1 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:19,879 What is up, fellow thermonuclear aappers. I am Dan Valley, coming at 2 00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:24,760 you with my fantabulous co host Grant Hughes following on Twitter at GC Underscore Hughes. 3 00:00:24,800 --> 00:00:29,000 We've both worked athlete reporters you may know for like twenty years at this 4 00:00:29,039 --> 00:00:31,679 point, I think it's more like ten plus. But anyway, we are 5 00:00:31,719 --> 00:00:35,359 here with another over unders episode. If you've not checked out our Western Conference 6 00:00:35,399 --> 00:00:39,119 over Under predictions, do so. That episode is out, which means that 7 00:00:39,159 --> 00:00:42,359 we're onto the Eastern Conference. Very briefly, though, I would like to 8 00:00:42,399 --> 00:00:46,520 remind you and implore you to subscribe to us wherever you are consuming us. 9 00:00:46,719 --> 00:00:49,560 If you're on YouTube, hit that subscribe button. If you haven't checked this 10 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:53,000 out before, like can also comment to help the algorithm love us back. 11 00:00:53,039 --> 00:00:56,520 We would like to continue growing that community. Subscribe to us all on our 12 00:00:56,600 --> 00:00:59,240 YouTube as well, and if you're on YouTube, subscribe to us via a 13 00:00:59,359 --> 00:01:03,079 podcast player. Follow us on the socials those are in the podcast description and 14 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:07,560 the YouTube description, and join our discord, which we're hoping will be a 15 00:01:07,599 --> 00:01:11,079 little bit more active now. Once I won finished these NBA team look aheads 16 00:01:11,079 --> 00:01:14,760 and then two once the regular seasons up and running. Also, if you've 17 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:19,200 not checked out the NBA team look Aheads. As I've said, the views 18 00:01:19,239 --> 00:01:22,760 and the downloads have been absolutely terrible on them relative to last season. I 19 00:01:22,799 --> 00:01:25,760 don't know why, but they've been fantastic. The guests have been great. 20 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:29,120 It's good to just get these sort of previews and in depth looks at where 21 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:30,799 each team is headed. And with all of that out of the way, 22 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:34,760 we ask the only question that anyone actually cares about with regard to this podcast, 23 00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:38,719 Grant, how the heck are you doing today? I'm nervous, Dan. 24 00:01:41,319 --> 00:01:45,359 I didn't enjoy doing the East over Unders as much as the West because 25 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:49,920 I have a lot less confidence than most of them. So I'm just gonna 26 00:01:49,959 --> 00:01:51,879 do my best, you know. That's all we can ask is I'm just 27 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:53,280 gonna I'm gonna give you my best effort. We'll see where we land. 28 00:01:55,159 --> 00:02:00,439 You. You sound like someone who's just resigned to going four and eleven conference 29 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:02,280 over under. Yeah, yeah, no, that's right. We do not. 30 00:02:02,799 --> 00:02:07,159 This is not betting advice or anyone. I did go over five hundred 31 00:02:07,239 --> 00:02:09,520 for US a second consecutive year last season and picking them, but I wouldn't 32 00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:14,879 endorse anyone making bets off what we say. I actually do not bet on 33 00:02:14,919 --> 00:02:19,360 sports, do you grant? No, it's a suckers game. The oddsmakers 34 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:22,319 are too smart and so I don't do that. Or you and I are 35 00:02:22,319 --> 00:02:24,919 too stupid, too dumb. Yeah, well whichever either way, it doesn't 36 00:02:24,919 --> 00:02:29,280 work out well for me. Either way, Let's get for people that are 37 00:02:29,280 --> 00:02:31,840 watching on YouTube, it's a fun experience to follow along with because I'm gonna 38 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:35,479 put it up on the screen. How about that You'll get to see a 39 00:02:35,479 --> 00:02:38,039 peek behind the Google doc and you'll I put some easter eggs in terms of 40 00:02:38,039 --> 00:02:40,759 what the sheets are named in there, if anyone's just looking for those and 41 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:46,439 I've blacked out frame watching on YouTube our Western Conference picks. Go check out 42 00:02:46,479 --> 00:02:50,199 that video immediately or that podcast if you haven't listened to it already. We 43 00:02:50,319 --> 00:02:54,240 begin in the East with the Atlanta Hawks. They were at forty five and 44 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:59,960 a half grant. Where did you land on them? I'm over just barely 45 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:04,400 about as close as you can be, And I feel bad about it because 46 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:08,319 I just I think, obviously Jon Tay Murray should address the defense and secondary 47 00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:12,560 ball handling and ease the burden of Trey Young. And this Sat and the 48 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:15,360 other. You know, you could just go down the list of all the 49 00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:20,919 reasons he's helpful. I think they're just a little bit deeper, generally speaking, 50 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:24,439 like justin Holiday and for that matter, Aaron Holiday are are quality death 51 00:03:24,479 --> 00:03:30,360 pieces. I think there's a good case to be made that DeAndre Hunter and 52 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:36,319 Anyeka Kongwu could be way better than they were last year. And so, 53 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:38,960 you know, then, how do you how do you just narrowly go over? 54 00:03:38,639 --> 00:03:42,840 I don't know. I just think, you know, Bogdanovich kind of 55 00:03:42,919 --> 00:03:46,360 having more Nie stuff throughout the preseason and training camp kind of bothers me because 56 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:51,360 he means a lot of that team. I could see Capella slipping. I 57 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:54,159 just I don't know. I'm trying to talk myself into a reason why I 58 00:03:54,199 --> 00:03:58,560 didn't go like way over. But we're we're over. I think the Hawks 59 00:03:58,560 --> 00:04:01,759 are are going to be better. I just think there's just so much depth 60 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:05,919 in the East that like, you could be a significantly better team and your 61 00:04:05,919 --> 00:04:11,360 win total might just because of the degree of difficulty, not be that much 62 00:04:11,439 --> 00:04:15,400 higher. I'm with everything you said, and I actually had them at forty 63 00:04:15,439 --> 00:04:17,519 six victories and when I went through my record projections and I'll try and remember 64 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:20,399 to show those or we'll go through our standings predictions at the end. But 65 00:04:20,439 --> 00:04:24,680 I totally was just so excited to be done with the Western Conference that I 66 00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:29,800 just cut us out on that one. I think there's there's real combustibility here. 67 00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:33,439 I don't I feel like people are sort of just dismissing that Murray and 68 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:38,199 Trey are going to work on offense. You need either to move Trey Young 69 00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:42,480 off the ball more or hope Murray just can you know, cut more or 70 00:04:42,879 --> 00:04:46,600 hit more set jumpers? And I will just caution, we don't know if 71 00:04:46,639 --> 00:04:48,519 Trey Young can work off the ball. I believe that he can. Will 72 00:04:48,560 --> 00:04:51,959 he be actually Steph Curry and just paying around everywhere? I doubt it. 73 00:04:53,199 --> 00:04:56,639 That being said, if your solution to making this work when they're on the 74 00:04:56,639 --> 00:04:59,920 court together is to take the ball out of the hands of your best player 75 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:03,040 more often, there's some value in that, but it does make me a 76 00:05:03,079 --> 00:05:06,639 little uneasy. The fit makes a ton of sense on defense, but you 77 00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:10,120 also kind of wonder, well, how good will they be on defense? 78 00:05:10,319 --> 00:05:14,519 A healthy Clinkuppela will help a ton, But like DeAndre Hunter has been underwhelming 79 00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:17,120 there the past season or two I mean he's also struggled with health, not 80 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:19,959 so much. He struggled with health during his career as well. They've been 81 00:05:19,959 --> 00:05:24,639 linked to Jay Crowder. Are you trusting justin holiday to give you and really 82 00:05:24,680 --> 00:05:28,959 buoy your secondary wing minutes? And if it's not him, you know, 83 00:05:29,199 --> 00:05:32,240 are you trusting who as like You're as like Jalen Johnson is going to be 84 00:05:32,279 --> 00:05:35,519 in the rotation? How big roles are yet Ungu going to play? I 85 00:05:35,560 --> 00:05:41,040 don't think it's bankable that they're a ton improved on the defensive end. I 86 00:05:41,040 --> 00:05:45,519 could see them sort of fading into just the the abyss of the East in 87 00:05:45,560 --> 00:05:46,959 the sense like the middle class is super deep this year and they might be 88 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:50,040 lower than we think. But I Trey Young, John Collins still there, 89 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:55,000 Clinkopela still there, He's healthier. The roster makes their top six, top 90 00:05:55,000 --> 00:06:00,800 seven guys makes so much sense together And if the Murray Trey Young offensive gets 91 00:06:00,800 --> 00:06:02,519 answered in the affirmative, we might be looking at a team that could maybe 92 00:06:02,560 --> 00:06:08,560 flirt with fifty victories, especially if they wind up crushing opponents during the non 93 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:11,519 trade minutes, which they got a little bit better in certain lineups last year 94 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:15,079 with those but now Dejante Murray. If you're not winning those minutes, it's 95 00:06:15,079 --> 00:06:20,000 a problem. Yep. We are onto the Boston Celtics at fifty three and 96 00:06:20,040 --> 00:06:24,399 a half. Where do you land on Boston? Grant? So I'm under 97 00:06:24,439 --> 00:06:28,040 on the Celtics, and it's kind of like there's there's some elements of like 98 00:06:28,120 --> 00:06:32,079 Phoenix East here where I feel like I'm discounting. You know, how good 99 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:34,959 this team was a year ago and this is like a pretty significant fall for 100 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:39,199 them to get all the way under this number. I Have'm at fifty two 101 00:06:39,240 --> 00:06:46,680 wins. But like so they're just a couple. Main issues are if m 102 00:06:46,839 --> 00:06:50,160 Audoka was such a great coach, which I think he was, I think 103 00:06:50,199 --> 00:06:55,959 you can credit him with a lot of the defensive sea change midway through the 104 00:06:55,959 --> 00:07:00,160 season, you have to say that him not being there hurts, right, 105 00:07:00,199 --> 00:07:03,360 Like you can't either he's great or he's not. And if he's not, 106 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:09,480 if he's not there, then that matters. And related is Robert Williams, 107 00:07:09,480 --> 00:07:13,519 the third uh just never looked right in the finals. Had another operation. 