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Speaker 1: What is up, Fellows, it goes, I am Valley coming

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at you with my certified fantabulous I'd wanted only co host,

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mister Grant Hughes.

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Speaker 2: The NBA playoffs are still happening. We're going to talk

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about them. It's a forthcoming series. First and foremost, do

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grant that card.

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Speaker 3: I'm doing very well. I as as I said last week,

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playoffs are great. Everything's better in the playoffs. Guys are

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trying hard, stakes matter, all that stuff. And also we've

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had some teams eliminated, so we don't have to watch

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four games every night anymore, which is the huge bonus

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to my life.

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Speaker 1: Was that Tuesday, I didn't like the four playoff games

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on the weekend. You can game it because but when

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there's an overlap with them, that was so annoying.

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Speaker 3: It's too much. It's too much to have to pay

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close attention to you. So I'm glad I'm not rooting

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against anybody except the Rockets. But I just sometimes it's

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I'm not upset when a series ends and we have

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one less team to worry about.

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Speaker 1: Let's talk about the first second round series that was

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set the Cleveland Cavaliers versus the Indiana Pacers. This series,

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I was going through it, and we'll have for anyone

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who's unfamiliar with how we do previews, like we'll have

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a tactical question, narrative question, and then our X factors.

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I was going through this series trying to figure out, like, Okay,

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what is gonna be just the the defining example from it.

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I think ultimately both the offenses are gonna be fine,

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and so it led me to believe, well, like, how

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are these two teams gonna like what is the interplay defensively?

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And I think my biggest question what I'm still narrowing

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down between the two, but I kind of want to know,

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like is Cleveland gonna get caught up and trying to

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go after Tyres Haliburton a little too much or not

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too like they did it to Tyler hero in the

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first round. Tyre's Alibert had some really big defensive plays

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against the Bucks, but he is someone you could go after.

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Let's say it works, how do the Pacers counter that?

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And if like not working as the Calves, then where

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do you go from that? Because you don't want to Okay,

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logically it makes sense to go after Tyre's Halliburn but

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if that's not working, like what is the counter to that?

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Speaker 2: Then?

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Speaker 3: Yeah, well, first of all, I'm glad that I'm glad

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you're kind of like trying to work through this the

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salient points for this series, because I had a hard

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time just kind of zeroing in on anything that felt like, oh,

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here's the key to the series. Here's because really like broadly,

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maybe tell me if you agree with this, Like, sure

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there's differences, but like the Calves and Pacers are their

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offense first teams that just like when you're analyzing a

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series they're in generally it's like, well, how does team

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X stop Cleveland? Or how does Team Y stop the Pacers?

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Like that kind of thing, and then like the defense

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just is what it is now because both are just

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good offenses are defined by their offense anyway, certainly Cleveland

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more so, they're the best in the league. It's you

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do look more at the other end, So like for me,

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I wonder so just to get the numbers out there.

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On the season, the Calves defensive rating was better than

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than Indies, but the Pacers was better. After the All

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Star break by a decent margin. They were eighth in

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defensive efficiency. The Calves were fourteenth. Some of that might

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be the Calves took the pedal foot off the gas

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because they had the number one seed and that type

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of thing. But like this, these are still pretty. These

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are good defenses, and the Pacers have been better than

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good lately, and the Calves were better than good over

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the bulk of the year. Specifically, though, for the Pacers,

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I wonder if it's gonna be possible for them to run,

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because transition is important for both of these teams, but

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more so I think for the Pacers offense. The Calves

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half court defense is fifth in the league, the Pacers

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is sixteenth. So if you do get into a bogged

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down kind of setup, I think that favors the Calves,

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whose half core defense is just better. And I think

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that means that the Pacers' ability to run, which is

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always compromised in the playoff anyway, matters a little more

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so tactically, I'm just looking at can Indiana like get

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the chaotic like you know, swing swing swing stuff that

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comes off of like transition, miss missteps or like the

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defense not being set. If so, that's not a player

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specific thing. I think your Haliburton point is pretty That's

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my Cleveland tactical thing is like how do we maximize

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going at Haliburton? And then like what do the Pacers do?

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Where do they hide him? That kind of thing.

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Speaker 1: It does seem like too that getting the defense set

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is more important for Indy's defense than it would be

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for Cleveland's to where it's like Indy needs to score

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to help out its offense more than Cleveland does. Probably,

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I just think with the number of buttons they could press,

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but I don't even know. And and with Haliburton, it's

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we don't have like the sample size from the regular

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season when you look at some of the Pacers injuries

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also including Haliburt not playing. I think in at least

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one of the games with Cleveland, like what is the

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go to defender on Haliburton? Are you gonna give Mitchell

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a chance at all? Do you default to DeAndre Hunter?

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It doesn't look like Infuria should be Isaaca Korro, but

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he might not be part of the plans if you're

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gonna play like if you're putting Hunter on Halliburton, this

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has to be a Dean Wade series then, right, because

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you need someone else to like who's gonna be able

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to defend?

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Speaker 2: Like the rest of the attack.

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Speaker 1: But I've also gone back and forth, like on the

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pacer side of this in fury. Is this a better

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matchup than people are crediting because of all like Cleveland's

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best players, not one of them is that apex predator

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wing as you call them. And so when like that's

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in theory, that's Indy's biggest defensive weakness. They have Aaron Smith,

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they have nem Hard, but those guys aren't necessarily big

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enough to go Yeah, okay, Donna Mitchell.

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Speaker 2: Darius Carland are fantastic, but Aaron E.

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Speaker 1: Smith Andrew Nemhard being able to go out that maybe

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you sprinkling a little bit of Ben Sheppard there the

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push and pull here for this for the series tactically,

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and then even you know you mentioned sort of like

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the half court with Indy, think Pascal Siakam becomes huge. Yeah,

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we're gonna see a lot Evan, but like he gives

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them sort of that change of cadence like on ball

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half quartu like, and he could punish mismatches in the

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post like he can also get going downhill and change directions.

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So this feels like at Tyre's Hollburn's always gonna be

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the most important star. But I think you're not gonna

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be able to get away with as we kind of

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saw points in the Pacers Buck series. I don't think

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you can get away from Pascal Siakam being as involved,

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Like he needs to be involved more than he was

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at points in that that Buck series.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I think that's right, And part of that's because

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he can make Garland or Mitchell, you know, those are guys.

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I think if if you can get engineer switch so

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Siakam gets it at the elbow against one of those

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two guys somehow, then like, okay, we can tying back

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to like, are the Pacers gonna be able to score

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enough in half court sets? Like that's probably one of

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the ways it's gonna have to happen is through Siakam

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against mismatches. If you can engineer that kind of thing.

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I mean, I feel pretty confidence saying there's gonna be

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a lot of like whether it's in transition or semi transition,

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just like a lot of pre switching, a lot of

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like because this feels like a match up Hunty kind

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of series to me. And I think I think, like,

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you know, because the Pacers have Haliburton, you would say, like, well,

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and the Cavs are, but like it's not like, I

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guess MOBILEI getting some you know, getting downhill against Haliburton

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in a switch somehow, I just might be a problem.

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But Siakam going against either of Cleveland's two guards, If

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you can make that happen, if you can get Mobley

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away from him somehow, that's pretty interesting to me. I

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don't know. I think odds are like this may just

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end up being an up tempo series. And if it is,

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like if this is just chaos and up and down

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and the scores are in the one thirties, does it

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feel weird to say, like that might actually be best

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case for Indiana even though they're going against the best

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offense in the league. Like, it's weird that like the

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style of play that Indiana needs to I think needs

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to you know, sort of make happen is would also

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see to play into Cleveland's hands a little bit, which

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is kind of scary for the Pacers.

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Speaker 2: Yeah. I didn't. I didn't even think about it that way,

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So I guess it could. Yeah, it's like the other

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by the way.

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Speaker 1: The other thing too, is so both of these teams

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tactually start two bigs and they're like some of the

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least impressive rebounding teams right in the league, like at

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the playoffs.

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Speaker 2: So what does that sort of look like?

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Speaker 1: And like do we see you know with Indy it's

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is there less Jaris Walker or Obi top it because

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they want Thomas Bryant size it like in moments where

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it's Jared Allen never Mobile or is it you're looking

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at Cleveland's Well, there's gonna be a lot of one

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big minutes too, so you don't necessarily need to pull

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that lever. I also think Miles Turner defended really well

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in that Buck series, and so the idea of Evan

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Mobley getting downhill is sort of me like, well, that

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can cause a lot of havoc. But it feels like

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after he and Siakham and even Nie Smith spending a

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lot of time on Giannis went up against Giannis who

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like was dominant. He was Jannis, but like having to

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go up against Evan Mobile or Jared Awn just doesn't

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seem as intimidating.

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Speaker 3: Well the thing too, like yeah, we should talk about

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the Yannis parallel because then it's like, okay, well Yannis

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got all he could eat and Indy was having three

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guys wall up the whole time, and Yannis still got

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his and outside of Gary Trent going nuclear for like

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one full game and then I don't know, like another

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twelve minute stretch like you know, the Bucks didn't really

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have to pay for that. I mean, if you're walling

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up against a Mobili drive for example, which like you

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could imagine the Calves at points trying to get Mobili

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in like the Yannis role where he's just going downhill

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and it's like okay, stop me. Certainly, like you can't

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get away with devoting tons of help to that if

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you're Indiana, because Mitchell's out there, Garlands out there, Struce

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is out like the Calves will make you pay for

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loading up to stop or to try to protect the paint.

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I think against like a driving forward like Mobili, but

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then like Mobiley's not Yanis obviously, so maybe you do

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play him more straight.

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Speaker 2: I don't know.

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Speaker 3: It's gonna be really interesting because I think at what

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I do feel most confident in is the Pacers got

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like their first round series was more useful to them

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in terms of like carry forward stuff that they could

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use in this series then Cleveland's was. Because Cleveland, you know,

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Bam is great, but it's like, just go a hero

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and then stress the other defenders and you'll score plenty

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and then there's not really that much you need to

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worry about on the other end, you know. I feel

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like at least Indiana had it was a short series too,

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but Indiana got like got a little bit of a

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test specifically against someone for sure. Yeah, so again especially

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against we got Okay, we saw Giannis like We're never

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gonna see like a downhill force like that the rest

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of the playoffs. So like, okay, we handled that great,

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Like maybe we're ready, you know.

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Speaker 1: But I guess to your point though, like being able

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to attempt to wall off Giannis and then not have

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to worry about the Bucks really capitalizing on it, You're

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just not gonna be able to do that with Cleveland

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supporting Cat.

