Fanatic About the Playoffs | Another Bonus Mailbag With Lauren and Devon

a forum to play voicemails in excess. So we are here for what Devine and I started referring to last week as a stripped down, unplugged version of the mail Bag, not on a Monday, not with some of the sound and acoustic bells and whistles that we would normally edit in, because we need to get it straight from the podline out to the people. So that's what we're going to do. First of all, guys, before we get into the podline, grates to be back together the three of us for

a Friday ish timeframe podcast. We haven't done one of these since the playoffs started. I can't remember. In fact, yeah, was it pre playoffs? It might have been right as we started to focus on the first round. Yeah, Lauren, I missed you. What's going on? I haven't seen I know. Great to see you, Great to see both of you. It feels like old times. This is it's a regular season again. Yes, it's fantastic. Good to be back. I totally was unaware of this until someone brought it to

my attention on Twitter the other day. I called for submissions to the mailbag on the pod line, and I dangled some merchant swag to entice the people, and then we got the notification and we heard the news that the pod line was full, so I had to go back through clear out the mailbag. We apologize for that if you called the first time around and you did not get to get a message in It's always open two on five four zero three seven sixty three seven.

Two on five four zero three seven sixty three seven. But even though we did run into that technical glitch this week, we still got some tremendous calls, questions, takes, comments, and with the seven six are setting their sights on what they hope is taking a serious lead. On Friday in Atlanta two to one in Game three of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, let us get to the mail bag.

We're gonna go to the podline. We're gonna hear your reactions to what happened in Game two, and also reactions and takes to what did not happen for the seventy sixers on the NBA Awards circuit as of late. So, without further ado, here we go. Hey, my name's Mike, and I am a huge Sixers fan. And one of the positives that I take away from Game two in the Atlanta series was not only the strength and dominance of Joe, but how well the bench played when it

finally decided to start clicking. And not only did Howard get some really important rebounds and putbacks, but it was really great to see shakemail Hun come into his own and wake up. And I think that just illustrates the beauty of sports that you could have a guy you know all but left for dead become the hero in a game that really depends on him. And so that

is my takeaway from Game two. Was really really exciting to see Shake Milton have a good game, But we can't take our eye off of what Joe Embiad is accomplished and what he's doing in these playoffs simply because we're used to it. It is nothing short of amazing and go Sixers. Great points by Mike Lauren. We talked about this the other day I think in the immediate aftermath of Game two, my reaction was shake, shake, shake, shake, shake. But then when I woke up the next morning, I

was like, damn, Joel embiad did that again. Not I'm with few selves. There was so much to love about that game too, victory. That was a very poetic voicemail, by the way, So shout out to that whole left for dead situation. Beauty of sports. I am with that. Sometimes I need to be reminded about the beauty of sports, so I appreciate it. And yeah, Shake really did sort of show us just how important any member of any team can be, and it was really cool to see

him come out the way he did. I also liked um what the color said about coming back after halftime. We just learned from George Hall after Thursday's practice that halftime was a bit of a tough time if you're a if you're a Sixers player, particularly a Sixer's bench player. He let us know that Doc was very honest with them, and sometimes that's what you need. Doc. He ripped some

things apparently, yep uh. George said that whatever whatever he did, whatever passion he was bringing to the locker room at halftime. It worked and Shake certainly a big part of that good It was needed, And Mike brings up another really good point about the bench overall deciding to finally get it going, and I'm sure the doc rivers are ripping if you will, had had a lot to do with it.

But even the part about Dwhite Howard, because I wasn't quite sure how d White Howe would fit into this series after we saw Game one and how he would necessarily play into the rotation and that he would be out of it totally or completely, but just curious to

see how we would play. But I believe it was about ten minutes or so, ten plus minutes where he played, and he was really effective in Game number two with the second unit and what they were able to do out there on the floor, the energy again defensively as well as we all know with him on the floor.

