Game 1 Reaction + Finals Preview

WEBVTT
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Hello. and welcome back to the Hoop Theory Podcast.
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My name is Logan Wortman and the New York Knicks
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have officially taken a 1 -0 series lead in the
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NBA Finals. What a time to be alive to be able
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to say that sentence. I genuinely believe that
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the NBA is at its best when the Knicks are good
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and this is as good as they've been in my entire
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lifetime. That was a great game one. Lots of
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twists and turns. Lots of tough physical basketball
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being played. Nothing came easy. I do want to
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get into the specifics but I'm going to save
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that for later for a segment because starting
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off here I'm going I'm going to be sending you
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back in time to yesterday when I did my full
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series preview for the finals. Yes, this was
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because I'm a procrastinator and I failed to
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squeeze my preview out before tip off of game
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one last night. But this way, you'll get to hear
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all my thoughts and predictions entering the
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series. And then immediately after that, you'll
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get to hear what happened in game one that surprised
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me or maybe even validated some of the thoughts
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that I had. Who knows? I guess you'll find out.
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Before I let you get into that, though, I'd like
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to say thank you for listening. Please be sure
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to hit up the Patreon or buy me a coffee if you'd
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like to support Hoop Theory. That's patreon .com
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forward slash hoop theory and buymeacoffee .com
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forward slash hoop theory. All of the links can
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also be found in the description of both the
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show and the episode wherever you're watching
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or listening to this. And lastly, if you would
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have a question or a topic that you would like
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to be read or reacted to, basketball related
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or otherwise, you can send those over to hooptheory
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.mailbag at gmail .com. Without further ado,
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I'll let you get into my finals preview. Hello
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and welcome back to Hoop Theory. My name is Logan
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Wortman, recording this one on Wednesday, June
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3rd, in the year of our Lord, 2026. And welcome
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to my preview of the 2026 NBA Finals, which kicks
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off tonight between the San Antonio Spurs and
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the New York Knicks, a rematch of the 1999 NBA
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Finals. What's at stake here for the Knicks?
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First title in 53 years, third in franchise history.
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Brunson really might just cement himself as the
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greatest Knick ever. As for the Spurs, they're
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playing with house money, way ahead of schedule.
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Could go down with the 77 Blazers as one of the
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most unique championships ever. The parallels,
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I guess, between the Trail Blazers back in 1977
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and these San Antonio Spurs, Wemby and Walton.
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Bill Walton, the best player on that Blazers
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team. That was, you know, the very early peak
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of his career that honestly, unknowingly at the
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time, you know, was going to end up being the
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ultimate peak of his career because of that injury,
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the Jones fracture that, you know, kind of threw
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a wrench into his whole career. Never became
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the player that people thought he would. When
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he first came in and especially when he was at
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the height of his powers doing that in the 77
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finals, leading that young Trailblazers team,
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the youngest team in NBA history to enter a finals,
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let alone win one. And this Spurs team somehow
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doesn't break that record. I haven't looked at
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the actual, I've done the math myself of the
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ages other than the big four, which I'll go through
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here in a second. The reason why I think this
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Spurs team is so special. is because of the big
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four thing instead of just, you know, the whole
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roster because the main four guys are so important,
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you know, to both these teams, really. Both of
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those, the Blazers and Spurs, have a pretty clear
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top four contributors. So I guess back to the
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parallels, Wemby and Walton, both in year three.
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Wemby is 22 this year. Walton was 24. Weirdly
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enough, they both played about the same number
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of games, 64 for Wemby, 65 for Walton that year.
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Wemby finished third in a very, very highly,
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you know, hotly contested, one of the most star
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-studded MVP races in recent history. And then
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Walton in 77 finished second. Both of them were
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first team all defense, and both of them are
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being talked about or were being talked about
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for Walton's case. as potential GOAT candidates,
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you know, guys to overtake the best ever. And
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for Wemby, that is, you know, obviously either
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LeBron or Jordan, depending on which side of
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that debate you fall on. And then for Walton,
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that was probably Kareem at the time, even though
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Kareem was still at the peak of his powers in
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77. So I don't know if people were really fully
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accepting Kareem as the GOAT quite yet. Some
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people might still be throwing Bill Russell out
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there as the guy to beat at that point. But either
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way, you know, Bill Walton was being looked at
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as a guy that was on a trajectory to match or
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surpass either one of those guys. Wemby is in
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a similar spot now, knock on wood, that it doesn't
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end up going the same way that it did for Bill
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Walton, which I highly doubt because of, you
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know, how modern medicine and everything has
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advanced. A lot of what Walton went through,
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I think people have done the case studies of
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examining and saying that, you know, with modern
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day technology and everything, Walton's career
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probably wouldn't have, you know, it would have
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been saved, you could say, if he came into league.
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in the modern day. And I guess looking at the
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other, the rest of the big fours with the Spurs
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team, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, and De 'Aaron
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Fox, which I should probably say De 'Aaron Fox
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at least third there because obviously he starts
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and Dylan Harper doesn't. But, you know, Wemby,
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Castle, and Harper are viewed as the real core
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moving forward. You know, Fox is somewhat expendable
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because he overlaps a little bit with Harper,
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especially, as well as Castle. And the timelines
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with Wemby, Castle, and Harper being 22, 21,
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and 19. I think Harper just turned 20, but technically
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this is his age 19 season because of where his
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birthday falls. So 22, 21, and 19 are the ages
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of their young, you know, core three. And then
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Fox is 28 in year nine. So he's, you know, pretty,
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pretty far out of that timeframe. But what's
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crazy is even with Fox adding his age in there,
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they are still a lower average age by about a
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year lower than the Blazers big four. which,
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like I said, is kind of the benchmark for the
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youngest team to ever do it. Walton, like I said,
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was 24. Maurice Lucas was in year three, technically
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year three of pro basketball, but it was his
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first year in the NBA, so you could debatably
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say that was his rookie year. And he was 24.
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And Lionel Hollins was 23 in year two. And Bob
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Gross was also 23 in year two. And so when you
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average all those together for the Blazers, their
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average age is 23 and a half and the Spurs was
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20 is 22 and a half rather. So like I said, one
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whole year below. And then if you go by years
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of experience, that's where it kind of flips
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because of how, you know, Fox came in the league
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so early. And back then, you know, players just
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stayed in college a lot longer before coming
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to the NBA. So they came in a lot older. And
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so the years of experience, the average for the
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Spurs across the Big Four is 3 .75 and the Blazers
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is 2 .5. So a pretty drastic difference there
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as well. Something that I really like about this
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Spurs team, just storyline wise, it does really
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feel like Harper and Castle might be the Parker
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and Ginobili to Wemby's Duncan. If you know what
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I mean, you know, like the big three of that
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previous San Antonio Spurs era. Harper reminds
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me a lot of Manu, actually. His footwork, his
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craftiness, fluidity off the dribble, finishing
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around the rim, the way he contorts and adjusts
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the ball to finish around defenders. It's like
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he has a higher processing rate than everyone
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else. The time just moves slower to him. Thinking
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Basketball put out a video on YouTube a couple
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days ago actually about Dylan Harper, which I
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thought was really, really good and validated
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a lot of the things that I think about Dylan
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Harper when I'm watching him play. I have to
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check myself a little bit sometimes. I don't
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feel higher on a young player. I don't know if
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I've ever felt higher just simply off eye test
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watching a guy play than I do. with Dylan Harper,
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like just how good I feel about his development
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or like just the way he plays, his approach to
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the game. I'm very, very high on Dylan Harper
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on both ends of the ball. You know, I feel like
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he's ironically like a 6 '5 athletic Jalen Brunson.
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You know, if Jalen Brunson was 6 '5 and athletic,
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that's what we're dealing with here, which is
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just crazy to say because Jalen Brunson has just
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led his team to the NBA Finals. And, you know,
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this guy's only 19, but plays with like the poise
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of like a veteran, you know, and the steadiness
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of a nine, 10 year vet. I feel like this language,
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by the way, that kind of phrasing of saying that
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somebody is, you know, a lot more mature than
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their age. I feel like that language is overused.
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Like I understand if some people hear me say
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stuff like that about Dylan Harper and it goes
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in one ear out the other kind of because you
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hear people say that same type of sentiment about
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other people. and other things, just know that
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with Dylan Harper, this is 100 % real. Like I
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cannot overemphasize just how drastic of a difference
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between his age, between what is expected of
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a young guard, just playing, not even just being
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as good as he is, but just the decisions he makes
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and the way, how comfortable he is all the time
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is just weird. Like things seem to not like they
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shouldn't be able to get any more weird, obviously,
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with Wemby on that team just being what he is.
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But Dylan Harper just somehow adds to that in
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a like a real way. It's not like it's not just
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Wemby that fascinates me and other basketball
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enjoyers. about this team. Harper definitely
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intrigues me as well as, you know, Castle and
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some of their other guys, other contributors,
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Carter Bryant is a really young guy who, you
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know, he's kind of on the edge of the rotation
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in these playoffs at this point, but moving forward,
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you know, he's a rookie too. He's going to be
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a vital, vital piece of this core as well, and
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probably a part of their future starting five.
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So looking at this, this comparison that I started
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to make the Parker and Ginobili to Harper and
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Castle. way harper i mentioned the thingy basketball
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video i feel like his defense is something that
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i also it just really surprised me i wasn't expecting
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him to be that level of a defender he's very
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cerebral he can move he stays in front of he
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kind of he plays similarly to how he does on
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the offensive end he just processed everything
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so fast um it's unbelievable to watch and His
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offense rebound at the end of game seven, I think
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was a really good example of the types of things
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that he does, the way that he kind of like sees
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the court or sees like, you know, defenders and
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players in front of them, like obstacles to get
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to the ball, like how he on that play, if you
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know what I'm talking about at the end of game
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seven. So the ball kind of skies high off the
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back of the rim. And he like is coming from the
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opposite and opposite corner or a short corner
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really. And he like swims, he goes like around
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the group of people and weaves all the way through
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all these people, which is just funny. Cause
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they're all, you know, they're all trying to
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get the same ball and they're all looking up
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at it. And he's the, he's the guy that kind of
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like navigates through everybody and goes around
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a crowd. Cause he knows, you know, where the
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ball is going to end up. It's just the way that
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he, Like, I guess that doesn't even sound that
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impressive when I describe it because yeah, you
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just, you go to where the ball's going. But I
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think it's just how quickly he was able to diagnose
00:11:59.659 --> 00:12:04.000
that, how like just split second reaction of
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he knew where the ball was going and how he mapped
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his route and executed it so quickly. You know,
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that's what gets him the ball in that play, what
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gets him that rebound. And just the same type
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of thing that he does. with navigating through
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like a crowd of defenders on drives and stuff
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like that, or like cutting off the ball. He has
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very good spatial awareness and a good awareness
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of like just the geometry of the game, which
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is just really impressive. And then Castle. I
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do want to mention as well, just give a short
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little, I guess, player comp or not comp, but
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a player profile on him, like I just did for
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Harper. He's a big, fierce competitor, uber physical
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guard in a wings body. You know, he's like 6
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'6", 220. Both these guys are big. He's unafraid,
00:12:50.539 --> 00:12:53.779
is one of the more like accurate, I guess, superlatives
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or adjectives that I can give for him. Something
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that I would also say about him is that he is
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a chaos agent. I think that fits him more so
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than almost anybody in the league outside of
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maybe like Alex Caruso might be the only other
00:13:05.679 --> 00:13:08.620
guy that I feel like could contend for the rightful
00:13:08.620 --> 00:13:11.480
owner of that nickname. And also I feel like
00:13:11.480 --> 00:13:15.440
Castle and Harper, they just might be in a vacuum
00:13:15.440 --> 00:13:19.340
or like on paper, the perfect backcourt moving
00:13:19.340 --> 00:13:23.159
forward. The only real, like, doubt in that or,
00:13:23.179 --> 00:13:26.220
like, point you can use against that at the moment
00:13:26.220 --> 00:13:29.019
is shooting, which is very important, obviously.
00:13:29.679 --> 00:13:32.799
Neither of them are all that great of spacers.
00:13:33.100 --> 00:13:36.120
And also, like, Castles, he shot a lot better
00:13:36.120 --> 00:13:38.559
in the playoffs for sure. But that's the biggest
00:13:38.559 --> 00:13:41.659
flag, I guess, on both of them is whether or
00:13:41.659 --> 00:13:43.580
not, you know, they're going to develop into
00:13:43.580 --> 00:13:47.379
real knockdown shooters from outside. So with
00:13:47.379 --> 00:13:49.860
that aside. which is a big thing to put aside.
00:13:50.000 --> 00:13:51.659
But I don't think either of them are going to
00:13:51.659 --> 00:13:53.440
be complete non -shooters. They're already not
00:13:53.440 --> 00:13:56.600
to that level. So there's still something to
00:13:56.600 --> 00:13:58.980
that. But they balance out each other's energies,
00:13:59.139 --> 00:14:02.360
kind of like they're yin and yang of each other.
00:14:02.460 --> 00:14:04.740
They're both elite defensive guards with size,
00:14:04.899 --> 00:14:07.000
and they can switch with ease. But the way they
00:14:07.000 --> 00:14:09.200
balance each other is like... Castle, like I
00:14:09.200 --> 00:14:12.120
said, is is a chaos agent. You know, he is the
00:14:12.120 --> 00:14:15.059
embodiment of chaos on a basketball court. Like
00:14:15.059 --> 00:14:17.279
he plays with his hair on fire. He goes for the
00:14:17.279 --> 00:14:19.720
home run type of plays all the time, which comes
00:14:19.720 --> 00:14:22.279
with downsides. Obviously, he turned the ball
00:14:22.279 --> 00:14:25.559
over 20 times in the first two games of that
00:14:25.559 --> 00:14:27.519
Western Conference final series, which is an
00:14:27.519 --> 00:14:30.059
NBA record between any two games, I want to say,
00:14:30.159 --> 00:14:32.919
or at least two playoff games across any two
00:14:32.919 --> 00:14:34.940
playoff games. That is the most turnovers in
00:14:34.940 --> 00:14:37.399
NBA history. So, you know, turnovers galore is
00:14:37.399 --> 00:14:39.610
his thing. Harper, though, on the other hand,
00:14:39.610 --> 00:14:42.370
as a rookie, which is crazy, both these guys
00:14:42.370 --> 00:14:45.409
are young, but Harper is even younger. He's the
00:14:45.409 --> 00:14:48.370
guy who is just the opposite end of the spectrum
00:14:48.370 --> 00:14:51.210
in that department. He is calm. He's steady.
00:14:51.389 --> 00:14:53.330
He sees the game in slow motion. Like I've said,
00:14:53.470 --> 00:14:57.470
he is a turnover suppressor. You can also see
00:14:57.470 --> 00:14:59.909
it in the way that they attack on drives, this
00:14:59.909 --> 00:15:02.730
sort of yin and yang thing, like how Castle is
00:15:02.730 --> 00:15:05.269
putting his shoulder in your chest and he's going
00:15:05.269 --> 00:15:08.090
to go through you no matter who you are. Harper,
00:15:08.230 --> 00:15:11.190
on the other hand, is smooth and shifty and he's
00:15:11.190 --> 00:15:13.610
going to get a step on you and then dissect the
00:15:13.610 --> 00:15:17.090
defense once he gets past you. He might slow
00:15:17.090 --> 00:15:19.350
up and put you on his hip, keep you in jail,
00:15:19.470 --> 00:15:21.730
hesitate, and not let you know where he's going
00:15:21.730 --> 00:15:24.029
to go or what he's going to do and when he's
00:15:24.029 --> 00:15:26.340
going to do it. just you know attack the rim
00:15:26.340 --> 00:15:29.220
protector throw up this you know gracefully done
00:15:29.220 --> 00:15:32.360
flip shot high off the glass or keep his dribble
00:15:32.360 --> 00:15:34.720
alive you know really any number of things so
00:15:34.720 --> 00:15:36.539
like just in the way that they attack and everything
00:15:36.539 --> 00:15:39.059
they just balance each other out in this very
00:15:39.059 --> 00:15:42.399
uh complimentary way I guess I didn't realize
00:15:42.399 --> 00:15:44.580
how much time I was spending on the Spurs and
00:15:44.580 --> 00:15:46.799
not the Knicks on this. I do want to even out
00:15:46.799 --> 00:15:48.539
a little bit, although I don't think I can fully.
00:15:49.200 --> 00:15:51.360
The Knicks, you know, something to be said about
00:15:51.360 --> 00:15:53.620
them. Like I said, their first title in 53 years,
00:15:53.679 --> 00:15:57.070
if they do, in fact, win this. I think the city
00:15:57.070 --> 00:15:59.610
of New York is going to explode if that happens.
00:15:59.730 --> 00:16:02.669
I don't think the world is ready for a New York
00:16:02.669 --> 00:16:05.970
Knicks championship in the year 2026. And like
00:16:05.970 --> 00:16:08.269
I said, Brunson really might cement himself as
00:16:08.269 --> 00:16:11.070
the greatest Knick of all time, surpassing probably
00:16:11.070 --> 00:16:13.110
Willis Reed or Patrick Ewing, one of those two.
