Did Kawhi and the Clippers solve Jokić and the Nuggets?

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Athletic NBA Daily – "Did Kawhi and the Clippers Solve Jokić and the Nuggets?"

Release Date: April 22, 2025

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Introduction to the Episode

In this episode of The Athletic NBA Daily, hosts Dave Deford, James Edwards, and Law Murray delve into the heated NBA playoff series between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Denver Nuggets. The discussion centers around whether Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers have found a strategy to counteract Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets effectively.

Knicks vs. Pistons Playoff Series Recap

Game Two Highlights

James Edwards opens the discussion by addressing the recent playoff clash between the New York Knicks and the Detroit Pistons. He states, “The Knicks got beat by the Pistons. So James Edwards here to talk about that...” (02:36).

Pistons' Resilience and Victory

Law Murray praises the Pistons' remarkable comeback, highlighting their ability to maintain performance consistency across both games. He notes, “I think it was impressive for them to come out and really not miss a beat...” (03:15). The Pistons secured their first playoff win since 2008, with notable contributions from Dennis Schröder, who stepped up in crucial moments.

Cade Cunningham’s Evolution

Cade Cunningham emerges as a key player for the Pistons, scoring 33 points and demonstrating significant growth. Edwards remarks, “He did a great job of just letting the game come to him...” (04:13). Law Murray adds, “Led to that. Dennis Schröder 3. That's awesome, right?” (04:55), emphasizing Schröder’s pivotal role.

Knicks' Offensive Struggles

Conversely, the Knicks struggled offensively, with James Edwards criticizing their disorganized gameplay: “I thought this was maybe one of the worst offensive game the Knicks had played all year...” (06:06). Law Murray points out the lack of effective ball movement and poor three-point shooting, stating, “More movement, more discipline in their spacing...” (09:51).

Looking Ahead to Game Three

The hosts discuss potential adjustments for the Knicks moving forward. Edwards suggests enhancing ball movement and spacing, while Murray anticipates an intense atmosphere in Detroit’s home arena for Game Three: “I'm expecting LCA to be insane in game three...” (12:22).

Clippers vs. Nuggets Series Analysis

Kawhi Leonard’s Stellar Performance

Law Murray commends Kawhi Leonard’s outstanding performance in Game Two, where he scored 39 points on an efficient 92.1% shooting: “Kawhi was just automatic, early, aggressive early...” (17:03). This game mirrored his previous impressive playoff shows, emphasizing his ability to take over crucial moments.

Impact on Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets

The conversation shifts to Nikola Jokić’s role and the defensive strategies employed by the Nuggets. Law Murray discusses the effectiveness of defensive player Zhou (likely Zhou Qi) against Jokić: “Zhu is a phenomenal defender because he's had to be...” (23:13). Despite Jokić’s 26-point triple-double, his aggressive play was hampered by Zhou’s tenacious defense.

Turnovers and Game Dynamics

Turnovers emerged as a critical factor in the series. Murray highlights, “It was 20 turnovers for the Clippers in game one. That Kawhi steal was the 20th Denver turnover...” (19:08). The high turnover rate significantly influenced the outcome of the games, showcasing the intense back-and-forth nature of the series.

Strategic Adjustments and Expectations

Looking forward, Murray anticipates strategic shifts as both teams vie for control. He remarks on the Clippers’ tactical approach and the importance of Game Three as a setup for subsequent matches: “Game three kind of is like just appreciate, you know, basketball being in a new setting...” (28:11). Edwards adds that the Nuggets now face increased pressure without home-court advantage: “The pressure is all on the Nuggets right now...” (29:00).

NBA Player Tiers Project Discussion

In the latter part of the episode, Law Murray introduces his recently completed NBA Player Tiers project. He reflects on the rankings, expressing surprise at certain placements: “I was surprised I didn't have Jalen Brunson or Donovan Mitchell... in my top 10...” (29:48). Murray emphasizes the human element in player performance, acknowledging that even top-tier players face challenges and inconsistencies: “They’re all flawed... It’s relatable to me because as great as these guys are... they have to figure this thing out...” (31:45).

