1 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:26,559 What is krack alakin Hardwinox listeners, I am Dana Valley coming at you with 2 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:31,079 a very special guest. If you're watching on YouTube, my dog Wade named 3 00:00:31,120 --> 00:00:34,960 after Wade Wilson of Deadpool, who wanted to be in my lap while I 4 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:37,320 was recording this, just to say hi. He's a little tired. We 5 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:41,320 were just playing fetch in the excruciating heat for a minute. But he's about 6 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:43,880 to get that now, but he wanted to say hi. Let's introduce say 7 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:49,079 hello to everyone. If you're on the podcast version, I apologize Wade. 8 00:00:53,960 --> 00:00:59,000 What is krack alackin Hardwinox listeners, I am dan Va Valley coming at you 9 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:02,840 with a very special guest. But while we dive into this mailbag, my 10 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:07,959 dog Wade named after not Dwyane Wade as most people assume, but Wade Wilson, 11 00:01:08,159 --> 00:01:11,719 Deadpool, one of my favorite Marvel characters. If you're on YouTube, 12 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:15,079 you could say a little Wade right here. He looks terrified, but he's 13 00:01:15,359 --> 00:01:17,760 in my army. He's a little tired. We just play vetch. But 14 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:23,319 I'm gonna put him down and remind you all to please rate, review, 15 00:01:23,439 --> 00:01:26,120 and subscribe to this podcast. I like puppies, Why wouldn't you want to 16 00:01:26,120 --> 00:01:29,719 subscribe to a podcast that loves puppies or I call them puppies and they're really 17 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:34,040 my two year old dogs. If you're new to the YouTube channel, please 18 00:01:34,079 --> 00:01:38,120 hit subscribe like button, comment help us bust the algorithm. Subscribe to us 19 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:41,879 wherever you're getting your podcasts. Thank you for all the returning listeners. Welcome 20 00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:44,599 to the first time listeners. We have a lot of fun around these parts, 21 00:01:44,599 --> 00:01:48,439 and we try to do a thorough, unseerious job of covering the NBA 22 00:01:48,519 --> 00:01:51,640 for the most part. There are rants. Everyone knows that there are rants. 23 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:53,640 I do want to say one more time and I'll wrap this up. 24 00:01:53,959 --> 00:01:57,159 I know I thank our listeners and subscribers a lot, but hardware Knox just 25 00:01:57,319 --> 00:02:01,840 had its second best month all time when looking at downloads and engagement. We 26 00:02:01,879 --> 00:02:07,040 had like a while while ago, we had like crazy amount of downloads pre 27 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:09,039 Blue Wire network. I don't know what happened. I don't even remember what 28 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:13,560 the month was, but it means a lot to me that you continue to 29 00:02:13,599 --> 00:02:17,199 consume this podcast, whether it's on YouTube or just a typical podcast player. 30 00:02:17,439 --> 00:02:20,840 I can't tell you how much I appreciate you all that you keep coming back 31 00:02:20,879 --> 00:02:23,159 all the dms that I've gotten Discord messages. You can join in on that 32 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:27,560 in the YouTube description or the podcast description. The link is there, follow 33 00:02:27,639 --> 00:02:30,120 us on all the socials. But I can't tell you how much it means 34 00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:32,159 to me that it does seem like maybe we're growing. We'll see if this 35 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:36,599 keeps up. And I've been committed since I've made this more of a solo 36 00:02:36,719 --> 00:02:39,800 operation to putting out more content, and I hope you're enjoying it. But 37 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:45,680 let's get to that actual content rather than wasting nearly two minutes on this rambling. 38 00:02:45,719 --> 00:02:49,680 But if you didn't want to meet Wade even virtually, I don't know 39 00:02:49,719 --> 00:02:52,759 if you should be listening to this podcast anyway. We have a mailbag. 40 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:57,039 I've finally got to it. We actually ended up publishing different episodes last week, 41 00:02:57,080 --> 00:03:00,919 but these are our YouTube and Twitter questions. It also really means a 42 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:04,039 lot to me that we have enough questions from Discord, YouTube and Twitter to 43 00:03:04,039 --> 00:03:07,439 split up the mailbags per week. Maybe so. And we have one Discord 44 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:08,960 question too that I think I'm going to be able to fit in here without 45 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:13,879 further ado though. This one comes from Chris Curtis on YouTube. If the 46 00:03:13,919 --> 00:03:17,680 Suns are heat can get KD for what seems like an underwhelming package, example, 47 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:22,080 no bridges included or not a huge half picks. How do you think 48 00:03:22,159 --> 00:03:25,199 that affects the future of the league in CBA agreements? As a Suns fan, 49 00:03:25,240 --> 00:03:28,800 I take it. As Suns fan, I take it because you do 50 00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:30,680 what you got to do to win a chip. But for a league level 51 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:34,280 of view, it would look like players can just control everything. I don't 52 00:03:34,319 --> 00:03:36,520 know why, but it feels like this is the ultimate test of who really 53 00:03:36,520 --> 00:03:38,520 has the leverage in this league. Love the show as always, We love 54 00:03:38,560 --> 00:03:40,719 you too, Chris, Thank you so much for saying that. Yeah, 55 00:03:40,719 --> 00:03:46,719 look, regardless of what happens with KD, these new CBA negotiations are going 56 00:03:46,759 --> 00:03:53,120 to be fascinating, maybe morbidly so. But we're talking about the not like 57 00:03:53,159 --> 00:03:59,240 an extension of what has been a longer line of trade requests and players also 58 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:02,120 just finding a way to get paid and then leave later on, or the 59 00:04:02,159 --> 00:04:08,520 abolishment almost of big names leaving in free agency altogether, even though that's how 60 00:04:08,599 --> 00:04:12,879 Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving ended up where they are. The Durant thing is 61 00:04:12,919 --> 00:04:16,720 extreme because you have someone who is not just under contracts for another four years, 62 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:21,319 and this would be the issue regardless because of how long contracts are anyway, 63 00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:26,399 But he signed a second deal with the Nets and then decided to do 64 00:04:26,439 --> 00:04:30,839 this, and so it's and he's fresh. We're talking about less than a 65 00:04:30,920 --> 00:04:33,560 year after signing that extension, I believe, unless I'm totally off there, 66 00:04:33,839 --> 00:04:36,720 but with so much time left on his deal, in a situation that he 67 00:04:36,839 --> 00:04:42,879 shows this wasn't restricted free agency, repressing not just his market value but his 68 00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:46,000 ability to leave. He chose the Brooklyn Nets the first time and then shows 69 00:04:46,079 --> 00:04:49,560 to extend, and so I think that's gonna be a big discussion, especially 70 00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:54,759 if, as Chris notes, the Nets feel obligated to move KD for what 71 00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:57,959 is not this all time haul. And look, they're out of their fucking 72 00:04:57,959 --> 00:05:00,399 minds that they think they're gonna get the equip one of Anthy Edwards Carl Anthy 73 00:05:00,399 --> 00:05:03,480 Towns in four first round picks. I think that they're not going to get 74 00:05:03,519 --> 00:05:06,920 an all star plus draft picks either. I think they're gonna have to choose 75 00:05:06,959 --> 00:05:10,879 one side or the other. As I've said many many times before, you 76 00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:14,360 go the draft pick route, or maybe you get someone like a brandon Ingram 77 00:05:14,439 --> 00:05:16,000 or you figure out a way to make it a complicated deal where Ben Simmons 78 00:05:16,079 --> 00:05:18,439 is leading as well, and you get a Donovan Mitchell. I don't think 79 00:05:18,480 --> 00:05:23,079 it's gonna be both. You're not going to get an entrenched star. Maybe 80 00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:26,199 get a prospect that is all star potential. But I also don't think you're 81 00:05:26,199 --> 00:05:30,240 gonna get a prospect at this point like a Scottie Barnes or Nevin Mobley. 82 00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:33,639 And so I do think that they're gonna be accepting less than what they're asking 83 00:05:33,639 --> 00:05:36,879 prices if and when they move him, I wouldn't rule out any more of 84 00:05:36,959 --> 00:05:41,000 them by them, I mean Katie and Kyrie is sticking around in Brooklyn, 85 00:05:41,040 --> 00:05:45,240 because that would be like the most fitting outcome to this fucking shit show that 86 00:05:45,279 --> 00:05:49,160 it's been since they've showed up. But I'm with you Chris that I think 87 00:05:49,199 --> 00:05:56,120 there's gonna be a lot of pressure from team governors to gain more control over 88 00:05:56,360 --> 00:05:59,519 the way that players move. I don't I don't even want to. It 89 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:03,519 sounds ringy to frame it like that, but I do think that, you 90 00:06:03,600 --> 00:06:08,240 know, player empowerment, it's always been I'm all for, I'm pro player. 