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Speaker 1: The volume.

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

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Speaker 2: Happy Tuesday, everybody. Oh, all of you guys are having

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Speaker 2: a great week. We're actually recording this on Monday. We're

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Speaker 2: airing it on Tuesday. I've got Sam Asine, one of

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Speaker 2: the basketball minds in the world that I respect the most,

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Speaker 2: someone who I learned a lot from, someone who's super

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Speaker 2: well connected, helps me learn a lot more about some

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Speaker 2: of the uh the way that the NBA works behind

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Speaker 2: the scenes as well. Also a good friend of mine.

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Speaker 2: I'm excited to dive into the NBA Finals with you. Sam.

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Speaker 2: We have to this point not a whole lot to

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Speaker 2: be optimistic about for Dallas, and I've spent a good

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Speaker 2: amount of time over the course of the last couple

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Speaker 2: of you know, four days or so, explaining all the

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Speaker 2: reasons why Boston is giving Dallas problems. But I kind

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Speaker 2: of want to focus today more solutions based. So let's start.

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Speaker 2: Let's start with Boston on defense. I think the primary

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Speaker 2: issue at this point is they're just really struggling to

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Speaker 2: contain the basketball. But I also don't view it as

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Speaker 2: a problem that's going away. I think they just have

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Speaker 2: too many entry points between Gafford and Luca, and even

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Speaker 2: like Kaliba was struggling a little bit with some guys

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Speaker 2: on the perimeter, Kyrie has been gambling in the post

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Speaker 2: and giving up straight line drives as well. So I

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Speaker 2: don't necessarily see a universe where Dallas suddenly just puts

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Speaker 2: the clamps on Boston on the perimeter. So if you

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Speaker 2: were coaching Dallas, what would you do on the defensive

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Speaker 2: end to try to gain control of the situation with Boston.

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Speaker 1: So, yeah, this is the side of the court where

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Speaker 1: the solutions are really hard. I think I think I

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Speaker 1: can come up with some solutions on offense where I'm like, okay,

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Speaker 1: I think these are okay. The real problem for Dallas

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Speaker 1: on defense is that Boston has been very intentional with

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Speaker 1: its spacing, right. They are making sure that Derek Lively

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Speaker 1: and Daniel Gafford are above the break basically at all times,

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Speaker 1: or if Chris Stops is in, they might have them

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Speaker 1: like deep in the corner, and they're just making it

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Speaker 1: so that those guys can't contest at the basket, Like

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Speaker 1: Derek Lively has played what probably thirty five forty minutes

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Speaker 1: in the series and as zero blocks because there's just

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Speaker 1: he's not around the basket in those circumstances. So the

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Speaker 1: idea here is to try and find a way to

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Speaker 1: get their bigs around the basket a little bit more

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Speaker 1: and bet on like shooting variants in my opinion, like

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Speaker 1: I would want to try and bet on you know

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Speaker 1: last night, right, I think it was Christops, sam Hauser,

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Speaker 1: Jason Tatum, Jalen Brown combined went two for twenty from

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Speaker 1: the three point line. That's the kind of variance you

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Speaker 1: need for it to be a you know, what was it?

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Speaker 1: It was a six point game with like a minute

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Speaker 1: left something like that.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, Boston only had one.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, Like I think it was relatively okay, But it

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Speaker 1: was okay, not in terms of process. It was in

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Speaker 1: terms of shooting variants, I thought, because Sam Houser missed

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Speaker 1: like four wide open threes and Christops missed a couple

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Speaker 1: of open threes and Tata missed an open three. Like

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Speaker 1: when Dallas fans like bring up the fact that you know, oh,

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Speaker 1: we also shot twenty three percent from three, I'm just like, well, guys,

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Speaker 1: they're leaving Josh Green and Derek Jones open for a reason.

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Speaker 1: You aren't leaving Sam Hauser and Jason Tatum and Jaylen

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Speaker 1: Brown open for a reason, So I think the shooting

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Speaker 1: variants gods are much more likely to be favorable to Boston.

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Speaker 1: Even at this point, it feels like Boston has only

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Speaker 1: shot well from three and like one quarter maybe like

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Speaker 1: a quarter and a half of this series, and it

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Speaker 1: was the first quarter and a half, So I would

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Speaker 1: look at going toward more of like a matchup zone

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Speaker 1: based kind of scheme. They ran a possession of a

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Speaker 1: kind of similar matchup be zone situation, I want to say,

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Speaker 1: was at like the nine to thirty mark of the

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Speaker 1: first quarter against Boston, and I kind of liked the

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Speaker 1: way it looked because they would like essentially pre switch

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Speaker 1: any sort of screening action, keeping gaffered around the basket

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Speaker 1: a little bit more often. That would kind of be

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Speaker 1: my idea, go toward more of like a Zony matchup

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Speaker 1: based zone. And you might think zoning Boston is a

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Speaker 1: terrible idea. I don't disagree. I just don't know that

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Speaker 1: they have better options either.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, that's kind of the way I look at it too,

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Speaker 2: in the sense that at the like what you're doing

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Speaker 2: right now is not working, and yeah, you know, zone

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Speaker 2: at the very least service to disrupt rhythm, even if

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Speaker 2: you just kind of alternated zone and away from zone

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Speaker 2: at kind of random sequences. There's a couple of things

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Speaker 2: that they're doing that I really don't understand. Like one

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Speaker 2: thing is I think they're applying their ball pressure a

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Speaker 2: little too far out, which is a it was, which

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Speaker 2: is trump a problem when you're struggling to contain the

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Speaker 2: basketball in the sense that like, like there was a

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Speaker 2: play where Drew Holliday's bringing the ball up the floor

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Speaker 2: on the left side and PJ. Washington's like kicking him

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Speaker 2: up like full court and Drew ends up making like

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Speaker 2: kind of like a spin move towards the sideline, and

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Speaker 2: he's a little out of control. But when you're that

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Speaker 2: far away from the basket, you're not immediately ending up

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Speaker 2: in bodies. You have an opportunity to regain control and

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Speaker 2: kind of get your feet straight as you're kind of

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Speaker 2: going downhill and making a play. So like part of

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Speaker 2: it is I kind of would lean more on going

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Speaker 2: more passive in the sense that not just not just

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Speaker 2: in ball pressure, but also in isolation situations, giving ground

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Speaker 2: baiting pull up jump shots rather than trying to pressure

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Speaker 2: the basketball. So much. I like what you talked about

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Speaker 2: with the pre switching too. It's it's comical to me

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Speaker 2: how easily they're allowing, you know, Gafford to end up

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Speaker 2: on Tatum twenty five feet from the basket or Luca

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Speaker 2: to end up that far away. You called it a

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Speaker 2: matchup zone, and that's a great way to kind of

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Speaker 2: look at it, in the sense that if you have

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Speaker 2: guys out above the break who are essentially there to guard,

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Speaker 2: and if Gafford's man runs up to go set a

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Speaker 2: screen or something like that, if you just let those

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Speaker 2: guys solve that problem and just kind of rejigger the

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Speaker 2: matchups behind them, you can figure out a way to

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Speaker 2: kind of keep your situation more favorable. But in general,

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Speaker 2: I think focusing more on contained rather than pressure in

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Speaker 2: the sense that it's almost like a more passive version

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Speaker 2: of defense. Because one of the things is like, we're

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Speaker 2: so accustomed to Boston losing their head and playing a

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Speaker 2: really silly brand of basketball, and they just haven't done

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Speaker 2: that in this series. There was a brief stretch spanning

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Speaker 2: the end of the second quarter in early third in

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Speaker 2: Game one where they went like five minutes of game

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Speaker 2: clock where they didn't get a single touch in the

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Speaker 2: paint where you're like, what are you guys doing? But

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Speaker 2: aside from that, they've actually played like a grown up

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Speaker 2: basketball team. I got a credit Tatum and Brown. I

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Speaker 2: think they've just done a really nice job of just

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Speaker 2: yea understanding the assignment. I think Joe Mizzoula talks about

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Speaker 2: like the different phases of the drive, like don't try

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Speaker 2: to hit a home run on the first drive. To me,

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Speaker 2: that's like advantage creation versus advantage extending. Like your job

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Speaker 2: is not to get an assist on the first drive.

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Speaker 2: You just need to compromise the defense. And they've done

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Speaker 2: a really good job of that. And so if you

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Speaker 2: can get into a situation where you have more favorable

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Speaker 2: matchups on Tatum and Brown and you focus more on contain,

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Speaker 2: I think that serves to better bait Boston into their

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Speaker 2: worst tendencies. But no matter what, they've got to do

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Speaker 2: something I don't understand as a scenario where you just

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Speaker 2: continue to let Luca kind of sit on an island.

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Speaker 2: I don't think this is Harden and PG. Remember how

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Speaker 2: like Harden and Paul George, like Luca kind of sort

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Speaker 2: of started to contain them a little bit in some moments.

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Speaker 2: I don't think he's going to be able to do

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Speaker 2: that about against Brown and Tatum.

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Speaker 1: To you, well, he's a good matchup for Harden because

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Speaker 1: Harden can't really blow by like he can just body

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Speaker 1: up against Harden. Paul George is like a little bit

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Speaker 1: more willing to settle from three than what Jason's. Them

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Speaker 1: and Jalen Brown are Jalen and Jason. They're going to

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Speaker 1: try and get downhill and get to the rim at

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Speaker 1: the end of the day. And a big piece of

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Speaker 1: that is I think that Boston's again, like I brought

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Speaker 1: up spacing earlier, it can't go unnoticed here, right, the

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Speaker 1: fact that they have five guys on the court at

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Speaker 1: all times who can shoot, and not just shoot, but

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Speaker 1: are probably like forty percent three point shooters if you

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Speaker 1: leave them open, outside of maybe Drew Holiday, but Drew

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Speaker 1: Holiday hit forty percent of his catch and shoot threes

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Speaker 1: this year. I think that it makes it a lot

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Speaker 1: harder to kind of do what you're suggesting. I'm not

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Speaker 1: saying that you're wrong. I think you are right that

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Speaker 1: they need to play more conservatively, but it makes it

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Speaker 1: harder because the driving lanes are just wider. Right, they're

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Speaker 1: wider against Boston than they are against even like Oklahoma

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Speaker 1: City or Cleat or the Clippers. Right, it just makes

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Speaker 1: it way more difficult, I think to contain those drives,

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Speaker 1: Like Derek Jones Junior is like pressuring Jalen Brown at

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Speaker 1: the three point line even, which is kind of what

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Speaker 1: you have to do. And the lane to Jalen Brown's

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Speaker 1: right is just so wide and his first step is

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Speaker 1: so good that it almost doesn't matter. Right, Like, I

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Speaker 1: agree with you, like some of the like silly bs

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Speaker 1: stuff that you know PJ. Washington is doing, right, Like

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Speaker 1: the fact that he like keeps same side helping and

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Speaker 1: doubling and like digging into guy's handles on these drives

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Speaker 1: is just driving me crazy. Like he had he had

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Speaker 1: the one in Game two where it was like a

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Speaker 1: bounce pass out to Derek White and Derek White just

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Speaker 1: like caught and like immediately gathered into no pointer, no

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Speaker 1: dipped it. It was just like, well, come on, like

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Speaker 1: what are we doing here? Also, they need to stop

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Speaker 1: with like the scrambled double team stuff that they've done,

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Speaker 1: you know, sparingly in game one. In Game two, you know,

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Speaker 1: I think they did a decent amount when they panicked

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Speaker 1: in Game one, and then there's another possession in Game two,

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Speaker 1: I believe where PJ. Washington did like a post to

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Speaker 1: post double on I think it was Tatum who got

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Speaker 1: a mismall.

