New Playoff Heroes, Game Recaps: Nuggets v Wolves, Thunder v Mavs, Celtics v Cavs, Knicks v Pacers

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Hello and welcome to the game theory podcast. I'm your host Sam Vassini. Today on the show, Bryce Simon PERSON is here with me. We're going to dive deep into particularly the Western Conference ORG playoffs. We're going to talk Mavs, Thunder. We're going to talk Nuggets and Wolves ORG. Might talk a little bit about Boston Cavs ORG. We're going to avoid Indiana, New York, because that game tips off in like two hours.But until then, let's hit the music.

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They do have a time now to try not to use it. Way down to! Thanks! What's this going to be?

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Are you kidding?

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Hello and welcome to Game Theory ORG podcast.

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I'm here. Sam PERSON, Sam, but if you watch the tape, what you will see completely orchestrated this game.

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Bryce PERSON, what's going on, buddy?

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What's up, Sam PERSON?

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I don't know what I'm going to do with myself tonight.

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We have one playoff game. What are we doing? One playoff game on a Wednesday night. I'm used to two, three having to watch them the next day. Yeah, this is going to be a little bit different with just one game tonight.

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I know what I'm going to do. It's going to involve me writing 8,000 words of draft guide tonight. I'm through all of the guys I have first round grades on now, which is exciting, which means like I am, and like I'm through many, many more than that. But I feel I finally did Bob Carrington PERSON yesterday. We texted about Bob Carrington a little bit. And I am very in on Bob Carrington after having done the dive again. It's funny. I've gone on a roller coaster with him. People got real excited early on.And I was like, well, he hasn't done any of this against good teams yet. And then people went down on him again. And now it feels like, I don't know, it's like this medium ground. And going through the tape and like watching him on defense and watching everything. He got way better on defense this year. Yeah, I've become a Bob PERSON,Bob Carrington PERSON fan.

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I mean, we text about it. When he's locked in on defense, he's pretty good. And I've seen him in those stretches. And it's like, man, there's linked here. There's real like,there's some stuff to it. And it's pretty good. He's a really good pull-up jump shooter. So, yeah, I was thinking today, Sam PERSON, I was like, man, how was I doing it back during the season when I was trying to watch 82 Pistons games, keep track of regular NBA ORG games, all of the teams playing, do NBA draft stuff, like all of that. I was like, man, this is, this is way easier right now where there's no more, very little, very few new college NBA ORG draft games, right?Some of the overseas guys are still playing.

Speaker 1165.86s - 179.82s

Yeah. And we get one or two NBA games and not, you know, only eight teams playing. This is, this is a lot easier to keep, keep on top of things. My wife is much happier because we can watch, we watch Molly's game on Sunday or Monday.

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I assume you.

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Yeah, we've seen it before, but it was just as good on second watch. Yeah, Molly PERSON's game's a fun one.

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I like Molly PERSON's game. Very good. Okay.

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So, Bryce, we're going to start today with Oklahoma City and Dallas ORG. So Oklahoma City beats Dallas 117 to 95 last night. And watching through that game, I was kind of struck by a couple of things. Like, A, I think any conversation with Alice PERSON right now has to start with, it does not feel like Luca is 100% healthy. Like, I get that Luca PERSON doesn't play with a lot of lift, but in general, even right now,it seems pretty sapped in terms of his stop start ability, his ability to separate. Any conversation here, I think we just got to lay it out there. And that's not to take anything away from Oklahoma City GPE because God knows we're going to give them all sorts of flowers here during this conversation. But I want to lay that out as a critical point here as I go through what we're going to talk about.The second piece of it is starting with almost like a baseline conversation about the playoffs right now and about what teams are finding success in the playoffs. So Bryce, you sent me a note last night that I thought was super smart, kind of run through what you've seen in the playoffs so far in terms of teams that have been able to find that game over game success so far. Yeah.

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So I looked and I said my thoughts is we look at the four best teams. And so when I'm saying the four teams that have looked the best, it'd be Minnesota ORG, OKC, and then New York and Boston ORG in the eastern. I said they all have elite perimeter defense. They all have elite rim protection when Christopps Brzeingus is healthy for the Celtics ORG. And I guess we can quibble whether Christops PERSON is elite or not.But these other three teams absolutely have it. Three of the four have a singular hub of the offense. Now, some Jalen Williams PERSON fans may quibble with that a little bit. I thought this one was really interesting, Sam PERSON, all but one of the stars is a legit two-way player. I thought Anthony Edwards first game or game one,first half against the Nuggets was some of the best two-way basketball I've seen from somebody in a long time. Like, I thought he was incredible. And then the other thing I said was three of those four teams in the top two or three things you say about them is they play hard as shit.

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Like they just absolutely play.

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And this is no knock on the Mavs ORG, but you don't think of the Mavs and go, man, they play really, really hard. You know, even the Nuggets ORG, you don't go, man, they play. But you talk about the Timberwolves ORG, they get after you, the thunder. They don't get enough credit. I know you want to talk about that.And then obviously the Nix, it's their number one thing. The Celtics are the only team where you're not going, oh, this is a top three thing.

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And I'm not saying they don't know. Like with the Celtics, they have like Drew Holiday PERSON. Drew Holiday PERSON. Drew Holiday PERSON plays hard as shit. And Patrick White PERSON. Derek White PERSON plays hard as hell. Like Derek White isn't like wildly physical but like he fights his ass off over screens and like he is a physical on ball defenderin a real way uh jelan brown PERSON's like a physical june plays hard at least like you can say whatever you want about jaylon brown dribbling left hand whatever but like that dude plays hard i i think all four of those teams especially across the perimeter like those guys play hard and physical right like i and i know that's what you want to touch on

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especially with the thunder and i don't want to steal your thunder sorry um but with the way the rules have adjusted a little bit here, it's playing into those favor of Josh Hart, Jalen Williams PERSON, Lou Dort PERSON. The way those guys defend is really, really paying off now, especially where they're allowing the,and this happens in the playoffs anyway. So, you know, we expected it to take a jump here, but they're taking advantage of it. There's no doubt about it.

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I'm so proud of you for embracing your inner Spinella PERSON and just going full dad joke. Like, Spins PERSON was doing it before he had a child. And here, like, you've had a kid, you've had kids for years now.

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Here's the, doing it now. Here's the funny thing is I said it. And then I was like, how am I going to get out of this without sounding like a complete 37 year old dad joke? And if any of my students heard what I just said, they'd be clowning me so bad at school tomorrow. I couldn't find a way out of it. Like I was into it too far and I had no other way to get out. So I just rolled with it. I was kind of hoping everybody would just miss it. Yeah, you dug too deep of a hole there.

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Yeah.

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Yeah. So the big thing for me when watching these playoffs is, and I've seen this

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talked about quite a bit with Minnesota ORG, is the way that officiating in the changes with the way that the NBA ORG is being officiated over the course of really from February onward has changed the paradigm of the league. And Minnesota ORG is like a prime example of this, right? Like they're allowed to be more physical. They have two bigs with Carl Towns and Rudy Gobert PERSON.And then on top of it, they have these really physical on ball defenders like Jaden McDaniels PERSON, Anthony Edwards. Nikil Alexander Walker PERSON's obviously been very physical.

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We'll watch tape, right?

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I think the team that we way underrated, and this brings us into our first piece of the conversation here with Oklahoma City GPE, we way underrated how much this was going to help Oklahoma City. Yeah.

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Because having Lou Dort and Jalen Williams PERSON be able to be as physical as they want to be on the

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perimeter. Those are two of the strongest perimeter players point blank in the NBA ORG right now. Lou Dort PERSON is built like a truck. Jalen Williams is 240 pounds and seven foot two wingspan and like really gets up under you and into you with that length and with that strength. I think that Oklahoma City GPE got helped more by this than what I think like anybody has talkedabout really as we go through this. Having those two guys that you can just throw at people and then having like Shay PERSON's length

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and not to mention case. Wallace PERSON. Yeah.

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That's exactly

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right like there are just so many bodies that oklahoma city can throw at you and oh by the way

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then they're coming at you in waves on offense i Oklahoma city is a tough problem to solve right now with the way that the game is being officiated well and then you have the backline defense of

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chet as well right like i thought he was really good in this game, protecting the rim. And we've talked all the time about how he holds up better than what you might think with verticality. And I even saw, you know, guys turning down attempts last night. They saw Chet PERSON there and they're like, nope, we're not going to take that one. And, you know, while Joe and Wiggins PERSON and those guys aren't this same level of physicality,even Josh Giddy, it probably helps him because he's not beating you defensively with his quickness or something like that. Like he's going to beat you by being bigger and stronger. And that's just kind of his thing. So we have,I will say, I was thinking about this, we have talked about Dort and Jalen Williams PERSON and how physical they are.

Speaker 1621.76s - 640.56s

And we highlighted it the entirety of that first round series and what Dort did to Brandon Ingram PERSON. So it's something we've talked about. I don't know that I realized it was, it's one game, but I don't know that I realized it was going to play at Luca and Kyrie PERSON.I thought Kyrie PERSON really struggled. That was a really rough first half,

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especially for Kyrie PERSON. I had like four or five turnovers in the first quarter. You know, if it's going to affect them like that, yeah, this series may be quick if the Mavs ORG' offense can't figure something out.

Speaker 1652.9s - 664.82s

Before we get into defense and, you know, at some point we're going to talk about all this other stuff. You know, Bryce, you always talk to me about getting blacked out of games where you are in Kansas GPE.

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Five cities, Sam PERSON.

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Five cities I pay for league pass and get blacked out of because I live in the middle of nowhere. Well, I've got an answer for you. It's NordVPN ORG. While we're on the topic of these players, you know, with Bryce PERSON getting blacked out of these games and having all sorts of problems with it, NordVPN ORG is here to secure your internet and help you avoid getting blacked out of these games and having all sorts of problems with it. NordVPN is here to secure your internet and help you avoid getting blacked out.What's a VPN? It's a virtual private network. A VPN reroutes your traffic through a remote server, encrypting it in the process. This hides your location from ISB ORG hackers and other people looking to get your data. Everyone knows that I'm a huge fan of movies. Look, like, it's way easier for me to find movies using a VPN.I can log into Germany GPE. I can log into the United States GPE, obviously, in order to get different streaming services. It's super easy for me. We just talked about Bryce being able to say he's in Los Angeles with his VPN so that he doesn't get blacked out of some of theteams in the Midwest. There's just a lot of value to having a VPN beyond the security aspect, which is really, really important. If somebody who's on the go, connecting to public Wi-Fi is a necessity. It's also just a goldmine for hackers, though. That's where NordVPN ORG comes in, creating a secure tunnel for my data to travel through away from prying eyes. There are other benefits to using NordVPN ORG too. Your browsing history will be yours and yours alone. Your virtual location will be masked from those who seek to track your every move. It's really just like having a force field around your online identity. And then Nord ORG is going to go anextra mile with threat protection. Malware trackers, dodgy ads, they're all going to get blocked. And it's like having a shot blocking big around your devices 24-7. NordVPN is offering Game Theory ORG fans an exclusive deal. Score four extra months and up to 75% off subscriptions. Just head to NordVPN.com slash game theory to claim your discount. NordVPN ORG, N-O-R-D-V-P-N-O-D-V-P-N-O-D-V-P-N-T-N-T-N-E-N-R-T-E-N-R-E-N-R-B-ROT.Plus, with Nord-V-V-N-B-N-R-R-B-R-R-R-F-A-R-F-F-N of the product. So I an enormous fan, enormous, enormous fan of the product. So I'm excited to be able to share it with you guys. Okay, do you want to talk about Oklahoma City's defense now? Because I have some clips, Bryce PERSON. Let's do it. Yep.

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I love it. Okay.

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So let's get this up on the screen here. We're talking about players securing the bag when they get drafted in June. I need to tell you about securing your internet connection with NordVPN ORG. What is a VPN? It's a virtual private network.A VPN rerout your traffic through a remote server encrypting it in the process. This is going to hide your location from your ISP hackers and from other people looking to get your data. Everybody knows that I watch as many movies as I can. I think I've probably watched like 40 or 50 this year already. Some movies are blocked in Australia GPE. It's really hard for me to watch them. For instance, anybody who's tried to get their hands on Godzilla minus one recently knows that it's basically only available in Japan GPE. And you need a VPN if you want to go to like Amazon Prime ORG or something to be able to watch it. So when I'm blocked from watching a movie in Australia GPE, I just queue up my VPN. I change my location and it unlocks a category of movies from all of my favorite streaming services.It's somebody who's always on the go connecting to public Wi-Fi is a necessity, but it's also just a goldmine for hackers. That's where Nord ORG comes in, creating a secure tunnel for my data to travel through away from Prying Guys. There are other benefits to Nord ORG as well. Your browsing history is yours and yours alone. Your virtual location is masked from those you seek to track your every move. It's like having a force field around your online identity.Nord VPN also goes the extra mile with threat protection. Malware, trackers, dodgy ads, they're all going to get blocked. It's like having a shot blocking big around your devices 24-7. Game Theory is offering an exclusive deal for NordVPN ORG. You're going to get four extra months and up to 75% off subscriptions. Just head to NordVPN.com slash game theory, G-A-M-E-H-E-O-R-Y, to claim your account.Plus, with Nord's 30-day money-back guarantee, you've got nothing to lose and everything to gain. Go to NordVPN.com slash game theory to claim your account, NordvPN.com slash game theory. Guys, I can't emphasize enough how much use nord every day of my life i nord is a fantastic sponsor for us so go support nord and it's a great product so nordvpn.com ORG slash game theory what we're going to find here is I need to be able to rewind and stuff, and I can't really do that right now.This is annoying. Let's move you up. Okay. There we go. So a lot of these clips, like I just pooled, because you're going to see Oklahoma City GPE just absolutely being physical, getting over the top of screens at a super high level.I also pulled a lot of clips of how Dallas seemed to be attacking what Oklahoma GPE City was presenting them defensively because I think there are a few things that Oklahoma City tried to do. And we'll talk about them as we kind of run through the clips here. So this one, you know, this sets up almost as a double drag. Luca PERSON takes these like kind of double drags in a bit of a different way. I guess is kind of the easiest way to say it. He sometimes will speed around them like a normal situation.Other times he'll like kind of go a little bit more slowly around them and when that happens you know he's kind of waiting to see okay we're going to let Derek Jones PERSON clear you know Derek Jones here number 55 we're going to then let you know Daniel Gafford PERSON set up for a screen so he can get into a roll right there are a lot of different ways that, you know, Luca PERSON likes to take these. In this one, he kind of tries to take it a little bit slower. Ludo PERSON decides to go under this because Luca is so far away from the basket and because one of Oklahoma City GPE strategies very clearlyis to deny the second screen, right? Look at where Shea Gilges Alexander PERSON is on this play. He's in front. He's basically denying this screen for Luca PERSON to go around it. If Luca PERSON tries to go around it, Shea PERSON is just going to pop out here and almost like hedge. And the thing that I want to point out here is look at how far in on the weak side chet is alreadyyou're going to see throughout these clips oklahoma city is basically overplaying the big role man with a heavy tag and basically daring like a corner three point shooter who's somewhere over here to beat them.

Speaker 01125.82s - 1150.02s

Yeah. And I think they may have gone zone here. And the reason I say that is I remember watching the game live and I feel like I saw Dagnall PERSON put up the fist. Like it was like he was making a defensive call. So I almost, I was thinking they potentially were in a three two zone here just the way things are set up at the top and then Gideon PERSON shed on the blocks blocks it looks like it might be but the thing that's throwing me is just the

Speaker 11150.02s - 1170.16s

difference in height for jalen williams and josh giddy PERSON here i would believe you that this is his own like it's very plausible it probably is given the way that they matched up throughout the game. Like having Shea matched up with Daniel Gafford PERSON was not something they did throughout the game.

Speaker 01170.9s - 1175.38s

Again, I don't know that I would have noticed it, but I just remember the, I love watching the bench.

Speaker 11175.62s - 1181.22s

And they cut to Dagnall PERSON and I just remember him giving the fist and like really pointing and stuff.

Speaker 01181.28s - 1191.66s

And I was like, oh, I wonder what fist means. And then they came out and this was a possession i think this was the exact one or it looked like this so that's what made me think

Speaker 11191.66s - 1203.36s

yeah i think you might be right here the thing that's the thing that's throwing me is like jalen is so high already you know what i mean yeah if this is a two three which is how it originally

Speaker 21203.36s - 1205.46s

set up right with you with, you know,

Speaker 11206.02s - 1218.14s

two out top. And I don't, I don't know, man. This is a weird. It's a weird zone. I kind of love it. I love it as a counter because, like, even I'm like a little bit thrown on what exactly

Speaker 01218.14s - 1218.66s

it is.

Speaker 11220.34s - 1223.08s

I think you're probably right that it's a zone.

Speaker 01223.08s - 1234.3s

Well, what I wonder is if they're going to go three, two, they're going to take Luca away from the top, take Kyrie away from the top and say, all right, Daniel Gafford, catch the ball at the Frito PRODUCT line and see if you can, you know, do anything with it from there.

Speaker 11235.58s - 1236.8s

It might be a three, two.

Speaker 01237.3s - 1238.6s

Yeah, it's probably a three two.

Speaker 11239.9s - 1262.4s

I mean, yeah, you've got your three up top. You've got your two underneath, but. Yeah, and then Josh PERSON is kind of coming in from the weak side early maybe. But like, then he sinks back. Okay, I can accept this being a three, two. I'm here for it. But the thing I wanted to point out more than anything here is just look at how far off they are on the corners.

Speaker 01262.68s - 1270.6s

Right. And this was the thing that they were just willing to go to all day, even with Kyrie PERSON in the corner on the weak side right there, or on the strong side, I guess, of this play.

Speaker 11272.44s - 1354.9s

Look at just how well they're playing those gaps, right? Like you have Chet here who's ready to sink in or ready to close out on PJ PERSON. You've got Josh Giddy here who is ready to sink in and be available on Gafford PERSON. They're just really, really smart in this circumstance. Let's get into like the man-to-man stuff because that's going to be a little bit more applicable. So this one, Oklahoma City GPE just switches, right?They get Wiggins on Luca Donchich. Then they send two. Sending two to the ball was something Oklahoma City GPE did pretty regularly throughout this game. They were willing to help off of Tim Hardaway Jr. A great shooter. They were willing to send two off of, you know, I don't think they sent two off of Kyrie PERSON ever,but they were really willing to send it off of really anybody other than who Kyrie PERSON was guarding. Just look at how they rotate around here. So like, you have Jalen Williams rotate out after sending two. So Kaysen goes to send two and then he's going to get back and going to be in recovery here. Jalen Williams PERSON is going to shoot up from the corner. He's ready to go. What I want you to guys to see here as well, look at Jalen Williams is going to shoot up from the corner. He's ready to go. What I want you to guys to see here as well, look at Jalen Williams PERSON coming up from the corner.Look at how he's denying that pass to the corner

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with his arms out, right?

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Active, kind of just making it harder for Tim Hardaway, Jr.

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To be able to get this ball all the way to the corner.

Speaker 11364.36s - 1411.94s

If he does, he's going to have to loop it over the top potentially, and that's going to give Chet PERSON time to close out. If Chet gets time to close out, you're going to have Kaysen PERSON be able to, hold on, let's go back. You're going to have Josh Giddy be able to go here to Derek lively, and then Kaysen PERSON probably shoots out to the corner to Josh Green PERSON, and then they're recovered, right?Yep. So by denying that with Josh, or with Jalen Williams' PERSON hands out like that, all ready to play, he forces the pass into Derek lively on the interior here where they're just set at that point and then casein can read and react and he's just going to the corner here to Kyrie PERSON right it's an easier

Speaker 01411.94s - 1418.6s

rotation there but that's forced in part by Jalen Williams PERSON being active and aggressive in the way

Speaker 11418.6s - 1436.84s

that he is defensively and that's just really really important and then Chet Holmgren PERSON here just does a great job walls up blocks, blocks the shot, Derek lively, Daniel Gafford PERSON. Gafford PERSON had a bunch of points, but I thought Gafford was not incredible in this game on offense.

Speaker 01437.02s - 1474.4s

I agree. I mean, I take you another thing is like I think Maxi Kleba PERSON is going to be a huge miss for not having him is going to be greatly missed for them. And that's like, Kyrie is a over 50% three point shooter from the corner this season, Sam PERSON. And instead of that, like yeah, Derek lively got the ball at five feet,but it's Derek lively not catching a lob and with Chet PERSON directly between him and the basket and lively has to try to make a post move, which I don't mean to like crush him, but I would much rather lively try to score on Chet PERSON with him between them, the basket from five feet, then Kyrie get a somewhat wide open corner three. Like that's a no-brainer to me.

Speaker 11475.24s - 1521.06s

So good example of why that probably was a two three zone or a three-two zone in the first possession is just look, same set they're setting up, right? Going with this slower double dragon you know semi transition you know just crossed half court right she on derrick jones then you've chat out on daniel gafford makes sense to me that that would i'm with you that was his own now like i'm officially there and realizing that i was kind of wrong to think about itthat way. Okay. So how are they playing this? They're going to switch the first one with Lou Dort and then they're going to fight over the top of the second one with Chey Gilges-Alexander PERSON. Now, the fun part of this set, if you look at it.

Speaker 01521.42s - 1522.74s

They're double-drag into Spain.

Speaker 11523.54s - 1545.78s

Well, yeah, I was going to say that's exactly what it was. They're double dragging to Spain. They're trying to get Shea PERSON here. Or no, they're trying to get Kaysen PERSON here is he switches. And then they're going to have Tim Hardaway float up here in the Spain piece of it. While Luca PERSON kind of goes around the play, that's a bad arrow, but whatever.Kaysen PERSON is really good here for a rookie.

Speaker 01545.9s - 1546.78s

Look at this communication.

Speaker 11547.74s - 1637.44s

Unbelievable communication from Kason Wallace PERSON. Look at that. Points it out immediately to Lou Dort PERSON. Says, hey, we got to switch this. I'm going to go here. Stick with Tim Hardaway PERSON here, right?Unbelievable communication here to be able to understand this as a rookie what's going on. Now, Shegilders-Alexander PERSON simultaneously is fighting over the top of this like crazy, right? Look at how he gets up over the top of this, tries to get back in recovery. Chet PERSON is here and drop. He's all the way back now. Lucas PERSON is trying to like, you know, use his offhand to kind of shield it.And the other thing here, and this is what's crazy, this is my favorite defensive possession of this game by far from Oklahoma City GPE, right? Look at this. You've got Chet PERSON coming down trying to swipe at the ball. You've got Shea PERSON on the body. You've got Aaron Wiggins coming down.Yep. From the corner here, same side help, trying to swipe down with the ball, forcing Luca PERSON to turn around. You've got Lou Dork PERSON coming at the ball, right? It's just unbelievable. They're surrounding.They're swarming Luca Donchitch PERSON. Yep. Luca PERSON eventually has to call time out because it's just like, man, we're fucked. Like, this is crazy. They're so long. They're so active. They're so aggressive. And they're physical. And Ch it's just like man we're fucked like this is crazy they're so long they're so active they're so aggressive and they're physical and chet's just lengthen drop coverage is anenormous piece of this this one here look at where we're picking up luka we're picking them up

Speaker 01637.44s - 1644.12s

70 feet from the basket we're making it way harder for him just to like take that mental energy

Speaker 11644.12s - 1659.04s

off the court i was talking to a like friend of mine that's a former NBA player yesterday and like the thing that he brought up with minnesota was minnesota just like picking up jamaul murray PERSON and picking up all of those guards

Speaker 01659.04s - 1664.36s

for phoenix way up the court they even do it with yokitch sam naz reed will pick yokech PERSON up

Speaker 11664.36s - 1675.8s

and you better believe we're going to talk about that. But more than anything, what that does, and he explained this perfectly, it just doesn't let these dudes take a second off.

Speaker 21675.96s - 1676.2s

Yeah.

Speaker 11676.78s - 1721.4s

Like take that little second to just reset themselves, right? Just say like mentally, okay, this is where I need to get to. We're running this set coming down the court we're getting into our offense this way when you have lewd dork coming at you for 75 feet you don't really get that split second to be able to take that off so this one leudort just fights over the top completely blows up the screen yeah literally just blows up Daniel Gafford's PERSON chest here, right?Gafford makes physical contact and Dort just like acts like it's not even there. Yeah. Again, chat perfect position in drop. This one just kind of bumps off a lose leg as he recovers, but like it's perfect.

Speaker 01722.2s - 1727.52s

Gafford PERSON's trying. Like that's it. Like sometimes we see screens we're like, okay, come on. Like he has to,

Speaker 21727.52s - 1735.7s

you would like for him to hold his ground more. But my guess is Lou Dord PERSON is so stinking strong that he's probably doing as much as he can.

Speaker 01736.6s - 1741.14s

And yeah, Dort just blows it up. This is, he's so, he's really good.

Speaker 11741.6s - 1752.56s

He's awesome on defense. He is absolutely fantastic. This one, they just started a break here. Next play, Jalen Williams on Luca PERSON. Throwing different looks at him.

Speaker 01752.76s - 1755.64s

Jalen Williams PERSON, a little bit bigger, a little bit longer, right?

Speaker 11758.24s - 1762.12s

Again, Gafford PERSON this time tries to slip the screen. Yep.

Speaker 01764.4s - 1765.84s

More of a catch,

Speaker 11766.08s - 1773.58s

higher drop from Jalen Williams than with Chet Holmgren PERSON. But the big thing I want to point out here

Speaker 01773.58s - 1775.62s

is that weak side man. Yep.

Speaker 11775.92s - 1816.04s

Look at how deep into the paint the tagger is already as Gafford PERSON comes off of this screen. Yep. This is an easy pass for Luca PERSON to make. Luca PERSON's unbelievable. Yeah, I think Case of Wallace does an amazing job here too,and it's clear this is a piece of Oklahoma City GPE strategy, where he's trying to cut off an angle here to make this pass a little bit harder, right? He's trying to make it so Luca PERSON has to loft a over the top, which means that he gets more time to close back out onto the shooter. But man, he's already there. Wiggins PERSON is already there to be able to

Speaker 01816.04s - 1820.44s

contest this shot at the basket. You have both you have both corners involved because this is the one

Speaker 11820.44s - 1827.14s

where SGA comes in from the backside and blocks it from behind Gafford PERSON. And this is what you mentioned it with Gafford.

Speaker 01827.54s - 1863.08s

He did have some points. I thought his rim protection was pretty solid at times. But they're not letting these dudes just get dunks and catch lobs. They're making Gafford PERSON catch. Like we saw a lively early. He had to catch and make a move.Gafford PERSON has to catch with somebody into his legs, into his body. He does a good job keeping it high. But he can't explode and just go dunk that. And SGA ORG is able to come and block it from behind. Like, they're just swarming. Like,this was crazy, Sam PERSON. They swarmed Luca PERSON at the top of the key. And then they also went and swarmed the big in the paint. Like they're able to do both because everybody's just so connected and active.

Speaker 11863.76s - 1916.32s

And the way that you take advantage of this, you know, maybe I'll talk about that as we go through more of them because there are just more clips like this, right? This one here kind of cross matching in transition, Kaysen on Kyrie PERSON, you know, that's a matchup that they want. But then this one, you know, they have both Jalen and Chet PERSON on the court, right? Jalen Williams there guarding Derek lively, Chet Holmgren PERSON, you know, they have both Jalen and Chet on the court, right? Jalen Williams there guarding Derek lively, Chet Holmgren, you know,guarding Derek Jones PERSON being kind of the floating helpman in a way, right? So this one, you kind of try and set this up. And again, we're swarming, right? And this is a possession where it goes well. And this is why I think Lively PERSON might have to be the answer potentially. Even though I thought Gafford PERSON played okay in this game.Like Gafford PERSON is not a great passer. Correct.

Speaker 01917.44s - 1921.18s

Lively's not a great passer, but he's better than Gafford PERSON in terms of making the right

Speaker 11921.18s - 1946.94s

reads. This one, he finds the right read out to the corner. If they're going to do this where in terms of making the right reads. This one, he finds the right read out to the corner. If they're going to do this where every single time, there's a short roll where they put two on the ball, right? And that's what happens here.You know, look at how high Jalen Williams is. He's clearly trying to get Kyrie PERSON to no longer have the ball in his hands, right? He's letting Derek lively get behind him and slip. Yep.