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Speaker 3: No, I don't think so. Yeah, So maybe just overall,

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it's well, tell me what you think about this. I

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kind of imagine, you know, the both bigs are gonna

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guard both bigs, Like I don't think Mobile's gonna start

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on Haliburton or anything anything like wild like that.

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Speaker 1: Tony East of Lockedown Pacers mentioned as a bunch and

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the Calves did play zone a lot during the regular season,

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but like the Pacers will sometimes struggle against zone, even

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though in theory they have the personnel like to bust

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it up a little bit. So I'm wondering, then, do

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we just even see a ton of zone from Cleveland

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in this series too?

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Speaker 3: Yeah, that's possible, especially if, like if if the Pacers

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are successful kind of getting the blender running, you know,

241
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which they can do against a lot of teams than

242
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they did against against Milwaukee. Do you have like a

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narrative thing you're focused on for the series on either side?

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Speaker 2: No, I don't know.

245
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Speaker 1: I should say I forced myself to focus on something,

246
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but this doesn't feel like because if I guess, if

247
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if you look at it through almost a lens of well,

248
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which team has more at stake?

249
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Speaker 2: I guess is what I'm looking at.

250
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Speaker 1: I guess it has to be the Calves, just because

251
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in theory they were so good during the regular season

252
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that it would be seen as a disappointment if they

253
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didn't make the conference finals. And I think a lot

254
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of people are gonna end up picking them in especially

255
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if they only look at let's say, Indie season long

256
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performance rather than what they were like over the final

257
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fifty games or post nem Hard return from injury, But

258
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like that's just I was looking at it and wondering, well,

259
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which team does this like series mean more for in

260
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terms of a referendum, and is it actually indy because

261
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like what else is Cleveland supposed to do?

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Speaker 3: Right?

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Speaker 1: But they didn't win this season, so I guess maybe

264
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would that make the referendum bigger on them? But I

265
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think that this is really going to be a referendum

266
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on all right, well, how close are the Pacers, Like

267
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they're going up like this is if they make the

268
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conference finals this year because they beat the Calves, that is,

269
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I don't care what happens in the next round. Like

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that's something you read into because this Cleveland team is

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fucking awesome.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I think that's right about the on the Pacer

273
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side of it. That's kind of what I focused on too.

274
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This Like if you beat this Cleveland team, then it's

275
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like very much vindication is not quite the right word

276
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because like, you know, you still did you beat a

277
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Bucks team that just had Giannis and Lillard got hurt,

278
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and it was like get it, there's another asterisk on

279
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that one. But beating this Cleveland team would just be like, Okay,

280
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we don't get to talk about the like you know,

281
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asterisk or the sketchiness of last year's run. We don't

282
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get It's like that this would be a real like legit,

283
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you know, era defining, like there was a before and

284
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and after for this version of the Pacers kind of moment,

285
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So that has to sort of be it also like

286
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the will we continue to see Haliburton just take this

287
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It's not totally fair, but like kind of a heel

288
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turn where it's like he's just talking the whole time.

289
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Is it just confined to the Bucks or will he like, well,

290
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the Pacers kind of really get see will they show

291
00:13:35,759 --> 00:13:38,399
the same kind of bravado against Cleveland and will that

292
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kind of come to be there you know how we

293
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think of them. But I think we're overthinking it if

294
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we say, like the Pacers have more at stake, because

295
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it is just like Cleveland has to win this series.

296
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It just it just has to.

297
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Speaker 1: I do believe that whoever loses will immediately be named

298
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as a dark horse. Yiannis attent Tokupo trade destination, where

299
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what if Cleveland just trade Garland and Jared Allen to

300
00:14:01,440 --> 00:14:03,799
get Yannis because the Bucks want to stay good. And

301
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then with the Pacers, it's they basically have they have

302
00:14:06,159 --> 00:14:08,120
a bunch of picks, they have some young players, they

303
00:14:08,159 --> 00:14:10,360
have some salary to get there be a little complicated,

304
00:14:10,759 --> 00:14:13,320
but I think that would be That's not a narrative

305
00:14:13,360 --> 00:14:16,879
I'm watching for, but I expect whichever team loses to

306
00:14:16,919 --> 00:14:19,320
be named is like they they're a dark horse to

307
00:14:19,360 --> 00:14:20,039
get Yannis.

308
00:14:20,320 --> 00:14:23,159
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think, well if we're just no matter, if

309
00:14:23,360 --> 00:14:25,960
forget this series, every team that loses, well, you know

310
00:14:25,960 --> 00:14:29,559
who could really help them. I think just it ties

311
00:14:29,600 --> 00:14:31,360
back to what I said too from the Cleveland side

312
00:14:31,399 --> 00:14:33,600
about about like they're gonna have more of a test.

313
00:14:34,360 --> 00:14:36,519
I think, you know, Kenny Atkinson did not have to

314
00:14:36,559 --> 00:14:39,519
like make a lot of adjustments against Miami. You know,

315
00:14:39,840 --> 00:14:42,919
I think we'll see, like hopefully the Pacers push the

316
00:14:42,960 --> 00:14:45,480
Calves enough to where we get to see because I

317
00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:47,039
think we both do we both have akins in this

318
00:14:47,159 --> 00:14:50,279
Coach of the Year and like I think like this

319
00:14:50,320 --> 00:14:52,799
will be kind of the first opportunity we'll have to see, like, oh,

320
00:14:52,799 --> 00:14:54,879
what does he do if if things go sideways in

321
00:14:54,919 --> 00:14:57,320
a game too, or like what what different levers do

322
00:14:57,399 --> 00:14:59,679
the Cavs have to pull because like they just you know,

323
00:14:59,759 --> 00:15:01,639
they they didn't really have to. So I think we'll

324
00:15:01,720 --> 00:15:03,759
learn quite a bit about the Calves in this one.

325
00:15:03,919 --> 00:15:05,759
Speaker 1: I wonder if because he was playing and probably there

326
00:15:05,759 --> 00:15:07,120
were some games where it looked like it was ten,

327
00:15:07,159 --> 00:15:09,000
but it's probably eight or nine. Guys, do is the

328
00:15:09,080 --> 00:15:13,360
rotation like truncate any further in this one? Also because

329
00:15:13,399 --> 00:15:16,000
like the depth is is this not a tied to

330
00:15:16,120 --> 00:15:18,080
Rome series for some when you look at like some

331
00:15:18,159 --> 00:15:20,240
of the way that the Pacer second units play, like

332
00:15:20,320 --> 00:15:23,840
is this going to be a Tiger Rome series? But yeah,

333
00:15:23,879 --> 00:15:26,039
that that's a really good question. Who are your Let's

334
00:15:26,039 --> 00:15:28,679
start with Calves X factor we got?

335
00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:33,559
Speaker 3: I mean I was struggling between all of the guys

336
00:15:33,639 --> 00:15:35,480
that this was the same case in the last round.

337
00:15:35,480 --> 00:15:37,039
I think I don't remember exactly what we said. I

338
00:15:37,080 --> 00:15:40,039
just ended up with Strus. I think he's gonna have

339
00:15:40,840 --> 00:15:43,919
like I feel like that's where Haliburton's gonna go defensively

340
00:15:44,120 --> 00:15:46,200
right like, because he's not getting Garland or Mitchell and

341
00:15:46,200 --> 00:15:49,360
then he's obviously not guarding up. So can Struce make

342
00:15:49,440 --> 00:15:52,519
him pay? Can Struce make him Does that mean Struce

343
00:15:52,559 --> 00:15:55,480
becomes a screener more often, just to have a Haliburton

344
00:15:55,519 --> 00:15:59,159
involved in stuff. Does he make sure that Halburton, you know,

345
00:15:59,360 --> 00:16:01,639
has to run around, you know, will he be a

346
00:16:01,720 --> 00:16:05,240
movement shooter like that kind of thing? And also, like

347
00:16:05,279 --> 00:16:08,320
the other four guys on the Cavs starting lineup, just

348
00:16:08,519 --> 00:16:10,399
they can't be X factors because they're all too good

349
00:16:10,440 --> 00:16:13,240
and they're all too much of like known commodities. But

350
00:16:13,320 --> 00:16:17,080
you could Dean Wade was a thought just just because

351
00:16:17,120 --> 00:16:19,200
he is like the embodiment of an X factor for

352
00:16:19,240 --> 00:16:21,240
this team. But I think for me it's true, who

353
00:16:21,279 --> 00:16:21,679
did you have?

354
00:16:22,039 --> 00:16:23,679
Speaker 1: I have the I thought about Dan Way too, But

355
00:16:23,720 --> 00:16:26,480
I'm always constantly maybe that's what it typifies an X factor.

356
00:16:26,519 --> 00:16:28,440
Speaker 2: I'm always constantly wonder how how much is he actually

357
00:16:28,480 --> 00:16:29,000
going to play?

358
00:16:29,279 --> 00:16:29,440
Speaker 1: Right?

359
00:16:29,559 --> 00:16:31,799
Speaker 3: Yeah? And and is this a series for him? Like

360
00:16:32,559 --> 00:16:34,759
I mean maybe I kind of think it's gonna have

361
00:16:34,960 --> 00:16:38,200
to be. But that's because in part my X factor

362
00:16:38,279 --> 00:16:40,519
is DeAndre Hunter. I think he's gonna see a bunch

363
00:16:40,559 --> 00:16:44,039
of time against Tyre's Halliburton, and it'll be interesting to see,

364
00:16:44,080 --> 00:16:47,600
if you know, if Tyr's Alburt gets cross matched on Hunter,

365
00:16:47,639 --> 00:16:49,840
if they decide, well, that's actually where if he's playing

366
00:16:49,840 --> 00:16:51,440
with the starters, let's say like, well that's where you're

367
00:16:51,440 --> 00:16:54,840
gonna put Tyre's Haliburton anyway, there, how do you feel

368
00:16:54,879 --> 00:16:57,279
about DeAndre Hunter as a screener or how do you

369
00:16:57,279 --> 00:17:02,039
feel about DeAndre Hunter attacking Tyre Haliburton? That I think

370
00:17:02,039 --> 00:17:05,200
I'm probably overthinking it offensively, but defensively, I think that

371
00:17:05,240 --> 00:17:07,279
he is going to spend a ton of time on

372
00:17:07,319 --> 00:17:09,759
Haliburt and I'll just be curious to see how he

373
00:17:09,839 --> 00:17:12,400
stands up against that. And then the trickle down effect

374
00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:14,880
of that, though, is then doesn't this need to become

375
00:17:15,240 --> 00:17:16,920
sort of a deep because how much do you want

376
00:17:16,960 --> 00:17:19,160
like maybe Max Drews can do some stuff against the

377
00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:21,160
Akham or like you're not like if you're not gonna

378
00:17:21,160 --> 00:17:23,759
want to have Sam Merrill on the court because.

