The Conference Finals | LeBron James and JJ Redick

Mind the Game: Full Episodes
22 May 202448:54

Summary

TLDRIn this episode of 'Mind the Game' with LeBron James and JJ Redick, they delve into a detailed analysis of the NBA Conference Finals, discussing the identity and role players' impact on team success. They break down basketball strategies like pick and roll coverages and advanced passes. The duo also shares insights on Bronny James' basketball journey and mindset, emphasizing the importance of living in the moment and carving out one's own path in the league. The conversation is a blend of technical basketball talk and personal anecdotes, offering fans a comprehensive look into the NBA playoffs and the evolving landscape of the sport.

Takeaways

  • 🎙️ The podcast 'Mind the Game' with LeBron James and JJ Redick discusses basketball strategies, player performances, and the latest happenings in the NBA.
  • 🏀 The hosts analyze specific basketball plays such as pick and roll coverages, emphasizing the importance of understanding defensive strategies like drop coverage and hedging.
  • 🌟 They highlight the impact of role players in the NBA playoffs, noting their significant contributions to team success, especially during the Conference Finals.
  • 👨‍👦 LeBron shares his perspective as a father on his son Bronny's basketball journey and the maturity he's shown in handling media attention and public scrutiny.
  • 🔍 The discussion delves into the importance of having a clear team identity, using the Boston Celtics' and Indiana Pacers' contrasting styles of play as examples.
  • 📊 Advanced statistics like fast break points and three-point shooting are discussed as key factors in the success of teams and players, with an emphasis on the pace of the game.
  • 🛡️ Defense is underscored as a crucial aspect of the game, with Minnesota and Dallas being noted for their strong defensive play and the impact it has on their offensive strategies.
  • 🤔 The podcast considers tactics for exploiting defensive strategies like hedging, particularly in the context of the Eastern Conference Finals matchups.
  • 🚫 The hosts touch on the challenges faced by young players with high expectations, using Caitlyn Clark's entry into the WNBA and the backlash she has faced as a case study.
  • 💪 The importance of mindset and resilience is highlighted, with LeBron reflecting on his early experiences in the NBA and the skepticism he faced from teammates and the media.

Q & A

  • What is the main topic of discussion in this episode of 'Mind the Game' with LeBron James and JJ Redick?

    -The main topic of discussion in this episode is the Conference Finals in the NBA, focusing on the identity of the four teams, the importance of role players in the NBA playoffs, and various basketball strategies and concepts.

  • What basketball concepts does LeBron James explain in the episode?

    -LeBron James explains concepts such as pick and roll coverages, drop coverage, up to touch coverage, blitz, soft blitz, hedging, and the advanced pass.

  • What is the significance of the advanced pass in basketball according to the discussion?

    -The advanced pass is significant because it flattens the defense, creates an early shift, and allows for the creation of mismatches and pace in the game.

  • How does the podcast episode describe the role of role players in the NBA playoffs?

    -The episode describes role players as crucial to a team's success in the playoffs, often having more impact than usual, and being essential in winning games beyond the star players.

  • What are some of the NBA players mentioned in the script who are known for their impact on winning plays?

    -Some of the players mentioned include Naz Reid, TJ McConnell, Derek White, Marcus Smart, and Davon Mitchell.

  • How does LeBron James describe his son Bronny's mindset and perspective at his age?

    -LeBron describes Bronny's mindset and perspective as remarkable for his age, highlighting his self-awareness, class, and ability to handle scrutiny with maturity.

  • What does JJ Redick appreciate about Bronny James's approach to his basketball career?

    -JJ Redick appreciates Bronny's ability to figure out his own place in the NBA, his winning mindset, and how he is carving out his own lane separate from his father's legacy.

  • What are the key differences between the Boston Celtics' and Indiana Pacers' playing styles as discussed in the episode?

    -The Boston Celtics are described as a team that emphasizes three-point shooting, space, and driving kicks, while the Indiana Pacers focus on playing in the paint, using the advanced pass to create pace and drive and kick opportunities.

  • How does the episode discuss the importance of exploiting mismatches in basketball?

    -The episode discusses exploiting mismatches through various strategies such as setting screens at different angles, using the advanced pass to create early shifts in the defense, and taking advantage of a hedge with slips into space.

