1 00:00:15,439 --> 00:00:20,079 What is krack alac in tellow thermonuclear A efforts. I am Dana Valley coming 2 00:00:20,079 --> 00:00:24,719 at you with my certified fantabulous co host, mister Grant Hughes. We are 3 00:00:24,719 --> 00:00:30,679 on to the second part of our Eastern Conference exercise of going through one objective 4 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:36,000 or goal or thing we're watching for every NBA team in the East as we 5 00:00:36,159 --> 00:00:40,119 go through the stretch run of the twenty three to twenty four NBA regular season. 6 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:42,719 If you've not checked out the first part, we did the Atlanta Hawks 7 00:00:42,719 --> 00:00:46,679 through the Indiana Pacers. We are now going to do the Miami Heat through 8 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:51,520 everyone's favorite team, the Washington Wizards. But first and foremost, Grant, 9 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:58,359 how the heck are you? I'm doing really well. I am now hyper 10 00:00:58,439 --> 00:01:03,079 conscious of mouth because as we were discussing at the end of the last episode, 11 00:01:04,599 --> 00:01:10,120 I don't know, does anybody care about this? Verbal tics and weird 12 00:01:10,159 --> 00:01:15,680 things you do when talking really get highlighted if you podcast a lot. And 13 00:01:15,719 --> 00:01:19,879 so now I'm hyper conscious of the I'm not gonna make this sound, but 14 00:01:19,920 --> 00:01:23,239 you know the sound you make like after you've thought for a second when someone's 15 00:01:23,239 --> 00:01:26,280 asked you a question, and then it's like you purse your lips and then 16 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:30,280 there's like a little pop sound before you talk. I have no idea what 17 00:01:30,359 --> 00:01:34,519 you're talking about. I can't do it on commands. I can't do it 18 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:38,400 on laughing anyway. That's what I've been thinking about since you. Aren't you 19 00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:41,359 happy that I edited short? So that I can comment on all of our 20 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:42,239 And to be fair, I don't call out just you, but I can 21 00:01:42,239 --> 00:01:46,400 comment on all of ours, just like weird little quirts. I just did 22 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:48,840 it. I did it again. It's such a subconscious thing. I don't 23 00:01:48,879 --> 00:01:53,519 know how you start talking from not talking without making that noise. I'm gonna 24 00:01:53,519 --> 00:01:56,200 have to change my whole life around. We need a producer. If anyone 25 00:01:56,239 --> 00:01:59,920 wants to just come produce this show just and edit all our stuff for us. 26 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:01,760 Yeah, make our lives way easier. That'd be great. And if 27 00:02:01,799 --> 00:02:06,200 you want to put it really impressively on your resume, you can say mouth 28 00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:09,080 sounds eliminator. It doesn't need to be it's a very specific job title. 29 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:14,919 Mouth sounds eliminator sounds like you're a professional gagger or something like kidnappers or something. 30 00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:21,840 Reword that like some doing victims. That's that'll be your job. What 31 00:02:21,879 --> 00:02:27,039 are we talking about today, Dan? The n B A Oh, I'm 32 00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:30,199 ill prepared for that. Uh, we're gonna So we're onto the Miami Heat. 33 00:02:30,319 --> 00:02:34,400 This is the second half of our Eastern Conference. Uh. What should 34 00:02:34,439 --> 00:02:38,479 this loosely titled? What should each team's goal be down the stretch of the 35 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:40,080 season? What should it try to accomplish? What question does it need to 36 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:45,159 answer? If you want to frame it that way. We've gone alphabetically and 37 00:02:45,199 --> 00:02:51,680 I've made the mouth sound again. You've you have unlocked a terrible Pandora's box 38 00:02:51,759 --> 00:02:57,080 of self consciousness. We're at the Miami Heat though, So, Uh, 39 00:02:57,400 --> 00:03:02,280 Dan, what is your issue for them or something they need to get figured 40 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:06,360 out? Or what will you be focusing on for the Miami Heat. It's 41 00:03:06,560 --> 00:03:08,439 twofold for me, and I only made a two fold because I don't want 42 00:03:08,439 --> 00:03:13,840 to oversimplify the first one. But could they beat a good fucking team? 43 00:03:14,879 --> 00:03:20,199 They they've like, yes, there was that volcanic eruption post trade deadline, 44 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:23,080 and then there was kind of that snake bit and free fall. I know 45 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:27,360 they're dealing and have dealt with a ton of injuries, but so have most 46 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:30,759 teams at this point. As we record this, Grant they have a three 47 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:35,520 and eighteen record against teams with a top ten net rating. That's the sixth 48 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:39,400 worst record against top ten net rating teams. The only teams with the worst 49 00:03:39,479 --> 00:03:44,800 record all suck. It's Charlotte, Detroit, Portland, San Antonio, and 50 00:03:44,879 --> 00:03:49,479 Washington. That is terrible company to keep. And so I understand, you 51 00:03:49,479 --> 00:03:53,199 know, Jimmy Butler is dealing with the right foot stuff, Kevin Love the 52 00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:55,280 right heel issue, Tyler Hero. It feels like when is he gonna come 53 00:03:55,360 --> 00:03:59,599 back? He just got that PRP injection and is in his right foot, 54 00:03:59,599 --> 00:04:03,240 doesn't have a timeline for return. But like, this team needs some trademark 55 00:04:03,319 --> 00:04:08,479 victories if they want to recapture the magic we're all waiting for of them. 56 00:04:08,479 --> 00:04:10,759 Oh, it doesn't matter if they go through the play or is the sixth 57 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:14,840 seed, they'll make the finals anyway. The thing I am sort of wondering 58 00:04:14,879 --> 00:04:17,839 though, too, is do they need to kind of start thinking about fiddling 59 00:04:17,879 --> 00:04:23,439 with the starting lineup that they've already had to fiddle with again as we're recording 60 00:04:23,439 --> 00:04:26,959 this, like the go to lineup if they're healthy ish, because I know 61 00:04:26,959 --> 00:04:30,720 Butler's dealing with the right foot stuff. You have Butler Bam Nikol Yovich, 62 00:04:30,759 --> 00:04:34,240 Duncan Robinson, and Terry Rozier. I get the theory of having most of 63 00:04:34,279 --> 00:04:39,279 that those players, especially without Kevin Love available in that lineup, that group 64 00:04:39,279 --> 00:04:44,040 still isn't taking nearly enough threes. It doesn't generate any rim pressure. I'm 65 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:46,959 wondering if they kind of just need to lean into you know, like, 66 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:50,560 can we one just put our five best players on the court who are actually 67 00:04:50,600 --> 00:04:55,160 healthy and so if that's not Hero, it's probably Caleb Martin. I'd rather 68 00:04:55,199 --> 00:04:58,519 have it there than himehawkis, or it's you know, if we don't trust 69 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:00,800 either one of them, you know, cayleb as a playmaker, even Hawkins 70 00:05:00,839 --> 00:05:03,759 as a playmaker. But those two guys are gonna come in and they'll do 71 00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:06,360 more for you on the offensive glass. At least it's not something the Heat 72 00:05:06,399 --> 00:05:10,920 focus on. But maybe they could generate some second chance opportunities for you in 73 00:05:10,959 --> 00:05:15,600 ways that Nikola Yovich or Duncan Robinson really isn't. Right now, I will 74 00:05:15,639 --> 00:05:19,600 always defer to head coach Eric Bolstra on just everything, but when you're the 75 00:05:19,639 --> 00:05:23,839 Heat, and I know it's not who starts, it's who closes. But 76 00:05:24,079 --> 00:05:27,839 there are three teams who have seen more games enter clutch time, like heat 77 00:05:27,879 --> 00:05:31,079 just need to get off to good starts as early as possible and go from 78 00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:35,319 there. Those are it's just the body count is dwindling, and so I 79 00:05:35,399 --> 00:05:38,920 understand that there, but like, those are kind of the things I'm watching 80 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:41,680 because look, three to May team we get three and eighteen against teams with 81 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:45,759 top ten net ratings is pretty pretty bad. Yeah. The personnel issue, 82 00:05:45,839 --> 00:05:49,000 both brought on by injury and just the players that they choose to put on 83 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:53,720 the floor, ties into what I'm focused on, which is the heat. 84 00:05:53,959 --> 00:05:58,240 Just like maybe maybe it'd be easier to beat some of these good teams if 85 00:05:58,279 --> 00:06:01,279 you could generate more clean, easy looks and the heat. Just do not 86 00:06:01,439 --> 00:06:08,439 specialize in that they're twenty fourth in rim accuracy, and when I looked this 87 00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:12,240 up earlier, they were thirtieth. They've skyrocketed up to twenty ninth in rim 88 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:15,000 attempt frequency, which to me is kind of the more important number. How 89 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:18,519 often are you're getting to the rim and getting shots off now, Like, 90 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:21,839 because it's the heat, of course, this doesn't matter the same way it 91 00:06:21,879 --> 00:06:25,959 matters to other teams. Because they were nineteenth and twenty eighth, respectively, 92 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:29,040 last year and they made the finals. So like, like, you know, 93 00:06:29,079 --> 00:06:31,439 I don't know what we do with that, but I think it's fair 94 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:36,720 to say that like, at least if the margins are thin, and if 95 00:06:36,839 --> 00:06:40,920 and if you're hard up for scoring in general, which sometimes they are, 96 00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:44,680 get into the basket is a good way to generate free throws at least and 97 00:06:45,439 --> 00:06:48,399 find you know, if if you can't do anything else, gets the hole 98 00:06:48,439 --> 00:06:50,839 and maybe you get some easy buckets. Maybe that flips a couple of those 99 00:06:50,879 --> 00:06:54,319 close games. Maybe that gets you a win or two against good teams. 100 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:58,040 It's just wild to me that like that's a glaring issue that I think would 101 00:06:58,079 --> 00:07:00,920 be setting off like alarm bells for tons of teams. I don't think that 102 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:03,879 heat care at all because they're just like, we'll figure it out. Well, 103 00:07:04,079 --> 00:07:06,839 we'll make mid rangers in the playoffs, if that's what you know is 104 00:07:06,839 --> 00:07:11,560 called for. I will say it just feels different than even last year. 105 00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:15,600 And I don't know if that's just the injuries starting to mount, but I'm 106 00:07:15,680 --> 00:07:18,360 like, I'm not nearly as confident. And also just like there have just 107 00:07:18,399 --> 00:07:23,040 been I don't Jimmy Butler can flip that switch, but there have just been 108 00:07:23,160 --> 00:07:25,920 nights where he's not gonna be It doesn't seem like he's able to get to 109 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:29,720 the basket at will likes. And I don't know what the answer necessarily is 110 00:07:29,759 --> 00:07:33,600 for this roster as currently constructed. And it's just sort of like I think 111 00:07:33,639 --> 00:07:39,639 Tyler heroes not weirdly important, maybe uniquely important to them because you need his 112 00:07:39,839 --> 00:07:43,040 tough shot making. And like they've almost tried to like bridge some of the 113 00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:46,360 gap by using Terror's ear as kind of more of a driver or is he 114 00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:48,600 gonna be someoneho's gonna set screens for you where it's like he's maybe a little 115 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:53,480 bit more of the Tyler hero esque player as well, where he can specialize 116 00:07:53,480 --> 00:07:57,199 in hitting threes off the catcher. He's gonna hit some tough shots for you. 117 00:07:57,600 --> 00:08:00,519 I just don't know the offense is. I don't want to say it's 118 00:08:00,600 --> 00:08:05,959 broken, but like the offense is just such a slog for them. Yeah, 119 00:08:05,240 --> 00:08:09,279 and well that's it's interesting. I we don't want to spend too long 120 00:08:09,279 --> 00:08:11,319 on each team here. We're trying to kind of breeze through. But like 121 00:08:11,680 --> 00:08:16,519 you said, you don't you don't you know wishful thinking. You said, 122 00:08:16,639 --> 00:08:18,680 you don't feel as confident in the Heat this year as last year, Like 123 00:08:18,720 --> 00:08:22,319 I don't. I'm asking because I don't remember, Like I don't remember going 124 00:08:22,360 --> 00:08:24,720 into the playoffs when they were a playing team. If I felt like, 125 00:08:24,839 --> 00:08:28,040 oh, look out, like this Heat team, they're gonna make a run. 126 00:08:28,319 --> 00:08:33,120 I want to think I lose every single series they were in all four. 127 00:08:33,600 --> 00:08:37,080 Yeah, yeah, I just here we go. I don't know they 128 00:08:37,080 --> 00:08:39,879 have the benefit of doubt now though, But but like, make some layups 129 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:43,720 or get some layups, all right? That takes us to the Milwaukee Bucks. 130 00:08:43,840 --> 00:08:48,200 I'm curious what you have because it feels like there's a big issue but 131 00:08:48,279 --> 00:08:52,080 that I'm gonna hit. But I what what? What is? What should 132 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:54,720 the Bucks goal, in your opinion be going on? I think they need 133 00:08:54,759 --> 00:09:01,480 to do a better job of optimizing Damian Lillard inside the art that needs to 134 00:09:01,519 --> 00:09:03,480 be Look, everyone wants to focus on the defense. It's been a little 135 00:09:03,519 --> 00:09:09,639 bit better at least passable during the Doc Rivers era. And I think when 136 00:09:09,639 --> 00:09:13,320 you look at Dame, his season's been uneven and like the driving is there. 