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Speaker 1: I here at the volume. Happy Monday, everybody. If both

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Speaker 1: of you guys had an incredible weekend, we have a

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Speaker 1: jam pack show for you today, our Classic Monday, So

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Speaker 1: we will have power rankings at the tail end of

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Speaker 1: the show. Off the top, we're gonna be talking about

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Speaker 1: a showdown between the Boston Celtics and the Phoenix Suns

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Speaker 1: on Saturday night, and then after that the Last Angelis Lakers,

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Speaker 1: after really disappointing, kind of somewhat foreseen loss against the

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Speaker 1: Sacramento Kings, get back to back huge wins against the

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Speaker 1: Milwaukee Bucks without Lebron James and then against the Minnesota

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Speaker 1: Timberwolves as well. So we're gonna talk a little bit

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Speaker 1: about just how good the Lakers have been as of late,

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Speaker 1: what is fueling that success as well as what is

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Speaker 1: standing in the way of them having any sort of

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Speaker 1: legitimate chance to make a deep playoff runt. So we're

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Speaker 1: gonna talk some lakers there in the middle portion of

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Speaker 1: the show, and then, like I said at the end,

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Speaker 1: we're gonna get into our power rankings.

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Speaker 2: You guys are the job for we get started.

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Speaker 1: Subscribe to the Volumes brand new YouTube channel so you

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Speaker 1: guys don't or excuse me, to the Hoops Tonight YouTube

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Speaker 1: channel so you don't miss any more of our videos.

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Speaker 1: Follow the Hoops Tonight podcast feed wherever you get your podcast.

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Speaker 1: Remember it's also helpful if you guys leave a rating

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Speaker 1: in a review.

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Speaker 2: On that front.

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Speaker 1: Follow me on Twitter at underscore json lts. You guys,

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Speaker 1: don't miss show announcements as well as the film threads

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Speaker 1: that I do from time to time. And the last

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Speaker 1: but not least, keepdropping mail back questions in the YouTube comments.

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Speaker 1: Lots of mail bags this week. We're gonna be doing

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Speaker 1: one in tomorrow's show as well, so make sure you

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Speaker 1: get some mail back quiet in there. And the last

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Speaker 1: but not least, before we get started the NCAA tournament

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Speaker 1: that's right around the corner. I don't know about you guys,

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Speaker 1: if you've ever been to an NCAA tournament game, but

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Speaker 1: they're like one of the coolest basketball experiences that I've

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Speaker 1: personally had as a fan. I was at I want

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Speaker 1: to say it was twenty fourteen, and it was an

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Speaker 1: Elite eight game between Wisconsin and my favorite team to

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Speaker 1: our hometown Arizona Wildcats, and like, I just remember the

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Speaker 1: crazy vibe of like the two home crowd kind of thing,

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Speaker 1: where like it's almost like this warring group of fan

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Speaker 1: bases with every single momentum play and there's just everyone's

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Speaker 1: excited after every single type of play. It's a totally

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Speaker 1: All right, let's talk some basketball. So really fun game

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Speaker 1: between the Celtics and the Suns, just as a basketball fan.

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Speaker 1: A really fun game to watch because Suns were obviously,

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Speaker 1: you know, without Devin Booker. It's just really hard for

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Speaker 1: them to go into a matchup against the really staunched

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Speaker 1: perimeter defense type of team like Boston. They found their

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Speaker 1: advantages like Obviously, Chris Porzingis didn't play, and so they

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Speaker 1: were trying to pick on Al Horford as much as

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Speaker 1: they could. The Celtics were running a deeper drop coverage

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Speaker 1: with Horford and trying to avoid switching him at all costs,

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Speaker 1: although Katie got him onto some switches when he could.

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Speaker 1: And obviously the Suns have guys who can punish the

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Speaker 1: deep drop in a lot of ways. Right we saw

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Speaker 1: some Bradley Beal midrange pull up jump shots. Kevin Durant

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Speaker 1: was amazing again. Kevin Durant's riding a streak of three

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Speaker 1: consecutive thirty five plus point nights. He's been averaging thirty

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Speaker 1: eight over that span. Katie's just been insane. He'd hit

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Speaker 1: those shots against Denver and has just been riding that

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Speaker 1: wave in all that confidence from that game into a

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Speaker 1: pretty absurd stretch. But the Celtics weathered it all and

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Speaker 1: really was impressed with them. On the defensive end of

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Speaker 1: the floor, held this high powered Suns offense to a

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Speaker 1: one to ten offensive raigning first, forced a ton of turnovers,

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Speaker 1: force fifteen of them got out in transition off of

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Speaker 1: those turnovers, scored sixteen points on those fifteen turnovers. I

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Speaker 1: really liked that they didn't overreact to the shots that

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Speaker 1: Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant were hitting. For the most part,

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Speaker 1: they stayed in single coverage for the most part, they

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Speaker 1: trusted their defense off the ball, which is, by the way,

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Speaker 1: a big part of how they force turnovers. Again, this

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Speaker 1: is a Sun's team that can can get a little

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Speaker 1: sloppy making swing passes and skip passes and post entry

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Speaker 1: passes and short roll passes and things along those lines,

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Speaker 1: and you can capitalize on it. Then on the other

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Speaker 1: end of the floor, the Suns had their own success

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Speaker 1: or their own issue in pick and roll defense with

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Speaker 1: Drew u Banks specifically, they were just picking him to

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Speaker 1: absolute shreads the Celtics were. I think u Banks was

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Speaker 1: like a minus twenty in this game. Jalen Brown was

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Speaker 1: picking on Bradley Beal in the post, was once again

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Speaker 1: being really aggressive. This has been a trend I've noticed

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Speaker 1: with Jayalen Brown, Like, this is a guy who takes

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Speaker 1: a lot of mid range kind of fadeaway jump shots

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Speaker 1: out of the post, and he's very good at them.

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Speaker 1: But as I say all the time on the show,

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Speaker 1: like the best mid range pull up shooter is going

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Speaker 1: to shoot in the mid fifties, you know, high fifties

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Speaker 1: on those shots, and that's that's just not nearly as

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Speaker 1: efficient as a hook shot or something that's really close

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Speaker 1: to the basket. And you know, Jalen Brown like bullied

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Speaker 1: Bradley Beal on the left block and did a spin

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Speaker 1: move towards the base, but instead of fading into a

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Speaker 1: tough right shoulder fade, he spun aggressively created space with

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Speaker 1: that right shoulder and took a short, little bank shot

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Speaker 1: that he's gonna make seventy seventy five percent of the time.

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Speaker 1: Right he had a right handed hook over his left

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Speaker 1: shoulder where he bodied Beal into the lane and went

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Speaker 1: straight up and down instead of fading like he's gonna

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Speaker 1: make that shot eighty eighty five percent of the time.

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Speaker 1: That's like another level of efficiency above those fadaways. And

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Speaker 1: you want to have him again. Like I said, it's

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Speaker 1: an important counter to have. It's an important shot to

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Speaker 1: have in the bag, especially against the best defensive players

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Speaker 1: in the league when you.

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Speaker 2: Need to create shots.

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Speaker 1: But I've just I've been so incredibly impressed by Jalen

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Speaker 1: Brown in this game, Like he only had three assists.

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Speaker 1: He only had three assists in this game, but he

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Speaker 1: had some really nice reads. There was a lob pass

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Speaker 1: of Luke Cornette as he slipped out of a double

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Speaker 1: ball screen like a double drag, where he patiently kind

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Speaker 1: of waited for the play to develop, waited for all

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Speaker 1: the defensive players to make their kind of like baked

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Speaker 1: in reeds, and then Luke Cornett broke open and he

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Speaker 1: just hit him with a perfect lob pass. He brought

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Speaker 1: physical ball pressure on Bradley Beal just in general, Jan

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Speaker 1: Brown continues this stretch of just awesome basketball that he's playing.

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Speaker 1: They killed the Suns on the offensive glass. They had

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Speaker 1: thirteen offensive rebounds. Again, that's a big one for me.

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Speaker 1: That has been kind of a recent trend for the Celtics.

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Speaker 1: And just another great paint scoring game. They have sixty

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Speaker 1: points in the paint in this matchup. They're averaging fifty

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Speaker 1: seven points in the paint over their last seven games.

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Speaker 1: That ranks third in the NBA. So we're now on

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Speaker 1: like a hefty like half of a month here where

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Speaker 1: the Celtics are suddenly like a dominant paint scoring offense.

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Speaker 1: And this is a team that for the entire first

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Speaker 1: chunk of the season was like, I guess we're at

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Speaker 1: what like two thirds of the or about three four

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Speaker 1: so the way through the season at this point getting

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Speaker 1: close there. This is a ten percent chunk of the

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Speaker 1: season here where they've gone from being before that one

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Speaker 1: of the worst paint scoring teams in the league to

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Speaker 1: a team that's consistently scoring in the paint. So it's

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Speaker 1: very clear from the top down that there is an

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Speaker 1: effort being made to get these guys to play with

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Speaker 1: more physical aggression, to bring that that more diversity to

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Speaker 1: their offensive approach instead of just relying on whether or

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Speaker 1: not their jump shots are going to go in, and

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Speaker 1: that to me is just going to give them more

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Speaker 1: margin for error when they get later into the playoffs.

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Speaker 1: And then Jason Tatum closed the deal in the fourth

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Speaker 1: quarter Monster fourth quarter hit a three on the right

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Speaker 1: wing where the Sons just didn't even match up with him.

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Speaker 1: In transition, he had a pull up three on a

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Speaker 1: soft switch between Royce O'Neil and Bull Bull. We've talked

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Speaker 1: to a lot about the difference between aggressive switching and

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Speaker 1: soft switching. Again, aggressive switch as you come off the

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Speaker 1: screen and the dude almost like hedges at first and

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Speaker 1: then squares up so that you can essentially force the

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Speaker 1: guy to almost like face ball pressure immediately when he

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Speaker 1: comes off the screen versus a soft switch when you

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Speaker 1: hang back. And on this particular play where Tatum hit

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Speaker 1: the pull up three, Royce O'Neil's on him. Here comes

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Speaker 1: the ball screen. As he comes off the ball screen.

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Speaker 1: Bowl Bull is the guy that's supposed to be switching

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Speaker 1: onto him, but he just Roy O'Neil kind of ducks

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Speaker 1: under and takes the screener, and then Bull Bull hangs

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Speaker 1: back in a soft switch, and Tatum found a gap

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Speaker 1: in there to rise up and knock down or jump

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Speaker 1: or Bull. Bowl got a late contest, but it wasn't enough.

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Speaker 2: Tatum knocked it down.

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Speaker 1: By the way, Tatum has been shooting the pull up

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Speaker 1: jump shot significantly better since January first is something we've

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Speaker 1: been talking about on the show. Two hundred and eighty

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Speaker 1: two points on two hundred and two hundred and sixty

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Speaker 1: three pull up jump shot attempts since January first, it's

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Speaker 1: one point zero seven points per shot. So here's the deal. Still,

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Speaker 1: should he take as many as he takes, probably not.

