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Good morning and welcome to the NBA Daily for October 31st, 2024.Coming up, the Celtics put a spook into the Pacers.The Lakers suffer a horrifying loss to the Cavs.And S is going to thrill us with his sophomores that stood out last night.
Good morning, everybody.Good morning.Yes.Happy Halloween, everybody.We got the Celtics and Pacers last night.And these teams, I don't think they like each other.This they really like play hard against each other.
They're competing like it was the playoffs out there.If you're a Pacers fan, at least you felt that way.
Yeah, it felt like a playoff game the entire time.I love that Indy gets up to play the Celtics like you can feel it with the way that they and this is one of those games where you're like, oh, maybe they're going to turn the corner.
They were struggling a little bit to start the year.This this win is one of those games where it's like, hey chip on our belt. we beat the boss.
There you go.I kind of buried the lead there.Uh, the Celtics lose their first game of the season in overtime to, to the, uh, Pacers.It's one 35, one 32.
They lose an OT and the Pacers actually had this game seemingly locked up at one point S to the point where you and I started saying, man, our game of the night might not be much of a game.Uh, but then
The Celtics just did the thing that they do because they are inevitable, and they just continued to shoot threes.They wound up with 57 threes in this game, which keyed their comeback.19 made threes.
They only shot 33%, but the volume got them back in the game.And I wanna start with the beginning of this game for the Pacers, because they started out so well.They were keeping Boston off the three-point line, limiting them in transition.
They were switching a lot. Boston only got three, three point attempts in the first six minutes.
And I think this got Boston out of rhythm because when they actually started getting the looks, getting inside, working the ball outside and getting some open looks, they just weren't falling.
I actually think the pace Pacers are well equipped to play five out with the Celtics and kind of keep banging with them in a weird way.
You mentioned the defensive aspect, but I thought a guy like Isaiah Jackson really brought a different element to the Pacers defense because, you know, low side, weak side help.He's there roaming around.
They can kind of shrink the court a little bit more when they're switching everything.And so that. stop some of the dribble penetration stuff the Celtics were trying to do.
If you limit them early in the game, get them out their rhythm, that gives you more of a chance against Boston.And obviously we saw that tonight.They did not shoot well to start the game.The Celtics did what they did regularly.
I mean that, especially in the fourth quarter, the Jason Tatum, Derek White actions, they just kept running that and spamming that and it got them back into the game.But I thought this was an awesome performance from Pascal Siakam.
Which like, I mean, when he plays at the five for them and they're kind of running and gunning and obviously he knocked down his threes.He had six threes tonight.It's really fun to watch this Pacers offense when he gets activated like that.
Yeah.And with the ball pressure and stuff that they were able to apply. It just threw Boston off.And we saw this in the playoffs last year.
The reason that the Pacers had so much success defensively, full court, ball pressure, picking the ball up at half court.Jalen Brown struggled in this game to shoot and find rhythm.And I don't think that that's a surprise.They did that on purpose.
There was just so much stuff.This is, again, another crazy night in the league. Carl Anthony Towns showed up big for the Knicks.Knicks get a big win.They beat the Heat 116-107.Carl Towns scores 44 points.I think, look, that's great.He scored a lot.
He took 25 shots. He took five threes.He made four of them.That's the one.That's the important part.Yeah.It's a big deal.
I mean, we were talking with James Edwards, you know, just a couple of days ago, and he was saying they got to find a way to get more three-point attempts, 40s for the game.
I thought, I thought honestly that they ran a lot more delay actions for him where he was being the playmaker.And that's part of what we talked about with James too.Uh, was impressed with the fact that he was crashing the glass more 13 rebounds.
He had three offensive rebounds that were big, especially towards the fourth quarter.
Uh, I just thought that he brought it physically and when he's imposing, when he's setting hard screens, when he's obviously shooting the ball with confidence, I think it just adds another level for the Knicks.And they took 43.
today, which it's like they, they, they remembered that they could shoot the basketball.
Yeah.In spite of the, the shooting forum issues that we saw to start the year.I mean, he took 11 threes.He hit four of them in this game.Jalen Brunson still hasn't found his jumper yet.
I mean, part of that is that they throw three or four guys at him.
Every single time and he has to dribble so much to get to his spots But what I really liked was nine assists in this game Like he was actually getting the ball to do some of the work for them, which is something that they need a little bit more Especially from him because he's got the ball so much Chet versus Wimby was tonight and and I think
If you were looking at the scoreboard, it's two wins toward OKC.Oklahoma City wins the game, but Chet Holmgren wins the head-to-head matchup.
Stark the difference, you know, when we got a little banged up in this game, and maybe that affected him down the stretch.But Chet came out looking to just crush Wimby.I mean, he almost he almost had him on a bunch of highlight reels.
It was it was funny because before the game, we saw that quote where it's like Chet, you know, Wimby doesn't even say Chet's name.
You know, it's he's kind of like Voldemort in San Antonio, you know, in the sense that he does not he who shall not be spoken or whatever the name is that they do.
Who shall not be named, I think is how it goes.
That's what it is.Thank you.Thank you, Dave.But no, I thought Wemby struggled a lot today.And that part of that was the coverage that OKC was throwing at him.
Like as soon as he caught the ball in the mid to high post area, he was seeing two or three bodies, just a lot of physicality from OKC side.
He's still a little thin too, man.Like people keep saying he gained weight.I don't see it.Maybe he gained two and a half kilos, not 25 pounds.I don't think he put on that much weight.I mean, even that is probably too much.
Alice Caruso is guarding him up at the elbow at one point in this game.And part of, I think, the scouting report on him is if you get up underneath him with a smaller player who's strong, you can hold him out of the lane.
Especially because he's so tall, like that 7'5 frame, the way that Caruso is guarding him, he's actually going much lower than what he would usually.
He's in his liver. Yeah, yeah, that's tough.I mean, you know, I don't know if you've ever boxed s but a liver shot does not feel great painful.And we got it.
Look, it was late, but we got to talk about the Warriors because they win back-to-back games against the Pelicans.No Steph Curry.It doesn't seem to matter.Jonathan Kuminga has looked really good back-to-back games 104 89.
They beat the Pelicans coming up. comes off the bench again, 16 points.Buddy healed off the bench, 21 points.And here's how I know Steve Kerr has gotten a little bit of a coaching bump from the Olympics.He's feeling empowered.
He started Lindy waters the third in this game.
Oh yeah.He's feeling comfortable, right?He's feeling confident.That's I love doing that.I mean, that's, that's what great coaches do.It's like feeding the guy who is playing with the utmost confidence.
Uh, buddy Hilt had another good game where he's just shooting the lights out.But I, I think the one thing that stands out for me with the warriors is their defense, That's right.They were the number two defense going into tonight's game.
They likely are going to remain the number two defense.OKC and Golden State actually, funny enough, one and two defensively.I think they are likely going to remain a top five defense.
To your point, you know, when we were doing our predictions in boldness, it just does seem that they're a pretty good defensive team.And by the way, OKC will probably stay number one.
They said I was a mad man.Coming up after the break, we talk to Jovan Buha about the Lakers fallout from their second consecutive loss.
After starting the season 3-0, the Lakers have dropped their last two, including last night's game, to the Cavaliers, where they got blown out.Joining us to talk about it, Yovon Bouha, our Los Angeles Lakers beat writer at The Athletic.
Yovon, you're in the building.I think we got to start with the big story for the Lakers, and that is Bronny James has broken the streak.He scored his first NBA bucket in Cleveland.Where he's from, you know, the crowd was cheering for Bronny.
It was actually like a pretty nice moment.I mean, they've known this kid his entire life.You were in the building.Tell us about it.
So first thing getting here outside of the Lakers locker room, they had this, you're rotating photos, welcoming back LeBron and Brawny, actually welcome back like D'Angelo Russell, because he went to the Ohio State and some other Lakers staffers.
But the big ones, of course, were Brawny and Lewis and Clark in that video too.No, just
But basically, and so that I mean, that was it was an 11 year old brawny celebrating the 2016 titles that that was kind of put things in perspective of just how long this journey has been to this point.
But then you have during your pregame introductions that crowd goes wild for LeBron as expected.But then during the first time out, they do a video tribute to LeBron and brawny and LeBron was pissed because at that point,
the Lakers were down 20 to 15.It was already starting to get away from them.So LeBron was like, I was just locked in, like not really paying attention.Like I heard it, but I wasn't looking up.
But then I heard broadies name and then I looked up and like kind of soaked in the moment.So for the Lakers, it was a very disappointing evening and
I think a bit deflating, considering their 3-0 start, but for Bronny and LeBron personally, Bronny got the game ball afterwards, he kept his number nine jersey, and he scored his first NBA points, which we weren't sure when that was going to happen, if not tonight, because he should be joining the G League team.
by the South Bay Lakers soon.So from that sense, a lot have been building toward this.And LeBron and Bronny both spoke to that postgame of just all the conversations and training they've done together through the years.
And LeBron was like, as a father, this is the greatest thing in the world.Just being able to watch your son actualize their dreams.
And he was like, since Bronny touched the basketball, this has been his dream to play in the NBA, to score a basket in the NBA.And he did it.
Well from the greatest thing in the world to LeBron James to not the greatest thing in the world the Lakers their defense Transition was a problem for him tonight.