Conclusion

The episode wraps up with Murray encouraging listeners to engage with his Player Tiers project and a nod to the ongoing excitement of the NBA playoffs. Dave Deford signs off, inviting fans to continue following the series through The Athletic NBA Daily.

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Notable Quotes

• Law Murray (03:15):

  “I think it was impressive for them to come out and really not miss a beat.”

• James Edwards (04:13):

  “He did a great job of just letting the game come to him.”

• Law Murray (04:55):

  “Dennis Schröder 3. That's awesome, right?”

• James Edwards (06:06):

  “I thought this was maybe one of the worst offensive game the Knicks had played all year.”

• Law Murray (09:51):

  “More movement, more discipline in their spacing.”

• Law Murray (17:03):

  “Kawhi was just automatic, early, aggressive early.”

• Law Murray (23:13):

  “Zhu is a phenomenal defender because he's had to be.”

• Law Murray (28:11):

  “Game three kind of is like just appreciate, you know, basketball being in a new setting.”

• James Edwards (29:48):

  “I was surprised I didn't have Jalen Brunson or Donovan Mitchell... in my top 10.”

Timestamp References

• 02:36: Transition from advertisements to main content discussing Knicks vs. Pistons.
• 03:15: Pistons' impressive comeback.
• 04:13: Cade Cunningham's performance analysis.
• 04:55: Dennis Schröder's critical three-pointer.
• 06:06: Knicks' offensive struggles.
• 09:51: Suggestions for Knicks' adjustments.
• 12:22: Anticipation for Game Three in Detroit.
• 17:03: Kawhi Leonard’s exceptional game performance.
• 19:08: Impact of turnovers in the series.
• 23:13: Zhou’s defensive prowess against Jokić.
• 28:11: Significance of Game Three and upcoming strategies.
• 29:48: Discussion on NBA Player Tiers project.
• 31:45: Reflection on player flaws and human element in basketball.

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This comprehensive summary captures the essence of the episode, highlighting the critical analysis of both playoff series, player performances, strategic insights, and ongoing projects discussed by the hosts. Whether you're catching up on the latest NBA developments or seeking in-depth commentary, this episode of The Athletic NBA Daily provides valuable perspectives on the unfolding playoff drama.

Transcript

[Dave Deford]

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[James Edwards]

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[Law Murray]

That's right, with Apple Card, you can earn 3% daily cash back at Apple and 2% back on everything you buy.

[James Edwards]

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[Law Murray]

Apply for Apple Card in the Wallet app on your iPhone today and start using it right away with Apple Pay.

[Dave Deford]

Subject to credit approval. Apple Card issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA Salt Lake City Branch terms and more at applecard.com as we head into.

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[James Edwards]

Good morning and welcome to the NBA Daily. Coming up, the Knicks got beat by the Pistons. So James Edwards here to talk about that, and Law Murray stops by to talk about Kawhi Leonard having one of the greatest NBA playoff games ever. The Knicks and Pistons are tied at one game a piece after game two. Here to talk about it, James Edwards. A little bit of both sides here. This is the James Edwards Bowl. If you guys have been following his career. James, what do you think about the Pistons bouncing back from, from that 210 run that. That ended their attempted winning game one?

[Unknown Speaker]

I. I think it was impressive for them to come out and really not. Not miss a beat. They. They started the first three quarters similar to they started the first three quarters in Game one. They were the better team for much of that game, and I think they felt the pressure in the fourth to close this one out. I think the building was waiting for them to let it go. And to their credit, they couldn't hit shots from players other than Cade Cunningham for the first three quarters. But then Dennis Schroeder came up huge. So that's why you get veterans and that's why you get guys who have played in big moments before. So they were able to get that done. First playoff win for the franchise since 2008. Obviously a big moment, but I don't think it was super celebratory in that locker room. I think a lot of people exhaled and were happy that they got out of New York with that win.

