1 00:00:01,440 --> 00:00:06,920 Speaker 1: The volume NFL playoffs. We're talking about NFL playoffs. You 2 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:09,320 Speaker 1: bet we are. Get in on the action at DraftKings 3 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:12,120 Speaker 1: Sportsbook and official sports betting partner of the NFL. Scoring 4 00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:14,560 Speaker 1: touchdowns is key to winning in the NFL playoffs, and 5 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:16,560 Speaker 1: the key to you scoring big is betting on them 6 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:19,360 Speaker 1: at DraftKings, the number one place to bet touchdowns. Ready 7 00:00:19,400 --> 00:00:21,440 Speaker 1: to place your first bet, Try betting on something simple 8 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:23,279 Speaker 1: like a player to score six. Go to the Draft 9 00:00:23,320 --> 00:00:25,960 Speaker 1: Kings Sportsbook Gap and make your pick right now. The 10 00:00:26,040 --> 00:00:28,120 Speaker 1: Kansas City Chiefs are favored to win the Super Bowl 11 00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:30,880 Speaker 1: at plus three forty, with the Lions right behind at 12 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:33,200 Speaker 1: plus four to twenty five. Here's another reason to watch 13 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:35,960 Speaker 1: your favorite players crush it in the playoffs. New customers 14 00:00:36,080 --> 00:00:39,520 Speaker 1: bet five dollars to get two hundred dollars in bonus bets. 15 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:42,000 Speaker 1: Instantly score big during the NFL playoffs with Draft Kings 16 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:44,680 Speaker 1: sports Book. Download DraftKings Sportsbook Gap and use code hoops 17 00:00:44,680 --> 00:00:48,080 Speaker 1: that's h oops, that's code hoops for new customers to 18 00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:50,440 Speaker 1: get two hundred dollars in bonus bets instantly. When you 19 00:00:50,520 --> 00:00:52,640 Speaker 1: bet just five bucks only on Draft Kings sports Book. 20 00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:55,320 Speaker 1: The crown is yours gambling problem called winded hundred gambler. 21 00:00:55,320 --> 00:00:57,440 Speaker 1: In New York call eight seven to seven eight Hope 22 00:00:57,520 --> 00:00:59,600 Speaker 1: n Y. Or text Hope n Y to four six 23 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:02,160 Speaker 1: seven six nine and Connecticut help Us available for problem 24 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 1: gambling call eighty eight seven eight nine seven seven seven 25 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:08,280 Speaker 1: seven or visit CCPG dot org. Please play responsibly on 26 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:10,960 Speaker 1: behalf of Boothill Casino and Resort in Kansas twenty one plus. 27 00:01:10,959 --> 00:01:14,000 Speaker 1: Age and eligibility varies by jurisdiction. Void in Ontario New 28 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:16,720 Speaker 1: customers only. Bonus bets expire one hundred and sixty eight 29 00:01:16,760 --> 00:01:19,959 Speaker 1: hours after issuance. For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, 30 00:01:20,040 --> 00:01:35,880 Speaker 1: see dkang dot co slash audio. All right, welcome to 31 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:38,080 Speaker 1: Hoos tonight here at the volume heavy Thursday. Everybody, hope 32 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:39,480 Speaker 1: all the guys are having a great We got a 33 00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:41,920 Speaker 1: jam packed show for you today. We had a showdown 34 00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:44,320 Speaker 1: that has never happened before an NBA history. A team 35 00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:46,520 Speaker 1: on a ten game winning streak and a team on 36 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:49,480 Speaker 1: a fifteen game winning streak facing off in Cleveland, as 37 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:51,920 Speaker 1: the Cavs get a very impressive win, hanging one hundred 38 00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:54,920 Speaker 1: and twenty nine points on an Oklahoma City defense that 39 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:58,760 Speaker 1: has never allowed that many points this season. I watched 40 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:01,720 Speaker 1: the game live last night and I rewatched it this morning. 41 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:04,800 Speaker 1: We're going to do a mega deep dive on that game. 42 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:06,960 Speaker 1: Then on the tail end of the show. Yesterday in 43 00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:09,120 Speaker 1: the afternoon, I took some time to get caught up 44 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:11,280 Speaker 1: on a bunch of stuff that happened while I was 45 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:14,360 Speaker 1: on vacation and watched a bunch of crunch time sequences 46 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:16,360 Speaker 1: from a bunch of specific games. And so I have 47 00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:19,640 Speaker 1: four big takeaways that I want to get into from that, 48 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:23,519 Speaker 1: you know, Sunday through Tuesday stretch while I was out 49 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:25,600 Speaker 1: of town. Then we'll be done for the day. You 50 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:27,359 Speaker 1: guys did the joke before we get started. Subscribe to 51 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:29,120 Speaker 1: the Hoops Tonight YouTube channels you don't miss any more 52 00:02:29,120 --> 00:02:31,680 Speaker 1: of our videos. Follow me on Twitter, Underscore, JSNLT so 53 00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:33,840 Speaker 1: you guys don't missow announcements. Don't forget about a podcast 54 00:02:33,880 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 1: feed wherever you get your podcast under Hoops Tonight. It's 55 00:02:36,160 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 1: also helpful v leave a rating and a review on 56 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:39,960 Speaker 1: that front. We also have bring new social media feeds 57 00:02:39,960 --> 00:02:44,680 Speaker 1: on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook where where we are releasing 58 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:46,840 Speaker 1: content throughout the season for the Hoops Tonight channel. So 59 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:48,120 Speaker 1: make sure you guys follow us there and then last 60 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:51,160 Speaker 1: but not least, keep dropping mailbag questions into our YouTube 61 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:53,680 Speaker 1: comments so that we can get to them on Fridays 62 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:56,079 Speaker 1: throughout the rest of the season. All right, let's talk 63 00:02:56,120 --> 00:02:58,799 Speaker 1: some basketball. So once again, just like I talked about 64 00:02:59,240 --> 00:03:03,240 Speaker 1: in the Celtics under the Celtics Thunder game from a 65 00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:06,079 Speaker 1: few days ago, the competence of these two teams really 66 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:09,000 Speaker 1: stood out, specifically on the offensive end. How many times 67 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:12,240 Speaker 1: did you see a guy cutting along the baseline and 68 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:16,960 Speaker 1: finding a gap between the off ball defenders and finding 69 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:18,600 Speaker 1: that little sweet spot and someone drop it off to 70 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:21,080 Speaker 1: them and they get an easy layup, sometimes big, sometimes 71 00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:23,880 Speaker 1: guards right. How many times did you see Oklahoma City 72 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:26,840 Speaker 1: drive and then run into help but then have like 73 00:03:26,880 --> 00:03:29,800 Speaker 1: an obvious easy drop off past to Hartenstein for that 74 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:32,720 Speaker 1: little lefty floater that he always makes. How many times 75 00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:36,400 Speaker 1: did you see Evan Mobley seemingly like nowhere guys are 76 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:39,200 Speaker 1: gonna be before it happens and catch on the short 77 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:41,360 Speaker 1: roll and turn and just throw a love to Jared 78 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:44,480 Speaker 1: Allen seemingly without even looking or turn and throw the 79 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:47,560 Speaker 1: ball to the weak side corner just like rapid reads. Right. 80 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:49,640 Speaker 1: How many times did you see especially for the Calves 81 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:52,680 Speaker 1: Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland driving into the lane and 82 00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:55,760 Speaker 1: making that skip pass out to the weak side corner. 83 00:03:55,840 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 1: This is all by design. These are concepts that have 84 00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:02,840 Speaker 1: been practiced rel lentlessly and have now become habits for 85 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:06,680 Speaker 1: these teams. That's the difference between the talented teams that 86 00:04:06,760 --> 00:04:09,840 Speaker 1: succeed and the talented teams that fail in this league. 