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Speaker 1: What is up, Fellowsichos, I am Dann Valley coming at

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you with the one, the only, the legendary, this certified,

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fantabulous mister frant Hughes, our mega super dupert. Twenty twenty

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five NBA Playoffs preview is officially here, a little bit

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later that we normally would have done it, but it

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is here, and we're gonna talk about every perspective, series,

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offer predictions. I'll actually, like, Grant, take you through how

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we're gonna approach it this year. We kind of change

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the set up each year to keep it fresh and

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also to maybe give us better organization. But before the

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playoffs officially tip off, Grant, how are you feeling about

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this postseason? Are you ready?

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Speaker 2: I'm so ready?

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Speaker 3: Like I just I feel like every year I spend

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more and more time like like winking at or like

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nodding to this idea that like the regular season is

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just like this other thing, and that the playoffs inform

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my opinion to Like I don't know, like what percent,

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whether it's talking about a team, a player or anything,

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It's like how they do in the playoffs accounts for

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like eighty percent of what I you know what I mean,

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Like it just I have gotten taken up with this

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idea of like the playoffs are really what matters, and

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especially the deeper rounds, because that's where you really learn like, Okay,

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how good is this player or what are these flaws

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or what are these strengths, and so I just like,

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I don't know, everything's heightened, everything matters more, and I

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just I the playoffs are just like the best part

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of the season obviously, but like the way the regular

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season has changed for me over the last several years

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and the way I think about it, it just only

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augments like how much more I care about it, And I'm

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excited by the playoffs.

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Speaker 1: I'm just really excited to see how the Lakers faring

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in the playoffs impacts Kevin Durant's legacy.

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Speaker 2: I just want to know what Stephen A. Smith is

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going to say about Brownie.

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Speaker 3: You know, if he's on the bench, is he not

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like how many minutes is he going to get?

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Speaker 1: Does he ron wearing a shirt during warm ups for

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the first time in twenty one years? Because right, I

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will say so. I love that, like first weekend of

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the playoffs, It's kind of like that when the start

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of the regular season is there, and it's a little

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bit of you know that, Like first I think it's

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like the Wednesday or the where there's fourteen or games.

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It's like and it's been months so you had to

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deal with to get a little overwhelmed. So I get

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that hit of adrenaline a little bit in a good way.

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But in the first round specifically, there's always hopefully like

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one or two series that end up being epic and

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in the West, like I think we have the potential

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for a bunch of those, but there's always I feel

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like more than half of the series where it's you

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see the first game and you're like, let's just get

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this thing over with.

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Speaker 2: We know, oh yeah right.

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Speaker 3: I want to be clear, I love the playoffs, but

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the first round is really overwhelming because it's just like

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the time you have to invest if you're gonna try

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to watch all the games, which sorry to ruin the bit,

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but like we actually do, like.

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Speaker 2: I really try to watch on every single Jome.

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Speaker 1: I have step Castle Rookie of the Year.

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Speaker 2: Truther is that well he said he has the highest ceiling.

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We clearly watched him.

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Speaker 3: But like a with that said, I really want I

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want a couple sweeps just to like clean the plate

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a little bit, because like we can really focus on

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the ones that I think and there might be a

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few that go six or seven.

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Speaker 1: So do you want to explain how we're going to

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approach each series before we barey flop into it.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, So what we're gonna try to do is, you know,

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do the best we can to hit like the series

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and the sort of relevant players, relevant angles from sort

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of as close to like a three hundred and sixty degree,

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like you know, something for everybody perspective. So for each series,

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and this won't be I didn't confine it to one

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team or the other. We're going to discuss what we

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think is the most interesting sort of tactical wrinkle of

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the series, the matchups, the strategy one team or the

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other might employ, like that kind of thing, the nuts

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and bolts of it. Then the narrative, like what's the

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story that we're most excited by for this series, Like

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what angles might emerge? What are we going to be

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talking about that's separate from the tactics and whatever, And

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then we.

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Speaker 2: Just have it's a bit of a catch all.

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Speaker 3: It's gonna overlap with either the tactics or the narrative

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side of it, but an X factor, and that can

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be in most cases it's a player, but it can

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also be like it's pretty tied to the tactics, like

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how's this guy gonna impact the series? And and I

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shied away we didn't set the rule for this, but

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shied away from picking like the best player in the series.

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It's like, well, how's Jokic gonna be? Like, Okay, you know,

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the X factor sort of has the implication that it's

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someone that may or may not be a swing piece

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but sort of needs to be, you know what I mean,

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there's some some variability priced in. So that's that's how

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we're going to try to tackle each series.

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Speaker 1: My only differentiator was I only picked superstars for the

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X factor.

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Speaker 2: Right.

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Speaker 3: I will catch myself more than once because I always

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do this making the argument that like team X will

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just win the series because they have the best player

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in it, like, which is just like the heuristic that's

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often right, but like it it's I'm gonna try to avoid.

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Speaker 1: Honestly, in the first round, specifically, isn't there there's a

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bunch of there. Honestly, there's at least half of the

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series where that just might not be true.

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Speaker 3: Right, or it's like, oh, actually this guy wasn't the

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best player because this other guy who just happens to.

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Speaker 2: Be heard all the time and gets hurt might actually

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be the best place.

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Speaker 1: You're angering the Jellen Brunson or k Cunningham masses right now. Sorry,

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we're gonna begin with the series that will start first,

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and that is the Bucks versus the Pacers. I think

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some note I don't want to step on the I'll

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throw it to you first, like the narrative or the

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tactical wrinkle of it. But Damian Loward is going to

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play at some point. That was really cool news. You know,

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it's you know, it's something when when Sham's prefaces it

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with amazing before he delivers his news drop. But it

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sounds like that Blowclott was minor. They caught it early.

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He's already resumed some scrimmaging. Ruled out for game one,

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but who knows about game two. Sounds like by game

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three or four though, like even if he's on a

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minute's limit, he he should be back. So that's that's

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good because you just want to see all the best

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players available right any series? So what is your And

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I'm not sure how much overlap we have because we

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didn't confer on this at all. What is your biggest

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tactical wrinkle of this?

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Speaker 3: So the thing I guess the thing I'm most focused on,

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and I don't I think Lillard's availability changes some of this,

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but not a ton because you mentioned minutes limit. We

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don't know missing game one. And also like this is

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just me pretending to know about medical stuff. But it's like,

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if you've got a blood clot in your calf, I

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would imagine you're not running a ton, and like, so

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there's gonna be a conditioning component, I think, so whether

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that manifesting like you're playing less or you've only got

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a couple bursts per game and then you're just you're

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just not conditioned and you're out of gas, like and

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so Lillard could be diminished. The thing I'm looking at

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is just like, how do the pacers attempt to contain Giannis?

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Speaker 2: And does that mean it's doubles? Is it?

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Speaker 3: Siakam gets a crack at it, Miles Turner gets a

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crack at it. You're laughing because this is probably your

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tactical thing too, and so like it's just I I

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made a bold prediction piece for br that hasn't gone

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up yet. But it's just like, I think Giannis might

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average fifteen free throws a game, and like Shaq is

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the modern era leader at ten point four in the postseason,

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so like, and might that be a good idea?

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Speaker 2: Might you just want to hack him all the time?

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Speaker 3: So so this all ties to like, oh, Jannis became

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a distributor with Dame out, like, so maybe maybe you

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can't just send two at him and get away with it.

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Speaker 2: I just think it's gonna be that.

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Speaker 3: That's the most interesting make or break thing is like

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how do the Pacers choose to guard Yiannis? How does

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he choose to approach those coverages, which I would assume

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are gonna involve multiple bodies because just the numbers of

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him going against Siakham and Turner individually are like the

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Bucks love it. So so that's what I'm focused on tactically.

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What about you similar?

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Speaker 1: It's so it's similar I would have So the Damian

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learn news changed is one thing, and I'll get to that.

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So there's like a little difference there, But I'm fascinated

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by not because you expect the Pacers to like they're

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not gonna stop Giannis and even containing him feels like,

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all right, is that really gonna happen? But Siakam is

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registered as their most frequent defender on him this season,

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He's done like as a team, Like you could look

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at the individual like matchup numbers, but like Whenakam is

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guarding Yannis, the Bucks are averaging one point one to

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two points per possession. That's not out of this world,

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Like that's probably maybe a little bit higher than you

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would want. However, part of like has been really good

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on defense this year. I think like him and Andrew

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Nemhar like have been huge keystones for the Pacers, like

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turn around on that end of the floor. But what

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they like to do is because Sam does so much

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on offense, he's not supposed to have in theory the

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yanis assignment. But you get to a point where to

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go up and down the Pacers roster and it's when

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it's not Siakam, who should it be? And can that

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person buy Siakam any breaks? So he can either be

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he can pitch in, or he can be like doing

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all this this other stuff. You know, a lot of

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people have mentioned Miles Turner. I think that's a non

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option just because he's gonna get in voul trouble. Brook

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Lopez is on the floor as well. In a lot

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of these minutes the guy I'm looking and actually I'm

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looking at two guys now because the goat Caitlin Cooper

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wrote about one of them that I just didn't think

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would be dusted off a lot in this series. So

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Jars Walker kind of deserves an honorable mention there where.

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It's when you look at his body type, in the

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way he moves, and just if you want someone to

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eat up fouls, that might be a guy to throw

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out there. I think a lot of like we're gonna

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see some aaron Ne Smith, maybe a lot of aaron

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Ne Smith on a Yannis. And you could decide, as

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you mentioned, will there be the doubles or is it

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just Jannis eats nobody else does And maybe it depends

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on it. Maybe it should depend on Rick Carlis as

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a smart coach, like the lineups are out there, like

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you might be able to be more aggressive with your

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doubles on Yannis when Kyle Kuzma's on the floor. Just

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as an example, so do you Putkam on Kyle Kuzma,

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Nie Smith on Yannis and then like you're having Siakam

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just you know, float around off of Kuzma. That might

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be ideal for the Bucks. I'm just Yiannis is so

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good and this is you can comment on this in

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a second, but if we were differentiate from it, when

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you look at what he's done on offense since Damian

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Litlan went down with the facilitation, I'm just curious, especially if,

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as you mentioned, is Lowler going to be in shape?

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How many minutes is he playing? How do you keep

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that version of Giannis on offense now that Dame is

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back because they've defaulted, It's okay, Dame's gonna have the

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ball in his hands a lot, and depending on who's

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guarding Giannis, I don't know how much you can like

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Dame is the screener, if Siakam is involved in the action,

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like that just doesn't do it for me. So I'm

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very curious to see if the Bucks try to strike

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a different type of balance there. But the Yiannis matchup

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versus the Pacers I think is for sure the most

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fascinating tactical ranking.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I agree, there's just I mean, it's so this

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is a case where I we would agree that Jannis

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is the best player in the series, and I.

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Speaker 2: Want to spoil it because we'll get to it.

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Speaker 3: But it's like that doesn't guarantee you that we're picking

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the Bucks to win the series. I think so Dame

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is too good to be I just kind of now

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and now I just want to touch on a couple

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other tackle things, like before we move on to the

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narrative and gets the X factor, there'll be some overlap

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Dame is is, so he's too good to be an

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X factor even though like the curveball of like how

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healthy is he, how conditioned is he? Sort of like

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brings in some of the variability.

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Speaker 2: You would want in a good X factor pick.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, but just like if if not him, who were

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you because because one of the weak points you could

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pick at with Indiana is trying to get Haliburton involved

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in like ballscreen action defensively and just in isolation. And

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if Dame is not, if Dame is like more of

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a spot shooter or whatever with Giannis on the ball,

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because Dame just doesn't have the juice, that takes away

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a huge like second option for the Bucks to attack Indiana.

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Like maybe Giannis is enough, maybe he's that overwhelming, but

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if you could involve you know, and India will work

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like hell to make sure Nemhart is the guy, or

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to make sure Nie Smith or whoever just not Haliburton,

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if top and plays keep topping out of those actions,

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but without Dame to be like orchestrating super high on

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the floor pick and rolls, or just generally being someone

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that on the ball is Dane like Milwaukee really struggles

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to find somebody else that's gonna like push that button

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and maybe exploit one of Indie's weakness. It's just another

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thing I was focused on.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, there, what do you what do you have? Is

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the sort of I mean, the other thing that's like

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kind of a tactical wrinkle here is what do the

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bucks his lineups look like, especially when you don't have

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Brook Lopez on the floor. Is Doc River's gonna fall

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in love with Bobby Portis? Is he gonna fall to it?

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Because someone like the lineups that are most intriguing during

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the Dame injury was like, well, Kyle Kuzma's not Yeah,

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and so you have to imagine that Doc Rivers is

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gonna fall in love with one of Portis or Kuzma.

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I don't know if it's a series for either of them.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, I just I just uh, I just

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don't know. This is really kind of the over One

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of the overarching things with Milwaukee is like you can't

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count on Kyle Kuzma to do what you need him

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to do in that role. Like, honestly, I think I'd

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rather just have Chris Middleton and not know if I

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was gonna get twenty minutes in decent player or not.

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Speaker 1: Like, now that we're here and we've seeing the SAMILESA, it's, yeah, I.

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Speaker 2: Take the risk.

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Speaker 3: I'd rather have the risk of like, yeah, he might

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miss three games in the series, but it's.

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Speaker 2: Like I know he's gonna be I know what, I

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know what he's gonna give me In short Berth, Yeah,

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I don't know, do you? So?

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Speaker 3: I think we've kind of bumped against the narrative stuff

295
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a little bit. Do you want to just jump to that?

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Like there's there's obviously like the general bad blood between

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these two teams, which is awesome that makes this series better.

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Just the playing stuff or the the in season tournament stuff,

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game ball stuff, Haliburton's name time celebrat like all that

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stuff is fun. Jannis just having a few games where

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he's absolutely lit them up, and it's just like seems

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like a superhero.

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Speaker 2: That's all fun.

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Speaker 3: I think though, for me this series feeling there's two

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there's I'm gonna do like three narratives. One is like,

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oh shit, if the Bucks lose this, then we have

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to start talking about all the like Yannis tear it

308
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down trade stuff, But also like, wouldn't this be a

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pretty good first step in validating Indies Conference Finals run

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00:14:03,159 --> 00:14:05,200
last year that we always have to mention It was

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like I was a little suspect because of injuries and

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all that stuff. If they just win this series handily

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and compare combined with like just how good the Pacers

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have looked, you know, once Haliburton kind of got himself

315
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figured out this year, I feel like it's a nice

316
00:14:18,279 --> 00:14:21,600
validation of like, Okay, no, they actually are not just

317
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this like asterisk Conference finalist that nobody believes in defensive

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like the Pacers might, we need to just regard them

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as a legit top four East team, which I still

320
00:14:33,120 --> 00:14:34,799
think a lot of people don't you know, you know

321
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what I mean, I think that's kind of what's at

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stake for Indies side.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean look, they've been just and this overlaps

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with a nemhard return. They've been a top ten defensive

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team for a good portion of this year, which is

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just I don't think people view them as that, and

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this will be a good test of that. I think.

328
00:14:50,399 --> 00:14:53,440
My it's because you get pulled in so many different directions,

329
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the narrative stuff with my wall. It's so I'm sort

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of looking at it like, well, what is the fallout

331
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for the team that loses, because I honestly don't think

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making it to the second round as the Pacers against

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00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:06,000
this Bucks team, it's almost it feels like there'll be

334
00:15:06,039 --> 00:15:09,879
more hooplot if they lose because they're probably I haven't

335
00:15:09,879 --> 00:15:12,360
even looked, they're probably favored to win. So it's just

336
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like beating this Bucks team if it's gonna be a

337
00:15:14,919 --> 00:15:19,240
you know, half hobbled Damian Lillard, Like how much goodwill

338
00:15:19,320 --> 00:15:20,799
does that build up for you? But I'm looking at

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00:15:20,840 --> 00:15:22,799
it as what happens to the team that loses? And

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you already talked about the Bucks stuff. We know they're

341
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Brook Lopez a free agent, Bobby Portis could be a

342
00:15:27,399 --> 00:15:30,120
free agent. They have some room under the tax right now.

343
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But if you keep Brook Lopez. I assume that room

344
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is just gone, and so it's well, how do you

345
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build out from there? Then on the flip side, if

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the Pacers lose, I don't think people view this as

347
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necessarily high stakes for them, but like they're thinking about

348
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financial concerns. As you have Miles Turner going to be

349
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a free agent again, and you've already like you have

350
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Andrew Nemhard like you've given him his deal, you have

351
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will be topping on the books you've paid Siakham and Haliburton,

352
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of course, And so if they lose, are are they

353
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gonna think about not like tearing it down, but are

354
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they gonna be less inclined to continue reinvesting in Like,

355
00:16:03,279 --> 00:16:05,240
it doesn't mean it more likely that Turner leaves or

356
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they explore a sign in trade. Is it just no,

357
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they think that there's still internally they could be better,

358
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so they're gonna dump some salary to try and stay

359
00:16:12,399 --> 00:16:16,559
under the tax. I'm just curious to see how these teams,

360
00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:19,759
But I think there could be wholesale changes made over

361
00:16:19,759 --> 00:16:22,360
the offseason to the team that loses, which I don't

362
00:16:22,360 --> 00:16:24,799
think you always say in first round matchups.

363
00:16:25,080 --> 00:16:27,480
Speaker 3: Don't you think that applies like much more strongly to

364
00:16:27,519 --> 00:16:31,039
the Bucks though, because like the Indie for example, I

365
00:16:31,039 --> 00:16:33,159
hope nobody is annoyed that I always call them Indy.

366
00:16:33,240 --> 00:16:35,600
It's just like I feel like if you're an Indiana

367
00:16:35,639 --> 00:16:37,159
Pacers fan, that might bother you.

368
00:16:37,279 --> 00:16:39,799
Speaker 2: Like I don't know because I don't have like the ruct.

369
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Speaker 1: But it doesn't bother people as as much as it

370
00:16:42,679 --> 00:16:45,840
would if you said New Orleans instead of you know.

371
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Speaker 2: That from personal experience. Yeah, so because the Pacers sort

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00:16:50,559 --> 00:16:51,039
of have.

373
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Speaker 3: They're just like we want to operate between like forty

374
00:16:55,039 --> 00:16:58,399
and fifty four wins indefinitely, like that's what we're going

375
00:16:58,440 --> 00:17:02,759
for and like and siakamren't going anywhere. Halliburton's so young

376
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still relative to like other teams like top guys that

377
00:17:05,640 --> 00:17:08,359
like there there seems to be like a narrower band

378
00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:08,920
of like.

379
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Speaker 2: Oh what what could what could a loss do to Indiana.

380
00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:14,200
Speaker 3: It's like, well, you might lose Turner, you might not

381
00:17:14,319 --> 00:17:16,000
like you might make some smoke, like the big stuff's

382
00:17:16,039 --> 00:17:18,720
not gonna change. But the Bucks it's like, we will

383
00:17:18,759 --> 00:17:22,559
this be three hypothetically three straight first round exits because

384
00:17:22,680 --> 00:17:23,279
right is that right?

385
00:17:23,319 --> 00:17:25,599
Speaker 2: Because last year's I mean.

386
00:17:25,480 --> 00:17:27,839
Speaker 3: And there's there's asterisks all over that because of injuries

387
00:17:27,839 --> 00:17:29,880
and stuff, but like that is what it is, and

388
00:17:29,880 --> 00:17:34,000
and they're on the downslide downside after a championship, which

389
00:17:34,039 --> 00:17:37,119
feels like a thousand years ago. At this point, it

390
00:17:37,400 --> 00:17:40,240
like the yiannest stuff will just get loud, won't It

391
00:17:40,279 --> 00:17:45,599
almost has to. So yeah, Indiana will have to address

392
00:17:45,640 --> 00:17:47,279
a few things. But like the Bucks are just like

393
00:17:47,319 --> 00:17:49,519
this could be like someone might just push the red button.

394
00:17:50,359 --> 00:17:52,839
Speaker 1: I do think it's definitely warranted more for them. I

395
00:17:52,920 --> 00:17:54,759
just I guess I'm saying I think Indy has more

396
00:17:54,799 --> 00:17:57,160
at stake than people realize if it lose and it

397
00:17:57,359 --> 00:17:59,160
works both ways, like there'll be a level of validation

398
00:17:59,240 --> 00:18:01,319
I guess if they do win series. But this is

399
00:18:01,319 --> 00:18:03,960
probably the spoilers, like I expect them to win, so

400
00:18:04,000 --> 00:18:05,680
there might just be more. But I look, if I

401
00:18:05,720 --> 00:18:07,759
was running the Pacers, I would not just tear apart.

402
00:18:07,839 --> 00:18:09,440
That's not what I was getting. Like I'm trying to

403
00:18:09,519 --> 00:18:12,519
keep Nemhard Turner, Siakam and Haliburt together, Like I've even

404
00:18:12,559 --> 00:18:14,000
like nis Beth is on a hell of a deal.

405
00:18:14,200 --> 00:18:16,559
But I'm just curious if they do lose to this

406
00:18:16,759 --> 00:18:19,839
version of the Bucks, does it make them rethink, not

407
00:18:19,880 --> 00:18:21,880
even their desire to reinvest in this roster, but does

408
00:18:21,880 --> 00:18:23,960
it make it more likely that they decide, well, hey,

409
00:18:23,960 --> 00:18:26,680
we need to go out and get like another piece

410
00:18:26,799 --> 00:18:29,079
or like a different kind of piece, whether it's comparing

411
00:18:29,119 --> 00:18:32,000
it to Nie Smith or Nemhard or Turners specifically, because

412
00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:35,000
I think Halliburn and Siakam are pretty comfort comfortably etched

413
00:18:35,039 --> 00:18:38,200
in stone here who's your X factor for each of

414
00:18:38,240 --> 00:18:38,839
these teams?

415
00:18:38,920 --> 00:18:42,279
Speaker 3: So I wanted to pick Siakam, but I feel like

416
00:18:42,319 --> 00:18:45,200
he's probably still too good. I think I'll just stick

417
00:18:45,240 --> 00:18:48,480
with him, though, because like he's gonna get the first

418
00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:51,240
crack at Yiannis, and how that goes will inform like

419
00:18:51,559 --> 00:18:53,839
a lot of the rest of the series. Like if

420
00:18:54,160 --> 00:18:56,400
he it might even be as simple as like in

421
00:18:56,440 --> 00:18:58,519
the first quarter of Game one, if he's got to

422
00:18:58,559 --> 00:19:00,720
sit with because he's committed to two fouls in the

423
00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:03,000
first five minutes and it's clear that like, no, he

424
00:19:03,200 --> 00:19:06,920
just we have to figure out where's the second body.

425
00:19:06,680 --> 00:19:07,160
Speaker 2: Gonna come from?

426
00:19:07,200 --> 00:19:09,880
Speaker 3: Because this one on one thing is just not gonna work.

427
00:19:10,400 --> 00:19:12,720
That changes the whole series because because you've already that

428
00:19:12,799 --> 00:19:14,839
means the Bucks have landed the first punch and now

429
00:19:14,920 --> 00:19:17,839
Indy has to adjust, and like I think, I think

430
00:19:17,880 --> 00:19:20,720
that's probably what's gonna happen. But if he does hold

431
00:19:20,799 --> 00:19:22,359
up well and maybe like I don't know, draws a

432
00:19:22,480 --> 00:19:25,599
charge or like Jannis Goes, starts the game one like

433
00:19:25,640 --> 00:19:28,519
one for six or something, which seems highly improbable because

434
00:19:28,519 --> 00:19:30,960
he just makes six out of ten shots all the time,

435
00:19:31,880 --> 00:19:34,000
that that changes the tenor of the series. I think

436
00:19:34,279 --> 00:19:35,759
if I had to pick one for the Bucks, it's

437
00:19:35,759 --> 00:19:39,880
probably just Brook Lopez because if you have to pull

438
00:19:39,920 --> 00:19:41,839
Turner out of the lane to stay on him, you

439
00:19:41,839 --> 00:19:44,039
can't guard him with a small guy because the Bucks

440
00:19:44,039 --> 00:19:45,720
are smart and maybe they'll throw a post up in

441
00:19:45,759 --> 00:19:49,400
there or whatever on a switch. That makes it really

442
00:19:49,480 --> 00:19:52,400
really hard for Indiana to get a second guy in

443
00:19:52,440 --> 00:19:54,680
there to help on Giannis if Turner can't be that guy.

444
00:19:55,640 --> 00:19:58,279
Speaker 1: Yeah, so I went with Indy. I'm going with Aaron E. Smith.

445
00:19:58,359 --> 00:20:00,519
I know Turner is actually registered as the most and

446
00:20:00,759 --> 00:20:03,079
Nie Smith missed time this season, so that's part of it.

447
00:20:03,519 --> 00:20:05,880
Turner's been the second most frequent defender against the Honest

448
00:20:05,920 --> 00:20:08,839
and possessions have not gone that well for the Pacers.

449
00:20:08,839 --> 00:20:11,000
When that happens, I look at n Smith and say,

450
00:20:11,319 --> 00:20:13,440
I think he winds up like you're gonna see him

451
00:20:13,480 --> 00:20:15,839
on how You're excuse me, You're gonna see him on Dame.

452
00:20:16,079 --> 00:20:17,839
You're gonna see him on Giannis. And I don't think

453
00:20:17,839 --> 00:20:20,359
you can necessarily say that about anybody else, like maybem hard,

454
00:20:20,720 --> 00:20:22,799
like you see some spot of Siakam even, But so

455
00:20:22,799 --> 00:20:24,480
I think that's going to be huge. I thought about

456
00:20:24,519 --> 00:20:26,920
Caitlyn Cooper's like piece on Garris Walker at Basketball Show

457
00:20:26,960 --> 00:20:28,880
what everyone should go check it out. I want, like,

458
00:20:29,160 --> 00:20:30,799
I feel like he could be an extractor. I just

459
00:20:30,799 --> 00:20:33,039
don't know if he'll play enough for that to matter.

460
00:20:33,160 --> 00:20:35,160
So I went with Nee Smith for the Pacers and

461
00:20:35,200 --> 00:20:37,960
the Bucks one was oddly tough. I'm going to settle

462
00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:40,160
on that Damian Liller's health or Damian Lillard would be

463
00:20:40,160 --> 00:20:43,279
the chop out to me, I'm gonna go with I

464
00:20:43,319 --> 00:20:47,119
think Ryan Rollins here, Oh that's fun. How much does

465
00:20:47,160 --> 00:20:50,119
he play with Dame back? And like the stuff he

466
00:20:50,119 --> 00:20:53,839
could do defensively, like more so than anybody else on

467
00:20:53,880 --> 00:20:56,599
the roster right now, Like that might make Tyree's Haliburton

468
00:20:56,640 --> 00:20:58,920
a little bit uncomfortable. And so whether you're trying to

469
00:20:58,920 --> 00:21:00,960
deny him the ball or you're just like what the

470
00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:03,440
Pacers do that the Bucks aren't always set up for

471
00:21:03,599 --> 00:21:05,759
is we know that they can play fast, but they

472
00:21:05,799 --> 00:21:07,759
will play fast after a miss. I think they're fifth

473
00:21:07,799 --> 00:21:10,240
and average offensive possession time, excuse me after a make

474
00:21:10,559 --> 00:21:12,960
So if the Bucks make a shot like Andy's still

475
00:21:12,960 --> 00:21:14,160
gonna look to get the ball out and go. And

476
00:21:14,200 --> 00:21:16,519
the Bucks are just like in some of the biggest

477
00:21:16,559 --> 00:21:19,160
culprits are their starters, like just Brook Lopez getting back

478
00:21:19,200 --> 00:21:22,160
at points Damian Lillard especially now, how easy will be

479
00:21:22,200 --> 00:21:24,640
for defense to get that behind him? Do you pull

480
00:21:24,720 --> 00:21:27,160
the Ryan like do you push the Ryan Rollins button?

481
00:21:27,480 --> 00:21:29,599
You will have to if Dame can't go for a

482
00:21:29,599 --> 00:21:31,640
good portion of the series or is on a strict

483
00:21:31,880 --> 00:21:34,400
minutes limit. But even if he's not, it's like Ryan

484
00:21:34,440 --> 00:21:36,559
Ronins has shown some real stuff defensively when he's gotten

485
00:21:36,559 --> 00:21:38,480
playing time for the Bucks, and that's something like the

486
00:21:38,519 --> 00:21:40,440
Bucks still really neat the Buck.

487
00:21:40,519 --> 00:21:42,480
Speaker 3: That's that is such a true thing about the Bucks.

488
00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:44,720
First of all, the transition stuff has been like multiple

489
00:21:44,799 --> 00:21:46,960
years where it's just like can you guys please like

490
00:21:47,039 --> 00:21:47,519
that's better.

491
00:21:47,799 --> 00:21:50,240
Speaker 1: There's like ebbs and flows to it, But the like

492
00:21:51,559 --> 00:21:54,480
the Peaks are never as stark as the valleys for them. Yeah,

493
00:21:54,759 --> 00:21:55,880
transitions defense.

494
00:21:55,759 --> 00:21:58,119
Speaker 3: No, but that's Rollins is a great pick because the

495
00:21:58,160 --> 00:22:01,680
other thing that's been a pretty constant issue is like

496
00:22:02,079 --> 00:22:06,079
can just somebody be like a dynamic creator or like

497
00:22:06,279 --> 00:22:09,359
difference make you know what I mean, like whether it's

498
00:22:09,400 --> 00:22:12,319
defensively or offensively. The Bucks just other than Yannis and

499
00:22:12,359 --> 00:22:14,240
even Giannis is kind of different because he's just like

500
00:22:14,359 --> 00:22:18,640
ramming into stuff like who's the guy that like like Lillard,

501
00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:21,839
isn't this guy like Torrian Prince aj Green, like Kuzma,

502
00:22:21,920 --> 00:22:26,799
like Portis. None of these guys are like electrifying on

503
00:22:26,799 --> 00:22:29,279
one end or the other. Like there's no I'm trying

504
00:22:29,279 --> 00:22:31,400
to think of like a good counter like Houston has

505
00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:34,640
eight of these electric on offense maybe Yeah, but you

506
00:22:34,640 --> 00:22:38,079
know what I mean, there's nobody that's just like it's everything.

507
00:22:39,319 --> 00:22:44,160
Everything feels deliberate, Everything feels like plotting somehow. So yeah,

508
00:22:44,240 --> 00:22:47,000
Rolin's maybe being that guy, if only defensively, is a

509
00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:47,720
pretty good one.

510
00:22:48,839 --> 00:22:52,359
Speaker 1: We move on. Oh are we gonna pick without making predictions?

511
00:22:52,920 --> 00:22:54,599
What are your what's your pick for this series?

512
00:22:54,960 --> 00:22:57,400
Speaker 3: So I went Pacers in six? That feels like a

513
00:22:57,400 --> 00:23:01,160
pretty common one. Mean they have to win Game six

514
00:23:01,240 --> 00:23:03,160
in Milwaukee, but I'm okay with that.

515
00:23:04,039 --> 00:23:05,680
Speaker 1: I'm going to go Pacers in five.

516
00:23:06,160 --> 00:23:06,680
Speaker 2: Oh wow.

517
00:23:06,880 --> 00:23:09,200
Speaker 1: I think they're pretty clearly the third best team in

518
00:23:09,240 --> 00:23:12,960
the Eastern Conference right now. And just I think getting

519
00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:14,880
Damian Lillard back is big for the Bucks. But I'm

520
00:23:14,880 --> 00:23:18,200
just wondering Game one without him and then Game two.

521
00:23:18,359 --> 00:23:19,799
If let's say he's back, he is gonna be getting

522
00:23:19,799 --> 00:23:22,559
his bearings about for the twenty minutes or whatever he plays.

523
00:23:22,880 --> 00:23:25,680
It just wouldn't shock me if you go up to

524
00:23:25,880 --> 00:23:28,799
oh and then it feels like it you could Giannis

525
00:23:28,839 --> 00:23:30,160
through all What do we say about some of the

526
00:23:30,160 --> 00:23:32,759
best through all things Johannis? Like all things are possible

527
00:23:32,759 --> 00:23:35,839
through Jannis. So I'm I wouldn't be shocked if you

528
00:23:35,839 --> 00:23:37,720
told me that Bucks won this series. I wouldn't be

529
00:23:37,759 --> 00:23:39,480
out right, Flord, But I think the Pacers are really

530
00:23:39,880 --> 00:23:42,160
functionally deep and well balanced team.

531
00:23:42,640 --> 00:23:43,880
Speaker 2: Yep, I agree with that.

532
00:23:44,119 --> 00:23:48,279
Speaker 1: We move on to Nuggets Clippers, and so I will

533
00:23:48,319 --> 00:23:52,039
begin with my tactical wrinkle for this one, grand how

534
00:23:52,079 --> 00:23:54,720
do the Denver Nuggets, and I guess this could apply

535
00:23:54,759 --> 00:23:57,359
to the Clippers at large. How do the Denver Nuggets

536
00:23:57,440 --> 00:24:00,960
go about defending James Harden in this who has been

537
00:24:01,000 --> 00:24:04,000
on kind of a heater, like he was getting some

538
00:24:04,079 --> 00:24:06,039
All NBA love by the end of the year, been

539
00:24:06,119 --> 00:24:09,480
super durable, has kept the offense afloat like before everyone's

540
00:24:09,519 --> 00:24:11,920
gotten healthy. And when you look at what the Nuggets

541
00:24:11,920 --> 00:24:15,119
have done, I still think that what Jokic does on

542
00:24:15,160 --> 00:24:17,880
defense is underrated, but I also recognize that, like this

543
00:24:17,920 --> 00:24:20,920
has not been his best defensive season, maybe don't make

544
00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:25,119
him carry like the universe's heaviest load on offense, and

545
00:24:25,200 --> 00:24:27,599
that won't be the case. But when you start to

546
00:24:27,599 --> 00:24:30,519
look at the setup of the Clippers right now, it

547
00:24:30,599 --> 00:24:34,079
feels like they could have an answer to anything that

548
00:24:34,119 --> 00:24:36,279
the Nuggets try to do. And so if you put

549
00:24:36,319 --> 00:24:39,519
Jokic in drop, we all know that that can be

550
00:24:39,559 --> 00:24:41,519
tough if you're gonna give them the like this steam

551
00:24:41,559 --> 00:24:44,799
to get going downhill. But if you go, you know,

552
00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:47,079
kind of soft at the level, or if you go

553
00:24:47,240 --> 00:24:51,359
ultra aggressive, your rotations from the corners better be on point.