[Law Murray]

Huge game for Cade. 33 points led the way for them the entire way. I mean, obviously, you know, knowing this is the, the James bowl here, watching his evolution, what did you think of, of Game two from Cade?

[Unknown Speaker]

Yeah, I think he did a great job of just letting the game come to him. One thing about Cade is he will adjust. If you look at kind of different points in his career, the first, his first game in his rookie season didn't come to multiple games then because he had an injury and he went over 20 from three to start his career.

Right.

And then he figured it out, comes off other injuries. Takes him a little bit to get going. He didn't come off an injury going into the playoffs, but this is a whole new setting to him, something to get adjusted to. And I think he's one of those guys, once he gets a taste of something, he's able to figure it out. And the Knicks did soft switch a little bit more than I remember them doing it in Game one. They didn't really force him left like they did in Game one. He did a good job of getting to his spots.

[Law Murray]

Led to that. Dennis Schroeder 3. That's awesome, right?

[Unknown Speaker]

Yeah, exactly. Yep. And I also thought he did a good job. Like when Mitchell Robinson was on the floor going to his mid range jumper. There were a couple instances early in his career where he obviously Kate's a tremendous player. Not the most athletic player. Right. He would challenge big guys at the rim. Then he slowly started to. Not slowly, but he really started to put that, that mid range jumper into his arsenal. And I thought he pulled that out well today. And then attacking in transition when he saw smaller guys in front of him. So I thought he was really good, really patient. Couple turnovers, still a little. They need him to be a little bit more aggressive with the ball, especially in crunch time situations. But this is his first playoffs and I think that's about. I think he out kicked his coverage in game two. Given all the, the circumstances and given everything that happened in game one, I thought he was tremendous.

[James Edwards]

Yeah. Broke the franchise curse. Come on, man, you, you win a playoff game, that's a pretty big deal. Let's swing it to the Knicks. Obviously this isn't how they expected the game to go. Jalen Brunson essentially carrying the offense. What did you see? Was it the Pistons defense or was it the Knicks, you know, offense just sputtering?

[Unknown Speaker]

I think it was. I mean, first and foremost, you got to give credit to Detroit. They are a really good defensive team. But I thought this was maybe one of the worst offensive game the Knicks had played all year. It was super messy, it was stagnant. I think they only had 15 assists. It felt like they were trying to chase contact and trying to. Instead of trying to get to their spots. They didn't shoot the three ball. Well, their spacing is still at times just weird. You see Cat diving when Josh Hart's the one that's supposed to be diving. They don't. Cat didn't shoot a shot in the fourth quarter. They needed to do a better job of getting the ball moving. I did. I thought New York did a lot of favors for Detroit in terms of how they played offense. And again, I think we'd be remiss, not to mention like listen, The Pistons shot 14 free throws to the Knicks is two in the first half. There's a huge discrepancy. The Knicks, the Pistons foul a lot. They ranked 20, the third most following team in basketball. Now I'm not saying the Knicks didn't foul a lot in that first half. They did. But certainly I think if you ask a lot of people in the Knicks locker if they they thought they got followed as well. So obviously that discrepancy is something that's going to be talked about. But certainly I, I don't think the Knicks did themselves any favors. I, I thought they were very stagn and just undisciplined on offense and they're not a good three point shooting team. If you look since January 1st, they ranked 21st in the NBA. You look across the board. They have guys on paper that can shoot threes, but one, they don't shoot them a ton. Bottom, I think bottom, bottom three in attempts. And then this since January 1st, as I mentioned, when they are shooting them, they're not making them. It's a very unique team when you look at like all they've accomplished offensively this year, but still it always kind of leaves you a little bit more to be desired. It's a very weird situation with their offense.

[Law Murray]

You sort of touched on the Cat part of this. He didn't take a shot in the fourth. Just felt, felt invisible. But it also felt like the Knicks just weren't getting him any touches to get him going. What do they have to do to get him going in this series? I mean, he had a good game one, but game two was completely the opposite of that.

