Paolo Banchero on Manifesting His NBA All-Star Goal & Intense Shooting Workouts with Kevin Durant

Orlando Magic star Paolo Banchero returns to The Old Man and the Three this week for another amazing interview! To star of the episode, JJ Redick and Richard Jefferson discuss the Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks. Paolo opens up about becoming more of a leader and improving all-around as player in his second year in the NBA with the help of advice from Coach K and Los Angeles Clippers guard Russell Westbrook. He also shares how he feels he can control his own destiny and manifesting his career goals, from becoming the No. 1 overall pick, being named Rookie of the Year, being selected as an All-Star in his second year, to making the playoffs, eventually becoming an All-NBA player and more. He then shares his experience play for Team USA and how he need to adapt to not being the first option for the first time in his life. Also, he explains how 1-on-1 shooting workouts with Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant last offseason improved his jumpshot.

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.

Welcome to the old Mana 3 with JJ reck and Tommy alter brought to you by 342 Productions this is episode 207 Paulo banero and we have a special guest in the new studio the first person to step foot in this new studio other than you know me Kye Richie Etc the people that

Are actually doing this stuff Tommy I think stopped by the other day for for the first time oh hey Tommy yeah congrats I’m excited to be here first of all um look I’m gonna say this JJ uh a lot of things going on a lot of lot of

Moving Parts uh here in the last couple of weeks but you know I just say it is truly an honor that you guys went through all of this trouble to build out a studio like after I said I wasn’t going to your house anymore for you guys

To build out this studio and have something so a li you didn’t need all of this JJ like I I I hope that that you kept the receipts on some of these things but this is cool the garden level makeshift Studio was good enough for you

Look look that that was fine but look like I said I I’m I’m impressed that you put this all together knowing that I was coming here in a couple of weeks and so uh the fact that you guys rushed to do it the way you did to make sure that

This was ready uh for our conversation this is amazing what a lovely week for us right we get to call a game uh Saturday in Denver little disappointing embiid was out you called the Brooklyn nuts on Monday in a couple hours we are going to be calling the Phoenix Suns in

The Brooklyn Nets Katie’s return to uh the Nets over the last few weeks we’ve talked a little bit on the podcast about some of the hottest teams the LA Clippers being one we talked about the Cleveland Cavaliers uh with the dunker spot guys as well uh for our draftking

Sports book segment I want to touch on two teams right now and that is the New York Knicks and the team we’re going to have tonight the Phoenix Suns uh Phoenix 13-5 since December 26th uh they’ve had now a sustained run uh Bradley Beals

Played in 17 of the last 18 I feel like we can talk about this group now mm-hm uh what are your overall impressions of the Phoenix Suns uh in this stretch of basketball well we’ve established something I think we established this maybe earlier on in the year what is our

Sample size what is the sample size 20 to 25 we close enough but but no but that’s what I’m saying we’ve establish the sample size look when you get to 171 18 like you’re pretty close to what okay we can have an understanding the team can kind of figure out rotations they

Can get a rhythm uh and I think now we’re starting to see I I I stand by the three of them are so special um you know when you’re talking about Bradley Bal Kevin Durant uh and Devin Booker we’ve seen huge numbers coming up from book

Lately uh but I still stand by that the the most important ones are going to be the contributions that they get from other people and right now Grayson Allen might be having one of the best non-star seasons in in the league the way he’s shooting the three because he becomes so

Important you can send rotations to different guys you can throw a double it book you can stay at home on Bradley beill you can stay at home on Kevin Durant and then all of a sudden it’s like well who’s going to beat you and you got to have those guys I’d go back

To when the Brooklyn Nets had Joe Harris right they had those guys and it’s like that extra shooter that you have on the floor whether it’s Eric Gordon he’s played great uh uh Grayson Allen those are the guys that are going to make this team run right the stars are going to be

The stars but eventually you get teams with other three stars and then it becomes who else is contributing you throw a you’re going to have joic you’re going to have Murray you’re going to have uh Michael Porter Jr but they have Aaron Gordon they have Casey P they have so

Many other talented players and so the Phoenix Suns you’re like okay you know their big three are a Monster who are the other players and so far I think Eric Gordon played solid he’s got a knockdown shots and then I think Grayson Allen’s been outstanding I think Grayson

Allen shooting almost what is he 50% from three something absurd and so I look at that from a standpoint of you have no one that you can leave open or they will beat you and they will score points quick if they’re down 10 12 that doesn’t matter they can score in bunches

So I think the Phoenix Suns are starting do I wish that they had a little bit more depth yes but that’s the price you pay I love the I love the statement you just made about Grayson Allen he’s having one of the best non-star seasons in the NBA right now bring up the

Three-point percentage he’s just under 50% for the season over the last 18 on 5.3 attempts he’s shooting just under 56% over the last 18 the thing that’s been interesting to me and Booker of course had this four game Run where he was averaging an insane amount of uh of

Points but the thing that’s interesting to me they’ve essentially since December 26 uh all played at least 15 of the 18 games Booker’s played 18 Durant 15 Beal 17 there seems to already be a little bit of a pecking order with the big three where it’s like Booker Durant Beal

Booker’s at 29 a game Durant’s at just under 25 Beal’s at over 18 a game all super efficient all all playing well um I went into some of the lineup data and this is what I found interesting so they’ve started to play and it’s only been 27 minutes that this group has

Played together but they’ve started to play Durant Summit the five uh they’ve closed some games that way they’ve closed some quarters that way um that group with Durant Gordon Beal Booker Allen has a net rating of 12.2 in 27 minutes together um nurkic who’s the one

Guy you you didn’t want to give any love to we had him earlier in the season got off to a little bit of a slow start I thought I think he’s been solid for the last month or so um the group with Gordon instead of Beal so Durant Gordon

Nurkic Booker Allen that group has an outstanding defensive rating of 100.9 and an overall 20.1 net rating it seems to me and you go in their fourth quarter data where they they’ve sucked in the fourth quarter they’ve been the worst fourth quarter team a lot of their best

Lineups in the fourth quarter have been really good actually so it seems to me like they’re starting now that be is healthy sustained uh run here of of 15 plus games where they can actually get into some lineups and some rotations consistently seems to me like they’re

Starting to figure things out and the fourth quarter stuff of course is something that we’re going to have to monitor number 30 in the NBA in offense for the season in fourth quarter offense they’ve been terrible in the fourth quarter well look again they’re the sample size a lot of times is rotation

The finishing of games right you either blow out or you have a close game you lose a tough one you still have to figure out how you’re going to finish games and a lot of that is based off of who you’re playing against Kevin Durant

At the five you can do that against I I would say 60% of the teams you could do that if you’ve got joic if you might have you know if you’re playing against Miami if you’re playing against you know even the Lakers I would say like a team

Like that that has like legitimate bigs that’s probably not a great that’s not a great system to have Kevin Durant at the five but you’re playing small ball you’re switching everything across I think I think to have multiple finishing lineups right where it’s like hey this

Is the big that we’re going to go with this is what it show you know we’re gonna go with nurkic that that’s kind of my line oh we’re playing against the Sacramento Kings and Kevin Durant has to guard sabonis that’s fine I I’ll I’ll adjust that you’re living with that I’m

