
Loading summary
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.
Microsoft Representative
Switch the T Mobile Keep your phone.
T-Mobile Representative
And they'll pay it off up to 800 bucks per line via prepaid card. Learn more@t mobile.com heap 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.
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 and faster by unlocking up to 150% improved output. Whatever challenges come next, let Microsoft help you keep pushing forward. For more details, visit Microsoft.com challengers Wendy's.
Wendy's Representative
Is the official hamburger of Marsh Manage, which means more deals for you and more burgers for your face. It also means we got a junior bacon cheeseburger or a double stack for $1 with an in app offer and a purchase. It's hard not to get excited when there's an offer of two of the freshest hot off the grill burgers that Wendy's makes. The Junior Bacon Cheeseburger with the fresh beef, applewood, smoked bacon, cheese, crispy lettuce, tomato and mayo and a hot and juicy double stack with two patties of fresh never frozen beef with cheese, ketchup, mustard, pickle, onion. The real champions of March Madness. Head to Wendy's app and grab a $1 junior bacon cheeseburger or a $1 double stack with an in app offer and a purchase for the freshest deal in fast food. Gotta be Wendy's.
T-Mobile Representative
Location the Lab Quentin only has 24 hours to sell his car. Is that even possible? He goes to Carvana.com what is this, a movie trailer? He ignores the doubters, enters his license.
Microsoft Representative
Plate wow, that's a great offer.
T-Mobile Representative
The car is sold, but will Carvana pick it up in time for they'll.
Carvana Representative
Literally pick it up tomorrow morning. Done with the dramatics.
T-Mobile Representative
Car selling in record time. Save your time.
DraftKings Representative
Go to Carvana.com and sell your car today. Pick up these May apply the volume.
Microsoft Representative
The finals are here. The only thing for sure is it's the last time to bet on college basketball this season. It's been an amazing ride to get here. Full of the unexpected happenings. Maybe there will be more. Get in on all the action expected and unexpected with DraftKings sportsbook. With live betting, exclusive content, promos and parlays, DraftKings is the ultimate college basketball destination for March. Ready to make your first bet? Check out the matchups and pick a team to win. It is that simple. I am a big Arizona fan here from Tucson, Arizona. Big underdogs against Duke this weekend. If you believe in the Arizona Wildcats and their chances to win, they're currently listed at +4000 on DraftKings first time. Here's something special just for you. New DraftKings customers bet $5 to get $150 in bonus bets instantly bet the unexpected with DraftKings Sportsbook. Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app and use code HOOPS. That's code HOOPS H O O P s 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 NY or text HOPE NY to 467-369 in Connecticut. Help is available for problem gambling. Call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org Please play responsibly on behalf of Boothill Casino and Resort in Kansas. 21 plus. Age and eligibility varies by jurisdiction. Void in Ontario, new customers only. Bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance. For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, see DKNG Co Audio. All right, welcome to Hoops Tonight here at the Volume. Happy Monday everybody. Hope all of you guys had an incredible weekend. It is good to be back. I had a very fun weekend at the Sphere with my wife. We went to three Dead shows and just an incredible experience. I've seen him. I think I was talking through this with my brother last night. I think I've seen nine Dead shows now so I think I officially qualify as a Deadhead. I've really grown to appreciate that as like one of the final opportunities. Opportunities. We have to see an old school jam band in their in their prime and it's. It's been a lot of fun. That said, it's time to get serious about the NBA. We are three. I was thinking about this when I was recording with Colin last night. By the way, if you haven't seen that yet, go to the Colin Cowherd podcast YouTube channel. We talked last night. We talked a bunch of Celtics. We talked a bunch of Thunder. We talked some Lakers. We talked some Cooper flag. We got into a bunch of stuff, so make sure you guys check that out. But while we were talking, we were thinking about the next time we're going to record and it's going to be in two Sundays. Two Sundays from now we're going to know four of the eight first round series and that following Sunday we're going to know all eight of them and we're going to have series previews and we have the Play in tournament. There's just so much exciting basketball ahead. It feels very much like the calm before the storm. But that said, I'm glad I got to take a little bit of a break and do some traveling, but I'm excited to get back to it. Today we're going to be talking a little bit of Lakers after their uneven road trip, which has shown a lot of extended stretches of dominance, but also some execution lapses, including a catastrophic loss in Chicago to the Bulls. We'll talk a little bit about that. I want to shout out Zachary Russ Ashe, who had a career high 36 points last night and there was some stuff with him that was popping in a film session I did with him surrounding a Hawks Rockets game about a week ago. So I want to kind of talk a little bit about Zachary Rosace's rookie season. And then at the tail end of the show, I think we finally saw the nail, the final nail, go in the coffin of the Phoenix Suns last night as they just got demolished by the Houston Rockets. So I want to talk a little bit about the Suns at the tail end of the show. And then we are going live tonight after the TNT slate. So we're going to be hitting Celtics, Grizzlies as well as Lakers Rockets in tonight's show. 