1 00:00:16,359 --> 00:00:22,399 What is krack alac in fellow thermonuclear a efforts. I am Dan Favalley, 2 00:00:22,879 --> 00:00:29,879 joined by my certified fantabulous co host, mister Grant Hughes. Before we actually 3 00:00:29,879 --> 00:00:32,719 get started, I'd just like to remind you the best way to support the 4 00:00:32,759 --> 00:00:36,439 show. Hit that subscribe button YouTube. Subscribe to us on all podcast platforms 5 00:00:36,479 --> 00:00:40,600 as well, Apple, Spotify, Stitcher where wherever the hell you're listening to 6 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:44,280 them, and please reviews and ratings help us out a ton on Spotify and 7 00:00:44,359 --> 00:00:48,560 the reviews on Apple specifically, So go in there right nice things. Hopefully 8 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:52,039 constructive criticism is fine as as well. Five stars only though, of course, 9 00:00:52,079 --> 00:00:54,640 because that's what this show is. And follow us on the socials. 10 00:00:54,799 --> 00:00:58,479 We're at Hardwood Knox on Twitter and TikTok. We're Grant. We have over 11 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:02,479 three hundred followers, so I think we're time. Now it's over. That's 12 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:07,319 triple digits. And then at Hardwood Underscore Knox on Instagram. Let's move on 13 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:12,760 to Celtics Sixers. Okay, this series we I think we both picked the 14 00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:18,400 Celtics in five that was operating under the assumption that EMBID might miss more than 15 00:01:18,439 --> 00:01:19,719 one game, and even when we factored in and be playing more. I 16 00:01:19,719 --> 00:01:26,400 think we said, oh Celtics in six. What are your overarching thoughts about 17 00:01:26,439 --> 00:01:30,640 this series? Is we get ready for game six. I'm gonna try not 18 00:01:30,760 --> 00:01:34,439 to dump on the team that's losing now for a change of pace. And 19 00:01:34,599 --> 00:01:40,879 I think from the Sixers perspective, my overarching thoughts are surprised that they got 20 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:44,680 They've got two phenomenal James Harden games, Like he basically won them, two 21 00:01:44,680 --> 00:01:49,879 games, one of which did not feature Joel Embid in the lineup. So 22 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:53,239 that's not that's it's like a little bit of a stretch to say, well, 23 00:01:53,239 --> 00:01:57,400 that's found money because Harden, you know, for all his playoff whatever 24 00:01:57,040 --> 00:02:00,480 throughout his career, he's just like he's Pele of that he can get you 25 00:02:00,599 --> 00:02:04,280 forty and just win you a game. That's that. We spent like seven 26 00:02:04,359 --> 00:02:07,799 straight seasons with the Rockets when he was really at his peak. So like, 27 00:02:07,879 --> 00:02:09,000 yeah, once in a while, those games are gonna happen. So 28 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:15,240 impressed by Harden, I think again, I keep looking for these things to 29 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:21,199 say, well, we're having a different conversation if and on now on game 30 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:28,919 five, right where are we? It's three the most recent game Boston shot 31 00:02:28,919 --> 00:02:32,680 three for thirteen on wide open threes. That's six plus feet a distance between 32 00:02:32,719 --> 00:02:36,639 them and the shooter and the defender, and four or fifteen on open which 33 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:40,560 is like four to six feet. So yet again just like if the Celtics 34 00:02:40,599 --> 00:02:46,039 make a couple more threes because I was a single digit game, then like 35 00:02:46,199 --> 00:02:51,879 what are we talking about? So I do think there's reasons to be critical 36 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:55,199 of the Celtics. Their offense comes up sometimes. They have not had a 37 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:59,719 good answer for Harden. They're letting him bead shoot the mid rate jumpers that 38 00:02:59,719 --> 00:03:04,240 he wants too. But like you know, make some shots and things are 39 00:03:04,240 --> 00:03:07,960 a lot different if like Horford in particular, like the first half, like 40 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:13,319 Horford was getting good looks and just can't hit anything, and you know that's 41 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:15,719 a big deal because then MBID doesn't have to you know, then the Sixers 42 00:03:15,719 --> 00:03:19,879 can pack the pain and it just makes things harder and it makes an offense 43 00:03:19,919 --> 00:03:24,240 that is prone to kind of gear grinding like fall into that more quickly and 44 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:28,400 struggle to get out of it. But the Sixers has been good, like 45 00:03:28,439 --> 00:03:31,960 Tyres Maxie finally got loose, getting him the ball on the move. Is 46 00:03:31,960 --> 00:03:36,680 is just like that's hard to handle if you have decent space. Yeah, 47 00:03:37,319 --> 00:03:40,240 so I don't know. I'm mostly crediting the Sixers, and maybe that's just 48 00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:45,120 because I didn't think that they had much of a chance in this series. 49 00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:47,439 So it's like more surprising to me. But yeah, I don't know. 50 00:03:47,599 --> 00:03:52,080 Do you feel differently, do you think this is a Sixers success or or 51 00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:57,400 Celtics failure. It's a It's a Sixers success for sure. I mean they 52 00:03:57,400 --> 00:04:00,159 even Daniel House, who's apparently just a tank game comes in midway through the 53 00:04:00,199 --> 00:04:03,840 playoffs and she's just like dominant. He was good for them, And then 54 00:04:03,960 --> 00:04:08,240 you mention start respecting Tobias Harris had a great game just rebounding. I thought 55 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:11,520 he provided some tough one on one defense and then he's gotten better at making 56 00:04:11,599 --> 00:04:14,319 quick decisions with the ball, but he gave you more of a scoring punch. 57 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:20,519 And Hi chat Stefan story. It's being beaten by Harden without a first 58 00:04:20,560 --> 00:04:25,160 step, and like, look, Harden still found ways to just dice up 59 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:27,720 the Celtics in the middle of the floor. And I think that's the biggest 60 00:04:27,720 --> 00:04:30,240 criticism. And people were lighting into Joe Mazoula for this, and I saw 61 00:04:30,279 --> 00:04:34,160 a half court hoops. On Twitter during Game five, it said the Celtics 62 00:04:34,199 --> 00:04:39,319 are just letting the Sixers go to that left side pick and roll like to 63 00:04:39,399 --> 00:04:42,439 their left with and beat and hardened. Harden wants to go to his left 64 00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:44,879 and if you're gonna be and drop against them, beat and give him the 65 00:04:44,879 --> 00:04:47,319 middle of the floor. He's been banging in those jumpers, and so what 66 00:04:47,519 --> 00:04:51,199 is the you know, what is the adjustment? And I wonder maybe Horford 67 00:04:51,199 --> 00:04:55,439 can't play this one anymore. And look, Robert Williams a third certainly can't 68 00:04:55,480 --> 00:04:58,519 play this way anymore. He's been just speaking of diced uff. It feels 69 00:04:58,519 --> 00:05:02,759 like he's just been relegated to obscurity in this series. I like, can 70 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:06,680 you just go and play higher now and put because when you're looking at who's 71 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:11,399 behind Al Horford, even if he gets beat, like you're gonna be helping. 72 00:05:11,439 --> 00:05:15,040 There's sometimes it's PJ. Tucker and then like a Daniel House on the 73 00:05:15,040 --> 00:05:17,519 same side of the floor, And even if it's Maxie on that side of 74 00:05:17,519 --> 00:05:20,639 the floor, like you can live with someone helping off PJ. Tucker in 75 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:24,480 the corner because there might be times where he doesn't shoot and I know he's 76 00:05:24,519 --> 00:05:27,079 been on so many good teams for a reason. He's an NBA champion for 77 00:05:27,079 --> 00:05:31,480 a reason. But I think the Celtics they seem very hesitant to throw to 78 00:05:31,639 --> 00:05:36,600 it the ball unless it's ever ebid and like right at the point where it's 79 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:42,240 like we'll maybe try something different there, like I like, so that might 80 00:05:42,279 --> 00:05:46,720 feel more like a failure. And I'll also say their offensive process. For 81 00:05:46,759 --> 00:05:51,639 a team that was so elite offensively statistically during the regular season, there's just 82 00:05:51,720 --> 00:05:56,040 so much variance in their offensive process. And I feel like I've said it 83 00:05:56,120 --> 00:05:59,920 probably too many times on this podcast, but like they'll go through stretches where 84 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:02,279 Okay, yeah, they're not really committing any turnovers there, the ball might 85 00:06:02,319 --> 00:06:05,600 be moving, they're taking higher percentage shots, and then it's just they'll be 86 00:06:05,639 --> 00:06:10,639 stretches where oh, they're committing a ship ton of turnovers and they're taking early 