87 00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:12,080 Speaker 1: It's that type of attention to detail. On both ends 88 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:14,720 Speaker 1: of the floor. They have a plan. Both teams have 89 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:17,680 Speaker 1: a plan. Okay, we got downhill in pick and roll, 90 00:04:17,720 --> 00:04:20,240 Speaker 1: where's everybody supposed to be? What are the reds? Like? 91 00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:23,320 Speaker 1: Okay they if there's low man help, here's what I do. 92 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:25,120 Speaker 1: If there's no low man help, here's what I do. 93 00:04:25,279 --> 00:04:29,000 Speaker 1: Like you're reading these guys and making these basic decisions, 94 00:04:29,080 --> 00:04:32,160 Speaker 1: because there is a plan that is in place for everything. 95 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:34,840 Speaker 1: You can run into when you're driving to the basket, 96 00:04:35,160 --> 00:04:37,400 Speaker 1: when you're posting up, and you could just see that 97 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:41,080 Speaker 1: organization leading to offensive efficiency for two teams that are 98 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:44,720 Speaker 1: very good defenses. The Cleveland Cavaliers scored one hundred and 99 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:48,279 Speaker 1: twenty nine points on that Oklahoma City defense last night. 100 00:04:48,279 --> 00:04:51,000 Speaker 1: That's the most they've allowed all season. It's the first 101 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:53,479 Speaker 1: time okac's allowed over one hundred and ten points in 102 00:04:53,600 --> 00:04:55,960 Speaker 1: seven games. It's the first time they've allowed over one 103 00:04:56,040 --> 00:04:59,680 Speaker 1: hundred and twenty points since November seventeenth, over a month 104 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:03,240 Speaker 1: and a half half ago. Every CAV contributed at various 105 00:05:03,240 --> 00:05:05,200 Speaker 1: points in the game. I want to start with Darius Garland. 106 00:05:05,440 --> 00:05:08,520 Speaker 1: He continues to just blow me away with his ability 107 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:12,640 Speaker 1: to dribble past basically every defender in the league. Ice 108 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:14,960 Speaker 1: the game last night with just a straight up dribble 109 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:18,080 Speaker 1: drive against Keason Wallace, a quick right to left crossover 110 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:21,800 Speaker 1: to an immediate attack, dribble, gets past Kaseon Wallace, gets 111 00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:24,520 Speaker 1: in the lane, gets a layup. All night long, through 112 00:05:24,520 --> 00:05:27,119 Speaker 1: ball screens and ISOs, he was getting the ball into 113 00:05:27,120 --> 00:05:30,320 Speaker 1: the paint and spraying it out to shooters or dropping 114 00:05:30,320 --> 00:05:32,760 Speaker 1: it off to finishers. That was the big thing that 115 00:05:32,880 --> 00:05:35,920 Speaker 1: led to the late game adjustment that got Cleveland's so 116 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:39,120 Speaker 1: much success in the half court. Because Darius Garland was 117 00:05:39,120 --> 00:05:43,120 Speaker 1: getting downhill, they started the Thunder started hedging pretty hard 118 00:05:43,160 --> 00:05:46,200 Speaker 1: with Isaiah Hartenstein like, kept bringing him way out to 119 00:05:46,360 --> 00:05:48,960 Speaker 1: the screen so that Darius couldn't turn the corner. And 120 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:51,679 Speaker 1: again the idea there is one, you're trying to stop 121 00:05:51,760 --> 00:05:54,240 Speaker 1: Darius from turning the corner. But two. Oklahoma City's done 122 00:05:54,279 --> 00:05:56,760 Speaker 1: that a lot this year, like blitzing hedging, bringing the 123 00:05:56,800 --> 00:05:59,240 Speaker 1: big man up high in ball screens. Why because they 124 00:05:59,400 --> 00:06:02,160 Speaker 1: really trust their ability to rotate. This is something I've 125 00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:05,320 Speaker 1: been talking about all year. Oklahoma City's rotations out of 126 00:06:05,320 --> 00:06:09,400 Speaker 1: blitzes and hedges have been fantastic all year. In order 127 00:06:09,480 --> 00:06:12,760 Speaker 1: to beat that coverage, you have to be so crisp 128 00:06:13,279 --> 00:06:16,479 Speaker 1: with your passing. Darius Garland brought that coverage with his 129 00:06:16,560 --> 00:06:19,400 Speaker 1: ability to get downhill, and then they started to beat 130 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:22,680 Speaker 1: the thunder on the short roll toss over the top 131 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:25,440 Speaker 1: to Jared Allen slipping out of the Hartenstein screen or 132 00:06:25,480 --> 00:06:28,360 Speaker 1: the Hartenstein hedge. Jared Allen drops it off to Mobli 133 00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:32,279 Speaker 1: big dunk in crunch time. A couple possessions later, Mobley's 134 00:06:32,880 --> 00:06:36,120 Speaker 1: Heartenstein's on Mobley this time, same exact thing. Hartenstein goes 135 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:39,640 Speaker 1: out the hedge, Mobley slips, Garland throws it over the top. 136 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:42,040 Speaker 1: Mobley goes into the lane that was the one where 137 00:06:42,080 --> 00:06:43,919 Speaker 1: lou Dort tried to swipe over the top of his 138 00:06:43,960 --> 00:06:45,800 Speaker 1: head and picked up the foul drew another bucket on 139 00:06:45,839 --> 00:06:49,520 Speaker 1: that right or another scoring opportunity out of that then 140 00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:52,840 Speaker 1: because that hedge was killing him, the Thunder had to switch. 141 00:06:53,600 --> 00:06:57,480 Speaker 1: When they switched, Darius Garland shoots that three over Isaiah 142 00:06:57,480 --> 00:06:59,080 Speaker 1: Hartenstein at the top of the key, but now Jared 143 00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:01,640 Speaker 1: Allen's being boxed out by Keason Wallace. Now, for the record, 144 00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:04,920 Speaker 1: didn't really matter who was boxing out is Jared Allen. 145 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:07,200 Speaker 1: He was getting everything anyway, But on that possession, it 146 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:09,280 Speaker 1: was like the easiest offensive rebound he had all game 147 00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:11,840 Speaker 1: because of the fact that he's got Kayson Wallace on it. 148 00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:16,280 Speaker 1: So Darius Garland's dribble penetration forced a coverage from the 149 00:07:16,280 --> 00:07:18,760 Speaker 1: Thunder in crunch time that he was beating with the 150 00:07:18,800 --> 00:07:21,160 Speaker 1: over the top pass to the short roller, and then 151 00:07:21,200 --> 00:07:24,360 Speaker 1: consistently Alan and Mobley, who were both amazing in this game, 152 00:07:24,560 --> 00:07:27,120 Speaker 1: were making the Thunder pay in those four on threes 153 00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:30,800 Speaker 1: out of that action, which again is something that Oklahoma 154 00:07:30,840 --> 00:07:35,240 Speaker 1: City has done a great job covering for all season long. Right, 155 00:07:35,560 --> 00:07:38,520 Speaker 1: But I thought it was a super encouraging Darius Garland game. 156 00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:41,160 Speaker 1: Again because it's a huge national TV game. His co 157 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:44,320 Speaker 1: star Donovan Mitchell has a rough night. The team desperately 158 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:46,480 Speaker 1: needed him to carry the offense for stretches and he 159 00:07:46,520 --> 00:07:48,800 Speaker 1: had to close the game and crunch time, and he 160 00:07:48,960 --> 00:07:51,520 Speaker 1: just continues to get wherever he wants on the floor 161 00:07:51,560 --> 00:07:54,240 Speaker 1: and make really good decisions when he gets there. Even 162 00:07:54,280 --> 00:07:56,119 Speaker 1: the shots that he misses, it feels like he's getting 163 00:07:56,160 --> 00:07:59,080 Speaker 1: good separation, or he's just screaming downhill into the lane 164 00:07:59,120 --> 00:08:01,000 Speaker 1: and he happens to miss layup in traffic or have 165 00:08:01,040 --> 00:08:04,680 Speaker 1: it turnover, but he's getting dribble penetration, he's getting separation. 166 00:08:04,840 --> 00:08:08,120 Speaker 1: His ability to move around on the floor while controlling 167 00:08:08,120 --> 00:08:11,120 Speaker 1: the basketball is really breaking defenses right now. He's already 168 00:08:11,160 --> 00:08:13,960 Speaker 1: having a breakout season, but I think he's poised to 169 00:08:13,960 --> 00:08:16,520 Speaker 1: have a breakout postseason as well. And then Jared Allen, 170 00:08:17,240 --> 00:08:19,280 Speaker 1: He's probably the MVP of this game for the Cavs, 171 00:08:19,560 --> 00:08:23,640 Speaker 1: did absolutely everything on offense, just catching and finishing everything 172 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:26,440 Speaker 1: around the rim. He shouldn't seventy percent from the field 173 00:08:26,520 --> 00:08:29,560 Speaker 1: this season. He just has such good hands, even in traffic. 