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Welcome to Swish and Tell!
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The show were we catch you up on stories you might have missed from
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thePeachBasket.net So, let's start with the Memphis Grizzlies dropping a
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bombshell-Taylor Jenkins is out as head coach.
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I mean, when you think about it, the timing couldn't be more dramatic.
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It's like, he's been navigating injuries all season-Ja Morant missing thirty
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games-and then, boom, he's gone.Right, and it's not even like Memphis had a
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lousy record!
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Fifth in the West isn't tanking, man.
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But you know what?
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The assistant coach shuffle last year-that had Jenkins written out of the
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plan already.
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You don't fire five guys without some tension brewing behind the
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scenes.Exactly, and here's what matters most-the morale.
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This team has been through enough with Ja in and out of the lineup.
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They're juggling injuries and expectations.
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Now they're throwing adjustment into the mix with only a handful of games left in
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the season?
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It's not the kind of clarity you need heading into playoffs.Man, and speaking
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of playoff struggles, we gotta hit on Damian Lillard for a second.
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I mean...
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out for the season, maybe?
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That's-what'd you say, devastating?Devastating, without a doubt.
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For the Bucks, this isn't just about losing a guy who puts up 30 a night-it's
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the ripple effect.
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They've built this system around Lillard and Giannis-now what?
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It's not like you can just pivot with a snap of your fingers.Yeah, it's kinda
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wild how Milwaukee's stuck deciding whether to ride this out or think
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long-term.
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Like, they pushed for their "all-in" season, but now what happens if this
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falls apart?
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Feels like there's gonna be some real hard conversations in the offseason.If
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they even get to the offseason with this core intact, right?
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And then there's Cleveland.
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They're averaging, what, over 123 points allowed in their last five?
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For a team with playoff aspirations, that's...
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that's not just bad defense-that's a crisis.For real.
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I mean, giving up that many points this late in the year?
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Something's gotta give.
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And it's wild too, 'cause earlier this season, they were locking teams down.
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Where'd it all go wrong?It's the defensive lapses, plain and simple.
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You can't just expect players like Donovan Mitchell to carry you offensively
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and then slack off on the other end.
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I wouldn't be surprised if Bickerstaff's got them running defensive drills in
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every single practice before the playoffs start-If they make it past the first
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round at this rate, man.Fair.
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If they don't clean it up, nothing else really matters.
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And like you said, this isn't early season stuff, this is crunch
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time.Alright, speaking of crunch time and getting things right heading into the
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playoffs, let's talk about the Boston Celtics.
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Their three-point shooting has been outrageous-and people love to call them a
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team that just chucks threes.
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But it's not random at all.
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They're running some of the smartest plays in the league.
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Between "Horns" and "Spain PNR," their schemes are like...
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a masterclass in exploiting defensive gaps.Exactly!
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And the thing is, they're not just camped out on the perimeter waiting to shoot.
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I mean, they'll drive into the paint first, collapse the defense, and
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then-bam-kick it out to a guy like Al Horford, who suddenly has all day to line
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it up.Right.
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And Horford's role is huge here.
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He's not this flashy scorer, but his spacing and decision-making are crucial.
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Watch how he pulls defenders in just by positioning himself-then when the ball
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rotates back to him, it's usually lights out.
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It's all so calculated.Dude's been around forever, but he's figured out how to fit
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into this system.
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He's setting those mean screens that clear space for shooters.
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It's not glamorous, but it works, man.You're spot on.
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Horford's not putting up eighteen-point games regularly anymore, but his off-ball
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activity?
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It's underrated.
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And when you combine that with how disciplined this team is, it becomes
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really hard to defend.
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Just ask the Suns-they got absolutely torched.Man, those defensive lapses were
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brutal.
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Every time they'd rotate late or sag off someone even for a second, the Celtics
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would hit 'em with a backdoor pass or an open three.
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Nick Richards...
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he must be having nightmares about that game.And the irony is, the Suns actually
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have the tools to challenge a team like Boston-they just didn't execute.
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Hands down, missed rotations, giving shooters like Horford or White too much
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space...