87 00:06:10,720 --> 00:06:14,120 contested looks in the shot clock that make no sense, and Joan Brown is 88 00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:17,000 deviating, Jason Tatum looks super passive or is settling, And I think he 89 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:19,800 adjusted well. He was the one member of the Southlicks, so I think 90 00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:23,560 for the most part, adjusted well. As Game five went on, where 91 00:06:23,560 --> 00:06:27,000 he started attacking more and then he had the jumper going for a little bit, 92 00:06:27,519 --> 00:06:30,040 and like you said, they did miss a lot of high quality looks, 93 00:06:30,079 --> 00:06:32,519 and I like, like I said, I do think there's probably some 94 00:06:32,560 --> 00:06:36,360 more. I think they could stand to be more aggressive defensively against Joel Embiid 95 00:06:36,439 --> 00:06:42,399 and beats Joel Embiad and James Harden specifically. Maybe we're then killing them if 96 00:06:42,439 --> 00:06:45,399 they do that, and then they're getting carved up by Tyrese Maxie or PJ. 97 00:06:45,519 --> 00:06:47,639 Tucker from the corners. But I think it's easier to live with that 98 00:06:48,040 --> 00:06:51,319 then if we know hard and especially if Harden's gonna take mid range jays, 99 00:06:51,800 --> 00:06:55,759 which was that was kind of a thing at the start of the season and 100 00:06:55,800 --> 00:06:59,000 then it vanished into nothing and now it's just the thing again and it's working. 101 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:02,079 Doc Rivers. Someone asked me on the radio, and these radio hits 102 00:07:02,079 --> 00:07:06,360 are so hard because one, I'm not even calling out any producers. I 103 00:07:06,360 --> 00:07:09,399 know your job is hard, but like sometimes they're like, hey, can 104 00:07:09,439 --> 00:07:12,279 you come on in twenty minutes and it's like, well no, and that 105 00:07:12,319 --> 00:07:15,160 stresses me out what I have to say no. But two, you never 106 00:07:15,199 --> 00:07:17,160 really know what you're gonna talk about, so they'll ask these questions, And 107 00:07:17,199 --> 00:07:20,160 one of my questions was, this was before Game five, is is Joe 108 00:07:20,199 --> 00:07:24,839 Missoula being thoroughly outcoached in this series? And I was like, well, 109 00:07:24,920 --> 00:07:27,800 fuck, like that's not something I'm really giving a ton of thought too. 110 00:07:27,800 --> 00:07:30,560 And I was like, well, maybe so like as this the analysis that 111 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:32,160 you come for is I'm just stuttering on there like I don't fucking know, 112 00:07:33,680 --> 00:07:36,920 like he probably has. When you look at Doc Rivers, is the Daniel 113 00:07:36,959 --> 00:07:42,120 House pushing that button giving beball Paul? Like some of the Beball Paul minutes 114 00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:45,759 have just been an actual shot of adrenaline. Who was in Who got in 115 00:07:45,759 --> 00:07:48,800 foul trouble? Was it PJ? Tucker early on in Game five got in 116 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:51,560 foul trouble? But that you're throwing the Anthony Melton and the way that they've 117 00:07:51,639 --> 00:07:56,600 used him defensively through this series, I think that he's done a good job 118 00:07:56,639 --> 00:08:01,279 of that. I think this is more of a Sixers success story in part 119 00:08:01,399 --> 00:08:05,040 though, because it's exposed a lot of just I don't even know if it's 120 00:08:05,040 --> 00:08:07,319 flaws, but question marks about the Celtics, where I don't know if it's 121 00:08:07,319 --> 00:08:11,160 simply just a matter of play more aggressive against the Joel embiid pick and roll, 122 00:08:11,439 --> 00:08:15,399 hit more shots, because I do think, you know, to get 123 00:08:15,439 --> 00:08:18,040 like big picture and they might win this series. It's just like, is 124 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:22,000 there something weird now going on with the like how do we view this center 125 00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:26,199 rotation moving forward? Which is Al Horford's getting older, Robert Williams a third. 126 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:28,040 I don't know if he's still injured or if this is just a bad 127 00:08:28,079 --> 00:08:31,159 matchup for him, but that's gonna have to be something they look reflect on 128 00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:35,879 over the off season or if not beating into Game six. Yeah, I 129 00:08:35,960 --> 00:08:39,480 really thought that the Celtics would have be able to at least, you know, 130 00:08:41,399 --> 00:08:45,440 have a little success playing Williams and Horford together and just having Williams guard 131 00:08:45,480 --> 00:08:48,320 PJ. Tucker. That has not happened the other So as I was trying 132 00:08:48,360 --> 00:08:52,399 to imagine myself in your shoes getting asked that question about Missouli getting out coached, 133 00:08:52,720 --> 00:08:56,000 and I think what I would have said is the Nets kind of showed 134 00:08:56,000 --> 00:09:01,679 you with way worse personnel, Like how you could do a decent job of 135 00:09:01,720 --> 00:09:05,799 making sure and bad didn't get you know, didn't get loose, which is 136 00:09:05,799 --> 00:09:09,320 you just double them relentlessly all the time and make the other sixers, you 137 00:09:09,320 --> 00:09:13,120 know, try to score. And the Nets lost that series for several reasons, 138 00:09:13,120 --> 00:09:16,679 but it wasn't necessarily because they had a bad defensive plan. Now, 139 00:09:16,919 --> 00:09:20,440 like I'm not saying the Celtics, the obvious answer was, let's just do 140 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:22,759 what the Nets did, let's double all the time, because the Celtics just 141 00:09:22,799 --> 00:09:28,039 don't play that way. And it's you know, if you imagine the counterfactual 142 00:09:28,039 --> 00:09:31,200 of Boston coming up with this totally new defensive scheme where they double all the 143 00:09:31,240 --> 00:09:33,679 time and they trap and stuff, which they never do, and then they 144 00:09:33,720 --> 00:09:37,320 lose the series, then it's like, what is Joe Missoula doing. But 145 00:09:37,399 --> 00:09:41,240 at least, like the Nets showed you a way to try to handle and 146 00:09:41,360 --> 00:09:45,799 bead and you know, maybe that would have just meant Harden had more than 147 00:09:45,799 --> 00:09:50,759 two forty plus point games. But I think I think there was something to 148 00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:54,759 take away from that first round series that the Celtics have not really gone to 149 00:09:54,960 --> 00:09:58,279 very much. It may be a little late in the game to try that. 150 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:01,799 I think more than likely Boston is just gonna, you know, rely 151 00:10:01,879 --> 00:10:03,679 on making more shots and kind of sticking to the sticking to the plan. 152 00:10:05,639 --> 00:10:07,240 But if you know, they're out of time, now because you can't lose 153 00:10:07,279 --> 00:10:11,519 again, so maybe it's a halftime adjustment. It's it's hard to say, 154 00:10:11,960 --> 00:10:16,120 what have you thought of you mentioned Tatum? What do you? What have 155 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:18,960 you so? Like every year we do this thing where you know, as 156 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:24,879 Tatum finally you know at that tier one level of just like if you have 157 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:28,279 him, it's he can be the best player on a title team because he's 158 00:10:28,279 --> 00:10:33,879 shot thirty point six percent from three forty five and a half percent overall, 159 00:10:33,240 --> 00:10:39,360 he's averaging like twenty six, eleven and five, has had really good stretches. 160 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:43,279 Do you feel like Tatum has had a good series? Like a decent 161 00:10:43,360 --> 00:10:48,360 series, an encouraging series, a discouraging series like what because he's one of 162 00:10:48,399 --> 00:10:50,799 the most confounding, really good players in the league, because we're just never 163 00:10:50,879 --> 00:10:54,559 quite sure if he's all the way at the level we think he can get 164 00:10:54,600 --> 00:10:58,240 to, and we just kind of keep waiting. What has this series, 165 00:10:58,279 --> 00:11:03,279 if anything, kind of made you think or reevaluate about Tatum. I don't 166 00:11:03,279 --> 00:11:07,279 think it's made me reevaluate Tatum at all? Is that a fair thing to 167 00:11:07,320 --> 00:11:09,759 say? It's just if I think if you have problems with the way that 168 00:11:09,799 --> 00:11:13,480 he settles or carries himself on offense sometimes I don't think that's necessarily changed, 169 00:11:13,519 --> 00:11:18,399 but you've also seen I think, at least in denser pockets, that this 170 00:11:18,440 --> 00:11:22,840 is someone who can be ultra aggressive if he doesn't have the jumper falling or 171 00:11:22,879 --> 00:11:26,120 the three pointer falling, where maybe you couldn't say that in years past. 172 00:11:26,679 --> 00:11:31,080 I think the bigger and I don't know if it's an indictment but doesn't speak 173 00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:35,879 to this team structure, is that you're still not going to Yeah, okay, 174 00:11:35,919 --> 00:11:37,120 I think in this series he's tied for the lead in his his per 175 00:11:37,200 --> 00:11:39,440 game with Marcus Smart, but both of them are averaging. They have three 176 00:11:39,440 --> 00:11:43,440 different guys