Is Amen Thompson a star? | Beal or No Beal for Chicago

Summary

The Athletic NBA Daily – Episode Summary: "Is Amen Thompson a Star? | Beal or No Beal for Chicago"

Release Date: January 28, 2025

Hosted by Dave DuFour, Zena Keita, and Esfandiar Baraheni, The Athletic NBA Daily delivers an in-depth analysis of the latest happenings in the NBA. In this episode, the hosts delve into the rising star Amen Thompson, Bradley Beal's trade speculations, and the Memphis Grizzlies' recent performances. The discussion is enriched by insights from analyst Keith Parish, offering listeners a comprehensive look at current NBA narratives.

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1. Rockets' Dominant Victory Highlighting Amen Thompson

The episode kicks off with a recap of the Houston Rockets' significant win against the Boston Celtics, underscoring Amen Thompson's performance.

• Dave DuFour introduces the Rockets' victory, emphasizing Thompson's impact:
  "The Rockets pick up a big win thanks to Amen Thompson's best game as an NBA player. He hits a game-winning shot." ([02:57])

• Keith Parish discusses Thompson’s potential as the franchise cornerstone:
  "I think Amen Thompson can be that guy. Because there is a world in which this guy is dominating defensively, one of the best athletes in the league." ([04:00])

• The conversation compares Thompson to Giannis Antetokounmpo:
  DuFour: "Giannis has elite length." ([04:55])
  Parish: "Amen Thompson is not scared. He's not scared to even shoot the three." ([06:21])

2. Evaluating Amen Thompson’s Star Potential

The hosts and Parish delve deeper into whether Thompson can transcend his current role to become a bona fide star.

• Parish raises a critical point about Thompson's offensive limitations:
  "How much further can he go without the jumper? Does he break conventional wisdom of how far a star can go?" ([04:33])

• DuFour highlights Thompson’s versatility beyond shooting:
  "He’s a good passer. And you can have shooting around him." ([05:06])

• The discussion touches on Thompson's confidence and leadership on the court:
  "The confidence, the attitude, the run through a brick wall sort of mentality that he's got." ([06:35])

3. Bradley Beal's Trade Speculations and Chicago Bulls Interest

Shifting focus, the hosts address the latest news regarding Bradley Beal and his stance on a potential move to Chicago.

• Fred Katz reports that Beal will not waive his no-trade clause to join the Chicago Bulls:
  “The Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal will not be waiving his no trade clause to go to the Chicago Bulls.” ([09:04])

• DuFour comments on Beal’s control over his trade options:
  “Bradley Beal really holds all the cards here. His family just moved to Phoenix before the season.” ([10:35])

• Parish speculates on the limited teams interested in Beal due to his preferences:
  “Bradley Beal is not willing to go to a place that's cold and has a losing record.” ([10:18])

4. Memphis Grizzlies’ Recent Struggles and Offensive Overhaul

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to analyzing the Memphis Grizzlies' performance, especially their recent loss to the New York Knicks.

• Keith Parish assesses the Grizzlies' offensive strategy:
  "Nearly dead last in pick and rolls, still dead last in handoffs. They're working off cuts and ball movement." ([22:13])

• DuFour and Parish discuss the implications of Ja Morant's off-night:
  "John Morant was horrible and like he was not good." ([27:59])
  "Can this new Grizzlies offense, which has been humming along so well at times, collapse if one superstar starts stinking in a game?" ([28:05])

• The conversation highlights the Grizzlies' turnover issues and defensive lapses:
  "The Grizzlies' offense, their turnovers, which have been an issue all year, that for me, is what they could not overcome in this game." ([25:36])

• Parish explores potential trade moves and the team's strategy moving forward:
  "They might have poked around Cam Johnson. What do you think this team does two weeks away from the trade deadline?" ([30:20])

5. NBA All-Star Weekend Dunk Contest: A Disappointing Lineup

The hosts critique the lineup for the upcoming Dunk Contest, expressing disappointment over the lack of star power.

• DuFour expresses his sentiment about the contestants:
  "Mac McClung is not on the list of guys that I'm paying to see." ([13:31])

• Parish reminisces about past dunk contest legends and the current lack thereof:
  "It used to be a thing that blossoming stars would do. I remember Vince Carter's Dunk Contest 2000." ([14:11])

• The hosts propose alternative contestants, highlighting their favorite young talents:
  "Let's pick four people... Amen Thompson, Anthony Edwards, Victor Wembanyama, and Ja Morant." ([15:11]-[15:51])

6. Engaging with Listeners and Future Predictions

Towards the end, the hosts encourage listener interaction and provide forecasts for upcoming games and player performances.