  • What advice does LeBron James give to young players coming into the NBA, like Caitlyn Clark, facing animosity from others?

    -LeBron advises young players to keep their focus on their work, learn from veterans, and not get involved in negativity. He emphasizes the importance of having a good head on their shoulders and enjoying the journey.

Outlines

00:00

🏀 Basketball Concepts and Strategy Discussion

The paragraph introduces a basketball podcast episode featuring LeBron James and JJ Redick, discussing various basketball strategies and concepts. They delve into pick and roll coverages, explaining different defensive tactics such as drop coverage, up to touch, blitz, and hedging. They also discuss offensive actions like slippage past a hedge and driving away from a screen. The conversation aims to refresh listeners' understanding of these concepts, indicating that more in-depth explanations can be found in previous episodes.

05:00

👨‍👦 LeBron on His Son Bronny's Basketball Journey

This section focuses on LeBron James sharing his thoughts and feelings about his son, Bronny, attending a basketball combine in Chicago. LeBron expresses pride and admiration for Bronny's mindset and perspective at his young age. He discusses Bronny's aspirations to play in the NBA and acknowledges the remarkable nature of witnessing his child pursuing his dreams. The conversation also touches on Bronny's self-awareness and how he is carving his own path in the basketball world, separate from his father's legacy.

10:01

🏆 The Impact of Role Players in the NBA Playoffs

The discussion highlights the crucial role that role players have in the NBA playoffs. It emphasizes how these players, such as Naz Reid, PJ Washington, and TJ McConnell, contribute significantly to their team's success. The paragraph points out that while star players often take the spotlight, it is often the role players who make the difference in tight playoff games, showcasing their importance in winning plays and contributing to the team's overall performance.

15:02

🌟 The Importance of Team Identity and Role Acceptance

This part of the conversation stresses the importance of team identity and the acceptance of roles within a team. It discusses how each team in the NBA playoffs has its own distinct identity and how players understand and embrace their roles to contribute to the team's success. The paragraph also touches on how the regular season differs from the playoffs in terms of player contributions and the appreciation of role players' impact on the game.

20:04

🎯 Boston Celtics' Game Strategy and Identity

The paragraph delves into the playing style and identity of the Boston Celtics, particularly their emphasis on shooting threes, creating space, and utilizing mismatches to their advantage. The Celtics are described as a team with a clear identity, focusing on driving kicks, offensive rebounds, and early transition plays. Their strategy involves exploiting mismatches through flare and rip screens to get the ball to their star players in advantageous positions.

25:04

🔄 Indiana Pacers' Dynamic Offense and Pace

The discussion contrasts the Boston Celtics' style with that of the Indiana Pacers, who are characterized by their use of advanced passes and a concept-driven offense rather than set plays. The Pacers are praised for their ability to flatten the defense with early passes and their focus on scoring in the paint. The paragraph also mentions the Pacers' proficiency in drive and kick plays, highlighting their efficiency and the importance of identifying the right personnel to execute their game plan.

30:06

🛡️ Defense and Size as Keys to Success

This section discusses the commonalities between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Dallas Mavericks, focusing on their defensive prowess and the importance of size and length on the court. Both teams are known for their ability to create a smaller playing area due to their players' wingspan and defensive engagement. The paragraph explores how these attributes contribute to their success and the challenges they pose to opposing teams.

35:08

🚫 The Challenge of Facing Elite Shot Creators

The conversation turns to the challenge of defending against elite shot creators like Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic, who are adept at creating their own shots and those for their teammates. The paragraph discusses the need for teams to avoid double-teaming these players, as their passing abilities can lead to open shots for their teammates, which can be detrimental to the defending team's chances of winning.

40:12

💪 Overcoming Animosity and High Expectations

The final paragraph reflects on the experience of young players entering professional sports and facing animosity or high expectations. It recounts the speaker's personal experience of dealing with skepticism and hostility from teammates and opponents. The advice given is to stay focused, work hard, learn from veterans, and not get involved in negative distractions. The paragraph concludes with a message of support for young players like Caitlyn Clark and Bronny James, emphasizing the importance of enjoying the journey and proving doubters wrong.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Pick and Roll Coverages

Pick and roll coverages refer to the defensive strategies employed against an offensive play where a player sets a screen for the ball handler. In the video, different types of coverages such as 'drop coverage', 'up to touch', 'blitz', and 'hedging' are discussed. These concepts are fundamental to understanding the strategic depth of basketball defense, especially in the context of the NBA playoffs where role players can significantly impact the game through their execution of these strategies.

