This is the baseline, discussing the hot button topics of the NBA. Welcome
everybody, you're tuned to the baseline Callie Warrenshaw discussing the hot button topics of
the NBA. And as I am, and I don't know if my man
is. He always looks pretty good every day he jumps on in front of
the camera. But as I'm rocking the scruffy look, that's pretty much the
first thing I think of when we talk about the landscape of the NBA Eastern
and Western Conference stretch run to figuring out what is going on in the playoffs.
Just when a week removed, we sit here and we give but seems
like very plausible idea of predictions. Again, change happens, and so we're
going to continue to keep seeing this until we finally have a landing spot for
all sixteen teams eventually playing themselves with an opportunity for a chance at the playoffs.
And you know, clearly it's all about who gets in and who doesn't.
But as always, man, we got to keep talking about it because
that's what we love to do. So let me go and roll out the
red carpet to my right hand man's WWW dot Shark Sports, sat, Nepick,
Unip and C. My man, mister Warren Sharp ripping out of Fort
Lauda to Florida. It's good Shaw. How do you like the scruffy hey
man, I'm trying to be like you, you know what I mean,
started growing up my little my beard a couple months ago and trying to get
on you know that that's so unlike you as they say, that's that's so
unlike you. That's it's never been you. Has the NBA changed you so
to such a degree? And it's funny because I tell my wife father times,
I feel like, I think this might be a bad luck beard.
I've had a lot of rough things happening, so I might need to cut
this joint all the way off. I'm gonna get back to some sense of
normality. But the NBA, is he alluded to, continues to be the
quite opposite of that. Lots of wild things continue to happen. As as
they say, you know, the hip hop's hand goes it was all good
a week ago, and a lot of things have changed in the last week,
and I think will continue to change as a season closes itself out.
You know the guy who was probably putting those lyrics down right, And you
know, I know Ice Cube was responsible for that, for that song,
for that line, but if it was a New York rapper, it was
all good thirty six hours ago. And I don't think you can find really
anything to follow up on that if you're trying to drop a hot sixteen or
whatever the case may be. So you know, yeah, that's just the
landscape of what's going on right now in the in the NBA, and I
think what's interesting to me SHAW is it's really hard to tell, you know,
which teams I think really wanted that badly. And I'm not saying that
to say that none of the teams are playing competitively. I'm not saying.
What I'm saying is is I don't know if whether or not teams genuinely care
if they're in the play in or if they're actually trying to make it outside
of it. I think just been the way of the streakiness, right,
So it's either one of two things. It's either that the teams are just
really from a matchup perspective, a competitive perspective really that even kill like any
given night a team can get got minus injuries, or you know, some
of these teams, man, they just don't give a what. You know
what I'm saying, like they just just genuinely just like, you know what,
as long as we're in and we'll let the chips fall where they may
sort of speak. Maybe that's the exasperation of pushing so hard to do something
that you know, genuinely they may not be strategizing themselves for the long haul
or preparing themselves on the long haul for because it's so much game to game
to game to game, you know what I'm saying, whether you lend itself
be at the schedule or just because of the personnel that the coach has to
work with that night, or whatever the case may be. I'm just saying,
it's like, it's the streakiness of teams is just so out of the
realm right now, you know. And I'm not just pointing to any one
particular team. I'm even talking about teams at the top top end of it.
You know, the other night, we're talking about all the Boston Celtic
is clinched after taking an l to the Utah Jazz. It's right, and
the Utah Jazz a few moments ago, we're hanging around, and now they're
they're they're on the outside, almost on the outside looking in, trying to
get into the play in. So it's it's so fluid. I hate using
the Steven eight term, but I mean he's a mastermind for it, because
it really genuinely is fluid. Man. Yeah, well, I mean some
teams are playing good basketball right now, and I look no further than to
the Philadelphia seventy six ers and the Sacramona Kings. Those are the two hottest
teams right now, especially in the last ten games. Milwaukee right on their
heels, but as you alluded to, Celtics have been struggling. We talked
about them already. The Nuggets are now in a tailspin for whatever reason there
and everybody else more or less is right around five hundred or maybe just above
or obviously below. Like it's just really weird. Only two, maybe three
teams are playing great basketball, and you know, I think that's really just
kind of indicative of kind of someone of the parody within the league this year.
And that's what I think. It's going to make for a very very
intriguing playoffs. As they always say, styles make fights, and we'll see
how these playoff matchupes ultimately go. But I think it's very even across both
the East and Western Conference. But Milwaukee and Philadelphia seemed to be having a
little bit of a leg up on all of all the teams out there in
the NBA. Now, com agree with you and like and as always,
man, you know, the focal point will will definitely be over the next
few weeks where where we are where the teams match, you know, land
as far as Eastern Conference, Western Conference for the playing picture and also for
the playoffs. But you know, we'd be remissed if if we weren't kind
of highlighting where these trends are shifting our eyes towards, because it's really interesting
how things are painting out. Like you can, you can clearly see that
out in the Eastern Conference teams handling their business, Celtics, Philadelphia seventy six
ers probably by the time we've record this podcast will probably wind up not put
themselves in a position to clinch the playoffs very easily as well too. Right
now they're actually sitting in a second spot, which is what I find hilarious
to me, is that the Boston Celtics wind up clinching yet by by virtue
of the record. The Philadelphia seventy six ers have eat themselves up into the
second spot, you know, And so I think if you're Joe Missoula,
while it's a great accomplishment, is something that you obviously want to make sure
that you shure up. You want to be one of the top two teams
if you've worked as hard to be up there this whole part of the season.
So they got to figure that stuff out. But again, it's just
interesting how things are lining up very quickly over on the eastern side and on
the western side. Everything is still a crapshoot, even because of what we're
seeing from the Denver Nuggets. But let that's not be said. We still
got to handle business. And so while we don't want to miss on the
opportunity of speaking about what clearly we'll be on our minds over the next coming
weeks, next couple of months, which is going to be the playoffs and
ultimately the finals. We got to start bodying some teams right like it's that
time of the season, that time of the year, we got to get
into the autopsy reports. So there will be a couple of teams we can
safely say are probably not gonna leap frog any of the teams that we will
be talking about in the coming weeks, but we do want to discuss like
what this outcome of the season means and what the future might actually look like
as they're heading themselves into the off season. And so we'll be talking about
two teams in particular, the San Antonio Spurs and the Detroit Pistons, And
so get ready for some good conversation, you know what I'm saying, because
maybe good luck will actually you know, I'm saying, land on one of
these two teams organizations for a change, right like instead of you know,
the the purgatory that they've been dealing with for so many seasons, you know,
since removed. But we'll get into that. And obviously we got some
news and notes we got to discuss. So as always, be sure to
get my man Shaw as shall Sports NBA get at me at game face.
Leave the shows to an handle at NBA basedline available on the major platforms.
