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AI is redefining what's possible for your business. With more unique challenges to solve and higher stakes than ever, Microsoft helps you stay ahead. Our trustworthy AI tools and guidance can empower leaders like you to drive greater impact. And with Azure's simplified platform management, we're helping businesses go further faster, unlocking up to 150% improved output. Whatever challenge comes next, let Microsoft help you keep pushing forward. For more details, visit Microsoft.com challengers this.
Nikki Glaser
Is Nikki Glaser from the Nikki Glaser Podcast. On a more serious note, I'm still thinking about that commercial with Tom Brady and Snoop Dogg hating on each other. Because when you listen to the reasons for hating someone or something, you realize just how stupid they really are. There is too much hate in this country and it's gotta stop. So join us at iHeart in standing up to it. If you see hate, speak up, call it out and you can learn more by following OT's UpWithHate.
Talkspace Representative
This podcast is sponsored by Talkspace. You know when you're really stressed or not feeling so great about your life or about yourself, talking to someone who understands can really help. But who is that person? How do you find them? Where do you even start Talkspace Talkspace makes it easy to get the support you need. With Talkspace, you can go online, answer a few questions about your preferences, and be matched with a therapist. And because you'll meet your therapist online, you don't have to take time off work or arrange childcare. You'll meet on your schedule wherever you feel most at ease. If you're depressed, stressed, struggling with a relationship, or if you want some counseling for you and your partner or just need a little extra one on one support, Talkspace is here for you. Plus, Talkspace works with most major insurers and most insured members have a zero dollar copay. No insurance, no problem. Now get $80 off of your first month with promo code space80 when you go to talkspace.com match with a licensed therapist today at talkspace.com save $80 with COD.
Sports Analyst
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That's code HOOPS for new customers to get 150 in bonus bets. When you bet just five bucks only on DraftKings, the crown is yours. Gambling problem Call 1-800- gambler in New York, call 877-8-HOPE or text Hopeny to 467369 in Connecticut. Help is available for problem gambling. Call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org Please play responsibly on behalf of Boot Hill Casino and Resort in Kansas. 21 plus. Age and eligibility varies by jurisdiction. Void In Ontario, bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance. For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, see DKNG co Foreign welcome to HOOPS Tonight here at the Volume. Happy Friday everybody. Hope all of you guys have had a great end to your week. Got a quick show for you guys today. We're just hitting the TNT slate from last night. The Golden State warriors blow out the Kings at home. Jonathan Kaminga makes his debut back with the team. I thought he was fantastic. We're going to talk a little bit about that. Then at the tail end of the show, the Los Angeles Lakers go on the road without their starting 3. 4 or 5 against the Milwaukee Bucks and it goes about as you would expect as the Bucks blow them out. I have some thoughts about the coverages and the way that Milwaukee beat them and then a couple of big picture thoughts about the Lakers. You guys know the joke before we get started, subscribe to the Hoops Tonight YouTube channel so you don't miss any more of our videos. Follow me on Twitter at_jason lt so you guys don't miss show announcements. Don't forget about our podcast feed wherever you get your podcast under Hoops Tonight. It's also super helpful if you leave your rating in a review on that front. And don't forget about our new social media feeds on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. We're releasing content throughout the year and then last but not least, keep dropping mailbag questions in the YouTube comments so that we can get to them throughout the remainder of the season. All right, let's talk some basketball. So one of the most important things that I talk about in in these shows is the idea of like game planning and how you can defeat a specific game plan. I talk to these kinds of shots as like coverage beaters, right? And the Kings went with a defensive game plan against Steph that is somewhat common around the league. It's a, it's a coverage the Lakers used on the warriors in the 2023 playoffs. It's a coverage the warriors have seen from other teams around the league. And it's almost certainly going to be a coverage the warriors will have to beat if they make a deep playoff run at some point this year. And that is top locking Steph. What that means is essentially constantly positioning your body as the on ball defender with Stephen with your back towards the ball so that he can't ever cut towards the ball. This is going to force him to cut through to the opposite side. And then in those situations they were just constantly ignoring whichever non shooter they they saw as an opportunity to help off the floor. Whether that's Draymond Green early in the game with Jonas Valentunas, or it's Kevon Looney helping off or it's Gary Payton the second helping off of him. They were just packing the paint and top locking Steph, forcing him to back cut into all of that traffic. And so as a result, like as we talk about all the time, every game