Latest / The Central Indiana Sports Report / The Fever Report with John Robertson & Michelle Garmon, 2.279.2

Transcript

The Fever Report with John Robertson & Michelle Garmon, 2.279.2 · The Central Indiana Sports Report

• 0:04
  [SPEAKER_02]: Welcome fever fans to the central Indiana Sports Report for this week's fever report with John Robertson and Michelle Garmin.
• 0:12
  [SPEAKER_02]: Fever one and one since the last time we talked when I declared the fever a not a very good team.
• 0:19
  [SPEAKER_02]: Guys after the last couple of games, a win over the dream and a loss to the Liberty on Saturday night.
• 0:29
  [SPEAKER_02]: The final score was.
• 0:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: 375.
• 0:35
  [SPEAKER_02]: 83 to 75 and pulled away at the end of this close all the way until the very end of the game.
• 0:42
  [SPEAKER_02]: And a lot of good signs, a lot of positive signs over the last couple of games in particular, John.
• 0:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I think the defense has stepped up big, especially in the Atlanta game, huge, huge set up of defense.
• 0:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: And decent step up in defense tonight.
• 0:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: They were just hamstringed by, or they were, you know, they had foul trouble.
• 1:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: They couldn't really do a lot.
• 1:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: and New York's sort of going at him, but the defense is looking way better.
• 1:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: And tonight, first half, I think the biggest difference was rebounding.
• 1:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: They were rebounding so, so well, they were ahead for so long.
• 1:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: And then, it's just, again, they couldn't be as aggressive with everybody with three, four, five fouls.
• 1:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: But as a team, I would say I am really enjoying the improvement on the defense side.
• 1:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: Fall handling and fall control, I would still like to see a little bit of improvement, but rebounding and defense are way, way up.
• 1:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm going to hand it to the players and the coaching staff for, especially realizing,
• 1:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: that they won't, not everybody was on the same page, defensively.
• 1:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: All you have to do is look at the box floor to know to kind of look up minutes and you've kind of realized who maybe was not up to speed or is not up to speed to what they need to do defensively, especially on rotations and communication.
• 2:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: It has been better.
• 2:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: The fever just, they're defensively,
• 2:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think when they have, when another team has length because that, and they can put taller people in, because that's, that's a,
• 2:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: a weakness of Kelsey Mitchell, and I thought New York took advantage of that.
• 2:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: They were able to get her isolated, a big isolated on her, offensively, to die in that fort quarter.
• 2:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I think that helped them kind of overtake them.
• 2:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, a couple of times she was on Jones, and that's just not nothing against Kelsey.
• 2:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: Thanks Jones even went over the top of her once for a rebound and it wasn't in on the back and Kelsey I good position it was just she just gave up too many too many inches too much size as someone who is Kelsey's not short don't get me wrong but she's short her when it comes to playing against some teams on the court and that just that kind of hurts me.
• 3:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: It is what it is because when you are in foul trouble, it kind of limits how you can adjust to that, but no, I'm pleased and with the rebounding John, I really like the way that they are being more aggressive on the boards on both ends of the floor and John, I thought the defense particularly on Thursday night was very good in a blend into tonight as well at times.
• 3:33
  [SPEAKER_02]: I thought they picked up their level of intensity as well as playing more fundamentally sound, both Thursday night and Saturday night.
• 3:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think you could see a level of intensity and determination on the defensive end on Thursday.
• 3:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think you could tell they had said we're fixing this and so they really did.
• 3:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: They walked in and fixed it and I honestly think tonight wasn't that bad.
• 3:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, they lost the game, but they played well for most of it.
• 4:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: and the defense was solid for most of us.
• 4:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: New York's just a good team.
• 4:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: You can't beat yourself up over this one, but there will be over reactions.
• 4:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: There will be lots of over reactions.
• 4:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think the defense was fine.
• 4:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: I also thought though that part of that, some of those mishots was when New York kind of went big.
• 4:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: Players weren't keeping their eyes as shown on their ends and long arms trying to angle, turn their shoulders and avoid
• 4:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: the long, you know, the length.
• 4:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's fair on some of them, but some of them were just, oh, yeah.
• 4:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: Some of them, especially took a few deadly missed shots.
• 4:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: Well, yes, that.
• 4:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: And we're right about the shot selection at time two.
• 4:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I'm the only thing I'm going to say is I do think the fever play pretty well and play.
• 4:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: decent defense were are really good defense for most of this game.
• 4:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: Their problem was there aren't very many players like Stewie in the league who is 6-3 and can play 1-5 and that's a tough matchup and especially when she plays 1 and you got a big or somebody's not
• 5:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: She can take the ball to the hole she did it tonight and she's just a phenomenal.
• 5:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: She's a very good player and a phenomenally hard matchup at times.