It was really good to see Dwight Howard as well as Shake Milton really come into come into his own, get back into what we were accustomed to seeing from Shake Milton and to be able to have that punch while we're seeing it from the other teams Atlanta specifically with what Gallinari and heard or were able to do in game number two. You want to make sure that you're able to do that, whether it's Maxie Hill, Howard

or even Shake Milton and Cork Mos. It was good to see it out there on the floor from the bench. Much needed t stybled with some nice contributions in game two. Thought George Hill had a really good stretch all around quality effort from the seventy six ers to get that going and pull away from Atlanta to tie up the series. Back to the podline, Hey hello, it's yes. The major adjustments I liked in game two yesterday war was bringing Shake Milton off the bench. I was a little skeptical,

but I'm glad to see finally came through. Um. I think the next adjustments we had to do going forward is keep our bench down to only going using eight to nine guys. Yeah, and just I love how Simmons plays. Maybe you could just shoot the ball a little bit more. Other than that, we got to series, I'd say we're gonna win the best out of six. So divine a couple of things. What do you think about the size of the rotation and how Doc's been using his bench.

He played by a ear typically. I mean, when we look at and we start to run it down ourselves, you can't you can't eliminate anyone because it seems like everyone plays a role. Before Shake Milton was struggling, we still had a policement both him and Tarry's Maxie, as well as George Hill in the flow, in the mix. So I believe this is a play it by ear. I understand analytics of a lot of things with coaches and what the numbers tell you, but I also love

the feel. So if you feel a game is going a certain way and you feel a certain player, Shake Milton in this particular scenario, is your team is in need of something and Shake Milton is the one who maybe can give it to you. And later we learned about the conversations Joel Embiid had with Shake Milton, the conversation that Rivers also had. Part of me with Shake Milton and just staying ready, the fact that he was in the gym ten pm at night working on the

things that he needed to the one on ones. Okay, maybe Doc felt some No numbers told him anything except for the ten pm at night. It was the feel of the game and what he could potentially add to the team when they when they needed something so badly, he was the one. So as far as the rotation, I think it's a field thing. Quirk Moles can hit a shot, Max he can bring the energy. Latistible is certainly in the mix. Howard and Hill also, and Furcon can do what he does. I think it's a feel

thing and not necessarily a numbers thing. At this time, agreed, I didn't have that much to add, so that's why I was late to join, but I agree. I mean, it really cool to see that each member of the bench does serve a pretty distinct purpose, and we've seen each member of the bench prove that purpose so far in the playoffs. Glad to hear that Doc Rivers is

going to continue to be flexible with a bench. I know that that might not be a popular take among the populist but I do think that it's a good system, and I look forward to seeing how it continues to rotate. Especially after a Game one loss. What would change in Game two? Adjustments were on the minds of a lot of people who called in Game two Sixers victory last night,

what a thrilling one it was. Sixers even up the series one one my takeaways from last night's game where dwell embid what can you say, forty points, the first ever Sixer to do that in a playoff game since Allen Iverson. And you know what do the Sixers do different? Well, you know they started the game with much more energy coaching on Trey Young, obviously putting Simmons on him instead of Denny Green and then subbing the tiftyble for Ben Simmons to get on Trey Young when Ben Simmons we

need a break. Shake Milton. I think he is last night's hero as a good decision by Doc Rivers to give Shake some confidence out there. Shake has been working as tailoff as we know after games since he has been struggling so far in the playoffs. And you know what a great tribute that was last night from the Fens to Shake Milton, and you know, hopefully this gets him going as we continue into the later games in

this series. Great points. Again, I think these are very thorough comprehensive, cause Trey Young did not look like the first half Trey Young from game one in game two not at all. And Selts you said that Joel Embide was sort of your morning after guy, that came to mind in terms of someone you needed to give a little bit more shy to, and for me, I felt like I was thinking about Shake and Joel equally after

the game. And what really came to mind for me the morning after Game two was the defense on Trey Young. The way that Ben Simmons sort of said that he wanted more shots at Trey after game one. He wanted that challenge, he was reading for that challenge, and then Doc Rivers gave him that challenge and he responded really,