91 00:06:08,279 --> 00:06:10,759 I want to make that clear, everyone who gets paid, I want 92 00:06:10,839 --> 00:06:13,720 them to get paid. If I say their contract is bad, it's from 93 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:16,720 a team perspective. If that's the money they were offered, that's their market 94 00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:20,720 value, And under most players, I would say they're gonna be underpaid or 95 00:06:20,720 --> 00:06:25,639 most stars. So all players to me are either underpaid or being paid at 96 00:06:25,639 --> 00:06:28,879 market value because that was their market when they signed that deal. Now, 97 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:33,199 but we are talking about when we say player empowerment, you're talking about the 98 00:06:33,240 --> 00:06:36,360 top like one percent of the NBA players that actually have it. I'll use 99 00:06:36,439 --> 00:06:40,759 Rudy Gobert as an example. Do you think that he had the ability to 100 00:06:40,839 --> 00:06:44,279 choose where he went in a trade? He didn't and he wanted to be 101 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:46,680 in Minnesota. I'm not saying that they rolled the dice on him or that 102 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:49,720 he had to settle. But that is a top twenty player, top twenty 103 00:06:49,759 --> 00:06:54,560 five player if you want it, like in the NBA that he doesn't even 104 00:06:54,600 --> 00:06:56,959 have the ability to just say, with the amount of time that's left on 105 00:06:57,040 --> 00:06:59,639 his deal, I only want to go here. So when we're talking about 106 00:06:59,639 --> 00:07:03,240 player, we're talking about the very select few and the way that things are 107 00:07:03,319 --> 00:07:08,759 unfolding at the moment, even with Donovan Mitchell who the Jazz are shopping by 108 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:13,480 all appearances under their own volition. It's been common knowledge and you should check 109 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:15,759 out Nick's film school. Just did a podcast. It was a few days 110 00:07:15,759 --> 00:07:18,000 ago. I only just listened to it today. I'm recording this on a 111 00:07:18,040 --> 00:07:25,079 Sunday night with Spencer check It's Who's a Host radio show and ESPN seven hundred 112 00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:29,199 in a Salt Lake City. I believe he had mentioned that, it's known, 113 00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:30,680 he backed it up. It wasn't just like he's the first person to 114 00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:34,399 say this. It's just been known throughout league circles that Dono Mitchell doesn't want 115 00:07:34,399 --> 00:07:38,839 to be in Utah, and so did the idea that he would leave in 116 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:41,879 free agency when he got there in three years play a role in what the 117 00:07:41,959 --> 00:07:45,360 Jazz are doing now. Maybe those are issues that are going to crop up, 118 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:47,560 even dating back to Anthony Davis trying to force his way out of New 119 00:07:47,639 --> 00:07:51,720 Orleans when he had a full two seasons left on his deal. You know, 120 00:07:51,959 --> 00:07:55,800 even if we're going back even further like when Kyrie Irving did it to 121 00:07:55,839 --> 00:07:58,800 Cleveland, I think I think team governors are going to want to push back 122 00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:05,959 on these trade demand types and also when players are giving them a short list 123 00:08:05,040 --> 00:08:09,480 and they know that's player empowerment. Is KD is gonna absolutely have a saying 124 00:08:09,519 --> 00:08:11,439 where he's going. Mollie Beasley did not have a saying whether he went to 125 00:08:11,519 --> 00:08:16,399 Utah or not. Bradley Beal should probably be in like the tier below, 126 00:08:16,399 --> 00:08:20,199 but he hasn't no trade claw, so he's an exception there. Lebron could 127 00:08:20,199 --> 00:08:22,839 pick where he wants to go. Patrick Beverley can't, Boyan Bardonovitch can't. 128 00:08:22,839 --> 00:08:26,079 And I'm just throwing random names out here. Frank Nilikina can pick wherever he 129 00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:33,039 wants to go, but Luka Dancers can't. So my point here is I 130 00:08:33,039 --> 00:08:35,639 don't know that we've veered too far into this actually becoming a problem again. 131 00:08:35,559 --> 00:08:41,879 The Kevin Durant example is so extreme. What you worry about is his exact 132 00:08:41,039 --> 00:08:48,720 circumstances becoming an exemplar for other players down the line. And you don't want 133 00:08:48,759 --> 00:08:52,679 to constantly as an organization have the threat of a player being able to get 134 00:08:52,720 --> 00:08:56,320 out under looming over your head. You. That's why contracts exist in a 135 00:08:56,360 --> 00:09:00,080 sense. Yeah, if they want to sign one plus once and you're willing 136 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:03,679 to give that to them, then yes, you've put an onus of you've 137 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:07,240 put the onus on yourself, given them a ton of leverage. But if 138 00:09:07,240 --> 00:09:11,080 you have someone under a four year no option deal like extension as as kd 139 00:09:11,279 --> 00:09:15,240 is, you're supposed to be able to buy some security there. And I 140 00:09:15,279 --> 00:09:18,120 think that that's going to be a huge sticking point among the team governors in 141 00:09:18,120 --> 00:09:22,080 addition to some other things. But I think that just the player movement in 142 00:09:22,120 --> 00:09:24,919 general, that's going to be something that gets talked about. On the flip 143 00:09:24,919 --> 00:09:28,320 side of that, you could argue that, well, team sign players then 144 00:09:28,320 --> 00:09:31,639 immediately just trade them, looking at Allah Blake Griffin, and so if they 145 00:09:31,639 --> 00:09:33,320 have the right to do that, why isn't the player of a right to 146 00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:35,960 get out. I don't know that that's right. I don't know that that's 147 00:09:35,960 --> 00:09:41,799 wrong. Like they're they're signing a contract, that's something that they need to 148 00:09:41,399 --> 00:09:46,440 think, they're thinking about that their agents are negotiating, and that's part of 149 00:09:46,480 --> 00:09:48,559 just the gig. Everyone has aspects of their job that they don't like. 150 00:09:48,960 --> 00:09:54,320 Having to relocate on a whim is part of an NBA players get. In 151 00:09:54,360 --> 00:09:56,080 addition to many other things appearances, they have to deal with all the victrol 152 00:09:56,120 --> 00:09:58,759 on social media. So I'm not saying what they do is easy, but 153 00:10:00,159 --> 00:10:03,639 that has to be factored in and if you're a team governor in this situation 154 00:10:03,679 --> 00:10:07,879 specifically, to bring it back to Chris's question in full circle, if Kevin 155 00:10:07,960 --> 00:10:11,559 Durant is able to get to let's say Miami or Phoenix at this point and 156 00:10:11,600 --> 00:10:15,279 not even the Nets sending him to another team that wasn't not on the list 157 00:10:15,320 --> 00:10:20,159 because they're worried about sort of burning bridges with other stars, with player agents 158 00:10:20,279 --> 00:10:24,279 in general who wanted their their talent on a team that's going to I don't 159 00:10:24,360 --> 00:10:26,639 use the word accu asked or even say pand or two, but to at 160 00:10:26,679 --> 00:10:31,799 least feel obligated to take what the player wants when leaving into account. There 161 00:10:31,840 --> 00:10:35,679 are teams, many of them, most of them that are going to think 162 00:10:35,720 --> 00:10:39,360 along those turns that they don't want to find themselves in a position to disenchant 163 00:10:39,840 --> 00:10:43,600 other future players and then agents that they have and I'm not even saying Kevin 164 00:10:43,679 --> 00:10:46,080 Durant specifically, but agents in general looking at the situation, they don't want 165 00:10:46,080 --> 00:10:50,039 to single themselves out in a bad way. I don't know what the fix 166 00:10:50,120 --> 00:10:52,559 is there, but there's also teams. You could argue that, well, 167 00:10:52,600 --> 00:10:56,799 you know, they're not even they they're able to move players because there's like 168 00:10:56,840 --> 00:11:00,039 this myth that they can't pay them. And that's why I expect the the 169 00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:03,399 team governors are going to bring up players you draft should count less against the 170 00:11:03,440 --> 00:11:07,559 salary cap or not count towards the luxury tax bill when you've kept them for 171 00:11:07,679 --> 00:11:11,399 X amount of years or whatever it is. And I don't know. Look, 172 00:11:11,519 --> 00:11:13,799 I'm not gonna cape for billionaires. And I understand why people would say, 173 00:11:13,799 --> 00:11:16,600 well, they should just pay them and they pay the luxury tax. 174 00:11:16,679 --> 00:11:20,559 I'm with you, but that's not gonna that's not gonna resonate with the actual 175 00:11:20,600 --> 00:11:24,279 team governors, with the billionaires they're in control of these teams. I don't 176 00:11:24,279 --> 00:11:28,320 know what the solution is though. I don't know, especially in the Kevin 177 00:11:28,399 --> 00:11:33,559 Durant instance, and I could imagine that negotiations will get ugly if this situation 178 00:11:33,600 --> 00:11:37,639 specifically ends with him going to Miami or Phoenix. When in theory and this 179 00:11:37,720 --> 00:11:41,159 is not you know, oh, we have to think about you know, 180 00:11:41,679 --> 00:11:43,879 one of the one a top one fifty player was moved, was there a 181 00:11:43,879 --> 00:11:48,720 better package out there? You can look, it's Kevin Durant. Every team, 182 00:11:48,960 --> 00:11:50,360 if given the opportunity of the press right, would trade for Kevin Durant. 183 00:11:50,399 --> 00:11:52,559 And so if Kevin Durant said, I will play for any organization, 184 00:11:52,919 --> 00:11:56,080 No, not all of them are gonna put their best ships on the table. 185 00:11:56,519 --> 00:12:00,440 But there would have been others in theory that can beat the offer of 186 00:12:00,559 --> 00:12:03,240 a Phoenix in Miami, but they wouldn't because they didn't want to run the 187 00:12:03,320 --> 00:12:07,000 risk of having a player in Kadi who didn't want to be there. So 188 00:12:07,120 --> 00:12:11,639 yeah, this is all of this is just going to be fascinating to watch 189 00:12:11,679 --> 00:12:18,159 unfold because it's going to have very big implications on how CBA negotiations go in 190 00:12:18,240 --> 00:12:22,480 addition to just many other things. We do have another question about the Well, 191 00:12:22,519 --> 00:12:24,679 no, this wasn't that one, so let's just keep moving on in 192 00:12:24,759 --> 00:12:28,039 order. David kay, I hope I'm pronouncing that right from YouTube? Ask 193 00:12:28,120 --> 00:12:31,799 can you power rank your title contenders? David, This was a good question. 