00:16:13.330 --> 00:16:16.710
Patrick Ewing didn't have the ring to go with
00:16:16.710 --> 00:16:19.649
his resume. Willis Reed did, on the other hand.
00:16:19.710 --> 00:16:22.230
But the more individually talented player, a
00:16:22.230 --> 00:16:24.210
lot of times people view Patrick Ewing to be
00:16:24.210 --> 00:16:26.870
that guy. And, you know, I think Jalen Brunson
00:16:26.870 --> 00:16:29.809
has a case, would have a case, you know, if he
00:16:29.809 --> 00:16:32.789
were to win the title, you know, kind of have
00:16:32.789 --> 00:16:34.690
a little bit of both, you know, the best of both
00:16:34.690 --> 00:16:38.070
worlds there. And I'm feeling pretty good about
00:16:38.070 --> 00:16:41.950
this Knicks run. I do want to get to more of
00:16:41.950 --> 00:16:43.769
that in a second. Something that I was asked
00:16:43.769 --> 00:16:45.649
about a week ago about their chances that I do
00:16:45.649 --> 00:16:48.230
want to kind of. Take it back. It was in passing.
00:16:48.269 --> 00:16:50.110
It wasn't even on the podcast, but it's just
00:16:50.110 --> 00:16:52.250
something that I've it's been haunting me a little
00:16:52.250 --> 00:16:55.129
bit ever since I've answered that question. And
00:16:55.129 --> 00:16:57.250
I'll let you know what that is here in a second
00:16:57.250 --> 00:16:59.149
after this short break. I'll see you on the other
00:16:59.149 --> 00:17:05.470
side. About a week ago, like I said before the
00:17:05.470 --> 00:17:07.970
break, I started to hint at a question that I
00:17:07.970 --> 00:17:10.710
was asked about whether or not I thought the
00:17:10.710 --> 00:17:13.170
Knicks stood any chance on, you know, whoever
00:17:13.170 --> 00:17:15.539
they. uh, faced in the finals. Cause at that
00:17:15.539 --> 00:17:17.059
point, you know, it was still in the middle of
00:17:17.059 --> 00:17:19.200
that Western conference final series. And on
00:17:19.200 --> 00:17:22.720
the spot, I answered no, even though I was very
00:17:22.720 --> 00:17:24.880
on the fence about it. And, you know, I feel
00:17:24.880 --> 00:17:26.900
like I kind of just gave into pressure a little
00:17:26.900 --> 00:17:29.119
bit of like everybody, you know, was kind of
00:17:29.119 --> 00:17:32.160
making fun of the Knicks in a way. And also Yeah,
00:17:32.279 --> 00:17:34.119
it was just in a setting that I wasn't going
00:17:34.119 --> 00:17:36.319
to really go into like all my thoughts there
00:17:36.319 --> 00:17:38.519
on the spot. So it was just a quicker, easier
00:17:38.519 --> 00:17:42.599
response. But also other things, reasons why
00:17:42.599 --> 00:17:45.000
I felt better about saying that, you know, number
00:17:45.000 --> 00:17:47.640
one, I didn't know if they could sustain their
00:17:47.640 --> 00:17:49.359
hot shooting, you know, especially with that
00:17:49.359 --> 00:17:51.720
long break after the Eastern Conference finals.
00:17:51.960 --> 00:17:53.460
They've just been shooting the hell out of the
00:17:53.460 --> 00:17:55.640
ball. And I don't know if they can continue that
00:17:55.640 --> 00:17:58.000
to that same level. into another series against
00:17:58.000 --> 00:18:00.700
an even stronger opponent. And also, number two,
00:18:00.779 --> 00:18:02.839
at the time, I was still thinking that the Thunder
00:18:02.839 --> 00:18:05.619
would maybe be their matchup, which I do think
00:18:05.619 --> 00:18:08.160
OKC would have been significant favorites, at
00:18:08.160 --> 00:18:10.599
least in a vacuum. You know, with their injuries
00:18:10.599 --> 00:18:14.140
to Jalen Williams and AJ Mitchell, OKC was without
00:18:14.140 --> 00:18:17.420
their only offensive creators outside of SGA.
00:18:18.119 --> 00:18:20.839
So, you know, I do think that would definitely
00:18:20.839 --> 00:18:24.000
have opened the door to a realistic Knicks upset.
00:18:24.559 --> 00:18:26.880
But, you know, this matchup with the Spurs definitely
00:18:26.880 --> 00:18:30.380
changes things a bit. I think it makes that question
00:18:30.380 --> 00:18:33.460
that I just set up or, you know, that I was asked,
00:18:33.519 --> 00:18:35.559
I think it just makes that a lot more compelling.
00:18:35.640 --> 00:18:39.400
You know, the reasons I'll go into for both sides,
00:18:39.539 --> 00:18:42.140
why I think it's a compelling question of do
00:18:42.140 --> 00:18:44.039
the Knicks stand a chance? Well, I guess the
00:18:44.039 --> 00:18:47.630
easy answer is yes. So, but I guess I'll just
00:18:47.630 --> 00:18:49.930
give, you know, reasons for both sides of it.
00:18:49.990 --> 00:18:51.990
But like, if you're going to ask me that question
00:18:51.990 --> 00:18:54.289
right here, point blank, do the Knicks stand
00:18:54.289 --> 00:18:56.569
a chance? Absolutely. I think they absolutely
00:18:56.569 --> 00:18:59.269
stand a chance in this series. I've heard a lot
00:18:59.269 --> 00:19:02.109
of very smart basketball minds picking them actually
00:19:02.109 --> 00:19:04.910
in this series, which did surprise me a tiny
00:19:04.910 --> 00:19:08.049
bit. But also at the end of the day, it really
00:19:08.049 --> 00:19:10.269
doesn't. When I have more clarity, you know,
00:19:10.289 --> 00:19:12.769
to think about it now. And also like, it's weird.
00:19:12.829 --> 00:19:15.880
I was on the Knicks bandwagon a little bit. a
00:19:15.880 --> 00:19:19.799
couple weeks ago, which I'll get into. I think
00:19:19.799 --> 00:19:22.779
that when I think about it at a broad view, the
00:19:22.779 --> 00:19:25.079
one team, when I think about their chances, who's
00:19:25.079 --> 00:19:28.160
on just a collision course, a crash course, headed
00:19:28.160 --> 00:19:31.259
toward a NBA championship this year? When I think
00:19:31.259 --> 00:19:34.019
about that from a bird's eye view, the Knicks
00:19:34.019 --> 00:19:37.000
is the team I have felt the best about. Even
00:19:37.000 --> 00:19:39.319
when thinking about the Thunder, really, that
00:19:39.319 --> 00:19:42.220
almost felt neck and neck. It just felt vibes
00:19:42.220 --> 00:19:45.519
-wise the most... the Knicks were going to win
00:19:45.519 --> 00:19:48.720
the title over anybody else. Not that I can't
00:19:48.720 --> 00:19:50.819
see that. I can't close my eyes and envision
00:19:50.819 --> 00:19:53.740
that for the Spurs. I absolutely can. But for
00:19:53.740 --> 00:19:58.259
some reason, my gut feeling, it just feels more
00:19:58.259 --> 00:20:01.579
correct when I think about the Knicks. But when
00:20:01.579 --> 00:20:03.259
I think about these two teams head -to -head,
00:20:03.980 --> 00:20:07.299
that's where my gut, I do kind of feel a tiny
00:20:07.299 --> 00:20:08.980
bit better about the Spurs when I just think
00:20:08.980 --> 00:20:12.460
about them blindly, not blindly, but just straight
00:20:12.460 --> 00:20:14.849
up against one another. head -to -head, which
00:20:14.849 --> 00:20:18.849
is weird because my brain would say that I think
00:20:18.849 --> 00:20:22.410
the Spurs are ultimately the better team overall,
00:20:22.730 --> 00:20:26.750
but in this specific matchup against one another,
00:20:26.930 --> 00:20:30.849
I think the Knicks match up pretty well against
00:20:30.849 --> 00:20:33.369
the Spurs. So it's weird how my gut seems to
00:20:33.369 --> 00:20:36.009
just completely flip that logic the other way
00:20:36.009 --> 00:20:39.650
around and feel better about the opposite team
00:20:39.650 --> 00:20:42.190
in either scenario. But I guess for the reasons
00:20:42.190 --> 00:20:46.089
to the yes as an answer to that question about
00:20:46.089 --> 00:20:49.170
whether or not the Knicks stand a chance, this
00:20:49.170 --> 00:20:51.470
Knicks thing I think needs to be taken more seriously.
00:20:51.910 --> 00:20:54.509
I get that people think that they've played nobody,
00:20:54.670 --> 00:20:58.390
but 11 straight wins is no joke in any playoff
00:20:58.390 --> 00:21:01.450
setting. And they seem to really have a championship
00:21:01.450 --> 00:21:04.410
mentality permeating throughout their team, which
00:21:04.410 --> 00:21:06.799
is a very rare thing. The way that they've kept
00:21:06.799 --> 00:21:09.279
their foot on the neck in closeout games is a
00:21:09.279 --> 00:21:12.299
big part of that, for sure. And also just this
00:21:12.299 --> 00:21:14.720
thing, this Knicks thing needs to be taken more
00:21:14.720 --> 00:21:17.859
seriously. Another part of what is that thing
00:21:17.859 --> 00:21:21.319
is the renaissance that they've undergone with
00:21:21.319 --> 00:21:24.779
their offense and their team chemistry. The way
00:21:24.779 --> 00:21:27.619
that they have attacked on offense this playoffs
00:21:27.619 --> 00:21:30.059
has been different than they have throughout
00:21:30.059 --> 00:21:32.720
the whole regular season, as well as especially...
00:21:32.960 --> 00:21:34.880
in the whole Tom Thibodeau era the past several
00:21:34.880 --> 00:21:37.420
years. You know, Brunson off the ball is the
00:21:37.420 --> 00:21:39.880
main thing, mixing in way more possessions of
00:21:39.880 --> 00:21:41.319
that because, you know, in the past they've been
00:21:41.319 --> 00:21:44.140
a lot more Brunson -centric, him dominating the
00:21:44.140 --> 00:21:46.200
ball all game. But in this current iteration,
00:21:46.440 --> 00:21:48.299
what seems to be, you know, bringing them a lot
00:21:48.299 --> 00:21:51.380
of success is mixing in possessions of Brunson
00:21:51.380 --> 00:21:53.859
off the ball with Cat as a playmaking hub, as
00:21:53.859 --> 00:21:56.420
well as Mikal Bridges running weak side pick
00:21:56.420 --> 00:21:59.759
and rolls. as a ball handler, and then also OG
00:21:59.759 --> 00:22:03.319
Ananobi, you know, ISOing and getting shots in
00:22:03.319 --> 00:22:06.559
the mid -range and whatnot, you know, attacking
00:22:06.559 --> 00:22:09.160
mismatches, all that kind of stuff. Just mixing
00:22:09.160 --> 00:22:12.099
all this stuff into their attack throughout the
00:22:12.099 --> 00:22:15.180
game makes their clutch offense with Brunson
00:22:15.180 --> 00:22:16.859
on ball, you know, what they ultimately will
00:22:16.859 --> 00:22:20.319
go to as their closing looks on offense, it just
00:22:20.319 --> 00:22:23.460
makes those looks even more potent because, you
00:22:23.460 --> 00:22:27.490
know, Brunson has had the rest. And also, the
00:22:27.490 --> 00:22:31.069
defense hasn't been seeing reps of that same
00:22:31.069 --> 00:22:34.470
action all game long that they can start to find
00:22:34.470 --> 00:22:38.190
a rhythm toward. So it just balances out their
00:22:38.190 --> 00:22:40.410
attack a lot more, and I think it's really effective.
00:22:41.099 --> 00:22:43.319
So I've loved that development for this New York
00:22:43.319 --> 00:22:46.319
team in these playoffs. I think they match up
00:22:46.319 --> 00:22:48.799
pretty favorably with San Antonio, like I said.
00:22:49.160 --> 00:22:51.000
All things considered, at least, because, you
00:22:51.000 --> 00:22:53.200
know, the Spurs are kind of a matchup nightmare
00:22:53.200 --> 00:22:56.319
for anybody, really. Just with the rim protection
00:22:56.319 --> 00:22:58.299
and all of the perimeter defenders that they
00:22:58.299 --> 00:23:00.119
have, like they're going to make life hard on
00:23:00.119 --> 00:23:03.059
just about anybody. But Mitchell Robinson is
00:23:03.059 --> 00:23:06.779
another really big key to why I think, you know,
00:23:06.799 --> 00:23:08.940
the Knicks stand a chance here in this series.
00:23:09.850 --> 00:23:12.289
especially with his health. You know, that can
00:23:12.289 --> 00:23:14.589
be like a swing factor, I guess, with his pinky.
00:23:14.750 --> 00:23:18.329
I think it is that he has an injury on. But from
00:23:18.329 --> 00:23:19.849
all reports, it sounds like he's going to be
00:23:19.849 --> 00:23:22.450
available for game one. But, you know, for a
00:23:22.450 --> 00:23:24.329
guy who doesn't play like a ton of minutes off
00:23:24.329 --> 00:23:26.529
the bench, I think he's going to be immensely
00:23:26.529 --> 00:23:28.849
important to this series and might as a result
00:23:28.849 --> 00:23:31.170
might have to play some more minutes than usual.
00:23:31.829 --> 00:23:34.190
But I think he is basically Mitchell Robinson
00:23:34.190 --> 00:23:36.769
is who I'm talking about here. I think he's basically
00:23:36.769 --> 00:23:40.079
the embodiment of. the biggest schematic counter
00:23:40.079 --> 00:23:44.519
to the alien that is Victor Wimby because Wimby,
00:23:44.579 --> 00:23:47.160
you know, protecting the rim can't sell out for
00:23:47.160 --> 00:23:50.640
contests when he has somebody behind him to worry
00:23:50.640 --> 00:23:52.940
about as a offensive rebounder, especially when
00:23:52.940 --> 00:23:56.160
that offensive rebounder is the best offensive
00:23:56.160 --> 00:23:59.500
rebounder in the world, really, which is, you
00:23:59.500 --> 00:24:01.440
know, Mitchell Robinson. The only other guy that
00:24:01.440 --> 00:24:03.599
I think you can throw into that conversation
00:24:03.599 --> 00:24:06.740
is Steven Adams. But honestly, I would maybe
00:24:06.740 --> 00:24:09.900
like per minute lean more toward Mitchell Robinson,
00:24:10.119 --> 00:24:12.400
to be quite honest. But that's really, you know,
00:24:12.400 --> 00:24:15.420
two of the goats of offensive rebounding, to
00:24:15.420 --> 00:24:18.359
be quite honest. And Mitchell Robinson, you know,
00:24:18.359 --> 00:24:20.940
just doing that, like that's one of the biggest
00:24:20.940 --> 00:24:24.079
schematic advantages to Wemby inside. Because,
00:24:24.140 --> 00:24:26.900
yeah, Wemby just has, he has to pick his poison
00:24:26.900 --> 00:24:29.319
a little bit. He can't just sell out for blocking
00:24:29.319 --> 00:24:31.759
shots and contesting shots and all that because
00:24:31.759 --> 00:24:35.190
he has to worry about the offensive glass. And
00:24:35.190 --> 00:24:38.730
also on top of that, another way to kind of get
00:24:38.730 --> 00:24:41.269
that same type of advantage in a different way
00:24:41.269 --> 00:24:44.349
slightly is having a lob threat. So even if you
00:24:44.349 --> 00:24:47.029
don't have like a elite offensive rebounder,
00:24:47.069 --> 00:24:49.569
if you have a guy who's a lob threat, you can
00:24:49.569 --> 00:24:53.190
find a similar sort of advantage there with Wemby
00:24:53.190 --> 00:24:55.910
inside because Wemby has to think about giving
00:24:55.910 --> 00:24:58.349
up the lob, which he's probably more capable
00:24:58.349 --> 00:25:00.829
of covering the passing lane, like making that
00:25:00.829 --> 00:25:04.240
pass really hard. So this is less. of a factor
00:25:04.240 --> 00:25:06.500
here, but I just thought it still is enough to
00:25:06.500 --> 00:25:09.500
matter because the other wrinkle, it's just an
00:25:09.500 --> 00:25:11.960
added wrinkle, like I guess to this, that Mitch
00:25:11.960 --> 00:25:15.900
Robinson is a very, very good lob threat as well.
00:25:16.240 --> 00:25:18.339
So it's just kind of, you know, an extra element
00:25:18.339 --> 00:25:22.000
to what Wemby has to think about. It kind of
00:25:22.000 --> 00:25:25.380
occupies Wemby, I guess, down there in the paint.
