The Ringer NBA Show - Step or Stomp? Plus, Embiid Destroys the Nets' Margin for Error | The Answer

Episode Date: April 18, 2023

Seerat and Michael get together to share their collective shock at witnessing the Sacramento Kings take a 2-0 lead over the Golden State Warriors in their first-round series. They dissect the Draymond Green stomp on Domantas Sabonis, marvel at De’Aaron Fox’s performance down the stretch of the game, and discuss the adjustments Steve Kerr should make going forward (4:05). Next, they break down the 76ers' victory over the Nets and conclude that Joel Embiid’s talent and skill set may be too much for Brooklyn to overcome (28:45). Hosts: Seerat Sohi and Michael Pina Associate Producer: Chris Sutton Production Supervision: Benjamin Cruz and Conor Nevins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mac Jones is ripped. Matt Patricia's calling plays. The Celtics are title favorites. And The Ringer has a new Boston show. I'm Brian Barrett, host of Off the Pike, the show covering all things Boston sports. I'll have shows multiple times a week covering your favorite teams and with your favorite ringer and local guests. Plus, maybe Bill will stop by to rant about the socks. Follow off the pike with me, Brian Barrett now on Spotify.

And welcome to a special Monday Night edition of The Ringer. I'm Sir Rih Zohie. I'm here with Michael Pina. And my God, the Sacramento Kings lighting the beam twice, twice in one playoff series, did not see that coming up to O against the Golden State Warriors. We're going to get into this right away. One of the single worst performances I've seen from the Warriors, kind of par for the course for this season, though. A lot to get into, Mike. What did you think?

I'm just, I'm processing my initial shock right now. I'm just a little flabbergasted by this game. Shock is a terrific word for it. processing another great way I don't even know where to begin I'm stunned

that they lost this game it was there for there was like a typical quintessential warriors have the kings

where they want them they were down three with like three minutes to go I just expected Steph Curry and Clay Thompson

hit two huge threes they tied the game Draymond was ejected it just the vibes felt like the warriors

were going to win. They just had to win. This was the type of game that they always have won throughout their entire dynastic run. And, I mean, for them to lose, I just don't even know what NBA is this? What world is this? The Sacramento Kings are up to nothing in a playoff series against the Golden State Warriors.

I don't even know what to make of it. Maybe we should have seen this coming. Maybe we should have taken the fact that they have the higher seat and the Warriors have basically been struggling to play 500 basketball all season, especially on the road. Maybe we should have taken that as a hint. But it's, you know, we, it's hard because I think we go down hard with the dynasties, right?

It's hard to see when it's just like they haven't flipped the switch and when things are really changing. I think let's talk about the third quarter. I think the third quarter is when things really, really fell apart for the Warriors. we start with just an incredible just succession of and now yeah obviously I'd say succession right now of fouls you get basically I think we have we have three fouls in a row uh draymond green picks up his fourth foul foul fouls on a three I think that's a point where I was like oh this is really bad for them one of the one of the worst fouls of his whole career honestly honestly and then We haven't even got to the one that ended up kicking him out of the game.

But then Steve Kerr checks Moses Moody into the game, which at that point, you kind of know they're in trouble because they're just trying stuff. And then Looney gets his arm caught up with Sabonis. They call him for his fifth. And honestly, they could have called him for his fifth foul. I think a lot earlier in that game. I think the scars on DeModis Sabonis will attest to that. But it was just, it was a brutal, brutal start. We have like a Wiggins travel.

It was kind of like the stretch of the game as well. They just get off four turnovers in a row. And yeah, then they spend basically like the next 10 minutes of the quarter in foul trouble and in the bonus. They get into the bonus with 1018 left in the third quarter. I don't think I've ever seen that before. Have you? I can't recall five personal fouls in like under two. and it's just incredible stuff.

A lot of guys were in foul trouble. Looney was in foul trouble. Dremond, obviously. I'm kind of, should we start with, or I guess just pick up with the stomp? I don't even know what it was the biggest play of the game. Maybe that wasn't it. That's definitely the play that people are going to be talking about the most. Dremont was ejected from the game when I guess there's already developing a polarizing point of view on this where Sabonis is laying on the ground.

and clearly holds Draymond's leg, which is not a basketball move at all. And he was called for a flagrant foul for it. And Drayman responded by stomping on his chest. So like, what's going through your head when this play unfolds? And did you anticipate Draymond getting ejected? Just what were you thinking there? Can I just say that the whole thing felt like an accident?