379
00:17:23,519 --> 00:17:24,039
Speaker 2: He's had to play.

380
00:17:24,160 --> 00:17:26,160
Speaker 1: If he's gonna play with the two small guards, he's

381
00:17:26,200 --> 00:17:28,319
technically the three on offense. But if you're putting a

382
00:17:28,359 --> 00:17:30,920
Hunter on Haliburton, like what was he the four on defense?

383
00:17:31,039 --> 00:17:32,559
Then so that gets tricky.

384
00:17:33,119 --> 00:17:36,720
Speaker 3: Yeah, I do think like Hunter's a good pick because

385
00:17:36,960 --> 00:17:38,799
normally you'd say, like I think the Cabs are gonna

386
00:17:38,799 --> 00:17:41,599
have to play a Chorro right like, because maybe that's

387
00:17:41,599 --> 00:17:43,920
the guy you have Chase Haliburton Around's like Hunter needs

388
00:17:43,960 --> 00:17:47,720
to be ninety percent of a Coorro defensively, and then

389
00:17:47,759 --> 00:17:49,559
you get the bonus of like, oh god, he can

390
00:17:49,640 --> 00:17:52,279
just punish any small guard that he gets. Matt, you know,

391
00:17:52,319 --> 00:17:53,759
switched on too offensively.

392
00:17:54,400 --> 00:17:57,440
Speaker 2: Your Pacers X factor is I think.

393
00:17:57,359 --> 00:17:58,319
Speaker 3: I'm gonna go nam Hard.

394
00:17:59,319 --> 00:18:03,279
Speaker 2: He's just was robbed, but Karen, he's just if.

395
00:18:03,200 --> 00:18:06,759
Speaker 3: Johnny Furpy plays in this series, something happened that was

396
00:18:06,799 --> 00:18:10,119
extreme one way or the other. Uh, He's just gonna

397
00:18:10,119 --> 00:18:12,720
have It's gonna he's gonna be on Garland or Mitchell

398
00:18:12,720 --> 00:18:14,920
every second he's on the floor, and it's just like

399
00:18:15,160 --> 00:18:17,839
he so he's gonna have no rest whatsoever. And I

400
00:18:17,839 --> 00:18:19,720
do think the Pacers are also gonna need him to score.

401
00:18:19,759 --> 00:18:21,200
You can make the argument that he's too good to

402
00:18:21,200 --> 00:18:23,160
be an X factor, but I think his job is

403
00:18:23,200 --> 00:18:27,240
so important that, uh, I just he could be the

404
00:18:27,319 --> 00:18:29,880
non star that defines the series. I think I.

405
00:18:29,880 --> 00:18:32,000
Speaker 1: Actually kind of have the same take about Aaron E.

406
00:18:32,119 --> 00:18:35,000
Smith to where I think, defensively, Okay, Nemhard, we know

407
00:18:35,079 --> 00:18:38,039
he's gonna defend like one of the two toughest perimeter covers.

408
00:18:38,359 --> 00:18:39,880
Nee Smith will spend a ton of time on the

409
00:18:39,920 --> 00:18:42,720
other one. You're probably also gonna see him on Evan

410
00:18:42,759 --> 00:18:46,440
Mobley right at points and then offensively, I think you're

411
00:18:46,480 --> 00:18:49,000
gonna try and get away with putting Garland or Mitchell

412
00:18:49,400 --> 00:18:52,799
on him at points and ken Ne Smith make and

413
00:18:52,839 --> 00:18:54,640
that might be part of or can he be part

414
00:18:54,680 --> 00:18:57,000
of busting the zone where it's like he especially the

415
00:18:57,000 --> 00:18:59,559
Buck series, he had some really like heady drives where's

416
00:18:59,559 --> 00:19:02,440
getting sh introduce he just couldn't finish on that. So

417
00:19:02,480 --> 00:19:05,359
if he's able to do that on offense, that's sort

418
00:19:05,400 --> 00:19:07,680
of a gimme because it's like it just pulls like

419
00:19:07,799 --> 00:19:10,279
some options out of Cleveland's belt with Well, then how

420
00:19:10,279 --> 00:19:13,880
do we go about accounting for both Siakam and Haliburton right?

421
00:19:14,279 --> 00:19:15,680
Speaker 2: And is he someone who because like the.

422
00:19:15,640 --> 00:19:18,319
Speaker 1: Pacers don't necessarily I would love to see the data

423
00:19:18,400 --> 00:19:21,839
on Like the two man game between Siakam and Haliburton

424
00:19:21,880 --> 00:19:24,680
seems like it hits its peak in fourth quarters and

425
00:19:24,720 --> 00:19:26,720
like they kind of try and conserve it throughout the

426
00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:29,319
rest of the game is sort of a cheat code. Well,

427
00:19:29,359 --> 00:19:31,440
you need someone else to be doing things like to

428
00:19:31,519 --> 00:19:34,839
preserve like so Miles Turner like popping and hitting shots there,

429
00:19:34,920 --> 00:19:36,920
or Andrew Nemhart being able to create off the dribbling

430
00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:39,519
on the inside. TJ McConnell being his own buster, or

431
00:19:39,480 --> 00:19:41,400
somebody's like Nie Smith could factor into.

432
00:19:41,279 --> 00:19:41,839
Speaker 2: That a little bit.

433
00:19:41,880 --> 00:19:43,240
Speaker 1: I think he's just gonna play a ton and that

434
00:19:43,279 --> 00:19:45,839
Cleveland will try and get away with putting one of

435
00:19:45,839 --> 00:19:49,119
their quote unquote defensive liabilities on him, even though like

436
00:19:49,440 --> 00:19:51,480
it just wouldn't sho Like Mitchell, I wouldn't shock me

437
00:19:51,480 --> 00:19:53,359
if he was just matched up with Garland at point.

438
00:19:53,400 --> 00:19:55,640
Speaker 2: Ye excuse me, Mitchell. It wouldn't shock me if Mitchell

439
00:19:55,640 --> 00:19:56,319
defended Garland.

440
00:19:56,400 --> 00:20:02,240
Speaker 3: I know you meant. I think on the Niesemuth front too,

441
00:20:02,720 --> 00:20:06,680
I think one of the things we've seen throughout these playoffs,

442
00:20:06,720 --> 00:20:10,240
particularly because there have been a lot of like matchups

443
00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:12,799
so far where there's been a huge size discrepancy or

444
00:20:13,759 --> 00:20:15,680
there's been a lot of zone played like as a

445
00:20:15,759 --> 00:20:17,880
result of that, and one of the things that that

446
00:20:18,279 --> 00:20:20,119
like we don't see as much in the regular season

447
00:20:20,119 --> 00:20:22,319
that's an issue now is when you have a bunch

448
00:20:22,319 --> 00:20:24,279
of weird cross matches or you have a bunch of

449
00:20:24,279 --> 00:20:28,640
funky zones being played like opportunities for offensive rebounds are

450
00:20:28,759 --> 00:20:31,799
just there's just more of them. And so so like

451
00:20:31,839 --> 00:20:34,000
if Nie Smith is getting guarded by a big or

452
00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:35,960
if it's a weird zone and Niemith is being like

453
00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:39,200
shaded away from or anything like that, could you just

454
00:20:39,240 --> 00:20:42,680
go crash and get like a couple extra possessions you

455
00:20:42,680 --> 00:20:46,359
know per game, like that kind of thing. I just

456
00:20:46,400 --> 00:20:48,720
feel like that's among the things that change in the

457
00:20:48,720 --> 00:20:52,920
playoffs and these in particular, the value of offensive rebounding

458
00:20:53,079 --> 00:20:56,079
has has kind of taken on like a new level.

459
00:20:56,559 --> 00:20:59,279
And if you are someone that's getting schemed against or

460
00:20:59,359 --> 00:21:02,359
like some hiding on you or whatever, it is like

461
00:21:02,799 --> 00:21:05,440
just just haul and ask to the offensive boards and

462
00:21:05,480 --> 00:21:07,319
like you know, trying to get in there without being

463
00:21:07,400 --> 00:21:10,599
boxed out or getting forgotten about like that. Could you know,

464
00:21:10,839 --> 00:21:14,279
I think this will be a fairly competitive series, so

465
00:21:14,680 --> 00:21:17,200
like that might ultimately that might matter, that might swing

466
00:21:17,240 --> 00:21:17,599
a game.

467
00:21:18,400 --> 00:21:20,559
Speaker 2: And to that end, what is your series prediction?

468
00:21:21,079 --> 00:21:23,000
Speaker 3: So I have to go with the Calves. I just

469
00:21:23,039 --> 00:21:25,200
think the Calves are better. I have fewer questions. The

470
00:21:26,319 --> 00:21:29,640
issue is how many games I'm gonna go. I want

471
00:21:29,640 --> 00:21:31,519
to give the Pacers respect, so it can't be five.

472
00:21:31,519 --> 00:21:34,599
I think I'm just gonna go Calves in six, which

473
00:21:34,640 --> 00:21:36,359
means the Calves have to finish it on the road,

474
00:21:36,480 --> 00:21:38,839
but I think they're good enough to do that.

475
00:21:39,440 --> 00:21:41,759
Speaker 1: I want Caves in six as well, in part because

476
00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:44,400
I've been banging the Pacers drum since I decided that

477
00:21:44,440 --> 00:21:46,359
I was out on them too, where So als I

478
00:21:46,400 --> 00:21:47,960
need to do is declare myself out on a team

479
00:21:47,960 --> 00:21:51,599
and they'll turn things around. But I think Cleveland and

480
00:21:51,680 --> 00:21:53,720
five is gonna be the most popular pick. But I

481
00:21:53,920 --> 00:21:56,880
really just India has shown the ability to dial it

482
00:21:56,960 --> 00:21:59,799
up defensively over the last like now sixty ish games

483
00:22:00,440 --> 00:22:02,920
that I think really needs to be accounted for, and

484
00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:05,480
they'll this is I mean, the Calves are the Celtics,

485
00:22:05,480 --> 00:22:07,680
like these would be the teams that will stress test

486
00:22:07,680 --> 00:22:11,720
their defense to no end. But I like a I

487
00:22:11,759 --> 00:22:13,559
think Rick car has a lot of different buttons to push,

488
00:22:13,559 --> 00:22:16,400
and I think they're a very creative team at both

489
00:22:16,480 --> 00:22:18,839
ends of the floor. And if Miles Turner is gonna

490
00:22:18,839 --> 00:22:21,000
be the version of Myles Turner defensively that we saw

491
00:22:21,480 --> 00:22:25,319
in uh like in the Bucks series, if Cleveland decides

492
00:22:25,319 --> 00:22:27,359
to cater towards more one big units, do you think

493
00:22:27,400 --> 00:22:29,160
that favors Indie or Cleveland more.