You know where to find us. Go to www dot Baseline, NBA dot
com to check out our show and all of the previous shows that we've been
dropping for you, and as always, those of us who are those of
you guys who are looking at us directly or catching us on YouTube? You
see the nice blue logo down to the bottom corner. We run with the
nineteen Media Group. So if you're interested with nineteen Media and all of the
great shows and content and the great personalities of people delivering that content, go
to www dot nineteen Media group dot com. You know we'd be running these
content streets, all right. So let's get right into some of these news
and notes, shall before we dive right into, you know, our autopsy
report. It's been a while since I put on the white jacket. It
might be it might be a tight fit for me. John morant Um,
there is expectations that he is planning to return. I think if you're the
Memphis Grizzlies, you should be obviously happy about that. But I do think
the outlier shaw is that is this a realistic return for him, given what
he's spoken to when he did the interview with Jalen Rose, and given the
comments and the perspective that was provided to us via through Adam Silver and the
league. And I do find it somewhat interesting because when it comes to something
like this, when you're talking about you know, dealing with stress, you
know, mental well being, health and things of that nature. I just
think it's a very fine line to say that you have gotten yourself right in
less than a week and that you're going to be okay to come in and
play basketball. Well, clearly, this is not has nothing to do with
the game of basketball, more so has to do with your approaches as a
person and how you conduct yourself accordingly on and off the basketball court. At
this point, all we can do is take people at their proverbial word and
now their actions in terms of following up you know those words. I think
on the outside, from the outside looking in, who might think this is
still a little quick for whatever healing might have needed to take place. There's
still a lot of innuendo and rumors about exactly what the cause and the root
of kind of the layers of this piece. It's been very very masked,
I think from the Grizzies standpoint, and even John Moran standpoint to a certain
degree. Intentionally so, I believe it was Mark Spears. I don't want
to put his name out there, and if it wasn't, but a pretty
well connected reporter, you know, said, listen, they were hearing some
things that they weren't sure if it's going to come back at all this year.
Right, So I don't want to say it was Mark Spears, but
a national report I had admit that. So I have to kind of go
back and do my own research on Twitter and figure out exactly who said that.
But I said, wow, you know, reading that it really made
say like, this is whatever's happening is really really serious. You know all
the layers that are that are underneath it that we may not know. But
the Grizzlies have been able to maintain to a certain level, certain degree,
they're still in the hunt for the two seed in the Western Conference still quote
unquote playoff hopell, I mean title hopefuls, I guess. And you know
John Morant wants to come back and help help his team and put all of
this behind him. Time will tell whether or not this was enough time that
he took in essence to get himself together. But I agree with you,
it's it's it's it seems a little quick, but we're not in his head.
We don't know the how how down he really was, how great the
help he received was to kind of get him back to this return to play,
and you know, this is a situation even though I can't, we
don't know exactly what the situation is. Situations like these are all very very
subjective, and it's it's up to that individual to see how much time they
need to heal and out. Ultimately they come back and be um, you
know, resembling their former selves. So we'll see how it goes on the
court when you can returns this week at some point. And you know,
I think we're all rooting for him, but a lot of what you've said
makes a lot of sense in terms of, like, hey not let's rush
him to be the face of the league, even the face of the franchise
at this point. You know, take the take the requisite time to get
right, help your teammate, teammates or whatever capacity that you can, and
then also obviously making sure that you're taking yourself off the floor first and foremost.
I don't want to belabor this because I think this is going to be
maybe the theme word for this week is fluid. This is going to be
a very fluid situation. I will say this though, to piggyback off of
my comments from last week, I spoke more to John Morant and I spoke
more to the organization and what they really should be seeing from this, And
I think what I'm going to carry now towards this week after hearing these comments
is this, you know, if you're the if you're the Memphis Grizzlies,
right, and even if you do or you don't want to believe that John
Morant is your guy, right, like we see it before, Like they
say good things, but in the back room, you know, they obviously
you want to make sure that they have contingency plans to shield the organization from
any backlash or things that may take place. But I think, genuinely,
if you believe in and and I often felt that this was always the case
with the Memphis Grizzlies in the organizations, with the players that they've brought in,
what they've built over the last you know, ten plus years, more
than a decade, is that they backed their players. And I probably would
have liked to have seen a little bit more of that from the Memphis Grizzlies.
I feel like there is this oh, we didn't realize or oh my
gosh, you know, we're as probably as shocked as you guys. And
I don't know if I'm necessarily buying that. I think this is not about
pr This is about you know, unknowing like the NBA should not know about
this before you as an organization should know about it. And I think that's
where I have some of those concerns. I'm not putting this on Jenkins.
I don't think that this is a Jenkins issue. This is but he is
a part of the organization. I think this is an organizational issue as well
too, that you have to make sure that if you are going to put
out there that you're about the well being of your players, that you want
to be there to make sure that you're fully supporting them and their abilities to
get it right, because I don't know how many opportunities you can get it
right when situations like what we're talking about with job Morant can go so wrong
so quickly. You know what I'm saying, And it's not to identify any
particular player. We're just taking specifically this instance and what he is addressing as
what the root cause of a lot of these part of issues should or shouldn't
be. Yeah, I mean, I don't know if I agree fully there.
I think there's like from what you hear now, Memphis is saying when
they leave towns like, they're not going to hang out. So if they're
in Miami, they don't have another trip to Miami, but anywhere anywhere they
go, they're leaving right after the game. They're not going to hang out
in other cities. So that's what they're saying, you know, to try
to help mitigate some of the issues, so to speak, because we just
there's so many things that I don't genuinely like that though, like that that's
not really solving a problem, that's babysitting. No, I mean, I
mean, well, I mean, but you got to take those teps.
No, I understand, Yes, And I think each team has their own
set of rules and their own ways of handling things, and there's just teams
that are more vocal than others. Miami's very secretive, The Knicks to some
degree, are very secretive, The Spurs are very secretive, whereas teams like
the Lakers, you get a lot of information about them one way or the
other, whether those are leaks or they're happy to put their business out there.
I think Memphis is one of those teams that, hey, they want
to be able to try to protect their star in a way. That they
feel is best for them, and we're not necessarily going to know and be
privy to everything that they're doing in front of the cameras. Behind the scenes
are one way or the other. But at the end of the day said
we're happy he'll be back, and like you, I think what you said
was was poignant. It's a fluid situation, so let's see how it all
goes. Absolutely your tune to the base. Like Callie Warrenshaw discussing the hot
button topics of the NBA, as we keep things moving along, Anthony Edwards
is going to be out indefinitely, suffered a a pretty for his athleticism.
It seems like it's a pretty severe injury in soul because of the high amount
of pressure guys games that the Timberwolves are playing now at this particular juncture to
secure an opportunity for them to be able to participate into play in him being
out indefinitely. Shaw, I mean, you got to think about this unless
you see Karl Anthony Town's you know, really making that return sooner than later.
I mean, what are the realistic chances that we do see the Timberwolves
trying to, you know, put like rush Anthony Edwards back in there,
or if kat does come back, do they kind of like really take their
time and really properly evaluate this for him, you know, given the fact
that you know, this guy's got a long career, you know he's he's
a superstar above anything else. But just at the risk of bringing him back
for like a play in situation, if he's not going to be one hundred
percent healthy, I don't know. It's kind of a toss up here.