194 00:12:31,960 --> 00:12:35,919 It was also a mean question. I want to point out none of 195 00:12:35,919 --> 00:12:39,159 this is written in stone, mostly because we know that there are some trades 196 00:12:39,200 --> 00:12:43,960 that could still go down this year and I really have to sit and think 197 00:12:43,960 --> 00:12:46,679 even more about it, and I took like I came up with my top 198 00:12:46,759 --> 00:12:50,799 seven and it might even be top eight, and it's pride and on the 199 00:12:50,879 --> 00:12:54,639 rosters staying the same right now. It took me forever to put them in 200 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:58,120 the right order. So as of now, I have the Nuggets at one. 201 00:12:58,639 --> 00:13:01,639 I think that with the defense, excuse me, they're gonna get from 202 00:13:01,679 --> 00:13:07,440 KCP and Bruce Brown. It had layers to their rotation. The bench still 203 00:13:07,440 --> 00:13:09,440 worries me a little bit, but you're getting back Michael Porter Junior and Jamal 204 00:13:09,519 --> 00:13:13,080 Murray health concern sure, I don't really care about Jamal Murray. He's going 205 00:13:13,159 --> 00:13:16,799 to be fine. Acls aren't the injuries that they used to be. He 206 00:13:16,879 --> 00:13:20,159 is just an absolute workaholic and a super tough guy. Their rosters so well 207 00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:26,200 balanced near the top that I think this is the year for them, and 208 00:13:26,240 --> 00:13:31,519 I'm rolling the dice on MPJ and Jamal Murray Bolts staying relatively if not super 209 00:13:31,559 --> 00:13:33,559 healthy, being able to take the load off Yokich. I'm also banking on 210 00:13:33,600 --> 00:13:37,799 we know Murray's played even as inconsistent, He's been at a sustained all star 211 00:13:37,879 --> 00:13:41,879 level on offense. I'm betting on Michael Porter Junior getting back to you know, 212 00:13:41,919 --> 00:13:48,120 the twenty twenty two twenty one season that earned him the Max's extension, 213 00:13:48,120 --> 00:13:52,440 not fully guaranteed, but that that large extension he signed. The Nuggets are 214 00:13:52,679 --> 00:13:56,720 There's some matchups I don't love for them, including this next team, but 215 00:13:56,879 --> 00:13:58,919 I think that they're gonna take a lot of people off guard. And it's 216 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:03,519 wild to me that when we're talking about the top five or so teams that 217 00:14:03,639 --> 00:14:05,679 I don't hear them mentioned enough, at least nationally. Denver fans, Nuggets 218 00:14:05,679 --> 00:14:07,879 fans, and there are a lot of smart basketball fans in general that know 219 00:14:09,240 --> 00:14:13,279 how good they could be. I have the Warriors at two, and you 220 00:14:13,320 --> 00:14:16,320 give them the benefit of the doubt. I think Steph is maybe the second 221 00:14:16,320 --> 00:14:18,759 best player in the NBA right now, one of the three best players for 222 00:14:18,799 --> 00:14:22,519 sure. I'd be honest at number one, and then I haven't really gone 223 00:14:22,559 --> 00:14:26,960 through who I have after that. I think that Klay Thompson's gonna have a 224 00:14:26,039 --> 00:14:28,919 better year than he did, like the partial season plus playoffs, he was 225 00:14:28,960 --> 00:14:35,279 back just having more game time under his legs. Draymond Green, They're gonna 226 00:14:35,279 --> 00:14:37,320 be moments where you where he's maddeningly bad on offense, but he is a 227 00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:41,039 transcendent defender. They have Cavon Loudi back. You lose Auto Porter Junior. 228 00:14:41,480 --> 00:14:46,120 That worries me a little bit. You also lost Gary Payton in the second 229 00:14:46,120 --> 00:14:48,000 if that worries me a lot as well when looking at their defense. But 230 00:14:48,039 --> 00:14:52,039 you sign Dante de Vincenzo, who's just an other worldly fit for them. 231 00:14:52,600 --> 00:14:56,559 I like the Jamichael Green edition. I don't think he's gonna give you as 232 00:14:56,639 --> 00:15:00,399 much as Otto Porter did, but he certainly replaces the Elitza. There Where 233 00:15:00,399 --> 00:15:01,480 I do worry and why I don't have this team at number one, and 234 00:15:01,519 --> 00:15:05,039 why I'm not even sure I want to put them at number two is Steph 235 00:15:05,120 --> 00:15:09,399 feels like they're only certifiable star on the roster and they are going to be 236 00:15:09,480 --> 00:15:13,600 relying more on kids. What does Wiseman look like? How much is cominga 237 00:15:13,679 --> 00:15:16,720 playing? I think Moody just based on somebody like that. Dude is ready. 238 00:15:16,080 --> 00:15:20,360 He's going to plug right and rotation and be fine. Does Jordan Pool 239 00:15:20,360 --> 00:15:24,200 have a nice follow up campaign? Those are still questions, But the Warriors 240 00:15:24,200 --> 00:15:30,120 played fantastic basketball that season. They won the title. They beat really good 241 00:15:30,120 --> 00:15:33,960 teams to get there, including that Boston Celtics squad. I just think that 242 00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:37,519 they do deserve a level of the benefit of the doubt here. I have 243 00:15:37,600 --> 00:15:41,159 the Celtics student I have the Bucks at number three. There's the Chris Middleton 244 00:15:41,200 --> 00:15:46,240 injury to think about. Their bench depth isn't spectacular either, but Brook Lopez 245 00:15:46,320 --> 00:15:50,840 Janna sent to couple Chris Middleton, Drew Holiday. It's tough to cobble together 246 00:15:50,240 --> 00:15:56,799 a four man combination in the league that has that has the possibility of being 247 00:15:56,279 --> 00:16:02,320 better than that quartet. I think it's Look, Chris Middleton needs to be 248 00:16:02,360 --> 00:16:03,440 healthy. That's a big one. I think the Bucks are probably coming out 249 00:16:03,440 --> 00:16:06,399 of the East if he stays healthy in the playoffs. That's no. I 250 00:16:06,399 --> 00:16:10,279 don't mean any disrespect to Celtics fands there. I do have the Celtics at 251 00:16:10,360 --> 00:16:14,960 number four. The Malcolm Brogdon edition is just perfect. They have eight ridiculously 252 00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:18,559 good players on their team now. And here's the other thing. None of 253 00:16:18,559 --> 00:16:22,320 them are bad defenders. I think you can quibble over whether you think Malcolm 254 00:16:22,320 --> 00:16:26,360 Brogden is an average defender or an above average defender. But Jason Tatum, 255 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:30,080 Jalen Brown, Marcus Smart, Robert Willingams, the third, Al Horford, 256 00:16:30,399 --> 00:16:33,799 Grant Williams, Derek White, Malcolm Brogden, that eight man rotation is all 257 00:16:33,840 --> 00:16:37,000 really good defenders. I still think it would be nice if they had like 258 00:16:37,799 --> 00:16:42,600 a primary table center that is fits that bill in every sense of the word. 259 00:16:42,639 --> 00:16:47,559 But it's twenty twenty two. I don't want to find synonyms for conventional 260 00:16:47,639 --> 00:16:52,200 point guard, is my point here. So I just think that they're deeper 261 00:16:52,720 --> 00:16:56,320 and Tatum and Brown are still young, so that either of them can get 262 00:16:56,360 --> 00:17:00,480 better. Robert Willingams a third could get better and be be healthier. They 263 00:17:00,480 --> 00:17:03,159 are in the East. It's the Bucks and the Celtics and everyone else right 264 00:17:03,159 --> 00:17:04,960 out of me. I have the Clippers at number five. This one was 265 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:08,039 tough, even if I'm giving benefit of the doubt to Kawai and Paul George 266 00:17:08,079 --> 00:17:11,680 to remain healthy. I need to see what John Wall looks like on this 267 00:17:11,680 --> 00:17:15,160 team. Can they add the element of speed that he brings to because I 268 00:17:15,160 --> 00:17:18,119 know they like to slow down. But does he also give them just someone 269 00:17:18,160 --> 00:17:22,279 who can take them through the motions of their their offense in general, which 270 00:17:22,319 --> 00:17:26,440 is things that they need at times when the half court sets bogged down and 271 00:17:26,480 --> 00:17:30,039 you just need someone on a different level as a facilitator, as a rim 272 00:17:30,039 --> 00:17:36,680 pressure guy from Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. So I like the addition, 273 00:17:36,759 --> 00:17:41,240 but there's still just there's some questions here for me. But they're they're deep 274 00:17:41,279 --> 00:17:44,559 team. They're so deep, and they're deep with wings too, And now 275 00:17:44,599 --> 00:17:47,119 that they could trade a future first round pick, I keep an eye on 276 00:17:47,160 --> 00:17:49,119 them or the trade market. They're a team that could slingshot up my rankings 277 00:17:49,119 --> 00:17:52,960 by offseason's end, and I think that they're gonna be a lot of people's 278 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:56,039 titles pick and I can't go against it. I have a Sons at number 279 00:17:56,079 --> 00:18:00,799 six, and again this is pre kd. Tray. If they're able to 280 00:18:00,799 --> 00:18:03,599 pull it off, They're some of their key members, including Devin Booker, 281 00:18:03,640 --> 00:18:07,160 are young enough that they're going to continue to get better. Cam Johnson, 282 00:18:07,240 --> 00:18:12,960 mcaal Bridges, DeAndre Etan's back. You can't running this thing back, almost 283 00:18:14,039 --> 00:18:19,720 exactly, adding you know Josh akoge having Damien Lee, okay, fine, 284 00:18:21,079 --> 00:18:23,799 bringing back as mac Biambo. You lose JaVale McGee, Dario starts could be 285 00:18:23,839 --> 00:18:27,200 healthy. That's gonna be different. Does Landry Shammitt have a more consistent season 286 00:18:27,200 --> 00:18:30,640 where he actually feels present on the court a little bit more, perhaps this 287 00:18:30,720 --> 00:18:34,319 team is still gonna be really good. Chris Paul's another year older. They 288 00:18:34,440 --> 00:18:38,440 just put together one of the most dominant regular seasons ever, really and then 289 00:18:38,599 --> 00:18:42,839 proceeded to get balanced in the second round by being trucked by the Dallas Mavericks. 290 00:18:44,519 --> 00:18:48,119 It feels I don't think it's stale. We're in year two of this 291 00:18:48,359 --> 00:18:52,960 CP three corps, but just the circumstances by which we've gotten here they worry 292 00:18:52,079 --> 00:18:56,240 me. And if you stay the same with the Nuggets and the Clippers getting 293 00:18:56,240 --> 00:19:00,880 healthier, the Warriors even being healthier, like we didn't see agains, Draymond, 294 00:19:00,160 --> 00:19:03,920 Clay and Steph played together basically until the playoffs. It's just not the 295 00:19:03,960 --> 00:19:10,599 time to have stood pat and made marginal if no improvements. So that's why 296 00:19:10,640 --> 00:19:14,839 the k D trade for them specifically looms big. I have the Sixers at 297 00:19:14,960 --> 00:19:17,920 number seven to round out my list. I think James Harden's gonna have a 298 00:19:17,920 --> 00:19:21,000 bounce back year. They're a team that could climb these rankings. He might 299 00:19:21,039 --> 00:19:22,960 be a really good dark horse MVP bet. I haven't looked at those odds 300 00:19:22,960 --> 00:19:27,119 specifically yet. Maybe he's high enough just the fact that he took a pay 301 00:19:27,160 --> 00:19:30,480 cut which I don't necessarily advocate for, but he said that he was considering 302 00:19:30,519 --> 00:19:33,599 it, and he did what he said that he was going to do, 303 00:19:33,880 --> 00:19:36,480 and then there's reports about him being in shape and healthy, and we don't 304 00:19:36,519 --> 00:19:38,799 really hear anything about James Harden's fitness over the off season. I feel like 305 00:19:38,839 --> 00:19:41,440 something has finally clicked for him, that he knows he's not going to be 306 00:19:41,519 --> 00:19:45,599 able to skate by by asking out from these teams, and that he's going 307 00:19:45,640 --> 00:19:48,759 to be under even more of a microscope now because he forced his way to 308 00:19:48,759 --> 00:19:51,839 Brooklyn, a place he wanted to be with teammates he wanted to play alongside, 309 00:19:51,920 --> 00:19:53,599 and then forced his way out. I actually don't have a problem with 310 00:19:53,640 --> 00:19:56,400 his decision because clearly Brooklyn is a dumpster fire, and I wouldn't want to 311 00:19:56,519 --> 00:20:00,519 have Kyrie irving time I livelihood of Kyrie irving at all. So I think 312 00:20:00,559 --> 00:20:04,000 that you know, is fine, But I just feel like something's gonna click 313 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:07,720 with him. And you talk about now if in bets healthy, Tyris, 314 00:20:07,759 --> 00:20:10,680 Max's your third option. We saw him flourish last year when that happened. 