494
00:22:31,240 --> 00:22:37,000
Speaker 3: Uh, I guess that would favor Indy. I guess, but

495
00:22:37,079 --> 00:22:38,599
I don't know. That's an interesting question. I don't really

496
00:22:38,599 --> 00:22:41,799
thought about that. So that what's the scenario where Indiana

497
00:22:41,880 --> 00:22:44,880
forces the Calves to play one big more often.

498
00:22:45,839 --> 00:22:48,559
Speaker 1: I'm not even saying it forces them, but I guess

499
00:22:48,559 --> 00:22:50,799
if they're doing a better job of defending the Calves

500
00:22:50,920 --> 00:22:53,680
offense where you're not either getting like as many paint

501
00:22:53,720 --> 00:22:56,839
touches as normal, or if like your three pointers aren't falling,

502
00:22:57,039 --> 00:22:59,000
is like, okay, we pull Allen, we put another shooter

503
00:22:59,400 --> 00:23:02,079
on the court, and that opens up the floor. Like

504
00:23:02,160 --> 00:23:05,960
the Pacers are interesting because they could downsize in response,

505
00:23:06,119 --> 00:23:08,880
or they could just stay the same, like they're two bigs.

506
00:23:09,279 --> 00:23:11,519
It's not as just like you run into people are

507
00:23:11,519 --> 00:23:13,720
concerned about this. Rudy Gobert is a bad example because

508
00:23:13,720 --> 00:23:16,519
his problem's on offense in these situations, it's not on defense.

509
00:23:16,839 --> 00:23:20,359
But it's like, can you, like, does that play into

510
00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:21,480
the Pacers hands.

511
00:23:21,200 --> 00:23:23,200
Speaker 2: A little bit if you go that route? Or no?

512
00:23:23,319 --> 00:23:23,960
Does it make it?

513
00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:26,279
Speaker 1: Because all right, well now Pascal Siakam is going to

514
00:23:26,359 --> 00:23:28,640
spend even more time like maybe flying around with someone

515
00:23:28,680 --> 00:23:30,839
who's in motion or just who's more of a perimeter player.

516
00:23:31,079 --> 00:23:33,599
Speaker 3: Yeah, I don't know. I think I think if if

517
00:23:33,680 --> 00:23:37,000
the Calves take Alan off the floor, because I feel

518
00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:41,920
fine with Alan guarding Siakam or Turner, depending on what

519
00:23:41,960 --> 00:23:43,000
Cleveland wants to do with.

520
00:23:43,039 --> 00:23:44,400
Speaker 2: Like, the problem for Cleveland is not.

521
00:23:45,039 --> 00:23:46,519
Speaker 1: Greg Anthony, I don't know if you caught it in

522
00:23:46,559 --> 00:23:48,480
one of the games, had like a great monologue on

523
00:23:48,519 --> 00:23:51,279
this about like the defense in the NBA, and you

524
00:23:51,319 --> 00:23:53,319
just have these seven footers being able to keep up

525
00:23:53,359 --> 00:23:56,640
with all fives. The problem won't be defensively for Cleveland

526
00:23:56,680 --> 00:23:58,359
with mobile now and if there's a problem at.

527
00:23:58,319 --> 00:24:00,920
Speaker 3: All, Yeah, I think if one of the Calves, I

528
00:24:00,920 --> 00:24:03,640
I guess the My answer is because if I'm the Calves,

529
00:24:03,680 --> 00:24:05,480
I want Allen on the floor because I do think

530
00:24:05,519 --> 00:24:08,960
he might just be someone that you know, controls the glass,

531
00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:11,319
gets a bunch of rebounds, extra points, that way, kickouts

532
00:24:11,319 --> 00:24:13,319
and that kind of thing. So if the Pacers have

533
00:24:13,440 --> 00:24:15,759
gotten out, gotten Alan off the floor like more than

534
00:24:15,759 --> 00:24:17,920
he normally would be, that feels like a win because

535
00:24:17,920 --> 00:24:19,839
I don't think the Calves would like elect to do

536
00:24:19,880 --> 00:24:22,039
that to get the If the Calves elect to do

537
00:24:22,079 --> 00:24:23,920
that to get the offense going, like the Pacers are

538
00:24:23,920 --> 00:24:24,680
doing something right.

539
00:24:24,960 --> 00:24:26,519
Speaker 2: Good point, So.

540
00:24:26,480 --> 00:24:28,440
Speaker 1: We both have calves and six. Moral of the story

541
00:24:29,039 --> 00:24:32,799
grant Celtics verse Nicks. The collision course that took a

542
00:24:32,799 --> 00:24:34,720
little longer to get to than I think people were

543
00:24:34,839 --> 00:24:38,839
expect even on Boston side, with what happened against Orlando.

544
00:24:39,279 --> 00:24:43,680
Speaker 2: Yeah, tactically speaking, what are you watching for in this matchup?

545
00:24:44,079 --> 00:24:47,440
Speaker 3: Uh? So for the Knicks, I'm interested to see if

546
00:24:47,920 --> 00:24:51,839
they view what Orlando tried against Boston as like a blueprint,

547
00:24:52,279 --> 00:24:54,799
you know, just essentially, One, do they think they have

548
00:24:54,839 --> 00:24:58,000
the personnel to do it? They probably should? And two

549
00:24:58,480 --> 00:25:02,240
will that be Will Will switching a lot and not

550
00:25:02,400 --> 00:25:05,279
helping and not letting the Celtics get the like multiple

551
00:25:05,319 --> 00:25:08,559
swing passes for open threes, not helping on drives like

552
00:25:08,599 --> 00:25:10,279
that kind of thing, just kind of playing like one

553
00:25:10,319 --> 00:25:13,119
on one basketball with a lot of switches, Like, is

554
00:25:13,160 --> 00:25:16,519
that something the Knicks believe they can believe is a

555
00:25:16,519 --> 00:25:18,559
good idea and believe that they can succeed with because

556
00:25:18,559 --> 00:25:22,559
their personnel is very different obviously from from Orlando's. And

557
00:25:22,599 --> 00:25:24,759
then do you also like, is it a good idea

558
00:25:24,839 --> 00:25:26,640
to just like take notes from a team that got

559
00:25:26,680 --> 00:25:29,599
it's ass kicked by the Celtics. I don't know that

560
00:25:30,240 --> 00:25:33,000
like that seems like an interesting way to keep Kat

561
00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:36,000
and Brunson out of like pick and roll attacks to

562
00:25:36,039 --> 00:25:39,319
the extent Boston might try to do that, just switch

563
00:25:39,359 --> 00:25:41,759
a lot and just live with it. I don't know.

564
00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:43,920
My gut says that's not what the Knicks will do,

565
00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:46,519
But I don't know. Orlando made it interesting by kind

566
00:25:46,519 --> 00:25:47,880
of trying that for some stretches.

567
00:25:48,480 --> 00:25:51,839
Speaker 1: Yeah, and look, I mean the Celtics against the Magic

568
00:25:51,960 --> 00:25:55,079
shot thirty four point eight three pointers per one hundred possessions.

569
00:25:55,519 --> 00:25:57,960
During the regular season, they shot forty nine point six

570
00:25:58,799 --> 00:26:02,440
three pointers PROTRAU. That's a monster drop off. And they're

571
00:26:02,440 --> 00:26:06,079
also just Orlando's contest rate fifteen point four percent of

572
00:26:06,079 --> 00:26:09,759
Boston's jumpers, so any shots outside of ten feet went unguarded.

573
00:26:10,200 --> 00:26:10,319
Speaker 2: Uh.

574
00:26:10,799 --> 00:26:12,799
Speaker 1: That number during the regular season for Boss was twenty

575
00:26:12,880 --> 00:26:15,599
six point two percent. I'm here to tell you, Grant,

576
00:26:15,839 --> 00:26:17,200
and I don't think this is going to shock you.

577
00:26:17,680 --> 00:26:21,160
The Knicks have neither the coach nor the personnel that

578
00:26:21,279 --> 00:26:24,440
is going to replicate anything we saw Orlando do defensively.

579
00:26:24,880 --> 00:26:27,279
I don't think even if you believe that this team

580
00:26:27,319 --> 00:26:29,680
has the screen navigation to run Boston off the three

581
00:26:29,680 --> 00:26:30,240
point line.

582
00:26:30,640 --> 00:26:31,839
Speaker 2: I would argue that's debatable.

583
00:26:31,839 --> 00:26:34,960
Speaker 1: But you have heart, you have Ojananobi, you have Micheale Bridges,

584
00:26:35,279 --> 00:26:39,720
you have Deuce McBride. Sure they do not have just

585
00:26:39,920 --> 00:26:45,519
like the symphony of incredible rotations around the basket. When

586
00:26:45,559 --> 00:26:48,799
like when Orlando is scrambling, it's it's fine, like someone's

587
00:26:48,839 --> 00:26:51,839
gonna be in the right spot. When the Knicks are scrambling.

588
00:26:52,799 --> 00:26:53,880
Speaker 3: You're not fine.

589
00:26:54,160 --> 00:26:56,640
Speaker 1: Choose your own ev It's like it's choose your own adventure,

590
00:26:56,680 --> 00:26:58,119
except they don't get to choose it.

591
00:26:58,119 --> 00:26:59,960
Speaker 2: It's the other team kind of choosing their own adventure.

592
00:27:00,480 --> 00:27:04,680
Speaker 1: So I I'd be interested to try it because if

593
00:27:04,720 --> 00:27:06,920
it doesn't work, Infury, it's like, right, well, let's not

594
00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:10,119
let Boston beat you from three and then this kind

595
00:27:10,160 --> 00:27:13,799
of dissuades them going after the Karl Anthony towns Endoor

596
00:27:13,839 --> 00:27:15,960
Jalen Brunson in the pick and roll. But I just

597
00:27:16,640 --> 00:27:19,000
I don't see. I mean, to be fair, the Magic

598
00:27:19,319 --> 00:27:21,240
are one of the three best defenses in the league

599
00:27:21,319 --> 00:27:21,759
right now.