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@_jasonlt so you guys don't miss show announcements. Don't forget about our podcast feed. Wherever you get your podcasts on our Hoops Tonight. It's also super helpful if you leave a rating and a review on that front. We also have brand new social media feeds on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook where Jackson's doing some incredible work this year. Make sure you guys follow us there. And then last but not least, keep dropping mailbag questions in YouTube comments so we can keep getting to them throughout the remainder of the season. We're doing a mailbag. I think I'm recording one tomorrow, so make sure you Get a bunch of mailbag questions in the comments of this video for what we're recording tomorrow, which I believe is going to air on Wednesday. All right, let's talk some basketball. So after the Pacers game I talked a lot about the idea of the Lakers having these brief catastrophic lapses in execution that are costing them games or costing them opportunities to close games out more comfortably. Since the Pacers game they lost an absolutely insane game against the Bulls. The Bulls made 11 threes in the fourth quarter, including a half court shot from Josh Giddy to and a win in Memphis against the Grizzlies, similarly where they led by 20 and then ended up trailing in the fourth quarter. And the Grizzlies have been spiraling a little bit and they just fired their coach, but they have a ton of talent. John Morant was back. They were the five seed I believe at the time, or the four or five seed. They had the same record as the Lakers. Couple of quality opponents on the road that the Lakers dominated for stretches yet still had a managed to almost lose. I talked about those issues after the Pacers game and a couple of great examples in the two following games. Again, they've played three good teams on the road in this three game span. The Pacers had won seven out of eight, the Bulls had won eight out of 10 and the Grizzlies were in a cold spell like we said. But they're five seed and they've been great at home all year. The Lakers led by at least 17 points in all three of those games. They led by 20 against Memphis. They led by 18 in the fourth quarter of the Bulls game and yet they trailed in the fourth quarter of every single one of those three games. Actually managed to lose one of them. And if it wasn't for a LeBron tapping at the buzzer against Indiana, they would have gotten one and two in those three games. Long extended stretches of dominance undone with these brief, catastrophic, catastrophic lapses in execution. The Grizzlies game, I was watching it yesterday in the morning before we went to the airport. They were up 50 to 30 on a LeBron James shot. Put them up 20. The Grizzlies cut that 20 point lead to six in four minutes. Imagine dominating a team for a quarter and a half and losing 90% of that progress in a four minute span where you let go of the rope. It ends up being the same issues every single time. One of these two on offense, they walk the ball up the floor slowly. They usually succumb to ball pressure and either get too deep into the shot clock and have to take bad shots or they end up having to face a trap or something like that. And LeBron, Luka or Austin will be sloppy with the way they handle that ball pressure and they'll turn the ball over and they'll end up going the other way in transition. On defense, and this is one of the most interesting things about this Laker defense. Their defense is predicated on keeping the ball in front of a defender, always keeping someone between them and the rim. So they have to make something over the top. You'll see with their dribble penetration, the way they handle it, like the guy on the ball has a job to slide his feet and contain the ball. Great example, I thought from the Grizzlies game was Austin Reaves. I thought Austin just did an excellent job for most of the game in reps against John Morant and against Desmond Bain, sliding his feet, absorbing contact, flattening out drives. That's what you want to do, but inevitably you're going to give up dribble penetration. This Lakers team is going to give up dribble penetration. They have too many of those slower footed guys on the floor. Foot speed is not necessarily the strength of this Laker team outside of a handful of guys, right? So from there they have a plan. They're always funneling towards the sideline and they're offering help from the baseline. And generally speaking, if a guy gets beat off the dribble, that guy who's guarding the ball will just bail and run to the next rotation and there will be somebody almost to like. It kind of feels almost