554
00:24:51,559 --> 00:24:54,599
And just like the Nuggets, they're not. They're twenty seconds

555
00:24:54,680 --> 00:24:57,799
have now allowed in corner three frequency, they're twenty fifth

556
00:24:57,839 --> 00:25:00,400
when facing the Clippers, but they've never really faced this

557
00:25:00,480 --> 00:25:02,680
version of the Clippers, and the Clippers weren't hitting their

558
00:25:02,720 --> 00:25:06,119
corner threes against the Nuggets this season. But I'm just like,

559
00:25:06,160 --> 00:25:09,319
does this get worse for Denver? When you're looking at

560
00:25:09,839 --> 00:25:11,880
if you have to help off of like Bug Bug

561
00:25:11,960 --> 00:25:14,759
Don Bogdanovich in the corners, that it feels like you

562
00:25:14,799 --> 00:25:17,000
could be nuked, Like is he gonna cut? Is he

563
00:25:17,039 --> 00:25:18,960
gonna just make? He's shot really well from the corners,

564
00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:21,880
I believe this year. But the other thing is you

565
00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:24,839
could play aggressive and I think like their ideal scenario

566
00:25:24,920 --> 00:25:28,599
would be is Aaron Gordon blowing up screens before they're

567
00:25:28,640 --> 00:25:31,359
even set and that probably puts Jokic in the optimal position.

568
00:25:31,559 --> 00:25:33,759
Or can you get someone like a Peyton I think

569
00:25:33,839 --> 00:25:35,559
I think Christian Brown's gotten a lot better at this.

570
00:25:35,880 --> 00:25:38,680
But could you have like Peyton Watson fighting over screens.

571
00:25:38,839 --> 00:25:40,680
I think that might make things a little easier. But

572
00:25:40,759 --> 00:25:44,440
if you play the Clippers or I'll say James Harden

573
00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:49,000
specifically so aggressively, it was different when it was like, yeah,

574
00:25:49,119 --> 00:25:51,599
go make Bogdanovich or Norman Powell beat you, and now

575
00:25:51,599 --> 00:25:53,480
it's like, well, the guy who beats you is Pete

576
00:25:53,519 --> 00:25:57,680
Kawhi Leonard, who just might beat you. And so I'm

577
00:25:58,039 --> 00:26:02,119
just wondering, does den have even the best version of

578
00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:05,680
Denver right now? Does it have the defensive horsepower? This

579
00:26:05,799 --> 00:26:07,599
is so I did not think this would have been

580
00:26:07,599 --> 00:26:09,319
if you asked me, like three months ago, whether this

581
00:26:09,359 --> 00:26:11,960
would have been a question for a Clippers playoff series,

582
00:26:12,480 --> 00:26:15,000
But like, can the Nuggets defend this team?

583
00:26:15,880 --> 00:26:16,839
Speaker 2: So this wasn't my.

584
00:26:17,279 --> 00:26:19,000
Speaker 1: That way, instead of doing that, I should have just

585
00:26:19,039 --> 00:26:21,839
asked that question rather than going to a whole No, So.

586
00:26:22,000 --> 00:26:24,440
Speaker 2: This wasn't my tactical pick I went.

587
00:26:24,759 --> 00:26:27,680
Speaker 3: I focused on a Denver thing or an offensive thing,

588
00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:30,240
or basically the opposite what you did. But now it's

589
00:26:30,279 --> 00:26:32,680
all I want to talk about, because like for all

590
00:26:32,720 --> 00:26:36,000
of James Harden's flaws and like like he he we

591
00:26:36,519 --> 00:26:38,400
he played better than I think I gave him credit

592
00:26:38,400 --> 00:26:41,640
for all season, like and just he is going to

593
00:26:41,720 --> 00:26:45,119
figure out how to beat like so so pick and

594
00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:48,880
roll covered, So like, would you prefer like you're you're

595
00:26:49,319 --> 00:26:53,759
David Adaman? I almost said, Michael Alan, would you rather

596
00:26:53,839 --> 00:26:56,880
have Jokic coming up to the level or like soft

597
00:26:56,920 --> 00:27:01,400
doubling or whatever and letting Harden just side to slip

598
00:27:01,440 --> 00:27:03,680
the pocket pass through or to see the wee or

599
00:27:03,720 --> 00:27:06,119
to sling it to the other side corner, or do

600
00:27:06,160 --> 00:27:08,759
you want to have jokicen a drop and then expose

601
00:27:08,799 --> 00:27:11,000
yourself too hard and getting to shoot pull up threes

602
00:27:11,119 --> 00:27:12,279
or getting downhill to.

603
00:27:12,200 --> 00:27:13,079
Speaker 2: Shoot his floater?

604
00:27:13,240 --> 00:27:17,279
Speaker 3: Like what what do you think Denver should? Like what's

605
00:27:17,319 --> 00:27:19,079
the better way to go? If you had to pick one?

606
00:27:19,400 --> 00:27:21,440
Speaker 1: I think the numbers this season when you look at

607
00:27:21,480 --> 00:27:25,039
hard and shooting, are gonna tell you to go and drop.

608
00:27:25,440 --> 00:27:27,799
And I really just feel like the actual answer for

609
00:27:27,839 --> 00:27:30,000
the Nuggets should be no, Like we need to aggressively

610
00:27:30,039 --> 00:27:32,200
go after him and let's let's have him make those

611
00:27:32,240 --> 00:27:35,960
passes and have other players make decisions. But it's just again,

612
00:27:36,039 --> 00:27:37,480
it's like I said at the close of It's like, well,

613
00:27:37,480 --> 00:27:39,559
what of those players making the decision? Might just be

614
00:27:39,680 --> 00:27:40,759
quiets the thing.

615
00:27:40,880 --> 00:27:44,599
Speaker 3: That changes everything, because before you'd be like, well, okay,

616
00:27:44,640 --> 00:27:46,599
so like as long as Chris Done is the guy

617
00:27:46,640 --> 00:27:49,839
we're leaving as Denver, then cool, Like make fine, let him.

618
00:27:49,839 --> 00:27:52,440
If if Chris Dunn wants to go like six of

619
00:27:52,839 --> 00:27:54,640
twelve from three to beat us.

620
00:27:54,559 --> 00:27:55,599
Speaker 2: We will just live with that.

621
00:27:56,200 --> 00:27:58,720
Speaker 3: But if I just don't think first of all that

622
00:27:58,720 --> 00:28:00,759
that's an interesting tactical wrinkle tis it's like can you

623
00:28:00,839 --> 00:28:02,960
play Chris Dune off the floor? And then suddenly Jamal

624
00:28:03,039 --> 00:28:05,759
Murray has a lot more freedom to do stuff. But

625
00:28:05,920 --> 00:28:09,359
like the Kawhi of it all is like we're focused

626
00:28:09,359 --> 00:28:11,480
on James Harden, like how they're gonna guard James Harden,

627
00:28:11,480 --> 00:28:13,240
which is like a threshold issue. And then I gets

628
00:28:13,279 --> 00:28:14,759
have to figure that out. And then it's like, even

629
00:28:14,799 --> 00:28:18,440
if you do that perfectly, Kawhi, Leonard might just go,

630
00:28:18,559 --> 00:28:21,119
you know, what are you shoot against Golden? It was

631
00:28:21,160 --> 00:28:23,200
like thirteen of seventeen. It was just like he's never

632
00:28:23,279 --> 00:28:25,799
gonna miss a shot. He never takes a bad shot,

633
00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:28,400
like and and that's your like, no, he's not really

634
00:28:28,480 --> 00:28:30,799
your second option, but he's the second guy we're thinking about,

635
00:28:30,799 --> 00:28:34,799
which is completely nuts. That's that's a fascinating, uh, fascinating

636
00:28:34,839 --> 00:28:40,240
thing to think about, just just for some conversational diversity.

637
00:28:40,799 --> 00:28:43,440
I kind of flipped it and went with like, so

638
00:28:43,559 --> 00:28:46,279
I I was fascinated by how jj Reddick had the

639
00:28:46,359 --> 00:28:49,200
Lakers guard Jokic a couple of times this year, which

640
00:28:49,240 --> 00:28:51,920
nobody'd ever really done consistently or effectively, which is like

641
00:28:51,960 --> 00:28:53,880
you're fronting him with somebody there's some.

642
00:28:53,799 --> 00:28:54,599
Speaker 1: Way behind him.

643
00:28:54,799 --> 00:28:59,599
Speaker 3: There's a name for that now, the ruless. So can

644
00:28:59,680 --> 00:29:03,759
the US effectively implement the Yokic rules? And is that

645
00:29:03,759 --> 00:29:05,759
what Yokic wants because he's been thinking about it for

646
00:29:05,799 --> 00:29:08,200
two months and he's figured it out, like he's like,

647
00:29:08,240 --> 00:29:08,880
please do it.

648
00:29:08,920 --> 00:29:11,000
Speaker 2: I know how to beat this coverage.

649
00:29:10,680 --> 00:29:13,039
Speaker 3: Uh like, And then just more generally, it's kind of

650
00:29:13,039 --> 00:29:15,440
the hardened question, but it's focused on on on the

651
00:29:15,440 --> 00:29:18,599
best player in the world. Do you do you get

652
00:29:18,640 --> 00:29:21,279
the ball out of his hands? Is that just inviting disaster?

653
00:29:21,880 --> 00:29:25,759
Do you do you say, like, hey, Aaron Gordon, Christian Brown,

654
00:29:25,920 --> 00:29:29,440
Jamal Murray, whatever, Probably not, Mike Porter Junior, shoot all

655
00:29:29,480 --> 00:29:31,480
the threes you want. We know, nuggets, you don't want

656
00:29:31,480 --> 00:29:33,160
to shoot a lot of threes. We know you don't

657
00:29:33,200 --> 00:29:35,440
shoot a lot of threes. If we just force it

658
00:29:35,440 --> 00:29:38,000
out of Yokic's hands with doubles, can we make you

659
00:29:38,039 --> 00:29:40,079
take shots you don't want to take? Or is that

660
00:29:40,240 --> 00:29:42,480
just like you go, good idea, Let's let's turn the

661
00:29:42,519 --> 00:29:45,079
best passer on the planet into someone that's passing the

662
00:29:45,079 --> 00:29:46,880
whole game, like you know what I mean? Like, do

663
00:29:46,920 --> 00:29:49,200
you or is it Jokic pulls Zubats out of the

664
00:29:49,279 --> 00:29:52,799
lane and has to make five or six threes to

665
00:29:52,920 --> 00:29:55,880
sort of like make that coverage approach payoff. That that's

666
00:29:55,920 --> 00:29:57,279
it's the same thing as hard and it's like, what

667
00:29:57,319 --> 00:29:58,279
do you do with this guy?

668
00:29:58,640 --> 00:30:01,279
Speaker 1: Well, and like, I mean, the way Yoki's been shooting

669
00:30:01,279 --> 00:30:02,880
threes though the latter is is not going to be

670
00:30:02,880 --> 00:30:06,200
the worst case in the world for Denver, right.

671
00:30:06,319 --> 00:30:08,200
Speaker 2: But you know he doesn't want to do that, you know,

672
00:30:08,480 --> 00:30:09,480
prefer not to do that.

673
00:30:09,960 --> 00:30:13,359
Speaker 1: Yeah, that'll be man. This is such a fascinating This

674
00:30:13,400 --> 00:30:15,480
is gonna be such a fascinating series, especially just given

675
00:30:15,519 --> 00:30:18,400
how well the Clippers have been playing of late. I

676
00:30:18,480 --> 00:30:21,960
have so narratively, I'm assuming we probably have something similar

677
00:30:22,160 --> 00:30:25,400
here to where it's I'm just wondering, Okay, well, what

678
00:30:25,599 --> 00:30:28,680
is the fallout for the Nuggets if they lose in

679
00:30:28,720 --> 00:30:31,960
the first round. And it's because, okay, we know that

680
00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:34,400
there's a head coach vacancy. Technically, I'm sure David Adaman

681
00:30:34,440 --> 00:30:37,519
will get a chance to keep the gig. But when

682
00:30:37,519 --> 00:30:41,200
you're looking at prospective roster changes, there's reporting that I

683
00:30:41,200 --> 00:30:44,559
think it was from the athletic that the ownership doesn't

684
00:30:44,720 --> 00:30:47,079
like we just won't move Michael Porter Junior. I don't

685
00:30:47,119 --> 00:30:49,960
think Jamal Murray's contracts you very favorably around the league,

686
00:30:49,960 --> 00:30:52,279
and if you're just getting bounced in the first round,

687
00:30:52,920 --> 00:30:55,279
it like I'm assuming it's gonna be viewed even less favorably.

688
00:30:55,680 --> 00:30:57,519
He's been good. He's been really good though, for like

689
00:30:57,559 --> 00:30:59,319
three months. And I think you also run into the

690
00:30:59,400 --> 00:31:02,119
challenge though, as like even if you want I'm not

691
00:31:02,160 --> 00:31:04,960
saying that Michael Porter Junior should be untouchable, but if

692
00:31:04,960 --> 00:31:07,839
you're trying to construct trades to make the Nuggets better,

693
00:31:08,319 --> 00:31:10,319
I don't really see a pathway to doing that while

694
00:31:10,359 --> 00:31:13,079
trading any one of your top five players right now,

695
00:31:13,119 --> 00:31:16,559
because you don't have stuff to attach to them. That's like, well,

696
00:31:16,599 --> 00:31:19,519
we're giving up Michael Porter Junior and this, and we're

697
00:31:19,559 --> 00:31:22,119
getting better in the process. And it's just very rare

698
00:31:22,119 --> 00:31:24,279
that you have those trades where it's one for two

699
00:31:24,359 --> 00:31:26,440
and maybe you balance out your rotation and it's fine.

700
00:31:26,440 --> 00:31:29,039
But this Nuggets team, we know Jokics doesn't want to

701
00:31:29,079 --> 00:31:31,799
shoot threes. Like if you trade Michael Porter Junior aside

702
00:31:31,799 --> 00:31:33,599
for Murray and Yolkic, like, who are you trusting to

703
00:31:33,599 --> 00:31:35,960
get threes up with any reasonable amount of volume, you

704
00:31:36,039 --> 00:31:39,480
better be getting one or two players back who could

705
00:31:39,519 --> 00:31:41,799
do it. And so I'm not saying that the Nuggets

706
00:31:41,839 --> 00:31:44,200
are definitely going to lose, but they are the team

707
00:31:44,240 --> 00:31:46,480
with more at stake here, and so I'm kind of watching.

708
00:31:46,960 --> 00:31:48,799
Doesn't it feel like I don't know what it will be?

709
00:31:49,279 --> 00:31:51,400
And I can almost assure you that if I had

710
00:31:51,440 --> 00:31:53,759
to predict that they will make the wrong decision at

711
00:31:53,759 --> 00:31:56,160
this point, But doesn't feel like there will be one

712
00:31:56,200 --> 00:32:00,359
sort of big domino to fall if the Nuggets lose

713
00:32:00,359 --> 00:32:01,920
in the first round, and so well, I'm just very

714
00:32:01,920 --> 00:32:04,960
curiousy how they respond in the face of those stakes

715
00:32:05,039 --> 00:32:05,480
right now.

716
00:32:05,720 --> 00:32:08,640
Speaker 3: Yeah, that's it's so interesting to think about the Clippers

717
00:32:08,680 --> 00:32:11,680
as the team with nothing to lose because like they

718
00:32:12,079 --> 00:32:14,319
like they sort of they aren't supposed to be here,

719
00:32:15,039 --> 00:32:17,720
and yet they are because that you've got Kawhi Leonard

720
00:32:17,720 --> 00:32:20,119
and James Harden, Like, is your is your timeline win

721
00:32:20,200 --> 00:32:22,000
in five years? Like no, this is this team is.

722
00:32:22,279 --> 00:32:24,000
If it's supposed to do anything, it's supposed to win.

723
00:32:24,039 --> 00:32:24,160
Speaker 1: Now.

724
00:32:24,160 --> 00:32:26,039
Speaker 2: We just didn't think they'd do any winning this year.

725
00:32:26,319 --> 00:32:29,599
Speaker 3: Yeah, so it feels interesting. It's weird that they don't

726
00:32:29,640 --> 00:32:34,839
have sticks. So my narratives I'm realizing are skewing very unsophisticated,

727
00:32:34,880 --> 00:32:37,079
which is okay because that's what the tactical is supposed

728
00:32:37,079 --> 00:32:39,680
to be. Sophisticated narrative is kind of like, what's the

729
00:32:39,680 --> 00:32:40,400
cool story?

730
00:32:41,000 --> 00:32:43,480
Speaker 1: What was sophisticated about? What will the Nuggets blow it up?

731
00:32:43,519 --> 00:32:44,720
Was basically no, because.

732
00:32:44,559 --> 00:32:46,640
Speaker 3: You're thinking the head and it's like, what's the I'm

733
00:32:46,720 --> 00:32:48,799
just like, so you'll see what I mean. So I

734
00:32:48,880 --> 00:32:51,759
kind of have a dual one, and the first is

735
00:32:51,839 --> 00:32:57,119
like the legitimacy of this Clippers season and more importantly

736
00:32:57,200 --> 00:33:00,839
like the whole Kawhi Leonard Like, hey guys, me, like

737
00:33:00,920 --> 00:33:04,240
remember I was the best two way player in the league,

738
00:33:04,279 --> 00:33:08,799
like arguably at this time last year, like when before

739
00:33:08,839 --> 00:33:11,680
he got hurt, Like he's like this, this is the guy,

740
00:33:11,759 --> 00:33:14,279
this is the sleeping giant like that just is always

741
00:33:14,319 --> 00:33:16,400
kind of around, like and we've thought he's been done

742
00:33:17,279 --> 00:33:21,440
annually for like half a decade, and then sometimes he

743
00:33:21,640 --> 00:33:24,359
does things where it's like, oh, no, he actually is

744
00:33:25,680 --> 00:33:28,599
you name it, like he I'd rather have him than Shay,

745
00:33:28,720 --> 00:33:31,519
I'd rather have him than Tatum, whatever, Like he hits

746
00:33:31,519 --> 00:33:34,160
that level sometimes might that happen?

747
00:33:34,319 --> 00:33:36,720
Speaker 2: That would be awesome, like I'm here for that.

748
00:33:37,519 --> 00:33:41,880
Speaker 3: The other one is Jokic, just in the wake of

749
00:33:42,119 --> 00:33:45,319
a tumultuous season, in the wake of almost definitely not

750
00:33:45,400 --> 00:33:50,240
winning MVP, reminding the whole world with like multiple fifty

751
00:33:50,279 --> 00:33:54,480
point games, just just just like, hey, no, it's me.

752
00:33:55,000 --> 00:33:57,920
Just in case anybody had any doubt. I'm still that guy,

753
00:33:58,400 --> 00:34:01,000
and I don't care. If the Clippers on are probably

754
00:34:01,039 --> 00:34:04,720
the better team, that doesn't matter, because I'm that transcendent,

755
00:34:04,839 --> 00:34:07,680
Like I actually am rooting more than anything. I would

756
00:34:07,680 --> 00:34:09,400
love the coll I'd love to see both. I would

757
00:34:09,400 --> 00:34:12,679
love to see Kawhi stay healthy and just be incredible.

758
00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:16,119
But what I really want maybe it's because we both

759
00:34:16,719 --> 00:34:19,880
because of the picking Jokics for MVP thing, and maybe

760
00:34:19,920 --> 00:34:23,280
it's just because I really like the feeling of, like

761
00:34:24,519 --> 00:34:27,760
whether it's in a playoff series or or a season altogether.

762
00:34:27,880 --> 00:34:30,440
I like the concept of, like, oh, no order restored,

763
00:34:30,679 --> 00:34:33,480
Like we all we all understand again, right, what the

764
00:34:33,559 --> 00:34:36,400
rules are here, and like what the real hierarchy is.

765
00:34:36,559 --> 00:34:38,760
That would be really satisfying. Not to take anything away

766
00:34:38,760 --> 00:34:41,119
from Shay, that's not just an MVP thing. I just

767
00:34:41,239 --> 00:34:44,199
like it when the very very best guy asserts that

768
00:34:44,559 --> 00:34:47,000
in the face of like a fair amount of doubt,

769
00:34:47,079 --> 00:34:48,960
Like I can't when's the last time there was this

770
00:34:49,079 --> 00:34:52,280
much like uncertainty about a Jokic led team.

771
00:34:52,480 --> 00:34:55,400
Speaker 1: You know, the title year, people were still clinging to

772
00:34:55,440 --> 00:34:57,599
the trophy. Can't build a title team?

773
00:34:57,840 --> 00:35:00,719
Speaker 2: Yeah, so I'm here for that. I would be very that.

774
00:35:00,599 --> 00:35:04,480
Speaker 1: I did have two runners up. So and they're kind

775
00:35:04,519 --> 00:35:07,280
of connected because it's like playoff James Harden is the

776
00:35:07,320 --> 00:35:09,960
inverse of playoff Jamal Murray, where it's like Jamal Murray

777
00:35:10,000 --> 00:35:13,000
is this regular season mystery, a roller coaster, and then

778
00:35:13,039 --> 00:35:15,440
he becomes a killer in the playoffs, And so we're

779
00:35:15,440 --> 00:35:17,719
sitting here wondering about the Nuggets defense. It's what is

780
00:35:17,800 --> 00:35:20,320
so much of it changes because Jamal Urray locks in

781
00:35:20,760 --> 00:35:23,000
and is healthy defensively, but like he was dealing with,

782
00:35:23,360 --> 00:35:25,679
was that the hamstring stuff that Michael Malone was worried about,

783
00:35:25,719 --> 00:35:28,000
So that gonna be something matter. But then James Harden,

784
00:35:28,360 --> 00:35:31,159
and it's more so lately too. If you look at

785
00:35:31,239 --> 00:35:33,519
you his efficiency in the playoffs tends to go down.

786
00:35:33,920 --> 00:35:37,039
But it's not like buy an egregious margin. It just

787
00:35:37,079 --> 00:35:39,599
seems like in important games or over the course of

788
00:35:39,679 --> 00:35:42,199
the series, there is I'm just throwing a number out here, like, oh,

789
00:35:42,400 --> 00:35:44,920
James Harden went six of eighteen from the floor or something.

790
00:35:45,440 --> 00:35:48,440
Does that happen again? But also what if it doesn't,

791
00:35:48,440 --> 00:35:51,119
and he's just like the driving force of why the

792
00:35:51,119 --> 00:35:54,280
Clippers beat what I think people for the most part

793
00:35:54,360 --> 00:35:56,960
this year have defaulted too the Nuggets of the second

794
00:35:56,960 --> 00:35:58,800
best team in the West. That definitely changed over the

795
00:35:58,880 --> 00:36:01,119
last month or so, Like what if he just goes

796
00:36:01,159 --> 00:36:04,239
thermon nuclear against that team and so that'll be we'll

797
00:36:04,360 --> 00:36:06,440
change your impression of James Harden at all. I don't.

798
00:36:06,719 --> 00:36:09,320
I'm just so much stuff there. But who are your

799
00:36:09,440 --> 00:36:10,360
X factors for this?

800
00:36:10,400 --> 00:36:11,360
Speaker 2: Well, you touched on it.

801
00:36:11,400 --> 00:36:16,000
Speaker 3: For me, it's Murray just because every piece of analysis

802
00:36:16,199 --> 00:36:20,400
from the Denver side changes if if Murray is the

803
00:36:20,440 --> 00:36:22,960
type of if the Nuggets can get into their two

804
00:36:23,000 --> 00:36:25,119
man game and Murray is good enough to actually take

805
00:36:25,119 --> 00:36:28,159
on like more of a like not a not a

806
00:36:28,159 --> 00:36:30,840
secondary role in it, because the Nuggets are most dangerous

807
00:36:30,880 --> 00:36:34,599
when Murray is hyper aggressive and as effective as a

808
00:36:34,639 --> 00:36:37,480
scorer in the two man game, because then it just

809
00:36:37,519 --> 00:36:40,320
it's impos it's impossible because you can't you can't ever

810
00:36:40,360 --> 00:36:43,320
get away with diverting attention from Yokic. But if Murray

811
00:36:43,440 --> 00:36:45,239
is that good and we've seen it, like you meant

812
00:36:45,280 --> 00:36:47,119
you alluded to it, like there have been playoff series

813
00:36:47,119 --> 00:36:50,760
where he's just looked like there's there's no solve for him,

814
00:36:51,159 --> 00:36:53,559
and but you measure that against like, oh, he might

815
00:36:53,599 --> 00:36:57,519
also be hurt and ineffective defensively and just like not

816
00:36:57,639 --> 00:36:59,679
a threat, and the Clippers are happy to have him

817
00:36:59,679 --> 00:37:00,800
take a bunch of shots.

818
00:37:00,960 --> 00:37:03,800
Speaker 2: So I just think it's crazy to.

819
00:37:03,719 --> 00:37:05,920
Speaker 3: Say in a series that has Kawhi Leonard and has

820
00:37:06,000 --> 00:37:08,159
James Harden, who've had their playoff ups and downs to

821
00:37:08,239 --> 00:37:11,159
extreme degrees for different reasons, I just think Murray is

822
00:37:11,599 --> 00:37:15,639
the guy that, you know, non Superstar Division, that is

823
00:37:15,639 --> 00:37:16,800
gonna swing this series.

824
00:37:18,159 --> 00:37:20,559
Speaker 1: So I went for the Nuggets. I was toggling between

825
00:37:20,639 --> 00:37:24,400
Christian Brown and Peyton Watson because Brown saw more time

826
00:37:24,440 --> 00:37:28,159
against Harden defensively this year than anybody else on the Nuggets.

827
00:37:28,239 --> 00:37:30,320
But I think I'm gonna go with Peyton Watson because

828
00:37:30,320 --> 00:37:33,360
it's either way, like he's gonna need to cover at

829
00:37:33,400 --> 00:37:36,000
some point like one of the Clippers's two elite scores,

830
00:37:36,480 --> 00:37:40,760
and I think he can do at least I think

831
00:37:40,800 --> 00:37:43,199
he can do relatively well. The numbers against Harden like

832
00:37:43,239 --> 00:37:44,920
aren't great this year for him, but it was only

833
00:37:44,960 --> 00:37:47,519
like thirty possessions or something. I think you ogged, but

834
00:37:47,599 --> 00:37:50,079
like you need him to do stuff consistently on offense

835
00:37:50,119 --> 00:37:52,159
if you want to keep him on the floor as

836
00:37:52,159 --> 00:37:54,960
a means of juicing your defense. Even if it's as okay,

837
00:37:54,960 --> 00:37:58,960
well Gordon and Brown like they're gonna handle Harden Kawhi

838
00:37:59,039 --> 00:38:01,719
in just some combination, It's like we want Peyton Watson there.

839
00:38:01,719 --> 00:38:04,039
It's either gonna be someone who's helping or just blowing

840
00:38:04,079 --> 00:38:05,719
up stuff elsewhere. Like he can do a lot of

841
00:38:05,719 --> 00:38:08,400
the low man things really well, but like if he's

842
00:38:08,440 --> 00:38:10,480
not hitting threes, yep, Like, because the Clipper and the

843
00:38:10,480 --> 00:38:12,639
Clippers defense is already good enough, you don't give need

844
00:38:12,679 --> 00:38:14,760
to give them more hiding spots. So I think I'm

845
00:38:14,800 --> 00:38:18,400
gonna go with Peyton Watson. I so can I cop

846
00:38:18,440 --> 00:38:20,840
out on the Clippers X factor though I want to.

847
00:38:20,960 --> 00:38:24,159
I want to go with a position. I'm gonna say

848
00:38:24,199 --> 00:38:27,960
backup center because I and maybe that makes it tylu

849
00:38:28,519 --> 00:38:32,079
just because we know Jokic is gonna So if if

850
00:38:32,079 --> 00:38:35,159
this was like the optimal version of the Nuggets Joki

851
00:38:35,280 --> 00:38:37,039
is still gonna play like forty or forty two minutes

852
00:38:37,079 --> 00:38:39,639
to night with this version of the Nuggets. He might

853
00:38:39,639 --> 00:38:42,000
play like forty four to forty eight. You can't do

854
00:38:42,119 --> 00:38:44,119
that with Zoo. So it's not gonna be We're gonna

855
00:38:44,119 --> 00:38:45,880
try and me or want. You would risk fout trouble

856
00:38:45,920 --> 00:38:48,320
for sure with him, but you're not gonna mirror their

857
00:38:48,360 --> 00:38:50,880
minutes perfectly. And so I do think there's gonna be

858
00:38:50,880 --> 00:38:53,719
even if Yokich plays like thirty eight forty, there's gonna

859
00:38:53,719 --> 00:38:56,599
be times where Yo Kich is on the court and

860
00:38:56,719 --> 00:38:59,159
Zoo is not. I would imagine, and what to you

861
00:38:59,199 --> 00:39:01,400
as the Clippers, I don't have the answers. It's just

862
00:39:01,400 --> 00:39:03,239
like you just downsize and go batom. But I mean

863
00:39:03,320 --> 00:39:05,320
you just is it Derek Jones and Simmons in the

864
00:39:05,320 --> 00:39:07,440
front court to get Penn Simmons in the front court together.

865
00:39:07,920 --> 00:39:10,000
I'm gonna be really interested to see what they go

866
00:39:10,079 --> 00:39:11,920
with over the course of mean, maybe they'll try a

867
00:39:11,920 --> 00:39:14,920
bunch of different things. But I was thinking about that,

868
00:39:15,079 --> 00:39:17,199
and maybe it's not gonna be a large enough portion

869
00:39:17,239 --> 00:39:19,719
of the minutes on the court. But just like if

870
00:39:19,800 --> 00:39:22,519
Jokic plays forty two minutes. I don't know how much

871
00:39:22,639 --> 00:39:25,159
more than like thirty four or thirty six Zoo gets

872
00:39:25,159 --> 00:39:26,639
so that all of a sudden, we're talking about like

873
00:39:26,679 --> 00:39:28,280
eight or ten minutes a game or something.

874
00:39:28,599 --> 00:39:31,559
Speaker 3: Yeah, then you then you just and like, look, we've

875
00:39:31,960 --> 00:39:33,920
circling all the way back like some of the Jokic

876
00:39:34,000 --> 00:39:36,320
rules stuff. You might just need to spend five minutes

877
00:39:36,360 --> 00:39:39,000
a game getting real gimmicky with you got two sort

878
00:39:39,039 --> 00:39:43,400
of combo forwards, basically playing like a two man zone

879
00:39:43,639 --> 00:39:44,440
against one.

880
00:39:44,239 --> 00:39:45,400
Speaker 2: Guy in the middle of the floor.

881
00:39:45,440 --> 00:39:46,920
Speaker 3: Like that might just have to be how it is,

882
00:39:46,960 --> 00:39:51,360
because you even Zubots is like any single defender is

883
00:39:51,440 --> 00:39:54,440
just like overmatched really, but Zubots has got the size

884
00:39:54,440 --> 00:39:56,440
at least to where like post ups will be difficult

885
00:39:56,480 --> 00:39:59,920
and you can't necessarily pass over his head like Yokich

886
00:40:00,079 --> 00:40:02,519
likes to do against smaller matchups. So yeah, I think

887
00:40:02,599 --> 00:40:05,239
I think that's a good one. The Peyton Watson Chris

888
00:40:05,320 --> 00:40:08,719
Dunn like binary is really interesting too, because it's like

889
00:40:08,800 --> 00:40:11,039
both teams want those guys out there because of what

890
00:40:11,079 --> 00:40:13,320
they do well. But it may just be that thing

891
00:40:13,320 --> 00:40:15,519
in a playoff series where what they don't do well

892
00:40:15,920 --> 00:40:19,000
means they just suddenly they're playing seven minutes a game

893
00:40:19,039 --> 00:40:19,599
all of a sudden.

894
00:40:20,280 --> 00:40:21,519
Speaker 1: So who did you have as the X fractor for

895
00:40:21,519 --> 00:40:22,039
the Clippers.

896
00:40:22,079 --> 00:40:24,159
Speaker 2: I have Murray Oh for the for the Clippers. I

897
00:40:24,159 --> 00:40:24,760
didn't pick one.

898
00:40:24,800 --> 00:40:27,440
Speaker 3: I'll say I think I have to pick Done because

899
00:40:27,480 --> 00:40:30,119
that's someone you probably want on the floor. So that

900
00:40:30,519 --> 00:40:32,920
Harden and even Kawhi, I don't have to have like

901
00:40:33,280 --> 00:40:36,239
heavy minute, tough defensive matchups. Kawhi You're probably fine with,

902
00:40:36,320 --> 00:40:38,679
but like I would like Done out there defensively. If

903
00:40:38,679 --> 00:40:41,719
I'm the Clippers, especially to keep Murray from getting loose.

904
00:40:41,679 --> 00:40:43,199
Speaker 1: I'll get Clippers prediction grant.

905
00:40:44,000 --> 00:40:48,039
Speaker 2: I'm gonna go. I'm gonna do the trenchant analysis of.

906
00:40:49,719 --> 00:40:52,599
Speaker 3: While I respect everything about the Clippers and I think

907
00:40:52,599 --> 00:40:55,480
they're super dangerous, I think Nicole Jokic is the solution

908
00:40:55,639 --> 00:40:58,440
to every problem, and the Nuggets are gonna win in seven.

909
00:40:58,760 --> 00:41:01,679
Speaker 1: I'm gone Clippers in six. They're they've been too dynamic

910
00:41:01,760 --> 00:41:03,159
over the past like two and a half months or

911
00:41:03,199 --> 00:41:06,119
whatever it's been, and I maybe I'm sort of reading

912
00:41:06,199 --> 00:41:09,079
just too much into the behind the scenes turmoil that

913
00:41:09,159 --> 00:41:11,880
Denver was bogging through all year, and perhaps ripping off

914
00:41:11,920 --> 00:41:14,559
that band aid does sort of the well, like, what

915
00:41:14,599 --> 00:41:16,440
do you call? It's not it's not the the fired

916
00:41:16,480 --> 00:41:18,239
coach bounce anymore. So they got rid of like the

917
00:41:18,239 --> 00:41:21,960
executive too. Is it just like the the per just

918
00:41:22,000 --> 00:41:23,840
whatever it is. Maybe there'll be a bounce for Denver.

