Two Contenders, Two Blueprints: Fever’s Star Power vs. Golden State’s Suffocating Defense

The 9450: Everybody, welcome back to Real Basketball Talk, No Hot Takes, brought to you by the 9450. I'm your host, Daniel Artest. And I know, right? It's been a couple of weeks since I did an episode. I've been busy. I've been in the gym. I've been on these walks working on my my fitness, man. Getting ready for my winter body during the summer. And yeah, so I I've recently celebrated me losing 140 pounds. So yeah, man, I've really just been getting into it, man. And I hope that y'all taking y'all fitness serious. This has been a long, long two year journey. And I'm not even done yet though. You know, I will say I'm like 60% where I need to be. Gotta get to that 100%. But I'm back here to do an episode And but we got a big, big episode today. So just just bear with me. I got so much to get into. We're gonna start in Indiana, where like the big three out there in Indian in Indianapolis ha have been hooping. And also gotta give some love to Kelsey Mitchell in regards to MVP. And then also gotta head out west because the Golden State Valkyries has built the best defense in basketball in just the second year of existence. So let's just get right into it, right? Alright, so Indiana over their last 11 games, nine and two. And it's not that the one player is carrying this, it's three. You know, obviously we know we got Caitlin Clark averaging 23 and a half points, nine and a half assists per game. Kelsey Mitchell 27 and a half points per night during this this span. Aaliyah Boston, an efficient sixteen and nine double double in the games that she played in, hitting threes at a elite level too as well. I think she's like o over what forty five percent from three last time I checked. I I remember talking to K Dot about this. Your Aaliyah Boston, like the way she shoots the ball from when she was at South Carolina in her early her first couple of years in the WNBA. She has great form on her shot. She has a great mid range shot shot too as well. Always wanted her to extend it to beyond a three. And she's doing it now. So let's just let's just talk about the numbers across the board. Like I said, over these last eleven games, Kaitlin Clark over twenty six points, over nine assists. Setting the table, putting up historic numbers while still scoring like at an elite clip herself. Kelsey Mitchell. almost twenty eight points across the board tonight during this stretch too. And this is not Kelsey Mitchell as a complimentary player. This is like a legitimate first option. I don't even understand how she's the second option on this team, to be honest. Like just her being a peer scorer of the of the group. And like she just really been the most productive player of these three, man. And then you got Aaliy Boss who played in the ten games outside of the during this eleven game span, like the way she's just been hooping, man, it's just been amazing, man. Like a Aaliyah Boston, and I said it in the beginning of the season when I did the preview talk, I said that I wanted Aaliyah to be more mean. Like she's such a nice person and stuff, but she has this stretch. I mean I mean not this stretch, but she has this dog mentality in her that sometimes it draws the ire of other players and stuff. And I was talking to one of my friends the other day, sent me a text message about Oliah Boston. And I was just like, Aaliyah's just competing. Sometimes she do do some stuff that makes players look at her like in such disdain. Like the way she battles AJ Wilson and Ajay Wilson getting annoyed sometimes. And obviously her and BG Britney Griner, they they always have something going on when they when they go at each other. hold on. And speaking of Britney Griner Yo, I don't know if y'all watched TV, but did y'all watch that TV show called Lioness? It's on Paramount Plus. Yo, they threw a crazy stray at BG, yo. They threw a crazy stray. But that's kind of dope just getting in the show under under some crazy circumstances, but still, they threw a crazy subliminal stray at Britney Griner and stuff, man. But yeah. Well, like the Big Three in Clark, Mitchell, and Boston, they have three totally different type of games, three different roles. They're peaking simultane simultaneously right now. And like they they're the engine of this of this squad, man. And I really love like how they've been hooping. And I know like all the other nonsense stuff about Indiana and everything. But you know, like these these three really, really, really have been hooping. And since I've been gone, I know I missed some big games to talk about, like on Caitlin Clark going off for like forty five points. Kelsey Mitchell in that game. I think she had thirty points of her own in that night. Aaliyah Boston didn't play 'cause she was she was hurt. Like, it shows you even when like a player like Aaliyah's out that this team is still powerful, man. But then Aaliyah she bounces back against New York. She has fifteen and seven. Kelsey Mitchell had thirty-three on seventy one percent shooting in that game. And then they lose against Minnesota. But Kelsey Mitchell goes off again. Like all the time. It's been about Kelsey Mitchell. Thirty seven points on sixty seven percent s sixty seven percent shooting. Unfortunately is a loss. And then they lose against Vegas again, but Aaliy Boston goes off twenty one and twelve against A.J. Wilson. I just, I just I it's weird with Indiana. It's like, can they compete and can they win it all this year? I I don't know. They they are scary though. But it's like, but sometimes they go through that lapse. Sometimes Caitlin Clark will make a crazy mistake and stuff, and who knows, man. But right now, they hooping and you just gotta give it, you gotta give the love