174 00:08:29,560 --> 00:08:31,680 Speaker 1: It's like the opposite of the Rudy Gobert thing where 175 00:08:31,680 --> 00:08:34,840 Speaker 1: it's like it damages Minnesota spacing because he can't catch 176 00:08:34,840 --> 00:08:38,800 Speaker 1: and finish anything in traffic. Jared Allen catches and finishes everything, 177 00:08:38,840 --> 00:08:40,520 Speaker 1: even if it's a few feet away from the rim 178 00:08:40,559 --> 00:08:42,680 Speaker 1: and he's got to take a little hook or a floater. 179 00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:46,800 Speaker 1: His ability to catch and finish unlocks so much for 180 00:08:46,880 --> 00:08:49,000 Speaker 1: this offense, and then good decisions on his rolls to 181 00:08:49,040 --> 00:08:51,400 Speaker 1: the rim. Six assists and zero turnovers. This goes with 182 00:08:51,440 --> 00:08:53,840 Speaker 1: Mobli too, They had thirteen assists between the two of them. 183 00:08:54,080 --> 00:08:56,960 Speaker 1: But he was just doing so much damage as a finisher. 184 00:08:57,200 --> 00:09:00,880 Speaker 1: As a roller, he was demolishing everyone on the offensive glass. 185 00:09:01,280 --> 00:09:03,400 Speaker 1: Late in the game, in particular, he was just crushing 186 00:09:03,400 --> 00:09:08,520 Speaker 1: Isaiah Hartenstein with rebounding position. Just an absolutely monster game. 187 00:09:08,559 --> 00:09:11,400 Speaker 1: His defensive versatility is big in this one, the ability 188 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:14,439 Speaker 1: to protect the rim but also to credibly switch out 189 00:09:14,440 --> 00:09:15,960 Speaker 1: onto the perimeter. The Cavs did a lot of switch 190 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:18,480 Speaker 1: They've been doing a lot of switching all season. I 191 00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:20,679 Speaker 1: think we need to have a discussion about where Jared 192 00:09:20,679 --> 00:09:24,680 Speaker 1: Allen ranks among centers. In the summertime, I used to 193 00:09:24,679 --> 00:09:26,640 Speaker 1: think Jarrett was kind of in that like eight to 194 00:09:26,720 --> 00:09:30,320 Speaker 1: twelve range among starting centers in this league, behind guys 195 00:09:30,440 --> 00:09:33,320 Speaker 1: like Sibonis, behind guys like bam At a Bio, behind 196 00:09:33,320 --> 00:09:36,199 Speaker 1: guys like Rudy Gobert. But we need to be realistic 197 00:09:36,320 --> 00:09:39,679 Speaker 1: about Jarrett's value to this team. I talk a lot 198 00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:42,480 Speaker 1: about the difference between the value in a vacuum that 199 00:09:42,520 --> 00:09:45,160 Speaker 1: a basketball player has versus the value on a specific team. 200 00:09:45,320 --> 00:09:47,640 Speaker 1: Jamal Murray is the example I always use, right, Like, 201 00:09:47,880 --> 00:09:50,720 Speaker 1: Jamal Murray's not a good defensive player, and when he 202 00:09:50,760 --> 00:09:53,679 Speaker 1: has to lead units by himself, he can struggle as 203 00:09:53,679 --> 00:09:57,679 Speaker 1: a shot creator. But like alongside Jokic, his ability to 204 00:09:57,760 --> 00:09:59,880 Speaker 1: play in that two man game as a shot maker 205 00:10:00,720 --> 00:10:04,440 Speaker 1: legit helped the Nuggets win a championship. And it's in 206 00:10:04,480 --> 00:10:09,440 Speaker 1: that specific role his value is immense, even relative to 207 00:10:09,480 --> 00:10:11,400 Speaker 1: what he would be outside of this situation. And that's 208 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:13,559 Speaker 1: how I feel about Jared Allen. Like, does Jared Allen 209 00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:15,880 Speaker 1: have the ability to create shots for his teammates the 210 00:10:15,880 --> 00:10:19,640 Speaker 1: way that bam Adebio does or Demonis Sabonis does or 211 00:10:19,920 --> 00:10:23,520 Speaker 1: Alprin Shane Goon does. No, that's not his game. But 212 00:10:23,600 --> 00:10:26,680 Speaker 1: he's so great at the specific things that Cleveland needs 213 00:10:26,760 --> 00:10:31,200 Speaker 1: him to do, like the screening, the short role, decision 214 00:10:31,240 --> 00:10:34,720 Speaker 1: making and scoring, the finishing everything that he catches around 215 00:10:34,760 --> 00:10:38,120 Speaker 1: the basket, the offensive rebounding, the defending at the rim, 216 00:10:38,240 --> 00:10:43,839 Speaker 1: and the switching is in this scheme, he actually impacts 217 00:10:43,920 --> 00:10:47,560 Speaker 1: winning at a higher level than a lot of those guys. 218 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:50,880 Speaker 1: I've seen him legit outplay some of the top centers 219 00:10:50,880 --> 00:10:53,240 Speaker 1: in the league this year. I think you could make 220 00:10:53,240 --> 00:10:55,000 Speaker 1: a case that Jared Allen's better than a lot of 221 00:10:55,040 --> 00:10:58,520 Speaker 1: these centers that are in that tier below Nikole Jokics, 222 00:10:58,559 --> 00:11:00,640 Speaker 1: Joel and beat An Anthony Davis. And again, I've seen 223 00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:03,440 Speaker 1: him out play a few of those guys. I think 224 00:11:03,480 --> 00:11:06,360 Speaker 1: he's probably closer to that group than he is to 225 00:11:06,400 --> 00:11:08,920 Speaker 1: the rest of the group in terms of his specific 226 00:11:09,080 --> 00:11:13,760 Speaker 1: impact on this specific team. He's like the ultimate, like 227 00:11:14,160 --> 00:11:17,240 Speaker 1: tip of the spear, finishing everything on both ends of 228 00:11:17,240 --> 00:11:20,400 Speaker 1: the floor on the Evan Mobley front. Obviously, he did 229 00:11:20,440 --> 00:11:23,880 Speaker 1: so many good things throughout this game, defending, rebounding, running action. 230 00:11:24,920 --> 00:11:27,120 Speaker 1: I was impressed by how confident and comfortable he looked. 231 00:11:27,120 --> 00:11:28,320 Speaker 1: One of the big things that stood out to me 232 00:11:28,400 --> 00:11:30,480 Speaker 1: is they ran that little off ball action for him 233 00:11:30,480 --> 00:11:33,800 Speaker 1: when Jalen Williams was on him, and he like kind 234 00:11:33,800 --> 00:11:36,000 Speaker 1: of curled up to the elbow right around the foul 235 00:11:36,000 --> 00:11:38,199 Speaker 1: line and like just rose up off the move and 236 00:11:38,280 --> 00:11:41,439 Speaker 1: knocked down that jumper. That's a movement jump shot from 237 00:11:41,480 --> 00:11:43,720 Speaker 1: the mid range. For a big guy, that's a tough shot. 238 00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:45,680 Speaker 1: It's a tough shot to have touch on. And he 239 00:11:45,800 --> 00:11:48,800 Speaker 1: just looked so comfortable as he like rose up into 240 00:11:48,800 --> 00:11:50,840 Speaker 1: that shot and knocked it down. He was trying to 241 00:11:50,880 --> 00:11:53,040 Speaker 1: dunk in traffic a lot too, like it like, which 242 00:11:53,080 --> 00:11:54,880 Speaker 1: is a big confidence thing, like none of these guys 243 00:11:54,920 --> 00:11:56,600 Speaker 1: can stop me. I'm just gonna go up and dunk this. 244 00:11:57,120 --> 00:11:58,480 Speaker 1: But I thought the big thing that stood out to 245 00:11:58,520 --> 00:11:59,920 Speaker 1: me for Evan Mobley, I thought that was one of 246 00:11:59,920 --> 00:12:02,120 Speaker 1: the best games I've seen him play as a roller. 247 00:12:02,480 --> 00:12:04,280 Speaker 1: Remember that used to be his Achilles hill. That that's 248 00:12:04,280 --> 00:12:08,000 Speaker 1: what got him beat in the Knicks series two years ago. 249 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:10,559 Speaker 1: If you remember, is Mitchell Robinson was able to credibly 250 00:12:11,040 --> 00:12:13,800 Speaker 1: defend Jared Allen in the dunker spot and Evan Mobley 251 00:12:14,200 --> 00:12:16,679 Speaker 1: on the short role because Evan Mobley wasn't scoring or 252 00:12:16,720 --> 00:12:20,760 Speaker 1: playmaking efficiently enough out of that spot. So much better 253 00:12:20,920 --> 00:12:24,200 Speaker 1: this year in general, but specifically in this game, one 254 00:12:24,240 --> 00:12:26,120 Speaker 1: of the best games I've ever seen him play as 255 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:28,160 Speaker 1: a role man. He has all the reads now, this 256 00:12:28,160 --> 00:12:30,240 Speaker 1: thing where like he knows when he catches on the 257 00:12:30,240 --> 00:12:32,160 Speaker 1: short role and he turns and he sees a defender 258 00:12:32,160 --> 00:12:34,720 Speaker 1: and Jared Allen's there. He doesn't even have to like 259 00:12:34,760 --> 00:12:37,160 Speaker 1: really think about it. He just knows. I know I'm slipping, 260 00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:39,800 Speaker 1: which means when I'm slipping, my defender is back at 261 00:12:39,840 --> 00:12:42,480 Speaker 1: the ball handler. So I'm no longer worried about my defender. 262 00:12:42,840 --> 00:12:45,679 Speaker 1: The only defender I'm worried about is Jared Allen's defender. 263 00:12:46,640 --> 00:12:48,400 Speaker 1: So as soon as I catch I'm turning and looking 264 00:12:48,400 --> 00:12:51,560 Speaker 1: at Jared Allen's defender. If he's not there, I'm looking 265 00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:54,720 Speaker 1: to quickly score. If he's there, all I'm doing is 266 00:12:54,720 --> 00:12:58,480 Speaker 1: throwing the ball up into that big open area anywhere 267 00:12:58,480 --> 00:12:59,719 Speaker 1: to the left side of the rim, and he's just 268 00:12:59,720 --> 00:13:03,280 Speaker 1: gonna go up and donkey. Even with the there were 269 00:13:03,360 --> 00:13:06,160 Speaker 1: several sequences when Jared Allen was off the floor of 270 00:13:06,160 --> 00:13:08,240 Speaker 1: what was guards right, and it was the same sort 271 00:13:08,280 --> 00:13:11,559 Speaker 1: of thing, like if the guard met him far out, 272 00:13:11,880 --> 00:13:14,280 Speaker 1: he would just immediately turn and rifle the pass to 273 00:13:14,280 --> 00:13:17,480 Speaker 1: the corner. If the guard was meeting him under the rim, 274 00:13:17,960 --> 00:13:21,760 Speaker 1: he was power dribbling and making a quick, efficient post 275 00:13:21,840 --> 00:13:25,120 Speaker 1: move to get an easy finish, a strong finish around 276 00:13:25,160 --> 00:13:27,280 Speaker 1: the basket. If some of the best role man work 277 00:13:27,320 --> 00:13:30,320 Speaker 1: I've seen Evan Mobley do in his career again a 278 00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:32,880 Speaker 1: huge game. Twenty one points, ten rebounds, and seven assists 279 00:13:32,880 --> 00:13:35,400 Speaker 1: from Evan Mobley and then Donovan Mitchell like it's it's 280 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:38,880 Speaker 1: funny because obviously it was a nightmare shooting game for him. 281 00:13:39,480 --> 00:13:41,480 Speaker 1: Wasn't getting great looks. Lou Dort started on him, and 282 00:13:41,480 --> 00:13:42,880 Speaker 1: lou Dort did a really nice job, but he was 283 00:13:42,880 --> 00:13:45,240 Speaker 1: even missing some of the better looks that he gets. 284 00:13:45,760 --> 00:13:48,760 Speaker 1: He also channeled some of his old Donovan Mitchell where 285 00:13:48,760 --> 00:13:50,840 Speaker 1: he was kind of forcing things that time throughout the game. 286 00:13:50,840 --> 00:13:52,680 Speaker 1: But to his credit, I want to give Donovan Mitchell 287 00:13:52,679 --> 00:13:55,400 Speaker 1: some credit for this. I thought his work in the 288 00:13:55,440 --> 00:13:59,959 Speaker 1: Garland off unit in the late third quarter was excellent. 