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So 36 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:37,880 Speaker 1: much interesting basketball going on around the league. It's fun 37 00:02:37,919 --> 00:02:39,960 Speaker 1: to go back to work when the league is like this. 38 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:43,040 Speaker 1: We're gonna be touching on seven different teams tonight in 39 00:02:43,160 --> 00:02:47,760 Speaker 1: varying Capacities, the Atlanta Hawks, the Milwaukee Bucks, the Minnesota Timberwolves, 40 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:51,000 Speaker 1: of Los Angeles Lakers, the Utah Jazz, the Cleveland Cavaliers, 41 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:54,919 Speaker 1: and the Brooklyn Nets. And we will start with that 42 00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:58,600 Speaker 1: very back and forth game between the Milwaukee Bucks and 43 00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:01,760 Speaker 1: the Atlanta Hawks. The Bucks started really well, really controlled 44 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:03,920 Speaker 1: the first half of that game. You know, their spot 45 00:03:03,960 --> 00:03:07,280 Speaker 1: up shooting. I talked a lot during the first few 46 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:10,040 Speaker 1: weeks of the season and even before the season, that 47 00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:13,639 Speaker 1: there was no two thousand, seventeen Warriors among this group. 48 00:03:13,840 --> 00:03:15,679 Speaker 1: Every one of the best teams in the league has 49 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:19,480 Speaker 1: a certain weakness, right you know, we talked about Golden 50 00:03:19,520 --> 00:03:23,000 Speaker 1: State and their lack of perimeter size and now obviously 51 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:25,560 Speaker 1: we've discovered to have an issue with their bench. We've 52 00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:29,240 Speaker 1: talked about the the Boston Celtics and their issues with 53 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:32,840 Speaker 1: offensive decision making. We've talked about the Los Angeles Clippers 54 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:37,279 Speaker 1: in their lack of perimeter quickness, which has ironically manifested 55 00:03:37,280 --> 00:03:39,640 Speaker 1: on the offensive end for them this year because of 56 00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:42,640 Speaker 1: their inability to get dribble penetration. And that goes down 57 00:03:42,720 --> 00:03:45,240 Speaker 1: the line, including the Milwaukee Bucks, who've had a weakness 58 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:48,200 Speaker 1: with spot up shooting, which which one of the big 59 00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:51,440 Speaker 1: reasons why there's so much optimism around Bucks fans is 60 00:03:51,480 --> 00:03:54,200 Speaker 1: the fact that they've got a lot of reinforcements coming 61 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:56,440 Speaker 1: on that front, with the return of Pat Contaton and 62 00:03:56,520 --> 00:03:59,600 Speaker 1: Chris Middleton at some point in the future. And after 63 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:01,880 Speaker 1: getting off to a pretty rough start shooting the basketball 64 00:04:01,880 --> 00:04:04,880 Speaker 1: this year, despite kicking everybody's ass, they actually had a 65 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:07,080 Speaker 1: couple of really good shooting games in a row. They 66 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:08,840 Speaker 1: were on back to back games where they made at 67 00:04:08,880 --> 00:04:11,640 Speaker 1: least seventeen threes, and that continued into the first half 68 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:15,360 Speaker 1: and they had made eleven of them, particularly Brook Lopez 69 00:04:15,400 --> 00:04:21,080 Speaker 1: and Grayson Allen aggressively confidently rising and knocking down shots. 70 00:04:21,160 --> 00:04:23,320 Speaker 1: You know, shooting is contagious. I'm a big believer and 71 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 1: that most of you guys that have played basketball competitively 72 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:29,120 Speaker 1: at some level would probably agree with me. Um. It 73 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:32,160 Speaker 1: just it fills your team with confidence when guys start 74 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:34,840 Speaker 1: making shots. I don't think it's I don't think it's 75 00:04:34,839 --> 00:04:38,920 Speaker 1: a coincidence that Grayson uh and Brooke coming out rising 76 00:04:38,920 --> 00:04:42,719 Speaker 1: and firing confidently knocking shots down did trickled down the roster. 77 00:04:43,080 --> 00:04:46,520 Speaker 1: But that game took a left turn, a wild left 78 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:48,600 Speaker 1: turn in the start of the second half, and it 79 00:04:48,640 --> 00:04:52,160 Speaker 1: was fueled by a couple of different things. I anytime 80 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:55,120 Speaker 1: you see a dominant kind of reversal like that, there's 81 00:04:55,120 --> 00:04:58,159 Speaker 1: always multiple factors. For instance, the Bucks couldn't shoot anymore, 82 00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:00,600 Speaker 1: they made zero threes in the third quarter. But a 83 00:05:00,640 --> 00:05:02,840 Speaker 1: big part of it, I thought was de Jon Murray 84 00:05:02,920 --> 00:05:06,200 Speaker 1: really changing the pace of the game, getting with a 85 00:05:06,279 --> 00:05:09,200 Speaker 1: pep in his step up the floor quickly and putting 86 00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:13,279 Speaker 1: pressure on the rim importantly enough to avoid Milwaukee set 87 00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:16,120 Speaker 1: half court defense, which is so important, especially with how 88 00:05:16,120 --> 00:05:19,400 Speaker 1: well Brook Lopez and Janis Antena Komba are playing as 89 00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:21,919 Speaker 1: rim protectors this year, which we'll get further into here 90 00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:23,320 Speaker 1: in a little bit, because I want to talk about 91 00:05:23,320 --> 00:05:27,400 Speaker 1: that dominant win in Minnesota against the against the Timberwolves 92 00:05:27,440 --> 00:05:31,560 Speaker 1: on Friday night. But in that third quarter, Jon Murray 93 00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:34,400 Speaker 1: got them going in transition. They started to get baskets, 94 00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:38,279 Speaker 1: which allowed them to set their defense. They defended extremely 95 00:05:38,320 --> 00:05:42,240 Speaker 1: well against Nice, forcing him into a lot of uncharacteristic misses. 96 00:05:42,320 --> 00:05:45,159 Speaker 1: And then they got out and transition themselves again and 97 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:48,880 Speaker 1: they got going, uh, forcing turnovers, getting stops and pushing 98 00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:52,000 Speaker 1: the ball. The whole pace of the game shifted that 99 00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:54,320 Speaker 1: ended up feeding their confidence. And then you saw a 100 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:56,880 Speaker 1: lot of guys get going with tough shot making down 101 00:05:56,920 --> 00:06:00,000 Speaker 1: the stretch. You saw justin Holiday make a bunch of 102 00:06:00,040 --> 00:06:04,440 Speaker 1: big shots. You saw Yuka Ko conglu Uh attacking the 103 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:08,240 Speaker 1: offensive glass and making plays that got the crowd invested 104 00:06:08,279 --> 00:06:10,920 Speaker 1: in the game. You know, this is this is the 105 00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:16,599 Speaker 1: upside to making the Degen Murray trade. Now, Um, when 106 00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:19,040 Speaker 1: it was that particular trade that had very mixed feelings 107 00:06:19,040 --> 00:06:22,080 Speaker 1: about this summer, because I'm a big believer in all 108 00:06:22,160 --> 00:06:24,239 Speaker 1: in type of trades, I just thought it was interesting 109 00:06:24,279 --> 00:06:26,920 Speaker 1: that of all the guys, Degen Murray was the one 110 00:06:26,960 --> 00:06:31,080 Speaker 1: that they targeted. However, the obvious upside by by bringing 111 00:06:31,080 --> 00:06:33,200 Speaker 1: in a guy like de Genta Murray is it gives 112 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:37,159 Speaker 1: you so much more flexibility with your team's identity. So, 113 00:06:37,279 --> 00:06:39,360 Speaker 1: for instance, over the course the last couple of years, 114 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:42,839 Speaker 1: it's kind of like a Trey Young heliocentric offense, and 115 00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:47,240 Speaker 1: we're surrounding him with role players, right, and everything depends 116 00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:49,880 Speaker 1: on him, and when he's out, the team can kind 117 00:06:49,880 --> 00:06:52,080 Speaker 1: of lose that identity because they don't have this backup 118 00:06:52,160 --> 00:06:55,000 Speaker 1: identity that they can go to. And instead, what happened 119 00:06:55,040 --> 00:06:57,160 Speaker 1: in this game is not only does Degen Murray give 120 00:06:57,200 --> 00:06:59,920 Speaker 1: you kind of an offensive fulcrum to run around when 121 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:01,880 Speaker 1: Pray is not out there, but all of a sudden, 122 00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:05,359 Speaker 1: you're going away from Trey and you're bringing in another athlete. 