You know, I just... Maybe. I just didn't read a lot of intention into that. you know, like Sabonis was on the floor. He's spent most of the game on the floor. He's got his arms wrapped around Draymond's legs, but it also just kind of feels like that's where he landed. And he was like, he was like, you know, just,

it was like Draymond's legs were just like the only port in the storm left for him. Like he just, he was like a baby. He needed to hang on to something. It just felt like a very carnal child's response in a way. And then Draymond, I don't think Draymond meant to, step on him, you know, like it looked actually originally, like, Dremontas was under him and was like, oh, shit, he's under me. Let me not do anything to hurt the guy, right? But he gets his leg grabbed and, you know, bodies do things. Bodies do things. What did you think? What is you? You're laughing,

so. No, I mean, I just, I immediately thought back to Louis Scola. I don't even know when that was him getting stomped. And I actually don't even remember who stomped on Louis Scola. Maybe Louis Scola was doing the stomping. I honestly can't even remember, but that's the first thing that flashed through my head. I, you know, Jim Jackson said on the broadcast that it was intentional right away, which kind of caught me off guard. I don't recall a color commentator saying that about a player. You know, I wouldn't be surprised if he was trying to step on his chest there, disloging his leg from Subonis's grasp and, you know, had to push him. himself up and into freedom. But yeah, it's Dremont Green. Like, it's not like this is the first

time we've been to this rodeo with him. This feels a little bit like confirmation buyers? It could be. It could be. 100%. But yeah, gets ejected. I kind of anticipated him getting injected. I tweeted the second that it happened that he was going to get ejected. That's just seemed like the logical next step there. Um, but yeah, I mean, but I, I guess we're, we're going to have to agree to disagree on that one. But like, where, where do we go? My brain is so frazzled right now. Like, where do we go from that flagrant foul and that ejection in this game?

Like, who is the hero? Deerrin Fox was amazing down the stretch. They just could not stop him. Every time Andrew Wiggins or Gary Payton the second was on the bench when Fox was in the court, I just, I'm screaming at Steve Kerr on my couch. Like, what is what is happening? Like, one of those guys has to be on the court when Deerun Fax is on the court. He was just amazing.

Yeah, and it shouldn't be Andrew Wiggins. Like, Wiggins can't guard him. I don't know who alive. I don't know who alive can guard Deer and Fox right now. I mean, he's just an absolute blur. The floaters going. He had the huge spot up three with under two minutes to go, kind of a dagger. I mean, he's just playing fear.

list basketball right now. And I just, I don't, I don't recall anyone like performing against the Golden State Warriors like he has in these first two games, which by the way, are his first two playoff games of his entire career. Like,

I don't even know what to say about him. He's just been an absolute monster. Oh, he's obviously been waiting a long time for this moment. That's, there's no question about that. But yeah, look, in the regular season, you know, Deere and Fox, 46 actions against Wiggins, scored 1.167 or generated 1.167 points per possession. And that went up in game one. It was 1.375.

I think Gary Payton is the only guy on this team that has even a shot at guarding him. And I think Gary Payton, if you make that his only mission in life, I think that, you know, going into game three, this can look like a different series for the Warriors. But, you know, at the same time, like there's a reason that Darren Fox was, is probably going to win clutch player of the year. He should win it. He's just impossible. Oh, he's going to win. He's absolutely going to win. He's absolutely going to win. Uh, but he hits, he hits shots that are just really difficult to account for. You know, like there is just like the, the mid range accuracy, but also just his floaters. Like he shoots over 50% on his voters. I think it's probably about time that the warriors get,

you know, smart to that. I think Kavanaughn looney should have been going, being like way, way, way higher on those pick and rolls, like probably after the first half in game one. The fact that it's game, it was, you know, game two. and that hadn't happened yet was an issue. And then, you know, I also really feel like by the fourth quarter, especially on offense by the time that the Warriors started to figure out what they need to do, they were just, they were just without the guys that they needed too, you know?

Really sloppy game from the Golden State Warriors, which has kind of been their MO all season. Just a ton of terribly timed turnovers, a ton of missed boxouts. At one point, I tweeted this, but the Kings were grabbing like 40. 38% of their, like, their offensive rebound rate was 47.9% with like two minutes to go in the third quarter. That's good, right?

That's pretty good. Yeah. Just like unheard of stuff. And I understand that everyone was in foul trouble for the Warriors. But like, box someone out, please. Like, Gary Payton the second had a tip in down the stretch. Moses Moody had a put back. Those were huge plays. But Wiggins has just been. Like only one offensive rebound tonight. That's kind of been his calling card. It was his calling card in last year's postseason and kind of needs to be for this team to be successful, creating second chance opportunities, but only four defensive rebounds for him. And I don't know, like the Kings, I feel like they should have won this game by like 25 points.

Like shot the ball terribly from behind the three point line. Kevin Herder couldn't make anything for a decent stretch. We just lauded Deerrin Fox and he finished two for ten behind the three point line. The team shot 9 for 38, 23.7%. My goodness. Barnes O for four.