919
00:41:23,920 --> 00:41:25,960
But I think the Clippers have been so good over

920
00:41:26,000 --> 00:41:28,960
the past couple months. This next series, I doubt either

921
00:41:28,960 --> 00:41:30,800
of us have anything much to say about it. But

922
00:41:30,920 --> 00:41:34,599
Nick's versus Pistons, what is that? What's the tactical wrinkle

923
00:41:34,800 --> 00:41:35,440
you're going with?

924
00:41:36,239 --> 00:41:36,760
Speaker 2: Uh?

925
00:41:36,800 --> 00:41:41,880
Speaker 3: How do the Knicks avoid getting Jalen Brunson and Kat

926
00:41:41,920 --> 00:41:45,280
involved in a pick and roll with Kid every single

927
00:41:45,320 --> 00:41:48,719
time down the floor? That's like because if that can't

928
00:41:48,760 --> 00:41:51,239
if that doesn't happen, then the Pistons can win this series.

929
00:41:51,360 --> 00:41:53,880
Like if if Detroit is allowed to pick on one

930
00:41:54,000 --> 00:41:57,360
or both of those guys frequently enough, I really do

931
00:41:57,400 --> 00:41:59,960
think the Pistons could score enough to win here.

932
00:42:01,760 --> 00:42:04,599
Speaker 1: I think that's very fair. I'm actually wondering if and

933
00:42:04,639 --> 00:42:07,960
like Cad has killed the Knicks this year points per game,

934
00:42:08,039 --> 00:42:10,880
shooting like fifty five plus percent from three. I think

935
00:42:10,920 --> 00:42:13,079
the keys for the Knicks, and I feel like they've

936
00:42:13,079 --> 00:42:15,159
been better at this when they are cross matching, but

937
00:42:15,199 --> 00:42:17,000
like you need to the way that Caid is driven

938
00:42:17,039 --> 00:42:19,920
the transition attack. He's in the top five of just

939
00:42:20,039 --> 00:42:23,239
especially after missus, Like if he's grabbing a board, he's

940
00:42:23,280 --> 00:42:25,000
going if he's not, he's put himself in the center

941
00:42:25,039 --> 00:42:26,360
of a floor to make sure that he's getting the

942
00:42:26,360 --> 00:42:29,280
outlet quickly and having the Pistons getting their offense. I

943
00:42:29,320 --> 00:42:31,360
feel like the Knicks because maybe if you're you know

944
00:42:31,440 --> 00:42:34,440
you're cross matching, you're more focused on getting back because

945
00:42:34,440 --> 00:42:36,559
you know you're not just matching up with what was

946
00:42:36,599 --> 00:42:39,079
the matchups on that side of the floor. Or is

947
00:42:39,119 --> 00:42:41,559
it just because okay, do you try and like lore

948
00:42:42,159 --> 00:42:44,800
cad Into, like I'm trying to go hunt Brunton, but

949
00:42:44,840 --> 00:42:47,519
he's not starting the possession on me, so that's not

950
00:42:47,679 --> 00:42:50,679
I But yeah, that's a really interesting one. I don't

951
00:42:51,079 --> 00:42:53,639
the Knicks have actually done pretty well against Detroit's transition

952
00:42:53,719 --> 00:42:56,480
attack this year overall, but like the numbers are the

953
00:42:56,559 --> 00:42:58,880
numbers with Kate and they're one in three against the

954
00:42:58,880 --> 00:43:02,039
Pistons this year. I ultimately kind of wonder though, like

955
00:43:02,599 --> 00:43:05,079
it goes both ways. I'm not intimidated, like just as

956
00:43:05,119 --> 00:43:08,400
an observer by the Pistons' half court attack, right, like

957
00:43:08,639 --> 00:43:12,079
because you have those pain points to press with Towns

958
00:43:12,079 --> 00:43:15,119
and bruntson, you don't need the Pistons half court offense

959
00:43:15,159 --> 00:43:17,760
to be elite to have those elite returns.

960
00:43:18,159 --> 00:43:20,960
Speaker 3: And there's and because there's no scenario for the Knicks

961
00:43:20,960 --> 00:43:22,920
where it's like I don't care how bad the pick

962
00:43:22,920 --> 00:43:25,159
and roll coverage gets or how much Towns is getting

963
00:43:25,199 --> 00:43:27,800
dragged into stuff or bruntson, Like, you're not taking either

964
00:43:27,840 --> 00:43:29,920
of those guys off the floor unless unless like you

965
00:43:30,000 --> 00:43:31,559
know what I mean, like unless Kat has a bunch

966
00:43:31,559 --> 00:43:33,800
of fouls or whatever, Like they're gonna be out there,

967
00:43:34,079 --> 00:43:37,079
and so that'll just be maybe this will put it

968
00:43:37,119 --> 00:43:39,679
on a tee for you, but like that that will

969
00:43:39,920 --> 00:43:42,199
it may at some point require Tom Thibodeau to get

970
00:43:42,239 --> 00:43:45,199
like creative or more flexible than he otherwise likes to

971
00:43:45,239 --> 00:43:48,400
be with the way he's covering k like, cause doesn't

972
00:43:48,400 --> 00:43:51,440
the easy solve seem to be just put two on kid,

973
00:43:51,519 --> 00:43:53,719
get the ball out of his hands, and dare anybody

974
00:43:53,719 --> 00:43:54,599
else to make a play?

975
00:43:54,719 --> 00:43:57,000
Speaker 1: Like isn't that that Tom Thibodeau to put two on

976
00:43:57,039 --> 00:43:57,599
the ball? Please?

977
00:43:57,760 --> 00:43:58,519
Speaker 2: Isn't that the move?

978
00:43:58,800 --> 00:43:59,039
Speaker 1: Though?

979
00:43:59,159 --> 00:44:00,159
Speaker 2: Like that has to be it?

980
00:44:00,280 --> 00:44:02,440
Speaker 1: I think they've decided the move would be because it

981
00:44:02,480 --> 00:44:05,159
is harder. You're not gonna necessarily involve both of them

982
00:44:05,239 --> 00:44:06,920
if so, Like Brunton spent a lot of time on

983
00:44:06,960 --> 00:44:09,119
Tim Hardaway Junior this year, so if you want Tim

984
00:44:09,119 --> 00:44:11,840
Hardaway Junior screening for Kaid, you probably live with that.

985
00:44:11,880 --> 00:44:14,559
I'm actually wondering if the move because I don't if

986
00:44:14,599 --> 00:44:16,639
you're asking me, I do not think that the Knicks

987
00:44:16,679 --> 00:44:18,440
are gonna get to a point where they're consistently throwing

988
00:44:18,480 --> 00:44:20,199
like two a kid in this and I think I.

989
00:44:20,400 --> 00:44:22,159
Speaker 2: Don't think so either. I think they should.

990
00:44:22,400 --> 00:44:24,800
Speaker 1: I would probably agree, but when you've looked at what

991
00:44:24,840 --> 00:44:26,559
happens when they go with two on the ball, their

992
00:44:26,679 --> 00:44:28,719
rotations can just be whack, Which.

993
00:44:28,880 --> 00:44:31,400
Speaker 2: How is that possible? They have bridges in nanobi this guy.

994
00:44:32,440 --> 00:44:34,199
Speaker 1: That's what I'm getting at is I'm wondering if do

995
00:44:34,239 --> 00:44:37,800
you think it makes more sense? Because I I think there's,

996
00:44:37,840 --> 00:44:40,960
as always there's like the extreme view of McHale bridges,

997
00:44:41,000 --> 00:44:42,920
and then there's like the two optimistic view, and then

998
00:44:42,920 --> 00:44:45,519
there's the truth, which is somewhere in between. I don't

999
00:44:45,519 --> 00:44:47,719
think he's been awful this year. The start was rough,

1000
00:44:47,760 --> 00:44:50,960
but like I am wondering is it better to put

1001
00:44:51,039 --> 00:44:53,840
just ogn and O beyond Caid, because then that's gonna

1002
00:44:53,880 --> 00:44:56,000
dis like maybe that's does that get the ball out

1003
00:44:56,000 --> 00:44:59,239
of Kaid's Cunningham's hands more or at least then it's well,

1004
00:44:59,280 --> 00:45:00,960
then ogn and O he's gonna be involved in every

1005
00:45:01,000 --> 00:45:02,920
pick and roll and he's already shouldering kind of a

1006
00:45:02,920 --> 00:45:05,159
heavy role on the offensive end now, But you just

1007
00:45:05,199 --> 00:45:07,159
deal with it. And then if you want to throw

1008
00:45:07,199 --> 00:45:09,599
two to the ball, you have Josh Hard maybe you

1009
00:45:09,679 --> 00:45:12,119
use Brunson a little bit in that, but like Bridges

1010
00:45:12,119 --> 00:45:14,079
could be better off elsewhere. So it's like, at least

1011
00:45:14,119 --> 00:45:15,840
if because I think if you have Towns and McHale

1012
00:45:15,840 --> 00:45:18,159
Bridges involved in a Caid pick and roll, you're actually

1013
00:45:18,159 --> 00:45:20,320
at a pretty mega disadvantage right now, is basically what

1014
00:45:20,320 --> 00:45:22,480
I'm getting at. And so I don't love the idea

1015
00:45:22,480 --> 00:45:25,639
of having Ojan Andobi have to defend Kid, but I'm

1016
00:45:25,679 --> 00:45:28,079
just wondering if that ends up being the antidote in

1017
00:45:28,119 --> 00:45:29,800
this series, then if you're if you're looking to not

1018
00:45:29,960 --> 00:45:33,400
just because to me, it's not just about insulating Brunton Towns.

1019
00:45:33,400 --> 00:45:35,079
I think the Knicks will move around the matchup to

1020
00:45:35,119 --> 00:45:38,360
make sure that. Okay, you're not gonna see them involved that. Yeah,

1021
00:45:38,360 --> 00:45:40,320
they'll both be involved in picking rolls at some point,

1022
00:45:40,559 --> 00:45:43,039
but it won't be as often as maybe some are expecting.

1023
00:45:43,800 --> 00:45:46,519
But like just because it's McHale Bridges instead of like,

1024
00:45:46,559 --> 00:45:48,239
how big of a win has that been for the

1025
00:45:48,320 --> 00:45:51,679
Knicks statistically in this matchup specifically? I do not know,

1026
00:45:52,159 --> 00:45:53,320
do you do you?

1027
00:45:53,480 --> 00:45:55,639
Speaker 3: I think I think Bridges has gotten the bulk of

1028
00:45:55,639 --> 00:45:58,039
the time on Cunningham. Do you think they'll start the

1029
00:45:58,079 --> 00:46:00,519
series that way with Bridges has the Cunningham assignment?

1030
00:46:01,000 --> 00:46:04,719
Speaker 1: I think so that would be not yes, yes, It's

1031
00:46:04,760 --> 00:46:07,400
like you're hoping because some one of the things that

1032
00:46:07,440 --> 00:46:09,280
Bridges is not gonna do well, Like, that's not someone

1033
00:46:09,280 --> 00:46:12,519
who's necessarily gonna help insulate Karl Anthony Towns the way

1034
00:46:12,519 --> 00:46:13,679
that Danobe can.

1035
00:46:13,880 --> 00:46:15,920
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, what's your tactical?

1036
00:46:17,280 --> 00:46:20,079
Speaker 1: Josh Hart is just the tactical I want to know.

1037
00:46:21,159 --> 00:46:23,840
I want to know what the Pistons are gonna do

1038
00:46:23,880 --> 00:46:26,400
against him, because so far they have not gone the

1039
00:46:26,480 --> 00:46:29,679
route of When you look at the data, among players

1040
00:46:29,719 --> 00:46:33,920
who qualify as primary ball handlers rim protectors, Jalen Johnson

1041
00:46:33,960 --> 00:46:35,960
is the only one who's seen more time against rim Protectors,

1042
00:46:35,960 --> 00:46:38,840
and that's like he hasn't played since late January or

1043
00:46:38,880 --> 00:46:42,119
whatever it was. The Pistons have not done that against

1044
00:46:42,119 --> 00:46:45,599
Heart predominantly, and so I'm wondering, though, why wouldn't you

1045
00:46:46,159 --> 00:46:49,280
like have Jalen Duran on like Josh Hart, have him

1046
00:46:49,360 --> 00:46:51,320
roam and then you kind of like, Okay, there might

1047
00:46:51,360 --> 00:46:53,920
be some towns medicine to take, but that's gonna free

1048
00:46:53,920 --> 00:46:56,159
you up to do so much, so many things defensively.

1049
00:46:56,559 --> 00:46:58,800
And also I also don't know why you wouldn't do

1050
00:46:58,840 --> 00:47:01,679
that when like Kate is time against Brunson, So why

1051
00:47:01,719 --> 00:47:03,400
wouldn't you want to have the option, like, like we

1052
00:47:03,400 --> 00:47:06,840
can bring Jalen Duran off of Josh Hart there. So

1053
00:47:06,960 --> 00:47:09,480
that's I'm curious to see if they do that. But

1054
00:47:09,559 --> 00:47:13,039
even if they don't, Like Josh Hart is shooting under

1055
00:47:13,079 --> 00:47:15,599
thirty percent from three over the past like fifty plus games,

1056
00:47:16,079 --> 00:47:19,280
and so how did the Knicks respond if that's happening.

1057
00:47:19,360 --> 00:47:21,960
I think Josh Hart does a lot of things really well.

1058
00:47:22,000 --> 00:47:24,719
He's a ball mover, he's a paysetter, he hits the

1059
00:47:24,719 --> 00:47:28,320
glass hard. He can be an opportunistic cutter. But like

1060
00:47:28,400 --> 00:47:31,519
if he's not, like he can damage this team on offense.

1061
00:47:31,559 --> 00:47:33,440
If he's not hitting his regardless of who you have

1062
00:47:33,480 --> 00:47:36,679
as the primary defender on him, he can really shrink

1063
00:47:36,719 --> 00:47:40,039
the floor. And so if that happens, do you stick

1064
00:47:40,079 --> 00:47:41,920
with him just because it's Josh Hart and he's played

1065
00:47:41,960 --> 00:47:44,280
a trillion minutes since he came to you, or is

1066
00:47:44,320 --> 00:47:47,360
it well, let's see what Deuce looks like with the starters,

1067
00:47:47,440 --> 00:47:51,559
or let's even see Honestly my two preferences. I love Deuce,

1068
00:47:51,639 --> 00:47:53,920
but just like Brunton and Deuce on the court together,

1069
00:47:54,039 --> 00:47:56,800
like that's you just so small? Do you just go

1070
00:47:56,880 --> 00:47:59,920
to Mitchell Robinson and Karl Anthony Towns at that point

1071
00:48:00,000 --> 00:48:02,599
and it's you know what? Like that should make that

1072
00:48:02,639 --> 00:48:05,440
a one. It might help your defense on offense even

1073
00:48:05,440 --> 00:48:08,159
though you're weaker on offense, because you'll get more offensive rebounds.

1074
00:48:08,599 --> 00:48:10,440
You should, in theory, just end more possessions with the

1075
00:48:10,480 --> 00:48:12,960
made shot gives your defense a chance to get set.

1076
00:48:13,199 --> 00:48:15,159
And then if like Josh Hart's not making his threes,

1077
00:48:15,480 --> 00:48:17,719
I don't know that he's gonna bring enough defensively or

1078
00:48:17,760 --> 00:48:20,000
you need him to bring enough defensively. This series where

1079
00:48:20,360 --> 00:48:22,920
you can talk me out of just hitting the Landry

1080
00:48:22,920 --> 00:48:24,800
Sham at button, Like, let's get someone in there who's

1081
00:48:24,800 --> 00:48:27,400
shooting forty percent from three and been taking them at

1082
00:48:27,440 --> 00:48:30,440
a fair fairly like high clip per thirty six minutes.

1083
00:48:31,360 --> 00:48:34,199
If I had to guess, the Knicks are not gonna

1084
00:48:34,199 --> 00:48:36,039
move off of Josh Hart at all. But I do

1085
00:48:36,079 --> 00:48:38,440
think that's whether it's a coaching thing, a Josh Hart thing,

1086
00:48:38,480 --> 00:48:41,559
a Pistons thing, there's all these moving parts involved. I

1087
00:48:41,599 --> 00:48:43,760
honestly think that that is kind of sort of the

1088
00:48:43,840 --> 00:48:48,039
structural lineup decision that could wind up defining this entire series.

1089
00:48:48,440 --> 00:48:50,960
Speaker 3: Josh Hart's my X factor for all of the reasons

1090
00:48:50,960 --> 00:48:52,400
you just you just laid out what.

1091
00:48:52,400 --> 00:48:56,039
Speaker 1: Would you do though in that situation of okay, but

1092
00:48:56,119 --> 00:48:59,079
Josh Hart's not hitting his Like, here's my thing is,

1093
00:48:59,159 --> 00:49:02,000
there's the Josh Heart experience is going to go sideways.

1094
00:49:02,039 --> 00:49:03,840
It might be temporary, but they are just going to

1095
00:49:03,920 --> 00:49:06,960
be games where it doesn't work out. If you're if

1096
00:49:07,000 --> 00:49:10,920
you're the Pistons one, are you exploring putting Duran automore?

1097
00:49:11,280 --> 00:49:13,679
Are you? And then yeah, if you're the Knicks and

1098
00:49:13,719 --> 00:49:16,239
he's not capitalizing on that like even getting going downhill

1099
00:49:16,320 --> 00:49:19,840
or shooting his threes, what is forget about what Tom

1100
00:49:19,840 --> 00:49:22,599
Tibodau will do what would you prefer him to do?

1101
00:49:23,400 --> 00:49:27,039
Speaker 3: I mean what I think you just what I think

1102
00:49:27,079 --> 00:49:30,920
you gotta do if you're having a player a wing

1103
00:49:31,119 --> 00:49:34,840
being guarded slash not guarded by like by Duran in

1104
00:49:34,880 --> 00:49:37,679
this case, is I think then you have to have

1105
00:49:38,039 --> 00:49:41,960
him involved in screening action because it's like, if Duran's

1106
00:49:42,000 --> 00:49:44,519
not coming out to guard Josh Hart, it can't just

1107
00:49:44,519 --> 00:49:47,119
be well, Josh Hart, we're gonna live and die on

1108
00:49:47,159 --> 00:49:49,519
whether you're one willing and too able to shoot a

1109
00:49:49,519 --> 00:49:52,199
bunch of threes. That's like the Pistons would be elated

1110
00:49:52,239 --> 00:49:54,480
if that's just how the series plays out on that

1111
00:49:54,559 --> 00:49:56,679
end of the floor. So I think you just have

1112
00:49:56,760 --> 00:49:58,960
to be like the pitch and pitch back game with

1113
00:49:59,039 --> 00:50:02,239
Brunson and Heart, and maybe that leads to a bunch

1114
00:50:02,239 --> 00:50:04,280
of brunts and open threes. Like you got to find

1115
00:50:04,320 --> 00:50:06,840
a way. You can't just take Hart off the floor,

1116
00:50:07,199 --> 00:50:09,280
and you can't just let Heart determine the outcome of

1117
00:50:09,280 --> 00:50:10,440
the series by shooting threes.

1118
00:50:10,519 --> 00:50:12,800
Speaker 2: So like there are other ways to do it.

1119
00:50:13,960 --> 00:50:16,280
Speaker 3: Not you can get away with non shooters, you know,

1120
00:50:16,440 --> 00:50:18,920
being not being guarded if you put the ball in

1121
00:50:18,960 --> 00:50:21,960
their hands more not to create, but to like play

1122
00:50:22,000 --> 00:50:24,280
the play the handoff game or play the pitch and

1123
00:50:24,320 --> 00:50:26,880
pitch back game. Set screens up high for a shooter

1124
00:50:27,000 --> 00:50:28,800
you want to take shots like you got to do

1125
00:50:28,840 --> 00:50:30,920
that because as the Knicks, it's like they don't have

1126
00:50:31,000 --> 00:50:34,000
the rotation depth to just excize somebody who plays the

1127
00:50:34,079 --> 00:50:36,519
number of minutes Heart does from the rotator, like you can't.

1128
00:50:36,639 --> 00:50:38,239
Speaker 2: There's who were sham.

1129
00:50:38,239 --> 00:50:40,679
Speaker 3: It might be a fun like five to seven minute

1130
00:50:40,679 --> 00:50:42,280
once in a while, let's try it, but you're not

1131
00:50:42,280 --> 00:50:44,840
gonna suddenly give him thirty minutes, like you just that's

1132
00:50:44,880 --> 00:50:46,679
not that's not a plausible option.

1133
00:50:46,800 --> 00:50:49,360
Speaker 2: So that's what I would do. I don't know if

1134
00:50:49,400 --> 00:50:50,000
the Knicks.

1135
00:50:49,800 --> 00:50:50,199
Speaker 1: Will do that.

1136
00:50:50,239 --> 00:50:52,719
Speaker 3: I can't remember watching if they've done that this year.

1137
00:50:52,960 --> 00:50:55,639
They probably haven't been like this is a playoff thing.

1138
00:50:55,679 --> 00:50:57,800
You don't just like pull out your best like, oh,

1139
00:50:57,920 --> 00:51:00,119
let's let's let Josh Hart beat us tonight defense of

1140
00:51:00,159 --> 00:51:01,800
tactics in January.

1141
00:51:01,880 --> 00:51:04,119
Speaker 1: You know, I actually think the Pistons are gonna end

1142
00:51:04,159 --> 00:51:06,239
up putting like they've done. They've used Hardaway or Kaide

1143
00:51:06,239 --> 00:51:08,920
against him most of the time, and I mean, like

1144
00:51:08,960 --> 00:51:11,039
if Kaid's on him, like you could argue that that's

1145
00:51:11,079 --> 00:51:12,960
even worse for the Knicks to some extent, just for

1146
00:51:13,039 --> 00:51:15,840
what he'll be able to do. Then my X factor

1147
00:51:16,079 --> 00:51:18,360
for because you're Josh Harf the Knicks, I have Tom

1148
00:51:18,440 --> 00:51:21,440
Thibodeau just because I think I outline kind of all

1149
00:51:21,480 --> 00:51:24,760
the tactical decisions there. And I honestly believe that if

1150
00:51:24,800 --> 00:51:26,920
the Knicks lose this series, it's not we know he'll

1151
00:51:26,960 --> 00:51:30,360
lose his job, but like, I do think that most

1152
00:51:30,400 --> 00:51:32,199
of the blame will fall on him, because if they

1153
00:51:32,239 --> 00:51:34,760
lose this series, I think it's because they didn't even

1154
00:51:34,760 --> 00:51:38,000
try to adapt nearly enough. I think it's he's gone,

1155
00:51:38,280 --> 00:51:42,320
he's stuck to his overarching ethos, which is my guys,

1156
00:51:43,159 --> 00:51:45,519
and it's because one time he lost a double digit

1157
00:51:45,599 --> 00:51:47,719
lead with like ninety seconds left or some bullshit whatever

1158
00:51:47,800 --> 00:51:50,239
he uses the excuse nowadays.

1159
00:51:50,079 --> 00:51:52,760
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean that that really does make it so

1160
00:51:52,840 --> 00:51:56,320
that the Pistons entire goal of this series should be

1161
00:51:56,480 --> 00:52:00,199
to like, let's let's make it so that like we're

1162
00:52:00,239 --> 00:52:03,440
forcing adjustments, like let's just see, let's see if he's.

1163
00:52:03,280 --> 00:52:05,840
Speaker 2: Willing to bend a little bit in one way or another.

1164
00:52:06,559 --> 00:52:10,199
Speaker 1: Bobby Clinton is gonna play and he's not on the

1165
00:52:10,199 --> 00:52:10,920
scouting report.

1166
00:52:10,920 --> 00:52:11,320
Speaker 2: What do we do?

1167
00:52:11,920 --> 00:52:12,079
Speaker 1: Uh?

1168
00:52:12,599 --> 00:52:13,639
Speaker 2: What's the narrative for you?

1169
00:52:14,519 --> 00:52:16,440
Speaker 1: Uh? Well, oh yeah, we skip that one, right to

1170
00:52:16,440 --> 00:52:18,400
the X factors. Well, let's let's skip and go to

1171
00:52:18,719 --> 00:52:20,559
who is your pistons X factor?

1172
00:52:21,920 --> 00:52:24,119
Speaker 3: I struggle with this a lot, Like I think Beasley

1173
00:52:24,360 --> 00:52:26,920
is the easy choice be but like I also don't

1174
00:52:26,960 --> 00:52:30,719
think the Knicks are gonna let him get loose. Just

1175
00:52:30,760 --> 00:52:33,320
his presence is still gonna matter because because you can't.

1176
00:52:33,119 --> 00:52:35,239
Speaker 2: Let him get loose and shoot a bunch of threes.

1177
00:52:35,599 --> 00:52:37,480
Speaker 3: So I think I might just go with a tie

1178
00:52:37,880 --> 00:52:40,519
between Tobias Harris and Tim Hardaway Junior, just as the

1179
00:52:40,559 --> 00:52:44,280
other guys that might benefit from some of the coverages,

1180
00:52:45,039 --> 00:52:47,119
I guess I'm saying I hope New York plays against

1181
00:52:47,199 --> 00:52:50,400
Kid because somebody is gonna get opportunities, and that maybe

1182
00:52:50,440 --> 00:52:53,920
just Harris getting to attack a closing out cat or

1183
00:52:53,960 --> 00:52:57,119
like Mitchell Robinson suddenly finds himself trying to cover Harris

1184
00:52:57,159 --> 00:52:59,880
in the corner or something like that. And both of

1185
00:53:00,039 --> 00:53:02,800
those guys Hardaway and Harris I think have enough variability

1186
00:53:03,119 --> 00:53:05,800
that they like they make good X factor picks because

1187
00:53:05,840 --> 00:53:08,400
it's like you can imagine either of them going one

1188
00:53:08,440 --> 00:53:10,400
for six or and you can imagine either of them

1189
00:53:10,440 --> 00:53:13,079
going you know, seven for eleven and that's why the

1190
00:53:13,079 --> 00:53:14,000
Pistons win a game.

1191
00:53:14,719 --> 00:53:17,239
Speaker 1: Yeah, oh that's those are good ones. I'm gonna go

1192
00:53:17,239 --> 00:53:19,800
with Usar Thompson just because I think that the Knicks

1193
00:53:19,800 --> 00:53:22,119
are gonna try and quote unquote hide some people on him,

1194
00:53:22,440 --> 00:53:24,920
but just his off ball speed, ability to crash the

1195
00:53:25,239 --> 00:53:28,320
glass and even just like if you have Brunson on

1196
00:53:28,400 --> 00:53:29,599
a SAR or even just like a small like if

1197
00:53:29,599 --> 00:53:31,719
you're trying to hide it like during Shaman minutes or

1198
00:53:31,760 --> 00:53:33,719
just maybe are you if you're the Knicks, you're trying

1199
00:53:33,760 --> 00:53:36,199
to stash Karl Anthony Towns on Asar Thompson at points,

1200
00:53:36,800 --> 00:53:39,719
like you could use Asar Thompson as like someone's gonna

1201
00:53:39,760 --> 00:53:41,519
screen for him, Like that is something that the Pistons

1202
00:53:41,519 --> 00:53:44,239
can absolutely go to. So I think if the Knicks

1203
00:53:44,239 --> 00:53:45,920
like go any of those different directions, I think a

1204
00:53:46,000 --> 00:53:47,880
SAR becomes like an X factor for a number of

1205
00:53:47,880 --> 00:53:52,880
reasons for Detroit on the offensive end. Narratively, I'm looking

1206
00:53:52,920 --> 00:53:55,320
at this and I just the stakes are so low

1207
00:53:55,719 --> 00:53:57,239
for the Pistons that I'm looking at it through a

1208
00:53:57,280 --> 00:54:00,960
Knicks lens and it's just how good or not is

1209
00:54:01,039 --> 00:54:03,639
this next team, Like that's the question you're kind of asking,

1210
00:54:03,639 --> 00:54:07,400
and who's heads, because it'll be heads. I think Tom

1211
00:54:07,400 --> 00:54:09,679
Timble will lose his job if they lose this series,

1212
00:54:09,719 --> 00:54:12,239
and maybe even they get trucked in the second round.

1213
00:54:12,360 --> 00:54:16,599
Like what other changes will the Knicks make as the

1214
00:54:16,639 --> 00:54:18,639
result of this series if they don't win him maybe

1215
00:54:18,639 --> 00:54:20,280
even if they do win, I think a lot of

1216
00:54:20,280 --> 00:54:22,039
people expect them to try and figure out a way

1217
00:54:22,039 --> 00:54:25,880
to go get a more available, higher end center than

1218
00:54:25,920 --> 00:54:28,920
Mitchell Robinson. I just want to let everybody know that's

1219
00:54:29,079 --> 00:54:31,840
actually a problem when you're playing paying Karl Anthony Towns

1220
00:54:31,840 --> 00:54:33,400
so much money. I know we saw it work with

1221
00:54:33,480 --> 00:54:36,480
him in Rudy Gobern Minnesota, but like, you're not teaming

1222
00:54:36,480 --> 00:54:38,719
with assets to go do all these things. And so

1223
00:54:38,760 --> 00:54:40,679
I know you didn't give up necessarily a boatload to

1224
00:54:40,719 --> 00:54:43,239
get Towns, but you're paying him a boatload. And if

1225
00:54:43,239 --> 00:54:45,280
you don't think that he can be your five in

1226
00:54:45,320 --> 00:54:48,920
a playoff series, maybe the change is moving Karl Anthony

1227
00:54:48,960 --> 00:54:52,679
Towns rather than trying to protect Carl Anthony Towns against

1228
00:54:52,679 --> 00:54:55,320
his weakness is when look, there are points he can

1229
00:54:55,360 --> 00:54:57,920
punish guys in the post the driving games absurd. The

1230
00:54:57,960 --> 00:55:00,400
passing is great and he does space the floor, but

1231
00:55:00,519 --> 00:55:02,920
like this is year ninety two of being like, well

1232
00:55:02,920 --> 00:55:04,280
why didn't he take more threes?

1233
00:55:04,320 --> 00:55:07,960
Speaker 3: Though, right right, I have the same thing. Basically, I

1234
00:55:08,000 --> 00:55:09,960
just have written down it. This is a referendum on

1235
00:55:10,000 --> 00:55:14,960
the Knicks all in moves, like because based on everything

1236
00:55:14,960 --> 00:55:18,400
you said of like any changes change or changes you

1237
00:55:18,480 --> 00:55:21,440
make now in the wake of potential failure is like

1238
00:55:21,679 --> 00:55:24,400
they're gonna be seismic because there is no room for

1239
00:55:24,480 --> 00:55:27,760
small ones, and so like this needs to be I

1240
00:55:27,800 --> 00:55:32,880
think like a pretty handy Knicks win followed by probably

1241
00:55:33,360 --> 00:55:36,119
like at least a highly competitive second round series where

1242
00:55:36,119 --> 00:55:39,079
I'm jumping ahead, but like this will We're gonna have

1243
00:55:39,199 --> 00:55:43,079
to have the like, you know, the reckoning with this

1244
00:55:43,239 --> 00:55:46,880
roster if this goes badly for the Knicks, because like

1245
00:55:47,480 --> 00:55:49,159
you can't there are no I don't think there are

1246
00:55:49,199 --> 00:55:52,199
small tweaks available. You're firing the coach, You're trading like

1247
00:55:52,480 --> 00:55:54,639
a guy who played thirty eight minutes again, Like that's

1248
00:55:54,960 --> 00:55:59,199
the only big moves remain basically so that yeah, and

1249
00:55:59,239 --> 00:56:01,480
the Pistons, I agree. It's like, well, okay, so if

1250
00:56:01,519 --> 00:56:03,840
the Pistons get swept as anybody that mad, Like, I

1251
00:56:03,840 --> 00:56:04,360
don't think so.

1252
00:56:04,880 --> 00:56:06,599
Speaker 2: It's so it just has to be a Nicks thing.

1253
00:56:06,679 --> 00:56:11,320
Speaker 1: Someone will be mad, someone will be mad. What's your well,

1254
00:56:11,400 --> 00:56:13,639
let's remember to do the prediction on this series.

1255
00:56:13,880 --> 00:56:16,880
Speaker 3: Yeah. I think we spent a lot of time talking

1256
00:56:16,920 --> 00:56:20,199
about the Knicks, like potential frailties here, and we have

1257
00:56:20,320 --> 00:56:23,159
given short shrift to like, this team's really hard to

1258
00:56:23,199 --> 00:56:25,719
guard when they're at their best, and they do have

1259
00:56:25,800 --> 00:56:28,719
the defensive personnel outside of Cat like they have the

1260
00:56:28,760 --> 00:56:31,440
wings to do. I think it's Knicks and six and

1261
00:56:31,480 --> 00:56:33,679
I think part of that is the Pistons, not that

1262
00:56:33,719 --> 00:56:36,119
they're gonna have like happy to be here syndrome, but

1263
00:56:36,199 --> 00:56:40,960
it's like the they just don't have the sheer depth

1264
00:56:40,960 --> 00:56:42,800
of top end talent that the Knicks have. And I

1265
00:56:42,800 --> 00:56:45,320
think we've the Knicks have the experience advantage. We've seen

1266
00:56:45,360 --> 00:56:49,400
Brunson just forty not forty for four straight. Like, there's

1267
00:56:49,480 --> 00:56:51,639
just too many different ways for the Knicks to win

1268
00:56:51,679 --> 00:56:54,960
this series. On offense, I think that, Uh, I'm not.

1269
00:56:55,639 --> 00:56:58,039
I think the Pistons are very good. I just think

1270
00:56:58,039 --> 00:57:01,760
the Knicks are. They've they've got the the tactical advantages

1271
00:57:01,840 --> 00:57:03,639
the experience advantages, all that stuff.

1272
00:57:03,920 --> 00:57:06,159
Speaker 1: The I'm with you, Nixon six and I think, like

1273
00:57:06,199 --> 00:57:08,159
a large reason it's first flawed. As the Knicks are

1274
00:57:08,199 --> 00:57:11,199
as a team, their margin for error is going to

1275
00:57:11,280 --> 00:57:13,840
be smaller against the teams that are going to come

1276
00:57:13,960 --> 00:57:16,079
rather than the Pistons, who it's their margin for error

1277
00:57:16,079 --> 00:57:19,880
in this series is what if Kaide doesn't go kaboomah,

1278
00:57:19,880 --> 00:57:22,280
then you probably lose that game. And that's just I mean,

1279
00:57:22,280 --> 00:57:25,440
like unless Schroder or Beasley or and just even like

1280
00:57:25,760 --> 00:57:28,000
guys like Ron Holland and Asar Thomps have been really

1281
00:57:28,079 --> 00:57:30,119
valuable this season, especially on the defensive end and to

1282
00:57:30,199 --> 00:57:33,199
their transition attacks. Those aren't always guys when you look

1283
00:57:33,199 --> 00:57:35,239
at their perimeter limitations that hold up too well in

1284
00:57:35,280 --> 00:57:37,639
the playoffs. I don't know, the Knicks were twelveth in defense.

