1 00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:21,760 What is krack a lac in fellow thermonuclear a efforts? I am damned? 2 00:00:22,359 --> 00:00:26,239 What did I say? Oh, I'm damned. Ravioli's joined by my THIRTI 3 00:00:26,320 --> 00:00:31,399 five fantabulous co host mister grand Poos. How's that for the YouTube caption? 4 00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:37,439 We are here to begin wrapping up our one goal or thing we're watching or 5 00:00:37,479 --> 00:00:42,479 hoping to see or just monitoring for every NBA team from now until the end 6 00:00:42,520 --> 00:00:46,479 of the regular season. We already did every single Eastern Conference team. Go 7 00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:50,640 check out those two podcasts. We are onto the Western Conference now. This 8 00:00:50,679 --> 00:00:54,200 will be a two part podcast boiler alert. This is what is it? 9 00:00:54,320 --> 00:00:58,679 Part one? We can count the two before we get started. Just subscribe 10 00:00:58,719 --> 00:01:00,960 or follow us. I'm over just the like We're just never It's it's a 11 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:03,359 few tal endeavor. Thanks for all the support we've been getting on Twitter. 12 00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:07,040 I really do appreciate all the shout outs and kind of comments, but grant 13 00:01:07,159 --> 00:01:11,000 the most important question before we get started, How the fuck are you doing 14 00:01:11,079 --> 00:01:15,879 today? That's how the fuck are you doing? You're coming in with some 15 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:19,159 real energy and I love it. Uh, I'm doing really well because I 16 00:01:19,239 --> 00:01:25,359 watched before we started recording Jumping around on League Pass, and I not only 17 00:01:25,359 --> 00:01:30,280 saw Brandon Clark play in an NBA basketball game today for the Memphis Grizzlies. 18 00:01:30,359 --> 00:01:34,200 I also saw one Mitchell Robinson, to whom we've apologized in the past, 19 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:38,560 so he's very much podcast adjacent. He was also playing NBA basketball games tonight, 20 00:01:38,799 --> 00:01:42,359 so that was fun. I saw League Pass tonight. You see Andrew 21 00:01:42,359 --> 00:01:49,079 Wiggins making positively impactful fourth quarter plays. Color me flappergast, fake news. 22 00:01:49,879 --> 00:01:56,200 This is uh So, we're gonna go through this exercise and we'll start, 23 00:01:56,280 --> 00:01:57,400 you know, we'll go back and forth. We're gonna try and limit ourselves 24 00:01:57,439 --> 00:02:01,879 like five minutes per team. We are going to start with alphabet not even 25 00:02:01,879 --> 00:02:05,640 looking at it. This is how I'm just on one tonight. I'm just 26 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:07,759 so, I'm so done. I'm in that type of a mood. The 27 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:13,120 Dallas Mavericks. How's that for the alphabet? You got it? You did 28 00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:16,400 it? So I'll give you my goal? Why not? I bet it's 29 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:20,719 similar to yours? Is in fact, the goal of this podcast is really 30 00:02:20,879 --> 00:02:23,039 give me your goal? Well, I mean what a goal of ours could 31 00:02:23,039 --> 00:02:27,319 be to have discussed who should go first before this podcast. We do not 32 00:02:27,439 --> 00:02:30,759 meet that goal. So I'm just gonna jump sustain the defense. Right. 33 00:02:31,199 --> 00:02:37,120 So offense great, We've known that forever. If you have Luca, you 34 00:02:37,159 --> 00:02:40,439 can figure it out with like four scarecrows like stationed at odd intervals around the 35 00:02:40,439 --> 00:02:45,639 floor. Dallas has much more than that on offense. They have Kyrie Irving, 36 00:02:45,879 --> 00:02:47,759 They have enough decent shooters that all works. They have a one oh 37 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:52,759 eight defensive rating this year with Daniel Gafford and PJ. Washington on the court 38 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:54,680 together. That's not like a world beating number, but man, that's awesome 39 00:02:54,759 --> 00:02:58,240 for the maps, right, and that holds up big time if you can 40 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:01,840 score like they can. They been limiting their three point opponent three point attempts 41 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:05,759 and rim attempts way better with those guys on the court than they have, 42 00:03:05,879 --> 00:03:07,639 like when you look at their full season numbers, So the types of shots 43 00:03:07,680 --> 00:03:12,840 they're surrendering that has improved dramatically. They're like seventy eighth percentile in both of 44 00:03:12,879 --> 00:03:16,280 those, which is which is good in terms like top you know, top 45 00:03:16,319 --> 00:03:22,199 quartile. Basically in limiting opponent rim attempts and opponent three point attemp frequency, 46 00:03:22,439 --> 00:03:27,400 they're like forty ninth and three point overall and sixty sixth in percentile at the 47 00:03:27,479 --> 00:03:31,199 rim on the season, so big steps forward. They're seventeen and six since 48 00:03:31,240 --> 00:03:35,319 February fifth, they got the number three offense. I said, their defense 49 00:03:35,360 --> 00:03:38,479 has been seventh best. And it's not all shooting luck thirty six percent opponent 50 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:43,599 shooting from from deep. That's like it's not quite mid pack, but like 51 00:03:43,639 --> 00:03:45,560 it's not the type of thing where you're like, oh, well, that's 52 00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:47,800 why their defense is good. They're allowing like twenty eight percent on open corner 53 00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:51,599 threes. It's not that. So some of it feels real. We've got 54 00:03:51,599 --> 00:03:54,439 like a more than a quarter of a season sample that what I'm pulling these 55 00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:58,840 numbers from, so hold on to that, and like, shit, I 56 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:01,639 mean they're gonna score in the postseason. So if you can just defend at 57 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:04,800 anything close to this level, you're really like it's the team you gotta take 58 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:09,000 seriously. Which I don't know how you feel about it, but I was 59 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:13,439 not gonna take Dallas seriously as a postseason threat just because of the defense the 60 00:04:13,479 --> 00:04:15,800 way it looked for most of this year. But now I think I'm gonna, 61 00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:17,439 you know, if this holds up, I gotta we gotta really re 62 00:04:17,519 --> 00:04:21,399 evaluate some things. I was gonna take them seriously because I just luka, 63 00:04:21,519 --> 00:04:25,639 Doncic is buying large and spectacul in the playoffs, and the chemistry that him 64 00:04:25,639 --> 00:04:29,199 and Kyrie Irving has developed as far exceeded. I wasn't one of the oh 65 00:04:29,199 --> 00:04:32,040 there's only one ball guys way back when. But their chemistry is just progressing 66 00:04:32,079 --> 00:04:36,800 forward. Uh that is mind's like sort of tangentially related to yours. And 67 00:04:36,839 --> 00:04:41,000 it's oh, by the way, the fact that their offense has been still 68 00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:44,319 there. And then if you look at their four highest volume three point shooters 69 00:04:44,319 --> 00:04:46,319 in the month of March, none of them are shooting better than thirty six 70 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:50,040 percent, and like one of them is PJ. Washington're shooting twenty seven percent 71 00:04:50,040 --> 00:04:53,439 from three that much more, which is actually worse. He's already been on 72 00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:55,839 a cold streak that is not well. My goal could be for PJ. 73 00:04:55,959 --> 00:04:58,759 Washington to hit more threes. That'd be nice. I think they need to 74 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:01,399 find what is their what is their go to unit? And I think they've 75 00:05:01,439 --> 00:05:04,560 started to figure that out. And it's very clear that the blueprint is gonna 76 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:09,120 be I mean, they start this way, but you know, the gist 77 00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:13,680 of four players is gonna be Luka Dancic, Kyrie Irving, PJ. Washington 78 00:05:13,839 --> 00:05:16,560 as you're four, and then a rim running big for the most part, 79 00:05:16,639 --> 00:05:19,839 and that will probably be Daniel Gafford, it could be Derek Lively. And 80 00:05:19,879 --> 00:05:23,920 then I'm kind of like, well, what is the fifth player archetype? 81 00:05:23,920 --> 00:05:27,279 Here is it? Let's go with Tim Hardaway Junior. There do we want 82 00:05:27,279 --> 00:05:30,399 to see Dante Exem in that spot? Does it? Derek Jones Junior? 83 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:33,800 Of course, isn't running for a healthy Josh Green could be there. The 84 00:05:33,879 --> 00:05:36,759 thing I would like them to try, and I'm just saying I would like 85 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:42,560 them to try. That's my goal is what would it look like if you 86 00:05:42,720 --> 00:05:47,079 played PJ Washington, Maxi Kleiba and then a rim running big. I was 87 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:49,399 just gonna ask you, like because you said, well, one of the 88 00:05:49,399 --> 00:05:53,319 Givens is a rim running big, Like, don't don't do you think that 89 00:05:53,439 --> 00:05:58,120 Kleiba is gonna be you know this skeleton key that they turned to, you 90 00:05:58,120 --> 00:06:00,839 know, whether it's down the stretch this year to try some stuff out, 91 00:06:00,879 --> 00:06:01,959 but then they used to do it in the postseason like he was the fix, 92 00:06:02,040 --> 00:06:05,720 right if you needed somebody mobile that could block a shot. And also 93 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:10,600 theoretically space the floor, like, so you're saying him with another with a 94 00:06:10,639 --> 00:06:14,879 big just I just want to see it, and to that end, we 95 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:16,680 have not. We've well, I guess we've seen it. I have not 96 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:20,399 seen it. They've played ten possessions, Yeah, with PJ and Kleeba on 97 00:06:20,439 --> 00:06:24,879 the floor plus a big so like neither one of those two or the five. 98 00:06:25,680 --> 00:06:28,600 What I'd also be open to, though, because you mentioned Kleeba as 99 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:31,639 a skeleton key, is well, is there a lineup with him as the 100 00:06:31,800 --> 00:06:34,240 him and Washington is your front line? That makes enough sense to say, 101 00:06:34,279 --> 00:06:38,519 yeah, we're fine with like Lively and Gafford being on the bench when it 102 00:06:38,560 --> 00:06:43,319 matters mostly for large spots of time they are so far they are plus ten 103 00:06:43,360 --> 00:06:46,399 point nine points per one hundred possession when Luca and Kyrie play with PJ at 104 00:06:46,399 --> 00:06:49,879 the four, and so that's incorporating a whole different bunch of type big. 105 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:53,800 So I mentioned the ultra big lineup, I'd like to see just to I 106 00:06:53,879 --> 00:06:57,399 ultimately don't know A lot would fall on PJ. Washington. I think in 107 00:06:57,439 --> 00:07:00,240 the three big lineup, let's call it, And I don't I don't know 108 00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:02,519 if he necessarily has the Jews to do that, and I'm already concerned enough 109 00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:06,279 where well, if you can't use him in a ton of screening actions and 110 00:07:06,319 --> 00:07:10,600 then you playing kleiba End who doesn't need to be involved in those, but 111 00:07:10,639 --> 00:07:14,160 kleiba End a room running big, does that exacerbate that at all? Again, 112 00:07:14,279 --> 00:07:15,800 I just want to see it, That's the goal. The other thing 113 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:17,639 I'd like to see them futz and fiddle with, though, is that if 114 00:07:17,639 --> 00:07:21,079 you're gonna go with a I don't call it a smaller unit, but let's 115 00:07:21,079 --> 00:07:27,600 say five out the Kliba Washington, Kyrie doncic Exum lineup would be one I'd 116 00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:30,399 like to see a lot more of. I think I saw it like twice 117 00:07:30,680 --> 00:07:33,439 so far this season. They've only played a few dozen possessions together. The 118 00:07:33,519 --> 00:07:35,800 numbers on it are actually good. I'm not gonna get in them because they 119 00:07:35,800 --> 00:07:39,839 don't matter, but I think that the Mavericks do need to kind of find 120 00:07:39,879 --> 00:07:44,160 out still the extent of their lineup flexibilities that we get to a point where 121 00:07:44,199 --> 00:07:45,800 I think we can look at right now and say, okay, you know 122 00:07:45,839 --> 00:07:47,639 what this lineup, and maybe this lineup is a crutch, but can you 123 00:07:47,720 --> 00:07:51,600 kind of find like one or two more that can be these postseason crutches. 124 00:07:51,879 --> 00:07:55,560 Yeah, you know, it raises an interesting issue. Is the last thing 125 00:07:55,600 --> 00:07:57,639 I'll say. I know, we got it. We're trying to be semi 126 00:07:57,639 --> 00:08:01,040 brief here, but like I think I assume you agree, like Gafford and 127 00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:07,800 Lively are two of Dallas's what like seven eight most valuable players you know, 128 00:08:07,079 --> 00:08:11,439 and and ideally in a playoff situation, it's so impossible to avoid talking about 129 00:08:11,519 --> 00:08:15,040 every team now in like context of the playoffs. But like, I'm just 130 00:08:15,040 --> 00:08:18,319 not gonna fight it, uh, in a playoff scenario, like you you 131 00:08:18,560 --> 00:08:22,800 can't play both of them together, and just because like they're so duplicative there, 132 00:08:22,839 --> 00:08:26,560 you know, you can't play nobody's gonna play. It's not like that. 133 00:08:26,639 --> 00:08:28,519 It's not Antonio and Dale Davis and Rick Smith. You want to see 134 00:08:28,560 --> 00:08:33,399 four bigs? Is that where it's like a little bit of an issue. 135 00:08:33,399 --> 00:08:37,039 And I think maybe that only underscores the importance of guys like Washington and guys 136 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:41,000 like Kleiba, because one or the other of them is just I guess Derek 137 00:08:41,039 --> 00:08:43,960 Jones Junior is just gonna have to be the four because you don't get to 138 00:08:43,080 --> 00:08:46,759 use both of you know, two really important guys, you can't use them 139 00:08:46,759 --> 00:08:50,080 both at the same time. So that's just something that struck me as you 140 00:08:50,120 --> 00:08:52,240 were talking. You want to lead the Denver Nuggets or you want to hear 141 00:08:52,279 --> 00:08:56,519 my my goal for them, Uh, we can what you want to try 142 00:08:56,559 --> 00:08:58,440 and alternate and see if we can keep up with that in the alphabet good 143 00:08:58,519 --> 00:09:03,559 luck, sure lofty expectations. So there's an element here of and I wrote 144 00:09:03,559 --> 00:09:07,120 about this, of just keep doing what you're doing with the Denver Nuggets. 145 00:09:07,159 --> 00:09:11,840 What I basically want to see, and they are already doing basically all this 146 00:09:11,879 --> 00:09:15,639 stuff that I'm mentioning was let's get away from ever seeing Jamal Murray and Reggie 147 00:09:15,679 --> 00:09:18,919 Jackson play together. That is something that they're doing. But let's also kind 148 00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:22,000 of fuz and fiddle with the Aaron Gordon at the five looks. And they've 149 00:09:22,039 --> 00:09:26,080 started doing that. And one Aaron Gordon has played a lot more five this 150 00:09:26,200 --> 00:09:28,159 year than he has last year, depending on whether you considered him or Jeff 151 00:09:28,159 --> 00:09:33,159 Green the five and regular season units last year. That gets obfuscated a little 152 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:37,799 bit, but they're like a plus four or plus four point six. They're 153 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:41,279 plus four net rating this season when he's the five. That numbers actually dwindled 154 00:09:41,279 --> 00:09:45,279 down. It was a lot higher. Is it a plus thirteen at one 155 00:09:45,320 --> 00:09:48,440 point? I think because they're trying to explore when you look at some of 156 00:09:48,440 --> 00:09:52,480 the different combinations and we've seen like, oh, Reggie Jackson and Christian Brown 157 00:09:52,519 --> 00:09:56,840 will be in those units. Sometimes what I owe this is my guess and 158 00:09:56,879 --> 00:09:58,519 I think we've seen it, but this is my ultimate guess, is that 159 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:03,200 what you need to do and the goal needs to be this. It's Aaron 160 00:10:03,279 --> 00:10:07,679 Gordon plus the three other starters that aren't Yo Kic, so CACP, Michael 161 00:10:07,679 --> 00:10:11,039 Porter Junior and Jamal Murray, and then find your preferred fifth. Maybe that 162 00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:13,320 varies by matchup. Could it be Christian Brown, could it be Peyton Watson? 163 00:10:13,360 --> 00:10:16,759 Those are the two leading candidates, and then you leave Jokic to uplift 164 00:10:16,840 --> 00:10:22,799 even Jokic plus bench heavier lineups than maybe you would you would want to because 165 00:10:22,840 --> 00:10:24,200 you know what, Frankly, he can do it. If you have Reggie 166 00:10:24,279 --> 00:10:26,960 Jackson on the floor instead of Jamal Murray for some of those reps, they 167 00:10:26,960 --> 00:10:31,000 can still replicate a lot of that dynamic, and you ensure that there is 168 00:10:31,279 --> 00:10:35,919 another ball handler there because if you are playing Peyton Watson, Christian Brown, 169 00:10:35,720 --> 00:10:37,720 you know, you know what, are they gonna break? There'll be other 170 00:10:37,759 --> 00:10:41,679 guys. Caseyp might still be part of those minutes, my MPJ, but 171 00:10:41,759 --> 00:10:46,159 you're losing a lot of ball handling juice. At least the off ball movement 172 00:10:46,200 --> 00:10:50,399 around him will be stout enough. And I think I'm at that point with 173 00:10:50,519 --> 00:10:54,679 Aaron Gordan at the five in large part because you don't it's not it's not 174 00:10:54,720 --> 00:10:58,879 that we expect it. Look, Nicole Jokic when it matters most is gonna 175 00:10:58,919 --> 00:11:01,720 sit if it's a real game that they didn't, you know, blow a 176 00:11:01,759 --> 00:11:05,639 team out or get blown out in in the playoffs, he will play thirty 177 00:11:05,639 --> 00:11:09,840 eight to forty two minutes a game, and so you're trying to fill ten 178 00:11:09,039 --> 00:11:13,440 six to ten minutes if you can win or be ultra competitive to a net 179 00:11:13,440 --> 00:11:18,279 neutral in those units. That's why Aaron Gordon at the five is so critical. 180 00:11:18,320 --> 00:11:20,000 And I'm not saying you need to burn him out now by let's play 181 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:22,639 Aaron Gordon at the five for thirty minutes of games that we can see with 182 00:11:22,679 --> 00:11:28,440 all these different combinations mixed and match. I ultimately think though you called kleeba 183 00:11:28,519 --> 00:11:31,240 skeleton key previously, for the Mavericks, those units are their own skeleton key 184 00:11:31,240 --> 00:11:33,799 because yes, your best player in theory is off the court, but if 185 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:37,919 you can survive, right a good amount of those minutes, if you can 186 00:11:37,919 --> 00:11:41,080 find the lineup. And I'm at the point where and I think the Nuggets 187 00:11:41,120 --> 00:11:43,240 are here too, so I understand my goal is I guess to not deviate 188 00:11:43,279 --> 00:11:46,360 from or to lean into it further. It's you know what, it's Aaron 189 00:11:46,399 --> 00:11:50,399 Gordon at the five with every single starter but Yokic. Yeah, so that's 190 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:56,679 we're very much aligned on what the issue is to figure out all and well 191 00:11:56,720 --> 00:11:58,759 more so aligned on the fact that Denver doesn't really have any issues to figure 192 00:11:58,759 --> 00:12:03,600 out, so we got to like find something. So mine was just figure 193 00:12:03,600 --> 00:12:05,399 out the non yokch minutes, right, And the answer to that has often 194 00:12:05,480 --> 00:12:09,799 been, which makes total sense, Well, Jamal Murray better fucking be on 195 00:12:09,799 --> 00:12:11,759 the floor. Like, if you're not gonna have Yokic out there, you 196 00:12:11,799 --> 00:12:15,639 have to have him. The Murray on Yokich off minutes are they're like a 197 00:12:15,679 --> 00:12:18,720 minus sixteen, Like it's just like it's awful. The crazy thing to me 198 00:12:18,799 --> 00:12:20,440 is, so I was like, okay, but what if you put Aaron 199 00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:24,120 Gordon at the five, because that's like, that's the next logical thing. 200 00:12:24,639 --> 00:12:28,600 Murray on the court, Aaron Gordon at five. Lineups are minus seven point 201 00:12:28,679 --> 00:12:31,320 one. They're plus four with Gordon at the five just across the board. 202 00:12:31,639 --> 00:12:35,960 But that includes some Reggie Jackson stuff, that includes some other like little used 203 00:12:35,960 --> 00:12:39,120 line So I was like blown away that, oh man. But so I'll 204 00:12:39,120 --> 00:12:43,000 give you the fifth guy that should be out there with the players you mentioned. 