Alperen Şengun Talks Dillon Brooks, Guarding Embiid and Jokic, His One-Legged Shot, and Ime Udoka

Alperen Şengun Talks Dillon Brooks, Guarding Embiid and Jokic, His One-Legged Shot, and Ime Udoka

Welcome to the old man of the three with JJ reick and Tommy alter brought to you by 342 Productions this is Episode 205 alperon shenon uh shenon Tommy is a star in the NBA and I don’t want to just I’m going to put this out there we did an

Episode early in the season before the regular season started we said who are the breakout Stars potential breakout stars in the NBA this year and and shenon was one of my guys I think he’s one of your man crushes he he’s awesome he’s awesome this guy’s averaging uh 22

Points 9.2 rebounds five assists he’s 13 in box plus minus 18th in win shares in the entire NBA 13th in value over replacement player he’s having look he’s having an All-Star level season I’m not saying he’s going to make the All-Star Game Houston has dropped a little bit in

The standings as of late but he’s been a big reason why the Houston Rockets have played highly competitive basketball um we get into a ton of stuff with him uh we we talk about eeme udoka the additions of Jeff green and Fred Van Fleet uh Dylan Brooks uh he’s got a fascinating

Background and look I I think a big takeaway I’ve had from a number of young players we’ve done recently is the league is in great hands I mean we had the fron Vagner on we’ve got another young guy coming on next week who’s who’s an Allstar these guys are just

Wired the right way and you you think about you know I mentioned those Advanced stats you think about uh you know who has carried the league for the better part of a decade these guys they’re still playing at a high level the LeBron’s the Kevin the the Steph

Curries they’re still playing at a high level we’ve got guys like joic and embiid and and Giannis in the prime of their careers that are going to continue to carry the mantle for a number of years but these upand comers I have been so impressed every time I’ve sat down to

Sit with these guys and speak with them they’re they’re just awesome they’re awesome dudes dudes they’re wired the right way and they’re incredible basketball players who are only going to get better because they’re wired the right way my favorite changon stat complete list of players to average 229

And five before the age of 22 Oscar Robertson Luca and our guest today that’s it yeah I’m not surprised by that I’m not surprised by that at all uh I think you guys will really enjoy this conversation uh we also are going to have uh a checkin with our new

Correspondent uh om3 correspondent we’re bringing those back we’ll have a number of guys checking in throughout the regular season and postseason and uh our first correspondent visit will be from Trey Murphy of the new or lawrens Pelicans one of the all-time guests I think going back to last year just an

Incredible [ __ ] uh love him dearly love him dearly uh can’t wait uh for you guys to hear our little checkin with him all things Pelicans lot of fun stuff with him before we do that let’s get to our draftking sports book segment and of course we are going to talk about the

Milwaukee Bucks who fired Adrien Griffin can’t say I was surprised Tommy no no what um so so they’re the Bucks are currently second offensive rating they’re 21st in defense 10th in net they were fourth in defense last year do you think that is the primary reason for the

Switch or is there more at play um well first of all I I I would say this early in the season I I had a game first inseason tournament game Nicks at bucks so doing my prep work I’m watching film going through games and it was striking to me literally striking I I

Remember just pausing it so many times and wanting to punch my laptop uh at their defensive schemes they finally got it was the first game that they put Lopez back in a drop and they finally got Lopez back in a drop I don’t want to speculate here I just can tell you from

What I know uh the players never felt comfortable with the schemes and it wasn’t just defensively I think offensively they still haven’t maximized what they can be and I think there was a level of frustration with the players we we know that like we we talked to enough people

Around the league there was a level of frustration what’s interesting to me the Bucks of course have a h 69.8 win percentage this is the third highest win percentage at the time of a midseason head coaching change in NBA history the 2015 2016 Cavaliers fire David black

They had a 73.2 win percentage and the 1979 1980 Lakers with Jack McKinna had a 71.4 win percentage uh now interestingly enough mcken was injured in a bicycling accident which caused the change both those teams went on to win the NBA championship the 2016 Cavaliers and the

1980 Los Angeles Lakers this is a team that brought in Dame to win a championship and so that is the expectation and I get the feeling I get is certainly that they felt Adrien Griffin was not the right guy to help them win a championship this

Season yeah when you look at the way the East is loaded up with Boston how they’ve played all year uh and then Miami and we’ll get into the Miami moves this week as well it just and Philly I mean we can’t we certainly can’t leave out Philly with those four it feels like

They had to do this just to keep up yeah uh for sure I want to talk about Miami in a second uh you brought up some of the defensive stuff and and look uh this is not all on him there certainly has been some Personnel changes Jay

Crowder’s been out the loss of Drew holiday um Damen Lillard is not a great point of attack Defender let’s be honest um but some of these numbers are are striking you brought up the defensive efficiency fourth last year 21st this year fast break points per game eighth

Last year in the league 23rd this year points per direct pick any pick third last year 25th this year points per direct drive this is the Striking one considering they they have Lopez and Giannis on their backline second in the League last year in points per direct

Drive 20th this year why they’ve got the seventh highest blowby rate on drives this season they gave up the lowest percentage last season and this has been discussed right Adrien Griffin coming from Toronto they’ve got the Personnel to pressure the ball create turnovers the Bucks have had this scheme for damn

Near the whole season now Lopez of course moved back into the drop like normal but they’ve had this scheme for the whole season they haven’t had there’s been no improvement on creating turnovers at some point they they they’ve been terrible defensively this month 125 points per game this month how much of

This done I’m wondering whether there’s going to be more corresponding moves off of this is also just the Personnel when you look at like you mentioned Dame but even guys like campaign um Beasley beasy had a great season but like they’re not these are not def defense first guards

And so with who you’re who you’re going to have to face in the Eastern Conference playoffs you’re going to need to be fed up a little bit I know they don’t have much many assets to do that but well I think I I mean I I said this

Recently about the Celtics too it’s like the teams that are trying to win they’re always looking to improve their roster the buyers are always looking to buy um I I would expect every team every front office to be on the phone calling people trying to figure out how do we fill out

A roster we’ve now got a a large sample size over half the season now teams know what they need teams know where their weaknesses are uh the Milwaukee Bucks odds on draftking sports book to win a championship they open at plus 650 they are currently at plus 475 third

Best so despite these defensive struggles their odds have improved conference being the representative for the Eastern Conference they opened at plus 250 they now are at plus 220 second best to the Boston Celtics um and Giannis of course having another MVP like season he’s got the fifth best odds

At plus 1100 I want to talk briefly about the offense it’s interesting because you know Dame hasn’t shot the ball well um and he’s also simultaneously been incredible in the clutch and I I saw this this uh interesting thing on Twitter yesterday where it was like yes

They have a 30 and3 record but if you if you kind of look at how they’ve won some of these games it’s been Dame in the clutch they’re 30 and 13 they basically are playing like a 26 and 17 team like the New York Knicks right so I think we

Can all watch the game it’s not about the record we can watch the game and say oh there’s clearly some deficiencies there I I brought this up very early in the season when they were winning and I said look they’ve got an easy schedule they haven’t had a true West Coast trip

That’s not till uh right around this time uh late in January where they have a true West Coast trip they’ve gone to Texas they’ve had a couple games against Western Conference teams at home they have not had the bulk the meaty part the tough part of their schedule yet and and

You wonder I you wonder like these they struggled against the Pistons twice in the last week it’s like was that the impetus for this it it seems the timing always seems weird with these things when they happen in season uh but this seems particularly odd yeah the Cavs the