00:25:25.880 --> 00:25:30.519
which is a very useful thing to have in this
00:25:30.519 --> 00:25:32.640
series, in this matchup. And the other thing
00:25:32.640 --> 00:25:34.720
with Mitchell Robinson is the Gortat screens.
00:25:35.180 --> 00:25:38.339
You know, he's a big, strong physical dude that
00:25:38.339 --> 00:25:40.940
can, you know, seal him off and do like what
00:25:40.940 --> 00:25:42.859
we've talked about with the past couple series.
00:25:43.019 --> 00:25:46.440
Really ever since the Blazers series, especially
00:25:46.440 --> 00:25:49.420
the T -Wolves series for the Spurs, the Gortat
00:25:49.420 --> 00:25:51.619
screens, you know, the guy, the roller on the
00:25:51.619 --> 00:25:54.329
pick and roll. putting his back to Wemby in the
00:25:54.329 --> 00:25:56.309
paint and, you know, sealing off as if he's trying
00:25:56.309 --> 00:25:58.329
to post up, but really he's just trying to back
00:25:58.329 --> 00:26:01.109
him away from the rim as far as possible and
00:26:01.109 --> 00:26:03.289
get him out of the way for, you know, to open
00:26:03.289 --> 00:26:05.710
up the driving lane for the ball handler. I think
00:26:05.710 --> 00:26:07.670
Mitchell Robinson is going to be a key contributor
00:26:07.670 --> 00:26:10.930
in that way as well. The five out lineup also,
00:26:10.970 --> 00:26:14.150
this is another reason for why the Knicks might
00:26:14.150 --> 00:26:15.930
have a chance or do have a chance, you know,
00:26:15.930 --> 00:26:18.450
in this series. Another look that they can go
00:26:18.450 --> 00:26:23.480
to is to swap out Josh Hart and put in Landry
00:26:23.480 --> 00:26:25.680
Schammett in his place. So then you've got a
00:26:25.680 --> 00:26:28.960
lineup of Brunson, Schammett, Mikau Bridges,
00:26:29.000 --> 00:26:32.819
Ojean Onobi, and Karanzi Towns. And in that lineup,
00:26:32.859 --> 00:26:36.519
there's no weak link really for shooting. I think
00:26:36.519 --> 00:26:39.059
the one guy that you'd probably see Wemby be
00:26:39.059 --> 00:26:41.799
put on, I guess I should say, I haven't even
00:26:41.799 --> 00:26:43.990
mentioned. What we're going to see in the series,
00:26:44.109 --> 00:26:47.430
I would be very surprised if we don't, unless
00:26:47.430 --> 00:26:49.730
Mitch Johnson is just trying to keep that card
00:26:49.730 --> 00:26:52.349
in his back pocket or something like that. Barring
00:26:52.349 --> 00:26:54.690
that instance, I think what we're going to be
00:26:54.690 --> 00:26:57.789
seeing from opening tip is Wemby guarding Josh
00:26:57.789 --> 00:27:01.210
Hart when he's on the defensive end, because
00:27:01.210 --> 00:27:05.789
that is the one guy on the Knicks offense that's
00:27:05.789 --> 00:27:09.200
not a great shooter. And, you know, he can sag
00:27:09.200 --> 00:27:11.779
off and protect the paint, you know, roam and
00:27:11.779 --> 00:27:14.319
help. You know, that's where Wemby and any really,
00:27:14.380 --> 00:27:16.279
you know, rangy rim protector is at their best
00:27:16.279 --> 00:27:18.920
when they're sagging off of a non -shooter. Not
00:27:18.920 --> 00:27:21.140
that Josh Hart is a complete non -shooter, but
00:27:21.140 --> 00:27:23.440
he's a guy that he's going to be the sink or
00:27:23.440 --> 00:27:27.619
swim type of guy in this series. Like, you know,
00:27:27.640 --> 00:27:29.339
you're going to dare, you're going to live with
00:27:29.339 --> 00:27:32.519
him making or, you know, at least taking as many
00:27:32.519 --> 00:27:35.319
threes as he wants because you're betting on.
00:27:35.900 --> 00:27:40.140
That being a subpar offense for the other team.
00:27:40.819 --> 00:27:42.539
That's going to be a big key to this series,
00:27:42.599 --> 00:27:44.980
obviously, is whether or not he makes shots in
00:27:44.980 --> 00:27:48.720
that instance. But so putting Wemby on Hart is
00:27:48.720 --> 00:27:50.900
going to be the look you'll see for this Spurs
00:27:50.900 --> 00:27:54.019
team. And a counter to that, that the Knicks
00:27:54.019 --> 00:27:57.039
can go to whenever they would like, because of
00:27:57.039 --> 00:27:58.839
how Landry Schammett has played in these playoffs,
00:27:59.059 --> 00:28:02.740
it's very realistic to see them just swap out
00:28:02.740 --> 00:28:05.319
Hart. four sham it and go completely five out
00:28:05.319 --> 00:28:08.380
all spacing lineup. And that makes it so Wemby
00:28:08.380 --> 00:28:10.559
is pulled out from the paint, either that or
00:28:10.559 --> 00:28:14.519
he has to allow a much more capable shooter than
00:28:14.519 --> 00:28:17.960
Josh Hart to be alone on the perimeter. And in
00:28:17.960 --> 00:28:20.700
that case, Wemby will probably be put on maybe
00:28:20.700 --> 00:28:24.279
McHale Bridges in the corner. And that would
00:28:24.279 --> 00:28:27.619
be the weird thing about Wemby is he can almost
00:28:27.619 --> 00:28:31.500
like possibly negate this advantage or negate
00:28:31.500 --> 00:28:35.990
this counter. at least enough to survive because
00:28:35.990 --> 00:28:40.130
a closeout, like a late closeout on a catch and
00:28:40.130 --> 00:28:44.069
shoot three from Wemby is different than anybody
00:28:44.069 --> 00:28:47.470
else. Like to rephrase that, nobody can affect
00:28:47.470 --> 00:28:50.990
a catch and shoot three on a late contest like
00:28:50.990 --> 00:28:54.190
Wemby can. Just ask Chet Holmgren, you know,
00:28:54.190 --> 00:28:56.230
the series that he just had in the Western Conference
00:28:56.230 --> 00:29:00.319
Finals. A big part of that was. They took away
00:29:00.319 --> 00:29:02.240
his three -point shot because of how long Chet
00:29:02.240 --> 00:29:05.880
takes to load up that jumper and how many times,
00:29:05.940 --> 00:29:07.819
which really wasn't even all that many, because
00:29:07.819 --> 00:29:11.200
he only took 11 threes in the entire series.
00:29:11.440 --> 00:29:15.039
But there were at least a couple blocks on three
00:29:15.039 --> 00:29:19.480
-pointers from Wemby to Chet. And I think that
00:29:19.480 --> 00:29:21.880
was just in his head all series long. So every
00:29:21.880 --> 00:29:24.119
time he caught the ball on the perimeter and
00:29:24.119 --> 00:29:26.819
Wemby was on the court, he was very, very hesitant
00:29:26.819 --> 00:29:29.910
to go up for a three. because of him lurking.
00:29:30.130 --> 00:29:32.230
I guess that would be the only reason why I think
00:29:32.230 --> 00:29:35.069
that five out lineup might be ultimately not
00:29:35.069 --> 00:29:38.329
even all that effective. But in theory, at least,
00:29:38.329 --> 00:29:41.670
you know, that is an advantage you can try is
00:29:41.670 --> 00:29:44.250
to pull the rim protector out of the paint by
00:29:44.250 --> 00:29:46.650
going five out, which is obviously better than
00:29:46.650 --> 00:29:50.690
having just heart in there. Like from that standpoint,
00:29:50.849 --> 00:29:52.650
at least, you know, it does still give you that
00:29:52.650 --> 00:29:55.710
advantage, but it might be that advantage might
00:29:55.710 --> 00:29:59.279
be muted a little bit. when compared to every
00:29:59.279 --> 00:30:02.920
other instance of this game plan being used to
00:30:02.920 --> 00:30:04.920
pull a rim protector away from the basket. Like,
00:30:04.940 --> 00:30:08.539
Wemby is the one guy who kind of, he makes that
00:30:08.539 --> 00:30:11.779
equation feel different, if that makes sense.
00:30:12.059 --> 00:30:14.420
And then the last reason for yes that I have
00:30:14.420 --> 00:30:17.619
here is if Wemby is on Hart, then who guards
00:30:17.619 --> 00:30:21.940
Cat? I think that is an advantage that the Knicks
00:30:21.940 --> 00:30:26.029
have with these matchups is, like, You know,
00:30:26.069 --> 00:30:28.509
when Wimby's on heart, like I said, there's not
00:30:28.509 --> 00:30:31.630
a lot on the Spurs roster, a lot of guys that
00:30:31.630 --> 00:30:34.289
you feel great about defending Carr -Anthony
00:30:34.289 --> 00:30:36.150
Towns because Carr -Anthony Towns is a very skilled
00:30:36.150 --> 00:30:39.269
post -scorer and a big guy, you know, 6 '10",
00:30:39.269 --> 00:30:42.849
6 '11", 250, 260 pounds, something like that.
00:30:43.089 --> 00:30:46.349
And so you're looking at, like, Julian Champagny,
00:30:46.430 --> 00:30:50.089
I guess, being the guy to guard him. Again, a
00:30:50.089 --> 00:30:51.930
vacuum, I think, if you can't have Wimby on him,
00:30:51.970 --> 00:30:56.119
I think Castle. is in a vacuum the best defender
00:30:56.119 --> 00:30:59.779
to put on Cat there. But then that takes Castle
00:30:59.779 --> 00:31:02.400
off of Brunson, which is, you know, the dream
00:31:02.400 --> 00:31:05.519
matchup there for the Spurs side of things is
00:31:05.519 --> 00:31:07.859
putting Castle on Brunson. Because, you know,
00:31:07.859 --> 00:31:09.799
without Castle on Brunson, then you're looking
00:31:09.799 --> 00:31:13.240
at Vassell, I guess, on him, which he's a little
00:31:13.240 --> 00:31:15.440
bit too skinny, I think. Because Brunson, you
00:31:15.440 --> 00:31:17.000
know, the big thing with him is you need to put
00:31:17.000 --> 00:31:21.380
a bigger, stronger guard. defending him because
00:31:21.380 --> 00:31:24.460
of how he will bully and abuse and back down
00:31:24.460 --> 00:31:27.799
like slight small guys, which De 'Aaron Fox might
00:31:27.799 --> 00:31:30.400
be the guy that he targets, you know, in the
00:31:30.400 --> 00:31:32.400
starting lineup, at least in this series. So
00:31:32.400 --> 00:31:34.099
that's why I feel like if we see the same exact
00:31:34.099 --> 00:31:35.960
starting lineup that we've seen, you know, through
00:31:35.960 --> 00:31:38.299
these whole playoffs for the Spurs, which is
00:31:38.299 --> 00:31:41.339
Fox, well, at least when he was healthy, Fox,
00:31:41.759 --> 00:31:45.599
Castle, Vassell, and Julian Champagny with Wemby,
00:31:45.640 --> 00:31:48.359
obviously, if we see that same starting lineup,
00:31:48.839 --> 00:31:52.339
then I feel like Castle's got to start on Brunson.
00:31:52.440 --> 00:31:54.180
That's what I would feel best about at least.
00:31:54.500 --> 00:31:58.799
And then that would leave you with the less optimal
00:31:58.799 --> 00:32:04.339
choice than Castle to put on Cat, which Castle's
00:32:04.339 --> 00:32:06.440
still not optimal to put on Cat because he's
00:32:06.440 --> 00:32:08.180
a lot smaller. But I feel a lot better about
00:32:08.180 --> 00:32:11.539
Castle's physicality going against Cat than I
00:32:11.539 --> 00:32:13.720
do with a guy like Vassell, even though Vassell
00:32:13.720 --> 00:32:16.849
did a very, very bang -up job against Chet. But,
00:32:16.849 --> 00:32:19.170
you know, I feel like Cat and Chet are two different
00:32:19.170 --> 00:32:21.789
animals, to be quite honest, in terms of just
00:32:21.789 --> 00:32:23.630
the size that you're having to deal with there.
00:32:23.950 --> 00:32:26.890
And then I guess Julian Champagny is the only
00:32:26.890 --> 00:32:29.410
other option there at that point to put on Cat
00:32:29.410 --> 00:32:31.450
because you're not putting Fox on Cat, obviously.
00:32:32.309 --> 00:32:35.950
But JCP, Julian Champagny, I feel like he could
00:32:35.950 --> 00:32:39.150
do a decent job. He's a similar size to Castle,
00:32:39.250 --> 00:32:41.789
basically the same exact size as Castle. Honestly,
00:32:41.910 --> 00:32:45.549
just not quite as much of a maniac, but still
00:32:45.549 --> 00:32:48.130
could probably get the job done to a passable
00:32:48.130 --> 00:32:50.049
degree. You know, and these won't be all the
00:32:50.049 --> 00:32:52.190
minutes. You know, you'll probably see some minutes
00:32:52.190 --> 00:32:54.089
with Harrison Barnes out there on the floor,
00:32:54.170 --> 00:32:56.490
maybe Kelton Johnson. That might be a better
00:32:56.490 --> 00:33:00.930
look than Champagny. to put on Cat as well. And
00:33:00.930 --> 00:33:02.869
then Carter Bryant obviously is a bigger guy,
00:33:02.990 --> 00:33:05.150
but he's really, really good at guarding guards.
00:33:05.289 --> 00:33:07.809
So I don't know if they, in his short minutes
00:33:07.809 --> 00:33:09.250
in the game, I don't know if they're going to
00:33:09.250 --> 00:33:11.109
want to waste those minutes with putting him
00:33:11.109 --> 00:33:14.630
on a bigger guy. But we'll see what happens there,
00:33:14.650 --> 00:33:16.630
I guess. And so then I think this opens up another
00:33:16.630 --> 00:33:19.789
possibility here of potentially starting Harper
00:33:19.789 --> 00:33:22.529
because of, you know, the issue there where I
00:33:22.529 --> 00:33:25.970
said, if Castle goes to guard Cat, then who guards
00:33:25.970 --> 00:33:29.319
Brunson? Harper would solve that problem. I guess
00:33:29.319 --> 00:33:31.140
you would have to be swapping out Julian Champagny
00:33:31.140 --> 00:33:33.519
at that point, but then also, you know, having
00:33:33.519 --> 00:33:35.559
Vassell and OG, that's another trickle -down
00:33:35.559 --> 00:33:38.259
effect of this, that having Vassell, I mean,
00:33:38.279 --> 00:33:40.160
which he already would be at this point, but
00:33:40.160 --> 00:33:41.799
that also doesn't feel great. That's a little
00:33:41.799 --> 00:33:44.720
bit of a size mismatch between Vassell and OG.
00:33:45.799 --> 00:33:49.519
So maybe even bring Vassell off the bench, but
00:33:49.519 --> 00:33:51.339
then you're losing a lot of shooting there. But,
00:33:51.400 --> 00:33:52.880
I mean, Julian Champagny's a great shooter as
00:33:52.880 --> 00:33:55.059
well, just not... not quite to the same level
00:33:55.059 --> 00:33:58.640
as Vassell, who deploys from very deep and is
00:33:58.640 --> 00:34:01.740
a very quick trigger. I think he's just a little
00:34:01.740 --> 00:34:04.839
bit, he's like a next level spacer that he gives
00:34:04.839 --> 00:34:06.740
you. Also, he's like a movement guy as well and
00:34:06.740 --> 00:34:08.780
can dribble the ball, put the ball on the floor,
00:34:08.880 --> 00:34:10.800
at least from, you know, on a weak side attack,
00:34:10.980 --> 00:34:15.199
attacking closeouts. So I do feel like that we
00:34:15.199 --> 00:34:17.440
would see, if Harper were to be put in the starting
00:34:17.440 --> 00:34:20.579
lineup. It would probably be for Fox, honestly.
00:34:20.679 --> 00:34:22.820
That might be what happens, which would be a
00:34:22.820 --> 00:34:25.519
bold thing to do, you know, swapping out an all
00:34:25.519 --> 00:34:28.559
-star guard to put in the rookie. That would
00:34:28.559 --> 00:34:32.980
be a big, a ballsy move for Mitch Johnson. Although
00:34:32.980 --> 00:34:35.219
I do feel like a lot of nerds, NBA nerds out
00:34:35.219 --> 00:34:37.300
there would like that. Like, I think that there's
00:34:37.300 --> 00:34:40.219
some intrigue. There would be widespread intrigue
00:34:40.219 --> 00:34:42.639
from analysts, you know, about that game plan.
00:34:43.050 --> 00:34:46.150
It wouldn't even be all that – but like the general
00:34:46.150 --> 00:34:49.469
public and people, the morning talk shows and
00:34:49.469 --> 00:34:52.190
everything, they would probably – if it wouldn't
00:34:52.190 --> 00:34:54.650
work at least, if there were any reason to think
00:34:54.650 --> 00:34:57.630
that that didn't work, people would come down
00:34:57.630 --> 00:34:59.590
pretty hard on Mitch Johnson for that. Absolutely.