205 00:12:43,120 --> 00:12:46,240 It has to be Peyton Watson because that lineup this look, we're thin 206 00:12:46,320 --> 00:12:50,159 slicing it like nobody's business right now. These all these samples are too small 207 00:12:50,240 --> 00:12:54,240 to draw conclusions, but we're looking for issues with the nuggets. So like 208 00:12:54,440 --> 00:12:56,799 you just got to humor us a little bit here. If you have Murray 209 00:12:56,799 --> 00:13:01,480 on the floor with KCP with MPG and Gordon at the five and Watson is 210 00:13:01,519 --> 00:13:05,559 your fifth man, that is that lineup has a plus twenty point three net 211 00:13:05,639 --> 00:13:09,120 rating. So there it is, like you can get real specific about it, 212 00:13:09,159 --> 00:13:11,840 like is it Christian Brown? Okay? Maybe is it like do you 213 00:13:11,080 --> 00:13:15,120 mess with Reggie Jackson somewhere else there? I don't know, But if if, 214 00:13:15,159 --> 00:13:16,559 what you're really trying to do is figure out the non Yokic minutes. 215 00:13:16,600 --> 00:13:20,320 That is your lineup those five guys, like that's it. Stagger do whatever 216 00:13:20,360 --> 00:13:24,720 else you need to do. But the indications from the season so far are 217 00:13:24,200 --> 00:13:28,759 like, we need to be messing with this lineup way more often. They've 218 00:13:28,759 --> 00:13:33,279 played thirty eight possessions so far this year. I don't know why. It's 219 00:13:33,320 --> 00:13:35,720 got to have something to do with like, well, if we're gonna take 220 00:13:35,799 --> 00:13:39,200 Yokic off, I don't know. We don't like to go to the Gordon 221 00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:41,159 at the five minutes with Murray on. We like to let Murray try to 222 00:13:41,200 --> 00:13:43,879 carry the whole second unit, which like doesn't work. The numbers say it 223 00:13:43,879 --> 00:13:50,759 doesn't work. So we got to basically your your goal raised the question that 224 00:13:50,840 --> 00:13:52,120 my goal is like, oh, I have it. I have this lineup. 225 00:13:52,159 --> 00:13:56,559 So yeah, I mean, the Nuggets are stupid good. That's great. 226 00:13:56,720 --> 00:13:58,519 That's incredible that we were in lie I know, figure out the non 227 00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:01,679 Yokic and it's just kind of obvious for the Nuggets, but the fact that 228 00:14:01,679 --> 00:14:05,000 we kind of ended up in the same spot with it and without bouncing these 229 00:14:05,039 --> 00:14:09,399 off each other. Yeah, he was good. And by the way I 230 00:14:09,480 --> 00:14:13,000 understand it would be a heavier lift on Yolkic. If you're surrounding a g 231 00:14:13,120 --> 00:14:16,279 at the five with as many starters as possible, they've only played it's sub 232 00:14:16,320 --> 00:14:20,240 two hundred possessions with Jokic and no other starters. They've won them. They've 233 00:14:20,240 --> 00:14:22,600 won them. I'm gonna say it's a heavy lift. He can do it. 234 00:14:24,360 --> 00:14:26,600 Fine, you can do it. Not a problem, Yoki. Just 235 00:14:26,600 --> 00:14:31,399 one rep max of carrying the lineup is like off the charts. He's it's 236 00:14:31,480 --> 00:14:35,080 not an issue. All right. Uh that makes it my turn? Okay, 237 00:14:35,120 --> 00:14:39,000 so perfect, we get we get my Golden ABC DFG Golden State Warriors. 238 00:14:43,240 --> 00:14:46,399 This one is like, I'm so bad at this team because it's like, 239 00:14:46,440 --> 00:14:50,759 well, which which of the first five thousand suggestions of mine would you 240 00:14:50,879 --> 00:14:54,879 like? Uh? Because I'm just too close to it. We're the Fungebob 241 00:14:54,919 --> 00:14:58,360 mean of the long paper. Yeah, just the the longest scroll of all 242 00:14:58,440 --> 00:15:03,799 time. The number are the notes team, the Warriors are the all the 243 00:15:03,840 --> 00:15:09,960 notes, copious notes. Yeah. So I went with spam as many Jonathan 244 00:15:09,039 --> 00:15:13,360 kaminga as an integral piece of your offense, whether that's as a ball handler 245 00:15:13,440 --> 00:15:18,360 or a screener with Steph Curry, spam those actions like two within an inch 246 00:15:18,399 --> 00:15:22,080 of their life down the stretch of this season, because Mark's get ejected every 247 00:15:22,080 --> 00:15:26,879 other day, right, because Raymond's getting ejected in fourth quarters again our first 248 00:15:26,960 --> 00:15:31,559 quarters? Sorry, yeah, he's usually doesn't Wait, can I say? 249 00:15:31,039 --> 00:15:37,919 Uh? I tuned into their game against Orlando in the second quarter and I 250 00:15:37,960 --> 00:15:39,840 was like, oh, no, Kimming is not playing and he was you 251 00:15:39,840 --> 00:15:41,960 know, Leftnie Sorenus whatever. It's like, oh, Draymond's not out there. 252 00:15:41,960 --> 00:15:46,600 I wonder, oh is he sitting? It's like, somehow he got 253 00:15:46,639 --> 00:15:50,480 ejected like four minutes into the game. Did not enter into my like spectrum 254 00:15:50,480 --> 00:15:54,279 of possibilities, which is like, why wasn't that your first thought? Why 255 00:15:54,320 --> 00:15:58,000 wouldn't you have assumed he got thrown out? Uh? Anyway, I just 256 00:15:58,080 --> 00:16:02,120 think so. Marcus Thompson wrote a good you know, he's got his finger 257 00:16:02,120 --> 00:16:03,840 on the pulse of this team like few other people do. And his take 258 00:16:03,879 --> 00:16:07,039 recently was just like there's no number two here. You know, it used 259 00:16:07,080 --> 00:16:11,039 to be Klay Thompson. Andrew Wiggins did it for a few months and it 260 00:16:11,039 --> 00:16:15,159 helped him win a title. Kaminga looked like has looked like it at times 261 00:16:15,240 --> 00:16:19,759 this season. But like, if you're going and if you're going to have 262 00:16:19,840 --> 00:16:23,840 any success, and that that honestly, that shit may have sailed. Like 263 00:16:23,879 --> 00:16:29,519 in terms of meaningful playoff success, Kaminga just has to be heavily involved, 264 00:16:29,600 --> 00:16:32,519 if only by Like I think he's wildely talented. I think he's gonna be 265 00:16:32,519 --> 00:16:34,720 a great player, But it's almost by default because you're not gonna rely on 266 00:16:34,759 --> 00:16:37,759 Klay Thompson as good as he's been off the bench, You're not gonna rely 267 00:16:37,840 --> 00:16:42,159 on on twenty twenty two, Andrew Wiggins coming back, Brandon Pajemski is struggle. 268 00:16:42,200 --> 00:16:45,000 Like I mean, we're talking about rookies now, right, Like, 269 00:16:45,039 --> 00:16:48,399 there's so it has to be Kaminga. And I wanted to give you a 270 00:16:48,440 --> 00:16:53,440 stat so this I forget. I apologize. I saw this in more than 271 00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:59,159 one place. So Steph Curry's true shooting percentage in clutch situations have you seen 272 00:16:59,159 --> 00:17:03,279 this one this year is sixty nine point three percent phenomenal. The rest of 273 00:17:03,319 --> 00:17:07,640 the Warriors team their true shooting percentage in the clutch is forty seven point six 274 00:17:07,680 --> 00:17:11,759 percent. And that gap between Steph on the one side and the rest of 275 00:17:11,799 --> 00:17:15,559 the team's true shooting percentage in the clutch is the biggest in the league. 276 00:17:15,640 --> 00:17:19,960 So like to that point, somebody else has to be like a high usage 277 00:17:19,960 --> 00:17:25,319 guy and just it's COMINGA is the only realistic choice. So maybe it goes 278 00:17:25,359 --> 00:17:27,839 bad. He hasn't looked great lately, like or has been inconsistent. But 279 00:17:29,200 --> 00:17:32,319 I don't know, you gotta run Steph and kaminga pick and rolls. Let 280 00:17:32,359 --> 00:17:34,440 kaminga play with you know, lead the second unit and just take a bunch 281 00:17:34,440 --> 00:17:37,720 of shots like you just you know it's a it's a low odds play, 282 00:17:37,759 --> 00:17:41,599 but you got no other options that that's gotta be what the rest of the 283 00:17:41,640 --> 00:17:45,680 season's about. Yeah, they're so before you get into mind there's in such 284 00:17:45,720 --> 00:17:48,759 a weird spot because I don't know we could talk about, Yeah, you 285 00:17:48,799 --> 00:17:52,200 need to maximize the staff window. I don't even know how they do that 286 00:17:52,319 --> 00:17:55,640 anymore. So the answer is not on the roster. I don't know who's 287 00:17:55,680 --> 00:17:59,519 the guy you say, will go get him via trade? That doesn't fit. 288 00:17:59,599 --> 00:18:03,119 Like you could come up with players who are unrealistic, but it's just 289 00:18:03,200 --> 00:18:06,759 like you still kind of need some of the other surrounding parts to hit. 290 00:18:06,839 --> 00:18:08,880 And so i'd be with you there. Mine's a little bit simpler, and 291 00:18:08,920 --> 00:18:11,680 I, by the way, I totally agree with the kaminga Steph stuff like 292 00:18:11,839 --> 00:18:15,160 just I know they do it, but like do it more. I know, 293 00:18:15,319 --> 00:18:18,160 maybe you don't want Steph screening as much, but you're limiting him to 294 00:18:18,240 --> 00:18:21,799 under thirty games in the month of March apparently, then he can screen a 295 00:18:21,839 --> 00:18:23,079 little bit more and then have you could also, I know you don't like 296 00:18:23,119 --> 00:18:26,440 to run set plays, Kurt doesn't like to do that, but have cominga 297 00:18:26,480 --> 00:18:30,319 screen for Steph more then, so I would agree with those. How about 298 00:18:30,319 --> 00:18:36,839 winning at home? Yeah, they're just like you. I was digging into 299 00:18:36,880 --> 00:18:41,839 the splits and they're just so fucking weird. They're ninth in points allowed per 300 00:18:41,880 --> 00:18:45,640 possession on the road, twenty third in points allowed per possession at home. 301 00:18:45,119 --> 00:18:51,480 It's not because of opponent shooting luck from three point range either. It's opponents 302 00:18:51,480 --> 00:18:55,000 are shooting lights out inside the arc, but for mid range, not even 303 00:18:55,039 --> 00:18:56,400 like at the at the rim. They're not great, but it's nothing like 304 00:18:56,799 --> 00:19:00,640 seventy five percent or anything crazy like that. There are some players that have 305 00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:07,079 some really, really really atrocious road splits. Shout out Kay Thompson and Andrew 306 00:19:07,079 --> 00:19:10,240 Wiggins. They've just shot so poorly on the road. But then when you 307 00:19:10,279 --> 00:19:12,079 go dig into like some of the home splits, well, Brandon Prijemski and 308 00:19:12,160 --> 00:19:17,200 Chris Paul just don't hit jumpers at home normally apparently, so like those should 309 00:19:17,279 --> 00:19:21,279 kind of offset. And so it's okay, well, let's win, figure 310 00:19:21,279 --> 00:19:23,160 out a way to win at home? Or what's going on here? And 311 00:19:23,559 --> 00:19:27,160 I used it as I'm using it as a launching point to ask you this 312 00:19:27,279 --> 00:19:30,720 question, At what point is this less about Wow, it's weird what's going 313 00:19:30,720 --> 00:19:33,079 on at home with the Warriors? And you could