I'm Tari's Mexi and you're listening to the seventy six Ers Insider's podcast.
This podcast is part of the seventy six Ers Podcast Network, presented by Stern and Cohen Law.
Search seventy six Ers Insiders wherever you get your podcasts, Welcome through the Center. Another edition of Sixers in sixty another one that takes place before a seventy six Ers home game against the Cavaliers with their ten and three record. I'm Matt Murphy along with my co seventy six Ers insider Lauren Rosen, and we'd be remiss to start the show without a big happy.
Birthday wish too, Miss Rosie, Happy birthday, Thank you so much.
Feel it's overshadowed by Thanksgiving at all.
I've felt that way a little bit my whole life, but as I get older, I don't love my birthday. So thrilled to be able to do it here doing what I love, watching the team I love, and chatting with you.
This is great.
I'd rather be the red court again for the end season tournament down below, with the blue streak down the middle of the Navy Blue and the NBA Cup trophies at mid court. With the seven to six. It's the final game of group play for the Sixers. It's warm ups for that as we speak here. And it's a beautiful day for your birthday in Philadelphia at perfect weather, sunny, sixty five degrees. Hidding, it was pouring rain all day and pretty dreary around these parts.
Listen, I am a rain person myself, not to overshare with the audience, but.
I love rain. It was a great day.
I got to hang with my friends and now I get to watch the Sixers.
I can't complain.
Well, we've got a loaded show today that includes a sit down with Robert Covington of the seventy six Ers, rejoining his old teams, the seventy six Ers he started a few games. Nick Batoom has been back in the lineup more recently. They had a very successful road trip the team that will touch on any of our play. Interviews are available on the seventy six Ers Insiders podcast.
And it's also a loaded broadcast area here tonight. There's various radio crews and TV crews, and there's us sitting in the Sixers radio location and kind of in the row behind Kate Scott and the Sixers and Allah and the Sixers TV crew. Kate's chatting with Mark Questerscher of ESPN Radio, who will join us later on in the show.
I'm looking forward to talking to Mark as well again seventy six Ers Insiders podcasts for any interviews throughout the season, as we'll hear from players pretty frequently on Sixers in sixty and it should be a good game. Not that we preview too much because this lives on after the fact, but let's let's rewind a little bit first before getting into Robert Covington in the first segment, Lauren, because we'll talk more in depth about these games, but at surface level.
At the surface level, Nick Nurse, the Sixers head coach, who will also speak later in this shows, he says, the thing they were most pleased with is going out and getting the two wins, but they also learned a lot about themselves, and that's what this part of the NBA season is all about. Rotations, playing opponents that have different strengths, and they've got two of those coming up in Cleveland and Minnesota that are bigger than some of
these smaller teams. But two and zero road trip can't complain a quick trip, and heck, of.
A back to back now coming up for this team.
As you mentioned, the last of the pool play in the N Season Tournament tonight against the Cleveland Cavaliers and then tomorrow to one of the best in the West and a couple.
Familiar faces, Matt Murphy.
We're seeing George Niang tonight, We're seeing Shake Milton tomorrow night. So an awesome opportunity for the Sixers to see some of their old pals and hopefully get a couple more big wins.
Two and one in pool play will give the the ist N Season Tournament primer for the pregame audience tonight. At this point on the podfeed, you may or may not already know the sixers fate in the N Season Tournament. They cannot, though be eliminated from contention. They can't clinch either in East Group A. Indiana because they're two to zero with a game on Tuesday's slate also can clinch with a win as they hold the head to head
over the Sixers. But the Sixers, if they take care of Cleveland, will be three to one, and there's a wildcard spot in each conference, which is an intriguing thing. How have you thought that the end of games have been as a fan, as someone who covers this sport. When point differential matters.
It was really interesting, Matt.
The first night of pool play, we were in Detroit and the Sixers were all sort of getting up to speed about how the pool play is going to work, where the margins of victory are going to matter most, and Joe Ellenbiid was the one who I really knew these rules, and Matt, you'll remember, towards the end of that game, he actually threw up a three that wouldn't go on to count, but some people didn't love that right, And as is customary in the NBA, when a team
is about to win, they don't usually add insult to injury.
