Dave DuFour and Zena Keita are joined by Senior National NBA Writer Sam Amick to catch up on the latest with the struggling Bucks and resurgent Nuggets. Then, Carter Rodriguez, from the Cavaliers-focused ‘Chasedown’ podcast stops by to explain how Cleveland has started so well. Finally, Dave and Zena compare some small sample statistics to the eye test.Check us out on YouTube: https://youtu.be/0zhrjxLhG6sHost: Dave DuFourWith: Zena Keita, Sam Amick, & Carter RodriguezExecutive Producer: Andrew SchlechtAudio Producer: Grayson Moody Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Chapter 1: What challenges are the Bucks facing this season?
You guys got to hang out the other night at Clay Night or Clay Day. I don't know how Clay Day. Get it right. Clay Day.
But it was at night. So, you know, this is like, you know, I got into my driveway at 245 in the morning. That did not feel like Clay Day.
You should have taken a boat. It was a whole thing. Exactly. But you guys got a chance to hang out and catch up. I got a chance to see Sam not too long ago. So, you know, we're all familiar with each other. Sam, I want to talk about familiarity with the Bucs. This team has been together for a little while. They added Dame last year. Obviously, they changed coaches twice last season.
We don't have to go through the entire history. This season's not started the way that they expect it to. Number one, Chris Middleton's not been healthy. They've looked pretty old. They've had a lot of rotation issues. Now Damian Lillard's been out for a few days with some concussion issues. They have won two in a row.
The second game took 59 points from Giannis, and it took every single point and overtime to beat the Pistons. What's going on with the Bucs?
Listen, I mean, I hate to just kind of elephant in the room, but it's just it's just not a very workable model. And this is what they thought was going to be a title contending team. The Giannis Dame, Chris Middleton, Brooke Lopez, Bobby Portis, you know, going back to last year, Adrian Griffin formula has not worked. the Middleton absence is big. You know what I mean?
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Chapter 2: How has Damian Lillard's absence affected the Bucks?
Chapter 3: What statistical trends are emerging in the NBA?
You guys got to hang out the other night at Clay Night or Clay Day. I don't know how Clay Day. Get it right. Clay Day.
But it was at night. So, you know, this is like, you know, I got into my driveway at 245 in the morning. That did not feel like Clay Day.
You should have taken a boat. It was a whole thing. Exactly. But you guys got a chance to hang out and catch up. I got a chance to see Sam not too long ago. So, you know, we're all familiar with each other. Sam, I want to talk about familiarity with the Bucs. This team has been together for a little while. They added Dame last year. Obviously, they changed coaches twice last season.
We don't have to go through the entire history. This season's not started the way that they expect it to. Number one, Chris Middleton's not been healthy. They've looked pretty old. They've had a lot of rotation issues. Now Damian Lillard's been out for a few days with some concussion issues. They have won two in a row.
The second game took 59 points from Giannis, and it took every single point and overtime to beat the Pistons. What's going on with the Bucs?
Listen, I mean, I hate to just kind of elephant in the room, but it's just it's just not a very workable model. And this is what they thought was going to be a title contending team. The Giannis Dame, Chris Middleton, Brooke Lopez, Bobby Portis, you know, going back to last year, Adrian Griffin formula has not worked. the Middleton absence is big. You know what I mean?
At his best, he's a important piece for them and incredibly important piece. But I always feel like qualifying that because a, like, unfortunately for Chris, he's had health issues for so many years in a row. Now the ankle surgeries in the off season, we haven't seen him yet. So if you tell me that he's going to, get healthy and be back to his all-star self, I'm going to be skeptical of that.
You know, Dame and Giannis have been putting up massive numbers, but, you know, they're just not a team that you look at and say they're anything, you know, remotely close to elite. And really, if you talk about body of work, if you go back to when Doc Rivers took over
for adrian last year when the record wasn't all that bad and and the bucks just decided to make that move it's just a very it's a bad stretch you know what i mean and and obviously that's why as much as the bucks hate it us in the media and fans are looking at yannis and just kind of wondering what it means because uh this is a guy who is hungry to win another championship he didn't want to just win one and uh and right now it doesn't look like this group is capable of it
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Chapter 4: Why are the Nuggets performing better than expected?
He is the one who actually back then essentially made a comparison between Christian and none other than Jimmy Butler and talked about like thinking. Wow. that now that is a hell of a hyper, you know, hyperbolic statement, but, but even if he's, you know, 60% Jimmy Butler, that's going to work for the nuggets as a role player.
But the point is you at least know the level of belief that Calvin has in Christian and why truthfully, if you then look at what KCP is doing so far this year you know, if you just went kind of side by side, you know, you know, Christian is getting the better of that matchup at this point. And without it, I mean, the Joker needs help. We know the whole story there.
He's the best player in the game, probably the MVP front runner again right now after what he's been doing the last couple of weeks. I know it's really early. And so the pressure is going to be there on the Nuggets, their front office, ownership, coaching staff, all the way through Joker's prime. And again, Christian is a big part of it.
Well, we're kind of out of time, so we'll let you go, Sam. But I know you'll be back soon because December 15th is right around the corner. Not that that's a super important day for all these teams that are struggling, but we're keeping an eye on it. Coming up after the break, Carter Rodriguez from the Chasedown Pod is going to join us to talk about the Cavs and how they got to 13-0.
We'll be right back. One of the early season's best stories, the Cleveland Cavaliers, are now 13-0. And Zeno, we could have just done a whole segment where we talked about how good they were, just us. But we decided to reach out to our friend Carter Rodriguez from the Chasedown podcast, the best Cleveland Cavaliers podcast. Actually... One of, like, two that I know.
It's a thriving community, David.