plan, especially game plans that target superstar talent, are going to require you to give something up, to take something away. And so if you're going to deny Steph catches and not let him run up to the ball by forcing him to back cut into traffic, you're going to have to help off of guys like Draymond and Gary Payton. They're going to be wide open and they just made Sacramento pay again. Again and again in this game. Gary Payton and Draymond Green goes 7 for 11 from 3. The warriors as a team generated 13 unguarded catch and shoot jump shots in this game. Six of those were concession threes to Gary Payton and Draymond. Five of them were against the guys on the Warriors. That are a different kind of game plan where it's like, we're willing to help off this guy. We're not deliberately leaving him open, but we'll help and try to recover with a late contest. These five threes were for Quinton Post, Moses Moody and G. Santos. Those guys went 3 for 5 on those shots as well. So they just consistently knocked down shots to make Sacramento pay for the coverage that they used against Steph Curry. So the result was the Kings held Steph to just nine shot attempts in only 11 points, but the warriors hung 130 points on them and basically controlled the game throughout. And so you did your job of slowing down Steph, I guess, but the warriors lit you on fire and you lost. So the game plan backfired on the Sacramento Kings. On defense, I thought Moses Moody really set the tone with his ball pressure on Malik Monk. He was in his jersey the second he crossed half court, bumping him with his chest, reaching and doing everything he could to disrupt his rhythm and make him feel uncomfortable and make him feel rushed. He only got credit for two steals in the game, but he forced several turnovers and bad decisions just by rushing Monk into traffic. I talk about this concept a lot, but when you ball pressure out far from the basket, the only way to really beat it is to drive, to basically use that aggression as the defender gets out of position to go downhill. It actually turns into a way as a defense for you to control dribble penetration, to essentially have dribble penetration happen on your terms. Right. So that you can have a better plan for it. Okay. Like we're going to have Moses pressure the ball, try to send him towards the sideline. We have a plan for that there. And then what ends up happening is when a guy has to fly downhill against ball pressure and he ends up getting into the traffic, he's rushed, he's out of control. That's when you start making mistakes. And you know, one of the, the second pieces that you'll see outside of one on one situations is ball screen coverages. Right. And one of the things I always talk about in ball screen coverages is a bracket. The idea of the on ball defender chasing over the top and applying back pressure while the screen defender or the big man is applying pressure on the Ball hun ball handler in his drop coverage, whether it's a high drop or a deeper drop, but meeting the ball handler on the other side of the screen when that bracket is loose, meaning the on ball defender is getting screened and getting separated from the on ball offensive player and the screen defender is too far back, the bracket is loose. There's space to operate there. Ball handlers can get comfortable and they can start making plays. But when you stay attached and you apply that back pressure and you have them bracketed on the other side, even though you're technically putting two on the ball, you're putting two on the ball against a driver that now has to get the ball out against a bunch of active hands. And I thought they were excellent in their bracket coverages all night long. Moses Moody, more of the same, both with Malik Monk. He also spent a good amount of time on Zach LaVine in this game, doing some great work there. Gary Payton, the second, spent time on both guys, did really great work. The screen defenders, Looney, even Quinton Post, who's, you know, had some uneven results on defense this year. I thought he was really good on defense in this game. Draymond Green, one of the best in the business at it. They were bracketing those guys, making them get rid of the ball and forcing a lot of turnovers in those situations. Malik Monk goes 3 for 13 from the field with four turnovers. They held Zach Levine to just six shot attempts in five turnovers. Now, Jimmy started on Levine, but like I said, Moody spent a bunch of time there as well. It was kind of a weird Levine game because he was uninvolved a lot where like he's just standing in the quarter while Malik Monk and demar derozan go to work. By the way, that's kind of the diminishing returns effect that you get when you build your team around three kind of redundant ball handlers is it's the Bradley Beal problem, right? You start having that guy just stand around and suddenly some of his top end offensive talent is being wasted and you're not getting the other stuff. That's why I think this sort of team build is so flawed. But Zach Lavine was pretty uninvolved for a good portion of this game. When he did get the basketball, that same sort of bracket, the he had a turnover against the bracket coverage when Quinton Post got a deflection on him. Quinton Post forced him into another miss at the rim where he. The warriors successfully funneled him into their size. They just strangled all of the Kings shot creators except for Demar DeRozan who was fantastic in this game. And Demar's just, you know, one of the legendary tight space scorers in NBA history, right? And so like he's going to