WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.200 Welcome to the deep dive, the place where we 00:00:02.200 --> 00:00:04.419 cut through all the noise of the sports world 00:00:04.419 --> 00:00:07.179 and really give you the essential nuggets you 00:00:07.179 --> 00:00:09.619 need to understand the state of basketball right 00:00:09.619 --> 00:00:12.189 now. And we just had an absolutely high -octane 00:00:12.189 --> 00:00:14.630 weekend. We're talking November 15th and 16th, 00:00:14.650 --> 00:00:18.250 2025. It delivered, I mean, everything. History 00:00:18.250 --> 00:00:20.589 -making performances in the NBA, some really 00:00:20.589 --> 00:00:23.309 significant season -altering injuries. Oh, yeah. 00:00:23.609 --> 00:00:25.690 And that's in both the pros and college. And 00:00:25.690 --> 00:00:28.010 then you had these nail -biting finishes that, 00:00:28.010 --> 00:00:29.769 you know, they tell you way more about a team's 00:00:29.769 --> 00:00:31.850 character than any blowout ever could. Exactly. 00:00:31.929 --> 00:00:35.149 Our mission in this deep dive is to take this 00:00:35.149 --> 00:00:38.350 whole stack of results and news and rumors and 00:00:38.350 --> 00:00:40.280 give you the distilled truth. We're focusing 00:00:40.280 --> 00:00:42.820 on the big individual performances, but also 00:00:42.820 --> 00:00:45.960 trying to understand the deep crisis that injuries 00:00:45.960 --> 00:00:48.439 are creating for some of these franchises. And 00:00:48.439 --> 00:00:50.520 we'll dissect those college games that went right 00:00:50.520 --> 00:00:52.500 down to the wire. We're really looking for the 00:00:52.500 --> 00:00:56.799 why behind the wins and losses and how some of 00:00:56.799 --> 00:00:59.100 the most unheralded players are becoming these 00:00:59.100 --> 00:01:03.100 emergency heroes. OK, let's unpack this. Starting 00:01:03.100 --> 00:01:06.319 with the NBA superstars putting up just. Monumental 00:01:06.319 --> 00:01:08.260 numbers. And we absolutely have to begin this 00:01:08.260 --> 00:01:10.859 conversation with a player who seems to be defying 00:01:10.859 --> 00:01:14.519 both gravity and, well, time itself, Stephen 00:01:14.519 --> 00:01:16.980 Curry. The Golden State Warriors. They managed 00:01:16.980 --> 00:01:20.480 to pull out a... crucial, really gritty win against 00:01:20.480 --> 00:01:22.859 the San Antonio Spurs. This was for the NBA Cup 00:01:22.859 --> 00:01:25.500 tournament, final score 109 -108. So close. And 00:01:25.500 --> 00:01:27.640 this is a massive result. I mean, not just for 00:01:27.640 --> 00:01:29.599 the tournament standings, but for a team that, 00:01:29.680 --> 00:01:32.299 let's be honest, relies so heavily on its aging 00:01:32.299 --> 00:01:34.299 core to deliver these high leverage moments. 00:01:34.540 --> 00:01:35.739 And when you talked about high leverage, you 00:01:35.739 --> 00:01:37.420 were talking about Curry just completely taking 00:01:37.420 --> 00:01:40.239 over. He dropped a season high 49 points. 49. 00:01:40.439 --> 00:01:42.420 But what really makes this performance legendary 00:01:42.420 --> 00:01:45.870 is how he scored them. 31 of those points came 00:01:45.870 --> 00:01:47.730 in the second half. He wasn't just warming up. 00:01:47.730 --> 00:01:50.129 It felt like he was waiting, you know, waiting 00:01:50.129 --> 00:01:52.489 for the exact moment to completely seize control 00:01:52.489 --> 00:01:54.909 of the game. That patience and that explosion, 00:01:54.989 --> 00:01:57.209 that's been the trademark of his whole career. 00:01:57.409 --> 00:01:59.689 But here's where the real historical weight comes 00:01:59.689 --> 00:02:02.090 in. This is why you should pay attention to this 00:02:02.090 --> 00:02:06.250 specific 49 -point night. Curry is now 37 years 00:02:06.250 --> 00:02:09.259 old. 37. It's just incredible. And by hitting 00:02:09.259 --> 00:02:12.199 49, he just tied Michael Jordan for the most 00:02:12.199 --> 00:02:14.919 40 -point games in league history after turning 00:02:14.919 --> 00:02:18.500 30 years old. That's 44 of those games. 44 games. 00:02:18.800 --> 00:02:22.120 That's a massive longevity milestone. I mean, 00:02:22.139 --> 00:02:24.699 we talk a lot about players maintaining their 00:02:24.699 --> 00:02:27.139 athleticism deep into their careers, but Curry's 00:02:27.139 --> 00:02:29.340 game is built on something different. It's constant, 00:02:29.439 --> 00:02:32.219 relentless off -ball movement. It requires insane 00:02:32.219 --> 00:02:35.240 cardio, quick twitch muscle health, precision 00:02:35.240 --> 00:02:39.120 balance. To still be doing this, hitting 40 plus 00:02:39.120 --> 00:02:42.599 with this kind of frequency at 37. It just speaks 00:02:42.599 --> 00:02:44.740 to a meticulous approach to his health that very 00:02:44.740 --> 00:02:47.360 few players have ever managed. He's forcing a 00:02:47.360 --> 00:02:49.979 conversation about where he ranks among all -time 00:02:49.979 --> 00:02:52.919 athletes in terms of sustained late -career dominance. 00:02:53.360 --> 00:02:55.659 And he proved it in the most high -pressure situation 00:02:55.659 --> 00:02:58.659 the NBA Cup can offer. The Warriors are trailing 00:02:58.659 --> 00:03:01.419 by one, and Curry gets fouled by Duran Fox with 00:03:01.419 --> 00:03:04.319 just 6 .4 seconds left on the clock. Puts him 00:03:04.319 --> 00:03:06.520 on the line for the lead. And he didn't just 00:03:06.520 --> 00:03:09.180 sink the free throws to seal that one point win. 00:03:09.280 --> 00:03:11.979 He played the crowd beautifully. The report mentions 00:03:11.979 --> 00:03:14.340 he was playfully mocking the fans who were trying 00:03:14.340 --> 00:03:16.419 to distract him right before he took those shots. 00:03:16.580 --> 00:03:18.680 Yeah. It tells you everything about his mindset. 00:03:18.759 --> 00:03:21.360 He treats that pressure not as an obstacle, but 00:03:21.360 --> 00:03:23.780 as the moment he was built for. He's totally 00:03:23.780 --> 00:03:26.639 aware of the drama and he just. actively embraces 00:03:26.639 --> 00:03:29.539 it. That swagger is so critical, but we have 00:03:29.539 --> 00:03:31.680 to dissect the dynamic against the Spurs here. 00:03:31.780 --> 00:03:34.259 This was a two -game sweep by the Warriors, which 00:03:34.259 --> 00:03:36.560 really solidifies this early -season rivalry 00:03:36.560 --> 00:03:39.400 they've got going. And despite the loss, we saw 00:03:39.400 --> 00:03:41.580 Victor Wembanyama continue his development. He 00:03:41.580 --> 00:03:45.120 posted a very strong line. 26 points, 12 rebounds, 00:03:45.139 --> 00:03:48.680 4 assists, and 3 blocks in 38 minutes. And the 00:03:48.680 --> 00:03:50.800 moment everyone's going to remember, even in 00:03:50.800 --> 00:03:53.759 the loss, was Wemby's crucial defensive masterpiece 00:03:53.759 --> 00:03:57.569 with 33 seconds left. Jimmy Butler, another vet 00:03:57.569 --> 00:04:00.909 who had 21 points, drives hard for what should 00:04:00.909 --> 00:04:03.310 have been the game ceiling layup. And Wambanyama 00:04:03.310 --> 00:04:06.039 just rejects it. Out of nowhere, he keeps the 00:04:06.039 --> 00:04:09.259 Spurs in the lead, 108 -107. An incredible play. 00:04:09.439 --> 00:04:11.259 An incredible play, but what's fascinating here 00:04:11.259 --> 