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I hope all of you guys are 36 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:26,400 Speaker 1: having a great week. So far. We are down to 37 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:30,040 Speaker 1: the final two players in our top twenty five list 38 00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:31,880 Speaker 1: that we've been working on here for the last couple 39 00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:34,560 Speaker 1: of weeks. We'll be doing number two today. You guys 40 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:36,840 Speaker 1: know the drill before we get started. Subscribe to the 41 00:02:36,880 --> 00:02:39,400 Speaker 1: Volumes YouTube channels. You don't miss any more of our content. 42 00:02:39,639 --> 00:02:42,359 Speaker 1: Follow me on Twitter at underscore Jason lt S. You 43 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:45,200 Speaker 1: guys don't miss any show announcements or any other video 44 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:47,320 Speaker 1: content that I produce on Twitter. And then, last but 45 00:02:47,360 --> 00:02:49,400 Speaker 1: not least, if you guys missed one of these videos 46 00:02:49,400 --> 00:02:51,840 Speaker 1: and you can't get back to YouTube to finish them, 47 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:55,440 Speaker 1: we do release them in audio form wherever you get 48 00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:59,880 Speaker 1: your podcasts. Under Hoops tonight. All right, number two another 49 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:03,720 Speaker 1: one of my favorite players in the league, Mr Steph Curry. 50 00:03:03,840 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 1: This is gonna be a fun one. I've been looking 51 00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:07,680 Speaker 1: forward to this a lot over the course of the summer. 52 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:10,800 Speaker 1: This guy just deserves to have a ton of praise 53 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:14,520 Speaker 1: heaped on him this summer for what he accomplished in 54 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:19,359 Speaker 1: this past year. An unassailable playoff run to wipe clean 55 00:03:19,520 --> 00:03:22,560 Speaker 1: a rough couple of years, rough couple of years that 56 00:03:22,639 --> 00:03:25,680 Speaker 1: weren't his fault in my opinion, A rough couple of 57 00:03:25,760 --> 00:03:29,520 Speaker 1: years that all of his detractors used as an opportunity 58 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:33,440 Speaker 1: to pile dirt and prematurely berry Steph Curry when he 59 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:36,680 Speaker 1: very much had a lot left to say in his 60 00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:40,000 Speaker 1: basketball career. As you know, the year after the two 61 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:43,680 Speaker 1: thousand nineteen finals, Kevin Durant leaves, Clay Thompson has a 62 00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:47,480 Speaker 1: torn a c L, Steph Curry ends up breaking his hand, 63 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:49,880 Speaker 1: ends up missing the vast majority of that season. They 64 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:53,000 Speaker 1: missed the playoffs. Then the following year, it's kind of 65 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:56,320 Speaker 1: a weird, kind of like Bridge season, Clay still out, 66 00:03:56,320 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 1: but Steph Andre are there and actually healthy. But there 67 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:02,920 Speaker 1: is also like this weird priority to play the younger players. 68 00:04:03,480 --> 00:04:05,760 Speaker 1: Some of the role players that they picked, namely Camp 69 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:08,840 Speaker 1: Baysmore and Kelly Ubre ended up being bad fit spread 70 00:04:08,880 --> 00:04:12,600 Speaker 1: Wanamaker two where they just struggled in the Golden State system, 71 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:15,960 Speaker 1: which is designed to generate four on three opportunities and 72 00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:18,799 Speaker 1: you need smart players that are good at attacking closeouts 73 00:04:18,800 --> 00:04:21,719 Speaker 1: and making reads to their teammates. Just a funky season 74 00:04:22,040 --> 00:04:24,400 Speaker 1: where things didn't really come together and they missed the 75 00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:27,560 Speaker 1: playoffs again, in my opinion, not because of Steph. I 76 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:30,400 Speaker 1: thought that was Steph's best regular season of his career 77 00:04:30,440 --> 00:04:32,960 Speaker 1: when you factor in the way he was defended and 78 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:35,479 Speaker 1: the actual result of what he was doing on the 79 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:38,279 Speaker 1: offensive end. Of the floor. But even though Steph was 80 00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:41,800 Speaker 1: the best I had ever seen him offensively, it wasn't enough. 81 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:45,120 Speaker 1: Why because basketball is a team sports, something that we 82 00:04:45,200 --> 00:04:48,400 Speaker 1: talked about a ton over the course of the last week. 83 00:04:48,760 --> 00:04:51,880 Speaker 1: So coming into this season, they finally signed some smarter 84 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:54,680 Speaker 1: role players, players that are a little bit more cerebral 85 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:57,560 Speaker 1: with the way that they play, especially when they're in space. 86 00:04:57,880 --> 00:05:00,880 Speaker 1: Off of the attention that Steph Curry got, earners bringing 87 00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:04,680 Speaker 1: back on Darragudala getting out of Porter Jr. Gary Payton second, who, 88 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:06,680 Speaker 1: as many of you guys may not know, when he 89 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:09,240 Speaker 1: was in junior college one a Player of the Year award, 90 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:12,000 Speaker 1: primarily for what he was doing as a playmaker. This 91 00:05:12,040 --> 00:05:14,560 Speaker 1: is a guy that is gifted at putting the ball 92 00:05:14,560 --> 00:05:16,640 Speaker 1: on the floor and making plays. First teammates, one of 93 00:05:16,640 --> 00:05:19,720 Speaker 1: the unsung heroes of last year's playoff run. Just a 94 00:05:19,880 --> 00:05:24,640 Speaker 1: smarter group of players, no longer prioritizing the young players 95 00:05:24,680 --> 00:05:28,000 Speaker 1: unless Steve Kerr saw opportunities for them to fit in 96 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:31,400 Speaker 1: the rotation and small bursts, and the result was much better. 97 00:05:31,839 --> 00:05:34,760 Speaker 1: They dominated from the start of the season, and then 98 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:37,039 Speaker 1: we got into a playoff run where a couple of 99 00:05:37,040 --> 00:05:40,479 Speaker 1: things didn't go their way, Draymond Green recovering from a 100 00:05:40,520 --> 00:05:44,080 Speaker 1: back injury, Clay Thompson not being what he was defensively 101 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:47,240 Speaker 1: before his injury, and then Steph Curry sprains his foot 102 00:05:48,160 --> 00:05:50,760 Speaker 1: and misses a chunk of games right before the playoffs. 103 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:53,960 Speaker 1: Game one of the playoff series he gets Denver, ends 104 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:57,279 Speaker 1: up being his first game that he plays live in 105 00:05:57,320 --> 00:06:01,520 Speaker 1: a very long time, comes off the inch and kicks 106 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:04,960 Speaker 1: off arguably the most dominant playoff front of his career 107 00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:08,480 Speaker 1: when you factor in quality of competition as well as 108 00:06:08,520 --> 00:06:12,360 Speaker 1: the supporting cast he had at his disposal. Andrew Wiggins, 109 00:06:12,440 --> 00:06:15,120 Speaker 1: I thought was the best player on that roster not 110 00:06:15,240 --> 00:06:20,320 Speaker 1: named Steph Curry. That's an unassailable championship run. Wipes clean 111 00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:23,040 Speaker 1: so many of the stupid narratives that have followed step 112 00:06:23,200 --> 00:06:25,440 Speaker 1: throughout his career, and I'm really happy for him that 113 00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:27,520 Speaker 1: he had that moment. I'm I wanted to take a 114 00:06:27,560 --> 00:06:29,520 Speaker 1: second here. I'm sure some of you Warriors fans have 115 00:06:29,560 --> 00:06:32,960 Speaker 1: thought about this, specifically, Jason, Why aren't any other Warriors 116 00:06:33,440 --> 00:06:35,839 Speaker 1: in the top twenty five. It's really not all that 117 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:38,680 Speaker 1: complicated to me. The talent at the top of the 118 00:06:38,760 --> 00:06:43,160 Speaker 1: league is insanely deep and I would argue, right beneath 119 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:44,839 Speaker 1: where I started this list, which I think was the 120 00:06:44,839 --> 00:06:47,040 Speaker 1: top twenty nine players in the list, You're gonna hit 121 00:06:47,080 --> 00:06:49,400 Speaker 1: Draymond Green, You're gonna hit Jordan Pool, You're gonna hit 122 00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:52,480 Speaker 1: Clay Thompson in pretty quick order there. This is an 123 00:06:52,520 --> 00:06:56,440 Speaker 1: extremely smart team with a roster that's extremely well put together. 124 00:06:56,760 --> 00:06:59,640 Speaker 1: They don't have top end talent outside of Steph, but 125 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:03,600 Speaker 1: extremely competent down the roster. They had a lot of 126 00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:06,160 Speaker 1: wings that didn't even get into their rotation because how 127 00:07:06,200 --> 00:07:09,200 Speaker 1: deep they were, Guys like Damian Lee, Guys like Andrea Gudala. 128 00:07:09,240 --> 00:07:11,240 Speaker 1: For the most part during this playoff run, this was 129 00:07:11,280 --> 00:07:14,440 Speaker 1: an extremely well put together roster. They just didn't have 130 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:16,840 Speaker 1: top end talent outside of step That's why I didn't 131 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:19,000 Speaker 1: have other guys that made it on this list. But 132 00:07:19,080 --> 00:07:22,960 Speaker 1: Andrew Wiggins turned into a monstrous three and D player 133 00:07:23,040 --> 00:07:26,680 Speaker 1: in that playoff run. Clay Thompson timely scoring Draymond Green 134 00:07:26,720 --> 00:07:29,760 Speaker 1: every bit as Draymond greeny as he's ever been. But 135 00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:31,360 Speaker 1: I just don't think those guys are at the same 136 00:07:31,440 --> 00:07:34,440 Speaker 1: level of your Chris Paul's and Bradley Beals and guys 137 00:07:34,480 --> 00:07:37,080 Speaker 1: that didn't quite make the cut for the top twenty five. 138 00:07:37,280 --> 00:07:39,840 Speaker 1: So that's all that means. It's not disrespect to those guys. 139 00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:42,400 Speaker 1: I still think this team is extremely well put together 140 00:07:42,400 --> 00:07:44,600 Speaker 1: and has a ton of talent. But Steph is the 141 00:07:44,640 --> 00:07:47,560 Speaker 1: only top twenty five type of guy that was on 142 00:07:47,600 --> 00:07:50,880 Speaker 1: that roster, and hey, that's what makes it an unassailable 143 00:07:50,880 --> 00:07:53,640 Speaker 1: playoff run. That's why when we do all time rankings, 144 00:07:53,920 --> 00:07:56,680 Speaker 1: he's gonna be pretty damn high on my list. I 145 00:07:57,280 --> 00:08:00,640 Speaker 1: what he did with last year's roster was a sailable 146 00:08:00,880 --> 00:08:03,560 Speaker 1: and it deserves to be celebrated. All right, let's get 147 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:05,040 Speaker 1: into some numbers. You guys know the drill here. I'm 148 00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:06,840 Speaker 1: gonna go through some numbers. I want to do a 149 00:08:06,880 --> 00:08:08,760 Speaker 1: little bit more of a deep dive into steps slump 150 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:12,240 Speaker 1: this year because now in retrospect, it's super interesting. We're 151 00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:16,360 Speaker 1: gonna be doing strengths, weaknesses, biggest hope's, biggest fears, and 152 00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:20,480 Speaker 1: biggest what if at the end. All right, So this season, 153 00:08:21,880 --> 00:08:26,360 Speaker 1: Steph average twenty six, five and six on six shooting 154 00:08:27,280 --> 00:08:29,880 Speaker 1: hilarious because sixty percent true shooting is better than the 155 00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:31,920 Speaker 1: vast majority of the guys on this list. But it's 156 00:08:31,920 --> 00:08:34,600 Speaker 1: considered a down shooting year. For staff. But hey, that's 157 00:08:34,640 --> 00:08:36,320 Speaker 1: the being graded on a curve. There are a couple 158 00:08:36,320 --> 00:08:38,240 Speaker 1: of guys in the league that're great on a curve, 159 00:08:38,400 --> 00:08:42,479 Speaker 1: Lebron Steph janice Kd. These guys you just get so statistically, 160 00:08:43,040 --> 00:08:45,600 Speaker 1: are numb to what they do statistically that you see 161 00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:48,440 Speaker 1: some anomally that just looks normal and it's considered a 162 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:51,480 Speaker 1: down season, right, So that sixty percent true shooting was 163 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:55,480 Speaker 1: down six percent from last season, just for a little perspective, 164 00:08:55,480 --> 00:09:00,080 Speaker 1: and down seven percent from his unanimous MVP season. In 165 00:09:00,120 --> 00:09:02,760 Speaker 1: the postseason that went up to twenty seven points per game, 166 00:09:02,800 --> 00:09:05,720 Speaker 1: five rebounds, six assists on sixty one percent true shooting, 167 00:09:06,480 --> 00:09:10,160 Speaker 1: and then in the finals in particular, thirty one points 168 00:09:10,160 --> 00:09:13,520 Speaker 1: per game, six rebounds, five assists on sixty three percent 169 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:18,200 Speaker 1: true shooting. On the scoreboard, step was monumentally valuable in 170 00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:20,959 Speaker 1: two In two hundred and twenty five minutes versus Boston, 171 00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:24,640 Speaker 1: the Warriors were plus thirty five. In sixty three minutes 172 00:09:24,679 --> 00:09:28,920 Speaker 1: without Steph, they were minus eleven. It was the defining 173 00:09:29,040 --> 00:09:31,240 Speaker 1: run of Steph's career. We are going to spend a 174 00:09:31,240 --> 00:09:33,840 Speaker 1: lot of time talking about that, especially when we get 175 00:09:33,880 --> 00:09:35,920 Speaker 1: into the XS and O stuff from the NBA Finals 176 00:09:36,160 --> 00:09:38,800 Speaker 1: because I thought it was a super interesting gamble from Boston, 177 00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:42,640 Speaker 1: and Steph Curry made them pay in a big way. 178 00:09:42,920 --> 00:09:45,120 Speaker 1: All right, let's get into strengths. So I think Steph 179 00:09:45,120 --> 00:09:48,280 Speaker 1: Curry is the best offensive engine in basketball right now. 180 00:09:48,559 --> 00:09:50,800 Speaker 1: I think Lebron's the best offensive engine of this era 181 00:09:50,920 --> 00:09:53,240 Speaker 1: with a slight edge over Steph. But I think Steph 182 00:09:53,280 --> 00:09:55,360 Speaker 1: is the best offensive engine right now with a slight 183 00:09:55,440 --> 00:09:58,240 Speaker 1: edge over Lebron, and then shortly behind them, i'd have 184 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:02,560 Speaker 1: Luca and Yokich. Offensive engine is very different than what 185 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:06,000 Speaker 1: we get from a Kevin Durant or a Kawhi Leonard 186 00:10:06,120 --> 00:10:08,920 Speaker 1: or Jason Tatum or guys along those lines. To me, 187 00:10:09,080 --> 00:10:12,320 Speaker 1: an offensive engine is a player that you can count 188 00:10:12,400 --> 00:10:15,040 Speaker 1: on to Let's just say, in a regular game, you're 189 00:10:15,040 --> 00:10:17,520 Speaker 1: getting a hundred possessions just for the sake of making 190 00:10:17,559 --> 00:10:20,760 Speaker 1: the math easy. You know, these tip of the spear 191 00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:23,200 Speaker 1: type guys, you're Anthony davis Is, You're Kevin Durants, your 192 00:10:23,280 --> 00:10:27,280 Speaker 1: Kawhi Leonards. They're not going to control the vast majority 193 00:10:27,320 --> 00:10:30,720 Speaker 1: of those possessions, but for maybe thirty forty possessions, they're 194 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:33,480 Speaker 1: going to be really heavily involved. Your offensive engine types. 195 00:10:33,920 --> 00:10:37,320 Speaker 1: They're almost responsible for every fieldical attempt that gets generated 196 00:10:37,400 --> 00:10:40,320 Speaker 1: in one way or another, either directly through them scoring, 197 00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:43,240 Speaker 1: directly through them creating a shot for their teammate off 198 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:46,160 Speaker 1: the dribble or as a decoy, just with the way 199 00:10:46,160 --> 00:10:48,040 Speaker 1: that the defense is set up to handle what they 200 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:51,000 Speaker 1: do on a possession by possession basis. That's kind of 201 00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:54,400 Speaker 1: what I define as an offensive engine. Obviously, every player 202 00:10:54,440 --> 00:10:56,240 Speaker 1: is an offensive engine to some extent, but I do 203 00:10:56,280 --> 00:10:59,800 Speaker 1: think there's a barrier between the steph Lebron, Luca Yogis 204 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:02,040 Speaker 1: pipes and the guys that are behind them, just in 205 00:11:02,120 --> 00:11:05,480 Speaker 1: terms of how valuable they are to an offense generating 206 00:11:05,760 --> 00:11:09,320 Speaker 1: quality looks. He's obviously the best shooter in basketball, best 207 00:11:09,320 --> 00:11:11,959 Speaker 1: shooter of all time, and he's the best pull up 208 00:11:11,960 --> 00:11:14,600 Speaker 1: three point shooter in basketball, best pull up three point 209 00:11:14,640 --> 00:11:16,800 Speaker 1: shooter of all time. The best mid rain shooter in 210 00:11:16,800 --> 00:11:18,680 Speaker 1: the league is Kevin Durant in my opinion, but the 211 00:11:18,679 --> 00:11:21,280 Speaker 1: best pull up shooter by overall shot value when you 212 00:11:21,320 --> 00:11:23,800 Speaker 1: weigh things like the three point shot that goes to 213 00:11:23,880 --> 00:11:27,719 Speaker 1: steph Um Again, he had a down shooting year this year, 214 00:11:27,760 --> 00:11:28,920 Speaker 1: and I want to get into that a little bit 215 00:11:28,920 --> 00:11:30,640 Speaker 1: because I think It's interesting a lot of that had 216 00:11:30,679 --> 00:11:32,800 Speaker 1: to do with integrating Jordan Pool into the system, a 217 00:11:32,800 --> 00:11:34,520 Speaker 1: different type of player than he's used to playing with 218 00:11:34,840 --> 00:11:36,839 Speaker 1: Clay Thompson being out of the lineup for a while, 219 00:11:36,840 --> 00:11:38,679 Speaker 1: then coming back into the lineup and trying to get 220 00:11:38,760 --> 00:11:42,480 Speaker 1: him reintegrated. Draymond Green missing a significant chunk of time, 221 00:11:42,480 --> 00:11:45,360 Speaker 1: and as we know, Draymond Green is important, especially to 222 00:11:45,400 --> 00:11:46,960 Speaker 1: a lot of the stuff that Steph Curry likes to 223 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:50,640 Speaker 1: do without the basketball. So in this season, he averaged 224 00:11:50,720 --> 00:11:56,600 Speaker 1: two restricted area makes at that's okay for reguard one paint, 225 00:11:56,760 --> 00:12:00,760 Speaker 1: non restricted area make at one, a range make on 226 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:04,680 Speaker 1: fifty four percent, and four point five threes made per 227 00:12:04,720 --> 00:12:07,720 Speaker 1: game at thirty eight percent, Again down across the board 228 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:11,080 Speaker 1: from what you typically expect from Steph. Three point five 229 00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:14,400 Speaker 1: made pull up jumpers per game at thirty nine percent. 230 00:12:14,800 --> 00:12:17,440 Speaker 1: So what I wanted to do here was rip off 231 00:12:17,520 --> 00:12:21,679 Speaker 1: his one numbers just to give you guys some perspective 232 00:12:21,679 --> 00:12:24,800 Speaker 1: on how much better he had a shooting season last 233 00:12:24,920 --> 00:12:26,800 Speaker 1: season or two seasons ago, I should say, just to 234 00:12:26,840 --> 00:12:29,240 Speaker 1: give you some perspective on how strange this season was. 235 00:12:30,160 --> 00:12:33,440 Speaker 1: So in he had two point seven restricted area makes 236 00:12:33,440 --> 00:12:36,920 Speaker 1: on sixty five percent, considerably better in volume and performance. 237 00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:41,040 Speaker 1: One point three paint non restricted area makes. That's one 238 00:12:41,080 --> 00:12:43,720 Speaker 1: midrange make on forty eight percent up from this year, 239 00:12:44,120 --> 00:12:47,280 Speaker 1: and then five point three three's made per game at 240 00:12:47,360 --> 00:12:51,120 Speaker 1: forty two. Biggest differences in pull up shooting four point 241 00:12:51,200 --> 00:12:55,080 Speaker 1: one pull up makes per game at forty two UM. 242 00:12:55,160 --> 00:12:56,960 Speaker 1: So to give you an idea in terms of the 243 00:12:56,960 --> 00:12:59,439 Speaker 1: shot value on his pull up shooting. So if you 244 00:12:59,440 --> 00:13:02,560 Speaker 1: guys remember yesterday I did with k D his pull 245 00:13:02,600 --> 00:13:05,080 Speaker 1: up shooting for the season, he was right around forty percent. 246 00:13:05,200 --> 00:13:07,640 Speaker 1: I think his effective field goal percentage when you waited 247 00:13:07,679 --> 00:13:12,600 Speaker 1: those for threes was about fifty two percent. In one season, 248 00:13:12,640 --> 00:13:15,360 Speaker 1: steps effective field goal percentage on pull up jump shooting 249 00:13:15,440 --> 00:13:19,520 Speaker 1: was fifty seven point three percent. That gives you an 250 00:13:19,520 --> 00:13:21,720 Speaker 1: idea of just how much more valuable steps pull up 251 00:13:21,920 --> 00:13:25,040 Speaker 1: pull up shooting is. In that season, he was three 252 00:13:25,040 --> 00:13:28,320 Speaker 1: percent better than any pull up shooter that attempted at 253 00:13:28,400 --> 00:13:30,920 Speaker 1: least five threes per game. Little trivia for you guys, 254 00:13:30,960 --> 00:13:34,880 Speaker 1: who do you think was number two? It was Zach Levine. 255 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:38,640 Speaker 1: So in his down year this year, he still had 256 00:13:38,679 --> 00:13:41,880 Speaker 1: an effective field goal percentage of fifty two point five percent. 257 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:45,720 Speaker 1: So that's his down year. That was only a half 258 00:13:45,800 --> 00:13:48,760 Speaker 1: of a present behind Trey Young for first place in 259 00:13:48,800 --> 00:13:53,240 Speaker 1: the league sixteen players attempted at least eight threes per game. 260 00:13:53,640 --> 00:13:57,120 Speaker 1: He still finished fourth in percentage this year. So down 261 00:13:57,120 --> 00:13:59,600 Speaker 1: shooting year for step still was a fifty two percent 262 00:13:59,720 --> 00:14:02,640 Speaker 1: effect Phogo percentage and was fourth out of the sixteen 263 00:14:02,640 --> 00:14:05,040 Speaker 1: players who attempted at least eight three eight threes per game. 264 00:14:05,200 --> 00:14:09,000 Speaker 1: That's just a ridiculous shooting slump. It's a lot different 265 00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:11,120 Speaker 1: than my shooting slump when when I was in college 266 00:14:11,160 --> 00:14:14,760 Speaker 1: back in the day. Um okay, So I wanted so 267 00:14:14,840 --> 00:14:18,679 Speaker 1: that the actual shooting slump itself stretched from January three 268 00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:22,400 Speaker 1: to March first, Okay, so about two months, a little 269 00:14:22,400 --> 00:14:25,720 Speaker 1: over thirty games or something along those lines. Um. He 270 00:14:26,440 --> 00:14:29,080 Speaker 1: It was crazy how poorly he performed, even on good 271 00:14:29,080 --> 00:14:32,320 Speaker 1: shot quality. He shot thirty four percent on wide open 272 00:14:32,400 --> 00:14:35,360 Speaker 1: threes during that stretch. Again, wide open threes defenders at 273 00:14:35,400 --> 00:14:38,400 Speaker 1: least six ft away. Like, if Steph Curry is shooting 274 00:14:38,440 --> 00:14:41,400 Speaker 1: thirty four percent on wide open threes, that's pretty damn 275 00:14:41,440 --> 00:14:46,760 Speaker 1: flukey from the corner, which is where he's usually incredibly deadly, 276 00:14:46,840 --> 00:14:50,640 Speaker 1: especially when he's moving without the basketball on pull up threes. 277 00:14:51,880 --> 00:14:54,160 Speaker 1: So it's just a random stretch where nothing was going in, 278 00:14:54,200 --> 00:14:56,120 Speaker 1: but it was extended. It was two months long. That's 279 00:14:56,120 --> 00:14:58,920 Speaker 1: why I kept asking, like, man, what's going on with Steph? 280 00:14:59,040 --> 00:15:01,840 Speaker 1: Like this is so usual compared to anything else that 281 00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:04,840 Speaker 1: he did in the years before that, it was worth 282 00:15:04,880 --> 00:15:07,280 Speaker 1: at least talking about, is worth thinking about, And like 283 00:15:07,320 --> 00:15:10,200 Speaker 1: I said before that playoff run, we're going to find out. 284 00:15:10,920 --> 00:15:13,440 Speaker 1: We're gonna find out if that was a slump or 285 00:15:13,480 --> 00:15:17,720 Speaker 1: if it's a decline. And he proved resoundingly that it 286 00:15:17,800 --> 00:15:21,400 Speaker 1: was just a slump, because not only was he from 287 00:15:21,440 --> 00:15:26,280 Speaker 1: three before that stretch, and after that stretch, this was 288 00:15:26,320 --> 00:15:30,960 Speaker 1: what he did in the NBA Finals seventy one percent 289 00:15:31,080 --> 00:15:35,200 Speaker 1: in the restricted area, fifty nine percent in the mid range, 290 00:15:35,680 --> 00:15:40,800 Speaker 1: and on twelve three point attempts per game. So he 291 00:15:40,840 --> 00:15:43,480 Speaker 1: took any notion that there might be a slump there 292 00:15:43,760 --> 00:15:45,720 Speaker 1: and just completely knocked it out of the park. It's 293 00:15:45,760 --> 00:15:48,120 Speaker 1: just completely We can now simply look back at that 294 00:15:48,160 --> 00:15:50,440 Speaker 1: as hey do remember that time in two for two 295 00:15:50,480 --> 00:15:52,240 Speaker 1: months that Steff just couldn't make a shot and no 296 00:15:52,280 --> 00:15:53,720 Speaker 1: one knew what happened, And then he was fine and 297 00:15:53,760 --> 00:15:55,880 Speaker 1: one of finals, MVP that's the way we get to 298 00:15:55,880 --> 00:15:58,360 Speaker 1: tell that story now, because Steph proved that that's all 299 00:15:58,360 --> 00:16:01,840 Speaker 1: that that was. The finals were super interesting because, as 300 00:16:01,840 --> 00:16:05,720 Speaker 1: you guys remember in the preview before that series, I 301 00:16:05,800 --> 00:16:09,400 Speaker 1: was watching film from the regular season, and the Celtics 302 00:16:09,520 --> 00:16:13,320 Speaker 1: utilize the drop coverage against the Warriors. Um not just 303 00:16:13,480 --> 00:16:17,120 Speaker 1: on ball screens, but kind of a modified drop concept 304 00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:19,520 Speaker 1: on off ball actions. So like if Steph was in 305 00:16:19,560 --> 00:16:22,560 Speaker 1: the corner and someone said a pinned down for him, 306 00:16:22,720 --> 00:16:25,400 Speaker 1: rather than having that screen be switched so that he 307 00:16:25,440 --> 00:16:27,720 Speaker 1: doesn't have an opening, they would force the defender to 308 00:16:27,800 --> 00:16:29,640 Speaker 1: chase him over the top of the screen and the 309 00:16:29,640 --> 00:16:32,360 Speaker 1: big man like Robert Williams and or Al Horford would 310 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:35,040 Speaker 1: be back kind of by where the screener was. And 311 00:16:35,320 --> 00:16:37,640 Speaker 1: in the regular season matchups, I'm watching Steph come flying 312 00:16:37,680 --> 00:16:39,680 Speaker 1: off of these pin downs and he's getting wide open 313 00:16:39,720 --> 00:16:42,960 Speaker 1: threes and coming off these ball screens, and he's getting 314 00:16:42,960 --> 00:16:45,120 Speaker 1: pretty damn good looks at the three. And if you 315 00:16:45,120 --> 00:16:47,640 Speaker 1: guys remember, in the season preview or a series preview, 316 00:16:47,640 --> 00:16:50,520 Speaker 1: I'm like, well, that's a suicide mission. I sure hope 317 00:16:50,520 --> 00:16:53,200 Speaker 1: they don't do that. And then they came out and 318 00:16:53,240 --> 00:16:56,720 Speaker 1: they did that anyway, in the finals. Now, if you guys, 319 00:16:56,760 --> 00:16:58,680 Speaker 1: remember with the hellio centric guys, when I was talking 320 00:16:58,680 --> 00:17:01,640 Speaker 1: about like Luca or On or Yokich or things along 321 00:17:01,640 --> 00:17:05,440 Speaker 1: those lines, I was talking about the conundrum that defenses 322 00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:08,760 Speaker 1: face in terms of game planning, and you pretty much 323 00:17:08,800 --> 00:17:12,200 Speaker 1: have two options. You can send the kitchen sink at 324 00:17:12,359 --> 00:17:14,600 Speaker 1: the star to get the ball out of their hands 325 00:17:14,760 --> 00:17:18,880 Speaker 1: and force teammates to make shots right, or you can 326 00:17:18,960 --> 00:17:22,880 Speaker 1: stay home and try to bait them into playing isolation 327 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:26,800 Speaker 1: basketball even though they don't want to because they're primarily playmakers, 328 00:17:27,080 --> 00:17:30,800 Speaker 1: and see if you can test their conditioning because obviously 329 00:17:30,880 --> 00:17:33,840 Speaker 1: Luca Lebron, these kind of guys, they're gonna kill you 330 00:17:34,040 --> 00:17:36,960 Speaker 1: in isolation, but maybe they won't be able to kill 331 00:17:37,000 --> 00:17:39,440 Speaker 1: you for seven games doing it. That's the debate, right, 332 00:17:39,840 --> 00:17:42,440 Speaker 1: and those teams will try to figure out which strategy 333 00:17:42,480 --> 00:17:44,919 Speaker 1: works best for them based on their personnel. There's a 334 00:17:44,920 --> 00:17:47,560 Speaker 1: similar kind of discussion when you're getting ready to face 335 00:17:47,560 --> 00:17:52,520 Speaker 1: a Steph Curry lead team. The decision there is do 336 00:17:52,640 --> 00:17:56,720 Speaker 1: we let Steff operate out of normal coverages and see 337 00:17:56,720 --> 00:17:59,679 Speaker 1: if he can beat us shooting the basketball, or do 338 00:17:59,800 --> 00:18:01,399 Speaker 1: we trap the hell out of him every time we 339 00:18:01,440 --> 00:18:03,919 Speaker 1: get a chance and let the Warriors play four on 340 00:18:04,040 --> 00:18:06,280 Speaker 1: three all series and see if they can beat us 341 00:18:06,680 --> 00:18:09,879 Speaker 1: playing four on three. Now, I tend to go with 342 00:18:09,960 --> 00:18:12,879 Speaker 1: the third option there. I tend to go with just 343 00:18:13,040 --> 00:18:17,880 Speaker 1: switch everything and make Steph beat you in isolation um. 344 00:18:17,920 --> 00:18:20,280 Speaker 1: But the Celtics ended up in the main reason there 345 00:18:20,440 --> 00:18:24,320 Speaker 1: is it's just harder for Steff to score in isolation 346 00:18:24,320 --> 00:18:26,719 Speaker 1: scenarios than it is coming off of screens when he's 347 00:18:26,760 --> 00:18:30,000 Speaker 1: getting airspace. The airspace that he's getting off of that 348 00:18:30,119 --> 00:18:34,640 Speaker 1: is higher quality airspace, more space, higher quality shots than 349 00:18:34,680 --> 00:18:35,920 Speaker 1: it is for him when he has to hit a 350 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:39,760 Speaker 1: dribble combination to get separation before he can make the shot. 351 00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:44,280 Speaker 1: But the Celtics opted for a drop coverage, and so 352 00:18:44,359 --> 00:18:48,200 Speaker 1: what that meant was the defender was trying to chase 353 00:18:48,280 --> 00:18:52,159 Speaker 1: step over the top of the screen and Robert Williams 354 00:18:52,280 --> 00:18:55,520 Speaker 1: ral Horford would be a couple steps behind the three 355 00:18:55,520 --> 00:18:59,280 Speaker 1: point line and they'd offer a late contest as Steff 356 00:18:59,280 --> 00:19:01,919 Speaker 1: would come over the off of those threes. So they're contested. 