This fall in a galaxy not so far away, because it is the one
in which we live. One rebel new media podcast will take you behind the
scenes to deaths previously unplumbed of the punch felt around the world and felt by
numerous generations of the Punchi's family, and the crisis of team and responsibility that
followed. Impartial critics describe it as a gripping, noble, selfless search for
the unvarnished truth of what happens when people stop being polite and start getting extensions.
What is up, Philip Thermonuclear Afforts? I am damn Valley coming at
you with a regular season podcast. How freaking weird is that? To say?
Quick notes before we get started with these takeaways, which I will explain
in a second, I owe you all a Los Angeles Lakers Los Angeles Clippers
look ahead for the rest of the season. I will do that deep dive
eventually. The scheduling with the guests didn't work out and I would like to
still have that guest on, which is why I've decided to wait. And
these look aheads are you know, they're preps for the season, but they're
also very relevant when you look at the rest of the year for these teams
until either bring on someone else if we can't work it out, but I
will get you a singular forty five to hour long podcasts on the Clippers.
I apologize that we couldn't get to all thirty. The plan was to have
them all done before opening night, but again it didn't work out. Please
remember to rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast wherever you get your
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just tell people about us word of mouth to continue building the community. I
appreciate every single one of you who listen. Let's get into this exercise,
which is super fun and I hope you all enjoyed the first thirty seven seconds
leading into this podcast. Don't think that I was just going to lead into
it without mentioning it anyway I'm gonna do. I've not watched every single game,
but I've gone box score hunting and then watched based off things that I've
seen, and I've watched chunks of games just to see what was interesting,
and so I have way to early takeaways for every team. I'm not going
to try and focus on the obvious ones necessarily. If you know, if
there are flaws that were obvious, I'll highlight those. There are things that
I'm just noticing. And I have watched a lot of basketball, which is
to say I've watched basketball at all, because this utube commenters like to say
I don't know basketball, I don't watch basketball. I hate your favorite team.
I've never seen them. Don't intend to start watching them now either,
But just figure that should be a fun exercise to start the season. It's
going to be even more fun because we're going to do this in sixty seconds
or less. I'm not here to justify. I actually have this written out
and I'll let people on YouTube follow along, just as sort of these bullet
points for me to blow through. Maybe I end up talking too quickly,
but between this little intro and then the actual takeaways, this podcast should be
under forty minutes, and so that is the goals. The sixty seconds are
less takeaways, but we have takeaways for every single NBA team. I am
going to get started. I was gonna say I really should track this,
but I'm just gonna trust myself that i can do this. So I'm gonna
throw it up on the screen and we'll go in alphabetical order, and I'll
try and remember time stamp this podcast so you all can skip ahead. We
begin with the Atlanta Hawks. Yeah, Trey Young eight teams, does spend
more time off the ball or is going to He took twenty percent of his
shots as spot ups in that first game. That's compared to five percent last
season. We're only talking about four attempts. He missed them all. He
will come along there, but it does seem like Atlanta a sort of dedicated
to making that an element of his partnerships with Dejante Murray, who does seem
kind of shocked at some of the space that he has available to him in
Atlanta. I will also say Pawk's play a little bit faster than I thought
they were going to and John Collins might not mind life inside this offense that
has two ball dominant guards. The defense feels like it has a different bit
of energy too. Based off the possessions that I watched, I would like
to see them rebound way better. The Boston Celtics Malcolm Brogden probably needs to
be the sixth Man of the Year favorite at this point. Yes, I
know Jordan Poole exists. Brogden's already giving the Boston Celtics a great outlet in
the half court, a luxury next to Jason Tatum and John Brown, but
a necessity when one are both sit. I apparently undersold his capacity to attack
outside of a straight line as well, and get excited for what the Celtics
can do if and when he takes and makes more of his threes. Maybe
also get excited for what they could do if Robert Williams a third ever gets
and stays healthy. This team is a bear and they are among the ones
that I underestimated leading into the year. The Brooklyn Nets, Where do we
start? I did a deep dive on them. I'm not sure if I'm
actually gonna put it on YouTube or in a podcast form. I'll consider it
after their loss to the Pelicans. Ben simmons is overall performance, we could
take that away from it. It was. It was fairly excusable. He's
on a new team, it's been sixteen ish months since he played meaningful basketball.
Plus the Nets have him going up against Zion Williamson and Jonas vound Tunis.
That's no picnic. They remained very large human beings. Brooklyn's minutes with
Ben Simmons and Nicholas Claxton, though those might be worth reading into a little
bit. In the fifteen minutes they locked together, the Nets had an offensive
rating of sixty and shot eight of twenty overall and just one of six from
three, and it looked every bit as clumpy as those numbers imply. Slotting
Simmons next to day Ron Sharp isn't a solution. The same goes for sticking
Ben Simmons at center when going up against behemoth front courts like that in New
Orleans. I don't know what the answer is here. It may be a
pickle that the Nets can't solve getting back Joe Harris and Steph Seth Curry.
Steph Curry would help to Seth Curry will help just to open up space in
the front court during the more clumbier minutes. But that's something to watch.
This team might need a trade. Even when looking at sort of its wing
defense packing order. You don't want Kevin Durant have to be on brandon ingram
A Ton. There's Charlotte Hornets. This one's big. Steve Clifford is gonna
let the Hornets run. It looks like maybe this is more like. First
of all, if that's the case, Steve Clifford coaching this team that's going
to play frenetically, sign me all the way up. So long as that
doesn't involve predicting the Hornets make the playoffs, I will not do that.
Perhaps this place is too much emphasis on them beating the San Antonio Spurs,
But the Hornets played a frisky pace and they don't even have a Melo ball
back right now, who's dealing with a sprained ankle. I'm in love with
it. Also, Holy Nick Richards, they were right to name him as
just their second primary big at this point. I respect the off ball movement,
the baby bassline jumper. It's very pretty. This is officially a Nick
Richards Fan Club podcast. The Chicago Bulls Demard Rosen is certainly gonna cool off
this season, I say to myself, whilst applying numerous thick layers of clown
makeup to my face edging out the Miami heat. Doesn't seem like it's gonna
be sort of the banner moment that it used to be. But the Bulls
did not have Zach Levine, they didn't have a Lonzo ball, and Rosen
dropped thirty seven and nine while nailing two two. We're talking multiple three pointers
and creating his usual amount of anarchy inside the arc with his change of pace,
handles and fadeaways and pull ups and never ending hang time that allows for
last second decisions you didn't see coming. Also, Iowa soon move starting for
them right now. He's on like the most highway robberiist contract in the league
on the non rookie scale division. Right now. This dude just does a
little bit of everything. And the Bulls stole him in the draft, and
then the contract that they were able to sign him to outside of the rookie
scale again because he was selecting the second round. Just a freaking steal.
The Cleveland Cavaliers. I have like a bunch of short ones for them.
Dono Mitchell going downhill good, Donovan Mitchell off the dribbles, shooting looks good,
execution not so good. Those will start to fall. Darius Garland suffering
a laceration on his eyelid bad the Cleveland Cavalier's wing rotation badder, Isaaco Coral's
offense that ist Cleveland's future ability to rip souls out perfectly intact. I'm not
worried about this team. They'll be fine. Dallas Mavericks a team that I'm
not sure will be fine. They do have Luca, which helps. Maybe
Jason Kids shouldn't go away from Christian Wood when he's cooking. That's just the
thought. It's also watching, going back and watching, and I watched that
game live, and then I watched parts of it again when I was doing
something on Devin Booker. It's either too early or too late to worry about
Tim Hardaway Junior. I haven't decided yet. I might own apology as Spencer
did't wood he's outside shooting. If my career livelihood dependent on guarding Luca don
Chich, I would simply retire Damian Lee and fourth quarter Devin Booker. Though,
is Dallas Mavericks kryptonite. This is a team that I think they might
end up being better than I expect. I'm gonna have to hand out a
lot of apologies this season just because the attention Luca draws is just huge.
But Jason Kidd going away from Christian wood They also I still think they need
someone else on the perimeter aside from Dinwoody to take pressure off of Luka don
Chi for extended stretches. The Denver Nuggets is my title pick already going up
in flames, obviously, not because I'm always correct. It might actually be
going up in flames though they lose to the Jazz, allowing eighty Allowing seventy
plus percent shooting at the rim apparently is not a good thing. So just
for anyone out there who would maybe coaching basketball trying to get into it,
it's not great. Who knew? Though? Denver needs to take also take
and hope it makes more threes. Giving a damn on the glass would be
cool. Too. Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Junior did not look spectacular,
but just give them some time to round themselves into form. Nicole Yokis is
already in MVP form. This is another team that will be fine, I
think, because I don't want to be wrong about my title pick, or
at least don't want to be egregiously wrong the Detroit Pistons. Man break up
the Pistons. They're clearly just a budding dynasty this season. But seriously,
Kay Cunningham with space to operate is terrifying. Not only that, but Kay
Cunningham without space to operate is also terrifying to watch. I believe in the
floater. The three can look iffy and slow and low, but I believe
in that too. The average person is going to wind up tweeting with this
team. Jay and Ivey just did what three to seventeen times every time they
watched the Pistons on average, John Dirt has a certain dominate within the flow
of the offense field to him, and I'm also convinced that Kevin Knox might
have some dirt or compromising photos on head coach Dwayne Casey. Nevertheless, I
overall believe that Detroit is building something special, and that trade for Brian mcdonovitch
is just going to do them a world of good. The Golden State Warriors,
I think for this one we need to go to an outside source,
which is the Golden State Warriors title window. Golden State Warriors title window.