Cavs even though wasn’t playing the Cavs game was another one like that I mean I was going to ask about the offense you know what where this to look to air on the side of positivity for a second where the uptick has come from besides the three-point shooting Giannis is has

Uh has the highest two-point percentage in a 30o per game season of anybody of all time right now at 64.2% uh is there other other things offensively that you’ve seen that you feel like Dame aside I mean I think we knew that the second the trade happened

Are there other things that we can look at and say hey if they can write this defense a little bit if they can figure out some of these schemes okay this is a team we can really talk about as a Boston threat as a philly threat as a

Miami threat well you know I think I think personnel-wise they have had a ton of success in in any really type of pick and roll so they run some inverted pick and rolls yanis is the ball handler sometimes he runs it with Brook sometimes he gets a guard screen Dame of

Course has been really good operating out of pick and rolls uh number one in the league in terms of points per possession scoring as the pick and roll ball handler Ross everyone on their team right they they their their ball handlers in pick and roll are scoring more per possession that’s Giannis

That’s Dame they have two of the best players offensive players in the NBA if they had a bad offense if they had a bad offense I would be shocked right um you know I I I I still think the Buy in on the Dame Giannis two-man game at times

Has been a little clunky uh I’d like to see more and more of that um just Spam the [ __ ] out of that all the all day long a lot of work to be done I think primarily on the defensive end and then of course you you start thinking about

How are we going to score in the half court uh once the playoffs starts those are those are the two concerns for me yeah I was before we move to Miami I was just going to ask about playoff basketball and if that’s a thing where when we’re talking about this road trip

But also just like you need this def you need the defense to be tighter as we start to get post All-Star and so if you’re not if you’re not showing Improvement there I mean something had to be done yeah I know you wanted to talk about Terry Rosier as well love

That trade for Miami um he’s had individually a fantastic season for the Charlotte Hornets really put up a ton of numbers when lamelo ball was out he’s a guy that can oscillate in and out of the starting lineup and there’s really no effect on on kind of what he does as a

Player um and I think he’ll be a good fit and I think that culture will be great for him so he’s shooting uh this year he’s shooting 48% a mid-range twos he’s shooting 39% and pullup threes 46% from the field 36% from three with him him and Bam in particular and maybe even

Him and hakz uh are there things you feel like this is going to unlock for that offense which has really been bad recently it’s amazing they’ve sort of won as much as they have with how bad it’s been again this is a move you’re thinking playoffs and I think shot

Creators in the half court in the playoffs are so valuable Terry Rosier is one of those guys um and whether it is a two-man game whether it is isolation whether it is end of shot clock right Terry Rosier can get a shot and you brought up the shooting numbers he’s

Shooting the [ __ ] out of the ball this year I think this is a great pickup for the Miami Heat the NBA season is in full swing download the draftking sports book app with code JJ new customers can bet just five bucks on the NBA and get 200 instantly in bonus bets only on

Draftking Sportsbook with code JJ the crown is yours gambling problem call 1800 Gambler or visit www.1 1800 gambler. net in New York call 8778 hopen Y or text heny 467 369 and Connecticut help is available for problem gambling call 8887895118 at about 9:00 a.m. uh I then recorded uh

Some additional content for islands in the league our YouTube video series uh as we were finishing up recording uh news broke that Doc Rivers uh has reached an agreement to coach the Milwaukee Bucks so I wanted to just have a little reaction to that uh first of all this is [ __ ] insane what’s

Happening like it’s insane it’s insane it’s insane Adrian Griffin we went over the numbers third winningest coach ever in terms of win percentage to be fired midseason in NBA history other two teams Lakers in 1980 Cavs in 16 go on to win a championship ultimately that’s why

They’re bringing Doc Rivers in he did win a championship in 2008 and I want to be fair and I want to be unprejudice in in sort of my assessment of this move for the Milwaukee Bucks when you look at the landscape of sort of like who’s available who’s available who’s had head coaching

Experience we just brought in a rick rookie coach it clearly was not working out the players clearly were not responding to Adrien Griffin in a positive way they’re not going to then go hire an assistant coach or they’re not going to promote this is a team that wants to win

Now they want a proven coach so in that sense Doc Rivers to the Milwaukee Bucks makes a lot of sense he makes a lot of sense for sure to a certain faction of people to another faction of people uh we can feel a certain way about him as a coach about him since

2008 and and what he’s done he’s certainly won a lot of games a lot of regular season games I don’t know I don’t think Doc Rivers is the coach that would get this team to a championship I don’t think that maybe based on Perimeter Personnel all that thing

Defensively they’re they’re not going to get there this year maybe they add someone at the deadline maybe they add someone in buyout which historically has not worked maybe they get there I don’t know I don’t know just [ __ ] crazy let’s get to our conversation with Al Brun and this is

For me all right but I was thinking about this this morning cuz you were the class of 21 and I retired in 2021 what what am I to you like how do you know me do you know me as a player or do you know me as a talking head I know of

Course I know you I mean I’ll be honest with you when I was a kid actually when I started basketball uh my first coach is salm tusla like he was was trying to teach me like you know basketball and he was trying to teach me everything like

Shooting and other things and then you know your shooting style is like so good and like whenever you shoot like you shoot every time same same style you know he was always trying to teach me he was like trying to show like he was showing me your pictures when you like

Going this Sho I swear like and like I swear and like when he watched he watched this he going to remember for sure and like he was showing me I mean like you know he’s different I was like 10 or something you know like he was

Showing me how you have to shoot every time same shot you know because like when I was shooting like sometimes like going hands is different you know all the time it’s like I was shooting different he was just showing me your pictures he was like saying this is like amazing

Example for you just like you know left-handed right-handed everything was like perfect like how they teaching you basketball when you start basketball you know it’s with those better basketball videos 2006 before your time before your time did you watch the NBA growing up no you didn’t no not at all actually like it’s

Hard to watch like you got to wake up 4 4:00 a.m. 5: a.m. I thought you meant it’s hard to watch like the product is hard to watch not like the actual hard to watch like that too it’s so long you know um so what so so what was like the

Basketball influence then for you I mean when I grew up I didn’t think I’m going to go NBA actually you know I I couldn’t imagine that you know like where I grew up it was just so small City and like you know in where I grow up there’s not

Rich people and I wasn’t rich I didn’t grow up like Rich to you know and there’s things you can imagine like I’m going to go over there you know I wasn’t like thinking and then when I went to different city for just basketball you know and then after some point you

Saying of course like you know you’re going to go I mean still not NBA when I until like 17 18 I wasn’t thinking NBA but you know I was dominating and other other things um when I was Junior but you still can’t imagine you going NBA

You know and then after some point of course you realize you’re going to go NBA but at some point yeah after some point when you’re when you’re 18 years old MVP basketball go at that point you’re like all right U I played with I I don’t know

I I wanted to ask you just about the the sort of Turkish B basketball culture because you guys uh you’ve had a number of NBA players over this last generation uh I played with Turk for a long time yeah both in Orlando and with the

Clippers I played with FK uh in Philly I played with alasa in Milwaukee and Philly um how much do you guys communicate with each other like talk to each other influence each other um I joke all the time about Duke where I went to college you know there’s like

The the Brotherhood of players right some of it is just recruiting but there’s a real bond that all of us have even though some of us didn’t overlap in terms of teams or playing in the same generation but because we’re we all had that shared experience of Duke we’re all

Pretty tight I mean you know they like you said they’re like uh up generation than us like we never played together like we never like I mean when I was a kid they were already in NBA you know we didn’t even know each other sence like we start