289 00:14:00,600 --> 00:14:02,679 Speaker 1: He started to take what the defense was giving him. 290 00:14:02,720 --> 00:14:05,200 Speaker 1: Ok See all night on. Both teams really were doing 291 00:14:05,200 --> 00:14:08,040 Speaker 1: this all night long, but Okaysee in particular was super 292 00:14:08,080 --> 00:14:11,079 Speaker 1: aggressive with their low man help all game long, meaning 293 00:14:11,120 --> 00:14:14,360 Speaker 1: like playing up in ball screens, bringing Hartenstein up and 294 00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:16,440 Speaker 1: then bringing the guy off of the weak side corner 295 00:14:16,480 --> 00:14:18,760 Speaker 1: to tag rollers. They were doing that all game long, 296 00:14:18,880 --> 00:14:21,360 Speaker 1: and it's just the way Oklahoma City plays defense. They 297 00:14:21,400 --> 00:14:23,280 Speaker 1: trust their ability to close out, so they're going to 298 00:14:23,320 --> 00:14:25,520 Speaker 1: be aggressive on the ball and trust their ability to 299 00:14:25,600 --> 00:14:28,480 Speaker 1: rotate on the weak side. But in those situations, the 300 00:14:28,640 --> 00:14:33,200 Speaker 1: red is the corner skip. In three consecutive times in 301 00:14:33,240 --> 00:14:36,040 Speaker 1: the late third quarter, Donovan Mitchell made that exact same read, 302 00:14:36,120 --> 00:14:38,840 Speaker 1: once to Georgia Niang in the right corner, twice to 303 00:14:38,920 --> 00:14:42,040 Speaker 1: Karis Lavert in the left corner. Niang missed his, but 304 00:14:42,080 --> 00:14:43,720 Speaker 1: it was wide open. It just happened to not go in. 305 00:14:43,760 --> 00:14:45,960 Speaker 1: And then Karris Lavert made both of his. They were 306 00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:49,000 Speaker 1: huge shots in that late third quarter run. And then 307 00:14:49,040 --> 00:14:50,360 Speaker 1: he hit a couple of big threes of his own 308 00:14:50,400 --> 00:14:51,680 Speaker 1: in this game. He hit that pull up three on 309 00:14:51,720 --> 00:14:53,520 Speaker 1: the right wing on the play where Lou Dort flopped, 310 00:14:54,000 --> 00:14:56,240 Speaker 1: and then one of the biggest shots in the game, 311 00:14:56,240 --> 00:14:58,120 Speaker 1: that transition three he hit in the right corner off 312 00:14:58,160 --> 00:15:00,440 Speaker 1: of the kickout pass from Darius Garland. Again, you know, 313 00:15:00,600 --> 00:15:03,440 Speaker 1: I talk about this all the time, but like when 314 00:15:03,480 --> 00:15:05,960 Speaker 1: I'm having a bad game, I always just think, like, 315 00:15:06,520 --> 00:15:08,040 Speaker 1: find a way to make a play. You know, Like 316 00:15:08,040 --> 00:15:09,840 Speaker 1: if I'm having a bad game but my team's in 317 00:15:09,960 --> 00:15:13,080 Speaker 1: the game, I'm always just thinking, like, just find a 318 00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:15,640 Speaker 1: way to make a play, Like, dude, do something. It 319 00:15:15,640 --> 00:15:18,560 Speaker 1: doesn't really matter how much he fucked up early, as 320 00:15:18,600 --> 00:15:21,000 Speaker 1: long as you make a play that helps my team 321 00:15:21,040 --> 00:15:22,600 Speaker 1: win this game, because then I can live with it. 322 00:15:22,640 --> 00:15:25,080 Speaker 1: I can live with whatever. I can address whatever I'm 323 00:15:25,120 --> 00:15:27,840 Speaker 1: doing that's causing me to play poorly. I can address 324 00:15:27,880 --> 00:15:30,640 Speaker 1: that after the game. In this game, though, I just 325 00:15:30,680 --> 00:15:32,880 Speaker 1: need to find a way to make a play. And 326 00:15:32,920 --> 00:15:35,640 Speaker 1: on a night where Donovan Mitchell couldn't make a shot, 327 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:40,520 Speaker 1: he made several huge plays just using his downhill athleticism 328 00:15:40,640 --> 00:15:43,800 Speaker 1: to create corner threes for good shooters that helped turn 329 00:15:43,840 --> 00:15:45,960 Speaker 1: the game around for him at least. And then on 330 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:48,240 Speaker 1: the role player front, I mean the big thing that 331 00:15:48,240 --> 00:15:50,360 Speaker 1: I would say with these Cavs role players, everyone talks 332 00:15:50,360 --> 00:15:53,880 Speaker 1: about their shooting once again, big game against an elite defense. 333 00:15:53,920 --> 00:15:57,960 Speaker 1: These guys were stepping into kind of contested a little 334 00:15:57,960 --> 00:16:01,560 Speaker 1: bit rushed catch and shoot shots and kocking them down again. 335 00:16:01,600 --> 00:16:04,160 Speaker 1: Oklahoma City's amazing with their closeouts. I've been talking about 336 00:16:04,160 --> 00:16:05,680 Speaker 1: this a lot this year and a lot in this show, 337 00:16:05,800 --> 00:16:07,760 Speaker 1: like that's why they hedge and blitz a lot in 338 00:16:07,760 --> 00:16:11,120 Speaker 1: ball screens. Of the twenty seven catch and shoot jump 339 00:16:11,120 --> 00:16:14,239 Speaker 1: shots that Cleveland generated, only seven of them were unguarded. 340 00:16:15,640 --> 00:16:19,760 Speaker 1: That's what playoff shooting looks like you're playing against better 341 00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:23,480 Speaker 1: defenses who are playing more desperately, and that makes it 342 00:16:23,520 --> 00:16:25,720 Speaker 1: so that those unguarded catch and shoot jump shots are 343 00:16:25,760 --> 00:16:29,440 Speaker 1: pretty few and far between. You need to shoot quickly 344 00:16:29,680 --> 00:16:33,000 Speaker 1: and confidently against a good close out, and all night long, 345 00:16:33,440 --> 00:16:37,440 Speaker 1: Cleveland's role guys were shooting in those situations confidently and 346 00:16:37,520 --> 00:16:40,280 Speaker 1: knocking down shots. Dan Wade three for four from three, 347 00:16:40,440 --> 00:16:43,280 Speaker 1: Max Strews five for six from three. Max hits some 348 00:16:43,480 --> 00:16:47,240 Speaker 1: really tight window shots. He's really worked on quickening his 349 00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:50,200 Speaker 1: release and shooting while he's contested. Why because that's what 350 00:16:50,200 --> 00:16:52,640 Speaker 1: you need to do when you're in the postseason. Lavert 351 00:16:52,720 --> 00:16:54,520 Speaker 1: hit those two big corner threes I talked about, Niang 352 00:16:54,600 --> 00:16:58,200 Speaker 1: even hit one. Cleveland just continues to hit shots as 353 00:16:58,200 --> 00:17:02,040 Speaker 1: the circumstances get tougher around them. That's really the crux 354 00:17:02,080 --> 00:17:04,440 Speaker 1: of what makes Cleveland's offense so great. It's the combination 355 00:17:04,520 --> 00:17:07,919 Speaker 1: of shot creation talent with a ton of playmaking and 356 00:17:07,920 --> 00:17:10,719 Speaker 1: shooting among the role players. The shot creation talent like 357 00:17:10,880 --> 00:17:13,240 Speaker 1: Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Evan Mobley, they all do 358 00:17:13,280 --> 00:17:15,400 Speaker 1: a good job getting the defense in rotation. Even Max 359 00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:18,000 Speaker 1: Struce ran in some good action in this game, but 360 00:17:18,200 --> 00:17:21,800 Speaker 1: off of them, everybody can pass. They had five players 361 00:17:21,800 --> 00:17:24,280 Speaker 1: with at least four assists, Evan Mobley and Jared Allen. 362 00:17:24,320 --> 00:17:27,119 Speaker 1: You're big guys, the big guys that botch most of 363 00:17:27,160 --> 00:17:32,080 Speaker 1: these situations for other teams. Thirteen assists. This is connective passing. 364 00:17:32,320 --> 00:17:36,320 Speaker 1: This is what turns a small advantage into a bigger advantage, 365 00:17:36,440 --> 00:17:39,960 Speaker 1: into an opportunity to finish the play against a great defense. 366 00:17:41,080 --> 00:17:43,919 Speaker 1: Those are the hedges and the hedges and blitzes that 367 00:17:43,960 --> 00:17:46,720 Speaker 1: Oklahoma City has done against other teams that have flummixed 368 00:17:46,720 --> 00:17:50,040 Speaker 1: to them. The reason why Cleveland beat them so easily 369 00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:52,960 Speaker 1: last night is it's like it's just the balls popping. 