• DuFour invites listeners to share their Dunk Contest picks:
  "Guys, in the comments, let us know who are the four guys you would want to see in the dunk contest." ([16:54])

• Parish emphasizes the importance of consistency against elite teams:
  "It's very unproven against the absolute elite teams. It's hard to win in the NBA against the best teams when your best player has an off night." ([25:36])

• The episode concludes with final thoughts on the NBA landscape as teams gear up for the postseason:
  "The Grizzlies are a wins machine. Do you worry that they're showing off too much before they get to the playoffs?" ([26:28])

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Key Takeaways

• Amen Thompson is emerging as a potential star for the Houston Rockets, showcasing versatility and leadership, though questions remain about his offensive ceiling without a reliable jumper.

• Bradley Beal asserts control over his trade destiny, ruling out a move to Chicago and limiting his trade options based on his personal preferences and family considerations.

• The Memphis Grizzlies face challenges with their offensive overhaul, particularly when reliant on Ja Morant's performance, and must address turnover issues to sustain their success against top-tier teams.

• The NBA Dunk Contest is criticized for lacking star contestants, prompting hosts to suggest a new lineup of exciting players to revitalize the event.

• Listener Engagement is encouraged, with hosts seeking opinions on dunk contest participants and discussing broader NBA strategies as teams prepare for the playoffs.

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This episode offers a thorough exploration of pivotal NBA stories, blending statistical analysis with engaging dialogue, making it a must-listen for basketball enthusiasts seeking deeper insights into the league's dynamics.

Transcript

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[Listener]

Good.

[Host]

Morning and welcome to the NBA Daily for January 28, 2025. Coming up, the Rockets got a huge win in Boston. Bradley Beal does not want to go to Chicago under any circumstances. And we got Keith Parish on the show to talk about his Grizzlies even though they got smacked by the Knicks. Good morning everybody. Good morning. S A little bit of a daily curse sprinkled On Keith Parish.

[Analyst]

It had to happen.

[Host]

Keith is going to come up after the break to talk about the Grizzlies in the. They've been having as the other, the other big game last night. Rocket Celtics delivered. The Rockets are only in good basketball games. The Rockets pick up a big win thanks to Amend Thompson's best game as an NBA player. He hits a game winning shot. I mean, start to finish. This was about Amend Thompson. We can get to the rest of it, but we have been very enamored, I would say, with Amend Thompson. And this game is exactly why he was doing everything.

[Analyst]

The Rockets are the store, not the story of the season, but one of the stories of the season. And you can talk about their impressive win over Cleveland, two wins over Cleveland. You can talk about this Celtics game. But this week has made me question just how far the Rockets can go. Because I, you know, we've had conversations over the last couple weeks of like, okay, well, you know, I think the Rockets will have questions in the postseason.

[Host]

Who's their guy?

[Analyst]

Who's their guy? Can Jalen Green be that guy? Can who this? Who that? I think Amend Thompson can be that guy. Because if there is a world in which this guy is dominating defensively, one of the best athletes in the league, he's doing it on the defensive end, but also finding ways to win offensively. He had 33 points tonight, which was a career high. Tallied it up last time against Cleveland with a 23 point triple double. So he's just dominating and finding ways to win without the jump shot.

[Host]

Right.

[Analyst]

So my question. No, this is, this is the question I have. It's like he does everything else so well. Like, how much further can he go without the jumper? Does he break conventional wisdom of like how far a star can go? Because, like the last guy, I don't know, that is what, like Yanis. I mean, it's Giannis, but it's Yanis.

[Host]

That's the thing. Giannis has elite length.

[Analyst]

Elite.

[Host]

I mean, just elite size. Yeah, I mean, he, you know, he's a seven footer. I think if, if Amend Thompson is seven feet tall, we're treating him like he's Giannis.

[Analyst]

Right.

[Host]

The problem is for, for a wing, the limitation in what he's going to be able to do. As far as like the ceiling for his offense, it's always going to be about that jump shot, specifically off the dribble. Right? Like the guys who can create their own shot. I mean, Houston, Jalen Green, right? Yeah, it's Albert Shingoon, Dylan Brooks and, and Dylan Brooks. Those guys are standing on the side. We're going to get to Dylan Brooks. But those guys, they, they got to stand and wait. They're play finishers. And I just think that, you know, as a play finisher, there is a ceiling for what you can be like. You can't be the number one guy if you can't create a shot. And so his limitation is all about the jump shot. Now I, I again, we've talked about this. I think he's interesting as the ball handler in pick and roll situations. And so there is a way that you can use him on the ball where he's able. Basket. He's a good passer. I mean, and you can have shooting around him. But it gets really, really tricky when you're able to guard him one on one because you're just not worried about him shooting.

