1 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:20,039 What is krack alacin fellow thermonuclear a Efforts. I am Dan fa Valley coming 2 00:00:20,039 --> 00:00:24,480 at you with my certified fantabulous co host, mister Grant Hughes, coming to 3 00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:31,079 talk the opening of NBA training camps and all the news rumors, takeaways, 4 00:00:31,079 --> 00:00:35,439 observation questions that we deem pertinent as we bounce around before we get started, 5 00:00:35,439 --> 00:00:38,200 the usual reminder that you don't hear all the time now as we plow through 6 00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:42,880 the Lookhead series. The best way to support the show, please fucking subscribe 7 00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:45,520 if you're watching this, don't have a subcribe already. Hit sub on YouTube. 8 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:48,640 If you're already subbed on YouTube, go subscribe on Apple and Spotify. 9 00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:52,640 Subscribe across all platforms. If you've done all those things, recommend us to 10 00:00:52,679 --> 00:00:55,960 a friend, family member, co worker, acquaintance, random person on the 11 00:00:55,960 --> 00:00:59,359 street, or social media. We appreciate it. You can also join our 12 00:00:59,399 --> 00:01:02,719 discord. The link to that is in the podcast and YouTube description. Follow 13 00:01:02,799 --> 00:01:04,319 us on all the social handles. I won't go through them, those are 14 00:01:04,319 --> 00:01:07,879 in the podcast and YouTube descriptions. We have merch and we're going to have 15 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:11,760 a new merch drop I think soon, because there was a request for our 16 00:01:11,799 --> 00:01:15,200 new logo to become a T shirt, and my wife, who does some 17 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:19,000 graphic design work, says that it can be done, is in the process 18 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:21,719 of doing it. So buy our merch that's already there. The link to 19 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:25,280 that is in the podcast and YouTube description. I think I got everything. 20 00:01:25,319 --> 00:01:26,840 I haven't done this in a while, so it's very just just subscribe. 21 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:30,879 That's the best way to to support the show at this point, Grant, 22 00:01:30,359 --> 00:01:33,840 how the heck are you doing? I'm doing very well. I would also 23 00:01:33,879 --> 00:01:40,280 add that, like, if enough people finally listen to the our constant requests 24 00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:45,319 for subscriptions and follows and validation really is what we're talking about, maybe we 25 00:01:45,359 --> 00:01:49,200 won't have to start and end every podcast with this. Maybe we did it. 26 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:52,480 What's the threshold at which we stop asking for validation? Do you think 27 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:56,599 once we get to five thousand YouTube subscribers, if that could happen in the 28 00:01:56,599 --> 00:01:59,439 next couple months, Like I will stop pumping at the beginning. It has 29 00:01:59,480 --> 00:02:00,799 to come at the end. It doesn't have to say it at the end. 30 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:04,760 So I don't know. I don't know how to transition into the Frank 31 00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:07,319 Mila, Keena, Jared Allen stuff without first talking about rating, reviewing, 32 00:02:07,319 --> 00:02:10,560 and subscribing. It's just like my brain goes on a track that has to 33 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:14,759 start with that stuff. So that'll always be at the end. But you 34 00:02:14,759 --> 00:02:17,759 know, I'm doing well. I'm excited to current events. The other thing 35 00:02:17,759 --> 00:02:21,680 I will push I always talk about juicing the algo on the full video is 36 00:02:21,719 --> 00:02:24,080 go to our shorts and put comments on those things. They get views and 37 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:29,000 they generate subscribers, but very few of them get like comments. And I'll 38 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:30,759 see all these other shorts that have all these comments. I understand that. 39 00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:36,360 Whatever, but go go juice the algorithm on the shorts and comments on those. 40 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:38,120 Yeah, and your comment can be this is dumb. If you want, 41 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:40,919 you know, it doesn't really matter what it is. Just away, 42 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:46,400 go ahead, right whatever you want. We just want interaction current events, 43 00:02:46,479 --> 00:02:50,159 right, Like we've got media days and training camps and we're recording this on 44 00:02:50,159 --> 00:02:54,039 on Wednesday. Stuff is like actually happening, which is fun because now it's 45 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:57,360 no more. I mean, we're still going to do some of this when 46 00:02:57,400 --> 00:03:00,000 we do wind totals and stuff next week, but uh, we have new 47 00:03:00,039 --> 00:03:04,719 developments as opposed to let's look at this team on paper and try to guess 48 00:03:04,719 --> 00:03:06,960 how it's going to be like that. This is this is a little bit 49 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:09,240 of a pivot, and it's also a signal that it's getting real. We're 50 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:13,759 starting, we're getting close to the real thing. Now. Whenever our podcast 51 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:16,280 schedule has become less formulaic, like the content coverage of it, it's oh, 52 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:21,000 it's go time. Until that we are we are reaching reaching that point. 53 00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:23,199 Do you wanna what do you want to talk about first? How about 54 00:03:23,199 --> 00:03:24,960 you start us off? We'll go back do you I don't know if I 55 00:03:25,039 --> 00:03:28,960 want to talk about it, but we really have to the James Harden stuff. 56 00:03:30,039 --> 00:03:32,240 You know, he misses media day. Uh, this is all coming 57 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:37,159 on the heels of just it being telegraphed over the off season that like this 58 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:39,919 is gonna be a mess. Uh, he's going The word uncomfortable was used 59 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:44,280 then and now in quotes as as far as how he was going to make 60 00:03:44,319 --> 00:03:47,039 things go for the Sixers. He wasn't at media day, not a surprise. 61 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:50,759 He wasn't at the first day of training camp. Uh. The sixtions 62 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:55,479 are now at Colorado State having completed I think today's second day of training camp, 63 00:03:55,520 --> 00:04:00,159 and James Harden was there. H. So you know in conjunction with 64 00:04:00,199 --> 00:04:05,840 all that we've got, you know, reports and various sourced quotations from everyone 65 00:04:05,879 --> 00:04:11,639 you know. Woj has stuff. Sam Amy had some stuff today. I 66 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:15,759 just like. And it kind of runs the gamut because in Woge's piece he 67 00:04:15,759 --> 00:04:19,399 talks about the Sixers express hope the situation can be resolved, and it's just 68 00:04:19,439 --> 00:04:26,279 like, what really like this is salvageable? It just doesn't seem possible. 69 00:04:26,279 --> 00:04:29,560 And then you get things like he wants to make things uncomfortable, and then 70 00:04:29,560 --> 00:04:32,879 Amic says the hardness just as incensed as before at Maury, which I love 71 00:04:32,959 --> 00:04:39,160 the word. The use of incensed is really it tickles the right, tickles 72 00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:45,079 the right. Good choice by him, Good job, Sam. I guess 73 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:46,240 I don't really have I do. I guess I do have a question. 74 00:04:47,399 --> 00:04:51,399 What should this is gonna be a mess, It's not going away. Harden 75 00:04:51,439 --> 00:04:56,680 has the withholding services thing hanging over his head where if he you know it 76 00:04:56,759 --> 00:05:00,399 is really really not careful about how he handled this, he could cost himself 77 00:05:00,439 --> 00:05:05,759 free agency. Essentially, what do you think the sixers should want? Like, 78 00:05:05,879 --> 00:05:09,879 they can't really want him back, right, and then what do you 79 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:13,240 think is likely to happen? Here? Is this gonna drag on. I 80 00:05:13,319 --> 00:05:17,079 just am curious about sort of where you stand holistically on the hardened situation, 81 00:05:17,720 --> 00:05:20,800 because I'll let you talk and then I'll give you my take. But I'm 82 00:05:20,839 --> 00:05:26,319 just like the cynic in me is just like this is never gonna get fixed 83 00:05:26,439 --> 00:05:29,959 and the Sixers are done forever. Like that's that's where I've gone with it. 84 00:05:30,120 --> 00:05:31,399 Or are you there too? Or do you have a more nuanced take 85 00:05:31,439 --> 00:05:34,079 on it? No, I don't. I don't think it's more nuanced. 86 00:05:34,120 --> 00:05:38,639 I will say, despite all these reports, I just don't feel like the 87 00:05:38,639 --> 00:05:43,560 inevitable outcome has changed and that this is more likely going to regardless of whose 88 00:05:43,600 --> 00:05:46,360 sides you're taking, and we're never gonna know the whole story. I'm sure 89 00:05:46,360 --> 00:05:50,319 this is similar to the Damian Lillard stuff. I'm sure all parties involved could 90 00:05:50,319 --> 00:05:54,519 have handled things a lot better, and that they've They've messed up to some 91 00:05:54,639 --> 00:06:00,279 degree, But the most likely outcome is James Harden will probably get what he 92 00:06:00,399 --> 00:06:02,600 wants to some extent, and I end up on a different team. Maybe 93 00:06:02,639 --> 00:06:06,319 it's the Clippers, and that this is going to set back the Sixers more 94 00:06:06,399 --> 00:06:12,319 than anything. I know it worked out with the Ben Simmons situation. This 95 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:16,879 is just different because there wasn't like a free agent market for Harden this year, 96 00:06:17,360 --> 00:06:19,720 and it's it's very clear. It's such as he wants to go to 97 00:06:19,759 --> 00:06:24,240 one team. When we were going through the Damian Lillard stuff, when we're 98 00:06:24,279 --> 00:06:27,879 going through even Drew Holiday stuff, you can come up with multiple teams, 99 00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:31,439 even if they're not on Damian Lillard's list, who should roll the dice on 100 00:06:31,879 --> 00:06:35,480 that star. I can't come up with that team for Harden, which I 101 00:06:35,560 --> 00:06:42,800 really do think is going to screw over the Sixers in terms of asset management 102 00:06:43,160 --> 00:06:46,160 and what they're able to get back for him, What that does to their 103 00:06:46,199 --> 00:06:48,800 window with Joel Embiid, what it does to their chances of keeping Joel Embiid 104 00:06:48,879 --> 00:06:53,600 beyond this season. I would say, because I don't think a trade request 105 00:06:53,639 --> 00:06:59,680 is coming imminently but from him, But I would say next summer, like 106 00:06:59,680 --> 00:07:03,000 the on how this James Harden situation shakes out, and there's also is there 107 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:06,680 a possibility where he just doesn't get moved, plays out the season in Philly 108 00:07:06,720 --> 00:07:10,519 and then then what happens? What are his options? When you're looking at 109 00:07:10,519 --> 00:07:15,399 the cap space teams next summer, they're not gonna be necessarily any more attractive 110 00:07:15,399 --> 00:07:17,720 than they were this past season for him, unless he just cares about getting 111 00:07:17,759 --> 00:07:19,920 the bag and maybe there's a team that's, hey, we will give you 112 00:07:20,360 --> 00:07:24,800 a max contract for two or three years or whatever it ends up being. 113 00:07:26,040 --> 00:07:29,959 I just I can't predict the outcome here, but it just kind of seems 114 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:35,959 like there were more outs and more twists and turns and unpredictability in the Damian 115 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:41,079 Lillard situation when looking at how it would ultimately turn out, then there is 116 00:07:41,120 --> 00:07:44,600 with this because I feel like it all ends with I think in the end, 117 00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:47,879 the Sixers are gonna be the ones that come out looking worse for where 118 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:53,360 when you're gauging their future and their outlook, I think, I think ultimately 119 00:07:53,519 --> 00:07:56,879 it's gonna cost them EMBIID. And it's been a series of moves that have 120 00:07:56,959 --> 00:07:59,319 led to this. You know, the Ben Simmons thing is very much related. 121 00:08:00,639 --> 00:08:03,839 But you know, and be to his credit, has been loyal and 122 00:08:05,279 --> 00:08:09,519 is not making this as nasty of a situation as I think he's within his 123 00:08:09,639 --> 00:08:13,680 rights to make it because he just won MVP and now like the idea of 124 00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:16,360 a gap year is on the table, even if no one's talking about it, 125 00:08:16,399 --> 00:08:20,079 like where we take a step back as the Sixers and just hoard cap 126 00:08:20,079 --> 00:08:24,800 space for free agents like Tobias Harris, And I don't know what the point 127 00:08:24,800 --> 00:08:28,639 of that is. I want to ask you a hypothetical. You're one of 128 00:08:28,680 --> 00:08:33,480 the other twenty nine gms in the league outside of Philly, do you want 129 00:08:33,559 --> 00:08:37,919 James Harden on your team? And obviously, and now because you have to 130 00:08:37,919 --> 00:08:43,240 trade for him, the answer is if you have to give up a significant 131 00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:46,000 number of assets, is clearly no, because the trade would be done by 132 00:08:46,039 --> 00:08:48,799 now if that offer were on the table. Like, just do you want 133 00:08:48,879 --> 00:08:56,519 him? Because I think the number of teams that he makes sense on is 134 00:08:56,559 --> 00:09:00,279 really low, and I think if you acquire him, you're you know, 135 00:09:00,320 --> 00:09:03,600 we're people were talking about, Well, Drew Holliday may not be as great 136 00:09:03,639 --> 00:09:05,840 an acquisition. I don't think this, but is kind of not the easiest 137 00:09:05,840 --> 00:09:09,879 acquisition in the world because he's got the ability to hit free agency. We've 138 00:09:09,919 --> 00:09:11,799 got to figure out what this thirty three year old is worth. We're gonna 139 00:09:11,799 --> 00:09:15,399 have maybe have to overpay him, or maybe we lose him. That all 140 00:09:15,399 --> 00:09:20,559 applies to James Harden, except like the concern factor is one hundred x because 141 00:09:20,559 --> 00:09:24,720 of all the various times he's quit on his teams and made things difficult. 142 00:09:24,759 --> 00:09:28,240 Like, so, do you want James Harden? That like just end of 143 00:09:28,320 --> 00:09:31,759 question. No, Now, I don't want to be in the James Harden 144 00:09:31,799 --> 00:09:35,639 business if it's gonna like the money is one thing that you're gonna have to 145 00:09:35,679 --> 00:09:39,840 pay him, but the fact that you can't extend him once you acquire him, 146 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:41,279 and so what are his salary de Man's gonna be this summer? Is 147 00:09:41,279 --> 00:09:43,879 there a chance that he just leaves right anyway? Because you knew that's not 148 00:09:43,879 --> 00:09:46,440 that's not gonna happen with Damian Lowd in Milwaukee. Worst case scenario, he 149 00:09:46,519 --> 00:09:50,399 requests out again, they're still gonna get stuff for him. Maybe you could 150 00:09:50,399 --> 00:09:52,399 figure out a way to sign and trade hard in that scenario. I don't 151 00:09:52,440 --> 00:09:56,440 know, but if you're gonna have to give up real stuff to get him, 152 00:09:56,840 --> 00:09:58,840 yeah, you know, if you're the Clippers is a good example. 153 00:09:58,840 --> 00:10:03,000 That's the team he wants to go to. And I think if Russell Westbrook 154 00:10:03,039 --> 00:10:05,120 wasn't on the team, I could probably talk myself and do, Yeah, 155 00:10:05,159 --> 00:10:07,440 put your two firsts on the table, throw the expiring contracts in there, 156 00:10:07,480 --> 00:10:11,399 No, Terrence Man shouldn't be a breaking point because I get the theory of 157 00:10:11,440 --> 00:10:15,799 what is playmaking shot creation does for that team. They can insulate him defensively, 158 00:10:16,120 --> 00:10:18,360 but he also just we want that team to play with more pace. 159 00:10:18,480 --> 00:10:22,279 Russell Westbrook helps them do that. Terrence Mann helps them do that. You're 160 00:10:22,279 --> 00:10:24,159 gonna get rid of Terrence Mann maybe in that trade, and then you're gonna 161 00:10:24,159 --> 00:10:28,480 pair James Harden with Russell Westbrook again. And that didn't turn out so well 162 00:10:28,519 --> 00:10:33,399 in Houston. So that is the team that can talk themselves into probably giving 163 00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:35,879 up the most right now, unless this is does this all kind of end? 164 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:43,279 Like could the Lakers do something ridiculous once Austin Reeves and Ruy Hachimora or 165 00:10:43,399 --> 00:10:46,559 once Danzelo Russell and Austin Reaves become trade eligible, and like they talked themselves 166 00:10:46,559 --> 00:10:50,639 into paring James Harden with Anthony Davis and Lebron James and step Ladder their way 167 00:10:50,639 --> 00:10:54,120 there. I just can't you know, you're asking me if I want James 168 00:10:54,120 --> 00:10:58,679 Harden, what is the I just I struggle. James Harnden is still very 169 00:10:58,679 --> 00:11:01,120 good basketball player, which is why is so wild? I mean, sometimes 170 00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:03,759 not not necessarily when you really need him to be though, right, but 171 00:11:03,840 --> 00:11:07,840 like right, And I think the big issue here is he had some big 172 00:11:07,840 --> 00:11:11,519 playoff games last year, but he's never shown a willingness to be like the 173 00:11:11,720 --> 00:11:13,879 even the second guy. Really he was that last year and I guess he 174 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:18,399 wasn't happy, and so what is he gonna be like if he's the third 175 00:11:18,440 --> 00:11:22,200 guy? Right, so you could probably talk yourself into certain teams, but 176 00:11:24,399 --> 00:11:28,440 if he is knocked down a peg or two in the hierarchy, I could 177 00:11:28,480 --> 00:11:31,440 see that being beneficial. But like I'm thinking of teams, you know, 178 00:11:31,519 --> 00:11:35,080 the two teams that kind of stand out as like I would kind of love 179 00:11:35,159 --> 00:11:37,600 to just not like sort of a fuck it, let's try it. And 180 00:11:37,600 --> 00:11:41,039 I don't know what the package would be. So Miami is won just Harden 181 00:11:41,039 --> 00:11:43,440 and heat culture, like does he get in the best shape of his life 182 00:11:43,519 --> 00:11:46,799 or something? What happens there the other one? And I don't think people 183 00:11:46,799 --> 00:11:50,799 are gonna like this, like what if he was justin Minnesota and it's like 184 00:11:50,840 --> 00:11:56,720 you James Harden and Anthony Edwards and like that you're having that much shot creation 185 00:11:56,840 --> 00:11:58,559 from those two players, And so I don't know. Again, I don't 186 00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:03,360 know what the past looks like I wouldn't give up Jade McDaniels from at this 187 00:12:03,440 --> 00:12:05,840 point, do the Sixers they're not gonna want Towns or go bare. Maybe 188 00:12:05,840 --> 00:12:09,399 they'd want Commonly because he's he's fired in contract, but like they don't have 189 00:12:09,480 --> 00:12:13,240 picks to give up. Like those are just two teams where it's like if 190 00:12:13,240 --> 00:12:16,399 they're just trying to shake things up or get better. I know some people 191 00:12:16,399 --> 00:12:20,320 have floated in Toronto, but I just can't see that going over well, 192 00:12:20,360 --> 00:12:22,000 and Toronto is another team we have to get to we will, Yeah, 193 00:12:22,159 --> 00:12:26,679 And so I just like, is there even I'll throw this question to you. 194 00:12:26,720 --> 00:12:28,960 I know how you feel whether you want James Harmen, But there's a 195 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:33,519 team that is not the Clippers that you think maybe it's not even right now, 196 00:12:33,559 --> 00:12:37,919 Maybe it's a month, two months down the line that can talk themselves 197 00:12:37,960 --> 00:12:41,200 into, hey, we're gonna go after James. Like, does any team 198 00:12:41,240 --> 00:12:45,159 spring to mind? Like it was very easy to start listing off teams for 199 00:12:45,240 --> 00:12:52,440 Damian Lillard. It's not even close too difficult. It's worse than difficult to 200 00:12:52,519 --> 00:12:56,879 do that with Harden. Yeah, I think the Clippers are the obvious one. 201 00:12:56,679 --> 00:13:00,000 I mean, in so far as any of these teams are obvious. 202 00:13:00,600 --> 00:13:05,399 The heater there too. I mean, like, I mean, you would 203 00:13:05,399 --> 00:13:09,759 still say Houston. And I think Houston actually was a decent threat before there 204 00:13:09,799 --> 00:13:11,679 was a report. I think I just saw it today. I don't know 205 00:13:11,679 --> 00:13:16,200 how old it is. That basically Hardened and communicating with the Rockets made it 206 00:13:16,200 --> 00:13:20,200 clear that he wanted to he wanted a scoring title, and that was what 207 00:13:20,279 --> 00:13:22,720 Immiodoka said, like, well, that's a red flag, we're not interested. 208 00:13:24,200 --> 00:13:28,879 Houston would have made sense because they've shown they showed a willingness to court 209 00:13:30,200 --> 00:13:35,120 veterans on short deals to just try to you know, be half decent for 210 00:13:35,159 --> 00:13:39,440 a little while and not compromise long term. Uh you know, cap flexibility 211 00:13:39,519 --> 00:13:43,080 or whatever. Hard And ticks some of those boxes. I don't have a 212 00:13:43,120 --> 00:13:48,440 team. I just don't like it doesn't this is this is the thing too. 213 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:52,200 In addition to that, Darryl Morey has been pretty adamant in saying we're 214 00:13:52,240 --> 00:13:56,000 not going to trade him unless we get pieces back that up our championship equity. 215 00:13:56,039 --> 00:13:58,679 And I'm paraphrasing, but it's like, the idea is we want to 216 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:03,240 stay where we are or get better by trading James Harden, and that to 217 00:14:03,279 --> 00:14:07,720 me, seems just beyond unrealistic at this point. So that would suggest that 218 00:14:07,759 --> 00:14:11,120 they won't trade him, which also seems unrealistic at this point. And that's 219 00:14:11,120 --> 00:14:15,360 why the situation is so fascinating. It's such a weird impasse where like every 220 00:14:15,399 --> 00:14:20,840 factor on every side just run. It just works in contradictory ways are working 221 00:14:20,840 --> 00:14:24,039 across purposes. One of the most interesting things to me about all this is 222 00:14:24,279 --> 00:14:30,080 Tyrese, MAXI, PJ. Tucker and to some extent EMBIID have all kind 223 00:14:30,120 --> 00:14:33,039 of and Maxie and and and uh and Patrick Beverley to throw him in there 224 00:14:33,480 --> 00:14:37,840 have said things like we'd love to have him back, like we I hope 225 00:14:37,879 --> 00:14:41,000 he shows up, you know, which is part of It's like, well, 226 00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:43,279 what are they really going to say? And from a microphone, you 227 00:14:43,320 --> 00:14:46,200 know where I'm done with him? I can't you can't probably say what you 228 00:14:46,240 --> 00:14:48,480 really think. But one of the strangest elements in all this to me is 229 00:14:48,519 --> 00:14:54,360 that the players don't seem teammates, don't seem to turn on Harden in situations 230 00:14:54,399 --> 00:14:58,600 like this, or at least not as much as like I would with them, 231 00:14:58,799 --> 00:15:03,279 you know, So that that's so it really does seem like there are 232 00:15:03,279 --> 00:15:05,799 probably a lot of players on teams out there that are like, yeah, 233 00:15:05,840 --> 00:15:07,440 get us James Harden. That'd be awesome. But I don't think there's a 234 00:15:07,480 --> 00:15:11,120 single executive in the league that feels the same way. It's just an interesting 235 00:15:11,159 --> 00:15:16,600 divide and and I can't kind of like reconcile it in my mind. Do 236 00:15:16,639 --> 00:15:20,000 you know what would be I think the funniest random destinations. And these are 237 00:15:20,039 --> 00:15:24,120 not teams that I'm endorsing to go after James Harden. I got a few 238 00:15:24,120 --> 00:15:26,559 of them. Shit go sideways, and we'll get to this team in Golden 239 00:15:26,559 --> 00:15:31,919 State and they just decide, like Chris Paul's not working out, we're gonna 240 00:15:31,919 --> 00:15:35,600 step light our away with his salary to get James Harden and see if that 241 00:15:35,720 --> 00:15:39,879 works. Because we know, you know, maybe James Harden kind of falls 242 00:15:39,879 --> 00:15:43,600 in line when Steph Curry and Draymond Green. Sure, yeah, like he 243 00:15:43,679 --> 00:15:46,639 fell in line with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving and fell in line with Joe. 244 00:15:46,759 --> 00:15:50,879 Let me like you to come off the bench. I don't think that 245 00:15:50,919 --> 00:15:54,240 would go. Brooklyn might be the biggest what if team in NBA history, 246 00:15:54,360 --> 00:15:58,159 Like if Kyrie just gets the jab, are we talking about a team that 247 00:15:58,200 --> 00:16:00,039 win, they have at least one title, right, maybe maybe, I 248 00:16:00,039 --> 00:16:04,519 mean the Harden narrative would be really different, but it isn't. I don't 249 00:16:04,519 --> 00:16:07,799 want to spoil that. That's part of my garbage time though, so I 250 00:16:07,799 --> 00:16:11,279 don't want to spoil that, all right, spoiler half spoiler alert. Could 251 00:16:11,279 --> 00:16:17,120 they like if it's if the cost ends up being and this doesn't jibe with 252 00:16:17,279 --> 00:16:19,759 what the Sixers want to do entering free agency, maybe there's a third team 253 00:16:19,799 --> 00:16:26,600 here where they get expiring contracts if the cost is CJ. McCollum and stuff 254 00:16:26,720 --> 00:16:32,320 that is not Trey Murphy and it's the Pelicans. Yeah, that's just a 255 00:16:32,360 --> 00:16:36,240 team where it's okay, we have Zion. There's a lot of overlap then 256 00:16:36,320 --> 00:16:40,120 with Brandon Ingram and Harden. At the same time, my Carn's a much 257 00:16:40,200 --> 00:16:42,279 better passer than anyone else on this team, including CG. Mccoms. So 258 00:16:42,360 --> 00:16:45,279 does it get a little bit like, is there some is there an element 259 00:16:45,279 --> 00:16:48,840 of similarities there with Harden? Or is it worse because you can't count them 260 00:16:48,919 --> 00:16:52,879 in the locker room. But then you're also getting out of CG. McCollum's 261 00:16:52,159 --> 00:16:56,120 extension, and maybe you're worried about that. As your team gets more expensive, 262 00:16:56,159 --> 00:16:59,399 Brandon Ingram start thinking about his new contract. Trey Murphy is going to 263 00:16:59,440 --> 00:17:03,720 be extension now Herb Jones's deals like it's a footnote. But like Jonas found 264 00:17:03,799 --> 00:17:06,160 Chewess in the final year of his deal, So I'm not looking at is 265 00:17:06,240 --> 00:17:07,839 oh, you need to get off to CJ McCollum deal. But this is 266 00:17:07,880 --> 00:17:11,839 a team in the Pelicans that, while they are in the tax right now, 267 00:17:12,079 --> 00:17:15,559 and while David Griffin has maintained that they would be willing to pay the 268 00:17:15,640 --> 00:17:18,440 tax if they're good enough, they're not going to pay the tax. Yeah, 269 00:17:18,480 --> 00:17:22,079 like it's not gonna happen it, So that would be Again, I'm 270 00:17:22,119 --> 00:17:25,440 not endorsing any of these, but that is a team that is just like 271 00:17:25,519 --> 00:17:27,599 okay, like if they're playing kind of well, but they want to duck 272 00:17:27,640 --> 00:17:32,279 the tax and they're still kind of worried about Zion's like I'm just wondering, 273 00:17:32,680 --> 00:17:37,359 and then I have another one, but good, I don't want to because 274 00:17:37,359 --> 00:17:40,400 I've already like made my position clear of like I don't want James Harden, 275 00:17:40,720 --> 00:17:41,559 so all I would do is like, well, Dan, I mean, 276 00:17:41,640 --> 00:17:45,599 like the whole point of the Pelicans is so Zion can be on the ball. 277 00:17:45,680 --> 00:17:48,240 James Harden's not gonna be like no shit, Like, of course, 278 00:17:48,279 --> 00:17:51,079 it's easy to shoot down all these ideas and I don't want to do that. 279 00:17:52,119 --> 00:17:53,720 It's hard. What about Orlando before you give me another one? Is 280 00:17:53,720 --> 00:17:59,000 that what you're You're gonna just want Magic fans to hate us, Like every 281 00:17:59,279 --> 00:18:03,640 journey we have is the antithesis of what Orlando was looking for. It doesn't 282 00:18:03,680 --> 00:18:07,920 matter. Ah, look that I actually think that would not be a terrible 283 00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:11,480 fit. But they're just not a team that's gonna do it. No, 284 00:18:11,480 --> 00:18:14,759 they're not because they should. The next team and I'm gonna mention wouldn't do 285 00:18:14,799 --> 00:18:18,720 it either, But it's just like what if? What if? Just OKC 286 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:22,680 is really good? But like the offense isn't there yet, and you're looking 287 00:18:22,720 --> 00:18:26,319 at you know, Philly wants picks and salaries that they can reroute like to 288 00:18:26,400 --> 00:18:30,440 keep their books clean. You have damas Burton's is expiring there maybe they would 289 00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:34,519 would you give up lou Dort and Breton's and picks for a flyer on Harden 290 00:18:34,839 --> 00:18:38,160 like you're not? But then like Giddy's already there. I again, I 291 00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:42,039 wouldn't do it. I'm just you know, maybe there's good vibes. He 292 00:18:42,119 --> 00:18:45,400 was in OKC once before. Is he's still mad about the way things unfolded 293 00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:48,559 there. He probably never becomes the megastar he is if he stays in the 294 00:18:48,559 --> 00:18:52,799 shadow of Russ and KD. I look, this is how I'm grasping for 295 00:18:52,920 --> 00:18:56,799 straws. I mean, you know what's funny is some of the teams I 296 00:18:56,839 --> 00:19:02,079 already mentioned Houston and you mentioned OKC, like Brooklyn actually needs a James Harden 297 00:19:02,160 --> 00:19:06,279 type, you know, like someone to you know, someone that so dinwitty 298 00:19:06,359 --> 00:19:10,039 and and isn't your main ball handler. And Ben Simmons isn't being relied upon 299 00:19:10,079 --> 00:19:11,519 to be the point guard, and Michail Bridges can scale back a little, 300 00:19:11,599 --> 00:19:17,440 like all these teams that he's been on, like they're they're the ones that 301 00:19:17,480 --> 00:19:21,720 actually kind of need him if if anyone does, I don't know, like 302 00:19:22,039 --> 00:19:26,680 you could just nay Is leaving Brooklyn and Teckning more about Kyrie right than anything 303 00:19:26,680 --> 00:19:32,119 else, And so maybe you could mend those fences. I just have no 304 00:19:32,160 --> 00:19:36,279 idea. Wouldn't it be How wild would it be for Simmons and Harden to 305 00:19:36,319 --> 00:19:40,640 end up team Well, Simmons isn't expiring so whether it'd have to be a 306 00:19:40,640 --> 00:19:42,640 third team and the Philly's like obsessed with cap space for some reason. No, 307 00:19:42,640 --> 00:19:45,160 No, I'm not sending Simmons back to the Sixers. I'm saying Harden 308 00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:48,240 and Simmons now play together. Oh, I thought you meant that would be 309 00:19:48,319 --> 00:19:52,599 hysterical, it'd be so bizarre. The final thing on this because we and 310 00:19:52,680 --> 00:19:56,200 we'll get to I was gonna I was thinking about asking you about there's been 311 00:19:56,440 --> 00:19:59,559 shade has been thrown at Doc Rivers left and left and right in trading camp. 312 00:19:59,559 --> 00:20:02,319 We're gonna do Sixers look at too, and we'll talk to Brian toa 313 00:20:02,359 --> 00:20:04,599 Porik about that stuff. The last thing on the hard in front though, 314 00:20:04,680 --> 00:20:10,799 is were we not saying similar things about the Ben Simmons situation in Philly? 315 00:20:11,160 --> 00:20:14,440 So is there a chance that we're wrong here or was it? Well, 316 00:20:14,480 --> 00:20:17,839 even when Ben Simmons was on the block and they weren't moving him, you 317 00:20:17,880 --> 00:20:19,920 at least there was the idea that, oh, the Sixers might have turned 318 00:20:19,960 --> 00:20:23,880 down Tyre's Halliburton, whereas with James Harden it's the Clippers won't even give up 319 00:20:23,960 --> 00:20:29,480 Tern's man for him, right right, No, they're the situations are analogous. 320 00:20:29,680 --> 00:20:33,039 I mean just because of the team's involved, but they're so different. 