00:04:14.159 is how the veteran Warriors were able to just 00:04:14.159 --> 00:04:16.240 leverage their experience immediately after that. 00:04:16.339 --> 00:04:18.199 The Spurs, they get this huge momentum boost 00:04:18.199 --> 00:04:19.920 from the block, and then they fail to execute 00:04:19.920 --> 00:04:21.860 on their own possession. They miss a crucial 00:04:21.860 --> 00:04:24.920 17 -footer with 12 seconds left. And that's the 00:04:24.920 --> 00:04:27.000 difference. That lack of veteran composure in 00:04:27.000 --> 00:04:29.379 the final seconds, that inability to capitalize, 00:04:29.660 --> 00:04:32.100 it immediately set the stage for Curry to win 00:04:32.100 --> 00:04:33.620 the game at the free -throw line. The Warriors 00:04:33.620 --> 00:04:35.310 didn't pay attention. They just relied on their 00:04:35.310 --> 00:04:37.649 start. It's a harsh lesson for the Spurs. I mean, 00:04:37.689 --> 00:04:39.970 Darren Fox had a strong game himself, 24 points, 00:04:40.069 --> 00:04:42.410 10 assists. But in those final seconds, that 00:04:42.410 --> 00:04:44.610 one little defensive lapse that led to Curry's 00:04:44.610 --> 00:04:47.509 free throws, that was the entire game. All right, 00:04:47.529 --> 00:04:49.629 let's shift gears dramatically over to Madison 00:04:49.629 --> 00:04:51.930 Square Garden, where the Knicks were in a pure 00:04:51.930 --> 00:04:54.889 offensive explosion, defeating the Miami Heat 00:04:54.889 --> 00:04:59.029 140 -126. Also in this high stakes NBA Cup format. 00:04:59.189 --> 00:05:02.629 This was a... A survival exercise for New York. 00:05:02.750 --> 00:05:04.350 It absolutely was. They were already missing 00:05:04.350 --> 00:05:06.290 their primary engine, Jalen Brunson. And then 00:05:06.290 --> 00:05:09.750 disaster. Just five minutes into the game, OG 00:05:09.750 --> 00:05:11.689 Inunumi creaks his hamstring and he does not 00:05:11.689 --> 00:05:14.420 return. Wow. So that leaves a massive hole in 00:05:14.420 --> 00:05:16.180 their starting five, especially on the defensive 00:05:16.180 --> 00:05:18.879 end. A team that loses its top two ball handlers 00:05:18.879 --> 00:05:20.459 and a top defender. I mean, they usually just 00:05:20.459 --> 00:05:23.600 fold. They do. Yet they put up 140 points. And 00:05:23.600 --> 00:05:24.899 that's why we need to talk about Carl Anthony 00:05:24.899 --> 00:05:27.339 Towns. He stepped right into that void and just 00:05:27.339 --> 00:05:31.199 delivered a huge performance. 39 points, 11 rebounds, 00:05:31.240 --> 00:05:34.860 4 assists. And on a really clean 50 % shooting, 00:05:34.939 --> 00:05:37.959 he was the anchor they desperately needed. He 00:05:37.959 --> 00:05:40.699 was. But the truly insightful moment came from 00:05:40.699 --> 00:05:44.480 Towns' own... self -governance. He was on track 00:05:44.480 --> 00:05:47.560 to maybe chase 50, maybe even 60 points, but 00:05:47.560 --> 00:05:49.319 he consciously throttled back in the second half. 00:05:49.420 --> 00:05:51.279 He actually said he didn't want to force trying 00:05:51.279 --> 00:05:53.680 to get 60 and lose the game. That's a huge shift 00:05:53.680 --> 00:05:55.800 for him, isn't it? It speaks volumes about his 00:05:55.800 --> 00:05:57.959 development and maturity. For years, critics 00:05:57.959 --> 00:06:00.920 focused on his ability to pad stats. Now you 00:06:00.920 --> 00:06:03.040 see a player who's prioritizing team success 00:06:03.040 --> 00:06:06.250 and efficient offense over his own ego. Yeah. 00:06:06.329 --> 00:06:08.730 And that kind of maturity is just vital for the 00:06:08.730 --> 00:06:10.670 Knicks system, especially when they need that 00:06:10.670 --> 00:06:13.009 complimentary scoring around Brunson when he 00:06:13.009 --> 00:06:15.750 comes back. But New York doesn't get to 140 without 00:06:15.750 --> 00:06:18.829 the surprise spark from the bench. I mean, Landry 00:06:18.829 --> 00:06:20.290 Schammett, who has mostly been known as just 00:06:20.290 --> 00:06:24.029 a volume three point guy, he exploded for a career 00:06:24.029 --> 00:06:27.610 night. 36 points on an incredible 63 .2 percent 00:06:27.610 --> 00:06:29.829 shooting. That is the absolute definition of 00:06:29.829 --> 00:06:33.069 an emergency hero. Shamit, alongside Jordan Clarkson, 00:06:33.089 --> 00:06:35.730 who added 24 points off the bench, they completely 00:06:35.730 --> 00:06:38.110 dictated the pace and the volume of the game. 00:06:38.209 --> 00:06:41.170 Usually when your stars are out, the ball stagnates. 00:06:41.269 --> 00:06:43.550 But the numbers tell a completely different story 00:06:43.550 --> 00:06:48.029 here. 32 team assists and 21 made threes. 32 00:06:48.029 --> 00:06:50.449 assists is just phenomenal, especially when you 00:06:50.449 --> 00:06:52.949 consider that neither Brunson nor Anunabhitu 00:06:52.949 --> 00:06:55.670 of their best passers and decision makers were 00:06:55.670 --> 00:06:57.949 in the game for long. So what does that assist 00:06:57.949 --> 00:07:00.930 number tell us mechanically? about their offense. 00:07:01.410 --> 00:07:04.290 It means the ball didn't rely on isolation. It 00:07:04.290 --> 00:07:06.930 suggests they ran specific actions, you know, 00:07:06.949 --> 00:07:09.029 maybe more off -ball screens, quick catch -and 00:07:09.029 --> 00:07:11.629 -shoot looks, and using towns as that high -post 00:07:11.629 --> 00:07:14.310 hub to leverage the shooting gravity of Shaman 00:07:14.310 --> 00:07:17.350 and Clarkson. Instead of forcing bad shots, the 00:07:17.350 --> 00:07:19.829 open roster spots actually mandated better ball 00:07:19.829 --> 00:07:22.110 movement and more discipline. That's a huge positive 00:07:22.110 --> 00:07:23.750 for their coaching staff, then. It shows that 00:07:23.750 --> 00:07:25.889 their depth can execute some really high -level 00:07:25.889 --> 00:07:27.839 offensive principles. For sure. But you have 00:07:27.839 --> 00:07:29.800 to credit the Heat for staying in the fight. 00:07:29.899 --> 00:07:32.620 Norman Powell poured in 38 points, and that rookie, 00:07:32.759 --> 00:07:36.120 Jaime Acas Jr., he continues to impress. 23 points, 00:07:36.319 --> 00:07:39.040 9 rebounds, 7 assists for him. Killa Ware also 00:07:39.040 --> 00:07:41.639 put up a nice 15 and 10. But the collective, 00:07:41.819 --> 00:07:45.100 just totally unexpected scoring from New York's 00:07:45.100 --> 00:07:48.259 secondary guys, was simply overwhelming. Now 00:07:48.259 --> 00:07:51.100 we make the difficult transition from analyzing 00:07:51.100 --> 00:07:54.819 these superstar successes to charting the course 00:07:54.819 --> 00:07:57.189 for teams dealing with... early season catastrophe. 