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Speaker 2: They've been doubling Tatum in the post a lot.

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Speaker 1: I hate it. You can't do it. He's too good

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Speaker 1: of a passer. Boston is too good at keeping the

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Speaker 1: advantage by rolling that ball around the perimeter. I truly

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Speaker 1: think that you need to make Tatum just like a

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Speaker 1: fade away post scorer at the end of the day

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Speaker 1: in those circumstances, kind of like you're saying.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, the when you play solid positional defense against Tatum,

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Speaker 2: where like you just keep your body in front, even

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Speaker 2: though he will have his possessions in the game where

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Speaker 2: he just goes right through you like a superstar and

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Speaker 2: dunks it, he'll settle for you know, two or three

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Speaker 2: right shoulder fades and left shoulder fades as well. And

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Speaker 2: like they're doing this too, where it's like it'll be

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Speaker 2: like Kyrie catches in the post against Tatum and he'll

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Speaker 2: just immediately overplay the high side and then they'll zone

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Speaker 2: up on the backside and then Tatum will just make

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Speaker 2: an easy bounce pass out of it, like they're the

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Speaker 2: over aggression is crazy, the strong side corner help from PJ. Washington.

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Speaker 2: In general, they were better in game two than they

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Speaker 2: were in Game one, but in general, through two games,

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Speaker 2: I think they overhelped, which is part of it. I

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Speaker 2: feel like is reprogramming yourself because Minnesota was the series

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Speaker 2: where you wanted to overhelp, like that was how they

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Speaker 2: beat you. And in so many ways, to me, this

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Speaker 2: comes down to matchups, like matchups have determined so much

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Speaker 2: of the championship picture this year because Denver was ill

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Speaker 2: equipped to deal with what Minnesota brought defensively, Minnesota was

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Speaker 2: ill equipped to deal with what Dallas brought defensively, and

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Speaker 2: Dallas is now ill equipped for Boston on both ends

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Speaker 2: of the floor. And like again, the I like to

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Speaker 2: bring it back to something you've said at the beginning, too,

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Speaker 2: if do what Boston's doing, like we're about to move

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Speaker 2: to Boston on offense or defense. And I thought Joe

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Speaker 2: Miszula's game plan has been literally brilliant, And I can't

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Speaker 2: say enough how much I've I've appreciated just not just

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Speaker 2: the not just the game plan itself, but the execution

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Speaker 2: of it through the first two games. But everything with

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Speaker 2: Joe Mizula is about tilting Dallas's offense towards above the

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Speaker 2: breakthree for guys like Derek Jones, Junior, PJ. Washington maxically,

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Speaker 2: but Josh Green, you know, Dante X, some of these

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Speaker 2: kinds of guys. And to your point, like you gotta

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Speaker 2: lean into that with Boston too, in the sense that

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Speaker 2: you overplay the corners, and if Porzingis is gonna take

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Speaker 2: a bunch of above the break threes, or Horford is

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Speaker 2: gonna take a bunch of above the break threes, or

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Speaker 2: even Jaylen Brown, you kind of have to live with

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Speaker 2: it to a certain extent. With a contest, obviously, you

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Speaker 2: want to offer that contest because that's the other thing too,

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Speaker 2: Like Boston's getting out on those guys, they're just they're

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Speaker 2: they're offering a contest after the fact, and so like

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Speaker 2: I think you have to kind of choose the lesser

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Speaker 2: of two evils, and taking away the rim and taking

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Speaker 2: away the corner I think is the best pathway to

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Speaker 2: them for them to try to play Boston towards their

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Speaker 2: lowest shot quality. And then you pointed this out, but

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Speaker 2: like Porzingis. I think he looked a little shaky in

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Speaker 2: game two. Uh, Drew Holliday went hit a couple of threes,

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Speaker 2: But if he's above the break instead of in the corner,

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Speaker 2: I think you like those results a little bit better.

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Speaker 2: So I think like trying to be smart about where

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Speaker 2: you help from would go a long way. But to

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Speaker 2: your point, like, this is the end of the floor

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Speaker 2: that I think Dallas has the fewest answers. Yeah, And

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Speaker 2: honestly I don't. I don't see a universe where they

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Speaker 2: like just strangle this Boston offense. And the worst part

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Speaker 2: about it is this was the game you had to win.

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Speaker 2: Boston got zero points seventy five points per jump shot

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Speaker 2: in game two. That's the one you have to win.

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Speaker 2: Dallas actually out shot Boston on jump shots in game two.

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Speaker 2: You had to get that one, and you didn't get it. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: moving over to the other side of the floor, go ahead,

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Speaker 2: did you?

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Speaker 1: I was going to say, like maybe this will be

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Speaker 1: the way to transition from that's out of the court

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Speaker 1: to this side of the court. A big problem for

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Speaker 1: me has been just Derek White has been like or

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Speaker 1: not Derek White. Derek Lively has been like completely ineffectual

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Speaker 1: in this series, right, I am wondering if they should

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Speaker 1: use some of those minutes that you're giving to Derek

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Speaker 1: Lively and go small with like PJ. Washington at the

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Speaker 1: five and just see what happens. I don't think it

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Speaker 1: could be worse because the end of the day, like

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Speaker 1: you're not getting the rim protection anyway from Lively because

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Speaker 1: they're just pulling them away from the basket. Now, Like,

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Speaker 1: if they're gonna play zone and adjust that way, great,

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Speaker 1: Like I'm I'm interested in seeing that playing more of

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Speaker 1: a matchup zone, Like we talked about finding ways to

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Speaker 1: get their rim protectors at the rim. If you're gonna

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Speaker 1: do that, great. Another option here could just be to

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Speaker 1: tried out gun Boston at the end of the day

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Speaker 1: and say, hey, we're not getting the rim protection anyway,

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Speaker 1: let's try and go like full you know, being able

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Speaker 1: to contain them on the perimeter on defense, just trying

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Speaker 1: to stop them from getting to the rim. Derek Lively

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Speaker 1: is not going to be better at that than our

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Speaker 1: perimeter defenders are, and just try and go five out

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Speaker 1: and go like PJ. Washington at the five. You probably

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Speaker 1: have to play Derek Jones still because Derek Jones is

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Speaker 1: such a critical defender against Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum.

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Speaker 1: But then you play, you know, honestly, like I might

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Speaker 1: dust off Tim Hardaway June Year next to Kyrie and

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Speaker 1: Luca and just try and outgun them and outshoot them

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Speaker 1: and hope that Tim Hardaway catches fire while you're containing

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Speaker 1: them on the perimeter a little bit, Tim makes it

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Speaker 1: harder to contain them. But like you're just not getting

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Speaker 1: anything from that center position anyway. And that's why I

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Speaker 1: think it might be worth like transitioning talking about this

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Speaker 1: now when we transition from defense to offense, if you're

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Speaker 1: able to space them out, I think that that would

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Speaker 1: cause Boston's defense, particularly when Christops is on the court,

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Speaker 1: a little bit more stress than what we've seen so far.

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Speaker 2: No, I think this is a really good take, And

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Speaker 2: I actually was talking about this with my buddy Combo

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Speaker 2: this morning. I went on his podcast and he actually

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Speaker 2: presented this idea. And I find it fascinating in two ways.

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Speaker 2: Because to your point, yeah, you're not getting any rim

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Speaker 2: protection from Livelier Gafford because of the way they're setting

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Speaker 2: up the floor. In addition to that, Boston's doing a

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Speaker 2: pretty solid job of making decisions when they get to

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Speaker 2: the rim. Their speed that and it doesn't matter how

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Speaker 2: good Derek Jones is at containing the basketball if he's

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Speaker 2: never on the ball, because they're switching and ending up

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Speaker 2: with Luca and just attacking through Luca, and so rotational

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Speaker 2: speed becomes more valuable. So, for instance, like a guy

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Speaker 2: like Tim Hardaway Junior, if you put him on the ball,

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Speaker 2: his value is pretty low. But like if you're asking

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Speaker 2: him to sprint around in rotation, as long as he's

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Speaker 2: playing hard and understands where he's supposed to be next,

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Speaker 2: he might be able to do that job at least

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Speaker 2: to a certain extent. Then that pushes us to the

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Speaker 2: other end of the floor because you're right, like to me,

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Speaker 2: the number one factor that is disrupting Dallas's offense is

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Speaker 2: Tatum on the center because essentially what's happening is it's

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Speaker 2: not just that because Horford is switching onto Luca beautifully.

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Speaker 2: In general, Jalen Brown is doing a great job on

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Speaker 2: the ball. It's a team effort. I'm not trying to

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Speaker 2: underestimate that. But the entire geometry, the way that Denver

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Speaker 2: or Dallas wants to attack in the half court with

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Speaker 2: their pick and roll game is thrown off by the

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Speaker 2: fact that Lively and Gafford are in the dunker spot

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Speaker 2: rather than setting screens and rolling towards a vacant painted area.

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Speaker 2: And so to me, like to your point, they need

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Speaker 2: to try to mess with the spacing the same way

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Speaker 2: that Boston has been And what that means is you

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Speaker 2: need to make sure that you have above the break

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Speaker 2: three point shooters above the break. So who are the

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Speaker 2: guys for Dallas that I actually like shooting above the

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Speaker 2: break threes? It's Kyrie, It's Luca, It's Tim Hardaway Junior.

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Speaker 2: And if there was one of the role guys that

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Speaker 2: I feel most comfortable up there, it's probably Dante Exhum

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Speaker 2: believe it or not. He actually hit one in Game two,

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Speaker 2: but he's just got a really good set shot where

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Speaker 2: if he's got all day, I actually like him up there.

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Speaker 2: But he's not a great option. But the point is,

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Speaker 2: if you can find a way to set up the

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Speaker 2: floor to where you have Derek Jones and PJ. Washington

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Speaker 2: in the corners and you don't have an occupied dunker

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Speaker 2: spot and you're running action up top with Tim Hardaway

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Speaker 2: Junior and Luca just like ghost screens and stuff, and

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Speaker 2: Luca's compromising the defense and working with a vacant paint.

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Speaker 2: I think that that's serves to at least open things

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Speaker 2: up for you on the offensive end of the floor.

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Speaker 2: But the one problem I would have there is, to

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Speaker 2: this point in this series, Dallas has held up pretty

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Speaker 2: well in the glass. As a matter of fact, it's

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Speaker 2: fifty to fifty in rebound percentage through the two games.

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Speaker 2: I do worry about just the sheer athleticism advantage for

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Speaker 2: Boston tilting in that sense and them starting to do

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Speaker 2: a bunch of damage on the offensive glass. Do you

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Speaker 2: think that that would be an issue.