108 00:07:14,959 --> 00:07:16,959 He's had now a couple on that knee, and that's a problem to me 109 00:07:17,040 --> 00:07:23,519 because he was the key to that defensive change mid year that totally revamped what 110 00:07:23,560 --> 00:07:27,879 the Celtics were and lifted their ceiling and all that. So he's gonna miss 111 00:07:27,879 --> 00:07:30,839 time. And then if you get sort of the finals version of him, 112 00:07:30,879 --> 00:07:33,680 where he's awesome for like sixteen minutes in a game and then doesn't play the 113 00:07:33,680 --> 00:07:36,560 next game, and he's awesome for you know, twenty minutes the next game, 114 00:07:36,560 --> 00:07:39,600 but he's off for you know, a week after that, I just 115 00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:44,360 I don't know. And the Gallo torn acl out for the year. I 116 00:07:44,399 --> 00:07:46,360 don't know how much he was really gonna matter because I still think, you 117 00:07:46,399 --> 00:07:50,920 know, Grant Williams al Horford, that's you're okay there. It hurts more 118 00:07:50,959 --> 00:07:57,000 with Williams being out frankly too. But yeah, there's just there's just enough, 119 00:07:57,120 --> 00:08:01,720 there's enough points of concern at really key area is I think that I 120 00:08:01,839 --> 00:08:05,199 have some. I'm I'm kind of cautiously. I don't know. Can you 121 00:08:05,319 --> 00:08:09,879 be cautiously pessimistic about about the Celtics. That's how I feel about them right 122 00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:13,120 now. I went under as well, and look, I have him at 123 00:08:13,120 --> 00:08:16,439 forty nine wins, which is too fewer than last year. I think the 124 00:08:16,560 --> 00:08:18,720 Rob Robert Williams, the third injury will make a difference. We're talking about 125 00:08:18,720 --> 00:08:22,480 something who might not play until twenty twenty three. It's probably more of a 126 00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:24,360 concern if we're talking about him being limited in the postseason. So I get 127 00:08:24,399 --> 00:08:28,839 that you do have Jayson Tatum, John Brown, the Malcolm Brogden pick up 128 00:08:28,879 --> 00:08:31,639 helps, there's still depth there, but all Horford's alsto older and just like 129 00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:35,320 twenty nine plus minutes of game, does he have to play more in RW 130 00:08:35,440 --> 00:08:37,960 the three's absence? Are you going to more Grant Williams at the five even 131 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:41,399 though he's not really viewed as a five and hasn't been used a ton like 132 00:08:41,480 --> 00:08:46,720 a five there necessarily, And then you're getting into well are we relying on 133 00:08:46,879 --> 00:08:50,759 Blake Griffin, Noah von Ley FIANDU Cavin Gelly, how are you? And 134 00:08:52,159 --> 00:08:56,120 also they're talking about Celtics fans and the Celtics in general seem incredibly high and 135 00:08:56,200 --> 00:09:01,919 Luke Cornett and Sam Howser. You need to hit on one of these just 136 00:09:01,039 --> 00:09:05,039 fringe roster bigs. And then you almost need to hit on Sam House or 137 00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:09,440 with gallow Out because I think he helps you alleviate some of what is still 138 00:09:09,639 --> 00:09:13,039 a shock creation concern. I think Malcolm Brogden gives you some of that north 139 00:09:13,240 --> 00:09:18,600 south creativity where he can get going from a standstill on drives. And then 140 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:22,080 of course you have Jalen Brown, who shot forty one percent on step backs 141 00:09:22,440 --> 00:09:26,200 almost sixty percent I believe on fadeaway or fall away jumpers last year. And 142 00:09:26,240 --> 00:09:30,039 then you have Jason Tatum, but like you don't have someone aside from my 143 00:09:30,120 --> 00:09:35,360 guess Jason Tatum really who gives you like the full you know, circular shot 144 00:09:35,440 --> 00:09:39,879 creation where it's east and west and north and south and can be all over 145 00:09:39,919 --> 00:09:43,399 the place there. And Gallow gave you some of that. I'm not saying 146 00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:45,600 to a degree that you would have felt fine, but short of in the 147 00:09:45,639 --> 00:09:48,120 same vein where Marcus Smart or Jalen Brown would have given you some of that. 148 00:09:48,840 --> 00:09:52,879 There was a lot of directionality and foul drawing to Gallinari's game, So 149 00:09:52,919 --> 00:09:56,720 I think they wind up missing that, especially with r W the three out. 150 00:09:56,000 --> 00:10:00,519 This is a team that feels like it might reach it's st youngest point 151 00:10:00,600 --> 00:10:03,639 during the postseason, which is all that matters. And then just the email 152 00:10:03,639 --> 00:10:07,159 Eudoka stuff does that cast a pal over the organization, especially if he winds 153 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:11,360 up getting fired rather than suspended because they clearly don't want him there. Do 154 00:10:11,440 --> 00:10:18,799 we learn more details of his relationship with a staffer, It hasn't been reported 155 00:10:18,840 --> 00:10:20,080 yet. I don't think if she was a direct subordinate or not, but 156 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:24,320 the power dynamic was clearly needed to be an issue there. So I'm just 157 00:10:24,320 --> 00:10:26,360 saying there's more details to come out. And also the fact that it was 158 00:10:26,399 --> 00:10:31,639 reported as consensual, but then like non consensual at one point, there's no 159 00:10:31,679 --> 00:10:35,200 such thing as like a Parsley consensual. That whole the reporting on this was 160 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:39,000 wildly irresponsible, and it underscored just how ill equipped sports media is in general, 161 00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:43,279 not like even a podcasters like ourselves are to talk about and handle this 162 00:10:43,320 --> 00:10:46,279 stuff, and we're not. I'm not saying we deserve to know all the 163 00:10:46,320 --> 00:10:50,360 details. At the same time, I don't like people coming out and saying, 164 00:10:50,360 --> 00:10:52,039 oh, if you ever find out all the details, this is going 165 00:10:52,080 --> 00:10:56,200 to blow your mind. That's stupid too. So I would be worried about 166 00:10:56,320 --> 00:11:00,440 if if the staffer's name comes out, you know, because her safety at 167 00:11:00,519 --> 00:11:01,360 risk, which she would have to deal with. And then we already have 168 00:11:01,639 --> 00:11:05,840 the dumb ass social media sleuths trying to figure out which female on the staff. 169 00:11:05,840 --> 00:11:09,600 It was when a name wasn't tied to this whole thing. My point 170 00:11:09,679 --> 00:11:13,159 is is that it could end up being a mid season storyline because it's such 171 00:11:13,200 --> 00:11:16,399 a big deal and they've suspended him for a year, which is unprecedented. 172 00:11:16,600 --> 00:11:20,679 But there's reports saying that they would welcome other teams coming and hiring him, 173 00:11:20,879 --> 00:11:24,600 and so that screams we want to get rid of him. We're just not 174 00:11:24,639 --> 00:11:28,440 sure if we have the grounds too. Yeah, and that I'm not saying 175 00:11:28,480 --> 00:11:31,279 the players should be impacted by that, but they might. It might wear 176 00:11:31,320 --> 00:11:33,279 on them if they're answering questions about it. But overall, the RW three 177 00:11:33,320 --> 00:11:37,720 injury coupled with then all the questions you have upfront with al Gallo, and 178 00:11:37,759 --> 00:11:39,159 then some of the you know, Al Horford's age, even though he's still 179 00:11:39,159 --> 00:11:43,159 really good. I want to make that clear. This was not an easy 180 00:11:43,240 --> 00:11:45,720 under for me. But it's like I said, they seem like a team 181 00:11:45,799 --> 00:11:48,600 very much built to hit their stride during the playoffs. I should I should 182 00:11:48,600 --> 00:11:52,759 add, and I didn't mention this upfront. I was comparing them to Phoenix 183 00:11:52,000 --> 00:11:56,879 and all this is a huge drop when obviously they won fewer games last year 184 00:11:56,879 --> 00:12:01,240 than I'm projecting this year. They had the point differential of a fifty nine 185 00:12:01,279 --> 00:12:03,840 win team last year and the only the only team that was better was Phoenix, 186 00:12:05,120 --> 00:12:09,120 so they had some luck issues. And also that's a factor, I 187 00:12:09,120 --> 00:12:13,159 mean, they're a ridiculous leap you know in the second half of the year 188 00:12:13,240 --> 00:12:16,120 is a factor that just drove their point differential up. They were by far, 189 00:12:16,240 --> 00:12:20,600 by far the highest net rating team, you know, starting whenever you 190 00:12:20,639 --> 00:12:22,440 wanted to do your cut off, like January fifteenth or February first, or 191 00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:28,440 post All Star. So that's why coming down to under fifty three and a 192 00:12:28,519 --> 00:12:31,279 half feels sketchy to me, even with all the things we agree we're both 193 00:12:31,399 --> 00:12:33,879 under, but like, this is a team that damn near you know, 194 00:12:33,960 --> 00:12:37,840 could have won sixty games last year, maybe should have won sixty games. 195 00:12:37,879 --> 00:12:39,840 So so that that that was factoring in my thinking. I wanted to throw 196 00:12:39,879 --> 00:12:43,240 that out there before we move on. So this might blow up in both 197 00:12:43,279 --> 00:12:46,559 of our faces, is what you're saying. Might that you know what else 198 00:12:46,919 --> 00:12:50,360 also could blow up the Brooklyn Nets, who are next. Their line is 199 00:12:50,399 --> 00:12:54,279 said at fifty one point five, did you go over or under? One 200 00:12:54,320 --> 00:13:00,480 of my easiest unders? And that's while acknowledging that they could win six games. 201 00:13:00,480 --> 00:13:03,919 I don't know. I just I think the downside risk is enormous. 202 00:13:03,960 --> 00:13:07,279 There's so many ways for this to go bad. I feel like we've spent 203 00:13:07,360 --> 00:13:13,360 this entire offseason talking about the nets Kevin. You know, Kevin Durant misses 204 00:13:13,440 --> 00:13:16,519 tons and tons and tons of time and nobody talks about it. Part of 205 00:13:16,519 --> 00:13:18,879 that's a full season off, but like he's just been hurt soft tissue stuff 206 00:13:18,960 --> 00:13:24,080 over this not so fun fact, let's hear it. Since twenty eighteen twenty 207 00:13:24,279 --> 00:13:28,519 nineteen, Kevin Durant has appeared in fewer combined regular season in playoff games than 208 00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:31,559 both Kawai and Joel Embiid. Okay, so why are so let's assume he's 209 00:13:31,559 --> 00:13:35,039 gonna miss half the season then, right or like it's not it's not inconceivable, 210 00:13:35,840 --> 00:13:41,639 right, and we're talking about fifty one and a half over under, 211 00:13:41,720 --> 00:13:45,320 Like that's that's up there. I think they're gonna win forty six. But 212 00:13:45,440 --> 00:13:48,720 that's with the Katie stuff. Kyrier mean's gonna miss time for you name it, 213 00:13:48,879 --> 00:13:52,519 injury? Uh like some seance that he has to go to. I 214 00:13:52,559 --> 00:13:56,919 don't, I don't know, like just whatever nonsense he's gonna get up to 215 00:13:56,000 --> 00:14:03,720 that's non basketball related. His commitment to his team has been questionable basically forever 216 00:14:05,759 --> 00:14:07,840 there's Ben Simmons. I don't like. I don't know what kind of Ben 217 00:14:07,879 --> 00:14:11,759 Simmons are going to get. The preseason returns, grains of salt being thrown 218 00:14:11,759 --> 00:14:16,480 in all over the place, don't look good. Like all the same stuff 219 00:14:16,559 --> 00:14:18,080 is still there with him just not wanting to shoot the ball or be a 220 00:14:18,120 --> 00:14:22,039 part of the offense in a significant way. The supporting cast is pretty good. 221 00:14:22,799 --> 00:14:26,840 I like a lot of it, but Seth Curry and Joe Harris are 222 00:14:26,919 --> 00:14:31,080 hurt, and Joe Harris has an ankle thing again, and that's hugely troubling 223 00:14:31,240 --> 00:14:33,759 because that's what knocked him out basically all of last year, and he couldn't 224 00:14:33,799 --> 00:14:39,879 get back after the first incident with his ankle, So that's a problem. 225 00:14:39,919 --> 00:14:43,519 The downsides are just they're just everywhere. That's just too high of a win 226 00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:48,279 total for me to go over. I am with you. I went under, 227 00:14:48,519 --> 00:14:50,759 and I'm like, not, I'm not necessarily comfortable about it, But 228 00:14:50,799 --> 00:14:54,840 I also have him at forty five wins, and so I'm clearly just like, 229 00:14:54,879 --> 00:14:58,159 there's going to be a fucket factor here, and it's their range of 230 00:14:58,159 --> 00:15:01,279 outcomes is wide. And I'll frame it like this way, Like Kyrie Irving 231 00:15:01,360 --> 00:15:03,879 could lead the league in scoring, he could also lead the league and work 232 00:15:03,960 --> 00:15:09,039 from home requests on game day. And it's just it's unfathomable trying to figure 233 00:15:09,080 --> 00:15:11,080 out what this team would become. And also I think there are questions about 234 00:15:11,080 --> 00:15:15,240 how Ben Simmons, even if he stays healthy, will fit on offense and 235 00:15:15,279 --> 00:15:16,759 then also the defense. We can't just assume he can play a bunch of 236 00:15:16,759 --> 00:15:20,360 center and this will be okay. But then we also can't assume that he 237 00:15:20,399 --> 00:15:24,679 can play with Nicholas Claxton or Dayron Sharp, so there might struggle defensively. 