like catching, like the guy is the helper is catching the drive. Sitting in a stance, arms out wide, right around like that first block, second block, waiting for the guy on the drive in help as the team rotates around him. And that's how the Lakers deal with dribble penetration. They basically switch on the drive, if that makes sense. That that that type of scheme requires a lot of hard work. The on ball guy has to rotate out of it. The helper has to be there in time. There are these brief openings where guys have to rotate to shooters. It's a lot of running, a lot of reading the play, a lot of communication. And when the Lakers do those things this year, they've been great defensively. They did it consistently for a few months there from mid January to early March, right? And we've seen flashes of it in the last week. They hold Chicago to 17 points in that third quarter when they go on their big run to take the lead. They shut Indy down in that second quarter when they first took their big lead in that game. But since LeBron's injury, it's been a we'll do it when we feel like it kind of thing. And again, like when in the two main ways that I see them let go of the rope in these like kind of catch help type of rotation situations are like at the end of the indie game, Lucas starts getting beat off the dribble, Rui starts getting beat off the dribble. The catches were not there. The Lakers were just hugging up off the ball, leaving dudes on an island and they were giving up easy like concession driving layups. Again, that's a fundamental part of what makes their defense good is they have, they're loaded up, they have their help ready, they rotate out of it. And they literally almost blew a game in Indiana by completely stopping that at the tail end of the game. The second way that you'll end up seeing it is an overhelp situations. This we saw in the Bulls game. It's okay to acknowledge that the bullshot 11 for 14 from 3 in the quarter, that's insane under any circumstances. A lot of impressive shot making, right? But you have to find a way as a defense to make guys uncomfortable, to make them miss. And there were several execution errors in that quarter which are going to breed a red hot shooting stretch. They helped off of the strong side corner twice in that fourth quarter against the Bulls. You guys have probably heard this before, this concept of don't help off the strong side corner. There's a very specific reason why you don't want to help off of the strong side corner. It is the easiest pass in the world for a basketball player to make. You're funneling guys towards the sideline, guys on the left wing. He rips to the left, the guy's sliding with him, he's got dribble penetration. What's the easiest pass in the world for that guy to make is if the guy in the left corner steps over and it's like, okay, little ten foot chest pass to a wide open guy standing in the corner, literally 10ft away, right in clear view. It's an easy pass to make, right what you're supposed to do in that situation. That guy, if he wants to gap to where he feels comfortable closing out, that's one thing where he just reaches and recovers. But that's not the guy you ever want to concede the pass to. You have help coming from the baseline. When the help comes from the baseline. There's a way to beat that help, but it is a substantially tougher pass. Now imagine a different scenario. Left wing rip, left dribble penetration. We have LeBron on Kevin Herder in the left corner in the fourth quarter of the Bulls game. LeBron helped off Kevin Herder, got a wide open three and he nailed it. Let's say LeBron's gapping, but stays in control of Herter. Now the help comes from Jackson Hayes along the baseline who's open the skip for a left handed dribbler. Trying to go across his body and across helpers covering 25ft in the air, 30ft in the air to get to the open man. That's why you don't help off the strong side corner. It's simply about knowing where the help is coming from and making the passer make a more difficult pass. A more difficult pass over a longer stretch of space that's looping or deflected or not on target is much easier for your defense to rotate out of. That is basketball one on one. There were two strong side corner helps that gave wide open threes to Kobe White and Kevin Hoarder in that Herder in that fourth quarter. Those are executioners. Jackson Hayes overhelped on a drive left Nicole Vucevich wide open at the top of the key. Again, we talked about this. When a guy has a drive flattened out and under control, he now has to take a contested off balance layup. Substantially lower percentage shot on a two. Like if he goes 45% on that layup, that's 0.9 points per shot. Your defense can live with that. It's the straight line drives where it's like he's going to make a layup every time. That's when you need to be there and ready to help you over help give up a wide open three to Vucevich. Luka had a very similar one where a driver was contained left Patrick Williams wide open at the top of the key. LeBron two awful reps in the final minute. Ghost screen from Kevin Herder that the Lakers were switching all night. It was a clear switch. LeBron looked like he was on the bus because they're up, you know, five or six with less than a minute left. He thinks the game is over. It's not over. He's lazy. He's on, he's standing