What’s left in the NBA Playoffs?

Alright, make the argument to me that Miami has a path forward.

They shoot better. I mean, that's essentially what this series has come down to. Like, the thing that was going to fail Miami at any given point was going to be its offense. Right. Right, like, and there were some things that they got away with versus the Knicks that you can't get away with versus the Nuggets because they're just a better offensive team. Right. And like, yeah, you can score 97 points and beat the Knicks, right?

Right, yes. You can't do that with this Nuggets team. And the one game that they won, I think they were 17 or 35 from three. That was their ninth time shooting 45% or better from three.

I think that's the most for any team in the playoffs. So shoot better. And, you know, it's not that their offense isn't working.

It's not just from distance either. It's, you know, Butler and Pam are missing a lot of shots in the paint. In the paint.

In the painted area. Shout out to Hubie Brown. Right, like, and that's where they've lived. Like, that that is the heavy diet for both of those guys. Bam at the elbow, Jimmy at the mid range, and they're just not making those shots now. And you have to make those like you just to stay in the game because they're not playing poorly and you look up and they've lost by 12 points. Right. You know, I mean, like, it's not that they're playing poorly.

They're getting the shots that they want to get, but they have to fall. That's the only way they get back into this series. I think it's done. I think it's done.

I think it is done today as well. There are two things about that. And Brennan Woodard is in studio swarm and staying podcast at H.U.

Coasell on Twitter. Two things. One thing about Miami's offense and one thing about Miami's defense. Think about their offense is I thought in game four, more so in game three, though, than in game four, I thought they settled for threes early in shot clocks where they're right in it. And then you go through three or four possessions where you settle for for the easy, not the easy shot, but like the more work could have gotten them a better shot is what you're saying. There's still 15 on the clock. And then that shot leads to leads to a transition bucket. But they were making that shot, though. It won't. That's not a good formula. No, yeah, no, no.

It's not a good one. So they shot below their expected field goal average in the in the season. Like that was the thing. Like they were twenty seventh in the league from three. Right. And they said they should not have shot that poorly in the regular season.

And then by some sort of matter of witchcraft, they seem to shoot. And they went from a regression to the me. And now they're then they were progressing to the me. Right.

Like, all right, well, we're going to shoot better than we've been shooting for 82 games. Right. They they they did that. So that worked for them. And that's how they got here. Right. They're not as good of a they're not as talented offensively as as Denver is.

They just don't know. You know, I mean, like they have really one main initiator, Jimmy. And then with Tyler Herro done, Victor Oladipo is done. They're really missing like initiators.

Gave this in Canada a little bit. Kyle, Laurie, he's helped them with their second unit. But you don't want that to be like you. It's a it's a steady decline from Butler to Lowry and Vincent. Yeah. They had hero if they had Oladipo, if they had some of these other like genuinely positive, hey, guys that we want to initiate, they'd be in a much better position to take care of, to take advantage of a different Nuggets defense that isn't.

I don't feel like it's special at all. I think they're good enough. Yeah. When they have to be. But like when Yogesh goes out with his fifth foul, that's the time when Miami has to. I thought that's where they lost the series.

I thought that five minutes stretch where your coaches out and hey, we're seven, eight points out of this game. They were right in it. Now. Now's the time you got it.

Whatever you got. They couldn't stop at that point. Couldn't stop them. It was trade back.

You can't trade back. That was the other part about it. Miami's defense has not been as good as Miami's defense needs to be. The other thing you talk about, Gabe Vincent or the Tyler, Tyler heroes out Victor Oladipo, Kyle Lowry spent most of the year injured, which is I mean, Kyle's always looked a little bit. Pudgy, I mean, I hate that. I was wondering.

I was like, oh, let me hear this body shape. But he just doesn't look like he's right in the some guys don't. Right. I mean, Luca, Paul Pierce. Some guys are just, you know, I mean, they're great athletes. You know that they're great athletes.

But like, you know, quick, quick aside, because we have time secretly. You think Paul Pierce was upset that Boston? It was think he was bombed at Boston lost. I don't know where he stands with Boston. I genuinely don't.

I like Paul Pierce is one of the more interesting post careers than I thought. I think he wants everybody to think that he roots for Boston. But I think he's comfortable with his era being the last champion. I could be totally wrong. I could be completely unfair. No, I mean, you're talking about same guys that stopped talking to Ray Allen when he went to Miami.