Playing national team you know so we didn’t have like a relationship like that you know but S I came andb of course we talking like you know you know uh when me see in the game each other we talking about everything but other than that there’s nothing you you don’t know

Hio turku that well no I know heo is like my real like that’s your guy yeah like we talking ever after the game okay yeah he’s like and is he still is he still a complete [ __ ] no I saw that interview you saw that yeah the thing here’s the thing

Here’s the thing about that interview he had some details that kind of ran together the reality is in this interview he talks about getting kicked out of a practice CU you know he [ __ ] me up he [ __ ] me up multiple times yeah in different practices in different

Seasons and he didn’t get kicked out of practice for elbow me in the head on purpose he got kicked out of practice because he undercut me on a fast break and it was like the third time that season and something like that had happened oh really he’s not talking

About that and I love him that’s what crazy yeah the NBA season is in full swing and when I can’t get enough of the action on the court I spice things up betting on draftking sports book an official partner of the NBA right now new customers bet five bucks and get 200

Instantly in bonus bets we’ve got a great slate of games this weekend including the Miami Heat at the New York Knicks two teams battling for Eastern Conference positioning and LeBron James and the Lakers visiting Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors I’ll have my eyes on both of these games this weekend

You can download the draftking Sportsbook app with code JJ new customers can bet just five bucks on the NBA and get 200 instantly in bonus bets only on draftking Sportsbook with code JJ the crown is yours gambling problem call 1800 Gambler or visit www.1 1800 gambler. net in New York call 8778 hopen

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New York from Philadelphia had a game last night and I think it’s I think it’s interesting at your position right now in the NBA because there’s uh a few players like yourself and I want to ask you about the the the aspect of the fiveman Hub in the modern NBA but

There’s a few players like yourself where the offense really flows through the offense uh or the ball flows through the fiveman joic sabonis uh embiid last night um guarding him and the challenges of playing against him and not fouling specifically not fouling what’s going through your head I noticed you know in

Watching the game and then watching some clips this morning you know he’s he’s in his ISO he likes to left-hand dribble right and there are times where like your hands are all the way back yeah is that on The Scouting Report like are you thinking that while you’re guarding him

It seems like it would be impossible then to guard somebody I mean yeah it’s of course it’s really hard to guard him and you just like you know when he’s dribble with the left hand you just need to bother him like a little bit but if

He sees the hands you’re going to take the fail so and like if you’re like a main guy in your team you know you want to stay in the court you don’t want to get cheap fail you know and actually I didn’t fail him yesterday yeah any he

Position but he make all the midre shot you know like I mean he’s a pH physical player and in the same time he can make all that shot you know he make trees you make like mid-range I mean all you can do just bother him like you know a little bit

Like um how I can say like [ __ ] with him he’s shut like when he’s going to hesitate and shut you know all he can do or like if he’s like attacking you he’s trying to take a fail you know and you just need to like chess to chess and

Like hope he going to miss you know I think it’s interesting though it’s like last night was a great example there was a play can’t remember who had it in the right sort of mid post and he was on the right wing and he ran Chase action like

A guard yeah and then shot a pull-up jumper from there then later uh they said an inverted pick and roll on the right side with him yeah and he went through I think it was I think it was you on that play and and Fred went

Through both of you guys no foul but scored yeah joic does that stuff with Murray a lot you know it just seems like this has a a big part of the evolution of basketball yeah is big guys who can serve and function as the Hub of the

Offense and not just in the post yeah did you have that skill set before you came to the United States in the NBA is that something you developed as at a young age is that a product of European basketball I mean when I was in playing

Over there you know in European I was just finishing uh in ding pain like you know I didn’t have any mid-range shot I didn’t have any like three-point shot you know I wasn’t doing that I was doing good free throw I was taking good fouls

You know because like it was uh I’ll be honest like it was hard I was like you know so physical and like trying to take a fail when I was in Turkey too I was going to line a lot and they were like same position like you know how

Regarding am right now now you know like I was trying to take a fail all the time and like because I was trying to go to paint all the time like going to rim trying to dunk finishing inside you know so that was like I believe and I’m still

Talking some of my some of still my national team players national team um teammates you know and then like we still talking it was like you know I was trying to take a fail and then like finishing in the inside and they were just scared to fail me and they want to

Stay the game you know so it was yeah difficult but I didn’t have like I just know it I’m going to improve my some skills you know and like get some midrange shot some three-point shot you know and I’m just working on it right now you’re working on it right now I

Work all I I think it’s working right now I think it’s working right now I don’t want to toot my own horn here but toot toot [ __ ] we did a show earlier this fall I know you don’t pay attention to [ __ ] but we did a show early this fall

And we did a show on uh three potential breakout Stars yeah and I one of mine was you oh really yeah because I the jump from your rookie to your sophomore year the way you finished last season you know individually uh was phenomenal and I was like this guy’s a stud and I

Said you know the mini yic thing I’m not the first person to say that yeah I’m not the last person I also compared you sabonis is another great example of the fiveman Hub right in the modern NBA um does the yic comparison does that

Bother you I mean no no no not for now you know still young but after some point yeah is it do you feel like it’s a a pretty big compliment like does it does it mean something I mean yeah they mean like my game is similar to him yeah

Is it true though you know we kind of play yeah same game and it was when they were telling me first time I came here yeah you know it was sounds better and like like sounds better but getting getting like you know getting your own

Space now in NBA you know on your spot so of course when he got retired or something when he got old and I’m gonna some age you know I don’t want to people tell me to like meet baby yic you know right right now it’s fine right now I’m

Like a baby but like when I grow up I don’t want to hear that do you get up like there’s there was matchups when I played right like where I knew going into a game like I’m [ __ ] I got to guard dwade tonight uh or you know job

For me was like cuz he’s just so smart and so competitive I was like I got to be I got to be on my aame if I’m I’m going against Manu are there matchups like that like with joic are you more excited for that matchup sabonis and be like versus just a normal

Run-of-the-mill five in the NBA I can just tell yeah of course always like uh exciting playing against these big players but like I mean when I go to court this year especially I improveed myself and like when I’m thinking like I’m not thinking I was thinking like how I’m

Going to guard them you know but now I’m thinking how they going to guard me you know like I want to like be like cerebral thinker you what’s your advantage yes I don’t want to think like how I’m going to go what I’m going to do

I don’t want to go that position anymore you know I improve myself and that I’m going to say like and I want I’m saying now how they going to guard me you know like ego helped me a lot on that because I was thinking you know too I was

Thinking you know is a big game yage like sabon is like embiid you know what I’m going to do can you tell me like you know I’m asking like what else what what I can do and can help me in the game and then he was telling me you know what

Like you know what like yic is thinking right now like he thinks the same thing like you know like think that way just be like you know uard over were then like you’re going to guard him just be tough like you know that’s that’s actually interesting yeah one time in

The middle of a game I was playing this was my seventh Year we’re playing in Orlando against the Miami Heat yeah and I was going at it with thew like I I had it going that night I’m running around screens I’m [ __ ] chasing the ball I’m cutting all that stuff and he

Also had it going and and I we were at the free throw line and I said something I was just like man [ __ ] hate guarding you and he turned to me and he was like you know what I hate guarding you too and that was for me it was like

Oh [ __ ] yeah all right these guys got to chase me around like it’s of course moment is like it’s tough um speaking of Defense e udoka has has I think just been one of the best stories in terms of coaching and helping Revitalize the Houston Rockets right now and he had

