1 00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:21,679 What is krak Alakin Fellow thermonuclear a efforts. I am Dan Favalle coming at 2 00:00:21,719 --> 00:00:27,640 you with my certified fantabulous co host, mister Grant Hughes. It is playoff 3 00:00:27,719 --> 00:00:32,119 season officially, because we know actual playoff series rather than just playing games. 4 00:00:32,119 --> 00:00:37,200 We are going to provide our primers for all six series that we know about, 5 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:42,200 and we will finish the one eight matchups on Friday night schedules permitting. 6 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:46,119 But first and foremost, before we dive into these shindigs, Grant, how 7 00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:49,439 the heck are you doing? I'm doing great. I am excited to talk 8 00:00:49,439 --> 00:00:53,320 about these series. The playing games have mostly been entertaining to this point, 9 00:00:53,359 --> 00:00:58,240 so I got like the I got the postseason itch going. I'm I will 10 00:00:58,280 --> 00:01:00,880 say, after the lasts you don't know, not several weeks, but a 11 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:06,200 few days of the regular season, so refreshing to have these like high intensity 12 00:01:06,239 --> 00:01:07,599 do or die games, and we'll just get more of them in the playoffs. 13 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:10,680 You all, I always, I don't want to say you, I 14 00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:15,760 always forget how much better the first round is than whatever led up to it 15 00:01:15,799 --> 00:01:19,280 down the stretch of the season, with some exceptions. But haven't you noticed 16 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:23,200 that, haven't you felt how different these games it felt just the plays really 17 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:25,840 too. Yeah, I don't know. There's people who tweet like, I 18 00:01:25,879 --> 00:01:27,400 love the play and I don't care what you say. And it's funny because 19 00:01:27,519 --> 00:01:30,640 I haven't really talked anyone who dislikes the play, and I'm sure fans of 20 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:34,079 seven eight seas would prefer not to have to do it. What have you 21 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:37,599 made though of the sentiment? And this steps on the toes of your point, 22 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:42,879 where it's the NBA is a problem because they can't replicate this intensity during 23 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:46,640 the regular season, where it's like it's so clearly there's this separated between playoff 24 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:49,079 basketball and regular season basketball. I hadn't really thought about that, to be 25 00:01:49,079 --> 00:01:53,599 honest, but I will say friend of the podcast from CBS Sports Canada, 26 00:01:53,719 --> 00:01:57,239 Edwards had said, it feels like NBA fans are the only ones who can 27 00:01:57,280 --> 00:02:01,560 plain about this because the playoff level hockey is so much different from uh, 28 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:06,359 you know, regular season and NHL games. And I think I kind of 29 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:08,840 fall on his side of the spectrum there where it's I don't watch baseball or 30 00:02:08,879 --> 00:02:13,639 really follow it, but you're gonna tell me you're replicating one hundred and sixty 31 00:02:13,639 --> 00:02:17,840 two games worth of postseason stakes, like across those performances. This just always 32 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:23,520 feels like, to answer my own question, we're always constantly comparing this league 33 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:29,840 to the NFL, which above all else has a scarcity of product that none 34 00:02:29,879 --> 00:02:32,159 of these other leagues are ever going to have. I think it's I think 35 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:36,479 basketball is just distinct. I mean, one, it is a problem, 36 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:38,599 and two it's not going to be solved because the solution is fewer games, 37 00:02:38,599 --> 00:02:42,159 and that takes money out of everybody's pockets, and that's not going to happen. 38 00:02:42,199 --> 00:02:45,479 So that's part of the games in the new CBAF why there's an eighty 39 00:02:45,479 --> 00:02:49,159 third game. Yeah, so things are going I think. The other thing 40 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:52,719 so like football, for example, I feel like if you half asset in 41 00:02:52,719 --> 00:02:54,919 football, there's a great chance you're just gonna get clawbered and injured, you 42 00:02:54,919 --> 00:02:59,159 know, or embarrassed type of things. So that's one. Baseball, the 43 00:02:59,199 --> 00:03:02,120 season's incredibly long, and the playoffs are different because of the fan intensity, 44 00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:06,280 I think, and like just the gravity of moments. But like the hitter 45 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:12,879 versus pitcher battle is intensely combative and you know competitive, like you can't go 46 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:15,840 up there and you're like, I'm just gonna kind of go through the motions 47 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:17,199 in this at bat, because no, you're just gonna get you're gonna strike 48 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:21,719 out, you know every So, like every sport's different, and basketball, 49 00:03:21,719 --> 00:03:24,719 I think it probably is a little easier to be casual about it or play 50 00:03:24,759 --> 00:03:29,560 at eighty percent instead of one hundred percent and get away with it. So 51 00:03:29,599 --> 00:03:30,800 that's the other part of it. But like, the real issue is never 52 00:03:31,039 --> 00:03:35,800 gonna go anywhere because we're not gonna have a We're not gonna have a seventeen 53 00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:38,719 game season. We're certain, let alone like sixty five. That's just not 54 00:03:38,719 --> 00:03:40,120 gonna happen. And isn't I don't even know the answer to this question, 55 00:03:40,159 --> 00:03:46,680 but how many teams make MLB postseason? Like the fewer, but they've increased 56 00:03:46,719 --> 00:03:51,400 it in the last year or two. They've added wildcard games to it, 57 00:03:51,599 --> 00:03:54,039 which is so brutal because after you know, if you think getting eliminated in 58 00:03:54,039 --> 00:03:58,319 a one game playoff in a in a basketball season sucks, imagine playing one 59 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:00,479 hundred playing twice as many games and your season comes down to one game. 60 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:04,080 That's rough. I expect if you made like a shift to where it's, 61 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:08,360 oh, only six teams make the playoffs. First two Seeds get a buy 62 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:11,479 and you structure the playoffs that way. That'd probably open up the NBA to 63 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:15,719 a lot more tanking, which we know, yeah, will warrant many investigations. 64 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:18,079 They're staging into this only if it's the MAVs and Mark Cuban, though 65 00:04:18,079 --> 00:04:23,519 they're the only team that gets investigated. Yeah, absolutely hysterical. Are you 66 00:04:23,519 --> 00:04:28,759 ready to preview the twenty twenty three NBA Playoffs? So ready, let's get 67 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:33,000 to Sixers Nets. The way we're gonna do this, we'll just bounce around 68 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:35,839 with our biggest questions or thoughts about this series. And so I will throw 69 00:04:35,879 --> 00:04:39,639 it to you to begin this one. Just what are you really thinking about 70 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:44,120 as you go into Sixer's Nets? Yeah, So I started doing prep for 71 00:04:44,160 --> 00:04:46,800 these. The first thing I did was just what's my nutshell reaction, what's 72 00:04:46,839 --> 00:04:51,240 my overarching, overly broad thought on each series? And so for this one, 73 00:04:51,959 --> 00:04:56,439 it's that essentially Brooklyn is eleven and thirteen since they all star break. 74 00:04:57,160 --> 00:05:00,279 Kyle Kuzma, I think, pointed some of that out to Spencer Dinwitty there, 75 00:05:00,759 --> 00:05:03,879 which is to say that the Nets overall record has a little bit to 76 00:05:03,879 --> 00:05:06,120 do with the guys that used to be on the team, and so that's 77 00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:09,680 just to say that Brooklyn is not has not been a good team. There 78 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:13,240 have been interesting aspects to its season after the trade deadline, but it's under 79 00:05:13,279 --> 00:05:16,160 five hundred offenses, number twenty four in the league, and ultimately they do 80 00:05:16,240 --> 00:05:20,759 not have the bodies to contend with Joel Embiad, And so that's that's where 81 00:05:20,759 --> 00:05:24,480 I start. I just see this being a short series where the best player 82 00:05:24,519 --> 00:05:28,560 in it is not going to meet enough resistance to be slowed down. But 83 00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:32,199 there are definitely different ways we could go trying to point out six Ers weaknesses 84 00:05:32,360 --> 00:05:35,560 or what might work for Brooklyn on either end of the floor. But that's 85 00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:41,120 my that's my over overwhelming sense of the series. It's not it's not super 86 00:05:41,160 --> 00:05:44,399 complicated. So I mean maybe if if you feel differently, or if you 87 00:05:44,399 --> 00:05:47,199 want to just you know, take the first plunge into some more granular stuff, 88 00:05:47,399 --> 00:05:50,199 I would flip it to you. But do you see I mean that 89 00:05:50,279 --> 00:05:54,920 seems like the simplest, you know, analysis of this series is that Embiad 90 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:57,959 is there, the Nets don't have what it's going to take to stop him 91 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:01,160 from doing Embiad stuff. I'm with you on everything you said, and That's 92 00:06:01,160 --> 00:06:04,600 how I've looked at this series initially, but then I decided to approach it 93 00:06:04,639 --> 00:06:10,160 as what could go wrong for Philly or be done right for Brooklyn that would 94 00:06:10,199 --> 00:06:14,560 turn this series into I think everyone's gonna say Sixers and four or five would 95 00:06:14,560 --> 00:06:15,879 be the prevailing and we'll get to our predictions, but I think that'll be 96 00:06:15,879 --> 00:06:19,199 the prevailing pick. So some of the things I landed on. There's the 97 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:26,720 Brooklyn Bigs versus Embad matchup. Dayron Sharpe is a very big human. He's 98 00:06:26,720 --> 00:06:29,920 like two hundred and sixty five pounds. Offensive rebounds the hell out of the 99 00:06:29,959 --> 00:06:32,079 ball. We know the Sixers have had their problems with defensive rebounding. Is 100 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:34,959 he and okay matchup for Embiad. I also went back and looked at the 101 00:06:34,959 --> 00:06:40,000 regular season, and I think this surprised me. And it's a small sample 102 00:06:40,079 --> 00:06:45,480 size under seventy possessions. But when Nick Claxton defended Joel Embiad in the regular 103 00:06:45,519 --> 00:06:48,439 season, the Nets as a team, the Sixers as a team, excuse 104 00:06:48,480 --> 00:06:51,800 me, average point nine four points per possession, which is not good. 105 00:06:53,079 --> 00:06:57,480 Now they no longer have Kevin Durant, who was a huge part of their 106 00:06:57,519 --> 00:07:01,720 health defense before he was injured and was ultimately traded. There's that factor, 107 00:07:01,759 --> 00:07:04,800 and I think over the course of just a series, Nick Claxton has given 108 00:07:04,879 --> 00:07:10,519 up like sixty pounds to Joel Embiid and so that that's not going to hold, 109 00:07:10,560 --> 00:07:12,360 and so I kind of write that off. But I did find it 110 00:07:12,360 --> 00:07:15,959 fascinating that even under the previous iteration of the nets, because like you do 111 00:07:15,959 --> 00:07:18,399 have Dorian Phinney Smith, and so if you try to make him you're Kevin 112 00:07:18,439 --> 00:07:23,600 Durant and use Nick Clackson the way that you're going to use him. But 113 00:07:23,720 --> 00:07:27,399 I ultimately don't ascribe too much value to that, do you that number? 114 00:07:28,279 --> 00:07:30,319 Not? Really I do have. I did have the same thought of you 115 00:07:30,360 --> 00:07:33,680 know, if so, how does it how does it look in a hypothetical 116 00:07:33,680 --> 00:07:36,759 where the nets make this more interesting? I don't think they can win it, 117 00:07:36,839 --> 00:07:41,720 but you know what needs to happen. I think Claxton making himbiad guard 118 00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:44,639 him a little bit out on the floor because one of the improvements Claxton made 119 00:07:44,680 --> 00:07:48,120 this year was he's gotten so much better. As you know, fifteen eighteen 120 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:51,399 feet h he can take one dribble and get to the rim and beat a 121 00:07:51,519 --> 00:07:55,680 beat. Most centers because he's quick, you can fake handoffs like that kind 122 00:07:55,720 --> 00:07:58,800 of stuff. So that's one. And maybe maybe you pick up like two 123 00:07:58,800 --> 00:08:01,759 fouls on Himbiad in the first quarter something like that, where he's just a 124 00:08:01,800 --> 00:08:05,120 little lazy and reaches and you know, that's one way to do it. 125 00:08:05,439 --> 00:08:09,519 I think, just generally speaking, it seems like a pretty obvious move for 126 00:08:09,560 --> 00:08:13,199 the Nets to just find Harden in space and attack him defensively, like I 127 00:08:13,319 --> 00:08:16,000 just try to make him involved in every action. That's going to be a 128 00:08:16,040 --> 00:08:18,560 theme for me is just if you're looking for the underdog to do something surprising, 129 00:08:18,839 --> 00:08:22,240 you just have to find a weak point and just exploit it to the 130 00:08:22,279 --> 00:08:26,079 extent to whatever extent you can. So that's another one. Yeah, I 131 00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:30,399 don't know. I think you might say, like Ebiad's gonna be in a 132 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:33,039 drop most of the game. So if the Net, like if the Nets 133 00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:37,279 guards can run hot from on pull up threes, if Embiad's not out to 134 00:08:37,279 --> 00:08:43,679 contest, and you know, the ball handler defender doesn't get close enough like 135 00:08:43,759 --> 00:08:46,879 that's I could see that there's just a lot of stuff that's got to go 136 00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:48,480 right. I think a few too many of those things for Brooklyn to win. 137 00:08:48,759 --> 00:08:52,960 I actually do have that circle though with imbad and drop, and it 138 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:56,759 was to that point the Nets post mcal Bridge's debut, we're in the top 139 00:08:56,799 --> 00:09:01,600 ten of long mid range freak quency and accuracy, and so is that their 140 00:09:01,639 --> 00:09:05,120 path two of him? He is going to be in the drop. You 141 00:09:05,200 --> 00:09:09,279 just count on him, Spencer Dinwoody, depending on how many minutes you know, 142 00:09:09,519 --> 00:09:13,759 some of their other guards are just going a player or wing players or 143 00:09:13,799 --> 00:09:18,960 whoever you kind of trust to take shots on this team right now, where 144 00:09:18,039 --> 00:09:20,440 you know Cam Johnson even has like a little bit of the pull up game 145 00:09:20,440 --> 00:09:24,000 to him, does Cam Thomas ginam and is in this series you have Patty 146 00:09:24,039 --> 00:09:26,360 Mills, Royce O'Neil, Joe Harris, Seth Curry. Depending on how many 147 00:09:26,360 --> 00:09:31,600 minutes those guys play. However, you mentioned the James Harden point. This 148 00:09:31,639 --> 00:09:35,480 team really isn't built to attack the James Harden mismatch because who's doing it. 149 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:39,320 The Nets were in the bottom five of rim pressure after the mcail bridges trade, 150 00:09:39,759 --> 00:09:43,360 and there's just nothing that's going to suggest that. I mean, and 151 00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:46,240 Joel Beach is always going to be in the vicinity when he's on the floor. 152 00:09:46,399 --> 00:09:48,240 So your best bet, I think a generating rim pressure is can you 153 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:52,200 have Nick Klaxton get after it when it beats not on the court, but 154 00:09:52,279 --> 00:09:56,519 you need his minutes to mirror and beads minutes, I would say, And 155 00:09:56,600 --> 00:10:00,480 so that's sort of the other problem, and it led me to just wondering 156 00:10:00,960 --> 00:10:03,480 is the nets is the two things that I could see, and they're both 157 00:10:03,559 --> 00:10:05,679 James Harden related, but it's on the offensive end. One, what does 158 00:10:05,759 --> 00:10:09,519 James Harden look like with his achilles is? Can he attack mismatches? And 159 00:10:09,559 --> 00:10:15,480 even how many mismatches does he yet? Because the nets they're raine and athletic 160 00:10:15,559 --> 00:10:20,159 on the wings, Dorian Finney, Smith, Roy's O'Neill mcaal bridges himself like 161 00:10:20,240 --> 00:10:24,240 those are. Even Spencer didn't. He can make him work on certain possessions. 162 00:10:24,480 --> 00:10:26,879 And so if you're able to not, I don't look at this as 163 00:10:26,919 --> 00:10:30,240 a team that neutralizes James Harden. And it's tough to parse the end of 164 00:10:30,240 --> 00:10:33,279 the regular season and say, well, James Harden ran hot and cold, 165 00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:35,120 he missed some time. The Sixers, even though they were playing a tough 166 00:10:35,120 --> 00:10:39,120 schedule, weren't in a ton of high stakes games during that closing kick, 167 00:10:39,159 --> 00:10:41,600 like they kind of knew where they were going to settle for the playoffs. 168 00:10:41,759 --> 00:10:43,480 But if James Harden isn't, you know, we can go through James Harden's 169 00:10:43,480 --> 00:10:46,720 playoff resume. But even last year when the whole oh the ball didn't find 170 00:10:46,720 --> 00:10:50,799 me, he ran hot and cold. Then he was still able to put 171 00:10:50,840 --> 00:10:54,559 and he was dealing with hamstring stuff. Put defenses in rotation, make good 172 00:10:54,559 --> 00:10:58,120 passes. If he's just limited or just really dealing with an achilles issue and 173 00:10:58,200 --> 00:11:01,360 banged up, does that give the Nets a puncher's chance or are you just 174 00:11:01,440 --> 00:11:05,559 able to pivot to Tyrese Maxey's blazing fast. Just give him the ball in 175 00:11:05,600 --> 00:11:09,240 those catching got situations and they'll be fine. Yeah, I think I think 176 00:11:09,279 --> 00:11:13,600 even without the Achilles, I would I would expect this to be not necessarily 177 00:11:13,679 --> 00:11:18,240 a big series for Harden because one, I mean, the Sixers are just 178 00:11:18,279 --> 00:11:20,399 gonna try to eat why within bead at the elbows, and Harden's just gonna 179 00:11:20,440 --> 00:11:22,600 give it to him and get out of they. I think if you get 180 00:11:22,639 --> 00:11:26,279 switches, if you're setting screens with embiid on Harden's man, I think Claxton 181 00:11:26,360 --> 00:11:30,120 is more than capable of staying in front of Harden. So, like I 182 00:11:30,120 --> 00:11:31,919 don't. I don't see a lot of isolation scoring or foul drawing from Harden. 