1 00:00:01,440 --> 00:00:05,400 Speaker 1: The volume, from the football playoffs to college and pro 2 00:00:05,480 --> 00:00:07,800 Speaker 1: basketball to the rush of hockey. What a time to 3 00:00:07,800 --> 00:00:09,719 Speaker 1: be a sports fan. It's all happening and you can 4 00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:11,440 Speaker 1: get in on all the action of the sports you 5 00:00:11,480 --> 00:00:13,800 Speaker 1: love at Draft Kings Sports Book. With so many sports, 6 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:16,720 Speaker 1: every day is game day at DraftKings, that means unlimited 7 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:19,319 Speaker 1: opportunities to place your first bet, and DraftKings makes it easy. 8 00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:21,959 Speaker 1: How easy? Try betting on something simple like picking a 9 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:23,960 Speaker 1: team to win. Go to the DraftKings Sports Book app, 10 00:00:23,960 --> 00:00:27,400 Speaker 1: pick your team and place your bet. 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For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, 30 00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:35,039 Speaker 1: see DKNG dot co slash audio. All right, wellcome to 31 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:38,399 Speaker 1: hoops tonight here at the volume. Happy Friday again everybody. 32 00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:39,880 Speaker 1: In case you missed it, this morning, we did a 33 00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:42,160 Speaker 1: deep dive breakdown on the Celtics Lakers game. You can 34 00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:43,839 Speaker 1: find that a little bit further back on our feed. 35 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:45,959 Speaker 1: We're gonna hit a bunch of other stuff from the 36 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:49,480 Speaker 1: Thursday night slate today. We had a bunch of showdowns. 37 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:51,720 Speaker 1: We had the Nuggets versus the Kings. We're gonna lead 38 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:54,080 Speaker 1: off there after that. We're gonna talk a little bit 39 00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:57,280 Speaker 1: about the Warriors. End of the bench guys couldn't post, 40 00:01:57,400 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 1: and Gie Santos, who've been playing super well, talk about 41 00:01:59,880 --> 00:02:01,760 Speaker 1: what that means for them and some of my big 42 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:04,560 Speaker 1: picture thoughts for them. After they had a very impressive 43 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:08,080 Speaker 1: come from behind blowout against the Chicago Bulls, the Dallas 44 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:12,640 Speaker 1: Mavericks used a very interesting kind of like weird matchup 45 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:16,079 Speaker 1: double teaming zone against the Oklahoma City Thunder that led 46 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:18,840 Speaker 1: to their third victory against the Thunder this season. We're 47 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:21,960 Speaker 1: gonna break that game down. I have an additional thought 48 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:23,440 Speaker 1: on the Lakers that I didn't get to this morning, 49 00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:24,679 Speaker 1: and I want to briefly hit and then at the 50 00:02:24,680 --> 00:02:27,280 Speaker 1: tail end of the show, like we do every single Friday, 51 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 1: we have a mail bag where we're gonna be bouncing 52 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:32,079 Speaker 1: all around the league. I've got some Celtics stuff in there, 53 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 1: some Calves stuff in there, some Philadelphia seventy six ers 54 00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:39,040 Speaker 1: stuff in there, a couple of player comparisons. Just a 55 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:40,800 Speaker 1: jam packshow for you guys. You guys know the joke 56 00:02:40,840 --> 00:02:42,680 Speaker 1: before we get started. Subscribe to the Hoops and Night 57 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:44,320 Speaker 1: YouTube channels. You don't miss any more of our videos. 58 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:46,320 Speaker 1: Follow me on Twitter at underscore JCNLT so you guys 59 00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:48,680 Speaker 1: don't miss you announcements. Don't forget about our podcast few 60 00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:51,200 Speaker 1: wherever eat your podcast under Hoops Tonight. It's also super 61 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:52,680 Speaker 1: helpful for you leave a rating and a review on 62 00:02:52,680 --> 00:02:55,040 Speaker 1: that front. We also have brand new social media feeds 63 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:58,560 Speaker 1: on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook where we're releasing content throughout 64 00:02:58,560 --> 00:02:59,960 Speaker 1: the remainder of the season. Make sure you guys follow 65 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:02,520 Speaker 1: there and then keep dropping mailbag questions like we do 66 00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:04,959 Speaker 1: always on Fridays. If you want to get questions into 67 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:07,359 Speaker 1: the mail bag, just drop him the YouTube comments under 68 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:10,600 Speaker 1: the full episodes and just put mail bag with a 69 00:03:10,639 --> 00:03:12,360 Speaker 1: colon and then write your question and we'll get to 70 00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:14,519 Speaker 1: them on Fridays throughout the season. All right, let's talk 71 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:19,240 Speaker 1: some basketball. So another blowout win for the Denver Nuggets. 72 00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:22,280 Speaker 1: I on the only one by nine, but the Nuggets 73 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:24,880 Speaker 1: completely dominated that game. They led seventy to forty eight 74 00:03:24,919 --> 00:03:28,359 Speaker 1: in the first half. They really outworked Sacramento in this one. 75 00:03:28,360 --> 00:03:30,480 Speaker 1: In the first half, they had twelve offensive rebounds to 76 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:35,280 Speaker 1: Sacramento's six. Christian Brown was consistently making DeMar Derozen pay 77 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:37,800 Speaker 1: for kind of standing around and being lazy off ball 78 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:41,800 Speaker 1: by like cutting behind him, running past him on crashes 79 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:44,280 Speaker 1: for the offensive glass beating him up floor in transition. 80 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:47,040 Speaker 1: Michael Porter Junr was doing a great job of crashing 81 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:50,600 Speaker 1: every single time as well. They were beating Sacramento down 82 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:53,280 Speaker 1: the floor with kick ahead passes and transition pushes, and 83 00:03:53,600 --> 00:03:56,600 Speaker 1: Jamal Murray I thought was pretty badly out playing deeron Fox. 84 00:03:56,680 --> 00:04:00,360 Speaker 1: Jamal did a wonderful job of executing his role in 85 00:04:00,440 --> 00:04:04,040 Speaker 1: Denver's offense. He got multiple buckets off of inside seals 86 00:04:04,040 --> 00:04:06,560 Speaker 1: where he kind of like he'll start under the basket 87 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:08,160 Speaker 1: ish and he'll kind of like run up and he'll 88 00:04:08,200 --> 00:04:10,680 Speaker 1: backscreen for some player that cuts to the basket. But 89 00:04:10,720 --> 00:04:13,440 Speaker 1: then he'll backscreen almost with his hands on the guy 90 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:16,640 Speaker 1: so that he can keep him situated on his top side. 91 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:19,560 Speaker 1: And then he'll kind of hold that position until Jokic 92 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:21,640 Speaker 1: throws the ball in half and then he'll just give 93 00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:24,000 Speaker 1: a little subtle shove and then turn and get the 94 00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:26,440 Speaker 1: basketball and now he's passed him. It accomplishes the same 95 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:29,200 Speaker 1: thing as dribble penetration, right, Like, if Jamal Murray were 96 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:31,440 Speaker 1: to beat his mate off the dribble, he's going to 97 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 1: draw help or get a layup, right, But if he 98 00:04:33,760 --> 00:04:35,680 Speaker 1: has an inside seal and the paskets over the top 99 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:37,520 Speaker 1: and he catches it clean and the defenders behind him. 100 00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:41,160 Speaker 1: It accomplishes effectively the same thing. He got buckets off 101 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:45,080 Speaker 1: of that. He got great shots in the on ball action, 102 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:48,359 Speaker 1: just like getting downhill hitting floaters. He rejected a screen 103 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:50,520 Speaker 1: against Aaron Fox and hit a little step back three, 104 00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:53,400 Speaker 1: even had some nice transition pushes. He had a kind 105 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:54,960 Speaker 1: of like a lefty hook in the lane that he 106 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:57,080 Speaker 1: got off on Dearon Fox. I just thought he played 107 00:04:57,120 --> 00:04:59,800 Speaker 1: a better floor game overall than Daron Fox did in 108 00:04:59,839 --> 00:05:02,440 Speaker 1: this game, and the Nuggets defensively did a really good 109 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:04,320 Speaker 1: job on Fox in this game. It was a mix 110 00:05:04,360 --> 00:05:08,520 Speaker 1: of Christian Brown, Peyton Watson, and Aaron Gordon. Watson and 111 00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:12,279 Speaker 1: Gordon in particular, they're so good at back pressuring because 112 00:05:12,320 --> 00:05:15,000 Speaker 1: they have length, and all back pressuring is is if 113 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:17,160 Speaker 1: you chase over the top of a screen, if you're 114 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:19,919 Speaker 1: going to successfully funnel someone into the paint, they have 115 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:21,920 Speaker 1: to be scared that if they shoot a mid range 116 00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:24,279 Speaker 1: jump shot, they might get blocked from behind. And you 117 00:05:24,279 --> 00:05:26,200 Speaker 1: can actually see that with Darren Fox, where like he 118 00:05:26,279 --> 00:05:28,240 Speaker 1: was coming off and pulling up to shoot, but kind 119 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:30,560 Speaker 1: of like ducking his head and like leaning forward a 120 00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:34,600 Speaker 1: little bit like changing his release because he's worried about 121 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:37,680 Speaker 1: back pressure. And that's a product of what Peyton Watson 122 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:39,240 Speaker 1: and Aaron Gordon do and that's a great way to 123 00:05:39,360 --> 00:05:43,400 Speaker 1: influence the shooting percentage of guards that are taking aggressive 124 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:48,240 Speaker 1: scoring shots in ball screens and not just the ugly releases. 125 00:05:48,279 --> 00:05:50,560 Speaker 1: There's Darren Fox kind of over penetrating because like what 126 00:05:50,640 --> 00:05:52,560 Speaker 1: ends up happening is if he doesn't think he can 127 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:55,000 Speaker 1: get up in that mid range area, he's gonna keep driving. 128 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:56,680 Speaker 1: And if he keeps driving, he's gonna go into more 129 00:05:56,720 --> 00:05:58,479 Speaker 1: traffic and that's where he can turn the ball over. 130 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:02,240 Speaker 1: Mislayups things along those lines. Russell Westbrook had another great game. 131 00:06:02,279 --> 00:06:04,240 Speaker 1: He's seven for ten from the field. He was bullying 132 00:06:04,279 --> 00:06:07,120 Speaker 1: the smaller King's guards under the rim. He had some threes, 133 00:06:07,560 --> 00:06:12,000 Speaker 1: applied a ton of ball pressure or excuse me, rim pressure, 134 00:06:12,320 --> 00:06:16,279 Speaker 1: and then Nikoliokich with the first thirty point, twenty rebound 135 00:06:16,279 --> 00:06:20,760 Speaker 1: and fifteen assist game since Wilt Chamberlain did it over 136 00:06:20,880 --> 00:06:23,120 Speaker 1: a half a century ago. I thought he dominated some 137 00:06:23,200 --> 00:06:25,599 Speaker 1: bonus by just shoving him around, getting wherever he wanted, 138 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:27,760 Speaker 1: scoring on him one on one in the post, getting 139 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:30,560 Speaker 1: offensive rebounds, on him. The assists came every which way. 140 00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:33,479 Speaker 1: Kick aheads like threw one ahead to Peyton Watson for 141 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:36,160 Speaker 1: a donkey, hit one ahead to Russell Westbrook for a 142 00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:40,040 Speaker 1: runout layup, hitting cutters, hitting slippers. He was torching Demarta 143 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:43,799 Speaker 1: Rosen for again not paying attention off ball with Christian Brown, 144 00:06:43,839 --> 00:06:46,920 Speaker 1: and Jokic was just rifling, you know, just line drive 145 00:06:46,960 --> 00:06:49,360 Speaker 1: passes right into Christian Brown's shooting pockets so that he 146 00:06:49,360 --> 00:06:52,839 Speaker 1: could take a nice, slow in rhythm jump shot to 147 00:06:52,839 --> 00:06:55,320 Speaker 1: try to make Derosen pay for helping. And then he 148 00:06:55,360 --> 00:06:58,680 Speaker 1: dominated the glass, obviously with twenty rebound game, especially on 149 00:06:58,720 --> 00:07:01,039 Speaker 1: the defensive end of the floor. He talked after the 150 00:07:01,080 --> 00:07:03,640 Speaker 1: game about how he thinks he's playing the best basketball 151 00:07:03,640 --> 00:07:06,600 Speaker 1: of his career, and he's right. I've talked a lot 152 00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:08,080 Speaker 1: about how the jump shot was one of the big 153 00:07:08,080 --> 00:07:10,080 Speaker 1: things that kind of held him back last year. We're 154 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:12,960 Speaker 1: halfway through the season and he's over two hundred attempts. 