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Speaker 1: Should he be more physically aggressive, absolutely, but he was

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Speaker 1: also a bad pull up shooter for you know, basically

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Speaker 1: three years before this stretch and now we haven't extended

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Speaker 1: two month and change stretch where he's gone from being

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Speaker 1: bad at it to above average. Add it's still not

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Speaker 1: as good as you want. Like you the best pull

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Speaker 1: up jump shooters in the league are closer to like

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Speaker 1: one point one five points per possession. The guys that

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Speaker 1: should be hunting that shot as like a huge part

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Speaker 1: of their shot diet are in another tier. But he's

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Speaker 1: at the very least now an effective pull up jump

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Speaker 1: shooter over a substantial sample size, which I think is

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Speaker 1: encouraging because again, for all to talk about physical bullying

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Speaker 1: and playing in the paint and bringing offensive versatility, they're

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Speaker 1: going to need Tatum to hit pull up jump shots

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Speaker 1: to win in the playoffs. They're going to need Jalen

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Speaker 1: Brown to hit pull up jump shots to win in

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Speaker 1: the playoffs. That's never what it was about. It was

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Speaker 1: always about balance, And I thought that was a really

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Speaker 1: good bounce back game for Boston going into Phoenix against

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Speaker 1: the Phoenix team that really wants to continue their momentum

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Speaker 1: after the win against Denver against the red hot Kevin

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Speaker 1: Durant right, and you go in there and you and

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Speaker 1: you control the game, and every single time Boss or

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Speaker 1: every single time Phoenix makes a run, like Phoenix made

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Speaker 1: a run there in the middle third quarter, Kevin Durant

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Speaker 1: hit like a crossover three against in transition against Drew

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Speaker 1: Holliday to get it back to three. And then if

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Speaker 1: I remember correctly, right after that, Drew Holiday made a

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Speaker 1: couple of plays himself and they just bounce bouncer right

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Speaker 1: back up to nine points like that, Like they just

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Speaker 1: they never let it linger in in in range for

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Speaker 1: Phoenix to make any real sort of push, and they

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Speaker 1: just dif armed them and they got to win. On

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Speaker 1: the Suns front. Random role player minutes continue to hurt them,

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Speaker 1: I thought again, Drew Eubanks was awful and pick and

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Speaker 1: roll defense evenly at a rough stretch in the first half.

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Speaker 1: He's minus four and four minutes. Wasn't getting guarded. They

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Speaker 1: went with David Roddy in the second half and they

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Speaker 1: started ignoring him on the right wing and he got

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Speaker 1: two just completely unguarded right wing threes, and both of

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Speaker 1: them were like bad misses. He was minus six and

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Speaker 1: six minutes. So just not having Devin Booker out there

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Speaker 1: has caused them to have to dip into the parts

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Speaker 1: of their roster where they can you know, have some

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Speaker 1: guys or they can really help off of, you know,

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Speaker 1: and that's where it causes some issues. But again, big

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Speaker 1: bright side, Devin Booker's coming back and Kevin Durant is

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Speaker 1: hooping his ass off thirty five plus and three straight games.

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Speaker 1: He's averaging thirty eight points, seven rebounds, and four assists

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Speaker 1: in that span, fifty four percent from the field in

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Speaker 1: forty five percent from three I just one last note

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Speaker 1: on the sun side of thing, on the KD side

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Speaker 1: of things, just for the young basketball players out there,

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Speaker 1: something that I thought was really interesting and something I

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Speaker 1: think that a lot of kids could kind of pick

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Speaker 1: up some little, uh, you know, tips and tricks of

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Speaker 1: the game from KD. In this case, one of the

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Speaker 1: things he was beaten Drew Holliday with in this particular

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Speaker 1: game was like quick aggressive rip moves on the catch.

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Speaker 1: And so just imagine a situation where like Katie's coming

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Speaker 1: off of a dribble hand off and he would like

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Speaker 1: step up into where the ball is and as soon

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Speaker 1: as he catches it instead of like putting the ball

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Speaker 1: on the floor and like trying to mix up off

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Speaker 1: the dribble. He'd make his first aggressive change of direction

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Speaker 1: move without having to put the ball on the floor

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Speaker 1: right away with a rip through. So essentially he would

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Speaker 1: like catch the ball squared up this way and then

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Speaker 1: he kind of leaned back to create some space and

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Speaker 1: he'd aggressively rip through to the right so that when

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Speaker 1: he's putting the ball down. When he's putting the ball down,

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Speaker 1: it's way on his right side. After he got kind

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Speaker 1: of facing towards the left, and he'll do the same

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Speaker 1: thing going to the left, or he'll catch it moving

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Speaker 1: to the right and then it'll rip through to the left.

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Speaker 1: Dwayne Wade used to do this move all the time.

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Speaker 1: I don't know if you mind. Heat fans might remember

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Speaker 1: back when Dwayne Wade was younger, where he'd come out

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Speaker 1: of like the corner and he'd come off like he's

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Speaker 1: gonna go on a dribble handoff, and then as soon

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Speaker 1: as he catch it, he'd kind of like do a

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Speaker 1: high hesitation and then he just rip back to the

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Speaker 1: left and extend out and do that push dribble to

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Speaker 1: kind of cover some ground. You know, it's funny with

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Speaker 1: Kevin Durant. We think of him as one of the

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Speaker 1: most skilled players in the NBA and all this tough

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Speaker 1: shot making. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of that,

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Speaker 1: but KD is incredibly fundamentally sound, like little things like that.

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Speaker 1: Those rip through moves are just really efficient. Like a

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Speaker 1: lot of times, so many young players over dribble these days,

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Speaker 1: and like a quick rip through move is a move

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Speaker 1: that covers a ton of ground that is easy to control.

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Speaker 1: It protects the basketball because as you're doing the rip

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Speaker 1: you have two hands on the ball. So even if

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Speaker 1: Drew Holliday gets in there, reaches and attacks the basketball,

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Speaker 1: if you're holding it strong and do a strong rip

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Speaker 1: through move, you can get through that first reach and

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Speaker 1: cover ground with that first dribble. Another big one that

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Speaker 1: Kd's great at is setting his man up for screens,

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Speaker 1: like he won't just run off the screen. He's great

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Speaker 1: at like getting up into the defender's body, pushing him

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Speaker 1: down to where like the block is, and then giving

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Speaker 1: him like a little shove before he cuts off the

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Speaker 1: screen and cuts shoulder to shoulder with the player and

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Speaker 1: curls immediately to try to create a better screening angle.

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Speaker 1: Like Kevin Durant is incredibly fundamentally sound. And again, like

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Speaker 1: when you get to the higher levels of basketball, it's

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Speaker 1: not just them learning how to do more advanced shit,

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Speaker 1: it's them being incredibly fundamentally sound. And then the advanced

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Speaker 1: shit is what kind of pushes them over the top

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Speaker 1: into like specific things like rescue possessions, Oh, three to

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Speaker 1: two to one on the shot clock, I need to

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Speaker 1: make a play, or like you know, I'm in a

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Speaker 1: heat check here and I'm already in rhythm, and now

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Speaker 1: I'm going to more of my advanced stuff. Like again,

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Speaker 1: the game of basketball is best played when it's made easy,

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Speaker 1: and it's the best basketball players in the world aren't

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Speaker 1: the guys that can do all the hard shit. They're

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Speaker 1: the guys that relentlessly target and get all the low

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Speaker 1: hanging fruit in basketball.

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Speaker 2: Right.

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Speaker 1: I Mean, we talked about it a lot with Jokic, right,

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Speaker 1: But like even kd A is a top shot maker,

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Speaker 1: he's a guy that has incredibly sound fundamentals, and that's

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Speaker 1: something that carries him to a lot of his offensive success.

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Speaker 1: A bright moving out to the Los Angeles Lakers, it's

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Speaker 1: a really interesting stretch here to start the month of March,

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Speaker 1: because they played a bunch of good teams in a row,

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Speaker 1: all at home, and I was somewhat kind of optimistic

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Speaker 1: going it. They ended up going three and two, which

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Speaker 1: was somewhat disappointing, but giving the competition was really good.

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Speaker 1: I was hoping, as a fan of the team, something

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Speaker 1: closer to four and one, mainly because the Lakers were

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Speaker 1: a really good home team coming into this stretch. They

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Speaker 1: were twenty one and nine at home and now they're

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Speaker 1: twenty four and eleven, which is one of the better

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Speaker 1: home records in the league.

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Speaker 2: This is a team that.

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Speaker 1: Has always been good at home, and so I was

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Speaker 1: kind of hoping for something a little better. But they

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Speaker 1: bounced back, right. You lose to that Denver team that's

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Speaker 1: obviously a really tough matchup for them. We're going to

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Speaker 1: talk more about the matchups in a minute, get a

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Speaker 1: huge win over the Thunder. Then you have that really

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Speaker 1: disappointing ass kicking at the hand of the Kings, but

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Speaker 1: you bounce back by beating the Bucks without Lebron and

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Speaker 1: then beating the Minnesota Timberwolves allbit shorthanded on Sunday, So

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Speaker 1: like a couple of big wins and all of a

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Speaker 1: sudden it's three and two with wins against the Wolves,

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Speaker 1: the Thunder, and the Bucks all really really impressive. So

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Speaker 1: starting with the Bucks game, Ad bounced back from the

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Speaker 1: King's disaster by putting up twenty two and thirteen with

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Speaker 1: two blocks. Austin Reeves eighteen five and seven, another well

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Speaker 1: rounded performance from him. Ruyhatchamurns Dinwood. He both make two

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Speaker 1: massive defensive plays at the end of the game. Ruey

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Speaker 1: Hachimura on the play before the final play, there's a

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Speaker 1: possession where they run a Damianis pick and roll. He

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Speaker 1: tags the roller on Giannis then gets out of the

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Speaker 1: lane back to his man in the corner, but he

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Speaker 1: switches with Cam Reddish and has Cam reddis guard the

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Speaker 1: cornerman and he guards Giannis as the low man so

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Speaker 1: that he can help on the drive. So they had

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Speaker 1: been so Ad switches like he does a lot at

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Speaker 1: the end. A lot of times the Lakers, they'll switch

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Speaker 1: with Ad at the very end of the game. So

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Speaker 1: it's like, last few possessions, you don't want to do

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Speaker 1: this for the whole game. Let's just throw Ad on

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Speaker 1: the ball for these last Like famously Game four against

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Speaker 1: the Warriors last year, they were running all these coverages

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Speaker 1: in pick and roll, these like high drop coverages where

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Speaker 1: Adi's coming up to the level and then dropping back.

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Speaker 1: But then final two possessions, ad just switches on to

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Speaker 1: Steph and gets stopped. So same type of thing switches

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Speaker 1: on to Dame and Ady does a good job taking

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Speaker 1: away the pull jumper, Like Dame kind of beats him

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Speaker 1: to the left hand side off the dribble, but he's

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Speaker 1: a little off balance. He's gonna have throw up a

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Speaker 1: really difficult scoop shot. But instead of Cam reddish in

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Speaker 1: help because Ruy hatcha Mura saw that play developing and

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Speaker 1: understood like, okay, now that the shooter's in the corner

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Speaker 1: and Yannis is in the dunker spot, it's actually because

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Speaker 1: of the switch, because cam Rad has switched off of

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Speaker 1: Dame and switched on to Jannis on the ball screen.

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Speaker 1: Now it's more important to get Cam off into the

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Speaker 1: corner and have Ruy take Janis so that he can

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Speaker 1: be the guy that steps up to help right that

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Speaker 1: first defender, that lowman, the guy guarding the guy in

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Speaker 1: the dunker spot, is the first line of defense after

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Speaker 1: the ball handler gets beat, and so Ruy's just a

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Speaker 1: bigger better athlete than Cam. He makes that smart switch.

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Speaker 1: All of a sudden, he jumps up and gets a

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Speaker 1: great contest on Dame's shot, dam ends up missing it,

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Speaker 1: and then to Darvinham's credit again like Darvin Haam has

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Speaker 1: not been, in my opinion, one of the best coaches

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Speaker 1: in the league this year, but he's had his moments again,

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Speaker 1: Like I'm a big believer in the show. Like we

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Speaker 1: don't just shine the light on the negative. We want

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Speaker 1: to call it the negative and the positive. We want

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Speaker 1: to try to give as well rounded a coverage as

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Speaker 1: we can. And one of the things that Darvin is

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Speaker 1: on this late possession, he brought Jackson Hayes into the

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Speaker 1: game just for a defensive sub. They weren't using him

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Speaker 1: outside of that. They brought him in for the big

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Speaker 1: possession of the game. He had two timeouts left at

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Speaker 1: this point, the Lakers were down by one. All you

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Speaker 1: got to do is get a stop and you use

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Speaker 1: a timeout, you go down, you get a bucket. Then

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Speaker 1: you just have to get one more stop. And if

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Speaker 1: you go down and you don't get a stop or

433
00:19:18,840 --> 00:19:20,399
Speaker 1: you don't get a bucket, you have an extra timeout

434
00:19:20,440 --> 00:19:23,960
Speaker 1: if you should need it. Right, So, Darvin Ham takes

435
00:19:23,960 --> 00:19:27,320
Speaker 1: a timeout, gets Jackson Hayes on the floor Jackson Hayes's

436
00:19:27,320 --> 00:19:30,000
Speaker 1: weak side, and when Ruy goes up for the block,

437
00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:32,800
Speaker 1: ad is trailing the play and Rui's going in for

438
00:19:32,880 --> 00:19:36,359
Speaker 1: the block, so both of them are basically effectively occupied

439
00:19:36,359 --> 00:19:39,320
Speaker 1: by Dame. So Giannis is under the basket by himself,

440
00:19:39,359 --> 00:19:41,920
Speaker 1: basically to clean up the offensive glass. But Jackson Hayes

441
00:19:41,960 --> 00:19:44,159
Speaker 1: comes crashing in from the wing and he tips it

442
00:19:44,200 --> 00:19:46,360
Speaker 1: and it ends up in Anthony Davis's hands. So huge

443
00:19:46,400 --> 00:19:50,800
Speaker 1: defensive play from Ruy. Obviously, big adjustment from Darvin Ham

444
00:19:50,840 --> 00:19:52,760
Speaker 1: to bring Jackson Hayes in as a defensive stubf. He

445
00:19:52,800 --> 00:19:55,560
Speaker 1: also brought Cam Reddish in on that specific possession. They

446
00:19:55,560 --> 00:19:59,160
Speaker 1: call timeout. They go down to the other end. D'Angelo Russell,

447
00:19:59,200 --> 00:20:02,119
Speaker 1: who is the hero the game, scores twenty one points

448
00:20:02,160 --> 00:20:05,439
Speaker 1: in the fourth quarter, hit several huge threes off the

449
00:20:05,480 --> 00:20:07,399
Speaker 1: dribble and off the catch, but h's the game winner

450
00:20:07,400 --> 00:20:09,640
Speaker 1: on Dame. Interesting play starts to play. He's got Malik

451
00:20:09,680 --> 00:20:12,000
Speaker 1: Beasley on him, calls Spencer Dinwoody to come up and

452
00:20:12,040 --> 00:20:14,040
Speaker 1: set the screen. Spencer Dinwoody sets a good screen and

453
00:20:14,119 --> 00:20:16,600
Speaker 1: drags the screen out so he actually tried to roll

454
00:20:17,080 --> 00:20:19,560
Speaker 1: in the direction Malik was in.

455
00:20:19,560 --> 00:20:21,040
Speaker 2: That's a great way to kind of force a switch.

456
00:20:21,080 --> 00:20:22,200
Speaker 2: If you don't.

457
00:20:21,960 --> 00:20:25,560
Speaker 1: Hold that contact, then they can probably just chase over

458
00:20:25,600 --> 00:20:27,720
Speaker 1: the top or get through it. Right, he holds the screen,

459
00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:32,040
Speaker 1: gets Malik off of him. Dame is now on del

460
00:20:33,359 --> 00:20:36,680
Speaker 1: Delo then brings brook Lopez up into the action, and

461
00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:39,080
Speaker 1: Dame wants to switch, but Brooke is like, no, man,

462
00:20:39,119 --> 00:20:41,879
Speaker 1: you gotta get back. So Brook points back to the

463
00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:44,960
Speaker 1: Dame to get back to de Lo. When he gets back,

464
00:20:45,040 --> 00:20:48,600
Speaker 1: Delo takes an advanced dribble while Dame is recovering, and

465
00:20:48,640 --> 00:20:51,120
Speaker 1: that gets him on his backside. And now here's the thing.

466
00:20:51,200 --> 00:20:53,960
Speaker 1: Like Austin and dil he talks about on the show,

467
00:20:53,960 --> 00:20:57,359
Speaker 1: they're not particularly big or they're not particularly fast guards,

468
00:20:57,520 --> 00:21:00,920
Speaker 1: but they are decently sized, like what six ' five

469
00:21:01,160 --> 00:21:04,200
Speaker 1: and has a decent amount of muscle mass to him.

470
00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:08,280
Speaker 1: So once he got Dame pinned on his backside, there's

471
00:21:08,320 --> 00:21:09,959
Speaker 1: really nothing Dame can do to bother him.

472
00:21:09,960 --> 00:21:10,480
Speaker 2: At that point.

473
00:21:10,520 --> 00:21:13,280
Speaker 1: Thend LO just kind of works his way methodically inside,

474
00:21:13,600 --> 00:21:15,560
Speaker 1: finds that sweet spot where he has some room to

475
00:21:15,560 --> 00:21:18,520
Speaker 1: get the floater over. Brook Lopez takes and makes the floater,

476
00:21:18,560 --> 00:21:20,560
Speaker 1: puts the Lakers up one and then down on the

477
00:21:20,560 --> 00:21:22,640
Speaker 1: other end of the floor, Spencer Dinwoodie with the biggest

478
00:21:22,680 --> 00:21:25,800
Speaker 1: defensive play of the game times Dame Lillard's step back

479
00:21:25,880 --> 00:21:28,960
Speaker 1: jump shot perfectly meets him at the summit summit and

480
00:21:29,040 --> 00:21:32,240
Speaker 1: gets the block. So massive win for the Lakers without

481
00:21:32,640 --> 00:21:35,520
Speaker 1: Lebron James, and then following that up last night against

482
00:21:35,560 --> 00:21:36,920
Speaker 1: the Timberwolves, Lebron came back.

483
00:21:36,960 --> 00:21:38,000
Speaker 2: He was great.

484
00:21:38,840 --> 00:21:41,399
Speaker 1: He's been bringing a ton of downhill rim pressure in

485
00:21:41,520 --> 00:21:44,280
Speaker 1: off ball situations, which continues to be a theme, or

486
00:21:44,280 --> 00:21:47,480
Speaker 1: I should say outside of half court initiation situation, so

487
00:21:47,800 --> 00:21:50,320
Speaker 1: pushing in transition is obviously a big one, but also

488
00:21:50,400 --> 00:21:53,400
Speaker 1: close out situations. He's been so good cutting to the rim,

489
00:21:53,680 --> 00:21:55,480
Speaker 1: catching and ripping and going to the room. Even in

490
00:21:55,520 --> 00:21:57,200
Speaker 1: the Kings game, he beat a close out at the

491
00:21:57,240 --> 00:21:59,680
Speaker 1: top of the key and dunked I think on Alex

492
00:21:59,760 --> 00:22:01,600
Speaker 1: Lanner if I remember correctly, in the middle of the floor.

493
00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:05,040
Speaker 1: That another driving dunk attacking a close out off of

494
00:22:05,040 --> 00:22:08,560
Speaker 1: an ad double team. Last night, the eighty draws second

495
00:22:08,600 --> 00:22:10,720
Speaker 1: defender passed I think was Austin Reeves. One passed away,

496
00:22:10,760 --> 00:22:13,600
Speaker 1: Austin swings to Lebron Lebron pump fakes, beats his man

497
00:22:13,600 --> 00:22:15,680
Speaker 1: off the dribble, rises up and dunks it like he's

498
00:22:15,760 --> 00:22:20,080
Speaker 1: just finding those little angles to attack in like a

499
00:22:20,119 --> 00:22:23,200
Speaker 1: downhill situation out of advantages, which there's so many of

500
00:22:23,240 --> 00:22:25,200
Speaker 1: him in this offense, which we're about to get to

501
00:22:25,560 --> 00:22:27,320
Speaker 1: in a few minutes. But Lebron was great. He at

502
00:22:27,320 --> 00:22:30,680
Speaker 1: twenty nine points, eight rebounds and nine assists. Remember before

503
00:22:30,720 --> 00:22:32,520
Speaker 1: that again, twenty nine to eight to nine. Before that

504
00:22:32,560 --> 00:22:35,040
Speaker 1: starts to sound common for you, only four players in

505
00:22:35,040 --> 00:22:37,280
Speaker 1: the NBA this year are averaging at least twenty five points,

506
00:22:37,280 --> 00:22:40,639
Speaker 1: six rebounds and six assists. It's Luka Doncic, Johannison, Tenna Kompo,

507
00:22:40,720 --> 00:22:44,000
Speaker 1: Nicole Jokic, and Lebron James. So like as crazy like,

508
00:22:44,200 --> 00:22:46,720
Speaker 1: I don't think he's had as good a regular season

509
00:22:47,080 --> 00:22:49,280
Speaker 1: as the numbers would say, just simply because he's been

510
00:22:49,640 --> 00:22:51,680
Speaker 1: saving a lot of energy on the defensive side of

511
00:22:51,720 --> 00:22:54,160
Speaker 1: the ball throughout this year, which is totally to be expected.

512
00:22:54,440 --> 00:22:56,160
Speaker 1: But on the offensive end of the floor, he's been

513
00:22:56,160 --> 00:22:59,159
Speaker 1: producing at like a top six or seven level in

514
00:22:59,160 --> 00:23:01,000
Speaker 1: the league. He still play at that level on that end,

515
00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:04,000
Speaker 1: and when he engages himself defensively he can actually compete

516
00:23:04,280 --> 00:23:05,960
Speaker 1: like one of the best playoff players in the league,

517
00:23:05,960 --> 00:23:07,359
Speaker 1: which is just gonna be a question of whether or

518
00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:08,800
Speaker 1: not he can stay healthy enough to do that in

519
00:23:08,840 --> 00:23:11,800
Speaker 1: the postseason. And then Anthony Davis, the Wolves front line

520
00:23:11,880 --> 00:23:14,440
Speaker 1: was injured. Obviously, Carl Towns went down with his meniscus

521
00:23:14,480 --> 00:23:17,639
Speaker 1: injury last week, but Rudy Gobert was out for this one.