Some quotes because he was an assistant coach in Philly so he had some quotes around your matchup with him ID um but I actually thought this was was really interesting um he said when you’ve had losing early on breaking those habits is something I’m constantly on him about

Talking about you he wants to be coached hard and he wants to be held accountable and he’s one of the guys that I’m hardest on yeah what is coach udoka meant to you and to the rockets in terms of changing the culture around winning and losing I mean you know first two

Years it was like it wasn’t great years for us we learned a lot of things but that was a thing you know up to some point if you losing every game that’s getting be habit you know you go into next game you thinks you’re going to

You’re going to lose again you know that mentality Creeps in yes of course like first two years if you losing every game that happening you know like you go next game and you’re saying even you up in third quarter like all third quarter four quarter you know that was going

Crazy like we were losing four quarter you know and after some point that you know and I think he saw it like we were like we were getting how I can say like be like getting softer end of the game you know but now he don’t want that like

He like all over us like he always talking to us you know every like all game he talk like he’s screaming do you feel like he’s hard on you yeah but I love it you love it yeah I love it I love it a lot and I was I I mean where I

Grew up I mean in Europe normal it’s like yeah still e is so hard on me but I can say there’s nothing you know like I mean e may is not cursing that like I mean he cursed but not that bad you know in Turkey it was like badwi is cursing

Screaming like that’s every coach you played for in Turkey pretty much pretty much yeah when I was 18 I was already grow up so I wasn’t like you know it didn’t affect you at that point it didn’t affect me at that point but when I I mean when I was kid actually didn’t

Affect me either I saw a lot of things like you know if you’re like good player in your team you have to take all that things and like all the coaches coming at you you know no matter what you are a good boy so even when you were a kid yes

And a teenager you didn’t take any of that personally no so so eay doing being hard on you is just like part for the course it’s normal Yes actually you know what when I working out before the draft it you know I was telling like I I

Wasn’t talking English that time I had to like translate with translator with you for your workouts yes that’s amazing and you know when you’re going to after practice you going to meeting with the all that GM coaches you know and then I was saying all the time and then when I

Was in San Antonio you know I said like I like coach when like they’re hard on me like you know they went they’re like I mean mad at me and other stuff you know and they said I mean Papo is not like that you know like they said and I

Say yeah were you were you surprised that you weren’t a lottery pick of course yeah were I I wasn’t going top 10 yeah and then yeah didn’t happen it didn’t happen not a bad draft class by the way some really good players that were drafted in front of you yeah I find

It interesting whenever this kind of comes up about dropping in the draft because I think what makes you unique what makes wemi unique what made Luca unique as a prospect was that you guys were playing essentially at the top level in Europe and of course Luca Euro League

MVP right um the top level of Europe and actually producing you were MVP of one of the best professional basketball leagues in the world as an 18-year-old yeah and it’s like guys the writing is on the wall the writing is on the wall yeah do you carry any resentment for

Dropping the draft do you do you do you care now does it still drive you I mean what do you mean like when I wasn’t like are you motivated by it or were you just happy to be drafted of course I’m happy to be drafted yeah yeah like they tell

Me to don’t go and after my first year I’m playing good in Turkey they said like made one more year play Euro league and other things but I said no like you know I want to go just improve myself like getting better over there and like

I mean I was surpris too I didn’t I didn’t think I’m going to had like that great season over there you know uh but that was the thing when we go over there you know in Turkey in the Turkish League you have like five you can have five

American player you know but we had like three and they didn’t put anyone FR of me so that was like big chance for me and I knew it I need to use that chance so I just did my best and like we started the season so bad actually like

We we had like 30 35 five games something like that and we start like 6-0 and we were so young and then after to some point after that point we like literally didn’t lose like maybe five more games all year something like that we didn’t even lose so the other teams

That you had played on you You’ played on I think a b-level team in Turkey yeah and then obviously the club team’s growing up did you ever play on bad teams or was the Houston Rockets experienc your first two years a little bit of a shock in terms

Yeah it was I never like lost my life like that never how did you internalize that as a young player in the NBA and I think obviously coming to a new country yeah new culture all that stuff right yeah how did you sort of internalize like how did you deal with the losing

What was your mindset around I mean going through an 82 Game season and you said like you felt like going into games the the group dynamic was we’re probably going to lose tonight so how did you deal with that I mean it was was really hard for me that part was really hard

For me because in Europe if you lose like they acting you like you [ __ ] kill somebody you know what I’m saying like you can love you can like have fun you can go out like you can do there’s no music playing on the plane or the bus

Yeah no never like you can’t do that [ __ ] even like if you lose like we were like So Silent in the car like we were like you know scared to talk each other like you know because like if you lose in Europe coaches like act like that end

Of world you know what I’m saying but when I came here that was so hard for me because I learned that way you know I was like so sad all the time like you know like I wasn’t talking to anybody you know I wasn’t always in the bad mode

When even I’m and you know it was my rookie year I was playing bad sometimes I was like talk not talking to anybody I was in the bat mid all the time but after some point I learn I got to learn you know I we have game every two days

You can’t go you can’t you can’t go to game that like that that mood you know after some point I learned that and like my coaches helped me a lot helped me a lot about that so after something point I figure out and just like of course

You’re getting sad if you’re losing but right now like I can say uh not first year but this year more like if you’re losing I feel that European feelings again if you’re losing still right now I’m really setad you know because we putting like work over there there’s

Expectations now yeah like you know be putting work over there and like if you’re losing after all that works of course this make you up upset you know did it feel chaotic to you do you know you know you know what I mean by chaot

Did it feel chaotic uh just the NBA the culture around the Rockets the losing I mean of course you know you can talk like I mean I wasn’t I couldn’t talk in my first year you don’t know the people around you yeah of course all that

Things is was coming to me it was kyotic yeah but you know after some point I’m not like that guy like like like I didn’t grow up like as social you know what I’m saying like not talking to anybody like shiny guy I wasn’t like

That so it was easy to figure out for me all that things yeah the additions of Fred and Jeff Green and Dylan um what what has that done to the locker room what has that done to just the the mood and energy of the team having vets around I mean I can

Tell there was like Freds I mean they all of them is good for us they’re really good for us but especially Fred I’ll be honest like he can be like he was the like best we can get I think like I mean like Perfect Fit yeah perfect fit like you know he literally

Like helped us a lot he’s like like a Brother Big Brother you know but when he like time has come he’s like coach like you know he he know all that things he know how to talk like like you know he can motivate like he can give you

Motivation good he can do all that things he’s like fun same time you know if there’s a time he going to joke he joke when is this like Tom is the serious he’s like we are serious you know he like just fit us so good like he

Teach us so good he lead us so good you know now we know how to uh finish the end of the game right you know because with him he handled the ball we can’t roll get you in your right spot you know you’re going to create a good offense

Yeah you know he make sh if big is out with him he pass me you know he just know all that things and like I said he beat us so perfect is the same thing I am I am a huge Dylan Brooks fan yeah I

Am I really am I mean that I am a huge Dylan Brooks fan um I like a little bit of crazy and I’m willing I’m willing for the trade-off I like I I I would want Dylan Brooks on my team and I feel like around the NBA he can be a very divisive

Meaning uh people either really like him or they really don’t like him yeah anything that has surprised you about Dylan as a teammate a player uh since he came to the Rockets yeah you know when you play against him you you hate him yeah you hate him you know you don’t

Know anything about him though you just like seeing him in the court [ __ ] scared of to going to p pig on him you know because he’s like trying to break your chest and like go like you know going try inside of you but when he’s