357 00:19:02,560 --> 00:19:06,800 Speaker 1: Don't get me wrong, they're difficult shots. But this is 358 00:19:06,840 --> 00:19:09,000 Speaker 1: the best shooter of all time we're talking about here. 359 00:19:09,560 --> 00:19:11,840 Speaker 1: This is the best pull up three point shooter of 360 00:19:11,840 --> 00:19:14,240 Speaker 1: all time. We're talking about here. This is a guy 361 00:19:14,240 --> 00:19:18,240 Speaker 1: who has an incredibly quick release and is accustomed to shooting, 362 00:19:18,320 --> 00:19:22,120 Speaker 1: particularly when he gets tiny little windows to shoot through. 363 00:19:22,720 --> 00:19:26,280 Speaker 1: So Steph typically averages about nine pull up jump shot 364 00:19:26,280 --> 00:19:30,160 Speaker 1: attempts per game typically in his career. In recent history, 365 00:19:30,720 --> 00:19:33,880 Speaker 1: that went up to a thirteen per game against Boston. 366 00:19:34,520 --> 00:19:37,800 Speaker 1: That's the way that that coverage dictated his shot profile. 367 00:19:38,560 --> 00:19:42,920 Speaker 1: And he made forty eight percent of them. And when 368 00:19:42,960 --> 00:19:45,359 Speaker 1: you wait for threes, it was a sixty three point 369 00:19:46,080 --> 00:19:50,879 Speaker 1: effect effective fiegal percentage. That's that. That's how ridiculous that 370 00:19:51,040 --> 00:19:55,199 Speaker 1: strategy was. The Celtics were daring the best shooter of 371 00:19:55,240 --> 00:19:58,040 Speaker 1: all time and the best pull up three point shooter 372 00:19:58,080 --> 00:20:00,639 Speaker 1: of all time to take pull up three point shots, 373 00:20:00,960 --> 00:20:03,800 Speaker 1: and he did, and he made them, and the rest 374 00:20:03,920 --> 00:20:08,000 Speaker 1: is history. You know, this is where steps releases super unique. 375 00:20:08,040 --> 00:20:09,359 Speaker 1: You know, I talked to I talked about this a 376 00:20:09,359 --> 00:20:11,840 Speaker 1: while back. I can't remember which player was specifically, but 377 00:20:11,840 --> 00:20:14,280 Speaker 1: it was in this in this list that we were doing, 378 00:20:15,520 --> 00:20:17,320 Speaker 1: and I talked about how there's like three different kinds 379 00:20:17,320 --> 00:20:20,080 Speaker 1: of shot releases. There's like a standard catch and shoot 380 00:20:20,119 --> 00:20:22,840 Speaker 1: release that most spot up shooters used where they shoot 381 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:25,800 Speaker 1: shortly before the apex of their shot. Then there's like 382 00:20:25,840 --> 00:20:28,679 Speaker 1: your big scoring wings that typically shoot at the apex 383 00:20:28,720 --> 00:20:30,320 Speaker 1: of the shot because they're trying to elevate over the 384 00:20:30,359 --> 00:20:33,199 Speaker 1: top of people. That's typically a more athletic type of 385 00:20:33,200 --> 00:20:35,520 Speaker 1: wing that does that kind of thing. And then there's 386 00:20:35,520 --> 00:20:38,840 Speaker 1: like the Trey Young, Steph Curry, Dame Lillard thing where 387 00:20:38,920 --> 00:20:43,520 Speaker 1: they're actually shooting close to the beginning of their jump 388 00:20:44,040 --> 00:20:46,160 Speaker 1: and the idea is to get it off as quickly 389 00:20:46,200 --> 00:20:49,679 Speaker 1: as possible rather than trying to elevate or hang in 390 00:20:49,720 --> 00:20:51,640 Speaker 1: the air long enough for the defender to come down. 391 00:20:52,320 --> 00:20:55,920 Speaker 1: Step in this particular case is this is where him 392 00:20:55,480 --> 00:20:58,719 Speaker 1: uh pulling up coming off of ball screens that this 393 00:20:58,760 --> 00:21:01,800 Speaker 1: is where his uh quick release becomes so valuable. So 394 00:21:02,440 --> 00:21:04,840 Speaker 1: let's say Derek White's chasing stuff over the top of 395 00:21:04,880 --> 00:21:07,119 Speaker 1: the screen and Robert Williams is going to be the 396 00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:09,720 Speaker 1: one that's coming up and drop. He's in a drop, 397 00:21:09,760 --> 00:21:12,960 Speaker 1: but he's gonna offer a late contest. Steph knows he 398 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:15,199 Speaker 1: can get a shot off there. It just has to 399 00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:17,760 Speaker 1: be quick. He's gonna have a small window and he's 400 00:21:17,800 --> 00:21:20,200 Speaker 1: gonna have to fire in that window. If he goes 401 00:21:20,240 --> 00:21:22,720 Speaker 1: too soon, Derek White, maybe he isn't caught on the 402 00:21:22,760 --> 00:21:26,240 Speaker 1: screen yet. If he goes to late, then maybe Robert 403 00:21:26,240 --> 00:21:29,639 Speaker 1: Williams can bother the shot with his late contest. But 404 00:21:29,760 --> 00:21:32,200 Speaker 1: Steph found that sweet spot in that pick and roll 405 00:21:32,760 --> 00:21:35,080 Speaker 1: and then it just became practice shots for him, and 406 00:21:35,119 --> 00:21:38,320 Speaker 1: that's why he made them attent clip. I thought it 407 00:21:38,359 --> 00:21:42,280 Speaker 1: was a strategic mistake from Boston, and hey, they dared 408 00:21:42,560 --> 00:21:45,480 Speaker 1: an all time grade NBA player to do something that 409 00:21:45,520 --> 00:21:48,879 Speaker 1: he's all time great at and he made them pay. Um. 410 00:21:48,920 --> 00:21:50,520 Speaker 1: The one last thing I wanted to hit on here 411 00:21:50,600 --> 00:21:56,280 Speaker 1: with Steph's um scoring ability is his handle and his fluidity. 412 00:21:56,400 --> 00:21:58,200 Speaker 1: This is something we talked about a lot, but like 413 00:21:58,640 --> 00:22:02,840 Speaker 1: in order to translate good shooting ability to good pull 414 00:22:02,920 --> 00:22:05,439 Speaker 1: up shooting ability, you also have to have a great 415 00:22:05,440 --> 00:22:08,200 Speaker 1: handle and there has to be connectivity between the two. 416 00:22:08,720 --> 00:22:10,800 Speaker 1: So obviously handling the basketball is important to get two 417 00:22:10,800 --> 00:22:14,400 Speaker 1: spots off of dribble combinations, right, But if you're too 418 00:22:14,480 --> 00:22:16,520 Speaker 1: rigid with your shot form and you get to your 419 00:22:16,520 --> 00:22:20,919 Speaker 1: shot pocket every single time, then you're gonna struggle transitioning 420 00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:23,560 Speaker 1: from your handle to your jump shot because there's gonna 421 00:22:23,600 --> 00:22:25,960 Speaker 1: effectively be a hitch there. As you have to set 422 00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:29,439 Speaker 1: yourself up into your jump shot. The fluidity is the 423 00:22:29,480 --> 00:22:32,280 Speaker 1: transition between the two, and Steff is one of the 424 00:22:32,280 --> 00:22:34,840 Speaker 1: best players in the league at this Specifically, he can 425 00:22:34,880 --> 00:22:38,240 Speaker 1: flow out of a dribble combination into a shot so 426 00:22:38,359 --> 00:22:42,159 Speaker 1: easily because there's a release actually starts out of the 427 00:22:42,160 --> 00:22:45,280 Speaker 1: shooting pocket. So if he's in the shooting pocket, that's great, 428 00:22:45,359 --> 00:22:47,040 Speaker 1: but he can also take it from out here. He 429 00:22:47,080 --> 00:22:48,480 Speaker 1: could take it from out here, he could take it 430 00:22:48,480 --> 00:22:50,399 Speaker 1: out of any dribble combination, he could take it off 431 00:22:50,440 --> 00:22:53,520 Speaker 1: of any catch. That is what allows Steph to be 432 00:22:53,600 --> 00:22:57,200 Speaker 1: such a dominant pull up jump shooter. There is fluidity 433 00:22:57,240 --> 00:22:59,800 Speaker 1: between his handle and his jump shot. The two are 434 00:22:59,840 --> 00:23:03,040 Speaker 1: always connected in a way that he can transition between 435 00:23:03,080 --> 00:23:07,560 Speaker 1: the two at any time. UM. Steph averaged one point 436 00:23:07,560 --> 00:23:10,679 Speaker 1: two points per possession and isolation, but he only attempted 437 00:23:10,800 --> 00:23:14,040 Speaker 1: one point eight isolations per game. That's super low volume 438 00:23:14,560 --> 00:23:17,439 Speaker 1: for some perspective. O. G N and Noby for the 439 00:23:17,440 --> 00:23:22,160 Speaker 1: Toronto Raptors this year attempted more isolations per game. UM. 440 00:23:22,200 --> 00:23:24,959 Speaker 1: This is just because Steph is really picky. Like, Steph 441 00:23:25,520 --> 00:23:28,920 Speaker 1: knows that isolating is not his best ability because he's 442 00:23:28,920 --> 00:23:31,680 Speaker 1: not the best type of athlete in the world, so 443 00:23:31,760 --> 00:23:35,320 Speaker 1: he's very picky to wait for the right kind of matchup, 444 00:23:35,359 --> 00:23:37,560 Speaker 1: typically against bigs. He did a lot of this in 445 00:23:37,600 --> 00:23:40,320 Speaker 1: the finals when he would get Al Horford and Robert 446 00:23:40,320 --> 00:23:44,439 Speaker 1: Williams on switches. When Steph gets a mismatch, particularly against 447 00:23:44,440 --> 00:23:48,360 Speaker 1: a slow footed big, he's going to barbecue them, typically 448 00:23:48,359 --> 00:23:51,000 Speaker 1: to the tune of one point two points per possession, 449 00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:53,040 Speaker 1: which is insane. A lot of people would consider this 450 00:23:53,080 --> 00:23:56,080 Speaker 1: a weakness, like, hey, steps not a great isolation player 451 00:23:56,080 --> 00:24:00,000 Speaker 1: against other big you know, or other great perimeter defensive players. 