370 00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:55,560 Speaker 1: It's like to the role man, easy quick read. Everyone's 371 00:17:55,640 --> 00:17:58,280 Speaker 1: quickly making the read and quickly getting the ball out 372 00:17:58,320 --> 00:18:00,840 Speaker 1: on time, on target. And then when they're in a 373 00:18:00,880 --> 00:18:03,320 Speaker 1: tight space situation at the end of a play, they 374 00:18:03,400 --> 00:18:06,840 Speaker 1: don't piss down their leg. They confidently rise up into 375 00:18:06,880 --> 00:18:09,600 Speaker 1: a confident shot, into a contested shot, and knock it down. 376 00:18:09,800 --> 00:18:12,680 Speaker 1: Thirty six assists on forty seven made baskets just a 377 00:18:12,760 --> 00:18:15,520 Speaker 1: beautiful offensive game from the Cavs against a truly elite 378 00:18:15,600 --> 00:18:18,840 Speaker 1: defensive team. And then Kenny Atkinson. I thought he was 379 00:18:18,880 --> 00:18:22,000 Speaker 1: the MVP of the night. Defensively, he was really coaching 380 00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:24,800 Speaker 1: this game possession by possession. He helped fuel that late 381 00:18:24,880 --> 00:18:26,920 Speaker 1: second quarter run with some curve balls that he threw 382 00:18:26,920 --> 00:18:30,280 Speaker 1: at Oklahoma City. He threw a random blitz at Shay 383 00:18:30,800 --> 00:18:32,440 Speaker 1: that forced him to just throw the ball out of 384 00:18:32,480 --> 00:18:35,080 Speaker 1: bounds on the left sideline, and then he randomly went 385 00:18:35,240 --> 00:18:37,119 Speaker 1: zone a couple possessions in a row at the end 386 00:18:37,119 --> 00:18:38,919 Speaker 1: of the first half and got two stops out of it. 387 00:18:39,280 --> 00:18:41,720 Speaker 1: Big part of how Cleveland took the lead before the half. 388 00:18:41,920 --> 00:18:43,600 Speaker 1: And then he went to a ton of zone in 389 00:18:43,640 --> 00:18:47,320 Speaker 1: the fourth quarter and it completely flum mixed Oklahoma City. 390 00:18:47,359 --> 00:18:49,840 Speaker 1: They ran twelve possessions of zone in the fourth quarter, 391 00:18:50,119 --> 00:18:54,080 Speaker 1: they allowed just eight points and forced three turnovers. The 392 00:18:54,119 --> 00:18:56,399 Speaker 1: big thing that's different, the reason why their zone was 393 00:18:56,440 --> 00:18:58,639 Speaker 1: working too. They were playing an aggressive zone versus a 394 00:18:58,680 --> 00:19:01,080 Speaker 1: passive zone. There's a lot of teams that will sit 395 00:19:01,160 --> 00:19:03,720 Speaker 1: in a zone and they'll just kind of slide back 396 00:19:03,720 --> 00:19:07,119 Speaker 1: and forth to different parts of the zone as the 397 00:19:07,119 --> 00:19:09,560 Speaker 1: ball gets swung around, but they're not really pressuring. They're 398 00:19:09,600 --> 00:19:12,160 Speaker 1: not really like being aggressive at all in the zone, 399 00:19:12,200 --> 00:19:14,120 Speaker 1: and so the good teams will just pass it around 400 00:19:14,160 --> 00:19:15,720 Speaker 1: until they get a decent shot and they knock it 401 00:19:15,760 --> 00:19:18,600 Speaker 1: down right. Cleveland was being aggressive in their zone. Ti 402 00:19:18,720 --> 00:19:21,760 Speaker 1: Jerome Oh Isaiah Hartenstein caught at the elbow and he's 403 00:19:21,800 --> 00:19:25,400 Speaker 1: turning and looking to go. Ty Jerome's ignoring the top 404 00:19:25,440 --> 00:19:28,280 Speaker 1: because Isaiah Hartenstein doesn't even have his head a turn 405 00:19:28,359 --> 00:19:30,680 Speaker 1: to the top and he just swipes at the ball, 406 00:19:30,760 --> 00:19:33,879 Speaker 1: knocks it away. Oh Hartenstein flashed to the top of 407 00:19:33,920 --> 00:19:36,520 Speaker 1: the key. Jdub's gonna throw a little entry pass, but 408 00:19:36,880 --> 00:19:39,440 Speaker 1: Jared Allen is just going to shoot that passing lane 409 00:19:39,440 --> 00:19:42,440 Speaker 1: because he's not playing passively. A lot of teams will 410 00:19:42,440 --> 00:19:46,119 Speaker 1: concede that catch. Not Cleveland, They're trying to be aggressive 411 00:19:46,119 --> 00:19:50,840 Speaker 1: into that passing lane. Again, three turnovers against the zone. 412 00:19:51,520 --> 00:19:54,680 Speaker 1: With the zone in that fourth quarter, it successfully disrupted 413 00:19:54,680 --> 00:19:58,080 Speaker 1: Oklahoma City's rhythm at key points in the game, which 414 00:19:58,160 --> 00:20:01,840 Speaker 1: fueled runs for the Caps. Again. I thought Kenny Atkinson 415 00:20:01,880 --> 00:20:03,800 Speaker 1: was the defensive MVP of that game, and then all 416 00:20:03,840 --> 00:20:06,320 Speaker 1: the Oklahoma City front a lot of good in this game. 417 00:20:06,480 --> 00:20:08,760 Speaker 1: Like Shay, I thought early in the game, he was 418 00:20:08,840 --> 00:20:10,359 Speaker 1: forcing things a bit. It reminded me a bit of 419 00:20:10,400 --> 00:20:12,600 Speaker 1: the Milwaukee game where he just was missing some shots, 420 00:20:12,600 --> 00:20:14,879 Speaker 1: so he just kept shooting tough shots just about every 421 00:20:14,920 --> 00:20:16,840 Speaker 1: time down the floor. But I thought he eventually caught 422 00:20:16,840 --> 00:20:18,520 Speaker 1: his rhythm, and I thought he played a pretty solid 423 00:20:18,600 --> 00:20:20,640 Speaker 1: floor game the rest of the way. His shot mark 424 00:20:20,840 --> 00:20:23,439 Speaker 1: shot making is just remarkable. It actually reminds me, I 425 00:20:23,480 --> 00:20:25,040 Speaker 1: was thinking about this last night. It reminds me a 426 00:20:25,040 --> 00:20:27,720 Speaker 1: bit of Kobe in the sense that, like the team 427 00:20:27,800 --> 00:20:30,480 Speaker 1: kind of depends on him to take, you know, sometimes 428 00:20:30,480 --> 00:20:32,240 Speaker 1: like twenty five to thirty shots in a game, and 429 00:20:32,240 --> 00:20:35,400 Speaker 1: they may not be the most efficient shots, but they're 430 00:20:35,480 --> 00:20:38,640 Speaker 1: just him grinding out offense when things kind of bogged down. 431 00:20:38,680 --> 00:20:41,080 Speaker 1: And again, a lot of really tough shot making in 432 00:20:41,119 --> 00:20:44,240 Speaker 1: those sequences. So in that respect, it reminds me a 433 00:20:44,280 --> 00:20:46,560 Speaker 1: bit of Kobe. He did get caught off guard a 434 00:20:46,600 --> 00:20:48,200 Speaker 1: little bit by some of the coverages he saw tonight, 435 00:20:48,320 --> 00:20:50,760 Speaker 1: turned the ball over a bit too much, But I thought, overall, 436 00:20:50,760 --> 00:20:52,919 Speaker 1: I thought Shape played a pretty good game. And then 437 00:20:52,920 --> 00:20:54,960 Speaker 1: I thought Jayalen Williams was awesome. He had twenty five, 438 00:20:55,160 --> 00:20:57,000 Speaker 1: five and nine, kept getting the ball into the pot 439 00:20:57,240 --> 00:20:59,920 Speaker 1: paint and making good reads some really impressive footwork hit 440 00:21:00,160 --> 00:21:03,240 Speaker 1: like step through move off of the right shoulder pivot 441 00:21:03,240 --> 00:21:05,520 Speaker 1: where he just kind of kept going towards the rim. 442 00:21:05,560 --> 00:21:08,040 Speaker 1: That was a ridiculous move. A lot of really really 443 00:21:08,040 --> 00:21:09,960 Speaker 1: big plays from Jalen Williams in this game. I thought 444 00:21:10,040 --> 00:21:12,520 Speaker 1: kese On Wallace was brilliant. He was the beneficiary of 445 00:21:12,520 --> 00:21:15,119 Speaker 1: a lot of those corner skips in Okc's offense, because 446 00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:17,480 Speaker 1: again Cleveland was bringing a lot of low man help too, 447 00:21:17,920 --> 00:21:19,520 Speaker 1: and kase On Wallace was the guy that was catching 448 00:21:19,520 --> 00:21:21,320 Speaker 1: a lot of those. He went three for three from three. 449 00:21:22,280 --> 00:21:24,240 Speaker 1: He's six for eleven from three in his last four games. 450 00:21:24,240 --> 00:21:26,399 Speaker 1: Starting to shoot the ball well, some of his transition 451 00:21:26,520 --> 00:21:28,680 Speaker 1: pushes to just like he did in the Celtics game. 452 00:21:29,280 --> 00:21:31,600 Speaker 1: Hartenstein's game was interesting to me. He had a monster 453 00:21:31,680 --> 00:21:34,639 Speaker 1: box score game eighteen points, eleven rebounds, and eight assists, 454 00:21:34,680 --> 00:21:37,040 Speaker 1: kind of like a Demonisa Bonus type of stat line, right, 455 00:21:37,320 --> 00:21:39,920 Speaker 1: and he did a lot of good His lefty floater, obviously, 456 00:21:39,960 --> 00:21:43,199 Speaker 1: is such an important foundation to Oklahoma City spacing to 457 00:21:43,280 --> 00:21:47,240 Speaker 1: release valve when those guards get on their drives to 458 00:21:47,280 --> 00:21:51,199 Speaker 1: the basket, hitting backdoor cutters, setting good screens. He did 459 00:21:51,280 --> 00:21:53,520 Speaker 1: damage on the offensive glass as well as much damage 460 00:21:53,520 --> 00:21:56,040 Speaker 1: as Jared Allen did. He had seven offensive rebounds Hardenstein 461 00:21:56,080 --> 00:21:57,600 Speaker 1: had five, so he got some of it back on 462 00:21:57,600 --> 00:21:59,960 Speaker 1: the other end. But I thought he looked pretty cool, 463 00:22:00,080 --> 00:22:03,480 Speaker 1: clearly exhausted down the stretch. I thought he was getting 464 00:22:03,480 --> 00:22:05,800 Speaker 1: tossed around like a rag doll by Jared Allen. I 465 00:22:05,840 --> 00:22:09,120 Speaker 1: thought he looked a step slow. And one thing I'll 466 00:22:09,119 --> 00:22:11,119 Speaker 1: say about that as a as like kind of a 467 00:22:11,200 --> 00:22:14,360 Speaker 1: positive for Oklahoma City. This is where Chet is very important, 468 00:22:15,320 --> 00:22:17,800 Speaker 1: not only because he's so damn good, but because he 469 00:22:17,840 --> 00:22:20,640 Speaker 1: will help keep Hartenstein's minutes down. If you can keep 470 00:22:20,720 --> 00:22:22,600 Speaker 1: him instead of in the low thirties, somewhere in the 471 00:22:22,640 --> 00:22:25,359 Speaker 1: mid twenties, like twenty five minutes a game, it'll make 472 00:22:25,440 --> 00:22:27,720 Speaker 1: it so that he can maintain the high motor that 473 00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:30,240 Speaker 1: makes him so good. Again, especially in the early Knicks 474 00:22:30,320 --> 00:22:33,320 Speaker 1: days before Mitchell Robinson got hurt, it was the fact 475 00:22:33,359 --> 00:22:35,640 Speaker 1: that Hartenstein could come in and play half the game 476 00:22:35,680 --> 00:22:38,240 Speaker 1: and play super hard. It's like the Gafford Lively concept, 477 00:22:38,320 --> 00:22:40,320 Speaker 1: like when you've got a really good center, but he 478 00:22:40,440 --> 00:22:43,080 Speaker 1: also doesn't have to worry about doing a ton of 479 00:22:43,119 --> 00:22:45,840 Speaker 1: work for thirty something minutes a game. It allows him 480 00:22:45,840 --> 00:22:48,200 Speaker 1: to just play his ass off every second that he's 481 00:22:48,240 --> 00:22:50,720 Speaker 1: on the floor, which leads to an increased productivity, and 482 00:22:50,720 --> 00:22:53,160 Speaker 1: that's something