It's tough, It's really tough, and the timing cannot be worse, you
know, as they're really fighting proceeding to stay trying to get in above the
play in line, and doesn't look like you know, that's probable. I
think at this point they'll probably be in the play in tournament itself. You
made a move that I think ultimately helped your team by bringing in Conley and
moving D'Angelo Russell away. But now with Anthony Edwards out and Cats to allow
you could use a guy with offensive swagger of D'Angelo Russell because Conley is obviously
more of a distributor or not, you know, a prolific scorer. I
think at the stage of his career, it's just bad timing and can Finch
in company more or less kind of cobbled together a couple of wins. Cat
is still a week or two away from returning, depending on who you talk
to, and indefinite from Anthony Edwards means well, we could be back in
two games, three games, three weeks. We don't We still don't know.
I just feel really bad for this Minnesota team who's had their season really
derailed from the very beginning with the Cat injury, and it's going to be
interesting to see how it finishes out. They have an interesting schedule, they
do get to be masters of their own destiny to some degree, but they
have enough offensive firepower or can they become defensive stalwarts and druggernauts you know which?
I guess it's possible to some degree with some of them personnel that they
have now to scrape by and then wait till the offensive reserves kind of come
back. Yeah, I think you hit it on the head. Shaw.
I don't know if whether or not this team is going to be able to
sustain, you know, the offensive where they are, because even where they
are offensively, they're pretty, they're modern, they're decent. They're not bad,
certainly, you know, not to the level I think a lot of
teams probably with what they had acquired and put together. I think they expected
it to be like maybe a top ten team defensively, especially if Edwards steps
up. But this team is pretty I mean decent all things consider defensively,
right, like their tenth defensive rating, and they're eighteenth as far as you
know umos points per game, opponent's points per game. So I think,
you know, this is going to come down to them, you know,
possessions. I think it's going to come down to them. I think if
they step up defensively, they can give themselves, you know, a chance
or more chances offensively for them to be able to hang. And to your
point, they have a schedule which I think they're able to control their own
destiny. I think this is where we want to start seeing. You know,
I guess a Rudy Gobert resurgence sort of speak, and you know,
that combination of Conley and Gobert, you know, having an impact. I
think more of a physical presence inside I think will help the Minnesota Timberwolves.
But it could be too little, too late. And again, you know,
if Finch forces Cat into that lineup. I don't know where that what
goes from that. I don't know what comes from it. I don't know
who may be impacted by that more Gobert, more Cat or Conley, because
I think Conley's comfort level to get the ball to Gobert, I think is
their go to situation and go to move couple with their defense. You bring
Cat back into the situation. Now, we got to focus the attention on
feeding Cat the basketball. And we've seen where this is. It's not been
a good look where you know, Gobert gets lost in space. So it'll
be interesting to see what they do. Hopefully out of it, they win
some games and they at least maintain themselves to be playing tournament worthy. All
right, y'all, let's finalize our news and notes real quick here. There
has been conversations about the Blazers wanting to shut down Dame Damian Lillard. I
know that can't bold well for the conversation that you are having because you had
your eye about the Portland Trailblazes figuring out a way to get themselves into the
play in tournament. So the idea that they're even thinking about shutting down Dame
time is not the right time for show time. No, I mean I
think they said they're going to take a look at these next five to six
games and see see where a lands after that, and if they're not able
to make significant headway, then yeah, they'll they'll consider it. I don't
think this is Dame's doing and it's just kicking the tires on on an idea.
But if they fall out of this, they fall to three games back,
you know of the play in line, which seems pretty hard to do
based on the competition, like you're really going to be in it till almost
the end of the day, at the end of the season rather, but
you get they're they're they're looking and just saying, hey, he's had a
great seasons. He's reclaimed, you know. I think his name some of
the dirt that wastone on his name by the Domino injury that he had last
year and wasn't able to play averaging a career high right now and really hooping.
But again, yeah, we'll wait to see how these next This next
week we can half go so see if they maintained a play in contention.
Otherwise it could be the end of Dame time for the season. I feel
like this is just a pr play, I really do. I feel like
they're throwing that out there because they're readying themselves. And look, maybe organizations
want to get out ahead of it. They want this to kind of like
bleed slowly. It's kind of like with politicians dropping some of the worst news
on themselves, like on a Friday, because like people don't pay attention to
politics on the weekend. Thank thank thank thank god for sports on a weekend,
right, like that's the only reason why they care. Um, I
almost feel like that's where the Portland Trailblazers are going. Now. I'm not
saying that that should be the idea of the intent. I'm just saying that
maybe they're trying to prepare people for what they think is going to wind up
happening. And I and it's kind of because again, sometimes organizations don't operate
in unison with what the team and the players are doing, like it's two
totally different worlds, and then you get to see it play themselves out with
what is being disseminated out by the media outlets and who where that information gets
lead to and who gets access to that and you know, so, uh,
I don't want to see the Portland Trail Blazers even consider that. But
the fact that it's out there, it makes it hard for you to like
not, you know, have it sit where it sits. And I think
it's it's the two games back from twelve as we record right now, three
games back out of ten. So you know what do you have like twelve
games left? It's it's it's getting really really tight. So I can see
why this is coming up now. I understand that, but you know,
what players want to play. And if you're Damian Lillard and and you know,
if let's say, for example, he was an iron man, you
know what I'm saying, Like, if if he was basically playing eighty two
games a year, you know, over the last four or five years,
do you really consider shutting him down when he's doing something historical or he's doing
doing something great. No, And so you know, again, I obviously
you don't want to see something bad happen in meaningless games, But I just
think that putting that out there just sends a bad message for players, who
especially emphasize the idea that they that players should be out there playing and this
is not about load management. And you know what I'm saying it's not even
about the fans, it's about the players playing the game. If they have
to think about all of a sudden someone shutting them down, that could do
a detriment to them. You know, it makes them feel like the organization
doesn't back them in the way that they see how you know, playing the
game of basketball should be seen. I think that's what's called caused a lot
of visceral reaction between owners and with the MBPA as well too, because the
players that are coming out there are speaking to this like, you guys got
to speak to this better than the way that we speak to it, because
this is not what we want people thinking by what we feel like should be
a representation of quote unquote load management or shutting stuff down and stuff. I
think that's where he's I think that's where I don't want it to go,
but I think that's where it can get to if it's not done properly.
I think that's interesting only if you listen to Damon kind of what he said
on The Old Man on three podcasts recently. He doesn't like what the NBA's
becoming and championships or bust, and you're like, you can't have a great
career or you can't be considered amazing if you don't want to chip and you
know, kind of a lot of different things too. So just interesting times
in Portland, I think, as always, as always, your tune to
the baseline, Callie warrens y'all discussing the hot button topics of the NBA coming
up. Sean and I get to put on the white coats again. Man,
it's been long overdue. Can't believe how quickly the NBA season is rolled
up on us that we actually start bodying up teams. Man, But it's
that time, man. We got to do some autopsy reports, so you
don't want to miss out here on the baseline. Time to break it.
They're dead, My team, My team is dead. They knew we were
coming, man, they knew we were coming. Time now for the breakdown.