137 00:09:13,440 --> 00:09:18,240 He's at thirteen drives per thirty six minutes. That's lower from last season 138 00:09:18,360 --> 00:09:22,399 sixteen. But he's playing with another Superstar. Generally, it's a new team, 139 00:09:22,480 --> 00:09:26,600 it's within the same galaxy. It's not miles beneath the surface up and 140 00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:31,919 they're just like functional blips like that happen. However, we have his three 141 00:09:31,960 --> 00:09:33,919 point shot has not been falling at the same clip. It's perked up a 142 00:09:33,919 --> 00:09:37,559 little bit as of late, but he's he's at under fifty percent from two 143 00:09:37,679 --> 00:09:41,600 and while that's in line with what he's done for his career, it's nowhere 144 00:09:41,639 --> 00:09:46,120 near the fifty seven point four percent of what he did last year, which 145 00:09:46,120 --> 00:09:50,519 we recognize is probably the best season of his career. But like you want 146 00:09:50,559 --> 00:09:52,440 this when you're looking at the Bucks roster, I think they have the ability 147 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:58,559 to open up the in between and just getting to the basket more for him, 148 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:01,320 because again he is driving. It's just the pathways aren't as clear. 149 00:10:01,440 --> 00:10:05,159 And like they've done, if it's three point shot is perking up, I 150 00:10:05,159 --> 00:10:09,080 think they've done a better job of integrating him alongside and Janniss at the Koupo. 151 00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:11,960 So I started diving into what I think personally is wrong, and it's 152 00:10:13,039 --> 00:10:18,360 most of his minutes come beside two of Giannis Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis. 153 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:22,840 That's unavoidable. It's meant to be a feature, not necessarily a bug. 154 00:10:22,159 --> 00:10:28,679 But when you're playing Lillard without Yiannis, the vast majority of those minutes have 155 00:10:28,919 --> 00:10:31,960 come with both Bobby Portis and Brook Lopez, and I think we need to 156 00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:35,320 get to a point where it's okay. Those lineups have fared well by and 157 00:10:35,440 --> 00:10:39,159 large, I think mostly on the back of the defense. Yes, they 158 00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:43,120 can still space the floor, but it's different when you're spacing the floor with 159 00:10:43,200 --> 00:10:48,720 two bigs versus oh, we're playing with four maybe it's one big three shooters 160 00:10:48,759 --> 00:10:52,039 and then there's Damian Lillard, and I would like to see them change up 161 00:10:52,159 --> 00:10:54,720 that look is it. Can we get to more Dame and just Bobby Portis 162 00:10:56,039 --> 00:11:00,200 combos or can you get Lopez to pop off more screens for Damian Lowe is 163 00:11:00,279 --> 00:11:03,639 part of just Lopez, no Portis, no Yannis lineups? Can we even 164 00:11:03,639 --> 00:11:05,960 get to and look, we haven't seen a ton of this. I think 165 00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:09,360 we've seen like one hundred and twenty five or one hundred and ten possessions of 166 00:11:09,759 --> 00:11:15,039 Damian Lillard, Jannis and no Biggs. I just think that you need to 167 00:11:15,039 --> 00:11:18,000 get to a point, especially when you're looking at the playoffs that you want 168 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:22,279 to optimize Damian Lillard from every level, and when his three point shooting has 169 00:11:22,279 --> 00:11:26,039 been a little touch and go, I don't think the Bucks have done enough 170 00:11:26,279 --> 00:11:30,639 of that. And that's just something I'm watching for, and I guess the 171 00:11:30,679 --> 00:11:35,240 inspiration subconsciously I thought about it as of writing it was they beat the what 172 00:11:35,320 --> 00:11:37,759 was it, they beat the Clippers when they didn't have Giannis, right, 173 00:11:37,039 --> 00:11:41,840 and like, that's what we like. The pathways were so open for Damian 174 00:11:41,879 --> 00:11:45,679 Lollard in that game and he had a great night or was that a matinee. 175 00:11:45,720 --> 00:11:48,200 I don't even really remember, but I remember watching it and thinking, 176 00:11:48,200 --> 00:11:50,159 Wow, I'm not saying Yanni should come off the bench or something, but 177 00:11:50,200 --> 00:11:52,799 that's just something I kind of have brewing in the back of my mind. 178 00:11:54,159 --> 00:11:56,039 Yeah, mine, Mine's. I don't have a ton to add because I 179 00:11:56,159 --> 00:12:00,919 just was gonna focus on the pick and roll chemist very specifically. It doesn't 180 00:12:00,919 --> 00:12:01,559 have to be pick and roll. It can be the two man game. 181 00:12:01,600 --> 00:12:05,399 It can be like some some handoff stuff or whatever it is between Dame and 182 00:12:05,440 --> 00:12:09,480 Yiannis. Like that just needs to be. Like Doc Rivers said, it, 183 00:12:09,559 --> 00:12:13,679 so there the game that everybody keeps pointing to because is this like, 184 00:12:13,720 --> 00:12:15,879 when are they gonna run high volume pick and roll? Like, is it 185 00:12:15,919 --> 00:12:18,759 ever gonna happen? Everybody points to this game against the Lakers on March eights, 186 00:12:18,759 --> 00:12:24,440 where where there were twenty three instances where Yannis set on ball screens for 187 00:12:24,559 --> 00:12:28,480 Dame. They lost that game, so like they you know, and there's 188 00:12:28,519 --> 00:12:31,759 there's a bunch, you know, I've I think I've probably cited some of 189 00:12:31,759 --> 00:12:35,720 these other numbers where you know, as a as a as a role guy, 190 00:12:35,919 --> 00:12:37,759 uh Yiannis is like not as good as you'd think he'd be, you 191 00:12:37,759 --> 00:12:41,720 know. And and for the Bucks in general, don't do a lot of 192 00:12:41,720 --> 00:12:43,960 pick and roll anyway. On the year, they're like ten percentile in terms 193 00:12:43,960 --> 00:12:48,240 of scoring efficiency when the role guy's finishing. We talked about this last time 194 00:12:48,279 --> 00:12:50,440 a little bit, I think, but yeah, like that that chemistry and 195 00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:54,639 Doc Rivers I think is the right guy to to be, you know, 196 00:12:56,000 --> 00:12:58,080 to be faced with this particular issue because Doc Rivers is a pick and roll 197 00:12:58,120 --> 00:13:01,240 spammer, like he will figure it out. And his quote after that loss 198 00:13:01,399 --> 00:13:05,840 was, I think this is really telling. This is from ESPN's Jamal Collier. 199 00:13:05,600 --> 00:13:09,039 Doc said, listen, you want to win all these games? But 200 00:13:09,120 --> 00:13:11,720 that's the stuff that we're going to keep doing more and more until it becomes 201 00:13:11,840 --> 00:13:16,200 us Like he's very much committed to the idea of if we're going anywhere, 202 00:13:16,240 --> 00:13:20,759 our offensive identity is Damon Giannis interacting at the top of the arc with the 203 00:13:20,840 --> 00:13:24,440 ball, Like that's just what the Bucks are going to have to be and 204 00:13:24,480 --> 00:13:30,120 we haven't seen it be consistently successful yet, and we are what what percentage 205 00:13:30,159 --> 00:13:33,639 of what are there like fourteen games left for a lot of teams fifteen some 206 00:13:33,639 --> 00:13:37,519 somewhere in that neighborhood. So yeah, you pointed to the overall offensive and 207 00:13:37,559 --> 00:13:41,200 defensive numbers under Doc, Like it's just that this has to be a thing 208 00:13:41,360 --> 00:13:46,600 for the Bucks or there if he defense it's been better under Doc, but 209 00:13:46,720 --> 00:13:50,240 like you know, it's not going to hold up. So I think that's 210 00:13:50,360 --> 00:13:52,960 I think we're kind of got our eyes trained on the same thing. There 211 00:13:54,679 --> 00:13:58,679 anything to add or shall we move on to your New York Knicks. Let's 212 00:13:58,679 --> 00:14:05,080 move on to your New York Knicks. I think they need to And this 213 00:14:05,159 --> 00:14:07,159 is kind of a duh thing when you're looking at the injuries they're dealing with 214 00:14:07,200 --> 00:14:13,519 Ojan Andobi's elbow stuff cropping back up and then Julius Randall. We don't know 215 00:14:13,559 --> 00:14:16,799 what's going on with his own show or when he's slated to return from the 216 00:14:16,200 --> 00:14:20,759 shoulder injury, but you need to figure out a way to make Alec Burks 217 00:14:20,759 --> 00:14:24,159 and or boy On Bydanovic matter, And I think that it's more likely to 218 00:14:24,200 --> 00:14:28,120 do that with boying On Bydonovitch, just because Alec Burks I is a rougher 219 00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:31,000 watch for me, even when he's even when boying On Bydanovich is playing poorly. 220 00:14:31,039 --> 00:14:35,759 And also Duce McBride has been playing well enough that you might just decide 221 00:14:35,799 --> 00:14:39,000 that you don't need Alec Burks and yeah, your golden say Warriors got absolutely 222 00:14:39,039 --> 00:14:45,320 fried. But really familiar with the work of Duce McBride, whatever the hell 223 00:14:45,399 --> 00:14:48,200 that was, that's not his normal work. It is funny though, when 224 00:14:48,200 --> 00:14:50,840 it's like I'm not this is not meant to compliment us, But when I 225 00:14:50,919 --> 00:14:54,720 was listening to a Warriors podcast afterwards and they were talking about like, oh, 226 00:14:54,759 --> 00:14:56,720 we had a scrub, like Duce McBride burn us, Like McBride is 227 00:14:56,759 --> 00:15:01,320 like playing some real NBA minutes at this poin is good. He was really 228 00:15:01,360 --> 00:15:07,799 good against the war but like no time it wasn't like this guy's never gonna 229 00:15:07,840 --> 00:15:09,279 have another game like this. It was like, oh shit, Duce mcride 230 00:15:09,440 --> 00:15:13,480 is having a good Duce McBride game like that. That's really it was definitely 231 00:15:13,480 --> 00:15:16,840 the extreme, but it was just funny to hear talk about that way. 232 00:15:16,879 --> 00:15:20,840 So I look at Boan Bardanovich and we've seen his minutes tick up a little 233 00:15:20,879 --> 00:15:24,840 bit more and he has not looked great and he doesn't give you rebounding, 234 00:15:24,840 --> 00:15:28,960 he doesn't give you defense, but like you need to continue spacing the floor 235 00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:33,320 around Jalen Brunson, who is just like has to work so fucking hard to 236 00:15:33,399 --> 00:15:37,679 get his baskets still, like even his easy ones just aren't freaking easy and 237 00:15:37,720 --> 00:15:41,919 it and you have maybe you don't have the personnel to make it as easy 238 00:15:41,960 --> 00:15:43,960 all the time, Like Dante DiVincenzo bombing away from three has helped a ton. 239 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:48,240 I think the switch Toiah Hartenstein has made well not to switch, but 240 00:15:48,279 --> 00:15:50,600 like Mitchell Robinson's injuries almost helped Jolen Brunson a little bit in that regard, 241 00:15:50,960 --> 00:15:54,440 like do more, And here's it's not just that do more than Like there's 242 00:15:54,440 --> 00:15:58,600 a lot of having Boyan Madonovich space defenses to the corner, which again has 243 00:15:58,679 --> 00:16:03,080 value. He's new to this team, but like he can do more stuff 244 00:16:03,120 --> 00:16:07,639 that I don't think the Knicks have tried to utilize as much. And also 245 00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:11,399 your offense will be better for it in the playoffs because we don't know what 246 00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:14,559 Julius Randld's gonna look like, whether he's even gonna be playing. So give 247 00:16:14,559 --> 00:16:18,879 boy Bondanovich those reps now where Okay, I'm not saying cost yourself a top 248 00:16:18,919 --> 00:16:21,480 four, top three seed, but like, you know you're gonna be in 249 00:16:21,480 --> 00:16:23,480 the playoffs, don't try and figure this stuff out on the fly in the 250 00:16:23,480 --> 00:16:27,720 postseason or bury him to where Josh hart is playing forty nine minutes out of 251 00:16:27,720 --> 00:16:32,440 forty eight a game and you need to just you're gonna trust the players. 252 00:16:32,919 --> 00:16:36,360 I know Tim's gonna gravitate towards the players that give you more defensively, and 253 00:16:36,399 --> 00:16:40,039 I understand that, but like I'm actually of the point where if Julius randol 254 00:16:40,039 --> 00:16:41,639 ogim know we're gonna be healthy. At the same time, I actually want 255 00:16:41,679 --> 00:16:45,240 to see what this team looks like if you play og Julius Randall, Hartenstein, 256 00:16:45,279 --> 00:16:49,000 Bullying Abadanovic and Jalen brunts in together because yes, I think you have 257 00:16:49,120 --> 00:16:53,440 enough to insulate point Abadanovic defensively there just between Hart and stein Og. Even 258 00:16:53,440 --> 00:16:57,200 some of the assignments that Julius Randall just takes, that's a he's not gonna 259 00:16:57,200 --> 00:17:00,399 always perform well. But the fact that you can and say, well, 260 00:17:00,480 --> 00:17:03,960 yeah, you just go guard johannest I want to see them get to that 261 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:07,200 stuff. Julius Randold's not there. Oh, Janetobe's banged up. I recognize 262 00:17:07,240 --> 00:17:11,759 that. I really am of the mind that if you want to make a 263 00:17:11,880 --> 00:17:14,680 dent in the playoffs, if you want to reach the conference finals, I 264 00:17:14,759 --> 00:17:18,599 think you need pulling on by Donovic almost unless you just trust that Julius Randall's 265 00:17:18,640 --> 00:17:23,839 gonna be one healthy and have an A plus playoff performance. And I don't 266 00:17:23,839 --> 00:17:26,960 think you could trust either of those things. No, I mean, that's 267 00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:32,759 the problem is it's hard to trust in almost anything in terms of the personnel 268 00:17:33,519 --> 00:17:37,960 as well as their performance because like the injuries, like Anonobi again is out 269 00:17:37,960 --> 00:17:41,119 with the elbow, and it's like, I don't know if you saw this, 270 00:17:41,200 --> 00:17:45,000 but like the implication is that like he doesn't like playing through pain and 271 00:17:45,039 --> 00:17:48,759 so he just doesn't do it, which was you know, that's you don't 272 00:17:48,759 --> 00:17:52,279 see a lot of reports like that where it seems like a real shot being 273 00:17:52,319 --> 00:17:57,079 taken. But like the reality is so we have not seen and may not 274 00:17:57,200 --> 00:18:02,920 see Brunson, Devincenz, Anonobe, Randall and Robinson share the floor. Have 275 00:18:03,039 --> 00:18:07,440 not seen that obviously because Anonobe showed up late via trade uh and Robinson was 276 00:18:07,519 --> 00:18:10,640 hurt. But if you take Robinson out of there, the other four guys 277 00:18:10,720 --> 00:18:12,960 have played three hundred and seventy four possessions. This was a data from a 278 00:18:14,319 --> 00:18:15,880 you know, a few days ago, so it's but it's not much higher 279 00:18:15,960 --> 00:18:19,200 than that, and that's like, that's nothing. So this is a team 280 00:18:19,200 --> 00:18:25,759 that was fundamentally remade at the trade deadline, that has had its entire front 281 00:18:25,799 --> 00:18:29,519 