💡Drop Coverage

Drop coverage is a defensive tactic where the defender guarding the screener drops back towards the basket, allowing the ball handler to drive by but positioning themselves to protect the paint. It is mentioned in the script as a simple strategy that involves the defender sitting back and dropping towards the basket, which is a fundamental concept in basketball defense.

💡Up to Touch

Up to touch is another defensive strategy where the defender is positioned closely to the ball handler as they come off a screen, attempting to touch the ball and disrupt the dribbler's rhythm. This concept is brought up in the script to illustrate the different levels of defensive aggression compared to a 'blitz', which is more intense.

💡Blitz

A blitz in basketball is an aggressive defensive maneuver where the defender on the screener blitzes or doubles the ball handler as they come off a screen. The script mentions a 'soft blitz' as being interchangeable with 'up to touch', indicating variations in defensive intensity and the importance of adapting defensive strategies to the situation.

💡Hedging

Hedging is a defensive technique where the defender over the screen takes a more aggressive stance, attempting to redirect the ball handler around the screen rather than switching or dropping. The script discusses how hedging can create mismatches and opportunities for the screener to exploit, highlighting its strategic importance in modern basketball.

💡Role Players

Role players are essential team members who, while not always the stars, contribute significantly to the team's success through their specialized skills and abilities. The script emphasizes the importance of role players in the NBA playoffs, noting their impact on winning games and how they often determine the outcomes beyond the team's star players.

💡Advanced Pass

An advanced pass is a quick pass made after securing a defensive rebound to quickly transition from defense to offense, aiming to catch the opposing team off guard. The script discusses the strategic use of advanced passes by teams like Indiana to create pace and exploit defensive misalignments, showcasing its role in modern basketball strategy.

💡Pace

Pace refers to the speed at which a team plays, particularly in terms of moving the ball up the court and attempting to score. The script mentions how teams like Indiana use advanced passes and other strategies to play with pace, which can be a decisive factor in the fast-paced, high-intensity games of the NBA playoffs.

💡Bronny James

Bronny James, the son of LeBron James, is a young basketball player who has been garnering attention for his potential to enter the NBA. The script discusses his recent participation in a combine and the perspective he displayed, which stood out as remarkable for his age, indicating the high expectations and scrutiny faced by children of famous athletes.

💡Caitlyn Clark

Caitlyn Clark is a notable basketball player who has made significant contributions to her team and the WNBA. The script mentions the challenges she faces, such as the quick turnaround from college to professional games and the animosity directed towards her, which reflects the difficulties new players encounter as they enter the professional sports world.

Highlights

LeBron James and JJ Redick discuss the Conference Finals, emphasizing the importance of role players in the NBA playoffs.

The identity of the four teams in the Conference Finals is explored, highlighting their unique strategies and strengths.

LeBron shares his perspective on Bronny James' mindset and approach to the NBA combine, showcasing maturity beyond his years.

The concept of 'advanced pass' in basketball is explained as a strategy to create pace and catch the defense off guard.

LeBron and JJ analyze various pick and roll coverages, including drop coverage, up to touch, and hedging, and their impact on the game.

The importance of ball handlers who can drive away from screens is discussed, with LeBron reflecting on his experience with Dwyane Wade.

The podcast covers how teams like Indiana and Boston utilize their respective styles of play to dominate in the paint or beyond the arc.

LeBron expresses pride in Bronny's ability to handle scrutiny and social media attention with class and self-awareness.

The role of defensive intensity and size, particularly with teams like Minnesota and Dallas, is examined for their strategic advantages.

LeBron and JJ talk about the challenges faced by young players with high expectations, using Caitlyn Clark's experience as an example.

The impact of advanced passes on defensive positioning and the creation of mismatches is detailed.

