1 00:00:03,799 --> 00:00:08,039 What is krack lacking hardware knocks listeners. I am Dan for Valley, coming 2 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:12,359 at you without my fantabulous co host Adam Prommel. I am, however, 3 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:19,559 as always super pleased and excited to be joined by good friend, longtime colleague 4 00:00:19,879 --> 00:00:26,280 Perennial Hardwood Knox guest Bleacher Reports Grant Hughes. Follow him on Twitter for his 5 00:00:26,359 --> 00:00:31,640 bi monthly tweet at GT Underscore Hughes, you won't regret it. Great writer. 6 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:35,039 Check out of stuff over at Bleacher Report before we dive in very quickly. 7 00:00:35,079 --> 00:00:38,520 Just a reminder to pretty please rate, review and subscribe to this podcast 8 00:00:38,520 --> 00:00:42,240 wherever you're getting your podcast. We are found wherever you listen to them. 9 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:45,560 We're also on YouTube, Sir Hardwoo Knox on YouTube. We're also on Instagram 10 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:50,200 now at Hardwood Underscore Knox. We are all over the place on Twitter as 11 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:54,240 well at Hardwoo Knox. So follow us everywhere, help us juice those content 12 00:00:54,359 --> 00:01:00,280 numbers and expand our brand. Grant, how are you doing? And I'm 13 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:03,920 doing great? And apropos of your intro, I did tweet today so and 14 00:01:03,959 --> 00:01:07,879 it's been more than two weeks, so this is a pretty big day for 15 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:11,879 everybody. I have it bi monthly now because I feel like I haven't gotten 16 00:01:11,879 --> 00:01:15,879 a notification that Grant Hughes tweeted for the first time in a while, so 17 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:19,400 i didn't even see today's tweet. But I'm looking at it now. It 18 00:01:19,439 --> 00:01:23,000 was like it was it was within the past couple hours of recording this too. 19 00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:26,760 Well, I mean, yeah, so I'm still riding high. It's 20 00:01:26,799 --> 00:01:30,439 really a buzz. I basically was just agreeing with Caitlyn Cooper, which is 21 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:34,599 generally a good, a good, a good stance to take. That is 22 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:38,560 the just a fault to whatever Caitlyn Cooper says. And you know, I 23 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:45,359 just ride to coatails of her genius all the time. But anything, are 24 00:01:45,359 --> 00:01:48,159 you good otherwise? Staying off Twitter? Is that? Is that helping you 25 00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:51,920 at all? I'm great otherwise, and I'm especially great tonight because I'm excited. 26 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:55,519 I'm excited to talk to you just in general, but I'm excited to 27 00:01:55,519 --> 00:01:57,359 talk to you about a basketball game, because we don't really do this very 28 00:01:57,359 --> 00:02:00,879 often where it's sort of this is where recording this pretty much right after game 29 00:02:00,959 --> 00:02:07,359 to two of the finals, and you know, it's kind of a fun 30 00:02:07,359 --> 00:02:09,800 thing to sort of do. An instant reaction. I think, you know, 31 00:02:09,879 --> 00:02:13,319 well, we'll talk about some other stuff, but I'm excited to just 32 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:16,240 kind of pick through this game and really the series as a whole, because, 33 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:21,719 you know, I guess that's kind of why we started doing this in 34 00:02:21,759 --> 00:02:23,759 the first place, following basketball, because the games are fun. So I'm 35 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:30,520 excited to kind of focus on that. Going to sidestep dot comment about when 36 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:35,639 we started to cover basketball, Yes, we're gonna talk about Game two in 37 00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:38,479 the finals at large, and we're also going to get into our most interesting 38 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:40,199 teams to watch for the offseason. But yeah, let's let's start there. 39 00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:46,680 The Suns after beating the Bucks one eighteen to one oh eight in Game two 40 00:02:46,759 --> 00:02:51,560 or now up two to oo in the finals, what do you make of 41 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:54,280 this series at this point? Like, what is the single biggest takeaway from 42 00:02:54,280 --> 00:03:00,360 the first two games of these finals. So I'll preface it my thoughts after 43 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:02,520 the first game, or really during the first game, which was just an 44 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:07,159 extension of kind of the Suns throughout the playoffs, was just the macro thought 45 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:12,840 is the Suns have more guys that can just take whatever it is that the 46 00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:19,159 playoff defense they're facing can is giving them and succeed that way. So you 47 00:03:19,199 --> 00:03:22,400 saw that in game one where the Bucks switched a bunch and like, okay, 48 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:24,360 cool, well we can we can do that. And if the Bucks 49 00:03:24,759 --> 00:03:28,439 make a bunch of adjustments in game two, which they did they tried, 50 00:03:28,520 --> 00:03:31,759 which was everybody was screaming for it. Even if you know that was right 51 00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:36,479 or wrong, I don't know. But the Sun's just adjust They have guys 52 00:03:36,520 --> 00:03:40,360 Chris Paul, Devin Booker, you know, principally, but Michail Bridges who 53 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:45,360 basically matched Holiday and Middleton's scoring total on his own tonight, which is a 54 00:03:45,360 --> 00:03:49,120 big deal for a fourth option. They just have a bunch of guys or 55 00:03:49,159 --> 00:03:53,599 more guys than the Bucks anyway, that are adaptable and don't have glaring weaknesses 56 00:03:53,800 --> 00:04:00,360 and aren't married to one particular style on either end. And I think just 57 00:04:00,479 --> 00:04:02,680 that's what you need to make it through a bunch of playoff series and win 58 00:04:02,719 --> 00:04:08,479 a title. And it's a stark juxtaposition against the Bucks, who for the 59 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:14,520 last several years have been, you know, I think rightly been criticized for 60 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:16,800 being a system team or you know, not being flexible. And to the 61 00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:20,040 Bucks credit, they're trying to be flexible, but we're learning on their end. 62 00:04:20,399 --> 00:04:25,360 I think is that they just don't have the talent that is flexible to 63 00:04:25,439 --> 00:04:29,120 succeed in a flexible scheme or an adaptable scheme. So that, to me 64 00:04:29,199 --> 00:04:31,959 is the principal difference. The Suns have guys that can beat you regardless of 65 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:34,959 how you play them. The Bucks are set up to sort of only win 66 00:04:35,079 --> 00:04:39,199 the way that they want to play, and when you take those things away 67 00:04:39,199 --> 00:04:42,680 from them that they really want on either end, they just aren't as good. 68 00:04:42,720 --> 00:04:45,360 So I gave you a lot to chew on there, but that's that's 69 00:04:45,399 --> 00:04:47,600 the nutshell of this series to me, is the Sun just have more guys 70 00:04:47,600 --> 00:04:53,600 that can, you know, win in different ways. Yeah, and you 71 00:04:53,639 --> 00:04:58,240 mentioned the Bucks adjustments. They made a todd in Game two. They've defended 72 00:04:58,279 --> 00:05:00,399 so many different ways in the first half alone, and it's just the Suns 73 00:05:00,399 --> 00:05:03,519 are gonna make these not just difficult shots, They're gonna make the right passes. 74 00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:08,160 They're gonna make eighty five passes on the same possession that it was like 75 00:05:08,199 --> 00:05:10,639 the penultimate possession of the first half. I don't know if you remember that 76 00:05:10,680 --> 00:05:13,879 where they threw ten passes and it ended an end one to DeAndre Ayton. 77 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:17,639 The Buck's defense on that possession was fantastic. Basically the entire time, they're 78 00:05:17,639 --> 00:05:21,560 still gonna find a way to pick you apart. They're they're at one surgical 79 00:05:21,959 --> 00:05:26,680 but also decisive, and they can play with speed if they need to, 80 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:30,279 even if they're burning seconds off the shot clock, and to have so many 81 00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:33,759 guys comfortable doing that. You just look at the synergy between a Cam Johnson 82 00:05:33,879 --> 00:05:38,480 and a Mchael Bridges and a DeAndre at and this is outside of the stars. 83 00:05:38,839 --> 00:05:42,319 And then there are just possessions where if there's one lapse or even if 84 00:05:42,360 --> 00:05:45,199 you defend it perfectly, and Devin Booker is just gonna go ahead and throw 85 00:05:45,240 --> 00:05:49,360 a cross court, one off handed pass to CP three in the corner for 86 00:05:49,399 --> 00:05:54,519 a three on the baseline. It's just they're so ridiculous, They're so deep. 87 00:05:55,199 --> 00:05:58,000 I don't know if we heard I kind of like tuned out during the 88 00:05:58,040 --> 00:06:00,199 end of the game. I don't know if we heard what type of injury 89 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:03,040 Tory Craig is dealing with, but they already lost. Dario starts with a 90 00:06:03,079 --> 00:06:08,519 torn acl That Tory Craig injury did not look great in the moment, and 91 00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:12,079 I still just have full confidence that they're going to end up winning this series 92 00:06:12,120 --> 00:06:15,079 because of the talent up and down the roster, and they're they're almost or 93 00:06:15,199 --> 00:06:19,120 no, they are built to play all these different ways without even necessarily changing 94 00:06:19,199 --> 00:06:23,319 up their personnel, like yeah, go small at center sometimes instead of Frank 95 00:06:23,360 --> 00:06:27,120 Kamitsky. Now that starts is gone. But it's just you could play technically 96 00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:29,399 play small with Aton, like do you need to take him off the court 97 00:06:29,439 --> 00:06:32,720 if Jannie does get to the five. And looking at this more so through 98 00:06:32,800 --> 00:06:39,000 the Bucks perspective, I don't know what they do here there. I look, 99 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:42,839 even though people make fun of coach Budenholzer, including myself, he has 100 00:06:42,879 --> 00:06:46,959 forgotten more about basketball over the last sixty seconds than I will ever know in 101 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:50,399 my lifetime. And it does like he's done things like shorten up his rotation, 102 00:06:50,759 --> 00:06:54,600 you know sometimes, I mean Pat Connaughton has given them some good minutes, 103 00:06:54,600 --> 00:06:57,120 even though I still think he tries to make Pat content happened too often. 104 00:06:57,439 --> 00:07:00,279 You can kind of criticize him for playing Jeff t too much, but 105 00:07:00,319 --> 00:07:02,360 the alternative might be Bryn Forbes, who's just gonna get picked on defensively. 106 00:07:02,399 --> 00:07:05,759 And if he's not knocking down shots an otherworldly clip, what do you do 107 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:10,439 the two things I kind of take away from this is you need Chris Middleton 108 00:07:10,480 --> 00:07:14,680 and Drew Holiday to play a lot better. Otherwise you're just you're fucked, 109 00:07:14,839 --> 00:07:16,759 Like there's just no way you can win. In Game two, they go 110 00:07:16,879 --> 00:07:24,040 with combined twelve of twelve of thirty seven from the floor. Not great. 111 00:07:24,120 --> 00:07:28,439 They were two two of nine Yes, combined from three. Middleton was good, 112 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:31,639 was fine in game better than fine in game one. Drew Holiday was 113 00:07:31,680 --> 00:07:34,800 four or fourteen oh four from three. He's had a wonky playoffs, like 114 00:07:34,839 --> 00:07:39,079 he's had some really good moments, but he just hasn't been great offensively by 115 00:07:39,079 --> 00:07:42,279 any stretch. And that puts you at a disadvantage because those are the two 116 00:07:42,319 --> 00:07:46,000 guys that when things bogged down in the half court, you want your offense 117 00:07:46,040 --> 00:07:48,199 to run through them more so than Yannis. And two, Yannis's credit like 118 00:07:48,279 --> 00:07:53,319 he's playing on this bung left knee and he's had to go into his bag. 119 00:07:53,519 --> 00:07:56,600 Let's call it, or people will call it. In the half court. 120 00:07:56,879 --> 00:07:59,839 Bogged it down more often than I think he would ideally want to. 121 00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:01,439 And part of that is probably just because you don't want him blitzing up the 122 00:08:01,439 --> 00:08:05,480 floor on that knee, or because he can't do it, and he's like 123 00:08:05,720 --> 00:08:09,000 he's playing well, and to like in Game two he played, he played 124 00:08:09,040 --> 00:08:13,560 really well. He had Where do you have if he have forty two points 125 00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:16,120 on fifteen of twenty two shooting one of five from three, But that's just 126 00:08:16,399 --> 00:08:18,839 you that eleven of eighteen at the foul line. I think the Bucks take 127 00:08:18,920 --> 00:08:22,480 that on most nights sixty one percent from him. And so I don't want 128 00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:26,319 to oversimplify it to ju Holiday and Chris Middleton need to play better, but 129 00:08:26,360 --> 00:08:31,319 it is the element of that because those guys like need to hit those difficult 130 00:08:31,319 --> 00:08:33,840 shots. And Chris Middleton when he's on is probably a top ten, top 131 00:08:33,840 --> 00:08:37,360 fifteen player in the NBA. But when he's off, he's off and he 132 00:08:37,399 --> 00:08:41,399 just doesn't have I guess the same level of consistency. And the final thing, 133 00:08:41,559 --> 00:08:45,279 like the second thing here would be as I mentioned for I don't know 134 00:08:45,320 --> 00:08:48,879 what the adjustments are. So people calling for the Bucks to start Jannas at 135 00:08:48,960 --> 00:08:50,480 center, and like, I don't know that brook Lopez has been the problem. 136 00:08:50,519 --> 00:08:54,799 He wasn't as good on offense in Game two, but like he's not 137 00:08:54,879 --> 00:08:58,080 this super big defensive liability. He's actually helped them in spots, and you're 138 00:08:58,159 --> 00:09:01,000 running out of person now at that point, because if you're just cutting, 139 00:09:01,919 --> 00:09:05,559 you know, if you're cutting brook Lopez's minutes from twenty eight or twenty three 140 00:09:05,639 --> 00:09:09,360 like he had in game one to what ten, twelve, fifteen, like 141 00:09:09,360 --> 00:09:11,120 who are you playing? You're not adding more Bobby Porterus minutes. He didn't 142 00:09:11,120 --> 00:09:15,120 even play five minutes in game two. So just they don't I don't know 143 00:09:15,200 --> 00:09:16,000 that they have the personnelity even do that, nor do I know if it 144 00:09:16,039 --> 00:09:18,919 even helps, because I think you would do that, I guess to create 145 00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:22,720 more offensive mismatches, which does make sense. Their offensive rating has not been 146 00:09:22,759 --> 00:09:26,559 great in this series. At the same time, you get to a point 147 00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:28,000 where you run out of bodies because if you start your honest at the five, 148 00:09:28,039 --> 00:09:31,519 you're essentially saying, okay, no Bobby Porters at all, and brook 149 00:09:31,519 --> 00:09:35,320 Lopez is going to play between ten and fifteen, and just like, where 150 00:09:35,360 --> 00:09:37,279 are you going? Because PJ. Tucker isn't the answer on offense either. 