It is. Hey, the Cavs are back. Carter, you're back. Welcome to the NBA Daily. It's good to see your face. I'm going to give you a lot of credit for sticking with the Cavs during the down years, as I always do. This team has been rebuilt from the ashes that were left behind of the LeBron years. You've got...
Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell, the two headed attack guards, and you've got the two headed attack bigs and Evan Mobley and Jared Allen, everything coming together. How much of this early season success are you going to place at the feet of Kenny Atkinson?
Well, he certainly has to get quite a bit of credit, right? I mean, he is the only material difference with this roster year over year, though that is probably Ty Jerome Slander, who missed most of last year with an injury and has been the best backup point guard in basketball.
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Chapter 5: What makes the Cavaliers a strong team this season?
You know, I think sometimes around the league, people talk about him as more of a scorer, but this is a guy who the team has begged to shoot more when he's open because he loves to pass the ball. He loves to play connective basketball. And I think when he's got the keys to the offense, he really is a tide that raises all boats.
Yeah, you mentioned some of his crazy shooting numbers to start the year. I mean, the team overall is leading the league in three-point shooting, like 42% almost. Okay, that's not sustainable. We know that. Number two offense in the league. Do you buy the offense? Because I feel like a lot of it is predicated on the shooting.
I mean, you go through the numbers and you say, okay, they're not top 10 in three-point attempts. I mean, you know, we talked about the pace and it is up there, but... The shooting is absurd right now, and it's going to come back down to earth. Like, is this offense still going to be, you know, I'm just saying, you know, it's a small sample size, you know, 13 games and they are just blistering.
Right. Let me be the devil on your shoulder real quick, because, you know, this is a team that Darius Garland, well, well renowned as one of the best three point shooters in basketball. Donovan Mitchell has become one of the best three point shooters in basketball.
You know, George Niang, Sam Merrill, a lot of the volume that this team is getting are from guys who are career high 30 percent three point shooters. This is a team whose I thought their percentages kind of underperformed their volume last year. where they got a lot of shots up last year. They actually are shooting less threes this year than they were last year per 100 possessions.
But their percentages just really weren't there. I feel like this is a team that is funneling shots to their best shooters. Now, is Karis Levert going to shoot 56% from three or whatever he's at right now? However, they're also missing one of their best shooters in Max Drews, who hasn't played all year. So, you know, yes, it's going to come down to earth. Of course it is.
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Chapter 6: How has Kenny Atkinson transformed the Cavaliers?
You did note the three point rate isn't insane. Shouts to ethical hoops. This team is top.
in the league without uh spamming threes or spamming free throw attempts um but on the other end of the floor they've been one of the least lucky teams in the league in terms of opponent three-point percentage there was a two-game stretch where jose alvarado and aj green went like 14 of 15 against them you know uh so like i think even if they give up a little bit on the offensive end and maybe settle in six seven eight in the league i think that's a compromise i'm pretty comfortable with given that i think the defense probably has a little room to grow
Now, thinking about that defense, you know, it's anchored in the paint, at least by Evan Mobley. I mean, this guy, you've talked about this on your most recent podcast. I listen to Draymond Green's podcast as well. Just talking about how good of a player Evan Mobley is. I have been quoted on this podcast to say, I think he was worth the money.
And he's growing in that direction of just being one of the best bigs, most active down the court bigs like ever. Is this the year Evan Mobley is making the leap? Has he made the leap?
You know, I've always felt like his leap was going to present itself in 10 percent growth increments because he didn't have as much room as a lot of young guys do when they come into the league to get better. Like when you come out of the box as, you know, a defensive player of the year candidate, like just as a rookie.
as a 21 year old, like your room for growth to get to star level player, just it's less of a goal. So I've always felt like people looking for like the Omega leap that, you know, certain players get, you know, take year over year, like an Ann Edwards or something like that. I always thought that was probably an unfair thing to even ask from him in the first place.
However, he is he's taking a leap.
All that couching, he's taking a leap.
He's already run more pick and rolls this season than he did all of last season combined. He is grabbing and going. They've got a few pet actions with him as a ball handler. They love having Sam Merrill set a screen for him at the elbow and then slip out to three. That's an action that's just so hard for teams to deal with. He is playing stronger, more physical.
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Chapter 7: What role does Darius Garland play in the Cavaliers' success?
Chapter 8: What are the expectations for the Nuggets this season?
as a 21 year old, like your room for growth to get to star level player, just it's less of a goal. So I've always felt like people looking for like the Omega leap that, you know, certain players get, you know, take year over year, like an Ann Edwards or something like that. I always thought that was probably an unfair thing to even ask from him in the first place.
However, he is he's taking a leap.
All that couching, he's taking a leap.
He's already run more pick and rolls this season than he did all of last season combined. He is grabbing and going. They've got a few pet actions with him as a ball handler. They love having Sam Merrill set a screen for him at the elbow and then slip out to three. That's an action that's just so hard for teams to deal with. He is playing stronger, more physical.
He's just added some grown man strength.
He's not getting stood up as much when he attacks from the wing with the ball in his hands, which is great. Quickly, before we go, they get it to 15-0. Do you think they make it 15-0?
I think they do. They really care about the NBA Cup this year, and that's their next game against Chicago. So that trap game on a Sunday. Oh, Chicago's tough. And Chicago was tough against them, yeah. Chicago's tough, and then the Hornets should be a win, but, you know, they... I would not blame them if they're looking ahead. So I think they got a great shot, and boy, would I love to see it.
That's awesome. Well, Carter Rodriguez, Chase Down Podcast. Go and check it out. Stick around. After the break, Zena and I are going to take a look at some early season statistics and see which of them feel real.
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