321 00:20:33,200 --> 00:20:38,359 Like I just I I am as much as anything, I am fascinated to 322 00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:41,920 see because I do assume he'll get traded. It just I can't imagine that 323 00:20:42,039 --> 00:20:47,480 this is a salvageable situation in Philly. I cannot wait to see what the 324 00:20:47,519 --> 00:20:51,680 trade package is because because it might because if it's a decent package, it's 325 00:20:51,720 --> 00:20:56,000 gonna seem like I'll be just blown away. How do the Sixers get anything 326 00:20:56,039 --> 00:21:00,680 for him? And then if it's a really like unbelievably low ball package, 327 00:21:00,240 --> 00:21:06,119 it'll just be it'll just solidify what I'm like starting to kind of think, 328 00:21:06,519 --> 00:21:11,759 which is that we are now in the like late stage Russell Westbrook portion of 329 00:21:11,799 --> 00:21:17,000 the James Harden experience, where you know, if you give up anything to 330 00:21:17,079 --> 00:21:19,799 get him talking about the Lakers straight a couple off seasons ago, it's just 331 00:21:19,839 --> 00:21:26,799 a mistake by definition. So I'm I cannot wait to see how this resolves, 332 00:21:26,880 --> 00:21:30,480 because the trade package will just be fascinating and I wanted to resolve. 333 00:21:30,519 --> 00:21:32,799 I know we just spent twenty mills year about talking about it, but I 334 00:21:32,839 --> 00:21:37,039 want it to end. This is not because because it seems so unlikely that 335 00:21:37,079 --> 00:21:40,440 there's gonna be a curveball thrown, Like I don't enjoy talking about it. 336 00:21:40,480 --> 00:21:44,160 Like the Damian Lillard stuff, there was always the prospect of, like, 337 00:21:44,200 --> 00:21:45,519 we think it's gonna be Miami, but I could see it not. And 338 00:21:45,559 --> 00:21:49,359 this is just I don't have that same inkling here. I can't wait, 339 00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:53,680 by the way, to talk to Brian about uh, just because I feel 340 00:21:53,720 --> 00:21:56,359 like I'm being alarmist with the Embiid stuff and I'm, you know, looking 341 00:21:56,359 --> 00:22:00,880 too many steps ahead. But it's just like every super starts loyal till they're 342 00:22:00,920 --> 00:22:04,559 not. Dame Muller just got traded like it just and it's if if Embid 343 00:22:04,559 --> 00:22:10,160 were to make a trade request, nobody on planet Earth would say no, 344 00:22:10,319 --> 00:22:12,759 are you kidding? Like I couldn't have seen you know it, Just it 345 00:22:12,839 --> 00:22:17,000 seems like it's imminent. I don't know what the timeline is, but I'm 346 00:22:17,119 --> 00:22:21,720 curious about someone who really has followed that team super closely where he is on 347 00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:25,279 the whole Embiid side of this, because that's more than anything I don't want 348 00:22:25,279 --> 00:22:27,440 to ruin the episode we've yet to record yet, but speaking with him fairly 349 00:22:27,440 --> 00:22:33,440 frequently on the side you're not being an alarmist. Good, but let's go 350 00:22:33,519 --> 00:22:37,359 to the Golden State Warriors, because I feel like this is more positivity than 351 00:22:37,359 --> 00:22:41,799 if we were to shift directly to Toronto. What have you kind of made? 352 00:22:41,559 --> 00:22:45,839 One? We haven't talked about the Draymond Green ankle sprain, which I 353 00:22:45,880 --> 00:22:49,480 think Jason Dumas reported he's going to be out three to four weeks or something. 354 00:22:49,519 --> 00:22:52,960 And aren't the Warriors timelines. They're always kind of like reevaluate and then 355 00:22:52,960 --> 00:22:56,759 you attack on another week or two to that. So there's that factor in. 356 00:22:57,039 --> 00:23:00,599 But the stuff coming out of so Chris Paul when he was asked about 357 00:23:00,640 --> 00:23:03,960 starting because he had to be that might be a non issue to begin the 358 00:23:03,960 --> 00:23:07,799 season if Draymond misses some time, but it will invariably be a question he 359 00:23:07,880 --> 00:23:11,119 brought up like the two thousand and eight Olympics, which was almost twenty years 360 00:23:11,160 --> 00:23:15,160 ago at this point. His coming off the bench. Yeah, but again 361 00:23:15,440 --> 00:23:18,920 positive response. And then there was the video that was posted by Anthony Slater 362 00:23:19,240 --> 00:23:25,759 where it seemed like Chris was really trying to immerse himself in Pet Warrior sets 363 00:23:25,880 --> 00:23:29,160 rather than Oh, he's arguing that he wants the Warriors to run like more 364 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:32,400 double drag with him or something. So what have you kind of made of 365 00:23:32,599 --> 00:23:34,960 It's? Look, it's the start of training camp. Everyone's in the best 366 00:23:34,960 --> 00:23:38,240 shape of their lives. They game fifteen pounds of muscle while losing five percent 367 00:23:38,559 --> 00:23:41,720 of their body fat. But like, what if are you? Are you 368 00:23:41,799 --> 00:23:45,759 like more optimistic that you tended to be, by the way, relative to 369 00:23:45,880 --> 00:23:51,400 Warriors, like people more optimistic about this fit to begin with? Were you 370 00:23:51,519 --> 00:23:56,200 like even more hopeful now after going through the early offts of training camp? 371 00:23:56,480 --> 00:24:02,359 Well, I got to say that the Draymond Green injury really it hit me 372 00:24:02,400 --> 00:24:07,680 a little harder than I think. It's a sprained ankle in September at the 373 00:24:07,720 --> 00:24:12,400 time normally would But it's because I was gonna and we may still need to 374 00:24:12,400 --> 00:24:15,200 do this. I was gonna have like, Dan, please talk me down, 375 00:24:15,279 --> 00:24:19,400 because I kind of think the Warriors belong in the like top flight contender 376 00:24:19,559 --> 00:24:25,240 class, just with literally anyone. And and then when that injury gets reported, 377 00:24:25,279 --> 00:24:27,279 it's like, oh, right, these guys are old, and a 378 00:24:27,759 --> 00:24:33,640 sprained ankle is a long time and there's no guarantee that it doesn't affect almost 379 00:24:33,640 --> 00:24:36,400 all of the season, like and this is just the first and what might 380 00:24:36,440 --> 00:24:41,039 be because of these guys' ages, just a series of this kind of thing, 381 00:24:41,119 --> 00:24:44,839 and we never really we're gonna it'll be January and it's like the starting 382 00:24:44,920 --> 00:24:47,920 five finally gets to play together, you know, like that kind of thing. 383 00:24:48,880 --> 00:24:51,799 So I get with or without Chris Paul, Well that's the thing. 384 00:24:51,920 --> 00:24:55,279 So so that was I just wanted to, like, you know, start 385 00:24:55,319 --> 00:24:59,240 with that aspect of it is. I'm ready to kind of like just like 386 00:24:59,400 --> 00:25:03,000 back off the enthusiasm a touch because this was a reminder of how fragile this 387 00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:07,799 whole thing is. Like everyone's subject to injuries derailing a season, but when 388 00:25:07,839 --> 00:25:11,240 you're dealing with guys that are all in there, you know, early to 389 00:25:11,279 --> 00:25:15,079 mid and Chris Paul's case, late thirties, like this is this is how 390 00:25:15,079 --> 00:25:18,480 it goes bad, I think, which is to say like I never so 391 00:25:18,640 --> 00:25:22,319 to get back to Chris Paul, everyone has kind of said the right things 392 00:25:22,680 --> 00:25:25,559 throughout, you know, Steve Kerr said we're gonna use camp to look at 393 00:25:25,559 --> 00:25:32,200 it. Chris Paul aside from some like you know, maybe misinterpreted facial expressions, 394 00:25:32,200 --> 00:25:33,680 and like, let me answer your question with the question about me. 395 00:25:34,240 --> 00:25:38,839 Starting type of stuff has at least been measured and let's do a wait and 396 00:25:38,880 --> 00:25:41,720 see kind of approach, which makes sense, right, Like even if even 397 00:25:41,759 --> 00:25:45,599 if Steve Kerr really already knows what he wants to do and is just hoping 398 00:25:45,640 --> 00:25:49,680 everyone gets on board, don't you don't say that right away? The reason 399 00:25:49,720 --> 00:25:53,400 I was high on the Chris Paul signing is if and this is the caveat 400 00:25:53,440 --> 00:25:57,480 for the whole thing, if he's willing to come off the bench and probably 401 00:25:57,519 --> 00:26:03,839 not close fairly off, and if everybody's healthy, he addresses their main weaknesses, 402 00:26:03,880 --> 00:26:08,240 which is like just the turnover bonanza and the second unit sucking basically non 403 00:26:08,279 --> 00:26:12,599 curry units not being able to score, like those have been a plague for 404 00:26:12,720 --> 00:26:15,680 years, and they really reared their heads last year. And I just think 405 00:26:15,680 --> 00:26:22,480 he solves those problems. So I think it's really it is encouraging that so 406 00:26:22,640 --> 00:26:26,680 far, and the latest comments do seem to suggest that Paul is like it's 407 00:26:26,880 --> 00:26:30,519 may it may go smoothly, like he might come off the bench. I 408 00:26:30,559 --> 00:26:32,839 think that's the right decision. By the way, I think he should be 409 00:26:32,920 --> 00:26:37,680 the sixth man. Yeah, because you can make a case for him substituting 410 00:26:37,720 --> 00:26:41,880 in for like I don't know, Looney or Klay Thompson or even Draymond. 411 00:26:41,880 --> 00:26:45,720 I guess that just never made like didn't seem like the way to get the 412 00:26:45,759 --> 00:26:51,319 Warriors to you know, their optimal state to me, So it is encouraging. 413 00:26:51,359 --> 00:26:55,119 I think that he's kind of the things are moving in the direction of 414 00:26:56,519 --> 00:26:59,559 the direction they should, which is where he is the sixth man, and 415 00:26:59,559 --> 00:27:02,440 he starts, you know, he might start twenty five games just because of 416 00:27:02,480 --> 00:27:06,200 injuries and because of whatever else, rest days and things like that. So 417 00:27:06,279 --> 00:27:10,720 I'm other than the Draymond injury, I think I'm mostly encouraged by by how 418 00:27:10,720 --> 00:27:14,599 things are looking. And it is interesting that at least interesting to think about 419 00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:18,319 Paul, who has been you know, probably doesn't get in as much credit 420 00:27:18,319 --> 00:27:22,160 as he should for having to adjust playing styles like say in Houston for example, 421 00:27:22,960 --> 00:27:26,319 but just the quintessential pick and roll point guard kind of learning. I 422 00:27:26,359 --> 00:27:30,160 think him and Steph Curry work talking about like you know, pitch and go 423 00:27:30,359 --> 00:27:34,119 actions and things like that, like that's that's interesting. I'd like to see 424 00:27:34,279 --> 00:27:38,160 what Chris Paul could do and stuff like that in sets like that. So, 425 00:27:40,039 --> 00:27:41,759 by the way, as to say, I'm mostly encouraged other than the 426 00:27:41,839 --> 00:27:45,759 Draymond injury. I would love to see if they could get Steph CP three 427 00:27:45,839 --> 00:27:51,480 And like on Draymond's podcast, I would listen to that episode of Raymond's podcast. 428 00:27:51,759 --> 00:27:53,200 Yeah, just talking tactics and what do you think? I mean, 429 00:27:55,160 --> 00:27:57,960 I assume you agree that like the hit you over the head logical moves, 430 00:27:57,960 --> 00:28:00,119 that Chris Paul is the six man for this team, right, like there's 431 00:28:00,200 --> 00:28:03,160 no other way to do it. We've kind of talked about it and we 432 00:28:03,160 --> 00:28:07,240 were just more optimistic on the fin I do think people under sell everyone's talking 433 00:28:07,240 --> 00:28:08,400 about, well, when it matters, most Steph Curry's gonna be on the 434 00:28:08,400 --> 00:28:11,839 floor. So a lot of the non Steph minutes matter. They matter because 435 00:28:11,839 --> 00:28:15,000 the Warriors lose them all the fucking time, and they're like a lot of 436 00:28:15,039 --> 00:28:17,519 them. And yeah, and they were. There's at least, let's say, 437 00:28:17,559 --> 00:28:18,839 thirteen minutes a game where Steph Curry's not on the floor. If you 438 00:28:18,839 --> 00:28:22,440 can be a net neutral to net positive during those minutes on a consistent basis, 439 00:28:22,960 --> 00:28:26,319 that's huge. And look, frankly, Jordan Poole wasn't cutting it. 440 00:28:26,359 --> 00:28:30,000 And I know he came in and was he played very well as a starter 441 00:28:30,119 --> 00:28:33,920 last year. When you look at his statistics, but like he's still insulated 442 00:28:33,920 --> 00:28:37,200 there because you're gonna spend a lot of time with Draymond Green, like you 443 00:28:37,240 --> 00:28:40,519 need someone who and they even kind of got away. They like to pair 444 00:28:40,640 --> 00:28:42,319 Steph and Drey together, and they do that as much as possible. Like 445 00:28:42,559 --> 00:28:47,279 last year they even tried to like use Draymond with the second unit more to 446 00:28:47,279 --> 00:28:48,359 cushion that, and it just wasn't yet. It worked a little bit, 447 00:28:48,400 --> 00:28:52,400 but then you're removing what you want is your best duo or like those are 448 00:28:52,400 --> 00:28:55,920 the players you want, you know, sort of the Yokich and Jamal Murray 449 00:28:55,920 --> 00:28:59,079 connection where it's you don't want to play those guys together less because they're so 450 00:28:59,160 --> 00:29:03,720 damn good together. I think Chris Paul can really at least address those pockets 451 00:29:03,720 --> 00:29:07,759 of time, if nothing else. What I'm most fascinated to see is, 452 00:29:07,480 --> 00:29:11,839 never mind the starting how does he react if he's not closing games, because 453 00:29:11,880 --> 00:29:15,839 that's a very real prospect. And then what does it even look like if 454 00:29:15,839 --> 00:29:18,000 he is closing games or if that is your five man unit that you lean 455 00:29:18,039 --> 00:29:22,440 on, that's gonna put a lot of pressure. I think on Andrew Wiggins 456 00:29:22,519 --> 00:29:25,640 and lay Thompson would be the two, and we're already talking about Klay Thompson. 457 00:29:25,640 --> 00:29:27,920 They've already talked about Kay Thompson defending more power forwards this year, and 458 00:29:27,920 --> 00:29:33,039 that's probably better for his Like I know people will make jokes like power forwards 459 00:29:33,039 --> 00:29:34,200 are bigger, but they also tend to be slower, and that might be 460 00:29:34,200 --> 00:29:38,519 beneficial to Clay, Like, you know, if Andrew Wiggins has to defend 461 00:29:38,519 --> 00:29:41,880 the point of attack, like, then you're gonna need Klay Thompson to kind 462 00:29:41,920 --> 00:29:45,200 of check your opposing wings that you can stash Curry and CP three here and 463 00:29:45,240 --> 00:29:48,720 there. Maybe see three ends up being better defensively. Like I feel like 464 00:29:48,759 --> 00:29:51,599 people talked about like he was just absolutely cooked, and he definitely looked at 465 00:29:51,680 --> 00:29:55,039 at points when we saw him in games against certain opponents and in the playoffs. 466 00:29:55,039 --> 00:29:57,839 But he also aged thirty eight and is nowhere near the worst defensive guard 467 00:29:59,240 --> 00:30:02,359 in the league. Yeah, which matters. I'm curious to see how they 468 00:30:02,440 --> 00:30:04,599 navigate that. And I'm also before I throw it back to you and I 469 00:30:04,640 --> 00:30:07,720 don't know this random, I just like kind of want to see is he 470 00:30:07,839 --> 00:30:12,920 someone that can really help streamline the development and the play of Jonathan Kaminga and 471 00:30:12,960 --> 00:30:17,920 maybe help Jonathan Kamena increase his opportunity on this team. I know the Warriors 472 00:30:17,920 --> 00:30:22,240 are singing the praises of Dario Sharz right now. Like Kaminga, he's in 473 00:30:22,319 --> 00:30:25,079 year three, Like this is a big year for him and the Warriors if 474 00:30:25,079 --> 00:30:30,119 they still want to be invested in him as this long term cornerstone. Because 475 00:30:30,119 --> 00:30:33,440 if they're not, it's kind of time to like shit or get off the 476 00:30:33,440 --> 00:30:36,400 pot and then look at actually moving him into trade. Yeah. No, 477 00:30:36,640 --> 00:30:41,359 I think sometimes I misjudge, like is this too obvious of a storyline to 478 00:30:41,400 --> 00:30:45,640 discuss, because I'm very much in the like the Warriors silo, but the 479 00:30:45,720 --> 00:30:49,240 Kaminga aspect of it, I don't think can be overstated because and it's represented. 