Are you ever going to close? No? No, I don't think I
will look Golden State. I just you beat Lebron, James Anthony Davis and
the South Bay Lakers. Okay, fine, whatever. James Riiseman looks like
a real, live, functional NBA player. Donte even Chen's already looks like
a perfect fit. Andrew Wiggins is apparently now irreversibly in trench is the best
three, indeed non star in the league. Imagine what the Warriors will look
like when Steph Curry, Jordan Pool, and Clay Thompson all resumed hitting threes.
The Houston Rockets, Bruo Fernando starting over, Albrun Shangun in this universe
is weird. Steven Silas, what'd you do? I get it from the
fit concerns perspective, But like you have Jubarie Smith there anyway, and he's
supposed to I know, he's a rookie, but like functionally on defense,
he should compliment Shangoon really well. It actually could have turned out worse when
you look at the Bruno Fernando minutes from Game one, still just all kinds
of weird. I don't like it. Houston definitely needs more of a floor
general too for this team. I mean, Kevin Porter Junior had a good
game, but he and Jellen Green are just sort of overmatched as being the
quarterbacks tasked with allocating touches and shots for everybody else. And even if it's
a veteran or something, I don't think they're gonna ruin the tank. This
team has a lot of talent, but isn't that good. It'd be nice
to see them go get out and to find just that floor general type.
It also be nice to see them get in transition every once in a fucking
while. I'm asking for the name of Steven Sciolas's job security there the Indiana
Pacers Tyres Haliburton is that dude, He's the Indiana Pacers Lifeline. He has
a license plate number. It's k n ge z SUK. If you're watching
on screen, King Suck, I guess I'm I'm still thinking about his dunks
plural against the Wizards, and about his escape triple triple and at three point
time he threw to John Smith, and also about the ease and constants with
which he moves off the ball. That was a great pickup by Indy.
There are other things to take away from this game. I'm really intrigued by
Isaiah Jackson this season. I do blame Caitlyn Cooper for that a lot,
but this seems should still be a fun watch, and kudos took to Ri
Carlaro for kind of letting them play the way that they did for most of
that game against the Wizards. But that should be just I don't know,
I guess the benchmark. You want to see them play hard and it be
entertaining and then still lose because you won't if you're place for Fanny should want
Leeban Yama in Indiana. The Moss Turner injury, by the way, sucks
rolling his ankle al for a week. I think he stepped on a ball
boy or felling a ball boy. He said, whatever landed on a ball
boy, whatever it was ball person, and that really blows. You hate
to see a Lakers lose another big like that when Anthony Davis has already deal
with a back injury. The Clippers, Kwai Leonard is going to win sixth
Man of the Year. John Wall is a little slower, but he's still
really fucking fast and the biggest one for me though, and we like Kawai
coming off the bench is just funny. Ross is complaining about getting injured if
he sits on the bench. Kwai Leonard's just coming off the bench because he
suggested it. That was something he called for. The Clippers half court offense
really needs a jolt of creativity though they average point seven three nine points per
half court play against the Lakers, the Lakers of all teams and fifty percent
of Anthony Davis, Paul George will be better, but they probably need more
inspiring minutes out of Norman Powell here. Like I said, I was kind
of impressed with John Wall. They do really have the death but the question
of who is their third best player or do they have a third best player
who can capably be their second best player on any given night if Kauai is
restricted or not playing, if Paul George is having an off night, that
looms for this team. Also, of Vis Zubach just just a frigging bear
and can rough people up. And I just gets brought up all the time.