452 00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:02,240 Speaker 1: To me, I view it as a strength. Why would 453 00:24:02,280 --> 00:24:04,960 Speaker 1: you play to your weakness. Why would you try to 454 00:24:05,040 --> 00:24:08,600 Speaker 1: isolate wings and guards that are great defensively for no 455 00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:11,640 Speaker 1: reason when you're an excellent off ball player and excellent 456 00:24:11,640 --> 00:24:15,680 Speaker 1: pick and role player and excellent at isolating bigs. That's 457 00:24:15,720 --> 00:24:17,959 Speaker 1: just good shot selection, is all that is. I do 458 00:24:18,000 --> 00:24:21,360 Speaker 1: not view that as a weakness for step So, as 459 00:24:21,400 --> 00:24:24,560 Speaker 1: promised from yesterday's show with Kevin durant Uh, we're gonna 460 00:24:24,560 --> 00:24:26,600 Speaker 1: talk about moving without the basketball, which is one of 461 00:24:26,600 --> 00:24:28,800 Speaker 1: the most important skills for staff. If you guys remember 462 00:24:28,800 --> 00:24:30,960 Speaker 1: when we talked about Dame Lillard. This is the biggest 463 00:24:30,960 --> 00:24:33,719 Speaker 1: thing that separates the two of them. Dame Lillard is 464 00:24:34,240 --> 00:24:37,680 Speaker 1: just about as effective with the basketball in his hands 465 00:24:37,880 --> 00:24:40,439 Speaker 1: as Step, but there's a giant chasm between the two 466 00:24:40,480 --> 00:24:43,480 Speaker 1: of them as players, and that's entirely made up by 467 00:24:43,600 --> 00:24:47,639 Speaker 1: what Step does without the basketball moving and what he 468 00:24:47,680 --> 00:24:51,000 Speaker 1: does defensively. The reason why moving without the basketball is 469 00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:54,480 Speaker 1: so important is it's easier than dribbling. Do you guys 470 00:24:54,480 --> 00:24:56,640 Speaker 1: remember what happened in the finals when the Celtics were 471 00:24:57,040 --> 00:24:59,520 Speaker 1: running around like chickens with their heads cut off, dribbling 472 00:24:59,560 --> 00:25:02,320 Speaker 1: the basketball into traffic and turning the basketball over when 473 00:25:02,359 --> 00:25:05,640 Speaker 1: it's physical, when the refs are swallowing the whistle, it's 474 00:25:05,640 --> 00:25:08,320 Speaker 1: tough to dribble through traffic. So one of the things 475 00:25:08,320 --> 00:25:11,320 Speaker 1: that stuff is figured out is when he before, before 476 00:25:11,359 --> 00:25:13,480 Speaker 1: he gets into trouble. If he gets rid of the basketball, 477 00:25:13,520 --> 00:25:16,160 Speaker 1: he can run where he needs to go, and then 478 00:25:16,160 --> 00:25:18,800 Speaker 1: it doesn't matter if if someone's reaching like crazy to 479 00:25:18,840 --> 00:25:21,359 Speaker 1: try to knock the ball away, he doesn't actually have 480 00:25:21,520 --> 00:25:25,160 Speaker 1: the basketball. And most importantly, moving without the basketball takes 481 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:28,840 Speaker 1: advantage of a very basic human instinct on basketball Defensively, 482 00:25:29,520 --> 00:25:31,480 Speaker 1: what do you guys typically do when you're playing basketball? 483 00:25:31,560 --> 00:25:33,240 Speaker 1: At at the rec center, up at the l A 484 00:25:33,320 --> 00:25:35,399 Speaker 1: fitness or up at the twenty four hour fitness wherever 485 00:25:35,440 --> 00:25:37,760 Speaker 1: it is that you play, you're guarding your man because 486 00:25:37,760 --> 00:25:40,679 Speaker 1: he has the basketball. Let's say he drives to the 487 00:25:40,760 --> 00:25:42,679 Speaker 1: left and you cut him off and he picks up 488 00:25:42,720 --> 00:25:45,560 Speaker 1: his dribble and he passes it back out. What's the 489 00:25:45,640 --> 00:25:50,879 Speaker 1: first thing you typically do? You relax because moving your 490 00:25:50,880 --> 00:25:53,000 Speaker 1: feet when there's a ball handler attacking you, his hard 491 00:25:53,160 --> 00:25:57,639 Speaker 1: and it's fatiguing, and you relax because that's your opportunity 492 00:25:57,680 --> 00:26:01,800 Speaker 1: to gain energy for you to handle again, handle defensively again. 493 00:26:02,480 --> 00:26:05,720 Speaker 1: Guess what step does. Steph knows that that's the perfect 494 00:26:05,760 --> 00:26:09,720 Speaker 1: time to continue to move. His best given go player 495 00:26:09,760 --> 00:26:14,520 Speaker 1: in the league. He's taking advantage of defenders instinctually relaxing 496 00:26:14,560 --> 00:26:18,359 Speaker 1: when they think the job is done. The best example you, guys, 497 00:26:18,480 --> 00:26:20,919 Speaker 1: that I could give to you guys of this is 498 00:26:20,960 --> 00:26:25,040 Speaker 1: the classics Steph corner three play where he kind of 499 00:26:25,119 --> 00:26:30,000 Speaker 1: drives into the paint, the defense kind of collapses around him, 500 00:26:30,040 --> 00:26:31,919 Speaker 1: and there will be a release valve somewhere in the 501 00:26:31,960 --> 00:26:35,440 Speaker 1: short corner, typically Draymond or Kivan Looney, someone like that. 502 00:26:36,320 --> 00:26:39,200 Speaker 1: He will pass it to that short corner and not 503 00:26:39,280 --> 00:26:43,520 Speaker 1: even consider stopping, can continue to sprint out following his 504 00:26:43,600 --> 00:26:46,199 Speaker 1: pass to the corner, and then Draymond or Cavaloni will 505 00:26:46,200 --> 00:26:48,359 Speaker 1: pass it between their legs back to step in the 506 00:26:48,400 --> 00:26:50,639 Speaker 1: corner and he gets wide open looks out of that 507 00:26:50,800 --> 00:26:53,800 Speaker 1: all the time. Why because when he drives into the 508 00:26:53,800 --> 00:26:56,840 Speaker 1: paint and he gives up the basketball, it's human instinct 509 00:26:57,320 --> 00:27:00,560 Speaker 1: for players to give up or to rely acts and 510 00:27:00,600 --> 00:27:03,080 Speaker 1: to get out of their defensive stance. And if you 511 00:27:03,119 --> 00:27:05,920 Speaker 1: do that for a split second, if you come up 512 00:27:05,960 --> 00:27:09,280 Speaker 1: out of your stance, you lose your mobility. That's why 513 00:27:09,280 --> 00:27:10,600 Speaker 1: I tell young players all the time, like when you 514 00:27:10,640 --> 00:27:13,160 Speaker 1: pump fake, don't ever come out of your athletic stance 515 00:27:13,160 --> 00:27:14,960 Speaker 1: and a pump fake, because even if you get the 516 00:27:14,960 --> 00:27:17,000 Speaker 1: defender to jump, you're out of your stance and now 517 00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:18,560 Speaker 1: you've got to get back down into your stance so 518 00:27:18,600 --> 00:27:21,240 Speaker 1: you can explode. The same thing goes defensively. The second 519 00:27:21,280 --> 00:27:24,119 Speaker 1: you stand up out of your defensive stance, you lose 520 00:27:24,160 --> 00:27:27,320 Speaker 1: a second of mobility. And that's when Steph strikes. That's 521 00:27:27,320 --> 00:27:29,720 Speaker 1: when he gets that little bit of separation, and he 522 00:27:30,119 --> 00:27:32,280 Speaker 1: got such a quick release that there's not enough time 523 00:27:32,320 --> 00:27:34,800 Speaker 1: for you to recover. I'm gonna talk a little bit 524 00:27:34,840 --> 00:27:37,480 Speaker 1: more about moving without the basketball here in just a second. 525 00:27:37,480 --> 00:27:42,280 Speaker 1: As we talked about steps playmaking, So Steph can pass 526 00:27:42,280 --> 00:27:46,199 Speaker 1: the basketball. In two thousand fourteen and two thousand fifteen, 527 00:27:46,200 --> 00:27:49,560 Speaker 1: those two seasons combined, he averaged eight point one assists 528 00:27:49,600 --> 00:27:53,720 Speaker 1: per game. He hasn't come close to that since, but 529 00:27:53,760 --> 00:27:56,879 Speaker 1: that's what he averaged back then. So Steph can be 530 00:27:57,080 --> 00:28:00,480 Speaker 1: Dame Lillard. He can be a heliocentric playmate maker. He 531 00:28:00,600 --> 00:28:04,480 Speaker 1: just doesn't want to be because he knows that he 532 00:28:04,520 --> 00:28:08,439 Speaker 1: can have the same type of impact moving without the 533 00:28:08,520 --> 00:28:12,880 Speaker 1: basketball as a decoy. One of the most common things 534 00:28:12,920 --> 00:28:15,360 Speaker 1: that I've had you guys Steph fans throwing the comments 535 00:28:15,359 --> 00:28:17,560 Speaker 1: over the course of the series is every time I 536 00:28:17,600 --> 00:28:20,399 Speaker 1: bring up something like, hey, the top four playmakers in 537 00:28:20,400 --> 00:28:23,840 Speaker 1: the league are Lebron, Luca Yokich, and Chris Paul and 538 00:28:23,880 --> 00:28:25,600 Speaker 1: then there's kind of like a gap, and then you 539 00:28:25,600 --> 00:28:27,639 Speaker 1: have your James Hardens and guys like that who are 540 00:28:27,640 --> 00:28:32,120 Speaker 1: beneath him. Right, that's true, But it's also true what 541 00:28:32,200 --> 00:28:34,280 Speaker 1: you guys have been saying that Steph belongs in that 542 00:28:34,359 --> 00:28:38,240 Speaker 1: list too. Now I don't think he belongs in that list. 543 00:28:38,360 --> 00:28:40,840 Speaker 1: As a playmaker in the sense that like an on 544 00:28:41,040 --> 00:28:44,240 Speaker 1: ball passer, because he's a very good passer, but he's 545 00:28:44,280 --> 00:28:46,720 Speaker 1: not the same level as your Lebron's and your Lucas 546 00:28:46,720 --> 00:28:50,800 Speaker 1: and your Yoki is right, but he is equal in 547 00:28:51,200 --> 00:28:56,520 Speaker 1: impact with his gravity. So an honorary fifth member of 548 00:28:56,560 --> 00:29:00,200 Speaker 1: those top playmakers in the league is Steph. He just 549 00:29:00,320 --> 00:29:03,640 Speaker 1: does it without the basketball. This is where STEP's gravity 550 00:29:03,680 --> 00:29:08,360 Speaker 1: becomes a thing such a deadly shooter that teams panic 551 00:29:08,480 --> 00:29:11,959 Speaker 1: chase him, and when defenders need to make quick decisions, 552 00:29:12,080 --> 00:29:16,800 Speaker 1: if they see two options, they're gonna error towards Steph. 