238 00:15:24,679 --> 00:15:28,240 They're deep with offensive talent, but they don't If you have Katie and Kyrie, 239 00:15:28,240 --> 00:15:31,480 you don't necessarily need all this offensive depth. Oh wait, maybe you 240 00:15:31,519 --> 00:15:35,720 do, because how many games are they gonna play in at the same time 241 00:15:35,120 --> 00:15:39,519 if they if this team stays together and Kadi, Kyrie and Benjamin's all playing 242 00:15:39,559 --> 00:15:43,360 at least sixty five plus games, I don't even I guess I would pick 243 00:15:43,399 --> 00:15:46,240 THEE over there. I'm just not betting on that happening. And I could 244 00:15:46,320 --> 00:15:50,519 very much. See this thing just imploding and the other we just can't. 245 00:15:50,679 --> 00:15:56,120 You can't tell me Katie request a trade, demands that Steve Kerr and Shawn 246 00:15:56,200 --> 00:15:58,639 Marks get fired. All three are still with the team and everything's just okay, 247 00:15:58,759 --> 00:16:02,840 no, no, no, we don't get to play that card. 248 00:16:02,840 --> 00:16:07,840 I'll believe it when I see it. Yeah, I'm this team has I 249 00:16:07,840 --> 00:16:11,799 mean, it's the most it's it's the easiest, like if if and when 250 00:16:11,840 --> 00:16:15,679 it goes bad, it'll it'll have been the easy like of course, right, 251 00:16:15,720 --> 00:16:18,679 we'll just sit here being like, yeah, of course that was the 252 00:16:18,759 --> 00:16:22,039 number one pick on the combustibility rankings. They do have the widest range of 253 00:16:22,039 --> 00:16:25,679 outcomes of any team though, right, for sure, there's so much talent. 254 00:16:25,720 --> 00:16:29,679 There's so much top end talent. There's Charlotte Hornets are up. Their 255 00:16:29,679 --> 00:16:33,440 line has moved down to thirty four point five following news that Lamela Ball is 256 00:16:33,480 --> 00:16:37,960 going to miss time with a sprained right ankle to start the season. Grant, 257 00:16:37,480 --> 00:16:41,279 where did you have them? I was under before that line moved. 258 00:16:41,279 --> 00:16:48,080 Then I'm gonna stay under. I think, I mean kind of like quietly, 259 00:16:48,919 --> 00:16:53,799 this team. You can make the case there aren't no ya sucks, 260 00:16:53,799 --> 00:17:00,639 No they're gonna suckle loud. They they what they need from a ball who 261 00:17:00,720 --> 00:17:03,839 now has a Grade two ankle spring. I think it's great too. They 262 00:17:03,880 --> 00:17:07,400 need more from him than a lot of teams need from their best player because 263 00:17:07,720 --> 00:17:11,319 we're just we don't need to talk about it. But Miles Bridges is not 264 00:17:11,319 --> 00:17:15,880 going to play I strongly assume maybe ever, but certainly not this year. 265 00:17:15,759 --> 00:17:18,480 And that guy was really good last year, Like, he really mattered for 266 00:17:18,480 --> 00:17:23,519 this team, and they have not replaced any of his individual shock creation, 267 00:17:23,960 --> 00:17:27,960 solid secondary facilitation. I don't want to pump the guy up, but he 268 00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:33,000 mattered and they didn't replace him. Gordon Hayward's gonna miss time. I still 269 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:38,759 hate the center position, almost regardless of who plays there. So like if 270 00:17:38,799 --> 00:17:41,920 Lamello, I think I heard you say, you know, he's the most 271 00:17:41,920 --> 00:17:48,680 improved candidate, totally legit pick I mean many though maybe not, but I 272 00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:52,000 mean before that, it was totally reasonable that he could make a leap and 273 00:17:52,640 --> 00:17:56,559 you know, maybe carry this team to like some play in consideration. Now 274 00:17:56,599 --> 00:18:02,920 they're like, I think this is a low thirties win total team and it 275 00:18:02,920 --> 00:18:04,960 could be worse than that, and they might be wise to steer into that 276 00:18:06,079 --> 00:18:08,839 if if LaMelo, you know, if this injury lingers, or if there's 277 00:18:08,880 --> 00:18:14,079 a situation where we can just let's just hey, it's March. He's had 278 00:18:14,200 --> 00:18:17,400 this thing all year with his ankle, he's had a hard time getting back. 279 00:18:17,440 --> 00:18:19,759 Let's shut it down right like that. That's that's definitely in the cards. 280 00:18:21,559 --> 00:18:23,640 So so I'm under. I think you could knock this line down to 281 00:18:23,720 --> 00:18:26,279 like thirty two and a half and I'd have to think about it, maybe, 282 00:18:26,799 --> 00:18:30,880 but at this point not really. I went under as well, and 283 00:18:30,880 --> 00:18:33,319 I have them at thirty two wins, So thirty two and a half would 284 00:18:33,319 --> 00:18:36,200 be a thing point for me. But depending on how much time LaMelo misses 285 00:18:36,440 --> 00:18:41,480 this, Without LaMelo ball, this could feasibly be the worst team in the 286 00:18:41,559 --> 00:18:44,359 league. I don't think he's gonna miss that much time, but I'm with 287 00:18:44,359 --> 00:18:47,079 you that they could pull the plug, decide to tank, and there will 288 00:18:47,079 --> 00:18:49,079 be people talking about both. LaMelo becomes disenchanted. What if he wants out 289 00:18:49,400 --> 00:18:53,160 the way that the rookie extension process just works. He is going to sign 290 00:18:53,240 --> 00:18:56,559 the deal. And so if you're actually going to start over, now is 291 00:18:56,599 --> 00:19:00,839 the time to do it, because this is your three and he he's soon 292 00:19:00,920 --> 00:19:03,319 going to come off his rookie scale contract. The clock. The clock really 293 00:19:03,319 --> 00:19:07,759 starts ticking when they begin that extension, which will happen two seasons from now. 294 00:19:08,079 --> 00:19:11,160 So I would be in favor of them doing that even if LaMelo was 295 00:19:11,200 --> 00:19:15,799 fully healthy. But like, let's just say LaMelo comes back and miss is 296 00:19:15,839 --> 00:19:18,759 like seven to nine games. This team is probably two and seven at that 297 00:19:18,839 --> 00:19:23,440 point if that, And oh, is Gordon Hayward just gonna stay healthy while 298 00:19:23,519 --> 00:19:26,200 year, like or is that something that we're actually going to bank on. 299 00:19:26,240 --> 00:19:30,880 You mentioned the center position. You have Mason Plumley, They're probably not gonna 300 00:19:30,880 --> 00:19:33,799 play Mark Williams all that much. Kay Jones doesn't look ready. Steve Clifford 301 00:19:33,799 --> 00:19:37,720 has talked a lot about Nick Richards kind of having a stronghold on the backup 302 00:19:37,799 --> 00:19:42,559 five spot, and they have other nice players, but like not real secondary 303 00:19:42,599 --> 00:19:45,920 creation. Are you trusting Dennis Smith Junior? Here? James book Knight from 304 00:19:45,920 --> 00:19:48,519 what I've seen in preseason. I want to still believe in him after twenty 305 00:19:48,519 --> 00:19:52,839 twenty one Summer League, but he's just looked bad. And Cody Martin I 306 00:19:52,880 --> 00:19:56,079 really like, and Gordon Hayward his secondary creators, but like, is it 307 00:19:56,240 --> 00:19:59,960 enough and PG Washington is nice. But that's where I find myself sing, 308 00:20:00,200 --> 00:20:02,599 oh, this is a nice player. These a lot of plug and play 309 00:20:02,680 --> 00:20:04,880 players, but no one else that you can really feature. Gordon Hayward probably 310 00:20:04,920 --> 00:20:11,359 comes closest this, especially with like you know, the other amount of teams 311 00:20:11,359 --> 00:20:12,640 that are tanking. This is a team that if they really want a tank 312 00:20:12,680 --> 00:20:15,559 and they're not ready to just shut down guys and not play them, you 313 00:20:15,680 --> 00:20:18,880 gotta start wheeling and dealing. Where it's like, is there a taker for 314 00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:22,400 Gordon Hayward's deal? Can we offload Terry Rozier. I think it's more likely 315 00:20:22,519 --> 00:20:26,920 they get to that point than the playing right now, which sucks because we 316 00:20:26,960 --> 00:20:32,000 know that Michael Jordan owned teams aspire to get to the ten seed. The 317 00:20:32,079 --> 00:20:34,000 Chicago Bulls are at forty one point five. Grant, what did you have? 318 00:20:34,200 --> 00:20:38,240 Matt? I got an under here too, just narrowly. I think 319 00:20:41,599 --> 00:20:45,119 I just really like the whole I like, I guess I gotta take an 320 00:20:45,240 --> 00:20:49,160 l on Demard Rozen and that whole trade because like, yeah, I mean, 321 00:20:51,359 --> 00:20:53,200 god damn, like he was an MVP candidate for a section of last 322 00:20:53,279 --> 00:20:56,240 year. I thought that, like I thought the Bulls just like lost that 323 00:20:56,319 --> 00:21:00,920 trade on talent with the Spurs. In hindsight, that was wrong. But 324 00:21:02,440 --> 00:21:06,519 I think defensively this team is gonna struggle. I think Lonzo ball being out 325 00:21:06,680 --> 00:21:11,440 is like just a just a disaster. I mean, like the Ball brothers 326 00:21:11,559 --> 00:21:15,200 just just destroying their teams by being out, and it was like a cool 327 00:21:15,240 --> 00:21:21,359 fund trend. Alonzo seems mega serious. Billy Donovan kind of alluded to that 328 00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:23,799 he has the plans if Alonzo won't play this year, right and and he's 329 00:21:25,160 --> 00:21:29,319 vital. Like I know it's an oversimplification, but when the Bulls were like, 330 00:21:29,400 --> 00:21:32,480 holy shit, this team is first in the East and looks really great. 331 00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:36,359 That's when Lonzo was healthy and Alex Cruzer got hurt too. But like 332 00:21:37,319 --> 00:21:41,599 nobody on the roster that played as many minutes as Lonzo did last year had 333 00:21:41,599 --> 00:21:44,920 a bigger positive impact on their defensive rating. There were eight point six points 334 00:21:44,920 --> 00:21:48,519 per Hunter possessions stingier on defense with him on the floor, that's noisy, 335 00:21:48,599 --> 00:21:51,559 it's half a season. But if you watch the Bulls at all, him 336 00:21:51,599 --> 00:21:55,640 and Caruso just wrecking stuff at the point of attack and being in passing lanes 337 00:21:56,240 --> 00:21:59,680 was the defense. So if he's not there, you're losing that. You're 338 00:21:59,680 --> 00:22:03,519 losing i mean a forty two points something percent spot up three point shooter, 339 00:22:03,799 --> 00:22:07,400 You're losing probably the best passer on the team. You're just losing stuff that 340 00:22:07,400 --> 00:22:11,920 you can't replace with anybody else. And we saw last year the Bulls are 341 00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:15,920 basically a sub five hundred team if Lonzo's not playing, So so do that 342 00:22:15,200 --> 00:22:18,799 like Patrick Williams, maybe he pops, although like there was talk within the 343 00:22:18,880 --> 00:22:22,160 last couple of days that he might not have a tight grip on his starting 344 00:22:22,240 --> 00:22:26,039 job, which they brough him off the bench for some of the preseason. 345 00:22:26,240 --> 00:22:29,640 Like that's bad, Like that's like a long term oh shit, because the 346 00:22:29,640 --> 00:22:33,000 Bulls don't have a lot outs because they give up two firsts to Orlando for 347 00:22:33,079 --> 00:22:37,039 vooch that, which you know, there's there's your other defensive problem along with 348 00:22:37,079 --> 00:22:41,599 de Rosen. So I just see this team as being a lot more like 349 00:22:41,079 --> 00:22:45,000 you know, the latter stages of last season when they came back to Earth 350 00:22:45,039 --> 00:22:48,240 and work, you know, kind of break even and Derosen would bail them 351 00:22:48,240 --> 00:22:55,119 out occasionally. But I just I think it's I think it's kind of Portlandy, 352 00:22:55,160 --> 00:22:57,359 you know, like just drawing more parallels between East and West like they're 353 00:22:57,440 --> 00:23:00,519 five hundred ish. I guess they could be a little bit better if the 354 00:23:00,559 --> 00:23:04,319 offense is great and Lavine's healthy. But I don't. I don't. I 355 00:23:04,359 --> 00:23:07,799 don't feel comfortable going over forty one and a half, and their off season 356 00:23:07,880 --> 00:23:11,920 was rather uninspiring. You could say, who were they supposed to pick up? 357 00:23:11,920 --> 00:23:15,279 But like using part of the mL E on Andre Drummonds is just like, 358 00:23:15,799 --> 00:23:18,519 why, okay? And why did you use the bi annual on Tristan 359 00:23:18,519 --> 00:23:19,559 Thomps in the middle of last year. That would have been something you could 360 00:23:19,559 --> 00:23:23,240 have used this year. Gore and Drage apparently chose them over Dallas because he's 361 00:23:23,240 --> 00:23:26,440 gonna have a bigger role. That should have been the red flag for a 362 00:23:26,480 --> 00:23:29,599 Lonzo in the first place. But also, what does that say about Kobe 363 00:23:29,599 --> 00:23:32,880 White. It's just and he had like he was on a heater at one 364 00:23:32,920 --> 00:23:34,799 point last year. This team has talent, especially on the offensive end. 365 00:23:36,240 --> 00:23:37,799 I don't know how they're gonna shake out on defense. I don't have confidence 366 00:23:37,799 --> 