Speaker 21948.06s - 1952.26s

If they're going to sag off of these corners in the way that they are,

Speaker 11953s - 2033.62s

you really have to be able to hit this pass out. Or the ball handler needs to be able to hit that cross-corner kickout pass. And Luca PERSON can do it, obviously. Kyrie PERSON can do it. Like, these guys are great basketball players. I think they have to be a little bit more willing to hit that pass at the end of the day.Next one, this is, I think, the start of the second half, maybe. So, yes, first possession of the second half. Derek Jones brings the ball up the court against Giddy PERSON. Again, you see Luca throw this little arm out at Lou PERSON, right? Shaves them off. Doesn't matter.I'm coming right back to you. Look at how they're setting up. They set up. A lot of kind of misdirection action here. You're going to see PJ Washington kind of come through the play. You're going to see Jones, I think, set a screen for Gafford to like kind of come up and screen for Lucas Man PERSON.And can either be a step up or it can be a, you know, whatever you want it to be kind of situation. This one's just like a middle ball screen. Again, Ludort PERSON just like flying over the top, getting back physical, perfect drop coverage from Chet there. Daniel Gafford PERSON not being able to shoot there is the biggest issue to me.

Speaker 22034.38s - 2040.94s

This leads to just a really difficult shot for Luca in the mid range. But if Chet PERSON's going to be

Speaker 12040.94s - 2069.14s

able to play this deep and cut off Luca PERSON, what you need is, and this is where your point about Maxi Kleba PERSON, I think, comes into play. You need a guy who can pick and pop and sit here and knock this down. And then you force the giddy rotation. You can hit this out. Swing. You get this to Jalen Williams, swing it down to the corner to Kyrie PERSON.That's where having a non-shooting threat is a killer because it lets Chet PERSON just sit in the paint constantly.

Speaker 02070.48s - 2097.66s

Well, and those guys are awesome lob threats and have that rim gravity, but the way that the Thunder ORG guards are fighting over the top of screens, they're not getting that either. And Chet PERSON does a pretty good job playing both and not letting him get in behind. And the help, you talked about the low man help and the tag is there so early, it's hard to see the value from Gafford PERSON offensively if he's not catching lobs in these situations.That's exactly right.

Speaker 12097.8s - 2161.84s

Next, you get Kyrie PERSON coming up, bringing the ball up the court, sideball screen. Giddy PERSON's already there. It's exactlyball screen. Giddy's already there. That's exactly right. Josh Giddy's already here. Look at how far he's helping off of Derek Jones PERSON.Derek Jones PERSON is really important in the series because they need guys to be able to guard Shea Gilgis Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Derek Jones PERSON is their best bet at it. Like he's been their best defender this season on the perimeter. But the problem is that when he's on the court, and this is why I think you saw him bringing the ball up the court from time to time in this game, it's a little bit easier to kind of make it so that it's harder in early actions for Oklahoma City GPE to help way off of him.But any time that he's on the court and standing in the corner, this is just an easy help off. This is way too easy for Oklahoma City GPE to just be like, okay, we're just going to sit here. We're going to tag way, way high. We're going to get the ball out of Kyrie PERSON's hands.And we're going to make it harder for Daniel Gafford PERSON to finish.

Speaker 02162.16s - 2170.8s

34% corner three point shooter on the on the year, Sam PERSON. Like those are just, you're going to play those odds if you're the Oklahoma City Thunder ORG. It's exactly right.

Speaker 12171.22s - 2181.64s

This one again, got Jalen Williams on Kyrie PERSON. This is going to set up as like kind of a tight ball screen action. SGA ORG is already over there.

Speaker 02181.76s - 2182.3s

He's been over there.

Speaker 12182.3s - 2183.18s

Already over there.

Speaker 22184.56s - 2189.54s

I would like to see the Mavericks ORG get some sort of movement on the weak side over here.

Speaker 02190.28s - 2191.5s

Can you get a cut?

Speaker 22191.6s - 2192.56s

Can we set a flare?

Speaker 02192.86s - 2201.08s

Can we, you know, something like these guys are just standing over there. Can you do something on the weak side where Giddy's having to play two on one?

Speaker 12201.88s - 2250.26s

So, yeah, and that's why I wanted to wait until this play, particularly, to bring this up. Because to me, what you want to do is in this circumstance, you want to really probably go small, if you're Dallas ORG here. You would love to be able to have, you need to be able to have Derek Jones PERSON on the court, again, like really important player for them defensively you need to start Derek Jones PERSON in the corner on this play here this needs to beD.J.J so him and then this needs to be like Tim Hardaway Jr. PERSON Guy that you think can like really shoot, right? Or at least the guy that like Oklahoma City GPE will treat as a shooter.

Speaker 02250.56s - 2253.62s

Almost 40% on corner threes this year. Yep.

Speaker 12253.62s - 2316.92s

Like you said, then you have the exchange where Tim Hardaway Jr. PERSON comes down into the action. And then he's the guy in the corner, whereas this comes off, and Shay PERSON is already here on the opposite side of the rim. You make it so you've got Derek Jones PERSON here, you know, at this point after the exchange ends up being the same.And then you've got Tim Hardaway Jr. PERSON in the corner. And Kyrie hopefully can, you know, drive, get this ball out to Derek Jones, Jr., force Giddy PERSON to commit. And then reversal over to Tim Hardaway Jr. who's going to be able to knock down a three. And like we can talk about how She can cover all sorts of ground on the court. That is a very far close out to where I think Tim Hardaway Jr.

Speaker 02316.92s - 2318.62s

would be able to get a clean look at a three.

Speaker 12319.84s - 2356.36s

Instead, hits the roller. Shea PERSON's already there. Next one. Again, kind of tight ball screen action there. Empty side. Lou PERSON's already there.Again, Weak side, watch Shay just like already step in right he's already stepping in he's already stepping in he's got Gafford chet PERSON's there to take the other side rebound go

Speaker 02356.36s - 2373.78s

Joe was in off of PJ in the other corner too you know like I mean when you're dort PERSON you know all you have to do is get back to contest the mid range jumper because you know like i mean when you're dort PERSON you know all you have to do is get back to contest the mid-range jumper because you know luca's not getting all the way to the rim chet's there joe's there there's there's there's three other guys on the back line of the defense all dort PERSON has to do is be able to

Speaker 12373.78s - 2395.02s

get back and contest a mid-range jumper it's exactly right it's dead on this one they actually look like they're going to switch it at first and then lou just like fights over the top and recovers like it's nobody's business. Then, you know, again, that kind of delayed double drag action is what we're looking at here. Luca PERSON tries to like stake it.

Speaker 02395.32s - 2396.04s

Freaking awesome.

Speaker 12396.66s - 2446.22s

It's just Lou Dort PERSON being so sick. Screen navigation. Fights over the top. He's already back. Lou, by the way, Isaiah Joe here, like does an unbelievable job of avoiding this Daniel Gaffert PERSON screen here. This is hard to like stay connected with Luca PERSON here,have this second ball screen coming or having this like flare screen basically for Josh Green PERSON come out and avoid that action is hard. And then Lou PERSON just fights over the top again. And he's right there. And it's just absurd. Just completely absurd.Next. Again, you've got Lou Dork PERSON coming in. Fighting over the top. Again, look at out. They're so early in the paint here. Look at it's both of them this time.

Speaker 02453.66s - 2454.08s

We've got all five Oklahoma City GPE defenders, basically.

Speaker 12455.02s - 2540.14s

On one side of the floor. On one side of the floor. They're communicating on the backside. Isaiah Joe PERSON, you can see he's communicating on the backside. He's there. They finally shoot the corner pass out, and it's just like, okay, this is a shot you have to make. They're willing to make them make the shot.That's what they're giving up. This is the shot that Oklahoma City GPE is comfortable giving up. And it's an unbelievable pass from Luca PERSON. It's an unbelievable pass or it's a wide open shot. That's the shot that Dallas ORG is going to have to make to be able to compete in this series. Yep.That's the shot. If Oklahoma City GPE does not adjust its defensive coverages and after game one, I'm not totally sure why you would. That's the one you're going to have to make. Then this might be coming up on like the last couple here. Again, just very early, as you can see.Watch Aaron Wiggins, helping way off of even like Tim Hardaway, Jr. PERSON here. Already in the paint. Already ready, ready. Chets out high already available wiggins steel next one that empty side kind of action again derrick lively PERSON that's again as we mentioned earlier

Speaker 22540.14s - 2547.96s

this is the pass that lively has to make right he has honestly two options the tim hardaway option

Speaker 12547.96s - 2708.22s

is here it's probably the one i'd like to see given that jalen really has to stay attached to lucca and it's going to have to be a two on one uh you know one two with the corner man there for jeline williams on the back or for for Aaron Wiggins on the backside. And he just throws into the sands, right? That's the one he's got to make. He knows it.Like he puts his head down, right? And then this is the final one. Kyrie coming off and Kays and Wall PERSON is just sick. Just totally sick. You have three of these guys that you can throw at Dallas ORG at any point at these ball handlers, and it's just completely ridiculous.The last thing I want to talk about, we're not going to belabor the Oklahoma City offense point is Oklahoma City's offense was great in this game. I just want to call out one thing that they very clearly did early and often in this game that I thought was really important as we kind of dive into the tape and figure out how Oklahoma City GPE is trying to attack them.Obviously, teams try to attack Josh Giddy. They really try and make it so that Giddy PERSON has to be the point guard. You're keeping the ball out of Jalen Williams' and Shayhield's Alexander's hands if you do that, right? So what's the best way to attack that? What's the best way to attack in general, this Dallas ORG defense? Oklahoma City GPE, by and large, set their screen level right around this mark here.Sometimes it was like right at the three point line, but it was very rarely like a high screen and roll. Like we saw Dallas ORG there really get into a lot of high ball screen actions. Oklahoma City GPE really went lower with the screen level here. My opinion on that is that they're trying to engage the big earlier because Gafford PERSON and lively are such drop defenders that they're going to drop naturally in these circumstances in order to keep in front of even guys like Josh Giddy.So this one, you know, you see the kind of reversal. Again, ball screen there from Ch chet right at the three point line and now you've got the mismatch on luka with shay they realized early that dallas GPE was going to switch a lot of these actions as well and this is just awesome strategy from mark dagonal right so this one this just ends up being a peel switch because Luca PERSON didn't stay in front. Yep.

Speaker 22708.44s - 2708.92s

Point blank.

Speaker 12709.32s - 2749.98s

Luca PERSON needs to be a better defender. I can, again, we opened this conversation with the fact that he is injured and we're aware of it. The calf seems not great. Luca was a problem on defense in this game for Dallas ORG. He was. And it's not to take this game for Dallas ORG. He was.And it's not to take anything away from how great he was. It's just kind of the reality of what the situation is right now for him. And I feel bad for him. It's just, it's tough right now. So this one again, Luca just kind of calls a peal switch when Derek Jones PERSON is there. And to me, that's one where it can't be a switch.Like Derek Jones PERSON is over the top of this.

Speaker 22750.6s - 2752.68s

Derek Jones is connected to Shea Gildjus Alexander PERSON.

Speaker 12753.94s - 2758.36s

You have Daniel Gafford PERSON kind of already here in the paint.

Speaker 22758.68s - 2762.26s

He's switched on to Josh Giddy so you feel comfortable with him being able to leave

Speaker 12762.26s - 2784.54s

Josh Giddy. Luca should know that because he's the one that called the switch off of Giddy in the first place. So like having that awareness, I expect Luca PERSON to know that in that circumstance. He's a basketball savant. And instead he calls out the P.L. switch. And then you've just got Shagel's Alexander isolating on Luca PERSON.Yeah.

Speaker 02784.64s - 2785.24s

Next one. Switch is the one you don't want him to switch. And then doesn't. Yeah. Next one.

Speaker 12785.5s - 2794.36s

Switch is the one you don't want him to switch and then doesn't. Yeah. Yeah. It's bad. I mean, switch both of them in my opinion where you didn't have to switch to be

Speaker 02794.36s - 2805.6s

honest. So this one, look at Chet PERSON. This is just like fantastic from Chet PERSON, kind of sealing off both guys as a screener here, trying to like make it look like he's establishing post position.Look at how deep he has him.

Speaker 12806.16s - 2888.04s

Look at how deep he has him. But again, I want to call out like look at Luca PERSON just immediately call out peel switch, right? Just immediately just saying like go, go, go. I'll handle, you know, this is an appeal switch, I guess. It's just him trying to call out like like, the communication that's easiest for him. Maybe is the way to put it.He's not switching. He's on giddy. He goes kind of under this screen action. He treats it as an under and says he's there and tells Gafford PERSON to get back out. It's a late contest. It's good.It's just, again, though, like, Luca PERSON is kind of, it's like the easy way out way out like i don't even think he navigated that poorly i think that like he frankly probably did the right thing it's just like it's just hard for him to move and then he's like kind of standing still after it i mean he gets the doesn't get the rebound giddy kind of elevates over the top of them. They get the offensive rebound here. Lou Dort drills the three, you know,kind of right in Luca PERSON's face. Again, like I don't mean to just like sit here and like shit on Luca PERSON, but like if he's not healthy, I actually think it's better for them to sit him for game two and like try to let this calf like get a semblance of being right you know what i mean

Speaker 02888.04s - 2893.62s

because he just wasn't moving well and we've given him flowers for his defense this year like

Speaker 12893.62s - 2947.32s

you earlier than me i've done it recently in the last couple weeks and so it's not like we're just like oh the narrative is lucas bad on defense whenever this team's been bad on defense we've crushed it as a team. We've talked about him. We've given them their flowers when they've improved and him specifically when he's been better.And so I think we're being fair and unbiased with kind of our criticism and analysis of him on the defensive end. Yep. Next up, again, super low level for ball screen, right? Forces that switch. And it just feels like dallas GPE is like a little bit confused right on what exactly they're doing they're a little bit late i guess chet just kind of does an awesome job of making contact on that screen gaffer just stays attachedand chet just gets behind p j washington ORG. It's just kind of not good enough, really.

Speaker 02947.62s - 2950.08s

PJ PERSON can't be that high if he knows they're going to switch.

