The Old Man and the Three with JJ Redick and Tommy Alter

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Matas Buzelis

Wed Jun 28 2023

Contavious Caldwell Pope and Modest Buzellis

00:00 - 06:51

Contavious Caldwell Pope and Modest Buzellis are the guests on this episode.
Contavious Caldwell Pope discusses his experience winning the championship with the Denver Nuggets.
Modest Buzellis is a projected top five pick in next year's draft and talks about his decision to not go to college.
Andrea Carter received criticism for a comment she made during the draft, but it was planned and not a big deal.
The NBA draft was highly rated and most watched in NBA history.
Expectations for Wembanyama as one of the most hyped prospects ever are discussed.
The fit between Wembanyama and Devin Vassell is highlighted as an important aspect for the San Antonio Spurs.

Devin Vassell and Wembanyama

06:32 - 13:26

Devin Vassell is an important player for the Spurs due to his shooting ability and floor spacing.
Vassell's growth as a shooter will be crucial for the team.
Kelvin Johnson's shooting percentage dropped last year, but he has shown potential as a shooter in the past.
Vassell had impressive stats last season, averaging 21.5 points per game and shooting 39% from three-point range.
Managing the mental side of the circus that comes with being a top pick will be interesting to watch for Wembanyama.
Victor Wembanyama seems mentally prepared for the new level of fame he will experience in San Antonio.
The Spurs have a strong track record of developing players, which bodes well for Wembanyama's development.
Expectations should be tempered for Wembanyama's rookie season, as there may be growing pains and it takes time to impact winning significantly.
The Spurs may look to add a veteran player in free agency who can contribute without disrupting the development of young players like Vassell and Johnson.
Wembanyama's initial value will likely come from his help defense skills due to his size and length.

Team Defense and Offense

13:11 - 20:55

Having other capable defenders around Wembanyama will make the team defense great.
Offensively, they need someone to play a two-man game with Wembanyama.
They need spacing and shooters on the team.
Chet Holmgren is a good pick for Rookie of the Year.

Interviewee's Career Path and Leadership Skills

20:37 - 27:53

The interviewee compares his career path to that of Danny Green.
He credits Danny Green for being a great player and professional.
Transitioning from a primary offensive role to a 3-and-D role was challenging but he found joy in it.
Playing with high IQ players like LeBron James and Nikola Jokic has elevated his career.
LeBron and Jokic have exceptional processing speed on the court.
The interviewee is amazed by Jokic's crazy shots and practices them regularly.
He learned leadership skills from LeBron and winning a championship with him was amazing.
Jokic's ability to make difficult shots in games is mind-blowing.
Jokic doesn't participate much in media but the interviewee finds him hilarious.

Leadership and Two-Man Game with Yokech

27:31 - 35:03

He doesn't participate a lot in media and prefers not to do podcasts.
Nicole Yokech is known for his sense of humor and jokes when he does speak.
He is a big joker off the court and enjoys dancing.
Yokech is not very vocal as a leader, but when he speaks, his teammates listen because he sees things they don't.
In terms of leadership, Yokech shows up more on the court than off it.
It's hard to defend the two-man game with Yokech because he can do anything on the court.
The Miami Heat did a good job defending the two-man action in Game 2 of the playoffs by applying pressure and not allowing separation at screens.
Yokech's leadership skills developed over time, learning from veterans like LeBron James, Rajon Rondo, and Jared Dudley.
The Denver Nuggets lost some veteran presence in their roster which affected their season.

Impact of Losing Veteran Players

34:39 - 42:06

Losing veteran players like Ronda affected the team's performance
Having a balance between young players and veterans is crucial
Some veterans may not be happy with reduced playing time or role changes
Dwight Howard was important in the 2021 season despite being at the end of his career
Ego plays a role in why some athletes struggle to embrace a lesser role towards the end of their careers
Veterans still have valuable knowledge and wisdom to contribute to the game
Many players desire one more deal beyond just a veteran minimum contract
The importance of game-winning shots and momentum in playoff series
Anthony Davis has been unfairly criticized in his career due to injuries and not always being the featured player alongside LeBron James
Availability issues should be understood as part of the game, and players need to take care of their bodies
ESPN rankings can be subjective and don't necessarily reflect true player rankings

Anthony Davis and ESPN Rankings

41:38 - 49:25

Anthony Davis is ranked number two overall in ESPN NBA rankings.
Davis is considered a top 10 talent, but not necessarily the second best player in the world.
Davis is a great offensive player and also serves as a connector on offense.
Defensively, Davis is seen as a monster.
The best version of Davis has been seen early in his career in New Orleans and during the bubble season.
The trade that brought JJ Redick to the Brooklyn Nets adds even more talent to an already tough team.
Facing the Nets with their level of talent will be challenging for other teams.
Being drafted and winning championships are some of Davis' favorite moments in his career.
KCP ghosted the podcast on Zoom, but it turned out better because they can now have him on after winning the finals.