553 00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:20,800 Speaker 1: This frequently leads to multiple defenders going with Steph as 554 00:29:20,800 --> 00:29:23,600 Speaker 1: opposed to staying with their actual assignment, and in in a 555 00:29:23,600 --> 00:29:26,480 Speaker 1: lot of cases they lose sight of their defensive scheme 556 00:29:26,520 --> 00:29:29,560 Speaker 1: and they go off script and someone ends up wide open. 557 00:29:30,400 --> 00:29:34,040 Speaker 1: That's every bit is impactful, as Lebron driving and kicking 558 00:29:34,080 --> 00:29:37,560 Speaker 1: to a shooter, as Luca driving and kicking to a shooter, 559 00:29:38,280 --> 00:29:40,800 Speaker 1: as Yo Kids posting up and throwing a beautiful cross 560 00:29:40,800 --> 00:29:43,440 Speaker 1: court pass that hits Michael Porter Jr. Right in the 561 00:29:43,600 --> 00:29:47,520 Speaker 1: in the shooting pocket. It's just as impactful, just without 562 00:29:47,520 --> 00:29:50,840 Speaker 1: the passing. So again, do I think Steph is as 563 00:29:50,880 --> 00:29:53,320 Speaker 1: good of a passer as Lebron and as Luca and 564 00:29:53,400 --> 00:29:56,480 Speaker 1: Yokich and those guys. No, I don't, but he's every 565 00:29:56,480 --> 00:30:02,040 Speaker 1: bit as impactful, more impactful as an offensive engine because 566 00:30:02,120 --> 00:30:05,120 Speaker 1: what he does with his gravity, and this is where 567 00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:07,800 Speaker 1: he's moving without the basketball becomes so important. It's not 568 00:30:07,880 --> 00:30:10,080 Speaker 1: just so that he can generate open shots for himself, 569 00:30:10,240 --> 00:30:14,880 Speaker 1: which he does. Steph's relentless in perpetual motion off the 570 00:30:14,920 --> 00:30:20,040 Speaker 1: basketball is constantly warping the defense. And as he's constantly 571 00:30:20,080 --> 00:30:24,360 Speaker 1: warping the defense, he is constantly creating four on three 572 00:30:24,360 --> 00:30:28,760 Speaker 1: opportunities at a minimum, if not even more crazy opportunities, 573 00:30:28,920 --> 00:30:32,360 Speaker 1: sometimes even one on o opportunities for easy dunks under 574 00:30:32,360 --> 00:30:35,880 Speaker 1: the basket. This is where Golden State role players become 575 00:30:35,920 --> 00:30:37,640 Speaker 1: so important. We talked about this a little bit earlier 576 00:30:37,640 --> 00:30:40,120 Speaker 1: in the show. This is why it's not just about 577 00:30:40,160 --> 00:30:44,280 Speaker 1: star power. It's about fit and players fitting with their scheme. 578 00:30:44,480 --> 00:30:48,000 Speaker 1: This is why Russell Westbrook didn't fit with Lebron James, right. 579 00:30:48,440 --> 00:30:51,160 Speaker 1: It's not just about your overall talent. It's about your 580 00:30:51,200 --> 00:30:54,960 Speaker 1: ability as a unit to fill all the responsibilities that 581 00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:59,560 Speaker 1: a basketball team has to fill in the previous season, 582 00:31:00,120 --> 00:31:03,160 Speaker 1: Golden State targeted some discounted players like Kelly h Bray, 583 00:31:03,280 --> 00:31:08,400 Speaker 1: like Camp bays Moore that struggled with decision making. And 584 00:31:08,440 --> 00:31:11,360 Speaker 1: so even though you know, like camp Baysemore shot over 585 00:31:11,960 --> 00:31:15,240 Speaker 1: from three that season, like you think, oh, like that's 586 00:31:15,240 --> 00:31:18,479 Speaker 1: a good fit, right, No, because the Golden State system 587 00:31:18,480 --> 00:31:22,160 Speaker 1: doesn't depend on shooting nearly as much as it does 588 00:31:22,200 --> 00:31:25,200 Speaker 1: on playmaking and ball handling from their role players and 589 00:31:25,280 --> 00:31:28,920 Speaker 1: basketball like you, that's the huge inverse and difference between 590 00:31:29,240 --> 00:31:34,440 Speaker 1: the Luca lebron Yokich led systems and the Staph led system. 591 00:31:34,440 --> 00:31:37,480 Speaker 1: Those guys are content on collapsing things in the paint 592 00:31:37,560 --> 00:31:40,960 Speaker 1: and they need shooters to make plays. The openings in 593 00:31:40,960 --> 00:31:44,800 Speaker 1: the Golden State system are around the basket, and so 594 00:31:44,840 --> 00:31:47,840 Speaker 1: what you need are players that can run quick four 595 00:31:47,880 --> 00:31:51,800 Speaker 1: on three's, quick three on two's, quick two on ones 596 00:31:51,920 --> 00:31:55,800 Speaker 1: without turning the basketball over and getting layups and dunks 597 00:31:55,840 --> 00:31:59,800 Speaker 1: excuse me, around the rim and making that transition last 598 00:32:00,040 --> 00:32:03,240 Speaker 1: year to this year and putting smarter, more high i 599 00:32:03,320 --> 00:32:06,160 Speaker 1: Q players into those spots that was a huge part 600 00:32:06,160 --> 00:32:08,560 Speaker 1: of white Golden State was so much more successful. And 601 00:32:08,600 --> 00:32:11,800 Speaker 1: it's a it's a concept um that I find super 602 00:32:11,800 --> 00:32:14,440 Speaker 1: fascinating about Golden State because it makes them so different 603 00:32:14,800 --> 00:32:18,080 Speaker 1: from the other teams around the league. Two other things 604 00:32:18,120 --> 00:32:20,960 Speaker 1: that I want to talk about with Steff with strengths. First, 605 00:32:21,000 --> 00:32:25,000 Speaker 1: his defense. So the story here is early in his career, 606 00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:27,360 Speaker 1: Steff was a bad defensive player, not a big shock. 607 00:32:27,440 --> 00:32:29,680 Speaker 1: He was an outstanding offensive player, and he doesn't have 608 00:32:29,680 --> 00:32:32,840 Speaker 1: great physical tools. Those two are gonna pretty frequently combined 609 00:32:32,880 --> 00:32:36,280 Speaker 1: to making a bad defensive player. But to his credit, 610 00:32:36,400 --> 00:32:39,600 Speaker 1: him and Clay Thompson two thousand fourteen, I believe for 611 00:32:39,680 --> 00:32:42,600 Speaker 1: the FIBA World Cup if I remember correctly, or the 612 00:32:42,600 --> 00:32:46,400 Speaker 1: Feeble World Championships, whatever they call it, both Clay and 613 00:32:46,480 --> 00:32:51,080 Speaker 1: Steph we're struggling defensively in camp and there was talk 614 00:32:51,280 --> 00:32:53,280 Speaker 1: that they wouldn't be able to be in the rotation 615 00:32:53,880 --> 00:32:56,800 Speaker 1: during that World Cup team unless they figured out things 616 00:32:56,800 --> 00:32:59,520 Speaker 1: on the defensive end. That was the summer where both 617 00:32:59,560 --> 00:33:03,480 Speaker 1: of those eyes embraced it up here, which is step one. 618 00:33:04,480 --> 00:33:08,320 Speaker 1: Take on the work. Understand that resources have to be 619 00:33:08,360 --> 00:33:11,080 Speaker 1: devoted in that direction for you to become a great 620 00:33:11,080 --> 00:33:13,800 Speaker 1: defensive player. Now for Clay Thompson, he actually became one 621 00:33:13,800 --> 00:33:15,680 Speaker 1: of the best defensive wings in the league. Why is 622 00:33:15,680 --> 00:33:18,720 Speaker 1: that because he's laterally quick and he's got good size, 623 00:33:19,240 --> 00:33:22,040 Speaker 1: and so he actually became an all defense like impact 624 00:33:22,040 --> 00:33:26,440 Speaker 1: defensive player. Steph Curry didn't have the physical tools to 625 00:33:26,480 --> 00:33:29,600 Speaker 1: do that, but he did become an above average defensive player. 626 00:33:30,200 --> 00:33:32,160 Speaker 1: Helps that he's a little bit bigger and stronger than 627 00:33:32,200 --> 00:33:34,040 Speaker 1: most of the guards around the league. Like he's six 628 00:33:34,040 --> 00:33:36,560 Speaker 1: ft three, He's got a good amount of muscle mass 629 00:33:36,560 --> 00:33:38,680 Speaker 1: that's going to help him be a good positional defender 630 00:33:38,760 --> 00:33:42,280 Speaker 1: even against some bigger wings. But now is He's never 631 00:33:42,280 --> 00:33:44,520 Speaker 1: gonna be an impact defensive player. We'll talk about that 632 00:33:44,520 --> 00:33:46,280 Speaker 1: a little bit more when we get to his weaknesses. 633 00:33:46,600 --> 00:33:51,440 Speaker 1: But him converting the small guard prototype, which is almost 634 00:33:51,520 --> 00:33:55,720 Speaker 1: always a bad defensive player, into an above average defensive 635 00:33:55,760 --> 00:33:59,000 Speaker 1: player is one of the most underrated and most important 636 00:33:59,080 --> 00:34:01,920 Speaker 1: things that allow out the Golden State dynasty to exist. 637 00:34:02,160 --> 00:34:05,760 Speaker 1: Just that one thing. If he had just let that slip, 638 00:34:05,800 --> 00:34:09,359 Speaker 1: if he just didn't care about that, this might all 639 00:34:09,440 --> 00:34:12,279 Speaker 1: not have come together. And and that's a credit to 640 00:34:12,280 --> 00:34:13,920 Speaker 1: Steph and just how important the defensive end of the 641 00:34:13,960 --> 00:34:18,160 Speaker 1: floor is. And the last, but not least steps leadership. 642 00:34:18,680 --> 00:34:22,040 Speaker 1: I think step is the best leader in basketball. You know, 643 00:34:22,120 --> 00:34:24,160 Speaker 1: I talked about how Lebron is the best guy I'd 644 00:34:24,160 --> 00:34:25,799 Speaker 1: want if I had a really good team that had 645 00:34:25,880 --> 00:34:28,680 Speaker 1: championship aspirations and all that and so on and so forth. 646 00:34:29,120 --> 00:34:33,120 Speaker 1: But regardless of circumstance, great team, good team, bad team, 647 00:34:33,120 --> 00:34:35,799 Speaker 1: horrible team, whatever it is, I can't think of a 648 00:34:35,800 --> 00:34:39,400 Speaker 1: better guy than Steph Curry. There is no passive aggressiveness, 649 00:34:39,440 --> 00:34:42,759 Speaker 1: there is no bad body language. He knows how to 650 00:34:42,760 --> 00:34:45,040 Speaker 1: handle young players, he knows how to handle veteran players, 651 00:34:45,120 --> 00:34:47,680 Speaker 1: veteran players like Andreago Dolla worships the ground that he 652 00:34:47,719 --> 00:34:51,680 Speaker 1: walks on. He's coachable. You can ask him to put 653 00:34:51,680 --> 00:34:54,480 Speaker 1: in the hard work and do things that other stars 654 00:34:54,520 --> 00:34:57,799 Speaker 1: don't want to do around this league. He's great at 655 00:34:57,840 --> 00:35:01,160 Speaker 1: managing personalities. You could not pick a better player to 656 00:35:01,239 --> 00:35:04,480 Speaker 1: put into this position, and he demonstrated that over the 657 00:35:04,480 --> 00:35:06,960 Speaker 1: course of the last three a few years, in a 658 00:35:06,960 --> 00:35:12,720 Speaker 1: bunch of different circumstances, you know, two thousand sixteen, embracing 659 00:35:12,800 --> 00:35:15,840 Speaker 1: Kevin Durant, making him feel like he was on common 660 00:35:15,880 --> 00:35:19,200 Speaker 1: ground with him, even if other ex external factors ended 661 00:35:19,239 --> 00:35:25,759 Speaker 1: up eventually getting to kd weathering the storm in when 662 00:35:25,800 --> 00:35:28,919 Speaker 1: things weren't going his way. There was no pouting. There 663 00:35:30,280 --> 00:35:33,680 Speaker 1: He didn't make a scene, he didn't bring wine to 664 00:35:33,719 --> 00:35:38,279 Speaker 1: the bench. He was he was a rock and I 665 00:35:38,320 --> 00:35:40,160 Speaker 1: think that's a lot of credit to him. And it's 666 00:35:40,160 --> 00:35:43,840 Speaker 1: funny because it's not it's he's not soft like the 667 00:35:43,880 --> 00:35:47,279 Speaker 1: dudes a psychopath. One of my favorite Twitter accounts, friend 668 00:35:47,320 --> 00:35:51,399 Speaker 1: of mine uh goes by Bobby Flabin, big Warriors fan. 669 00:35:51,719 --> 00:35:55,640 Speaker 1: He calls him Bundy, like the serial killer. And that's 670 00:35:55,719 --> 00:35:57,720 Speaker 1: kind of the way I see Steph two. The dude 671 00:35:57,760 --> 00:36:00,400 Speaker 1: is a complete in total psychopath who wants to snatch 672 00:36:00,400 --> 00:36:04,080 Speaker 1: your heart out when he's outwardly focusing his energy on 673 00:36:04,120 --> 00:36:09,719 Speaker 1: the opponent. Internally, he's as steady and sound and and 674 00:36:09,800 --> 00:36:11,800 Speaker 1: never too high, never too low type of person that 675 00:36:11,880 --> 00:36:13,600 Speaker 1: you could have in that spot. And and that's a 676 00:36:13,680 --> 00:36:17,200 Speaker 1: huge credit to him. Like I've always said, you could 677 00:36:17,200 --> 00:36:21,960 Speaker 1: not pick a better foundational piece for an extended dynasty 678 00:36:22,120 --> 00:36:25,600 Speaker 1: like a Spurs or like a Warriors than a guy 679 00:36:25,680 --> 00:36:27,759 Speaker 1: like him, because of how steady he is on the 680 00:36:27,800 --> 00:36:30,399 Speaker 1: lows and the highs. And that's why I've compared him 681 00:36:30,600 --> 00:36:34,560 Speaker 1: to Tim Duncan. He's a better version of Tim Duncan alright, 682 00:36:34,560 --> 00:36:39,880 Speaker 1: moving on the steps weaknesses. So there's only two because 683 00:36:39,920 --> 00:36:42,520 Speaker 1: that's how well rounded stuff is. Now one of them 684 00:36:42,560 --> 00:36:46,200 Speaker 1: is pretty significant. I'll go with the light, the small one. First. 