LeBron discusses the animosity that young players sometimes face from their peers and how to navigate these challenges.

The podcast highlights the importance of role players in determining the outcome of playoff games, not just the stars.

LeBron and JJ analyze how teams like Boston Celtics use space and three-point shooting as part of their strategic identity.

The discussion touches on how the Indiana Pacers' concept-based plays create opportunities in the paint and beyond the arc.

LeBron reflects on the skepticism and doubt he faced from teammates early in his career and how he proved them wrong.

The podcast concludes with advice for young players entering the NBA, emphasizing hard work, learning from veterans, and staying focused.

Transcripts

00:00

are we like ready cuz JJ has a hard 45

00:02

minutes out Sound Speed it's probably

00:04

gonna dent a little bit but who

00:05

[Music]

00:08

cares it's like poking out like right

00:12

there yeah see like here and here

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exactly exactly where

00:16

recording oh well I made the Pod I'm

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trying to help

00:20

you you you haven't put me on your pod

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yet that all right you good Jason

00:33

[Music]

00:38

welcome to mind the game with LeBron

00:40

James and JJ reick brought to you by

00:42

uninterrupted and 342 Productions uh

00:45

this is episode 8 we discuss everything

00:49

about the Conference Finals in

00:51

particular uh we talk about the identity

00:54

of these four teams the importance of

00:57

role players in the NBA playoffs we have

01:00

a discussion on Caitlyn Clark we have a

01:02

discussion on bronny James um there's a

01:04

few technical things we talk about in

01:06

this episode a lot of this stuff we have

01:09

discussed before so you can always

01:11

reference previous intros and previous

01:14

episodes uh for any of the Lexicon that

01:16

we may discuss in this episode uh

01:19

there's a few things I want to just

01:20

break down real quick this will be quick

01:22

I promise you and this is just pick and

01:25

roll

01:27

coverages um this is more of a refresher

01:30

than anything ball handler here Defender

01:34

here screener

01:37

here Defender here all right drop

01:41

coverage drop coverage okay drop

01:44

coverage this Defender right here is

01:47

going to sit back sometimes in the paint

01:50

and play Drop coverage which just means

01:52

he's dropping towards the basket very

01:55

simple drop coverage uh I always say

01:58

this about

02:00

definitions of basketball Concepts a lot

02:03

of times it's just simply in the word so

02:08

up to touch is another coverage up to

02:10

touch means the defender is up to touch

02:15

as the ball hler comes off this is

02:17

different than a blitz which is more

02:20

aggressive there's also a soft Blitz

02:22

which is interchangeable with up to

02:24

touch the other concept we talk about a

02:28

bunch actually is hedging a lot of NBA

02:31

teams don't do this anymore but if you

02:34

are Target hunting if you are trying to

02:36

create a mismatch and get a switch a lot

02:38

of teams will do this we saw this a ton

02:42

in the Indiana New York series where

02:45

this offensive player with the ball is

02:46

Jaylen Brunson so I'm going to circle

02:48

him uh this offensive player could be

02:50

Josh Hart could be miles McBride they're

02:53

being guarded by Tyrese halberton right

02:55

here okay that is the defender a hedge

02:59

this SC trer is being set Jaylen

03:01

brunson's coming off Tyrese halberton is

03:04

actually going to get higher than the

03:06

level of the ball and he's going to try

03:08

to reroute Jaylen Brunson around him and

03:12

what that does is if Tyrese halberton is

03:15

here and Jaylen Brunson goes around this

03:17

screen is being set here we

03:20

go Jaylen brunson's defender in this

03:23

case Aaron n Smith let's say he can get

03:25

back in front of the ball what we talk

03:27

about in this episode is sort of

03:30

opportunities for the screener against

03:33

the Hedge to roll or slip into space so

03:39

again as this guy's coming off and

03:42

Tyrese halberton or whoever Hedges uh

03:45

the screener slipping into space and

03:47

you've now created that four on three

03:49

that we always talk about on the back

03:51

side if you have a great shooter uh as

03:55

as an example this was LeBron James on

03:57

the Lakers uh this is kcp this is LeBron

04:02

James kcp is going to set that pistol or

04:05

21 action that we had talked about in a

04:08

previous episode as LeBron's coming off

04:10

here

04:12

kcp his man is going

04:16

to hedge out and kcp is going to slip

04:21

into space I had to guard this action a

04:23

lot wasn't fun in Casp may have may or

04:27

may not have hit a couple threes on me

04:29

um the other thing we talk about is

04:30

driveways love driveways uh this is

04:33

Dwayne Wade over here here's his

04:36

Defender there is a

04:38

screener and as this guy comes to screen

04:42

remember Dwayne Wade in the auns in the

04:44

2000s early 2010 sometimes this was

04:47

still a hedge so we talk about the idea

04:50

of dribbling away or rejecting a screen

04:53

driving away in order to get away from

04:55

that second Defender so Dwayne Wade

04:57

would set it up with a little Jab step

05:00

and he'd get Baseline on that left side

05:02

almost impossible to

05:05

guard and the last concept which we're

05:08

going to do on this side of the board

05:10

because we need the full court is just

05:13

uh a very simple

05:16

concept it's intuitive in the name the

05:20

Advan pass this can happen on a make it

05:23

can happen on a Miss uh Nico yic gets a

05:27

defensive rebound here this is case CP

05:31

out there's Defenders back this is not

05:33

meant to necessarily lead to a layup or

05:37

an open shot but it's just a quick

05:39

Advanced pass to kcp the early shift of

05:42

the defense you guys will see this with

05:45

Indiana a ton off of makes they will

05:49

take the ball out they will advance past

05:51

to Tyrese halberton he will then Advance

05:54

pass to Aaron n Smith P Pascal sakam uh

05:58

they play with pace

06:00

and they use the pass to create Pace the

06:03

advanced

06:04

pass this is episode eight of mind the

06:07

game please enjoy if you haven't already

06:10

please hit that subscribe button and

06:12

please double tap for me cuz I got

06:14

through this entire thing in two

06:17

[Music]