• 5:23
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think the elephant in the room and maybe it's not because I choose to look more of it as a positive is.
• 5:29
  [SPEAKER_02]: A few were starting to play pretty well and Caitlin Clark just doesn't look like herself yet.
• 5:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think it's affecting her shot.
• 5:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: She wants to make her long signature shots and we wanted to make them right.
• 5:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: We've talked about this, but her shot, and even at the open practice, we went to the other night, her shot just isn't falling.
• 5:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: It doesn't look the same.
• 5:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: Hopefully she's just in a slump and comes out of it, but I would not be surprised if something about her back
• 6:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: a lot of rust.
• 6:11
  [SPEAKER_02]: It takes a while to get that rust off.
• 6:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: Honestly, belt, I do want her to keep taking the long shots and I know you guys don't necessarily love him as much like, but if you, if she's taking it, yeah, she's making them if forces the defense to be really spread out and come up and defend her super eye up.
• 6:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: If she just stops taking them, then the defense doesn't have to worry about it and that there's not as much open elsewhere.
• 6:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I want her to keep shooting them, just I want it to be
• 6:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: right time to take them.
• 6:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: I agree.
• 6:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think her back is someone who I do have lower back problems and I've had them for a long time.
• 6:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: There's days that you just can't, you can't even deepen your knees and get lower and spring up.
• 6:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's uncomfortable and you just don't have the strength.
• 7:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: People don't understand your lower back can affect.
• 7:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: And the first sciatica is one
• 7:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: And that makes your legs and stuff too and she does not, I agree with you, she does not look real comfortable out there.
• 7:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I've noticed even she's playing a little bit more upright at times than what she has in the past.
• 7:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I think that can be related to her to her back.
• 7:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: So hopefully it's a situation that will work itself out because healthy Caitlin Clark is
• 7:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: She may not help the Caitlin Clark may not be able to play one through five, but a healthy Caitlin Clark is a very tough matchup for other teams as well because of.
• 7:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: when she can hit those from 22 feet out, and then be able to drive to the ranch.
• 7:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: She can still do that, but to really just drive hard and beat people off the totally off the dribble where she blows by him or she's able to draw fowls.
• 8:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's just, I hate it for her that she isn't,
• 8:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: white 100% they may say she is.
• 8:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't think she is.
• 8:11
  [SPEAKER_02]: I don't think she looks like it and even going forward for 14 to night.
• 8:15
  [SPEAKER_02]: She's the best playmaker in the league.
• 8:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: Well, and she's still.
• 8:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: She's still 10.
• 8:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: Well, is it 10 9 and 7?
• 8:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: She's not a good night.
• 8:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
• 8:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: You're going to if she's not making shots and playing passes.
• 8:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: Her passes were great.
• 8:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like she's she's doing one of two players in the plus minus and you think the
• 8:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: Lexi Lexi Hall plus five this sad that plus five is our highest plus minus tonight, but it's Lexi You want to talk about somebody looking good and looks like she's really Back to if not 100% it's gonna be like at least 98% that's Lexi.
• 8:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: Oh, I think she's been really playing well
• 9:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'll tell you one thing that I noticed up until when we went to the practice the other night I was like the whole team looked like they didn't have confidence and Lexi didn't have the confidence to pull on the shots she needed to.
• 9:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: She overthought it and it's looking like Kelsey Kelsey was in that group that I thought looked like they were afraid to pull on the shots but Kelsey is actually like it clicked somewhere in the Atlantic image.
• 9:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: She's shooting really really well again and I think Lexi's starting to shoot really well again.
• 9:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: She's two for two tonight which isn't a huge number but you're still 100%.
• 9:29
  [SPEAKER_02]: not showing from Monique Billings tonight.
• 9:31
  [SPEAKER_02]: She's been a little up and down here at the start of her fever career.
• 9:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I was really happy to see her have a good productive night.
• 9:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: I knew she had it in her.
• 9:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think for her it was just finding out a fit in this fast team.
• 9:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: I really think that was the big adjustment.
• 9:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: Every time we have a fever season start, there's somebody who asked to learn how to adjust to their style of play and play fast.
• 9:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I think that was Monique this
• 9:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: really find their place.
• 9:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: Hopefully it sticks and it wasn't just a fluke.
• 10:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
• 10:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, this version of Monique Billing shows up the rest of the season.
• 10:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: The theme where are just they're they're they're they'll get on a roll and they'll be very tough to be because it's kind of what they need and is that other option that just
• 10:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, they do.
• 10:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: They need another post-player type score.
• 10:32
  [SPEAKER_02]: And Michelle, hopefully they can get on a roll and it starts on Monday and Washington.
• 10:37
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think that is a big one, but a schedule coming up that they can take advantage of.