315 00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:14,559 I think the rosters a lot deeper and more well balanced. They have perimeter 316 00:20:14,640 --> 00:20:18,279 defenders who are actually mobile in PJ Tucker, Danthe Melton, Daniel House, 317 00:20:18,400 --> 00:20:22,200 all of those guys should be able to shoot the three ball at at a 318 00:20:22,279 --> 00:20:26,119 high clip. Tobias Harris, like quietly had some really nice moments in the 319 00:20:26,119 --> 00:20:29,119 postseason as well. This team, it'll be tough for them to make any 320 00:20:29,160 --> 00:20:33,279 major changes over the course of the regular season, but they're not barren of 321 00:20:33,359 --> 00:20:37,480 salary matching tools, so and they can trade some first round equity. They're 322 00:20:37,519 --> 00:20:41,000 just a team I'm watching, and then I do have I threw an eight 323 00:20:41,119 --> 00:20:44,240 here. I don't trust this pick because I do think they'll break it up, 324 00:20:44,319 --> 00:20:47,240 but the nets have to be somewhere. I don't trust them. And 325 00:20:47,279 --> 00:20:49,519 if you said Katie and Kyrie stayed in Brooklyn, I'm not gonna put them 326 00:20:49,519 --> 00:20:52,519 to win the title. I don't think i'd have in my top five. 327 00:20:52,599 --> 00:20:56,359 But we got to talk about them. I'm just having Katie, Kyrie, 328 00:20:56,640 --> 00:21:00,440 Nick Klaxton coming back. Ben sim excuse me forgot about him. You bring 329 00:21:00,480 --> 00:21:03,960 Patty Mills back. Cam Thomas might have a pre B breakout year. They 330 00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:07,880 really like Dayron Sharp. Maybe he gets more run. Joe Harris being healthy's 331 00:21:07,960 --> 00:21:14,880 huge seth Curry and Harris are both the ideal superstar compliments on the offensive end. 332 00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:18,119 I think again, if they keep this team together. I even love 333 00:21:18,160 --> 00:21:21,039 the Royce O'Neil fit. I think he'll be better on defense than people are 334 00:21:21,079 --> 00:21:25,000 crediting. It's just he was in Utah where he was over leveraged for years 335 00:21:25,039 --> 00:21:26,640 on end. When looking at the perimeter, I don't know that they have 336 00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:30,599 enough defense if they hit on the TJ. Warren signing, though, while 337 00:21:30,640 --> 00:21:33,599 keeping Kyrie and KD and then Ben Simmons is healthy and on the court, 338 00:21:33,640 --> 00:21:37,119 they're a team with championship up side. I would never invest in it if 339 00:21:37,119 --> 00:21:41,680 everyone stays together, but they do need to be mentioned. Fascinating question. 340 00:21:41,799 --> 00:21:45,599 It's subject to change. And my title pick, I'm not making a title 341 00:21:45,640 --> 00:21:48,400 pick, though I'm ranking my title contenders. I will make my title pick 342 00:21:48,759 --> 00:21:52,079 closer to the regular season. I don't even know if anyone cares but my 343 00:21:52,119 --> 00:21:56,440 title pick, but I just want that on this record. Aiden from YouTube 344 00:21:56,440 --> 00:22:00,680 asked which player does advanced that's hate but the eye test love. So I 345 00:22:00,720 --> 00:22:06,319 set some parameters here just because I don't want to be penalizing like players who 346 00:22:06,359 --> 00:22:11,000 were in there rookie or sophomore seasons, which immediately took out Poku because he's 347 00:22:11,039 --> 00:22:14,559 a player that you watch and even if he's out of control, I think 348 00:22:14,559 --> 00:22:18,799 you love him, but advanced stats do not like him. I was surprised 349 00:22:19,079 --> 00:22:22,240 to find. And then also, like a Cam Thomas feels like he could 350 00:22:22,279 --> 00:22:26,160 eventually become the answer to this question. But again, I didn't want to 351 00:22:26,160 --> 00:22:30,119 pick a rookie or a sophomore. So my actual pick, and I'm gonna 352 00:22:30,119 --> 00:22:33,519 even an honorable mention here, I was just not surprised at how much advanced 353 00:22:33,519 --> 00:22:37,240 stats did not love Powell because I did some advanced stats research. This isn't 354 00:22:37,279 --> 00:22:41,000 just me like doing this off the cuff. The one I'm picking, I 355 00:22:41,039 --> 00:22:47,079 absolutely know and then just made sure. But I'm just shocked because Norm Powell 356 00:22:47,119 --> 00:22:49,119 plays the type of game, especially the past few years, hates threes, 357 00:22:49,440 --> 00:22:53,920 gives you rim pressure. Not a great defender, but like is like has 358 00:22:55,079 --> 00:22:56,640 We'll see how he does after this latest injury, but he can like move 359 00:22:56,680 --> 00:23:00,160 around and give you some defense at the two and the threess there. So 360 00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:03,079 I was a little bit surprised about that, and he's played for like sometimes 361 00:23:03,079 --> 00:23:07,319 advanced stats could be skewed when you're playing for really bad teams and you're just 362 00:23:07,359 --> 00:23:14,319 super high volume or just I guess heavily impacted by by the team's performance overall. 363 00:23:14,359 --> 00:23:18,319 But he was Pile was part of like the best Raptors teams in Raptors 364 00:23:18,359 --> 00:23:21,160 history over the past couple of years. So that shocked me a little bit. 365 00:23:21,680 --> 00:23:25,680 My answer is Tyler hero right now, advanced stats, when you look 366 00:23:25,680 --> 00:23:29,519 at efficiency, his ability to maybe carry lineups on his own or elevate lineups 367 00:23:29,519 --> 00:23:32,759 on his own, they don't love him. The single Advanced metrics don't love 368 00:23:32,839 --> 00:23:37,240 him. When you look at regularize adjusted plus minus from NBA shot charts, 369 00:23:37,279 --> 00:23:42,000 he ranks like in the bottom one hundred of the league. I think this 370 00:23:42,039 --> 00:23:45,640 past season I lost his place, or maybe it was a three year rolling 371 00:23:45,680 --> 00:23:49,480 average I looked at, and so he was pretty low there. He ranked 372 00:23:49,519 --> 00:23:56,079 in the three year rolling average of regularize adjusted plus minus, he ranks five 373 00:23:56,160 --> 00:24:00,400 hundred and seventy fifth, and so we're talking about like, yeah, that's 374 00:24:00,440 --> 00:24:04,640 low, and we're talking about that's five seventy five out of fewer than seven 375 00:24:04,759 --> 00:24:10,400 hundred players or seven fifty players. He ranked five seventy five out of seven 376 00:24:10,440 --> 00:24:12,640 seventy five, and so they could like, that's just not that's not a 377 00:24:12,640 --> 00:24:15,000 great standing. And yet you watch him, Yeah, you could see some 378 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:18,200 of the shot selection where that stuff if he doesn't get to the rim or 379 00:24:18,200 --> 00:24:21,000 the freeze from a line of time. But he did. Man, it's 380 00:24:21,039 --> 00:24:23,000 just crafty. He can move away from the ball. He could really knock 381 00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:26,880 down these quick fire threes. Looks very comfortable operating off the dribble. He's 382 00:24:27,039 --> 00:24:30,440 I think he's kind of improved his decision making as a passer and could throw 383 00:24:30,559 --> 00:24:34,119 some like really flashy smart passes in the half court. Not someone that will 384 00:24:34,119 --> 00:24:37,759 while you there. You watch him, though, and I think you feel 385 00:24:37,799 --> 00:24:40,960 him as an impact player, and yet the metrics don't love him. And 386 00:24:40,960 --> 00:24:42,480 I'll give an honorable mention here. I don't think everyone likes watching him, 387 00:24:42,480 --> 00:24:45,279 which is why I didn't pick him. But Colin Sexton would be another good 388 00:24:45,279 --> 00:24:48,799 one here. Colin Sexton, by the way, as of recording this, 389 00:24:48,920 --> 00:24:55,319 still still still a free agent, so doesn't seem happy with the Cleveland Cavaliers 390 00:24:55,319 --> 00:25:00,599 his offer. But yeah, anyway, Oscar asked, this is from We're 391 00:25:00,599 --> 00:25:03,000 moving on to our Twitter questions now. Thank you for the YouTube questions. 392 00:25:03,039 --> 00:25:06,839 The again, our YouTube chanal is in the fledgling stages, but help us 393 00:25:06,880 --> 00:25:10,039 build it up. You can ask questions there. Oscar asked what was Michael 394 00:25:10,079 --> 00:25:14,480 Jordan's worst Finals game? Being so young and not having a recollection of what 395 00:25:14,599 --> 00:25:18,480 his games actually looked like in the finals, for pretty much all of them, 396 00:25:18,519 --> 00:25:22,160 I have like the very early childhood memories of those dynastic bulls. But 397 00:25:22,599 --> 00:25:26,920 I went by game score on stat head, and two stood out. The 398 00:25:26,200 --> 00:25:30,400 only two Finals games where he has a game score under ten, and the 399 00:25:30,440 --> 00:25:34,359 lowest one is the seven point seven game score. It was against the Jazz 400 00:25:34,680 --> 00:25:38,240 in ninety seven. The final score of that game, by the way, 401 00:25:38,480 --> 00:25:42,920 seventy eight to seventy three. The Jazz won that one, but that's just 402 00:25:44,119 --> 00:25:47,839 wow. It was game four of the ninety seven Finals. Seven point seven 403 00:25:47,880 --> 00:25:51,119 game score. He was eleven of twenty seven from the field, eleven of 404 00:25:51,160 --> 00:25:53,839 twenty three on two, zero four from three, didn't take a free throw. 