1285
00:57:37,679 --> 00:57:39,920
I think their defense is kind of that's underrated. But

1286
00:57:39,920 --> 00:57:41,800
people are just like, oh, they suck, and it's like, yeah, no,

1287
00:57:41,880 --> 00:57:43,679
they just can't defend the elite teams, which is a

1288
00:57:43,679 --> 00:57:45,320
problem after the first round.

1289
00:57:45,599 --> 00:57:46,960
Speaker 2: And it's like a relative thing too.

1290
00:57:47,000 --> 00:57:48,800
Speaker 3: It's like you're not gonna say I'm worried about the

1291
00:57:48,840 --> 00:57:50,679
Knicks offense, Like no, I think they're all right there.

1292
00:57:50,679 --> 00:57:52,360
It's like if we have to pick something, if you

1293
00:57:52,400 --> 00:57:52,760
were to.

1294
00:57:52,719 --> 00:57:55,159
Speaker 1: Like be concerned though, it's that Brunton's actually when you

1295
00:57:55,320 --> 00:57:57,039
have been pretty good against the Pistons this year and

1296
00:57:57,039 --> 00:57:58,719
the Knicks are still just one in three, and so

1297
00:57:58,800 --> 00:58:04,039
I'm like, our next series, uh Lakers Timberwolves. I think

1298
00:58:04,079 --> 00:58:07,280
this is the series that I had the toughest hold of,

1299
00:58:07,360 --> 00:58:10,440
like or have the toughest time getting a hold of.

1300
00:58:11,000 --> 00:58:15,360
So my tactical thing here might be pretty like baseline.

1301
00:58:16,199 --> 00:58:18,119
What how is? How are the Timberwolves? Are they going

1302
00:58:18,159 --> 00:58:22,039
to change anything about how they defend Lugandancic relative to

1303
00:58:22,079 --> 00:58:24,920
when he was with the Mavericks where I think the

1304
00:58:25,000 --> 00:58:27,519
default has been and I assume it will still be

1305
00:58:28,159 --> 00:58:32,000
Jade McDaniels on Luke Adancic. But what are you, like,

1306
00:58:32,039 --> 00:58:34,800
are you sending two to the ball in that instance?

1307
00:58:35,239 --> 00:58:37,039
When you look at last year in the playoffs, Lucas

1308
00:58:37,039 --> 00:58:39,599
shot eighteen of thirty nine against him with four shooting

1309
00:58:39,639 --> 00:58:43,000
fouls when it was uh Jalen Jade McDaniels defending him.

1310
00:58:43,039 --> 00:58:46,079
Apologies if I said Jalen before Dallas did only average

1311
00:58:46,079 --> 00:58:48,559
one point zero eight points per possession on those plays,

1312
00:58:48,559 --> 00:58:51,519
which I think that's if you're in possession with Lugudancis

1313
00:58:51,519 --> 00:58:52,960
had the ball on any point, you'll take that as

1314
00:58:53,000 --> 00:58:56,039
a w But like the Lakers have Lebron James and

1315
00:58:56,079 --> 00:58:58,719
Austin Reeves and Dallas really only had Kyrie to do

1316
00:58:58,800 --> 00:59:01,960
that stuff last year. Year. I'm so curious to see

1317
00:59:01,960 --> 00:59:04,719
if they try to throw in any more aggressive wrinkles

1318
00:59:04,800 --> 00:59:07,840
or do they think, like, well, you move Jade McDaniels around,

1319
00:59:08,400 --> 00:59:10,360
And I think part of that tactical wrinkle is not

1320
00:59:10,400 --> 00:59:12,840
to make this is almost a little X factory, but

1321
00:59:12,960 --> 00:59:16,679
like I just did Jade McDaniels offensive experience, even when

1322
00:59:16,719 --> 00:59:18,280
the threes are going in, Like, I'm kind of at

1323
00:59:18,280 --> 00:59:20,800
the point where it's, man, I don't think it's structural

1324
00:59:20,800 --> 00:59:23,119
with the Timberwolves anymore like I kind of did last year.

1325
00:59:23,440 --> 00:59:25,239
I mean, he kind of is what he is, and

1326
00:59:25,320 --> 00:59:28,199
so if he's getting not torched, but like I guess

1327
00:59:28,199 --> 00:59:29,679
you could say, well, he's a body we could throw

1328
00:59:29,679 --> 00:59:31,480
on Luca and then he's not really giving you two

1329
00:59:31,599 --> 00:59:34,519
too much. Even again, he could shoot forty three percent

1330
00:59:34,559 --> 00:59:37,239
from three in this series and the Lakers just all right, cool,

1331
00:59:37,360 --> 00:59:39,639
like Lucas gonna stay on you anyway, And so does

1332
00:59:39,639 --> 00:59:43,719
it complicate it by maybe I'm overthinking this, but if

1333
00:59:43,760 --> 00:59:47,719
you don't put Jayden on Luca, the Lakers are gonna

1334
00:59:47,719 --> 00:59:49,519
want to put Luca on Jayde and I assume, and

1335
00:59:49,519 --> 00:59:50,920
so do you want to try and throw the wrinkle.

1336
00:59:51,079 --> 00:59:53,920
Let's force the Lakers to cross match rather than make

1337
00:59:53,960 --> 00:59:56,760
it too easy on them. Uh? That is? It was

1338
00:59:56,800 --> 00:59:59,480
that And I thought the super low hanging fruit was

1339
00:59:59,480 --> 01:00:02,239
just like, well, how do the Lakers just lack of size?

1340
01:00:02,280 --> 01:00:05,159
And they're like, if you want Jared Vanderbilt to be

1341
01:00:05,199 --> 01:00:07,960
your five or it's like basically go with no not

1342
01:00:08,000 --> 01:00:10,400
even conventional but no big man type player. How does

1343
01:00:10,440 --> 01:00:14,000
that work against a Wolves team that is pretty huge

1344
01:00:14,119 --> 01:00:18,159
still even without town like Randall, Rudy and Nas like

1345
01:00:18,199 --> 01:00:19,639
those are real like big guys.

1346
01:00:21,000 --> 01:00:25,880
Speaker 3: So my tackle is the Lakers small ball against the

1347
01:00:26,320 --> 01:00:26,679
and like.

1348
01:00:26,679 --> 01:00:29,440
Speaker 2: It's specifically Gobert. This is like we're playing the Hits.

1349
01:00:29,480 --> 01:00:31,039
Speaker 3: This is like the oldie but of goodie for any

1350
01:00:31,079 --> 01:00:36,280
Rudy Gobert playoff series, but like the Lakers specifically, so

1351
01:00:36,920 --> 01:00:40,440
the samples are all small, But I really do think

1352
01:00:41,840 --> 01:00:46,000
there's gonna be some like real like there's gonna be

1353
01:00:46,000 --> 01:00:48,960
an option for the Lakers to really mess with the

1354
01:00:49,000 --> 01:00:52,480
Wolves by going small. And that's partly just because like

1355
01:00:53,039 --> 01:00:56,239
you have in Lebron and Luca and Reeves three on

1356
01:00:56,280 --> 01:01:00,320
the ball, like passers and playmakers that like it. Just

1357
01:01:00,400 --> 01:01:02,880
when the floor is spaced and you have sixty percent

1358
01:01:02,920 --> 01:01:05,440
of the guys on your team are just like, oh

1359
01:01:05,440 --> 01:01:07,760
my god, they're a threat to just break the defense

1360
01:01:07,800 --> 01:01:08,440
by themselves.

1361
01:01:08,519 --> 01:01:10,239
Speaker 2: That's that's a lot to deal with.

1362
01:01:10,639 --> 01:01:13,599
Speaker 3: And I don't think this is if Go Bear winds

1363
01:01:13,639 --> 01:01:16,639
up dominating this series somehow, I would be very, very surprised.

1364
01:01:16,800 --> 01:01:18,360
Speaker 2: I think what's more likely.

1365
01:01:18,760 --> 01:01:23,480
Speaker 3: Is the Lakers downsize, they spread the Wolves out, and

1366
01:01:23,880 --> 01:01:27,440
they score enough to make you know, the Wolves offensive

1367
01:01:27,519 --> 01:01:30,719
like clunkiness, just that they can't, you know, break even

1368
01:01:31,440 --> 01:01:34,039
with Lebron at center. Overall, it's been like seven hundred

1369
01:01:34,039 --> 01:01:36,360
persessions this year for the Lakers. With Lebron at center,

1370
01:01:37,320 --> 01:01:40,519
they're a plus three point one. But the most used lineup,

1371
01:01:40,559 --> 01:01:42,119
which is the which is the one you want if

1372
01:01:42,159 --> 01:01:45,800
you're the Lakers, it's the Don chich Reeves, Finney Smith, Hatchimura,

1373
01:01:45,960 --> 01:01:50,239
Lebron plus nineteen point four net rating like and a

1374
01:01:50,400 --> 01:01:53,719
one thirty offensive rating and they're above average defensively, I

1375
01:01:53,840 --> 01:01:56,519
believe more in the one thirty than the above average defense.

1376
01:01:56,719 --> 01:01:57,480
Speaker 1: Believe it or not.

1377
01:01:58,400 --> 01:01:59,880
Speaker 2: That I think that's a real problem.

1378
01:02:00,199 --> 01:02:02,760
Speaker 3: And like I don't know, Like, if you're the Wolves,

1379
01:02:02,800 --> 01:02:05,800
how do you punish I guess you'd say offensive boards?

1380
01:02:05,920 --> 01:02:09,000
I guess, uh, But I like other than that, like

1381
01:02:09,039 --> 01:02:12,559
how are you punishing the Lakers for playing smaller and

1382
01:02:12,679 --> 01:02:15,440
making Gobar either defending space or take him off the

1383
01:02:15,440 --> 01:02:18,119
floor somehow? Like that that's the Lakers side. The other

1384
01:02:18,159 --> 01:02:19,960
thing we got to talk, Well, I'll get to it

1385
01:02:20,000 --> 01:02:22,360
in the X factor. I can kind of shoehorn the

1386
01:02:22,440 --> 01:02:24,800
other like semi tactical thing in there. But what do

1387
01:02:24,840 --> 01:02:26,920
you think about that? Like it does the Lakers small

1388
01:02:26,920 --> 01:02:28,000
ball thing not scare you?

1389
01:02:28,320 --> 01:02:28,599
Speaker 1: Or do you?

1390
01:02:28,639 --> 01:02:30,280
Speaker 3: Do you view it more through the prism of like

1391
01:02:30,559 --> 01:02:33,519
how are the Lakers gonna handle just a line up

1392
01:02:33,760 --> 01:02:36,599
on the other side that like everybody but Mike Conley

1393
01:02:36,840 --> 01:02:40,239
is either actually huge or plays bigger than their position.

1394
01:02:40,880 --> 01:02:42,639
Speaker 1: Yeah. I've gone back and forth at this one because

1395
01:02:42,639 --> 01:02:46,159
I normally tend to think that the small ball forces

1396
01:02:46,239 --> 01:02:48,960
more like the team that's not going small is the

1397
01:02:49,000 --> 01:02:51,119
one that's gonna have to adjust more is kind of

1398
01:02:51,119 --> 01:02:53,039
how I assume that unless it's just sort of like

1399
01:02:53,079 --> 01:02:55,400
if the Clippers go small against the Nuggets, it's, well,

1400
01:02:55,440 --> 01:02:57,960
look at what you're small. But like, yeah, okay, yeah,

1401
01:02:57,960 --> 01:03:01,960
Deva's not gonna adjust too much there. But I don't

1402
01:03:01,960 --> 01:03:05,239
know why I've I think I'm just too low on

1403
01:03:05,280 --> 01:03:07,519
the Lakers and it just doesn't make any sense, is

1404
01:03:07,599 --> 01:03:11,719
really what it is? Because they've outperformed their point differential

1405
01:03:11,719 --> 01:03:14,039
more than any other team, but like, okay, like we

1406
01:03:14,079 --> 01:03:15,800
have an entire season that them just doing that pre

1407
01:03:15,920 --> 01:03:18,639
Luca trade, post Luca trade doesn't matter, and like you're talking,

1408
01:03:18,679 --> 01:03:21,760
those small ball numbers are kind of insane, and with

1409
01:03:21,840 --> 01:03:24,360
the growth of Austin Reeves too, to just give you

1410
01:03:24,400 --> 01:03:28,239
three dynamic creators on the court at once, maybe I'm

1411
01:03:28,320 --> 01:03:32,039
just like, if you have to take Rudy Gobert off,

1412
01:03:32,079 --> 01:03:34,440
like then you just have nas Reed though, is that

1413
01:03:34,519 --> 01:03:37,239
like like that's someone who's better suited to or if

1414
01:03:37,280 --> 01:03:39,800
Rudy's not suited, like nas Reed is gonna be perfectly suited.

1415
01:03:39,800 --> 01:03:41,360
I would think to go up against some of those

1416
01:03:41,760 --> 01:03:44,440
small ball units, But I guess you know what it is.

1417
01:03:44,440 --> 01:03:46,519
I think even when the Lakers go small, I feel

1418
01:03:46,519 --> 01:03:50,400
like they'll always be a spot to put Gobert or

1419
01:03:50,760 --> 01:03:52,800
another one of the Timberwolves bigs. Now, if you get

1420
01:03:52,840 --> 01:03:54,760
a little worried because it's, well, then what are you

1421
01:03:54,800 --> 01:03:58,079
doing with Randall? But like if Jared Vanderbilt is on

1422
01:03:58,119 --> 01:04:01,519
the court, like, all right, there you go, hiding spot Frudy, Fuck,

1423
01:04:01,679 --> 01:04:03,480
I'm leaving I know he shot the ball better. If

1424
01:04:03,519 --> 01:04:06,559
Gabe Vincent is on the floor, I'm gonna like, I'll

1425
01:04:06,599 --> 01:04:08,280
leave Rudy on the floor too. And so what is

1426
01:04:08,320 --> 01:04:11,239
there like a specific small ball combination that you don't

1427
01:04:11,280 --> 01:04:14,800
think the Wolves would be able to combat by doing

1428
01:04:14,840 --> 01:04:15,519
something like that.

1429
01:04:15,599 --> 01:04:17,679
Speaker 3: Well, you make a good point because, like let's say

1430
01:04:17,719 --> 01:04:20,880
the lineup I refer to, if you leave Gobert out there,

1431
01:04:21,039 --> 01:04:23,920
I guess you probably put him on Hachimura and then

1432
01:04:23,960 --> 01:04:26,119
it's like and then you kind of don't guard him,

1433
01:04:26,320 --> 01:04:28,760
and then it's it becomes how many threes can hatcha

1434
01:04:28,800 --> 01:04:29,239
Mura make?

1435
01:04:29,360 --> 01:04:30,480
Speaker 2: Is this sort of a Josh.

1436
01:04:30,280 --> 01:04:32,480
Speaker 3: Hart thing, although I think Mura is just a more

1437
01:04:32,519 --> 01:04:35,800
dangerous shooter and has been in the playoffs before where

1438
01:04:35,800 --> 01:04:39,840
it's like there's workarounds, right, you can you can make

1439
01:04:39,920 --> 01:04:42,199
hot give you know, the the give and go stuff

1440
01:04:42,199 --> 01:04:44,159
with Hatcha Mura. You can have him set ball screens,

1441
01:04:44,159 --> 01:04:45,639
you can do all kinds of stuff. It's it's like

1442
01:04:45,679 --> 01:04:48,519
Warriors Draymond stuff where it's like nobody guards Draymon and

1443
01:04:48,599 --> 01:04:50,440
sometimes he does shoot the three, but other times he

1444
01:04:50,599 --> 01:04:53,679
just like Steph passes him the ball and Steph runs

1445
01:04:53,679 --> 01:04:56,480
towards him, and Draymond screens Stepf's guy, and Steph has

1446
01:04:56,519 --> 01:04:58,800
an open three because the guy guarding Draymond's nowhere near him.

1447
01:04:58,800 --> 01:05:01,840
And or in this hypethetical, it's like Rudy Gobert has

1448
01:05:01,880 --> 01:05:04,440
to run out to try to get back involved. And

1449
01:05:04,480 --> 01:05:06,280
now you've got Rudy Gobert up in a pick and roll,

1450
01:05:06,280 --> 01:05:07,119
and you're pretty good.

1451
01:05:06,960 --> 01:05:08,280
Speaker 2: With that if you're the Lakers.

1452
01:05:09,559 --> 01:05:13,639
Speaker 3: So I think, yeah, there are two sides to the coin.

1453
01:05:14,519 --> 01:05:18,039
I just think I just think that the Wolves, like

1454
01:05:18,400 --> 01:05:20,679
the Wolves are the team that's gonna have to adjust.

1455
01:05:20,719 --> 01:05:22,920
I think if the Lakers go small, and I think

1456
01:05:22,920 --> 01:05:25,559
that's just gonna favor the Lakers. It's not like a guarantee,

1457
01:05:25,559 --> 01:05:27,599
it's not a given, but I'm just gonna trust the

1458
01:05:27,679 --> 01:05:30,960
multiple playmakers in a space floor against a team that

1459
01:05:31,079 --> 01:05:34,039
like just I don't know, it's not just Gobert, like

1460
01:05:34,079 --> 01:05:36,760
Conley's someone that you're gonna as the Lakers, you're gonna

1461
01:05:36,760 --> 01:05:39,239
pick on too, and then that's gonna keep like butting

1462
01:05:39,280 --> 01:05:40,840
up against what my X factor is gonna be.

1463
01:05:41,199 --> 01:05:42,920
Speaker 1: Yeah, me, it looks like we might be having one

1464
01:05:42,920 --> 01:05:46,119
of the same X factors there. Okay, doesn't it kind

1465
01:05:46,159 --> 01:05:47,920
of work? I mean you said it already, there's two

1466
01:05:47,960 --> 01:05:49,639
sides of the coin. But so if the Lakers go

1467
01:05:49,760 --> 01:05:52,679
small and the Wolves have to adjust, is it the

1468
01:05:52,719 --> 01:05:54,960
worst thing in the world to give Julius Randal Laffy

1469
01:05:55,039 --> 01:05:57,239
Edwards more space like with Gobart off the court, that's

1470
01:05:57,280 --> 01:05:59,639
just nas reed. They're gonna then have more space to

1471
01:05:59,639 --> 01:06:01,760
work with. I think, look, you know, if you throw

1472
01:06:01,760 --> 01:06:03,559
two to the ball and Anthony Edwards like, that's where

1473
01:06:03,559 --> 01:06:04,840
and that's by the way. I think that's what I

1474
01:06:04,880 --> 01:06:07,239
would do if we were talking about defending Anthony, because

1475
01:06:07,239 --> 01:06:10,119
the Lakers don't have But I think who is the

1476
01:06:10,199 --> 01:06:15,320
Lakers' best Anthony Edwards defender. It's probably Van do Do. Maybe

1477
01:06:15,360 --> 01:06:16,119
it's dfs.

1478
01:06:16,239 --> 01:06:17,760
Speaker 3: Oh yeah, I was gonna say, of guys that are

1479
01:06:17,760 --> 01:06:19,880
actually gonna play like, because I don't know Vanderbilt is

1480
01:06:19,880 --> 01:06:22,119
gonna play a ton of Yeah, it's probably dfs.

1481
01:06:23,239 --> 01:06:25,599
Speaker 1: But like, if you're gonna do that, like I would

1482
01:06:25,599 --> 01:06:27,360
just throw two to the ball at amp because I

1483
01:06:27,360 --> 01:06:29,360
think that's where he's still like his decision making can

1484
01:06:29,400 --> 01:06:32,679
be a little bit off. Some of what Julius Randall

1485
01:06:32,760 --> 01:06:35,000
does best though, it's just like you get him going downhill,

1486
01:06:35,079 --> 01:06:37,199
especially if it's single covers, like he'll spray out and

1487
01:06:37,239 --> 01:06:37,840
find shooters.

1488
01:06:37,840 --> 01:06:39,239
Speaker 2: Okay, we gotta talk about this.

1489
01:06:39,440 --> 01:06:42,440
Speaker 3: There's like seventeen tactical things we have so the and

1490
01:06:42,480 --> 01:06:45,559
they all like lead into the other. So you gotta

1491
01:06:45,599 --> 01:06:47,320
throw two of the ball when ant has it right

1492
01:06:47,360 --> 01:06:49,639
because one you don't have the singular stopper, and two

1493
01:06:49,679 --> 01:06:52,000
you're gonna force a bunch of other wolves to like

1494
01:06:52,400 --> 01:06:54,320
prove you can generate consistent offense.

1495
01:06:54,480 --> 01:06:56,960
Speaker 2: Right like that, that seems like the move. If I'm

1496
01:06:57,039 --> 01:06:58,480
the Lakers, I'm.

1497
01:06:58,320 --> 01:07:01,840
Speaker 3: Ecstatic that there's a possibility Julius Randall is going to

1498
01:07:01,880 --> 01:07:03,920
have to try to beat me as a primary creative.

1499
01:07:03,960 --> 01:07:05,880
Speaker 1: You're looking at those like playoff series.

1500
01:07:05,639 --> 01:07:07,760
Speaker 3: And I love it if I want it. If I'm

1501
01:07:07,800 --> 01:07:10,719
the Lakers, I can't. You can't give that option to

1502
01:07:10,760 --> 01:07:13,800
me soon enough. The other Sorry, I'm just gonna say

1503
01:07:13,880 --> 01:07:15,920
I think Mike Conley's an X factor and like this

1504
01:07:16,039 --> 01:07:20,039
is also related, right, because he has to be because

1505
01:07:20,039 --> 01:07:22,119
he's the only other guy that you're like, Okay, we

1506
01:07:22,159 --> 01:07:24,800
got it out of Ant's hands. Conley's gonna get us

1507
01:07:24,800 --> 01:07:27,119
something like he's gonna make the right decision. He might

1508
01:07:27,159 --> 01:07:29,320
be the outlet that makes an open shot. I think

1509
01:07:29,320 --> 01:07:31,159
if you're the Lakers, you don't want to leave him.

1510
01:07:31,239 --> 01:07:32,800
You want to force him to try to execute and

1511
01:07:32,880 --> 01:07:36,119
pick and roll. But if he can't guard anybody, that's

1512
01:07:36,159 --> 01:07:39,840
the thing, like who are you putting Mike Conley on? Like,

1513
01:07:39,840 --> 01:07:41,000
like that's.

1514
01:07:40,800 --> 01:07:41,639
Speaker 2: Gonna be really tough.

1515
01:07:41,800 --> 01:07:44,360
Speaker 3: Conley has to play for the Wolve's offense to work,

1516
01:07:44,480 --> 01:07:46,000
especially if the balls forced out.

1517
01:07:45,920 --> 01:07:46,599
Speaker 2: Of Ant's hands.

1518
01:07:47,079 --> 01:07:50,320
Speaker 3: But if he's on the floor, that's like every single

1519
01:07:50,320 --> 01:07:52,079
time down, Luca and Lebron are going to try to

1520
01:07:52,079 --> 01:07:54,239
get him switched out to them and just attack him.

1521
01:07:54,360 --> 01:07:57,440
Speaker 1: Like I just it hasn't gone rout well this year

1522
01:07:57,480 --> 01:07:59,880
when they've tried him against Reeves, the Lakers are averaging

1523
01:08:00,039 --> 01:08:02,559
one point three to eight points per possession when Comedy

1524
01:08:02,679 --> 01:08:05,519
is defending this. This feels like Commedy's an X factor

1525
01:08:05,559 --> 01:08:07,639
because this isn't a Mike Commley series to where we

1526
01:08:07,679 --> 01:08:10,239
might look back and say the Wolves decided to kind

1527
01:08:10,239 --> 01:08:14,239
of sacrifice their offensive decision making or dynamism, and it's

1528
01:08:14,280 --> 01:08:18,359
we're gonna play like without but without him a trust

1529
01:08:18,680 --> 01:08:20,880
like not like Naw's in there instead.

1530
01:08:21,119 --> 01:08:23,840
Speaker 3: Yeah, which which like we've seen Naw make a bunch

1531
01:08:23,840 --> 01:08:26,640
of three is in a playoff series and like that

1532
01:08:26,640 --> 01:08:29,720
that's there are ways, like the Lakers could accomplish everything

1533
01:08:29,760 --> 01:08:31,800
they want, you know, force it out of Ant's hands.

1534
01:08:31,800 --> 01:08:34,720
Conley's not on the floor and and still like Gnaw

1535
01:08:34,840 --> 01:08:36,840
or Na's Read or whoever else is just good enough

1536
01:08:36,920 --> 01:08:40,479
or is hot enough to not Vincenzo Definitely, you haven't

1537
01:08:40,479 --> 01:08:43,279
even mentioned him yet, Like that's another guy not again.

1538
01:08:43,920 --> 01:08:47,159
Conley is so important to Minnesota though, because like he's

1539
01:08:47,279 --> 01:08:49,279
just the only guy that I trust to make the

1540
01:08:49,359 --> 01:08:51,079
right play under pressure.

1541
01:08:51,439 --> 01:08:52,640
Speaker 2: Do you existing though?

1542
01:08:53,359 --> 01:08:55,560
Speaker 1: For something you already mentioned, this series is gonna be

1543
01:08:55,600 --> 01:08:58,439
so fascinating. If you're not gonna be able to play

1544
01:08:58,520 --> 01:08:59,960
Rudy as much because you think this is a bad

1545
01:09:00,159 --> 01:09:03,159
matchup for him, that kind of diminished Mike Conley's offensive

1546
01:09:03,159 --> 01:09:06,039
importance a little bit. Yeah, just then the extra space

1547
01:09:06,079 --> 01:09:08,439
it's you want, I'm okay with if it's Nikkeil, Alexander

1548
01:09:08,479 --> 01:09:11,039
Walker or Dante DiVincenzo or even look, I'm gonna say

1549
01:09:11,039 --> 01:09:12,800
it now and I'll probably eat these words, like I'm

1550
01:09:12,800 --> 01:09:15,039
okay with Julius Randall. Like having to make those decisions.

1551
01:09:15,039 --> 01:09:17,239
Then if that's what your floor balance is gonna be

1552
01:09:17,239 --> 01:09:19,319
in the half court when Gobert is off the floor.

1553
01:09:19,159 --> 01:09:22,479
Speaker 3: Yeah, every single move in this series this should just

1554
01:09:22,520 --> 01:09:25,520
have been one hundred percent tactical discussion, because like, you

1555
01:09:25,560 --> 01:09:28,800
can't discuss one wrinkle without it leading into like three others.

1556
01:09:29,000 --> 01:09:30,960
Speaker 2: You know, Uh yeah, I don't.

1557
01:09:31,159 --> 01:09:34,159
Speaker 3: I haven't thought about like, I mean, if you're the Lakers,

1558
01:09:35,359 --> 01:09:38,479
are you happy that well? Yeah, I guess if you

1559
01:09:38,479 --> 01:09:40,520
play Gobert off the floor, you almost kind of play

1560
01:09:40,560 --> 01:09:42,880
Conley off the floor too, like that, just so you

1561
01:09:42,920 --> 01:09:45,039
get a two for one out of that. I don't know,

1562
01:09:45,159 --> 01:09:47,399
I mean, certainly the Wolves.

1563
01:09:47,880 --> 01:09:49,520
Speaker 1: Isn't there part of you if you're the Lakers that

1564
01:09:49,640 --> 01:09:52,640
maybe you don't want. I mean you probably if you

1565
01:09:52,800 --> 01:09:56,520
play Rudy Gobert off the floor, I get you count

1566
01:09:56,520 --> 01:09:58,399
that as a w but I'm also kind of like,

1567
01:09:59,039 --> 01:10:00,880
but then you have to deal with the ramifications on

1568
01:10:00,920 --> 01:10:02,479
the offensive end where the Wolves are going to be

1569
01:10:02,520 --> 01:10:03,279
more spaced out.

1570
01:10:03,680 --> 01:10:07,159
Speaker 3: Yeah, right, and then and then that maybe that gets well,

1571
01:10:07,239 --> 01:10:09,520
but then you're forcing it out of his hands. You definitely,

1572
01:10:09,520 --> 01:10:11,199
if you're playing small have to force the ball out

1573
01:10:11,199 --> 01:10:12,640
of Edward's hands, Like you know.

1574
01:10:12,680 --> 01:10:15,520
Speaker 2: The other thing we haven't talked about is like small ball.

1575
01:10:15,439 --> 01:10:17,359
Speaker 3: Might just be a necessity because I don't think Jackson

1576
01:10:17,399 --> 01:10:20,520
Hayes is just flat out good enough to like deserve

1577
01:10:20,560 --> 01:10:22,359
to play in this series. Like what is he giving

1578
01:10:22,439 --> 01:10:25,159
you that you absolutely need that you're sure he's gonna give.

1579
01:10:25,039 --> 01:10:28,880
Speaker 1: You Maybe some rebounding that's going on Rudy and like

1580
01:10:28,960 --> 01:10:33,239
Julius Randall like probably not right, but it's yeah, it's small.

1581
01:10:33,359 --> 01:10:36,479
It's just I love like Vanda on defense is still

1582
01:10:36,479 --> 01:10:38,279
a terror, but he just is so limiting on the

1583
01:10:38,319 --> 01:10:41,239
offensive end. And if you put Vanda on the court,

1584
01:10:41,399 --> 01:10:43,880
you're probably not playing Rudy Gobert off the floor in

1585
01:10:43,920 --> 01:10:48,159
that instance. No, yeah, exactly, man, this is so you're

1586
01:10:48,159 --> 01:10:50,039
at We had Mike Colleagues an X factor for the Wolves.

1587
01:10:50,039 --> 01:10:53,399
Who's your Who's your Lakers? I struggled every aspect of

1588
01:10:53,439 --> 01:10:53,960
this series.

1589
01:10:54,039 --> 01:10:58,680
Speaker 3: I struggled with I know, I think I kind of

1590
01:10:58,720 --> 01:11:01,399
talked about it a little bit. It could be ruy

1591
01:11:01,680 --> 01:11:03,800
for for the reasons I mentioned, like he might be

1592
01:11:03,880 --> 01:11:07,520
the guy you throw gobar on if you're trying to

1593
01:11:07,600 --> 01:11:08,880
keep him on the floor and hide him.

1594
01:11:08,880 --> 01:11:09,399
Speaker 2: But we haven't.

1595
01:11:09,439 --> 01:11:11,880
Speaker 3: Really I'll use this as a as an avenue to

1596
01:11:11,920 --> 01:11:16,760
talk about Finny Smith, because I do think defensively he's

1597
01:11:16,800 --> 01:11:18,439
gonna have like a massive role.

1598
01:11:18,479 --> 01:11:19,720
Speaker 2: He's just he's just gonna have.

1599
01:11:19,720 --> 01:11:21,760
Speaker 3: To and then and then on the other end, he's

1600
01:11:21,800 --> 01:11:24,079
also someone that he might be the guy that that

1601
01:11:24,199 --> 01:11:27,920
Gobert like sort of guards like his three point shooting

1602
01:11:28,479 --> 01:11:30,920
might just you you might be in a situation where

1603
01:11:30,960 --> 01:11:32,439
several times in a row down the floor of the

1604
01:11:32,479 --> 01:11:35,800
Wolves are just like goating the Lakers into all right,

1605
01:11:35,840 --> 01:11:38,079
let's see if Finney Smith is hot tonight, and if

1606
01:11:38,079 --> 01:11:41,039
he's not, then like then things change. Maybe small ball

1607
01:11:41,079 --> 01:11:43,359
isn't gonna be that effective. So I think both ends.

1608
01:11:43,600 --> 01:11:45,800
Finney Smith, I think is gonna be a pretty big factor.

1609
01:11:46,319 --> 01:11:48,039
Speaker 1: I have him as my ex factor as well. Was

1610
01:11:48,079 --> 01:11:50,439
that well, he's definitely gonna defend the ant or are

1611
01:11:50,439 --> 01:11:52,039
you're gonna put him? Are you gonna put him? At

1612
01:11:52,079 --> 01:11:54,520
points on Jade and have him try to help Onto

1613
01:11:54,560 --> 01:11:57,079
Ann or maybe Julius Randall. He'll spend time guarding Julius Randall.

1614
01:11:57,279 --> 01:11:59,960
The three point shooting, like you mentioned for very insane.

1615
01:12:01,560 --> 01:12:03,479
Vanderbilt was also an option for me, and it could

1616
01:12:03,479 --> 01:12:05,079
have been really but like Vanderbilt, I'm kind of looking

1617
01:12:05,079 --> 01:12:07,800
at where it's if the Lakers end up playing him

1618
01:12:07,800 --> 01:12:11,479
a bunch, do you think that's like it's because it worked,

1619
01:12:11,600 --> 01:12:14,479
or it's a bad omen because well, Ant is torching us,

1620
01:12:14,520 --> 01:12:17,079
and it's we decided we needed to compromise the offense

1621
01:12:17,119 --> 01:12:19,760
to get vand do looks again. And and that's why

1622
01:12:19,920 --> 01:12:21,920
he just I don't know if he's gonna play enough minutes,

1623
01:12:21,920 --> 01:12:23,199
So that's why I didn't want him include it. But

1624
01:12:23,199 --> 01:12:26,079
it's almost the kind of it's there, Mike Conley, except

1625
01:12:26,159 --> 01:12:29,199
Vando's not as important, nearly as important to what they do.

1626
01:12:29,279 --> 01:12:31,800
But if you're playing van do you could talk me

1627
01:12:31,840 --> 01:12:34,159
into saying, well, that's great for the Lakers that they

1628
01:12:34,159 --> 01:12:36,000
were able to get away with Vanda, or it's oh no,

1629
01:12:36,079 --> 01:12:37,079
like things were going so.

1630
01:12:37,119 --> 01:12:41,640
Speaker 3: Bad even they Like if if you had to go

1631
01:12:41,720 --> 01:12:44,039
into a coma for two weeks and the only fact

1632
01:12:44,159 --> 01:12:47,479
you knew after it was Jared Vanderbilt averaged twenty nine

1633
01:12:47,479 --> 01:12:48,600
minutes a game in the series.