that I think CHET will help with overall 483 00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:56,080 Speaker 1: coming out of this game. Just like I said after 484 00:22:56,080 --> 00:22:59,560 Speaker 1: the Celtics Thunder game, I don't see the point and 485 00:22:59,680 --> 00:23:04,080 Speaker 1: making sweeping declarations after one regular season game. These two 486 00:23:04,080 --> 00:23:07,400 Speaker 1: teams play again in a week in Oklahoma City. Oklahoma 487 00:23:07,480 --> 00:23:09,920 Speaker 1: City will be favored in that game and they probably 488 00:23:09,920 --> 00:23:12,560 Speaker 1: will win it. I still see all three of these 489 00:23:12,560 --> 00:23:15,160 Speaker 1: teams more or less in the same tier. I think 490 00:23:15,200 --> 00:23:17,880 Speaker 1: I still lean in terms of ranking them right the second. Obviously, 491 00:23:17,920 --> 00:23:19,840 Speaker 1: we'll get more serious about it when we get closer 492 00:23:19,880 --> 00:23:22,720 Speaker 1: to the postseason, but right now I lean slightly to Boston, 493 00:23:23,080 --> 00:23:25,800 Speaker 1: then slightly to Cleveland, then slightly to Oklahoma City. But 494 00:23:25,880 --> 00:23:29,320 Speaker 1: the separation is negligible for me. This will be determined 495 00:23:29,359 --> 00:23:32,360 Speaker 1: in the playoffs in a seven game series, almost certainly 496 00:23:32,440 --> 00:23:37,400 Speaker 1: between Boston and Cleveland, and likely potentially with Oklahoma City 497 00:23:37,400 --> 00:23:40,600 Speaker 1: as well. And honestly, just I'm thankful because things got 498 00:23:40,640 --> 00:23:42,480 Speaker 1: a little slow there in December, and we've had some 499 00:23:42,640 --> 00:23:44,280 Speaker 1: really good games to cover over the course of the 500 00:23:44,320 --> 00:23:59,960 Speaker 1: last few weeks, which has been really nice. All right, 501 00:24:00,160 --> 00:24:02,600 Speaker 1: So I have four takeaways for you guys. Yesterday in 502 00:24:02,600 --> 00:24:04,320 Speaker 1: the afternoon. As I told you, every time I go 503 00:24:04,359 --> 00:24:08,760 Speaker 1: out of town, I try very much to disconnect from work. 504 00:24:09,680 --> 00:24:11,399 Speaker 1: I actually have a male bad question about that we're 505 00:24:11,400 --> 00:24:13,480 Speaker 1: going to get into that you guys will hear tomorrow. 506 00:24:14,160 --> 00:24:18,159 Speaker 1: But I came back into town and I needed to 507 00:24:18,160 --> 00:24:20,159 Speaker 1: work yesterday. But like, I didn't want to be watching 508 00:24:20,160 --> 00:24:21,960 Speaker 1: a film all day and not have an episode come 509 00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:24,080 Speaker 1: out until it's super late at night. So I put 510 00:24:24,119 --> 00:24:26,480 Speaker 1: out something quickly, and I finally took some time yesterday 511 00:24:26,520 --> 00:24:28,560 Speaker 1: in the afternoon to just sit back and watch a 512 00:24:28,600 --> 00:24:30,600 Speaker 1: bunch of film, and I checked out a bunch of 513 00:24:30,600 --> 00:24:33,280 Speaker 1: crunch time sequences from a bunch of different games, and 514 00:24:33,400 --> 00:24:36,640 Speaker 1: I have some takeaways. So four takeaways from the few 515 00:24:36,720 --> 00:24:40,240 Speaker 1: days that I was out of town. Number one, Yeah, 516 00:24:40,280 --> 00:24:42,960 Speaker 1: it's way too early to try to bury Anthony Edwards 517 00:24:43,560 --> 00:24:45,639 Speaker 1: right after everyone tried to bury him last week. And 518 00:24:45,680 --> 00:24:48,520 Speaker 1: Ant's last three games, he's averaging forty one points per game, 519 00:24:49,040 --> 00:24:53,000 Speaker 1: shooting fifty nine percent from three on thirteen attempts per game. 520 00:24:53,160 --> 00:24:57,040 Speaker 1: He saved that Clippers game with two. Norm Powell gets 521 00:24:57,080 --> 00:25:00,919 Speaker 1: an and one on a drive to the basket and 522 00:25:01,080 --> 00:25:05,119 Speaker 1: he hits two. Just completely ridiculous step back threes. He 523 00:25:05,200 --> 00:25:08,520 Speaker 1: also had this like crazy contested and one finish with 524 00:25:08,600 --> 00:25:11,960 Speaker 1: his right hand against Vikazubats. But like if you watch 525 00:25:12,040 --> 00:25:15,280 Speaker 1: those possessions, particularly the two step back threes, there's no 526 00:25:15,359 --> 00:25:18,240 Speaker 1: space to operate. The guards that are on him are 527 00:25:18,240 --> 00:25:20,399 Speaker 1: pressing up on him because they know that they have 528 00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:23,879 Speaker 1: help behind. It is a shit show of spacing. But 529 00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:27,199 Speaker 1: Ant just has such an incredible ability to get separation 530 00:25:27,359 --> 00:25:30,200 Speaker 1: in the lift. That's the key separation is step one. 531 00:25:30,760 --> 00:25:33,480 Speaker 1: The ability to even just throw that in and out 532 00:25:33,600 --> 00:25:35,960 Speaker 1: dribble with the with your right foot kind of extending 533 00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:38,680 Speaker 1: out to get that a little bit of separation from 534 00:25:38,680 --> 00:25:40,960 Speaker 1: the defender. But to be able to do that against 535 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:44,760 Speaker 1: an elite NBA athlete and legit get separation. And he tells, 536 00:25:44,880 --> 00:25:47,560 Speaker 1: sometimes you'll take that extra side step two, but get 537 00:25:47,600 --> 00:25:51,640 Speaker 1: that separation. But then also after making that ridiculous separation move, 538 00:25:52,040 --> 00:25:54,840 Speaker 1: the ability to also get enough lift out of your 539 00:25:54,920 --> 00:25:57,840 Speaker 1: legs to knock that shot down. Both of those were 540 00:25:58,080 --> 00:26:01,320 Speaker 1: tough contest. The second one was like twenty seven feet 541 00:26:02,040 --> 00:26:04,120 Speaker 1: and he just nails it because again he can get 542 00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:06,840 Speaker 1: so much lyft with his athleticism in those situations. That's 543 00:26:06,880 --> 00:26:10,119 Speaker 1: what's always been so intriguing to me about the idea 544 00:26:10,160 --> 00:26:13,639 Speaker 1: of a true apex athlete also becoming an excellent shooter. 545 00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:16,320 Speaker 1: This is like the concept of like, can you imagine 546 00:26:16,359 --> 00:26:18,680 Speaker 1: if Michael Jordan played in the modern NBA. And I'm 547 00:26:18,680 --> 00:26:21,040 Speaker 1: not comparing Aunt to Michael. I'm just saying if you 548 00:26:21,119 --> 00:26:24,199 Speaker 1: took an apex athlete like Michael Jordan, who was as 549 00:26:24,240 --> 00:26:26,960 Speaker 1: obsessively competitive as he was, who was as good of 550 00:26:26,960 --> 00:26:29,000 Speaker 1: a shooter from mid range as he was, and you 551 00:26:29,040 --> 00:26:31,760 Speaker 1: put him in the modern NBA, he's the guy. He 552 00:26:31,840 --> 00:26:34,400 Speaker 1: would be doing a lot of this type of intense 553 00:26:34,440 --> 00:26:36,960 Speaker 1: three point shot making. This is what it looks like 554 00:26:37,440 --> 00:26:39,920 Speaker 1: to see an apex athlete that also is one of 555 00:26:39,960 --> 00:26:43,080 Speaker 1: the best shooters in the world. And I just again, 556 00:26:43,720 --> 00:26:47,560 Speaker 1: do not give up on this kid just because the 557 00:26:47,640 --> 00:26:51,399 Speaker 1: Timberwolves are super weird, just because the Timberwolves did weird 558 00:26:51,400 --> 00:26:54,080 Speaker 1: stuff to their roster, and while every team in the league, 559 00:26:54,119 --> 00:26:57,320 Speaker 1: Like you want to know the difference, just go watch 560 00:26:57,359 --> 00:27:00,159 Speaker 1: the calves. All those drop offs to Jared Allen and 561 00:27:00,280 --> 00:27:03,160 Speaker 1: he makes he shoots seventy percent this season, all those 562 00:27:03,240 --> 00:27:06,119 Speaker 1: kickout passes to Max Strus, They have a tendency to 563 00:27:06,160 --> 00:27:08,840 Speaker 1: go in the ones to Jada McDaniels and the ones 564 00:27:08,880 --> 00:27:11,760 Speaker 1: to go bear don't, and so the defense ignores them 565 00:27:12,119 --> 00:27:14,439 Speaker 1: and sits in the paint. I wouldn't give up on 566 00:27:14,480 --> 00:27:18,440 Speaker 1: this kid. I understand there's some weaknesses. I understand he's 567 00:27:18,440 --> 00:27:20,560 Speaker 1: got to grow up a little bit in some ways. 568 00:27:20,600 --> 00:27:25,000 Speaker 1: I understand that there's some shots selection stuff, some playmaking stuff. 569 00:27:25,000 --> 00:27:27,000 Speaker 1: There's stuff that he's got to get better at, no doubt. 