[Unknown Speaker]

Yeah, I think there's a couple things. Obviously, I think Jalen has to take that upon himself to get him involved. I think Jalen has had so much success in the clutch and call him captain clutch that you could see he was pressing to get his team this win and he almost did it. Yeah, credit to him. Whether people think he does it in a ethical way or not, that's, that's up to them. But he always finds a way to have his team right there with a chance to win. But also like, Cat has to. Cat has to like be disciplined in his spacing more too. Like you see him creep into the three point line too much when he doesn't have to. And also, if we're being honest, he doesn't do his work early on post ups. He catches the ball deep away from the paint y he then he has to take 2 dribbles, 3 dribbles, 4 dribbles. This team just at times, just plays. I mean at times all the time, they play slow. And a lot of it is because it's sometimes ISO ball. When Cat has the ball in the post or downhill, he doesn't always kick it out, but he has to do his work early in the post instead of catching it 10ft from the basket and trying to walk his man down. He's got to do his work early. So it's a little bit of everybody. Like I don't, I don't think it's on one person. You can point, you can point a lot of fingers offensively from game two, but they, this is something that pops up more often than it should for a team that has this much talent in offense.

[James Edwards]

The, the Pistons controlled this game for, for the meat of it and, and the door opened up for the Knicks when a Sar Thompson fouled out. I still didn't like what the Knicks were running. It felt like it was disorganized. It was a lot of first, first shot that was open. Let's take it especially down the stretch, right? Like they got good looks and just didn't make them, you know. What sort of adjustments do you think they need to make going into game three, you know, to that offensive game plan?

[Unknown Speaker]

More movement, more discipline in their spacing. Just don't press the issue so much. I think them getting behind, I think they could feel the urgency a little bit. Right. But like just play your game. You're the team that's been there. You're the team with a lot of talent. Just do get other guys involved, move the ball, swing, swing, swing, swing, shot. Like they have the ability of two of the best corner three point shooters in the league. Jalen can get downhill, cat can pop. It just feels like sometimes they get frantic when things get tough and it works out for most, most of the time because Jalen Brunson so damn good. But I do think they just need to be a little bit more disciplined in making sure that they aren't. Either one, taking the first shot they get, two wasting 10 seconds isolating, or three, just, just making sure their spacing is good. I asked J.B. bickerstaff the other day, yesterday before game two, how do you prepare for a Knicks team that you look on paper, they have five good shoot, four good shooters in their starting lineup, but they don't shoot a lot of threes. He's like, well, you have to respect them because they can hit it. But it's very clear that there is a certain type of shot that they want to take. So yeah, you have to be disciplined in your closeouts, but you also know that yeah, if they're wide open they can take them, but it's. You can, you can bait them into, into the shots that they want that the defenses also want them to want. They just have a few guys in Jalen and Mikhail who shoot those mid range shots at A high clip. So the math just doesn't work in New York's favor a lot. They don't shoot a lot of threes. They haven't made a lot of threes. And Detroit, again, did not shoot the three ball well tonight. This very easily could have been a 20 point Pistons win if Malik Beasley hit some of the looks that he's used to hitting. And Tim Hardaway, I know, has been a bit of a streaky shooter in his career, but he had some really good looks when they were up 15. So both teams tried to piss this one away, but Dennis Schroeder came through in the clutch, and it was much needed.

[James Edwards]

Man. That's right.

[Unknown Speaker]

Yeah.

[Law Murray]

Hey, anytime you could win a playoff game, knocking down just six threes the entire time is a win. You got to walk away with that. You got to be happy. James, I have to ask you. Game three in Detroit. First time Detroit gets a playoff game since, you know, 2019. First playoff win for them today in 17 years. Where were you 17 years ago when the Pistons won a playoff game?

[Unknown Speaker]

2008. I was a sophomore or junior in high school.

[Law Murray]

Wow.