The pettiest straw was with the straw with Rondo and KG and Paul Pierce. I just want to make sure. No, you're not low, sir. OK, that's fair. You talk about. Here's where Denver's defense has been good. Aaron Gordon, who is a mismatch problem for Miami because he's strong enough to defend.

If he had to, he can bother Bam away from the basket, too. So while Denver is not a great defensive team, they have one guy they can deploy to slow down to critical pieces. You know who Aaron Gordon is? He's this year's Andrew Wiggins. He's the guy that was. Hey, you know, he's not the guy, right? He was in Orlando. I think that team made the first round playoffs one time when he was like, he's he's a obviously he's a good player, but is he your, you know, franchise alternate? No, he's not that guy. But he's very, very good. Tremendous career arc for him. It's Wiggins, right?

It's like, hey, you get to be just you. You don't have to be the initiate. Gordon wasn't the first pick, but a great athlete at Arizona. Exactly. Who became a good like he was not a great player. He was just a great athlete initially.

Yeah. But he has become a much better player. And he's in his role.

They were asking him to initiate in Orlando. They're asking him to do a lot when he was with the match because he was their best player. So I'm like, hey, our best player needs the ball in his hands. And he was good enough to do some of it. Right.

And it doesn't mean just because you're good enough to do something doesn't mean it needs to be your thing. And so it's like, hey, Aaron, how about you just play defense rebound and then kind of do whatever else you want to on offense. And then like, hey, if Dave, this is all your you're capable enough offensive player. Hey, duck in. Get that.

Get to the bucket. Like he's hurt them on. Yes. You know what I mean?

Like 20, 70 other games. Yeah. And he had like six assists.

He's like he's a he's a well-rounded player. Can you be your number one? No.

But if just because you aren't the number one doesn't mean you can't be a phenomenal number three. That's right. That's exactly what he is. Yeah. He has given them that third that third element. But when you and I probably talked about this, I thought that if the Lakers could limit Murray, yeah, that that's that was the trick for the Lakers.

That's that was their path forward. Don't don't let Jamal Murray go off. Yeah. But no, we saw Jamal Murray from the bubble in that series and it became impossible for the Lakers to win that series. We've seen basically that Jamal Murray.

So we know what Jokic is going to do, because we've really never seen this. Yeah. I mean, we sort of have in our Vita Simonis, but our Vita Simonis wasn't knocking down threes.

Yeah. And he also wasn't that sort of a score. By the time they got to the NBA, injuries had like completely depleted him in terms of his offensive scoring capability. But no, Jokic has he's got the entire offensive bag like he really, really does. And Murray is the perfect guy to play alongside him, because every guard lead guard couldn't handle not having the ball in his hands. Everyone could do that, man. Like there's a whole bunch of guards that need the ball in their hands.

Jamal Murray, while he can go get his and we've seen him go get his, he can also play also the dribble handoffs and stuff. I'm going to come off. They're going to run a pin down. I'm up top three pointer.

Boom. I don't need the ball in my hands for long. He's got a nice little bit of clay in him in addition to Steph.

You know what I mean? Like he's got he's got he's got a nice little bit of off ball catch and shoot cut. Like he's a really, really good, fundamentally sound basketball player who you can take the ball out of his hands and be OK.

He's the perfect complement to Jokic. That squad together, by the way, they're all in their 20s. Porter, Gordon, all of them are in there.

I think the oldest is 28. Yeah. You know, it's funny, Denver, for even though they're up three one in the series, and I agree, they will likely close this out tonight. They have not played a complete game yet. No, they have not gotten much out of Michael Porter. No, they haven't. They haven't got much out of KCP. Yeah.

I mean, I mean, I thought they played better versus the Lakers when they were like that. Brian, Brian, Bruce Brown, Bruce Brown. Yeah. Bruce Brown was like like it would be the actor from Cocktail.

I apologize. Well, is that Brian Brown? Yeah.

The bartender from Cochran's rules and rules. That's it. So he's been very good, but they haven't gotten great before. They haven't gotten their full team going. I mean, they could get that tonight in a close out game. And this could be messy.

It could be like I don't think, but I will say the mascots on the aisle. Hey, man, look, I know everybody's mad at Conor Gregor. I get it. Hey, stop having real fighters play fight.