00:34:59.650 --> 00:35:01.849
As well as people in Fox's camp that probably
00:35:01.849 --> 00:35:05.110
wouldn't be thrilled. But anyways, that's just
00:35:05.110 --> 00:35:07.289
me brainstorming a little bit on the trickle
00:35:07.289 --> 00:35:10.780
down of the decisions to make there. I guess
00:35:10.780 --> 00:35:14.400
to go into the reasons for no to this question
00:35:14.400 --> 00:35:16.840
of whether or not I think the Knicks stand a
00:35:16.840 --> 00:35:19.340
chance, the reasons why I could see at least
00:35:19.340 --> 00:35:21.780
the people who hold the opinion that they would
00:35:21.780 --> 00:35:25.139
not stand a chance. I will do that in a second
00:35:25.139 --> 00:35:27.199
here after this quick break. I will see you on
00:35:27.199 --> 00:35:33.380
the other side. All right, welcome back. Now
00:35:33.380 --> 00:35:35.840
I'm going to tackle the reasons for why I think
00:35:35.840 --> 00:35:37.980
people might say that the Knicks don't stand
00:35:37.980 --> 00:35:40.659
a chance. Um, the reasons why I could, I guess,
00:35:40.659 --> 00:35:42.980
get behind a little bit if, you know, playing
00:35:42.980 --> 00:35:45.320
devil's advocate and starting off with the hot
00:35:45.320 --> 00:35:47.780
shooting, like I said before, I don't think would
00:35:47.780 --> 00:35:50.860
be, uh, sustainable. Um, or at least, you know,
00:35:50.860 --> 00:35:53.619
I could see the skepticism. I honestly, when
00:35:53.619 --> 00:35:55.460
I say like, there's no way they're going to shoot
00:35:55.460 --> 00:35:57.980
as good as they have been the past couple of
00:35:57.980 --> 00:36:01.059
rounds with, uh, Landry Shamit, especially shooting
00:36:01.059 --> 00:36:05.019
like 95 % or whatever it was in that, uh, Eastern
00:36:05.019 --> 00:36:09.030
conference final series. And then also OG and
00:36:09.030 --> 00:36:11.550
Mikhail Bridges throughout the entire playoffs
00:36:11.550 --> 00:36:13.230
so far. And that's with Mikhail Bridges having
00:36:13.230 --> 00:36:15.610
an awful start to this playoffs where people
00:36:15.610 --> 00:36:18.269
were, you know, wanting to bench him. He and
00:36:18.269 --> 00:36:21.510
OG are both shooting around like 70 % on their
00:36:21.510 --> 00:36:23.630
jump shots in the playoffs, which is just an
00:36:23.630 --> 00:36:26.230
outrageous number that I don't think is going
00:36:26.230 --> 00:36:28.920
to be sustainable. So that would be a reason
00:36:28.920 --> 00:36:32.219
as to, you know, in case of the Spurs, I guess
00:36:32.219 --> 00:36:35.260
you could say. And then also the Week East, like
00:36:35.260 --> 00:36:37.840
I said before, they didn't really have to play
00:36:37.840 --> 00:36:40.579
as much competition, especially when compared
00:36:40.579 --> 00:36:43.500
to this Western Conference. It's just kind of
00:36:43.500 --> 00:36:46.679
a different landscape there. Obviously, we're
00:36:46.679 --> 00:36:49.099
accounting for that. But the thing is, they didn't
00:36:49.099 --> 00:36:50.800
struggle with any of those weaker teams. They
00:36:50.800 --> 00:36:53.699
absolutely destroyed them. Other than the Hawks,
00:36:53.699 --> 00:36:56.099
very early on in the first round, there was a
00:36:56.099 --> 00:36:58.460
little bit of a hiccup there at the start. But
00:36:58.460 --> 00:37:01.139
really, ever since they flipped a switch and
00:37:01.139 --> 00:37:05.000
won those last three or two games in that series,
00:37:05.059 --> 00:37:08.300
because I think it was 3 -2, or it was 2 -1.
00:37:08.420 --> 00:37:10.159
I think they were down 2 -1. So then they won
00:37:10.159 --> 00:37:12.360
the last three in a row, yeah. So ever since
00:37:12.360 --> 00:37:14.980
that switch happened, they've been a different
00:37:14.980 --> 00:37:17.139
team. But another reason why I think that you
00:37:17.139 --> 00:37:19.340
could give for why they don't stand a chance
00:37:19.340 --> 00:37:21.960
in this series is all the guys to put on Brunson.
00:37:22.260 --> 00:37:24.460
Like I mentioned before, all of those guards,
00:37:24.539 --> 00:37:27.019
but also Carter Bryant being brought off the
00:37:27.019 --> 00:37:30.900
bench. Obviously, Stephon Castle is the main
00:37:30.900 --> 00:37:33.340
guy guarding him, but then Dylan Harper is another
00:37:33.340 --> 00:37:36.099
equally as good option, honestly, coming off
00:37:36.099 --> 00:37:38.360
the bench to defend Jalen Brunson, maybe even
00:37:38.360 --> 00:37:40.880
better, to be honest. And then, like I said,
00:37:40.920 --> 00:37:44.139
Carter Bryant, Devin Vassell even maybe, although
00:37:44.139 --> 00:37:46.760
he might be a little bit too slight to do that.
00:37:46.840 --> 00:37:49.380
But, you know, he just guarded. I kind of take
00:37:49.380 --> 00:37:51.119
that back a little bit. He just guarded Chet
00:37:51.119 --> 00:37:53.960
Holmgren, a 7 '1 guy. But although he is very,
00:37:54.039 --> 00:37:57.380
very skinny, it's still like 7 '1. That's nothing
00:37:57.380 --> 00:38:00.159
like to sneeze at. And he was playing him very,
00:38:00.219 --> 00:38:02.579
very physically. So at least, at the very least.
00:38:03.050 --> 00:38:05.710
I feel like Vassell might be able to stand a
00:38:05.710 --> 00:38:08.429
chance enough to not be completely just moved
00:38:08.429 --> 00:38:11.710
around by Brunson and might be a viable option
00:38:11.710 --> 00:38:15.889
there as well. Just other options, other places
00:38:15.889 --> 00:38:18.070
where Brunson can't switch on to, if that makes
00:38:18.070 --> 00:38:20.369
sense. Not necessarily that you're putting Vassell
00:38:20.369 --> 00:38:23.969
on him full -time or primarily, but it's just
00:38:23.969 --> 00:38:26.670
another stopgap or another guy in that lineup
00:38:26.670 --> 00:38:29.610
that... you know, as a no -go when Brunson switches
00:38:29.610 --> 00:38:32.010
onto him. And then also, Kelton Johnson is the
00:38:32.010 --> 00:38:33.469
other guy I would throw in there as somebody
00:38:33.469 --> 00:38:36.289
that could potentially guard Jalen Brunson. He
00:38:36.289 --> 00:38:38.409
would be the opposite way from Vassell, though.
00:38:38.449 --> 00:38:41.010
He would be the guy that has enough size and
00:38:41.010 --> 00:38:43.889
strength to not be moved or bullied, but then
00:38:43.889 --> 00:38:46.090
I don't know if he's really going to be moving
00:38:46.090 --> 00:38:48.800
his feet or staying with Brunson. as well in
00:38:48.800 --> 00:38:51.800
space, you know, sticking to his shot and everything
00:38:51.800 --> 00:38:54.400
to bother him. So that's where, you know, the
00:38:54.400 --> 00:38:57.099
deficiency I see in that one. But with Towns,
00:38:57.099 --> 00:39:00.139
another reason why I think that they, the Knicks
00:39:00.139 --> 00:39:02.420
could be viewed as not having a chance in this
00:39:02.420 --> 00:39:06.260
series. If Towns can't survive guarding Victor
00:39:06.260 --> 00:39:09.760
Winn -Manyama, which is definitely a huge crossroads
00:39:09.760 --> 00:39:12.119
moment. Like, I don't know if he's going to be
00:39:12.119 --> 00:39:15.639
able to. But, you know, if he can't, where else
00:39:15.639 --> 00:39:18.880
will he go? Where else can he go? on the Spurs
00:39:18.880 --> 00:39:22.559
roster in terms of guys to defend. Because if
00:39:22.559 --> 00:39:25.659
he's not guarding Wemby, then I guess you might
00:39:25.659 --> 00:39:28.320
put him on Castle as the worst shooter in the
00:39:28.320 --> 00:39:31.519
starting lineup for the Spurs and just sagging
00:39:31.519 --> 00:39:34.380
off of Castle. I don't love that. And then Julian
00:39:34.380 --> 00:39:37.159
Ciappini is really the only other place I could
00:39:37.159 --> 00:39:38.940
see maybe just because, you know, he's a good
00:39:38.940 --> 00:39:43.090
shooter. But you might just be living with him
00:39:43.090 --> 00:39:45.570
having slightly more open shots because Cat can't
00:39:45.570 --> 00:39:48.590
close as strong. You're not too worried about
00:39:48.590 --> 00:39:50.510
Julian Champagny putting the ball on the floor
00:39:50.510 --> 00:39:55.190
and attacking Cat in a iso as much as you are
00:39:55.190 --> 00:39:58.929
with a Devin Vassell or a Stephon Castle, which
00:39:58.929 --> 00:40:01.090
is one of the reasons why I don't like that one
00:40:01.090 --> 00:40:03.010
as much. Because obviously you can sag off of
00:40:03.010 --> 00:40:06.690
him in terms of Castle. You feel better about
00:40:06.690 --> 00:40:08.769
letting him shoot, but still that might burn
00:40:08.769 --> 00:40:11.260
you. There's no telling because he's shot pretty
00:40:11.260 --> 00:40:13.840
well overall throughout these playoffs compared
00:40:13.840 --> 00:40:16.300
to the regular season. And so if that continues,
00:40:16.480 --> 00:40:19.760
then already you're done there. But even on top
00:40:19.760 --> 00:40:22.480
of that, having Castle with a full head of steam
00:40:22.480 --> 00:40:25.960
coming downhill at Caranthi Towns is kind of
00:40:25.960 --> 00:40:30.139
a recipe for disaster for Caranthi Towns, who
00:40:30.139 --> 00:40:33.019
is very lurchy and just an all -time... one of
00:40:33.019 --> 00:40:36.219
the worst foul committers, you know, of like
00:40:36.219 --> 00:40:39.179
just dumb fouls. Cat does that quite often. And
00:40:39.179 --> 00:40:41.099
so that would be a recipe for disaster there.
00:40:41.360 --> 00:40:43.420
And I feel like I should mention, because I haven't
00:40:43.420 --> 00:40:46.440
yet, the matchup earlier this season in March
00:40:46.440 --> 00:40:48.800
and just how well the Knicks have been able to
00:40:48.800 --> 00:40:50.420
play against the Spurs during the regular season.
00:40:51.039 --> 00:40:53.360
I think the Spurs are a better team now, number
00:40:53.360 --> 00:40:56.980
one. Also, the playoffs aren't to be taken, or
00:40:56.980 --> 00:40:59.639
the regular season, excuse me, is not to be taken
00:40:59.639 --> 00:41:03.599
as seriously. You know, when you're game planning
00:41:03.599 --> 00:41:05.639
or you're looking at matchups for the playoffs,
00:41:05.780 --> 00:41:07.380
it's not quite the same. You know, you've got
00:41:07.380 --> 00:41:09.199
to take it with a grain of salt. And then also
00:41:09.199 --> 00:41:12.420
on top of that, the big change that was made
00:41:12.420 --> 00:41:15.840
in the lineup with the Spurs starting Julian
00:41:15.840 --> 00:41:18.119
Champagny in place of Harrison Barnes. Now, you
00:41:18.119 --> 00:41:21.000
know, they made that switch mid -year. And I
00:41:21.000 --> 00:41:23.719
think that obviously changes things a lot, especially
00:41:23.719 --> 00:41:27.159
for the Knicks, because before they were very
00:41:27.159 --> 00:41:32.159
able to put OG Anobi on Wemby. as a big aggressive
00:41:32.159 --> 00:41:35.559
wing, physical wing to guard Wemby and then have
00:41:35.559 --> 00:41:40.340
Cat hide on Harrison Barnes in the corner, being
00:41:40.340 --> 00:41:43.260
the guy that has a little bit slower of a release
00:41:43.260 --> 00:41:46.400
and you're more willing to let, take catch and
00:41:46.400 --> 00:41:49.130
shoot shots to try to beat you. That was their
00:41:49.130 --> 00:41:50.789
game plan, and they were able to do that pretty
00:41:50.789 --> 00:41:53.230
well. Julian Champagny is a lot harder to do
00:41:53.230 --> 00:41:56.670
that against because he's got quicker trigger
00:41:56.670 --> 00:41:58.829
than Harrison Barnes. Also, he's more mobile
00:41:58.829 --> 00:42:01.369
in attacking closeout, putting the ball on the
00:42:01.369 --> 00:42:04.170
floor. And then also, he's a better shooter than
00:42:04.170 --> 00:42:07.650
Harrison Barnes is. So that just makes that a
00:42:07.650 --> 00:42:10.230
lot harder. That's one of the main wrenches that
00:42:10.230 --> 00:42:13.070
I see thrown into this from the Knicks' perspective.
00:42:13.849 --> 00:42:15.469
And then the other thing is I think it feels
00:42:15.469 --> 00:42:17.710
like there aren't enough, like, Knicks defenders
00:42:17.710 --> 00:42:20.510
to put on all the offensive threats on the Spurs
00:42:20.510 --> 00:42:24.630
side. You know, Fox, Castle, Harper, Vassell
00:42:24.630 --> 00:42:27.889
even, and also, like, Keldon Johnson coming off
00:42:27.889 --> 00:42:30.349
the bench, you know, sixth man of the year who
00:42:30.349 --> 00:42:32.510
really – he can get into his own offense, you
00:42:32.510 --> 00:42:33.869
know, for sure, as a bowling ball, you know,
00:42:33.889 --> 00:42:37.969
headed downhill. And then also even Julian Champagny
00:42:37.969 --> 00:42:40.829
to a certain extent. Like, he's not incapable
00:42:40.829 --> 00:42:43.659
with the ball in his hands. So, like – You know,
00:42:43.679 --> 00:42:45.940
all of that, when I just look at the matchups,
00:42:45.980 --> 00:42:47.519
like creating the matchups, it just feels like
00:42:47.519 --> 00:42:50.380
there's not enough guys you feel great about
00:42:50.380 --> 00:42:53.099
on the Knicks side of things defending some of
00:42:53.099 --> 00:42:56.280
those threats or some of those weapons that the
00:42:56.280 --> 00:42:58.820
Spurs have. Which brings me to these matchups.
00:42:59.710 --> 00:43:02.030
Just kind of looking at those more closely. On
00:43:02.030 --> 00:43:03.769
the Knicks side of things, Brunson on Julian
00:43:03.769 --> 00:43:06.650
Champagny is the safest place for him. Shooter,
00:43:06.650 --> 00:43:09.130
not a handler as much, even though I just kind
00:43:09.130 --> 00:43:11.389
of said, not the opposite, but I did say he's
00:43:11.389 --> 00:43:13.369
not incapable. He's just not a guy that you're
00:43:13.369 --> 00:43:15.570
really, you're not trying to put your best ball
00:43:15.570 --> 00:43:18.849
hawk defender on necessarily. But there is, it's
00:43:18.849 --> 00:43:20.489
not like there's nothing to that, you know. But
00:43:20.489 --> 00:43:23.769
I do feel like that's by far the best place in
00:43:23.769 --> 00:43:26.750
the lineup to put Jalen Brunson. And then Bridges
00:43:26.750 --> 00:43:29.670
on Vassell, Mikkel Bridges on Devin Vassell,
00:43:29.670 --> 00:43:32.550
I think is a great fit. Length to match up with
00:43:32.550 --> 00:43:35.659
him to make his shots difficult. They both, you
00:43:35.659 --> 00:43:39.079
know, Mikkel Bridges is like if Vassell had like
00:43:39.079 --> 00:43:42.079
limb lengthening surgery. He's just like a stretched
00:43:42.079 --> 00:43:45.860
out, crazier version of Devin Vassell. So like
00:43:45.860 --> 00:43:47.940
that, I do think that's a pretty good matchup
00:43:47.940 --> 00:43:49.880
there. I feel good about that one for the Knicks
00:43:49.880 --> 00:43:52.500
side of things. And then Hart on either Castle
00:43:52.500 --> 00:43:55.579
or Fox, I think. Josh Hart on either Stephon
00:43:55.579 --> 00:43:59.110
Castle or De 'Aaron Fox. On Castle, I do think
00:43:59.110 --> 00:44:01.570
that he might be too small, honestly, which is,
00:44:01.630 --> 00:44:04.070
I just want to appreciate how wild that is to
00:44:04.070 --> 00:44:08.030
even say. Like Josh Hart, he's listed as a power
00:44:08.030 --> 00:44:11.329
forward in their lineups, which I typically put
00:44:11.329 --> 00:44:13.710
him at the small forward and OG at the four when
00:44:13.710 --> 00:44:17.070
I actually map it out. But regardless, he's usually
00:44:17.070 --> 00:44:19.610
listed as a power forward because he does a lot
00:44:19.610 --> 00:44:22.070
of the big man stuff on both ends of the floor,
00:44:22.130 --> 00:44:25.869
honestly. But he also guards every position.
