NBA playoff break downs

The NBA playoffs were pretty awesome. I almost used a colorful metaphor there. Last night Jimmy Butler went bananas.

LeBron James did something he'd never done before. Let's talk to Brian Geisinger. We've got a lot of ways to identify Brian Geisinger. We're also going to talk a little bit about the transfer portal because NC State's stocking up. Brian Geisinger, Pac Pride, Devil's Den. Let's see, Buzz Beat Podcast.

We've got all sorts of stuff. Alright Jimmy guys, let's start with playoff Jimmy. That was, was that the fourth best scoring output ever in a playoff game? Did I hear that correctly? I actually don't. I did not see that. I did watch it happen.

Yeah, me too. Whether that was the fourth or the fifth most or the eighth most, whatever it was, it was a sight to see. Incredible, all time, historically great performance from really one of like the modern, or maybe we don't even need the modern qualifier, just one of the best, you know, big time playoff performers in the history of the NBA. Jimmy Butler, 41 minutes, 56 points on only 28 shots, 15 of 18 from the line. And he did it in just classic kind of like playoff Jimmy fashion, which is to say like he perked up and hit a couple of threes, which is something that he's not necessarily known for. And then he just scored and got fouled in every other way imaginable. One-on-one attacking, attacking different match-ups, um, going at the bucks in pick and roll, going at Bobby Portis and drop coverage, going at Giannis drop coverage, going at Giannis one-on-one he's looked comfortable all series against Drew holiday, which it really can't be like Drew holiday is one of the best defenders, one of the best perimeter defenders in on planet earth. And you know, Jimmy has a side advantage and against Drew and he he's taken advantage of it.

Uh, this was, uh, but, but he went at everyone in this game, you know, he picked on Middleton at times they found screening actions to go at Grayson Allen. Like this was top to bottom, just a really, really special performance in there. It wasn't just, it wasn't just Jimmy, like they got, uh, they got some secondary shooting Duncan Robinson, uh, huge shot late in the game, um, back pro former Hornets legend, uh, along with Cody Deller out there. And, uh, Caleb Martin even did his vintage, like long, you know, looked like a three, but his toe was on the line, a corner jumper that he was, uh, if you followed him during him, during the time of the hornet, he was sort of, uh, known for doing that, but, uh, even Kevin love stepped up and hit it, hit a huge shot at some big shot for him in this game, a couple of threes, but no, there aren't enough words to describe Jimmy. Um, it was special. He looked comfortable all playoffs.

And this is, this was the fear of this. I was out of Miami team, but Jimmy and Eric Polstra in the seven game series, they got some injury luck, you know, with Giannis missing two games and, uh, band, they've got the team that was limited. That's the one, the favorite to win the title. And they say they've got them on the rope. Uh, it's probably an understatement. Yeah.

There, uh, there's no question. The bucks are staggering. Uh, watching, watching Butler in the moment, feeling it is like, he's, he's not in the, in the Steph Curry, you know, he's not in that category of score, but I don't know that there's a player who is more enjoyable to watch when they are in that moment.

Then then Jimmy Butler is, it is amazing. The bucks. I mean, Giannis is obviously not a hundred percent.

They're not getting enough from anybody else. Um, I mean, I know they're going, they're going back to Milwaukee here for game five. And if they can get game five, it's really a one game series just to win game six, uh, in Miami, which I know they're capable of doing if they're fully operational, but I'm not sure they're fully operational.

Yeah. I mean, look, Giannis, this is a great team. Um, they've been the best team basically all, all seasons. And, but Giannis is the one that said, unlocks everything.

And you could even see it last night. Like it's picking, it's passing out of the pick and roll with Brook Lopez is finishing a transition. Like they need him at when Jimmy's rolling like this in Miami, which couldn't hit a three all seasons now shooting 48% from deep in the series. Like Giannis has to be, um, as close to 100% and dominant as possible because this is the Milwaukee team that all season long, like as good as they were, they did kind of lack athleticism. Like you're looking at the wing and you're seeing, you know, Middleton's been injured for most of the year. Grayson Allen is a, is a nice player, but you know, he's a target in the playoffs.

Pat Connick is Joe Ingalls. Uh, they didn't play Jake Crowder last night who was one of their like deadline pickup. So they're just, where's, where's the length and athleticism on the roster outside of guys like Holliday and Giannis who are have their hands full with, uh, you know, with Butler at the moment. So, um, yeah, again, Giannis has to be incredible. They probably got a hope that you just can't get, you know, you don't get the alpha and the omega performance from Butler one more time and that maybe Miami shooting cooled off. But right now, uh, you know, the bucks are in a world of trouble.

No question. And Butler is going back to a place that he knows well, uh, in Milwaukee. He's been, he's, he spent, he's had a few games, uh, in that town. All right. Let me, uh, let me go to the other series, uh, that we watched last night. First time in his career, whenever I hear first time in his career, I expect something like more unusual than 20 points and 20 rebounds out of LeBron James. But first time he'd ever done that. Okay.

That's fine. Um, but the driving layup through traffic basically at the buzzer, I mean, it wasn't at the buzzer, but, um, I mean, this Lakers team is different, obviously better than they were two months ago. They look like they might ultimately be the best team in the West. Breathe in, breathe out, get dressed, head out, grab some friends, camp out, get hiked up, vibe out, take it in, let it all out. At REI Co-op, we're here for all the outs, and we want you to spend more time outside our doors to end them.

Try it out, check out, think it out. REI Co-op. All out.