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Speaker 1: I don't know that it would be necessarily. I think

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Speaker 1: it could be for sure, But like with how much

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Speaker 1: they're spacing their bigs away from the rim, it would

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Speaker 1: be an awful big ass for you to say, Christops,

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Speaker 1: we need you to crush the offensive glass and then

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Speaker 1: get all the way back on defense against Kyrie, who

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Speaker 1: does tend to push the pace. Like if it was

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Speaker 1: just Luca on the court, I think that would be

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Speaker 1: a bit more of a concern. But when Kyrie is

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Speaker 1: out there, and Kyrie is willing to go a little

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Speaker 1: bit more often whereas Luke is going to slow it

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Speaker 1: up a little bit more. I don't think they would

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Speaker 1: crush them necessarily, given how intentional they're being about their

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Speaker 1: spacing with their bigs away from the rim right now,

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Speaker 1: particularly now. The way that I felt Dallas got the

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Speaker 1: advantage on Minnesota in that series was utilizing more double

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Speaker 1: screen actions double drags, particularly where you'd have Mike Conley

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Speaker 1: be the guy having to guard that first ball screen

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Speaker 1: defender or be the first ball screen defender, right, because

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Speaker 1: typically the way teams that the wait teams navigate those

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Speaker 1: is they will switch the first one and then they

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Speaker 1: will play drop in the second one, right, Especially Minnesota

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Speaker 1: with Ridy Gobert, right, they want to be able to

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Speaker 1: play switch and then drop. That ended up resulting in

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Speaker 1: a lot of mismatches where Mike Conley was on Luka

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Speaker 1: Doncic or Mike Conley was on Kyrie Irving coming off

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Speaker 1: and that was able to create an advantage, or when

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Speaker 1: Minnesota started to adjust, it created a lot of communication errors. Right,

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Speaker 1: been surprised about the level to which Dallas has not

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Speaker 1: really run as many double drags double screen actions in

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Speaker 1: this series.

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Speaker 2: To this point.

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Speaker 1: I would like to see more of them. I think, now,

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Speaker 1: who were you trying to attack? This kind of solves

398
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Speaker 1: the problem that you were saying. I actually think that

399
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Speaker 1: Jason Tatum has been incredible off the ball in this series,

400
00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:29,399
Speaker 1: A sneaky think. He's kind of been the one guy

401
00:20:29,440 --> 00:20:31,719
Speaker 1: that you can get on the ball a little bit

402
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Speaker 1: more often than what people think. I might try and

403
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Speaker 1: get him switched on to Luca a little bit more often,

404
00:20:37,960 --> 00:20:40,400
Speaker 1: or switched particularly onto Kyrie a little bit more often

405
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Speaker 1: to get him going and then try and make that

406
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Speaker 1: work that way where like you have Christops in a drop,

407
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Speaker 1: but again to do this, man, it gets hard though,

408
00:20:51,119 --> 00:20:53,040
Speaker 1: because like then you have Christops and drop and he's

409
00:20:53,080 --> 00:20:56,640
Speaker 1: probably gonna out high point Daniel Gafford, but they caught

410
00:20:56,720 --> 00:20:59,000
Speaker 1: Rudy in these circumstances, and maybe this is it, Like

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Speaker 1: maybe you just go if you're still gonna play big,

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Speaker 1: you go with like a double drag at the top,

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Speaker 1: you try and get Luca on. You're trying to get

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Speaker 1: Jason Tatum on Luca, and then you see how it goes.

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446
00:22:45,960 --> 00:23:02,800
Speaker 2: and responsible gaming resources. Yeah, I've noticed that too, where Luke,

447
00:23:02,880 --> 00:23:05,879
Speaker 2: Because Luca is hunting Tatum a lot in the first

448
00:23:05,880 --> 00:23:08,359
Speaker 2: half of game two, and it's just the simple thing

449
00:23:08,400 --> 00:23:10,240
Speaker 2: that Luca does to everybody wants to get that little

450
00:23:10,240 --> 00:23:11,880
Speaker 2: bit of an angle on you. It's just over because

451
00:23:11,880 --> 00:23:15,840
Speaker 2: he's so damn big. The what I worry about with

452
00:23:16,920 --> 00:23:20,640
Speaker 2: like the double screen action is especially when Horford's out there,

453
00:23:20,680 --> 00:23:23,920
Speaker 2: I think Boston is just totally fine with Horford on Luca.

454
00:23:24,160 --> 00:23:27,600
Speaker 2: Now the one thing that I've struggled to understand, as

455
00:23:27,600 --> 00:23:31,880
Speaker 2: it pertains to in the Porzingis lineups, Why in the

456
00:23:31,920 --> 00:23:34,520
Speaker 2: world have they not tried to go ahead?

457
00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:36,600
Speaker 1: Well, the Porzingis lineups are the ones that are killing

458
00:23:36,600 --> 00:23:39,520
Speaker 1: them though, like that, if you take away those lineups,

459
00:23:39,560 --> 00:23:41,520
Speaker 1: like it's basically an even series so far.

460
00:23:42,480 --> 00:23:48,680
Speaker 2: M Well, and so the specifically with Porzingis, And I've

461
00:23:48,680 --> 00:23:51,000
Speaker 2: been so impressed by Porzingis defensively in the series, even

462
00:23:51,040 --> 00:23:52,680
Speaker 2: on switches. I think he's done a pretty good job.

463
00:23:53,800 --> 00:23:59,679
Speaker 2: Why because when you actually see Boston end up with

464
00:23:59,760 --> 00:24:02,000
Speaker 2: poor Zingus, whether it's a transition cross match or something,

465
00:24:02,119 --> 00:24:05,360
Speaker 2: or Porzingis is on Lively or Gafford, you can actually

466
00:24:05,440 --> 00:24:09,240
Speaker 2: see Dallas's offense click back into shape. They're like the

467
00:24:09,480 --> 00:24:12,880
Speaker 2: big dunk that Derek Lively had in the second half

468
00:24:12,880 --> 00:24:17,800
Speaker 2: over Derek White. It was a miss pushing transition cross match.

469
00:24:17,920 --> 00:24:20,000
Speaker 2: Tatum ended up on Derek Jones in the right corner

470
00:24:20,040 --> 00:24:24,040
Speaker 2: or left corner. They ran the ball screen, just easy

471
00:24:24,359 --> 00:24:27,359
Speaker 2: pocket pass to Lively. Lively dunks all over Derek White.

472
00:24:28,880 --> 00:24:31,360
Speaker 2: Why hasn't and I called for this after game one

473
00:24:31,400 --> 00:24:35,200
Speaker 2: and maybe there has to be something I'm missing. Why

474
00:24:35,280 --> 00:24:40,400
Speaker 2: hasn't Dallas tried a ram screen to just get Tatum

475
00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:44,520
Speaker 2: to concede the switch, cause and basically what I'm what

476
00:24:44,600 --> 00:24:48,760
Speaker 2: I'm looking at there is like just adding that if

477
00:24:48,760 --> 00:24:51,240
Speaker 2: you're gonna if you're gonna let Boston guards your pick

478
00:24:51,280 --> 00:24:53,720
Speaker 2: and roll three on three, meaning like you're gonna let

479
00:24:53,760 --> 00:24:57,239
Speaker 2: them have Tatum parked underneath the basket while you have

480
00:24:57,280 --> 00:24:59,840
Speaker 2: Derek Jones either trying to roll into all that traff

481
00:25:00,440 --> 00:25:03,680
Speaker 2: or pop above the break, why not instead of having

482
00:25:03,720 --> 00:25:06,560
Speaker 2: Gafford or Lively just stand there because they're not doing

483
00:25:06,680 --> 00:25:08,960
Speaker 2: damage on the offensive glass. Neither team is really doing

484
00:25:08,960 --> 00:25:10,920
Speaker 2: that much damage on the offensive glass, how do you

485
00:25:11,000 --> 00:25:14,000
Speaker 2: keep him engaged? And to me, like what I would

486
00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:15,680
Speaker 2: like to see And part of this is like they

487
00:25:15,680 --> 00:25:17,359
Speaker 2: got to get the ball up the floor quicker, Like

488
00:25:17,359 --> 00:25:20,239
Speaker 2: they've got to get up into their offense quicker. But

489
00:25:20,280 --> 00:25:22,199
Speaker 2: once they get up the floor, what I'd love to

490
00:25:22,240 --> 00:25:27,240
Speaker 2: see is have PJ or Derek Jones Junior just run

491
00:25:27,280 --> 00:25:32,359
Speaker 2: like sprint down and screen Tatum hard, and then as

492
00:25:32,400 --> 00:25:35,320
Speaker 2: the screen is to have Lively sprint up into the action,

493
00:25:35,840 --> 00:25:38,840
Speaker 2: I think they'll concede the switch and let Porzingis run

494
00:25:38,920 --> 00:25:42,080
Speaker 2: up into the ball screen. From there, I would literally

495
00:25:42,080 --> 00:25:44,160
Speaker 2: turn around and turn it into stack pick and roll,

496
00:25:44,240 --> 00:25:46,840
Speaker 2: And as Luca comes off the ball screen and Lively's rolling,

497
00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:49,760
Speaker 2: I turn around in backscreen porzingis again and just kind

498
00:25:49,800 --> 00:25:53,520
Speaker 2: of adds some confusion because to me, this is ending

499
00:25:53,640 --> 00:25:56,560
Speaker 2: up in way too many ISOs, Like in general, there's

500
00:25:57,119 --> 00:26:00,359
Speaker 2: very few roll man opportunities, a very few spot up oppertunities.

501
00:26:00,400 --> 00:26:03,000
Speaker 2: I pulled this stat this morning. Through two games, sixty

502
00:26:03,040 --> 00:26:06,520
Speaker 2: eight spot up opportunities for Boston, twenty eight for Dallas

503
00:26:06,520 --> 00:26:09,920
Speaker 2: according to Synergy. That's just insane. And part of the

504
00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:14,480
Speaker 2: reason is is like, because of the fact that Boston

505
00:26:14,520 --> 00:26:17,280
Speaker 2: has Tatum parked under the basket, they haven't needed to

506
00:26:17,359 --> 00:26:20,800
Speaker 2: engage any of the corner defenders in to guard the action,

507
00:26:20,920 --> 00:26:23,119
Speaker 2: so those guys aren't getting open. And so like I

508
00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:25,720
Speaker 2: through two games, I haven't seen a single ram screen.

509
00:26:25,720 --> 00:26:28,960
Speaker 2: Am I like just screaming at the ether here? Or

510
00:26:29,000 --> 00:26:31,679
Speaker 2: do you think that that Boston would just switch all

511
00:26:31,720 --> 00:26:33,679
Speaker 2: those things easily and shut it off? Like, what do

512
00:26:33,720 --> 00:26:35,760
Speaker 2: you think is the reason why we haven't seen to

513
00:26:35,800 --> 00:26:37,760
Speaker 2: your point, the double drag I think falls into this

514
00:26:37,880 --> 00:26:41,280
Speaker 2: list too. Haven't we seen more complications in pick and roll?

515
00:26:41,359 --> 00:26:42,320
Speaker 2: To try to make this work.

516
00:26:42,400 --> 00:26:44,840
Speaker 1: Yeah, and like you brought up like stack spain ball

517
00:26:44,880 --> 00:26:46,600
Speaker 1: screens too, Like that was literally going to be my

518
00:26:46,640 --> 00:26:48,960
Speaker 1: next point. It's like, why haven't we seen too many

519
00:26:49,080 --> 00:26:51,639
Speaker 1: of those? Like it's just that they're making it so easy.