[Unknown Speaker]

Yeah. In Flint, Michigan. Yeah. And I covered the 19 playoffs. It was funny because they clinched here in New York. They. They had to win the final game of the regular season to get in. And Blake Griffin, I don't think played in that game. And he was tremendous that whole season, but his leg was gone.

[James Edwards]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker]

Yeah.

And we knew this series was going to be a sweep. And I just remember all the beat writers, we were looking at each other like, why did they win this game? Like, we're all trying to go on vacation. Like, we know it's going to be a sweep. And it was because Blake couldn't move. But, yeah, I mean, listen, anybody who knows this league knows how insane of a fan base Detroit is. If you look from 2002 to 2009, they sold. They led the league in attendance. This is a tremendous basketball city. The last few months, that that arena has been rocking. It is a loud arena. I'm expecting LCA to be insane in game three. And the city deserves that. And they've been through a lot, just like the Knicks fans here. Like they deserve this type of team. They've been through a lot. These fan bases are more similar than they care to care to say to one another right now.

[James Edwards]

Well, the teams are pretty similar when you think about them. They're just throwing up bricks right now. James Edwards, go and read them over at the Athletic. You know, some of the best coverage that we're going to get in the playoffs coming from James. Guys, stick around after the break. We got Law Murray to talk Clippers Nuggets.

[Dave Deford]

This message is brought to you by Apple Card.

[James Edwards]

If you're like us on the show, you're always on triple double Watch. That's why we were impressed when we learned that Apple Card was posting numbers of their own.

[Law Murray]

That's right, with Apple Card, you can earn 3% daily cash back at Apple and 2% back on everything you buy.

[James Edwards]

Using Apple Pay, not to mention 1% back on everything else. That's a stat line that any fan can appreciate.

[Law Murray]

Apply for Apple Card in the Wallet app on your iPhone today and start using it right away with Apple Pay.

[Dave Deford]

Subject to credit approval. Apple Card issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA Salt Lake City Branch terms and more at applecard.com as we head into.

[Esperahenny]

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[James Edwards]

Kawhi Leonard had 39 points to lead the Clippers to a win in Game two to even up the series. Here to talk about it, Law Murray live from Denver, where he's got some kind of a weird painting on the wall behind him. Law this is one of the best performances in NBA playoff history. 39 points on 15 of 19 shooting, 4 of 7 from 3, 5 of 5 from the free throw line. A 92.1 true shooting percentage. So the seventh crazy shooting all time in an NBA playoff game. What's it like to see Kawhi when he hits this level? You've seen this quite a few times.

[Unknown Speaker]

Yeah, I've seen it before, man. I mean, I remember watching a lot of 40 point Kawhi games on TV, including my time as an athletic beat reporter because it was the middle of the pandemic. So there's that. Honestly, when I, when I thought about how he came out, it, it reminded me a little bit of his game six performance where he dropped 45 to drag that series back to LA. But the difference was he started that game six playing defense. Reggie Jackson was actually doing the first quarter scoring and then Kawhi just took the game over from there. Kawhi was not waiting. Okay. Kawhi was just automatic, early, aggressive early. And his scene was still down by nine points or eight points. You know, it was the game that Denver played Saturday in game one. That's the game the Clippers played today. But the difference was Kawhi was just sublime. And I mean from hitting the three pointer to end the first half, the first half where it looked like the Clippers were reeling the entire time from even I knew it was coming. That's the thing about me watching Kawhi now. He only took two shots in the third quarter. He sat for five and a half minutes and I was like, he's going to do everything he can to finish this game in a way that he did not in game one. And that's what happened. He actually missed three of his four shots in the fourth quarter. Yeah, but what else did he do in the fourth quarter?

[James Edwards]

Had those big buckets, big turnaround over. Aaron Gordon got the deal 20 footer pull up. I mean, he just did everything, man.

[Law Murray]

He was so good.

[Unknown Speaker]

He kept the game with a steal.

Yeah.

Nikola Jokic threw it away. It was Nikola's seventh turnover. Ask how many turnovers did Kawhi have in game one?