• 10:42
  [SPEAKER_02]: Let's start with talking about Washington, then go through their schedule a little bit.
• 10:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: Washington we know that they have plenty of perimeter firepower that's kind of what they did how they got the fever earlier was hit three pointers in incredible rate but I really do think the fever are they they're playing better now I know they had a couple clunker games but I think
• 11:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: with its dream game and even at night, you can see they're starting to mesh even more a little bit offensively.
• 11:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: And yeah, the mystics game is big because if they can win that, then they're beating a team that they lost to earlier, but they're also beating another playoff caliber team or a team that's gonna be in that playoff hunt and a team with really good guards.
• 11:38
  [SPEAKER_02]: And John, I think the mystics are probably a team we're going to be looking at in the future with Citron and bats and Kiki Aerofen.
• 11:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, that was going to be my comment on Washington.
• 11:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's like they are very young with a lot of young talent.
• 11:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I think as long as they can keep their core together, moving forward, they will be in contention in the next couple of years.
• 12:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: So,
• 12:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's going to be a good game.
• 12:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: Peever should win that game.
• 12:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: But I think it'll be exciting to watch.
• 12:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: And it's a little way game in Washington.
• 12:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I don't know what the atmosphere will be like.
• 12:16
  [SPEAKER_02]: Ticket prices are high.
• 12:17
  [SPEAKER_02]: I should tell you that it's going to be a problem.
• 12:19
  [SPEAKER_02]: Are they?
• 12:20
  [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
• 12:21
  [SPEAKER_02]: So they're all the games on the road, or the ticket prices are high for the fever.
• 12:27
  [SPEAKER_02]: So then after Monday night against Washington, the next home game is against the Chicago Sky June 11th, the NAC Connecticut June 13th, at home against the tempo, the 16th, at home against the dream on the 18th and the return trip to Atlanta for the third fever dream of the season June 20th, then back to back games at home against Phoenix and Los Angeles at home.
• 12:51
  [SPEAKER_02]: A lot of home games, a lot of teams they should be coming up.
• 12:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: Well, I think the delay in the games will be telling.
• 12:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think they're going to be tougher.
• 13:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think they fever played really well on Thursday to beat them.
• 13:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: If we can go to and one in that three games play, I'll be really happy.
• 13:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think L.A. could be dangerous.
• 13:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: We struggled with L.A. last year.
• 13:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: We beat him already once this year.
• 13:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: But I don't know.
• 13:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: I just need him to stack W's.
• 13:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: I doesn't really matter who they get him against.
• 13:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: I just want to see him start stacking some W's, get some confidence.
• 13:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: Michelle is like a schedule they can do that against.
• 13:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: I grew a John Stack W's and part of that will be being consistent nine in and night out and really continuing to do and even get better about rebounding and they've improved so much but they're still potential for them to get even better on the boards and especially the way they play fast and the way they have shooters and scores even offensive and keeping
• 13:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: balls alive and everything.
• 13:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm just looking forward to it because I do think the fever will put it all together and we'll get on a roll.
• 14:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: I will say this though, they don't need to be playing their best basketball right now.
• 14:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: They need to be improving and being playing their best basketball late summer early fall.
• 14:18
  [SPEAKER_02]: I say, seven and two, the rest of June, eight and one is a possibility, but I've been way out in front so far, but eventually, and I kind of predicted that they'd win fewer games than everybody else because I thought this might happen, maybe not to this level where they were this slow getting going, but eventually they are going to be the best humanly guvally.
• 14:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: Well, we'll see.
• 14:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: I don't know if I'm willing to go best at this point.
• 14:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: I need to see if they can be consistent first.
• 14:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: But I think they're going to be fine.
• 14:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think we're going to go 6 and 3 over the next nine.
• 14:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: John, I'll ride with you on that.
• 15:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think probably also 6 and 3.
• 15:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: And if they do better than that, that's a little gravy.
• 15:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, they make better of gladly eat my words.
• 15:11
  [SPEAKER_02]: John Michelle, thank you so much.
• 15:12
  [SPEAKER_02]: We will be back on Monday night after the game to react to hopefully another fever win.
• 15:20
  [SPEAKER_02]: And thanks so much everybody for listening.
• 15:22
  [SPEAKER_02]: Always appreciate it.
• 15:24
  [SPEAKER_02]: Thanks to John and Michelle, they are the best.
• 15:28
  [SPEAKER_02]: Please join us on Monday night after the fever and mystics.
• 15:33
  [SPEAKER_02]: Maybe Tuesday morning, hopefully Monday night.
• 15:37
  [SPEAKER_02]: And following almost every fever game this season.
• 15:50
  [SPEAKER_02]: 16 minutes ago Central Indianist fortune port is a proctor by D.G.
• 15:56
  [SPEAKER_02]: media and I love you, Susie