685 00:36:46,480 --> 00:36:48,560 Speaker 1: He's loose with the basketball, doesn't take great care of 686 00:36:48,600 --> 00:36:50,279 Speaker 1: the basketball. He gets a little bit cute with his 687 00:36:50,360 --> 00:36:55,080 Speaker 1: drible combination sometimes and we'll try some ballsy passes and 688 00:36:55,160 --> 00:36:57,920 Speaker 1: things like that in in in high leverage situations, and 689 00:36:57,960 --> 00:37:01,160 Speaker 1: it's burned stuff before see the two thousands sixteen finals. 690 00:37:01,320 --> 00:37:04,000 Speaker 1: This manifests mostly when he's handling traps, and his size 691 00:37:04,000 --> 00:37:05,719 Speaker 1: can be a little bit of an issue here. He's 692 00:37:05,840 --> 00:37:08,799 Speaker 1: very good at navigating traps in the aggregate, but he 693 00:37:08,920 --> 00:37:11,200 Speaker 1: is prone to some turnovers in that situation just because 694 00:37:11,200 --> 00:37:14,400 Speaker 1: of his lack of size. That's a small weakness. This 695 00:37:14,480 --> 00:37:17,520 Speaker 1: is STEP's only other weaknesses and it's a big one, 696 00:37:18,080 --> 00:37:19,719 Speaker 1: and it's the reason why he's not number one on 697 00:37:19,760 --> 00:37:21,919 Speaker 1: this list, and it's the reason why he may never 698 00:37:22,000 --> 00:37:26,359 Speaker 1: have been number one um. But it's again it has 699 00:37:26,400 --> 00:37:29,880 Speaker 1: to be addressed here. So Steph is not capable of 700 00:37:29,960 --> 00:37:32,640 Speaker 1: leaving a physical imprint on the game on either end 701 00:37:32,680 --> 00:37:37,680 Speaker 1: of the floor. So in isolation situations, he needs a 702 00:37:37,800 --> 00:37:41,040 Speaker 1: quickness mismatch. He needs to get a big on a 703 00:37:41,120 --> 00:37:45,040 Speaker 1: switch in order to consistently generate good shots. Yes he 704 00:37:45,080 --> 00:37:47,960 Speaker 1: can cook wins. Yes he can score against Kauai, Yes 705 00:37:48,000 --> 00:37:49,880 Speaker 1: he can score against Katie. Yes he can score against 706 00:37:49,880 --> 00:37:51,360 Speaker 1: all the best perimeter defenders in the league. I'm not 707 00:37:51,400 --> 00:37:54,279 Speaker 1: saying he can't, but it's harder for him to do 708 00:37:54,360 --> 00:37:58,640 Speaker 1: that than the other big like Lebron, Katie Kawai, Luca Jannest. 709 00:37:58,719 --> 00:38:01,400 Speaker 1: Those guys still feel like they can consistently get quality 710 00:38:01,400 --> 00:38:04,680 Speaker 1: shots against each other in individual matchups because of their 711 00:38:04,680 --> 00:38:08,120 Speaker 1: physical tools. Steph typically needs to get big guys on 712 00:38:08,160 --> 00:38:11,400 Speaker 1: switches to become a highly effective ISO player. To his credit, 713 00:38:11,960 --> 00:38:14,080 Speaker 1: that's why he doesn't mess around with ISOs that often. 714 00:38:14,480 --> 00:38:17,600 Speaker 1: That's why he's a super low volume isolation player compared 715 00:38:17,640 --> 00:38:20,239 Speaker 1: to his peers around the league. He's very selective with 716 00:38:20,280 --> 00:38:21,840 Speaker 1: the way he does that. That's the only way it 717 00:38:21,880 --> 00:38:25,640 Speaker 1: impacts offensively. The physical imprint thing is really on the 718 00:38:25,680 --> 00:38:31,040 Speaker 1: defensive end of the floor, so his ceiling, with his 719 00:38:31,120 --> 00:38:33,600 Speaker 1: effort and focus on the defensive end of the floor 720 00:38:35,160 --> 00:38:38,400 Speaker 1: is above average. He can never be a better defender 721 00:38:38,400 --> 00:38:41,799 Speaker 1: than what he is right now, which is serviceable in 722 00:38:41,880 --> 00:38:48,080 Speaker 1: a good defensive scheme. Guys like Janice Kevin Durant Lebron 723 00:38:48,160 --> 00:38:51,000 Speaker 1: more so and his prime, but Lebron in general, Kawhi Leonard. 724 00:38:51,360 --> 00:38:57,320 Speaker 1: They are capable of dominating games defensively. They are impact 725 00:38:57,400 --> 00:39:02,279 Speaker 1: defensive players. They can swing outcomes with what they do defensively, 726 00:39:03,120 --> 00:39:06,440 Speaker 1: which is something that step cannot do. This is the 727 00:39:06,480 --> 00:39:10,200 Speaker 1: biggest reason why I have Janice ahead of Steph number 728 00:39:10,239 --> 00:39:15,279 Speaker 1: one on this list. Janice is deeply impactful on the 729 00:39:15,320 --> 00:39:19,359 Speaker 1: defensive end of the floor. He can erase well run 730 00:39:19,440 --> 00:39:23,800 Speaker 1: offenses by himself. I gave the example of Luca having 731 00:39:23,800 --> 00:39:27,880 Speaker 1: to pull him into isolation defense because he was blowing 732 00:39:27,920 --> 00:39:31,080 Speaker 1: everything up with his help on the back end. You 733 00:39:31,080 --> 00:39:35,240 Speaker 1: guys probably remember playing Finals A very famous playing Janice's 734 00:39:35,280 --> 00:39:39,840 Speaker 1: career drop coverage against Devin Booker and DeAndre Ayton. Or 735 00:39:39,920 --> 00:39:43,920 Speaker 1: he's up high enough to dissuade Devin Booker from taking 736 00:39:43,920 --> 00:39:47,120 Speaker 1: the shot and force him to throw a lot, but 737 00:39:47,320 --> 00:39:52,720 Speaker 1: still turn and recover any race eight and at the rim. 738 00:39:52,760 --> 00:39:56,799 Speaker 1: That is using his physical tools to dominate a basketball 739 00:39:56,800 --> 00:39:59,759 Speaker 1: game on the defensive end of the floor, even on 740 00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:03,879 Speaker 1: offense when when his shots not falling, when things are 741 00:40:03,920 --> 00:40:08,200 Speaker 1: not going his way offensively, Janice can bulldoze his way 742 00:40:08,239 --> 00:40:12,720 Speaker 1: to thirty five points a game because of his physical tools. 743 00:40:15,080 --> 00:40:17,600 Speaker 1: That's it. That that those that's the only weakness I 744 00:40:17,640 --> 00:40:21,520 Speaker 1: can really hammer home with Steph. And it's a credit 745 00:40:21,560 --> 00:40:24,360 Speaker 1: to him because all of those other guys at the 746 00:40:24,360 --> 00:40:27,520 Speaker 1: top of the list were capable of inflicting their physicality 747 00:40:27,600 --> 00:40:30,600 Speaker 1: on the game in a way that it was literally 748 00:40:30,640 --> 00:40:35,000 Speaker 1: a huge chunk of their impact on winning. And Steph 749 00:40:35,239 --> 00:40:40,239 Speaker 1: without those tools is gonna be extremely high on my 750 00:40:40,360 --> 00:40:43,640 Speaker 1: all time rankings because of how good he is in 751 00:40:43,840 --> 00:40:48,880 Speaker 1: everything else. So it's a credit to Steph. But that 752 00:40:49,040 --> 00:40:51,719 Speaker 1: is the difference between him and Lebron when he was 753 00:40:51,760 --> 00:40:54,520 Speaker 1: at his peak, or him and Janice when he was 754 00:40:54,560 --> 00:40:58,440 Speaker 1: at his peak, is those guys can just think about 755 00:40:58,480 --> 00:41:03,360 Speaker 1: all the defensive moment it's of Lebron's career. You know 756 00:41:03,400 --> 00:41:07,000 Speaker 1: what he did defensively to the Spurs in the two 757 00:41:07,040 --> 00:41:11,000 Speaker 1: thousand thirteen finals, what he did defensively to the Warriors 758 00:41:11,080 --> 00:41:14,640 Speaker 1: in two thousand sixteen eracing but probably would have amounted 759 00:41:14,680 --> 00:41:19,440 Speaker 1: to the game winning layup from Montrea Guadala. And again, 760 00:41:19,480 --> 00:41:23,120 Speaker 1: like Steph has overcome this to get where he's gotten. 761 00:41:23,760 --> 00:41:26,640 Speaker 1: But that's the one big red flag with him, that's 762 00:41:26,680 --> 00:41:31,000 Speaker 1: the one big weakness on offense. He can't inflict his physicality, 763 00:41:31,080 --> 00:41:36,839 Speaker 1: and on defense, he can't inflict his physicality. All right, 764 00:41:36,880 --> 00:41:40,560 Speaker 1: moving on to greatest hopes, So it's hard to hope 765 00:41:40,560 --> 00:41:45,680 Speaker 1: for more. I mean, his career is unassailable. Now, there 766 00:41:45,760 --> 00:41:47,600 Speaker 1: was kind of a little bit of a question mark, 767 00:41:47,680 --> 00:41:49,680 Speaker 1: an unfair one in my opinion, but there was a 768 00:41:49,680 --> 00:41:51,279 Speaker 1: little bit of question mark about whether or not he'd 769 00:41:51,280 --> 00:41:53,640 Speaker 1: be able to carry a team. He resolved that this 770 00:41:53,719 --> 00:41:56,360 Speaker 1: year resoundingly. Andrew Wiggins is your best player, and you 771 00:41:56,360 --> 00:41:58,360 Speaker 1: win a champion your best teammate, and you win a championship, 772 00:41:58,480 --> 00:42:01,520 Speaker 1: you're in a select few. You're in some select company. There. 