[Law Murray]

Six turnovers.

[Unknown Speaker]

Seven turnovers in game one.

[Law Murray]

Oh, seven turnover. There you go.

[Unknown Speaker]

All right. Yeah.

It was 20 turnovers for the Clippers in game one. That Kawhi steal was the 20th Denver turnover.

[Law Murray]

Yep.

[Unknown Speaker]

And that it was, it was a role reversal. That's what is up on the Athletic right now. And to. For Kawhi, it's never about just scoring. He wants to win the game. And you can't just win the game with the points. The points obviously are what we count at the end, but what are you doing to impact all of your teammates and what are you doing to affect the other team? He played a complete game, and that's why it was one of the best performances I've ever seen, man.

[Law Murray]

Law, I know we've, we've talked about this a couple times, but just the, the minutes load and his ability to play through, like he played 39 minutes tonight. But you. To end the season, it was 40 minute games and kind of hustling to just kind of grind through the end of the year. You've watched this guy go through the process of rehabilitation multiple times. How was the feeling in the locker room and what everybody kind of feels about these type of performances. When Kawhi is like this, knowing everything that he sort of been through to get to this point, man, that's a great question.

[Unknown Speaker]

That's. And I've got two sides of answering it. I ran into Patty Mills, who is a salt of the earth dude. And I was like, yo, let's talk. Because, you know, Patty saw Kawhi as a rookie. Kawhi saw Kawhi won 18 that lost, arguably one of the most heartbreaking finals. To lose and then to come right back, respond and be a finals MVP as a defender. Right. Patty told me something really cool. He was like, you gotta celebrate moments. Right. You can't just go and say, all right, on to the next one. Good job, Kawhi. That dude has lost time playing at an elite level.

[Law Murray]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker]

And he's had to listen to clowns, retire him. Dudes who've never done what he's done, both professional athletes and, and, and professional journalists, they've told him stop playing. So we don't have to talk about you anymore. And so Kawhi is never going to be the type to say that he's just going to be appreciative for being able to play and he wants to stay healthy. That's really where Kawhi's at. But his teammates are rooting for him. They played their ass off to get him to the point where his season mattered when he finally got healthy. James Harden, this guy who has been to the playoffs every year of his career, he's won an mvp, he's heard his own share of, of, of bs. He, he was very effusive in saying he, that he doesn't think Kawhi is appreciated nearly enough, you know, just for playing that, let alone playing at this level. So you know, I think that the team on one hand, they want to understand this is a series, it will be a long, hard fought series, probably the hardest of the eight quarterfinals series and that you can't get too high, you can't get too low. Now a best of five. But at the same time you have to appreciate what you're seeing. You have to celebrate the greatness and you have to, you know, just be happy. For a guy in Kawhi who not only got himself back to this to just be playing, able to play, but to play at this level can't take it for granted.

[James Edwards]

He's a guy that we're going to have to judge by his peak, not by collecting stats and not. And he's going to be a guy where we say you had to see it because of these sorts of games. Another guy who we're going to judge by his peak, Nikola Jokic. And it's going to be funny when I say this but weird night for Nicola Jokic. He had a 26 point triple double but wasn't very aggressive. And that elbow, look, yeah, maybe the elbow, but I think part of it. Evita Zubac. And we talked about him all year long, he's having like a renaissance season for himself. Like really growing into this, you know, I mean just top dog defensive center. And then now he's got that nice little flip shot too that he just never misses. What do you think about the way that that zoo has been guarding Jokic? I mean it does seem like he might be the, the guy who guards him the best in the NBA right now.