405 00:25:53,880 --> 00:25:59,559 True shooting percentage of forty point seven still dropped twenty two points four assists 406 00:25:59,640 --> 00:26:03,720 on three turnovers, negative one point six box plus minus in that game. 407 00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:08,039 The second least effective game for him in the Finals came in ninety six against 408 00:26:08,039 --> 00:26:14,319 the Seattle SuperSonics ri ip even though the Oklahoma State under are still the same 409 00:26:14,400 --> 00:26:17,640 organization. This one was also Game four. Bulls lost at one O seven 410 00:26:17,640 --> 00:26:22,200 to eighty six. They got absolutely she lacked. Jordan was six of nineteen 411 00:26:22,279 --> 00:26:26,759 and forty one minutes oh of two on three pointers. He was six of 412 00:26:26,839 --> 00:26:30,599 seventeen on two pointers thirty five point three percent, eleven of thirteen at the 413 00:26:30,599 --> 00:26:33,680 foul line though, which I think salvage a lot of his score more turnovers 414 00:26:33,680 --> 00:26:37,200 than assists. He doubled that up four turnovers to two assists and then twenty 415 00:26:37,240 --> 00:26:42,880 three points. I'd probably argue that that has to be his worst playoff game, 416 00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:47,240 even though the other one has a lower game score, just because the 417 00:26:47,319 --> 00:26:51,480 Bulls were blown out. He shoots a lower percentage on two's got to the 418 00:26:51,519 --> 00:26:53,319 foul line though, so I think that matters the pressure there. But to 419 00:26:53,400 --> 00:26:57,359 double up on your assist the turnover ratio like that's not great. And it 420 00:26:57,359 --> 00:27:02,720 also just happens to be the lowest, the single lowest box plus minus by 421 00:27:02,799 --> 00:27:06,000 a mile that he's posted in the finals. So that is gonna be my 422 00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:11,480 final answer. Game four against the Seattle SuperSonics in nineteen ninety six was Jordan's 423 00:27:11,480 --> 00:27:15,559 worst NBA Finals game, and it doesn't It doesn't matter because the Bulls went 424 00:27:15,599 --> 00:27:18,559 on to win the championship that year. Anyway, Grant asked, do you 425 00:27:18,640 --> 00:27:26,279 think we can moneyball basketball? I guess if we got Brad Pitt to run 426 00:27:26,319 --> 00:27:30,440 a team, maybe My serious answer is no, and I saw I think 427 00:27:30,480 --> 00:27:34,640 people responded to this sweet by saying, yes, I can't get there. 428 00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:41,559 I can't get there because in baseball it's different where it feels like the aggregate 429 00:27:41,720 --> 00:27:47,319 product is like at the same time standalone versus by committee, and there is 430 00:27:47,319 --> 00:27:52,960 an element of teamwork there. But you can plug and play each player's individual 431 00:27:52,039 --> 00:27:59,319 performance certainly into the offense the batting order, without regard for the context of 432 00:27:59,359 --> 00:28:02,279 the rest of its team, if that makes sense. And so whereas in 433 00:28:02,319 --> 00:28:07,839 basketball, if you were just searching for the cheapest players who provide value looking 434 00:28:07,880 --> 00:28:11,960 at points per game, they have to operate all in tandem at the same 435 00:28:11,960 --> 00:28:15,440 time, unless you're thinking that, oh, we can go with a bunch 436 00:28:15,480 --> 00:28:18,440 of really good one on one players without regard for let's say, accuracy from 437 00:28:18,440 --> 00:28:22,599 beyond the art. But you can't do that. You have to factor in, 438 00:28:22,640 --> 00:28:25,039 well, how well do they shoot off the catch, Can they cut 439 00:28:25,079 --> 00:28:30,519 to the basket, can they know? How are they as a ball handler? 440 00:28:30,559 --> 00:28:32,960 And are they a good playmaker? Do they get tunnel vision which their 441 00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:37,920 turnovers? Like? There's just like there's a team impact in basketball that's more 442 00:28:37,960 --> 00:28:41,920 complicated than baseball on offense specifically, and I mean even on defense too, 443 00:28:41,160 --> 00:28:48,039 where you're basically it's a zone. Let's just say for MLB for baseball players, 444 00:28:48,160 --> 00:28:51,400 whereas in basketball, like there's a bunch of switching, there's a bunch 445 00:28:51,400 --> 00:28:52,960 of difficult reads that you're gonna have to make. I'm not saying it's a 446 00:28:53,000 --> 00:28:59,359 harder sport. I'm saying it's more of a buy committee sport. Even though 447 00:29:00,160 --> 00:29:06,400 basketball you can have a singular player impact the game way more than anybody else 448 00:29:06,480 --> 00:29:08,839 in baseball. That might be the argument here if you wanted to money ball 449 00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:14,319 by saying, well, can you build a dominant team with one star and 450 00:29:14,359 --> 00:29:19,519 then Taylor the roster perfectly to his needs very cheaply? Maybe, But does 451 00:29:19,559 --> 00:29:23,680 that really constitute moneyball? So you guys can let me know if I'm way 452 00:29:23,720 --> 00:29:27,200 off with this answer, But I just think that basketball is done too much 453 00:29:27,240 --> 00:29:33,200 in concert for it to be moneyballed. Karagan asked, let's assume Donovan Mitchell 454 00:29:33,200 --> 00:29:36,599 wants out of Utah. We don't need to assume, fy I car again, 455 00:29:36,640 --> 00:29:38,119 we know that he wants out of Utah, but it's fine playing there 456 00:29:38,200 --> 00:29:41,559 until his contract is up. So another three years, three full seasons before 457 00:29:41,559 --> 00:29:45,160 he hits free agency. For anyone at home who was wondering, is there 458 00:29:45,160 --> 00:29:48,240 a path three Utah to build a contender around Donovan before he leaves? Is 459 00:29:48,240 --> 00:29:52,240 there a way to convince him to resign in Utah? I think if he 460 00:29:52,279 --> 00:29:56,240 becomes supermacs eligible that might help him resign. But I'm with you in the 461 00:29:56,279 --> 00:30:00,000 sense that can you win a title, maybe that convinces him to stay or 462 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:03,640 does that make him just as likely to leave because he can say, well, 463 00:30:03,680 --> 00:30:04,960 what else am I going to do here? I already want a championship, 464 00:30:06,559 --> 00:30:11,680 so I don't. I would just say winning is the best remedy for 465 00:30:11,039 --> 00:30:15,000 keeping him long term if you wanted to, and your biggest hope of doing 466 00:30:15,039 --> 00:30:19,519 that would be to win at the highest level sustainably, and also with him 467 00:30:19,519 --> 00:30:22,160 as the focal point. You don't necessarily want to displace him, So when 468 00:30:22,200 --> 00:30:27,119 you go about building a contender, I think you need got another primary scoring 469 00:30:27,160 --> 00:30:32,720 option, and then a bunch of really good defenders and shooters like have these 470 00:30:32,759 --> 00:30:36,880 two. And then you also want him playing alongside someone who can play off 471 00:30:36,880 --> 00:30:37,960 the ball as well, so that they can trade off. Mitchell, we 472 00:30:37,960 --> 00:30:41,279 know can play off the ball, is a pretty good catch and shoot guy. 473 00:30:41,839 --> 00:30:44,519 His other teammate needs to do that. How do you find I think 474 00:30:44,559 --> 00:30:48,640 it starts with finding his equal or his superior on the roster, who is 475 00:30:49,240 --> 00:30:52,039 going to do more on offense so that it feels like they would be an 476 00:30:52,039 --> 00:30:56,880 easier ego fit than it was with Gobert, who I think believes and rightfully 477 00:30:56,880 --> 00:31:00,640 so, that he's been criminally underrated because the value provides on defense, but 478 00:31:00,759 --> 00:31:04,279 his role on offense has been it's limited because of his skill set, but 479 00:31:04,279 --> 00:31:07,640 it's also been limited by design. In Utah, we saw him do more 480 00:31:07,759 --> 00:31:11,000 with the French national team. I don't think that he could be like Karl 481 00:31:11,039 --> 00:31:15,839 Anthony Towns or even a team in the post, but that's just you know, 482 00:31:15,920 --> 00:31:21,039 you need someone who I think is going to be on that same similar 483 00:31:21,079 --> 00:31:25,920 offensive level with Donovan. Maybe it's just an older player with more superstar goodwill 484 00:31:25,960 --> 00:31:30,640 built up where Gobert and Mitchell kind of popped on identical trajectories. It felt 485 00:31:30,640 --> 00:31:36,519 like, so even though Gobert was there first, you have to identify that 486 00:31:36,559 --> 00:31:38,359 player and then get him. Who's that player? And it's not going to 487 00:31:38,400 --> 00:31:41,559 be the Kevin Duryan. It's not gonna be the Bradleybald has to be a 488 00:31:41,599 --> 00:31:44,880 younger player. If Shee Giler's Alexander all Sudden became available in Oklahoma City, 489 00:31:44,880 --> 00:31:47,720 it would be him. Would be great, but he's not gonna become available 490 00:31:47,759 --> 00:31:52,359 anytime soon. Could you get Pascal Siakam out of Toronto? That's someone who 491 00:31:52,400 --> 00:31:56,880 is probably like Donovan Mitchell's equal when you're looking at in terms of their their 492 00:31:56,920 --> 00:32:02,640 star standing a better defense than him, and would I might prefer Pascal Siakham 493 00:32:02,680 --> 00:32:07,440 overall, but that would be the type of talent that you're going after. 494 00:32:07,279 --> 00:32:12,200 Again, I'm trying to figure like realistically, you could also go like the 495 00:32:12,319 --> 00:32:15,440 route of, well, can we roll the dice on a youngster with star 496 00:32:15,519 --> 00:32:20,119 potential who's kind of a distressed asset right now? I'm thinking of Michael Porter 497 00:32:20,279 --> 00:32:23,359 Jr. Of course, where he is ridiculously good. Maybe you buying him 498 00:32:23,400 --> 00:32:27,559 being an off senensive star, but Mitchell is better right now, and he's 499 00:32:27,599 --> 00:32:31,119 going to be more important just because of his facilitation and his ability to operate 500 00:32:31,119 --> 00:32:35,240 more from the point of attack. But he's also like kind of the veteran 501 00:32:35,400 --> 00:32:37,559 in that instance, so he's above Michael Porter Junior. I just don't think 502 00:32:37,599 --> 00:32:42,039 that doesn't fast track the Jazz to contention at all. But I think you 503 00:32:42,160 --> 00:32:45,519 start with something along the lines of that, and the Siakham one would would 504 00:32:45,519 --> 00:32:50,119 certainly be preferable. Or let's just say, I mean two ways to go 505 00:32:50,119 --> 00:32:52,319 about this. Let's just say Kevin Durant trade is happening, and then with 506 00:32:52,400 --> 00:32:55,480 the Pelicans, and then and they're giving up brandon Ingram, but the Nets 507 00:32:55,480 --> 00:33:00,359 have decided they want to steer really hard into the draft pick direction. Can 508 00:33:00,400 --> 00:33:04,240 you latch onto that trade and get brandon Ingram. Can you latch onto a 509 00:33:04,279 --> 00:33:07,480 trade with the Raptors and get o Gianna Nobi and Kevin durantial depending on how 510 00:33:07,519 --> 00:33:12,920 Brooklyn feels once more, whether they actually want to compete. I think that's 511 00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:15,759 what you're probably looking at. The star market is tough to read right now, 512 00:33:15,759 --> 00:33:19,960 because again you can't go the oh, if Kde becomes available, if 513 00:33:19,960 --> 00:33:22,640 by Beil becomes available, I don't love the bilfit anyway, but the timelines 514 00:33:22,680 --> 00:33:29,319 are just so disparate that I do know timeline is like this overrated buzzword, 515 00:33:29,400 --> 00:33:32,440 but you want someone who's on a similar trajectory to Mitchell. The issue here 516 00:33:32,559 --> 00:33:37,039 is, though, Karagan, you would really have to ignore the writing on 517 00:33:37,079 --> 00:33:39,160 the wall. You have enough pick equity to go out and get involved in 518 00:33:39,160 --> 00:33:44,759 some spicy negotiations, but you would have to ignore writing on the wall because 519 00:33:44,920 --> 00:33:51,279 the only reason you would go after said star is if your new Donovan was 520 00:33:51,359 --> 00:33:53,279 open to staying, if not outright staying, and we just don't have that 521 00:33:53,319 --> 00:33:55,680 intel right now at I bank on the fact that he has not communicated with 522 00:33:55,680 --> 00:33:59,279 the Jazz that he is willing to stay. You go to Ben Simmons route 523 00:33:59,279 --> 00:34:00,880 too, speaking of just assets, and yes the Jazz can have both of 524 00:34:00,920 --> 00:34:04,440 them because they signed to Mitchell. They're not trading for both of them. 525 00:34:04,839 --> 00:34:07,239 For anyone who's going to point that out, interesting question. I just think 526 00:34:07,239 --> 00:34:10,840 it's too far gone at this point, and the hoops you need to jump 527 00:34:10,880 --> 00:34:14,960 through it begins with finding the other star. That's what it begins with, 528 00:34:15,239 --> 00:34:19,599 and I just don't think they're even necessarily open to that without actually knowing whether 529 00:34:19,639 --> 00:34:25,440 Mitchell would be willing to stay. Next question comes from Josiah. Is there 530 00:34:25,599 --> 00:34:30,960 precedent for an inefficient score through three seasons like Barrett becoming an efficient player. 