done where the love is done at, man. But I want to stay on Kelsey Mitchell real quick because I feel like The numbers that she's been putting out demand a bigger, bigger conversation than it's getting. And everybody's treating this MVP race like it's a two woman conversation between AJ Wilson and Olivia Miles. I kind of feel like it's not anymore. I feel like Kelsey Mitchell needs to be in this conversation and I'm not just saying that. A lot of people are saying that. Her own teammates are saying it. And was talking about how KM shows up every single night and just just drops bucket at a rate. That she said she lost count of on top of actually playing some defense on the other end. And and and look at the numbers backing it up. Kelsey Mitchell's second in in the WNBA and scoring right now, trailing AJ Wilson. She's shooting it at a at an elite clip near forty percent from the field, over forty two percent from three, and scoring nearly twenty four points per game. High efficient. High usage scoring from from a shooting guard, having a career year, man. Blowing past her points per game, career high. Easily Bob, multiple points. She got the s she set the record this year for the longest streak of twenty plus point games in a single season and she's just been adding to it since. And here's the part that should matter most to you voters. Like, what Kelsey is doing is not empty stats on a lottery team. I feel like Kelsey is the driving force behind a fever team that's sitting first in the East. And after years of Indiana missing the playoffs and everything, and then getting into the playoffs, Kelsey's in in year eight, one of the best seasons of her basketball career. And like her team needed her to play like this. To be honest, like I feel like obvious on a stat sheet, she's not gonna pass Asia Wilson 'cause just Asia's just on a totally different level. Giving you elite scoring, that elite rebounding, elite rim protection. We know Olivia Miles with her links team has the best record in basketball attached to her name and that as a rookie, which is its own historic story in itself. But second in scoring, elite efficiency, just being the best player on a team on more nights than not, like top three MVP finisher in my opinion. But she definitely deserves to be a name in this conversation and not even an afterthought. And I feel like a lot of coverage on Kelsey Mitchell. They kinda treat her like one because of the hype that Caitlin Clark is doing. But Kelsey Mitchell definitely deserves in this in to be in the V P conversation, as well as Caitlin Clark, to be honest. When they at their best, both of them this season is playing like real top five V P. And I've been on I've been on Twitter saying like Olivia Miles, I have her in V P lead right now 'cause of the record right now. Asia's second. Kelsey's third. And I don't know who you have as fourth. And it's crazy because we gotta talk about the Golden State soon and stuff. And like they got just the best record in I mean not the best record, but they got one of the best records in the W. And it's like, damn, nobody on that team is up for VP consideration and stuff. That's crazy. But like we're gonna talk about Golden State in a minute though. But yeah, I think that people gotta start stop playing on Kelsey Mitchell's name and anything like that. I so yeah, man, that's that's basically what I what I what I have on the fever. Right now. Like I said, twenty three and twelve. But when you got a team on any given night, one of your three players are capable of leading them and scoring. Like and that's what makes this fever team really hard to game plan for at some times. Like you can you can keen on Caitlin Clark's playmaking or whatever, try to get her to turn the ball over and everything, but then Mitch's is gonna torture you for thirty. And then if you load up on the perimeter, then you got Aaliyah Boston who's gonna dominate you on the inside for the for the double double. His team is extremely versatile and like headed into the playoffs down the stretch of this season. You got a roster with three legitimate weapons. You got the torpedo, you got the long range missile, and then you got the tank. It's it it's gonna be insane. But the schedule ahead though, Deanna, man, is is is gonna be a real test. Well they got all right, they I think at this time, you know, w right now as I'm recording, I don't know the score and like that, but they're playing against Toronto. Then they gotta go to Dallas, then they gotta go to New York, then they gotta go to Chicago to close out the month of August. Like All these teams these teams on the road these road games is tough, man. And a lot of these every one of these games do have some type of seating of weight behind it and stuff, so because everything is bunched up at the top. So we we we shall see what Indiana's gonna do. Like if Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, Leah Boston, keep on hooping the way they have been hooping, I think that Indiana handles a stretch comforta comfortably, whatever. Like the real measurement stick for Indiana is Can they hold up in a playoff series against Minnesota or Vegas where the games matter the most? But that's that's all I have for Indiana during the stretch run. And now we're gonna go all the way to the Bay Area because there's a completely different kind of team building something special out in the bay. And it's built on the exact opposite formula of what Indiana's doing. We gotta talk about Golden State. As I record this, Golden State is that is 24-9, second in the West, trailing only Minnesota at Who's at twenty nine and seven right now, historic pace for Minnesota. They gonna they they can clench the spot or playoff spot against the Dallas Wings. And they're doing this