570 00:27:27,840 --> 00:27:30,240 Speaker 1: But I would bet on the apex athlete that's one 571 00:27:30,240 --> 00:27:32,119 Speaker 1: of the best shooters in the league but is also 572 00:27:32,240 --> 00:27:35,840 Speaker 1: obsessively competitive and has that alpha dog mentality and trust 573 00:27:35,920 --> 00:27:38,200 Speaker 1: himself at the end of games, been one of the 574 00:27:38,240 --> 00:27:40,600 Speaker 1: best clutch players in the league this year. The Timberwolves 575 00:27:40,600 --> 00:27:44,520 Speaker 1: are still weird. Two three game losing streaks in this 576 00:27:44,640 --> 00:27:47,560 Speaker 1: last you know, eighteen game span. It's funny because everyone 577 00:27:47,600 --> 00:27:51,879 Speaker 1: pantings around them around that stretch of like everyone that 578 00:27:51,920 --> 00:27:53,840 Speaker 1: I saw was panicking about Wolves around the stretches, and 579 00:27:53,840 --> 00:27:55,120 Speaker 1: I get it, and I don't think there's some sort 580 00:27:55,160 --> 00:27:57,199 Speaker 1: of dead serious team at this point. But it's been 581 00:27:57,280 --> 00:27:59,919 Speaker 1: kind of a weird sequence because in their last eighteen games, 582 00:28:00,359 --> 00:28:02,920 Speaker 1: if you take those two three game losing streaks out, 583 00:28:03,040 --> 00:28:05,840 Speaker 1: they're eleven to one. They've been winning, and they just 584 00:28:05,880 --> 00:28:08,040 Speaker 1: had these brief week stretches where they just let go 585 00:28:08,080 --> 00:28:09,600 Speaker 1: their open They look really bad. It's been kind of 586 00:28:09,600 --> 00:28:12,200 Speaker 1: a shit show of good and bad. They're second in 587 00:28:12,280 --> 00:28:14,480 Speaker 1: defense in this eighteen game span, but they're twenty fourth 588 00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:17,440 Speaker 1: in offense one oh nine offensive rating, mostly because of 589 00:28:17,440 --> 00:28:20,119 Speaker 1: the spacing issues we talked about earlier. The good teams, 590 00:28:20,160 --> 00:28:22,000 Speaker 1: just like we talked about with Oklahoma City and Cleveland, 591 00:28:22,160 --> 00:28:24,720 Speaker 1: they're going to load up and trust their ability to 592 00:28:24,760 --> 00:28:26,720 Speaker 1: close out on the week side. You have to have 593 00:28:27,320 --> 00:28:31,040 Speaker 1: sound spacing principles and guys who can consistently finish plays 594 00:28:31,720 --> 00:28:34,560 Speaker 1: in those principles and go Barren McDaniels to struggle with that. 595 00:28:34,920 --> 00:28:37,719 Speaker 1: Although Jaden made an insane three in the corner at 596 00:28:37,720 --> 00:28:40,640 Speaker 1: the end of that one at that Clippers game. Second 597 00:28:40,680 --> 00:28:45,040 Speaker 1: big takeaway Victor wemin Yama needs to find a way 598 00:28:45,080 --> 00:28:47,800 Speaker 1: to stop settling for jump shots all the time at 599 00:28:47,800 --> 00:28:52,400 Speaker 1: the end of games. Disclaimer here, Wemby for me, is 600 00:28:52,520 --> 00:28:54,840 Speaker 1: entering into rare territory in terms of the way I'm 601 00:28:54,880 --> 00:28:58,840 Speaker 1: talking about him. Wemby's been kicking ass this year and 602 00:28:59,000 --> 00:29:01,680 Speaker 1: is way ahead of Skale, so I'm not just trying 603 00:29:01,720 --> 00:29:05,880 Speaker 1: to be nitpicky, just to be a dick. I'm just saying, 604 00:29:06,760 --> 00:29:09,680 Speaker 1: as I'm starting to change the standard that I'm evaluating 605 00:29:09,760 --> 00:29:11,960 Speaker 1: Victor women Yam at now I'm looking at how does 606 00:29:11,960 --> 00:29:13,760 Speaker 1: he get from where he's at to being the best 607 00:29:13,800 --> 00:29:15,880 Speaker 1: player in the world. A big one for me in 608 00:29:15,920 --> 00:29:20,400 Speaker 1: that in Wemby's development will be finding something that is 609 00:29:20,520 --> 00:29:22,760 Speaker 1: closer to the rim for him as a late game 610 00:29:22,880 --> 00:29:25,880 Speaker 1: go to sequence, so that he doesn't rely so much 611 00:29:25,880 --> 00:29:28,600 Speaker 1: on perimeter jump shooting at the end of these games 612 00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:32,560 Speaker 1: there are guards who have to because they don't have 613 00:29:32,640 --> 00:29:35,760 Speaker 1: the ability to get wherever they want close to the basket. 614 00:29:36,160 --> 00:29:39,000 Speaker 1: Wemby does. The Spurs just blew a game on Monday 615 00:29:39,000 --> 00:29:41,560 Speaker 1: in Chicago where they led by seven with three minutes left, 616 00:29:42,360 --> 00:29:44,000 Speaker 1: and the Bulls are feisty for the record, like zach 617 00:29:44,040 --> 00:29:46,600 Speaker 1: Lavin is hooping, nikol Vusovich is shooting the hell out 618 00:29:46,600 --> 00:29:49,120 Speaker 1: of the ball from three. Kobe White made two absurd 619 00:29:49,120 --> 00:29:51,120 Speaker 1: plays at the end. Everyone saw the dunk when he 620 00:29:51,160 --> 00:29:53,080 Speaker 1: drove that close out off the left wing, but he 621 00:29:53,080 --> 00:29:55,200 Speaker 1: had to play right before that where he went iso 622 00:29:55,240 --> 00:29:57,400 Speaker 1: on Victor women Yama and like ducked underneath him with 623 00:29:57,440 --> 00:29:59,440 Speaker 1: a little scoop shot. It was a ridiculous finish. The 624 00:29:59,440 --> 00:30:02,880 Speaker 1: Bulls are playing some fun basketball, but down the stretch 625 00:30:02,920 --> 00:30:04,560 Speaker 1: it looked a lot like some of these other Spurs 626 00:30:04,600 --> 00:30:07,480 Speaker 1: games this year where they start settling for pull up 627 00:30:07,560 --> 00:30:11,320 Speaker 1: jump shots. Teams are ignoring Jeremy Sohan and forcing him 628 00:30:11,320 --> 00:30:14,320 Speaker 1: to make catch and shoot jump shots. Wemby missed another 629 00:30:15,120 --> 00:30:17,760 Speaker 1: kind of like jab step. It was a decent look. 630 00:30:17,840 --> 00:30:19,600 Speaker 1: It was a little pull up mid range shot around 631 00:30:19,640 --> 00:30:21,400 Speaker 1: the right elbow, but it was a long two. It's 632 00:30:21,440 --> 00:30:25,080 Speaker 1: like probably a nineteen footer, twenty footer, and it's and 633 00:30:25,120 --> 00:30:27,040 Speaker 1: he got separation. Like it's not a bad look. I 634 00:30:27,040 --> 00:30:29,760 Speaker 1: want to be clear, these are not terrible shots, but 635 00:30:29,840 --> 00:30:33,080 Speaker 1: it's a jump shot. It's a long jump shot. Long 636 00:30:33,200 --> 00:30:37,080 Speaker 1: jump shots might just not go in. In fact, it 637 00:30:37,240 --> 00:30:40,840 Speaker 1: probably won't because the majority of jump shots don't go in. 638 00:30:41,600 --> 00:30:44,360 Speaker 1: Victor wimin Yama shooting fifteen for thirty seven in the 639 00:30:44,400 --> 00:30:46,760 Speaker 1: clutch this year, and the Spurs as a team are 640 00:30:46,800 --> 00:30:50,719 Speaker 1: eight or eight and eight in those situations. Twenty of 641 00:30:50,760 --> 00:30:53,360 Speaker 1: the thirty seven shot attempts that Victor's taken in crunch 642 00:30:53,400 --> 00:30:56,320 Speaker 1: time have been threes, and he's made a lot of 643 00:30:56,320 --> 00:30:58,520 Speaker 1: really big threes. He's made some really big shots this year, 644 00:30:58,560 --> 00:31:01,720 Speaker 1: but again, a lot of threes, a lot of long 645 00:31:01,760 --> 00:31:05,680 Speaker 1: contested twos. I think it would be beneficial to him 646 00:31:05,720 --> 00:31:07,360 Speaker 1: to try to come up with a late game go 647 00:31:07,400 --> 00:31:10,200 Speaker 1: to process that gets him closer to the rim for 648 00:31:10,240 --> 00:31:12,240 Speaker 1: a shot that he can hit over fifty percent of 649 00:31:12,280 --> 00:31:15,720 Speaker 1: the time. For instance, just action to get his post 650 00:31:15,720 --> 00:31:18,880 Speaker 1: catch around fifteen feet instead of around twenty feet, so 651 00:31:18,920 --> 00:31:21,000 Speaker 1: that step back long two goes from being like a 652 00:31:21,040 --> 00:31:23,880 Speaker 1: thirty five percent shot to being a forty five percent shot, 653 00:31:24,240 --> 00:31:26,120 Speaker 1: or an opportunity for him to work in the post 654 00:31:26,600 --> 00:31:28,200 Speaker 1: and try to get him to learn a little bit 655 00:31:28,200 --> 00:31:30,440 Speaker 1: more of like a hook where he can use his 656 00:31:30,520 --> 00:31:33,080 Speaker 1: length and size to get something that maybe goes in 657 00:31:33,200 --> 00:31:35,680 Speaker 1: fifty five to sixty percent of the time. Again, what 658 00:31:35,800 --> 00:31:37,920 Speaker 1: has made Nikole Jokic the best player in the world 659 00:31:38,320 --> 00:31:41,760 Speaker 1: his ability to consistently get to shots that are high percentage. 660 00:31:42,120 --> 00:31:45,360 Speaker 1: There is no variance with Nikola Jokic. That is the 661 00:31:45,400 --> 00:31:49,040 Speaker 1: pathway for Victor Wimen and Yama to become more reliable 662 00:31:49,040 --> 00:31:53,640 Speaker 1: in these late game situations. Number three, I know I'm 663 00:31:53,680 --> 00:31:56,200 Speaker 1: guilty of it too for the record, but let's stop 664 00:31:56,280 --> 00:31:59,840 Speaker 1: as a group. Let's collectively. Stop trying to bury Western 665 00:31:59,840 --> 00:32:02,440 Speaker 1: Conference teams when they have a bad stretch. I did 666 00:32:02,480 --> 00:32:04,880 Speaker 1: it with the Lakers earlier this year. People have done 667 00:32:04,880 --> 00:32:07,120 Speaker 1: it with Denver. People have done it with Golden State. 668 00:32:07,600 --> 00:32:09,800 Speaker 1: Remember when everyone thought it was over for the Kings 669 00:32:09,800 --> 00:32:12,800 Speaker 1: they had that terrible loss, that the crunch time loss. 670 00:32:12,800 --> 00:32:14,280 Speaker 1: It was. I think they lost on a foul if 671 00:32:14,280 --> 00:32:17,760 Speaker 1: I remember correctly. They've now won five games in a row. 672 00:32:18,600 --> 00:32:21,200 Speaker 1: The Kings are now just three games back of the 673 00:32:21,240 --> 00:32:25,520 Speaker 1: five seed. Malik Monk is hooping his ass off there, 674 00:32:25,560 --> 00:32:30,040 Speaker 1: Derozens starting to hit big shots. They're playing good basketball. Now. 675 00:32:30,120 --> 00:32:34,640 Speaker 1: Everybody's trying to bury the Phoenix Suns, and for some 676 00:32:34,680 --> 00:32:37,440 Speaker 1: good reasons, they look like they've let go of the rope. 677 00:32:37,440 --> 00:32:41,400 Speaker 1: At this point, bad losses are piling up. They aren't defending. 678 00:32:42,520 --> 00:32:45,960 Speaker 1: They've tried benching Bradley Beal in use of Nurkics and 679 00:32:45,960 --> 00:32:47,840 Speaker 1: they got a big win the first game where Beal 680 00:32:47,920 --> 00:32:49,560 Speaker 1: came off the bench, played great, but then they just 681 00:32:49,760 --> 00:32:52,200 Speaker 1: lost to Charlotte right after that. I get it. It 682 00:32:52,200 --> 00:32:55,840 Speaker 1: looks bad, but take a deep breath. Their upcoming schedule, 683 00:32:55,840 --> 00:32:58,680 Speaker 1: they're home for Atlanta, Utah and Charlotte. They could easily 684 00:32:58,720 --> 00:33:00,520 Speaker 1: go three to zero in that span, be right back 685 00:33:00,520 --> 00:33:02,720 Speaker 1: to five hundred. Then they have a five game road 686 00:33:02,720 --> 00:33:04,680 Speaker 1: trip with some winnable games, some losible games too, but 687 00:33:04,720 --> 00:33:09,400 Speaker 1: some winnable games at Atlanta, at Washington, at Detroit, at Cleveland, 688 00:33:09,440 --> 00:33:12,400 Speaker 1: at Brooklyn. I think they probably will go three and 689 00:33:12,440 --> 00:33:14,880 Speaker 1: two on that trip. Could potentially go four and one 690 00:33:15,120 --> 00:33:18,400 Speaker 1: if you take care of business against Detroit and Atlanta. 