600
00:27:22,119 --> 00:27:23,119
Speaker 2: It's not something but.

601
00:27:23,079 --> 00:27:25,279
Speaker 1: The fact that they did that without Jalen Suggs, who's

602
00:27:25,279 --> 00:27:26,279
their best defender.

603
00:27:26,759 --> 00:27:27,480
Speaker 2: I just don't.

604
00:27:27,519 --> 00:27:31,039
Speaker 1: Maybe if you play Mitchell Robinson, that's how Like, so

605
00:27:31,119 --> 00:27:33,440
you have Towns like being more aggressive on the perimeter.

606
00:27:33,680 --> 00:27:34,920
Speaker 2: I just don't. I don't know.

607
00:27:35,039 --> 00:27:37,960
Speaker 1: I would argue that just giving the inconsistency we've seen

608
00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:41,480
from Michale Bridges at points defensively, and then just having

609
00:27:41,519 --> 00:27:43,839
Brunson in Towns and having to account for those minutes together,

610
00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:46,440
I don't think they could duplicate what we saw from Orlando.

611
00:27:47,519 --> 00:27:50,640
Speaker 3: He paused real quick, yeah, bird's choo.

612
00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:52,200
Speaker 2: Yeah.

613
00:27:52,240 --> 00:27:54,440
Speaker 3: And so just to stat I was looking up kind

614
00:27:54,440 --> 00:27:57,079
of on the on that point. Essentially, Like so the

615
00:27:57,119 --> 00:28:01,279
magic playing everybody's calling an island basketball or forcing Boston

616
00:28:01,319 --> 00:28:03,640
to do that got the Celtics to isolate on just

617
00:28:03,720 --> 00:28:06,680
under seventeen percent of their offensive possessions, which is up

618
00:28:06,720 --> 00:28:09,599
from ten percent during the year. The interesting thing is

619
00:28:09,680 --> 00:28:12,359
like that ten percent figure was the third highest in

620
00:28:12,400 --> 00:28:15,839
the league. So Boston, like the magic made it extreme,

621
00:28:16,400 --> 00:28:20,279
but Boston was being well, whether Boston wanted to do

622
00:28:20,319 --> 00:28:22,319
it or not, because both their their points per play

623
00:28:22,440 --> 00:28:24,359
was like, you know, just point nine to six point

624
00:28:24,400 --> 00:28:26,640
ninety eight regular season versus posts, which is in like

625
00:28:26,680 --> 00:28:30,480
the seventieth eightieth like it's good for an isolation possession.

626
00:28:31,519 --> 00:28:33,559
But I think the takeaway is that the Celtics were

627
00:28:33,640 --> 00:28:37,680
kind of what Orlando did was extreme, but it wasn't different.

628
00:28:37,920 --> 00:28:41,480
Like Boston has been faced with having to isolate like

629
00:28:41,599 --> 00:28:44,759
much more than a normal team in like throughout this year.

630
00:28:45,200 --> 00:28:48,480
So if the Knicks think that that's like, well, that's

631
00:28:48,519 --> 00:28:51,680
the way. I don't know. Boston also kind of is

632
00:28:51,839 --> 00:28:55,240
pretty comfortable if you just make Jason Tatum take somebody

633
00:28:55,240 --> 00:28:56,880
one on one or Jalen Brown, like, that's not going

634
00:28:56,960 --> 00:28:58,319
to be new to them.

635
00:28:58,960 --> 00:28:59,799
Speaker 2: No, it won't be.

636
00:29:00,079 --> 00:29:03,599
Speaker 1: I don't the Knicks defending the Celtics is I don't

637
00:29:03,599 --> 00:29:05,880
know what the pathways to them doing that. I think

638
00:29:05,920 --> 00:29:08,640
it's honestly, I think you would have to if you

639
00:29:08,680 --> 00:29:11,640
were to map out the ideal scenario, Karl Anthony Towns

640
00:29:11,720 --> 00:29:13,519
or Jalen Brunton isn't on the floor, and that's just

641
00:29:13,559 --> 00:29:15,200
a non Optionily.

642
00:29:16,119 --> 00:29:17,119
Speaker 2: The other thing I'm.

643
00:29:16,960 --> 00:29:19,519
Speaker 1: Monitoring tactically with this, and it's not like the Josh

644
00:29:19,519 --> 00:29:22,240
Hart of it all Tims and Less unless Josh Hart's

645
00:29:22,240 --> 00:29:24,480
and foul trouble, Josh Hart is gonna play And that's

646
00:29:24,720 --> 00:29:26,799
when you kind of look at how he's this emotional

647
00:29:26,799 --> 00:29:28,400
bell weather for the team and the stuff he does

648
00:29:28,440 --> 00:29:30,559
on the glass, and you know, helping them push the

649
00:29:30,599 --> 00:29:33,079
pace because man, I get so tired in the fourth

650
00:29:33,119 --> 00:29:35,160
quarter of watching them just dribble into like eight seconds

651
00:29:35,200 --> 00:29:36,359
of the shot. I was like, all right, now, we'll

652
00:29:36,359 --> 00:29:39,920
set the ball screen. So I appreciate that. But the

653
00:29:39,920 --> 00:29:43,720
Celtics and the Pistons did this, Like during the regular season,

654
00:29:43,759 --> 00:29:44,359
they didn't.

655
00:29:44,119 --> 00:29:45,279
Speaker 2: Have Duran on heart.

656
00:29:45,440 --> 00:29:47,599
Speaker 1: The playoff series you saw a lot of Jaalen Duran

657
00:29:47,799 --> 00:29:50,880
on Josh Hart and it it worked for the most

658
00:29:50,880 --> 00:29:55,759
part against when when Duran was defending Josh Hart, the

659
00:29:55,839 --> 00:29:58,400
Knick scored about one point zero one points per possession.

660
00:29:58,400 --> 00:29:59,039
Speaker 2: That's not great.

661
00:29:59,240 --> 00:30:02,359
Speaker 1: Now, during the regular season, Porzingis was the Celtics who

662
00:30:02,640 --> 00:30:05,119
Celtics player who spent the most time on heart, the

663
00:30:05,200 --> 00:30:07,720
Knicks offense average point nine to five points per possession.

664
00:30:07,759 --> 00:30:11,000
In those instances when it's Al Horford, it's even lower,

665
00:30:11,039 --> 00:30:13,720
point nine to two points per possession. The Celtics are

666
00:30:13,720 --> 00:30:17,759
gonna do it again, and it almost doesn't I say almost.

667
00:30:18,519 --> 00:30:21,440
It definitely doesn't matter how well Josh Hart is shooting

668
00:30:21,440 --> 00:30:24,599
from three. He shot percentage wise fine against the Pistons

669
00:30:24,839 --> 00:30:27,359
the volumes like under three attempts per game, and even

670
00:30:27,359 --> 00:30:29,519
if he got hot, I'm gonna tell you, let's just

671
00:30:29,519 --> 00:30:32,240
say Josh Hart went seven to ten from three in

672
00:30:32,240 --> 00:30:36,599
every single game. I really don't think Boston's gonna care. Still,

673
00:30:37,400 --> 00:30:38,200
I think that's right.

674
00:30:38,279 --> 00:30:41,599
Speaker 3: I think it like there might be a game, like

675
00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:43,720
you know, if you're just going through a series thinking

676
00:30:43,759 --> 00:30:44,400
like how do that?

677
00:30:44,480 --> 00:30:44,640
Speaker 2: Man?

678
00:30:44,680 --> 00:30:46,839
Speaker 3: How did the Knicks get a couple here? Like one

679
00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:49,920
is Heart's like you say, Heart is seven for eight

680
00:30:49,920 --> 00:30:52,640
from three and and and the Knicks win that game.

681
00:30:53,200 --> 00:30:55,799
The Celtics won't change their coverage. You know, They'll just

682
00:30:55,839 --> 00:30:57,440
be like, yeah, you got that one, do it again.

683
00:30:57,559 --> 00:30:59,880
And I don't think Heart can do it. It's interesting

684
00:30:59,880 --> 00:31:02,799
you mentioned the Heart, like how the Celtics guard hert

685
00:31:02,880 --> 00:31:06,440
and like just just what Heart's role is. That's very

686
00:31:06,519 --> 00:31:09,880
much tied to Cat because the flip side of oh,

687
00:31:10,000 --> 00:31:12,119
Durham's on Heart is like, well, Tobias Harris is on

688
00:31:12,160 --> 00:31:14,160
Cat and the numbers. You know you've seen some version

689
00:31:14,200 --> 00:31:17,559
of this throughout that we saw like Tobias Harrison Cat

690
00:31:17,680 --> 00:31:20,400
is great. And then when it's Duraan on Cat that

691
00:31:20,559 --> 00:31:23,000
like I mean for the Pistons, it was, and so

692
00:31:23,079 --> 00:31:27,920
the corela the related idea here is for tactically for Boston,

693
00:31:28,000 --> 00:31:30,039
like which big guy can you put on Cat? And

694
00:31:30,079 --> 00:31:31,640
can you just make sure there's a big guy on

695
00:31:31,720 --> 00:31:34,319
Cat all the time? And if you can, looks pretty

696
00:31:34,319 --> 00:31:34,839
good for you.

697
00:31:35,839 --> 00:31:37,519
Speaker 1: What I was gonna ask you is what is the

698
00:31:37,519 --> 00:31:40,279
way to even combat the heart problem? Because I think

699
00:31:40,279 --> 00:31:43,440
the Knicks have defaulted and this is a big reason why,

700
00:31:44,039 --> 00:31:45,920
like the Jaylen brunts and Cat pick and roll, Like,

701
00:31:45,960 --> 00:31:47,880
even when they've used it more, it doesn't feel like enough.

702
00:31:48,279 --> 00:31:48,920
Speaker 2: It feels like the.

703
00:31:48,880 --> 00:31:52,839
Speaker 1: Solution is will have Heart be the screener for brunts? Yeah,

704
00:31:52,880 --> 00:31:54,799
and in theory, I guess that makes sense. But then

705
00:31:54,839 --> 00:32:00,200
you're neutralizing Towns. Is there any merit to having Carl

706
00:32:00,200 --> 00:32:02,680
Anthony town screen for Josh Hart or have Josh Hart

707
00:32:02,680 --> 00:32:05,200
screen for Karl Anthony Towns and trying to force a

708
00:32:05,240 --> 00:32:08,880
switch that way or that might because the thing that

709
00:32:09,119 --> 00:32:12,799
they Boston's also done. They've had no qualms about having

710
00:32:12,880 --> 00:32:13,799
Jason Tatum.