Living with that because he’s got to guard Kevin Durant or somebody or a Grayson Allen and if he’s guarding a Grayson Allen or even if you put him on one of the Lesser guys now all of a sudden he’s not around the basket right so he’s not around the basket he’s

Pulled over so get better spacing so I I look at it as like you have to figure out when we’re playing against bigs when we’re playing against Smalls like who are our lineups and you got to have multiple lineups any if you got one pitch and and that you’re you’re in a

You’re in a bad spot I think we’ll see that lineup tonight against the Brooklyn Nets this seems like a team as much as they switch claxon at the five I would expect to see that small ball lineup quite a bit tonight um and I agree with

You by the way you’re you’re going to give something up playing Kevin Durant at the five right it’s especially if if you’re going to let’s say it is against Sacramento in the playoffs and you want to run that uh in the second half for for stretches with sabonis at the five

You’re going to give something up but you’re also creating an advantage on the offensive end uh right now uh draftking sports book The the odds still like the Phoenix Suns as a title Contender they’re at plus 1200 fifth lowest in the NBA tied with Philly for for fifth uh

And then in the Western Conference for conference Champion third lowest odds only the Clippers and the nuggets have better odds than them uh let’s go to arguably uh the hottest team in basketball right now the New York Knicks who stand in third place in the Eastern

Conference 14 and two in January um we have got we just got to give Jaylen Brunson some love because look I think Luca and Shay right Luca and Shay has played as well as any guard not in stretches for this season yeah has there been a better guard than those two

Besides Jaylen Brunson for the season not for stretches because certainly halberton at the start of the season right we’ve seen Donovan Mitchell go on some some great stretches Booker of course lately Jaylen Brunson has been phenomenal all season long like okay yes he has I’m not there there was that SM

Remember we did uh one of their early games he was struggling from two struggling from Two and they were just same with Randall Randall was really struggling from three and they kind of they kind of figured it out but that’s just early start of the season to me

When you look at Shay it’s like wait Shay was first team all NBA last year I’m not arguing no I’m not aru no I’m I’m breaking down the players that you were just I’m saying like sh calm the [ __ ] down I was saying Shay if you look

At it he had great thank you I appreciate the brown oh yeah yeah Outlets yeah Outlets the Tom Ford Outlet no but I’m saying like Shay had a great season but look he added Chad hren he was already First Team all NBA so it looks like he’s continuing what he’s

Been doing and maybe building on that that I I think now he’s gotten himself into like hey is this dude an MVP candidate like that that’s where he is I think Brunson is now in a space where you’re like oh no he is an All-Star is

He an all NBA is he going to crack that stuff right now at this point in time I I think he’s an all NBA player if the all NBA ballots were to be given out right now to me I think he he would has a very good chance at all NBA what he’s

Doing late game the Knicks one uh 14 games I think it’s either their first or second most amount of wins that they’ve ever had in a single month that’s that’s a that’s a pretty big that’s a pretty big spot to be in and so when you look at you know and now you

Got Randall out and Randall’s missed a couple of games and they’ve still continued to win and that to me is the ultimate compliment of a guard uh like him where it’s like hey we’re going to be short-handed we we’re rolling and they were healthy they you know you talk

About the trade with OG and then and their record from the moment he showed up their team was healthy and rolling okay now what do you do when you get a little bit of adversity right now you don’t want adversity for two three months but if you can handle adversity

For a couple of weeks and and play quality basketball which they have he’s got to up his game he’s got to make sure he’s getting other people to up their games and he’s done an outstanding job of it so far 13- one the Knicks are uh in January when Brunson played he

Averaged uh 29 Points 7.7 assists I want to go into some of this stuff how have they turned things around obviously the OG trade uh which I’ll get to in a second so Mitchell Robinson goes out mid December they were last in defensive efficiency in December we had their game

Against the Bulls on January 3rd asked tibs about that he felt like their defense was in a good place and hartenstein was going to do an out you know a great job you know holding down the fort essentially they go from last in defensive efficiency in December to

First in January number one halfcourt defense number one at defending the rim in the half court uh hartenstein held opponents to 46% shooting on layups and dunks in January 56 per players in the NBA contested 75 plus shots only one player held opponents under 40% that was

OG an anobi where do you find these [ __ ] stats you got to read your stuff man you got to read your stuff so think about this they so defensively they have become Elite in the half court with the addition of OG hartenstein has done an outstanding job uh OG had the second

Best plus minus in January any player in the NBA at plus 252 you know who was number one Jaylen Brunson that seems obvious uh offensively for them uh they were best per possession in the NBA for the month in transition offense and they seem to really Double Down On Empty side

Pick and roll with Jaylen Brunson their effic efficiency Skyrocket in the month of January from 0.95 prior to that per possession to 1.19 so do you have a question no I have a question in a second I have a question in a second hold on I wanna I want to get through

What they’re doing well very well stuff right Dean chenzo has shot the [ __ ] out of the ball so all that empty side stuff we’re creating spacing we’re getting uh open spot up threes for Dean chenzo Josh hard at his first career of triple double the other day oddly enough 10 10

And 10 which is actually super to go back and watch the film for every single assist and rebound I’m sure he got there in points but there’s some some favoritism there um for this team because there was I believe a little bit of what seemed like a a fair statement

From from Becky Hammond uh four to six weeks ago seemed like a fair statement about Brunson turned into a really toxic thing we we have to acknowledge that they’re a very good basketball team my question for you is cuz perk has said this he thinks they’re going to be in

The Conference Finals at least where do you see this team in the hierarchy of not only the Eastern Conference but the NBA in general oh wow okay um I think oh okay but okay let’s go back to the Becky ham and statement because I I I actually

Support her from to to a certain degree of what she’s saying she was more talking about his size I historically speaking we got Stephanie Isaiah in the modern NBA you can throw Chanty in there maybe but it’s the same thing about about when Charles Barkley said that the

The Warriors you can’t win being a jump shooting team but there had never been so over his entire basketball life of watching basketball and look this dude’s a former MVP he’s like this hasn’t been done you got to go prove it and that’s what they did and I think Brunson and

The Knicks are in a gopr it mode uh we’ve talked about like the the the six guys that have led teams to an NBA championship right active players the active players currently yeah there’s more than six but yeah the current active players in the league the best

Player on the best team there six guys currently right now yes that that have done that and so you’re you’re to me those currently and I’ll stand by this those are the only one A’s those are the only one A’s because they have proven it

Everybody else is a one B that has to prove and I’ll go with Joel embiid too Joel embiid is I this is this is important I want to clarify this you’re you’re just saying to be a true 1A in your book you have to be able to have

Led your team to a championship CU you’re throwing a lot of guys in there that are one BS then you’re throwing Luca you’re thr throwing Shay you’re throwing Tatum you’re throwing Joel yeah yeah I’m being and I’m being and I’m being because look we know this the

Level of respect that comes from an MVP and a Finals MVP is very different Joel embiid is actively saying he’s like look I’ve got an MVP I want a finals MVP right not many guys are like I have a Finals MVP I want to go win an MVP it’s