But the Lakers trading him for Michael Scott is just so freaking egregious even
a few years later. Oh hey, the Lakers. I hope people are
watching on screen because I do have the Darwin hand meme up here holding the
clipboards. I can pick me up, mom. I'm scared Trey Russell Westbrook
already, damn it. Look he is not going over eleven sucks and they
did almost beat the Clippers. It's not just Russ, it's his contract is
merely the vehicle through which they can make a big trade since he earns so
much money and they don't have these other expendable salary anchors to just include.
I get they don't want to give up the picks for non stars, do
it already? Lebron's in his age thirty eight season. He's currently thirty seven
now, like you're not You're not obligated till later. You're obligated to win
now. And this team cannot fucking shoot fuck the picks. They're nineteen to
eighty five from three, That is twenty two point four percent on the season.
I just to do that when Lebron is still so good, and also
when you're watching Davis like his fragility in real time with the back injury.
Come on, like, come on, he came back in the game,
by the way, I don't even think he should have come back. And
I'm not a doctor, but it didn't look like he should have came back
in the way he was moving. If you're trying to actually open this Lebron
window, if you're just trying to if there isn't a tacit agreement, that
they're just gonna send him off into the sunset, you know, contending for
the ten seed in the West. I guess that's fine. I understand the
impetus to not want to give up distant picks that could be gems when you're
transitioning out of the Lebron era, But all you're doing now is wasting what's
left of the Lebron era, and like it's gonna take you forever to get
to those picks. And the other thing I'll point out, finally waiting twenty
games, as WOS reported they want to do, I don't think that's smart.
Maybe the trade Candida pool gets deeper, but you don't have the assets
to actually outbid teams. There will be teams that come in for players,
and they're offering first round picks that convey before the end of time, where
you're not going to convey one before twenty twenty seven. So trade Russell Westbrook
already, And it's not I don't fans telling Russy sucks, and like the
memes of Russ missing, as we do with all players. I think those
are fair game. They're jokes, And I'm not a fan of a player's
game is under full, like it's fair game. But player's game is fair
game. How about that? But like when you're attacking their character, actually
being hostile towards them, like you you're fucking loser, and to have fans
screament you suck, it's just let's bring back players running into the stands,
is really all I'm saying there. So how's that? Trade Russell Westbrook.
I'm still going to defend him the Memphis Grizzlies. It is apparently already that
time of year when I must cheapestly apologize for underestimating the Memphis Grizzlies, who
are still very much awesome despite opting out of the proven talent acquisition game over
the summer. I'm sorry, Memphis. John Rant isn't trancing, Desmond Bane
really plays offense like he's what if Kyle Lowry was taller, Santi aldama is
It seems really fucking good and just sort of everywhere all at once at the
exact right time. Steven Adams screens are still still pancakey. This team might
actually shoot enough threes now, Taias Jones might let a fly more and Jenif
Jackson Junior receive playing yet and this team is just still so frenetic and good.
I don't again, I don't know if they'll master the fifty six win
total, but they already make me look like a moron. The Miami Heat
I don't know that I have any nice things to say about them. I
refuse to entertain Kyle Lowry being done. I just I won't do it.
It's not happening yet. I we're moving on. Max Drews still remains allergic
to missing. That's good. It would be nice if bam Adebayo didn't settle
on offense like he was twenty twenty one Anthony Davis. At this point,
Tyler Heroes should attack the rim like Nikolavuchevitch is defending it even more often than
he did during the first game this season. Jimmy Butler going downhill and running
the open floor are still terrifying sites. The Miami Heat half court offense over
Roldo is still a slog. They'll probably aren't out just enough of their wrinkles
anyway and then win like forty eight to fifty three games, because that's what
they tend to do. I do have just concerns about this roster and they
might need to make the trade where it's, oh, we're including picks on
top of Duncan Robinson salary. But this Kyle Lowry sally sort of work its
way into here. They do feel like a team that needs to make a
move, and not just for like a Jay Crowder type. Right now.
The Milwaukee Bucks Janice is fucking great. End of story. That's too many
f bombs even for me so far. We're only halfway through. He dropped
against the Sixers on Thursday twenty one, thirteen eight and then with three blocks,
and it just fells so casual, like it almost wasn't even happening.
Dude, its heroic. Milwaukee really needs Chris Middleton back though, especially in
the half court, and especially if Drew Holiday is going to continue to shoot
like he's still in the playoffs. Oh, I really would like to just
note that Jordan Warra's confidence remains aspirational. Javon Carter also remains suffocating, and
I think it's actually okay that he has a real role on this team.