have his success. But they completely neutralized Malik Monk and and Zach Levine and ended up being more than enough to slow down the Kings. They ended up helding, holding the kings down to 104 points in this game. They won the non Steph minutes by 11. They're really starting to learn how to like configure their off ball spacing around Jimmy's. He gets these, a lot of these like face up isos that are between like the elbow and the short corner on one side of the floor. And one of the things they'll do is like a lot of teams will end up strong side zoning or having a help defender come over to be right behind the defender guarding Jimmy. And so there's cutting opportunities. And one of the things they do, they ended up getting a layup for Draymond Green out of this. In the second half. They'll have a guy flash to the front of the rim right like kind of like right outside the charge circle calling for the ball. And then they'll have another guy position himself in the dunker spot. And so essentially there's two cutters that are right there around the basket. And so that help defender ends up having to pick one or the other. And then there's an easy little pass for Jimmy Butler to make. He just hit Jonathan Kaminga flashing into the front of the rim. Drop off pass to Draymond Green as the zoned up defender ends up sliding over to Kaminga. Easy layup for Draymond Green. They ended up looking really good again in the non step minutes. And we had our return of Jonathan Kaminga. He goes for 18 points, almost entirely in the flow of the offense. His first three buckets were ISO stuff, but they were against good matchups for him, all of them against smaller Kings guards. He gets Malik Monk in a transition cross match just immediately just goes right through him to the front of the room and gets a layup. He runs an inverted ball screen with Steph where Steph sets a screen for him. This is a very common action you'll see, not just with Jimmy Butler and Jonathan Kaminga, but even in the past with Andrew Wiggins. Right, they want to do that because Steph's man doesn't want to help. Well, they ended up switching this one. It put Keon Ellis against Jonathan Kaminga in some Space in the middle of the floor. What did he do? He went right through him and got to the rim. And then in the third quarter, his third bucket, he ends up beating Zach Lavine one on one. Zach Lavine's giving up a lot of size and weight in that particular matchup. But the rest of his buckets were just classic Jonathan Kaminga, like, I see your Runway and I'm going to the front of the rim type of buckets. When you give a good athlete a Runway, a long stretch for him to get his momentum going and take off, he can destroy teams above the rim. And here's the thing, like Jonathan Kaming is not the best read and react player I've ever seen. And that's been some of his issues in Golden State's offense from time to time. But he is very good at reading and reacting to those runways. When he sees his man step up into help and he sees a bunch of real estate between him and the rim without any players in front, he has a very quick reaction to that. And he will just shoot to the front of the rim and get a lot of easy stuff there. That is an area in his read and react game where he's actually very strong. His fourth bucket, a near turnover. Out by half. Court chaos leads to a five on three. What does Kaminga do? He just turns and runs to the front of the rim. He ends up catching a pass and getting an easy layup. His fifth bucket was the textbook Steph Curry blitz sequence. Steph Curry ball screen out by the right wing. There's a blitz. The ball gets popped over the top. Malik Monk is the low man guarding Jonathan Kaminga. The very second that Malik Monk steps over, Kaminga just shoots along the baseline. He ends up getting that crazy windmill dunk under the rim. His sixth bucket, same sort of thing. Throws an inbound pass to Moses Moody in the corner. His man, Jake Laravia steps over like kind of lunges over to try to deny the catch to Moses Moody. It triggers something in Kaminga. He immediately just cuts to the front of the rim because he sees his man leave and there's a Runway. Easy drop off pass over the top. Another dunk. And then his seventh bucket was a designed play. This is a play that is known around the league as Finland. It's basically just a back screen from a shooter. Back screening for an athlete, then coming off of a dribble handoff at the top of the key. Draymond has the ball up on the left wing. Steph back screens for Kaminga. Now the way that play would normally work is Steph would then come flying off of Draymond for the dribble handoff. The way it usually works is Steph's man has to drop back to help on the back screen. As he helps on the back screen. That creates separation between Steph and his defender or forces a switch. If there's separation, he can sprint off and now he has separation coming off the dribble handoff. If there's a switch, the other defender is standing still and now Steph can sprint past him and hopefully get some extra separation as he comes off of the dribble handoff. But they didn't even get that far in the sequence because Keegan Murray had no interest in helping off of Steph. So when Steph set the back screen, another Runway appeared for Jonathan Kaminga. Right to the front of the rim. Draymond throws him a perfect pass and he gets a lob dunk. Easy dunks, easy. Easy layups, easy matchup opportunities. A lot of stuff in there that's pretty exciting. Three things stood out to me from the Jonathan Kaminga debut with the new squad that I think are really