averaging four or more, Like you don't have that Marcus Smart is 177 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:48,120 the best passer on your team. And that's maybe fine. If Jason Tatum 178 00:11:48,159 --> 00:11:52,440 as he reached like the levels of like Kevin Durant or Kawhi Leonard as a 179 00:11:52,480 --> 00:11:54,519 passer, I think he's probably closer to there than not. But like I 180 00:11:54,519 --> 00:11:58,480 think, really the main issue might be sometimes it's too easy for him to 181 00:11:58,519 --> 00:12:03,480 fade away because he's not the one that you're primarily going to use as the 182 00:12:03,519 --> 00:12:05,440 table setter. And I don't know if that's an indictment of his game or 183 00:12:05,440 --> 00:12:09,399 the roster structure. Does he need to be the one that's going to demand 184 00:12:09,559 --> 00:12:13,799 to operate on the ball more and run those sets like I just and then 185 00:12:13,840 --> 00:12:18,159 it seems like there are other players on the team wore Jalen Brown will feel 186 00:12:18,200 --> 00:12:20,799 like he gets frustrated, like all of a sudden, deviating from the game 187 00:12:20,799 --> 00:12:22,759 plan, he's hoisting up a contested jumper, or he has one of those 188 00:12:22,840 --> 00:12:26,799 nights where he just goes like three of eight from the foul line. I 189 00:12:26,799 --> 00:12:30,679 think he wasn't in Game five, which is not it's a typical, but 190 00:12:30,720 --> 00:12:33,919 it's not completely unusual for him. He's got that in him every once in 191 00:12:33,960 --> 00:12:39,279 a while. I think if anything this series has for me is reinforced the 192 00:12:39,360 --> 00:12:46,480 variable, the weird variability of the Celtics where you look at their talent one 193 00:12:46,559 --> 00:12:50,120 through seven, let's say, and you're kind of left thinking, why the 194 00:12:50,159 --> 00:12:52,639 fuck are they trying to play Peyton Pritchard right now? Like Joe Bizila was 195 00:12:52,759 --> 00:12:58,120 clearly searching. And it's just to be in that situation when you have those 196 00:12:58,159 --> 00:13:03,639 top seven guys, it's weird. Yeah, right, It's just my camera's 197 00:13:03,639 --> 00:13:07,639 shaking because I'm so like, it's hard to put a finger on. That's 198 00:13:07,639 --> 00:13:09,440 why I was asking about Tatum is it's kind of like in a series that's 199 00:13:09,480 --> 00:13:13,039 gone away, you know, that's getting away from you. If you're the 200 00:13:13,039 --> 00:13:16,039 Celtics, it's kind of like, well, maybe our best player just didn't 201 00:13:16,039 --> 00:13:18,360 play well enough. And I guess like thirty thirty percent from three is not 202 00:13:18,440 --> 00:13:22,919 great if you're if you're very much a maker miss team. But I don't 203 00:13:22,960 --> 00:13:26,039 come away from this thinking ill of Tatum either, Like I think he's been 204 00:13:26,039 --> 00:13:28,120 good enough, and I think Brown mostly has been good enough too. I 205 00:13:28,120 --> 00:13:33,279 guess I'm just surprised that I don't know, I just felt like the Sixers 206 00:13:33,279 --> 00:13:35,960 had, you know, there were more holes to poke in the Sixers coming 207 00:13:35,960 --> 00:13:37,720 in, and I felt like, you know, Embiad's injury was going to 208 00:13:37,759 --> 00:13:41,639 be a big issue. And I guess maybe it's really just like I didn't 209 00:13:41,679 --> 00:13:46,279 think Harden had even you know, one game in him, like the two 210 00:13:46,360 --> 00:13:50,519 that he's played so far. So I guess maybe that's where it comes down 211 00:13:50,519 --> 00:13:54,080 to. Yeah, I don't know, it's been amazing to see hard and 212 00:13:54,159 --> 00:13:58,200 have these games. So Rome eighty one eighty, whose podcast I was on 213 00:13:58,279 --> 00:14:01,960 this past week the Devil's Den podcast. I think it is. I don't 214 00:14:01,960 --> 00:14:05,639 want to get that wrong. I apologize said this in our discords. I'm 215 00:14:05,639 --> 00:14:09,799 gonna read it like he said it while we were recording. I've always thought 216 00:14:09,919 --> 00:14:13,000 coaching matter a lot. I know Dan feels the opposite, but the fact 217 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:16,720 that the Sixers have just been able to run the same harden and bead pick 218 00:14:16,759 --> 00:14:18,799 and roll over and over shows the lack of adjustments. I also do think 219 00:14:18,840 --> 00:14:22,519 over history, you see coaches take over a team and that team take a 220 00:14:22,559 --> 00:14:26,360 massive leap with the same personnel. The Warriors would be an example. Well, 221 00:14:26,799 --> 00:14:30,120 clearly Missoula didn't hurt the Celtics during the regular season. He seems to 222 00:14:30,120 --> 00:14:33,759 be in over his head here. The playoffs probably maximize the importance of a 223 00:14:33,799 --> 00:14:37,799 coach, since constant, on the fly adjustments are required. And I read 224 00:14:37,840 --> 00:14:41,000 this by saying one and it's totally fair to think that way. And two 225 00:14:41,080 --> 00:14:46,759 is the person, the figure, the stakeholder in this series that you're most 226 00:14:46,759 --> 00:14:52,039 disappointed or most responsible for where the Celtics are? Is it Joe Missoula event? 227 00:14:52,080 --> 00:14:56,000 Because we just said, are you gonna We're not gonna ascribe the line 228 00:14:56,000 --> 00:14:58,720 share of the blame to Jason take it's as a team. I want to 229 00:14:58,720 --> 00:15:00,639 make that you said, like you point out of the top of this, 230 00:15:00,960 --> 00:15:03,480 they missed a lot of shots that they normally make, some of them super 231 00:15:03,799 --> 00:15:07,279 high quality. But if you had to just point is it okay? Well, 232 00:15:07,320 --> 00:15:11,519 Al Horfords looked really weird or bad on offense at points. But then 233 00:15:11,519 --> 00:15:16,120 I feel like for me, it might just be more the defensive principles that 234 00:15:16,120 --> 00:15:20,679 the Celtics are spousing here or the refusal to or stubbornness to deviate from them 235 00:15:20,759 --> 00:15:24,279 or change them, and that I think would fall on Missoula. I might 236 00:15:24,279 --> 00:15:26,840 be all over. You can taught me that it's our W three's fault for 237 00:15:26,840 --> 00:15:31,879 not being more eminently playable. No, I don't know. I mean that's 238 00:15:31,919 --> 00:15:35,159 interesting. I would say that, like the Harden and Beid pick and roll 239 00:15:35,440 --> 00:15:41,279 is one of the hardest actions to defend in the league, like full stop. 240 00:15:41,360 --> 00:15:43,960 That's just right there with Deven Booker existing. Yeah, right up there 241 00:15:43,960 --> 00:15:50,120 with Devin Booker being alive and shooting basketballs. Yeah, I know it is 242 00:15:50,159 --> 00:15:54,240 fair to say that, and we look we just I just praised Darvin ham 243 00:15:54,279 --> 00:15:58,559 for making a key adjustment that short circuited something that the Warriors if probably thought 244 00:15:58,559 --> 00:16:02,759 like we got it now, like this is gonna work. We got them, 245 00:16:02,799 --> 00:16:04,200 and then no, you don't in the second half, like in game 246 00:16:04,240 --> 00:16:07,399 adjustment. That that's a real thing. I think, you know, Eric 247 00:16:07,440 --> 00:16:11,840 Spolster is going to have several hagiographies written about him after this this postseason two. 248 00:16:12,519 --> 00:16:18,480 Uh, and you just sort of can't praise those guys without I guess, 249 00:16:18,039 --> 00:16:22,000 you know, doing the opposite for the coaches that don't seem to be 250 00:16:22,039 --> 00:16:26,039 making the adjustments. By the way, with the roster in Boston, that 251 00:16:26,159 --> 00:16:29,360 like, you could do a lot of different stuff with that personnel. You've 252 00:16:29,360 --> 00:16:33,080 got a lot of good like backcourt defenders, you have switchable forwards, you 253 00:16:33,159 --> 00:16:37,080 got Williams. You could roll out Grant Williams plus Caucasians like they did at 254 00:16:37,120 --> 00:16:41,159 the end of why not get creative. I wouldn't go with that strategy, 255 00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:44,720 but I would not. That was just they actually they cut into the lead 256 00:16:44,799 --> 00:16:48,279 when the game sixers wouldn't see it coming, they wouldn't expect it. That's 257 00:16:48,279 --> 00:16:51,639 not on the white board and the that's not in the locker room, the 258 00:16:51,759 --> 00:16:56,879 all transparent lineup. Fair point. Fair point by Rome I can't. I 259 00:16:56,919 --> 00:17:00,879 can't get I can't get a too critical of that one of the teams that 260 00:17:00,919 --> 00:17:03,440 are well. Actually, we need to get to the next series. I'll 261 00:17:03,440 --> 00:17:06,839 do that to wrap up. Do you want to move on to uh Nuggets 262 00:17:06,960 --> 00:17:11,279 war Nuggets Warriors? Wow? No, yes, I would love to move 263 00:17:11,279 --> 00:17:15,039 on to Nuggets Warriors in in a week or so. Do you want to 264 00:17:15,039 --> 00:17:21,119 move on to Nuggets Sons? Yeah? Is this so many? Good? 265 00:17:21,519 --> 00:17:23,759 Because I have a very basic question for you. Is this series as simple 266 00:17:23,759 --> 00:17:29,680 as Devin Booker has to be superhuman? Otherwise the Nuggets are just too good? 267 00:17:30,240 --> 00:17:33,880 That feels like my takeaway so far? Yes, because good pun. 268 00:17:36,400 --> 00:17:40,000 You know what the other issue is too is they need both Devin Booker and 269 00:17:40,039 --> 00:17:44,039 Kevin Durant to be superhuman. And like Kevin Durant's only been Kevin Durant in 270 00:17:44,799 --> 00:17:47,960 like two of these five games, maybe three of these five. He he 271 00:17:48,039 --> 00:17:52,519 looked, he did not look good, the same thing, did not look 272 00:17:52,599 --> 00:17:56,200 right. No, to start, he looked awful, and then he had 273 00:17:56,240 --> 00:17:57,799 that stretch. Was all right, He's fine, and then it was afterwards 274 00:17:57,839 --> 00:18:00,519 it was, oh no, this was not him. Is he tired? 