By the way, Brook Lopez is bold text back on defense, it seems
like, which I think is really important to note, and it's huge for
Milwaukee. The Minnesota Timberwolves, I surprisingly don't have a great feel for them
after watching a pretty big portion of their game against the Thunder, But Rudy
Gay and the timberwolve should still be fun, especially if they keep milking his
uses. There's a screener, and resist the temptations to devolve into this one
on one team like we saw Anthony Edwards and Dilo do a little bit too
much at points. Jellen Noel is ready wolf Stands were yelling at me and
the mentions on YouTube they were right. I can admit I'd like to think
I commit when I'm wrong when it comes to this, probably in my actual
life. Like people will tell you differently, I'm just stubborn. Jane McDaniels
says, God, we knew that, and you still want him to hit
and take more threes, but he's God. Anton Edwards is probably still failing.
Shake jojis Alexander as I record this right now, and that is the
day after this game took place. And Carl Anthony Towns can't let bigger wings
like the way that the thunder we're defending him, or combo followers just out
physical him on the perimeter, that that just can't happen. I think the
Timberwolves will see kind of work in progress, more so on offense than defense,
which is really wild to think. And there might still be some,
you know, definitely kinks to work out there, but I'm more intrigued by
how the offense ends up panning out, at least when we're going individual by
individual, given they're just the pecking order right now, the New Orleans Pelicans.
My only takeaway is the dynasty has started. Zion Williamson isn't even all
the way back, and he's somehow still just this human tornado brand ingram can
taggle between like six different offensive existences in the same quarter. Kudos to him.
I mean, he hit some pretty tough shots against the nets, but
like he also he got KD backdoor at one point, he's able to He
looks like he's perfected just being able to stand where he knows that defenses are
going to help from and then he can hit those stands still threesh, my
god. This team has maybe two top twenty five players on the team right
now. I don't think it's the stretch to say branding will be in the
top twenty five discussion Trey Murphy the third is or Trey Murphy. Excuse New
Orleans people have gotten mad at me for saying Tray Murphy the third, I
think, but whatever, Trey Murphy hitting ultra D threes, scoring off movement,
he's allowed to dribble, and he's gonna be more than a role player.
Jonas Valantunists remains very very very very very very very Garcantuin just in case
anyone was wondering, and the mood surrounding this team is great, and as
it turns out, Zion BI and CJ McCullum ken in fact absolutely play together.
How unexpected. On a related note, it was not unexpected. If
you listen to this podcast, the New York Knicks, whof sure, I
mean capable point guard and Jalen Brunson who attacks even in crunch time and then
effectively decision makes off those attacks is great. And yes, Cam Reddish very
much doesn't suck and should also pass please for the love of God. And
okay, I might be thirty seven percent worried about the Knicks's reliance on RJ.
Barrett defensively and how tough assignments visa v. John Morant might impact his
she on the other end, just like his mood, his aura there,
he just made him really bad aions on offense against the Grizzlies. That being
said Julius Randall, playing and screening and rolling and spotting up and scoring and
passing within the flow, within the larger context of the offense rather than from
over dribbles island will be a meaningful game changer for this team if it holds.
I kind of buy into it. Everything's hunky dory in game one,
but if Julius Randall can fit into this larger offensive picture where they're getting away
from his just very you heliocentric type of touches and he can still have them
like lineups are still built for him to use them, but he played well
I thought off others and with others. That becomes big for this next team.
And it's why you can be in a game that you were against the
Grizzlies for as long as you were. When RJ. Barrett is having an
off night, the Oklahoma City Thunder starting le say Pokahevsky at center is at
once unhinged and genius, and I still believe in him. Props to the
Oklahoma City Thunder for exploring what they have and who he is. This also
just might be sort of his final shot. We'll say, we're giving you
a license, like prove it. Don't be this up and down tantalizing player.
Every you know, thirty seventh possession just to turn in thirty six shitty
ones before that, and I thought he had some really nice moments. That
being said, the Thunder please consider asking him to rein it in on critical
fourth quarter possessions and which shake Gilgest Alexander both exists and is on the floor.