Speaker 22950.96s - 2952.6s

Yeah, that's exactly right.

Speaker 12954.6s - 2985.46s

Next. Again, very low level on the ball screen. Check gets behind Daniel Gafford PERSON here. It just feels like to me, like, what are we running? Like, what is our defense here? Are we switching?Are we putting two on the ball to try and get the ball out of Josh Giddy's hands? Are we trying to go over and play in drop? Well, if you're in drop, then you really need Luca PERSON, frankly, to be tagging here.

Speaker 02986.38s - 2995.04s

And if you're trying to make Giddy PERSON a score, they haven't done that in any of these three possessions either. Like they haven't forced him to take a shot on any of these. Yep.

Speaker 12995.56s - 3032.38s

Again, Giddy PERSON brings ball up the court. It just can't move. Like, you just can't move. It sucks. Like, this is like, I've, I've loved the Dallas Mavericks all year. I went on fucking Timp ORG's show.It was like, I think Dallas is the top five contender for the title right after the trade deadline. I've loved the Mavericks this year. I, the whole reason why I thought they were a top five contender was Luca PERSON. It just seems like he's not healthy right now to me. Like, his effort was not, I don't even want to say it's effort because I think he's just hurt.Like he was not this bad on defense this year.

Speaker 03032.38s - 3045.56s

There wasn't the same energy. And that doesn't make sense in the Western NORP conference in my final game one for it to be just a low energy for no reason type of situation. It's exactly right.

Speaker 13045.66s - 3100.44s

So like this one is fun because they just like basically run Luca PERSON through the ringer, right? Why in the world Dallas would have Luca pick up Isaiah Joe PERSON is beyond my comprehension. Like just point blank. Like I don't remember if this was just a cross-match in transition or what. But you're having him, when he's not 100% healthy, guard this guy who he's going to have to chase around screens constantly. This one, he calls out a peal switch onto Jalen Williams PERSON.They kick it back out to Shea PERSON. Then you've just got Jalen PERSON setting this lower ball screen. They switch it. And because they switch it, now've just got Jalen PERSON setting this, like, lower ball screen. They switch it. And because they switch it, now you've got Josh Green PERSON who has to like sag way over into the paint here, be on the opposite side of the paint. And Jalen Williams PERSON could make those shots.Like Jalen Williams PERSON can shoot the basketball. Yeah.

Speaker 23101.48s - 3104.86s

Next up, again, super low screen point, right?

Speaker 13104.86s - 3153.66s

It was a common theme. It was exactly what they were trying to do to attack them every single time. Yeah. Next up, again, super low screen point, right? It was a common theme. It was exactly what they were trying to do to attack them every single time. Now you've got Derek lively out onto Kays and Wallace PERSON. You switch this. You've got THJ on Chet PERSON.That forces lively to kind of like sink in in a real way you've got kind of two on the ball here now you've got two you've got kiree garden two on the weak side it's just awesome ball movement right it's just fantastic ball movement it's what this is what makes it so hard to like try and do any sort of you know two on the ball situation or when you end up with a circumstance where check gets behind the roller right with oklahoma city because all

Speaker 23153.66s - 3159.22s

these dudes can fucking shoot yeah they ran out a lineup in the fourth quarter of i texted you

Speaker 13159.22s - 3187.26s

this it was i think it was shay jalen williams wiggins PERSON here i want to see it was Shea Jalen Williams Wiggins here I want to see it It was Shea Wiggins PERSON Jalen Williams Case and Wallace Ludoort And it's just like that's like the most physical powerful like wing lineup you can imagineBasically Jalen Williams PERSON playing the five It's unbelievable like I absolutely love it But like they can go small better than Dallas can go small without Maxi Kleba PERSON. Yep.

Speaker 03187.26s - 3193.36s

So next, you know, again, pretty low screen point, force the switch.

Speaker 13194.36s - 3214.06s

And then Luca PERSON just gets beat back door, right? This one. Yeah. So this one here, I almost thought they were in zone.

Speaker 03214.24s - 3221.34s

That's what I thought too. And then Gafford PERSON comes sprinting up and Josh Green chases across the baseline. Yeah.

Speaker 13221.76s - 3231.92s

So this one kind of broke my brain. And this might be like the last clip that we talk about because i want to move on to the other series but like luca and derrick jones junior PERSON are definitely

Speaker 03231.92s - 3237.94s

in zone sam because they just jones just pushed him off of the ball

Speaker 13237.94s - 3263.1s

so but my question is are they trying to push him off the ball because they're trying to avoid the sh Luca PERSON matchup? And Derek Jones PERSON is there and he's just like, let me deal with this go the other way. Because Luca PERSON is like pointing at it too to take him and then Luca kind of backs off. And Daniel Gafford PERSON's like running up.

Speaker 03263.64s - 3267.2s

Well, then maybe Josh Green PERSON just really screws up then

Speaker 13267.2s - 3273.86s

but like Josh Green PERSON you're right though like Gafford and Josh Green are in man here like 100%

Speaker 03273.86s - 3278.76s

because Josh Green's chasing opposite side Gaffert PERSON's coming up to the level like deal with the

Speaker 13278.76s - 3346.14s

screen I think what happens here is and I don't know this this is this is coming from, you know, I'm not totally sure. This is like a colossal fuck up regardless from Dallas ORG. And Dallas ORG has these. Like we've broken down Dallas's defense throughout the year. Like Dallas ORG has these like crazy weird things that they do. I think what happens is Derek Jones PERSON and Luca communicate to say, hey, I'm going to take Shay for Derek Jones.Luca PERSON backs off. Luca essentially then tries to like peel switch onto Wiggins and Green PERSON realizes it kind of last second what's happening and then has to close out to Kaysen PERSON. I think that the play here is for Luca PERSON to be down in the corner dealing with the strong side corner man at the time of the action, right?So strong side corner would be Wiggins PERSON coming across the play. And Josh PERSON, it's an impossible situation to me. If this is what you're communicating, it's an impossible situation to put Josh Green PERSON in.

Speaker 03348.78s - 3355.96s

Especially like Dallas ORG isn't playing passing lane. Like think about, go back to that. Watch

Speaker 13355.96s - 3361.64s

Derek Jones Jr. and Kyrie compared to what you showed, showed J. Dub PERSON, excuse me, do earlier.

Speaker 03362.5s - 3392.12s

Jones PERSON, as we get, his hands are down he's not active he's not pressuring the ball and sGA just tosses it across and then kairi PERSON should know right now that casein wallis is in the corner and they're a little bit screwed up should close out in a way to at least maybe deter this pass a little bit i realize you got to take away the drive i get it but there's just no activity. Think about the difference in the physicality of the defenses of what we saw 20 minutes ago

Speaker 23392.12s - 3393.14s

and what we've seen now.

Speaker 03394.58s - 3399.46s

The other thing that's interesting here is that Kyrie PERSON is clearly calling something out here.

Speaker 13399.52s - 3399.88s

Yes.

Speaker 03400.08s - 3400.34s

Yes.

Speaker 13400.8s - 3401.64s

To Josh Green PERSON.

Speaker 03402.56s - 3409s

And it just seems like they're not in any way, shape, or form on the same page to me.

Speaker 13409s - 3419.84s

Agreed. Like, I agree with you in terms of, like, thinking it was zoned to start with these two out top with Derek Jones and Luca PERSON. That makes sense based on the way that they're looking.

Speaker 23419.84s - 3429.94s

But I really, with everybody else basically playing man, my reaction is that they're just trying to like avoid the Shay Luca PERSON matchup.

Speaker 13430.24s - 3440.52s

And it just completely falls apart. And like, to me, like you said like Josh Green PERSON like fucks that up. To me, it's like unless Kyrie PERSON is yelling from the start there,

Speaker 03440.98s - 3443.2s

Luca PERSON's switching, get back to the corner.

Speaker 13443.7s - 3445.84s

Like it's incredible effort from

Speaker 03445.84s - 3452.56s

he's awesome effort yeah it's just like that's one where like us not being on the court like

Speaker 13452.56s - 3458.16s

yeah and not knowing their signals like we can't tell who's at fault there but it's clear that like

Speaker 03458.16s - 3465.08s

there's just total miscommunication across the board absolutely uh this This one, I think, is actually pretty funny, too.

Speaker 13468.52s - 3510.52s

Yeah, this one, this is where we'll end because I don't want to do the like shit on Luca party anymore because I feel bad about it. So this sets up, you know, Luca's guarding, I think, Jalen Williams PERSON from the jump here, right? Yeah, Luca's guarding Jalen Williams PERSON from the jump. They get through the screen. Shea gets the ball from Jalen Williams PERSON from the jump here, right? Yeah, Luca's guarding Jalen Williams from the jump. They get through the screen.Shea gets the ball from Jalen Williams PERSON. And then Jailen Williams PERSON just slips it, right? He realizes that Luca PERSON's out high. He's going to have leverage on Luca PERSON. He slips it. Tries to figure out where he can pass.And I think Luca just has like no awareness here of where Chet is coming from in terms of the angle of his 45 cut, right? Yep.

Speaker 03511.34s - 3518.64s

Like he's just kind of like getting big and hoping, right, as opposed to like being totally aware of where it is.

Speaker 13520.64s - 3527.68s

And then Chet PERSON scores. I don't know that I need to like continue to dive into this. Eventually like we get into like the crazy Jalen Williams fourth quarter.

Speaker 23527.68s - 3544.82s

We get into, you know, continued defensive mistakes by Dallas ORG. It's just a really tough spot. I think for Dallas to be in if Luca PERSON is not going to be able to like outgun them. With Oklahoma City GPE like on some level, you have to be able to outgun them and also cause them marginal issues defensively.

Speaker 13545.76s - 3548.58s

If you can't outgun them, it's just a really significant issue.

Speaker 03548.94s - 3603.24s

Well, let's just say, I think, you know, we talk about Luke and Kyrie PERSON. The more I watch that, this is, Oklahoma City GPE is going to force them to win a game with Tim Hardaway Jr., Dante Exum, Derek Jones Jr. PERSON, P.J. Washington PERSON, et cetera, et cetera,making corner threes from the weak side. If the Mavs ORG, the first Mavs win in this series, in my opinion, will be a game where those guys hit a high percentage from the weak side corner three, and then we'll see if OKC ORG wants to adjust,or if they say like, you know, kind of like what Boston said to Miami ORG, you did it once. We don't think you're going to continue to shoot from three like that. And so we'll just continue to roll with it. And the other thing is, Sam, they may shoot like that one time.And OKC ORG's offense is so good right now that it may not matter. Like if they don't hold them to less than 117, they can hit, you know, four or five more threes. And it's still not going to be enough. Yep.

Speaker 13604.28s - 3638.68s

Yeah, it's 100% right. Let's go to Minnesota, Denver ORG now because, like, let's, let's, before we do that, I texted you and I texted another friend of our, or mine last night. I said, I think this might be a sweep. I never would have guessed that coming into the series. Like I guess I thought Luca PERSON was like a little bit healthier maybe than what he's moving like potentially.I really kind of think Dallas's best bet potentially is to sit Luca for game two.

Speaker 03639.08s - 3641.56s

Set him for a game and then take your L.

Speaker 13642.16s - 3658.6s

See how the gap responds. You're on the road. Like, series doesn't start until a team loses a home game, right? Like, he just didn't look right last night.Like, that's my biggest takeaway is like Luca PERSON, just did not look like he was on it last night.

Speaker 03658.6s - 3698.48s

I don't disagree. I watched that game and I was excited. I was juice to watch that game last night. And by halftime, I was like, probably go to bed. And I watched for a little while longer and watched it today to make sure I had all of it watch for this.But it just like Oklahoma City just, I kept like just wanting Dallas ORG to make shots to keep it interesting and it just never happened. I don't want to overreact to a game one. But yeah, Kyrie PERSON has to be way better than what he was. Luke PERSON has to be way better than what he was. Maybe if you get those two guys going,maybe we get something. And if it is an injury thing and if rest could help it, I don't hate the idea of potentially doing that. Yeah.

Speaker 13698.62s - 3713.18s

Maybe rest can't help it. And like they just got to play through it and see what happens. But I don't know man okay uh let's go to minnesota and denver uh i've never been more surprised by a playoff result than i was

Speaker 03713.18s - 3719.76s

game too i will just say that out loud uh i have never been more stunned by a playoff result

Speaker 13719.76s - 3761.78s

than minnesota going into denver where denver has think, the best home record in the Western Conference along with Oklahoma City, playing at elevation without Rudy Gobert PERSON, who just had a child, shout out Rudy PERSON for prioritizing family, you know, good for him doing that. And they just went in there and kicked the shit out of Denver ORG. After the whole thing that we talked about was like, oh, being able to shade Gobert PERSON over was like a really important piece of their defense. Being able to have multiple bigs on the court at all times was super huge.Just put in Kyle Anderson. It's all good. We're just going to kick the shit out of them at the point of attack defensively.

Speaker 03761.78s - 3822.16s

Well, I mean, noz read was actually really good defensively himself. I want to give Nause PERSON some love because it's like, okay, well, yeah, if Nause Reed PERSON can play like defense like this all the time, sure,that's, that's even more impressive. Listen, Sam PERSON, game one was fun and I came out of it going, I fully expect the Nuggets to win game two, not handedly,but like put a good game together and make us feel like we're going to get one heck of a series. And I listen to somebody say, you know, even if the Nuggets ORG only win that in a close one at home after game one loss, it'll make you a little bit nervous. Not only did they not win a close one or they got blasted in a game two after getting, you know, losing game one.That's the ultimate response game for the higher seed is that game too. And it was the exact opposite. They have Jamal Murray PERSON so flustered. Maybe another guy. Maybe the injury is really holding him back.

Speaker 13822.36s - 3834.18s

Like if we're going to talk about Luca, we got to be fair with Murray PERSON as well. And again, I'm sure people are, everybody's hurt this time of year. I'm sure they are. We can only talk about the ones that we can noticeably see or know or have been reported.And so,

Speaker 03834.68s - 3843.62s

but a lot of this is to kill Alexander Walker PERSON, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels on Jamal Murray PERSON also. Those dudes, goodness, they get after it.