275 00:18:00,559 --> 00:18:06,960 He's been playing a crap ton of minutes. But Devin Booker has a rough 276 00:18:07,039 --> 00:18:10,359 game relatively, and I think this game, more so than the first two 277 00:18:10,400 --> 00:18:17,200 games, reinforced why the Denver Nuggets should just be titled favorites and probably should 278 00:18:17,240 --> 00:18:21,640 have been entering the playoffs. We I even said that I understand why people 279 00:18:21,680 --> 00:18:25,839 would want to default to the Bucks in general, Like at points, no, 280 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:29,880 it should have been the Nuggets. They They're starting lineup has won this 281 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:33,759 series by forty points, so if they lose, it's and like even when 282 00:18:33,759 --> 00:18:37,400 you have go ahead, No, I was gonna say, which like that 283 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:41,519 that starting lineup was awesome all year, Like that's just more than any other 284 00:18:41,559 --> 00:18:45,119 team, you get back to what you're saying, but more than any other 285 00:18:45,160 --> 00:18:52,319 teams have sort of given us what we expected minus like they don't have any 286 00:18:52,319 --> 00:18:56,640 defensive problems like I expected defensive problems, but otherwise, like all the guys 287 00:18:56,680 --> 00:19:00,279 you needed to play well have played well. Generally speaking, Yokah is an 288 00:19:00,359 --> 00:19:04,160 unsolvable problem, like as there's just like the Nuggets have performed up to expectations 289 00:19:04,519 --> 00:19:07,920 the most consistently of any playoff team so far, I think is that you 290 00:19:07,960 --> 00:19:11,200 know what I mean? Does that seem fair to say? Yeah, and 291 00:19:11,319 --> 00:19:14,359 look it's even. Look they pulled the thread where it's a Bruce Brown and 292 00:19:14,400 --> 00:19:18,319 for KCP, that lineup is a plus eighteen in the minutes they played this 293 00:19:18,319 --> 00:19:23,960 series. Now it comes with the caveat of Phoenix just does not have a 294 00:19:25,039 --> 00:19:29,559 real supporting cast right now. And I want to let me continue to focus 295 00:19:29,599 --> 00:19:33,119 on the Nuggets though. Yeah, Nicole Yokich, all time great, just 296 00:19:33,319 --> 00:19:37,519 breaking the brain. And when he's you know, he looked kind of he 297 00:19:37,559 --> 00:19:40,799 didn't start game five good. I'm with you. I trip up over like 298 00:19:40,839 --> 00:19:44,240 these game numbers, like he kind of sensed as it went on, especially 299 00:19:44,279 --> 00:19:48,240 when Jamal Murray felt like he was actively detrimental offensively for much of the first 300 00:19:48,279 --> 00:19:51,400 half, Like he kind of sense he just knows how to read the game 301 00:19:51,440 --> 00:19:52,960 of well what do I need to do where it's like if I need to 302 00:19:52,960 --> 00:19:56,480 be ultra aggressive as a score, it doesn't matter if I'm missing all these 303 00:19:56,480 --> 00:19:59,519 tip bunnies at the rim. And then he's just gonna go when he's gonna 304 00:19:59,599 --> 00:20:03,440 drop a trillion points, knockdown jumpers, hit these shots off the dribble. 305 00:20:03,759 --> 00:20:07,759 He's just an incredible basketball player. What I think he is not. He 306 00:20:07,799 --> 00:20:11,519 has impressed me He is by far the least shocking thing insofar as he should 307 00:20:11,519 --> 00:20:15,079 even be shocked about what the Nuggets have done. And I think probably the 308 00:20:15,079 --> 00:20:22,240 biggest surprise to me it has been Michael Porter's Michael Porter Junior's defense, Right, 309 00:20:22,279 --> 00:20:25,559 he finally has. He had a really good offensive game in Game five, 310 00:20:25,839 --> 00:20:27,400 but you look at what he did defensively, and I tweeted this out. 311 00:20:29,440 --> 00:20:32,839 I think that was probably the most complete defensive performance of his career, 312 00:20:33,480 --> 00:20:37,400 playoffs, regular season, whatever you had rebounding, giving contest with length, 313 00:20:37,640 --> 00:20:41,359 his length, bather Devin Booker a little bit. He was matched up against 314 00:20:41,440 --> 00:20:45,960 Kevin Durant a little bit without getting absolutely roasted. He was really contesting passes. 315 00:20:45,000 --> 00:20:48,119 He came in for his steel, I think on an entry pass to 316 00:20:48,160 --> 00:20:51,599 DeAndre Ayton. Yeah, it was a gamble. It was a smart gamble, 317 00:20:52,079 --> 00:20:56,400 and he just was. He wasn't everywhere. He was just reliable, 318 00:20:56,759 --> 00:21:00,319 and that's what you need when you're gonna look at some of the defensive coverages 319 00:21:00,319 --> 00:21:03,839 where if you're gonna bring Nikola Yokas up really high, unique guys behind him 320 00:21:03,839 --> 00:21:07,720 were reliable. He's been that guy for most of this series, and that 321 00:21:07,880 --> 00:21:15,400 changes the entire calculus of what the Nuggets can be if he is this player, 322 00:21:15,799 --> 00:21:19,519 Because yes, there's I saw someone. I wish I could remember who 323 00:21:19,519 --> 00:21:22,279 it was in the tweet, but I laughed hysterically at it. Where it's 324 00:21:22,279 --> 00:21:26,519 like Michael Porter Jr. Is basically the living embodiment of what you become when 325 00:21:26,519 --> 00:21:32,519 your dad owns a Mercedes dealership. And there's some truth to that on offense, 326 00:21:33,359 --> 00:21:36,559 but like he's gotten a little bit better finding his own stuff on offense. 327 00:21:36,599 --> 00:21:38,559 He's also missed some really high quality looks in this series. But if 328 00:21:38,599 --> 00:21:45,160 he's going to be like impactful consistently on defense, I'm not talking about a 329 00:21:45,240 --> 00:21:49,119 net positive. I'm not even saying a net even which he's been probably both 330 00:21:49,240 --> 00:21:55,000 in this series, just not this demonstrative negative someone you can rely on that 331 00:21:55,279 --> 00:21:57,200 like we have to. It's not just yes, the Nuggets could win the 332 00:21:57,200 --> 00:22:00,279 title this season, when need to start talking about like who's going to dethrone 333 00:22:00,279 --> 00:22:06,680 them next season? That changes everything about Denver. I think watching them, 334 00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:08,400 and there are people who are more educated in this, and I would be. 335 00:22:08,440 --> 00:22:11,119 I thought they did a good job of varying up their defensive coverages. 336 00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:15,480 I like that they put more Aaron Gordon. On Devin Booker, we saw 337 00:22:15,480 --> 00:22:19,480 more of I think that makes life more difficult on Devin Booker. We saw 338 00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:23,400 in Game four there was weird specifically maybe towards the latter half of the game, 339 00:22:23,440 --> 00:22:26,039 there was a lot of helping off of kd Onto Devin Booker or maybe 340 00:22:26,200 --> 00:22:30,359 vice versus Wild and the Sun's by the way there there's a lot of like 341 00:22:30,480 --> 00:22:33,440 reels out there of Durant being very open and not getting the basketball. So 342 00:22:33,839 --> 00:22:37,119 some of that's on Phoenix, but continue and I don't know if, like, 343 00:22:37,160 --> 00:22:40,839 do you need to stack the floor with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker on 344 00:22:40,880 --> 00:22:45,160 the same side more to put the Nuggets in that predicament. But again, 345 00:22:45,319 --> 00:22:48,880 I want to like to have all this happening. And then got Boy in 346 00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:51,960 the chat saying also jam Moore, Murray's under performing. He could easily get 347 00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:53,720 ten plus more points than Yoke Yoke if he wakes up. The league is 348 00:22:53,720 --> 00:22:57,880 in trouble. I think they might have found something where it's let's set more 349 00:22:57,960 --> 00:23:00,799 high ball screens for him. We saw that in the second half against Phoenix. 