1634
01:12:48,640 --> 01:12:50,279
Speaker 2: Like what does that mean? Like, I don't know, I

1635
01:12:50,319 --> 01:12:52,439
don't know if that's good or bad. It could go

1636
01:12:52,520 --> 01:12:53,720
either way. That's a great one.

1637
01:12:53,720 --> 01:12:59,640
Speaker 1: I like that. Narratively speaking, Will Lebron just what he's

1638
01:12:59,760 --> 01:13:01,720
like as he look like, if if he's if he's

1639
01:13:01,760 --> 01:13:05,800
able to win this first round matchup in the goat ranking, right,

1640
01:13:06,039 --> 01:13:08,800
will he finally surpassed Kobe Bryant in the best NBA

1641
01:13:08,840 --> 01:13:11,800
players of all time? I think my actual one is

1642
01:13:12,000 --> 01:13:17,720
just are the Timberwolves better than the roller coaster that

1643
01:13:17,760 --> 01:13:21,279
they've been Because there are a bunch there's a bunch

1644
01:13:21,359 --> 01:13:24,000
of different data points that say no, like this this

1645
01:13:24,079 --> 01:13:26,279
team is low key as shit show, And then there's

1646
01:13:26,319 --> 01:13:28,439
a bunch of other data points it's like no, No,

1647
01:13:28,479 --> 01:13:30,680
they're They're a contender. They have one of the best

1648
01:13:30,720 --> 01:13:33,319
net ratings in the league against top ten teams. The

1649
01:13:33,399 --> 01:13:35,479
Lakers and the Thunder ironically are the only teams with

1650
01:13:35,560 --> 01:13:39,359
higher winning percentages against Western Conference teams. And just like

1651
01:13:39,399 --> 01:13:42,920
you've seen them get up for these big games and

1652
01:13:42,960 --> 01:13:46,760
playoffs are big games, but they've also blown more fourth

1653
01:13:46,840 --> 01:13:50,000
quarter leads than anyone else. They've underperformed their point differential

1654
01:13:50,079 --> 01:13:53,279
longer than anyone else. And part of the belief in

1655
01:13:53,279 --> 01:13:56,600
Minnesota is they really turned on the Jets in March.

1656
01:13:56,800 --> 01:13:59,279
And if we know anything about NBA basketball March grant,

1657
01:13:59,319 --> 01:14:01,800
it's that you should absolutely trust everything that comes after

1658
01:14:01,880 --> 01:14:05,520
March first, so I think, and that can bleed into well,

1659
01:14:05,560 --> 01:14:09,119
what is the fallout if they lose, because they're going

1660
01:14:09,159 --> 01:14:11,920
to still be expensive, there's going to be new ownership

1661
01:14:11,920 --> 01:14:15,880
will officially if taken over. Tim Connelly has that executive's option.

1662
01:14:16,079 --> 01:14:18,239
They have the k Alexander Walker is a free agent.

1663
01:14:18,479 --> 01:14:20,680
Nas Reid to be a free agent, Julius Rannod can

1664
01:14:20,680 --> 01:14:22,960
be a free agent. This is weird to say. I

1665
01:14:23,000 --> 01:14:26,600
made the joke about Lebron's legacy, but this is perhaps

1666
01:14:26,640 --> 01:14:31,920
the lowest stakes playoff series I think possible, just for

1667
01:14:32,079 --> 01:14:34,560
him or Luca because it's Luca's on a new team.

1668
01:14:34,600 --> 01:14:36,960
It came mid season, he was injured, and then Lebron

1669
01:14:37,039 --> 01:14:39,760
it's yeah, okay, like this stuff still matters. He's good,

1670
01:14:39,800 --> 01:14:42,119
He's gonna be all NBA. But this is the first

1671
01:14:42,119 --> 01:14:45,159
time a team is no longer on Lebron's timeline.

1672
01:14:44,920 --> 01:14:48,399
Speaker 3: And then oh so much to say, uh, just in

1673
01:14:48,439 --> 01:14:52,479
response to that, like they got the Lakers got Luca

1674
01:14:52,680 --> 01:14:55,399
and somehow it's like you have a forty year old

1675
01:14:55,479 --> 01:14:57,600
Lebron on your team and it's like we got time,

1676
01:14:57,960 --> 01:15:00,640
you know, like that's just like how how are we here?

1677
01:15:00,720 --> 01:15:03,239
How did But that's just what That's how it feels, right.

1678
01:15:03,279 --> 01:15:04,560
It's like, well, they don't have to get it done

1679
01:15:04,560 --> 01:15:06,479
this year because I mean Lucas here and Lebron can

1680
01:15:06,520 --> 01:15:08,720
just you know, he's got three to five more years

1681
01:15:08,760 --> 01:15:11,119
of just I can be second Banana and we'll be contenders,

1682
01:15:11,159 --> 01:15:11,680
Like I I.

1683
01:15:12,079 --> 01:15:13,720
Speaker 1: Hope I know people that can make a lot of

1684
01:15:13,760 --> 01:15:15,600
jokes about learned. I would love to see him play

1685
01:15:15,640 --> 01:15:17,039
to forty five. I would love it.

1686
01:15:17,800 --> 01:15:22,000
Speaker 2: Why wouldn't you if you like he's admiration? Right, So

1687
01:15:22,319 --> 01:15:22,840
there's that.

1688
01:15:23,279 --> 01:15:26,039
Speaker 3: The wolves thing to your point before I get to

1689
01:15:26,079 --> 01:15:28,680
my narrative is like I don't know if you say

1690
01:15:28,720 --> 01:15:30,600
I think as Kevin Pelton does this, or maybe it's

1691
01:15:30,680 --> 01:15:33,560
Dan Feldman on the dunked On newsletter of like if

1692
01:15:33,600 --> 01:15:36,159
you adjust for net, if you just team's net rating

1693
01:15:36,199 --> 01:15:38,800
based on like their their best five guys, or like

1694
01:15:38,800 --> 01:15:41,840
who's actually gonna play like they tweak the rotation stuff

1695
01:15:42,000 --> 01:15:44,000
for guys that are gonna play in the playoff rotation.

1696
01:15:44,039 --> 01:15:45,640
And the Wolves are like the fourth best team in

1697
01:15:45,640 --> 01:15:48,359
the league. So it's just like, okay, so their top

1698
01:15:48,439 --> 01:15:51,600
end is amazing. But weirdly, I also like them because

1699
01:15:51,640 --> 01:15:53,760
I think they have like nine good players or like

1700
01:15:53,840 --> 01:15:56,720
ten good players that that all should play. So I

1701
01:15:56,720 --> 01:15:57,920
don't know what to do with that. I think that

1702
01:15:58,000 --> 01:16:00,399
just speaks to the whole like we could can quit

1703
01:16:00,439 --> 01:16:03,720
them all year. They're confounding. They can look as bad

1704
01:16:03,760 --> 01:16:06,079
as imaginable, and other times it's like, oh, I believe

1705
01:16:06,119 --> 01:16:08,479
that Anthony Edwards and a good defense is like all

1706
01:16:08,520 --> 01:16:10,520
you need to succeed in the playoffs. Like that's just

1707
01:16:10,840 --> 01:16:12,800
so I don't know that They're just like hard to

1708
01:16:12,800 --> 01:16:13,199
pin down.

1709
01:16:13,720 --> 01:16:15,239
Speaker 1: I think the best way to frame with them is

1710
01:16:15,279 --> 01:16:19,119
they are equal parts a danger to everybody else and themselves.

1711
01:16:21,479 --> 01:16:23,760
Speaker 2: There's like a there's like a medical designation for that.

1712
01:16:23,840 --> 01:16:29,279
Speaker 3: I think, Like, so, my my narrative thing is just

1713
01:16:30,439 --> 01:16:33,399
I guess I keep kind of leaning towards on the

1714
01:16:33,439 --> 01:16:36,439
narrative side. Stuff that I just personally want to see

1715
01:16:36,439 --> 01:16:39,640
because it would be fun or exciting and I'm viewing

1716
01:16:39,680 --> 01:16:44,079
this as like potentially the first step in the official

1717
01:16:46,319 --> 01:16:50,399
beginning of the Luka Doncic level up revenge Tour, where

1718
01:16:51,359 --> 01:16:55,960
like I can imagine, I still all season have kind

1719
01:16:55,960 --> 01:16:58,560
of been like, he still doesn't look quite like not

1720
01:16:58,600 --> 01:17:00,880
even like last year Luca. I don't know that he's

1721
01:17:00,920 --> 01:17:02,920
in like peak shape. I think maybe there's like the

1722
01:17:02,960 --> 01:17:05,600
calf thing is still an issue. It just hasn't hasn't

1723
01:17:05,640 --> 01:17:09,880
felt quite the same to me. But he just got

1724
01:17:09,920 --> 01:17:12,960
traded to a new team. I feel like what I

1725
01:17:13,000 --> 01:17:14,760
want is for that to be like a wake up

1726
01:17:14,800 --> 01:17:17,840
call and we see like a maximally focused version of him,

1727
01:17:18,319 --> 01:17:20,279
and then he just takes the Lakers on a deep

1728
01:17:20,359 --> 01:17:22,399
run and then we get to just enjoy the shouten

1729
01:17:22,479 --> 01:17:24,560
freud for Dallas and Nico Harrison.

1730
01:17:25,880 --> 01:17:26,560
Speaker 2: Sorry Dallas.

1731
01:17:26,640 --> 01:17:28,880
Speaker 3: I actually think Dallas might be rooting for that, because

1732
01:17:28,880 --> 01:17:31,000
I think most MAVs fans are bigger Luca.

1733
01:17:30,800 --> 01:17:32,199
Speaker 2: Fans than they are the team.

1734
01:17:33,159 --> 01:17:36,600
Speaker 3: That's what I'm hoping for, just from like a peer, like, oh,

1735
01:17:36,640 --> 01:17:39,560
this is a fun story standpoint of just Luca is

1736
01:17:40,359 --> 01:17:43,479
the best he's ever looked. He's just undeniably great and

1737
01:17:43,560 --> 01:17:46,119
dominates this series. And then a couple more that that

1738
01:17:46,199 --> 01:17:46,800
would be fun.

1739
01:17:46,960 --> 01:17:49,479
Speaker 1: I think I'm kind of hoping for and this will

1740
01:17:49,600 --> 01:17:53,439
leak into predictions. We just look back on this and

1741
01:17:53,479 --> 01:17:56,159
at least for myself, I could say, you really just

1742
01:17:56,279 --> 01:17:59,479
overthought and twisted yourself into a pretzel over a team

1743
01:17:59,520 --> 01:18:01,439
that has on James and Luka Doncic on.

1744
01:18:01,520 --> 01:18:04,000
Speaker 3: Right, Yeah, And I say that, I say all that

1745
01:18:04,079 --> 01:18:07,760
too while acknowledging like, actually don't enjoy it the Luka

1746
01:18:07,800 --> 01:18:11,279
Doncic viewing experience, Like I I kind of like generally

1747
01:18:11,319 --> 01:18:13,560
don't to the extent I still do this, like root

1748
01:18:13,600 --> 01:18:15,960
for him because I don't like the complaining. I don't

1749
01:18:16,039 --> 01:18:18,680
like the feeling that he's like not committed off the

1750
01:18:18,720 --> 01:18:20,960
court all that stuff. Like I just and I don't

1751
01:18:21,039 --> 01:18:24,399
love helio centric basketball, Like I just the thing with

1752
01:18:24,439 --> 01:18:26,239
me is I struggle with that they hear like the

1753
01:18:26,279 --> 01:18:29,399
peak James Harden stuff and when it's been like for yeah,

1754
01:18:29,439 --> 01:18:31,800
it's just I don't love watching it. But like this

1755
01:18:31,960 --> 01:18:34,479
is just a whole Luca in the playoffs has always

1756
01:18:34,479 --> 01:18:37,359
been appointment viewing. No, and just for sure and him

1757
01:18:37,359 --> 01:18:39,359
and James Harden and like even Trey Young does this

1758
01:18:39,399 --> 01:18:42,159
like they make it digestible too, because the passes that

1759
01:18:42,199 --> 01:18:45,159
they throw are just like angles, like yeah, it just

1760
01:18:45,760 --> 01:18:48,600
bend's fit, like defies the laws of physics basically.

1761
01:18:48,239 --> 01:18:50,079
Speaker 1: So preditions.

1762
01:18:51,119 --> 01:18:55,279
Speaker 3: I'm going Lakers in seven. I would be deeply disappointed

1763
01:18:55,279 --> 01:18:57,720
if this isn't a long series that has like a

1764
01:18:57,760 --> 01:19:00,680
ping ponging of like game to game line up and

1765
01:19:00,760 --> 01:19:05,159
rotation and tactical tweaks. I think it's close. Obviously I'm

1766
01:19:05,199 --> 01:19:08,960
picking it in seven, but ultimately I think the Lakers

1767
01:19:09,039 --> 01:19:12,119
are gonna have an easier time scoring on a Wolves

1768
01:19:12,159 --> 01:19:15,159
defense than the other way around. I just think there's

1769
01:19:15,359 --> 01:19:18,880
even there's more for the Lakers to do that force

1770
01:19:19,000 --> 01:19:22,239
guys on the Wolves who shouldn't be in playmaking positions

1771
01:19:22,279 --> 01:19:23,800
to have to be in those positions.

1772
01:19:24,520 --> 01:19:26,520
Speaker 1: So I agree. I hope it goes seven games, and

1773
01:19:26,520 --> 01:19:29,119
I think it'll go seven games. I'm going Wolves in seven,

1774
01:19:29,399 --> 01:19:32,079
and I'm kind of doing the inverse of what you're

1775
01:19:32,119 --> 01:19:34,439
doing where it's I just think the Lakers are gonna

1776
01:19:34,479 --> 01:19:37,279
run out of dependable players long before the Wolves doing so.

1777
01:19:37,319 --> 01:19:40,079
If things go if shit goes sideways, unless you use

1778
01:19:40,079 --> 01:19:42,239
the Rudy Gobert thing as an example, if the Lakers

1779
01:19:42,239 --> 01:19:45,680
downsize Rudy can't play those minutes, the Wolves can. They

1780
01:19:45,760 --> 01:19:47,760
have options. And then if you're the Lakers and you're

1781
01:19:47,800 --> 01:19:50,920
not defending, like you start, how many players in the

1782
01:19:50,960 --> 01:19:53,800
Lakers roode do you just capslock trust? And if it's

1783
01:19:53,800 --> 01:19:55,279
more than five, I call bullshit.

1784
01:19:55,399 --> 01:19:56,600
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's basically three.

1785
01:19:56,800 --> 01:19:59,199
Speaker 3: Like I mean, I guess Finny Smith at three and

1786
01:19:59,239 --> 01:20:01,720
a half because I he'll be a great defensive player.

1787
01:20:01,720 --> 01:20:02,600
But yeah, yeah, that's a.

1788
01:20:03,079 --> 01:20:05,199
Speaker 1: Just a like DFS or Ruie, like one of them

1789
01:20:05,199 --> 01:20:10,079
will always just be fine. Yeah. Our next series, the

1790
01:20:10,119 --> 01:20:14,079
Boston Celtics versus the Orlando Magic, this one is your show, grant,

1791
01:20:14,119 --> 01:20:17,199
So what is the tactical problem you will be So.

1792
01:20:17,319 --> 01:20:20,279
Speaker 3: There's like a I'm sure if anyone that's read or

1793
01:20:20,840 --> 01:20:24,680
paid attention to these two teams, it's just like the

1794
01:20:24,760 --> 01:20:28,640
Magic don't let you get threes up, and they don't switch,

1795
01:20:28,840 --> 01:20:31,880
and they force isolation stuff and they foul a lot.

1796
01:20:32,000 --> 01:20:35,680
And the Celtics like to shoot threes, like to get

1797
01:20:35,800 --> 01:20:37,920
you know, don't like to attack an isolation if they

1798
01:20:37,920 --> 01:20:39,680
don't have to, like to get you in rotation. All

1799
01:20:39,720 --> 01:20:42,880
this so just like the sheer contrast in styles there,

1800
01:20:43,159 --> 01:20:49,439
which I would boil down to really, will Orlando be

1801
01:20:49,720 --> 01:20:53,720
like forced to do something other than switch all the

1802
01:20:53,760 --> 01:20:57,840
time and like have Jason Tatum just going downhill against

1803
01:20:57,880 --> 01:20:58,520
single color, you.

1804
01:20:58,479 --> 01:20:58,920
Speaker 2: Know what I mean?

1805
01:20:58,960 --> 01:21:02,960
Speaker 3: Like, can Orlando either force that to be the case,

1806
01:21:03,119 --> 01:21:07,279
or can Boston figure out ways to get Orlando to

1807
01:21:07,319 --> 01:21:09,479
like send doubles and help on drives, which they don't

1808
01:21:09,520 --> 01:21:11,880
want to do. Michael Pina had this, Orlando doubles or

1809
01:21:11,920 --> 01:21:14,079
helps on drives less than any team in the league,

1810
01:21:14,199 --> 01:21:17,359
So they just really want to see if some individual

1811
01:21:17,359 --> 01:21:19,880
player can just beat them to the basket and make

1812
01:21:19,960 --> 01:21:22,920
layups or get fouled or whatever. So the tactical thing

1813
01:21:22,960 --> 01:21:26,840
for me is just which of those two teams bend first,

1814
01:21:27,039 --> 01:21:32,560
Like can Orlando get away with switching everything, accepting mismatches

1815
01:21:33,079 --> 01:21:35,680
and getting the Celtics to play in a way that

1816
01:21:35,800 --> 01:21:38,800
one limits their three point attempts because you're just going

1817
01:21:38,880 --> 01:21:41,560
to try to do stuff other than shoot threes if

1818
01:21:41,560 --> 01:21:44,119
you're in isolation situations. Other than Tatum, he might just

1819
01:21:44,119 --> 01:21:47,760
shoot them anyway, you know what I mean, Like, can

1820
01:21:47,880 --> 01:21:50,239
Orlando just make Boston do what it doesn't want to

1821
01:21:50,239 --> 01:21:52,720
do and get it out of its heavy three point

1822
01:21:52,800 --> 01:21:55,079
volume stuff because they've done it to most other teams

1823
01:21:55,079 --> 01:21:57,399
this year defensively, like it has worked. The defense is

1824
01:21:57,520 --> 01:22:00,920
very good. Boston's just you know, shot forty eight threes

1825
01:22:00,960 --> 01:22:03,199
a game. They've shot more threes than anybody ever, so

1826
01:22:03,239 --> 01:22:06,319
they've succeeded in generating those looks against all kinds of defenses.

1827
01:22:06,359 --> 01:22:07,720
Speaker 2: Can they do it against this one?

1828
01:22:08,239 --> 01:22:10,199
Speaker 1: Mine was similar when it came to just sort of

1829
01:22:10,239 --> 01:22:13,600
the math problem because if you just look at how

1830
01:22:13,640 --> 01:22:16,560
many three pointers per game each of these teams is making,

1831
01:22:17,159 --> 01:22:20,079
in theory, like the Magic are just set up to

1832
01:22:20,359 --> 01:22:23,800
be a minus twenty in that department every single game.

1833
01:22:24,000 --> 01:22:26,960
And that's they don't have the talent. I mean, few

1834
01:22:27,000 --> 01:22:29,239
teams do, but like they just absolutely don't have the

1835
01:22:29,319 --> 01:22:33,960
offensive like consistency inside the arc in transition to beat

1836
01:22:34,000 --> 01:22:36,520
out that. But this was the other note I made,

1837
01:22:36,520 --> 01:22:39,039
So there's like a little difference here is if you

1838
01:22:39,079 --> 01:22:42,079
can the Celtics just they don't always appear in as

1839
01:22:42,159 --> 01:22:44,039
much as a rush as they should be. And when

1840
01:22:44,079 --> 01:22:46,680
things bog down on the offensive end, doesn't it almost

1841
01:22:46,880 --> 01:22:50,279
a lot of the times feel not not on purpose,

1842
01:22:50,319 --> 01:22:52,840
but just like it's self sabotaged. Like, no, the other

1843
01:22:52,840 --> 01:22:55,039
team's not slowing you down like you guys are college

1844
01:22:55,239 --> 01:22:58,479
kind of lollygagging at these possessions. And if you do

1845
01:22:58,479 --> 01:23:01,880
do that against the Orlando Magic, you give them a

1846
01:23:01,960 --> 01:23:04,199
chance for their defense to get set. You give them

1847
01:23:04,239 --> 01:23:06,720
a chance to coax you into shots that maybe you

1848
01:23:06,720 --> 01:23:08,119
don't want to take, or at least out of the

1849
01:23:08,119 --> 01:23:10,920
shots that you would traditionally want to take. And so

1850
01:23:11,680 --> 01:23:13,359
and you also put them in a position where if

1851
01:23:13,399 --> 01:23:15,760
their defense is gonna get set, like they might create

1852
01:23:15,800 --> 01:23:18,960
turnovers and you're gonna give them three points there. Even

1853
01:23:19,000 --> 01:23:22,119
without Jaalen Suggs, this defense is just absolutely hillacious. And

1854
01:23:22,199 --> 01:23:25,159
so that would just be something to watch because if

1855
01:23:25,159 --> 01:23:29,319
you're Boston, the goal should be especially with Jalen Brown

1856
01:23:29,520 --> 01:23:31,640
having that knee injection and he missed like what nine

1857
01:23:31,640 --> 01:23:34,279
of their final twenty five or twenty six games, you

1858
01:23:34,279 --> 01:23:36,640
should absolutely absolutely want to make this as quick of

1859
01:23:36,640 --> 01:23:39,720
a series as possible. And I'm just kind of wondering,

1860
01:23:40,079 --> 01:23:42,279
are you gonna fall into the where there's just gonna

1861
01:23:42,319 --> 01:23:43,840
be like a couple of trap games here. It's all

1862
01:23:43,920 --> 01:23:47,399
like Boston didn't play with enough urgency on the offensive end,

1863
01:23:47,520 --> 01:23:49,359
and so like we just know with what Orlando could

1864
01:23:49,359 --> 01:23:51,560
do one if they have a chance to bring you

1865
01:23:51,600 --> 01:23:53,560
sort of down to their level and turn this into

1866
01:23:53,560 --> 01:23:56,000
a rock fight. Is Boston set up to beat that?

1867
01:23:56,479 --> 01:24:01,279
I still think stylistically like Boston will prevent there, but

1868
01:24:01,720 --> 01:24:05,239
there's enough, like there's enough unease to where I don't

1869
01:24:05,279 --> 01:24:07,800
think Boston's just margin for doing whatever they do on

1870
01:24:07,840 --> 01:24:10,520
offense and going through the motions. They might still win

1871
01:24:10,600 --> 01:24:12,920
the series then, but they will absolutely feel it.

1872
01:24:13,680 --> 01:24:15,439
Speaker 2: Yeah, right, I think.

1873
01:24:17,159 --> 01:24:20,079
Speaker 3: We focus on that end of the floor and then like,

1874
01:24:20,479 --> 01:24:22,720
I think you're right that they'll feel it if they don't,

1875
01:24:23,079 --> 01:24:24,880
just like they need to treat this like we got

1876
01:24:24,880 --> 01:24:26,920
to get in and get out, like because we got

1877
01:24:26,920 --> 01:24:27,840
bigger fish to fry.

1878
01:24:28,239 --> 01:24:30,279
Speaker 2: But like, how do you this?

1879
01:24:30,399 --> 01:24:32,399
Speaker 3: I this is unfair because I didn't really look at

1880
01:24:32,399 --> 01:24:34,359
this much either, and it may just be a short answer,

1881
01:24:34,920 --> 01:24:38,800
like even if Orlando makes it hard on Boston, it

1882
01:24:38,960 --> 01:24:41,119
makes it hard for Boston to score, Like how's Orlando

1883
01:24:41,199 --> 01:24:43,840
scoring in this series? Like how are they gonna because

1884
01:24:43,840 --> 01:24:45,640
you're talking you mentioned like there's kind of like a

1885
01:24:45,680 --> 01:24:48,000
minus twenty like starting point.

1886
01:24:47,920 --> 01:24:49,199
Speaker 2: Like how are they making that up?

1887
01:24:49,520 --> 01:24:52,760
Speaker 1: Well that I think that kind of steps on the

1888
01:24:52,800 --> 01:24:54,760
toes of my narrative question. By the way, so you're

1889
01:24:55,039 --> 01:24:56,840
you're saying getting get out of this series, and I

1890
01:24:56,880 --> 01:24:58,239
was thinking as you said. I was like, yeah, like

1891
01:24:58,279 --> 01:25:01,760
a Kevin Durant tenure with a team outs get out.

1892
01:25:02,119 --> 01:25:05,800
But my narrative for this I'm just gonna go into

1893
01:25:05,840 --> 01:25:08,760
because it's it's kind of tactical. But can is this

1894
01:25:09,000 --> 01:25:12,239
Like they might lose, but could this be the series

1895
01:25:12,279 --> 01:25:15,520
where it finally becomes consensus that Palo Bang Carro's just

1896
01:25:15,640 --> 01:25:17,880
that dude. Look at what he did in the playoffs

1897
01:25:17,920 --> 01:25:19,880
last year. Look at his moments in the play in

1898
01:25:20,000 --> 01:25:22,199
we all know how important playing games are. If he

1899
01:25:22,479 --> 01:25:24,439
kind of does it against Boston's like Boston has a

1900
01:25:24,479 --> 01:25:26,319
lot of defensive options they could throw at him. But

1901
01:25:26,880 --> 01:25:28,680
for all Franz Wagner has done and a lot of

1902
01:25:28,680 --> 01:25:31,560
what the on off splits show. And I mean even Orlando,

1903
01:25:31,560 --> 01:25:34,399
I think they've become too reliant or not too reliant,

1904
01:25:34,399 --> 01:25:36,279
but yeah, too reliant. They let themselves get into the

1905
01:25:36,279 --> 01:25:37,960
half court too much. From Palo Bank, Carrol's on the

1906
01:25:37,960 --> 01:25:39,840
floor and it's a run, damn it. Like he can

1907
01:25:39,920 --> 01:25:42,840
do that too, Like he just might. Like we've seen

1908
01:25:42,880 --> 01:25:44,520
him in a lot of big game not a lot,

1909
01:25:44,600 --> 01:25:47,479
but like a handful of big games now just go off. Yeah,

1910
01:25:47,479 --> 01:25:50,039
and if you do that against Boston, even if your

1911
01:25:50,039 --> 01:25:52,680
team loses, it's kind of good for the sense in

1912
01:25:52,760 --> 01:25:55,199
Orlando where it's okay, not that you need to end

1913
01:25:55,199 --> 01:25:57,439
the debate, is it Franz or Pallow But it does

1914
01:25:57,479 --> 01:26:01,159
seem like, doesn't it seem like there's more skepticism over

1915
01:26:01,199 --> 01:26:04,319
the ceiling of Palo Bangkaro than there is of Franz Wagner.

1916
01:26:04,439 --> 01:26:07,520
I don't know when you look at where Franz Wagner

1917
01:26:07,560 --> 01:26:11,000
has kind of regressed as a perimeter shooter, I don't

1918
01:26:11,079 --> 01:26:12,720
understand that element of it.

1919
01:26:12,840 --> 01:26:14,199
Speaker 2: Yeah, I also don't share.

1920
01:26:14,239 --> 01:26:16,159
Speaker 3: I don't think you do either that Like I think

1921
01:26:16,159 --> 01:26:19,520
we're both higher on Palo than Franz, even though Franz there's.

1922
01:26:19,319 --> 01:26:22,119
Speaker 1: Not even a debate, yes, Like it's just not even

1923
01:26:22,159 --> 01:26:23,119
a debate.

1924
01:26:22,800 --> 01:26:26,119
Speaker 3: For me, So I kind of I really tried to think,

1925
01:26:26,199 --> 01:26:28,960
like from Boston's perspective, this isn't this is my like

1926
01:26:29,239 --> 01:26:33,039
rejected narrative. It is just like, might there be something

1927
01:26:33,159 --> 01:26:37,000
Orlando does that provides a blueprint, you know, for for

1928
01:26:37,119 --> 01:26:40,079
better teams to try to execute against the Celtics. After

1929
01:26:40,119 --> 01:26:42,880
the Celtics beat Orlando, like because you know, not like.

1930
01:26:43,399 --> 01:26:45,600
Speaker 1: What you're saying the team after the Knicks, right yeah.

1931
01:26:45,479 --> 01:26:47,920
Speaker 2: Right after the Knicks, Like is there something? But I

1932
01:26:48,000 --> 01:26:50,560
rejected that one. Mine is like kind of tied to.

1933
01:26:50,520 --> 01:26:52,800
Speaker 3: Yours because I do think there's a good chance that

1934
01:26:52,840 --> 01:26:55,239
Paolo does just go off and we leave the series

1935
01:26:55,279 --> 01:26:58,560
thinking like, man, that guy's it like he okay, Like

1936
01:26:58,640 --> 01:27:00,840
what what this great defense plus Pollo?

1937
01:27:00,920 --> 01:27:01,840
Speaker 2: Why is this so hard?

1938
01:27:01,840 --> 01:27:03,239
Speaker 3: And That's what I'm going to get into is like

1939
01:27:04,479 --> 01:27:08,640
if this, if the result is Bancaro is like looks

1940
01:27:08,720 --> 01:27:12,439
like a guy that is an alpha a one postseason score,

1941
01:27:12,479 --> 01:27:15,359
which I kind of think he is, and you get

1942
01:27:15,600 --> 01:27:19,840
just boat raced anyway, can we please finally have the

1943
01:27:19,920 --> 01:27:23,920
Magic just just embrace the fact that we need more

1944
01:27:24,359 --> 01:27:28,600
offensive finishers and creators, Like will this finally be the

1945
01:27:28,680 --> 01:27:32,239
thing that makes the Magic build a roster around Bancaro

1946
01:27:32,760 --> 01:27:35,159
that like isn't so one sided?

1947
01:27:35,319 --> 01:27:36,159
Speaker 2: Like can we get.

1948
01:27:36,680 --> 01:27:38,840
Speaker 3: It's a version of the same thing we've been talking

1949
01:27:38,840 --> 01:27:41,680
about for like three years now, basically, like.

1950
01:27:41,800 --> 01:27:44,359
Speaker 2: Just what else do you need to see?

1951
01:27:44,399 --> 01:27:48,000
Speaker 3: Like great defense, awesome first option, like pretty good second

1952
01:27:48,079 --> 01:27:50,640
really in Franz if he could shoot it, and then

1953
01:27:50,720 --> 01:27:53,079
like you still get smoked. Okay, so now let's have

1954
01:27:53,119 --> 01:27:55,159
the conversation like what do we gotta do. Let's like

1955
01:27:55,239 --> 01:27:58,199
really commit to finding the types of supporting players that

1956
01:27:58,239 --> 01:28:02,199
can maximize like some real, like legitimate, hard to create

1957
01:28:02,640 --> 01:28:05,079
strengths that Orlando already has. That that's what I would

1958
01:28:05,119 --> 01:28:07,239
be because Orlando's gonna lose this series. It's a question

1959
01:28:07,279 --> 01:28:08,319
of how quickly it goes.

1960
01:28:08,640 --> 01:28:10,079
Speaker 2: So it just it just that.

1961
01:28:10,039 --> 01:28:12,159
Speaker 3: Conversation should have been happening a long time ago. But like,

1962
01:28:12,239 --> 01:28:13,479
will this just force it?

1963
01:28:13,960 --> 01:28:16,039
Speaker 1: I do think we should. That's a great one, by

1964
01:28:16,039 --> 01:28:18,560
the way, and it better it probably they'll probably they like,

1965
01:28:18,600 --> 01:28:20,560
oh we didn't have Mo Wagner or Jalen Subbs or

1966
01:28:20,560 --> 01:28:21,279
the offense might be.

1967
01:28:21,319 --> 01:28:23,600
Speaker 3: Okay, I'm trying to speak it into existence because I

1968
01:28:23,680 --> 01:28:24,359
want it to happen.

1969
01:28:24,720 --> 01:28:26,439
Speaker 1: The I think the other thing that I and I

1970
01:28:26,439 --> 01:28:29,199
did mention at the top is Jalen Brown. Okay, is

1971
01:28:29,239 --> 01:28:31,840
this a series where it's do you just if you're Boston?

1972
01:28:31,840 --> 01:28:33,319
Aren't you a little bit tempted to just be like

1973
01:28:33,319 --> 01:28:36,239
do we even need to play him? Like give my My.

1974
01:28:36,239 --> 01:28:38,399
Speaker 3: Bold prediction for this series is he will play fewer

1975
01:28:38,439 --> 01:28:40,800
than one hundred minutes and it'll be because Boston's like,

1976
01:28:40,840 --> 01:28:41,479
we don't need them.

1977
01:28:41,479 --> 01:28:42,640
Speaker 2: We like we're looking ahead.

1978
01:28:42,880 --> 01:28:44,319
Speaker 1: You look at it and it's like even over the

1979
01:28:44,359 --> 01:28:46,640
past quarter of the season, like his field goal percentage

1980
01:28:46,680 --> 01:28:49,439
on drives is up, the volume is like around the

1981
01:28:49,479 --> 01:28:51,560
same of where it's been all year. The three point

1982
01:28:51,560 --> 01:28:54,079
shooting for him has been a problem. Does that speak

1983
01:28:54,119 --> 01:28:56,680
to like, okay, he's been dealing with leg issues for months,

1984
01:28:56,840 --> 01:28:59,000
knee issues for a month. That could speak to something

1985
01:28:59,039 --> 01:29:01,199
about lyft. But then oh, he's like finishing on drive.

1986
01:29:01,239 --> 01:29:03,039
Is that more about the spacing? And he hasn't looked

1987
01:29:03,199 --> 01:29:05,880
I guess he's like defenses have tried to or do

1988
01:29:05,960 --> 01:29:08,399
like some weird things with him, But I don't against

1989
01:29:08,439 --> 01:29:10,279
the magic, Like is this even the series that you

1990
01:29:10,319 --> 01:29:12,319
want to try and push his limits there? And you

1991
01:29:12,399 --> 01:29:14,560
want him to be okay because he is your second

1992
01:29:14,560 --> 01:29:17,640
most important player. So that's just something to kind of monitor.