really well. I think that the way that Ben Simmons and then obviously the help of Matisse Thybel guarded Trey Young in Game two might be the most telling thing we've seen in the series thus far, because those two are going to continue to be available. They're going to continue to make his life difficult and unless Trey can figure out, and maybe he will, but some ways to

change his game in a pretty big way. When you're guarding being guarded by those two for the next whatever it is, three to five games, it's going to be tough for him and it's going to continue to be tough for him. Doc Rivers made the first adjustment with the coaching staff and defending Trey Young. And now we'll see what the adjustment will be to help Trey Young, if you will, from Nate McMillan and his staff the game number three on Friday evening. Because you're right, Laura,

they did it. They did it. They did the necessary thing, which was this is your assignment. Go out there and do what you can do. You're not always going to stop him. You're not gonna contain him and shut him out totally. He's still gonna have a very good game. He's a talented player, but he put a sixteen guys on who can move the way that he does and

has the length oftentimes lent to bothers smaller people. And that's what we saw with both Thybo and Simmons, and still on occasion Danny Green with what he was able to do. And I also thought, I'll give credit to Tobias Harris a few times as well when he was caught on the switch and he moved very well, and I thought he stayed I study, stayed grounded, he stay planned.

He didn't go for the ball fakes and all getting up in the air, allowing Trey Young to draw out the fouls and things like that, so I'll give him credit too for also being in the mix, but it was the right call to have Simmons on him at majority of Game number two. Wish it was a little more in Game one, but the adjustment was made. That's

what the series are for. To me. Perhaps the most encouraging thing about Game two is that the obvious areas the Sixers needed to clean up what they started doing second half of Game one, they did for a longer period of time in Game two, and wouldn't you know, in the end, their execution, their talent, their ability to protect the basketball, in addition to some of the other things we're talking about scheme up better stuff and put

better personnel and Trey Young. That all resulted in a very much needed and nice dub Hi Brian and team so round two. Game two was arguably one of my favorite Sixers playoff games ever. It had everything Joel posting a crazy forty points in thirty five minutes with thirteen rebounds, Curry and Harris over twenty points each, and Shake. I'm so happy for shaking this team way to represent hard

work in the bench. But I still think you. Brian had the tweet of the week After last night's game, Bryan Clark tweeted asking if Ben Simmons played tonight in your ask, Trey Young response was chef kiss brilliant way to silence the haters, Ben, I'm young was the best game to adjustment in my opinion. Let's keep it team momenting up for the rest of the series. Goes sixers and always keep up as always, keep up the great content, Bryant and team. Thanks for the opportunity to chime in,

Mary Overfield. Mary always engages with the content. We appreciate that, not just because she singled out my tweet. I actually think that the tweet and this is relatively breaking within

the time that we came on to record this. The best tweeter of the week had to come from the president of Basketball Operations of the seventy Sixers, alluding to a character portrayed by stephen A. Smith on General Hospital and a comment that Stephen A made on John Clark's podcast, The Takeoff about what stephen A thinks these seventy six Ers chances are in the postseason. Did we see this? I did not know us. I did not You have to tell us about this one. Break it to us. Yeah.

By the way. You have to give Mary her her answer, you know, on what you said as well with the ash Tray Young that was very good. Yeah. I didn't see that tweet either. I must I must have been gonna sleep at the wheel, because that's a good one. Se Well, listen, Laurd everyone was going after Ryan Clark. So Seltz was just going to get lost in the

mix because that was a ridiculous statement. Yeah. I don't usually clap back, but sometimes you just have to, you know, especially from a defender by the way, right, Yeah, yeah, that's right. It's a solid cornerback for many years. Like come on, man, I mean, all right, your response. All right. So here here's the Daryl Morey tweet that I would give my nod to if we're going to cast votes to Mary about who gets the tweet of the week. So John Clark, we love John Clark. Has his podcast

really very good to take off. Um check it out. Stephen A was quoted as saying I have the Sixers in seven against the Hawks, but I say that with some degree of trepidation. Stephen A. Smith on Sixers Hawks The ride ends there the beating the Brooklyn Nets. I can assure you of that. Daryl Morey responds, I have at stephen A. Smith's brick as the best at General Hospital. Character, but I say that with some degree of trepidation. The ride stops at the at the Emmy's. I can assure

you of that. That's pretty good. Yeah, absolutely, Daryl's clever. We know that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'd like to talk to Daryl. We gotta make that happen. We gotta get back on He needs to answer these calls, these male bad questions. We've done it once before. We got to do it again. That we can. But we can get that done, all right. Well, listen, Daryl Morey and myself, we were not the only people coming to the defense of Ben Simmons, maybe not even defense, but pumping up

