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Welcome to Swish and Tell!
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The show where we discuss some of the stories you might have missed from
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thePeachBasket.net.
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Alright, so let's start with Oklahoma City's approach to this game.
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I think it's fair to say, their strategy was, well, kinda genius.
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They emphasized gap defense, especially early on, which completely threw off the
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Celtics' rhythm.
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Honestly, forcing Boston into twenty-four three-point attempts in just the first
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quarter?
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That's not by accident.Yeah, and they only hit like nine of 'em.
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That's wild.
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I mean, you're telling me Boston's offense didn't see this coming?
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They got one of the best offenses in the league, man, and they got locked down
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like that?Exactly, and the Thunder weren't just sitting back either.
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You look at players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Cason Wallace-both
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of them smothered Jaylen Brown every time he touched the ball.
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Brown was trying to work those screens and rotations, but it just...
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wasn't happening.
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He couldn't find his flow.Man, Jaylen Brown's one of those guys who, when he
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gets in rhythm, he's unstoppable.
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But OKC made him look ordinary.
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And can we talk about the bench for a sec?
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Dude, Isaiah Hartenstein.
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This man came off the bench and ran that team like a, like a conductor out
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there.Totally agree.
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Hartenstein's impact when Shai was off the court was probably one of the biggest
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surprises of the night.
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That ability to draw fouls, facilitate plays-it's a huge reason OKC kept up
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their momentum and Boston just couldn't capitalize.And Boston had chances!
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Key turnovers, missed free throws; it's like they couldn't get outta their own
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way at critical moments.
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It reminded me of...
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you remember that playoff series against the Heat a couple years back?You're
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talking about how they fell apart under pressure, right?
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It's definitely a valid comparison.
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Same story-so much talent, but when the stakes are high, those mistakes creep up.
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That free throw performance, for instance, Boston missed out on vital
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points.Right!
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And I gotta say, it's games like this that make you wonder-are the Celtics
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making the same mistakes over and over?
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Like, they've got this cycle of not closing out games, especially against
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teams that play with grit like OKC.It's a question worth asking.
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If they're gonna contend, these issues-whether it's turnovers or
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inconsistent offense-have to get addressed.
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The Thunder exposed them in just about every way, showing not just how sharp
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OKC's defense is but also how vulnerable the Celtics are when they aren't locked
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in mentally.
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And you know, that gap defense?
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It's not going away.
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Other teams are watching this game tape closely.Speaking of teams with sky-high
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expectations but inconsistent results, let's shift gears to the Clippers.
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Here's a team loaded with star power-Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Ivica
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Zubac-and yet they're sitting in eighth place.
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Marcus, how does a team with this much talent get stuck in the play-in zone?Man,
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I don't even know, but it's frustrating, right?
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This squad's got everything they need to compete.
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It's the inconsistency that's killin' 'em.
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One night, they're shutting people down, dunkin' on everyone.
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Next game?
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Turnovers, falling asleep on defense.
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Like, who are these guys?Exactly.
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One phrase sums it up for me: fundamental errors.
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There's such a stark difference between their best and worst performances.
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Like, when they're locked in, they look like legit contenders.
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But when they're off, it's like they've forgotten the basics of
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basketball-execution, focus, urgency.Urgency is the big one.
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It's like they're out there just waiting for someone else to step up.
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No sense of "let's go get this win." Drives me crazy, man.
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And don't even get me started on those fourth-quarter collapses.It's maddening,
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isn't it?
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But you know what's wild?
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Despite all of this inconsistency, they're only two games back from the
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sixth seed.
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That's it.
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It's not like they're way out of it.
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If they can just clean up the sloppiness, play smarter, they could avoid the
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play-in altogether.For real.
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And look, they've got no excuses left.
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Tonight, Charlotte's coming to their house, and the Clippers better show up
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like they mean it.
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Like, stop playin'.
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Take care of the ball, clamp down on defense, and just remind the league who
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they are.And this isn't a talent problem.
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Kawhi can still take over a game.
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Harden's one of the best playmakers when he's locked in.
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And Zubac-he's not the flashy, stretch-the-floor center everybody talks
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about, but he owns the paint.
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This team has what it takes.Exactly.
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But it's time for 'em to stop talkin' about what they can do and just show it.
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Sixth seed isn't a goal at this point-it should be a minimum expectation.
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They gotta stop foolin' around, lock in, and climb those standings.Speaking of
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execution and playing the right way-we were just ripping the Clippers for their
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inconsistency-but look at the Spurs.
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Two hundred straight games with twenty or more assists?