00:23:41,559 in any of their bigs. Their best defensive big is probably Derrick Jones Junior 367 00:23:41,640 --> 00:23:45,400 or Patrick Williams, and I thought maybe that's why they're bringing Patrick Williams off 368 00:23:45,359 --> 00:23:48,400 the bench. Maybe they want to give him some more ball handling responsibility too. 369 00:23:48,759 --> 00:23:52,359 There's a scenario in which the Bulls are like, okay, to really 370 00:23:52,400 --> 00:23:55,440 find but the Alonzo injury just has me all sorts of pessimistic, and I 371 00:23:55,480 --> 00:23:59,160 think they're a team that could sort of pivot into this. I took the 372 00:23:59,279 --> 00:24:00,400 under on forty one half. I think I have them at forty so just 373 00:24:00,480 --> 00:24:03,920 on the fringes. But if they wanted to, they could start selling off 374 00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:07,000 the Martin Rose and they could move him. They could be a sneaky Russell 375 00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:11,960 Westbrook trade destination at this point. So yeah, all sorts of concerned about 376 00:24:11,960 --> 00:24:15,200 them, not as concerned about the Cleveland Cavaliers who were next up. Their 377 00:24:15,240 --> 00:24:19,079 line is at forty seven and a half. Grant, where do you have 378 00:24:19,119 --> 00:24:22,880 a Calv's at? That's an over for me. I just think over the 379 00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:26,759 ruin to the moon. No, I only have him at four, I 380 00:24:26,880 --> 00:24:30,759 only have him at forty nine. Winslowood and asshole. I know, just 381 00:24:30,880 --> 00:24:33,599 I just don't believe. I think. I just it's hard for me to 382 00:24:33,640 --> 00:24:41,920 see throwing out all the normal like every a team issues of oh injuries or 383 00:24:41,079 --> 00:24:45,799 the sentence like It's hard for me to see how this goes wrong in a 384 00:24:45,880 --> 00:24:49,319 major way because, like you just you're just adding Donovan Mitchell to a team 385 00:24:49,359 --> 00:24:56,160 that has just like one of my favorite young guards in the entire league in 386 00:24:56,200 --> 00:24:59,599 Garland. I think like he just does other than if he were like two 387 00:24:59,599 --> 00:25:02,839 inches taller, like this guy would be just a total force. He's just 388 00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:06,839 a little undersized to be like a true, you know, a one game 389 00:25:06,920 --> 00:25:10,119 changer, but he's really good. He does everything you need him to do. 390 00:25:10,440 --> 00:25:11,599 He can make spot up shots, he can shoot off the dribble, 391 00:25:11,640 --> 00:25:15,160 he can get into the lane, all great stuff. And the concerns you'd 392 00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:19,160 have about pairing him with Mitchell, I think are just mitigated because Evan Mobley 393 00:25:19,240 --> 00:25:22,359 can guard everything and is going to be a superstar. And Jared Allen, 394 00:25:23,079 --> 00:25:26,799 who I think, I tell you my I think because you know you shout 395 00:25:26,799 --> 00:25:30,400 out Frank Milackena. If I had a tagline at the end of these pods, 396 00:25:30,440 --> 00:25:33,599 it would just be like Jared Allen, I'm sorry because best we've talked 397 00:25:33,599 --> 00:25:36,880 about a million times, we thought his contract was terrible and we're very wrong. 398 00:25:37,119 --> 00:25:38,319 If there are any first time listeners out there, and if they're Cavs 399 00:25:38,359 --> 00:25:44,079 fans who haven't listens. We skewed that deal and we we probably look pretty 400 00:25:44,079 --> 00:25:48,359 bad that segment when we were grading the twenty twenty one of that age, 401 00:25:48,559 --> 00:25:52,279 so terrible, guy bad. But we're making up for it because we're I'm 402 00:25:52,319 --> 00:25:55,400 sure you're over. I don't want us stay there at Thunder. The cabs 403 00:25:55,440 --> 00:25:59,039 are gonna be awesome. They're gonna be super fun to watch. Mobiley is 404 00:25:59,079 --> 00:26:03,480 like just I couldn't be higher on a young player than I am on Mobili. 405 00:26:03,200 --> 00:26:06,960 So yeah, it's over for me, and I feel great about it. 406 00:26:07,440 --> 00:26:08,759 Yeah, I had you listen as Under for a minute. I don't 407 00:26:08,759 --> 00:26:11,519 know why I did that. I was probably pissed because you didn't go to 408 00:26:11,519 --> 00:26:12,799 fifty wins like I did for them. I have him at fifty to fifty 409 00:26:12,799 --> 00:26:18,079 one wins. Easy over for me, I will say, doing I participated, 410 00:26:18,119 --> 00:26:22,519 it's no longer sort of this solo job, the NBA rank at Pleach 411 00:26:22,559 --> 00:26:25,880 Report. I used to do it myself. Now it's a collaborative process and 412 00:26:25,920 --> 00:26:29,200 people are gonna be mad. Where Darius Garland ended up. I couldn't believe 413 00:26:29,240 --> 00:26:30,519 it. He is low. I don't know if it's released yet, so 414 00:26:30,519 --> 00:26:34,720 I'm not gonna drop the number, but my fucking god, I'm I'm with 415 00:26:34,799 --> 00:26:37,680 you. Do you know who threw more assists at the rim than Darius Garland 416 00:26:37,799 --> 00:26:42,319 last year? Tell me Trey Young And that's that's it. You also have 417 00:26:44,160 --> 00:26:48,240 both Darius Garland Donovan Mitchell ranked as two of the most efficient, high volume 418 00:26:48,240 --> 00:26:51,759 off the dribble three point shooters for the second half of last year. This 419 00:26:51,799 --> 00:26:53,599 is or sorry, Darius Garland was for the second half of the year, 420 00:26:53,680 --> 00:26:56,599 and they both were like over thirty five percent for the season on high enough 421 00:26:56,680 --> 00:27:00,880 volume. I can't be I missed on the Mobili pick. I didn't think 422 00:27:00,880 --> 00:27:03,039 it was gonna be a bust, but I didn't understand it watching him, 423 00:27:03,079 --> 00:27:06,759 I see it the buzz. Justin Rowan of the Chasetown podcast came on. 424 00:27:06,880 --> 00:27:08,319 We were talking the buzz coming out of training camp. Apparently it's just that 425 00:27:08,359 --> 00:27:12,559 he is a fucking monster, and we're talking about like face up stuff, 426 00:27:12,599 --> 00:27:15,920 pull up jumpers. Who knows if they get to plumb that he was dealing 427 00:27:15,960 --> 00:27:18,319 with an ankle injury at one point. Don't think it was serious, so 428 00:27:18,359 --> 00:27:21,960 that's good. There are some questions about the depth on this team and the 429 00:27:21,960 --> 00:27:23,599 East is going to be good. I'm a big believer in Dean Wade, 430 00:27:23,640 --> 00:27:26,799 and so I think you stick those four out there, close the game with 431 00:27:26,839 --> 00:27:30,319 Dean Wade and you'll be fine. They also they can still make a trade 432 00:27:30,319 --> 00:27:34,200 like they have as Isaac Okorro. They have just some like movable money when 433 00:27:34,200 --> 00:27:37,759 you're looking at Jetty osman Is, there's still believers in Dylan Windler. Just 434 00:27:37,799 --> 00:27:42,200 money that's not damaging. This team gets better too when Ricky Rubio comes back, 435 00:27:42,359 --> 00:27:47,079 and what if Carris Lavert hits There are some just like awkwardness there. 436 00:27:47,119 --> 00:27:49,279 You do need to stagger to where I think you want Leavert off the bench, 437 00:27:49,319 --> 00:27:52,000 but you don't want him playing too much with Rubio because that's just sort 438 00:27:52,039 --> 00:27:56,480 of this thorny fit. But they'll figure it out. And I think that 439 00:27:56,559 --> 00:28:00,079 this is going to be a fifty win team barring any just huge injury. 440 00:28:00,200 --> 00:28:03,720 And I look there are they get to the postseason there, I don't. 441 00:28:03,759 --> 00:28:04,799 I'm not gonna count them as a Tier one contender. No, but I 442 00:28:04,839 --> 00:28:07,000 look at this team on paper right now, and if you told me they 443 00:28:07,079 --> 00:28:11,559 made a trade for a wing, not like a super not an Ogana Noby 444 00:28:11,559 --> 00:28:14,279 type wing, which is a wing like if it was Gary Trent Junior, 445 00:28:14,599 --> 00:28:15,920 or if it was even if it was Jay Crowder, I don't love that 446 00:28:15,920 --> 00:28:18,839 fit. But if it was Jay Crowder or if it was Cody Martin, 447 00:28:18,880 --> 00:28:22,880 I don't care. I might be ready to build them as just like a 448 00:28:22,880 --> 00:28:26,680 fringe Tier one contender. I am so unbelievably high on the Calves, which 449 00:28:26,759 --> 00:28:29,599 is probably bad news, bad news for the Calves if we're being honest here. 450 00:28:30,119 --> 00:28:33,839 No, I love them too. That is it. Though. If 451 00:28:33,839 --> 00:28:37,920 they had if they had a six seven guy who could guard and make threes 452 00:28:37,960 --> 00:28:42,079 at like a thirty seven percent clip, then we're really talking. But I 453 00:28:42,079 --> 00:28:47,559 think they just have enough everywhere else to just smash this over. The Detroit 454 00:28:47,599 --> 00:28:51,440 Pistons are up. Their win total is twenty nine point five. What are 455 00:28:51,480 --> 00:28:53,400 you got? Grant? Kind of a hard one, I went under. 456 00:28:55,440 --> 00:29:00,599 I think I guess I'm receptive to you know, Cunningham is gonna is gonna 457 00:29:00,640 --> 00:29:04,319 pop, and I really like Jade and Ivy I have I don't so you 458 00:29:04,359 --> 00:29:07,880 say I tweet quarterly. I tweeted today, Dan. I mean, was 459 00:29:07,960 --> 00:29:11,160 it because you were coming on the podcast you wanted something to plug? Yeah? 460 00:29:11,240 --> 00:29:15,920 No, that was it And it's not. It's just I saw Jade 461 00:29:15,920 --> 00:29:18,920 and Ivy make three incredible plays in the preseason game tonight, and I just 462 00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:23,279 like it, just it just it just was a what is it? Confirmation 463 00:29:23,279 --> 00:29:26,640 by us because I sort of thought like, this guy is a level of 464 00:29:26,680 --> 00:29:30,559 athlete that comes along, you know, once every five six years, and 465 00:29:30,640 --> 00:29:33,440 like everything he does just verifies that. So I don't know if he's gonna 466 00:29:33,440 --> 00:29:37,559 be good, but man, I really enjoy watching him, and I think 467 00:29:37,640 --> 00:29:41,039 theoretically the fit with Cunningham long term makes all the sense in the world, 468 00:29:41,079 --> 00:29:45,319 just like a total nuclear athlete with the guy that's polished and can handle the 469 00:29:45,359 --> 00:29:49,200 ball and do like all the all the like fine motor skill stuff. I 470 00:29:49,519 --> 00:29:56,000 think I like Detroit's potential. I just am not even with even if with 471 00:29:56,079 --> 00:30:00,319 these some of like more win nowish moves, I guess, which is what 472 00:30:00,359 --> 00:30:04,400 you call the Bogdanovitch trade. I think they're just a high twenties win total 473 00:30:04,440 --> 00:30:08,359 team. I have him at twenty eight, which is under Technically they could 474 00:30:08,400 --> 00:30:11,200 steer into it too like some of these other teams and really you know, 475 00:30:11,279 --> 00:30:15,160 tank tank hard down the stretch, But I guess I view them as as 476 00:30:15,200 --> 00:30:21,559 a notch currently above the four really shitty West teams, and so I think 477 00:30:21,559 --> 00:30:23,319 the winds have got to come somewhere, Like everybody can't win twenty five or 478 00:30:23,359 --> 00:30:26,640 fewer. So I think I think they're going under, but they're but they're 479 00:30:26,640 --> 00:30:30,240 going to be closer to that thirty twenty nine and a half mark than some 480 00:30:30,240 --> 00:30:33,200 of these others. Yeah, I went under a twenty seven two and I 481 00:30:33,200 --> 00:30:37,200 didn't feel great about it. It does feel like the Pistons one of the 482 00:30:37,240 --> 00:30:40,279 mat and Zach always said this, I'm I guess I'm like co opting its 483 00:30:40,319 --> 00:30:41,559 thought. But I think when you looked at the East pecking order, you 484 00:30:41,559 --> 00:30:45,799 could see that maybe the Pistons or the Magic would be better than like one 485 00:30:45,799 --> 00:30:48,319 of the Hornets or both of the Wizard, like one of those two teams 486 00:30:48,359 --> 00:30:53,160 or both of them. It's almost counterintuitive to not pick the Pistons there because 487 00:30:53,200 --> 00:30:57,799 they have the two best like creators. I know, Palabank Carrol's in Orlando, 488 00:30:57,960 --> 00:31:00,440 but also Jay and Ivy Bank. Carol's a rookie. There's a learning 489 00:31:00,440 --> 00:31:03,400 curve for that creativity knowing you have Kate cunning him there though, So the 490 00:31:03,440 --> 00:31:08,079 primary ball handling ball handler play in Detroit is better than what it is in 491 00:31:08,160 --> 00:31:11,880 Orlando, unless you think Paalo bank Carol is a superstar from day one, 492 00:31:11,920 --> 00:31:14,440 like maybe he's Luca Nanjos for all you know, possible. But like when 493 00:31:14,440 --> 00:31:15,720 you're looking at jail And Suggs, who's injured by the way, where you 494 00:31:15,720 --> 00:31:19,240 look at Marco Folt's also injured by the way, or an RJ. Hampton 495 00:31:19,359 --> 00:31:22,240 or a Cole Anthony, that's just not gonna be as inspiring. That being 496 00:31:22,279 --> 00:31:26,799 said, I dot really think the Magic just have more proven depth to them 497 00:31:26,799 --> 00:31:30,200 when you're looking at what Wendell Carter Junior did last year, even though Bamba 498 00:31:30,279 --> 00:31:34,160 having a good season. Chumokk, who I believe wants us. He found 499 00:31:34,200 --> 00:31:37,759 out his name was pronounced differently, so I'm trying to pronounce that correctly. 