Ben after his efforts in Game two. I'm so excited for the six series. You know. The only thing that I'm there is about right now that the Hawks are a much better team than I thought that they were going to be, and just their potential to get hot like we've seen really, you know, has me a bit concerned. But seeing the defensive matchups yesterday, seeing the Doc Rivers is willing to change that up put Ben Simmons on

Trey Young, you know, continue his pattern of trapping. I think that really, you know, really made a huge difference. And the other thing that I'm tired of was just the Ben Simmons slander. You know, the guy's gone out, He's had a great playoff so far, and yeah, I feel like all we end up talking about day in and day out because that Ben Simmons doesn't do this. Ben Simmons doesn't do that. The guy's out there winning ball games. He's out there doing everything he can to

help the team win. And I would love to see Ben Simmons get more praised for what he's doing on this team. No secret that I agree wholeheartedly with that statement. I think that in some cases, Sixers fans, basketball fans in general, are prone to be pretty harsh about what guys don't do on the court and what I would prefer. If you're going to be harsh, that's fine, that's part of being a fan. But what I want, and I've said this before, is that same energy when they do

things well. If you're going to be upset with what Ben doesn't do, I'm gonna need you to come celebrate what he does do with the same If not greater energy because he does some things incredibly, incredibly well. He does a lot of things incredibly well. And I don't think the Sixers get to where they are today in this series, in this season without what Ben does extremely well, and I think we need to talk about it more period.

I would agree with that certainly. Look at the stretch the Sixers played towards the end of the regular season without him. It was not pretty. How about this one. I need every Sixers fan out there to realize without Ben Simmons, we're not winning that game last night. Without Ben Simmons, we're not winning this series. Okay, I mean all this Ben Simmons slammed. There's got to stop. Please, please, please, for the love of God, to stop with the Ben

Simmon slander. He brings so much more to the team than scoring. I mean, if people don't realize this, then I don't know if you guys know basketball or if you're watching in a different sport, no clue, but you guys need to too with that Ben Simmons slander. All right, go Sixes. This is this is hardening to hear, just in the sense that it's the fan base coming to the defense of one of the most important players on the team. I know that, I know we do all

the sunshine here, I get it. But I like this. I think this is this is encouraging to hear that we have a vocal crowd supporting a player rather than harping on things. And as someone who clearly enjoys myself, clearly enjoys this game, there are things from time to time, we're talking about a full game season where I don't like things that happen within a game, and that's just

how it goes. But what the one thing that I love about what now you're hearing from the Philadelphia fan base, is this too speaking of the Ryan Clark Park and we can talk about them. You can't. Yes, that's it right, stay away from our this is this is family business. However, yes, this is family business. You're an outsider. Mind your business, right, And we don't like when others talk about We can talk about them, we can say whatever we want, we

can discipline our wrong. It's done with love. It's done with love. But as soon as someone else from the outside starts to attack one of our own, then there's a problem. And that's what I love. From the Philadelphia fan base, because there is. That's exactly what we're seeing right now. There are games look fifteen and fifteen but only six points. They were a lot of people were not happy with that. The fact that I've been played a phenomenal defensive gaming game number two but only took

three shots. There were people who not happy with that. But then they realized it was like, oh, Ryan Clark's coming at is no, no no, no no. Ben played well, Ben played well. It's all good. It's all good. So

I love it. Keep it going, and Laren, you're right, there are so many games and self you mentioned at the four games at the towards the end of the regular season that it's you also witness how different the team is when he is not out there, and the good things that he does, and the fact that he face guarded a six one point guard for a lot of the time that he was out there, thirty plus minutes close to forty minutes that he was out there. That's not easy. That's not easy. And he did it.