520
00:26:51,680 --> 00:26:54,359
Speaker 1: The thing that I feel like they're doing most often

521
00:26:54,359 --> 00:26:56,199
Speaker 1: when Christops is out there is they're just running like

522
00:26:56,240 --> 00:26:58,760
Speaker 1: empty ball screens to try and just like make him

523
00:26:58,800 --> 00:27:01,760
Speaker 1: guard in like a big o't of space basically. And

524
00:27:01,800 --> 00:27:03,200
Speaker 1: that's where I'm glad that you brought up that you

525
00:27:03,240 --> 00:27:05,320
Speaker 1: think he's done a pretty good job. They're just willing

526
00:27:05,359 --> 00:27:08,080
Speaker 1: to concede. Like a lot of times It'steric White who

527
00:27:08,160 --> 00:27:10,679
Speaker 1: ends up on Christops, or it's one of the other

528
00:27:10,720 --> 00:27:13,640
Speaker 1: wings or whatever, and they're just like willing to concede

529
00:27:13,920 --> 00:27:15,639
Speaker 1: that three to those guys, and that ends up being

530
00:27:15,640 --> 00:27:17,480
Speaker 1: a little bit too easy for them. So I completely

531
00:27:17,560 --> 00:27:20,240
Speaker 1: agree with you. It requires much more screening and movement.

532
00:27:20,520 --> 00:27:23,200
Speaker 1: I thought that what they ran early in the second

533
00:27:23,280 --> 00:27:25,720
Speaker 1: quarter actually is kind of similar to what you're saying.

534
00:27:25,760 --> 00:27:28,840
Speaker 1: It was a little bit different in terms of functionality,

535
00:27:29,119 --> 00:27:32,640
Speaker 1: but they ran a set three straight times to start

536
00:27:32,760 --> 00:27:38,520
Speaker 1: the second quarter where they essentially set a similar it's

537
00:27:38,560 --> 00:27:40,520
Speaker 1: not a ram screen. It's just like a middle screen

538
00:27:40,600 --> 00:27:43,320
Speaker 1: for Luca to come up and get the ball at

539
00:27:43,320 --> 00:27:46,280
Speaker 1: the elbow essentially, And the first time he got switched

540
00:27:46,320 --> 00:27:49,639
Speaker 1: on to Peyton Pritchard and ended up shooting like a

541
00:27:49,640 --> 00:27:51,359
Speaker 1: mid range jumper over him, and it was an easy

542
00:27:51,359 --> 00:27:53,400
Speaker 1: shot and he drilled it. The second one they ran

543
00:27:53,440 --> 00:27:55,920
Speaker 1: a counter off of it where they had the screener

544
00:27:55,960 --> 00:27:59,879
Speaker 1: come down screen for Luca, who then veered off to

545
00:28:00,080 --> 00:28:04,600
Speaker 1: the right, and then Dante exum sprinted down and set

546
00:28:04,640 --> 00:28:07,159
Speaker 1: like a second screen for Luca to give him a

547
00:28:07,160 --> 00:28:08,040
Speaker 1: wide open corner.

548
00:28:08,040 --> 00:28:08,520
Speaker 2: Three.

549
00:28:09,240 --> 00:28:13,360
Speaker 1: I agree with you that I think engaging those defenders

550
00:28:13,600 --> 00:28:17,200
Speaker 1: right around the basket with screening actions is a really,

551
00:28:17,240 --> 00:28:19,960
Speaker 1: really good way to actually be able to try and

552
00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:22,199
Speaker 1: get the matchups in the mismatches that you're kind of

553
00:28:22,240 --> 00:28:25,480
Speaker 1: hoping for in those circumstances, be it out of ram

554
00:28:25,520 --> 00:28:28,320
Speaker 1: screens or screen middle ball screens just to get Luca

555
00:28:28,359 --> 00:28:30,520
Speaker 1: the ball at the elbow, or whatever you want to do.

556
00:28:30,880 --> 00:28:34,000
Speaker 1: But completely one hundred percent agree with you, and I

557
00:28:34,040 --> 00:28:37,239
Speaker 1: think that running like a stack or spain off of

558
00:28:37,280 --> 00:28:40,320
Speaker 1: that is even more lethal, and I'm surprised that they

559
00:28:40,320 --> 00:28:42,960
Speaker 1: haven't gone to it more it really is just more

560
00:28:43,200 --> 00:28:46,000
Speaker 1: I am surprised that they have not run more like

561
00:28:46,320 --> 00:28:49,600
Speaker 1: combo screen actions basically to be able to try and

562
00:28:49,640 --> 00:28:51,600
Speaker 1: get their guys free and to be able to force

563
00:28:51,640 --> 00:28:54,040
Speaker 1: more communication within the Boston defense.

564
00:28:55,120 --> 00:28:56,840
Speaker 2: I think they need to do it off ball too, Like,

565
00:28:57,360 --> 00:28:59,560
Speaker 2: if Gafford and Lively are not catching lobs out of

566
00:28:59,560 --> 00:29:01,680
Speaker 2: the dunkers and they're not getting offensive rebounds out of

567
00:29:01,680 --> 00:29:03,520
Speaker 2: the dunker spot, you need to have them running off

568
00:29:03,520 --> 00:29:08,600
Speaker 2: ball screening actions like they just at this point, what

569
00:29:08,640 --> 00:29:12,680
Speaker 2: Boston has done is they've taken all of the strengths

570
00:29:12,720 --> 00:29:16,000
Speaker 2: of your role players and they've just kind of reconfigured

571
00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:17,800
Speaker 2: where they are on the floor to make it so

572
00:29:17,880 --> 00:29:21,280
Speaker 2: that their weaknesses. PJ. Washington great corner three point shooter,

573
00:29:21,360 --> 00:29:24,480
Speaker 2: he's not getting corner three point looks, you know. Derrek

574
00:29:24,560 --> 00:29:27,520
Speaker 2: Jones Jr. Great a good corner three point shooter, a

575
00:29:27,560 --> 00:29:30,640
Speaker 2: good slasher of closeouts, but he's like he's operating as

576
00:29:30,680 --> 00:29:32,640
Speaker 2: a pick and roll roll man now, which is like

577
00:29:32,680 --> 00:29:35,160
Speaker 2: a completely different kind of job for him. Lively and

578
00:29:35,200 --> 00:29:37,480
Speaker 2: Gafford are these rim runners who are not running. They're

579
00:29:37,520 --> 00:29:39,800
Speaker 2: stuck in the mud down in the dunker spot, and

580
00:29:39,840 --> 00:29:42,520
Speaker 2: so in general, I just want to see so much

581
00:29:42,600 --> 00:29:45,280
Speaker 2: more off ball screening action. And the main reason why

582
00:29:45,360 --> 00:29:49,000
Speaker 2: is like, I do not think Dallas can beat Boston

583
00:29:49,840 --> 00:29:52,760
Speaker 2: by isoating them to death. I don't think this is

584
00:29:53,360 --> 00:29:55,760
Speaker 2: I don't think this is you know, the twenty sixteen

585
00:29:55,800 --> 00:29:57,960
Speaker 2: calves where you're gonna get like, you know, forty a

586
00:29:58,000 --> 00:29:59,720
Speaker 2: piece out of them the rest. So I think the

587
00:29:59,760 --> 00:30:03,040
Speaker 2: deep defensive personnel for Boston is too good. Those those

588
00:30:03,120 --> 00:30:05,400
Speaker 2: Cavs teams had matchups that they could attack. This is

589
00:30:05,440 --> 00:30:08,560
Speaker 2: not that type of series. I think they've got to

590
00:30:08,600 --> 00:30:10,640
Speaker 2: try to find a way to free some things up there.

591
00:30:11,160 --> 00:30:13,120
Speaker 2: And again, like to me, it's it's just got to

592
00:30:13,200 --> 00:30:16,800
Speaker 2: be more of that kind of screening action. I did

593
00:30:17,040 --> 00:30:20,200
Speaker 2: like that Lucas seemed to target the smaller guards more

594
00:30:20,240 --> 00:30:23,040
Speaker 2: in game two. They didn't that they scored a lot

595
00:30:23,080 --> 00:30:24,640
Speaker 2: more in the post in game two than they did

596
00:30:24,640 --> 00:30:26,760
Speaker 2: in game one. I thought Luca ran out of gas

597
00:30:26,760 --> 00:30:28,680
Speaker 2: there towards the end as he missed those couple over

598
00:30:28,800 --> 00:30:32,240
Speaker 2: over Pritchard that he normally makes. But like the I

599
00:30:32,520 --> 00:30:36,760
Speaker 2: don't think attacking Horford is an option. Horford is, you know,

600
00:30:37,200 --> 00:30:41,640
Speaker 2: Horford is probably in my lifetime, the best that I've

601
00:30:41,680 --> 00:30:45,920
Speaker 2: seen of like as a positional just like read where

602
00:30:45,960 --> 00:30:48,200
Speaker 2: you're going, beat you to the spot, take the contact,

603
00:30:48,200 --> 00:30:50,560
Speaker 2: and make you shoot over the top of any center

604
00:30:50,640 --> 00:30:52,480
Speaker 2: I've seen. I think he's one of the best at that.

605
00:30:52,560 --> 00:30:53,960
Speaker 2: I think that's why he did such a good job

606
00:30:53,960 --> 00:30:55,760
Speaker 2: on him Bead over the years. I think that's why,

607
00:30:56,080 --> 00:30:59,560
Speaker 2: like the the big power players, he just guards so

608
00:30:59,720 --> 00:31:02,720
Speaker 2: well and like every time Luca gets him on a switch,

609
00:31:02,760 --> 00:31:05,320
Speaker 2: I just don't think that's an option. And so one

610
00:31:05,360 --> 00:31:06,960
Speaker 2: of the things I liked about that sequence that you

611
00:31:07,000 --> 00:31:08,800
Speaker 2: were talking about there in the start of the second

612
00:31:08,840 --> 00:31:12,480
Speaker 2: quarter is kind of like targeting, Like instead of having

613
00:31:12,520 --> 00:31:16,000
Speaker 2: Luca just hunt in like ball screen switch, then work

614
00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:18,520
Speaker 2: off the dribble, dribble twenty five times, get him catches

615
00:31:18,560 --> 00:31:20,840
Speaker 2: where he already is in a good, strong position where

616
00:31:20,880 --> 00:31:23,320
Speaker 2: it's the jobs a little bit easier. But no matter what,

617
00:31:23,400 --> 00:31:25,120
Speaker 2: they're going to have to do more in terms of

618
00:31:25,120 --> 00:31:28,440
Speaker 2: those screening actions to try to free things up. What

619
00:31:28,480 --> 00:31:31,720
Speaker 2: do you think what's your just overall opinion of this

620
00:31:31,840 --> 00:31:34,720
Speaker 2: series at this point with Boston up two ozho, how

621
00:31:34,720 --> 00:31:37,360
Speaker 2: do you see things changing slash not changing as we

622
00:31:37,400 --> 00:31:38,000
Speaker 2: go to Dallas.