480 00:30:49,559 --> 00:30:53,160 Paul's potential impact on Kaminga is representative of like the knock on effects he 481 00:30:53,160 --> 00:30:57,079 can have on lots of guys. But to start with Kaminga, one of 482 00:30:57,079 --> 00:31:00,880 the hugest issues with him is, like I think, and it's been reported 483 00:31:00,920 --> 00:31:04,079 like Kaminga really wants to be in on the ball twenty point a game scorer 484 00:31:04,240 --> 00:31:07,839 like that is how that has kind of been his intention from the jump, 485 00:31:07,880 --> 00:31:14,400 and it's just like he like raining him in and limiting the things he does 486 00:31:14,880 --> 00:31:18,680 has been a challenge all along, and I think the most positive reports you 487 00:31:18,759 --> 00:31:23,359 hear about him tend to be focused from the coaching staff and teammates on him 488 00:31:23,359 --> 00:31:27,920 embracing a role which is basically like do three things really well like be an 489 00:31:27,920 --> 00:31:32,519 athlete, roll to the basket, rebound, run, and transition. Everything 490 00:31:32,559 --> 00:31:34,519 else is gravy if they just want him to do that, And I think 491 00:31:34,599 --> 00:31:40,200 Chris Paul is someone that should just stream like you said it, streamline everything 492 00:31:40,240 --> 00:31:44,319 for KAMINGA and make it easier. So maybe you don't get a better sense 493 00:31:44,319 --> 00:31:48,640 of can he actually be like a first option on the ball like big Wing. 494 00:31:48,759 --> 00:31:51,400 I don't think so, but I don't think we need to know that 495 00:31:51,480 --> 00:31:53,640 yet. I think we need to see how good of a like superstar role 496 00:31:53,680 --> 00:31:56,240 player he can be before we start talking about any of that. And I 497 00:31:56,279 --> 00:32:00,920 think he's better positioned now with Paul to give us that information than he's ever 498 00:32:00,960 --> 00:32:02,400 been. And it is kind of a make or break which is crazy to 499 00:32:02,440 --> 00:32:06,960 say because he's twenty one, you know, it is kind of it feels 500 00:32:06,960 --> 00:32:09,119 like a make or break season in some respects. But I think Paul also, 501 00:32:09,640 --> 00:32:14,599 like if you're Klay Thompson, and you've a lot of times had to 502 00:32:14,640 --> 00:32:17,960 be on a second unit without Steph and or Draymond, like that's where he 503 00:32:19,160 --> 00:32:22,680 was he took you know, it was not focused on enough. Thompson's shot 504 00:32:22,720 --> 00:32:25,039 selection last year was really bad in stretches, and it's because there wasn't a 505 00:32:25,039 --> 00:32:29,559 lot else the Warriors could do and he was pressing. I think if he 506 00:32:29,720 --> 00:32:31,839 just gets like one or two clean looks a game because Chris Paul finds him 507 00:32:31,880 --> 00:32:36,480 spotting up as he runs a pick and roll, that could mean a lot 508 00:32:36,599 --> 00:32:38,720 for the second unit and for the Warriors. And I think like someone like 509 00:32:38,759 --> 00:32:43,960 Gary Payton who's super limited offensively, Paul is never going to miss him cutting 510 00:32:43,960 --> 00:32:45,440 for a lob from the corner, Like it's just never gonna happen. And 511 00:32:45,480 --> 00:32:51,839 so I think the impact Paul can have on guys beyond and Moses Moody is 512 00:32:51,880 --> 00:32:53,359 another one. Just get him a couple of easy looks so he doesn't have 513 00:32:53,400 --> 00:32:58,799 to do more than he can. That is, you know, that's really 514 00:32:58,880 --> 00:33:01,359 just kind of parsing out the different ways that Paul can make the second unit 515 00:33:01,400 --> 00:33:06,200 look better. But I think every single guy that he's gonna play with stands 516 00:33:06,200 --> 00:33:08,599 to benefit and they stand to benefit because he's going to do all the thinking 517 00:33:08,640 --> 00:33:12,279 and all the strategic hard work, and they're just going to get to finish. 518 00:33:12,440 --> 00:33:15,880 You know that. That's the That's why the theory of Paul and the 519 00:33:15,880 --> 00:33:21,200 Warriors always had so much appeal for me. Where do you want to go 520 00:33:21,279 --> 00:33:23,519 next? We got to talk. I mean, we can take this a 521 00:33:23,519 --> 00:33:27,880 million different ways, because it's the biggest kind of like combo story of the 522 00:33:27,960 --> 00:33:30,279 last you know, well of the off season. So you got Damian Lillard 523 00:33:30,319 --> 00:33:36,359 in Milwaukee, you have Drew Holliday in Boston, and I think it's fair 524 00:33:36,400 --> 00:33:39,400 to say, like when the Lillard trade happened, all the title odds, 525 00:33:39,640 --> 00:33:45,160 you know, bumped Milwaukee to the top. The Boston trade happens, Boston 526 00:33:45,240 --> 00:33:47,279 kind of moves back to the top. There's a very clear one two in 527 00:33:47,319 --> 00:33:51,440 the East. We can talk about that, and we probably should. I 528 00:33:51,559 --> 00:33:53,559 just it's hard to know, like, you know, how much we're belaboring 529 00:33:53,680 --> 00:33:59,759 kind of pretty well covered talking points about Boston's depth issues, injury issues and 530 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:02,519 Milwaukee's like what are we gonna do with Dame on defense stuff? We can 531 00:34:02,640 --> 00:34:07,480 circle back to that. Have we entirely forgotten about the Calves. I know 532 00:34:07,559 --> 00:34:12,280 you love the Calves. I know that the you know, record they put 533 00:34:12,320 --> 00:34:15,119 together last year when they had the second best net rating in the league, 534 00:34:15,280 --> 00:34:19,519 suggests that we should love the Calves. I know the fact that they addressed 535 00:34:19,679 --> 00:34:23,119 the weakness we harped on all last year by getting Max Struce suggests they should 536 00:34:23,159 --> 00:34:28,599 be better. I know the fact that everyone that matters on that team shouldn't 537 00:34:28,639 --> 00:34:32,519 be at least as good this year as last, with the exception of Darius 538 00:34:32,519 --> 00:34:37,239 Garland and Evan Mobley, who should be way better and are already really good. 539 00:34:37,800 --> 00:34:43,280 I'm not saying the Calves belong necessarily in the Milwaukee or in the Milwaukee 540 00:34:43,360 --> 00:34:49,239 Boston tier, but like people are talking about Miami before getting to Cleveland when 541 00:34:49,280 --> 00:34:52,360 you're thinking of like, who's gonna give these top two teams a hard time? 542 00:34:52,760 --> 00:34:55,000 And that seems just so totally backwards to me. I get it, 543 00:34:55,039 --> 00:34:59,239 the Heat made the finals and the Calves lost in the first round, But 544 00:35:00,239 --> 00:35:02,760 I just don't know how you can look at the Eastern Conference landscape. Maybe 545 00:35:02,760 --> 00:35:07,360 this is the way to put it and Philly's falling apart and not put Cleveland 546 00:35:07,480 --> 00:35:13,440 as number three with a bullet with a really good chance to give either of 547 00:35:13,440 --> 00:35:15,400 those top two teams trouble, Like is that over? Like, who else 548 00:35:15,400 --> 00:35:19,280 are you even considering as the third best team in the East? Is I 549 00:35:19,280 --> 00:35:22,199 think it's Cleveland, like in a absolute runaway. And when we talk, 550 00:35:22,400 --> 00:35:25,440 when you hear the discourse on these top two teams, Cleveland just isn't like 551 00:35:25,599 --> 00:35:29,800 isn't in the conversation And I don't understand it. That's not a question. 552 00:35:29,920 --> 00:35:32,880 I just want you to validate my Uh how upset I am about that? 553 00:35:34,000 --> 00:35:37,960 Well, it's validation. And I think, look, because of the uncertainty 554 00:35:37,239 --> 00:35:42,119 that Boston and Milwaukee, which they they had to begin with, there was 555 00:35:42,159 --> 00:35:46,039 different there's different versions of uncertainty. But now that they've caked in a lot 556 00:35:46,039 --> 00:35:51,840 of these depth questions on their team, like are we just sure? Like 557 00:35:51,920 --> 00:35:53,360 yeah, I want to see those two teams meet in the playoffs for sure. 558 00:35:53,719 --> 00:35:58,320 And I think that based off the top end of their town in Boston's 559 00:35:58,320 --> 00:36:01,920 top six is just beyond compare. Yeah, But like if we're looking at 560 00:36:01,920 --> 00:36:06,840 the regular season specifically, the Cavs are in the mix for the one seed, 561 00:36:06,920 --> 00:36:10,199 Like you can't tell you can't guarantee me right now? Based on some 562 00:36:10,239 --> 00:36:14,760 of the death concerns, some of the injury concerns that both those teams have 563 00:36:15,360 --> 00:36:17,239 that like, I would not I don't know what if you forced me to 564 00:36:17,280 --> 00:36:22,719 bet on like an X amount of dollars on both Boston and Milwaukee having a 565 00:36:22,719 --> 00:36:27,800 better regular season record than Cleveland. I'm not betting more than like one hundred 566 00:36:27,840 --> 00:36:30,440 bucks because I don't want to lose it. There's a chance that they're going 567 00:36:30,480 --> 00:36:32,960 to be that good, and I'll shout out. I'll shout out and then 568 00:36:34,039 --> 00:36:38,199 drag him through the mud. Justin Rowan from the Chase Down podcast pointed out 569 00:36:38,199 --> 00:36:45,199 to me that Darius Garland was more of an emotion shooter last year than I 570 00:36:45,239 --> 00:36:49,039 had credited. And I looked at the volume. I didn't I knew he 571 00:36:49,239 --> 00:36:52,360 was could be a good shooter. I did not realize the volume when he 572 00:36:52,440 --> 00:36:54,679 was in motion. That is monstrous for this team to have him and Max 573 00:36:54,719 --> 00:36:59,119 Strews on the court at the same damn time. Now, I will drag 574 00:36:59,199 --> 00:37:01,800 him through the mud for this. I was flirting with picking the cass to 575 00:37:01,840 --> 00:37:05,960 come out of the East and then the Bucks make the Damian Lillard trade. 576 00:37:06,320 --> 00:37:08,639 But Justin Rowan kind of talked me out of it, just saying like they're 577 00:37:08,679 --> 00:37:12,760 not ready to the experience is there. He is super high on this team. 578 00:37:13,159 --> 00:37:16,639 He acknowledged me that there is an outcome where they could come out of 579 00:37:16,679 --> 00:37:20,400 the East. He's just not ready to go there yet. And I understand. 580 00:37:20,400 --> 00:37:23,440 But why, honestly, honestly, why is it? Because if the 581 00:37:23,480 --> 00:37:29,360 reasoning is because Giannis and Dame exist or because Boston's top six exists, I 582 00:37:29,400 --> 00:37:32,679 am more than willing to be Yeah, that's fair. But like you hit 583 00:37:32,719 --> 00:37:38,519 it on the head, Darius Garland and even more so Evan Mobley or at 584 00:37:38,519 --> 00:37:44,440 the beginning of their prime arcs. Evan Mobley is still in his developmental arcs 585 00:37:44,599 --> 00:37:49,800 and if he adds any sort of layer to his game where it's he can 586 00:37:49,840 --> 00:37:52,960 deal with being more physical on the offensive end. He does a better job 587 00:37:52,000 --> 00:37:57,639 of being more physical on the glass, although again the Caves need to improve 588 00:37:57,679 --> 00:38:00,840 their rebounding, especially in the playoffs. But like Evan Mobley's spends so much 589 00:38:00,880 --> 00:38:05,400 time away from the basket. It's the thing. Yeah, he's just not 590 00:38:05,480 --> 00:38:09,239 around the basket. And when you let's go through the defenses of like the 591 00:38:09,280 --> 00:38:14,480 Eastern Conference and how all these different teams match up with Milwaukee and Boston, 592 00:38:15,840 --> 00:38:19,840 is there a tougher matchup for either of those teams than what Cleveland poses, 593 00:38:20,239 --> 00:38:24,440 Like maybe I would say maybe Milwaukee's toughest matchup. Well I'm can no, 594 00:38:24,480 --> 00:38:30,400 You're right, Milwaukee's toughest matchup. I mean exclude Boston is Cleveland, because 595 00:38:30,400 --> 00:38:34,079 now Damian ask you, is it more Cleveland than Boston? Now that you've 596 00:38:34,079 --> 00:38:37,920 gotten rid of Grant Williams time Lord, and people were complaining because I was 597 00:38:37,960 --> 00:38:42,000 calling time Lord r W three or r dub. I prefer that the time 598 00:38:42,039 --> 00:38:44,280 Lord, but I we'll call him time Lord. Now it's like you get 599 00:38:44,360 --> 00:38:45,719 rid of those two, you got rid of Marcus Smart, who was also 600 00:38:45,760 --> 00:38:51,119 another and there's no like defending Giannis, but like you can't expect a Horfard's 601 00:38:51,119 --> 00:38:54,480 been one of the best Giannis defenders since Johannis entered the league. Al Horford 602 00:38:54,559 --> 00:39:00,320 is pretty freaking old. Yeah at this point, so just please go ahea. 603 00:39:00,480 --> 00:39:02,360 No, I that that that is a huge factor to me. Now 604 00:39:02,440 --> 00:39:07,239 the Celtics, like I have a harder time saying, oh, Cleveland's really 605 00:39:07,239 --> 00:39:10,840 gonna give Drew Holliday and Derek White, like like there's not gonna be a 606 00:39:10,840 --> 00:39:15,000 better backcourt defensive tannem in the league. But you're I take your point of 607 00:39:15,039 --> 00:39:20,920 like the Celtics did lose. I mean, when healthy RW three was transformative 608 00:39:20,920 --> 00:39:24,079 defender when used the right way. Grant Williams was good on Giannis, al 609 00:39:24,119 --> 00:39:29,199 Horford is older, Porzingis may be hurt, may have played really well in 610 00:39:29,199 --> 00:39:31,119 a contract year, may not be as good of a rim protector as they 611 00:39:31,159 --> 00:39:35,920 need. Like you know, we can have a conversation about that. But 612 00:39:35,960 --> 00:39:38,440 the Milwaukee side of it, where now it's Damian Lillard and not Drew Holliday. 613 00:39:38,519 --> 00:39:42,440 That's the point of attack defender when Donovan Mitchell is running a pick and 614 00:39:42,519 --> 00:39:45,920 roll and Brook Lopez is in a drop or flip it and make it Darius 615 00:39:45,920 --> 00:39:51,119 Garland, like you can all just that's like item one on Milwaukee's what the 616 00:39:51,119 --> 00:39:54,880 fuck do we do? You know, series set of priorities against the against 617 00:39:54,920 --> 00:40:00,679 the Calves because Cleveland just has the guards now a lot well again, a 618 00:40:00,679 --> 00:40:02,840 lot will depend on Struce being able to pull a defender out to the corner 619 00:40:02,920 --> 00:40:06,800 or wherever he is, which the Celtic of the Calves just didn't have. 620 00:40:07,199 --> 00:40:14,599 But they're better positioned to really make their guard duo who can hit threes off 621 00:40:14,639 --> 00:40:17,480 the dribble when a screen is set for them, or pop into mid rangers 622 00:40:17,559 --> 00:40:21,840 or get into you know, the upper paint and move the ball. Like 623 00:40:22,360 --> 00:40:24,519 Milwaukee is going to have trouble with that, I think, or at least 624 00:40:24,599 --> 00:40:29,639 at least the Bucks are going to have to make concessions against those two defensively, 625 00:40:30,000 --> 00:40:34,480 like give them something that I think very few other teams are going to 626 00:40:34,480 --> 00:40:37,599 put the Bucks in that position as as like obviously as the Calves can and 627 00:40:37,719 --> 00:40:43,199 like, yeah, I mean the just the idea. Sometimes the analysis probably 628 00:40:43,280 --> 00:40:47,400 needs to stop at Milwaukee has Giannis and Dame and Brook Lopez could win Defensive 629 00:40:47,400 --> 00:40:51,199 Player of the Year and no one would bat and I and so like, 630 00:40:51,400 --> 00:40:53,960 yeah, they're just gonna beat the Calves. But the matchup things are at 631 00:40:54,039 --> 00:40:58,880 least like worth discussing, I think in a real way between those two teams. 632 00:40:58,920 --> 00:41:01,760 And like you said, you know, the Celtics have six guys and 633 00:41:01,800 --> 00:41:05,360 then after that, I don't know, like there it's not like you got 634 00:41:05,400 --> 00:41:07,840 world beaters and they're they're old. Some of the guys like Horford or older 635 00:41:07,840 --> 00:41:12,519 that there are injury risks, like just just to say, like no, 636 00:41:12,559 --> 00:41:15,239 Cleveland should not probably have better odds to win a title or to make the 637 00:41:15,239 --> 00:41:20,760 finals, but it's like they're not. I put it this way, Cleveland 638 00:41:20,800 --> 00:41:23,800 is closer to Milwaukee and Boston than I think anyone else in the East is 639 00:41:23,840 --> 00:41:28,480 to Cleveland from like the underside of that of those like standings, Does that 640 00:41:28,480 --> 00:41:31,440 make sense, Like there's more likely to be a top three than there is 641 00:41:31,480 --> 00:41:35,400 to be a top two, and like six other teams we view kind of 642 00:41:35,400 --> 00:41:38,199 equally. No, I'm with you there, and even I feel like Boston 643 00:41:38,239 --> 00:41:44,400 poses probably more matchup problems for them still than Milwaukee at this point with that 644 00:41:44,519 --> 00:41:49,480 kind I mean maybe even not because who's there, Damian Lillard defender, that's 645 00:41:47,800 --> 00:41:52,559 the that's an issue. But it's also like with Boston, and I know 646 00:41:52,639 --> 00:41:55,880 Kevin O'Connor had this tweet where and I was never trying to because I have 647 00:41:57,239 --> 00:42:00,280 I was skeptical more so before the Drew trade about Christops is fit. He 648 00:42:00,400 --> 00:42:05,239 was excellent last season. He has been one of the best straight up room 649 00:42:05,280 --> 00:42:08,039 protectors in the league for a while now. But if you're Cleveland and you 650 00:42:08,079 --> 00:42:13,119 already laid this out, like if you're gonna have more shooters moving around, 651 00:42:13,440 --> 00:42:15,920 Jared Allen and Evan Mobley are good enough passers to find them if they have 652 00:42:16,000 --> 00:42:20,239 to pass out of Christops's room protection. And if Mobley is actually a point 653 00:42:20,239 --> 00:42:22,320 where he can sort of punish guys down low, if he can get sort 654 00:42:22,360 --> 00:42:25,519 of the like we've seen him take these shots, these fallaways or these flip 655 00:42:25,559 --> 00:42:29,320 shots, like if those start going in at a higher clip, like what 656 00:42:29,440 --> 00:42:32,239 christophs Porzingis is doing on the back line is much less of a concern to 657 00:42:32,280 --> 00:42:37,280 me than what's happening up top. Because you have Derek White and Drew Holliday. 