[Analyst]

You can like all NBA Ben Simmons, right? The, not the version that we've seen the last few years, but the version that was like one of the top 10, 15 best players in the NBA, right? That version of Ben Simmons, but with the aggression level.

[Host]

Amen. Thompson is not scared. He's not scared to even shoot the three. And in this game he hit, he stuck his first corner 3. Boston was not guarding him, by the way, not guarding him on the perimeter at all because he's not a threat to shoot right now or he's not a threat to make right now.

[Analyst]

Yeah, yeah.

[Host]

But what I did like about it, he hit his first one and they left him open for the next one. And he. Shengoon was actually actively calling for him to make a cut because he did actually have a back door. But Amend just said, no, I'm open, just make the pass. He misses the shot. But I think that confidence, especially in a game like this, he, and it didn't bother him that he missed. It was like the second miss of the game for him at that point. And, and I just again, the confidence, the attitude, the run through a brick wall sort of mentality that he's got, which the whole team has. I mean, you know, not just the.

[Analyst]

Mentality, the mantra of that team. Yeah, absolutely.

[Host]

Well, so let's get to the game. I mean, the, the real story of the game, it's a men Thompson having 33 points and it's Dylan Brooks hitting 10 threes. And for some reason, like the Rockets are just not scared of anybody no matter what.

[Analyst]

And they go, especially Dylan Brooks. Especially Dylan Brooks.

[Host]

He was, he was running his, his mouth with Jalen Brown the entire night. He actually got Jalen Brown, I thought, got Jalen Brown out of his game. Trying to go back and forth with. Forth with them. Caused Jalen Brown to commit an offensive foul by getting a little too juiced up. And then in the run where the Rockets came back and tied the game up once again, I think that you can point to Jalen Brown as sort of the catalyst causing Boston to fall into some of their bad habits that they do. End of game. Where. Okay, I'm going to get mine. You go get yours. And they're not doing their cutting and. And rebounding, and all of a sudden, the Rockets, this team that just hangs in there, hangs in there. Now, they also fall apart in fourth quarters. They do, yeah. But they are able because they stick to it and they hang in there. They have these games, like tonight. And Dylan brooks just hits 10 threes.

[Analyst]

Yeah, it's incredible to watch Dylan become like, the villain, but also beloved for that villainy, you know, because some people love that side of villain, you know.

[Host]

Like, Jay King was texting me during the game.

[Analyst]

Right?

[Listener]

There you go.

[Analyst]

Yeah, man. And you know what the crazy thing about the Rockets is? You know, you guys have talked about it before, but, like, Ime Udoka has those guys bought in on being the villains, right? The. The bad boy Pistons vibes that they're trying to go for. Jalen Green basically gets a black eye, comes back out with an eye patch, like they are going to fight through all the adversity to be the team that they want to be. I think that's a great part about them, which is why I wonder how far they can make it into the playoffs. It's just.

[Host]

They still feel it's a guy. They're a guy away, you know, and it may be the guy. Maybe the guy develops, right? Like, it could just be that this team happens next year. I think that. Again, it's wide open, though.

[Analyst]

But this. This week has been really impressive for them.

[Host]

It's eye opening. And then they got the Grizzlies again. Look, if they go four and oh against the Grizzlies, we got to start having some real conversations about the separation between two and three in the West. Yeah.

[Analyst]

Yeah.

[Host]

Let's see what the Nuggets wind up with. Although the Nuggets drop a game in Chicago on Serbian night, in a game where Jokic had five dunks, this. This makes no sense. Okay, we got a little bit of news we need to get to before we get to the break. We got some Bradley Beal news from our own Fred Katz over at the Athletic, you can go and read it over at the website. The Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal will not be waiving his no trade clause to go to the Chicago Bulls. From a source familiar with the three time all stars thinking that's from Fred Katz. So that's one destination out the window. That's one team that maybe doesn't want to get involved in this multi team trade. But also if you're the Chicago Bulls, you have Zach Lavine. Like I don't. Why do you want to. Speaker 2 Do they just not like Zach?

[Analyst]

I don't understand either. I, you know, I imagine it's like we could probably get picks for Bradley Beal to take on the contract, but I don't understand it either. I will say in that article, Fred also detailed that Bradley Beal is not willing to go to a place that's cold and has a losing record.

[Host]

I'm with that.

[Analyst]

So that, that ruins. That's like there's maybe three teams that Bradley Beal can go to.