183 00:11:33,559 --> 00:11:37,639 I don't see big numbers, because that's to your point. The Nets 184 00:11:37,679 --> 00:11:39,879 do have a lot of wing guys. They can just happen feel very good 185 00:11:39,919 --> 00:11:45,240 about handling Harden, you know, anywhere on the floor, Bridges Dorian Phinney 186 00:11:45,279 --> 00:11:48,279 Smith, like Harris, has the size even because Harden is not blazing fast 187 00:11:48,320 --> 00:11:52,519 anymore, Cam Johnson should be fine. Like so, I don't see Harden 188 00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:54,240 having a big series. I don't think he needs to. But I think 189 00:11:54,559 --> 00:11:58,559 if you're if you want to flip to the other end, you know, 190 00:11:58,519 --> 00:12:01,840 other than din Witty. So let's say, you know, because the sixers 191 00:12:01,879 --> 00:12:05,440 can kind of get a little switchy and you sort of have to one through 192 00:12:05,480 --> 00:12:09,960 four because Harden is just the terrible screen navigator other than din Witty. So 193 00:12:11,039 --> 00:12:13,720 let's say, you know, oh, the Nets hit like three pull up 194 00:12:13,759 --> 00:12:16,960 threes in the first quarter because it beads in a drop, and now we 195 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:18,919 need to blitz Dinwitty, assuming that's who it is, if you get the 196 00:12:18,919 --> 00:12:22,879 ball out of his hands. I'm not sure. I think I see anyone 197 00:12:22,879 --> 00:12:26,919 else on the Nets consistently making plays like in an advantage situation after Dinwitty has 198 00:12:26,960 --> 00:12:30,720 gotten off the ball or whoever is getting doubled gets off the ball, because 199 00:12:31,200 --> 00:12:33,679 you know, Bridges has been awesome, but he's still if there's some distance 200 00:12:33,720 --> 00:12:37,039 for him to go yet it's still has a passer, Like he's not an 201 00:12:37,039 --> 00:12:39,840 intuitive, you know, make the right decision right away kind of passer yet, 202 00:12:41,080 --> 00:12:43,039 So I think, if I mean this is bad that a lot of 203 00:12:43,039 --> 00:12:46,279 this series kind of seems to depend on Dinwitty because like, who do you 204 00:12:46,360 --> 00:12:50,279 think is the is the guy that's gonna you know, it gets gets out 205 00:12:50,279 --> 00:12:54,600 of Dinwitty's hands because the six are sent two at him and somebody else has 206 00:12:54,639 --> 00:12:56,279 it. Who do you want catching the ball in that situation that's going to 207 00:12:56,399 --> 00:13:00,720 run the second side pick and roll or straight line drip or whatever. Like 208 00:13:00,759 --> 00:13:03,759 I don't I don't feel great about almost any of Brooklyn's options, with no 209 00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:07,399 disrespect to Bridges, but he's just made tons of shots. It's and scored 210 00:13:07,440 --> 00:13:11,480 in isolation. It's not quite like he's gonna run your offense when he has 211 00:13:11,519 --> 00:13:15,840 to. I would say probably Patty Mills, but I don't know how many 212 00:13:15,840 --> 00:13:18,200 minutes you expect him to play until if it's not him, is it Royce 213 00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:22,559 O'Neill, Like, is that you don't feel good about that? Right? 214 00:13:22,679 --> 00:13:24,279 That's I mean, it's not a revelation to say, like, the Nets 215 00:13:24,279 --> 00:13:26,919 don't have a lot of great options because they're not as good as a team. 216 00:13:26,919 --> 00:13:31,639 But I think for me, I think the way this has to work 217 00:13:31,679 --> 00:13:35,639 for Brooklyn offensively is one they hit those pull up threes. Two if the 218 00:13:35,679 --> 00:13:41,120 Sixers have to change anything, which kind of seems unlikely. You're generating corner 219 00:13:41,200 --> 00:13:45,639 threes in advantage situations where you just dump it to the role guy and he 220 00:13:45,639 --> 00:13:48,240 finds Patty Mills in the corner, or he finds Joe Harris on the wing 221 00:13:48,360 --> 00:13:52,279 or whatever. That if I close my eyes, I can imagine that being 222 00:13:52,320 --> 00:13:56,600 a way that the Nets score enough. But I just, yeah, I 223 00:13:56,639 --> 00:13:58,279 don't know, I'm ready. Do we need to Is there anything else you 224 00:13:58,320 --> 00:14:01,639 wanted to hit on this before we make our picks and move to the next 225 00:14:01,639 --> 00:14:05,320 one. Does the Ben Simmons absence factor, like, do would he have 226 00:14:05,440 --> 00:14:09,840 nudged the needle defensively for the Nets for you at all? Or more importantly, 227 00:14:09,879 --> 00:14:13,080 will he wear our orange pants at all on the sidelines during the series. 228 00:14:13,759 --> 00:14:16,000 Yeah, pint color is probably the bigger variable than what he would do 229 00:14:16,039 --> 00:14:18,759 for this. I think he's just kind of duplicative to what Brooklyn has a 230 00:14:18,759 --> 00:14:22,000 lot of already, which are good defenders, because I think offensively, you 231 00:14:22,039 --> 00:14:24,519 put him out there, you might say, well, that's the guy you 232 00:14:24,559 --> 00:14:28,720 want to throw it to if you're getting it out of a double team. 233 00:14:28,759 --> 00:14:31,159 But then like, he's not gonna shoot it, So I'm not I'm not 234 00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:33,919 that concerned. No, I don't. I don't think his presence or absence 235 00:14:33,960 --> 00:14:37,240 really matters that much, which is kind of a bummer that sort of encapsulates 236 00:14:37,320 --> 00:14:41,559 where we are in the Ben Simmons experience. I hope he ends up just 237 00:14:41,799 --> 00:14:45,559 in like fucking Charlotte or San Antonio and is able to reboot like low stakes 238 00:14:45,559 --> 00:14:48,759 like Mark hell Fault Orlando. I hope that's what happens. What's your NETS 239 00:14:48,759 --> 00:14:54,480 sixers series prediction. I'll just go sixers and five. I think it's probably 240 00:14:54,480 --> 00:14:56,639 closer to a sweep than a six game series to me, if I you 241 00:14:56,639 --> 00:14:58,639 know, if I had to say which way I was leaning on that five 242 00:14:58,679 --> 00:15:01,840 game, I'm gonna go with sixers in five two, which I think we 243 00:15:01,879 --> 00:15:05,759 can call the cowards pick because it really should just be sixers in four, 244 00:15:05,799 --> 00:15:09,279 but the non ebied minutes are still dicey, and if you decide to go, 245 00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:11,759 yeah, you can go bigger with Paul Reid as the backup five, 246 00:15:13,559 --> 00:15:16,320 but you can go smaller with PJ. Tucker. But I don't envy PJ 247 00:15:16,480 --> 00:15:18,759 Tucker having a like guard. You mentioned him guarding day Ron Sharp, who's 248 00:15:18,799 --> 00:15:22,000 played a lot more for Brooklyn, and he's just going to clean up the 249 00:15:22,320 --> 00:15:24,279 He's gonna be a hoover on the offensive glass. So I'll go with sixers 250 00:15:24,279 --> 00:15:31,919 in five there too. Next series is Celtics Hawks. What are you thinking 251 00:15:31,919 --> 00:15:35,639 about leading into this one? Yeah, I think so nutshell. Again, 252 00:15:35,679 --> 00:15:39,919 the Celtics are too deep, they're too talented, they have way too many 253 00:15:39,960 --> 00:15:43,919 guys to bother Trey Young and make him have another really shitty playoff performance. 254 00:15:45,840 --> 00:15:48,559 So I don't feel like this is close. I think watching the play in 255 00:15:48,600 --> 00:15:52,360 a little bit and seeing the Hawks kind of control that game against the Heat. 256 00:15:52,519 --> 00:15:56,559 I mean a Heat team that just like their offense, just sucks. 257 00:15:56,639 --> 00:16:02,320 It's still bad. I hope I picked the Bulls to make I picked the 258 00:16:02,360 --> 00:16:03,799 Bulls in the heat to come out of the play in for the East. 259 00:16:03,840 --> 00:16:08,080 I'm clearly gonna be wrong. I hope it's the Bulls. They're they're a 260 00:16:08,200 --> 00:16:12,039 more people to say, well Butler and how to bio and like that's the 261 00:16:12,080 --> 00:16:15,600 tougher mat No, I think it's the Bulls, Like I give me their 262 00:16:15,600 --> 00:16:18,519 ball pressure on defense, with the shot making of the Rosen and Zach will 263 00:16:18,559 --> 00:16:21,279 be in the half court at this point, it's it's really hard to have 264 00:16:21,279 --> 00:16:23,799 faith in the heat, even though I did just watching that offensive game, 265 00:16:23,840 --> 00:16:27,759 It's just it's rough. So uh, I just think you know that that's 266 00:16:27,799 --> 00:16:32,240 the that's the easy pick for me. The Celtics just I mean, you 267 00:16:32,279 --> 00:16:34,799 know, we I feel like we spend a lot of time almost concern trolling 268 00:16:34,840 --> 00:16:37,840 for the Celtics, Like, you know, is Jason Tatum really the guy 269 00:16:37,960 --> 00:16:41,600 that can get you a shot? You know down the stretch of you know, 270 00:16:41,679 --> 00:16:45,120 several clutch possessions? What about the turnovers? Like you know what, 271 00:16:45,240 --> 00:16:48,600 Marcus Smart's not like, come on, the Celtics are still awesome. I 272 00:16:48,639 --> 00:16:51,960 think they still ended up with the best net rating in the league for the 273 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:55,919 season, So uh, I don't we can get into the details more, 274 00:16:55,960 --> 00:17:00,320 but just like by default, you a lot's got to go right for Atlanta 275 00:17:00,440 --> 00:17:04,240 to even make this interesting. Yeah, And I think when you start to 276 00:17:04,279 --> 00:17:10,279 look at their concerns, it immediately starts with the Jays. You have DeAndre 277 00:17:10,400 --> 00:17:12,480 Hunter and Dejanta Murray. Those are bodies you can throw at the Jays. 278 00:17:12,880 --> 00:17:18,960 They can't play forty eight minutes, and so you're in a position where Jalen 279 00:17:18,039 --> 00:17:22,160 Johnson you're gonna need to be relying on him. Do you trust a deep 280 00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:26,039 Bay who Actually I thought it was pretty good defensively good in that playing game 281 00:17:26,119 --> 00:17:30,960 to Bay had been like sort of a defensive mess for a while, and 282 00:17:30,119 --> 00:17:33,400 yeah, he held up. Going up against the Jays is different from that 283 00:17:33,480 --> 00:17:40,359 slog fest of the the Miami offense. And then also just Derek White this 284 00:17:40,440 --> 00:17:44,319 season when he's defending Trey Young, the Hawks are averaging one point zero one 285 00:17:44,359 --> 00:17:47,200 points per possession. That's not great. So if he puts Trey Young in 286 00:17:47,279 --> 00:17:51,720 hell, what are sort of your counters there? You do have Dejanta Murray, 287 00:17:51,759 --> 00:17:53,119 you do have the John Collins floor Jame. But that led me my 288 00:17:53,160 --> 00:17:57,279 other question. It's Boston feels like they're gonna force based off how they've played 289 00:17:57,319 --> 00:18:00,920 this year, even when RW three is how Boston feels like they're going to 290 00:18:02,039 --> 00:18:04,519 force Atlanta to not play a lot of the dual big stuff, where like 291 00:18:04,519 --> 00:18:08,000 the Collins Capella minutes are finite to begin with, but like that's going to 292 00:18:08,039 --> 00:18:11,200 be more of a decision, where like even more of a decision than normal 293 00:18:11,240 --> 00:18:14,559 for Atlanta against this team, it feels like, yeah, there's a lot 294 00:18:14,599 --> 00:18:17,480 of interesting looks. So one of the other angles in that playing game between 295 00:18:17,480 --> 00:18:19,920 Atlanta and Miami was how dominant Capella was on the boards, on the offensive 296 00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:26,559 boards in particular. I think I think there's definitely a way that that could 297 00:18:26,559 --> 00:18:30,799 be a factor if the Celtics don't force him to guard like say Al Horford 298 00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:36,039 for example. Like that's another big, big sort of unknown is how what 299 00:18:36,319 --> 00:18:38,759 how much RW three are we going to get? And like what version of 300 00:18:38,839 --> 00:18:42,279 him are we going to get? And then is that even do you even 301 00:18:42,319 --> 00:18:45,799 want that if you're Boston because I think spacing, spacing the floor a little 302 00:18:45,799 --> 00:18:49,880 bit without him out there offensively might be a good way forward. But like 303 00:18:49,960 --> 00:18:55,599 for so for the Hawks to succeed, I guess you know, again, 304 00:18:55,680 --> 00:19:00,079 Cappella, just offensive rebounding is a big plus. I suppose possibility is probably 305 00:19:00,119 --> 00:19:03,400 the better way to put it. But it's not like Boston's twelfth and defensive 306 00:19:03,400 --> 00:19:06,799 rebound rates since the All Star Breaks, So they're fine. It's not like 307 00:19:06,839 --> 00:19:10,400 this is you know, there's not gonna be Capella playing volleyball on the glass. 308 00:19:10,440 --> 00:19:14,240 I don't think other than that, I think you probably just depend on 309 00:19:15,240 --> 00:19:18,079 you know, you're gonna have to slip screens on switches. You're gonna have 310 00:19:18,160 --> 00:19:21,039 to if you're the Hawks. I mean, you're gonna have to hope that 311 00:19:21,160 --> 00:19:25,640 Young can just make a bunch of really deep threes to pull Boston out a 312 00:19:25,640 --> 00:19:29,599 little further from the basket. I think like someone like John Collins is probably 313 00:19:29,640 --> 00:19:33,400 gonna have to hit threes too. I think, really, as I think 314 00:19:33,400 --> 00:19:37,119 about it, more, the way that the Hawks win this is the Celtics 315 00:19:37,240 --> 00:19:41,480 missshots like that. That's to me, and that's possible, We've seen it 316 00:19:41,519 --> 00:19:45,799 happen. But it's really difficult for me to schematically say, well, if 317 00:19:45,799 --> 00:19:48,200 Atlanta can just get to this, this or this, it's gonna give Boston 318 00:19:48,279 --> 00:19:52,240 problems just because of the personnel that the Celtics have and the different ways they 319 00:19:52,279 --> 00:19:56,480 can deploy it. I don't feel like Trey Young is gonna just get into 320 00:19:56,480 --> 00:20:00,720 the lane every time and either make layups or lob you know that, like 321 00:20:00,720 --> 00:20:03,680 like he did against the Heat, you know, really under control. I 322 00:20:03,720 --> 00:20:07,440 don't. I just don't see that happening against Boston. Yeah, And you 323 00:20:07,519 --> 00:20:11,519 also, I worry about Atlanta's bench because some of their top end units have 324 00:20:11,599 --> 00:20:12,319 been really good. And at the same time, it's like, well, 325 00:20:12,359 --> 00:20:15,519 this could be an Yuko Congu series if you're looking for someone who can hold 326 00:20:15,599 --> 00:20:19,160 up on a ton of switches, and Bota Bardonovitch Is three point volume is 327 00:20:19,279 --> 00:20:22,480 just super important to them, and so maybe there's a path to them making 328 00:20:22,519 --> 00:20:26,880 it interesting. It does feel like it would be more about Boston doing things 329 00:20:26,960 --> 00:20:30,960 wrong than Atlanta maybe doing anything right, because I don't know what the defensive 330 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:37,279 ceiling of Atlanta is against peak Boston offense. And I will say Boston still 331 00:20:37,279 --> 00:20:40,119 doesn't generate a ton of rim pressure. Even when Robert Williams the third is 332 00:20:40,119 --> 00:20:42,000 on the floor, They're in the twelve percent tile of the frequency with with 333 00:20:42,039 --> 00:20:47,079 their shots come at the rim, that inherently limits their free throw attempt rate. 334 00:20:47,119 --> 00:20:48,920 Like we see guys like Tatum and Brown get to the line, and 335 00:20:48,960 --> 00:20:52,000 Derek White's been pretty good at that and smart as well, but even a 336 00:20:52,039 --> 00:20:55,920 lot of that stuff is predicated on drawing shooting fouls from the perimeter, which 337 00:20:55,960 --> 00:21:00,279 is difficult Atlanta is really Their rim protection is fine, but teams to the 338 00:21:00,400 --> 00:21:03,160 rim a ton against them. If Boston can't do that and they're still sort 339 00:21:03,160 --> 00:21:07,839 of bailing out on the perimeter, You've already mentioned this, there's variability caked 340 00:21:07,839 --> 00:21:11,400 into their performance, and I don't think it will be an issue against this 341 00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:15,519 team. So this might be long term playoff stuff. But Jason Tatums jump 342 00:21:15,519 --> 00:21:22,119 shooting like creation has not been up to snuff this year, and so there 343 00:21:22,119 --> 00:21:26,119 have been seventy one players who have attempted at least one hundred pull up threes 344 00:21:26,519 --> 00:21:32,240 this year. Jason Tatum ranks sixty seventh and three point percentage on that. 345 00:21:32,359 --> 00:21:34,279 There have also been seventy one players who have attempted at least two hundred and 346 00:21:34,319 --> 00:21:40,640 fifty pull up jumpers, either threes or twos. Tatum ranks sixty fifth out 347 00:21:40,680 --> 00:21:45,000 of seventy one in effective field goal percentage on that. Looks that's just something 348 00:21:45,039 --> 00:21:48,319 to monitor if he runs hot and cold here Again, I just don't think 349 00:21:48,359 --> 00:21:53,279 it's something that ails them in this series, and Boston's depth, just looking 350 00:21:53,319 --> 00:21:57,640 at their top seven guys is just by far and away better than Atlanta's. 351 00:21:57,759 --> 00:22:03,880 And so when you ask a cliche question of what happens for Atlanta to win 352 00:22:03,960 --> 00:22:07,960 this series, I don't know what it is that Atlanta would do that spurs 353 00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:11,160 the victory. I'm not saying it would be impossible, but I would view 354 00:22:11,200 --> 00:22:14,920 this as more of a okay, the Celtics loss. That's not to disrespect 355 00:22:14,960 --> 00:22:17,440 the Hawks. I have a problem with their shot profile. Still, I 356 00:22:17,480 --> 00:22:19,559 also can't bring myself to care. They were fourth and point score per possession 357 00:22:19,839 --> 00:22:22,400 after the trade deadline, So, like, the offense is clearly going to 358 00:22:22,440 --> 00:22:26,400 work. But like Derek White, I know, and I know you just 359 00:22:26,400 --> 00:22:30,720 went up against Miami, which is historically defended Trey Young really well Derek White 360 00:22:30,920 --> 00:22:34,039 is and then having Tatum and then also Brown, but also Mark is smart. 361 00:22:34,079 --> 00:22:38,279 Like the options to go after Tray Young, however aggressive or conservative you 362 00:22:38,279 --> 00:22:44,279 want to be, or seemingly endless I think too, sort of from a 363 00:22:44,359 --> 00:22:47,319 roster building perspective for the Hawks. And maybe this is a little unfair, 364 00:22:47,680 --> 00:22:49,720 but like, this is not a de Jontay Murray series because I don't think 365 00:22:49,720 --> 00:22:55,119 he's big enough to really bother Brown or Tatum, and so this big defensive 366 00:22:55,200 --> 00:22:57,279 upgrade that you give up so much to get, like this ain't this ain't 367 00:22:57,319 --> 00:23:00,880 the series for it. Like if you're going against I'm trying to even think 368 00:23:00,880 --> 00:23:03,160 of if you're in the West, just hypothetically, he's the first guy that 369 00:23:03,160 --> 00:23:07,440 came to mind. We gotta go guard John Moran, Okay Dejanta Murray. 