500 00:31:37,759 --> 00:31:41,240 It's not okay key, it's okay, okay. There's still again, there's 501 00:31:41,240 --> 00:31:44,319 still a ton of unproven stuff there, and they maybe they move Terrence Ross 502 00:31:45,319 --> 00:31:48,079 or Gary Harris. But I think I like the Magic better than the Pistons. 503 00:31:48,119 --> 00:31:52,319 And it came down to when you look at Detroit. If they end 504 00:31:52,400 --> 00:31:53,960 up playing jail And during at midyear a bunch of time, he's probably gonna 505 00:31:53,960 --> 00:31:56,720 average like twelve thousand per thirty six minutes. It's just how it's gonna be. 506 00:31:57,119 --> 00:32:00,759 And they have some the Marvin Bagley injury, I don't know if we've 507 00:32:00,759 --> 00:32:02,240 gotten any updates on it. We've been recording for the past few hours, 508 00:32:02,640 --> 00:32:06,160 but that I don't know how much it hurts their team if he's out, 509 00:32:06,160 --> 00:32:07,880 but like it throws another wrinkle into the front court. But if he's healthy 510 00:32:08,200 --> 00:32:12,359 joint case. He's talking about him being a stretch big and Marvin Bagley shot 511 00:32:12,400 --> 00:32:15,920 had to affect a field goal percentage under thirty on jumpers last year. So 512 00:32:15,920 --> 00:32:19,039 you're playing guys start with another big all the time. How does that work? 513 00:32:19,440 --> 00:32:22,319 Norlan's Noel who's banged up to start the season. There's just so many 514 00:32:22,440 --> 00:32:27,240 It's a wonky rotation with a lot of intriguing players, and I think ultimately 515 00:32:27,240 --> 00:32:30,039 the Pistons are on the right track. And I like the Boyan mcdonovitch pick 516 00:32:30,119 --> 00:32:34,119 up. He's going to streamline the ball handling and the decision making for Kaide 517 00:32:34,359 --> 00:32:37,519 and Jay and Ivy just by giving them a capslock shooter. And hopefully if 518 00:32:37,519 --> 00:32:40,200 they play Isaiah Livers he will too. But I'm also convinced that they're going 519 00:32:40,240 --> 00:32:43,440 to move him at the trade deadline for a late first round pick, and 520 00:32:43,480 --> 00:32:45,920 that the Jazz would have gotten a pick if they weren't looking to sort of 521 00:32:45,160 --> 00:32:49,880 cut salary or willing to take on longer term deals. The Pistons, I 522 00:32:49,880 --> 00:32:52,160 think might be more willing to do that. So it was It's an uncomfortable 523 00:32:52,240 --> 00:32:55,079 under, but I think I think it's going to be an under, and 524 00:32:55,119 --> 00:32:58,759 that I would still view them as not the OKC light. But they're a 525 00:32:58,759 --> 00:33:01,279 team that's gonna say we're gonna try another year of playing for this draft pick 526 00:33:01,319 --> 00:33:05,519 and then we go from there. Yeah, we are on too, the 527 00:33:05,559 --> 00:33:14,400 Indiana Pacers, And that is a twenty three and a half win number that 528 00:33:14,440 --> 00:33:17,559 I went over on comfortably, and that makes me uncomfortable. I have used 529 00:33:17,640 --> 00:33:22,200 me that went over, Yeah I did. I have the Pacers as the 530 00:33:22,240 --> 00:33:28,200 worst team in the East, and obviously they're in line to tank again or 531 00:33:28,200 --> 00:33:31,559 to tank like Detroit and some other teams. I just look at the team 532 00:33:31,680 --> 00:33:37,079 right now and like, it's not that bad. I like Haliburton. I 533 00:33:37,119 --> 00:33:42,119 think Buddy Hild's gonna make shots. I like Duarte, I like Miles Turner, 534 00:33:42,359 --> 00:33:47,160 I like I Jack's I think there's just like some decent to better like 535 00:33:47,279 --> 00:33:51,759 in Haliburton's case, a lot better than decent players. And so it's a 536 00:33:51,759 --> 00:33:54,960 little bit like Utah where yeah, like they might get off to a start 537 00:33:55,079 --> 00:33:59,920 that's solid and then you really got to start like, you know, pushing 538 00:34:00,039 --> 00:34:04,079 some buttons here and getting getting guys out or traded or sitting down or whatever. 539 00:34:05,319 --> 00:34:07,039 But the restaurant paper is to me, it's like not that bad. 540 00:34:07,480 --> 00:34:10,320 So, yeah, they're gonna win fewer games, I think than anyone in 541 00:34:10,360 --> 00:34:15,199 the East, but they're just not right now. They're just not on the 542 00:34:15,280 --> 00:34:19,800 level of those bad teams in the West, those bottom four. So I 543 00:34:19,840 --> 00:34:22,960 think at the end of the year it could be a situation where they're trying 544 00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:25,519 to be that bad. But I kind of think they're gonna bank enough wins 545 00:34:25,599 --> 00:34:30,000 early where getting under twenty five or certainly under it what I say, twenty 546 00:34:30,000 --> 00:34:34,920 three and a half, that might be hard to do. It is a 547 00:34:34,960 --> 00:34:37,639 low total. I went under though, because I said that there's going to 548 00:34:37,719 --> 00:34:39,639 be one. In my head when I was doing this, I was resigned 549 00:34:39,679 --> 00:34:44,360 there being one really bad team in each conference. I picked the Spurs for 550 00:34:44,400 --> 00:34:47,440 the West and the Indiana for the East because I think Miles Turner gets traded 551 00:34:47,480 --> 00:34:51,239 sooner rather than later, and then after that it's just like you could trade 552 00:34:51,280 --> 00:34:52,800 Buddy Hill, not trade Buddy Hill. He doesn't make a difference. Benedick 553 00:34:52,880 --> 00:34:57,039 Mathrom very much intrigued, has a lot more to offer on the ball than 554 00:34:57,039 --> 00:34:59,760 I thought he did. But he's a rookie. And how much talent did 555 00:34:59,760 --> 00:35:01,719 you put around Torry s Albert. I think this will be a great experience 556 00:35:01,760 --> 00:35:06,440 for him. But you guarantee Jalen Smith the starting spot for a reason. 557 00:35:06,599 --> 00:35:09,880 Here you're not. You're in full on experimental mode. They're talking about using 558 00:35:09,880 --> 00:35:15,920 Isaiah Jackson Moore on the ball. Maybe Christwarte comes out like Gangbusters. They 559 00:35:15,960 --> 00:35:19,199 have no wings, They've Aaroni Smith is like going to be their primary wing 560 00:35:19,199 --> 00:35:22,320 defender. What the fuck? So I think that and that's by design. 561 00:35:22,320 --> 00:35:25,239 I think this roster is gonna be bad by design. And I don't know 562 00:35:25,239 --> 00:35:29,599 if Herb Simon, the owner, was pushing back against them fully bottoming out. 563 00:35:29,639 --> 00:35:32,360 But I think even with Miles Turner, maybe they might survive defensively on 564 00:35:32,400 --> 00:35:36,079 some nights, but they're gonna be a team that's closer to rock bottom than 565 00:35:36,119 --> 00:35:38,679 not even with him. But there's still there's a lot of reasons to still 566 00:35:38,719 --> 00:35:42,679 watch them and players, you know, to develop. I just I went 567 00:35:42,760 --> 00:35:46,639 into this saying there's always it feels like a really bad team in each conference, 568 00:35:46,639 --> 00:35:49,800 and with the look, I think wins are gonna be harder to come 569 00:35:49,840 --> 00:35:52,920 by in the Eastern part because I would view the Pistons and the Magic at 570 00:35:52,000 --> 00:35:57,159 least early on to be very competitive, and also going up against teams like 571 00:35:57,239 --> 00:36:00,840 Charlotte and Washington and New York and Chicago who will see themselves whatever is like 572 00:36:01,119 --> 00:36:05,320 playing or postseason candidates, especially in the earlyer this season, to me, 573 00:36:05,360 --> 00:36:08,480 it feels like the Pacers are probably going to fall behind that pack. I 574 00:36:08,519 --> 00:36:12,800 had them at twenty wins. Oh wow, that's gonna be a fun one 575 00:36:12,800 --> 00:36:16,400 to follow this year. Yeah, that is low. Next up we have 576 00:36:16,599 --> 00:36:25,079 the Miami Heat at twenty ninety nine point. I got him, I got 577 00:36:25,119 --> 00:36:31,119 him under I got him at forty seven wins. They're a little old, 578 00:36:31,760 --> 00:36:39,199 they're a little bereft of PJ. Tucker man them in the Bucks both man. 579 00:36:39,360 --> 00:36:43,440 Yeah that you know, don't trade, don't lose PJ. Tucker. 580 00:36:44,920 --> 00:36:47,519 Although, like every time I talk about PJ Tucker right about him. I 581 00:36:47,559 --> 00:36:52,559 have to throw in the thing of like you might, you might feel good 582 00:36:52,599 --> 00:36:55,159 about getting away, you know now, then signing him that three year deal, 583 00:36:55,320 --> 00:37:00,280 and then oh, oh geez when he's thirty eight or thirty nine, 584 00:37:00,360 --> 00:37:02,440 like he's not really worth this money. I mean, that's it's not the 585 00:37:02,480 --> 00:37:06,079 worst guy to try to move on from. It's just that, like nobody 586 00:37:06,199 --> 00:37:10,199 replicates what he brought last year. You know, we we've talked about we 587 00:37:10,280 --> 00:37:14,519 have to hit the other Martin brother. I think he's in line to play 588 00:37:14,559 --> 00:37:16,480 a lot, and I think we both like him. Uh, it's just 589 00:37:16,679 --> 00:37:22,880 it's not gonna do what Tucker did. I think Lowry, although he's supposedly 590 00:37:22,960 --> 00:37:27,079 in shape and hopefully in a better place than last year, he's getting up 591 00:37:27,119 --> 00:37:30,719 there. I think thirty six right, like we talk about Chris Paul Aging, 592 00:37:30,719 --> 00:37:35,599 I mean, Lowry's right there. So I think the Heat are gonna 593 00:37:35,599 --> 00:37:37,800 be really good. I think just a couple of other East teams have surpassed 594 00:37:37,880 --> 00:37:40,599 him, and so I have him at forty seven. They just don't look 595 00:37:40,639 --> 00:37:44,800 like a fifty win team to me, which you'd need to think they were 596 00:37:44,920 --> 00:37:47,199 to go over here. I am in agreement with you I had them at 597 00:37:47,239 --> 00:37:50,719 forty eight, for what it's worth, so I was a little bit closer 598 00:37:50,760 --> 00:37:52,199 to the over than I thought thought I was gonna be. Well, excuse 599 00:37:52,280 --> 00:37:57,760 me, if you have anyone wants a picture of someone dunking from the Blazers 600 00:37:57,760 --> 00:38:01,599 that almost hit their head on the backboard. There you go. I could 601 00:38:01,719 --> 00:38:06,880 see a scenario in which they hit the over. But I just have so 602 00:38:06,880 --> 00:38:08,880 many questions about their bench again, even though it was good last year, 603 00:38:08,920 --> 00:38:13,559 and Victor oldiep will presumably be healthy this year, and either you have him 604 00:38:13,599 --> 00:38:15,920 or Tyler Hero coming off the bench. But just like are you playing is 605 00:38:16,000 --> 00:38:20,480 Duncan Robinson even in this rotation? Are you gonna rely on over? You're 606 00:38:20,519 --> 00:38:23,079 at seven to give you some minutes this year. I really do like Caleb 607 00:38:23,119 --> 00:38:25,679 Martin. I think he's probably the guy that's your beard day Facto four, 608 00:38:25,760 --> 00:38:30,199 but Lowry's another year older. I'll believe that Bam is going to be a 609 00:38:30,239 --> 00:38:32,599 lot more aggressive on offense consistently day to day. When I see it, 610 00:38:32,639 --> 00:38:35,320 I do think that's a real problem. By the way, it might be 611 00:38:35,320 --> 00:38:38,880 an oversimplification, but it's an actual issue for them. Jimmy Butler is still 612 00:38:38,920 --> 00:38:42,360 that guy and that could certainly power them to a lot of victories. Ers 613 00:38:42,360 --> 00:38:45,840 welishers, a fantastic coach. I just they need to make a move to 614 00:38:45,880 --> 00:38:50,360 me, And it's just until they do that, I'm not confident them being 615 00:38:50,400 --> 00:38:53,280 that fifty win team. It's just I know nikaias Duncan and talked about or 616 00:38:53,320 --> 00:38:57,599 written about that Heywood high Smith has given them some just really interesting minutes. 617 00:38:58,000 --> 00:39:00,079 Like we're at the point now where we're again talking about the heat just unearthing 618 00:39:00,119 --> 00:39:02,880 these diamonds in the rough. There's gonna be one season. I have to 619 00:39:02,920 --> 00:39:06,559 imagine they're not gonna do that enough. And again, forty eight games is 620 00:39:06,599 --> 00:39:09,199 still really freaking good. But what is the over under on the number of 621 00:39:09,239 --> 00:39:14,119 games that BAM had a bio Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry played together? Who 622 00:39:14,119 --> 00:39:15,360 I hope Kyle Lowry he was dealing with off court stuff last year. I 623 00:39:15,400 --> 00:39:19,519 hope he's fine. One of my favorite players in the league just in general. 