That's a that's a that's a that's a that's a good way to that's a that's a good way to end up writing that you are keep keep playing with people that fight for a living. I mean, I know shade. I mean, I'm with you 100 percent with you. All right. We talk about Miami's got to shoot better. Yeah.

I mean, there's a lot of things that have to go right. But real quick about Caleb Martin, who has been one of I mean, if Miami were to come back in this series and Martin is a part of a comeback. Jimmy Butler is still going to get the finals MVP unless it's all Martin, but if they were to come back in the series, it would be because of them. Probably that like if they were to get back in the series, it would be because he's played well. I think he's right around twenty one, thirteen for the series around there.

He'd have to go, you know, like he's never been an outfit. I thought I thought this was really interesting. I was watching Jimmy Butler. He was on an interview with someone on one of these podcasts. There are several I don't know if you ever noticed that there are a lot of sports podcasts. Yes, you have.

I've seen I've seen one or two been a part of one, too. But like Butler talked about like, hey, Adebayo was supposed to be a defensive and rebound guy. That's who he was in Kentucky. And that's who he had been all his life. And then he as he got to Miami, he culture, whatever. Yeah, they started they started to give him more and more responsibility.

He was been able to add it, but he was like he's added things to his arsenal, but he's trying to still put that arsenal together. They he would have to put it together now, right now, in order for them to get back in the series. That's like even with Butler going crazy. I still think it would take Bam being exceptional, great top five big man in the league for them to get back in the game. The game to Bam where they were running their offense through him at the top of the key in the third and fourth quarters.

Yeah, that that's what they need. And attacking in transition. Yeah, like that when they get when they move the ball up and he's in a place where it's him and Jokic, you got to go. Just go.

I don't care if I'm if if I'm supposed to. I'm like, if you get a one on one with Jokic, go right at the basket, go at him, like make him defend. I thought that tired him out a little bit more in the Lakers series when Anthony Davis would like, OK, yeah, you got me, but I'm getting you right back and like make him defend. This is the worst part of his game.

And he's in much better shape. I'm not saying he's not in shape at all, but like anybody having to be the focal point of offense and having to defend a dog that's on your neck, every possession, that's going to tire a lot of people out. Like they've got to do some stuff to get him uncomfortable because, yes, certainly you don't want Casey P and Bruce Brown. You don't want everybody else to go off. But ultimately, if you're going to come back in the series, you have to do something to get Jokic a little bit off of his game. All right, let's talk about the Hornets real quick.

We are two weeks away from the draft, so they don't get number one. I mean, when they were came down late, you're like, wait a second. Yeah, they could end up with Victor Wimbledon.

I did it two other spaces and there was a good minute and a half when I was about to really act up for it. But we should have all understood. Yeah. Oh, San Antonio has a chance.

It's going to be San Antonio, David Robinson, Tim Duncan, when the players are transcendent. Unfair. Unfair. And they're in the lottery.

They're getting it. Hasn't Michael Jordan done enough? Like, hasn't that man done enough to earn the Frozen inflow one time? No. What time? Not as an owner. Come on. Not as an owner.

Have they sold the team yet? Come on. Don't do this. All right. So don't throw out the second pick. Yeah. I don't know if the bones are there for a good team.

I like some of the pieces. So would you go with Scoot Anderson or would you go with Brandon Miller? Man, I'm favoring Brandon Miller and I'm hoping I'm not short sighted, but I think that that works better, particularly with LaMelo. I do.

Okay. I don't subscribe to this idea that like, well, Scoot's a point guard. LaMelo's a point guard.

Can't have both of them. No, we're far past that basketball wise and positionlessness. My issue is adding non shooters.

I don't love the idea of adding non shooters. Is Scoot a non shooter? Right now he is. Okay.

Right. Right now he's, I think, about 31 percent from three in the G League. Maybe right with better players around him.

More space. Maybe he shoots better. I'm always just, you know, I think about John Wall. I think about Derrick Rose. I think about Russell Westbrook.

All phenomenal players. That was a little bit, bit ago. Right. Yeah. Can you be that sort of ball dominant, hyper athletic, great decision maker, which he is, especially for his age, 19 years old. Yeah. Sport for his age is great. But can you be that guy now?

And I and I look. So I take a step back like Morant is a little bit that guy. He's shot shot a really good percentage last year. This year came back down around 32 percent. Darren Fox got shot really well his second year and then it came back to.

