It’s crazy how much Cason reminds me of a really good safety. He covers ground so quickly, his balance amidst contact and change of direction, how quickly he can switch his hips or get off the ground. I think he has the highest ceiling defensively the thunder has ever seen.
Mark Daigneault mentioned that Cason reminded him of watching Ed Reed. Cason told us he does have a football background, but he played on offense. But it is crazy how similar it is to a defensive back with how he plays basketball!
Caruso has this incredible instinct about what his opponent is going to do with the ball it's almost like a sixth sense. Cason is like a ninja. You think you're okay and he comes out of nowhere. Lu is in your face. No matter where you go, he's there. Without doubt, this is the best defensive team in the NBA.
Wallace was the player I chose to focus on last season and holy crap he did not disappoint. We have already been a defensive beast for years now, this year is going to be next level.
The best thing for the Thunder will be for Wallace to earn Dort's starting spot. Dort is an elite defender and is decent offensively, but Wallace has a higher offensive upside.
thanks for the amazing video man! i have a question tho; are those swats down low considered steals or blocks? from a techinical stat-counting point of view? if you know, could you explain what constitutes a steal/block??
As long as they are going up in the shooting motion I would consider it a block. Thats where the low down blocks/swats come in. Where it looks more like a steal at first, but really they are stifling the shot attempt before the shooter can even rise up into a shooting motion and release the ball. A steal in my mind is just in general when you force a player to lose possession of the ball, tip or intercept a pass. I wish I could give you the firm definition 😂
@@letstalkthunderno worries man! thanks a lot!! i am a laker fan but followed your channel! and i really think the thunder will go all the way this year! you guys really have the tools to beat almost every team in the nba for real
Man the thunder have such a good roster that i wouldnt be surprised if they go 12-3 in the western conference playoffs. For me they are the favorites to win this year.
Shai is definitely no scrub defensively either like you said! I just decided to spotlight these 3 guys because defense is more so their calling card than anything else.
Most teams look for offense in selecting players, okc is the only team that requires playing defense. It’s not like NFL defense that wins championships, it’s more like a horde of gnats that are relentless and can take you out of your game.
I wasn't big on the Caruso trade and I still think they may have wanted to go for a bigger offensive weapon (scoring and height wise) that can play elite defense. But, if they can become a legit dominant defense, they can establish something special. We'll see how it goes.
I think the hope is that a lot of the existing players like Shai, Chet, JDub and even more continue to grow offensively. I think this defense should be pretty stifling this season and the offense should be able to pull its weight too.
That would have been nice enough. Size, scoring, AND elite defense? Yup. But you're not getting close to that with a straight Giddey swap. I mean even AC's salary fit nearly perfectly for this season. Size came with iHart. Defense and rim protection, too. Scoring? I think combined they'll be solid contributors. For now I think its just a matter of "you can't have everything." Later? We'll see. I think the most important thing is not getting stuck in gear, keep going forward, making bold but smart moves when needed. AC not working out? iHart? Need something else? They're both trade assets. Move 'em out...or anyone else besides Shai, Chet, JW...and get what's needed. I think this season the team moved in good direction, though.
AC and LBJ had the highest net rating of any two-man lineup in 2020. My point is that, aside from his defensive contributions, AC also helped the offense but the stats don't fully reflect on the scoreboard. Hopefully, he can help the OKC stars get a much-needed boost.
@@jdh9676 Not with the Chet injury, this is why you shell out the extra picks for a bigfer return. Instead of no offense Caruso and Ihart who's still mot healthy. They could have Jerami Grant (a certified 20ppg guy and perfect fit at the 4 with top notch defense) and for rebounding. They could weather these storms with Chet injured. Now, they're gonna have ti struggle to just to tread water. SGA's definitwly gonna have yo return to his mvp level form.