624 00:39:19,599 --> 00:39:22,599 But how many games do they play together? Like, if you set 625 00:39:22,599 --> 00:39:24,360 the over under at fifty six, I might take the under. Yeah, 626 00:39:24,840 --> 00:39:29,800 yeah, that would bring us to the Milwaukee Bucks at fifty two point five. 627 00:39:29,960 --> 00:39:31,639 Grant, where are you at with them. So it feels kind of 628 00:39:31,639 --> 00:39:35,960 weird because they had the point differential of a fifty win team last year, 629 00:39:36,039 --> 00:39:38,960 and yet this is one of my easiest overs. And it also feels weird 630 00:39:38,960 --> 00:39:43,400 because they're one of those teams that like they've they've got their title. They 631 00:39:43,480 --> 00:39:45,360 might have got another one last year had Chris Middleton stayed healthy. So they're 632 00:39:45,400 --> 00:39:49,079 a team that, like, what do we care about the regular season? 633 00:39:50,039 --> 00:39:52,719 I have them for the highest win total of any team in the league, 634 00:39:52,800 --> 00:39:59,199 and I just think we've overthought it. They have They have Jannis, who 635 00:39:59,239 --> 00:40:01,559 is the best player in world at the peak of his powers. Brook Lope 636 00:40:01,559 --> 00:40:05,519 has missed a ton of time last year. Maybe he's at the age where 637 00:40:05,920 --> 00:40:08,400 him being out there is not the help it used to be. Middleton will 638 00:40:08,400 --> 00:40:14,639 be back. They're shooting there. They're kind of wing rotation. I have 639 00:40:14,760 --> 00:40:17,480 questions about, but it's just it's fucking you, honest. It's a team 640 00:40:17,519 --> 00:40:23,719 that has a ton of continuity, and I just don't see like a true 641 00:40:23,800 --> 00:40:27,840 juggernaut in the East. I guess we'll get to Philly, maybe that's it. 642 00:40:28,320 --> 00:40:30,440 And I think the Bucks just how all this institutional knowledge and top end 643 00:40:30,440 --> 00:40:34,639 talent and Jannie didn't win a ring last year, so I assume he's the 644 00:40:34,679 --> 00:40:38,719 most motivated person on planet Earth. And maybe we haven't seen the best of 645 00:40:38,719 --> 00:40:44,400 a guy that's won two MVPs. So I'm just gonna bet on the guy 646 00:40:44,480 --> 00:40:46,639 that I think is better than everyone else, and that's the honest And so 647 00:40:46,800 --> 00:40:51,440 fifty fifty seven wins like isn't a nuts total. There's a team that's gonna 648 00:40:51,519 --> 00:40:53,760 team. A team wins fifty seven games like almost every year, and sometimes 649 00:40:53,800 --> 00:40:57,440 a couple of them do, so that that's gonna be it for me. 650 00:40:57,519 --> 00:41:00,800 They're they're the one this year. For me, I really like the Yeah, 651 00:41:00,840 --> 00:41:01,960 I do quite the fifty seven more feels like it might be tougher to 652 00:41:01,960 --> 00:41:05,559 reach this year. Fifty three one the East last season it was an easy 653 00:41:05,639 --> 00:41:07,320 over for me, though for a lot of the stuff you said and the 654 00:41:07,400 --> 00:41:12,519 Chris Middleton wrist injury missing some of the time when you actually go through these 655 00:41:12,599 --> 00:41:16,599 rosters in the East, where with Cleveland's dealing with and integrating Donovan Mitchell being 656 00:41:16,599 --> 00:41:21,239 relying on some younger guys, but also some questions on the wing spots when 657 00:41:21,239 --> 00:41:23,559 you look at how am I running out of teams already? When you look 658 00:41:23,559 --> 00:41:27,400 at Miami's age, and we just talked about like concerns about their depth. 659 00:41:27,400 --> 00:41:30,320 When you look at Philly with Harden and Embid is hard and worse, is 660 00:41:30,360 --> 00:41:34,719 Embides still fragile? Do they have enough like backup five rotation? We're gonna 661 00:41:34,719 --> 00:41:39,920 see too much Montras Harold at points. The Milwaukee Bucks are the least combustible 662 00:41:39,960 --> 00:41:44,719 team, and maybe the NBA them or the Dever Nuggets regular season wise, 663 00:41:44,760 --> 00:41:49,360 they just they have the infrastructure. These just iron men of superstars anchoring everything 664 00:41:49,400 --> 00:41:53,239 around them. So I think they will win the East, finish the top 665 00:41:53,280 --> 00:41:57,440 the regular season standings. I only have them at fifty three because I think 666 00:41:57,440 --> 00:42:00,599 there's that much parody. But with what you said, I could see them 667 00:42:00,639 --> 00:42:05,119 winning fifty seven sixty if Jannis is playing in every game, and it's just 668 00:42:05,199 --> 00:42:07,159 it's possible. And if some of the other East teams, like in the 669 00:42:07,159 --> 00:42:08,599 mid end, that start to fade out and tank and there's just more wins 670 00:42:08,639 --> 00:42:14,920 available when they're normally isn't this was this might be my best bet actually in 671 00:42:14,960 --> 00:42:17,880 the conference. Yeah, it just it looked really drilled down, and it's 672 00:42:17,880 --> 00:42:22,920 just I have no questions. I have no questions about them, no ALUs, 673 00:42:22,000 --> 00:42:28,199 no no notes. This next team, I actually considered making them my 674 00:42:28,320 --> 00:42:31,000 best bet though, for the over under process that is the New York Knicks 675 00:42:31,119 --> 00:42:36,280 and their line is set at thirty eight point five grant, did you go 676 00:42:36,400 --> 00:42:39,760 over or under? I went over? It wasn't that tough. I think, 677 00:42:40,159 --> 00:42:44,559 uh, what was there they had? They had the point differential of 678 00:42:44,559 --> 00:42:46,400 a forty one win team last year. I think they're gonna win forty one 679 00:42:46,440 --> 00:42:51,199 this year, which is kind of conservative. I think just based on like 680 00:42:51,239 --> 00:42:54,000 if you think Jalen Brunson is anything, and I have to I think he 681 00:42:54,159 --> 00:42:58,159 is. I think he's not an All Star, but I think he matters. 682 00:42:59,480 --> 00:43:02,760 I think RJ. Barrett could get better. I think Isaiah Hartenstein is 683 00:43:04,360 --> 00:43:08,960 like sort of offsets the poor decision of how much money they gave Mitchell Robinson. 684 00:43:10,559 --> 00:43:14,199 I just like, you know, I think the Randall component of this 685 00:43:14,280 --> 00:43:19,480 all is like very difficult. I just he doesn't help anybody on the team 686 00:43:19,519 --> 00:43:22,960 look better. I don't think because of the ball dominance and the poor jump 687 00:43:22,960 --> 00:43:27,079 shooting in the spacing. Maybe he's better than last year. I think he 688 00:43:27,159 --> 00:43:29,440 came on towards the end of the year. You could speak that better than 689 00:43:29,480 --> 00:43:32,840 I could. There's just a decent amount of time. I think Quentin Grimes 690 00:43:32,840 --> 00:43:37,920 could take a big step forward. He should probably thinking how to start over 691 00:43:37,000 --> 00:43:42,079 fourtyer. I'm open to that. So not world beaters, but like, 692 00:43:42,280 --> 00:43:45,440 yeah, this this team can be five hundred. Why not? They're just 693 00:43:45,519 --> 00:43:49,559 not and they're over for me, and I'm not necessarily confident in their direction 694 00:43:49,760 --> 00:43:52,679 overall. That's where the Donovan Mitchell trade process comes in. Go check out 695 00:43:52,679 --> 00:43:55,480 our knicks look ahead, go check out our reactions to the Donovan Mitchell trade 696 00:43:55,480 --> 00:43:59,199 itself. So I don't want to get into that. I'm trying to think 697 00:43:59,239 --> 00:44:01,719 of a way where, if they're relatively healthy, that they wouldn't hit this, 698 00:44:01,880 --> 00:44:06,679 And it's Julius Randall can't be a part of a larger ecosystem, is 699 00:44:06,719 --> 00:44:10,480 actively detrimental to the way they're playing, and Tips still won't play Obie topping 700 00:44:10,599 --> 00:44:14,920 over him. And even if it's just like if your biggest quibble is that, 701 00:44:15,159 --> 00:44:16,400 I know, starting lineups, a lot of people think they don't matter 702 00:44:16,719 --> 00:44:20,920 when you're getting into the nitty gritty of how minutes are going to be distributed. 703 00:44:20,920 --> 00:44:23,719 If you start Evan Fournier with RJ. Barrett, who should clearly start. 704 00:44:23,800 --> 00:44:29,679 Jalen Bruns should clearly start. You're not fitting cam reddish immanual quickly, 705 00:44:29,960 --> 00:44:35,199 Quentin Grimes, Deuce McBride and then Evan Fournier like who is restarting all into 706 00:44:35,199 --> 00:44:38,039 that rotation, like it's just not someone's gonna get squeezed. And yet I'll 707 00:44:38,039 --> 00:44:40,639 be mad if if it's you know, Quentin Grimes not playing enough, or 708 00:44:40,639 --> 00:44:44,840 if it's a manual quickly not playing enough and Derek Rose by the way factors 709 00:44:44,840 --> 00:44:47,199 and the tips is not gonna not play Derek Rose until I'd say I'm less, 710 00:44:47,199 --> 00:44:51,960 but it's until he gets injured and missus time. My point there is, 711 00:44:52,360 --> 00:44:55,000 even if you have a problem with that process, it probably if it's 712 00:44:55,039 --> 00:45:00,480 happening, only helps the Knicks's win total. And so that's like I could 713 00:45:00,599 --> 00:45:02,960 if you play the youth. I actually think they'll be better if they play 714 00:45:04,000 --> 00:45:07,400 Grimes more than four ya this year, that's without a doubt. But if 715 00:45:07,400 --> 00:45:09,119 you're playing Evan four ya like a ton of minutes and he's hitting his threes, 716 00:45:09,920 --> 00:45:13,199 I think the biggest question mark for them, I mean even their five 717 00:45:13,239 --> 00:45:15,239 depth. Mitchell Robinson has talked about having a hook shot. Now I don't 718 00:45:15,280 --> 00:45:19,199 ever want to see that. I'm just going to be clear. But he's 719 00:45:19,239 --> 00:45:22,360 made some strides when you look at his discipline on defense. Isaiah Hartenstein was 720 00:45:22,400 --> 00:45:23,800 one of the best pickups of the summer. And you are right, Julius 721 00:45:23,840 --> 00:45:27,039 Ryandold came on a bit towards the end of the year. I think the 722 00:45:27,119 --> 00:45:30,840 key is can you one can he operate more with the ball outside of his 723 00:45:30,880 --> 00:45:35,119 hands? But two? Are the Knicks going to have him operate that way? 724 00:45:35,159 --> 00:45:38,000 And that is the only real disaster scenario for them beyond injuries that I 725 00:45:38,039 --> 00:45:42,239 would see. Like I said, I consider this making this one of my 726 00:45:42,280 --> 00:45:45,159 easiest choices. Thirty eight point five seams low. But we were both probably 727 00:45:45,159 --> 00:45:50,960 burned on them last year. So like or this past season, we are 728 00:45:51,119 --> 00:45:53,719 on to the Orlando Magic at twenty seven and a half. This one was 729 00:45:54,800 --> 00:45:58,199 daring me to say some stuff. It was. I thought about this one 730 00:45:58,239 --> 00:46:01,320 for a while. I went over. I feel good about it. I 731 00:46:01,360 --> 00:46:07,679 think you alluded to it when we were discussing the Pistons. I mean, 732 00:46:07,440 --> 00:46:12,320 Orlando just isn't on that level, is it? And by which I mean, 733 00:46:12,400 --> 00:46:15,280 like we you know, we've got a handful of tankers We've talked about 734 00:46:15,280 --> 00:46:17,679 Indie, We've talked about Detroit. We talked about all the bad West teams 735 00:46:17,719 --> 00:46:22,599 on the West Pod. I think Orlando's is different than those teams. I 736 00:46:22,639 --> 00:46:28,119 think it's it's better. I think there's just more. There's just more talent, 737 00:46:28,159 --> 00:46:30,440 there's more bank Carro. A lot hinges on bank Carro because I think 738 00:46:30,559 --> 00:46:34,760 his ability to create shots for a team who just does not get good shot 739 00:46:34,840 --> 00:46:37,599 creation from any of its guards generally speaking, I guess you'd throw folts in 740 00:46:37,639 --> 00:46:40,440 there, but I think part of shot creation is like you can get a 741 00:46:40,480 --> 00:46:44,519 shot for yourself and make it. And it's also like, oh, defenders 742 00:46:44,559 --> 00:46:46,320 aren't standing fifty feet away from you, and you're not so much creating it 743 00:46:46,360 --> 00:46:51,480 is dribbling into it. Yeah, so he matters. I also think have 744 00:46:51,559 --> 00:46:54,480 we talked about Franz Wagner yet, Like I think him and ban Carro together, 745 00:46:54,880 --> 00:46:59,360 because Wagner, I think is not is someone that we should not rule 746 00:46:59,400 --> 00:47:04,000 out being. Oh he's just like a wing. Now that's enormous. I 747 00:47:04,039 --> 00:47:07,679 didn't watch for everybody. I didn't watch yourro basket, but I saw some 748 00:47:07,719 --> 00:47:09,639 of the highlights and I talked to Kobe Price the Orlando Sentinel. There's just 749 00:47:09,760 --> 00:47:14,239 like, yeah, he was just raining hell off the dribble. No, 750 00:47:14,360 --> 00:47:16,239 he was like a number one option and he looked good doing it. So, 751 00:47:16,400 --> 00:47:20,400 I mean, Ben Carroll I think is sort of anointed. You know, 752 00:47:20,440 --> 00:47:23,079 he's got the number one pick pedigree, and it's gonna get like a 753 00:47:23,400 --> 00:47:29,320 if not first crack, like probably the lion's share of opportunities to be the 754 00:47:29,320 --> 00:47:32,800 initiator. Wagner like just might be better than him. Actually, frankly as 755 00:47:32,840 --> 00:47:37,039 a as a total package, considering he's in his second year, probably is 756 00:47:37,119 --> 00:47:39,639 better than him right now. We'll see. But you know, I think 757 00:47:39,639 --> 00:47:44,400 we both love Carter. I think he's an underrated center. I might have 758 00:47:44,480 --> 00:47:46,480 gotten a little out over my skis and said he was like a guy that 759 00:47:46,480 --> 00:47:51,079 I wouldn't be shocked if he made an All Star Game year about this year, 760 00:47:51,320 --> 00:47:53,559 You're we're just one hundred percent right, people just go back and watch 761 00:47:53,599 --> 00:47:57,719 him. But look at his numbers. It's now you've better talent around them 762 00:47:57,719 --> 00:48:00,159 too, Like maybe that gives them less control or actions in the offense. 