They don't keep shooting as.
The final buzzer is coming if you have at least a significant lead at that point.
But Joel kept shooting.
He wanted to strengthen that potential point differential down the road. So interesting to see the way that it started that night, and then as we've watched in the subsequent games, as the team has continued to sort of power through these fourth quarters, you'll hear from Nick Nurson a little bit, but he was asked about it pregame talking about the fact that.
He expects tonight, even though it's the front end of a back to back, that this is a team that's going.
To fight till the end and try to strengthen their point differential as much as they can, despite having a flight tonight and a big game against Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday.
Right. I don't want this to be dated, but.
It's an interesting contrast at the end of a game, balancing rest for the second end of the back to back with winning by as many points as you can possibly win by. Because I didn't I alluded to it, but the first time breakers head to head and then in the race for the one wild card in each conference, it's point differential, which as of through Monday and entering Tuesday,
the Sixers or plus twelve in point differential. But Joel Embiid's had four games through the first thirteen where he's rested the entire fourth quarter.
That's exactly what I was going to say, and so impressive by the way for the Sixers two again as of Tuesday, sit at ten and three, with so much
rest for Joel Embiid down the stretch. We've of course been introduced to fourth quarter Maxie in the process, a name that his teammates have given him and he, at least on the floor, has certainly accepted, especially when it comes to giving Joel Embiid again the raining MVP, still leaving the NBA in scoring despite the fact that he's not playing in a lot of these fourth quarters.
Some really impressive stuff.
But perhaps in these in season tournament games we'll see a little bit of different strategy from the Sixers down the stretch. Of course, hopefully they'll be winning it that point.
Robert Covington, Mark Kesterischer, and Nick Nurse all coming up in this show, I promise. But before we get to that, you mentioned fourth quarter Maxi. There has been some incredible tyrese Maxie stats that have come out this week that I don't want to wait any longer to dive into because they are fascinating. If you look at Maxi and Embid by quarter through November twentieth, Embiid leads the NBA in first quarter scoring ten point three and Maxi's fingerprints
are all over the second quarter well. Embiid the third quarter as well, twelve point four points per game average in the third, but Maxie's scoring and three pointers by quarter.
Fascinating and when we look at those second and fourth quarters, it's something that we've talked about quite a bit, right, Matt, because in the more traditional rotations that the Sixers have developed again in this early phase of the season, Tyrese Maxie starts the second and fourth quarters alongside Tobias Harris and a benchline sometimes including d Anthony Melton. But that's traditionally when Joel Embiide is getting that rest that he needs.
So to see Tyrese Maxi not only excelling in this role for the first time this season as a primary ball handler, well, rather not the first time, but the first time that he's been given the keys, let's say, to the team in those moments, not just to do a great job for the Sixers and among his counterparts that he's playing on the floor with, but to do better than anyone in the NBA in the second quarter, and then of course to come back in the fourth
quarter and develop that reputation for fourth quarter Maxie. I mean, he just continues to reach every benchmark that's set for him.
Sky's the limit for Tyrese Maxie.
You mentioned it in case you're trying to share this stat with your friends. Shout out to stat muse on Twitter or x talking about the fact that Tyrese Maxi is the NBA's leading scorer in the second quarter, averaging nine point five points per second quarter, and also leading three pointers or no, rather sorry second in three pointers.
Per qu No, No, that's second quarter three pointers.
That's what I thought.
Okay, so second quarter three pointers is obviously helping him get to that nine point five points per second quarter mark, but the second quarter three point leader in the entire.
NBA nineteen Tyrese Maxi nineteen eighty entering Tuesday. And it's confusing because it lists Steph Curry with nineteen. I thought it's it looks like it's tied for first, but it means that Curry has nineteen in the first. Maxi has nineteen threes in the second, Curry twenty one in the third, and LaMelo ball twenty and fourth quarters this year.
I would venture to guess so that Tyre's Maxie is hot on LaMelo balls heels in that fourth quarter, and looking forward to seeing how fourth quarter Maxi continues to evolve as the season goes along.