exciting for warriors fans. One, he's going to get a lot of those runways playing alongside Jimmy, Steph and Draymond. They are excellent read and react players. They are going to trigger those help sequences that open up those runways that Kamingo is is good at quickly identifying and taking advantage of. And he's just such a useful play finisher in those situations. Two, he's gonna get a lot of favorable matchups playing alongside Jimmy Butler. I've talked about this with the Lakers before with like LeBron and Rui in the past or LeBron, Anthony, Davis and Rui and even now with Luca. When you have multiple big forwards who can punish Smalls, the defense kind of runs out of guys who can guard them. Opponents are going to put their best forward defender on Jimmy Butler. Kaminga used to get that matchup when he was on the floor in the past. Now it's Jimmy, he's going to get a lot more of the second best forward defender on the floor, which is usually going to be completely physically overmatched against Jonathan Kaminga. And then three, we talked a lot in the mailbag yesterday about the idea that Jonathan Kaminga is a player who's going to be capable of doing more than the warriors actually need from him in this role on this team with real championship aspirations. And there were some question marks surrounding will Kaminga embrace that. I thought last night was a resounding statement from him that he's willing to do that type of role for this team. It's not easy for a player of his talent level coming into a team that is so well established without him to just kind of seamlessly fit in in the flow. I didn't think he took a single bad shot. He took one three. That was kind of like a hand grenade that Jimmy tossed him with two seconds on the shot clock. Every single other one of his nine shot attempts were either a substantial size advantage or it made sense for him to attack in space or with a Runway to the rim where he's going to finish it 100% of the time. I just thought he played smart basketball, which allowed him to function as what he can be for this team, which is a ceiling razor. Warriors keep rolling. They have three tougher games coming up against the Knicks, the Bucks and the Nuggets, but they're all at home. They're a big physical team, so this will help us learn specifically about Golden State's ability to handle some of these bigger, more physical matchups. I'll be excited to see how those games turn out.
Microsoft Representative
AI is redefining what's possible for your business Are you up to the challenge? Microsoft is helping leaders like you get AI ready faster with unified data and simplified platform management, unlocking up to 150% improved output across industries. Leaders are turning to Microsoft's AI tools and guidance to rise to the challenge. For the NBA, that means using AI powered insights to deliver more personalized fan experiences. For BMW, it means innovating their development process safely and securely. And for Lego House, it means creating new interactive experiences for people to explore. With Microsoft's trustworthy AI tools and guidance, you can drive greater impact. Business leaders Microsoft surveyed saw an average of 3.7 times ROI per $1 invested in generative AI. Whatever challenge comes next, let Microsoft help you keep pushing forward. For more details, visit Microsoft.com challengers.
T-Mobile Representative
You can count on T Mobile to help keep you connected from big cities to small towns on America's largest 5G network. Switch the T Mobile keep your phone and they'll pay it off up to 800 bucks per line via prepaid card. Learn more@t mobile.com Keep and switch up to four lines via virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days qualifying unlock device credit service port in 90 plus days with device and eligible carrier and timely redemption required. Card has no cash access and expires in six months.
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This podcast is sponsored by Talkspace. You know when you're really stressed or not feeling so great about your life or about yourself, Talking to someone who understands can really help. But who is that person? How do you find them? Where do you even start? Talkspace Talkspace makes it easy to get the support you need. With Talkspace, you can go online, answer a few questions about your preferences, and be matched with a therapist. And because you'll meet your therapist online, you don't have to take time off work or arrange childcare. You'll meet on your schedule wherever you feel most at ease. If you're depressed, stressed, struggling with a relationship, or if you want some counseling for you and your partner or just need a little extra one on one support, Talkspace is here for you. Plus, Talkspace works with most major insurers and most insured members have a $0 copay. No insurance, no problem. Now get $80 off of your first month with promo code SPACE80 when you go to talkspace.com match with a licensed therapist today at talkspace.com save $80 with code SPACE80 at.
Greg Rosenthal
Love at First Swipe. I highly doubt it. What's your biggest red flag? No, no, no. What's your ultimate green flag? These days? Reality TV and social media have us thinking love is instant. We're marrying strangers at first sight, we're finding love through walls, or we're even judging people by balloon pops. But what really makes a relationship last? On this episode of Dope Labs, poet, author and relationship expert Young Pueblo breaks down the psychology and biology of loving better and he provides eye opening insights and advice that we all need.