531 00:34:32,599 --> 00:34:37,519 You hear the word inefficient and it feels insulting RJ. Barrett, but it's 532 00:34:37,519 --> 00:34:39,960 also just the truth. He's averaging seventeen point five points through his first three 533 00:34:39,960 --> 00:34:44,920 seasons on fifty one point one true shooting, has yet to even really sniff 534 00:34:45,119 --> 00:34:50,920 league average true shooting through his first three seasons. That is a problem. 535 00:34:51,000 --> 00:34:54,559 I think what's difficult about him is you can't just plug in the numbers and 536 00:34:54,559 --> 00:34:59,440 see who else comes up and spit out and you know, Russell Westbrook meets 537 00:34:59,440 --> 00:35:02,239 the benchmark of seventeen points on under fifty two true shooting, But his role 538 00:35:02,280 --> 00:35:07,480 has just been so different and inconsistent. He's at once been held back and 539 00:35:07,559 --> 00:35:10,199 brought along slowly, but then also diversified. Is he on the balls? 540 00:35:10,199 --> 00:35:13,840 He away from the ball, And he was finally given the keys towards the 541 00:35:13,880 --> 00:35:19,159 end of last season. So when you actually he's compared most to a Jimmy 542 00:35:19,159 --> 00:35:22,760 Butler, I think because people see his defensive potential and that sort of tracks 543 00:35:22,800 --> 00:35:27,239 just as someone who was he played more than Jimmy out of the gate under 544 00:35:27,239 --> 00:35:30,599 TIBs, but who has been under utilized or at least limited in his uses 545 00:35:30,639 --> 00:35:34,719 on offense. And it's not going to be till later until he explores his 546 00:35:35,039 --> 00:35:37,719 full scoring Arsenal I think a better comparison. It's not play style, but 547 00:35:37,719 --> 00:35:43,960 I'm just looking at matter of opportunity and trajectory might be Bradley Beal. So 548 00:35:44,000 --> 00:35:49,599 when you put in the numbers of players who averaged at least three excuse me, 549 00:35:49,719 --> 00:35:52,239 average at least fifteen points in their first three seasons with a true shooting 550 00:35:52,280 --> 00:35:58,800 percentage below fifty two, Bradley Beeal is one of the ones that's bit out. 551 00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:00,719 Kemba Walker spits out of as well, But like his off the dribble 552 00:36:00,760 --> 00:36:04,280 jumper, all of a sudden started falling, but he at least looked like 553 00:36:04,320 --> 00:36:07,800 he could take it. RJ. Barrett I still have questions about the off 554 00:36:07,840 --> 00:36:12,519 the dribble jumper. You could even go with, like, ah, if 555 00:36:12,519 --> 00:36:15,480 you really wanted to, like a Tyreek Evans here where, depending on how 556 00:36:15,960 --> 00:36:19,320 which end of the spectrum you want to go on where, Yeah, he's 557 00:36:19,320 --> 00:36:21,920 gonna have a lot of inefficient seasons, but he'll have Let's look at the 558 00:36:21,920 --> 00:36:24,239 season at Memphis, the best season of his career where he pops and maybe 559 00:36:24,239 --> 00:36:27,679 that sustains it didn't for him. He had a whole bunch of off court 560 00:36:27,719 --> 00:36:30,920 issues as well, but that that could be something to look at. I 561 00:36:30,920 --> 00:36:36,599 don't think we're excuse me to say, I don't think we're dealing with the 562 00:36:36,679 --> 00:36:40,400 second coming of like Russell Westbrook level detrimental inefficiency. And even Russ had some 563 00:36:40,480 --> 00:36:45,639 higher efficiency season. He has spit out by the way in the parameters that 564 00:36:45,679 --> 00:36:50,519 I said, I won't read all of them, just because there was thirty 565 00:36:50,519 --> 00:36:52,800 eight names including r Chase that came back out, But like maybe even I 566 00:36:52,880 --> 00:36:57,119 thought about a Jamal mash Mashburn, but I have hope that RJ will be 567 00:36:57,199 --> 00:37:00,239 more efficient, and mash Burn was never actually efficient. That was the name 568 00:37:00,239 --> 00:37:02,079 that's bringing to mind. And then I looked and he just wasn't efficient at 569 00:37:02,159 --> 00:37:07,360 all. So could it be a John Wall type thing too, where he 570 00:37:07,400 --> 00:37:09,840 has some good three point shooting season, some really bad ones, but his 571 00:37:09,880 --> 00:37:14,039 overall good finisher. RJ barretts yet to show that. But he was putting 572 00:37:14,039 --> 00:37:16,000 a ton of pressure on the basket towards the end of this past year. 573 00:37:16,320 --> 00:37:22,079 I liked the Bradley Beal parallel here, just because he's probably R. Jarress. 574 00:37:22,079 --> 00:37:24,280 Probably he is similar to Jimmy Butler in play style. But when you 575 00:37:24,320 --> 00:37:28,519 look at how Beal was brought along with wall already there, it took him 576 00:37:28,559 --> 00:37:31,239 a while to get more offensive agency. R J. Barretts definitely bounced around 577 00:37:31,280 --> 00:37:35,559 a little bit more. But Beal. Look, fifty one point three two 578 00:37:35,559 --> 00:37:39,800 shooting, fifty one point three true shooting. Oh my god, guys, 579 00:37:40,400 --> 00:37:45,320 through his first three seasons and since then, and he's not even coming off 580 00:37:45,400 --> 00:37:51,199 Let's be clear, he's not coming off a banner season by any stretch. 581 00:37:51,239 --> 00:37:53,480 It was one of the like the worst years of his career. But you 582 00:37:53,559 --> 00:37:59,440 go from fifty one three in the first three seasons to fifty seven six over 583 00:37:59,519 --> 00:38:02,440 his next eight, and that's including you know you want to throw, I'm 584 00:38:02,440 --> 00:38:05,880 willing to throw a last year out just for a minute. He didn't even 585 00:38:05,920 --> 00:38:08,199 play in half the games, was injured. He was at fifty eight, 586 00:38:08,400 --> 00:38:13,920 So it's not like this huge difference anyway over the six seasons. Sorry, 587 00:38:14,159 --> 00:38:16,679 the math was on there, So fifty eight and the six seasons after his 588 00:38:16,800 --> 00:38:21,880 third that's you know, and it's also someone who is similar that he needs 589 00:38:21,920 --> 00:38:23,760 to be used in a bunch of different ways. Where Bradley Beale's best off 590 00:38:23,760 --> 00:38:29,199 as a secondary maestro maybe pick and roll runner, that's probably RJ. Barrett's 591 00:38:29,199 --> 00:38:32,079 best role, if it even is his best role. Bradley Beale has never 592 00:38:32,119 --> 00:38:36,800 been like this high end guy getting to the basket, but if he's gonna 593 00:38:36,800 --> 00:38:39,280 improve as a finisher, RJ like that could be just a different way that 594 00:38:39,320 --> 00:38:43,199 he's scoring. And you saw that Bradley Beale. Look, he didn't have 595 00:38:43,239 --> 00:38:49,639 the nicest start to his three point shooting in his career either. He he 596 00:38:49,880 --> 00:38:52,320 uh, oh, no he did. I'm trying to remember. Yeah, 597 00:38:52,360 --> 00:38:53,280 a lot of it off the catch, and we've seen it kind of dip 598 00:38:53,280 --> 00:38:58,480 over the past few seasons as he's gotten more on ball agency. Is that 599 00:38:58,559 --> 00:39:01,400 something with Barrett where maybe like the jumper, efficiencies necessarily never where we want 600 00:39:01,440 --> 00:39:05,079 it to be, but he gets to the line at a healthy clip, 601 00:39:05,079 --> 00:39:08,199 improves is finishing around the basket and is able to prop up better than average 602 00:39:08,239 --> 00:39:13,119 league efficiency and even just to catch and shoot shooting though threes, those are 603 00:39:13,159 --> 00:39:15,800 still gonna be a part of his offense. Even at his best. That's 604 00:39:15,840 --> 00:39:17,199 the way for him to bring up his efficiency. So if you're if you're 605 00:39:17,199 --> 00:39:22,039 asking me whether I think RJ. Barrett will become an above average player on 606 00:39:22,199 --> 00:39:27,960 offense when looking at his efficiency, I'm going to guess yes. But if 607 00:39:28,000 --> 00:39:30,960 you want to just look at the raw harming jers of where he's at through 608 00:39:31,000 --> 00:39:35,719 season number three, it's fair to be concerned. I just think we haven't 609 00:39:35,760 --> 00:39:42,079 seen him used in constant enough states or be able to explore the more under 610 00:39:42,119 --> 00:39:45,960 explored parts of his game often enough to make that declaration. So it's not 611 00:39:46,079 --> 00:39:50,599 if you're expecting him to be an All NBA player or an All Star player. 612 00:39:51,159 --> 00:39:52,840 That ship is far from sale. That is certainly on the table, 613 00:39:52,920 --> 00:39:59,480 even if it's not the most likely outcome. The NHL Chicken as we always 614 00:39:59,480 --> 00:40:02,239 talk about what teams will be better next season, which team will fall off 615 00:40:02,280 --> 00:40:07,360 the hardest next year, like the Nixon Nets this past year, I'm not 616 00:40:07,480 --> 00:40:12,039 so I'm not going to pick the Jazz for this one just because they're getting 617 00:40:12,199 --> 00:40:15,039 they're sort of tearing it down by design. The three that stand out to 618 00:40:15,079 --> 00:40:17,280 me, and I'm gonna rank them in order of well, I'm not gonna 619 00:40:17,360 --> 00:40:20,920 rank them. So I'm gonna throw this name out this team out. First. 