623
00:31:40,040 --> 00:31:44,040
Speaker 1: I don't see much changing because last night was like

624
00:31:44,080 --> 00:31:46,200
Speaker 1: you kind of said the night that Dallas had to

625
00:31:46,240 --> 00:31:50,440
Speaker 1: get it. And the fact that those four guys I

626
00:31:50,520 --> 00:31:54,760
Speaker 1: mentioned earlier, Howser, Porzingis, Tatum, and Brown went two for

627
00:31:54,800 --> 00:31:58,720
Speaker 1: twenty from three, that just feels deeply troubling to me

628
00:31:59,160 --> 00:32:02,760
Speaker 1: if I'm a fan, Like the fact that this game

629
00:32:02,800 --> 00:32:06,040
Speaker 1: probably should have been a twenty point loss in my opinion, Like,

630
00:32:06,320 --> 00:32:08,560
Speaker 1: even while Dallas was up four, I was texting with

631
00:32:08,640 --> 00:32:11,880
Speaker 1: my podcast partner Bryce, and we were just sitting there, going,

632
00:32:12,560 --> 00:32:15,160
Speaker 1: this is gonna be ten before halftime, Like they're gonna

633
00:32:15,160 --> 00:32:17,520
Speaker 1: start shooting at some point, they're gonna start making these shots,

634
00:32:17,520 --> 00:32:20,480
Speaker 1: and they never did, and they never really did throughout

635
00:32:20,520 --> 00:32:22,760
Speaker 1: the course of the entire game outside of Drew Holiday

636
00:32:22,760 --> 00:32:24,920
Speaker 1: I think made two, when Derek White made maybe four

637
00:32:24,920 --> 00:32:28,240
Speaker 1: of ten if I remember correctly. But like they shoot

638
00:32:28,280 --> 00:32:30,600
Speaker 1: twenty six percent from three, They're not gonna shoot twenty

639
00:32:30,600 --> 00:32:34,200
Speaker 1: six percent from three again in all likelihood, Like, man,

640
00:32:34,480 --> 00:32:37,920
Speaker 1: I don't I don't know that we've come up with

641
00:32:38,000 --> 00:32:42,520
Speaker 1: good enough solutions here to change the tenor of this series. Unfortunately,

642
00:32:42,680 --> 00:32:43,720
Speaker 1: it's that's what.

643
00:32:43,600 --> 00:32:44,360
Speaker 2: We're trying, though.

644
00:32:44,560 --> 00:32:48,280
Speaker 1: You were trying, like I want, I want like there

645
00:32:48,320 --> 00:32:50,440
Speaker 1: to be excitement. I would love for Dallas to come

646
00:32:50,440 --> 00:32:52,160
Speaker 1: back and like luc could go out and dropped like

647
00:32:52,160 --> 00:32:56,400
Speaker 1: a fifty point triple double. But I don't know, man,

648
00:32:56,440 --> 00:32:57,080
Speaker 1: what do you think?

649
00:32:58,200 --> 00:33:00,080
Speaker 2: Well? And then Boston is also just like a but

650
00:33:00,240 --> 00:33:04,080
Speaker 2: there I do. I do think they're a better road

651
00:33:04,080 --> 00:33:06,560
Speaker 2: team than they are home team, in large part because

652
00:33:06,560 --> 00:33:09,480
Speaker 2: I think that there's something about the challenge on the

653
00:33:09,560 --> 00:33:11,760
Speaker 2: road that keeps them more engaged. I mean, I think

654
00:33:11,760 --> 00:33:13,960
Speaker 2: they're a victim of their own talent in so many cases.

655
00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:15,960
Speaker 2: I mean, both of their home losses in this playoff

656
00:33:16,000 --> 00:33:19,400
Speaker 2: run were just absolute dud defensive efforts, Like, I don't

657
00:33:19,400 --> 00:33:22,080
Speaker 2: think we're going to see that sort of thing. Let's

658
00:33:22,080 --> 00:33:27,000
Speaker 2: just put it this way. What's more likely this series

659
00:33:27,040 --> 00:33:29,560
Speaker 2: comes back to Boston to two or it's a sweep.

660
00:33:30,240 --> 00:33:33,080
Speaker 1: I think a sweep is more likely. The thing that

661
00:33:33,240 --> 00:33:38,200
Speaker 1: I will ask you though, Christops didn't look super hot

662
00:33:38,440 --> 00:33:40,800
Speaker 1: at the end of Game two, right, Like, he wasn't

663
00:33:40,800 --> 00:33:45,040
Speaker 1: moving as fluidly. This is what we've seen. If he is,

664
00:33:45,920 --> 00:33:49,960
Speaker 1: you know, unable to play twenty minutes in game three,

665
00:33:50,160 --> 00:33:51,960
Speaker 1: or you know, if he god forbid, he sits like

666
00:33:52,000 --> 00:33:56,000
Speaker 1: nobody's rooting for that. But whatever, I actually do think

667
00:33:56,040 --> 00:34:00,000
Speaker 1: that changes the series substantially in terms of the matchup

668
00:34:00,040 --> 00:34:02,160
Speaker 1: to the Boston will be able or Dallas will be

669
00:34:02,200 --> 00:34:06,560
Speaker 1: able to get on the defensive side of the court

670
00:34:06,880 --> 00:34:10,800
Speaker 1: whenever Al Horford is out. And again, the Poorzingis minutes

671
00:34:10,840 --> 00:34:14,120
Speaker 1: are the ones that are killing Dallas right now, because

672
00:34:14,320 --> 00:34:17,359
Speaker 1: those are the minutes where Boston is like five out,

673
00:34:17,560 --> 00:34:21,799
Speaker 1: extremely well spaced, you can't help off anybody like from anywhere.

674
00:34:23,040 --> 00:34:26,319
Speaker 1: If Porzingis was to miss time, I do think that

675
00:34:26,400 --> 00:34:31,120
Speaker 1: genuinely changes the entire schematics of what we're talking about here,

676
00:34:31,680 --> 00:34:35,280
Speaker 1: and like really would change the series drastically.

677
00:34:35,920 --> 00:34:38,319
Speaker 2: Well, to put it simply, if Cornette was out there,

678
00:34:38,440 --> 00:34:40,360
Speaker 2: it would just be a disaster. If I was Boston,

679
00:34:40,360 --> 00:34:42,080
Speaker 2: I'd probably even look to go small if that were

680
00:34:42,280 --> 00:34:44,640
Speaker 2: I would, just because, you know, because Dallas hasn't been

681
00:34:44,680 --> 00:34:47,439
Speaker 2: able to capitalize in seize mismatches in this series. But yeah,

682
00:34:47,480 --> 00:34:49,680
Speaker 2: that's I mean, that's the one wrinkle is the is

683
00:34:49,719 --> 00:34:54,120
Speaker 2: the Porzingis injury piece of it. And even then even

684
00:34:54,200 --> 00:34:57,799
Speaker 2: then I think I'd probably lean Boston. But yeah, that's

685
00:34:57,800 --> 00:34:59,720
Speaker 2: the that's the one wrinkle I look at. I agree

686
00:34:59,719 --> 00:35:02,040
Speaker 2: with you, I think it's far more likely this is

687
00:35:02,040 --> 00:35:06,200
Speaker 2: a sweep than to two. Coming back to Boston. The

688
00:35:06,680 --> 00:35:10,600
Speaker 2: problem is is, like, the game plan is the game plan. Like,

689
00:35:11,480 --> 00:35:15,560
Speaker 2: I don't think Joe Miszula is gonna overreact if Derek

690
00:35:15,640 --> 00:35:18,560
Speaker 2: Jones and PJ. Washington hit seven above the break threes

691
00:35:18,680 --> 00:35:21,120
Speaker 2: in game three. The game plan is the game plan.

692
00:35:21,239 --> 00:35:23,160
Speaker 2: The quality opportunities aren't gonna be there.

693
00:35:23,320 --> 00:35:26,600
Speaker 1: You know what's amazing about that this was exactly what

694
00:35:26,640 --> 00:35:30,239
Speaker 1: Oklahoma City wanted to do. This is exactly what their

695
00:35:30,280 --> 00:35:33,600
Speaker 1: strategy was. We're gonna let Eric Jones and PJ. Washington

696
00:35:33,640 --> 00:35:36,600
Speaker 1: beat us. And I think that Boston is executing it better,

697
00:35:36,640 --> 00:35:39,759
Speaker 1: particularly in terms of the corners, right. They're denying them the.

698
00:35:39,760 --> 00:35:43,440
Speaker 2: Yeah I remember more corner corner threes, Yeah, which is

699
00:35:43,480 --> 00:35:43,839
Speaker 2: the key.

700
00:35:43,880 --> 00:35:46,279
Speaker 1: And I actually think that's a really really important point

701
00:35:46,280 --> 00:35:48,920
Speaker 1: that you made earlier, that they're denying them the spots

702
00:35:48,960 --> 00:35:53,120
Speaker 1: that they want to shoot threes. But man, it is

703
00:35:53,200 --> 00:35:56,120
Speaker 1: a little bit funny that like everyone like roasted Oklahoma

704
00:35:56,160 --> 00:35:58,239
Speaker 1: City a little bit for just being like, we're gonna

705
00:35:58,280 --> 00:36:01,760
Speaker 1: leave PJ. Washington open and now here, Boston is basically

706
00:36:01,760 --> 00:36:06,239
Speaker 1: executing the strategy of leaving PJ. Washington open, And it's working.

707
00:36:07,640 --> 00:36:10,319
Speaker 2: Dude. I felt so confident that Oklahoma City was going

708
00:36:10,400 --> 00:36:13,400
Speaker 2: to lose. I picked against him in that series, but

709
00:36:13,440 --> 00:36:14,759
Speaker 2: I felt very confident they were going to lose in

710
00:36:14,800 --> 00:36:18,919
Speaker 2: the first two rounds, and they did. But I left

711
00:36:18,960 --> 00:36:22,080
Speaker 2: that playoff run being so much higher on Oklahoma City

712
00:36:22,120 --> 00:36:27,600
Speaker 2: for next year. Like they're they're nasty, they're mean, their

713
00:36:27,640 --> 00:36:30,760
Speaker 2: physical lou dort is just that is like such a weapon.

714
00:36:30,840 --> 00:36:33,040
Speaker 2: I love that Oklahoma City team. All right, So we

715
00:36:33,040 --> 00:36:34,440
Speaker 2: have two more quick things I want to hip four

716
00:36:34,480 --> 00:36:36,360
Speaker 2: get out here. One. You had texted me about a

717
00:36:36,440 --> 00:36:39,400
Speaker 2: question you wanted to ask I do surrounding this series.

718
00:36:40,920 --> 00:36:45,480
Speaker 1: Okay, so I'm pulling it up right now. I want

719
00:36:45,480 --> 00:36:48,200
Speaker 1: to get it like that on it. Do you have

720
00:36:48,280 --> 00:36:52,400
Speaker 1: an overarching big takeaway from this playoff run in terms

721
00:36:52,520 --> 00:36:55,400
Speaker 1: of if you were building a team for next year's

722
00:36:55,400 --> 00:36:59,000
Speaker 1: title picture, is there something you would be looking at

723
00:36:59,080 --> 00:37:02,920
Speaker 1: from an overall Skars perspective that you see as a

724
00:37:02,960 --> 00:37:07,560
Speaker 1: potential you know, point of attack or like something that

725
00:37:07,800 --> 00:37:12,200
Speaker 1: is exceptionally valuable or a marginal advantage beyond just like

726
00:37:12,400 --> 00:37:15,759
Speaker 1: having superstars, right, Because if anything, I think what you know,

727
00:37:15,880 --> 00:37:17,959
Speaker 1: this series has shown us and this playoffs has shown

728
00:37:18,040 --> 00:37:21,279
Speaker 1: us is it doesn't take one of the top three

729
00:37:21,320 --> 00:37:23,279
Speaker 1: guys in the league to win a title right now

730
00:37:23,320 --> 00:37:26,920
Speaker 1: with how the NBA is, So, is there a schematic

731
00:37:27,040 --> 00:37:31,560
Speaker 1: marginal advantage or like a roster construction marginal advantage that

732
00:37:31,600 --> 00:37:34,080
Speaker 1: you're looking at you're taking away from the playoffs to

733
00:37:34,160 --> 00:37:36,040
Speaker 1: take forward into the future.