155 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:15,720 Speaker 1: He's a two hundred and nineteen jump shot attempts this 156 00:07:15,760 --> 00:07:18,920 Speaker 1: season at one point three to two points per shot. 157 00:07:19,880 --> 00:07:23,080 Speaker 1: That's just completely insane. Still shooting over sixty percent on 158 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:25,679 Speaker 1: hooks and floaters. And the big thing is he's really 159 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:27,720 Speaker 1: stepped things up defensively. I don't want to get into 160 00:07:27,760 --> 00:07:29,840 Speaker 1: that right now. We'll get into that in a minute. 161 00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:33,600 Speaker 1: But it's been an absolute pleasure to watch Nikola Jokic 162 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:36,040 Speaker 1: this season as the best player in the world, at 163 00:07:36,040 --> 00:07:38,520 Speaker 1: the absolute peak of his powers, just doing his thing 164 00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:42,520 Speaker 1: every night, and yet another masterpiece from him last night. 165 00:07:43,720 --> 00:07:46,680 Speaker 1: I've been talking a lot this year about how I 166 00:07:46,840 --> 00:07:51,920 Speaker 1: still see Denver as a legit second tier contender, but 167 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:55,400 Speaker 1: that they haven't really shown that extended stretch of their 168 00:07:55,480 --> 00:07:58,560 Speaker 1: ceiling yet, like an extended stretch of dominance, and I 169 00:07:58,560 --> 00:08:00,760 Speaker 1: think we're seeing that now. The Nugget have now won 170 00:08:00,880 --> 00:08:05,160 Speaker 1: eight consecutive games that Nicole Jokic has played in. Every 171 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:07,720 Speaker 1: single one of those eight games has been a game 172 00:08:07,760 --> 00:08:10,000 Speaker 1: that they either won and blowout fashion or like the 173 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:12,440 Speaker 1: game last night against the Kings where they were up 174 00:08:12,480 --> 00:08:13,960 Speaker 1: big and then maybe let go of the rope a 175 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:16,800 Speaker 1: little bit late. But they've been dominant in eight consecutive 176 00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:19,680 Speaker 1: wins when NICOLEA. Jokic has played, and some quality wins 177 00:08:19,680 --> 00:08:21,760 Speaker 1: in there too. That's a good Sacramento Kings team that's 178 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:25,480 Speaker 1: been giving a lot of teams issues. Six of those 179 00:08:25,480 --> 00:08:27,640 Speaker 1: eight wins were against teams that are currently in the 180 00:08:27,640 --> 00:08:31,040 Speaker 1: playoff hunt in either conference. As a team, the Nuggets 181 00:08:31,040 --> 00:08:33,760 Speaker 1: are twelve and three in their last fifteen games. They 182 00:08:33,760 --> 00:08:35,760 Speaker 1: have the best record in the league and that's span 183 00:08:35,840 --> 00:08:37,440 Speaker 1: tide for the best record in the league in that span. 184 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:40,120 Speaker 1: They have the best offense in the league. In that span, 185 00:08:40,160 --> 00:08:42,559 Speaker 1: they have a one to twenty three offensive rating, which 186 00:08:42,600 --> 00:08:44,320 Speaker 1: is outstanding. And the big thing that's standing out to 187 00:08:44,360 --> 00:08:47,320 Speaker 1: me on film there is everyone is really starting to 188 00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:50,600 Speaker 1: slot nicely and fit really well in their respective roles 189 00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:53,800 Speaker 1: on the offense. No one's getting out of character. Like 190 00:08:53,960 --> 00:08:56,080 Speaker 1: Russ has a really good feel for when to be 191 00:08:56,160 --> 00:08:59,439 Speaker 1: aggressive and what to do when he's off ball. I'll 192 00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:00,840 Speaker 1: come back to Russ in a second. But there's this 193 00:09:00,920 --> 00:09:02,760 Speaker 1: dynamic with this team where there's these kind of these 194 00:09:02,840 --> 00:09:06,960 Speaker 1: three guards that can be somewhat aggressive. Michael Porter Junior 195 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:09,080 Speaker 1: I think fits into this mix as well. But perimeter 196 00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:12,160 Speaker 1: players that have the right to be aggressive in action 197 00:09:12,400 --> 00:09:14,360 Speaker 1: or to have somewhat of a green light when they 198 00:09:14,440 --> 00:09:16,839 Speaker 1: catch on the perimeter looking to score. And it's like Jamal, 199 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:20,280 Speaker 1: it used to be just be Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Junior, 200 00:09:20,320 --> 00:09:25,000 Speaker 1: and like you know, Bruce Brown in the championship team, right, 201 00:09:25,080 --> 00:09:26,800 Speaker 1: like that could bring the ball to the floor and 202 00:09:26,800 --> 00:09:29,360 Speaker 1: be aggressive in action on the perimeter. But like as 203 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:31,440 Speaker 1: the years have gone by, it's kind of evolved a 204 00:09:31,440 --> 00:09:33,560 Speaker 1: little bit. Now it's kind of a smortgage Porter guys, right, 205 00:09:33,640 --> 00:09:35,880 Speaker 1: Like Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Junior are still two 206 00:09:35,920 --> 00:09:38,160 Speaker 1: guys that can do that, but like Russell Westbrook has 207 00:09:38,200 --> 00:09:42,280 Speaker 1: a certain aggressiveness to him. He's over fifteen points per 208 00:09:42,320 --> 00:09:45,880 Speaker 1: game in the last month or so. Julian Strawther has 209 00:09:45,880 --> 00:09:48,360 Speaker 1: had moments where he's been super aggressive, and all four 210 00:09:48,360 --> 00:09:49,960 Speaker 1: of those guys have kind of had to pick their 211 00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:52,520 Speaker 1: spots more, but they've been doing a good job of it. 212 00:09:52,559 --> 00:09:54,240 Speaker 1: And so what you're getting is they're like, oh shit, 213 00:09:54,520 --> 00:09:57,400 Speaker 1: Jamal Murray has this, you know, forty something point game, 214 00:09:57,480 --> 00:10:01,199 Speaker 1: Like oh shit, Peyton Watts, excuse me. Julian Strather has 215 00:10:01,240 --> 00:10:03,720 Speaker 1: this twenty something point game, like Russell Westbrook, this is 216 00:10:03,720 --> 00:10:06,120 Speaker 1: his night tonight. Like Michael Porter Junior, this is his 217 00:10:06,240 --> 00:10:08,599 Speaker 1: night tonight. They're feeling it out really really well and 218 00:10:09,240 --> 00:10:11,720 Speaker 1: not stepping on each other's toes and staying in rhythm 219 00:10:11,880 --> 00:10:14,360 Speaker 1: and then coming back to Russ like the off ball 220 00:10:14,400 --> 00:10:16,520 Speaker 1: stuff is incredible. We've talked a lot about his cutting, 221 00:10:16,600 --> 00:10:18,559 Speaker 1: but it's like even the work on the offensive glass. 222 00:10:18,559 --> 00:10:21,320 Speaker 1: There's a play last night, cuts to the basket, doesn't 223 00:10:21,360 --> 00:10:23,839 Speaker 1: get it, the shot goes up, it's a miss, and 224 00:10:23,960 --> 00:10:26,320 Speaker 1: so he just inside seals, gets the rebound and just 225 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:28,280 Speaker 1: goes right back up and finishes because he's so much 226 00:10:28,320 --> 00:10:32,880 Speaker 1: bigger and stronger than those Kings guards. And you combine 227 00:10:32,920 --> 00:10:36,520 Speaker 1: that with Jokic playing the best basketball of his career 228 00:10:37,240 --> 00:10:40,760 Speaker 1: and in my opinion, the highest level of offensive basketball 229 00:10:40,760 --> 00:10:45,080 Speaker 1: we've ever seen, and we're just getting an incredibly efficient 230 00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:48,080 Speaker 1: Nuggets offense. A one twenty three offensive rating is nothing 231 00:10:48,440 --> 00:10:51,880 Speaker 1: to side eye at. That is a very very productive offense. 232 00:10:51,960 --> 00:10:54,600 Speaker 1: Remember we were talking about the Pacers offense at the 233 00:10:54,600 --> 00:10:56,760 Speaker 1: beginning of last year is hitting like some sort of 234 00:10:56,880 --> 00:10:59,840 Speaker 1: crazy high that we hadn't seen in a long time, 235 00:11:00,160 --> 00:11:01,720 Speaker 1: and they were at like a one to twenty four 236 00:11:02,080 --> 00:11:04,600 Speaker 1: offensive rating, and so like again, when you're in that 237 00:11:04,679 --> 00:11:09,319 Speaker 1: area where you're substantially over one twenty's, that's a really 238 00:11:09,320 --> 00:11:12,199 Speaker 1: really high level offense that you're seeing. But the defense 239 00:11:12,400 --> 00:11:14,960 Speaker 1: has been much better of late. They are seventh and 240 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:17,559 Speaker 1: defensive rating in this twelve and three stretch over the 241 00:11:17,640 --> 00:11:19,880 Speaker 1: last fifteen games, and a big part of that has 242 00:11:19,880 --> 00:11:22,920 Speaker 1: been Nicole Jokic's improved effort and intensity on that end 243 00:11:22,920 --> 00:11:25,360 Speaker 1: of the floor. As we always talk about, Jokich is 244 00:11:25,400 --> 00:11:28,760 Speaker 1: at his best defensively when he's reading plays, using his 245 00:11:28,760 --> 00:11:32,040 Speaker 1: brain and being very active with his hands. He's got 246 00:11:32,040 --> 00:11:35,600 Speaker 1: long arms, he's good at getting deflections and steals when 247 00:11:35,640 --> 00:11:38,839 Speaker 1: he's reading plays and reading that pick and roll ball handler. Right, 248 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:42,680 Speaker 1: He's averaging over two and a half steals per game 249 00:11:42,720 --> 00:11:45,880 Speaker 1: over the last couple of weeks. He's just doing more 250 00:11:45,960 --> 00:11:49,760 Speaker 1: on that end. And when you anchor that with athletic 251 00:11:49,800 --> 00:11:53,520 Speaker 1: motor guys like Christian Brown, Peyton Watson, Russell Westbrook, Aaron Gordon, 252 00:11:53,960 --> 00:11:55,880 Speaker 1: and you have Jokic doing the work that he does 253 00:11:55,920 --> 00:11:59,160 Speaker 1: on the defensive glass, you can be a very good defense. 254 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:03,640 Speaker 1: And you know, the Nuggets have been somewhat up and 255 00:12:03,679 --> 00:12:07,199 Speaker 1: down this year for a variety of reasons, but this 256 00:12:07,280 --> 00:12:09,120 Speaker 1: is the first stretch this season where I felt like 257 00:12:09,160 --> 00:12:12,480 Speaker 1: they looked like a legit championship contender. They're being the 258 00:12:12,480 --> 00:12:15,440 Speaker 1: best defense they can be with their personnel while also 259 00:12:15,559 --> 00:12:20,520 Speaker 1: being a truly elite offense. That is the pathway that's 260 00:12:20,559 --> 00:12:22,800 Speaker 1: the pathway that won them the title in twenty twenty three. 261 00:12:22,880 --> 00:12:26,760 Speaker 1: It's the pathway that can win them the title this year. 262 00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:29,840 Speaker 1: They are good enough to beat anyone in this league. 263 00:12:29,840 --> 00:12:31,600 Speaker 1: There's obviously, like when you look at the teams at 264 00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:33,520 Speaker 1: the top, like there's a reason why the Cavs and 265 00:12:33,559 --> 00:12:36,400 Speaker 1: the Thunder are like eight games up on Denver in 266 00:12:36,440 --> 00:12:39,440 Speaker 1: the standings, right, and we know Boston is in a 267 00:12:39,520 --> 00:12:43,120 Speaker 1: massive role with the championship, you know, kind of hangover. 268 00:12:43,800 --> 00:12:45,959 Speaker 1: But I think it's fair to say that those teams 269 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:48,240 Speaker 1: have been more impressive in the aggregate this season. I 270 00:12:48,280 --> 00:12:51,160 Speaker 1: think Denver can close that gap if they maintain this dominance. 271 00:12:51,200 --> 00:12:54,520 Speaker 1: But no matter what, regardless of what you've seen to 272 00:12:54,559 --> 00:12:57,240 Speaker 1: this point, I think it's clear that Denver can beat 273 00:12:57,880 --> 00:13:00,920 Speaker 1: any of these teams. They just need to keep building. 274 00:13:01,160 --> 00:13:04,240 Speaker 1: There's a real chance there. It's not a tiny crack 275 00:13:04,280 --> 00:13:07,360 Speaker 1: in the door. It's like a legitimate, partially open door 276 00:13:07,400 --> 00:13:09,720 Speaker 1: that they can try to blow through. There's a real 277 00:13:09,800 --> 00:13:12,480 Speaker 1: opportunity here that they are demonstrating. One last note on 278 00:13:12,520 --> 00:13:15,160 Speaker 1: the Nuggets. The Nuggets are really starting to hold up 279 00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:18,400 Speaker 1: well in the Jokic off groups, meaning when Yokic is 280 00:13:18,440 --> 00:13:20,680 Speaker 1: playing in the game, but he's on the bench. In 281 00:13:20,720 --> 00:13:23,120 Speaker 1: the last eight games that Nikola Jokic has played in, 282 00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:28,199 Speaker 1: the Nuggets are plus eighteen in the minutes when Jokic 283 00:13:28,320 --> 00:13:30,640 Speaker 1: is off the floor. That is a major development for 284 00:13:30,679 --> 00:13:34,199 Speaker 1: a team that was legit hemorrhaging leads without Jokic in 285 00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:35,840 Speaker 1: the early part of the season. That part of that's 286 00:13:35,840 --> 00:13:39,120 Speaker 1: ben Jamal Murray getting better. These groups have been defending 287 00:13:39,160 --> 00:13:41,720 Speaker 1: better getting out in transition. Getting Aaron Gordon back has 288 00:13:41,760 --> 00:13:45,280 Speaker 1: also been a really big help in that side of things. 289 00:13:45,320 --> 00:13:47,320 Speaker 1: The Nuggets are playing some special basketball right now. I'm 290 00:13:47,320 --> 00:13:50,040 Speaker 1: excited to see if they can keep it up. A 291 00:13:50,080 --> 00:13:52,719 Speaker 1: couple of notes on the Warriors. So they got off 292 00:13:52,760 --> 00:13:55,960 Speaker 1: to a really tough start against the Bulls. They spotted 293 00:13:56,040 --> 00:13:58,120 Speaker 1: them a twenty to six lead, just a total funk 294 00:13:58,160 --> 00:14:00,000 Speaker 1: on both end. Looked kind of like just an extent 295 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:02,400 Speaker 1: of what happened to them in crunch time against the Kings. 