658 00:42:37,519 --> 00:42:40,840 So, and I would even frame it this way. You said there's 659 00:42:40,840 --> 00:42:45,599 a top three in the East. If we were trying to name the top 660 00:42:45,719 --> 00:42:51,360 five most likely championship winners in the league this year, I think you have 661 00:42:51,440 --> 00:42:54,199 Boston, I think you have Milwaukee. I would have Denver, and I 662 00:42:54,199 --> 00:42:57,920 would have Phoenix. There is there. I'm not asking you to name the 663 00:42:57,920 --> 00:43:00,159 fifth. Do you agree with those four? You know, honestly, I'm 664 00:43:00,159 --> 00:43:04,159 good with the three, And then I think there's like three or four or 665 00:43:04,159 --> 00:43:07,039 even five others you could throw in there. I don't put Phoenix in the 666 00:43:07,159 --> 00:43:12,559 like absolute no brainer side of it. The so, but like so let's 667 00:43:12,599 --> 00:43:15,400 even say, like Cleveland, is is there any team aside from those those 668 00:43:15,440 --> 00:43:20,920 three or those four that you would guarantee belongs in that most likely one of 669 00:43:20,920 --> 00:43:22,239 the title spot and then Cleveland that is there any other team that you would 670 00:43:22,239 --> 00:43:29,159 even guarantee well bias alert, I think I'd say the Warriors, but I 671 00:43:29,199 --> 00:43:32,719 think I think they belong I think Cleveland and Golden State and Phoenix are kind 672 00:43:32,719 --> 00:43:37,239 of I view them as pretty close as like your second tier of contenders behind 673 00:43:37,280 --> 00:43:39,559 the two Boston, Milwaukee and Denver. I think there's a little bit of 674 00:43:39,599 --> 00:43:43,440 a cut off there. But yeah, to your point, you can't you 675 00:43:43,440 --> 00:43:46,519 you know, so I would not guarantee that there's another team that clearly has 676 00:43:46,639 --> 00:43:51,599 it belongs in like a cut above other than those three relative to Cleveland. 677 00:43:52,199 --> 00:43:53,400 Yeah, No, Calves are good. Caves are really good. We got 678 00:43:53,400 --> 00:44:00,760 to talk about well, apparently nobody knows, so only us. We're the 679 00:44:00,800 --> 00:44:05,400 only one talking about the Cabs. The can we talk about the Spurs? 680 00:44:05,960 --> 00:44:08,800 Oh, I'd love to. They gave Devin. I would drink his bath 681 00:44:08,840 --> 00:44:13,199 water of a sell a five year, one hundred and thirty five million dollars 682 00:44:13,239 --> 00:44:19,039 guaranteed extension. Some people are still flipping out about the numbers. Can I 683 00:44:19,480 --> 00:44:21,719 in the first of all, there's no player options. It can get up 684 00:44:21,760 --> 00:44:25,000 to one hundred and I think forty seven if he reaches certain incentives which are 685 00:44:25,039 --> 00:44:30,480 not public just yet. No player options. Do you know as of right 686 00:44:30,519 --> 00:44:36,559 now what the highest percentage of the salary cap that deal is projected to be 687 00:44:36,679 --> 00:44:39,639 worth? Oh man, I don't. I would love for you to tell 688 00:44:39,679 --> 00:44:45,320 me. Can I guess the most celebri be worth is like twenty four percent? 689 00:44:45,599 --> 00:44:47,320 You can guess, but you would be way wrong. It's in the 690 00:44:47,360 --> 00:44:52,719 first year and it's sixteen point nine percent of the salary cap. By the 691 00:44:52,800 --> 00:44:57,440 end of that deal, he's projected to be making under fifteen percent of the 692 00:44:57,480 --> 00:45:00,559 salary cap. It's a I'm you don't need to call it a steal. 693 00:45:01,239 --> 00:45:04,480 But like I saw a lot of people like, oh man, his agent 694 00:45:04,559 --> 00:45:08,039 deserves like a rent. No. No, Denzelle's absolutely worth seventy percent of 695 00:45:08,079 --> 00:45:14,320 the salary cap. I am fascinated though, by the type of player that 696 00:45:14,400 --> 00:45:16,320 you think he could become because, and I don't know if this is a 697 00:45:16,320 --> 00:45:20,800 hot take, here's the Victor wemen Yama discussions right there. I want to 698 00:45:20,840 --> 00:45:23,400 know how good offensively, he's gonna be right off the bat. Who is 699 00:45:23,440 --> 00:45:28,920 the best shot creator on the Spurs right now? And if it's Wemby, 700 00:45:29,280 --> 00:45:31,679 then after Wemby, well, I don't think it's Wemby. I think it's 701 00:45:31,719 --> 00:45:35,920 Vacille. Like I mean, like unless you're just counting Trey Jones, because 702 00:45:35,920 --> 00:45:38,280 he's a point guard and he actually does create shots. But that's the difference. 703 00:45:38,440 --> 00:45:43,280 You're just like not as for others, probably like when he's gonna make 704 00:45:43,320 --> 00:45:46,000 plays in the pocket, but like he wants to get to like very specific 705 00:45:46,079 --> 00:45:50,559 spots. Where's Den Bissell. There's gonna be more variance to how his buckets 706 00:45:50,599 --> 00:45:52,760 are coming on the ball or off the ball, for sure. No, 707 00:45:52,800 --> 00:45:55,960 I don't even know who's in the conversation. Besides, I like, you 708 00:45:57,039 --> 00:45:59,559 know who's actually should be in the conversation. That's this is the only other 709 00:45:59,639 --> 00:46:02,480 name I think of. Malachi Brandham. Oh wow, it's just like that 710 00:46:02,599 --> 00:46:07,239 dude. He shot like ninety percent on flip shots last year. I'm exaggerating, 711 00:46:07,239 --> 00:46:10,000 but it really was like in the sixties, I believe. And he's 712 00:46:10,039 --> 00:46:15,320 just very comfortable at probably the bottom two levels as opposed to the three point 713 00:46:15,440 --> 00:46:19,000 level. I still think it's Devin Vessel. This is like, this is 714 00:46:19,039 --> 00:46:22,679 a player we need to be z and I know that he just averaged was 715 00:46:22,719 --> 00:46:24,800 it like eighteen points or nineteen points per game? This is still someone you 716 00:46:24,840 --> 00:46:29,400 need to circle on your list when looking at what he could do defensively, 717 00:46:29,760 --> 00:46:32,719 as a passer, as a scorer, Like he's in the most improved player 718 00:46:32,880 --> 00:46:36,440 just like early season. Mostly I might pick him. We haven't done our 719 00:46:36,480 --> 00:46:37,880 awards yet, I haven't even thought about them, to be honest with you, 720 00:46:38,360 --> 00:46:43,480 but like this, like I'm just I'm so high on the future of 721 00:46:43,480 --> 00:46:46,440 the Spurge, just having Wemby, Jeremy Sohen and Devin Vassell and I know, 722 00:46:46,519 --> 00:46:49,760 so you want to some people want to throw Keldon Johnson in there. 723 00:46:49,760 --> 00:46:51,880 I think he's a very useful player. I don't know if he's a core 724 00:46:52,280 --> 00:46:55,800 core member of this team. Same with Trey Jones, Malachi Branham. This 725 00:46:55,920 --> 00:47:01,239 team is just I don't know how many minutes they're gonna play Wemby right off 726 00:47:01,239 --> 00:47:06,519 the bat. I just I look at having Wemby, se In Visell, 727 00:47:07,000 --> 00:47:09,320 Zach Collins. I'm just I'm kind of sad that they got rid of Reggie 728 00:47:09,320 --> 00:47:12,679 Bullock, who shout out to him. I'm assuming. I don't know if 729 00:47:12,679 --> 00:47:15,039 we have the final details on his deal. I'm guessing because the Rockets had 730 00:47:15,039 --> 00:47:17,159 the room exception, that's why he went to Houston. Because playing time doesn't 731 00:47:17,159 --> 00:47:20,719 seem to be like I thought he could help them. There's like a chance. 732 00:47:20,800 --> 00:47:22,920 I know they're really young, but that the Spurs are a lot better 733 00:47:22,000 --> 00:47:29,159 defensively than we think. And I am so in on Devin Vesel that we 734 00:47:29,199 --> 00:47:31,039 didn't talk about it yet on this podcast about his extension. I was just 735 00:47:31,480 --> 00:47:35,280 surprised. No one. I don't think I saw anyone like lampoon it and 736 00:47:35,320 --> 00:47:37,800 say that he's a shitty player and that deal was terrible. But I saw 737 00:47:37,800 --> 00:47:39,280 a lot of like oh man, like his agent moves up a few notches 738 00:47:39,280 --> 00:47:42,800 every like no, no, he doesn't, this is a deal. We 739 00:47:42,840 --> 00:47:45,199 threw out the number. I think when we were talking in a podcast, 740 00:47:45,320 --> 00:47:46,719 or maybe it was when I was talking to Noah mcgaro George, there was 741 00:47:46,760 --> 00:47:51,039 like, would you bat Andy if it was one hundred and thirty? And 742 00:47:51,239 --> 00:47:52,960 I think we were in agreement. I think it was you and I we 743 00:47:52,960 --> 00:47:54,719 were in agreement. No, there are some people on YouTube like WHOA WHOA 744 00:47:54,760 --> 00:47:58,639 you can't do that. No, you absolutely can, and you should and 745 00:47:58,679 --> 00:48:00,920 you did, right. I think part of it is I mean it was 746 00:48:00,920 --> 00:48:05,199 in San Antonio last year. That was a massive mail in job, and 747 00:48:05,199 --> 00:48:07,039 I think he only played like forty something to get forty two I want to 748 00:48:07,039 --> 00:48:09,960 say games last year. I may be wrong. It's in the neighborhood, 749 00:48:10,199 --> 00:48:14,920 and it's like it's just hard to get noticed as a third year guy that 750 00:48:15,079 --> 00:48:19,960 is basically off the radar after what like December or January that just is not 751 00:48:20,400 --> 00:48:24,679 you know, is could not be more on the periphery of like broader NBA 752 00:48:25,039 --> 00:48:29,039 attention because of where he is and like the fact that he's not playing. 753 00:48:29,400 --> 00:48:30,559 But yeah, eighteen and a half points a game. I think the other 754 00:48:30,599 --> 00:48:34,719 thing, he's a good defender and I think he could get a lot better. 755 00:48:35,239 --> 00:48:38,039 And he also did WAE more ball handling and shot creation. He like 756 00:48:38,159 --> 00:48:42,199 I think he almost doubled or maybe more than that assists per game, and 757 00:48:42,239 --> 00:48:45,079 it's not assist per game or whatever, but like the types of things he 758 00:48:45,159 --> 00:48:49,239 was asked to do with the ball. I think for a minute there we 759 00:48:49,280 --> 00:48:52,360 were kind of like Devin Vessel awesome three and d prospect. Right, He's 760 00:48:52,400 --> 00:48:53,880 just more than that. It's kind of the same way everybody was like, 761 00:48:53,880 --> 00:48:57,199 oh, Desmond Baying good three and d prospect, Oh no, wait, 762 00:48:57,239 --> 00:49:00,519 he can run ten pick and rolls a game, no problem. Vacell is 763 00:49:00,599 --> 00:49:04,320 kind of the next in that line of guys where we pigeonholed him a little 764 00:49:04,320 --> 00:49:07,679 early, and I think has just way more that he can do. And 765 00:49:07,719 --> 00:49:10,960 if he can, if he does excel as as more of a Desmond Bane 766 00:49:12,039 --> 00:49:15,559 like Jack of all offensive trades type, he'll be I mean, he might 767 00:49:15,559 --> 00:49:20,480 be underpaid now, but he'll be dramatically underpaid at this rate if he becomes 768 00:49:20,519 --> 00:49:22,639 like what I think you and I both kind of see as being possible. 769 00:49:22,760 --> 00:49:25,599 Yeah, look, the turn came there was last year, like the turn 770 00:49:25,639 --> 00:49:30,760 came after Dee Jonte Murray trade where they got him involved as the primary handler 771 00:49:30,760 --> 00:49:32,960 in ball screens. And like he trade, Jones was the only one who 772 00:49:34,039 --> 00:49:36,639 ran more pick and rolls per game on the Spurs last year. Like this 773 00:49:36,679 --> 00:49:39,159 is someone who I think that the Spurs they paid like he could be the 774 00:49:39,199 --> 00:49:45,679 second best player on the on a core of a team that is contending for 775 00:49:45,679 --> 00:49:47,559 a title, a roude around the outskirts of it. And I think that's 776 00:49:47,559 --> 00:49:51,679 absolutely what he can be. I mean, there's like real, you know, 777 00:49:51,719 --> 00:49:54,039 Bradley Beal type type of you know, upside I think, or maybe 778 00:49:54,039 --> 00:49:57,360 it's not even upside. I think he might just be like a Bradley Beal 779 00:49:57,360 --> 00:50:00,679 type player, you know, before too long. That's not that we need 780 00:50:00,679 --> 00:50:02,920 to readily builds contract as a measuring stick for what guys like that are worth, 781 00:50:02,960 --> 00:50:07,000 but like it's you know, more than would you say, sixteen percent 782 00:50:07,039 --> 00:50:09,559 of the cap. That's that's ridiculous. Where you want to go next? 783 00:50:09,840 --> 00:50:13,599 I think we got to talk about Toronto. I don't know how much there 784 00:50:13,639 --> 00:50:15,440 is to really say. We've kind of crushed them every time we've talked about 785 00:50:15,480 --> 00:50:21,519 them. This just it piques my interest, you know, masaiu Jiri in 786 00:50:21,599 --> 00:50:25,159 the context of talking about you know, it's an extension for Pascal Siakam and 787 00:50:25,280 --> 00:50:30,840 just sort of general like what's the plan stuff. I don't think it's overstating 788 00:50:30,840 --> 00:50:34,159 it to say, like guys, he said, guys played selfishly and we're 789 00:50:34,199 --> 00:50:37,519 kind of taking a wait and see approach before we start handing out money. 790 00:50:37,800 --> 00:50:40,039 That's how I took his comments, and that may be a little unfair. 791 00:50:42,800 --> 00:50:47,840 It makes me wonder, like do we need to reevaluate Ujiri as and maybe 792 00:50:47,880 --> 00:50:52,320 we've passed that point as someone you know, I think for a long time 793 00:50:52,320 --> 00:50:54,039 people would have said this guy might be the best executive in the league. 794 00:50:54,519 --> 00:51:00,000 And I think even after that more recently he was sort of unassailable. Like 795 00:51:00,119 --> 00:51:04,360 how now you can kind of question Greg Popovich as a head coach, like 796 00:51:04,519 --> 00:51:07,119 is it thing passed? Has things passed him by a little bit? Where 797 00:51:07,159 --> 00:51:09,440 for they would be blasphemous to suggest that, like three four years ago. 798 00:51:10,719 --> 00:51:15,760 Maybe a bad analogy because Papovich might be the best coach ever. But like 799 00:51:15,679 --> 00:51:21,679 so, just to summarize, Jery doesn't do anything with Fred van Vliet, 800 00:51:22,119 --> 00:51:25,159 Fred VanVleet Walks seems to have been caught off guard by Gary trans Junior opting 801 00:51:25,199 --> 00:51:30,599 in in the midst of all. Before that you make the Yaka Purl trade 802 00:51:30,880 --> 00:51:34,119 for a first rounder and then you re sign him to a contract I think 803 00:51:34,119 --> 00:51:37,519 we both agree is pretty as above market. And this is all happening in 804 00:51:37,519 --> 00:51:44,840 the context of like Scottie Barnes stalled developmentally in year two, and the broad 805 00:51:44,880 --> 00:51:49,159 direction of the team is basically indecipherable, Like we joke about it all the 806 00:51:49,159 --> 00:51:52,679 time, but like picket direction raptors, Are you tanking? Are you trying 807 00:51:52,679 --> 00:51:54,920 to build around this group? Who's integral, who's not? What is the 808 00:51:54,920 --> 00:51:58,519 long term plan? At some point all of that just has to fall at 809 00:51:58,559 --> 00:52:01,239 the feet of the decision makers. And now how said decision maker is kind 810 00:52:01,280 --> 00:52:06,800 of like knocking down the trade value of someone like Siakam by intimating that he 811 00:52:06,800 --> 00:52:10,639 played selfishly and is and has og in andobi and I guess you're lumping him 812 00:52:10,639 --> 00:52:14,719 in there too, is someone that you probably need to try to trade and 813 00:52:14,760 --> 00:52:19,400 have rebuffed ridiculous apparently trade offers for him over the years. And you're gonna 814 00:52:19,400 --> 00:52:22,559 look at you know, van Fleet got away. Is that gonna happen with 815 00:52:22,599 --> 00:52:25,719 two more guys because you're you're killing their trade value and it's gonna be harder 816 00:52:25,760 --> 00:52:30,000 to I just like it's all going. It was already bad for me looking 817 00:52:30,039 --> 00:52:34,639 at Toronto from Afar, it just feels worse now. And I'm what, 818 00:52:35,679 --> 00:52:38,360 this is maybe impossible? Like what logic is there in him saying the things 819 00:52:38,360 --> 00:52:43,280 he said? And like what logic has there been in how they've conducted business 820 00:52:43,280 --> 00:52:45,079 with all their guys who are nearing the ends of their contracts. I just 821 00:52:45,320 --> 00:52:49,599 like make it make sense for me. There are two other things that stand 822 00:52:49,639 --> 00:52:52,440 out. I wanted to tack onto what you said is his comments about Van 823 00:52:52,480 --> 00:52:55,599 Fleet. That he said something about could we have moved him at the deadline? 