Right. So like they were attacking. They were getting downhill. They were finishing at the basket. They were obviously drawing fouls. But just they dominated the possession game like nobody's business. And when you watch that unfold, sometimes it was not reflected with the scoreboard, but they just couldn't hit shots.

And so if I'm Golden State, I don't know how I feel going into game three. I don't know if I should feel confident. I don't know if I should feel like the series. I know they're not feeling like the series is over because they're the Warriors. They have a ton of pride. What are you thinking right now down for the Warriors down O2? Like is this is this it right now for them?

No. So the only warrior, So the worry that came in highest in rebounds was Kavana Luni. He had seven, which that's just bad. That's horrible, especially when you, after game one, you know that's the emphasis. I was listening to Draymond's podcast this morning. He talks about how that's the emphasis. You know, I like to do my homework, Mike.

I'm impressed, honestly. They go in and they know that this is what they're supposed to be doing. And, you know, I have to go back and watch, but it really felt like a lot of, especially Sabonis's boxouts, his rebounds, his tips were not boxing out. You know, just straight up, not boxing out. Like, and that is just, you know, execution-wise, that's just pretty disappointing from a team that after a loss historically has bounced back really, really well.

I think this is one of the best teams tactically at bouncing back from a loss, which is part of the reason I'm not going to, you know, not going to count them out. And they're going back home, which is, I mean, evidently just a bus ride, which is nice for an older team too. But on that note, I kind of wonder if they need to just change, change tactics altogether. Like one of the things that I feel like the Warriors have to be realizing from this is just what the rest of the league is known for a really long time, which is that it's really hard to play against his team like the Warriors. And they haven't really had to deal with a team that can kind of cause the same problems that they cause. You know what I mean?

Yeah, absolutely. Keeping them out of transition. I mean, in the second half for the second straight game, Sacramento was just running off. makes and misses and got a ton of really great looks, thought they were super aggressive in the open floor. I'm just looking at like the minutes for Golden State right now and who played when and like Dante DiVincenzo 13 minutes. Jordan Poole, 15 minutes.

Jordan Poole was, you know, just terrible again. It was really tough, tough 15 minutes for my guy. Just not, not good. Kaminga came in and just got dusted. like three times by Daron Fox and then four minutes of playing time that's it for him. So I feel like it's,

you mentioned Moody earlier and he played basically because of Dramon picking up that fourth foul early in the in the second half. I just don't know where you turn. And maybe that's like you said at the top, we should have seen this coming. Like this is this roster.

And I don't know. Like Steph could have obviously shot the ball better today, three for 13 from my three point line that's not a step curry game i thought he closed really well particularly inside the arc but i don't know like they they have to win a game in sacramento to win the series obviously i don't i don't know if they can i i'm not like is i kind of been feeling like the series is over and that the sacramento kings are just straight up a better basketball team and coming into the playoffs i you know i pick warriors and six

primarily because, I mean, it's the Warriors, but also Sacramento's defense was like atrocious all season long. And it's not like their defense has been amazing, but their ability to just create second chance opportunities on the offensive glass as like totally turn the tides in the series. The NBA playoffs are here and you can turn crossovers into cash with Fandool. Just visit Fandual.com slash ringer NBA right now and place a $5 bet and you'll be. an instant 150 bucks in bonus bets win or lose. The bucks are favored by nine against a heat tomorrow, and with Yanisanta Tukuobo's status still in question, we still don't really know what version of we're going to get it. That just feels a little high to me. I'd probably take the heat on that, even if the bucks win, I feel like nine is just a little high there. So there's no better place

to bet all the playoff action than America's number one sportsbook. Just go to fanduo.com slash ringer NBA and sign up to get $150 in bonus bets when you bet your first five bucks. Banduel, official sports betting partner of the NBA. Disclaimer, 21 plus and present in select states. First online real money wager only. $10 deposit required. Refund issued is non-withdrawable bonus bets that expire in 14 days. Restrictions apply.

Seafold terms at vanduel.com slash sportsbook. Gambling problem, call 1-800 gambler. Hope is here. Gambling helpline, MA.org, or call 800-327-50 for 24-7 support in Massachusetts. Call 18778 Hope N.Y or text Hope NY at 467-369 in New York. Fanduel is offering online sports wagering in Kansas under an agreement with Kansas Star Casino LLC. Call 1-800 gambler or visit Fanduel.com slash RG in Colorado, Iowa, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Tennessee, and Virginia. 1-800 next step or text next step to 533442 in Arizona, 1-8-889-7777, or visit CTPG.

org slash chat in Connecticut, 1,8009 with it in Indiana, 1,800, 522 470470, or visit KSgamblinghelp.com in Kansas, 1877770. Stop in Louisiana, visit www.mdblinghelp.org in Maryland, 1,800, 522470 in Wyoming, or visit www.1800 gambler.net in West Virginia. You know, it's not like Sacramento's defense has been amazing, but I also feel like the Warriors aren't really punishing them where they're. should be punishing them. And maybe this is part of the pathway into the warriors turning this into a series.