Like yeah there’s steps to this so I say this we are going to find out if Brunson can be a 1A I believe the way he’s playing the way they’re constructing this roster it puts him in a position to be you know that guy on this roster now

Where do I put him in the hierarchy I think they are the the second most stable team in the Eastern Conference I think the Milwaukee Bucks you got a lot of you got a lot of questions right they just fired their coach they got a brand

New coach and then I go and look at I go and look at um uh the Philadelphia 76 yeah so okay so if we’re talking about the top three teams in my opinion let’s say it’s it’s Philly it’s Milwaukee uh Philly Milwaukee Boston and the Knicks

Let’s say these are the top four I know Cleveland’s been playing well but we look at these teams and I’m like okay well Philly’s got questions in my say look Jo embiid he’s a little banged up where you know you’re trying to figure it out uh Boston they look pretty strong

Boston looks like the class of the league complete roster construction they have youth they’ve got size they’ve got versatility they’ve got depth they’ve got everything you need but I think Milwaukee’s got questions and I think Philly’s got questions in my opinion so because Philly’s never been to the

Conference Finals so to say that they can go through an entire playoff run so when I look at the Knicks can they make it to the Conference Finals yeah this is actually a season where it’s tailored for them it looks like the Bucks are in a bit of disarray looks like Philly

Still has a a a little bit of a hump to get over so I I think as a conference finalist yes now if we start saying NBA championship understand that there is multiple layers it’s like just getting to the Conference Finals is [ __ ] hard winning that series and then going in

Winning another series I think that there are still and I don’t necessarily think it’s a superstar I think that they can construct a uh 04 Pistons type roster right where you have so many talented players in your top five right where they had rash and the pieces fit

And the pieces fit everyone’s Elite and they had depth right so you don’t need Superstars right chony BBS won finals MVP Rasheed Wallace Ben Wallace like all of these guys were all stars Denver last year I’ll say that like Denver last year they have a superstar Jamal Murray we

Know is a Bonafide star in the NBA and even better he plays like a superstar in the playoffs he likes clutch he’s aut guy he plays he plays like a superstar in the playoffs his finals last year of course you know one of I think four guys

In NBA history to average 25 and 10 assists for an NBA Finals don’t disagree with anything you just said I no I don’t I don’t I I think your point about the 1A is fair I I think I don’t want to get caught up in the ring culture defining

Who is a 1A and what a 1B player so I I would I would add playoff success and your ability to elevate your team to a conference semi-final certainly but definitely even a Conference Finals a finals appearance to me you’re a 1A that so so so so the the Lucas and the tatums

Like that group Sha Shay Joel whatever like they’re one A’s to me they’re they’re they’re true onea but it’s semantics it’s semantics real quick uh New York Knicks right now Championship odds plus 3500 on draftking Sportsbook conference they actually have the fifth lowest and I at plus

14400 uh I think they’re better than that and I I I have them in sort of that tier after the Boston Celtics where I do believe they can make the Conference Finals really quickly this this current when when healthy you know this is the best Knicks team since the 99 I think

Finals team that they had like to me over my entire year years of watching the Knicks since I’ve been in the league this is the best team when I talk about coaching when I talk about star star star players when you all NBA versa the way they play the way their pieces

Fit this is the best Nick team that we have seen in in 20 years yeah and and the thing I like the thing I really like about them right now is the identity they’re building on the defensive end and the trade I think was the impetus to

To start that where they get OG uh he to me he fit this is not a knock on RJ he fits better RJ you know for for playing with Brunson and Randall I think it’s hard to then be another guy that needs the ball in his hands quickly the same

Way right you you certainly saw him as a starter play well but then it’s like all right now we’re under siiz with quickley and Brunson in the back court there’s questions there in the playoffs right so I think this roster has has Mo a more uh

Like a more coherent fit pieces fit and I I really do like this team RJ uh thanks for stopping by Buddy for the draftking sports book intro this has I love you the NBA season is in full swing download the draftking Sportsbook app with code JJ new customers can betch us

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 or text heny 467 369 in Connecticut help is available for problem gambling call

8887895118 or please play responsibly on behalf of booill Casino and Resort in Kansas 21 plus age varies by jurisdiction void in Ontario bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance see dk.com basketball for eligibility and deposit restriction terms and responsible gaming resources and we’re going to get to our conversation with

Paulo banero uh great guy obviously Duke Brotherhood uh I believe he he’s deserving an All-Star spot we just did our our Allstar Reserve picks on Monday with the dunker spot on the old man of the three things uh I do think it it’s going to come down to the last spot between

Him young I know they finished they didn’t finish well and that’s that’s the thing you feel because they were the the surprise team the first 20 20 games of the season 25 games of the season I should say we we we did interview Paulo three weeks ago so uh We’ve held on to

This so at the time when we interviewed him I was like this guy’s a sure fire allar this guy can’t miss we’ll see what happens now with Randall potentially being out I I do I do think I do think Paulo ends up getting in uh all right

Let’s get to our conversation with Paulo and Carol one in one out Tommy bronze just left PA walks in bronze told us that they knew for certain going into that semi-final game in the World Cup that they were going to beat you guys he said

That for real has he ever told you that no I don’t think he has I think Mo vogner might have said something similar to that though well talk a little more but tell me tell me about their personalities and the differences between the two of them yeah how I look at it is

Like fron is is Mo kind of like a more mature side but they’re both but they’re both the same though like they’re both crazy like we call Mo Mo crazy already but fr’s the same fire that he got like on the court they’re they’re kind of the

Same like fron is very animated on the court and then MOS is that same animation off the court and fron is more reserved if you had to rate Joe Eng Les Mo and frons one two three most to least sarcastic how would you rate them um Joe Engles tastes the

Cake number one 100% like he literally the first day I met him uh during summer league we worked out together this past summer and first time I ever met him first time I ever got in the gym with him he had just signed and uh he was

Talking [ __ ] like before we even put our shoes on so he takes the cake number one and then out go Mo second France third but fron on the court might be more sarcastic than Mo like France knows every rule every like he gives the he gives the

Refs more [ __ ] than does he really yeah but he but is everything is very calculated you know what I’m saying it’s very like yo this is the rule this is you’re supposed to be calling it this way like if you’re not then we got to do something about it like he he’s he’s

Reasonable but he stays on exciting to hear and I’m GNA tell you why because there’s an observation of of him and I I think some of that observation is relative to Mo right and and obviously we just spent some time with France but knowing that he’s calculating especially with the referees

I now know that he is a true and that makes me happy that makes me really happy what was Joe talking [ __ ] about before you even put your shoes on yeah but so it was just us two who showed up that day coincidentally so it

Oh this wasn’t a pickup game no this was just a a team workout and I think me and Joe were the only ones that kind of showed up it was kind of early in Vegas had a couple guys there and like me it was me and him were going to work out

Together shoot together and so he was just talking [ __ ] how he was going out shoot me and I was like okay it’s going to be this kind of workout okay so then we kind of went at it the whole workout one shot for shot he won um but I won a

Couple spots and so talking my [ __ ] but and so that’s when I knew and he’s talking not just to me he’s talking to every coach you know he was talking about how his right corner he he don’t miss in the right corner so I just got

To know Joe that day yeah do you have an all-time favorite Joe story he always talks about Joe’s an [ __ ] but he does I don’t know if we I don’t know if we’ve been EST established your favorite Joe story what’s Wild is Joe and I were teammates for two

Weeks Joe and I were teammates for two weeks 10 years ago in 2014 training camp with with LA okay we were in Vegas and we had like 16 guaranteed guys on the roster and we still brought Joe in and Joe clearly should have been on our team

It’s one of the unforgivables with Doc Rivers cuz it’s not just that Joe Les could have helped us it’s that Joe Eng Les was one of us and Joe is still friends with me he’s still friends with Blake DJ like he was one of us

Yeah he’s a Vibes guy man you want him on your team you want him in your locker room and he can play yeah no he it’s surprising that he can still play for me it’s surprising Joe it’s surprising you can St play hey it’s I’m telling you

Like part of the game to me I think is or most of the game is mental and his mental is just like he thinks like he talks [ __ ] regardless like he’s going to talk himself even if he’s not playing well he’s gonna talk himself into doing something like make having an effect on

The game I didn’t know he was as much of a he’s kind of turned into a floor General yeah like how he runs kind of the second unit and directs guys like I thought he was kind of more a spot up in no when he was in Utah this is before

Like the knee injury I mean at times he was like their deao point guard you know especially before they got Mike before they got Mike connley and he kind of just let Donovan Rock but you put the ball in his hands and that pick and roll

With Rudy and you get him going into his left hand and Rudy rolling to the rim pass fake the pass fake fake ball fake pass fake slow step he has a to answer your question about my favorite Joe Engle story I don’t have one favorite Joe Engle story

Joe Eagles like like always tells the story that I was the first NBA player to ever take him out for lunch and so I think that’s why he talks [ __ ] to me a lot but that’s why I think he likes me because I have a special place in his

Heart but I still am mad at him for the 2017 playoff series when he face carded me every time I crossed half court for seven straight games and I’m not gonna lie locked me up so I still like something really deep within my heart

Like I love him I truly do even though I was only his team teammate for two weeks I literally I talk to him text him whatever I love them some part of me yeah still feels a certain way understandable it’s funny we were talking about what we learned about fron

From you and fron mentioned to us uh because we’re going to talk about your growth in your second year as a player but fron mentioned to us that he felt like you were really growing into a leader and becoming more vocal yeah and I’m curious about just that maturation

Process of coming into the league young guy getting rookie of the year and already within your second year really feeling like you are one of the guys who has to talk and set the tone yeah I think it just came from you know being a number one pck obviously there’s a

Certain expectation that’s carried and um you know it was just always encouraged about my teammates my coaches like yo speak up you know especially even my rookie year you know I didn’t want to speak up as much and everyone would just tell me like you know when

You’re quiet when you’re reserved it it hurts the team you know you’re better we’re better when you’re more vocal more more you know assertive and uh kind of directing traffic and so that was something that over the summer I kind of you know had to get better at I had some

Talks just with different people um and so they encouraged me to kind of step step up in that regard you know that was probably the biggest room for improvement outside of just skill-wise that I was looking to uh uh get better at and so I think just playing USA um

Being around that environment then gaining that experience helped and then coming to training camp just with the expectations we had as a team I think we all wanted to win and I knew that in order for that to happen I had to step up there but it’s not natural for you

Coach K didn’t bring it out of you no I think coach that was something that Coach K really he was with you like he was on the same page like you need to be more vocal yeah that was like his biggest thing you know why are you being

Quiet why aren’t you talking you know like we need to hear your voice we need to and so that was like during my college season that kind of went up and down I think towards the end the tournament and all that I think I got

Better at it and kind of saw like how my effect had on the team of just me being a better leader and more vocal so I think that was the start and then rookie year was kind of another step and being in the NBA and then headed into the

Second year like okay I got one year under my belt like you know we we improved in my rookie year as a team like this year we can make some noise so I got to be even better this is not just about you it’s not but a just a

Observation and Richard Roar who is a guy that I read all the time he’s a Franciscan priest who lives in New Mexico at some contemplation Center there’s a a 99.9% chance this guy’s done mushrooms before but he talks a lot about the energy you bring to a group and the effect that

That energy both good and bad can have on the group I think what’s important and you’ve already realized this which is phenomenal I think what’s important in the NBA is the star players and their energy have like a exponential effect on the group I know you’re you know we talk

Last time you were on the P we talked about our experien with Coach K but like Coach K was such a body language guy and he’s like constantly reading people’s energy based on their face based on their shoulders based on is their chin pointing down is their chin

Pointing up it’s and it’s it’s amazing that in an 82 Game season how much just that stuff can affect the group yeah no it’s huge and Coach K like I said he’s one of those one of those guys who I talked to a lot um this

Summer this offseason and uh you know he called me probably three or four times nothing crazy but just three or four times is a lot for that’s what I mean so that was a good amount you know I was I didn’t expect to hear from him that much and uh

He just kind of I I felt that he felt this was going to be a step like doing what I did in the summer with USA and then heading in my second year is like he knew that this is where I kind of had to take that that next lead in terms of

My leadership cuz like you said just the he was huge um for me in that department cuz I was never really great at that uh just body language wise I think you know I would show leadership in big moments always but like just everyday body language I

Wasn’t very good at it and so I remember one point during the season he made his film edit of me and it was me getting fouled and not converting to N1 and every time I didn’t convert the N1 I I wouldn’t be pissed off but I would just

Always drop my head like just and it was kind of just natural I just did it and I I didn’t care but I just would do it and I didn’t even really notice it and he probably pulled like eight 10 clips of that it was like you like stop doing

This [ __ ] like this is weak this is soft you know like this is not you know keep your chin up and I was like damn just watching those clips like you know just me getting fouled you know I’m not even upset I’m just not realizing I’m just

Dropping my head and so that’s stuff that he picked up on that kind of just always made me like focus on my body language I don’t know if this is a weird um like cons not a conspiracy but maybe just like a weird fact or an untrue fact

That I found on Google but apparently when you put your chest out and raise your head it raises your testosterone levels I read that I wouldn’t doubt that that’s true like in the moment you get like a surge of like stuff it’s probably true it’s just funny well think about it

Dude if you’re droopy if you’re droopy and heads down natural yeah you relax you tell me you’re ready to play you tell me you’re ready to play no and that’s why it hit me I kind of was like no he’s right like this kind of does it

Looks bad yeah well your your game you just met uh Knox and Kai again um and you were like oh yeah I remember meeting you guys at Duke and it was the Miami game and I’ve told the story before but there was a timeout you guys lost the

Game and it was very obvious to me and I’m not Coach K that there was some body language issues that game and he called timeout in the second half you guys all sit down he comes over to the Huddle and he literally just called the timeout to

Tell you guys that your face is [ __ ] suck nothing else happened I’m sitting right right on the bench there was not a play there was not a matchup change there was nothing he was just like your faces [ __ ] suck just wanted to point that out to you that’s basically it no

He’s definitely the catus in in that department for me which I forever in appreciated for because I needed it and I still like like I said I still think about it to this day you know cuz sometimes I catch myself and I’m just like N I got to stay you know and stoic

Kind of how he was from a body language standpoint and just from sort of an energy standpoint now that you’re a year and a half in dealing with the slog like dealing with the like okay we got back to backs you know we’re in OKC last night we’re in these places that like

Maybe it’s not necessarily like also right now with how many guys you guys are missing and all the doubles and even triples you’re facing it’s a grind I mean the NBA is always a grind but it’s really a grind so just from like an energy standpoint like how are you how

Are you maintaining that now what have you learned over the last year in terms of maintaining that yeah it’s it’s crazy you say that because that’s just really been my main focus especially with the road games like you said back to backs and everything I think I just learned so

Much about myself just throughout the year last year where there’ be games where on a backtack I didn’t eat the night before and so now I’m behind and then I get to the game and I don’t got energy I can feel that I’m empty and so now heading

Into this year like I’m just making sure that none of that is in question I think trying to make sure that my energy is always consistent whether it’s what I eat how I’m sleeping because I think the NBA is just how I’m noticing I feel like it’s really repetitive like with just

The schedule and the the the same kind of places and situations like for instance we just played Golden State um and then Sacramento on a back to back and it was the same situation last last year we played Golden State then drove or drove to Sacramento after the game

Played Sacramento and so I thought of that you know this year and um I remember that Sacramento game my rookie year not not feeling great you know didn’t sleep very well didn’t eat and then so I made sure this Sacramento game this year to you know make sure I slept

Got something to eat right after the Golden State game so that you know the next day heading into the game I was feeling much better and you know we almost uh won the game I think I think last time we had you on the pod it was

December is if that’s right of your rookie year yeah December December 18th the Pod came out something like that um was that the was that the biggest adjustment for you or the biggest shock in terms of your rookie year because when we talked to you you got you put

Guys that probably played like 20 or 25 games like you hadn’t really hit yeah this point of the Season which is I think the worst point of the Season which is like January 5ish to Allstar break really it’s it’s the hard part yeah yeah know and that’s when last year

That was when I got messed up January February I got messed up like that was the wall that everybody talked about that was when I hit the wall um so like that was the biggest thing for me this year like how can I make sure that I’m

Ready for that because it’s gonna happen so like actually a guy who who talked to me or I talked to and asked was uh Russell Westbrook and he came up to me and told me he was like yo whatever like Good Year said what’s up congratul he

Was like but you know year 2 is the hardest year and I was like uh for real you know why why do we say that and he said because one you got expectations now everyone is expecting you to perform and you know everyone’s expecting you to

Improve and be better and uh so then I asked him like how what was your mentality like how did you become better in your two like what did you do he said like I said earlier about energy like I made sure my routine was the same every

Day he’s like I still do but made sure I ate the same every day I knew how much I was eating what I was eating how much I was sleeping so that when the game start I’m not even thinking about how I feel like you know I might be sore or what

Not but mentally you know physically like I’m all there and so that was my biggest thing was like making sure game in and game out like all the other stuff I got to do leading up whether it’s stretching eating sleep like all that’s taken care of so the game I can just

Focus on the game I think it was right after that January Fe feary stretch where I put out a video cuz we on this podcast I don’t know if you know this we talk about the entire NBA and we talk about a bunch of different players and I

Pointed out the fact that Jaylen Williams was having a good rookie year and deserves some consideration and your Boy George Joel Dante they’re all [ __ ] texting me thinking I’m cra I’m like did I say that I’m voting for jayen Williams for Rookie of the Year no I just said he

Deserves some consideration for a top two or three vote that’s all I was that’s all I said it was nothing against you I just wanted to clear the air now right I did in fact I appreciate that in terms of the on court stuff obviously you’re shooting the ball better um from

Three same amount of attempts um but where where do you feel like you’ve grown the most in terms of being a a player and and and a closer and a finisher yeah I think the biggest if I had to say one was just I think I’ve

Really been been able to hunt shots and Hunt spots this year I think that was something that I focused a lot on in the summertime was just trying to cut all the extra stuff that didn’t really need to be done in the game that I was doing

My rookie year which was a lot just not really you know having any experience so this year just picking the right spots and um you know being aggressive in in getting to those spots like you know making an effort to get to those spots on the floor I think was has been big

This year in essence you actually thinking the game more way more way more like 100% more so can you describe sort of the because when I watch you play this year I’m like he’s playing with a lot of confidence confidence didn’t mean you weren’t confident last year but can you describe

The difference between rookie year and this year in terms of just that like you’re talking about routine back to like you’re experiencing everything for the first time last year there’s got to be some some level of comfort that’s giving you confidence besides obviously the work you’re putting in yeah yeah

Like I mean like I said it it feels like the season is repetitive like it feels kind of just like last year did you know what I’m saying just with the schedule and everything so I’ve went through it once and so now I feel like I’m just way

More prepared and then as far as the basketball part like like there would be times my rookie year where like I’d have a Terri I’d have a whatever a bad game um but after the game I’d be like I should have dominated this game you know what I’m

Saying I just didn’t know what I was doing or I didn’t know like I didn’t know how to attack this coverage I didn’t know how to beat this but I’m like I see it and I feel it like I know I can beat it but I just didn’t know you

Know I didn’t have the the experience and the wasn’t like I said I wasn’t thinking in the game I kind was just reading reacting do you feel from a a opponent scheme standpoint that I mean you were the first overall pick you had a lot of hype going into last year but

Like do you feel different in terms of how you’re being schemed against how you’re being targeted you’re coming in now people being like oh [ __ ] Paulo’s coming in tonight in a way that like I don’t know the first couple months last year they may they may have been like

This guy’s got to prove himself before he really is there yeah I think yeah that was just my mentality like like I got to dominate single coverage you know what I’m saying if I get a switch if if I got you know one-on-one I got to be

Able to win that battle every time um and then once I draw an extra guy or two then that’s when I got to make the right play and you know find the open guy and so I think I’ve seen a lot more um you know whatever it is doubles hard shows

And stuff like that but I like it because it’s it’s opening up for a lot of other guys and it’s giving me opportunity it almost slows the game down more because an advantage is created once it’s two on me or three that you know there’s one or two guys

That’s open that I’m able to Now read the defense and and make them pay for it so I think I’m still getting better at it but that’s my my biggest area where I think it’s it’s changed this is a random question but is Trey young is it me or

Is Trey young better defensively this year I’m watching that fourth quarter made some big plays against us we just but you know you guys were trying to get the matchup right and so you using you as a point forward late in the game and I’m watching his show angles and like

The urgency to recover and like close out under control I I thought his defense down the stretch of that game was like the best I’ve seen yeah no we I kind of stopped going after him just cuz he yeah like I like you said with his

Shows like it was kind of getting me stuck in the mud and then I’m just right back to where I was and so and he was doing a great job of of being there then getting back like you said closing out and then being you know there on the

Close out so then I started either going flat just going one-on-one and then while I was trying to screen get the switch inches post up yeah so know he has been he made some good plays during that game uh he had like a big block in

