Already Ready for Conference Finals | Showtime Lakers Podcast with Michael Cooper and Ari Temkin

Showtime Podcast with Lakers Legend Michael Cooper Ep. 20 Time for Conference Finals! Michael Cooper and Ari Temkin take a look at the semifinal series throughout the NBA and Coop is already ready the Conference Finals. Will any of these series go deep? Plus, Coop has five major  differences between the Showtime Era NBA and the modern NBA. Michael Cooper: @ShowtimeCooper Ari Temkin: @arisports Powered by Betonline.ag and Masterclass Sign up for account today and use promo code: CLNS50 to get a 100% bonus!   01:01 Michael Cooper thinks the Celtics are still going to beat the Toronto Raptors easily in the semifinals, even with OG Anunoby hitting a shot to beat Boston in Game Three. 2:47 Michael Cooper and Ari Temkin take a look at the other Eastern Conference series the Miami Heat vs. Milwaukee Bucks. The Heat lead the series, but will Milwaukee, the top seed in the East, still win the series? 4:07 What’s the issue with the Milwaukee Bucks? Why can’t they seem to get over the hump? Why has Giannis Antetokounmpoe the Bucks recently crumbled and been upset in the playoffs?  5:10 From a defensive superstar like Coop, what does he see that is making theHeat defense so effective against Giannis? 6:07 The Eastern Conference Finals between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat will be a great series because it’s two very similar teams. Plus, is Coop rooting for Lakers vs. Celtics in the Finals? 7:37 Showtime with Coop goes out West, taking a look at the series between the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets. 9:07 Is Kawhi Leonard a better on-ball or man-to-man defender than Michael Cooper? 10:35 A series very close to the heart of Michael Cooper and that would of course be the other Western Conference semifinal between the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets.  13:40 Why James Harden needs to play more selfishly, reminiscent of a Kobe Bryant quote: “If I pass you the ball, and you don’t hit the shot...I can do that.” 14:56 Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is someone that Coop noticed really stepped up in the Lakers series victory over the Blazers in the first round.   17:18 The bubble takes homecourt advantage and travel out of the equation in the playoffs, and yet at the same time it probably won’t end up meaning any upsets, and we’ll still end up with the best teams in the NBA Finals. 20:38 What’s different about the Showtime Era NBA and the modern game? Coop with five things that are different about today’s game. 1- The importance of team and not relying too heavily on one-on-one basketball. 23:10 2- Roles were clearly defined on the Showtime Lakers and in the NBA in the 80’s, that’s definitely a lost art in today’s game. 27:58 The third thing that is different is how bad shot selection is in the modern game. What would Coop classify as a bad shot? 29:30 The fourth major difference between 80's NBA and modern game is: Team Chemistry There's a great quote from Isiah Thomas: "The secret to basketball has noting to do with basketball, it's everything else. It's the restaurants, the hotels, dinners..." 31:33 The final major difference between the Showtime Era NBA and the modern NBA is the 3-point shot. It's insanity. The 3-point line was not as much of a regular jump shot as it is in today's NBA. 33:53 Coaching was also dramatically different. When you look at Pat Riley, Don Nelson, Casey Jones, Billy Cunningham and how much different coaching styles are today.   Listen and Subscribe to the Showtime Lakers Podcast with Michael Cooper and Ari Temkin on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and the CLNS Media Network mobile app.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices