The volume Welcome to the Best of Hoops Tonight, futuring my top takes from recent shows. All right, let's talk some basketball. So it was such a weird vibe in the arena because usually when we see these types of situations, there's been at least somewhat of a case that, you know, that is built over time, where it's like, yeah, we might need to move on from this guy, or maybe we should move on from this guy, and so yeah, the player will come back and everyone will give them
their moment of appreciation. But then it's like, all right, let's get down to basketball, let's compete. Screw these guys,
We're gonna get a win. And could not be a vibe further from that, because the most absurd trade in NBA history, the trade that set one of the most acomplished twenty five year olds in the history of the league away from a team that he was completely and totally committed to, as evidenced by his reaction to the tribute video, the trade has left a bad pace in a lot of these fans' mouths, right, and the way they reacted was to effectively cheer on Luca all night long,
to the point where you could literally see it have an effect on several Mavericks players. I thought Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson in particular, for being the competitors that they've been for the majority of their career. There wasn't a ton of fight there. You can tell I thought they were affected by it. The game just had this super weird vibe. It never kind of took on the energy level in terms of Dallas and the energy they play with that I think they could have won this game.
Dallas has some advantages. Their guards are really athletic, they have the ability to get to the rim on this team, and the Lakers are worn down. Fourth game in or excuse me, third game. Four nights just had to play a couple of really emotional games in Oklahoma City. This could have been a game that could have gone a different direction, but it just felt like there was never enough like energy in life for Dallas to feed off of.
It was just a really strange night. The tribute. You know, it was funny when I was watching the tribute video.
It's just a casual reminder of how much Luka Doncic has accomplished in his brief time in a Dallas Mavericks Jersey from the series against the Clippers, where he's just scoring on dudes and talking shit every time down the floor of the myriod of crazy shots that he hit over the years to win games, to extend games, at the end of quarters, end of shot clocks, the Western Conference Finals run, with what he did to Phoenix, what he did last year, the insane regular season high scoring games.
There's just so many things that Luca got done in such a short period of time that even though he's only twenty five years old, it just took on this feel like this great bit of history was wasted and you could just see it really affect Luca, and I was just so impressed, because I can't imagine going from a situation where you're as emotional as he was to going into a game where the entire success of the Lakers depends on Luka Dancich's ability to break down the
defensive coverage that Dallas was using, which we're going to get into in a minute. It's a lot of pressure you factor in not just the responsibility that he had in that game, but the emotions at play in the situation and the fact that they're on their third game in four nights, and the fact that they really needed
that game. They lose that game, they suddenly absolutely must beat Houston on Friday, and absolutely must beat Portland on Sunday, which again Portland, you know, do you feel like they can take care of business there? But that's not an easy game against Houston. US is beating everybody as of like, this was a very very important game. Forty five points, eight rebounds, six assists carried the offense in the first half when the Laker defense was a complete no show.
And then finally the Laker defense was able to take control of the game in the second half, a scoring burst from Lebron James in the fourth quarter, some cherry on top scoring from Luca, and the Lakers ended up getting the win that they so badly needed. Now, I was really curious to see what kind of game plan that we would see from Jason Kidd in this game.
He's got a bunch of drop coverage bigs on his roster right and as we know, the Lakers have struggled over the majority of this stretch of the season against switching and one of the big reasons why has been Luca has struggled to beat Biggs on an island compared to what it looked like in years past. Right, what's super encouraging is this is the third game in a row.
There wasn't as much against Okace. We saw a couple of possessions in the second half on Tuesday, famously the one right before he got ejected where he faced Hertenstein on a switch. There were like three or four other switches in that game. But okay, so he did run a good on a drop in that game. However, between tonight's game, the few reps against Hartenstein and then the game on Sunday, Luca had those big, big dudes dancing.