734
00:37:36,520 --> 00:37:38,440
Speaker 2: Okay, So I've been thinking a lot about this. First

735
00:37:38,440 --> 00:37:40,719
Speaker 2: of all, that the last bit there. I do generally

736
00:37:40,760 --> 00:37:43,239
Speaker 2: think you need a top three player. I think Jokic was,

737
00:37:43,280 --> 00:37:44,960
Speaker 2: I think Steph Was, I think Giannis Was, I think

738
00:37:45,000 --> 00:37:47,799
Speaker 2: Lebron Was, I think Kawhi Was. I think I think this.

739
00:37:48,040 --> 00:37:50,359
Speaker 2: I think this is five thirty million dollar players on

740
00:37:50,360 --> 00:37:53,080
Speaker 2: one team. I think that's what Boston is. So I

741
00:37:53,239 --> 00:37:59,600
Speaker 2: I do. But from the schematic angle, I I do

742
00:37:59,680 --> 00:38:03,759
Speaker 2: think that five out is a more resilient offense than

743
00:38:03,840 --> 00:38:08,040
Speaker 2: four out in the sense that like just one simple

744
00:38:08,120 --> 00:38:11,480
Speaker 2: matchup tweak just let's put our centers on bad above

745
00:38:11,480 --> 00:38:14,319
Speaker 2: the break three point shooters and let's put Tatum on

746
00:38:14,360 --> 00:38:18,759
Speaker 2: the center has like completely crumbled Dallas's offense in so

747
00:38:18,840 --> 00:38:22,279
Speaker 2: many different ways, Whereas like when you run a five

748
00:38:22,320 --> 00:38:25,160
Speaker 2: out attack, there are just so many different angles that

749
00:38:25,200 --> 00:38:28,040
Speaker 2: you can work in. So many different ways you can

750
00:38:28,080 --> 00:38:31,880
Speaker 2: reconfigure spots on the floor to make things work, whereas

751
00:38:31,920 --> 00:38:33,960
Speaker 2: like if you're a spread, pick and roll four out

752
00:38:34,120 --> 00:38:38,319
Speaker 2: one end team, it's just as difficult. And so I

753
00:38:38,360 --> 00:38:41,879
Speaker 2: do think from a I do think from a stylistic standpoint,

754
00:38:42,520 --> 00:38:44,720
Speaker 2: I think teams have to have a five out look,

755
00:38:44,840 --> 00:38:47,080
Speaker 2: and I wouldn't be surprised if that's something that we

756
00:38:47,440 --> 00:38:49,360
Speaker 2: I think we'll see Luca in a five out offense

757
00:38:49,400 --> 00:38:51,960
Speaker 2: before too long here, in the next few years, I

758
00:38:51,960 --> 00:38:53,600
Speaker 2: think that there will be a team that tries to

759
00:38:53,880 --> 00:38:56,719
Speaker 2: put him in that type of situation. That said, though,

760
00:38:56,760 --> 00:38:58,479
Speaker 2: the reason why I've struggled so much with this question

761
00:38:58,520 --> 00:39:02,239
Speaker 2: because in transparency, Sam did text me this question so

762
00:39:02,280 --> 00:39:07,480
Speaker 2: I could think about it. Denver is so different from

763
00:39:07,480 --> 00:39:12,840
Speaker 2: this Boston team in so many different ways. Then even

764
00:39:12,960 --> 00:39:16,880
Speaker 2: just the difference between like like play finishers versus like

765
00:39:16,960 --> 00:39:19,320
Speaker 2: do it all guys like to me, KCP and Michael

766
00:39:19,320 --> 00:39:22,080
Speaker 2: Porter Junior and Aaron Gordon are play finishers. They can

767
00:39:22,120 --> 00:39:24,439
Speaker 2: operate in a five out offense. But like we saw

768
00:39:24,440 --> 00:39:27,799
Speaker 2: in the Minnesota series, how how much Denver struggled as

769
00:39:27,840 --> 00:39:29,960
Speaker 2: soon as they solved the Jamal and jokis like it

770
00:39:30,040 --> 00:39:32,640
Speaker 2: just it just kind of crumbled from there, right, Like

771
00:39:32,920 --> 00:39:37,879
Speaker 2: I I think that, I think that in general, you've

772
00:39:37,920 --> 00:39:40,680
Speaker 2: got to build a roster base or you've got to

773
00:39:40,680 --> 00:39:43,080
Speaker 2: build a game plan based on what your roster is.

774
00:39:43,120 --> 00:39:46,319
Speaker 2: So for instance, like to Missoula's credit, he really has

775
00:39:46,480 --> 00:39:49,400
Speaker 2: kind of maximized this group offensively in so many different

776
00:39:49,400 --> 00:39:51,399
Speaker 2: ways by getting them to buy into drive and kick.

777
00:39:51,880 --> 00:39:53,080
Speaker 2: But at the end of the day, if I had

778
00:39:53,120 --> 00:39:57,160
Speaker 2: to pick one thing, it'd be versatility of play style

779
00:39:57,200 --> 00:40:00,759
Speaker 2: on both ends of the floor. Yeah, I think that inevitably,

780
00:40:01,040 --> 00:40:03,720
Speaker 2: Like the Eastern Conference was really easy this year because

781
00:40:03,719 --> 00:40:05,640
Speaker 2: there were five good teams and four of them ended

782
00:40:05,719 --> 00:40:07,960
Speaker 2: up on one side of the bracket and they all

783
00:40:07,960 --> 00:40:09,560
Speaker 2: beat the heck out of each other and got hurt.

784
00:40:10,280 --> 00:40:12,719
Speaker 2: And then Boston had the other three bad teams and

785
00:40:12,800 --> 00:40:14,680
Speaker 2: they and they got out of it. But I do

786
00:40:14,719 --> 00:40:17,520
Speaker 2: think the East is going to be tougher in the future.

787
00:40:17,600 --> 00:40:19,600
Speaker 2: I think Orlando is gonna be tougher. I think teams

788
00:40:19,600 --> 00:40:22,400
Speaker 2: are going to enter into that picture. So in general,

789
00:40:22,880 --> 00:40:24,600
Speaker 2: we saw this in the West. We just talked about

790
00:40:24,600 --> 00:40:26,839
Speaker 2: at the beginning of the show. The matchup, like the

791
00:40:26,840 --> 00:40:30,439
Speaker 2: matchup resiliency as you're working through the Conference. I think

792
00:40:30,480 --> 00:40:32,560
Speaker 2: you've got to be able to beat different types of

793
00:40:32,600 --> 00:40:35,120
Speaker 2: teams along the way, and so I do think you

794
00:40:35,239 --> 00:40:36,920
Speaker 2: have to be like I think you have to be

795
00:40:36,960 --> 00:40:40,520
Speaker 2: able to defend in a deep drop and in a

796
00:40:40,560 --> 00:40:42,359
Speaker 2: high drop. I think you got to have his own look.

797
00:40:42,400 --> 00:40:43,520
Speaker 2: I think you got to be able to have some

798
00:40:43,520 --> 00:40:45,560
Speaker 2: guys that can hold up on switches. I think on

799
00:40:45,600 --> 00:40:47,120
Speaker 2: the offensive end of the floor, I think you have

800
00:40:47,160 --> 00:40:48,200
Speaker 2: to be able to play out of the post. I

801
00:40:48,239 --> 00:40:49,200
Speaker 2: think you have to be able to play out of

802
00:40:49,200 --> 00:40:50,279
Speaker 2: pick and roll. I think you have to be able

803
00:40:50,320 --> 00:40:52,440
Speaker 2: to match up hunt in isolation. I think there's a

804
00:40:52,480 --> 00:40:57,400
Speaker 2: certain like variety that you need to have, because I

805
00:40:57,440 --> 00:41:00,680
Speaker 2: don't think this Dallas team was the best basketball team

806
00:41:00,680 --> 00:41:03,400
Speaker 2: in the Western Conference. Personally. Yeah, I think Denver was,

807
00:41:04,040 --> 00:41:07,160
Speaker 2: But I think Denver caught a really difficult matchup and

808
00:41:07,200 --> 00:41:10,200
Speaker 2: then that team had a really bad time with Dallas.

809
00:41:10,239 --> 00:41:13,520
Speaker 2: And I would argue that both Minnesota and Denver would

810
00:41:13,520 --> 00:41:16,239
Speaker 2: have fared better against Boston than Dallas did. Would you

811
00:41:16,280 --> 00:41:16,839
Speaker 2: agree there?

812
00:41:17,040 --> 00:41:22,759
Speaker 1: So yes, I do. But like what you're saying, though,

813
00:41:22,840 --> 00:41:24,759
Speaker 1: is actually why I was higher on Dallas than most

814
00:41:24,800 --> 00:41:27,360
Speaker 1: people were. You know, when we did our like championship

815
00:41:27,360 --> 00:41:29,600
Speaker 1: tier grades. At the deadline, I said I'd bought Dallas

816
00:41:29,600 --> 00:41:32,080
Speaker 1: in the top five. It's exactly that. It's because I

817
00:41:32,120 --> 00:41:36,360
Speaker 1: thought that they had different ways to stop different things,

818
00:41:36,719 --> 00:41:39,680
Speaker 1: right and now against Boston, and Boston is just like

819
00:41:39,800 --> 00:41:42,960
Speaker 1: this whole different beast that they just didn't have the

820
00:41:43,000 --> 00:41:47,120
Speaker 1: answer to this test. But I thought Dallas had more

821
00:41:47,280 --> 00:41:50,600
Speaker 1: answers to the test than most other teams. It's just

822
00:41:50,680 --> 00:41:53,799
Speaker 1: like in Denver's case, right, Like Denver probably I think

823
00:41:53,800 --> 00:41:56,319
Speaker 1: Denver probably beats Dallas for what it's worth, But like

824
00:41:57,200 --> 00:42:01,600
Speaker 1: I think that I do too, answer to the test

825
00:42:01,719 --> 00:42:05,600
Speaker 1: is like just better than everybody else, right, Like on

826
00:42:05,600 --> 00:42:09,680
Speaker 1: some level, it's just that Minnesota is built to stop

827
00:42:09,800 --> 00:42:13,319
Speaker 1: that single thing, right, which is great. The two things

828
00:42:13,320 --> 00:42:15,120
Speaker 1: that stand out to me, you're spacing on offense and

829
00:42:15,160 --> 00:42:18,799
Speaker 1: ground coverage on defense. Having that five out spacing look,

830
00:42:18,840 --> 00:42:20,680
Speaker 1: which you kind of emphasize. I don't really need to

831
00:42:20,680 --> 00:42:23,680
Speaker 1: go into that, you I think broke down perfectly. Ground

832
00:42:23,680 --> 00:42:25,839
Speaker 1: coverage on defense is what Minnesota had. I think it's

833
00:42:25,880 --> 00:42:28,319
Speaker 1: what Boston has. I think it's what Dallas has as well,

834
00:42:28,680 --> 00:42:30,960
Speaker 1: with those lively lineups being able to cut off the

835
00:42:30,960 --> 00:42:33,440
Speaker 1: court and cut off like large swaths of the court

836
00:42:33,880 --> 00:42:36,120
Speaker 1: right now is like, by far the most important thing

837
00:42:36,120 --> 00:42:39,040
Speaker 1: that you can do, even when their guys are getting

838
00:42:39,080 --> 00:42:42,760
Speaker 1: beaten off the bounce in this series, having that ground coverage,

839
00:42:42,760 --> 00:42:45,120
Speaker 1: being able to rotate around is at least giving them

840
00:42:45,120 --> 00:42:49,200
Speaker 1: a chance on some level. But that's kind of where

841
00:42:49,239 --> 00:42:53,120
Speaker 1: I'm at. Ground coverage on defense, long athletes, you know,

842
00:42:53,239 --> 00:42:56,200
Speaker 1: shooting on offense, and a lot of the times it's

843
00:42:56,239 --> 00:42:58,680
Speaker 1: hard to find those two things in a single player package,

844
00:42:58,800 --> 00:43:01,320
Speaker 1: which is what makes things so difficult.