522
00:23:17,880 --> 00:23:21,960
Speaker 1: Eighty just obliterated the Wolves front line, killed Nasri, killed

523
00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:25,560
Speaker 1: Luca garz A ten offensive rebounds. Seemingly, anytime the Lakers

524
00:23:25,560 --> 00:23:27,720
Speaker 1: missed a shot in the second half, eighty was cleaning

525
00:23:27,760 --> 00:23:30,760
Speaker 1: it up. Finished with twenty seven points, twenty seven rebounds,

526
00:23:30,840 --> 00:23:35,160
Speaker 1: five assists, seven steals, and three blocks, first player ever

527
00:23:35,440 --> 00:23:38,080
Speaker 1: in NBA history to record those numbers in a game,

528
00:23:38,400 --> 00:23:42,480
Speaker 1: the fourteenth ten steals plus blocks game of AD's career,

529
00:23:43,040 --> 00:23:46,920
Speaker 1: which Draymond is second among active players with four. When

530
00:23:46,920 --> 00:23:49,400
Speaker 1: Minyam is also tied for second, he already has four.

531
00:23:49,440 --> 00:23:52,119
Speaker 1: That'll be a record he probably breaks. But Anthony Davis

532
00:23:52,119 --> 00:23:54,560
Speaker 1: has been basically the best blocks and steels guy of

533
00:23:54,640 --> 00:23:57,879
Speaker 1: the among active NBA players by a mile. But the

534
00:23:57,960 --> 00:24:00,360
Speaker 1: Lakers ended up winning this game with defense. We talked

535
00:24:00,359 --> 00:24:02,720
Speaker 1: about Ad earlier with the seven steals and three blocks.

536
00:24:02,760 --> 00:24:06,520
Speaker 1: Torrian Prints made three mass only scored six points in

537
00:24:06,560 --> 00:24:09,199
Speaker 1: this game, but he made three massive defensive plays in

538
00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:11,520
Speaker 1: the fourth quarter run. I actually clipped all three of

539
00:24:11,560 --> 00:24:13,560
Speaker 1: them and put him into a Twitter video, so you

540
00:24:13,560 --> 00:24:15,840
Speaker 1: can find that on my Twitter feed at underscore Jason lt.

541
00:24:16,280 --> 00:24:18,560
Speaker 1: But there's a skip pass to the weak side where

542
00:24:18,600 --> 00:24:20,280
Speaker 1: there was a wide open shooter in the corner and

543
00:24:20,359 --> 00:24:24,720
Speaker 1: the wing, and Torrion did a textbook passing lane close out.

544
00:24:24,760 --> 00:24:27,280
Speaker 1: So this is what you teach young players to do.

545
00:24:27,680 --> 00:24:30,840
Speaker 1: When there's a skip pass and there's two shooters. You

546
00:24:30,840 --> 00:24:32,560
Speaker 1: don't close out to the shooter. You close out to

547
00:24:32,560 --> 00:24:35,320
Speaker 1: the passing lane because if you do that well, you

548
00:24:35,400 --> 00:24:37,959
Speaker 1: might be able to bait the guy that's the shooter

549
00:24:38,320 --> 00:24:41,320
Speaker 1: into thinking you're closing out at him and his automatic

550
00:24:41,359 --> 00:24:43,680
Speaker 1: reaction is to throw a swing pass and you might

551
00:24:43,720 --> 00:24:45,679
Speaker 1: get him to throw it right to you if you

552
00:24:45,720 --> 00:24:47,840
Speaker 1: close out to the passing lane. So if the pass

553
00:24:47,880 --> 00:24:49,840
Speaker 1: goes to the wing, you're closing out between the wing

554
00:24:49,880 --> 00:24:51,840
Speaker 1: and the corner opened up towards the shooter with your

555
00:24:51,840 --> 00:24:53,920
Speaker 1: hand in the passing lane, and then if he shoots,

556
00:24:54,000 --> 00:24:56,560
Speaker 1: you respond with the late contest. If the pass goes

557
00:24:56,600 --> 00:24:58,600
Speaker 1: to the corner, it's the exact opposite. You close out

558
00:24:58,600 --> 00:25:01,360
Speaker 1: to the passing lane and you the difference. He ended

559
00:25:01,400 --> 00:25:03,280
Speaker 1: up the pass ended up going to the corner, He

560
00:25:03,359 --> 00:25:05,440
Speaker 1: jumped the passing link, got a deflection, they ran out

561
00:25:05,440 --> 00:25:07,439
Speaker 1: the other end. I think it was Austin Reeves got

562
00:25:07,480 --> 00:25:09,879
Speaker 1: a layup on this particular one. Then there was a

563
00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:12,720
Speaker 1: dribble handoff action that the Wolves ran that got Mike

564
00:25:12,720 --> 00:25:15,080
Speaker 1: Conley going downhill off the out of the top of

565
00:25:15,119 --> 00:25:18,119
Speaker 1: the key, and Torrian Prince came over and helped walled

566
00:25:18,200 --> 00:25:20,560
Speaker 1: up Mike Conley and got a stop, and then a

567
00:25:20,560 --> 00:25:23,720
Speaker 1: couple possessions later, he blocked Jaden McDaniels at the rim

568
00:25:23,800 --> 00:25:27,360
Speaker 1: in a transition possession. All three of those plays from

569
00:25:27,400 --> 00:25:30,240
Speaker 1: Torrian Prince led to runouts the other way that the

570
00:25:30,280 --> 00:25:33,639
Speaker 1: Lakers scored on. So like just huge swings in the

571
00:25:33,640 --> 00:25:36,200
Speaker 1: game for Torrian Prince. Only six points scored, but all

572
00:25:36,280 --> 00:25:39,600
Speaker 1: three of those essentially amounted to pick sixes that helped

573
00:25:39,640 --> 00:25:41,840
Speaker 1: the Lakers build their fourth quarter lead. Again, just like

574
00:25:41,880 --> 00:25:44,399
Speaker 1: I was talking about Darvin Ham, Do I agree with

575
00:25:44,440 --> 00:25:46,520
Speaker 1: how often Torrian Prince has played this year?

576
00:25:46,600 --> 00:25:46,719
Speaker 2: Yes?

577
00:25:46,800 --> 00:25:48,480
Speaker 1: Do I think he's been utilized in a way that

578
00:25:48,480 --> 00:25:51,520
Speaker 1: doesn't accentuate his strength sometimes, yes, but he's a good

579
00:25:51,600 --> 00:25:54,520
Speaker 1: basketball player, and especially when he's in a role like this,

580
00:25:54,560 --> 00:25:57,000
Speaker 1: where he's playing in the mid to low twenties and minutes,

581
00:25:57,280 --> 00:26:00,000
Speaker 1: he can be deeply impactful. And he was deeply impactful

582
00:26:00,480 --> 00:26:02,719
Speaker 1: in that defensive run for the Lakers down the stretch

583
00:26:02,760 --> 00:26:05,679
Speaker 1: against the Timberwolves. A couple of huge wins. Now the

584
00:26:05,720 --> 00:26:08,800
Speaker 1: Lakers are really starting to pick up some steam. I

585
00:26:08,880 --> 00:26:10,439
Speaker 1: talked a lot about how I wanted to see if

586
00:26:10,440 --> 00:26:12,680
Speaker 1: the Lakers were gonna have any sort of legitimate chance

587
00:26:13,080 --> 00:26:15,439
Speaker 1: to get anything done. I wanted to see like a

588
00:26:15,520 --> 00:26:18,639
Speaker 1: twenty five game span where they were like eighteen and

589
00:26:18,720 --> 00:26:21,360
Speaker 1: seven or seventeen and eight, something along those lines. Right,

590
00:26:21,600 --> 00:26:23,919
Speaker 1: we're not quite there, but we're heading in that direction.

591
00:26:23,960 --> 00:26:27,200
Speaker 1: They are twelve and five since the start of February.

592
00:26:27,240 --> 00:26:29,960
Speaker 1: That's a really dominant stretch, just not a long enough span.

593
00:26:30,000 --> 00:26:31,840
Speaker 1: I want to see them again. You've got some big

594
00:26:31,880 --> 00:26:33,439
Speaker 1: games on the rise, and they play the Kings on

595
00:26:33,480 --> 00:26:35,760
Speaker 1: Wednesday night, they play the Warriors on Saturday night, Like

596
00:26:35,800 --> 00:26:38,800
Speaker 1: those are getting a couple of wins there would put

597
00:26:38,840 --> 00:26:41,000
Speaker 1: you at fourteen and five now we're talking about a

598
00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:45,679
Speaker 1: more serious, longer stretch, right, But in that twelve and

599
00:26:45,720 --> 00:26:49,600
Speaker 1: five stretch starts since or twelve and five stretch since

600
00:26:49,600 --> 00:26:52,359
Speaker 1: the start of February, they have the fifth best record

601
00:26:52,359 --> 00:26:55,840
Speaker 1: in the NBA over that span, the second best offense

602
00:26:55,920 --> 00:26:59,080
Speaker 1: in the league over that span, wins over the Celtics,

603
00:26:59,119 --> 00:27:02,400
Speaker 1: the Knicks, Pulikins, the Clippers, the Thunder, the Bucks, and

604
00:27:02,440 --> 00:27:06,720
Speaker 1: the Timberwolves. Eight or seven really quality wins over that span.

605
00:27:06,800 --> 00:27:10,399
Speaker 1: When you extend it back to January seventh, the larger sample,

606
00:27:10,440 --> 00:27:13,240
Speaker 1: Now this is a thirty game sample size. This is

607
00:27:13,280 --> 00:27:16,479
Speaker 1: about forty percent of the season. In that span, they

608
00:27:16,480 --> 00:27:19,800
Speaker 1: are nineteen and eleven. That is the seventh best record

609
00:27:19,800 --> 00:27:22,680
Speaker 1: in the league. In addition to the wins I just mentioned,

610
00:27:22,760 --> 00:27:25,440
Speaker 1: we're adding wins there to the against the Clippers again,

611
00:27:25,560 --> 00:27:28,439
Speaker 1: the Thunder again, the Mavericks, and the Warriors. So like

612
00:27:28,840 --> 00:27:33,480
Speaker 1: eleven quality wins in a nineteen and eleven stretch. This

613
00:27:33,560 --> 00:27:35,800
Speaker 1: is this is a good stretch of basketball that the

614
00:27:35,840 --> 00:27:39,119
Speaker 1: Lakers are playing. Now let's talk about what specifically is

615
00:27:39,200 --> 00:27:42,679
Speaker 1: working for them. Here's some metrics since January seventh. So

616
00:27:42,760 --> 00:27:46,879
Speaker 1: again these are all since in their last thirty games

617
00:27:47,119 --> 00:27:49,880
Speaker 1: they're just demolishing teams in the paint. Fifty six point

618
00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:52,320
Speaker 1: five points in the paint per one hundred possessions. That's

619
00:27:52,359 --> 00:27:54,639
Speaker 1: first in the NBA over that span, and when you

620
00:27:54,640 --> 00:27:57,600
Speaker 1: factor in that doesn't include free throws, like this is

621
00:27:57,680 --> 00:27:59,760
Speaker 1: also the team that is number one in free throw rate.