And let's see how much more he's taken on this person's challenge to do that. Now, the offense, that's the whole other thing. But for what he did, they won the game, two teams scored one hundred and eighteen points. People always have stuff to say about how many points Ben scores. The team is scoring enough points, and he's creating a heck of a lot of them. He does arrest the free throws. I acknowledge you'd like see a little bit more of there you can't can looked at.

I think Ben would say the same thing too, which is why I'm bringing it up. But by and large, stay out of family business. Yes, I love that analogy. I think that's a great one, divine perfect right. We learned this week who the NBA's Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year are. Hey, Brian feeling really confident in Joel and Benson's gone into this series here, Joel is just getting started. He's playing with the chip

on his shoulder now that he wasn't the MVC. I think Benson is going to do the same thing Defensive Player of the Year he was robbed. He's gonna show he can shut down the number one and try young and then he can get down load with Collins and coppellitives. I'm feeling really good. I think we've keep the momentum rolling here, especially with Shake Milton coming off the bench in the Naxie. I think they're gonna be key players here down the stretch. It's gonna be an exciting thing.

Let's do this. What was the slight that's stuck with you? Well, slight, man, I'm gonna be honest, slight might not be fair. I think that Yokich worthy Gobert. You can make a case which seventy six er, Joe or Ben do you feel had the stronger case or one that you think about a little bit more, whether it was with how the voting turned out or just based on performance on the court to win one of the two awards that he

was a finalist for. I'll go I think that Joel probably understands that the reason he didn't win the MVP was games played. Yohis played a ton of games, Joel missed some games. I think if they both play full seasons, Joel wins MVP. So to me, the bigger snub, if we're gonna say, we're gonna say snub, is definitely for Ben.

I like what Danny Green said on his podcast Inside the Green Room that historically, Defensive Player of the Year is an award that goes to a big man because of the statistical impact that you see nightly, that you see over the course of the season that shouldn't be understated or undervalued, but has historically been. What this award is based on what Danny said is in the modern NBA, someone that can guard one through five is more impressive.

And whether or not those statistics come up the way that they do for a go bear, maybe we need to be reevaluating which statistics we're looking at, because if you look at someone like Ben Simmons and you tell me that after the way he's guarded Trey Young and big men alike, if you're telling me that that's not what a defensive player of the Year is, or at least the most valuable defensive player in the league is, I totally disagree, and so hearing Danny say the way

that he said it, Obviously Danny and I both biased in Ben's favor, but I think that he has something worth noting there. I get how the statistics make a case for go bet. They will continue to if he continues playing this way. But if Ben continues playing the way that he's been playing, he's certainly the most valuable defender in the League, and it's just a matter of

if that's the award or not. I agree with Lauren on this one that the game's miss you can kind of understand why it went the way it did, unfortunately for Joel Embi. Quite frankly, I'm a little happy at this stage knowing that it happened because he is the one that I believe that would definitely use it as

fuel going forward. But as far as as far as to the question of which one, I think it is Simmons because of exactly what Green laid out, the one through five versatility and how he does it, the amount of minutes that he plays, the fact that he doesn't he's not fatigued, and all of that, and let's highlight the one game that he had when they decided, oh, Simmons doesn't do anything offensively, let's play a center on him.

And by the way, the center happens to be a two time Defensive Player of the Year and Simmons goes

out there and give him forty two points. So I look at this one and the modern NBA thing plays a big part of it, and that's not the slightest center because there are times where we probably thought Joel Embies should have won the award as well, but for this seventy two game regular season, and which the seventy six is worth at the top of the Eastern Conference, the same way that the Utah Jazz were the top of the way, basically from front to back for both teams,

I thought Simmons was deserving of that. They were both deserving of the award. I actually thought Simmons should have won it, but I knew what the ultimate outcome would be, which is now Rudy Goberton being a three time Defensive Player of the Year. So I do hope he uses as fuel like I believe in b would. I do not feel like I'm qualified enough to be worthy of

a vote to cast in these types of ballots. I feel like they should go to season to astute minds, people who have been around a while, who know this, who talk to people, get solid information, all that stuff.