Sports Analyst
It's a big realization moment that you should not be postponing your happiness. Like your greatest happiness is not necessarily going to like come from a relationship. Your partner, they should add to your happiness, but your happiness is really coming from within you.
Greg Rosenthal
Listen to Dope labs on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.
Sports Analyst
All right, let's move on to likers box. We talked earlier in the show about the concept of coverage beaters. This game is another excellent example of that concept. JJ Redick went with a very aggressive game plan against Giannis and Dame to try to get this game in the win column for the Lakers. He went with a Jokic esque strategy against Giannis, trying to front him, deny him, catches wherever he wanted them, strong side zoning him if he did catch. Like if he did catch, they just peel off, funnel him towards the sideline and bring that help on that baseline side right outside the block. That obviously left a lot of skip passes open in The Dame ball screens with Brook Lopez. He just had Alex Len drop back in and focus on Dame and basically concede the pick and pop three to Brook Lopez. And so as a result there were a lot of open threes available to Milwaukee. If they just made simple reads, kickbacks to Brook Lopez in the pick and pop, basically anything skipped to the weak side from the Giannis actions. And then I thought the Lakers kind of exacerbated the problem by not being very sharp off the ball. Luca and Austin in particular, Gabe had some bad reps and Dalton had some bad reps too. But on the weak side of guys just like being glued to the floor kind of in no man's land where they're not really helping on the ball, but they're also not guarding his shooter a step slow to get out of that help side position into a closeout to the weak side not being ready for the skip pass, turning what should have been like moderately contested catch and shoot threes into kind of like easy comfortable catch and shoot threes. And by the way, JJ's clearly bothered by these details. He's talking about execution a lot. He's understanding of the injuries, but he knows this team isn't going anywhere unless they defend. And even with the personnel weaknesses, there has been some slippage in their defensive rotations and I thought it showed up yesterday. I think I like that JJ is using this circumstance as an opportunity to hammer those points home. But again, anyway, the result was just a bunch of really great three point looks for Milwaukee and they just knocked him down. Brook Lopez went three for four from three. Gary Trent hit four threes. Kevin Porter Jr. First time since returning to the NBA he hit more than three threes in a game. He had five of them in this game. As a team they end up hitting 43% on 40 attempts. They were better from three, but they were also better at the rim. They made as many shots in the restricted area as the Lakers attempted and they ended up winning comfortably. Now Luka had an insane shot making game. This is something I've talked a lot about as Luka struggled with shot making and it's inevitable that he will eventually break through. And he did. And I thought this was a good matchup. Like Milwaukee really has no hope of guarding a player like Luca. They don't have anybody that can even make him uncomfortable on the ball. I actually looked at this game as the one game in this back to back that LA could win. Just because Luca was always going to be successful against this defense, because they run traditional coverages instead of switching and because Taurian and Kyle Kuzma can't make Luka uncomfortable. So I thought if Luka was awesome and if Milwaukee shot poorly that the Lakers would have a chance to steal this one. But Milwaukee ended up shooting very well and it was all for not right. But yeah, Luca went on some scoring runs and he kept things close a couple of times, but the outcome was never truly in doubt and after going up seven to five in the opening minutes, the Bucks never trailed the rest of the game. I wanted to shout out Brook Lopez. I thought this was one of Brooks best games this season on both ends of the floor. We talked about his shooting and pick and pop as a coverage beater. He was also beating a couple of switches in the post against the Lakers switching looks. I thought he was phenomenal on defense in this game, super active in rotation. He blocked a three point shot in this game he had 23 points, four blocks in a steal. I thought he was excellent. And the hospital Lakers ended up being a nice way for the Bucks to bounce back from their three game losing streak. On the Lakers front, I don't see much point at all at overreacting to any of this. It's the same thing I've been saying during the losing streak. It's just there's just a lot of injuries and dealing with injuries is one thing, but when they're all in one specific position group it's just hard to overcome. Like all their guards are healthy but the entire starting 3, 4, 5 is out. So like that would be difficult to manage under any circumstances. But it's impossible to manage against Giannis, Antenna Kumpo and Brook Lopez. It's just a really bad matchup. I did think there was some sloppy execution stuff like I talked about on the defensive end of the floor. I love that JJ Redick is using it as an opportunity to hammer on some points with his team, but you could literally tell like Austin and Luka in particular