Speaking of shake Gilgist Alexander, Holy hell, the cadence he plays at
remains indescribably variable. His poison, directionality and strength on drives, his a
plus plus plus plus plus plus plus plus plus plus and from scratch drumper it
looks pretty. Jayn Williams is Adrenaline incarnate. I just I don't know how
else to describe him. Lou dort On offense still Shimmy's between chaotically brilliant and
painful. Josh Kiddy doesn't seem afraid to shoot anymore. Let's see if they
ever start falling. Ship England now is in Oklahoma City, so maybe it
does. The Orlando Magic shout out to Kobe Price for tagging me on Twitter
and I was able to go back and watch it. Orlando Magic head coach
Jamal Mosley is prepared to deploy some truly weird ass lineups. I love him
for it. Franz Wagner functioned as a day facto point guard for almost seven
minutes in the Magic loss to the Pistons. Do I care that Orlando missed
all of its three pointers during that time? Absolutely not. And my little
upset Caleb Houston was on the court during those stretches rather than Palabankaro. You
better fucking believe that. I am. Oh yeah, bank Carrow really freaking
good and annihilatory inside the Arc condolences to Corey Joseph who was probably still by
still just probably shaking from being posterrized. I also can't wait for Palabankaro to
attempt his first first career regular season three. It might even happen by the
time you listen into this if you're listening to it after Friday. Congratulations to
all of us, by the way, who did not sell their jail and
sugs stock Philadelphia seventy six Ers. It turns out, I know, everyone,
brace yourselves. It turns out James Harden has not entered the Udonis Haslem
phase of his career. How about that. The Sixers are perhaps indulging too
much though and hardened so far, but he's delivering with a very offensive armory.
He looks prior inside the Arc, isn't afraid to get up those in
between jumpers and floaters. The passing remains uh, you know, astounding at
points, and he's able to open up things for everybody else. With all
of that in mind, Tyrese Maxie's being criminally underused, and that needs to
change somehow, maybe going through less of Harden, giving him more solo time.
It just needs to change. I also think Joel Embiid through two games
looks discombobulated on offense. But starting the season against the front courts and Boston
Milwaukee can do that to you. Starting over two is less than ideal for
this team. I'm not panicked. I think they're gonna be really good.
They had two tough matchups and they'll they'll figure it out. But one of
the bigger things Joel Embiid, you can bet on him just being better offensively,
and I thought he was a little bit better defensively in the Milwaukee game
than he was in the Boston game. That being said, the Tyres Maxie
stuff, you need to figure out how a way to just keep him more
involved. And I think that probably step you know, you have to go
to the solo time with him would be my best guest guests there. But
even so, as just like James Harden, could stand to probably find him
open in the corner a little bit more than he has so far. The
Phoenix Suns, Devin Booker still underappreciated. I kind of wanted to stop my
take there, but I think does anyone who listens to podcast know that I've
just a Devin Booker basketball fetish. His pocket passes are magic, and he's
so composed in working off the dribble and decision making from there. He absolutely
just destroyed and picked apart the Mavericks in the latter two thirds of the fourth
quarter when he when he came in and helped the Suns with that comeback.
Chris Paul may finally be anging or is just really banged up. I still
refuse they cut him pouting on the bench or whatever. I still just refused
to like get too worried about him. If he is sort of cooked,
then yeah, you have to worry about him. Damian Lee was in fact
a good signing. How about that? Me and Mike Vehill and myself in
the Timeline podcast were talking on the Suns look Ahead that he was maybe their
most intriguing pick up over the off season. I know Josh Akogi was in
there for some and Jacque Landale he's had some fun minutes, but I think
it's Damien Lee and he showed why. Of course he ended up hitting like
basically what was the game sealer. This team still really needs another dependable rotation
player or two. If only they had someone like Jay Crowder and then maybe
like someone else. But yeah, they having Jay Crowder at home, I
don't know how much he changes for this team, and you're gonna have different
concerns on offense, although Cam and McHale like they and Eyton gave you just
like a lot of variants there on offense. Even if you know McHale specifically
wasn't perfect, Cam Johnson was fine. I think that they just need to
be a little bit deeper and they're gonna need to make a trade. But
their top five is still just money to me. Or maybe if you're that
out on CB three, you can go top four. The Portland Trailblazers don't
bother worrying about Damian Lillard. I can't get there. I just I don't
know more of his shots will fall. And davy O Mitchell is a human
eclipse. So you're going up against the Kings, you have to worry about
that. I do worry a little bit how much defenses can key in on
him, because they really don't care about Portland's other shooters at this point,
who are not named Anthony Simons, but the Blazers dedication, which is just
something else you can observe, and you go back and look at the Kings
and maybe This is because they were facing the Kings, but they really focused
on slashing towards the rim in the half court. And also I'm just getting
out in transition and attacking the basket there that will eventually in the half court
specifically help alieviate some of the pressure on Dame. But you are gonna need
if you want to open things up for him three point shooting at a higher
equip from your supporting cast. The other thing is by the end of the
season, Josh Hart might need the league in zero dribble assists where he just
calling the connective pastor if that's how you want to phrase it, just you
know, putting getting an assist without having to put the ball on the floor.
