Explain One Play Mailbag #4: My Guy Juan Toscano-Anderson, Negative Videos, NBA Vultures

You ask the questions, I respond by talking about whatever I want

A list of all Explain One Play articles and videos is at The new Explain One Play index.

People are waking up to the hustle and savvy of My Guy Juan™ after last night’s breakout game against the Celtics.

r/Warriors @GSWReddit

A lot of Warriors fans during the preseason didn't believe JTA belonged on the team or even in the league and he continues to ball out and prove them wrong. 16pts, 1rb, 1ast, 1st, 1blk, 6/9 FG, 3/3 3PT

This first question and answer is from December 26, 2020.

Q. My Guy Juan™

DraymondWantsItMore asks: re: JTA, could he be groomed to be what iggy was in his later years? Smart, good guard/wing defense, some playmaking but not asked to so a lot offensively? What would it take for him to get there?

I am obviously a big JTA fan… who else would make their first voiceover E1P a whole video about Juan Toscano-Anderson running the fast break?

Here is a free video preview:

Eric Apricot @EricApricot

Okay, maybe you all thought I was crazy on Xmas 2020 to make my first ever narration video a love letter to My Guy Juan Toscano-Anderson, but now it doesn't seem so crazy, does it?? Full 4 min video at letsgowarriors.com/p/subs-only-ex… Sound on for this preview clip:

But I don't know... Andre had a LOT more in his O bag. On paper it's hard to say JTA can stick without developing a handle or jumper or Andre Roberson level defense. But, just my view of video is that the team just plays better with him in. Kind of a mini Draymond.

Watching the video, I'm really impressed -- yeah yeah I'm a broken record -- how much MyGuyJuan™ takes charge on court. On offense he organizes and moves players around. He resets possessions into the Kerr offense. He seems to be the one who consistently finds Steph on the perimeter. On D I suspect he's a talker too. Not every two-way contract player would be such a leader on court.

Bonus Juan Toscano-Anderson appreciation media

Eric Apricot @EricApricot

Hey, I was right! GSW has signed JTA for the rest of the season. JTA is a serious hustle, high-motor wing. Defends, offense is a work in progress.

Eric Apricot @EricApricot

So the depth chart at SF looks like... uh... give me a minute... maybe Paschall / Poole / Toscano-Anderson??? I mean... https://t.co/usiAlpjnqX

Eric Apricot @EricApricot

Last play is super interesting. JTA resets play (a 2-way shot calling?), clears out side to start a Post Split play. JTA feeds Wiseman, then sets a cross screen for Steph. But Wiseman has not installed the Pass Module yet and he tunnels on scoring (with a pretty sweet move)

r/Warriors @GSWReddit

Juan Toscano-Anderson continues to impress by bringing some much-needed energy, hustle, and awareness on both ends of the court while temporarily filling in for Draymond Green. (Compilation by u/isla_20) https://t.co/5CV91agX0d

Eric Apricot @EricApricot

WIGGINS PINNED IN FOR STEPH!! OUBRE swung it to JTA who finds a Steph 3!! The first time all year! Steph is actually dancing and high fiving everyone for the proper Kerrball

Eric Apricot @EricApricot

I have a rationally good feeling about Wiseman. It’s clear he will soon be at least a decent starter maybe >> I have a rationally good feeling about Juan Toscano-Anderson. I love his game, accept the limitations. I have an irrationally good feeling about Nico Mannion.

Arien Malec @amalec

@EricApricot At least you don’t have an irrationally good feeling.

And my first take on JTA in March 2020, before he became My Guy Juan™.

• Question: Can Juan Toscano-Anderson play backup wing next season?

Q. Sarcastic Praise?

mDuo13 says: The "Good job, Andrew Wiggins!" at the end feels a little... insincere? Which doesn't make sense, because he actually did do a good job. 

So suspicious!! I will never intentionally do an E1P ripping a player. For instance, all that early Oubre shade was collateral damage analyzing other plays. You’ll notice that I stayed away from all his obvious mistakes like not giving Steph space to relocate. And honestly, that would have been the easy route to Twitter clout. People were dying for evidence to pile on.

But when you look at early season plays carefully, Oubre’s issues just smack you in the face. 

And I would never look down on a player hitting 3 big threes, even if they were wide open. On the contrary, I focused a whole E1P on it when the road to clout and fame would be to break down Steph’s awesomeness down the stretch...

So, my Wiggins praise was genuine. Maybe it didn’t sound right because I was just a bit tired from cranking out the E1Ps... :D

Q. Defense clap clap Defense

Jonah Stein asks: I love your "explain one play". Ever consider doing the equivalent for defense? "Explain one boxout"?

Thanks for the kind words. The last E1P broke down lots of defense v Bulls, another is completed breaking down more defense, though might not be released for a while. The one I'm planning for the DET game prob won't cover D. [This was written 2020.12.30.]

However, don't be deceived by my sexy looks. In the past, I have covered a *lot* of D in E1P. You can see that many of the top E1Ps have been about defense... in fact defense was the focus of 2019 #1, #6. 2018 #10, and my coverage of the 2017 Finals was almost entirely about defense, 4 articles! 

So there is a lot there if you look. 

For D, I really need to see a replay except for the most obvious mistakes, because almost everyone's D movements depend on where everyone else is. The guy who gets dunked on is often hustling to rotate to cover someone. Who made the first mistake? I usually have to check the tape...

Q. Show the whole play from start to finish?

Ando says: Small (big?) request. After you break down a play and show us all of the steps, sometimes you finish with showing the whole play in real time from start to finish, but other times we just see the end in real time. Could we then get the whole enchilada after you show us how the sausage is made and watch how that cake is baked (yeah, mixed foodaphors, I'm hungry).

Thanks for the request... leaning against that though because it will increase the running time of the video by a lot.... 

also go eat dinner.

rushki chimed in: I'm gonna second getting to watch the play over at the end, a lot of what you're talking about isn't really visible with all the pausing and find myself wishing for one clean playthrough!

you also go eat dinner!!

but I will reconsider. The biggest thing is, replaying the whole play highly increases the chance that the NBA will file a copyright claim against me. Of course the more subscribers there are here, the less I care about those NBA vultures... *holds up product placement*.

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