were just kind of conserving energy and going through the motions in their defensive rotations. They know they were overmatched. You could read it in their body language. They just didn't see the point in doing it tonight. And again it's not a big deal. But I Am glad that JJ's harping on it because they can be much better and they're going to need to be much better in those rotations for them to have a chance to get to where they want to go. I would punt the Denver game tomorrow. You're not going to be able to win it. And with Lucas back soreness that he's been dealing with or back spasms or whatever, and with Austin's calf, like here's the thing, if, if Austin's feeling good, if he's like, coach, I'm good, I'm ready to go, I want to get another game in. Just as I continue to build my rhythm, that's fine, I'm, I'm cool with that. But if he's hurting at all, I'd sit him, I'd sit Luca to give him a day off. The next back to back is much more winnable. You're at home for Phoenix and San Antonio. San Antonio just shut down De'Aaron Fox for the season, so you should be able to win that game. And if at least one of Jackson or Rui come back, I think they'll have the horses to beat the Suns at home. So like you could bounce back and win those two and make up some of the ground that you just lost. And who knows, maybe you can get LeBron back for the Denver, Milwaukee back to back that they have at the tail end of this and maybe you can start to make up some ground. LeBron, if he came back for the third back to back in the sequence, that would give him 11 full days off between the Celtics game and that game on the 20th. So it's like one of those things where like if LeBron comes back, I think it's on the table that they could get out of this six game and eight game stretch or six game and eight night stretch at four and two, which would be like a huge win for them. If they sit LeBron for the whole thing. I think 3 and 3 is probably the best they can hope for and 2 and 4 might be on the table there. So it's going to be tough. But I, again, I'm not worried about it. In the big picture, it's far more important for LeBron to be healthy. And this back to back was just going to be a really tough one no matter what on the road. Last thing I have to say, the Lakers have had a 120 defensive rating in the two games since LeBron left the lineup. And that was against a the 27th ranked offense in Brooklyn in the 14th ranked offense in Milwaukee. It's just amazing how important LeBron has suddenly become for this team defensively ever since AD went out. LeBron has made up for it by basically becoming the Draymond Green of this team. Communicating coverages, identifying the actions the other team is, is running, flying around in rotation, cleaning up the defensive glass. He's been doing so much to help unlock the defensive ceiling of this team, which, by the way, like just a shout out to him in terms of his versatility. This is a card he has not pulled basically since 2021. 2020, and that in, in that couple of seasons, he, this is a role that he's seen as kind of a, an inefficient use of his energy resources. Playing alongside Anthony Davis, he's been focusing more on the offensive end in this build. What a luxury to have a player that can be like, oh, you need Draymond, Sure, I'll be your Draymond. And literally has anchored one of the best defenses in the league without Anthony Davis. And I think watching the Laker defense kind of fall apart without him. And again, it's not just him being without Rui and being without Jackson makes it hard, too. But they still have Dorian, Finney Smith, they still have Gabe Vincent, they still have Jared Vanderbilt, and they've really struggled to get stops. And I think it's just a testament to the work that LeBron has done over the course of the last few weeks, last few months, I should say, on the defensive backline. And most importantly, he's going to have to do that job for them to get to where they want to go in the playoffs. So it's probably good that he's getting a little break for his body to be ready for the home stretch. All right, guys, that's all I have for today. As always, I sincerely appreciate you guys for supporting me and supporting the show. Taking the weekend off. We'll be back on Monday with our usual kind of sequence as we work through the week. Next week. I will see you guys then.
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The volume.
Microsoft Representative
AI is redefining what's possible for your business. With more unique challenges to solve and higher stakes than ever, Microsoft helps you stay ahead. Our trustworthy AI tools and guidance can empower leaders like you to drive greater impact. And with Azure's simplified platform management, we're helping businesses go further, faster, unlocking up to 150% improved output. Whatever challenge comes next, let Microsoft help you keep pushing forward. For more details, visit Microsoft.com challengers this.
Nikki Glaser
Is Nikki Glaser from the Nikki Glaser Podcast. On a more serious note, I'm still thinking about that commercial with Tom Brady and Snoop Dogg hating on each other. Because when you listen to the reasons for hating someone or something, you realize just how stupid they really are. There is too much hate in this country, and it's gotta stop. So join us at iHeart in standing up to it. If you see hate, speak up, call it out and you can learn more by following OT's UpWithHate.
