 1: those cases, he usually positions himself closer to the rim 527 00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:53,520 Speaker 1: to be more of an offensive rebounder. But the jump 528 00:24:53,520 --> 00:24:57,239 Speaker 1: shot can help him in three huge ways. One, it 529 00:24:57,280 --> 00:24:59,040 Speaker 1: opens up his pick and pop game where he can 530 00:24:59,040 --> 00:25:01,560 Speaker 1: start driving close out like we talked about. Two, it 531 00:25:01,600 --> 00:25:04,159 Speaker 1: allows him rest in the game. Those possessions where you 532 00:25:04,200 --> 00:25:06,040 Speaker 1: pop to the three point line and take a three 533 00:25:06,160 --> 00:25:08,040 Speaker 1: take very little energy and they are a way to 534 00:25:08,040 --> 00:25:10,800 Speaker 1: supplement your offense without having to work as hard. And 535 00:25:10,840 --> 00:25:12,919 Speaker 1: then the third piece of it is rescue possessions. You 536 00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:15,720 Speaker 1: guys remember in the title run, a huge part of 537 00:25:15,800 --> 00:25:19,080 Speaker 1: Jokic's game was hitting those crazy like somber shuffle shots 538 00:25:19,080 --> 00:25:21,440 Speaker 1: at the end of the clock or just jab step 539 00:25:21,560 --> 00:25:23,480 Speaker 1: jumpers in the in the mid range at the end 540 00:25:23,520 --> 00:25:25,639 Speaker 1: of game, at the end of shot clocks. That's a 541 00:25:25,720 --> 00:25:29,160 Speaker 1: huge offensive boost for the Nuggets last year. And so again, 542 00:25:30,240 --> 00:25:32,000 Speaker 1: I still think he's the best player in the world, 543 00:25:32,200 --> 00:25:34,840 Speaker 1: but that decline as a defender and as a shooter 544 00:25:34,920 --> 00:25:37,160 Speaker 1: have made it from being a gap to being something 545 00:25:37,560 --> 00:25:40,480 Speaker 1: much smaller in that department. But I do want to 546 00:25:40,520 --> 00:25:43,439 Speaker 1: explain why I have Jokic over Luca. So here are 547 00:25:43,480 --> 00:25:47,000 Speaker 1: the four reasons why I have Nikola Jokic over Luka 548 00:25:47,040 --> 00:25:49,880 Speaker 1: Doncic one right now. First of all, Jokic is more durable. 549 00:25:50,200 --> 00:25:52,240 Speaker 1: He averages seventy five games played in his career and 550 00:25:52,280 --> 00:25:55,320 Speaker 1: he's generally been healthy in the playoffs. Luca sixty seven 551 00:25:55,359 --> 00:25:57,600 Speaker 1: games played per year and he's been banged up in 552 00:25:57,600 --> 00:26:00,320 Speaker 1: the postseason before, so you can basically book him miss 553 00:26:00,359 --> 00:26:03,360 Speaker 1: twice as many regular season games as Jokic, and it's 554 00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:05,800 Speaker 1: less consistent for him to be at his top level 555 00:26:05,800 --> 00:26:08,960 Speaker 1: when he gets there. Secondly, Jokic is a far more 556 00:26:09,119 --> 00:26:12,240 Speaker 1: versatile offensive player as a GM. I have a lot 557 00:26:12,280 --> 00:26:15,320 Speaker 1: more options offensively with what I can do around Jokic 558 00:26:15,359 --> 00:26:18,400 Speaker 1: because he empowers ball in player movement. Like we talked 559 00:26:18,440 --> 00:26:21,560 Speaker 1: about earlier, getting a guy like Aaron Gordon to fit 560 00:26:21,680 --> 00:26:24,000 Speaker 1: into your offense, that's something that would be an issue. 561 00:26:24,400 --> 00:26:28,000 Speaker 1: Imagine like PJ. Washington plays that role for Dallas. But 562 00:26:28,080 --> 00:26:30,119 Speaker 1: he's a guy that can knock down corner threes at 563 00:26:30,119 --> 00:26:32,640 Speaker 1: a high percentage and even shot like thirty mid thirties 564 00:26:32,680 --> 00:26:34,720 Speaker 1: on above the break threes in the regular season before 565 00:26:34,720 --> 00:26:36,600 Speaker 1: he kind of fell apart in the Boston series, right, 566 00:26:36,960 --> 00:26:39,080 Speaker 1: But like he's a guy who's like at least a 567 00:26:39,080 --> 00:26:42,320 Speaker 1: average type of shooter. Aaron Gordon, with exception to the 568 00:26:42,400 --> 00:26:45,239 Speaker 1: right corner, was a bad shooter last year. You know, 569 00:26:45,359 --> 00:26:47,399 Speaker 1: Like he's not a guy that teams are going to 570 00:26:47,480 --> 00:26:50,040 Speaker 1: guard at all at the three point line. That would 571 00:26:50,040 --> 00:26:52,480 Speaker 