court hurt for like a huge chunk of the season. So like it's not 282 00:18:29,799 --> 00:18:32,880 just oh, the roster we came into the season with hasn't had time to 283 00:18:32,960 --> 00:18:36,279 gel. It's like, well, that roster and our new one also haven't 284 00:18:36,279 --> 00:18:38,839 had time to gel. So it's like I hesitate to make it like a 285 00:18:38,880 --> 00:18:44,240 real huge issue that they need to fix, you know, like yesterday, 286 00:18:44,559 --> 00:18:48,039 because I don't think they may climb to three in the East, and that 287 00:18:48,079 --> 00:18:52,279 would be great but they're if they have like the third best defense, right 288 00:18:53,200 --> 00:18:56,799 whatever, Yeah, second best in the league in the last two weeks for 289 00:18:56,839 --> 00:19:00,960 sure, Like their defense is fine, Like well unless you know McBride and 290 00:19:02,039 --> 00:19:04,279 Hart just like catch on fire, you know, that's part of it too, 291 00:19:04,359 --> 00:19:07,480 is like you need and that would be where Burke comes in, is 292 00:19:07,640 --> 00:19:10,319 like, yes, in the postseason, you want to play them those minutes 293 00:19:10,319 --> 00:19:12,839 if you need to find But there's people were sort of like Josh Hart says 294 00:19:12,839 --> 00:19:15,759 he's okay with playing forty eight. So what's the big freaking problem. Go 295 00:19:15,880 --> 00:19:21,839 fucking ask Muel Dang what the problem is. That's the guys whose careers ended 296 00:19:21,880 --> 00:19:23,640 early because they broke it up. But I just want I was gonna say, 297 00:19:23,880 --> 00:19:27,000 like, if they fall to five and that just means they play Orlando 298 00:19:27,119 --> 00:19:30,680 without home court in the first round, I'm still gonna take the Knicks in 299 00:19:30,680 --> 00:19:33,000 that series. I feel like, look, Orlando games might be home games 300 00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:36,839 for the Knicks with all the rug Yeah that too, but like I'll just 301 00:19:36,880 --> 00:19:40,200 take the team that is Jalen Brunson and not over comple and the second best 302 00:19:40,240 --> 00:19:42,799 defense in the league over a good chunk of the season. So yeah, 303 00:19:42,839 --> 00:19:47,720 but like to me, The goal is just like, get as many of 304 00:19:47,720 --> 00:19:51,240 these guys back on the floor as possible one so we don't kill the two 305 00:19:51,240 --> 00:19:53,359 guys that are playing fifty minutes a night. We're just gonna keep uping it. 306 00:19:53,400 --> 00:19:56,200 You said forty nine, I'm gonna go fifty. It will just eventually 307 00:19:56,200 --> 00:19:59,920 it'll be like two hundred minutes a night. We're gonna get people like you. 308 00:20:00,039 --> 00:20:02,279 I know, there's only forty eight minutes in a game, right, 309 00:20:02,720 --> 00:20:07,920 what about overtime? Will Chamberlain once averaged over forty eight minutes per game for 310 00:20:07,960 --> 00:20:10,599 a season? Did you know that that's what's wrong with players today? What 311 00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:14,480 happened to the game that I love? Not will be given one back? 312 00:20:14,640 --> 00:20:17,759 You know, three full decades before I was born, back when I loved 313 00:20:17,839 --> 00:20:21,400 the game of basketball as it was no But they got to get these guys 314 00:20:21,440 --> 00:20:23,599 healthy so they can see what they have right and and not you know, 315 00:20:23,680 --> 00:20:26,440 run all these guys into the ground. It seems pretty straightforward. So may 316 00:20:26,440 --> 00:20:30,640 make of this was not planning our outline, but there I've seen some on 317 00:20:30,720 --> 00:20:34,119 a couple of like and heard on a couple of like respected podcasts, and 318 00:20:34,160 --> 00:20:37,759 it's also just a sentiment outside of New York. I think certain fans that 319 00:20:38,319 --> 00:20:44,920 Jalen Brunton's value, his fringe MVP case or more so was all MBA case, 320 00:20:45,000 --> 00:20:48,680 is just inflated by all this dude does is play a ton of minutes 321 00:20:48,799 --> 00:20:52,519 and have all shit. You haven't seen Jalen Brunson play basketball, if that's 322 00:20:52,559 --> 00:20:56,119 your take, Like that guy is, Like I think so. The things 323 00:20:56,119 --> 00:21:00,480 that you might say about Brunson that are really compliment menory and true are the 324 00:21:00,519 --> 00:21:03,319 types of things you might say about a player who's not as good, which 325 00:21:03,359 --> 00:21:08,119 is like he's relentless, he's super smart, he's crafty, he plays really 326 00:21:08,160 --> 00:21:12,599 hard, like he makes big shots. Like sorry if those are cliches that 327 00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:15,559 you might use to like pump up of a not so good player, but 328 00:21:15,599 --> 00:21:18,839 like those are things he really does do in addition to all the numbers, 329 00:21:18,880 --> 00:21:25,400 like I just if I should look, he's just a really good all NBA 330 00:21:25,559 --> 00:21:29,839 caliber point guard, Like that's it. And the fact that he just all 331 00:21:29,839 --> 00:21:33,480 of a sudden turned into on balance for the entire season. I know there's 332 00:21:33,480 --> 00:21:37,680 been some troughs lately, one of the most effective off the dribble three point 333 00:21:37,720 --> 00:21:41,000 shooters in the league. We're just we're just going to discount that. Yeah, 334 00:21:41,119 --> 00:21:42,880 no, that guy's a stud, like I have no I have no 335 00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:48,119 knocks. Oh is Jalen Brunson my no notes player? I mean he should. 336 00:21:48,240 --> 00:21:51,640 I wish he were slightly better defensively. I have some notes, can't, 337 00:21:52,079 --> 00:21:55,519 can't, I don't kind of wish. I do think he is room 338 00:21:55,599 --> 00:21:57,480 to be a better passer. There are limitations with when you look at the 339 00:21:57,559 --> 00:22:00,920 level of traffick he faces, and he he's kind of small. He's not 340 00:22:00,960 --> 00:22:03,680 gonna have the same line of sight as a bunch of guys. But the 341 00:22:03,680 --> 00:22:06,359 fact that if you have an issue with his passing, if you have an 342 00:22:06,359 --> 00:22:08,519 issue, look, his biggest weakness defensively is not really even the motor so 343 00:22:08,599 --> 00:22:11,519 much. It is just like his size, right. He can't do anything 344 00:22:11,559 --> 00:22:15,240 about that. And he's an He has an All NBA case despite all of 345 00:22:15,279 --> 00:22:19,799 that. So I just thought I was because I heard it multiple times from 346 00:22:19,839 --> 00:22:22,799 people who were like, it wasn't just fans of other teams. It made 347 00:22:22,839 --> 00:22:26,200 me kind of stop. Oh, it was just it took me. It 348 00:22:26,480 --> 00:22:30,839 disarmed me. It's the way I well, re arm yourself. Because we 349 00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:33,480 moved to the Orlando Magic because the Knicks are probably going to see in a 350 00:22:33,480 --> 00:22:37,920 playoff series coming up quite shortly. Here, what's the magic goal for you? 351 00:22:37,559 --> 00:22:41,200 So I really want to just say, shoot more threes, damn it, 352 00:22:41,559 --> 00:22:45,759 but they don't have the personnel to do so. Although shout out to 353 00:22:45,920 --> 00:22:49,359 Jayleen Suggs for kind of ratcheting up his volume and being lights out from there. 354 00:22:49,720 --> 00:22:53,400 What I would like to see and look this is because people think you 355 00:22:53,519 --> 00:22:56,960 no one talks about the Magic unless it's something to criticize them. Since January 356 00:22:56,960 --> 00:23:02,279 thirty, first, only the Timberwolves are allowing fewer points per possession, and 357 00:23:02,519 --> 00:23:06,680 just five teams during that same quarter season span we're talking about like twenty two 358 00:23:06,799 --> 00:23:10,920 games or twenty five games or whatever. It is just five teams have a 359 00:23:10,960 --> 00:23:15,640 better net rating overall. So the verdict there is holy crap. What I 360 00:23:15,680 --> 00:23:18,160 would like to see from them on offense is to trim down the turnovers. 361 00:23:18,440 --> 00:23:22,759 This is definitely an easier said than done situation. And some of this stuff 362 00:23:23,279 --> 00:23:29,559 cannot be circumvented because it's ingrained into their DNA where it's yes, if you 363 00:23:29,599 --> 00:23:33,960 look at what Jamal Mosley does with their floor balance, the magic actually space 364 00:23:33,039 --> 00:23:37,480 the floor. Just go watch a half course set they space the floor right. 365 00:23:37,599 --> 00:23:41,279 Defenses don't care and that's the issue. They're gonna throw the blitzer at 366 00:23:41,279 --> 00:23:44,960 a Palo Bank Cao, They're going to pack the paint, and that then 367 00:23:45,599 --> 00:23:49,559 lends itself to certain turnovers. And so you dig into like the specific turnovers 368 00:23:49,599 --> 00:23:53,599 that they have. They have the sixth most terms, so that is we're 369 00:23:53,599 --> 00:23:56,480 just gonna acknowledge that. And when you look at okay, they don't really 370 00:23:56,480 --> 00:24:00,599 have a floor general, there's a lot of like no point guard lineups you 371 00:24:00,599 --> 00:24:03,160 could call it, depending on how you feel about Jaalen Suggs, which is 372 00:24:03,160 --> 00:24:06,720 the right way to lean. You get the bad passes. But then you 373 00:24:06,759 --> 00:24:10,119 dig into what I would call the low hanging fruit, and that is they 374 00:24:10,119 --> 00:24:14,279 are sixth in the most turnovers from travels on the season, and they are 375 00:24:14,400 --> 00:24:19,839 third in stepping out of bounds turnovers. Let's course correct those, like, 376 00:24:19,920 --> 00:24:23,319 let's get those, let's eradicate those from the diet, because that's going to 377 00:24:23,880 --> 00:24:27,240 give you more possessions. And the other thing that I think you could do 378 00:24:27,799 --> 00:24:32,880 is like when you're seeing Franz Wagner or Jalen Suggs or Palo Bin Carrol namely 379 00:24:33,559 --> 00:24:37,240 trapped, like let's get to the ball in more efficient spots, and I 380 00:24:37,240 --> 00:24:40,640 think Franz Vodner has done a lot better job of being in the right spot 381 00:24:40,680 --> 00:24:44,240 for those. Can we see more of that from the personnel, because if 382 00:24:44,240 --> 00:24:47,160 you do that, this team is already a force to be reckoned with because 383 00:24:47,200 --> 00:24:49,400 of its defense, because it has some good top ten players. But if 384 00:24:49,400 --> 00:24:52,640 you're able to clean up the stuff that you can actually clean up on the 385 00:24:52,680 --> 00:24:56,000 offensive end, it is not outside the realm of possibility. You're telling me 386 00:24:56,000 --> 00:24:59,160 they're going to be matched up with the Knicks. Maybe they're matched up with 387 00:24:59,200 --> 00:25:03,079 the Calves. It's just there is no team at this point that I would 388 00:25:03,079 --> 00:25:07,240 be aside from the Celtics that I would be shocked if they beat in a 389 00:25:07,240 --> 00:25:11,960 seven game series. Yeah, their spacing is so good that it's illegal. 390 00:25:11,079 --> 00:25:14,960 You said they have great spacing. The reason it's so good is they're standing 391 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:18,319 out of bounds. Maybe that they got it so less slightly less spacing would 392 00:25:18,319 --> 00:25:22,640 be ideal. On the sidelines in particular, I don't know if you gave 393 00:25:22,680 --> 00:25:27,039 the overall the raw number twenty six in turnover rate, and you know, 394 00:25:27,519 --> 00:25:32,200 you know what's wild during this stretch where they're seventeen and five with the second 395 00:25:32,240 --> 00:25:34,559 best defense and top six net rating, they're twenty ninth in turnover rate, 396 00:25:36,119 --> 00:25:40,519 so more more turnover more, I mean more frequently at least relative to lee 397 00:25:40,559 --> 00:25:41,880 average at that point. And it's just what I mean, they should try 398 00:25:41,880 --> 00:25:45,039 to be thirtieth if that helps the record. It's that's a good point. 399 00:25:45,039 --> 00:25:51,440 Correlation, that's a good point. So mine is just it's we could go 400 00:25:51,480 --> 00:25:55,240 any direction with the offense. You sort of have to focus there. The 401 00:25:55,279 --> 00:25:59,079 stat that like is hard for me to get over. So I was one 402 00:25:59,079 --> 00:26:00,440 of the things I was going to think and think about mentioning is like who's 403 00:26:00,440 --> 00:26:03,480 the third you know they need? The goal should be figure out a third 404 00:26:03,519 --> 00:26:07,519 option? Like who is it? Is it Sugs? It seems like it 405 00:26:07,599 --> 00:26:11,480 kind of could be Wendell Carter because he brings the spacing dimension and he has 406 00:26:11,519 --> 00:26:15,160 like a little more of an offensivevent than Suggs does. The fact is like 407 00:26:15,559 --> 00:26:19,680 this is just a collective personnel issue. Of their seven most used five man 408 00:26:19,880 --> 00:26:25,480 units, none of them score at a rate above the league average or even 409 00:26:25,559 --> 00:26:27,720 at the league average. So it's like at some point you have to go 410 00:26:27,759 --> 00:26:30,920 all the way down. I'm trying to see so the only this is one, 411 00:26:32,039 --> 00:26:34,119 two, three, four, five, six seven. So you get 412 00:26:34,160 --> 00:26:38,759 all the way down to Cole Anthony, Joe Ingles Franz, Jonathan Isaac and 413 00:26:38,839 --> 00:26:44,400 Mo Wagner. That is the most used lineup Orlando has that scores at a 414 00:26:44,519 --> 00:26:48,720 rate above the league average, which seems like, you know, okay, 415 00:26:48,759 --> 00:26:53,720 maybe that great. So anyway, it may just be like that guy's not 416 00:26:53,799 --> 00:26:57,400 on this roster and you got to lean on the defense and hope, you 417 00:26:57,440 --> 00:27:02,160 know, you get to the foul line enough or make enough tough shots to 418 00:27:02,240 --> 00:27:04,720 survive, which is not the worst plan when you have a defense this good 419 00:27:04,799 --> 00:27:10,000 and you can, conversely, compared to the offensive personnel you can put out 420 00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:12,359 there, you can just put good defensive player after good defensive player on the 421 00:27:12,359 --> 00:27:18,319 floor with this roster. So but yeah, there's a tough I think they 422 00:27:18,359 --> 00:27:22,160 recognize everything you're saying too, just when you look at the way that they've 423 00:27:22,240 --> 00:27:26,519 kind of used Markel Foltz since he came back from injury, which is sparingly 424 00:27:26,039 --> 00:27:29,640 Uh, they're good, like because could that have been a guy And it's 425 00:27:29,680 --> 00:27:33,000 like kind of trying to elevate Jalen Suggs to that and even just the Cole 426 00:27:33,000 --> 00:27:37,240 Anthony's not hitting his threes recently. That's been tough on them. It's probably 427 00:27:37,359 --> 00:27:41,759 if you had to pick who their third best offensive player is, I think 428 00:27:41,799 --> 00:27:45,000 it's it probably is Wendell Carter June, but I think Jales Stubbs make himself 429 00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:48,279 a case, and then you have Cole Anthony of course, yeah that's the 430 00:27:48,400 --> 00:27:51,039 I mean, but Cole Anthony just hasn't made a shot this year. It 431 00:27:51,079 --> 00:27:52,920 feels like thirty one point eight percent from three. Yeah, it's got I 432 00:27:52,960 --> 00:27:56,599 think it should be Carter, not only because like he's just a tick under 433 00:27:56,640 --> 00:28:02,480 forty percent from deep, doesn't shoot enough, but it's like that's that you 434 00:28:02,480 --> 00:28:04,920 know he I don't know, is it premium spacing if it's that low volume, 435 00:28:04,960 --> 00:28:08,079 but from a from a center position, so it's more valuable, like 436 00:28:08,720 --> 00:28:11,079 maybe more looks up for him. The issue with that, though, is 437 00:28:11,079 --> 00:28:15,200 the way that he might be most valuable on offense. It's hard to kind 438 00:28:15,200 --> 00:28:18,200 of accentuate with the way defenses are going to defend this team because of the 439 00:28:18,279 --> 00:28:22,519 lack of proven, high volume shooting right. And it kind of came back 440 00:28:22,519 --> 00:28:26,279 that we had this discussion last week about could Markel Foltz improve his value by 441 00:28:26,720 --> 00:28:30,880 with post touches and like maybe, but that's not how happened in Orlando, 442 00:28:30,319 --> 00:28:33,200 right, Like what he will be sorting, You won't even be able to 443 00:28:33,200 --> 00:28:37,160 see him in there. He'll be surrounded by so many defenders, Like that's 444 00:28:37,200 --> 00:28:41,119 just it's gonna be yeah, no of them, we're probably defending him at 445 00:28:41,119 --> 00:28:45,319 that point. This is why, as ridiculous as it sounds, like Klay 446 00:28:45,400 --> 00:28:49,200 Thompson for like a huge overpay and free agency would make a lot of sense. 