370 00:23:07,599 --> 00:23:10,000 Perfect, glad we got glad we have you. But it's like if it's 371 00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:14,240 Marcus Smart and Derek White, Dejontay Murray is just not going to be able 372 00:23:14,279 --> 00:23:18,759 to make the impact that you know he otherwise could against different positions, like 373 00:23:18,799 --> 00:23:21,960 if your point guard as your primary score, Like if you're going against Trey 374 00:23:21,960 --> 00:23:23,839 Young, Dejanta Murray would be awesome to have on your team, but he's 375 00:23:23,880 --> 00:23:27,240 on his team, and this just he doesn't have the ability I don't think 376 00:23:27,240 --> 00:23:33,279 to consistently contend with the size of Brown and particularly Tatum, who I think 377 00:23:33,279 --> 00:23:36,359 we'll just shoot over the top of him. If that's assume. Hunter will 378 00:23:36,359 --> 00:23:38,200 probably guard Tatum, and I think Tatum will be able to get by him 379 00:23:38,200 --> 00:23:41,079 because low key Hunter has not been very good at keeping guys in front of 380 00:23:41,119 --> 00:23:45,000 him this year. So yeah, it's just just something that struck me as 381 00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:48,839 I was looking at this is man that's too bad because I think the Dejante 382 00:23:48,960 --> 00:23:52,400 Murray acquisition made a decent amount of sense. They probably gave up too much 383 00:23:52,440 --> 00:23:56,200 to do it, but this really, he's just I don't think he can 384 00:23:56,240 --> 00:23:57,920 be the kind of factor that you want someone like him to be in this 385 00:23:57,960 --> 00:24:02,200 particular series. It's interesting. I don't really think they gave up too much 386 00:24:02,240 --> 00:24:03,839 for De john Day Murray, as long as they were the wrong team to 387 00:24:03,880 --> 00:24:07,839 pay that price at that maybe, like the Wolves gave up too much of 388 00:24:07,880 --> 00:24:11,680 Rudy Gobert. I don't care what team you were. My last question on 389 00:24:11,720 --> 00:24:12,759 this and I kind of touched upon this, but I don't know where we 390 00:24:12,880 --> 00:24:17,039 landed. Is this a dual big series for Boston or do you expect to 391 00:24:17,079 --> 00:24:22,839 see more of the one big stuff? I would I would be surprised because 392 00:24:22,880 --> 00:24:26,200 I don't think you need a big necessarily to guard John Collins. You could 393 00:24:26,240 --> 00:24:30,559 probably get away. Does Grant Williams count as a big for example? Like, 394 00:24:30,680 --> 00:24:34,000 I guess me six five or six six? Yeah, I figger than 395 00:24:34,039 --> 00:24:37,279 me. You know what if? Is it bad that My answer is like 396 00:24:37,279 --> 00:24:44,000 it doesn't really matter. I think. I think probably if I'm Boston, 397 00:24:44,440 --> 00:24:48,359 I am trying to go with one big more often than not, just because 398 00:24:48,400 --> 00:24:51,920 I want to preserve Robert Williams for a series where I'm actually gonna need him. 399 00:24:52,440 --> 00:24:55,920 And I think the only way that Atlanta can really counter that is if 400 00:24:55,920 --> 00:24:59,880 they really do dominate the glass against Boston. Who's been when it's just Horford 401 00:24:59,880 --> 00:25:02,839 on the floor. They have an excellent defensive rebounding rate. So Atlanta would 402 00:25:02,839 --> 00:25:06,599 need to really be I guess, dominating the glass for Boston to maybe revaluate 403 00:25:06,680 --> 00:25:08,960 and say, okay, like we need to go the RW three Horford heavy 404 00:25:08,960 --> 00:25:15,119 minutes Throughoute. A lot depends on capella next series, The Knicks versus the 405 00:25:15,119 --> 00:25:18,000 Cleveland Cavaliers. You know, I'm gonna have a lot of thoughts on this, 406 00:25:18,039 --> 00:25:21,640 but I'm hoping that you have a lot of thoughts too. Yeah, 407 00:25:21,720 --> 00:25:25,279 We've talked about it a few times. I don't know how much has changed 408 00:25:25,599 --> 00:25:30,119 in my thinking. Basically, I think the Randall uncertainty is a big factor, 409 00:25:30,200 --> 00:25:33,200 mixed with the concerns about how the Knicks can stop Mitchell and Garland. 410 00:25:33,559 --> 00:25:37,240 You know, a high and pick and roll sets I feel like we're going 411 00:25:37,279 --> 00:25:41,200 to come back to this a lot. But if Mitchell Robinson's in a drop, 412 00:25:41,880 --> 00:25:45,680 I mean, so it's a little scary because Garland shot thirty nine point 413 00:25:45,720 --> 00:25:48,319 one percent on pull up threes and Mitchell shot thirty nine point two percent, 414 00:25:48,400 --> 00:25:52,240 and both of them were pretty high volume and pull up three point shooters, 415 00:25:52,279 --> 00:25:55,039 so that you know, again we can get down to like, well, 416 00:25:55,119 --> 00:25:56,759 let's make or miss, and those guys might just miss those shots. But 417 00:25:57,000 --> 00:26:00,200 I think based on the way that the Knicks problem we will defend those two 418 00:26:00,200 --> 00:26:06,920 guys, it could get problematic pretty quickly. So, uh, you know, 419 00:26:07,400 --> 00:26:10,480 this is again we're gonna have to go through how do the Knicks? 420 00:26:10,480 --> 00:26:12,400 What does a Knicks win look like? Because my default is that the Cavs 421 00:26:12,400 --> 00:26:18,359 have pretty distinct advantages, even before talking about well what what version of Randall 422 00:26:18,400 --> 00:26:22,880 are we going to get in this series? And as we're recording this, 423 00:26:22,000 --> 00:26:26,680 we don't totally know his status. He's dealing with that left ankle sprain. 424 00:26:26,119 --> 00:26:30,680 I might guess would be that he just plays because I believes that one ankle 425 00:26:30,759 --> 00:26:33,319 is more than enough to win. And also Julius Randall really just wants to 426 00:26:33,359 --> 00:26:37,960 play like that's a guy who's pride himself on being an iron man, someone 427 00:26:37,960 --> 00:26:41,000 who I think in retrospect I probably should have put him on an All NBA 428 00:26:41,039 --> 00:26:44,279 team over Ranthony Davis because the minutes gap I got actually got a lot of 429 00:26:44,279 --> 00:26:47,839 ship for that when we did it. Surprisingly, like in my DMS and 430 00:26:47,920 --> 00:26:51,079 friend of the podcast Andrew Claudio from Micks Film School texting me about it, 431 00:26:51,240 --> 00:26:55,680 he was mostly going that a Knicks supporter was bothered that a Knicks player didn't 432 00:26:55,759 --> 00:26:57,279 get some of them weren't Nick supporters that reach out to me though, and 433 00:26:57,319 --> 00:27:00,720 saying that I was, I should not have been as flexible with my like 434 00:27:00,759 --> 00:27:07,000 back of the ballot third team stuff want with it. Nick's Film School loves 435 00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:10,599 you more than me now though, because you had Randall on an All NBA 436 00:27:10,680 --> 00:27:12,559 team and you pick quickly to win six Man of the Year. So you 437 00:27:12,599 --> 00:27:15,160 know, I go for the big markets. That's all I care about. 438 00:27:17,039 --> 00:27:19,079 But what I'm interested to see So you mentioned that I actually wanna talk about 439 00:27:19,079 --> 00:27:22,559 something you said the Robinson in a drop. I'm wondering if you can, 440 00:27:22,799 --> 00:27:29,119 especially post ankle injury, do you just say Julius Randall's on Jared Allen and 441 00:27:29,160 --> 00:27:33,359 then you have Mitchell Robinson on Evan Mobley and that's gonna like change the way 442 00:27:33,400 --> 00:27:36,960 you might defend, or then it's well the cas will just try and put 443 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:40,759 Julius Randall in the screening action. Then I just think that that's still maybe 444 00:27:40,759 --> 00:27:45,240 a little bit easier because Jared Allen is more dynamic than I think most I 445 00:27:45,279 --> 00:27:48,599 don't know how to frame this in like a respectful but if you're not watching 446 00:27:48,599 --> 00:27:51,640 the Calves on a regular basis or semi regular basis, I don't think you 447 00:27:51,720 --> 00:27:55,079 understand how dynamic Jared Allen could be on offense. Evan Mobley is far more 448 00:27:55,160 --> 00:27:59,079 dynamic than Jared Allen is on offense. But I do think that's a fair 449 00:27:59,200 --> 00:28:02,920 question. What's interesting is I think the Knicks. The Knicks could be more 450 00:28:02,960 --> 00:28:08,960 aggressive in their defensive coverage because they have emmanual Quickly Josh Hart, Quentin Grimes. 451 00:28:08,960 --> 00:28:14,880 However, that brings you in an interesting is it a dilemma pickle to 452 00:28:14,920 --> 00:28:18,319 where well, is this not an RJ. Barrett series? Then, but 453 00:28:18,359 --> 00:28:19,960 then you kind of need it to be an RJ. Barrett series if if 454 00:28:21,079 --> 00:28:23,839 Randall isn't able to create at the same level. And this is before I 455 00:28:23,880 --> 00:28:27,279 throw it back to you is one of my biggest questions what does this Knicks 456 00:28:27,279 --> 00:28:32,680 offense look like? Because I think a lot of their success is just like 457 00:28:32,720 --> 00:28:36,960 there's been the we know about the Iso Brunson and Randall's stuff, but they 458 00:28:37,000 --> 00:28:40,119 also have like a nice two man chemistry where they can punish people. Where 459 00:28:40,119 --> 00:28:42,000 if Julius Randall's gonna screen and get the ball, he can attack a mismatch, 460 00:28:42,200 --> 00:28:45,799 he can put the defense in rotation. He might not be able to 461 00:28:45,799 --> 00:28:48,640 do that against the Calves because of one his ankle. I don't even know 462 00:28:48,759 --> 00:28:52,039 the Calves could if they wanted to, And I don't know if they'll do 463 00:28:52,119 --> 00:28:55,880 this, but like you could just say, well, we'll dare the Knicks 464 00:28:55,880 --> 00:28:57,519 to do this, and we'll just put Evan Mobley on Jayalen Brunson. And 465 00:28:57,559 --> 00:29:00,039 so if you want to get them to screening, just have Evan mobile switch 466 00:29:00,079 --> 00:29:03,680 on the Julius Randall or he's playing Julius Randall straight up anyway. And even 467 00:29:03,680 --> 00:29:07,880 if you're fully healthy, Julius Randall, you might be stronger than him, 468 00:29:07,079 --> 00:29:11,440 but are you gonna You're not gonna have the same level of defensive rotation put 469 00:29:11,480 --> 00:29:14,319 in. And I think Julius Randalls has gotten better at making the pass in 470 00:29:14,359 --> 00:29:18,759 those situations. But I'm very interested to see how Cleveland is able to in 471 00:29:18,799 --> 00:29:22,960 a playoff series because there was all these weirdo regular season returns this year. 472 00:29:22,279 --> 00:29:26,319 What do they do to New York's base offense? And I think that they 473 00:29:26,359 --> 00:29:30,680 are built to sort of muck it up, even though in theory and I 474 00:29:30,720 --> 00:29:34,119 think they've both been better defensively than people would have expected. You can try 475 00:29:34,119 --> 00:29:38,680 and target Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell and at them involved, but the Calves 476 00:29:38,720 --> 00:29:42,400 just have the personnel to where even if carros La virture three and I'm sure 477 00:29:42,400 --> 00:29:47,279 we'll get into the Calves three spot, Like, I just don't know how 478 00:29:47,319 --> 00:29:51,440 concerning that is. And so I think that any of your thoughts on that, 479 00:29:51,559 --> 00:29:55,400 but also just like where do you land on this being or not being 480 00:29:55,440 --> 00:29:57,960 an RJ Barrett series? Yeah, first, I'd take the first the second 481 00:29:57,960 --> 00:30:00,799 thing. First, I think, all you want it to be an r 482 00:30:00,839 --> 00:30:04,640 J Barrett series, But first of all, you've been You were quicker to 483 00:30:04,680 --> 00:30:08,400 appreciate carousel Vert improving as a defender than I was, and so that is 484 00:30:08,440 --> 00:30:11,279 something we should mention. I still think if you're the Knicks. You would 485 00:30:11,279 --> 00:30:14,640 hope it's an R. J. Barrett series because if he's in the game, 486 00:30:14,759 --> 00:30:18,440 probably he's going at that three spot that we've said the Cavs needed to 487 00:30:18,519 --> 00:30:23,079 upgrade all year, and that you know LeVert can't handle Barrett for example, 488 00:30:23,160 --> 00:30:26,720 like just depending you know, Barrett might play some four two. I don't 489 00:30:26,720 --> 00:30:32,599 know, but it doesn't feel like there's anything that Barrett would give the Knicks 490 00:30:33,240 --> 00:30:37,759 that is going to meaningfully change how they play offense. Because what I think 491 00:30:37,799 --> 00:30:40,039 they want to do and what they should try to do, and you alluded 492 00:30:40,079 --> 00:30:42,839 to it, is you're gonna want to attack both of Cleveland small guards. 493 00:30:44,119 --> 00:30:45,559 The Knicks were third in the league and drives per game. I don't think 494 00:30:45,599 --> 00:30:48,920 you change that fundamental aspect of your offense. You're gonna want to try to 495 00:30:48,960 --> 00:30:52,359 get in the paint. But this is going to feel like a driving Kick 496 00:30:52,400 --> 00:30:56,160 series to me because as as if, if it is true, I think, 497 00:30:56,160 --> 00:30:59,880 and it is relatively speaking, that Garland and Mitchell are the guys, 498 00:31:00,200 --> 00:31:02,279 you know, the weak links, so to speak, the guys you want 499 00:31:02,279 --> 00:31:03,640 to go at, if for no other reason than to tire them out, 500 00:31:04,319 --> 00:31:08,039 You're just going to run into the best four or five back line defensive twosome 501 00:31:08,079 --> 00:31:11,039 in the league in Mobile and Allen, assuming they're in and around the lane. 502 00:31:11,799 --> 00:31:15,559 As great as Brunson is, it's a lot to ask him to, 503 00:31:15,839 --> 00:31:18,000 you know, get get into his bag in the paint, in his you 504 00:31:18,039 --> 00:31:21,759 know, midpost, even with a hand injury. Still too Yeah, I 505 00:31:21,799 --> 00:31:23,079 mean we're saying all this, and he had forty eight against the Calves, 506 00:31:23,160 --> 00:31:26,799 right, so, like, certainly there's a it can't happen. I just 507 00:31:26,839 --> 00:31:30,359 think over a series, you're not going to make a lot of Hay driving 508 00:31:30,359 --> 00:31:33,680 all the way to the basket against Cleveland just because of the length and the 509 00:31:33,720 --> 00:31:37,079 skill of their two best defenders. So it feels like a driving kick, 510 00:31:37,119 --> 00:31:40,480 and that maybe even is another reason this isn't a Barrett series unless you're getting 511 00:31:40,559 --> 00:31:45,119 drive kick drive and you're playing Oklahoma City basketball. That's that's one way maybe 512 00:31:45,119 --> 00:31:48,319 to scramble the Calves. But those two are still mobile, They're still mobile. 513 00:31:48,400 --> 00:31:52,559 Like, I just don't know that you're going to get Cleveland scrambled in 514 00:31:52,599 --> 00:31:56,799 such a way where Mobile and Alan can't recover. So, I mean, 515 00:31:56,839 --> 00:32:00,839 I think Mobile is the X factor of the series because he can either He 516 00:32:00,880 --> 00:32:06,119 could probably credibly guard Brunson in space if he had to, and then if 517 00:32:06,119 --> 00:32:08,960 he's involved in screens, I feel great about him trying to handle Julius Randall, 518 00:32:09,079 --> 00:32:14,279 especially if Randall's mobility is not where it needs to be. So I 519 00:32:14,559 --> 00:32:16,000 think, yeah, it's got to be a driving kick series, and the 520 00:32:16,079 --> 00:32:19,640 Knicks may just have to make threes because I don't think they can win this 521 00:32:19,680 --> 00:32:24,160 close to the basket. And that might be that would be the reason why 522 00:32:24,160 --> 00:32:29,880 this isn't an RJ. Barrett series, just because like he has not shot 523 00:32:29,880 --> 00:32:31,799 the three ball consistently at all this year, and his bread and butter is 524 00:32:31,839 --> 00:32:35,759 going to be not even necessarily finishing well once he gets into the paint, 525 00:32:35,759 --> 00:32:38,920 but drawing fouls and so like the calves are just built to maybe neutralize that 526 00:32:38,960 --> 00:32:44,200 part of his game. And look so much without knowing what Randall looks like, 527 00:32:44,240 --> 00:32:45,960 I feel like I'm talking in circles. I do think what might bode 528 00:32:45,960 --> 00:32:51,839 well for at least him, is he could pick him pop like we've seen 529 00:32:51,839 --> 00:32:54,720 these willing three point shooter does some of them? Are they gonna need to 530 00:32:54,720 --> 00:32:57,640 be pull up so they're gonna be creative for himself, sure, but like 531 00:32:57,680 --> 00:33:00,079 he could screen and just pop and if they're gonna give they might not give 532 00:33:00,160 --> 00:33:05,400 him that shot because Evan Mobley can fucking teleport and contest those books as well. 533 00:33:05,640 --> 00:33:07,720 But that's something that they could use. I am, however, interested 534 00:33:08,119 --> 00:33:13,240 in the and we know if Randall's healthy, he'll play like forty nine or 535 00:33:13,240 --> 00:33:15,599 forty eight minutes a game, but like, let's just let's just say he's 536 00:33:15,599 --> 00:33:20,839 averaging forty or forty two. I'm wondering if the Knicks can go, and 537 00:33:20,839 --> 00:33:22,599 a lot of it will depend on what Cleveland is running. Is this a 538 00:33:22,839 --> 00:33:25,599 I love will we top in? But is this a situation where it's, 539 00:33:25,640 --> 00:33:29,319 well, no, we're gonna downsize and to make this inn RJ. Barrett 540 00:33:29,359 --> 00:33:31,559 series, we go with the RJ. Barrett at the four lineups because those 541 00:33:31,599 --> 00:33:35,839 are gonna be better equipped to not just drive and kick, but to actually 542 00:33:35,839 --> 00:33:38,440 open up driving lanes for Barrett himself. The Knicks are a plus fifteen points 543 00:33:38,440 --> 00:33:42,960 per one hundred possessions with Barrett at the four this year. Very small sample 544 00:33:42,960 --> 00:33:45,480 size, very small sample size. But I'm just wondering if that's that's not 545 00:33:45,519 --> 00:33:49,519 gonna win you this series? But is that a way, especially if Julie's 546 00:33:49,559 --> 00:33:52,680 Randall can't go for forty forty two minutes a game and you need to all 547 00:33:52,680 --> 00:33:55,440 of a sudden, oh he's at thirty eight, Like I'm wondering if they 548 00:33:55,440 --> 00:34:00,319 can go that route or is Cleveland just even when they go one big sort 549 00:34:00,359 --> 00:34:07,079 of just so demoralizingly enormous that just having Isaiah Hartenstein without an Obi Topping you 550 00:34:07,119 --> 00:34:09,280 want because I don't even know, like what is Obi Topping really gonna give 551 00:34:09,280 --> 00:34:12,679 you on offense, though I would I would pivot to the RJ. Barrett 552 00:34:12,679 --> 00:34:15,880 at the four. Stuff that's me loving. I would probably play Topping at 553 00:34:15,920 --> 00:34:17,480 the five and say fuck defense, like we're just gonna try in. Because 554 00:34:17,519 --> 00:34:22,239 the other thing about these teams they don't play. When they get like they 555 00:34:22,280 --> 00:34:24,239 will look to run, and if I Manuel quickly is on the floor, 556 00:34:24,239 --> 00:34:27,199 they will look to run. But like the Cavs and the Knicks, when 557 00:34:27,199 --> 00:34:30,400 they get into their bass offenses, like they're really running the shot clock down, 558 00:34:30,440 --> 00:34:32,920 their average offensive possession time is is pretty late into the shot clock. 559 00:34:34,400 --> 00:34:37,559 If you can get a shot of a adrenaline in any way, that ends 560 00:34:37,599 --> 00:34:39,599 up being for both teams just a huge difference in this series. Yeah, 561 00:34:39,639 --> 00:34:45,199 I think if you downsize as the Knicks. I think it potentially takes away 562 00:34:45,480 --> 00:34:50,719 one of the one of the possible routes where you stay really competitive in this 563 00:34:50,760 --> 00:34:52,880 series, and that's offensive rebounds and putbacks, because if you're looking at half 564 00:34:52,880 --> 00:34:57,639 court offenses, you know the Knicks. Much has been made of the Knicks 565 00:34:57,639 --> 00:35:00,760 offense this year, and rightfully so it's been a great offense. The Cavs 566 00:35:00,760 --> 00:35:04,480 are seventh, so it's not like this is some massive advantage, and the 567 00:35:04,559 --> 00:35:08,119 Caves actually were just, by the smallest possible margin, more efficient in half 568 00:35:08,119 --> 00:35:14,119 court chances. But the Knicks half court offense really depends on offensive rebounds and 569 00:35:14,159 --> 00:35:16,960 second chances. So if you shrink a little bit, most of that's Robinson. 570 00:35:17,039 --> 00:35:21,320 But if you if you go smaller, I think that cuts into what 571 00:35:21,440 --> 00:35:25,519 might be a small advantage for the Knicks. And then, just to get 572 00:35:25,559 --> 00:35:30,199 back to what you're saying about Topping and Barrett, I think you probably just 573 00:35:30,280 --> 00:35:34,599 keep which you probably try on both if you do go smaller. But I 574 00:35:34,639 --> 00:35:37,960 think if Topping, you know, runs hot on a few threes, then 575 00:35:37,199 --> 00:35:40,519 he gets to play. And if Barrett makes a couple of second side drives 576 00:35:40,840 --> 00:35:45,599 and that creates good opportunities, then he gets to play. I think you 577 00:35:45,719 --> 00:35:49,840 have to be very flexible if you're Tom Thibodeau, because that's fun to say, 578 00:35:49,920 --> 00:35:52,360 right, very which, by the way, he's yeah, I know, 579 00:35:52,400 --> 00:35:58,239 that's unfair. That's not unfair. It used to be. It's not 580 00:35:58,280 --> 00:36:00,119 fair anymore. It's lots fair than ever was. But could we see him 581 00:36:00,119 --> 00:36:05,760 revert to his like, wait in, I'm sorry, I didn't mean that's 582 00:36:05,760 --> 00:36:07,960 all. That's all. I just think I just wanted to point out the 583 00:36:07,079 --> 00:36:10,159 potential for the Knicks to do well on the offensive boards, and that's just 584 00:36:10,199 --> 00:36:14,400 another way they could prop up an offense that has been really good, but 585 00:36:14,679 --> 00:36:17,280 uh, you know, isn't so much better than Cleveland's that I'm concerned. 586 00:36:17,320 --> 00:36:21,360 If I'm the Calves about you know, winning a winning a scoring contest, 587 00:36:21,840 --> 00:36:24,920 I will say, if you you go smaller, though, doesn't it make 588 00:36:25,000 --> 00:36:30,679 you better equipped to defend the guards? And like, if you're gonna go 589 00:36:30,719 --> 00:36:32,400 smaller again someone like the primary line up, if you're better equipped to defend 590 00:36:32,440 --> 00:36:36,079 Don and Mitchell and Darius Garland then though two and so the trade off is 591 00:36:36,280 --> 00:36:38,239 all right, we're giving up stuff on the glass, Like maybe we're able 592 00:36:38,280 --> 00:36:45,480 to force the Calves offense into more difficult decisions because we're playing two grimes quickly 593 00:36:45,559 --> 00:36:47,760 and heart at the same time. Yeah, I mean, usually you're giving 594 00:36:47,840 --> 00:36:52,119 up defense by going smaller, but in this particular case, I take your 595 00:36:52,159 --> 00:36:54,360 point like you you might and really then also that's going to open your offense 596 00:36:54,440 --> 00:36:57,599 up a little bit more if you're if you're the Knicks, and you shrink, 597 00:36:57,639 --> 00:37:00,760 you shrink your positions a little. Yeah. I don't have a lot 598 00:37:00,760 --> 00:37:01,840 else to say. You want to make your pick here. I was just 599 00:37:01,840 --> 00:37:07,760 gonna ask you about the how does the Isaaco Coro injury if he's not full 600 00:37:07,760 --> 00:37:09,440 strength, or like, I mean, even just the Cleveland's three spot, 601 00:37:09,480 --> 00:37:13,760 because we only mentioned at cursory, how does an impact your view of this 602 00:37:13,840 --> 00:37:15,800 series at all? It comes down to I think a lot of people worried 603 00:37:15,840 --> 00:37:20,280 they wouldn't get the defense necessary out of that spot. Actually, you don't 604 00:37:20,320 --> 00:37:23,239 think that's the issue. It's okay, Caroslvert shooting really well from three thirty 605 00:37:23,320 --> 00:37:28,239 nine percent on catching shoots also like at forty five percent or something ridiculous. 606 00:37:28,239 --> 00:37:31,480 Since the trade deadline, Isaaco Coro has shot above forty percent from three for 607 00:37:31,559 --> 00:37:35,639 more than half the season when healthy, and they do have Danny Green he 608 00:37:35,679 --> 00:37:37,719 had COVID for a while, so he didn't play a ton with the Calves. 609 00:37:37,880 --> 00:37:40,159 But he's hitting his threes, and so there's three, and there's four 610 00:37:40,239 --> 00:37:44,280 questions, like Dean Wage is floating around out there. Will he hit his 611 00:37:44,400 --> 00:37:46,599 threes? Those were pulled back? Will Danny Green be able to defend well 612 00:37:46,719 --> 00:37:50,480 enough to play a role because we know he'll hit his threes? And then 613 00:37:50,519 --> 00:37:53,719 does the shooting for Lavert and a Coro, assuming he's able to play, 614 00:37:54,000 --> 00:37:59,239 does that translate into the postseason? And I'm just how big of a variable 615 00:37:59,400 --> 00:38:02,440 is that actual will leave for Cleveland. I think o'korro would probably be the 616 00:38:02,519 --> 00:38:07,800 guy on Brunson, right, Like, if if you're if you're drawing it 617 00:38:07,880 --> 00:38:09,320 up for Cleveland because you don't want Garland on, I mean you don't want 618 00:38:09,559 --> 00:38:13,400 maybe Mitchell, but I think i'd rather have Mitchell, you know, be 619 00:38:13,440 --> 00:38:15,800 off the ball a little bit more and gets to rest. So that's a 620 00:38:15,840 --> 00:38:19,559 factor. I do think. You know, as I said earlier, Leavert 621 00:38:19,599 --> 00:38:22,840 has been better defensively and is clearly the best offensive player of Cleveland's options at 622 00:38:22,840 --> 00:38:25,880 the three. I think a Koro two, while he would be the guy 623 00:38:25,880 --> 00:38:30,159 you'd want out there for defensive purposes. I still think he's someone that the 624 00:38:30,239 --> 00:38:34,159 Knicks, if they're looking to cheat a little bit, he's the guy they're 625 00:38:34,199 --> 00:38:37,519 leaving in the corner and just saying, if you're gonna we're gonna not be 626 00:38:37,559 --> 00:38:40,159 anywhere in your neighborhood in the first quarter. More power too, if you 627 00:38:40,159 --> 00:38:43,559 want to hit, if you want to take five threes and make like three 628 00:38:43,599 --> 00:38:45,119 of them, like, good luck Cavs if that's if that's how you want 629 00:38:45,119 --> 00:38:50,920 to play offense. But so so in the playoffs, a guy like that 630 00:38:51,079 --> 00:38:57,760 always his flaws always show up more because teams can just be relentless about forcing 631 00:38:57,840 --> 00:39:00,719 someone to do the thing they're bad at. And that's why guys that are 632 00:39:00,760 --> 00:39:04,800 bad at specific things to you know, great enough extent just don't get to 633 00:39:04,800 --> 00:39:07,519 play very much. So, uh, you know, even though Koro has 634 00:39:07,519 --> 00:39:13,039 had good stretches, I think he might give the Knicks and out that unless 635 00:39:13,039 --> 00:39:15,079 he's just locking Brunson down, might not be worth it, you know, 636 00:39:15,159 --> 00:39:20,320 in the balance. Can I just say two quick things that fascinate me about 637 00:39:20,360 --> 00:39:25,320 this series? Their macros Cleveland has the best defense and we'll have the best 638 00:39:25,360 --> 00:39:30,159 defense in the league, but they also have I'm sorry. They have the 639 00:39:30,199 --> 00:39:36,880 best offense in the league when going up against top ten defenses, and like 640 00:39:36,960 --> 00:39:40,480 that's important because the Knicks defense is not this like killer, but that's how 641 00:39:40,480 --> 00:39:45,280 good the Calv's offense is translated to, even if it doesn't always necessarily look 642 00:39:45,280 --> 00:39:49,559 pretty. The Knicks, though, on the other hand, they have the 643 00:39:49,639 --> 00:39:53,679 second best defense in the league when going up against top ten offenses, and 644 00:39:53,719 --> 00:39:57,920 so I just find that matchup very interesting. I don't know what to do 645 00:39:57,960 --> 00:40:00,519 with that. That's it. That is interesting. I don't know what means. 646 00:40:00,719 --> 00:40:02,239 I mean, it would seem to say that the Knicks have a better 647 00:40:02,280 --> 00:40:07,760 chance than we're giving them credit for. What's your prediction for Knicks Calves. 648 00:40:07,000 --> 00:40:12,440 I'm gonna go Calves in six, and that has mostly to do with uh, 649 00:40:12,880 --> 00:40:15,599 maybe Randall will be healthy or you know, more healthy than I think 650 00:40:15,679 --> 00:40:19,480 is likely. But it would be closer to five than seven for sure, 651 00:40:19,519 --> 00:40:22,440 if I had to go one way or the other. I'm gonna go Calves 652 00:40:22,480 --> 00:40:27,039 in seven because I think that the Knicks, if they're willing to, if 653 00:40:27,039 --> 00:40:29,639 they're going to run the lineups that I think they will. I really do 654 00:40:29,679 --> 00:40:32,719 think that they're built to sort of just throw wrinkles into the Calves offense from 655 00:40:32,760 --> 00:40:37,239 a defensive perspective more than maybe we're talking about the moment. I could end 656 00:40:37,320 --> 00:40:39,800 up being wildly wrong there, though. I think if Randall was totally healthy, 657 00:40:39,840 --> 00:40:44,159 I could be talked into seven. I just I just think that's that 658 00:40:44,280 --> 00:40:47,239 variable kind of nudges me down a little bit. We did not predict the 659 00:40:47,280 --> 00:40:51,840 Hawks Celtics series. Do you want to provide a Hawks Celtics prediction? Very 660 00:40:51,880 --> 00:40:53,000 quickly we just skipped right over that. What does that? What does that 661 00:40:53,079 --> 00:40:55,440 say about? How how much of a toss up we think it is. 662 00:40:55,599 --> 00:41:00,280 I'll just go, I'll just cowardly go Celtics in five. I'll go, 663 00:41:00,360 --> 00:41:01,880 I'll take the cowspick Celtics in fact. Also, it's Trey Young has to 664 00:41:01,880 --> 00:41:07,480 have one nuclear I think right, you'd think the next playoff series on our 665 00:41:07,519 --> 00:41:13,559 docket is one that is near and dear to your heart. The Kings versus 666 00:41:13,599 --> 00:41:16,400 the Warriors. What do you do? I'm sure you're thinking about lots of 667 00:41:16,639 --> 00:41:21,559 the last series with my series. This is your series. Yeah, I 668 00:41:21,599 --> 00:41:28,039 think the Warriors. So my opinion based on a couple of things. One 669 00:41:28,199 --> 00:41:31,320 is uncertain, one is pretty certain. The uncertainty is I believe the Warriors 670 00:41:31,360 --> 00:41:36,639 are better than they've shown for most of this season, and factor in that 671 00:41:36,800 --> 00:41:38,880 they had the best net rating in the Western Conference after the All Star Break. 672 00:41:38,880 --> 00:41:42,119 A lot of that has to do with smoke in Portland by like a 673 00:41:42,159 --> 00:41:45,119 thousand points on the last day of the season. But they're fifteen and nine. 674 00:41:45,880 --> 00:41:49,760 They had stretches where they really did look, you know, championship ish 675 00:41:49,960 --> 00:41:52,679 caliber. So I think the Warriors are better than your typical sixth seed hot 676 00:41:52,719 --> 00:41:57,239 take and so, but I'm not one hundred percent sure about that because they've 677 00:41:57,280 --> 00:42:00,119 laid massive eggs all year at bad time. The other thing is, I 678 00:42:00,119 --> 00:42:04,880 don't think the King's defense is good enough to do anything against the Warriors offense. 679 00:42:05,239 --> 00:42:08,320 And so that's really where that's where I've just I don't know. I 680 00:42:08,320 --> 00:42:13,199 would love it if you had not to put ridiculous pressure on you, But 681 00:42:13,239 --> 00:42:15,760 hey, Dan, make the case for the King's defense being good enough to 682 00:42:16,199 --> 00:42:20,679 bother the Warriors, I just don't. I don't see it. So that's 683 00:42:20,840 --> 00:42:24,239 that's the ten thousand foot view of it. I do think I will say 684 00:42:24,320 --> 00:42:30,760 upfront that I think Demannas Sabonis is perhaps the most pivotal player in this series 685 00:42:30,800 --> 00:42:35,079 because he is the driver of this offense that was the best in the league 686 00:42:35,079 --> 00:42:37,960 there. I think it was Zach kram At the ringer did look at his 687 00:42:37,039 --> 00:42:43,679 handoffs, and the Kings have run like just an obscenely greater number of handoffs 688 00:42:43,679 --> 00:42:45,880 than any other team. Like Sabonis as the handoff guy has run more handoffs 689 00:42:45,880 --> 00:42:51,360 than any team generally speaking. So like he's vital to the offense. I 690 00:42:51,400 --> 00:42:55,159 think he's just a walking bullseye for on defense for the Warriors because he can't 691 00:42:55,199 --> 00:43:00,639 guard in space, he can't defend the rim, you can't switch with him 692 00:43:00,760 --> 00:43:02,920 if you trap with him. The Warriors have seen that a trillion times and 693 00:43:02,960 --> 00:43:07,400 they get it to Draymond Green going downhill in a four month Like, there's 694 00:43:07,480 --> 00:43:09,719 just I don't know what you do with Sabonis defensively, And I think the 695 00:43:09,800 --> 00:43:14,519 Warriors aren't a pick and roll heavy team necessarily, but they do set a 696 00:43:14,599 --> 00:43:16,360 billion ball screens, even if it's just for handoffs. You know, you 697 00:43:16,400 --> 00:43:21,800 can imagine Looney and Draymond Green at the top just screening Curry's guy, and 698 00:43:21,960 --> 00:43:24,760 if the other big is in a drop or just not anywhere near the play, 699 00:43:25,039 --> 00:43:29,079 it's an open three or it's a drive and it's a pocket pass for 700 00:43:29,360 --> 00:43:31,440 It's just like, I don't know what you do with Sabonis defensively, and 701 00:43:31,440 --> 00:43:35,920 you can't take him off the floor because he's so vital to the King's offense. 702 00:43:36,000 --> 00:43:40,199 So that's my starting point is I just Sabonis matters a lot, and 703 00:43:40,239 --> 00:43:45,679 that's both good and bad. What's interesting, this isn't necessarily the case for 704 00:43:45,719 --> 00:43:49,599 the Kings to win, but they have the ninth best defense when they play 705 00:43:49,599 --> 00:43:51,639 on the road. Did you know that? I did not know that. 706 00:43:51,679 --> 00:43:54,320 I know that they're weirdly bad at home, just generally, like which you 707 00:43:54,360 --> 00:43:58,679 wouldn't expect from a team that like a younger team with less experience. It 708 00:43:58,719 --> 00:44:00,440 just gets up for scoring a bunch of points. But yeah, good, 709 00:44:00,480 --> 00:44:05,320 good point, good point. What I think what actually benefits them the most 710 00:44:05,360 --> 00:44:07,920 might hurt them against the Warriors, and you're eady messes with these two teams, 711 00:44:07,920 --> 00:44:09,519 by the way, they just don't run a ton of pick and rolls. 712 00:44:09,519 --> 00:44:15,119 Like it's just when people complain about the NBA being overly homogeneous, these 713 00:44:15,119 --> 00:44:19,199 two teams would be. I think that that's one oversimplifying or overstating how similar 714 00:44:19,199 --> 00:44:22,199 everything is. But like these two teams just do not run the typical NBA 715 00:44:22,280 --> 00:44:27,559 offenses, and all that off ball movement is wild. The Kings have done 716 00:44:27,679 --> 00:44:30,320 generally a really good job. They're only two or three teams have been better 717 00:44:30,599 --> 00:44:34,320 of forcing opponents to go deeper into the shot clock on offense. A lot 718 00:44:34,360 --> 00:44:37,920 of that is because the Kings are allowed to get their defense set after scoring. 719 00:44:37,639 --> 00:44:40,840 It allows them to limit transition opportunities. They don't foul a lot. 720 00:44:42,480 --> 00:44:44,679 The Warriors might make some of that. You know, if the Warriors defense 721 00:44:44,719 --> 00:44:47,800 really turns it on, they're gonna make that a lot harder. But it 722 00:44:47,840 --> 00:44:51,719 also doesn't necessarily benefit you. If you forced the Warriors to go deep into 723 00:44:51,719 --> 00:44:53,840 the shot clock because of all of their own off ball movement, they might 724 00:44:53,880 --> 00:44:58,159 just create chaos and fine seams when there's only four seconds left, and that's 725 00:44:58,199 --> 00:45:00,840 just they're going to be content to do that. Or there's just the Steph 726 00:45:00,880 --> 00:45:07,119 Curry bell out ISO option. So I don't I hate that. I think 727 00:45:07,639 --> 00:45:08,840 not that. I think there's gonna be a quick series because I think a 728 00:45:08,880 --> 00:45:13,599 lot of people believe the King's offense won't translate to the playoffs. I don't 729 00:45:13,639 --> 00:45:16,280 buy it. I know that you can throw Draymond on Sabonis. But you 730 00:45:16,400 --> 00:45:20,400 have all these other guys on the Kings who can work with the ball in 731 00:45:20,440 --> 00:45:23,840 their hands, and darn Fox and Kevin Herder who are also about and Harrison 732 00:45:23,840 --> 00:45:28,360 Barnes and Keeganbury who are also, by the way, really comfortable moving without 733 00:45:28,360 --> 00:45:31,679 the ball right now, And so you're gonna really counter is my question? 734 00:45:31,800 --> 00:45:36,559 Is my biggest question for the series. Are the Kings athletic enough to handle 735 00:45:36,599 --> 00:45:40,280 the Warrior's own off ball movement? I think the same question can apply to 736 00:45:40,360 --> 00:45:44,559 the Warriors. With the Kings, they do have Andrew Wiggins coming back, 737 00:45:44,920 --> 00:45:47,800 he hasn't played in once. Kavan Ludi is one of the most matchup proof 738 00:45:47,800 --> 00:45:51,239 bigs in the league. How does that really hold up? Though again, 739 00:45:51,239 --> 00:45:52,559 it's like all the Kings is off ball movement, this is not This is 740 00:45:52,599 --> 00:45:57,840 not the Celtics for instance, And then yeah, okay you have Gary Payton 741 00:45:57,880 --> 00:46:00,639 the second but like, are you so are you playing Clay Thompson a ton 742 00:46:00,760 --> 00:46:04,760 or is this not a Jordan Pool series? Or how much is Dante DiVincenzo 743 00:46:04,880 --> 00:46:10,039 playing. I again, I the Warriors on paper are tough matchup for the 744 00:46:10,119 --> 00:46:14,280 Kings, but I do think that Sacramento is going to cause their defense just 745 00:46:14,360 --> 00:46:16,880 as many problems as Golden States offense is going to cause for a Sacramento. 746 00:46:19,559 --> 00:46:22,960 I think there's a good chance the Kings have at least a couple games where 747 00:46:22,960 --> 00:46:28,639 offensively the Warriors just can't quite stay disciplined enough or keep up enough. I 748 00:46:28,679 --> 00:46:31,320 could, I could. If one of those games comes in the first two 749 00:46:31,719 --> 00:46:37,320 in Sacramento, then I think I think the Warriors will maybe have a real 750 00:46:37,360 --> 00:46:42,519 series on their hands. I do think though that if you are so you 751 00:46:42,559 --> 00:46:45,719 mentioned Looney, and Looney I agree, Like his track record is just like 752 00:46:45,360 --> 00:46:50,000 it is not an advantage to get him switched onto a small or to have 753 00:46:50,119 --> 00:46:52,119 him move in space. He's just way better at that than he looks like 754 00:46:52,159 --> 00:46:55,039 he should be, and that most bigs are. He's kind of He hasn't 755 00:46:55,079 --> 00:46:59,199 been quite as good at that this year. I think he has slipped a 756 00:46:59,239 --> 00:47:02,039 little bit. But if you're the Kings, and what happens is you expose 757 00:47:02,119 --> 00:47:07,800 that a little all you're doing is getting Draymond Green at center with four shooters 758 00:47:07,880 --> 00:47:09,400 or four wings around him, and I don't feel like that's ever been a 759 00:47:09,440 --> 00:47:13,800 win for any opposing team. When you get Draymond at the five lineups. 760 00:47:14,199 --> 00:47:17,920 So you know, the way I see the King's succeeding has a lot to 761 00:47:17,960 --> 00:47:24,719 do with Sabonis bullying, you know, inside some if they get switches anytime 762 00:47:24,760 --> 00:47:29,199 he has, So Joe Verrey for a Golden state of mind does really good 763 00:47:29,320 --> 00:47:32,159 Warriors breakdowns with film and stuff, and the Kings run these wedge actions, 764 00:47:32,159 --> 00:47:36,360 which is just like a diagonal screen from a block to the opposite elbow that 765 00:47:36,440 --> 00:47:40,239 gets Sabonis oftentimes in post position, either switched with a little guy on him 766 00:47:40,320 --> 00:47:44,679 or with a little bit of a time advantage because the big is catching up. 767 00:47:45,000 --> 00:47:49,519 So that's a way for Sabonis to maybe pile up some fouls, get 768 00:47:49,599 --> 00:47:52,880 to the line, finish inside. But there's just there's just not a lot 769 00:47:52,920 --> 00:47:55,119 you can do. If you're the Kings, you're not going to confuse the 770 00:47:55,159 --> 00:48:00,559 Warriors off the ball, especially if you have say Devincenzo Wiggins pay out there. 771 00:48:00,559 --> 00:48:02,840 They're just gonna switch everything one to four. So running around and all 772 00:48:02,840 --> 00:48:06,960 this other stuff, you know, off ball action, I think is is 773 00:48:07,239 --> 00:48:13,320 probably going to be mostly unsuccessful because the Warriors do have the personnel to just 774 00:48:13,320 --> 00:48:15,320 just not really be bothered by that because they don't have to chase anybody. 