1: be an issue for a Dallas offense in a way 572 00:26:52,520 --> 00:26:55,879 Speaker 1: it wouldn't be in a in an offense for Denver 573 00:26:55,960 --> 00:26:59,200 Speaker 1: because there's ball in player movement and Jokic empowers Aaron 574 00:26:59,200 --> 00:27:02,520 Speaker 1: Gordon as a baseline cutter in a way that wouldn't 575 00:27:02,560 --> 00:27:05,479 Speaker 1: work alongside of Derek Lively or Daniel Gafford. There's more 576 00:27:05,520 --> 00:27:07,639 Speaker 1: flexibility in the way you can build around him. But 577 00:27:07,680 --> 00:27:10,600 Speaker 1: at the same time, if I need to just force 578 00:27:10,680 --> 00:27:13,880 Speaker 1: feed Yokich the ball and have him just be devastating 579 00:27:13,920 --> 00:27:17,280 Speaker 1: in a singular context, I can do that with Jokic 580 00:27:17,600 --> 00:27:19,479 Speaker 1: to a similar level of impact to what I can 581 00:27:19,520 --> 00:27:23,359 Speaker 1: get from Luca. Number three, he's a more reliable single 582 00:27:23,400 --> 00:27:26,359 Speaker 1: possession score. I also think he's a better offensive engine 583 00:27:26,359 --> 00:27:27,879 Speaker 1: in the large sample, which is a big part of 584 00:27:27,920 --> 00:27:31,399 Speaker 1: why Denver's offense has outperformed Dallas's offense every year. But 585 00:27:31,760 --> 00:27:34,520 Speaker 1: also when you need a big moment, a big basket 586 00:27:34,520 --> 00:27:37,920 Speaker 1: in a big moment, Jokic has these super reliable short 587 00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:41,160 Speaker 1: range scoring moves that he can hit about sixty percent 588 00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:44,880 Speaker 1: of the time, and that just takes away variants. There's 589 00:27:44,960 --> 00:27:48,679 Speaker 1: more jump shooting variants with Luca in those situations because 590 00:27:48,680 --> 00:27:50,919 Speaker 1: he's generally gonna take a step back jump shout of 591 00:27:50,960 --> 00:27:53,240 Speaker 1: some kind, whether it's from the mid range or from 592 00:27:53,280 --> 00:27:55,919 Speaker 1: the from the three point line. And then lastly, at 593 00:27:55,960 --> 00:28:00,800 Speaker 1: number four, he's a much easier defensive player to build around. 594 00:28:00,920 --> 00:28:03,520 Speaker 1: Yokich can struggle to protect the rim, but he's a 595 00:28:03,640 --> 00:28:06,359 Speaker 1: very useful high drop big because he's active with his 596 00:28:06,400 --> 00:28:08,760 Speaker 1: hands and he's a good communicator, and he's also a 597 00:28:08,800 --> 00:28:12,560 Speaker 1: dominant defensive rebounder. Luca can't do much on defense. He's 598 00:28:12,600 --> 00:28:14,639 Speaker 1: too slow footed to hedge, so I pretty much have 599 00:28:14,720 --> 00:28:16,880 Speaker 1: to switch with him, so I basically have to hide 600 00:28:16,920 --> 00:28:19,080 Speaker 1: him off the ball and hope the other team doesn't 601 00:28:19,200 --> 00:28:22,160 Speaker 1: choose to attack him. He is a useful off ball defender, 602 00:28:22,400 --> 00:28:24,359 Speaker 1: but not nearly as much as Yokich is. So to 603 00:28:24,359 --> 00:28:27,040 Speaker 1: put it simply, as I mentioned earlier, Jokich is roughly 604 00:28:27,080 --> 00:28:29,760 Speaker 1: an average defender even after his decline, which is perfectly 605 00:28:29,800 --> 00:28:32,359 Speaker 1: respectable and I can build around that, whereas Luca is 606 00:28:32,400 --> 00:28:35,440 Speaker 1: still like in that blow average to bad category for 607 00:28:35,560 --> 00:28:39,440 Speaker 1: me outside of specific circumstances, which is not what you're 608 00:28:39,440 --> 00:28:42,040 Speaker 1: gonna need when you face four different teams in the playoffs. 609 00:28:42,120 --> 00:28:43,800 Speaker 2: Right, So that's our list. 610 00:28:44,200 --> 00:28:46,240 Speaker 1: We have a couple of follow up things we're gonna 611 00:28:46,240 --> 00:28:48,040 Speaker 1: do early next week, like I talked about, but I'm 612 00:28:48,080 --> 00:28:51,200 Speaker 1: excited to move on player rankings and start talking about 613 00:28:51,240 --> 00:28:54,680 Speaker 1: teams again. I always enjoy this list, but it always 614 00:28:54,680 --> 00:28:57,480 Speaker 1: gets a little contentious and a little nasty, which is unfortunate, 615 00:28:57,480 --> 00:28:58,680 Speaker 1: but it's just kind of the nature of the way 616 00:28:58,720 --> 00:29:01,080 Speaker 1: these lists work. But I do put in an enormous 617 00:29:01,080 --> 00:29:02,880 Speaker 1: amount of work for these and so those are you 618 00:29:02,880 --> 00:29:04,840 Speaker 1: guys who have supported along and watched along the way. 619 00:29:04,880 --> 00:29:28,080 Speaker 1: I sincerely appreciate it. Let's get into our mailbag. I 620 00:29:28,120 --> 00:29:31,680 Speaker 1: think offense is more important than defense, but as a community, 621 00:29:31,920 --> 00:29:34,880 Speaker 1: I think NBA fans greatly undervalue the defensive side of 622 00:29:34,880 --> 00:29:37,719 Speaker 1: the ball. So this is an interesting kind of comment 623 00:29:37,800 --> 00:29:41,640 Speaker 1: because I think it calls attention to trying to differentiate 624 00:29:41,680 --> 00:29:44,000 Speaker 1: between what we're talking about when we're talking about defense. 625 00:29:44,560 --> 00:29:49,600 Speaker 1: So within the team context, defense and offense share equal 626 00:29:49,680 --> 00:29:52,840 Speaker 1: value because it's simple, like if I stop you from 627 00:29:52,920 --> 00:29:55,520 Speaker 1: scoring two points, it carries the same amount of impact 628 00:29:55,520 --> 00:29:58,520 Speaker 1: as if I score two points, right in terms of 629 00:29:58,600 --> 00:30:02,360 Speaker 1: the change on the scoreboard. Right, So like defensive value 630 00:30:03,040 --> 00:30:07,680 Speaker 1: is literally statistically equal. I would even argue that within 631 00:30:07,720 --> 00:30:11,520 Speaker 1: the team context, when you get to the postseason, that 632 00:30:11,600 --> 00:30:14,320 Speaker 1: defensive value actually ticks up a little bit more than 633 00:30:14,360 --> 00:30:17,880 Speaker 1: offensive value because the game gets more physical, and so 634 00:30:18,040 --> 00:30:20,560 Speaker 1: many of those games to grade down into rock fights 635 00:30:20,560 --> 00:30:22,760 Speaker 1: and it becomes more about size and strength and winning 636 00:30:22,760 --> 00:30:26,320 Speaker 1: physical battles, and generally speaking, teams that are elite on 637 00:30:26,360 --> 00:30:30,720 Speaker 1: the defensive end have some more sustainability in those environments. 638 00:30:30,760 --> 00:30:34,680 Speaker 1: Than offenses do. Offenses can crumble sometimes under physicality, whereas 639 00:30:34,720 --> 00:30:38,800 Speaker 1: defenses tend to thrive in those settings. However, that's all 640 00:30:38,840 --> 00:30:43,280 Speaker 1: within the team context. Within the individual context, I still 641 00:30:43,360 --> 00:30:46,920 Speaker 1: strongly believe that it is easier to build a good 642 00:30:47,040 --> 00:30:50,680 Speaker 1: defense around a limited defensive star than it is to 643 00:30:50,680 --> 00:30:54,800 Speaker 1: build a good offense around a limited offensive star, simply 644 00:30:54,840 --> 00:30:58,120 Speaker 1: because the superpower of offense is impossible to coach and 645 00:30:58,200 --> 00:31:02,680 Speaker 1: scheme for, whereas the superpower of defense you can throw 646 00:31:02,760 --> 00:31:06,360 Speaker 1: together as a coach a scheme, and as a GM 647 00:31:06,440 --> 00:31:09,800 Speaker 1: you can supplement your star with certain archetypes of players 648 00:31:10,040 --> 00:31:12,760 Speaker 1: and construct something that works defensively. It's just my kind 649 00:31:12,760 --> 00:31:16,160 Speaker 1: of basketball worldview, if that makes sense. Having now gone 650 00:31:16,160 --> 00:31:18,200 Speaker 1: through the entire list, how do you feel about the 651 00:31:18,240 --> 00:31:21,640 Speaker 1: new criteria and the system for ranking these players you 652 00:31:21,760 --> 00:31:23,440 Speaker 1: use this year? Thanks a ton for making these I 653 00:31:23,440 --> 00:31:25,800 Speaker 1: appreciate it every minute of the series, even when I disagreed. 