[Unknown Speaker]

Yeah, Zoo's got a chip on his shoulder and it's not because of what people from the outside said or, or any quote unquote underrated like he has a chip on his shoulder from five years ago. He should have been playing more when those teams were matched up in the bubble because he played Nicole Jokic well there too. The Clippers were better on the floor in 2020 when Nicola Jokic and Zoor matched up. That's not how the series played out, unfortunately. He, he watched a lot of, you know, these comebacks that the Nuggets had to get, you know, to the conference finals that year. Nikola Jokic is a, you know, all time great player and arguably the best player in basketball right now. He, he's got a pretty good foil in Zoo because, and, and there's a lot of mutual respect there. You know, Jokic loves Zoo's game. He compliments him for sure, all the time. Jokic used to say a guy like Zhou has to just play in his role, but he, he knows that he's capable of more. And he applauded Zoo because he knows how hard that is. And I know Nicola knows how hard that is because this dude Nicole was splitting starts with Yusuf Nurkic. Right, okay, so the thing with Zoo is he's a phenomenal defender because he's had to be. He's been hooked in playoff series. He's had to be on an island, guarded guys like Luka Doncic. He's been drilled by an outstanding coaching staff and like he's ready for this moment. Zhu had zero fouls at halftime. He ended the game with five. Like, Nicola wins battles. I, I, I, I called Nicola Jokic a dolphin to a friend that I had, you know, lunch with in Denver while I was here. If you know anything about dolphins, they're incredibly smart and they're jerks, okay, like, like Nicole is going to get his licks in, but you got to give it back to him. And Zoo is again, that, that's one of the best parts of this series. Like Nikola can't do it by himself. And damn it, the Clippers would rather him try. They, they don't want the high assist. They don't want Nicola picking the Clippers apart when they try and double or, you know, finding cutters. They want Nicola to do it all on his own. I think Nicole is trying to fight that balance of how much do I go against Zoo, how much do I pass it, how much, how aggressive should I be? And you know, Nikola won that in game one. He absolutely lost it in game two.

[Law Murray]

Man, I can't wait for game three. I know all of you agree with this just because it's been incredible back and forth series. The tactical approach, the way both teams are guarding pick and rolls. You talked about the turnovers earlier, Law. It feels like that's what's dictating this whole series. The pace that both teams are trying to play at, but also Clippers playing it into it, playoff game, Game three. How does that feel, the fact that they're going to have the wall? Dave, we've talked about the wall against.

[James Edwards]

A bad free throw shooting team. It's a bad free throw in trouble there, right?

[Law Murray]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely does.

[Unknown Speaker]

How.

[Law Murray]

How are the vibes going to be in Game three? What are you expecting? Adjustment wise? All of the above law.

[Unknown Speaker]

Well, shoot. Adjustments. I'm not, I'm not even sure if we're at the stage of. I mean, we've. This was the adjustment game. You know what I mean? When you lose, like the Clippers lost in game one, obviously there's adjustments, but Denver had to adjust within Game one. Yeah, Russell Rustbrook played Michael Porter Jr's minutes in Game one and David Adelman doubled down, drilled down and challenged Michael Porter Jr. To be better. And you know what that dude was? Yeah, he had 15 rebounds, six of them on the offensive end. Michael Porter Jr. Had a three that tied the game in the fourth quarter. Like I thought Michael Porter Jr. Had some bad luck because, yeah, he had a lot of efforts, some, some tips, some, some, you know, times where he was falling out of balance trying to save, you know, possession for his team and it didn't work out. You know, like we turn over there.

[James Edwards]

At the end, you know.

[Unknown Speaker]

Yeah, like we, I feel like we throw that adjustment word. It's a great word to use in the playoffs, but it gets overused a lot sometimes. You just have to play better. Right. And so you got two teams now that fought, they landed the first punch and weren't able to sustain it. That's what you've had from both of these teams. Now let me tell you something about Intuit Dome. Ballmer wanted to have a little plaza there to have a championship thing. And obviously the Clippers haven't had the roster in the spring, certainly in the other seasons, but not in the spring worthy of such an occasion. They had their fans there in game one and game two, and now it's going to be lit in Game three. And they have Kawhi Leonard playing. They have James Harden playing. They have an opportunity, honestly, just enjoy game three. Game three is just whatever. It's a setup for game four. That's the game that matters.