296 00:14:02,840 --> 00:14:05,520 Speaker 1: But then they went on a one fifteen to seventy 297 00:14:05,640 --> 00:14:09,680 Speaker 1: run plus forty five in that span to blow them 298 00:14:09,720 --> 00:14:13,920 Speaker 1: off the floor. Quentin Post has a twenty point game, 299 00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:15,520 Speaker 1: And this is where I want to dive into the 300 00:14:15,520 --> 00:14:18,520 Speaker 1: concept of a pick and pop. I talk about picking 301 00:14:18,600 --> 00:14:21,440 Speaker 1: and popping a lot because it is the one of 302 00:14:21,520 --> 00:14:25,520 Speaker 1: the most difficult actions in the league to guard. It's 303 00:14:25,560 --> 00:14:28,520 Speaker 1: difficult even with guards, like when you set ghost screens 304 00:14:28,560 --> 00:14:30,280 Speaker 1: and they slip out of them, just anytime a shooter 305 00:14:30,440 --> 00:14:33,200 Speaker 1: is like moving to a spot. It's difficult to guard, 306 00:14:33,280 --> 00:14:36,160 Speaker 1: especially as part of a screening action. But the bottom 307 00:14:36,200 --> 00:14:38,240 Speaker 1: line is is that most teams don't want to switch 308 00:14:38,280 --> 00:14:41,400 Speaker 1: actions that involve a center. The reason why is you 309 00:14:41,440 --> 00:14:43,320 Speaker 1: don't want to have your center out on the perimeter 310 00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:46,000 Speaker 1: guarding some guard for most teams, and you don't want 311 00:14:46,040 --> 00:14:50,040 Speaker 1: to have your guard guarding a center for most teams. Right, So, 312 00:14:50,160 --> 00:14:53,400 Speaker 1: like you try to keep yourself out of these precarious matchups, 313 00:14:53,440 --> 00:14:56,000 Speaker 1: and so you run these traditional coverages. Right. So, like 314 00:14:56,240 --> 00:14:59,160 Speaker 1: in a traditional ball screen, what is going to happen 315 00:14:59,280 --> 00:15:01,320 Speaker 1: is the set enter for the opposing team is going 316 00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:04,080 Speaker 1: to come set a screen, and then the defensive center 317 00:15:04,520 --> 00:15:07,560 Speaker 1: is going to either come all the way up to 318 00:15:07,600 --> 00:15:10,080 Speaker 1: the level or sit way back as close to the 319 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:12,880 Speaker 1: rim as possible, or anywhere in between. Those are like 320 00:15:13,040 --> 00:15:15,760 Speaker 1: the cover that's the range of coverages there. You might 321 00:15:15,800 --> 00:15:18,440 Speaker 1: see a guy blitz where he just comes way out 322 00:15:18,440 --> 00:15:20,120 Speaker 1: to the level and they both attack the ball and 323 00:15:20,120 --> 00:15:21,760 Speaker 1: they try to get him to get rid of it. 324 00:15:21,960 --> 00:15:24,040 Speaker 1: You might see a hedge where he like lunges out 325 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:26,560 Speaker 1: to stop him from driving, but then recovers. You might 326 00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:28,080 Speaker 1: see like a high drop. This is one of the 327 00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:29,880 Speaker 1: most common coverages you'll see in the league. This is 328 00:15:29,920 --> 00:15:32,200 Speaker 1: where are a big comes all the way up to 329 00:15:32,240 --> 00:15:34,760 Speaker 1: the level just to contest any guy who comes off 330 00:15:34,800 --> 00:15:36,720 Speaker 1: to shoot a pull up jump shot, but he's still 331 00:15:36,760 --> 00:15:38,720 Speaker 1: staying kind of lateral to the ball so that he 332 00:15:38,760 --> 00:15:42,000 Speaker 1: can contain the ball as as they might try to 333 00:15:42,080 --> 00:15:45,360 Speaker 1: drive downhill. And then there's like a drop where you 334 00:15:45,440 --> 00:15:47,520 Speaker 1: like sit way back and you let the guy come 335 00:15:47,560 --> 00:15:49,360 Speaker 1: over the top of the screen and drive into you. 336 00:15:49,840 --> 00:15:54,320 Speaker 1: But all of those coverages involve the center engaging with 337 00:15:54,640 --> 00:15:57,720 Speaker 1: the ball handler. Right In a hedge, you stop the 338 00:15:57,760 --> 00:16:01,640 Speaker 1: ball handler from driving. High drop. You can test any 339 00:16:01,680 --> 00:16:04,000 Speaker 1: sort of pull up a shot or movement shot coming 340 00:16:04,040 --> 00:16:07,080 Speaker 1: off the screen in a lower drop. In a lower drop, 341 00:16:07,120 --> 00:16:09,240 Speaker 1: you're dealing with the ball handler and the roll man 342 00:16:09,320 --> 00:16:11,280 Speaker 1: coming out to you. They call it no roller behind coverage. 343 00:16:11,280 --> 00:16:13,520 Speaker 1: Your job is to keep both of them in front 344 00:16:13,520 --> 00:16:15,760 Speaker 1: of you as you make that defensive read from the 345 00:16:15,760 --> 00:16:21,920 Speaker 1: center position. None of those account for a big not rolling. 346 00:16:23,520 --> 00:16:26,240 Speaker 1: When the big rolls, all of those coverages have a 347 00:16:26,280 --> 00:16:29,200 Speaker 1: plan for it. None of them account for what if 348 00:16:29,240 --> 00:16:31,880 Speaker 1: the big just sets the screen and then just pops. 349 00:16:32,480 --> 00:16:36,120 Speaker 1: Because you can imagine if you hedge, then that guy 350 00:16:36,120 --> 00:16:39,560 Speaker 1: who pops is gonna be wide open. If you drop high, 351 00:16:39,640 --> 00:16:41,520 Speaker 1: meaning like the center comes up to the level to 352 00:16:41,520 --> 00:16:44,040 Speaker 1: contest a pull up jump shot, the big man's gonna 353 00:16:44,080 --> 00:16:46,720 Speaker 1: be wide open. If you drop low, the big man's 354 00:16:46,760 --> 00:16:48,760 Speaker 1: gonna be wide open. No matter what you do. If 355 00:16:48,800 --> 00:16:51,520 Speaker 1: you pick and pop, it's going to be wide open. 356 00:16:52,160 --> 00:16:54,840 Speaker 1: Your only ways to guard it are to either have 357 00:16:54,880 --> 00:16:57,200 Speaker 1: your big man stay home, in which case, if the 358 00:16:57,200 --> 00:16:59,360 Speaker 1: guy sets a good screen, the guard's just gonna go 359 00:16:59,440 --> 00:17:03,120 Speaker 1: right downhill and compromise your defense. Or you can rotate 360 00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:06,040 Speaker 1: to the shooter from the weak side. If you rotate 361 00:17:06,080 --> 00:17:08,560 Speaker 1: to the shooter from the weak side, you can have 362 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:11,959 Speaker 1: issues where you're in rotation now and you end up 363 00:17:11,960 --> 00:17:14,240 Speaker 1: just giving up an open shot somewhere else on the floor. 364 00:17:14,440 --> 00:17:17,520 Speaker 1: It is one of the hardest actions in the league 365 00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:20,440 Speaker 1: to guard. That's why for most teams, like there are 366 00:17:20,440 --> 00:17:23,360 Speaker 1: certain guys like you know, Victor wen Minyama, You're probably 367 00:17:23,400 --> 00:17:27,200 Speaker 1: not going to run a drop coverage against because or 368 00:17:27,240 --> 00:17:30,119 Speaker 1: any sort of traditional coverage because Victor can really shoot 369 00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:32,960 Speaker 1: the ball right. That's why the Lakers, for instance, when 370 00:17:32,960 --> 00:17:35,520 Speaker 1: they played them, went back to switching one through five. 371 00:17:35,560 --> 00:17:37,440 Speaker 1: They wanted to make sure they didn't give up easy 372 00:17:37,480 --> 00:17:40,480 Speaker 1: pick and pop threes to Victor wem Minyama. Guys like 373 00:17:40,720 --> 00:17:43,520 Speaker 1: Chris Hoops porzingis same sort of thing. There are a 374 00:17:43,520 --> 00:17:45,280 Speaker 1: handful of guys in the league that have earned a 375 00:17:45,320 --> 00:17:48,040 Speaker 1: reputation that if they set a screen, it's gonna be 376 00:17:48,080 --> 00:17:50,840 Speaker 1: a switch because you can't give up that pick and pop. 377 00:17:50,880 --> 00:17:53,560 Speaker 1: But for the most part, like even guys like Miles Turner, 378 00:17:53,600 --> 00:17:55,919 Speaker 1: for instance, guys that can shoot, teams will be like, 379 00:17:56,320 --> 00:17:58,520 Speaker 1: we're just gonna let him shoot it, and if he 380 00:17:58,600 --> 00:18:01,960 Speaker 1: makes a few, then we'll react, But we can't be 381 00:18:02,119 --> 00:18:05,720 Speaker 1: building our defense around stopping Miles Turner from shooting threes. 382 00:18:06,040 --> 00:18:08,280 Speaker 1: Same thing goes for a guy like Quinton Post. With 383 00:18:08,359 --> 00:18:11,360 Speaker 1: a guy like Quinton Post, teams are going to especially 384 00:18:11,440 --> 00:18:14,280 Speaker 1: in action with Steph Curry, They're gonna leave him open 385 00:18:14,359 --> 00:18:16,480 Speaker 1: on the pick and pot. How many times did you 386 00:18:16,520 --> 00:18:18,919 Speaker 1: see a two man game sequence with Steph and Quinton 387 00:18:18,960 --> 00:18:21,760 Speaker 1: Post last night where Steph came off the screen, both 388 00:18:21,800 --> 00:18:24,240 Speaker 1: defenders went with him easy behind the back pass or 389 00:18:24,320 --> 00:18:28,440 Speaker 1: kickback pass. Quinton Post just standing completely unguarded out by 390 00:18:28,480 --> 00:18:31,240 Speaker 1: the three point line. It is an incredibly valuable thing 391 00:18:32,280 --> 00:18:36,280 Speaker 1: to have a center that can legitimately shoot. It is 392 00:18:36,640 --> 00:18:41,159 Speaker 1: always open. It puts the defense in a real predicament. 393 00:18:41,240 --> 00:18:43,719 Speaker 1: And I thought Quinn Post was setting good screens all 394 00:18:43,840 --> 00:18:46,000 Speaker 1: night long. He was running side to side action where 395 00:18:46,040 --> 00:18:47,600 Speaker 1: like he'd make himself available at the top of the 396 00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:50,119 Speaker 1: key catch and then quickly turn into a dribble handoff 397 00:18:50,400 --> 00:18:52,840 Speaker 1: going the other way. He even in garbage time ran 398 00:18:52,880 --> 00:18:54,639 Speaker 1: an inverted ball screen and got all the way to 399 00:18:54,680 --> 00:18:56,240 Speaker 1: the basket for a lamp where he had a guard 400 00:18:56,280 --> 00:18:59,480 Speaker 1: screen screen for him. So like, really really interesting development 401 00:19:00,119 --> 00:19:02,400 Speaker 1: with what we've seen from Quinton Post in the last 402 00:19:02,440 --> 00:19:04,480 Speaker 1: couple of games. And then Gi Santos, who's been playing 403 00:19:04,520 --> 00:19:06,879 Speaker 1: a lot as of late, starts with the fact that 404 00:19:06,960 --> 00:19:09,000 Speaker 1: he's got good size. He's just a big, strong dude. 405 00:19:09,280 --> 00:19:12,239 Speaker 1: He moves well laterally, and he competes on the defensive end. 406 00:19:12,720 --> 00:19:16,760 Speaker 1: Guys are shooting five for fourteen from the field. Excuse 407 00:19:16,800 --> 00:19:20,560 Speaker 1: me against Ghi Santos in ISOs so far this year, 408 00:19:20,600 --> 00:19:22,120 Speaker 1: which is really good. He does a really good job 409 00:19:22,160 --> 00:19:24,880 Speaker 1: in ball screens, like he fights and sidles up over 410 00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:26,680 Speaker 1: the top when he can stay attached, but he's also 411 00:19:26,760 --> 00:19:28,760 Speaker 1: big enough to peel off. Like one of the biggest 412 00:19:28,840 --> 00:19:31,399 Speaker 1: jobs for a guard in ball screens is if you 413 00:19:31,480 --> 00:19:34,080 Speaker 1: do get rocked by a screen and they have to switch, 414 00:19:34,440 --> 00:19:36,680 Speaker 1: you got to get around and get on the inside 415 00:19:36,720 --> 00:19:38,280 Speaker 1: of the big and try to box him out. It's 416 00:19:38,280 --> 00:19:40,760 Speaker 1: a difficult job, but when you're as big as Gi Santos, 417 00:19:40,760 --> 00:19:43,560 Speaker 1: it's something that is possible for him. And then he's 418 00:19:43,600 --> 00:19:45,680 Speaker 1: also just shot the ball really well. He's made eighteen 419 00:19:45,800 --> 00:19:48,160 Speaker 1: threes and thirty nine attempts this year. That's one point 420 00:19:48,200 --> 00:19:51,520 Speaker 1: three to eight points per shot. That's that's so good 421 00:19:51,920 --> 00:19:55,040 Speaker 1: that he's making defenses pay for helping him. Steve Kerr 422 00:19:55,119 --> 00:19:57,760 Speaker 1: talked after last night's game about how Gi Santo's and 423 00:19:57,840 --> 00:20:01,280 Speaker 1: Quinton Post have earned his trust, but that he's not 424 00:20:01,480 --> 00:20:04,880 Speaker 1: sure there are enough minutes for them when Jonathan Kaminga 425 00:20:04,880 --> 00:20:08,080 Speaker 1: and Draymond Green get back. That is literally the problem. 426 00:20:09,280 --> 00:20:14,399 Speaker 1: You have a million really solid role players, but you 427 00:20:14,440 --> 00:20:18,119 Speaker 1: are utterly devoid of top end talent beyond Steph Curry. 428 00:20:19,040 --> 00:20:21,480 Speaker 1: Even Brandon Pajenski last night came back and looked great. 429 00:20:21,520 --> 00:20:23,280 Speaker 1: Plus twenty two and twenty one minutes did a little 430 00:20:23,280 --> 00:20:27,120 Speaker 1: bit of everything. Everyone looks at the Warriors record and 431 00:20:27,359 --> 00:20:30,639 Speaker 1: how bad they've been at times this year through the 432 00:20:30,720 --> 00:20:34,240 Speaker 1: lens of them just being a bad team. I don't 433 00:20:34,280 --> 00:20:37,400 Speaker 1: see it that way at all. I see it as 434 00:20:37,440 --> 00:20:43,280 Speaker 1: a team with a gaping weakness, one specific gaping weakness, 435 00:20:43,880 --> 00:20:46,000 Speaker 1: one that will make you look bad at times. In 436 00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:48,879 Speaker 1: the modern NBA, no matter who you are, if you 437 00:20:48,960 --> 00:20:52,960 Speaker 1: don't have guys that can create shots in the modern NBA, 438 00:20:53,600 --> 00:20:55,639 Speaker 1: you will have games where your offense sucks and you 439 00:20:55,680 --> 00:21:01,880 Speaker 1: look terrible. Right now, your secondary shot career is Andrew Wiggins, 440 00:21:01,920 --> 00:21:05,480 Speaker 1: Buddy Held, and Dennis Schroeder by committee. None of those 441 00:21:05,520 --> 00:21:10,280 Speaker 1: guys are consistent offensive threats. They'll look good some nights, 442 00:21:10,640 --> 00:21:13,880 Speaker 1: they'll look bad others. It's looked especially bad of late 443 00:21:13,920 --> 00:21:16,320 Speaker 1: because Dennis Schroeder's been bad a lot of the time 444 00:21:16,440 --> 00:21:18,160 Speaker 1: and Buddy Heield's been bad a lot of the time 445 00:21:18,200 --> 00:21:21,840 Speaker 1: as of late. But none of those guys are even 446 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:25,600 Speaker 1: close to good enough to being a legit number two. 447 00:21:25,680 --> 00:21:28,760 Speaker 1: They're being put into roles where they're needed to be 448 00:21:28,920 --> 00:21:32,119 Speaker 1: consistently good offensively when that's not the thing. When you 449 00:21:32,160 --> 00:21:34,960 Speaker 1: guys heard me talk about Dennis Schroder before the deal, 450 00:21:35,040 --> 00:21:39,000 Speaker 1: I never said he's a consistently great offensive player. I 451 00:21:39,119 --> 00:21:42,080 Speaker 1: just said he's a really good player that does a 452 00:21:42,080 --> 00:21:45,160 Speaker 1: lot of things that help the team, and he's freakishly 453 00:21:45,200 --> 00:21:47,680 Speaker 1: competitive and compete and like in battles and a guy 454 00:21:47,680 --> 00:21:49,480 Speaker 1: that you'd like to have in a foxhole with you. 455 00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:54,520 Speaker 1: That doesn't mean he's your the second best shot creator 456 00:21:54,560 --> 00:21:57,320 Speaker 1: on a championship team, I said. At the time of 457 00:21:57,359 --> 00:22:00,560 Speaker 1: the deal, I said, I only liked the movie in 458 00:22:00,640 --> 00:22:03,760 Speaker 1: the context of another trade for a wing or a 459 00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:05,520 Speaker 1: four that can really score. The trade made all the 460 00:22:05,520 --> 00:22:07,439 Speaker 1: sense in the world. You traded an injured player with 461 00:22:07,440 --> 00:22:10,120 Speaker 1: a torn acl for a player that could come help 462 00:22:10,119 --> 00:22:11,879 Speaker 1: you right away. It was an upgrade. No matter how 463 00:22:11,960 --> 00:22:14,160 Speaker 1: you look at it. Dennis just hasn't played well. Here's 464 00:22:14,160 --> 00:22:17,199 Speaker 1: the thing. Dennis hasn't played well. That's a fact. But 465 00:22:17,840 --> 00:22:20,280 Speaker 1: Dennis will play better in the long run. Right now, 466 00:22:20,320 --> 00:22:21,960 Speaker 1: you're in one of the lolls. But this is kind 467 00:22:21,960 --> 00:22:25,280 Speaker 1: of the deal with Dennis. Dennis, you don't want to 468 00:22:25,320 --> 00:22:27,879 Speaker 1: be in a position where you need him to score 469 00:22:27,920 --> 00:22:31,760 Speaker 1: every single night. He's the kind of player that, like, 470 00:22:31,960 --> 00:22:33,280 Speaker 1: this is what it was like for me when I 471 00:22:33,320 --> 00:22:35,640 Speaker 1: was rooting for him with the Lakers. On the nights 472 00:22:35,640 --> 00:22:38,760 Speaker 1: where he was on offensively, you just won or he'd 473 00:22:38,760 --> 00:22:41,600 Speaker 1: get you twenty twenty five. You just on those nights 474 00:22:41,600 --> 00:22:43,560 Speaker 1: were great, but you never counted on those. Those were 475 00:22:43,640 --> 00:22:45,960 Speaker 1: just when they happen, you're like, shit, we're getting a 476 00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:48,520 Speaker 1: good Dennis offense game like this is gonna be really great. 