711
00:32:13,480 --> 00:32:17,720
Speaker 3: On Karl Anthony Towns, right, which which is like that's

712
00:32:17,720 --> 00:32:21,000
different than Tobias Harris. I guess like in a in

713
00:32:21,000 --> 00:32:24,559
a way that should concern uh, I don't you know what. Sorry,

714
00:32:24,559 --> 00:32:26,799
I think I misspoke because I framed it as if

715
00:32:26,839 --> 00:32:31,119
like can the can the Celtics keep a big on Cat,

716
00:32:31,119 --> 00:32:33,200
which is not what you want. You want you want

717
00:32:33,279 --> 00:32:35,119
Tatum to be able to guard Cat and be the

718
00:32:35,119 --> 00:32:39,039
Tobias Harris because that just works better defensively. The Pistons showed,

719
00:32:39,079 --> 00:32:40,880
you know, when it's Harris on Cat that works better.

720
00:32:41,039 --> 00:32:43,400
So that wasn't unclear. But yeah, no, to your point,

721
00:32:43,440 --> 00:32:45,759
like I think there there could and should be a

722
00:32:45,799 --> 00:32:50,200
lot of like off off ball like pre action screening

723
00:32:50,839 --> 00:32:54,160
by the Knicks to just try, you know, good one

724
00:32:55,359 --> 00:32:58,240
I said should say there will be, but you have to,

725
00:32:58,279 --> 00:33:00,960
like you're not good enough to let the Celtic guard

726
00:33:01,000 --> 00:33:02,599
you how they want to guard you. You have to

727
00:33:02,640 --> 00:33:05,480
like be doing other stuff to get the matchups that

728
00:33:05,519 --> 00:33:08,000
you prefer. Right, Like that's not just specific to the Knicks.

729
00:33:08,279 --> 00:33:10,680
Maybe it's harder for the Knicks, but like that's just

730
00:33:10,759 --> 00:33:13,240
something you have to be doing to engineer the matchups

731
00:33:13,279 --> 00:33:13,759
you want.

732
00:33:13,839 --> 00:33:16,440
Speaker 1: Right, And what I suggested I don't like, So the

733
00:33:16,519 --> 00:33:17,920
end game would be you just want to get the

734
00:33:17,920 --> 00:33:20,079
big on car because Jason Tatum on Josh Hart.

735
00:33:20,319 --> 00:33:21,359
Speaker 2: That's not really a win for you.

736
00:33:21,400 --> 00:33:23,519
Speaker 1: I think even a big, like let's say both the

737
00:33:23,519 --> 00:33:25,079
Boston bigs around the court and you're bringing both of

738
00:33:25,079 --> 00:33:27,880
them into this screen. Yeah, Josh Hart with I don't

739
00:33:27,880 --> 00:33:29,920
know if that's a win for the Knicks, but having

740
00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:32,079
a big and then it's so if a BIG's already

741
00:33:32,119 --> 00:33:33,759
on Karl Anthony Town's, why do it. But if it's

742
00:33:33,839 --> 00:33:36,480
one big, getting the big back on Karl Anthyt Town's

743
00:33:36,599 --> 00:33:39,920
might make some sense. I just this feels like a

744
00:33:40,559 --> 00:33:42,079
bod I don't want to spoil my pick, but this

745
00:33:42,240 --> 00:33:45,519
just feels like I don't know what needs to happen

746
00:33:45,559 --> 00:33:48,839
short of aliens abducting, Like, yeah, three fifths of the

747
00:33:48,839 --> 00:33:50,519
Boston starting five for the Knicks to have a real

748
00:33:50,599 --> 00:33:53,119
chance here. So what are you looking at? Unless you

749
00:33:53,119 --> 00:33:54,799
have anything to add on the tactical front, what are

750
00:33:54,839 --> 00:33:57,440
you looking at narratively for this series? Uh?

751
00:33:57,720 --> 00:34:00,480
Speaker 3: Just I think we've talked about the end, but I

752
00:34:00,519 --> 00:34:03,599
think Boston gets a pretty different challenge defending the Knicks

753
00:34:03,640 --> 00:34:07,400
than they do Orlando. It's just it's just kind of

754
00:34:07,480 --> 00:34:10,719
like a it's like a you know, doesn't it feel

755
00:34:10,719 --> 00:34:12,880
like Boston more than any other team this year? Was

756
00:34:12,920 --> 00:34:14,800
We're just kind of like it's like, think of our

757
00:34:14,880 --> 00:34:17,800
Discord channel, Like we don't talk about the Celtics on

758
00:34:17,840 --> 00:34:19,639
there because it's like wake me up in June, Like

759
00:34:19,679 --> 00:34:22,840
they're just really good. Nothing that happens in the regular season,

760
00:34:23,119 --> 00:34:25,239
you know, for good or ill is enough to like

761
00:34:25,599 --> 00:34:28,199
make us really seriously have a conversation about them, because

762
00:34:28,199 --> 00:34:30,400
it's like we're not, They're just talk about movies and

763
00:34:30,440 --> 00:34:32,480
TV shows. Yeah, like because what are we going to

764
00:34:32,519 --> 00:34:34,440
talk about. It's just you know, they won the title

765
00:34:34,639 --> 00:34:37,079
and very convinced, like they were great, and they seem

766
00:34:37,239 --> 00:34:39,880
just as you know, So this is I just view

767
00:34:39,880 --> 00:34:41,960
the Knicks as I know you're down on the Knicks,

768
00:34:42,079 --> 00:34:44,639
and for some pretty valid reasons as the team, like

769
00:34:44,800 --> 00:34:45,559
you mentioned.

770
00:34:45,480 --> 00:34:47,000
Speaker 1: You said this before, and I made a joke when

771
00:34:47,039 --> 00:34:49,079
you were like, oh, it's gonna be they're gonna stress

772
00:34:49,119 --> 00:34:51,440
test Boss's defense more than Orlando's offense.

773
00:34:51,480 --> 00:34:51,760
Speaker 2: Didn't.

774
00:34:51,880 --> 00:34:54,039
Speaker 1: Yeah, there are just points where that might not be true,

775
00:34:54,079 --> 00:34:55,119
and that's what's so diffort.

776
00:34:55,239 --> 00:34:57,679
Speaker 3: I mean, the thing is nobody stress tests the defense

777
00:34:58,159 --> 00:35:01,159
like less than Orlando. So it's like that's a pretty

778
00:35:01,239 --> 00:35:07,639
pretty safe take for me, but like I don't know,

779
00:35:08,119 --> 00:35:10,119
and then the other side of it is the narrative

780
00:35:10,159 --> 00:35:12,519
is tied together because for the Knicks, it's like, you

781
00:35:12,599 --> 00:35:15,920
haven't beaten a good team like all year, Like you

782
00:35:16,119 --> 00:35:19,000
just haven't done it for a number of reasons. Can

783
00:35:19,039 --> 00:35:21,800
you do it once in this series? Like I don't

784
00:35:21,800 --> 00:35:23,880
think you can do it for not to spoil my pick,

785
00:35:23,920 --> 00:35:27,280
but like that is like if this is a sweep,

786
00:35:28,039 --> 00:35:30,400
then the Knicks just like, oh, they just never beat

787
00:35:30,480 --> 00:35:32,360
a good team all year. They're like, oh and ten

788
00:35:32,440 --> 00:35:34,639
against the top three basically, right, that was the stat

789
00:35:34,679 --> 00:35:40,199
that was bandied about all year, Like I just you've

790
00:35:40,280 --> 00:35:43,239
talked a lot about how like this team is sort

791
00:35:43,280 --> 00:35:46,920
of there's a cap on it with this current roster,

792
00:35:47,000 --> 00:35:49,039
and the cap is just not high enough. This will

793
00:35:49,079 --> 00:35:52,079
just be like the definitive proof of that if they

794
00:35:52,159 --> 00:35:53,119
just get housed.

795
00:35:53,440 --> 00:35:55,159
Speaker 1: And I think that's what I'm watching. And it was

796
00:35:55,199 --> 00:35:57,320
the same thing in the Piston series, except now I

797
00:35:57,360 --> 00:35:59,960
think you get to a point where it's what constitutes

798
00:36:00,079 --> 00:36:03,719
success against the Celtics, to where you wouldn't fire TIBs,

799
00:36:03,719 --> 00:36:05,800
to where you wouldn't look at making a trade, where

800
00:36:05,840 --> 00:36:08,039
I think the move that everyone's focused on you want

801
00:36:08,079 --> 00:36:08,840
a different type.

802
00:36:08,639 --> 00:36:09,320
Speaker 2: Of big in here.

803
00:36:09,360 --> 00:36:11,960
Speaker 1: But I just you have Karl Anthony Towns and like that.

804
00:36:12,519 --> 00:36:15,920
He's a fantastic player, but you have so much financial

805
00:36:15,920 --> 00:36:18,440
equity committed to him. The idea that you now need

806
00:36:18,480 --> 00:36:21,000
to go out and spend more like whatever little is

807
00:36:21,039 --> 00:36:22,960
left to your asset equity to get another big is

808
00:36:23,079 --> 00:36:24,599
just I understand it.

809
00:36:24,679 --> 00:36:27,159
Speaker 2: But that's to me, that's problematic.

810
00:36:26,960 --> 00:36:28,840
Speaker 1: Like the way the Wolves giving up what they did

811
00:36:28,920 --> 00:36:31,480
for Rudy Gobert, like that was still problematic. They've been

812
00:36:31,519 --> 00:36:33,800
a really good team and ended up working out like

813
00:36:33,840 --> 00:36:36,199
that's not when you have Carl, like when you have

814
00:36:36,280 --> 00:36:38,000
this seven foot or in car, like that's not what

815
00:36:38,079 --> 00:36:41,199
you want to be using all your best chips remaining on.

816
00:36:41,679 --> 00:36:43,880
And I don't know what constitutes success. And I think

817
00:36:44,280 --> 00:36:47,119
I'm not a Tom Thibodau defender. And I've gotten some

818
00:36:47,119 --> 00:36:50,320
pushback because I basically said I don't I think Tom

819
00:36:50,360 --> 00:36:51,599
Thibodeau is a problem.

820
00:36:52,119 --> 00:36:53,639
Speaker 2: I don't think that he is the problem.

821
00:36:53,679 --> 00:36:55,760
Speaker 1: I think the problem and will end up being the

822
00:36:55,800 --> 00:36:58,760
cardinal sin is what they gave up for Michal Bridges,

823
00:36:58,760 --> 00:37:02,639
which I don't is the fault McHale Bridges. It's they decided.