447 00:28:49,319 --> 00:28:52,640 Or like that's why the Zach Levine to Orlando thing was like, oh 448 00:28:52,680 --> 00:28:56,759 my god, don't do that, but like also maybe do that because the 449 00:28:56,799 --> 00:29:00,920 one thing I would ask you is why I've seen everyone talk about Klay Thompson. 450 00:29:00,960 --> 00:29:06,519 Why is he considered more gettable than Buddy Heel? Yeah, right, 451 00:29:06,559 --> 00:29:10,200 I don't know. Yeah, this is a question for another podcast. But 452 00:29:10,240 --> 00:29:15,160 like Clay's gonna get a higher annual value contract than Buddy Healed, right, 453 00:29:15,440 --> 00:29:18,839 Like, if we're just talking about specialists now, like Klay Thompson, I'm 454 00:29:18,880 --> 00:29:23,519 still taking as my shooting specialist over Buddy Healed, aren't you. If that's 455 00:29:23,519 --> 00:29:29,119 all he's got to do, you're not no, But if that's all he 456 00:29:29,200 --> 00:29:30,680 has to do, But like don't you want something like Buddy Heel who can 457 00:29:30,759 --> 00:29:34,400 set screens and maybe keep the ball moving a little bit better. And I 458 00:29:34,400 --> 00:29:38,079 guess if you really trust that Clay can still lock up on certain nights, 459 00:29:38,079 --> 00:29:42,119 I kind of understand, I do not. Well, you're you mentioned, 460 00:29:42,200 --> 00:29:48,279 uh Bogdanovitch for the Knicks, like I've never seen him look so quick as 461 00:29:48,319 --> 00:29:52,039 he did blowing by Clay Thompson over and over again against the Warriors the other 462 00:29:52,160 --> 00:29:56,559 night. Bogonovic must have thought like he's like, oh my god, what 463 00:29:56,640 --> 00:30:00,400 did I eat today? Why am I? So it's just like, man, 464 00:30:00,440 --> 00:30:03,039 I gotta did he have well, did he have roasted pumpkin or fish 465 00:30:03,039 --> 00:30:07,720 stew? Maybe that fish stew and roasted pumpkin? And I don't know. 466 00:30:07,880 --> 00:30:10,519 I don't think you're the real ones who listened to the last podcast. Yeah 467 00:30:10,640 --> 00:30:12,119 right, everybody else is like what is wrong with you people? Let's move 468 00:30:12,160 --> 00:30:18,359 to the sixers, who alphabetically in fact are next. So what's their goal 469 00:30:18,440 --> 00:30:23,279 down the stretch here? So I have prioritizing the long term and what part 470 00:30:23,279 --> 00:30:26,359 of this they've already done this? When you look at their cap sheet, 471 00:30:26,359 --> 00:30:30,759 they can get upwards a sixty plus million in space while carrying Maxi's own cap. 472 00:30:30,799 --> 00:30:34,160 Hold. What I actually mean by this is Joel Beats apparently returned to 473 00:30:34,200 --> 00:30:40,400 practice. If this is a natural progression to play, fine, let it 474 00:30:40,440 --> 00:30:44,720 happen. If it's not, we need to table the urgency. They looked 475 00:30:44,759 --> 00:30:48,359 like they could maybe contend with anybody when he was healthy. What are the 476 00:30:48,400 --> 00:30:52,079 odds that won? It's still true with this version of Tobias Harris on the 477 00:30:52,079 --> 00:30:56,240 court and the Anthony Melton injured. And then two, what does Joel and 478 00:30:56,279 --> 00:30:59,839 Bean look like once he comes back. I'm not saying I will get into 479 00:30:59,839 --> 00:31:03,279 the second part of this in a second. I'm not saying that they should 480 00:31:03,319 --> 00:31:07,319 just know he shouldn't play like we don't care about the season at all. 481 00:31:07,519 --> 00:31:11,240 You have natural urgency because you have Joel embiid. But there's no reason to 482 00:31:11,319 --> 00:31:12,920 be like, well, he needs to come back, because even if he 483 00:31:14,000 --> 00:31:17,200 does, you're not winning a title this year. He's probably not gonna look 484 00:31:17,240 --> 00:31:21,079 like himself this year. What are you actually accomplishing at that point? Now, 485 00:31:21,440 --> 00:31:25,160 there is something to accomplish at that point, and a Joell again, 486 00:31:25,240 --> 00:31:29,799 if this is the natural progression to play from his meniscus injury, bring him 487 00:31:29,839 --> 00:31:33,880 back because I would like to see what does Buddy Heald and Tyre's Max and 488 00:31:33,960 --> 00:31:37,079 Joel Embiid look like. That then instructs how you're going to handle your cap 489 00:31:37,119 --> 00:31:40,839 sheet. Whereas well, do we bring Buddy Heel back or how invested are 490 00:31:40,839 --> 00:31:44,240 we in bringing Buddy heel back. I would give anything to see. I 491 00:31:44,279 --> 00:31:47,400 don't care who the fifth member of this unit is. If the Anthey Mountain, 492 00:31:47,400 --> 00:31:49,400 then and Bee can get healthy and we see them plus Heel plus MAXI, 493 00:31:49,720 --> 00:31:53,039 what type of damage does that unit do? And so it needs to 494 00:31:53,079 --> 00:31:59,119 be about optimizing what you're doing this summer in the next season. And if 495 00:31:59,119 --> 00:32:02,000 that is one holding Joel Embiid out for the rest of the year, so 496 00:32:02,160 --> 00:32:05,920 fucking be it. But more to that, if he's just gonna come back, 497 00:32:06,400 --> 00:32:08,960 I really want to see them spam and try out everything that you could 498 00:32:08,960 --> 00:32:15,119 imagine functionally possible with healed MAXI and Embiid, because they're gonna have bigger fish 499 00:32:15,160 --> 00:32:16,839 in their sites. And I'm not saying we need to keep Buddy Heeld instead 500 00:32:16,839 --> 00:32:20,920 of going after Paul George. You can do both, like you can resign 501 00:32:20,960 --> 00:32:22,720 Buddy Heeld and still have a Max slot available. But I do want to 502 00:32:22,759 --> 00:32:27,279 see, like, what is the like Joel Embiid playing with Buddy Heild and 503 00:32:27,319 --> 00:32:32,000 Tyrese Maxey. That's a parashooters that he's never had in Philadelphia, So I 504 00:32:32,079 --> 00:32:35,240 want to see what that looks like. And the goal needs to be to 505 00:32:35,240 --> 00:32:37,440 spam that, which might be a dub moment, but it goes into do 506 00:32:37,519 --> 00:32:40,400 it at the expense of the long term. If you see certain lineups meshing 507 00:32:40,519 --> 00:32:45,519 or gelling better, you have to move past it because you're not. Yes, 508 00:32:45,559 --> 00:32:49,680 you are about this season, but you've telegraphed very clearly, even before 509 00:32:49,680 --> 00:32:52,039 the James Harden trade that you're also not. Yeah, it's a really rare 510 00:32:52,400 --> 00:32:59,799 situation where it's like the tension all year has been we have an MVP in 511 00:32:59,799 --> 00:33:02,599 his prime, we got its go time, but it's also like I can't 512 00:33:02,640 --> 00:33:07,240 remember the last time that was the case. We're also, you know, 513 00:33:07,359 --> 00:33:12,079 beyond any doubt. The front office is like, but all you know, 514 00:33:12,519 --> 00:33:15,279 next next year is really kind of the year. We're just gonna We're gonna 515 00:33:15,359 --> 00:33:19,519 just have a tow in like both pools I guess, which is not a 516 00:33:19,519 --> 00:33:22,640 phrase, but you get the idea. I'm gonna go one farther. We 517 00:33:22,680 --> 00:33:27,160 really do a line on this issue. But I'm just gonna say their goal 518 00:33:27,200 --> 00:33:30,839 should be to resist the urge to let Joel Embiid come back and play under 519 00:33:30,839 --> 00:33:35,279 any circumstances. And like it's kind of just saying it differently because you're saying, 520 00:33:35,319 --> 00:33:37,400 well, if it's the natural progression, then sure, come on back. 521 00:33:37,480 --> 00:33:44,799 Like I'm saying, Joel Embiid under the best of circumstances tends to break 522 00:33:44,839 --> 00:33:47,960 down in the playoffs. Like that's just that's a thing. And so what 523 00:33:49,079 --> 00:33:52,599 you're gonna be asking him to do even if like rehab's gone great, somehow 524 00:33:52,640 --> 00:33:57,599 he's back in shape, which is like it's a knee injury, so he 525 00:33:57,720 --> 00:34:00,119 wasn't running for a long time. And the other thing is there's a difference 526 00:34:00,119 --> 00:34:05,519 between being in shape and being in game shape. Sure, And like I 527 00:34:05,640 --> 00:34:08,119 just don't see a scenario where, even if it is the natural progression, 528 00:34:08,159 --> 00:34:12,960 he's you know, gotten through all the hallmark, you know, whatever the 529 00:34:13,079 --> 00:34:15,880 checkpoints are that he needs to get through to be cleared. It's just like 530 00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:22,480 I think he's he's gonna be probably heavier, he's probably gonna be more susceptible 531 00:34:22,519 --> 00:34:27,639 to injury, reinjury or injury elsewhere. And again like what's the goal, 532 00:34:27,840 --> 00:34:30,360 Like, Okay, if you can win a title with Joel Embiid, like 533 00:34:30,719 --> 00:34:36,679 because he's an MVP and because he's that great, go for it. But 534 00:34:36,840 --> 00:34:40,199 like what you're asking him to do is come back probably hobbled, certainly not 535 00:34:40,360 --> 00:34:45,840 in the kind of game shape you're talking about, and advance two rounds farther 536 00:34:45,039 --> 00:34:51,039 than he ever has, like now this year, now with months off, 537 00:34:51,159 --> 00:34:54,800 like forget it, Like that's just the payoff, you know. Is there 538 00:34:54,800 --> 00:34:59,599 a chance that he could lead them to a title? I guess, but 539 00:34:59,639 --> 00:35:02,719 the old overwhelming odds are like that isn't going to happen, and the risk 540 00:35:02,920 --> 00:35:08,719 of like getting hurt again is just not worth this infinitesimally small chance of the 541 00:35:08,800 --> 00:35:13,800 reward. Like, I just the it doesn't compute to me as like a 542 00:35:13,880 --> 00:35:16,800 sound decision, And it's hard because like, oh players, healthy players should 543 00:35:16,800 --> 00:35:21,519 play right, you can get really simple that way. I just like, 544 00:35:22,280 --> 00:35:27,360 combined with the fact that they're so clearly gunning for like probably Paul George or 545 00:35:27,360 --> 00:35:29,800 somebody else, with all this cap space where they're going to use it to 546 00:35:29,840 --> 00:35:34,199 trade, we have to always we've been we've been blessed with the wisdom that 547 00:35:34,280 --> 00:35:37,639 you can use cap space to facilitate trade, so it's not just signing like 548 00:35:38,239 --> 00:35:42,079 this just isn't it. It's not the time, So just don't bring him, 549 00:35:42,119 --> 00:35:45,440 don't don't bring him back, don't play him, just like you had 550 00:35:45,480 --> 00:35:49,239 a bad break and you've been gunning for next year anyway, so let's just 551 00:35:49,440 --> 00:35:52,719 try it again. Use gribrity value though, to kind of sort of what's 552 00:35:52,719 --> 00:35:55,440 happening in Memphis where brand and Clark's expected to come back and the gap wouldn't 553 00:35:55,440 --> 00:35:59,280 be this long, But you bring him back because it's well, not playing 554 00:35:59,280 --> 00:36:01,960 basketball for a year is a lot better than not playing basketball for eighteen months, 555 00:36:02,440 --> 00:36:06,800 And so he brings you on and be back now where it's okay, 556 00:36:06,800 --> 00:36:09,480 Well, at least he'll been back on the court, gotten his game legs 557 00:36:09,519 --> 00:36:13,400 under him, and you go rather than, oh, we're just gonna hold 558 00:36:13,440 --> 00:36:16,000 him out until next October, that's just such a long stretch to not have 559 00:36:16,079 --> 00:36:22,519 played competitive basketball. Yeah, that's true. I'm still I think even that 560 00:36:22,639 --> 00:36:25,639 if I'm doing like the risk reward calculus, I'd still rather give him be 561 00:36:25,840 --> 00:36:30,760 like twice the normal recovery time and then the summer to be back, because 562 00:36:30,800 --> 00:36:35,280 like I don't know this might be too bleak, but it's like how many 563 00:36:35,320 --> 00:36:38,000 more shots are you gonna get with him? You know, where he makes 564 00:36:38,039 --> 00:36:40,960 it through a season, like we sort of haven't had one like ever, 565 00:36:42,280 --> 00:36:45,719 so the odds are probably long anyway, but like it just make it next 566 00:36:45,800 --> 00:36:50,880 year, Like next year has got to be the just the all the eggs 567 00:36:50,880 --> 00:36:53,719 are in the twenty four to twenty five basket. There's just it's I don't 568 00:36:53,760 --> 00:36:58,440 know, I don't understand. I don't see the payoff potential if you if 569 00:36:58,480 --> 00:37:01,920 you try to bring him back this year, and like the downside is immense, 570 00:37:02,079 --> 00:37:06,519 like what if he gets hurt again? Like I just and based on 571 00:37:06,559 --> 00:37:12,400 his track record, that seems like that's not an unreasonable possibility. All right, 572 00:37:12,440 --> 00:37:15,360 So we kind of that's the first one we've really kind of targeted the 573 00:37:15,480 --> 00:37:20,159 like almost exact same issue. Uh oh boy, Toronto Raptors. Your next 574 00:37:20,159 --> 00:37:22,360 What are we gonna say about the Toronto Raptors? Dam so well one? 575 00:37:22,800 --> 00:37:27,880 Uh thoughts good vibes to the Barrett family. RJ losing his younger brother. 