151 00:09:37,320 --> 00:09:41,120 That's been the other thing here is just you know, he's never had that 152 00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:46,279 volume. But it's just when you have someone where people can be stashed on 153 00:09:46,360 --> 00:09:48,559 him or you just know that he's you know, he hasn't been shooting well 154 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:50,480 from the corners in the playoffs. Anyway, if you have that guy, 155 00:09:50,879 --> 00:09:54,919 you know that that's another liability that you have to overcome. And there have 156 00:09:54,960 --> 00:09:56,720 been nights, many nights, or I don't know that he provides enough defensive 157 00:09:56,799 --> 00:10:01,840 value to necessarily make up for what you're giving up on offense with him. 158 00:10:01,879 --> 00:10:05,000 And that's the dilemma to me for the Bucks. I have zero answers for 159 00:10:05,039 --> 00:10:11,399 them moving forward. Yeah, I mean so, just to put a specific 160 00:10:11,440 --> 00:10:16,480 point on the Drew Holiday thing and the lack of adjustments that seem obvious, 161 00:10:16,559 --> 00:10:22,200 Like the Bucks did almost everything that we asked them to do after Game one. 162 00:10:22,360 --> 00:10:26,960 We being you know, whatever, basketball Twitter or just critics of anyone 163 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:28,399 after game one saying like, well, here's what needed to change. Like 164 00:10:28,480 --> 00:10:35,120 Drew Holiday was super aggressive out of the gate. It was just noticeably heard 165 00:10:35,159 --> 00:10:37,600 the chatter, or was informed by the coaching staff, or got there on 166 00:10:37,639 --> 00:10:43,440 his own realizing I can't be four of fourteen and make a bunch of defensive 167 00:10:43,440 --> 00:10:45,879 mistakes, which he did, Like that was the low key problem in game 168 00:10:45,919 --> 00:10:48,399 one, which is out of character for him. And he came out guns 169 00:10:48,399 --> 00:10:52,200 blazing, and then you look up and at one point he was three for 170 00:10:52,240 --> 00:10:56,759 twelve. He finished seven of twenty one. So if if your fix is 171 00:10:56,879 --> 00:10:58,679 Drew Holiday, be more aggressive. And he did pick up Chris Paul, 172 00:11:00,320 --> 00:11:03,000 you know, before half court several times. So that was another adjustment. 173 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:07,519 We're gonna put Holiday on Chris Paul. We're gonna have him chase over screens 174 00:11:07,519 --> 00:11:09,840 a little more. We're not going to immediately surrendering, give up switches, 175 00:11:09,200 --> 00:11:13,600 all this stuff. The Bucks just they did what was asked of them after 176 00:11:13,679 --> 00:11:18,799 losing Game one, and the result was the same. So it comes down 177 00:11:18,840 --> 00:11:24,360 to just I don't know that the Bucks have the top end talent necessary to 178 00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:30,519 effectively implement the adjustments that everyone's asking them to make. And so that's that's 179 00:11:30,559 --> 00:11:33,960 what is going to be so weird about this offseason. I were just burying 180 00:11:33,039 --> 00:11:37,159 the Bucks right now, like the series is not over, but just looking 181 00:11:37,159 --> 00:11:41,679 ahead. So there were two problems with the bucks last two playoff runs. 182 00:11:41,720 --> 00:11:43,679 One was you could say, well, Yannis doesn't have enough help, right 183 00:11:43,840 --> 00:11:48,759 like Middleton is a you know, whatever you think of Middleton, if he's 184 00:11:48,799 --> 00:11:50,559 your number two and you don't have a lot else, doesn't feel like a 185 00:11:50,679 --> 00:11:54,279 championship team. So you get Drew Holiday, and now Drew Holiday is wildly 186 00:11:54,320 --> 00:11:58,279 and consistent in the playoffs, and as the Bucks, you have no avenue 187 00:11:58,320 --> 00:12:01,480 to getting more talent. So Yannas still doesn't have enough help. I guess 188 00:12:01,519 --> 00:12:05,279 the only bright side of that is we can't kill them for being inflexible, 189 00:12:05,440 --> 00:12:09,399 like Boodenholzer. I don't think Boodenholzer should lose his job. I think had 190 00:12:09,399 --> 00:12:11,200 they lost a round or two earlier, it was a foregone conclusion he was 191 00:12:11,240 --> 00:12:16,559 going to be fired. I think with the talent that they have, with 192 00:12:16,600 --> 00:12:20,960 the limitations of guys like Tucker and Lopez, and we're seeing limitations of guys 193 00:12:20,960 --> 00:12:24,399 like Holiday, even a Max player that you gave up a million first to 194 00:12:24,440 --> 00:12:28,720 get, I think Boodenholzer has done everything you can with this roster. I 195 00:12:28,840 --> 00:12:31,679 just think there's just nothing to do. And specifically, Yeah, okay, 196 00:12:31,759 --> 00:12:35,039 let's play Yannis at center more. Everybody likes to go smaller. Let's take 197 00:12:35,039 --> 00:12:39,919 Brook Lopez off the floor. Well, DeAndre Ayton is guarding Yannis anyway all 198 00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:41,679 the time when Lopez is in the game, So what are you gaining? 199 00:12:43,120 --> 00:12:46,080 I just I don't understand it. You're taking a shooter off the floor a 200 00:12:46,120 --> 00:12:48,600 big shooter, and you know, granted Lopez has not been anything close to 201 00:12:48,720 --> 00:12:52,080 lights out, but you're taking your room protector off the floor. He has 202 00:12:52,200 --> 00:12:56,440 value in that regard, and you're gonna play binforms or you're gonna play pat 203 00:12:56,480 --> 00:13:01,000 Han like you just you're not gaining anything by going smaller, which is hard 204 00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:03,679 to do in the NBA because it seems like every team in every previous playoff 205 00:13:03,720 --> 00:13:07,159 round, the Clippers being a great example, gained something by going smaller. 206 00:13:07,240 --> 00:13:11,279 The Bucks aren't going to do that, So I agree, I don't know 207 00:13:11,320 --> 00:13:13,639 what the fixes are. You could just look at it and say, well, 208 00:13:13,799 --> 00:13:18,360 the Sun's won by ten points. They made twenty out of forty from 209 00:13:18,399 --> 00:13:22,159 three. They won't do that again. The odds of mchail Bridges scoring twenty 210 00:13:22,159 --> 00:13:26,639 eight and Middleton and Holiday combining for twenty eight are not great. But the 211 00:13:26,639 --> 00:13:33,120 thing about like hoping or expecting, you know, somewhat flukey or anomalous things 212 00:13:33,120 --> 00:13:35,200 to even out over the course of a series is this is not a long 213 00:13:35,279 --> 00:13:39,879 series. Now it's two oh, There's not a lot of time for whatever 214 00:13:39,919 --> 00:13:43,000 regressions you're expecting to affect the rest of the series. The Suns have two 215 00:13:43,039 --> 00:13:48,200 wins banked, So the Bucks just don't have a margin for error and they 216 00:13:48,240 --> 00:13:52,200 can't count on well event, you know, give us enough time, Middleton 217 00:13:52,279 --> 00:13:56,159 and Holiday will sort of hit their levels, like maybe, but it's not 218 00:13:56,200 --> 00:13:58,879 going to be enough now that you're going to know two whole. So I 219 00:13:58,919 --> 00:14:01,799 don't know. I'm ready to bear the books, but with no shame, 220 00:14:01,879 --> 00:14:03,360 like they're doing what they can with the talent they have. The Suns, 221 00:14:03,559 --> 00:14:07,919 we probably haven't talked about the Sun's just being great enough, even though you 222 00:14:09,080 --> 00:14:13,759 did specifically before the season, So kudos to you. You can take your 223 00:14:13,840 --> 00:14:18,879 victory lap. I think on this one. I'll mockingly take victory laps as 224 00:14:18,879 --> 00:14:22,320 a joke, but I can't take victory laps given how wrong I am all 225 00:14:22,360 --> 00:14:26,559 the time. So that's why you have to take this victory lab. I 226 00:14:26,600 --> 00:14:30,720 will say. It's just funny how people remember either when you're wrong or just 227 00:14:30,879 --> 00:14:35,600 something that they don't disagree with and then turns up like I picked the Nuggets 228 00:14:35,600 --> 00:14:37,159 to win the title last year in the preseason. Actually they made it to 229 00:14:37,159 --> 00:14:41,200 the Western Conference finals, and then I caught shit then, and then I 230 00:14:41,279 --> 00:14:43,720 caught shit when they lost in the Western Conference finals. I picked the Suns 231 00:14:45,120 --> 00:14:48,399 to win the title this year before the start of the playoffs. I actually 232 00:14:48,440 --> 00:14:52,360 didn't have to make a preseason pick, and just I haven't, like, 233 00:14:52,480 --> 00:14:54,120 no one said anything about that, and I don't expect them too. But 234 00:14:54,200 --> 00:15:00,600 it's just funny how people remember the negative or just something that they don't agree 235 00:15:00,679 --> 00:15:03,279 with that is then affirmed that they shouldn't have agreed with it to a t 236 00:15:03,879 --> 00:15:07,360 more than like, I don't. I don't know how many people picked the 237 00:15:07,360 --> 00:15:09,360 Suns to win the title at the start of the playoffs, so I imagine 238 00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:11,879 I was. I was among the few that picked them to beat the Lakers 239 00:15:11,960 --> 00:15:13,799 in general, let alone win the title. So I'm not doing a victory 240 00:15:13,840 --> 00:15:16,600 LA. This is a victory lab, I guess. But it's just they 241 00:15:18,279 --> 00:15:22,480 like they just make so much sense, and this is a conversation to have 242 00:15:22,679 --> 00:15:26,279 if and when they win the title. There's a level of sustainability here. 243 00:15:26,519 --> 00:15:31,759 I know that Chris Paul's player option is going to cause consternation among some in 244 00:15:31,840 --> 00:15:33,639 the Sun's organization. He's also aged thirty six, but even if he comes 245 00:15:33,720 --> 00:15:39,399 back, there's the element of that. But you have Booker Bridges eight and 246 00:15:39,919 --> 00:15:43,960 Cameron Johnson. That's a real, actual base, and your cupboard isn't dry. 247 00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:46,919 If you need to go out and make a trade to help this, 248 00:15:46,559 --> 00:15:52,000 you owe your twenty twenty two first to Oklahoma City. But like, you 249 00:15:52,080 --> 00:15:54,240 know, if you really wanted to take a bigger swaying, you could. 250 00:15:54,240 --> 00:15:56,320 And one of the trades I proposed for them is like what if they went 251 00:15:56,320 --> 00:16:00,200 after a Larry Naz junior in the office season. Now they have their after 252 00:16:00,240 --> 00:16:03,320 the draft, they'll have their first round pick. They still have Jalen Smith 253 00:16:03,360 --> 00:16:06,159 sitting there at the number ten pick from last year. Building stuff around that 254 00:16:06,399 --> 00:16:10,240 maybe, but this team, like I don't think this and even if it 255 00:16:10,320 --> 00:16:12,399 is even if Chris Paul leaves or even if they flame out in the first 256 00:16:12,480 --> 00:16:15,600 round next year, like this, this is not a random title when you've 257 00:16:15,639 --> 00:16:18,759 watched them all season and with the way that they're playing and their top to 258 00:16:18,840 --> 00:16:23,000 bottom depth, and it's just, you know, I don't even not that 259 00:16:23,080 --> 00:16:26,559 it's more. I don't want to say it's a surprise, I guess because 260 00:16:26,639 --> 00:16:29,840 mcal Bridges doesn't really surprise me anymore. Although did I see him scoring twenty 261 00:16:29,879 --> 00:16:33,559 seven points in game through the NBA Finals? Not necessarily, but the fact 262 00:16:33,559 --> 00:16:36,879 they have that guy where yeah, he won't put up offensive volume a ton, 263 00:16:37,320 --> 00:16:38,799 but on Knights where he can or you need it, like they'll be 264 00:16:38,879 --> 00:16:41,519 Knights when he does. There's just so many different ways they get attack you 265 00:16:41,519 --> 00:16:45,039 and like they're Knights when deand Raydon is not going to be great on offense, 266 00:16:45,120 --> 00:16:47,679 but you can count on him to still of his defensive motor going Like 267 00:16:47,960 --> 00:16:51,279 we're past the point where it seems like one is tied to the other for 268 00:16:51,440 --> 00:16:53,039 him, and he picked a good time to put together not only the best 269 00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:57,639 but the most consistent stretch of basketball of his career. I would argue there's 270 00:16:57,720 --> 00:17:03,080 so much to like. Cameron Payne is just like in he doesn't play ten 271 00:17:03,120 --> 00:17:06,000 minutes in Game two, He's one of three from the floor, scores only 272 00:17:06,079 --> 00:17:10,200 two points, and yet I'm watching it. I'm like, Cameron Payne wasn't 273 00:17:10,240 --> 00:17:12,240 in the league basically all of last season until the Sun signed before the bubble. 274 00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:18,160 He's not drawing double teams out of the pick and roll and would be 275 00:17:18,240 --> 00:17:22,000 a no brainer rotation guy for the Bucks, like he would be playing thirty 276 00:17:22,039 --> 00:17:25,880 five minutes for the Bucks. It like just and he's you know, a 277 00:17:26,039 --> 00:17:29,920 limited factor for this this I just like the thing. The thing for me 278 00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:33,759 is there were plays tonight I noted two of them where I think it's fair 279 00:17:33,880 --> 00:17:37,640 to call Bridges the fourth option for the Suns because aiden you know, just 280 00:17:38,319 --> 00:17:42,279 general offensive rebounds count then yeah, sure, well that too. But like, 281 00:17:44,200 --> 00:17:47,519 Bridges is theoretically a three IND role player guy, and I think he 282 00:17:47,680 --> 00:17:52,079 is just sort of like a lab created perfect specimen of a three D you 283 00:17:52,160 --> 00:17:56,160 know, wing, but he also I mean it speaks to the growth of 284 00:17:56,279 --> 00:17:59,759 the Sun's young guys. I mean, Booker obviously has taken a leap to 285 00:18:00,079 --> 00:18:03,880 to me like a full on top option, a top option on a championship 286 00:18:03,920 --> 00:18:06,960 winning team, Like that's hard to become. He's pretty close to doing that. 287 00:18:07,240 --> 00:18:11,920 DeAndre Ayton has become an incredibly good role playing center with I think, 288 00:18:11,960 --> 00:18:14,640 based on his trajectory so far, the potential will be much more. But 289 00:18:14,759 --> 00:18:18,079 Bridges is theoretically a catch and shoot guy who defends really good wings and then 290 00:18:18,799 --> 00:18:22,559 oh also, when he gets a smaller guy matched up on him and the 291 00:18:22,599 --> 00:18:26,119 shot clock's winding down, he can take three dribbles and generate his own shot 292 00:18:26,240 --> 00:18:30,359 Like that's he's a mini game now. He does so wild and Suns fans 293 00:18:30,400 --> 00:18:33,680 are going crazy because they're like we've seen this all year, but it's like, 294 00:18:33,920 --> 00:18:36,920 okay, cool, this is the finals and he has the confidence and 295 00:18:37,079 --> 00:18:40,960 the game to do this, to bail them out of possessions as a fourth 296 00:18:41,039 --> 00:18:45,000 option and get a really good shot like that. I mean talk about against 297 00:18:45,119 --> 00:18:48,160 against a defense like the Bucks too, and that's you don't have to do 298 00:18:48,279 --> 00:18:51,519 that on a night and night out basis. And so even for someone who 299 00:18:51,839 --> 00:18:55,359 you know, we had a whole podcast where we build the Suns as contenders 300 00:18:55,440 --> 00:18:57,279 and I think we both said that they were the biggest threat to coming out 301 00:18:57,279 --> 00:19:02,480 of the West of the non Lakers Division the time. And to still see 302 00:19:02,599 --> 00:19:04,640 that, like all these guys do this, I'm like, fucking Cam Johnson, 303 00:19:06,079 --> 00:19:08,640 just yeah, Okay, it's cool that he held his own defensively all 304 00:19:08,839 --> 00:19:12,599 regular season, but now he's doing it all throughout the playoffs, and like 305 00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:15,519 there's more to him than just his shooting, Like we've always known that, 306 00:19:15,599 --> 00:19:18,720 but it's also there's more to him than just his shooting in the playoffs. 