Callie wants y'all the base one NBA podcast, and it's about that time
for us. It is all top two report time and we're already getting things
started. Man. We got to talk about the two teams who ultimately have
already been checked out and way checked out of this year's NBA chase to the
play in or the playoff picture, and that's gonna be the San Antonio Spurs
and the Detroit Pistons. Now, ironically enough, Shaw, if we actually
said the NBA season ended at this moment in time, the Detroit Pistons arguably
would have the worst record in the NBA, and thus they would have one
among the best chances or opportunity for them to get access to the when Bayana
sweepsticks. Right. It's interesting because when you look at the Detroit Pistons,
they really have a lot of talented guys. But this is when some times
you wish, you know what I'm saying, You know, the organization was
watching you know, the Food Network and watching Chopped and watching Tournament of Champions,
like you need you need somebody who knows how to take these random ingredients
and make a cuisine. Right, Like the struggle that I keep seeing with
the Detroit Pistons is with all of this talent, and a lot of it
was impacted by obviously by Kay Cunningham going down. But you got a lot
of talent here, and we still have no conceivable idea about what this team
really should be like. It's constructed like, should feel like, should look
like, and whether you're an offensive minded or a defensive minded person. Nothing
of what you've seen the Detroit Pistons exhibits is lending to the idea that you're
seeing an uptick or or a move upward, ensuring up one side either side
of that part of their game detroits and of he said, they have a
lot of similar parts and not a true direction. I think it's good that
they know Kate is kind of their guy, can kind of build around him.
Jane and Ivy didn't have the rookie season that I thought a lot of
people or even myself would have thought he would. He would have had,
but it wasn't terrible. It just wasn't as impactful, especially with Kate being
out. I really thought with Kate being gone, we would have seen Jade
and Ivy really step up. But again, rookie still, you know,
don't want to throw dirt on his name, and he has the ability to
really really turn some things around here. But the rest of it is just
kind of interesting. They make the move for Wiseman, you know, at
the trade deadline, they clearly are very high on him and get rid of
the Big Bay, you know, in order to make that happen. Not
really sure what their future is with Isaiah Stewart, you know, moving forward.
They resigned Baggy over the course of the summer, and you know,
they got Bogdanovich was still a very tradable asset for them, I think at
some point if they want to. But going into this year, they don't
have a first round draft pick. You know, they have a couple of
draft picks and that will be their own in the following years. But this
summer, uh, it really is going to be about, all right,
what can they really do to secure themselves in the capacity to to be viable
and build around Kate Cunningham moving forward. I'm I'm concerned, you know,
and I know you've you you've pointed to, uh the ability of of a
head coach doing Casey there and what is he really in this for at this
point? And I think those are hard questions if Pistons are going to have
some have to ask themselves over the course of the summer. Yeah. So
I'm gonna start there first with with doing Casey. You know I've said before
that that that this season that he the had prior to getting acxed by the
Toronto Raptors, I think was a telltale sign that, you know, the
Raptors understood what they needed to do in order, you know, to move
themselves in in in what was obviously a very small window one season right to
basically ascend and capture a possible NBA title. And I don't think that they
thought that they can continue to do that with Dwayne Casey. Dwayne Casey's calling
card has been his ability to build up younger guys, get them to be
more defensive minded. But unfortunately he does not have the savvy to make adjustments
from an offensive perspective in a situation where the NBA is pivoting to such an
offensively minded or offensive mentality. Have you heard this before? Ergo Mark Jackson,
now Mark Jackson minus certain other you know, nuances regarding you know,
what his expectations are to be a head coach for a team and what he
wants to do. Putting that aside, what I'm just saying is is that
that has always kind of been the detriment to Mark Jackson's ability to get really
talented teams in a position where you can certainly balance out what you've improved on
them from a defense to perspective to what you can get them to try and
do from an offensive perspective. And I feel like, if you are the
Detroit Pistons, this is where you really have to make this decision in the
off season. If you are the Pistons and somehow you get Victor Wemba Nana,
are you getting him to be the future of a team in which he's
gonna be the anchor for both sides of the basketball like you see him as
your Joel embiid Or are you getting him and recognizing that the way that he
plays his game of basketball, we need a head coach who knows how to
encompass that talent that he currently has and what that guy brings so that he
becomes the true pure face of that franchise and the success is reflected immediately.
It's not just by wins, but it's just in the way that he's changing
the dynamic of the game and the team that's played. And I'm saying that
this is where those crossroads tend to meet with organizations who have head coaches who
have basically been a part of the misery of not being successful, both when
they've made free agency moves and times when they've missed out on the draft picks
that they've selected, and this is where I'm wondering where Dwayne Casey's you know,
time is basically coming to a head. Because again, if at least
you could make a calling card that the Pistons can play good defensively even if
you lose Kate Cunningham, he's not the reason why that they've been decent defensively.
But if you can't even get your team to play decent defense, if
they can't even break you know, top twenty, that's a problem. And
I feel like this situation, whatever happens, if they wind up getting this
number one pick, I think we'll change the dynamic about how they want to
push forward, and it may not be with Dwyane Casey being the head coach
again for that for that next season. Excuse me, yeah, I think
it's it's what's funny to me about this is so I would also want to
clarify something I said. They have a pick as long as it's within the
lottery, right, So this first round pick this year, um, it's
it's it's protected protected, you know, top eighteen, so obviously it'll be
top eighteen. The Knicks one be getting this pick. So you're right now,
if they get number one. I don't think they're going to be foolish
and try to trade it, right, They're they're going to keep it and
try to build around you know, Wemby, but you just got Wiseman.
You just acquired Wiseman. Those are not guys who I think can really play
alongside each other. And then addition to Bagley and Stewart, so I think
you know, they may decline some player options here and try to move Bagley,
but they may decline the player option of Isaiah Stewart or try to sign
and trade him somewhere else. You don't not take Wemby because you have Wiseman.
But you do have some duplicity here that and some even triplicity that is
that you're trying to unpack because that's kind of where the situation they're in right
now. It became power forward, power forward central for a while here.
We've been talking about this with the Pistons and early to your point about doing
Casey, Now do you reward him for these lean years and say, hey,
well, now we're going to be on an upward trajectory because we have
a Wemby or a Scoot Henderson or whoever to build around alongside Kate Cunningham.
Or is it like, hey, you're not the guy or this because you're
a more seasoned veteran coach. He's not like Greg Popovitch, who will talk
about obviously a little bit with san Antonio, where he can just write his
own his own check and come and go as he pleases. I think Detroit
has to I do have an interesting take. I do have an interesting I
do have an interesting take that I'll give you about pop and and what may
happen if they get Wemby. But yeah, yeah, but I think with
Casey he also has to be in lockstep with the what the management to understand.
It's like, all right, well, what are we really trying to
do now? And keeping a guy like Bogdanovich to me is I don't know.
I just I just don't quite get it. Um how he's Maybe he's
helping in a way in the veterans as a veteran presidence in addition to being
you know, productive offensively on the on the floor. But I just really
feel like they should have moved on. But that's that's neither here or there.
At the end of the day, Burke's player option probably be declined.