824 00:52:55,639 --> 00:52:58,880 Maybe, but sometimes it comes down to a level of respect for the 825 00:52:58,920 --> 00:53:02,480 player shows that me. What does that? What does that mean? And 826 00:53:02,480 --> 00:53:06,360 first of so, I want to this point, I don't think I've seen 827 00:53:06,400 --> 00:53:09,559 some people start to relitigate what missile Eujery has done, and a mom Amon 828 00:53:09,679 --> 00:53:13,840 Aiden had a stat on Twitter I think was the Raptors have like the highest 829 00:53:13,880 --> 00:53:15,440 winning percentage in the NBA over the last half decade or whatever it is. 830 00:53:15,719 --> 00:53:20,199 We can't religate what he's done, and we can't dismiss him as still being 831 00:53:20,199 --> 00:53:22,960 a threat. It's fair to question what is going on here. I think 832 00:53:22,000 --> 00:53:27,559 Missayujeri can be a top executive. Something seems to skew in Toronto those fredman 833 00:53:27,599 --> 00:53:31,000 Fleet comments. I don't understand you haven't. This is not circa Kyle Lowry 834 00:53:31,000 --> 00:53:32,960 at the end of his career, where maybe you punt it on like a 835 00:53:32,960 --> 00:53:37,360 bottom five first round pick, like you could have gotten real stuff for Fred 836 00:53:37,400 --> 00:53:42,159 VanVleet. That is that is something we all know for a fact off the 837 00:53:42,199 --> 00:53:45,519 record. On the record, we know for a fact your obligation as the 838 00:53:45,559 --> 00:53:51,199 executive is still to the franchise, and you weren't talking about how you were 839 00:53:51,280 --> 00:53:53,559 doing this to give him the opportunity to explore free agency, and like no, 840 00:53:53,719 --> 00:53:57,679 like no, you probably just misread the market on it. And I 841 00:53:57,679 --> 00:53:59,920 still think you should have just paid him and figured out the rest. It's 842 00:54:00,000 --> 00:54:01,960 the short term deal. Who cares. The other thing that stood out was 843 00:54:01,960 --> 00:54:06,679 did you see Bobby Webster? There was MESSI saying that our interest in Damian 844 00:54:06,719 --> 00:54:09,320 lill was overblown, and then Bobby Webster said, we offered more than we've 845 00:54:09,320 --> 00:54:14,840 ever offered for another player in a trade for Jamian Lillard. The house does 846 00:54:14,920 --> 00:54:16,280 not seem completely in order. And I saw a lot of and look, 847 00:54:16,320 --> 00:54:20,320 there were raptors, media members with their boots on the ground. They're gonna 848 00:54:20,559 --> 00:54:23,199 understand the abbiance of what was happening better than you or I saying that all 849 00:54:23,239 --> 00:54:27,599 these comments were sort of being overblown. That wasn't the tenor right, but 850 00:54:27,639 --> 00:54:30,400 the fact it doesn't. You could say all this shit with a smile on 851 00:54:30,440 --> 00:54:34,280 your face, like that's not We're in a calm dialect. I'm it's something 852 00:54:34,360 --> 00:54:37,000 is still off here and to not this is the biggest one for me. 853 00:54:38,039 --> 00:54:42,519 Pascal Siakam is an All NBA player. He's better than fred Van Fleet. 854 00:54:42,760 --> 00:54:45,519 He's better than og An Andobi. He's better than Kyle Lowry was when Kyle 855 00:54:45,559 --> 00:54:50,360 Lowry was coming up on free agency. He is more important to you both 856 00:54:50,400 --> 00:54:52,840 now and moving forward than Scotty Barnes based off what disampl size you have from 857 00:54:52,840 --> 00:54:57,679 Scotty Barnes. How have there not been extension talks? And even if that's 858 00:54:57,719 --> 00:55:00,599 being overblown, U Jerry didn't like he had an opportunity to say no like 859 00:55:00,800 --> 00:55:05,159 that, that's not true, and he didn't. What are you doing here? 860 00:55:05,760 --> 00:55:07,480 And so I don't understand. I have nothing else to offer. I 861 00:55:07,559 --> 00:55:12,440 just wanted to tack on to you know this onslaught of dumping on the Raptors. 862 00:55:12,519 --> 00:55:15,119 Is I think it's fair. I'm not gonna if the if the cost 863 00:55:15,119 --> 00:55:16,639 of Damian Lillard was too high, it otienately seems like they didn't want to 864 00:55:16,639 --> 00:55:21,719 give up og Siakam or Barnes. I get that in the sense of you 865 00:55:21,760 --> 00:55:24,119 want to pair Damian Lollard with them to maximize your chances of contention. I 866 00:55:24,239 --> 00:55:29,960 might have considered trading Barns for Damian Lillard just because Og Siam and Damian Lillard 867 00:55:30,360 --> 00:55:35,599 is a Capslock Italics Boldtex contender to me. But that's that's a real debate 868 00:55:35,679 --> 00:55:37,800 to be had, And it seems, at least according to Webster, they 869 00:55:37,800 --> 00:55:40,039 were they were in on Lillard. Ask Jerry, he says something different. 870 00:55:40,320 --> 00:55:43,960 They got to get on the same page. I have zero confidence in the 871 00:55:44,039 --> 00:55:49,800 Raptors handling this properly, because who's to just say that if you don't like 872 00:55:50,119 --> 00:55:52,800 I know, you can offer Siakam the most money and he wants to qualify 873 00:55:52,800 --> 00:55:57,880 for the Supermax. Everything that this team has done one screams even if Siakam 874 00:55:57,920 --> 00:56:00,480 qualifies for Supermax, they're not gonna give it too. And then two, 875 00:56:00,519 --> 00:56:04,960 if you've rubbed him the wrong way by not engaging in extension talks and then 876 00:56:05,000 --> 00:56:07,800 you don't move him, is he just gonna leave? And so it's Og 877 00:56:08,039 --> 00:56:13,079 feels a little bit more workable, I think because he hasn't been paid like 878 00:56:13,119 --> 00:56:15,239 Siakam yet, and so even if the vibes aren't great in Toronto and they 879 00:56:15,239 --> 00:56:19,400 don't move him by the deadline, they might just be willing, he's kind 880 00:56:19,400 --> 00:56:22,039 of young. He's an archetype that everyone will like. You look at the 881 00:56:22,119 --> 00:56:25,400 Jeremy Grant deal. If ojiannaob got something similar, that deal can be moved 882 00:56:25,440 --> 00:56:30,599 for probably positive value. I would say, Yeah, So that situation feels 883 00:56:30,639 --> 00:56:34,239 less It's critical, but it feels less mission critical than this. Siakam right 884 00:56:34,239 --> 00:56:37,880 now is the future of your franchise because he's that good. He's the only 885 00:56:37,960 --> 00:56:42,480 All NBA level player right now on your roster. And just what have you 886 00:56:42,559 --> 00:56:45,079 done to maximize your chances of winning with him this season? And what have 887 00:56:45,119 --> 00:56:50,480 you done to optimize your chances of building around him for the future. And 888 00:56:50,559 --> 00:56:52,119 if you don't want him, this comes back to I don't mean to talk 889 00:56:52,239 --> 00:56:55,440 us in circles. We said it on the grades, I said it when 890 00:56:55,480 --> 00:56:59,880 I was talking to him, like pick a direction, right, And this 891 00:57:00,079 --> 00:57:06,199 team just feels like it's going through deliberately an existential crisis that it doesn't care 892 00:57:06,320 --> 00:57:10,320 to address or acknowledge. It just feels like is there a level of denial 893 00:57:10,360 --> 00:57:14,119 here or is there just a lack of a vision? Is it? Are 894 00:57:14,119 --> 00:57:17,559 we at a point where's massaiyu jiy kind of operating with a level of bravado 895 00:57:17,679 --> 00:57:21,440 or ignorance because of how good he's been in there. I honestly don't know. 896 00:57:21,480 --> 00:57:25,000 I'm not even casting these you know, dispersions his way to say like 897 00:57:25,440 --> 00:57:30,760 like he sucks. I'm just genuinely, morbidly, uncomfortably curious as to what 898 00:57:30,800 --> 00:57:36,360 the hell is going on in Toronto as I think about it now, And 899 00:57:36,440 --> 00:57:39,280 like I'll admit, and I've said it before, I'm always more worried about 900 00:57:39,280 --> 00:57:43,880 the lose the guy for nothing side of things than probably I should be, 901 00:57:43,920 --> 00:57:46,039 and certainly you are. And I you know, that applies to Seacam, 902 00:57:46,039 --> 00:57:51,960 and that applies to Anonobe, it applied to Van Fleet. What I'm thinking 903 00:57:51,960 --> 00:57:57,880 about now is is how much worse or or how much higher the likelihood of 904 00:57:57,920 --> 00:58:04,119 losing guys for nothing could go just if things don't start very well this season. 905 00:58:04,239 --> 00:58:07,760 And looking at the team who had a hell of a time trying to 906 00:58:07,760 --> 00:58:13,199 create good half court offense triggered in charge of that now as opposed to Fred 907 00:58:13,280 --> 00:58:17,079 van Vliet, and there's not really any reason to believe that like maybe Perdle 908 00:58:17,199 --> 00:58:22,360 as like a hub you know, can help you know, he's underrated in 909 00:58:22,400 --> 00:58:27,400 that regard on offense. I just could see this looking a lot like the 910 00:58:27,440 --> 00:58:30,840 last couple of years on offense and maybe with worse transition offense to offset it. 911 00:58:31,599 --> 00:58:35,840 Scotty Barnes is going to go a long way towards determining like a lot 912 00:58:35,880 --> 00:58:38,639 of what the Raptors you know, do the rest of the this year. 913 00:58:39,000 --> 00:58:43,039 But like, if things don't go well at the beginning, then you're just 914 00:58:43,840 --> 00:58:46,400 then it's then it's just like, well, why would Siakam want to come? 915 00:58:46,440 --> 00:58:50,480 I mean, the money's gonna talk, But like what the odds of 916 00:58:50,519 --> 00:58:53,239 really losing guys for nothing? I think increase And I think I think the 917 00:58:53,320 --> 00:58:58,000 chance we should expect things to not go great in Toronto because they didn't really 918 00:58:58,039 --> 00:59:00,079 get any better in the off season, they're probably worse. So I just 919 00:59:00,840 --> 00:59:04,000 I don't know where to think about this. Is there a chance though, 920 00:59:04,000 --> 00:59:07,239 that that's incorrect? Where it's if they're kind of hovering around like six to 921 00:59:07,360 --> 00:59:12,760 ninth or tenth is the bigger problems where if things don't go well, might 922 00:59:12,800 --> 00:59:17,679 it not coax them into finally making those decisions that they've neglected to make now? 923 00:59:17,760 --> 00:59:22,159 Because I'm looking at it as if if things are going that poorly, 924 00:59:22,679 --> 00:59:25,000 you're absolutely gonna look at are you gonna? I guess you paid pertle, 925 00:59:25,079 --> 00:59:30,840 so you could be a little resistant. But I would think that what benefits 926 00:59:30,880 --> 00:59:34,400 them the most is to have a definitive feel for this team. So if 927 00:59:34,440 --> 00:59:37,039 they come out like Gangbusters from the gate, that'll show them, Hey, 928 00:59:37,079 --> 00:59:39,760 we need to go double down. Sure now, because we have these guys 929 00:59:39,920 --> 00:59:43,639 entering free agency, now's the time to do it. If it's so poor, 930 00:59:43,679 --> 00:59:45,079 then it's okay, Well we need to look at resetting. Whereas if 931 00:59:45,079 --> 00:59:50,000 they're just hovering around the middle again and it could go either way, it 932 00:59:50,039 --> 00:59:52,760 makes it harder. Yeah, almost in theory. I guess maybe you know, 933 00:59:52,880 --> 00:59:55,760 I don't know what logic they're using. What's the protection on the pick 934 00:59:55,800 --> 01:00:00,119 they owe to San Antonio because that's the twenty four first top. Yeah, 935 01:00:00,159 --> 01:00:02,960 so you can't really tank. I mean, I guess you have to tank 936 01:00:04,039 --> 01:00:07,599 really hard, like I just oh, man, I okay, we've we've 937 01:00:07,679 --> 01:00:10,159 bagged on the raptors enough. Do you have anything else? We've exhausted my 938 01:00:10,159 --> 01:00:14,519 my talking points. I have a couple of quick hitters before we get into 939 01:00:15,360 --> 01:00:16,920 the I guess the everyone loves the name of the segment, but we need 940 01:00:16,920 --> 01:00:22,320 to change the name of Yeah, can we call it that? Is it 941 01:00:22,360 --> 01:00:27,400 different if we call it that? I don't see why not. So some 942 01:00:27,519 --> 01:00:31,639 quick hitters for you, Minnesota. Still they're polarizing for both of us. 943 01:00:31,679 --> 01:00:37,400 We still, on some level believe our confidence has been I would say shaken, 944 01:00:37,719 --> 01:00:40,760 rattled to its very core. Maybe there was a lot of talk about 945 01:00:42,480 --> 01:00:45,840 just and it made me feel better about my lack of fuel for the tim 946 01:00:45,840 --> 01:00:50,000 Wolves because I don't understand what this team is on defense or offense at this 947 01:00:50,039 --> 01:00:52,320 point, because we didn't see them at full strength enough last year. They 948 01:00:52,440 --> 01:00:58,519 talked a lot on media Day about like kind of establishing their identity, and 949 01:00:58,639 --> 01:01:01,760 Chris Finch was talking about being more or innovative on the offensive end. I'm 950 01:01:01,840 --> 01:01:08,440 just my expectations for this team are gradually crescendoing again, and can you talk 951 01:01:08,519 --> 01:01:13,559 can you talk me down off the Minnesota Timberwolves. First of all, I'm 952 01:01:13,559 --> 01:01:16,719 delighted this was unexpected because now I have to evaluate, like, are my 953 01:01:16,920 --> 01:01:22,880 expectations higher now? Too? I think I think so much of the logic 954 01:01:23,239 --> 01:01:30,360 that made us bullish on the Timberwolves last offseason, incorrectly bullish by a huge 955 01:01:30,719 --> 01:01:37,199 degree, by the way, should still apply because we can use the excuse 956 01:01:37,239 --> 01:01:39,719 of we didn't see enough of the two bigs together to really get a feel 957 01:01:40,239 --> 01:01:45,920 Anthony Edwards is gonna be better. Maybe maybe Jade McDaniels will be playing for 958 01:01:45,920 --> 01:01:50,400 a contract at this rate. I don't know. They still haven't extended him. 959 01:01:50,480 --> 01:01:52,719 I think the calmly over del Idala was pretty good for them, though 960 01:01:53,679 --> 01:01:57,920 I'm not gonna talk you down unless you're like, they're gonna be the fourth 961 01:01:58,000 --> 01:02:01,840 seed in the West or something like that. I think think I understand the 962 01:02:01,880 --> 01:02:07,119 confusion because the fit was always going to be tricky and just the push and 963 01:02:07,159 --> 01:02:10,119 pull of like, is this just gonna be the Anthony Edwards show now? 964 01:02:10,159 --> 01:02:15,039 And that marginalizes cat? And if Kat is marginalized, what's the point of 965 01:02:15,079 --> 01:02:17,800 having him? Do we talk about trading him? There's a bunch of uncertainties, 966 01:02:19,639 --> 01:02:22,320 but I think there's still just the element of, like, you could 967 01:02:22,320 --> 01:02:25,719 build a really good defense with Rudy Gobert. You've got one of the best 968 01:02:25,719 --> 01:02:30,679 stretch bigs of all time. You've got a guy that everyone agrees is already 969 01:02:30,719 --> 01:02:34,119 an all star lead guard that is only going to get better. There's just 970 01:02:34,159 --> 01:02:38,320 still like a lot to like. It's very much is a question of the 971 01:02:38,400 --> 01:02:43,199 talent exists, how's it going to be deployed? Like can it be optimally 972 01:02:43,199 --> 01:02:45,480 deployed? Is that possible given the mix of players. So I'm not going 973 01:02:45,559 --> 01:02:50,320 to talk you down too much other than to say, like if there's anything 974 01:02:50,559 --> 01:02:53,760 that needs to be like flagged as a like let's pump the brakes type of 975 01:02:53,800 --> 01:02:58,639 thing, it's just that, like this is an inherently difficult mix of players 976 01:02:58,679 --> 01:03:02,599 to make work. But if you can get it to function, all the 977 01:03:04,000 --> 01:03:07,880 pieces of the machine like are are good. Like, It's just it's a 978 01:03:07,920 --> 01:03:10,840 real challenge. So I don't know if that it talks you down or makes 979 01:03:10,840 --> 01:03:15,119 you more concerned, but I guess I don't really disagree that, Like, 980 01:03:15,519 --> 01:03:17,760 if the point is the Timberwolves might actually still be really good, at least 981 01:03:17,760 --> 01:03:21,039 in the regular season, I'm not going to talk you down off that. 982 01:03:22,199 --> 01:03:24,519 I think a lot. I think everything actually comes down to I'm not as 983 01:03:24,559 --> 01:03:28,719 worried about the dual big setup. I think everything just comes down to is 984 01:03:28,719 --> 01:03:32,320 Anthey, Edward's gonna make the playmaking leap. We saw hints of it last 985 01:03:32,360 --> 01:03:37,280 year. I don't think he had like the best time with Team USA when 986 01:03:37,280 --> 01:03:38,840 you were looking at him as he had some moments of the primary facilitator. 987 01:03:39,199 --> 01:03:42,440 That's gonna be the biggest thing for them. And if he does make that 988 01:03:42,559 --> 01:03:45,400 kind of jump, you say top four of the East is too spicy. 989 01:03:46,119 --> 01:03:49,440 There's a top two in the Western me and it's wide open after that. 990 01:03:49,719 --> 01:03:52,159 Yeah, speaking of wide open in the West, the Timberwolves talked a lot 991 01:03:52,280 --> 01:03:58,320 or the Timberwolves the Pelicans talked a lot about playing Zion at center this season. 992 01:03:58,639 --> 01:04:03,639 How seriously he's taken his health. How do you feel about this team 993 01:04:03,639 --> 01:04:06,599 and the idea of Zion at center, which, in case you're wondering, 994 01:04:06,639 --> 01:04:11,320 happened for ninety two possessions last season. They had a one to twenty three 995 01:04:11,360 --> 01:04:14,960 offensive rating and a one to eleven defensive rating, which is in the eighty 996 01:04:14,960 --> 01:04:18,039 fifth percentile. But like they can't figure out a way to rebound during that 997 01:04:18,079 --> 01:04:20,760 stretch, they give up a thirty seven pointy five offensive rebounding rate. Do 998 01:04:20,800 --> 01:04:25,719 you think that's a just because they talked about it more than I sp It's 999 01:04:25,719 --> 01:04:29,639 always been among you and I like the people that are from for like Zion 1000 01:04:29,679 --> 01:04:31,480 it center. It could be a cheat code for the team to kind of 1001 01:04:31,519 --> 01:04:36,000 focus on. It could you see that becoming a staple for the Pelicans. 