350 00:23:02,200 --> 00:23:04,000 This is unique because the Phoenix is personnel, but the Nuggets to beat 351 00:23:04,039 --> 00:23:08,440 here, even against the Sun's team as shallow, missing CP three despite Jamal 352 00:23:08,519 --> 00:23:12,559 Murray aside from having though he had the Electric Game one and really just hasn't 353 00:23:12,559 --> 00:23:18,119 been like that since that's huge for them and Bruce Brown, My god, 354 00:23:18,599 --> 00:23:22,039 you talk. I tweeted this as well. I want to live entirely in 355 00:23:22,079 --> 00:23:25,359 the moment, but I can't help. They'll worry about him pricing himself out 356 00:23:25,359 --> 00:23:29,680 of Denver. He's priced himself out of Denver because Denver has non bird rights 357 00:23:29,720 --> 00:23:30,640 on him. And I think the most like an offer him is like seven 358 00:23:30,680 --> 00:23:34,319 point seven million starting salary. Like that, ain't it's correctly If I'm wrong, 359 00:23:34,319 --> 00:23:37,119 I'm pretty sure that that's not going to cut it. I'm wondering if 360 00:23:37,119 --> 00:23:41,599 it changes because of the scale the taxpayers mid level. But if it's not, 361 00:23:41,960 --> 00:23:44,480 they can offer him the taxpayers mid level then, which will be more 362 00:23:44,599 --> 00:23:47,160 than that's seven point seven million. I think, yeah, well, like 363 00:23:47,359 --> 00:23:49,400 that's their max number. It's the taxpayer mid level, one hundred twenty percent 364 00:23:49,400 --> 00:23:53,559 of his current salary. The rim pressure he provides, he's been very sturdy 365 00:23:53,599 --> 00:23:56,319 defensively at points. I think KCP. Look, Devin Booker has kind of 366 00:23:56,440 --> 00:24:03,000 roasted him, but like KCP gives you someone who's just at least semi competent 367 00:24:03,160 --> 00:24:07,720 on the idea of Cacypond Devin Booker, I want you on every playoff roster 368 00:24:07,920 --> 00:24:11,759 I ever have. Like what he's kind of like the modern Danny Green a 369 00:24:11,759 --> 00:24:15,640 little bit, where like he's just gonna make forty some odd percent of his 370 00:24:15,720 --> 00:24:19,839 threes. He's gonna defend capably. He can. You know, he's not 371 00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:22,240 just a three point shooter. He you know, he can cut to the 372 00:24:22,240 --> 00:24:27,920 bat like KCP is, Like it's outside of like stars is. Just put 373 00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:33,240 him on every if he's a starter for you, you you are not precluded 374 00:24:33,279 --> 00:24:34,880 from winning a title like he can absolutely. I mean he's done it. 375 00:24:34,920 --> 00:24:40,240 So it's not like that's a great revelation, but like he's super underrated because 376 00:24:40,279 --> 00:24:44,839 he just doesn't take anything off the table and keep showing up now lately in 377 00:24:44,880 --> 00:24:48,960 this portion of his career on really really good teams with title aspirations. Anyway, 378 00:24:48,039 --> 00:24:53,200 if he continues to be this valuable, the Nuggets maybe just maybe might 379 00:24:53,640 --> 00:24:57,839 trade him for a ball dominant point guard who yeah, only if you also 380 00:24:57,880 --> 00:25:02,880 trade Kyle Kuzma with That's that's that's really that's how you have to do it 381 00:25:03,240 --> 00:25:07,319 there. I'm just everyone was wrong about the Denver Nuggets, even this podcast 382 00:25:07,319 --> 00:25:08,799 that was high on them. I picked them to win the title. And 383 00:25:08,799 --> 00:25:12,200 even I was wrong about the Never Nuggets because I thought there were more defensive 384 00:25:12,279 --> 00:25:17,240 questions because of how they closed the regular season specifically, it turns out maybe 385 00:25:17,240 --> 00:25:23,400 they really worked. Even in the chat Walmart Danny Green for is he Walmart? 386 00:25:23,519 --> 00:25:27,480 I don't know. I mean he's Danny might be like the best transition 387 00:25:27,559 --> 00:25:32,440 guard defender of all time. So Danny Green is the ideal that you aspire 388 00:25:32,480 --> 00:25:36,000 to to be called anything. Any version of Danny Green is a high compliment 389 00:25:36,039 --> 00:25:37,720 for a role playing guard. Let's just let's call it that. So, 390 00:25:37,799 --> 00:25:41,519 yeah, everyone was wrong about the Denver Nuggets. I think they are probably 391 00:25:41,559 --> 00:25:44,440 the odds on title favorites, but they should have been ever since the like 392 00:25:44,599 --> 00:25:48,359 after it was clear during the regular season. It's like they should have been 393 00:25:48,400 --> 00:25:52,000 the title favorites to me, and maybe the Lakers or Warriors would bring them 394 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:53,680 back down the earth and the next round or whoever they faced in the finals. 395 00:25:55,200 --> 00:25:57,039 I had this team winning in six. I don't know how great I 396 00:25:57,079 --> 00:26:00,599 feel about that. Role players tend to shoot better at home and I definitely 397 00:26:00,599 --> 00:26:03,640 want to get into the Suns a little bit. I'm even in the impression 398 00:26:03,640 --> 00:26:07,480 the Nuggets everyone was wrong these It's not just that their title favorites now they 399 00:26:07,480 --> 00:26:11,480 should have been the long standing title favorites. You know, what's reassuring to 400 00:26:11,519 --> 00:26:15,880 me is that Christian Brown is going to be really good if he ever figures 401 00:26:15,880 --> 00:26:18,079 that out on offense, and he's a great defender that you can put on 402 00:26:18,200 --> 00:26:22,279 Kevin Durant. Sometimes that's very reassuring. We've all we do is talk about 403 00:26:22,279 --> 00:26:26,079 how the playoffs are different. The playoffs are different, at least in this 404 00:26:26,160 --> 00:26:30,559 one regard where the Nuggets look so good after being the top seed in the 405 00:26:30,599 --> 00:26:33,079 West. It's like, okay, good, now we can actually start looking 406 00:26:33,119 --> 00:26:37,759 at the regular season as somewhat predictive. This is an outlier, I think, 407 00:26:37,799 --> 00:26:41,000 but it's like it's it's a little it's nice and the other We'll have 408 00:26:41,039 --> 00:26:44,519 to talk about this later because there are so many like uncertainties surrounding it. 409 00:26:44,559 --> 00:26:49,400 But wouldn't it be awesome if we got Yokich and Embiid in the finals and 410 00:26:49,440 --> 00:26:53,079 then we could say, like, well, you know, because you whether 411 00:26:53,119 --> 00:26:56,240 it's Janis or Steph or Kawhi or Durant. You say, like, yeah, 412 00:26:56,279 --> 00:26:59,880 those two guys have the best seasons, but they're not the best play 413 00:27:00,079 --> 00:27:03,519 years because in the playoffs it's different. If you got yokichen Embid in the 414 00:27:03,519 --> 00:27:07,400 finals, you're gonna have somebody with a very recent MVP that you could also 415 00:27:07,440 --> 00:27:10,920 then say, oh, he's also the best player. It's not just that 416 00:27:10,960 --> 00:27:14,759 he had the most valuable season. I'm really looking forward to that possibility because 417 00:27:14,960 --> 00:27:17,759 the way it would simplify a lot of the debates we have to have, 418 00:27:18,119 --> 00:27:22,240 because if you win a title and your MVP like no notes, there's nothing 419 00:27:22,279 --> 00:27:26,119 else to be to argue about with that, and that rarely happens. But 420 00:27:26,559 --> 00:27:30,480 I'm looking forward to that hypothetical that the discourse of that series will be terrible, 421 00:27:30,640 --> 00:27:33,599 and I'm gonna tell you right now, I don't. I don't think 422 00:27:33,839 --> 00:27:36,559 that in favor of EMBIID. I think that that would be a series that 423 00:27:36,640 --> 00:27:40,680 kind of exposes not how wrong the voters were about EMBIID, but how wrong 424 00:27:40,839 --> 00:27:44,759 people were about Yoki. Yeah, and some people you can kind of tell. 425 00:27:45,200 --> 00:27:47,880 And this isn't an insult. I think there are casual basketball fans were 426 00:27:47,920 --> 00:27:49,640 super important. I hope a lot of them listen to this podcast when they 427 00:27:49,680 --> 00:27:53,240 care about the NBA during the three months of the year that it's postseasons active. 428 00:27:53,559 --> 00:27:56,960 You can kind of tell like when people are just sort of seeing Nakolea 429 00:27:57,039 --> 00:28:00,279 Yokiches like for the first time in a regular or basis and there, and 430 00:28:00,359 --> 00:28:03,480 it could be like radio hosts and podcasters, they's like, look at what 431 00:28:03,519 --> 00:28:07,319 he's doing. Every's like he can shoot like this and finish like this. 432 00:28:07,759 --> 00:28:11,240 He's like he always looks discombobulated when he's going up with those shots on the 433 00:28:11,279 --> 00:28:15,519 run, and they just always go in. Uh. I don't know who 434 00:28:15,559 --> 00:28:18,319 if we had this conversation or where we landed on it, but it's been 435 00:28:18,359 --> 00:28:21,440 out there of like who's under the most pressure in the playoffs or what are 436 00:28:21,759 --> 00:28:23,759 what are the stakes for certain guys, and like yokich came up, I 437 00:28:23,799 --> 00:28:30,000 think, but like in a positive way. Now, if the Nuggets, 438 00:28:30,599 --> 00:28:33,160 you know, close this out, make the finals after you know, whoever 439 00:28:33,200 --> 00:28:37,519 they see in the conference finals, probably the Lakers, and in that case, 440 00:28:37,599 --> 00:28:40,440 Yokicher just has to go through Anthony Davis, which would be you know, 441 00:28:40,480 --> 00:28:44,400 add to the legend, like we're gonna look at this, you know, 442 00:28:44,480 --> 00:28:48,279 half decade or so run of his with you know, two MVPs, 443 00:28:48,440 --> 00:28:52,279 maybe should have had a third, very debatable, and then wins a title 444 00:28:52,319 --> 00:28:55,960 and it's like, huh, Yokis was the best player in the league, 445 00:28:55,960 --> 00:28:59,839 like all along, and when we just now like we have to acknowledge that 446 00:29:00,200 --> 00:29:03,599 of the massive chunk of you know, NBA history, that dude was the 447 00:29:03,599 --> 00:29:07,559 best there was. Like, that's that's on the table right now. There's 448 00:29:07,640 --> 00:29:12,920 I try not to have rooting interests outside of the Woebegone Nicks, but there's 449 00:29:12,960 --> 00:29:15,240 a part of me that really wants the Nuggets to win the titles. Well, 450 00:29:15,240 --> 00:29:21,319 I can just have the most insufferable victory lub possible podcast should be rooting 451 00:29:21,359 --> 00:29:23,279 against. I want that for you too, because that's what I mean. 452 00:29:23,359 --> 00:29:26,960 You're on it. You you you had the Nuggets, and I just I 453 00:29:27,039 --> 00:29:33,039 want I like the idea of Yokis being regarded as like just undisputed he this 454 00:29:33,119 --> 00:29:36,519 is the best player, because I think it would be a good thing if 455 00:29:37,079 --> 00:29:41,400 a guy who just like makes every you know, does the right thing offensively 456 00:29:41,480 --> 00:29:45,039 all the time in like the past, shoot dribble decision, Tree like plays 457 00:29:45,200 --> 