upright out of his stance. Kevin Herder slips out of the screen, hits a wide open three the the possession before the Kobe white three that gave him the lead. LeBron over helps on A Vucevich upper like kind of left wing area catch ends up leaving Patrick Williams wide open in the left corner right before he threw the ball away, throwing the ball to Kobe White. These are execution errors. I saw a lot of Laker fans saying like oh, I cannot believe The Bulls shot 11 for 14 from three. We have got to get out of this mindset of thinking that shooting is all just luck. It is not. You can play teams into misses and makes. To a certain extent I would argue that process has a much bigger role in shot result than luck, even though we can acknowledge that luck does play a role. And again like the Lakers, they they have an opportunity to win the title this year. But there are certain non negotiables, things that they absolutely must have tightened up if they're going to get to where they want to go. And one of them is they have to be the best defensive version of themselves, which is going to require a wire to wire level of execution. I know they can do it. They held what, six or seven straight teams to 102 points or fewer. They are capable of doing that. They have not been doing that since LeBron James came back from injury. I just think it's at least worth acknowledging as a trend and something to keep an eye on. The bottom line is the Lakers just played three good teams on the road, went in methodically, dominated them to large leads and yet they were one LeBron tip in from going one and two. I'm not trying to be all gloom and doom. I'm still super high on the Lakers. I was listening while I was on the airplane yesterday to Pete and Darius from Laker Film Room. And Darius Oriano does great work. He also writes for Lakers.com he was talking about how he viewed these two games, these two kind of ugly games to Indiana and Chicago as part of the Lakers returning to form before the LeBron injury. I totally agree. I do think that these last three games are a sign, especially after they looked bad against Orlando and what was the of the first Chicago game they have they are progressing towards being what they were before the LeBron injury. I am still super high on this team. I'm still very tempted to pick them to win the west when we do our playoff predictions in the coming weeks. But I wanted to harp on these execution lapses because I do view them as a non negotiable thing. If the how many champions do you know of in NBA history that had a reputation for extended like or like consistent three or four minute stretches in every game where they just don't play hard and they don't execute and they hemorrhage leads. It burns you. It does. Don't tell me it doesn't. It's happened so many times in NBA history that the Bucks Raptors series when they had that big lead in Game 4 before they blew it. The the the Lakers or excuse me, the Miami Heat blowing that game to the Dallas mavericks in game two back in 2011. There are so many examples in NBA history where series who the trophy goes to swings on a team blowing a lead, a team not finishing the job. Job's not finished until the buzzer sounds. And that is a very important hallmark trait for NBA champions. And I just would like to see before we get to mid April, I would like to see a week or two stretch where the Lakers show that consistent level of execution from buzzer to buzzer. Again. We are going to be covering the Lakers Rockets game tonight on YouTube, including the Celtics Grizzlies game live on YouTube after the final buzzer of that last game.
DraftKings 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 are your ears bored?
Microsoft Representative
Yeah.
T-Mobile Representative
Are you looking for a new podcast that will make you laugh? Learn and say que?
Microsoft Representative
Yeah.
Carvana Representative
Then tune in to locatora radio season 10 today. Okay.
T-Mobile Representative
I'm Diosa.
Microsoft Representative
I'm Mala, the host of Locatora Radio.
T-Mobile Representative
A radiophonic novella, which is just a.
Carvana Representative
Very extra way of saying a podcast. We're launching this season with a miniseries, totally nostalgic, a four part series about the Latinos who shaped pop culture in the early 2000s.
Microsoft Representative
It's Lala checking in with all things Y2K 2000s. My favorite memory, honestly was us having our own media platforms like Mundo and MTV. Tres. You could turn on the TV, you see Thalia, you see JLo, Nina Sky, Evie Queen, all the girlies doing their things, all of the beauty reflected right back at us. It was everything.
T-Mobile Representative
Tune in to locatora radio season 10.
Carvana Representative
Now that's what I call a podcast. Listen to Locatora Radio Season 10 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Microsoft Representative
Something about Mary Poppins.
T-Mobile Representative
Something about Mary Poppins? Exactly.
Microsoft Representative
Oh, man, this is fun.
T-Mobile Representative
I'm AJ Jacobs and I am in author and a journalist and I tend to get obsessed with stuff and my current obsession is puzzles. And that has given birth to my podcast, the Puzzler. Dressing. Dressing.
Microsoft Representative
French dressing.
T-Mobile Representative
Exactly.
Wendy's Representative
That's good.