00:07:57.870 --> 00:08:00.629 Here's where it gets really interesting. How 00:08:00.629 --> 00:08:03.750 do teams cope when the stars go down? Because 00:08:03.750 --> 00:08:05.449 the difference between winning and losing in 00:08:05.449 --> 00:08:07.949 the modern NBA so often comes down to the quality 00:08:07.949 --> 00:08:10.389 of the ninth and tenth man on your roster. And 00:08:10.389 --> 00:08:12.589 no team illustrates this better than the Indiana 00:08:12.589 --> 00:08:15.329 Pacers, who are just facing a cascading depth 00:08:15.329 --> 00:08:17.769 crisis right now. The big headline this weekend 00:08:17.769 --> 00:08:20.459 was the injury to Aaron Neesmith. He sidelined 00:08:20.459 --> 00:08:22.339 for at least four weeks, probably returning around 00:08:22.339 --> 00:08:25.079 December 15th with a sprained left knee he got 00:08:25.079 --> 00:08:27.540 against Phoenix. OK, so four weeks out for a 00:08:27.540 --> 00:08:29.620 key contributor is usually devastating news, 00:08:29.720 --> 00:08:31.459 especially for a team that's sitting at a league 00:08:31.459 --> 00:08:34.320 -worst 111 record. And yet, coach Rick Carlisle 00:08:34.320 --> 00:08:37.559 described the news as very, very good. That seems 00:08:37.559 --> 00:08:39.360 like the strangest quote of the weekend. What's 00:08:39.360 --> 00:08:41.759 going on there? It's the sound of a team that's 00:08:41.759 --> 00:08:44.320 already faced the worst -case scenario and is 00:08:44.320 --> 00:08:48.250 now just dealing with minor miracles. Carlisle's 00:08:48.250 --> 00:08:50.850 relief comes from the fact that Neesmith is walking 00:08:50.850 --> 00:08:54.330 and he's not in a brace. It confirms the injury 00:08:54.330 --> 00:08:56.529 avoided major structural damage, which was the 00:08:56.529 --> 00:08:59.110 big fear given their injury luck. I see. But 00:08:59.110 --> 00:09:01.629 we can't diminish Neesmith's actual value here. 00:09:01.769 --> 00:09:05.009 He was averaging a career -best 15 .5 points 00:09:05.009 --> 00:09:08.049 and 4 .5 rebounds, and most tellingly, he dropped 00:09:08.049 --> 00:09:10.669 a career -high 31 points in the Pacers' only 00:09:10.669 --> 00:09:12.470 win of the season. Against Golden State, right. 00:09:12.649 --> 00:09:14.789 Right. He was their reliable source of secondary 00:09:14.789 --> 00:09:18.250 offense. and his loss just compounds an already 00:09:18.250 --> 00:09:20.990 dire situation that, as you know, started tragically. 00:09:21.129 --> 00:09:23.389 Absolutely. The Pacers are completely decimated. 00:09:23.470 --> 00:09:25.429 Their all -star point guard, Tyrese Halliburton, 00:09:25.450 --> 00:09:27.470 the whole engine of their team, he's out for 00:09:27.470 --> 00:09:29.629 the season with that torn Achilles. Yeah, a torn 00:09:29.629 --> 00:09:31.669 Achilles in the finals. When you lose a player 00:09:31.669 --> 00:09:34.490 of that caliber for the year, your whole team 00:09:34.490 --> 00:09:37.419 identity just fundamentally shifts. But it gets 00:09:37.419 --> 00:09:39.559 worse. It does. Benedict Matherin is out with 00:09:39.559 --> 00:09:41.960 a toe injury. Ogie Toppin, a key reserve, is 00:09:41.960 --> 00:09:43.720 dealing with a stress fracture in his right foot. 00:09:43.919 --> 00:09:46.740 The only, and I mean only, silver lining you 00:09:46.740 --> 00:09:48.559 can find is that Andrew Nembhard just came back 00:09:48.559 --> 00:09:51.399 after missing six games. But when you have five 00:09:51.399 --> 00:09:54.259 or six rotational players out, including your 00:09:54.259 --> 00:09:57.679 star for the entire season, there's just no system 00:09:57.679 --> 00:09:59.779 or coach that can truly compensate for that. 00:09:59.960 --> 00:10:03.120 Their 1 -11 record isn't surprising. It's a direct 00:10:03.120 --> 00:10:06.240 reflection of this extreme injury luck. But adversity, 00:10:06.440 --> 00:10:09.019 as we mentioned, it's the great catalyst for 00:10:09.019 --> 00:10:11.500 opportunity. And we saw that in full effect in 00:10:11.500 --> 00:10:13.659 Detroit with the rise of a guy named Dennis Jenkins. 00:10:14.340 --> 00:10:16.559 This is one of the most compelling stories of 00:10:16.559 --> 00:10:19.220 a player just seizing the moment. Jenkins, he's 00:10:19.220 --> 00:10:21.259 an undrafted G League grinder who started the 00:10:21.259 --> 00:10:23.759 year on a two -way contract. And he is now playing 00:10:23.759 --> 00:10:27.580 himself directly into a guaranteed full -time 00:10:27.580 --> 00:10:29.360 roster spot for the Pistons. So what are his 00:10:29.360 --> 00:10:31.139 numbers looking like? His recent three -game 00:10:31.139 --> 00:10:33.179 stretch is... It's not just good for a two -way 00:10:33.179 --> 00:10:35.740 player, it's excellent for an NBA starter. He's 00:10:35.740 --> 00:10:37.899 averaging 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists, 00:10:38.080 --> 00:10:41.679 and he is doing it with absolutely shocking efficiency. 00:10:41.960 --> 00:10:44.659 Really? 47 % for the field and a scorching 56 00:10:44.659 --> 00:10:48.559 % from 3 -point range. Wow, 56 % from 3, even 00:10:48.559 --> 00:10:51.000 if that's a small sample size. That's a game 00:10:51.000 --> 00:10:53.779 -changer for Detroit. So why is Jenkins' rise 00:10:53.779 --> 00:10:56.840 so critical to the long -term vision of the Pistons, 00:10:56.899 --> 00:10:59.620 specifically with Kate Cunningham? It's all about 00:10:59.620 --> 00:11:02.090 the pressure relief. Yeah. We saw the Pistons 00:11:02.090 --> 00:11:04.649 relying way too much on Cunningham. I mean, he 00:11:04.649 --> 00:11:08.159 recently had to take 45 shots in a single game. 00:11:08.299 --> 00:11:11.360 45. Jenkins' high efficiency, especially from 00:11:11.360 --> 00:11:14.700 three, it forces defenses to respect him. It 00:11:14.700 --> 00:11:16.700 pulls defenders away from the paint and opens 00:11:16.700 --> 00:11:19.440 up those driving lanes for Cade. Jenkins can 00:11:19.440 --> 00:11:21.759 score from all three levels, and his ability 00:11:21.759 --> 00:11:23.899 to run the second unit or even play off -ball 00:11:23.899 --> 00:11:27.200 next to Cade provides the exact spacing and secondary 00:11:27.200 --> 00:11:29.419 playmaking the team desperately needed. And he's 00:11:29.419 --> 00:11:30.899 not just an offensive threat, right? He brings 00:11:30.899 --> 00:11:33.179 a real defensive intensity. That's his identity. 00:11:33.580 --> 00:11:35.879 He's averaging over two steals per game during 00:11:35.879 --> 00:11:38.659 this stretch, establishing himself as this hard 00:11:38.659 --> 00:11:40.759 -nosed, gritty defender. That's why his quote 00:11:40.759 --> 00:11:42.960 about the group being nasty dogs resonates so 00:11:42.960 --> 00:11:46.000 strongly. He embodies the mentality of a player 00:11:46.000 --> 00:11:48.799 who had to fight for every single minute in the 00:11:48.799 --> 00:11:51.960 G League, and now he's bringing that hunger to 00:11:51.960 --> 00:11:54.440 the pros. He's already showing the traits of 00:11:54.440 --> 00:11:57.399 a long -term NBA piece who has more than earned 00:11:57.399 --> 00:12:00.379 a guaranteed contract. It's a massive organizational 00:12:00.379 --> 00:12:03.200 win for Detroit. Moving on to injury management, 00:12:03.399 --> 00:12:05.580 we saw some decisions this weekend that tied 00:12:05.580 --> 00:12:07.899 directly into our final thought for this deep 00:12:07.899 --> 00:12:11.539 dive. The physical toll of the NBA Cup. Yes. 00:12:12.190 --> 00:12:14.570 The Charlotte Hornets, they chose caution. They 00:12:14.570 --> 00:12:16.830 ruled out LaMelo Ball against the Thunder. And 00:12:16.830 --> 00:12:19.230 this was explicit injury management for an ankle 00:12:19.230 --> 00:12:21.470 issue during a back -to -back. And Ball is obviously 00:12:21.470 --> 00:12:23.450 integral to their success. He's averaging, what, 00:12:23.529 --> 00:12:26.789 22 .3 points, 7 .1 rebounds, and almost 10 assists 00:12:26.789 --> 00:12:28.870 a game. When you remove a player responsible 00:12:28.870 --> 00:12:31.629 for nearly 50 points of offense between his scoring 00:12:31.629 --> 00:12:34.669 and assists, the whole team faces a massive challenge. 