654 00:31:26,160 --> 00:31:28,840 Speaker 1: Keep up the good work. Thank you for supporting the show. 655 00:31:29,200 --> 00:31:31,560 Speaker 1: I sincerely appreciate it. You know, this has been an 656 00:31:31,560 --> 00:31:34,280 Speaker 1: interesting year in the sense that, like everyone was really 657 00:31:34,320 --> 00:31:36,520 Speaker 1: upset with me for the way I did things in 658 00:31:36,520 --> 00:31:38,360 Speaker 1: the past. In terms of the bragging rights and so 659 00:31:38,400 --> 00:31:40,680 Speaker 1: I came up with this system as a way to 660 00:31:40,720 --> 00:31:45,120 Speaker 1: try to be like more realistic and hopefully kind of 661 00:31:45,160 --> 00:31:47,640 Speaker 1: find more common ground with people, and everyone just got 662 00:31:47,640 --> 00:31:50,440 Speaker 1: pissed off for different reasons. And so part of it is, like, 663 00:31:50,640 --> 00:31:52,720 Speaker 1: you know, it's interesting because like I love this list 664 00:31:52,800 --> 00:31:55,560 Speaker 1: I do, and I do it every year, and I'm 665 00:31:55,560 --> 00:31:58,760 Speaker 1: never gonna stop doing it. At least I don't think 666 00:31:58,760 --> 00:32:01,320 Speaker 1: I'm gonna stop doing it. But like, at the same time, 667 00:32:01,360 --> 00:32:03,560 Speaker 1: like it's always the time that it gets nastiest, and 668 00:32:03,600 --> 00:32:05,400 Speaker 1: that part always sucks. But one of the things that 669 00:32:05,400 --> 00:32:07,640 Speaker 1: I've gotten better at understanding is like there's a certain 670 00:32:07,680 --> 00:32:10,720 Speaker 1: amount of negativity that's going to come out no matter what, Like, 671 00:32:10,760 --> 00:32:13,600 Speaker 1: no matter what I do, there's going to be negativity. 672 00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:16,160 Speaker 1: Like there I even see when I praise players, I'll 673 00:32:16,160 --> 00:32:18,560 Speaker 1: see comments from people saying I didn't praise them enough 674 00:32:19,000 --> 00:32:21,200 Speaker 1: for what they do, and so like at a certain point, 675 00:32:21,320 --> 00:32:22,680 Speaker 1: you just kind of got to accept that it's a 676 00:32:22,680 --> 00:32:24,640 Speaker 1: losing battle. And so I'm getting a little better at that. 677 00:32:24,840 --> 00:32:28,560 Speaker 1: But in terms of like learning a lesson, I'm sure 678 00:32:28,600 --> 00:32:30,840 Speaker 1: I'll make slight tweaks here and there, but I do 679 00:32:30,880 --> 00:32:34,080 Speaker 1: think I prefer this format to the format of doing 680 00:32:34,080 --> 00:32:36,360 Speaker 1: bragging rights, and like if I were to tweak it again, 681 00:32:36,360 --> 00:32:37,960 Speaker 1: like if I were to just do like like straight 682 00:32:38,000 --> 00:32:39,720 Speaker 1: up just like who's the best basketball player right now 683 00:32:39,800 --> 00:32:41,840 Speaker 1: everyone's healthy, I think that could open up a whole 684 00:32:41,840 --> 00:32:43,240 Speaker 1: other can of worms, because then I'm gonna have a 685 00:32:43,280 --> 00:32:44,720 Speaker 1: bunch of older guys up at the top, Like I 686 00:32:44,720 --> 00:32:47,280 Speaker 1: would have probably had Lebron at number three if that 687 00:32:47,440 --> 00:32:48,959 Speaker 1: was the case, And if I had Lebron at number three, 688 00:32:48,960 --> 00:32:51,120 Speaker 1: I'm gonna get roasted for that. So like it's just 689 00:32:51,120 --> 00:32:52,480 Speaker 1: at the end of the day, you just you can't 690 00:32:52,520 --> 00:32:54,640 Speaker 1: win with the internet, you know how that goes. So 691 00:32:55,200 --> 00:32:57,440 Speaker 1: I think this kind of general format makes the most 692 00:32:57,480 --> 00:32:59,520 Speaker 1: sense to me, Like who would I rather have from 693 00:32:59,520 --> 00:33:03,120 Speaker 1: October June for this coming season. That's a way of 694 00:33:03,840 --> 00:33:06,080 Speaker 1: ranking players in a way that seems kind of like 695 00:33:06,200 --> 00:33:09,040 Speaker 1: practical to what an NBA season actually looks like. And 696 00:33:09,080 --> 00:33:11,720 Speaker 1: so I did enjoy that part, even though I felt 697 00:33:11,720 --> 00:33:13,480 Speaker 1: like I was constantly having to try to explain it. 698 00:33:13,520 --> 00:33:15,440 Speaker 1: And I still feel like some people didn't really understand 699 00:33:15,440 --> 00:33:18,440 Speaker 1: what the criteria was. And so at a certain point 700 00:33:18,440 --> 00:33:20,520 Speaker 1: you just kind of have to accept that there's no 701 00:33:20,640 --> 00:33:23,720 Speaker 1: perfect system. Can you please make a power ranking list 702 00:33:23,760 --> 00:33:26,200 Speaker 1: of the teams and how teams are positioned heading into 703 00:33:26,200 --> 00:33:28,160 Speaker 1: the twenty twenty four to twenty twenty five seasons. So 704 00:33:28,480 --> 00:33:31,520 Speaker 1: another thing that I do every year is I do 705 00:33:31,720 --> 00:33:37,600 Speaker 1: power rankings before the season in the format of season previews. 