620 00:40:20,960 --> 00:40:23,280 I have the Bulls, who didn't get worse, Maybe they got a 621 00:40:23,320 --> 00:40:28,599 little better. When you're looking at Andre Drummond becoming their backup five Willans the 622 00:40:28,639 --> 00:40:32,360 ball ever be healthy Patrick Williams could be healthy for a full season. That 623 00:40:32,480 --> 00:40:37,039 stuff matters. But they fell off last year towards the end, and so 624 00:40:37,360 --> 00:40:40,039 could this season if it's bad, just be an extension of that. Then 625 00:40:40,079 --> 00:40:43,760 I have the MAVs. They lost Jawn Brunson. It didn't replace him, 626 00:40:43,760 --> 00:40:46,920 and you don't just replace Jalon Brunson, even if he is of secondary importance 627 00:40:46,960 --> 00:40:52,440 compared to Luca. So they're a team at could fall off, but they 628 00:40:52,440 --> 00:40:54,039 still have a lot of talent, and I could see their defense still being 629 00:40:54,039 --> 00:41:00,159 really good. If Spencer did what he has like a great campaign, you 630 00:41:00,239 --> 00:41:05,280 wind up replacing a lot of what Bronson did. To be fair, they're 631 00:41:05,280 --> 00:41:07,320 well short of title contention. I wouldn't call them a team that would improve, 632 00:41:07,480 --> 00:41:14,679 but they could definitely stop the floor from falling out underneath them. My 633 00:41:14,760 --> 00:41:17,360 actual pick is and I do this every year, so you're welcome to the 634 00:41:17,400 --> 00:41:22,199 fans. It could be the Grizzlies just because I don't think it's through any 635 00:41:22,280 --> 00:41:24,480 fault of their own. Although the two things I all point out is what 636 00:41:24,519 --> 00:41:28,840 happens with Jaron Jackson Jr. How long has he got out to start the 637 00:41:28,840 --> 00:41:30,960 season, if at all? What does he look like when he comes back? 638 00:41:30,239 --> 00:41:34,199 Those three ball fall at a higher clip once he gets there. And 639 00:41:34,239 --> 00:41:37,280 they kind of made another bet on their development by letting Kyle Anderson walk. 640 00:41:37,480 --> 00:41:43,920 They're basically saying that Zayre Williams is going to be ready, that excuse me, 641 00:41:44,280 --> 00:41:49,199 Desmond Baine is ready that they're going to probably use Jake La Rabia or 642 00:41:49,280 --> 00:41:52,440 David Roddy or maybe both of them right off the bat. That's quite the 643 00:41:52,480 --> 00:41:54,280 flex for a team. I was just number two in the West, and 644 00:41:54,320 --> 00:41:58,480 so they're sitting pretty to a certain extent. But the degree to which they 645 00:41:58,639 --> 00:42:02,239 valued their own play years has almost created this variance and outcomes for them next 646 00:42:02,320 --> 00:42:07,880 year. So if Zier Williams doesn't make a leap forward, if Jaren Jackson 647 00:42:07,920 --> 00:42:09,719 Junior miss his time, if you don't get anything out of Roddy or La 648 00:42:09,800 --> 00:42:13,679 Ravia, you should still be a good team. Will you be as great 649 00:42:13,679 --> 00:42:15,920 as you were this season? Will your record without job be as good this 650 00:42:15,920 --> 00:42:21,000 season if he misses any time, then the other part of this is the 651 00:42:21,039 --> 00:42:25,519 conference. We're talking about a West that's going to get a fuller strength Denver 652 00:42:25,880 --> 00:42:30,199 and Clippers team back into the fold. The Lakers might not suck like if 653 00:42:30,280 --> 00:42:34,119 Jaffy Davis is healthier and Lebron plays in most of the games. Even if 654 00:42:34,119 --> 00:42:37,480 they have Russ, they should still be better. The Minnesota Timber was just 655 00:42:37,519 --> 00:42:39,000 traded for Rudy Gobert, and whatever you think of them, they got better. 656 00:42:39,880 --> 00:42:44,840 The Pelicans are adding Zion Williamson. The Warriors aren't going anywhere. I 657 00:42:44,840 --> 00:42:47,119 don't expect the Suns to go anywhere. I doubt Dallas sort of falls off 658 00:42:47,159 --> 00:42:51,840 a cliff even without Brunson. So the Grizzlies, I'm not predicting that they'll 659 00:42:51,840 --> 00:42:53,280 miss the playoffs right now. I haven't even gone through what I think the 660 00:42:53,320 --> 00:42:58,000 playoff picture will will look like, but it's gonna be tousla and I mean 661 00:42:58,440 --> 00:43:00,519 technically speaking that Kings could be better, and I think they will be a 662 00:43:00,559 --> 00:43:05,679 little bit better. We'll have to see. But Portland, if Damian Lillard's 663 00:43:05,719 --> 00:43:08,800 fully healthy, they they feel like they have enough defensive talent to make some 664 00:43:08,920 --> 00:43:13,840 noise around him. That's gonna be tough for Memphis. That would be my 665 00:43:13,840 --> 00:43:15,159 pick right now, but that comes to the caveat. I've picked them to 666 00:43:15,199 --> 00:43:19,239 miss the playoffs in each of the past three years, and I've just been 667 00:43:19,280 --> 00:43:22,760 dead ass wrong. So if you need me to eat shit Grizzlies fans, 668 00:43:22,199 --> 00:43:29,159 I already have and I'm I'm tempting it again November and Denmark says, it 669 00:43:29,199 --> 00:43:32,880 seems to me that today we have a larger number of quote unquote blueprints NBA 670 00:43:32,920 --> 00:43:38,679 teams are trying to build contenders around like Elite Wings gives. Clippers in the 671 00:43:38,719 --> 00:43:44,239 celth discuss an example, Elite Centers, the Sixers and Nuggets, twin Towers, 672 00:43:44,280 --> 00:43:47,159 the Calves and Wolves, small ball shooting, Golden State Wars as the 673 00:43:47,199 --> 00:43:52,000 example or some combo of these. Thought, I mean, you're not wrong, 674 00:43:52,159 --> 00:43:58,039 these are yeah, I you know what I'm I don't even mean just 675 00:43:58,079 --> 00:44:00,519 sound dismissive when I'm telling you're right, I would agree with you. And 676 00:44:00,559 --> 00:44:04,239 like there's also just the position element of it, which is probably the Elite 677 00:44:04,280 --> 00:44:07,360 Wings when you look at the Clippers in Boston, but you have teams who 678 00:44:07,360 --> 00:44:09,639 are also trying to straddle both lines. I would use Boston as an example. 679 00:44:09,960 --> 00:44:14,199 I'd use Golden State as an example. So you have that in addition 680 00:44:15,159 --> 00:44:16,719 to there are these teams where no you're not running duel bigs, but you 681 00:44:16,760 --> 00:44:20,719 have the Sixers and Nuggets trying to build around Uel Embid. Now you have 682 00:44:20,800 --> 00:44:22,960 some teams with two bigs or even the fucking Magic, You're gonna have like 683 00:44:23,039 --> 00:44:28,800 quadruple bigs at this point with Isaac and Ben Caro and Wendell Carter Junior and 684 00:44:28,840 --> 00:44:30,760 Mobamba, they might run out triple big line. I'm similar with the Calves 685 00:44:30,800 --> 00:44:38,719 did with marketing Alan and Mobli And look, I kind of respect. First 686 00:44:38,719 --> 00:44:42,159 of all, this is a great I think this is a great question, 687 00:44:42,239 --> 00:44:49,039 and it also shows I think in a scoot understanding of a game, because 688 00:44:49,079 --> 00:44:53,960 there are people that just they look at shot charts and they say that the 689 00:44:54,000 --> 00:44:58,880 game is being played. Why would you want to watch the same thing over 690 00:44:58,920 --> 00:45:00,480 and over again. Look where all the teams are coming from. Just because 691 00:45:00,480 --> 00:45:05,320 their shot profiles might be comparable and they not all are, doesn't mean that 692 00:45:05,400 --> 00:45:12,000 the styles are uniform. They are varying, and there's different ways to get 693 00:45:12,119 --> 00:45:15,320 to the same endgame. And that's what's fun. To watch. There are 694 00:45:15,360 --> 00:45:16,760 teams that employ more off ball movement than other, there are teams that are 695 00:45:16,800 --> 00:45:20,559 employing more speed than other, And so I think it's a really good observation 696 00:45:20,559 --> 00:45:22,960 where it does feel like when we've gotten the point where people think that just 697 00:45:23,000 --> 00:45:28,159 because we saw all the talk about get to the rim and shoot threes and 698 00:45:28,199 --> 00:45:30,320 get to the foul line, like that's just common sense. That's about spacing 699 00:45:30,480 --> 00:45:36,719 court geography. Not all court geographies created equal or in the same way, 700 00:45:36,840 --> 00:45:40,960 even if it's aim, even if it's even if the resulting geography is you 701 00:45:42,039 --> 00:45:45,360 know, a kindred spirit. So I actually this is a great question and 702 00:45:45,679 --> 00:45:51,239 or at least a great observation is I think that there's more stylistic variants in 703 00:45:51,280 --> 00:45:54,039 the league today than there's ever been. Let me know what y'all think about 704 00:45:54,079 --> 00:45:59,280 that, though, thank you for that little thought November Denmark. My thought 705 00:45:59,400 --> 00:46:04,960 is that you're right. Daniel Mortensen asked, can you do a video on 706 00:46:05,000 --> 00:46:07,960 who out of the lottery teams from last year could make the jump like Cleveland 707 00:46:07,960 --> 00:46:10,239 did this year? Bringing it to this episode, Maybe I'll clip it and 708 00:46:10,239 --> 00:46:15,119 make its its own YouTube video as well. So this was like kind of 709 00:46:15,159 --> 00:46:17,519 hard and maybe the play in tournament has made that a little bit hard. 710 00:46:17,599 --> 00:46:22,760 I wanted to pick something that wasn't obvious or cheating, So cheating would be 711 00:46:22,199 --> 00:46:27,199 the Minnesota Timberwolves or the Pelicans because they were in the play in but they 712 00:46:27,280 --> 00:46:30,480 ended up making the playoffs, so they were your seven eight seeds. Do 713 00:46:30,599 --> 00:46:35,320 you pick the Blazers or the Lakers? No, you don't, because, 714 00:46:35,320 --> 00:46:39,039 like they're not particularly young, and so it's the same story with if I 715 00:46:39,079 --> 00:46:44,719 believed in the Knicks, which I won't say that I do, Like I 716 00:46:44,760 --> 00:46:45,920 tried to avoid that, and even the Hawks, like they're just sort of 717 00:46:46,079 --> 00:46:50,639 entrenched. They're not like super young anymore, and so they made the leap. 718 00:46:51,079 --> 00:46:58,000 That's not as surprising as as it would be for other teams. I'm 719 00:46:58,039 --> 00:47:00,400 looking at this, and then it's interesting because how many other squads or in 720 00:47:00,440 --> 00:47:04,760 the earlier stages of their developments where you'd really have to step out on a 721 00:47:04,800 --> 00:47:07,559 limb here. But you know what, I don't have a problem doing it 722 00:47:07,639 --> 00:47:09,639 because I feel like people would have laughed if you said the Cavaliers were going 723 00:47:09,679 --> 00:47:15,679 to win forty four games this past year. While Mobile and Garland missed some 724 00:47:15,719 --> 00:47:19,760 time and Sextons miss basically the entire season, and Jared Allen got hurt towards 725 00:47:19,760 --> 00:47:22,000 the end of the year and they lost Ricky rub would play super well and 726 00:47:22,000 --> 00:47:23,199 they would lose him for the season, they have to move him. So 727 00:47:23,280 --> 00:47:27,239 people would have told you that you were bonkers for saying that, and so 728 00:47:27,280 --> 00:47:30,519 stepping out on these limbs is part and parcel of what we're doing. And 729 00:47:30,679 --> 00:47:37,000 my pick, I feel like it's gonna be wrong, but my pick would 730 00:47:37,000 --> 00:47:39,400 actually be And I think I thought about Orlando. I want to make that 731 00:47:39,480 --> 00:47:43,599 clear. I just feel like with Ben Caron's rookie season and the year that 732 00:47:43,639 --> 00:47:45,920 Suggs had last year, they're gonna need at least another season to let it 733 00:47:45,920 --> 00:47:50,000 marinate. And Jonathan Isaac's coming back, that's a lot of integration. I 734 00:47:50,079 --> 00:47:52,559 thought about the Pistons as well. I just I haven't seen enough of Ivy 735 00:47:52,679 --> 00:47:57,760 and Duran together to know. I'm just so high on Kaide that he's best 736 00:47:57,800 --> 00:48:00,800 player on an NBA championship team A tier. I could see them catching people 737 00:48:00,880 --> 00:48:06,599 off guard and maybe like making a play in push. With that in mind, 738 00:48:07,119 --> 00:48:10,840 they just didn't make enough material upgrades of veterans, you know, like 739 00:48:10,960 --> 00:48:15,039 having bringing back Morvin Bagley, and they still have Kelly Olnick and Isaiah Stewart. 