775 00:48:15,320 --> 00:48:20,960 They just point and switch that, you know. So I guess I'm trying 776 00:48:20,960 --> 00:48:25,079 to think of other ways for the Kings to succeed here. It's just it's 777 00:48:25,079 --> 00:48:28,320 just hard to It's I'm sorry, it's just hard to see. I feel 778 00:48:28,320 --> 00:48:31,800 like it's lame to be so pro Warriors in this series because that that is 779 00:48:31,840 --> 00:48:37,519 the take that everybody has. The Warriors are our favorites in the betting markets, 780 00:48:37,440 --> 00:48:43,119 and I just I just think that the fundamental failures of the Kings to 781 00:48:43,159 --> 00:48:45,079 defend the pick and roll. The Warriors don't do it a lot, but 782 00:48:45,119 --> 00:48:47,599 just to get to the point, their seventh worst in points allowed per possession 783 00:48:47,599 --> 00:48:51,480 of the pick and roll ball handler, and the bottom four are Houston, 784 00:48:51,480 --> 00:48:54,280 Detroit, Charlotte, San Antonio, so basically they're third worst among actual NBA 785 00:48:54,320 --> 00:48:58,760 teams. The Warriors can go to that if they're not having success off the 786 00:48:58,760 --> 00:49:01,400 ball, because they've done that and past the series, and the Curry and 787 00:49:01,480 --> 00:49:07,320 Draymond pick and roll has just historically been pretty unstoppable. So I don't know, 788 00:49:07,360 --> 00:49:08,360 the Kings have to run hot from three. That's going to be the 789 00:49:08,360 --> 00:49:13,920 case for every underdog that we talk about and they have to just hope that, 790 00:49:14,679 --> 00:49:20,239 you know, maybe maybe maybe they can generate you know, enough confusion 791 00:49:20,280 --> 00:49:22,320 in the handoff game and the Warriors watch it and commit a bunch of turnovers 792 00:49:22,360 --> 00:49:24,360 and fouls like that. That's how it has to go. For me. 793 00:49:24,440 --> 00:49:28,840 I think, well, here's the other thing, and I don't know how 794 00:49:28,920 --> 00:49:31,480 much my two questions to make a case for the Kings here and look, 795 00:49:31,519 --> 00:49:35,119 I also could see this series just being like, I know, the Warriors 796 00:49:35,159 --> 00:49:38,800 have a higher seiling defensively, this just might be a shootout, every shootout, 797 00:49:38,800 --> 00:49:44,480 every single night. One. There has to be some level of concern 798 00:49:44,519 --> 00:49:46,079 about what does Andrew Wiggins look like after coming back and by see so much 799 00:49:46,079 --> 00:49:49,440 time. I'm glad that he's able mentally to come back to a place and 800 00:49:49,480 --> 00:49:52,440 play, ever dealing with the stuff with his dad, Like what is he 801 00:49:52,480 --> 00:49:54,920 just gonna look like because he hasn't had like the best season overall. No, 802 00:49:55,039 --> 00:49:59,320 he wasn't good when he came back from that initial injury before he went 803 00:49:59,360 --> 00:50:02,840 out, So yeah, that's totally valid question. The second one is how 804 00:50:02,920 --> 00:50:08,000 much does the Warriors road splits this season matter? So for the season twenty 805 00:50:08,039 --> 00:50:13,880 eighth on defense away from Chase Enter. Now they improved to a whopping twenty 806 00:50:13,880 --> 00:50:15,960 second after the All Star break when they were four and seven on the road, 807 00:50:16,000 --> 00:50:20,159 which is like hitting a home run for them relative to many games. 808 00:50:20,480 --> 00:50:24,719 Is does that not actually matter? Because one the games are going to be 809 00:50:24,760 --> 00:50:30,599 spaced out more and too your game planning for the same opponent over and over. 810 00:50:30,639 --> 00:50:35,719 So do you ascribe any value to the warriors shitty road splits this year? 811 00:50:36,039 --> 00:50:38,320 Yeah? You have to, because so this goes all the way back 812 00:50:38,360 --> 00:50:42,719 to my what I the very first thought I had about this series is I 813 00:50:42,719 --> 00:50:45,840 think the Warriors are better than what they've shown. And that extends specifically to 814 00:50:46,000 --> 00:50:50,480 how terrible they've been on the road. And I've you know, there are 815 00:50:50,480 --> 00:50:52,599 all these numbers that show, well, they found more, they turn it 816 00:50:52,639 --> 00:50:54,679 over more, they don't shoot well, opponents shoot really well on the It's 817 00:50:54,679 --> 00:50:59,119 just everything goes wrong on the road. And so I ultimately don't know what 818 00:50:59,199 --> 00:51:02,519 to ascribe those crazy splits to other than the Warriors kind of just didn't bring 819 00:51:02,559 --> 00:51:06,559 it on the road. And that's such a hacky, like old school coach 820 00:51:06,679 --> 00:51:09,840 thing to say. But if you watch the games, they just their intensity 821 00:51:09,920 --> 00:51:13,559 was lower, their attention to detail, was worse. They threw the ball 822 00:51:13,599 --> 00:51:17,199 over the gym like it's just And so I think in a playoff series where 823 00:51:17,199 --> 00:51:22,639 now they're fully engaged, I just think they're going to be better on the 824 00:51:22,679 --> 00:51:24,679 road. I have no statistics to back that up. I just think based 825 00:51:24,679 --> 00:51:30,159 on the personnel and the talent and the history and the stakes now, I 826 00:51:30,199 --> 00:51:31,519 think they'll just be better. And I don't know that that means they'll be 827 00:51:31,599 --> 00:51:34,639 just as good on the road as at home. But they're not going to 828 00:51:34,719 --> 00:51:37,280 be like a bottom ten road team. I can't. I can't imagine. 829 00:51:37,360 --> 00:51:39,320 Plus the road quote unquote, by the way, is like an hour and 830 00:51:39,400 --> 00:51:43,239 ten minute drive or maybe a little more than that. Yeah, but this 831 00:51:43,320 --> 00:51:46,159 isn't like Lakers Clippers ship because that is especially at Game one, like there's 832 00:51:46,199 --> 00:51:50,760 not gonna be a blue or yellow anything in sight. And I don't know 833 00:51:50,880 --> 00:51:53,320 that's gonna be interesting. I do know. I mean, the Kings fans 834 00:51:53,320 --> 00:51:57,360 are gonna show up. It's gonna be the loudest playoff arena in the league, 835 00:51:57,400 --> 00:52:00,599 without question. I've kind of already penciled in Game one as a loss 836 00:52:00,639 --> 00:52:04,239 for the Warriors. I just can't it. Well, tell you, let's 837 00:52:04,239 --> 00:52:07,519 say this if Game one is a Warriors win. I'm starting to think sweep 838 00:52:07,719 --> 00:52:12,159 because the Kings have got to the Kings have got to get the Kings. 839 00:52:12,199 --> 00:52:15,760 I think the Kings need both of these games. But if they if they 840 00:52:15,800 --> 00:52:19,800 lose Game one, man, I mean, the snowball's already rolling down the 841 00:52:19,880 --> 00:52:22,199 hill at that point. I the other thing too. But my final question 842 00:52:22,199 --> 00:52:27,119 on this is we talk a lot about the variability in Boston's offense. There's 843 00:52:27,159 --> 00:52:30,920 that to the they don't generate rim pressure. The Kings are actually okay at 844 00:52:30,000 --> 00:52:34,559 like limiting looks around the rim protection is bad, but like they can keep 845 00:52:34,599 --> 00:52:37,079 teams away from there. Their base defense is pretty good at that. And 846 00:52:37,119 --> 00:52:40,079 so just like, what's to say that the Warriors don't go through one of 847 00:52:40,079 --> 00:52:43,920 those spurts. I mean, Clay Thompson is so good and stuff. Curry 848 00:52:43,920 --> 00:52:45,280 is so good. But like, if you're gonna play Jordan Pool, who's 849 00:52:45,280 --> 00:52:49,239 been better of late, but he's still that is hard. He's Jordan Pool. 850 00:52:49,360 --> 00:52:51,760 Yeah, Jordan Pool has always got a one for nine in him that 851 00:52:51,880 --> 00:52:54,440 they he's always got that. What are you going in? Kings Warriors. 852 00:52:54,760 --> 00:53:00,960 I'm gonna I'm gonna go Kings. I'm sorry almost slipped there. I'm gonna 853 00:53:00,000 --> 00:53:05,840 say eight Warriors in I'll I'll go Warriors in six, and it's closer to 854 00:53:05,920 --> 00:53:08,679 five. I'm gonna go Warriors in seven. And I hope that Kings fans 855 00:53:08,719 --> 00:53:12,840 don't take that as design of disrespect. I really do believe in the offense. 856 00:53:13,199 --> 00:53:16,599 I just and I think that the defense has like the skeleton of something 857 00:53:16,639 --> 00:53:21,480 that is better than the numbers show. But it's just the Warriors the first 858 00:53:21,519 --> 00:53:25,440 round matchup are so uniquely built to dice them up, maybe earlier in the 859 00:53:25,440 --> 00:53:29,760 shot clock, or just survive on those late shot clock looks. I'm not 860 00:53:29,840 --> 00:53:31,760 sure how much it's gonna matter. And the other thing that worries me is 861 00:53:32,199 --> 00:53:37,199 so much of their their best defense in theory, is gonna come after they 862 00:53:37,239 --> 00:53:38,280 make shots. At the other end, the Warriors, I think, are 863 00:53:38,280 --> 00:53:42,840 gonna make that tougher on them, where their offense might not be as efficient 864 00:53:42,880 --> 00:53:47,280 on a night tonight basis. Yeah, yeah, Grizzlies, How are you 865 00:53:47,280 --> 00:53:51,679 feeling about this series? How are you feeling about this series? I feel 866 00:53:51,719 --> 00:53:53,400 like anytime we talk about the Grizzlies, we got we got a default to 867 00:53:53,440 --> 00:53:55,599 you. Unless you need me to vamp for a second. Here, But 868 00:53:57,960 --> 00:54:00,840 so I'll give I'll give the nutshell and then I'll throw it to you because 869 00:54:00,960 --> 00:54:04,679 I'd love to hear you talk about the Grizzlies. So based on the version 870 00:54:04,719 --> 00:54:07,360 of the of these two teams as they exist right now, I feel like 871 00:54:07,360 --> 00:54:10,079 this is kind of a coin flip, which is not how you normally feel 872 00:54:10,360 --> 00:54:15,280 in a two seven matchup. Just some numbers. The Lakers are sixteen and 873 00:54:15,320 --> 00:54:17,440 seven plus five point nine net ratings since the All Star Break, fourteenth on 874 00:54:17,480 --> 00:54:22,039 offense, second on defense. The Grizzlies are sixteen and nine plus four point 875 00:54:22,039 --> 00:54:24,000 seven, eleventh on offense, eighth on defense since the All Star break. 876 00:54:24,400 --> 00:54:29,199 So that's, you know, forget the full season stuff, because the Grizzlies 877 00:54:29,199 --> 00:54:30,960 had Steven Adams and Brandon and Clark for a while, Like they just they're 878 00:54:31,000 --> 00:54:36,039 a different team right now. You could make the case the Lakers are better 879 00:54:36,159 --> 00:54:39,000 today right now based on the numbers for the last two months. Basically, 880 00:54:40,119 --> 00:54:44,920 I think they're These two teams are really close, and to me, I 881 00:54:44,920 --> 00:54:47,280 could see that I'm gonna say this series is going seven. I won't say 882 00:54:47,280 --> 00:54:51,519 who I'm gonna pick until the end, but I am ready for you to 883 00:54:51,559 --> 00:54:54,280 say Lakers in like four and just enjoy it. But so I start, 884 00:54:54,320 --> 00:54:58,079 I've started most of these. I want you to start with your with your 885 00:54:59,079 --> 00:55:01,559 let me ask you a question. Who's the most important player in this series 886 00:55:01,960 --> 00:55:07,199 in your mind? On either team? Oh Man, on either team, 887 00:55:07,280 --> 00:55:10,960 I think it's Lebron James, which is stupid, But just like so, 888 00:55:12,000 --> 00:55:15,000 the Lakers do get out and transition a ton. No one gets out and 889 00:55:15,039 --> 00:55:17,559 transition more than the Grizzlies. So are you, as Lebron, gonna be 890 00:55:17,559 --> 00:55:22,199 able to handle playing fast on offense while playing fast on defense? How does 891 00:55:22,199 --> 00:55:25,440 your body hold up when you're going up against Dylan Brooks? And hey, 892 00:55:25,480 --> 00:55:29,480 this is one of my concerns for the series. You mentioned what the Lakers 893 00:55:29,480 --> 00:55:34,039 defense has been. That absolutely it's and they have just monsters. Jared Vanderbilt 894 00:55:34,039 --> 00:55:37,840 now can defend from the point of the attack. This team is not built 895 00:55:37,840 --> 00:55:40,360 to defend both John Moran and Desmond Baine. Who are you who's your primary 896 00:55:40,400 --> 00:55:44,559 defender for John Morant? And if it's it's not gonna be Anthy Davis, 897 00:55:44,679 --> 00:55:46,599 if it's Jared Vanderbilt, if he's on Desmond Bane or John Morant, because 898 00:55:46,599 --> 00:55:50,360 those are the two guys you worry about the most. You probably have an 899 00:55:50,360 --> 00:55:54,920 issue, and so like you have Dennis Shrewder, Troy Brown Junior, Austin 900 00:55:55,000 --> 00:55:59,079 Reeves, they've been more inclined to Dennis Shrewd spends a lot of time on 901 00:55:59,079 --> 00:56:01,960 tough assignments just by virtue of his position. I think it'll be Shrewder by 902 00:56:02,039 --> 00:56:05,519 virtue of his position. But you still have that second guys to trickle down. 903 00:56:05,559 --> 00:56:07,440 Are you just throwing Vanderbilt on that Shrewder's not going to be on the 904 00:56:07,440 --> 00:56:09,760 court for thirty eight minutes a game, and if he is, holy shit, 905 00:56:10,000 --> 00:56:13,519 so is Lebron just gonna be a little bit more exhausted on defense? 906 00:56:13,559 --> 00:56:16,119 And if you try and stick him on you know, Xavier Tillman, how 907 00:56:16,119 --> 00:56:20,360 many minute or Santi Aldama, what is that actually doing for him? Is 908 00:56:20,360 --> 00:56:22,719 he gonna have to go up against Jared Jackson Junior at some point? Is 909 00:56:22,719 --> 00:56:27,000 he gonna have to go up against a Desmond Baane. I don't know. 910 00:56:27,559 --> 00:56:30,000 I'm not saying that. That's my least concern about what's Lebron doing on defense, 911 00:56:30,000 --> 00:56:32,920 But the Lakers defense as a whole, I don't think they're built to 912 00:56:32,960 --> 00:56:37,599 defend both John Morant and Desmond Baine because those two can, especially Desmond Baine, 913 00:56:37,719 --> 00:56:40,760 can subsist operating from the perimeter. And so even if ad is able 914 00:56:40,800 --> 00:56:44,559 to just lock down the pane, and you know Jared Vanderbilt chasing around one 915 00:56:44,599 --> 00:56:46,920 of them, I just don't know if you're built to stop them. I 916 00:56:46,960 --> 00:56:51,599 will also say I don't know how many Luke Knar minutes they can get away 917 00:56:51,639 --> 00:56:55,079 with. He really did help Memphis's half court offense. The Grizzlies are tenth 918 00:56:55,239 --> 00:56:59,480 in three point a tenth right since the trade deadline, and they're half court 919 00:56:59,519 --> 00:57:04,840 offense is eleventh, while they rank in the bottom five of offensive rebounding percentage 920 00:57:04,840 --> 00:57:07,199 because they didn't have Brandon Clark or Steven Adams, and a lot of that 921 00:57:07,400 --> 00:57:12,760 is Luke Nard opens things up. Dylan Brooks has been hitting threes. I 922 00:57:12,800 --> 00:57:15,239 don't expect that to continue. But you also have the Jaren Jackson Jr. 923 00:57:15,280 --> 00:57:17,719 You talked about him as a Most Improved Player, a candidate because of his 924 00:57:17,800 --> 00:57:22,599 offense, not just for what he does on defense. And then Desmond Bane 925 00:57:22,960 --> 00:57:27,000 was third I think on my most improved player ballot. So their half court 926 00:57:27,079 --> 00:57:30,000 offense might be better built to go after the Lakers than a lot of people 927 00:57:30,000 --> 00:57:34,440 who are concerned about memphisis half court offense, where I feel like a lot 928 00:57:34,480 --> 00:57:38,159 of the thoughts were preconceived notions prior to the trade deadline. And look, 929 00:57:38,159 --> 00:57:42,360 a lot of that half court offense success came without John Morant as well, 930 00:57:42,440 --> 00:57:46,000 and so now you're more at full strength. I feel better about the Grizzlies 931 00:57:46,000 --> 00:57:51,760 in this series than I thought, in part because the Lakers feel really good 932 00:57:51,960 --> 00:57:53,920 at making you lose faith in them just when you might gain it. And 933 00:57:53,960 --> 00:57:58,400 like whatever they did against the Timberwolves in the playing game was, yes, 934 00:57:58,440 --> 00:58:00,239 they won. It was a perfect example. They didn't have Jade McDaniels, 935 00:58:00,239 --> 00:58:04,239 they didn't never really Gobert. You still made your offense look like a fucking 936 00:58:04,280 --> 00:58:07,519 slog during that game. And they have their own shooting variants to contend with. 937 00:58:07,639 --> 00:58:10,880 I will say they've been middle of the middle of the road, like 938 00:58:10,920 --> 00:58:15,719 around fifteenth or so in catch and shoot efficiency and pull up efficiency. That 939 00:58:15,800 --> 00:58:20,480 doesn't make you feel all that since the trade deadline. Excuse me, that 940 00:58:20,559 --> 00:58:24,599 doesn't make you feel all that good against this Grizzlies defense. Yeah, I 941 00:58:24,639 --> 00:58:30,039 think so. I think this is a series that at the outset of Game 942 00:58:30,119 --> 00:58:36,159 one, I will I'm gonna feel better about the Lakers talent and schemes and 943 00:58:36,360 --> 00:58:43,320 whatever. I'm not convinced that Lebron and Davis will be able to hold up 944 00:58:43,559 --> 00:58:46,840 over what I think will be a long and difficult series, and so I'm 945 00:58:46,840 --> 00:58:52,599 weighing that against the Grizzlies are out of options if Jaren Jackson Junior is not 946 00:58:52,679 --> 00:58:58,760 on the floor, I think specifically defensively, and his foul problems, while 947 00:58:59,119 --> 00:59:04,920 improved, are still real and he is going to be tasked with serious work 948 00:59:05,039 --> 00:59:08,079 in this series because he's gonna have to deal with Anthony Davis, because he 949 00:59:08,199 --> 00:59:13,880 probably will even see time on Lebron James. So I think the combination of 950 00:59:13,920 --> 00:59:17,320 those two things are just they introduce so much variability into this series because if 951 00:59:17,400 --> 00:59:21,440 Davis misses a game, well then it's just I don't see how the Lakers 952 00:59:21,480 --> 00:59:24,320 win a game if Jackson gets three fouls in the first quarter, Like, 953 00:59:24,599 --> 00:59:28,440 that's just not a game Memphis can win. I don't think, because they 954 00:59:28,480 --> 00:59:31,960 lose their only big guy that can score, they lose the just the absolute 955 00:59:32,039 --> 00:59:37,199 key to their defense and they have I mean, they're so thin behind Jackson. 956 00:59:37,239 --> 00:59:39,320 I mean, Xavier Tillman is going to play a fair amount santi Aldama. 957 00:59:39,400 --> 00:59:43,480 I like, I think we both like him offensively. I just don't 958 00:59:43,519 --> 00:59:46,639 think you just can't do much if he is in a significant defensive role, 959 00:59:46,719 --> 00:59:52,599 especially protecting the room against size against bulk against like you know, steam roll 960 00:59:52,719 --> 00:59:55,599 drives from Lebron like that kind of stuff. So I just if I'm the 961 00:59:55,679 --> 01:00:00,800 Lakers at least at the outset of the series, I just I think there's 962 01:00:01,159 --> 01:00:07,280 real ways for them to specifically involve Jackson in every possible action which you wouldn't 963 01:00:07,280 --> 01:00:10,440 normally do against a really great defender, whether that's Davis posting up, which 964 01:00:10,719 --> 01:00:15,159 you know almost never happens, however it needs to, you know, Davis 965 01:00:15,199 --> 01:00:17,760 getting on the offensive boards a ton, because Memphis, you know, you 966 01:00:17,800 --> 01:00:21,920 mentioned their offensive rebounding sucks. They're not good on the defensive glass either. 967 01:00:21,960 --> 01:00:24,239 They're twenty first in defensive rebound rates since the All Star Break, So I 968 01:00:24,239 --> 01:00:27,719 think the Lakers can really pound them in there, maybe pick up a couple 969 01:00:27,719 --> 01:00:34,880 of fouls on Jackson that way. So I really like the Lakers at the 970 01:00:34,880 --> 01:00:37,360 beginning of this series. And if you told me that James and Davis would 971 01:00:37,360 --> 01:00:40,760 stay healthy and not wear down and not get tired and or get hurt, 972 01:00:42,159 --> 01:00:45,639 then I would pick the Lakers, but I because I have so many concerns 973 01:00:45,639 --> 01:00:50,079 about the lack of front court depth for Memphis. I just don't think it's 974 01:00:50,119 --> 01:00:53,000 likely that James and Davis both make it all the way through this unscathed. 975 01:00:53,159 --> 01:00:58,000 So I know that's kind of a cop out because injuries affects every series, 976 01:00:58,039 --> 01:01:01,320 but it is a little different talking about out this particular Lakers team with a 977 01:01:01,360 --> 01:01:06,719 thirty eight year old, you know, more mileage than anybody ever being so 978 01:01:06,880 --> 01:01:09,840 critical, and a guy who you think he's dead every time he falls down 979 01:01:10,519 --> 01:01:14,360 and has to leave the floor. So it's a it's a little cop outy, 980 01:01:14,440 --> 01:01:16,559 but not totally I feel okay standing on that as a big issue. 