Killian Hayes. Do you keep him alongside? Yeah, for Jaden Jade and
Ivy insurance. But I guess maybe depends what pick you get between you know,
Wemby and maybe Scoot Henderson or whatever the case may be. As I
talked about Isaiah Stewart, I think Isaiah Livers is probably going to be off
this team. Everybody else doesn't have a contract going into next year. The
Yallo's up, Corey Joseph is up, you know, Roddy mcgruiders has already
gone. RJ. Hampton they picked up off of waivers you know from the
Orlando Magic. This team is very, very lean. They do have the
ability to spend some money in addition to that as well, especially if they
if they decline all those options and then get a top draft pack in here.
But you're still going to be looking at a team that has a lot
of work to do, and I think doing case, he has to figure
out does he want to be a part of this for the long haul?
Okay, let me ask you this question. Show which dynamic do you see
working for the Detroit Pistons right like, which tandem? Because at some point
you got to start forming, You gotta start looking to form your your super
friends, right, like you gotta start forming a super team here, right,
So who is it that you seem or is it really predicated on It's
going to be determined whether or not they do get access to Wimby. So
I can repeat your question, I don't think if I got understanding, okay,
right, like you got all of this talent right now. Right,
We've seen, you know, spots of guys stepping up and having games,
but we don't see consistency. And at some point when Kad Cunningham comes back,
Kate is gonna have to be paired up with somebody who he says,
this is part of my future, you know what I'm saying, Like it's
gonna be Ivy, it's gonna be Hazes, it's gotta be somebody that you
gotta be paired up with. Say we're gonna start with this and we're gonna
roll. Right, Because now we've seen Jade and Ivy on his own,
he clearly is not right in that position just yet. But that doesn't mean
that if he's not paired up with Kad Cunningham, that there is a prosper
you know, there's a prosperous future to build something like, all right,
now we got two guys. Now we're gonna move to that whoever that third
guy could be? Right, but I'm saying is is that who would that
be? Who do you see that tandem to be? Do you see it
or do you think that it is a waiting game based on if we get
Wemby, then we're going to build on Cunningham and Wemby and everybody else will
figure out, you know, the chips fall where they may about where they're
going to be in the pecking order. Yeah, not to cop out,
but I think it's that very much. So like to see what would pick
you end up landing. And you know, hey, if if you can
build around Cunningham and Wemby, then dope you make that happen. You know,
if it then now becomes Scoot Henderson or Brandon Miller, who might fill
another position for you as a kind of a more of a small forward and
wing type player, then maybe you go that route, you know, Scoots.
I guess protects more as a two wish could be problematic because Cunningham and
Etan Jade and Ivy are both kind of twos in their own rights. If
you will or combo guards, I should say not two, but combo guards.
Scoot is more of a of a two and more of a slashing type
type type type guard and wing. You can move them to the three,
I guess if you wanted to, but maybe a slightly slightly a bit undersized
for that. To me, they have a lot of great options per se,
and I think it's also like, what do you want the future of
what you currently have? So they can be creative and I think maybe move
some pieces as I alluded to, maybe trying to do some simnon trades,
you know with some of the some of the guys that they have for some
maybe even some future picks or complimentary pieces to to those young guys. Hence
why I think a guy like Bogdanovich makes some sense for them m maybe to
keep all hold on to them for whatever reason. But at the end of
the day, this is a team that has a lot, a lot,
a lot a lot of options, but not it's it's it's it's going to
be a difficult, a difficult path what no matter what they ultimately decide to
do. But you'd rather be in this position now, um, you know,
knowing that hey, you're gonna have some salaries coming off the books,
you have some good young talent. Obviously, need to keep Katee healthy,
you know, first and foremost. But then if you can get Wemby Henderson
Miller whoever, you're going to be in a position to be successful, you
know, from years to come. All right, seaw, give me a
proper eulogy for the for the Detroit Pistons, well, you know, I'll
probably eulogize them in the way that um they had ay they were already hit
heading down the right path and got to real a lot by injuries. And
I think if you not to say you that utilize that as a as a
full excuse, but you can in some ways wipe away some of the transgressions
of the season and how how it's gone, and you say, you know
what, we're not starting from from ground zero because Kate is a is a
significant piece to have. I think Jade and Ivey is obviously only can continue
to get better. And then if you really if they really believe in Wiseman
in the way that they clearly do by by making the acquisition, then you
feel like, hey, you're well on your way. So uh yeah,
they're gonna need some shooting to compliment. I guess what they have here too,
again, hence why they are probably holding onto Maganovitch a little bit.
Um. But even Jalen Duran, we didn't even talk about him, you
know, that's that's another you know, big who was getting double doubles in
in the middle of the season. You know, they put him into the
starting lineup, and I think that's something that is pretty pretty significant for them
long term. So excited for Detroit Pistons and in a lot of ways,
but it's the season is not all lost. But at the same time,
you know, obviously Casey wish I'm sure you wish it could have been better
than it than what what Howard projected coming in because it seemed like I didn't
think they're gonna be this mad. Honestly, I thought they might have been
on the fringe of the play in like the fringe of it. But they're
way out of it. So um, the season was a little bit rough,
But I think there's there's better days to come for Shark. Well,
there are better days to come. I don't want to I don't wanna be
a little doing Casey and what he's been able to do. I think that
there is some promise there. I do wonder sometimes based on some of the
decision making, like, you know, if what's motivating it, so to
speak. I will say this, um, you know, to add to
your eulogy of the Detroit Piston Shaw. You know, I would have wished
that the Pistons were probably playing in the Southeastern Division because then I think that
there would be a window of opportunity to allow this growth um for their young
players and for there to be some competitive basketball where they feel momentum in their
you know, in their court to get better at what they're doing. Right
now, They're playing in a division where literally from top to bottom, you
can say they will probably be the worst team in that division for years to
come unless there is an upstart, whether it be getting winby Yana or Kay
Cunningham suddenly out of nowhere becomes a MVP like kind of type player, or
the roster that is constructed, whether it be Duran or Ivy or one of
these rookies comes in and is immediately having an impact on these teams. And
you feel bad for the Detroit Pistons because with this youth, it gets flooded,
you know, it gets muddied up because they're playing in such a competitive
division. There is really very little breathing room, and I think it's going
to come down to that maturity that has to happen quickly for them if they're
going to survive and thrive over the next few years. And so it'll be
interesting to see if the organization thinks they can continue to do that with Dwane
Casey and his staff, or they have to change that pivot that very quickly.