You mentioned following stat Muse follow at Lauren m Rosen. It's her birthday today. Follow at Lauren m Rosen on social media. I'm that Underscore Murphy zero four. We are the seventy six ers insiders. This is six Ers in sixty, which is Tuesday nights here on ninety seven to five the Fanatic and it just so happens back to back
weeks game night in South Philadelphia. Without further ado, though, let's toss it to a sit down with Robert Covington of the seventy six or some really good stuff in here. We talked about the Thanksgiving holiday, and at first I wasn't sure if he wasn't a big Thanksgiving guy, but he definitely.
Is and very appreciative to the true cooks in the kitchen of Thanksgiving. It was awesome to get to know Robert Covington a little bit better. Hear about his family history here, about the bosses in.
The kitchen, and his pet snakes and.
His pet snakes.
This interview has everything, Matt. I'm not going to spoil it any further.
Robert Covington, I know we spoke right when the trade happened, you and I, but since then, how has the full adjustment been as it's been getting going on and off the court back in Philadelphia.
It's been great.
You know, like I said, off the court, stuff is hand to I'm moving my home today, ingrats. Actually I google my keys and everything about they go next fifteen minutes, go go close.
On my house.
And you know, everything else is working in itself.
Getting all my stuff moved in from LA that'll be at.
The end of the month, getting my daughter down here, my dogs, my reptiles, like just my family, like everyone just selling here and like I said, we're all gonna it's all coming together pretty well.
It's slowed down a lot.
How many dogs at this point? How many reptiles?
I have three dogs, three monstars, I got four snakes, three lepard get goos, that's about it. I got a fish tank that's getting about thirty five fish for my daughter, but really thirty three. But they have babies, so that's awesome.
You said keys to the house, but keys to the ten and three start for the sixers. What do you think those have been?
Man?
You know, the way that we fit in so well here, the way that Reese, Joel Tobias like them guys have really the melt have really led us you know, since the trade, we really have a lot of pieces that you know, came and fit in. You know, the guys that was here pb the house, Paul read all them guys like we came in and complimented really well. You know, we we're guys that we really can come in and you know, just we can fit in, Like it's not too much that we can split to that par and
do that would throw others off. Like, we come in, we fit the system well, and like I said, the system has been really great to us so far.
Joel Embiid six thirty ten games, but he's also averaging six assists. So the six thirty ten games is the most in the league right now at this point. But with the playmaking, what have you noticed about Embiid's game.
The patience.
You know, I've watched Joe from Afar from a very long time since I've left, you know, I've been saying I've been saying a lot about Joe and the things that he's able to do, the way that he's transformed himself, the way he's inserted his dominance on the game. You know, it's just amazing that, you know, the things that he said when I was here that he spoken to fruition and.
He's done it. Like I said, he's done it.
The only thing that is waiting is, you know, to be up there like with the rest of them guys up there.
That with those teams.
That's the only thing we waiting on now, and we have the opportunity to do that here for.
The radio audience, we're looking up at the banners here in the practice facility. Matt Murphy and Robert Covington b N Season Tournament. You all have been asked a lot about it, But where do you see potential in it?
It's a it's a It reminds me of the euro League, and I think the excitement behind it has, you know, added a little a lot more to the game. You know, it's something different, Like it's the NBA is trying to find ways to keep keep adding some newness to the game.
And I think it's it's a good idea.
I think it's it's something that you know, can definitely be expanded, you know, in the future. Like I said, at first, it's like understanding how it's gonna work, But now that you actually see it, it's like, okay, like now we understand. Now we understand a little better about what the wh I did, because at first was completely confused about how it's gonna work. But now we see how it's how it's gonna work, I mean, how it
does work. So it's exciting to be a part of something like that and just going up and performing.
I think some people are hating on it, but it's gonna take time. It takes time for anything, for anything to take off. And there's already people who like it in the first season, so we'll see about that. Closing with this rank the Thanksgiving foods in order of preference.
Man, you can't make me do that, all right.
You don't have a favorite, Listen, My favorite is my two plates to sit in front of me while I'm eating, and anything on it. No, I got yams, macaroni, cheese, dressing, turkey, I got potatoes, I got uh what else?
Some greens?
Mmm?
Some are missing? Yeah, cranberry sauce on addressing.
Are you the chef?
No, not at all. I stay furtherest away from you.
Yeah.
I know.