Visit REI.com. They look, they look really good. I mean, like, I know Anthony Davis didn't have it going last night, um, offensively, but defensively he's been, he's been insane. And he had a great block on the final play of regulation to just absolutely snuff out a pretty hopeless attempt from, um, uh, from John Grant to get up a shot with, you know, eight tenths of a second left or whatever. But his defense, the defense in this series from Jerry Jackson Jr. and Anthony Davis, like interior wide at the rim, the versatility has been incredible. And yeah, like Memphis, David Tillman is a really, really good player, like a legit rotation player. Um, and I know LeBron is, you know, compromised. He's playing, he's not just in this year 20, he's playing with his foot injury, but he is playing professional, you know, but he went to LeBron James of podiatrists. So, yeah, well, that's, that's why my question to that is why was that the third doctor he went to?

Why did he start with the, uh, LeBron, you know, LeBron James, not the third officer, the Lakers, you know? Right. Um, don't, don't you think that he just went to himself? That's right. That's how I took it. I took it that he, I decided I was going to play and deal with whatever happens next.

Yeah. I mean, he has spent most of his career stay for the last couple of years that he dates. It's just like, he used to be the kind of guy he twisted angle and just, you know, tie the shoes up tighter and keep going. Like you just, you felt bionic or, you know, 80% of his career. Um, and then the finish through Dylan Brooks, plus the foul is just like, it's just so delicious. Like I got Dylan Brooks is an A one perimeter defender and salute to him, I guess, for carving out this niche of being, uh, you know, like a guy that is a bit of stuff is a magnet for attention. And it's a guy that this is a guy that can't make a jump shot in a small market team. And like, we talk about him all the time with NBA, uh, coverage and it's like, at the same point, like, you know, have seen him go out LeBron, what's the amount of trash he's talked, um, the below the belt he had against LeBron, it's like, buddy, you're not good enough to be doing this. And, uh, uh, LeBron started him for that bucket last night.

I think that was proof positive of it. That said, like Memphis, not having Steven Adams, Brandon Clark too, but really not having Steven Adams. Like they just miss him so much on both sides of the glass, but Lakers can really compress their defense and tighten things up around the rant. They wasn't hitting jump shots last night. And so those second chance points with Adams are so huge normally, and they're just not there.

And then on the other end, you've got AD and LeBron just, just mashing the glass and Adams would be, you know, your best source to prevent that. And, you know, obviously he, uh, you know, he's on the bench in street clothes, unfortunately. Right. Now look, uh, Dylan Brooks to me is like Patrick Beverly.

I mean, it's, it's all, yeah, it's all he is. And, uh, I think, I don't know if that made LeBron better or not. I don't really think it matters. I don't think LeBron pays attention to that, but, uh, I'm sure there were, Hey, not bad for an old man, huh? Right after, uh, right after the game was over. Um, if you're the Lakers though, I know, I mean, it's in Memphis, but you already won in Memphis. I close it out because these games have all been, I mean, obviously based on LeBron hitting the layup, uh, late, I mean, this game, I mean, Memphis could have won this game just as easily, maybe should have won the game.

So close it out in game five, if you can. All right, real quick, because I want to talk a little bit about what NC state has done in the transfer portal. A big guy from Missouri. Uh, tell me what you can tell me about who's coming in to, uh, NC state.

Yeah. I mean, this has been a busy off season, um, in, in getting, uh, Mo Diarra from, uh, you know, from Missouri gives them a guy that can, uh, play the screen dive game. Um, and a guy that will give them some, you know, some rim protection as well. So they've done some stuff sort of like deep up the front court, um, a little bit getting Ben Middlebrook to transfer in from, from Clemson, who's a center that can do, I kind of think play a role that would be similar to sort of what they were hoping with Doosan Portridge last season, as far as the guy that could like kick the ball when, when opponents put two on the ball and pick and roll against state offense, that Middlebrook is a guy that could catch in space and take a dribble or two and get to the rim or take a dribble or two and get to the, um, you know, get to a pass, take out to a shooter, um, getting, bringing in a guy like DJ Horn guard from Arizona state is the, you know, all of a sudden they add a, you know, big time shooter and score to the mix, the guy that can shoot off the dribble, shoot off the catch elite, elite shooter with lots of data to prove it. And then Jayden Taylor comes in from Butler and, uh, it was one of the best transition scores in the big East last season. And I think gives them a guy that can, I wouldn't say like he's quite necessarily a perimeter stopper based off of some of the tape I've seen, but like is a good perimeter defender at six foot forward. And honestly look MJ Rice, you didn't see a ton of him at Kansas the past season in what was a very crowded, you know, front court and wing room there, but you had to add a guy with that frame in, in that, uh, that pedigree of, as a recruit. And I'll be curious to see like kind of what role right place coming into state, you know, if he's going to be on the, on the wing as a three or if he's in that like hybrid small ball four role that we saw with Jack Clark this year in your staff with, with Doran Doran or Jericho held, because that does mean ultimately I try not to stress too much, but those, those players have different roles. Um, with state, uh, state's roster, if you play the three, you're going to get to handle, pick a role if you're in the four year to be, you know, setting a lot of ball screens and popping and stuff like that.

But I don't think a guy that could maybe flip between both those roles is interesting. Like they losing a lot with, with, with Joyner and with the crazy on charcoal joiners, maybe on Smith, but they've done a nice job finding shooting, finding size, finding some interior, finishing some rim protection. Like I think it's been a pretty good, uh, off season thus far, uh, despite, you know, having a lot of turnover for, uh, for keeping the staff breathing, breathe out, get dressed, head out, grab some friends, camp out, get hiked up, vibe out, take it in, let it all out. At REI Co-op we're here for all the outs and we want you to spend more time outside our doors to end them. Try it out, check out, think it out. REI Co-op.

All out. Visit REI.com.