They had no idea what they were doing out there on the perimeter, and he was cooking them, cooked Heart and Stein over and over and over again on Sunday. A few more times on Tuesday Tonight, Derek Lively right out the gate. Interestingly enough, Jason Kidd will run a lot of drop with those guys. And he's a guy who famously has liked to blitz over the years, particularly
liked to blitz Laker ball handlers in ball screens. And so I was expecting them to come out and maybe consider blitzing, But went was switching with those fives, and Luca is just no problem at all, getting lively on his backside and jumping straight up and down as lively as pursuing from behind and committing fouls, getting easy dribble penetration. I've always been amazed by Luca's ability to use just little change of pace moves and using his size and
leverage physically to get drill penetration on basic everyone. But he just demolished the MAVs in switches over and over and over again. And then one of the other things too, like the short range shot making isn't there yet. I felt like he got a little closer today Today was I feel like his short range shot making has been off off a lot over the course of this phase in the season, but I thought tonight he was just
getting a little closer. The misses were just a little closer to going in a little bit more confidence, a little bit more crispness in the release. I feel like he's getting closer. But the step back three, he's got it going over these like six four to six five dudes. He just doesn't see him when he takes that pullback dribble, and he's getting it off whenever he wants, just an
unbelievable sequence from Luca Nachi. It was so important because early in the game the Lakers were not very good defensively. It kind of reminded me a lot of the Oklahoma City game on Tuesday. Lebron James has an enormous amount of defensive responsibility on this team. Since Anthony Davis went out, the entire identity of the defense has shifted. Now, when Anthony Davis was on the team, they didn't have much
of a defensive identity. They started to play a little better towards the end, but they had a rough defensive season. But in years past, the identity with AD has been Anthony Davis at the rim. That's been the identity of the defense and his ability to at the end of games switch on to perimeter players. Just Anthony Davis being the wrecking ball that he is on the defensive end of the floor. Since AD left, it's completely shifted to much more of like a connective defense. Hey, we are
all in this together. We all have to fly around and rotate, and Lebron is the captain of that ship. He's the guy that is, you know, sussing out actions as they're taking place and calling out coverages, anticipating things before they happen, and so when Lebron kind of lets his foot off the gas in that department, the defense
has tended to fall apart. Even going back to when Lebron was out of the lineup entirely, how poor the defense looked at stretches and in both games, in the second half of the Oklahoma City game and in the second half tonight, Lebron came out of that halftime locker room and was like, it's time to go. And in both games he completely took over defensively and was able to re establish the team there. I thought the Lakers had a very very smart defensive game plan for Anthony
Davis overall, big shock. JJ Reddick coach the guy, so he's familiar with his strengths and weaknesses, and Anthony Davis over the years has made moderate improvements handling double teams, but historically it has not been a strength of his. And JJ had a very simple game plan, same game plan that he used against Nicole Jokich earlier this year, the same game plan he used against Karl Anthony Towns earlier this year. They used a similar game plan against
Giannis earlier this year. They will front the post to try to deny the catch and try to get you to just bail on it by fronting the post and situating a defender right behind him so that it looks like you can throw that over the top pass, but if you do, you're running the risk of that defender
from behind coming over and blocking that pass away. And so what ends up happening is you're preying on the indecision of the guys who make the entry passes, and they were just in many cases looking to go another direction, and then when they did get Anthony Davis the ball, he would get immediately doubled from the baseline side, same
exact concept they used against Jokichen against Carl Towns. Soon as they managed to successfully get the post entry, the guy that's fronting quickly disengages overplays the middle shoulder towards the middle of the floor to try to force Anthony Davis to spin to the baseline or face up, and as he does, then the double comes from that baseline side and they're preying on that indecision from Anthony Davis
and rotating out of it. There was a couple of adjustments around the way like they tried having Anthony Davis just bring the ball up the floor himself and dribble into a post up still ran into the baseline double team and turned it over. They did actually get an easy bucket for Anthony Davis on a flash cut from Daniel Gafford. And this, by the way, is just a counter that Dallas should have used more frequently with that
they just didn't go to. But fronting the post, Gafferd's on the back line, Gafferd's man is bracketing on AD. Gafford flashes up to the semi circle. As he does, the backside helper has to follow him, or he probably shouldn't, but he goes with him as he does. When Gafford catches, suddenly there's no one behind Ad. He just floated over the top. He gets an easy layup. But they just never were able to repeatedly make the reads or the adjustments necessary to handle that action. And then Ad just
kind of disappeared from the game. And I was talking with our guys before we went live, like, you know, as someone who's rooted for Anthony Davis a lot over the years, and this is just something for you MAVs fans to just kind of keep in mind as you're embarking on this journey rooting for Anthony Davis. He is always going to struggle with double teams. That's been a