[Host]

You know, we should also know and shout out to Bradley Beal, look, he got the no trade clause. He really holds all the cards here. His family just moved. This is also in the article. Fred Katz is very thorough in this. His family just moved to Phoenix before the season and you know, like I don't know man. I understand and be away from my guys. Totally understand this and hey, that's, that's with why the contract exists. Bradley Beal is fulfilling his own contract. He's showing up to work even though they benched him. He's taking shots when he comes off the bench. He's playing well. His plus minus looks good. Phoenix picks up a win last night over the Clippers even though Kawhi Leonard plays in the fourth quarter. Everything's going well with Bradley Beal. But Jimmy Butler walked out a shoot around yesterday s and he's been indefinitely suspended. So you have to think, okay, something's gonna happen between now and the trade deadline.

[Analyst]

Has to. Look, we're like 10 days away from the deadline. They can't keep doing this. It just doesn't make sense for either side, you know. Yeah, that's true. But Jimmy's losing money in this equation too.

[Host]

Right.

[Analyst]

And I wonder what the. Yeah, you know, like what is the.

[Host]

What is.

[Analyst]

Maybe they're trying to duck the tax. Maybe that's what the heat is the thing.

[Host]

Right. So if the guys, if the guy is doing this stuff, there are, you know, there are rules within the CBA that they're able to use. To. To.

[Analyst]

Yeah.

[Host]

Try to force compliance. And I mean, we just haven't seen anyone test the limits of it like Jimmy Butler's doing right now. And really, we haven't seen a team that's willing to.

[Analyst]

Yeah, right, exactly.

[Host]

So if you think about Kyrie Irving, you think about James Harden, when guys have done things like this, even Jimmy Butler, what do they normally do? They normally are like, oh, we got to get this guy out of here. Let's make this trade. We don't want to deal with it. That's someone else's problem. And Miami is just like, they're kind of stuck. Look, there's one team that wants the guy, and everybody knows it, which means nobody really has any leverage, including Jimmy Butler.

[Analyst]

And the one team has a guy who has a no trade clause. It's he.

[Host]

You're stuck. All the cards. Yes. And finally, we got the last entrant for the slam dunk contest at NBA all star weekend. Mac McClung coming back again. He's gonna try to win it for a third time. And I believe our reaction is probably the same as it was year one and probably the same as it was year two, which is why. Yeah, he's not in the NBA. No, I am not. Like, if I'm buying a ticket to an NBA game, like, Mac McClung is not on the list of guys that I'm. That I'm paying to see. And unfortunately, as, like, when you look at the dunk contest in the field, there is no star power there whatsoever. It's supposed to be All Star Weekend.

[Analyst]

Yeah.

[Host]

Now, look, I don't hate on the guys who are going, like, I respect that. You know, if you're young, like, modest Bouzelis is going to be in it. Andre Jackson Jr. I think this is a great opportunity to show too. Right, Right. Steph Castle, you get to show yourself off. But, man, Michael Jordan did this. Kobe Bryant did this. Dominique Wilkins did this. And yeah, there were guys like Larry Nance, but Larry Nance was skywalking. I mean, they were doing special things. I mean, you think about role players like Aaron Gordon, right? Like, he had an amazing dunk contest. It isn't to say that you have to be a superstar, but I do think that the. The dunk contest has just completely lost its luster.

[Analyst]

Yeah.

[Host]

And I just can't figure it out. So as I was thinking, it used to be.

[Analyst]

I just want to say it used to be a thing that, like, blossoming stars would do. I remember Vince Carter, you know, 2000 coming of age made him into a star. DeMar DeRozan for the Raptors. Before he became that all Star, he was going into the dunk contest. Hey, I want to make a name for myself. Like, it was supposed to be that. That's what the all Star weekend is supposed to be. It's just lost that. I think they're. They're kind of scared to lose. That's the reason.

[Host]

Yeah, there's no incentive. Right? Like, if, you know you lo lose, you get embarrassed. And if you win. Oh, you won. No.

[Analyst]

You get ridiculed on social media. Exactly.

[Host]

I think that that's completely wrong, and I wish that wasn't the. The world that we lived in, because, man, I grew up in. The dunk contest was awesome. Part of it is the people. I had an idea, though. Okay.

[Analyst]

Okay.

[Host]

You and I, let's pick four people. We'll just go back and forth. I'll pick one, you pick one. You start first. Under 27. Haven't done a dunk contest. You go first. Let's pick our. Our four guys to be in the dunk contest. Dream four. Under 27, though.

[Analyst]

It's only right that we're doing this today. Give me Amend Thompson.

[Host]

Amend Thompson. I think the Thompson twins could just go in together. That would be excellent. How about this? Like I said, Michael Jordan did this. We keep comparing Anthony Edwards to Michael Jordan. Just do it.

[Analyst]

Get Anthony Edwards in there. Okay. I like it.

[Host]

How about that?