as an expansion franchise in year two of his team's existence. Like you gotta understand the in order to understand the Valkyries right now, you gotta start where where they was twelve months ago. Like and why the season so means so much. Cause we know twenty twenty five was was the inaugural year. They finished twenty-three and twenty-one, fourth seed in the West. Got bounced in the first round and and by Minnesota got two games and none, whatever, got swept. Pretty respectable debate season for an expansion team, 'cause that doesn't happen. So nobody wasn't embarrassed, but it wasn't this. Coach Nikasi took home coach of year last year. And instead of running the back with that same formula, like the front office went out and completely retooled the identity of this roster in free agency. They signed Gabby Williams away. They locked up Veronica Burton. They brought in Keir Stokes. They actu kept Caleb Thornton. Like that the front office built the roster with intention around a very specific defensive vision, whatever they have for defense. And the results are speaking for themselves. Like last year, first round exit, right? They actually they team sailing last year wasn't even to even make the playoffs. But right now they're the second seed in the West this year. You know And Gabby Williams said this roster has the potential, and I agree, to be a legitimate title contender. I definitely agree. This is not just a Phil Good story anymore. But like the way this team believes in themselves in that locker room, and they show it every night. Golden State on the defensive end has the best defensive rating. The they got the fewest points allowed per one hundred possess possessions, and it's not particularly close in between one and two. They're second in in the league in opponent effective field goal percentage, trailing Washington of all teams, to be honest, which Washington is also a surprise. And they're second in turnover rate at just over fifteen percent, which means they're not beating themselves by turning over the basketball. Like that's that's insane right there. Fifteen percent turnover rate is crazy. So that's basically saying, like, what, eighty five possessions? They're playing turnover free basketball. That's that's awesome, man. They value the ball. And then on the on the other side, they're gonna make you work for every single point on the other end. And the style that they play really makes everything they're doing very sustainable. And also they played a so they by a wide margin, slowest paced team in the WNBA. They're not trying to run you out the building. They want you to play in the mud. You know what's funny? You know what's funny about basketball, especially professional basketball, even on the NBA level, is like how both conferences play a certain style of basketball. Like but the East Conference is always just grinded out style, West Conference is always just fast break stuff. Like the Valkyries play Eastern Conference style of of basketball, man. But they're gonna make you work for every single point on the other end. But like that's crazy, man. They really, really want you to play in the mud, every possession. Half court execution battle. And they have the the defensive discipline and the length to to to make this to see this through. See Kirstokes, Kayla Thornton, Janelle Saloon, like this that front court right there I just named, like they contest without fouling. They close out, they don't panic on close out. They're they're extremely well coached. This whole team buys in. Like this doesn't happen by accident in year two of a franchise, y'all. And then so now you want to talk about this, right? Who who's scoring all the points now, right? Because there's no twenty five point per game engine here on the Valkyries. On a on a low key note, I do kinda want Kelsey Mitchell to leave Indiana and go to Golden State. I think that she fits in very well with this team. Somebody that can score at that level and then still defend. And is an ultimate team player too as well. Listen, you But alright, alright, all right, FIBA fans, I'll stop. Okay. I'm just saying. I like to see it. But anyway, like Like I said about this team, they g they go by a star by committee thing. Nobody's scoring twenty five a night here. They're twenty four and nine, with Gabby Williams leading the way and scoring at fourteen point seven points per game. Which is crazy, to be honest. Twenty four and nine, and you ain't got no fifteen point per game scorer. You know, she's also averaging three rebounds, two assists, one and a half steals, two time all star. Like her value though is n has never been about needing like a huge number to matter. She is the ultimate connective tissue. She's always making the right reads out of picking rolls. She makes the right read in the open floor on the other end. She's guarding the other team's best perimeter player. Like Gabby Williams is the rare player who raises the team ceiling. Just by how conservative and correct she plays. Really playing basketball the right way. And behind her. They really have a a s a star by committee mindset. You got Veronica Burton who's running the show at at the point guard. And she also shown like how she can take a take over a game. I think earlier in the month she had twenty two points in Dallas and a big win over them. And that I think that game I mean not that game, but they also as a team, how they play together. They had like twenty seven assists as a group. That's that's crazy, man. But from top to bottom, this team has brought in they're playing they're playing the right way. Now you got Caleb Thornton who led the team and scoring the rebound just last year, still doing a dirty work, man. Tiff Hayes, another one managing the tempo in the backcourt