pretty consistent thing that he'll struggle with. But he'll also have games when he's healthy, when he's like really healthy and in shape and has something to play for, where even when he's struggling to get the ball in a situation like that, he'll just be a wrecking ball in every other facet of the game. He'll get like six offensive rebounds and fly out on defense and he'll end up with like nineteen and seventeen and like three blocks and force deals and he'll find a way to impact
the game even when he's not playing well. Now, he will also have games where that fight in competitiveness is just not there, and that can happen from time to
time even when he is healthy. I think it happens a lot more as I've noticed over the years, when he's banged up, when he doesn't really feel like there's as much to play for, and so honestly like it, like ad got game planned out of this one, and when he got game planned out, he didn't have any sort of second punch to go with, and you know, like as Lebron engaged things for the defense, because that's the thing. They did a good job with their defensive
game plan with Anthony Davis in the first half. Where they did a poor job was containing the ball and their backside rotations on dribble drives, and so they just
got diced up in the paint. I think they gave up like something like twenty eight to thirty something points in the in the first half, just in the paint, right, But in that second half, Lebron gets engaged, he gets going, really helps them regain control of things defensively, and then in that fourth quarter, it was kind of a perfect example from Lebron of what I was just talking about with Anthony Davis. Lebron's been struggling with his rhythm since
he came back from his injury. Lebron has been a guy that's been inconsistent offensively in this last couple of weeks. But he was just like, I'm six', nine two sixty with still great athleticism at my, age AND i can just play really hard and cut and crash and post seal and drive in just do EVERYTHING i can just through sheer force of will to impact the, game and he ends up lighting the scoreboard on fire in that fourth, quarter everything just right at the, rim and, again Like
lebron has something to play for right. Now that's the big. Difference but LIKE i, Thought lebron demonstrated an example of how like in defensive rhythm or when you're when a defense gets you out of, rhythm how you can kind of play yourself into rhythm as an athlete just by playing super. Hard that's the advantage of being one of the supreme athletes in the, game is like you can make up a lot of lost ground just by getting your body moving around and doing as much as you
can with. It outside of what has, variants there's variance in running action against a loaded up, defense there's variance in jump. Shooting there's not variance in how big and Strong Lebron james. Is that's going to be there every single. Possession AND i thought that fourth quarter stretch from him was a classic case of like he was obviously, tired he was budgeting in his energy all. Game he stepped
it up, Defense like it almost made. Sense luca carried things offensively Earlier lebron carried things defensively late in the, game and then he just was, Like i've noticed this a bunch Since luca came to the, Team but you, know it used to be That lebron led the early fourth quarter, unit even When Anthony davis was. There it
was a very similar type of. Rotation lebron would lead the early fourth quarter, unit and he would come out of the game with, like you, know seven or eight minutes left in the fourth, Quarter Anthony davis would come back, in and Then lebron would come back in for the last four to five minutes to. Close and in times, Past Lebron james would manage that early fourth quarter shift with more of an emphasis towards conserving, energy and he would do his thing and he would try to help
the team as best as he. Can but he, knew, like WHEN i come back in with five minutes, Left i'm the guy that has to try to make all of this stuff. Happen And Luka dancic has just alleviated. That And i've just seen so many examples now where it looks Like lebron starting that early fourth quarter shift
with a completely different. Mentality that's Like i'm going to let EVERYTHING i have in the gas tank go right, here right, now Because luca's coming in with seven minutes, left And i'll be playing with an advantage the rest of the, game or just a handful of touches here or there When luca needs a rest or When luca has gets his first action shut, down or something along those. Lines and so THIS i like that kind of you, know pattern that we're seeing From lebron in terms of
the that early fourth quarter. Aggression AND i do think when we get to the, postseason we'll see more consistent defensive engagement from him when he doesn't have to do something absurd like play three games and four nights and deal with some of the scheduling. Quirks, like you, know we got to cut The lakers a little bit of slack in terms of just how many games they've played
Between march first and. Now it's kind of. Crazy they've played like twenty something games literally in the last you, know five six, weeks and it's you can tell it's wearing on them a little, bit but they're just finding ways to get as much done as they need to get. Done you go into that road trip with two games In, okce in a game In dallas that's got all the weirdness surrounding the situation With luca and for you to go two and one and to have a one point
lead When luca gets. Ejected in THE okc, GAME i thought they played some, really really impressive. BASKETBALL i thought the defense in general was super encouraging over the course of this three game. STRETCH i thought they looked awesome start to finish in The sunday. GAME i thought they looked awesome in the second half against Okay see On. Tuesday AND i thought they looked awesome in the second