706 00:33:37,920 --> 00:33:38,800 Speaker 2: So what we're. 707 00:33:38,640 --> 00:33:42,160 Speaker 1: Gonna do is I'll probably I'll do at least ten, 708 00:33:42,400 --> 00:33:44,640 Speaker 1: and then I'll probably do some bonuses. So I'll probably 709 00:33:44,640 --> 00:33:46,320 Speaker 1: do like top ten teams in the league, and then 710 00:33:46,360 --> 00:33:47,800 Speaker 1: I'll hit a couple of teams that are outside of 711 00:33:47,840 --> 00:33:49,880 Speaker 1: the top ten that have more significant fan bases that 712 00:33:49,920 --> 00:33:53,720 Speaker 1: we can hit. But every year I do a full 713 00:33:53,760 --> 00:33:56,040 Speaker 1: season preview where I show you I talk about like 714 00:33:56,200 --> 00:34:00,280 Speaker 1: changes that the roster made, you know, different you know, 715 00:34:00,360 --> 00:34:01,920 Speaker 1: depth chart things that we'll look at. 716 00:34:02,200 --> 00:34:04,320 Speaker 2: We'll look at. 717 00:34:03,880 --> 00:34:06,240 Speaker 1: What kind of offense they run, what kind of defense 718 00:34:06,280 --> 00:34:09,320 Speaker 1: they run, and just kind of preview what I expect 719 00:34:09,360 --> 00:34:11,759 Speaker 1: from them that season, whether or not their position for 720 00:34:11,760 --> 00:34:13,560 Speaker 1: a trade if they do need to make a trade. 721 00:34:13,640 --> 00:34:16,560 Speaker 1: We do full season previews just within the context of 722 00:34:16,600 --> 00:34:19,200 Speaker 1: a player of power rankings format, and we'll work our 723 00:34:19,200 --> 00:34:21,560 Speaker 1: way from ten to one and go from there. That's 724 00:34:21,600 --> 00:34:24,759 Speaker 1: going to start a week from this coming Monday, and 725 00:34:24,800 --> 00:34:26,120 Speaker 1: so just keep an eye on the feeds and you'll 726 00:34:26,120 --> 00:34:27,960 Speaker 1: start to see some of that stuff. Hey Jason, I 727 00:34:28,040 --> 00:34:29,600 Speaker 1: really hope my comment gets through. You're one of my 728 00:34:29,640 --> 00:34:32,560 Speaker 1: favorite basketball pundits due to your unbiased logical way of 729 00:34:32,560 --> 00:34:35,080 Speaker 1: thinking the game. I just noticed, Though I greatly disagree 730 00:34:35,120 --> 00:34:37,480 Speaker 1: with Jaw's position, I think he's likely to have a 731 00:34:37,520 --> 00:34:40,800 Speaker 1: greater season than Ant just had due to the trajectory 732 00:34:40,840 --> 00:34:43,239 Speaker 1: he was on prior to his suspension. His first step 733 00:34:43,360 --> 00:34:45,400 Speaker 1: rim attacking and his ability to guard it an above 734 00:34:45,560 --> 00:34:48,920 Speaker 1: and average to good level to me placed him closer 735 00:34:48,960 --> 00:34:52,560 Speaker 1: to eleven to thirteen. So I agree with you in 736 00:34:52,640 --> 00:34:54,880 Speaker 1: terms of like, if Jah had not just missed an 737 00:34:55,040 --> 00:34:57,960 Speaker 1: entire season, he probably ends up in that eleven to 738 00:34:58,000 --> 00:35:00,759 Speaker 1: thirteen range. She's in that top twelve twelve for me, 739 00:35:00,880 --> 00:35:04,920 Speaker 1: the top twelve guys after Jimmy and after Jimmy and 740 00:35:04,920 --> 00:35:08,239 Speaker 1: and Kawhi. That eleven guys that I used in that 741 00:35:08,400 --> 00:35:11,279 Speaker 1: like top two tiers. I would have grown that to 742 00:35:11,320 --> 00:35:14,239 Speaker 1: two and included Jot if he was healthy last year. 743 00:35:14,520 --> 00:35:16,840 Speaker 1: I just had him back because he's had health issues 744 00:35:16,880 --> 00:35:18,759 Speaker 1: and off court issues that have kept him away from 745 00:35:18,760 --> 00:35:20,920 Speaker 1: his team. I can't remember the exact stat but he's 746 00:35:20,920 --> 00:35:22,920 Speaker 1: missed like eighty percent of his teams likes a one hundred 747 00:35:23,000 --> 00:35:25,480 Speaker 1: something games, So like he's just he just hasn't. 748 00:35:25,280 --> 00:35:26,160 Speaker 2: Been around enough. 749 00:35:26,800 --> 00:35:28,239 Speaker 1: But I do agree that he would be in that 750 00:35:28,280 --> 00:35:32,080 Speaker 1: eleven to thirteen range had he availability not been an issue. 751 00:35:32,239 --> 00:35:35,280 Speaker 1: Don't necessarily agree about him being an average to good defender. 752 00:35:35,280 --> 00:35:37,840 Speaker 1: I think he's more below average to average defensively, but 753 00:35:38,040 --> 00:35:40,360 Speaker 1: it's mainly just because he's really really skinny and small. 