with with that veteran poise. Who's seen every style of defense, whatever the league can throw at her. And Obviously we talked about the front court already. They're they're they're not just rim protectors, like Stokes Thornton Saloon is like the reason this half court identity works possession after possession. But they always talking, they're loud. Constant communication on the court. Like the two thousand and eight champions, Boston Celtics type of thing. Like they really just locked in, man. Like this roster, like, they proven To everybody watching basketball, that elite point of attack defense, being disciplined and have court execution of offense and actual buy-in from player one through eleven, twelve, or whatever how many players they got on this team, like can completely replace the need for a single high usage superstar. And it's not a fluke with them. And like I said, I did say Kelsey Mitchell. Yeah, I feel like Kelsey Mitchell on this team right here, man, would be crazy. I feel like it would be crazy to have on this on the on this Golden State team. 'Cause eventually you're going to need a scorer that can buy you a bucket late in games. Like and then sometimes let's just say the complimentary players is off. You're gonna need somebody that can pull out that that do it herself kit, especially in the playoffs. That's why I would love to see Golden State get a a a star player like a Kelsey Mitchell, somebody that can give you those buckets but also play team ball that has like no ego and everything, and giving you that efficient high usage. Kelsey Mitchell will be perfect on this team. My my bad fever fans, don't c don't come at me. I'm just, I'm just, hey, listen. I'm just going off what I see, all right? But Golden State, yeah, hold on. Let me talk about the caveat though real quick. Because now they're 24 and 9, but this record comes with an asterisk that we need to talk about. Because if if Gabby Williams saying they are a legitimate title contender. We gotta talk about it. Against the other top four teams in the league Minnesota, Las Vegas, and Indiana. Golden State is fourth in this group. But Golden State versus those three are combined two and six. And that's a number right there that that should give like a lot of you Valkyrie fans some pause real quick before y'all start talking about conference finals and all other crazy stuff. Yes, they defense has feasted on the middle and bottom of the league. But against the class of the West and also Indiana being the best team in the East. They haven't been able to consistently execute against elite offensive talent and teams that push his pace. And that's why this is real basketball talk, no hot takes, man. I can praise you, but I can also point out the flaws and what you gotta get better at. And that's not even a knock on on what they're building in in in Golden State. I it's just a re it's just the data is right there, man. Watch the game. So like a defense built on slowing the game down, forcing half-court execution. Is a fantastic regular season formula. Hear me out now. And this is why. But no question that the playoffs are are going to ask is whether can this hold up over a series against a team like Minnesota that can push you in transition. And as a team has more high level shot creation than anybody Golden State has beaten this year. That's the swing skill to watch the rest of the way. And which is why I say that Golden State. I my bad fever fans. I I I'm gonna leave it alone. I'm gonna leave it alone. Golden State, Kelsey Mitchell in the offseason next year, all right? But what's what's next for Golden State? Golden State, they're gonna lock up a postseason birth. We already know that. All right. But they got these, they got some big games coming up. They got I think they got Minnesota two games in the two tw yeah, they play Minnesota twice in a five day stretch. On home and on I mean on the home. How you go on a home? Once at home and then they go on the road. That is a measuring stick right there. If this defense can go toe to toe with the best team in the league or whatever, and back to back meetings, like that two and six number against the the lead elite starts looking a lot less concerning. And if they can't, we're going to know exactly what to watch once the playoffs start. All right. So that's that's that's the part right there with Golden State. Yes, great team. Twenty four nine. As I write this, I mean as I not as I write this, but as I'm recording this. But two and six against the the other top three teams in the league that matters, man. So like I think it will be a successful home and away series against Minnesota if they split. If they can split, I'm cool with that. If they don't split, then I'm gonna be like, snap. It's going to be hard though. It's going to be hard because Minnesota is a great team. They got great guard play. Fee is coming into her own. Coming back from injury and stuff, averaging like I think she's like over 19 a game since she came back. So, yeah, Golden State is gonna have to lock in. All right, but yeah, that that that listen, that's the whole board for today, man. Like in Indiana, there's not one superstar carrying a team like everybody thinks it is. Actually, three. And they're peeking together exactly at the right time. Kelsey Mitchell, MVP case. It deserves a lot more airtime than it's getting. Just talked about Golden State. They have built The best defense in basketball in year two. Star by committee formula. They only got one real question to answer. And that starts with Minnesota. All right. And that's it for this one. I appreciate all y'all for tuning in. Make sure to check out more premium hoops content over at the 9450. I'm Daniel Ortez. I'm going to see y'all next time. Love is love. Peace.