[Analyst]

Okay, so are we doing both Thompson twins or.

[Host]

I think we just count them as one.

[Analyst]

Okay, fine. All right. Okay. This is a crazy one. This is a crazy one. You remember Javale McGee? And he did the dunk contest, and he did the two. Two hand, two rim, two basket dunk. Let's get Wemby.

[Host]

Yeah, but three.

[Listener]

Three baskets.

[Analyst]

Just try it.

[Host]

Why not? I feel like, could we be dunk from the top of the key?

[Analyst]

He. It's plausible.

[Listener]

You know what I mean?

[Host]

Like, we could find that out maybe in the dunk contest if he did it. Okay, so my last one. There's one guy we need. John Morant.

[Analyst]

Oh, that's a great.

[Host]

We gotta do it, man. John Morant, I think, is just as far as, like, when you look at his size, we don't have a lot of small dunkers out there anymore. And if you think about it, the dunk contest, some of the most amazing guys. Spud Webb. Right. Isaiah Thomas. I mean, just some of the best dunk contests came because there's this guy that shouldn't be flying, right? Yeah. Nate Robinson. Exactly. I mean, and Zion would be amazing, but I would just be so worried he'd get hurt the whole time.

[Analyst]

But he would be great, too. The power dunker. You think of Dominique Wilkins, like, that would be a great type of dunker, too. They should get us to be in charge of the dunk contestant.

[Host]

They should just have us go around trying to convince these guys, begging and pleading, hey, please, it's fun.

[Listener]

Do it for the kids. Right?

[Host]

The kids are going to be there. Guys, in the comments, let us know who are the four guys you would want to see in the dunk contest. Yeah, again, it's supposed to be a fun and joyful thing. And I stop to say that. That these guys who we. We don't know can't give us joy. But it's not the same.

[Analyst]

Yeah, we can save the dunk contest. It's not dead yet. We can do it, folks.

[Host]

Well, we'll find out, guys. Stick around. After the break, Keith Parrish is going to be here. The NBA Daily Curse continues. You may know my our guest today from his Fast Break Breakfast podcast or his Memphis Grizzlies podcast, Grits and Grinds, which you can find wherever you get podcasts or over on YouTube. Keith Parish back on the show because Keith used to do the weekend recap with me back when we did the Daily Ding. So welcome back, Keith. Man, you could have been watching Dylan Brooks shoot threes, but instead.

[Listener]

Yeah. What happened to your guys last night? Like, I made a big mistake. I am a big Dylan Brooks fan, and here I am watching. I don't know what was wrong with John Morant, but John Moran's a minus 41 for the game. And then I flip it over to Rocket Celtics, and I'm like, dylan Brooks has how many threes and I missed it.

[Analyst]

Master class, let me ask you.

[Listener]

That's what I'm watching after this is over.

[Host]

Did they get to New York too early it. Was that the problem? Like, you think these guys might have had too much?

[Listener]

Here's my theory. You ever play the. This is, I think, a commonly used metaphor. You know, you play the video game on the easy level too long, and then you try to kick it up to, like, the superstar level. This was back on playing Madden. You play all Madden, you're like, whoa, I need to go back to all pro cheats.

[Host]

Right? Like, that's what I'm saying.

[Listener]

I'm just saying, if you're the Grizzlies, can you imagine having to play a real basketball team after doing a back to back against the Jazz and Pelicans.

[Host]

That'S a fair point.

[Listener]

No one double teamed Jaren Jackson Jr. The last week he won Western Conference player of the week. And thank you to everyone. They played. No one sent help. The whole week they played the Pelicans and the Pelicans committed. Like, I don't know. The Grizzlies shot eight free throws in that game and scored 140 points like no one tried. So now you go play this big marquee game against a legitimately awesome squad in the East. And the Grizzlies, they're not, they're obviously not overlooking it. This week the Grizzlies play. Monday night was the Knicks. Thursday night is the Rockets the team ahead of them in the standings. And like they knew these, these big games were going on this week, but still, it's one thing knowing it, it's another thing showing up and being like, oh my God, these guys play really hard on defense. Yeah, like all these guys can score on this other team too.

[Analyst]

So is there anything about the Knicks? Well, actually. Dave, go ahead. No, I was going to say, well.

[Host]

Let'S start with the game because I want to talk about exactly what you're getting to ask. What, what specifically was it? Is it just that Zach Edie can't guard Carl Anthony Towns? I mean, I think that's obvious. But. But is that it?