So now he's around 31, 32. So you can be Fox, by the way, is an all star, right? Both guys are all stars.

But I wonder about that, like for it. And that also means that taking the ball out of LaMelo's hands a little bit more, who is to me one of, if not the best passer in the league. He's that sort of special, that sort of gifted just naturally. And now look at Brandon Miller. I'm like, man, this is a wing three level score. Yeah.

Like size. And you remember bridges coming back. You can feel the way you want to feel about it. But he's coming back next year. Gordon Hayward will be leaving. This is last year on his deal.

He's going to be gone. You have you put Miller and bridges on your wings. And you've got some real, some real fire power offensively.

And this is the team that was the dead last in offensive efficiency this year. Yeah. I think scoop might be great. This is not a shot on scoop. It's just that Miller seems like he fits better. And I understand the hesitation about picking fit this high in the draft. Maybe you just pick talent. I get it.

Miller just seems like it makes a lot more sense to me. But I mean, you could also make the argument that if you just pick talent, six, nine guy who can shoot and drive. Yeah.

That's talent, too. So I don't think you're shortchanging yourself. I have not. I really don't. I am not 100 percent sure that if and when the Hornets become a contender.

Yeah. I'm not sure about LaMelo. And that is my only that's that's my headspace about whether I draft Henderson or not. But is Henderson.

That guy and he might not be. Miller might be a better player. Yeah, but your questions about LaMelo are that when you see the point guard, when when I become a legit winner and I don't know if that's I don't know if the answer to that is yes, maybe it is. And you've got him already. So, yeah, and he's a star and he's a star. He's a legitimate star. Something that the Hornets haven't had like since maybe Larry Johnson.

Oh, it's funny. Real quick. And we only have about two more minutes left. I want to get to at least the Harden quest. Yeah.

My son and I were looking. He's playing some game on his phone NBA game. And he's like, man, the Hornets were something back in the day. They had Bogues and they had Larry Johnson and they had Dell Curry and like and they had Alonzo Mourning. They had a really good team. All right.

Let me I love you. So it's like basketball. I love it. Totally. Would you pay James Harden?

Two hundred and ten million over four years. He qualifies for that. Philadelphia can do that.

Should Philadelphia do that? Yeah, I mean, he and he was really good for them for the majority of last season. Like he wasn't good in the playoffs when they needed him. Neither was Embiid, right?

Well, yes. So so would you pay Embiid? I'd pay Embiid. Like, you know, if Embiid were coming up for a contract session. Yeah. I'd pay Embiid younger, but also just as broken.

Yeah. I mean, he's got his injury stuff, right? But Harden was the end of every year, was relatively healthy this year.

You know what I mean? And I know he finished last season with that soft tissue hamstring thing. Like he finished really well. I don't know. He looked really good for a long part.

Didn't I take another shot at it? I think the last three years of a four year, two hundred and ten million dollar contract are very suspect. I wouldn't do it. But like but I think they're on the precipice of a championship. Like I think maybe they like if they make a right moves, maybe they they move off to bias and figure out something else because they've got our max, whatever. Like now's the time to push whatever buttons they have up there in that brain trust. Now's the time to do more shooters, be better defensively.

They got Nick Nurse. Yeah. I say, and your coaching has improved probably so.

All right, final thing. Warriors done as a dynasty? No, as a dynasty, yes. As a as a legit championship, I think they're done as a dynasty. I mean, you still got Steph. You do have Steph.

I mean, Steph changes that. He changes history, changes the dynamics of it a lot. He's just not the same. No, not the same guy.

Look, and a lot of this depends on pool, right? Like about like the development comingo like that. You know, they always look back at the Wiseman over LaMelo thing is like, maybe that's where they have been.

Yeah, maybe. I'm not sure about LaMelo taking LaMelo over him. I'm firmly in the LaMelo game.

That's cool. But where would he fit on this team? Because Steph's got to have the ball, right? Passer shooters. He shot ten and a half threes a game this year.

Over half of those were a catch-and-shoot variety. You haven't convinced me, but you make good points. That's Brendan Witton's Swarm and Sting podcast, swarmandsting.com. We all agree the Denver Nuggets will close this one out tonight.

And then we will put Nikola Jokic firmly into the top 70 all-time. Thank you very much for coming in, man. I appreciate it. At H.U. Cozell on Twitter.