1993
01:29:17,960 --> 01:29:20,039
And I don't know if this belongs here. I think

1994
01:29:20,039 --> 01:29:23,119
you and I are pretty much in agreement, and maybe

1995
01:29:23,119 --> 01:29:25,760
the stuff with ownership changes this, and just the sheer

1996
01:29:26,319 --> 01:29:29,680
expense of the second apron plus the functional limitations of

1997
01:29:29,720 --> 01:29:32,920
it on the transaction market. It feels a year too

1998
01:29:32,920 --> 01:29:35,520
early to be like does this dictate? And or at

1999
01:29:35,600 --> 01:29:38,439
least it feels a series too early to even ask

2000
01:29:38,479 --> 01:29:41,159
this question of will this dictate? Because I guess if

2001
01:29:41,159 --> 01:29:44,319
they lose, yeah, what's gonna happen over the off season.

2002
01:29:44,359 --> 01:29:47,039
But I think it deserves an audible mention just because

2003
01:29:47,399 --> 01:29:50,279
second Apron life is is tricky.

2004
01:29:50,600 --> 01:29:53,439
Speaker 3: It well then there, yeah, this is this feels like

2005
01:29:53,479 --> 01:29:56,000
a further down the road conversation, but the result could

2006
01:29:56,079 --> 01:29:59,039
change that, like they are in the Celtics are like

2007
01:29:59,079 --> 01:30:01,680
really kind of trailable right now, or they're about to

2008
01:30:01,720 --> 01:30:04,479
be because like the other teams that have gotten prohibitively,

2009
01:30:04,600 --> 01:30:06,680
like Phoenix is just like well that was just dumb

2010
01:30:06,880 --> 01:30:08,600
and like of course they should not have been there

2011
01:30:08,640 --> 01:30:11,640
and should tear it down. But like Boston is Boston's

2012
01:30:11,680 --> 01:30:14,600
the real test, right of like this team if they

2013
01:30:14,600 --> 01:30:16,319
win a title, it's like, yeah, of course they did,

2014
01:30:16,399 --> 01:30:18,960
Like no one's surprised if Boston wins it again, and

2015
01:30:19,000 --> 01:30:22,800
it's like okay, so a team that good is are

2016
01:30:22,880 --> 01:30:25,319
you still gonna break that team down because you're worried

2017
01:30:25,319 --> 01:30:27,000
about the back half of this decade, you know what

2018
01:30:27,039 --> 01:30:30,680
I mean? Like there that will be eventually that will

2019
01:30:30,720 --> 01:30:32,720
be like one of the two or three biggest talking

2020
01:30:32,720 --> 01:30:36,359
points of whatever season or offseason, like things start to rumble.

2021
01:30:37,239 --> 01:30:39,920
Speaker 2: Maybe not yet. Who's your X factor though?

2022
01:30:40,000 --> 01:30:43,439
Speaker 1: Is did you say Jalen Brown for Boston? I kind

2023
01:30:43,479 --> 01:30:45,600
of just have Peyton Pritchard because I didn't know. I'm

2024
01:30:45,640 --> 01:30:48,039
just I thought Drew Holliday, will his three pointers go in?

2025
01:30:48,079 --> 01:30:50,920
I think is a big one, especially if Boston isn't

2026
01:30:50,920 --> 01:30:52,640
able to take as many of them. And by the way,

2027
01:30:52,800 --> 01:30:54,960
the number I didn't have out here, the Celtics were

2028
01:30:55,119 --> 01:30:58,319
eighteenth in points score pro posession against the Magic this year,

2029
01:30:58,560 --> 01:31:00,720
and if Jalen Brown's not right, that's something to keep

2030
01:31:00,720 --> 01:31:03,319
an eye on. So I think true Holliday, but also

2031
01:31:03,399 --> 01:31:06,560
just Peyton Pritchard has had a fantastic year. But in

2032
01:31:06,600 --> 01:31:09,119
my head, I'm just like, if Cole Anthony is not

2033
01:31:09,159 --> 01:31:10,640
on the floor, this is just and even if he is,

2034
01:31:10,680 --> 01:31:13,680
like this much might not be the Peyton Pritchard series. However,

2035
01:31:13,720 --> 01:31:17,279
if you can't play Jalen Brown as many minutes like

2036
01:31:17,319 --> 01:31:18,840
do you want like it? Will were talking about like

2037
01:31:18,840 --> 01:31:21,399
Moore sam Hauser here in that scenario, I don't like.

2038
01:31:21,560 --> 01:31:23,960
So I think both of those guys would be who

2039
01:31:24,000 --> 01:31:26,479
I settle on. And for the Magic I already mentioned him,

2040
01:31:26,479 --> 01:31:28,880
it's Cole Anthony, who had a very nice playing game

2041
01:31:28,920 --> 01:31:31,840
for them, but just he is the only other player

2042
01:31:31,880 --> 01:31:34,359
on this team aside from Palo Franz doesn't even sit

2043
01:31:34,720 --> 01:31:38,439
here that ranks is an above average half court shot

2044
01:31:38,520 --> 01:31:42,800
maker and creator this season like fifty percent tile or better.

2045
01:31:43,199 --> 01:31:45,279
There's two players on this Magic team that are in

2046
01:31:45,279 --> 01:31:47,760
the rotation right now that rank inside both of those

2047
01:31:47,800 --> 01:31:50,720
that would be Cole Anthony and Paalo Bancaro. And so

2048
01:31:50,800 --> 01:31:55,319
you're going to need Cole Anthony to just cook. Like

2049
01:31:54,880 --> 01:31:58,640
that's like a that's probably problematic, but h my X

2050
01:31:58,680 --> 01:32:00,039
factor for Orlando.

2051
01:32:00,439 --> 01:32:02,640
Speaker 3: Exactly the same I had coll Anthony for Orlando all

2052
01:32:02,640 --> 01:32:05,119
the reasons you said. It's just like some can someone

2053
01:32:05,119 --> 01:32:07,880
else please contribute? Like it's got to be him, I think,

2054
01:32:08,199 --> 01:32:10,560
And it's like he what are the odds that it

2055
01:32:10,640 --> 01:32:13,119
is that he does? It's it's a coin flip at best, and.

2056
01:32:13,159 --> 01:32:15,880
Speaker 1: It's not him. Doesn't if it needs to be Anthony

2057
01:32:15,920 --> 01:32:18,199
Black who looks a little bit more at home on offense,

2058
01:32:18,239 --> 01:32:19,279
but my god, if.

2059
01:32:19,159 --> 01:32:21,159
Speaker 2: That, yeah, you're so.

2060
01:32:21,319 --> 01:32:24,039
Speaker 3: And then for the Celtics, this is still like I

2061
01:32:24,119 --> 01:32:26,359
once I got the whole like tactical interplay of like

2062
01:32:26,800 --> 01:32:29,600
how Orlando wants to switch and just try to get

2063
01:32:29,720 --> 01:32:31,720
you to play one on one like it just like, oh,

2064
01:32:31,720 --> 01:32:34,560
it's Porzingis because that that's like that that's always been

2065
01:32:34,640 --> 01:32:38,520
Boston's postseason trump card is just like cool, you switched

2066
01:32:38,880 --> 01:32:42,560
like someone who's not seven feet tall onto Porzingis mid

2067
01:32:42,600 --> 01:32:45,960
post he gets fouled, Like that's just and rinse, repeat,

2068
01:32:46,039 --> 01:32:49,600
so it's him. I do think Orlando is like like

2069
01:32:49,640 --> 01:32:52,880
whether it's Black who's just great defensive length or Franz

2070
01:32:52,960 --> 01:32:55,800
or Paola, like you'll be able maybe to engineer it,

2071
01:32:55,880 --> 01:33:00,760
so you're switching like fairly capable size onto him.

2072
01:33:00,880 --> 01:33:04,159
Speaker 1: Rated part of Paolo's game that you can do that with.

2073
01:33:04,039 --> 01:33:07,520
Speaker 3: Polo super strong, like we'll get under Porzingis can't, won't,

2074
01:33:07,640 --> 01:33:09,960
won't be moved, So Porzingis will just have to be

2075
01:33:10,079 --> 01:33:12,760
like a total foul drawing technician or like be really

2076
01:33:12,800 --> 01:33:15,640
patient shooting over those guys. But I think that's the

2077
01:33:16,199 --> 01:33:19,760
that's that is the switchbuster that Boston employees against defenses

2078
01:33:19,760 --> 01:33:23,000
that like to do that. So uh, I think it's

2079
01:33:23,039 --> 01:33:24,680
just got to be honestly like they don't I don't

2080
01:33:24,680 --> 01:33:26,600
think they're gonna need him to be that great. I

2081
01:33:26,680 --> 01:33:30,680
just think Orlando's offense is so so like non threatening

2082
01:33:30,680 --> 01:33:33,319
outside of Paolo. That's like, you know, lots of things

2083
01:33:33,359 --> 01:33:35,760
can go wrong for Boston. We might get nipped our

2084
01:33:35,760 --> 01:33:39,039
hands here, but for this series, I'm gonna give the

2085
01:33:39,079 --> 01:33:42,239
Celtic I'm gonna give Orlando one game.

2086
01:33:42,399 --> 01:33:42,680
Speaker 2: I think.

2087
01:33:42,720 --> 01:33:45,039
Speaker 3: I just like I didn't predict any sweeps. I'll go

2088
01:33:45,159 --> 01:33:46,000
Celtics in five.

2089
01:33:46,520 --> 01:33:49,199
Speaker 1: I want Celtics in five too. I don't this that's it.

2090
01:33:49,279 --> 01:33:51,760
I think it's about both those teams where the Magic

2091
01:33:51,840 --> 01:33:54,920
are scrappy as hell, and also just Boston just feels

2092
01:33:55,239 --> 01:33:57,880
faded to give away a game for some there will

2093
01:33:57,920 --> 01:33:59,920
be variants with a three point shooting or the offense

2094
01:34:00,039 --> 01:34:03,520
just doesn't quicker struggles against Orlando. So yeah, Celtics in

2095
01:34:03,600 --> 01:34:08,279
five grants, super Bowl series, the Rockets versus the Warriors.

2096
01:34:08,279 --> 01:34:10,119
And it's fun because now I get to dictate how

2097
01:34:10,119 --> 01:34:12,760
we start the tactical matchup on this one. This is

2098
01:34:13,279 --> 01:34:15,279
probably would have been the way I should have framed

2099
01:34:15,279 --> 01:34:19,039
it when we were talking Timberwolves Lakers. Who concedes more

2100
01:34:19,359 --> 01:34:22,439
in this matchup? Because I'm looking at it as the

2101
01:34:22,560 --> 01:34:27,079
Rockets are a unique meld of physical and athletic, which

2102
01:34:27,079 --> 01:34:29,720
feel like the two things that Golden State is like

2103
01:34:29,840 --> 01:34:32,159
not necessarily built to go up against all that well,

2104
01:34:32,720 --> 01:34:35,880
but you look at Golden State, they are far more

2105
01:34:35,960 --> 01:34:40,560
dynamic overall, especially when you get to like the offensive end.

2106
01:34:40,600 --> 01:34:42,840
And so what I'm sort of wondering is we know

2107
01:34:42,880 --> 01:34:46,840
how important A'man Thompson's gonna be to defending Steph Curry,

2108
01:34:47,079 --> 01:34:50,039
But like, how do you if you're Houston. I'm so

2109
01:34:50,079 --> 01:34:51,920
curious to see how he made a Dooko goes about

2110
01:34:51,920 --> 01:34:53,960
And I actually already asked you about this a couple

2111
01:34:53,960 --> 01:34:56,560
of days ago, but I'm so curious to see how

2112
01:34:56,600 --> 01:34:59,039
he goes about sort of defending the rest of the Warriors,

2113
01:34:59,039 --> 01:35:01,840
because I asked you if you think that the Warriors

2114
01:35:01,880 --> 01:35:05,199
are a good or bad matchup for the Steven Adams,

2115
01:35:05,239 --> 01:35:08,760
Alpern Shangoun Frum court that we've seen more of since

2116
01:35:08,800 --> 01:35:10,800
like over the past like two months or whatever, is

2117
01:35:10,800 --> 01:35:13,079
when they logged like ninety percent of their minutes they're

2118
01:35:13,119 --> 01:35:15,880
destroying teams during that time. I think it's easy just

2119
01:35:15,920 --> 01:35:18,520
to say that's not gonna work in a playoff series.

2120
01:35:18,680 --> 01:35:21,520
But and I know Jimmy Butler went off in the

2121
01:35:21,520 --> 01:35:24,479
playing game, the Grizzlies kind of like stuck zach Edie

2122
01:35:24,520 --> 01:35:26,840
on him. But I didn't hate it all the time.

2123
01:35:26,920 --> 01:35:30,399
And with like Emyodoka is so good at having his

2124
01:35:30,439 --> 01:35:33,680
players cross match. We saw it in Boston with Robert Williams,

2125
01:35:33,720 --> 01:35:36,279
We've seen it this year with Shangun and Adams. I'm

2126
01:35:36,319 --> 01:35:38,359
just kind of wondering if you know, you're not gonna

2127
01:35:38,439 --> 01:35:43,359
have the same level of half court versatility that Golden

2128
01:35:43,399 --> 01:35:46,920
State does, and if there're gonna be maybe enough questionable

2129
01:35:46,920 --> 01:35:49,600
shooters on the court for Golden Jimmy Butler being one

2130
01:35:49,640 --> 01:35:52,199
of them, although playoff Jimmy different beast of course, something

2131
01:35:52,239 --> 01:35:56,119
to consider here because Golden State can't even begin to

2132
01:35:56,159 --> 01:35:58,359
compete with that size and so if you give that

2133
01:35:58,479 --> 01:36:01,119
unit any quarter, and I guess even if you don't,

2134
01:36:01,560 --> 01:36:04,760
it's like, well, Houston could play Jabari Smith Junior at

2135
01:36:04,760 --> 01:36:06,840
the five and they're still not gonna necessarily be small.

2136
01:36:07,319 --> 01:36:10,399
So I'm I'm very curious to see what type of

2137
01:36:10,520 --> 01:36:13,800
look I Mayodoka ends up favoring in this series, because

2138
01:36:13,840 --> 01:36:17,720
I do think that the Rockets maybe there's no in between,

2139
01:36:17,880 --> 01:36:20,399
but I could see them being like a real foil

2140
01:36:20,800 --> 01:36:23,439
for Golden State's lack of size. And I would even

2141
01:36:23,439 --> 01:36:25,119
say overall athleticism.

2142
01:36:25,479 --> 01:36:27,720
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think that's I think the answer that I

2143
01:36:27,720 --> 01:36:28,319
thought about that.

2144
01:36:28,279 --> 01:36:33,000
Speaker 3: A little more, it's isn't it weird that like we've

2145
01:36:33,079 --> 01:36:37,760
in this in this discussion of other series, or maybe

2146
01:36:37,800 --> 01:36:40,039
I have. I was gonna say, we have focused on like, well,

2147
01:36:40,039 --> 01:36:42,640
how does how does the team with the conventional big

2148
01:36:42,680 --> 01:36:46,079
guy avoid you know, getting spaced out and just attacked?

2149
01:36:46,119 --> 01:36:49,039
And it's like, somehow when the Rockets have not just

2150
01:36:49,079 --> 01:36:52,439
one but two of those guys, like we're more concerned

2151
01:36:52,439 --> 01:36:55,079
like shouldn't like shouldn't it be like even harder for

2152
01:36:55,119 --> 01:36:58,479
the Rockets to survive that way against a small, smart team.

2153
01:36:59,199 --> 01:37:02,439
Speaker 1: Quick number there, they're grabbing eighty point five percent of

2154
01:37:02,479 --> 01:37:04,079
defensive rebounds with those from the court. Do you know

2155
01:37:04,119 --> 01:37:08,279
what their offensive rebounding rate is? One hundred forty nine

2156
01:37:08,279 --> 01:37:11,319
to seven. Yeah, you give your second chance opportunities half

2157
01:37:11,399 --> 01:37:13,920
the time. And at that point, it's like, so maybe

2158
01:37:13,960 --> 01:37:16,560
you're conceding a lot on defense, but if you're scoring

2159
01:37:16,680 --> 01:37:19,359
enough to where you let that lineup get its defense set,

2160
01:37:19,439 --> 01:37:20,960
and like, if you not that, you don't have to

2161
01:37:20,960 --> 01:37:23,359
worry about Steph Curry if I'm and Thompson's on the floor,

2162
01:37:23,399 --> 01:37:25,159
but like if here's like, well we have the guy

2163
01:37:25,199 --> 01:37:28,439
who's gonna go after Steph, right, I hope they at

2164
01:37:28,520 --> 01:37:30,319
least try it because I just want to see. I'm

2165
01:37:30,359 --> 01:37:32,000
so curious to see what happens. And they did try

2166
01:37:32,039 --> 01:37:34,560
it against Golden State this season, but you know how

2167
01:37:34,600 --> 01:37:36,239
the regular teamk Yeah, yeah.

2168
01:37:36,079 --> 01:37:38,840
Speaker 3: Well, I would say though, I think that that I

2169
01:37:38,920 --> 01:37:43,560
think Shanoon and Adams together like probably will work. If

2170
01:37:43,640 --> 01:37:46,359
Curry's off the floor, I think I think like because

2171
01:37:46,359 --> 01:37:48,520
then the Warriors just don't have enough advantage, Like they

2172
01:37:48,520 --> 01:37:51,039
can't really take advantage of it the same way like

2173
01:37:51,079 --> 01:37:54,000
it just then I think Houston comes out ahead on

2174
01:37:54,039 --> 01:37:56,720
all the second chance stuff and all the just defensive

2175
01:37:56,760 --> 01:37:59,279
length and size and like, who are you freaked out

2176
01:37:59,319 --> 01:38:02,039
about spring open from three that one of those guys

2177
01:38:02,039 --> 01:38:05,239
can't get out to cut like you just buty healed, Like,

2178
01:38:05,239 --> 01:38:06,800
I don't think so. I think the Rockets will live

2179
01:38:06,840 --> 01:38:08,880
with that. If Curry's on the floor, I think it's

2180
01:38:09,039 --> 01:38:10,960
I think you're kind of playing with fire. It might

2181
01:38:11,000 --> 01:38:14,119
still work for small stretches, but I would be reluctant

2182
01:38:14,119 --> 01:38:16,399
if I'm Mudoka to try that with Curry running around,

2183
01:38:16,520 --> 01:38:17,239
maybe it'll still work.

2184
01:38:17,239 --> 01:38:17,560
Speaker 1: I don't know.

2185
01:38:18,560 --> 01:38:20,760
Speaker 3: So my tactical I kind of went with one on

2186
01:38:20,760 --> 01:38:24,000
each side because there's just this is such a rich series.

2187
01:38:24,079 --> 01:38:26,159
This is like the Lakers Minnesota all over again. There's

2188
01:38:26,159 --> 01:38:29,319
so many like trickle down things. The big picture one though,

2189
01:38:29,399 --> 01:38:32,680
is how are the Rockets going to consistently score in

2190
01:38:32,720 --> 01:38:35,880
the half court? I just you know, all of the

2191
01:38:35,920 --> 01:38:38,239
guys that give the Warriors so many problems, like your

2192
01:38:38,279 --> 01:38:42,319
Brooks is and certainly your Thompson's, Like they're not players

2193
01:38:42,359 --> 01:38:45,479
you're concerned about offensively so much, or at least or

2194
01:38:45,479 --> 01:38:47,479
at least they're even van Vleet or at least they're

2195
01:38:47,520 --> 01:38:49,800
guys that it's like we kind of know how to

2196
01:38:49,840 --> 01:38:53,680
contain them or force them into positions or into situations

2197
01:38:53,720 --> 01:38:56,199
that they're not like gonna excel at. Like that's that's

2198
01:38:56,479 --> 01:38:59,119
and so then it just becomes like, is Jalen Green

2199
01:38:59,199 --> 01:39:01,640
gonna have a series? Is Shane Gun? Are they going

2200
01:39:01,680 --> 01:39:04,680
to engineer switches as often as possible? So Shangun has

2201
01:39:04,720 --> 01:39:06,800
someone other than Draymond guarding him, and then you dump

2202
01:39:06,840 --> 01:39:09,319
it in and you have a pretty good chancet at

2203
01:39:09,359 --> 01:39:12,840
like a good shot or something that way, How do

2204
01:39:12,880 --> 01:39:15,600
the Warriors counter that? So Houston's ability to score in

2205
01:39:15,600 --> 01:39:17,520
the half court is like, that's been an issue all season,

2206
01:39:17,520 --> 01:39:19,760
It's been an issue lad in games? How do how

2207
01:39:19,760 --> 01:39:22,840
do the Rockets figure that out? The other side, it's

2208
01:39:23,439 --> 01:39:25,720
I'm gonna step on my X factor. But it's like,

2209
01:39:25,840 --> 01:39:29,760
how do we not can Aman Thompson do what he

2210
01:39:29,840 --> 01:39:32,159
did to Steph Curry in the last regular season meeting,

2211
01:39:32,199 --> 01:39:35,560
which is just never lose track of him, force more

2212
01:39:35,600 --> 01:39:38,239
turnovers than field goals? Like can he can he take

2213
01:39:38,319 --> 01:39:41,319
him out? Like is that actually possible in a playoff series?

2214
01:39:41,359 --> 01:39:43,039
I think it's possible in a game we saw it,

2215
01:39:43,520 --> 01:39:45,640
like with with the Warriors having a chance to look

2216
01:39:45,680 --> 01:39:50,520
at that with game to game adjustments, with probably some

2217
01:39:50,640 --> 01:39:54,680
attention paid by Golden State to making it harder for

2218
01:39:54,760 --> 01:39:57,479
Thompson to be offensively valuable, Like how do.

2219
01:39:57,439 --> 01:39:59,319
Speaker 2: We can we make him into a shooter? Can we

2220
01:39:59,319 --> 01:39:59,880
force Houston?

2221
01:40:00,239 --> 01:40:00,760
Speaker 1: You know what I mean?

2222
01:40:00,800 --> 01:40:03,279
Speaker 3: Like, there's gonna be ways to make the Rockets have

2223
01:40:03,319 --> 01:40:05,640
to try to think about how much we can keep

2224
01:40:05,720 --> 01:40:08,720
him on the floor. But really it's just I can't

2225
01:40:08,720 --> 01:40:14,479
remember the last guy that gave Curry that much of

2226
01:40:14,520 --> 01:40:17,119
a hard time, and I think I look, I had him,

2227
01:40:17,119 --> 01:40:19,319
I think third on my Defensive Player of the Year ballot.

2228
01:40:19,359 --> 01:40:20,880
Speaker 2: He's just a different level.

2229
01:40:21,079 --> 01:40:23,520
Speaker 1: That's all it took.

2230
01:40:24,159 --> 01:40:27,119
Speaker 3: He's just a different level of athlete. And and it's like,

2231
01:40:27,359 --> 01:40:29,199
I don't know if you've seen this, like, oh, the

2232
01:40:29,279 --> 01:40:31,960
Tony Allen comparison. It's like, well, the Warriors figured out

2233
01:40:32,000 --> 01:40:34,119
how to hack the Tony Allen problem and they beat

2234
01:40:34,159 --> 01:40:37,079
Memphis when Alan was you know, great. It's like Thompson

2235
01:40:37,159 --> 01:40:39,720
is not Tony Allen. Like Thompson will put it on

2236
01:40:39,760 --> 01:40:43,159
the floor, make a pass, dunk over everybody like this

2237
01:40:43,199 --> 01:40:45,880
is not a specialist in the real sense of the word.

2238
01:40:46,439 --> 01:40:49,000
So I missed me with the he's Tony Allen thing

2239
01:40:49,000 --> 01:40:50,720
and not a problem, Like he's.

2240
01:40:50,640 --> 01:40:53,479
Speaker 2: A huge problem. He's the biggest problem to the Warriors.

2241
01:40:53,479 --> 01:40:55,239
Is seen as a Curry defender.

2242
01:40:55,359 --> 01:40:57,880
Speaker 3: Maybe ever, I don't know, there's probably somebody I'm forgetting,

2243
01:40:57,880 --> 01:41:01,560
but like that's the series. If he can contain Curry,

2244
01:41:01,960 --> 01:41:04,479
I think the Rockets win the series because the Warriors,

2245
01:41:04,680 --> 01:41:08,119
even with Butler, don't have enough to like consistently score.

2246
01:41:09,239 --> 01:41:12,359
If Curry figures it out, or if Kurr figures it out,

2247
01:41:12,439 --> 01:41:15,520
then I think the Warriors probably win fairly easily.

2248
01:41:16,000 --> 01:41:18,720
Speaker 1: What do you have any idea what figuring out would

2249
01:41:18,760 --> 01:41:21,319
look like or steps to take to fair Is it

2250
01:41:21,479 --> 01:41:23,760
just well, there needs to be more Jimmy Butler like

2251
01:41:23,800 --> 01:41:26,039
Steph Curry screening for each other. Does that do it

2252
01:41:26,079 --> 01:41:26,319
at all?

2253
01:41:26,399 --> 01:41:29,439
Speaker 2: Or is it just I think there's a couple of

2254
01:41:29,439 --> 01:41:30,279
ways it happens.

2255
01:41:30,720 --> 01:41:35,520
Speaker 3: One is they sort of accept Curry being taken out

2256
01:41:35,560 --> 01:41:39,079
of the action to some extent, and Butler capitalizes on

2257
01:41:39,199 --> 01:41:42,239
advantages enough to where you have to sort of relax

2258
01:41:42,399 --> 01:41:45,239
some of the Thompson stuff and allow him to play

2259
01:41:45,319 --> 01:41:48,560
like more standard defense as opposed to just like I

2260
01:41:48,600 --> 01:41:53,119
am physically glued to this one person like generally that's

2261
01:41:53,159 --> 01:41:54,920
like that's really hard to pull off. That's one way

2262
01:41:54,960 --> 01:41:57,600
it could happen where it's a Butler series and he

2263
01:41:57,800 --> 01:42:00,640
just he dominates it and maybe it doesn't matter that Curry,

2264
01:42:01,079 --> 01:42:02,720
you know, has one or two good games. The other

2265
01:42:02,760 --> 01:42:05,239
way is just like it's gonna have to be really

2266
01:42:05,239 --> 01:42:08,159
good screen setting and back cutting and like that kind

2267
01:42:08,199 --> 01:42:11,039
of stuff, which the Warriors they've won a lot of series.

2268
01:42:11,079 --> 01:42:14,319
That way, it just can't be Curry running in circles

2269
01:42:14,600 --> 01:42:16,520
trying to get open on the perimeter. It's gonna have

2270
01:42:16,600 --> 01:42:18,920
to be he's gonna have to make layups, he's gonna

2271
01:42:18,920 --> 01:42:22,039
have to be a screener, and Thompson won't ever leave him.

2272
01:42:22,079 --> 01:42:22,960
Speaker 2: So somebody else.

2273
01:42:22,840 --> 01:42:25,159
Speaker 3: Is like, Curry can win the series without scoring a

2274
01:42:25,199 --> 01:42:28,720
ton potentially, but like it's gonna be hard.

2275
01:42:28,960 --> 01:42:31,840
Speaker 2: I really, like, I don't think we can overstate how

2276
01:42:31,840 --> 01:42:33,960
good Thompson might be in this series.

2277
01:42:34,279 --> 01:42:35,920
Speaker 1: Do you think that that Houston is just gonna like

2278
01:42:36,439 --> 01:42:38,560
identically because if we figure out what step will play

2279
01:42:38,600 --> 01:42:41,239
like thirty eight minutes a game, you think thoms is

2280
01:42:41,239 --> 01:42:42,880
gonna be on the floor for every single one of those.

2281
01:42:44,079 --> 01:42:46,439
Speaker 3: I mean I would if I'm the Rockets, because like

2282
01:42:46,720 --> 01:42:50,079
who there's I mean, you could use Brooks. Van Fleet

2283
01:42:50,119 --> 01:42:51,920
actually is pretty good, but the size is he just

2284
01:42:52,119 --> 01:42:54,439
you can screen him. He's smaller, like you can. If

2285
01:42:54,479 --> 01:42:56,760
you do get switches like you, we'll go at him.

2286
01:42:56,840 --> 01:42:58,800
If you get Thompson to switch off of him, It's like,

2287
01:42:59,319 --> 01:43:02,760
all right, so where's the advantage there? Yeah, I think

2288
01:43:02,760 --> 01:43:06,640
you want Thompson out there every second Curry is narratives.

2289
01:43:07,239 --> 01:43:09,680
Speaker 1: What's your uh, what's your what's your narrative for this, it's.

2290
01:43:09,600 --> 01:43:13,000
Speaker 3: Like the broader well, it's it's colored by like these

2291
01:43:13,000 --> 01:43:16,439
two franchises have had like some highly contentious playoff series

2292
01:43:16,479 --> 01:43:17,000
the Rockets.

2293
01:43:17,079 --> 01:43:19,399
Speaker 1: Wherever will there be any appeals fire file?

2294
01:43:20,039 --> 01:43:23,840
Speaker 3: Will will Raphael Stone like find the same agency that

2295
01:43:23,880 --> 01:43:26,439
compiled all the fouls that were not called like Daryl

2296
01:43:26,479 --> 01:43:30,520
Morey did and submitted to I just it's the So yeah,

2297
01:43:30,560 --> 01:43:33,000
there's some of that stuff. There's you know, the Rockets

2298
01:43:33,000 --> 01:43:36,359
are all different from those hardened teams, but but not

2299
01:43:36,439 --> 01:43:38,960
that Draymond and Shangoon are like best buds, so I think,

2300
01:43:39,000 --> 01:43:42,399
And like the last game was, you know, pretty contentious. Uh,

2301
01:43:42,600 --> 01:43:48,600
it's just the youth length, skill, athleticism versus just the

2302
01:43:48,680 --> 01:43:51,720
old dudes that know how to play and have figured

2303
01:43:51,720 --> 01:43:54,720
out like seemingly unsolvable challenges in the past.

2304
01:43:54,840 --> 01:43:55,279
Speaker 2: Like I think.

2305
01:43:55,359 --> 01:43:57,720
Speaker 3: I think it's really that for me is the narrative angle,

2306
01:43:58,039 --> 01:44:00,680
the contrast between these two teams and the feeling that

2307
01:44:00,840 --> 01:44:05,399
like Houston could just like be so physically overwhelming that

2308
01:44:05,439 --> 01:44:08,640
they're finally the team that, like the Warriors, just can't outthink,

2309
01:44:09,520 --> 01:44:11,680
and then if the Warriors do outthink a team this

2310
01:44:11,760 --> 01:44:13,760
young and athletic like that's that's fun too.

2311
01:44:14,960 --> 01:44:18,239
Speaker 1: So mine is even more broader strokes, especially because there

2312
01:44:18,359 --> 01:44:21,600
was the report that because the Rockets finished second in

2313
01:44:21,640 --> 01:44:24,159
the West, they were even less likely to pursue with

2314
01:44:24,239 --> 01:44:28,199
Kevin Durant and or Devin Booker trade. I just I

2315
01:44:28,319 --> 01:44:30,840
want to know, shuldn't you wait and see how you

2316
01:44:30,880 --> 01:44:33,039
fare in the playoffs before you take that stance. And

2317
01:44:33,079 --> 01:44:35,199
I think these situations are fluid, and I probably still

2318
01:44:35,239 --> 01:44:40,159
wouldn't unless the cost to get Kevin Durant specifically falls

2319
01:44:40,159 --> 01:44:42,399
through the floor. I don't want to bring in someone

2320
01:44:42,399 --> 01:44:44,079
who's Kevin Durant, like he's a perfect fit, but I

2321
01:44:44,119 --> 01:44:45,640
don't want to give up a ton of equity to

2322
01:44:46,079 --> 01:44:48,319
for someone for just the next two years or whatever

2323
01:44:48,319 --> 01:44:51,119
it is. But like when you're looking at Devin Booker,

2324
01:44:51,279 --> 01:44:53,720
just it's not even it's not even Devin Booker. It's

2325
01:44:53,760 --> 01:44:57,079
if you lose this offensive series the way that the

2326
01:44:57,119 --> 01:45:00,239
magic we've seen lost in the playoffs last year kind

2327
01:45:00,239 --> 01:45:02,079
of out you struggle to create in the half court,

2328
01:45:02,600 --> 01:45:05,920
you better be open to making a bigger swing on

2329
01:45:05,960 --> 01:45:08,800
the trademark. I know that you can. As a Rockets fan,

2330
01:45:08,840 --> 01:45:11,359
you can look at this and I'm not even insulting them.

2331
01:45:11,520 --> 01:45:13,039
It's like we have all the time in the world,

2332
01:45:13,079 --> 01:45:15,680
like time is on our side. That's true to an extent.

2333
01:45:16,079 --> 01:45:19,760
But windows open and closed so quickly around the NBA,

2334
01:45:19,880 --> 01:45:23,520
and you've already paid shanng Gun and Jalen Green, those

2335
01:45:23,560 --> 01:45:26,520
deals kicking next year. Jabari Smith Junior and Tari Eastan

2336
01:45:26,560 --> 01:45:29,159
are extension notedible this summer. I'm and Thomas is gonna

2337
01:45:29,159 --> 01:45:31,000
be extending and can't wait more? Is gonna be extentiononalible

2338
01:45:31,039 --> 01:45:34,960
next time? Like the reinvestments are coming fast and furious here,

2339
01:45:35,319 --> 01:45:38,039
and so I'm not saying to overreact. And there's a

2340
01:45:38,119 --> 01:45:40,680
chance if you're not gonna make a big move, it

2341
01:45:40,800 --> 01:45:43,880
better be because you plan on just like unwrapping Read

2342
01:45:44,000 --> 01:45:46,520
Shepherd next year because you believe he's everything you need.

2343
01:45:46,640 --> 01:45:48,920
He might be. We all know anyone who listens here

2344
01:45:48,960 --> 01:45:51,319
and knows how I feel about Read Shepherd. But like,

2345
01:45:51,920 --> 01:45:56,039
if they do lose, I'm wondering in what manner would

2346
01:45:56,039 --> 01:45:59,239
it take for them to take a longer look at

2347
01:45:59,279 --> 01:46:02,239
their roster and say, we know what we need. And

2348
01:46:02,279 --> 01:46:04,520
I would argue that they'll make They'll try to make

2349
01:46:04,560 --> 01:46:07,560
some upgrade, But what's the level of upgrade and how

2350
01:46:07,600 --> 01:46:10,319
aggressive will they be going about it? And it has

2351
01:46:10,359 --> 01:46:12,039
to happen on the trademark. You're not just gonna use

2352
01:46:12,039 --> 01:46:14,039
the big level and find someone who solves everything.