Speaker 13844.16s - 3890.5s

Just absolutely get after it in every single way, shape, and form. I have been so, so impressed with everything they've done in this series. And you damn well, better believe we're going to watch clips of Minnesota Defend ORG for game two, because holy hell was it impressive. Just first possession, first possession out the gate here. They're just going to end up having to peel switch here because this incredible screen by Aaron Gordon.And just look at Jaden McDaniels PERSON fight over the top. And the reason that I put this on here is you're about to see, you can kind of see where this is going. People will watch the game know. Coll Anderson's getting around the play here using his length, poking that ball away from Yokic PERSON. Yep.

Speaker 03891.3s - 3895.68s

It just felt like I've never seen Yokic PERSON this sped up and flustered.

Speaker 13896.26s - 3966.24s

I said that after game one. I still believe it after game two. I've just never seen a team be able to, like to cause him this much havoc at the end of the day. He's just so good at, they're so good at being able to speed up his process in a real way. This one now,they try and run. Honestly, like what they did was not terribly dissimilar from the idea that I had coming off of game one, which was post-yokic here and make sure to have one of Michael Porter Jr. or Cantavius Caldwell Pope PERSON same side kickout on the post-up so that when theydouble, you're forcing the kick out out to a great shooter. Not terribly dissimilar. The problem is that this works a lot better if Gobert PERSON is playing and you run earlier action on the weak side where you try and get Gobert PERSON switched on to one of those guys and then you have Gobert PERSON out away from the play. But because Gobert PERSON didn't playand you have Jaden McDaniels PERSON being able to be the guy that can roam out here

Speaker 03966.24s - 3975.28s

it just doesn't work as well so double then you've got mike conley flying out in rotation

Speaker 13975.28s - 3987.34s

speeds them up just a little bit like michael porter PERSON can make that shot like that's a good it's a good shot for them i think But just the ability to rotate around is huge.

Speaker 03987.96s - 3992.2s

I had in my notes, I thought Yolkic got to his spots in game one and just missed.

Speaker 13992.84s - 3999.38s

And I kind of chalked it up to that. Now that we've seen two games of it, I'm a little bit more,

Speaker 04000.02s - 4033.28s

I'm a little bit more impressed with the Minnesota ORG defense on him. You know, after game one, I was like, you know, sometimes guys just miss shots. And then having a game two where they limited him to, what was he, five of 13 and 16 points.Now I'm like, man, I probably need to give Minnesota ORG's defense specifically on him a little more credit than Yoke PERSON. It's just simply missing shots. And who knows? Like, I still have some feeling that Yoke PERSON, that you know he's going to figure some of this out but man um they're making him think about it and really work to to do so and just look

Speaker 14033.28s - 4046.84s

at how connected they all are it's just like automatic for them in terms of rotation double comes conley shooting out here you can see aunt start to lift up here. And then Jayden doesn't go in the other way.

Speaker 04046.9s - 4048.32s

He just goes to the corner immediately.

Speaker 24048.32s - 4061.62s

Like they're still connected in terms of their rotations at this point that it's just really, really hard, I think, to get anything super clean on them. This is about as clean as you're going to get. Like Porter PERSON just kind of has to make that shot, I think.

Speaker 14062.32s - 4065.76s

Now again, Kyle Anderson out on erin gordon PERSON just look at

Speaker 04065.76s - 4072.46s

how physical towns as being from the jump here look i like it i like it pick up yokech PERSON high on the court

Speaker 14072.46s - 4100.56s

is the thing just right here and watch these two just like bump watch town just like pick them up and give him that early contact right again make it so that he can't get into the exact position that he wants kyle anderson PERSON using his length annoying the hell out of aaron gordon next awesome defense here towns GPE does a great job again i think they're going to be

Speaker 04100.56s - 4109.48s

very comfortable with these late contests on yokic how about mike conley fighting over that first off sam though like i realize kCP's not necessarily like this

Speaker 14109.48s - 4118.6s

crazy downhill rim pressure guy but i mean this is it easy like that's essentially chicago GPE action

Speaker 04118.6s - 4125.42s

off gordon off the yokish handoff and he does a really nice job sprinting off of it,

Speaker 14125.5s - 4126.4s

fighting to get back.

Speaker 24126.78s - 4126.94s

Yeah,

Speaker 14127.04s - 4130.12s

I get it that Mike Conley PERSON is not young anymore.

Speaker 24130.76s - 4132.5s

The guy was all defense.

Speaker 04132.98s - 4135s

He is really fucking good on defense.

Speaker 14135.5s - 4144.14s

Like, he flies around. He's not like that level anymore, but he knows where he has to be and he knows what he's supposed to do and he knows the assignment.Again,

Speaker 04144.24s - 4199.32s

you're just, this is totally out of rhythm three for Yoko PERSON. Well, just look at Kat PERSON. I know people probably think it looks silly and seem silly. I never even came close to playing at this level,not even close. But any sort of stuff like this, it just kind of frustrates you. It pisses you off. It annoys you. And it doesn't work on everybody.It doesn't work on every game. It doesn't work on every shot. But if you consistently do it throughout a series, you know, maybe it makes him miss three shots, you know, throughout the series that he wouldn't have if Kat PERSON was just standing there with his hands down. Like just keep defenders being pest at all times. Like you said earlier, it doesn't let you play in a calm state. You're always thinking and adjusting and moving the ball from here to here. And then maybe that, you know, changes how you get into your shot.Like it just, I think that stuff adds up throughout a game, throughout a series, throughout a playoffs. Absolutely agree. Next.

Speaker 14201.62s - 4207.66s

Aaron Gordon, dribble handoff to Michael Porter, and I mean, I love Knob FAC.

Speaker 04207.66s - 4213.14s

Just starting this off with Nikiel Alexander Walker PERSON, just no space whatsoever.

Speaker 14213.86s - 4219.12s

Zero, zero space. You're trying to get the entry pass earlier to Yokic PERSON there.

Speaker 04219.58s - 4221.24s

Nasreed PERSON doing a great job denying.

Speaker 14222.02s - 4232.64s

Yep. Gets out in front. Denies it. Denies the angle from Reggie Jackson PERSON, right? So now he catches farther than he wants to away from the rim.

Speaker 04232.9s - 4236.86s

With eight on the shot clock now. So we've wasted some shot clock. Yep.

Speaker 14237.24s - 4253.5s

And then again, that kind of like middle Chicago action that we talked about on the last possession. And just look at these dudes just being physical the point of attack right like right at the point of these screens and then

Speaker 04253.5s - 4263.04s

monta morris say that's even monta morris and then this one like naz reid ends up being a shot

Speaker 14263.04s - 4282.6s

clock violation right like it's absurd how physical and tough these dudes are. Next, you know, you get that early double from Monta Morris PERSON. Then we're rotating around again. Anthony Edwards, right there. Michael Alexander Walker, right there, Nas Reid PERSON, up to the wing. Monta Morris PERSON, out to the corner.Can you go back?

Speaker 04282.68s - 4323.16s

You know what I'd like to see the Nuggets do, Sam PERSON? So Yokitz PERSON dribbles down. Yep. Post PERSON throws it out, right? What I would like to see here is Michael Porter Jr. catch either pass it or pass fake. I would pass it. And then I would like Reggie Jackson PERSON to throw it right back to him and have Yokic reposting up right now on Kyle Anderson. Like Kyle Anderson has relaxed.I would like Yokich to pass it out, act like you're going to reverse it, bring it right back to Michael Porter Jr. And then right back into Yokich and have him catch and make a quick move. Because Kyle Anderson has relaxed right now. I think he could bury him at the block. I think it's a good idea.

Speaker 14323.56s - 4327.24s

Yeah. So you're saying Yokic PERSON like repost right now?

Speaker 04327.38s - 4336.32s

Right now. And then Jackson PERSON throws it back to play side to Michael Porter Jr. And then Porter Jr. throws it right into Yokic PERSON who has reposted with better position.

Speaker 14336.82s - 4340.52s

Or you might even be able to cut out the middle man with Porter PERSON to keep it in rotation.

Speaker 04340.94s - 4385.12s

Or if he just duck. Yokic PERSON go to the middle and duck in. Yeah. That works for me as well. Because Monty PERSON's screaming to the other side. And I'm not saying Minnesota ORG couldn't execute another quick double, but like even teams thatare connected like this, the more times you make him do it, the more chance it maybe ants late. Or if Reggie PERSON throws it in with your idea, is it his man that's going to double? Is it aunt that's going to double? Who's going to go double off of that? So I like whenever stars get doubled, pass it out, and then their teams find a way to then get the ball back to them while the defense is quote unquote. Minnesota ORG'stechnically in scramble right here, right? They're not, they do it quick, but they are scrambling a little bit. Let Yokic PERSON duck in right now now throw it to him go get a

Speaker 14385.12s - 4402.12s

bucket i like that idea i like that a lot i think that's really sharp price next yokitch PERSON again same side early double this time doesn't even require like a rotation they find the early

Speaker 04402.12s - 4414.18s

cut right like really smart here like this is if they're going to send that same side double this is another option right so yeah edwards goes as soon as edwards goes

Speaker 14414.18s - 4426.4s

that justin holiday or is that watson uh good question can't tell i'm guessing it's holiday.

Speaker 04426.78s - 4427s

Yeah.

Speaker 14427.38s - 4427.88s

I think it's holiday.

Speaker 24427.88s - 4428.18s

Yeah.

Speaker 14432.18s - 4570.54s

But again, just like look at how Nikiel Alexander Walker PERSON reads this on the backside, like perfectly. This is what's so fucking hard about Minnesota ORG. Nikol Alexander Walker PERSON has become like one of the best perimeter defenders in the freaking league. And he just makes this early rotation.And by the way, like this is something he's comfortable with. Like he did this at Virginia Tech ORG. Like he was a guy that essentially struggled early at Virginia Tech ORG on defense. He just wasn't super strong. That was the reality of the situation. Like he was through his chest.Like it took him minutes to figure it out like physical-wise. And then, you know, when they're younger, or when, you know, he goes, supposed to be a one and done, ends up being two and done at the end of the day. Second year he's there with B-Sabide PERSON, you know, is a guy that was like an awesome on-ball defender who came in with Nikiel and played, you know, maybe 10 minutes a game, something like that, his first year at Virginia Tech ORG. He was able to step into the starting line. The second year, they were able to use BD and Justin Robinson PERSON more at the point of attack.And they used Nikiel Alexander Walker a lot more like guarding smaller four small forwards and power forwards at times and like bigger dudes right the three in the fours basically and it allowed him to like wreak havoc on the weak side and that's why he averaged like one point nine steals or like two steals a game at Virginia Tech that second year after not being like a crazy you know disruptive playmaker on defense the first year so like this is a crazy, you know, disruptive playmaker on defense the first year. So like this is a role to kill Alexander Walker PERSON is like amazing in ondefense from his time at Virginia Tech ORG. He's like comfortable doing this on top of now being one of the best on ball defenders in the league. So him being able to just be there available, block this shot, just snatch it out of Justin Holiday's PERSON hands. Like, it's nothing. I mean, Nikiel Alexander Walker PERSON is turning himselfinto a guy that is going to make after his $5 million deal next year, he, I want to get wildly aggressive on what I think his number might be in free agency after next season.You could tell me it's 20 and I wouldn't be like blown away by that.

Speaker 04570.9s - 4627.44s

Well, here's the thing. And I know we're talking defense. He also shot 39% from three during the regular season. He's at 35% during the playoffs on almost seven attempts. So the volume has gone up. And then I was looking at his corner threes.He's at 45% on corner threes so far in the playoffs. So like this is a guy that's getting it done on the offensive end in terms of floor space. That was another thing I was going to send you when I was talking about these playoffs. Guys like him are making shots. Obviously the thunder. We saw what Aaron Wiggins, Isaiah Joe, Kason Wallace did something crazy from three in their game last night.And then there was all, you know, with the Knicks, Josh Hart PERSON, right, has been really good from three in the playoffs. So I think that's another thing that stood out to me with these teams is, yeah, the defense, the physicality. But some of these guys, these quote unquote role players that need to make shots from three for them have really done so so far in these playoffs.

Speaker 14628.44s - 4635.74s

Yeah, Derve brings up that Nikiel Alexander Walker is KCP 2.0. He kind of is.

Speaker 04635.74s - 4637.16s

Like that's the way it's looking right now.

Speaker 14637.16s - 4722.88s

And by the way, different career trajectories in some respect, but like not that different because Nikale Alexander Walker, lottery pick at Georgia, or KCP lottery pick at Georgia, Nikol Alexander Walker PERSON, you know, top 17 pick, if I remember correctly at Virginia Tech ORG. KCP, you know, average like 14 points a game is third year. Michael Alexander Walker, I think averaged like 12 or so his third year, something like that.Third year, he averaged 11 points per game. Then they kind of like downshifted. It took them like a minute to figure out what exactly their role was going to be. KCP, his fourth year, average is 14 points a game, but becomes like this really good defender who gets a lot of attention for guarding Stefan Curry particularly well, right? Moving off the ball, being able to slide with him, Nikol, Alexander Walker PERSON now, like, in his fifth year or whatever, being able to, like, slide across the perimeter, guard multipledifferent players. Like, it's not a dissimilar trajectory in a lot of ways. It just took Nikiel Alexander Walker, I think, like, one extra year, you know, in the wilderness of, you know, uncertain team situation, basically, where he got traded a couple of times to have to find that little role. And by the way, on top of it, Minnesota just like tossing its way into that Russell Westbrook PERSON deal. Yeah.

Speaker 24724.32s - 4725.3s

How about that?

Speaker 14725.38s - 4737.08s

Like getting to kill Alexander Walker PERSON, getting his bird rights, being able to sign him to a two-year, $10 million deal? I mean, just that that's why guys like Tim Connolly PERSON are really good.

Speaker 24737.24s - 4738.68s

Find ways to win on the margins.

Speaker 04739.72s - 4744.76s

Winning on the margins in the NBA is why the two teams in the Western Conference

Speaker 24744.76s - 4748.1s

that look like they're going to be in the Western Conference ORG finals as of right now

Speaker 14748.1s - 4755.4s

in Minnesota and Oklahoma City GPE. That's how they win. They win on the margins. It's how you got to win in today's NBA ORG.