So when I'm looking at this, I take my cues from what I hear coaches and players say and read what coaches and players say, and I think for me throughout the season and especially more recently as the year round down and also now in the playoffs, you hear and see the opposing coaches talking about how incredibly versatile Ben Simmons is on defense, and I would love to see what the vote would have been if coaches had cast their ballots for this, how the awards would have

turned out. I still think it would have turned out the same, most likely for MVP that Yokis would have gotten it. I think it would have been a much much tighter race, if not a different result. Head coaches voted for Defensive Player of the Year between Ben and Gobert, So that is what I will say to that. And just because it feels topical, kind of wild to see Clint Capella get more Defensive Player of the Year votes than Joel Embiide, especially this week while we're watching them

go head to head. That was maybe the thing I was most I thought my eyebrows were kind of gonna detach from my forehead when I saw that one can't have two centers in the top five, No, no, has to go to one. Now look Simmons will be on the first team All Team Defense, as he should, and that's a great accomplishment. Again, but I thought the award, yeah, I thought it would go to Simmons this year. Well, I thought he was again worthy of the choice, no

doubt about it, no databout and I agree. I hope that this is just a source of motivation and a cause for these guys to rally even further and prove everyone wrong as soon as Friday, when the Sixers and Hawks do it up in Atlanta for a Game three, Listen, we got it. I'm the same Big Ben Simmons, the guy we gotta win. They's next two a HL and in the series Canadas team hang around. Gotta beat them yea and get some rest for the ECF because that's our goal gets to the East Ees, win that in

goose to the finals. So we got to beat this team quick. I agree with the sentiment you do not want to let the Hawks hang around. I think I've seen enough, at least at this point in time to believe they are going to hang around. Not saying the Sixers can't end it in three games starting on Friday,

but I don't think it's going to be easy. So my original prediction before this series was Sixers and six because I respect what Atlanta had done since the coaching change, what they did and dismantling New York Knicks in round one and believing that looking at their depth overall, the amount of shooters that they had, and of course the star player like Trey Young, that they were worthy of

winning a game or two against the seventy sixers. Now, a bit of a like Lauren, how you like to say the benchmarks and you know, see see where things are. I was. I was happy with how they responded after game one, round round one, I mean part of the game one. Of course we didn't like the result. Started off well in game two and then it kind of went away. But they responded again to what the coach

decided to throw at them in the locker room. Now let's see how they respond going on the road, hostile environment on a Friday night in Atlanta where it's going to be a tough place to play, and listening to that crowd from the watching the television during round one, they really get into it. So how are they going to respond in that spot? And that's to the caller's point, this is what it's all about and becoming a champion.

I don't and Doc Rivers is told, with all due respected to call other, the point that the caller made a ECF is the goal. ECF is not the goal if you listen to Doc Rivers and the players, the goal as a championship. So that's just another step to where they need to be. Now this is another small step but kind of big and going on the road and not as you said, so us letting this team hang around and letting that crowd really uplift their team and get get to where they want to go again.

So a very huge, huge weekend for the seventy sixers in Atlanta. All right, looking ahead games three a little bit more. We saw the seventy six ers adjusting Game two. What might the Hawks do in Game three? Yeah, this is David and a six Ers fan living in Boston, for whatever that might be worth. You know, last night was working two is clearly evident that this team is going to win, like getting stops and scoring officially in

getting to a line. It's going to be tough for them make it to the next tiunt against the Nets. But that's a formula to win it the thickest. It knows what they're going to get from the bench. Thank you, formula. We have a formula. But I think everyone agrees. But the Hawks showed even more than getting a win in game one, and then I think they showed again in Game two when they took the lead eighty seventy nine. They're they're gonna be irritants. I don't think they'll go

quickly or quietly. It's going to be a challenge either way. It definitely is going to be a challenge. With the Atlanta Hawks, they felt like when you give them the whole coin advantage and they feel like knowing that the team plays so well on their home floor and they take game one and do it in the manner in which they did by making twenty a franchise record, playoff record twenty three pointers, they have to feel good about themselves.