I know where I'm good at, and I know what I don't need to be And when Thanksgiving food stay out of the kitchen.
That's Mom's Grandma's aunties. That's who. That's why.
Any kitchen and if you come in there and mess up something, you know what's gonna happen. Get out of my kitchen.
There you go. Thank you man, I appreciate it.
Nora, have you suffered a work injury, you need a lawyer called Stern and Cohen Workers Compensation Lawyers. Sterncohenlaw dot com. The consultation is always free. They will ring the insurance company's bell. Go Sixers. Thanks again to Robert Covington for
sitting down with us. I'm Matt Murphy along with Lauren Rose in the seventy six there's Insiders here on sixers in sixty Live from the Arena, and Lauren was questioning my my journalism skills for not asking about dessert with mister Covington.
I mean, it was just you know, hard out not really.
We were right there to talk about pie. Matt Murphy, your Thanksgiving pie of choice, quick go apple, apple, No sweet potato.
I don't like sweet potatoes or pumpkin.
That's fair.
I'm a cherry pie girly myself. I mean, I don't discriminate between any type of pie. I'll be honest, I'll do sweet potato, I'll do apple.
And because it's your birthdays, is like what type of cake?
Chocolate cake?
Like just a good plain chocolate cake.
I like like a yellow inside, like a yellow cake with like a thick chocolate frosting. Enough about me, I'm a big fun betty guy, but fun Betty.
To illustrate how much of a heart out we did not have with Robert Covington. He he actually stayed after and face timed his mom to ask about the caramel cake that they've had for his entire life.
So there's our answer to how he follows up those two plates times potentially two right, So those four plates are followed up with dessert, a caramel cake, and he's going to give us the exact name of what the cake is where it comes from, so stay tuned for that.
His mother was upset about being put on the spot, for sure, but.
Lovely to see and Matt speaking of things that are lovely to see, really cool to see George Nia and getting loose down there. Weird to see him in different colors, of course, but he was so beloved here. And of course he and I shared a podcast and a lot of laughs. I'm so grateful for the role that George has played in my career, and of course hope that he has a great game tonight, but not too much too good.
He's going on too great a twelve point game. This is a Cavs team that is entering off a win over the defending champion Nuggets, and their broadcast crew was saying maybe that was their best performance of the season. So that is how they enter this matchup with the seventy six Ers. If you're just joining us, we've got ESPN's Marc Questerscher coming up, as well as seventy six Ers head coach Nick Nurse and the Sixers coming off the Atlanta Brooklyn road trip. Two scrappy teams. They may
be playing teams. There's a lot of season left to unfold, but the Sixers took care of business against teams and they showed some lineup flexibility on the trip.
Yep, it was cool to see in Atlanta and Matt this is something we actually just spoke about prior to the Comington interview.
But if you're just joining us, the extreme.
Prowess, let's say that Tyrese Maxie has shown in the second and fourth quarters, largely due in part to the fact that he's been taking short breaks in the first and third quarters, right. But in Atlanta, the Sixers were looking to gain separation in that third quarter, and there
was a group that included Tyrese. Minutes five, four, and three came and went, and Tyrese was looking great out there, scoring at a high clip and owning that unit, and it was cool to see Nick Nurse say, you know what, this second fourth, Tyree's thing is working out really well. But what we're going to do is leave him in, let him keep running the floor, let him keep running this group and being successful, and then see what happens in.
The fourth quarter.
That fourth quarter led to some awesome Tobias Harris minutes as he led that mostly bench unit alongside the Anthony Melton without Tyrese Maxie, and they were able to get that win. But cool to see Nick Nurse showing a willingness to be really flexible with his lineups, with his rotations, even when it comes to things that have been working really well, like Tyrese's staggering out.
On the floor.
So cool to see that lineup flexibility in Atlanta led, of course to a win, another big win over the Brooklyn Nets came next, and now the Sixers will look to go three and one in the N Seasoned Tournament and ride some momentum that they've built up certainly throughout the season thus far.
Chatting between the Cleveland and Minnesota back to back ahead of both games, and then Oklahoma City and then the Lakers come to town as well. That's the upcoming schedule for these Sixers when they play at home in the N Season Tournament. It's been presented by Chick fil A, so full game brickin for Chicken contest if the opponent misses two free throws on a trip to the line.