00:29:49,319 kind of perfect offensive basketball and is creative and doesn't do it with like jumping 458 00:29:49,359 --> 00:29:52,279 out of the gym or running past guys. I'm excited for a world where 459 00:29:52,319 --> 00:29:56,839 we have like Yokich emulators, you know, where it's like everybody wanted to 460 00:29:56,839 --> 00:30:00,640 shoot thirty five footers because the steph And now we might just have like everybody 461 00:30:00,759 --> 00:30:03,680 trying to make really some passes and shoot, yeah, shooting off their wrong 462 00:30:03,720 --> 00:30:08,079 foot. Like I'm here for the next for the generation of kids that try 463 00:30:08,079 --> 00:30:11,240 to play like Yokich. That sounds like, and I hope they all have 464 00:30:11,319 --> 00:30:15,400 the same body types. Yeah, he's really a trailblazer. Anyone can play 465 00:30:15,400 --> 00:30:18,319 basketball. Look at this guy, dude. We want to move on to 466 00:30:18,599 --> 00:30:21,960 the son's here, and we actually have a good comment which I think is 467 00:30:22,000 --> 00:30:25,279 a leaping off point and I'll hijack this part of the conversation too, but 468 00:30:25,319 --> 00:30:27,119 Stephan says, I think sons need to spend more pick and roll. Now 469 00:30:27,440 --> 00:30:33,039 here's Devin Booker spectacular, and I have some uncomfortable questions that we're gonna need 470 00:30:33,039 --> 00:30:36,759 to ask for other people who are not Devin Booker. They're uncomfortable probably for 471 00:30:36,839 --> 00:30:40,079 us, but they could spend more pick and roll. I think we're kind 472 00:30:40,079 --> 00:30:44,240 of seeing the limitations on a Suns team that doesn't have CP three. And 473 00:30:44,279 --> 00:30:48,559 everyone talked a lot about or the idea of CP three. Everyone talked a 474 00:30:48,559 --> 00:30:51,440 lot about how much faster they're playing, and they are playing faster, And 475 00:30:51,480 --> 00:30:55,119 this is just like through the first two games, their average offensive possession time 476 00:30:55,480 --> 00:30:59,599 was fifteen point one seconds. Now it's down to thirteen point eight. They're 477 00:30:59,599 --> 00:31:04,279 scoring one point one nine points per offensive possession while their offense is faster compared 478 00:31:04,319 --> 00:31:08,319 to one point one six. It's not this huge different difference. And so 479 00:31:08,720 --> 00:31:14,160 anyone who thought they were better off without CP three when seeing how fucking shallow 480 00:31:14,400 --> 00:31:18,720 they are, was out of their mind. But I think we've also, 481 00:31:18,759 --> 00:31:19,799 at least through the first two games, I think we saw more of the 482 00:31:19,839 --> 00:31:23,720 impact on how much pick and roll can you actually run without CP three. 483 00:31:23,720 --> 00:31:26,960 There Devin Booker is, he's the second best passer on the team, but 484 00:31:26,960 --> 00:31:30,880 he's a fantastic passer. I don't know if you can spam pick and rolls, 485 00:31:30,400 --> 00:31:36,160 especially when the Nuggets aren't going to play drop as readily against him like 486 00:31:36,160 --> 00:31:38,079 they would CP three, And that's why I think you need CP three. 487 00:31:38,079 --> 00:31:41,240 And then we also saw the impact as I stammered through before and then finished 488 00:31:41,240 --> 00:31:45,880 that thought on DeAndre Aytan through not so much Game five, but like games 489 00:31:45,880 --> 00:31:48,279 three and four where we sat, his minutes were down too. I think 490 00:31:48,440 --> 00:31:52,160 at least one of those he was in foul trouble if I'm mistaken, like 491 00:31:52,240 --> 00:31:55,079 he's not getting as many shots like that's kind of when you don't have CP 492 00:31:55,240 --> 00:31:57,839 three running those actions. See me there. He's important to this team. 493 00:31:57,960 --> 00:32:00,920 So whether he played, he's in game six, whether he starts, if 494 00:32:00,920 --> 00:32:04,160 he does, he's coming off the bench. And the fact that you know 495 00:32:04,200 --> 00:32:07,440 the Nuggets are going to inherently drop against him because they want him. They're 496 00:32:07,440 --> 00:32:09,839 gonna be okay with his mid range jumpers. That's an elm of your offense 497 00:32:09,880 --> 00:32:15,480 you need in part, in large part, not just because Kevin Rantsman all 498 00:32:15,519 --> 00:32:20,200 over the place, your bench is talk about all over the place. Landry 499 00:32:20,200 --> 00:32:24,079 Shammitt comes up huge in game four, Game five, Josh Coo, he's 500 00:32:24,160 --> 00:32:30,079 so bad that Landry Shammitt is starting in the third quarter. He I thought 501 00:32:30,119 --> 00:32:32,720 he did a better job than people credit. I thought the Nuggets just made 502 00:32:32,759 --> 00:32:37,519 better offensive adjustments. Where if you're gonna set higher on ball screens, those 503 00:32:37,559 --> 00:32:40,160 are a lot harder for Landry Shammit to navigate and if he's trying to defend 504 00:32:40,240 --> 00:32:45,640 Jamal Murray away from the ball or just straight up but you can't count. 505 00:32:45,720 --> 00:32:47,559 It's you're trying to Oh, do we need to play more Terrence Ross? 506 00:32:47,759 --> 00:32:51,960 Do we need to play more TJ. Warren. I think the one one 507 00:32:51,960 --> 00:32:54,880 of the adjustments the Suns can make is I think Tory Craig needs to actually 508 00:32:54,920 --> 00:32:59,640 play, and he tweeted out something cryptic. I think after getting basically another 509 00:32:59,720 --> 00:33:04,960 dm P outside of garbage time, I like, I just don't know if 510 00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:09,400 they have the firepower like or depth beyond. And you could say we over 511 00:33:09,519 --> 00:33:15,200 romanticize depth in the playoffs when it's when you're so reliant on these two guys 512 00:33:15,599 --> 00:33:20,599 need to be superhuman every single night, every single possession, for forty plus 513 00:33:20,599 --> 00:33:22,720 minutes a game, your margin for error does not exist. And I think 514 00:33:22,759 --> 00:33:27,519 that's just what this series boils down to. For the Sun's so far. 515 00:33:27,640 --> 00:33:30,359 And look, let's not forget when CP three got injured. I'm not saying 516 00:33:30,359 --> 00:33:34,960 this entire series will be different. Phoenix was up eight in Game two at 517 00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:38,000 the time. This could the tenor of this series could look completely different if 518 00:33:38,000 --> 00:33:40,599 he never gets injured. Injuries are part of it, especially when it comes 519 00:33:40,599 --> 00:33:44,559 to CP three. The Nuggets might have come back anyway, they've been great, 520 00:33:45,920 --> 00:33:49,680 but this is they're a team where they haven't even lost yet. They're 521 00:33:49,680 --> 00:33:52,119 headed home and they have Devin Booker and Kevin Durant and Devin Booker has been 522 00:33:52,200 --> 00:33:55,400 the single most valuable player in these playoffs, I think, just because of 523 00:33:55,440 --> 00:34:00,079 what he's brought defensively, maybe not so much in Game five. Like, 524 00:34:00,200 --> 00:34:05,720 I'm already thinking about their off season because I feel like they desperately need to 525 00:34:05,799 --> 00:34:09,880 flesh out like the like at this point, like, let's just be real, 526 00:34:10,159 --> 00:34:13,239 they need to flesh out the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, 527 00:34:13,280 --> 00:34:16,719 and seven spots on this because it's what are you like? C P three 528 00:34:16,760 --> 00:34:22,559 has that partial guarantee and it's half like basically half his salary. You're gonna 529 00:34:22,639 --> 00:34:27,599 keep it. But I'm like, is there just a world where they waive 530 00:34:27,719 --> 00:34:30,159 him, stretch it, have that five whatever million dollars in the books for 531 00:34:30,199 --> 00:34:34,239 three years, and then try to give themselves flexibility on the trade market. 532 00:34:34,599 --> 00:34:40,400 But hey, that rests on DeAndre Ayton having actual trade value and does he 533 00:34:42,679 --> 00:34:46,400 Lets let's tie that together. So one of one of the most I think 534 00:34:46,440 --> 00:34:52,360 on our part, certainly my part overlooked or sort of I don't know, 535 00:34:52,000 --> 00:34:57,920 misjudged angles of this postseason was Phoenix's lack of depth because I've just kind of 536 00:34:58,000 --> 00:35:00,320 viewed it as they have Devin Booker and Kevin duran like, I don't really 537 00:35:00,320 --> 00:35:04,559 care that that's enough. You know. Any theory of the Sun's making a 538 00:35:04,639 --> 00:35:07,079 conference finals or finals was based on you can't do anything with those two guys 539 00:35:08,199 --> 00:35:12,199 that you'd you know, have some traffic cones out there. Those two guys 540 00:35:12,199 --> 00:35:15,599 are just gonna be too hard to guard. That was wrong. So the 541 00:35:15,639 --> 00:35:19,079 CP three injury, I think it's not just about him specifically, it's about 542 00:35:19,079 --> 00:35:22,239 you just took a guy that you really could play out of the picture, 543 00:35:22,440 --> 00:35:25,159 and that exacerbates the lack of depth everywhere else. To get to the pick 544 00:35:25,199 --> 00:35:30,199 and roll spamming. I think that in a way is going to play into 545 00:35:30,239 --> 00:35:34,159 Denver's hands, because I think they should be more than happy to just have 546 00:35:34,280 --> 00:35:37,800 Yokichen whoever is guarding Booker just double him, you know, and somebody stay 547 00:35:37,840 --> 00:35:42,199 hugged up on Durant wherever he is. And then you say deandret and you 548 00:35:42,239 --> 00:35:45,159 need to beat us in space and maybe he'll hit like a million nine foot 549 00:35:45,159 --> 00:35:50,599 push shots, right, but he shot