754 00:35:41,160 --> 00:35:43,400 Speaker 1: He can make like defensive plays and transition and stuff 755 00:35:43,400 --> 00:35:45,560 Speaker 1: like that, but he's not He's still still can struggle 756 00:35:45,600 --> 00:35:49,200 Speaker 1: in terms of like actually filling a really consistent defensive role. 757 00:35:49,520 --> 00:35:50,080 Speaker 2: Great show. 758 00:35:50,280 --> 00:35:53,160 Speaker 1: Always try to listen in and always enjoy it. Offseason question. 759 00:35:53,239 --> 00:35:56,160 Speaker 1: Can you put together a lineup with the to win 760 00:35:56,239 --> 00:35:59,640 Speaker 1: the title without taking the best player from any team? 761 00:35:59,719 --> 00:36:02,760 Speaker 1: This was a fun one, right, So again, you're building 762 00:36:02,760 --> 00:36:06,319 Speaker 1: a roster, can't pick a single player that is the 763 00:36:06,360 --> 00:36:08,520 Speaker 1: best player on their team. So the one that gets 764 00:36:08,520 --> 00:36:10,799 Speaker 1: a little tricky here because of all of the power 765 00:36:10,880 --> 00:36:14,120 Speaker 1: rankings player rankings, guys, where are two on the same team? Like, 766 00:36:14,440 --> 00:36:18,040 Speaker 1: Tatum's clearly better than Jlen Brown, Giannis is clearly better 767 00:36:18,080 --> 00:36:22,160 Speaker 1: than Dame, But with the ad Lebron won. It's tricky because, like, 768 00:36:22,600 --> 00:36:24,800 Speaker 1: if everyone's healthy and we're playing tomorrow, I think Lebron's 769 00:36:24,800 --> 00:36:27,760 Speaker 1: the best player, But like Ad, I think, at age thirty, 770 00:36:27,840 --> 00:36:31,080 Speaker 1: is just like a more reliable, you know, October to 771 00:36:31,160 --> 00:36:34,040 Speaker 1: June kind of guy. So for this case, I'm either 772 00:36:34,040 --> 00:36:37,200 Speaker 1: getting Ad or Lebron. I decided to just call Lebron 773 00:36:37,239 --> 00:36:40,200 Speaker 1: the best player on the team, so Ad automatically becomes 774 00:36:40,200 --> 00:36:41,719 Speaker 1: my center at that point. So I've got a d 775 00:36:41,840 --> 00:36:46,279 Speaker 1: at center. Dame is your obvious point guard because he's 776 00:36:46,920 --> 00:36:49,760 Speaker 1: the second best player on his team with Jannis. Jalen 777 00:36:49,800 --> 00:36:52,000 Speaker 1: Brown is your three, So I've got a five Ad. 778 00:36:52,120 --> 00:36:53,879 Speaker 1: I've got Dame as a one. I've got Jalen Brown 779 00:36:53,920 --> 00:36:55,520 Speaker 1: as a three. So I need a power forward and 780 00:36:55,560 --> 00:36:57,239 Speaker 1: a shooting guard. I was looking at a couple of 781 00:36:57,239 --> 00:37:00,399 Speaker 1: different options a power forward, the two main guys looking 782 00:37:00,440 --> 00:37:03,239 Speaker 1: at or Bam at a bio and then a guy 783 00:37:03,320 --> 00:37:06,680 Speaker 1: like Chet Holmgren and his shooting next to eighty is interesting, 784 00:37:06,719 --> 00:37:08,680 Speaker 1: but he's really young and a little thin, so I 785 00:37:08,760 --> 00:37:11,160 Speaker 1: kind of leaned towards Bam there, and then at shooting guard, 786 00:37:11,200 --> 00:37:13,600 Speaker 1: I'm looking at guys like Kyrie Irving, who's second behind Luca, 787 00:37:13,840 --> 00:37:16,279 Speaker 1: Jabal Murray, who second behind Jokic, and Devin Booker, who 788 00:37:16,280 --> 00:37:20,160 Speaker 1: second behind KD. I think I leaned towards Devin Booker there, 789 00:37:20,200 --> 00:37:23,719 Speaker 1: and so if I was building a roster of starting five, 790 00:37:23,760 --> 00:37:27,600 Speaker 1: I should say, with a team made of entirely players 791 00:37:27,600 --> 00:37:29,359 Speaker 1: that are not the best player on their team, I'd 792 00:37:29,360 --> 00:37:32,000 Speaker 1: have Dame at the one, Devin Booker at the two, 793 00:37:32,160 --> 00:37:34,120 Speaker 1: Jalen Brown at the three, Bam at the four, and 794 00:37:34,200 --> 00:37:36,760 Speaker 1: Ad at the five. I feel like I'm definitely winning 795 00:37:36,760 --> 00:37:39,239 Speaker 1: the title with that five. Like Jalen Brown is now 796 00:37:39,239 --> 00:37:42,279 Speaker 1: my primary point of attack defender, which is where I'd 797 00:37:42,360 --> 00:37:44,040 Speaker 1: like book like. I think Devin Booker can be a 798 00:37:44,120 --> 00:37:46,320 Speaker 1: useful point of attack