dig into who missed what 314 00:19:33,240 --> 00:19:37,359 games? Steph has played a shit ton of games, so you've had Steph 315 00:19:37,359 --> 00:19:41,799 for most of those home games. That's the that's the key ingredient. Are 316 00:19:41,839 --> 00:19:44,640 we just at the point where it's no, this team just isn't very good 317 00:19:44,880 --> 00:19:49,720 And that's why, because even mediocre teams are supposed to be better than under 318 00:19:49,759 --> 00:19:55,599 five hundred at home basically, And my final thought there is the only thing 319 00:19:55,640 --> 00:19:59,519 that I could maybe attribute it to. It does feel like Steve Kerr is 320 00:19:59,599 --> 00:20:03,279 just certain for stuff within his rotation still, and that's a problem. And 321 00:20:03,279 --> 00:20:07,119 so my other goal, which might be more realistical, is can we tighten 322 00:20:07,119 --> 00:20:11,680 this up? And unless you just want to avoid the playing altogether at this 323 00:20:11,720 --> 00:20:15,079 point and that's not not the goal. Well, it's interesting. We talked 324 00:20:15,079 --> 00:20:17,759 about this a little bit last week, right or someone. It was maybe 325 00:20:17,759 --> 00:20:21,640 the mail bag where somebody said, like what should the Warriors' rotation be? 326 00:20:22,279 --> 00:20:26,279 And I think I listed like twelve guys because and Steve Kerr has gone, 327 00:20:26,599 --> 00:20:29,640 you know, it just depends on the week. It's like Moses Moody might 328 00:20:29,680 --> 00:20:33,079 be the guy that's playing like the sixth most minutes one night. Brandon Pajemski 329 00:20:33,200 --> 00:20:38,000 was not playing then starting. Now Klay Thompson's starting again, like Trace Jackson 330 00:20:38,039 --> 00:20:42,720 Davis overtook Kavon Looney and now but now we need like Keavon Loney's defensive communication. 331 00:20:42,839 --> 00:20:45,960 Steve Kerr said he's the best talker, So Kavonloney's playing again. It's 332 00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:52,359 just, it's all, it's all just they have a bunch of players who 333 00:20:52,640 --> 00:20:56,720 are like good at a few things, and the reality is collectively they're just 334 00:20:56,880 --> 00:21:00,119 the team just isn't good enough. The conversation ender that I have with a 335 00:21:00,119 --> 00:21:03,240 lot of my Warriors fan friends, we like kind of like when we really 336 00:21:03,279 --> 00:21:06,759 are gonna get real about it, it's just like they just don't have it 337 00:21:07,119 --> 00:21:08,279 you know, it's like that, It's like that simple. They don't have 338 00:21:08,319 --> 00:21:12,160 it. They don't. They're not good enough. Steph is just just diminished 339 00:21:12,279 --> 00:21:17,839 enough to where he can't cover up all of this. And the weird thing 340 00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:21,559 is like I really like a lot of their personnel, Like I think, 341 00:21:21,920 --> 00:21:25,359 I mean Kaminga, you know, I love Kaminga. I think Trace Jackson 342 00:21:25,440 --> 00:21:27,480 Davis is gonna like stick in the league, which is nuts for a late 343 00:21:27,559 --> 00:21:30,960 second rounder. And Pajemski, I think is gonna stick around. He's flawed. 344 00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:33,039 Like you go down the list, all these guys, you know, 345 00:21:33,160 --> 00:21:37,039 Draymond say what you want, like he's still a really good defensive player, 346 00:21:37,039 --> 00:21:40,359 a good passer, like he helps win, drive winning, like Clay's shot 347 00:21:40,400 --> 00:21:42,720 it well. And then it's just like you look up and they're like Houston's 348 00:21:42,839 --> 00:21:48,359 gonna catch them, you know, like it doesn't, it doesn't, It 349 00:21:48,400 --> 00:21:51,680 doesn't add up, so or maybe it does, and we're just not being 350 00:21:51,720 --> 00:21:56,079 honest about like, you know, these guys just to a man, just 351 00:21:56,200 --> 00:22:00,480 aren't quite good enough. And and the record's gonna the record certainly, so, 352 00:22:00,480 --> 00:22:03,039 so yeah, that's what we are. That's a tough team. Is 353 00:22:03,079 --> 00:22:04,839 there a guy because you say you need a number two. And so if 354 00:22:04,839 --> 00:22:08,480 you're trying to think of who might become available, is there a guy they 355 00:22:08,519 --> 00:22:12,640 can go out there and trade for? And then because I can't even come 356 00:22:12,680 --> 00:22:15,799 up with a name of all the players that we might even if it's Donovan 357 00:22:15,799 --> 00:22:19,559 Mitchell, I just don't even think that's the answer here. My whole thing 358 00:22:19,599 --> 00:22:23,839 is, then could you then also get this player and be much better off 359 00:22:23,880 --> 00:22:27,799 after you probably just had to burn through some of the players that you discussed 360 00:22:27,799 --> 00:22:32,160 who you believe can be a valuable part of your rotation moving forward. Here's 361 00:22:33,359 --> 00:22:37,880 where they are now. They're in a position where what remains of the second 362 00:22:37,920 --> 00:22:41,880 timeline in two timelines is like the only way forward. And it's for the 363 00:22:41,920 --> 00:22:45,960 reason you're saying, like I don't think there's a guy out there that they 364 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:49,680 could realistically get that like meaningfully makes them I feel like I'm a broken record. 365 00:22:49,720 --> 00:22:52,680 I've been saying this like for a long time, Like that guy's isn't 366 00:22:52,759 --> 00:22:59,240 there. And so the Warriors, you know, becoming a real contender again 367 00:22:59,640 --> 00:23:03,200 depends on one steph managing to be a you know, an all NBA level 368 00:23:03,200 --> 00:23:10,000 guy into his late thirties. Now, it really depends on Kaminga becoming like 369 00:23:10,039 --> 00:23:15,200 an all star level player. It depends on pajem Ski, Jackson Moody becoming 370 00:23:15,359 --> 00:23:18,759 you know, the best role playing versions of themselves and then like Wiggins finds 371 00:23:18,799 --> 00:23:22,799 it again and you know that like that kind of thing, like it's got 372 00:23:22,839 --> 00:23:27,359 to be internal and so that's why it's like that, or they kind of 373 00:23:27,400 --> 00:23:33,319 need to hope that they have a more of an iron stomach for this second 374 00:23:33,359 --> 00:23:38,880 apron stuff than like the Clippers or the Boston if they want to look at 375 00:23:38,920 --> 00:23:42,960 trading, I'm not say they fall short this year and as well, like 376 00:23:42,960 --> 00:23:48,240 we want to we'll move Jayleen Brown like which there's no indication that that the 377 00:23:48,279 --> 00:23:53,599 Warriors do have like a desire to great point to outspend. The indications for 378 00:23:53,799 --> 00:23:57,799 several years have been like to the contrary that we're not gonna pull salary dump 379 00:23:57,880 --> 00:24:02,759 actually hints at the contrary, yeah right, yeah, and then yeah, 380 00:24:02,799 --> 00:24:07,720 so it's it's a it's kind of a weirdly for me, like a painfully 381 00:24:07,720 --> 00:24:11,200 fascinating team to think about, because uh, it's it's hard to see a 382 00:24:11,240 --> 00:24:15,319 way out of this that isn't just like the guys that are here get better 383 00:24:15,720 --> 00:24:18,519 and or the guys that are here stay good for long enough for for for 384 00:24:18,559 --> 00:24:22,599 those two things too. It's the two timelines for them to overlap. That's 385 00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:26,359 just that's what it is, all right. You got the rockets, yes, 386 00:24:26,599 --> 00:24:30,200 so mine for them. And this is just like they've been. They're 387 00:24:30,319 --> 00:24:33,039 entering a harder portion of their schedule. But I've been very impressed with what 388 00:24:33,079 --> 00:24:37,680 they did from the onset without Shang Gooon. I'm a little bit disappointed though, 389 00:24:38,039 --> 00:24:41,759 even during this stretch, at the lack of Aman Thompson at point guard 390 00:24:41,839 --> 00:24:45,599 reps. And I think you ultimately need to get there, and I know 391 00:24:45,640 --> 00:24:48,559 that he's made a lot of progress. Is kind of just an off ball, 392 00:24:48,599 --> 00:24:52,079 cutter, dunker type guy. That's great because that's a way too And 393 00:24:52,359 --> 00:24:56,519 now I think even he and maybe Jalen Green have benefited from not having a 394 00:24:56,559 --> 00:25:00,559 Shangoon on the court, just in the sense that not that he occupies the 395 00:25:00,559 --> 00:25:03,519 same space, but the lanes are a little bit more open even with Aman 396 00:25:03,599 --> 00:25:06,880 Thompson on the court, because you are going to play him higher up when 397 00:25:06,920 --> 00:25:10,519 he doesn't have the ball to start. I want to see, though there 398 00:25:10,519 --> 00:25:15,799 are fewer than fifteen percent of Amen Thompson's possessions this year have come without bowl, 399 00:25:15,839 --> 00:25:19,039 Fred van Fleet and Al prinschan Gun on the court, and even during 400 00:25:19,079 --> 00:25:22,680 those minutes, most of them are tethered to Jalen Green and like, that's 401 00:25:22,720 --> 00:25:26,400 gonna be the guy that runs the show. And I understand now they're competing 402 00:25:26,400 --> 00:25:29,400 for the plane. It's probably really hard to mix in more of this stuff. 403 00:25:29,440 --> 00:25:32,200 And we've seen I won't make it clear, we've seen a little bit 404 00:25:32,240 --> 00:25:34,680 more of it, but he is still at Can you guess, grant, 405 00:25:36,119 --> 00:25:37,640 how many and I'm not saying this is the bread and butter, but just 406 00:25:37,839 --> 00:25:44,000 how many pick and rolls per thirty six minutes aman Thompson is averaging this season? 407 00:25:44,079 --> 00:25:47,240 Just take a stab? Is it even one? It's two point four? 408 00:25:47,400 --> 00:25:49,359 Okay, two point four, which is just that's too low for me. 409 00:25:49,440 --> 00:25:52,359 I want to get more information about this rookie. And I think you 410 00:25:52,400 --> 00:25:56,920 can also get to lineups where now because you're playing Jabari at the five more 411 00:25:57,319 --> 00:26:00,880 and if you don't want to have another non scho on the court with him, 412 00:26:00,880 --> 00:26:03,079 you can like you can get to that where yeah, they're spacing around 413 00:26:03,119 --> 00:26:07,839 aman Thompson picking rolls. I'm not saying spam them. Make that the identity 414 00:26:07,880 --> 00:26:11,480 of your offense. I just I want to see more of it because this 415 00:26:11,559 --> 00:26:15,000 dude is so much of a game changer on defense. You can see the 416 00:26:15,039 --> 00:26:17,559 passing vision from him, but also what he's been able to do off the 417 00:26:17,599 --> 00:26:21,359 ball as well. It's like, if he can actually work as a playmaker, 418 00:26:21,440 --> 00:26:23,079 let's forget about the jump shot. If he can then work as a 419 00:26:23,079 --> 00:26:27,759 non ball playmaker, what is the ceiling on him then? And it's I 420 00:26:27,759 --> 00:26:33,119 wouldn't even dare to come up with one at this point. He's so interesting 421 00:26:33,160 --> 00:26:37,119 because the way you're suggesting they figure out how to use him is to put 422 00:26:37,160 --> 00:26:38,400 the ball in his hands more, which is one of the things you do 423 00:26:38,839 --> 00:26:44,519 to sort of mitigate a non shooter's weaknesses. What the Rockets are doing instead 424 00:26:44,559 --> 00:26:48,519 is like he's kind of playing more center than anything like he's doing the other 425 00:26:48,640 --> 00:26:51,880 There's only two ways to go. You make him either play way out of 426 00:26:51,920 --> 00:26:53,839 position for his size, and you can get away with a non shooter if 427 00:26:53,839 --> 00:26:59,880 he's technically your center and your other biggest jubari smith who can shoot it or 428 00:27:00,079 --> 00:27:03,200 plaim. At the point, I think that's I really I agree. I 429 00:27:03,240 --> 00:27:04,000 think you got to kind of go one way or the other. But it 430 00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:10,240 does speak to Thompson's like I'd like still like like lump of clay potential because 431 00:27:10,680 --> 00:27:15,039 it's totally reasonable that like he becomes a weird like hybrid wing big that can 432 00:27:15,079 --> 00:27:18,880 guard up and and and or run pick and roll as a point guard. 