Imagine how much more energy JDub would have had if he didn’t have to chase Kyrie around every one of those games? Adding Caruso is going to take so much stress and effort off the plates of Shai and JDub.
surprised no ones mentioned okc have ANOTHER guard dawg in their mvp runner up sga. bro led the league in steals and hes not even top 3 defensive guard on his team lol
This wasn’t a shot at JDub or Shai as defenders by any means! I was more so trying to put a spotlight on 3 guys on the Thunder who probably won’t get as much shine as those guys this season.
Didn't really mention much about SGA and J-Dub's extremely good and versatile defense. SGA league leader in steals and Jdub guarding every position. Not to mention J-Will, Kenny Hustle or I-Joes improved D. It's gona be a very interesting year. But a very good video all the same.
Thank you! And I appreciate your feedback. I don’t want anyone to take this as a slight to anyone who wasn’t included in this particular video, this was more intended to put a special spotlight and microscope on these 3 guards whose primary job is to guard the other teams best players. This is not to say those guys you mentioned aren’t good defensively, I just ultimately decided to focus on a few guys rather than spread myself too thin and not have time to get into the nitty gritty stuff that makes these guys special. But I might do a full team defense video in the future!
The utter delusion I see with OKC fans supporting trading Giddey for Caruso frankly is astonishing. It's as if all of you didn't even watch what happened last year with Giddey starting and playing a big role in that amazing season. One of the oldest phrases in existence is "If it ain't broke don't fix it." and I guess many of you didn't learn that one. You're all going to find out how idiotic of a trade that really was and how good Giddey really is this year. We didn't need Caruso anyway because Wiggins is better and basically the same player.
Caruso is a way better shooter and defensively forget about it. Giddy is a better passer, however the ball will be in Shai's hand the majority of the time, an MVP type player. Caruso a better fit.
@@justmythoughts101 Caruso for his career doesn't even average 7 pts. per game so how he shoots is completely irrelevant. He's another Andre Roberson. Also we didn't need Caruso because we already have a ton of guys exactly like him including Wiggins who is every bit as good or better. It was really stupid trade and you're going to find that out pretty quick.
That’s definitely a fair critique. He has some crazy hops, I was thinking more of some of the top level super athletic freaks in the league when I said that. The Thompson twins, young Russ and guys like that, but Caruso can definitely get up!
"Guard Dawgs" is gas 🔥🔥🔥
Who knows 👀 there could be some shirts in the works if enough people would be into it!
My 30+ year old ass appreciates the intro 😂😂
I’m glad the intro has found the right audience of people with cartoon taste 😂
It was kind of fire ngl 😂
It’s crazy how much Cason reminds me of a really good safety. He covers ground so quickly, his balance amidst contact and change of direction, how quickly he can switch his hips or get off the ground. I think he has the highest ceiling defensively the thunder has ever seen.
Mark Daigneault mentioned that Cason reminded him of watching Ed Reed. Cason told us he does have a football background, but he played on offense.
But it is crazy how similar it is to a defensive back with how he plays basketball!
His reaction time is ridiculous
The intro was so fire 🔥 and imma be calling them the guard dawgs all year now
I appreciate it! We need Mark do let the dogs loose this season!
As a randall alum it's awesome to see you doing your thing! Love the crossover stuff you do with the podcast fellas as well!
Production value is off the charts. Criminally underrated channel.
Glad you enjoyed it! Definitely a lot of hours in your try to make it worth your time to watch it!
Caruso has this incredible instinct about what his opponent is going to do with the ball it's almost like a sixth sense.
Cason is like a ninja. You think you're okay and he comes out of nowhere.
Lu is in your face. No matter where you go, he's there.
Without doubt, this is the best defensive team in the NBA.
🔒 across the board
Cason gonna be so good defensively this year too with the extra weight and muscle
The NBA isn’t ready for swole Caso
Man that intro was so good lol sub!!
Thanks! I am glad you enjoyed it haha
incredible video! great editing as well
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
Best okc video I’ve ever seen
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!
ELITE INTRO LOL.... GREAT VIDEO MAN... WELL DONE FROM BEGINNING TO END!
Thank you!!
Wallace was the player I chose to focus on last season and holy crap he did not disappoint. We have already been a defensive beast for years now, this year is going to be next level.