123 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:07,839 Speaker 1: So you get a guy like a J. Griffin who 124 00:07:07,880 --> 00:07:10,080 Speaker 1: has barely played this season and it's kind of a 125 00:07:10,080 --> 00:07:13,760 Speaker 1: fringe part of the rotation, gets a much bigger opportunity, 126 00:07:13,760 --> 00:07:17,800 Speaker 1: more athleticism, more score like off ball scoring pop, and 127 00:07:17,840 --> 00:07:20,520 Speaker 1: that's he had a great offensive game. Obviously, Trey Young 128 00:07:21,040 --> 00:07:23,480 Speaker 1: brings a ton in that specific role, but a J. 129 00:07:23,600 --> 00:07:25,960 Speaker 1: Griffin a little bit more size, a little bit more athletic, 130 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:28,920 Speaker 1: a little bit more ability to crowd Janice in the paint, 131 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:30,560 Speaker 1: and then he was scoring on the other end of 132 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:32,080 Speaker 1: the four. He caught a little heater in this game, 133 00:07:32,360 --> 00:07:34,360 Speaker 1: and it gave them a different way to win. If 134 00:07:34,360 --> 00:07:37,560 Speaker 1: you're an Atlanta Hawks fan, you won that game in 135 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:40,640 Speaker 1: a very different way than the vast majority of your 136 00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:43,440 Speaker 1: wins over the course of the Tray Young era. That 137 00:07:43,600 --> 00:07:48,200 Speaker 1: different look, that flexibility of identity is what makes that 138 00:07:48,320 --> 00:07:51,240 Speaker 1: dogone Murray trade have so much upside. And it's not 139 00:07:51,280 --> 00:07:55,280 Speaker 1: even just when Trey Young uh is out of the lineup. It's, 140 00:07:55,400 --> 00:07:57,920 Speaker 1: for instance, gives you the ability to take that identity 141 00:07:57,920 --> 00:08:01,320 Speaker 1: and transfer it to non tray nits. For instance, in 142 00:08:01,360 --> 00:08:04,800 Speaker 1: a playoff series, when you gotta go twelve minutes without Trey, 143 00:08:04,920 --> 00:08:07,000 Speaker 1: you know what you can go to now, this look 144 00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:10,960 Speaker 1: of Dejonta Murray with four freak athletes that just play 145 00:08:11,040 --> 00:08:14,520 Speaker 1: incredibly hard and playoff of Dejonta run up and down 146 00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:16,720 Speaker 1: the floor, and transition and defend like crazy, get into 147 00:08:16,720 --> 00:08:19,600 Speaker 1: passing lanes and force a bunch of turnovers. It's it's 148 00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:21,880 Speaker 1: it's it's a it's a big part of of why 149 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:25,560 Speaker 1: teams go about those specific types of deals. And it 150 00:08:25,640 --> 00:08:29,080 Speaker 1: was very, very impressive win for Atlanta and the first 151 00:08:29,120 --> 00:08:33,000 Speaker 1: team this season to notch a win against that Milwaukee 152 00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:36,680 Speaker 1: Bucks team. But the Milwaukee Bucks, their biggest weakness, like 153 00:08:36,720 --> 00:08:39,560 Speaker 1: I said, all season in the past, has been their 154 00:08:39,559 --> 00:08:41,280 Speaker 1: spot up shooting, and that's what failed them in that 155 00:08:41,360 --> 00:08:43,960 Speaker 1: third quarter. They had zero makes after eleven in the 156 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:46,880 Speaker 1: first half. I also thought in general they kind of 157 00:08:47,040 --> 00:08:49,960 Speaker 1: fell into the pace a little bit. There was a 158 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:53,440 Speaker 1: lot of questionable decision making even from Drew and Janice 159 00:08:53,480 --> 00:08:55,880 Speaker 1: there in that third quarter where it was just like 160 00:08:55,920 --> 00:08:58,680 Speaker 1: them getting caught up in the hustle and bustle of 161 00:08:58,720 --> 00:09:02,079 Speaker 1: Atlanta's run and trying to hit home runs to kind 162 00:09:02,080 --> 00:09:05,400 Speaker 1: of reel things in rather than controlling the pace again, 163 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:06,960 Speaker 1: because you know, if you slow it down and you 164 00:09:07,080 --> 00:09:09,240 Speaker 1: keep them in the half court, you're they're going to 165 00:09:09,320 --> 00:09:11,400 Speaker 1: struggle to score. And so that would be my one 166 00:09:11,480 --> 00:09:13,240 Speaker 1: other bit, a little bit of criticism. I'm not over 167 00:09:13,280 --> 00:09:15,400 Speaker 1: here to get on the Bucks because they're the best 168 00:09:15,440 --> 00:09:18,480 Speaker 1: team in the league right now. But you always want 169 00:09:18,520 --> 00:09:20,640 Speaker 1: to play the way you want to play. Don't ever 170 00:09:20,720 --> 00:09:23,840 Speaker 1: let another team in their style whip you up into 171 00:09:23,880 --> 00:09:26,840 Speaker 1: a frenzy and start playing a different style of basketball 172 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:28,880 Speaker 1: than you want to play. That will only further send 173 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:31,160 Speaker 1: things down, you know, a dark path for you in 174 00:09:31,240 --> 00:09:33,280 Speaker 1: terms of a run in a game like that that 175 00:09:33,320 --> 00:09:35,320 Speaker 1: the Bucks very well could have one if they had 176 00:09:35,360 --> 00:09:37,760 Speaker 1: they managed to rein in control of that game a 177 00:09:37,800 --> 00:09:41,120 Speaker 1: little bit easier in that third quarter. UM. I did 178 00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:43,160 Speaker 1: want to talk a little bit about that Bucks Wolves 179 00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:45,840 Speaker 1: game on Friday night, UM that I watched this morning. 180 00:09:46,360 --> 00:09:49,000 Speaker 1: It was kind of an interesting matchup because I had 181 00:09:49,040 --> 00:09:50,760 Speaker 1: a feeling it would go the way that it did. 182 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:52,880 Speaker 1: Because we're gonna talk a little bit more here in 183 00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:54,880 Speaker 1: a minute about the Minnesota Timberwolves in some of the 184 00:09:54,880 --> 00:10:00,480 Speaker 1: fundamental ways that they're constructed that is inherently flawed, that 185 00:10:00,320 --> 00:10:01,920 Speaker 1: that we'll talk about here in just a minute. But 186 00:10:02,360 --> 00:10:06,160 Speaker 1: in that particular game, Brook Lopez and Jhannas Antenna Coopa, 187 00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:09,120 Speaker 1: depending on which shift had, which guy wear and what 188 00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:12,000 Speaker 1: was going on, they were sagging way back into the 189 00:10:12,040 --> 00:10:16,079 Speaker 1: paint and as a result, they're basically funneling and and 190 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:19,320 Speaker 1: funneling de low down into the lane where there's already 191 00:10:19,320 --> 00:10:21,720 Speaker 1: this rim protection. And we're talking about two of the 192 00:10:21,800 --> 00:10:24,520 Speaker 1: best rim protectors in the league. And then on the 193 00:10:24,520 --> 00:10:26,360 Speaker 1: other end of the floor, the Bucks, when they're making 194 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:28,719 Speaker 1: their spot up threes like they did, are damn near 195 00:10:28,760 --> 00:10:31,560 Speaker 1: impossible to beat. And they made seventeen threes in that game. 196 00:10:31,920 --> 00:10:36,600 Speaker 1: Janice eleven assists. And you know, I talked I've said 197 00:10:36,640 --> 00:10:39,920 Speaker 1: this a million times, but Jannice, everyone focuses on the 198 00:10:39,960 --> 00:10:42,400 Speaker 1: jump shot, and it always looks cool when he makes 199 00:10:42,400 --> 00:10:44,920 Speaker 1: a jump shot, but the reality of the situation is 200 00:10:44,920 --> 00:10:47,720 Speaker 1: that he cannot be guarded in single coverage, so he's 201 00:10:47,800 --> 00:10:50,520 Speaker 1: going to force teams to build a wall in Minnesota 202 00:10:50,559 --> 00:10:53,679 Speaker 1: did a good job in this game, holding Janice well 203 00:10:53,760 --> 00:10:56,920 Speaker 1: below his normal efficiency, crowding the paint, getting him to 204 00:10:57,000 --> 00:11:01,280 Speaker 1: miss shots that he normally makes, but in process, as 205 00:11:01,320 --> 00:11:05,200 Speaker 1: they were collapsing the paint, Janice continue to make the 206 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:08,760 Speaker 1: right reads and he is above and beyond as a 207 00:11:08,840 --> 00:11:11,880 Speaker 1: passer than any of us could have even expected at 208 00:11:11,880 --> 00:11:13,880 Speaker 1: this point in his career. And that was what I 209 00:11:13,960 --> 00:11:16,319 Speaker 1: kept saying over the years, is the most important thing. 