[Listener]

No, no, it's way. It's way more than that. I mean, I will say as I prep for my show tomorrow on the Grizzlies, at the start of the game, I was actually curious that they chose to start Zach Edie. They have not been completely faithful with like, this is our set in stone starting lineup. Although they're set in stone starting lineup. It took a hit tonight, but before tonight it was the best net rating five man unit in the entire NBA. They had a plus 43 net rating when it was John Morant, Desmond Bain, Jalen Wells, Jerry Jackson Jr. And Zach Keaty. But still, Brandon Clark has started a lot of games, even when Zach, he's been available. So my first thought is the game tipped off. I'm like, oh, it's interesting they went with Zach Edie probably because Zach Eddy played two awesome games over the weekend. Let's just stick with it, see what happens. The second half they. They obviously changed course. They, Brandon Clark start the second half. But none of it was Zach Edie. None of it was even trying to guard. I don't think Carl Anthony Jones. I think it was more about what the Knicks did on Defense. And yes, they ran away with scoring. I don't know what the final total was. 140 something.

[Host]

Yeah, they lost by a million. Nine, I think.

[Listener]

Yeah, they lost by a million, but they let go of the rope. It was one of those things I felt like, where the Grizzlies right now, they have, I mean, points per game, a historic offense, right. But it's largely unproven against the absolute elite teams. Now, it's not the Grizzlies fault that, like, they're better than 25 other teams, and they whip those 25 other teams, and they don't get the opportunities to play the really good teams that frequently. Even when they show down with the Nuggets or the Mavericks, it's like, Luka Doncic isn't playing, Jokic isn't playing. So they had very few actual opportunities to kind of test drive, I think, their new offense and what they're doing. And they've hit a couple of hiccups. Like, they lost big on the road to the Thunder. They obviously lost big on the road tonight to the Knicks. They did win a big road game against the Celtics, so they've had some success. But beyond that, as a Grizzlies analyst, I'm like, well, who are we supposed to test ourselves against? Like, everybody else, we beat them. So it's like, you know, it's weird to take, like, three games and be like, these are our games against good teams. They also have. I mean, they're. They're very notably.03 against the Rockets. But those games, that's.

[Analyst]

That's the team.

[Host]

That's the team.

[Listener]

Two of those three were down to the wire, though, and it was just like, that could have gone either way. And again, even if you include those, you say, okay, we have a bad record against these absolutely elite teams, which is fair, everyone does. But it's also like, we're talking about five or six games. So I don't know. I think the biggest issue was the Grizzlies offense, despite allowing the Knicks to score so many points, because when the Grizzlies can't score, they kind of let up a little bit on defense, and then it gets totally out of hand. But the Grizzlies offense, their turnovers, which have been an issue all year, that for me, is what they could not overcome in this game.

[Analyst]

They play a really unique offensive style. You mentioned it just now, but, like, nearly dead last in pick and rolls, I believe. Still dead last in handoffs. Like, they're working off cuts, they're working off of just ball movement. I think they still lead the league in assists. They might have. They did earlier.

[Host]

The Nuggets second.

[Listener]

The Nuggets.

[Analyst]

Okay, there you go. Now the Nuggets have overtaken them, but generally they're moving the ball a lot. And so why do you think they're changing their offensive style like this? Is it just to play better in the postseason? Is that the goal or is there something else philosophically they're trying to achieve?

[Listener]

Yes, I think the long and short of it is they determined the formula for success that they'd used in previous seasons, which was essentially forced turnovers, offensive rebound, and just hope those extra possessions overcome your poor shooting. They're like, it isn't good enough. So we have to overhaul things. So they totally did overhaul things. And despite getting embarrassed in this showdown game against the Knicks, you could clearly say it's worked. This is a team that even when you look back at the the 51 win season and the 56 win season, they went back to back seasons as the 2 seed in the Western Conference. They were bottom 10 in effective field goal percentage in both of those years. Right now, I mean until this game before the Knicks game, they were I believe fifth in the NBA in effective field goal percentage. They were leading the NBA in January in effective field goal percentage. They were top 10 in 3 point percentage. And I think it is all specifically because they want to win postseason matchups. And so right now I think the big question for everyone watching the Grizzlies is how much of this is applicable. I think for the regular season. And I hate to, I'm not a rings guy. Like I'm a, I'm a big guy about like hey, the NBA season is real long.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Listener]

And we should enjoy watching wins. True. You know, for months of the season and the Grizzlies are doing that. But they do have bigger goals. And tonight was an example where again, you don't want to draw too many conclusions. But the idea of the space it out, the idea you want to move the ball so then you can attack your man one on one. The ball wasn't really moving that well. And I do actually credit the Knicks defense. And also there was times where like Desmond Bain's been incredible for the last couple of months. Bane actually has excelled in games where John Morant has missed. But doesn't Bane had a ton of turnovers and a lot of that specifically was OG Anunoby get his hands on balls. Carlin Towns get his hands like precious actual. It was like they were actually ripping the ball from him. There was some, a little bit of disjointed play where they were throwing the ball out of bounds. But like that's been the Grizzlies all year. They're, I believe they're 29th in the NBA in turnovers. They turn the ball over a lot, but they also get a lot of assists. They score tons of points. Just tonight, three point shots, not falling. And they were very disjointed on the offensive end. And yes, that was a very long winded. The whole point of it was to try to, I think, overhaul the way they go about scoring and hope it'll work better in the postseason.