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it's like defensive fundamentals 101 went out the window.It's wild how fast the
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Celtics pick you apart if you're not locked in.
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Like, one moment of hesitation, one bad angle, and they've already passed twice
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and found the open man.And it's not all just talent-it's their coaching.
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These aren't accidental threes.
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The Celtics run specific setups that exploit over-committed defenses.
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Plays like those flare screens?
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They leave guys wide open, and Boston just eats that up.So, you're saying teams
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gotta step up their game planning if they wanna slow these guys down.
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I don't know, man.
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With how fluid Boston looks right now, stopping them sounds easier said than
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done.It's true, but it's also about consistency.
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Teams have to stay sharp for forty-eight minutes because the second you slip,
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Boston makes you pay.You know, speaking of efficient and calculated execution,
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let's talk about Sandro Mamukelashvili.
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His performance against the Knicks?
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Record-breaking stuff.
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Thirteen out of fourteen, seven-for-seven from deep, all in under twenty minutes.
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That kind of efficiency doesn't just break records-it sends a message about
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untapped potential, even on struggling teams.Wild, right?
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And to put it in perspective, this dude's barely talked about until a game like
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this happens.
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He goes perfect from three, drops thirty-four points, and bam-he's in the
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record books.
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You love to see it.And performances like that give fans a reason to hope.
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Look at the Spurs-they're out of the playoff picture, but moments like Mamu's
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could signal a brighter future.
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He's showing what he can bring when given the opportunity.
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It's that kind of spark teams shouldn't overlook.Exactly.
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And if you're a fan, you're thinking, man, what if we build a system around a
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guy like him?
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He's not just filling the stat sheet-he's making a statement that he belongs in
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this league.Speaking of making statements, let's shift gears to the top
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playoff contenders.
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Oklahoma City, Boston, Cleveland-these are teams where consistency and dominance
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really stand out.
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OKC's locked in as the favorite, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the
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charge.Oh, absolutely.
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OKC's been untouchable, man.
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Ten-game winning streak, they're sitting on a comfy lead in the West.
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But here's the thing-I know Boston's trailing four games behind Cleveland in
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the East, but they've still got that champion swagger.
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You can never count 'em out.Agreed.
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The Celtics' mix of discipline and playmaking makes them a nightmare matchup
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for anyone.
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And then there's Cleveland.
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A 60-15 record sounds amazing, but their recent defensive struggles?
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That's gonna be an issue if they don't tighten things up before the
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postseason.Right?
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Averaging over one hundred twenty-three points allowed?
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That's...
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that's not just a red flag.
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That's a full-on alarm blaring.
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They've got superstar talent, but man, if the defense doesn't hold up, they're
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toast.And while we're on the topic of playoff implications, let's not forget
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about those spoilers-the Charlotte Hornets.
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They're not making the postseason, but Miles Bridges led the charge in their win
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against the Jazz.
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And with their upcoming games against teams like the Pacers and Kings, they
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could really shake things up.Oh, for sure.
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It's wild how even with such a tough season, the Hornets can still play a
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massive role down the stretch.
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That win against the Jazz-never trailing-shows they've got fight left in
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them.
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And guys like Bridges?
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He's stepping up when it matters, even if the stakes are lower for them.Exactly.
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Teams on the fringe of playoff contention hate seeing a spoiler like Charlotte on
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the schedule.
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It's not just about the win-loss column-it's about momentum.
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A single upset could derail a playoff push or disrupt seeding.
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These closing weeks are when you see heart and hustle shine.No doubt.
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Even as the season winds down, every game still means something-for the players,
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for the fans, for what's next.
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And honestly, seeing teams like Charlotte embrace that spoiler role?
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It just speaks to the heart of the game.And on that note, let's wrap things
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up.
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We've covered coaching changes, key injuries, playoff strategies, and even
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the role of spoilers.
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The NBA, as always, reminds us why we love it-constant surprises, relentless
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competition, and moments that make us say, "Did that really just
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happen?"Couldn't have said it better.
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And that's the beauty of it, man.
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The game keeps us guessing, and we love it for that.
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Alright, y'all.
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We're out.
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Catch you next time on Swish and Tell!
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