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That's, uh, pretty much insane.
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No one in NBA history has done this, Marcus, and honestly, I think it says
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everything you need to know about their culture.
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Team-first basketball, Gregg Popovich, the system-it all clicks.Man, I love that
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stat!
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Two.
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Hundred.
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Games.
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Can we just, like, appreciate what that means?
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Every possession, every game, these guys are moving the ball.
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And lemme tell you, this isn't just throwin' random passes; this is IQ
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basketball at its finest.Exactly.
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We're talking about a team that doesn't rely on just one or two players to
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dominate.
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They engage everyone, from seasoned veterans to rookies.
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It's this dynamic blend that makes it work.
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And Pop?
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He's probably in the locker room saying, "One more pass, guys.
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Make that extra pass."Heh, and they listen.
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Popovich is just that dude.
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Always has been.
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And you know, this streak isn't just a stat-it's a philosophy.
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It's the Spurs saying, "We don't care how flashy basketball gets.
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We're gonna play it the right way."And it's brilliant.
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Look, in a modern NBA where analytics have teams obsessed with high
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pick-and-rolls and isolation-style offense, the Spurs are like this
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counterpoint.
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They're not chasing individual greatness-they're proving that the team
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is greater than the sum of its parts.Oh, one hundred percent.
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And this streak goes beyond the numbers, you know?
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It's not just highlights.
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This is fundamentals.
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This is how you build chemistry.
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Honestly, it's how you win championships.
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Aight, maybe not this year, but you know what I mean.Ha, right.
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And what's cool is how the younger guys on the team are buying in.
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They're learning from vets, molding themselves into this system.
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It's why, even when San Antonio doesn't have a star-studded roster, they're still
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exciting to watch.Like, facts!
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These rookies are about it, man.
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They're not just showing up-they're feeding into this culture.
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It's why the Spurs stay relevant, even in down years.
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That's why they're an OG franchise, no question.And speaking of team culture,
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let's turn our attention to Portland.
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The Blazers might not be dominating like the Spurs, but they've got one of the
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most exciting young cores in the league right now.
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Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, Tumani Kamara-they're building something that
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could be pretty special.Man, Scoot has been ballin'.
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People were doubting him in the draft, but this kid is proving why Portland's
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front office took a chance.
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His energy, his ability to score and facilitate-it's like you can see the star
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potential startin' to, you know, shine through.Exactly.
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And with Shaedon Sharpe, you've got this versatile guard who can contribute on
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both ends.
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He's not just a role player; he's one of those guys you build a team around if he
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develops the right way.
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And speaking of foundational players, Tumani Kamara's defensive growth has been
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remarkable.
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Winning Defensive Player of the Month at this stage in his career?
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That says something.Oh, for sure.
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Kamara's impact on defense has been huge.
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He kinda reminds me of, like, a young Serge Ibaka.
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You know, that dude who might not make headlines every night but is workin'
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hard, locking people down, and makin' life tough for opponents.
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You gotta love guys like that.And this is where it gets interesting, because
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there's talk about Jeremy Grant possibly getting traded.
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Now, if that happens, it opens up salary space and flexibility for Portland to
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continue building this roster.
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But it's a tricky move, Marcus-it could shift the entire trajectory of their
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rebuild.It's a risk, no doubt.
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But, uh, this isn't the first team to try and rebuild in a stacked Western
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Conference.
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Look at the Thunder.
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They've been down this road.
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Load up on draft assets, develop young talent, and then boom, outta nowhere,
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they're contenders again.
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If Portland plays it smart, they could do the same kinda thing.Right.
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The Thunder's rebuild is the perfect blueprint here.
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Stay patient, draft well, and focus on player development.
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But Portland has to play it carefully-not every gamble pays off.
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That's why balancing growth with veteran leadership is gonna be key.
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Losing Jeremy makes sense if it clears the path for their younger guys to step
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up.And they've got those guys ready.
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Scoot, Sharpe... man, the potential is crazy.
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They've got the fans excited again, and that's half the battle.
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I think in a couple years-maybe sooner than people think-we're talkin' playoff
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basketball in Portland.
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Bookmark it, Jose.I hope you're right.
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It would be great to see Portland back in the playoff mix.
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Watching this team evolve is what makes basketball so special-seeing a plan come
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to life.
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And on that note, Marcus, I think we've covered it all for today.
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Great conversation!Oh yeah, this was fun.
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I'll catch you next time, Jose.
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And hey, to everyone listening-stick around; there's always more to come on
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Swish and Tell!
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