But for all the things that Sacramento was bad at on defense, they're one of the better handoff teams defending the handoff. They've got a lot of quake guards. They're just super slithery. Davion Mitchell exists. Oh, my God. He was amazing. Like, just a ridiculous performance from him.

Yeah. Yeah. It's two games in a row of really good defense on Steph, too. And we have had many a playoff series where we have credited a defender for their good defense on Steph only to watch Steph completely dust them. So it is a little early to say that. But I do feel like, you know, because of his strength, because of his quickness, he's just, he has an ability to bother Steph in a way that a lot of other guys don't. And that's, that's one of the big reasons that they've been able to be up in this series. But I also, you know, I look at that fourth quarter.

you mentioned that Steph was really good closing. A certain point, I think about three minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Kings start blitzing Steph, but you no longer have Dramon Green on the court. And, you know, it just doesn't go that well without Draman Green on the court, right? Like, they need that release valve. And I wonder if the method going into game three is just like full metal stuff, you know, just let him isolate, let him.

isolate, let him, you know, if they aren't going to blitz, or even if they are going to blitz, let Draymond play four on three. Just run a lot of pick and roll. Like, kind of just let him do his thing, because I feel like that's the place where you can catch the Kings and make them a little vulnerable. It's also a good way to try to get Sabonis into foul trouble. And that solves kind of some of your issues on the other end, because this was just like, man, talk about a tale of two games for subonis, right? Like just after struggling in game one, he's historically. struggled against Looney and Draymond, just completely turning around to the point where now he has those guys in foul trouble. So maybe there's a way to kind of reverse course on that.

But overall, like, I just kind of feel like the Warriors can't play their regular game against the Kings. I felt like that after game one. I wondered if they'd switch things up after game two and they, or during game two, and they just kind of haven't. They played the way that they usually play. And I almost feel like, okay, you got to solve the offensive rebounding issue. You might want to change your rotation to do that. And let's get more Gary Payton in there. Let's get him, you know, pretty much in all the minutes, all the minutes at the Aaron Fox is playing.

No one else can defend him. And, you know, just sacrifice some of that zip because that's like the thing is when you do that, you're just feeding into what the kings are really good at. And I think if you try to bog this down, then the warriors, while they don't love to play that way, I think they have an advantage over the kings in that. guard like their half court offense in game one the kings generated 94.9 points per possession in half court in game one and and golden state had 112 now those numbers have evened out a little bit in game two but i think game one is probably a good indication for how things would go uh not to say i mean

obviously the kings have an incredible half core offense but um i just think the warriors would have a lot more luck in a game that was just a little bit more tactical, I guess. Do you think that the Warriors should start Gary Payton the second? And if so, I mean, the guy who's going to the bench is Kavanaugh-Luny. You're putting Dramon at the five. You're having Dramon guards, a bonus from the jump. You're putting GP2 on Fox. And then you're kind of letting the matchups filter from there.

Curry can be on Kegan Murray, whoever. Um, like, is that, do you think that that is what they should do here? Or they, like, you just can't sacrifice the glass any more so than you already have. And Looney is just so critical on the offensive glass in particular. But I mean, his defense on Subonis has been like really good. I mean, you could some of these fouls here and there like pretty hit or miss. I'm not going to say some of the words. I'm just thinking of like a couple in my head.

They were just like, like, Kavan Looney is never expressive. And he was getting in his feelings for some of these whistles in a way that I was like, I was probably a bad call. He was kind of stone fans, actually. Yeah. Yeah. So, like, do you think they will make a, I mean, Steve Kerr is known, especially with their backs are against the wall.

He is known to shift the, his rotations and changes starting five. I could see that happening. I really could. I definitely could too. I think my only question on the curb point is that these changes that we're talking about would necessitate them getting away from a style of basketball that he loves. So that just becomes a question to me. But I mean, it's obvious that we need some level of change.

We also just got a tweet from Woj saying that Sabonis is undergoing x-rays on his ribs slash lungs, getting evaluated after Draymond Green stepped on him in game two. And there are a lot of people in the comments correcting Woj, letting him know that the correct term is actually stomped. That's so good. Yeah. It's kind of a bummer that that's going to be all that everyone's talking about when like the basketball in this series is honestly,

I can't believe this is a first round series. I'm so hyped. I love watching every possession of this matchup. And the fact that that's all everyone's going to talk about for the next two days or whatever game three is, kind of stinks, is what it is, I guess. But no, I think that, like, going back to just like the lineup change,

there was one play down the stretch where, after Draymond got ejected, Looney comes up to sit the pick, the screen for Steph. They blitz it, as you said. Steph gives it to Looney. And Gary Payton the second is in the dunker spot. And it's just like the floor is just so cramped.