2353
01:46:16,199 --> 01:46:19,640
Speaker 3: Like I I agree that, like it shouldn't be Durant,

2354
01:46:19,640 --> 01:46:21,840
shouldn't be the guy because.

2355
01:46:23,079 --> 01:46:25,119
Speaker 1: If it's if the Suns like just give us back

2356
01:46:25,880 --> 01:46:28,239
this year's first round pick or something, fuck it, have it,

2357
01:46:28,319 --> 01:46:30,239
like we'll make the money work with Like we'll make

2358
01:46:30,239 --> 01:46:32,239
the money work with Red van Fleet and fill it out.

2359
01:46:32,960 --> 01:46:34,880
Speaker 3: Like you know, I mean, that's it, Like he shouldn't

2360
01:46:34,920 --> 01:46:37,319
be the guy. But then the question is, like, so

2361
01:46:37,399 --> 01:46:40,439
you're just the second seed in a really tough West,

2362
01:46:40,600 --> 01:46:42,479
Like what are you waiting for?

2363
01:46:42,640 --> 01:46:44,760
Speaker 2: Isn't isn't now? Isn't it go time?

2364
01:46:44,880 --> 01:46:45,159
Speaker 1: Now?

2365
01:46:45,359 --> 01:46:48,199
Speaker 2: Like it right? You said windows open and closed?

2366
01:46:48,279 --> 01:46:50,720
Speaker 3: Like how much better do you need to be to

2367
01:46:50,760 --> 01:46:53,760
take a like an extreme win now swing that feels

2368
01:46:53,760 --> 01:46:56,880
shortsighted and I and I'm saying that acknowledging Duran's not

2369
01:46:56,920 --> 01:46:58,960
I don't love it if it's Durant, but it's like,

2370
01:46:59,359 --> 01:47:00,880
I don't know, you're ptt close.

2371
01:47:00,720 --> 01:47:03,720
Speaker 2: To to like that being the right maybe the right choice.

2372
01:47:04,319 --> 01:47:07,920
I think if if Houston.

2373
01:47:07,640 --> 01:47:11,600
Speaker 3: Loses in the way that most people would expect it

2374
01:47:11,640 --> 01:47:16,399
to lose, which is you can't score. Then like I

2375
01:47:16,439 --> 01:47:18,960
thought I was thinking Orlando before you said it. It's like,

2376
01:47:19,119 --> 01:47:24,279
don't be Orlando about this, Like we if you lose

2377
01:47:24,359 --> 01:47:27,239
because you can't score and you don't go out and

2378
01:47:27,359 --> 01:47:29,880
make the move that brings in someone that will change that,

2379
01:47:30,560 --> 01:47:32,960
you're wasting a year like like you know what I mean,

2380
01:47:33,000 --> 01:47:33,399
Like I.

2381
01:47:33,359 --> 01:47:35,439
Speaker 1: Just I it doesn't and it doesn't to me because

2382
01:47:35,439 --> 01:47:37,239
I was gonna be the question. It doesn't if you

2383
01:47:37,279 --> 01:47:40,359
lose in four or five. It's sort of like a

2384
01:47:40,399 --> 01:47:42,319
smack in the face. I don't care if it's six

2385
01:47:42,479 --> 01:47:44,520
or seven. If you lose it we look back and

2386
01:47:44,560 --> 01:47:47,920
say they lost in seven. It was closed in game seven.

2387
01:47:48,119 --> 01:47:50,000
They just didn't have enough offense to get them over

2388
01:47:50,000 --> 01:47:53,239
the hump. Go out and get the fucking offense.

2389
01:47:53,159 --> 01:47:56,119
Speaker 2: Right, yeah you have. I mean, there's position as any

2390
01:47:56,119 --> 01:47:57,920
team to do it. Like you there's no.

2391
01:47:58,239 --> 01:48:01,399
Speaker 3: It's not an asset question. It's it's not a like yeah,

2392
01:48:01,439 --> 01:48:04,479
it just it can't. It would be like that is

2393
01:48:04,520 --> 01:48:07,039
why they will lose. If they lose, it will be

2394
01:48:07,039 --> 01:48:08,960
because they can't score. It's not gonna be because the

2395
01:48:09,000 --> 01:48:11,600
defense falls apart. So it's like we already know this.

2396
01:48:12,119 --> 01:48:13,359
Speaker 2: It's just this.

2397
01:48:13,479 --> 01:48:15,560
Speaker 3: You get one, you get one of these, you get

2398
01:48:15,560 --> 01:48:20,560
one postseason to validate what everybody thinks is your problem

2399
01:48:20,880 --> 01:48:23,279
as being yeah, it is your problem. If you do

2400
01:48:23,359 --> 01:48:26,079
it again, then it's like unforgivable. Well, you're we're yelling

2401
01:48:26,119 --> 01:48:29,199
at the twenty twenty six offseason rockets right now already.

2402
01:48:29,039 --> 01:48:32,319
Speaker 1: And they might I'm just saying anything, we have to

2403
01:48:32,359 --> 01:48:34,359
see the playoffs first. Then, even though they're saying one

2404
01:48:34,399 --> 01:48:36,840
thing now, that could change over the summer. But it's

2405
01:48:36,840 --> 01:48:39,560
something to think about because the happy to be here

2406
01:48:39,680 --> 01:48:43,399
vibes they end after you've left, like it's okay, you

2407
01:48:43,439 --> 01:48:46,560
get that, you get this found money playoff run, but

2408
01:48:46,600 --> 01:48:49,640
you don't get another one, especially in today's No you

2409
01:48:49,680 --> 01:48:50,159
don't get that.

2410
01:48:50,600 --> 01:48:53,159
Speaker 2: No forget it uh X factor.

2411
01:48:53,279 --> 01:48:56,880
Speaker 3: I mentioned a men Thompson that's fairly obvious on the

2412
01:48:56,880 --> 01:49:00,239
warrior side. I think it's just Moody and Pajemski because.

2413
01:49:00,520 --> 01:49:04,560
Speaker 2: Like, because is not playing. You know what, I had

2414
01:49:04,560 --> 01:49:07,560
a I had a comminga revelation Dan. I figured it out.

2415
01:49:07,600 --> 01:49:08,520
I figured out why.

2416
01:49:08,359 --> 01:49:10,760
Speaker 3: It's okay that he's not playing and why it's justifiable

2417
01:49:10,800 --> 01:49:13,359
because if I am anything, it is a Steve Kropologist

2418
01:49:13,479 --> 01:49:14,960
and he's right no matter what he does.

2419
01:49:15,479 --> 01:49:17,479
Speaker 2: Uh. So if I.

2420
01:49:17,479 --> 01:49:21,319
Speaker 3: Asked you, okay, you're mad, right, you're you're You're gonna

2421
01:49:21,359 --> 01:49:24,279
be mad that Kaminga's not playing. And if I said, Dan,

2422
01:49:25,439 --> 01:49:28,199
guarantee me the thing that Kaminga is gonna bring tonight,

2423
01:49:28,760 --> 01:49:31,039
Like what are you what are you guaranteeing me he's

2424
01:49:31,079 --> 01:49:33,800
gonna do for you in the rotation tonight?

2425
01:49:35,319 --> 01:49:35,680
Speaker 1: Uh?

2426
01:49:35,720 --> 01:49:39,000
Speaker 3: And you don't have an answer, Yeah, not not pass

2427
01:49:39,079 --> 01:49:39,760
the ball enough.

2428
01:49:41,000 --> 01:49:43,600
Speaker 2: So that was my that was That's what like crystalized

2429
01:49:43,600 --> 01:49:44,000
it for me.

2430
01:49:44,039 --> 01:49:47,319
Speaker 3: It's like, can you believe Ge Santos is playing over

2431
01:49:47,359 --> 01:49:49,840
this guy Gary Payton the second can't shoot either, although

2432
01:49:49,840 --> 01:49:53,079
he sometimes he can, he's playing over him like Moody

2433
01:49:53,159 --> 01:49:56,760
keeps playing over him. The thing is like with Gie Santos,

2434
01:49:57,000 --> 01:49:59,800
you could have answered the guarantee question with like he's

2435
01:49:59,800 --> 01:50:02,399
gonna to play insanely hard and be in the right

2436
01:50:02,399 --> 01:50:05,760
place on defense and go after the boards. Kaminga does

2437
01:50:05,800 --> 01:50:08,960
that sometimes sometimes he doesn't like so like even the

2438
01:50:09,039 --> 01:50:12,640
role player shit, you can't guarantee. You certainly can't guarantee

2439
01:50:13,000 --> 01:50:16,000
like efficient offense you certainly can't guarantee good passing.

2440
01:50:16,039 --> 01:50:17,560
Speaker 2: You certainly can't guarantee you know what I mean, like

2441
01:50:17,600 --> 01:50:19,520
you go down the list. I think that's what it is.

2442
01:50:19,680 --> 01:50:22,119
Speaker 3: That's all it is, is like Kurtent needs someone that

2443
01:50:22,159 --> 01:50:24,399
when he puts him in the game, he can say

2444
01:50:24,640 --> 01:50:27,680
I know I'm getting this, like even if it's just

2445
01:50:27,720 --> 01:50:30,880
from an effort and like be in the right spot

2446
01:50:30,960 --> 01:50:34,399
thing and Kaminga has no guarantees whatsoever. And we're at

2447
01:50:34,399 --> 01:50:36,039
the point in their season where he's like, I just

2448
01:50:36,079 --> 01:50:39,720
can't I can't like chance it. You know that that

2449
01:50:39,720 --> 01:50:41,640
that's what that It's just, Oh, I get it now.

2450
01:50:41,680 --> 01:50:43,760
I understand why he's not playing.

2451
01:50:43,439 --> 01:50:46,880
Speaker 1: Him part of four years, But you got it.

2452
01:50:47,319 --> 01:50:49,560
Speaker 3: I finally, I finally cracked it. This just Moody and

2453
01:50:49,600 --> 01:50:52,680
Pajemski making threes. Like if those two guys aren't making threes,

2454
01:50:52,720 --> 01:50:54,680
then I think the Rockets could make a short series

2455
01:50:54,720 --> 01:50:54,880
of this.

2456
01:50:55,399 --> 01:50:58,399
Speaker 1: I have Pajemski, but in part because of Cominga really

2457
01:50:58,439 --> 01:51:00,079
won't play well enough. And if he does, then I

2458
01:51:00,079 --> 01:51:02,279
think he just becomes it because how do those minutes

2459
01:51:02,359 --> 01:51:04,640
go if they're shoot warning him in the lineup. But

2460
01:51:04,680 --> 01:51:07,039
I think I don't know, I don't expect this to

2461
01:51:07,079 --> 01:51:10,840
be the scenario. But if Steph struggles against Aman Thompson

2462
01:51:10,880 --> 01:51:13,199
and I know how we all feel about playoff Jimmy,

2463
01:51:13,239 --> 01:51:15,960
but if he has games or just a game or

2464
01:51:16,000 --> 01:51:19,439
quarters to where like him breaking down the Rockets defense

2465
01:51:19,479 --> 01:51:22,960
of all defenses isn't working. Who's the third guy you

2466
01:51:23,079 --> 01:51:25,159
pivot to in that instance is probably needs to be

2467
01:51:25,239 --> 01:51:27,560
Pajem Skim I right, I guess it could be Kaminga

2468
01:51:27,600 --> 01:51:28,760
in that instance.

2469
01:51:28,359 --> 01:51:31,760
Speaker 3: Then, so I mean that's a you've hit emergency status

2470
01:51:31,760 --> 01:51:33,520
and you're breaking the glass. I think if you need

2471
01:51:33,560 --> 01:51:36,119
Kaminga to come in and like create posts is the

2472
01:51:36,199 --> 01:51:38,359
real awful for how do we not mention Gwinn posts?

2473
01:51:38,359 --> 01:51:40,560
Speaker 2: He's gonna break the two big lineup, That's what it is.

2474
01:51:40,800 --> 01:51:44,000
Speaker 1: It's interesting. We've definitely like gone different roots with some

2475
01:51:44,039 --> 01:51:46,000
of the X factors, So mine is smaller time for

2476
01:51:46,079 --> 01:51:48,319
the Rockets for sure. I just have Steven Adams because

2477
01:51:48,359 --> 01:51:50,479
I want to know can they get away with that

2478
01:51:50,520 --> 01:51:52,760
line up? Again, it's only been used in small doses,

2479
01:51:52,800 --> 01:51:56,319
but like winning small burst sample sizes in the playoffs

2480
01:51:56,359 --> 01:51:59,159
can help you win entire series. So I have him

2481
01:51:59,199 --> 01:52:00,680
just to see how many minutes can they get away

2482
01:52:00,720 --> 01:52:02,880
with that? And I think I was not gonna be him.

2483
01:52:02,920 --> 01:52:05,039
I might pick Jabari Smith Junior because I kind of

2484
01:52:05,119 --> 01:52:07,840
view him as just when you're looking at their bigs,

2485
01:52:08,239 --> 01:52:10,279
he feels more in line with the way that the

2486
01:52:10,319 --> 01:52:12,399
Warriors would play, And so if it's the Rockets that

2487
01:52:12,479 --> 01:52:15,319
need to be the ones adapting, I think Jabari Smith

2488
01:52:15,399 --> 01:52:18,479
just becomes you could make case or don't Brooks target

2489
01:52:18,720 --> 01:52:20,960
you make case for like so many different Rockets players.

2490
01:52:21,119 --> 01:52:23,520
Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm glad you mentioned Smith because I was trying

2491
01:52:23,520 --> 01:52:25,640
to think about this series and the two big stuff,

2492
01:52:25,640 --> 01:52:28,000
and it was like, if they just put Smith out there,

2493
01:52:28,039 --> 01:52:31,600
like who's who's the Warriors guy, You're like worried about

2494
01:52:31,680 --> 01:52:33,920
him having to guard you know, like he he could

2495
01:52:33,960 --> 01:52:37,840
short circuit so much potentially. I think that's it's probably

2496
01:52:37,880 --> 01:52:40,479
a good sign if the Rockets have to like play

2497
01:52:40,560 --> 01:52:42,920
Jabari Smith as a as like the Loan Big or

2498
01:52:42,960 --> 01:52:46,680
you know a lot. But there are scenarios where Smith

2499
01:52:46,800 --> 01:52:48,880
is is like a real problem or like he really

2500
01:52:48,920 --> 01:52:50,039
does make it difficult.

2501
01:52:50,439 --> 01:52:51,520
Speaker 2: The Rockets are good man.

2502
01:52:51,800 --> 01:52:54,319
Speaker 1: I will say, if Steve Kerr does like take the

2503
01:52:54,399 --> 01:52:57,159
bubble wrap off of Jonathan Coming, I'm absolutely throwing the

2504
01:52:57,399 --> 01:52:59,840
shangun and Adams do all off the court during that.

2505
01:53:00,359 --> 01:53:02,439
I don't care who at that point.

2506
01:53:03,000 --> 01:53:05,279
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's the thing that's that's like a green light.

2507
01:53:05,279 --> 01:53:08,640
You might as well try it. Who are you picking

2508
01:53:08,640 --> 01:53:10,279
in this series? I want you to go first.

2509
01:53:10,560 --> 01:53:13,680
Speaker 1: I'm gonna go with the Rockets losing in seven. Like

2510
01:53:13,720 --> 01:53:16,680
what I did there. They're ready to be irate.

2511
01:53:17,079 --> 01:53:18,880
Speaker 2: I wish we had a heart rate monitor on me.

2512
01:53:19,760 --> 01:53:21,039
It was a real roller coaster.

2513
01:53:21,640 --> 01:53:25,319
Speaker 1: Uh seven. I could see this being the series that

2514
01:53:25,359 --> 01:53:27,960
I'm most wrong about in the sense that I guess

2515
01:53:28,159 --> 01:53:29,760
if you told me the Rockets one in five, you

2516
01:53:29,760 --> 01:53:31,880
told me Golden State sweat, you can talk me into

2517
01:53:31,880 --> 01:53:33,399
any outcome of this series.

2518
01:53:33,439 --> 01:53:35,800
Speaker 3: I think I feel the same way. So I went

2519
01:53:36,000 --> 01:53:40,920
I went Rockets losing in six because it's just the like,

2520
01:53:41,399 --> 01:53:44,560
if it gets to seven one the Warriors are old,

2521
01:53:44,560 --> 01:53:47,520
They're gonna be even more tired, like and it's insane

2522
01:53:47,520 --> 01:53:49,720
to bet against Steph in a game seven, but it'd

2523
01:53:49,720 --> 01:53:52,920
be in Houston. Like, I just think in some ways,

2524
01:53:52,920 --> 01:53:55,720
the longer this series goes, the worst of a sign

2525
01:53:55,760 --> 01:53:58,000
it is for Golden State. So I'm going in six

2526
01:53:58,079 --> 01:53:59,960
they just the one They'll be at home to try

2527
01:54:00,119 --> 01:54:02,319
to win that game, and too, like I think if

2528
01:54:02,359 --> 01:54:07,079
you're if they're gonna solve Houston it, it's just gonna

2529
01:54:07,119 --> 01:54:09,239
have to happen before they get worn down and tired.

2530
01:54:09,439 --> 01:54:10,960
Speaker 2: That that's like a big thing of it.

2531
01:54:11,079 --> 01:54:13,600
Speaker 3: So I feel like I've said this for almost every

2532
01:54:13,680 --> 01:54:17,840
series outside of like Boston, Orlando and maybe Nicks Pistons, Like,

2533
01:54:17,920 --> 01:54:21,880
I don't feel great about this prediction at all, Like

2534
01:54:21,880 --> 01:54:24,159
like you said, Houston could win this in five, and

2535
01:54:24,159 --> 01:54:26,800
it could. The way it happens could be like, yeah,

2536
01:54:26,840 --> 01:54:27,720
of course that's how it went.

2537
01:54:27,920 --> 01:54:30,159
Speaker 1: You know, I'm pretty sure as of right, except for

2538
01:54:30,199 --> 01:54:33,479
the eight versus ones in either conference. The only other

2539
01:54:33,560 --> 01:54:35,680
series I would bet the money line on if I

2540
01:54:35,760 --> 01:54:39,560
was a better would be Magic Celtics. I don't. I

2541
01:54:39,600 --> 01:54:42,560
don't feel comfortable enough. I feel reasonably comfortable about the

2542
01:54:42,600 --> 01:54:46,840
Knicks one. But like Bucks, Pacers, rock like Wolves Lakers,

2543
01:54:46,880 --> 01:54:49,399
I mean Wolves Lakers and Rockets Warriors, those have been

2544
01:54:49,479 --> 01:54:50,520
journeys trying.

2545
01:54:50,279 --> 01:54:53,319
Speaker 3: To Yeah, that's by far to me. Those are the

2546
01:54:53,319 --> 01:54:56,920
two most exciting series. I think it's just like, well, no,

2547
01:54:57,000 --> 01:54:59,479
there's all three, like Nuggets Clippers, Like what are we

2548
01:54:59,520 --> 01:55:00,000
talking about?

2549
01:55:00,159 --> 01:55:01,079
Speaker 2: There's all three of those.

2550
01:55:01,359 --> 01:55:04,840
Speaker 1: I'm like fascinated by Bucks Pacers because I picked the

2551
01:55:04,880 --> 01:55:07,000
Pacers so easily, and it's like, I don't feel great

2552
01:55:07,000 --> 01:55:07,600
about it, well.

2553
01:55:07,520 --> 01:55:09,800
Speaker 3: Because you're just picking against the honest and against a

2554
01:55:09,840 --> 01:55:11,039
really favorable matchup.

2555
01:55:11,119 --> 01:55:13,359
Speaker 1: Like, but I'm also picking against Doc Rivers, which just

2556
01:55:13,359 --> 01:55:15,000
seems like the waiting. But you know, it's not the

2557
01:55:15,000 --> 01:55:16,760
second round, so maybe that's weird. I don't know.

2558
01:55:16,840 --> 01:55:18,319
Speaker 2: No, I still think it's like a pretty good way

2559
01:55:18,359 --> 01:55:18,520
to go.

2560
01:55:18,720 --> 01:55:21,159
Speaker 1: These will be quicker because we're recording it before the

2561
01:55:21,199 --> 01:55:24,199
second playing games take place, but we will be sure

2562
01:55:24,239 --> 01:55:26,199
to do deeper dives and when we do our playoff

2563
01:55:26,199 --> 01:55:28,520
observations at some point in the next week, well, maybe

2564
01:55:28,520 --> 01:55:30,199
we'll try and spend some more time on these series.

2565
01:55:30,199 --> 01:55:32,800
In so far as they warrant it, we should begin

2566
01:55:32,880 --> 01:55:37,760
with Cleveland versus It will be Miami or Atlanta. What

2567
01:55:38,600 --> 01:55:40,319
Let's what? What do you want to start with. Let's

2568
01:55:40,359 --> 01:55:42,600
start tactically and try and break it down for both sides.

2569
01:55:42,600 --> 01:55:46,600
What tactically hawks Miami versus Cleveland would would fascinate you.

2570
01:55:47,399 --> 01:55:50,960
Speaker 3: I I think I'm gonna assume it's Miami and just

2571
01:55:51,000 --> 01:55:51,600
start there.

2572
01:55:52,960 --> 01:55:57,079
Speaker 2: I think, just how do you cobble.

2573
01:55:56,760 --> 01:56:00,439
Speaker 3: Together a defense that like can even day in the

2574
01:56:00,479 --> 01:56:04,600
game tactically against this offense. That's like did you know this,

2575
01:56:05,039 --> 01:56:07,159
Like in terms of just not like an era adjusted

2576
01:56:07,279 --> 01:56:09,920
or whatever, but in terms of offensive rating, the Cavs

2577
01:56:09,960 --> 01:56:12,560
offense this year was like ten points better than per

2578
01:56:12,680 --> 01:56:15,359
hundred than like anything they posted with Lebron, Like.

2579
01:56:15,359 --> 01:56:16,600
Speaker 2: It was just it's a different era.

2580
01:56:16,680 --> 01:56:19,520
Speaker 3: But that's just like, so because you've got Tyler Hero

2581
01:56:19,640 --> 01:56:21,039
to go at, that's why.

2582
01:56:20,880 --> 01:56:23,359
Speaker 1: Bob Coozy is better than Lebron James.

2583
01:56:23,439 --> 01:56:26,680
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, no no argument here, unless unless the

2584
01:56:26,720 --> 01:56:28,920
Lakers beat the Wolves and then we have to reevaluate

2585
01:56:29,000 --> 01:56:33,159
his legacy because like Bam can only do so much.

2586
01:56:33,239 --> 01:56:36,520
And I just that, like I don't have anything specific

2587
01:56:36,520 --> 01:56:39,800
because it's just like Miami is a good defensive team,

2588
01:56:40,279 --> 01:56:42,319
but it's just like it doesn't seem equipped to like

2589
01:56:42,439 --> 01:56:44,079
hang at all. So I just I don't know how

2590
01:56:44,119 --> 01:56:47,800
that's gonna happen other than Bam somehow guards three guys

2591
01:56:47,800 --> 01:56:48,199
at once.

2592
01:56:49,000 --> 01:56:52,800
Speaker 1: Yeah, and it's I mean, Bam versus Mobley's fat would

2593
01:56:52,800 --> 01:56:55,199
be just one of my favorite matchups of the playoffs,

2594
01:56:55,239 --> 01:56:57,279
just to see how that unfolds. I actually think so

2595
01:56:57,359 --> 01:57:00,279
my tactical thing. This boat as well, just really not

2596
01:57:00,359 --> 01:57:02,199
gonna be the same when we get to Thunder versus

2597
01:57:02,239 --> 01:57:05,600
the the Mavericks or the Grizzlies. I think it's the

2598
01:57:05,600 --> 01:57:07,800
same for Cleveland. Like I would be so curious is

2599
01:57:08,479 --> 01:57:12,399
if you're gonna go into a drop like is there

2600
01:57:12,479 --> 01:57:16,560
a scenario or reality, a universe whatever where Tyler Hero

2601
01:57:16,720 --> 01:57:19,119
or Trey Young just make you pay so much that

2602
01:57:19,159 --> 01:57:21,439
then you need to prioritize, Like all right, well, Shruce

2603
01:57:21,840 --> 01:57:24,079
can't be in here. This needs to be a DeAndre

2604
01:57:24,159 --> 01:57:26,279
Hunter series. And if it's not a like, if you

2605
01:57:26,279 --> 01:57:29,279
don't believe it with DeAndre Hunter, it's okay. Like Isaaca Cora,

2606
01:57:29,399 --> 01:57:30,920
like that's someone who could if you want to put

2607
01:57:30,960 --> 01:57:34,199
pressure on Tyler Hero or Trey Young the two. Like, yeah,

2608
01:57:34,279 --> 01:57:37,800
Isaaca Corro is great. We have seen on a couple occasions.

2609
01:57:37,840 --> 01:57:39,920
Now getting away with him on all this team, this

2610
01:57:40,000 --> 01:57:42,800
Cavs team is different. It's better I get it getting

2611
01:57:42,840 --> 01:57:45,279
away with him on the floor. Offensively, you don't want

2612
01:57:45,279 --> 01:57:47,840
to do anything to hamstring. What is a better offense

2613
01:57:47,880 --> 01:57:50,640
than Lebron James ever piloted apparently, as you said, so

2614
01:57:51,760 --> 01:57:53,680
that's going if there's going to be a hang up

2615
01:57:53,720 --> 01:57:58,119
for Cleveland. I think it would be that because I

2616
01:57:57,520 --> 01:58:00,000
I don't know which player you would worry about more

2617
01:58:00,039 --> 01:58:02,199
in that situation. Is Cleveland. I think I default to

2618
01:58:02,279 --> 01:58:05,279
Trey just because of the passing. But Tyler Hero, I

2619
01:58:05,319 --> 01:58:08,560
know he's had some you know, just sort of pits

2620
01:58:08,600 --> 01:58:11,119
of inefficiency this year, especially later in the season, but

2621
01:58:11,720 --> 01:58:14,319
like he had been pretty killer against some of those coverages.

2622
01:58:14,439 --> 01:58:16,680
Speaker 3: Well, I mean against like Vucevich and the Bulls in

2623
01:58:16,720 --> 01:58:18,760
the plane, it's just like the Hero is just gonna

2624
01:58:18,760 --> 01:58:20,720
eat Like that's if you if you have to, That's

2625
01:58:20,720 --> 01:58:21,600
that's a really good one.

2626
01:58:21,640 --> 01:58:23,319
Speaker 1: I think, I mean, your's worth of evidence do we

2627
01:58:23,359 --> 01:58:25,720
have of doing him doing that? The playing versus the.

2628
01:58:25,640 --> 01:58:28,680
Speaker 3: Bulls not enough. The Bulls need to see more. They're

2629
01:58:28,720 --> 01:58:33,319
they're not convinced yet. I think I think, uh, would

2630
01:58:33,319 --> 01:58:35,920
you expect the Cavs to drop? Like I think just

2631
01:58:35,920 --> 01:58:37,800
like I don't know, I'll switch mobilely onto Hero and

2632
01:58:37,840 --> 01:58:38,560
I'm okay.

2633
01:58:38,319 --> 01:58:42,800
Speaker 1: With that against Miami do you think that, I guess

2634
01:58:42,840 --> 01:58:43,960
because Jaal Johnson, I don't know.

2635
01:58:43,960 --> 01:58:46,000
Speaker 3: I mean, I like, because you're right, like that is

2636
01:58:46,119 --> 01:58:48,000
one of the only ways I can see either of

2637
01:58:48,000 --> 01:58:50,039
those teams being threatening is if you just sort of

2638
01:58:50,079 --> 01:58:53,640
like Dare Trey or hero to just you know, walk into.

2639
01:58:53,479 --> 01:58:55,920
Speaker 1: Shots or maybe I'm wrong, will it get harder to

2640
01:58:55,960 --> 01:58:59,279
do that versus Miami because once you want like you're

2641
01:58:59,319 --> 01:59:02,479
gonna want mobly involved on like BAM, And if BAM's

2642
01:59:02,520 --> 01:59:04,359
not necessarily involved in that action, okay, well then what

2643
01:59:04,439 --> 01:59:05,279
is your plan there?

2644
01:59:05,359 --> 01:59:08,079
Speaker 2: Yeah? Yeah, no, I think that's right. I don't know,

2645
01:59:08,079 --> 01:59:09,760
I don't know, I don't know. I'd just be curious

2646
01:59:09,760 --> 01:59:10,800
how they how they handle that.

2647
01:59:10,840 --> 01:59:13,399
Speaker 3: Like again, it's a little bit like, well, Cleveland can

2648
01:59:13,439 --> 01:59:15,359
kind of mess around if it wants to and still

2649
01:59:15,399 --> 01:59:16,119
win that series.

2650
01:59:16,159 --> 01:59:17,760
Speaker 1: I'm just trying to think of a way where it

2651
01:59:17,760 --> 01:59:20,520
would be, Okay, hey, what what happens here? That could

2652
01:59:20,520 --> 01:59:23,880
be a potential foil for Cleveland. I think Miami postes

2653
01:59:23,880 --> 01:59:25,840
a more interesting matchup to me, just because I think

2654
01:59:25,840 --> 01:59:27,920
that BAM versus Evan Mobiley would be Yeah, and like

2655
01:59:28,000 --> 01:59:30,279
just kind of the Heat's defense, like they could put

2656
01:59:30,319 --> 01:59:32,159
some pressure on Cleveland's guards for sure.

2657
01:59:32,239 --> 01:59:34,960
Speaker 3: Yeah, and Atlanta's missing, I mean, like no, Jalen Johnson,

2658
01:59:35,079 --> 01:59:37,680
like there's just I mean, Dyson Daniels would be I

2659
01:59:37,720 --> 01:59:40,000
don't know, it'd be fun to watch him guard Garland

2660
01:59:40,039 --> 01:59:41,720
or Mitchell, I guess, but it's like the other one's

2661
01:59:41,760 --> 01:59:43,000
still gonna get loose, so.

2662
01:59:43,800 --> 01:59:44,840
Speaker 1: The other exists.

2663
01:59:45,119 --> 01:59:46,119
Speaker 2: What do you think the narrative.

2664
01:59:46,880 --> 01:59:49,479
Speaker 1: The narrative is the same too. I think this is

2665
01:59:49,520 --> 01:59:51,000
a perfect series that we don't need to know the

2666
01:59:51,039 --> 01:59:56,239
opponent has the Evan Mobley arrival extended to the playoffs,

2667
01:59:56,359 --> 01:59:58,560
because that's what we've and I don't know, Atlanta's not

2668
01:59:58,600 --> 02:00:00,840
going to be like the best barometer for that, I would.

2669
02:00:00,600 --> 02:00:02,119
Speaker 2: Get, but Miami kind of would you know?

2670
02:00:02,640 --> 02:00:05,479
Speaker 1: And it's just we've seen now it's happened. Whereas he

2671
02:00:05,520 --> 02:00:07,239
doesn't look as good in the playoffs. But this is

2672
02:00:07,279 --> 02:00:10,479
a different triple, this three point volume while shooting it

2673
02:00:10,520 --> 02:00:12,600
at a good clip again, just better at putting the

2674
02:00:12,640 --> 02:00:15,520
ball on the floor, getting through traffic, finishing through contact,

2675
02:00:15,520 --> 02:00:18,199
making decisions out of there. I firmly believe that the

2676
02:00:18,279 --> 02:00:20,880
arrival is real. But if you go through another like

2677
02:00:21,000 --> 02:00:22,840
even if they win, and you come out of it

2678
02:00:22,880 --> 02:00:27,359
thinking like Evan Mobley on offense, he didn't look too good, well,

2679
02:00:27,359 --> 02:00:29,760
then like, all right, what's gonna happen in these later

2680
02:00:29,840 --> 02:00:31,880
rounds when you go up against if it's Indiana, or

2681
02:00:31,880 --> 02:00:34,359
even if it's Milwaukee, and then if you face Boston

2682
02:00:34,359 --> 02:00:37,199
in the conference finals, that gets really intriguing. So I

2683
02:00:37,239 --> 02:00:40,840
think narratively, I as my most improved Player pick and

2684
02:00:40,920 --> 02:00:42,600
my Defensive Player of the Year pick, and as a

2685
02:00:42,640 --> 02:00:45,319
member of my first team All NBA ballot, I don't

2686
02:00:45,359 --> 02:00:48,800
really have doubts that he'll be fine, but it's something

2687
02:00:48,840 --> 02:00:52,239
to monitor because that was one of the knocks against

2688
02:00:52,319 --> 02:00:53,520
him coming into this year.

2689
02:00:53,720 --> 02:00:55,560
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think that's that's right. The only other one

2690
02:00:55,600 --> 02:00:56,760
I would have is just like.

2691
02:00:56,840 --> 02:00:58,920
Speaker 3: And again I don't know you're if you're gonna get

2692
02:00:59,279 --> 02:01:03,560
the sort of confirmation or otherwise in this particular series,

2693
02:01:03,560 --> 02:01:07,640
but like, is DeAndre Hunter just like, yes, he's the

2694
02:01:07,680 --> 02:01:10,079
fifth guy, Like he's the idea, He's perfect. We don't

2695
02:01:10,079 --> 02:01:12,079
need to Oh, is it gonna have to be a chorro?

2696
02:01:12,239 --> 02:01:13,560
Is it gonna have to be Dean Wade? Is it

2697
02:01:13,600 --> 02:01:15,399
gonna have to be street like? Just like no, no,

2698
02:01:15,800 --> 02:01:18,399
on both ends, Like he's just that's the guy. I

2699
02:01:18,439 --> 02:01:20,640
think I think the answer is yes, probably, But even

2700
02:01:20,640 --> 02:01:23,399
though I love Dean Wade defensively, but maybe maybe you

2701
02:01:23,479 --> 02:01:27,079
get some information on that and and that becomes a snarios.

2702
02:01:27,319 --> 02:01:28,279
Speaker 1: He's so fucking deep.

2703
02:01:28,479 --> 02:01:31,359
Speaker 2: Man, It's crazy X factors for me.