Like a minute left and got him a got him they scored block from behind yeah Jaylen Johnson’s good by the way yeah Jaylen Johnson’s been nice as my dog I I I know he’s been good but obviously you know the Duke thing happened he drops in the draft but he he’s been phenomenal

This year he’s he’s nice man and he like I feel like he’s still still fig yeah coming into his own like once he gets a full year and like I think once he starts they start letting him handle the ball a little more still think he can

Handle a little more like he was damn near a point guard in high school like playing against him in high school he played point we here at om3 are in the process of moving to a larger office which means we have to deck out these walls with some awesome artwork and we

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Upload a digital photo or mail in your art using their free secure prepaid packaging visit framebridge.com or a retail store to custom frame just about anything you were talking earlier about getting to your spots you had a shot the other night where you stopped in the

Middle of the paint and it looked like you were going to go into a series of pivots and then you just decided to turn and shoot and literally turn in the air is that a shot you practice Yeah is it yeah is it it’s it’s a lot of I wish I had size

Man no I think once I really realized how easy I could shoot over guys I think I just really started to try a lot of off platform off balance shots especially just in the mid-range because I really think I can take advantage you know when teams are packing the paint um

Trying to keep you out the lane just being able to hit those you know leaners and fade aways turnarounds and on that one kind of I was close enough like I think I’ve gotten a real good feel of like where I’m at at and where the

Basket is um and so I knew I was in the Paine close enough to be able to turn around and hit it is that just the Reps thing at a certain point like what like if you if you figure out a shot like that in practice how how long do you

Feel like you got to sort of run it before you’re like I want to whip this out in the game do I I I can see I feel like I see something or like if there’s something I see that I didn’t do and then I see another player do it I’ll go

Out there and try it then never next game what’s an example of that I mean shoot I think that shot right there was an example of it but in the Heat game I shot a hook shot oh God and I was try and I was and I was uh telling someone

Before that game that I need to start working on like my touch-ups and hooks around the rim because I feel like I’m getting contested two or three guys if I try and get all the way there and so I just kind of flung up a hook shot and I

Really just you know you don’t really think to do something like that and then it goes in you’re kind of like oh damn I just pulled that out and I was thinking about it before the game is there anything that you maybe have seen in the

Last week that you’re excited to try in a game maybe a yic no look behind the Head Pass that’s crazy you say that because i’ I’ve done that past not in the NBA but High School I did that and so I’ve been able to hit those Baseline

Cut a lot so no I got to add to behind to behind yeah a short roll just turned for no reason thr behind you you talked about the expectations for the team and you guys started last year 5 and 20 and then essentially we’re 500 team the rest

Of the year what were the expectations and sort of the group talk in training camp early this season about what you guys are hoping to accomplish yeah I think you know everybody just coming in off that uh last year everyone was really encouraged especially just kind of how the second half of the

Season went uh just as a team we kind of felt that we were able to really Make some noise and compete the last part of the season so coming in this year I think one thing we saw we could you know really get teams with is is our defense

And so I think coach all the coaches came in and we’re kind of preaching just being a top five defensive team really locking in on that end and then I think just top six is really what we came in talking about you know we’re we’re around there right now battling but um

You know I think we’re a playoff team and every one knows it um as long as we’re healthy you know and so that’s kind of what we’re just hoping to get back to is being healthy and once we get everybody back you know we should be we

Should be back in business feel like defensively you guys have been particularly good against sort of like uel on lead guards just throughout the league is Jay we talked about how good Jaylen is um but is there is there a team reason for that yeah I think jayen

Sucks is a big reason for that um but then I think we I think we do really got good job of taking away A team’s like you said lead guard whether it’s because we’re able to think we have a lot of length so we funnel guys make them

Finish over us U and I think we just play hard I think we really just guard you know for the whole shot clock and um you know we try and contest every shot um just do all those little things um you know you know you might not be able

To stop a guy you know from getting whatever but as long as you can wear him down I think you know you can you can hold a guy below you know his average being on a top three defensive team in today’s NBA when uh teams are scoring at historic

Efficiencies and the challenge is night toight I know this is you’re only second year but like the things that Moe talks about the things that you guys preach as a team like what what are the diff differentiators between a good defensive team and a bad defensive team in today’s NBA yeah I think

Uh I think communication is guys you know is huge guys being on the string talking on the floor um I think you got to have some Rim protection I may be wrong but I think most teams in the NBA are willing to I think most teams in NBA

Want to protect the paint and get out and contest shots so if you’re able to you know have guys that can kind of do both and and be be long and get out and impact shots um I think it it makes for a good defense

But I think the paint is what guys want to protect most far I’d have to look at every top five team for like the last I would say three to four years since covid I want to find the commonalities I really do because like there there are

Good defensive teams that have a very different profile than other teams in terms of all we’re going to put an we’re gonna they’re you know let’s say they’re they’re second and opponent threo field goal attempts per game like they just don’t let team teams shoot threes and

Then there’s some good teams that do a really good job of like forcing mid-range shots and some of all of that is personal and I love that you said rim rim protection by the way because that comes in many shapes and sizes and a charge is a version of RI RI protection

And and mo is great at that oh my yeah Mo and fron fron is not the charge fron is the uh illegal screen hand fight guy he always gives guys with that uh and then MO is the charge guy I don’t know how he sets it up so well but they both

They both draw a lot of offensive fouls though yeah I don’t know if that’s the you know the grifting it’s a turnover it’s a turn you’re forcing turnovers they do a great job with that is there a guy individually that you think just defend you really

Well uh I think it’s yeah I think it’s more teams that do um think the Miami Heat do a good job uh times I played against Minnesota um it’s funny cuz me and jayen McD are are very close so whenever I play against him it’s fun uh

Even though he he makes it very tough but um that was another thing like you know your first year you you know who you played against play well play Bad play good against so your second year you kind of you got teams that you you

Know okay I had a bad game last year I ain’t play well last year against these guys I gotta I gotta be able to you know year two I got to get at him so it’s kind of some of that as well what was your uh it’s it’s so funny hearing you

Talk like this it’s just just bringing back memories you know it is it really is and I think go back like young NBA player and you’re still building your like catalog you’re still building your corporate knowledge all that stuff on a personal level what were you sort of

Most excited about going into this season uh I think just being able to just focus like just focus on the team focus on basketball I think you know your rookie year is just everything else kind of first year being an adult uh you know by yourself and you know you’re dealing

With all that comes with the first year in the league and so sometimes you know just you get sidetracked and you go way more up and down you know I think this year I was just looking forward to rookie year is out the way you know all the rookie year

Hype that’s out the way you know like we can focus just on on winning and me just trying to be as you know improve as much as I can did you have it as a goal to be Rookie of the Year and did you have it

As a goal to be an All-Star coming into this year yes yeah on both yeah yeah I just that’s just how I operate I got to set goals and go chase them I think I I don’t know I think I’m like the mental part for me is like I feel like I can

Control my own destiny just with how I think manifesting yeah like everything that I’ve been able to do I swear I thought about it way before it happened so I I just stick with that like any goal anything that I you know think I