576 00:37:27,920 --> 00:37:30,239 I still haven't seen an age, but if he's younger, RJ. Barrett's 577 00:37:30,239 --> 00:37:36,320 super young. That's incredibly sad tragic. So yeah, sending good vibes thoughts 578 00:37:36,320 --> 00:37:38,400 to them. So what I have for them is, and this is just 579 00:37:38,440 --> 00:37:43,320 tough now because Scotty Barnes is out and definitely Yaka Purtle's out and definitely, 580 00:37:43,719 --> 00:37:49,360 but let's figure out map out the ideal fifth member of their core. And 581 00:37:49,400 --> 00:37:52,480 by that, I don't mean the who or even necessarily the how they get 582 00:37:52,559 --> 00:37:55,840 him, but the archetype that they need. And I think a lot of 583 00:37:55,880 --> 00:38:00,800 that because we know about the leap that Scotty Barnes is already made, because 584 00:38:00,800 --> 00:38:05,199 we know what RJ. Barrett has done in a more free flowing offense that's 585 00:38:05,239 --> 00:38:08,719 going to help him get momentum and then get to the basket because you kind 586 00:38:08,719 --> 00:38:10,639 of know what you have in Yaka Pearl. And by the way, I'm 587 00:38:10,679 --> 00:38:15,360 viewing their four core members as Yaka Peardle, Manuel Quickly, RJ. Barrett, 588 00:38:15,360 --> 00:38:19,039 and Scottie Barnes. To me, it feels like a Manuel Quickly might 589 00:38:19,239 --> 00:38:23,760 direct this more than anyone else. And Samson foc Raptors Republican wrote about not 590 00:38:23,920 --> 00:38:28,880 this specific topic necessarily, but about the development of Emmanuel Quickly in Toronto, 591 00:38:29,239 --> 00:38:31,440 where he's now done. They haven't They're treating him like a league guard because 592 00:38:31,480 --> 00:38:36,159 they have to, and he has shown some flashes where it's oh like the 593 00:38:36,239 --> 00:38:38,320 live dribble, not picking up his dribble as much being smarter with that. 594 00:38:38,320 --> 00:38:42,519 That's important. But you need to answer the question not just because he's coming 595 00:38:42,559 --> 00:38:45,599 up on restricted free agency? Do we view him as a league guard to 596 00:38:45,639 --> 00:38:49,719 where Scottie Barnes a Manuel Quickly and even what you get from RJ. Barrett, 597 00:38:49,880 --> 00:38:53,199 that's enough just playmaking right there. If the answer is yes, it 598 00:38:53,239 --> 00:38:57,239 then't simplifies your search. We know that their next guy needs to be a 599 00:38:57,280 --> 00:39:00,760 wing, but it won if Emmanuel Quickly is a league gar guard, it 600 00:39:00,800 --> 00:39:04,639 increases the likelihood that the answer to what you want is your fifth core player 601 00:39:05,519 --> 00:39:07,519 is already on the roster. Could it be Gary Trent Junior the north South 602 00:39:07,599 --> 00:39:12,360 heus what he does defensively. Could it be Grady Dick with the motion shooting, 603 00:39:12,960 --> 00:39:15,400 with the ability that he's kind of shown in flashes of what he's gonna 604 00:39:15,400 --> 00:39:19,079 do on closeouts, the ball moving, he's positionally, he has good size 605 00:39:19,079 --> 00:39:22,039 for his position on defense. The fact that he doesn't cover or shouldn't cover 606 00:39:22,119 --> 00:39:25,719 star wings that works against him. But if I em Manuel Cookie is a 607 00:39:25,800 --> 00:39:29,039 league guard, you could then say, well, we need a wing who 608 00:39:29,159 --> 00:39:31,519 just defends and spaces the floor and doesn't need to do much else. Now, 609 00:39:31,760 --> 00:39:37,679 if Emmanuel Quickly is not league guard material, that's going to complicate the 610 00:39:37,760 --> 00:39:40,280 search and make it much higher stakes. And so that's what you sort of 611 00:39:40,320 --> 00:39:45,079 and it's almost I'm not saying not having Scottie Barnes has been and will continue 612 00:39:45,079 --> 00:39:49,360 to be a blessing in disguise. I do think Emmanuel Quickley would be better 613 00:39:49,400 --> 00:39:51,880 on you have Kelly Olynic there right now, but I think he actually would 614 00:39:51,920 --> 00:39:53,960 be better off with Yaka Perle in the lineup to help him run some stuff 615 00:39:54,199 --> 00:40:00,159 there, having that traditional big in addition to Kelly Olinock, who's gonna give 616 00:40:00,159 --> 00:40:01,360 you more space. But I think Yaka Pearl is going to do more to 617 00:40:01,760 --> 00:40:07,679 open up spacing with screens for you with the manual. Quickly now you know 618 00:40:08,039 --> 00:40:10,239 that you need to have the ball in his hands and figure all this stuff 619 00:40:10,239 --> 00:40:14,039 out. And so we're gonna get even more volume on this. Can he 620 00:40:14,119 --> 00:40:17,639 come and if he's gonna make strides under less than ideal circumstances where r J 621 00:40:17,719 --> 00:40:22,840 barrets miss in time right now because of the death of his younger brothers again, 622 00:40:22,920 --> 00:40:28,239 as he should. You're getting this information that it's valuable, but I 623 00:40:28,360 --> 00:40:31,559 still personally don't have the exact feel for what I want that fifth core player 624 00:40:31,599 --> 00:40:34,199 to be. And if you want to get into the discussion, Wall, 625 00:40:34,199 --> 00:40:36,840 I don't think Yaka Pearls should be part of this corn. I don't think 626 00:40:37,119 --> 00:40:39,599 RJ Barrets necessarily part of the core. The Raptors have decided that these four 627 00:40:39,639 --> 00:40:43,320 guys are the meat and potatoes are their core right now. So I'm trying 628 00:40:43,320 --> 00:40:46,400 to figure out what's the archetype that fits best. And that's what the Raptors 629 00:40:46,400 --> 00:40:50,360 need to determine and use the rest of this season to kind of decide. 630 00:40:50,639 --> 00:40:52,719 Yeah, a couple things, I mean, one that could extend to the 631 00:40:52,719 --> 00:40:55,880 guy they potentially pick with their first round pick, if it doesn't convey to 632 00:40:55,920 --> 00:40:59,679 san Antonio, Like, that's on the table too, So you've got to 633 00:40:59,719 --> 00:41:01,719 be thinking, like you have there's ways to get them. It's probably like 634 00:41:02,159 --> 00:41:06,239 they could have cap space this year if they choose like twenty eight plus million, 635 00:41:06,280 --> 00:41:07,880 I think even with quickly sold or it's do we need to get this 636 00:41:07,920 --> 00:41:10,559 guy via trade? So there's different mechanisms to get him. But for me, 637 00:41:10,599 --> 00:41:15,920 it's less of the the who when you're talking about names and how more, 638 00:41:15,239 --> 00:41:19,119 I guess it's the what. What's the what's their what? How? 639 00:41:19,199 --> 00:41:22,880 Right? Yeah, we forget what's your why? What's your what? Uh? 640 00:41:22,960 --> 00:41:24,760 I? So my mine is I don't know if it's a goal per 641 00:41:24,800 --> 00:41:30,199 se, because figuring out what Emmanuel quickly is worth is something that the market 642 00:41:30,360 --> 00:41:34,280 is just going to decide for them. But in terms of like what I'm 643 00:41:34,360 --> 00:41:37,559 interested in for them, I think and you like some of the things you 644 00:41:37,599 --> 00:41:39,840 touched on, where like, well, what is he? Is he a 645 00:41:39,920 --> 00:41:43,320 lead guard? Is he not? Like? And then you're trying to answer 646 00:41:43,360 --> 00:41:45,360 like what he needs around him depending on what the answer to that question is. 647 00:41:45,960 --> 00:41:49,840 All of that informs like what is he worth? And that's a very 648 00:41:49,880 --> 00:41:53,400 practical question for the Raptors, because you know, you did not trade for 649 00:41:53,480 --> 00:41:58,360 this guy to be a rental. Presumably you viewed him as well, I 650 00:41:58,400 --> 00:42:00,679 don't know what. Maybe he's your lead guard, maybe he's not, but 651 00:42:00,719 --> 00:42:04,280 you viewed him as an important piece of the next good iteration of your team. 652 00:42:04,440 --> 00:42:07,039 And so is it five for one thirty five, which was a reported 653 00:42:07,119 --> 00:42:12,280 expectation of his Like I hope not, and I don't think so. But 654 00:42:12,400 --> 00:42:15,719 is it something closer to what the Knicks offered, which was like around eighteen 655 00:42:15,800 --> 00:42:20,079 million a year reportedly, Like you feel pretty good about that, but it's 656 00:42:20,360 --> 00:42:24,199 I'm very very interested to see what it's not like Toronto has like we're walking 657 00:42:24,239 --> 00:42:28,760 away. It's like, that's not the situation. I mean, I guess 658 00:42:29,519 --> 00:42:32,519 I guess if they were just kind of like they knew about ogn Andobi's health 659 00:42:32,559 --> 00:42:36,480 oddities more so than any other team, so they could not that they would 660 00:42:36,480 --> 00:42:38,480 have viewed that as a sunk cost. But what you gave up or how 661 00:42:38,519 --> 00:42:44,440 you value to Manuel quickly in that trade over first round cost controlled equity? 662 00:42:44,840 --> 00:42:46,920 Like what is the I would like, what is the number that would be 663 00:42:46,960 --> 00:42:50,440 your actual walk away number? To word, That's what I mean. I 664 00:42:50,480 --> 00:42:54,480 don't I don't think there can be one realistically, but like you know, 665 00:42:54,760 --> 00:42:58,800 and and like, look, you've got the dearth of teams around the league 666 00:42:58,840 --> 00:43:00,599 that are gonna have the you know, I don't think quickly is like who 667 00:43:00,639 --> 00:43:04,760 the Sixers have been waiting on for example, you know, there's like the 668 00:43:04,760 --> 00:43:08,679 Pistons. If boy, if the Pistons threw him a max with just throw 669 00:43:08,679 --> 00:43:14,360 another guard in there for the folks at home. So his MAX would be 670 00:43:14,840 --> 00:43:17,519 from and this is like just the starting salary his and maybe they care about 671 00:43:17,519 --> 00:43:22,320 the year's element of it as well. But his MAX next season is projected 672 00:43:22,360 --> 00:43:24,760 to be at like thirty five point three million. Yeah, so I a 673 00:43:24,800 --> 00:43:29,400 four year max from an outside team would be four years and one hundred and 674 00:43:29,440 --> 00:43:32,480 fifty one point six million. Is there a team that you could see? 675 00:43:34,079 --> 00:43:37,079 We agree it's not the Sixers with MAXI there, Well, who's got I 676 00:43:37,119 --> 00:43:40,159 know, Detroit's got sixty plus million? Somebody else that I can't remember right 677 00:43:40,159 --> 00:43:45,480 now. Would Orlando if they could get to that number consider it? Oh 678 00:43:45,599 --> 00:43:49,440 well, Orlando makes a hell of a lot more sense than Detroit or Philly 679 00:43:49,760 --> 00:43:52,400 because fre I mean, you know, I say, if Orlando could get 680 00:43:52,400 --> 00:43:54,400 to that number, and if they won, I'm pretty sure they could have 681 00:43:54,440 --> 00:43:59,039 like sixty plus million in gaps base. Yeah, it doesn't matter if he's 682 00:43:59,079 --> 00:44:01,320 a if he's a lead guard or a secondary guard, Like, he's still 683 00:44:01,320 --> 00:44:06,719 an upgrade offensively over whoever. The magic would play at either of those spots. 684 00:44:06,800 --> 00:44:09,039 Yeah, So I don't know, it's not a goal or whatever that 685 00:44:09,039 --> 00:44:12,519 they can solve down the stretch of this season, and by the way, 686 00:44:12,599 --> 00:44:16,199 quickly is also out for personal reasons, with no timetable to return as of 687 00:44:16,280 --> 00:44:20,480 reports today, So like, maybe you don't even get to see him play 688 00:44:20,480 --> 00:44:22,719 that much down the stretch to get a better idea of what he's worth to 689 00:44:22,760 --> 00:44:27,760 you or for him to like choose his value by playing really well. That's 690 00:44:27,760 --> 00:44:31,199 a fascinating free agency situation to me, Like, I just like you can't 691 00:44:31,239 --> 00:44:37,000 walk away. You've got to decide on a number, and it's like there 692 00:44:37,000 --> 00:44:39,679 are a couple of teams out there looming that might really make things interesting. 693 00:44:40,119 --> 00:44:47,199 Do you think what's if I set the over under at thirty one million for 694 00:44:47,320 --> 00:44:52,800 him as an average annual salary, Like in terms of what I think he 695 00:44:52,840 --> 00:44:54,599 will get or what I think he should get, what do you think he'll 696 00:44:54,599 --> 00:45:01,079 get? It's tough because the Raptors could go through the fifth year, right, 697 00:45:01,719 --> 00:45:07,239 I think that I think I think I would go under that number, 698 00:45:07,480 --> 00:45:13,079 just because that seems I don't know that it's it used to be for someone 699 00:45:13,559 --> 00:45:16,440 that you if you're still not sure he's lead guard, that's right, Like 700 00:45:16,639 --> 00:45:22,400 if he's yeah, if he's if he's a really great I think he's better 701 00:45:22,440 --> 00:45:25,400 than this. But if he's a really great first guy off the bench at 702 00:45:25,440 --> 00:45:30,199 either guard spot, like that's way too much, you know. But if 703 00:45:30,239 --> 00:45:34,519 he's I think he almost has to be. If you're gonna pay him that 704 00:45:34,599 --> 00:45:38,559 much, he has to be your lead ball handler, like in the starting 705 00:45:38,599 --> 00:45:43,159 lineup, and you gotta feel great about that, right because I mean, 706 00:45:43,199 --> 00:45:45,760 I know the CAP's going up, but the as of those into the thirties, 707 00:45:45,800 --> 00:45:47,280 it's like you can't have a lot of questions about the guy if you're 708 00:45:47,280 --> 00:45:51,320 into the thirties. The other thing, too, is I this is stepping 709 00:45:51,360 --> 00:45:52,440 on this with what we just said. I just don't know where the mega 710 00:45:52,519 --> 00:45:58,320 offer sheet is coming from. I think Detroit or Detroit Orlando they have the 711 00:45:58,400 --> 00:46:00,480 juice, like the final Angel juice to do it. I just don't know 712 00:46:00,679 --> 00:46:05,280 Orlando. That run's contrary to everything they've basically done. And then I guess 713 00:46:05,280 --> 00:46:07,400 Detroit's a wild card for sure. I thought about Spurs, but they would 714 00:46:07,440 --> 00:46:12,119 need to create the cap room where it's like we need to undo that disastrous 715 00:46:12,239 --> 00:46:15,039 Zach Collins deal, or can we trade Kelton Johnson into someone's cap space? 716 00:46:15,840 --> 00:46:20,440 But like they're not really a team that maybe they would I'm just like, 717 00:46:20,480 --> 00:46:24,199 where's the Detroit feels like not the best fit but most likely, and Orlando 718 00:46:24,440 --> 00:46:28,960 might actually be the best fit, but the least the least likely team to 719 00:46:29,000 --> 00:46:32,519 do it. Uh. Yeah, Utah is projected to have a good chunk 720 00:46:32,559 --> 00:46:37,320 if they want to. I don't know, Keynte George is there, so 721 00:46:37,519 --> 00:46:42,599 you're their set forever? Yeah, I mean okay, see doesn't doesn't make 722 00:46:42,599 --> 00:46:45,119 a lot of sense there. Charlotte doesn't make it. I mean no, 723 00:46:45,519 --> 00:46:49,960 I think you got the you got the discount Emmanuel quickly and Trey Mann for 724 00:46:50,480 --> 00:46:52,800 in Charlotte. Yeah, maybe that's just what it is, like, the 725 00:46:52,840 --> 00:46:57,800 big offers not coming. So maybe Toronto can you know, get into the 726 00:46:57,880 --> 00:47:00,719 mid twenties and put a cap on it. Yeah, I think it'll definitely 727 00:47:00,760 --> 00:47:05,280 be over twenty five annually. Yeah yeah, all right, we got one 728 00:47:05,280 --> 00:47:12,079 team left that is last and least, the Washington Wizards. So I have 729 00:47:12,639 --> 00:47:19,400 identify keepers from the flyers that they have on the roster, and I actually 730 00:47:19,440 --> 00:47:22,079 have a list of my five favorite ones, one of whom is not a 731 00:47:22,119 --> 00:47:24,719 flyer, but I do think he's coming up on an interesting flashpoint. But 732 00:47:24,800 --> 00:47:28,679 like they've already, they've been in experimental mode for quite some time. And 733 00:47:28,719 --> 00:47:31,760 now you have Blackcool Bali with the wrist injury, Dniyavou is dealing with with 734 00:47:31,760 --> 00:47:37,360 a knee injury. Those sort of nudge them to even further in that experimental 735 00:47:37,360 --> 00:47:39,960 direction. So you're gonna get a ton of information on some of these players. 