Like every king was in the paint. They kick out to, I think, Clay in the strong side corner. You can't do anything with it. Like I feel like, like Gary Payton hit a couple corner threes tonight. and he had some big ones in the finals last year. No one guards him. And I do wonder, like, playing Draymond and GP2 for big minutes could be a little tricky. They've made that work offensively before, and it's definitely a boon for them defensively.

So I just don't know. I'm just, like, kind of struggling to, like, maybe they just play better. Maybe they just hit more shots. Maybe they just clean up some issues on the glass, foul less, et cetera, and they're fine, and they win the next two. go back to Sacramento and all the pressures on the Kings to win in front of their home fans. But I don't know, I could totally see Sacramento winning one of these next two games. And then I guess that could be a wrap for the Golden State Warriors. I mean, that's a thing with Sacramento too, right?

Like they are just such an explosive team that, you know, you can come up with a great game plan and you really don't know what's going to happen. I feel like I'd rather see Peyton with the starters because I think he plays really well off. of them, the more space you can create around him, the more that he can kind of get points in the paint. If you have him with someone like Draymond, that's great because Draymond is going to see every passing angle that there is and he's going to notice cutters. And I would just say that there's members of the Golden State bench that aren't necessarily as good at doing that. And I think like when you look at the bench scoring discrepancy in this, in this series so far is like, you know, I think Jordan Poole has just got to be taken a hard look in the mirror right now.

But he's just got to be a lot better, you know. Like Malik Monk is looking around like out of the real Jordan pool. Like that's and that's really what he's been for this entire series so far. So that's that's another end of it too. Like the bench overall is just way outplaying. I know Alex Lenn was not quite the revelation that he was in game one, but just the fact that he could give them eight minutes was pretty huge. And, you know, Tray Liles again, not what he was,

but just being able to, you know, be be on the floor. And, you know, Kerr with his rotation. I don't know. We'll as we'll see what happens. Kaminga got like four minutes out there too. So I don't know. Alex Lenn plus seven. Just God level stuff from him again.

I don't know what is happening. But this series is just so wild. We all talked about in the preseason how like, you know, Alex Lenn was going to be the reason that the Golden State Warriors dynasty ended. No, I actually pitched a 2000 word feature on him coming to the playoffs. But my editor just didn't, didn't think it was a great idea, unfortunately. Once again, just thwarted by Matt Dollinger.

I... Should Jordan Pool just be taken out of the rotation, or am I being too harsh? Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. This is a Jordan Pool friendly house here. I'm not sure if you know this. I'm sticking with my boy. You know, I've got patience.

It's been a tough year for him, but, you know, it's... That's been a tough year. It's been a tough year. Bodies do things is my analysis of... Eddie, do you have any more parting thoughts on this series before we move on to the other game today? No, it's just, it's a blast. I just, I cannot wait for game three. I can't wait to see the fight that the warriors, I could see the warriors blowing them out.

I could see the warriors, I don't want to say fold, but I could see Sacramento really bringing it to them. I think Sabonis and Fox have just been, or at least tonight, They just have a lot of metal and a lot of confidence. And how will Monk? How will the bench play on the road is a question that I also want to see. Like, I know it's a Jordan Pool safe zone, I suppose. But like Malik Monk deserves Jordan Pool's contract and Jordan Pool deserves a vetman. I'm just going to throw that out there.

But those are basically my last thoughts on this series on Game 2. I just can't wait to watch the rest of it unfold. It's amazing. I think, I think Draymond Green could have like an all-time game. He was kind of abbing himself up for it. He was hyped.

He was, it felt like he knew, it felt like he knew before the call came that he was going to be ejected. So like, let me just make the most of this moment and just get into it with the crowd. He was, yeah, I wish,

you know, mic'd up. Mike's up is never on the right guy. I don't want a mic'd up for whatever Draymond Green was saying when he walked back to the bench after stomping on, or stepping or,

stomping. I don't know. It depends which team you're rooting for on Subonis. Yeah, I'm looking at my television right now and they're replaying the step slash stop over and over again. And it just, it looks worse every time I see it. I got to be honest with you. That's, that's a shame. We had you on the answer a couple weeks ago. And we were talking about the Sixers, actually. We were talking about Embedd. You wrote a great article about Embedde and his tendency to shoot over triple teams and, you know, just his overall decision making when he's being doubled. You had some, you had some great stats on that that I think now everybody else is starting to use. Just, just the trendsetter that you are.