307 00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:23,599 There's like that level of holy crap here, And so I want to wrap 308 00:19:23,680 --> 00:19:26,000 this up, well, I guess it's with three things. I'm gonna want 309 00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:30,279 your final prediction after this. But shifting back to the Bucks, we collectively 310 00:19:30,319 --> 00:19:34,200 agree or that we can't see anything that they could do this series to turn 311 00:19:34,240 --> 00:19:38,319 the tides, aside from Drew Holiday and Chris Middleton make shots on the same 312 00:19:38,400 --> 00:19:41,240 night. And by the way, that's the other thing. I'll go back 313 00:19:41,279 --> 00:19:44,359 and look, it doesn't feel like all three of the Buck stars have been 314 00:19:44,640 --> 00:19:48,640 cooking at once this postseason. Mostly one of them, sometimes two of them, 315 00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:52,880 but never three. But outside of that, like, do we agree 316 00:19:52,960 --> 00:19:56,000 that there's just we don't have the answers? Yeah, I think so. 317 00:19:56,160 --> 00:19:59,920 I think the Suns are just sort of answer proof. I think that's part 318 00:20:00,039 --> 00:20:02,720 or the problem. Whatever you're gonna try, they're going to be at least 319 00:20:02,839 --> 00:20:06,400 capable of attacking the right way. And so I would ask, then do 320 00:20:06,480 --> 00:20:08,440 you if you're the Bucks, and I would agree with you that coach Bud 321 00:20:08,720 --> 00:20:11,319 he's not He's not going to lose his job after taking them to the finals, 322 00:20:11,359 --> 00:20:15,079 and I think now he's at least proven he's flexible. He probably loses 323 00:20:15,119 --> 00:20:18,440 his job if Kevin Durant it has his foot on the line on that shot. 324 00:20:18,759 --> 00:20:22,799 Crazy to think that, you know, there's obviously other moments. Nothing 325 00:20:22,839 --> 00:20:25,480 ever comes down to one whistler or one shot. But yeah, that was 326 00:20:26,160 --> 00:20:30,160 very close to Bud losing his job. There. Do you look at this 327 00:20:30,279 --> 00:20:33,359 series if they lose in four or five, like if it's something like that 328 00:20:33,200 --> 00:20:36,920 and read into it as well, we have to figure out a way to 329 00:20:36,920 --> 00:20:41,119 do something significant to this roster or is it, as you just said, 330 00:20:41,400 --> 00:20:45,559 the Suns are so answer proof and there's a chance that there's one not another 331 00:20:45,640 --> 00:20:48,279 team the league at full strength. Even if you rack your brain for the 332 00:20:48,319 --> 00:20:52,519 teams in league that would be as answerproof as the Suns. It might be 333 00:20:52,680 --> 00:20:56,440 Brooklyn if all their stars were healthy, and but you could look at it 334 00:20:56,599 --> 00:20:57,920 as okay, well the Suns, they might be busted up, or might 335 00:20:57,960 --> 00:21:02,920 be different if Chris Paul as another year older, or do you actually look 336 00:21:02,920 --> 00:21:04,079 at this series and go, okay, we need to do something and what 337 00:21:04,279 --> 00:21:08,440 is that something? Well, so this is kind of an elevated version of 338 00:21:08,559 --> 00:21:12,400 the question we ask about a team like like say the Portland Trailblazers for several 339 00:21:12,519 --> 00:21:15,720 years, where like or even you know, the Pacers are kind of another 340 00:21:15,759 --> 00:21:21,839 example where you'd say, you know, there's there's a third option between being 341 00:21:21,880 --> 00:21:26,759 a go all out contender every year and rebuilding, and some franchises are kind 342 00:21:26,759 --> 00:21:30,200 of cool being very good for as long as they can be very good, 343 00:21:30,720 --> 00:21:33,920 and this the Bucks, it's sort of a notch or two up where it's 344 00:21:33,960 --> 00:21:37,480 like, I think the Bucks, realistically, if they change nothing, maybe 345 00:21:37,559 --> 00:21:44,000 Janie actually does learn to shoot, you know, maybe Devincenzo gets back. 346 00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:47,920 I mean they're missing Devincenzo. That's not insignificant. You know, that's a 347 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:51,960 key rotation guy that would really matter in this series, particularly he's healthy. 348 00:21:52,759 --> 00:21:56,119 A couple breaks and the Bucks could be back in the finals without swinging a 349 00:21:56,160 --> 00:22:00,720 big deal. I think just it's so sure if you lose in the finals, 350 00:22:02,519 --> 00:22:04,000 your inclination is going to be we gotta change something. The Bucks just 351 00:22:04,039 --> 00:22:07,440 don't have the tools to do that. So it's that I'm punting on your 352 00:22:07,480 --> 00:22:11,839 question because I just can't think of a realistic way that they're going to do 353 00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:17,400 anything beyond the taxpayers mid level, you know, some organic growth from some 354 00:22:17,559 --> 00:22:19,079 of the guys they still have. They're not a young team, so that's 355 00:22:19,160 --> 00:22:22,880 tough. But the urgency needs to be there because you mentioned Brooklyn. If 356 00:22:22,960 --> 00:22:26,400 Brooklyn's healthy, the Bucks are nowhere close to the best team in the East. 357 00:22:26,519 --> 00:22:30,559 If the Sixers trade Ben Simmons and you know, get better and Joel 358 00:22:30,599 --> 00:22:34,319 Embiid is healthy for a year, and that looks just like a more sensible 359 00:22:34,359 --> 00:22:37,559 team than the one we saw this year. Than are the Bucks the third 360 00:22:37,599 --> 00:22:41,119 best team in the East? Like the Hawks look really good. They have 361 00:22:41,240 --> 00:22:44,319 a ton of young guys that could all get better. So now where are 362 00:22:44,400 --> 00:22:47,599 the Bucks in the East. So the urgency to do something, I'm sure 363 00:22:47,640 --> 00:22:52,039 they are feeling and should be feeling it. The ability to do something is 364 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:56,200 what they may lack. So I'm punting on your question. I just don't 365 00:22:56,240 --> 00:22:59,319 know what they can do. The move I came up with for them, 366 00:23:00,039 --> 00:23:02,839 I'm not sure if I like it, And I'm not saying this means that 367 00:23:02,920 --> 00:23:06,039 Jannis needs to play center all the time. But if you can turn brook 368 00:23:06,119 --> 00:23:10,240 Lopez, you have number thirty two this year, I think, or is 369 00:23:10,279 --> 00:23:12,480 it thirty one? It might be thirty one if you can turn him in 370 00:23:12,599 --> 00:23:18,000 number thirty one into and I proposed Dante de Vincenzo as well, because he's 371 00:23:18,039 --> 00:23:21,680 coming off an injury. I'm not sure with values for Into Harrison Barnes, 372 00:23:22,519 --> 00:23:25,200 does that move the needle for this team at all? Or is that very 373 00:23:25,319 --> 00:23:30,759 much like you're sacrificing two rotation players At that point, Brook Lopez is still 374 00:23:30,279 --> 00:23:33,720 valuable. Yes, Barnes allows you to downsize, and he is. You 375 00:23:33,759 --> 00:23:37,559 know, I'm not saying PJ. Tucker won't be back, but if you're 376 00:23:37,680 --> 00:23:40,319 subbing him in for the PJ. Tucker minutes, like you're getting a lot 377 00:23:40,400 --> 00:23:42,519 more offense out of that without losing a ton of juice defensively. No, 378 00:23:42,640 --> 00:23:45,720 he's not going to defend Chris Paul like PJA. Tucker can still switch on 379 00:23:45,759 --> 00:23:51,359 to that guy. So but that's like the biggest move in my mind that 380 00:23:51,440 --> 00:23:52,759 I came up with. If you're not gonna, you know, trade one 381 00:23:52,839 --> 00:23:56,839 of your co stars in Chris Middleton or or Drew Holiday, which it's the 382 00:23:56,960 --> 00:24:02,440 same situation that CJ. McCollum where and I think both Middleton and Julida are 383 00:24:02,440 --> 00:24:03,960 better than sis you would call him. But like, you're not trading those 384 00:24:04,039 --> 00:24:07,039 players and upgrading if you wanted to rebuild, Yeah, you might be able 385 00:24:07,039 --> 00:24:10,519 to get a nice package for them, or you could maybe divest them into 386 00:24:10,599 --> 00:24:15,559 role players, which is a tricky proposition onto itself. Yeah, I don't 387 00:24:15,599 --> 00:24:18,039 know. I think Barnes is certainly the sort of the type of player that 388 00:24:18,160 --> 00:24:22,759 you would for this series. You can imagine his utility because he's capable. 389 00:24:22,799 --> 00:24:27,079 He's just solid, like he's not answer proof. He's not like the individual 390 00:24:27,119 --> 00:24:30,839 embodiment of the Suns, but you can use him to do several different things 391 00:24:30,880 --> 00:24:33,759 like in Dallas, remember he was kind of an isolation scorer for a while, 392 00:24:33,880 --> 00:24:37,799 Like that was very weird. He's been sort of a lower usage role 393 00:24:37,839 --> 00:24:41,480 player when he was young. He's been a he's sort of settled into very 394 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:47,559 solid, multidimensional not grade at anything, but you could give him forty minutes 395 00:24:47,599 --> 00:24:49,599 in a finals game and he's not going to hurt. Like the Bucks need 396 00:24:49,799 --> 00:24:52,799 a guy like that because Tucker. I think Tucker has been kind of a 397 00:24:52,920 --> 00:24:57,160 zero in this series, and I think Lopez's utility has been sort of exposed 398 00:24:57,160 --> 00:25:02,839 as two niche or two he's just too late night. So yeah, finite, 399 00:25:02,920 --> 00:25:06,319 Yeah, there's there's so, there's book I mean, I'm looking at 400 00:25:06,359 --> 00:25:08,200 Devin Booker. On my notes, I said Booker Barnes is the type of 401 00:25:08,240 --> 00:25:12,680 guy they should go after. But like, if I'm the King's what do 402 00:25:12,799 --> 00:25:15,200 I want? Brook? Lopez and a late pick and I don't know, 403 00:25:15,279 --> 00:25:19,880 maybe you do. They might need it, said. My justification was they 404 00:25:19,960 --> 00:25:23,039 might. They're good to need a center because Rashaun Holmes is I would guess, 405 00:25:23,160 --> 00:25:26,559 is leaving just because they need cap space to resign them, which they 406 00:25:26,599 --> 00:25:30,920 don't have. And no, he Brook Lopez doesn't fit the let's play super 407 00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:33,519 fast, but like the box run the floor without him. The Sacramento Kings 408 00:25:33,599 --> 00:25:37,079 can do the same, and they want a de Vincenzo when the Bogdanovitch trade. 409 00:25:37,400 --> 00:25:41,720 He is one year out from a new contract year coming off this injury. 410 00:25:41,400 --> 00:25:45,400 But I think it's fair value for Barnes, or at least close to 411 00:25:45,519 --> 00:25:48,480 it. Maybe they are offers that beat it, so I'm not But that 412 00:25:48,680 --> 00:25:52,039 was just in my mind, like that's the big move without blowing anything up. 413 00:25:52,119 --> 00:25:56,160 And I don't know that because now you do have to. Yeah, 414 00:25:56,200 --> 00:25:59,559 you can bank on finding centers on the chief who are serviceable, But like 415 00:26:00,319 --> 00:26:03,359 I just don't like, does it do enough? It might, it might 416 00:26:03,440 --> 00:26:07,319 not, And it's very unspectacular to me in the sense that I think I 417 00:26:07,359 --> 00:26:08,440 would do it if that was the package. I caught a lot of ship 418 00:26:08,559 --> 00:26:14,440 from Bucks fans when I proposed it, and maybe I'm kind of underselling Devincenzo's 419 00:26:14,519 --> 00:26:17,640 value, but like, the Bucks aren't going to pay him, like they're 420 00:26:17,720 --> 00:26:19,960 just it's not going to happen. Although if they're trading for Harrison Barnes, 421 00:26:19,960 --> 00:26:25,039 who's making twenty million a year, so so I would probably do it, 422 00:26:25,279 --> 00:26:27,359 But I wouldn't look at the Bucks and be like, we're a much better 423 00:26:27,440 --> 00:26:32,920 team. Well, they're not a much better regular season team because they're thinner 424 00:26:33,000 --> 00:26:36,359 and they lose the guy that anchors your defense, which goes a long way. 425 00:26:36,799 --> 00:26:38,759 But I think they'd be a better playoff team. And I think every 426 00:26:38,920 --> 00:26:42,440 year it becomes clearer and we get reminded because we forget over the course of 427 00:26:42,519 --> 00:26:45,720 six months of a season. The playoffs are just totally different. You need 428 00:26:45,799 --> 00:26:49,240 a totally different set of you know, sets of skills to succeed there than 429 00:26:49,279 --> 00:26:52,480 you do in the regular season. Like ask the Jazz, ask ask the 430 00:26:52,680 --> 00:26:56,599 you know. It's just it's it's just certain things to work in the regular 431 00:26:56,640 --> 00:26:59,000 season that don't in the playoffs, and you need different types of guys to 432 00:26:59,640 --> 00:27:03,880 really get over the top. This is the quickbait section of the podcast. 433 00:27:03,319 --> 00:27:10,039 Devin Booker is a top blank player in the NBA. Well, this is 434 00:27:10,119 --> 00:27:12,359 the same thing. So I'm gonna force you to I'm gonna ruin your clickbait 435 00:27:12,359 --> 00:27:19,240 because I'm gonna ask several clarifying questions. I think. So just if you're 436 00:27:19,279 --> 00:27:22,240 just like, oh, here's a here's an article I'm gonna click on, 437 00:27:22,359 --> 00:27:26,880 or here's a something on an app, I don't think you can leave him 438 00:27:26,920 --> 00:27:30,839 outside let's just say like all NBA range. So I don't think you can 439 00:27:30,920 --> 00:27:36,200 leave him outside the top fifteen anymore. I think top ten is tough, 440 00:27:36,799 --> 00:27:40,680 but you could talk me into it because of the value I think, and 441 00:27:40,680 --> 00:27:44,079 I'm going to put a higher value on this than anything because this is the 442 00:27:44,160 --> 00:27:48,839 type time of year where we're at, Like he's clearly capable of being the 443 00:27:48,880 --> 00:27:52,240 first option on a team that's gonna win a title, like that's the hardest 444 00:27:52,279 --> 00:27:56,759 thing to get. And he doesn't take anything off the table on defense anymore 445 00:27:56,799 --> 00:28:00,519 either, So I don't know what that says. Armball defense in the playoffs 446 00:28:00,599 --> 00:28:03,240 has been and it's been pretty good all season, but in the playoffs, 447 00:28:03,599 --> 00:28:07,880 like he is guarded like they've had him on Middleton, they've had him on 448 00:28:07,960 --> 00:28:11,119 Drew Holiday, they and that's part of the reason why the Suns can switch 449 00:28:11,160 --> 00:28:14,160 themselves when they want to is because Devin Booker is. Yeah, the offball 450 00:28:14,200 --> 00:28:18,119 stuff can get weird still, yep, but he's I don't want to say, 451 00:28:18,160 --> 00:28:19,920 he's like a really good on ball defender, but this is, you 452 00:28:19,960 --> 00:28:23,880 know, if you're in a plus plus plus plus plus offensive player who plays 453 00:28:23,960 --> 00:28:27,160 C minus defense, let's just like I might even be underrating him there this 454 00:28:27,200 --> 00:28:33,720 season, you're a mega star, like yeah, no, so like I 455 00:28:33,039 --> 00:28:37,359 don't know where you so if you kind of group him, I always thought 456 00:28:37,359 --> 00:28:40,440 of him sort of in a tier with like Donovan Mitchell, Jason Tatum. 457 00:28:40,480 --> 00:28:42,400 I feel like Tatum kind of jumped a couple of notches ahead of him, 458 00:28:42,400 --> 00:28:47,359 even Jalen Brown now Jamal Murray when he was healthy, I think I put 459 00:28:47,440 --> 00:28:51,359 him. I think Tatum's the only guy I'd even think about taking over him. 460 00:28:51,640 --> 00:28:53,960 But like, Booker's just proving it right now. So I don't know 461 00:28:55,599 --> 00:29:00,720 in that class of this like next generation of stars that I think are sort 462 00:29:00,759 --> 00:29:04,759 of ready to kind of flip the power structure a little bit. I think 463 00:29:04,759 --> 00:29:08,079 Bookers is good better than like any of those guys, clearly better to me 464 00:29:08,319 --> 00:29:12,960 than you know, Murray Mitchell, Like that back backgroup. Three quick notes 465 00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:15,559 here, the last of which is going to kind of hammer out what the 466 00:29:15,640 --> 00:29:19,559 locks because top ten was in my mind is do you have a justification? 467 00:29:19,599 --> 00:29:22,640 But Devin Booker, there a couple numbers that are standing out to me. 468 00:29:22,880 --> 00:29:27,839 Is just I don't know that his passing has received enough recognition. It is 469 00:29:27,920 --> 00:29:33,920 now in the playoffs, but just in general, So he has when you 470 00:29:33,720 --> 00:29:37,599 I'm trying to phrase this because it's like it is a mouthful, but among 471 00:29:38,200 --> 00:29:44,400 everyone in the postseason who has averaged at least twenty passes per postseason game, 472 00:29:44,720 --> 00:29:47,200 and that's a total of ninety three players. So among ninety three players who 473 00:29:47,200 --> 00:29:53,599 have average at least twenty passes per postseason game, he ranks fifth in assist 474 00:29:55,079 --> 00:30:03,000 to oh my God and assist to past percentage adjusted, And that assist to 475 00:30:03,039 --> 00:30:07,799 past percentage adjusted is the percentage of passes by a player that are assists, 476 00:30:08,319 --> 00:30:12,400 tree throw assists, or secondary assists. The only players in front of him 477 00:30:14,039 --> 00:30:17,759 are Damian Lillard, Russell Westbrook, Trey Young, and Luka don Chich. 