210 00:11:16,800 --> 00:11:18,440 Speaker 1: It is more important for him to be able to 211 00:11:18,480 --> 00:11:21,480 Speaker 1: pass his way open or to make teams pay for 212 00:11:21,559 --> 00:11:23,839 Speaker 1: building the wall than it is for him to hit 213 00:11:23,920 --> 00:11:26,240 Speaker 1: shots over the top of the defense, especially with the 214 00:11:26,240 --> 00:11:29,080 Speaker 1: way the team is constructed, where Chris Middleton kind of 215 00:11:29,120 --> 00:11:32,360 Speaker 1: brings that specific capability. They don't need, you, honest, to 216 00:11:32,480 --> 00:11:34,520 Speaker 1: hit threes or to hit step back twos or anything 217 00:11:34,520 --> 00:11:36,960 Speaker 1: along those lines. When he makes them, it's great. It's 218 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:39,200 Speaker 1: great that he's working on him. Hell, if he figures 219 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:41,520 Speaker 1: that stuff out, we're talking about the greatest basketball player 220 00:11:41,920 --> 00:11:43,600 Speaker 1: that's ever lived. But at the end of the day, 221 00:11:43,600 --> 00:11:46,400 Speaker 1: it's always the passing that I'm watching with Janice, and 222 00:11:46,400 --> 00:11:49,160 Speaker 1: that's where he's taken the most steps over the course 223 00:11:49,160 --> 00:11:52,079 Speaker 1: of the last couple of years in his ascendancy into 224 00:11:52,200 --> 00:11:54,360 Speaker 1: the best player in the world. I didn't want to 225 00:11:54,360 --> 00:11:56,319 Speaker 1: talk about the Minnesota timber Rols for just a second. 226 00:11:56,400 --> 00:11:59,079 Speaker 1: I talked about their offensive struggles on Friday a little bit, 227 00:11:59,800 --> 00:12:01,800 Speaker 1: but wanted to get into it a little bit deeper. 228 00:12:02,200 --> 00:12:05,280 Speaker 1: You know, when when Brook Lopez and Janis Antenna Komba 229 00:12:05,280 --> 00:12:08,880 Speaker 1: are camping into the paint, its severely limits what Rudy 230 00:12:08,920 --> 00:12:12,600 Speaker 1: Gobert does offensively, and it really disrupts the flow of 231 00:12:12,640 --> 00:12:16,200 Speaker 1: that entire Minnesota Temberwolves starting unit on the offensive end 232 00:12:16,200 --> 00:12:17,720 Speaker 1: of the floor. And and and a big part of it 233 00:12:17,760 --> 00:12:20,720 Speaker 1: is just his unwillingness to score the basketball when he 234 00:12:20,760 --> 00:12:23,080 Speaker 1: has advantage positions on the court. There was a play 235 00:12:23,120 --> 00:12:27,079 Speaker 1: in this game, I believe it was first quarter where, uh, 236 00:12:27,160 --> 00:12:29,640 Speaker 1: where Rudy got a deep seal on Bobby port Is 237 00:12:29,679 --> 00:12:32,560 Speaker 1: directly under the basket, Like he could have just jumped 238 00:12:32,559 --> 00:12:35,760 Speaker 1: and dunked it reverse behind his head and didn't even 239 00:12:35,880 --> 00:12:37,719 Speaker 1: look at the rim. He caught it and just threw 240 00:12:37,760 --> 00:12:41,760 Speaker 1: a touch pass to D'Angelo Russell and the play went nowhere. 241 00:12:41,880 --> 00:12:44,880 Speaker 1: When the whole purpose of offense is to generate an advantage. 242 00:12:45,040 --> 00:12:47,480 Speaker 1: I don't know, like maybe your seven foot tall guy 243 00:12:47,520 --> 00:12:50,920 Speaker 1: was super long arms directly under the basket buried a 244 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:53,439 Speaker 1: defender where he's got no chance to stop him from 245 00:12:53,440 --> 00:12:56,720 Speaker 1: going up and finishing in or drawing a foul. And 246 00:12:56,760 --> 00:12:59,960 Speaker 1: that specific concept, the ability of teams to sag off 247 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:03,160 Speaker 1: of Gobert into the paint while the four of the 248 00:13:03,160 --> 00:13:06,600 Speaker 1: other four Timberwolves just kind of flounder around taking bad shots, 249 00:13:06,840 --> 00:13:08,880 Speaker 1: is a big part of why their offense is struggling 250 00:13:08,920 --> 00:13:12,360 Speaker 1: so much, and it's really bad so far this year. 251 00:13:12,440 --> 00:13:16,000 Speaker 1: Ant Uh, Anthony Edwards, D'Angel Russell, Jada McDaniels, Carl Towns 252 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:19,400 Speaker 1: and Gobert, they're starting lineup, is getting outscored by eleven 253 00:13:19,400 --> 00:13:22,720 Speaker 1: points per one possessions and is only scoring nineties seven 254 00:13:22,760 --> 00:13:27,000 Speaker 1: points per one h possessions on offense, which is atrocious, 255 00:13:27,160 --> 00:13:30,920 Speaker 1: especially with Aunt Edwards and Carl Town's on the floor 256 00:13:30,960 --> 00:13:32,760 Speaker 1: at the same time. So let's look at that kind 257 00:13:32,760 --> 00:13:35,160 Speaker 1: of fundamentally for a second. So what are the two 258 00:13:35,200 --> 00:13:40,160 Speaker 1: things that Rudy Gobert does well Offensively? He screens really well. 259 00:13:40,720 --> 00:13:43,640 Speaker 1: Utah Jazz fans were preaching to us about screen assists 260 00:13:43,640 --> 00:13:46,440 Speaker 1: for years, and that is a legitimate gift of his 261 00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:49,520 Speaker 1: He's very good at screening and kind of like delaying 262 00:13:49,760 --> 00:13:53,480 Speaker 1: his his role just enough and like lingering contact to 263 00:13:53,520 --> 00:13:56,280 Speaker 1: get guards to hang up on him so that his 264 00:13:56,320 --> 00:13:59,400 Speaker 1: guards can get downhill. And then he's also one of 265 00:13:59,440 --> 00:14:01,200 Speaker 1: the best off some rebounders in the league. I believe 266 00:14:01,200 --> 00:14:02,640 Speaker 1: he's tied with Steven Adams at the top of the 267 00:14:02,679 --> 00:14:05,760 Speaker 1: league with like four point seven offensive rebounds per game 268 00:14:05,800 --> 00:14:07,360 Speaker 1: this year. So those are his two things that he 269 00:14:07,440 --> 00:14:09,840 Speaker 1: does super well. Offensive rebounds are just gonna manifest an 270 00:14:09,840 --> 00:14:14,040 Speaker 1: extra possessions. But if you screen super well and the 271 00:14:14,080 --> 00:14:17,000 Speaker 1: team is packing the paint, what is the one way 272 00:14:17,120 --> 00:14:21,640 Speaker 1: you can weaponize that for your offense? Pull up jump shooting, 273 00:14:21,760 --> 00:14:24,720 Speaker 1: which I keep saying is the most important offensive skill 274 00:14:25,120 --> 00:14:27,880 Speaker 1: in the NBA right now. You have to be able 275 00:14:27,920 --> 00:14:31,440 Speaker 1: to weaponize Rudy Gobert screening by having guys that can 276 00:14:31,480 --> 00:14:34,160 Speaker 1: come over the top of those screens and score off 277 00:14:34,200 --> 00:14:37,240 Speaker 1: the dribble, just like Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley did 278 00:14:37,720 --> 00:14:40,520 Speaker 1: and and Jordan Clarkson did with the Jazz during that 279 00:14:40,760 --> 00:14:44,320 Speaker 1: Jazz era. That was a great offensive team despite Rudy 280 00:14:44,320 --> 00:14:46,480 Speaker 1: Gobert on the floor, and it was because of their 281 00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:49,800 Speaker 1: ability to make pull up jump shots. The Minnesota timber 282 00:14:49,840 --> 00:14:53,120 Speaker 1: Wolves are averaging making seven point eight pull up jumpers 283 00:14:53,120 --> 00:14:55,320 Speaker 1: per game this year, which is twenty two in the 284 00:14:55,400 --> 00:14:58,960 Speaker 1: n b A. You know, both Dangel Russell and Anthony 285 00:14:58,960 --> 00:15:01,640 Speaker 1: Eedwards are shooting about thirty six percent on pull up jumpers. 286 00:15:01,680 --> 00:15:04,400 Speaker 1: That's just not good enough for that specific type of 287 00:15:04,640 --> 00:15:08,400 Speaker 1: roster constructs. So as a result, the Carl Town's Gobert 288 00:15:08,560 --> 00:15:10,120 Speaker 1: line ups with the two bigs on the flour, they 289 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:13,080 Speaker 1: just can't score. And so that that's kind of where 290 00:15:13,080 --> 00:15:16,760 Speaker 1: I see the fundamental structure of the roster as flawed, 291 00:15:16,880 --> 00:15:20,040 Speaker 1: inherently flawed. If you're going to structure your team in 292 00:15:20,040 --> 00:15:22,880 Speaker 1: a way that allows the other team to pack the paint, 293 00:15:23,680 --> 00:15:25,840 Speaker 1: then you need to be one of a couple of 294 00:15:25,880 --> 00:15:28,440 Speaker 1: different things. You either need to be the best defense 295 00:15:28,440 --> 00:15:32,840 Speaker 1: in the league. Like the Lakers, everybody packed a paint 296 00:15:32,840 --> 00:15:34,960 Speaker 1: on them, and they had half court offense problems, but 297 00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:37,720 Speaker 1: they were the best defense in the league, and so 298 00:15:37,880 --> 00:15:40,840 Speaker 1: they were always out in transition avoiding half court sets, 299 00:15:40,880 --> 00:15:42,760 Speaker 1: and they won the championship and no one even really 300 00:15:42,760 --> 00:15:46,040 Speaker 1: threatened them. And then we look at the Bucks, same 301 00:15:46,080 --> 00:15:49,240 Speaker 1: type of deal. Struggled in half court offense, especially in 302 00:15:49,280 --> 00:15:52,520 Speaker 1: the playoffs, but they were so damn good defensively that 303 00:15:52,640 --> 00:15:55,600 Speaker 1: it was enough for it to like Essentially, they're choosing 304 00:15:55,640 --> 00:15:58,600 Speaker 1: personnel that limits their spacing but gives them one of 305 00:15:58,600 --> 00:16:01,360 Speaker 1: the best defenses in the league. And the Timberwolves are 306 00:16:01,400 --> 00:16:03,920 Speaker 1: not a great defensive team, at least not to this point, 307 00:16:03,960 --> 00:16:06,520 Speaker 1: not as good as they need to be to justify 308 00:16:06,560 --> 00:16:08,800 Speaker 1: having Rudy Gobert on the floor in these lineups. And 309 00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:11,200 Speaker 1: then the only other way that you can survive with 310 00:16:11,280 --> 00:16:14,520 Speaker 1: that type of lineup is if you're an outstanding pull 311 00:16:14,560 --> 00:16:18,000 Speaker 1: up jump shooting team like the Golden State Warriors, So 312 00:16:18,040 --> 00:16:19,840 Speaker 1: you have Draymond Green on the floor, Kevan Luoni on 313 00:16:19,840 --> 00:16:22,800 Speaker 1: the floor, two non shooters. Every team can pack the 314 00:16:22,840 --> 00:16:25,400 Speaker 1: pain if they want to, but they're so damn good 315 00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:28,840 Speaker 1: at pull up shooting that it basically renders the idea 316 00:16:28,840 --> 00:16:32,200 Speaker 1: of packing the paint useless. And we literally saw the 317 00:16:32,240 --> 00:16:36,760 Speaker 1: Boston Celtics last year Chase Steph Curry and Jordan Pool 318 00:16:36,800 --> 00:16:39,480 Speaker 1: and Clay Thompson over the top of screens all series long, 319 00:16:39,840 --> 00:16:42,640 Speaker 1: and they just made them pay all series long because 320 00:16:42,680 --> 00:16:44,880 Speaker 1: they're the best pull up jump shooting team in the 321 00:16:44,960 --> 00:16:47,120 Speaker 1: league in my opinion. So you've got to either be 322 00:16:47,200 --> 00:16:50,440 Speaker 1: outstanding defensively or an outstanding pull of jump shooting team 323 00:16:50,600 --> 00:16:53,800 Speaker 1: to pull off that team construct in the Timberwolves are neither, 324 00:16:54,680 --> 00:16:56,760 Speaker 1: and so I think they're a prime candidate for mid 325 00:16:56,800 --> 00:16:58,640 Speaker 1: season trade, especially when you factor in some of the 326 00:16:58,640 --> 00:17:01,360 Speaker 1: personality stuff. I talked a lot on Friday about the 327 00:17:01,440 --> 00:17:05,159 Speaker 1: kind of rift that's forming between Carl Town's and Anthony Edwards, 328 00:17:05,200 --> 00:17:06,879 Speaker 1: and I think up some of that is fueled a 329 00:17:06,920 --> 00:17:09,000 Speaker 1: little bit by the fan base kind of leaning towards Aunt. 330 00:17:09,080 --> 00:17:12,000 Speaker 1: He's a little bit more of a likable basketball personality. 331 00:17:12,040 --> 00:17:14,080 Speaker 1: He's got a lot of fire and competitiveness, while Cat 332 00:17:14,160 --> 00:17:16,720 Speaker 1: can be inconsistent with the way that he competes, which 333 00:17:16,760 --> 00:17:20,520 Speaker 1: is just an inherently, uh you know, unlikable trait for 334 00:17:20,760 --> 00:17:23,680 Speaker 1: a fan base, right, But even deeper than that, like 335 00:17:23,960 --> 00:17:26,720 Speaker 1: the the you're starting to see Anthony Edwards get really 336 00:17:26,760 --> 00:17:30,320 Speaker 1: frustrated with the way his offensive game is more difficult 337 00:17:30,640 --> 00:17:32,919 Speaker 1: with the team construct. And you guys all probably all 338 00:17:32,960 --> 00:17:36,639 Speaker 1: saw that video that went around where the Timberwolves ran 339 00:17:36,720 --> 00:17:40,240 Speaker 1: to play and Aunt just sat on the right wing 340 00:17:40,880 --> 00:17:43,080 Speaker 1: and just stand like hands on his hips and watch 341 00:17:43,160 --> 00:17:45,520 Speaker 1: the whole play happen, which, by the way, like I'm 342 00:17:45,520 --> 00:17:48,080 Speaker 1: sure he got dealt with privately for that, because that's 343 00:17:48,080 --> 00:17:51,399 Speaker 1: a really bad look and no matter what your issue is, 344 00:17:51,880 --> 00:17:54,119 Speaker 1: that's just not the way to you know, could go 345 00:17:54,200 --> 00:17:57,080 Speaker 1: about expressing that. But you're starting to see some fractures 346 00:17:57,080 --> 00:17:59,720 Speaker 1: in the personalities of the team. So if I've got 347 00:18:00,200 --> 00:18:04,080 Speaker 1: the personalities aren't jelling and the team itself is fundamentally 348 00:18:04,119 --> 00:18:07,040 Speaker 1: flawed with the way that it's constructed, they're a prime 349 00:18:07,080 --> 00:18:09,560 Speaker 1: candidate for mid season trade, and so they can go 350 00:18:09,760 --> 00:18:12,520 Speaker 1: one of a couple different routes. You can either ditch 351 00:18:12,560 --> 00:18:14,439 Speaker 1: all the non shooting since you don't have good enough 352 00:18:14,480 --> 00:18:16,280 Speaker 1: pull up shooting, and you can go all in on 353 00:18:16,359 --> 00:18:19,520 Speaker 1: five out spacing and driving to the basket, driving kick 354 00:18:19,520 --> 00:18:21,040 Speaker 1: type of stuff. But it's a hard I have a 355 00:18:21,040 --> 00:18:24,440 Speaker 1: hard time believing that they're gonna ditch Rudy Gobert after 356 00:18:24,480 --> 00:18:27,960 Speaker 1: they just traded everything in the entire franchise cabinet for it, right, 357 00:18:28,320 --> 00:18:30,840 Speaker 1: So the more realistic option here is they end up 358 00:18:30,840 --> 00:18:34,639 Speaker 1: flipping Dell and Cat and they target defensive players and 359 00:18:34,760 --> 00:18:37,159 Speaker 1: you basically go all in on we are going to 360 00:18:37,200 --> 00:18:39,480 Speaker 1: be the best defense in the league surrounding Rudy Gobert. 361 00:18:39,480 --> 00:18:41,880 Speaker 1: Because Anthony Edwards, by the way, is has the potential 362 00:18:41,920 --> 00:18:44,560 Speaker 1: to be an outstanding defensive player, and you you could 363 00:18:44,560 --> 00:18:46,520 Speaker 1: tell it when he's engaged. He's really really good on 364 00:18:46,520 --> 00:18:50,000 Speaker 1: that front. So if I I would imagine the direction 365 00:18:50,040 --> 00:18:54,280 Speaker 1: they'll go is leaning heavily in on defense and understanding 366 00:18:54,280 --> 00:18:57,320 Speaker 1: that they'll never be a great offensive team, at least 367 00:18:57,359 --> 00:18:59,080 Speaker 1: in the half court. But if they defend really well 368 00:18:59,160 --> 00:19:01,679 Speaker 1: get Anthony Edwards out in transition, maybe that can be 369 00:19:01,680 --> 00:19:04,040 Speaker 1: the way that they win games. The NBA season is underway, 370 00:19:04,040 --> 00:19:07,120 Speaker 1: and it's the perfect time to download fan Duel, America's 371 00:19:07,240 --> 00:19:10,680 Speaker 1: number one sports book because right now new customers getting 372 00:19:10,720 --> 00:19:14,280 Speaker 1: no sweat first bet up to one thousand dollars plus 373 00:19:14,320 --> 00:19:17,240 Speaker 1: Vanduel is the only sports book that's giving all customers 374 00:19:17,680 --> 00:19:20,480 Speaker 1: three months of NBA League Pass when they make a 375 00:19:20,600 --> 00:19:23,960 Speaker 1: five dollar bet on the n b A. 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Another guy keep an eye 381 00:19:35,800 --> 00:19:38,960 Speaker 1: on there is Mr Donovan Mitchell, who I think is 382 00:19:38,960 --> 00:19:40,760 Speaker 1: the best player on one of the best teams in 383 00:19:40,760 --> 00:19:42,720 Speaker 1: the league and has played like a top five player 384 00:19:42,800 --> 00:19:45,080 Speaker 1: this year and was by far the best player on 385 00:19:45,119 --> 00:19:47,320 Speaker 1: the floor in a win over the Lakers on Sunday. 386 00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:50,040 Speaker 1: You can get him at plus twenty four hundred to 387 00:19:50,080 --> 00:19:52,760 Speaker 1: win m v P. Vanduel has all your favorite bets, 388 00:19:52,800 --> 00:19:55,119 Speaker 1: from the money line to point spreads, two player props. 389 00:19:55,400 --> 00:19:57,879 Speaker 1: You can even combine your bets for a chance at 390 00:19:57,920 --> 00:20:00,200 Speaker 1: a bigger payout with the same game. 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By the way, 399 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:28,080 Speaker 1: how we will be covering tonight's Lakers Jazz game during 400 00:20:28,119 --> 00:20:31,160 Speaker 1: tomorrow's show, including the Warriors game tonight and I think 401 00:20:31,320 --> 00:20:33,439 Speaker 1: the Nets are also playing tonight. We're gonna basically the 402 00:20:33,560 --> 00:20:37,600 Speaker 1: entire late slate tonight. We're gonna cover tomorrow. Um, that'll 403 00:20:37,640 --> 00:20:41,640 Speaker 1: be live on AMP and I believe six pm Eastern time, 404 00:20:41,680 --> 00:20:43,960 Speaker 1: but I'll tweet that out just in case as we 405 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:47,000 Speaker 1: get closer to the show tomorrow. Um. But the Lakers go, 406 00:20:47,119 --> 00:20:49,119 Speaker 1: they win two games in a row, right, they beat Denver, 407 00:20:49,200 --> 00:20:52,000 Speaker 1: they beat the Pelicans up to two and five. A 408 00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:54,960 Speaker 1: lot of optimism, but they had a really tough weekend slate. 409 00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:57,960 Speaker 1: That Utah Jazz team that's beating everybody somehow. They beat 410 00:20:57,960 --> 00:21:00,080 Speaker 1: the Clippers later in the weekend too, and then you 411 00:21:00,119 --> 00:21:02,760 Speaker 1: had the Cleveland Cavaliers in that Sunday game, and they're 412 00:21:02,840 --> 00:21:06,000 Speaker 1: just arguably the best team in league right now. Right. UM. 413 00:21:06,040 --> 00:21:09,520 Speaker 1: I was specifically worried about both of those matchups from 414 00:21:09,520 --> 00:21:12,920 Speaker 1: the standpoint of the way that they attacked specific weaknesses 415 00:21:12,920 --> 00:21:16,000 Speaker 1: for the Lakers. For instance, the Utah Jazz have to 416 00:21:16,200 --> 00:21:19,640 Speaker 1: stretch bigs and Darvin ham his screen coverages, he calls him, 417 00:21:19,680 --> 00:21:22,240 Speaker 1: he calls its center field, but it's basically just drop coverage. 