433 00:27:18,960 --> 00:27:22,920 Like but no matter what, he's gonna defend the shit out of whoever's on 434 00:27:22,960 --> 00:27:26,960 that. Like, Yeah, he's really interesting mine. Uh, I feel 435 00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:30,680 like I need to address the Jalen Green in the room, uh, because 436 00:27:30,839 --> 00:27:36,319 I wrote I did a piece for br about young players who might need a 437 00:27:36,400 --> 00:27:38,599 trade. Forget what the total headline was, but the idea was like guys 438 00:27:38,599 --> 00:27:42,839 that you know this that are good and have potential, but like this might 439 00:27:42,839 --> 00:27:45,640 not be the place for you. And Jalen Green was one of the guys 440 00:27:45,680 --> 00:27:48,599 I highlighted. And this was sort of more towards the beginning of what has 441 00:27:48,640 --> 00:27:55,240 clearly been or I shouldn't say clearly what sure looks like a breakout this last 442 00:27:55,279 --> 00:27:57,480 several weeks and really most of March. He's just you know, twenty seven 443 00:27:57,519 --> 00:28:02,839 point eight points, five point eight ords, three point four assists over forty 444 00:28:02,839 --> 00:28:06,720 percent from deep getting to the line, like you know, looks like the 445 00:28:06,759 --> 00:28:10,079 guy that you would have taken where he was taken in the draft a little 446 00:28:10,119 --> 00:28:14,279 bit. My goal for the Houston Rockets is to continue to keep an open 447 00:28:14,319 --> 00:28:18,759 mind about Jalen Green, which is to say, you probably don't need to 448 00:28:18,960 --> 00:28:21,799 you know, like a month ago you might have been like, I think, 449 00:28:21,960 --> 00:28:23,519 you know, we got to extend Shangoon. We're not. You know, 450 00:28:23,599 --> 00:28:26,559 Green's going to command a big deal. We might need to move him 451 00:28:26,599 --> 00:28:32,440 because we also have Thompson and like you know, there's there's financial reasons and 452 00:28:32,599 --> 00:28:37,000 just the offense only thing may not play here with Emmiodoka cut to now and 453 00:28:37,039 --> 00:28:40,519 it's like, oh my god, let's Max. Can we max him now? 454 00:28:40,599 --> 00:28:42,720 Like can we can we do this immediately? Like all this scoring punch 455 00:28:42,720 --> 00:28:48,119 really matters on a team that I think wants to be built around defense other 456 00:28:48,160 --> 00:28:52,119 than Shanggoon like that. So I think you need to kind of go down 457 00:28:52,160 --> 00:28:55,559 the middle on this and at least you know, you still entertain offers like 458 00:28:55,559 --> 00:28:56,799 the Bridges offer. I don't know how you felt about that one, but 459 00:28:56,839 --> 00:29:02,920 the idea of Brooklyn getting what was it Green and two firsts for Bridges, 460 00:29:02,920 --> 00:29:06,400 I guess there'd be salary in there. Too, and you know, I 461 00:29:06,400 --> 00:29:10,279 don't know, man, that sound pretty good for the Rockets at certain points, 462 00:29:11,160 --> 00:29:12,680 I think maybe this is more of like a goal for me as much 463 00:29:12,720 --> 00:29:17,119 as the as it is for the Rockets. But like, don't get too 464 00:29:17,160 --> 00:29:21,160 swayed by a hot march. Even though the Rockets are winning. All of 465 00:29:21,160 --> 00:29:25,279 the stuff that Green did the last couple of years and earlier this year still 466 00:29:25,319 --> 00:29:29,400 really happened. So don't get over the moon about his potential now. But 467 00:29:29,480 --> 00:29:33,119 also like maybe pump the brakes a little bit on. He's not long for 468 00:29:33,200 --> 00:29:34,960 the Rockets, so just kind of kind of, you know, play it 469 00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:38,519 cool here. Yeah, I think if you were gonna make it binary and 470 00:29:38,519 --> 00:29:41,119 you're saying they need to get rid of him, that's wrong. What I 471 00:29:41,200 --> 00:29:45,920 will point out, and I actually posted this in Discord anecdotally in my head, 472 00:29:45,960 --> 00:29:48,640 I want to go make sure that it wasn't just me imagining it. 473 00:29:48,680 --> 00:29:52,640 This is what he does every single year. I've seen that point too, 474 00:29:52,680 --> 00:29:56,559 where he had an April and like twenty two the time, like usually it 475 00:29:56,599 --> 00:29:59,839 starts sooner actually where it feels like after the All Star Breakers slightly before he 476 00:29:59,880 --> 00:30:03,119 go off. You need to start year stronger now in his defense. He's 477 00:30:03,160 --> 00:30:07,920 just been a part of so many different ecosystems and flawed pecking orders. It 478 00:30:07,920 --> 00:30:11,519 feels like so the semblance of consistency matters. I'm just at the point where 479 00:30:11,559 --> 00:30:15,640 it's still very much TBD, and I think the goal is right, have 480 00:30:15,720 --> 00:30:18,119 an open mind with him. I just don't like his is gonna be a 481 00:30:18,119 --> 00:30:22,720 fat Do you just give him a MAX extension this summer? I don't think. 482 00:30:22,839 --> 00:30:25,400 I don't think. I don't think you can. And if he wants 483 00:30:25,440 --> 00:30:26,680 it, you probably need to let him go into a restricted free agency at 484 00:30:26,680 --> 00:30:30,480 that point, see what type of a year he has next season, and 485 00:30:30,480 --> 00:30:33,920 then just pay him his fit on this team. There's the potential for it 486 00:30:33,960 --> 00:30:38,119 to really work. But that also kind of fits into the oh Man Thompson 487 00:30:38,119 --> 00:30:41,799 discussion, where it's okay, if if you want Aman Thompson to do more 488 00:30:41,799 --> 00:30:45,920 on ball stuff, how does that impact Jalen Green then? And so like 489 00:30:45,960 --> 00:30:49,400 the way they're using Amen Thompson now is probably more conducive to Jalen Green sticking 490 00:30:49,440 --> 00:30:55,200 around long term. So it's gonna be interesting how those pieces come together. 491 00:30:55,599 --> 00:30:57,279 I think it's You're right, I'm not out on jailing. I was actually 492 00:30:57,440 --> 00:31:00,279 I'm probably higher on Jalen Green than you are. To be clear, I 493 00:31:00,400 --> 00:31:04,079 was put for a while. I am though, at the point where it's 494 00:31:04,119 --> 00:31:08,359 I need to see this happen like in October, November, December, January, 495 00:31:08,440 --> 00:31:14,400 because it just it's not and I understand that there are viable excuses out 496 00:31:14,440 --> 00:31:18,559 there, but like we still need to That's that's tough information to Like, 497 00:31:18,680 --> 00:31:22,720 this is complicated information to be working with when he's extension eligible this summer well, 498 00:31:22,759 --> 00:31:26,200 And another complicating factor is I'm not saying this is the case, but 499 00:31:26,319 --> 00:31:29,759 like you got to at least start looking at like how come we can't get 500 00:31:29,759 --> 00:31:33,039 this Jalen Green with Shingoon Like you know, I'm not saying one or the 501 00:31:33,079 --> 00:31:37,279 others at fault or any anything like that, but it's like you have to 502 00:31:37,319 --> 00:31:41,519 think about how they're gonna what the synergy is gonna be between theoretically you're not 503 00:31:41,599 --> 00:31:45,799 theoretically like your two best offensive players, Like why isn't it possible for both 504 00:31:45,799 --> 00:31:48,680 of them to cook like this? Do you think it's like because I think 505 00:31:48,680 --> 00:31:52,720 when he's had the ball during these stretches, Jayalen Green looks more methodical and 506 00:31:52,759 --> 00:31:56,039 like there's a change of cadence there, But do you also think like because 507 00:31:56,079 --> 00:32:00,200 when you want to maybe I would have to look at how many possessions their 508 00:32:00,240 --> 00:32:04,440 or their average offensive possession time. But it's Shane Guon is gonna maybe inherently 509 00:32:04,480 --> 00:32:07,480 slow things down and that's not the best fit for Jalen Green if he's not 510 00:32:07,480 --> 00:32:10,559 gonna be on the ball as much. I'm I did not research that. 511 00:32:10,559 --> 00:32:14,839 I'm just spit ball there, but I'm just no, It's it's something you 512 00:32:14,880 --> 00:32:16,559 got to think about now, right, Like it's just because of Green is 513 00:32:16,599 --> 00:32:20,480 going to do this, then suddenly it's not just like, well we got 514 00:32:20,519 --> 00:32:22,279 Shanggun, so who cares what this other guy can. It's like, well, 515 00:32:22,359 --> 00:32:25,599 wouldn't be nice to have both of them play like they can play like? 516 00:32:25,839 --> 00:32:29,880 You know, and they're both young, they're both theoretically they should fit 517 00:32:29,960 --> 00:32:32,640 and yeah, so that the Rocket's got a lot to think about. It's 518 00:32:32,680 --> 00:32:36,960 definitely a file file this under good problems, I would say, though too 519 00:32:37,039 --> 00:32:42,640 ultimately for the time being anyway, at this right all right, so being 520 00:32:42,680 --> 00:32:45,279 Los Angeles Clippers are yours to start their mind? I have the Clippers, 521 00:32:45,640 --> 00:32:51,680 Uh, their goal should be to get some stops softies. According to Toronto. 522 00:32:51,759 --> 00:32:53,960 You were alert. I don't even just because then it'll streamline. I 523 00:32:54,039 --> 00:32:58,920 have defensive consistency for them. I have stuff to back it up. But 524 00:32:58,960 --> 00:33:01,759 if we are on the exactly, I mean, it's kind of I guess 525 00:33:01,799 --> 00:33:07,279 you could say, like make make some threes because they are spinking in three 526 00:33:07,279 --> 00:33:10,440 points per game. Actually I have that pulled up too. They've been outscored 527 00:33:10,799 --> 00:33:15,680 since the All Star Break by one hundred and twenty points. From Beyond the 528 00:33:15,799 --> 00:33:17,920 Arc, they're twenty fourth and made threes per game since the break. They're 529 00:33:19,000 --> 00:33:22,920 nineteenth overall on the year. But that is not That was my backup issue 530 00:33:22,920 --> 00:33:25,519 in case we matched up on the first one, so I didn't prepare a 531 00:33:25,559 --> 00:33:29,799 third one. Sorry, I didn't think we would have a hive mind. 532 00:33:30,039 --> 00:33:32,519 But yeah, the defense is eighteenth overall, twenty eighth since the All Star 533 00:33:32,559 --> 00:33:37,160 Break. Like that's kind of baffling, right, Like it just with the 534 00:33:37,319 --> 00:33:39,839 some of the personnel they have, you assume if you have Kawhi out there. 