But basically, you know, if Embedd passes out of the post, it is wildly more efficient than when he shoots over defenders, even when he's double teamed, even though he is incredibly efficient at doing that, even though that is still a very useful skill to have. and I imagine it'll be useful skill to have as the playoffs go on. But two games now, aside from a couple moments in the first half of this game, did you picture Mbid's decision-making being as perfect as it's been? He's been good. He's been really good. I wrote about this today on the ringer.com about how I liked Brooklyn. defense of strategy in game one.

I thought it made a lot of sense. I thought they executed it really well. Really limited Joel to relatively pedestrian numbers for him. I think he only made seven baskets in game one. He made six baskets in game two. Eight turnovers. I know two were really late. But the secondary assists, the swing, swing, swing threes,

the kicks to Tyrese maxi and letting him him get downhill and like whenever Tyrese maxi gets his next contract, 25% of it should go to Joelle Embed. I think Tyreys Maxi is really talented. But if you just watch how defenses guard the Sixers, like this guy gets wide open threes, wide open gaps to drive. He's so fast. He gets downhill.

Great finisher at the rim. He was just cooking tonight. And that's all really Embed, honestly. and I thought it was decision-making out of the double team super patient. Yeah, he was picking them apart. And it's like the Nets, I feel so bad for them because they execute really well. And they have, I think, like a smart game plan. But like the Marcheon Forever is just like non-existent.

And when you don't, what they shoot like, I don't even know what they shoot. What did they shoot from the three point line? I think they ended up having a bad shooting night. They shot 31% from 3. You have to hit threes. You have to defensive rebound, which is really difficult when you're scrambling around and double teaming Joelle and Bede.

And then when he kicks it up and you're scrambling to try to close out on a shooter, like that dude's just going to crash the offensive glass and no one can box him out. So, yeah, like the margin forever for them is just so, it's tight. It's an eyelash. it is. It's negative. You know, like they,

they just, they can't make any mistakes. And even if they do, even if, like you said, they've executed reasonably well. I think going into this series, the only sort of tenable

scenario for them was to double and beat. Nick Claxton, who, I mean, in any other series, I feel like he could shine defensively. And we'd be talking about him. But this is a really bad matchup for him.

He gave, He gave up 1.4 points per direct action or post up against Embed in the regular season this year. And I don't feel like it's been in the playoffs. It's just like it's a lie. It's a lot. I hate it for him. You know, it's just a bad matchup for him. You have to double him.

And Claxton, by the way, is your best defender on him. Probably your second best defender would have been Ben Simmons. And after that, it's Dayron Sharp who is 6'9. Like, it's just not, the nets are not a big team. So they had to use this strategy. and I think it was a right strategy given, you know, things that, like what you wrote about MB,

just the way that his decision-making tends to be to take that mid-range shot. The numbers say that that would be a W for them. But instead, Mbid has just, I mean, like, there hasn't been a defensive coverage that he hasn't picked apart in this series, right? Like, whether it's like the Spencer Dinwiddie coming over from, you know, from usually time actually,

actually, to your point. And trying to rush him, At this point, I'm like, does Embed, does Embed have eyes behind his head? Because every time Spencer is about to rush him, I feel like he sees it and he prevents a turnover from happening. He surveys the court. He stands his ground. And he either finds the past before the past or he like makes a kick to the corner to an open guy. And then on the other end, like that third quarter for the Sixers, they start off horrible.

Doc calls a timeout within a minute. Then they come out. They start playing defense again. And they also just start making. these incredible passes. They start sharing the ball. PJ Tucker, who was not having a great night, he pump fakes and hits Tobias for a layup. And this is two games now where I feel like PJ has done a really good job of making sure that he finds a way to be effective, even if his shot isn't necessarily falling, like the first game, he was just crashing the boards really hard. And this game,

like the amount of the amount of off ball screens he was setting on the baseline to open up shooters, like pretty much every single time. And Bede got doubled. He was there screening for an open shooter just giving the sixers an extra second to swing the ball into the corner. And they didn't shoot that well in the first half. The shot started falling in the second half. This is the, this is the best three point shooting team, the league, by percentage. So that's, they obviously aren't going to shoot like the shot in game one every game. But, you know, them hitting shots is, is going to be something that we're going to see. So if Embed keeps making decisions like this, and I don't know, they're just kind of toasted. Yeah, I looked this up while you were

while you were talking and the Sixers had their fourth highest shot quality of the entire season tonight. So the looks were tremendous. The Brooklyn Nets had their fourth worst shot quality performance of the season tonight. And Spencer Dinwiddie was just having a real rough one with his decision making. Not great. I thought, you know, this is a little random, but I just want to say like, I'm not a, a Tobias Harris fan. Not really, I don't really like a lot of his game.