And another thing that I wanted to talk about is court side comparisons presented by nerd Wallet because I'm watching Joel Embiid warm up with Sixers Assistant Player develop Assistant coach Player Development coach Jason Love, who also trains or works out with Tyrese Maxi before games, and some really
good content on the Sixers social media channels. The full video featuring you and Tyrese Maxey court side Comparisons presented by Nerdwalid available on the Sixers YouTube channel, and Maxie practices shooting over Jason Love, who's six ' ten six ' eleven.
Yep, as a result of getting his shot blocked by Robert Williams a couple of years back, or rather I believe it was at the beginning of last season. But Tyrese has added something new to his pregame warm up routine in the last year or so. Jason Love, who you usually trains alongside Joel and b The two of them have been working out together for a really long
time and have an awesome relationship. Jason Love comes out early to work out with Tyrese Maxi towards the end of his pregame routine, serving as the big as you said, he's six ' ten six eleven, a really big guy. Tyres smaller by NBA standards, but wants to make sure.
That he can shoot over anybody right.
So in that court Side Comparison is the most recent episode that's available on YouTube, we talked about shooting over Christops Porzingis against the Boston Celtics a couple weeks back, and the way that bigger guys are scared rather of Tyree's ability to drive to the rim, so they give him a little bit more space and Tyrese wants to be really intentional about shooting from wherever they leave him and Jason love someone that has been able to help
him grow that skill among the many skills that Tyrese has grown in a big way this season. But yeah, if you want to get to know him a little better, get to see the game the way he sees the game. We've broke down some highlights as well, so make sure.
You check that out.
One of my favorite pieces of content, maybe my favorite piece of content that you've ever done.
Oh god, not hyperbole.
Wow, Matt Murphy, thank you so much. Well, I hope that people agree. We always want feedback, so let us know Tyrese is going to return. These Courtside Comparisons is a series again if you're just joining us, available on.
The Sixers YouTube page.
Episode one featured d Anthony Melton, Episode two featured Tyrese Maxie.
We're building a rotation, so both d Anthony and tyres will be back.
So if you have specific performances you want to hear us break down together topics that you want to have us cover.
With d Anthony, Tyresse.
Other guests to be announced in the coming days, they will be.
Back on that program.
So looking forward to showing you, guys as much as you'd like to see.
Lauren Rosen.
I'm Matt Murphy, our producer Silvana kelleher engineer Marty Dickerson will have an interview on the other side of a break with ESPN's Mark Kesterischer.
This is Sixers in sixty.
Welcome back to Sixers and sixty live from the Wells Fargo Center in South Philadelphia. I'm Matt Murphy, so please to be joined by ESPN's Mark Kesterscher, who's taking some time pregame about to call the game between the Sixers and the Cavaliers, but we overlook the bright red in season tournament court.
It's very intriguing for the radio mine it is.
This is our first in season tournament broadcast for ESPN Radio. We'll have the Semis in the finals in Vegas, and I've been watching on TV and I have to kind of like back away from the TV with these red courts. So I was a little worried, and I'm still worried. Will I be able to, you know, see numbers on jerseys, et cetera, et cetera. But the Great Tom McGuinness has assured me that I'll be fine, Tom, and I go
back to the CBA. Yes, when I was with the Albany Patroons, he was with the Lacrosse Catbirds in Wisconsin, so I'm sitting in his seat potentially I think this might be his headset. And we ran into Kobe Carl in the back, who was I think like an eight or nine year old ball boy for his dad, George, the head coach of the Patroons. My first or second year in the CBA. So this is like a big full circle day.
Yees.
CBA kind of did precede the modern day G League formerly the D League, and I call the Sixers G League games in Delaware and they won the championship with Kobe Carl as their head coach.
Last season, he gets.
The promotion through the Sixers bench, so it all really comes full circle.
But I mentioned the word intrigues. What intrigues you as.
You get set to see this Philadelphia seventy six ers team this year?