736 00:47:40,559 --> 00:47:45,199 It's not going to be the most watchable basketball, but I think your 737 00:47:45,239 --> 00:47:47,760 goal is not to find another building block and read because we all know there's 738 00:47:47,800 --> 00:47:52,559 that late season noise which I think Jalen Green might be the king of at 739 00:47:52,559 --> 00:47:54,079 this point where it's like I just come on in like the latter quarter of 740 00:47:54,079 --> 00:47:58,440 it. I can't wait to talk about Jalen Green further when we do the 741 00:47:58,480 --> 00:48:04,559 West, I cannot wait. So the names that I have to monitor here 742 00:48:04,559 --> 00:48:07,320 for them, so I'll go in reverse order. I think of who interests 743 00:48:07,360 --> 00:48:09,280 me the most. I have Corey Kisspert, who's not a flyer. He 744 00:48:09,320 --> 00:48:13,360 does more on offense. I think that people understand. But he is extension 745 00:48:13,360 --> 00:48:15,239 eligible, and so just what is he worth to this team if anything? 746 00:48:15,679 --> 00:48:19,400 And extension talks, and so that's why I'm sort of monitoring him. And 747 00:48:19,440 --> 00:48:22,960 he's gonna have more have the ability to have more responsibility if he stays healthy. 748 00:48:22,000 --> 00:48:28,400 Because of the available personnel they did sign. He was on their summer 749 00:48:28,440 --> 00:48:30,039 league team. He was drafted in the I think it was forty second overall 750 00:48:30,079 --> 00:48:36,920 in twenty twenty three. Tristian Vukovic. So not Vucevic, but Vuksovich. 751 00:48:37,079 --> 00:48:40,119 Excuse me, so Tristan Vuksovic. I would like to see him play based 752 00:48:40,119 --> 00:48:44,119 off what I went back and watching him in summer league. He flashed some 753 00:48:44,480 --> 00:48:47,840 nice outside touch and then like really good pinpoint passing. This team needs a 754 00:48:47,880 --> 00:48:52,039 big of the future. This is to say like they have, especially with 755 00:48:52,079 --> 00:48:55,119 Marvin Bagley banged up right now, and like your other names are Rashaun Holmes 756 00:48:55,119 --> 00:48:59,119 on this roster, they have the ability to throw Vuksovich in there, and 757 00:48:59,159 --> 00:49:01,320 I'm hoping he makes his debut soon to see what he could do as a 758 00:49:01,320 --> 00:49:06,480 a playmaker, just as the big man in their system. Uh after him? 759 00:49:06,719 --> 00:49:10,159 Do you know who's been like pretty He's only played I think I've seen 760 00:49:10,199 --> 00:49:13,119 him in a couple games, and I think he's only played in six or 761 00:49:13,159 --> 00:49:16,639 seven on the season. I'm very intrigued by Jules Bernard. He's shown good 762 00:49:16,679 --> 00:49:22,480 patience process working on ball. He's six' seven, which is great size 763 00:49:22,519 --> 00:49:24,480 for the two or the three, and he had this I don't know if 764 00:49:24,519 --> 00:49:28,639 you saw any of that Celtics Wizards game the other night, and it was 765 00:49:28,679 --> 00:49:30,199 garbage time, so if you'd were watching, maybe a turn off. He 766 00:49:30,280 --> 00:49:35,159 hit this like off the balance above the break three in the face of I 767 00:49:35,199 --> 00:49:37,800 don't remember if it was al Or or whoever it was, and it just 768 00:49:37,800 --> 00:49:39,599 made me like, oh, there might be something here, and so is 769 00:49:39,639 --> 00:49:44,199 this some guy that you should make sure is on the roster for next season. 770 00:49:44,679 --> 00:49:47,559 And then Jared Butler, there's something to be said about a shop making 771 00:49:47,559 --> 00:49:52,000 efficiency and he's definitely not point guard of the future material, but the live 772 00:49:52,079 --> 00:49:55,559 dribble vision from him, it remains disarming to me. And then my top 773 00:49:55,599 --> 00:50:00,760 guy for them is Justin Champenni. If you get him to actually take threes, 774 00:50:01,000 --> 00:50:06,360 between that and his rebounding, he could be sort of the consummate complimentary 775 00:50:06,400 --> 00:50:10,239 player. I'll do apologies to Johnny Davis. I remain out on him and 776 00:50:10,360 --> 00:50:14,920 Patrick Baldwin Junior. I'm not focusing on them. Then goal for the Wizards 777 00:50:14,920 --> 00:50:17,440 here for me is just you're gonna have the information on these guys. Can 778 00:50:17,480 --> 00:50:23,239 you identify one or two who absolutely positively should be not part of the next 779 00:50:23,239 --> 00:50:28,960 Great Wizards team, but on your roster next season. Yeah, I mean 780 00:50:29,000 --> 00:50:34,320 it's it's telling that like I'm gonna go up a notch in terms of like 781 00:50:34,519 --> 00:50:37,840 figure out if this guy, if you know who is, You're like, 782 00:50:38,480 --> 00:50:44,000 which flyer like might be an NBA player, and that the Wizards have plenty 783 00:50:44,039 --> 00:50:45,679 of those. The Wizards also have plenty of guys that are like, I 784 00:50:45,679 --> 00:50:49,320 don't know, does this guy should he should he be here at all? 785 00:50:49,519 --> 00:50:52,599 Like or is he a cornerstone? And like, I think the answer if 786 00:50:52,639 --> 00:50:57,079 you said, like do the Wizards have a cornerstone right now, you would 787 00:50:57,119 --> 00:51:00,119 have to say, like, well, I don't know. You might mention 788 00:51:00,199 --> 00:51:04,159 Koulibali, who you said is hurt. The other guy is Denny Avdya, 789 00:51:04,159 --> 00:51:07,800 who you mentioned he's also should have been to really inflate his lates. He's 790 00:51:07,800 --> 00:51:13,039 a most improved player case, but that ship apparently at sal Yeah, I 791 00:51:13,039 --> 00:51:15,199 think it's uh, he's been listed as day to day. It's a knee, 792 00:51:16,119 --> 00:51:19,920 so like, don't bring him back. It's just not even worth it. 793 00:51:20,039 --> 00:51:22,719 Yeah, he last played on the fourteenth, and we're recording this on 794 00:51:22,760 --> 00:51:24,599 the twentieth, So like why would you bring him back? The reason Dan 795 00:51:24,639 --> 00:51:30,280 you bring him back is I think I think Avdya has done enough. Like 796 00:51:30,320 --> 00:51:32,840 I'll just give the numbers for this season except the fourteen points a game, 797 00:51:34,320 --> 00:51:38,199 just under seven boards, just under four assists, shooting more three or shooting 798 00:51:38,239 --> 00:51:42,719 threes better, actually not shooting more threes, but thirty eight point eight percent, 799 00:51:42,840 --> 00:51:45,599 making over half of his field goals. So like, to me, 800 00:51:45,719 --> 00:51:50,360 he is the closest thing to like, this guy's gonna be a good starter 801 00:51:50,519 --> 00:51:52,760 going forward for a long time, Like I don't know, Tias Jones is 802 00:51:52,760 --> 00:51:57,960 there too, Kuzma's there, but I think you what would have been ideal 803 00:51:57,960 --> 00:52:00,039 and what would be ideal if Avvidya can needs to play, which again may 804 00:52:00,079 --> 00:52:05,199 not be advisable given like what are we doing, you might learn or get 805 00:52:05,239 --> 00:52:12,840 a better idea of like what kind of cornerstone slash like sure starter is he 806 00:52:12,920 --> 00:52:16,920 gonna be? Because the facilitation moving up is really interesting to me because you 807 00:52:16,960 --> 00:52:21,920 remember, like last year we just talked about what a good defender this guy 808 00:52:22,039 --> 00:52:23,679 is, Like, oh my god, like he came over billed as like 809 00:52:24,000 --> 00:52:30,360 I don't know, like a cross between like I don't know Gallinari and I 810 00:52:30,679 --> 00:52:38,440 you know, choose your more defensive minded euro guy there you go very defensive 811 00:52:38,440 --> 00:52:45,239 minded. But I think like what Avidia has done in an abbreviated season again, 812 00:52:45,760 --> 00:52:49,480 like who knows how much value to put on like anything that's happening with 813 00:52:49,519 --> 00:52:52,239 the Wizards, let alone in the last like month or so of the season, 814 00:52:52,840 --> 00:52:55,480 But like he's done enough to show like you could kind of you could 815 00:52:55,480 --> 00:53:00,119 get creative with how you decide he's gonna be yoused, Like is he on 816 00:53:00,159 --> 00:53:02,840 the ball a lot going forward? Is he is the shooting now a thing 817 00:53:02,880 --> 00:53:07,920 where he can be like a second a true secondary facilitator that's like moving around 818 00:53:07,960 --> 00:53:10,320 off the ball and hitting threes? Like is he someone you're gonna put on 819 00:53:10,440 --> 00:53:15,440 the best offensive player on the other team? Like I think a year ago 820 00:53:15,480 --> 00:53:19,599 at this time, we would have said, like there's like one's there's like 821 00:53:19,679 --> 00:53:22,440 a way for Avidia to be an impact player, and that's to just be 822 00:53:22,519 --> 00:53:25,719 the best defender on his team and just like hopefully he gets by doing the 823 00:53:25,719 --> 00:53:29,400 rest of the stuff to stay on the floor. Now it's like, I 824 00:53:29,440 --> 00:53:31,880 don't know, there's a half dozen ways I could imagine him being the best 825 00:53:31,880 --> 00:53:36,440 player on the Wizards next year, like, so it would have been cool 826 00:53:36,599 --> 00:53:39,000 and hopefully, you know, if he plays, you'll get it. Just 827 00:53:39,440 --> 00:53:44,960 Wizards figure out to the extent it's possible, give him the circumstances, like 828 00:53:45,400 --> 00:53:49,119 what version of Danny Avdiya is gonna best serve us going forward? And then 829 00:53:49,239 --> 00:53:51,719 the follow up question we always have to ask, like so then what does 830 00:53:51,760 --> 00:53:54,519 he need next to him? So I just wanted to focus on someone besides 831 00:53:54,599 --> 00:53:58,840 Bilallkoolbali because I feel like that's all we ever talk about with the Wizards. 832 00:53:59,039 --> 00:54:00,679 He I'm not I've would have found a way to focus on him, probably 833 00:54:00,679 --> 00:54:04,920 if he didn't have that injury, because we're trying to focus on Yes, 834 00:54:04,960 --> 00:54:07,440 it's long term stuff, but it's also we need to watch it this season, 835 00:54:07,599 --> 00:54:10,719 and I'm not gonna Can I make a revelation to you, I'm not 836 00:54:10,719 --> 00:54:15,280 gonna be watching the Wizards the rest of the season. Sorry, What if 837 00:54:15,400 --> 00:54:19,760 Vuksovic finally makes his debut, I'll you're gonna have to tip me off. 838 00:54:19,800 --> 00:54:30,280 You're gonna have to let me know stat padding time, it's guess a player. 839 00:54:30,760 --> 00:54:37,280 You want to do three each this time? Let me answer that after 840 00:54:37,360 --> 00:54:42,760 I determine if I have at least that many from Mike Curnishing. Let me 841 00:54:42,760 --> 00:54:45,159 see here, I haven't even looked at these, so this is gonna be 842 00:54:45,199 --> 00:54:52,800 new to me too. I've got one, two, we can go. 843 00:54:52,280 --> 00:54:55,880 We can go more than three if you want. Let's not do that because 844 00:54:55,920 --> 00:55:00,639 I am pretty fucking tired. All right, Well, I'll let me give 845 00:55:00,639 --> 00:55:02,679 you this one here. Let's all we want to alternate like we did last 846 00:55:02,679 --> 00:55:07,159 sure, and try not to get it on the first clues. So Mike's 847 00:55:07,199 --> 00:55:10,719 fourteen clue guess the players, so thirteen clues go. I don't see that 848 00:55:10,760 --> 00:55:15,519 at his core. The other day we're talking about like the and you fucked 849 00:55:15,599 --> 00:55:19,239 up Rubik Scale had the Danny Ainge one that you'd like so elaborate, and 850 00:55:19,320 --> 00:55:22,360 you got it on clue one or two, one of my finer moments. 851 00:55:22,800 --> 00:55:25,039 All right, so I'm gonna let's see. I want to give you a 852 00:55:25,159 --> 00:55:30,960 chance here. All right, We're just gonna do this, all right, 853 00:55:30,039 --> 00:55:36,440 Clue number one. Technically speaking, I was traded before I was drafted, 854 00:55:36,480 --> 00:55:39,000 as two days before the two thousand and four NBA draft, the rights to 855 00:55:39,119 --> 00:55:44,960 the pick that became me was traded with Jerry Stackhouse to Dallas for Christian Latner 856 00:55:45,000 --> 00:55:51,239 and Antoine Jamison. Wait key one more time. Technically speaking, I was 857 00:55:51,280 --> 00:55:54,599 traded before I was drafted, as two days before the four NBA Draft, 858 00:55:54,639 --> 00:55:59,760 the rights to the pick that became me was traded with Jerry Stackhouse to Dallas 859 00:56:00,320 --> 00:56:07,280 for Christian Latner and anton Jamison. I got nothing, all right, So 860 00:56:07,480 --> 00:56:12,840 I guess this is Dallas is making this pick as a rookie in tooth clue 861 00:56:12,880 --> 00:56:15,480 number two. As a rookie in two thousand and four, I averaged five 862 00:56:15,519 --> 00:56:19,239 point seven points and two assists per game. With the per of fourteen point 863 00:56:19,280 --> 00:56:22,840 seven, I was second in the league in steals for forty eight minutes, 864 00:56:22,880 --> 00:56:30,119 behind Larry Hughes. He's on Dallas at this point. I'm pretty sure that's 865 00:56:30,119 --> 00:56:34,320 how I'm reading it. I think that's right. Devin Harris, Oh shit, 866 00:56:34,880 --> 00:56:39,440 that's correct. Sorry, Mike. Well, he waited until the second 867 00:56:39,440 --> 00:56:44,880 clue to get that one. It is Devin Harris. Good, So what 868 00:56:44,960 --> 00:56:49,880 got it for you? Just a Dallas rookie that got steals. Yeah. 869 00:56:50,119 --> 00:56:53,079 I wasn't even positive that he was a rookie on Dallas, which is why 870 00:56:53,119 --> 00:56:57,480 I never would have thought of him for the first clue. So unbelievable. 