824
00:37:02,800 --> 00:37:05,400
I understood the logic We talked about it at length.

825
00:37:05,440 --> 00:37:08,079
At the time, I understood the logic. They waited, they

826
00:37:08,079 --> 00:37:10,480
were responsible with their assets. Do you know what happened?

827
00:37:10,719 --> 00:37:13,559
Jalen Brunson got too damn good to wait and the

828
00:37:13,599 --> 00:37:16,519
Ojiannaobi trade worked out really well for them and the

829
00:37:16,519 --> 00:37:19,519
Bridges trade. In theory, yes it was an overpay, but

830
00:37:19,599 --> 00:37:21,400
it was someone that you've viewed as a finishing touch

831
00:37:21,480 --> 00:37:23,559
to put you in the conversation with all of the

832
00:37:23,599 --> 00:37:26,360
teams that you have lost to YEA this season. It

833
00:37:26,400 --> 00:37:29,039
hasn't done that, And I don't know what the faut is.

834
00:37:29,079 --> 00:37:32,079
You can't trade an outright first round pick this summer.

835
00:37:32,320 --> 00:37:34,840
You're gonna be limited, like with your financial resources when

836
00:37:34,880 --> 00:37:37,480
it comes to getting free agents if you lose in

837
00:37:37,559 --> 00:37:41,880
four or five. Aside from firing Tom Thibodeau, I guess

838
00:37:42,000 --> 00:37:45,239
it's a twofold question. Grant one, does another coach come

839
00:37:45,280 --> 00:37:47,800
in here and make this team with basically this exact

840
00:37:47,880 --> 00:37:50,960
same cores more of a threat to beat the Cavs

841
00:37:51,039 --> 00:37:53,599
or Boston next year? And then two, If the answer

842
00:37:53,639 --> 00:37:56,320
is no, do the Knicks have any way to like

843
00:37:56,400 --> 00:37:58,599
because the move would be you want Josh Hart coming

844
00:37:58,639 --> 00:38:00,360
back off the bench, and so you need a new starter,

845
00:38:00,480 --> 00:38:04,199
which if recent weeks have been any indication, it cannot

846
00:38:04,199 --> 00:38:07,280
be a Duce McBride type of just not making shots.

847
00:38:09,400 --> 00:38:13,519
Speaker 3: I think that it's most likely that the coaching change

848
00:38:13,559 --> 00:38:17,400
is what will happen, because it's pretty it's just easier

849
00:38:17,440 --> 00:38:19,519
to talk yourself into the idea that like there's just

850
00:38:19,639 --> 00:38:22,119
kind of like money on the left on the table

851
00:38:22,239 --> 00:38:24,880
offensively with the talent that the Knicks have. It's just

852
00:38:24,880 --> 00:38:28,239
like if you can just just let's not have Brunson

853
00:38:28,320 --> 00:38:30,599
be like a threat to lead in usage every year

854
00:38:31,079 --> 00:38:33,320
and not hav ingim be like, you know, a fifty

855
00:38:33,400 --> 00:38:36,679
whatever his usage rate is in clutch situations, like a

856
00:38:36,679 --> 00:38:39,679
little more dynamism. Figure out how to squeeze more value

857
00:38:39,679 --> 00:38:43,079
out of having Cat as a spacing player, like you know,

858
00:38:43,119 --> 00:38:45,119
Bridges can do a little OG showed he could do.

859
00:38:45,360 --> 00:38:49,960
There's there's like more. It just needs to be more variety,

860
00:38:50,000 --> 00:38:53,159
harder to game plan against for a playoff opponent than

861
00:38:53,199 --> 00:38:57,519
it is. I so like I get, yeah, if the

862
00:38:57,559 --> 00:39:00,840
Knicks get a game or two games and and and lose,

863
00:39:00,920 --> 00:39:04,119
then like, yeah, I don't know what has to happen

864
00:39:04,239 --> 00:39:10,320
for the Knicks to finish this postseason having lost this

865
00:39:10,400 --> 00:39:13,280
series and say like, I think we just run it back,

866
00:39:13,480 --> 00:39:14,039
Like I don't.

867
00:39:14,079 --> 00:39:14,480
Speaker 2: I don't.

868
00:39:14,960 --> 00:39:18,280
Speaker 3: It's gonna be pretty hard for me to imagine that hypothetical.

869
00:39:18,039 --> 00:39:20,559
Speaker 1: And it's I think the pushback would be, this is

870
00:39:20,599 --> 00:39:23,480
their first year together, Colnton Town's trade didn't happen until

871
00:39:24,000 --> 00:39:24,920
during training camp.

872
00:39:24,960 --> 00:39:25,400
Speaker 2: Basically.

873
00:39:25,519 --> 00:39:28,679
Speaker 1: Yeah, but that comes back to what you I'm gonna

874
00:39:28,679 --> 00:39:31,719
cite you citing me. There's just a cap on this team,

875
00:39:31,760 --> 00:39:34,400
even at its peak, with the personnel, particularly on the

876
00:39:34,400 --> 00:39:36,400
defensive end. Even if you think another coach comes in

877
00:39:36,400 --> 00:39:39,320
here and gives you a more innovation. They were fifth

878
00:39:39,440 --> 00:39:42,599
in points, score possession Offensively, you could make the playoff offense,

879
00:39:42,599 --> 00:39:43,760
crunch time offense better.

880
00:39:44,320 --> 00:39:45,519
Speaker 2: What is that doing for you?

881
00:39:45,599 --> 00:39:47,599
Speaker 1: Like? How many more games is that worth against the

882
00:39:47,599 --> 00:39:50,920
Celtics or the Caves. And in some ways, I think

883
00:39:50,920 --> 00:39:52,599
for a lot of Knicks fans, and if Knicks fans

884
00:39:52,599 --> 00:39:55,559
are listening comment get our discord, let me know, I

885
00:39:55,599 --> 00:39:58,159
wonder if they more so fear like the Knicks pushing

886
00:39:58,199 --> 00:40:01,159
this to six or seven, because then it them not

887
00:40:01,320 --> 00:40:04,440
to make changes like changing the head coach.

888
00:40:04,559 --> 00:40:06,960
Speaker 2: Yeah, you need to be sure there's an upgrade out there.

889
00:40:07,000 --> 00:40:07,199
I think.

890
00:40:07,199 --> 00:40:09,800
Speaker 1: I'm sure people say Kenny Atkinson came in and look

891
00:40:09,840 --> 00:40:12,519
what he did for the Calves. Kenny Atkinson's still coaching

892
00:40:12,599 --> 00:40:14,159
the Calves. Who was the coach out there that like

893
00:40:14,239 --> 00:40:16,880
is it? Do you think it's Taylor Jenkins? Like, like,

894
00:40:16,920 --> 00:40:18,440
who is the coach that you think is gonna come

895
00:40:18,440 --> 00:40:21,679
in here and install like the principles and get more

896
00:40:21,719 --> 00:40:23,960
out of this roster. I'm again, this is not a

897
00:40:23,960 --> 00:40:27,159
pro keeping Tibbs thing. He's he's so problematic in a

898
00:40:27,159 --> 00:40:29,639
lot of his stubbornness. Yeah, but like I don't know

899
00:40:29,679 --> 00:40:32,679
that another co coach like if Quinn Snyder was available, Okay,

900
00:40:32,719 --> 00:40:36,320
maybe like that's a name, Eric was available, Yeah, sure,

901
00:40:36,679 --> 00:40:39,119
But like of the names that are out there and

902
00:40:39,159 --> 00:40:42,039
this team isn't This front office at least hasn't shown

903
00:40:42,039 --> 00:40:43,920
like will they go off the beaten path and go

904
00:40:44,039 --> 00:40:47,039
after a first time or like a former assistant like

905
00:40:47,119 --> 00:40:49,280
Chris Quinn or a if Becky Hammond is still going

906
00:40:49,360 --> 00:40:51,840
to receive consideration for gigs or do they have the

907
00:40:51,840 --> 00:40:53,719
gall to do that because you are gamp like it

908
00:40:53,760 --> 00:40:56,559
doesn't work out, Like, okay, you've kind of wasted your window.

909
00:40:56,639 --> 00:40:58,599
Speaker 2: We know how short that these windows are now.

910
00:40:59,159 --> 00:41:02,480
Speaker 3: Well, yeah, I mean that maybe we should save some

911
00:41:02,519 --> 00:41:06,360
of this for a hypothetical post mortem for the Celtics

912
00:41:06,400 --> 00:41:10,800
right right when the Knicks sweep. Do you want to

913
00:41:10,840 --> 00:41:11,760
talk to X factors?

914
00:41:12,559 --> 00:41:14,000
Speaker 2: Because get the predictions?

915
00:41:14,199 --> 00:41:18,199
Speaker 3: I mean for Boston, Like, isn't it just Al Horford?

916
00:41:18,519 --> 00:41:20,760
Because like he's the big that can guard Cat who's

917
00:41:20,800 --> 00:41:22,719
also not a big, and then you just like that's

918
00:41:22,760 --> 00:41:25,159
best of both worlds. We're fine, Like he can move,

919
00:41:25,559 --> 00:41:27,719
so he's also he's sort of like giving you the

920
00:41:28,119 --> 00:41:29,880
having a forward on him if it's not going to

921
00:41:29,920 --> 00:41:31,519
be Tatum, which I think you're right it probably will

922
00:41:31,559 --> 00:41:34,360
be Tatum a lot. But if Horford can just guard

923
00:41:34,440 --> 00:41:37,440
him and then hit threes, you know, I just like

924
00:41:37,960 --> 00:41:40,039
he could. You know, he could swing the series in

925
00:41:40,159 --> 00:41:44,039
average seven points a game. Like that's not an outlet,

926
00:41:44,280 --> 00:41:45,239
that's not out of the question.

927
00:41:45,320 --> 00:41:47,400
Speaker 1: Now, Horford's going to be a playoff X factor until

928
00:41:47,400 --> 00:41:49,679
he's like seventy years old, right, So the next year

929
00:41:50,800 --> 00:41:53,679
I do I put Drew Holliday just because I was

930
00:41:53,679 --> 00:41:57,000
struggling to find one. There's the whole jumper stuff, But

931
00:41:57,280 --> 00:41:59,320
I think the bigger thing is Jalen Brown spent the

932
00:41:59,320 --> 00:42:02,440
most time the right season guarding Jailhen bruntson well, Boston,

933
00:42:02,519 --> 00:42:04,840
given the stuff he's been dealing with his knee, look

934
00:42:04,920 --> 00:42:07,639
to insulate him at all. And if they do, I'm

935
00:42:07,679 --> 00:42:09,960
assuming then Drew Holliday is going to be the one

936
00:42:09,960 --> 00:42:12,000
that takes on even more of the bruns in role.