00:44:26.409 --> 00:44:28.750
And he's a great rebounder and he's very strong.
00:44:28.829 --> 00:44:32.690
He's like a very sturdy 6 '4", 6 '5". And just
00:44:32.690 --> 00:44:35.909
saying that that guy might be too small for Castle
00:44:35.909 --> 00:44:40.090
is just insane because of how much Castle just
00:44:40.090 --> 00:44:44.050
relentlessly bullies and like goes straight.
00:44:44.150 --> 00:44:45.769
I wouldn't even call it bullying. He just, he
00:44:45.769 --> 00:44:48.909
like plays with an anger. Like he's like, it's
00:44:48.909 --> 00:44:51.809
almost like you were the bully to him. And now
00:44:51.809 --> 00:44:54.159
it's like 10 years later. And he's like double
00:44:54.159 --> 00:44:55.940
your size or not even double your size, even
00:44:55.940 --> 00:44:57.719
if he's just a little bit bigger, like, you know,
00:44:57.719 --> 00:45:00.619
compared to Josh Hart, he's only got an inch
00:45:00.619 --> 00:45:04.880
or two on him and maybe 10 pounds at most. Also,
00:45:04.920 --> 00:45:07.099
this just came to mind, which I've heard, you
00:45:07.099 --> 00:45:08.639
know, from other people, but I really like this
00:45:08.639 --> 00:45:10.559
comparison, but I'm kind of mad I didn't bring
00:45:10.559 --> 00:45:12.480
it up earlier when I was doing my Castle profile
00:45:12.480 --> 00:45:16.360
in the first part with Jimmy Butler being like
00:45:16.360 --> 00:45:19.659
comparison with Stefan Castle, like the way that
00:45:19.659 --> 00:45:23.409
he's built pretty similarly. The way that he
00:45:23.409 --> 00:45:25.530
kind of hunts for a shot is somewhat similar.
00:45:25.730 --> 00:45:28.230
But even I feel like Stephon Castle is like Jimmy
00:45:28.230 --> 00:45:32.849
Butler on crack or like on PCP, you know, something
00:45:32.849 --> 00:45:36.250
that just makes you way too aggressive. But going
00:45:36.250 --> 00:45:37.869
back to Josh Hart on who he should be guarding,
00:45:38.030 --> 00:45:40.630
like I said, might be too small for Castle, but
00:45:40.630 --> 00:45:43.730
might be too slow for Fox if Fox is 100%, which
00:45:43.730 --> 00:45:45.710
is another key swing factor, which I want to
00:45:45.710 --> 00:45:49.059
save for later. If Fox is 100%, he's going to
00:45:49.059 --> 00:45:51.539
be blown by him or potentially could be at least.
00:45:51.760 --> 00:45:53.659
That's one of Hart's, I think, weaker areas,
00:45:53.739 --> 00:45:55.539
especially lately. I think the past couple of
00:45:55.539 --> 00:45:58.719
years, he's been not quite as quick or fleet
00:45:58.719 --> 00:46:00.860
of foot. I think he struggled a little bit with
00:46:00.860 --> 00:46:04.260
Donovan Mitchell, especially in game one of that
00:46:04.260 --> 00:46:06.619
series. And so we could see that be a factor
00:46:06.619 --> 00:46:08.300
as well. I just feel like there's not a great
00:46:08.300 --> 00:46:10.019
place to put Hart, but he's not a weak defender.
00:46:10.639 --> 00:46:13.539
It's just thinking about who fits best on who.
00:46:14.119 --> 00:46:16.699
Hart doesn't necessarily fit best on... either
00:46:16.699 --> 00:46:18.679
of those guys, but that's where you're probably
00:46:18.679 --> 00:46:20.719
going to have to put him because of how it affects,
00:46:20.840 --> 00:46:22.800
you know, where everybody else has to go. And
00:46:22.800 --> 00:46:26.219
then OG, this is the opposite. Like OG is like,
00:46:26.300 --> 00:46:28.159
I shouldn't say opposite. Cause like I said,
00:46:28.199 --> 00:46:30.480
Hart's not a bad defender, but OG is like, he's
00:46:30.480 --> 00:46:33.420
almost the best option to put on every single
00:46:33.420 --> 00:46:36.960
player on the Spurs. I think that is true. Ultimately,
00:46:37.179 --> 00:46:40.599
like I think that OG and Anobi would be the best
00:46:40.599 --> 00:46:43.300
case scenario to defend. every single one of
00:46:43.300 --> 00:46:46.559
the Spurs players. If the Knicks could hit a
00:46:46.559 --> 00:46:49.500
button every time the ball is transitioning to
00:46:49.500 --> 00:46:50.900
the other side of the court, so they're going
00:46:50.900 --> 00:46:54.280
to the defensive end, to just swap out all five
00:46:54.280 --> 00:46:57.960
guys for clones of OG Ananobi, they would do
00:46:57.960 --> 00:47:01.800
that in a heartbeat. Just have a five -man lineup
00:47:01.800 --> 00:47:05.219
of OG Ananobis defending the San Antonio Spurs.
00:47:05.320 --> 00:47:07.039
Honestly, they might play the whole game like
00:47:07.039 --> 00:47:09.179
that. I don't know if that – I mean, that would
00:47:09.179 --> 00:47:11.380
be a little bit tough on the other end just because
00:47:11.380 --> 00:47:15.719
of how much, you know, overlap and redundancy
00:47:15.719 --> 00:47:18.579
you would have in that case. But still, it would
00:47:18.579 --> 00:47:20.599
be interesting at least. I kind of want to see
00:47:20.599 --> 00:47:22.659
what that would look like. But, you know, putting
00:47:22.659 --> 00:47:25.019
OG on Wemby, like I said, that's what they did
00:47:25.019 --> 00:47:26.780
in the regular season. That gave them their most
00:47:26.780 --> 00:47:31.019
success with having Harrison Barnes on the floor,
00:47:31.079 --> 00:47:33.880
allowing Towns to have somebody to sag off of
00:47:33.880 --> 00:47:36.099
or another player to guard outside of Wemby.
00:47:37.179 --> 00:47:39.320
That's what allowed them to put OG and OB on
00:47:39.320 --> 00:47:42.460
Wemby. And he's basically the final boss of wings
00:47:42.460 --> 00:47:44.619
defending Wemby. You know, that strategy that
00:47:44.619 --> 00:47:46.139
we've seen a lot of teams go to, putting just
00:47:46.139 --> 00:47:49.400
a strong wing on him instead of your big man,
00:47:49.440 --> 00:47:52.280
because that allows you to, you know, do a lot
00:47:52.280 --> 00:47:54.480
of other things and have your rim protector away
00:47:54.480 --> 00:47:56.960
from the ball more so. That would be a strategic
00:47:56.960 --> 00:47:59.159
advantage there. But like I said, the carryover
00:47:59.159 --> 00:48:01.699
of where that puts Cat on that end of the floor
00:48:01.699 --> 00:48:05.000
is the problem there. That's why I think that
00:48:05.000 --> 00:48:08.559
OG needs to be on basically whoever Hart isn't
00:48:08.559 --> 00:48:10.679
guarding. Because, like I said, Hart, I think,
00:48:10.679 --> 00:48:12.860
should be on either Castle or Fox. And OG should
00:48:12.860 --> 00:48:15.340
just be on the other one. Because OG is going
00:48:15.340 --> 00:48:16.840
to be the best guy to put on either of those
00:48:16.840 --> 00:48:19.119
guys in a vacuum anyways. Because, you know,
00:48:19.119 --> 00:48:22.239
he definitely has the strength to not allow Stephon
00:48:22.239 --> 00:48:24.480
Castle to do what he would be more capable of
00:48:24.480 --> 00:48:27.239
doing against Josh Hart. And then De 'Aaron Fox,
00:48:27.539 --> 00:48:30.199
like OG and Obi can move his feet basically just
00:48:30.199 --> 00:48:33.360
as well as Josh Hart. But he, like his physical
00:48:33.360 --> 00:48:36.239
envelope. is just way bigger you know he's just
00:48:36.239 --> 00:48:39.280
the way that he can encapsulate a small guard
00:48:39.280 --> 00:48:41.980
I wouldn't worry too much about Fox blowing by
00:48:41.980 --> 00:48:46.199
OG because of how mobile OG is and also how like
00:48:46.199 --> 00:48:49.719
big and able to recover and get back to the ball
00:48:49.719 --> 00:48:53.699
he is and how he has like a very very strong
00:48:53.699 --> 00:48:56.679
nose for the ball and he has great hands when
00:48:56.679 --> 00:48:59.099
contesting from behind and everything so that's
00:48:59.099 --> 00:49:01.619
why I feel really good about putting og on either
00:49:01.619 --> 00:49:04.159
guy there uh it's just really about whether or
00:49:04.159 --> 00:49:08.119
not how like what's less of a bad matchup for
00:49:08.119 --> 00:49:10.940
heart might be the better way to view that and
00:49:10.940 --> 00:49:14.239
then the carl anthony towns matchup i think the
00:49:14.239 --> 00:49:17.900
best one the ideal one would be wemby if it works
00:49:17.900 --> 00:49:19.880
that's going to be the big question is i don't
00:49:19.880 --> 00:49:24.780
know like me projecting forward i can't tell
00:49:24.780 --> 00:49:27.800
whether or not Towns is going to be able to survive
00:49:27.800 --> 00:49:30.260
on Wemby or not. Because I could see it happening
00:49:30.260 --> 00:49:34.900
either way. Towns is sneaky, pretty good at certain
00:49:34.900 --> 00:49:39.099
parts of defending big men. He has been very
00:49:39.099 --> 00:49:42.139
successful throughout his career on Jokic. But
00:49:42.139 --> 00:49:45.960
he's very strong and plays physically, honestly,
00:49:46.139 --> 00:49:48.940
when he's defending guys in the post. And so
00:49:48.940 --> 00:49:51.880
he might be good enough to put on Wemby, to be
00:49:51.880 --> 00:49:54.320
honest. The main concern I think you would have,
00:49:54.380 --> 00:49:57.780
obviously, is fouling. picking up too many fouls
00:49:57.780 --> 00:50:00.079
and dumb ones, like wherever you put Kat, that's
00:50:00.079 --> 00:50:02.360
going to be the main concern. But obviously doing
00:50:02.360 --> 00:50:04.280
that on Wemby, letting him get to the line a
00:50:04.280 --> 00:50:07.460
lot would not be a good recipe for success. So
00:50:07.460 --> 00:50:08.960
that would be one of the main concerns there.
00:50:09.199 --> 00:50:12.900
And then also maybe like just if Victor Weminyama
00:50:12.900 --> 00:50:15.719
is killing you from behind the arc because he,
00:50:15.980 --> 00:50:18.400
you know, he can't get a contest from currently
00:50:18.400 --> 00:50:21.460
towns out there, which I mean, from the Knicks
00:50:21.460 --> 00:50:23.570
perspective might be what you want. You know,
00:50:23.590 --> 00:50:27.269
you might want to make Victor be a shooter as
00:50:27.269 --> 00:50:28.969
much as possible, which is where you've seen
00:50:28.969 --> 00:50:30.969
the most success for teams going against the
00:50:30.969 --> 00:50:33.349
Spurs so far this playoffs. But then, you know,
00:50:33.369 --> 00:50:35.449
when we can also make you hurt there, like, you
00:50:35.449 --> 00:50:38.159
know, make you pay. for doing that. He definitely
00:50:38.159 --> 00:50:41.039
can. So there's just no great way to go about
00:50:41.039 --> 00:50:43.579
it. But I think that Cat being on Wemby would
00:50:43.579 --> 00:50:46.179
be the best case scenario. And like I've said,
00:50:46.260 --> 00:50:48.139
I already kind of went through this for Cat.
00:50:48.260 --> 00:50:51.019
So I'll just skip him because the only other
00:50:51.019 --> 00:50:52.539
things were, you know, putting him on Castle
00:50:52.539 --> 00:50:54.599
to sag off, which I said I don't love. And then
00:50:54.599 --> 00:50:56.699
Julian Champagny is the only other guy, which,
00:50:56.699 --> 00:50:59.260
like I said, I don't like because he's a shooter
00:50:59.260 --> 00:51:01.099
and, you know, you don't want Cat closing out
00:51:01.099 --> 00:51:04.250
on somebody like that. The Spurs matchups, I'll
00:51:04.250 --> 00:51:07.309
move on to Fox on Mikael Bridges is what I would
00:51:07.309 --> 00:51:09.849
see is probably the best spot to put him, which
00:51:09.849 --> 00:51:12.469
doesn't feel great. I don't feel like there's
00:51:12.469 --> 00:51:14.750
a great place to put Fox in this series, to be
00:51:14.750 --> 00:51:17.469
quite honest, but Mikael might be the best place
00:51:17.469 --> 00:51:20.469
just because you're not. I feel like he's able
00:51:20.469 --> 00:51:22.630
to stay with McCall pretty well. And McCall's
00:51:22.630 --> 00:51:24.349
really skinny. He's not going to like be bullying
00:51:24.349 --> 00:51:27.889
De 'Aaron Fox. But he also has a very high release
00:51:27.889 --> 00:51:30.570
point with those long arms to get over 6 '3 De
00:51:30.570 --> 00:51:32.269
'Aaron Fox. That might be, you know, make his
00:51:32.269 --> 00:51:34.349
life easier. But that's the only concern that
00:51:34.349 --> 00:51:36.329
I would really see there. And then Castle on
00:51:36.329 --> 00:51:39.369
Brunson is where I think that Stephon Castle
00:51:39.369 --> 00:51:42.349
should be assigned. I think that's, like I said
00:51:42.349 --> 00:51:44.630
before, I kind of went through that with who
00:51:44.630 --> 00:51:46.989
should be guarding Brunson. And then Devin Vassell
00:51:46.989 --> 00:51:51.179
on OG Ananobi. Uh, he can play, try playing physically
00:51:51.179 --> 00:51:53.440
like he did with Chet, but that's one that I
00:51:53.440 --> 00:51:55.420
do see an advantage for the Knicks a little bit.
00:51:55.579 --> 00:51:58.420
And like, I feel like OG and OB will be able
00:51:58.420 --> 00:52:00.780
to kind of get to his shot a little bit against
00:52:00.780 --> 00:52:03.500
Devin Vassell, um, just because of the height
00:52:03.500 --> 00:52:05.500
advantage and size advantage that he has over
00:52:05.500 --> 00:52:07.940
him. And then Julian Champagny on Carl Anthony
00:52:07.940 --> 00:52:09.960
Towns. And that's another one that I don't feel
00:52:09.960 --> 00:52:12.019
great about for the Spurs, which is interesting.
00:52:12.099 --> 00:52:14.380
So like the Spurs defense, I feel great about
00:52:14.380 --> 00:52:19.579
them guarding Brunson and Hart, obviously putting
00:52:19.579 --> 00:52:21.679
Wemby on Hart. So like, but like at that point,
00:52:21.679 --> 00:52:23.400
when you're putting Wemby on Hart, what that
00:52:23.400 --> 00:52:25.480
does is allows Wemby to guard the whole team,
00:52:25.599 --> 00:52:28.099
which is huge. All these other matchups that
00:52:28.099 --> 00:52:30.800
I don't love are kind of solved by having Wemby
00:52:30.800 --> 00:52:34.059
roaming off of a, not like, again, not a non
00:52:34.059 --> 00:52:37.840
-shooter, but a weak shooter in Josh Hart. And
00:52:37.840 --> 00:52:39.900
that brings me to the last part of this preview
00:52:39.900 --> 00:52:41.860
that I want to go through, which is the swing
00:52:41.860 --> 00:52:44.280
factors to the series. And I will do that after
00:52:44.280 --> 00:52:46.079
a short break here. I will see you on the other
00:52:46.079 --> 00:52:52.039
side. All right, welcome back to the Hoop Theory
00:52:52.039 --> 00:52:54.320
Podcast. The last thing that I want to go over
00:52:54.320 --> 00:52:57.699
in this preview for the NBA Finals is the swing
00:52:57.699 --> 00:53:00.199
factors, which I've kind of touched on a lot
00:53:00.199 --> 00:53:03.519
of these things, but just to surmise that, I
00:53:03.519 --> 00:53:05.460
don't even know what the word is there. Summarize?
00:53:05.800 --> 00:53:08.400
I might have just made up a word there. But the
00:53:08.400 --> 00:53:11.119
swing factors, health is going to be the main
00:53:11.119 --> 00:53:13.480
one, which there's three parts to this because
00:53:13.480 --> 00:53:15.139
there's three main guys. I mean, obviously the
00:53:15.139 --> 00:53:17.280
health to anybody is going to be a huge swing
00:53:17.280 --> 00:53:18.980
factor, especially with the best guys, Wemby.