I think he's ill-suited for his role. I've just been really impressed with how he's played in the series. He's done exactly what you need from someone in that position, just crashing the offensive glass being super physical, limiting the ISO jumpers. He actually took two tonight, and I cringe every time he does. He made one of them, so congratulations there. But hit open shots.

crash the offensive glass, create second chance opportunities. That should be his role. He should be like a more talented PJ Tucker on this team. And if he can do that going forward, it just kind of changes the dimensions for them on the offensive end and how effective they can be. Because I know we've been talking like all this entire time about how the nets have defended and B'd, but like Philly's defense also.

just like destroyed the Nets tonight and the Nets really couldn't get anything. And like besides Cam Johnson, just turning into a volcano in the first half, just a rough one from Brooklyn. And Philly's defense was really impressive. Joelle M. Bede was really impressive. I thought protecting the rim, his mobility was tremendous, up to touch on McElbridge's DHO's and contesting and taking those away also. yeah like is this series over sir do we is like

I feel like this is just the most interclimactic series right now maybe besides Boston and Atlanta yeah it's not only is it you know Philly's a much better team they also just they win the matchup battle and then that's just the Nets aren't very talented

you know they just don't have enough they played when you talk about their shot quality they played an all wing lineup for so much of or the small ball lineup for so much of this game that put multiple shooters on the floor and still they could get nothing going. Still, I mean, I don't know what it is with Joe Harris and shooting in the playoffs, but that being bad is still a thing. Yeah, Joe. McHale struggled from the field.

He, they've, you know, I feel like after that second half and after that first half in game one, they've just figured out a way to contain McHale. And I think I was pleasantly surprised by McHale's playmaking. I think that, you know, I think you wrote something along the long. lines of him being able to basically just make progress on that learning curve. It's going to decide whether or not this is a serious. But in reality, like, nobody else could make shots. Like, there was, he made a great past and Nick Claxton at one point. And Claxton just bumped into George Nyang and lost a ball.

And like, look, George Nyang is not the type of guy that you should be bumping into and losing the ball. This isn't a Kavon Looney, Draymond Green, green situation with, uh, with Nyang there. So yeah, they just, they just don't have a lot going. for them right now in this series and I just don't I don't see a way out I think probably the best coverage was them going really small

and fronting and Bede yeah and then kind of making somebody else make a play not getting the ball into the post to him I think though like I don't know I think Philly will analyze the tape and James Harden will realize that he has to drive the ball to the rim a little bit more

I think if there is something interesting to pivot to here I think watching this series has made me a little bit concerned for Philly down the line. Harden from, you know, anywhere that isn't a three-point line has been a concern. He has not been able to get around Cam Johnson or Bridges. Not to say that those are easy guys to get around, but he also hasn't really been able to get around Doran Phine Smith. And, you know, the guy's waiting for him in the second round, presumably. Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum and Derek White and Marcus Smart.

And that's just going to be, I'm just going to take a guess and say that it's going to be harder. It probably will be harder. Yeah. Three for 13 tonight for James Hardin, five turnovers. Just doesn't look. I mean, he had the Achilles thing, the foot thing at the end of the season after playing like 47 minutes and a loss against the Chicago Bulls in March. And it just hasn't looked great. Doesn't look explosive.

Can't really get downhill with any lift whatsoever. You know, when he hunts Joe Harris, when he hunts any Seth Curry looks okay. But like you said, going forward, like going up against more capable defenses that don't have weak spots, it's just going to be really tough for him. And maybe you don't need Harden to be, you know, this ISO machine to make a finals run. But I think, like, you even saw in the, the last time that the Sixers played the Celtics

when Embed had that, like, 52-point explosion, like towards the end of that game, they were trying to get hardened to try to finish over the top and we're basically giving him driving lanes. And you're going to see a lot of that in that series. I know we're getting ahead of herself a little bit, even though that just seems like such a likely matchup. But I don't know.

Like, will the Celtics just switch and double and kind of muck things up as the Nets have done defensively, but not as aggressively? And then just force Hardin to be more locked in as a score in the series. It'll be really interesting. I haven't really given that series that match up too much to that. But I don't know. I feel like the Nets can maybe win, steal game three or four. or if the Sixers just go cold and Cam and McCale and Spencer Dinwiddie and Royce O'Neill doesn't go two for 11. They hit their outside shots.

They take care of the glass. Could win one, maybe, we'll see. But like we said earlier, like the margin is just so slim. Joel is just so dominant. If you don't double on the positions where they don't double him, it's just like it's an automatic bucket at the rim or he draws a foul. every single time. So I totally understand the strategy.