477 00:22:49,080 --> 00:22:51,159 Speaker 1: But then there's the other side of it, which is 478 00:22:52,280 --> 00:22:54,680 Speaker 1: even when he's not having one of those offensive nights, 479 00:22:55,160 --> 00:22:57,760 Speaker 1: he guards the ball really well. He's just overall a 480 00:22:57,800 --> 00:23:00,720 Speaker 1: good competitor. He can do some advantage for a bench 481 00:23:00,800 --> 00:23:03,080 Speaker 1: unit and make occasional plays to help your team win. 482 00:23:04,080 --> 00:23:08,320 Speaker 1: It's been ugly because you're expecting this every night, but 483 00:23:08,359 --> 00:23:12,919 Speaker 1: you've been getting that instead. And so it's one of 484 00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:15,280 Speaker 1: those things where like slotting could go a long way 485 00:23:16,040 --> 00:23:18,600 Speaker 1: to putting Dennis in a position where you don't need 486 00:23:18,720 --> 00:23:22,359 Speaker 1: him to be great every night. I bet you guys 487 00:23:22,480 --> 00:23:25,240 Speaker 1: think Dennis is shooting really poorly this year, and he 488 00:23:25,400 --> 00:23:29,560 Speaker 1: is on contested shots. He's actually shooting thirty nine percent 489 00:23:29,640 --> 00:23:32,480 Speaker 1: on unguarded catch and shoot jump shots. Since he joined 490 00:23:32,480 --> 00:23:34,920 Speaker 1: the Warriors, but he only got twenty eight looks so far. 491 00:23:36,680 --> 00:23:40,080 Speaker 1: He's doing a role player stuff. Fine, he's just struggling 492 00:23:40,160 --> 00:23:43,400 Speaker 1: at the star stuff because you have him miscast right 493 00:23:43,440 --> 00:23:47,240 Speaker 1: now as a secondary star. If you get a legitimate 494 00:23:47,320 --> 00:23:50,560 Speaker 1: number two for Steph, it will slot everyone more properly, 495 00:23:51,160 --> 00:23:53,560 Speaker 1: and then that will allow you to take advantage of 496 00:23:53,600 --> 00:23:57,639 Speaker 1: the actual strength of this Warriors roster, a strength that 497 00:23:57,680 --> 00:24:00,240 Speaker 1: puts them even above many of the other roster in 498 00:24:00,240 --> 00:24:02,919 Speaker 1: the league, which is a depth of role player talent. 499 00:24:04,840 --> 00:24:07,440 Speaker 1: When you have role players all playing above their pay 500 00:24:07,480 --> 00:24:11,439 Speaker 1: grade in terms of their responsibilities, they will look like 501 00:24:11,480 --> 00:24:14,640 Speaker 1: they're inadequate players. When you have them playing in their 502 00:24:14,680 --> 00:24:18,600 Speaker 1: pay grade, they will fulfill those expectations and look great. 503 00:24:19,920 --> 00:24:21,800 Speaker 1: But you've got to get a guy up there next 504 00:24:21,800 --> 00:24:24,240 Speaker 1: to Steph that can be a guy that you know 505 00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:28,000 Speaker 1: is going to be good offensively every night, because that 506 00:24:28,119 --> 00:24:47,240 Speaker 1: will then slot everybody into more achievable goals. Dallas used 507 00:24:47,320 --> 00:24:50,760 Speaker 1: a very interesting game plan to defeat the Yoklahoma City 508 00:24:50,760 --> 00:24:53,600 Speaker 1: Thunder for the third time this season last night. Doubled 509 00:24:53,680 --> 00:24:56,760 Speaker 1: sga a ton and they used kind of like a 510 00:24:56,800 --> 00:25:00,400 Speaker 1: weird variation of a two three zone where they use 511 00:25:00,440 --> 00:25:03,320 Speaker 1: the top two guys to kind of pick up SGA, 512 00:25:03,600 --> 00:25:05,399 Speaker 1: like wherever he was on the floor and get the 513 00:25:05,440 --> 00:25:07,720 Speaker 1: ball out of his hands. You guys have maybe heard 514 00:25:07,760 --> 00:25:09,600 Speaker 1: of a defense called a box in one. It's a 515 00:25:09,680 --> 00:25:12,240 Speaker 1: very simple concept. You have two guys on the back line, 516 00:25:12,280 --> 00:25:14,800 Speaker 1: two guys kind of around the elbows, and they zone 517 00:25:14,840 --> 00:25:16,639 Speaker 1: up almost like a two to three, but without that 518 00:25:16,680 --> 00:25:19,040 Speaker 1: third guy. So each guy's is each guy's area that 519 00:25:19,080 --> 00:25:21,159 Speaker 1: they have to cover is just bigger. But then you 520 00:25:21,200 --> 00:25:22,959 Speaker 1: take one guy and you just kind of deploy him 521 00:25:22,960 --> 00:25:25,919 Speaker 1: on the other team's best player. We ran it in 522 00:25:26,280 --> 00:25:31,120 Speaker 1: uh we ran it in college against Salt Lake Community College. 523 00:25:31,160 --> 00:25:34,760 Speaker 1: I remember they had they would have me chase around 524 00:25:34,760 --> 00:25:36,399 Speaker 1: the other team's best player and then we would have 525 00:25:36,440 --> 00:25:39,639 Speaker 1: like a the two two zone, right, And the idea 526 00:25:39,720 --> 00:25:42,720 Speaker 1: is is it's just weird. It's super weird, it's super unusual, 527 00:25:43,040 --> 00:25:45,400 Speaker 1: and the purpose it serves is to make the other 528 00:25:45,440 --> 00:25:48,040 Speaker 1: team play a very different type of basketball than they're 529 00:25:48,119 --> 00:25:50,400 Speaker 1: used to playing. I think if it is like coaching 530 00:25:50,400 --> 00:25:53,840 Speaker 1: to win individual games, and it's something that is underrated 531 00:25:53,880 --> 00:25:56,400 Speaker 1: I think in the NBA regular season, because like, yeah, 532 00:25:56,400 --> 00:25:58,320 Speaker 1: if you do something like that in the postseason, they 533 00:25:58,400 --> 00:26:00,600 Speaker 1: probably find some sort of adjustment over the course of 534 00:26:00,640 --> 00:26:03,040 Speaker 1: the series to counter that, which is why you don't 535 00:26:03,040 --> 00:26:06,320 Speaker 1: see people running these gimmicky defenses all the time around 536 00:26:06,359 --> 00:26:11,440 Speaker 1: the league, right, But when you look at when you 537 00:26:11,480 --> 00:26:13,879 Speaker 1: look at it in the small sample, like oh, this 538 00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:17,120 Speaker 1: is a random Thursday night in January, it can win 539 00:26:17,160 --> 00:26:19,919 Speaker 1: you a game. It can win you a game on 540 00:26:19,960 --> 00:26:23,520 Speaker 1: the road against the runaway number one seed without your 541 00:26:23,560 --> 00:26:26,480 Speaker 1: best player, which is what Dallas did in this game. 542 00:26:27,280 --> 00:26:29,879 Speaker 1: So a box and one, as I talked about, is 543 00:26:29,920 --> 00:26:32,159 Speaker 1: the zone with the two guys at the elbow and 544 00:26:32,240 --> 00:26:34,120 Speaker 1: the two guys at the baseline, kind of covering those 545 00:26:34,119 --> 00:26:36,760 Speaker 1: areas in one person chasing around the opposing best star. 546 00:26:37,400 --> 00:26:40,800 Speaker 1: This was kind of like a line in two, meaning 547 00:26:41,640 --> 00:26:44,480 Speaker 1: you had like a line along the baseline, like Daniel Gafford. 548 00:26:44,480 --> 00:26:47,119 Speaker 1: There two big athletes on either side of him. They're 549 00:26:47,520 --> 00:26:50,480 Speaker 1: helping on drives. Gafford's still kind of coming up and 550 00:26:50,560 --> 00:26:53,880 Speaker 1: showing up around the level, and they're cleaning up around 551 00:26:53,920 --> 00:26:56,360 Speaker 1: the rim in terms of defensive rebounds. But the two 552 00:26:56,400 --> 00:26:59,640 Speaker 1: guys at the top, just as soon as Shay got 553 00:26:59,680 --> 00:27:02,520 Speaker 1: the ball, we're just bracketing in on him and forcing 554 00:27:02,600 --> 00:27:06,040 Speaker 1: him to give it up and it worked. It forced 555 00:27:06,119 --> 00:27:09,080 Speaker 1: the ball out of Shay's hands, It forced some discombobulated, 556 00:27:09,119 --> 00:27:12,439 Speaker 1: weird shots. It got Oklahoma City out of rhythm, and 557 00:27:12,480 --> 00:27:15,280 Speaker 1: it got Dallas went. They ran twenty four possessions of 558 00:27:15,359 --> 00:27:17,800 Speaker 1: zone in that game and held the Thunder to just 559 00:27:17,920 --> 00:27:22,000 Speaker 1: zero point eighty eight points per possession on those plays. PJ. 560 00:27:22,200 --> 00:27:25,120 Speaker 1: Washington put up a twenty two point nineteen rebound night. 561 00:27:25,359 --> 00:27:27,359 Speaker 1: He was great with his slot drives. He can just 562 00:27:27,400 --> 00:27:30,119 Speaker 1: overpower most of the Oklahoma City perimeter players. He had 563 00:27:30,160 --> 00:27:32,000 Speaker 1: a really nice driving kick play where he kind of 564 00:27:32,160 --> 00:27:34,720 Speaker 1: curled around in action on the right wing, got into 565 00:27:34,760 --> 00:27:37,160 Speaker 1: the paint, led to the kind of pass pass sequence 566 00:27:37,200 --> 00:27:40,280 Speaker 1: that got Quentin Grimes the big three that iceed the game. 567 00:27:40,640 --> 00:27:43,040 Speaker 1: Spencer Dinwood, he was incredible. He had twenty eight points 568 00:27:43,080 --> 00:27:45,320 Speaker 1: on fourteen shots. It's one of his most efficient games 569 00:27:45,320 --> 00:27:49,040 Speaker 1: that you'll see. Absolutely toasted Aaron Wiggins on like a 570 00:27:49,080 --> 00:27:51,960 Speaker 1: simple hesitation move, a nasty one where he like and 571 00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:53,560 Speaker 1: again on the hesitation movie, he kind of looked to 572 00:27:53,560 --> 00:27:55,840 Speaker 1: the left, came to a complete stop for just a 573 00:27:55,880 --> 00:27:58,639 Speaker 1: brief second, and then shot like a cannon and just 574 00:27:58,680 --> 00:28:01,640 Speaker 1: toasted Aaron Wiggins off the drip and just dunked it 575 00:28:02,000 --> 00:28:04,320 Speaker 1: on the back line of Oklahoma City wasn't playing a 576 00:28:04,359 --> 00:28:06,240 Speaker 1: center down the stretch, so there's no rim protection. He 577 00:28:06,320 --> 00:28:10,440 Speaker 1: just dunked on everybody, and then Kyrie Irvin poured in 578 00:28:10,520 --> 00:28:12,640 Speaker 1: an efficient twenty four points of his own. I thought 579 00:28:12,640 --> 00:28:14,840 Speaker 1: he just did a good job of advantage creation all night, 580 00:28:14,920 --> 00:28:17,560 Speaker 1: just creating that initial advantage that everybody could play off. Again, 581 00:28:17,600 --> 00:28:19,960 Speaker 1: a fun example of just coaching to win every single 582 00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:22,919 Speaker 1: individual game from Jason Kidd. A huge part of how 583 00:28:22,960 --> 00:28:25,400 Speaker 1: you stay afloat in a season where you're dealing with injuries, 584 00:28:25,680 --> 00:28:27,280 Speaker 1: especially when you know, like, oh, well, we want to 585 00:28:27,280 --> 00:28:29,000 Speaker 1: play a certain style that we're gonna use in the playoffs. 586 00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:30,479 Speaker 1: We're not gonna have these guys in the playoffs. You're 587 00:28:30,480 --> 00:28:32,520 Speaker 1: going to probably run a much tighter rotation with better 588 00:28:32,560 --> 00:28:36,359 Speaker 1: players because Lively and Luka Dancich'll be back right on 589 00:28:36,440 --> 00:28:38,680 Speaker 1: the thunderfront. I think in general, they're going to struggle 590 00:28:38,720 --> 00:28:41,840 Speaker 1: to match up with Dallas without Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. 