845
00:43:02,360 --> 00:43:06,000
Speaker 2: To your point, if Derek Jones and PJ. Washington were

846
00:43:06,040 --> 00:43:08,040
Speaker 2: good above the break three point shooters, this is a

847
00:43:08,080 --> 00:43:13,080
Speaker 2: totally different series. Like, like they the problem that I

848
00:43:13,120 --> 00:43:15,799
Speaker 2: can't tell you how often I'm seeing on the on

849
00:43:15,920 --> 00:43:19,680
Speaker 2: these when I'm doing my film sessions, because Luca's kind

850
00:43:19,680 --> 00:43:22,080
Speaker 2: of got his defender in jail and he's working downhill.

851
00:43:22,600 --> 00:43:26,239
Speaker 2: The entire above the break line is either empty, yeah,

852
00:43:26,760 --> 00:43:29,640
Speaker 2: or Derek Jones is up there, yeah, or Josh Green

853
00:43:29,760 --> 00:43:31,719
Speaker 2: is up there. But so like, and there's the thing

854
00:43:31,840 --> 00:43:34,000
Speaker 2: they're not. They're making themselves easy to guard because they

855
00:43:34,040 --> 00:43:36,360
Speaker 2: they're not occupying that side of the floor with the threat.

856
00:43:36,560 --> 00:43:38,759
Speaker 1: But here's the piece of that that makes it really hard.

857
00:43:38,800 --> 00:43:41,319
Speaker 1: And this is why building a team is so exceptionally difficult. Right,

858
00:43:42,560 --> 00:43:44,319
Speaker 1: if Derek Jones is a good above the break three

859
00:43:44,320 --> 00:43:46,440
Speaker 1: point shooter, you couldn't have gotten him for the minimum.

860
00:43:46,640 --> 00:43:49,080
Speaker 2: Right, He's a twenty.

861
00:43:48,280 --> 00:43:50,279
Speaker 1: Million dollar player and he's gonna be like a twelve

862
00:43:50,320 --> 00:43:54,000
Speaker 1: million dollar player this year. So like that's what that's

863
00:43:54,000 --> 00:43:56,279
Speaker 1: what makes this really hard if you're a team builder, right,

864
00:43:56,320 --> 00:43:58,680
Speaker 1: if you're a GM like having this is what has

865
00:43:58,680 --> 00:44:01,120
Speaker 1: made Brad Stevens so good his job, right, Like he

866
00:44:01,200 --> 00:44:04,439
Speaker 1: has gone out and paid the price to be able

867
00:44:04,480 --> 00:44:08,200
Speaker 1: to go get the guys that make his scheme, the

868
00:44:08,320 --> 00:44:10,440
Speaker 1: scheme that Boston wants to build so functional.

869
00:44:24,880 --> 00:44:27,240
Speaker 2: Well and again, like anybody could have had those guys,

870
00:44:27,440 --> 00:44:29,880
Speaker 2: and Brad went out and got them, you know today

871
00:44:29,920 --> 00:44:32,719
Speaker 2: his credit Sam, before we get you out of here,

872
00:44:32,760 --> 00:44:34,560
Speaker 2: I'm just gonna see you up for a quick monologue.

873
00:44:34,680 --> 00:44:37,840
Speaker 2: What was your takeaway on the Dan Early News this morning?

874
00:44:38,160 --> 00:44:43,840
Speaker 1: Yeah, So my takeaway is I was very impressed that

875
00:44:44,760 --> 00:44:49,759
Speaker 1: there were no leaks and that everybody did not know

876
00:44:49,800 --> 00:44:51,240
Speaker 1: the way this was going to go. Like you should

877
00:44:51,239 --> 00:44:55,719
Speaker 1: have seen my text messages. It was hysterical, Like everyone's

878
00:44:55,760 --> 00:44:57,239
Speaker 1: asking me, like what's he gonna do, like, what do

879
00:44:57,239 --> 00:44:58,840
Speaker 1: you think is gonna happen? And I would just be like,

880
00:44:59,120 --> 00:45:02,080
Speaker 1: I don't know. My answer was, I thought fifty five

881
00:45:02,200 --> 00:45:04,480
Speaker 1: forty five he stays at Connecticut. If you would have

882
00:45:04,480 --> 00:45:06,040
Speaker 1: asked me the night that the story broke, I would

883
00:45:06,040 --> 00:45:08,080
Speaker 1: have said, sixty forty goes to the Lakers. And I

884
00:45:08,080 --> 00:45:10,200
Speaker 1: thought that, like, the further along it went, the more

885
00:45:10,280 --> 00:45:13,759
Speaker 1: likely it was that he would say Yukon. But the

886
00:45:13,800 --> 00:45:16,439
Speaker 1: fact that it was that close in that like nobody knew,

887
00:45:16,440 --> 00:45:18,400
Speaker 1: like I talked to I don't want to put this

888
00:45:18,440 --> 00:45:21,760
Speaker 1: person on blast, like one of the premier college basketball

889
00:45:21,800 --> 00:45:25,960
Speaker 1: insiders last night there this morning, your time, and he goes, yeah,

890
00:45:26,000 --> 00:45:27,879
Speaker 1: I think I'd say fifty five to forty five, he goes,

891
00:45:28,440 --> 00:45:31,560
Speaker 1: So A was really impressed that like none of this

892
00:45:31,600 --> 00:45:34,239
Speaker 1: got out, because typically it gets out in some way

893
00:45:34,280 --> 00:45:40,000
Speaker 1: shape or for him. B I have no idea why

894
00:45:40,040 --> 00:45:43,520
Speaker 1: the Lakers only offered six seventy If you're going out

895
00:45:43,640 --> 00:45:47,319
Speaker 1: and trying to get Danny Hurley, that's just not a

896
00:45:47,360 --> 00:45:50,640
Speaker 1: good enough offer, point blank. With the way that like

897
00:45:50,719 --> 00:45:53,080
Speaker 1: the coaching market has inflated over the course of the

898
00:45:53,120 --> 00:45:55,560
Speaker 1: last five years, really over the course of the last

899
00:45:55,560 --> 00:45:58,200
Speaker 1: twelve months. At the end of the day, Steve Kurr

900
00:45:58,280 --> 00:46:00,880
Speaker 1: is making seventeen. I think Greg it's just making like

901
00:46:00,920 --> 00:46:01,799
Speaker 1: eighteen or so.

902
00:46:03,560 --> 00:46:05,160
Speaker 2: Bud and Oles is making ten a year.

903
00:46:05,320 --> 00:46:08,200
Speaker 1: I mean, come on, right, Like, if you really believe

904
00:46:08,200 --> 00:46:10,239
Speaker 1: in Danny Hurley, you have to go and make it

905
00:46:10,280 --> 00:46:13,319
Speaker 1: so that he's turning down. Like I'm not saying you

906
00:46:13,320 --> 00:46:15,000
Speaker 1: have to offer him like five years one hundred and

907
00:46:15,040 --> 00:46:17,560
Speaker 1: forty or whatever it is, but like you probably have

908
00:46:17,600 --> 00:46:20,400
Speaker 1: to offer him five years eighty. You probably have to

909
00:46:20,400 --> 00:46:22,000
Speaker 1: offer him sixteen a year. You have to give him

910
00:46:22,000 --> 00:46:24,880
Speaker 1: the money Williams offer at least, right. So that leads

911
00:46:24,920 --> 00:46:28,160
Speaker 1: me to my next question, which is how worried were

912
00:46:28,200 --> 00:46:32,000
Speaker 1: they that Danny Hurley was serious maybe and that they

913
00:46:32,040 --> 00:46:36,840
Speaker 1: were inflating their own coaching market potentially by having that

914
00:46:36,960 --> 00:46:40,319
Speaker 1: offer get out there saying you were willing to pay

915
00:46:40,480 --> 00:46:42,919
Speaker 1: six seventy for a guy that you know has never

916
00:46:42,920 --> 00:46:45,359
Speaker 1: won an NBA game. So, you know, let's say it's

917
00:46:45,400 --> 00:46:47,000
Speaker 1: JJ Reddick. I don't know if it's going to be

918
00:46:47,080 --> 00:46:50,600
Speaker 1: JJ Reddick. You know, I'm yeah, I don't know if

919
00:46:50,600 --> 00:46:51,560
Speaker 1: it's gonna be JJ Redick.

920
00:46:51,560 --> 00:46:54,160
Speaker 2: I'm hearing brago noise, Are you hearing that too.

921
00:46:55,160 --> 00:46:57,600
Speaker 1: I have heard a lot of different things, to the

922
00:46:57,640 --> 00:47:01,879
Speaker 1: point where my impression has been this entire time that

923
00:47:03,040 --> 00:47:06,040
Speaker 1: there they were undergoing a process, that there was no

924
00:47:06,200 --> 00:47:11,600
Speaker 1: decision that was made, that there was no like yeah,

925
00:47:11,640 --> 00:47:14,279
Speaker 1: like I felt like they were undertaking a process. Was

926
00:47:14,320 --> 00:47:18,040
Speaker 1: the whole thing that there was never never certainty that

927
00:47:18,080 --> 00:47:19,799
Speaker 1: it was going to be Jj, never certainty that it

928
00:47:19,840 --> 00:47:21,680
Speaker 1: was going to be Barrego. Like they were really trying

929
00:47:21,719 --> 00:47:24,400
Speaker 1: to go down the road and explore everything that was

930
00:47:24,440 --> 00:47:27,560
Speaker 1: available to them, and they never made any choices. Now,

931
00:47:29,560 --> 00:47:31,279
Speaker 1: maybe that was it. Maybe they were trying to make

932
00:47:31,280 --> 00:47:34,279
Speaker 1: sure that their market was not so overinflated that, you know,

933
00:47:34,320 --> 00:47:36,880
Speaker 1: they have to pay James Barrego, you know, nine million

934
00:47:36,920 --> 00:47:39,120
Speaker 1: dollars a year now because you offer Danny Hurley eleven

935
00:47:39,160 --> 00:47:42,120
Speaker 1: point six or something. I don't know. I think if

936
00:47:42,160 --> 00:47:44,040
Speaker 1: you're chasing Danny Hurley, you just have to chase them

937
00:47:44,120 --> 00:47:46,640
Speaker 1: and say, like, screw it, we're going balls to the

938
00:47:46,680 --> 00:47:48,439
Speaker 1: wall here and we're trying to get the guy we want.