740 00:48:15,039 --> 00:48:19,119 What does that front court rotation now look like with Duran? They do 741 00:48:19,159 --> 00:48:21,960 have Jay and Ivy on so if he hits immediately, if Killian Hayes continues 742 00:48:22,000 --> 00:48:23,760 improving like he did the end of last year's Deep Bay, a team to 743 00:48:23,760 --> 00:48:28,639 watch for sure. I also this was my second choice. And maybe it's 744 00:48:28,639 --> 00:48:31,039 just because they haven't moved Miles Turner or Buddy Healed yet, and they might, 745 00:48:31,280 --> 00:48:35,960 but the Pacers, like, I'm just not gonna rule out them, 746 00:48:36,039 --> 00:48:40,679 and like good being good, Tyres Haliburton Ready, they have Christian Marte microwave 747 00:48:40,760 --> 00:48:45,199 score. Then you're adding Benedic mathin to this, to this corner. He 748 00:48:45,199 --> 00:48:51,039 looked fantastic at points in Summer League. If Miles Turner stays healthy, you 749 00:48:51,079 --> 00:48:54,480 have ohe Berset. Just why not it's the East or coached by Rick Carlisle, 750 00:48:54,519 --> 00:48:58,719 Like I do think Kyle Burton's that good and that the surrounding talent right 751 00:48:58,719 --> 00:49:01,239 now is at least that interesting. Jon Smith having to come on towards the 752 00:49:01,320 --> 00:49:05,719 end of last season, maybe they're just that surprise team. I'm going to 753 00:49:05,719 --> 00:49:08,480 pick against my better judgment because they're in the Western Conference. I'm going with 754 00:49:08,519 --> 00:49:13,079 okay, see, and I think the argument against this, aside from they 755 00:49:13,079 --> 00:49:16,199 play in the West, is their second most important player immediately, Chet Holmgren 756 00:49:16,519 --> 00:49:20,719 is just a rookie. Fine fair. The other question will be you can 757 00:49:20,719 --> 00:49:22,000 make the jokes about them shutting down guys at the end of the year, 758 00:49:22,239 --> 00:49:24,599 but like, just look at how they're gonna juggle playing time. They have 759 00:49:24,679 --> 00:49:29,280 so many guys on the payroll who at least deserve a shot to be tested 760 00:49:29,280 --> 00:49:35,000 out. Can we guarantee that they're even gonna be playing their best players the 761 00:49:35,079 --> 00:49:38,599 lion's share of the time, or caring about these higher stakes moments over player 762 00:49:38,639 --> 00:49:43,920 development, which they're still in. What I'm just gonna say is the two 763 00:49:43,920 --> 00:49:45,400 things that stay it out to me here are I just think their talents a 764 00:49:45,440 --> 00:49:49,559 lot better than people give them credit for. Shake yourself. Xander is an 765 00:49:49,559 --> 00:49:52,559 All Star, All NBA type player. We just need to see them play 766 00:49:52,599 --> 00:49:57,039 for a full season, no shutdown business and stay healthy. Blue Dort really 767 00:49:57,039 --> 00:50:00,000 good. Just you want more of him on offense. You'd liked him just 768 00:50:00,039 --> 00:50:02,239 a little bit more of his threes, but you can attack in open spaces 769 00:50:02,360 --> 00:50:07,480 and he's just a defensive brick wall. Then Chet Homegrin, Josh Giddy as 770 00:50:07,480 --> 00:50:10,880 a passer, a rebounder, nice size on defense. You'd like to see 771 00:50:10,960 --> 00:50:15,800 him score more, have better touch away from the basket to saw that type 772 00:50:15,840 --> 00:50:21,039 of playmaker on here. The talent is just all over. Alexei Pokashevski is 773 00:50:21,039 --> 00:50:24,000 someone who I thought didn't necessarily end the season this way, but started to 774 00:50:24,039 --> 00:50:30,480 put things together, these coherent performances where he was impacting positively these minutes for 775 00:50:30,519 --> 00:50:32,960 extended stretches. Darius Baisley, what he showed on defense last year? Will 776 00:50:32,960 --> 00:50:37,960 you ever find his offensive niche niche? So yeah, there are some swing 777 00:50:37,000 --> 00:50:40,400 pieces here. What does Zuzman Jang look like as a rookie someone who I 778 00:50:40,559 --> 00:50:45,079 really like? Are they gonna be able to get enough shooting here? I 779 00:50:45,079 --> 00:50:49,719 think keeping Kendrick's Williams extending him was big because that insinuates that they're not gonna 780 00:50:49,760 --> 00:50:52,280 trade him down the line. So he's important to your floor spacing. So 781 00:50:52,480 --> 00:50:57,760 is Pokashevski. Even shake gild Saxanders off the dribble shooting they have Mike Muskala. 782 00:50:57,760 --> 00:50:59,920 I think that's why they eventually keep him around. They have more roster 783 00:51:00,000 --> 00:51:02,119 decisions to do. I feel like this could be a really badass defensive team, 784 00:51:02,119 --> 00:51:05,960 though, and if you're a badass defensive team, you can actually win 785 00:51:06,440 --> 00:51:09,280 some games. So I don't expect them to be a playoff squad. And 786 00:51:09,320 --> 00:51:13,599 I think if you forced me to, like pick which lottery I would start 787 00:51:13,679 --> 00:51:16,000 cheating looking at like which lottery team's gonna be back in the playoffs, I'd 788 00:51:16,000 --> 00:51:21,280 say the Wizards, even though they're not the younger one. But I was 789 00:51:21,280 --> 00:51:22,800 stepping on the limit with it, okay, see, because I just think 790 00:51:22,840 --> 00:51:27,719 that they've got the nice mix of defensive talent, probably just enough offense, 791 00:51:27,800 --> 00:51:31,760 just enough intrigue everywhere. And finally, this was the point that I've been 792 00:51:31,840 --> 00:51:36,519 leading up to here, the consolidation trade for Usman Jang. While it was 793 00:51:36,639 --> 00:51:40,400 just three whatever heavily protected picks, it showed me that they are willing to 794 00:51:40,400 --> 00:51:45,119 consolidate. Maybe the roster space is forcing their hand. They didn't have to 795 00:51:45,159 --> 00:51:47,199 go that high for the number eleven pick, and they did, and so 796 00:51:47,239 --> 00:51:53,000 that shows some level of urgency or interest in making waves now. And I 797 00:51:53,039 --> 00:51:57,599 think that, just combined with sort of the flyers the wild cards on this 798 00:51:57,719 --> 00:52:00,800 roster, makes them a team that could catch a hunt of people off guard, 799 00:52:00,800 --> 00:52:04,440 even if they're not on the Cavs level of finishing six games above. 800 00:52:06,239 --> 00:52:09,320 This last question will make this from Carson B. Cox, what do you 801 00:52:09,320 --> 00:52:14,239 think of the most interesting lineups the Nuggets can put together this year? I 802 00:52:14,280 --> 00:52:17,280 want to see bones, Jamal Murray, Bruce Brown, Michael Porter Jr. 803 00:52:17,320 --> 00:52:22,159 And Yokich. Yeah, I'm with you on that lineup. I also want 804 00:52:22,159 --> 00:52:25,280 to see sort of the skew defense. Where are you pulling Michael Porter Junior 805 00:52:25,400 --> 00:52:30,559 for if Gordon's on the court, and then throwing Bruce Brown in there. 806 00:52:30,880 --> 00:52:35,199 The two that I'm going to single out is give me Yokich with a fuck 807 00:52:35,280 --> 00:52:40,800 ton of just defense. That isn't this offensive liability? And so you could 808 00:52:40,800 --> 00:52:45,239 say that Bruce Brown might phone that, but Yokich cantabious cobopope, Bruce Brown, 809 00:52:45,719 --> 00:52:51,199 Aaron Gordon and then Jamal Murray is fine, Like, give me your 810 00:52:51,199 --> 00:52:54,519 two stars, surround them with a bunch of defense, and that's that's a 811 00:52:54,599 --> 00:52:58,960 set. That amounts to basically pulling Michael Porter Junior. And that might be 812 00:52:59,000 --> 00:53:02,239 how they close games just place of stronger defenders. I wouldn't be opposed to 813 00:53:02,280 --> 00:53:06,719 like pull Murray from that just trying to get by, like Murray's resting, 814 00:53:06,760 --> 00:53:10,039 Michael Porter Junior's resting. Throw Jeff Green into that with KCP, Gordon and 815 00:53:10,039 --> 00:53:15,519 Bruce Brown. Just yokis with a ship ton of shooting not necessarily the most 816 00:53:15,519 --> 00:53:17,159 bankable spacing. The one that I actually want to see, which is why 817 00:53:17,199 --> 00:53:20,719 I saved it for last, is let's get weird and we're gonna do this 818 00:53:20,800 --> 00:53:24,599 during Look, Yokich isn't gonna play for like between twelve and eighteen minutes every 819 00:53:24,599 --> 00:53:29,519 game, whatever it ends up being, So you're gonna have filler time there. 820 00:53:30,079 --> 00:53:35,079 Give me it's like smaller with I want Gordon and Michael Porter Junior the 821 00:53:35,079 --> 00:53:40,559 front court with Bruce Brown KCP, and I think I want Bones Highland in 822 00:53:40,599 --> 00:53:45,840 there. So just give me bonkers offense out of Porter Junior in Highland, 823 00:53:46,239 --> 00:53:51,239 and then you have these good defenders in Gordon, Bruce Brown and KCP, 824 00:53:51,639 --> 00:53:53,400 And then you're also the kind of position list not to the point where I 825 00:53:53,400 --> 00:53:57,880 think you could switch everything on defense, But Bruce Brown can defend Biggs and 826 00:53:57,920 --> 00:54:04,000 Smalls Dido for for Aaron Gordon KCP can defend like small through bigger wings Michael 827 00:54:04,000 --> 00:54:07,400 Porter Junior is like a pretty good rim protector. It's like you kind of 828 00:54:07,440 --> 00:54:09,000 him as your center on defense if you really need to. And then Bones 829 00:54:09,000 --> 00:54:14,159 Tyland is just a offensive spark plug. I love love that kid. So 830 00:54:14,239 --> 00:54:15,719 that would be the lineup I would want to see. It's just sort of 831 00:54:15,719 --> 00:54:19,280 that you could call it like it's not Michael Porter Junior plus Bench, but 832 00:54:19,360 --> 00:54:22,039 like, really, give Bones and Highland Michael Porter Jr. The keys to 833 00:54:22,119 --> 00:54:23,440 your offense, try and surround them with enough defense to make it work. 834 00:54:23,840 --> 00:54:27,920 I can't get over how much the Nuggets have opened up their realm of possibilities 835 00:54:27,920 --> 00:54:30,360 by adding KCP and Bruce Brown Jr. This offseason. That'll do it for 836 00:54:30,400 --> 00:54:34,440 me. If you're new to this podcast, please remember to rate, review 837 00:54:34,440 --> 00:54:38,039 and subscribe to us. The subscription and downloads or really the most important thing 838 00:54:38,440 --> 00:54:40,400 that you can do when they help us out a tome. If you're watching 839 00:54:40,400 --> 00:54:44,559 this on YouTube, please we're growing this channel. Be a part of it. 840 00:54:44,599 --> 00:54:45,280 We have a lot of fun around here, and you can ask me 841 00:54:45,360 --> 00:54:49,440 questions that I will answer in future mail back episodes. I will start to 842 00:54:49,519 --> 00:54:52,599 listening more consistently on YouTube. I know I answered a couple from from comments 843 00:54:52,599 --> 00:54:54,559 that people had, so you can leave them in comments. I'm pretty good 844 00:54:54,559 --> 00:54:59,480 about monitoring them. Thank you all for continuing to listen to this until next 845 00:54:59,480 --> 00:55:02,480 time. Even the shout out to the one, the only, the legendary, 846 00:55:02,559 --> 00:55:07,400 the untradeable, the untouchable Frank Nila Kina