622
00:28:00,040 --> 00:28:02,560
Speaker 1: I think they're the number one in free throw attempts

623
00:28:02,560 --> 00:28:05,280
Speaker 1: allowed if I'm not mistaken, but I think they're still

624
00:28:05,320 --> 00:28:07,720
Speaker 1: top ten in free throw rate during that time. I

625
00:28:07,720 --> 00:28:09,440
Speaker 1: can't remember the exact numbers, but they're getting to the

626
00:28:09,440 --> 00:28:11,879
Speaker 1: foul line a lot, is my point. And so to

627
00:28:11,920 --> 00:28:13,600
Speaker 1: be the number one points in the paint team while

628
00:28:13,640 --> 00:28:15,720
Speaker 1: also being a team that's getting to the foul line

629
00:28:15,720 --> 00:28:19,520
Speaker 1: a lot, they're getting a lot of easy, replicable baskets

630
00:28:19,640 --> 00:28:23,480
Speaker 1: right around the basket. That is super, super encouraging as

631
00:28:23,480 --> 00:28:26,879
Speaker 1: it pertains to the postseason. They're sixth in offensive rating

632
00:28:26,960 --> 00:28:31,719
Speaker 1: overall since January seventh, so again second since February, first

633
00:28:31,840 --> 00:28:36,000
Speaker 1: in the smaller sample seventh since or excuse me, sixth

634
00:28:36,040 --> 00:28:39,840
Speaker 1: since January seventh. Really is their five out offense kicking

635
00:28:39,840 --> 00:28:42,800
Speaker 1: at high gear there's sixth, and assists over that span

636
00:28:43,000 --> 00:28:45,560
Speaker 1: fifth in the assist to turnover ratio over that span.

637
00:28:45,640 --> 00:28:48,600
Speaker 1: Everyone's involved. We've talked about it before, but every guy

638
00:28:48,600 --> 00:28:51,680
Speaker 1: in this lineup can both initiate offense and finished plays.

639
00:28:51,840 --> 00:28:54,560
Speaker 1: In terms of initiating, Anthony Davis can initiate through the

640
00:28:54,560 --> 00:28:57,800
Speaker 1: post and through ISO, Lebron can do it through post,

641
00:28:57,840 --> 00:29:00,280
Speaker 1: ISO and in pick and roll, Austin and DL do

642
00:29:00,280 --> 00:29:02,200
Speaker 1: it through pick and roll, and then Ruey can do

643
00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:04,720
Speaker 1: it through the ISO, through ISO and through the post.

644
00:29:04,920 --> 00:29:07,480
Speaker 1: But all five of those guys can also play off

645
00:29:07,520 --> 00:29:11,720
Speaker 1: the ball, Like Ruey is shooting forty five percent from

646
00:29:11,760 --> 00:29:14,320
Speaker 1: three since January seven. That's a big part of him

647
00:29:14,320 --> 00:29:17,360
Speaker 1: working off ball in their five out system. Also, we

648
00:29:17,360 --> 00:29:19,880
Speaker 1: talked about Ruey initiating offense in the post. Rui's been

649
00:29:19,880 --> 00:29:22,680
Speaker 1: a great post up player this year. He's averaging one

650
00:29:22,760 --> 00:29:25,760
Speaker 1: point one to four points per posted up possession, including passes.

651
00:29:26,000 --> 00:29:28,800
Speaker 1: That rings ninth out of fifty seven players to run

652
00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:31,120
Speaker 1: at least seventy post ups this year. So like in

653
00:29:31,160 --> 00:29:33,440
Speaker 1: their five out offense, when they get a mismatch for Rui,

654
00:29:33,520 --> 00:29:34,920
Speaker 1: they throw it down to him on the block and

655
00:29:34,960 --> 00:29:38,920
Speaker 1: he's consistently generating quality shots. He's personally shooting fifty four

656
00:29:38,960 --> 00:29:41,920
Speaker 1: percent in those situations. But he's also shooting forty five

657
00:29:41,960 --> 00:29:45,160
Speaker 1: percent from three during this stretch since January seventh, which

658
00:29:45,160 --> 00:29:47,120
Speaker 1: has been a huge part of him working both on

659
00:29:47,240 --> 00:29:49,280
Speaker 1: and off the ball. Obviously, we know d Lo is

660
00:29:49,320 --> 00:29:51,560
Speaker 1: a dead eye shooter, also a guy who can cut

661
00:29:51,560 --> 00:29:54,200
Speaker 1: and attack closeouts extremely well. He's a big release voul

662
00:29:54,240 --> 00:29:55,960
Speaker 1: for them. Whenever double teams come, he just kind of

663
00:29:55,960 --> 00:29:57,880
Speaker 1: flashes to the middle of the floor and makes plays.

664
00:29:58,200 --> 00:30:00,720
Speaker 1: Austin obviously is an excellent off ball player, great at

665
00:30:00,760 --> 00:30:04,120
Speaker 1: attacking closeouts, and then Lebron has been He's always been

666
00:30:04,200 --> 00:30:06,360
Speaker 1: underrated as an off ball player just because he's had

667
00:30:06,400 --> 00:30:07,960
Speaker 1: some teams that he's been on where he's had to

668
00:30:07,960 --> 00:30:11,360
Speaker 1: be on be on the ball so much. But one

669
00:30:11,400 --> 00:30:13,840
Speaker 1: point two to three points per catch and shoot jump shot,

670
00:30:14,000 --> 00:30:15,520
Speaker 1: he's been one of the best catch and shoot players

671
00:30:15,520 --> 00:30:18,000
Speaker 1: in the league this year. That ranks twentieth out of

672
00:30:18,080 --> 00:30:20,360
Speaker 1: seventy nine players this year to log at least two

673
00:30:20,440 --> 00:30:23,120
Speaker 1: hundred catch and shoot jump shots, so he's been an

674
00:30:23,200 --> 00:30:26,600
Speaker 1: upper fourth catch and shoot guy among guys that reached

675
00:30:26,640 --> 00:30:30,520
Speaker 1: that specific volume. A cutoff, He's made eighty two shots

676
00:30:30,520 --> 00:30:32,959
Speaker 1: this year on cuts and rolls to the rim on

677
00:30:33,120 --> 00:30:35,440
Speaker 1: sixty seven percent shooting. It's a huge chunk of his

678
00:30:35,520 --> 00:30:38,400
Speaker 1: offense now and then, so with Lebron being so great

679
00:30:38,400 --> 00:30:40,560
Speaker 1: off the ball, we also have Anthony Davis as the hub.

680
00:30:40,600 --> 00:30:42,360
Speaker 1: He's one of only three players in the league this

681
00:30:42,480 --> 00:30:44,800
Speaker 1: year to log at least two hundred and fifty roll

682
00:30:44,840 --> 00:30:48,640
Speaker 1: man possessions and still get over one point one points

683
00:30:48,640 --> 00:30:51,280
Speaker 1: per possession on them. It's just him, Miles Turner and

684
00:30:51,280 --> 00:30:54,440
Speaker 1: Elpur and Shane Goon that are the three high volume,

685
00:30:54,560 --> 00:30:58,520
Speaker 1: efficient role man guys. He's personally shooting fifty six percent

686
00:30:58,560 --> 00:31:01,120
Speaker 1: on rolls to the rim in fifty eight percent on floaters,

687
00:31:01,120 --> 00:31:03,160
Speaker 1: which is a big part of what's making that work.

688
00:31:03,240 --> 00:31:06,959
Speaker 1: So again, like the defense, the offense is just absolutely humming.

689
00:31:07,040 --> 00:31:10,960
Speaker 1: Everyone can score, everyone can pass. Ruey doesn't pass super well,

690
00:31:11,000 --> 00:31:12,400
Speaker 1: but he could score out of the post and he

691
00:31:12,400 --> 00:31:14,840
Speaker 1: can knock down the threes, so it's working right. The

692
00:31:14,920 --> 00:31:18,400
Speaker 1: offense is absolutely humming, second best over the last seventeen

693
00:31:18,440 --> 00:31:21,520
Speaker 1: games and sixth best over the last thirty games. But

694
00:31:22,320 --> 00:31:24,560
Speaker 1: that has come at the expense of their defense and

695
00:31:24,600 --> 00:31:26,640
Speaker 1: their rebounding. They have not been a good defensive and

696
00:31:26,640 --> 00:31:29,400
Speaker 1: rebounding team over the stretch. They've been bottom ten in

697
00:31:29,560 --> 00:31:33,040
Speaker 1: both categories that is where if there's because like that,

698
00:31:33,040 --> 00:31:36,320
Speaker 1: that's the next step here, right nineteen to eleven over

699
00:31:36,400 --> 00:31:39,800
Speaker 1: thirty game span, twelve and five over seventeen game span,

700
00:31:40,160 --> 00:31:45,640
Speaker 1: tons of quality wins, But we know they can't beat

701
00:31:45,680 --> 00:31:48,880
Speaker 1: Denver right now, and we might not even find out

702
00:31:49,040 --> 00:31:50,880
Speaker 1: if they can't get through the postseason, if they can't

703
00:31:50,880 --> 00:31:52,840
Speaker 1: get into the postseason through the play in and then

704
00:31:52,920 --> 00:31:55,960
Speaker 1: teams like with a ton of guard speed in particular,

705
00:31:56,440 --> 00:31:58,560
Speaker 1: so like they struggled a little bit against Golden State

706
00:31:58,600 --> 00:32:02,080
Speaker 1: with it, but really badly against Sacramento. They're starting to

707
00:32:02,120 --> 00:32:05,200
Speaker 1: expose their lack of perimeter defense. And so again, how

708
00:32:05,200 --> 00:32:08,400
Speaker 1: do we connect this what's working for the Lakers now

709
00:32:09,240 --> 00:32:12,240
Speaker 1: with the gaping holes that will inevitably get them beat

710
00:32:12,240 --> 00:32:15,920
Speaker 1: in the postseason involving the rebounding and perimeter defense piece.