T-Mobile Representative
Now you can get your daily puzzle nuggets delivered straight to your ears.
Carvana Representative
I thought to myself, I bet I know what this is. And now I definitely know what this is.
Microsoft Representative
This is so weird. This is fun. Let's try this one.
T-Mobile Representative
Our brand new season features special guests like Chuck Bryant, Mayim Bialik, Julie Bowen, Sam Sanders, Joseph Gordon Levitt and lots more. Listen to the Puzzler every day on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. That's awful and I should have seen it coming.
Bob Pittman
Hi, I'm Bob Pittman, chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia. I'm excited to introduce a brand new season of my podcast, Math and Stories from the Frontiers of Marketing. I'm having conversations with some interesting folks across a wide range of industries to hear how they reach the top of their fields and the lessons they learned along the way that everyone can use. I'll be joined by innovative leaders like chairman and CEO of Health Beauty, Tarang Amin.
T-Mobile Representative
The way I approach risk is constantly try things and actually make it okay to fail.
Bob Pittman
I'm sitting down with legendary singer, songwriter and philanthropist Jewel.
Microsoft Representative
I wanted a way to do something that I loved for the rest of my life.
Bob Pittman
We're also hearing how leaders brought their businesses out of unprecedented times, like Stephane Von Sell, CEO of Moderna.
Microsoft Representative
It becomes a human decision to decide to throw by the window your business strategy and to do what you think is the right thing for the world.
Bob Pittman
Join me as we uncover innovations in data and analytics, the math, and the ever important creative spark, the magic. Listen to math and magic stories from the frontiers of Marketing on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.
Microsoft Representative
Let's move on to Zachary Rosace in the Hawks. So he drops a career high 36 in a dominant victory over the Bucks. It's the third game this year. He scored over 30 points. Zach's played 27 consecutive games. In those games, he's averaging 15.2 points per game. He's shooting 52% from the field, 43% from three on over five attempts per game. He's showcasing a little bit more of a quick release against the Bucks. Hit a couple of no dip jumpers. Those are where the ball is already is caught in the pocket and you flow immediately into the shot instead of having to catch somewhere else and then dip down into your release and like kind of restart your chain of energy from the floor up to the top of the shot. He's showing a lot of really high level scoring. I want to talk about this concept for a minute because I think it's a really important part of team building moving forward in the NBA. Scoring is the ultimate complement to playmaking. I've been thinking a lot about this concept this season. When you have elite playmaking on your team, guys like Trey young, guys like LeBron, Luca, Nikola Jokic, these really, really high level passers, you need elite play finishing to pay those sequences off. Whether it's a vertical spacer like Aaron Gordon alongside Jokic, or Derek Lively alongside Luca, or Jackson Hayes alongside Luca, or deadly spot up guys, someone like Kyle quarterback with LeBron when he was at the Cavs, or Malik Beasley playing with Cade Cunningham, guys that can pay off these sequences from your playmakers. But one of the manifestations of that type of player that I've been talking a lot about this year, I've been referring to it as the weak side scoring forward. This is why I went into detail about the strong side corner help thing that we talked about earlier. This same concept is built into pick and roll coverages too. There's a reason why they don't offer low man help out of the strong side corner. They offer low man help out of the weak side corner. Why do they do that? So that for the same reason on an ISO drive, if a guy's getting downhill in a ball screen, the opening for him as a playmaker is across the court and across his body. That's the goal. You want to make it across the court and across the body, across as many help defenders as possible to make that pass difficult. Right? But that is ultimately the opening. And all of the best playmakers in the league consistently capitalize on those openings. We've talked about this concept a ton. Making reads in pick and roll. What are my reads? Big man steps up. I'm making a read based on the roll man or the weak side corner based on what the low man does. If the low man steps over, I'm skipping it. If the low man stays home, excuse me, I'm throwing the lob. If the big man drops back and the guard is chasing, my read is to shoot in the mid range. My read is to get as close to the basket for as high percentage of a shot as possible. Those are the pick and roll reads. And so when these teams, the majority of teams are bringing their big up to the level and bringing the low man over, that skip pass is open. And those skip passes are going to be made especially by Trey Young. In these sorts of situations, there's a bunch of different ways that you can look to score, right? It's not just hitting spot up threes, it's running your lane in transition as an athlete, it's driving closeouts, it's oh, they switched a screen or we ran in transition and got a cross match and now there's a guard on this forward. You need that forward to do a lot more of this high level scoring. These are professional scores, but primarily in an off ball context. Examples are like Michael Porter