591 00:28:42,080 --> 00:28:44,040 Speaker 1: Like they couldn't play center down the stretch. That's how 592 00:28:44,040 --> 00:28:47,920 Speaker 1: that dunk happened. Like it's just one of those things 593 00:28:47,960 --> 00:28:52,040 Speaker 1: where they physically are a mismatch without having that interior 594 00:28:52,080 --> 00:28:55,280 Speaker 1: size before we get to our mailbag, one last note 595 00:28:55,320 --> 00:28:57,040 Speaker 1: on the Lakers, and again, like I did a full 596 00:28:57,040 --> 00:29:00,840 Speaker 1: breakdown of this in the video we did earlier this morning, 597 00:29:00,920 --> 00:29:04,720 Speaker 1: but there's a reality with the Lakers that they don't 598 00:29:04,760 --> 00:29:07,880 Speaker 1: have like a super high level offensive player at this point, 599 00:29:08,080 --> 00:29:11,000 Speaker 1: right because of the decline of Lebron James, Anthony Davis 600 00:29:11,040 --> 00:29:14,440 Speaker 1: never really developing that way, and Austin Reeves, who's I think, 601 00:29:14,760 --> 00:29:17,040 Speaker 1: you know, the kind of guy that like has a 602 00:29:17,120 --> 00:29:20,640 Speaker 1: pretty like pretty like clear ceiling on who he is 603 00:29:20,640 --> 00:29:22,160 Speaker 1: as an offensive player. But he's still a very good 604 00:29:22,200 --> 00:29:24,560 Speaker 1: offensive player. It's he's not going to be an MVP 605 00:29:24,800 --> 00:29:27,520 Speaker 1: like Shae Kios Alexander type of offensive player, right. And 606 00:29:27,600 --> 00:29:29,960 Speaker 1: so it brought me to this concept that JJ Reddick 607 00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:32,040 Speaker 1: was talking about last night, the concept of we score 608 00:29:32,120 --> 00:29:35,160 Speaker 1: versus I score. And I actually think this is an 609 00:29:35,160 --> 00:29:37,680 Speaker 1: identity that the Lakers have to take on if they're 610 00:29:37,680 --> 00:29:39,160 Speaker 1: going to win the title. They need to be like 611 00:29:39,160 --> 00:29:42,760 Speaker 1: the Cavs, a team that plays with pace, great pace 612 00:29:42,880 --> 00:29:45,680 Speaker 1: up and down the floor, that uses their variety of 613 00:29:45,680 --> 00:29:48,560 Speaker 1: offensive talent to generate advantages instead of playing through one 614 00:29:48,600 --> 00:29:52,479 Speaker 1: singular player. And then that capitalizes on those advantages with 615 00:29:52,560 --> 00:29:56,440 Speaker 1: good spacing and ball movement. No Lakers scored more than 616 00:29:56,440 --> 00:29:59,200 Speaker 1: twenty five points last night, but they had six guys 617 00:29:59,200 --> 00:30:01,080 Speaker 1: in double figures and they had a one to twenty 618 00:30:01,080 --> 00:30:04,760 Speaker 1: five offensive rating against a great defense in Boston. Like 619 00:30:05,000 --> 00:30:08,360 Speaker 1: that is the pathway for them. By the pace thing 620 00:30:08,400 --> 00:30:10,200 Speaker 1: is important. I talked about this a little bit this 621 00:30:10,320 --> 00:30:14,760 Speaker 1: morning with respect to like the difference between a static 622 00:30:14,880 --> 00:30:17,800 Speaker 1: drive versus like a movement drive. What I mean by 623 00:30:17,800 --> 00:30:22,280 Speaker 1: that is like if I let's pretend we're playing King 624 00:30:22,320 --> 00:30:24,000 Speaker 1: of the Court and I'm at the top of the 625 00:30:24,080 --> 00:30:26,640 Speaker 1: key and you're guarding me, and you're straight up, and 626 00:30:26,800 --> 00:30:28,760 Speaker 1: I have a live dribble. But I'm standing right in 627 00:30:28,760 --> 00:30:30,040 Speaker 1: front of you at the top of the key, and 628 00:30:30,080 --> 00:30:32,120 Speaker 1: I need to beat you off the dribble. It's gonna 629 00:30:32,120 --> 00:30:34,680 Speaker 1: be pretty tough for me to do because any sort 630 00:30:34,680 --> 00:30:36,640 Speaker 1: of move that I make you can pressure and effect 631 00:30:36,680 --> 00:30:38,480 Speaker 1: a handle. It's just it's difficult to do in that 632 00:30:38,520 --> 00:30:41,880 Speaker 1: sort of setting. Now, let's put you still there at 633 00:30:41,880 --> 00:30:43,920 Speaker 1: the top of the key, but let's take me all 634 00:30:43,960 --> 00:30:46,320 Speaker 1: the way back to half court. But give me a 635 00:30:46,320 --> 00:30:50,200 Speaker 1: live dribble. Okay, And so now you need to stop 636 00:30:50,200 --> 00:30:53,320 Speaker 1: me from driving past you. But I get to start 637 00:30:53,400 --> 00:30:56,920 Speaker 1: running back at half court, I'm going to get ahead 638 00:30:56,960 --> 00:30:59,320 Speaker 1: of steam and I'm going to hit a move right 639 00:30:59,360 --> 00:31:01,560 Speaker 1: at the top of the key, and you're gonna have 640 00:31:01,600 --> 00:31:04,400 Speaker 1: a much lower chance of stopping me in that situation 641 00:31:04,960 --> 00:31:07,040 Speaker 1: because I already have ahead of steam and it's just 642 00:31:07,040 --> 00:31:09,520 Speaker 1: really difficult to stop a player when he's got that 643 00:31:09,560 --> 00:31:13,840 Speaker 1: type of momentum going downhill. That's why you play fast. 644 00:31:14,560 --> 00:31:17,680 Speaker 1: That's why you don't walk the ball up the court 645 00:31:18,400 --> 00:31:21,360 Speaker 1: and try to attack a static defense. It is so 646 00:31:21,520 --> 00:31:25,480 Speaker 1: much easier to get the defense in rotation by attacking 647 00:31:25,520 --> 00:31:28,360 Speaker 1: with speed. Austin all night last night was so great 648 00:31:28,400 --> 00:31:31,560 Speaker 1: at like every transition push, just trying to get dribble 649 00:31:31,600 --> 00:31:35,320 Speaker 1: penetration and attacking with a head of steam to break 650 00:31:35,320 --> 00:31:38,240 Speaker 1: down the defense and generate those kickout opportunities. I thought, 651 00:31:38,320 --> 00:31:41,520 Speaker 1: I just thought he was great and like that sort 652 00:31:41,560 --> 00:31:44,240 Speaker 1: of concept. If it translates down the line again, for 653 00:31:44,240 --> 00:31:47,120 Speaker 1: a team that can struggle sometimes to score, the more 654 00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:49,880 Speaker 1: they push the ball, the more they play fast, the 655 00:31:49,920 --> 00:31:52,560 Speaker 1: more they start to try to run action with a 656 00:31:52,600 --> 00:31:56,640 Speaker 1: head of steam versus static against an elite defense, the 657 00:31:56,680 --> 00:31:58,720 Speaker 1: more successful have in those situations. But again, if you 658 00:31:58,720 --> 00:32:01,600 Speaker 1: want more Lakers stuff, go to the video that we 659 00:32:01,640 --> 00:32:11,200 Speaker 1: made earlier this afternoon. All right, get to our mailbag, Hey, Jason, 660 00:32:11,280 --> 00:32:13,160 Speaker 1: love the show. Love the quantity and quality keeps my 661 00:32:13,200 --> 00:32:17,600 Speaker 1: screen time unfortunately high. The Celtics have had these lulls 662 00:32:17,640 --> 00:32:19,680 Speaker 1: all season that are almost always followed up with a 663 00:32:20,040 --> 00:32:22,640 Speaker 1: thirty to forty point dominating win. Is that a sign 664 00:32:22,680 --> 00:32:24,640 Speaker 1: that they truly can just turn it on or do 665 00:32:24,680 --> 00:32:27,920 Speaker 1: you think it's just inconsistency. I think it's a sign 666 00:32:27,920 --> 00:32:29,880 Speaker 1: that they can turn it on. Don't get me wrong. 667 00:32:29,920 --> 00:32:32,200 Speaker 1: Like there's some mental demons here in terms of like 668 00:32:32,240 --> 00:32:34,640 Speaker 1: decision making demons. I talked a lot about that this morning. 669 00:32:34,640 --> 00:32:37,640 Speaker 1: The idea of settling basically, like, to me, settling is 670 00:32:37,760 --> 00:32:41,520 Speaker 1: just attacking a mismatch with a jump shot versus attacking 671 00:32:42,800 --> 00:32:45,560 Speaker 1: a mismatch with physical aggression. And the way I kind 672 00:32:45,600 --> 00:32:47,280 Speaker 1: of laid it out in the show this morning is like, 673 00:32:47,800 --> 00:32:50,520 Speaker 1: if you attack with physical aggression, you're gonna get easy twos. 674 00:32:50,600 --> 00:32:53,120 Speaker 1: If you get easy twos, it's untenable for the defense, 675 00:32:53,120 --> 00:32:54,600 Speaker 1: So they're gonna have to help. As soon as they 676 00:32:54,600 --> 00:32:57,520 Speaker 1: start helping, that's where you start getting those kickout opportunities, 677 00:32:57,600 --> 00:33:00,000 Speaker 1: which is the the you know, the meat and table 678 00:33:00,240 --> 00:33:02,120 Speaker 1: of the Boston offense when they were at their best, 679 00:33:02,280 --> 00:33:04,880 Speaker 1: which is wide open catch and shoot threes. Right, But 680 00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:07,200 Speaker 1: if you take, if you settle for jump shots in 681 00:33:07,240 --> 00:33:10,440 Speaker 1: isolation situations or in post up situations, you're gonna be 682 00:33:10,480 --> 00:33:13,200 Speaker 1: less efficient. And when you're less efficient, the defense is 683 00:33:13,280 --> 00:33:15,160 Speaker 1: more willing to live with it. And if the defense 684 00:33:15,200 --> 00:33:16,880 Speaker 1: is more willing to live with it, they're not gonna 685 00:33:16,920 --> 00:33:18,400 Speaker 1: help as much. If they're not gonna help as much, 686 00:33:18,440 --> 00:33:20,680 Speaker 1: you're gonna get stagnant, you're not gonna get those kick 687 00:33:20,680 --> 00:33:23,880 Speaker 1: out three opportunities. And again like that, again, what makes 688 00:33:23,920 --> 00:33:26,800 Speaker 1: the Celtics the best is their ability to generate easy 689 00:33:26,840 --> 00:33:29,640 Speaker 1: layups and wide open catch and shoot threes. Yeah, Jalen 690 00:33:29,640 --> 00:33:32,080 Speaker 1: Brown and Jason Tatum can make tough shots. Yeah, Porzingis 691 00:33:32,080 --> 00:33:34,000 Speaker 1: can hit face up jump shots around the elbow, but 692 00:33:34,240 --> 00:33:36,480 Speaker 1: that's not what gets them the elite offense that won 693 00:33:36,520 --> 00:33:39,800 Speaker 1: them the title. They do it through physical aggression against mismatches. 694 00:33:40,080 --> 00:33:42,360 Speaker 1: How do they beat Dallas? It was Jalen Brown and 695 00:33:42,440 --> 00:33:44,760 Speaker 1: Jason Tatum consistently getting Luka Doncic on a switch and 696 00:33:44,800 --> 00:33:47,400 Speaker 1: taking step back threes no, that's not it. They drove 697 00:33:47,480 --> 00:33:49,959 Speaker 1: past them every damn time, and then they kicked the 698 00:33:49,960 --> 00:33:53,120 Speaker 1: ball out and generated wide open threes. You guys get 699 00:33:53,120 --> 00:33:55,200 Speaker 1: the points. So like to me, what ends up happening 700 00:33:55,240 --> 00:33:58,960 Speaker 1: in these thirty forty point dominating wins. They leverage themselves defensively, 701 00:33:59,000 --> 00:34:00,720 Speaker 1: which allows them to get out and transition more, and 702 00:34:00,720 --> 00:34:02,240 Speaker 1: then when they're in the half court they play more 703 00:34:02,280 --> 00:34:05,320 Speaker 1: physically aggressive, they get better shots, and they blow teams out. 704 00:34:06,240 --> 00:34:08,920 Speaker 1: It is absolutely just an effort and energy thing. I 705 00:34:09,000 --> 00:34:11,279 Speaker 1: also think this five games and seven nights thing really 706 00:34:11,280 --> 00:34:13,719 Speaker 1: affected then. We talked about that this morning. But again, 707 00:34:13,920 --> 00:34:16,120 Speaker 1: I think the dominant wins that have been mixed in 708 00:34:16,640 --> 00:34:18,960 Speaker 1: have been a clear signal that they have that upside 709 00:34:19,400 --> 00:34:21,440 Speaker 1: and that they're just struggling with dealing with the dregs 710 00:34:21,480 --> 00:34:24,480 Speaker 1: of the regular season at this point. Hey, Jason, I 711 00:34:24,520 --> 00:34:26,080 Speaker 1: don't know if it's just me, but it seems like 712 00:34:26,120 --> 00:34:28,319 Speaker 1: no one is talking about how disappointing the seventy six 713 00:34:28,400 --> 00:34:30,600 Speaker 1: ers season has been thus far. This is a team 714 00:34:30,640 --> 00:34:32,560 Speaker 1: that came into the season coming off the acquisition of 715 00:34:32,560 --> 00:34:35,880 Speaker 1: Paul George, ready to be a top contender in the East. However, 716 00:34:35,920 --> 00:34:38,920 Speaker 1: they're sitting at the eleventh seed and at the halfway 717 00:34:38,920 --> 00:34:41,200 Speaker 1: point of the season. I know injuries have played a factor, 718 00:34:41,520 --> 00:34:43,200 Speaker 1: but I believe they still have enough talent to be 719 00:34:43,239 --> 00:34:45,440 Speaker 1: more competitive than they are. With that being said, what 720 00:34:45,480 --> 00:34:48,960 Speaker 1: are your thoughts on the seventy six ers this season? So, 721 00:34:49,560 --> 00:34:51,640 Speaker 1: in the interest of full disclosure, I haven't watched a 722 00:34:51,640 --> 00:34:53,279 Speaker 1: ton of them this year. I might have seen like 723 00:34:53,320 --> 00:34:56,319 Speaker 1: maybe five or six six Ers games. The main thing 724 00:34:56,360 --> 00:34:58,640 Speaker 1: is just how I like divvy up the amount of 725 00:34:58,640 --> 00:35:01,200 Speaker 1: time that I watch film. I want to have a 726 00:35:01,200 --> 00:35:04,040 Speaker 1: really good grasp on the teams that are in the 727 00:35:04,160 --> 00:35:08,040 Speaker 1: upper tiers, like the top tier championship contenders, the second 728 00:35:08,040 --> 00:35:11,640 Speaker 1: tier championship contenders, in a long shot championship contenders. I 729 00:35:11,680 --> 00:35:14,200 Speaker 1: want to have like a really good feel for all 730 00:35:14,239 --> 00:35:16,040 Speaker 1: of them because they're the teams that we're going to 731 00:35:16,080 --> 00:35:18,719 Speaker 1: be coming covering very closely when we get into the postseason, 732 00:35:19,000 --> 00:35:22,319 Speaker 1: which is basically like a two month saga that we 733 00:35:22,440 --> 00:35:24,080 Speaker 1: have at the tail end of all of this, right, 734 00:35:24,120 --> 00:35:27,040 Speaker 1: and so like when I see teams that just are crumbled, 735 00:35:27,080 --> 00:35:29,799 Speaker 1: like Philly's just crumbled, so I haven't put too much 736 00:35:29,840 --> 00:35:33,080 Speaker 1: effort and energy into following them this year. That said, 737 00:35:33,080 --> 00:35:35,000 Speaker 1: I'm aware of what's going on, and I have watched 738 00:35:35,120 --> 00:35:37,040 Speaker 1: enough of them to see that, Yeah, Paul George just 739 00:35:37,040 --> 00:35:39,000 Speaker 1: hasn't been very good. And it's kind of like a 740 00:35:39,000 --> 00:35:41,919 Speaker 1: tough thing because on the one hand, you almost feel 741 00:35:41,920 --> 00:35:44,560 Speaker 1: like they had to do it right, like you have to. 742 00:35:44,680 --> 00:35:47,759 Speaker 1: There's an order of operations, operation number one, or the 743 00:35:47,960 --> 00:35:52,000 Speaker 1: first action there is like, well, we're committing to EMBIID, right, 744 00:35:52,040 --> 00:35:54,560 Speaker 1: you like and Beats had all his end, his playoff 745 00:35:54,600 --> 00:35:57,799 Speaker 1: issues and his injury issues, but as an organization, they said, 746 00:35:57,800 --> 00:36:00,200 Speaker 1: we're still going to try with them. Okay, I you're 747 00:36:00,200 --> 00:36:02,640 Speaker 1: still gonna try with EMBIID. You needed a talent upgrade. 748 00:36:02,920 --> 00:36:04,759 Speaker 1: What was the best way to upgrade the team's talent 749 00:36:04,800 --> 00:36:07,400 Speaker 1: this summer signing Paul George. Yeah, you're right. If you 750 00:36:07,440 --> 00:36:10,520 Speaker 1: turn Paul George away, you stay away from what could 751 00:36:10,520 --> 00:36:13,640 Speaker 1: be the worst contract in NBA history. I'm not disagreeing 752 00:36:13,680 --> 00:36:15,880 Speaker 1: with that. But the alternative was you don't sign him 753 00:36:15,880 --> 00:36:18,600 Speaker 1: and then you're still bad. So it's like it's the 754 00:36:18,640 --> 00:36:20,239 Speaker 1: kind of the same thing that we talk about, like 755 00:36:20,280 --> 00:36:22,560 Speaker 1: with these I have a question later as a respect 756 00:36:22,760 --> 00:36:26,520 Speaker 1: as that has to do with respect to like these sons, 757 00:36:26,560 --> 00:36:28,400 Speaker 1: with Kevin Durant, and them going all in or like 758 00:36:28,680 --> 00:36:30,759 Speaker 1: well we've talked about NonStop at the Warriors or the 759 00:36:30,800 --> 00:36:32,920 Speaker 1: Lakers going all in, Like if you're in the Lebron 760 00:36:33,000 --> 00:36:35,120 Speaker 1: James business, if you're in the Kevin Durant business, if 761 00:36:35,160 --> 00:36:38,080 Speaker 1: you're in the Steph Curry business, and Joel Embiid even 762 00:36:38,080 --> 00:36:40,920 Speaker 1: though he's younger because of his body breaking down, I 763 00:36:41,000 --> 00:36:43,400 Speaker 1: kind of view it as a similar type of urgent timeline. 