711
00:32:16,360 --> 00:32:19,040
Speaker 1: And the answer to all of that is Jared Vanderbilt

712
00:32:20,280 --> 00:32:23,320
Speaker 1: since January seventh, So that span that I'm talking about

713
00:32:23,400 --> 00:32:26,480
Speaker 1: because I talk about the Lakers season in thirds, right,

714
00:32:27,200 --> 00:32:30,280
Speaker 1: they go what fifteen to nine through the N Season

715
00:32:30,280 --> 00:32:32,800
Speaker 1: tournament win counting the win in the tournament game, right,

716
00:32:32,840 --> 00:32:35,720
Speaker 1: so fifteen to nine you win the N Season Tournament

717
00:32:36,240 --> 00:32:38,920
Speaker 1: back to back to back big wins against the Pelicans,

718
00:32:38,920 --> 00:32:42,120
Speaker 1: the Suns, and the Pacers. Right, they finally they actually

719
00:32:42,120 --> 00:32:46,760
Speaker 1: slow down that Pacers team, really defensive minded team. Then

720
00:32:46,880 --> 00:32:49,480
Speaker 1: they go three and ten in the thirteen games after

721
00:32:49,520 --> 00:32:51,920
Speaker 1: the Ncason Tournament, completely let go of the rope. Some

722
00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:54,760
Speaker 1: really bad losses to bad teams. That was when Darvin

723
00:32:54,880 --> 00:32:56,960
Speaker 1: was fucking around with the lineup too much, all sorts

724
00:32:56,960 --> 00:32:59,280
Speaker 1: of issues there. Then we get to this recent stretch

725
00:32:59,280 --> 00:33:01,560
Speaker 1: where they've been really good. So if I have a

726
00:33:01,720 --> 00:33:05,040
Speaker 1: nineteen and eleven and a fifteen and nine sandwiching this

727
00:33:05,120 --> 00:33:08,320
Speaker 1: bad stretch, there is like some really good basketball in

728
00:33:08,360 --> 00:33:10,520
Speaker 1: there from the Lakers. So how do you connect that

729
00:33:11,040 --> 00:33:13,680
Speaker 1: with the blatant issues that they have with teams like

730
00:33:13,720 --> 00:33:17,400
Speaker 1: Denver and Sacramento teams that well, with Denver, it's a

731
00:33:17,400 --> 00:33:19,480
Speaker 1: bunch of things that caused the Lakers problem. But with

732
00:33:19,520 --> 00:33:22,640
Speaker 1: Sacramento in particular speed guards. Well, what if you put

733
00:33:22,760 --> 00:33:24,840
Speaker 1: Jared Vanderbilt in there at the three. Now you have

734
00:33:24,880 --> 00:33:27,680
Speaker 1: a defender to throw out a deer and fox, so

735
00:33:27,720 --> 00:33:29,440
Speaker 1: that you kind of only have to figure out what

736
00:33:29,480 --> 00:33:32,880
Speaker 1: you're doing with the Malik Monk spot, right, which is

737
00:33:32,960 --> 00:33:36,000
Speaker 1: like a little bit easier to handle than deeron Fox obviously,

738
00:33:36,840 --> 00:33:39,440
Speaker 1: and just in general, like Denver, that's the guy you're

739
00:33:39,480 --> 00:33:41,560
Speaker 1: putting on Jamal Murray. And again, one of the issues

740
00:33:41,560 --> 00:33:43,280
Speaker 1: in the postseason last year, the Lakers were running a

741
00:33:43,280 --> 00:33:46,000
Speaker 1: four out one in offense, a lot of high volume

742
00:33:46,040 --> 00:33:48,280
Speaker 1: pick and roll and post up stuff with clear side,

743
00:33:48,600 --> 00:33:51,000
Speaker 1: you know, really brute force type of offense. So Jared

744
00:33:51,040 --> 00:33:55,320
Speaker 1: Vanderbilt was just standing in the corner, just spotting up

745
00:33:55,520 --> 00:33:57,720
Speaker 1: most of the time, which was a huge problem when

746
00:33:57,720 --> 00:34:00,800
Speaker 1: teams would ignore him. In the five out offense, Jared

747
00:34:00,840 --> 00:34:03,880
Speaker 1: Vanderbilt would operate as a screener and roller more frequently,

748
00:34:04,240 --> 00:34:07,480
Speaker 1: and the Lakers demonstrated in that late January stretch that

749
00:34:07,520 --> 00:34:10,080
Speaker 1: they can succeed offensively with Jared Vanderbilt on the floor.

750
00:34:10,080 --> 00:34:13,000
Speaker 1: As a matter of fact, Jared Vanderbilt is the second

751
00:34:13,040 --> 00:34:17,640
Speaker 1: best net rating guy since January seventh, behind Spencer Dinwiddie.

752
00:34:17,760 --> 00:34:20,520
Speaker 1: They're outscoring teams by over eight points per one hundred

753
00:34:20,520 --> 00:34:23,080
Speaker 1: possessions with Jared Vanderbilt on the floor, and they have

754
00:34:23,120 --> 00:34:26,440
Speaker 1: been very good defensively one oh eight point two defensive

755
00:34:26,520 --> 00:34:29,000
Speaker 1: rating in that span. That's really good. So again, if

756
00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:34,120
Speaker 1: they can connect the defensive element, that they've shown, not

757
00:34:34,160 --> 00:34:35,600
Speaker 1: just at the beginning of the year, but even in

758
00:34:35,640 --> 00:34:38,840
Speaker 1: this January stretch with Jared Vanderbilt on the floor, with

759
00:34:38,920 --> 00:34:42,600
Speaker 1: the offensive success that they're having, and Jared Vanderbilt can

760
00:34:42,680 --> 00:34:46,640
Speaker 1: properly slot everybody better, and Jared Vanderbilt is a great

761
00:34:46,800 --> 00:34:50,000
Speaker 1: rebounder who's vitally important to the Lakers on that side

762
00:34:50,000 --> 00:34:53,040
Speaker 1: of the floor or that element of the game. That's

763
00:34:53,080 --> 00:34:56,440
Speaker 1: where the playoff the pathway towards some sort of playoff successes.

764
00:34:56,719 --> 00:34:58,920
Speaker 1: They need to connect to the success they're having right now,

765
00:34:58,960 --> 00:35:01,040
Speaker 1: especially on the offensive end to the floor with what

766
00:35:01,120 --> 00:35:03,319
Speaker 1: Jared Vanderbilt brings to the table. If he can come

767
00:35:03,360 --> 00:35:06,640
Speaker 1: back and he can get to that level that he

768
00:35:06,680 --> 00:35:08,680
Speaker 1: was at before the injury as a perimeter defender and

769
00:35:08,719 --> 00:35:11,799
Speaker 1: where he was fitting offensively, that's a Lakers path if

770
00:35:11,840 --> 00:35:14,279
Speaker 1: there's again I feel really comfortable about where I have

771
00:35:14,360 --> 00:35:15,400
Speaker 1: him in my contender rankings.

772
00:35:15,440 --> 00:35:16,080
Speaker 2: I have him eighth.

773
00:35:16,120 --> 00:35:19,359
Speaker 1: I believe feel really comfortable about that. I don't think

774
00:35:19,400 --> 00:35:22,439
Speaker 1: it's too high. I don't think it's too low. The chance, though,

775
00:35:23,080 --> 00:35:25,839
Speaker 1: the ability to capitalize on that and turn that into

776
00:35:25,840 --> 00:35:29,640
Speaker 1: Alari O'Brian trophy will It will depend on Jared Vanderbilt

777
00:35:29,719 --> 00:35:32,759
Speaker 1: coming back anchoring their perimeter defense and their defensive rebounding.

778
00:35:33,280 --> 00:35:37,080
Speaker 1: Lebron and AD have to play at an absolute superstar level,

779
00:35:37,160 --> 00:35:39,759
Speaker 1: like bona Fide top six or seven player in the

780
00:35:39,760 --> 00:35:42,320
Speaker 1: world level on both ends of the floor for four rounds,

781
00:35:42,680 --> 00:35:44,600
Speaker 1: and I think they need to catch some matchup lucks.

782
00:35:44,640 --> 00:35:48,240
Speaker 1: So it's a very very thin window, but the window

783
00:35:48,480 --> 00:35:50,600
Speaker 1: is there, and I do think it's worth mentioning and

784
00:35:50,640 --> 00:35:54,439
Speaker 1: acknowledging for this Laker team. Big, big, big, big game

785
00:35:54,520 --> 00:35:58,520
Speaker 1: on Wednesday against Sacramento. Anthony Davis got kind of embarrassed

786
00:35:58,560 --> 00:36:00,279
Speaker 1: by Demana Sabonis, so that's going to be a big

787
00:36:00,320 --> 00:36:03,880
Speaker 1: one for AD to potentially get some revenge in. And

788
00:36:03,880 --> 00:36:05,239
Speaker 1: if they can win that game, and if they can

789
00:36:05,280 --> 00:36:08,600
Speaker 1: beat Golden State on Saturday, I think I think that

790
00:36:08,760 --> 00:36:11,480
Speaker 1: is the will be a good hallmark for the Lakers.

791
00:36:11,480 --> 00:36:13,239
Speaker 1: They can handle some perimeter speed stuff, that'll be a

792
00:36:13,239 --> 00:36:15,120
Speaker 1: good hallmark for the Lakers. And if I'm not mistaken,

793
00:36:15,160 --> 00:36:19,080
Speaker 1: I haven't seen the particulars, but had some encouraging injury

794
00:36:19,160 --> 00:36:21,879
Speaker 1: updates on Jared Vanderbilt and gave Vincent today as well.

795
00:36:23,160 --> 00:36:24,759
Speaker 1: All right, let's move on to our power rankings before

796
00:36:24,760 --> 00:36:28,239
Speaker 1: we get out of here for the day. So two

797
00:36:28,280 --> 00:36:30,480
Speaker 1: teams dropped out from last week, the Heat and the Magic.

798
00:36:30,840 --> 00:36:33,160
Speaker 1: The Heat lost three straight games to the MAVs, the Thunder,

799
00:36:33,200 --> 00:36:34,880
Speaker 1: and the Wizards, and then the Magic lost back to

800
00:36:34,880 --> 00:36:37,279
Speaker 1: back games against the Knicks and the Pacers, so they're

801
00:36:37,280 --> 00:36:40,000
Speaker 1: out for right now. New in at number ten is

802
00:36:40,040 --> 00:36:44,160
Speaker 1: the Phoenix Suns. Massively impressed by their win against the

803
00:36:44,280 --> 00:36:47,520
Speaker 1: Nuggets in Denver. Really showed that they can defend when

804
00:36:47,520 --> 00:36:50,760
Speaker 1: they want to. Nurkic is a good, big, physical body

805
00:36:50,800 --> 00:36:53,040
Speaker 1: to be able to show to throw out Nicole Jokic.

806
00:36:53,360 --> 00:36:54,920
Speaker 1: They have a lot of length off the ball when

807
00:36:54,960 --> 00:36:57,319
Speaker 1: Kevin duran is defending the way that he has. They

808
00:36:57,320 --> 00:37:00,360
Speaker 1: were flying around in rotation. I thought Bradley Beal digging

809
00:37:00,400 --> 00:37:03,279
Speaker 1: down off KCP and playing passing lanes and playing the

810
00:37:03,360 --> 00:37:05,480
Speaker 1: role man was really impactful for them defensively.

811
00:37:05,880 --> 00:37:06,399
Speaker 2: And then they.

812
00:37:06,320 --> 00:37:09,239
Speaker 1: Showed that they can get to their over the top

813
00:37:09,280 --> 00:37:14,640
Speaker 1: shot stuff easier than some other teams can against Denver,

814
00:37:14,680 --> 00:37:17,400
Speaker 1: and Kevin Durant really got going there down the stretch. Again,

815
00:37:17,480 --> 00:37:19,560
Speaker 1: I would still pick Denver over Phoenix in the series,

816
00:37:19,560 --> 00:37:21,279
Speaker 1: but I thought that was a really encouraging win.

817
00:37:21,719 --> 00:37:22,440
Speaker 2: And then even in.

818
00:37:22,400 --> 00:37:25,759
Speaker 1: The Celtics game, Like, they really ran into some shortcomings

819
00:37:25,800 --> 00:37:27,799
Speaker 1: personnel wise with Devin Booker out, but there were some

820
00:37:27,840 --> 00:37:30,440
Speaker 1: really encouraging moments there. And Kevin Durant is just on

821
00:37:30,480 --> 00:37:33,279
Speaker 1: an absolute heater three straight thirty five plus point games,

822
00:37:33,280 --> 00:37:36,200
Speaker 1: averaging thirty eight points per game over his last three games.