478 00:30:17,839 --> 00:30:19,640 And I know he's not his primary ball handler. The primary ball handler, 479 00:30:19,680 --> 00:30:22,359 You're like, Chris Paul does a lot of the he is the primary playmaker 480 00:30:22,400 --> 00:30:26,559 for the Suns, but his passes are meaningful. And now anyone who thinks 481 00:30:26,599 --> 00:30:30,559 that he's benefiting from the presence of Chris Paul. Everyone's benefiting from the presence 482 00:30:30,599 --> 00:30:34,640 of Chris Paul. But we are now over the past five seasons, so 483 00:30:34,720 --> 00:30:40,839 since his sophomore year, he is averaging twenty five point one points five point 484 00:30:40,880 --> 00:30:45,599 one assists per game on fifty seven six true shooting percentage. The only other 485 00:30:45,680 --> 00:30:49,880 players who are at twenty five and five on his true shooting percentage during that 486 00:30:51,000 --> 00:30:55,920 time are Jannis, James, Harden, Dame, Kevin Durant, Lebron, 487 00:30:56,359 --> 00:31:00,559 Steph, and Kyrie. So it's seven players, which is I guess is 488 00:31:00,680 --> 00:31:04,400 semi large grouping, but they're all just superstars. Yeah, And so I 489 00:31:04,480 --> 00:31:07,960 wanted to point out that, like Devin Booker's body of work supersedes just this 490 00:31:08,079 --> 00:31:14,039 season. And when you're looking at the top ten guys, my locks for 491 00:31:14,119 --> 00:31:18,559 the top ten would be Lebron, Harden, Jannis, Yokich, Luca Kawai, 492 00:31:19,079 --> 00:31:25,160 Steph Embiid and KD are my only locks. And that's nine. And 493 00:31:25,279 --> 00:31:30,039 once you get past them, you have Dame Anthony Davis. You mentioned Jason 494 00:31:30,079 --> 00:31:33,119 Tatum, I'm just wondering, like, who else are you putting in front 495 00:31:33,160 --> 00:31:37,319 of Booker? Aside from that though, which leads me to believe that top 496 00:31:37,440 --> 00:31:41,160 fifteen is the correct answer. Maybe not the safest because I think people will 497 00:31:41,240 --> 00:31:45,480 argue for Look, you can't argue for Jamal Murray right now because he's not 498 00:31:45,559 --> 00:31:49,319 healthy. They will argue for Donovan Mitchell. Like I said, Jason Tatum, 499 00:31:49,720 --> 00:31:52,720 I'm just like, when I'm looking at just the where would I put 500 00:31:52,799 --> 00:31:56,440 him specifically? I think I'd have Dame as my tenth best player, like 501 00:31:56,559 --> 00:32:00,480 to round out my ten, And then I'm like between a D Tatum and 502 00:32:00,519 --> 00:32:05,119 Booker for eleven, and I don't know, like there's a chance that I 503 00:32:05,200 --> 00:32:07,920 might put Booker over a D. It's a Booker and Tatum over a D. 504 00:32:07,039 --> 00:32:10,160 At this point, well, I mean, the thing is like and 505 00:32:10,240 --> 00:32:14,440 this is gonna get very you know, sports talk RADIOE. But in addition 506 00:32:14,519 --> 00:32:20,400 to there's no questioning the statistical company Booker is in. I just I think 507 00:32:20,480 --> 00:32:24,079 I've been more impressed at the shot making is incredible, the skill levels incredible, 508 00:32:24,440 --> 00:32:30,000 but like his he's just tough like and this is such a hacky, 509 00:32:30,160 --> 00:32:34,319 like unquantifiable thing but the toughness that he showed with the broken nose, and 510 00:32:34,440 --> 00:32:37,119 just the the level of competitive it actually sounds like Jeffan Gundy, like his 511 00:32:37,279 --> 00:32:42,960 level of competitiveness. He wants it. He wants it. He just wants 512 00:32:43,000 --> 00:32:46,319 it at such a cliche, but like it's undeniable. He wants the big 513 00:32:46,359 --> 00:32:49,720 shots. There were so many times tonight when the Bucks cut it to like 514 00:32:50,240 --> 00:32:54,599 six or seven and he would just absolutely shred a three and just with Middleton 515 00:32:54,680 --> 00:32:58,839 in his face or with just whatever. It's you know, it's the it's 516 00:32:58,920 --> 00:33:01,680 the silly thing that you know, smart numbers. People will say, like, 517 00:33:01,759 --> 00:33:05,279 well that three didn't matter anymore than any other points in the game. 518 00:33:05,640 --> 00:33:07,279 I don't know. It just it feels to me like, in addition to 519 00:33:07,440 --> 00:33:13,559 him proving uneququivocally that skill wise, he's an elite basketball player, he's you 520 00:33:13,599 --> 00:33:16,799 know, top ten, maybe top fifteen, I think definitely he is the 521 00:33:16,880 --> 00:33:22,519 type of personality I think that you can be very comfortable with as sort of 522 00:33:22,559 --> 00:33:23,920 like the head of a snake of a very good team that's gonna win a 523 00:33:23,960 --> 00:33:28,079 lot. And so, like you said earlier, if and when Chris Paul 524 00:33:28,160 --> 00:33:31,000 is no longer a part of the suns. I think Devin Booker is very 525 00:33:31,119 --> 00:33:36,119 capable of being sort of the you know, the guy who defines the identity 526 00:33:36,200 --> 00:33:38,200 of this team. And I think that's the key, is what you said, 527 00:33:38,400 --> 00:33:43,000 like being the head of the snake of a really good team is if 528 00:33:43,039 --> 00:33:45,720 you're in the top fifteen. I think that's like the cut off, maybe 529 00:33:45,759 --> 00:33:49,519 close to it. Maybe it's top twelve, maybe it's top twenty, but 530 00:33:50,039 --> 00:33:52,640 that's the territory where you can be the best player on a title contender. 531 00:33:53,079 --> 00:33:55,400 And I think that's what's most important, is what he's shown. And so 532 00:33:55,480 --> 00:34:00,720 this is going to lead with Grant hughes Up. Bleacher Report says Devin Booker 533 00:34:00,799 --> 00:34:05,200 wants it more than Jannis, and that's going to be if you haven't adjusted. 534 00:34:05,319 --> 00:34:07,679 I had sons in six to begin this series. I don't know what 535 00:34:07,760 --> 00:34:12,280 you had. I know I think you had sons. Yeah, I don't 536 00:34:12,400 --> 00:34:15,719 remember. If I ever made any official predictions, I would have taken the 537 00:34:15,760 --> 00:34:21,960 sons just because I with the Jannis injury, but you know, I think 538 00:34:22,079 --> 00:34:24,519 it's still amazing that he's not their primary problem either the left knee. And 539 00:34:25,079 --> 00:34:28,719 I mean we didn't yeah, we didn't talk enough about him. I mean 540 00:34:28,719 --> 00:34:30,000 he was incredible tonight. He was the I mean, at twenty points in 541 00:34:30,039 --> 00:34:34,480 the third quarter, that's just like, and he's not all the way there. 542 00:34:34,920 --> 00:34:38,320 You can tell. Yeah, I think I think I don't see it 543 00:34:38,360 --> 00:34:42,639 going more than six. I kind of think Phoenix is gonna get one of 544 00:34:42,800 --> 00:34:45,800 two. I think it's I think I'm gonna go Sons in five. I 545 00:34:45,920 --> 00:34:47,639 just think I think the Bucks are out of out of options, out of 546 00:34:47,719 --> 00:34:51,920 ideas, and and I just don't know where they turn. So I think 547 00:34:52,000 --> 00:34:55,079 maybe the Bucks get one, uh, just because they're gonna be super desperate 548 00:34:55,360 --> 00:34:59,639 and the Suns might relax a little bit. I'm gonna take him in five. 549 00:35:00,599 --> 00:35:02,360 I think i'd be with you. I tried not to overreact to Game 550 00:35:02,440 --> 00:35:07,280 one. I'm very much overreacting. Now it's hard not to react to game 551 00:35:07,320 --> 00:35:08,360 two, but I don't. I don't know that it's overreacting so much. 552 00:35:08,440 --> 00:35:12,880 Is just reacting after everything that we've seen, And so i'd agree with you 553 00:35:12,960 --> 00:35:17,000 there. Let's just make this unnatural segue though, into the most interesting teams 554 00:35:17,159 --> 00:35:22,360 over the off season. You're you're the guests, so the floor is yours. 555 00:35:22,400 --> 00:35:25,000 Who's your first team? Well, first, I'll just say that almost 556 00:35:25,039 --> 00:35:29,199 all these have the through line of a star that they need to keep happy, 557 00:35:29,320 --> 00:35:32,760 which always feels to me like it injects a special level of like urgency 558 00:35:34,320 --> 00:35:37,960 for an off season. I won't take the Knicks, I'll leave them for 559 00:35:37,000 --> 00:35:42,440 you. I assume they're on your list another Space Kings. They're not at 560 00:35:42,480 --> 00:35:45,960 the top of my list, but no they're not. I left them off 561 00:35:46,039 --> 00:35:49,559 mine entirely. I thought you get there. The first team that came to 562 00:35:49,639 --> 00:35:53,400 mind was the Pelicans, which maybe comes as a surprise, but that my 563 00:35:53,559 --> 00:35:58,400 first line item is what do you do to keep Zion happy? Because I 564 00:35:58,679 --> 00:36:01,599 think even though we've sort of are going off of one report that his family 565 00:36:01,760 --> 00:36:06,360 is frustrated. Like that's enough for me, especially with New Orleans history of 566 00:36:06,719 --> 00:36:10,199 what happens with stars there. When there's just the tiniest like wisp of smoke, 567 00:36:10,440 --> 00:36:15,000 it always turns out there's a lot of fire. So you have just 568 00:36:15,199 --> 00:36:21,159 all these things to consider. You just fired your coach after one year. 569 00:36:21,679 --> 00:36:25,320 Uh, you have Lonzo Balls restricted free agency. What are you going to 570 00:36:25,400 --> 00:36:30,000 pay him? If you do pay him, you're locking yourself into him as 571 00:36:30,480 --> 00:36:34,480 your third big salary slot because Zion's going to get his max ingram already has 572 00:36:34,559 --> 00:36:37,679 his or if you pay him above market rates, which is what it might 573 00:36:37,800 --> 00:36:40,920 take in this free agent market where there are no marquee free agents and several 574 00:36:40,960 --> 00:36:44,960 teams have a lot of money? Uh, do you trade Brandon Ingram? 575 00:36:45,320 --> 00:36:50,760 So there's those three things that are all kind of like tied together. Plus 576 00:36:51,079 --> 00:36:54,840 can you do anything to get rid of Eric Bledsoe and Steven Adams which like, 577 00:36:59,639 --> 00:37:04,400 certain he should not have gotten an extension and certainly not for two years 578 00:37:04,440 --> 00:37:08,079 and dollars certainly by the way, But yeah, no, great, get 579 00:37:08,159 --> 00:37:10,800 your money. He seems like an awesome guy, like probably one of the 580 00:37:10,840 --> 00:37:15,920 better people and more interesting guys in the league, but he's not helping them. 581 00:37:15,159 --> 00:37:19,519 Josh Hart's a restrict your free agent low key that kind of matters. 582 00:37:19,599 --> 00:37:22,239 I think I could see him getting a big offer from somebody else where. 583 00:37:22,239 --> 00:37:25,559 The Pelicans have to make a decision, and then, sort of in addition 584 00:37:25,639 --> 00:37:30,760 to all that, if there's a team that has the AMMO to make a 585 00:37:30,880 --> 00:37:37,360 really big like Brad Beal trade offer. The Pelicans basically control the Lakers and 586 00:37:37,559 --> 00:37:40,719 Bucks drafts for like the next half decade, and they have their own picks. 587 00:37:40,920 --> 00:37:45,559 So if you want to throw fifty seven first rounders and plus brandon Ingram 588 00:37:45,599 --> 00:37:49,400 plus whatever into a deal for a star like that's on the table too. 589 00:37:49,559 --> 00:37:52,800 They can put an offer out there that's gonna beat almost anybody's. So their 590 00:37:53,360 --> 00:37:59,599 war chest is like overflowing. They have all these crazy competing incentives with all 591 00:37:59,639 --> 00:38:04,559 their important players. So I just and who knows what this leadership structure? 592 00:38:04,599 --> 00:38:07,519 Oh that's the other thing. The last thing is David Griffin has to know 593 00:38:07,679 --> 00:38:09,920 that if he doesn't get this right, like he's gone because they just fired 594 00:38:09,920 --> 00:38:15,079 the coach and the next step is always the ker above him. So there's 595 00:38:15,079 --> 00:38:16,840 a lot happening with New Orleans. I just I think they're kind of a 596 00:38:16,880 --> 00:38:22,599 tinderbox that could be really exciting this offseason. And look, there's I don't 597 00:38:22,719 --> 00:38:24,760 care about teams paying attacks, but it is a reality in this situation where 598 00:38:24,840 --> 00:38:28,719 especially now, the Pelicans aren't going to pay the tax. I have them 599 00:38:28,840 --> 00:38:34,320 at thirty seven roughly thirty seven point eight million dollars away from the tax. 600 00:38:34,880 --> 00:38:38,320 The restricted free agent capitolls of Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart are about thirty seven 601 00:38:38,360 --> 00:38:43,360 point five, And so if you believe that they could get thirty seven point 602 00:38:43,440 --> 00:38:45,519 five between the two of them. I'm not ruling it out. If someone 603 00:38:45,760 --> 00:38:51,559 tries to throw a Lonzo his max is twenty seven five. If someone throws 604 00:38:51,679 --> 00:38:54,679 him, you know, twenty million a year, like we're twenty five million, 605 00:38:54,719 --> 00:39:00,719 then yeah, you're gonna get You're going to get like yeah there, 606 00:39:00,000 --> 00:39:05,480 so there of a sudden're gonna be grappling with the tax and what do you 607 00:39:05,559 --> 00:39:07,679 do. Are you gonna give up draft equity just to get off of Steven 608 00:39:07,679 --> 00:39:10,320 Adams or Eric Bletzow because you're not really in a position to do that either. 609 00:39:10,400 --> 00:39:14,199 That doesn't make you, you know, are you a better team if 610 00:39:14,239 --> 00:39:16,480 you just get rid of Eric Bletzo or Steven Adams? Maybe, but it's 611 00:39:16,559 --> 00:39:22,199 marginally like there needs to be a talent acquisition happening here, and I just 612 00:39:22,239 --> 00:39:24,239 don't know how they do that. Maybe there's a trade wh if you include 613 00:39:24,280 --> 00:39:28,119 enough draft equity, you can also get off one of those contracts. I 614 00:39:28,199 --> 00:39:30,480 think everyone would still pointing to Miles Turner would be an ideal fit for a 615 00:39:30,559 --> 00:39:35,480 team like this, But yeah, they're absolutely interesting. I just wonder if 616 00:39:35,880 --> 00:39:37,800 you know, and I would imagine he does now David Griffin has the guts 617 00:39:37,880 --> 00:39:42,840 to make Let's say if Dame becomes available, or if Bradley Beal becomes available. 618 00:39:43,679 --> 00:39:45,960 I don't know if his ac lavine would do it for them. He 619 00:39:45,000 --> 00:39:50,239 would be interesting here, But like, I don't know, the fact that 620 00:39:50,320 --> 00:39:52,559 you're now kind of on the hot seat, you're probably not going to care 621 00:39:52,599 --> 00:39:54,760 as much about all those you know, the Lakers twenty twenty four pick with 622 00:39:54,840 --> 00:39:58,480 the right to defer to twenty twenty five. You're not gonna care about those 623 00:39:58,519 --> 00:40:01,239 distant Milwaukee swaps because you're on such the hot seat. So maybe they are 624 00:40:01,880 --> 00:40:06,800 right there to make the bigger move. There's also the you know you mentioned 625 00:40:06,800 --> 00:40:10,280 the tinder box tinderbox aspect of this. What if they just like, don't 626 00:40:12,280 --> 00:40:15,440 let Lonzo Ball leave and they didn't get anything for him. I assume that 627 00:40:15,559 --> 00:40:19,840 that's not on the table because then you trade him at the deadline at the 628 00:40:19,880 --> 00:40:22,639 same time, as I just mentioned, would it be outside the realm of 629 00:40:22,719 --> 00:40:25,559 possibility to see the Knicks be like, hey, here's twenty two twenty five 630 00:40:25,599 --> 00:40:29,960 million a year. I don't know. I don't think they should do that, 631 00:40:30,440 --> 00:40:34,639 but I think they could, and well, I mean functionally they could. 632 00:40:34,679 --> 00:40:36,400 They have a cap space, but like, I just don't think that's 633 00:40:36,440 --> 00:40:39,519 outside the realm of possibility, and so what do you do. Do you 634 00:40:39,639 --> 00:40:43,840 just match it and then hope that that's a tradable contract later, or you 635 00:40:43,960 --> 00:40:46,079 cut costs elsewhere. There's a lot of moving parts here, and my guests 636 00:40:46,079 --> 00:40:50,800 would be that both like one of Josh Art a Lonzo Ball is probably gonna 637 00:40:50,880 --> 00:40:53,880 leave unless their markets somehow crater and are lower than we expect, and so 638 00:40:54,000 --> 00:40:59,119 you might be losing a really good player. And that's just it's a very 639 00:40:59,199 --> 00:41:02,000 combustible situation they're in because they still haven't made the play in tournament. This 640 00:41:02,119 --> 00:41:06,320 was a team on paper where they were supposed to at least compete for that. 641 00:41:08,079 --> 00:41:12,760 So here's here's sort of a weird paradox that they have to deal with. 642 00:41:12,960 --> 00:41:16,519 Like I think the Zion thing gives them an immense amount of urgency, 643 00:41:17,039 --> 00:41:24,480 right because they disappointed and he clearly to me looks like a franchise cornerstone superstar, 644 00:41:24,880 --> 00:41:30,519 Like he's ready to be very very good right now. So there's urgency. 645 00:41:30,400 --> 00:41:34,719 But there's also this idea that that just kind of occurs to me that 646 00:41:35,760 --> 00:41:38,440 like we just talked about Devin Booker, right, Devin Booker's twenty four I 647 00:41:38,519 --> 00:41:43,800 think maybe like for the first four of the six years of his career, 648 00:41:43,840 --> 00:41:46,000 we were kind of like a I don't know, like, but guys get 649 00:41:46,159 --> 00:41:51,039 better, and the guys on this team that are good are very young. 