Speaker 04755.4s - 4781.26s

Because every team's going to have a star, right? Sam PERSON, like at the end of the day, you're not winning unless you have Anthony Edwards or, you know, LeBron PERSON and stuff. Like all of these guys we've seen. And, you know, like, that's why the Kn ORG all of these guys we've seen. And, you know, like that's why the Knicks ORG are where they're atwith Jalen Brunson PERSON is turned into a bona fide superstar. But they also got to win on the margins with some of the other guys. You know, Deuce McBride PERSON has been huge for them so far in the playoffs. So, yeah.And they've made some smart free agent signings as well. So.

Speaker 14781.26s - 4810s

Yep. This one, uh, Nikiel PERSON actually doesn't do like an amazing job this time. Surprise, surprise of getting over the screen. He actually kind of starts a little bit late here.He gets bumped by Justin Holiday PERSON. And their communication is just so ridiculous that they're able to like, peel switch this like it's nothing. You know what I mean? Nikiel goes on to Aaron Gordon, but he's still in position to be able to get back out to Justin Holiday if it's a three-pointer.And the reason that I put this one on here is-

Speaker 04810s - 4813.16s

Jayden McDougain PERSON was awesome on this play. Goodness.

Speaker 14814.28s - 4871.32s

Jaden McDaniels PERSON here is fucking insane. So Jaden McDaniels PERSON starts the play here. Just watch Jaden McDaniels PERSON starts the play here. Just watch Jaden McDaniels throughout this entire possession. So he's going to come down. They do like a little exchange on the backside. He comes all the way into tag Aaron Gordon here on this rolebecause he's a little bit worried about, okay, Nikiel PERSON's a little bit behind the play. We got Carl Towns PERSON in drop. We got Mike Conley PERSON kind of way over the top. He comes here to cut this off. And then he stops on a dime.It gets all the way out there for a full-scale contest on a three-pointer in the corner. That's like a 25-foot closeout. That's a 25-foot closeout. That's a 25-pointer in the corner, that's like a 25-foot close-out. That's a 25-foot close-out, Bryce PERSON.

Speaker 04871.62s - 4872.88s

Are you kidding me?

Speaker 14873.12s - 4873.92s

That was big time.

Speaker 04875.32s - 4876.68s

That's a joke.

Speaker 14876.88s - 4884.74s

Like when we talk about ground coverage with draft prospects, this is like the tape to show them. I mean, my God.

Speaker 04884.86s - 4899.16s

Hey, I want to get. Nas Reid PERSON tried to give like a hand in the passing lean there as well. Like he's trying to be active. And then he comes back in and for the defensive rebound as well. Like, listen, this is all Jane McDaniels PERSON. I don't want to take away from that.

Speaker 14899.4s - 4904.6s

But as we talk about Nas Reid PERSON and kind of his effort and energy level on the defensive end,

Speaker 04905.06s - 4943.56s

this stood out to me a little bit because this is a mistake. Here's where really good defensive separate themselves, Sam PERSON. I bet we could pull clips of anybody in the playoffs having some good possessions. What great defensive teams do is they screw up every once in a while with a miscommunication and they have elite guys that make up for their teammates mistakes. They don't pout about it. They don't whine about it. They don't say,oh, it's just two points. They do what these guys did here, which is, I'm going to help all the way into the lane to take away the lob. I'm a sprint all the way to the corner to contest the three. And then we're going to go gang rebound and come up with that. Yeah. And the thing that you,

Speaker 14943.56s - 4955.78s

you know, bring up really smartly here is Nas Reid PERSON. Just this little like, look at Jamal Murray PERSON not being able to just stop and shoot this out.

Speaker 04956.12s - 4959.02s

Right? Right. Because. Straight chest out. Yeah.

Speaker 14959.02s - 4975.96s

Because Nas Reid PERSON is here as opposed to like here in no man's land. Because Nas read is here, he makes Jam here in no man's land because nazreed is here he makes jamal murray adjust on this pass giving jaden macdaniels PERSON that little bit of extra time to be able to get out

Speaker 04975.96s - 4985.4s

it's just such incredible continuity defensive also watch mike conley's box out here i love dudes that rotate and get box outs.

Speaker 14986s - 4990.88s

This is my fate. This is so good. This defensive possession is so good. Watch Conley PERSON.

Speaker 04992.1s - 4994.1s

Shot goes up, goes sprinting in.

Speaker 14994.96s - 4996.6s

Nas Reid PERSON comes sprinting in.

Speaker 04996.8s - 5002.72s

Like I just multiple efforts from multiple dudes. It's not picture perfect, but it gets the job done. It's amazing.

Speaker 15002.72s - 5023.36s

This, the Timberwolves ORG rule. They just absolutely rule. And freaking Jaden McDaniels PERSON then after that play, by the way, pick it up. Reggie Jackson, 65, 60 feet from the rim, right? Gets out. Like, completely navigates that ghost action like it's nothing.

Speaker 25024.98s - 5028.74s

Nikol Alexander Walker PERSON completely navigates the screen like it's nothing

Speaker 05028.74s - 5032.2s

they decided like kind of peel switch it at the end of the day

Speaker 15032.2s - 5039.12s

because they're pretty comfortable with NAS on these guys uh then Nasreid PERSON just swats them that that to me for what it's worth

Speaker 25039.12s - 5041.88s

and this is where like i think Denver ORG fans like have real

Speaker 15041.88s - 5062.52s

reason to say Jamal PERSON is hurt. He just doesn't have to me, like, the vertical juice, the first step juice. Like, it's a real, it's a real problem for Jamal PERSON right now. Now you've got, this is the play. I think they got like all the attention online.

Speaker 05062.78s - 5063.88s

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 15064.34s - 5097.76s

Nekeel basically picks them up, 85 feet from the rim, continues to guard, continues to guard. He's there the whole way. Jaden McDaniels PERSON just decides to, like, blitz double them. Now you've got, like, Nikiel PERSON on the ball trying to grab at it.You've got Jaden McDaniels PERSON just going nuts, super long, six foot nine, long arms, right there. I mean, this is just absolute hell for a ball handler to deal with. Jamal Murray PERSON's pissed. He feels like he got fouled. I mean, this is a great example of the NBA ORG's defensive, you know,just letting guys play a little bit more on defense, which is great.

Speaker 05099.56s - 5104.34s

Look at the shot clock and the ball hasn't even came close to the three point line, Sam PERSON.

Speaker 15105.42s - 5130.06s

We're at nine seconds left on the shot clock and the ball hasn't even came close to the three point line, Sam. We're at nine seconds left on the shot clock. The ball has not been within 30 feet of the rim at this point. Eight seconds left. Seven seconds left. Still not within 30 feet of the rim. Six seconds left, not within 30 feet of the rim.Five seconds left, not within 30 feet of the rim. Finally, we're there. 4.6 seconds. And then Jamal PERSON just has to, like, shoot this prayer.

Speaker 05130.56s - 5134.96s

How good has Mike Conley PERSON been in all of these clips, man? Unbelievable.

Speaker 15135.32s - 5136.14s

He's been unbelievable.

Speaker 05136.38s - 5138.5s

Think about where that ball screen was set as well

Speaker 15138.5s - 5154.84s

compared to all of those thunder clips we just talked about with their offense. Yep. Unbelievable. Just look at how good this is. Conley PERSON out there their offense. Yep. Unbelievable. Just look it out good. This is Conley PERSON out there closing out.Yeah. Just that's unbelievable defense. That's unbelievable.

Speaker 05155.92s - 5168.82s

And here's what they know it and you can see them just eating it alive and loving it. And that's what like it's there is a mentality and an attitude about it that is beautiful to watch.

Speaker 15169.7s - 5173.1s

And just this is like a small thing, right? And this speaks to Carl Towns PERSON.

Speaker 25173.1s - 5186.5s

And look, I've been as skeptical as anybody on Carl Towns PERSON being like a winning player in playoff settings in moments where you need to be like hyper engaged, hyper focused all the time, really be able

Speaker 05186.5s - 5188.66s

to rotate around, especially if you're going to play the four.

Speaker 15188.78s - 5200.08s

He played the five last night for the most part with Nas PERSON out there. But like especially when you're playing the four, you're going to have to run around perimeter actions now in the NBA ORG. Carl Towns PERSON has been fucking outstanding. Yeah.

Speaker 25200.4s - 5204.98s

He has been outstanding on defense in these two games and deserves so much credit.

Speaker 15205s - 5244.84s

Watch Carl Towns here communicate through this. He understands the time and situation. He has been outstanding on defense in these two games and deserves so much credit. Watch Carl Towns PERSON here communicate through this. He understands the time and situation. He's thinking, Jaden McDaniels for a second, thinking, okay, Reggie Jackson PERSON, I have to go back out, get to him. Watch Carl Towns PERSON. Carl Towns PERSON playing on the backside just pushes him, says take this action, take this screen,go play at the level. I'll go deal with Reggie Jackson PERSON. And that's just like completely bogs down every single thing that you do. Just really like it's, we're pointing out like all these small things. But for Minnesota ORG, the reasonwe're doing it is the small things fucking add up.

Speaker 25245.62s - 5248.12s

Yeah. for them. There's no other way to put it.

Speaker 15253.82s - 5260.82s

They are so good on defense because of the small things and because of the focus on the details. And for Carl Towns PERSON to be a piece of that, he deserves an immense amount of credit.

Speaker 05263.46s - 5263.86s

Well, and I think he was not a guy that was like that early on.

Speaker 15267.68s - 5268.34s

I think it sometimes it's easy to go, oh, well, Anthony Edwards just a great athlete or Nikyll Augs PERSON.

Speaker 05268.58s - 5305.24s

Like, yes, there is some of that, but it goes beyond those things as well. And shout out whoever's setting the tone. I don't know who it is, right? Like, is it the coaching staff? Is it Gobert PERSON? Is it Ants PERSON?Whoever's setting the tone because Kat and Nasree PERSON don't just start doing these things just because right like yes the setting but there is a certain culture that has developed there and whoever's is it is it finch is it whoever i don't know whoever deserves a credit shout out because that's big time stuff. Yep, absolutely.

Speaker 15309.34s - 5309.4s

These next ones, you know, maybe we'll zoom through a little bit.

Speaker 05312.54s - 5313s

Nikol, Alexander Walker, just making Aaron Gordon's life hell here.

Speaker 15317.02s - 5318.72s

And then you get this, like, ridiculous rotation from Jaden McDaniels PERSON.

Speaker 05322.42s - 5331.48s

Jaden is guarding Justin Holliday PERSON here on this play. Or no, he's guarding Peyton Watson PERSON. I forgot Peyton was in the corner there. So he feels like he can just rotate over with impunity you got Mike Conley PERSON who stays attached there to Watson

Speaker 15331.48s - 5337.86s

Like that's bad offensive possession from the nuggets too like but but this is what the defense does

Speaker 05337.86s - 5346.5s

It's kind of like you said like you know hey yoke just off the court on this possession so like you know they don't have a you know immediate you know offensive they don't have a, you know, immediate, you know,

Speaker 15346.64s - 5355.86s

offensive supercomputer out there. But yeah, like, it's not a great possession to have Aaron Gordon isolating unequivocally.

Speaker 05356.66s - 5358.66s

Definitely not on Nikita Alexander Walker PERSON.

Speaker 15359.52s - 5361.68s

Yeah, but it flusters. Like, that's the thing.

Speaker 05361.78s - 5371.58s

When you play this level of defense, like possession after possession after possession, it just flusters. Like it makes you do things that you wouldn't do all the time.

Speaker 15372.5s - 5381.28s

It's like this is a set that they like to run all the time. I mean, this is a just like awesome help here from Jaden McDaniels PERSON.

Speaker 05381.28s - 5391.48s

Yes. You know, Nikiel PERSON kind of gets confused on, are we peel switching or are we staying? Jaden PERSON comes over, gets the side view contest. Yokic PERSON gets the ball,

Speaker 15392.48s - 5403.78s

swatted. Nasreed again in there. Then they get the, like, almost steal on Murray PERSON. Ball goes out.Now you've got Jaden McDaniels PERSON, again on Jamal Murray PERSON.

Speaker 05409.44s - 5415.8s

I mean, they swarm swarm they swarm everywhere they just swarm absolutely everywhere and I love watching them like they're unbelievable again

Speaker 15415.8s - 5457.72s

Nikkeel Alexander Walker picking up Reggie Jackson 85 feet from the basket here we go with Reggie again McKeel just kind of there behind now we're rotating carl towns on michael porter junior PERSON deals with the close out closes out super well gets the contest ann edwards now out onto kCP they panic they throw that weird pass to erin gordon terrible pass this one this one sets up this was hard to kind of grab because they were showing like a graphic beforehand but this sets up asone of those like little curls that they run to try and get michael porter junior PERSON into the lane he gets

Speaker 05457.72s - 5464.84s

the ball naz reeds right there immediately carl town helps off that's awesome by cap unbelievable

Speaker 15464.84s - 5479.4s

now you've got deep post position but Nasreed blocks the first one available on the second one contest the third one just incredible they're they're incredible like they're absolutely unbelievable at this point

Speaker 05479.4s - 5543.04s

23 point game in the second quarter it's curtains right I don't think we need to do more they've been the best defense this is one of the best defensive teams I've three point game in the second quarter, it's curtains, right? I don't think we need to do more. They've been the best defense. This is one of the best defensive teams I've ever watched on a basketball court, I would say. And the other thing is they've been awesome offensively. I don't know if it's still the case, but one of the games last night showed offensiverating and they were the number one offensive rating in the playoffs so far. So, you know, I don't know that we knew that they were going to be this good defensively in the playoffs, but we knew they were going to be good, right? The questions were how good can they be offensively? And just to give Kat some more credit, Kat is currently averaging almost 21 points a game on 57, 54, 85 in six playoff games.So he is getting it done on the other end. Obviously, Anthony Edwards is the engine there, but this has been a really good playoffs for caller Anthony Towns PERSON. Who's rightfully,rightfully so, maybe not whatever, taking some criticism for big game moments, big situation moments, those type of things, and how good he's been in those.Okay.

Speaker 15544.9s - 5552.84s

I think that this also has a real chance to be a sweep. This is where I'm at. It's,

Speaker 05553.5s - 5575.98s

I mean, I was thinking about, like, how does Denver ORG get back into this? Do we really think they can go still two in Minnesota ORG? And if you only take one,I don't know, man, I don't know. I. I don't know. I'm going to give Joker PERSON that he figures this thing out. They got some days off here to figure it out. If Jamal Murray PERSON's not healthy, like he's got to be way better.