five free throws, fading hooks, 550 00:35:50,599 --> 00:35:53,159 five free throws in one hundred and forty eight minutes, two for five from 551 00:35:53,159 --> 00:35:57,920 the foul line free, and he's averaging ten points a game. Like if 552 00:35:58,239 --> 00:36:02,039 DeAndre Ayten beats you, like, that's that's a shake, shake his hand 553 00:36:02,079 --> 00:36:06,079 type of thing, Like that's just that plays exact. The Nuggets could not 554 00:36:06,119 --> 00:36:08,119 be happier because then you don't have to you don't have to drop, you 555 00:36:08,119 --> 00:36:10,639 don't have to do anything. You just get the ball out of Booker's hands, 556 00:36:10,679 --> 00:36:14,760 don't let Durant touch it, and let Aten be the decision maker or 557 00:36:14,800 --> 00:36:17,480 score. Like that's the Suns cannot survive that way. There's no chance, 558 00:36:17,559 --> 00:36:22,000 especially with some of the poor shooting they've gotten from the other guys they've tried 559 00:36:22,000 --> 00:36:24,239 to throw out there on the wings. So that's a depth issue too. 560 00:36:25,639 --> 00:36:31,000 I just think like as far as the off season goes, you got to 561 00:36:31,039 --> 00:36:36,400 try to trade Eighten, and the CP three decision really is a decision because 562 00:36:36,559 --> 00:36:39,920 you've got to find you have to turn certainly Eighten's money into two guys. 563 00:36:40,159 --> 00:36:43,800 You just you just need that to be two guys you can you can go 564 00:36:43,880 --> 00:36:45,880 find a center that's gonna average ten and eight in a playoff series, which 565 00:36:45,920 --> 00:36:49,559 is what Aiten is giving them, I know, like points and rebounds per 566 00:36:49,559 --> 00:36:52,079 game or you know, we try to do better than that in our analysis. 567 00:36:52,079 --> 00:36:54,360 But like in terms of his actual role and impact, you can go 568 00:36:54,400 --> 00:36:59,719 find someone. You can go Kvon Looney, like just throw him out there, 569 00:36:59,719 --> 00:37:01,760 like he's not making a fraction. He's making a fraction of what of 570 00:37:01,760 --> 00:37:06,480 what Aiden's gonna make next year, and you can just plug and play. 571 00:37:06,760 --> 00:37:09,360 Someone like that gets get a wing. So again, I don't know whose 572 00:37:09,440 --> 00:37:14,960 value is, but the depth issue affects now, It affects the balance of 573 00:37:14,960 --> 00:37:17,199 the series for however much longer at lasts, and it affects the off season. 574 00:37:17,320 --> 00:37:22,199 Like getting more playable guys around Booker and Durant is just priority one, 575 00:37:22,760 --> 00:37:27,320 and to do that it might mean no more Chris Paul and no more DeAndre 576 00:37:27,400 --> 00:37:30,920 Aden because you just need the flexibility, the money, the you know, 577 00:37:30,960 --> 00:37:36,880 trade capital to flesh out this roster. Because like if you look down the 578 00:37:36,920 --> 00:37:43,000 rest of it beyond you know, Booker Durant, like who who's who's gonna 579 00:37:43,079 --> 00:37:45,159 who do you want back, like do you? I guess campaign as a 580 00:37:45,159 --> 00:37:49,960 backup, like maybe jack Landale as a backup? Like how much worse are 581 00:37:49,960 --> 00:37:53,679 they with jack Landale in there versus Eyton especially like dollar for dollar? So 582 00:37:53,760 --> 00:37:57,039 yeah, it's all. It's all connected, the depth, the pick and 583 00:37:57,119 --> 00:38:00,880 roll stuff and the off season. It's just the the issue that we didn't 584 00:38:00,119 --> 00:38:04,280 pay enough attention to. It was depth. That's just it, and usually 585 00:38:04,280 --> 00:38:07,760 that's the wrong approach for a playoff series, but it's so profound for Phoenix 586 00:38:07,840 --> 00:38:12,599 that it just has become the defining, you know, feature of the series. 587 00:38:12,760 --> 00:38:15,960 In addition to yok it's just being god like. That's the other one. 588 00:38:15,320 --> 00:38:21,880 I have two follow ups that should be mostly quick. Does Indiana this 589 00:38:21,920 --> 00:38:24,199 summer after the full years passed? Do they do? And they can do 590 00:38:24,239 --> 00:38:29,559 it? Miles Turner for DeAndre Atan straight up, I don't think I would 591 00:38:29,559 --> 00:38:31,920 do that if I were the Pacers. I think Miles Turner might just be 592 00:38:31,920 --> 00:38:36,719 better like or at least, you know, the theory of him makes more 593 00:38:36,760 --> 00:38:40,000 sense than Eytan. I think I wouldn't do that if I'm indeed, who 594 00:38:40,159 --> 00:38:44,880 has more trade value? DeAndre Eten at three years and one hundred and two 595 00:38:44,920 --> 00:38:49,199 million dollars guaranteed or Jordan Poole at four years and one hundred and twenty three 596 00:38:49,239 --> 00:38:53,639 million dollars guaranteed. That's a good one. I'm gonna say you have to 597 00:38:53,679 --> 00:38:57,679 say Aten as much as as much as I just dumped on him, Like, 598 00:38:57,800 --> 00:39:02,000 don't you have to say Aden, because like I think Pool, if 599 00:39:02,000 --> 00:39:07,280 you go get Jordan Pool, you're kind of saying he's gonna run our offense 600 00:39:07,400 --> 00:39:12,000 for a significant portion of the minutes we play. And that's a terrifying thought 601 00:39:12,079 --> 00:39:14,840 based on how he played this whole season because he can't be a role guy. 602 00:39:15,119 --> 00:39:16,920 Clearly he's not interested in being a role player. If you were interested 603 00:39:16,960 --> 00:39:22,159 in that, he'd be playing a lot differently right now. That's I think 604 00:39:22,199 --> 00:39:27,519 that I've probably mean Eton as well, But it's just he plays a position 605 00:39:27,559 --> 00:39:30,360 that has less scarcity, and when you're at that number, I think there's 606 00:39:30,360 --> 00:39:32,880 a team that might be more willing to bet on. Jordan Pool is just 607 00:39:32,920 --> 00:39:38,760 the idea of a shot creator. I just feel bad. It's just like, 608 00:39:38,880 --> 00:39:43,079 are they even you could if you're gonna wave CP three, you could 609 00:39:43,079 --> 00:39:45,800 try and do the DeAndre and for Kyrie Irving stuff with Dallas. I'm just 610 00:39:45,840 --> 00:39:49,280 what team wants DeAndre eten, what team is going to be chomping at the 611 00:39:49,280 --> 00:39:52,639 bit for DeAndre and a lot of people like to name Toronto. I don't 612 00:39:52,679 --> 00:39:55,639 love that with Siakam and you don't have they now of Yaka Purdle. You 613 00:39:55,679 --> 00:40:00,920 also don't have anything to add to an eight and trade anymore. You have 614 00:40:00,960 --> 00:40:04,400 swaps, like a couple of swaps if you really want. No, that's 615 00:40:04,440 --> 00:40:07,559 tough. I mean, it's funny, Like it seemed like the right decision 616 00:40:07,599 --> 00:40:10,320 for Phoenix. We're getting way too. It's a transactional stuff for a Sun's 617 00:40:10,360 --> 00:40:14,719 team that's actually still alive, but like it seemed like the right decision to 618 00:40:14,760 --> 00:40:17,599 match, just to preserve the asset, except like it's not an asset anymore. 619 00:40:19,000 --> 00:40:22,559 He's just he's like he's someone that you might like. I don't know. 620 00:40:22,639 --> 00:40:27,239 I yeah, we should really spend some time trying to figure out what 621 00:40:27,280 --> 00:40:30,599 Aiden's trade value is once, if, and when the Suns are eliminated, 622 00:40:30,599 --> 00:40:32,920 because that's like I don't know, I don't know what I would pay it 623 00:40:32,960 --> 00:40:37,480 at right now. I this is and I don't this is still skewing transactional, 624 00:40:37,559 --> 00:40:42,920 but in discord real SERI of twenty two and nineteen pose an interesting question. 625 00:40:43,639 --> 00:40:45,320 Not that I didn't respect him before this series, but it makes me 626 00:40:45,400 --> 00:40:50,880 respect Devin Booker so much more. He's been amazing. I can't even decide 627 00:40:50,920 --> 00:40:54,599 on a single superlative, and one of the superlatives was Booker has been so 628 00:40:54,679 --> 00:40:59,039 good it makes you think the Suns would have been better off keeping their picks 629 00:40:59,039 --> 00:41:02,679 and defensive piece is instead of trading everything for Kevin Durant. This is like 630 00:41:02,760 --> 00:41:08,239 my Donovan Mitchell Lowrie market and thing, except way better, right right? 631 00:41:08,320 --> 00:41:14,480 I mean, well, would Bridges have ever gotten to be this version of 632 00:41:14,480 --> 00:41:16,719 Bridges in Phoenix? That's an indictment of Phoenix. But I don't know. 633 00:41:17,280 --> 00:41:21,400 Also, wait, hold on, I I just had a better thought. 634 00:41:21,960 --> 00:41:24,280 The Suns made the finals and then they won sixty four games, and then 635 00:41:24,360 --> 00:41:29,079 Chris Paul probably got COVID and that's why they got smoked last season's playoffs. 