00:12:34.950 --> 00:12:37.039 But that challenge... created opportunities. 00:12:37.559 --> 00:12:39.940 Tremaine and Colin Sexton were expected to shoulder 00:12:39.940 --> 00:12:42.360 the point guard duties, but this also directly 00:12:42.360 --> 00:12:44.679 resulted in significant playing time for the 00:12:44.679 --> 00:12:47.940 2025 rookie Con Correpo, which lets the Hornets 00:12:47.940 --> 00:12:50.340 evaluate their young talent under real pressure. 00:12:50.500 --> 00:12:53.080 And similarly, the Phoenix Suns were navigating 00:12:53.080 --> 00:12:56.000 injuries against the Hawks. Grayson Allen was 00:12:56.000 --> 00:12:58.539 ruled day -to -day with a right quad contusion. 00:12:58.679 --> 00:13:00.679 Yeah, Coach Jordan not suggested it wasn't too 00:13:00.679 --> 00:13:02.580 serious, but it still forced a lineup change. 00:13:03.000 --> 00:13:05.019 Colin Gillespie had to start the second half 00:13:05.019 --> 00:13:07.899 in Allen's place. This reliance on depth, even 00:13:07.899 --> 00:13:10.440 for short -term stuff, it just shows the strain 00:13:10.440 --> 00:13:13.000 of the early season. But the longer -term concern 00:13:13.000 --> 00:13:16.299 for Phoenix is Jalen Green. He's now set to be 00:13:16.299 --> 00:13:19.740 re -evaluated in four to six weeks after re -aggravating 00:13:19.740 --> 00:13:22.279 that right hamstring strain, the same one that 00:13:22.279 --> 00:13:24.340 bothered him in training camp. And hamstring 00:13:24.340 --> 00:13:27.200 issues are notoriously difficult to manage, especially 00:13:27.200 --> 00:13:30.159 for explosive athletes like him. A six -week 00:13:30.159 --> 00:13:33.120 timeline puts him out deep into December, removing 00:13:33.120 --> 00:13:35.299 a crucial scoring punch from their rotation. 00:13:35.820 --> 00:13:37.799 And of course, the Hawks were also shorthanded, 00:13:37.799 --> 00:13:39.740 still missing their star Trey Young with that 00:13:39.740 --> 00:13:42.360 MCL sprain. It just feels like the weekend was 00:13:42.360 --> 00:13:44.840 defined by stars on the sideline. It really was. 00:13:45.059 --> 00:13:47.600 Out West, the Memphis Grizzlies added to the 00:13:47.600 --> 00:13:50.600 entry list when Ja Morant exited just six minutes 00:13:50.600 --> 00:13:52.399 into their game against the Cavaliers with a 00:13:52.399 --> 00:13:55.519 sore right calf. And Morant's exit, even though 00:13:55.519 --> 00:13:57.480 he was only in for a few minutes, it seemed to 00:13:57.480 --> 00:13:59.980 just suck the air out of Memphis. They were leading 00:13:59.980 --> 00:14:03.820 61 -54 at the half, but the Cavaliers... Powered 00:14:03.820 --> 00:14:06.399 by Donovan Mitchell's veteran brilliance, they 00:14:06.399 --> 00:14:08.399 just mounted a rally. Mitchell was fantastic. 00:14:08.679 --> 00:14:11.919 He scored 30 points, including 14 in that crucial 00:14:11.919 --> 00:14:15.059 fourth quarter, leading the Cavs to a 1 -8, 100 00:14:15.059 --> 00:14:18.559 victory. This is a perfect example of a veteran 00:14:18.559 --> 00:14:21.139 -led team capitalizing on the instability caused 00:14:21.139 --> 00:14:25.340 by a star's sudden exit. Evan Mobley also chipped 00:14:25.340 --> 00:14:28.419 in with 22 -13 for Cleveland. But the Grizzlies 00:14:28.419 --> 00:14:31.039 did get a highly anticipated season debut in 00:14:31.039 --> 00:14:34.700 that loss. Yes, the 7 '3 center Zach Eadie, the 00:14:34.700 --> 00:14:37.059 ninth overall pick from Purdue. He finally made 00:14:37.059 --> 00:14:39.320 his season debut after recovering from left ankle 00:14:39.320 --> 00:14:42.100 surgery back in June. And he showed flashes of 00:14:42.100 --> 00:14:43.919 what the Grizzlies are hoping for. He contributed 00:14:43.919 --> 00:14:46.360 13 points and 7 rebounds. And most of that came 00:14:46.360 --> 00:14:47.980 in the third quarter, right? Yeah, eight of those 00:14:47.980 --> 00:14:49.600 points came in the third when Memphis still had 00:14:49.600 --> 00:14:52.179 a slight lead. For a young team trying to rebuild 00:14:52.179 --> 00:14:54.500 its identity, just having Eadie healthy and back 00:14:54.500 --> 00:14:56.399 on the court is a massive step forward for their 00:14:56.399 --> 00:14:58.659 future. This whole situation for Memphis brings 00:14:58.659 --> 00:15:01.000 up those recent comments from Marcus Smart, who 00:15:01.000 --> 00:15:03.799 suggested the Grizzlies' downturn, the losses, 00:15:04.019 --> 00:15:06.799 the injuries, the whole vibe, was entirely predictable. 00:15:07.139 --> 00:15:10.159 Why, exactly? What were the underlying issues 00:15:10.159 --> 00:15:12.879 he was pointing to beyond just Jha's injury? 00:15:13.419 --> 00:15:16.159 Smart's comments likely address two things. First, 00:15:16.360 --> 00:15:18.940 the lack of depth and consistent veteran perimeter 00:15:18.940 --> 00:15:21.659 play outside of himself and Desmond Bain. And 00:15:21.659 --> 00:15:24.539 second, the structural dependency on Morant's 00:15:24.539 --> 00:15:27.039 hyper -aggressive style, which, while it's exciting, 00:15:27.220 --> 00:15:30.240 often leads to chaos and sometimes neglects fundamental 00:15:30.240 --> 00:15:32.919 defense when he's not 100 percent. So it's a 00:15:32.919 --> 00:15:35.559 high risk, high reward system. Exactly. And when 00:15:35.559 --> 00:15:37.639 you rely on that, the margin for error when your 00:15:37.639 --> 00:15:40.590 star goes down shrinks to almost nothing. The 00:15:40.590 --> 00:15:42.629 team's inability to hold a lead against the Cavs 00:15:42.629 --> 00:15:44.830 without Morant, despite Eadie's solid debut, 00:15:45.129 --> 00:15:47.049 is pretty much proof of that structural issue. 00:15:47.370 --> 00:15:49.309 Quick hit before we move on. Nikola Jokic had 00:15:49.309 --> 00:15:51.090 another triple -double as the Denver Nuggets 00:15:51.090 --> 00:15:53.450 defeated Minnesota Timberwolves. Some things 00:15:53.450 --> 00:15:55.309 never change, even when the rest of the league 00:15:55.309 --> 00:15:57.350 is in total chaos. Some things never change. 00:15:57.649 --> 00:15:59.970 Okay, now let's focus on organizational turmoil 00:15:59.970 --> 00:16:02.970 in New Orleans. The Pelicans made the most significant 00:16:02.970 --> 00:16:05.509 front -office shift of the weekend by firing 00:16:05.509 --> 00:16:07.830 their head coach, Willie Green. This decision 00:16:07.830 --> 00:16:10.769 was swift. It came after an abysmal 2 -10 start 00:16:10.769 --> 00:16:15.049 to the 2025 -26 season. Green compiled a 150 00:16:15.049 --> 00:16:18.429 -190 record over five seasons. The message here 00:16:18.429 --> 00:16:20.809 is pretty clear. The front office felt that despite 00:16:20.809 --> 00:16:23.309 the talent on the roster, you know, Zion Williamson, 00:16:23.350 --> 00:16:26.950 Brandon Ingram, the team was drastically underperforming. 