Talkspace Representative
This podcast is sponsored by Talkspace. You know when you're really stressed or not feeling so great about your life or about yourself, talking to someone who understands can really help. But who is that person? How do you find them? Where do you even start? Talkspace Talkspace makes it easy to get the support you need. With Talkspace, you can go online, answer a few questions about your preferences, and be matched with a therapist. And because you'll meet your therapist online, you don't have to take time off work or arrange childcare. You'll meet on your schedule wherever you feel most at ease. If you're depressed, stressed, struggling with a relationship, or if you want some counseling for you and your partner or just need a little extra one on one support, Talkspace is here for you. Plus, Talkspace works with most major insurers and most insured members have a $0 copay. No insurance, no problem. Now get $80 off of your first month with promo code space80 when you go to talkspace.com match with a licensed therapist today at talkspace.com save $80 with code space80@talkspace.com what's up everyone?
Greg Rosenthal
It's Greg Rosenthal and I'm teaming up with the King of Spring, Daniel Jeremiah. He requires me to say that we're going to be bringing you 40s and free agents, the only podcast you'll need this NFL draft season. From DJs, mock drafts to my top 101, free agents will have it covered for you with all new episodes every Thursday keeping you up to date as we head to the NFL Draft. Listen to 40s and free agents starting on March 6th on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.
Podcast Summary: "Hoops Tonight - Steph Gets 4,000 Threes + Lakers Lose To Bucks Despite Luka’s Big Game"
Release Date: March 15, 2025
Hosted by iHeartPodcasts and The Volume
Episode Title: Hoops Tonight - Steph Gets 4,000 Threes + Lakers Lose To Bucks Despite Luka’s Big Game
In this episode of Hoops Tonight, the host delves into two major NBA stories: the Golden State Warriors' dominant victory over the Sacramento Kings and the Los Angeles Lakers' disappointing loss to the Milwaukee Bucks despite Luka Doncic's stellar performance. The discussion provides a comprehensive analysis of team strategies, player performances, and future implications for both teams.
The Sacramento Kings employed a defensive game plan focused on limiting Stephen Curry's impact. Specifically, they utilized a "top-locking" defense, constantly positioning their defenders with their backs to the ball to prevent Curry from cutting towards it. This strategy aimed to force Curry to drive to the opposite side, navigating through congested traffic in the paint.
"They were just packing the paint and top locking Steph, forcing him to back cut into all of that traffic."
— Host [06:28]
However, this defensive approach had its drawbacks. By focusing heavily on Curry, the Kings inadvertently left other players, such as Draymond Green and Gary Payton II, wide open. This created opportunities for the Warriors to capitalize on unguarded three-point shots.
Despite the Kings' efforts to stifle Curry, the Warriors managed to outscore them, amassing 130 points compared to Sacramento's 104. The Warriors exploited the gaps in Sacramento's defense, particularly targeting open shooters on the perimeter.
"They just consistently knocked down shots to make Sacramento pay for the coverage that they used against Steph Curry."
— Host [10:45]
The Warriors generated 13 unguarded catch-and-shoot threes, with notable success from Gary Payton II and Draymond Green, who collectively hit six of these attempts. Additionally, role players like Quinton Post, Moses Moody, and G. Santos contributed by making critical three-pointers.
Jonathan Kuminga's Debut: Jonathan Kuminga returned to the Warriors bench and delivered an impressive performance, scoring 18 points. His ability to execute in transition and capitalize on favorable matchups was evident throughout the game.
"He did not take a single bad shot. Every attempt was either against a smaller defender or set up perfectly for him to finish at the rim."
— Host [18:15]
Moses Moody's Defense: Moses Moody set the tone defensively by applying relentless pressure on Malik Monk, forcing turnovers and disrupting Monk’s rhythm.
"Moses Moody really set the tone with his ball pressure on Malik Monk. He was in his jersey the second he crossed half court, bumping him with his chest."
— Host [12:50]
While the Kings succeeded in limiting Curry's shooting to just nine attempts for 11 points, their defensive focus allowed the Warriors to dominate offensively. The Kings' strategy of denying Curry ultimately backfired, as the Warriors effectively exploited the resulting defensive gaps.
"So if you're going to deny Steph catches and not let him run up to the ball by forcing him to back cut into traffic, you're going to have to help off of guys like Draymond and Gary Payton. They make Sacramento pay again."
— Host [16:30]
The Lakers faced significant challenges defending the Bucks, particularly due to the absence of their starting lineup (positions 3, 4, and 5). Coach JJ Redick's defensive strategy involved aggressively defending Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, attempting to mimic Jokic's playstyle by fronting Giannis and denying him easy catches.
"JJ Redick went with a very aggressive game plan against Giannis and Dame to try to get this game in the win column for the Lakers."