636 00:41:29,119 --> 00:41:31,920 Like, the Suns were awesome. They were really good, and they had 637 00:41:31,960 --> 00:41:36,320 all these assets too that they don't have anymore. So maybe that maybe that's 638 00:41:36,360 --> 00:41:38,920 like the correct take is that the correct take are we we flipped all the 639 00:41:38,920 --> 00:41:43,719 way already on the Durant trade was bad? I will say I very clearly 640 00:41:43,760 --> 00:41:47,119 thought the Suns as constructed before didn't have it, and this rent rests on 641 00:41:47,119 --> 00:41:51,960 two things would have needed to happen if you still and I guess it wouldn't 642 00:41:52,000 --> 00:41:53,840 have been an issue because CP three got injured. But like you're always, 643 00:41:53,880 --> 00:42:00,119 when you have CP three, you're going to gravitate more towards CP three and 644 00:42:00,159 --> 00:42:04,000 Devin Booker to where even when they expanded mcal Bridges role, it was never 645 00:42:04,039 --> 00:42:08,360 anywhere near what it was now in Brooklyn. So I would be super interested 646 00:42:08,400 --> 00:42:13,119 to see what does Bridges look like in this series if it had played out 647 00:42:13,159 --> 00:42:15,880 the same way and CP three gets injured because you have no choice, I 648 00:42:15,920 --> 00:42:20,960 would think other than kind of to go and it come close to explaining what 649 00:42:20,960 --> 00:42:24,480 he's done in Brooklyn. So it's Kevin Durant, right, And I think 650 00:42:24,760 --> 00:42:28,639 I've been banging the druma of you do. When you make these trades, 651 00:42:29,360 --> 00:42:30,400 even if you make them in the off season when they tend to happen, 652 00:42:30,480 --> 00:42:36,960 you kind of needs if it's happening after free agency and the draft and whatever, 653 00:42:37,360 --> 00:42:42,079 you need some time to reboot, like the consolidate, the consolidation of 654 00:42:42,079 --> 00:42:45,320 it all, whereas you need time to flesh out that supporting cast. That's 655 00:42:45,320 --> 00:42:47,559 gonna be their job for the off season. But given how well Bridges played 656 00:42:47,599 --> 00:42:52,440 in Brooklyn and how well Devin Booker is playing now to the point where Kevin 657 00:42:52,480 --> 00:42:58,480 Durant has large he's been putting up even by doesn't really ring the bell in 658 00:42:58,559 --> 00:43:00,599 Game five, but like he's been putting up I'm melting numbers and he's just 659 00:43:00,679 --> 00:43:08,760 like being the Sun's second best player by a comically cosmically distant margin. I 660 00:43:08,800 --> 00:43:13,280 don't know, man, they'd have Cam Johnson too, and all those picks 661 00:43:14,880 --> 00:43:17,760 and they be able to Yeah, look, it's a fair discussion to have 662 00:43:19,440 --> 00:43:23,280 because you're out of like big chips to play. If you have to, 663 00:43:23,599 --> 00:43:27,239 like, if you think DeAndre Ayton's this massive trade chip, you have to 664 00:43:27,280 --> 00:43:30,639 assume he is a lot of value to a team and I don't. And 665 00:43:30,679 --> 00:43:32,159 look, I feel like we're getting beering too far in to post mortem. 666 00:43:32,199 --> 00:43:36,559 But that's this is all stuff. Whether the Suns win this series or not, 667 00:43:37,119 --> 00:43:39,679 they're just going to be huge questions about how they figure out the rest 668 00:43:39,679 --> 00:43:45,760 of the rest of this roster inside the limitations that they're operating in. Yeah, 669 00:43:46,079 --> 00:43:49,920 oh, I can't believe we're already there talking about that. Well, 670 00:43:49,960 --> 00:43:52,639 we can talk about I told you I was going to have some an uncomfortable 671 00:43:52,639 --> 00:43:58,719 exercise. Let's do an uncomfortable exercise and then I'll take us out. Is 672 00:43:58,719 --> 00:44:02,239 is Devin Booker, over the course of a full season, regular season in 673 00:44:02,239 --> 00:44:07,559 playoffs, one of the five best players in the NBA. Now, well, 674 00:44:07,920 --> 00:44:13,760 let's figure it out that. I'm not gonna rup again. I'm gonna 675 00:44:13,800 --> 00:44:19,400 throw NBA players who are the ringer does this thing where they rank players throughout 676 00:44:19,440 --> 00:44:22,760 the course of the year, and I'm just gonna throw some names out here. 677 00:44:22,760 --> 00:44:25,519 They're not all in front of Devin Booker. But what are these Let's 678 00:44:25,599 --> 00:44:30,760 let's fringu this right. Are these players or would you rather have these players? 679 00:44:30,760 --> 00:44:32,920 Which of these players would you rather have over the course of an entire 680 00:44:32,960 --> 00:44:39,159 season, regular season and playoffs than Devin Booker, Lebron James, No, 681 00:44:39,320 --> 00:44:44,480 I'd rather have a Booker. I'm with you, John Moran, Oh, 682 00:44:44,559 --> 00:44:53,440 Booker, Anthony Davis. That's the closest one so far. But I guess 683 00:44:53,440 --> 00:44:57,840 Booker just because you don't Davis is gonna miss time. It's David. It's 684 00:44:57,960 --> 00:45:04,199 excuse me, it's Booker. Damien Booker, Booker, Shay Gil just Alexander. 685 00:45:04,599 --> 00:45:10,159 Mmm, I mean Booker because we haven't seen it yet in the playoffs 686 00:45:10,199 --> 00:45:14,360 from SGA. We've we've were watching it with Booker. Yeah, I think 687 00:45:14,360 --> 00:45:16,079 the pull the threat of his pull up jumper at this point just it's and 688 00:45:16,079 --> 00:45:22,559 he's played better either Jimmy Butler. M Well, Butler is probably no worse 689 00:45:22,599 --> 00:45:28,760 than third in postseason MVP right now, right, I would say, hmm, 690 00:45:29,679 --> 00:45:34,960 I might go Butler because I think he's doing all this. Yeah, 691 00:45:35,280 --> 00:45:37,320 I don't know, but plus Butler's brained his ankle, so I don't know 692 00:45:37,360 --> 00:45:43,639 how we evaluate this last series just for purposes of the exercise, So we 693 00:45:43,679 --> 00:45:47,079 don't keep saying Booker. I'm gonna say Butler by a nose. But like 694 00:45:47,599 --> 00:45:52,119 the age thing is a huge factor. So if we're starting next season like 695 00:45:52,440 --> 00:45:55,039 that might be that might be Booker. I don't mean to simplify this. 696 00:45:55,079 --> 00:45:58,880 I'm taking Devin Booker pretty comfortably. Here, can we say who? You're 697 00:45:58,920 --> 00:46:02,719 not going to take Devin Booker over We're getting there. I take Booker, 698 00:46:02,840 --> 00:46:06,559 kau I may never play basketball again. I don't know that was mean, 699 00:46:06,639 --> 00:46:15,719 but I'm with you starting interesting Jason Tatum. Hm hmm. I'm hesitating because 700 00:46:15,920 --> 00:46:21,920 they're like varies. Uh. I think Booker because he has shown us a 701 00:46:21,960 --> 00:46:25,000 capacity to just get more shots than Tatum can get, and I think that's 702 00:46:25,119 --> 00:46:31,360 that matters in the playoffs. Luca don Chich, Oh, I'm gonna take 703 00:46:31,440 --> 00:46:36,480 Luca. Sorry, this might be my spicies take. I'm taking Devin Booker, 704 00:46:36,559 --> 00:46:40,480 Okay, Kevin Durant Booker, he's out playing him right now. I'm 705 00:46:40,480 --> 00:46:45,760 with Booker, last Un Joel and Bead Hmm, I'm gonna take him, 706 00:46:45,800 --> 00:46:49,960 Bead. I'm gonna take Booker. He's easier just to build a team around. 707 00:46:49,960 --> 00:46:52,119 I think Steph Curry. I'm gonna take Curry. You knew that was 708 00:46:52,119 --> 00:46:57,119 coming. I'll take stephf Yannis. Oh, I'm gonna take Yannie. I'm 709 00:46:57,159 --> 00:47:04,039 gonna take honest to Yokichi. So Steph, Yokich, Jannis. We're basically 710 00:47:04,079 --> 00:47:06,880 the only consentsis players that we were willing to take over. Devin Booker, 711 00:47:06,960 --> 00:47:10,000 Yeah, that's wild. That's wild. So he's the top five basically, 712 00:47:10,000 --> 00:47:13,800 but he certainly he's inside the top ten. It's pretty definitive to me at 713 00:47:13,840 --> 00:47:16,159 this point. I mean, you took a d you took Butler the seven 714 00:47:16,320 --> 00:47:20,679 territory. It's not It sounded like an outrageous question, but I did the 715 00:47:20,719 --> 00:47:24,199 exercise in my head, and it's It's an uncomfortable discussion, I think for 716 00:47:24,239 --> 00:47:30,199 some of us, but it's it's an actual discussion. I think there is 717 00:47:30,239 --> 00:47:34,559 some element of recency bias at work here because regular season wise, like he 718 00:47:35,000 --> 00:47:37,760 you know, he might have made an All NBA team, made like he 719 00:47:37,840 --> 00:47:39,960 was in the mix. I think if he'd played more games, it would 720 00:47:39,960 --> 00:47:45,039 have been harder. But the playoff run, like, you can't say a 721 00:47:45,079 --> 00:47:46,599 single bad thing about it. He's been He's been the best player in the 722 00:47:46,599 --> 00:47:51,079 playoffs. And that's with like, I mean, Yokich probably is gonna have 723 00:47:51,119 --> 00:47:53,239 something to say about it by the end of this series. But Butler has 724 00:47:53,239 --> 00:47:58,480 been awesome. There's been like there's been no shortage of incredible performances, Like 725 00:47:58,480 --> 00:48:00,760 Steph has been really good buying large, but Booker has just been Yeah, 726 00:48:00,800 --> 00:48:04,760 I mean, if the playoffs matter the most, Booker has been the best 727 00:48:04,760 --> 00:48:07,800 in the playoffs. Like it kind of make it kind of makes it pretty 728 00:48:07,840 --> 00:48:12,239 simple in some ways. Are you ready to take us out on that. 729 00:48:12,360 --> 00:48:15,960 I'm sure you're a little bit rattled. I'm just I am very rattled by 730 00:48:15,079 --> 00:48:20,840 what we just decided Devin Booker where he belongs in the NBA hierarchy. Everybody, 731 00:48:20,840 --> 00:48:22,880 thanks for listening, Thanks for your comments. What's up? What's up 732 00:48:22,920 --> 00:48:25,880 Brent? We didn't say hi, he's been commenting. Please. As Dan 733 00:48:25,960 --> 00:48:29,719 mentioned at the top, remember to rate, review, subscribe, follow us 734 00:48:29,719 --> 00:48:36,320 on our socials at Hardwood Knocks on Twitter and TikTok Hardwood Underscore Knox on Instagram. 735 00:48:36,360 --> 00:48:38,079 If you are watching us on YouTube and you want to be involved in 736 00:48:38,159 --> 00:48:44,280 live streams, subscribe there and let's see. Tell your friends, tell your 737 00:48:44,320 --> 00:48:46,480 enemies. We always forget to do that. I will take us out with 738 00:48:46,519 --> 00:48:50,079 a shout out to Frank Nilikina, But as you mentioned, I don't know 739 00:48:50,079 --> 00:48:52,679 who else to apologize to because Mitchell Robinson has not been as great. So 740 00:48:52,679 --> 00:48:58,039 I'm gonna go back, at least for today to issuing an apology to Jared out