half tonight Against. Dallas the so call that. What that's four good halves out of six on the defensive end of the. FLOOR i don't think they played four good halves of defense in the previous ten. Games so like it's a really good sign that they're starting to regain some of that defensive identity that they had earlier on Before Lebron james hurt his. GROIN i thought it was
really nice to have Heard Hotcha murda. Back he was a little bit out of whack early in the game as the game was a little bit, Faster but they're in that second half he just kept getting these wide open, looks and to his, credit he just kept trusting his work trust in his release and hit several big ones. There he's just so important for the physical profile of
the team. TOO i didn't even think he was particularly great tonight as a defensive player and in some of his read and react, situations but just having another guy, who's you, know six' nine and big and strong and can move a little bit just changes that physical profile of. THE team a couple of big picks things With. The MAVs as, i Mentioned The anthony davis process will look
different from matchup to matchup teams. That switch there is a Tendency With anthony davis to either post up and struggle with double teams or to settle for a lot of contested mid range, jump shots and then when he doesn't have it, going offensively it's kind of like a fifty to fifty shot whether or not you're going To
get i'll still be an athletic wrecking ball or. I WON'T and i think that's going to be a just kind of part of the process of learning how to Build Around anthony davis and finding ways to cover for him on. That front that's one of the THINGS that i like about having him in some of those two big looks is that it allows him to kind of change the way he wants to play defensively depending on how he's feeling on any. GIVEN night I Thought najie
marshall was. Great tonight now she's consistently been one of my favorite players in the league as a. ROLE player i was a big fan of the signing when it happened. Last summer, to me he's like one of the more versatile role player guards that you have in the league in the sense that like he can be a spot,
up guy but he can also run some action. For you he can beat switches against smaller guards because he's a good athlete that has like a pretty underrated handle compared to a lot of role player guys that you have in. The league and then he's a, pretty big strong athlete for the guard, position too which gives him some. DEFENSIVE utility i thought he had a really fun, game tonight and he was one of The Few dallas MAVs tonight that really brought the competitive energy in a game
that so desperately needed it On the. Dallas front big win For, the lakers though they got an even bigger one coming up Here. On friday, that game we will have an instant reaction to her work on the weekend this week to make. That happen, so essentially the way that the schedule will work out is we are Going on saturday morning to Cover the friday. Night slate we
will hit multiple games from, that Slate Including. Lakers rockets the WAY that i WOULD Expect jj reddick to handle it is to go to his guys and, be like Here's the if You beat, houston tonight you guys can have the Weekend Off, saturday sunday fly out of Town on, friday night Go to cabo if you want spend some time with, your families get. A break we'll. Come back this coaching staff will spend the weekend prepping, you guys
get ready to come Back on monday. And work if you Lose, to houston sol you got to come back And beat Portland on sunday and we're starting our prep. Right away maybe You get, monday off but no one's allowed to go on vacation because they got to be. In town we start Practice. On tuesday find some way
to motivate. Those guys and create more of a must win environment Around That houston, rockets game because then you get the three seed no, matter what and you can allow yourself to effectively Punt that sunday game or not have to worry about it at. All whatsoever and you get seven full days off guaranteed before your first round, playoff game potentially eight if you end up Playing. On SUNDAY so i think that should be the plan heading
Into That houston. ROCKETS game i also just think it's a another Opportunity for Luca, and lebron specifically to get some reps against their. Perimeter guys houston is high risk for a first round upset because they have so many
you know issues on the offensive end of. The, floor however there is a pretty decent chance that We Get lakers rockets in the, second round at least a chance that's worth, you, know, Considering right and so if it ends Up Being, rockets lakers that was a, matchup where even Though the lakers won, last time they had some difficulty dealing with, their, bigger stronger. Perimeter defenders it's not
the same type of MATCHUP. As okac, their bigger their perimeter guys are bigger and they have more of a size in position on the front line as Well with Shangun, and adams so it might be another opportunity For the lakers to get some reps against that team so they can get some more footage to improve their game planning heading into a. PLAYOFF series i think they should go for it entirely In that. Houston game the, COUNTER case i guess, would be these guys play, crazy physical we
don't want to. Get hurt let's save It. For PORTLAND but i think you're messing with the basketball gods if you do that sort of. THING too i would try To. Beat houston now on the refs for, a minute Let's take luca's element to this and set it aside for, a SECOND because i think there's a conversation to be Had about luca's relationship. With refs why do we have refs at? Basketball, games like why are they there? At all they're there to facilitate the flow of. Basketball games.