650 00:41:51,440 --> 00:41:54,679 So if you had the luxury of patience, you could assume that a new 651 00:41:54,760 --> 00:42:00,760 coach that the players actually like might get a little more buy in offensively and 652 00:42:00,880 --> 00:42:05,119 otherwise from Zion, from Brandon Ingram from Lonzo if he stays, and they 653 00:42:05,239 --> 00:42:09,960 could just absolutely organically get way better next year. But like, you can't 654 00:42:10,039 --> 00:42:14,000 go back in. You can't go into next season with the same roster for 655 00:42:14,079 --> 00:42:16,599 all the reasons we talked about, Like there's just it's gonna be too difficult 656 00:42:16,639 --> 00:42:21,519 to sell that. So it's funny how like the best course might be patients, 657 00:42:21,599 --> 00:42:23,480 but they just don't. I don't think that's an option for them. 658 00:42:24,480 --> 00:42:28,400 Yeah, And I'm just I don't have any feel for what they're gonna do. 659 00:42:28,559 --> 00:42:31,719 I think they'll probably keep or sign and trade Lonzo, Like maybe there's 660 00:42:31,719 --> 00:42:34,760 a team that doesn't have cap space he wants to go to, and then 661 00:42:34,800 --> 00:42:37,000 it's mutually beneficial for everyone to work out a deal. I just don't have 662 00:42:37,159 --> 00:42:40,360 a you know, I came up with a I don't even have it in 663 00:42:40,400 --> 00:42:43,440 front of me. Maybe I should, Maybe I should have brought it up. 664 00:42:43,559 --> 00:42:47,719 But like a three team trade where they gave up number ten Eric Bletsoe 665 00:42:47,920 --> 00:42:52,960 and Niquil Alexander Walker and some other like stuff. Oh, it was the 666 00:42:53,079 --> 00:42:59,039 Lakers twenty twenty two pick and then a second rounder and they got Steven Adams 667 00:42:59,039 --> 00:43:00,239 off that center and they got Myles Turner back. And I just don't know 668 00:43:00,239 --> 00:43:04,559 if that's a move that's like big for them, is it? Because it's 669 00:43:04,719 --> 00:43:07,760 it's a weird time where you don't want to necessarily make I don't want to 670 00:43:07,760 --> 00:43:10,440 say an all in play because that's not what that was, but a very 671 00:43:10,519 --> 00:43:15,360 buy heavy play because you might not be good enough. Yeah, and so 672 00:43:15,440 --> 00:43:20,360 it's so confusing. That's why they're interesting. That's fair. I think my 673 00:43:20,599 --> 00:43:22,360 team, first team is going to surprise you a little bit. I have 674 00:43:22,440 --> 00:43:27,079 the jazz. Okay, Oh, I get it, let's hear it. 675 00:43:27,280 --> 00:43:31,559 I think you can very much make the case that they again go further in 676 00:43:31,599 --> 00:43:35,559 the playoffs if Donovan Mitchell isn't dealing with his ankle injury, because that was 677 00:43:35,639 --> 00:43:38,280 clearly a thing for him, If they had Mike Conley for most of that 678 00:43:38,360 --> 00:43:44,559 series against the Clippers. My whole thing is, I think what's become clear 679 00:43:44,639 --> 00:43:46,719 is that even though their offense is going to be fine, they still need 680 00:43:47,320 --> 00:43:51,960 that wing stopper. It doesn't need to be an all defense guy, but 681 00:43:52,000 --> 00:43:54,920 they're Jay Crowder short. It feels like of being really matchup proof in the 682 00:43:54,920 --> 00:44:00,400 playoffs because there are I don't view Rudy Gobert as a liability really ever, 683 00:44:00,880 --> 00:44:05,199 like there are matchups like the Clippers where what he does best is not enough 684 00:44:05,320 --> 00:44:08,039 to overcome the deficiencies on the wing in front of him. And that's a 685 00:44:08,079 --> 00:44:12,880 big problem with going small is that Utah's perimeter guys, they're not going to 686 00:44:12,960 --> 00:44:15,280 keep a lot of these other opponents in front of them, and that seems 687 00:44:15,280 --> 00:44:19,760 where they're hurt most. And so there's that element of can you get that 688 00:44:19,960 --> 00:44:22,519 wing type defender? And then I also think they do need the option to 689 00:44:22,679 --> 00:44:27,679 play small themselves. That's the direction the league has gone in. And so 690 00:44:27,840 --> 00:44:30,000 whether it's getting a wingstopper who can also give you those small ball minutes, 691 00:44:30,960 --> 00:44:35,760 or it's that's a separate player, it's probably a separate player because there's only 692 00:44:35,840 --> 00:44:37,599 so many Jay crowders out there, and the Sun's aren't just throwing jay crowder 693 00:44:37,639 --> 00:44:42,800 at the five Willy Nilly themselves anyway, I don't know how they get there. 694 00:44:43,280 --> 00:44:46,000 Looming over all this, by the way, is the specter of Mike 695 00:44:46,079 --> 00:44:50,800 Conley's free agency. The Athletics Tony Jones reported that they're gonna do whatever they 696 00:44:50,880 --> 00:44:53,960 can to resign him. And I don't view Mike Conley as someone who needs 697 00:44:54,000 --> 00:45:00,039 to go to a sexier market, but he could just want to play on 698 00:45:00,119 --> 00:45:02,719 a different team, like I think that that's eminently possible. He didn't choose 699 00:45:02,760 --> 00:45:07,079 to be in Utah, so if he leaves, you're screwed. If he 700 00:45:07,239 --> 00:45:10,760 comes back, I think you have a real conversation about I know people have 701 00:45:10,880 --> 00:45:14,639 mentioned Joe Angels as the guy they could trade. I think you look at 702 00:45:14,719 --> 00:45:19,360 moving Jordan Clarkson when his value is at its apex, or a boyon Bardonovitch 703 00:45:19,440 --> 00:45:21,920 who you know he hit fifty percent of his pulp triples in the playoffs, 704 00:45:22,000 --> 00:45:24,480 but I still one of them. I think you can get away if Mike 705 00:45:24,519 --> 00:45:29,079 Conley's coming back of moving either one of those two. And the name I 706 00:45:29,159 --> 00:45:32,320 circled for them is if Josh Richardson opts into Dallas. Is there a move 707 00:45:32,440 --> 00:45:37,440 to be made there? Where is it Boyon Bardonovitch for Maxi Kleiba and Josh 708 00:45:37,559 --> 00:45:44,000 Richardson Or is it Jordan Clarkson, Derek Favors and number thirty for Josh Richardson 709 00:45:44,039 --> 00:45:46,239 and Maxi Kleba. Is there that type of framework there? There might not 710 00:45:46,360 --> 00:45:50,599 be. Dallas may not want to help out Arrival, and I'm not sure 711 00:45:50,639 --> 00:45:52,199 how much better off Dallas is with that trade, but they do seem incredibly 712 00:45:52,280 --> 00:45:57,639 low on Richardson. But I just don't know what the move is. And 713 00:45:57,760 --> 00:46:01,239 again I'm not certain, and I don't it hasn't just come out that he's 714 00:46:01,280 --> 00:46:04,480 likely to stay in Utah. I just don't know what's gonna happen with Mike 715 00:46:04,519 --> 00:46:07,239 Conley's free agency, and if he leaves, you really are in trouble because 716 00:46:07,239 --> 00:46:09,360 I also think, and we saw this in the playoff when he was out, 717 00:46:09,719 --> 00:46:14,440 he's kind of mission critical to keeping Rudy Gobert involved in the offense. 718 00:46:15,000 --> 00:46:20,440 Yeah, no, I think I keep leaning back on. I forget when 719 00:46:20,519 --> 00:46:22,719 it happened, but you know there was I think it was probably Tony Jones 720 00:46:23,400 --> 00:46:27,880 in the athletic there's a Mike Conley interview, and he all he talked about 721 00:46:27,880 --> 00:46:30,480 how much he loved him and his family loved Salt Lake City and how they 722 00:46:30,519 --> 00:46:34,280 wanted to stay. And so anytime I talk about Mike Conley's free agency or 723 00:46:34,320 --> 00:46:36,760 whatever, I was leaning back on that. While he likes it there, 724 00:46:36,800 --> 00:46:38,679 so he's gonna stay, but like, what's he gonna say. I want 725 00:46:38,679 --> 00:46:40,440 to get out of here as soon as I possibly can't. You know, 726 00:46:40,519 --> 00:46:47,199 it's not it's ridiculous. The sort of there's there's kind of before you start 727 00:46:47,320 --> 00:46:51,280 thinking about, well, what can the Jazz do to improve the roster via 728 00:46:51,360 --> 00:46:55,599 trade assuming Colmley comes back a Calmley return on a deal on a market rate 729 00:46:55,760 --> 00:46:59,840 contract, whatever that ends up being. If it's like twenty five a year, 730 00:47:00,320 --> 00:47:02,079 you know, it could be more than that. Like Kyle Lowry got 731 00:47:02,119 --> 00:47:05,719 I think three for ninety a couple of year, a few on his last 732 00:47:05,800 --> 00:47:08,880 one. So my compan's only thirty three. There's I feel like people think 733 00:47:08,920 --> 00:47:13,199 he's as old as Chris Paul, but he's he's only thirty three. But 734 00:47:13,280 --> 00:47:15,800 so if you're gonna do that, and I think they sort of have to 735 00:47:15,840 --> 00:47:19,760 because you can't replace him with you have no space to get anyone else from 736 00:47:19,760 --> 00:47:24,679 the outside unless they're comfortable going way into the text. You have to potentially 737 00:47:24,840 --> 00:47:29,880 move some of your your mid tier salary one or two of your mid tier 738 00:47:29,920 --> 00:47:34,400 salary guys. So like the guys you're talking about Ingles Clarkson Favors, I 739 00:47:34,440 --> 00:47:37,199 don't think O'Neil makes enough to really move the needle. You might have to 740 00:47:37,400 --> 00:47:40,440 essentially salary dump one of those guys, Like I think that's a realistic possibility 741 00:47:40,519 --> 00:47:47,400 too, And that only further complicates the idea that the very necessary task of 742 00:47:47,519 --> 00:47:51,840 like we gotta update this roster so we don't flame out in the playoffs. 743 00:47:51,920 --> 00:47:54,639 I think they clearly need a wing stopper. I think I was working on 744 00:47:54,760 --> 00:47:59,679 something the other week, and he's not a wing stopper. He's been overrated 745 00:47:59,760 --> 00:48:05,360 in the regard. But someone like Robert Covington would make sense in a scenario 746 00:48:05,599 --> 00:48:09,000 like they faced against the Clippers, where you know you need guys that can 747 00:48:09,039 --> 00:48:13,400 scramble around, and if you're not going to shut down a guy that you're 748 00:48:13,440 --> 00:48:15,840 switched on too, that's at a different position. Maybe you deflect a pass 749 00:48:15,920 --> 00:48:20,599 and you just derail the possession and Covington can do that. So I think 750 00:48:20,719 --> 00:48:24,880 someone that sort of injects a little more sort of like well, sort of 751 00:48:24,920 --> 00:48:29,280 meets the chaos of small ball with his own brand of like disruptive, defensive 752 00:48:29,360 --> 00:48:30,960 chaos like that would make sense to me. But coming what are you going 753 00:48:31,000 --> 00:48:35,320 to give the Blazers for Covington. I don't know, but yeah, they 754 00:48:35,360 --> 00:48:37,559 clearly need to upgrade, and they've got all these other financial concerns that are 755 00:48:37,599 --> 00:48:42,559 really going to complicate that. I thought about Derek Jones Junior two if he 756 00:48:42,679 --> 00:48:45,519 opts in, could you do with Derek Favors or Derrick Jones Junior? Swap? 757 00:48:45,599 --> 00:48:47,840 They make about the same amount of money and Portland, whether or not 758 00:48:47,960 --> 00:48:52,800 they keep Nerk could use another big But Favors his salaries, you have to 759 00:48:52,880 --> 00:48:54,440 view him as an asset. He I think he looks more overpaid in Utah 760 00:48:54,519 --> 00:48:58,960 because he's playing like a like that's a ten minute role to play behind Rudy 761 00:48:59,000 --> 00:49:00,800 Gobert. Yeah, most lines, but Derek Jones Junior at least gives you, 762 00:49:00,880 --> 00:49:06,800 like some more pizzazz on defense. Yeah, I agree, I do 763 00:49:06,960 --> 00:49:10,480 think I think Favors just doesn't have a place on the roster if they're trying 764 00:49:10,519 --> 00:49:14,519 to win a title because those ten minutes a game just don't matter, and 765 00:49:14,679 --> 00:49:17,480 they're duplicative in the playoffs when the only reason you're not going to have Rudy 766 00:49:17,519 --> 00:49:20,960 Gobert on the court for the vast majority of the time is if you just 767 00:49:21,079 --> 00:49:23,440 want to be smaller and Favors does not help you in there, which again 768 00:49:23,480 --> 00:49:25,880 I think they need the option of going because they don't have that right now. 769 00:49:27,000 --> 00:49:29,679 And the one thing I probably am not as concerned about as you. 770 00:49:29,800 --> 00:49:32,679 I think they'll pay whatever in tax money next year. I think it's moving 771 00:49:32,719 --> 00:49:36,320 forward after that if they don't win a title or flame out in the playoffs. 772 00:49:36,320 --> 00:49:37,719 Again, they paid the tax this year. They were three point three 773 00:49:37,760 --> 00:49:44,719 million into the tax about they have as of right now. They're well, 774 00:49:44,760 --> 00:49:46,440 that's not including Mike Conley's hold, So like, if you bring back Mike 775 00:49:46,440 --> 00:49:50,000 Conley, you're going to be a tax team, That's what I'm saying. 776 00:49:50,039 --> 00:49:53,679 You're gonna they're gonna be like it's new ownership maybe and they're at the tax 777 00:49:53,800 --> 00:49:58,239 now basically, So yeah, that is that is different from paying three million 778 00:49:58,320 --> 00:50:01,519 in tax. But I think we'll probably see a Favors dump in that scenario. 779 00:50:01,639 --> 00:50:04,320 I don't know, you can. First of all, Campi O'Neil. 780 00:50:04,320 --> 00:50:06,599 He's the closest you come to having a wing stopper, so you can't even 781 00:50:06,599 --> 00:50:09,000 trade him for another wing stopper. But because you just you need him, 782 00:50:09,199 --> 00:50:13,280 and he's just he's on such a team friendly deal you can't afford to get 783 00:50:13,360 --> 00:50:15,199 rid of him. So is there something that I mean, is there anyone 784 00:50:15,239 --> 00:50:17,599 in free agency who can move the needle for them when they're like, will 785 00:50:17,639 --> 00:50:21,840 they even use their mini MLI if they bring back Conley? I thought about 786 00:50:21,920 --> 00:50:24,119 Nick Batoum, just you know, maybe him and Gobert or Chill and he 787 00:50:24,280 --> 00:50:27,280 you know, he's still getting paid from Charlotte, but he might not want 788 00:50:27,320 --> 00:50:30,840 to leave Los Angeles. He's someone who I wouldn't call him the wing stopper, 789 00:50:30,960 --> 00:50:32,760 but he helps you. He defended a crap ton of tough assignments for 790 00:50:32,760 --> 00:50:37,519 the Clippers, and he gives you the option of going small in certain instances. 791 00:50:37,639 --> 00:50:40,480 It's probably not as fruitful as it was in LA though, because he 792 00:50:40,559 --> 00:50:45,719 was also playing those minutes with like a Marcus Morris and a Paul George and 793 00:50:45,800 --> 00:50:47,679 a Kauai at points, and just there aren't. That's the other trade off 794 00:50:47,800 --> 00:50:52,000 here, is that going small and Utah's different from going small elsewhere because there's 795 00:50:52,039 --> 00:50:58,360 not like this comprehensive perimeter defense in front of you. Gobert is that defensive 796 00:50:58,400 --> 00:51:01,159 system and which is a testament to go there, but it also puts the 797 00:51:01,239 --> 00:51:06,239 jazz in some precarious spots. Yeah, I agree. Who do you have 798 00:51:06,360 --> 00:51:10,199 next? Who do I want to talk about? Should we just talk about 799 00:51:10,199 --> 00:51:13,760 the Warriors? Is that interesting enough? I didn't pick them first because I 800 00:51:13,760 --> 00:51:15,880 assume they were coming for you. Yeah, I mean so, I feel 801 00:51:15,880 --> 00:51:19,440 like we've talked about them so much over the course of the year that we're 802 00:51:19,599 --> 00:51:22,880 the only real changes are they have. We know they have the seventh and 803 00:51:22,960 --> 00:51:27,679 fourteenth picks now, but like just to run down so again, I think 804 00:51:27,719 --> 00:51:31,039 it's less of a concern than say the Zion issue in New Orleans or even 805 00:51:31,119 --> 00:51:37,239 like Luca and Dallas. But you've got Steph Curry. You don't need to 806 00:51:37,360 --> 00:51:39,079 keep him happy, so to speak, because I don't think he's the type 807 00:51:39,079 --> 00:51:43,559 of guy that he's just different. He's not gonna I wish he was the 808 00:51:43,639 --> 00:51:45,559 type of guy to do that, just because I'm tired of seeing this front 809 00:51:45,599 --> 00:51:50,840 office kind of skate by. That's my right that's my spicy stack. No, 810 00:51:51,079 --> 00:51:52,800 that's not wrong. But but but he is how he is, and 811 00:51:53,960 --> 00:51:58,000 and so I think Any's extension eligible, by the way, for just an 812 00:51:58,079 --> 00:52:02,599 absurd deal this offseason. So I don't think that's gonna be like even a 813 00:52:02,599 --> 00:52:06,559 conversation. I think he's just gonna get it. But then, so you've 814 00:52:06,559 --> 00:52:09,280 got seven, you've got fourteen, You've got James Wiseman, You've got Andrew 815 00:52:09,320 --> 00:52:15,440 Wiggins. That's your some some combination of those pieces are your theoretical ways to 816 00:52:15,519 --> 00:52:20,119 get an upgrade on the Wiggins salary slot. Another you know, a big 817 00:52:20,239 --> 00:52:22,519 name whoever those even are. I don't know, Like Damian Lillard would be 818 00:52:22,599 --> 00:52:27,239 fun and interesting and be like Brooklyn West, like it doesn't make any sense, 819 00:52:27,280 --> 00:52:30,280 but the talent should work type of thing. Bradley Bill is never on 820 00:52:30,360 --> 00:52:36,239 the table. Ben Simmons, can you play Ben Simmons and Draymond Green? 821 00:52:36,559 --> 00:52:39,079 I don't know how. But so you have that the trade, the whole 822 00:52:39,199 --> 00:52:43,320 trade thing, then you have the possibility of like, well, well they 823 00:52:43,400 --> 00:52:46,159 what if they just used the picks and they you know, suddenly you've got 824 00:52:46,280 --> 00:52:51,800 James Wiseman whatever he ends up becoming seven, fourteen Jordan Poole is a rotation 825 00:52:51,880 --> 00:52:53,639 player. Now, how we prove that, Like, you have this kind 826 00:52:53,679 --> 00:52:58,800 of interesting young core that could be the bridge to the post current era. 827 00:52:59,280 --> 00:53:01,840 But like that doesn't do anything to keep Curry happy and contending? Now, 828 00:53:02,400 --> 00:53:06,920 so is there a Kelly Ubrey sign and trade? I just like there's all 829 00:53:06,960 --> 00:53:10,559 these weird little components. But I guess I come back to you know, 830 00:53:10,599 --> 00:53:15,119 we talked about this probably even before the season, where I didn't feel like 831 00:53:15,320 --> 00:53:21,800 then that there was a single move out there that would get the Warriors into 832 00:53:21,880 --> 00:53:24,800 surefire contending status that was, you know, a realistic move, And I 833 00:53:24,960 --> 00:53:30,079 kind of still feel that way. So I think that's sort of a bummer 834 00:53:30,199 --> 00:53:32,679 to sort of have as the cloud overhanging all of the sort of interesting stuff 835 00:53:32,760 --> 00:53:36,840 they could do this offseason. But you're gonna have to talk me out of 836 00:53:37,239 --> 00:53:43,079 there being one big swing deal they could make that would demonstrably you know, 837 00:53:43,760 --> 00:53:45,519 didn't even make the playoffs this year, by the way, like that would 838 00:53:45,559 --> 00:53:50,599 elevate them all the way up to, you know, returning to contender status. 839 00:53:51,119 --> 00:53:55,239 I would be interested in Pascal Siakam, even though with Draymond isn't clean 840 00:53:55,360 --> 00:53:59,159 and that's been talked about you know, that's not an original idea for me. 841 00:53:59,639 --> 00:54:04,760 I think Bradley Beale is still the move if he becomes available. What's 842 00:54:04,760 --> 00:54:09,079 been interesting is seeing it from and so there's so many layers to unpack here. 843 00:54:09,159 --> 00:54:12,960 Joe Lacob has mentioned like that there's a limit to how much they'll spend 844 00:54:13,000 --> 00:54:15,719 on this roster, and so it's like the Kelly Junior sign and trade is 845 00:54:15,719 --> 00:54:19,440 intriguing because he clearly doesn't want to be in Golden State. He basically said 846 00:54:19,480 --> 00:54:22,800 as much on that Chris Hanness podcast. He wasn't happy with his demotion to 847 00:54:22,880 --> 00:54:25,480 the bench this year. But also, when you look at the free agency 848 00:54:25,599 --> 00:54:30,079 landscape, you don't see the team that's giving Kelly ubrig Junior a ton of 849 00:54:30,159 --> 00:54:31,159 money, and so a sign and trade might be a way for him to 850 00:54:31,239 --> 00:54:35,440 get more money than usual if you're sending him to a team that's going to 851 00:54:35,480 --> 00:54:38,199 actually play him, but are you willing to? And that makes more sense 852 00:54:38,239 --> 00:54:42,800 because it does seem that the Warriors and Warriors fans are I would say, 853 00:54:42,920 --> 00:54:46,199 overly attached to Andrew Wiggins at this point. I get it. He was 854 00:54:46,280 --> 00:54:51,199 valuable for you this season. He played fantastic defense. I think he's gonna 855 00:54:51,199 --> 00:54:52,800 be even better on offense. People have you know, they say he was 856 00:54:53,039 --> 00:54:57,920 a similar player on offense, maybe slightly more efficient. His role is going 857 00:54:57,960 --> 00:55:00,159 to be more streamlined because Clay Thompson has come back, and so now you're 858 00:55:00,239 --> 00:55:04,719 going from a number three to a number four. And imagine if you're the 859 00:55:04,800 --> 00:55:07,039 number four in a team where your number three option and Draymond Green isn't afraid 860 00:55:07,039 --> 00:55:10,400 to shoot at the rim. So, like, I think his role gets 861 00:55:10,440 --> 00:55:15,079 easier, which will help him. He is still owed. Two years and 862 00:55:15,159 --> 00:55:20,920 sixty five million dollars for Andrew Wiggins is a bad contract from a team perspective, 863 00:55:21,519 --> 00:55:23,800 So our question if you want to move Andrew, like, I just 864 00:55:23,840 --> 00:55:27,880 wouldn't be attached to Andrew Wiggins. Now that being said, I get because 865 00:55:27,920 --> 00:55:30,920 they're so light on wings that unless you're trading for a wing, which of 866 00:55:31,000 --> 00:55:37,400 all the names we listed fuel Siakam, if you throw Levigne in there, 867 00:55:37,000 --> 00:55:42,159 they're not wings. And so I get that you want to keep Andrew Wiggins. 868 00:55:42,159 --> 00:55:45,079 So then you unique Kelly Uber Junior sign and trade to help you get 869 00:55:45,119 --> 00:55:47,480 to matching money, and then you need to owner a team governors to actually 870 00:55:47,480 --> 00:55:51,719 want to pay more for this team because you're taking on money, then you're 871 00:55:51,760 --> 00:55:57,159 not making lateral move when looking at your payroll. It does seem like what 872 00:55:57,320 --> 00:56:00,960 I will say my guests would be that they don't do anything at this point 873 00:56:00,039 --> 00:56:02,119 because it doesn't seem like it. I would agree with this move. They're 874 00:56:02,119 --> 00:56:06,519 not just going to trade, you know, number seven for Marcus Smart. 875 00:56:06,800 --> 00:56:08,719 That's not something they're gonna do, and that's fine. I would agree with 876 00:56:09,119 --> 00:56:14,360 going that route. What I think they need to do, or what they 877 00:56:14,440 --> 00:56:16,079 could do, is can you lower your sights a little bit where you're not 878 00:56:16,159 --> 00:56:20,920 getting deal for this? But what's the name where you have to give up 879 00:56:21,079 --> 00:56:28,159 two of seven fourteen, Wiseman and Wiggins rather than three or or all four? 880 00:56:28,360 --> 00:56:31,360 Excuse me. To that end, I have a trade to throw at 881 00:56:31,400 --> 00:56:37,239 you. It's predicated on and Kelly Ubrid junior sign and trade number seven, 882 00:56:37,880 --> 00:56:43,119 number fourteen. They're twenty twenty two first round pick, unprotected, and they 883 00:56:43,159 --> 00:56:46,039 can do this after the draft. So Stepian rulers, We're fine, this 884 00:56:46,199 --> 00:56:51,199 is happening after their draft because I'm using the picks a salary in this twenty 885 00:56:51,280 --> 00:56:55,639 twenty three first round swap with top three protection and then a twenty twenty six 886 00:56:55,719 --> 00:57:01,320 first round pick top ten protected because you for some reason, oh a top 887 00:57:01,480 --> 00:57:06,559 four protected twenty twenty four first to Memphis. That Andrea Gadala salary. Oh 888 00:57:07,000 --> 00:57:09,880 that I get the thinking, but like it had to be cheaper to get 889 00:57:09,920 --> 00:57:15,000 off of Andre Goadala I could have. Like, so I agree, well, 890 00:57:15,000 --> 00:57:19,559 I want to count I counting right that there are essentially five first round 891 00:57:19,599 --> 00:57:24,639 picks involved here our first of all. First of all, no, because 892 00:57:24,840 --> 00:57:28,480 a swap is not a pick. A swap is a swap. I get 893 00:57:28,519 --> 00:57:32,920 this from but it's it's four first round picks Kelly Uberg Jr. And a 894 00:57:34,000 --> 00:57:38,079 swap. Okay, and you're getting back Zach Lavine. That's not doing it 895 00:57:38,239 --> 00:57:43,280 for me. You've gotten to keep Wiggins and James Wiseman in this scenario. 896 00:57:43,480 --> 00:57:47,280 Is my point. You're protected against disaster in twenty twenty six if you're bad. 897 00:57:47,960 --> 00:57:52,920 And I think this year's picks lost a little cachet because okay they're too 898 00:57:53,400 --> 00:57:57,440 Like, what would are you gonna like, let's take out the twenty twenty 899 00:57:57,480 --> 00:58:00,000 three swap then, or you could take out the you know, if it's 900 00:58:00,039 --> 00:58:04,960 one fewer first round pick, are you doing that? Because like you're not, 901 00:58:05,159 --> 00:58:07,760 Zach Lavine is really good. And if you're not willing to give up 902 00:58:07,880 --> 00:58:12,960 seven and fourteen and at least two additional things a pick and a swap or 903 00:58:13,000 --> 00:58:15,840 two more like you're not getting like you're just commit to not doing anything, 904 00:58:15,960 --> 00:58:20,159 would be my point. Yeah, well I may be ready to make that 905 00:58:20,199 --> 00:58:24,079 commitment at following these questions, is I'm gonna have to max out Zach Lavine 906 00:58:24,079 --> 00:58:28,960 though Zach Lavine is good and Zach Lavine is twenty five? Is he twenty 907 00:58:29,000 --> 00:58:35,639 six? But so I realized that this So we just we just have been 908 00:58:35,760 --> 00:58:38,679 drooling, drooling over Devin Booker. And I think a lot of the criticisms 909 00:58:38,719 --> 00:58:44,159 of Devin Booker previously sort of apply to Lavine, like good stats, bad 910 00:58:44,199 --> 00:58:47,159 team guy a little different because Lavine like demonstrably plays no defense and as a 911 00:58:47,239 --> 00:58:52,039 ship passer, even though he gets a lot of assists, I push back 912 00:58:52,079 --> 00:58:58,320 against the passing thing a little bit. I don't know. I think he's 913 00:58:58,400 --> 00:59:00,280 like a I think those are a lot of empty assists numbers. But that's 914 00:59:00,880 --> 00:59:06,719 not neither here nor there. I think if my choices are that or do 915 00:59:06,880 --> 00:59:09,440 nothing, I'm not doing it because I don't want to pay Levine max money. 916 00:59:10,480 --> 00:59:15,199 And I don't think he gets me to where I want to be, 917 00:59:15,920 --> 00:59:19,440 to the point that I'm willing to sacrifice like so many different bites at the 918 00:59:19,519 --> 00:59:22,679 apple to get someone that like how many shots am I giving up to get 919 00:59:22,719 --> 00:59:27,960 a player that might be on balance as valuable as zach Levine and for the 920 00:59:28,079 --> 00:59:30,400 for the version of zach Levine that cost me one hundred and some odd million 921 00:59:30,440 --> 00:59:34,800 dollars. If I don't, I don't know, is there is there a 922 00:59:34,880 --> 00:59:37,440 framework of that trade that you would do if we took out twenty twenty six? 923 00:59:39,400 --> 00:59:43,800 I mean, can I just trade? Can I just trade like Wiggins 924 00:59:43,920 --> 00:59:47,159 for Lavine? Can we just do? It's not but we would you do 925 00:59:47,360 --> 00:59:52,639 like the Siakam framework that was thrown out there was basically seven Wiseman and Wiggins, 926 00:59:52,719 --> 00:59:55,239 I think was like the deal for Sam, you'd do that. I 927 00:59:57,039 --> 01:00:00,800 think I'd be more likely to do that. I think I don't know. 928 01:00:00,840 --> 01:00:04,719 I'm not in love with that one either. Yeah. I look, I 929 01:00:04,840 --> 01:00:09,639 just kept your weekends and Wiseman and you're you're out here complaining. Yeah. 930 01:00:09,800 --> 01:00:14,400 I think probably it's because I just haven't come off my original stance of like, 931 01:00:14,519 --> 01:00:17,599 there's not a move that makes them a contender. So as long as 932 01:00:17,880 --> 01:00:22,800 Steph isn't uh, you know, setting the building on fire to get out 933 01:00:22,840 --> 01:00:25,920 of there, I think I think part of that is just like you got 934 01:00:27,000 --> 01:00:30,280 your rings, Like I'm satisfied with that. This is me turning back into 935 01:00:30,360 --> 01:00:35,559 a fan of the Warriors, which like if you've heard me on here before, 936 01:00:35,559 --> 01:00:38,119 I guess you should probably know that. But I don't know. I 937 01:00:38,320 --> 01:00:43,719 just unless unless it's just like a complete no brainer where it's like who who 938 01:00:44,079 --> 01:00:46,480 Bill really wants to come? There isn't there isn't like the name is not 939 01:00:46,599 --> 01:00:50,559 even the no brainer just looking at his age and like that fit with Steph 940 01:00:50,800 --> 01:00:54,360 is good luck on defense. You know what, the problems I think the 941 01:00:54,519 --> 01:00:59,880 nets have maybe are going to maybe like indirectly create some really screwed up, 942 01:01:00,199 --> 01:01:04,360 terrible rosters because people are gonna see like they just threw these guys together. 943 01:01:04,480 --> 01:01:07,719 It made no sense, there was no chance this was gonna work, and 944 01:01:07,800 --> 01:01:09,599 then it worked, and so now it's like, wow, damon, Steph 945 01:01:09,679 --> 01:01:13,920 could totally play together. Just look at the talent, Like there's gonna be 946 01:01:14,039 --> 01:01:15,920 some guys that there's gonna be some copycats that really flame out. No, 947 01:01:16,079 --> 01:01:20,039 I don't know, you can't talk me into trading all the Warriors picks. 948 01:01:20,079 --> 01:01:23,239 I don't think. Sorry, what about for Kyrie? And you're trading Draymond 949 01:01:23,599 --> 01:01:29,199 Draymond picks for Kyrie, there's probably a thirteam because the Nets don't want picks. 950 01:01:29,920 --> 01:01:31,760 Nah, I don't want I don't want Kyrie and Steph in the same 951 01:01:31,840 --> 01:01:36,360 locker room. That's fair enough. You're press or time. Let me move 952 01:01:36,400 --> 01:01:37,760 on to my next team to see if we can cut through a couple more 953 01:01:37,800 --> 01:01:43,000 really quickly. I'm the Sacramento Kings. Okay, this is not a car 954 01:01:43,079 --> 01:01:45,519 crash theory either. They're just approaching a point where it's like, hey, 955 01:01:45,599 --> 01:01:51,719 you need to commit to a direction because this whole in between this or worse. 956 01:01:52,320 --> 01:01:54,360 I feel like their fans deserve better at this point, and you are 957 01:01:54,440 --> 01:02:00,360 approaching a natural pivot with we met. I think we mentioned Rashaun in this 958 01:02:00,400 --> 01:02:02,440 podcast. They have a really bird writes on him, which, to boil 959 01:02:02,440 --> 01:02:07,880 it down essentially means they could pay him around ten point three million dollars to 960 01:02:07,000 --> 01:02:10,239 start, or they need to use cap space to resign him. I think 961 01:02:10,280 --> 01:02:14,199 he gets more than ten point three million in free agency on a longer term 962 01:02:14,280 --> 01:02:15,360 deal. So I don't think it's like a, hey, we'll give you 963 01:02:15,440 --> 01:02:21,360 the mid level for four years, and will they create cap space to get 964 01:02:21,440 --> 01:02:23,360 him? And at what cost does that cap space come? And are you 965 01:02:23,519 --> 01:02:29,159 a better team a worse team because you subtracted talent? They to me are 966 01:02:29,199 --> 01:02:32,400 at a point where they need to look at what Phoenix did with Chris Paul. 967 01:02:32,559 --> 01:02:35,840 Maybe they look at what Toronto did with Kwai back in the day, 968 01:02:35,880 --> 01:02:38,760 okay Se did with Paul George. Do they swing for a star trade because 969 01:02:38,800 --> 01:02:43,239 they have number nine in this year's draft, they have all their own future. 970 01:02:43,320 --> 01:02:45,679 First, they have Harrison Barnes, they have Buddy Healed, so they 971 01:02:45,760 --> 01:02:50,960 have like salary matching tools of intriguing players. You have Tyrese Haliburton. Of 972 01:02:51,039 --> 01:02:52,519 course I would only trade him for like you need to be getting a top 973 01:02:52,599 --> 01:02:57,760 twenty player back if you're trading Tyrise Haliburton to me. But you have stuff, 974 01:02:58,159 --> 01:03:00,800 so can you make that move? And if you can't, or if 975 01:03:00,800 --> 01:03:06,079 you're unwilling to burn it down Tyres Haliburton, Daron Fox, everybody else at 976 01:03:06,159 --> 01:03:09,280 number nine, everybody else has to go. And I think I'm curious to 977 01:03:09,320 --> 01:03:14,199 see what they do or will they do. Historically, what the Kings have 978 01:03:14,320 --> 01:03:19,599 done and tread water, and I don't know what they're leaning towards because they 979 01:03:19,599 --> 01:03:22,480 made that the lawn right trade, and it's like, what was that really 980 01:03:22,519 --> 01:03:23,559 aimed at? Because as of right now, if they come back, they're 981 01:03:23,559 --> 01:03:27,039 fully healthy. Ad in the number nine pick, maybe you make a nice 982 01:03:27,039 --> 01:03:30,840 mid level edition. I don't even know if you're better because what's happening with 983 01:03:30,960 --> 01:03:34,400 Rishawn Holmes? What does your Senate rotation look like at this point? So 984 01:03:34,599 --> 01:03:37,360 I think they need to commit to a direction, and I think that I 985 01:03:37,159 --> 01:03:42,280 have an inkling that they will. It's probably an uneducated inkling, but I 986 01:03:42,400 --> 01:03:45,519 think that there's they do something seismic one way or the other where it's going 987 01:03:45,559 --> 01:03:49,119 after a win now guy. Maybe ends up being the wrong wind now guy, 988 01:03:49,400 --> 01:03:51,719 but maybe they make that trade, and I think that they have. 989 01:03:51,960 --> 01:03:53,519 I think they just do it. Do it. You've seen these other teams 990 01:03:53,559 --> 01:04:00,159 and non glamor markets get after it, do the same thing, or hair 991 01:04:00,239 --> 01:04:02,360 it down, just burn it all down and rebuild around fox Alibert at number 992 01:04:02,440 --> 01:04:05,679 nine. And I don't think that's an away simplification either, because the Kings 993 01:04:05,719 --> 01:04:10,039 are just I call it the sub middle of the NBA. That's where they 994 01:04:10,039 --> 01:04:12,679 are. They're not firmly in the middle. They're in the sub middle where 995 01:04:12,679 --> 01:04:15,079 if things break right, hey, you could imagine them getting six, not 996 01:04:15,280 --> 01:04:18,119 maybe seven, eight in the last. They're making the play in but not 997 01:04:18,239 --> 01:04:23,079 too much else. No, and they're a first round out no matter what. 998 01:04:23,400 --> 01:04:26,760 Just I mean based on the talent. So what do you I agree? 