535 00:33:39,839 --> 00:33:43,640 I know Paul George has been banged up too, but like that's like 536 00:33:43,880 --> 00:33:47,079 that's hard to fathom. Oh the other Sorry, but I did have a 537 00:33:47,079 --> 00:33:51,920 little bit more on the three point shooting thing like Harden got one three point 538 00:33:51,920 --> 00:33:54,720 attempt up on Monday and in over thirty minutes of action. That's the first 539 00:33:54,720 --> 00:34:00,400 time that's happened since twenty twelve. They only got one one up in over 540 00:34:00,440 --> 00:34:02,319 thirty That was it twenty twelve with the Thunder or the Rockets? Like how 541 00:34:02,359 --> 00:34:06,079 far back he would have to be the thunder, Like, there's no when 542 00:34:06,079 --> 00:34:07,760 he was twenty twelve thirteen He was with Houston, so it could have been 543 00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:12,239 might have been eleven twelve though, either way. That's why. So his 544 00:34:12,320 --> 00:34:16,960 shoulder apparently is an issue. So I just wondered if he trained it when 545 00:34:16,960 --> 00:34:21,599 he tried to block. Yeah. Probably. He did some milse the other 546 00:34:21,639 --> 00:34:23,239 day too. That was weird. What did he like? Oh, who 547 00:34:23,239 --> 00:34:27,599 are they playing? This is bad podcasting because I'm just trying to think of 548 00:34:27,599 --> 00:34:30,159 the other one. I would like to say on while you're trying to figure 549 00:34:30,199 --> 00:34:31,599 that out, I want to know. I wish we could give Kawhi truth 550 00:34:31,679 --> 00:34:37,719 serum and find out what he thought about James Harden trying to instill positive vibes 551 00:34:37,760 --> 00:34:40,920 by fucking with Kawhi shooting splits, Like, I honestly don't have an issue 552 00:34:40,920 --> 00:34:44,519 with what James Harden was doing, but for that to be the player he 553 00:34:44,639 --> 00:34:47,239 tried, like it's weird. Yeah, it's weird. Though I can't remember 554 00:34:47,280 --> 00:34:50,760 he like kind of wrestled with someone or something. Oh, I think he 555 00:34:50,800 --> 00:34:52,559 was like messing with Tyres MAXI. He was like put him in a little 556 00:34:52,639 --> 00:34:55,760 like fake headlock or something during against the Sixers. That's what it was. 557 00:34:57,000 --> 00:35:00,320 So Harden's acting up some. So the weirdnesses wants to go back to Philly. 558 00:35:00,679 --> 00:35:02,800 Yeah, right, a get him he wants to go. Yeah, 559 00:35:02,840 --> 00:35:07,800 Steve Baumer's a liar, let's get him back. So, like, I 560 00:35:07,800 --> 00:35:10,519 don't know what the the issue is. I sort of wonder if, like 561 00:35:12,280 --> 00:35:15,039 I don't know, you're you're built around a couple of like aging guys that 562 00:35:15,119 --> 00:35:17,880 are that are not looking to get up and down the floor, and maybe 563 00:35:17,880 --> 00:35:22,719 this is just age that like transition, their transition defense has been really bad 564 00:35:22,000 --> 00:35:25,880 and that kind of maybe ties to these guys are just kind of worn down 565 00:35:27,000 --> 00:35:30,599 defensively. But yeah, twenty eighth on defense since the All Star Break and 566 00:35:30,800 --> 00:35:36,840 eighteenth overall, that's you know, rough hard to remember when these guys are 567 00:35:36,880 --> 00:35:40,400 twenty five and five over that thirty game stretch with defense like that so that's 568 00:35:40,440 --> 00:35:44,159 got to be the focus from now on. Yeah, and I would highlight 569 00:35:44,159 --> 00:35:49,719 specifically their transition defense, which has been butt all year is like especially ass 570 00:35:49,840 --> 00:35:54,960 right now, but as it's getting more people so on the year they are 571 00:35:55,039 --> 00:36:01,880 twenty eighth. I believe in points allowed per one hunsions in transition that is 572 00:36:01,920 --> 00:36:07,480 not that's not great, folks. I think I like you, you watch 573 00:36:07,559 --> 00:36:12,119 them, and like you sense it, and it's like, well in the 574 00:36:12,119 --> 00:36:14,960 half court and by the way, there's still top ten and half court defense, 575 00:36:15,480 --> 00:36:20,599 but like the ball containment, it feels like has regressed coming off screens. 576 00:36:20,840 --> 00:36:23,480 When they didn't have Westbrook, it did feel like they missed his rebounding 577 00:36:23,519 --> 00:36:29,599 and physicality. I don't know, is it the personnel that puts them in 578 00:36:29,639 --> 00:36:31,920 a transition pickle. I still don't think even when you want to look at 579 00:36:32,000 --> 00:36:35,920 well, this team could stand to be a little bit more athletic. They 580 00:36:35,920 --> 00:36:39,760 shouldn't be this flammable in transition or even on the glass, like this is 581 00:36:39,800 --> 00:36:45,559 the casual list with which they can approach rebounding or getting back on the break 582 00:36:45,599 --> 00:36:49,480 when you watch them, is just inexcusable and like, because you're not going 583 00:36:49,559 --> 00:36:53,480 to make up in athleticism deficit there by getting back late. Like there's if 584 00:36:53,519 --> 00:36:58,199 you go watch a bunch of these sets, it's like three to four players 585 00:36:58,199 --> 00:37:00,239 on the Clippers are just out of frame while the other teams getting in to 586 00:37:00,320 --> 00:37:04,719 their offense, and they've been especially burned because of that. Where it's I 587 00:37:04,719 --> 00:37:08,159 would call them they're either transition threes or semi transition threes. They give up 588 00:37:08,199 --> 00:37:12,559 a lot of early shot clock triples. And this is just like if teams 589 00:37:12,559 --> 00:37:15,480 are taking early shot clock triples, it's not because you coax them into it. 590 00:37:15,480 --> 00:37:20,199 It's because it's probably a higher percentage look and I don't know if they 591 00:37:20,239 --> 00:37:23,079 have the perfect mix of personnel to address it, but it's like I find 592 00:37:23,119 --> 00:37:27,719 when I watched them, it's there's too many instances of I don't want to 593 00:37:27,719 --> 00:37:30,400 be the try harder guy. I'm the get the fuck back guy. Like 594 00:37:30,480 --> 00:37:31,639 this is like you don't need to wait and see where this miss is if 595 00:37:31,679 --> 00:37:35,519 you're not gonna hit the glass hard get back. And the fact that they 596 00:37:35,519 --> 00:37:40,280 don't do either exceptionally well and a lot of their lineups is problematic to say 597 00:37:40,280 --> 00:37:44,320 the least. So it's interesting. I don't think you have to be the 598 00:37:44,440 --> 00:37:49,320 try harder or you know, even even to Ron Luke calling them soft as 599 00:37:49,400 --> 00:37:52,800 kind of like it's pretty coach speaking. But this term I heard recently, 600 00:37:52,199 --> 00:37:55,920 I love it. It's it's described exactly what you're talking about. It's when 601 00:37:57,000 --> 00:38:00,719 you don't go hard to the offensive class and you all so don't hustle back 602 00:38:00,719 --> 00:38:05,280 in transition. Coaches call it a stay, as in like you just stayed 603 00:38:05,320 --> 00:38:07,719 where you were and like looked at the ball and didn't pick one or the 604 00:38:07,800 --> 00:38:10,119 other. And it's like, we got to stop having so many stays. 605 00:38:10,119 --> 00:38:14,320 I think it was Steve Kerr that was talking about stays. Uh so, 606 00:38:14,480 --> 00:38:17,000 yeah, that they have. I would love to know if if we could 607 00:38:17,039 --> 00:38:21,639 get like the tracking data, how many stays do the Clippers have work because 608 00:38:21,639 --> 00:38:25,360 you can just picture James Harden, you know, thirty four feet from the 609 00:38:25,400 --> 00:38:30,000 basket, not running to the offensive boards and not turning around to hustle back. 610 00:38:30,039 --> 00:38:31,800 Like that's just that They've got to be high up in the league and 611 00:38:31,840 --> 00:38:35,800 stays, so you have a real coaching term that you don't have to rely 612 00:38:35,880 --> 00:38:39,960 on, uh, try harder, hustle run back, stop fucking staying. 613 00:38:40,880 --> 00:38:46,480 Apparently more goes doesn't matter which God more ghos no more stays they are. 614 00:38:46,639 --> 00:38:49,880 I should have looked this up. They got to be like in the bottom 615 00:38:49,960 --> 00:38:52,079 vibe of defensive rebounding two since the All Star Break, Like, they got 616 00:38:52,079 --> 00:38:59,119 to be overreall. Their eighteenth in offensive rebounding and twenty third in UH opponent 617 00:38:59,199 --> 00:39:02,760 offensive rebound So twenty third in defensive rebounding. That's break overall. No, 618 00:39:02,880 --> 00:39:07,199 that's overall. I guarantee you they're worse since the All Star Break. Yeah, 619 00:39:07,199 --> 00:39:09,079 I'm looking at I'll look at just March because it's just easier to filter 620 00:39:09,239 --> 00:39:15,079 very quickly. And they are. Oh all right, they're they're they're a 621 00:39:15,159 --> 00:39:19,719 rock solid sixteenth. Congratulations to the to the Clippers. Transition defense is still 622 00:39:19,760 --> 00:39:22,280 kind of ass though. We've gone from butt to flat out ass to just 623 00:39:22,360 --> 00:39:24,719 kind of ass. I don't know what the next step is. We should 624 00:39:24,719 --> 00:39:28,880 probably move on. We're gonna move on to the Lakers. Here. They 625 00:39:28,920 --> 00:39:32,000 are my team. So this comes with the caveat. I'm talking more about 626 00:39:32,039 --> 00:39:37,679 sustaining something rather than like adding something, and it's this can they maintain what's 627 00:39:37,719 --> 00:39:43,519 happening on offense? They are grant fourth in points score per possession on the 628 00:39:43,559 --> 00:39:46,000 offensive end. A couple of things are not gonna continue. I'll tell you 629 00:39:46,039 --> 00:39:51,039 what's not gonna continue. They as a team will not shoot forty one and 630 00:39:51,119 --> 00:39:54,679 a half percent on threes even they're still like bottom five and frequency that's a 631 00:39:54,719 --> 00:39:58,159 whole nother issue, but that I'll get into in a second. We're also 632 00:39:58,199 --> 00:40:01,920 shooting collectively seven twenty seven point two percent at the rim. I'm going to 633 00:40:01,960 --> 00:40:05,000 tell you this that's not going to continue either, that you're not going to 634 00:40:05,079 --> 00:40:07,360 shoot about eighty percent the rim. Now what I am noticing though, and 635 00:40:07,360 --> 00:40:09,840 this is mind you, this is all happening with like a different type of 636 00:40:09,880 --> 00:40:14,760 emphasis on the officiating where it's like, oh, it shouldn't be you shouldn't 637 00:40:14,760 --> 00:40:16,960 be as efficient necessarily, I would say at the rim. This team, 638 00:40:17,000 --> 00:40:22,920 specifically Austin Reeves, has been I'm gonna steal your term again, the skeleton 639 00:40:23,000 --> 00:40:25,559 key, I think, to unlocking a lot of what they're doing on offense, 640 00:40:25,639 --> 00:40:29,400 not just because of what he does as a cutter and a screener, 641 00:40:29,639 --> 00:40:34,760 but he is finally getting his offensive volume up there. So prior to February 642 00:40:34,800 --> 00:40:38,000 first, he was taking about five point four threes per thirty six minutes. 