06:26

takes R lots of stuff happening in the

06:28

world of basketball

06:30

these days um I I want to actually start

06:34

with bronnie yeah um this past week he

06:37

was in Chicago at the combine and uh I

06:41

first of all I've never met bronnie but

06:43

I will say uh in all the interviews and

06:47

clips that I

06:48

saw his uh

06:51

perspective and his mindset at that age

06:56

was like really stood out it was

06:58

actually quite remarkable for you as a

07:01

as a dad and obviously my kids play

07:03

basketball they're much younger but as a

07:06

dad watching him go through this process

07:09

what's it like wow this is this is where

07:12

we kicking it off with huh JJ you go we

07:14

going right to that topic uh I love it I

07:16

love it um you know for as a parent to

07:20

be able to be um you know there to

07:24

witness a child of yours uh start to

07:27

live out a dream of theirs um um is

07:30

something bronnie has always talked

07:32

about um you know and he you know said

07:36

we asking plenty of times like what is

07:37

but it's your end goal and his end goal

07:39

is to to be in the NBA and to see him um

07:44

almost at that at that moment um you

07:46

know for a parent it's something that

07:49

you could just be in all of because I

07:51

mean that's what you you want your kids

07:52

to be able to live out their dreams you

07:54

know and whatever that whatever that is

07:56

um whatever you know Direction they take

07:58

you want them to be able live out their

07:59

dreams and for you know myself and

08:01

Savannah to be there and be at the

08:03

combine this past week in Chicago to see

08:05

him out there with other kids that's

08:07

trying to live out their dream um it was

08:09

a it was a pretty

08:11

like

08:13

remarkable I don't know what to say

08:16

slash this is exciting um um you know

08:19

feeling for for for our whole family and

08:21

I know probably know the same feeling

08:23

for him as

08:25

well he had he had some quotes where he

08:28

talked about certain players in the NBA

08:31

that he felt he could play like yeah and

08:34

I thought it was neat um because not

08:37

every 19-year-old kid has that

08:39

perspective like I most of us you know

08:43

we think we're going to be Allstar all

08:45

NBA from day one and that's not

08:47

necessarily how it works for everybody

08:49

do you do you talk to him about that do

08:52

you talk to him about who he can be in

08:54

the NBA or is he figuring this out on

08:56

his own I think he's figuring it I

08:58

wanted him to kind of figure it out his

08:59

own where he see himself fit in the NBA

09:02

or you know where he see you know what

09:04

his comp looks like to to see you know

09:07

him mention guys like Derek white Drew

09:09

holiday um you know a few other guys

09:12

Marcus Smart in our leag Davon Mitchell

09:14

these are guys who like come in and and

09:18

for a team that's trying to win

09:19

championships a team that wants to win

09:21

every night these are the players that

09:23

you have to have on your team because

09:25

they just it doesn't always show up in

09:27

the box scores um but always shows up in

09:30

the winning plays and you know for Bry

09:32

to have that perspective on where he

09:33

stands today um you know that's great

09:36

and I think that's great for any team to

09:37

be able to have a 19y old kid like you

09:40

said you know I know that wasn't my that

09:42

wasn't my goal my goal was like listen

09:44

I'm trying to make it to the to the

09:45

All-Star Game in year one I want to be

09:48

you know Allstar I want to be MVP I want

09:51

I want to be this you know all of these

09:52

things and and a lot of us have those

09:54

aspirations but you know for brny to

09:56

just to have that mindset of like listen

09:59

um at this point in time in my in my

10:00

life and in my game I know where I stand