763 00:48:00,199 --> 00:48:05,079 No, I'm sorry to interrupt your spot. That's all I got is the 764 00:48:05,320 --> 00:48:09,400 magic have like a lot of really promising slash already very good NBA players, 765 00:48:09,440 --> 00:48:15,559 So I'm going over. I don't know how many games they want to win, 766 00:48:15,719 --> 00:48:17,679 and maybe they'd like to still be, you know, down there around 767 00:48:17,679 --> 00:48:21,480 where we got a decent shot at the top three pick. But yeah, 768 00:48:21,519 --> 00:48:23,679 they're they're just not on. They're a cut above, you know that. 769 00:48:23,800 --> 00:48:28,119 What is it like six other teams I think that we've talked about as tankers 770 00:48:28,119 --> 00:48:30,280 so far. They weren't easy. They weren't an easy over for me. 771 00:48:30,360 --> 00:48:32,800 I think I was actually they weren't easy over. I was trying to figure 772 00:48:32,800 --> 00:48:36,400 out how far to go over. I ended up at thirty because I think 773 00:48:36,440 --> 00:48:39,199 there's gonna be an eventual pullback from them once they realize, hey, we're 774 00:48:39,199 --> 00:48:42,639 maybe not in the plan, but this wouldn't be the team that if they're 775 00:48:42,639 --> 00:48:46,159 going to outperform the Hornets Wizards, it's them more so than the Pistons. 776 00:48:46,360 --> 00:48:50,119 The jail and sugs injury and Mark el Falt's being injured at the same time 777 00:48:50,280 --> 00:48:52,320 worries me a little bit. I actually really thought jail And Suggs was gonna 778 00:48:52,320 --> 00:48:55,480 have an amazing year when he was going to have less responsibility on offense. 779 00:48:55,519 --> 00:48:59,000 Now I saw a lot of people talking about how he just needed to be 780 00:48:59,159 --> 00:49:01,079 used like a point hard and I was like, that's basically how Orlando was 781 00:49:01,159 --> 00:49:04,480 using him last year and that was part of the problem, aside from the 782 00:49:04,519 --> 00:49:07,760 stop and startiness of his injury. So if they miss maybe it's because of 783 00:49:07,800 --> 00:49:13,320 just not having that guard depth, but I think they'll I'm pretty comfortable with 784 00:49:13,360 --> 00:49:17,679 the over the next team, the Philadelphia seventy six Ers at fifty point five. 785 00:49:17,679 --> 00:49:22,800 I'm actually a little bit shocked and uncomfortable at how easy this was for 786 00:49:22,840 --> 00:49:25,440 me. Yeah, that's such a low line. I don't know what you're 787 00:49:25,480 --> 00:49:30,719 pricing in there. It's it's over for me. I think if there's a 788 00:49:30,719 --> 00:49:34,760 team in the East that I think could finish ahead of Milwaukee or be at 789 00:49:34,840 --> 00:49:39,079 least as dangerous as Milwaukee, it's the Sixers. Like why, like, 790 00:49:39,400 --> 00:49:43,440 why why does this team win fifty games or fewer? I mean it's the 791 00:49:43,800 --> 00:49:47,920 you know, the embiid gets hurt, Harden is even more washed than he 792 00:49:47,920 --> 00:49:52,639 looked at points last year. I don't think either of those are super likely. 793 00:49:52,960 --> 00:49:55,760 It's the hardened thing is really the actual swing point, because they need 794 00:49:55,880 --> 00:50:00,800 him to be probably a top fifteen to twenty player in the NBA, and 795 00:50:00,840 --> 00:50:04,119 I just I mean, he looks in better shape, so I just to 796 00:50:04,199 --> 00:50:07,159 me, I think that's what's baked in, is that people really think James 797 00:50:07,159 --> 00:50:09,159 Harden has done because he was dealing with injuries and wasn't in the best shape 798 00:50:09,320 --> 00:50:13,400 last year, and also was playing for a new team. He wanted to 799 00:50:13,400 --> 00:50:15,639 get there, let's be clear, but that's not an easy mid season adjustment 800 00:50:16,000 --> 00:50:21,000 to make in general, and he wasn't in shape clearly, So I think 801 00:50:21,039 --> 00:50:22,960 Harden will be better. I don't think Harden is going to be an all 802 00:50:23,079 --> 00:50:28,079 NBA level player. I mean, he's no Andrew Wiggins, so let's you 803 00:50:28,119 --> 00:50:31,119 know, keep that. I think if you took if you said Harden didn't 804 00:50:31,119 --> 00:50:36,360 play a minute this year, I'd have a hard time saying the Sixers were 805 00:50:36,360 --> 00:50:39,360 gonna win fewer than fifty one games, just because, like I think MAXI 806 00:50:39,480 --> 00:50:43,480 is ready to take a leap, I mean not even a leap, like 807 00:50:43,519 --> 00:50:45,639 he was really good last year. He's just gonna be a little better. 808 00:50:45,920 --> 00:50:49,960 I think indeed will again just be oh man, he was so close to 809 00:50:50,039 --> 00:50:52,760 MVP, Like, oh shit, why can he Like just for the third 810 00:50:52,800 --> 00:50:55,440 year in a row, He's gonna be right there, Like Tobias Harris is 811 00:50:55,480 --> 00:51:00,280 not nothing. De Anthony Melton is really gonna matter. PJ. Tucker's really 812 00:51:00,280 --> 00:51:04,599 good, Like they just have all these house junior like even without Harden, 813 00:51:05,239 --> 00:51:07,159 I don't know if you could talk me into this team being under fifty wins 814 00:51:07,239 --> 00:51:10,280 or did you have to be under fifty one? So pretty darn't easy over 815 00:51:10,360 --> 00:51:14,000 for me. That's and I penciled mine in already because the only thing I 816 00:51:14,039 --> 00:51:19,039 can add to yours is that Maxie was so good in both roles where he 817 00:51:19,079 --> 00:51:22,440 was featured without Ben Simmons. James Harden comes, he sort of uses his 818 00:51:22,519 --> 00:51:25,599 third wheel and he's just annihilating people with his three pointers and his straight line 819 00:51:25,679 --> 00:51:29,920 drives. He's so fast if he gets going just in that north south direction. 820 00:51:30,119 --> 00:51:32,400 And so yes, if James Harden is not good, it does become 821 00:51:32,400 --> 00:51:36,119 awkward because you're not gonna suddenly take the ball off his hands. For Tyree's 822 00:51:36,199 --> 00:51:38,679 Maxie, there's just enough secondary talent there even with Tobias Harris on offense, 823 00:51:38,679 --> 00:51:43,440 and of course Joel embiide that they should still be that pleasant, like maybe 824 00:51:43,440 --> 00:51:46,039 they're not a championship contender, but oh they won fifty one games or something, 825 00:51:46,400 --> 00:51:50,880 I'm like so bullish on them, and it's funny. I actually penciled 826 00:51:50,920 --> 00:51:52,880 them in for oh, I have them at fifty three. It's like sort 827 00:51:52,880 --> 00:51:54,199 of tied with Milwaukee and near the top. I thought I had them at 828 00:51:54,199 --> 00:51:59,599 fifty one for a second. The Toronto Raptors forty six point five. Where 829 00:51:59,599 --> 00:52:01,280 did you have them? This is a tough one. I went over. 830 00:52:02,920 --> 00:52:08,320 My reservations are basically that you know, this is a team that was unusually 831 00:52:08,360 --> 00:52:15,159 constructed and deployed unusually in that they just sort of you know, the centerless 832 00:52:15,159 --> 00:52:20,440 stuff lineups that you know, they're most used lineups just like could not defensive 833 00:52:20,480 --> 00:52:23,079 rebound, could not score in the half court, and they didn't really fix 834 00:52:23,119 --> 00:52:29,159 any of that. So I think, what you're banking on, and I 835 00:52:29,159 --> 00:52:34,119 guess what I'm banking on because I went over, is that just enough of 836 00:52:34,159 --> 00:52:37,679 the guys that they need to get better will get better. I mean, 837 00:52:37,679 --> 00:52:39,800 obviously that starts with Scotty Barnes, but I think you could you could bank 838 00:52:39,840 --> 00:52:44,599 on other than say, I think I think, you know, even Siakam 839 00:52:44,679 --> 00:52:47,679 could be just marginally better. It's released is good. There's been some murmurings 840 00:52:47,679 --> 00:52:52,079 that he has like this very fluid off the dribble three right now, which 841 00:52:52,119 --> 00:52:54,400 like if then, boy, that goes a long way towards solving your we 842 00:52:54,440 --> 00:53:00,679 can't score in the half court stuff. I think Annaobi is just permanently on 843 00:53:00,679 --> 00:53:02,039 the list of like, oh man, if he takes a little step, 844 00:53:02,199 --> 00:53:06,280 you know, it's not too late for that. I'm losing some faith because 845 00:53:06,280 --> 00:53:09,440 I've been calling for that for like three years. No, I think they're 846 00:53:09,599 --> 00:53:15,199 They're fundamentally unchanged as a team. The hope is that they're just better at 847 00:53:15,320 --> 00:53:20,159 doing the stuff that they kind of started to try to do last year schematically, 848 00:53:20,719 --> 00:53:24,119 and that they have enough in other areas talking about like turnover creation and 849 00:53:24,519 --> 00:53:30,119 transition offense to just sort of offset what I think again will be like a 850 00:53:30,159 --> 00:53:34,880 pretty bad defensive rebounding team and a pretty bad half court team relative to like 851 00:53:35,199 --> 00:53:37,480 teams that are going to win in the high forties, which I think they 852 00:53:37,519 --> 00:53:42,159 will. They those are my concerns. You laid them out perfectly there for 853 00:53:42,239 --> 00:53:45,519 me, and I don't know. I mean, if Scotty Barnes is able 854 00:53:45,519 --> 00:53:47,360 to do stuff at a higher processing speed when it comes to his shot decision 855 00:53:47,440 --> 00:53:51,480 making or just with the ball in his hands, there's been. I know 856 00:53:51,760 --> 00:53:52,920 there's been talk. I haven't watched a ton of him in preseason, but 857 00:53:52,960 --> 00:53:57,880 Delano Banton is apparently ready to make a leap. It's just I worry about 858 00:53:58,000 --> 00:54:00,320 the ball handling and some of the shooting. Overall. You need the You 859 00:54:00,320 --> 00:54:04,159 have Fred van Fleet, you have Pascal Siakam. What is Scotty Barnes in 860 00:54:04,199 --> 00:54:06,920 a few years, but this is year two. You need sort of just 861 00:54:07,079 --> 00:54:09,400 that faster, break everything down guy. I don't even know if necessary. 862 00:54:09,440 --> 00:54:13,000 Fred van Fleet, like at Siakam, can do it. I think get 863 00:54:13,000 --> 00:54:16,519 a slower processing speed. And Fred van Fleet has just like never necessarily been 864 00:54:16,599 --> 00:54:19,960 that guy. He's been better when he's almost away from the ball, but 865 00:54:20,000 --> 00:54:21,920 he has improved as a point guard. I want to make that clear. 866 00:54:22,639 --> 00:54:25,840 And that's my biggest question. But they were right here last year and they 867 00:54:25,880 --> 00:54:30,639 got better with their additions. And if Precious Chua is really this like you 868 00:54:30,639 --> 00:54:32,800 know, three point shooting, switch a bowl guy who can grab the ball 869 00:54:32,840 --> 00:54:36,880 and go get up the floor, They're gonna be really good. Maybe you 870 00:54:36,880 --> 00:54:38,960 don't buy into their offense in the postseason, which I think is where their 871 00:54:38,960 --> 00:54:43,239 half course struggles will hurt them the most. But for the regular season. 