643 00:40:38,440 --> 00:40:44,440 Since February first, he's up that to six point one and since March first, 644 00:40:44,440 --> 00:40:47,679 specifically, that is now like at basically seven attempts per thirty six minutes. 645 00:40:47,960 --> 00:40:52,239 He's shooting the hell out of it. But for a team that doesn't 646 00:40:52,280 --> 00:40:54,559 get up a ton of threes outside of D'Angelo Russell. And if you want 647 00:40:54,559 --> 00:40:59,239 to throw Lebron James in there, I do think his willingness to let her 648 00:40:59,320 --> 00:41:01,519 rip and if they're not going in forty five percent of the time or whatever 649 00:41:01,519 --> 00:41:06,679 their number is going to be, it opens up the floor in the half 650 00:41:06,719 --> 00:41:08,880 court that allows you to get these higher quality looks at the rim that we've 651 00:41:08,920 --> 00:41:12,239 seen from them, Or if he's more of a threat when he's running and 652 00:41:12,280 --> 00:41:16,000 sprang out in transition, fanning out in transition, excuse me, that's going 653 00:41:16,039 --> 00:41:21,320 to open up their offense those opportunities even more. That's something that they need 654 00:41:21,360 --> 00:41:23,719 to figure out a way to maintain. And it's not I don't I'm reticent 655 00:41:23,760 --> 00:41:27,679 to say, just tell him to keep chucking threes. But they seem to 656 00:41:27,679 --> 00:41:30,679 have found a better balance among their I'll call it the core four with ad 657 00:41:30,880 --> 00:41:35,719 Lebron, Reeves, d Lo, the spacing, the usage, how things 658 00:41:35,760 --> 00:41:37,920 are working for them, and yes, there is some fluky shooting involved overall, 659 00:41:38,239 --> 00:41:42,679 but they've been able to open up pathways to the basket, not just 660 00:41:42,719 --> 00:41:45,679 for Lebron by the way, but for Anthony Davis Moore. And I think 661 00:41:45,719 --> 00:41:49,480 that this version of DLO is absolutely critical, but it kind of feels like 662 00:41:49,519 --> 00:41:52,239 he's fallen by the wayside is Austin Reeves. So I think it has gotten 663 00:41:52,280 --> 00:41:58,199 better this season, and there definitely was a level of inflated Oh he plays 664 00:41:58,239 --> 00:42:00,679 for the Lakers. This guy's going to be amazing. He's still on one 665 00:42:00,719 --> 00:42:02,360 of the better value contracts in the league. And I never kind of understood 666 00:42:02,360 --> 00:42:06,599 the whole why would teams want him if they were going to trade so and 667 00:42:06,639 --> 00:42:08,280 so do the like the Dejontae Murray talk where it's like, well, they're 668 00:42:08,320 --> 00:42:10,679 not gonna want Austin Reeves to pair of and it's like why not. One 669 00:42:10,719 --> 00:42:15,920 of the most value contracts in the League's pill doesn't matter. So that's something 670 00:42:15,000 --> 00:42:17,480 I'm going to be monitoring from them moving forward, because this team is not 671 00:42:19,159 --> 00:42:22,480 going to take enough threes like to for either of us to just if they 672 00:42:22,480 --> 00:42:25,440 do. We're talking about I mean like Ruy hotch More shot the three ball 673 00:42:25,480 --> 00:42:29,280 well it's just not in high volume. That's not their game. That's fine, 674 00:42:29,400 --> 00:42:30,239 you need to make the most out of your volume. But if there's 675 00:42:30,239 --> 00:42:35,360 a player who can stand to continue boosting his volume, I think it's Austin 676 00:42:35,360 --> 00:42:42,519 Reeves. Okay, I like that. I've thankfully I did not we would 677 00:42:42,519 --> 00:42:45,440 have. We would have just had to end the podcast, like we already 678 00:42:45,440 --> 00:42:51,360 don't disagree enough like for in podcastners. But uh so, you know how 679 00:42:51,360 --> 00:42:53,000 we talk all the time, and by we, I mean just the NBA 680 00:42:53,039 --> 00:42:58,119 discourse about you know, the Lakers. Their real conundrum is like, well, 681 00:42:58,239 --> 00:43:00,599 you know, just pretend everyone's healthy. It's like we got to get 682 00:43:00,639 --> 00:43:02,920 Jared Vanderbilt on the floor because he matters for defense, but like nobody guards 683 00:43:02,960 --> 00:43:06,800 him. So okay, fine, Well D'Angelo Russell is really important to the 684 00:43:06,840 --> 00:43:09,960 offense, but he falls apart defensively and gets attacked in the playoffs and like 685 00:43:10,360 --> 00:43:14,320 on on down Cam Reddish, which I don't know which way Cam Reddish is 686 00:43:14,360 --> 00:43:15,880 helpful, but like they seem to think he's helpful one or the other. 687 00:43:16,280 --> 00:43:20,159 So all these one way guys and all, you know, what makes that 688 00:43:20,320 --> 00:43:23,320 not matter? When Anthony Davis is like a top five player in the league. 689 00:43:24,360 --> 00:43:29,320 See the title they won when he was that. So my goal is 690 00:43:29,320 --> 00:43:32,199 for them to bottle the current version of Anthony Davis, who's real, real 691 00:43:32,320 --> 00:43:36,920 close to that, to the bubble guy that was the best player on a 692 00:43:36,920 --> 00:43:42,679 team that won a championship. So just so his last four games twenty eight 693 00:43:42,719 --> 00:43:45,519 to fifteen and six, twenty three, nineteen four and four, thirty six 694 00:43:45,559 --> 00:43:50,800 and sixteen. This last one is the ridiculous double overtime, but still thirty 695 00:43:50,840 --> 00:43:53,800 four, twenty three and four blocks. He's played in ninety six of the 696 00:43:53,920 --> 00:44:00,000 last one hundred of possible games for the Lakers. So like the numbers are 697 00:44:00,079 --> 00:44:02,480 there, you can go advance too. This is Anthony Davis we're talking about. 698 00:44:02,519 --> 00:44:07,960 By the way, his defensive rebound rate to day this year has never 699 00:44:08,000 --> 00:44:12,519 been higher. This is one of the best rebounding bigs we've just ever seen. 700 00:44:12,599 --> 00:44:15,280 Like he's he's this is the best he's ever been on the defensive boards. 701 00:44:15,280 --> 00:44:21,239 It's technically tied with twenty sixteen seventeen when he was twenty three years old, 702 00:44:21,639 --> 00:44:24,119 but that's still pretty good. Like a bunch of his advanced metrics, 703 00:44:24,119 --> 00:44:28,239 he's in value over replacement player, this is the best he's been since nineteen 704 00:44:28,280 --> 00:44:32,639 twenty when when he was incredible. If the Lakers have this version of Anthony 705 00:44:32,679 --> 00:44:36,480 Davis, like just I don't know, you've got that, You're not gonna 706 00:44:36,480 --> 00:44:38,800 fall out of the play in now because they've they've been good lately. Just 707 00:44:38,920 --> 00:44:43,159 whatever you like, bubble wrap him, like put him in carbonite, like 708 00:44:43,199 --> 00:44:46,360 do anything you can so that this guy shows up to the playoffs, because 709 00:44:46,400 --> 00:44:50,800 if you have this guy, nobody gives a shit about Dangela. Russell's a 710 00:44:50,800 --> 00:44:52,559 one way player. Nobody cares that, like, oh his Austin reeves good 711 00:44:52,639 --> 00:44:55,320 enough. I don't know like we think, so nobody cares, Like none 712 00:44:55,360 --> 00:45:00,760 of that stuff matters anymore because you have just like the I mean, short 713 00:45:00,760 --> 00:45:04,000 of Jokic, you're gonna have the best, like game wrecking two way center 714 00:45:04,559 --> 00:45:07,119 in the league. And who's also, by the way, I can't remember 715 00:45:07,119 --> 00:45:09,480 if you meant, I don't think he did. In the start of March. 716 00:45:09,480 --> 00:45:13,239 He's shooting like thirty nine percent from three on almost two attempts a game. 717 00:45:14,079 --> 00:45:16,800 There there's bubble Anthony Davis. There is we found him. So yeah, 718 00:45:16,960 --> 00:45:22,719 just like there and there are certain teams that Anthony Davis on defense is 719 00:45:22,800 --> 00:45:27,000 just like an unsolvable problem because he just shuts the rim off and you can't 720 00:45:27,079 --> 00:45:30,480 exploit him on switches either. So if you get this guy, like you 721 00:45:30,519 --> 00:45:32,800 know, it's such a hot take thing to be like, the Lakers are 722 00:45:32,840 --> 00:45:37,679 dangerous if you have this version of Anthony Davis not saying it's guaranteed to happen. 723 00:45:37,679 --> 00:45:40,119 That's why their goal should be to like figure out how to keep him 724 00:45:40,119 --> 00:45:45,400 playing this way your threats of just just about anybody, and you might even 725 00:45:45,440 --> 00:45:49,320 be the guy who could give Jokic the best run, right, Like, 726 00:45:49,360 --> 00:45:52,159 if that's that's the way through the West, Like, I don't know who 727 00:45:52,159 --> 00:45:54,280 you think is gonna hold up against Yokic better than Davis, Like that's just 728 00:45:54,760 --> 00:45:59,840 I mean, he's he's he's he's the guy. So keep this version of 729 00:45:59,840 --> 00:46:01,159 man Thanny Davis should be the goal. I don't care how you do it. 730 00:46:01,519 --> 00:46:07,039 Very quickly, who are the like players? What are the trustworthy players 731 00:46:07,039 --> 00:46:08,920 they have for their playoff rotation? Because you mentioned cam Reddish and they're like 732 00:46:09,039 --> 00:46:15,079 they've gotten away from cam Reddish lately, and so you have you have Lebron 733 00:46:15,719 --> 00:46:19,039 Ruey d Loo. I don't even know that I trust Ruey, but he's 734 00:46:19,079 --> 00:46:22,320 played well enough to like it's Ruey, It's Ruey, lebron A d d 735 00:46:22,480 --> 00:46:25,159 Low, Austin Reeves, I guess, Princeton, Dinwoody. Like those have 736 00:46:25,199 --> 00:46:30,360 been their seven most used players of late Is there even another guy like beyond 737 00:46:30,400 --> 00:46:34,000 Oh, we're gonna sprinkle in Jackson Hayes because we need reserve big minutes. 738 00:46:34,039 --> 00:46:37,039 I think I'm not even I don't trust all seven of those guys, but 739 00:46:37,079 --> 00:46:42,639 like that's just the Yeah, it's not right, Yay Vincent ever plays like, 740 00:46:42,719 --> 00:46:45,280 oh, even just coming back. Darbnham will come up with excuses anyway, 741 00:46:45,320 --> 00:46:49,239 but that's a great point. Yeah, Gabe Vincent, don't imagine he 742 00:46:49,320 --> 00:46:52,719 just comes back. Looks great. Talk about like a late season edition that 743 00:46:52,760 --> 00:46:55,199 could swam them and Gave Vinson is is the Gabe Vincent from like two years 744 00:46:55,199 --> 00:46:59,360 ago or something. Oh if you got that Gave Vincent, He's immediately like 745 00:46:59,599 --> 00:47:02,719 it's lebron A d Reeves And then like Gabe Vincent is is like your next 746 00:47:02,719 --> 00:47:07,639 most important guy if you get you know, Miami Heat playoff runs Gabe Vincent 747 00:47:07,679 --> 00:47:12,039 for sure. We are on to our final team of this podcast, the 748 00:47:12,239 --> 00:47:16,159 Memphis Grizzlies. Who are are they? They're my Memphis Grizzlies. I think 749 00:47:16,599 --> 00:47:20,519 no, I think their mine because I did a d second for Lakers. 