Right?

And that's going to be a quick turnaround. But you know what? Everybody in la, they can, you know, find a place to park, get a, get a ride share or whatever and the result doesn't matter. It's going to be a celebration of basketball in a venue that you've never seen before at this time of the year. And, and that's what Game three is. It's not going to be the angst riding on that game. If the Clippers would have lost it, lost Game two, and, and have that be a must win. It's not a must win. It's a. You'd like to win it. I think in, in terms of that, I think Game three kind of is like just appreciate, you know, basketball being in a new setting in the NBA in 2025. And whatever the result of Game 3 is, that's what places the importance in terms of Game four.

[James Edwards]

Yeah, well, the pressure is all on the Nuggets right now. They. They lost home court advantage and they've got to pick it back up somehow. Law, before we get out of here, you just finished up your NBA player tiers project that you spent all year on, and we're late to that. So I apologize. But I wanted to talk about it. It just came out on Friday. You finished it up all last week over the course of the week. And I'm not going to run through the list, guys. You know, we'll link it in the show description and it's over at the Athletic and it's very prominent on the site. But I do want to ask you because I'm familiar with set part now and the way that he operated when he was doing the tears. And, and I want to know, while you were doing this, did you have any surprises? You know, like, were there guys that you ranked way lower, way higher? You know, what, what stood out to you while you were doing this?

[Unknown Speaker]

Well, first of all, shout out Seth. He's the og and I'm not just talking about the Athletic. Like me and him, we did Clipper blog together. You know, I remember when I first got a chance to even be on the video and all those great people that have ever contributed to that, to that site, you know, Kevin Arnovich, man, you know, really put us in position to have some really cool opportunities in the, you know, in this space. So. Shout out Seth. Shout out ka. I am not Seth. I wanted to establish that early. I don't have the resources, the experience, the background and the process, frankly, that's that Seth did. So I needed to kind of get that out the way quick. And then, you know, I looked at those guys that played in the Olympics in 2024 and it was like, there's no way they're going to be in my top 10. And, and damn it, all of them were. I'm talking LeBron, Steph and Katie. I'm like, there's no way. And it's like, but they're, they're that good. I didn't want lifetime achievement awards. I literally used that term. But I also was like, what do I value in basketball players in, in terms of, you know, where they are now and where they might be just in a year and specifically going into these playoffs. And I'm just like, let these young guys knock them off. Let these guys who are playing maybe a little bit better, but still need to establish themselves at this time of the year. Let those guys play in a way that knocks those guys off. And, you know, I was surprised I didn't have Jalen Brunson or Donovan Mitchell or, you know, those, those guys in, in my top 10. But I'm, I was comfortable with it because I was like, you know what? Everyone's flawed. Those old guys are flawed. Those guys are flawed. My, my top of the top, Nicola, Shay, Giannis, they are all flawed. We're all going to be like, you know, I mean, Shay had a game, one like, like he had.

Yeah.

Giannis doesn't make a whole lot of shots outside the paint or from the free throw line. Nicola has games like this, seven turnovers and they're picking them, trying to pick them apart, trying to keep him in the action. But that's why I. Basketball, like, it's. Yeah, it's relatable to me because as great as these guys are when it comes to size and skill, they have to figure this thing out too. They get exhausted, they get mentally challenged and this stuff hurts or is exhilarating for them. And so I try to keep a human element to these, to these tiers and I hope that they have legs. If you didn't catch it, don't worry. The playoffs going to be on for another two months.

[James Edwards]

There's always a problem to solve in basketball. That's the fun part about it.

[Unknown Speaker]

Yeah.

[James Edwards]

Law Murray, you know what? You may not have the, the data experience, but you got the humility to pull it off. So appreciate you hanging out with us. Go and read them over at the Athletic and that's going to do it for the show, folks. For James Edwards, for Law Murray, for Esperahenny, I'm Dave Deford and this has been the NBA Daily. Thanks for waking up with us.