🔒 ⬇️
Not gonna lie, your channel is incredible. Keep it up Michael!!!
Glad you enjoy it!! Thanks!
😂😂 I could stop rewatching your intro , it’s too good lol
Just like the Krusty Krab Pizza, this intro is for you and me 🎶 🍕
lol 😂
My favorite okc content creator back at it again!! 🕺🏿🕺🏿🕺🏿
Thank you! 🤝🔥🔥🔥
I'm calling this trio the Cerberus. The three headed guard dawg
🐶 🐶 🐶
Honestly wont be surprised if cason suddenly jumps over a starter position. The dude's a menace #ThunderUp! ⚡️
The best thing for the Thunder will be for Wallace to earn Dort's starting spot. Dort is an elite defender and is decent offensively, but Wallace has a higher offensive upside.
I won’t put anything past Cason for now! The dude has a ton of potential
thanks for the amazing video man! i have a question tho; are those swats down low considered steals or blocks? from a techinical stat-counting point of view? if you know, could you explain what constitutes a steal/block??
As long as they are going up in the shooting motion I would consider it a block. Thats where the low down blocks/swats come in. Where it looks more like a steal at first, but really they are stifling the shot attempt before the shooter can even rise up into a shooting motion and release the ball.
A steal in my mind is just in general when you force a player to lose possession of the ball, tip or intercept a pass.
I wish I could give you the firm definition 😂
@@letstalkthunderno worries man! thanks a lot!! i am a laker fan but followed your channel! and i really think the thunder will go all the way this year! you guys really have the tools to beat almost every team in the nba for real
fire intro
Thanks! 🤝 fire comment too
Great video! Subscribed
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it and happy to have you here!
Man the thunder have such a good roster that i wouldnt be surprised if they go 12-3 in the western conference playoffs. For me they are the favorites to win this year.
guard dawgs is such a w nickname
🔥
It's so unfair that we have these guys AND SGA on our team tbh he isn't far behind and could be considered the fourth head of the guard dawgs tbh
Shai is definitely no scrub defensively either like you said! I just decided to spotlight these 3 guys because defense is more so their calling card than anything else.
Dort is bubbles 🤣🤣 cason is buttercup and ac blossom 👌⛈️⛈️⛈️
Make a video of our big 3 next
I have one planned for this season!
Guards Dogs! That’s tough! There will be plenty of barking this season!
Can’t wait to see who the first scorer is to be put in the dog house!
Powerpuff girls' theme in the background was giving me elementary school flashbacks, lol
like smaller gurds dj/cj/kyire and fox alex curso got them and bigger guys like luka/b.i and demar its dort this shii too good
Even if they somehow get by them, they still have to score against chet or hartenstein 😭🙏
Yeah, get by them and then you have the final bosses waiting for you at the rim 😂 😂🤣
Most teams look for offense in selecting players, okc is the only team that requires playing defense. It’s not like NFL defense that wins championships, it’s more like a horde of gnats that are relentless and can take you out of your game.
I can’t wait to see these guys in action and full go in the regular season and playoffs.
You triggered my PTSD mentioning tferg. I HATED him on the offensive end. Brick city.
I wasn't big on the Caruso trade and I still think they may have wanted to go for a bigger offensive weapon (scoring and height wise) that can play elite defense. But, if they can become a legit dominant defense, they can establish something special. We'll see how it goes.
I think the hope is that a lot of the existing players like Shai, Chet, JDub and even more continue to grow offensively.
I think this defense should be pretty stifling this season and the offense should be able to pull its weight too.
That would have been nice enough. Size, scoring, AND elite defense? Yup. But you're not getting close to that with a straight Giddey swap. I mean even AC's salary fit nearly perfectly for this season. Size came with iHart. Defense and rim protection, too. Scoring? I think combined they'll be solid contributors. For now I think its just a matter of "you can't have everything." Later? We'll see. I think the most important thing is not getting stuck in gear, keep going forward, making bold but smart moves when needed. AC not working out? iHart? Need something else? They're both trade assets. Move 'em out...or anyone else besides Shai, Chet, JW...and get what's needed. I think this season the team moved in good direction, though.