764 00:36:43,640 --> 00:36:47,400 Speaker 1: If you decide I want to be in the Embiid, KD, 765 00:36:47,600 --> 00:36:52,000 Speaker 1: Steph Lebron business. There's a certain amount of like irresponsible 766 00:36:52,040 --> 00:36:54,880 Speaker 1: decision making that comes hand in hand with that because 767 00:36:55,360 --> 00:36:58,440 Speaker 1: there are super high risk options, so you kind of 768 00:36:58,440 --> 00:37:00,759 Speaker 1: have to play high risk ball there, right, And so 769 00:37:00,760 --> 00:37:02,960 Speaker 1: that's the thing is like you're right, you didn't have 770 00:37:03,040 --> 00:37:07,000 Speaker 1: to sign Paul George, but he was the easiest way 771 00:37:07,120 --> 00:37:10,360 Speaker 1: to add a really talented player in a tight window 772 00:37:10,360 --> 00:37:12,279 Speaker 1: where you felt an urgent need to try to win 773 00:37:12,320 --> 00:37:14,920 Speaker 1: a title, and so you kind of had to take 774 00:37:14,960 --> 00:37:17,000 Speaker 1: that risk. And also, like it's kind of like the 775 00:37:17,000 --> 00:37:18,759 Speaker 1: Cavs thing. It's always really funny to me when people 776 00:37:18,800 --> 00:37:21,560 Speaker 1: are like, oh, well, you didn't have the calves doing this, 777 00:37:21,600 --> 00:37:22,960 Speaker 1: and it's like none of you guys had the Cavs 778 00:37:23,000 --> 00:37:26,279 Speaker 1: doing this, Like, come on, guys, like the Calves are 779 00:37:26,640 --> 00:37:30,520 Speaker 1: greatly exceeding expectations, This is unusual. Same thing goes in 780 00:37:30,600 --> 00:37:33,520 Speaker 1: reverse for a guy like Paul George, right, Like, yeah, 781 00:37:33,520 --> 00:37:36,440 Speaker 1: I thought it was really dangerous to sign Paul George 782 00:37:36,440 --> 00:37:39,200 Speaker 1: to that extensive of a deal at that big of 783 00:37:39,239 --> 00:37:41,680 Speaker 1: a number, at this phase of his career. Obviously that 784 00:37:41,800 --> 00:37:44,200 Speaker 1: was a risk. None of us thought he'd be this bad, 785 00:37:44,520 --> 00:37:48,120 Speaker 1: Like none of us had this. Dude's gonna routinely put 786 00:37:48,200 --> 00:37:50,839 Speaker 1: up eleven or twelve points in a game, like none 787 00:37:50,840 --> 00:37:54,080 Speaker 1: of us had. None of us had that as our 788 00:37:54,200 --> 00:37:57,040 Speaker 1: potential outcome for Paul George. So like, some of this 789 00:37:57,120 --> 00:37:58,719 Speaker 1: is like Paul George just has to get his shit 790 00:37:58,800 --> 00:38:02,160 Speaker 1: together and hold up his end of the bargain. But 791 00:38:02,239 --> 00:38:04,080 Speaker 1: at this point things are just so off the rails 792 00:38:04,080 --> 00:38:07,000 Speaker 1: with Embiad's health and everything, like this season is kind 793 00:38:07,000 --> 00:38:09,200 Speaker 1: of a lost cause no matter what. So you're almost 794 00:38:09,280 --> 00:38:13,440 Speaker 1: better off. Like I wouldn't play anybody who's hurt. If 795 00:38:13,840 --> 00:38:16,680 Speaker 1: MAXI has some sort of discomfort in a foot, sit 796 00:38:16,800 --> 00:38:19,200 Speaker 1: is asked down. If Paul George is playing like shit 797 00:38:19,239 --> 00:38:22,000 Speaker 1: because he's hurt, Sit is asked down. If Joel Embiid 798 00:38:22,040 --> 00:38:24,800 Speaker 1: can't do a workout without his knees swelling, sit is 799 00:38:24,840 --> 00:38:27,799 Speaker 1: ass down and have the number one priority between now 800 00:38:27,840 --> 00:38:30,719 Speaker 1: in October for those guys to get healthy. And then 801 00:38:30,760 --> 00:38:33,440 Speaker 1: when you get to October, you say, let's try this 802 00:38:33,520 --> 00:38:35,759 Speaker 1: thing one more time, and you try it and if 803 00:38:35,760 --> 00:38:38,239 Speaker 1: it goes off the fucking rails again, then maybe you 804 00:38:38,280 --> 00:38:40,759 Speaker 1: consider trying to pivot off of everything in the best 805 00:38:40,800 --> 00:38:42,680 Speaker 1: way that you can, and maybe that ends up you 806 00:38:42,760 --> 00:38:45,239 Speaker 1: having to trade Tyree Maxey, which would really suck. But 807 00:38:45,280 --> 00:38:46,520 Speaker 1: if that's what you have to do, that's what you 808 00:38:46,560 --> 00:38:48,959 Speaker 1: have to do. But you gotta do what you gotta 809 00:38:49,040 --> 00:38:54,160 Speaker 1: do to make this work up until at least until 810 00:38:54,200 --> 00:38:56,399 Speaker 1: you get one full season with these guys at least 811 00:38:56,440 --> 00:38:58,960 Speaker 1: having some health to see what they're capable of on 812 00:38:59,000 --> 00:39:02,320 Speaker 1: the court. Is it just me or have the timp's 813 00:39:02,400 --> 00:39:04,960 Speaker 1: tape segments been canceled? Did you say something about that 814 00:39:05,160 --> 00:39:07,120 Speaker 1: or was it just too complicated to keep doing? I 815 00:39:07,160 --> 00:39:09,360 Speaker 1: planed on still doing Tim's tape. It's just the holidays 816 00:39:09,360 --> 00:39:11,040 Speaker 1: were weird because we kept having a bunch of days 817 00:39:11,040 --> 00:39:12,200 Speaker 1: off in the middle of the week and then we 818 00:39:12,239 --> 00:39:16,319 Speaker 1: had another day off. This week Monday with the Martin 819 00:39:16,440 --> 00:39:18,400 Speaker 1: Luther King Day, and then I've also been doing more 820 00:39:18,440 --> 00:39:20,920 Speaker 1: trade deadline content, so like when I have a Tuesday 821 00:39:21,000 --> 00:39:22,640 Speaker 1: or a Thursday when I want to do something different 822 00:39:22,640 --> 00:39:25,319 Speaker 1: than game reactions, I've been doing a lot of like 823 00:39:25,440 --> 00:39:28,040 Speaker 1: let's cover three teams at the trade deadline instead of 824 00:39:28,040 --> 00:39:31,480 Speaker 1: Tim's tape. But like post trade deadline, we will absolutely 825 00:39:31,520 --> 00:39:33,359 Speaker 1: get back into Tim's tape as we start to like 826 00:39:33,680 --> 00:39:36,040 Speaker 1: dive deeper into these teams. Like Tim's tape is in 827 00:39:36,080 --> 00:39:39,120 Speaker 1: a very important segment to me in terms of like 828 00:39:39,160 --> 00:39:42,160 Speaker 1: providing visual representations for the show. It is something that 829 00:39:42,160 --> 00:39:44,239 Speaker 1: I'm still very committed to. We're just in a kind 830 00:39:44,239 --> 00:39:46,000 Speaker 1: of a weird, funky spot in the season where we're 831 00:39:46,040 --> 00:39:49,640 Speaker 1: not using it as much. Love your work. Watching from 832 00:39:49,640 --> 00:39:51,680 Speaker 1: New Zealand trying to settle a debate with my friend 833 00:39:51,719 --> 00:39:53,040 Speaker 1: who's a Heat fan. Who do you think is a 834 00:39:53,040 --> 00:39:56,279 Speaker 1: better player, Desmond Bain or Tyler Harrow. Last year I 835 00:39:56,320 --> 00:39:58,719 Speaker 1: would have said Desmond Bain. This year, I'd say Tyler 836 00:39:58,800 --> 00:40:00,839 Speaker 1: Harrow for the few Sure, it's all going to depend 837 00:40:00,920 --> 00:40:03,840 Speaker 1: on whether or not the shooting from Tyler Harrow is legitimate. 838 00:40:04,040 --> 00:40:06,160 Speaker 1: The big thing with Desmond Bain is. I actually think 839 00:40:06,360 --> 00:40:09,239 Speaker 1: Desmond Bain is a pretty damn good defensive player. He's good, 840 00:40:09,280 --> 00:40:12,759 Speaker 1: He's physically fights guys off of spots, good ball pressure guy. 841 00:40:12,800 --> 00:40:14,480 Speaker 1: Like I like Desmond Baine on the defensive end of 842 00:40:14,520 --> 00:40:17,040 Speaker 1: much much more than Tyler Harrow, and like his kind 843 00:40:17,040 --> 00:40:20,000 Speaker 1: of lower, trunky build makes it a little bit easier 844 00:40:20,000 --> 00:40:21,600 Speaker 1: for him to get to spots, and I think that's 845 00:40:21,600 --> 00:40:24,000 Speaker 1: made him just a more useful player as the intensity 846 00:40:24,080 --> 00:40:26,560 Speaker 1: goes up a level. But Tyler Harrow's just been shooting 847 00:40:26,560 --> 00:40:28,600 Speaker 1: the ball so damn well this year and doing such 848 00:40:28,600 --> 00:40:31,279 Speaker 1: a good job passing the basketball this year that he's 849 00:40:31,280 --> 00:40:33,560 Speaker 1: gone up a level in terms of just overall offensive 850 00:40:33,600 --> 00:40:36,000 Speaker 1: upside where he's been better than Desmond Baine this season. 851 00:40:36,320 --> 00:40:38,200 Speaker 1: That said, every time I see a guy that has 852 00:40:38,200 --> 00:40:40,960 Speaker 1: an outlier shooting season like this, it's like you kind 853 00:40:40,960 --> 00:40:42,600 Speaker 1: of just want to see the sample size grow and 854 00:40:42,680 --> 00:40:44,120 Speaker 1: grow and grow. It's like it's kind of like the 855 00:40:44,120 --> 00:40:46,720 Speaker 1: Anthony Edwards shit, Like he shot really well in the postseason, 856 00:40:46,800 --> 00:40:48,480 Speaker 1: shot really well with Team USA. Now I was shooting 857 00:40:48,520 --> 00:40:51,000 Speaker 1: really well again this season. Like now I'm kind of like, hey, guys, 858 00:40:51,239 --> 00:40:53,680 Speaker 1: Anthony Edwards is a really good shooter, Like, that's kind 859 00:40:53,719 --> 00:40:55,279 Speaker 1: of what we want to see with Tyler Harrows, just 860 00:40:55,239 --> 00:40:57,400 Speaker 1: to see him put together a more extended sample of that. 861 00:40:59,520 --> 00:41:01,920 Speaker 1: Why has the Dennis Schroeder trade worked out for the Warriors? 862 00:41:01,920 --> 00:41:04,600 Speaker 1: They needed additional ball handling. He was playing so well 863 00:41:04,600 --> 00:41:06,960 Speaker 1: in Brooklyn. What happened is the Warriors offense really that 864 00:41:07,000 --> 00:41:10,279 Speaker 1: hard to play in, is definitely that hard to adapt to. Again, 865 00:41:10,440 --> 00:41:11,960 Speaker 1: I talked about this a little bit earlier on in 866 00:41:11,960 --> 00:41:14,640 Speaker 1: the show. It's just all and I'm not gonna get 867 00:41:14,640 --> 00:41:16,080 Speaker 1: too much deeper in it. Just go listen to the 868 00:41:16,120 --> 00:41:18,840 Speaker 1: Warriors segment that we did earlier in the show. But 869 00:41:18,920 --> 00:41:21,799 Speaker 1: the gist of it is, like I've never thought of 870 00:41:21,840 --> 00:41:25,200 Speaker 1: Dennis as like a primary shot creator or even as 871 00:41:25,200 --> 00:41:28,040 Speaker 1: a secondary shot creator. He needs to be your third, fourth, 872 00:41:28,160 --> 00:41:31,080 Speaker 1: fifth best offensive player in order for it to make sense. 873 00:41:31,239 --> 00:41:34,000 Speaker 1: His value is in that in specific matchups he can 874 00:41:34,040 --> 00:41:36,520 Speaker 1: be absolutely deadly as a speed guard who can beat 875 00:41:36,560 --> 00:41:39,800 Speaker 1: switches and pressure the ball and do all these different things. 876 00:41:39,840 --> 00:41:42,120 Speaker 1: But like there are other matchups where he can struggle 877 00:41:42,200 --> 00:41:44,160 Speaker 1: the teams that can do a better job of packing 878 00:41:44,200 --> 00:41:47,279 Speaker 1: the paint, teams that have a good enough athlete to 879 00:41:47,680 --> 00:41:50,120 Speaker 1: bother his kind of slow pull up jump shot release. 880 00:41:50,520 --> 00:41:51,799 Speaker 1: But at the end of the day, like I said 881 00:41:51,800 --> 00:41:54,560 Speaker 1: that when the trade was made, like he only really 882 00:41:54,600 --> 00:41:57,279 Speaker 1: makes sense for this team, or he makes sense for 883 00:41:57,320 --> 00:41:58,920 Speaker 1: this team no matter what as a trade for d 884 00:41:59,000 --> 00:42:01,480 Speaker 1: Anthony Melton. But the only way he really brings upside 885 00:42:01,520 --> 00:42:04,000 Speaker 1: to this team is if he's not depended on to 886 00:42:04,040 --> 00:42:06,279 Speaker 1: be a great score and right now he is. And 887 00:42:06,320 --> 00:42:08,200 Speaker 1: for the record, guys, like this is the bottom end 888 00:42:08,200 --> 00:42:10,760 Speaker 1: of the Dennis Schroeder experience. He's not making any contested 889 00:42:10,800 --> 00:42:14,200 Speaker 1: shots right now, so like that is the main issue. 890 00:42:14,239 --> 00:42:18,480 Speaker 1: Like Dennis will play better, but the bigger picture issue 891 00:42:18,480 --> 00:42:20,400 Speaker 1: is that you don't need to be depending on Dennis. 892 00:42:20,440 --> 00:42:30,400 Speaker 1: That's a roster problem that they need to address. Hey, 893 00:42:30,520 --> 00:42:32,440 Speaker 1: Jason love the show, big Suns fan, and even bigger 894 00:42:32,520 --> 00:42:34,279 Speaker 1: Kevin Durant fan. As I watched the Sun in some 895 00:42:34,320 --> 00:42:36,840 Speaker 1: of these other kind of upper middle teams Lakers, Kings, 896 00:42:36,880 --> 00:42:39,160 Speaker 1: t Wolves, I'm asking myself, specifically as a Suns fan, 897 00:42:39,440 --> 00:42:41,239 Speaker 1: why are we not blowing this thing up. I don't 898 00:42:41,239 --> 00:42:43,239 Speaker 1: think to fit with Beal and Book and Katie is 899 00:42:43,239 --> 00:42:45,120 Speaker 1: the problem. Maybe you disagree. I more think it's the 900 00:42:45,120 --> 00:42:47,560 Speaker 1: money that's the problem with building a roster out of 901 00:42:47,640 --> 00:42:49,880 Speaker 1: veteran minimums and how that's not a sustainable way to 902 00:42:49,880 --> 00:42:51,840 Speaker 1: build a contender team. But my question is do you 903 00:42:51,840 --> 00:42:53,360 Speaker 1: think some of these upper middle teams should pull the 904 00:42:53,360 --> 00:42:55,920 Speaker 1: trigger on bigger trades sooner or if they should just 905 00:42:55,920 --> 00:42:57,400 Speaker 1: blow it up and rebuild, because a lot of these 906 00:42:57,440 --> 00:43:00,239 Speaker 1: teams run it back kind of hoping something change when 907 00:43:00,239 --> 00:43:03,600 Speaker 1: clearly there's there's level. They are levels below the top 908 00:43:03,640 --> 00:43:06,320 Speaker 1: teams whenever year we are talking about championships with these teams, 909 00:43:06,680 --> 00:43:09,799 Speaker 1: but there just clearly is not that upside. I'm sure 910 00:43:09,840 --> 00:43:12,200 Speaker 1: you feel like this with the Lakers and their two 911 00:43:12,239 --> 00:43:16,840 Speaker 1: first round picks. Thanks for the he said, thanks, Sorry 912 00:43:16,840 --> 00:43:18,440 Speaker 1: for the long question. No worries at all. I was 913 00:43:18,480 --> 00:43:21,000 Speaker 1: having a little trouble with that one of myself, but 914 00:43:21,000 --> 00:43:22,920 Speaker 1: that's just me. My brain is completely fried. We've been 915 00:43:22,920 --> 00:43:26,839 Speaker 1: going all day. Now here's the thing. I talked about 916 00:43:26,840 --> 00:43:27,920 Speaker 1: this a little bit earlier, but I want to get 917 00:43:27,920 --> 00:43:31,879 Speaker 1: a little bit deeper into this concept. Now. There's no 918 00:43:31,920 --> 00:43:35,080 Speaker 1: doubt that the builds that these teams have are flawed. 919 00:43:35,400 --> 00:43:38,600 Speaker 1: That building a team around a fifty million dollar, forty 920 00:43:38,680 --> 00:43:41,359 Speaker 1: year old Lebron is going to handcuff you in some 921 00:43:41,400 --> 00:43:45,200 Speaker 1: ways or fifty million dollar old KD fifty million dollar 922 00:43:45,320 --> 00:43:49,000 Speaker 1: old Steph. My thing is that, like you can't be 923 00:43:49,200 --> 00:43:52,120 Speaker 1: in that business and then be thinking about the future 924 00:43:52,400 --> 00:43:55,319 Speaker 1: like that. They just don't go hand in hand. Like 925 00:43:55,400 --> 00:43:59,400 Speaker 1: to your point, the way you supplement a roster that 926 00:43:59,520 --> 00:44:03,680 Speaker 1: has to overspend on stars because of their just salary 927 00:44:03,719 --> 00:44:06,319 Speaker 1: slots because they're all, you know, ten plus years of 928 00:44:06,400 --> 00:44:09,720 Speaker 1: NBA experience, you have to compensate that by getting really 929 00:44:09,840 --> 00:44:12,880 Speaker 1: high level players at every single other salary that you have, 930 00:44:13,239 --> 00:44:14,879 Speaker 1: And the only way you're gonna do that is by 931 00:44:14,960 --> 00:44:17,920 Speaker 1: using your draft compensation. And so it's one of those 932 00:44:17,920 --> 00:44:20,440 Speaker 1: things where I'm like, I get it. I get why 933 00:44:20,520 --> 00:44:22,879 Speaker 1: Lakers fans some Lakers fans or not even Lakers fans, 934 00:44:22,920 --> 00:44:24,960 Speaker 1: but the Laker front office might be like, man, this 935 00:44:25,040 --> 00:44:27,640 Speaker 1: team doesn't look that good. Why would we spend these 936 00:44:27,680 --> 00:44:31,520 Speaker 1: two first round picks and handcuff our future? Or the Warriors? Man, 937 00:44:31,600 --> 00:44:34,200 Speaker 1: this team has looked bad at stretches this year. How 938 00:44:34,239 --> 00:44:38,640 Speaker 1: do we reconcile spending two first round picks to or 939 00:44:39,080 --> 00:44:42,560 Speaker 1: spending you know, a talented young player in draft compensation 940 00:44:42,640 --> 00:44:45,600 Speaker 1: to upgrade this team or the Oh, Like, I'm sure 941 00:44:45,600 --> 00:44:47,560 Speaker 1: if you're a Suns fan, You're like, oh my gosh, 942 00:44:47,600 --> 00:44:50,719 Speaker 1: Like we were already all in with this Bradley Beal 943 00:44:50,800 --> 00:44:53,640 Speaker 1: Kevin Durant thing. We're gonna take our twenty thirty one 944 00:44:53,719 --> 00:44:55,799 Speaker 1: pick and we're gonna turn it into three first and 945 00:44:55,840 --> 00:44:58,160 Speaker 1: trade all of those two like we're just gonna mortgage 946 00:44:58,160 --> 00:45:00,120 Speaker 1: the whole future. And it's like, I get it, I 947 00:45:00,120 --> 00:45:03,320 Speaker 1: get why that seems freaky. I get why that seems irresponsible. 