939
00:47:48,680 --> 00:47:52,240
Speaker 1: And to me, in my opinion, I know, it's twenty

940
00:47:52,280 --> 00:47:56,240
Speaker 1: million dollars more than the Connecticut offer, but six years

941
00:47:56,360 --> 00:47:58,920
Speaker 1: seventy million is not a good enough offer given the

942
00:47:58,960 --> 00:48:00,640
Speaker 1: current market of NBA coaches.

943
00:48:01,880 --> 00:48:03,840
Speaker 2: Yeah, Colin had dropped to me last night on the

944
00:48:03,880 --> 00:48:06,120
Speaker 2: show that he had heard a much lower number than

945
00:48:06,120 --> 00:48:09,200
Speaker 2: the one hundred million dollar number that was getting thrown around. Yeah,

946
00:48:09,200 --> 00:48:10,719
Speaker 2: And that was where I started to get a little

947
00:48:10,719 --> 00:48:14,240
Speaker 2: bit worried, because Colin's really connected, obviously in the LA area,

948
00:48:14,880 --> 00:48:17,719
Speaker 2: and I felt the same way. My thing was, like,

949
00:48:18,160 --> 00:48:20,759
Speaker 2: especially like in the grand scheme of the television deal

950
00:48:20,760 --> 00:48:23,680
Speaker 2: that's coming around, in the grand scheme of what your

951
00:48:23,760 --> 00:48:27,160
Speaker 2: luxury tax bill is, what's fifteen million a year for

952
00:48:27,200 --> 00:48:29,279
Speaker 2: a coach that could be a culture setter? Like I

953
00:48:30,040 --> 00:48:35,840
Speaker 2: really struggled with that. I will say that it wouldn't

954
00:48:35,880 --> 00:48:38,319
Speaker 2: have been a perfect fit. I think that asking a

955
00:48:38,400 --> 00:48:41,000
Speaker 2: year twenty two Lebron to be held accountable by someone

956
00:48:41,040 --> 00:48:43,960
Speaker 2: like Danny Hurley would have presented some challenges. I'm sure that,

957
00:48:44,160 --> 00:48:49,000
Speaker 2: but I thought, especially like Dan's ability to create space

958
00:48:49,040 --> 00:48:50,879
Speaker 2: with non shooters on the floor, I thought that would

959
00:48:50,880 --> 00:48:53,800
Speaker 2: have been a wonderful fit with Vanderbilt and Anthony Davis.

960
00:48:54,080 --> 00:48:57,360
Speaker 2: I was so so optimistic about it, but at the

961
00:48:57,360 --> 00:49:01,279
Speaker 2: same time, like I just had this underlying ominous The

962
00:49:01,400 --> 00:49:04,240
Speaker 2: Lakers find a way to botch stuff like this typically

963
00:49:04,320 --> 00:49:07,080
Speaker 2: kind of thing, and that that that tempered any sort

964
00:49:07,120 --> 00:49:10,279
Speaker 2: of of over excitement on my part.

965
00:49:10,560 --> 00:49:12,719
Speaker 1: You know, what I'll say on the Lebron front, though,

966
00:49:12,800 --> 00:49:16,160
Speaker 1: is like everybody around the league will tell you that,

967
00:49:16,360 --> 00:49:19,520
Speaker 1: like if Lebron like really respects the guy who's in

968
00:49:19,640 --> 00:49:22,120
Speaker 1: charge and like really believes in him, he has no

969
00:49:22,200 --> 00:49:25,960
Speaker 1: problem being coached hard, Like he's like totally fine with

970
00:49:26,040 --> 00:49:27,920
Speaker 1: like hey, like I mean, look like he might not

971
00:49:28,000 --> 00:49:30,040
Speaker 1: want Danny Hurley like get in his face and like

972
00:49:30,200 --> 00:49:33,440
Speaker 1: f bombing him, which might have happened at some point.

973
00:49:33,520 --> 00:49:35,680
Speaker 1: Like we just need to be realistic about that. But

974
00:49:36,840 --> 00:49:39,360
Speaker 1: like I think Lebron gets this rap as like a

975
00:49:39,360 --> 00:49:43,040
Speaker 1: coach killer right like throughout his career, and I think

976
00:49:43,080 --> 00:49:44,920
Speaker 1: as long as he respects the guy, and it seems

977
00:49:44,960 --> 00:49:47,640
Speaker 1: like he would have been going into this relationship with

978
00:49:47,719 --> 00:49:51,640
Speaker 1: like a real degree of respect for Danny Hurley, he's

979
00:49:51,680 --> 00:49:54,640
Speaker 1: fine from what I know, like being able to like

980
00:49:54,760 --> 00:49:57,760
Speaker 1: you know take that right like he'll he'll he'll respond

981
00:49:57,760 --> 00:49:59,759
Speaker 1: to that from what I know. So you know, whether

982
00:49:59,840 --> 00:50:02,400
Speaker 1: or not there's another coach out there on the market

983
00:50:02,440 --> 00:50:04,600
Speaker 1: that would be able to coax that out of him,

984
00:50:04,640 --> 00:50:08,480
Speaker 1: I don't know. Necessarily. But you know, I do think

985
00:50:08,560 --> 00:50:10,920
Speaker 1: that is a bit of a misconception about Lebron. Not

986
00:50:10,960 --> 00:50:13,160
Speaker 1: that you're saying that like he was, you know, gonna

987
00:50:13,160 --> 00:50:15,719
Speaker 1: be a problem, but I do think that there's a

988
00:50:15,719 --> 00:50:19,400
Speaker 1: little bit more to Lebron than than what the current

989
00:50:20,040 --> 00:50:23,120
Speaker 1: overarching philosophy is that I get in my Twitter mentions

990
00:50:23,160 --> 00:50:23,560
Speaker 1: every night.

991
00:50:23,640 --> 00:50:27,400
Speaker 2: Unfortunately, no, I totally agree. Well, the thing too, is like,

992
00:50:27,640 --> 00:50:29,760
Speaker 2: it's not David Blatt. He's not coming over from Europe.

993
00:50:29,800 --> 00:50:33,080
Speaker 2: There's something right, you know, there's something about like the

994
00:50:33,840 --> 00:50:37,760
Speaker 2: domestic dominance of Yukon that I think would resonate.

995
00:50:37,440 --> 00:50:39,400
Speaker 1: One hundred percent. Like I had somebody ask me, like,

996
00:50:39,560 --> 00:50:41,880
Speaker 1: why is this different than David Blatt? David Blatt won

997
00:50:41,960 --> 00:50:45,080
Speaker 1: multiple euro League championships. I was like, you think twenty

998
00:50:45,080 --> 00:50:47,879
Speaker 1: eight year old Lebron was watching the EuroLeague like every night.

999
00:50:48,440 --> 00:50:51,640
Speaker 1: He's definitely watching Connecticut, watching the NCAA tournament and seeing

1000
00:50:51,640 --> 00:50:54,560
Speaker 1: what that looks like. He's not watching euro League every night.

1001
00:50:54,560 --> 00:50:57,160
Speaker 1: He's not staying up until two am in the morning

1002
00:50:57,239 --> 00:51:00,799
Speaker 1: to watch like Osville versus Redstone. Are you know what

1003
00:51:00,840 --> 00:51:06,000
Speaker 1: I mean? So, yeah, No, it's it's interesting. Look, I mean,

1004
00:51:06,040 --> 00:51:09,040
Speaker 1: shout out Danny Hurley saying it Connecticutte, you know, stay

1005
00:51:09,040 --> 00:51:11,279
Speaker 1: where you're happy. I'm a big, big proponent. I live

1006
00:51:11,320 --> 00:51:15,320
Speaker 1: in Melbourne, Australia, because you know, be worried or happy

1007
00:51:15,600 --> 00:51:17,799
Speaker 1: at the end of the day. That's it. So I

1008
00:51:17,840 --> 00:51:19,720
Speaker 1: respect Danny Hurley's choice in that respect.

1009
00:51:20,600 --> 00:51:22,479
Speaker 2: I'm just sad because I thought he could have turned

1010
00:51:22,480 --> 00:51:25,279
Speaker 2: that organization around. All right, that's all we have time

1011
00:51:25,320 --> 00:51:28,120
Speaker 2: for today, Sam, I sincerely appreciate you taking the time

1012
00:51:28,120 --> 00:51:29,920
Speaker 2: out of your busy schedule to come on. I need

1013
00:51:29,920 --> 00:51:31,600
Speaker 2: to call you soon so that we can catch up,

1014
00:51:31,760 --> 00:51:34,840
Speaker 2: and then we also need to take more time to

1015
00:51:34,920 --> 00:51:37,600
Speaker 2: talk more this summer on the show. I'm sure we'll

1016
00:51:37,600 --> 00:51:38,919
Speaker 2: find some time to do that. I'm hoping to see

1017
00:51:38,920 --> 00:51:40,560
Speaker 2: you out at Summer League as well. Before we get

1018
00:51:40,600 --> 00:51:41,879
Speaker 2: you out of here, can you shout out what you're

1019
00:51:41,920 --> 00:51:43,359
Speaker 2: working on on your end?

1020
00:51:43,680 --> 00:51:46,560
Speaker 1: So NBA Draft Guide, I wrote far too many works

1021
00:51:46,600 --> 00:51:49,040
Speaker 1: for the NBA Draft Guide. It's going to be over

1022
00:51:49,040 --> 00:51:51,560
Speaker 1: one hundred and fifty thousand words on seventy five draft

1023
00:51:51,560 --> 00:51:54,440
Speaker 1: prospects this year. That will be up next week at

1024
00:51:54,480 --> 00:51:57,640
Speaker 1: some point over at the Athletic And then go to

1025
00:51:57,640 --> 00:52:00,680
Speaker 1: the Game Theory podcast over on YouTube over on whatever

1026
00:52:00,719 --> 00:52:03,160
Speaker 1: podcasting platform you use, and you'll be able to kind

1027
00:52:03,160 --> 00:52:06,160
Speaker 1: of hang out with us every second night whenever we

1028
00:52:06,200 --> 00:52:06,600
Speaker 1: go live.

1029
00:52:07,640 --> 00:52:09,719
Speaker 2: That's a perfect excuse to get you back on because

1030
00:52:09,719 --> 00:52:12,480
Speaker 2: I don't pay any attention to the draft until after

1031
00:52:12,520 --> 00:52:14,560
Speaker 2: the NBA Finals, so maybe we'll get you on at

1032
00:52:14,560 --> 00:52:16,080
Speaker 2: that point. All right, guys, that is all we have

1033
00:52:16,160 --> 00:52:18,399
Speaker 2: for today. As always, we sincerely I appreciate you guys

1034
00:52:18,400 --> 00:52:20,560
Speaker 2: for supporting the show. I will be back to calling

1035
00:52:20,640 --> 00:52:23,120
Speaker 2: Coward on Wednesday night after the final buzzer of Game three.

1036
00:52:23,320 --> 00:52:24,040
Speaker 2: I will see you guys.

1037
00:52:24,040 --> 00:52:27,960
Speaker 1: Thay the volume