[Host]

Yeah, but the, the wings that they've got in New York, I mean the Knicks, they, they caused 26 turnovers in that game. The Rockets, the size again. It's the size on the wing that they can throw at Bane and they can throw at Ja. Jalen Wells has had a pretty good season. I mean, they've got guys now that they didn't have before. Gigi Jackson's back. Jaren Jackson obviously becoming an offensive force. Keith, we've talked about this team, you and I, previously as a regular season, not a juggernaut, but just a wins machine. Like they have enough, enough depth. They, they play hard enough, they get enough rebounds. They're going to win a lot of games. Do you worry that they're showing off too much before they get to the playoffs? Like these new wrinkles, of course, you got to work them through, but like, are they putting too much on tape? You know, I, I am a listener of your podcast and, and you, I know you got some concerns.

[Listener]

Well, the one just interesting concern I had about them was this, the way they're using Jalen Wells. Jalen Wells has been spectacular this year. He guards usually the other team's best offensive option. Like tonight he was guarding Jalen Brunson. And this is a rookie taken in the second round and he was known. When I read the little draft blurb on him, it didn't mention defense, it just said three point shooter. But it turns out he's a fant fantastic defender and they run this. I don't know if it's a gadget defense, but it's something where specifically Jalen Wells just face guards or tries to deny the best player. My wonder was if it's been successful, should we save that and not show it off anymore? Like tonight it was not successful because Jalen was making shots. And you know, I don't. It's a big stage For Jalen at this point, he's had some up and down moments against the best teams. And again, I guess I feel like I'm too hyper, specifically focused on maybe I'm ignoring blowout wins over the poor teams. I'm like, let's see what we do against the good teams. So Jalen has had some offensive struggles in those games, but yeah, I don't know as far as the offensive end. No, I actually think they need to work the kinks out. I think that's one where it's like, no, let's just keep doing this. And because also like you said, Gigi Jackson just came back. Hopefully Vince Williams Jr. Is going to come back at some point. I guess All Star break. Maybe Marcus Smart is on this basketball team. I don't know. You know, so those guys I think need to get the hang hang of it. But also like we haven't mentioned it. We're many minutes into this.

[Host]

John Morant was horrible and like he was not good.

[Listener]

John Moran was terrible.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Listener]

And if John Morant, like he is getting over illness. All right, he was quite. He missed a game on Friday night with, with cold like symptoms. He was questionable for the game on Saturday, played I think 25 minutes or so in this game. He was awful. And this is not the normal John Morant you see. This is not the Ja Morant we've grown accustomed to over the years. He missed a couple of very makeable layups. I think he got actually frustrated. He wasn't getting the foul calls that he maybe thought Jalen Brunson was getting. In the first quarter he drove a few times and got a bump and there was nothing. And he definitely was vocal about it. Yeah, he was vocal about it, absolutely. As is his right. But the, the play of John Morant was a bigger deal. And you know, I think you get to the point and maybe this is where you have to get into like the real hardcore basketball, I don't know, philosophers. And you're like, can like this new Grizzlies offense which has been humming along so well at times. If one superstar starts stinking in a game, does the whole machine collapse? Because it kind of felt that way where it's like, I mean, maybe it's just an off night. Maybe you credit the Knicks defense. Maybe Job was missing the shots he normally makes. He lost his energy a little bit and that was that. But I mean the, maybe the big takeaway is not like, does this offense actually work against good teams versus like, hey, Job was real bad. It's Hard to win in the NBA against the best teams when your best player has an off night credit the Knicks defense.

[Host]

The Knicks defense, they did better create a lot of chaos, especially in the past. So I mean it was a little bit of both sides there.

[Analyst]

Yeah, you, Keith, you talked about the health of this team and getting some guys back. And to me that's a good problem to have because there's so many players you can trust and rely on rotation wise. But it always brings about the idea of trades and you know what they might end up doing. And I feel like the Grizzlies particularly have been a little bit active. They tried to get Dorian Finney Smith. Didn't work out. You know, they clearly might have poked around around Cam Johnson. What do you think this team does two weeks away from the trade deadline? I mean, or what do you want them to do? Maybe is a better question.