Speaker 15575.98s - 5585.8s

That's my thing. Like it's, I think that they get at least one, maybe two. I don't know. And the only reason I'm saying that is because of Nicole Yokic PERSON.

Speaker 25585.8s - 5586.2s

Yeah.

Speaker 15586.86s - 5603.18s

Like, if I felt any different kind of way or like had any like level of not respecting Yokic PERSON in the playoffs, I would think that just based off of the matchups, the way that Jamal PERSON doesn't look right, everything, that this is probably a sweep. Yeah.

Speaker 05603.6s - 5604.56s

And I can't.

Speaker 15605.16s - 5614.08s

I can't knock the champs out just yet because Nicole Yokic PERSON is a supercomputer and tends to figure things out.

Speaker 05614.78s - 5660.6s

They just don't have the firepower everywhere else though, right? Like Michael Porter Jr. PERSON is a little bit reliant on others. Aaron Gordon's obviously reliant on others. KCP. And then I've been saying it. We've been saying it from the very beginning,what are they going to get from the bench? And at the end of the day, like Christian Brown and Peyton PERSON want like great energy wing forward, but they're not going to solve the problem of going and getting buckets necessarily. So those guys aren't the answer. Holiday hit three or four threes in one of the games. So, you know, even with that, they weren't able to pull out a win.So it's got to be, Yokich has to figure things out, obviously. And then, you know, Murray for the playoffs overall, Sam, 38, 29 field goal and three point percentage through what have they played? Seven games. Yeah.

Speaker 15662.26s - 5662.56s

They're four and three in the playoffs, by the way.

Speaker 05664.16s - 5669.32s

Like, it's not like this has been a juggernaut. And we're losing at one point in every single game against the lakers if i'm not mistaken right is that

Speaker 15669.32s - 5683.78s

they were down they were down at least nine i believe in every game and or no they were down at least nine in the second half of the last four games of that series yeah maybe the last five games i

Speaker 05683.78s - 5685.12s

can't remember if it went no it went five so it was the last five games. I can't remember if it went.

Speaker 15685.34s - 5687.82s

No, it went five. So it was the last four games. Less four. Yeah.

Speaker 05688.32s - 5691.16s

So it's, it hasn't been, it hasn't been beautiful.

Speaker 15693.7s - 5806.36s

The last thing I want to say about Denver ORG is like, this is a team that won the title last year. And this is part of why going back to back is really, really, really freaking hard. They played 82 games last year, then the playoffs. Like, they played fewer games than most teams have to play in the playoffs because theywent 16 and 4. But, like, that's still 20 games additional on top of that. And then you have 82 again coming into the playoffs. Then you have five more. Coming up on, like, 200 games in a two year, what, like I guess 18 month period, right? Yep.It's hard. Repeating is very difficult. Yep. I have some concerns about where Denver ORG is right now, but they're going to be fine long term. It's just Tim Connolly built this, or built this Wolf's team in the Nuggets ORG team,I guess in theory. Very, very well, very well to be able to cause them some problems. Okay. I don't want to talk a lot about Indiana, New York GPE. I will just mention, you know, Mitchell Robinson PERSON is seemingly out for the playoffs, I guess. Stinks.Absolutely stinks. A huge part of New York's entire, you know, system that they're running is that they get 48 minutes of great room protection, great offensive rebounding, you know, physical center play. Mitchell Robinson PERSON is just like an ass kicker. Like that's the thing that, like, people don't give him enough credit for. Like unbelievable athlete, obviously. But just like a pure ass kicker who is relentless every single time he's on the court.I am intrigued to see what New York GPE does. We haven't watched the game yet. I certainly haven't watched the game yet. I think it's just starting. Basically,

Speaker 05806.48s - 5810.42s

we might be like 30 minutes into the game. Not starts in 30 minutes, if I'm not mistaken.

Speaker 15810.48s - 5816.6s

Starts in 30. Yeah, I'm fascinated to see what they do. Do they play somebody like Jericho Sims PERSON? Do they go smaller at times?

Speaker 05816.92s - 5817.36s

Precious.

Speaker 15817.92s - 5839.32s

Yeah, you could go precious. And this is also where like, you know, we've talked a little bit about no Julius Randall PERSON, right? But, you know, not having Julius Randall about no julius randall right but you knownot having julius randall is a big deal here now because they don't have the ability to go smaller uh is easily necessarily is what they could have if they had julius so uh big it is a big loss to me

Speaker 05839.32s - 5910.58s

how many minutes can hartnstein play can precious come in and give you 10 to 12 you know does he help you a little bit at times when just because of the pace the placers play at and getting back to a pick and pop from Miles Turner PERSON? I think Miles Turner is the key for me for the Pacers. I thought he, the way New York GPE was defending in game one, I thought maybe him picking and popping and doing those type of things. It's something he can really hurt them with. So I think he's going to be the key along with like Halliburton ORG's got to go get some buckets at some point. Like he has to find a way to really score. And then also I was worried about this coming into the series. I don't like any of the matchups for Jalen Brunson PERSON that the pastors can throw at him.I didn't think, I don't think Nimhard PERSON's long enough. I thought he had knee Smith PERSON on skates every time that he got on him. And I really like Nie Smith PERSON. McConnell gives great effort, but he was gas, Sam PERSON. Like, he's blowing layups and all sorts of stuff because he can only play so many minutes. I don't know what the answer is.Like, I don't know if you try Pascal on him just for some length. I don't know that you want to go there. Who matches with OG then? I think Indiana has some real things to hash out in terms of who takes the Bronson PERSON match up.

Speaker 15913.36s - 5925.94s

Yeah, like it's hard because you kind of want like Turner ORG to be in drop and you want that like extra help man for Seacum PERSON to be there so that like he can help off of like, you know, harder and a nobie. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. can help off of like you know harder Ananoby

Speaker 05925.94s - 5933.64s

yeah yeah yeah to play him on like you want that extra body in the paint I kind of think it's just got to be

Speaker 15933.64s - 5934.3s

Nem PERSON harder

Speaker 25934.3s - 5936.4s

knee Smith PERSON taking a brunt of it

Speaker 05936.4s - 5938.5s

and TJ PERSON obviously off the bench too

Speaker 25938.5s - 5942.38s

I mean like they just don't have

Speaker 15942.38s - 5950.32s

like another another like body to like really throw out there, I feel like and like see if it can work.

Speaker 05950.92s - 5954.84s

It was my worry for them coming into the series after seeing what he did to the Sixers ORG.

Speaker 15955.1s - 5958.24s

Like Brunson PERSON is on one right now. Like he is unbelievable.

Speaker 05959.42s - 5968.76s

And again, like I don't want to like look too far into the future. I would be ecstatic to watch him play against the Celtics ORG and see what that looks like.

Speaker 15968.92s - 5969.18s

Yeah.

Speaker 05969.26s - 5988.28s

But because they do have the matchups and it would be interesting to see how they did it and change things out and whatever. But I just, I watched that first game and I didn't love any of those. I thought McConnell PERSON did the best just because he plays so dang hard. I think he maybe can wear Brunson PERSON down a little bit, but he doesn't have the length either.

Speaker 15989.12s - 5994.38s

So here's the flip side of that, though. Indiana dropped 117 on this next year. Sure. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 05994.5s - 5999.78s

And that was with Tyrese Halliburton taking six shots and scoring six points.

Speaker 16000.58s - 6003.2s

I actually think Indiana ORG can score on this team.

Speaker 06003.3s - 6004.24s

Yeah, I agree.

Speaker 16005.14s - 6007.94s

Yeah. I think that they can really, you know,

Speaker 06008.04s - 6010.5s

kind of create early offense in a real way.

Speaker 16011.4s - 6018.56s

I really think that this is a hard defensive matchup for New York GPE, too. They have bodies that they can throw at Halliburton ORG to be sure.

Speaker 06018.76s - 6020.08s

Like, you could throw Dante PERSON was good.

Speaker 16020.52s - 6075.68s

You can throw Dante PERSON at him, which they did for the most part. Like Dante PERSON was really, really good. But, you know, Jalen PERSON basically has to find a place to hide. And Jalen PERSON doesn't have a great spot to hide in that series. Like, it's almost like you want to just throw them on Niesmith ORG because Niesmith is like probably going to spot in the corners a lot of the time. And it makes it a little bit easier. But then you like losing you know if you put knee smith PERSON on the weakside in the corner you're basically losing like a help defender on turner short roles and turner roles right so it's hard like for as good as brunson is and like brunson's been unbelievable like i don't like this is absolutely not shit on Jalen Brunson hour. I do think that it creates potential mismatches in a real way to have him out there against this team particularly. I don't think it's going to matter, though.

Speaker 26076.32s - 6080.28s

I do think that I like the Knicks ORG in this series still.

Speaker 16082.28s - 6086.56s

Man, the Pacers ORG are good, though. Like, this is, this is why you go get Siakum PERSON too.

Speaker 06086.56s - 6090.94s

Like people, you know, kind of shit on that trade a little bit at the time is, you know,

Speaker 16090.98s - 6153.94s

now you're going to have to pay Seaccom ORG with a bunch of money. Well, you know what? Like you earn a spot now where the Knicks have no Julius Randall, no Mitchell Robinson PERSON. Big thing for Indiana ORG, in my opinion, in this series, was how do they deal with the onslaught of offensive rebounding that is going to, you know, come their way, right?This is the 26th ranked defensive rebounding team in the league this year. Do they have the dudes to be able to win the possession game? And without Mitch PERSON, it becomes easier for them to keep afloat in the possession game. So I'm like true, I am actually fascinated by this series now. I would have thought the Knicks would have won with 48 minutes of Hartenstein PERSON and Mitch and, you know, figuring out a way to guard Brunson PERSON and everything.But if they can win the non, like the eight to 12 minutes that hartinstein does not play that's like a really interesting situation now yeah and it'll be interesting with

Speaker 06153.94s - 6186.94s

we've seen him get in foul trouble before he you know his minutes weren't always you know balloon the way other guys are so he's definitely not going to be able to go the way heart does and some of those guys so there's going to to be minutes as all game two's are. This one will be very interesting to see the adjustments. What adjustments are made? Are their new matchups? Can Indiana score at the same rate that they did in game one? And New York GPE shot the ball extremely well to get to their 121 points. You know, they were 11 to 23 from three. So, you know, can they keep up that efficiency as well?

Speaker 16188.16s - 6200.08s

Did you see anything from Boston and Cleveland ORG that makes you think that this can be competitive? No. I did not either, to be totally honest.

Speaker 06200.7s - 6203.26s

Sorry for the great in-depth analysis.

Speaker 16204.12s - 6210.74s

Yeah, the problem is that Boston just has so many bodies that they can throw at Donovan. And I thought Donovan played pretty well again.

Speaker 06210.9s - 6213.82s

I thought he was really good. She's been really good. Yeah.

Speaker 16214.06s - 6233.82s

And he had 33 and like played really hard. It's just that put it this way. They got 17 and 13 from Evan Mobley and still like didn't drop a hundred on this team they got 50 for mitchell and mowgli and you know 45 from everybody else man it's just they can't get shrews going they can't

Speaker 06233.82s - 6272.92s

get garland going lavert didn't get going like tatum went 7 of 19 sam in this game tate like i guess i'll give strew PERSON's credit for the defense there. Tatum wasn't even that good at all offensively. It's not like Horford PERSON banged a bunch of shots or something. Pritchard PERSON made shots off the bench. It's just there's too many weapons still.Even without KPE, I don't know, maybe Jared Allen PERSON comes back and it changes things a little bit for Cleveland ORG, but they just struggle to score. And I don't know how these other Allen comes back and it changes things a little bit for Cleveland, but they just struggle to score. And I don't know how these other guys got to figure it out. They got to figure a way to get Garland PERSON going, I think. Yeah.

Speaker 16273.12s - 6276.64s

And the problem is that you have like, you know, Derek White, Drew Holiday PERSON.

Speaker 06276.94s - 6287.78s

It's not a great team. Bodies to throw at Garland PERSON. Like, I just think that Boston ORG has so many ways to kind of shut this team down on the perimeter that it's just going to be really hard for them to generate offense, I think.

Speaker 16287.78s - 6321.56s

And a big thing with Cleveland ORG's defense is like we shut off the interior, right? And right now, you know, no Jared Allen, you know, didn't play in game one. And, you know, Evan Mobley does a great job shutting off the interior, but like Boston banged 183s in this game. And it's just like, well, that's tough. It's real tough. So I'm, I'm a little bit skeptical that Cleveland ORG is going to be able to keep this allthat tight, unfortunately. And I wish that I felt differently about it, I guess is what I would say.

Speaker 06322.02s - 6324.64s

Just broke that you'll catch one MVP WORK_OF_ART.

Speaker 16328.3s - 6333.84s

Look, people are going to shit on this obviously because it's you know shit on yokitch week because he had two bad games but

Speaker 06333.84s - 6338.96s

it's the right call to me it's a regular season award if they want to include the playoffs then

Speaker 16338.96s - 6352.96s

don't ask people to vote until after the playoffs happen so yep so it's the right call He's been the best player in the league for four years now, three years, whatever it's been. Yeah, he's deserving of this thing.

Speaker 06353.26s - 6364.8s

He dominated the regular season again. Like, Shea and Luca PERSON, I thought were unbelievable and were worthy contenders in some respect, but it was,

Speaker 16368.68s - 6369.14s

yeah, it was Yokic, I thought this year.

Speaker 26369.28s - 6371s

I did.

Speaker 16371.44s - 6383.78s

Okay. Scows Roar PERSON, thank you for the super chat. This is a fun one. I want to know what you guys think is the most egregious media vote for an award this year.

Speaker 06386.32s - 6395.62s

Also, Sam, getting an Aussie NORP accent is fun. I don't think I'm getting an Aussie NORP accent. I talk to Americans NORP like 90% of my day because I'm on the phone with Americans.

Speaker 16398.5s - 6402.96s

There's a very obvious one to me that I've seen so far. Do you want to answer this? You don't look through these like I do, do you?

Speaker 06403.44s - 6403.72s

No.

Speaker 16406.46s - 6406.56s

Like, I know the winners for each award.