— Host [25:10]
However, this approach left the Lakers vulnerable to skip passes and open three-point opportunities on the weak side. The Bucks capitalized on these defensive lapses, shooting efficiently from beyond the arc.
"They ended up hitting 43% on 40 attempts. They were better from three, but they were also better at the rim."
— Host [29:45]
The Milwaukee Bucks showcased their prowess from deep, with players like Brook Lopez, Gary Trent, and Kevin Porter Jr. each hitting multiple three-pointers. Luka Doncic steered the game with an exceptional performance, finishing with a high-scoring game that kept the Lakers within reach but ultimately wasn’t enough.
"Luka had an insane shot-making game. He kept things close a couple of times, but the outcome was never truly in doubt."
— Host [28:10]
Brook Lopez was a standout performer for the Bucks, contributing significantly on both ends of the floor. He hit four three-pointers, secured four blocks, and recorded a steal, making him a vital component of the Bucks' victory.
"Brook Lopez went three for four from three. He was also phenomenal on defense, super active in rotation."
— Host [27:05]
Coach Redick faced criticism for his defensive adjustments, which were deemed insufficient in countering the Bucks' offensive strategies. The Lakers' defensive rotations appeared sloppy, and key defenders like Austin and Luka seemed disengaged, leading to easy baskets for Milwaukee.
"JJ is harping on these defensive rotations because they need to be much better to have a chance to get to where they want to go."
— Host [30:20]
The Lakers struggled without their starting forwards, making it difficult to manage against the Bucks' size and physicality. Additionally, players like Austin and Luka were dealing with minor injuries, further hampering the team's performance.
"When they're all in one specific position group, it's just hard to overcome. Especially against Giannis, Antetokounmpo, and Brook Lopez."
— Host [30:50]
Kuminga's debut with the Warriors was marked by seven buckets, primarily from attacking the rim and capitalizing on runways created by teammates. His ability to read and react to defensive movements made him a formidable presence on the court.
"He is very good at reading and reacting to those runways. When he sees his man step up into help, he can quickly identify and take advantage of those opportunities."
— Host [24:05]
Despite the Lakers' loss, Luka Doncic delivered an impressive performance, showcasing his versatility and scoring ability. However, the Bucks' defensive strategies limited his overall impact on the game.
"Luka was always going to be successful against this defense, but Milwaukee ended up shooting very well, and it was all for not right."
— Host [29:00]
Lopez's performance was pivotal in the Bucks' win, with his three-point shooting and defensive plays, including blocks and steals, proving crucial against the Lakers' compromised defense.
"Brook's defensive rotations and his ability to block shots were phenomenal. He anchored the Bucks' defense effectively."
— Host [27:30]
The Warriors are scheduled for three tough home games against the New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks, and Denver Nuggets. These matchups will test their defensive and offensive strategies, especially against more physical teams.
"They have three tougher games coming up against the Knicks, the Bucks, and the Nuggets, but they're all at home."
— Host [20:50]
The Lakers face a challenging road ahead with key players dealing with injuries. The next back-to-back games against Phoenix and San Antonio will require strategic adjustments and potential rest for injured players to maintain team health.
"If Austin's feeling good, he can play, but if he's hurting, I'd sit him and Luca to give them a day off."
— Host [30:10]
The potential return of players like LeBron James could provide a much-needed boost, particularly on the defensive end, where LeBron has been instrumental in stabilizing the team's performance.
"LeBron has made up for the defensive shortcomings by becoming the Draymond Green of this team, communicating coverages and identifying opposing strategies."
— Host [31:00]
The episode provided an in-depth analysis of the recent Warriors and Lakers games, highlighting the effectiveness of defensive strategies and the impact of key player performances. The Warriors demonstrated resilience and strategic depth in overcoming the Kings' defense, while the Lakers need to address their defensive lapses and manage player health to improve future outcomes. As both teams navigate their upcoming schedules, strategic adjustments and player health will be pivotal in determining their success in the season's latter stages.
Notable Quotes:
"They were just packing the paint and top locking Steph, forcing him to back cut into all of that traffic."
— Host [06:28]
"He is very good at reading and reacting to those runways. When he sees his man step up into help, he can quickly identify and take advantage of those opportunities."
— Host [24:05]
"JJ is harping on these defensive rotations because they need to be much better to have a chance to get to where they want to go."
— Host [30:20]
This episode of Hoops Tonight offers valuable insights into team strategies and player performances, making it a must-listen for NBA enthusiasts seeking a deeper understanding of the game's intricacies.