Can do I I go out and do it so you’ve envisioned yourself being an All-Star for a long time then yeah like number one like I promise you like Co when Co first hit like and they said my season was canceled for my senior year I said

Okay like this is like this is where I’m going to literally work every day to become the number one pick that’s what I would talk about with my trainer back home like we was working to be the number one pick Coach K call my phone like this is my last year you’re going

To be the number one pck and and and even it didn’t even look like I was going to be the number one pck but it just happened if you were an Allstar this year I’m gonna tell you something can I be honest with you yeah I say this as a

Friend I only get to vote on the starting like right yeah I get the guard spots I get the three front Court Spots I’m voting y andb as you should however if I was a coach in the NBA I mean this I would have you as an allar this year I just

Want you to know that appreciate that what would an allar mean to you this year it it would mean a lot it would mean a lot because I think a lot of my work since I got drafted was to be an All-Star in year two I think that was

Something that like that was a very very big goal that I had set u when I first got in the NBA and so if I was able to achieve it it would be huge and it’s something that you know not many guys get to say how how do you how do you get

Validation for you is the Rookie of the Year is that validation is the number one pick validation is would an All-Star birth be validation like how how do you I want to know how you operate like how does how does it work I think it’s being

The best so I think get that valid number one p all right I was the best in the draft or best player in the draft best rookie but then it’s like there’s always something yeah but then it’s like okay you’re the best rookie now I’m just

Now I’m just now it’s just the field you know what I’m saying so now I’m not really I’m trying to get best in the best in the world now that’s that’s where it’s at but that’s kind of like validation for me the ultimate validation would be a championship don’t

You think I mean you’ve played with like don’t you think the best pros this is they they’re always pushing like this there’s a reason LeBron James is doing what he’s doing in year 21 is because he’s W he’s just wired that way I think there’s a there’s certainly a tendency to get

Complacent but when you’re always looking for the next thing there’s always something more I really just believe those are the guys that have the best careers yeah period and it’s it’s also not just like the guys who are the best all time it’s like the guys who

Maybe shouldn’t have been in the NBA and had a 12year run MH cuz like it wasn’t enough for them to just be like oh I made the NBA I wasn’t supposed to be here well now I want to stick yeah well now I want to start now I want a

Contract like yeah we most guys I think are wired that way I think most guys are wir I think it’s just like I believe in me versus me like I see I didn’t believe in that that’s what I feel you know what I’m saying like

Okay I I I said this and I went and did it all right what can what else what else can I do I know I can get to this level are you following how like it seems like every two weeks you’re you’re basically breaking some stat the last

Person who did it was LeBron sometimes they’re like random [ __ ] but it’s usually like the last it’ be a lot of random ones or like little three game four games like those are really I don’t really like those you know those are cherry like Cherry picks a little bit

But I’ve been seeing some of them yeah I I think really my rookie year is when it was trippy cuz like there was a couple that you know I did early in that year that was like damn though you know only a couple rookies or I’m the only guy to

Do this so but this year you I’ve seen a couple I called a game the other night in Utah with uh joic and uh in the intro it was right after the the Detroit game where he shot three times didn’t shoot a free throw and it was like 16 assists

Seven rebounds five blocks it was like the first player in NBA history to post that statline I’m like all right it was like the thing he did the press conference he did last year they’re like what do you feel about the fact that only Kevin Durant and LeBron

James have posted this and he’s like 2310 and four I feel like we can make these I get a I get a from ESPN our guy is [ __ ] brilliant and he’s on second Spectrum like a [ __ ] gets me all the good stuff sends us a recap every morning I

Wake up at 6:55 usually every morning my dog wakes me up take him outside open my email it’s there every morning it’s the greatest thing ever the [ __ ] stats these guys are coming up with now it’s crazy it’s wild it’s crazy it’s crazy that’s why it’s like some like I said

Some of them though you do see and they’re like okay that’s cool but a lot of them I just look at I’m like all right like someone can break that tomorrow right what sure speaking of yic you just got through this trip where you played them and you played uh OKC

Obviously last night what’s your read on the west right now I think the West uh I think it’s Denver’s Denver’s got their name on it to someone takes it but uh I mean OKC is going to be tough now I don’t know in the playoffs once you know

Some of these other teams are more experienced I think the Clippers you know they stay healthy I like how they’re playing I think it looks like they kind of figured it out you know it’s going to be a different guy every night um but the West is a shoot the

West is a battle I mean you play any team in the west it’s a it’s a tough game I think so are there certain guys when you say get to that level are there certain guys that you’ve played against that you kind of put on that level there’s the obvious ones right Giannis

And be that you know yic those guys whatever guys of one MVP like for you like are you chasing someone are you chasing a group of guys that you want to be in that conversation with yeah for sure I mean it’s definitely I feel like a certain tier of players in the league

That are looked at and uh just as a as a young player seconde player like that’s where I want to be and those are the guys I got to beat to get to what to get what I want to get what you know we want

As a team like you gota beat those guys so like those you know you see those guys and you mark them down I was GNA ask you about the summer I was with you for a little bit um it didn’t end how you wanted obviously um but what were

Your sort of primary positive takeaways from the entire experience both from a basketball standpoint then also just being around the rest of the team yeah I think the that’s that was one of the main things was just being around the guys and the coaches just got to know all those guys

Um didn’t know any of them before before that experience so spending all that time with them getting to you know compete with them guys like you know you get to learn a lot and uh I I definitely learned a lot and uh it’s also motivation you know just being around

That high level of a team but uh no I think I learned you know mainly just how to be a positive to a team without being the guy like how can I affect the team in a positive way without you know carrying a load of you know being the

Number one guy so you know not starting not you know playing a different position like I think I tried to help the guys who were kind of in those main roles as much as I could whether it was telling them what I saw or um competing in practice going after him and practice

Like I really just kind of showed me a different side of you know the game and I learned a lot and uh I also just picked up on you know how to be a better player you know with the things I was being asked to do you know defensively

Um offensively I think I became that kind of FEA helped me now pick my spots and be more efficient because that’s what I really had to do you know playing those minutes that I did was take the right shots make the right plays you know as much as I possibly could in the

Role I was playing but uh obviously we came up short but it was still a great experience I assume that was the first time in your life where you weren’t the number one guy on your team yeah was that difficult it was it was CU I really felt like I could have

Been could have done more yeah I really felt like that and U it sucked seeing us lose that really sucked because I really thought you know we were the best team and I was like look I’m sacrificing but this is what I’m going to get this is

What we’re going to win and so when we didn’t get that uh it hurt it hurt it hurt more than I thought it would honestly I made the argument at the time human nature right human nature I believe this and this is not a knock on any other National Team roster even

Though the Steph Curry wasn’t there whatever those guys right I still think we had the most talented roster still believe that obviously you have to win games if you’re Brandon Ingram if you’re Tyrese Tali buron and you’re the guy what is harder to do is it harder to then be

Like we’re going to ask you to play a role that you don’t normally play or hear me out here another NBA player playing for his home country who is not the guy and then goes to his home country and gets to be the guy yeah just in terms of like energy and excitement