872 00:54:43,280 --> 00:54:45,519 Specifically, I ended up having them. I think I had them at forty 873 00:54:45,599 --> 00:54:49,760 nine wins, was at forty eight. I put them at forty nine. 874 00:54:49,840 --> 00:54:52,920 It's like they could be a fifty winner for me. We are onto the 875 00:54:53,000 --> 00:54:57,519 last team, which the Washington Wizards. Where did you put them with their 876 00:54:57,559 --> 00:55:00,039 thirty five and a half over under? So I'm gonna need you to talk 877 00:55:00,079 --> 00:55:06,360 me down a little bit. I will welcome that challenge. So I think 878 00:55:06,400 --> 00:55:08,880 this. I feel like this is a pretty easy over for me. And 879 00:55:08,920 --> 00:55:13,159 part of it because thirty five and a half wins is a low number they 880 00:55:13,199 --> 00:55:15,360 won. They played like a thirty two win team last year, and Bill 881 00:55:15,440 --> 00:55:19,639 basically had a lost their best player had a lost season more or less. 882 00:55:19,920 --> 00:55:22,840 Yeah, so that's kind of my starting point. I don't think I think 883 00:55:22,840 --> 00:55:27,239 I have them finishing eleventh in the conference or basically tied with the Bulls at 884 00:55:27,239 --> 00:55:30,199 tenth. So it's not like I'm saying the Wizards are are going to be 885 00:55:31,280 --> 00:55:36,840 even a playing team necessarily. You're actually not saying they're gonna be saying that 886 00:55:37,280 --> 00:55:43,599 factually. I am not saying that. I just feel like you have Bill 887 00:55:43,639 --> 00:55:45,639 back. Let's assume he's okay, right, You have Porzingis, who played 888 00:55:45,679 --> 00:55:50,119 like way better for the Wizards than he did for the MAVs last year. 889 00:55:50,199 --> 00:55:52,880 Tiny sample, but he played four back to backs too, and now of 890 00:55:52,960 --> 00:55:55,760 course he has a sprained ankle from preseason, but like probably because he played 891 00:55:55,760 --> 00:56:00,320 those four back to backs. Like right, he didn't load man him in 892 00:56:00,320 --> 00:56:04,880 the seventeen years, So you know, I think we sort of agree that 893 00:56:04,920 --> 00:56:07,840 the we can now say that Porzingis is not a second star on a good 894 00:56:07,840 --> 00:56:10,599 team. Fortunately the Wizards are not a good team, so he's fine. 895 00:56:10,679 --> 00:56:15,960 Is like your second option. I think they sort of addressed the point guard 896 00:56:15,079 --> 00:56:19,679 issues they had last year when the rotation was just god awful. We like 897 00:56:19,800 --> 00:56:23,360 Monte Morris, Hurst Louse KCP, but I think the combo of like your 898 00:56:23,440 --> 00:56:28,280 Kuzmas and your Denny Avdias and even your Corey Kissperts if he's healthy, Like 899 00:56:28,519 --> 00:56:32,840 there's some wing forward he guys there. So Obvia might be the most underrated 900 00:56:32,880 --> 00:56:37,599 defender in the league just because I think everyone thinks he's bad. I'm not 901 00:56:37,679 --> 00:56:39,679 saying he's not. We talked about him all the time. Yeah, that's 902 00:56:39,679 --> 00:56:43,639 our I think that's our second most viewed video on YouTube. But we got 903 00:56:43,679 --> 00:56:46,039 like seven thousand views. Because we talked about how good Denny Avia was on 904 00:56:46,079 --> 00:56:50,039 defense, you can go check that out. I mean he is, and 905 00:56:50,039 --> 00:56:52,519 he's young enough to where like just get a little more comfortable as a spot 906 00:56:52,559 --> 00:56:57,400 up shooter. I think he sees the floor well and which is hugely valuable 907 00:56:57,400 --> 00:57:02,039 at his size. So like there's offensive value you there that could very easily 908 00:57:02,280 --> 00:57:06,119 be realized this season. And then like and then with the you know, 909 00:57:06,519 --> 00:57:08,280 with his defensive ability, like suddenly you have a two way wing who can 910 00:57:08,320 --> 00:57:12,440 like play make a little bit not wing slash forward. He's a little bigger. 911 00:57:13,280 --> 00:57:17,239 So I just like there's tons of downside potential. Porzingis could play fifteen 912 00:57:17,280 --> 00:57:22,119 games. Bill could be some combination of hurt again and beat up. But 913 00:57:22,199 --> 00:57:25,360 like thirty six, they got to win thirty six to go over, and 914 00:57:25,480 --> 00:57:30,239 you're in the conference with you know, Detroit and Indie and Charlotte potentially like 915 00:57:30,320 --> 00:57:34,519 being really bad. I think I think there are thirty six wins out there 916 00:57:34,559 --> 00:57:37,840 for them. I have him at forty, which is feels ridiculous to say, 917 00:57:37,880 --> 00:57:40,280 but I'm good on the over for them. I went the over at 918 00:57:40,320 --> 00:57:44,280 thirty six. I just don't think they're kind of in the similar vein of 919 00:57:44,280 --> 00:57:46,280 the Knicks, where because you have Bradley Bill, maybe they will shut him 920 00:57:46,280 --> 00:57:51,320 down, but maybe they won't if they're not that good, and that now 921 00:57:51,360 --> 00:57:54,800 that Charlotte's pulling back and they're seeing the injuries in Chicago, they'll have incentive 922 00:57:54,880 --> 00:57:58,639 to go for it. I like a lot of the players on this team, 923 00:57:58,679 --> 00:58:00,920 as you outline with Mante Moore it they might even be able to come 924 00:58:00,960 --> 00:58:04,960 together with some really good defensive lineups as Christopsporzinkis is healthy, Kyle Kuzmas improved 925 00:58:04,960 --> 00:58:07,960 there, We've already talked about Deny Avvia Monte Morris can be solid, and 926 00:58:07,000 --> 00:58:09,440 so you don't need to be able to do a ton because he really hasn't 927 00:58:09,440 --> 00:58:13,360 played defense in a few years. It feels like I don't know what Ruey 928 00:58:13,400 --> 00:58:15,079 hatch Moore is though. I don't know what to expect, if anything, 929 00:58:15,119 --> 00:58:20,599 from Johnny Davis. Corey Kissbert was not as good offensively last year as I 930 00:58:20,679 --> 00:58:22,119 was expecting him to be, so there's just a lot of question marks there. 931 00:58:22,119 --> 00:58:24,519 I guess having Daniel Gafford is a backup big as huge, and then 932 00:58:24,559 --> 00:58:28,480 Delon Wright being able to come off the bench, so there's depth there. 933 00:58:28,880 --> 00:58:30,920 I just don't trust it to be like a five hundred team. But this 934 00:58:31,000 --> 00:58:34,360 does now that after listening to you, I was supposed to talk you off 935 00:58:34,400 --> 00:58:37,400 the ledge. Now I'm wondering if like I just missed on them. Maybe 936 00:58:37,440 --> 00:58:39,880 the East just feels too good and I'm reading too much into the way Bradley 937 00:58:39,880 --> 00:58:45,800 Beal played last season. So they're an over for me. But I don't 938 00:58:45,880 --> 00:58:47,599 have them as and this would be a good time to get into like the 939 00:58:47,639 --> 00:58:51,760 standings, I don't have them as a playing team either. So if we 940 00:58:51,840 --> 00:58:57,519 go over here and look so our East ranks I have, we both have 941 00:58:57,599 --> 00:59:00,519 Milwaukee at one. Your records aren't there, I apologize, but Philly at 942 00:59:00,559 --> 00:59:04,760 two, and we both have them there. I have Cleveland at three, 943 00:59:04,960 --> 00:59:08,280 Boston at four, Toronto at five, Miami at six. You have Boston 944 00:59:08,320 --> 00:59:13,239 at three, Cleveland at four, Toronto at five, in Miami at six. 945 00:59:14,199 --> 00:59:17,400 Because we differ just on Cleveland my seven to ten or Atlanta, Brooklyn, 946 00:59:17,440 --> 00:59:22,199 New York in Chicago, Yours are also not in that order. Brooklyn 947 00:59:22,239 --> 00:59:24,039 at seven, Atlanta at eight, New York at nine, in Chicago at 948 00:59:24,079 --> 00:59:28,920 ten. So like you still have Washington out of the play in no big 949 00:59:28,920 --> 00:59:31,320 difference is there. We have Washington as the eleventh seed, Charlotte is the 950 00:59:31,320 --> 00:59:35,039 twelfth, Orlando is the thirteenth, the Troy is the fourteenth and fifth, 951 00:59:35,079 --> 00:59:37,360 and India is the fifteenth. That's a consensus. So when you texted me 952 00:59:37,400 --> 00:59:40,480 saying that we were eerily similar, you weren't kidding. No, I said 953 00:59:40,480 --> 00:59:45,480 we were annoyingly similar. Terrible podcasting. I eat, I'm and like, 954 00:59:45,679 --> 00:59:49,639 there's we're just we differ on Cleveland a little bit. We both still have 955 00:59:49,679 --> 00:59:52,000 them in the top four. Like that's the only thing the West. We'll 956 00:59:52,000 --> 00:59:54,159 scroll over there. This is not the Western Conference pod, but we didn't 957 00:59:54,199 --> 00:59:58,320 go through it really quickly. I have the nuggets of having the best record 958 00:59:58,320 --> 01:00:00,559 in the league. You had the the Bucks is having the best record in 959 01:00:00,599 --> 01:00:04,360 the league. Correct, yes, fifty seven for the Bucks. I have 960 01:00:04,440 --> 01:00:07,159 the Nuggets at one, Phoenix at two, Golden State at three, and 961 01:00:07,199 --> 01:00:10,920 the Pelicans at four. And then you have Golden State at one, Denver 962 01:00:12,039 --> 01:00:15,119 at two, Minnesota at three, and the Clippers at four. So you're 963 01:00:15,159 --> 01:00:19,079 just that I know we talked about this beers that high in Minnesota just as 964 01:00:19,079 --> 01:00:22,239 a regular season team. I think, yeah, we talked about it on 965 01:00:22,239 --> 01:00:23,840 the West Pod people should go check it out. I just think they're built 966 01:00:23,880 --> 01:00:27,440 to win a bunch of right. This isn't a hot take. I feel 967 01:00:27,440 --> 01:00:30,559 like that's the consensus on them is that, man, they're gonna win some 968 01:00:30,599 --> 01:00:34,679 regular season games. I will say Minnesota over the Clippers and Phoenix is a 969 01:00:34,679 --> 01:00:37,280 hot take, a little bit, a little bit. So you have Phoenix 970 01:00:37,320 --> 01:00:39,559 at five, Dallas at six, I have the Clippers at five, and 971 01:00:39,559 --> 01:00:43,280 Mini at six. So we do have the same top s Oh no, 972 01:00:43,360 --> 01:00:45,679 we don't have the same top six teams. In the West. You have 973 01:00:45,719 --> 01:00:49,719 the Pelicans at eight. You have Memphis at seven, the Pelicans at eight, 974 01:00:49,760 --> 01:00:52,599 the Lakers at nine, the Blazers at ten. I have Dallas at 975 01:00:52,599 --> 01:00:55,039 seven, Memphis at eight, Sacktown at nine, and the Lakers at ten. 976 01:00:57,039 --> 01:00:59,840 You have the Kings outside of the play in which is very interesting to 977 01:00:59,840 --> 01:01:01,880 me. I have Portland outside of the play and so that's just where we 978 01:01:01,920 --> 01:01:05,920 differ. And then we have Utah. I have Utah twelve, okay See 979 01:01:05,920 --> 01:01:08,239 at thirteen, Houston at fourteen, San Antonio at fifteen. You have okay 980 01:01:08,320 --> 01:01:13,320 See at fifteen, Houston at fourteen, Utah at thirteen, and the Spurs 981 01:01:13,519 --> 01:01:17,320 at twelve. So not a a ton of huge differences there. Grant remains 982 01:01:17,360 --> 01:01:22,000 wildly high. I'm Minnesota. We hope everybody enjoyed this podcast. Is your 983 01:01:22,000 --> 01:01:25,000 first time checking us out, Hit that subscribe button on YouTube. Liken comment 984 01:01:25,079 --> 01:01:29,239 to make the algorithm love us back. Subscribe to watching your podcast players. 985 01:01:29,239 --> 01:01:31,000 If that's where you're at and you haven't done so already, help us promote 986 01:01:31,000 --> 01:01:34,719 the community. Tell friends, family members, acquaintance as anyone who you know 987 01:01:35,000 --> 01:01:38,079 likes really bad basketball takes about us, and that they can come over and 988 01:01:38,079 --> 01:01:42,719 subscribe. Follow us on the socials links in the podcast and YouTube descriptions. 989 01:01:42,800 --> 01:01:45,079 Join our discord. The link is in the podcast and YouTube descriptions. Follow 990 01:01:45,119 --> 01:01:49,079 Grant on Twitter for his what is it Are we up to buy? Weekly? 991 01:01:49,159 --> 01:01:51,039 Now tweeting? Do you think? Well, I don't know what's gonna 992 01:01:51,039 --> 01:01:53,719 happen going forward. I just know I tweeted today, so you know if 993 01:01:53,719 --> 01:01:58,360 something happens tomorrow. He's so Grant is either off you follow him at GT 994 01:01:58,480 --> 01:02:00,280 Underscore Hughes. He's either on a tour pace to tweet, or you won't 995 01:02:00,320 --> 01:02:02,920 get another tweet from him for two months. Either way, it's a win 996 01:02:04,000 --> 01:02:06,639 for you because either I don't fill up your timeline or I give you like 997 01:02:06,679 --> 01:02:08,760 a couple in a row and you still really blessed. The next time we 998 01:02:08,840 --> 01:02:12,920 talk to close it out here, it will be because then you will be 999 01:02:12,960 --> 01:02:15,800 on so Grant and he will. He might be on more, maybe there's 1000 01:02:15,800 --> 01:02:19,480 weeks where he's on lest but he's agreed to be around for one episode per 1001 01:02:19,519 --> 01:02:22,719 week and we'll try and hash out the topics as we go. I'm excited 1002 01:02:22,000 --> 01:02:24,760 to be podcasting in with more often. I'm enjoying the look aheads, but 1003 01:02:24,800 --> 01:02:29,159 it's always fun to be able to bounce this stuff off a friend who only 1004 01:02:29,199 --> 01:02:31,320 judges me like sixty five percent of the time rather than like eighty to ninety 1005 01:02:31,360 --> 01:02:36,039 percent. So we're excited. But there's we're gonna have regular season basketball to 1006 01:02:36,039 --> 01:02:38,360 talk about. That feels weird right, feels good. I've watched a lot 1007 01:02:38,360 --> 01:02:42,360 of more preseason than I care to admit so far this year. I don't 1008 01:02:42,360 --> 01:02:45,639 know why. I'm ready. I'm ready to actually see the real lineups. 1009 01:02:45,960 --> 01:02:51,199 I'm tired of the six top six guys being the DMPs later until next time 1010 01:02:51,199 --> 01:02:53,880 we get to shout out to the one, the only Frank Nilkina and I 1011 01:02:53,920 --> 01:02:59,519 guess is we have to start at adding Yeah, I'd like to apologize to Jared Allen