I mean, the job is always going the road. At least get a split and you feel good, and I'm sure that they do so. Again, Let's see what the Sixers do. Let's see how they respond to what's in front of them with now this confidence at Lant's coming in with nothing on their shoulders, no pressure, just go out there and play basketball. And the pressure is on

the seventy sixers. And if you're going to be a champion, sometimes you have to face some adversity and once you do what you do in Game three, then you can feel a little bit at ease, but not take your foot off your gas, off the gas for game four, come back home next week and close it out in game five. I love the swing factor swing games in series. There are a couple. They could usually be games threes or game fives, but I love those propositions, the chance

to swing the momentum of a series. Let's had a couple of points about the Sixers last right. I mean, Indeed's playing like v Pig. You know, he wasn't gonna get it to get place sixty games, but he's an MVP top three player in the NBA right now. I think people need to give the sentens all a break about how he shot the bootball or lack of shooting on a Wednesday, but he completely shot down for the

most part, Trey. What's the Sixers needing because they don't really have anyone that can stop that shooting point guard. And it was nice to see Shake kind of get out of this shell and finally start scoring for Sixers because nobody on the bench wanting the score the other night. But I really like how they're playing, and I'll see we can keep it going. Just Sixers. Lauren what do you expect to see from Trey Young in game three?

Because obviously lots of people are going to look to him and be like, Okay, we saw what happened second half Game one, we saw what happen throughout Game two. A little bit of pressure for him to regain the form that we saw first half of Game one and what he showed throughout that Nick series. Can he recapture some of that? I'm gonna answer your question with a question. I think it depends on what are the Sixers going to do on defense? Can the Sixers replicate what they

did defensively in Game two? If they can, I don't know if it matters what type of confidence or game Trey Young brings into Game three. Because of just how well Ben Simmons was able to take a challenge, accept a challenge, and rise to the occasion, it was really cool to watch. I'm looking forward to that matchup again. I know everybody is Trey Young. We know there's no shortage of confidence there, there's no shortage of talent there.

But as Color two colors Ago said, there's a formula now and if the Sixers can stick to it, as long as they're also producing on the offensive end. I like their chances. We're hearing thoughts, feelings, people's emotional state, temper, your checks going into game number three of this series. Hey, Brian, this is Steve calling in. I just wanted to say, six Ers and five, I'm not afraid of the Hawks. Game one didn't worry mean at all. We saw Game two the better team war them out by the end

of the game. Hawks are going to be no problem. I love the content you guys put out and we just appreciate you. Trust the process. Listen, we're just happy if you call and leave voicemails. You don't, it's not a prerequisite that you you maybe maybe you give us a nice, warm, fuzzy we'll certainly take them, acknowledge them, but not a not a prerequisite, but we do appreciate it. So Stephen, there's no problem Hawks. This thing's over. I'd like to agree. I don't know that I can. I

try to. I try not to get too high or too low. But that does sound nice and it does sound possible to me. Um, Like you said, Selts, game three is big. Game three is a swing game. I think if the Sixers get Game three, well, I mean, obviously they have to get game three in order to win in five. But I do think that if they get Game three boat that boats in the favor of a much shorter series. So I'm really looking forward to

this one. I think, in particular, d that if the seventy Sixers use a similar blueprint and they're able to win game three, that is, amongst other things, Joel dominates in Atlanta again cannot come up with an answer for him, and the Sixers frustrate Trey Young. I think if those two things happen again and the Sixers win Game three, it's gonna get real interesting in game four, because then I think the Sixers will have shown signs of having found the code to crack that situation, and they have

the personnel to back it up. Sure, you figure it out, and like we mentioned a little while ago, when with a series that scheduled for seven games, the adjustments. We know what the players, of course are about and what they're trying to do, but it's also the chess game between the two head coaches and the coaching staffs and how to figure out these little things. And they may have witnessed in the first two games. So one punch the other one punched back. It's even now, how do