Speaker 06408.96s - 6410.12s

I have no idea who got votes for any of them. I like.

Speaker 16413.6s - 6413.7s

Yeah, somebody voted DeMontos Savonis for defensive player of the year.

Speaker 06414.32s - 6414.82s

Shut up.

Speaker 16415.84s - 6419.76s

No, they didn't.

Speaker 06420.84s - 6420.96s

Yeah, third place.

Speaker 16422.12s - 6422.2s

No, they did not.

Speaker 06423s - 6423.3s

You are lying.

Speaker 16426.22s - 6426.52s

I'm telling you, DeMontasabonis got a third place vote for defensive player of the year.

Speaker 06428.04s - 6429.14s

What the... That's the answer.

Speaker 16429.36s - 6430.58s

There's no other...

Speaker 06430.58s - 6432.78s

Like, I've never...

Speaker 16432.78s - 6452.46s

I have seen votes that are similar to that in terms of egregiousness. Yeah, there's just not another answer to me. Rookie of the year, Chet not being unanimous second place, I thought was kind of weird.

Speaker 26453.02s - 6457.84s

Wait, what? Yeah, Brandon Miller got a second place vote for rookie of the year.

Speaker 16460.18s - 6520.1s

Yeah, like, look, there are weird ones every year. There are weird ones every year. There are weird ones every year. And I've, I have disconnected from that world. I used to get super fucking furious about it. Um, wondering, you know, it's probably selfish on my part on some level, right? Like, wondering why I didn't have a vote or whatever.Um, you know, if someone wants to give me a vote I'm all for it but like I've kind of gotten to the point where I really try to look at it and understand where people are coming from on a lot of these things because like the deeper you dive into basketball the more that I feel like you kind of understand that there are a lot of different perspectives on things and like you're willing to hear things out. So bonus third place for defensive player of the year is egregious. And like there is no argument for that,

Speaker 06520.34s - 6525.26s

unfortunately. Agreed. Okay. Last thing I want to talk about,

Speaker 16525.32s - 6527.44s

and this is something that Bryce probably will have no opinions on.

Speaker 06527.6s - 6528.4s

So this will be fun.

Speaker 26528.74s - 6528.86s

Yeah.

Speaker 06529s - 6533.62s

I think the people that are longtime listeners

Speaker 26533.62s - 6537.06s

of the show know that like before I got into basketball

Speaker 16537.06s - 6538.16s

a decade ago or whatever,

Speaker 06538.46s - 6539.96s

I worked at Nielsen for a year.

Speaker 16540.88s - 7152.52s

And, you know, my master's degree is kind of like an MBA in the entertainment industry. I went to Carnegie Mellon ORG. Like, I have thoughts on movies and things like that. But there are times where my two worlds collide in that respect and TV deals and TV ratings and things like that tend to be one of them.And the NBA ORG, it seems like, is about to sign this massive TV deal, like utterly massive. The number that it looks like it's going to be based off of what Andrew Marchand over at the Athletic is reporting is about $7 billion per year. ESPN's going to pay 2.6 for each season. Amazon Prime Video is going to get 1.8, is going to send 1.8. And then the number that has been floated to NBC and TNT because now there's a bit of a bidding war between the two is 2.5 billion.It's 2.5 billion for a lesser package than what TNT ORG currently has. package to what TNT ORG currently has. The reason, so I think people know that like I've been very aggressive about saying that there was no chance that the NBA ORG was ever in trouble in terms of this deal. I've said it for years on this podcast.I've seen people work themselves into pretzels mentally trying to figure out why the NBA ORG is going to fail for this TV deal. Lowered ratings for a time there, you know, the NFL ORG continuing to stay steady in ratings, things like that. I think that people just have like a very fundamental misunderstanding of how these TV deals work. At the end of the day, live sports for these networks like NBC, Warner Brothers Discovery ORG, which owns TNT, Disney, which owns ABC, ESPN ORG, right? Live sports are still the safest investment in terms of terrestrial TV.It is absolutely always going to be the circumstance that live sports will be valued above other scripted entertainment, right? Because live sports are not risky. Scripted entertainment is very risky. You have to invest significant amount of money, developmental resources, R&D, things like that into, you know, many of many, you know, overall deals for writers, many pilots that get shot that don't go to air, shows that fail after one season. If you get one that hits, it's a cash cow for years upon years, especially for thesenetworks that own their production studios, such as Disney ORG being able to, you know, own all of the shows that it produces and put on ABC, NBC ORG being, you know, owned by the same people that own Universal Studios, Universal's production house, you know, NBC ORG are the same. So if they get this massive TV show, things are great, right? Live sports, though, you don't have to put in the R&D. You just have to invest a big sum of money.And you know on some level that you're going to get a return on investment. The reason that you know you're going to get a return on investment is because a lot of these big, the way that TV sales work basically, or the way that these deals work, ESPN, ABC, Disney, etc., will pay $2.5 billion up front per year, and they will make that money back and more selling advertisements, right? It's why you see all these deals and everything like that, why you see ads during TV shows. The number there is, well, where do I want to go from there?The reason that these are good deals is because you can make more money off of that. And you can charge premiums based on the ratings of live sports or, you know, scripted TV or whatever, right? To be able to recoup, like, significant amounts of money and significant amounts of investment versus the R&D you have put into scripted entertainment, potential other avenues, such as other sports, things like that, reality TV, potentially an option. Reality TV tends to be a little bit cheaper.But once you get a successful reality TV show, it tends to go up and up and up and up in price pretty quickly. The reason why the NBA ORG was never in trouble is because the NBA still has an immense amount of inventory that it can put toward these, you know, errors of the games, right?I use errors as opposed to channels or networks because it's different now, because Amazon Prime ORG is getting, uh, some games here, you know, $1.8 billion worth of games, right?So they're a streamer, you know, ABC is a network, ESPN ORG's a cable channel. Let's just refer to them all as errors. The reason that the NBA ORG is never in trouble is because of the inventory that they have. They have an immense amount of inventory of games that they're able to give you week after week after week in a window from, frankly, January until June where there isn't much going on that tops it in terms of sports.The Super Bowl will top it, but that happens in mid-February, right? Like, there will be some college basketball games that top it, but the problem with college basketball is that you don't just buy national college basketball rights. You have to buy conference by conference.And on top of that, those conferences are big situations where you get a limited number of, you know, exhibition where you also have to pay for football as well. So if you're looking for games in the window, or if you're looking for programming, more basically, in the window between January and June, what are your options? You can pay for March Madness EVENT, which does great numbers, but the March Madness deal isn't coming up anytime soon.So, you know, that's not an option. And on top of it, March Madness is only for a month. The rest of college basketball does okay. Bigger inventory, but again, you buy conference by conference as opposed to buying the national tournament, which is what makes March Madness EVENT so valuable. You get everybody versus just regional areas.You could buy hockey. NBA ORG gets better ratings than hockey. You could buy, you know, a few other different options. Like you can try and buy soccer, but those games are on at weird times. NBC ORG has tried that before. The NBA ORG is still the best that you try and buy baseball,but baseball has these weird regional networks. And also on top of that, like baseball's audience tends to be very localized, depending on who's playing night after night. The NBA ORG is still the best bet on the market. And it always was. So if you're going to invest money and resources into something where you're trying to getpremium advertisers to come in and pay, the NBA ORG was always the best one. The NBA was always the top of the market, in my opinion, for this little six-month window. Nobody's comparing it to the NFL ORG. Comparing to the NFL was always kind of foolhardy to me. It didn't really make sense. Like they're apples and oranges. And you need to have programming for all six months as a network. So if you're ABC, ESPN, if you're NBC, you know, Warner Brothers Discovery, which has Turner and TNC, it always, always, always was going to be that the NBA ORG was the best bet on the market for themduring this big window of opportunity here every year. And it was always going to be a situation where for this deal specifically, into the future, like I don't know what it'll look like because more and more people cut cable, more and more people don't watch terrestrial TV, et cetera, right? Like, I don't know what the next ones will look like. I don't have any predictions on that.But for this one particularly, where people do still watch terrestrial TV enough and people are still trying to figure out like streamers and everything, this deal was always going to be good. And anybody that, you know, tried to throw culture war bullshit at you, tried to throw whatever, you know, the ratings are going down, like what's going on with the NBA ORG, like anybody tried to throw that at you just like didn't have a understanding of the marketplace and situation, basically.And that's the reality of it. The NBA ORG was still the best bet. And that's the reality of it. The NBA was still the best bet. And that's pretty clear to me. Bryce PERSON, you have no takes on that, I assume.

Speaker 07152.92s - 7155.72s

I agree with everything you said, Sam PERSON. Yeah.

Speaker 17157.4s - 7234.34s

It just, to me, it's just like very obviously the best. It was, there was never a, never a worry with this one. And if, if you listen to the NBA ORG and like, look, you never want to do like, there's a reason that an appeal to authority is a logical fallacy, right? Obviously, the NBA ORG is going to present a position of strength in these circumstances because they don't want to present otherwise. Them presenting a position of strength now has NBC and Turner ORG in this crazy bidding war, it seems like,for a $2.5 billion right steal to decide who gets these games. So you never want to like just only do this. You want to understand the market dynamics. You want to understand what's going on with the league. You want to understand how healthy the league is, et cetera. But the NBA ORG was like never.There's never been a time where it's felt like people in the NBA ORG are worried to me. There might be like the stray comment that you can get from people. I can find people that think, like put it this way. Like first, you know, Bryce PERSON and I do draft scouting, right? I can find people that think Zavian Lee is a top 15 pick in this, is worth a top 15 pick in this draft.

Speaker 07234.64s - 7235.88s

Yes, we could.

Speaker 17236.14s - 7343.88s

Yeah. Like, I can find somebody that thinks, you know, Tyler Kolek is worth the top 10 pick probably. In fact, I know I can. Like, people have different opinions on things, and that's fine, but the people who mattered,like there was just never, there's never a worry, it felt like to me, on the NBA ORG side. So that's like a 15-minute ran on TV ratings. And the NBA ORG's TV deal, which it looks like he's going to be $7 billion per year for, I don't know, how many years are they doing this for? I honestlyhaven't looked that closely at it. It's just like having an understanding of what all of this looks like from having worked in it before. It just was never like there was never a worry to me, I guess. And people, you know, were melting down about it and, you know, let people that frankly just like never knew what they were talking about, like kind of influenced their opinion on it. So, um, and I'm not calling out anybody specific here. Like I'm, I don't, I don't mean it like that.It's just there was a lot of it, right? There was just a lot of it. And it was never, you know, I will be interested to see how many people walk back their opinions on this. Now that they see the NBA is going to get $7 billion per year in TV ratings. Or like how people, how those people who like thoughtthat the NBA ORG was like in trouble in terms of this deal like how they walk back their opinion on it or do they just say I was wrong I would hope they just say I was wrong because I say I'm wrong all the time and like you know I laugh about like James Wiseman being number two on my board and I laugh like

Speaker 07343.88s - 7348.46s

it's hard like James Wise was number two on a lot of people's boards, right? You get shit wrong all the time.

Speaker 17349.3s - 7353.76s

Okay. Bryce, that's all that I have because I have to go write draft guide today.

Speaker 07353.96s - 7359.9s

Do you have any other, do you have any draft takes that you have? You know, one one that you want to fire off before we go here.

Speaker 17360.28s - 7361.14s

No, I don't think so.

Speaker 07361.26s - 7392.72s

Go watch the mock draft. We recorded a few days ago. That, that is my draft take. It's a great mock draft. It was a lot of fun. It went fast.I think you'll get a lot of our takes there. I assume in the next few weeks or month we'll start to expand that thing out. At some point, I assume we'll probably do a two-round mock, at least go through the second round. And we always, at the end of those, give our guys that we wish we got into the first round or would be the next guys up.So and I think we have a draft sleeper episode or segment coming up.

Speaker 17392.72s - 7393.14s

We will. Yeah.

Speaker 07393.14s - 7402.64s

I know we owe somebody that. So we'll, we'll dive into those guys as well. But we had a full first round mock that talks a lot about those guys. We do.

Speaker 17402.94s - 7440.28s

So go watch the mock draft. I wish I had like a little graphic up that I could put up, but I do. So go watch the mock draft. I wish I had like a little graphic up that I could put up, but I can't. Go watch the mock draft that we put up. A lot of you have already done it. You know, it has 11,000 views doing pretty well. We will have another one of those on Sunday because the NBA draft lottery is Sunday.And Bryce PERSON, you need to clear your schedule. This is one of the times where unfortunately I have to tell you that you have to be available. Whereas most of the time I'm pretty good at like maneuvering things around on the schedule. This is one where unfortunately you got to be available.

Speaker 07441.32s - 7462.08s

So we'll be it there. We'll talk draft then. There's a chance that we record on Friday and kind of break down a little bit more playoff stuff. We'll have tonight's Indiana Knicks game to talk about and then a couple more games to talk about and then maybe we can do a little bit more draft kind of leading into the lottery. But other than that, that's kind of where

Speaker 17462.08s - 7486.9s

we're at coming into the next week. Then we've got combine stuff. We'll probably do a combine episode next week. I would imagine probably later in the week. They've adjusted the five on five. So it's Tuesday and Wednesday this year, actually, as well, as opposed to the typical Thursday, Friday. So middle of the week's stuff, and I'm excited to talk about it.Bryce PERSON, tell the people where they can find your work. Tell the people what's going on.

Speaker 07487.2s - 7503.52s

Yeah, at Motor City Hoops on Twitter for NBA, NBA draft, Detroit Pistons ORG content. I put stuff out on substack. You can find all of it over there on my Twitter ORG. I tweet all of it out. Pistons Polls podcast if you want Piston specific content. And then, of course, game theory podcast here with Sam Bessini PERSON.

Speaker 17505.96s - 7541.3s

Go to the athletic. Keep me employed over there. That that'd be great uh you know i have to write a couple of transfer profiles this year or uh this today actually to go onto the site cj more and i did 200 of those things 200 transfers uh and did like real scouting on them and ended up ranking them and everything. Other than that, I'm draft guiding today. So that's all I've got. We will be back probably on Friday, or at least I will be.We'll see if Bryce PERSON can join. Maybe I might try and get somebody else to join if he's not available. But until next time, we'll talk soon. Bye.