Based off of what happens for this upcoming draft. If they get when
Bayana, it will be very interesting to see what kind of leash Casey is
going to have and how quickly he can get these guys to step in and
step up and arguably what is going to continue to be a very talented,
flooded division in the Central Your tune to the baseline Callie Warrenshaw discussing the hot
button topics of the NBA. Coming up, we continue our autopsy report and
we'll break down the San Antonio Spurs. It's weird I'm even mentioning them this
early like we do, but yes, it's an end of an era,
and do we have to wake up to the realization that this could be that
way for the San Antonio Spurs for the foreseeable future. You don't want to
miss out our perspective here on the baseline. We are back Callie Warrenshaw Baseline
NBA Podcast. As we continue our conversation of doing the autopsy report, my
man Shaw is already ready enough. The next body as we speak, Sew
and that obviously means that we have to talk about the San Antonio Spurs,
right, So here's the Spurs. The Spurs basically are the second worst team
in the NBA. And as we're talking about the Detroit Pistons and whether they
need the luck of the Irish to fall their way to get a guy like
Wembayana, I see that like with the Spurs. I don't know, it's
kind of interesting, but I look at this and say to myself, do
the Spurs deserve to be in this position or the Spurs exactly where they feel
like they need to be in order for them to properly hit the reset button
and the plans for what we're thinking is going to be another Spurs dynasty moving
forward. So I'll say this only because I was on a Good Friend Jabari
show not too long ago, on Matt Boosti's and they talk about the Wemby
sweepstakes and where would we most like to see him go? And my pick,
honestly was Charlotte because I think he and Lamello could be a truly,
truly exciting pair. I feel like San Antonio's going to get him because that's
just the most boring situation possible, and it is always out to the San
Antonio Spurs. I think that's why you keep Greg Popovich. He brings he
brings the luck of the draft to the San Antonio Spurs. I mean,
and I think for him from a development standpoint, that probably is one of
the better landing spots and he could really kind of grow alongside it. And
they could truly just say that for all their chips in, you know,
with him in terms of building around him, because I like Kelvin Johnson the
line, you're not building your team around Kelvin Johnson, You're not building your
team around Devin of the Sill. Like those are nice, complimentary players,
even high level guys, but they're not building blocks of a franchise. And
that's no disrespect at all. I think they're excited about the potential of of
getting you know, a guy like Wemby, more Scoot Henderson or more Brandon
miller Um. But they're the crown jew obviously is Wemby, and they'd love
to be able to do that moving moving portal at the Purtle. Sorry,
at the deadline was I think significant sign of things to come. While they
have a I think a player option or Zach Collins is contract player option,
but he has a team option that's not guaranteed for next year. He's playing
well to end the end the season, but you don't Again, you don't
not make the move for Wemby if because you have Zach Collins right and there's
nobody else here, I think that's standing in their way. So san Antonio
is a the exception of some of the guys who just mentioned Um is a
is a misnomer of you know who he played for if you were playing that
game on T and T, because those are guys who a lot of uninitiated
NBA fans and are not going to know who they are, you know,
it's just they've they've accumulated of a roster of hard working guys, but not
necessarily name brand guys who are going to be in this in the league for
ten fifteen years at the same time, If that makes some sense. I
got a question to ask you before I make my um make my comment that
alluded to earlier about what we Boyana might mean for the San Antonio Spurs if
you, if you could, if you could kind of like what is what?
What is Victor one Bayana to you? Like? What is he?
What does he? What does he represent? Does he represent the future you
know of the NBA? Does he represent to you? Um, what we
hope will come of guys of his build, um that that has that type
of it within them, very similar to like what we say, um we
see in a Yannis Um and maybe some other internationally based or influenced players and
stuff like that, Like what what what would be your assessment of a guy
like one Bayana for this draft? I mean, I think he's he's probably
more embied than than than other players, you know that. I think some
some comps are trying to get to He's not as forceful and physical as Jannis
is, and maybe still not even as graceful, but he has a little
bit more bouncing whig well, then embid, does I think off the bounce
right now? Currently? So that's where you know, you're kind of getting
some semblance of a mold there, but he doesn't have the physicality, doesn't
have the physicalality even a beat right now, let alone Yannis. But I
think you're looking at at the highest end those types of guys, and ultimately,
if obviously if he can stay healthy, because the fact he's as tall
as he is, you know, can block shots, shot shoot the basketball,
you know, maybe not as skilled a passers as of yet. So
that's where you know, some of those comparisons, even with embid and the
honest would wouldn't necessarily correlate. But he's not somebody who you don't take a
flyer on, and I think that's that's being you know, um, you
know a little KOI, you know, with that, with that terminology,
any team, you know, any of the teams that we're going to talk
about in the earlier part of our autopsy reports here now, would be excited
and love to have him on their roster and would not not get him as
a result of anybody whose would they currently have. So San Antonio, with
their long standing ability to player develop, might be a great landing for him
long term. But you know, what does long term mean? For him,
and as it would relate potentially to any player that they'd get, as
it would relate to Greg Popovich's term and tenure with the roster, like he
is he going to be here three years down the road where you're really going
to start to see the spoils of what any of these players took on the
ultimately become. Because I don't know if anyone's coming in here, and I
don't know when he's coming in here and averaging twenty and ten in year one,
but you know, fifteen and eight, whatever it is, I think
that's those are very plausible type numbers or whatever the case could be, you
know, just projecting here. We don't really know. But again, as
Popovitch long for this process, you know, three years down the line of
the Spurs would presumably be back in the hunt for contention. But they have
a lot of money. And that's another thing too. They have a lot
of money, and then they can make some other moves and a lot of
picks for the next you know, four years that they can cobbles some things
together to maybe get back into this faster than when we meet even ordinary project.
Yeah, so you kind of hit it on the head. A little
bit to where my trepidation lies. If you're the San Antonio Spurs. I
think a lot of this is going to be predicated on the future of Greg
Popovich, right. It's great that Greg Popovitch can really write his own destiny.
I think it comes down to do you have the patience to be a
part of the um the replenishment process, not the rebuilding process, the replenishment
process. I think with the San Antonio Spurs, what we have always applauded
them is their ability to fortify the pillars of their their their team right,
and to continually can add pieces while that team continues to strengthen. It's it's
basically a dual um. You know, they have do two things going on
at the same time, which is why they've sustained their level of dominance and
created that dynasty that they've created for us, you know, in the early
two thousands, um and and really the two teams, right, the twenty
teams. But I think this is a different situation because when they went they
drafted say, um a, is it losing me Duncan. When they drafted
Tim Duncan, they had you know, Robinson next to him, and Robinson
showed him how to apply the physicality to the position that he played right,
but everything else was all on Duncan, right, So I think the talent
is going to be there if they land a guy like when Mayanna. What
I'm just finding interesting is who are the Spurs gonna put next to him to
elevate him to that competitive level that we're hoping that he can put himself.
See himself competing against the embiides, you know what I'm saying, the Yanniss
right on a night in, night out basis, and you're seeing it elevate.
And as an organization, if you're the San Antonio Spurs, obviously you
have to pivot from what you've been doing offensively the last few years now.
A lot of that is obviously impacted that they didn't. They didn't they haven't
really had a they haven't had a like a cohesive point guards situation going right.
Deontay Murray puts up numbers, But do we really think that Deontay Murray
impacted everything that was going on for that team? He looked impressive, but
you see him now playing out in Atlanta with Trey Young and you can see
that this is a work in progress. For him or where he fits in
from what he was used to doing in San Antonio. I think you could
make an argument that he had better communication and a better thing going with Demarda
Rosen than he has right now with with with Trey Young. So it'll be
interesting to see who Popovich, Buford and the guys put around Wimbanyanna in order
for us to see this incremental level of success for the San Antonio Spurs.
And I'm going to be the person to say this if they do get a
Wimbonianna, I don't know, like I hate that. I don't want to
make it sound like I don't want to see Greg Popovitch continue to coach in
the NBA, But I'm just wondering, does m Greg Popovitch still want to
coach like this in the NBA Because this is going to be a project in
and of itself. There is greatness there, no question, but he could
even be better suited doing it from an executive level than it really is about
what he has to subject himself through and what the team is going to be
putting themselves through over the next few seasons as a coach. Well, for
me, it's it's it can't just only you can't put all your eggs in
the Wemby basket. I agree with you, I agree, which is why
I'm starting to question that the longevity of the tenures still remaining for Gregg Popovitch
to continue to be the the the head coach for the for the same story
Spurs, not because they're gonna fire him and they're gonna get rid of him,
just because the pivot that Popovitch will have to continue to make its not
going to be a one two year round pivot. I think it's going to
be a multiple year pivot given the type of talent that they're gonna need to
put on this roster to compete, right, I mean, no matter who
they get, so whether that's Miller, Henderson, whoever else on the line,
you know, you don't even know what they're value each Those like san
Antonio thinks outside the box a little, so they may think such and such.
You know, some deep level analytics would be the better pick, you
know, allah, Danny Ainge, would Jason Tatum in the marble full situation.
You just you just never know. So we don't want to overwhemb a
lot when the size this conversation, but to your point in general that makes
a lot of sense and similar to what we're talking about Detroit. Again,
it's Casey long for this process, the Papavich along for this process, and
apparently he seems to be in it at least for now, but that could
change tomorrow. He seems like the stop a guy that you know what,
I'm no longer not I'm not longer reaching the locker room. But this just
isn't fun for me. I don't I don't have the same impact. At
the same time, san Antonio has two first rounders this year. Obviously that
one they'll keep their own pick, obviously to get whatever the higher the draft
picks are, but two and twenty four, two and twenty five, two
and twenty six, in addition to multiple seconds and all that, they could
very easily cobble those together and decide, you know what, here's how we're
going to support this. Keep Kelton Johnson, keep Devin vest still trade one
of them if they even need to, in addition to one of the those
other picks, if they wanted to, then support whoever they get in this
draft, you know, to kind of build and not to say fast tracked,
but to get into a better space in a way that that's more spursy
and if you will, they have the assets, and that's what they've been
doing. The fact that they got two first rounders for Derek White from Boston,
you know, a season ago, and they continue to They got all
the all the first rounders in the world from from Atlanta for the John Ty
Murray trade. This was smart management from them, in addition to what they're
trying to do and actual drafting their own pick this year. I think they're
going to strike at some point as I think okayc may also try to do,
as New Orleans may also try to do with all these picks. At
the end of the day, we know it's been proven you just cannot draft
all these people. You cannot have you know, you know, eight first
rounders on your team. So they will be making some moves and some overtures
I think for some some names. And you know, again, it's funny
because we already talked about Daane earlier. If I'm san Antonio, I'm trying
to pry Dane from Portland. I mean, you can try. We all
know it's a dead deal that Portland. He says, he does, I
want to move, but Portland should probably do themselves a favor, you know,
and try to get some picks or whoever whoever the next star is.
And let's not let's not poo poo this, right, I mean, the
San Antonio Spurs figured out a way to pry LaMarcus Aldridge when LaMarcus Aldris was
at the height of his basketball play and he was with Portland. You know,
I'm just saying that, like, you know, but I don't see
Dame wanting to go probably the San Antonio to to play I say again,
I mean I can't say a player like Dame, but a star, right,
you know, who might be kind of at the end of the proverbial
rope with whatever team that they're currently on, and it's like you know what,
hey, now that time is. And again, those things don't always
avail themselves in the in the time frame that that we would like. And
you don't always again, we don't always know what's going on behind the scenes,
so to speak, right, But I don't know, would they kick
the tires on an older Jimmy Butler and bring him from Miami if that,
you know, were to go awry. Would they bring Trey Young if that
stuff starts starts to go awry because we've heard that maybe he's not excited about
being in a line of long term Again, you can just throw name at
the name after there the zach Lavine situation, although maybe not a star per
se, but you know, you get what I'm what I'm trying to say
in essence, like there's there's opportunities that might be out there and they could
prize some pably a significant player away from another team just by virtual the amount
of picks that they have. Well, so listen, and I'm on,
I'm totally on board with this, right Like, I think we obviously knew
that this was coming to this. You lose Lonnie Walker, you lose Deonta
Murray, and those pretty much were your best defensive players. I think the
thing that I'm just alluding to show when I talk about the longevity factor of
what the Spurs are trying to do, like the long the long game that
they that they may be trying to play in relation to what the makeup of
this this this team from a from a coaching his staff perspective, might look
like. Popovich has always been a master at manipulating the roster to play.
According to the trends of what he sees against his teams in the NBA,
like he has just been just so masterful at doing that over the years.
We've seen him pivot from an offensive side to a defensive side, and back
and forth and back and forth. This is arguably the first time show that
we can look at this team and day and you could just flat out say
they are not good on either side of the basketball. Nothing. They've got
nothing on either side of the basketball. And I think that's where my concern
has been. If you're Greg Popovich, what do you pivot to with even
the talent that you may come have coming your way. Whether you choose to
go and get someone like Adamarta Rosen like kind of player like you did the
last couple of seasons and you try to make it work with him and LaMarcus
Aldridge and you know, and all that other kind of stuff, or if
your intent is you're a place keeper, you're putting some guys out there that
just want to be competitive and show competitiveness to the young guys that you do
plan to keep on the roster. I think this is genuinely the first time
I might actually look at the San Antonio Spurs and say, oh yeah,
there's no realistic expectation that this team is going to be marketably improved unless they
do what I don't think that they're used to do in Shaw is basically bringing
a team of free agency filled players along with whoever they're drafting, which is
gonna be top ended talent anyway, no matter how you slice it, and
suddenly it's just working with Popovich. He's never had to really do that.
There's never been them sort of speak of the San Antonio Spurs because it's usually
been one, two, three moves that incrementally over the next year two years
are going to be significant moves that helps the team. But at the same
time, they have always been right in the thick of things, and this
has been the first time that I think you look at this roster and you
can clearly see the drop off losing all of the players that nearly got themselves
into the playoffs a couple of seasons ago, where now the impact is going
to be on we're rolling the dice on what we're doing for these draft picks
that we've accumulated, this money that we're going to have freed up to put
together a completely different roster that Popovich is gonna feel comfortable coaching to be competitive
for the twenty twenty fourth season. Well, you know, I'm not an
insider, but if I were a betting man, and I'd say there's a
pretty good chance the Spurs will go after it. Got like Fred VanVleet,
who will be a free agent this summer, okay, And I think,
you know, that could help them, you know, start to write the
ship in terms of the point guard situation, long term plays alongside, and
that they don't have to give up you know, the sill or Kelton Johnson,
the Sens to do that, bring in whatever whatever draft pick they get,
and I think then you're starting to build a little bit of something there
too. Again not super splashy, but Van Vliet has all star ish type
potential, you know, obviously in the West, a little bit tougher to
make that, but he can put up the numbers statistically, and I think
it would fit within their system in a way that is Popovich like. And
so I think those are the types of moves where it will be, like
you said, kind of incremental, maybe not overly splashy, especially if they're
not able to you know, combine some of those picks that they have,
but they could sign a guy like Fred van Leet this offseason and feel like
they're heading in the right direction, especially with the draft pick they ultimately get.