823
00:37:36,239 --> 00:37:38,719
Speaker 1: So Phoenix on the up and up. Number nine New

824
00:37:38,800 --> 00:37:39,600
Speaker 1: Orleans Pelicans.

825
00:37:39,640 --> 00:37:40,040
Speaker 2: They had an.

826
00:37:40,040 --> 00:37:42,719
Speaker 1: Undefeated road trip out East, which has them riding a

827
00:37:42,760 --> 00:37:44,920
Speaker 1: four game winning streak. They have a one toh one

828
00:37:45,000 --> 00:37:48,839
Speaker 1: defensive rating in that span over those four games. They

829
00:37:48,880 --> 00:37:51,880
Speaker 1: actually have the best defense in the league over the

830
00:37:51,960 --> 00:37:54,879
Speaker 1: last fifteen games, really shutting teams down in the paint,

831
00:37:55,000 --> 00:37:58,080
Speaker 1: just forty five point nine points in the paint allowed

832
00:37:58,080 --> 00:38:00,440
Speaker 1: per one hundred possessions, which is best in the league.

833
00:38:00,760 --> 00:38:02,759
Speaker 1: Zion and Brandon Ingher are both hooping right now. They're

834
00:38:02,760 --> 00:38:06,120
Speaker 1: both averaging like twenty one and seven efficiently. But every

835
00:38:06,120 --> 00:38:09,440
Speaker 1: single time I believe in the Pelicans, they immediately fall apart,

836
00:38:09,520 --> 00:38:12,400
Speaker 1: So hopefully this will be something that they can actually sustain.

837
00:38:12,520 --> 00:38:15,160
Speaker 1: Number eight the New York Knicks. They had another one

838
00:38:15,200 --> 00:38:17,120
Speaker 1: in two week. They lost a rock fight to the

839
00:38:17,120 --> 00:38:19,880
Speaker 1: seventy six ers throwback style game both teams in the seventies.

840
00:38:20,040 --> 00:38:21,520
Speaker 1: But they had a big win against the Red Hot

841
00:38:21,560 --> 00:38:24,600
Speaker 1: Magic on Friday, and most importantly, in that game, Jalen

842
00:38:24,640 --> 00:38:27,280
Speaker 1: Brunson more or less looked like himself, which was encouraging

843
00:38:27,680 --> 00:38:31,160
Speaker 1: after the knee contusion that he had still just floating

844
00:38:31,160 --> 00:38:33,200
Speaker 1: the ship while all these guys are out with injury.

845
00:38:33,320 --> 00:38:35,759
Speaker 1: Number seven the Cleveland Cavaliers a two and two week

846
00:38:36,200 --> 00:38:38,960
Speaker 1: two really impressive wins against the Celtics and the Timberwolves.

847
00:38:38,960 --> 00:38:43,120
Speaker 1: Big comeback against the Celtics fueled by Dean Wade shooting

848
00:38:43,160 --> 00:38:46,360
Speaker 1: a clutch win overtime win against the Minnesota Timberwolves, but

849
00:38:46,400 --> 00:38:49,960
Speaker 1: then two ugly losses against the Hawks and the Nets.

850
00:38:50,200 --> 00:38:52,520
Speaker 1: They finally got their defense back on track, which was

851
00:38:52,560 --> 00:38:54,839
Speaker 1: an issue a few weeks ago, but now they're having

852
00:38:54,840 --> 00:38:56,640
Speaker 1: major issues on offense. They had just a one oh

853
00:38:56,800 --> 00:38:59,520
Speaker 1: nine offensive rating last week. They really need to get

854
00:38:59,560 --> 00:39:02,560
Speaker 1: Donovan Mitchell back to tie all of this together. Number

855
00:39:02,600 --> 00:39:05,319
Speaker 1: six the Minnesota Timberwolves also a two and two week

856
00:39:06,600 --> 00:39:09,480
Speaker 1: big win over the Pacers. Red Hot Lake game shot

857
00:39:09,520 --> 00:39:13,160
Speaker 1: making from from Anthony Edwards made three straight pull up

858
00:39:13,200 --> 00:39:14,640
Speaker 1: jump shots at the end of the game might calmly

859
00:39:14,640 --> 00:39:16,600
Speaker 1: made a big one two, so they finally made some

860
00:39:16,640 --> 00:39:18,680
Speaker 1: shots late and closed out a game, but then they

861
00:39:18,719 --> 00:39:20,839
Speaker 1: lost another clutch game to the Cavs, and then they

862
00:39:20,880 --> 00:39:25,120
Speaker 1: lost to the Lakers last night. Still experimenting with lineups

863
00:39:25,160 --> 00:39:28,719
Speaker 1: since Carl Towns went out, They've tried Kyle Anderson the

864
00:39:28,719 --> 00:39:31,400
Speaker 1: first couple of games that came. With the boatload of issues,

865
00:39:32,040 --> 00:39:34,759
Speaker 1: they obviously would go bear out. They brought Naz red

866
00:39:34,840 --> 00:39:36,640
Speaker 1: in at the center spot, but they ended up going

867
00:39:36,680 --> 00:39:40,200
Speaker 1: smaller with Nikkeile Alexander Walker against the Lakers, and that

868
00:39:40,320 --> 00:39:43,279
Speaker 1: might be another option they could go with. Is if

869
00:39:43,320 --> 00:39:46,000
Speaker 1: they don't want to start Nas next to Rudy Gobert,

870
00:39:46,360 --> 00:39:50,080
Speaker 1: just go with Nikkeile Alexander Walker against especially against speed teams.

871
00:39:50,320 --> 00:39:51,720
Speaker 1: I'm not sure if you want to do that against

872
00:39:51,719 --> 00:39:54,319
Speaker 1: the Lakers necessarily, but against speedier teams like because that

873
00:39:54,400 --> 00:39:56,239
Speaker 1: was obviously a big issue, but they just were so

874
00:39:56,760 --> 00:40:00,360
Speaker 1: shorthanded with both Gobert and cat out. But like against

875
00:40:00,360 --> 00:40:02,600
Speaker 1: teams like the Lakers, I'd probably go with Gobert at

876
00:40:02,600 --> 00:40:05,720
Speaker 1: center and Naz Reid, but I don't hate the idea

877
00:40:05,760 --> 00:40:09,480
Speaker 1: of using Nikhil Alexander Walker, especially against speed teams. Again,

878
00:40:09,960 --> 00:40:11,879
Speaker 1: a lot of times in situations like this, I can

879
00:40:12,120 --> 00:40:14,799
Speaker 1: sympathize with this problem with the Lakers because of their

880
00:40:15,000 --> 00:40:17,920
Speaker 1: issues at the three spot. Like I want them to

881
00:40:17,920 --> 00:40:20,200
Speaker 1: play Ruie not because he's a natural fit at the three,

882
00:40:20,280 --> 00:40:22,759
Speaker 1: but just because he's their fifth best player. And at

883
00:40:22,760 --> 00:40:24,840
Speaker 1: this point, you're better off just playing your best basketball

884
00:40:24,840 --> 00:40:27,960
Speaker 1: if you don't have a clear obvious positional fit, play

885
00:40:28,000 --> 00:40:31,719
Speaker 1: your best players. And that's the thing is, like nas

886
00:40:31,800 --> 00:40:34,520
Speaker 1: Reid to me, playing next to Rudy Gobert might be

887
00:40:34,560 --> 00:40:36,080
Speaker 1: a little bit of an issue, but he's just a

888
00:40:36,080 --> 00:40:38,400
Speaker 1: really good basketball player, and so having him out there

889
00:40:38,480 --> 00:40:40,280
Speaker 1: might just be a better option than some of the others.

890
00:40:40,520 --> 00:40:43,560
Speaker 1: And at the other the best player in your perimeter

891
00:40:43,680 --> 00:40:46,680
Speaker 1: core that doesn't start is probably Nikil Alexander Walker, and

892
00:40:46,719 --> 00:40:48,200
Speaker 1: so that's why I'd go with him if you wanted

893
00:40:48,200 --> 00:40:51,680
Speaker 1: to lean more towards into a more perimeter oriented team.

894
00:40:52,040 --> 00:40:52,600
Speaker 2: Number five.

895
00:40:52,719 --> 00:40:55,719
Speaker 1: The Los Angeles Clippers beat the Bulls in an absolute

896
00:40:55,760 --> 00:40:57,960
Speaker 1: dogfight that went to overtime, but their stars had to

897
00:40:57,960 --> 00:40:59,800
Speaker 1: play big minutes, so they ended up having to essentially

898
00:41:00,600 --> 00:41:04,000
Speaker 1: against the Milwaukee Bucks yesterday, a really weird schedule game

899
00:41:04,040 --> 00:41:06,720
Speaker 1: two where the tip off was like on a Sunday afternoon,

900
00:41:06,800 --> 00:41:09,520
Speaker 1: less than twenty four hours after the last game ended,

901
00:41:09,560 --> 00:41:11,680
Speaker 1: So that led to a two and two week. They

902
00:41:11,680 --> 00:41:13,759
Speaker 1: also blew the first Milwaukee game and a game that

903
00:41:13,800 --> 00:41:15,799
Speaker 1: Giannis was out. That was the game that they blew late.

904
00:41:16,239 --> 00:41:19,000
Speaker 1: They're just seven and seven in their last fourteen games,

905
00:41:19,480 --> 00:41:22,120
Speaker 1: seventeenth in offense and twenty third in defense over that span.

906
00:41:22,200 --> 00:41:23,640
Speaker 1: So the Clippers hitting a little bit of a mid

907
00:41:23,719 --> 00:41:24,760
Speaker 1: season speed bump.

908
00:41:25,280 --> 00:41:25,880
Speaker 2: Number four.

909
00:41:26,040 --> 00:41:28,520
Speaker 1: The Milwaukee Bucks one and two so far on their

910
00:41:28,560 --> 00:41:31,120
Speaker 1: West coast road trip. Their defense is not traveled with them.