Oh, yeah, they had issues in the half-court I mean just perimeter defense has been a problem for them so far this season This is back-to-back games where they've just kind of been carved up on the outside I mean
you know, it's early, but do they have the personnel to be able to guard the NBA teams?They need to guard.I mean, we know Anthony Davis is a defensive player of the year level player.
I mean, and maybe should have been in some people's mind last season, but is that enough?
I don't think so.I think that this is the glaring deficiency with this group right now is the perimeter defense.
And it's something that they're likely going to have to address on the trade market at some point if, you know, depending on how they start the season.
Lakers GM and Vice President of Basketball Operations Rob Polinka said he wanted to give this group 30 games before he truly judged them. And so I think we'll have a better idea of where they're at at the 30 game mark.
But certainly, to your point, like entering tonight, they were six per cleaning the glass, they were sixth in half court defense, and 30th in transition defense, and 30th by like a significant amount, they're adding about eight points per hundred possessions to their opponents, or giving up an extra, you know, additional eight points per hundred possessions to their opponents in transition.
So that's, I mean, that's significant.And if you look at LeBron and ad for as good as they can be in a half court situation with their athleticism and their size and their length, neither one of those guys is great at getting back in transition.
Typically, LeBron, of course, will have the occasional chase down block.And you saw even tonight, Sam Merrill
had a potential layup in transition, and he saw LeBron coming and heard the footsteps and he dribbled the ball out and did not go challenge him.But outside of that, you know, this is a LA team that really struggles defending in transition.
Kenny Atkinson said as much pregame that he's kind of like, that's the way we need to attack them because their half court defense is too good.
But then in on the perimeter, like we've seen, this group is switching one through four, and that works in certain matchups.But
Whether it was Kevin Durant and Devin Booker against Phoenix the other night, or Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell with Cleveland, they were able to pick on certain guys, be it D'Angelo Russell or even dragging out some of the bigs and just blowing by them and getting to the rim.
So That's something that the Lakers are going to have to really look at and potentially, I think, tweak because while switching one through four sounds good in theory, I don't know if they have the personnel to do it.I don't know if it's sustainable.
So I think they're probably going to have to come up with a defensive scheme change pretty quickly.
Yovon, they've talked about three-point shooting a lot from the Lakers.JJ Reddick has asked them to shoot the ball more.Tonight, just 28 attempts, 21% from the three-point line, too.
And I know this team doesn't necessarily have the three-point shooting talent.You look at a guy like Austin Reeves, who started the year well, D'Angelo Russell, who can obviously shoot the ball.
Is that a recipe that can work for them offensively to space the floor for a guy like LeBron James and Anthony Davis and Rui Hachimura, too, who has started off the year well?
Yeah, I think it can.But to your point, I always think this is going to be an inside out offense.80 and LeBron are two of the best finishers in the league, two of the best foul drawers in the league.
And I think that's always going to be this group's bread and butter.Like last year, they were second in the league in points in the paint.They were second in the league in points in the paint entering tonight.
So like, that's always the way I think this offense is going to function.It's going to be inside out.And if you load up the paint, then they get good shots.
in answer tonight actually is the fifth best three point shooting team in terms of percentage.But obviously, from a volume perspective, they continue to be down there, you know, around the bottom 10.
So it's something that JJ's harped on, we saw some mixed results in the preseason.But I don't think as currently constructed, this is a group that's going to be taking that many threes, I think they could do a better job of seeking it out.
And they have guys in Austin, Dilo, Rui, who do like to live in the mid-range.And they've been trying to work on cutting those shots out of their diet.But I think it's still a work in progress for sure.
And it's something JJ is constantly referencing in his postgame interviews.I'm just looking at the three-point battle.Tonight, they were minus 33 against Cleveland, which is just... JJ is basically like... It's a math problem, right?
Like if you're giving up, you know, if you're losing that, by that margin at the three point line, like you're going to be losing most games.
So I think for them, it's that's the offensively, I would say you're finding ways to generate better threes and increasing the volume, staying organized and structured, and then defensively, again, kind of figuring out their their new switching scheme, and in ways to kind of prevent defenses from picking on their weaker defenders.
I'm glad you brought up J.J.and some of the stuff that he said.First weekend.What's the biggest difference that you've noticed first weekend with real games?You've been on the road with them.I mean, what are you picking up on?Because it's different.
Um, so I would say, um, and it's, it's, I hate doing that in the comparison, uh, because it's been a big thing with the fan base, but, um, you know, last season there was a game when the Lakers were at arguably the low point of their season where Darvin Ham said that fans need to stop living and dying with every loss.
And I remember that was basically a death knell to the fan base because Laker fans live and die with every loss.
This is a team that expects every season, no matter how good or bad the roster is, to contend for championships, have playoff aspirations and really just win every game that they play.Like that's kind of in the Lakers history.Right.
So I think that the fan base has high expectations.And to see J.J.Redick after his first loss, that loss in Phoenix. he was something bad or something.Yeah, he was fuming.