00:16:26.970 --> 00:16:29.669 And a change was needed to try and ignite a playoff 00:16:29.669 --> 00:16:32.559 push. So stepping in is James Borrego, who was 00:16:32.559 --> 00:16:34.419 an associate head coach for them and previously 00:16:34.419 --> 00:16:36.580 the head coach of the Hornets. What does a transition 00:16:36.580 --> 00:16:39.000 to Borrego typically mean for a team's style 00:16:39.000 --> 00:16:42.460 of play? Borrego generally favors a more fast 00:16:42.460 --> 00:16:45.600 -paced, high -volume offense. But he also focuses 00:16:45.600 --> 00:16:48.379 heavily on generating spacing and really utilizing 00:16:48.379 --> 00:16:50.639 the three -point line. The interesting dynamic 00:16:50.639 --> 00:16:52.360 is that the Pelicans might be getting a major 00:16:52.360 --> 00:16:55.259 piece back right as Borrego takes over. Zion 00:16:55.259 --> 00:16:56.940 Williamson has been upgraded to questionable 00:16:56.940 --> 00:16:58.799 for their next game. Against Curry's Warriors, 00:16:59.019 --> 00:17:01.840 no less. Right. Zion's been sidelined since November 00:17:01.840 --> 00:17:04.640 2nd with a hamstring injury, but in his five 00:17:04.640 --> 00:17:07.440 games this season, he was productive. 22 .8 points, 00:17:07.559 --> 00:17:10.960 6 .8 rebounds, 4 .6 assists. His return is paramount 00:17:10.960 --> 00:17:12.880 for them. They desperately need his interior 00:17:12.880 --> 00:17:15.539 presence, especially after losing their fourth 00:17:15.539 --> 00:17:18.099 straight game to the Lakers on Friday. Trey Murphy 00:17:18.099 --> 00:17:20.720 III did have a huge night in that loss. He dropped 00:17:20.720 --> 00:17:23.099 35 points, and he credited that to aggression 00:17:23.099 --> 00:17:26.079 and film work. But consistent secondary scoring 00:17:26.079 --> 00:17:28.720 isn't enough when you're 210. You need your foundational 00:17:28.720 --> 00:17:32.079 star healthy and dominating. Borrego's immediate 00:17:32.079 --> 00:17:34.500 challenge will be integrating Zion back into 00:17:34.500 --> 00:17:37.220 a cohesive system while trying to stabilize a 00:17:37.220 --> 00:17:40.160 defense that has just been porous. And just to 00:17:40.160 --> 00:17:42.579 wrap up the personal side of the NBA grind, Karl 00:17:42.579 --> 00:17:44.940 -Anthony Towns, fresh off that incredible 39 00:17:44.940 --> 00:17:47.500 -point night for the Knicks, celebrated his 30th 00:17:47.500 --> 00:17:49.660 birthday by receiving a new car from his girlfriend, 00:17:49.859 --> 00:17:52.779 Jordan Woods. It's a nice little moment of normalcy 00:17:52.779 --> 00:17:55.160 amidst this cutthroat, high -stakes tournament 00:17:55.160 --> 00:17:57.940 environment. Yeah, for sure. Shifting gears now 00:17:57.940 --> 00:18:00.240 to college hoops, where the intensity of the 00:18:00.240 --> 00:18:02.400 early season non -conference schedule created 00:18:02.400 --> 00:18:05.759 its own brand of chaos. We saw two major themes 00:18:05.759 --> 00:18:08.759 emerge. Elite teams surviving these down -to 00:18:08.759 --> 00:18:11.279 -the -wire battles, and one star suffering a 00:18:11.279 --> 00:18:14.140 truly terrifying team -shifting injury. Let's 00:18:14.140 --> 00:18:16.339 start with the marquee matchup. It was a top 00:18:16.339 --> 00:18:19.079 10 thriller in Boston where number three UConn 00:18:19.079 --> 00:18:24.400 edged out number seven BYU 86 -84. This was UConn's 00:18:24.400 --> 00:18:27.819 first real gut check of a brutal early season 00:18:27.819 --> 00:18:30.259 schedule. The Huskies really had to demonstrate 00:18:30.259 --> 00:18:31.940 their championship pedigree to pull this one 00:18:31.940 --> 00:18:34.140 out. And UConn secured the win through supreme 00:18:34.140 --> 00:18:37.160 balance. Terrace Reed Jr., Alex Caraban, and 00:18:37.160 --> 00:18:39.700 Silas Demary Jr. all dropped 21 points each. 00:18:40.200 --> 00:18:42.480 Demary was particularly crucial, though. He had 00:18:42.480 --> 00:18:44.980 seven assists, five rebounds, and most importantly, 00:18:45.140 --> 00:18:47.420 the game -sealing steal at the end. He just poked 00:18:47.420 --> 00:18:49.660 the ball away from BYU's Robert Wright III, ending 00:18:49.660 --> 00:18:52.119 the Cougars' hopes right there. And BYU's effort 00:18:52.119 --> 00:18:54.039 was so admirable, especially when you consider 00:18:54.039 --> 00:18:55.700 they were shorthanded. They were missing their 00:18:55.700 --> 00:19:00.670 suspended starting point guard. So they relied 00:19:00.670 --> 00:19:03.210 heavily on that star freshman, A .J. DeBansa. 00:19:03.450 --> 00:19:06.069 Exactly. He was playing near his hometown, and 00:19:06.069 --> 00:19:10.170 he led the Cougars with 25 points. He was fantastic. 00:19:10.630 --> 00:19:13.509 The drama in that final minute was just palpable. 00:19:13.769 --> 00:19:16.430 BYU fought back from a late deficit. They cut 00:19:16.430 --> 00:19:19.490 it to just two points, 84 -82 on a Dawson -Baker 00:19:19.490 --> 00:19:21.509 three -pointer. It's a one -possession game. 00:19:21.950 --> 00:19:23.990 And that's when Demary's defensive play happened. 00:19:24.170 --> 00:19:25.990 Right. But if you want to understand why UConn 00:19:25.990 --> 00:19:28.829 won and BYU lost, despite how close the score 00:19:28.829 --> 00:19:31.230 was, you have to look beyond that final basket 00:19:31.230 --> 00:19:33.930 and focus on the box score. We flagged this earlier. 00:19:34.369 --> 00:19:36.450 UConn demonstrated phenomenal ball movement. 00:19:36.920 --> 00:19:40.079 They recorded 21 assists on 30 made field goals. 00:19:40.200 --> 00:19:42.759 So that translates to, what, almost 70 % of their 00:19:42.759 --> 00:19:45.640 baskets being assisted? Exactly. BYU, on the 00:19:45.640 --> 00:19:47.799 other hand, hampered by their personnel issues 00:19:47.799 --> 00:19:49.740 and maybe relying a bit too much on DeBancet 00:19:49.740 --> 00:19:52.359 to create on his own, they only managed 7 assists 00:19:52.359 --> 00:19:55.720 on 29 baskets. Wow, that is a staggering difference. 00:19:55.980 --> 00:19:58.980 21 assists versus 7. What does that gap fundamentally 00:19:58.980 --> 00:20:01.180 tell us about the style of play in a game that's 00:20:01.180 --> 00:20:03.509 that high leverage? It tells us that UConn relies 00:20:03.509 --> 00:20:06.690 on process and teamwork. They're ensuring high 00:20:06.690 --> 00:20:09.410 -quality shots through bowl movement and multiple 00:20:09.410 --> 00:20:13.049 passes. BYU, when they were pushed to the wire, 00:20:13.289 --> 00:20:16.130 they defaulted to players taking high -difficulty, 00:20:16.130 --> 00:20:18.730 self -created shots, which are just way less 00:20:18.730 --> 00:20:20.589 efficient, especially when the defense tightens 00:20:20.589 --> 00:20:23.789 up. UConn's reliance on cohesive offense allowed 00:20:23.789 --> 00:20:26.509 them to overcome BYU's star power in that environment. 00:20:26.789 --> 00:20:29.069 And that bodes extremely well for the Huskies' 00:20:29.089 --> 00:20:31.470 tournament future. Now for the most emotionally 00:20:31.470 --> 00:20:34.250 difficult story of the weekend, Maryland's comeback 00:20:34.250 --> 00:20:37.829 victory at Marquette, 89 -82, which came after 00:20:37.829 --> 00:20:40.410 that horrific injury to their star center. This 00:20:40.410 --> 00:20:42.809 was a genuinely painful moment for the team and, 00:20:42.849 --> 00:20:45.849 you know, for anyone watching. Their star center, 00:20:45.930 --> 00:20:47.789 Farrell Payne, who was playing really well with 00:20:47.789 --> 00:20:50.269 13 points, he went down with a painful right 00:20:50.269 --> 00:20:52.690 hip injury after landing awkwardly following 00:20:52.690 --> 00:20:55.269 a two -handed dunk. He was immediately taken 00:20:55.269 --> 00:20:56.950 off the court on a stretcher. Coach Williams' 00:20:57.130 --> 00:20:58.849 postgame comments really captured the gravity 00:20:58.849 --> 00:21:00.789 of the situation. He sounded seriously concerned. 