937
00:42:12,280 --> 00:42:14,480
Speaker 2: And I just I mean, that doesn't bother me, but

938
00:42:14,519 --> 00:42:16,039
it would just like that. That's why I had him

939
00:42:16,079 --> 00:42:16,800
as the X factor.

940
00:42:16,880 --> 00:42:18,679
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean for the Knicks, it's just deuce like,

941
00:42:18,760 --> 00:42:21,599
is he gonna make shots? And if he's not, then

942
00:42:21,800 --> 00:42:24,239
I guess we're playing everybody forty eight minutes, you know,

943
00:42:24,320 --> 00:42:28,400
like he just because you're gonna see it. Not that

944
00:42:28,480 --> 00:42:31,159
the Knicks usually stagger their minutes this way necessarily, but

945
00:42:31,199 --> 00:42:33,639
like Pritchard's gonna come in, and I'm gonna assume Prichard

946
00:42:33,679 --> 00:42:36,840
will give you like pretty solid minutes against opposing backups

947
00:42:36,840 --> 00:42:39,239
to the extent the Knicks play them. Can McBride be

948
00:42:40,199 --> 00:42:42,320
half as good? Can he be half as productive?

949
00:42:42,480 --> 00:42:42,599
Speaker 2: Like?

950
00:42:42,639 --> 00:42:45,039
Speaker 3: Can he can he do the Josh Hart thing? And oh,

951
00:42:45,199 --> 00:42:46,199
six of eight from three?

952
00:42:46,280 --> 00:42:46,360
Speaker 2: Like?

953
00:42:46,360 --> 00:42:48,280
Speaker 3: And that's why the Knicks one game two or you know,

954
00:42:48,320 --> 00:42:51,079
that kind of thing, because if McBride's not gonna just

955
00:42:51,159 --> 00:42:52,840
like play over his head for a game or so

956
00:42:53,039 --> 00:42:55,400
like like where the Knicks turning.

957
00:42:56,920 --> 00:42:59,000
Speaker 1: So I think what proves that that's a good X

958
00:42:59,000 --> 00:43:02,000
actor pick is that because if he doesn't able to

959
00:43:02,000 --> 00:43:04,079
do that stuff, we're gonna be asking, like oakan campaign,

960
00:43:04,400 --> 00:43:05,880
how much campaign can hold up in this?

961
00:43:06,039 --> 00:43:08,039
Speaker 3: Maybe campaign can when you a playoff game. He tends

962
00:43:08,039 --> 00:43:08,400
to do that.

963
00:43:08,360 --> 00:43:12,159
Speaker 1: Once he get that in Game one against the which incredible,

964
00:43:12,480 --> 00:43:16,400
also problematic that like that's what it took, So I

965
00:43:16,599 --> 00:43:17,559
just have Josh Hard again.

966
00:43:17,559 --> 00:43:18,920
Speaker 2: I think he was probably my X factor in the

967
00:43:18,920 --> 00:43:19,679
Piston series.

968
00:43:20,199 --> 00:43:22,599
Speaker 1: That's the like he's the one that draws in the

969
00:43:22,760 --> 00:43:25,480
like the gimmicky defense and his ability, like no, they're

970
00:43:25,480 --> 00:43:27,760
never gonna guard him, but if he hits enough threes,

971
00:43:27,800 --> 00:43:31,280
it's it's not wasted possessions. Can he get offensive rebounds

972
00:43:31,280 --> 00:43:33,880
to create second chance opportunities if you're gonna use him

973
00:43:33,920 --> 00:43:35,960
as the screener, like are the Nicks able to capitalize

974
00:43:35,960 --> 00:43:38,440
off that? Or is he next factor because we're gonna

975
00:43:38,480 --> 00:43:41,000
run more Karl Anthony Towns and Brunson won five pick

976
00:43:41,000 --> 00:43:43,840
and roll and someone's still gonna be guarding Josh Hart

977
00:43:43,840 --> 00:43:45,400
and roaming off him to try and gum that up.

978
00:43:45,800 --> 00:43:47,320
I think it's just it, and we know he's gonna

979
00:43:47,320 --> 00:43:49,280
be playing a ton of minutes, so I think it's

980
00:43:49,360 --> 00:43:52,000
just I think it's him, And it's also the Knicks

981
00:43:52,000 --> 00:43:54,800
are gonna play reliably like maybe six and a half

982
00:43:54,800 --> 00:43:57,800
players maybe, So your your pickings are slim.

983
00:43:57,559 --> 00:44:00,360
Speaker 3: Like we just named the only possible X factors. Everybody

984
00:44:00,360 --> 00:44:01,599
else must play well.

985
00:44:01,440 --> 00:44:03,800
Speaker 1: For the go with Mitch Robinson if you wanted to,

986
00:44:03,960 --> 00:44:06,280
But like, I just feel like he's kind of maxed

987
00:44:06,280 --> 00:44:08,440
out at seventeen minutes per game. Now, there's been flashes

988
00:44:08,480 --> 00:44:10,920
of the towns like Mitch minutes in which they've been good.

989
00:44:11,320 --> 00:44:14,400
I don't know if the Celtics are a team. I

990
00:44:14,440 --> 00:44:16,559
mean they do play two bigs, but like they're both

991
00:44:16,599 --> 00:44:17,920
perimeter oriented, right.

992
00:44:17,760 --> 00:44:20,360
Speaker 3: They're they they're bigs, but they're also not like in

993
00:44:20,719 --> 00:44:23,280
some important ways. So yeah, it's it's tough for him

994
00:44:23,280 --> 00:44:25,960
because he's a big in like all of the traditional ways.

995
00:44:26,159 --> 00:44:28,960
So like he's he's kind of the one that stands out.

996
00:44:29,360 --> 00:44:31,039
Speaker 2: What is your prediction for this series?

997
00:44:31,880 --> 00:44:37,280
Speaker 3: I would just have to say Celtics in five. I

998
00:44:37,360 --> 00:44:39,320
it's does it does it make you feel better?

999
00:44:39,320 --> 00:44:39,360
Speaker 2: That?

1000
00:44:39,519 --> 00:44:41,440
Speaker 3: To me? It is closer to Celtics in six than

1001
00:44:41,480 --> 00:44:43,639
a sweep, but I'm going I'm going with five.

1002
00:44:44,480 --> 00:44:47,119
Speaker 1: I'm gonna go with Celtics in five as well. I

1003
00:44:47,159 --> 00:44:49,199
think that there will just we said I think I

1004
00:44:49,199 --> 00:44:50,719
said this leading into the Magic series.

1005
00:44:50,920 --> 00:44:52,239
Speaker 2: There's just gonna be a game.

1006
00:44:52,639 --> 00:44:56,239
Speaker 1: Yeah, when it's happening like you know, consecutively where Boston's

1007
00:44:56,239 --> 00:44:58,760
offense doesn't have it, where they themselves devolve into one

1008
00:44:58,760 --> 00:45:02,039
on one stuff necessarily forcing it, we will see a

1009
00:45:02,079 --> 00:45:04,639
hallmark at least one of them. Oh, Karl Anthony Towns

1010
00:45:04,679 --> 00:45:07,119
is like spacing out to thirty feet knocking down threes,

1011
00:45:07,159 --> 00:45:08,760
and then he'll never do it again for a couple

1012
00:45:08,840 --> 00:45:11,039
of games. I think the Knicks will get one. But

1013
00:45:11,599 --> 00:45:13,559
this does seem like a series. I don't mean to

1014
00:45:13,599 --> 00:45:16,960
be just a negative Nelly on the Knicks here, but

1015
00:45:17,119 --> 00:45:19,559
like this series, because you're gonna see them playing the

1016
00:45:19,559 --> 00:45:21,559
Celtics again and at least four times.

1017
00:45:21,800 --> 00:45:23,440
Speaker 2: I do think it's going to reinforce just.

1018
00:45:23,440 --> 00:45:26,320
Speaker 1: How far away right they are to that upper echelon

1019
00:45:26,480 --> 00:45:27,360
of title contention.

1020
00:45:27,559 --> 00:45:31,679
Speaker 3: And like, if you're gonna say the nih the Knicks

1021
00:45:31,679 --> 00:45:33,599
could push this to six or seven or win it.

1022
00:45:33,599 --> 00:45:38,159
It's like sure, but like, where's the evidence for that,

1023
00:45:38,239 --> 00:45:40,920
because there's none in the regular season. There's very little

1024
00:45:40,960 --> 00:45:43,159
that we got out of the Detroit series. And it's

1025
00:45:43,239 --> 00:45:45,360
just just like, I don't think you're gonna need to

1026
00:45:45,440 --> 00:45:47,119
you really got to sell me, because I you know,

1027
00:45:47,159 --> 00:45:48,960
I want to be fair about it, but I just

1028
00:45:48,960 --> 00:45:51,280
don't know what, Like what points are you what are

1029
00:45:51,320 --> 00:45:54,480
you pointing to as like here's why the Knicks you know,

1030
00:45:54,559 --> 00:45:59,519
are getting underrated or whatever by us.

1031
00:45:58,239 --> 00:46:01,039
Speaker 1: Something happened with Jason Tatum's wrist and he doesn't play

1032
00:46:01,079 --> 00:46:02,440
for the rest of the series, because I might still

1033
00:46:02,480 --> 00:46:04,280
pick the Celtics in six if you told me Jason

1034
00:46:04,320 --> 00:46:05,119
Patum wasn't playing.

1035
00:46:05,360 --> 00:46:09,119
Speaker 3: Yeah, Oh, that'd be an interesting hypothetical. All right, Thanks

1036
00:46:09,159 --> 00:46:13,199
everybody for listening, for watching. Make sure you rated, review, subscribed,

1037
00:46:13,280 --> 00:46:16,000
five stars and many thumbs up. If you're watching this

1038
00:46:16,039 --> 00:46:17,960
on YouTube, leave the comments there let us know what

1039
00:46:17,960 --> 00:46:20,280
your thoughts are. Join our discord links for that in

1040
00:46:20,320 --> 00:46:23,039
the YouTube and podcast subscription suppose as always been a

1041
00:46:23,079 --> 00:46:25,480
shout Frank Mila Keenan in an apology to Jared Allen