THAT'S it i heard these Comments From mark degenel after, the game a Rare marked degenal COMMENT that i don't necessarily, agree with and he talked about how a while back he got a TECH From jt or the official Who. Ejected luca he GOT a tech From jt or for what he said was a. Mild, comment okay So he's mark's freely admitting up front that jtor was. Being. Ridiculous okay, After that mark said that he appreciated that jt held the law line on the respect for, the game the
integrity of, the game something about the respect for. The game AND while i Agree with mark because, he said he went on to say that like at a, certain point you got to set, a line and if someone crosses, that line you got to be consistent. About IT and
i agree. With that there's a. Certain line Like if luca had gone up To jt or in that situation and got in his face and started being really boisterous and demonstrative in his face after he already had a tech earlier in, THE game i would have found it to be a. Defensible ejection you do have to have. A line there is a decorum element, To this there
is a respect to the. Game, element however if you are going To Eject luka doncic from a one point game in a very important game For the lakers on the seating front and kind of important for the thunder in terms of their mental confidence in this matchup and us potentially getting to see seven minutes of crunch time basketball between the two best teams In The way conference in a GAME that, i mean it was a league
pass game that a lot of eyes were. On it if you're Gonna eject, luca there you better be damn sure that whatever it is that you're. Upset about. He Did and luca had been talking trash to, a fan was clearly talking trash to, a fan was backpedaling away and walking up the court and just looked back and said something towards. The Fan jt or happened to be.
Standing there he, got sensitive he got. Worked up He kicked luca out of, The game and that really is, The, thing like you have to understand that if we could have it, our way you wouldn't even. Be. There officials you're there because we have to have you there to facilitate the flow of. These games but you are Not the you are not. The show go REF some ymca games and see how many people pay to show up and watch. You ref you are not. The show the
show is. The players all of us wanted to see what happened in THAT game i would have preferred to get to also get some crunch time sampled data from. This matchup we didn't get that Because jt or got sensitive over a comment that wasn't even directed. Towards him and that is An issue i've seen time and time AGAIN from nba officials ego thinking it's about them not being able to handle the emotion of. The environment basketball is an. Emotional sport trash talk is a part of,
the game especially between fans. And, players yes there are certain decorum elements you've got. To WATCH like i Thought the vando tech was. Perfectly fine you can't let guys block each other and then run up on each other and get in each. Other's faces you have to stop that because you'll end up getting guys punched in, the face like it will end up in. Physical altercations there are certain things that you have to step up on with. Trash talk but fans sit courtside and talk shit all.