00:21:00.869 --> 00:21:03.509 He said, he's our best player. The angle that 00:21:03.509 --> 00:21:06.490 I saw did not appear good. When a coach says 00:21:06.490 --> 00:21:09.069 that, you know the prognosis is likely severe, 00:21:09.230 --> 00:21:11.849 and it just immediately shifts the entire outlook 00:21:11.849 --> 00:21:14.230 for Maryland's season. And when Payne left the 00:21:14.230 --> 00:21:17.279 court... Maryland was trailing by five points, 00:21:17.480 --> 00:21:20.039 having already blown an early 13 -point lead. 00:21:20.240 --> 00:21:23.180 The immediate psychological impact of seeing 00:21:23.180 --> 00:21:26.460 your best player carted off is usually debilitating 00:21:26.460 --> 00:21:29.960 for a team. But the supporting cast, they engineered 00:21:29.960 --> 00:21:33.140 this stunning emotional rally. They outscored 00:21:33.140 --> 00:21:36.539 Marquette 36 -24 after the injury. I mean, this 00:21:36.539 --> 00:21:38.720 speaks to a different kind of maturity than the 00:21:38.720 --> 00:21:40.759 Knicks show. This was pure emotional resolve. 00:21:40.779 --> 00:21:43.640 So who stepped up for them? Isaiah Watts was 00:21:43.640 --> 00:21:45.900 the unexpected hero. He had only scored nine 00:21:45.900 --> 00:21:47.900 points total coming into this game, yet he just 00:21:47.900 --> 00:21:50.220 exploded for 18 points on the night. He had a 00:21:50.220 --> 00:21:51.819 clutch in one finish and then a dagger three 00:21:51.819 --> 00:21:53.579 -pointer late in the game to seal the victory. 00:21:53.779 --> 00:21:56.299 Wow. Freshman Darius Adams also had his best 00:21:56.299 --> 00:21:58.519 performance, finishing with 16 points and three 00:21:58.519 --> 00:22:01.019 assists. This was the team choosing to fight 00:22:01.019 --> 00:22:03.000 for pain rather than collapsing under the weight 00:22:03.000 --> 00:22:05.480 of his absence. While that rally is fantastic 00:22:05.480 --> 00:22:08.920 for morale, you mentioned there's a huge red 00:22:08.920 --> 00:22:11.660 flag here, right? An underlying structural issue 00:22:11.660 --> 00:22:13.559 that Coach Williams has to address immediately. 00:22:14.000 --> 00:22:16.359 That's the hard truth beneath the emotional win. 00:22:16.579 --> 00:22:19.559 Coach Williams himself called their rebounding 00:22:19.559 --> 00:22:23.619 effort beyond bad. Maryland grabbed just four 00:22:23.619 --> 00:22:26.720 offensive rebounds while surrendering an astonishing 00:22:26.720 --> 00:22:30.829 20 offensive rebounds to Marquette. 20. And that 00:22:30.829 --> 00:22:34.329 led directly to 25 second chance points. That 00:22:34.329 --> 00:22:36.529 failure to finish defensive possessions completely 00:22:36.529 --> 00:22:38.990 eroded their early lead. It's not just about 00:22:38.990 --> 00:22:41.009 height. It's a lack of fundamental execution. 00:22:41.390 --> 00:22:43.849 It's boxing out. 20 offensive rebounds means 00:22:43.849 --> 00:22:45.849 20 times Maryland thought the defensive stop 00:22:45.849 --> 00:22:48.329 was complete, but they failed to make body contact, 00:22:48.569 --> 00:22:50.309 giving the opponent a whole extra possession. 00:22:50.630 --> 00:22:52.809 And with Payne, their leading rebounder, likely 00:22:52.809 --> 00:22:55.549 out long term, this problem is only going to 00:22:55.549 --> 00:22:58.009 get worse. Right. Colin Metcalf, who will step 00:22:58.009 --> 00:23:00.230 into a bigger role, he struggled in this area, 00:23:00.349 --> 00:23:02.890 only getting two rebounds in 12 minutes. The 00:23:02.890 --> 00:23:05.569 immediate focus for Maryland, despite the win, 00:23:05.769 --> 00:23:08.670 has to be fixing that rebounding margin. Finally, 00:23:08.670 --> 00:23:11.569 in the Pac -12, a ranked road victory for Arizona, 00:23:11.849 --> 00:23:16.130 who managed to defeat No. 15 UCLA. But it really 00:23:16.130 --> 00:23:18.970 exposed the harsh reality of relying on freshmen. 00:23:19.410 --> 00:23:22.750 This win was secured entirely by their veteran 00:23:22.750 --> 00:23:26.329 bench presence. Senior Anthony Delorso, an Australian 00:23:26.329 --> 00:23:29.269 transfer, scored 20 points off the bench on highly 00:23:29.269 --> 00:23:32.130 efficient 6 -for -11 shooting, including four 00:23:32.130 --> 00:23:35.250 threes. He was their only consistent scorer in 00:23:35.250 --> 00:23:37.509 the first half. He started 5 -for -8 while the 00:23:37.509 --> 00:23:39.950 rest of the team shot a collective 6 -for -22. 00:23:40.250 --> 00:23:42.390 So he was the anchor that stopped them from collapsing 00:23:42.390 --> 00:23:45.049 in that ranked road environment. Exactly. But 00:23:45.049 --> 00:23:47.349 the alarming takeaway, though, involves Arizona's 00:23:47.349 --> 00:23:49.910 much -lauded freshman class. Yeah, the Wildcats' 00:23:49.970 --> 00:23:52.309 four freshmen, Aristode, Burries, Karchenkov, 00:23:52.369 --> 00:23:54.930 and Peet, they experienced some severe growing 00:23:54.930 --> 00:23:57.910 pains. They combined for only 16 points on a 00:23:57.910 --> 00:24:00.470 rough 5 -for -18 shooting. But the key indicator 00:24:00.470 --> 00:24:02.849 of the struggle was ball security. They accounted 00:24:02.849 --> 00:24:06.250 for 12 of the team's 15 total turnovers. 12 of 00:24:06.250 --> 00:24:09.369 15 turnovers from your freshman. That is a crippling 00:24:09.369 --> 00:24:11.089 lack of execution. What does that even look like 00:24:11.089 --> 00:24:13.890 on the court? It means travel violations, bad 00:24:13.890 --> 00:24:16.609 passes into the crowd, being stripped while driving, 00:24:16.670 --> 00:24:19.430 or fouling out of panic. Braden Burry struggled 00:24:19.430 --> 00:24:22.299 the most. He shot one for nine. It just highlights 00:24:22.299 --> 00:24:24.500 the dramatic difference between the speed and 00:24:24.500 --> 00:24:26.579 pressure at the collegiate level compared to 00:24:26.579 --> 00:24:29.720 high school. While Del Orso's veteran composure 00:24:29.720 --> 00:24:32.759 salvaged the win, the coaching staff has a massive 00:24:32.759 --> 00:24:35.299 job ahead of them to get those highly touted 00:24:35.299 --> 00:24:37.839 freshmen ready to execute without self -destructing 00:24:37.839 --> 00:24:40.160 under pressure. All right, let's shift our focus 00:24:40.160 --> 00:24:42.759 to the mid -majors and the programs fighting 00:24:42.759 --> 00:24:45.500 tooth and nail for every single victory. This 00:24:45.500 --> 00:24:47.980 is where the real grit and grind of basketball 00:24:47.980 --> 00:24:50.200 shows up, and it often results in some incredibly 00:24:50.200 --> 00:24:53.660 dramatic finishes and some really important technical 00:24:53.660 --> 00:24:56.259 lessons about execution. Let's start in the Big 00:24:56.259 --> 00:24:58.740 Ten footprint. The Minnesota Gophers, now 3 -1, 00:24:58.920 --> 00:25:01.279 they struggled immensely, but they managed to 00:25:01.279 --> 00:25:04.000 pull out an overtime win against Green Bay, 68 00:25:04.000 --> 00:25:06.930 -63. This was not a pretty victory. but was a 00:25:06.930 --> 00:25:09.009 crucial learning experience. Yeah, the Gophers 00:25:09.009 --> 00:25:11.329 were cruising, right? They were up 60 -56 with 00:25:11.329 --> 00:25:13.950 just 18 seconds left in regulation. They were 00:25:13.950 --> 00:25:15.650 on the verge of closing it out, but then they 00:25:15.650 --> 00:25:18.849 allowed this devastating sequence. Right. Green 00:25:18.849 --> 00:25:21.890 Bay's Preston Roonier hits a clutch three. Then, 00:25:21.890 --> 00:25:24.690 after a Gopher free throw, Roonier drives for 00:25:24.690 --> 00:25:27.410 a layup. with one second left to force overtime. 