418 00:21:22,520 --> 00:21:25,399 Speaker 1: The big man is back way back in the paint 419 00:21:25,440 --> 00:21:27,640 Speaker 1: containing things, and they help a ton out of the 420 00:21:27,960 --> 00:21:30,119 Speaker 1: strong side on on pick and roll. So like if 421 00:21:30,119 --> 00:21:32,080 Speaker 1: you're defending a wing on the left wing and the 422 00:21:32,119 --> 00:21:34,080 Speaker 1: pick and rolls coming out of the right wing, that 423 00:21:34,800 --> 00:21:36,919 Speaker 1: defender on the left wing is digging down to the 424 00:21:36,920 --> 00:21:39,200 Speaker 1: free throw line to contain the ball. So they give 425 00:21:39,280 --> 00:21:42,440 Speaker 1: up a lot of wide open threes. And then you guys, 426 00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:46,880 Speaker 1: as you know, one of the biggest UH specific kryptonites 427 00:21:47,280 --> 00:21:50,119 Speaker 1: for UH drop coverage is a pick and pop, And 428 00:21:50,119 --> 00:21:52,640 Speaker 1: it's just it's just about the way the coverage work. 429 00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:55,160 Speaker 1: It works if the guard is chasing the guard over 430 00:21:55,200 --> 00:21:57,120 Speaker 1: the top of the screen and the big is sagging 431 00:21:57,160 --> 00:21:59,920 Speaker 1: back to contain the ball handler, but the screener pop 432 00:22:00,640 --> 00:22:04,800 Speaker 1: rather than rolling directly into the screen defender, he's not guarded. 433 00:22:05,080 --> 00:22:07,680 Speaker 1: And so that the Utah Jazz, with the with all 434 00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:09,919 Speaker 1: of the shooting that they have on the floor to 435 00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:13,760 Speaker 1: punish Darvin Ham's over helping and with their pick and 436 00:22:13,800 --> 00:22:17,960 Speaker 1: pop bigs. With the way that the Lakers dropped into 437 00:22:17,960 --> 00:22:20,000 Speaker 1: the paint so much, I had I had, I had 438 00:22:20,040 --> 00:22:22,240 Speaker 1: a feeling that they would have a hard time guarding 439 00:22:22,240 --> 00:22:25,400 Speaker 1: that specific matchup, and they got absolutely torched. They gave 440 00:22:25,440 --> 00:22:28,000 Speaker 1: up a hundred and thirty points. Lori marken In absolutely 441 00:22:28,080 --> 00:22:29,760 Speaker 1: killed and by the way, Lori markin in this season 442 00:22:31,119 --> 00:22:36,080 Speaker 1: on five restricted area attempts on paint non restricted area 443 00:22:36,119 --> 00:22:38,879 Speaker 1: attempts forty six percent from the mid range and out 444 00:22:38,920 --> 00:22:41,440 Speaker 1: of the corners. Basically, the only place he's not making 445 00:22:41,440 --> 00:22:44,320 Speaker 1: shots right now is above the break. A Link and 446 00:22:44,359 --> 00:22:47,119 Speaker 1: Marketing combined for forty five in this game, and they 447 00:22:47,160 --> 00:22:50,760 Speaker 1: made eight jumpers. Lebron, Anthony Davis, and Russ combined to 448 00:22:50,840 --> 00:22:53,560 Speaker 1: make five jumpers in that game. Another big thing from 449 00:22:53,640 --> 00:22:56,840 Speaker 1: Utah that uh that killed the Lakers in this game 450 00:22:57,440 --> 00:22:59,640 Speaker 1: was and the Lakers, by the way, even though there 451 00:22:59,720 --> 00:23:02,280 Speaker 1: was some match up stuff that was problematic which I 452 00:23:02,320 --> 00:23:04,600 Speaker 1: just went over, it also just wasn't a very good 453 00:23:04,640 --> 00:23:07,199 Speaker 1: defensive effort from them in this game. This was the 454 00:23:07,200 --> 00:23:10,679 Speaker 1: first time that they didn't bring a plus defensive effort 455 00:23:10,720 --> 00:23:15,800 Speaker 1: after seven really good defensive games. And uh, Mike Conley 456 00:23:15,800 --> 00:23:19,159 Speaker 1: in particular, is having a great season was killing the 457 00:23:19,240 --> 00:23:22,720 Speaker 1: Lakers punishing them for not checking cutters. So a lot 458 00:23:22,800 --> 00:23:24,760 Speaker 1: of times what will happen is, you know, off ball 459 00:23:25,119 --> 00:23:28,239 Speaker 1: defenders will kind of key in on the basketball and 460 00:23:28,240 --> 00:23:31,560 Speaker 1: they put themselves in a typical defensive position, which is 461 00:23:31,760 --> 00:23:34,719 Speaker 1: roughly halfway between their man and the ball. But one 462 00:23:34,760 --> 00:23:37,120 Speaker 1: of the ways that you can remain a threat off 463 00:23:37,119 --> 00:23:39,720 Speaker 1: ball is not just shooting, but cutting to the basket, 464 00:23:39,880 --> 00:23:45,080 Speaker 1: and particularly um Jared Vanderbilt and Lori Marken In every 465 00:23:45,119 --> 00:23:48,320 Speaker 1: time that like Lebron would be keyed in on the basketball, 466 00:23:48,359 --> 00:23:50,239 Speaker 1: they would just like face cut, like cut right in 467 00:23:50,240 --> 00:23:53,480 Speaker 1: front of Lebron's face, and rather than him paying attention 468 00:23:53,520 --> 00:23:55,600 Speaker 1: and checking the cutter, he'd be late and they would 469 00:23:55,600 --> 00:23:58,080 Speaker 1: just quit catch and finish. And Mike Conley did such 470 00:23:58,080 --> 00:24:00,480 Speaker 1: a good job of making the Lakers pay every time 471 00:24:00,520 --> 00:24:03,280 Speaker 1: they got lazy in their off ball defense. And then 472 00:24:03,640 --> 00:24:05,960 Speaker 1: the so that was just an ugly game for the Lakers, 473 00:24:05,960 --> 00:24:09,600 Speaker 1: and then the Cleveland game. They're massive on the interior, 474 00:24:09,640 --> 00:24:14,080 Speaker 1: they're very good paint defense, and so so basically, when 475 00:24:14,160 --> 00:24:17,480 Speaker 1: you have downhill threats like Lebron, Anthony Davis and Russ 476 00:24:17,520 --> 00:24:20,800 Speaker 1: and the worst perimeter shooting team in the league, you're 477 00:24:20,880 --> 00:24:23,720 Speaker 1: basically driving at Jared Allen and Evan Mobili all game long, 478 00:24:23,760 --> 00:24:25,760 Speaker 1: it's gonna go poorly. So I was worried about that. 479 00:24:26,119 --> 00:24:27,560 Speaker 1: And then on the other end of the floor, the 480 00:24:27,640 --> 00:24:30,520 Speaker 1: Cleveland Cavaliers are an outstanding pull up jump shooting team, 481 00:24:30,520 --> 00:24:33,040 Speaker 1: which is another one of the great ways to beat 482 00:24:33,080 --> 00:24:36,280 Speaker 1: a drop coverage, which is Darvin Hamm's bread and butter coverage. 483 00:24:36,280 --> 00:24:39,480 Speaker 1: So it's kind of a two way, uh bad matchup 484 00:24:39,600 --> 00:24:41,600 Speaker 1: for the Lakers. And for the record, the Lakers came 485 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:43,720 Speaker 1: out and played a really really good first half of 486 00:24:43,800 --> 00:24:47,600 Speaker 1: things really fell apart in that third quarter. And you know, 487 00:24:48,280 --> 00:24:52,320 Speaker 1: I wanted to specifically highlight the value of pull up 488 00:24:52,359 --> 00:24:54,879 Speaker 1: jump shooting. How it's driving Cleveland right now. So in 489 00:24:54,920 --> 00:24:59,000 Speaker 1: that particular game, Karris LeVert, Darius Garland, and Donovan Mitchell 490 00:24:59,040 --> 00:25:01,840 Speaker 1: combined to go nine for seventeen on pull up jump shots, 491 00:25:01,880 --> 00:25:06,120 Speaker 1: which is over. It's it's not just about like, oh, 492 00:25:06,200 --> 00:25:09,320 Speaker 1: he makes a tough step like Donovan Mitchell sticks a stuff, 493 00:25:09,400 --> 00:25:13,240 Speaker 1: a tough step back over Lonnie Walker that rescues a possession. Yes, 494 00:25:13,440 --> 00:25:15,199 Speaker 1: rescuing a possession is a big part of it, but 495 00:25:15,240 --> 00:25:18,880 Speaker 1: it's about beating the coverage in all game long. Darius 496 00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:21,800 Speaker 1: Garland in particular and Donovan Mitchell were getting over the 497 00:25:21,800 --> 00:25:25,080 Speaker 1: top of the screen, getting downhill, biggest, too far back, 498 00:25:25,560 --> 00:25:28,280 Speaker 1: rise and fire from fifteen feet and they knock it down. 499 00:25:28,359 --> 00:25:32,760 Speaker 1: That is why that skill is so incredibly valuable. And 500 00:25:32,840 --> 00:25:36,320 Speaker 1: you juxtapose that with the Lakers, who are by far 501 00:25:36,480 --> 00:25:38,440 Speaker 1: the worst pull up jump shooting team in the league, 502 00:25:38,440 --> 00:25:40,360 Speaker 1: they're dead last, and pull up jump shots made per 503 00:25:40,359 --> 00:25:43,720 Speaker 1: game at five point three twenty nine is seven makes 504 00:25:43,760 --> 00:25:46,320 Speaker 1: per game, so they're significantly behind the rest of the field, 505 00:25:46,560 --> 00:25:51,480 Speaker 1: and they're dead last in percentage at below. Cleveland is 506 00:25:51,520 --> 00:25:53,840 Speaker 1: eighth in makes, pull up jump shot makes per game 507 00:25:53,880 --> 00:25:57,400 Speaker 1: in sixth in percentage by comparison, So you can see 508 00:25:57,400 --> 00:26:00,600 Speaker 1: that that that specific problem is is manifesting for the 509 00:26:00,640 --> 00:26:02,520 Speaker 1: Lakers on a bunch of different fronts. They don't we 510 00:26:02,560 --> 00:26:04,719 Speaker 1: focus so much on the perimeter shooting as it pertains 511 00:26:04,760 --> 00:26:08,720 Speaker 1: to spacing, but Lebron just completely losing his pull up 512 00:26:08,760 --> 00:26:11,040 Speaker 1: jump shot, which has been one of the most reliable 513 00:26:11,040 --> 00:26:13,760 Speaker 1: part of parts of his game basically from two thousand 514 00:26:13,880 --> 00:26:17,760 Speaker 1: seventeen to two thousand twenty one. Like that, him losing 515 00:26:17,800 --> 00:26:20,520 Speaker 1: that from his game so far to start this season 516 00:26:20,560 --> 00:26:23,479 Speaker 1: has been really problematic because Russell Westbrook can't do it, 517 00:26:23,720 --> 00:26:26,399 Speaker 1: Kendrick Nunne completely forgot how to play, you know, like that. 518 00:26:26,680 --> 00:26:29,520 Speaker 1: Without the team just has no pull up jump shooting, 519 00:26:29,520 --> 00:26:32,520 Speaker 1: so they're never forcing teams to go over the top 520 00:26:32,520 --> 00:26:35,280 Speaker 1: of screens, at least not often enough for to manifest 521 00:26:35,320 --> 00:26:39,800 Speaker 1: in real offense offensive advantage creation. It's a big problem 522 00:26:39,840 --> 00:26:41,560 Speaker 1: but shout out to Donovan Mitchell. He was the best 523 00:26:41,600 --> 00:26:44,320 Speaker 1: player on the floor in this game by a mile. 524 00:26:44,720 --> 00:26:48,120 Speaker 1: Had absolutely no problem getting to his spots all game long. 525 00:26:48,200 --> 00:26:51,000 Speaker 1: You could see it, dripping with confidence all game long, 526 00:26:51,080 --> 00:26:54,080 Speaker 1: talking to people courtside, just a swagger from him on 527 00:26:54,119 --> 00:26:56,640 Speaker 1: the court, and he controlled that game. He has been 528 00:26:56,640 --> 00:26:58,359 Speaker 1: one of the five best players in the league to 529 00:26:58,400 --> 00:27:02,080 Speaker 1: start this season. He's firmly in early m VP debates, 530 00:27:02,560 --> 00:27:04,679 Speaker 1: and when we do our first top ten Players of 531 00:27:04,680 --> 00:27:06,760 Speaker 1: the regular season list, which I think is coming on 532 00:27:06,800 --> 00:27:10,920 Speaker 1: Thursday this week, he will absolutely be featured very high 533 00:27:10,960 --> 00:27:14,280 Speaker 1: on that list. The Lakers tried to match his athleticism 534 00:27:14,320 --> 00:27:16,560 Speaker 1: with Lonnie Walker as an individual matchup, and he just 535 00:27:16,600 --> 00:27:20,520 Speaker 1: got absolutely barbecued. Um, So we have to kind of 536 00:27:20,520 --> 00:27:22,880 Speaker 1: like side Laker topics that I want to talk about 537 00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:26,040 Speaker 1: first is Lebron, who struggled really bad in the Utah game. 538 00:27:26,040 --> 00:27:27,920 Speaker 1: He's pretty solid in the Cleveland game. He's nine for 539 00:27:27,960 --> 00:27:30,520 Speaker 1: ten in the restricted area, looked a lot more explosive. 