He’s in your team you know he just all wanted to help you he just want you to get better you know like he just want to help you on defense like and on defense on offense like make the shots play the right way you know like he helped us a

Lot but I can say yeah that surprised me he was like such a that good dude you know the outside of outside of Court you know you can hang out with him like you can talk to him you can have fun with him like you can drink with him like you

Can do anything with him like you know he he’s open everything he seems like a fun guy to hang out with he seemed like a fun guy and he want to come to Turkey and XG somewh so bad he said yeah for sure I’m going to call for sure you know

Y’all got to make that happen y’all got to make that happen he needs to put all that [ __ ] on IG too we need to put all that [ __ ] on IG um I’m fascinated by your one leged shot like fascinated by it why why do you shoot the one like get

Shot because hold on because your one-legged shot is a little different and I know you use it in different ways Durk is a great example KD right generally speaking those guys are shooting one-legged shots in the post in order to fade away and create separation KD will also shoot his little Runner

Like he had one the other night against Portland in the fourth quarter from the elbow where the big was in a deep deep drop and he just pulled up and shot a one-legged Runner you will catch the ball face up have space and literally have no reason to

Shoot a one leged shot and you’ll do it and I’m fascinated by it I know I’m literally like thinking about that one like because I’m trying to shoot with normal but like when you shoot normal and like you know I’m standing I’m holding the ball like that and just like

Going to shut it’s like little harder for me because like you know Ballance is different and I feel like better that way I’m like you feel more balanced on one leg yes like when I go to bag and like I can take in my side that side and

Like shoot it but when I do normal shed is always going short I just can’t figure out that like my power you know but when I do little fade away I just can like you know can keep that balance is that a is this a is this a new thing

How many summer how many like off seasons have you worked on this I mean this all summer I just work on that shot like literally every yeah literally this is a new thing yeah like literally every position I was working on that shot like one leg shot everywhere would you shoot

A free throw that way would you shoot a three would you shoot a three that way thinking for three maybe yeah you know like a wemi one leged three yeah yeah yeah maybe but not that free thr yeah I just feel more comfortable when I’m shooting like that um it’s a great

Answer actually and I’m still fascinated by it cuz you’re the only person that would ever be more one leg and feel more balanced and feel more power um the three-point shot for you you’re not shooting a lot of them you’re I think you shoot around two a game right

Now as you look at your career and your development and trying to get better because you seem like a guy who’s wired the right way yeah how much of an emphasis do you envision for yourself in terms of putting in the work and being able to shoot five threes a game six

Threes a game at a high clip like is that important to you to be able to space I mean I don’t want to shoot five six trees in a game like I think it’s like if I’m really good shooter like cat you know if I’m shooting like him yeah

Why not but I mean I know I can finish inside you know I know I can do that like Spin and other things I can do some stuff over there like like I don’t want to use my choice in three besides like two you know because it’s like I can say

More scorable I can score inside you know even I’m really shooter they’re going to help me a lot of course in my game I can because I’m attacking all the time you know I’m just want to dribble but I’m saying like I want to leure three three to two three to three three

To one but I don’t want to shoot like six threes in a game like when I’m of course when I’m feeling good you know I I can’t shoot that but I don’t want to shoot every game like six threes you know can I give you a prediction yeah my prediction is

You’re going to be right and you’re going to shoot two or three threes a game for like the next five to eight years yeah for sure and then at some point you’re going to get tired of on the inside and you’re going to spend a whole offseason shooting

Threes and then you’re going to be like 32 years old and you’re going to shoot like eight threes a game yes that time maybe you’re right when I’m tired going like all that physical shoulder things yeah maybe that time I’m going to start shooting you’re I I I randomly came

Across and not because I was researching this like legitimately randomly came across it was either on YouTube or IG the algorithm feeds me because I talk about you occasionally the algorithm feeds me your highlight tapes and I came across uh a mixtape of you in Europe just [ __ ] hammering on people’s heads

It was great um and there was a to me like you’re really athletic and I think oftentimes with NBA players we talked about this a little bit with anfy Simons it’s like we’re all so athletic that you you sort of lose the sense of athleticism unless there’s like the outliers right the

Anthony Edwards of the world that can just jump out of the gym right um was there at all an adjustment because I feel like in Europe you were sort of one of those guys right it was like oh he’s an anomaly he actually is more athletic than most everybody on the court and

Then coming to the NBA how did that adjust been happened like was it difficult did you have to think more how did it work I mean I love to jump when I was a kid I was like you know I’m walking like jumping some random ceil I was always doing that but I

Wasn’t like really good jumper for example I was never like can jump stop yeah like uh where I am I can jump like I don’t know how I can say that vertical veral you need momentum yes I need more momentum yeah and but I I had like my

When I was 16 I had like some problem with my hamstring and my it was coming to my knee uh it was a really like huge time for me I couldn’t even like jump I couldn’t do anything but I was still working you know I wasn’t like injured

And laay down every day you know and then one of our coaches actually who teach me the basketball like all that Foot Works and other things I met Gan he start doing some stuff like we did that like stance with the balls and other things we did that like two months

Or something three months actually we did all year but two months straight we did that and then after we did that drill it was like I was feeling great I was like first time after finish that d i was dunking I was like jumping more after some point that when we like when

We were doing that drill after finish it I was like more like flexible or more athletic yeah more athletic after that for two months two I mean what’s this guy’s name ahed guran see I have a goal I I’m turning 40 in uh about six months and I want to

Dunk you think you can hook me up with him I need to get on this program he will but he was like I want to dunk on my 40th birthday it’s my goal I mean like we couldn’t even walk because our groins and other things you know we

Doing like we were like dribbling and same time we were like uh playing with the ball in the how I can say you’re gonna say you’re playing with the ball in between your legs but I know exactly what you’re saying you’ve got you you’re like engaging your core and and there’s

A ball in between your legs that you’re you’re sort ofle you’re flexing yeah yeah you’re growing yeah so we did that and then after that all that happens my flexibility and my like my I was like more athletic after that that’s amazing yeah um you’ve gotten in a short amount

Of time uh a lot lot of love from your peers some some absolute Legends uh in the NBA KD has given you love um Paul George who you were on his podcast I really enjoyed watching that um compared your passing to Magic yic of course uh

Pal Gasol um ant at one point said the rockets need to build around him and not the other young players which I also said what what does it mean to you at at at 21 be 22 uh this summer at 21 years old to already have sort of establish

Establish yourself in the NBA but also have the respect of guys like that is like of course feeling great like you know after the games you’re going to talk to them they coming to you you know that’s like feel amazing you know Katie is coming to me like Joel is coming to

Me like you know they talking to they trying to teach me some stuff you know there’s like you can forget these moments you know when hopefully like when I’m in their age if I’m a good player I’m going to do the same thing that’s a good example for me you know

And I believe how I feel right now when do they do to me I feel amazing you know hopefully I do the same thing to other players like other young cors you know when I’m like come their age what’s what’s the the sort of uh most important

If you had to summarize your motivation as a basketball player do you know what I mean by that motivation yeah I know motivation yeah yeah yeah yeah if you to summarize what your own motivation is for some people uh in the NBA uh it could be just being in the NBA for some

People I say this all the time it’s like guys enjoy what comes with being a professional basketball player meaning money Fame uh the opportunity to skip lines at nightclubs right they love that more than they love the game itself and you seem like someone who has a real

Desire to get better and also has a really good sense of where you are right now yeah as a player so what is what is motivating you right now like what are the what are the goals that you’ve kind of envisioned for yourself as a player