981 01:01:17,360 --> 01:01:23,079 What what do you think? What do you think John Morant is going to 982 01:01:23,159 --> 01:01:27,719 do in this series? Like I obviously because I feel like we just aren't. 983 01:01:28,000 --> 01:01:30,239 We haven't like talked about John Morant the basketball player all that much the 984 01:01:30,639 --> 01:01:36,159 last half of the season and specifically looking at this playoff series, because isn't 985 01:01:36,159 --> 01:01:40,239 there a scenario where he just the Lakers can't stay in front of him and 986 01:01:40,639 --> 01:01:45,960 just he's too athletic for even a defense as good as Los Angeles is in 987 01:01:46,079 --> 01:01:51,760 transition. Yes, when you look at sort of if they're in the half 988 01:01:51,760 --> 01:01:55,719 court, I do wonder if he'll struggle to you know, get into the 989 01:01:55,760 --> 01:01:59,719 pain, like you know, into float to range into the pain. And 990 01:01:59,760 --> 01:02:01,920 even if he gets there, you're gonna have to deal with Anthony Davis or 991 01:02:02,000 --> 01:02:07,320 Jared Vanderbilt presumably, And so like the Lakers have had since the trade deadline 992 01:02:07,360 --> 01:02:10,320 the fifth best defense on short mid range jumpers, they're around the top ten, 993 01:02:10,360 --> 01:02:14,719 and opponent field goal percentage allowed at the rim. And John Moran in 994 01:02:14,760 --> 01:02:17,920 the games that he played after the trade deadline was sub twenty three percent from 995 01:02:17,960 --> 01:02:21,440 three and his shooting splits have actually been all over the place this season, 996 01:02:21,639 --> 01:02:23,880 his free throw shooting, and so I could see this. I could see 997 01:02:23,920 --> 01:02:30,880 him brutalizing them. I could also see this being not a great John Morant 998 01:02:30,920 --> 01:02:35,480 series in it coming down to does Memphis have enough offensive counters to survive? 999 01:02:35,760 --> 01:02:40,039 Yeah? Yeah. One thing that's interesting, you're talking about transition versus half 1000 01:02:40,039 --> 01:02:44,079 court. You mentioned both these teams run a ton and are very good at 1001 01:02:44,079 --> 01:02:46,960 it. I think it's interesting to note that Memphis half court offense has actually 1002 01:02:47,000 --> 01:02:51,159 been better than the Lakers after the break. It's not like any crazy you 1003 01:02:51,199 --> 01:02:54,280 know, that doesn't shock me at all. Actually, the Memphis is fourteenth, 1004 01:02:54,280 --> 01:02:59,760 the Lakers are twentieth, So it's interest This maybe plays into my concerns 1005 01:02:59,760 --> 01:03:02,679 about out the Lakers best players holding up. Is Like, if this is 1006 01:03:02,719 --> 01:03:07,159 just an up and down series where both teams are trying as hard as possible 1007 01:03:07,199 --> 01:03:09,039 to up the pace and run because that's just what they're good at and where 1008 01:03:09,079 --> 01:03:14,119 they are most effective, I feel like that makes it harder for Lebron and 1009 01:03:14,519 --> 01:03:16,559 Davis to kind of hold up because memphisis you know, Memphis is thin, 1010 01:03:16,679 --> 01:03:21,239 but all their best players generally speaking, are young, are athletic, you 1011 01:03:21,239 --> 01:03:23,599 know, and Jackson's never retired because he plays twenty six minutes a game. 1012 01:03:23,719 --> 01:03:29,599 So I mean like that there's there's real ways for if this turns into a 1013 01:03:29,599 --> 01:03:32,519 transition series, for Memphis to be successful and in the half court, I 1014 01:03:32,559 --> 01:03:37,800 think, actually there's ways for Memphis to be more successful. So I feel 1015 01:03:37,840 --> 01:03:39,599 like I'm I'm tipping my pick. But do you have anything else to add, 1016 01:03:39,599 --> 01:03:43,519 any any other X factors or points to get to Yeah, that we've 1017 01:03:43,559 --> 01:03:45,800 seen so little of the Lakers Big three, and we haven't really talked about 1018 01:03:45,840 --> 01:03:51,360 Dangel Russell. It's clear that Darvin Ham doesn't necessarily trust him or Molik Beasley 1019 01:03:51,599 --> 01:03:53,679 based on how he's run some of his rotations and so how he plays lineups 1020 01:03:53,679 --> 01:03:58,159 could be a big deal. But the Lakers in the time, it's it's 1021 01:03:58,159 --> 01:04:00,679 fewer than three hundred possessions if they've a plus twenty three point four net rating 1022 01:04:00,679 --> 01:04:04,320 when Lebron, de'angelo, Russell, and Ad are on the court together, 1023 01:04:04,400 --> 01:04:09,039 and like half of those possessions have come with the starting line up where's Jared 1024 01:04:09,119 --> 01:04:12,119 Vanderbilt and Austin Reeves. And that's been an absolute killer. And if you 1025 01:04:12,159 --> 01:04:15,760 worry about part of the reason why I would argue LA's half court offense was 1026 01:04:15,840 --> 01:04:21,440 dogshit post break. Lebron miss his time, de'angelo Russell miss his time, 1027 01:04:23,360 --> 01:04:26,880 But the half court offense has actually only been about lee average when Lebron, 1028 01:04:27,239 --> 01:04:30,320 Ad and Russell played together. Again, there's not a huge sample size there, 1029 01:04:30,639 --> 01:04:32,239 but that is sort of the problem is like we don't have enough information 1030 01:04:32,280 --> 01:04:36,800 about the Lakers and their new pieces all playing together with Lebron. And I 1031 01:04:36,880 --> 01:04:41,440 also Rob Polinkus feels like he's getting too much credit for how he remade the 1032 01:04:41,519 --> 01:04:44,000 roster. I guess getting rid of Russ helps, But like when a lot 1033 01:04:44,000 --> 01:04:45,639 of the players that came over in a trade, even Jared Vanderbilt, like 1034 01:04:45,679 --> 01:04:49,079 not necessarily being on the floor and crunch time. I'm very curious to see 1035 01:04:49,360 --> 01:04:55,000 how Darvin Ham runs some of his rotations in this series, because that's going 1036 01:04:55,039 --> 01:04:57,320 to be critical and if you have anything to add to that. But my 1037 01:04:57,360 --> 01:05:00,559 other question for you was for each side, remove the top three players from 1038 01:05:00,599 --> 01:05:06,960 the equation who are the most important, like players for like non marquee names 1039 01:05:06,960 --> 01:05:11,480 for each side of this matchup. Yeah, so to hit the rotation thing 1040 01:05:11,519 --> 01:05:14,559 real quick. I don't think this is a D'Angelo Russell series because I don't 1041 01:05:14,559 --> 01:05:15,960 know where you can put him on defense, because you can't have him guard 1042 01:05:15,960 --> 01:05:18,199 Morant, you can't have him guard Bain. You can't hide him on Dylan 1043 01:05:18,199 --> 01:05:23,480 Brooks because he'll just be too physical and get off. That's the answer, 1044 01:05:23,480 --> 01:05:27,760 though, I guess you try and hide him on Aldama or Tailman, and 1045 01:05:28,039 --> 01:05:30,679 even Aldama's gonna put the ball on the floor against Dangel Russell. If yeah, 1046 01:05:30,719 --> 01:05:34,119 I just don't. I don't. And conversely, I do think so 1047 01:05:34,239 --> 01:05:38,199 someone like Luke Kennard, who you might be a little worried about in a 1048 01:05:38,199 --> 01:05:41,719 playoff series because of his defense. I think you probably can get away with 1049 01:05:41,760 --> 01:05:45,679 playing him against against the Lakers because it's easier to do that than even someone 1050 01:05:45,719 --> 01:05:48,800 like Beasley who's not a good defender. I think the Lakers just don't. 1051 01:05:49,480 --> 01:05:54,880 I think it's either the Grizzlies one, two and three, I think, 1052 01:05:54,920 --> 01:06:00,000 which is where you put Those guys are kind of just two or two quick, 1053 01:06:00,199 --> 01:06:03,480 too athletic to too physical like that. There's just it's easier for Memphis 1054 01:06:03,519 --> 01:06:06,880 to play. It's one way guys. I think maybe that'll change, but 1055 01:06:08,159 --> 01:06:12,000 that's how I view it right now. So outside of say Jackson, Baine 1056 01:06:12,039 --> 01:06:15,559 and Morant and then a D Lebron and is Russell, the guy you're saying 1057 01:06:15,639 --> 01:06:17,239 is the Lakers third guy. I mean, if you want to count him 1058 01:06:17,239 --> 01:06:21,360 among the non stars and say, I just don't think it's a series for 1059 01:06:21,480 --> 01:06:30,159 him. So for Memphis, I guess it's probably Brooks just because he's probably 1060 01:06:30,199 --> 01:06:34,280 gonna have to spend time on Lebron. He's probably gonna have to spend time 1061 01:06:35,000 --> 01:06:39,800 I don't know, guarding what you know, whoever, Morant should be guarding 1062 01:06:39,840 --> 01:06:43,360 so maybe that's like Austin Reeves, or maybe that's Shrewder, maybe that's Russell. 1063 01:06:43,639 --> 01:06:46,119 So he's gonna matter if he doesn't shoot them out of games and you 1064 01:06:46,119 --> 01:06:50,239 know, keeps things under control, like physicality wise. I think he's he's 1065 01:06:50,239 --> 01:06:54,199 a big guy to focus on. The Lakers are harder. I think, 1066 01:06:54,519 --> 01:06:58,800 I want to say Reeves just because he's really good and you know, may 1067 01:06:58,840 --> 01:07:01,559 have to be the guy that scale up. Assuming Brooks is not on him, 1068 01:07:01,679 --> 01:07:04,639 he may be the guy that just has a good matchup. But if 1069 01:07:04,639 --> 01:07:06,679 Bain is on him, I don't know if that's a huge advantage. Do 1070 01:07:06,719 --> 01:07:11,480 you have different guys in that regard. I do so Dylan Brooks to the 1071 01:07:11,559 --> 01:07:14,320 right ends for Memphis, but I also kind of think it's Santi Aldama. 1072 01:07:14,400 --> 01:07:17,920 Maybe it's Tayas Jones because imagine him going up against some of the Lakers starter 1073 01:07:18,119 --> 01:07:23,159 light units in the way that he has played this season. But if I'm 1074 01:07:23,159 --> 01:07:25,480 assuming Jaron Trst, who is gonna be in foul trouble and at least two 1075 01:07:25,519 --> 01:07:28,480 or three of these games, and that's gonna put a lot of pressure on 1076 01:07:28,519 --> 01:07:31,079 Aldama. The Grizzlies actually have a defensive rating in the seventy third percent tile 1077 01:07:31,199 --> 01:07:35,719 when Adams, Clark, and Jackson are all are all off the floor. 1078 01:07:36,079 --> 01:07:40,159 A lot some of that is some lucky opponent shooting from three. Opponents are 1079 01:07:40,159 --> 01:07:42,960 only shooting thirty five percent from three, but like that's not it's not thirty 1080 01:07:42,960 --> 01:07:46,440 two percent or twenty nine percent from three. So they're gonna need him, 1081 01:07:46,480 --> 01:07:50,199 I think defensively more like he can move around and stuff. Maybe it's Xavier 1082 01:07:50,239 --> 01:07:54,239 Tilman by default in that scenario, but I think it's for this series if 1083 01:07:54,239 --> 01:07:57,360 you want to kind of preserve the offensive versatility. I'd listened to Luke Kennard. 1084 01:07:57,400 --> 01:08:00,199 Two. Can he stay on the floor defensively for the Lakers? I 1085 01:08:00,239 --> 01:08:04,840 think it's Malik Beasley because can he make enough of his threes and then be 1086 01:08:05,159 --> 01:08:09,159 okay enough on defense to stay on the floor because he leads the Lakers and 1087 01:08:09,400 --> 01:08:12,880 three point attempts for thirty six minutes and they still just need that volume. 1088 01:08:12,920 --> 01:08:15,119 There's no one else on this roster who's just gonna come in and let it 1089 01:08:15,119 --> 01:08:17,800 fly like that. Like, yeah, Troy Brown Junior shooting forty plus percent 1090 01:08:17,840 --> 01:08:21,119 from three since the trade deadline, great coming on four attempts per game, 1091 01:08:21,119 --> 01:08:24,640 and like not even five for thirty six, I don't think or whatever it 1092 01:08:24,720 --> 01:08:30,960 is. And so I think to put pressure on Memphis's defense, like you're 1093 01:08:30,680 --> 01:08:34,279 they're probably gonna be better at cutting off your dribble penetration and maybe your foul 1094 01:08:34,319 --> 01:08:38,279 stuff or though maybe not, maybe they'll foul a ton that you're gonna need 1095 01:08:38,359 --> 01:08:41,800 to knock down some tough shots from the perimeter. And Deangel Russell, that 1096 01:08:41,800 --> 01:08:44,399 could be him, it could be Lebron. But I also think that you 1097 01:08:44,479 --> 01:08:47,399 need Molie Beasley to be in that role probably more than any other non marquee 1098 01:08:47,479 --> 01:08:50,079 name on the Lakers. Yeah, and that maybe you know, I didn't 1099 01:08:50,119 --> 01:08:53,479 think it was going to be much of a series for Russell and Beasley, 1100 01:08:53,520 --> 01:08:56,640 but it may be the case that both of these teams trust their backline defenses 1101 01:08:56,680 --> 01:09:00,359 so much that you are willing to just put guys out there that are not 1102 01:09:00,399 --> 01:09:02,279 going to guard because you need to what you're saying, you need to put 1103 01:09:02,279 --> 01:09:05,920 pressure on the defense. So yeah, it could be a series where you 1104 01:09:05,960 --> 01:09:09,600 know, a lot of one way offensive guys actually do play because the high 1105 01:09:09,680 --> 01:09:13,039 end defenders on both teams are so good. I don't view this as a 1106 01:09:13,119 --> 01:09:15,279 ruey hotchamoory series. I'll say that much. And I feel like the Lakers 1107 01:09:15,359 --> 01:09:18,520 kind of over like they're just trying to make Rudy Hotcha Moore happen a lot 1108 01:09:18,520 --> 01:09:21,880 of the time, and I don't necessarily watching him on wide open threes is 1109 01:09:21,920 --> 01:09:25,199 like kind of a struggle. Yeah, stop trying to make no. I 1110 01:09:25,239 --> 01:09:28,920 mean, yeah, I just don't know what key advantage he would give you 1111 01:09:28,960 --> 01:09:31,039 over this particular Memphis team. I think Brooks on him is just while we're 1112 01:09:31,079 --> 01:09:38,039 done here now. Basically Lakers Grizzlies prediction. I'm gonna go Grizzlies in seven. 1113 01:09:39,760 --> 01:09:43,800 Keeping in mind all I set up front about like how Jackson, Lebron, 1114 01:09:43,840 --> 01:09:45,479 and Davis are all just like, I don't know how much all of 1115 01:09:45,520 --> 01:09:48,279 them are going to play or how effective they'll be. So I had to 1116 01:09:48,319 --> 01:09:51,600 I had to cop out and go seven and take the higher seed. This 1117 01:09:51,760 --> 01:09:57,279 might surprise you. I'm going Grizzlies in five. Oh, I'm very surprised. 1118 01:09:57,439 --> 01:10:00,079 I don't think the reason unless do you think that the Lakers are gonna 1119 01:10:00,079 --> 01:10:03,079 play up to the level of their opponent and the stuff we've seen against what 1120 01:10:03,239 --> 01:10:06,600 was that when they went against like the G League team that Phoenix doesn't actually 1121 01:10:06,640 --> 01:10:10,760 have, but they went up against them and they turn that into a chore. 1122 01:10:11,119 --> 01:10:14,359 The Timberwolves game where they made their offense even look like a chore against 1123 01:10:14,439 --> 01:10:15,520 Yes, and like some of the Timberwolves played really well on that one, 1124 01:10:15,560 --> 01:10:18,079 but you got a terrible game from Matthew Edwards who was clearly injured, and 1125 01:10:18,119 --> 01:10:21,720 you still just couldn't like really pull away. I don't trust them, and 1126 01:10:21,760 --> 01:10:27,960 I don't trust their rotations. And I think even if you their best built 1127 01:10:28,039 --> 01:10:30,399 rotation has like six guys that you were just like okay, like this sort 1128 01:10:30,439 --> 01:10:33,239 of makes sense. Where are we going from here? And I think the 1129 01:10:33,279 --> 01:10:36,319 Grizzlies right now they're just they're still deeper. And I know that Zach Loo 1130 01:10:36,359 --> 01:10:40,880 has been big on well, how many playoff level trustworthy players do you have? 1131 01:10:40,920 --> 01:10:44,000 And he's always said, like Memphis has like four or five. They 1132 01:10:44,039 --> 01:10:47,119 still have four in Brooks, Baine, Jackson, and Morant. That's actually 1133 01:10:47,159 --> 01:10:50,119 a lot when you look at in comparison to Lakers who have lebron A d 1134 01:10:51,119 --> 01:10:57,520 and Vanderbilts and Clue. The Lakers don't even trust him, like he's gonnasively 1135 01:10:58,479 --> 01:11:00,800 And I think I trust some of the develop we've seen just because of Jackson 1136 01:11:01,039 --> 01:11:05,399 and Bain. I trust the Grizzlies half core Ofphens a bit more. I 1137 01:11:05,399 --> 01:11:09,239 wouldn't pick them against a bunch of other teams. I thought I was going 1138 01:11:09,279 --> 01:11:11,960 to go into this one like Lakers and seven or something. I can't talk 1139 01:11:12,039 --> 01:11:14,760 myself into it. Maybe I'm being up. There's an over correction there. 1140 01:11:15,000 --> 01:11:18,600 But this feels like a series where unless it's Jaren Jackson Junior fouls out twice 1141 01:11:18,680 --> 01:11:23,199 or there's like three games where he can't even crack twenty five minutes, this 1142 01:11:23,399 --> 01:11:26,079 just feels like it's gonna be Grizzlies in a landslide. To me, Yeah, 1143 01:11:26,239 --> 01:11:29,800 but blink twice. If if some hostile Memphis fans have you held hostage 1144 01:11:29,880 --> 01:11:32,520 right now and they're making you say this? Are you ready to move on 1145 01:11:32,560 --> 01:11:35,880 to our final series here, which is Suns Clippers. Yeah, let's do 1146 01:11:35,960 --> 01:11:43,479 it. Thoughts on this series, Okay, So Paul George Loond's large, 1147 01:11:43,560 --> 01:11:47,119 that's the key. All indications are that he's we haven't heard any indications he 1148 01:11:47,159 --> 01:11:50,000 will play. I would say it's safe to assume he will not, and 1149 01:11:50,239 --> 01:11:54,680 that if he does, he will be compromised. And so the Clippers in 1150 01:11:54,760 --> 01:11:58,319 all non Paul George lineups have a minus four point three net rating, so 1151 01:11:58,439 --> 01:12:02,079 you're starting behind eventually. I think home court advantage, we haven't even talked 1152 01:12:02,079 --> 01:12:05,399 about that at all in any of these series, is helpful for the Suns. 1153 01:12:06,399 --> 01:12:12,119 I think that the Clippers do not have a clear way to exploit DeAndre 1154 01:12:12,399 --> 01:12:15,000 Ayton in space, which would be something you might try to do if you 1155 01:12:15,079 --> 01:12:20,079 had the personnel to do that were you another team. And so while I 1156 01:12:20,119 --> 01:12:25,880 can see it's possible that Kauai could just be the best player on the floor, 1157 01:12:25,920 --> 01:12:28,760 even one that includes Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, I don't think he 1158 01:12:28,800 --> 01:12:30,840 can do that for a whole series. Maybe he'll prove me wrong and then 1159 01:12:30,880 --> 01:12:39,319 I would really change my predicted outcome. But I just think the Clippers just 1160 01:12:39,439 --> 01:12:42,520 I mean, it's like, how complicated do I need to get beyond saying 1161 01:12:42,560 --> 01:12:45,239 they don't have Paul George that's a huge deal. And the personnel around them 1162 01:12:45,279 --> 01:12:49,399 suddenly like, don't look all that capable of exploiting a center like you thought 1163 01:12:49,399 --> 01:12:53,720 that they would be when they put together this ridiculous you know, everybody is 1164 01:12:53,760 --> 01:12:59,359 a combo forward team that just you know, that just doesn't seem like that 1165 01:12:59,359 --> 01:13:02,800 that version of the Clippers is going to exist or be able to capitalize on 1166 01:13:02,840 --> 01:13:06,920 a big guy. So that's that's my zoomed out of view. Where do 1167 01:13:06,960 --> 01:13:11,520 you want to go? You want to talk about like what the Suns on 1168 01:13:11,560 --> 01:13:14,199 offense can do? What the you know what? Where? Where? Where 1169 01:13:14,199 --> 01:13:16,159 do we need to go next to flesh this out? I think a lot 1170 01:13:16,199 --> 01:13:19,920 of people are gonna focus on the lack of sample. With Kevin Durant and 1171 01:13:19,920 --> 01:13:23,119 the Son's best players, they have just when the top four guards on the 1172 01:13:23,159 --> 01:13:26,199 court, they have destroyed opponents. The defense with Kevin Duran and DeAndre Atan 1173 01:13:26,239 --> 01:13:30,880 has been fantastic during those minutes, and I think that you know, that 1174 01:13:30,880 --> 01:13:32,760 should hold up against the Clippers, who even whether they're gonna play big or 1175 01:13:32,760 --> 01:13:40,560 small like Dat and Durant frontline just absolutely positively works. What I what I 1176 01:13:40,600 --> 01:13:45,119 am curious about is and I don't know how much this actually matters, which 1177 01:13:45,199 --> 01:13:48,720 just like Kevin Durant is still new and so if you're gonna pull some of 1178 01:13:48,760 --> 01:13:55,039 the suns is like best players off the court and like leave him on, 1179 01:13:55,039 --> 01:13:58,439 which you're gonna do at some point You're gonna pull Devin Booker for instance, 1180 01:13:58,439 --> 01:14:01,359 and Kevin Durant are going to be staggard for some stratch of this game. 1181 01:14:01,520 --> 01:14:04,079 And yet you can always play him with CP three or eight. And but 1182 01:14:04,159 --> 01:14:09,159 the minutes when Kevin Durant is played without Devin Booker, the Phoenix Suns offense 1183 01:14:09,239 --> 01:14:15,000 ranks in the fifth percentile. The minutes when Kevin Durant plays without DeAndre Ayton, 1184 01:14:15,399 --> 01:14:18,159 the Sun's offense ranks in the sixth percentile. And so there are different 1185 01:14:18,159 --> 01:14:21,560 ways to look at it. And I think the biggest one is is Phoenix's 1186 01:14:21,600 --> 01:14:26,920 depth actually an issue in this series because you get into their four players, 1187 01:14:26,920 --> 01:14:30,039 you trust them all, but like who's their fifth? And I think Josh 1188 01:14:30,079 --> 01:14:32,319 Akoge and Tory Craig, like those are the clear answers. Can Josh Akoge 1189 01:14:32,439 --> 01:14:34,479 be played off the floor. He's gonna need to hit enough threes. I 1190 01:14:34,479 --> 01:14:36,439 know he can drive it, but he's gonna need to hit enough threes against 1191 01:14:36,439 --> 01:14:40,800 the Clipper's defense. It's gonna be the same for Tory Craig. What type 1192 01:14:40,840 --> 01:14:44,800 of series do you get from campaign? I think, and I don't mean 1193 01:14:44,960 --> 01:14:48,840 I think in a Kogi or let's go their bench, so a Craig or 1194 01:14:48,880 --> 01:14:53,560 a Cameron Payne, they can have a larger impact on the series. But 1195 01:14:53,600 --> 01:14:57,359 I'm almost at the point where, like the reserve that I just trust the 1196 01:14:57,399 --> 01:15:00,399 most, that I think what he does will scale and you know you're gonna 1197 01:15:00,399 --> 01:15:03,039 get for him. It's just the backup five where it's Landale or Biombo. 