00:25:27.769 --> 00:25:30.569 That's just a total failure of clock and defensive 00:25:30.569 --> 00:25:33.569 management. A total collapse. And Coach Nico 00:25:33.569 --> 00:25:36.789 Medved was very insightful after the game. He 00:25:36.789 --> 00:25:39.049 noted that Green Bay's constantly changing defenses 00:25:39.049 --> 00:25:41.690 caused frustration, which was something his team 00:25:41.690 --> 00:25:44.359 hadn't prepared for. He praised them for hanging 00:25:44.359 --> 00:25:46.640 in, but he specifically called out the mental 00:25:46.640 --> 00:25:49.480 burden of facing unexpected schemes. So what 00:25:49.480 --> 00:25:51.720 pulled them through in the end? Leadership. Yeah. 00:25:51.859 --> 00:25:55.259 Kate Tyson dropped 27 points, and Jalen Crocker 00:25:55.259 --> 00:25:57.720 -Johnson delivered in overtime, hitting a crucial 00:25:57.720 --> 00:25:59.680 three and a running one -hander to seal the win. 00:26:00.079 --> 00:26:02.220 Like Medved said, this is going to be great for 00:26:02.220 --> 00:26:03.960 us because teams are going to throw a curveball 00:26:03.960 --> 00:26:06.259 at you. Learning how to win ugly is essential. 00:26:06.480 --> 00:26:09.079 And Green Bay's coach, Doug Gottlieb, had a fascinating 00:26:09.079 --> 00:26:12.039 perspective, too. He basically blamed the late 00:26:12.039 --> 00:26:14.500 collapse on his wonky lineups and said his players 00:26:14.500 --> 00:26:17.559 were exhausted in overtime. Yeah, and that exhaustion 00:26:17.559 --> 00:26:19.720 leads to those mental errors that cost you games. 00:26:20.099 --> 00:26:23.119 Now for the truly tight finishes. We saw a pair 00:26:23.119 --> 00:26:25.400 of heartbreakers that were defined by the very 00:26:25.400 --> 00:26:28.400 last possession. Utah Valley suffered a one -point 00:26:28.400 --> 00:26:32.059 road loss at Fresno State, 75 -74. UVU started 00:26:32.059 --> 00:26:35.000 strong. They were up 40 -33 at halftime. But 00:26:35.000 --> 00:26:37.119 then five lead changes happened in the final 00:26:37.119 --> 00:26:39.880 four minutes alone. It was back and forth. Pure 00:26:39.880 --> 00:26:43.099 agony for UVU at the end. They took a late 74 00:26:43.099 --> 00:26:46.410 -72 lead with 50 seconds left. only for Fresno 00:26:46.410 --> 00:26:48.710 State to answer with a three to steal the lead 00:26:48.710 --> 00:26:51.650 back with 22 seconds on the clock. The game ended 00:26:51.650 --> 00:26:53.730 when Jackson Holcomb's contested shot at the 00:26:53.730 --> 00:26:55.769 buzzer was blocked. And we saw a similar fate 00:26:55.769 --> 00:26:57.849 for Rollins College in their season opener, losing 00:26:57.849 --> 00:27:00.630 on a buzzer beater to FVSU. But this game provides 00:27:00.630 --> 00:27:03.569 a crucial lesson in basketball geometry. Effort 00:27:03.569 --> 00:27:05.289 versus efficiency. What do you mean by that? 00:27:05.509 --> 00:27:07.890 Rollins dominated the glass. They had a decisive 00:27:07.890 --> 00:27:11.289 rebounding edge of 46 -30. That's 16 more opportunities 00:27:11.289 --> 00:27:14.190 to score. 16 extra chances, and they still lost 00:27:14.190 --> 00:27:16.670 the game. Why? Because they lost the shooting 00:27:16.670 --> 00:27:19.470 battle catastrophically. Rollins shot a miserable 00:27:19.470 --> 00:27:24.349 22 .2 % from three compared to FVSU's 33 .3%. 00:27:24.349 --> 00:27:26.529 This is a fundamental technical failure. All 00:27:26.529 --> 00:27:28.390 the effort in securing those extra possessions, 00:27:28.670 --> 00:27:31.950 the hustle, the physical toll was wasted because 00:27:31.950 --> 00:27:34.490 the resulting shot quality was just poor. Speaking 00:27:34.490 --> 00:27:37.769 of efficiency losses, Ball State fell 68 -62 00:27:37.769 --> 00:27:40.410 to Little Rock in a game that provides maybe 00:27:40.410 --> 00:27:42.210 the best example of what you could call unbalanced 00:27:42.210 --> 00:27:45.609 effort. Ball State forced phenomenal 23 turnovers. 00:27:45.630 --> 00:27:47.650 Their defensive pressure was just relentless. 00:27:48.009 --> 00:27:49.589 It was an incredible defensive effort, but it 00:27:49.589 --> 00:27:52.650 was entirely negated by two factors. First, Little 00:27:52.650 --> 00:27:54.890 Rock's hyper -efficiency. They shot almost 55 00:27:54.890 --> 00:27:57.170 % overall and nearly 60 % from three. They just 00:27:57.170 --> 00:27:58.609 made the shots when they got them. Okay, and 00:27:58.609 --> 00:28:00.630 the second factor? Rebounding. It goes back to 00:28:00.630 --> 00:28:02.650 the Maryland issue. Little Rock dominated the 00:28:02.650 --> 00:28:05.230 glass, out -rebounding Ball State 36 -18. That 00:28:05.230 --> 00:28:07.849 is a disastrous margin. It meant that every time 00:28:07.849 --> 00:28:09.910 Ball State successfully pressured Little Rock 00:28:09.910 --> 00:28:12.650 into a missed shot, they often failed to secure 00:28:12.650 --> 00:28:14.990 the defensive rebound, which allowed Little Rock 00:28:14.990 --> 00:28:17.910 to immediately regain the ball. This led to 18 00:28:17.910 --> 00:28:20.730 second -chance points for them. So while Ball 00:28:20.730 --> 00:28:22.690 State was excellent at forcing a mistake, they 00:28:22.690 --> 00:28:24.730 were terrible at finishing the defensive possession, 00:28:25.089 --> 00:28:27.470 which effectively erased all their hard work. 00:28:27.930 --> 00:28:29.690 Finally, a quick note on the women's basketball 00:28:29.690 --> 00:28:32.730 scene where Alaska Anchorage is off to a scorching 00:28:32.730 --> 00:28:35.250 hot start. Yeah, the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves 00:28:35.250 --> 00:28:38.309 dominated Chaminade to move to 4 -0. They showed 00:28:38.309 --> 00:28:40.950 really strong balance. Miley Anderson led the 00:28:40.950 --> 00:28:43.650 scoring with 21 points, knocking down five threes, 00:28:43.650 --> 00:28:46.369 and Lily Duffin secured a huge double -double 00:28:46.369 --> 00:28:49.309 with 15 rebounds. They were playing clean, efficient 00:28:49.309 --> 00:28:52.380 basketball. and controlling the glass. And conversely, 00:28:52.400 --> 00:28:56.059 the Wichita State Shockers fell 66 -57 to undefeated 00:28:56.059 --> 00:28:57.859 Missouri State. Yeah, the Shockers struggled 00:28:57.859 --> 00:29:00.740 with a classic offensive problem. 