It's just you're at the mercy of the number one three-point shooting team in the league when you do that. Yeah, I think, I mean, I think if they want to steal a game, they have to get Spencer going somehow. And I think they tried to do that at the start of this game. But the way that it happened was trying to get him post-ups on Tyrese maxi, which, I mean, if you looked at the, if you looked at how that went in game one, it makes a little bit of sense. Maxi, you know, I think he fouled him a couple times. he's just smaller than him. He's not as, I mean, he's young. But Max, he did a much better job on Spencer.

He had, like, probably one of his best games, you know, ever. Like, if you look at it two-way, right? Because that was kind of just a question with him as well. And I think it will still be a question going forward. But him being able to handle Spencer early, I think that really just got the nets out of a groove, like, immediately. Because it was like, why are we opening the game with these Spencer-Dinwitty isolations? I mean, it's like you look at the roster and besides Bridges, who's tremendous, but I think a little limited as a playmaker, even though I thought he made some pretty good passes and nice reads tonight.

It's just like, where else do you go besides Dinwiddie? He's your primary ball handler. And down the stretch of the season, like, he was dimming people up. He was driving, kicking. he was, I think he had like the second most quarter three assists after the All-Star break. Like just really, nobody fact-checked me on that. It's 135 a.m. where I am, but I'm going to just say that that's a true statement.

And like, the roster is just so limited in terms of who can create plays off the bounds for others. Like, Dorian Finney Smith, God bless him. Like, when he drives a Joel Embed close out, I don't know what's going to happen. Probably not something great. Not a pass for the most part. It's, you know, it is what this roster is. Like they traded Kevin Duran and Kyrie Irving and they got back spare parts, talented pieces, but spare parts.

And I don't know. It's a transitionary kind of phase right now for this roster and this organization. It's tough. Like Spencer needs to be better, but he's kind of forced to do more than he's capable of, if that makes sense. This is very true. This is very true.

They just don't, I mean, I think looking towards their offseason, they're going to want to add some playmaking. And I think they're also one of these teams that have enough kind of gunners that if they do add some playmaking, then everything else can fall into place. And it could be an interesting team next season.

But that is getting, getting way ahead of things. Do you have an over-under for how many lob passes are going to be a misconnection to Nick Claxton for the rest of the series? I swear, like, I've never seen anything like this. Like, Spencer Dinwiddie lobs to Nick Claxton are just, how many have hit the backboard and just missed his hands entirely? Like four? There's one in game one that wasn't even Spencer, but because Spencer threw so many, I think it just got in our minds.

It was, it's like all on him. There was a Dorian Finney Smith one, just to be accurate. But yes, yes. That's a tough one. They got to clean that up. You know, I thought that, I think I picked Sixers and Five, you know, it is what it is. Yeah. But I thought that the Nets would, I'm just, I'm not, I'm not, that's a lie.

I did not think the Nets would be super competitive in this series. Like, I think they would, I thought their offense would be a little bit more efficient than it was tonight. And that they would be able to hit some of the open shots, particularly Royce O'Neill had so many good looks. Um, that just wouldn't fall in the second half. But yeah, I guess, well, you. you know, the nets are, they're feisty and they're trying really hard and they're scrappy. And they remind me of what the Brooklyn Nets were the last time they played the Philadelphia 76ers in a playoff series when they had to DeAngelo Russell and a younger Spencer Dinwiddie and Jared Allen. Another Sixers series.

Exactly. Exactly. So it's just, it's, and they're just not as talented. So that's where we are. Yeah. With this matchup right now. Yeah. I thought that they would be able to beat them with speed a little bit more than they have. that is kind of the Sixers Achilles heel and it looked like in in the first half when you have all this action between Joe, yeah, they were running and you have a whole bunch of action

between like Joe Harris and Seth Curry and Cam Johnson and it seems like the Sixers just can't get out to the shooters and they have, you know, they also, the Sixers aren't the deepest team and they also do have, you know, they have some weaknesses in their perimeter defense that I thought that they'd be able to take more advantage of. but it feels like outside of Hardin,

who also put up a better effort today than he didn't game one, they just weren't able to exploit that. And I do think some of that is just shots missing. So maybe, like, that's the avenue towards a win, in my opinion. Like, that's, it's like a, it's a small lineup. You front embede, you run, and you hit a bunch of threes. But that's not really sustainable either. So yeah, do you have any more, any more thoughts on this series?

Have we ringed it dry? I think, I think so. I think we're beating a dead horse now. Sorry to the Brooklyn Nets. I just don't see the path to winning this one. I mean, it's still probably better than the Kyrie Arving Sega was. It sure is. It sure is.

All right. Well, Michael, thank you so much for joining. We are going to be coming at you guys pretty much every Monday night through the rest of the postseason. And, yeah, thank you. Thank you, Chris Sutton, for producing. Thanks everybody for listening. And Michael, I'll talk to you next week.