948 00:45:04,239 --> 00:45:08,120 Speaker 1: But you're not in the normal NBA business like teams 949 00:45:08,280 --> 00:45:12,759 Speaker 1: like Cleveland and Oklahoma City, teams like Detroit that are 950 00:45:12,760 --> 00:45:18,040 Speaker 1: on the rise. Those teams have real big picture potential 951 00:45:18,040 --> 00:45:20,359 Speaker 1: that they have to worry about. The Suns are gonna 952 00:45:20,360 --> 00:45:22,160 Speaker 1: be in the shitter after this era, no matter what. 953 00:45:22,360 --> 00:45:24,080 Speaker 1: The Lakers are gonna be in the shitter after this era, 954 00:45:24,239 --> 00:45:26,120 Speaker 1: no matter what. The Warriors are gonna be in the 955 00:45:26,120 --> 00:45:28,960 Speaker 1: shitter after this are era. No matter what, you're in 956 00:45:29,040 --> 00:45:31,759 Speaker 1: the Lebron James, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant business. These are 957 00:45:31,760 --> 00:45:33,799 Speaker 1: all old guys that have a lot of upside that's 958 00:45:33,800 --> 00:45:35,680 Speaker 1: probably not gonna show as often in the regular season, 959 00:45:35,719 --> 00:45:40,160 Speaker 1: but that is absolutely still there in the postseason. There's 960 00:45:40,320 --> 00:45:42,840 Speaker 1: no way you can supplement them with the amount of 961 00:45:42,880 --> 00:45:46,719 Speaker 1: talent they need without making these kinds of more aggressive decisions. 962 00:45:46,719 --> 00:45:49,680 Speaker 1: And I always just say the exact same thing, you're 963 00:45:49,719 --> 00:45:53,440 Speaker 1: tanking no matter what. After all this, there is a 964 00:45:53,520 --> 00:45:57,520 Speaker 1: proven process to successfully doing that. You take all those 965 00:45:57,640 --> 00:45:59,719 Speaker 1: useful role players you trade for and you turn around 966 00:45:59,719 --> 00:46:03,840 Speaker 1: and trade them to that year's contenders for draft compensation. 967 00:46:04,360 --> 00:46:07,319 Speaker 1: You freely take on bad money from anybody who's looking 968 00:46:07,320 --> 00:46:10,279 Speaker 1: to get rid of it, because you can carry bad 969 00:46:10,360 --> 00:46:13,359 Speaker 1: money while you're paying draft picks. Draft picks don't make 970 00:46:13,480 --> 00:46:16,360 Speaker 1: much money, so you can actually play all the guys 971 00:46:16,600 --> 00:46:19,120 Speaker 1: on the low salaries and take on all these big 972 00:46:19,160 --> 00:46:21,200 Speaker 1: salaries and sit them on the bench or barely use 973 00:46:21,239 --> 00:46:23,640 Speaker 1: them and take on draft compensation. There is a proven 974 00:46:23,719 --> 00:46:28,120 Speaker 1: pathway to asset accumulation in these kind of like transitions 975 00:46:28,160 --> 00:46:31,040 Speaker 1: between championship windows and so like, my thing is like, 976 00:46:32,480 --> 00:46:35,040 Speaker 1: if you're gun shy and you don't want to spend 977 00:46:35,120 --> 00:46:37,879 Speaker 1: draft compensation to anchor these groups, why did you get 978 00:46:37,880 --> 00:46:40,040 Speaker 1: in the Kevin Ramp business, Why did you get in 979 00:46:40,040 --> 00:46:42,640 Speaker 1: the Lebron James business, why'd you get into the Steph 980 00:46:42,680 --> 00:46:46,239 Speaker 1: Curry business? You did that as an aggressive kind of 981 00:46:46,239 --> 00:46:48,799 Speaker 1: all in type of move right, and so from that 982 00:46:48,840 --> 00:46:51,160 Speaker 1: same point, that's why I advocate for those types of moves. 983 00:46:51,239 --> 00:46:53,360 Speaker 1: And for the record, like the Jimmy Butler trade for 984 00:46:53,400 --> 00:46:57,200 Speaker 1: the Suns, I would do it. You're screwed no matter what. 985 00:46:57,600 --> 00:47:00,040 Speaker 1: Why not be screwed with Kevin Ran, Jimmy Butler and 986 00:47:00,120 --> 00:47:01,879 Speaker 1: Devin Booker and see if those guys can't go win. 987 00:47:02,160 --> 00:47:04,480 Speaker 1: Jimmy Butler is just a much better basketball player than 988 00:47:04,480 --> 00:47:06,360 Speaker 1: Bradley Beal on both ends of the floor, and is 989 00:47:06,360 --> 00:47:09,279 Speaker 1: a much more natural fit alongside Devin Booker and Kevin 990 00:47:09,360 --> 00:47:12,879 Speaker 1: Durant in the closing five. It immediately makes you way better. 991 00:47:14,640 --> 00:47:17,120 Speaker 1: I saw a video on Twitter of them talking about 992 00:47:17,160 --> 00:47:19,520 Speaker 1: the number one guy in the twenty thirty one class, 993 00:47:19,520 --> 00:47:23,839 Speaker 1: and it was a little kid you want you want 994 00:47:23,840 --> 00:47:26,120 Speaker 1: to put Jimmy next to Lebron in or excuse me, 995 00:47:26,120 --> 00:47:28,080 Speaker 1: put Jimmy next to Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, or 996 00:47:28,080 --> 00:47:32,000 Speaker 1: do you want that little kid? Like? Like, come on, guys, 997 00:47:32,080 --> 00:47:34,480 Speaker 1: what are we even doing here? Like I want to 998 00:47:34,480 --> 00:47:37,080 Speaker 1: see what it looks like. Give it a shot. Otherwise, 999 00:47:37,120 --> 00:47:40,560 Speaker 1: get out of the Kevin Rat business. Is there a 1000 00:47:40,600 --> 00:47:44,080 Speaker 1: scenario where Yokic finishes with the greatest statistical season analytically 1001 00:47:44,080 --> 00:47:47,480 Speaker 1: speaking of all time finishes top three and scoring, rebounding, assists, 1002 00:47:47,520 --> 00:47:51,520 Speaker 1: and potential steals and potential I think that means potential assists. 1003 00:47:51,520 --> 00:47:53,120 Speaker 1: I don't think there's such a thing as a potential steal. 1004 00:47:53,920 --> 00:47:56,360 Speaker 1: The Nuggets have a top three or two seed and 1005 00:47:56,600 --> 00:47:59,440 Speaker 1: SGA still wins MVP. If that happens, what would SGA 1006 00:47:59,520 --> 00:48:02,640 Speaker 1: need to do to in the playoffs to avoid what 1007 00:48:02,680 --> 00:48:06,400 Speaker 1: happened to Joel Embiid after his MVP win. Couple things like, 1008 00:48:06,520 --> 00:48:10,319 Speaker 1: there's always a complicated process to this. Shay had become 1009 00:48:10,320 --> 00:48:12,839 Speaker 1: a pretty substantial favorite because his team is way, way 1010 00:48:12,840 --> 00:48:14,920 Speaker 1: way ahead in the standings. There's something crazy like eight 1011 00:48:14,960 --> 00:48:17,680 Speaker 1: games up. But Yo Kicch is just two damn good 1012 00:48:17,760 --> 00:48:20,640 Speaker 1: to let this not be a race. Jokicch is not 1013 00:48:20,880 --> 00:48:25,759 Speaker 1: capable of playing lower than the level he's playing at, 1014 00:48:25,800 --> 00:48:27,600 Speaker 1: Like if he's going to keep putting up thirty, twenty 1015 00:48:27,600 --> 00:48:30,080 Speaker 1: and fifteen at a certain point, you kind of have 1016 00:48:30,160 --> 00:48:32,239 Speaker 1: to just acknowledge that he's a better basketball player. I 1017 00:48:32,280 --> 00:48:36,120 Speaker 1: think everybody does. But Shae has played at an extremely 1018 00:48:36,200 --> 00:48:39,440 Speaker 1: high level this year, and his team is clearly the 1019 00:48:39,480 --> 00:48:43,279 Speaker 1: best team in the regular season right now, and it 1020 00:48:43,440 --> 00:48:46,879 Speaker 1: just makes a lot of sense that he's a very 1021 00:48:47,040 --> 00:48:51,600 Speaker 1: traditional surefire MVP candidate, But I do still think that 1022 00:48:51,680 --> 00:48:53,919 Speaker 1: Yokich can steal it from him. He's two damn good, 1023 00:48:54,400 --> 00:48:57,239 Speaker 1: and you know, especially in this stretch here where the 1024 00:48:57,320 --> 00:49:00,400 Speaker 1: thunder Or without their centers and they could could putotentially 1025 00:49:00,440 --> 00:49:04,000 Speaker 1: drop some games. Like it's absolutely still there for the taking. 1026 00:49:04,080 --> 00:49:06,719 Speaker 1: But I think Shade, if he finishes eight, nine, ten 1027 00:49:06,760 --> 00:49:08,799 Speaker 1: games ahead of the Nuggets and the standings, it's just 1028 00:49:08,800 --> 00:49:12,000 Speaker 1: going to be too much to justify the relative. Like 1029 00:49:12,160 --> 00:49:14,319 Speaker 1: I think Yokich is clearly better than SBA, but SJA 1030 00:49:14,400 --> 00:49:16,880 Speaker 1: has been playing at an extremely high level this year. Jason 1031 00:49:16,880 --> 00:49:19,160 Speaker 1: Love the show Man Laker's related trade question. I'm with 1032 00:49:19,239 --> 00:49:22,200 Speaker 1: you that Plan A should be Kessler, Sexton and Bruce Brown, 1033 00:49:22,239 --> 00:49:23,920 Speaker 1: but I was listening to Pete and Darius on the 1034 00:49:24,080 --> 00:49:27,200 Speaker 1: LFAR pod and they made a compelling case for Nikola Vusovich. 1035 00:49:27,239 --> 00:49:29,279 Speaker 1: He can space the four like Rui, but he's a 1036 00:49:29,360 --> 00:49:31,880 Speaker 1: much better rebounder. Offensively, he can operate in the post 1037 00:49:32,000 --> 00:49:34,680 Speaker 1: or elbow run, pick and roll with Austin Reeves and Braun, 1038 00:49:34,880 --> 00:49:37,279 Speaker 1: play alongside Anthony Davis and a Marcus al type role. 1039 00:49:37,719 --> 00:49:40,360 Speaker 1: Or be an innings eater. When Anthony Davis sits on 1040 00:49:40,400 --> 00:49:42,920 Speaker 1: the other end, Anthony Davis or Anthony Smith and Vando 1041 00:49:43,080 --> 00:49:46,120 Speaker 1: in an engaged Lebron can help him defensively. What are 1042 00:49:46,160 --> 00:49:49,640 Speaker 1: your thoughts on the Lakers flipping RUI for Nicola Vusovich. 1043 00:49:49,719 --> 00:49:52,360 Speaker 1: Keep up the great work. Pete and Darius to my 1044 00:49:52,400 --> 00:49:55,799 Speaker 1: absolute favorites. Highly recommend you guys check out. If you're 1045 00:49:55,840 --> 00:49:58,359 Speaker 1: a Lakers fan and you're looking for Lakers specific work, 1046 00:49:58,440 --> 00:50:00,640 Speaker 1: make sure you guys check out the Laker film ro podcasts. 1047 00:50:01,239 --> 00:50:04,759 Speaker 1: I've told this to Pete directly, but you know, I 1048 00:50:04,840 --> 00:50:06,520 Speaker 1: learned a lot about the game of basketball for my 1049 00:50:06,560 --> 00:50:09,759 Speaker 1: college coaches. The specific guy that I'd like to shout 1050 00:50:09,800 --> 00:50:13,600 Speaker 1: out as Jeff Rudder. He just ran our Naia program 1051 00:50:13,719 --> 00:50:18,080 Speaker 1: like a professional program, and we just had incredibly advanced 1052 00:50:18,760 --> 00:50:20,799 Speaker 1: a schematic approach on both ends of the floor. We 1053 00:50:21,120 --> 00:50:26,240 Speaker 1: used analytics, We used high We used Synergy for scouting, 1054 00:50:26,239 --> 00:50:28,359 Speaker 1: which allowed me I was the guy who always had 1055 00:50:28,360 --> 00:50:29,800 Speaker 1: to guard the other team's best players. It was like 1056 00:50:29,840 --> 00:50:32,239 Speaker 1: something that really helped, and I learned all of these 1057 00:50:32,280 --> 00:50:36,360 Speaker 1: things about basketball and coming into this, you know, to 1058 00:50:36,440 --> 00:50:40,200 Speaker 1: covering the NBA. You know, there's a lot of things 1059 00:50:40,239 --> 00:50:42,560 Speaker 1: that do translate, and then there are things that are different. 1060 00:50:42,719 --> 00:50:46,359 Speaker 1: You know, they're like, the offensive talent is at such 1061 00:50:46,360 --> 00:50:48,480 Speaker 1: an insanely high level in the NBA that there are 1062 00:50:48,520 --> 00:50:51,120 Speaker 1: some defensive schematic things that you would do there that 1063 00:50:51,160 --> 00:50:54,440 Speaker 1: you would never do at the college level, right, And 1064 00:50:54,560 --> 00:51:00,160 Speaker 1: like when I was really learning about NBA basketball technically, 1065 00:51:00,280 --> 00:51:03,839 Speaker 1: meaning like the more advanced schematic stuff on both ends 1066 00:51:03,840 --> 00:51:07,480 Speaker 1: of the flour, Pete and Darius were a huge part 1067 00:51:07,600 --> 00:51:10,479 Speaker 1: of me learning that side of the game years ago 1068 00:51:10,600 --> 00:51:14,319 Speaker 1: when I was younger and I was really ambitious about 1069 00:51:14,360 --> 00:51:16,840 Speaker 1: trying to get into this space. So like, I highly 1070 00:51:16,840 --> 00:51:19,239 Speaker 1: recommend you guys check check those guys out. If you're 1071 00:51:19,239 --> 00:51:21,640 Speaker 1: a Lakers fan and you're looking for more Lakers content, 1072 00:51:22,080 --> 00:51:24,600 Speaker 1: definitely get over and check out Pete and Darius. They 1073 00:51:24,600 --> 00:51:26,040 Speaker 1: do a lot of very similar stuff to this show 1074 00:51:26,040 --> 00:51:28,440 Speaker 1: where they just stay in the weeds and talk tactical stuff. 1075 00:51:29,440 --> 00:51:31,600 Speaker 1: Just love those guys. Can't say enough. Pete also has 1076 00:51:31,640 --> 00:51:34,040 Speaker 1: been a personal mentor to me on a bunch of levels, 1077 00:51:35,480 --> 00:51:37,440 Speaker 1: especially when I was first getting into the business and 1078 00:51:37,480 --> 00:51:39,319 Speaker 1: I was really confused about some of the business side 1079 00:51:39,320 --> 00:51:41,360 Speaker 1: of stuff. So just shout out to Pete and Darius. 