999 01:04:26,960 --> 01:04:30,679 And the problem I think a problem is that every year that the playoff 1000 01:04:30,760 --> 01:04:38,679 drought extends, the sort of the desire to end it and just let god, 1001 01:04:38,800 --> 01:04:43,159 let's win forty four games and like sneak in I think grows and it's 1002 01:04:43,239 --> 01:04:45,880 like that's the plan, that has been the plan, like for a very 1003 01:04:46,079 --> 01:04:48,760 Obviously they would like to be better than that, but I think that is 1004 01:04:48,840 --> 01:04:53,159 a success if if they you know, this is this is how you end 1005 01:04:53,239 --> 01:04:56,239 up with Harrison Barnes making twenty million a year. This is how you pay 1006 01:04:56,280 --> 01:04:59,800 Buddy Healed eighty four over five or four or whatever it is, ninety six 1007 01:05:00,039 --> 01:05:04,719 incentives. You're like, any reasonable talent that they come across, they just 1008 01:05:04,800 --> 01:05:08,079 like, oh, we gotta keep this guy because we got to try to 1009 01:05:08,119 --> 01:05:12,880 make playoffs. What do you think their best asset is that they would actually 1010 01:05:12,960 --> 01:05:15,519 trade. So Fox is out, Haliburton is out. Is it that ninth 1011 01:05:15,559 --> 01:05:19,920 pick? Because is it Harrison Barnes it's that? Or is it a future 1012 01:05:20,000 --> 01:05:25,159 King's pick because you bank on the King's Kings. So so how is yeah? 1013 01:05:25,239 --> 01:05:30,360 So I'm not even trying to throw the Kings like no, yeah, 1014 01:05:30,480 --> 01:05:31,800 of course like that. No, that's my thought is like the Kings can't 1015 01:05:31,800 --> 01:05:34,280 trade their first rounders like they need those. They're gonna be really great picks, 1016 01:05:34,320 --> 01:05:38,199 Liken, you know, but if yeah, I don't know. I 1017 01:05:38,760 --> 01:05:42,760 think so Siakam because we were just talking about him, comes strikes me as 1018 01:05:42,760 --> 01:05:45,239 an interesting guy. But I don't know. If nine, I guess nine 1019 01:05:45,320 --> 01:05:50,320 and a future Kings pick and you throw Barnes in there as the bulk of 1020 01:05:50,360 --> 01:05:59,000 the salary match, you have badly too interesting, is badly valuable? Okay, 1021 01:05:59,119 --> 01:06:00,519 So like, does he have positive trade value? No? Oh, 1022 01:06:00,920 --> 01:06:03,360 hell no, that's not positive trade value. But I think he has hope 1023 01:06:03,880 --> 01:06:08,880 and eleven point three for a year is over priced for him now, but 1024 01:06:08,880 --> 01:06:11,440 it's for a year. You could let him walk if it doesn't work out. 1025 01:06:11,679 --> 01:06:14,079 And the other thing is he's showed flashes towards the end of last season 1026 01:06:14,239 --> 01:06:15,719 and I'm still clinging to what he did towards the end of his rookie year 1027 01:06:15,760 --> 01:06:19,719 before we started dealing with injuries, and you know, the oddball King's rotation, 1028 01:06:20,119 --> 01:06:24,000 just showing a lot of catch and shoot range, nice little floor game, 1029 01:06:24,079 --> 01:06:28,679 confident in taking those turnaround shots. I think that, you know, 1030 01:06:28,960 --> 01:06:32,519 I didn't even think like if Toronto decided to hit restart, like if you 1031 01:06:32,599 --> 01:06:39,880 had like let's say Bagley nine twenty Robert Woodard, throw him in there the 1032 01:06:39,960 --> 01:06:44,679 wing and then a twenty twenty two first for Siakam? Do you need to 1033 01:06:44,719 --> 01:06:46,920 give another first? Can you protect it? I would consider it for Siakam. 1034 01:06:47,880 --> 01:06:50,360 That's you know, the other trade I thought of. And I guess 1035 01:06:50,400 --> 01:06:54,719 maybe this straddles too far in between, but I do think if he's healthy, 1036 01:06:54,719 --> 01:06:59,280 it would address their defense. Was Marvin Bagley Robert Woodard number nine a 1037 01:06:59,320 --> 01:07:03,199 lot will protect? Did twenty twenty two for Jonathan Isaac? Oh. I'm 1038 01:07:03,280 --> 01:07:06,639 all in on teams taking a huge swing on Isaac. I mean, I 1039 01:07:06,719 --> 01:07:12,199 think that's someone that everyone that has like high risk tolerance should be going for. 1040 01:07:12,719 --> 01:07:14,559 And I would do that in a heartbeat. If I'm the Kings, 1041 01:07:14,599 --> 01:07:16,719 I think I think I would too. I don't know if it's necessarily I'm 1042 01:07:16,800 --> 01:07:19,400 talking about, Hey, you need to pick a direction, and I feel 1043 01:07:19,440 --> 01:07:23,079 like that might be too straight, too far towards the middle. But at 1044 01:07:23,119 --> 01:07:26,800 the same time, if he can make your defense, and between him and 1045 01:07:26,880 --> 01:07:29,039 Barnes, if you sign a Cheapo center like, you could do a lot 1046 01:07:29,079 --> 01:07:35,119 of different things defensively. So the one of the thing is, I don't 1047 01:07:35,159 --> 01:07:39,199 know how many people are lower on Bagley than I am, like or have 1048 01:07:39,360 --> 01:07:43,519 been lower from the start, but it says something that even even I right 1049 01:07:43,599 --> 01:07:46,440 now feel like the best course for the Kings is you know, you got 1050 01:07:46,519 --> 01:07:49,679 to see if year four for Bagley is the year he figures it out, 1051 01:07:49,800 --> 01:07:55,280 Like you just you're you cannot trade him for value now, I don't think. 1052 01:07:55,639 --> 01:07:59,000 And it's like he's had so many chances, he's been hit by injuries. 1053 01:07:59,159 --> 01:08:01,920 I don't have any that he has like an actual serviceable position to play 1054 01:08:02,079 --> 01:08:08,559 in the modern NBA. But like, I think he's super critical to the 1055 01:08:08,639 --> 01:08:12,639 team this year because they just don't have I mean, Fox, I think 1056 01:08:12,679 --> 01:08:15,239 Fox could I always think Fox is ready to take a leap. He could 1057 01:08:15,239 --> 01:08:18,039 be an all star. Halid Burton were both high on. But I think 1058 01:08:18,119 --> 01:08:21,399 Badley, just like you sort of have to give him another shot, give 1059 01:08:21,479 --> 01:08:25,600 him a ton of minutes that he hasn't earned, and hope that this is 1060 01:08:25,680 --> 01:08:28,760 the year. And like that's such a leak. That's a bleak spot to 1061 01:08:28,840 --> 01:08:31,199 be in. It's bleak. But also they're kind of there if for Shawn 1062 01:08:31,239 --> 01:08:35,279 Holmes leaves, like they don't just like they're not overwhelmed with all these bigs, 1063 01:08:35,319 --> 01:08:39,199 Like, yeah, they can sign some for the mid level or cheaper, 1064 01:08:39,479 --> 01:08:45,199 but if you lose Rashaun Holmes, your center on this roster is chemezi 1065 01:08:45,239 --> 01:08:48,640 Metto, Like, yeah, you're I mean you can bring back Hassan Whiteside 1066 01:08:48,640 --> 01:08:51,680 for another minimum deal. I think this is this is a sad thing. 1067 01:08:51,800 --> 01:08:57,720 Like Holmes was really good for them and an incredible value at five million last 1068 01:08:57,800 --> 01:09:02,760 year, but like if he makes twelve debatable if that's a value contract, 1069 01:09:03,640 --> 01:09:08,000 fine type of center he is. If it's like fifteen, if it's eighteen, 1070 01:09:08,039 --> 01:09:10,880 and then it's like now you've made a mistake. You can't You just 1071 01:09:11,000 --> 01:09:13,439 can't do it. With as good as he is at what he does, 1072 01:09:13,880 --> 01:09:16,279 the things that he does just aren't good enough to justify you know, big 1073 01:09:16,359 --> 01:09:19,439 money. Do you have time to blow through another team each I do, 1074 01:09:19,920 --> 01:09:24,760 Okay, let's do Let's do Dallas. And again this is how do you 1075 01:09:24,840 --> 01:09:27,960 keep Luca don Chis from getting more pissed off because it seems like every report 1076 01:09:28,039 --> 01:09:30,399 that came out as he was mad at somebody. I wonder if he and 1077 01:09:30,520 --> 01:09:34,439 Iron are going to be case studies and how much power guys on rookie deals 1078 01:09:34,560 --> 01:09:39,439 or signing their second contracts actually have, because no, I don't think they're 1079 01:09:39,439 --> 01:09:42,239 not going to sign those deals. Dodgers are going to sign us this summer, 1080 01:09:42,640 --> 01:09:45,560 but like our team's already starting to worry about them leaving even though they 1081 01:09:45,640 --> 01:09:49,840 have four or five years left on their contract. Well do you remember I 1082 01:09:49,960 --> 01:09:55,960 feel like it was a couple of years ago when this was a conversation we 1083 01:09:56,039 --> 01:09:59,359 were having about Karl Anthony Town's not you and I, but a conversation was 1084 01:09:59,439 --> 01:10:02,920 being had where the Wolves have just messed everything up. It was before they 1085 01:10:02,960 --> 01:10:06,119 got Russell, which was clearly just to a piece Towns, and it was 1086 01:10:06,199 --> 01:10:10,000 like, if he didn't and he had already been maxed out or he'd signed 1087 01:10:10,039 --> 01:10:13,079 it, maybe it hadn't even kicked in yet. And what happens if Carl 1088 01:10:13,119 --> 01:10:15,600 Town says I got I want out of here. And I think maybe it 1089 01:10:15,720 --> 01:10:20,159 was on a low post podcast something, and the thought was that the Wolves 1090 01:10:20,199 --> 01:10:25,399 would say, like, no, sorry, you can just sit down and 1091 01:10:25,520 --> 01:10:30,000 not play. You're we are not trading you. Now. The clocks moved 1092 01:10:30,039 --> 01:10:32,720 up even more because these guys aren't even you know, we've moved two years 1093 01:10:32,800 --> 01:10:36,560 up. So I agree. I think the Dallas situation is a little different 1094 01:10:36,960 --> 01:10:42,039 than New Orleans because New Orleans like, sorry, but it's been It's a 1095 01:10:42,119 --> 01:10:45,560 backwater NBA team, right, Like their attendance is always among the lowest. 1096 01:10:45,680 --> 01:10:49,560 It's just like you're in SEC football country. You're not going to be the 1097 01:10:49,640 --> 01:10:53,600 biggest game in town. They all they do is lose their best players. 1098 01:10:53,840 --> 01:10:58,439 That's different. Dallas is, you know, certainly had very high profile problems 1099 01:10:58,560 --> 01:11:02,079 in the management side of things, but it seems to be a functional on 1100 01:11:02,239 --> 01:11:06,239 court operation and they tend to be pretty good, so at least you have 1101 01:11:06,359 --> 01:11:11,359 that working for you. But like Luca doesn't seem to be happy with anybody 1102 01:11:11,560 --> 01:11:15,000 that was in a position of power, So that's overhanging all of this. 1103 01:11:15,359 --> 01:11:17,680 Jason Kidd is your coach? Now, that's fun? What like, what 1104 01:11:19,000 --> 01:11:26,399 what does that what does that do yeah, big quotes around fun like terrible 1105 01:11:26,439 --> 01:11:30,880 decision, but so you, so you? Does that attract players? The 1106 01:11:30,039 --> 01:11:33,720 guys want to come play for Jason Kidd. I don't know. The sort 1107 01:11:33,760 --> 01:11:38,119 of nitty gritty of all this then, is like, is this the summer 1108 01:11:38,319 --> 01:11:42,840 Dallas makes a move before they have to deal with Donche's extension kicking in? 1109 01:11:43,640 --> 01:11:45,960 Uh? Is there a Porzingis trade out there? What are you going to 1110 01:11:46,039 --> 01:11:50,560 do with Tim Hardaway Junior's unrestricted free agency? Josh Richardson has a player option. 1111 01:11:50,720 --> 01:11:56,000 There's a path for them theoretically to clear enough money to go get a 1112 01:11:56,119 --> 01:12:00,079 Kyle Lowry or someone in that like sub slightly submac. They're probably the biggest 1113 01:12:00,119 --> 01:12:02,399 threat to Conley. I feel like, right for some reason, I don't 1114 01:12:02,399 --> 01:12:05,119 know why, but just like he played in Utah's played in Memphis, go 1115 01:12:05,239 --> 01:12:09,600 to Dallas. If you're in for Loury, you're in for Conley. It's 1116 01:12:09,640 --> 01:12:12,199 like, you know, if that's your type, that's your type. They're 1117 01:12:12,199 --> 01:12:15,239 not. You know, it's kind of the same idea. But the timing 1118 01:12:15,319 --> 01:12:18,319 thing is is interesting to me because the free agent crop is way better next 1119 01:12:18,399 --> 01:12:23,359 year. There's a ton of like that. That's a number two to Luca, 1120 01:12:23,439 --> 01:12:26,399 which we agree now and you are way ahead on this. Porzingis is 1121 01:12:26,479 --> 01:12:31,159 not and has never been. So your shot is never X offseason if that's 1122 01:12:31,199 --> 01:12:34,000 what you're going for, or do you need to do something now because Lucas 1123 01:12:34,000 --> 01:12:36,359 getting a little antsy? I don't know, there's just a lot of competing 1124 01:12:36,479 --> 01:12:42,880 concerns with again the you know, the one thing you can never do as 1125 01:12:42,920 --> 01:12:45,439 a franchise is drive your best player and you're you know, generational talent out 1126 01:12:45,479 --> 01:12:49,800 of town, and like that's a like low key risk if things don't go 1127 01:12:50,000 --> 01:12:54,960 great over this offseason and the next one. Yeah, and there's the I 1128 01:12:55,079 --> 01:12:58,640 think it was John Hollander and Nate Duncan posed this question. I don't necessarily 1129 01:12:58,720 --> 01:13:02,479 like looking at players in these but it was basically would They asked, would 1130 01:13:02,479 --> 01:13:09,399 you rather have Tim Hardaway junior? Or you're you know, eighteen to twenty 1131 01:13:09,439 --> 01:13:13,640 five million in cap space? And I just I look at the free agent 1132 01:13:13,720 --> 01:13:16,680 market and I honestly don't know if it's if you're gonna get a Lowry or 1133 01:13:16,800 --> 01:13:24,399 Conley. The answer is pretty easy, but how likely are you to get 1134 01:13:24,439 --> 01:13:27,760 those guys when you've never hit you know, have you ever hit a triple 1135 01:13:28,359 --> 01:13:30,960 in free agency. They've tried, Yeah, they've tried to swing for Homers, 1136 01:13:31,039 --> 01:13:34,039 and I wouldn't call those guys a homer like Homer's necessarily because of their 1137 01:13:34,079 --> 01:13:38,039 age and what they'll cost. But you know, and there are other things 1138 01:13:38,079 --> 01:13:41,199 they could do if you want to maybe keep part away is I don't think 1139 01:13:41,279 --> 01:13:45,920 he'll cost. I mean, if they end up paying him nineteen million a 1140 01:13:45,000 --> 01:13:48,720 year like he made this year, that's tough. But if you can if 1141 01:13:48,800 --> 01:13:51,960 Josh Richardson opts out, because eleven point six million is like right on the 1142 01:13:53,000 --> 01:13:55,720 cusp, I don't know who wants to pay him that right now, but 1143 01:13:56,199 --> 01:14:00,479 there's a dearth of wings available. And in theory we're dating back two years 1144 01:14:00,560 --> 01:14:02,640 now, but in theory, he could make shots off the dribble. In 1145 01:14:02,760 --> 01:14:05,640 theory he can hit threes. And he wasn't great on defense this year, 1146 01:14:05,720 --> 01:14:10,399 but in theory he could defend one through four. So maybe he opts out, 1147 01:14:10,439 --> 01:14:12,880 and that gives you more wiggle room. Do you grease the wheels of 1148 01:14:12,880 --> 01:14:16,119 a Dwight Powell salary dump? So you could maybe keep Tim Hardaway Junior and 1149 01:14:16,920 --> 01:14:19,600 add these other guys. But then it's like we'll have you den steered way 1150 01:14:19,640 --> 01:14:23,960 too far into offense, and is it you know, if it's Tim Hardaway 1151 01:14:24,039 --> 01:14:28,239 Junior and Mike Conley or Kyle Lowry's your off season and you've burned some equity 1152 01:14:28,319 --> 01:14:31,279 because you dumped Josh Richardson, You've dumped Dwight Powell, Like, are those 1153 01:14:31,359 --> 01:14:35,800 the moves that elevate you to title contention? I don't. I don't know, 1154 01:14:36,079 --> 01:14:41,800 maybe because I do think that putting any kind of secondary shot creator around 1155 01:14:43,359 --> 01:14:45,039 Luca nanch just goes a long way, just because we've seen how dangerous the 1156 01:14:45,079 --> 01:14:48,279 mass can be. At the beginning of series when it's just him, he 1157 01:14:48,439 --> 01:14:54,039 just seems to peter out. Towards the end. They might come close, 1158 01:14:54,119 --> 01:14:59,199 but it's it feels the collateral damage that would be involved. It just feels 1159 01:14:59,239 --> 01:15:00,880 like it's not worth it. But then I'm like, Okay, well, 1160 01:15:00,039 --> 01:15:02,880 are you worried about keeping Josh Richer send to Tim Hardaway Junior. Why am 1161 01:15:02,880 --> 01:15:06,119 I overthinking this? So? I don't. I'm fascinated by the off season, 1162 01:15:06,159 --> 01:15:09,199 dude, because I don't know what they do and it seems like a 1163 01:15:09,279 --> 01:15:12,399 big trade is out of the question unless they move for Zingis, and I 1164 01:15:12,439 --> 01:15:15,039 don't know how much value he has at three years one on one point five 1165 01:15:15,079 --> 01:15:18,119 million dollars left. I think he's probably more intriguing than a Kemba Walker at 1166 01:15:18,159 --> 01:15:24,000 two years and seventy three whatever he's at, But that's also not saying much. 1167 01:15:24,199 --> 01:15:27,039 It just took the number sixteen pick essentially to grease the wheels of a 1168 01:15:27,119 --> 01:15:30,399 Kemba Walker dump and you still have to take back an Al Horford, who's 1169 01:15:30,439 --> 01:15:34,039 good, but like that contract is weird, Like he has like half guarantee 1170 01:15:34,159 --> 01:15:38,079 in the final season, So it's like, do we pay al Horford fourteen 1171 01:15:38,119 --> 01:15:42,119 million dollars to go away or do we just eat him at twenty seven or 1172 01:15:42,159 --> 01:15:45,319 whatever he's on the books for in that final year, which is six five. 1173 01:15:45,439 --> 01:15:49,840 I was closed. It shouldn't be like look just looking at well, 1174 01:15:49,880 --> 01:15:53,520 what do the MAVs do? What you know, what are their options? 