773 00:42:02,840 --> 00:42:05,600 Speaker 1: What becomes really interesting for Steph is his goat case. 774 00:42:06,360 --> 00:42:09,239 Speaker 1: Now this is not relevant now, but let's say, for 775 00:42:09,280 --> 00:42:12,480 Speaker 1: the sake of argument, that the Warriors win two additional titles. Okay, 776 00:42:14,000 --> 00:42:17,960 Speaker 1: he's not going to have the long, extended success that 777 00:42:18,080 --> 00:42:22,720 Speaker 1: Lebron has. He's not going to have the short, unrelenting 778 00:42:22,880 --> 00:42:27,200 Speaker 1: dominance that Michael Jordan had. But what he could have 779 00:42:28,120 --> 00:42:32,080 Speaker 1: is a better version of Tim Duncan's career, an extended 780 00:42:32,160 --> 00:42:35,400 Speaker 1: window of a dynasty where maybe he was never the 781 00:42:35,440 --> 00:42:38,319 Speaker 1: best player in the world, but he was always right 782 00:42:38,360 --> 00:42:42,440 Speaker 1: there in his consistent success over that span in the 783 00:42:42,560 --> 00:42:45,920 Speaker 1: example that he set for his organization led to a 784 00:42:46,000 --> 00:42:49,880 Speaker 1: lot of success. Now, again, this is all in the 785 00:42:49,920 --> 00:42:52,719 Speaker 1: eye of the beholder. Lebron fans will be like, I'd 786 00:42:52,800 --> 00:42:56,919 Speaker 1: rather have twenty years of this. MJ fans are like, dude, 787 00:42:56,920 --> 00:42:59,919 Speaker 1: six titles in eight years, that's dominance, That's what I want. 788 00:43:00,680 --> 00:43:03,880 Speaker 1: But there will be a case for Steph and the 789 00:43:03,960 --> 00:43:10,120 Speaker 1: case will be dynasty Bedrock, Dynasty Foundation, and he was 790 00:43:10,200 --> 00:43:14,960 Speaker 1: literally the core piece that made everything work for arguably 791 00:43:15,239 --> 00:43:18,480 Speaker 1: the best dynasty and the most talented era in NBA history. 792 00:43:18,560 --> 00:43:24,480 Speaker 1: That will be his case. Greatest fears. My greatest fear 793 00:43:24,520 --> 00:43:26,719 Speaker 1: for Steff is that he doesn't get an opportunity to 794 00:43:26,880 --> 00:43:29,920 Speaker 1: win that fifth and sixth title because of Golden State 795 00:43:29,960 --> 00:43:34,040 Speaker 1: betting their future on some iffy prospects. So as we 796 00:43:34,080 --> 00:43:35,839 Speaker 1: go down the line, Jordan Pool had a really good 797 00:43:35,840 --> 00:43:39,320 Speaker 1: season last year, But I kind of think Jordan Pool 798 00:43:39,360 --> 00:43:43,760 Speaker 1: has a ceiling of being a fringe All Star. He's 799 00:43:44,280 --> 00:43:46,759 Speaker 1: very bad defensively right now compared to most of the 800 00:43:47,560 --> 00:43:50,840 Speaker 1: players that are above him in league standing. Although he 801 00:43:51,760 --> 00:43:55,640 Speaker 1: was functional from time to time for Golden State, and 802 00:43:55,680 --> 00:43:59,480 Speaker 1: he's not again impactful enough with his physicality offensively to 803 00:43:59,520 --> 00:44:02,799 Speaker 1: become more efficient, much more efficient than he is right now. 804 00:44:02,840 --> 00:44:05,600 Speaker 1: I think that's a safe bet for Jordan Pool is 805 00:44:06,080 --> 00:44:08,360 Speaker 1: he'll get He'll make a few All Star teams for 806 00:44:08,400 --> 00:44:15,560 Speaker 1: Golden State. Jonathan Cominga has tantalizing potential, but he also 807 00:44:15,640 --> 00:44:19,960 Speaker 1: could be the lesser version of Jeff Green idding Moses 808 00:44:20,000 --> 00:44:23,719 Speaker 1: Moody is a role player. And then James Wiseman. Yeah, 809 00:44:23,760 --> 00:44:26,799 Speaker 1: he could beat Kevin Garnett, but he also could be 810 00:44:26,880 --> 00:44:29,480 Speaker 1: something a hell of a lot less than that. Now, 811 00:44:29,520 --> 00:44:33,040 Speaker 1: that all might pan out fine, because if Comingo becomes 812 00:44:33,040 --> 00:44:36,160 Speaker 1: a dominant two way wing and Jordan Pool is a 813 00:44:36,239 --> 00:44:39,480 Speaker 1: fringe All Star and James Wiseman becomes KG Light, the 814 00:44:39,520 --> 00:44:42,799 Speaker 1: Warriors are gonna be really good. They'll be fine. But 815 00:44:42,840 --> 00:44:45,680 Speaker 1: there's a there's a lot of uh, there's a lot 816 00:44:45,719 --> 00:44:48,680 Speaker 1: of iffiness there. It could go either way, and if 817 00:44:48,719 --> 00:44:51,520 Speaker 1: that goes south, the Warriors could be in a situation 818 00:44:51,600 --> 00:44:53,640 Speaker 1: where they have a lot of money on the books 819 00:44:53,640 --> 00:44:57,080 Speaker 1: without a lot of talent. The second thing that scares 820 00:44:57,120 --> 00:45:01,000 Speaker 1: me is Clay and Draymond's bodies. A Obviously, with the 821 00:45:01,040 --> 00:45:04,040 Speaker 1: back to back catastrophic injuries, Draymond has been having back 822 00:45:04,120 --> 00:45:08,440 Speaker 1: stuff recently. If those guys age fast, that could be 823 00:45:08,480 --> 00:45:11,680 Speaker 1: another thing that closes this window early, so hopefully for 824 00:45:11,719 --> 00:45:17,120 Speaker 1: Steph's sake. Um, those two things don't happen alright, biggest 825 00:45:17,160 --> 00:45:21,239 Speaker 1: what if in Steph's career? So this is an interesting one. 826 00:45:21,280 --> 00:45:22,600 Speaker 1: There's and there's a bunch of them, just like with 827 00:45:22,640 --> 00:45:24,400 Speaker 1: all these other players, like, oh, what if you know, 828 00:45:24,640 --> 00:45:27,759 Speaker 1: Draymond Green doesn't get suspended? What if, uh, you know, 829 00:45:27,800 --> 00:45:29,799 Speaker 1: what if Kevin Durant never comes to Golden State. There's 830 00:45:29,800 --> 00:45:31,880 Speaker 1: a bunch of what IF's, right. The one that I 831 00:45:31,960 --> 00:45:34,440 Speaker 1: was thinking of is what if Golden State gave up 832 00:45:34,440 --> 00:45:37,719 Speaker 1: on his ankles? From what I understand, and of course 833 00:45:37,719 --> 00:45:40,080 Speaker 1: there's conflicting reporting with all of this stuff, but from 834 00:45:40,120 --> 00:45:41,960 Speaker 1: what I understand, there was a decision point for the 835 00:45:42,000 --> 00:45:44,319 Speaker 1: Warriors where they were trying to decide whether to stick 836 00:45:44,360 --> 00:45:47,480 Speaker 1: with Monte Ellis or to lean into Steph Curry moving forward, 837 00:45:48,320 --> 00:45:50,600 Speaker 1: and cooler heads prevailed and they decided to go with 838 00:45:50,600 --> 00:45:53,000 Speaker 1: Steph Curry. They made him the four year, forty four 839 00:45:53,000 --> 00:45:55,879 Speaker 1: million dollar offer or whatever it was, and the rest 840 00:45:55,920 --> 00:45:58,399 Speaker 1: is history. But there's a version of that story where 841 00:45:58,440 --> 00:46:00,719 Speaker 1: they go his ankles are shot, this guy is never 842 00:46:00,719 --> 00:46:03,479 Speaker 1: gonna amount to anything. Let's ship him off and maybe 843 00:46:03,520 --> 00:46:07,200 Speaker 1: he ends up in a lesser organization without the level 844 00:46:07,239 --> 00:46:11,360 Speaker 1: of competency that Joe Lake of and uh and the 845 00:46:11,400 --> 00:46:14,160 Speaker 1: rest of the Warriors front office, Bob Myers and Steve 846 00:46:14,239 --> 00:46:17,719 Speaker 1: Kerr and all them. He ended up doing great over there, 847 00:46:17,760 --> 00:46:20,200 Speaker 1: but there could have been a lesser version of that 848 00:46:20,280 --> 00:46:24,200 Speaker 1: story where he would have struggled to overcome the incompetence. 849 00:46:25,520 --> 00:46:29,680 Speaker 1: Unthankful that didn't happen. Why, because I think the Golden 850 00:46:29,680 --> 00:46:33,040 Speaker 1: State model is really important to the future of the NBA. 851 00:46:34,040 --> 00:46:37,480 Speaker 1: I don't know what the specifics are. Kevin Durant was 852 00:46:37,520 --> 00:46:39,680 Speaker 1: on Twitter shooting this down yesterday. Who the hell knows 853 00:46:39,680 --> 00:46:41,600 Speaker 1: what he if he knows or not what the deal 854 00:46:41,719 --> 00:46:44,760 Speaker 1: is um, but there's gonna be something in my opinion, 855 00:46:44,760 --> 00:46:48,080 Speaker 1: that happens in the next CBA negotiations that tries to 856 00:46:48,239 --> 00:46:52,920 Speaker 1: limit some player movement. And I need that to happen 857 00:46:53,040 --> 00:46:55,440 Speaker 1: for the health of the league because Golden State has 858 00:46:55,480 --> 00:46:59,120 Speaker 1: demonstrated to us the value in that building a loyal 859 00:46:59,160 --> 00:47:02,000 Speaker 1: fan base over the course of a decade that will 860 00:47:02,440 --> 00:47:04,960 Speaker 1: ride or die with these guys because they're in the 861 00:47:05,000 --> 00:47:09,040 Speaker 1: same jersey year in and year out. The continuity in 862 00:47:09,080 --> 00:47:12,439 Speaker 1: the way that that leads to higher quality basketball because 863 00:47:12,480 --> 00:47:14,600 Speaker 1: the players have a ton of experience playing with each 864 00:47:14,640 --> 00:47:20,240 Speaker 1: other and you're directly seeing that amount to enormous revenue. 865 00:47:21,920 --> 00:47:24,319 Speaker 1: As boss Man calling Coward laid out for us in 866 00:47:24,360 --> 00:47:26,840 Speaker 1: the finals when he said that the Warriors make I 867 00:47:26,880 --> 00:47:29,040 Speaker 1: think he said something like crazy like seven million in 868 00:47:29,080 --> 00:47:33,600 Speaker 1: revenue a year. That's the value in the Golden State model. 869 00:47:34,800 --> 00:47:38,960 Speaker 1: And that doesn't happen without Steph. And so I'm glad 870 00:47:39,000 --> 00:47:41,279 Speaker 1: that that what if didn't go that way, and I'm 871 00:47:41,320 --> 00:47:43,759 Speaker 1: thankful that the Golden State Warriors bet on him and 872 00:47:43,800 --> 00:47:46,040 Speaker 1: it was a bet that paid off. But yeah, I 873 00:47:46,040 --> 00:47:48,000 Speaker 1: have step at number two. You know, it's it's a 874 00:47:48,080 --> 00:47:51,880 Speaker 1: little bit it's a little bit funky because I I'm 875 00:47:51,960 --> 00:47:53,719 Speaker 1: one of those guys that, like, man, when you're the best, 876 00:47:53,880 --> 00:47:55,600 Speaker 1: when you're the best player on the team that wins 877 00:47:55,600 --> 00:47:58,080 Speaker 1: the championship and you're a bona fide top tier superstar, 878 00:47:59,080 --> 00:48:01,239 Speaker 1: there's a tendency to want to put him at number one. 879 00:48:01,520 --> 00:48:03,400 Speaker 1: I know I've done that with Lebron over the years, 880 00:48:04,120 --> 00:48:07,320 Speaker 1: but typically that's when there's not a player like Janice 881 00:48:08,680 --> 00:48:11,680 Speaker 1: and that's what makes you honest. So interesting. It's just 882 00:48:11,840 --> 00:48:14,520 Speaker 1: like prime Lebron from two thousand twelve to two thousand 883 00:48:14,520 --> 00:48:17,040 Speaker 1: and twenty, where it's like, man, I'm not sure if 884 00:48:17,040 --> 00:48:20,200 Speaker 1: there's anybody at his level, and we're gonna get into 885 00:48:20,239 --> 00:48:23,279 Speaker 1: a lot deeper into Honest tomorrow. Um, but I don't 886 00:48:23,320 --> 00:48:25,560 Speaker 1: think it's to be clear to Steph fans out there. 887 00:48:25,560 --> 00:48:27,560 Speaker 1: I don't think it's disrespectful to Steph to say he's 888 00:48:27,560 --> 00:48:30,600 Speaker 1: behind you. Honice Janice is a freak of nature. We're 889 00:48:30,600 --> 00:48:33,600 Speaker 1: gonna get into his game tomorrow. It's a step being 890 00:48:33,719 --> 00:48:37,440 Speaker 1: number two at this phase two, especially after what happened 891 00:48:37,440 --> 00:48:40,040 Speaker 1: in the previous two years, is an amazing accomplishment. I 892 00:48:40,160 --> 00:48:42,359 Speaker 1: enjoyed diving into his game and it's gonna be fun 893 00:48:42,360 --> 00:49:17,400 Speaker 1: getting into Honest tomorrow. The volume