He he is a bear too when it comes to rebounding. And the
Kings, the team that they played, they have, Well, let's start
with Daron Fox, who's just absolutely he's a star. Baby my darn Fox
stock has held too. He's someone I vote him most improved player in year
two, which is something I refused to do, is really throw a year
or two players in there. He somehow year two, darn Fox maybe break
that. You'll break that rule way back when. But he just looked amazing,
kind of like he did to close the year last season, and it
was able to. I don't think overshadow because I don't think the Mattis Sabonis
had a bad game, but he just felt when you go back and watch
that game, you didn't feel him as much on offense necessarily. Kevin Hurder
also is not shy and has the absolute green light in Sacramento, not that
he didn't in Atlanta, but he was sort of buried a little bit more
like they didn't have as many I guess ball dominant guys when you know Danren
Fox and Sabonis here, but like the ball just seems to find him more
in Sacramento. And maybe it's just because you know, he's logging some more
wing minutes here as well. Maybe this was just a one game thing,
but he is certainly not shy, and I'm actually impressed with the energy Mike
Brown has the team playing with on defense. I will say it'd be nice
if they put some bodies around the basket just to grab a board or two
or three, and they're gonna just stop failing so damn much. The San
Antonio Spurs, the tank is on and they might be a team that,
just based off the way that they're playing, they might contend for that coveted
oh dead last and offensive end defensive efficiency. They're in the bottom three of
both right now, including I don't know what it is, it's dead last
in probably if I had to guess, it's offense. Let me check,
Yeah, it's it's an offense points per possession, and they're twenty eighth and
in points allowed per possession. That being said, Kelvin Johnson's shoulder seems okay.
I was skeptical he was gonna be ready to start the season as someone
who dislocated a shoulder. There's still not a ton of directionality on his drives,
but there's a there's a different cadence to them, and I think that
will help him as he's on the ball even more. And we sort of
saw it in that first game. When you go back and watch his possessions,
the three point shot looks crisp and and like he no longer needs to
be completely stationary. Anyone who's currently worried about Devin Vassell and Josh Primo is
free to see themselves out. Jeremy Sohead, I'm sold. It wasn't even
like that most impactful of the first game. The jumper is very much TVD
and did not. I think the first one he took or set, whatever
it was, he'd be bricked that thing on the on the other side of
the rim too. It was one of those bricks for like it's sailed over.
It was way too strong, like you bricked the other side of the
basket, which is really hard to do. I'm impressed though. That just
shows versatility he did. Miss Hi looks at the basket. He needs to
go up harder, but he moves and shakes. He's a hustler without the
ball, and he can slip through defenses in the half court. It already
feels like he's gonna be that. He is a good off ball defender and
he can really clear out space after handoff. He did it for Yaka Peardle.
I think it was two or three times in this game. So keep
your on Jeremy So hand And we need a Jeremy So and hair color tracker.
I haven't made one. I've said it in discord a million times during
our discord. How's that for a plug? But we needed Jeremy So had
a hair color tracker. The Toronto raptors. The starters, as we've learned
against Cleveland, will continue to play roughly infinity minutes each game on a more
you know, like intimate level. I guess here, I think I'm sold
on Ogann and Oby's passing. They're still gonna be the ones where it's like,
oh, he threw that and there was actually no raptor on that side
of the floor. But man, he just threw a couple of passes in
this game. I think he ended up with four or five assists against Cleveland.
I think he might be worth when you look at how more how much
more or let's say, how much less predictable he is when he's putting the
ball on the floor and attacking the basket. He might need to be in
the Most Improved Player conversation that we thought pressous that Chewa was going to enter
when he pressure to Chew is more of like the guy that's just going to
enter that conversation every third game or something. I did big pressure that you
to win most improved Player. So I'm just saying it does feel like the
moments in which Scottie Barnes flashes more on ball decisive mission acceleration or on the
climb, which will be big time for the Raptors. I mean, that's
what this season, not it's all about, but that's like just the biggest
thing for this season is, Yeah, you want to compete, but you
also want to know that you have that sort of additional point of attack weapon
that can operate at a higher processing speed. Otherwise you're gonna have to go
out in trade from It's not Scotty Barnes, but just the flashes we've seen
of it man when he really puts his mind to it and he absolutely cooked.
