Really enjoyed KD on this podcast even more than Luka. These guys talking basketball was just enjoyable. More guests! Steve isn't as engaging as JJ and clearly doesn't have the same chemistry with LeBron and feel for podcasting.
I think Luka has the knowledge to be good, but unfortunately I think the language barrier limits him. Maybe he’d be great on a Spanish broadcast though, I think he’s more comfortable in that language than in English.
He also just doesn't seem super comfortable in a podcast or sit down interview style setting. Like it sounds crazy, but he seems a bit "camera shy" to me. (By professional athlete standards anyway.)
It seemed like there was some nerves he was working through early on in the conversation and it took a little while for him to break into the conversation after some jokes/banter from Nash/James kind of broke the ice for him.
A Spanish Luka podcast would go insanely hard
The Luka one was really lame. All 3 were just throwing out the most empty platitudes about how kids "like lost the joy of basketball man"
Ngl, I'd love to see Ant on the podcast. He has the charisma to make it really entertaining, plus he'll simultaneously be trash talking and talking up other players. Somehow.
Personality aside, Ant is a smart basketball player. His post game interviews are great when he breaks down the game.
I love how Lebron was itching to say his old coach was the more skilled with it. Spo is a madman. Probably one of the most entertaining coach courtside with all his mannerisms
Spo more than anyone else in the league right now is probably most responsible for pushing the envelope on defensive schemes.
Though I still think Brad Stevens never got enough credit for the defenses he put together with Isaiah Thomas playing 30+ minutes a game.
The celtics before 2022 seemed to always have a small guard or slow footed bigs they had to hide. Their defense lived off those pre switch/triple switches.
Spo is crazy man. Legit the Heat will have like 6 negative defenders in the rotation, playing heavy minutes and that SOB will still somehow chug out a defense thats ranked like 10th in the league
Its not even iso scoring. Everyone seems like they know how to pass and make the right read and the right swing to the open guy now.
I think you're giving Jordan Poole and Andre Drummond too much credit
Sir, putting up 4.5 assists on the Wizards is like putting up 13 assists on the Pacers.
Don't forget MPJ
Umm actually mpj put up a career high 2 assists per game this season.
Put some respect on my new friend.
And Kuminga
Poole was introduced by the Warriors scheme, and thrived.
Watching a lot of the old games you could predict the play 5 seconds into the possession with amazing accuracy... In today's game good luck with that.
Someone should make a post with this entire podcast as the preview.
podcast
but it's a video
I also laughed when they talked about 1-2-2 pressing you and putting Bam up top, even though I genuinely have no idea why that is funny
No one puts a big that far away from basket… except Spo, to make use of his freaky athleticism and reach as the tip of the christma tree
I’ve seen Mobley and Wemby get used the same way, you gotta be a super athletic footer to pull that off
It also helps hide bad perimeter defenders, see Duncan and Herro in the bubble. Miami would sometimes run a 2-3 with Bam and Jimmy at the top, sometimes with Jones Jr. , with DRob and Herro hidden away in the corners so that they're not as easily targeted on the outside
Its also messes up the offense where the initial play is to switch and iso the big.
Most teams just don't know how to proceed when the big is already up top.
Bron and Durant have crazy chemistry. They need to do more podcast type shits together even if its through zoom. If they old assess know how to work it I mean
They make nash look young sometimes
That's why I laugh when casual or non-NBA fans make a comment that they don't play defense. Defense is harder than ever. Coaches are forced to be creative with the defensive scheme to counter what the team is doing on offense.
It drives me nuts. I watch college teams (my team) get stifled by the most basic 2-3 zones because there's like 1 guy on the team who can shoot from outside of the free throw line. And then people say defense in college is just better.
Also the biggest pet peeves of mine whenever a 'highlight' of great ball movement in college and there's always that one guy who said " this is why college is better than NBA". There's like 4-5 instance in that highlight where the player gets an absolute open shot and he still decides to pump, take 1-2 dribble, and then pass.
If there's ridiculous ball movement in college, it's almost always because they don't have enough shooter. In NBA it's much rarer because in the same position the college highlight gets they will get open shoot after 1-2 passes.
Bron that dude that gotta one up on you everything you talkin about
“That was funny, you know what was really funny…”
It look hot as hell in there lmao they’re all shiny asf
KD drinking wine while he and Lebron tell Steve Nash that Spo is crazy is peak content for me
I think if Houston beat the Warriors in the 1st round, they would have cooked the Timberwolves.
no, houston offense was too shitty to cook the t wolves
90-75 games
Nah, not with Jalen Green.
Fuck no lol
Defense have improved sure but the offenses have gotten even better also
We completely fucked the Pacers up with our 3-2 zone in game 3…then they adjusted and got the last laugh.
Defensive specialists have gotten so good, offensive players have to be super crafty.
Damn that was a big ol’ gasp from KD at the beginning
KD as an analyst as part of an NBA tv crew would be a snooze fest
Id rather him teaching people about the game than the current hot take artists.
This, its missing honestly. NFL analysts do a great job of breaking the game down to the xs and os compared to the NBA
I started watching NFL like 8/9 years after I got to the NBA but just from watching broadcasts and talk shows I feel like I can understand and point out little intricacies of what both offense and defense are doing (or trying to do) than I can in the NBA. Matter of fact, for the NFL, I can point out mistakes on the stream/feed in real time and I find that difficult to do for the NBA.
The last 15 or so years of NBA coverage/discussions have been shambolic.
He’s basically Magic 2.0
What? Magic was basically all personality and zero insight. Got a feeling you're trolling lol
Most guys would be
They may have charisma on the court but that doesn't always translate to a broadcast table/booth
That’s true but he’d do well as an analytical YouTuber for people who just want the knowledge without the entertainment stuff being the focus
Defenses actually got a lot better, it's just that offense got even better than that.
Ant said it best. Thunder defense looked like 5 puppets in a string.
You can say what you want about physicality and fouling. Watch the tape and see them rotate. It’s incredibly fast and sharp.
Our natural coverage when a guy is compromised and him naturally falling back to defend someone else on the floor, you have to beat 2, 3, or even 4 defenders in a row to get a good shot. You can't just beat your guy. It's incredible to watch.
when you're fouling players, you're slowing them down and also taking time off the clock to recover. It absolutely impacts the game significantly when you're able to foul the shit out of players and not get called for it
They were so disgustingly good this year even outside of the uncalled fouls. Nearly a perfect defensive system