Uh since I came to NBA it was motivating me like my family you know I was always wanted to give them better life because I have like huge family my brother my sister my niece like my dad my mom you know we are all together we’re so close

To each other and like I always wanted to give them better life good life and when I came here you know I had like all that good good life good house good cars you know and like when I I had all this stuff I wanted them to see the same

Things you know like bring the bring them here like do whatever I do with them you know and now it’s the same thing I can still tell family uh and I’m going to you know I’m going to make my own family and future I know man you

Know and after some point it’s going to be like my kids you know just make better life for them I don’t have like exteral motivation like go somewhere else like buy this buy this you know I have SIMPLE LIFE I like like house you know game room playing over there all

Day uh spend time with your girlfriend spend time with the dogs you know spend time with the family all I do this like I don’t have like different things like special things right I don’t want to like all right the Bugatti I’m going to

Say but I can’t even fit so like I don’t have life as Big Dreams you know so in some ways for you basketball has been a means to a better life it has been an Avenue for you to get to a better life you you you mentioned your family and I

Read uh that your parents wanted you to be a swimmer yeah and not a basketball player my dad was a fisherman so he want me to like I mean he didn’t want me to well your dad was a fisherman but he wanted to be a swimmer like a swimmer

Like an outdoor swimmer or like a competitive swimmer you know what’s happened he was like trying to bring me somewhere like he trying to he want me to start something and he was bringing like sucker he was he bring me sucker he bring me basketball he bring me swimming

You know he was just testing testing me and what do what I want to do and then when I went to swimming that was a coach over there he saw me I was tall you know when he saw me he said like oh like we have like huge dreams like you know we

Can make you like Olympic player like you know he was saying all that things he he had like big hopes about me and now but I already know how to swim you know I was like really good because my dad was like really good swimmer you

Know and I already know how to swim and then when I went to swimm in classet it was just so boring you know like doing like bringing arms from here to over here it was just boring you know and then I was doing to basketball in the

Same time too and then I was watching my brother before I start all that things and then I was like enjoying watching him when he was playing basketball you know and then I was doing like both of them in the same time but after some point I couldn’t go swimming anymore

Like I couldn’t do it you know just basketball was more fun for me what what made it fun what made you fall in love with the game of basketball I mean I’m at like I I grew up in the street when I was a kid you know and you have like

Ambition like you wanted to be best you know like when I was in basketball you know you’re fighting with nine people on the court you know like I mean not nine people like swimming you’re fighting against a time yeah you’re like who you figh you know like I got to I got to

Beat my my personal record yeah like you know you just fighting for with like for your like for yourself you know but in basketball is not like that like you know you’re fighting like you crying like when you get mad you know you just wanted to win and like you want to show

You are the like best one you’re the good one you know and then like I was always like a fighter like I was like when I when you grow up in Street you know you have that feelings like you’re going to get it like you’re gon to fight

For it like you know I had that feelings all the time so that’s why I picked basketball it was like more funable for me you felt like in BAS because it was naturally competitive with other people yeah on the court in real time you could see them assum in

Swimming if you’re competing yeah maybe you get a peak every now and then at one person in that lane and one person in that lane uh because it’s the the structure of the sport you can walk away from a game and say I was the best player on the court

Today yeah and that’s meaningful for you yeah for sure and now that you’re in the NBA when that happens is that what gives you the joy I mean when that feeling when you win win yeah if you’re losing that’s doesn’t mean anything so doesn’t mean anything yeah just you got to win

If you play good and you’re losing that doesn’t mean anything I’m not happy you know like I’m I can’t even sleep like for example Chicago game we lost I mean I had like so bad first half but like Fred was on me all game like you know

And like I knew I got to do something I can play that’s bad you know and then I stopped playing aggressive attack I did offensive run all that things you know I play a good end of the game but we lost that doesn’t mean anything I came I come

Back late so I feel like that was all my fault because I didn’t start good the game and you know and then we got to come back and they win if I was maybe playing better in the first half it wasn’t that bad game you know do the

Plays do you’re talking about you you couldn’t sleep did the do the plays weigh on you you do you run through all the plays where you feel like you [ __ ] up yeah I talk to myself a lot you know on the court or just like when I’m going

To sleep you know I’m saying how you did that how you did that like how you can miss that shot like you know I’m talking to myself a lot and like I can’t sleep like even I’m taking the pills like you know you just I’m just all thinking all

That to be clear here he’s talking about Melatonin sleeping pills right those type of pills yeah of course please careful with these people out here man they’ll get you they’ll get you I think I think it’s I we we we use the term on the podcast all the time certified

Basketball sicko right yeah you seem like a basketball sicko yeah I am and what makes a sicko ultimately is like and correct me if I’m wrong if I’m not describing you yeah but what makes a sicko is someone who wakes up with the motivation to compete wakes up with the

Motivation to get better yeah someone who winning and losing it matters to them like deeply matters for sure that that’s that’s a sicko that’s you yes that’s me exactly me this year is mostly this year I’m really bad at it because like Fred trying to help me Jeff is

Trying to help me because like sometimes if I miss Easy Shot that’s really make me upset you know but F saying like who give a [ __ ] you know everybody miss shut but I mean I’m saying everybody miss shut but when I like I know I can finish this but when I

Can finish it that really make me like you know crazy about in the game I just I’m just trying to improve myself in that I have really enjoyed this conversation to I’ve learned a lot I have learned a lot I’ve learned a lot about you and I’ve learned a lot about

Fred and Dylan this is two gu two guys that I absolutely adore uh so I appreciate you doing this this has been fun man course thank you brother thank you ever find yourself stuck in ay of breakouts Desperately Seeking a fix for oily skin that won’t leave your face

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Longer your skin will thank you let’s get to our check-in with new old man in the three correspondent Trey Murphy can we get Trey a [ __ ] mic by the way if he’s going to do this more than once Trey first of all I why did

You decide to be an old man in the three correspondent like what’s going through your brain when you made that decision to say yes to Tommy um I mean I think you know just trying to pursue this whole uh podcast career I guess it is good to see you um

You had uh one of my favorite guest appearances on the old man and three uh last season and haven’t had a chance to really catch up with you but you had surgery in the off season you didn’t play your first game till December 4th I’m just curious for you going through a

A non-normal offseason having to rehab not having a a preseason uh training camp all of that stuff and then joining a team who’d already played 15 16 games what what was that like for you personally uh for the team trying to meld yourself back in you know it was

Tough I mean obviously I wasn’t in the same Rhythm as the other guys when I first came back and they had already had a little Groove going that’s when they started picking it up towards like the end of my um my end of my rehab and so

Trying to just you know insert myself in different ways into the offense as well as just trying to be a good teammate help help our team win it was a big thing for me and you know it was definitely really tough those first few games games just watching and we had a

Lot of injuries at the beginning of the year and so you know we really struggling the score and I just was like dang I know if I was out there I could definitely put up some points you know help her team win but you know it

Definitely um made me a lot more hungry going out there you know injuries definitely do that to you to they make you uh really appreciate the time you have out there but so you were you were you’re conscious of the fact as you’re starting to play again you’re conscious

Of the fact that you are trying to essentially fit in and figure out your place on this team because you can I I’ve said said this so many times you can have the same group year toe in the NBA but every team is its own little organism that behaves and and functions

Differently even if you bring the same group back so you were conscious of that coming back you know 15 16 games in no absolutely and we had the same group as last year but like we are a lot more healthy at the moment I’m going knock on wood as I

Say that but so now it’s actually really a different team coming into it and you know we have a lot of guys on our team like we’re probably one of the deeper teams in the NBA and so just trying to find my way and my niche in that is also