540 00:27:30,600 --> 00:27:32,840 Speaker 1: You could tell that the illness is at least fading 541 00:27:32,920 --> 00:27:35,560 Speaker 1: or he's starting to get over that a little bit. Um, 542 00:27:35,600 --> 00:27:38,560 Speaker 1: But he couldn't hit another He couldn't hit his perimeter shot. Again, 543 00:27:38,960 --> 00:27:42,520 Speaker 1: there are specifically two things from Lebron that are really 544 00:27:42,600 --> 00:27:44,480 Speaker 1: hurting the Lakers. First of all, like we talked about 545 00:27:44,480 --> 00:27:46,880 Speaker 1: the pull up shooting, he's taking six of them per game, 546 00:27:46,920 --> 00:27:49,680 Speaker 1: but he's only making of him. He's the only guy 547 00:27:49,720 --> 00:27:51,359 Speaker 1: on the team that can bring that skill, so they 548 00:27:51,440 --> 00:27:54,000 Speaker 1: need him to get that going. But the big part, 549 00:27:54,040 --> 00:27:56,280 Speaker 1: and this is something that we're not talking about nearly enough, 550 00:27:56,720 --> 00:27:59,520 Speaker 1: is he's not actually trying to turn the corner and 551 00:27:59,680 --> 00:28:02,600 Speaker 1: press sure the rim in pick and roll. So, for instance, 552 00:28:02,760 --> 00:28:05,639 Speaker 1: Russ leads the team, Russell Westbrook leads the team in 553 00:28:05,720 --> 00:28:09,159 Speaker 1: offensive writing among rotation players. Amongst guys that are actually 554 00:28:09,200 --> 00:28:12,119 Speaker 1: in the rotation, the team scores best when he's on 555 00:28:12,160 --> 00:28:14,960 Speaker 1: the floor compared to anybody else on the roster. Russ 556 00:28:14,960 --> 00:28:19,600 Speaker 1: and Anthony Davis lineups without Lebron are performing considerably better 557 00:28:19,640 --> 00:28:23,399 Speaker 1: than Lebron James Anthony Davis lineups without Russ. And the 558 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:27,160 Speaker 1: main reason why is Russ is attacking off of pick 559 00:28:27,200 --> 00:28:29,560 Speaker 1: and roll. He is picking up ahead of team and 560 00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:32,600 Speaker 1: he is getting downhill, which is collapsing the paint and 561 00:28:32,800 --> 00:28:36,159 Speaker 1: leading to advantages, which is the whole job for Russ, 562 00:28:36,200 --> 00:28:39,600 Speaker 1: Lebron and a d create advantages so that the rest 563 00:28:39,600 --> 00:28:41,440 Speaker 1: of the team can benefit from it. It's not a 564 00:28:41,440 --> 00:28:43,360 Speaker 1: one on one game. It's a five on five game. 565 00:28:43,400 --> 00:28:46,160 Speaker 1: But if everybody's playing one on one because nobody has 566 00:28:46,160 --> 00:28:48,600 Speaker 1: an advantage, you're gonna struggle. But if you turn it 567 00:28:48,640 --> 00:28:52,360 Speaker 1: into a one on oh because this guy's unguarded and 568 00:28:52,400 --> 00:28:55,200 Speaker 1: you've created an advantage, that's where you start to get 569 00:28:55,240 --> 00:28:58,040 Speaker 1: really high quality shots. And I'll give you an example. 570 00:28:58,080 --> 00:28:59,800 Speaker 1: Early in the third quarter, they go to they go 571 00:28:59,800 --> 00:29:01,440 Speaker 1: back to Russ with like eight and a half minutes 572 00:29:01,520 --> 00:29:03,560 Speaker 1: left in the third quarter because the Calves came out 573 00:29:03,600 --> 00:29:06,440 Speaker 1: and immediately went on like an eleven oh run. After 574 00:29:06,600 --> 00:29:11,320 Speaker 1: Lebron James layup and uh, they bring Russ in and 575 00:29:11,360 --> 00:29:12,840 Speaker 1: he runs a pick and roll with a d top 576 00:29:12,920 --> 00:29:16,800 Speaker 1: key and he gets downhill fast on Donovan Mitchell and 577 00:29:16,840 --> 00:29:18,400 Speaker 1: I might not even have been a pick and roll, 578 00:29:18,480 --> 00:29:20,840 Speaker 1: might have just been in isolation, but he gets fast 579 00:29:20,880 --> 00:29:23,920 Speaker 1: downhill and as a result, Jared All has to step 580 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:26,640 Speaker 1: up easy little lot pass. Anthony Davis is dunking and 581 00:29:26,680 --> 00:29:29,680 Speaker 1: hanging on the rim that's only open because the Russ 582 00:29:29,680 --> 00:29:34,280 Speaker 1: gets downhill. Everything depends on you getting downhill to create 583 00:29:34,320 --> 00:29:37,440 Speaker 1: those advantages Lebron when he runs pick and roll with 584 00:29:37,480 --> 00:29:40,680 Speaker 1: a d he there's no pace to it, there's no 585 00:29:41,320 --> 00:29:45,400 Speaker 1: intention to get downhill. He's coming over the top of 586 00:29:45,400 --> 00:29:47,480 Speaker 1: the screen, and a lot of times he's just picking 587 00:29:47,560 --> 00:29:51,240 Speaker 1: up the dribble and like throwing like a crappy like 588 00:29:51,320 --> 00:29:53,840 Speaker 1: swing pass to somebody who's not even open, who has 589 00:29:53,880 --> 00:29:55,680 Speaker 1: to like v cut back out to the perimeter to 590 00:29:55,720 --> 00:29:59,240 Speaker 1: catch the basketball. Or he's throwing like super low, difficult 591 00:29:59,560 --> 00:30:03,800 Speaker 1: pocket passes to Anthony Davis who's barely open. In those situations, 592 00:30:03,840 --> 00:30:07,440 Speaker 1: he's not being very intentional about creating an advantage as 593 00:30:07,480 --> 00:30:09,800 Speaker 1: he comes over the top of those screens, which is 594 00:30:09,920 --> 00:30:13,400 Speaker 1: literally the only purpose to why you do that. So 595 00:30:13,440 --> 00:30:16,080 Speaker 1: not only does it kill. I'll give you an example. 596 00:30:17,000 --> 00:30:19,760 Speaker 1: There are forty eight players in the NBA that have 597 00:30:19,840 --> 00:30:23,280 Speaker 1: registered at least forty possessions as a pick and roll 598 00:30:23,360 --> 00:30:27,320 Speaker 1: ball handler this year. Forty eight players at least forty possessions. 599 00:30:27,800 --> 00:30:31,400 Speaker 1: Lebron is dead last and is scoring just zero point 600 00:30:31,480 --> 00:30:35,200 Speaker 1: five six points per possession in those situations. And it's 601 00:30:35,200 --> 00:30:38,560 Speaker 1: because he's being incredibly passive there, and that's a huge 602 00:30:38,640 --> 00:30:41,880 Speaker 1: part of the problem with the Lakers offense right now. 603 00:30:42,360 --> 00:30:47,160 Speaker 1: Now he was sick, and now Lonnie Walker sick, and 604 00:30:47,240 --> 00:30:50,440 Speaker 1: now Patrick Beverley sick. Anthony Davis said he caught it two. 605 00:30:50,440 --> 00:30:52,760 Speaker 1: So there's a little bug going around the Lakers. I 606 00:30:52,800 --> 00:30:54,560 Speaker 1: want to cut him some slack. And he did look 607 00:30:54,560 --> 00:30:56,800 Speaker 1: a lot better against Cleveland than he had in in 608 00:30:56,840 --> 00:31:01,760 Speaker 1: recent games. But Lebron's inability to make jump shots, in 609 00:31:01,840 --> 00:31:05,160 Speaker 1: him not being aggressive in pick and roll, those two 610 00:31:05,200 --> 00:31:08,400 Speaker 1: things are a huge problem for the Lakers right now. Yes, 611 00:31:08,400 --> 00:31:12,120 Speaker 1: they're two and seven, but their fifth in defense. The 612 00:31:12,200 --> 00:31:15,800 Speaker 1: Lakers are literally fifth in defense after having the third 613 00:31:15,800 --> 00:31:19,080 Speaker 1: toughest schedule in the league according to ESPN, literally a 614 00:31:19,160 --> 00:31:23,320 Speaker 1: playoff team every single night. That's how difficult their schedule 615 00:31:23,360 --> 00:31:28,200 Speaker 1: has been. And they're getting stops. So getting the offense 616 00:31:28,240 --> 00:31:31,440 Speaker 1: figured out is the difference between this team notching a 617 00:31:31,480 --> 00:31:34,760 Speaker 1: bunch of wins and continuing to flounder in the failure 618 00:31:34,960 --> 00:31:37,640 Speaker 1: failure that they've been floundering in. So the Labarn thing 619 00:31:37,680 --> 00:31:40,440 Speaker 1: is worth keeping an eye on now. I I anticipate 620 00:31:40,520 --> 00:31:43,080 Speaker 1: that he'll figure it out, but let's be clear about 621 00:31:43,400 --> 00:31:46,440 Speaker 1: what's happened to this point in the season. Blast Out 622 00:31:46,440 --> 00:31:49,640 Speaker 1: of the Lakers Anthony Davis, so Bill Simmons started a 623 00:31:49,640 --> 00:31:53,040 Speaker 1: little bit of a fire last night when he said 624 00:31:53,080 --> 00:31:55,920 Speaker 1: that he had been hearing rumors um that Anthony Davis 625 00:31:56,000 --> 00:31:59,400 Speaker 1: might be available for trade. And then I also saw 626 00:31:59,440 --> 00:32:02,080 Speaker 1: something that said Hon Coward might have seconded that, but 627 00:32:02,240 --> 00:32:04,480 Speaker 1: I didn't actually specifically see that audio, so I'm not 628 00:32:04,520 --> 00:32:07,680 Speaker 1: a percent sure, but I did think that was interesting, 629 00:32:07,680 --> 00:32:10,280 Speaker 1: and that was kind of the talk that was dominating, uh, 630 00:32:10,320 --> 00:32:12,680 Speaker 1: you know, Twitter today. It was just like, is Anthony 631 00:32:12,720 --> 00:32:14,640 Speaker 1: Davis gonna be traded? Who would you trade him to? 632 00:32:14,800 --> 00:32:16,400 Speaker 1: You know, why would they trade him? That sort of thing. 