2704
02:01:31,479 --> 02:01:34,039
Speaker 1: So I'm gonna say Isaaca Corro for Cleveland regardless, because

2705
02:01:34,039 --> 02:01:35,680
I do think that they might want to pull that

2706
02:01:35,760 --> 02:01:38,680
lever at some point. Defensively, it's like how much can

2707
02:01:38,720 --> 02:01:43,359
he play there? And then if it's Atlanta, I'm gonna

2708
02:01:43,399 --> 02:01:46,520
say they're X factor. Honestly, I'm gonna say Zachary Resche

2709
02:01:46,640 --> 02:01:48,920
because I think that they haven't played him in a

2710
02:01:48,920 --> 02:01:51,720
ton of high leverage moments this like season, like we

2711
02:01:51,720 --> 02:01:53,199
saw more of it, like when he came back from

2712
02:01:53,199 --> 02:01:57,000
his a doctor injury injury excuse me, but like against Cleveland,

2713
02:01:57,239 --> 02:01:59,840
like when you have Garland and like who would be

2714
02:01:59,880 --> 02:02:02,199
a hey Dyson Daniels Great? What do you want to

2715
02:02:02,239 --> 02:02:04,560
do after that? Though? Like Reese's shame might like no

2716
02:02:04,640 --> 02:02:08,319
DeAndre Hunter there anymore? Like you do have like Vic Crachy,

2717
02:02:08,479 --> 02:02:10,079
like is that moving the needle for? Like what are

2718
02:02:10,359 --> 02:02:12,159
what do you want to do? No? I love Vic crazy,

2719
02:02:12,199 --> 02:02:14,159
I'm just saying, like, how do you want to structure

2720
02:02:14,199 --> 02:02:17,680
like he becomes super important? I would say defensively also offensively,

2721
02:02:17,680 --> 02:02:19,359
you want him hitting his threes, you want him stressed

2722
02:02:19,359 --> 02:02:24,239
testing defenses by moving without the ball, for Miami. I

2723
02:02:24,720 --> 02:02:26,119
don't know that I have a good one, Like is

2724
02:02:26,119 --> 02:02:27,840
it just like is it Koli aware?

2725
02:02:28,399 --> 02:02:31,239
Speaker 3: I mean, if you can't pick Hero, I think, I

2726
02:02:31,239 --> 02:02:33,199
mean Hero is not the Heat's best play.

2727
02:02:33,399 --> 02:02:36,039
Speaker 1: I feel like heroes pull up Jumper. Is that?

2728
02:02:36,640 --> 02:02:37,079
Speaker 2: Yeah? Right?

2729
02:02:37,159 --> 02:02:41,880
Speaker 3: Specifically, like and only if the if the Calves play

2730
02:02:41,960 --> 02:02:43,079
Drop otherwise.

2731
02:02:42,960 --> 02:02:45,279
Speaker 1: See maybe it's is it Wiggins then at that point,

2732
02:02:45,319 --> 02:02:47,359
because what if the Calves don't play, what if they're like,

2733
02:02:47,399 --> 02:02:50,359
then Wiggins becomes important. Like if Tyler Hero is able

2734
02:02:50,359 --> 02:02:53,640
to kill Drop don't whatever? Okay, fine, but if that's

2735
02:02:53,680 --> 02:02:55,800
not what you're facing, then Andrew Wiggins probably becomes pretty

2736
02:02:55,800 --> 02:02:56,680
important to busting.

2737
02:02:57,119 --> 02:02:59,399
Speaker 3: Yeah, Wiggins is Actually that's I think you've talked me

2738
02:02:59,439 --> 02:03:03,119
into Wiggins because like you could imagine him, I mean,

2739
02:03:03,159 --> 02:03:05,479
like he still might just he probably is the best

2740
02:03:05,479 --> 02:03:09,079
guy to throw on either Garland or Mitchell, you know,

2741
02:03:09,159 --> 02:03:11,119
like if you're trying to take one of them out

2742
02:03:11,239 --> 02:03:13,880
and then like he could survive on mobile, you're gonna

2743
02:03:13,920 --> 02:03:15,600
handle You don't want Bam to do most of that,

2744
02:03:15,680 --> 02:03:18,399
But maybe BAM's just gotta like wrestle with Jared Allen.

2745
02:03:18,399 --> 02:03:21,920
I don't know, So, Yeah, Wiggins is a good pick there, plus,

2746
02:03:22,159 --> 02:03:24,239
like who knows what you're getting from that guy, Like

2747
02:03:24,279 --> 02:03:26,560
you just he can you know, he can look like.

2748
02:03:26,520 --> 02:03:31,680
Speaker 1: A player on a title tea something, player on the Wizards, right, Just.

2749
02:03:31,680 --> 02:03:33,800
Speaker 2: You never know, But we got a pretty broad spectrum there.

2750
02:03:35,079 --> 02:03:36,600
Speaker 3: If it's the Hawks, I think I'd probably just go

2751
02:03:36,720 --> 02:03:43,279
Daniels because maybe he's disruptive enough to make Cleveland's offense

2752
02:03:43,439 --> 02:03:47,680
like seem mortal, you know, like maybe he generates enough turnovers,

2753
02:03:47,760 --> 02:03:51,720
maybe he harasses Mitchell or Garland enough to where they're

2754
02:03:51,760 --> 02:03:53,680
just like kind of a non factor for a game

2755
02:03:53,800 --> 02:03:54,880
or a half or something.

2756
02:03:54,920 --> 02:03:55,039
Speaker 1: Like.

2757
02:03:55,399 --> 02:03:57,800
Speaker 3: It's just it's tough sledding against this Cleveland offense, and

2758
02:03:57,840 --> 02:04:00,760
he's kind of the guy that like might mess it up.

2759
02:04:01,239 --> 02:04:05,800
Speaker 2: But you know, like we're kind of reaching there predictions.

2760
02:04:05,920 --> 02:04:08,840
Speaker 1: I will go Cleveland in four over in Atlanta. I was

2761
02:04:08,840 --> 02:04:11,000
gonna go Cleveland in five for Miami, Like I could

2762
02:04:11,000 --> 02:04:12,800
see them having like a lead late in the game,

2763
02:04:12,840 --> 02:04:14,319
but then they'll just blow it. So I'm gonna go

2764
02:04:14,359 --> 02:04:16,640
Cleveland in four over Miami as well.

2765
02:04:17,079 --> 02:04:19,680
Speaker 3: I think I'll just go Cleveland in five either way,

2766
02:04:20,000 --> 02:04:23,800
just you know, I sweeps are that means I just

2767
02:04:23,840 --> 02:04:24,439
guarantee a s.

2768
02:04:24,680 --> 02:04:26,880
Speaker 1: I just do you know what interests me about the

2769
02:04:26,920 --> 02:04:31,399
Calves is that we and this has been proven, your

2770
02:04:31,479 --> 02:04:34,000
rotation shortened the playoffs, And it feels like the Grizzlies

2771
02:04:34,039 --> 02:04:36,079
are kind of the perfect encapsulation of this, where it's

2772
02:04:36,359 --> 02:04:38,640
the depth that can make them so effective until they

2773
02:04:38,640 --> 02:04:41,560
implode during the regular season. It just doesn't carry over

2774
02:04:41,600 --> 02:04:43,760
the same way to the postseason. But I look at

2775
02:04:43,800 --> 02:04:47,199
Cleveland's depth and I've called it functional depth, with I've

2776
02:04:47,239 --> 02:04:50,159
decided means no, this translates to the playoffs, and it's

2777
02:04:50,199 --> 02:04:52,159
just when you're trying to figure out, Okay, they're top

2778
02:04:52,159 --> 02:04:54,159
four guys, all playoff players, even if you have to

2779
02:04:54,159 --> 02:04:56,479
close with Mobile at the five, like that's fine, Blake,

2780
02:04:56,920 --> 02:05:01,720
what DeAndre Hunter, Max Drews, Dean Way, Tie, Jerome, even Isaaca,

2781
02:05:02,039 --> 02:05:04,880
Like those are all I'd be worried about Isaaca, Korro

2782
02:05:05,000 --> 02:05:07,800
staying on the floor. Maybe Jerome and certain Like this

2783
02:05:08,000 --> 02:05:12,960
is like their entire rotation basically can stick in the playoffs.

2784
02:05:13,000 --> 02:05:16,199
And so I think that it'll be a sweet if

2785
02:05:16,239 --> 02:05:17,680
you had to say that one of the team is

2786
02:05:17,680 --> 02:05:19,399
gonna win a game, I'll say Miami. But I don't

2787
02:05:19,439 --> 02:05:20,920
think either of these teams gets a game off.

2788
02:05:20,960 --> 02:05:23,399
Speaker 3: This version of the Caps, that's fairy. I'm just gentlemen

2789
02:05:23,439 --> 02:05:26,079
sweeping it because I don't know why not Cavs.

2790
02:05:25,800 --> 02:05:31,520
Speaker 1: Might relax our final series Oklahoma City versus Nico Harrison's

2791
02:05:31,720 --> 02:05:37,359
Mavericks or Zach Kleman's Grizzlies. What is your did I

2792
02:05:37,399 --> 02:05:38,239
start tactically?

2793
02:05:38,359 --> 02:05:39,800
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'll take I'll take tactical.

2794
02:05:39,880 --> 02:05:43,239
Speaker 3: So this is these are gonna be kind of well,

2795
02:05:43,319 --> 02:05:45,600
I guess we shouldn't really true, I don't know. I

2796
02:05:45,640 --> 02:05:49,680
think I view Memphis as like markedly better than Dallas

2797
02:05:49,760 --> 02:05:50,239
in a way.

2798
02:05:50,119 --> 02:05:51,239
Speaker 2: That maybe you don't. I don't know.

2799
02:05:51,279 --> 02:05:55,399
Speaker 3: I just even though that feels ridiculous because the wheels

2800
02:05:55,399 --> 02:05:58,520
are falling off in a lot of ways in Memphis,

2801
02:05:58,680 --> 02:06:02,159
I think tactically it just has to be the Jalen like,

2802
02:06:02,239 --> 02:06:03,800
it's not gonna be an issue in this series.

2803
02:06:04,000 --> 02:06:05,560
Speaker 2: Sorry, but like the Jalen.

2804
02:06:05,279 --> 02:06:10,399
Speaker 3: Williams chet Holmgren or Jalen Williams Isaiah Hartenstein offensive production

2805
02:06:10,640 --> 02:06:12,600
like with Shae off the floor again another thing that

2806
02:06:12,640 --> 02:06:13,439
doesn't matter as much.

2807
02:06:13,600 --> 02:06:15,960
Speaker 1: Well, sorry, I was gonna say even with Shay on it.

2808
02:06:16,000 --> 02:06:18,560
But I think that's why we might view it differently

2809
02:06:18,600 --> 02:06:22,199
from the from the Grizzlies is who is Like that

2810
02:06:22,239 --> 02:06:24,239
would be my tactical question to kind of combine the

2811
02:06:24,279 --> 02:06:27,199
two who is guarded like, okay, Vince Williams junior, Scottie

2812
02:06:27,199 --> 02:06:30,000
Pippen junior on shee okay have fun with his fifty

2813
02:06:30,000 --> 02:06:30,960
burgers out right.

2814
02:06:31,399 --> 02:06:34,520
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean that there's no answer to, like how

2815
02:06:34,520 --> 02:06:37,000
do you guard Shay? I just ken Jalleen Williams run

2816
02:06:37,000 --> 02:06:39,239
the offense. That's that's gonna be my question until we

2817
02:06:39,279 --> 02:06:41,479
see it consistently and like it's a little bit of

2818
02:06:41,680 --> 02:06:45,359
a misnomer because we've seen the numbers and you pointed

2819
02:06:45,399 --> 02:06:48,239
him out to like if chet or Hertenstein is out

2820
02:06:48,239 --> 02:06:50,600
there with him, like it's fine, Like it's not an issue,

2821
02:06:50,600 --> 02:06:52,920
but let's see it in the playoffs just to validate it.

2822
02:06:53,079 --> 02:06:54,640
Speaker 1: And I think what was a problem though, is like

2823
02:06:54,760 --> 02:06:57,199
Jalen Williams's offense was a struggle even with Shae on

2824
02:06:57,239 --> 02:07:00,319
the court last year in the playoffs, So what does

2825
02:07:00,319 --> 02:07:02,760
that look like? And the thunder in general when you

2826
02:07:02,760 --> 02:07:05,119
look at the teammates of shit, like everyone who's nonhe

2827
02:07:05,119 --> 02:07:08,079
they rank in the fifth percentile of half court shot

2828
02:07:08,119 --> 02:07:11,000
making and that's not like that's not great and like

2829
02:07:11,439 --> 02:07:12,079
feel concern.

2830
02:07:12,600 --> 02:07:16,520
Speaker 3: You also don't get to like question anything tactically that

2831
02:07:16,520 --> 02:07:19,239
the thunder are gonna do defensively because it's just like

2832
02:07:19,279 --> 02:07:21,640
what there are what issue could possibly arise that they

2833
02:07:21,640 --> 02:07:24,880
can't handle, So like it just we have to think

2834
02:07:24,880 --> 02:07:26,520
of something on offense for them.

2835
02:07:26,840 --> 02:07:28,720
Speaker 1: And I would be curious to see, and I think

2836
02:07:28,720 --> 02:07:30,840
it becomes more But I guess if you're gonna play

2837
02:07:30,880 --> 02:07:32,800
Jaron Jackson Junior next to a big, you still want

2838
02:07:32,800 --> 02:07:35,359
to go this route against Memphis, but like, hey, how

2839
02:07:35,399 --> 02:07:37,560
does the dual big lineup hold up in the playoffs

2840
02:07:37,560 --> 02:07:41,159
with Jet and Isaiah Hartenstein, like not like defensively, maybe

2841
02:07:41,159 --> 02:07:43,119
even on the glass. If I think it's more of

2842
02:07:43,159 --> 02:07:45,960
a i'd be more interested. Not I think it'll be

2843
02:07:45,960 --> 02:07:48,199
fine against both teams, to be clear, but like Dallas,

2844
02:07:48,199 --> 02:07:51,800
if they're gonna play Davis and then it's Gafford or

2845
02:07:51,800 --> 02:07:54,199
Lively and then PJ. Washington's on the floor, like not

2846
02:07:54,319 --> 02:07:57,520
Naji Marshall. They're pretty huge still even without Luca there,

2847
02:07:57,920 --> 02:08:00,600
So yeah, I think that would be I'm like fascinating

2848
02:08:00,640 --> 02:08:03,359
to see what that happens. I don't know just if

2849
02:08:03,359 --> 02:08:06,520
it was tactically from Members's perspective, are you using against

2850
02:08:06,520 --> 02:08:10,000
Shay without Jalen Wells? They're like, who do you default to? Got?

2851
02:08:12,720 --> 02:08:16,439
And he's yeah, he's just not big enough. So Dallas

2852
02:08:16,479 --> 02:08:18,479
at least you have, you know, a bunch of different

2853
02:08:18,520 --> 02:08:20,880
you could try PJ. Washington and Max Christy. You have

2854
02:08:20,920 --> 02:08:24,960
options to throw at them. Another one like kind of

2855
02:08:24,960 --> 02:08:26,640
in this too is I don't know if this is

2856
02:08:26,640 --> 02:08:28,840
a this is a narrative question, like what does Anthony

2857
02:08:28,920 --> 02:08:30,840
Davis look like if the Mavericks come out of this

2858
02:08:31,319 --> 02:08:33,199
taking if he's gonna play the four, he's gonna just

2859
02:08:33,199 --> 02:08:35,079
take more jumpers and he's not a good jump shooter,

2860
02:08:35,119 --> 02:08:37,560
I think, unless can we move this to the bubble?

2861
02:08:37,960 --> 02:08:40,000
Speaker 2: Right? Yeah? Can we play with no fans in Orlando?

2862
02:08:40,159 --> 02:08:43,159
Speaker 1: Also hasn't been moving the same, So there's that and

2863
02:08:43,199 --> 02:08:45,399
then a Joum Moran. I guess like he's fine after

2864
02:08:45,399 --> 02:08:47,199
his ankle issue too, will no more after we watch

2865
02:08:47,239 --> 02:08:50,119
that game tonight if they get through this. But which

2866
02:08:50,159 --> 02:08:53,319
team I guess Memphis offense is better built at this

2867
02:08:53,359 --> 02:08:55,560
point to stress test Oklahoma City's defense? Right?

2868
02:08:55,800 --> 02:08:57,560
Speaker 3: Yeah, Well that's the tough thing of it is, like

2869
02:08:57,640 --> 02:09:01,439
that is clearly of of both teams, the biggest strength

2870
02:09:01,439 --> 02:09:03,800
on either side is just Memphis offense. And it's like,

2871
02:09:04,279 --> 02:09:06,920
all right, is it historically great? No?

2872
02:09:07,439 --> 02:09:09,680
Speaker 2: Okay, well then then the thunder are not gonna you

2873
02:09:09,720 --> 02:09:11,680
know what I mean, Like the best thing we got

2874
02:09:11,720 --> 02:09:12,239
from either of.

2875
02:09:12,239 --> 02:09:13,920
Speaker 3: These teams is just not going to measure up. I

2876
02:09:13,960 --> 02:09:17,239
don't think to Okay, See, I do think kind of

2877
02:09:17,279 --> 02:09:20,600
getting into the narrative part of it of like the

2878
02:09:20,640 --> 02:09:25,119
Thunders defense like seems like it should have the capacity

2879
02:09:25,199 --> 02:09:28,640
to make Ja Morant just like not exist. Yeah, And

2880
02:09:28,680 --> 02:09:31,319
I think so the narrative for me is like in

2881
02:09:31,359 --> 02:09:33,560
the face of all the shit that's happened with Memphis,

2882
02:09:33,640 --> 02:09:36,319
in the face of all his like off court the

2883
02:09:36,560 --> 02:09:39,560
dumb stuff and on court dumb stuff, and like the

2884
02:09:39,960 --> 02:09:42,239
what I would I think it's fair to call.

2885
02:09:42,199 --> 02:09:47,760
Speaker 2: Like just like the like the decline is not not.

2886
02:09:47,760 --> 02:09:51,279
Speaker 3: The right word, Like just the way that Morant's like

2887
02:09:51,479 --> 02:09:53,960
status in the league over the last like year to

2888
02:09:54,000 --> 02:09:57,119
eighteen months and like where he sits has just like

2889
02:09:57,479 --> 02:09:59,479
he's just not where he was, like in terms of

2890
02:09:59,560 --> 02:10:02,479
like public in terms of like where he ranks for

2891
02:10:02,560 --> 02:10:06,119
ranking players in ability, like could he like use this

2892
02:10:06,239 --> 02:10:09,239
series as a way I'm kind of rooting for it

2893
02:10:09,319 --> 02:10:11,560
to just be like, no, I'm still kind of that guy,

2894
02:10:11,960 --> 02:10:14,640
like I can go get forty on this defense. Maybe,

2895
02:10:14,760 --> 02:10:17,880
Like I think that's highly unlikely, but from a narrative perspective,

2896
02:10:17,880 --> 02:10:21,199
because the thunder are just gonna win, and if it

2897
02:10:21,279 --> 02:10:23,319
maybe it won't even be Memphis potentially, I don't know.

2898
02:10:23,319 --> 02:10:26,319
We're recording this before that game. That would be like

2899
02:10:26,359 --> 02:10:28,479
the most interesting thing to me if Moran just like

2900
02:10:28,840 --> 02:10:31,840
throw give me Alex Cruso, gimme lu Doort, gimme Case

2901
02:10:31,880 --> 02:10:34,000
and Wallace, I don't care, like I'm going to get

2902
02:10:34,039 --> 02:10:35,920
to the basket and make stuff happen like that would

2903
02:10:35,960 --> 02:10:38,760
be That would be the most interesting development I think

2904
02:10:38,760 --> 02:10:41,520
for memphisis side because then that reorients like okay, no,

2905
02:10:41,600 --> 02:10:44,279
we can sort of go forward, I think with most

2906
02:10:44,319 --> 02:10:46,840
of this same core and our main guy, and if they.

2907
02:10:46,680 --> 02:10:48,640
Speaker 1: Decide they can't. By the way, it gets really because

2908
02:10:48,680 --> 02:10:50,800
so many of their players are cheap that you're not

2909
02:10:50,920 --> 02:10:54,600
making material changes I would think in getting better unless

2910
02:10:54,640 --> 02:10:56,680
you're there, are you moving one of the bigger three

2911
02:10:56,840 --> 02:10:59,159
because just your salary structure when it comes to matching

2912
02:10:59,560 --> 02:11:01,880
for guys so tough, at least until next trade deadline.

2913
02:11:01,880 --> 02:11:05,560
If you add some new money to the books X factors.

2914
02:11:05,720 --> 02:11:09,119
I think for Memphis, I'm just gonna go with Scottie

2915
02:11:09,119 --> 02:11:11,359
Pippen Jr. Because he'll have like, can you get the

2916
02:11:11,399 --> 02:11:13,720
ball out of Shay's hands maybe a little bit? And

2917
02:11:13,800 --> 02:11:17,960
it becomes Vince Williams if they default to that. For Dallas,

2918
02:11:18,520 --> 02:11:20,840
that one's tough, like who is the X? Is it?

2919
02:11:21,000 --> 02:11:24,359
Just like who's the I'll go PJ. Washington because I

2920
02:11:24,359 --> 02:11:27,479
think that he'll have like the biggest breadth of different

2921
02:11:27,520 --> 02:11:30,279
types of defensive assignments, and that's someone you could lean into. Okay,

2922
02:11:30,319 --> 02:11:32,560
is he making his threes? Is he kind of ducking

2923
02:11:32,600 --> 02:11:34,279
in for cuts? Can he put the ball in his

2924
02:11:34,319 --> 02:11:36,600
hands a little bit? You could go Naji Marshall, I

2925
02:11:36,640 --> 02:11:38,119
think too, if you wanted to just what he does

2926
02:11:38,159 --> 02:11:41,560
in transition for the thunder On the X factors, I

2927
02:11:41,680 --> 02:11:45,199
just feel Jilen Williams feels too high profile. You're gonna

2928
02:11:45,199 --> 02:11:48,119
pick it saw. I don't know who is the X

2929
02:11:48,159 --> 02:11:50,640
factor because I'm just looking at their opponents and then

2930
02:11:50,680 --> 02:11:55,159
just none of them really intimidate me. I'll say, I

2931
02:11:55,920 --> 02:11:56,439
have no idea.

2932
02:11:56,720 --> 02:11:59,439
Speaker 3: I could it could just be Chet, Like is he

2933
02:11:59,760 --> 02:12:02,640
like so high profile though, well, but everybody on the

2934
02:12:02,640 --> 02:12:04,720
Thunder is good, and the problem is if they're not

2935
02:12:04,840 --> 02:12:07,119
too good to qualify as an X factor, you know

2936
02:12:07,199 --> 02:12:09,760
exactly what you're getting from them, which means you're also

2937
02:12:09,840 --> 02:12:11,680
not an X factor, Like, oh, is lou Dort gonna

2938
02:12:11,680 --> 02:12:13,600
play good? V? Yeah, I think he's probably gonna play good.

2939
02:12:13,880 --> 02:12:15,720
Like maybe it's like, can lou Dort make a bunch

2940
02:12:15,760 --> 02:12:17,560
of threes if they get take the ball out of

2941
02:12:17,560 --> 02:12:18,960
Shay's hands or something like that.

2942
02:12:19,039 --> 02:12:20,319
Speaker 2: You know, maybe it's something that.

2943
02:12:21,359 --> 02:12:23,840
Speaker 1: Yeah, I'll say like, but then it could be Case

2944
02:12:23,880 --> 02:12:27,239
and Wallace if you want to, right, Can I just

2945
02:12:27,279 --> 02:12:29,720
go with Nicole of topicch I'd like to like, how

2946
02:12:29,720 --> 02:12:31,840
good of a teammate he's going to be on the side.

2947
02:12:31,920 --> 02:12:34,520
This is just narratively, you can there'll be questions to

2948
02:12:34,520 --> 02:12:36,479
ask about the Thunder, but they're not losing in the

2949
02:12:36,520 --> 02:12:39,159
first round if they do lose, and so you can't

2950
02:12:39,159 --> 02:12:40,920
even come up with that. That's why I'm just struggling

2951
02:12:41,000 --> 02:12:43,279
so much with it. So I'll say check because I

2952
02:12:43,279 --> 02:12:46,479
think it's very clearly I don't like. I know we've

2953
02:12:46,479 --> 02:12:48,199
had some talk about this in the past, and maybe

2954
02:12:48,239 --> 02:12:50,439
some of it's the availability stuff. J Dubb is just

2955
02:12:50,439 --> 02:12:52,000
the second best player on this team, and I actually

2956
02:12:52,000 --> 02:12:53,920
think there's a pretty when you're looking offensively, there's a

2957
02:12:53,920 --> 02:12:57,359
pretty clear gap there now. And so if J Dubb

2958
02:12:57,760 --> 02:13:00,680
doesn't have it going at all in the playoffs, like

2959
02:13:00,760 --> 02:13:02,960
then it kind of all right. If if you trust

2960
02:13:02,960 --> 02:13:05,479
Isaiah Hartenstein mort like jump start the offense and set

2961
02:13:05,520 --> 02:13:08,000
up others rather than giving it to Chet and exploring

2962
02:13:08,039 --> 02:13:11,359
what he could do, that becomes like it's not problematic,

2963
02:13:11,399 --> 02:13:13,119
but like that would just be something to monitor. So yeah,

2964
02:13:13,119 --> 02:13:15,439
I will go Chet, even though he feels based off

2965
02:13:15,439 --> 02:13:18,159
my other selections, he feels way in every other series,

2966
02:13:18,199 --> 02:13:19,439
feels way too high profile.

2967
02:13:19,760 --> 02:13:22,159
Speaker 3: I'll just say Case and Wallace because he might go

2968
02:13:22,600 --> 02:13:26,279
one for four from three or he might go three

2969
02:13:26,359 --> 02:13:28,520
for four, and that'll be the difference between the Thunder

2970
02:13:28,520 --> 02:13:32,119
winning by twenty nine and twenty three. I think basically

2971
02:13:32,199 --> 02:13:35,279
is you know, on a night to night basis just predictions.

2972
02:13:35,720 --> 02:13:37,800
Speaker 1: Are you, gentlemen sweep for both of these again?

2973
02:13:37,920 --> 02:13:38,479
Speaker 2: Or is no?

2974
02:13:38,720 --> 02:13:41,600
Speaker 3: I think I'm just going Thunder sweeping either of them.

2975
02:13:41,920 --> 02:13:43,359
I mean, like you got to give it to him.

2976
02:13:43,720 --> 02:13:47,199
They're they if they're not going to sweep somebody who

2977
02:13:47,279 --> 02:13:49,680
is so I'll I just don't. I mean, Memphis I

2978
02:13:49,720 --> 02:13:51,319
think has a better shot. I'll say that, but I

2979
02:13:51,319 --> 02:13:52,039
don't know what that means.

2980
02:13:52,520 --> 02:13:55,279
Speaker 1: I think, and maybe you're probably right. Memphis is a

2981
02:13:55,319 --> 02:13:57,640
better shot because I believe I know Jalleen Wellson there,

2982
02:13:57,680 --> 02:14:01,319
but they're technically healthier. But the Ja Moran ankle thing,

2983
02:14:01,439 --> 02:14:04,079
and he's just always injured. It seems like so Anthony

2984
02:14:04,199 --> 02:14:06,199
Davis if he was healthy. The Dallas is just so big,

2985
02:14:06,239 --> 02:14:08,000
and they have a lot of defensive versatility. I could

2986
02:14:08,039 --> 02:14:10,239
see it being them. I'm gonna go sweep across the

2987
02:14:10,239 --> 02:14:13,079
board here. I actually do think though that Dallas could

2988
02:14:13,159 --> 02:14:15,199
still gum up some things for Oklahoma City. I think

2989
02:14:15,199 --> 02:14:17,039
that they're bigger. I'll frame it this way. They're a

2990
02:14:17,039 --> 02:14:18,920
bigger threat to twin a game, not this series.

2991
02:14:19,920 --> 02:14:24,520
Speaker 3: I mean, just based on like I mean, definitely, Anthony

2992
02:14:24,600 --> 02:14:27,399
Davis has wrecked a lot of teams built around like

2993
02:14:27,640 --> 02:14:31,039
good paint finishing guards just because he's so imposing there

2994
02:14:31,039 --> 02:14:34,640
and like mobile enough, and with Lively there too, Maybe

2995
02:14:34,680 --> 02:14:36,640
that I don't know. I just I think Memphis just

2996
02:14:36,720 --> 02:14:40,199
has more raw talent like and I. But but if

2997
02:14:40,239 --> 02:14:42,600
Morent is hurt, then we're like, what are we talking about?

2998
02:14:42,720 --> 02:14:44,800
Speaker 1: I am at the point with Dallas though that I

2999
02:14:44,800 --> 02:14:47,840
would try throwing out a five big lineup and let's

3000
02:14:47,840 --> 02:14:51,359
just play lively with Gafford, Davis, Washington, and Naji Marshall

3001
02:14:51,359 --> 02:14:52,199
and see what happens.

3002
02:14:52,359 --> 02:14:53,640
Speaker 2: Why not might as well?

3003
02:14:53,840 --> 02:14:56,439
Speaker 1: That was fun? Man? Long, are you having anything else

3004
02:14:56,439 --> 02:14:57,600
to add or would you like to take us out

3005
02:14:57,640 --> 02:14:57,800
of here?

3006
02:14:57,800 --> 02:14:59,960
Speaker 2: Grant, I think we've talked enough. I will, I will,

3007
02:15:00,119 --> 02:15:03,039
I will add is like I think you could tell.

3008
02:15:03,079 --> 02:15:05,479
Speaker 3: But like some of these matchups, especially in the West,

3009
02:15:05,479 --> 02:15:08,319
I just it feels like they're gonna be so good.

3010
02:15:08,399 --> 02:15:10,319
I'll be really disappointed if we don't have just some

3011
02:15:10,399 --> 02:15:11,800
incredible playoff series.

3012
02:15:12,000 --> 02:15:14,079
Speaker 1: So let us know your predictions in the comments are

3013
02:15:14,079 --> 02:15:16,760
in our discords as well, which I will be active

3014
02:15:16,760 --> 02:15:18,279
with it. I'm like, I feel like now I know

3015
02:15:18,319 --> 02:15:21,479
how athletes feel when people are like speculating on where

3016
02:15:21,520 --> 02:15:23,399
they've been, where there's been speculations, and where I've been

3017
02:15:23,439 --> 02:15:25,119
in discord and so like I'm reading that it makes

3018
02:15:25,119 --> 02:15:27,600
it feeling easy. I'll try to get back in there shortly.

3019
02:15:27,840 --> 02:15:29,840
But yeah, I'm hoping for the playoffs. Let us know

3020
02:15:29,880 --> 02:15:32,840
your predictions. Really intrigued by them. Two quick news notes though,

3021
02:15:32,880 --> 02:15:35,800
grant Rob Polinka got an extension and a promotion. He's

3022
02:15:35,840 --> 02:15:39,640
now the team president of the Los Angeles Lakers. I

3023
02:15:39,680 --> 02:15:42,079
guess like he really hit on that Dalton connect pick,

3024
02:15:42,199 --> 02:15:45,920
so that makes some sense. That's probably Greg Popovich had

3025
02:15:45,920 --> 02:15:49,039
like some procedure too. Shohn's posted he had a medical

3026
02:15:49,079 --> 02:15:51,720
incident and a restaurant on Tuesday night and is now

3027
02:15:51,720 --> 02:15:54,439
home stable and doing fine. He also had that mild

3028
02:15:54,439 --> 02:15:59,199
stroke in November. So here's hoping the best for Greg Popovich.

3029
02:15:59,239 --> 02:16:01,840
That's been such a really just shitty situation over there

3030
02:16:01,840 --> 02:16:02,600
in San Antonio.

3031
02:16:03,279 --> 02:16:05,479
Speaker 2: I would echo all that. I think that is going

3032
02:16:05,520 --> 02:16:05,880
to do it.

3033
02:16:05,960 --> 02:16:09,079
Speaker 3: Thanks everybody for listening, for watching Rate Review, subscribe, if

3034
02:16:09,079 --> 02:16:11,359
you're watching on YouTube, let us know what your picks

3035
02:16:11,359 --> 02:16:14,199
are there. Make sure you're telling your friends about the podcast.

3036
02:16:14,239 --> 02:16:16,239
It's but like we're gonna the playoffs are a fun

3037
02:16:16,239 --> 02:16:18,039
time for us because we really get to dig into games,

3038
02:16:18,039 --> 02:16:19,479
and that's not something we always get to do.

3039
02:16:19,640 --> 02:16:21,439
Speaker 2: It's something we very much like to do. I hope

3040
02:16:21,479 --> 02:16:25,000
that comes through. I mean, we're gonna watch games, so

3041
02:16:25,039 --> 02:16:27,079
these are you excited to watch games for the first

3042
02:16:27,119 --> 02:16:27,640
time this year?

3043
02:16:28,399 --> 02:16:30,920
Speaker 1: I don't watch games until the second round. So I mean,

3044
02:16:30,960 --> 02:16:35,079
like Grant, like, there's sometimes like the four games in

3045
02:16:35,120 --> 02:16:37,280
one day. That's a lot, Like how am I supposed

3046
02:16:37,280 --> 02:16:38,239
to watch any of them?

3047
02:16:39,280 --> 02:16:39,760
Speaker 2: How about this?

3048
02:16:39,879 --> 02:16:42,000
Speaker 3: I'll watch the first quarter of all of them and

3049
02:16:42,120 --> 02:16:43,719
just tell you what I think is gonna happen, and

3050
02:16:43,760 --> 02:16:44,360
then we can.

3051
02:16:44,200 --> 02:16:47,120
Speaker 1: Talk about it afterwards, basical without ever knowing the finals.

3052
02:16:47,200 --> 02:16:48,760
Speaker 2: Guard Yeah, yeah, you know, that's probably good enough.

3053
02:16:48,760 --> 02:16:50,280
Speaker 3: I don't want to spend that's that's like watching a

3054
02:16:50,319 --> 02:16:52,000
whole game. If there's four in a day, I watch

3055
02:16:52,079 --> 02:16:52,760
four first quarter.

3056
02:16:53,440 --> 02:16:55,600
Speaker 1: I posted on like Boott on Twitter. I could just

3057
02:16:55,680 --> 02:16:58,159
like dad, that's how I couldn't seem that feels like

3058
02:16:58,200 --> 02:17:00,639
a lot too really, to be honest, most things are

3059
02:17:00,680 --> 02:17:01,799
longer than sixty seconds.

3060
02:17:01,879 --> 02:17:04,440
Speaker 2: We still have it. Who's about the time? Shouts Franklin

3061
02:17:04,479 --> 02:17:05,760
like king an apologies chair it a han

3062
02:17:07,840 --> 02:17:07,879
Speaker 3: H