I think from the outside seeing the tumultuous nature of the offseason and you know, was James Harden going to have to stay? When was he going to get shipped out? And I kind of lost the big picture on how good could this team be there is a new head coach coming in, so there's going to be a new system, what have you. And so I probably overlooked Philadelphia and then here we are today, thirteen games in and they've won ten of the thirteen. I should not be surprised
that Tyrese Maxi has taken it yet another step. Whether it's because James not here, he's got the ball in his hands, whatever, you know, he's playing an incredible clip. And Joel Embiid I know how disappointing it was to finally win the MVP and then get bounced out in the playoffs and not get past the second round, so I'm sure he's got a chip on it. I love the way the guys are playing and the development guys
that are coming up as well. So I know it's early, we're not even anywhere near the quarter pole yet, but you know, excited from what I've seen on film and looking forward to what we see tonight.
Matt Murphy joined by Marquessischer of ESPN and Mark, You've called seven NBA finals.
Now, Nashal, you know what, Yes, this is my eighth year as the lead guy, so seven of them, My goodness, I'm getting old.
And one of those was won by Nick Nurse in his first season as a head coach in Toronto in twenty nineteen. What was it like to be around him learn about him during the entirety of a championship run a few years back.
Yeah, we saw him from like the second round on. We didn't do this the game seven. Folks in Philly don't want to remember Kawhi Leonard and that ball bouncing on the rim four times, But we did a couple of games in that series. Hube Brown and I did the entire Eastern Conference Finals. They were down to nothing, and I think what struck me in that series, and maybe because it was his first year, was how calm he was, how he didn't and you know, necessarily change anything.
He felt confident in what they could do. And they end up winning four straight going to the championship round. You know, obviously took advantage of some amazing, critical unfortunate injuries that the Warriors had that year, but they finished it off in Oakland, which is not a tough place to play. And so I have a lot of memories of just Nick Nurse has been around. You know, he's been I don't know, it's three continents, coached in England,
coached in the G League, one just about everywhere. It was five years assistant in Toronto, and then comes in and commonly wins an NBA championship like it's no big deal. So you know, his transition here to Philly should be interesting. And I asked him, you know, about a half hour ago for our pregame show, just about setting a culture
because it's only been thirteen games. But he said the players have bought in and everything's been seamless, and that really shouldn't surprise me based on how he was in Toronto.
He often says, expect to win. So you see, the Sixers are ten and three as we speak right now.
I know you've got a game.
To call, So thanks so much for the time. We're actually going to toss it too. What Nick Nurse, Thanks to Lauren Rose and Marty Dickerson, Silvana Kelleher and Mark kester Sher of ESPN. That'll do it for this edition of six Ers and sixty. Thanks for listening on Matt Murphy here seventy six Ers head coach Nick Nurse.
Last time we get an in season tournament is a must win game.
Does this qualify again? And how do you compartmentalize a game like this?
Yeah, I mean for sure.
I mean if we want to have a chance to stay alive, we gotta we gotta get this one and and wrap up our pool play here and and probably point differential even comes into into play for us, so and our and and said it before, But our guys are they're interested in in this tournament and they want to keep going, so they're they're into it for sure.
Back tomorrow, if you guys are in a position where you're up in the fourth quarter, will you be thinking about point differential at that point?
You will be yes, putting it all on this one. You know, my saying right, what is it? What is am I saying? Picture Ace and play for Rain, Pray for Rain. I always say it wrong too, my saying play pray for Raine, Picture Ace and pray for Rain.
Nick Kelly and you guys sent out something saying he'll be re evaluated again in another week. Did he do anything today? Any one court work today at all?
I think that he had one scheduled. I would I didn't get the update on that yet though, Yeah, I know.
He was huh around.
I think it was good.
He was He was pretty energetic and in good spirits. Yesterday. I haven't seen him today. We didn't we didn't do anything yet today. Again, we're in a heavy schedule, so we had no shoot around or even pregame walk through today, So I haven't seen him yet today.
Nick It said he'll be reevaluating a week. Is there a chance that he could play in the week, in a week.
Or working Yeah, there might be a chance.
Yeah, I mean, I think we're still Keith at a stage where we're not sure how he's going to handle the contact part of it, right. I think that's going to determine, like if he handles that kind of first time out, Okay, I think we're really close to that week timeline. If he doesn't, then then we're going to be probably pushing some more days on that, hopefully only days not weeks on that.