And like the more like the longer the press conference went on, like at first you could tell he was upset, but like he was trying to keep his composure and just answer the questions.
But the more he kept talking about the game, he was getting progressively angrier.And like, there's, there's just the care factor with JJ that, um, I don't think it's performative, right?
Like all the players afterward, we're talking about his postgame message to the team and how he dropped an F bomb and he was fuming and seething.And it was just like, this dude really cares.And he was really eaten up about losing his first NBA game.
So I think like just just that level of intensity and focus from JJ, you can just tell is really seeped into the team outside of this Cleveland loss.
But in general, I would say like offensively, this was already a team that was top five over the last like 45 games or so last season.So they've just done a lot of those things, but at a higher level, and been very organized, very structured.
He runs brilliant ATOs, and they pretty much score on almost every ATO he equals. you know, calls.So that's been impressive.
And then defensively, I think he's really focused on team defense and zoning up the backside because they just don't have the perimeter defenders to keep guys in front of them.
So a lot of it is about the low man rotations and sort of playing team defense and really trying to keep guys out of the paint that way.
Yeah, well, let's hope he doesn't run out of napkins with plays on him anytime soon.And those ATOs are still successful because it is nice to see people running plays out of timeouts.Just a wasted opportunity when you don't do it.
Jovan Buhat, go and read him over at The Athletic.He covers the Lakers better than anybody else in the business.Thank you very much for joining us.After the break, S and I are going to talk about some of his favorite sophomores from last night.
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You know, occasionally you have young players that get stuck on bad teams and it just means that nobody gets to see them.You know, if you're playing for the Wizards and you do something, does anyone know what happens, S?They forget. Yeah.
So we thought, why don't we set aside time to pay attention to some of these younger players who are up and coming because otherwise it's hard to keep track.
And so we put S on the assignment and S, we had a couple of sophomores tonight that stood out to you.I would love to talk through them.
Thank you.If a tree falls in the woods, do you hear it type of thing?
I mean, if I'm there, yes, but no one's at a Wizards game.Exactly.Exactly.And look, the Wizards just beat the Hawks twice in a row, right?They have their number, if you will, early on in the season.
A big reason is Bilal Koulibaly, who second year player, right?Stepping up this sophomore who had his career high tonight, 27 points. I thought he did a great job of using his athleticism.I know you're high on him.He had a really nice pull up jumper.
He's hitting his threes more in stride shooting.And I guess I think I'm I'm higher on what the Wizards are building than I was maybe a year ago because of the infrastructure that they're building around a guy like Bilal.Yeah, I like Alexar.
I like some of these other guys.I think I think the identity they're trying to build is interesting.
Well, I mean, the fact that his defense is where it is right now and not just on the ball, but off the ball, too.He's a high level defender, pays attention offensively.He's got more than I think people expected him to have at this point.
Although when I watch the tape on him coming out of France, I mean, the guy he remind me of. Paul George, you know what I mean?He's kind of got a little bit of that.He's not as smooth as Paul George.
He has a little bit of it.Not as smooth.
Yeah.Not as smooth, but he's got a little bit.It just made me feel that way.And it's not a comp.It's just watching him play.You know, he's got those tools.He does a lot of things that are similar.Who's the other guy?
I have a comp for this next guy.I have a comp for this next guy. Okay.This guy also second year player had his career high tonight.Grady Dick for the Toronto Raptors.Obviously no Scottie Barnes.He's out for a few weeks with that eye injury.
But I think look, he dropped 30 points tonight.Didn't shoot the ball well from behind the arc.You know, he's supposed to be the sharp shooter.Hasn't shot the ball well. and hasn't shot the ball well, you know?
But it's the fact that he's able to get to 30 points without shooting the three, which is so intriguing.He's hitting 56% of his pull-up jumpers this year.So just absurd volume, absurd efficiency on that front.
Doing a great job off ball, like relocating, you know, all the things that you like from a shooter.So look, Grady is my Peja Stojakovic. That's my comp for Grady.
That's amazing.Well, he's shooting like Kevin Durant right now.Do you think that's sustainable for him?Do you feel like Kevin Durant from the mid-range for Grady Dick is what we should expect?
No, but you know, if we're throwing out crazy comps, you know, I'm just... Oh, I will just say right now, you guys send us emails at NBADailyAtTheAthletic.com or hit us up on Twitter and let us know what you think about our comps.
Who's got the better comp? Thank you.Thank you.Got a W today.I'm just letting you know, this is one a game, you know, but still my top five defense warriors looking like a better pick than your pistons for the play.
And that's going to do it for today's show folks.Thank you guys for tuning in for S Marahenny.I'm Dave DeVore and this has been the NBA daily.Thanks for waking up with us.
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