1175 01:15:53,640 --> 01:15:59,920 Like it feels bizarre that there's urgency because like, this shouldn't be hard. 1176 01:16:00,279 --> 01:16:02,560 You already did the hard part. You got you know, the best under 1177 01:16:02,600 --> 01:16:06,000 twenty five player in the league, and I can just do everything can be 1178 01:16:06,119 --> 01:16:10,960 your entire like Trey and eight and have both been to the conference finals or 1179 01:16:11,000 --> 01:16:14,520 beyond. Luca has not right what's Luca? What's Luca ever done? Like, 1180 01:16:15,039 --> 01:16:18,239 but it shouldn't be hard and it feels like Dallas has kind of I 1181 01:16:18,319 --> 01:16:24,239 don't know. I just so in answer to your first question or that you 1182 01:16:24,319 --> 01:16:27,840 were you brought up, like, well, what's better eighteen to whatever? 1183 01:16:27,960 --> 01:16:30,279 Twenty two? Twenty five million caspasers or Tim Hardwood Junior? The answer is 1184 01:16:30,319 --> 01:16:35,520 it depends, and it depends on, well, what's what free agent crop 1185 01:16:35,600 --> 01:16:40,800 are we talking about? Like what what's out there this summer? I don't 1186 01:16:40,800 --> 01:16:43,279 know, like I think you said, like, I don't know what that 1187 01:16:43,319 --> 01:16:46,840 money's gonna get you. That's a significant upgrade that isn't going to tie up 1188 01:16:46,880 --> 01:16:50,159 a bunch of money next offseason, because I do think, like we've seen 1189 01:16:50,239 --> 01:16:55,199 that it can be a mistake to build your long term plans around a particular 1190 01:16:55,279 --> 01:16:58,079 offseason where you think a particular free agent, be honest, is going to 1191 01:16:58,079 --> 01:17:00,039 be available and then he's not. So like, oh, I want to 1192 01:17:00,479 --> 01:17:04,399 everybody wants to save cap space for twenty twenty two because you know it's gonna 1193 01:17:04,399 --> 01:17:08,720 be a better crop whatever. Like a little risky, but it is clear 1194 01:17:08,800 --> 01:17:11,600 that as of now, the free agents that it might be available then are 1195 01:17:11,680 --> 01:17:15,479 better so if your Dallas, is there a balloon deal you can give someone 1196 01:17:15,800 --> 01:17:18,079 like not really because you can't a one year deal because you can't really, 1197 01:17:18,239 --> 01:17:23,319 Like, what's the point of paying Tim Hardaway Junior, like a whole bunch 1198 01:17:23,319 --> 01:17:25,880 of money on like a one plus one where it's a team option on this, 1199 01:17:26,159 --> 01:17:29,800 Like what's that get you? You're not getting appreciably better and Luca is 1200 01:17:29,840 --> 01:17:32,960 good enough to help you contend right now. So I don't know. The 1201 01:17:33,239 --> 01:17:36,800 timing part of this again is like the most fascinating aspect of it, because 1202 01:17:36,800 --> 01:17:41,199 I just don't know how they kind of thread the needle of we need to 1203 01:17:41,239 --> 01:17:45,039 contend next year because Luca's ready, but then we also want to be able 1204 01:17:45,079 --> 01:17:47,479 to contend for five more so that he stays happy. I don't know what 1205 01:17:47,600 --> 01:17:50,960 the answer is. Well, the other thing is too, is that Luca 1206 01:17:51,000 --> 01:17:55,720 Dancers is going to be on his SuperMac, So it's I don't know why 1207 01:17:55,800 --> 01:18:00,680 you can serve room that you're not going to have between him and Chris porzingis 1208 01:18:00,119 --> 01:18:03,199 not next season but the season after. You're looking at more than sixty million 1209 01:18:03,239 --> 01:18:08,920 dollars of commitments right there, and so plus Dwight Powell, you're over seventy. 1210 01:18:09,600 --> 01:18:13,319 I'm assuming you bring back Kleiba at nine. That's eighty. Like cap 1211 01:18:13,359 --> 01:18:15,000 space very quickly goes out the window. And I'm assuming you want to keep 1212 01:18:15,039 --> 01:18:19,079 Dorian Finnie Smith cap hold seven point six. You know there's you're not gonna 1213 01:18:19,119 --> 01:18:21,960 get max room. You'll have to move Porzingis, and so I would be 1214 01:18:23,039 --> 01:18:26,239 I'm a big fan of create cap space when you need it, So if 1215 01:18:26,239 --> 01:18:29,319 there's good players to bring in on multi year deals, do it. I 1216 01:18:29,439 --> 01:18:31,880 just don't know what this team, the quality of talent gets them with the 1217 01:18:31,960 --> 01:18:34,760 money that they'll have to spend. And I still don't have an answer to 1218 01:18:34,840 --> 01:18:39,439 would you rather have if that's the choice, the full breadth of your cap 1219 01:18:39,520 --> 01:18:45,560 spending power or Tim Hardaway Jr. I don't know. Well, I mean, 1220 01:18:45,600 --> 01:18:47,680 what are you going to pay to bring jj Reddick back? That's the 1221 01:18:47,760 --> 01:18:56,039 real that's the real question. Final team, and I'm not picking the next 1222 01:18:56,079 --> 01:18:58,439 By the way, they were on my list, but they were not one 1223 01:18:58,479 --> 01:19:00,359 of my top three teams because I don't think they're gonna be uninteresting, but 1224 01:19:00,359 --> 01:19:04,680 I think it's very much going to be They're gonna sign short term deals and 1225 01:19:04,880 --> 01:19:09,479 kick the can into twenty twenty twenty three, and it also wouldn't surprise me 1226 01:19:09,479 --> 01:19:11,880 if like they didn't sign Julius Randall to the I think he can get like 1227 01:19:11,960 --> 01:19:14,800 four. I have all my cap sheets up. I should just scroll at 1228 01:19:14,840 --> 01:19:15,880 their tab. But like he can get like four and one oh six is 1229 01:19:15,920 --> 01:19:19,720 the max extension he could get or four one oh three. I think that's 1230 01:19:19,760 --> 01:19:23,920 probably from a team's perspective. I hope Julius Randall gets all the money. 1231 01:19:24,479 --> 01:19:28,920 I wouldn't give him that four one hundred makes me a little uncomfortable for ninety 1232 01:19:28,920 --> 01:19:30,640 would probably be more of my range, but that's I want him to get 1233 01:19:30,680 --> 01:19:33,600 paid. So I just don't think they're gonna do anything. I don't think 1234 01:19:33,600 --> 01:19:38,039 they're gonna throw out like a huge offer seed to a John Collins or Alonzo 1235 01:19:38,159 --> 01:19:42,359 Ball. I don't think they're gonna be involved in Kauai. Maybe Kauai and 1236 01:19:42,439 --> 01:19:44,840 Dame also decide they want to play in New York, but it's very much 1237 01:19:44,920 --> 01:19:46,720 like, yeah, they'll be on the prowl for a blockbuster trade if it 1238 01:19:46,800 --> 01:19:49,840 comes. Otherwise, they're going to maintain their flexibility. I don't see them 1239 01:19:49,880 --> 01:19:54,520 getting super reckless over the long term, which is why they don't interest me. 1240 01:19:54,680 --> 01:19:56,640 In a good way. I just want the Knicks to be normal, 1241 01:19:56,920 --> 01:20:00,760 as everyone who listens to this podcast, no debtingly disenchanted Knicks fan is what 1242 01:20:00,840 --> 01:20:03,119 I count myself as. I just want a normal team. I have the 1243 01:20:03,199 --> 01:20:10,800 Raptors number four in the lottery. Kyle Lowry's entering free agency Messiah Jerry. 1244 01:20:10,840 --> 01:20:14,159 I think his contract is up right now, but he's still working for the 1245 01:20:14,199 --> 01:20:16,159 team. So does he get like a per diem of a million dollars per 1246 01:20:16,239 --> 01:20:19,720 day? Like? How does that? What is happening there? There are 1247 01:20:19,800 --> 01:20:24,720 so many different directions they could take this for I want them to bring back 1248 01:20:24,800 --> 01:20:28,880 Kyle Lowry, re signed Gary fred Junior, keep Chris Bouche. I'd probably 1249 01:20:28,920 --> 01:20:30,600 get rid of Baines, get rid of Hood. I think they could be 1250 01:20:30,640 --> 01:20:32,840 a really good team when they're healthy. We just didn't see them healthy this 1251 01:20:32,960 --> 01:20:36,600 year. But Kyle Lowry might just leave because there are teams that are better 1252 01:20:36,680 --> 01:20:40,520 positioned to contend. Or maybe the Knicks are like, hey, here's a 1253 01:20:40,600 --> 01:20:43,239 two year max or something, or here's a one year max, or here's 1254 01:20:43,239 --> 01:20:45,600 two years and sixty five million dollars or something, because they want to maintain 1255 01:20:45,640 --> 01:20:48,560 flexibility while getting him, or maybe he wants to go to Dallas or Miami 1256 01:20:48,640 --> 01:20:54,159 will probably be involved. Maybe he'd used them all as better contenders. What 1257 01:20:54,239 --> 01:20:57,079 do you do at that point? Do does having the number four pick in 1258 01:20:57,159 --> 01:21:00,520 Bolden you to be like, hey, we have og, we have number 1259 01:21:00,560 --> 01:21:03,039 four. Whoever that winds up being Gary Trent juniors only twenty two? Should 1260 01:21:03,039 --> 01:21:08,199 we look at moving Siakam and Van Fleet, both of whom are twenty seven? 1261 01:21:09,399 --> 01:21:12,359 Do we look at moving just Siakam because Van Fleet feels a little bit 1262 01:21:12,399 --> 01:21:15,319 more plug and play? Do we keep it together? The Raptors outscored opponents 1263 01:21:15,319 --> 01:21:18,239 by five point eight points per one hundred possessions when Siakam, Van Fleet, 1264 01:21:18,760 --> 01:21:21,960 Trent, and ad Aobu played without Lowry. So this is not a bad 1265 01:21:23,000 --> 01:21:26,680 team without Kyle Lowry, But like what is? And you could have cap 1266 01:21:26,720 --> 01:21:30,279 space if you get rid of hood Aaron Baynes, keep Bouche. Let's say, 1267 01:21:30,399 --> 01:21:32,079 keep Gary Trench Junior's cap hold. You get to about sixteen million dollars 1268 01:21:32,119 --> 01:21:35,039 in cap room. I have no idea who that gets you in this market 1269 01:21:35,199 --> 01:21:39,520 or who you even want to get in that market. I just don't know 1270 01:21:39,680 --> 01:21:43,359 what they're gonna do. And then there's just the element of Okay, Does 1271 01:21:43,399 --> 01:21:45,159 having Massa u Jerry make it more likely they would blow it all up? 1272 01:21:45,960 --> 01:21:49,760 Does it make it less likely if he leaves? Does that mean they're more 1273 01:21:49,800 --> 01:21:56,399 inclined to rebuild? And they could also Technically I wouldn't endorse this necessarily, 1274 01:21:57,159 --> 01:22:00,359 but like they could make a huge trade, like if Dame really was available, 1275 01:22:01,359 --> 01:22:03,279 why not? He has four years left on his deal, you have 1276 01:22:03,399 --> 01:22:06,760 number four. Build that around van Fleet future picks, see what it gets 1277 01:22:06,800 --> 01:22:11,199 you. You could go after other guys, like if you wanted to get 1278 01:22:11,239 --> 01:22:14,399 in on the Brady bal sweepstakes, should those ever become a thing. I 1279 01:22:14,479 --> 01:22:16,600 think that's probably the least likely path they take. There are so many different 1280 01:22:16,640 --> 01:22:19,760 directions they could travel, and I don't know that there's any one right answer. 1281 01:22:20,039 --> 01:22:24,439 But I also don't know that there's any one more likely answer. And 1282 01:22:24,520 --> 01:22:28,479 I think people will say that Kyle Lowry is ninety percent going to leave. 1283 01:22:28,760 --> 01:22:30,279 I'm just not sold. The fact that he didn't get the play in Toronto 1284 01:22:30,399 --> 01:22:33,520 last year, the fact that you kind of look at his options. Signing 1285 01:22:33,560 --> 01:22:36,640 and trading out of Philly is tough because they would be hardcapped, which unless 1286 01:22:36,640 --> 01:22:42,640 they're moving Ben Simmons is almost impossible to get around for them. Mimmy like, 1287 01:22:42,800 --> 01:22:46,399 yeah, well, I guess the Nicks, no Dallas, and like, 1288 01:22:46,479 --> 01:22:48,920 yeah, those are destinations if they're gonna pay you, sure. But 1289 01:22:49,000 --> 01:22:53,479 if I'm Toronto, I don't mind bringing back Kyle Lowry on an inflated to 1290 01:22:53,600 --> 01:22:56,520 year deal. So I just think it's more likely that he stays than people 1291 01:22:56,520 --> 01:22:59,439 are crediting. But I honestly just don't have a feel for how their off 1292 01:22:59,479 --> 01:23:02,079 season's going to pan out, which is why I'm tantalized. They're on my 1293 01:23:02,199 --> 01:23:05,640 list too. And the more I thought about it, though, because for 1294 01:23:05,720 --> 01:23:09,680 all those reasons, they have all these all these balls in the air potentially 1295 01:23:09,680 --> 01:23:13,119 and all these directions they could go, and the Massaias future I think hangs 1296 01:23:13,159 --> 01:23:16,760 over everything. But h the more I thought about it, the clearer it 1297 01:23:16,840 --> 01:23:21,880 gets to me that like they they're in a great situation, like they're like 1298 01:23:23,079 --> 01:23:27,119 to just keep this together. I mean, it's they didn't luck into the 1299 01:23:27,199 --> 01:23:30,640 fourth pick. They tanked real hard towards the end of the year to get 1300 01:23:30,720 --> 01:23:33,479 it to improve their like, you know, they earned that quote unquote earned 1301 01:23:33,520 --> 01:23:36,840 that that fourth pick. But this is a team, you know, granted 1302 01:23:36,920 --> 01:23:41,920 Kauai has gone Danny Green's gone. They want a title, and then I 1303 01:23:42,079 --> 01:23:45,279 think I may have been in the bag form a little bit too much, 1304 01:23:45,520 --> 01:23:47,840 but not But this past postseason, I thought they were a real threat to 1305 01:23:47,880 --> 01:23:50,079 come out of the East again. I really like, I just liked that 1306 01:23:50,199 --> 01:23:54,239 team. They didn't do it then come back close. Yeah, I thought 1307 01:23:54,239 --> 01:23:59,840 they were really good. The only thing that is changed now that really means 1308 01:23:59,880 --> 01:24:01,840 it thing is Lowry is a little older. But you know, Siakam I 1309 01:24:01,960 --> 01:24:04,439 think is going to be better than he was last year. The team will 1310 01:24:04,439 --> 01:24:09,039 not be playing in Florida, which has to be a factor. Og And 1311 01:24:09,119 --> 01:24:11,319 and Nobi is on the Kawhi track, I think, like, I don't 1312 01:24:11,359 --> 01:24:14,119 think he's Kawhi, but if you just look at their first, second, 1313 01:24:14,199 --> 01:24:16,920 third, you know their progressions. The numbers are similar, the makeup is 1314 01:24:16,960 --> 01:24:20,560 similar. I think Anonobe is a guy that, like if he just popped 1315 01:24:20,600 --> 01:24:25,000 an average twenty a game next year on good efficiency and was a first team 1316 01:24:25,039 --> 01:24:30,640 all defense guy like not surprised. So their upside just organically is high. 1317 01:24:30,039 --> 01:24:33,920 Then you add number four if that's Jalen Suggs, Like suddenly your three guard 1318 01:24:34,000 --> 01:24:39,840 rotation is nasty and all you need the center and the center is the easiest 1319 01:24:39,840 --> 01:24:42,199 thing to get, and you can play Siakam at center, or OG can 1320 01:24:42,239 --> 01:24:46,319 guard centers going like they're they are like just the sleeping giant that's built to 1321 01:24:46,359 --> 01:24:49,840 win playoff games. For all. We just spent, you know, all 1322 01:24:49,880 --> 01:24:53,159 this time talking about what playoff teams need. They have all that stuff. 1323 01:24:53,520 --> 01:24:55,720 So if you bring Lowry back, which like you, I hope they do, 1324 01:24:57,000 --> 01:24:59,399 you can just be really good now and you've got the number four pick 1325 01:24:59,479 --> 01:25:02,039 and OG carry you forward after this course sort of, you know, the 1326 01:25:02,279 --> 01:25:05,079 older parts of it age out, so they have a lot of options. 1327 01:25:05,319 --> 01:25:09,880 Don't don't let Lowry get away if you can help it. I just I 1328 01:25:10,079 --> 01:25:12,319 love the Raptors. I'm always gonna love the Raptors, and I want them 1329 01:25:12,319 --> 01:25:14,720 to stay this way forever. So do I. I just don't have a 1330 01:25:14,760 --> 01:25:16,319 feel like you for whether they're going to do it. Grant, this was 1331 01:25:16,399 --> 01:25:19,720 fantastic. You stayed way longer than you said you were going to. But 1332 01:25:19,760 --> 01:25:24,680 it was fun to talk about actual basketball. And you know, there's twenty 1333 01:25:24,720 --> 01:25:27,760 eight teams are preparing for the off season right now, so it was good 1334 01:25:27,800 --> 01:25:30,359 to talk about that as well. I'll be pestering you again in the future 1335 01:25:30,479 --> 01:25:32,880 as you know by now. I hope at least. I mean, if 1336 01:25:32,920 --> 01:25:34,880 it comes as a surprise when I ask you to come on, that's I 1337 01:25:34,920 --> 01:25:39,319 feel like that's on you at this point. Follow Grant on Twitter at et 1338 01:25:39,479 --> 01:25:43,319 underscore. Hughes does a great job covering the NBA for Bleacher Report and tweeting 1339 01:25:43,399 --> 01:25:46,680 on a bi monthly maybe sometimes even like bi weekly if you're lucky basis. 1340 01:25:47,119 --> 01:25:49,800 Thanks again, Grant, you got it. Thanks Dan