Jr. OG Anunoby, Rui Hachimura, DeAndre Hunter. Laurie Markkanen is kind of a high end version of that for the Jazz. Denny Avdia, even though he's been doing more on ball stuff as of late. Kyle Kuzma, PJ Washington this is becoming an extremely important archetype in the NBA. Zachary Rizachet has been doing some of the best weak side scoring work you'll see out of a rookie forward starts in transition. I was watching the Rockets Hawks game from about a week ago. You can find them on my Twitter feed. I shared some clips, but Zachary Rich Ashe was amazing in transition in that game. Just literally outrunning everybody up the floor. Didn't matter if he the rebound was captured and he was on the baseline, he was sprinting and it was so visually jarring that I clipped these examples and I put them on my Twitter feed for you guys to see. Watch these three clips. Watch the way Zachary Ricochet runs. Watch when he gets his head of steam, how it literally looks like he's moving a different speed than everyone else on the floor. He's a gazelle. It's crazy. And he'll get two or three wide open attempts at the rim every game just by running the floor. And that pairs perfectly with Trey Young, who's one of the best hit ahead passers in the league. I had a coach my last year in college at Arizona Christian University shout out to Jeff Rutter. They just won their conference tournament on a buzzer beater, crazy buzzer beater and. And then they made it to the Final Four before losing in the NAI NAIA tournament. But he used to say to all of us that you can manufacture 12 points a game just by getting a transition layup, running the floor, crashing the offensive glass and getting to the foul line once per half. Such a simple way to produce in a basketball game. And even if you take the foul line part out because obviously there's some out of your control stuff there with the whistle, if you just crash the offensive glass and you just run your lane in transition and you get one bucket a half each, that's eight points right there. You're one bucket away from double figures. It is such a simple way to produce in a basketball game. Run every time, crash every, every time. And he presents such a massive passing target for Trey because he's so athletic, so rangy and long. He caught a behind the back lob from Trey in the Bucs game where he dunked it behind his head because it's just a massive passing target. Then in the half court, as we talked about, when they load up the strong side in those skips, it's just like king of the court. When you're playing with your buddies on short closeouts, you need to knock down threes. He's starting to do that at a really high level. In this 27 game span, he's at 43% on over five attempts per game. Now what's going to start happening if he can maintain that level of shooting for a substantial amount of time, he's going to start getting chased off the line. And that's where I think he has a ton of potential as a score. He has downhill burst, attacking closeouts. He had a dunk against Shangun in the Rockets game where he drove a closeout off the left wing and just hammered it with his left hand on Sengun's face. A wildly athletic play. He has good footwork on like spins and Euros. He had a bucket against the Nets, driving a closeout against Nick Claxton in the left corner. He jabbed, got back to it deep in the corner with a hesitation dribble, crossed back over, got into the lane, pump, faked, pivoted over his right shoulder on his step through for a left handed finish. That's a really high level scoring move. He had one on Harden off the left wing, jabbed left, drove right, snatched back to the left, drove high, gather through Zubac and finished at the basket. These are really high Level scoring moves, attacking with an advantage in those king of the court situations. He had a left to right Euro against Zubac a couple weeks ago where he drove out of the corner like left to right Euro is one of the most complex footwork pieces you'll see for a right handed player. Most guys don't know how to do it and he still has a ton of growth in front of him. Shooting hot for a couple of months is not the same as being an elite shooter. We've all seen it. This guy's shooting 43% from 3 over his last whatever games. You got to do it for a long stretch of time before teams game plan for you in that way that, that that will take a few years probably but that will be what truly unlocks is off the dribble game because I don't think like as good as he is in the open court as an athlete, he's. His start stop quickness isn't quite as impressive as his athleticism in the open court which is going to make it so it's a little harder for him to beat people off the dribble unless his jumper comes around which again will take some time. But that's part of his development. He still needs a lot of improvement on the defensive end too. His athleticism has not translated yet as like a really high level off ball defender. He's often a bit behind the play on his help rotations which prevents him from having an impact. That's about processing speed, that's about learning, like learning the actions so well that you know what's going to happen as it's developing so that you can be there a step earlier. And again as we talked about, his start stop quickness isn't as good. That's why that processing speed is going to be so important for him because he's going to need to be there sooner in terms of the way he's reading these plays. But the bottom line is he's a rookie that projects to be one of the best people at his particular job in the NBA, which is