Yeah.
Obviously, you know, two games in a row with imposing bigs is a plan without knowing what happens to night.
Is a plan for Joel to play both games right now? It is.
Yeah, we're gonna go through the same thing. We're gonna go after go after nights and then then reassess everything after the game heavy.
Schedule and the lust an aspect of this game.
Do you like that there's kind of been added smart fire since the games and install schedule act?
See, Well, I think that these guys are good and they're playing well, and I keep saying that I like the we need this kind of test, right I think that we cantinue to learn a lot about our team, and these guys are going to present a whole different set of you know, we Again, we've been playing teams with like it seemingly four guards and then sub and four more in and and lately a lot, so this will be different. And and then tomorrow we kind of see the similar type of team with with bigs all
over the place. So just just a really good team, really playing well and a good test. And I think that's what we need right now.
Yeah, focused on this kind of a.
Twenty game mark sort of the first checkpoint do you subscribe?
Where are we right now?
This will be four so.
Another week or so or not so much just because of all the union.
No, I think I think a twenty games is a good is a good uh you know, place to kind of take a look at where where you are and stuff. So we got a few more to go. I mean, we've learned a lot about our team. I think we've played a pretty good variety of teams. I think we're going to see again some more you know, different opponents and things like that, which will I think the twenty games will be a good place to kind of sit back.
And see where we are with everything.
And then I think some of the just some of the stats hold up longer better, you know, like things you know, like our three point rate that isn't very good, and things like, you know, things you can kind of see why are they are they staying there? And there's our rim rate and free throw rate going to stay where it's at. And then the kind of forming your identity of who you are, Yeah, and try to start fixing some of the things that you want to improve on.
Yeah, to that point, Nick, you brought up all throughout the off season you were prepared to go through growing pains with Tyree specifically, and I don't want to change anything. You can blame me if I do. Hasn't really happened yet. I haven't really had to go through those.
Yeah, I guess he's really good.
He's really really good. Is the first first answer, he just is he's really really good and and.
I would I would.
Say that, you know, he got some he got some testing the opening night. That was a tough kind of deal, right, And I think I think again, we we got a little not maybe not as organized as we wanted to be, and things like that. I think those things that's probably impressed me that he's getting there with that stuff. There's still a long list of things that he's got to go up in my opinion, that he's able to go up in my opinion, and we'll just keep working on him.
But I think I think just his sheer sheer approach to everything and his talent, man has probably avoided some of the growing pains.
You think his relationship and closeness with Joel and impacts kind of his growth recently because it seems like his biggest advocate and the guy trying to instill confidence and constantly is Joe up.
I think it certainly helps, right. I think that.
I think I think Tyree really looks up to him, you know, so that when and Joel is you know, really taking time to help him, help him see some things, talking through some things, I think they're to bias and Tyree are close as well, and and I think they got a little good, good combination thing going as well, and they're working well together.
So that's three really good dudes, man, you know.
And they just they just they really want to they all want to play good, and they all want to win.
So it's it's a good start that list you're talking about.
Maybe what's at the top of it as far as the next immediate step you're.
Willing to share, there's a there's a couple of things that are that are that are up there, but I'm I'm gonna kind of keep those to myself right now, and I'll try to maybe let you know that there are ways away yet though, I think, yeah.
You mentioned Nick Patoon is kind of quickly being a bit the blue guy, a little bit of a surprise with it all, how seamless he's been.
Able to just kind of fit in with you guys.
Yeah, I would say a little bit only because uh, I mean, but not totally Okay, Like I I like, I've always admired the Toomb's game a lot, and I've I've I've.
Tried to get him before right on my team.
Just just such a good basketball player, like in so many facets. So but he's been really really good, right, Like I just I just you know, when you play against these guys, you see certain things that that he's done in the past, like he was he was absolute stopper against.
One of my guys and Toronto in LA last year.
Once just absolutely like full court knows to nose, like we're you know, it's like you're like Jesus, dude's like thirty five years.
Why old is this guy? Like?
And he's doing you know, and he's taking that role and that basically just tells you that he has the ability to do it and he's willing to do anything his team needs him to do to win, and I think that kind of sums him up.