You know something I’m still trying to figure out as well because you know we got a lot of guys that are very talented on this team and so I don’t I’m not trying to go outside of my role in order to you know hurt the team yeah you know

It’s interesting you bring that up cuz there are a lot of guys and I’ve spoken glowingly about the Pelicans roster construction and the versatility you guys have in terms of trotting out different lineups you can go all shooting lineup you can go a defensive lineup a big lineup a small lineup a

Switching lineup uh it seems like you have a lot of that and one of the observations I had prior to Zion injury last year because he hadn’t played the prior season with CJ it was like the hierarchy of those three trying to figure it out obviously your emergence

As well on the offensive end and Zion had some comments earlier in the SE season about like trying to fit in and trying to figure out his place how how would you sort of assess where that hierarchy is right now as as as bi has grown as a playmaker CJ having arguably

His most efficient season shooting 45% from three like where does that stand with those three yeah like obviously at the beginning of the year it was a little tougher because that was like the first time they really got a chance to really play together other outside of practice

And as the season progress you youve like you start to you know mold it a little bit figure out what we want to do with the offense CJ has definitely taken a step back off like on the ball and just let bi and Z really do their thing

Like he’s initiated the offense but for the most part he’s been off ball and you can see with his efficiency like it’s been through the roof he’s really been shooting the ball really well and so then the relationship between bi and Z has been you know work together figuring

Out different ways to get both of them involved in because they have very similarish play Styles because they are too heavy uh like well mid-range and rim guys and so just trying to figure out ways to definitely get them going and also get their gravity toh help the

Other guys out on their out there on the court when I talk about just that that lineup versatility and and the roster um has there been any moments this season or a specific game where you guys have adjusted and trotted out a lineup that maybe was a little unconventional to

What you normally do and you’re like holy [ __ ] you know this team has something that a lot of other teams don’t have if I want to point to a specific moment probably one of the moments that I realized it was Golden State game when it was me hulke Zion

Larry and I want to say Dyson out there and we had just a lot of Versatility out there like you could switch one through five and then you had Z just Point guarding everything Larry also Point guarding like secondary Point guarding and then me and hul just out there just

Shooting the ball like running around screens and stuff like that and it was it was really beautiful to watch I remember we ran One play for like eight straight possessions and we got a bucket or a foul on it like each time and it was just like this is this is a really

Good line that we got right here and it’s a lot of Versatility that was the game you guys won uh I think it was 141 to 105 yeah that was the game yeah I mean if we look back and it doesn’t turn turn out well for the Warriors this season we

Will say that was the game that broke them like Steve I was calling a game that night and Steve Kerr had some comments like I mean it was shocking it was like we have no belief we have no Spirit we have no confidence um and they

Were one of the teams in this like Western Conference when we started the season there’s 12 really good teams there’s 12 really good teams obviously Houston’s been good Utah’s picked it up late uh Memphis without jaw and then him getting injured and Desmond Baine now getting injured they’re not one of those

12 teams um you guys are sitting in fifth place four games back of of home court in the first round we’re halfway through the year as you sort of assess personally like where this team is at and then internally with your guys like what do you think this ceiling of of

This Pelicans team is I really think we can win a championship and the reason why I say that is because in the playoffs there’s a lot of Versatility and different lineups that you have to play based on the team that you’re facing and I feel

Like we can match up with any team just based off that amount of guys that we have we can throw in a bunch of different lineups that can match physicality can match shooting can match switching all different type of stuff so I think once we get to the playoffs well

We gota we got continue to play like at the same level that we’re playing right now we’re able to match up with any team and figure out all right how are we going to attack this and we could do that by just putting out a lineup of

Five Guys as different from what we’ve seen during the regular season but you know it might work in the playoffs yeah I I want to ask specifically about that matchup question and I don’t want you to [ __ ] on a team by saying oh we’re a really good matchup against this team

But is there a particular team in the Western Conference you look at you say oh that’s a tough matchup for us yeah no I mean there’s definitely tough matchups like Denver is always going to be a tough match up for anybody because yic is arguably one of the one

Or two best players in the entire world so obviously they’re going to be a tough match up anytime we play against any against anybody they play against the Clippers right now with the way they’re playing like they’re always a tough match up because of their ability to

Switch and then their ability to score the ball like at a really really high level and they got James out there Point guarding facilitating and kawwai and PG have really just taken a step back on the ball and just said you know just G to let James handle it and so once you

Get James in the roll and he’s hit in the pocket pass and now the X-Man is choosing between kawh Leonard or Paul George and it’s just like it’s not really a good answer to either one of those so I definitely think the Clippers are a tough matchup for true yeah I I I

Don’t want to get this stat wrong but I believe uh off the top of my head they’re 20 and4 or 21-4 um in their last 24 or 25 games and the number one offense just doing it really efficiently J orchestrating Kawai having as efficient of a season as he’s

Had in his career um defensively for you guys I’ve been really impressed with Dyson uh obviously I’ve given a ton of love to Herb Jones um what do you see from those two guys specifically night toight in terms of their disruption and their ability to match up with some of

The bigger offensive Wing players in the NBA you know it’s special I said that about Dyson his rookie year early on uh he was 19 years old guarding Luka donic and just like giving him a hard time and it’s like you don’t see that

Especially 19 like if I you told me a 19 I got go guard luuka Don he probably would have had 70 points so like I I just look at him and I just say he’s well beyond his years just JJ don’t even say anything please don’t interrupt me on this one anyway

Um is just well beond his you got a lot of confidence on the defensive end yeah anyway yeah so uh they’re definitely just very Advanced and also like they just give a lot of effort and um their instincts are very high like there’s a play last well a stretch of plays last

Night herb sunk down got a block on John Collins save the ball from going out of bounds tapped it over to bi bi gets a layup of transition Utah gets it out quick they kick it up the court herb steals the inbound steals the pass throws it back inbounds comes back into

The play gets the dit I mean gets the the fast break opportunity and dumps it off the Zion and he getes a dunk and it’s just like plays like that just light up in entire team and after that play I think we end up going on like a

24 to like eight run so it’s just like stuff like that happens and you just praise herb Jones because of what he does and he does it on a nightly basis okay bear with me for a second okay because I it’s I don’t know if this is a

Take but as you’re talking about this and as I’m thinking about Dyson and and Herb Jones I’m thinking about what makes a great perimeter defender in today’s NBA because I feel like we are past the point of this idea of like a stopper or

Like uh this guy can lock up a guy and certainly there are nights where the great defenders in our league will hold you know a Kawai Leonard as the you know as their primary Defender to a 4 for2 night like that happens but by and large with the spacing and the shooting the

Skill level it’s really hard to do that and so it’s the question is is what what makes a great perimeter defender in today’s NBA and I want you to add to this if I’m missing anything to me it it’s certainly the ability to guard multiple positions and it’s not always

One through five but just the ability to guard multiple positions and be able to guard multiple matchups I think about the ability to disrupt multiple actions on the same possession that to me is Alex Caruso that to me is Herb Jones that to me is Dyson Daniels there’s a

Great clip from the other night the Denver Boston game where Derek white is guarding Michael Porter Jr Michael Porter Jr has a sliver of space to get A3 off Derek white closes he shot fakes he does a sidestep dribble to get behind the line Derek white closes again he

Gets off the ball then he goes tries post him up he’s in the middle of the paint underneath the basket as soon as he catches the ball Dereck White Post pokes it out right that to me is like Caruso that to me is Herb Jones that ultimately is like what makes a great