Game long players talk back to them all. The, time yes there are times when players and refs get, into it and a ref has to have a line in terms of the way that he's being. Spoken to but like you've got to have a read for the emotion of. The environment that's an. Intense Game the lakers. Needed it luca was. Fired up he just got another Bucket torching hartenstein on. A switch he was, talking shit he was having his moment in the emotion of, the game And
jt or got sensitive and couldn't. Handle it and there's just way too much of that IN the nba that needs to be resolved now Looking, at LUCA as, i said it is a league wide problem with refs having ego and not being able to manage their emotions in these intense. Competitive environments so one of the most important things that you have to learn how to do as a basketball player is manage your relationships with. The refs if we all agree that they can, get sensitive if
we all agree that they have, an ego then. You can you can't sit there and berate him all game long from, a distance towing, that line towing the, tech line, talking shit but keeping your distance and finding a way to not necessarily get yourself, thrown out but you're still. Antagonizing it THERE was i saw someone say Something on twitter That jt or during the game had Said to, lakers players anyone can talk, to Me. But luca why
did he, Say? That luca he said that because you talked a bunch of shit to him throughout the, entire game and he's sensitive. About it, so like at a, certain, POINT yeah i, Believe, you luca that you were talking shit to, the fan but you put yourself in a position with the way you managed your RELATIONSHIP with jt or that he was a quick trigger to, eject you
and he did not give you the benefit of. The doubt as Far as, I've seen lucas never argued his way into getting a. Better whistle he gets the calls when he gets fouled it when, he doesn't and when he bitches, and moans it actually makes the refs less willing to give him the calls that. He wants so a big part of his development in the next few years is going to be learning how to manage his relationships.
With refs we could be in a big playoff series series tied, at two big game, fourth quarter And if luca is talking a bunch of shit to, the refs he could put be in another situation where one is a little sensitive on the verge of kind of losing control of, his emotions and you could cross the line and end up in a situation where you're not available to. Your team that is the. Bottom line the bottom line
is regardless of what the. Circumstances were your team had to try to beat the thunder last Night Without luka doncic when they were Already, without rui and because of the back TO back jj wasn't about To push. Lebron's minutes you ultimately put your team in a compromising position and it led to. A loss so control what you, Can. Control luca you can't control jt. Or sensitivity you can't control the sensitivity of many of these refs Around The.
World league you can control the way that you manage your relationship with refs over the course. Of Games, all right before we get out of, HERE today i want to talk a little bit About The steph. Lebron Debate so steph fans reinstigated this discussion over, the weekend basically trying to paint the Picture that steph is the defining player of, this era the greatest player of, this era and they had a better Career Than. Lebron james steph
fans have felt this way since. Twenty fifteen this is not exactly a new idea many of you might Remember The steph better the hashtag that used to go around all. The time and to, BE clear i don't Blame more yours fans for feeling. This way he's, their hero he brought them. Four titles it'd be weird if they weren't relentlessly advocating for him in the all. TIME context i also find debates along these lines to be somewhat boring
because no one's changing. Their mind There's no warriors fan that is going to budge based on this Take that i'm about. To unleash you guys have your way that YOU feel, i RESPECT that i have my WAY that I feel i, respect THAT or i would ask for the same. In. Return RIGHT but i have literally never heard a basketball person who Isn't a warriors fan or an Outspoken anti lebron guy make the Case that steph
was Better, than lebron because. It's absurd let's set aside the obvious stuff Like that lebron Had a Hall of fame Career before steph even entered, his prime And that lebron is still every bit as good, as him Or that lebron has four times as many finals MVPs or twice as, many MVPs Or that lebron is one of only two PLAYERS in nba history with four MVPs And four. Finals MVPs let's set that. Stuff aside just the Narrative
that warriors fans are trying to build. Is absurd steph won his first Title against lebron in a series where both of his co stars. Were injured lebron literally Received MORE finals mvp Consideration than steph after. THAT series i disagreed with that line of THINKING because i don't believe in rewarding. THE loser I think steph should have Won AT, finals Mvp but lebron literally got more Consideration FOR finals
Mvp than steph. That Season then lebron beat him in spectacular fashion in twenty sixteen back to back or two forty point Games in game Five and game six to extend. The series in that twenty, Sixteen series lebron Badly outplayed steph on both ends of. The Floor Then kevin durant joined, the team And the warriors were so insanely talented that they had a negative odds on sportsbooks before the season to win. The title you were going you bet a
dollar On the warriors to win the Title. In october those years in seventeen, and eighteen you'd have made less than a dollar at the end of the season because it Wasn't just Katie. And steph it wasn't just the second and third best players in the league. Joining forces It Was, klay thompson the second shooter of, all time one of the best perimeter defenders, in basketball with great size and strength at, his position an awesome role player in.