23 turnovers 00:29:00.740 --> 00:29:02.880 in the loss. Treasure Thompson led them with 00:29:02.880 --> 00:29:05.359 12 points, but losing 23 possessions just makes 00:29:05.359 --> 00:29:07.980 it impossible to beat an efficient, undefeated 00:29:07.980 --> 00:29:10.000 team. If we connect this to the bigger picture, 00:29:10.180 --> 00:29:13.660 the dominant, unifying theme across both pro 00:29:13.660 --> 00:29:16.740 and college basketball this weekend was the critical 00:29:16.740 --> 00:29:19.839 importance of depth. and the ability of these 00:29:19.839 --> 00:29:23.259 unheralded players to step into significant high 00:29:23.259 --> 00:29:26.200 -pressure roles when the stars inevitably fall. 00:29:26.420 --> 00:29:28.700 We saw an unprecedented vacuum of star power. 00:29:29.319 --> 00:29:31.240 Halliburton is gone for the year. Neesmith is 00:29:31.240 --> 00:29:34.180 out for a month. Morantin and Nunobi suffer setbacks. 00:29:34.619 --> 00:29:36.900 LaMelo Ball needs injury management. I mean, 00:29:36.900 --> 00:29:39.319 this isn't just about having bodies on the bench. 00:29:39.359 --> 00:29:41.559 It's about having ready bodies who can execute 00:29:41.559 --> 00:29:44.480 under duress. Especially with the NBA Cup raising 00:29:44.480 --> 00:29:46.819 the stakes so early in the season. That's the 00:29:46.819 --> 00:29:48.599 key metric we have to carry forward. Yeah. The 00:29:48.599 --> 00:29:51.059 Dennis Jenkins story, the G League grinder averaging 00:29:51.059 --> 00:29:54.519 25 and 8, shooting 56 percent from three. That 00:29:54.519 --> 00:29:57.700 is the prototype of modern NBA depth. Landry 00:29:57.700 --> 00:29:59.859 Schammett dropping 36 for a shorthanded Knicks 00:29:59.859 --> 00:30:02.119 team is another perfect example. Right. These 00:30:02.119 --> 00:30:03.819 guys are just filling minutes. They are providing 00:30:03.819 --> 00:30:05.680 critical production that lets their team survive 00:30:05.680 --> 00:30:07.880 the most difficult stretch of the season. It 00:30:07.880 --> 00:30:09.759 just underscores that team resilience is now 00:30:09.759 --> 00:30:12.000 defined by the quality of the 10th and 11th men 00:30:12.000 --> 00:30:15.160 on the roster. And we saw that exact same theme 00:30:15.160 --> 00:30:18.200 mirrored in the NCAA just raft in a layer of 00:30:18.200 --> 00:30:20.740 emotional intensity because of the severity of 00:30:20.740 --> 00:30:22.940 those college injuries. Absolutely. The NCAA 00:30:22.940 --> 00:30:26.759 theme was all about surviving adversity. And 00:30:26.759 --> 00:30:29.240 we saw two very distinct types of responses. 00:30:29.559 --> 00:30:32.380 You had Maryland after the horrific feral pain 00:30:32.380 --> 00:30:34.880 injury. They showed emotional maturity. They 00:30:34.880 --> 00:30:37.680 rallied using veterans like Diggy Coit and Isaiah 00:30:37.680 --> 00:30:40.259 Watts to secure the win. They proved they could 00:30:40.259 --> 00:30:42.440 handle the psychological strain of a traumatic 00:30:42.440 --> 00:30:45.119 event. And you contrast that with Arizona. They 00:30:45.119 --> 00:30:47.740 got the ranked victory over UCLA, but only because 00:30:47.740 --> 00:30:49.519 their highly -touted freshmen kind of melted 00:30:49.519 --> 00:30:51.799 down. Yeah. Arizona's reliance on the senior, 00:30:51.940 --> 00:30:54.759 Anthony Delorso, for 20 points, it just highlights 00:30:54.759 --> 00:30:56.700 that learning curve. Their freshman accounted 00:30:56.700 --> 00:30:59.859 for 12 of the team's 15 turnovers, which is a 00:30:59.859 --> 00:31:02.180 fundamental collapse in execution under pressure. 00:31:02.380 --> 00:31:04.000 The difference between an experienced senior 00:31:04.000 --> 00:31:06.240 stepping up and rookies struggling with basic 00:31:06.240 --> 00:31:09.960 ball security is just stark. Maryland found emotional 00:31:09.960 --> 00:31:13.180 resolve. Arizona found a reliable veteran life 00:31:13.180 --> 00:31:16.049 raft. So what does all this mean for you, the 00:31:16.049 --> 00:31:17.910 learner of basketball? How do you apply this 00:31:17.910 --> 00:31:19.990 knowledge? It means you have to look past the 00:31:19.990 --> 00:31:22.490 box score headlines. If you really want to understand 00:31:22.490 --> 00:31:25.369 how games are truly won and lost, you need to 00:31:25.369 --> 00:31:28.730 deep dive into the secondary metrics. This weekend 00:31:28.730 --> 00:31:30.950 proved that success is often dictated by role 00:31:30.950 --> 00:31:33.869 players executing niche skills or the collective 00:31:33.869 --> 00:31:36.750 failure to secure fundamentals. Look for Dennis 00:31:36.750 --> 00:31:40.049 Jenkins' hard -nosed defense or Anthony Delorso 00:31:40.049 --> 00:31:42.549 coming off the bench for 20. And on the flip 00:31:42.549 --> 00:31:45.049 side, you analyze those fundamental failures, 00:31:45.230 --> 00:31:48.670 the rebounding disaster in Maryland or the complete 00:31:48.670 --> 00:31:50.970 lack of defensive rebounding by Ball State that 00:31:50.970 --> 00:31:53.569 negated 23 forced turnovers. These technical 00:31:53.569 --> 00:31:55.549 flaws and hidden contributors, they tell the 00:31:55.549 --> 00:31:57.849 real story of a season's direction. Exactly. 00:31:57.890 --> 00:32:00.230 They identify which teams are structurally resilient 00:32:00.230 --> 00:32:02.829 versus those that are just relying solely on 00:32:02.829 --> 00:32:05.230 star power. What an incredible weekend of hoops. 00:32:05.579 --> 00:32:07.720 We saw Stephen Curry cement his place next to 00:32:07.720 --> 00:32:09.619 Michael Jordan in the longevity record books, 00:32:09.720 --> 00:32:12.240 Towns stepping up for a banged up Knicks team, 00:32:12.460 --> 00:32:15.019 and that painful reality check for the Pacers. 00:32:15.140 --> 00:32:17.740 In college, we witnessed an emotional rally in 00:32:17.740 --> 00:32:20.359 Maryland and a high stakes duel between UConn 00:32:20.359 --> 00:32:23.299 and BYU that was defined by execution. The early 00:32:23.299 --> 00:32:25.839 season intensity. You know, particularly with 00:32:25.839 --> 00:32:28.900 these high stakes NBA Cup games, it's demanding 00:32:28.900 --> 00:32:31.259 playoff level intensity from players in November. 00:32:31.420 --> 00:32:33.839 It's forcing coaches to push their stars, these 00:32:33.839 --> 00:32:36.859 monumental numbers, just to secure early tournament 00:32:36.859 --> 00:32:39.160 wins. And that leads us directly to our final 00:32:39.160 --> 00:32:41.279 provocative thought for you to chew on. The NBA 00:32:41.279 --> 00:32:43.519 Cup has been a major success in terms of driving 00:32:43.519 --> 00:32:46.339 drama and competition. It's forcing stars like 00:32:46.339 --> 00:32:49.200 Curry and Towns to produce these incredible high 00:32:49.200 --> 00:32:52.609 usage performances. But. Considering the injuries 00:32:52.609 --> 00:32:55.349 to Neesmith, the ongoing management of Lomelo 00:32:55.349 --> 00:32:58.190 Ball, the setbacks to Jalen Green, what is the 00:32:58.190 --> 00:33:00.710 ultimate price of this early season high stakes 00:33:00.710 --> 00:33:03.190 competition? Are we trading the late season health 00:33:03.190 --> 00:33:05.690 of our key players for November drama? And what 00:33:05.690 --> 00:33:07.750 long term impact will this heightened early season 00:33:07.750 --> 00:33:09.670 toll have on playoff contention down the stretch? 00:33:10.029 --> 00:33:12.690 That question remains the defining tension hanging 00:33:12.690 --> 00:33:13.309 over the league.