Perimeter Defender most valuable big guys right they’re going to play Drop coverage they’re going to protect the rim and they’re going to rebound the perimeter Defenders are tasked with making multiple efforts on every single halfcourt possession it seems like no absolutely and as well as like you’ll

See the great Defenders when you play a great offensive team and they just get him off the ball they just send him to the corner they’re like yeah we’re just going to make sure you’re out of the play and put you as low man or X-Men something else because you know when you

Have them on the ball and they’re so disruptive you’re just like yeah you’re just not g to get a good possession out of it so I think his instincts as well as just like smarts like her Jones is super smart when it comes to defense like there’s there was a play against a

Knicks he was guarding he was guarding somebody they drove they drove Baseline pitched it back to somebody else and when they pitch it back to somebody else I think somebody got clipped on our team herb cuts off the guy that was driving middle and pass it down to S man herb sunk down

To get that man too block the shot and it’s just like it’s just multiple efforts and it’s just like you don’t see that with many people in the NBA it’s just insane I was a I was a one or two effort guy on the defensive end I I kind

Of shut it off at at multiple though after that after two it’s like I H my J um the other thing I was thinking about and it it goes back a little bit to to that Warriors game um uh but also like you guys just put 13 points on the Jazz

Who have been playing well and I I would say this is sort of the doldrums of the regular season right Post January pre-all-star break uh everybody’s name is in [ __ ] trade rumors until February 8th like this is the toughest time to me of the regular season and I think that

Difficulty for the individual in the team is some sometimes manifested on the court in the mood and the energy of a team I’m curious if you have felt that playing against certain opponents over the last few weeks I don’t even mean specifically but have you sensed that

Like in this last month where you’re starting to figure out which teams are super together and which teams are not absolutely no you definitely see it I’m trying to word this so I’m not really attacking any teams right now because I don’t want to do that I’ll

Attack a team I’ll Attack a team somebody said the other day they were like oh yeah we just played the Hornets and the Hornets have worse Vibes than the Pistons I was surprised by that somebody said that to me there’s a team somebody somebody that was not Trey we just

Played the Hornets and Trey did not say that let me make sure we get that on the record but no you definitely see it and one way that I’ll see it is based off substitution patterns I think that’s the biggest one like you’ll see a lot of guys getting in earlier than they

Normally do that’s one thing so it’s like all right are they trying to boost trade value or they trying to throw in something different like to the lineup there’s a lot of times guys are getting hot and like they’ll take him out the game and sit him for a while and it’s

Just like there’s a game within the game that I’m trying to that I’m looking at and it’s not like I’m like like just trying to figure out all right what is this team doing but like you just noticing it’s like a it’s like a little off on why would they you know

Put him in this early or while they take this guy out he was just hooping so I think that’s one of the bigger things and also just communication between the teams like you can tell like guys getting Snappy with each other it’s getting to that time of the year where

You know teams might be getting a little tired of their teammates oh interesting you know I I will say this I think we in the media certainly we uh I.E anyone who participates in NBA Twitter or pays attention to NBA Twitter I think it’s very natural to have overreactions after

A game or two a great example of that is like James Harden goes to the Clippers and they struggle coming out of the gate and everybody’s piling on this is not going to work this is not going to work and it clearly works right the these

Things all take time the other thing I think that happens more so now is like we do see these [ __ ] up scores because teams are taking 40 or 45 or sometimes even close to 503s in a game and if one team goes 8 for 35 and

Another team goes 19 for 42 like the wonkiness of the three-point shot I think affects I I think it blurs our judgment sometimes of teams where I think the shot variance and the three-point luck certainly plays a factor in all of this um it’s funny you talk about the substitution patterns

Because I’m such a big body language guy and that was something when I played that I was very cognizant of against my opponent and simultaneous I was Al also very cognizant of it with my own team like where are we at where is our energy at um how would you say like the

Pelicans energy right now how is it like because energy shifts right it it flows I was at the uh semi-finals of the inseason tournament like your energy you guys you guys sucked that night right it sucked and you had some really good but you’ve had some really good stretches

Since then so where are you guys sort of right now in that energy flow so I think what that stems from is us just being really competitive team and so like when we lose games obviously we’re not happy about that so I think that’s what might

Shift the energy but overall this is one of the best locker rooms I’ve ever been a part of like I feel like it’s a college locker room like after practice we’re literally in the locker room debating arguing talking like it’s you’re having a first session stay one

Time you’re having a first take session in the locker room yeah we’re a little more civil than y’all we we actually say some some good quality stuff in there unlike what y are talking about but um no it’s it’s been good though like I like I really love this team like these

Guys were all really bonded together everybody loves everybody like I’ve said that many times semi pro reference right there but um yeah no I we have no problems on this team at all everybody’s been cool Before I Let You Go I I am curious about your sort of own personal

Growth and I know you’re a very thoughtful guy very competitive take pride in what you do and I know you know having the surgery and everything and and starting the season late uh is frustrating and and maybe this isn’t the right time or the right question to ask

You but in terms of your own personal growth this season like where do you feel like you’re getting better so right now if I’m going to be completely honest with you I’m going through a little bit of uh shoot slump which you know happens

But you know a lot of it I’m looking at it and it’s just like all right is it mechanical is it mental is it just you know some of these shs are H back RM going in and out you know you gota live with some of those but you know once I’m

Honest with myself and I tell myself all right like I’m going through something I can’t just try to push it under the rug then that’s when I find myself coming into my home so I think my biggest strides have been you know being more C

Of the game and what the team needs at the moment like coming down like I my shot selection can vary sometimes so there’s a lot of times where I might shotgun I’m really hunting shots because I know our team really wants to take 43s and I feel like I’m one of the best

Shooters on the team so I feel like I have a good chance for it to go in and I think just different shot variety has been my biggest thing this year like last year a lot it was really catch a shoot now there’s more like hidden handbags shakeups uh me and Z

Have been getting into two-man action you know I watch a lot of JJ and Z film so I how’s your how’s your inverted pick and roll right now oh I’m flipping them screens I’m flipping them screens I don’t know what to do it’s nice man he

Just draws so much attention so I get a lot of a lot of open looks from that too so I definitely say shot variation would be the biggest Improvement I love it I love it uh well Trey I know you’re going to be uh popping in uh to the show uh

From time to time we appreciate you doing this always good catching up um go duke what

This week we welcome Alperen Şengün, the young Turkish NBA star and center of the Houston Rockets. Alperen discusses his experience growing up playing basketball is Turkey and his relationship with past and present Turkish players in the league. He also shares what it means to him as being labeled as “Baby Nikola Jokic”,how he eventually want to move on from being compared to the Denver Nuggets superstar, and his mindset going into matchups against Jokic and 76ers center Joel Embiid. He then discusses the 2023-24 Houston Rockets, including what the addition of point guard Fred VanVleet has meant to the the young team, what’s he’s learned about Dillon Brooks from being his teammate, and how much he enjoys the coaching style of Ime Udoka. He also breaks down his famous one-legged shot. Later in the episode, New Orleans Pelicans guard Trey Murphy joins the show to check-in on the expectations of the Pelicans for the rest of the season, the state of the Western Conference, and more.

00:00 – Start of show
03:00 – JJ on The Bucks
15:50 – Sengun joins the show!
01:02:01 – Trey Murphy joins the show!

Subscribe to The Old Man and The Three podcast w/ JJ Redick (ESPN / First Take) and Tommy Alter YouTube channel today for more NBA analysis, player interviews and highlights.