This League draymond green arguably the greatest defender of. This era andre guodalas such a versatile forward that he Got THE finals mvp in, twenty fifteen and during that era was a do everything player. For them i'm a Big Fan kyrie Irving And kevin love AND. J, r smith but it was a different level of talent that was on those. Two rosters the way that whole four year saga is now being retroactively rebuild as a one on
one Rivalry between Lebron and steph is. Fucking Outrageous when lebron was at, his best he was the best Parts of Steph and draymond. Put together he was one of the most prolific offensive engines in the history of, the sport and one of the best defensive players to ever play. The game what happened in the twenty sixteen finals is kind of the perfect encapsulation of the difference between the two.
Of them lebron in that fourth quarter surgically Took the warriors apart in A way steph was not able to on the other end of, the floor and yet still at the end of, The game lebron saved it by leveraging his athleticism to make a superhuman Play when kyrie on the other End attacked steph because he was the lesser athlete on the court and a player he could get easy. Separation from that's the difference between the two
two all time great. Offensive engines i'd Even argue steph was a little bit better as an offensive Engine, than Lebron but lebron Brought that draymond level of playoff defensive impact while also being a Five Time First TEAM All Nba First Team all. Defensive player lebron was one of the great defenders to ever play. This game think back To the spurs series and the low man Possessions On
tim Duncan And thiago splitter at. The rim think about him in twenty sixteen on the famous Brick that steph Shot Over kevin love at the top Of the lebron was lurking in. The paint he blocked nine Shots over, game, five six and seven of. That series think about The level lebron was able to get to defensively in twenty twenty as he helped anchor one of the great DEFENSES in nba history as he won his fourth championship the
Year After kevin durant Left. The warriors there was A level lebron could get to in terms of his athletic Imposition that steph could never, get to, and that, to me is why they are on. Different tiers i'm A huge. Steph fan he's you gotta take my word. FOR this i. Get it he's legitimately my second, favorite PLAYER and i actually like him more as like a Dude. Than lebron half The time lebron opens, his mouth it drives, me crazy. Super corny there are a lot OF things i don't
like about. The guy, To me steph is a more steady leader and a much, more likable. Just guy i'm A big, steph fan but when it comes down, to basketball he's just not on the same Tier. As lebron, all Time it's LEBRON and mj at. The top then there's, a gap and Then, it's Kobe, it's Magic, it's steph And it's bird in that. Next tier, FOR me i Don't think steph is even capable of entering into the. Next tier he's never even had an undisputed hold on the best player in the world title the Way that
lebron did back in twenty thirteen Or that. Jokic does now we Can celebrate steph without rewriting history and journeying. To fantasyland that guys like it was an awesome rivalry Between the Cavs, and warriors and it was fun in a stretch of the OF the nba history where we got to see these teams face over and. Over again but if you're painting that As like Steph versus lebron playing one, on one that's dishonest and it's just not it's. Not reality SO LIKE i i like like that athletic
imposition element we're. Talking about do you want to Know why lebron's never had single digit points and, you know god knows how, many games Or that lebron hasn't had three points in a Game since december of two thousand, and four because there's a certain floor that comes from being six' nine two hundred and sixty pounds and big and strong and being able to leverage yourself in ways that don't strictly tie. To, Shot making now steph has a gravity Element in the rockets, game last, night for
instance he only. HAD three points a lot of plays On film Where i'm watching steph are on off, of an action someone slip out of it. And get open steph has value that, goes beyond it but there's more variance in his singular output on the game because he's. A jump shooter sometimes the shots. Don't go in sometimes he goes one for eight from three instead, of you know, Twelve for twenty and that's the up and down that can come from that. Type, of experience again, Like to
me steph is one of THE greats. IN nba history i have, HIM at five i have him have the top FIVE player, In NBA history but i just don't think he was on the same Level AS on and i thought it was just kind of hilarious the way that that was attempted to be made. As a case over the course, of the weekend the volume