1080 00:51:41,880 --> 00:51:49,759 Speaker 1: But I have seen the Vusovich piece and I am 1081 00:51:49,920 --> 00:51:52,600 Speaker 1: intrigued by it. I thought Pete made a compelling case. 1082 00:51:52,880 --> 00:51:56,040 Speaker 1: His case was basically like, this team needs offense and 1083 00:51:56,080 --> 00:51:58,719 Speaker 1: this team needs rebounding, and Vusovich is the guy that 1084 00:51:58,760 --> 00:52:04,040 Speaker 1: does both, and I agree in that respect. My only 1085 00:52:04,120 --> 00:52:09,240 Speaker 1: real pushback would be I keep thinking that the Lakers 1086 00:52:09,280 --> 00:52:12,200 Speaker 1: need to be great at something if they're going to 1087 00:52:12,280 --> 00:52:14,520 Speaker 1: win the title, Like, they can be good at a 1088 00:52:14,560 --> 00:52:16,279 Speaker 1: lot of things, but they need to be truly great 1089 00:52:16,400 --> 00:52:20,799 Speaker 1: at something. And I just don't think Vouch brings enough 1090 00:52:20,920 --> 00:52:25,960 Speaker 1: physical in position to the equation to make it worthwhile 1091 00:52:26,719 --> 00:52:30,560 Speaker 1: for the Lakers to become specifically great at being big. 1092 00:52:31,520 --> 00:52:34,719 Speaker 1: I think the Lakers can be very big. I think 1093 00:52:34,719 --> 00:52:37,920 Speaker 1: if you get the right kind of backup center, someone 1094 00:52:38,040 --> 00:52:40,600 Speaker 1: like a Walker Kessler, someone like a Robert Williams, the 1095 00:52:40,600 --> 00:52:45,360 Speaker 1: guy who's a very good defensive like just Verstle defensive 1096 00:52:45,360 --> 00:52:49,239 Speaker 1: player and rim protector and rebounder. If you have that 1097 00:52:49,360 --> 00:52:51,960 Speaker 1: kind of guy and you play him next to Lebron 1098 00:52:51,960 --> 00:52:56,120 Speaker 1: and Ad, suddenly you become an absolutely massive, incredibly difficult 1099 00:52:56,120 --> 00:52:59,200 Speaker 1: team to deal with physically. That's why I'm so high 1100 00:52:59,239 --> 00:53:03,440 Speaker 1: on that idea. Vouch. I don't think brings enough of 1101 00:53:03,480 --> 00:53:06,120 Speaker 1: that athletic and position, but I do think it's a 1102 00:53:06,160 --> 00:53:08,080 Speaker 1: viable option. Again, you have to remember, like when we're 1103 00:53:08,120 --> 00:53:10,480 Speaker 1: laying these things out, like I'd love to have Walker Kessler, 1104 00:53:10,600 --> 00:53:15,640 Speaker 1: Colin Sexton, and Bruce Brown, but there's a very small 1105 00:53:15,719 --> 00:53:19,040 Speaker 1: chance that Utah trades Walker Kessler to the Lakers. So 1106 00:53:19,239 --> 00:53:22,120 Speaker 1: when you acknowledge that reality, it starts to look more 1107 00:53:22,239 --> 00:53:25,360 Speaker 1: like okay, you might have to look at other options. Well, 1108 00:53:25,480 --> 00:53:27,640 Speaker 1: there are a bunch of viable ways for you to go. 1109 00:53:28,360 --> 00:53:30,799 Speaker 1: Like for a simple viable like, here's a viable way. 1110 00:53:30,920 --> 00:53:33,920 Speaker 1: What if you got Robert Williams and Josh Green. So 1111 00:53:33,960 --> 00:53:36,000 Speaker 1: you got a center that you could play alongside Lebron 1112 00:53:36,000 --> 00:53:38,560 Speaker 1: and ad a center like an anchor bench units, a 1113 00:53:38,560 --> 00:53:40,719 Speaker 1: center that can play that can start in games when 1114 00:53:40,719 --> 00:53:43,080 Speaker 1: Anthony Davis is out. And Josh Green to me, is 1115 00:53:43,120 --> 00:53:45,680 Speaker 1: a higher floor version of Max Christy. I think Max 1116 00:53:45,760 --> 00:53:49,400 Speaker 1: Christy has a higher ceiling than Josh Green because of 1117 00:53:49,440 --> 00:53:52,680 Speaker 1: his offensive the capabilities. But Josh Green is like a 1118 00:53:52,760 --> 00:53:55,160 Speaker 1: high four option. That's an option. It's not a perfect option. 1119 00:53:55,680 --> 00:53:57,719 Speaker 1: I don't think it's enough of a talent upgrade, but 1120 00:53:57,760 --> 00:54:00,600 Speaker 1: that's an option, just like Vussovich is an option. All 1121 00:54:00,719 --> 00:54:03,880 Speaker 1: these different options are there. There's just my favorite option, 1122 00:54:04,080 --> 00:54:06,000 Speaker 1: which happens to be the long shot, which is that 1123 00:54:06,120 --> 00:54:09,239 Speaker 1: Jazz in Raptors trades, the pair of trades that I 1124 00:54:09,280 --> 00:54:12,719 Speaker 1: talked about. Enjoy the show and hearing you bring your 1125 00:54:12,719 --> 00:54:14,640 Speaker 1: personal experience to it. As a near forty year old 1126 00:54:14,640 --> 00:54:16,360 Speaker 1: still trying to get into my get better in my 1127 00:54:16,400 --> 00:54:19,320 Speaker 1: men's league, I've had some decent luck watching Caid's game, 1128 00:54:19,680 --> 00:54:22,239 Speaker 1: how he gets the spots without superior athleticism. As you 1129 00:54:22,280 --> 00:54:25,040 Speaker 1: get older, are there players you watch to learn the 1130 00:54:25,080 --> 00:54:28,120 Speaker 1: game better. Kaid's a good example for me. All the 1131 00:54:28,160 --> 00:54:30,960 Speaker 1: power guys, Kawhi was a big one for me, Luca 1132 00:54:31,080 --> 00:54:33,359 Speaker 1: has been a big one for me. Caid. I just 1133 00:54:34,000 --> 00:54:36,840 Speaker 1: I'm bigger and stronger than most perimeter players that I 1134 00:54:36,880 --> 00:54:40,000 Speaker 1: play against, and so i've especially as I've gotten older. 1135 00:54:40,600 --> 00:54:43,080 Speaker 1: And it's not even just about mobility, because I still 1136 00:54:43,120 --> 00:54:45,880 Speaker 1: move pretty well at my age. It's a lot about 1137 00:54:46,000 --> 00:54:49,040 Speaker 1: energy conservation. Like I've just figured out it's an easier 1138 00:54:49,080 --> 00:54:51,279 Speaker 1: way to play basketball to use my size, and so 1139 00:54:51,440 --> 00:54:54,480 Speaker 1: like the big One, there is just like using physical 1140 00:54:54,520 --> 00:54:57,280 Speaker 1: leverage to get to spots. So like in screening actions, 1141 00:54:57,320 --> 00:54:59,240 Speaker 1: getting angles, and then once you've got a guy trapped 1142 00:54:59,239 --> 00:55:01,160 Speaker 1: on your shoulder, you can just kind of methodically work 1143 00:55:01,200 --> 00:55:03,600 Speaker 1: to where you want to go or fighting for post position. 1144 00:55:03,640 --> 00:55:05,160 Speaker 1: I play out of the post so much more now 1145 00:55:05,160 --> 00:55:08,160 Speaker 1: than I did when I was younger. In general, I 1146 00:55:08,560 --> 00:55:11,000 Speaker 1: instead of just slashing and trying to dunk on everybody, 1147 00:55:11,080 --> 00:55:14,960 Speaker 1: I'm more slowly driving to the basket and using my size. 1148 00:55:14,960 --> 00:55:17,399 Speaker 1: Like I agree with you, like find things that fit, 1149 00:55:17,640 --> 00:55:19,759 Speaker 1: find a player that has some similar physical traits than 1150 00:55:20,040 --> 00:55:21,920 Speaker 1: to you, and then try to pick up little traits 1151 00:55:21,960 --> 00:55:25,880 Speaker 1: like that. Two more questions and then we're done. Hey, Jason, 1152 00:55:25,920 --> 00:55:28,080 Speaker 1: I asked a similar question about a month ago about Detroit. 1153 00:55:28,160 --> 00:55:29,759 Speaker 1: I think they are a piece of two away, and 1154 00:55:29,800 --> 00:55:31,600 Speaker 1: I was just wondering what pieces you think they'd need 1155 00:55:31,640 --> 00:55:33,839 Speaker 1: to get them into the next tier. Personally, I feel 1156 00:55:33,840 --> 00:55:35,960 Speaker 1: another twenty point per game shot creator and a stretch 1157 00:55:36,000 --> 00:55:38,680 Speaker 1: big would help. But just want your thoughts. Since I asked, 1158 00:55:38,760 --> 00:55:41,239 Speaker 1: Kaid has to be elevated. Since I asked, Kaid has 1159 00:55:41,239 --> 00:55:43,960 Speaker 1: elevated again without Ivy and the Pistons are now the 1160 00:55:44,000 --> 00:55:46,840 Speaker 1: sixth seed. Love the show. You've helped me truly understand 1161 00:55:46,880 --> 00:55:48,840 Speaker 1: what I'm watching from Australia. Thank you so much for 1162 00:55:48,880 --> 00:55:51,920 Speaker 1: the kind words and for supporting us. It's precarious spot 1163 00:55:51,960 --> 00:55:53,759 Speaker 1: for Detroit. It talked about this in another mailbag. I 1164 00:55:53,760 --> 00:55:55,520 Speaker 1: think last week where we talked, I think someone pitched 1165 00:55:55,520 --> 00:55:57,600 Speaker 1: the idea of like trading for Cam Johnson and like, 1166 00:55:57,719 --> 00:55:59,120 Speaker 1: don't get me wrong, if you can get a great 1167 00:55:59,160 --> 00:56:01,239 Speaker 1: deal on somebody, because there's just not a much of 1168 00:56:01,280 --> 00:56:05,000 Speaker 1: a market, make a move, right. But like my thing is, 1169 00:56:05,040 --> 00:56:08,600 Speaker 1: like Kate getting awesome is exactly why you don't want 1170 00:56:08,640 --> 00:56:12,640 Speaker 1: to do something stupid. Kate has been awesome. He's alpha 1171 00:56:12,719 --> 00:56:17,000 Speaker 1: dogging dudes. He's winning huge games against good teams, looking 1172 00:56:17,040 --> 00:56:20,160 Speaker 1: like the best player on the floor. It's like Luca, 1173 00:56:20,200 --> 00:56:22,399 Speaker 1: but there's like a slashing element to him that he's 1174 00:56:22,440 --> 00:56:26,160 Speaker 1: been had going on. He's he's just hooping his ass off. 1175 00:56:26,239 --> 00:56:29,520 Speaker 1: Kate is playing an incredibly high level basketball. That's exactly 1176 00:56:29,520 --> 00:56:31,919 Speaker 1: why you don't want to do something stupid that compromises 1177 00:56:31,960 --> 00:56:35,120 Speaker 1: this window. Jade and Ivy will get back. Jada and 1178 00:56:35,120 --> 00:56:38,319 Speaker 1: Ivy was playing well this year. You will have opportunities 1179 00:56:38,360 --> 00:56:41,160 Speaker 1: in the draft to supplement this team with talent. I 1180 00:56:41,239 --> 00:56:43,719 Speaker 1: do think that a stretch big would help. I do 1181 00:56:43,800 --> 00:56:46,719 Speaker 1: think that finding a guy in the draft who's like 1182 00:56:46,760 --> 00:56:49,040 Speaker 1: an off ball scorer that can kind of slot into 1183 00:56:49,080 --> 00:56:52,040 Speaker 1: the Tim Hardaway Junior and Malik Beasley. Because here's the thing. Eventually, 1184 00:56:52,040 --> 00:56:53,600 Speaker 1: you have to pay everybody, and when you have to 1185 00:56:53,640 --> 00:56:55,680 Speaker 1: pay everybody, you can't ever, you can't go back to 1186 00:56:55,760 --> 00:57:00,000 Speaker 1: paying Tobias Harris and Malik Beasley and Tim Hardway Junie 1187 00:57:00,080 --> 00:57:01,640 Speaker 1: or what you pay them. Those guys are all going 1188 00:57:01,680 --> 00:57:05,200 Speaker 1: to be smaller deals, right, and so this is the 1189 00:57:05,200 --> 00:57:08,080 Speaker 1: time where you have to maintain flexibility and then start 1190 00:57:08,120 --> 00:57:10,160 Speaker 1: looking for that type of talent in the draft now 1191 00:57:10,480 --> 00:57:13,120 Speaker 1: because ideally, if Kaid's not good enough to be the 1192 00:57:13,120 --> 00:57:14,879 Speaker 1: best player in a championship team now, but he will 1193 00:57:14,920 --> 00:57:17,440 Speaker 1: be in three four years, that's when you need to 1194 00:57:17,480 --> 00:57:20,160 Speaker 1: be like, all the stuff is coming together at the 1195 00:57:20,240 --> 00:57:21,880 Speaker 1: right time for us to make a run. And so 1196 00:57:22,120 --> 00:57:23,800 Speaker 1: that's why you just can't get a little ahead of 1197 00:57:23,800 --> 00:57:30,120 Speaker 1: yourself and do something stupid and affect that window. Last question, Jason, 1198 00:57:30,120 --> 00:57:32,880 Speaker 1: appreciate your work. Donovan Mitchell is shooting thirty nine point 1199 00:57:32,920 --> 00:57:36,560 Speaker 1: eight percent on two pointers outside of sixteen feet, which 1200 00:57:36,560 --> 00:57:38,800 Speaker 1: is a career low and is way below his career 1201 00:57:38,840 --> 00:57:41,520 Speaker 1: forty three point four percent. He's also shooting a career 1202 00:57:41,600 --> 00:57:43,760 Speaker 1: low fifty six point nine percent at the rim. He 1203 00:57:43,840 --> 00:57:46,520 Speaker 1: shot seventy percent in each of the last three seasons. 1204 00:57:46,520 --> 00:57:48,280 Speaker 1: Why do you think this is? This is super concerning 1205 00:57:48,320 --> 00:57:49,960 Speaker 1: for their ceiling in my opinion, if he doesn't turn 1206 00:57:50,000 --> 00:57:52,120 Speaker 1: the corner at some point this season. I think the 1207 00:57:52,200 --> 00:57:54,040 Speaker 1: change in the way the team has played in terms 1208 00:57:54,080 --> 00:57:57,040 Speaker 1: of pushing the ball more in transition, Darius Garland just 1209 00:57:57,040 --> 00:57:59,880 Speaker 1: being a really good player that they've played through a lot, 1210 00:58:00,160 --> 00:58:02,760 Speaker 1: and then Evin Mobley doing more initiating has just affected 1211 00:58:02,760 --> 00:58:05,560 Speaker 1: Donovan Mitchell's rhythm. But again, like as long as you 1212 00:58:05,600 --> 00:58:08,560 Speaker 1: figure out that balance, it's like it's kind of like 1213 00:58:08,600 --> 00:58:10,520 Speaker 1: we talked about with the Lakers earlier, Like I don't 1214 00:58:10,520 --> 00:58:12,560 Speaker 1: think Donovan Mitchell is a good enough shot creator to 1215 00:58:12,600 --> 00:58:16,120 Speaker 1: be just some alpha dog heliocentric guy, just like I 1216 00:58:16,160 --> 00:58:18,000 Speaker 1: don't think Lebron is anymore, just like I don't think 1217 00:58:18,040 --> 00:58:20,000 Speaker 1: Anthony Davis is so like I talked about with the Lakers, 1218 00:58:20,000 --> 00:58:22,640 Speaker 1: like they almost need to have a we score mentality, 1219 00:58:23,360 --> 00:58:25,520 Speaker 1: and that's the mentality for the Calves as well. Donovan 1220 00:58:25,560 --> 00:58:28,320 Speaker 1: Mitchell has been out of rhythm as of late and 1221 00:58:28,600 --> 00:58:31,120 Speaker 1: generally this season has been down, but the Calves offense 1222 00:58:31,160 --> 00:58:34,560 Speaker 1: has been substantially better. And I have just I know, 1223 00:58:35,000 --> 00:58:38,240 Speaker 1: I've seen Donovan Mitchell just like be able to leverage that. 1224 00:58:38,920 --> 00:58:42,000 Speaker 1: It's like the Celtics game where they the one where 1225 00:58:42,000 --> 00:58:45,440 Speaker 1: they beat the Celtics in Cleveland, Like Donovan hit all 1226 00:58:45,480 --> 00:58:48,400 Speaker 1: the big shots he needed in that game. I still 1227 00:58:48,440 --> 00:58:52,040 Speaker 1: feel like Donovan is like he hit that huge corner 1228 00:58:52,080 --> 00:58:55,080 Speaker 1: three and that step back three in the Thunder game 1229 00:58:55,240 --> 00:58:56,840 Speaker 1: late right in a game where he couldn't make a 1230 00:58:56,880 --> 00:59:00,440 Speaker 1: damn shot, he made two massive ones down the stretch. 1231 00:59:00,520 --> 00:59:03,760 Speaker 1: Like to me, Donovan Mitchell's upside is that he can 1232 00:59:03,920 --> 00:59:06,120 Speaker 1: create his own shot and that you don't need him 1233 00:59:06,160 --> 00:59:08,080 Speaker 1: to And so yeah, like, I'm not gonna sit here 1234 00:59:08,080 --> 00:59:10,280 Speaker 1: and pretend it's not concerning that he's down in these areas. 1235 00:59:10,320 --> 00:59:12,800 Speaker 1: But the offense is better, the defense is better, the 1236 00:59:12,840 --> 00:59:15,160 Speaker 1: team is better. I don't see any way to interpret 1237 00:59:15,200 --> 00:59:17,920 Speaker 1: that other than as a good thing, especially when you 1238 00:59:17,920 --> 00:59:20,520 Speaker 1: factor in the fact that it's rhythm related and that 1239 00:59:20,600 --> 00:59:24,200 Speaker 1: Donovan Mitchell is probably going to slowly get better at 1240 00:59:24,200 --> 00:59:27,200 Speaker 1: seeing his spot in this offense as the season progresses. 1241 00:59:27,760 --> 00:59:29,200 Speaker 1: All right, guys, It's all I have for today is 1242 00:59:29,200 --> 00:59:31,400 Speaker 1: always a sincerely appreciate you guys for supporting me and 1243 00:59:31,440 --> 00:59:33,920 Speaker 1: supporting the show. We're done for the weekend, but we'll 1244 00:59:33,960 --> 00:59:37,640 Speaker 1: be back on Monday with our usual power rankings. I'll 1245 00:59:37,640 --> 00:59:43,240 Speaker 1: see you guys then the volume. So guys, as always, 1246 00:59:43,280 --> 00:59:46,320 Speaker 1: I appreciate you for listening to and supporting Oops tonight. 1247 00:59:46,400 --> 00:59:48,400 Speaker 1: It would actually be really helpful for us if you 1248 00:59:48,400 --> 00:59:51,120 Speaker 1: guys would take a second and leave a rating and 1249 00:59:51,200 --> 00:59:53,360 Speaker 1: a review. As always, I appreciate you guys supporting us, 1250 00:59:53,400 --> 00:59:54,800 Speaker 1: but if you could take a minute to do that, 1251 00:59:55,080 --> 00:59:56,320 Speaker 1: I'd really appreciate it.