1002 01:04:36,000 --> 01:04:43,679 Do you think they have the requisite rebounding in defense around Zion Williamson to have 1003 01:04:43,760 --> 01:04:45,599 that be Let's not even say, you know you're not going to begin games 1004 01:04:45,599 --> 01:04:48,320 like that. You have Yonus Valentunis, he's good, he should play, 1005 01:04:48,599 --> 01:04:53,719 but if you're looking to kind of surround him with as much higher volume shooting 1006 01:04:53,719 --> 01:04:59,519 as possible, where Valentunas space is the floor but not in incredible sky high 1007 01:04:59,599 --> 01:05:02,800 volume. Is that something that if you're them, you would lean on more 1008 01:05:02,800 --> 01:05:05,599 of this or do they just still not have the personnel to make it happen. 1009 01:05:05,840 --> 01:05:12,079 I think there's such a strange like push and pull with the supplementary pieces 1010 01:05:12,079 --> 01:05:15,760 you put around a Zion at center lineup that you get some of what you 1011 01:05:15,840 --> 01:05:17,400 need, but almost never all of it, Which is to say, like, 1012 01:05:18,079 --> 01:05:21,079 I think you get some really interesting like length defensively. You know, 1013 01:05:21,199 --> 01:05:24,920 you play Herb Jones, Trey Murphy's hurt, but let's put him in there 1014 01:05:24,920 --> 01:05:28,679 for when he's healthy. Brandon Ingram Dyson Daniels I think would be a real 1015 01:05:28,760 --> 01:05:33,440 key potentially if you're really trying to like get some interesting defensive switching coverages and 1016 01:05:33,599 --> 01:05:38,679 just get length, get smarts, get like ballhawks out there surrounding Zion at 1017 01:05:38,679 --> 01:05:41,360 the five. You could see your way to defending there. I don't know 1018 01:05:41,360 --> 01:05:45,159 that there's enough shooting to make that offense really work, because the whole thing 1019 01:05:45,199 --> 01:05:47,960 with Zion at center or at least and certainly Zion on the ball is if 1020 01:05:48,000 --> 01:05:50,880 you can you know, dot the perimeter with guys that can make open shots, 1021 01:05:50,920 --> 01:05:55,639 you're just gonna you're gonna have that one twenty offensive rating. I just 1022 01:05:56,039 --> 01:05:59,400 I struggle to see how they get everything they need out of Zion at the 1023 01:05:59,400 --> 01:06:03,119 five looks and the rebounding, like you mentioned, is an issue. I 1024 01:06:03,199 --> 01:06:06,440 still want them to try it because for short stretches against you know, if 1025 01:06:06,440 --> 01:06:11,039 you can do it not necessarily as like a closing group or as a starting 1026 01:06:11,079 --> 01:06:15,239 group, but against the right matchups and you can get away with you know, 1027 01:06:15,360 --> 01:06:19,760 some iffy shooting or some rebounding, you know, like substandard rebounding, 1028 01:06:20,280 --> 01:06:25,400 it could really just be the type of setup that you know, other teams 1029 01:06:25,440 --> 01:06:28,880 just can't stay with in transition and in a space flour on offense. So 1030 01:06:28,960 --> 01:06:31,679 like, absolutely I want to see more of it. I do think, 1031 01:06:31,760 --> 01:06:33,800 like I don't know if I'd go so far as to say, like, 1032 01:06:33,840 --> 01:06:35,960 well, this is just clearly the way to do it, and it's a 1033 01:06:36,039 --> 01:06:40,320 cheat code, but they should try it for sure, right because the alternative, 1034 01:06:40,320 --> 01:06:42,840 we know what the other things look like we have you know, valance 1035 01:06:42,920 --> 01:06:45,280 unis is kind of in the way a little bit if you're trying to get 1036 01:06:45,360 --> 01:06:49,000 Zion really cooking, and then nance just one isn't healthy often enough and doesn't 1037 01:06:49,000 --> 01:06:51,519 give you the rim protector. You know, there's there's nothing perfect. So 1038 01:06:51,639 --> 01:06:56,079 since the Pelicans don't have a perfect way to go at it, just be 1039 01:06:56,199 --> 01:07:00,159 the most awesome imperfect lineup you can, right, which would be Zion the 1040 01:07:00,159 --> 01:07:02,400 five. I will say based on the other stuff they said about the luxury 1041 01:07:02,480 --> 01:07:06,480 taxism, now they should be a team. Then if they're actually committed the 1042 01:07:06,519 --> 01:07:10,960 way that they seem to intimate, they should be heavily involved on trying to 1043 01:07:11,000 --> 01:07:14,400 upgrade the roster, which also means that they probably should have been involved on 1044 01:07:14,440 --> 01:07:16,480 the Damian Lillard sweepstakes, which they weren't. So I have questions about not 1045 01:07:16,599 --> 01:07:20,360 the direction, but I'm just wondering if they're sitting on this core a little 1046 01:07:20,360 --> 01:07:25,239 bit too long, or sitting on their assets a little bit if they actually 1047 01:07:25,280 --> 01:07:27,840 believe in this there's a lot of information we still don't have, right, 1048 01:07:28,320 --> 01:07:30,639 but they said some things that made athing like they really do believe in this 1049 01:07:30,719 --> 01:07:32,000 core. But it's also kind of if you believe in it, it's a 1050 01:07:32,039 --> 01:07:35,679 make or break season for it. So I'm very interested to monitor that end 1051 01:07:35,840 --> 01:07:39,519 of the spectrum from them. Yeah, I agree. I think they're interesting. 1052 01:07:39,519 --> 01:07:43,840 They're a little bit like the Timberwolves, except like the relatively small amount 1053 01:07:43,840 --> 01:07:47,719 of information we have about them is like really kind of like exciting because when 1054 01:07:47,800 --> 01:07:50,519 Zion was healthy and they gave them the ball, like that worked. The 1055 01:07:50,559 --> 01:07:56,159 Pelicans were very good when they did that, So I can understand them wanting 1056 01:07:56,199 --> 01:07:59,480 to kind of having a little bit more of an attachment to this core just 1057 01:07:59,519 --> 01:08:02,360 for that reason. I just a couple more we'll frame it this way will 1058 01:08:02,360 --> 01:08:08,280 make them super quick hitters. Talk me it's either talked me down or am 1059 01:08:08,280 --> 01:08:12,639 I too excited about X? And the first one will be The Detroit Pistons 1060 01:08:13,199 --> 01:08:16,159 are not married to the dual big model, and I am ecstatic. Monty 1061 01:08:16,199 --> 01:08:20,079 Williams talked about how Marvin Bagley and James Wiseman are both competing for the backup 1062 01:08:20,119 --> 01:08:24,600 big spot, which means we will see Isaiah Stewart and Jaellen Duran. That's 1063 01:08:24,600 --> 01:08:26,960 fine, But if only one of them is going to be in the rotation 1064 01:08:27,119 --> 01:08:30,199 Wiseman or Badley, that means we are going to get boing on Bodonovich at 1065 01:08:30,199 --> 01:08:33,960 the four. We're going to see Arsar Thompson and Kate Cunningham play wing minutes 1066 01:08:34,600 --> 01:08:39,720 rather than be you specifically as guards. I'm very happy about it. On 1067 01:08:39,760 --> 01:08:42,159 a scale of one to ten, How happy should I be about it? 1068 01:08:42,319 --> 01:08:44,600 Oh? Man? Well one, I'm going to talk you up and wherever 1069 01:08:44,600 --> 01:08:46,119 you're at, move up to like an eight or nine, just because that's 1070 01:08:46,119 --> 01:08:49,239 what this team needs. I think if you want to make life easier on 1071 01:08:49,319 --> 01:08:53,319 Cad and on Jade and Ivy, more shooting, more spacing, we don't 1072 01:08:53,319 --> 01:08:57,399 need two guys in there whose range is like Dunk or you know, guys 1073 01:08:57,439 --> 01:09:00,199 like Bagley that just you know, are are kind of in the way no 1074 01:09:00,199 --> 01:09:02,479 matter what they're doing. So I think you should be as happy as possible 1075 01:09:02,600 --> 01:09:08,039 about a downsized Piston's future. On a scale of one to ten, how 1076 01:09:08,079 --> 01:09:13,359 happy excited should we be about the Clippers making it very clear Kuhi and PG 1077 01:09:13,399 --> 01:09:15,680 you're gonna play more four, they're gonna get man more minutes in those types 1078 01:09:15,720 --> 01:09:20,479 of units to kind of I'm assuming throw some nitrous oxide into their pace in 1079 01:09:20,520 --> 01:09:24,840 addition to having Russell Westbrook scale of one to ten, How excited should we 1080 01:09:24,920 --> 01:09:27,720 be? I'd go like an eight there. I think it's the right move, 1081 01:09:27,840 --> 01:09:30,880 just because it's not like you're losing toughness or physicality or even really rebounding. 1082 01:09:30,880 --> 01:09:34,359 If Kawhi and PG or four is at a huge wings which are basically 1083 01:09:34,359 --> 01:09:36,800 fours now anyway, it's not like they're gonna get smashed on the glass. 1084 01:09:36,840 --> 01:09:41,640 So the upside offensively and getting man on the flour more that's a huge plus 1085 01:09:42,800 --> 01:09:45,680 final two on a scale of one to ten, How excited should we be 1086 01:09:45,800 --> 01:09:51,720 that the New York Knicks are patently boring right now? I'm gonna go like 1087 01:09:51,800 --> 01:09:58,560 a five, which is just about right for this topic, because I can 1088 01:09:58,800 --> 01:10:02,039 understand why the Knicks wan essentially run it back and sum in Devincenzo for top 1089 01:10:02,119 --> 01:10:06,000 end and just assume get better at rebounding in the process. By the way, 1090 01:10:06,359 --> 01:10:09,560 Uh yeah, it's okay to be boring. I think the Knicks have 1091 01:10:09,600 --> 01:10:12,000 a good core, and I think there is likely to be, you know, 1092 01:10:12,159 --> 01:10:14,840 right in the mix for a top four spots last year. I'm gonna 1093 01:10:14,840 --> 01:10:17,000 say I should be on a ten because until we see them, they haven't 1094 01:10:17,000 --> 01:10:20,439 done anything that. Yeah, some people want to move Julius Randall. Some 1095 01:10:20,439 --> 01:10:24,119 of them wanted to be more aggressive the trademarket this year. They didn't do 1096 01:10:24,159 --> 01:10:30,399 anything. Disillusioned though, to like they're going to see that they prioritize continuity, 1097 01:10:30,399 --> 01:10:31,680 which is a big deal for this franchise. When you this has to 1098 01:10:31,720 --> 01:10:33,920 be like when you look at the rollover, I should go look at the 1099 01:10:33,960 --> 01:10:38,640 Basketball Reference minutes of the minutes from last season coming back to this season, 1100 01:10:38,880 --> 01:10:42,279 and you have someone like Obi Toppin, who's the biggest departure and barely played 1101 01:10:42,720 --> 01:10:45,600 last year. That's huge. And now we evaluate them. Okay, we 1102 01:10:45,680 --> 01:10:48,920 know this front office and this team acts logistically. We've kind of seen them 1103 01:10:48,920 --> 01:10:53,600 adjust cater to some certain strengths. Now it's how do they develop some of 1104 01:10:53,600 --> 01:10:57,880 the youngsters within this context of being competitive? How do they get creative with 1105 01:10:57,920 --> 01:11:00,359 Dante DiVincenzo. How do they react if they art, if they're better than 1106 01:11:00,359 --> 01:11:03,239 expected, if they're worse than expected, how do they adjust from here? 1107 01:11:03,439 --> 01:11:09,000 I'm actually super excited that they prioritize continuity, knowing that there were no opportunities 1108 01:11:09,199 --> 01:11:11,800 to really shake up the roster there. So I'm gonna say, I'm on 1109 01:11:11,840 --> 01:11:15,399 an eleven. What was the stat It wasn't there a fact? I guess 1110 01:11:15,439 --> 01:11:18,119 that like Barrett was the first guy they'd signed to a rookie scale extension since 1111 01:11:18,199 --> 01:11:21,399 like I don't know, like Charlie Ward or something ridiculous like that. So 1112 01:11:21,520 --> 01:11:27,800 the continuity is has been a pleasant change of pace for this team. On 1113 01:11:27,880 --> 01:11:30,479 a scale of one to ten? How excited are you to watch? And 1114 01:11:30,520 --> 01:11:33,159 I'm borrowing this race from someone in discord? I apologize, I can't remember 1115 01:11:33,199 --> 01:11:36,600 who said it the New This wasn't what they were talking about when they coined 1116 01:11:36,640 --> 01:11:43,520 it. To watch the holy affinity of Usman Jang, Chet Holmgrin, and 1117 01:11:43,560 --> 01:11:47,720 Alexey Pokashevski once he's held only affinity, Oh my god, one to ten 1118 01:11:48,840 --> 01:11:54,520 only because Chet and and your your favorite human on planet Earth Uzman Jang are 1119 01:11:54,560 --> 01:11:58,000 involved. Pokashevski is he? You know what? I'm gonna give that a 1120 01:11:58,039 --> 01:12:02,319 ten. That's fun? Ill are you high enough on Ushman Jang? I 1121 01:12:02,359 --> 01:12:06,239 just would you understand that we're talking about like an MVP level player here, 1122 01:12:08,560 --> 01:12:12,600 the name alone Holy Affinity is does it for me? That's that's that's perfect. 1123 01:12:12,720 --> 01:12:15,239 I'm weigh in on that. I will say, I, I don't 1124 01:12:15,279 --> 01:12:16,960 know if you saw Sam Presty's comments about some of the trade stuff, and 1125 01:12:16,960 --> 01:12:19,319 I think that's going to be the narrative that I talked about this on the 1126 01:12:19,359 --> 01:12:23,800 Uncontested, which shout out to them for shouting me out on their most recent 1127 01:12:23,840 --> 01:12:27,119 podcast in the In the Vein of a Blank one eighty two reference. So 1128 01:12:27,199 --> 01:12:30,680 if anyone thinks that I don't listen to people before that, even when they're 1129 01:12:30,680 --> 01:12:33,279 not coming on the pod, I still listen. Uh. We're talking about 1130 01:12:33,640 --> 01:12:36,800 how it has to be the right superstar, the right time, the right 1131 01:12:36,920 --> 01:12:41,439 trade acquisition for them to go in on. I actually appreciate those comments. 1132 01:12:41,479 --> 01:12:45,039 It could have been sort of GM's peak, but I got the feeling that 1133 01:12:45,560 --> 01:12:49,520 this team is ready once it kind of understands what it has to go in 1134 01:12:49,600 --> 01:12:54,199 and make that move the right opportunity. It needs to be a mixture of 1135 01:12:54,439 --> 01:12:58,840 opportunity and timing, but like they understand that they are good enough to where 1136 01:12:58,960 --> 01:13:04,039 the timing might be right soon right well, and and they also can't know 1137 01:13:04,119 --> 01:13:08,880 yet what they have really other than other than SGA, like that's the known 1138 01:13:08,920 --> 01:13:11,439 commodity. But you need to know more about Chet, you need to know 1139 01:13:11,520 --> 01:13:14,600 more about Jalen Williams, you need it more about Jang. I mean you 1140 01:13:14,680 --> 01:13:16,720 might even need to know more about like Giddy for that matter. So you 1141 01:13:16,720 --> 01:13:20,159 absolutely need to know more about Giddy. Yeah, there's plenty. So yeah. 1142 01:13:20,159 --> 01:13:24,119 I think normally we're kind of like, let's go, let's catch these 1143 01:13:24,159 --> 01:13:26,800 picks in or or let's be super patient. But they're kind of right in 1144 01:13:26,840 --> 01:13:30,920 the middle, and I think they've actually played it correctly. All Right, 1145 01:13:35,680 --> 01:13:42,640 it is garbage time that we're gonna Is that? Where're with? For now? 1146 01:13:42,760 --> 01:13:45,279 We need a names grant. I actually brainstormed them very quickly. I 1147 01:13:45,279 --> 01:13:47,279 don't like any of the things I came up with. I didn't even send 1148 01:13:47,319 --> 01:13:51,039 them to you. One of them was like half court heaves had flopping around 1149 01:13:51,079 --> 01:13:54,199 a little bit, but I feel like that could be taken is yeah, 1150 01:13:54,239 --> 01:13:58,399 flopping around has some connotations. Yeah, the garbage time's fine, Okay, 1151 01:13:58,439 --> 01:14:00,359 can I start? I have one for you that I I hope hurts your 1152 01:14:00,399 --> 01:14:05,479 brain. Let's do it. Dan, who's getting traded first? Very simple. 1153 01:14:05,920 --> 01:14:13,560 Joel Embiid, Karl Anthony Towns or Luka doncic Oh, Joe all Embiid 1154 01:14:13,640 --> 01:14:18,039 who's getting traded last? Yeah, that's probably right. Can I give you 1155 01:14:18,039 --> 01:14:24,199 a career three pointers made? Either? Or's let's roll all right? Dan? 1156 01:14:24,279 --> 01:14:30,720 Who has made more career three pointers? Lebron James or Kyle Lowry Lebron 1157 01:14:30,800 --> 01:14:32,920 James. That is correct, and it's close. Dan, who's made more 1158 01:14:32,960 --> 01:14:39,399 threes? Jj Reddick or Jamal Crawford. Oh, Jamal Crawford was in the 1159 01:14:39,439 --> 01:14:42,239 league forever. Let's go with him. You're on fire. It's not close. 1160 01:14:42,640 --> 01:14:45,680 Twenty two to twenty one for Crawford, nineteen fifty for Reddick. Oh 1161 01:14:45,760 --> 01:14:49,159 my god, yeah, big gap? Right? More threes? Baron Davis 1162 01:14:49,239 --> 01:14:59,960 or Alan Houston? Oh my god, I'm gonna say Alan Houston incorrect. 1163 01:15:00,079 --> 01:15:04,840 Baron Davis noted three point sniper? Baron Davis, Klay Thompson or Damian Lillard. 