[Listener]

You know, it's weird where I feel like they were so sort of exposed in the media with their offer to Dorian Finney Smith and I think they were upset about that. How that news got out, not from their side. I would, I would guess, I'm assuming. And it's also interesting that like if they made that trade, I don't think they have the last like really successful three weeks they've had like Luke Kennard that lit a fire under him. It's apparently getting offered for Dorian Finney Smith. Luke Canard has been tremendous for most of the like the past dozen games or so. I don't know what they're. They do and it's a weird situation you're in because you never got to see Marcus Smart help out. I think most of us who cover the Grizzlies were anticipating Vince Williams Jr. Having a huge role on this team after what he showed last year. Last year he was the guy guarding the Luka Doncic and the Steph Currys and the Kevin Durant's. He was like our top defender on the perimeter and we wanted to see Vince plus Marcus Smart and all these things and so. But you haven't seen it. And the team does seem hyper focused on the luxury tax. Now pushing against that have been these reports about the Jimmy Butler situation. And I don't know what truth is there, right. If they're actually, if they actually were interested, that shows a willingness to pay the extra tax, which they have not done since Robert Pera has become the owner. So like what do I think they do? I don't really know. There aren't, there aren't that many perfect Options that are better than your in house options. And they're so good at using these late first round picks and second round picks at discovering talent. You look at the back drafts in the second round of Jalen Wells, Gigi Jackson and Vince Williams Jr. I mean, maybe Gigi Jackson ends up having a big role. He's been very promising, of course, last season and since coming back, he's showing those same flashes. I mean, my favorite part of this game, it's when the score was close, but it was the first half. The Grizzlies actually sized up. Gigi Jackson was playing the shooting guard. Santiago Damo was playing the score.

[Analyst]

Yeah.

[Listener]

And I'm like, hello, this is. I want some of this.

[Host]

Got some real size out there.

[Listener]

Yeah, yeah. Like we had, I think Luke Canard, I believe was playing point at that point. And also they've had a ton of success statistically this year with absolutely no point guard on the court. Like, if you look at the lineups where there's no John Morant, no Scotty Pippen Jr. There's something like + 20 points per 100 possessions. We're talking about well over a thousand possessions. And so like, maybe that lends to.

[Analyst]

Your idea offensive style, I mean, but.

[Host]

Also Taylor Jenkins offense does well. As many things as you can get.

[Listener]

Out there is that leads into the worst kind of sports fan. Like the Hoosiers is basketball and the coach can make everything work.

[Host]

Right.

[Listener]

So I, I reject charges. Thankfully, it's the players, Keith.

[Host]

All right. Still, before we get you out of here.

[Listener]

Yeah.

[Host]

How come John Morant isn't doing the dunk contest?

[Listener]

Ja Morant.

[Analyst]

There's no good excuse.

[Listener]

He used to have an excuse. I feel like he said, first of all, he's not gonna. He's not gonna do it unless he's an all star. So that's already.

[Analyst]

See, that's the excuse they all use, man. It's.

[Host]

It's bad.

[Analyst]

Doesn't work Good way to be a star.

[Host]

I don't know. Anyway, we're just. We're on one today.

[Listener]

Well, I'll tell you the real answer. There's no upside, right? There's no upside.

[Analyst]

Yeah.

[Listener]

What are you gonna lose to Mac McClung? There's no up. There's no upside. John Morant posterized Victor Wembanyama after the whistle. That's all you need. We have the video. We did it. There's nothing he can do better than that.

[Analyst]

That's true.

[Listener]

That is trust to not compete against guys that no one's ever heard of. Sorry man.

[Host]

That's the problem. Anyway, Keith, thanks for hanging out with us. For Keith Parrish at Esperahetti, I'm Dave Dufour and this has been the NBA Daily. Thanks for waking up with us.

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[Listener]

Acast powers the world's best podcasts. Here's a show that we recommend.

[Host]

Hey guys.

[Listener]

Welcome to Giggly Squad, a place where we make fun of everything but most importantly ourselves.

[Host]

I'm Paige desorbo.

[Listener]

I'm Hannah Berner.

[Host]

Welcome to the Squad.

[Listener]

Giggly Squad started on Summer House when we were giggling during an inappropriate time.

[Host]

But of course we can't be managed.

[Listener]

So we decided to start this podcast to continue giggling.

[Host]

We will make fun of pop culture news. We're watching Fashion trends pep talks where we give advice, mental health moments and games and guests.

[Listener]

Listen to Giggly Squad on Acast or wherever you get your podcasts. Acast helps creators launch, grow and monetize their podcasts everywhere. Acast.com.