00:53:19.389 --> 00:53:21.750
but i limited this to the guys who are actually
00:53:21.750 --> 00:53:24.289
have been dealing with an injury so it's more
00:53:24.289 --> 00:53:27.570
like on the table for them to like which direction
00:53:27.570 --> 00:53:30.150
that can swing uh mitchell robinson has the pinky
00:53:30.150 --> 00:53:32.349
injury and so whether or not he plays i think
00:53:32.349 --> 00:53:35.030
can affect a lot as i went through um i think
00:53:35.030 --> 00:53:37.469
he could have a big imprint and effect on this
00:53:37.469 --> 00:53:40.590
series um a wendy counter you know so to say
00:53:40.590 --> 00:53:42.909
the best one that the knicks probably have and
00:53:42.909 --> 00:53:45.769
then dylan harper is another guy the guy on the
00:53:45.769 --> 00:53:48.849
spurs this time with a injury that he looked
00:53:49.230 --> 00:53:52.349
pretty hampered by in the middle of the Western
00:53:52.349 --> 00:53:54.750
Conference Finals, basically games two through
00:53:54.750 --> 00:53:59.889
five, and then games one and six and seven, he
00:53:59.889 --> 00:54:02.449
looked a lot better. And that was the adductor
00:54:02.449 --> 00:54:06.309
injury that he had. And then De 'Aaron Fox also,
00:54:06.349 --> 00:54:08.110
who missed the first two games of the Western
00:54:08.110 --> 00:54:09.869
Conference Finals and then did not look like
00:54:09.869 --> 00:54:12.429
himself really all the way through to game seven,
00:54:12.489 --> 00:54:15.090
even though he did step up and have a much better
00:54:15.090 --> 00:54:19.590
game seven than he had in previous games. Still
00:54:19.590 --> 00:54:21.969
wasn't, you know, still noticeable that he wasn't
00:54:21.969 --> 00:54:24.210
moving like himself. And so that'll be interesting
00:54:24.210 --> 00:54:27.090
to see if that continues into this series, which
00:54:27.090 --> 00:54:28.949
I would imagine that it probably would to a certain
00:54:28.949 --> 00:54:31.309
extent. And that is an ankle injury that he's
00:54:31.309 --> 00:54:34.190
dealing with. And then another swing factor is
00:54:34.190 --> 00:54:37.250
Hart's shooting. Josh Hart's shot. He will be
00:54:37.250 --> 00:54:39.550
dared to shoot with Wemby roaming off of him
00:54:39.550 --> 00:54:42.170
like I've gone through. If he can catch fire,
00:54:42.230 --> 00:54:44.829
though, and make them pay, that will swing games.
00:54:45.570 --> 00:54:48.110
Carl Anthony Towns on Wemby. Whether or not he
00:54:48.110 --> 00:54:52.050
can survive, I do think low -key he could, at
00:54:52.050 --> 00:54:55.369
least. He might be okay there. But if he can't,
00:54:55.369 --> 00:54:59.809
then that's going to be a domino. I think it'll
00:54:59.809 --> 00:55:02.289
be a pretty big disaster, probably at least,
00:55:02.329 --> 00:55:05.070
unless they find some other way to hide him on
00:55:05.070 --> 00:55:08.250
the defensive end. Because you're not hiding
00:55:08.250 --> 00:55:10.409
him on 1B. You're allowing him to play to his
00:55:10.409 --> 00:55:13.019
strengths on 1B. There's nobody else on the roster
00:55:13.019 --> 00:55:15.920
or in the lineup that he can guard while playing
00:55:15.920 --> 00:55:17.559
to his strengths. You know, at that point, then
00:55:17.559 --> 00:55:19.480
you're just trying to keep him on a guy who's
00:55:19.480 --> 00:55:22.699
not going to make him pay for it, you know, not
00:55:22.699 --> 00:55:25.860
going to exploit him on that end. So you're taking
00:55:25.860 --> 00:55:27.659
him out of his element a little bit. And, you
00:55:27.659 --> 00:55:30.099
know, him being in his element on Wemby, you
00:55:30.099 --> 00:55:32.400
know, whether or not that can actually be successful
00:55:32.400 --> 00:55:36.119
is a big key. And then hunting, we're going to
00:55:36.119 --> 00:55:38.699
see being done different targets on the defensive
00:55:38.699 --> 00:55:42.119
end. Fox, I think, will be a targeted player
00:55:42.119 --> 00:55:46.219
on the Spurs defense by Brunson and Cat probably
00:55:46.219 --> 00:55:49.380
as well, maybe even OG. I don't think Bridges
00:55:49.380 --> 00:55:53.960
would be all that much hunting him, but I think
00:55:53.960 --> 00:55:56.239
that's where I said that he should go, honestly.
00:55:56.340 --> 00:56:00.179
Isn't that where I had Fox matching up? Yeah,
00:56:00.219 --> 00:56:02.739
that's literally where I have, from the Spurs
00:56:02.739 --> 00:56:04.300
point of view, where I think that Fox should
00:56:04.300 --> 00:56:06.760
be assigned on the defensive end. So I don't
00:56:06.760 --> 00:56:09.500
think Bridges is going to be. hunting uh fox
00:56:09.500 --> 00:56:12.199
all that much but um the other guys though for
00:56:12.199 --> 00:56:16.300
sure brunson and um carlton towns especially
00:56:16.300 --> 00:56:18.659
but even og and anobi i think that could be something
00:56:18.659 --> 00:56:21.579
you see there and so like how much that hurts
00:56:21.579 --> 00:56:25.059
or how well he's able to stay afloat there you
00:56:25.059 --> 00:56:27.840
know is another swing factor and then brunson
00:56:27.840 --> 00:56:32.380
um similarly being hunted by castle maybe even
00:56:32.380 --> 00:56:36.179
harper and also even wemby i think that definitely
00:56:36.179 --> 00:56:38.420
could happen Obviously not like posting him up.
00:56:38.460 --> 00:56:40.039
I don't think we're going to see that quite as
00:56:40.039 --> 00:56:42.679
much, but just having that small of a player
00:56:42.679 --> 00:56:44.239
in front of him, you know, when be facing up
00:56:44.239 --> 00:56:46.099
is going to, he's not even going to see him,
00:56:46.119 --> 00:56:48.539
you know, it's like, he's not even there. So
00:56:48.539 --> 00:56:51.559
we might see that as well. Currently towns being
00:56:51.559 --> 00:56:55.380
hunted by De 'Aaron Fox and, uh, Stefan Castle,
00:56:55.519 --> 00:56:59.139
uh, as well as, uh, Dylan Harper and Devin Vassell.
00:56:59.340 --> 00:57:01.119
I think we can definitely see that. So those
00:57:01.119 --> 00:57:02.780
are the three guys there that I can see being
00:57:02.780 --> 00:57:06.019
hunted. and how well they're able to maintain
00:57:06.019 --> 00:57:10.440
or survive there in that scenario. And that is
00:57:10.440 --> 00:57:14.059
Fox, Brunson, and Cat. And so then that leads
00:57:14.059 --> 00:57:17.159
me to my final pick that I will make for this
00:57:17.159 --> 00:57:20.199
series. Like I said, it's going to be tough.
00:57:20.619 --> 00:57:25.440
I do feel like I'm going to lean Spurs in seven
00:57:25.440 --> 00:57:28.820
probably will be my official pick. I'll put out
00:57:28.820 --> 00:57:32.139
my bracket video shortly. I'd say I've even mentioned
00:57:32.139 --> 00:57:35.019
if you're watching the video, I've had my bracket
00:57:35.019 --> 00:57:36.840
up in front of me this entire time. I've not
00:57:36.840 --> 00:57:40.119
really referenced that at all. But that is so
00:57:40.119 --> 00:57:42.679
I'm going to be recording here in a second, my
00:57:42.679 --> 00:57:45.300
actual video that I'll put up on social media
00:57:45.300 --> 00:57:49.300
and YouTube for my pick on the series. And so
00:57:49.300 --> 00:57:51.820
to actually do that, I'm going to say Spurs and
00:57:51.820 --> 00:57:54.539
seven will be my pick. I could definitely see
00:57:54.539 --> 00:57:57.840
I probably really wants to just go pick the Knicks.
00:57:58.320 --> 00:58:02.469
Like I want to. That's really tough for me. The
00:58:02.469 --> 00:58:05.289
Spurs feels like the safer pick, but the Knicks
00:58:05.289 --> 00:58:07.769
feels like the more fun pick. If you're looking
00:58:07.769 --> 00:58:09.030
at the screen, if you're watching the video,
00:58:09.170 --> 00:58:11.530
you can see who I picked in the Eastern Conference
00:58:11.530 --> 00:58:14.090
Finals, at least right before the Eastern Conference
00:58:14.090 --> 00:58:17.070
Finals started. Previously, literally, I predicted
00:58:17.070 --> 00:58:20.150
the same two teams to be there after round one,
00:58:20.250 --> 00:58:22.909
the Cavs and the Knicks, and I picked the Knicks
00:58:22.909 --> 00:58:25.739
to win. And then when we actually got to the
00:58:25.739 --> 00:58:27.280
Eastern Conference finals and I gave my updated
00:58:27.280 --> 00:58:30.039
picks, I switched it and I picked the Cavs because
00:58:30.039 --> 00:58:32.340
I felt that like kind of curveball thing where
00:58:32.340 --> 00:58:34.780
I was like, you know, I was riding high on the
00:58:34.780 --> 00:58:37.400
Cavs. After game seven against Detroit, I really
00:58:37.400 --> 00:58:40.000
felt like the Cavs could keep it rolling, you
00:58:40.000 --> 00:58:42.599
know, and I've been riding for the Cavs past
00:58:42.599 --> 00:58:44.139
several years. You know, they've been one of
00:58:44.139 --> 00:58:46.059
my pet teams. I have the Mobley jersey right
00:58:46.059 --> 00:58:47.920
behind me if you're watching the video again.
00:58:48.920 --> 00:58:52.320
I do feel like that is a similar thing here.
00:58:52.440 --> 00:58:53.719
Like, I don't want to make that same mistake.
00:58:54.940 --> 00:58:56.659
But, you know, I'm picking the team that just
00:58:56.659 --> 00:58:59.420
swept the Cavs if I were to go with the Knicks.
00:58:59.480 --> 00:59:01.420
I do feel like it's not to the same level. I
00:59:01.420 --> 00:59:05.159
do feel like the Knicks have a real shot at winning
00:59:05.159 --> 00:59:08.460
this one. And I would be very, very happy. Like,
00:59:08.460 --> 00:59:10.920
that's what I want to happen, I feel like. Because,
00:59:10.960 --> 00:59:12.860
you know, the Spurs, like I said, they're playing
00:59:12.860 --> 00:59:16.199
with house money. They'll be back here. Like,
00:59:16.260 --> 00:59:20.010
they're super early here. And so I would, I would
00:59:20.010 --> 00:59:22.829
really like the outcome both ways, you know,
00:59:22.829 --> 00:59:26.429
having when be like having a, something that
00:59:26.429 --> 00:59:30.550
matches that 77 blazers run. And then also just
00:59:30.550 --> 00:59:33.070
having a Knicks championship in my lifetime,
00:59:33.170 --> 00:59:36.110
literally double my lifetime was the last time
00:59:36.110 --> 00:59:37.869
that's, that's you have to double my lifespan
00:59:37.869 --> 00:59:40.849
to get to the last Knicks championship. And they
00:59:40.849 --> 00:59:44.250
are still one of the biggest, if not the biggest,
00:59:44.329 --> 00:59:48.730
most crazed fan base. in sports or at least in
00:59:48.730 --> 00:59:52.170
basketball, you know, that's, that'd be crazy
00:59:52.170 --> 00:59:54.949
if we see them win it and pull it off. So I'm
00:59:54.949 --> 00:59:58.570
going to lean all that being said, I, my heart
00:59:58.570 --> 01:00:02.550
wants to go with the Knicks, but my head slash
01:00:02.550 --> 01:00:08.130
gut wants to go more with the Spurs. Also, I
01:00:08.130 --> 01:00:10.989
feel like there's more injury concerns on the
01:00:10.989 --> 01:00:14.489
Spurs side of things with Fox and Harper, like
01:00:14.969 --> 01:00:19.030
Who knows if they'll be at 100%. I feel like
01:00:19.030 --> 01:00:23.409
Harper will probably be, but who knows? So I
01:00:23.409 --> 01:00:25.570
just want this to be known that I feel, I really
01:00:25.570 --> 01:00:28.429
do feel like, I'm not just saying this, I really
01:00:28.429 --> 01:00:31.250
do feel like the Knicks have a realistic shot
01:00:31.250 --> 01:00:33.570
here, and part of me really wants to pick them.
01:00:33.710 --> 01:00:37.090
Or not even just once, but feels like I should.
01:00:38.010 --> 01:00:41.670
There is real stuff there, but I ultimately feel
01:00:41.670 --> 01:00:44.610
like... I'm just going to slightly lean the Spurs
01:00:44.610 --> 01:00:48.030
in seven games. I don't feel great about it,
01:00:48.070 --> 01:00:52.489
but that is what my ultimate pick will be. Unless
01:00:52.489 --> 01:00:54.650
I change my mind when I record this next video,
01:00:54.809 --> 01:00:56.369
I might have two picks. I might have the pick
01:00:56.369 --> 01:00:57.889
on the podcast and then I'll have the pick on
01:00:57.889 --> 01:01:00.489
the video. We'll see what happens there. But
01:01:00.489 --> 01:01:03.590
that will be my pick here. I appreciate you guys
01:01:03.590 --> 01:01:05.409
watching or listening, whatever you're doing.
01:01:06.269 --> 01:01:08.329
Stay happy, stay healthy. I'll talk to you guys
01:01:08.329 --> 01:01:15.449
next episode. Hello and welcome back to the Hoop
01:01:15.449 --> 01:01:17.550
Theory Podcast. It is now back to the future
01:01:17.550 --> 01:01:20.750
at this point where Game 1 has happened and I'm
01:01:20.750 --> 01:01:23.110
going to give my thoughts breaking down what
01:01:23.110 --> 01:01:25.369
has changed or what, you know, how it surprised
01:01:25.369 --> 01:01:27.230
me, I guess, what has happened in that first
01:01:27.230 --> 01:01:29.590
game compared to what I just broke down in my
01:01:29.590 --> 01:01:32.829
preview. So in Game 1, physicality is continuing
01:01:32.829 --> 01:01:35.750
to be allowed throughout these playoffs. Throughout
01:01:35.750 --> 01:01:37.670
the past couple of years, really, it's kind of
01:01:37.670 --> 01:01:39.670
been ramping up, but especially in these playoffs,
01:01:39.769 --> 01:01:42.909
it's been a night and day difference. And I'm
01:01:42.909 --> 01:01:45.349
enjoying it. I think a lot of people are. Dylan
01:01:45.349 --> 01:01:47.530
Harper was an early sub in this game. He was
01:01:47.530 --> 01:01:50.090
hot immediately. Josh Hart was a little thing
01:01:50.090 --> 01:01:51.809
king in this game. And there were a few things
01:01:51.809 --> 01:01:53.389
about him actually that surprised me in this
01:01:53.389 --> 01:01:56.769
one. Number one, Wemby not defending him. That
01:01:56.769 --> 01:01:59.010
was a little bit surprising, which, you know,
01:01:59.010 --> 01:02:01.510
they just didn't start at that. They did change
01:02:01.510 --> 01:02:03.050
to it at certain points throughout the game.
01:02:03.130 --> 01:02:04.590
It wasn't something that we didn't see them go
01:02:04.590 --> 01:02:07.369
to. But starting off, we saw Wemby. guarding
01:02:07.369 --> 01:02:10.630
Cat, which I kind of was surprised by because
01:02:10.630 --> 01:02:12.610
I thought that just right away they would be
01:02:12.610 --> 01:02:15.750
putting Wemby on Hart to be roaming off of him.