10:02

but I know how I affect the game you

10:04

know and um you know he's just a winning

10:07

player and I just I just love his

10:08

mindset it's just some of his answers

10:11

and and to a lot of the questions that

10:13

was given to him was like I was in awe

10:15

of because we've never actually you know

10:17

even talked about it but um he's living

10:19

in it he's living in the moment and he's

10:21

he's definitely carving out his own lane

10:23

you know he's he's definitely not his

10:25

dad and and I'm not him I wouldn't be

10:27

able to handle the scrutiny and all the

10:30

things that he got going on you know at

10:32

his age at his level and with social

10:34

media like I didn't have social media to

10:36

deal with when I came in at 18 I did

10:39

have a lot of scrutiny I did have a lot

10:40

of things that was put on my shoulders

10:42

but I didn't have you know you know

10:45

every single day around the clock news

10:48

covers Sports shows things of talking

10:49

about this particular person every

10:51

single day or you go online or on social

10:54

media and x and Instagram and everyone

10:57

can comment every single day

10:59

about whatever they want to say whatever

11:01

I didn't have to deal with that and to

11:02

see him handle it you know with such

11:05

class and so um you know just like

11:07

self-awareness and just St even kill is

11:10

just a remarkable thing man and uh super

11:12

proud of him you know me and Savannah

11:14

talk about all the time how proud of we

11:15

are of our kids and you know he's the

11:17

oldest you know he we always told him

11:19

from day one listen you have to set an

11:20

example for your brother and your little

11:22

sister um and he he continues to do

11:25

that yeah I would say that NBA media got

11:28

a week worth of content out of out of

11:32

yeah well since you know I think they

11:34

said you know well since your dad's not

11:35

in the playoffs no more you know what

11:37

we're going to ride your ctail bronny

11:39

James we can't get your dad to say

11:40

anything right now he

11:43

declined interview at the Cav's game we

11:45

can't get him to say anything so we're

11:47

GNA we're going to use your we're g to

11:49

use your

11:50

son yeah you know we know how there's

11:53

other things there there's other things

11:55

happening in the NBA World non-playoff

11:56

related that I feel like the NBA media

11:59

is using as

12:01

well absolutely AB you know I'm glad I'm

12:06

glad when you when you pointed to those

12:08

guys that bronnie mentioned um you

12:11

talked about uh players that impact

12:14

winning and I think that's a great segue

12:17

to get into the playoffs yeah man and

12:21

the Conference finals are set we've got

12:23

four teams and there's some similarities

12:26

between all four teams but I think all

12:27

four teams have their own specific

12:29

identity you know one of the things when

12:31

I think about all four of these

12:34

teams is they have a bunch of guys that

12:39

star in their roles beyond the stars of

12:41

the team y there's buyin yep across the

12:46

board to what guys roles are and I think

12:51

in the regular season whether it's

12:53

because people are

12:55

distracted uh the viewership is

12:57

different uh we all everybody wants to

13:00

talk about is who is in the MVP

13:03

discussion all of that it's not till the

13:07

playoffs that we fully get to

13:10

appreciate guys like nazri guys like TJ

13:13

McConnell the Derek whites of the world

13:16

PJ Washington Daniel gaford Jaden

13:19

McDaniels of course and it's to me this

13:24

playoff run for a like across the league

13:28

does it feel like to you the role

13:30

players are almost having more impact

13:34

than normal I mean I know there's always

13:36

been there but it feels like when we

13:39

talk about we we always talk about like

13:41