871 00:56:57,519 --> 00:57:00,920 All right, Well, he won Rookie of the Month month in November of 872 00:57:00,159 --> 00:57:04,639 four, but lost more and more playing time at the season progressed. Yeah, 873 00:57:04,639 --> 00:57:08,000 because it's weird. I remember Devin Harris like as a net like when 874 00:57:08,039 --> 00:57:10,920 he really was getting numbers, And then I think, doesn't he end up 875 00:57:10,920 --> 00:57:14,400 back in I'm sure Mike will tell us it. He doesn't end up back 876 00:57:14,400 --> 00:57:15,679 in Dallas? Where did he make his All Star team? Which team was 877 00:57:15,679 --> 00:57:20,280 the onf got to be well, New Jersey, I guess at the time, 878 00:57:20,639 --> 00:57:23,639 let's see, improved as a sophomore taking primary ball handling duties from Jason 879 00:57:23,719 --> 00:57:27,880 Terry. That might have got you there too. It was at this time 880 00:57:27,960 --> 00:57:30,840 my speed at the point guard position was drawing comparison to Leandro Barbosa and my 881 00:57:30,840 --> 00:57:35,880 good friend Dwayne Wade averaged nine to three in my second year, shortened due 882 00:57:35,880 --> 00:57:38,360 to injury. But I did play in the team's finals run, so that 883 00:57:38,440 --> 00:57:44,639 might have got you there too, Dallas and six in the finals eight deadline, 884 00:57:44,639 --> 00:57:46,519 I was traded with Desaannia Job, Trenton Hassel, Keith van Horn, 885 00:57:47,000 --> 00:57:52,719 Maurice Ager Agerbaum, cash considerations and two first round picks for Jason Kidd, 886 00:57:53,440 --> 00:57:58,159 also Malik Allen and Antoine Wright. If that helps in any way. First 887 00:57:58,159 --> 00:58:00,400 full season with the Nets, career high forty seven even point game. Next 888 00:58:00,480 --> 00:58:04,559 year, I made it to the All Star Game, traded for Vince Or. 889 00:58:04,800 --> 00:58:07,079 After the Nets traded Vince Carter, I was named the team's captain, 890 00:58:07,920 --> 00:58:12,880 and then at the eleven deadline, me and rookie Derek Favors are traded at 891 00:58:12,880 --> 00:58:15,400 the Jazz for Darren Williams. Forgot about that. That's how Darren Williams gets 892 00:58:15,400 --> 00:58:21,159 to the Nets. Remember that in twelve I was traded to the Hawks for 893 00:58:21,320 --> 00:58:25,039 Marvin Williams. Back to Dallas for five years before pitstop in Denver. Back 894 00:58:25,079 --> 00:58:29,800 to Dallas. He's the current color commentator for the Maths. Did you know 895 00:58:29,880 --> 00:58:34,159 that? I didn't know that? H yes, you know with the the 896 00:58:34,280 --> 00:58:37,320 MV was it the MVP, But it's the loud rims or the MVP of 897 00:58:37,320 --> 00:58:43,679 that broadcast. All right, Well, bang up, job by you getting 898 00:58:43,719 --> 00:58:45,280 it in two. Sorry, Mike. I'll try to read the clues more 899 00:58:45,360 --> 00:58:50,039 confusingly so Nan doesn't get him so quickly. Okay, So I will baskly 900 00:58:50,079 --> 00:58:52,000 you will get to I only have submissions from Mike and be Rich. You'll 901 00:58:52,000 --> 00:58:54,400 get the first one from Mike, the second one will be from be Rich, 902 00:58:54,519 --> 00:58:59,280 and then you'll get another one from Mike. Clue number one. I 903 00:58:59,320 --> 00:59:07,480 was drafted by the Hawks in two thousand and three. Okay, all right, 904 00:59:07,920 --> 00:59:09,000 clue too. My first two seasons, I was a pixture of the 905 00:59:09,119 --> 00:59:14,280 rotation, starting sixty two of my one hundred and forty two games I played, 906 00:59:14,280 --> 00:59:20,159 but never being much of a score. This isn't Marvin Williams, is 907 00:59:20,159 --> 00:59:23,320 it? It is not okay O three by the Hawks, but never a 908 00:59:23,400 --> 00:59:30,400 scorer started and played a lot MANH three. You might get it with this 909 00:59:30,519 --> 00:59:32,800 next clue. All right, let's hear it. Clue three. After my 910 00:59:32,840 --> 00:59:37,000 second season, I was traded to the Suns along with two first round picks 911 00:59:37,000 --> 00:59:45,000 for Joe Johnson. Oh, Hawks to the Suns for Joe Johnson? Is 912 00:59:45,039 --> 00:59:49,599 that after Joe Johnson shot like forty eight percent from three that year, that's 913 00:59:49,599 --> 00:59:53,000 not part of the club ran Okay, So Johnson from the Sons to the 914 00:59:53,079 --> 00:59:58,840 Hawks. Who goes to the Sons for Joe Johnson? What two firsts with 915 00:59:58,920 --> 01:00:07,000 this guy gets you? Johnson? Correct? Man, I feel like I 916 01:00:07,000 --> 01:00:14,239 should know this based on that it's the locks. I don't have it. 917 01:00:15,639 --> 01:00:19,000 Clue number four. Though drafted as a shooting guard, the Sons made me 918 01:00:19,079 --> 01:00:22,400 a truly positionless player, ranging all five positions because of injuries to players like 919 01:00:22,480 --> 01:00:27,199 Kurt Thomas and Amari Stodemeyer. I started at center for Phoenix in the two 920 01:00:27,239 --> 01:00:30,159 thousand and six playoffs. Oh is this sporis dia? That is correct? 921 01:00:31,519 --> 01:00:37,159 So other clues Clue five. I got suspended for an important playoff game against 922 01:00:37,159 --> 01:00:39,360 the Spurs because I left the bench to confront Robert Orrie about a hard foul. 923 01:00:40,119 --> 01:00:43,119 Clue six. And two thousand and eight, me and Roger Bell were 924 01:00:43,159 --> 01:00:45,519 traded for Jason Richardson and Jared Dudley, where I was part of a part. 925 01:00:45,840 --> 01:00:50,679 I was part of Bobcat for three years before being waived. I did 926 01:00:50,719 --> 01:00:54,039 play in the franchise's first ever playoff game, though, Clue seven. Two 927 01:00:54,119 --> 01:00:57,599 days after getting waived by the Bobcats, I signed with the Spurs for the 928 01:00:57,599 --> 01:01:00,320 rest of the season and changed my career. I resigned in the off season, 929 01:01:00,360 --> 01:01:02,519 made the finals the next year in twenty thirteen. In twenty fourteen, 930 01:01:02,559 --> 01:01:07,159 I won my first and only ring and in the eighth of well Wow. 931 01:01:07,199 --> 01:01:09,800 There was eleven clues eight. It was during my time with the Spurs where 932 01:01:09,800 --> 01:01:15,760 Bill Walton actually said this about me. And when you look at X X 933 01:01:15,920 --> 01:01:19,360 and what he's done to this franchise, he's changed everything. We celebrate his 934 01:01:19,400 --> 01:01:23,199 brilliance and when you talk to X you realize what a classical human being he 935 01:01:23,320 --> 01:01:30,880 is. It was two hundred and one years ago today Beethoven's Simps Beethoven's Symphony 936 01:01:30,960 --> 01:01:35,400 number three in E flat, which escorted it in the age of Romanticism and 937 01:01:35,480 --> 01:01:37,360 music. And when I think of X, I think of Beethoven and the 938 01:01:37,360 --> 01:01:43,719 age of Romantics. This guy has it all an all time Walton. I 939 01:01:43,760 --> 01:01:47,039 mean everything he says is I did not know he said that about Bors the 940 01:01:47,119 --> 01:01:52,519 year That's amazing, Like, how do you think that did? He was? 941 01:01:52,519 --> 01:01:57,599 He just he must have come across that fact about the anniversary of whatever 942 01:01:57,880 --> 01:02:00,599 symphony that was, and he's like, how am I gonna work this in 943 01:02:00,639 --> 01:02:04,880 to the broadcast? He popped the shroom and it was He was golden. 944 01:02:05,119 --> 01:02:08,039 He was very quickly the final three clues. In twenty fourteen, I resigned 945 01:02:08,039 --> 01:02:10,360 with his Burst for three years twenty two million. I was traded two years 946 01:02:10,400 --> 01:02:13,960 later. For a prospect who never played in the NBA and then waved by 947 01:02:13,960 --> 01:02:16,159 the Jazz. I retired in twenty eighteen on Twitter after a year in my 948 01:02:16,199 --> 01:02:19,960 home country. Tony Parker and I are best friends, and I was his 949 01:02:20,000 --> 01:02:23,960 best man when he married Eva Longoria. I love Boris Dia. Just any 950 01:02:24,000 --> 01:02:29,440 clue that involves him, all right? I this one was there last week 951 01:02:30,360 --> 01:02:31,920 from Mike, But I really want to do this one because I think it's 952 01:02:31,960 --> 01:02:37,119 like it's just the right level of like difficulty. So are you are you 953 01:02:37,199 --> 01:02:42,320 ready? No? Not anymore I thought I was. There are only six 954 01:02:42,400 --> 01:02:46,559 clues on this one. Clue number one. I was a lottery pick by 955 01:02:46,559 --> 01:02:52,159 the Raptors in the mid two thousands. You want to just get real white. 956 01:02:52,480 --> 01:03:00,079 No, Mo Peterson another he was the nineties. Maybe good year. 957 01:03:00,119 --> 01:03:04,119 You're okay. I'm not gonna say you're on the right track, but those 958 01:03:04,159 --> 01:03:07,800 are Raptors players, so you sort of are clone number two. Despite being 959 01:03:07,840 --> 01:03:12,599 on the All Rookie team, I was traded after my first season to the 960 01:03:12,639 --> 01:03:21,320 Bucks for TJ. Ford. Oh rap. He was on the Raptors as 961 01:03:21,320 --> 01:03:29,960 a rookie and then traded to the Bucks for TJ. Ford. Yeah, 962 01:03:30,000 --> 01:03:32,960 I got nothing. Okay, Yeah, the Bucks Bucks years are not as 963 01:03:34,000 --> 01:03:37,920 memorable for this guy for some reason for me. Cluon number three. In 964 01:03:37,000 --> 01:03:40,719 my third year with the Bucks, I averaged a career high sixteen points and 965 01:03:40,760 --> 01:03:46,480 according to my then teammate Richard Jefferson, I'm responsible for creating NBA Twitter because 966 01:03:46,519 --> 01:03:50,800 of a mid game tweet. That tweet got me in a heap of trouble 967 01:03:50,840 --> 01:03:57,280 with head coach Scott Skiles. What readout you ready? Yes? In my 968 01:03:57,400 --> 01:04:01,480 third year with the Bucks, I averaged a career high sixteen points. Stop 969 01:04:01,960 --> 01:04:08,679 according to my then teammate Richard Jefferson, I'm responsible for creating NBA Twitter because 970 01:04:08,719 --> 01:04:12,440 of a mid game tweet. That tweet got me in a heap of trouble 971 01:04:12,480 --> 01:04:18,199 with head coach Scott Skiles. Did Jared Bayless? No, I didn't remember 972 01:04:18,199 --> 01:04:24,880 this that that party either. This might get you balcked out Richard Jefferson being 973 01:04:24,880 --> 01:04:30,280 on the Bucks right, all right? Clue four. After this season, 974 01:04:30,440 --> 01:04:35,599 I signed with the Pistons for five years forty million dollars, which at the 975 01:04:35,639 --> 01:04:41,760 time that's like no joke. I was supposed to pair with Ben Gordon to 976 01:04:41,800 --> 01:04:45,639 bring the Pistons into a new era. It didn't happen. My numbers regressed 977 01:04:45,679 --> 01:04:53,440 every season in Detroit. Charlie Villanueva, that is correct, very good. 978 01:04:53,920 --> 01:04:58,000 What guy was it the contract? Yeah, but it was I. I 979 01:04:58,039 --> 01:05:00,800 did not know him and Richard Jefferson were on the Bucks are the same, 980 01:05:00,360 --> 01:05:05,079 They're like wild have a lot of guys like JJ Reddick was on the Bucks. 981 01:05:05,280 --> 01:05:10,039 Remember, like, uh, Mike Dunleavy was a Buck for a minute. 982 01:05:10,119 --> 01:05:13,880 Like there's all these guys that just were there for I forgot TEJ well, 983 01:05:13,920 --> 01:05:16,079 I did. TJ Ford was all I remember about TJ Ford was that 984 01:05:16,159 --> 01:05:19,800 like terrible spinal injury whatever. That was. All I remember about him is 985 01:05:19,840 --> 01:05:26,039 the shorts, just the giant shorts. What you would have you would have 986 01:05:26,519 --> 01:05:30,880 a million percent gotten it. In twenty ten, the next clue, I 987 01:05:30,920 --> 01:05:34,239 tweeted out that Kevin Garnett called me a cancer patient. You remember that I 988 01:05:34,239 --> 01:05:38,920 would have not Cag's finest moment during a game, something I took great offense 989 01:05:38,960 --> 01:05:42,760 to as someone who has alopecia. Garnet and Doc Rivers responded that what was 990 01:05:42,760 --> 01:05:45,800 said was that I was cancerous to the team and the league as a whole, 991 01:05:45,880 --> 01:05:50,480 because somehow that's better. I'm not sure which is more offensive? To 992 01:05:50,519 --> 01:05:55,400 be honest, Mike says that is correct. Both are terrible. After my 993 01:05:55,440 --> 01:05:58,320 tenure in Detroit flamed out. I finished my career with the Maths. Forgot 994 01:05:58,400 --> 01:06:01,039 Charlie. Uh. I kind of remem remember Charlie Villanoiev on the MAVs maybe 995 01:06:01,079 --> 01:06:05,599 a little bit. So that's two for two for you. Are you ready 996 01:06:05,760 --> 01:06:10,800 to get into the mind of a psychopath? I'm not getting any readier? 997 01:06:11,920 --> 01:06:15,960 Be rich. Clue number one. I was drafted outside the lottery in nineteen 998 01:06:15,039 --> 01:06:19,360 ninety five. Only Kevin Garnett and Rashid Wallace finished above me in career wind 999 01:06:19,360 --> 01:06:31,119 shares outside the lottery ninety five finished above me in career wind shares. Wait 1000 01:06:31,239 --> 01:06:41,840 Kevin Garnett and who Rashid Wallace? All right, I don't have it, 1001 01:06:42,400 --> 01:06:46,599 go ahead. Clue two. I finished top twenty in MVP voting three times 1002 01:06:46,960 --> 01:06:50,239 in my career, was a two time All Star, and reached the playoffs 1003 01:06:50,239 --> 01:06:55,800 the last ten seasons of my career. That's kind of wild. So top 1004 01:06:55,880 --> 01:07:00,400 twenty in MVP voting three times but only an All Star twice? Yeah, 1005 01:07:00,440 --> 01:07:03,519 what the hell? So like a really good player that was on a well 1006 01:07:04,159 --> 01:07:10,400 for multiple good teams for the last ten years of his career. I got 1007 01:07:10,400 --> 01:07:14,440 it. I'm trying to think of that ninety five draft. Who else is 1008 01:07:14,440 --> 01:07:17,639 even in that Garnett's Like Garnett's the There was an ending to this clue. 1009 01:07:17,679 --> 01:07:21,559 I retired as Celtic. I apologize. That's part of Oh okay, retired 1010 01:07:21,559 --> 01:07:27,960 to Celtic ninety five draft, which is Garnett Wallace. Who the fuck else 1011 01:07:28,079 --> 01:07:32,079 is this? It's like mcdce in that draft. I don't know if he's 1012 01:07:32,079 --> 01:07:34,079 in that draft, but he's not the answer. No, no, no, 1013 01:07:34,079 --> 01:07:40,159 I'm just yeah, I'm trying to think he was. I think mcdce 1014 01:07:40,280 --> 01:07:43,000 was like the number two pick if I'm thinking of the right draft, which 1015 01:07:43,039 --> 01:07:47,440 would be like Joe Smith, mcdce third. Go okay, go ahead, 1016 01:07:47,440 --> 01:07:54,239 what's the next clue? Clue Number three? In iron Man, I averaged 1017 01:07:54,280 --> 01:08:00,480 thirty nine point seven minutes per game across nine seasons at the at the team 1018 01:08:00,480 --> 01:08:03,239 i'm most associated with, three seasons out of four. During that stretch, 1019 01:08:03,320 --> 01:08:09,079 I led the NBA in minutes played. There is a subclue to clue number 1020 01:08:09,079 --> 01:08:12,280 three as well. Oh is this Gerald Wallace? No? It is not. 1021 01:08:12,559 --> 01:08:15,159 Oh shit, fun. In fact, my college coach. Coach also 1022 01:08:15,239 --> 01:08:19,119 recognized my elite skill as I averaged thirty seven minutes a game in my senior 1023 01:08:19,199 --> 01:08:24,039 year of college. Jerald Wallis is a terrible guest. I apologize for that 1024 01:08:24,079 --> 01:08:26,760 one. That was ninety five. He was not in the ninety five draft. 1025 01:08:26,840 --> 01:08:30,279 Okay, so this guy's playing a ton drafted in ninety five outside the 1026 01:08:30,279 --> 01:08:40,039 lottery. Two All Star games finished with the Celtics. That's tough. A 1027 01:08:40,079 --> 01:08:45,279 lot of guys finished with the Celtics. I don't have it. Clue number 1028 01:08:45,520 --> 01:08:48,800 four of five, by the way, so you're shitting down the punchtime. 1029 01:08:49,279 --> 01:08:54,079 In my age twenty eight season, I averaged forty six point six minutes per 1030 01:08:54,119 --> 01:08:58,520 game In the playoffs, don Nelson was a fucking mad man. In fifty 1031 01:08:58,520 --> 01:09:02,399 six playoff games under him, A verse forty one point four minutes. Okay, 1032 01:09:02,520 --> 01:09:08,399 so this is a well, this could be a nick a Celtic, 1033 01:09:08,520 --> 01:09:12,319 a MAV. Wait which season? Did say? Which season? In the 1034 01:09:12,319 --> 01:09:17,720 playoffs? His age twenty eight season did ninety five, So we're let's just 1035 01:09:17,800 --> 01:09:25,560 say a one oh two oh three. That's gotta be a MAV. Oh, 1036 01:09:25,640 --> 01:09:30,720 Michael Finley correct, Okay, he's like one of the best players that 1037 01:09:30,880 --> 01:09:35,760 everyone just forgets existed. And the clue about him being a top twenty like 1038 01:09:35,800 --> 01:09:40,960 in MVP voting three times. Yeah wow. The final clue on this a 1039 01:09:41,000 --> 01:09:44,199 six foot seven inch wing. I teamed up with NBA legends Charles Barkley, 1040 01:09:44,239 --> 01:09:46,560 Dirtaviski, Kevinc Garnett, Steve Nash, Tim Duncan, Rashid Wallace, managing 1041 01:09:46,600 --> 01:09:50,600 Nobli, Robert Rory, and yep, you guessed it. Greg Buckner. 