750 00:47:20,599 --> 00:47:22,360 Yes, we almost made it through without screwing it up. You know, 751 00:47:22,639 --> 00:47:25,079 I kind of forgot that we beca I was about to say, yeah, 752 00:47:25,119 --> 00:47:29,519 you just did the Clippers and we just had to discussed about the Lakers. 753 00:47:30,320 --> 00:47:32,000 Just write it off. Well, this, I mean, I don't know 754 00:47:32,000 --> 00:47:34,920 if this is a good one to end on. This is a really hard 755 00:47:34,960 --> 00:47:38,239 one for me. I guess you know, this team has just been beset 756 00:47:38,239 --> 00:47:42,159 by injuries all year, and like there have been some good things that have 757 00:47:42,199 --> 00:47:45,559 come out of it. Guys like Gig Jackson and Vince Williams Junior are like, 758 00:47:45,599 --> 00:47:47,599 oh, got some rotation guys all of a sudden. That's fun and 759 00:47:47,599 --> 00:47:52,280 they're young and that you know, maybe that's what we build our you know, 760 00:47:52,840 --> 00:47:57,599 five six, seven, eight spots around some of the some combination of 761 00:47:57,639 --> 00:47:59,719 them, and the guys will get back anyway. I think you got to 762 00:47:59,719 --> 00:48:02,519 figure out where specifically Jackson is kind of the most interesting to me, like 763 00:48:02,599 --> 00:48:07,559 where he's gonna fit rotation wise, who he might make sense with. So 764 00:48:07,800 --> 00:48:14,119 like you get Clark back, and you know he has in the past played 765 00:48:14,119 --> 00:48:16,519 like a fair amount of backup five against certain matchups, or you know, 766 00:48:16,559 --> 00:48:22,039 he's just been the center. Can you figure out, like does Jackson make 767 00:48:22,079 --> 00:48:28,639 sense with him? Does Jackson make sense with Jared Jackson? Does he make 768 00:48:28,679 --> 00:48:31,480 sense with like both of them? Where does Zire Williams. You're not gonna 769 00:48:31,480 --> 00:48:35,519 find this out because Williams probably isn't gonna play the rest of the year, 770 00:48:35,559 --> 00:48:38,119 but like, where does he fit into the mix? So there's Santielle Dama. 771 00:48:38,239 --> 00:48:43,480 I think is you know in March he's shot thirty eight percent from deep, 772 00:48:43,519 --> 00:48:45,360 forty six percent from the field. Jackson has been cool in March, 773 00:48:45,400 --> 00:48:49,480 like forty two percent from the field, thirty three from deep. But just 774 00:48:49,599 --> 00:48:52,360 like that guy's a find. I think he's I don't know. I don't 775 00:48:52,360 --> 00:48:54,480 think he's just gonna be empty numbers. Maybe Again, this is kind of 776 00:48:54,519 --> 00:48:59,199 the like how much do we trust what's happening on a go nowhere team late 777 00:48:59,199 --> 00:49:02,639 in the year? Greens assault all around? Just figure out, like which 778 00:49:02,679 --> 00:49:06,320 of those guys makes sense next to the others, and then you can make 779 00:49:06,360 --> 00:49:08,079 your your other decisions about the rest of the roster going forward, Like you 780 00:49:08,079 --> 00:49:13,400 have Zion Williams extension eligible, like I don't know. I don't think you're 781 00:49:13,400 --> 00:49:15,719 gonna pay him, but there was a time where you were like, this 782 00:49:15,719 --> 00:49:20,039 guy's gonna be our fifth starter. So just kind of sorting out where the 783 00:49:20,119 --> 00:49:24,239 kind of emerging players and the returning players need to fit in the next you 784 00:49:24,320 --> 00:49:29,519 know, I guess really it's about next year because who cares about the last 785 00:49:29,519 --> 00:49:34,000 few games here? I literally have written down terrible podcasting again provide a glimpse 786 00:49:34,039 --> 00:49:36,840 into twenty four to twenty five, which is so hard to do about the 787 00:49:36,880 --> 00:49:39,000 Grizzlies. It has to be about next year, and so Clark coming back. 788 00:49:39,039 --> 00:49:43,000 It's are him and Jaron Jackson your front court? Or as you mentioned, 789 00:49:43,039 --> 00:49:45,320 Santeel Dama's done pretty good as a passer this year? Is that the 790 00:49:45,360 --> 00:49:51,400 answer? And then you would mention Gigi Jackson that is something like can he 791 00:49:51,519 --> 00:49:53,119 be because he's played so much for it? Can you play him in Jaron 792 00:49:53,199 --> 00:49:58,119 Jackson Junior together in the front court if you know how much time they have 793 00:49:58,239 --> 00:50:00,639 spent as the front line, the four and the with Desmond Bain on the 794 00:50:00,679 --> 00:50:06,719 floor. Oh god, Uh. Possessions, You want a possession count or 795 00:50:06,760 --> 00:50:09,800 minutes possession count? I bet it's under one hundred possessions, it is under 796 00:50:09,840 --> 00:50:15,039 five possessions. Okay, maybe check that one out, Fellas. Let's see, 797 00:50:15,880 --> 00:50:20,440 you need to get that information. And Desmond not having John Morant Marcus 798 00:50:20,440 --> 00:50:22,559 smart being banged up to high heavens, that makes it all difficult. But 799 00:50:22,679 --> 00:50:29,119 now you have enough players where you're looking at like the fact that Desmond band 800 00:50:29,119 --> 00:50:30,920 and Jaron Jackson Junior are there, Okay, we can get information about how 801 00:50:31,000 --> 00:50:36,159 some of these guys will look like it like Desmond Bain's role is not gonna 802 00:50:36,239 --> 00:50:38,920 change dramatically next season. They're gonna need him to run less of the offense. 803 00:50:38,960 --> 00:50:42,960 But like when Marcus smartt was so bad at running the offense this year, 804 00:50:42,960 --> 00:50:45,199 like deber Ban's not gonna need to be like the number two guy when 805 00:50:45,199 --> 00:50:47,039 it comes to running the offense. Oh yeah, Aaron Jackson Junior is there, 806 00:50:47,239 --> 00:50:51,159 So you need to find out that information. And then it's even kind 807 00:50:51,159 --> 00:50:53,280 of like if you want to play if you find out okay, well, 808 00:50:53,280 --> 00:50:57,119 like we can't play Gig Jackson at the four. Can you get by with 809 00:50:57,199 --> 00:51:00,639 him at the three? Or does this team's search for a wing to continue 810 00:51:00,639 --> 00:51:04,360 because Marcus Mart's not the answer quite Like that's what they found out and again 811 00:51:04,400 --> 00:51:08,519 it's so hard because we didn't see there should be four best players basically available 812 00:51:08,559 --> 00:51:12,920 together at all this year. But you need to find out as much information 813 00:51:13,000 --> 00:51:15,440 now as possible. And I think Brandon Clark coming back is big to see, 814 00:51:15,480 --> 00:51:19,320 well what can him and Jackson do together with Bain? And I think 815 00:51:19,320 --> 00:51:22,400 it's working out from there is okay, you have your two core players in 816 00:51:22,480 --> 00:51:27,159 Bain and Jared Jackson junior available, let's kind of shoehorn in different combos. 817 00:51:27,280 --> 00:51:30,840 And I think it's most valuable at the four specifically, but again the three 818 00:51:30,360 --> 00:51:34,440 as well, because that's still a kind of a huge question mark for them 819 00:51:34,440 --> 00:51:37,840 moving forward to I mean, you might even get a look at like almost 820 00:51:37,840 --> 00:51:40,280 the entire potential second unit for next year, because if you leave Bain out 821 00:51:40,280 --> 00:51:45,440 there with backups, you might play him with Williams, Jackson and Clark and 822 00:51:45,440 --> 00:51:47,440 and somebody else, like you could really get like how I don't know how 823 00:51:47,519 --> 00:51:52,159 valuable that is because you're gonna go as far as your your best five man 824 00:51:52,199 --> 00:51:54,320 lineup can take you, and like so many of those guys are out, 825 00:51:54,719 --> 00:51:59,960 but I think it, I think there is value to be had probably if 826 00:52:00,000 --> 00:52:02,280 if that's all you do for the rest of the year is like, Okay, 827 00:52:02,280 --> 00:52:06,000 I don't know, maybe this is what we're going to look like in 828 00:52:06,079 --> 00:52:08,320 the beginning of the second and fourth quarters, you know, in twenty twenty 829 00:52:08,360 --> 00:52:12,800 five, Like, that's not nothing that you may as well try to glean 830 00:52:12,840 --> 00:52:15,840 some information because you're not you know, you don't get any sense of like 831 00:52:15,880 --> 00:52:20,519 the team's ceiling if your best players are hurt. But there's something there. 832 00:52:21,239 --> 00:52:22,800 Yeah, for sure, do you want to take us out of here? 833 00:52:22,880 --> 00:52:27,119 Do we do under an hour to get through a podcast here? For seven 834 00:52:27,159 --> 00:52:30,400 teams? Though? That's a batter moment for us, So you can feel 835 00:52:30,400 --> 00:52:32,000 free to take us out of here so that we keep it under an hour. 836 00:52:32,119 --> 00:52:35,400 Still, no, no, I'm going to do a nine minute outro 837 00:52:35,639 --> 00:52:37,880 just so we get over an hour for some reason. Everybody, thanks for 838 00:52:37,960 --> 00:52:42,239 listening, Thanks for watching. Like Dan said at the top, please rate, 839 00:52:42,280 --> 00:52:45,280 review, subscribe, Spread the news, Spread the good news of our 840 00:52:45,320 --> 00:52:49,199 podcast to your friends and your enemies. Isn't spreading the good news like a 841 00:52:49,280 --> 00:52:53,199 religious thing? Whatever? Just tell everybody it's a religious experience coming up as 842 00:52:53,199 --> 00:52:59,280 we record this, so maybe, yeah, sure, do that help us 843 00:52:59,400 --> 00:53:07,400 resurrect this podcast? Oh that's so mean because of how yeah you want to 844 00:53:07,400 --> 00:53:09,599 be behind the curtain. That's part of the reason I'm done. This podcast 845 00:53:09,639 --> 00:53:15,039 I think is operating at its peak of quality, editing personality. It has 846 00:53:15,280 --> 00:53:22,159 never been less popular than it is right now. I can't that's because I 847 00:53:22,199 --> 00:53:24,360 haven't finished the outro. It's gonna be so good from here on out that 848 00:53:24,760 --> 00:53:30,079 you're the subscriptions are gonna skyrocket. I'm just gonna thumbnails like Uber Driver sucked 849 00:53:30,119 --> 00:53:37,440 me off to our podcast and see if that maybe what else join our discord 850 00:53:37,840 --> 00:53:39,599 the links to figure that. To do that as in the YouTube and podcast 851 00:53:39,599 --> 00:53:43,639 subscription as is the route to some of our merch. Dan is supporting it. 852 00:53:43,639 --> 00:53:45,800 He's always such a good, uh good supporter of the podcast. Have 853 00:53:45,840 --> 00:53:51,159 some who's even saying Hardwood knocks on it, come on grand like unbelievable. 854 00:53:51,639 --> 00:53:58,000 Uh, that's it. Shout out Frank. Apologies Jared Allen and Mitchel Robinson. 855 00:53:58,000 --> 00:54:10,079 He's back, is bron unto both bas body apos