1164 01:15:05,520 --> 01:15:10,640 I'm assuming you're trying. Damian Lillard, You're trying to trick me here. 1165 01:15:10,960 --> 01:15:13,439 I'm always trying to trick you, but you were not tricked on that 1166 01:15:13,479 --> 01:15:16,079 one. You're correct, Damian Lillard, Derek Devinsky or Jason Kidd Oh, 1167 01:15:16,119 --> 01:15:20,000 I don't like this. Jason Kidd. You're right, You're doing so well, 1168 01:15:20,079 --> 01:15:27,199 Dan, Kevin Durant or Eric Gordon, Eric Gordon, unbelievable. Well 1169 01:15:27,239 --> 01:15:33,199 done, Chris Paul or Mike Conley. Last one. Oh, Mike Conley, 1170 01:15:33,880 --> 01:15:36,279 I'm sorry it is Chris Paul. Really good effort, though, I 1171 01:15:36,279 --> 01:15:41,399 think you got six out of eight there. Good job, you have any 1172 01:15:41,399 --> 01:15:43,439 more? I have more, but if you have some, all take and 1173 01:15:43,479 --> 01:15:46,720 we can alternate. Yeah, so let's keep a theme with the three pointer 1174 01:15:46,800 --> 01:15:54,199 one. Which of these NBA players has never hit nine or more threes in 1175 01:15:54,239 --> 01:16:00,880 a single regular season or playoff game. Bradley Beal, Kobe Bryant, Kevin 1176 01:16:00,960 --> 01:16:10,039 Durant or Tyre's Halliburton Kevin Durant. Wow, nice, I was afraid you 1177 01:16:10,079 --> 01:16:13,279 were gonna know that because you had Kevin Durant and yours, which is why 1178 01:16:13,319 --> 01:16:15,800 I ended up not picking him, because I knew that he was the answer 1179 01:16:15,840 --> 01:16:19,680 to this question. For me. That's tough though I had to hesitate on 1180 01:16:20,119 --> 01:16:24,880 Bradley Beal of all people. I don't know why. Okay, that's a 1181 01:16:24,880 --> 01:16:28,319 good question. All right, I have another one for you here. This 1182 01:16:28,399 --> 01:16:30,760 is just about all Star games. Who's made more okay in their careers. 1183 01:16:31,199 --> 01:16:36,399 First up, Kevin Durant here he is again versus Chris Paul. Chris Paul 1184 01:16:38,279 --> 01:16:43,119 incorrect. Durant has thirteen. CP three has twelve. Chauncey billups or Jimmy 1185 01:16:43,119 --> 01:16:48,319 Butler more All Star Games? Ooh, Jimmy Butler correct, Good job avoiding 1186 01:16:48,359 --> 01:16:51,439 the overthink there. Six to five for Butler? Who's made more All Star 1187 01:16:51,479 --> 01:16:58,600 Games? Al Horford or Jason Tatum? Al Horford, you're correct, You're 1188 01:16:58,600 --> 01:17:02,239 doing very well, Dan uh More All Star Games? LaMarcus Aldridge or Joel 1189 01:17:02,319 --> 01:17:08,239 embiid Oh, LaMarcus Aldridge, you got it? Seven to six? Last 1190 01:17:08,239 --> 01:17:15,199 one, Damian Lillard or Bradley Bill and Devin Booker combined. Damian Lillard or 1191 01:17:15,239 --> 01:17:18,439 Bradley Beal and Devin Booker combined. Damian Lillard, You're right, seven to 1192 01:17:18,479 --> 01:17:24,720 six. Really good run by you. Well done? Okay. Which NBA 1193 01:17:24,840 --> 01:17:29,920 player averaged the most points per game as a rookie? Luka, Doncic, 1194 01:17:30,479 --> 01:17:39,880 Alan Iverson, Shaquille O'Neal or Zion Williamson. Oh man, that's such a 1195 01:17:39,880 --> 01:17:46,079 good question. I'm gonna go. I'm gonna go. Alan Iverson, that 1196 01:17:46,279 --> 01:17:50,479 is the correct answer. Nice job, he had shock zero point one points. 1197 01:17:50,760 --> 01:17:55,359 Yeah, Shaq was. Shaq was second, uh Luka, Dancic was 1198 01:17:55,399 --> 01:17:58,960 third, Zion was fourth. Do you have the averages? I'm just kidding. 1199 01:17:59,199 --> 01:18:01,680 I believe Alan Ivers was twenty three point four. Okay, Shaq was 1200 01:18:01,760 --> 01:18:05,079 tough, he was tempting. All right, good question. Okay, We're 1201 01:18:05,079 --> 01:18:11,159 gonna pivot a little bit and now I'm asking you now about career earnings. 1202 01:18:11,199 --> 01:18:15,560 Okay, this is according to spotrack, and it does not include money that 1203 01:18:15,720 --> 01:18:18,840 is like coming in the future. It's just how much money have these guys 1204 01:18:18,880 --> 01:18:25,279 made to dates in their careers? Okay, hit me starting with Dan who's 1205 01:18:25,319 --> 01:18:30,560 made more money in his career? Gordon Hayward or Anthony Davis. Gordon Hayward 1206 01:18:30,800 --> 01:18:34,439 correct two hundred thirty six million. I'm rounding to two twenty six. Davis 1207 01:18:34,439 --> 01:18:39,399 is gonna pass him here with this big extension he just signed. Goran Dragicic 1208 01:18:39,640 --> 01:18:45,279 or Harrison Barnes, oh Man, Harrison Barnes had been the king of signing 1209 01:18:45,319 --> 01:18:47,520 good contracts. Is to him? It is He's made one hundred and sixty 1210 01:18:47,520 --> 01:18:53,720 six million. Do you want to guess where Draga is one eight? That's 1211 01:18:53,720 --> 01:18:56,680 an unfair question. They're all pretty close. One fifty four. Gordon Dragic 1212 01:18:56,760 --> 01:18:59,159 has made one hundred and fifty four million dollars. Good for him. Hey, 1213 01:18:59,159 --> 01:19:00,880 Devin Bisselle is gonna make almost as much as that over his next contract. 1214 01:19:01,199 --> 01:19:05,479 He's gonna deserve every penny. Who's made more money. Andre Drummond or 1215 01:19:05,520 --> 01:19:11,560 Kristaps porzingis ooh, I mean Drummond only had the one big deal. I'm 1216 01:19:11,560 --> 01:19:15,279 gonna say, Chris Tops, it's actually Drummond, but it's super close. 1217 01:19:15,039 --> 01:19:19,920 One for Drummond, one thirty nine for KP Damn. This is the special 1218 01:19:19,960 --> 01:19:31,920 one for you. Higher career earnings. Reggie Jackson or Auto Porter Junior auto 1219 01:19:31,960 --> 01:19:38,600 Porter Junior incorrect, Reggie Jackson has made one hundred and forty four million dollars 1220 01:19:38,640 --> 01:19:42,439 in his career. I guess he signed that second the Big One director with 1221 01:19:42,479 --> 01:19:45,000 the clip. Yeah, the Big One Porter Junior is doing just fine. 1222 01:19:45,039 --> 01:19:48,560 One thirty two so far for man I hope, I'm glad he's that's basically 1223 01:19:48,640 --> 01:19:53,079 poverty level though. So that's that's Reggie's gonna get him ten more, right 1224 01:19:53,119 --> 01:19:57,279 because he signed that deal that we love so much for the Nuggets, Okay, 1225 01:19:57,680 --> 01:20:02,520 which NBA Hall of Famer made exactly one three pointer for their entire career. 1226 01:20:03,399 --> 01:20:11,680 Patrick Ewing, Shaquille O'Neal, Yao Ming or Ben Wallace. Oh great 1227 01:20:11,760 --> 01:20:18,159 question one, and that's it. I'm gonna say, Patrick Ewing, No, 1228 01:20:18,279 --> 01:20:20,800 that's not even close. He made He made the most threes of anyone 1229 01:20:20,880 --> 01:20:24,479 on this list. I believe it was Shack made exactly one. Oh. 1230 01:20:24,520 --> 01:20:28,399 I thought Shack had it like three? How many Yao? Must so Ewing 1231 01:20:28,399 --> 01:20:31,000 made more than Yao. I think I was in the NBA for like ten 1232 01:20:31,000 --> 01:20:34,560 minutes. I think ye Ewing had nineteen. I don't even remember what Yao 1233 01:20:34,680 --> 01:20:39,239 had. I was just going with the era, assuming that nobody was shooting 1234 01:20:39,239 --> 01:20:41,960 threes during most of Ewing's career. But that kind of should have applied to 1235 01:20:42,760 --> 01:20:47,079 Shaq too. He Uh yeah, yeah, Actually you're never gonna believe Yao 1236 01:20:47,079 --> 01:20:53,520 made two? So you were oh man, Okay, good question? Uh 1237 01:20:53,560 --> 01:20:56,199 are you out? I have a couple more? I'm out. I'm out. 1238 01:20:56,359 --> 01:21:01,039 Ok So, which team is the bigger what if? An NBA history? 1239 01:21:02,000 --> 01:21:10,039 The Kyrie KD James Harden era Nets or the Kyrie Harden Russell Westbrook era 1240 01:21:10,119 --> 01:21:17,880 Oklahoma City thunder Waity hold on Kyrie was not on the I've spotted your trick, 1241 01:21:17,960 --> 01:21:21,439 Dan, and I don't appreciate it. Which team is the bigger What 1242 01:21:21,479 --> 01:21:29,920 if an NBA history, the KD Russ Harden era OKC Thunder or KD Harden, 1243 01:21:30,079 --> 01:21:34,000 Kyrie era Brooklyn nets Man. The recency makes me want to say the 1244 01:21:34,039 --> 01:21:39,159 Nets and they were their net rating in their record was super good with those 1245 01:21:39,159 --> 01:21:42,920 guys. But I still gotta go with the OKC group just because I mean, 1246 01:21:43,000 --> 01:21:46,119 they were good enough. They probably should have made another finals like post 1247 01:21:46,159 --> 01:21:50,439 Harden, and so I think if they could have just kept those guys together, 1248 01:21:51,680 --> 01:21:57,439 it's hard to get past that team as like a generational team. Potentially, 1249 01:21:57,439 --> 01:22:00,840 although this is a too long of an answer, but I don't think 1250 01:22:00,840 --> 01:22:05,119 Harden could have been hardened with Russ and KD, Like that's just not possible. 1251 01:22:05,840 --> 01:22:09,159 Yeah, I would pick the Nets, And I guess there could be 1252 01:22:09,199 --> 01:22:12,359 recency buyas here, but it is because I don't know that heart Harden was 1253 01:22:12,359 --> 01:22:15,960 already hardened on the Nets. Yeah, KD was KD by the time, 1254 01:22:15,960 --> 01:22:18,640 Like KD wasn't even KD really but by the time Harden left sure and OKCE 1255 01:22:18,880 --> 01:22:21,159 and so yeah, there's the element. Also if they were younger at the 1256 01:22:21,159 --> 01:22:25,920 time, so could they have won more championships, but they were never a 1257 01:22:26,000 --> 01:22:29,720 title formality, and like the Nets, if they were healthy, felt like 1258 01:22:29,760 --> 01:22:32,319 a title formality in the in the very small sample that we watched them all 1259 01:22:32,319 --> 01:22:34,800 play. That's a yeah, the huge what if? That is? Like 1260 01:22:34,960 --> 01:22:38,359 it feels like a you know, I mean, it was only a couple 1261 01:22:38,399 --> 01:22:42,439 of years ago that could have really happened. Okay, a couple I have, 1262 01:22:42,720 --> 01:22:45,560 oh, actually have three more. So I apologize this one's all right. 1263 01:22:45,600 --> 01:22:46,560 So I'm gonna go in order of what I think is the most fun 1264 01:22:47,079 --> 01:22:51,000 voter will increase. Hot or not? Got five for you here, So 1265 01:22:51,520 --> 01:22:57,039 hot or not? Devin Booker will finish higher in MVP voting than Kevin Durant. 1266 01:22:59,000 --> 01:23:00,800 I don't think that's a hot take. I think you just the number 1267 01:23:00,800 --> 01:23:05,119 of games played is gonna get in Kd's way more than Bookers. Hot or 1268 01:23:05,159 --> 01:23:11,000 not. Og Anenobi will finish this season on the Kings, Knicks or Warriors. 1269 01:23:11,840 --> 01:23:15,640 That's hot. That is that is a hot take. Okay, don't. 1270 01:23:15,640 --> 01:23:18,239 I don't think I think he's gonna finish on the Raptors. They haven't 1271 01:23:18,279 --> 01:23:23,800 traded him yet. Why start now? Hot or not a rookie will make 1272 01:23:23,840 --> 01:23:28,760 the All Star team. That's not a hot take. I think Wemby's gonna 1273 01:23:29,000 --> 01:23:32,399 I mean, can you imagine the international vote? Hot or not? At 1274 01:23:32,479 --> 01:23:41,560 least eight players will average thirty points per game? Ooh, last year six 1275 01:23:42,159 --> 01:23:46,039 averaged over thirty and the year before that too. I'm gonna say that's a 1276 01:23:46,159 --> 01:23:50,479 hot take, too hot, because I think some of the guys like Dame, 1277 01:23:50,720 --> 01:23:54,920 for example, are gonna see their scoring average go down because they're just 1278 01:23:54,960 --> 01:23:58,319 on better teams. Now, funny you mentioned Dame. Hot or not, 1279 01:23:58,840 --> 01:24:02,720 the Milwaukee Bucks will finish the regular season with a top three offense. Hmm, 1280 01:24:04,479 --> 01:24:06,960 that is not a hot take. I think I think that is. 1281 01:24:08,199 --> 01:24:11,239 That is a there's a great chance of that happening if this pick and roll 1282 01:24:11,279 --> 01:24:15,079 stuff between him and the honest works out. Okay, this one. I'm 1283 01:24:15,119 --> 01:24:19,920 happy about this one. I cribbed it from a br project that is being 1284 01:24:19,920 --> 01:24:27,560 worked on which NBA team should have their own version of the NFL's Hard Knock 1285 01:24:27,680 --> 01:24:31,439 series for the twenty twenty three twenty twenty four regular season and playoffs if you 1286 01:24:31,479 --> 01:24:38,279 will. There's so many good choices. Don't we have to pick the sixers? 1287 01:24:39,039 --> 01:24:43,520 Just be Okay? If you're not gonna let me pick the Sixers, 1288 01:24:43,560 --> 01:24:45,239 I'm gonna pick the MAVs because I just I think we need to see the 1289 01:24:45,319 --> 01:24:50,960 Kyrie Luca dynamic happen. I think I'm gonna go with the Raptors because the 1290 01:24:51,039 --> 01:24:56,039 dysfunction and the discord is just so rampant right now. And the other pick 1291 01:24:56,079 --> 01:25:00,720 feels like Golden State just having Chris Paul in that locker room with Raymond Green 1292 01:25:00,840 --> 01:25:03,159 and what if things don't work out right away? Those were I mean, 1293 01:25:03,159 --> 01:25:09,039 the Sixers are obvious, but like and you're another team just to make it 1294 01:25:09,000 --> 01:25:13,720 an an even but odd five. I'd like to follow the OKC thunder. 1295 01:25:13,840 --> 01:25:15,199 Oh yeah, year, that's fun. I do like that we both went 1296 01:25:15,239 --> 01:25:18,479 with teams that look like the biggest tire fires right now, or at least 1297 01:25:18,479 --> 01:25:23,119 the most controversial. If I go Sixers and you go Raptors, just disaster 1298 01:25:23,199 --> 01:25:28,439 potential all over the place. Uh. And so this is my final one 1299 01:25:29,760 --> 01:25:35,960 Nervous, which NBA player joined Paramore on stage to sing the hit single Misery 1300 01:25:36,000 --> 01:25:45,239 Business. Jimmy Butler, Stephan Curry, Paul George or Klay Thompson. It 1301 01:25:45,439 --> 01:25:48,720 just has to It won't be. It's too obvious, but I'm gonna say, 1302 01:25:48,760 --> 01:25:53,920 Jimmy Butler, it is to Curry. It was Steph Curry. Yeah, 1303 01:25:54,039 --> 01:25:57,880 amazing. How did you come upon this information? Someone in our discord 1304 01:25:57,920 --> 01:26:00,279 dropped a picture of Steph singing on stage with Haley Williams, and I asked 1305 01:26:00,279 --> 01:26:05,880 if that was artificial intelligence? That basically that that's a that's a never skip 1306 01:26:05,960 --> 01:26:10,239 song, by the way, in my life, never skipping it great song. 1307 01:26:10,640 --> 01:26:13,079 I tried to pick the age groups of players too. I was like, 1308 01:26:13,119 --> 01:26:15,760 okay, they would have been like Paramore would be a thing. I 1309 01:26:15,880 --> 01:26:17,159 was. I knew you were gonna I thought you would pick Jimmy because the 1310 01:26:17,199 --> 01:26:19,920 emo stuff. Yeah, that was bait. That was bait by you. 1311 01:26:20,119 --> 01:26:24,520 Listen, Jimmy Wassens the hot mull again. He's officially the one of the 1312 01:26:24,560 --> 01:26:28,920 top two players in the NBA. He's yeah, he's he's for real. 1313 01:26:29,039 --> 01:26:30,399 This is not a put on, that's really who he is. I had 1314 01:26:30,399 --> 01:26:33,680 a lot of fun with this segment. I would reiterate that if you have 1315 01:26:33,920 --> 01:26:36,960 any it can be harder to quiz us, obviously, but like, if 1316 01:26:38,000 --> 01:26:41,520 you want to drop ideas in our discord on the YouTube comments about what you 1317 01:26:41,560 --> 01:26:44,479 want to see, we can do that, Like, these segments are just 1318 01:26:44,680 --> 01:26:46,479 they're fun. It's garbage time, so we're out there. If you have 1319 01:26:46,560 --> 01:26:50,760 any ideas for us, yep, And eventually we're gonna get this. Uh, 1320 01:26:50,840 --> 01:26:54,760 you'll never guess game off the ground. We're gonna tweak the format because 1321 01:26:54,800 --> 01:26:58,840 I just can't pass up opportunities to try to make Dan figure out who Grievous 1322 01:26:58,920 --> 01:27:02,039 Fasquez is with I killed that one. I can't figuret who Stephan Marbury was. 1323 01:27:02,079 --> 01:27:04,840 People in the comments were like, I was yelling at the screen. 1324 01:27:06,439 --> 01:27:09,520 I wanted to yell at the screen you play for the Knicks. I just 1325 01:27:09,560 --> 01:27:14,039 feel like if you're not gonna I mean, you're a young man, maybe 1326 01:27:14,399 --> 01:27:16,119 a little before your time, but you know still, I feel like you 1327 01:27:16,159 --> 01:27:19,840 should have got it. Yeah, Graves, you're If you ever top that 1328 01:27:19,880 --> 01:27:24,800 one, I've I might have to retire from making you guess what I think 1329 01:27:24,840 --> 01:27:28,159 are hard questions? You got anything else? Or shall I take us out 1330 01:27:28,159 --> 01:27:30,159 of here? No? Please take us out of here? This was This 1331 01:27:30,239 --> 01:27:31,600 was fun. I enjoyed it. I enjoyed it. Yeah, give us 1332 01:27:31,640 --> 01:27:34,960 more ideas because we're gonna run out of like who made more threes pretty soon 1333 01:27:35,399 --> 01:27:39,920 or least I will everybody. Thank you for listening, Thank you for commenting 1334 01:27:40,000 --> 01:27:44,159 if you have already done so, thank you for subscribing, following, rating, 1335 01:27:44,239 --> 01:27:46,079 reviewing, telling friends, telling any enemies. If you have not done 1336 01:27:46,159 --> 01:27:49,840 any of those things one why not? And two how dare you? And 1337 01:27:49,920 --> 01:27:54,720 three, please do them. They're very helpful to us. Help grow the 1338 01:27:54,720 --> 01:27:58,119 podcast, help us create more content. Check out our merch too, Dan 1339 01:27:58,199 --> 01:28:01,119 Tease the new merch drop coming out. That's exciting. He's wearing the shirt. 1340 01:28:01,199 --> 01:28:04,600 I blew it over the coffee cups behind my head. If you're watching 1341 01:28:04,720 --> 01:28:11,000 as usual? Yeah, and what else? I think that's it. Follow 1342 01:28:11,039 --> 01:28:13,520 on all the socials. All the information you need to do, all the 1343 01:28:13,520 --> 01:28:15,399 stuff we keep asking you to do, is in the YouTube and podcast description, 1344 01:28:15,560 --> 01:28:18,920 so check all that out. And as always, we will close with 1345 01:28:19,279 --> 01:28:23,520 a shout out to the one and only Frank Milakina in an apology to Jardine,