633 00:32:17,080 --> 00:32:18,680 Speaker 1: First of all, he's been the best player in the 634 00:32:18,720 --> 00:32:21,600 Speaker 1: Lakers by a mile so far this year. He's not 635 00:32:21,680 --> 00:32:24,960 Speaker 1: what he was offensively, not even close, but I think 636 00:32:24,960 --> 00:32:28,000 Speaker 1: he's been the best defensive player in the league and 637 00:32:28,120 --> 00:32:30,240 Speaker 1: probably is the front runner for defensive Player of the 638 00:32:30,280 --> 00:32:33,280 Speaker 1: Year if the Lakers could win enough games on the offensive. 639 00:32:33,280 --> 00:32:35,080 Speaker 1: And he's still giving you twenty three points per game 640 00:32:35,080 --> 00:32:38,760 Speaker 1: on fifty percentury shooting, which is fine, but obviously he's 641 00:32:38,760 --> 00:32:40,360 Speaker 1: got some ground to go there. But he's been so 642 00:32:40,440 --> 00:32:43,720 Speaker 1: good defensively that he's right around the tenth best player 643 00:32:43,720 --> 00:32:46,400 Speaker 1: in the league right now, which is good. He's doing 644 00:32:46,440 --> 00:32:48,719 Speaker 1: his job a d is doing his part. I've been 645 00:32:48,720 --> 00:32:50,880 Speaker 1: critical of him in the past. I wish he could 646 00:32:50,880 --> 00:32:53,920 Speaker 1: get it together offensively. He's had some bad defensive games 647 00:32:53,920 --> 00:32:55,760 Speaker 1: this season, but for the most part, he's been great. 648 00:32:56,440 --> 00:32:59,479 Speaker 1: I don't think there's any reason to trade Anthony Davis. 649 00:33:00,120 --> 00:33:04,560 Speaker 1: Tanking is pointless. They don't own their pick, Like if 650 00:33:04,560 --> 00:33:07,200 Speaker 1: they have a terrible season this year, the Pelicans have 651 00:33:07,240 --> 00:33:09,000 Speaker 1: the right to swap with them, and if they have 652 00:33:09,040 --> 00:33:10,600 Speaker 1: a great season this year, then they'll just take their 653 00:33:10,640 --> 00:33:13,360 Speaker 1: pick the following season. So there's just no advantage to 654 00:33:13,400 --> 00:33:16,600 Speaker 1: tank it. You're also not gonna get any value for 655 00:33:16,720 --> 00:33:19,600 Speaker 1: him aside from draft capital. The quality of players you're 656 00:33:19,640 --> 00:33:21,600 Speaker 1: gonna get back for Anthony Davis are gonna be like 657 00:33:21,640 --> 00:33:24,760 Speaker 1: what the Jazz got for Gobert Rotation level NBA players 658 00:33:25,760 --> 00:33:28,600 Speaker 1: and a bunch of draft picks. So the only value 659 00:33:28,600 --> 00:33:32,680 Speaker 1: there is draft capital, which doesn't benefit this particular window. 660 00:33:34,160 --> 00:33:37,520 Speaker 1: So I just don't really see the point. Now, there 661 00:33:37,560 --> 00:33:40,960 Speaker 1: are two scenarios where I could see the Lakers trading 662 00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:45,680 Speaker 1: Anthony Davis during this season. First is Katie becomes available 663 00:33:46,920 --> 00:33:50,720 Speaker 1: and somehow Brooklyn says I'd rather have Anthony Davis in 664 00:33:50,760 --> 00:33:55,720 Speaker 1: two First, round picks than DeAndre Ayton or Michail Bridges 665 00:33:55,880 --> 00:33:58,080 Speaker 1: or or did Jalen Brown or any of the other 666 00:33:58,280 --> 00:34:01,480 Speaker 1: packages that were out there, if you were under the impression, 667 00:34:01,520 --> 00:34:03,360 Speaker 1: like Brooklyn calls you and goes, we will do this 668 00:34:03,440 --> 00:34:05,520 Speaker 1: deal right now, give us Anthony Davis in two first 669 00:34:05,560 --> 00:34:09,399 Speaker 1: round picks. Rob Blinka says, yes, like I genuinely believe 670 00:34:09,440 --> 00:34:12,440 Speaker 1: that he would. But that's that's that's one of the 671 00:34:12,440 --> 00:34:14,719 Speaker 1: potential scenarios. The only other one I could think of 672 00:34:14,800 --> 00:34:18,520 Speaker 1: is if Lebron like had a season ending injury and 673 00:34:18,560 --> 00:34:22,160 Speaker 1: Anthony Davis was still healthy, and the Lakers are pretty 674 00:34:22,160 --> 00:34:25,120 Speaker 1: sure after all these years that he's not their franchise cornerstone, 675 00:34:25,440 --> 00:34:27,640 Speaker 1: so they opt to go full rebuild because they know 676 00:34:27,760 --> 00:34:33,480 Speaker 1: Lebron's careers basically over, and Anthony Davis um can fetch, 677 00:34:33,719 --> 00:34:36,600 Speaker 1: you know, some trade assets and help them kind of 678 00:34:36,600 --> 00:34:39,399 Speaker 1: spark or rebuild. But that's those are the only two 679 00:34:39,520 --> 00:34:41,840 Speaker 1: scenarios where I could see that happening this season, and 680 00:34:41,840 --> 00:34:44,400 Speaker 1: I view both of those as extremely unlikely. So I 681 00:34:44,440 --> 00:34:46,520 Speaker 1: don't think it's happening. I don't think they're just gonna 682 00:34:46,880 --> 00:34:49,440 Speaker 1: send him to the Knicks or to the Warriors in 683 00:34:49,520 --> 00:34:52,160 Speaker 1: exchange for role players. I don't I don't see that happening. 684 00:34:52,760 --> 00:34:57,000 Speaker 1: Now here's what I would do, um if I I 685 00:34:57,040 --> 00:35:00,400 Speaker 1: would go all in with this particular group, So I 686 00:35:00,400 --> 00:35:03,200 Speaker 1: would trade Russell Westbrook. And first of all, I know 687 00:35:03,280 --> 00:35:05,560 Speaker 1: Russell Westbrook has been pretty good as of late, but 688 00:35:05,600 --> 00:35:07,920 Speaker 1: he's still very volatile. He still very up and down. 689 00:35:07,960 --> 00:35:09,839 Speaker 1: And the Lakers, by the way, or the second worst 690 00:35:09,880 --> 00:35:13,160 Speaker 1: transition defense in the league, and so turnovers and miss 691 00:35:13,239 --> 00:35:15,520 Speaker 1: layups and things can be very detrimental to them. It's 692 00:35:15,520 --> 00:35:20,239 Speaker 1: almost like pick sixes and Russell Westbrook in that Cleveland game, 693 00:35:20,280 --> 00:35:22,680 Speaker 1: in a really bad second half for the game, he 694 00:35:22,719 --> 00:35:27,000 Speaker 1: had ten more miss layups and turnovers, which you know 695 00:35:27,080 --> 00:35:30,640 Speaker 1: helps hurt the Lakers in transition defense. He's been better, 696 00:35:30,880 --> 00:35:35,960 Speaker 1: a lot better, uh in fact, aggregate good during this 697 00:35:36,040 --> 00:35:39,040 Speaker 1: season compared to bad the way he was last season. 698 00:35:39,040 --> 00:35:42,080 Speaker 1: So Russ has been better. However, the best way to 699 00:35:42,200 --> 00:35:46,120 Speaker 1: upgrade the team remains his salary, a massive salary that 700 00:35:46,160 --> 00:35:49,880 Speaker 1: can bring back multiple players in conjunction with multiple draft picks. 701 00:35:50,600 --> 00:35:53,040 Speaker 1: So I would go all in with the Westbrook trade. 702 00:35:53,880 --> 00:35:58,160 Speaker 1: Then what you do is you've put the fate of 703 00:35:58,200 --> 00:36:00,600 Speaker 1: the season and Lebron James and Anthony Days his hands. 704 00:36:00,680 --> 00:36:03,000 Speaker 1: If you bring back Buddy Yield and Miles Turner just 705 00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:06,080 Speaker 1: to make it easy. Now you're giving them Patrick Beverley, 706 00:36:06,160 --> 00:36:09,040 Speaker 1: you know, or Lonnie Walker, Buddy Yield, you know, Lebron, James, 707 00:36:09,080 --> 00:36:12,239 Speaker 1: Anthony Davis, Miles Turner. Now all these guys like, uh, 708 00:36:12,280 --> 00:36:14,239 Speaker 1: you know, Troy Brown Junior and Austin Reeves are in 709 00:36:14,280 --> 00:36:16,800 Speaker 1: benchrolls where they probably belong at this phase in their careers. 710 00:36:17,040 --> 00:36:20,080 Speaker 1: Everything starts to make more sense. If they lose, Like, 711 00:36:20,120 --> 00:36:23,440 Speaker 1: if they still suck, that's Lebron and Anthony Davis's fault. 712 00:36:23,440 --> 00:36:26,440 Speaker 1: It's because they weren't good enough. So if they're not 713 00:36:26,520 --> 00:36:30,560 Speaker 1: good enough anymore after a full season, then you know 714 00:36:30,719 --> 00:36:34,920 Speaker 1: for sure that that can't be your core anymore. So 715 00:36:35,000 --> 00:36:38,400 Speaker 1: that's when you can do something like either you decide like, okay, 716 00:36:38,440 --> 00:36:40,560 Speaker 1: e d is worth salvaging, So I'm gonna trade Lebron 717 00:36:40,719 --> 00:36:43,840 Speaker 1: and I'm gonna refill my draft a stash. Okay, I 718 00:36:43,920 --> 00:36:46,920 Speaker 1: lost two picks to Indiana and the Heeled trade, but 719 00:36:47,320 --> 00:36:50,160 Speaker 1: we sucked. The season was a disaster, so I traded Lebron. 720 00:36:50,200 --> 00:36:52,320 Speaker 1: Now I have three more first round draft picks. Or 721 00:36:52,360 --> 00:36:55,480 Speaker 1: maybe it's like we're keeping Lebron, but Anthony Davis keeps 722 00:36:55,480 --> 00:36:58,040 Speaker 1: getting hurt. We can't keep. Okay, we're gonna trade Anthony Davis. 