Like it’s just natural you know like Dennis shuder is an awesome NBA player right Patty bills was a like Patty still plays a little bit but like I played against Patty when Patty was Patty and it’s like Patty was awesome I I thought he was so competitive so important to winning po

Used to call him a culture Builder this dude turns into like an all NBA player when he goes and plays for Australia there’s a big difference Dennis Schroeder was burning us up he was burning this up he burned me up a couple time just off a switch

Like like you said when you’re when you get away from the NBA and you’re able to play for your home country and I think it just I’m not g to say it means more but it almost you know just a certain type of Pride that those guys have and

They play with and like you said it’s just they can play a lot more free Dennis sh is a great example uh shoot even uh there was the one guy uh for Jordan oh uh he was playing like r against him and like yo he started off

Like 14 like 14 quick points and we were like yo is this guy really about to he’s not about to go give us 40 like but he was just out there hooping and he was already had went on this crazy run and so when God just have that you know

Momentum and that spe behind them it’s like they can they can Alan chunis they did that Alan chunis BR uh BRZ deas he killed us oh yeah yeah yeah would you do it again would you want to play USA basketball again uh I think I think if the

Opportunity presented itself I’d have a tough time turning it down yeah yeah I was going to ask about your when you’re talking about the your scoring and how you think about scoring and even just the the Reps and the practice you’re putting into it the difference between

Scoring we’re just talking to fron but but the difference in scoring in Euro League versus the NBA how you would adapt you clearly have no trouble scoring in the NBA right now but how you would adapt to that element moving forward knowing the differences I think I honestly it wouldn’t be easier but

Just with the way I was being guarded and the guys who were guarding me it would have been more of a mismatch I think there’s a lot more slow footed guys in feba you know I think now in the NBA I face a lot of you know six7 wings

Uh 65 like you know guys who can really move their feet I think in FBA is more just you know size is the differentiator you know Germany Lithuania these teams that we were losing to like they were just throwing three posts out there like literally had post on both blocks just

Literally waiting to see 1980s Boston Celtics yeah whoever the whatever cuz we were going four out one big so whatever guard got stuck on one of those posts throw it in there and just back like literally no 5sec rule back down so they’re just getting to the front of the

Rim every time and in Germany the same thing they starting France at the two you know France is 610 at the two you got two more seven-footers and then they had a 68 like they were gigantic and they would just crash the boards pound inside and we couldn’t really do

Anything St last thing for me is just your your improvement in shooting this year and obviously you had a full summer um with USA basketball um but just the what what types of things were you working on over the off season did you change anything did you figure out

What’s a good shot for you what’s a bad shot for you from that range like where where is this Improvement coming from yeah I think I put in a ton of reps um I did change a little bit with my base um and how I get into my shot and then I

Think my arc just being as consistent as I could with my arc I think that was something that kind of would fluctuate throughout the season and so just drilling you know getting Arc of my shot uh you know whether it was with Mike um I think I spent some time with Kevin

That helped me as well um just with my shot you know seeing how he details just every single rep looks the same I think that really kind of Kevin as in Kevin Durant Kevin Durant yeah I think that just woke me up and showed me like yo

Like showed me a different level of working out you know just really yeah like you gotta lock in like not saying obviously I working hard yeah but Kevin is like is it the attention to detail yeah it’s like that’s a whole different level that you got to be able to reach

And that’s that showed me you know being with him this summer I was like okay I got a long way to go did you do his one uh footed spin spin into a shot yeah it tough like you know bro the first time I started doing that it was probably like

It was late in my career like it took me like a week before I could like consistently do it at the three-point line I could do it at the elbow fine no issue or then he’ll do it where he starts on one foot spins Taps the second

Foot he right up into his shot and like you’ll do it or I’ll do it and I’ll and it’s like I’ll get in my shot but it’s like I’m just so focused on the feet and like making sure everything’s like all one so it kind of looks kind of put

Together you know piece by piece and then C gets out there and fluid fluid every time same same thing every time I feel like almost every nationally televised game when they show like the intro and they do the uh you know and for the Phoenix Suns Kevin Durant you

Know they make up a stat 31 points eight rebounds seven assists 57% from three over his last seven he’s only the fourth player in the last 40 years to do it you whatever whenever they’re talking and they show Kevin he’s always doing that [ __ ] I swear it’s every every broadcast

I’m like they got Kevin again he does that like 6 60 minutes on the clock not even before the game when they’re doing the the the intro no it’s wild because especially the so like the the half one is easy but like when you do the full

One the first few times you’re like I feel so stupid and he just makes it look effortless and obviously Dirk did it too that’s you know Dirk OG but those guys it’s it’s so impressive yeah and he’ll shoot like literally 85% in the workout really and like literally like working

Out with him and makes you lock in even more like them workouts with KD were some of the best shooting days I’ve ever had because I felt like you I can’t let this dude leave me in the dust is it just you two or is there anyone else there yeah it

Was just us but like it really took you kind of to another level like damn this is where I gotta be like he just he don’t miss so it wasn’t necessarily he was like competitive but it was just more like I can’t I can’t look like an

[ __ ] to Kevin I can’t miss seven in a row like we’re doing drills where he got to go three in a row I got to go in a row we can’t move till we both get three in a row like you can’t I’m not going to

Pressure on both of you exactly I’m not going to be the guy that sits here and tries again four times like I just couldn’t let myself be that how did that how did this come about you reached out to him uh Mike did yeah Mike through

Mike yeah yeah so Mike also helped you with your shooting oh yeah for sure what is he like I’m I’m curious because you know I played against Mike obviously but very like um specific way of shooting and Bob Tate uh rip passed away recently was uh helped helped my shooting coach

For him for a while Bob also helped Blake and I believe Jay kid as well what what are the things Mike stresses to you when you guys work on your shooting I think uh being down before being ready being down and ready like before I catch um not being

Straight up and then his thing is always like like shoot it like shoot that mother like that’s what he tell me to do like sometimes you leave it short or you’re like if if anything all this fails like you got to get it there you

Got to shoot it you got to have a chance like give it a chance and so that was kind of how he how he started cuz when I was working on my arc like working on your Arc is always tricky I feel like did you did you change your release

Point at all though uh I wouldn’t say I made an effort to change it I think maybe by changing the AR The Arc it did Alterna but I think that was the biggest thing was just being so comfortable with it that I’m not thinking about you know not

Trying to calculate anything I’m just letting it Fly and getting to the point where I can just catch and fire um and I think we put in so much work that you know during the season it was kind of the same thing like I’ve hav’t been able

To just you know once I see a shot that I like I take it and if it goes in it goes in if it doesn’t you know I’m going shoot the next one yeah that was something he helped me with too talking about goals besides Allstar which you

Think you know fingers crossed you have a good shot at is there another one for the next time you check in that we can go back to see whether you hit it or not uh I think playoffs play I mean playoffs is definitely a goal in this year um I

Think with the USA stuff like I got to get a gold medal I think just off the fact that we didn’t even gr a medal I think that was a left a bad taste um and then all NBA and then after that mvp and then after we’re do this mon keep going

Manifest your [ __ ] manifest your [ __ ] we appreciate you my guy