Madas Buzellis' Journey to the NBA

49:04 - 56:36

Madas Buzellis, a projected top five pick in next year's NBA draft from the G League Ignite, discusses his focus on the upcoming season and his aspirations for the NBA draft.
Buzellis started thinking about getting drafted and making it to the NBA seriously during his freshman year of high school.
He chose to forgo college at Duke because he felt that the professional league was a better fit for his play style.
Buzellis observed that college basketball tends to put players into defined positions and roles, whereas the current era of basketball is more positionless.
His unique skill set was developed through coaching and playing with feeder teams in eighth grade, where he played as a point guard despite being shorter at the time.
Buzellis did not have any specific players he looked up to or wanted to emulate; he simply enjoyed playing basketball.
His mom's motivation and encouragement played a significant role in his decision to continue playing basketball despite initially hating it.
As Buzellis grew taller and started dominating opponents, his obsession with basketball grew stronger.

Preparing for Professional Basketball

56:08 - 1:03:57

The interviewee learned basketball skills by watching NBA highlights and emulating players like J.R. Smith and Kyrie Irving.
Kids today have more resources to learn and visualize the game compared to when the interviewer was growing up.
The interviewee uses Synergy, a tool that provides detailed data on possessions, shots, turnovers, etc., to analyze their own performance.
At Sunrise Christian, the interviewee's prep school, they watched film regularly using Synergy to study defenses and offenses.
The interviewee is focusing on strength training in the weight room to prepare for the physicality of professional basketball.
They are also working on shooting off the dribble and mid-range shots.
The interviewee believes their teammate Scoot is underrated defensively due to his long wingspan and deflection abilities.
Adjusting to the faster pace of the game and improving conditioning will be challenging in professional basketball.

Challenges in Professional Basketball

1:03:37 - 1:10:51

Players transitioning to professional basketball often struggle with the pace of the game and conditioning.
Managing distractions is crucial in professional basketball, as there are fewer compared to college.
Dedicating one's whole life to basketball is necessary for success, leaving no room for distractions.
Establishing a routine and standard for each day helps players navigate distractions and prioritize their commitments.
Loving the game and setting daily standards are key factors in reaching one's full potential as a player.
Leonard Miller is a double-double machine who excels at rebounding and being a great teammate.
At the McDonald's game, Stephon Castle stood out as an exceptional player with his passing ability and court vision.

Impressions from the McDonald's Game

1:10:23 - 1:17:10

The speaker was impressed by a player named Castle at the McDonald's game.
Castle is a six-seven point guard with excellent passing skills and court vision.
The speaker witnessed Castle make an impressive bullet pass during practice.
The speaker has a dislike for UConn due to past losses against them in basketball games.
The speaker mentions Duke as their favorite team, but also has respect for Maryland and another unnamed school.
The speaker does not place much importance on their draft position and believes they have not accomplished enough yet.
They enjoy watching Luca Doncic, Paul George, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the NBA.
The younger generation tends to be fans of individual players rather than teams.
There are strong fan bases for players like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Stephen Curry.
The speaker acknowledges that criticizing certain teams can lead to backlash from fans on social media.
They grew up being fans of specific players rather than teams in various sports.

Pop Culture Drama and the Free Brittany Movement

1:16:49 - 1:17:29

The first season of the podcast explores the messy pop culture drama surrounding Brittany and Jamie Lynn Spears.
Britney's fans formed the free Brittany movement to free her from her conservatorship.
Jamie Lynn's lack of public support for Britney angered some fans.
The feud between Brittany and Jamie Lynn is a story of two young women whose choices were taken away by their controlling parents.
The movement to save Britney targeted anyone who failed to fight for her.