So san Antonio not the Spurs, you know, these aren't your granddad
Spurs, as people say. They are definitely heading in a new direction.
But hopefully it can be exciting for them, you know, And I think
that's what we want to kind of bank on in some degree. Like they
they have done a good job for the most part over the years and changing
with the times and changing with the roster that they have, so now that
you've got to decide what type of team they want to be, and I
think Popvitch will be able to coach that or bring in the next person.
Because the Hawks getting Consigner, I think it's pretty significant because obviously he was
very heavily tied. In rumor two san Antonio had Popovich being ready to step
down, and not to say that there'll be a shortage of guys, you
know, especially even younger guys who have to have the shot yet it would
be willing to take a head coaching job there, But I do think they
have some things to figure out specifically, but it's not destitute. Despite in
the not having like name guys, they have an ability to to make us
pretty significant headway in getting back to some level of competitiveness here within the next
couple of seasons. Do you think um and we'll get into our eulogies in
a sex show. Do you think if Popovich was basically saying, I'm getting
ready to hang him up, call it, call it a day, the
idea of email Yudoka coming in to coach that team would be a would be
a good look you jumping off the reservation. I don't. I'm just saying
that. I just I'm just I'm just throwing that out there, like,
you know, how am I jumping off the reservation? I think that given
what Yudoka went through, I think that would be a pretty significant change for
the Spurs. Also, remember, don't forget that they had their own situation
with um I can't remember his name, but the draft pick who just more
or less just left, and you know, one of the psychiatrists on their
team, and even that young lady. I don't think they want to bring
in any situation that is adverse to a female work environment. Um And Unfortunately
for Yudoka. That's kind of the stigma that had that that surrounds his name
currently, and Yudoka will be living in the cave every time the game's overweight.
He's like, I'm going to my cave. I want to say,
I don't know. I don't want to see nobody, don't want to talk
to nobody. I'm just here to coach basketball games. That's that that that
to me would be. But that's not where I was trying to go with
that show. I'm just saying because of what Udoka has meant to that organization,
his coaching upbringing really came from the Popovich tree and things of that nature.
I would just wonder if whether or not, minus those other, you
know, off the court things that were going on, if Udoca would be
the proper fit for that quote unquote ascension of what we may be thinking that
the Spurs are conjuring up in there. You know what I'm saying in their
pot sort of speak all right, seaway lay out of utilogy for me for
the San Antonio Spurs. Well, San Antonio, you know you have an
opportunity to to to be pretty good. Maybe that's strong to be to be
decent here within even the next year or two. I think the Still and
Johnson had built had a lot of injuries with this past year, and if
they can remain healthy, you can build on you know, Trey Jones and
then whatever you ultimately decide to do in free agency. Um, this is
a team that can get back to a certain level of competitiveness here too,
and at least I think being the hunt for a play in and I mean
that sincerely. I think if they get the right draft pick and then can
stay healthy, especially with Papavich's coaching, this might be at least this level
of bad you know, you know, you know, fifty fifty six losses
will probably end up you know, where they end up landing or whatever the
case to be. I don't think they'll be there, and they can be
more closer to, you know, again, trying to scratch in for a
play in team or just being competitive. And they've had some good wins this
year too, so I don't want to take that away from them, but
we know that this is not Spurs Basketball twenty ninth and off friends of rating
thirtieth and defensive rating thirtyeth or sorry sorry, sorry, yeah, thirtieth and
net rating as well, Like, this is not who the Spurs are,
and they're going to be significantly better. I think in the years to come,
better days are ahead for you, san Antonio. I think that this
is really, you know, an outlier given the circumstances, situation, and
it's what it's what happens when you pretty much offload literally all of the talent.
Now, whether it was intentional or not intentional, I think that well,
I mean, you know, you know, if the intention is the
same, we're trying to get one by Yanna. Okay, I understand that,
you know, if there was a freak accident to one Bayana being injured,
like they're going to have to figure it out. What whoever isn't a
part of the draft. I'm just saying what I'm used to seeing from the
Spurs is that it doesn't matter you know, who's on there. It's about
how It's about us being able to see what this team wants to look like,
wants to be like from a competitive standpoint. And I think that if
you're a great Popovich, you want to feel comfortable not seeing any anything promising
coming from what's taken place this past season. So I think this now you
will begin to see that. I think you will see come this offseason,
not just via through the moves made, but also with the with the way
that the roster is going to look like. I don't think that come next
year when we sit down Shaw and we do our predictions, not that our
predictions should matter in the grand scheme of things, but we think it has
some weight. We think it has some validity to it. I think that
they will not wind up being the worst team in basketball or a one of
the worst teams in basketball. That doesn't mean that they will significantly jump,
there'll be a playing team or anything like that. But I do think that
they are will and will be a more improved basketball team because I think this
is a true fresh reset and it's a better understanding that there is at least
something that Popovitch knows that he wants to get these guys to improve upon,
whether it be offensively or defensively, that he wants to see some incremental improvements
from this team. And I think you feel good about that. Again,
I think the long term will be how long will we start seeing that incremental
improvement take place for the Spurs team, and whether or not Popovich and the
and the regime that is currently constructed with Popovich is going to be down for
that long term, you know, down down for the long haul. I'll
be very curious to see if that is or isn't the case. Um,
But I think that's what's going to drive a lot of the San Antonio Spurs
movements and what they're planning to do for this for this offseason and for the
for the upcoming twenty two, twenty twenty three, twenty twenty four NBA season.
You should feel good about that. The luck San Antonio, good luck,
good luck, good luck. Absolutely awesome show. This week's Shaw and
as always, man Um, sincerely, you know you do it better than
nobody, my friend, Um the nuances. I don't know why you're not
an executive or GM right now. Um, people people that people are missing
out. Man. You know, I know you love putting on a white
jacket and you know what I'm saying, putting a step of stoape to a
dead heartbeat. But still you are. You are the life force for this
show and we are grateful for that. Wow, look at those compliments out
here from all warm and fuzzy. Well, we all know that the show
does not hey, you should you should you should have said I'm feeling all
warm and scruffy. There you go. That would have been time back in
again you you're on your hip hop double untire, you know, in connections,
bro. But at the end of the day, again, the baseline
is always a fun time. And when it gets autopsy point, um,
it's it's it's it's exciting for us. Uh. And you know, with
these teams being officially mathematic eliminated, we figured we get get started early because
excuse me, they have no chance of making the playoffs. We know that
now, so let's go ahead body them up, you know what I mean,
and so that they can you know, be thought out by the time
next season rolls around and start freshen and news. So exciting time to get
the autopsy started a little early here, um, and we'll have two more
teams on here looking like I think who else does eliminated Charlotte and Houston.
So get ready those will be a doozy see San Antonio, Like I said,
things are looking up for you because guess what I'm gonna be calling out
both of them teams. I nah, oh yeah. We also have to
speak to the fact that you see, Michael Jordan is trying to sell his
majority stake of the ownership, so we'll be speaking to that when we talk
about the the Hornets as part of our autopsy on our next on our upcoming
episode, once again, we appreciate you and us were hopping up board with
us this week for the baseline. Callie warn't y'all. We appreciate you guys,
you know we do, and we'll catch up with you next time.