defender, but I prefer him guarding 799 00:37:46,360 --> 00:37:48,440 Speaker 1: the second best perimeter player, which is a nice way 800 00:37:48,440 --> 00:37:52,600 Speaker 1: to slot him there. I've got tons of length behind Dame. Obviously, 801 00:37:52,680 --> 00:37:55,279 Speaker 1: Dame brings defensive issues, but if I've got Bam at 802 00:37:55,280 --> 00:37:57,400 Speaker 1: a bio and Anthony Davis on the back line, that 803 00:37:57,440 --> 00:38:01,160 Speaker 1: makes things easier. I uh, pro League can run a 804 00:38:01,160 --> 00:38:02,920 Speaker 1: switching look as long as I kind of load up 805 00:38:03,000 --> 00:38:05,520 Speaker 1: things behind Dame when he switches, and then I really 806 00:38:05,640 --> 00:38:08,360 Speaker 1: like the idea of Bam and AD playing together, not 807 00:38:08,440 --> 00:38:10,680 Speaker 1: based just solely off of what we saw at the Olympics, 808 00:38:10,680 --> 00:38:12,759 Speaker 1: but you can kind of think of them playing like 809 00:38:12,800 --> 00:38:15,799 Speaker 1: the Warriors, like two non shooting bigs going side to 810 00:38:15,840 --> 00:38:18,319 Speaker 1: side as five out folkrums. But I've got Dame and 811 00:38:18,360 --> 00:38:21,120 Speaker 1: Devin Booker coming off as these like awesome pull up shooters, 812 00:38:21,120 --> 00:38:22,759 Speaker 1: and Jalen Brown who can come off and look to 813 00:38:22,760 --> 00:38:25,360 Speaker 1: score and get downhill and get to the rim. I 814 00:38:25,360 --> 00:38:27,680 Speaker 1: think that's a damn good lineup entirely out of players 815 00:38:27,680 --> 00:38:30,080 Speaker 1: that are not the best player on their team. Last question, 816 00:38:30,840 --> 00:38:34,280 Speaker 1: the fact is that Luca's production has gone up every season. 817 00:38:34,640 --> 00:38:37,759 Speaker 1: So how can you claim the skinnier quicker version was 818 00:38:37,800 --> 00:38:40,280 Speaker 1: better when the stats and the results have shown otherwise. 819 00:38:40,680 --> 00:38:42,799 Speaker 1: Never said the skinnier and quicker version was better. I 820 00:38:42,880 --> 00:38:45,680 Speaker 1: just said he was skinnier and quicker. He's clearly gotten better. 821 00:38:45,719 --> 00:38:47,399 Speaker 1: He's the second best player in the league now, which 822 00:38:47,400 --> 00:38:49,319 Speaker 1: is the first time I felt that this is all 823 00:38:49,360 --> 00:38:52,520 Speaker 1: about potential. He's the second best player in the league 824 00:38:52,560 --> 00:38:55,640 Speaker 1: because from age nineteen to age twenty five, he's gotten 825 00:38:55,680 --> 00:38:58,279 Speaker 1: better at basketball. He solved the NBA. He's improved in 826 00:38:58,320 --> 00:39:02,080 Speaker 1: some specific skill area, but He's done that while trending 827 00:39:02,120 --> 00:39:04,759 Speaker 1: down in terms of his foot speed and his conditioning, 828 00:39:04,840 --> 00:39:07,480 Speaker 1: and so again like, there's some benefit from it. He's 829 00:39:07,480 --> 00:39:09,880 Speaker 1: become bigger and stronger, which has helped him with some 830 00:39:10,040 --> 00:39:12,640 Speaker 1: of the physical battles. But if you replace you know, 831 00:39:12,680 --> 00:39:14,239 Speaker 1: I saw someone in the comments say, like, if he 832 00:39:14,360 --> 00:39:17,239 Speaker 1: dropped twenty pounds of body fat and replace it with 833 00:39:17,320 --> 00:39:20,200 Speaker 1: ten pounds of functional muscle, like, how far that would 834 00:39:20,200 --> 00:39:22,880 Speaker 1: go to improving him as a player. And I sincerely 835 00:39:22,880 --> 00:39:25,200 Speaker 1: believe that. I think like, I think that in overall, 836 00:39:25,200 --> 00:39:28,880 Speaker 1: Like would he not be able to bully as many matchups, probably, 837 00:39:29,280 --> 00:39:31,600 Speaker 1: but the increase in terms of his conditioning, in terms 838 00:39:31,600 --> 00:39:33,719 Speaker 1: of his ability to stay effective late in games, which 839 00:39:33,719 --> 00:39:36,040 Speaker 1: he struggled with last year in the postseason, and his 840 00:39:36,080 --> 00:39:39,520 Speaker 1: ability to be just again, I saw another comment I 841 00:39:39,560 --> 00:39:40,600 Speaker 1: actually screenshoted today. 842 00:39:40,640 --> 00:39:41,160 Speaker 2: It was funny. 843 00:39:41,520 --> 00:39:43,440 Speaker 1: This person said, I can't believe what I'm seeing in 844 00:39:43,440 --> 00:39:45,680 Speaker 1: these comments. In the last three seasons, Luca has led 845 00:39:45,680 --> 00:39:49,279 Speaker 1: the MAVs in every offensive category, had team success, and 846 00:39:49,440 --> 00:39:52,839 Speaker 1: sent home Booker Shay, Anthony Edwards, Kawhi Harden, PG and 847 00:39:52,880 --> 00:39:55,120 Speaker 1: Mitchell in the playoffs. You want this man to play 848 00:39:55,200 --> 00:39:59,160 Speaker 1: all NBA defense as well. Yes, that's the conversations you're 849 00:39:59,160 --> 00:40:02,200 Speaker 1: putting him in. You're putting him in conversations as like 850 00:40:02,239 --> 00:40:05,000 Speaker 1: best player in the world or like all time great trajectory. 851 00:40:05,080 --> 00:40:08,080 Speaker 1: Like the guys who are all time greats, they all 852 00:40:08,160 --> 00:40:11,040 Speaker 1: played defense at a certain level. You know, I'm not 853 00:40:11,120 --> 00:40:14,319 Speaker 1: expecting him to be like all world, but like he 854 00:40:14,360 --> 00:40:16,920 Speaker 1: should at least be competing on that end of the 855 00:40:16,920 --> 00:40:19,759 Speaker 1: floor to a higher level than he has been. You 856 00:40:19,800 --> 00:40:22,120 Speaker 1: know what, like what you're discussing, the guy who led 857 00:40:22,120 --> 00:40:23,920 Speaker 1: his team in points to reybound assists, sent all these 858 00:40:23,920 --> 00:40:26,399 Speaker 1: stars home, and is the primary offensive vege blah blah blah. 859 00:40:26,440 --> 00:40:28,799 Speaker 1: That's literally what Lebron James did for the entirety of 860 00:40:28,800 --> 00:40:32,080 Speaker 1: his prime. Like he took some regular season games off 861 00:40:32,120 --> 00:40:34,319 Speaker 1: defensively towards the tail end in Cleveland, but for the 862 00:40:34,320 --> 00:40:37,480 Speaker 1: most part in that twenty ten to twenty twenty stretch 863 00:40:37,480 --> 00:40:40,680 Speaker 1: when he was running the league, he was defending. That 864 00:40:40,800 --> 00:40:43,359 Speaker 1: was a big part of his identity. And again, I'm 865 00:40:43,360 --> 00:40:46,920 Speaker 1: not asking for Luca to literally make an all defense team, 866 00:40:47,400 --> 00:40:49,279 Speaker 1: but is it too much to ask for him to 867 00:40:49,320 --> 00:40:51,600 Speaker 1: devote resources and compete on that end. I don't think so. 868 00:40:52,000 --> 00:40:55,680 Speaker 1: It's what his peers have done in NBA history. Steph Curry, 869 00:40:55,719 --> 00:40:58,680 Speaker 1: without anywhere near the physical tools as some of his 870 00:40:58,719 --> 00:41:01,160 Speaker 1: all time great peers, has become an average to above 871 00:41:01,200 --> 00:41:03,520 Speaker 1: average defensive player because he competes on that end of 872 00:41:03,560 --> 00:41:07,040 Speaker 1: the floor. We talked about it with Jokic earlier, like 873 00:41:07,480 --> 00:41:10,520 Speaker 1: that's all like, there's no doubt that Luca is better 874 00:41:10,600 --> 00:41:12,839 Speaker 1: now than he's ever been, But there's also no doubt 875 00:41:12,840 --> 00:41:15,520 Speaker 1: that he's leaving some meat on the bone, and I 876 00:41:15,560 --> 00:41:18,400 Speaker 1: think that that's fair criticism to send in that direction. 877 00:41:18,760 --> 00:41:20,239 Speaker 1: All right, guys, that is all I have for today. 878 00:41:20,320 --> 00:41:22,560 Speaker 1: Is always as sincerely, appreciate you guys for supporting the show. 879 00:41:22,560 --> 00:41:24,600 Speaker 1: I hope you enjoy the weekend. We'll be back on 880 00:41:24,719 --> 00:41:27,200 Speaker 1: Monday with the Nerd Sesh guys to get further into 881 00:41:27,239 --> 00:41:28,040 Speaker 1: the top ten debate. 882 00:41:28,320 --> 00:41:29,400 Speaker 2: I'll see you guys then. 883 00:41:31,200 --> 00:41:31,880 Speaker 1: The volume. 884 00:41:32,600 --> 00:41:33,120 Speaker 2: What's up guys? 885 00:41:33,160 --> 00:41:35,920 Speaker 1: As always, I appreciate you for listening to and supporting 886 00:41:35,960 --> 00:41:38,600 Speaker 1: OOPS tonight. It would actually be really helpful for us 887 00:41:38,600 --> 00:41:40,480 Speaker 1: if you guys would take a second and leave a 888 00:41:40,600 --> 00:41:43,160 Speaker 1: rating and a review. As always, I appreciate you guys 889 00:41:43,160 --> 00:41:44,799 Speaker 1: supporting us, but if you could take a minute to 890 00:41:44,800 --> 00:41:46,680 Speaker 1: do that, I'd really appreciate it.