Not many players in the league that check all those boxes.
AC and LBJ had the highest net rating of any two-man lineup in 2020. My point is that, aside from his defensive contributions, AC also helped the offense but the stats don't fully reflect on the scoreboard. Hopefully, he can help the OKC stars get a much-needed boost.
@@jdh9676
Not with the Chet injury, this is why you shell out the extra picks for a bigfer return. Instead of no offense Caruso and Ihart who's still mot healthy.
They could have Jerami Grant (a certified 20ppg guy and perfect fit at the 4 with top notch defense) and for rebounding. They could weather these storms with Chet injured. Now, they're gonna have ti struggle to just to tread water. SGA's definitwly gonna have yo return to his mvp level form.
like in mavs seriers jdub was on kyire so was caso and kyire avg 14ppg but this time it will be alex
Imagine how much more energy JDub would have had if he didn’t have to chase Kyrie around every one of those games? Adding Caruso is going to take so much stress and effort off the plates of Shai and JDub.
@@letstalkthunder same goes for Chet I hart will be covering him for center
These 3 with Dub and Shai for a Death lineup 😂
That’s not small ball. That’s not even micro ball. But I won’t put it past Mark to try it out 😂
Alex and Cason being help defenders for Dort is straight filth. Might as well put all guards in prison
Put em in the dog house!!
@@letstalkthunder ROO ROO ROO ROO ROO ROO!!
surprised no ones mentioned okc have ANOTHER guard dawg in their mvp runner up sga. bro led the league in steals and hes not even top 3 defensive guard on his team lol
shai and j dub arent bad defenders either. shai averaged 2 steals, and j dub has really good on ball defense.
This wasn’t a shot at JDub or Shai as defenders by any means! I was more so trying to put a spotlight on 3 guys on the Thunder who probably won’t get as much shine as those guys this season.
Didn't really mention much about SGA and J-Dub's extremely good and versatile defense. SGA league leader in steals and Jdub guarding every position. Not to mention J-Will, Kenny Hustle or I-Joes improved D. It's gona be a very interesting year. But a very good video all the same.
Thank you! And I appreciate your feedback. I don’t want anyone to take this as a slight to anyone who wasn’t included in this particular video, this was more intended to put a special spotlight and microscope on these 3 guards whose primary job is to guard the other teams best players.
This is not to say those guys you mentioned aren’t good defensively, I just ultimately decided to focus on a few guys rather than spread myself too thin and not have time to get into the nitty gritty stuff that makes these guys special. But I might do a full team defense video in the future!
They all dawgs all 18
Compare this to Celtics Backcourt.
9:38
im bald
Thank you for your service 🫡 👨🦲
The utter delusion I see with OKC fans supporting trading Giddey for Caruso frankly is astonishing. It's as if all of you didn't even watch what happened last year with Giddey starting and playing a big role in that amazing season. One of the oldest phrases in existence is "If it ain't broke don't fix it." and I guess many of you didn't learn that one. You're all going to find out how idiotic of a trade that really was and how good Giddey really is this year. We didn't need Caruso anyway because Wiggins is better and basically the same player.
Caruso is a way better shooter and defensively forget about it. Giddy is a better passer, however the ball will be in Shai's hand the majority of the time, an MVP type player. Caruso a better fit.
@@justmythoughts101 Caruso for his career doesn't even average 7 pts. per game so how he shoots is completely irrelevant. He's another Andre Roberson. Also we didn't need Caruso because we already have a ton of guys exactly like him including Wiggins who is every bit as good or better. It was really stupid trade and you're going to find that out pretty quick.
Alex curuso is a jump out of the gym athlete you must not be familiar with his game
That’s definitely a fair critique. He has some crazy hops, I was thinking more of some of the top level super athletic freaks in the league when I said that.
The Thompson twins, young Russ and guys like that, but Caruso can definitely get up!