1198 01:15:03,119 --> 01:15:06,479 And that's not to say that their game changers, it's just the state of 1199 01:15:06,520 --> 01:15:11,600 when you start to get past the suns. As four players, the uncertainty 1200 01:15:11,720 --> 01:15:14,439 is such on at least one end of the floor, and I think a 1201 01:15:14,479 --> 01:15:16,600 lot of it's offense, to be honest with you, but you can even 1202 01:15:16,600 --> 01:15:21,359 have questions about their defensive depth. I'm just very much wondering if that becomes 1203 01:15:21,359 --> 01:15:25,760 an issue during the minutes where not even just we have all four guys on 1204 01:15:25,800 --> 01:15:28,319 the court, Like how many minutes are all four of your best players going 1205 01:15:28,359 --> 01:15:30,319 to play together in a single game, because you're gonna need to stagger in 1206 01:15:30,359 --> 01:15:33,039 a little bit, And how vulnerable does that make you? Now, you're 1207 01:15:33,039 --> 01:15:36,439 definitely not as vulnerable as if Paul George was healthy, and so you have 1208 01:15:36,560 --> 01:15:40,720 that going for you. So maybe this is more of a longer term playoff 1209 01:15:40,800 --> 01:15:45,439 question. How do you sort of feel about that? I just you know, 1210 01:15:45,479 --> 01:15:48,119 as you're mentioning names of guys that are gonna factor in, you know, 1211 01:15:48,479 --> 01:15:50,680 Yeah, the first thing I thought of is, well, so I 1212 01:15:50,680 --> 01:15:56,000 guess a Kogi or Craig is going to be the guy to guard Kauai because 1213 01:15:56,039 --> 01:15:58,680 you probably don't want it to be Durant and so, yeah, like that 1214 01:15:58,680 --> 01:16:00,760 seems like a problem. I just, man, what do we what do 1215 01:16:00,800 --> 01:16:02,520 we do with that? And then I kind of flip it and it's like, 1216 01:16:02,560 --> 01:16:06,159 well, Kawai is gonna have to guard somebody, Kauhi might have to 1217 01:16:06,199 --> 01:16:10,760 guard Durant, and just flipping it the other way, Kawai's may have to 1218 01:16:10,760 --> 01:16:14,479 guard Booker and maybe he can do that for a full series. I don't 1219 01:16:14,520 --> 01:16:16,840 know, but I don't feel like this is a series where you can spare 1220 01:16:17,000 --> 01:16:20,560 Kauai, and so I have concerns about him holding up having to be the 1221 01:16:20,600 --> 01:16:26,119 be all end all on both ends. I think your point about the Sun's 1222 01:16:26,199 --> 01:16:30,319 like if in depth generally is is right. You know, I just don't 1223 01:16:30,359 --> 01:16:34,840 know how many guys they need to find beyond their big four. It's a 1224 01:16:34,840 --> 01:16:39,319 different question deeper in the playoffs, but against this Clippers team, I don't 1225 01:16:39,319 --> 01:16:43,199 know how deep you really need to be if your top four are better than 1226 01:16:43,239 --> 01:16:46,520 the other teams, like top one, because because after Kauai, you know, 1227 01:16:46,800 --> 01:16:50,239 I think Batouma is a lock to play a lot, I mean, 1228 01:16:50,439 --> 01:16:56,359 and then what Russell Westbrook's gonna play a lot? I don't feel awesome about 1229 01:16:56,399 --> 01:17:00,279 that if I'm the Clippers. Even though he has everybody obligatory meant and he's 1230 01:17:00,319 --> 01:17:01,880 been better with the Clippers than he was with the Lakers, he's you know, 1231 01:17:01,960 --> 01:17:05,399 phased out some of the worst things he did. I still just like 1232 01:17:05,720 --> 01:17:09,600 the fact that he can't shoot, the fact that he's spacey off the ball 1233 01:17:09,600 --> 01:17:13,600 defensively, those are big problems in the playoffs against an offense that, by 1234 01:17:13,600 --> 01:17:15,880 the way, and I wanted to get to this earlier, the Suns are 1235 01:17:15,960 --> 01:17:19,479 using Kevin Durant differently, Like he is not doing a lot of pick and 1236 01:17:19,560 --> 01:17:24,000 roll, He is not doing a lot of isolation. They have dramatically scaled 1237 01:17:24,079 --> 01:17:27,800 up his off ball touches, so I think, I mean, that just 1238 01:17:27,840 --> 01:17:30,520 speaks to his scalability and the way that you could put him into any offense 1239 01:17:30,560 --> 01:17:32,840 and he's never going to cause a problem and he'll only make it better. 1240 01:17:33,319 --> 01:17:40,920 But I mean, I just don't see how the Clippers both slow down the 1241 01:17:40,960 --> 01:17:44,600 basic pick and roll stuff that the Suns can run with, again assuming you 1242 01:17:44,680 --> 01:17:47,720 got your best guys on the floor, and also keep track of Durant off 1243 01:17:47,720 --> 01:17:51,239 the ball. If that's what ends up being kind of the go to the 1244 01:17:51,279 --> 01:17:55,119 best you can do as well, we're just gonna leave a Kogi in the 1245 01:17:55,159 --> 01:17:58,359 corner and we'll stag off him. Like we mentioned in the cav series, 1246 01:17:58,399 --> 01:18:00,880 if a Koro were out there, I just I don't know if I mean 1247 01:18:00,960 --> 01:18:03,840 that's you got one you got one move, you got one bullet to fire. 1248 01:18:03,880 --> 01:18:06,720 I think defensively if you're the Clippers, who've been a bad defense all 1249 01:18:06,800 --> 01:18:11,359 year, by the way, and I just don't see. So whatever depth 1250 01:18:11,359 --> 01:18:15,640 issues the Suns have, I think they're more profound for the Clippers in terms 1251 01:18:15,680 --> 01:18:16,680 of, you know, not necessarily just looking. You know, oh, 1252 01:18:16,720 --> 01:18:20,600 Norman Powell's gonna conf the mention score, and you know they're maybe maybe Robert 1253 01:18:20,640 --> 01:18:25,279 Covington will do something in zoobots might just you know, overpowering a little bit 1254 01:18:25,560 --> 01:18:30,119 like yeah, there's but I'm more concerned with the Clippers having enough real playable, 1255 01:18:30,640 --> 01:18:32,439 you know, difference makers than I am with the Suns, because the 1256 01:18:32,520 --> 01:18:35,640 Sun's high end guys are just so good. I do wonder if with Ross 1257 01:18:35,680 --> 01:18:40,920 and Norman Powell they can win the rim pressure free throw battle more and the 1258 01:18:41,000 --> 01:18:44,000 Suns, well, you win the pressure battle against the Suns all the time. 1259 01:18:44,079 --> 01:18:45,479 Like that's they don't, they don't. The Clippers are in the same 1260 01:18:45,520 --> 01:18:48,560 boat, like these are two teams that just inherently before the Rush trade specifically 1261 01:18:48,600 --> 01:18:51,079 and even after it, they weren't generating a ton. They don't get to 1262 01:18:51,119 --> 01:18:55,640 the rim a bunch. The Suns were actually post trade deadline. There's so 1263 01:18:55,800 --> 01:19:00,520 much noise in here, thirty in opponent free throw attempt rate. That could 1264 01:19:00,560 --> 01:19:03,279 help the Clippers if they're able to get buckets that way. But I don't 1265 01:19:03,319 --> 01:19:08,079 know that I trust Russ with his turnovers in this series, and I would 1266 01:19:08,119 --> 01:19:12,159 agree with you. But before I ask my question about the Clippers, is 1267 01:19:12,239 --> 01:19:15,800 this a DeAndre Ayton series? And I think David at the four point playing 1268 01:19:15,800 --> 01:19:19,279 on Twitter posted a great threat about how they've been using him differently. He's 1269 01:19:19,319 --> 01:19:23,600 been hanging out in the dunker spot more. I noted this on a previous 1270 01:19:23,760 --> 01:19:26,520 pod, though I think it was a solo one. I don't think it 1271 01:19:26,560 --> 01:19:30,800 was with you the bailout feels like when he's catching the ball, like if 1272 01:19:30,800 --> 01:19:34,159 he's setting high screens or if he's just not operating near the basket. It 1273 01:19:34,239 --> 01:19:39,479 feels like he's more inclined the bailout since the Kevin Durant trade when he's on 1274 01:19:39,600 --> 01:19:44,199 the floor with his like star players, and so it's felt like more pronounced 1275 01:19:44,239 --> 01:19:45,760 with Kevin Durant on the court than if he's not. I don't know if 1276 01:19:45,800 --> 01:19:49,239 that's a mindset thing or if it's something to worry about, because the Clippers 1277 01:19:49,319 --> 01:19:51,720 can play him a bunch of different ways, where like, all right, 1278 01:19:51,920 --> 01:19:56,199 putting him in the dunker spot is fine. I think zoobots can handle that. 1279 01:19:56,319 --> 01:20:00,119 And if you want to go small and it's I'm like Robert coming in 1280 01:20:00,720 --> 01:20:03,399 or Nick Batoum there, man, they're not. I'm sorry, I would 1281 01:20:03,439 --> 01:20:05,800 say, man, man. And we haven't even talked about Terrence Man. 1282 01:20:05,920 --> 01:20:09,880 I mean he's yeah. I think he's actually monstrous in this series. Because 1283 01:20:10,159 --> 01:20:15,119 when you talk about Clippers secondary ball handlers, people immediately go to Norman Powell. 1284 01:20:15,479 --> 01:20:18,439 They immediately go to Russell Westbrook in addition to Kwai. They even go 1285 01:20:18,520 --> 01:20:21,479 to Batum. It's like, no, it's like Terrence Man is like the 1286 01:20:21,560 --> 01:20:24,960 guy that would be suit. I understand the other guys need to do that, 1287 01:20:25,000 --> 01:20:28,399 but like Terrence Man is super important to that. But I do think 1288 01:20:28,439 --> 01:20:32,840 that the Clippers might be like even without Paul George and the you know, 1289 01:20:32,920 --> 01:20:36,279 the trickle up effect it has with how their defensive coverages are going to change. 1290 01:20:36,640 --> 01:20:39,880 I don't know if this is a DeAndre Eton series for me. I 1291 01:20:39,920 --> 01:20:42,279 think in fury, if they go small, you can say, well, 1292 01:20:42,319 --> 01:20:45,760 no, Deandreton can just mash as a play finisher, and he might. 1293 01:20:45,359 --> 01:20:49,000 But again, the bailout stuff to me when he's not in the dunker spot 1294 01:20:49,800 --> 01:20:53,880 is real, and the Sons can do all this other stuff you mentioned. 1295 01:20:53,920 --> 01:20:58,359 Kevin Durant off ball the Timeline guys the podcast Fantastic Podcast checked him out on 1296 01:20:58,399 --> 01:21:00,439 Blue Wire as well. They've talked about just like the double drag action. 1297 01:21:00,479 --> 01:21:04,000 It's just an absolutely killer so I understand it. But just like and I 1298 01:21:04,560 --> 01:21:08,359 think DeAndrea could have a terrible series and the Suns still win. I'm just 1299 01:21:08,439 --> 01:21:12,439 curious to is this a DeAndre is it's a better deondre In series, Like 1300 01:21:12,720 --> 01:21:15,920 are the Clippers a better matchup for eighton than some of the other opponents? 1301 01:21:15,960 --> 01:21:17,319 That the Suns might have to face or is this a worse one for him? 1302 01:21:17,840 --> 01:21:23,399 So I think the centers are really connected here to me, and it's 1303 01:21:23,520 --> 01:21:26,439 it's competent not a Mason Plumber series. Sorry injury, I'm calling it right 1304 01:21:26,479 --> 01:21:30,159 now. It's not every series is a Mason Plumber series. I think so 1305 01:21:30,359 --> 01:21:33,600 Zobots is really important to the Clippers, and I think you probably want to 1306 01:21:33,720 --> 01:21:39,079 keep him on the floor as much as you can, which again is surprising 1307 01:21:39,359 --> 01:21:42,800 to some extent because I feel like the Clippers, you know, saw what 1308 01:21:42,920 --> 01:21:45,279 they did to Rudy Gobert with five outlooks and kind of built a roster in 1309 01:21:45,319 --> 01:21:47,760 a lot of ways that was designed to be able to replicate that, and 1310 01:21:47,840 --> 01:21:51,760 I just don't think, you know, so that version of the team this 1311 01:21:51,840 --> 01:21:59,560 year would be I guess like Man Westbrook, maybe Kauai Covington batum because Marcus 1312 01:21:59,600 --> 01:22:02,079 Morris just doesn't play anymore. Maybe you put him out there and you take 1313 01:22:02,159 --> 01:22:05,880 Russ off the floor. Whatever. I don't think that's a lineup that Aten 1314 01:22:05,920 --> 01:22:12,880 has trouble with defensively necessarily, So I guess in that sense, this is 1315 01:22:12,960 --> 01:22:15,199 an eighton series to me, and I think he's probably going to be fine 1316 01:22:15,279 --> 01:22:19,159 Slash do very well because you need him out there for Zubots just to have 1317 01:22:19,279 --> 01:22:23,640 some size. And I think you probably are going to be okay getting away 1318 01:22:23,640 --> 01:22:27,960 with putting him out there against if if, because it's an if. I 1319 01:22:27,960 --> 01:22:30,600 don't know if they will if the Clippers downsize, because they might just play 1320 01:22:30,640 --> 01:22:34,319 plumbly instead. So I mean, like, is it possible that eighton just 1321 01:22:34,560 --> 01:22:39,680 you know, as usual, just refuses to dunk anything and doesn't play with 1322 01:22:39,880 --> 01:22:45,079 enough force and doesn't capitalize on the Clippers if they're smaller or is not aggressive 1323 01:22:45,159 --> 01:22:46,720 in the dunker spot. Yeah, that's always in play I think for him. 1324 01:22:47,359 --> 01:22:53,159 But I don't feel like this is the type of series where the Suns 1325 01:22:53,159 --> 01:22:55,920 are going to have to think about maybe we got to get him off the 1326 01:22:56,000 --> 01:23:00,479 floor if only, I mean only because they don't have anybody else to play 1327 01:23:00,880 --> 01:23:03,600 that's dearly as good as him. Well, yeah, that wasn't what. 1328 01:23:03,680 --> 01:23:05,680 I don't think that he could be played off the floor, to be to 1329 01:23:05,720 --> 01:23:10,000 be clear, this might be the series though the Clippers downsize. If he 1330 01:23:10,039 --> 01:23:13,760 wanted to try Kevin Durant at the five. Maybe I just don't think you 1331 01:23:13,880 --> 01:23:16,640 lose much. I mean, you know, like to your point, Westbrook 1332 01:23:16,680 --> 01:23:19,800 will put pressure on the rim, Kawhi will draw fouls, like there are 1333 01:23:19,920 --> 01:23:24,920 ways for the Clippers to make it hard to play a conventional center. But 1334 01:23:24,960 --> 01:23:27,520 I think the Clippers are going to play a conventional center like a lot. 1335 01:23:27,760 --> 01:23:30,920 So I think I think Aiden is Actually I don't. I don't want to 1336 01:23:30,920 --> 01:23:35,159 say he's really important, just because if you have Kevin Durant and Devin Booker 1337 01:23:35,239 --> 01:23:39,239 on your team, like those guys are just more important. So but I 1338 01:23:39,319 --> 01:23:42,079 think he can eat. I think he should have a good series. I 1339 01:23:42,159 --> 01:23:45,760 think there will be opportunities for him to contribute on both ends, regardless of 1340 01:23:45,800 --> 01:23:49,079 how the Clippers, you know, kind of feel their lineups. I'm asking 1341 01:23:49,199 --> 01:23:53,439 this question because I think it's a real question, and maybe it's not in 1342 01:23:53,520 --> 01:23:57,720 the Clippers locker room. Who does Kawhi Leonard? Who should he guard? 1343 01:24:00,079 --> 01:24:01,680 You want to hear my answer. I think my answer might be contrarian. 1344 01:24:03,119 --> 01:24:10,479 Honestly, I think I am putting I'm putting him on Devin Booker, and 1345 01:24:10,960 --> 01:24:15,159 I just think it's because nobody can do anything with Kevin Durant, so you 1346 01:24:15,279 --> 01:24:17,680 might as well put him on the guy that he might be able to overpower 1347 01:24:18,239 --> 01:24:21,520 as much as anything. So, but all that is the crux. That 1348 01:24:21,680 --> 01:24:25,399 is one of the not the crux, but it's a crucial point in the 1349 01:24:25,479 --> 01:24:29,720 series. Is can he He's gonna have to guard somebody. I think if 1350 01:24:29,760 --> 01:24:31,840 you hide him somewhere, you're just copping out, like you're just you're dead 1351 01:24:31,880 --> 01:24:35,760 in the water. So he's gonna have to take on a major responsibility. 1352 01:24:35,880 --> 01:24:39,840 Is a Booker for you two that he has to guard? Yes, because 1353 01:24:40,359 --> 01:24:44,760 my reasoning is, and I don't think if you put Kawai on Devin Booker, 1354 01:24:44,840 --> 01:24:46,039 I don't think Kevin Durant will be stashed off the ball as much. 1355 01:24:46,039 --> 01:24:48,680 I want to make that clear. But because of how much Devin Booker does 1356 01:24:48,800 --> 01:24:51,560 move away from the ball, I think the best bet is to go with 1357 01:24:53,119 --> 01:24:57,680 Kawai there. And I would go the route of we're gonna throw a bigger 1358 01:24:57,960 --> 01:25:00,800 or stocky body at Durant. I know, is it batoum is this? 1359 01:25:00,960 --> 01:25:03,479 Does this become a Marcus more a series? Just because of his build? 1360 01:25:03,720 --> 01:25:06,600 Do you think Covington could try? Do you just say, fuck it, 1361 01:25:06,800 --> 01:25:11,079 We're just gonna bet on Russell Westbrook being amped up and we're gonna try and 1362 01:25:11,159 --> 01:25:14,600 like put him against Kevin Durant and just see what happens. I'm being ridiculous 1363 01:25:14,640 --> 01:25:16,920 there. That'd be really funny, though I would pay a premium to see 1364 01:25:16,960 --> 01:25:20,479 that. But I am because of Devin Booker's familiarity within the offense, because 1365 01:25:20,520 --> 01:25:24,319 I know Kevin Durant is scalable, but Devin Booker is scalable in a way 1366 01:25:24,800 --> 01:25:28,000 whether there's like off ball mobility where if he doesn't touch the ball, like 1367 01:25:28,359 --> 01:25:31,119 he can change the possession. I don't view Kevin Durant and that's Kevin Durant 1368 01:25:31,199 --> 01:25:34,520 exist. Kevin Durant's existence can change the way you defend a possession, but 1369 01:25:34,600 --> 01:25:39,119 Devin Booker's off ball movement is going to change it more, and so I 1370 01:25:39,159 --> 01:25:42,920 would put him on Booker. I think the counter argument would be, well, 1371 01:25:43,840 --> 01:25:47,520 have Kawai on kd because if Kevin Durant is stationary for more possessions, 1372 01:25:47,760 --> 01:25:53,079 does that allow Kawai to sort of rove You're not roving from Kevin Durant, 1373 01:25:53,119 --> 01:25:56,000 Like, if anything, Kevin Durant will just take Kawai out of the play. 1374 01:25:56,079 --> 01:25:58,960 And so that's why I would have Kawai on Devin Booker. But I 1375 01:25:58,960 --> 01:26:00,720 don't know if that's fair to have Kauai do where there's been a lot of 1376 01:26:00,720 --> 01:26:04,880 talk about his defensive decline. I think he could have been all defense based 1377 01:26:04,920 --> 01:26:08,520 off what he's done since December. Like, I don't think that that would 1378 01:26:08,520 --> 01:26:13,119 be absurd to say the Clipper's defense has not been especially great all the time, 1379 01:26:13,159 --> 01:26:16,079 but like he is still I would say more that dude than not that 1380 01:26:16,239 --> 01:26:20,760 dude. Well, and just like if not him, who if if Kauai 1381 01:26:20,920 --> 01:26:25,199 is not taking it, there's just not a lot of great options elsewhere. 1382 01:26:25,479 --> 01:26:28,399 I mean, you know, the Clippers do have like Batoum is a good 1383 01:26:28,479 --> 01:26:30,920 defensive player. As Lee's limited, He's not nearly I mean, he's older. 