01:02:15.909 --> 01:02:19.590
But instead, Wemby was guarding Cat and really
01:02:19.590 --> 01:02:21.590
sticking out to the three -point line. He wasn't
01:02:21.590 --> 01:02:23.469
in the paint near as much in this game as he
01:02:23.469 --> 01:02:26.710
has been throughout the playoffs because of having
01:02:26.710 --> 01:02:29.280
to defend Cat out on the perimeter. And, you
01:02:29.280 --> 01:02:31.400
know, having to be stretched out and stay tight
01:02:31.400 --> 01:02:33.800
to Cat, I think that threw Wemby off his game
01:02:33.800 --> 01:02:36.039
a little bit because a number of times, especially
01:02:36.039 --> 01:02:38.920
early on in the game, where Cat felt that Wemby
01:02:38.920 --> 01:02:41.280
was playing up high on him. And so when Cat,
01:02:41.340 --> 01:02:43.440
instead of turning to go into a dribble handoff
01:02:43.440 --> 01:02:47.400
like Cat or like Wemby was expecting, he instead
01:02:47.400 --> 01:02:49.380
would just kind of turn the corner and pivot
01:02:49.380 --> 01:02:52.760
and get a step on Wemby and blow by him and go
01:02:52.760 --> 01:02:54.860
straight to the basket. So that was a thing that
01:02:54.860 --> 01:02:57.440
happened a few times in this game. And so it'll
01:02:57.440 --> 01:02:59.539
be interesting to see how that gets adjusted,
01:02:59.659 --> 01:03:01.820
especially with, you know, zooming in and looking
01:03:01.820 --> 01:03:04.860
at those plays. It looks like there's a lot of,
01:03:04.860 --> 01:03:07.639
you know, hand fighting going on there. A little
01:03:07.639 --> 01:03:11.139
bit of, you know, leverage being used both ways,
01:03:11.159 --> 01:03:13.800
really, but especially by Cat to kind of get
01:03:13.800 --> 01:03:15.519
around him there. I think that will probably
01:03:15.519 --> 01:03:18.280
be cracked down on, I would guess, a little bit
01:03:18.280 --> 01:03:22.360
in the future games moving forward. And so we'll
01:03:22.360 --> 01:03:25.250
see how that. develops but other things that
01:03:25.250 --> 01:03:27.809
surprised me about this game in specific with
01:03:27.809 --> 01:03:31.369
Josh Hart that he bullied Cassidy not really
01:03:31.369 --> 01:03:33.650
bullied like I just mentioned in the preview
01:03:33.650 --> 01:03:35.730
that I was worried about the reverse of this
01:03:35.730 --> 01:03:39.150
where I was worried that castle would or that
01:03:39.150 --> 01:03:42.909
heart would be too small and not strong enough
01:03:42.909 --> 01:03:46.429
to guard or stay with castle because of how physical
01:03:46.429 --> 01:03:49.719
castle is and I was just marveling at how Crazy
01:03:49.719 --> 01:03:51.940
that was even to say, because that felt crazy
01:03:51.940 --> 01:03:55.599
to say, but I kind of believed it. But in game
01:03:55.599 --> 01:03:57.960
one, at least, Josh Hart really stepped up to
01:03:57.960 --> 01:04:00.260
the plate and he brought it early. You know,
01:04:00.280 --> 01:04:02.420
it seemed like he was going at Castle before
01:04:02.420 --> 01:04:05.340
Castle even had decided what he was going to
01:04:05.340 --> 01:04:08.260
do in this game. And so not that Josh Hart is
01:04:08.260 --> 01:04:10.380
like out bullying him, I guess, but he just he
01:04:10.380 --> 01:04:12.900
met the physicality completely. And it was definitely
01:04:12.900 --> 01:04:15.659
not something where Hart was being pushed around
01:04:15.659 --> 01:04:19.039
and bullied. I thought that was an interesting
01:04:19.039 --> 01:04:21.539
thing right off the bat that changes definitely
01:04:21.539 --> 01:04:24.039
the outlook of who's guarding who in this series.
01:04:24.099 --> 01:04:25.920
I think that is a much more viable look than
01:04:25.920 --> 01:04:29.000
I previously did with putting a heart on Castle
01:04:29.000 --> 01:04:33.019
and that frees up OG and Inobi to stick to Fox,
01:04:33.179 --> 01:04:35.980
which was my preferred lineup. That was my preferred
01:04:35.980 --> 01:04:39.980
matchups for the Spurs to have OG guarding the
01:04:39.980 --> 01:04:43.199
ball handler more so being Fox or Harper if he's
01:04:43.199 --> 01:04:46.059
the one in there. And I think that will be something
01:04:46.059 --> 01:04:48.679
that they continue to go to. And then also the
01:04:48.679 --> 01:04:50.940
other thing with Josh Hart is how he's being
01:04:50.940 --> 01:04:52.739
used on the offensive end because obviously he's
01:04:52.739 --> 01:04:55.199
not a shooter, but they're using him to kind
01:04:55.199 --> 01:04:57.840
of keep the ball alive, like his dribble live
01:04:57.840 --> 01:05:00.519
gnashing through the paint, you know, continuously
01:05:00.519 --> 01:05:04.579
dribbling around, staying away from Wemby and
01:05:04.579 --> 01:05:07.719
resetting and getting advantages going the other
01:05:07.719 --> 01:05:10.380
way, you know, swinging the ball to the other
01:05:10.380 --> 01:05:13.219
side of the court and everything. And then. Jalen
01:05:13.219 --> 01:05:15.460
Brunson was a hero in this game, even though
01:05:15.460 --> 01:05:17.420
it wasn't a pretty shooting night. He ended up
01:05:17.420 --> 01:05:20.679
with 30 points on 31 shots. But especially late
01:05:20.679 --> 01:05:23.320
down in the clutch, you know, this New York Knicks
01:05:23.320 --> 01:05:26.099
team, they're really hard to beat in the clutch.
01:05:26.179 --> 01:05:29.219
That's for sure. And the main reason why is because
01:05:29.219 --> 01:05:32.239
of Jalen Brunson's ability to create shots out
01:05:32.239 --> 01:05:35.260
of nothing and go at players. You know, he was
01:05:35.260 --> 01:05:38.260
really hunting Julian Champagny, which was not
01:05:38.260 --> 01:05:41.230
on my bingo card going into this series. Really,
01:05:41.389 --> 01:05:43.349
at least. It wasn't one of the main guys that
01:05:43.349 --> 01:05:46.070
I had written down for being hunted. He's definitely
01:05:46.070 --> 01:05:48.230
not the guy that I would have thought was going
01:05:48.230 --> 01:05:51.769
to be a stalwart defender on Brunson, but I didn't
01:05:51.769 --> 01:05:53.030
really think that it would be something that
01:05:53.030 --> 01:05:56.170
they would be targeting and hunting out. But
01:05:56.170 --> 01:05:59.170
that seemed like to be the game plan early on
01:05:59.170 --> 01:06:01.730
for the Knicks was to get Brunson comfortable
01:06:01.730 --> 01:06:06.380
going against JCP on an island. And then also
01:06:06.380 --> 01:06:09.380
another thing about this was how Brunson is a
01:06:09.380 --> 01:06:12.860
warrior, like how he had a couple moments early
01:06:12.860 --> 01:06:14.920
on in the game, one in the first quarter where
01:06:14.920 --> 01:06:18.179
Harrison Barnes, I believe, fell at his knee
01:06:18.179 --> 01:06:20.539
and kind of looked like he hyperextended his
01:06:20.539 --> 01:06:23.219
knee a little bit. And he had to go out of the
01:06:23.219 --> 01:06:26.480
game, but shortly came back in. And then in the
01:06:26.480 --> 01:06:31.079
second quarter, Luke Cornett stepped on Brunson's
01:06:31.079 --> 01:06:33.199
ankle as he was laying out of bounds on the baseline
01:06:33.199 --> 01:06:36.579
after a play. And, you know, both of those moments
01:06:36.579 --> 01:06:38.980
were like, you know, kind of a hold your breath
01:06:38.980 --> 01:06:41.300
type of moments for Knicks fans everywhere. And
01:06:41.300 --> 01:06:43.019
also just fans of basketball like me. I was I
01:06:43.019 --> 01:06:44.619
was pretty bummed out for a second because I
01:06:44.619 --> 01:06:46.940
thought especially after the knee the first time
01:06:46.940 --> 01:06:49.480
I was like, that looked like it could could have
01:06:49.480 --> 01:06:52.280
been bad. You know, I wasn't sure if anything
01:06:52.280 --> 01:06:55.019
really happened there, but he did look like he
01:06:55.019 --> 01:06:56.800
was in pain and everything. So I was worried
01:06:56.800 --> 01:06:59.579
about it. And yeah, I was like, at that point,
01:06:59.639 --> 01:07:02.659
what's the point of even having the series? Between
01:07:02.659 --> 01:07:05.579
him and Wemby, those are the main two guys that
01:07:05.579 --> 01:07:08.880
if they go down, it kind of sucks the joy out
01:07:08.880 --> 01:07:11.039
of the series. And maybe even him more than Wemby,
01:07:11.119 --> 01:07:13.719
because I feel like the Spurs are still quite
01:07:13.719 --> 01:07:16.300
good without Wemby, as we've seen. They're still
01:07:16.300 --> 01:07:20.980
a formidable team. But without Brunson, it feels
01:07:20.980 --> 01:07:23.480
like on paper... That just takes away so much
01:07:23.480 --> 01:07:25.980
for the Knicks. But then we saw Jose Alvarado
01:07:25.980 --> 01:07:28.980
come in there and really steady things and like
01:07:28.980 --> 01:07:31.719
keep them afloat. And it was crazy how they stayed
01:07:31.719 --> 01:07:34.380
alive in those minutes when Brunson went out.
01:07:34.519 --> 01:07:36.500
And then Brunson came back and, you know, they
01:07:36.500 --> 01:07:39.199
got back to work. One thing really quick that
01:07:39.199 --> 01:07:41.619
I thought was just a profound statement that
01:07:41.619 --> 01:07:45.119
it really describes certain types of players,
01:07:45.219 --> 01:07:46.900
like how they like to play, how they like to
01:07:46.900 --> 01:07:50.360
operate. And, you know, I think Jalen Brunson,
01:07:50.420 --> 01:07:53.949
as well as Luka, and SGA and even Dylan Harper
01:07:53.949 --> 01:07:57.010
I think in the future um like I think they all
01:07:57.010 --> 01:07:59.250
kind of fit into this bucket but J Kyle Mann
01:07:59.250 --> 01:08:01.670
he gave this quote and I just thought it was
01:08:01.670 --> 01:08:04.050
great I wanted to share it that he was talking
01:08:04.050 --> 01:08:05.750
specifically about Luka but he extended it to
01:08:05.750 --> 01:08:09.130
Brunson where he said guarding Luka uh is like
01:08:09.130 --> 01:08:11.949
racing someone who's in control of the starting
01:08:11.949 --> 01:08:15.489
pistol and I just like that kind of blew my brain
01:08:15.489 --> 01:08:17.069
a little bit because I was like that's just a
01:08:17.069 --> 01:08:20.109
perfect way to describe that um And, you know,
01:08:20.109 --> 01:08:22.909
because I've always tried to describe or explain,
01:08:23.130 --> 01:08:26.770
you know, how that that dynamic works before
01:08:26.770 --> 01:08:28.590
in the past. But I feel like that was just he
01:08:28.590 --> 01:08:30.770
nailed exactly the wording of how it should be
01:08:30.770 --> 01:08:33.789
said because of how, you know, Luca gets past
01:08:33.789 --> 01:08:36.329
you or Brunson, anybody in this case, not anybody,
01:08:36.430 --> 01:08:38.630
but, you know, these specific players that are
01:08:38.630 --> 01:08:41.609
like, you know, they're it's booty ball. Essentially,
01:08:41.789 --> 01:08:44.609
you know, you're getting past your defensive
01:08:44.609 --> 01:08:47.529
player and getting a step on him. And so you
01:08:47.529 --> 01:08:50.869
have him on your hip. And it keeps them guessing.
01:08:50.909 --> 01:08:53.310
They never know when you're going to do what
01:08:53.310 --> 01:08:55.090
you're like. They don't know what you're going
01:08:55.090 --> 01:08:57.949
to do or when you're going to do it. And the
01:08:57.949 --> 01:09:01.869
absolute most elite level of scores have been
01:09:01.869 --> 01:09:05.170
able to master that dynamic and that, you know,
01:09:05.170 --> 01:09:07.890
play style. And that is those people that I'm
01:09:07.890 --> 01:09:10.170
talking about here that just kind of share that
01:09:10.170 --> 01:09:13.170
they have amazing footwork and timing and tempo
01:09:13.170 --> 01:09:15.729
control. They're very patient, all those kind
01:09:15.729 --> 01:09:18.000
of things. And Julian Champagny, like I said
01:09:18.000 --> 01:09:20.260
before, he was being hunted, but he had a huge
01:09:20.260 --> 01:09:23.239
first half. Also, just all game long was rebounding
01:09:23.239 --> 01:09:24.800
the ball like crazy. I think he ended up with
01:09:24.800 --> 01:09:28.319
10 in this one, but he had six rebounds early
01:09:28.319 --> 01:09:31.180
on in the second quarter, I want to say. But
01:09:31.180 --> 01:09:33.479
yeah, he had a huge first half, hitting threes,
01:09:33.479 --> 01:09:35.619
as well as Dylan Harper when he came in. He was
01:09:35.619 --> 01:09:39.039
just hot, like I mentioned before. Wemby switched
01:09:39.039 --> 01:09:41.859
on to Hart, like I mentioned before also, but
01:09:41.859 --> 01:09:46.100
that was a domino effect. kind of went with what
01:09:46.100 --> 01:09:48.819
i had said going into this series was a problem
01:09:48.819 --> 01:09:52.300
that i saw for the spurs side of things was you
01:09:52.300 --> 01:09:55.460
know when wemby is on heart then there's not
01:09:55.460 --> 01:09:58.659
really anybody else to put on cat in that case
01:09:58.659 --> 01:10:01.359
there's not a big because weirdly like the size
01:10:01.359 --> 01:10:03.359
difference between these two teams is something
01:10:03.359 --> 01:10:06.380
that's fascinating because in no circumstance
01:10:06.380 --> 01:10:09.840
would you call the spurs a small team you know
01:10:09.840 --> 01:10:13.100
they've got wemby obviously a seven six freak
01:10:13.100 --> 01:10:16.689
and then On top of that, all their guards, especially
01:10:16.689 --> 01:10:20.270
Castle and Harper, Fox isn't like huge, but he's
01:10:20.270 --> 01:10:23.529
not really small. He's deceivingly kind of built
01:10:23.529 --> 01:10:26.890
and long for what you would think, you know,
01:10:26.890 --> 01:10:29.810
and he's at least like 6 '3", but could even
01:10:29.810 --> 01:10:32.750
lean to be 6 '4". Tallest I would think, but,
01:10:32.770 --> 01:10:35.850
you know, Castle and Harper are both like 6 '5",
01:10:35.850 --> 01:10:39.289
6 '6", and built as well. You know, they're really
01:10:39.289 --> 01:10:41.770
big guards, really big physical guards. And then,
01:10:41.810 --> 01:10:45.239
but like the... The thing is, even though they
01:10:45.239 --> 01:10:47.000
have big guards and they have a giant center
01:10:47.000 --> 01:10:50.920
in between there, their wings are both pretty
01:10:50.920 --> 01:10:54.020
small wings. Like Devin Vassell is like a mix
01:10:54.020 --> 01:10:55.619
between a guard and a wing. You know, he's like
01:10:55.619 --> 01:10:59.720
six, five, 200 pounds. And then Julian Champagny
01:10:59.720 --> 01:11:04.319
is like a small four, really small four, but
01:11:04.319 --> 01:11:07.720
like even kind of a slightly small three, maybe
01:11:07.720 --> 01:11:10.600
he might be like the ideal size for three in
01:11:10.600 --> 01:11:13.800
the modern day, but definitely not. oversized
01:11:13.800 --> 01:11:16.239
at all for the three. And for the four, he definitely
01:11:16.239 --> 01:11:19.119
is leaving a little bit on the table there. And
01:11:19.119 --> 01:11:21.819
specific matchups, especially against the New
01:11:21.819 --> 01:11:24.699
York Knicks, where OG Ananobi is on the court
01:11:24.699 --> 01:11:27.180
on the other side. And then, you know, Karthi
01:11:27.180 --> 01:11:30.180
Towns also being a near seven footer as their
01:11:30.180 --> 01:11:32.739
center inside and also has size on him as well.
01:11:33.000 --> 01:11:36.100
So the Knicks are just like, even though the
01:11:36.100 --> 01:11:38.960
Knicks have a small guard in Brunson, at least
01:11:38.960 --> 01:11:43.140
small, like height wise. And the Spurs have big
01:11:43.140 --> 01:11:45.840
guards with Wemby inside. It's weird how the
01:11:45.840 --> 01:11:48.600
Knicks almost have like a size advantage when
01:11:48.600 --> 01:11:51.340
you kind of add up all five positions because
01:11:51.340 --> 01:11:54.899
of how there's nobody else to defend Cat outside
01:11:54.899 --> 01:11:57.420
of Wemby. And you don't want to put Cat on Wemby,
01:11:57.479 --> 01:11:59.739
or you don't want to put Wemby on Cat, rather,
01:11:59.779 --> 01:12:02.720
because you don't want Wemby stretched out from
01:12:02.720 --> 01:12:04.600
the basket. You know, you want him to be able
01:12:04.600 --> 01:12:08.560
to roam. So, yeah, that's just interesting dynamic
01:12:08.560 --> 01:12:11.359
there. And then when they finally put Wimby on
01:12:11.359 --> 01:12:13.180
to Hart, which I shouldn't say finally, they
01:12:13.180 --> 01:12:15.899
kind of switched to that in like the first quarter
01:12:15.899 --> 01:12:17.279
at one point. I think it was like six minutes
01:12:17.279 --> 01:12:19.920
in. But once they did that, a cat, you know,
01:12:19.960 --> 01:12:22.220
was able to kind of dominate the offensive glass
01:12:22.220 --> 01:12:25.600
and dominate the mismatches with the wings that
01:12:25.600 --> 01:12:28.119
they had out there. So that was a big domino.