your stars got to win a couple games you

13:44

you you got to gut through a game maybe

13:45

your coach gets you a game your role

13:46

players win you a game it feels like the

13:48

role players night tonight have just

13:50

been incredibly consistent no you're

13:52

absolutely right JJ I mean you you look

13:54

at last last night's game seven in

13:56

Denver you know we talk about how

13:59

spectacular Ant-Man has been this whole

14:01

postseason last night he goes six for 24

14:04

from the field I mean at I think at

14:06

halftime he had maybe two or four points

14:08

you know and in that fourth quarter you

14:11

saw Nas Reed you you saw obviously I

14:14

mean obviously Rudy is kind of a star

14:16

player but Rudy making plays um niil

14:19

Alexander Walker and jayen mcds was just

14:22

I mean he's been huge all season but you

14:24

see it even more in the postseason but

14:26

Nas Reed last night you know from you

14:29

know the Euro Step he had left right on

14:31

on on on Joker uh get fouled on the

14:34

offensive rebound then he had a tip dunk

14:36

from the corner you know he had a big

14:38

time block shot on Joker late in that

14:40

game as well like he was huge and then

14:43

he pushed in in transition they was up

14:44

seven and hit Ant-Man for a corner three

14:47

opposite of their bench you know that

14:49

came off Nas Reed you know so like

14:52

you're absolutely right the the role

14:53

players right now with these four teams

14:55

that's left are making all the plays you

14:57

saw PJ Washington seemed like every time

15:00

PJ Washington got into foul trouble in

15:02

that Dallas vers OKC Series OKC kind of

15:05

had a little Advantage you know and when

15:07

he was on the floor the advantage was

15:09

gone you know because PJ Washington was

15:12

there made the timely threes obviously

15:14

in game six at home made the timely

15:16

stops he was just big for him so you

15:18

know and obviously TJ McConnell he's

15:20

just a a you know he's a a coaches dream

15:23

to be able to have a guy like that that

15:25

comes in knows exactly what he's doing

15:27

puts the tempo he's always going to be

15:29

high in ass cernal ratio you know and

15:33

he's just a dog so you you are

15:35

absolutely right man um you this this

15:38

this postseason is great and as much

15:41

obviously we know the narrative is

15:42

always GNA go to the star guys but to be

15:45

honest these games have been won by the

15:48

MVPs that are role

15:50

players yeah to to that point last

15:54

night's a great example in game seven

15:56

there were games earlier in

15:59

uh the Knicks run where Jaylen Brunson

16:02

didn't have a good shooting night and

16:03

they won uh Luca has not been at his

16:06

best outside of a couple games and

16:08

they've won right uh they won games in

16:11

that OKC Series without Kyrie having a

16:13

monster performance and I I'm I don't

16:16

know what I'm trying to get at but it

16:18

feels like and it it feels like and

16:20

we'll get to some of the parody stuff in

16:22

a second but it just feels like the

16:25

depth of talent right now particularly

16:27

on really good teams like you can't

16:31

concentrate you need seven eight guys

16:34

that can really play in high pressure

16:37

moments and have the you called it a dog

16:40

I'll say it the the the toughness the

16:42

mental

16:43

fortitude um to compete at this level

16:47

yeah and it feels like across the board

16:49

in the NBA we're getting more and more

16:52

of these guys that are just they're

16:54

[ __ ] good players man absolutely

16:57

right and and they are starring in their

17:00

roles and they're not doing nothing

17:01

outside of what they what they do and

17:05

this is what this postseason has been

17:07

about and that's what this top four is

17:09

all about these top four teams Indiana

17:12

Boston um you know Dallas and Minnesota