1384 01:26:31,000 --> 01:26:33,079 He's just not going to be able to stay in front of those guys 1385 01:26:33,439 --> 01:26:38,560 consistently. That's another reason I think Zobots is gonna play a lot is because 1386 01:26:38,720 --> 01:26:43,560 there will be some some some blowbuys and some decent looks where you're just gonna 1387 01:26:43,560 --> 01:26:46,600 need somebody big around the rim to hope hopefully, you know, prevent the 1388 01:26:46,680 --> 01:26:50,119 lay up parade. But yeah, I think I think Booker is the right 1389 01:26:50,239 --> 01:26:55,319 choice. I just like Kauai is gonna Kauai has such a heavy lift in 1390 01:26:55,399 --> 01:26:58,800 this series because I think the best thing you can do defending Durant, and 1391 01:26:58,800 --> 01:27:00,199 this would be a reason to not have him on. Durant is to deny 1392 01:27:00,279 --> 01:27:03,399 the ball. And it's exhausting if you're just face guarding a guy like that 1393 01:27:03,520 --> 01:27:06,359 and trying to deny the catch, because once Durrant's got the ball, you 1394 01:27:06,479 --> 01:27:10,399 know you're not going to make him shorter. As a defender, you can 1395 01:27:10,439 --> 01:27:13,119 get into his space, but like and Kauai, you know Kawai as an 1396 01:27:13,119 --> 01:27:15,800 all time wing defender, not necessarily right now, but like, I just 1397 01:27:15,840 --> 01:27:18,399 don't think there's a lot you can do once Durant has it in his spot, 1398 01:27:19,000 --> 01:27:23,560 And so it would just wear him down too much to be sprinting around 1399 01:27:23,680 --> 01:27:28,560 face guarding trying to keep Durant from catching it. And and then then you're 1400 01:27:28,640 --> 01:27:33,039 letting Chris Paul and Devin Booker and DeAndre Ayton mess around in advantage situations while 1401 01:27:33,079 --> 01:27:36,920 you're chasing Durant. Like, I just it's it's this tough. I mean, 1402 01:27:38,239 --> 01:27:40,520 can we just get to the picks now? I think we've just angled 1403 01:27:40,560 --> 01:27:43,000 towards. I was gonna say, this is a series where when you look 1404 01:27:43,039 --> 01:27:45,399 at how they match up, the Clippers have more options than the Suns. 1405 01:27:45,840 --> 01:27:49,520 And also less solutions right right, which is which is if you have too 1406 01:27:49,560 --> 01:27:54,199 many options, it's like the quarterback thing. You actually don't have one that 1407 01:27:54,359 --> 01:27:58,039 there are there's no good ones. I'm going I'm going sons in five. 1408 01:27:58,800 --> 01:28:00,199 If Paul George were playing it, I'd go longer, but I don't think 1409 01:28:00,199 --> 01:28:03,479 i'd picked the Clippers even then. I'm going sons and five and I'm operating 1410 01:28:03,520 --> 01:28:05,800 under the sumpers that we don't see. Paul George. Yeah, it's just 1411 01:28:05,960 --> 01:28:10,399 where I'm at. Do you have so we have just a couple of questions 1412 01:28:10,479 --> 01:28:13,920 for our playoff mailbad We have three of them. You're ready to dive into 1413 01:28:13,960 --> 01:28:16,720 these? You've not seen these before. Let's stick with the series we were. 1414 01:28:17,359 --> 01:28:20,239 We were just on Jake from State Farm asked. In the final game 1415 01:28:20,239 --> 01:28:25,079 of the regular season, the Clippers were incredibly underwhelming. The Suns rested Kadi 1416 01:28:25,119 --> 01:28:27,880 Booker, CB three eight, and I think a couple other guys. Their 1417 01:28:27,920 --> 01:28:31,119 star players were Darius Baisley, and the Clippers were almost full strength without PG 1418 01:28:31,560 --> 01:28:34,800 and even the Sun's almost won. Is that something we can expect to see 1419 01:28:35,239 --> 01:28:41,000 throughout this series? Kind of coming back to the Clippers seemingly have more options, 1420 01:28:41,199 --> 01:28:44,720 but just less solutions because you're looking at the top end isn't as good. 1421 01:28:45,119 --> 01:28:47,520 I don't expect. I'm just wondering, Like I feel like the Clippers 1422 01:28:47,560 --> 01:28:51,159 were internally struggling throughout that game of deciding like whether they needed to win or 1423 01:28:51,239 --> 01:28:54,960 lose for how they wanted to fare. That's just where I land on what 1424 01:28:55,079 --> 01:28:58,800 happened. Yeah, so is the question how much am I putting any stock 1425 01:28:58,840 --> 01:29:02,800 in what we saw in the zero like none and almost any of those any 1426 01:29:02,840 --> 01:29:06,159 of those late season games. I can't. Yeah, I mean it really 1427 01:29:06,359 --> 01:29:12,520 even if even if there were, there's just nothing to gain by tipping your 1428 01:29:12,560 --> 01:29:15,159 hand or what. Yeah, No, I a short answer, No, 1429 01:29:15,199 --> 01:29:16,520 I don't. I don't put a lot of stock in almost anything we saw 1430 01:29:16,760 --> 01:29:19,159 in the last like three days of the season. Do you don't have much 1431 01:29:19,199 --> 01:29:23,039 of the regular season, I sometimes don't pay attention. I don't pay attention 1432 01:29:23,039 --> 01:29:25,439 to it as much anymore. To the point we talked about the top of 1433 01:29:25,479 --> 01:29:28,840 the podcasts of postseason basketball, so much different, the amount of shakeups we 1434 01:29:28,960 --> 01:29:30,399 kind of saw where it's like, well, the Clippers and Suns kind of 1435 01:29:30,439 --> 01:29:33,000 look a lot different based off the way they're playing right now and it's the 1436 01:29:33,039 --> 01:29:36,159 same thing with the nets versus like the nets going up like you can't use 1437 01:29:36,199 --> 01:29:43,079 the regular season as Yeah, Harber, unbiased Pistons fan that you're born to 1438 01:29:43,079 --> 01:29:45,840 answer this question, Lan, I keep staring at this King's Warriors matchup, 1439 01:29:45,840 --> 01:29:47,680 and I can't see away for the Warriors to hold up defensively. It is 1440 01:29:47,720 --> 01:29:51,039 looking like they just move and fly around so much that an aging Warriors line 1441 01:29:51,079 --> 01:29:55,279 up would stuggle to keep up physically. So I guess my question is am 1442 01:29:55,279 --> 01:29:58,800 I underestimating Draymond's ability to blow up dribble handoffs or are the Kings going to 1443 01:29:58,840 --> 01:30:04,039 be curling into open for six straight games? I think you are underestimating that. 1444 01:30:04,199 --> 01:30:09,279 I also think the personnel wise, like all that off ball movement is 1445 01:30:09,319 --> 01:30:13,079 a lot harder to defend if you can't switch. And I said it earlier, 1446 01:30:13,399 --> 01:30:16,479 you know, and I think that if you have hard to say what 1447 01:30:16,560 --> 01:30:19,479 combinations will be out there. But if Jonathan Cominga is on the floor, 1448 01:30:20,039 --> 01:30:23,920 he's fine one to four. He's a great one on one defender, so 1449 01:30:24,000 --> 01:30:27,800 he can you can switch off ball stuff and chase. If Draymond Green is 1450 01:30:27,840 --> 01:30:30,199 out there, you can switch him one to five. If Gary Payton is 1451 01:30:30,199 --> 01:30:32,239 out there, you can switch him one to four. If Devincenzo's out there, 1452 01:30:32,239 --> 01:30:36,119 you can probably go one to three. But again, if the King's 1453 01:30:36,199 --> 01:30:41,000 forwards are Keegan Murray and Harrison Barnes, I feel actually okay with someone like 1454 01:30:41,319 --> 01:30:45,239 Devincenzo on those guys and Wiggins same thing, you can go one to four. 1455 01:30:45,760 --> 01:30:47,439 So the off ball stuff, I think it's short circuited a little bit. 1456 01:30:48,560 --> 01:30:51,439 I suppose you could say the same thing about the Kings the other way. 1457 01:30:51,720 --> 01:30:56,199 But the Warriors have just seen switches and know how to slip and know 1458 01:30:56,279 --> 01:30:59,239 how to backcut when they're getting top blocked and all blah blah blah. So 1459 01:31:00,079 --> 01:31:01,359 yeah, I think the Warriors, like, look, the King's offense is 1460 01:31:01,399 --> 01:31:05,960 awesome. I just think the Warriors have the personnel to, you know, 1461 01:31:06,079 --> 01:31:10,960 handle it pretty effectively. And the point that the real crux of that is 1462 01:31:11,640 --> 01:31:15,079 Draymond. If you're if you're gonna run on offense, which the Kings will, 1463 01:31:15,680 --> 01:31:18,840 that I think principally involves Draymond Green in the action over and over and 1464 01:31:18,960 --> 01:31:23,720 over again. I just don't think that's gonna go well for the offense because 1465 01:31:23,760 --> 01:31:28,760 I think he's gonna diagnose he's gonna figure it out. There's no like Sabonis 1466 01:31:28,800 --> 01:31:31,920 actually cannot overpower him. It's just been tried and it doesn't work. So 1467 01:31:32,800 --> 01:31:35,600 I think I think, yeah, the Warriors, look, they're not going 1468 01:31:35,680 --> 01:31:39,920 to shut down this offense, but there will be stretches where the Warriors look 1469 01:31:40,000 --> 01:31:43,479 like they've kind of, you know, peaked at the notes and know what's 1470 01:31:43,479 --> 01:31:46,319 going to happen ahead of time. It's alan asked, could the Grizzlies try 1471 01:31:46,319 --> 01:31:49,520 attacking Lebron on defense and have him warmed down by the end of the series. 1472 01:31:49,560 --> 01:31:54,880 He looked pretty gassed against the Timberwolves and the energy that Grizzlies bring. 1473 01:31:55,760 --> 01:31:59,479 They're not going to Minnesota Timberwolves games away. Like in the plane, I 1474 01:31:59,520 --> 01:32:01,319 don't know, what do you think. You're just trying to get him switched 1475 01:32:01,399 --> 01:32:03,880 up onto Morant and pick and roll and then he blows by him like that 1476 01:32:03,960 --> 01:32:08,439 type of thing. What does that look like to you? That's I honestly 1477 01:32:08,479 --> 01:32:11,560 don't know what wearing Lebron down. If there was a way to get him 1478 01:32:11,600 --> 01:32:15,279 matched up. I don't want to discredit John Moran is so good, So 1479 01:32:15,279 --> 01:32:16,680 I want to make this clear, like the late like, it's just not 1480 01:32:16,800 --> 01:32:20,560 gonna be the Lakers will let like they'll guide him to the rim if Lebron 1481 01:32:20,680 --> 01:32:23,720 ends up on him, I think it would be more can you get Lebron's 1482 01:32:23,720 --> 01:32:27,560 which on the Jaren Jackson Junior or Desmond Baine, or can you get Lebron 1483 01:32:27,920 --> 01:32:30,159 just running around? Like let's look, what are they gonna Ideally, who 1484 01:32:30,199 --> 01:32:33,199 are they gonna have Lebron defend? Like if you want him on Xavier Tilman 1485 01:32:33,319 --> 01:32:38,960 or Santi Aldama, can you get them moving so that Lebron has to be 1486 01:32:39,079 --> 01:32:43,239 like just involved in actions and exert more energy. I think the biggest thing 1487 01:32:43,560 --> 01:32:48,159 they could do is to run after inbounds place because like, yeah, you 1488 01:32:48,239 --> 01:32:54,000 run off missus enforcing turnovers. Wow, isn't that revelatory? Run off inbounds 1489 01:32:54,039 --> 01:32:55,920 place? And see if it's maybe it's not John Morant, But can you 1490 01:32:55,960 --> 01:32:59,680 get Dylan Brooks going downhill to where he might barrow in to him? And 1491 01:33:00,079 --> 01:33:01,479 that might be the best way to wear Lebron down. And I say this 1492 01:33:01,600 --> 01:33:05,079 not as because I think Lebron is still an incredible defender. I just think 1493 01:33:05,479 --> 01:33:09,520 the Lakers will do everything in their power, and even if they don't, 1494 01:33:09,600 --> 01:33:12,439 Lebron will do everything in his power to where like he's not going to be 1495 01:33:13,039 --> 01:33:15,960 involved in these primary matchups, and so you need to do You need to 1496 01:33:16,000 --> 01:33:20,439 do a lot in snippets of time or on certain sets to just like force 1497 01:33:20,560 --> 01:33:25,000 him to think more and maybe that tires him out. Or I don't think 1498 01:33:25,000 --> 01:33:27,199 he'll get in foul trouble. He's really good about He's like, he'll make 1499 01:33:27,239 --> 01:33:33,199 business decisions all night. But I think I think Brooks and or Well and 1500 01:33:34,600 --> 01:33:39,960 Tilman or Aldama give Lebron too many options to kind of chill out on. 1501 01:33:41,000 --> 01:33:44,640 I would be interesting. I don't think they'll do this for any significant stretch 1502 01:33:44,640 --> 01:33:47,560 of time. But if the Grizzlies went smaller and played Jones with Morant and 1503 01:33:47,720 --> 01:33:51,800 Baine and Brooks as the four and Jackson as the five, you get some 1504 01:33:51,960 --> 01:33:57,880 interesting five outlooks that, you know, maybe make the Lakers bigs and Lebron 1505 01:33:57,960 --> 01:34:02,239 specifically have to scramble a little more. I just there are maybe creative ways 1506 01:34:02,279 --> 01:34:06,000 to do that. But I do have concerns about playing Mariant and Jones together 1507 01:34:06,920 --> 01:34:11,039 defensively just because of the lack of size. But you know, if it's 1508 01:34:11,119 --> 01:34:15,840 Danzelo Russell and Austin Reeves out there, maybe you know or Russell and Beasley. 1509 01:34:15,920 --> 01:34:17,359 You probably could get away with playing those two guys, and then maybe 1510 01:34:17,399 --> 01:34:20,720 it puts more of an onus on Lebron to have to work. I like 1511 01:34:20,880 --> 01:34:26,560 that final question. It's threefold from muckle jb versus Tips is going to be 1512 01:34:26,600 --> 01:34:30,000 an interesting coaching matchup. What are your thoughts on what each coach needs to 1513 01:34:30,079 --> 01:34:31,600 do or not do to win the series? And so what is your you're 1514 01:34:31,600 --> 01:34:35,399 looking at? What is the biggest decision for them? I think mine would 1515 01:34:35,399 --> 01:34:38,520 be just because I know I'm throwing you on the spot with this one, 1516 01:34:38,560 --> 01:34:42,279 and maybe it's the same one. I think Bickerstaff's biggest decisions just like, 1517 01:34:42,359 --> 01:34:45,680 well, who is going to play the most minutes with our top four guys? 1518 01:34:45,840 --> 01:34:48,159 Although it could be I think this is Tibs's biggest decision. If the 1519 01:34:48,199 --> 01:34:51,199 Knicks down size, I don't think they're actually built to be like, oh, 1520 01:34:51,239 --> 01:34:54,880 we're gonna pull Allen and we have to play just Mobli. But could 1521 01:34:54,880 --> 01:34:58,760 they force them to extend Cleveland's one big minutes like that could be a decision. 1522 01:34:58,760 --> 01:35:00,159 I don't think it would be for bickers half. But my biggest with 1523 01:35:00,319 --> 01:35:03,800 Tibbs is you know, and it's really an RJ. Barrett question is how 1524 01:35:03,960 --> 01:35:05,960 much? And a lot of it depends on Julius Randall, But like, 1525 01:35:06,079 --> 01:35:11,520 are you willing to go smaller during non rand It's during non random minuts because 1526 01:35:11,520 --> 01:35:14,640 they're not gonna play Randall at center, or if Randall's just not able to 1527 01:35:14,680 --> 01:35:17,119 go or whatever, are you willing to go a little bit smaller and flexible 1528 01:35:17,199 --> 01:35:21,359 to one prioritize the Garland and Mitchell defensive matchups while maybe just giving up a 1529 01:35:21,439 --> 01:35:26,239 lot on the interior. Yeah, I think the first thing that came to 1530 01:35:26,319 --> 01:35:28,760 mind was because we talked about it, was if it's not going to be 1531 01:35:28,840 --> 01:35:30,279 your Randle, or even if it is Randall, what are you doing with 1532 01:35:30,399 --> 01:35:33,800 the top end Barrett situation? You know, who's going to maybe see some 1533 01:35:33,920 --> 01:35:36,840 four Where does Barrett fit if you're going to play him at the three? 1534 01:35:36,920 --> 01:35:40,199 Like that's that's a big one. I think the other thing for tips two 1535 01:35:40,319 --> 01:35:45,079 is like, do you want to maybe focus on getting back a little more 1536 01:35:45,279 --> 01:35:48,119 as opposed to crashing the offensive glass as much as you do, because I'd 1537 01:35:48,159 --> 01:35:54,119 be concerned. It's hard to imagine the Nicks being worried about getting outscored in 1538 01:35:54,199 --> 01:35:56,560 a series because their offense is so good, but if you're letting Mitchell and 1539 01:35:56,640 --> 01:36:00,960 Garland kind of get out and you know, say Robinson's trailing the play because 1540 01:36:00,960 --> 01:36:03,399 he's on the offensive glass, which is a huge asset. But I don't 1541 01:36:03,399 --> 01:36:05,600 know, that's just something I would think about. It's not as big as 1542 01:36:05,640 --> 01:36:09,239 the lineup decisions you mentioned for either team. I would echo what you said 1543 01:36:09,239 --> 01:36:13,159 about Bickerstaff too, because you know you've got to figure out who that fifth 1544 01:36:13,199 --> 01:36:15,399 guy is going to be. I think it does help the Knicks, like 1545 01:36:15,439 --> 01:36:18,079 having Josh hard and quickly you're able to get back while also crafting the offensive 1546 01:36:18,079 --> 01:36:21,680 glass. But yeah, and then so this is the twofold question. The 1547 01:36:21,760 --> 01:36:28,920 biggest reason the Calves win this series is Evan Mobiley just makes it too hard 1548 01:36:29,000 --> 01:36:30,800 for the Knicks to score in the ways that they want to score. I 1549 01:36:30,920 --> 01:36:36,159 think mine would just be that the win the series because the Calves half court 1550 01:36:36,239 --> 01:36:41,159 from scratch offense is just overwhelming for the Knicks, Like having two shot makers 1551 01:36:41,199 --> 01:36:44,680 like Garland and Mitchell from the perimeter can undo everything that the Knicks might do 1552 01:36:44,760 --> 01:36:47,319 well on the defense. The Knicks win this sear The biggest reason the Knicks 1553 01:36:47,359 --> 01:36:53,800 would win this series is Brunson's just undeniable, and he manages to get all 1554 01:36:53,840 --> 01:36:58,199 the types of shots that he wants against Cleveland smaller guards, and he doesn't, 1555 01:36:58,279 --> 01:37:01,319 let you know, the giant human inside the restricted area bother him too 1556 01:37:01,399 --> 01:37:06,159 much. I think mine would be aside from Julius Randall being absolutely positively healthy, 1557 01:37:06,439 --> 01:37:11,560 is well, Yeah, IQ and or Barrett have like the series of 1558 01:37:11,640 --> 01:37:14,520 their lives. It's just sort of these Oh, the Calves have forced the 1559 01:37:14,600 --> 01:37:18,359 Knicks to go to their secondary creators and scores, and they're they're hitting their 1560 01:37:18,439 --> 01:37:23,079 driving kicks or in quickly embarrassed case like they're getting into the paint tough finishes, 1561 01:37:23,159 --> 01:37:25,880 maybe getting to the line. That's interesting because it gives the Knicks two 1562 01:37:25,920 --> 01:37:29,920 ways based on our reasoning, because one is I, well, Brunson gets 1563 01:37:29,960 --> 01:37:31,520 what he wants, and yours depends on Brunson not being able to get what 1564 01:37:31,600 --> 01:37:34,880 he wants and the guys he's kicking it to making shots. So like, 1565 01:37:35,039 --> 01:37:39,439 hey, two ways for the next upset here, it's just the quickly Brunton 1566 01:37:39,479 --> 01:37:42,199 stuff is interesting because of what they do in the lane and how important that 1567 01:37:42,279 --> 01:37:45,279 is in the Knicks' offense. If Cleveland is just erasing that, yeah, 1568 01:37:45,720 --> 01:37:49,279 it's just oh, Cleveland, such, they're so good. I don't I 1569 01:37:49,319 --> 01:37:53,000 don't know what I'm missing about Cleveland, but they're everything. Every time I 1570 01:37:53,079 --> 01:37:55,560 watched them, every all the data we look at, they're just so good. 1571 01:37:55,880 --> 01:37:59,680 Don't don't let them get like two more rotation guys in free agency this 1572 01:37:59,720 --> 01:38:02,880 summer, because then we're gonna have to say people, they still have the 1573 01:38:02,920 --> 01:38:06,199 whole non taxpayers mid level. I don't know who that nets you, but 1574 01:38:06,359 --> 01:38:12,359 just like this team having that spending weapon, Yeah, it's scary, it's 1575 01:38:12,399 --> 01:38:14,760 scary. Do you want to take us out? Yeah, I'll take us 1576 01:38:14,800 --> 01:38:17,199 out. This was good. Everybody who has listened or is listening. Thanks 1577 01:38:17,359 --> 01:38:20,800 as always. Make sure that you are following us on all our socials here 1578 01:38:20,840 --> 01:38:25,800 on the screen or if you need them at Hardwood Knox at Hardwood, Underscore 1579 01:38:25,840 --> 01:38:30,800 Knox on Instagram, at Dampa Valley at GT Underscore Hughes. Make sure wherever 1580 01:38:30,840 --> 01:38:33,600 you're listening to this podcast to rate, review, subscribe five stars on iTunes 1581 01:38:33,680 --> 01:38:36,640 is always helpful. Make sure you tell your friends we're gonna be doing a 1582 01:38:36,680 --> 01:38:40,800 lot of playoff content. This is the best part of This is the best 1583 01:38:40,880 --> 01:38:44,359 part of the season. To just constantly be talking about it because everything changes 1584 01:38:44,359 --> 01:38:46,720 all the time and it's really interesting, So check back with us constantly. 1585 01:38:46,840 --> 01:38:50,239 We'll try to get as much content up as possible, and as always, 1586 01:38:50,279 --> 01:38:54,920 we close with the shout out to one and only Frank Milikin and an apology 1587 01:38:55,079 --> 01:38:57,159 to Jared out who's gonna win his first round Scaries