we respond? And I think the formula, as you mentioned, sels is and this is what I've talked about a lot with the team in general, and why I thought they were winning six and was because number one, you have the best player in the series and Joel and b clearly and they have no answer for him. On the other side, Trey Young is as good as he is, he's still a young player and this is new to him, and you do have someone who can defend him, not just one but two. Now you may not stop him,

you can contain them. And if you do that, all right, do you limit enough from the others where they're not hurting you as much where the end result is a loss for the seventy sixers. And I think if I look at it that way, once again, the Sixers have the advantage with that because of the overall team that I think they are, which I still believe they are

the better one. So if they do that can be dominant self to your point, defensively, that's what they rely on to win games anyway, then they are in a very good spot. In Game number three, and then the Atlanta Hawks or in their heels at that point in game four. All Right, I think we're gonna end this if I have the right voicemail queued up on a somewhat obscure note. But I do need some assistance and helping arbitrate this situation, and I will turn to the

two of you I trusted podcasting partners in crime. Hey, Brian, i's a go man. My name is Luke, Huge Sixers saying here, definitely listen to your podcast. I love the kind of five minute updates that you guys have been doing here. I actually I'm the guy who created the thrust the Process graphic that you may have seen on Twitter. I've kind of been putting it out. I also had it at a game one time, says behind the Sixers bench, And it's sort of the phrase thrust the Process as

sort of taken off sense. So keep up the good work. I heard just sending out swag. That's true. I'd appreciate it. Thrust the Process. Now listen, I think what we need to arbitrate here. I feel like I saw that. I feel like I saw that in a couple of places the fifth quarter. Our friends over the fifth quarter um posted that T shirt out there in the logo and the graphic. Luke claims to be the mind behind it. From one swag person, do we hook him up with some swag? Well, when did he? When did he come

up with this this thrust? The process, we'd have to do a deeper dive on that. That would, yeah, true, Luke explain that. But after which thrust right was the first thrust that we saw this season in Orlando. It was the first thrust. I think it was, yeah, because that's when we were like, oh, that's weird, new and and now it's become a thing. So um, I agree with Lauren swag them up. I think we have to swag them up. We're in the giving spirit here. We've

done this before nothing else. I love. I love fan engagement, fan art, fan memes, fan graphics, I love all of it. So of course, of course we gotta get the swag. That's right. The culture we're trying to promote here is if you call the podline and you put yourself out there. Not everyone's doing it. People do it. Hey, you know

what we support that put yourself out there? He is the question comment take or U a four to one one that you're behind a great little slogan surrounding one of the new signature moves of one of the best basketball players on the planet. Okay, we can reward that. Here's a slogan that I've been waiting for since the middle of the season. I guess. Well, actually, no, pretty much at the beginning of the season, when we knew that this team was very good, the record would be solid.

This this swag has to be stay with me morning, six of fans and six of fans only. Uh, where's that T shirt? Selves? Well, listen, you can make that one, and I'll make Jake Tapper engage us with my content, and then we can go into business. Hey, I'm just saying far reaching, it really is. I know that we're not doing video on this one, but if we were, I would just put my mic down and see myself out nothing. I have nothing to add. We'll just need our creative director, Lauren to give us the sign off

and licensing for that. That's right. Yes, we were going to put Lauren Rosannut on the bottom of the T shirt, but you know, good morning, six of fans and six of fans. As long as I'm getting ten percent, it's fine. Do whatever you're going You gotta ask for more ten percent please, yes, all right, I don't have to come back to the counter, but gotta go. Gras look forward to it. Guys, we're gonna clap it up. Great mail bag,

great awesome. Thank you everyone for submitting, for calling, for breaking the podline and forcing us to go in, clear out some old messages and fix it. If we played your voicemail again, we appreciate it. We'll be in touch. You will hear from myself most likely to get your information. If you do not leave it to send you some gear and some merch, we'll do it again at some point next week. Just keep filming the podline two and five four zero three seven six three to seven and

enjoy Game three. See you, guys, see you.