691 00:33:18,440 --> 00:33:21,120 Speaker 1: But like, let's say three and two, and then they 692 00:33:21,120 --> 00:33:23,400 Speaker 1: come home to play the Wizards. So the Suns could 693 00:33:23,520 --> 00:33:25,560 Speaker 1: very easily go seven to two in their next nine 694 00:33:25,600 --> 00:33:27,880 Speaker 1: games and be right back in that seven or eight seed. 695 00:33:29,080 --> 00:33:31,000 Speaker 1: Does that mean the Suns don't have problems. Of course 696 00:33:31,040 --> 00:33:34,480 Speaker 1: they have problems. Of course they should be scouring the 697 00:33:34,520 --> 00:33:39,360 Speaker 1: trade market looking for ways to improve their roster. But collectively, 698 00:33:39,440 --> 00:33:42,320 Speaker 1: I think we need to stop overreacting week to week. 699 00:33:42,400 --> 00:33:45,200 Speaker 1: In the Western Conference, I don't think there's a giant 700 00:33:45,280 --> 00:33:48,200 Speaker 1: gap between the teams and the six to twelve range. 701 00:33:48,400 --> 00:33:51,200 Speaker 1: I think Denver in Dallas. Dallas obviously is injured, but 702 00:33:51,240 --> 00:33:53,160 Speaker 1: when Dallas is healthy, I think Denver and Dallas are 703 00:33:53,200 --> 00:33:56,760 Speaker 1: both clearly a level above. But the Lakers, the Clippers, 704 00:33:57,000 --> 00:34:01,720 Speaker 1: the Timberwolves, the Warriors, the Spurs, the Kings, the Suns. 705 00:34:02,520 --> 00:34:05,200 Speaker 1: I don't think they're like I think in that order, 706 00:34:05,280 --> 00:34:07,880 Speaker 1: that's roughly how i'd rank them. You know, I might 707 00:34:07,920 --> 00:34:09,920 Speaker 1: move a couple teams around here there. So they're kind 708 00:34:09,920 --> 00:34:12,520 Speaker 1: of settling more or less where you would expect them to. 709 00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:16,840 Speaker 1: But they're they're separate, They're barely separated. There's not a 710 00:34:16,880 --> 00:34:20,040 Speaker 1: lot that separates those teams. For me. They're all a 711 00:34:20,080 --> 00:34:23,480 Speaker 1: couple of good weeks from their fans, all taking victory laps, 712 00:34:23,520 --> 00:34:25,759 Speaker 1: and a couple of bad weeks from their fans wanting 713 00:34:25,760 --> 00:34:28,520 Speaker 1: to blow up the team. Now here's the thing. None 714 00:34:28,560 --> 00:34:31,000 Speaker 1: of those teams, including the ones that are higher up 715 00:34:31,000 --> 00:34:33,680 Speaker 1: teams like the Lakers, Clippers, Timberwolves, none of those teams 716 00:34:33,719 --> 00:34:35,920 Speaker 1: are going to accomplish anything unless they find a way 717 00:34:35,960 --> 00:34:39,399 Speaker 1: to stabilize and separate. For some of them, it's about 718 00:34:39,400 --> 00:34:42,120 Speaker 1: making the right trade. For others, it's about playing a 719 00:34:42,120 --> 00:34:44,560 Speaker 1: more serious brand of basketball a commitment to the work. 720 00:34:45,480 --> 00:34:47,320 Speaker 1: For most of them, it's about both of those things. 721 00:34:47,719 --> 00:34:52,080 Speaker 1: But again, that group is going to jockey back and 722 00:34:52,120 --> 00:34:55,960 Speaker 1: forth a lot, based on schedule, based on injuries, based 723 00:34:55,960 --> 00:34:58,759 Speaker 1: on whether or not they're in a funk. Guys, that 724 00:34:58,800 --> 00:35:00,960 Speaker 1: Suns team looks like it's I go the rope. I 725 00:35:01,080 --> 00:35:03,440 Speaker 1: promise you. The Lakers had let go the rope for 726 00:35:03,520 --> 00:35:07,759 Speaker 1: like two weeks earlier this season, like it happens, and 727 00:35:07,800 --> 00:35:10,440 Speaker 1: then somehow these teams wake up. They just do. It's 728 00:35:10,480 --> 00:35:12,520 Speaker 1: a competitive spirit thing. There's a lot of really good 729 00:35:12,560 --> 00:35:15,640 Speaker 1: basketball players on these teams, and the league is just tough. 730 00:35:16,360 --> 00:35:17,719 Speaker 1: It'll chew you up and spit you out if you 731 00:35:17,719 --> 00:35:24,640 Speaker 1: don't play good basketball. Lastly, number four, Bucks fans, let's 732 00:35:24,640 --> 00:35:27,640 Speaker 1: relax and let's take a deep breath. I understand in 733 00:35:27,680 --> 00:35:29,759 Speaker 1: the same line of thinking, like what I was talking 734 00:35:29,760 --> 00:35:32,919 Speaker 1: about in just the last segment, you're five and five 735 00:35:33,000 --> 00:35:35,719 Speaker 1: since the N Season Tournament, twenty third in offense in 736 00:35:35,760 --> 00:35:38,239 Speaker 1: that spans some really bad losses there. I've heard a 737 00:35:38,400 --> 00:35:42,439 Speaker 1: lot of negativity from Bucks fans. Here's all I will say. 738 00:35:44,200 --> 00:35:46,239 Speaker 1: I saw this exact same thing happen with the Los 739 00:35:46,280 --> 00:35:49,000 Speaker 1: Angeles Lakers last year, a worst version of it because 740 00:35:49,000 --> 00:35:51,360 Speaker 1: they were in the Western Conference. But they win the 741 00:35:51,400 --> 00:35:54,479 Speaker 1: N Season Tournament. In the N Season Tournament, they play 742 00:35:54,880 --> 00:35:56,719 Speaker 1: some of their best basketball in the last few years, 743 00:35:57,520 --> 00:36:02,000 Speaker 1: defending at an extremely high level, an ad dominating games physically, 744 00:36:02,400 --> 00:36:04,120 Speaker 1: and you're looking at it and you're like, this is 745 00:36:04,160 --> 00:36:06,759 Speaker 1: a serious team. And then they go three and ten 746 00:36:06,800 --> 00:36:09,240 Speaker 1: in their next thirteen games and everyone just thinks they suck. 747 00:36:11,080 --> 00:36:14,479 Speaker 1: And then promptly after that three and ten stretch, they're 748 00:36:14,480 --> 00:36:16,000 Speaker 1: one of the very best teams in the league for 749 00:36:16,040 --> 00:36:17,440 Speaker 1: the second half of the season. And again, I know 750 00:36:17,480 --> 00:36:19,640 Speaker 1: they lost to Denver, but they controlled a good portion 751 00:36:19,719 --> 00:36:21,800 Speaker 1: of that series, and if it wasn't for two Jamal 752 00:36:21,880 --> 00:36:23,960 Speaker 1: Murray game winners, that could have been a six or 753 00:36:24,000 --> 00:36:26,319 Speaker 1: seven game series. I thought that Lakers team was good. 754 00:36:26,360 --> 00:36:28,759 Speaker 1: That was a good Lakers team. Again, I don't think 755 00:36:28,760 --> 00:36:31,000 Speaker 1: those like that Lakers team was a top tier contender, 756 00:36:31,280 --> 00:36:32,919 Speaker 1: just like I don't think these Bucks are a top 757 00:36:32,920 --> 00:36:36,240 Speaker 1: tier contender. But they were a good punchers chance playoff 758 00:36:36,280 --> 00:36:38,280 Speaker 1: team that got punched by a couple of game winners 759 00:36:38,280 --> 00:36:41,040 Speaker 1: and didn't advance. When I look back at that sequence, 760 00:36:42,000 --> 00:36:46,120 Speaker 1: hoisting the trophy in early December has a weird psychological 761 00:36:46,160 --> 00:36:49,399 Speaker 1: impact on the team. Before the n season tournament even 762 00:36:49,440 --> 00:36:53,600 Speaker 1: exists existed, everyone struggled with the eighty two because it's 763 00:36:53,600 --> 00:36:55,480 Speaker 1: just a lot of damn basketball games and it just 764 00:36:55,520 --> 00:36:59,920 Speaker 1: gets monotonous and teams lose focus that already was happening. 765 00:37:00,760 --> 00:37:05,839 Speaker 1: Now you add the influx of a perceived achievement a 766 00:37:05,880 --> 00:37:09,400 Speaker 1: third of the way through the season, it naturally leads 767 00:37:09,440 --> 00:37:14,320 Speaker 1: to a relaxation. And that's happening to the Bucks. Same 768 00:37:14,360 --> 00:37:18,080 Speaker 1: exact thing happened to the Lakers. I expect them to 769 00:37:18,080 --> 00:37:20,560 Speaker 1: bounce back in a big way here in the new 770 00:37:20,640 --> 00:37:23,880 Speaker 1: year and play pretty damn solid basketball the rest of 771 00:37:23,880 --> 00:37:27,080 Speaker 1: the way and be a puncher's chance playoff team right 772 00:37:27,120 --> 00:37:31,160 Speaker 1: below that Cleveland in Boston tier. I think they're every 773 00:37:31,160 --> 00:37:35,479 Speaker 1: bit as good as the Knicks. Again, there's an upside too. 774 00:37:36,560 --> 00:37:40,880 Speaker 1: In this ten game span, they're second in defense. Remember 775 00:37:40,920 --> 00:37:42,319 Speaker 1: how much of a concern that used to be with 776 00:37:42,320 --> 00:37:47,320 Speaker 1: this roster. Do you trust Dame Chris Middleton and Giannis 777 00:37:47,360 --> 00:37:49,760 Speaker 1: to be able to create shots in a playoff series? 778 00:37:50,120 --> 00:37:53,360 Speaker 1: I do do. I think this defense is on the 779 00:37:53,440 --> 00:37:58,840 Speaker 1: trajectory to become at least a solid defense in the postseason. Yes, 780 00:37:58,960 --> 00:38:02,000 Speaker 1: I do so. I still feel exactly the way I 781 00:38:02,000 --> 00:38:03,800 Speaker 1: felt about them around the nd season tournament, and I 782 00:38:03,800 --> 00:38:05,920 Speaker 1: would just encourage you guys to relax a little bit 783 00:38:05,920 --> 00:38:09,239 Speaker 1: about this stretch, just from experience having dealt with something 784 00:38:09,239 --> 00:38:12,000 Speaker 1: similar rooting for the Lakers last year. All right, guys, 785 00:38:12,000 --> 00:38:13,799 Speaker 1: that is all I have for today. As always, as 786 00:38:13,800 --> 00:38:16,399 Speaker 1: sincerely appreciate you guys for supporting me and supporting the show. 787 00:38:16,760 --> 00:38:18,879 Speaker 1: Right after this, I'm recording a mailbag that'll be coming 788 00:38:18,920 --> 00:38:23,160 Speaker 1: out tomorrow. Asways, a sincerely appreciate you guys for rocking 789 00:38:23,200 --> 00:38:27,719 Speaker 1: with me and I will see you then the volume. 790 00:38:28,440 --> 00:38:30,840 Speaker 1: What's up guys. As always, I appreciate you for listening 791 00:38:30,880 --> 00:38:33,680 Speaker 1: to and supporting OOPS tonight. They would actually be really 792 00:38:33,719 --> 00:38:35,600 Speaker 1: helpful for us if you guys would take a second 793 00:38:35,680 --> 00:38:38,360 Speaker 1: and leave a rating and a review. As always, I 794 00:38:38,360 --> 00:38:40,120 Speaker 1: appreciate you guys supporting us, but if you could take 795 00:38:40,160 --> 00:38:42,520 Speaker 1: a minute to do that, I'd really appreciate it.