911
00:41:31,120 --> 00:41:33,600
Speaker 1: They have a one to twenty three defensive rating in

912
00:41:33,640 --> 00:41:36,120
Speaker 1: the three games. Big part of that is all three

913
00:41:36,120 --> 00:41:39,160
Speaker 1: teams they played. Our teams that kind of specialize in

914
00:41:39,320 --> 00:41:42,800
Speaker 1: beating drop coverage, right, Like you even against the Clippers

915
00:41:42,840 --> 00:41:44,480
Speaker 1: with James Harden, like he can just get into the

916
00:41:44,560 --> 00:41:48,200
Speaker 1: lane and make plays as a passer, but they really

917
00:41:48,239 --> 00:41:51,920
Speaker 1: struggled against the Laker guards. The Laker guards were just

918
00:41:51,960 --> 00:41:55,640
Speaker 1: getting wherever they wanted. Again, like teams that like teams

919
00:41:55,680 --> 00:41:58,319
Speaker 1: that thrive in that like kind of mid range, kind

920
00:41:58,320 --> 00:42:01,000
Speaker 1: of shifty guard type of offense, they're going to have

921
00:42:01,040 --> 00:42:03,719
Speaker 1: success against the Bucks with the deep drop coverage that

922
00:42:03,719 --> 00:42:06,120
Speaker 1: they run big silver lining though for the Bucks. I

923
00:42:06,120 --> 00:42:08,319
Speaker 1: thought in the Lakers game in particular, we saw some

924
00:42:08,360 --> 00:42:10,719
Speaker 1: of the best Dame Giannis pick and roll reps that

925
00:42:10,760 --> 00:42:13,799
Speaker 1: I've seen this season. There's specific timing stuff that they're

926
00:42:13,800 --> 00:42:17,600
Speaker 1: starting to figure out, or like timing the role of

927
00:42:17,600 --> 00:42:19,880
Speaker 1: the screen is so pivotal, right because you want to

928
00:42:19,920 --> 00:42:22,840
Speaker 1: hold the screen long enough to get the defender to

929
00:42:23,560 --> 00:42:25,680
Speaker 1: get caught up on you so that the ball handler

930
00:42:25,680 --> 00:42:29,000
Speaker 1: can get some separation, but not so much, especially when

931
00:42:29,040 --> 00:42:32,040
Speaker 1: they're blitzing, that you're not available when the pass comes,

932
00:42:32,040 --> 00:42:34,560
Speaker 1: and so timing is so absolutely critical. But they're really

933
00:42:34,600 --> 00:42:37,239
Speaker 1: starting to get their one two down with that, where

934
00:42:37,280 --> 00:42:40,239
Speaker 1: like Dame is coming off and throwing the pass right

935
00:42:40,280 --> 00:42:42,480
Speaker 1: as Giannis is turning and hitting him in stride. They're

936
00:42:42,520 --> 00:42:46,520
Speaker 1: really starting to get high quality role opportunities out of that.

937
00:42:46,880 --> 00:42:51,280
Speaker 1: They're starting to clear the side more, I would imagine,

938
00:42:51,320 --> 00:42:53,439
Speaker 1: is another thing that Doc Rivers is brought in. They're

939
00:42:53,440 --> 00:42:55,640
Speaker 1: starting again that's just where you don't have a defender

940
00:42:55,640 --> 00:42:57,879
Speaker 1: in the corner so that when Giannis rolls, he sees

941
00:42:57,880 --> 00:42:59,560
Speaker 1: the entire floor in front of him instead of having

942
00:42:59,560 --> 00:43:01,480
Speaker 1: to account for something that's kind of behind him to

943
00:43:01,520 --> 00:43:02,480
Speaker 1: his left or behind.

944
00:43:02,320 --> 00:43:03,239
Speaker 2: Him to his right right.

945
00:43:03,600 --> 00:43:05,759
Speaker 1: So like that clear side thing I think just kind

946
00:43:05,800 --> 00:43:08,759
Speaker 1: of simplifies that process. Giannis is making some really nice

947
00:43:08,880 --> 00:43:12,120
Speaker 1: rolls reads out of the role as well. I like

948
00:43:12,160 --> 00:43:14,600
Speaker 1: there's a lot of encouraging stuff on the Damianis pick

949
00:43:14,640 --> 00:43:17,200
Speaker 1: and roll front that I think is enough to again,

950
00:43:17,239 --> 00:43:19,560
Speaker 1: this is tough. The Western Conference is tough. I've been

951
00:43:19,560 --> 00:43:22,680
Speaker 1: talking about this throughout the season. I want to say,

952
00:43:22,680 --> 00:43:26,200
Speaker 1: the Bucks are just thirteen and ten against the West

953
00:43:26,520 --> 00:43:29,040
Speaker 1: and the Celtics are just, if I'm not mistaken, sixteen

954
00:43:29,120 --> 00:43:31,640
Speaker 1: and seven. So like, for as dominant as those two

955
00:43:31,680 --> 00:43:33,640
Speaker 1: teams again been against the East, the bottom of the

956
00:43:33,719 --> 00:43:35,759
Speaker 1: East is so weak. You can really rack up wins

957
00:43:35,760 --> 00:43:38,319
Speaker 1: against the bottom of that conference. The Western Conference is tough.

958
00:43:38,360 --> 00:43:40,400
Speaker 1: It's not easy to get wins on a West coast trip,

959
00:43:41,320 --> 00:43:44,239
Speaker 1: and it's more important, like again to just look at

960
00:43:44,239 --> 00:43:46,080
Speaker 1: in the bigger picture. You need to get your defense

961
00:43:46,120 --> 00:43:47,600
Speaker 1: where it needs to get. But you also need to

962
00:43:47,640 --> 00:43:50,000
Speaker 1: have the Damianis pick and roll humming at the absolute

963
00:43:50,280 --> 00:43:52,719
Speaker 1: peak level, and they're getting closer to that every single day.

964
00:43:52,800 --> 00:43:55,799
Speaker 1: Number Three, the Yokahoma City Thunder really tough loss in

965
00:43:55,840 --> 00:43:57,720
Speaker 1: that matchup with the Lakers just a really bad matchup

966
00:43:57,719 --> 00:43:59,439
Speaker 1: for them. Lebron and ad just eat up their front

967
00:43:59,440 --> 00:44:01,600
Speaker 1: line every single time they play. But then they went

968
00:44:01,600 --> 00:44:04,160
Speaker 1: into an easier stretch of their schedule. They got two

969
00:44:04,160 --> 00:44:06,719
Speaker 1: easy wins against Portland in Memphis, and then Shay just

970
00:44:06,760 --> 00:44:09,840
Speaker 1: went absolutely crazy in a big win against the Miami Heat.

971
00:44:10,160 --> 00:44:12,080
Speaker 1: They are ten to two in their last twelve games,

972
00:44:12,080 --> 00:44:14,320
Speaker 1: so they've moved up to three in our power rankings.

973
00:44:14,640 --> 00:44:17,120
Speaker 1: Number two the Boston Celtics back to back losses for

974
00:44:17,120 --> 00:44:20,000
Speaker 1: the first time since November. They blew their lead against

975
00:44:20,000 --> 00:44:21,719
Speaker 1: Cleveland where they could make a jump shot for nine

976
00:44:21,760 --> 00:44:23,920
Speaker 1: minutes and struggled to score in the paint, and then

977
00:44:23,960 --> 00:44:26,839
Speaker 1: they lost to Denver, which we've broken down in excruciating

978
00:44:26,880 --> 00:44:29,040
Speaker 1: detail on the show over the past week. But they

979
00:44:29,080 --> 00:44:31,400
Speaker 1: did bounce back with an impressive win against the Suns

980
00:44:31,440 --> 00:44:33,960
Speaker 1: on Saturday. In case you missed it, we broke that

981
00:44:34,040 --> 00:44:35,799
Speaker 1: game down at the top of this show, so you

982
00:44:35,840 --> 00:44:37,960
Speaker 1: want to if you're watching the breakout clip, you want

983
00:44:37,960 --> 00:44:41,760
Speaker 1: to go watch the full episode for the detail breakdown

984
00:44:41,760 --> 00:44:43,640
Speaker 1: of their win against the Against the Suns, they have

985
00:44:43,719 --> 00:44:45,719
Speaker 1: been the third best points in the paint for one

986
00:44:45,800 --> 00:44:49,120
Speaker 1: hundred possessions team in the last seven games. Jalen Brown

987
00:44:49,200 --> 00:44:51,399
Speaker 1: is absolutely hooping, playing the best basketball of his career.

988
00:44:51,440 --> 00:44:53,440
Speaker 1: In Jason Tatum pull up jump shot coming around since

989
00:44:53,520 --> 00:44:57,560
Speaker 1: January first one point zero seven excuse me, points per

990
00:44:57,600 --> 00:45:00,719
Speaker 1: pull up jumper number one umber one for the first

991
00:45:00,719 --> 00:45:03,440
Speaker 1: time in what seems like two months. The Denver Nuggets

992
00:45:03,719 --> 00:45:07,080
Speaker 1: obviously a tough loss to Phoenix. I was weirdly impressed

993
00:45:07,120 --> 00:45:09,279
Speaker 1: by Denver in that game because Phoenix like punched him

994
00:45:09,280 --> 00:45:10,799
Speaker 1: in the mouth and was really out playing them for

995
00:45:10,840 --> 00:45:12,840
Speaker 1: like two and a half quarters. But Denver hit the

996
00:45:12,880 --> 00:45:14,600
Speaker 1: jets there in the middle of that third quarter, and

997
00:45:14,680 --> 00:45:17,839
Speaker 1: Phoenix was just holding on for dear life, and they

998
00:45:18,040 --> 00:45:19,759
Speaker 1: worked their way all the way back into the game,

999
00:45:19,800 --> 00:45:21,440
Speaker 1: and then Phoenix made a short little run to get

1000
00:45:21,480 --> 00:45:23,400
Speaker 1: it back up to a nine point lead, and then

1001
00:45:23,440 --> 00:45:26,160
Speaker 1: Denver just executed like the most perfect twelve oho run

1002
00:45:26,200 --> 00:45:28,799
Speaker 1: I've ever seen, But Kad made a huge pull up

1003
00:45:28,880 --> 00:45:30,239
Speaker 1: jump shot to send it to OT and then he

1004
00:45:30,239 --> 00:45:32,839
Speaker 1: made a few more in OT and they just kind

1005
00:45:32,840 --> 00:45:35,719
Speaker 1: of lost to a KD shot making performance. So like

1006
00:45:35,760 --> 00:45:37,680
Speaker 1: a lot of encouraging nugget stuff out of that, And

1007
00:45:37,680 --> 00:45:39,440
Speaker 1: I also thought it was Nicole Yoakis was one of

1008
00:45:39,480 --> 00:45:41,520
Speaker 1: his worst games of the season, but he bounced back

1009
00:45:41,560 --> 00:45:44,680
Speaker 1: and they were magnificent against Boston. Their half court execution

1010
00:45:44,800 --> 00:45:48,880
Speaker 1: was unbelievable. I really think, I really think they have

1011
00:45:48,920 --> 00:45:51,560
Speaker 1: some room for improvement in that matchup to a really

1012
00:45:51,680 --> 00:45:53,920
Speaker 1: encouraging week for Denver. Again, I still think they're the

1013
00:45:53,960 --> 00:45:55,520
Speaker 1: best team in the league, and after the winn against

1014
00:45:55,520 --> 00:45:57,960
Speaker 1: Boston and with Boston coming off two losses, I thought

1015
00:45:58,000 --> 00:45:59,800
Speaker 1: they deserved the top spot for this week.

1016
00:46:00,080 --> 00:46:02,040
Speaker 2: All right, guys, that is all we have for today.

1017
00:46:02,200 --> 00:46:04,319
Speaker 1: Is always I sincerely appreciate you guys for beating the

1018
00:46:04,320 --> 00:46:07,880
Speaker 1: show or for uh for supporting the show. Tomorrow, we're

1019
00:46:07,880 --> 00:46:10,239
Speaker 1: gonna have a couple of instant reactions as well as

1020
00:46:10,280 --> 00:46:12,120
Speaker 1: a mailback, so make sure you guys drop some mailback

1021
00:46:12,160 --> 00:46:13,160
Speaker 1: questions and I'll see you guys.

1022
00:46:13,160 --> 00:46:46,200
Speaker 2: Then the volume