being that weak side scoring forward which is very exciting for Hawks fans. I think it might officially be over for the Suns. They got absolutely smacked by the Rockets last night. Shangoon was cooking all their bigs again. Jalen Green poured in another 33 points. Ime Udoka in the second quarter brought out that zone defense that they that he's been using a bunch for the last month or so and they immediately sparked a massive run in that second quarter and they never looked back it was a complete and total physical domination by Houston. They out rebounded them by six. They forced 19 turnovers. They scored 34 points off of those turnovers. They won the fast break points battle 32 to 8. Houston scored 40 points in transition in total in this game. But I want to focus on Phoenix here for a second because we're going to hit Houston in tonight's show as they play the Lakers again. We're going live on YouTube tonight after the TNT slate. What did I say about Phoenix a month ago? I said they struck me as the stereotypical older veteran team that knows deep down that they don't really have a chance to win anything this year. And the way that that's going to manifest is in these short week or two long bursts where they compete and they look deep, they look decent, they defend, they rebound, they do their jobs, but that they inevitably let go of the rope because they can't sustain it, because they don't believe. And that's exactly what just happened. They won five out of six some quality wins versus the Cavs and the Bucks. They were defending and rebounding top 10 in both. I think they might have been top five in both over that span, but the NBA schedule does not let up. Boston came to town without Tatum and kicked their ass. Then it was Minnesota, then it was Houston. A couple of these big, strong, athletic teams that were going to truly test Phoenix's commitment to the work. And instead of hanging onto the rope, they just completely let go of it. 137.4 defensive rating in the last three games, they gave up an offensive rebound on 35% of opponents misses. That's damagingly bad. And now KD has an ankle sprain, Anthony Davis is back and the Mavs are climbing in the standings. We talked before the year that there was going to be a team that had dead serious championship aspirations, but that would miss the playoffs entirely. And no matter who that would be, it would be a catastrophe. And it looks like it's going to be the Suns. I keep watching them and thinking that it's not a Kevin Durant and Devin Booker problem, but at the same time I do think it's worth mentioning that neither of those two guys can really leverage their physical gifts on the game. KD has length and he has mobility. That helps him on defense, but he carries a massive offensive load, so he can't devote too many resources to that end. And he's not very strong. He can be pushed around, which is very, very dangerous quality for a frontcourt player. Defensively, on the glass, duck ins things along those lines. It's tough to do that job outside of like rangy rotating and and rim contests there. There's just a limitation when you can't win the ground battle. And again, it's just one of those things where you watch these other teams. It's like watching Houston. Jalen Green can leverage his athleticism to get to spots. Sengun is bullying these dudes. When you watch these teams that have these players where it's like I can inflict myself physically on the game to assist my team in these key areas that they need help. Devin Booker and KD are not necessarily as capable. This is why, like, I still believe it's worth exploring the idea of keeping those two. They still give you such a high offensive floor in terms of shot quality. I would still just look to find every discount bruiser I can find at every position group and try to breed that culture around them. Because regardless of what direction you go this summer, even if you do choose to get rid of Kevin Durant or Devin Booker or both, you still need an organizational identity. I talked about this concept after the Celtics win against the Suns last week. I talked about it with Colin Coward last night on his show. You need an organizational identity that is separate from your stars. And so regardless of what direction you go, you need to begin the process of establishing that new owner, new coach. You need to start establishing a basketball culture. This season was a massive step back. And so that's the thing, like, unless you think there's some magical trade that's going to just solve all your problems, which I don't think there is, you need to begin the process of changing that culture anyway. And so from that standpoint, if you tweak things enough around those two, that's where Kevin Durant, Devin Booker's upside can actually start to lift you to where you want to go. But this is the team that is completely let go of the rope. And I think I, I would be stunned at this point if we got to see them play meaningful basketball here in a couple of weeks. All right, guys, that is all I have for today is, or I should say for this morning. We'll be back tonight live on TN or live on YouTube after the TNT games. As always, I sincerely appreciate you guys for supporting me supporting the show, and I will see you later tonight. What's up, guys? As always, I appreciate you for listening to and supporting Hoops tonight. It would actually be really helpful for us if you guys would take a second and leave a rating and a review. As always, I appreciate you guys supporting us, but if you could take a minute to do that, I'd really appreciate it.