I think it was Dean Wade on one of the possessions. It was
like, if he can do that, doesn't have to be every touch,
but more consistently Holy Hill. The Utah Jazz, who are undefeated as of
this recording. Danny Ainge is going to be pissed. And actually I was
able to grab some footage slash audio of him talking to the Jazz in the
locker room after they just absolutely spanked the Denver Nuggets. We don't do that.
Yeah, yeah, I mean, I'm with Danny Ainge. Rudy Gay
thinks it's twenty and twelve. Apparently Jared Vanderbilt is caffeine in corporal form.
Colin Sex didn't. By the way, this is like he looks good in
terms of his North South juice. He hit this step back on Nicole Yokis
they really the Jazz and Sex and specifically they went after him when he hit
that step back down the stretch. It hints it another layer of shop making
that he's never been too consistent at. And I'm talking about basically the unassisted
jumper. It's not something I want to see him go to too much.
I guess if you're in higher leverage moments. But if the Jazz are really
just into experimenting, this is someone who when he is trade eligible, if
he's gonna play like this, I don't know. If the Jazz jum is
part of their core, he could be. He will be in the sixth
Man of the Year discussion. I he keeps playing like this and coming off
the bench, and two they're getting another first round pick for him. He's
like on that on that deal too. Four year, seventy two million,
Holy crap, lowry market in with more live dribble agency. Yep, sign
me up. He just threw some wicked passes here and there were two of
them. Where you like put real emphasis on it, like he wanted that
I'm anyone who's not watching, like you can't say I'm just flamboyantly, you
know, flipping my hand in my neck, my face. But so he's
gonna I think he's gonna be fun to watch this year. Walker Kessler bry
the way. So I might have been wrong about him. I had this
conversation discord. I wasn't sure if he'd be able to handle like the NBA
speed of events in the half court. He looks like he's okay there already.
I am semi intrigued by him, Kelly Olynk and Lowry marketing and sharing
the court at the same time. I'm just offensively like that makes a ton
of sense. But the Jazz like have the ability to go five out if
they want with a link and mark it in and then trying to fill out
with either smaller guards. This team could really just be a monster to defend
on off. I'm not saying that they're going to be super good every single
night. Denver's defense was pretty freaking porous, but they were averaging. They
average almost a point possession in the half court against Denver, And then I
was a little bit disappointed though, that they weren't getting out in transition more.
I guess when you look at their personnel it makes sense a little bit,
but only I think it was nine percent of their plays came in transition
for that game. That's just too low, and I actually I just looked
it up. It's actually dead last in the league through this early part of
the season, so I'd like to see more of that from them there.
Maybe they're not built for it, though they're gonna try, though. Tony
Jones came up from the Athletic Acounts podcast and said it, and it looked
Tanking never really happens on the court. It happens in the front office when
they make decisions to trade people or to play certain people, but the actual
players are not are never tanking, unless you're James Harden trying to get to
a new team. Of course, the Washington Wizards, Denny Abbey's anchor ankle
better be okay. That's all I will say. I also will say I
didn't expect their most shoes lined up to be the all bench mob, and
I was not a fan of it. On offense, for the most part,
there was a lot of defensive upside there. I think it was it
was anti gil Ruey, Will Barton, Daniel Gafford and why I'm already forgetting
the fourth player the fifth player. Excuse me on that, Oh Dulan right,
like, so yeah, that's kind of built to fuck up lives on
defense. Was not a fan of how it looked on offense. When I
went to go watch those minutes, the defense or the Wizards was pretty good
around the rim. Actually, that's something that wasn't great for them last year
for a lot of the season. That's something that's definitely encouraging. And I
will say Bradley Beale looks good esthetically attacking the basket going downhill laterally with his
dribble and the way he's moving his feet. They got him some nice easier
looks as well, which is why I think his three point clip will climb
from that two of seven mark. But the I get that he has to
take some step backs, you know, baillout shots and the shot clock,
but those just might not be the most efficient bread and butter for him,
Like maybe he just can't hit those it. I trust Shay gil Zoxander knocked
those down right now. When I'd do Bradley Beale, but I thought it
was an encouraging performance from him overall, and just he's still an excellent passer
when he's able to break down the defense, and I like the partnership with
him and Monte Morris. I think that they provide a nice balance to one
another. Did I wrap this up in time? I absolutely did, sub
forty minutes. Thank you everyone who listened or watched the entire thing. If
you've not joined our discord, please do that. The link is in the
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it's chat for the one the only because he's alleged he's frankly keenan