01:12:28.140 --> 01:12:30.159
And it'll be interesting to see that push and
01:12:30.159 --> 01:12:33.579
pull, like how they decide to. combat that, whether
01:12:33.579 --> 01:12:35.819
or not the Spurs make a lineup change. I don't
01:12:35.819 --> 01:12:38.579
know what it would be because there's not really
01:12:38.579 --> 01:12:42.500
any guys you're dying to play that can guard
01:12:42.500 --> 01:12:46.699
Cat. Carter Bryant, maybe. I don't know about
01:12:46.699 --> 01:12:48.659
that. Harrison Barnes, his minutes weren't great
01:12:48.659 --> 01:12:51.060
in this game. Neither were Keldon Johnson's.
01:12:51.060 --> 01:12:53.899
Go down the line. Anybody that's better than
01:12:53.899 --> 01:12:57.750
Champagny or Vassell to put on Cat. You don't
01:12:57.750 --> 01:12:59.689
really feel great about any, like, so I feel
01:12:59.689 --> 01:13:02.510
like the main move that I could see is maybe
01:13:02.510 --> 01:13:07.029
swapping in Harper or Fox, which there might
01:13:07.029 --> 01:13:08.449
be other reasons you want to do that anyways,
01:13:08.510 --> 01:13:10.890
because of their, how they've been playing on
01:13:10.890 --> 01:13:12.510
offense throughout these whole playoffs. Fox
01:13:12.510 --> 01:13:15.729
has been much less consistent between the two
01:13:15.729 --> 01:13:18.789
of them. And Harper has been very steady. So
01:13:18.789 --> 01:13:21.670
I feel like if you bring in Harper, then Harper
01:13:21.670 --> 01:13:25.109
can guard Brunson. And that would, I think that
01:13:25.109 --> 01:13:28.279
fits very well. um, debatably even better than
01:13:28.279 --> 01:13:30.659
Castle guarding Brunson, which is really saying
01:13:30.659 --> 01:13:33.380
something. And then Castle putting him on cat
01:13:33.380 --> 01:13:36.340
potentially, like obviously it's not like ideal,
01:13:36.479 --> 01:13:38.880
but I think that might be the best option for
01:13:38.880 --> 01:13:42.159
the, the candidates there are to put on cat outside
01:13:42.159 --> 01:13:44.880
of Wemby. Um, that could, you know, at least,
01:13:44.920 --> 01:13:49.680
uh, compete and, and do a good enough job to
01:13:49.680 --> 01:13:51.840
get by. I think Castle, that might be a challenge
01:13:51.840 --> 01:13:55.359
he's willing to accept and potentially. you know,
01:13:55.380 --> 01:13:57.659
survive in. So, like I said at the beginning,
01:13:57.840 --> 01:14:00.539
this game was full of twists and turns. Deuce
01:14:00.539 --> 01:14:02.859
McBride, one of the notes I have written down,
01:14:02.939 --> 01:14:05.060
at the end of the third quarter, to like basically
01:14:05.060 --> 01:14:09.140
end it, where they tied it up at 76 -76, heading
01:14:09.140 --> 01:14:12.180
into the fourth, he hit a bank corner three,
01:14:12.359 --> 01:14:15.760
which you rarely see that happen. And when that
01:14:15.760 --> 01:14:18.680
happens, especially in this big of a game, and,
01:14:18.739 --> 01:14:20.859
you know, in the second half to tie things up,
01:14:20.960 --> 01:14:25.069
that just felt like a crushing blow. to the Spurs
01:14:25.069 --> 01:14:27.850
and just felt a little bit like aggravating,
01:14:27.850 --> 01:14:29.770
you know, like from their point of view, I would
01:14:29.770 --> 01:14:32.210
think. Also, while I'm talking about Deuce, there
01:14:32.210 --> 01:14:34.270
was a lot of Knicks fans in there, more than
01:14:34.270 --> 01:14:37.250
I was expecting. Obviously, the Knicks fans travel
01:14:37.250 --> 01:14:39.390
super well, mainly because there's Knicks fans
01:14:39.390 --> 01:14:42.409
that live everywhere. But it was a lot louder
01:14:42.409 --> 01:14:44.489
than I was expecting. The way that, like looking
01:14:44.489 --> 01:14:47.069
at the crowd, you didn't see as many Knicks fans
01:14:47.069 --> 01:14:51.329
as you heard when I think Deuce McBride did something
01:14:51.329 --> 01:14:53.890
where he was going to the free throw line. or
01:14:53.890 --> 01:14:56.390
no, it was, I think it was when he blocked Kelvin
01:14:56.390 --> 01:14:59.909
Johnson, maybe he had some big moment where the
01:14:59.909 --> 01:15:02.189
whole crowd started doing the deuce, you know,
01:15:02.189 --> 01:15:04.409
yelling deuce where it sounds like booze, you
01:15:04.409 --> 01:15:07.189
know? And like, I don't think it was any Spurs
01:15:07.189 --> 01:15:09.609
fans actually booing. I don't think at least
01:15:09.609 --> 01:15:12.090
like it's really did sound like the deuce chant
01:15:12.090 --> 01:15:14.189
that like a bunch of New York Knicks fans were
01:15:14.189 --> 01:15:16.710
doing, but it like filled the arena is what it
01:15:16.710 --> 01:15:19.520
felt like. So I can only imagine once this thing
01:15:19.520 --> 01:15:22.119
goes back to Madison Square Garden in New York,
01:15:22.159 --> 01:15:23.939
just what the atmosphere is going to be like.
01:15:23.960 --> 01:15:27.060
It's going to be incredible. Another thing I
01:15:27.060 --> 01:15:28.680
saw from this game was Mitchell Robinson. Like
01:15:28.680 --> 01:15:31.159
I said, how big of a key factor he is or swing
01:15:31.159 --> 01:15:34.500
factor to this series. I do feel like he was
01:15:34.500 --> 01:15:38.800
visibly altered by his health with the pinky
01:15:38.800 --> 01:15:41.939
issue, how he seemed like not to have great control
01:15:41.939 --> 01:15:44.430
over his hands. Like there were a couple. lobs
01:15:44.430 --> 01:15:47.189
and putbacks that got away from him a little
01:15:47.189 --> 01:15:50.369
bit. But, you know, he, I think, did his job
01:15:50.369 --> 01:15:53.789
being a very, very impactful offensive rebounder
01:15:53.789 --> 01:15:56.590
on the offensive glass and then also rim protector
01:15:56.590 --> 01:16:00.789
and most of all, you know, a guy that is using
01:16:00.789 --> 01:16:03.829
that Gortat screen, moving Wemby out of the way
01:16:03.829 --> 01:16:06.890
on the defensive end, you know, while the Knicks
01:16:06.890 --> 01:16:09.109
are on offense to keep him away from the drives.
01:16:10.050 --> 01:16:12.630
And so that I think was very impactful. Cat did
01:16:12.630 --> 01:16:14.590
that a bit too as well. So that's something that
01:16:14.590 --> 01:16:16.569
we're definitely going to see continued moving
01:16:16.569 --> 01:16:18.789
forward. And it'll be interesting to see how
01:16:18.789 --> 01:16:22.090
the Spurs kind of schematically try to combat
01:16:22.090 --> 01:16:24.670
that. But looking at the clutch of this game,
01:16:24.729 --> 01:16:27.390
Brunson had that 8 -0 run to get the score to
01:16:27.390 --> 01:16:30.670
94 -86 with the Knicks up pretty late in that
01:16:30.670 --> 01:16:32.770
fourth quarter. And then San Antonio responded
01:16:32.770 --> 01:16:36.310
right away as they've done time after time throughout
01:16:36.310 --> 01:16:38.010
these playoffs, which has been so impressive
01:16:38.010 --> 01:16:40.859
for such a young team. how when they get hit
01:16:40.859 --> 01:16:43.460
with big punches, they just hit right back immediately.
01:16:44.279 --> 01:16:47.000
And so they responded with a 9 -0 run of their
01:16:47.000 --> 01:16:51.720
own to get the score to 94 -95. And then that
01:16:51.720 --> 01:16:54.640
next possession coming back New York's way, OG
01:16:54.640 --> 01:16:58.840
Anobi got a swing to a wide -open three that
01:16:58.840 --> 01:17:02.260
he back -rimmed, but it was a high rebound that
01:17:02.260 --> 01:17:05.710
Brunson... was fighting for and tipped out to,
01:17:05.810 --> 01:17:08.189
I think it was McHale bridges. And then Brunson
01:17:08.189 --> 01:17:11.850
relocated to the corner and hit a big three that
01:17:11.850 --> 01:17:15.649
got that score to 97 to 95 to retake the lead.
01:17:15.970 --> 01:17:17.770
And then going back the other way, this is with
01:17:17.770 --> 01:17:20.189
about one and a half minutes left in the game.
01:17:20.369 --> 01:17:23.529
Fox running that pick and roll with Wemby got
01:17:23.529 --> 01:17:26.489
it like down into the lane and had a very, very
01:17:26.489 --> 01:17:30.689
wide open, good looking 10 foot jumper that like
01:17:30.689 --> 01:17:33.899
it looked good. I, Wouldn't be mad at that at
01:17:33.899 --> 01:17:36.800
all if I'm the Spurs. He just back rimmed it.
01:17:36.899 --> 01:17:40.220
You know, it was almost down. It's one of those
01:17:40.220 --> 01:17:43.539
ones where I feel like you can miss even more
01:17:43.539 --> 01:17:45.939
than this one missed and it will go in. You know
01:17:45.939 --> 01:17:47.399
what I mean? Like if you can get shooters bounce
01:17:47.399 --> 01:17:49.399
and stuff like this, stuff like that. But this
01:17:49.399 --> 01:17:51.420
one was even closer to just going straight in
01:17:51.420 --> 01:17:53.140
without hitting the rim. But it just hits the
01:17:53.140 --> 01:17:56.460
back where it bounces kind of straight out. And
01:17:56.460 --> 01:17:59.659
so that was a tough break for. The San Antonio
01:17:59.659 --> 01:18:02.539
Spurs and the Knicks got the rebound there, headed
01:18:02.539 --> 01:18:05.479
back the other way. Bridges got fouled and had
01:18:05.479 --> 01:18:08.520
a couple of big free throws that he hit. 99 -95.
01:18:08.979 --> 01:18:11.640
Wemby dribbled off his foot on the next possession,
01:18:11.920 --> 01:18:15.140
which was just a big moment as well. Him putting
01:18:15.140 --> 01:18:17.039
the ball on the floor around the three -point
01:18:17.039 --> 01:18:20.460
line. And Josh Hart dove on the floor, got that
01:18:20.460 --> 01:18:22.850
loose ball. which was big. You know, some people
01:18:22.850 --> 01:18:24.470
thought that Shamit should be closing in this
01:18:24.470 --> 01:18:26.569
game, which I don't necessarily disagree with,
01:18:26.569 --> 01:18:28.609
with the shooting that he provided. I thought,
01:18:28.630 --> 01:18:31.489
I think both ways, both schematic like ways you
01:18:31.489 --> 01:18:33.529
can look at it. I don't know if there's a wrong
01:18:33.529 --> 01:18:36.470
answer, but I definitely see the validity in
01:18:36.470 --> 01:18:39.529
keeping Hart out there because, you know, he's
01:18:39.529 --> 01:18:42.130
the most likely guy on the Knicks to make that
01:18:42.130 --> 01:18:44.329
kind of a play to get on the floor and get that
01:18:44.329 --> 01:18:47.050
ball. And that, you know, that was just another
01:18:47.050 --> 01:18:49.399
big possession there. To get the ball back. And
01:18:49.399 --> 01:18:52.520
then Brunson got a tough leaner. A really tough
01:18:52.520 --> 01:18:57.319
one. 101 -95 with 36 seconds left. And then OG
01:18:57.319 --> 01:19:00.479
got fouled after another empty possession on
01:19:00.479 --> 01:19:04.199
San Antonio's side. To get the score to 103 -95
01:19:04.199 --> 01:19:07.640
with 25 seconds left. And then again, another
01:19:07.640 --> 01:19:10.140
empty possession. Comes back the other way. OG
01:19:10.140 --> 01:19:14.229
gets to the line again. 105 -95. And like I said,
01:19:14.270 --> 01:19:16.430
Shamit was big in this one, hit some big shots
01:19:16.430 --> 01:19:19.829
even after struggling early. The offense wasn't
01:19:19.829 --> 01:19:21.729
clean for really anybody in this game. Like all
01:19:21.729 --> 01:19:24.069
the stars you look at down the line, nobody had
01:19:24.069 --> 01:19:27.170
a good shooting game, especially Fox really struggled.
01:19:28.010 --> 01:19:31.189
Dylan Harper was the one guy on the Spurs. And
01:19:31.189 --> 01:19:33.670
I think Stephon Castle also wasn't necessarily
01:19:33.670 --> 01:19:36.109
inefficient. I think he was like 7 of 15 or something
01:19:36.109 --> 01:19:38.159
like that. So definitely not bad. But like I
01:19:38.159 --> 01:19:39.680
said, the Knicks are very tough to beat in the
01:19:39.680 --> 01:19:41.859
clutch. And that's just that's like their superpower.
01:19:42.100 --> 01:19:44.239
Once you get into the closing minutes, Jalen
01:19:44.239 --> 01:19:46.439
Brunson is going to be able to operate and pick
01:19:46.439 --> 01:19:48.779
you apart better than just about anybody going.
01:19:49.000 --> 01:19:50.859
It'll be interesting to see what happens in game
01:19:50.859 --> 01:19:53.359
two. I would think that the Spurs respond. I
01:19:53.359 --> 01:19:56.020
highly doubt they're going to go down 2 -0 at
01:19:56.020 --> 01:19:58.800
home just with, you know, the level of team they
01:19:58.800 --> 01:20:00.979
are. I think that they have the urgency. They
01:20:00.979 --> 01:20:05.039
can just will a win in this next one to tie it
01:20:05.039 --> 01:20:08.279
back up going back to. new york city where yeah
01:20:08.279 --> 01:20:11.279
like i said the vibe and the atmosphere is going
01:20:11.279 --> 01:20:14.779
to be beyond electric um i do kind of feel like
01:20:14.779 --> 01:20:16.359
the knicks might have taken the driver's seat
01:20:16.359 --> 01:20:18.260
in the series i do really regret not picking
01:20:18.260 --> 01:20:22.380
the nets or the knicks rather um i mean i don't
01:20:22.380 --> 01:20:24.779
know if i regret but i i do part of me really
01:20:24.779 --> 01:20:27.460
wanted to like uh i kind of wish i would have
01:20:27.460 --> 01:20:29.619
just pulled the trigger on that but obviously
01:20:29.619 --> 01:20:32.000
don't want to overreact after a game one but
01:20:32.000 --> 01:20:34.119
stealing this one on the road in the way that
01:20:34.119 --> 01:20:36.539
they did, did feel really big for this New York
01:20:36.539 --> 01:20:39.079
Knicks squad. And OG Onobi didn't even have a
01:20:39.079 --> 01:20:42.199
great game, but the shots that he makes, like
01:20:42.199 --> 01:20:45.880
he's continuing just this unworldly, ungodly
01:20:45.880 --> 01:20:48.000
efficiency on jump shots. Like he's literally
01:20:48.000 --> 01:20:50.619
shooting jump shots like their layups, like efficiency
01:20:50.619 --> 01:20:53.020
wise. And so it'd be interesting to see if that
01:20:53.020 --> 01:20:56.220
continues to slow down. Like I said, he made
01:20:56.220 --> 01:20:58.020
some of them still, but I don't think it was
01:20:58.020 --> 01:21:00.600
quite to the same percentages as it's been recently.
01:21:01.159 --> 01:21:03.500
Yeah, very, very competitive series. It's not
01:21:03.500 --> 01:21:05.500
going to be a cakewalk like people. Some people
01:21:05.500 --> 01:21:06.800
thought, you know, this is going to be a sweep
01:21:06.800 --> 01:21:09.699
for the Spurs. I heard some people saying I was
01:21:09.699 --> 01:21:13.260
not really on that wavelength. But yeah, this
01:21:13.260 --> 01:21:15.739
is going to be a very competitive, very compelling
01:21:15.739 --> 01:21:18.239
series for sure. Thank you guys for listening.
01:21:18.359 --> 01:21:20.079
Appreciate it. Stay happy, stay healthy. I'll
01:21:20.079 --> 01:21:21.600
talk to you guys next episode.