1042 01:09:53,119 --> 01:09:57,680 Well, because oh he's played with those guys. All right, so what 1043 01:09:57,920 --> 01:10:01,199 what team? I guess he's most associated with the Mavericks, I would think, 1044 01:10:01,239 --> 01:10:05,199 so it's gonna be the Mavericks, maybe the Spurs. I remember Phoenix, 1045 01:10:05,479 --> 01:10:11,560 I remember because I remember, Yeah, I think I remember. How 1046 01:10:11,560 --> 01:10:14,760 does he get from Phoenix to Dallas? Anyway? Okay, all right, 1047 01:10:15,119 --> 01:10:18,479 yeah got it. Michael Finley. What a good player. I deserved more 1048 01:10:18,520 --> 01:10:23,840 than two All Star Games. It feels like, all right, you ready 1049 01:10:23,840 --> 01:10:27,960 for another one? Yes, sir, let's see. I got two choices 1050 01:10:28,000 --> 01:10:33,159 here, all right, I'm gonna give you the newest one clue Number one. 1051 01:10:33,239 --> 01:10:38,880 I was drafted in the second round in two thousand Sandwich between Brian Cardinal 1052 01:10:39,000 --> 01:10:48,600 and Olumida O ya Degi how's yourn to two thousand second rounders H Clue number 1053 01:10:48,600 --> 01:10:54,760 two. Only playing in six games as a rookie on an Eastern Conference contender, 1054 01:10:55,319 --> 01:10:58,159 my coach made it a priority to play me more as a sophomore, 1055 01:10:58,159 --> 01:11:00,880 as two all star teammates of mine had my back. This led to a 1056 01:11:00,920 --> 01:11:05,279 scoring jump from two point two points up to eleven point four in sixty seven 1057 01:11:05,319 --> 01:11:10,359 games, but we missed the playoffs. Started eight of those sixty seven games. 1058 01:11:10,399 --> 01:11:15,840 As a sophomore, I got nothing. Okay, Clue number three. 1059 01:11:15,880 --> 01:11:18,800 In my third year, I played all eighty two games, starting fourteen and 1060 01:11:18,840 --> 01:11:23,520 improving my scoring again. The team made the playoffs but failed to make it 1061 01:11:23,560 --> 01:11:31,079 out of the first round. So but I guess that'd be two second round 1062 01:11:31,439 --> 01:11:34,960 You don't even have a team yet. That's the problem. Once again, 1063 01:11:35,239 --> 01:11:39,159 I'm not too up on second round picks from the year two thousand. You 1064 01:11:39,199 --> 01:11:42,439 know, he's in the Eastern Conference, so you know it only could only 1065 01:11:42,520 --> 01:11:46,800 be fifteen teams. Clue number four. After this season, as a part 1066 01:11:46,840 --> 01:11:50,720 of a roster refresh here we Go, I was rewarded the starting shooting guard 1067 01:11:50,720 --> 01:11:57,279 position after Ray Allen was traded for Desmond Mason and Gary Payton. The team's 1068 01:11:57,279 --> 01:12:00,399 faith in me was rewarded with an All Star campaign. I averaged twenty one 1069 01:12:00,399 --> 01:12:04,960 point seven points on forty seven percent shooting, with forty four percent shooting from 1070 01:12:04,960 --> 01:12:10,319 deep. We made the playoffs, but we were swept. Michael Red correct, 1071 01:12:10,960 --> 01:12:15,760 good job that I think you needed to get it there. Although you've 1072 01:12:15,800 --> 01:12:19,199 got boy, Mike's just piling the clues on clue five. We missed the 1073 01:12:19,199 --> 01:12:23,399 playoffs the next year and I hit free agency. This is where the Michael 1074 01:12:23,399 --> 01:12:27,079 Red story starts to turn sad. I think I was rumored to want to 1075 01:12:27,119 --> 01:12:30,119 play in my home state with the Calves alongside a still young Lebron. That's 1076 01:12:30,119 --> 01:12:33,039 how old this clue is. We're talking about a guy drafted in two thousand 1077 01:12:33,119 --> 01:12:40,159 that wanted to go play with Lebron at the time. Let's see, I 1078 01:12:40,159 --> 01:12:43,279 opted to Day for six years and ninety one million. Holy shit, I 1079 01:12:43,279 --> 01:12:46,079 forgot about that. My first purchase with the money from this contract was a 1080 01:12:46,199 --> 01:12:50,319 church. Following season, I set the franchise record for points in a game 1081 01:12:50,359 --> 01:12:55,800 that stood until the twenty three twenty four season when Yannas broke it. However, 1082 01:12:55,800 --> 01:12:57,920 when I set the record, no One tried to steal the ball and 1083 01:12:57,920 --> 01:13:03,840 start a fight in the locker Roomclude seven. I started dealing with nagging injuries, 1084 01:13:03,880 --> 01:13:08,319 especially with my knees. And nine I tore both my MCL and ACL 1085 01:13:08,359 --> 01:13:11,159 and I left me. I returned early in twenty ten, but I retore 1086 01:13:11,399 --> 01:13:15,439 the same mcl and ACL. God I forgot about that, and twenty eleven, 1087 01:13:16,720 --> 01:13:19,720 I finished out my career playing fifty one games with the Suns. Those 1088 01:13:19,720 --> 01:13:23,840 fifty one games were only ten games less than I'd combined to play in the 1089 01:13:23,880 --> 01:13:28,720 previous three seasons. I also retired, having not made the playoffs since six. 1090 01:13:30,279 --> 01:13:33,199 Oh my god, here I just this is great knowledge, final clue, 1091 01:13:33,600 --> 01:13:36,159 which I'm sure you would have gotten it on this one if you hadn't 1092 01:13:36,159 --> 01:13:40,880 gotten it by now. In Nelly's song Heart of a Champion, my name 1093 01:13:41,000 --> 01:13:45,640 was included among NBA stars and legends such as Magic Shack Ai and Kareem, 1094 01:13:45,000 --> 01:13:49,199 as well as well as NFL stars Ray Lewis, Babe Manning, and Julius 1095 01:13:49,239 --> 01:13:54,079 Peppers. I'm the only player mentioned that did not make their leagues Hall of 1096 01:13:54,119 --> 01:14:00,000 Fame, but immortalized forever by Nelly. I would not have gotten that, 1097 01:14:00,359 --> 01:14:02,479 by the way. No, that was the clue. If that was the 1098 01:14:02,560 --> 01:14:04,720 clue I needed to get it on, I would not have gotten that's the 1099 01:14:04,760 --> 01:14:08,880 clue you start with, I feel like, because that would just put you 1100 01:14:08,960 --> 01:14:15,319 completely on tilt, like I should have read it in reverse order. Okay, 1101 01:14:15,520 --> 01:14:18,920 I'm gonna be personally offended if you don't get this one correct. Don't 1102 01:14:18,920 --> 01:14:24,800 do that. Clue number one. I was drafted eleventh overall out of Tennessee 1103 01:14:24,800 --> 01:14:29,279 in nineteen ninety three by Detroit, a program legend. My number twenty jersey 1104 01:14:29,319 --> 01:14:33,119 is retired in Knoxville, Alan Houston. Correct, Wow, I'm sorry, 1105 01:14:33,199 --> 01:14:39,119 Mike. Clue two was I competed in the nineteen ninety four Dunk Contest in 1106 01:14:39,119 --> 01:14:42,359 which I headbutted the ball to myself. This is back when the dunk contest 1107 01:14:42,399 --> 01:14:45,079 sucked the first time. Despite Clue three, despite everything, forty points per 1108 01:14:45,079 --> 01:14:48,159 game is a sophomore nineteen point seven points per game. In year three, 1109 01:14:48,159 --> 01:14:51,359 Detroit opted not to extend me, and I hit free agency, signing with 1110 01:14:51,359 --> 01:14:56,479 the Knicks and immediately competing for and winning the starting shooting guard role from John 1111 01:14:56,560 --> 01:15:00,960 Starks in ninety six. Clue four known as an Ironman from ninety six until 1112 01:15:00,960 --> 01:15:02,680 two thousand and two. I missed no more than five games in a single 1113 01:15:02,760 --> 01:15:06,520 season, averaging no less than sixteen points per game, with my career high 1114 01:15:06,600 --> 01:15:11,800 being in two thousand and two twenty three twenty two zero point five, starting 1115 01:15:11,800 --> 01:15:14,680 all eighty two games that year. CLU five, while he was my head 1116 01:15:14,680 --> 01:15:16,359 coach, Jeff and Gundy, once parked his car too close to our team 1117 01:15:16,359 --> 01:15:20,000 plane. As the plane was taxing, the exhaust through Van Gundy's car into 1118 01:15:20,000 --> 01:15:25,079 the air and it landed on my Mercedes. I was not happy. I 1119 01:15:25,119 --> 01:15:28,640 did not remember that, did you. That's news to me, nice jot 1120 01:15:28,720 --> 01:15:30,399 Mike Clu six. In two thousand and three two thousand and four, injuries 1121 01:15:30,399 --> 01:15:32,880 started to catch up to me, as I missed thirty two games with a 1122 01:15:32,960 --> 01:15:36,600 knee injury. Clu seven. My last NBA game came in January two thousand 1123 01:15:36,600 --> 01:15:40,680 and five and is seventeen point loss to the Raptors. This is only of 1124 01:15:40,720 --> 01:15:45,119 note because allegedly before the game, Raptors super fan nav Bashia told me, 1125 01:15:45,760 --> 01:15:47,680 blank, you are getting older now and as a result, they're no longer 1126 01:15:47,680 --> 01:15:51,319 as effective as you once were. A prophecy and a well mannered shit talking 1127 01:15:51,359 --> 01:15:57,319 if there was ever one. Yeah, it was crazy It's like the most 1128 01:15:57,800 --> 01:16:01,319 level headed, cordial small talk of all. I feel you have the same 1129 01:16:01,359 --> 01:16:06,720 skills that you once did. That sound pert happily criticizing it. Right, 1130 01:16:10,560 --> 01:16:13,279 Oh man, are there more clues? Those are good clues. No, 1131 01:16:13,399 --> 01:16:15,399 that that was it on the clues. This was great. So send guests 1132 01:16:15,399 --> 01:16:19,039 of players. Join the discord if you want, or don't. Even if 1133 01:16:19,039 --> 01:16:24,760 you don't want, join the fucking discord. Come on. I just do 1134 01:16:24,800 --> 01:16:28,720 you remember the Alan Houston shot that from the from the free throw line? 1135 01:16:28,840 --> 01:16:31,520 Like, do you know what I remember against the heat? Yeah, the 1136 01:16:31,520 --> 01:16:35,680 one that like it rattle, it bounces up and falls in where and I 1137 01:16:35,680 --> 01:16:40,840 can see him like willing it to fall. I jumped out of my skin 1138 01:16:41,039 --> 01:16:43,560 when that happened. And do you know what I remember even more about that 1139 01:16:43,600 --> 01:16:45,960 shot? I mean that next team was that ninety eight ninety nine next team 1140 01:16:46,039 --> 01:16:51,039 was a lot incredible. But afterwards so they I think it was Terry Porter 1141 01:16:51,199 --> 01:16:56,720 there was point four point eight seconds left, caught the ball like behind half 1142 01:16:56,760 --> 01:16:59,720 court, he like pivoted, dribbled and got the shot off. And I 1143 01:16:59,720 --> 01:17:03,000 remember Jef Van Gundy in the postgame interview saying, only in Miami can you 1144 01:17:03,079 --> 01:17:08,319 pivot? Got a shot off in under half a second. It was just 1145 01:17:08,760 --> 01:17:14,119 never satisfied. I gotta have a gripe. That's so on Bramp. Yeah, 1146 01:17:14,159 --> 01:17:16,800 that shot lives in my memory. I don't know why that's so such 1147 01:17:16,800 --> 01:17:20,079 a weirdly iconic shot. I guess because Nick's heat was just such a like, 1148 01:17:20,680 --> 01:17:26,199 you know, there weren't a lot of nationally television games nix he there 1149 01:17:26,239 --> 01:17:29,319 wasn't that The same year too, the Larry Johnson four point play against the 1150 01:17:29,359 --> 01:17:32,520 Pacers was a yeah too, two thousand, right, it was two I 1151 01:17:32,600 --> 01:17:35,560 know that Larry Johnson was two thousand. Okay, then it was a different 1152 01:17:35,640 --> 01:17:40,079 year, I think, because I think that was Houston was ninety nine. 1153 01:17:40,119 --> 01:17:44,239 I believe the short lived Remember the Larry Johnson celebration where he made the LJ 1154 01:17:44,560 --> 01:17:47,239 thing? Oh man, and then it wasn't there like a tribute Chris Child 1155 01:17:47,359 --> 01:17:53,079 like made the l after he did something. There was oh Chris Child's uh 1156 01:17:53,479 --> 01:17:58,520 that those ones? And then I I'm pretty sure, although you never know 1157 01:17:58,560 --> 01:18:00,439 with stuff like this because it's so long, I'm pretty sure I was watching 1158 01:18:00,479 --> 01:18:05,159 the Reggie Miller eight points nine seconds game like in real time. Uh do 1159 01:18:05,560 --> 01:18:09,119 you remember watching that one? You'd have been like that would have been pretty 1160 01:18:09,159 --> 01:18:12,079 young. No, I think I was too young for that one. I 1161 01:18:12,119 --> 01:18:14,960 think that's ninety eight. I still can't. I can't watch the highlights of 1162 01:18:15,000 --> 01:18:16,840 it, though it does pain me a lot. It was I remember, 1163 01:18:17,000 --> 01:18:20,760 I think I loved Reggie Miller, like he was my favorite player for a 1164 01:18:20,800 --> 01:18:26,039 while, like just after that because that was like, so, I know 1165 01:18:26,119 --> 01:18:29,560 he's employed by our parent company. I feel like he catches too much shit 1166 01:18:29,920 --> 01:18:34,399 for his commentating because even if you don't agree with his points or the things 1167 01:18:34,399 --> 01:18:40,479 that he says, he's one of the call them older heads or gosh from 1168 01:18:40,520 --> 01:18:44,399 a previous generation who genuinely seems to still love the game of basketball. Oh 1169 01:18:44,920 --> 01:18:47,840 no, does not receive nearly enough credit for that. And it's weird that 1170 01:18:47,840 --> 01:18:53,680 that stands out like he's actually like still enthusiastic about the young players, like 1171 01:18:53,720 --> 01:18:57,239 all too happy to see like his records keep falling, like he has no 1172 01:18:57,279 --> 01:19:00,920 problem with it. Yeah, it's just like so like I appreciate And maybe 1173 01:19:00,960 --> 01:19:02,399 it's because that is the bar too low for that. I don't know, 1174 01:19:02,479 --> 01:19:08,319 but he just like genuinely appreciates and loves the game. And I'm going to 1175 01:19:09,880 --> 01:19:13,720 I compliment that excitability, just especially when we have just you know, the 1176 01:19:13,760 --> 01:19:17,039 analysis that we get from certain other former players. Yeah, that's a good 1177 01:19:17,079 --> 01:19:20,199 spot to end on. I think just a positive, a positive get out 1178 01:19:20,199 --> 01:19:25,800 moment. Everybody. Thank you, especially this time for the guests of players. 1179 01:19:26,600 --> 01:19:29,680 Again, as Dan said, if you would like to contribute to those 1180 01:19:30,960 --> 01:19:32,720 and if you want to, you know, if you can work in Greg 1181 01:19:32,760 --> 01:19:35,720 Buckner, that's more than likely going to get your guests a player picked, 1182 01:19:36,079 --> 01:19:40,960 all things being equal, join our discord. Links to do that in the 1183 01:19:41,000 --> 01:19:44,279 YouTube and podcast description. That's also where you can find links to merch, 1184 01:19:45,640 --> 01:19:48,840 rate, review, subscribe, tell your friends, tell your enemies, share 1185 01:19:49,039 --> 01:19:53,960 our podcast however you're consuming them, whether that's you know, giving thumbs up 1186 01:19:53,960 --> 01:19:59,039 on YouTube. Just however, however, you can goose the algorithm, get 1187 01:19:59,079 --> 01:20:00,960 us in front of our eyes, get us heard by more ears. That's 1188 01:20:01,000 --> 01:20:04,359 always very helpful and we appreciate it. It's gonna do it for tonight. 1189 01:20:04,760 --> 01:20:08,520 As always, we close with a shout out to the one and only frankin 1190 01:20:08,600 --> 01:20:10,760 Lakina and an apology to Jared Allen