723 00:36:58,040 --> 00:37:00,200 Speaker 1: Now we got two more draft picks back, you know, 724 00:37:00,360 --> 00:37:02,640 Speaker 1: or heck, maybe it's both. Like Lebron and a d 725 00:37:02,760 --> 00:37:05,080 Speaker 1: out the window. Here comes six draft picks and a 726 00:37:05,080 --> 00:37:07,480 Speaker 1: bunch of you know, young players. Like who knows what 727 00:37:07,520 --> 00:37:09,560 Speaker 1: that looks like. But the point is is, like everyone 728 00:37:09,600 --> 00:37:12,400 Speaker 1: talks about these two Laker draft picks like they're the 729 00:37:12,480 --> 00:37:14,880 Speaker 1: last draft picks the Lakers will ever own, and that 730 00:37:14,960 --> 00:37:17,240 Speaker 1: they don't have the flexibility or the capability of bringing 731 00:37:17,239 --> 00:37:20,360 Speaker 1: in future draft assets. Yes, they do trade the picks, 732 00:37:20,480 --> 00:37:23,600 Speaker 1: trade Russ, bring in role players, give Lebron and Anthony 733 00:37:23,680 --> 00:37:25,680 Speaker 1: Davis a real chance to win this season. If they 734 00:37:25,719 --> 00:37:28,799 Speaker 1: do great, If not, then you blow it up. And 735 00:37:28,840 --> 00:37:31,160 Speaker 1: when you blow it up, you're able to recoup those 736 00:37:31,239 --> 00:37:34,520 Speaker 1: draft assets. This is a this is a process that 737 00:37:34,560 --> 00:37:37,400 Speaker 1: has been done many times in NBA history. There's a 738 00:37:37,400 --> 00:37:40,520 Speaker 1: playbook out for this kind of thing, you know. And 739 00:37:40,520 --> 00:37:42,840 Speaker 1: and like, I don't even know that I've never understood 740 00:37:42,840 --> 00:37:44,680 Speaker 1: the session with the draft picks, and I really don't 741 00:37:44,760 --> 00:37:46,879 Speaker 1: understand the obsession with the cap space if they didn't 742 00:37:46,880 --> 00:37:49,520 Speaker 1: do anything. Next year's free agent classes are really bad. 743 00:37:49,560 --> 00:37:53,160 Speaker 1: It's not a good year to have cap space. So 744 00:37:53,200 --> 00:37:55,759 Speaker 1: that again, that's just what I would do if I 745 00:37:55,760 --> 00:37:57,400 Speaker 1: was running the Lakers, and you know, but I'm not 746 00:37:57,440 --> 00:37:59,319 Speaker 1: in the chair. Rob Blinker runs the team. We're gonna 747 00:37:59,320 --> 00:38:01,640 Speaker 1: find out sooner, not all right quickly, before we get 748 00:38:01,680 --> 00:38:04,400 Speaker 1: out of here. I wanted to shout out Kevin durant 749 00:38:06,480 --> 00:38:10,680 Speaker 1: Um after the Kyrie suspension. I talked about how it 750 00:38:10,800 --> 00:38:13,560 Speaker 1: was going to require a herculean performance from k D 751 00:38:14,360 --> 00:38:17,880 Speaker 1: to keep this team afloat in the meantime, and I 752 00:38:17,960 --> 00:38:20,080 Speaker 1: predicted that they would go one in four in their 753 00:38:20,080 --> 00:38:22,280 Speaker 1: next five games stretched the the you know, the window 754 00:38:22,320 --> 00:38:25,480 Speaker 1: of ka Kyrie suspension, and they've already proved me wrong 755 00:38:25,480 --> 00:38:28,160 Speaker 1: because they've gone to a O. And what's funny is 756 00:38:28,200 --> 00:38:32,080 Speaker 1: there's nothing exceptional in the stats. KAD average nine and 757 00:38:32,080 --> 00:38:35,399 Speaker 1: seven over this two game span from the field and 758 00:38:36,080 --> 00:38:40,160 Speaker 1: from three, arguably below what you would expect statistically from 759 00:38:40,200 --> 00:38:42,960 Speaker 1: Kevin durant But as I've always said, that's just the 760 00:38:43,000 --> 00:38:45,640 Speaker 1: worst way to evaluate talent. We're looking at so many 761 00:38:45,680 --> 00:38:47,680 Speaker 1: different areas of the game, and I hope we've done 762 00:38:47,719 --> 00:38:50,080 Speaker 1: a good job of explaining that over the course of 763 00:38:50,080 --> 00:38:53,680 Speaker 1: this show. Um, but from the start of those games, 764 00:38:53,840 --> 00:38:56,600 Speaker 1: the energy was just different than it was in any 765 00:38:56,640 --> 00:39:00,480 Speaker 1: of the other Nets games this season. You know, Katie 766 00:39:00,600 --> 00:39:03,480 Speaker 1: himself said after the game quote, I just think we 767 00:39:03,600 --> 00:39:06,600 Speaker 1: rallied around each other. It was a tough week for us, 768 00:39:07,200 --> 00:39:09,439 Speaker 1: and it's always good to just get back to the game. 769 00:39:10,160 --> 00:39:12,719 Speaker 1: Once the ball is tipped, all the bullshit goes out 770 00:39:12,800 --> 00:39:16,839 Speaker 1: the window, and you could tangibly see that from the 771 00:39:16,880 --> 00:39:19,640 Speaker 1: team in this game. In those two games, Katie came 772 00:39:19,640 --> 00:39:22,920 Speaker 1: out super engaged from the start on both ends of 773 00:39:22,920 --> 00:39:25,239 Speaker 1: the floor. He took care of the basketball, which is 774 00:39:25,280 --> 00:39:26,920 Speaker 1: something he hasn't done all season. He only had five 775 00:39:26,920 --> 00:39:29,719 Speaker 1: turnovers total in the two games. He defended the rim well. 776 00:39:29,719 --> 00:39:32,120 Speaker 1: He had four blocks, and the whole team responded. What 777 00:39:32,200 --> 00:39:34,319 Speaker 1: are the two things that have destroyed the Brooklyn Nets 778 00:39:34,360 --> 00:39:38,560 Speaker 1: this year? Defending and grabbing rebounds. In the two wins, 779 00:39:38,800 --> 00:39:42,640 Speaker 1: they grabbed fort of available rebounds, which is solid. That 780 00:39:42,680 --> 00:39:46,160 Speaker 1: means they just barely got out rebounded instead of getting destroyed. 781 00:39:46,680 --> 00:39:48,719 Speaker 1: And then they notched a defensive rating of ninety four, 782 00:39:48,760 --> 00:39:53,680 Speaker 1: which is outstanding, and particularly against the Wizards team which 783 00:39:53,719 --> 00:39:57,640 Speaker 1: has a lot of offensive talent. So you know, essentially 784 00:39:58,400 --> 00:40:00,600 Speaker 1: they got Kyrie out of the picture a little bit. 785 00:40:01,200 --> 00:40:06,880 Speaker 1: The distraction was gone. Kadi was a pent Kevin freaking Durant. 786 00:40:07,719 --> 00:40:11,359 Speaker 1: The role players were galvanized by that. And they want 787 00:40:11,360 --> 00:40:14,560 Speaker 1: a couple of basketball games. Now, are they going to 788 00:40:14,560 --> 00:40:17,560 Speaker 1: continue to win basketball games? I don't know, Probably not. 789 00:40:17,600 --> 00:40:20,239 Speaker 1: They don't have enough talent, and so I still think 790 00:40:20,239 --> 00:40:23,080 Speaker 1: this has headed towards the thing blowing up. But what 791 00:40:23,360 --> 00:40:27,200 Speaker 1: it was just a great example of how a stars 792 00:40:27,320 --> 00:40:30,760 Speaker 1: engagement level is so important for the rest of the team, 793 00:40:30,800 --> 00:40:33,960 Speaker 1: and also just how good Kevin freaking Durant still is 794 00:40:34,000 --> 00:40:37,799 Speaker 1: at basketball. You know, I tweeted that night, I hope 795 00:40:37,840 --> 00:40:40,279 Speaker 1: someone rescues him so I can watch him play some 796 00:40:40,360 --> 00:40:43,279 Speaker 1: meaningful basketball. You know, it's funny. The the irony of 797 00:40:43,320 --> 00:40:47,040 Speaker 1: the k D Kyrie partnership is they're so they're wired 798 00:40:47,120 --> 00:40:51,560 Speaker 1: very differently. Katie is like the first thing in his 799 00:40:51,640 --> 00:40:55,760 Speaker 1: life is basketball, and then spots two through five are vacant, 800 00:40:56,400 --> 00:40:58,560 Speaker 1: and then I don't even know what six is, video 801 00:40:58,560 --> 00:41:00,879 Speaker 1: games or who down knows me like something like that. 802 00:41:01,520 --> 00:41:04,040 Speaker 1: Basketball is all that matters to him. It's his favorite 803 00:41:04,080 --> 00:41:05,879 Speaker 1: thing to do in the world. It's all he cares about. 804 00:41:05,920 --> 00:41:10,359 Speaker 1: When anything interferes with that, he hates it. And he's 805 00:41:10,360 --> 00:41:12,880 Speaker 1: been thrust into this situation. I shouldn't even say thrust. 806 00:41:13,000 --> 00:41:15,600 Speaker 1: He willingly went into the situation with Kyrie, a player 807 00:41:15,640 --> 00:41:22,880 Speaker 1: who frequently gets distracted from basketball, and it's massively undercut 808 00:41:23,320 --> 00:41:27,000 Speaker 1: his ability to achieve his goals in this environment. Katie 809 00:41:27,040 --> 00:41:29,960 Speaker 1: is a hooper. He deserves to be in a situation 810 00:41:29,960 --> 00:41:32,560 Speaker 1: where he can just play basketball and not have to 811 00:41:32,560 --> 00:41:35,359 Speaker 1: worry about any of this stuff. And selfishly, as a 812 00:41:35,360 --> 00:41:37,040 Speaker 1: fan of the game of basketball and is a fan 813 00:41:37,080 --> 00:41:39,000 Speaker 1: of k D, I want him to play on a 814 00:41:39,040 --> 00:41:41,640 Speaker 1: good team because I want to see k D play 815 00:41:41,760 --> 00:41:46,400 Speaker 1: meaningful basketball late into May and into early June, so 816 00:41:46,440 --> 00:41:48,400 Speaker 1: I can see what he's capable of on that biggest 817 00:41:48,400 --> 00:41:51,600 Speaker 1: stage again like we've seen so many times in the past. 818 00:41:51,680 --> 00:41:53,160 Speaker 1: But I did. I did just want to shout out 819 00:41:53,239 --> 00:41:56,040 Speaker 1: KD for what I thought was a really, really impressive 820 00:41:56,520 --> 00:41:59,360 Speaker 1: couple of basketball games. All right. That is all we 821 00:41:59,440 --> 00:42:02,080 Speaker 1: have for to night. Obviously a ton more games going 822 00:42:02,120 --> 00:42:06,120 Speaker 1: on while we're even recording this show, But tomorrow, I 823 00:42:06,160 --> 00:42:09,440 Speaker 1: believe at six pm Eastern time, we are going to 824 00:42:09,480 --> 00:42:13,360 Speaker 1: be live on AMP going over the late night slate 825 00:42:14,120 --> 00:42:18,080 Speaker 1: from tonight's games, and then Wednesday, we're going live on 826 00:42:18,160 --> 00:42:22,280 Speaker 1: AMP after Nick's nets and then live on YouTube after 827 00:42:22,480 --> 00:42:26,120 Speaker 1: Lakers Clippers. As always, I sincerely appreciate your guys support 828 00:42:26,440 --> 00:43:32,760 Speaker 1: and I will see you next time. The volume