T-Mobile Representative
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 and faster by unlocking up to 150% improved output. Whatever challenges come next, let Microsoft help you keep pushing forward. For more details, visit Microsoft.com challengers this.
Carvana Representative
Is Nikki Glaser from the Nikki Glaser Podcast. Have you guys seen this new commercial from Stand up to All Hate? It's basically Snoop Dogg and Tom Brady going back and forth with reasons that they hate each other. But then when you really listen to them, the reasons for the hate are just so stupid. I don't know. This this commercial really got me. It's a strong reminder that hate in our country continues to be out of control. So join us at iHeart in standing up to it. If you see hate, speak up. Call it out. Your voice is a powerful tool in this fight. You can learn more by following OT'sUPwithHate what's up everyone?
Microsoft Representative
Julius Rippinks here, along with former NHL player Nate Thompson. We're doing a new podcast together. Here we go. The Name Energy Line with Nate and jsb. Each week we'll get together and talk about hockey life. All topics are fair game, right? Exactly. And you'll never know who will drop by to join us. Julie is pretty well connected. She has text threads going that you wouldn't believe. Listen to Energy Level with Nate and jsb on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
T-Mobile Representative
Ever wonder what it would be like to be mentored by today's top business leaders? My podcast this Is Working can help with that. Here's some advice from Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JPMorgan Chase, on standing out from the leadership crowd.
Microsoft Representative
Develop your EQ A lot of people have plenty of brains, but EQ is do you trust me? Do I communicate well? Develop your the team. Develop the people. Create a system of trust. And it works over time.
T-Mobile Representative
I'm Dan Roth, LinkedIn's editor in chief. On my podcast this is Working Leaders share strategies for success. Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd Episode: Lakers Need Consistency, Zachary Risacher Making The Leap, Suns Cooked Release Date: April 1, 2025
Introduction
In this episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd, hosted by iHeartPodcasts and The Volume, the discussion delves deep into the current state of NBA teams—the Los Angeles Lakers, emerging rookie Zachary Risacher, and the struggling Phoenix Suns. The host provides insightful analysis, backed by recent game performances and strategic evaluations, offering listeners a comprehensive understanding of these pivotal topics in today's sports landscape.
Lakers Need Consistency
The episode kicks off with a critical examination of the Los Angeles Lakers' recent performances on the road. The host highlights a concerning pattern of extended periods of dominance marred by sudden execution lapses, which have cost the team crucial games and opportunities to secure more comfortable victories.
Key Points:
Notable Quotes:
The host remains optimistic about the Lakers' potential, acknowledging their ability to dominate when executing flawlessly. However, the inconsistency serves as a significant hurdle that could impede their championship aspirations if not addressed promptly.
Zachary Risacher Making The Leap
Shifting focus to emerging talent, the host spotlights rookie forward Zachary Risacher from the Atlanta Hawks. Risacher's impressive performance has caught the host's attention, showcasing his potential to become a pivotal player in the NBA.
Key Points:
Notable Quotes:
Risacher's emergence as a versatile scorer not only boosts the Hawks' offensive options but also sets a benchmark for rookie performance in the league. His trajectory suggests a promising future, making him a player to watch in the coming seasons.
Suns Cooked
The final segment of the episode addresses the Phoenix Suns' disappointing performance trajectory, culminating in a decisive loss to the Houston Rockets. The host provides a thorough analysis of the Suns' struggles, attributing their downfall to a combination of strategic shortcomings and cultural deficiencies within the team.
Key Points:
Notable Quotes:
The host's analysis paints a sobering picture of the Suns' season, highlighting the critical need for organizational restructuring and cultural revitalization to regain competitiveness in the fiercely contested NBA landscape.
Conclusion
Wrapping up the episode, the host reiterates the importance of consistency and strategic execution for championship contention, using the Lakers and Suns as primary examples. The discussion underscores the critical role of team culture, player development, and defensive prowess in shaping a successful NBA franchise. Looking ahead, listeners are encouraged to stay tuned for upcoming live analyses and previews of key matchups, promising continued in-depth coverage of the evolving sports narratives.
Final Remarks:
This episode serves as a crucial analysis for basketball enthusiasts, offering deep dives into team performance dynamics, emerging talents, and the ever-present quest for consistency and excellence in the NBA.